#the morales family deserves better

[punkeropercyjackson]

Also 'The Morales family wouldn't know a lot about being lgbt' is just antiblackness LMFAO Jefferson,Rio and Aaron are grown ass people at LEAST in their mid-30s and Miles was extremely mlm-coded in the comics(the nigga deadass had a Moonlight 2016 poster in addition to all the gay asf male friendships)and Itsv him is VERY easy to read as transmasc and i've met tons of black transfems who say she's a trans girl egg with it and Atsv in mind so if you think Jeffrio and Uncle Aaron are anything less than the perfect allies or even queer themselfves,then please tell me why you think Peter B and MJ aren't homophobic with evidence and why you think Miles would be any less knowledgable on being trans than Gwen and especially why you think Hobie would be a sleazy douchebag booktok boyfriend who makes Miles uncomfortable on purpose for the bit when in canon he's literally Punk Prince Charming as you babygirlify The Spot.Go ahead

[jiangyanlissidepiece]

I desperately need more OG Ning YingYing & Shen Jiu centric fics

The father/daughter angst potential is unparalleled

[iamumbra195]

Home Is Where The Heart Is

(Spider-Verse Fanfic) “Miles?” Panic sparked in his chest at the sound of his mother’s voice and he shot up from the ground, moving to grab his jacket only to hesitate just inches away. Did he want to keep lying to them after this? Did he want to bear the loneliness of it once again, to hide that part of him from the very people who he’d fought to protect for days on end?

Or

Miles tells his parents about him being Spider-Man

In the aftermath of the battle against Spot, Miles had swung home on a broken leg, several fractured ribs, a concussion, and a sprained ankle. His body was bruised and aching all over but he couldn’t bear to stand in the wreckage that had been left behind in the wake of their fight.

Not when he knew his parents would be home waiting for him.

His phone had gone missing somewhere in the last two days but the hazy fog in his mind and the sharp jolt of pain that shot through his body with every movement was too overbearing to focus on anything besides swinging as safely as he could.

The sight of his window was like a breath of fresh air and he crawled through it without a care for subtlety. He slumped to the ground, his breath coming out ragged and faint as he lay motionless on the ground. The smell of home– his home– was soothing, wrapping around him like a warm blanket as his eyes burned with tears and the events of the last two days crashed down on him all at once.

He was so tired.

He had been chased and beaten down by hundreds of people– some of them being his friends, he had been stranded in another world with another version of himself, he had been fighting Spot on his own while the others handled Miguel, his dad and mom had almost died –

It was too much.

He wanted his dad, he wanted the sense of security that came with his hugs and the sweet nothings he would whisper when Miles was still young enough to go to his parent’s room when he had a nightmare.

And that was exactly what this was; a nightmare.

Only it was one he couldn’t wake up from.

His breath hitched and his eyes blurred with overflowing tears that he blinked away.

“Miles?”

Panic sparked in his chest at the sound of his mother’s voice and he shot up from the ground, moving to grab his jacket only to hesitate just inches away.

Did he want to keep lying to them after this? Did he want to bear the loneliness of it once again, to hide that part of him from the very people who he’d fought to protect for days on end?

The door creaked open before he could come to a decision and he shrouded himself from her view, watching as his mom’s face crumpled at the sight of his empty room before she closed her eyes (they were brownbrownbrown, not green, brown like his). His stomach churned with guilt at the sight of the pained expression on her face.

He’d never wanted to hurt her or his dad when he became Spider-Man but the longer time went on the more it seemed like this power– this responsibility was a curse he couldn’t get rid of. He wanted them to be proud of him, not to look at him and wonder where they had gone wrong, where they had failed him.

They always supported him, always tried to understand and maybe his dad was a hardass at times but he had been trying to understand Miles’ perspective ever since Uncle Aaron died. It was Miles’s own inability to tell them the truth that slowly caused the rift between them to grow, the fracture in their relationship that his father had fought so hard to mend.

It was his fault.

“Mami,” he called softly just as she was about to leave, slowly flickering into visibility when she wheeled around to face him, her face lighting up with relief.

“Miles! We were so worried – ”

Her voice broke off when she saw the condition he was in, her face falling in alarm– the torn suit, the uncomfortable way he hunched over himself, the dried blood staining his face.

“... Miles?” she whispered softly, her voice tinged with horror that forced him to tear his gaze away from hers, unwilling to see the look on her face as she drew closer hesitantly– warily, his mind whispered venomously.

His lips trembled as his eyes burned with tears once more, suddenly terrified of the vulnerability that came with exposing this part of his life to his mother. Something thick lodged itself in his throat the longer the silence stretched, a mix of fear and dread swirling in his chest as his mind raced through hundreds of scenarios.

What if she didn’t accept it, what if she shunned him, what if–

Warm hands encased his face, guiding his gaze up to meet his mother’s as she crouched next to him. There was no accusation in her eyes, only intense worry and fear– for him, he realized a moment too late. “What happened, mijo?” she asked carefully, like he was glass on the verge of shattering.

His face crumbled, lurching forward to hug her as tears slipped down his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t– I’m sorry,” he sobbed into her shoulder, a mantra of broken apologies escaping his lips as he clung to her as if he were a child.

She didn’t hesitate to hug him back, soothing the edge of jagged, icy panic in his chest as her arms wrapped around him in a tight enough grip that it was reassuring, grounding as something brittle and frail crumbled inside him.

She smoothed a hand over the back of his neck, an act that was usually comforting but sent a shudder of pain down his spine thanks to the still-bleeding welts and she pulled away just a little concern etched into her face. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and that same terrified look she’d had in her eyes before– terrified that she would lose her son, terrified because of Miles.

“Miles? Qué te pasa? Where are you hurt?” Mami asked frantically, pulling back further to examine him.

Miles wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and pretend that the last two days hadn’t happened, to bask in the unspoken promise of safety and security his parents’ presence exuded but he knew he had to do something about his injuries lest they heal wrong.

It had happened once when May was still around and she had broken his nose all over again before setting it right and sending him home.

He took a few deep breaths before wiping his tears away and collecting himself as best as he could with the frayed strings of his emotional stability, grimacing at the overpowering scent of his own body odor along with the sickeningly familiar metallic scent of blood.

Nausea bubbled in his stomach all of a sudden, his head swimming and pounding as black spots danced across his vision. He managed to spit out his injuries before what leftover adrenaline had been fueling him diminished and he faded out of consciousness

The next hour or so was a blur for the most part with Miles floating in and out of consciousness, catching little snippets of what was happening around him. He caught sight of his dad at one, a wave of relief loosening the anxious knot in his chest before he finally drifted to sleep.

Miles woke up slowly, blinking his eyes open before letting them fall shut again, content in the space between sleeping and waking as he buried his face back into the soft pillow bracketing his head. The blankets wrapped around him were heavy and warm, their weight comforting. He breathed softly, unwilling to move despite the fact that his mind was slowly beginning to become more aware.

He shifted a little, tugging his blankets tighter around himself and savoring the warmth. Most of the pain he’d been suffering through before had dulled to a faint throbbing ache that hardly even registered as he settled into a more comfortable position.

Blunt nails gently scratched his scalp and he relaxed into the sensation, eyes fluttering shut as he let out a content sigh. It took a few more seconds for him to reluctantly wonder where he was, blinking the sleep from his eyes as he turned his bleary gaze up to see his dad sitting by his head.

The events of last night suddenly came rushing back and Miles shot up from his bed– the living room couch– a knot of terror and panic forming in his chest.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Everything’s okay, Miles,” his dad reassured him hastily, hands firmly gripping his shoulders and forcing him to look at the steady, comforting expression on his dad’s face. “Everything’s okay.”

“Do you… know?” Miles croaked, terrified once more of the vulnerability that came with his parents knowing about that side of his life. He wanted to tell them but his dad’s disapproval often rang in his mind when he contemplated doing so.

Dad’s face did something weird, looking almost pained as he closed his eyes for a short few seconds. “Yes, your mother was…” he trailed off before shaking his head. “Yes, I know about you being Spider-Man.”

Hearing it said out loud felt like a dirty secret had been made public, something private and personal aired for all to see. Something to be ashamed of when it was usually something that brought him a sense of pride and accomplishment.

“I’m sorry,” was all he managed to say, a pathetic apology for countless things– Uncle Aaron’s death, the numerous sleepless nights his dad had endured thanks to his positive relationship with Spider-Man, the fight with Spot.

The look on his dad’s face softened into something weary as he scrubbed his face. “...I’ve watched you almost die so many times in over a year. I saw you fight Kingpin… Miles, you could’ve died so many times yesterday and I wouldn’t have had any idea,” he said, his voice strangled like he was going to cry.

“Dad, I wasn’t… I was fine,” he tried to reassure, the defense lame to his own ears.

Dad bristled and Miles’s shoulders curled up to his ears when he turned to him with an incredulous expression on his face. “ Fine? That’s what you call fine?” he hissed.

“Jeff,” his mom warned as she stepped into the room, looking just as exhausted as his dad, who deflated, anger bleeding away just as quickly as it had come.

“Sorry. This is a lot. This…” Dad trailed off without finishing his sentence.

Miles knew he needed to explain, needed to say something so the words that spilled from his mouth were unscripted, nothing like the scenarios he had built in his mind because this wasn’t the way he wanted them to find out.

“I– I’m sorry, I didn’t want to lie to you but I didn’t know what else to do and I was scared you wouldn’t– I didn’t know what else to do. After Uncle Aaron–”

Dad sucked in a sharp breath, disbelief and horror etched into his face. “You were there. In the alley with Aaron last year, you were that Spider-Man– Miles, I pointed my gun at you! I could’ve hurt my own–”

Now both his parents looked terrible, exhausted and scared all because of him.

“It’s not your fault, Dad,” Miles whispered, desperate to reassure his father but terrified of their rejection all the same.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself so he could properly explain without tripping over his words. Somehow telling his parents the truth seemed more daunting than anything he’d ever done, the prospect of their rejection hanging over his head like a herald of bad news.

The nightmares of their disapproval, of being sneered at or thrown in jail or out of the house even though he knew they would never do that haunted him day and night, his lies heavy on his tongue but the icy rush of fear that shot through his body was terrible in comparison.

“I wanted to tell you for so long– I knew I needed to tell you after everything with Spot. But there were people like me, other spider-people so I thought that I had people in my corner, that I would be okay but they didn’t– they didn’t listen to me. You were right, Mom, they didn’t– I didn’t belong there, they didn’t accept me. I broke my promise, I know but I… I know I should’ve told you and I was trying to… it was just complicated. I was scared you’d make me give up Spider-Man, that you wouldn’t… love me the same.”

His last few words were said in a barely audible whisper but they rang in the silence following his explanation, a weight falling off his shoulders when they finally slipped from his mouth before it was quickly replaced with heavy dread.

His gaze flitted between his mother’s crestfallen expression, like he had broken her heart with how much he doubted their love for him, and his dad… Dad looked the same way he had the day of Uncle Aaron’s funeral, conflicted and heartbroken all at once, his eyebrows drawn into a soft frown that made it look like he was going to cry.

Neither of them said anything, the silence growing heavier with every soft tick of the clock fixed on the wall and Miles barely managed to refrain from fidgeting, limiting himself to picking at the skin around his nails.

“Oh, Miles,” his mom said softly, pain clear in her eyes as she drew closer, cupping his face carefully like he was something fragile, something precious. “We love you, we’ll always love you no matter what. Don’t ever doubt that. As much as I hate the idea of you putting yourself in danger, you came home and that’s what matters most. I’m sorry we made you feel like you couldn’t trust us.”

Tears burned in his eyes for what felt like the millionth time and he blinked them away, shaking his head a little. “It’s not your fault… I trust you, I just… I didn’t want to hurt you. Me being Spider-Man almost got you killed last night.”

“No,” Dad denied fiercely and Miles’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t understand much of what was going on with you and those other… Spider-people but we chose to go out last night because it was our job. Our responsibility.”

Oh, how Miles hated that word.

Sometimes he wished his dad hadn't picked a career that put him in the direct line of fire of multiple villains, armed with nothing but a gun and his face bared for everyone to see.

“Spot attacked because of me, he wanted to… he said he wanted to take everything away from me, that he was going to destroy everything. If I had just–”

“Miles, you can’t dwell on the what-ifs. You did the best that you could and you stopped him,” his dad interrupted, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder gently. “I’m proud of you, Miles.”

The last of the tension in Miles’ body bled away with that admission and he threw himself at his dad, wrapping his arms around the man and hugging him as hard as he could without hurting him.

Dad let out a quiet oof, before hugging Miles back just as fiercely and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. He melted into the steady security that came with being in his dad’s arms, warmth curling in his chest at his dad’s acceptance.

“You know this doesn’t mean I’m letting you off the hook?”

“Dad,” Miles huffed.

Mami laughed quietly as she joined the hug, her arm resting over his shoulders and her hand rubbing absent circles on his bicep.

“Spider-Man or not, I’m gonna be on your ass from now on and you better check in with me and your mother every time you go out, you got that?”

Miles flushed at the deliberate callback to the little remark he’d made during his conversation with his dad as Spider-Man, shrinking a bit in embarrassment before fully processing what his dad said and what?

He gaped at his dad, pulling away just enough to see his face and attempt to detect any deception in his eyes.

“You mean… you’re not going to make me stop? You’re okay with me being Spider-Man?”

“We wanted to,” Mami said softly and Miles’ stomach sank a little bit. “We’re proud of all the good you’ve done but we’d never be okay with the idea of you putting yourself in harm’s way. We’ve seen you pick up cats from trees, we’ve seen you save people from fires and it will always scare me to see you jump off buildings with nothing but a web to hold you. But we know you, we know you won’t stop even if we try to tell you to stay put. I’d rather be able to watch over you than have you running around behind my back.”

A part of him wanted to protest and say that he wouldn’t completely disregard their words but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sit still while others were getting hurt. For all that his father ranted about Spider-Man and how much he disliked him, the ideals Spider-Man upheld and the ideals he’d instilled in Miles were one and the same.

He had the power to fight back and do his part, how could he possibly hide in his home, pretending that he couldn’t make a difference when he could?

He hugged both his parents, squishing them all into one tightly knit embrace.

“Okay, I gotta ask. Do the webs come out of you or–”

“Dad, Miles groaned, an exasperated grin pulling at his lips with the familiar question.

“What? My son is Spider-Man, I think I have the right to ask that now.”

Maybe Miles had failed to fulfill his promise to his mom but he would always, always come back home.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

I love the morales family with my whole heart

I rewatched some parts of the movie to write this and Rio's speech is so cute, she cares about Miles so much that it made we wanna cry I wanted to write Jeff as like a sturdy presence in Miles' life because no matter how much they argue, his dad is always there when he needs it most but I also wanted to write his foot-in-mouth syndrome so we got this as a result Plus, the symbolism and double meaning with Rio's speech and Miles coming home and not getting lost, and then he tried to do that at the end of the movie but got stranded on E-42- ugh, Miles and his family mean so much to me, I have so many feeling about them

Check out my Ao3 for my other fics: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbra195/pseuds/Umbra195

[pcrtgasdace]

finished trigun stampede. yeah, im not okay.

[teabreaking]

when you really think about it, kujou sara is probably even *more* reliant on her attachment to the raiden shogun after the events of the archon quest…

[watchingtheearthrise]

I want everyone who claims that Kylo Ren is ‘morally grey’ to both read a dictionary and go outside to touch grass.

[fideidefenswhore]

What i find very weird is how the Koa stans come at the AB fandom with this quasi above it all, moral righteous superiority and just assume we see them that way too. And the way they inform you how Anne "wasn't perfect" and act like that's a killer blow and should destroy your interest in her. Um? No one is perfect? So why is Anne of all people not being perfect so important when it's literally something she could never be? Why the hell is Anne held to these impossible standards and then judged for not meeting them? Were Koa and Mary perfect? No way, but do you ever hear stans admit it? Do they even admit they were ever wrong at all?

fans’ sense of their own morality is deeply entwined with fandom. “We hang so much of our own identity on these things that we love,” she said. “So if those things are threatened, you either have to admit that you’re sort of a bad person for liking those things or you have to convince yourself that everyone else is wrong.”

Option B is generally the one taken here, it honestly, completely explains this phenomenon.

[tenrouislands]

sorry if there's one thing about me i'm not going to be mad when characters kill or hate their abusive parent! i don't care how it's morally presented!

[punkeropercyjackson]

Making Hobie say out of pocket shit to everybody and be innapropriate to his s/os is cracker behavior and i'm not afraid to say with my whole chest."But he's the personafication of punk-"He's also the sweetest boy in the entire Spiderverse and yeah he does beat Miles in that aspect which is not a diss to Miles because i would never.There is no dimension where making an incredibly kind and gentle black male into a tactless jerk is progressive.The Atsv did NOT work their asses off to make Hobie both super soft and an anarchist and him being both is an act of rebellion in of itself with the context of how society treats and has always treated black dudes.Write Hobie as he actually he is or keep your antiblack ass paws off my son.End of!!!!

[lynettethemadscientist]

Girls! Girls! Girls! really shot my boy Ross in the head and then pretended like that was a happy ending

[femmefatalevibe]

25 Life Lessons I've Learned In 25 Years

In honor of turning 25 this month, here are some lessons I wish someone could've baked into my brain by 18. Hope this helps xx

Putting yourself first is not selfish, it is an act of self-care. Actively discounting others is not the same as protecting your peace.

Pay attention to who gossips and keeps to themselves amidst an interpersonal conflict. Insecure people or those in the wrong will speak the loudest and go on the longest in a fight to prove their innocence. Individuals who are self-assured and comfortable with the truth know it's better to communicate their feelings appropriately and then move past it. Confidence is assertive, tactful, and relatively silent.

If you want to know who to believe in an argument, pay attention to how both sides speak about the conflict. The perpetrator will often speak about the individuals' character/morality while the victim will explain their personal experience in the context of the relevant situation.

Display empathy and consideration, but don't live to satisfy others' emotional needs and expectations. Say farewell to anyone who dismisses or guilts you for your own needs, emotions, priorities/life goals & aspirations.

Your needs matter. No one needs to approve or validate your desires. If someone feels they have control over you or tries to persuade you to change your mind to ensure you put their emotions and needs first, cut them out of your life. They do not care about you.

Almost no one deserves insider access into your life and mind. Upholding your right to privacy – especially regarding your finances, dating life, health conditions/concerns, and long-term goals – is the simplest way to protect your peace.

A friend to all is a friend to none. Be wary of those who will not stand up for you behind closed doors. These people do not care about you, they care about what your place in their life does for them and their ego.

Be radically honest and accepting of who you are. Don't apologize for your preferences, aspirations, and values. You deserve to live in a way that makes you happy, not to appease others in hopes of their approval or future favors due to your karmic good deeds.

You deserve happiness, love, and nice things, life experiences, relationships, and opportunities in your life regardless of what others may or may not possess/ be able to experience. Dispel this scarcity mindset ASAP. Jealousy and internalized shame are destructive to your self-esteem and all your relationships.

You are worthy and offer many incredible, unique gifts to the world. Don't allow naysayers, critics, or bullies (of any age) to dim your light or sacrifice pursuing your dreams. Decide you're the leader of your own life. Then act accordingly.

Direct communication is always the way. Remain tactful, but at least when dealing with non-manipulative people, always say what you mean and mean what you say. It will save a lot of trouble and petty disagreements that could've been avoided with clearer communication.

You don't owe anyone an explanation for your feelings, emotions, and actions that don't have a direct, inescapable impact on someone else. "No" is a complete sentence.

Approach conversations as a meeting of the minds. Healthy debate or conflict is about seeking to understand the other person, not prove yourself right. Leaving your ego at the door will allow you to expand your mind and avoid many unnecessary conflicts or arguments.

If it's not a hell yes, it's a no. For a job, date, sex, attendance at a time-sucking social event, family gatherings, an informal meeting not essential for you to keep your job, a wedding, birthday party, holiday invitation, etc. Outside of your contracted hours and time necessary to keep yourself/your home clean & well-maintained, you should spend your time exactly as you please. Doing things you don't want to do will only breed resentment down the line toward yourself and others.

Detangle yourself from any who refuses to self-reflect and take accountability. This person is selfish and will never see you as fully human with emotions, needs, and a complete life/internal world of your own. Cut them out (or at least fully emotionally detach and limit contact with them) immediately.

Speak your truth, but always say a little less than you feel necessary. Overexplaning and oversharing do you no favors. At a minimum, this approach allows you to protect your peace. In the worst circumstances, this tactic can also save you from a lot of trouble in your personal or professional life.

Learn to ask for a little more than you're comfortable with, but do so with grace, tact, and confidence. Whether it's a salary/rate negotiation, flight/hotel/restaurant accommodations, get in the habit of making that slightly higher/up-leveled request like you're expecting a "yes." You can't get something you don't ask for, so speak up and show you know your worth. This habit can bring a lot of great opportunity into your life and builds up your confidence.

Everyone is on their own timeline and path. Don't compare yourself to others' credentials, job titles, relationship status, net worths, or jean sizes. Comparison is truly the thief of joy. Remaining envious of others only takes up the energy that could otherwise be used to elevate or enrich your life.

Become clear on your priorities, and remain diligent with your habits & routines. Set SMART goals. Implement healthy habits and rituals into your daily lifestyle. Be consistent with goal-supporting and wellness rituals (generous sleep schedule, healthful eating habits, daily movement/regular exercise, reading, task time-blocking, cleaning, and life/work admin schedule), so they become second nature. Help yourself by creating these default habits to ensure your brain is wired for success whether you're in an easygoing era or a stressful life season.

Stop seeing other people (especially other women) as your competition in your profession/dating life and within your platonic relationships. Use your immediate criticisms as a tool for self-reflection. Actively deconstruct the patriarchy in every aspect of your life. Other women coworkers, dating prospects, and friends are not your rivals nor individuals who should be evaluated based on their assertiveness, sexual history/appeal, relationship status, or desire to perform traditional maternal/domestic roles.

Understanding how to interact with others in a cordial, tactful manner is significantly more important than having everyone like you. Learn how to positively influence people without seeking approval. What other people think of us is none of our business. All we can do is show up as the best version of ourselves, and remain optimistic about a potential connection.

Acceptance, accountability, and consistent discipline are the holy trinity to creating a sustainable change that you can maintain for the long haul. There's no shame in starting from the bottom, but you need to be honest about where you're at, so you can create a realistic game plan/small behavior-changing habits that stack up over time to help you implement the radical change you're craving.

Let go of any internalized shame. Being the "good girl" does you no favors in life. Set a standard and expectation to be respected, not to be perceived as "innocent" or submissive – this is how you get taken advantage of in professional, platonic, and intimate relationships. Remain ravenous for respect. It's the only way to live life to the fullest.

24. Investing in your appearance is a form of self-respect. Wanting to look & feel your best and present yourself in the best light possible to others is not a superficial pursuit. Remain unwavering about your hygiene/beauty/grooming routines, deliberate styling choices, healthy eating & workout habits, and mindfulness of social graces. You're your #1 publicist, so act like it. Life is all about embracing satisfaction with a sprinkle of reputation management.

25. Be unapologetic about your financial ambitions, priorities, investments, savings goals, etc. Financial freedom IS freedom. The only way to change the system is to break it from the inside out. Leverage is everything. Allocate, and assert your (financial) power wisely.

[meara-eldestofthemall]

Gee, thanks DC! You Just Turned Bruce Into An Irredeemable Ass.

So, at the end of Gotham War Bruce has officially lost everything. Alfred is still dead, Selina is "presumed dead" and Bruce is both financially and morally broke. Why, you may ask, is Bruce so much worse off this time? Let me count the ways.

He preformed a psychic lobotomy on Jason

The "it's for your own good" excuse only makes the mental rape undertaken by Jason's own father that much more heinous.

Just when you think Bruce can't sink any lower he does. When Dick recognizes that Bruce has lost it, he attempts to use a failsafe disconnect that Bruce himself built into the system. How does Nightwing get thanked for that? Well that brings us to number two on the list.

Batman attacks up his eldest son for doing what he's supposed to do when Batman has gone rouge.

Bruce beats him up because nothing proves you are in control of your sanity like hitting your children. While Dick is holding back, Bruce does no such thing. He hits Nightwing hard enough to send him flying. It could have gotten even worse if Tim hadn't shown up.

Tim arrives and attempts to talk some sense into Batman.

Tim tries to talk Bruce down. It doesn't go well. When Robin is trying to help, as he always does, Batman uses the attempt to reason with him to put the smack down on his son. Bruce could have killed Tim but apparently feels no remorse or guilt.

If there was any teeny tiny little doubt that Bruce will not win the Father of The Year award in 2023 it died a horrible screaming death when Batman abandons his children to potential arrest. Yes, he left a batarang for Dick and Tim but any glimer of possible hope associated with that action was instantly extinguished by Damian's reaction to Batman's callous betrayal.

Bruce abandons Damian.

Look at Dami; he's devastated. Since he came into Bruce's life, Damian has struggled with feelings that he can never earn his father's love and respect. Well, that negative self-image was reinforced in way that may never be repairable. Bruce just utterly destroyed a 13 year old child because of his inability to feel any kind of empathy.

And how does this all end? The best part is that Bruce takes all of his parental responsibilities and dumps them onto Dick.

Thank you Chip Zdarsky and Trini Howard. You've taken Batman from being an edgy anti-hero and made him into a callous monster. Part of me hopes that Bruce never comes back because he doesn't deserve his family.

The only positive aspect in this convoluted mess is that Damian and Tim will be far better off with Dick than with Bruce. Yes, Tim is mostly independent but he still needs guidance (particularly since Tim's first instinct is to try and save Bruce). Damian is essentially Dick's son emotionally anyway so this might help to sustain the positive character growth we've seen in him as of late.

The point of this rant is to wonder what on earth DC thinks they're doing. This story arc has been pure character destruction as far as Bruce is concerned. It's bad storytelling too; rushed, frenetic and massively disappointing.

Hasn't the popularity of Good Dad Bruce in Wayne Family Adventures proved that fans are tired of Bruce being a dark depressed and brooding edge lord? We all accept that Batman is a character with deeeeep issues who is in desperate need of therapy. I, however, draw the line at Bruce being an abusive a**hole.

In years to come when fans wonder when Batman jumped the shark, this is the plot line they'll point to.

[billfarrah]

One of my favourite things about Young Royals and its characters is how much it romanticizes being utterly ordinary.

Stories often focus on characters who are exceptionally good at something or who are more ambitious than the average person. Even in the teen shows I’ve watched, these young characters always seemed to have their dream career and dream university figured out at a young age and I could never relate to that because I had none of those things figured out as a teen. It always felt like pushing this narrative that teenagers need to have their entire lives figured out before their brains are even fully developed.

None of the characters in YR seem particularly ambitious and in fact, the main character’s journey is a story of anti-ambition. When he is introduced to Simon, it is precisely Simon’s ordinariness that draws Wille to him. Sure, Simon is a very talented singer, but it’s never indicated within the series that he has dreams of being a pop star. It’s just something he likes to do. Simon is motivated by very ordinary things - he wants to do well in school so he can have better opportunities for himself, he wants to take care of his family, he wants to hang out with his friends and play video games. He’s a dedicated student but not necessarily valedictorian. It’s not his ambition that Wille is drawn to but his integrity and kindness and warmth.

Wille had a chance to be extraordinary - to be Sweden’s first gay king - but being extraordinary has never been Wille’s ambition. Wille’s ultimate goal and dream within the series’ narrative is to be free to make his own decisions and live his life as he pleases. He just wants to kiss his boyfriend and get drunk at parties and live his life one day at a time instead of spending every moment of his life preparing for an inevitable future he doesn’t want. In the end Wille is extraordinary not for his ambition, but for his bravery to reject the expectations thrust upon him and throw himself into the unknown and see where it takes him. Wille had a whole future in front of him as crown prince and future king - he’d never have to work a day in his life and would have people advising his every move - and he rejects that. This lack of ambition is not portrayed as a moral failure, but a necessary step in Wille’s journey to personal self-discovery and fulfillment of his own desires. His desire right now is simple - be free with Simon, but that doesn’t mean his dreams end here forever. He deserves peace and tranquility after all the trauma he’s been through without having to worry about where or who he’s gonna be in a few years. He deserves time to just exist.

None of the characters know where they’re going when they drive away at the end. We as the audience don’t know what careers if any these characters will find themselves in, but that’s also not important to this story. The series is saying you don’t have to have everything figured out when you’re 17 and you don’t have to do something just because your parents think they know what’s best for you and even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do, that doesn’t mean you don’t have the agency to know what you don’t want.

It’s not a moral failing to want the simple things in life or to be ordinary, and I love that Young Royals celebrates that. It shows the beauty in simple moments that feel revolutionary to a person - touching the person you love, forgiving someone and making amends after a hardship, whooping with your friends in a car as you drive into the summer and celebrates them. Ultimately these are the moments that make life worth living.

[normal-thoughts-official]

it always struck me as kind of hilarious that you have to pass a 30DC check to convince shadowheart not to kill dame aylin but if you're just like "sure do whatever lol" she chooses not to kill her anyway. tsundere ass fuck. killing is bad unless it's out of spite. i have morals unless you try to tell me what to do

but i just got to that scene in my new replay and it made me realize that that's not what's at stake at all

because the persuasion check isn't "don't do this". the persuasion check is, your life is whatever you make of it. you don't have to do something just because your goddess tells you to.

convincing shadowheart not to kill dame aylin is easy. she knows it's wrong, and she doesn't want to, not really. if given the choice, she is literally unable to go through with it even if she clearly wants to, or wants to want to so badly she can't tell the difference

the problem is convincing her she has an option in the first place

the problem is convincing her that her life is her own

shadowheart has never belonged to herself since she was captured. not in body, not in soul, not in mind, not even her memories. she quite literally doesn't know who she is in more ways than one. she doesn't know her past or her family, she doesn't know who her loved ones are (including the sharran loved ones, like nocturne), all she really knows about herself is a fear of wolves that's been implanted into her by lies and an attachment to a flower she can't remember the details of. and a mission. always a mission. the will of someone else she has to carry on, that is not for her to understand or question or think about. she can't even want to serve shar, because she isn't allowed to pursue her intention to become a dark justiciar. she is supposed to be well and truly nothing, empty as the sharran doctrine

(oh, and pain that she doesn't know the reason of. no matter what, she must bear the pain)

how can she see herself as more than her goddess, when she quite literally doesn't know anything about who she is other than her devotion to shar? how can she choose her own destiny, when she couldn't even choose how to devote and give herself over to her?

she can't, which is why, unless you have infinite rizz points and/or roll a nat20, shadowheart attacks you. not dame aylin. you. and she never argues about whether or not it's the right thing, because she knows. what she's rebelling against isn't the idea of letting dame aylin go. what she's rebelling against is the idea that she could leave her cage and belong to no one but herself. because the idea is scary and she quite literally doesn't know where to begin. which is why her obsession becomes to find her parents, even though she doesn't remember them at all. because maybe they can tell her who she's supposed to be, and she can have the comfort of having her path laid out before her again

(which is also why she has to kill them. not because of some hand hurty curse bullshit. but because she just wants them and selûne to become the new shar, and she has to let that go if she truly means to claim herself again)

and now im sad. because it's easier for shadowheart to do turn against shar and everything she's ever had on the grounds of saving someone else than on the grounds that she deserves better than to be a puppet. even if you do nothing, saving dame aylin, to her, is easy. saving herself is a wholly different matter, one she's not sure she has any right to, or wants to, even if it's what she really needs. accepting a selûnite's humanity is easier than accepting her own. losing everything is easier than gaining her own autonomy. and she will fight tooth and nail to be allowed to stay in her own, metaphorical soul cage

[zorciarkrildrush]

I think the essence of what drives me crazy about current Enlightened Online Leftist Discourse Regarding My Life Personally And Whether This Time Killing Me Is Morally Correct (as in, commentary about the latest episode in i/p violence) is this:

I want a free Palestine.

I don't personally know a lot of people that don't! They might bristle at the tagline, because it's co-opted by people who do in fact want them dead, but as soon as I lay out why it's in literally everyone's best interest, how a non-free Palestine is horrific both to the people of Israel and to the people of Palestine, how pragmatically ridiculous the occupation of the west bank and the siege upon Gaza are (and I am a very pragmatic person), they get it. And I don't mean I debate people online about it - this, too, is a ridiculous concept - I mean having, time and time again, the deradicalization conversation with my friends, and colleagues, and my family. Obviously not only now - I've always been a very principled and argumentative Jew, ever since I became an adult - and I've been alive for, I don't know, a dozen flashpoints and operations and wars at this point, and I don't stop being argumentative and loud in peacetime either, but especially now.

But that's not what "from the river to the sea" means.

When you, gentle soul from across the sea, echo this slogan, you are either:

By apathy or will, ignoring that the sentiment cheers for the mass expulsion and killing of Jews. Indeed, any non-Muslim present from the river to the sea. This doesn't even begin to cover how even Muslim arabs still will not be safe under Hamas rule - and trust me, I don't care if a Hamas apologist told you different. A victory for Hamas (And we're ignoring the fact they do not have the military capacity for it - I hope you are aware of the privilege inherent to not understanding military conflicts) means exactly that. No "rule by the people". No socialistic, Palestinian utopia to be had, which is a fantasy I'm seeing alluded to a lot recently. Just an extension of the horrific power structure in Lebanon and Syria, where Hezbollah - friends and allies to Hamas - have been playing a tango for decades of both refusing to participate in actual government and betterment of civilian lives, while still draining their resources and controlling them with no real contest. "From the river to the sea" is not a sentiment for freedom fighting - it's a sentiment for a final solution to the people living here who are either Jewish, or for some Very Strange And Weird Reason would rather not submit to Hamas rule. You know - Israeli Arabs, secular and Muslim and Christian, Druze, Circassians, Bahai, take your pick. Their suffering, and my suffering - you know, a person who made the strategic error of being born in Israel while Jewish, which is inherently problematic and not okay of me - don't matter to you. Just the fantasy of an easy, morally correct cleanse of the land.

Are well aware of all of the above! You just don't care. You either smugly chuckle that I, and anybody else who will die, deserve it - or that it's an acceptable loss for the aforementioned fantasy. "Decolonization is an inherently violent process", you'll say to me, chillingly, before implying I have a summer home in Brooklyn I can just retreat to when things get tough. Israel is basically Rhodesia, a very popular blog here mentioned flippantly, so what's the issue with all of those lily-white Jews fucking off back home before the righteous freedom fighters strike them down? Well. This might be the part I urge you to open a book, or even Wikipedia or any god damn thing that will explain to you these upsetting, dense things you clearly struggle with.

So finally:

It's easy for me to discount islamophobes. Like, very easy. It's very easy for me to discount insane evangelistics who "advocate for me" simply because I'm a pawn in their religious rapture. It's easy for me to fight against Israeli and Jewish fascists - I have been long before this news item came across your feed, as did the insinuations that some civilian deaths are okay, actually.

It's easy for me for me to see promotions for donations to non-political aid in Gaza. It's easy for me to see the sentiment that hey! Palestinians deserve safe, healthy lives. That they have deserved an independent state, and were unfairly denied one, for decades. It's easy for me to see people saying "You know, the Israeli government is shit, actually, and their actions endanger and promote to the misery of innocents". Because that's right! I wouldn't be voting and protesting and donating for all of these sentiments otherwise!

It's not easy for me to see people, who I honestly held in high regard and saw having well thought out opinions on important matters, inadvertently echo the sentiment that my death is acceptable. That a terrorist organization, who rule over their own territory with fear and violence, are righteous freedom fighters, vox populi, only out to establish a free state. Like hey, their manifesto said otherwise, so it must be all there is - right? That Jews are just hysterical, they can easily live elsewhere - ever since that nasty holocaust business everything's fine abroad. Besides, it was just so long ago who even cares stop talking about it. Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, the Ayatollahs in Iran, the fucking Islamic Jihad - are not interested in freedom. They aren't, and echoing their slogan tells me you are either ignoring that, or support them anyway. If antisemitic rhetoric, half truths and lies by omission work on you today, they would have in any period of time. I'm sorry this makes you uncomfortable. I'm not, not really.

Know what your fucking words mean. Have a cursory glance at the history of the MENA and why it's so fucked, one that doesn't boil down to "The Jews, with American help, rolled into where they don't belong". This isn't even a joke. I've seen this braindead, history-revising sentiment repeated so many times, both online and in actual textbooks, that I feel I'm going insane. So many well-meaning people handwringing and assuring each other that repeating genocidal slogans is fine, that calling the i/p conflict "a simple problem" (which means it has a simple solution, right? Just kill the Jews.) is a well-adjusted and intellectual take. That "only the Zionists should die! The rest will be fine :)" I dare you to say that and also give me a correct definition of what Zionism is. Why I, a Jew that advocates for Palestinian statehood and rights and safety and always have, won't also face the wall in your little fantasy.

Freedom to Palestine. Peace in the middle east, fucking yesterday.

A curse and a plague on those who don't want either of those, and just want to cheer on the death of "the other side".

A curse and a plague upon you, when you tell me, smugly, from somewhere safe and far away, "from the river to the sea".

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Judy Garland (Meet Me In St. Louis, A Star is Born, Summer Stock)— Judy is the GOAT when it comes to classic movie musicals. The voice of an angel who deserved so much better than she got. She can sing she can dance she can act she's a triple threat. Though she had a turbulent personal life (her treatment as a child star by the studio system makes me mad as hell like Louis b Mayer fight me ((she was made to believe that she was physically unattractive by the constant criticism of film executives who made her feel ugly and who manipulated her onscreen appearance by capping her teeth and using discs in her nose to change its shape and Mayer called her "my little hunchback" like imagine hearing that as a child and not having damage)) she always goddamn delivered on screen and in any performance she gave. She began in vaudeville performing with her sisters and was signed to MGM at 13. Starting out in supporting parts especially paired with mickey Rooney in a bunch of films (she's the best part tbh) she eventually transferred to the lead role. She is best known for her starring role in movie musicals like the iconic Wizard of Oz (somewhere over the rainbow still hits hard and is ranked the top film song of all time), meet me in St. Louis (Judy singing have your self a merry little Christmas brings tears to the eyes she is that powerful), the Harvey girls (she looks like a technicolor dream and sings a catchy af song about trains), Easter parade ( dancing and singing with Fred Astaire), for me and my gal, the pirate, and summer stock ( with pal Gene Kelly who she helped when he was starting out and he helped her when she was struggling). But she also does non- singing just as well like the clock ( her first movie where she sings no songs and is an underrated ww2 era romance), her Oscar nominated a star is born ( like the man that got away she put her whole soul in that and I have beef with the fact she lost to grace kelly ((whom I love but like still not even her best work)), and judgement at Nuremberg (a courtroom drama about the nazi war criminal trials). Outside of film she made concert appearances to record-breaking audiences, released 8 studio albums, and had her own Emmy-nominated tv series. She was the youngest (39) and first female recipient of the Cecil B DeMille award for lifetime achievement in the film industry. Girl was a lifelong democrat and was a financial and moral supporter of many causes including the civil rights movement (she was at the March on Washington and held a press conference to protest the 16th street Baptist church bombings). She was a friend of the Kennedy family and would call jfk weekly often ending the calls by singing the first few lines of somewhere over the rainbow (she thought of them as Gemini twins).She was a member of the committee for the first amendment which was formed in response to the HUAC investigations. Though she died far too young and tragically she remains an icon for her work and her life. As a girl who didn't feel like i was as pretty as everyone else I have always felt a connection to Judy and I just really love her.

Natalie Wood (West Side Story, The Great Race)—She went through so much shit which I know can be said for all these women but Natalie really was a star and her death often overshadows her career and life. She could make you cry, but she also had the capacity to be incredibly funny which I think is lost on people.

This is round 4 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Natalie Wood:

Judy Garland:

Judy's voice alone qualifies her for at least top ten hottest HOT VINTAGE MOVIE WOMEN. She was a truly incredible swing singer, with a stunning voice on top of her technique. Her short dark hair looked incredible in just about any style. Have I mentioned her swagger? I can’t do it justice with words. She had swagger. She was funny as hell, and clever too. Incredibly charming and cool. I adore her.

Her eyes, her voice have bewitched me

I mean how can you beat the one and only Judy? She's beautiful, her smile is contagious, the way she sings with her whole body. You can't help but love her.

Beautiful woman, love her singing voice. And she can do everything between happy or silly and angry or heartbroken