#they want all the women to pretend we're not capable

[nonsensemonkey]

jfc i love my biceps💪🏾😏

[strawberry-crocodile]

love how when we talk about transmisogyny people pull out the old "conservatives/TERFs don't care about the specifics of your AGAB they just want you dead" which first of all no a lot of conservatives and especially TERFs do in fact care. they actually place incredible importance on you AGAB, and whether or not you conform to that gender. they see you as being your assigned sex, and use that sex to inform how they see you and interpret your behavior. this is called "transphobia".

second of all, transmsogyny is not the exclusive domain of full-on qanon fascists; people in liberal, leftist, and queer spaces are absolutely capable of perpetrating transmisogyny. as well as any other form of bigotry!

by taking a general discussion on transmisogyny and pretending we're ONLY talking about fascists, you are absolving yourself of the capability to harm trans women.

[uravichii]

"best friends who kiss?"

character/s: bakugo katsuki

summary: recently, your best friend has been kissing you at random times. you have no idea why because he refuses to talk about it. either way, you're not about to let this to ruin your precious friendship.

genre & trope: fluff, best friends to lovers, angry confessions, reader is terrified of love but bakugo wants them so bad 😁, tw kind of ooc bakugo

a/n: i've been watching a lot of pride & prejudice and bridgerton scenes n i'm now obsessed angry confessions 🤩 + this is heavily inspired by that scene in little women :) ALSO i haven't posted in a year 😟 so pls be nice ik my writing's rusty in this :'D

the first time bakugou katsuki kissed you, he pretended he never did.

"what... " you brush your fingers against your bottom lip, your whole face hot. "what the hell was that for?"

"what?" bakugo shrugs, feigning innocence as he takes a swig of his soda.

you try and trace back the events that could have led to the kiss.

you said something along the lines of: "i wish i had a boyfriend. i could definitely pull a cute guy off the street."

then you heard him scoff and say: "no man's sane enough to put up with your insufferable ass." ーor something more insulting than that.

you can't remember what you said in response, and you rack your brain to figure out what prompted him to grab your face and kiss you. it's impossible when all you can think about is the unexpected supple feel of his lips, its faint ghost still lingering on yours.

"that kiss, katsuki! you violated my mouth!"

"dunno what you're talking about. you hit your head or something?"

you blink and second-guess yourself for a second.

"okay, no. you're not gonna gaslight your way out of this." you swat his arm, earning an irked glare from him. "why the hell did you kiss me?"

"you're imagining things, idiot. this stupid game's givin' ya some serious brain damage for sure."

he stands up and swings his bag over his shoulder.

"where are you going? we're not done yetー!"

and he's out of the door.

was he drunk off his soda? maybe he kissed you to mess with your head. he's not that cruel though, you think. maybe he couldn't think of any other way to shut you upー that was something he always struggled with after all.

at least the second time bakugo katsuki kissed you, he was kind enough to warn you.

after enduring the most awkward hour-long study session with him, you decide to put an end to your agony by wrapping it up. you start gathering your things when he stops you with a calloused hand on your wrist.

"what?" you turn to him, your cheeks already heating up from his touch.

there are no thoughts you could read behind those vermillion eyes, and all of a sudden, you don't know your best friend very well anymore.

he walks some tentative steps closer to you until the back of your knees hit the table. he cradles your jaw with such delicacy you didn't even know he was capable of. he slips past your awaiting lips and presses his nose on the side of your head, his warm breath kissing your flushed skin.

"punch me in the face and scram if you don't want this, got it?"

you gulp and forget to answer if not for the gentle squeeze on your wrist. "y/n, you got it?"

"s-sure."

when you two kiss, it's different from last time. it's unhurried, curious, and so intoxicating. the kiss speaks: 'i want you. i want you. i want you' but whose thoughts are these?

he groans into your lips as if to urge you to keep up with the sheer hungriness that has consumed him. you try your best to do so as he deepens the kiss with a palm on the back of your head and practically drinks you in. he doesn't pull away until he hears the tiny whine that escapes you.

"shit, sorry." he mutters, avoiding your stunned gaze.

"t's okay."

"did i hurt you?" the quiet lilt of his voice surprises you.

"no, no. i'm okay, but why'd you kiー"

"bye." he blurts out as he turns to the door and leaves, as if he didn't just invaded your mouth and permanently tainted the years of friendship you two have had. you click your tongue as the heat subsides in your cheeks.

"son of a bitch."

the third time bakugo katsuki kissed you, you let him, and he didn't stop.

you had barely escaped death when you lost your footing while sparring with todoroki. naturally, bakugo yelled the poor guy's ear off and would have murdered him if eraserhead hadn't interfered at the last second.

now, you find yourself heaving in your bed. you don't know whether your hastened pulse is from the adrenaline rush or from the fact that bakugo is all over you right now.

he's planting feather-light kisses all over youー your cheeks, your nose, your forehead, your eyelids, your hands, and your wrist, as panicked murmurs spill out of him in between kisses. 'you scared the hell out of me. you have no idea, fuck. are you okay? are you really okay? tell me you're okay, y/n.'

"i'm okayー" you barely manage to gasp before he dips his lips into yours, desperate and frantic. tremulous hands find solace in your hips as he holds you, gentle enough not to mar your injuries but snug enough to assure his restless heart that you are safe.

your head feels hazy. your limbs ache and lie motionless, and though your lips could barely move to reciprocate his kisses as much as you wanted to, bakugo didn't stop. you tried to ask him about it the next morning, but of course, he ignored you and walked away.

you don't know when he stopped kissing you that night. all you know is that there was a line that was crossed, and your friendship was never going to be the same again.

bakugo katsuki is going to kiss you again. your heart thrums incessantly. whether it's dread or anticipationー you don't know.

you think about the sensation of his lips that's become so familiar to you that you've learned to crave it. it shouldn't be familiar to you, and you sure as hell shouldn't want it. so you do what you think is necessary.

you kick him in the shin.

"motherfー!" sure enough, he's pissed. "what the hell is wrong with you?!"

"what the hell is wrong with you?!"

"i was going toー"

"no! you're not gonna kiss me again and walk away and pretend it never happened. you're messing with my head, katsuki! it's not funny!"

"wasn't trying to be funny!" he barks back.

"okay, so what exactly are you trying to do? what is this? i meanー" you stammer, struggling to find the words. "katsuki, what are we?"

he sighs and shifts his stance, his discomfort apparent. when the silence lingers on for too long, you speak.

"well, whatever it is that you want from me, we're going to stay friends. nothing more, nothing less. that's it." your breath hitches, and you don't know why you feel like crying as you speak. "... so i don't want your stinky mouth anywhere on me again."

silence weighs heavily between you. sometimes you wish you didn't know him too well, then the hurt he veils in his eyes wouldn't be so plain and vivid to you, and you would have walked away by now without an ounce of remorse.

"i like you, y/n." is all he could say when he finally speaks.

you shake your head. "no, you're just confused."

"i'm not confused. i like you."

"katsuki, you've been bitchless all your life, and i'm just the closest thing to a s/o. maybe go take a walk or something."

"i like you." he persists. "i've liked your stupid ass forー"

"stop saying that. you don't."

"i do, and you like me tooー"

"what?!" you laugh incredulously.

'who does this dumbass think he is?' is he right? surely, he's not. then what are you so afraid of in the first place? why have you been counting down the days until he kisses you again? why do you yearn for his touch as if it's something you own? why do you feel so infuriated and so tormented when he leaves the room after kissing you?

you do what is necessary again.

"you're delusional!" you yell at his face, a childish shrill that's awfully familiar to your childhood best friend.

"jesus christ." he inhales sharply in frustration. "you're a fucking pussy, y/n."

you clench your jaw and match his glare. anger surges in your chest and bleeds into your voice.

"i'm not the one who chickens out after kissing their best friend! you can't even acknowledge the fact that you kissed me because you'reー!"

"do you think i want to chicken out? why do you think i run away after kissing you?! if i stayed and confessed all this shit the first time, you would've refused to hear it like the damn coward you are!" he leans close to you, his voice lowering into a ragged snarl that quickens your pulse. "and you're just proving it right now, y/n. you're always going to shut this down and deny your feelings because you're a fucking pussy. you're terrified of relationships, and it's dumbest shit ever. pathetic, really."

you rear back from his words. if anything, you always thought it was katsuki who was afraid of love. now, you can't help but feel small and vulnerable underneath his searing gaze.

"it's not dumb..." you shuffle uncomfortably. "what, i'm supposed to ruin our friendship for a relationship that we're going to break off anyway?"

"we're not going to break it off."

"how do you know that?"

"because i'll be the best goddamn boyfriend in the world!"

"first of all, gross." you scoff. "second of all, it's never gonna work out! you're going to get sick of me in three days max."

"i've known you since we were brats, and i still want you."

"you literally said no man's sane enough to put up with my obnoxious ass."

he smirks. "i said 'insufferable ass'."

"katsuki!" you fight the urge to strangle him and punch that stupid smile off his face.

"wasn't even serious that time." he grimaces and reluctantly continues. "you know damn well you can pull any guy you want, and he'd be the luckiest bastard on earth."

if it were any other day, you'd grin at him and say 'i told you so,' but your lips remain unmoved, and your eyes stay dim. you're afraid you'll never go back to being the same katsuki and y/n again.

"this is pointless, katsuki. i mean, look! we're already fighting." you grouch and tell yourself you don't want this. "i still don't want us to happen so while this friendship is still salvable, let's agree to stay friends, and whatever sappy shit you feel for meー suck it up."

in one swift motion, he closes the distance between you, his face hovering dangerously over yours.

"suck it up?" he breathes, his face taut in frustration. "restraining myself from you is the hardest shit i've ever had to do. it takes everything in me not to kiss your stupid face!"

he shudders, weakly resting his forehead against yours as if this conversation alone has exhausted him. still, he goes on.

"and everytime i failedー everytime i kissed those lips, it was... a moment of weakness, but that's the fucking problemー you're just..." he buries his face into the crook of your neck, a desperate attempt to escape your wide-eyed gaze. "i'm weak for you, y/n. every second. and it drives me fucking insane that you keep running away from me."

he rises to meet your eyes again. the cadence of his voice changes into something weak and desperate, stripped of all the pride and anger he's ever known.

"i love youー fuck. i love you." he lets the words hang in the air, letting the words hear itself spoken because for once, you're not stopping him. "i love you, so please... let me."

after much thought and another agonizing minute of silence, you lean in to kiss bakugo katsuki.

he kisses back almost instantly and revels in the way you wrap your arms around his neck and bear your weight on him completely. he kisses back ardently, his pent-up desires and years of longing etched in the way he seeks your lips, kiss after kiss after kiss.

when you finally pull away, you're met with a devilish smirk, his begging eyes long gone. you wonder to yourself when you'll see those eyes again.

"took ya long enough." he kisses you again. he raises a brow at the way you're caging him in your arms. "jesus, no one's gonna snatch me from you."

"i'm making sure you don't run away again, dumbass."

"i won't." he says earnestly as he props his forehead against yours. "and you won't either. i'll make sure of that."

you nod your head with a giddy smile as he pecks your lips again.

"so..." you say as you exaggerate a pensive look, a cheeky grin spreading across your face. "we're best friends who occasionally kiss?"

he rolls his eyes. "you're impossible."

"recite that speech again, and i'll consider calling you my boyfriend."

"fuck off!"

TAGLIST [1/2] @uxavity @joy-the-reader @kiiraes @escapenightmare @afk-dreaminq @avocamich @theboredvee @wonderwrench @ur-local-simp @p-ol @x0xuglyh0tgrl2005xoxo @cosmonettica @melin-oe @mitzi127 @lilac-o @r2katsu @bakucumsackslut @idunnomynamesince2005 @astralwaifu @taurus852 @creepyproxies @maycat-19-142 @stella-fleurets @veenxys @devilgirlcrybabiey @drawingaddict @kageyama-i-want-tobiors @lexiv-web @angelshimaa @izukus-gf @christiansdior @homosexualjohnwayne @uwiuwi @hirugummies @cupidines @loveisningning (bold couldn't be tagged)

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 4 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: After you helped him with his dating app, Bradley goes out with a woman who should have snagged his interest. But it's a little hard to pay attention to someone else when he's constantly thinking about you. And it doesn't help that Nat easily calls him out on his crush. 

Warnings: Angst, swearing, fluff, and age gap (eventually 18+)

Length: 3500 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more!

For a split second on Friday night, you had managed to convince yourself that the sooner you helped Bradley get matched up with someone, the better it would be for you personally. 

You'd be able to stop thinking about him as a hot, single dad and be able to focus on him as the hot, taken dad who you occasionally babysat for. You could still go over and watch Noah when he and his girlfriend went out for a date night, which you wouldn't mind doing at all. 

And that's why you had helped him get his dating app sorted out. Because the sooner you could stop thinking about eating popcorn with him on his couch, both of you in sweats, the better. There was no way that man was interested in you. Sure, he was a little flirty at times. Yeah, he had brushed your cheek when he put the crown back on your head. But it was probably all because he could tell that the babysitter had a crush on him, and he was trying to be nice.

You were surprised to hear from him on Wednesday morning when you were getting out of the shower before class. 

Bradley Bradshaw: Are you available tonight?

God, it hadn't taken long for him to chat with one of the women on the app and get a date set up. 

I'm free. What time do you want me to watch Noah?

You felt your shoulders sag as you got dressed. You needed to chill out. The only thing you should be worrying about later this evening was Noah and studying for your exams. 

Bradley Bradshaw: I'm meeting someone at 6:30. Be here at 6?

Yeah. You would be there. 

When you pulled into his driveway at 5:45, you were happy to see his Bronco was already there. You were also annoyed that Greyson was blowing up your phone. You knew what he wanted, but you had been avoiding him all week. You were beginning to think that this "ex with benefits" arrangement wasn't really working for you. 

After shoving your phone into your bag, you knocked on the front door and called out, "Hi! It's me."

"We're in the kitchen."

You followed Bradley's voice, and when you spotted Noah at the table, his face lit up as he mispronounced your name. You were instantly smiling back, but that didn't last long. Because when you saw Bradley standing at the stove, he was wearing his flight jumpsuit tied low around his waist with a tight, black tee shirt. 

"Hey, Princess," he said, glancing at you over his shoulder. And with just two words and some black fabric, you were a little turned on. 

"How are you two boys doing?" you asked as casually as you could while watching Bradley's biceps stretching his shirt sleeves. 

'Good!" Noah cheered, eating a bowl of dry cereal with his hands. 

"Fine," Bradley replied. "Be a lot better if I had time to go grocery shopping. Thanks for making the spaghetti and meatballs for us." He turned to look at you again, his eyes lingering on your lips. 

"Don't you need to get ready for your date?" you asked, closing the distance between the two of you. 

"Yeah, but I'm starving. Need to eat something before dinner."

You looked at the pan on the stove. "What are you trying to make?"

"Eggs," he replied, turning to look down at you with a small smile. "Trying being the operative word."

"You're useless in here," you told him, pushing him toward the hallway. "Go get ready and I'll make you some eggs." His body was warm and hard, and it was clearly a mistake for you to touch him like this. 

"You don't have to do that," he said, laughing as he pretended you were actually capable of pushing him around. 

"I actually don't know how you managed to survive this long without me," you said, pushing him all the way to his bedroom door before he surrendered. 

"You have a valid point."

You felt buoyant as you walked back to the kitchen and made Bradley an onion and cheese omelet while you sang with Noah. "You want ants on a log?" you asked, tousling his hair. 

"I love them!" he cheered, but when you checked the refrigerator, there were no carrots left. Pretty much the only thing in there was the French vanilla coffee creamer, which instantly made you smile. You took it out and started brewing some coffee in Bradley's fancy coffee maker. 

"Is this for me?" Bradley asked, buttoning up his Hawaiian shirt right in front of you and nodding to the omelet. 

"Yep, should hold you over until your actual dinner," you said as he grabbed a fork and took a huge bite.

He moaned. He literally moaned as he ate the food you made for him. You watched him take bite after bite until it was all gone. You wished he'd use his mouth on you next. 

"That was delicious. Thank you."

You just nodded and cleared your throat. "Mind if I take Noah out in the car with me? I thought he might like the bayside playground."

"Sure. I'll put his car seat in your car before I leave," Bradley said, kissing Noah on his head. 

Once again, you thought about him kissing you there as he smiled and headed out for his date. 

"Noah, feel like going to the playground?"

"I want ants on the logs," he insisted, having finished his cereal. 

You sighed, and just as you heard Bradley pull out of the driveway, you decided to see how much money he kept behind the TV. A hundred bucks. You could go grocery shopping for a decent amount of food with a hundred dollars. 

"Should we go buy more carrots and raisins?" you asked Noah, tucking the money into your pocket. "You can pick out a treat, and then I'll make you ants on the logs before bedtime."

You ended up at the grocery store, trying to make a game out of everything to keep him entertained while you tried to maximize the money. Hopefully Bradley wouldn't be annoyed, but you figured he needed as much help as he could get. Noah was sweet, but doing everything by yourself was too hard. 

"More cereal?" you asked, and you let Noah pick out Cheerios. "And milk this time?"

When headed back to Bradley's house with ninety-eight dollars worth of groceries and Noah in tow, you couldn't help but imagine staying all night and getting more meals ready for them. 

You managed to make Noah's snack while you unpacked the groceries. "I need my crown!" he said, running to his bedroom and returning with his yellow, construction paper crown. "Get yours, too!"

You ran your fingers along his cheek. "I don't know what happened to mine. Should we make a new one?"

Noah laughed and took you by the hand. "It's in daddy's room."

You let him lead you down the hallway. "Is it?" you asked, entering Bradley's room all the way for the first time. It was tidy and it smelled like him. But you stopped short when you saw it. 

Your purple crown was hanging on one of the bedposts. 

-------------------------

Bradley was actually enjoying himself. His date with Talia was going way better than either of his previous dates. Not only did she tell him she loves kids, she asked to see some pictures of Noah.

Bradley paused for a beat as he swiped past the selfie of you in the crown and the photo you had taken for his dating profile. Then he showed Talia some pictures of Noah, and she made a fuss over how adorable he was. But now Bradley was thinking about what you and Noah might be doing at home right now. He got so distracted he barely heard what Talia was asking him. 

"Sorry, what was that?" he asked, watching her lick chocolate cake from her fork with mild interest. 

She giggled softly. "I was asking if you wanted to plan for a second date? Maybe this weekend? When we can stay out later? You said you had a reliable babysitter."

Bradley scrutinized her face for a moment. She was pretty. She seemed really sweet. She wanted to go out with him again.

"How about I send you a message? Maybe we can make something work."

When Bradley said goodbye outside the restaurant, Talia leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, grazing his mustache as she pulled away. 

"Goodnight, Bradley. Talk soon," she said with a grin. But he felt nothing. 

During the short drive home, he tried to convince himself to take Talia up on her second date offer, but it just wasn't working. But when he pulled into his driveway next to your car, he found himself jumping out of the Bronco and jogging up his front steps to get inside as quickly as he could. 

"Hi," you whispered, looking up from your spot on the couch. You had a textbook open on your lap, and you were wearing the paper crown. Either you or Noah must have retrieved it from his bedroom. The idea of you in there thrilled him a little too much. 

"Hi," he replied with a grin. "How was Noah?"

"Good. How was your date?"

"Good." His heart was beating a little faster as you set your book aside and straightened up on the couch. 

"Oh. You think you'll go out with her again?" 

Bradley couldn't help but think you looked a little disappointed. "Not sure."

"I'm beginning to think you're just really, very picky, Bradley."

He blew out a breath, dropping onto the couch next to you, loving the way you said his name. "Huh. I never considered that."

"You don't like martinis. You don't like the opera. You don't like women under twenty-four or over forty. All those martini sipping, opera loving grannies of San Diego might be just what you need." 

Bradley was doubled over laughing, looking at your smirk.

"I mean, who does that even leave for you to date?" you asked, clearly trying not to laugh.

You.

Jesus Christ. He needed to stop thinking about you like that. There was no chance in hell that was ever going to happen. Which was a real shame, because you made him laugh every single time he was with you. 

"Oh, I hope you don't mind, but Noah and I went grocery shopping."

"You did?" he asked, his laughter turning to surprise. 

"Yeah. I used the cash behind the TV," you told him with a wince. "I hope that was okay. I didn't want to bother you during dinner."

Okay? It was more than okay. He couldn't believe you had done that for him and Noah. 

"I also made you dinner for tomorrow night. Chicken fajitas that you can reheat." 

Now he was just staring at you blankly. "You don't have to do any of that stuff."

You just shrugged. "If you don't want me to, I won't. But honestly, Bradley? It looks like you could use the help around here. You're kind of shit in the kitchen."

"You caught onto that, huh?" he asked, involuntarily inching closer to you on the couch. "What gave it away?"

"Oh, I guess the fact that Noah asked me about a hundred times to leave more food in the little plastic containers for him."

Bradley reached out and ran his finger along your crown. "Did you wear that to the store?"

Your eyes fluttered closed briefly. "No. It wasn't until almost bedtime that Noah wanted to wear our crowns. I didn't know you kept it."

He just nodded. He should be embarrassed that it had been hanging on his bed. 

"I like your bedroom," you whispered. 

Bradley swallowed hard, trying to think of something to say, but you beat him to it.

"Why aren't you sure about a second date?"

His response was out before he could consider it. "Aren't there supposed to be sparks?"

You pressed your lips together and nodded. "Ideally."

"Didn't feel them," he replied with a shrug.

"Shame." 

He watched you stand and stretch, just like last time. But your shirt rode up, and Bradley could see your skin, and he wanted to press his lips there. He quickly stood as well. "Um, I'll get the carseat out of your car," he mumbled. "And if you're going to insist on being exceptionally helpful again in the future, I'll leave you my credit card for groceries."

"Okay," you replied, reaching up on your toes and gently putting the crown on his head. "Want to put that back in your room for safe keeping?"

Every ounce of his being wanted to suggest you take it there yourself and wait for him. 

"Okay," he told you instead. 

-------------------------

Bradley paced around the hangar, waiting for his turn to hit the skies. 

"What is your problem?" Nat asked him as she sat calmly on one of the benches. "I thought you'd be completely chill right now. You've been on a bunch of dates."

Bradley stopped and looked at her. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Nat just rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you didn't get your rocks off yet?"

"No," he practically growled. "I haven't even been on a second date."

"You know, you can have one without the other, right?"

Bradley ran his hands over his face. "I don't want to start doing that."

Nat stood up and stepped in front of him, placing her hands on his chest to stop him pacing. He hadn't even been aware he had started pacing again. 

"How long has it been since you were intimate with someone?"

Bradley shrugged and didn't want to look at her. "A year."

Nat wrapped her arms around him as well as she could with them both wearing their flight suits. He felt instantly better. He should have known it would be okay to talk to her about stuff. 

"Oh, okay. I get it now. You need it to be special."

"Kind of," he replied, looking down at her as she nodded up at him. 

"I'll stop busting your balls about it then."

"Appreciate that."

"Why don't you tell me about your dates?" she prompted, patting him on the shoulder as she released him.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Not much to tell. Rebel just wanted to hookup. One didn't like kids. The one I went out with the other day was okay. I should have wanted a second date; I know she certainly did. But there wasn't anything really drawing me in? I don't know, Nat."

"Well, how's the babysitter working out?"

Bradley felt himself relax when he thought about you. "Oh, she's great. She's so funny," he said, smiling as he thought about you picking on him for being useless in the kitchen. "She always eats Skittles. And she knows the most random music. Did I mention she knows how to cook? Like really cook? She's good at it. And she likes fancy coffee creamers just like me. She even took Noah to the grocery store with her, so my fridge has actual food in it. And Noah asks for her all the time. She brings him coloring books, and she taught him how to sing the alphabet song backwards."

"Oh my God," Nat said, grinning wildly now. "You have a crush on your babysitter."

Bradley knew he was blushing. He could feel the immediate rush of heat to his face. 

"What does she look like?" Nat asked, looking smug as hell.

Bradley huffed out a breath and looked up at the ceiling, willing the redness to recede from his cheeks. "Real cute."

Nat squealed when Bradley took his phone out and found the selfie you had sent to him. "You took a picture of her!"

He shook his head. "She sent it to me. When I was out last weekend. She and Noah made the paper crowns, and she sent me a picture of Noah first."

When Nat started to stare into his soul, he should have known he was in deep shit. "And you asked her for a selfie?" she said, exuding confidence. He nodded and she said, "You asked your cute babysitter to send you a selfie when you were on a date with another woman. No wonder your dates aren't working out!" She slapped him hard on the chest.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You're thinking about getting your dick wet with the babysitter."

Bradley absolutely could not deny that. He'd been thinking about you in a lot of different ways, including some that were definitely not rated G.

"Nat, just because I'm thinking it doesn't mean I'm going to shoot my shot with her."

"Well, why not?" she asked, putting her helmet on as they got called out to their Super Hornets.

Bradley scoffed as he followed her out into the sunlight. "She's twelve years younger than me. She's still finishing school. I have a fucking child and a lot of baggage. The list goes on and on. I'm going to focus on finding someone suitable. Someone a little older."

"If you like her, I say go for it. But don't just fuck her because she's fun and you think she's cute. Don't do that to her. Or Noah."

Bradley was more confused than ever at the moment, and he needed to clear his head before he took off.

"I wouldn't do that to myself either, Nat." He wasn't just trying to hookup with some random woman; he could do that after an hour at the Hard Deck if he really wanted to.

"Well I want to meet her. This weekend. I'll take you out on Saturday night and meet her then."

He sighed. "I have a date on Friday. Let me see if she's even free to watch Noah both nights."

"Great," Nat replied, turning toward her own aircraft. "And then I'll be the judge of the matter of you getting your dick wet," she called over her shoulder.

Bradley cringed as the ground staff all looked at him as he power walked away. 

-------------------------

Bradley asked if you could babysit Noah on back to back nights. Friday and Saturday. Was he already planning a first date followed immediately by a second date? He had probably really hit it off with someone over the app chat feature. It was the only thing that made sense, and he was just trying to cover all of his bases. 

You could watch Noah both nights if you cancelled your plans to hang out with Greyson. The fact that you would rather get to see Bradley for a total of thirty minutes over spending the night with Greyson was telling. 

Yeah, I can come over both nights if you pay me a bonus in fancy coffee from that shop again. 

When you checked your phone at lunchtime while you ate between your classes, Bradley's response made you laugh. 

Bradley Bradshaw: You mean I have to flirt with the barista again? Princess, I'll get kicked out permanently. 

You were smiling nonstop as you typed out a response. 

Do it for me and my caffeine needs? Besides, I doubt the barista will mind being chatted up by you in particular. 

You really shouldn't be encouraging this. It was not a good idea. This man was not available for you. 

Bradley Bradshaw: Oh yeah, Princess? What's that supposed to mean?

Shouldn't he be working right now? Didn't he have a jet he should be flying around in? You couldn't help yourself. You were too excited by the prospect of flirting with him. 

Have you seen yourself? I have full confidence that your flirting capabilities can score me a free coffee. 

You hustled along to your next class, but when you checked your phone again at the end of the day, he had texted you back again.

Bradley Bradshaw: Good to know. See you tomorrow.

-------------------------

Bradley wasn't sure why he was doing it, but he managed to leave base a little early on Friday, giving him time to stop at the coffee shop. He picked Noah up with your French vanilla coffee in his cup holder, and now the Bronco smelled sweet and reminded him of you. 

"Can I play with my babysitter?" Noah asked as Bradley buckled him into his car seat. 

Bradley smiled. "Sure, bub. You can play with her."

"She's my favorite," Noah said. "Is she your favorite?" 

Bradley nodded at his son and said, "Yeah. She's my favorite, too."

-------------------------

And now Nat is about to get involved again. Could be a good thing, could be a bad thing. I hope you enjoy your babysitter fic @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 5

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[that-basic-simp]

Dance

Mizu X Fem!Reader CW: N/A WC: 1.6k+

Sticking my finger in between the collar and my neck, I tried stretching the fabric out so I could have some breathing room. I let out a sigh as it was futile. Trying to blend in in London was a lot harder than it was in Japan. Maybe it was because I had to wear completely different clothing and still pretend to be a man as well, since women were treated practically the same as in Japan. Not to mention I was also half Japanese and raven black hair wasn't really common among the white folk. Brown was, but not black like mine. Not to mention I had to wear it down and not in my normal bun. I still stood out like a sore thumb, but at least my eyes kind of matched theirs.

Sighing, I looked at myself in the mirror that was in front of me. This ball, this dance I was attending apparently was where Skeffington was going to be. Fowler made sure of it. I still don't trust him. But if I am able to get to both Skeffington and Routely through Fowler, I might as well keep him alive. If I can get all three of them in a room together, that'll be even better. Three birds with one sword. Getting ready, I made sure I had my sword on me before giving myself one more glance in the mirror, catching something from the corner of my eye.

"Who's there?" I turned, my hand on the hilt of my sword.

Scanning the shadows, someone came out. They were wearing a poofy and long dress, similar to the ones I've seen the ladies wear here.

"Y/N?"

"Mizu," she smiled.

"W-What are you doing here? I thought you left Edo and went back with Ringo."

"Nope. I followed you."

"Why on Earth would you follow me?"

"You need someone to watch your back."

"I am more than capable of watching my own back, thank you very much."

"Mizu, this isn't Japan. You're in London."

"I am well aware of that."

"They have guns. You have a sword. They're technologically more advanced than you are right now. And right now," she pulled the dress back a bit, revealing a gun strapped to her thigh. "You're going to need all the firearms you can get. You will never raise a gun, I know that much."

"I did back at Edo when fighting Fowler."

"But did you shoot it?"

"No."

"Exactly. You use your sword and I will use the gun. Understood?"

I sighed. It's not like she can go back to Japan. I can't ensure her safety getting there either. So she had to stay with me. No. She has to stay with me. I can't afford to lose her.

"You stay beside me no matter what. Is that understood, Y/N?"

"Yes, Mizu."

"Good. I don't want you wandering anywhere without me."

She nodded her head. Letting out a sigh, I extended my arm out for her. Locking her one arm around mine, we walked out of the room and towards the ball down the street. It took a lot of negotiating and talking, but Fowler was able to ensure we got in without any trouble. This was definitely going to be an interesting night. I just hope it doesn't go to shit and one of ends up injured. If anyone was going to be injured, I was going to ensure it would be me. No one lays a hand on Y/N.

Stepping into the giant castle that held the dance, I found Y/N gasping from the corner of my eye. I couldn't deny it, this place was a sight to behold. A wonder in and of itself. It made the palaces and castles back in Japan look like a house. No wonder the white people wanted to have ballroom dances every so often. They had to get use out of it. Or else there would be nothing to fill this much empty space. There were people going around with trays in their hands, some drinks on them. Y/N was about to reach for one, but I stopped her.

"You're not going to like it."

"What do you mean?"

"We're not from around here. We need to blend in. And we won't blend in if we drink their drinks and be sick all night because of it. They don't drink sake. They drink some other form of alcohol that I am not familiar with."

"Come on, Mizu. We can't indulge ourselves every once in a while?"

"Back at home, yes. But we're not at home, are we, Y/N?"

"We'll be fine," she said, removing her arm from around mine and disappearing into the crowd.

"Y/N? Y/N?! Fuck!" I darted off into the crowd, trying to find her. It should be easy, since she wasn't anywhere near as tall as the people here.

Making my way through the crowd, I still kept an eye out for Skeffington. He was tall, so that was one thing that was going for me. Everyone here was tall, which didn't help. Almost bumping into everyone there, I eventually bumped into the right person. Well, one of them.

"Pardon me," a tall man said, smoothing out his suit.

Narrowing my eyes, it was him. It was Skeffington. Fowler described him perfectly and he matched every detail. The only thing that we had in common was our height, as Fowler stated back in Japan. Standing straight up, I stuck my hand out. Peering down, Skeffington shook it.

"Pleasure," I said.

"Night is wonderful, is it not?"

"I guess you could say that," I said, turning towards the crowd of people. He did the same.

"Who wouldn't love a dance tonight? It's a perfect night to do so," he chuckled, holding a glass of something that looked to be a yellow color.

"I'm sure there are other perfect nights," I said, trying to go along with him.

"There are, but tonight is especially perfect."

"What makes you say that? I think all nights are perfect."

"Well, there are reasons to celebrate."

"Celebrate what exactly?" I slowly turned towards him.

"Does there need to be a specific reason to celebrate? We're in London!" he turned towards me.

His breath reeked of alcohol and it made me want to gag. It wasn't the best smelling alcohol, I mean, what alcohol smells good?

"Go, my friend! Dance! Celebrate!"

He shoved me towards the dance floor, which I stumbled slightly. Getting my footing, since I was not used to my entire feet being covered, I slowly started to make my way around the crowd again, trying to find Y/N. Walking through the people on the dance floor, the live band playing started to get into a slower song, one that was obviously meant for couples. Even though I didn't take it to be that kind of ball. But again, this is London. Briskly walking off the floor, someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me back on. I thought it was Y/N, but it was someone else.

"Well, aren't you a dashing young man," the woman smiled.

"I-I--uhm," I struggled to find the right words.

"Come now, don't be shy," she said. "Come take a dance with me."

"I-I must decline," I respectfully pushed her away. "I am looking for someone."

"They can wait, dear. Have a drink! Dance. Stay a while."

"I-I really must be looking for my--"

"Hey!"

Marching over was Y/N. I let out a sigh of relief as she stood in between me and the other woman.

"Well, look who came barreling in," the woman smirked, trying to be funny.

"Step away from him," she slurred.

How many drinks did she have?

"You're too drunk, hon. You should probably head home, where it's safe. You don't want anyone taking advantage of you."

"You better back the fuck up," she swayed here and there.

"Y/N," I reached over and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her towards me. "Let's get going. You need to rest."

"Hold on, Mizu. I gotta teach this bitch a lesson."

"Excuse me?" the woman gasped.

I couldn't help but smile. Who knew Y/N was a protective drunk. I just hope she doesn't pull out the gun on this woman.

"Yeah. You heard me. You're a bitch. But not like those big ones that are scary. More like those little ones that are yappy. Annoying to listen and look at."

The woman scoffed, "I'll have you know--"

"'i'Ll HaVe YoU kNoW'," Y/N said in a mocking tone.

I placed my hand over my mouth, trying not to laugh at the situation.

"What are you laughing at?" the woman pointed a finger at me.

"I-I'm sorry," I said.

"Hey, don't point your finger at him. Only I can do that."

"What? You order around this stick of a man?"

"I'll have you know, Mizu is not a stick of a man. He's quite athletic."

"Oh, now why don't we have a look see," the woman stepped closer to Mizu.

"Hey, back off. No one touches him other than me."

"And does he like touching you when you're drunk?"

"Fuck yeah. We get down and dirty," she started to thrust her hips and some blush started to crawl onto my cheeks.

The woman was disgusted and walked off. Y/N turned to face me, perking up and smiling at me.

"Were you drunk?"

"No," she said.

"So you acted drunk?"

"Yep," she flashed a proud smile. "No one touches my Mizu."

A soft smile appeared as I took her hand, "And no one touches my Y/N."

The music started to slow down to a soft melody, one where someone could fall asleep to, or dance to. Still holding her hand, I bowed to her.

"May I have this dance, Y/N?"

"Of course, Mizu."

We walked out onto the dance floor and danced with the other people there. My one arm wrapped around her waist while her one arm wrapped around my neck, the tips of her fingers digging into the back of my hairline. Our other hands intertwined with one another's and we started to spin and sway with the music. She leaned her body into me, the side of her head nuzzling against mine. I smiled, closing my eyes, enjoying this moment together. It was rare for us to get any semblance of peace. Tonight was going to be that night where we relished it in. In each other.

[balkanradfem]

I was thinking the other day about how often biblical stories imply that any sort of species can be started with just one and one female of the species, and sells this as the correct (maybe only correct) way to start things. Like Adam and Eve, they're supposed to be the starters of humanity, one (presumably young) male and one again, presumably young woman.

It repeats again with Noah's ark, where two animals of each species are collected, one male and one female, so they could all 'start their species anew'. Noah's family also is presumed to be the regular, one male + one woman, enough to re-start the humanity.

I understand that these stories were written to establish and force the idea of nuclear family being necessary, good and the start of everything, and if you don't think further than 'oh yeah one male and one woman are capable of making a baby' and you stop thinking there, you might be sold with these stories. But if you think about it for a second further, the implications of this are absolutely atrocious.

One young male and a young woman, are never accompanied by their parents or their grandparents in the stories. They're purposely isolated from their families, or are presumed to not even have family, which means none of them has any support, anyone to go to for advice or help, nobody to rely on to do the massive amount of labour of having and raising even one child. This is already where it falls apart, two young people do not have the knowledge, experience or wisdom to raise a small child, alone. They need their mothers, they need their grandmothers, they need elders and community in order to be able to function - first of all tell me who is delivering that baby they're having? Where is her midwife? It's never mentioned how she gets through childbirth in those stories, apparently she just 'figures it out', while in reality birth is dangerous, and women need both emotional and physical support during labour. There's nobody in this story who knows how to deliver the child safely, or how to save one or both of them should the things go wrong. They both have a chance of dying and then the species is dead. This is all ignored and pretended not to be an issue.

So next in the story we're led to believe that these two young people have made a (mistake) baby and are raising it alone and this is fine. Even funnier is that they often first have a male baby, as an effort to repopulate their species, I mean yeah thats gonna do you a lot of good for sure. Two young people of the opposite sex, without any elders, community, family or support, have one significant power imbalance - the male will usually be physically more powerful, while the woman will be more intelligent, resourceful, adaptive, thoughtful, resilient, and infinitely more vulnerable during the times of labour. It has been shown again and again, that in these circumstances, males do not find it appropriate to protect and treasure the women, but they use their physical advantage to overpower and control her, and her reproductive abilities. But in the stories this is 'fine' because she should 'listen' to this dumber, bigger, less intelligent, more aggressive, more demanding, more exploitative, more dangerous, less useful creature who is completely parasitic and depending on her kindness, intelligence, ability to make food, reproductive abilities and sense of forgiveness of his crimes towards her, to survive. Women are apparently just supposed to be hosts for parasitic males, while isolated, not given a way to overpower him except poison, which is then again depicted as 'bad' because she should just resign to live in servitude to the creature if she wants to prove that she is 'good'. This is bullshit.

Let's look at the next stage, where even more disasters await us. So they raised their child, or children, who have only had these two people to look up to, so they've likely picked up the patterns of 'male is to be served or violence happens, women need to keep their head down and obey or the violence happens', and now the children are supposed to repopulate the species. With? whom? This concept relies entirely on incest? With children who have been raised on learning the massive power imbalance? We're supposed to have sisters accept sexual slavery from their brothers at this point, if we want to have a species of humans? The bible is promoting this?

The bible at this point realizes they've fucked up and write down 'well the sons just went to the nearest village to find girlfriends' OH YOU NEED A VILLAGE NOW DON'T YOU? Now you remembered that actually no, you will now rebuild a species without just one male and one woman and in fact, villages are necessary, and your story leads straight into incest and sexual slavery of women. Presumably the women in the village have whole families and not just two people put in this unnatural position of parasitism and power imbalance. But we don't know, we're supposed to remember 'one male + one woman is correct and nothing else is okay', when the concept is fucked up from the starts and they eventually cave and introduce a village, but do it casually like it doesn't really matter and the story totally wouldn't end up in forced incestuous pregnancies and making a mess of human gene pool.

It was so important for the bible to establish, and re-establish this concept because that is the only way for males to be able to isolate, use and control young women. The concept where women don't have their own mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, families, friends, and villages to protect them from abuse, that is the only scenario where one male can sit on his butt, call himself the 'provider' and then raise his voice and his hand whenever she doesn't do exactly as he says. It's disgusting, and there's nowhere else this can go except abuse. Males will never be unwilling to use their physical advantage to hurt and control women, and we've watched it for centuries, they were more willing to kill women than to accept that we have the right to vote,, the right to divorce them, the right to abort at will (they're still more willing to kill us than to accept this right). No woman is safe in an union with one male, without her family, friends, and a network of support. To live her entire life normally, she needs to rely on the knowledge, experience and wisdom of her elders, so she wouldn't have to do everything alone, and learn everything alone. Male, in return, usually learns all the tactics of manipulating and isolating a woman and will use those, so she needs to be ready and have strategies to defend herself, to be able to escape if it comes to that.

And sometimes, even when the woman has all the support in the world, the male still ends up killing her, because he gets a chance to do it, and it's always at the distraught and horror of everyone who loved her.

Thinking back, the concept of nuclear family had to be invented because males didn't feel like they were able to control the women enough. They likely needed to establish this because they noticed that women were able to go on uncontrolled, they were too 'free', too supported, too resourceful to just trap and control. They needed to convince women that the right thing to do was be alone with one male person who just happens to be stronger and that in fact, not doing so is dangerous and wrong. The concept of nuclear family put the control right in their hands where they wanted it, and it's still ongoing, and we're sick of it. It's a trap.

If you don't believe these stories have influenced our views, think about how males sometimes dream up concepts where they're the 'only male left on the planet', in company of the woman who they're interested in. They relish in these fantasies because they believe in that scenario, they're entitled to rape her. She isn't entitled to resist because then she's responsible for the downfall of humanity, for not repopulating the species, and they feel that this responsibility has to fall so heavy on the woman's shoulders that she will not possibly try to resist him. Women still do, women say right away that if they were the last one, they'd kill themselves instantly. Because we know and understand there's no repopulating the planet with just male and one female. There's just female sexual slavery and incest.

Possibly even the story of Adam and Eve is just a fantasy concept of one male who looked at a woman who was able to say no to him, and thought 'well, what if we were the only humans existing. How would she be able to refuse me then'. And he realized she couldn't. So he wrote it down and sold it as the ideal utopia created by god himself. And we've all been hearing his fetish fantasy like it's gospel. And then the rest of the story is focused on how wrong Eve is for resisting the rules of the male, and the even more powerful male god, how she'll be punished for eating a piece of fruit. We should have never fallen for it.

[punkeropercyjackson]

A minor rant: the way a lot of people talk about feminism these days really makes me feel like feminism is going backwards and recircling into misogyny. Allow me to explain.

I remember when people used to protest the use of "like a girl" and "for girls" as an insult, by rebranding it into a compliment and showing that just because something is seen as for girls doesn't mean it's stupid because girl isn't inherently an insult. And now we're seeing women on TikTok and Instagram use "girl math" "girl dinner" "don't ask me, I'm just a girl" "explaining math and cars and movies and politics and ethnic cleansing for the girlypops" "girl money" and overall using girl as a shorthand for being stupid, insipid, frivolous, ditzy, and lacking substance. The very idea that girl means inferior that we used to fight against is now something that is being parroted unironically by internet misogynists who unironically think that "girl=stupid" is the pinnacle of feminism.

I remember when feminists were calling out the idea that femininity is a bad thing and means weakness, and showing that being feminine doesn't mean that you can't also be strong, badass, or capable, when Legally Blonde and Sailor Moon and Friendship is Magic were praised for showing unapologetic girly girls whose love for pink and fashion didn't at all stop them from being ambitious, or kicking butt, or being a good fighter, or showing the world who's boss. And now whenever a female character who is feminine also shows traits of strength or intelligence or doesn't adhere to misogynistic stereotypes that women should be passive or demure, people are complaining that she acts "like a man" or is "masculine"(as if being masculine is a bad thing) or "why can't she be feminine and strong?"(when she is, but what they really want is for her to be meek, submissive, and docile because they see those as feminine traits while being outspoken, assertive, and bold are somehow masculine traits, and then praise that somehow) People complained that Princess Peach was being made masculine in the Super Mario Bros. movie and in Princess Peach Showtime!, just because in the former she was a badass fighter and in the latter they changed her face on the box art to be more realistic...but I thought we wanted female characters to be both feminine and strong, and now that we get them people are claiming that they act like men...

I also remember when people used "not like other girls" to refer to women with internalized misogyny who thought that liking girly things made you inferior, who tried to be "one of the guys" because "girls are too much drama", or who went through a phase of being ashamed of their girly interests because society taught them to hate them. But eventually that just morphed into people(even self-proclaimed feminists!) unironically declaring that any woman who wasn't feminine had internalized misogyny and was a "pick-me"(when that is aave) who thought that they were better than other girls and wanted to be a guy and that if they didn't eventually become pink and girly then clearly they were still stuck in that phase. And now if women so much as critique legitimately harmful gender roles like the makeup industry or shaving, other women will tell them that they are pick-mes or not like other girls who hate the women who partake in those things.

And don't even get me started on the bimbo crap. That was funny at first when people were just using it to project hyperfemininity without downplaying their intelligence(and I saw some guys partaking in the bimbocore trend, too!), but eventually it did just devolve into women pretending to be dumb idiots who cater to male egos by acting superficial and clueless and like they can't do a damn thing by themselves...even though a large part of feminism is not dumbing yourself down to make a boy feel smart, I remember learning at the age of like 11 that if you have to do that because a boy is intimidated by your intelligence then that boy is not worth it(no boy is worth it now but anywayz), but apparently according to modern-day faux-feminists it is cute to pretend that you need a man's help for everything because you're "just a girl".

I also remember when we used to fight back against the idea that teenage girls are dumb, naive, and insipid, and that they are shallow and not worth being taken seriously, only for grown adult women to call themselves "20-year-old teenage girls" as a way of saying that they're immature, silly, and incompetent, and it drives me up the wall. Not only are you infantilizing yourself, you are throwing teenage girls(many of whom do not act like this) under the bus to do so!

And it just makes me so drained and exhausted to see how normalized this is and that this is what passes for feminism these days. And before people say it, yes, I know the sexist attitudes I complained are so widespread nowadays were always around. I'm not saying that they're new or only became prevalent through the rise of TikTok. I know that's not the case. However, it definitely feels like these ideas are becoming more normalized than ever before, and hardly anyone is speaking out against them, because if you do, people will come at you with "so you hate women having fun? just let women enjoy things! what's wrong with femininity?" and everybody will ratio you, which is incredibly frustrating and invalidating.

And ykw I noticed is that most if not all of these people I see doing these things are white women. I haven't seen many if any Black or brown women engaging in the self-infantilization and bimbofication of their entire gender. I know I shouldn't have to explain why that is. But this just proves for me that white women can really pick and choose whether they are allies to the feminist cause or not. They can choose whether they want to be oppressed for their gender or privileged for their race, while women of color don't have that "luxury". They can appease the male status quo because it was made for them in the first place, while also seeking the oppressive power that white men have. It's really sad. It's like we're doing male misogynists' work for them by playing into the "women are bimbos and shallow and can't do math, being a girl sucks, teenage girls are stupid, femininity is shallow but also if you're a tomboy or butch then you obviously must hate your sisters" ideas that have been forced on us for literal fucking centuries and it is just so depressing to see. I hope people come to their senses soon because this is legit getting concerning.

But hey, what would I know? I'm just a teenage girl.

THIS WHOLE RANT.BEAUTIFUL,THE TRUEST TRUTH EVER!!!!!!

[matoitech]

it’s obviously important for ppl to criticize misogyny particularly transmisogyny in trans male communities since thats a trans community issue but if ur also tme and the only thing u ever exclusively talk about trans men for is talking abt us as bigoted misogynists (usually there’s a ‘binary’ slapped in front of it) i genuinely think you need to put the phone down go outside and remember that whatever insane misogynist guys online are saying is not a necessarily a reflection of like things adult men outside of a weird fringe group of freak transmisogynist dudes on tumblr who think the boys should get our own word JUST like the GIRLS or its NOT FAIR!! or whatever (and one coined by a fucking terf at that..) are saying, or justification for behaving weirdly about an entire diverse community of trans people.

again i do not say this to like dissuade ppl from discussing legitimate problems but like a couple points- 'binary' trans men r capable of talking about it ourselves, and we do, and we’re not the ones whose posts get shared about it. and second: if you’re only bringing us up to talk abt how shitty particularly TRANS men are you might have a problem you need to deal with? this is not a shocking statement. like at some point someone has to point it out to you and sit there and take the shit and patiently explain to you it’s that the problem comes when its literally the ONLY thing you bring us up for and act like we're not capable of talking abt this ourselves, and that its a problem how comfortable ppl r for letting ppl speak over/for us if the only similarity they share w trans men is.. an agab and not being cis (yikes!). or if theyre transmasc and male aligned in some capacity but dont have any interest in engaging with or considering themselves a part of like trans men, THEYRE the ones who need to talk abt it, bcuz the (usually 'binary') Trans Men wont (not saying those ppl cant or shouldnt but they may be treated differently for doing so)

first ppl liked using transmeds existing to throw up justification for treating us like a bigoted monolith you (uniquely) Just Dont Feel Safe Around and its normal to make assumptions abt us being transphobic especially if we don't identify by labels deemed 'safe' and Inherently More Radical, and now its pretending we all collectively cant recognize our privilege thru our intense blinding hatred of women and its up to you to save us from ourselves and beat some common sense into the inherently bigoted stupid about gender patriarchy dicksucker boys. like i dont know im tired of it when trans men being accused of only existing bcuz we want to be patriarchy bootlickers i guess is always what radfems have thrown at us, so its not like this negative perception of trans men filtered thru a supposedly progressive lense is new. a lot of adult trans men dont talk abt like particular hot shit thats discussed a lot on here rn (the 'trans misandry' shit for example) bcuz its was not a problem in the spaces we're in and we knew it was stupid as fuck right away and barely worth talking about to say 'yeah you know that thing we all know is stupid and bullshit? its stupid and bullshit'. bcuz we're not fifteen years old or weird misogynists. we have brains, don't hate women, and we dont all know and hang around the same people.

anyway dont take this post as a stand in for serious discussion and calling out misogyny (again especially transmisogyny) w other men, those posts do need to exist, i am not trying to say this stuff shouldnt be talked about. what i'm specifically pointing out is a frustrating pattern in the perception of and discussion of trans men that ppl probably dont realize theyre participating in. i do think it is very important to talk abt community issues and criticisms but if its literally the one thing you bring up trans men for i think being aware of that behavior has no NEGATIVES here. also do have to bring up i specified other tme ppl early on bcuz this isnt smth ive experienced or seen from transfems and their position as like the affected party of transmisogyny is automatically like .. if they have issues w trans men it is pretty inherently coming from a different place than like, a cis womans, or a tme nonbinary person, or a transmasc person with issues with trans men, or a cis mans, etc. tme ppl who are on a very different ground here, whose behavior is straight up different anyway

[lavenderfeminist]

"being a woman is simply a biological state of being". Hmm, where have I heard that before? Oh, I know: from men who wanted to claim women had a biological disposition towards illiteracy. From men who treat women like breeding bags. Men who tell a women her place is the kitchen. Men who would jail and torture trans women and lesbians alike. Men who would call *you* a freak as much as you call us freaks. You vomit men's words and pretend to support women. That is why you are fake.

from men who wanted to claim women had a biological disposition towards illiteracy.

So you agree: men discriminate against women on the basis of our sex. They knows that we are female and they are male, and they believe that makes us inferior, even though they are wrong. How can we combat misogyny if we won't acknowledge its origin?

From men who treat women like breeding bags.

So you agree. They know as females we are the sex capable of giving birth and as males they are the sex capable of impregnating, and they believe that makes being pregnant our obligation, even though they are wrong. How can we combat misogyny if we won't acknowledge its origin?

Men who tell a women her place is the kitchen.

So you agree: men discriminate against women on the basis of our sex. Men believe because we are female, we are biologically predisposed to give birth and take care of the house, even though they are wrong. How can we combat misogyny if we won't acknowledge its origin?

Men who would jail and torture trans women and lesbians alike.

Not alike. I have nothing inherently in common with any trans woman beyond us both claiming the term "woman", which means nothing. You know what I have in common with every trans man? Being female. You know what I have in common with every lesbian? Being a homosexual female. Men torture and jail each other all the time. Men torture and kill gay men. Does that render gay men women? No? Being abused by men does not make you a woman. To claim as much is to reduce womanhood to being hated by men, and that, my friend, is far more oppressive an idea that saying adult human females deserve a word to name our biological conditions, and that that word in English has always been "woman".

Men who would call you a freak as much as you call us freaks.

And why do they call me a freak? Because I am a female attracted exclusively to other females. Because of my biology. Name it.

I don't think trans people are freaks. I love gnc people. I support dysphoric people receiving the best possible chance at a happy life. There are absolutely trans people who live their lives without infringing on anybody else's freedom, and I would never call them freaks for being dysphoric or unconventional in any way. You know what makes you a freak? Thinking you're entitled to claim a lived experience that is not yours. Thinking you have a right to invade spaces that are not yours. Thinking heterosexual trans people have a right to homosexuals' sexual interest when it is not yours. Thinking you're entitled to walk all over women and homosexuals and then act like we're the bigots for telling you to back off. That makes you a fucking freak, freak.

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

Ghost Story - Chapter 50

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 2569

Warnings:

Summary: No one will miss a ghost. It'd been a running joke for as long as anyone could remember, something Ghost herself started, and she always said it with a smile on her face or with mirth in her voice. The untouchable stealth pilot in every sense of the word, no one could've predicted the depth of her turmoil over recent events, nor the extremes she would go to in order to protect the man she loved, not even those closest to her. Now, all that was left of the young aviator for Maverick, Hangman, and Rooster were the memories of the past, which would slowly fade with time. She'd come into their lives and made an unforgettable impression, and then, like a ghost, she was gone... Then again, ghosts can't die a second time.

Notes: None

Chapter Songs: Yeah Boy Lover

****

Ghost

It took fifteen minutes before Rooster and Ghost were scheduled to leave for their date when they realized neither of them could drive due to their concussions and injuries, nor were they truly up to going out, although it took Ghost saying it aloud for Rooster to agree, for he'd been afraid to change the plan in fear of messing up with her again. Ghost looped her arms around his neck and said, "I'm not dating you to be taken out to nice restaurants. I'm dating you because I love you. I am just as happy having a date night at the house as I am going out to dinner."

"Yeah, but you went through a lot of effort to get dolled up. I saw you struggling with that curling iron," he pointed out, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I don't want all that to be in vain."

"It's not, I promise. Honestly, having my hair and makeup done makes me feel a little more normal. So what do you say we order takeout from our favorite Chinese restaurant, have dinner at the table and pretend we're all fancy, and then switch into our pajamas and binge-watch Merlin?"

"You go sit down. I'll put in the order and set up the table," Rooster said, pecking her on the lips before spinning her 180 degrees toward the living room and giving her a little shove.

"But-"

"No buts. This was supposed to be my treat. You keep those beautiful eyes of yours on the television and do not look at what I'm doing."

Ghost stopped midway down the hallway and smiled playfully over her shoulder. "And if I disobey orders, Lieutenant?"

Rooster pointed one of his crutches at her and gently poked her in the shoulder with it. "Then you'll be charged with insubordination. Punishment will be no wontons."

"Not the wontons!" Ghost exclaimed in mock horror, clutching her chest.

"Better get moving to that couch then!" he insisted, poking her one more time. Ghost relented and went to the living room, lowering herself gently onto the sofa. She turned on the TV and flicked through the channels until she arrived at her favorite genre: true crime documentaries. Ghost found herself wholly engrossed in the show, fascinated and disturbed at the reasons behind the murders' motivations. She had no idea how much time passed until Rooster braced himself on the couch behind her and said with more than a little concern, "Should I be worried that you're watching a show called Deadly Women? Because if you're trying to tell me you can kill me-"

"You already know I'm capable of that," Ghost said, tilting her head back to look at him. "Intentionally or not."

"If you kill me, I probably deserve it," he replied, smiling. "I think I'm safe tonight, though."

"That confident in your spontaneous date-night abilities?"

"This time? Yeah, I am." Rooster moved around the couch to stand in front of her. He offered his hand, and Ghost willingly took it. He hobbled to the kitchen with her, and a broad smile graced her face at the sight. Sprawled on the table was a lace tablecloth, covered with so many different dishes that Ghost had no doubt they'd have leftovers for days. A giant, three-wick candle flickered in the middle of the table, and the lights were dimmed low for ambiance. Rooster pulled out a chair for her, and Ghost sat, still too stunned to speak. He took the opportunity to say, "Don't fill up on the main course. I have a surprise for dessert."

"This is amazing," she said, unsure what dish to reach for first. "Thank you."

Rooster took the seat next to her. "We have all your favorites-"

"What about yours?"

"I have one of mine here, but tonight is for you. And, with that in mind-" he reached over and grabbed a massive bowl filled to the brim with-

"Wontons!" Ghost exclaimed, eyes nearly bulging out of her head at the amount Rooster ordered. 

"Believe it or not, I only ordered one, but when the guy recognized my voice and realized it was you I was ordering for, and when I told him you and I hadn't been in or ordered recently because we were in an accident, he sent his 'get better' regards to us in the form of what I'm pretty sure is the equivalent of at least five wonton orders."

"I think I might want to marry that man."

"Damn. Guess I'll have to return the ring I bought you."

Ghost snapped her head up. "What?!"

"Kidding," Rooster said with a cheeky grin. "We also have spring rolls, chicken fried rice-"

He continued to list everything he ordered, and Ghost systematically placed a little bit of each plate as Rooster said it until the bottom of her dish couldn't be seen. The couple chatted and stuffed their face with the delicious food, and Ghost couldn't remember the last time she'd been this happy since the day she arrived on North Island. It felt like such a long time ago, though it'd only been a few months. She even forgot about her pain- both physical and emotional- for a short while, which was the biggest gift of all. 

An hour later, stomachs full and hurting from laughter, Ghost and Rooster leaned back in their chairs, assessing the damage they'd done to the food. Finally, it was Rooster who remarked, "I'm impressed. We ate enough to feed a small army."

"I think we ate more tonight than we have in the last two weeks," Ghost said, stretching. 

"Do you have room for dessert now? Or do you want to wait a bit?"

"Can we change into our pajamas first? I might need more stretching room for my stomach than this skirt allows."

Rooster chuckled and agreed. They shuffled to the bedroom, switching into their PJs at a leisurely pace and in no rush. Besides, they had all night.

Ghost finished first and meandered to the kitchen to start cleaning up. She felt it was the least she could do after Rooster did everything to set it up. He appeared a few moments later and helped put away the leftovers and wash any dirty dishes. Then, he instructed her to return to the living room, where he said he'd join her shortly.

Although curious, Ghost listened. She sat on the couch and was pulling up Merlin when Rooster entered with two presents. Perplexed, she asked, "What's this?"

"Here." He sat beside her and handed Ghost the larger of the two presents. "Keep it upright. It's perishable and fragile."

What on earth could it be? Ghost carefully ripped open the wrapping paper to find a dozen familiar-looking cupcakes in an equally familiar box. "Are these what I think they are?"

Rooster nodded. "They're the same cupcakes we had on our trip to New Orleans. I know that wasn't a date by any means, but that was the night I first realized how in love with you I actually was. Found out it was a chain, and luckily, they had one here, so I ordered those this morning and had Bryn pick them up for me. She dropped them off when you were in the shower. The girl has impeccable timing, let me tell you."

"And here I thought the surprise was that I would be dessert," Ghost joked, shooting Rooster a sly smile.

"You still can be if that's what you want," he replied, eyes momentarily and lustfully dropping to her lips.

She leaned forward and kissed him. "I'm looking forward to having these now and you having me later."

"You'd think I remember how dangerous that mouth of yours can be after all this time," Rooster said, eyes sparkling with anticipation. He took the box from her and set it on the table. "Before we dig into those, I have one more for you. This was meant to be your birthday present, but we weren't in the best of places, and I wasn't sure if I should give it to you or not."

Ghost opened the second present. She could feel it was a thick book, but she hadn't expected it to be a giant photo album of her with everyone she had ever loved. There were pictures of her with her mom, her dad, her sister, Hangman, Rooster, Maverick, the Daggers, and more.

"I got the idea after you gave me the scrapbook of my dad," Rooster confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I reached out to anyone I could think of who would have pictures with you or of your family, so your mom, Bryn, Hangman, the Daggers, Wolfman, Mav, and others. I tried to make it look as nice as yours, but I'm not as creative with scrapbooking as I am up in the air and- oh, no. Oh, God, you're crying."

Ghost laughed through her tears, wiping them away. "It's okay. They're happy tears. It's- I haven't seen some of these photos before, especially of my parents."

Rooster slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close while she flipped slowly through the album pages, trying to memorize every picture and every smiling face. Ghost was surprised at the number of candid shots of her with the others. She never thought people noticed her like that...

"That's one of my favorites," Rooster said, pointing to a photo of them at the most recent Christmas party. Ghost sat next to Rooster in her striking red dress, holding the dagger- blade extended- that Maverick and Penny had given her. "You look so happy, and I know it's because you received the present, but it also looks like you're an aichomaniac."

Ghost frowned, perplexed. "A what now?" 

"An aichomaniac. A person obsessed with knives."

"I mean, you're not wrong. I do like having my knives on me."

It was Rooster's turn to frown. "Knives? As in plural?"

"Whenever I go out, I usually have two knives on me," Ghost explained, flipping to the next page in the book. "I figure if anyone ever attacked me and disarmed me with my first knife, one of the last things they'd expect is for me to whip out a second one."

"I'm not sure if I'm terrified or turned on."

Smirking, Ghost continued going through the pages, stopping at one of her mom and Maverick, young, carefree, and smiling on the back of his motorcycle. Her fingers trailed over it gingerly. "They looked happy together..."

"I think they were, for a time. Mav said they were both stubborn and unbending in their ways at that time, though, so compromise never came easy. They both had their careers to think about, too."

"When did he tell you that?"

"A while ago. Well before you and I ever suspected you might be related to him. Our moms knew each other, too. Got along famously before Charlie and Mav broke up. Then all communication stopped. I don't know why," he replied. Ghost had a few guesses, but she kept them to herself. It would do no good to dwell on the past. At least not right now. "Have you figured out how to bring it up with him?"

"No. I don't have proof, just a lot of coincidental evidence. I thought about doing a DNA test, but I don't know where I could send it to have them compared without paying an extortionate amount of money. But that is a problem for another day. I want to focus on being with you tonight." Ghost looked up and pecked Rooster on the lips. They finished going through the book, and Ghost teared up a few more times at some of the photos, but that was okay. This was the best gift Rooster could've gotten her, and it would be her most cherished belonging. 

After carefully setting the book aside and away from all food and drink, Ghost and Rooster settled on the couch with the cupcakes and Merlin, although they chatted throughout the show, mainly laughing at Arthur's obliviousness. 

When one scene appeared of Merlin revealing his magic, Ghost thought back to her own secret, one she'd kept from Rooster for so long, a secret Ghost promised she wouldn't tell him until the day she died. Technically, Ghost had, if just for a few seconds, so why not tell him after all this time?

"Admiral Cain," Ghost said sleepily, craning her head up to look at Rooster from its position on his shoulder.

Rightfully confused, he responded, "What?"

"I promised you that the day I died would be the day I told you how I got my callsign. Considering I did for a hot sec, I figured I should keep it."

"Not- not because you're dying now, right?" Rooster confirmed, his hand tightening on her arm.

"No, I'm very much-" Ghost placed his free hand above her heart- "alive."

Rooster visibly relaxed after a few seconds. Nodding, he said, "I'm good now. So, how does Cain come into play?"

"We were at a state banquet. All the big names were there. Cyclone, Warlock, Iceman, Cain, and my dad, to name a few. Well, I went to join my dad, who was talking to Cain. He had red wine in his hand, his dress whites on, and absolutely no clue I stood beside him until I remarked on his story. He jumped, swore, and completely forgot he was holding a wine glass. The red wine went all over his nicely pressed dress whites. He said I was 'like a 'God damn ghost.' The nickname stuck, although I refused to go to any more state banquets after that, too mortified, but every officer who'd been there and seen it would greet me as 'Ghost.' The name stuck, and it became my callsign."

Rooster burst out laughing. "Oh, I can imagine the look on his face! Damn well deserved it being on that high-ass horse of his."

"It gets worse. He had to meet the President right after. Didn't have time to clean up. Cain never liked me after that and always kept a careful out for me in the future, and I somehow had a tendency to show up when he least expected it. I also made him spill coffee on himself once. Thankfully, it wasn't hot, but I did get reprimanded for that because he thought I did it on purpose."

"That's awesome," Rooster chuckled, kissing her on top of the head. Ghost closed her eyes at the contact, feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time. Exhaustion and a full stomach were quickly overcoming her. "You know, if you really are Mav's daughter, and Cain realizes there are two of you, he may finally retire."

"We should tell him that regardless of the truth," she mumbled. "He's trying to take away our planes for his unmanned drone project."

"He can take it out of my cold, dead hands. But I think that's a plan for another day," Rooster remarked, kissing her head again. "Do you want to go get in bed?"

"No, here's fine," Ghost murmured, too comfortable and warm curled up against Rooster. She felt him shift around a little bit, and a few seconds later, a blanket covered her. She barely heard him whisper "good night" and place his fingers on the pulse point on her wrist before Ghost slipped into dreamland.

****

Tags: @supernaturaldawning @shanimallina87 @polikszena @lgg5989 @callsign-milano @bradshawsandbridgetons @harper1666 @shadeops21 @double-j @copaceticwriter @rotating-obsessions @sharkprestige @thedarkinmansfield @lapilark @mickeyluvs @starshipfantasy @bennypears00 @avabobava @the-navistar-carol @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth @carmellasworld @0hb0llocks @nicangelinee @summ3rlotus @3picklesinajar @magentamistress @the-other-hawkeye @elisha-chloe @emilymarie105 @persephone11110 @luckyladycreator2 @boogdleyboo @k0k3 @bibissparkles @lilmonstrjedi @stinkyrat09 @cocoag19 @suburbzchick @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @goodstuff28 @georgiasimpson95 @horselovers2016 @tanithpriad125 @davidshawnsown @sowolfstudentme @agagafafa @callmemana @sec17 @brxklyn15 @h0ppy0the0sheep @tomanybandstolove @abigailannz @mini-bee-bee @super-btstrash-posts @midnightmagpiemama

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32 Chp 33 Chp 34 Chp 35 Chp 36 Chp 37 Chp 38 Chp 39 Chp 40 Chp 41 Chp 42 Chp 43 Chp 44 Chp 45 Chp 46 Chp 47 Chp 48 Chp 49 Chp 50

[everything-is-crab]

If you're going to argue that people can't use misogyny in your country as evidence of sex based oppression don't use AAVE to do it considering you're clearly not Black or American

What terms from AAVE did I use? If I did then I apologize and won't use it again. I am not against criticism don't get me wrong. I used to continuously use "woke" but stopped when I read about its history.

But you could have pointed this out without trying to act like this somehow refutes my point about racism on radblr. I am a non native English speaker who's never set a foot in USA. Wish Americans would stop expecting non Americans to know every small thing about you and saying that we can't criticize you on that basis.

Anyways, stop using the plight of my country's women's issues as your talking point against issues happening only in your countries. Especially if you're not going to make any effort to do anything beyond using it as a talking point. We're not your pawns.

The problem isn't just that these issues are nothing but mere arguments to support your stance. The issue is that when these issues are brought up EXCLUSIVELY you guys derail to make it about your own issues.

One thing I have noticed about racist radfems is that they truly think sex based oppression is all that oppresses women, completely ignoring other factors that lead to issues specific to us.

Do you really think Indian families have a son preference and partake in all other phenomena affecting women negatively just because of misogyny? Or there may be other issues, like poverty, caste etc that add on to that?

But ofc you don't care about that. Because like I said, Western radfems and TRAs both are racist. Ik you're not dumb. I am not new here. I have seen the eloquent essays many radfems write analyzing the patriarchy.

You are surely capable of doing that for other women too with intersectional issues. But you just don't want to.

And that's ok ig. I can't tell you what kind of feminism to divert your energy into. But maybe don't pretend you care about the misogyny woc face when you use the superficial knowledge you have just to own trans people.

[noxexistant]

Yesss once we're friends I just am perpetually excited to talk to you forevermore.

Im sorry I am also tired lol I stayed up too late

Oof that sucks. :/

BLINK MY BELOVED

So he is working on a poem for mush. He is worrying about his best friend. He is entertaining snipeshooter and Tumbler and teaching them tricks to sell better.he is saving up to get jack a gift.

me too! i totally accidentally stayed up until like 3am lmao, got possessed with that newsies writing fever. it’s just so much fun having people message me stuff like this, talking about their headcanons and ideas n asking for mine, and people telling me about their own newsies productions!! i love it so much, absolutely worth staying up late for

blink!!! 😭 what an absolute sweetheart

i like to think he started on the poem in his head totally by accident, just letting his mind wander while selling during the day - thinking about mush, like he very often does - but he struggled to keep it straight so started scribbling it down on a piece of paper he asked to pull from one of jack’s notebooks. his handwriting is atrocious, but he can read it just fine - he’s just worried about, when it’s finished, whether mush will be able to read it too. oh, god, blink thinks, am i gonna have to read it out loud to him?

he starts mentally going through the newsies to work out who he trusts to write it out neatly for him, and who’s also capable of keeping a secret. race has got nice handwriting - he’s well-practiced, scrawling out betting slips - but he’s also got a big mouth. maybe buttons could do it.

borrowing the paper from jack also directly influences blink’s desire to get jack a gift, because he can’t stop thinking about how much jack gives to them all and how little he keeps for himself. tearing pages even out of his notebooks that he treats like gold in order to let people draw when they want to or write when they need it. jack runs out of pages often, and ends up sketching on the backs of leaflets and stuff again until he can get his hands on more real paper. because of that, blink’s poem is only on the one sheet - absolutely chock-full of his writing, full of scribbles and blacked-out lines, crammed all snaking around the other words on the page to make more room.

and ohhh man blink teaching the kiddos tricks to sell. blink’s a good entertainer, he’s had a lot of practice, teaching himself how to juggle objects and the like because he was a little scared of the effects losing his eye might have. it’s difficult living without depth perception, he knows even after he ages out of being a newsie nobody’ll have him working in their factory - they probably wouldn’t even have him on a farm, afraid being half-blind also makes him useless - but blink is anything but useless. he shows off to prove it, and the kids think he’s tons of fun.

his eye is also a double-edged sword for selling. it earns him sympathy sometimes like any disability does - he knows other kids that wear eyepatches that don’t even really need them, just wanna pretend to earn that same sympathy, and because of that folks sometimes don’t believe him either. he’s been jabbed by people’s canes and umbrellas and squinted at, asked if his eye’s really bad or if he’s faking. and, if he don’t wear his patch, people are scared of him. disgusted. he’s had women ask to see and then scream when he lifted his patch to show his empty socket. nobody wants to buy a pape from nobody who looks like that.

so, he’s learnt the balance - the exact right space between useful and helpless you’ve gotta be as a newsie to make sales, whether they’re people buying papes to read the news or buying papes to hand a few coins to a poor kid. it doesn’t matter to blink, money’s money. that’s a big part of what he teaches the kids.

[betab1te]

some thoughts

ok guys its true that i'm gender critical and rad-aligned but i also don't tolerate actual hate. to shame a trans person for criminal acts is different from shaming them for being trans.

it's my understanding that gender identification is an alternate way of operating under a sex hierarchy without properly challenging the foundational beliefs of that hierarchy. while many of us generally disagree with gender identification as a concept, as it does not meet the end that an ideal gender abolition movement would, there's something to be said for its survivability and durability under the patriarchy. i know people who make the choice to transition because it is the only way for them to operate in the way that they want to, in the way that they're comfortable. dysphoria is not a fault of their own--much of it is engineered, or symptomatic of other things, but at the end of the day can we remove the cause? no, because we can't remove the patriarchy. so people do what they need to do, or do what they feel they need to do, to survive under it. and we're all victims of the same structure, the same social engineering, the same internalization and indoctrination; we are bound to deal with it in different ways. some are capable of surpassing their dysphoria, some are capable of dealing in different ways, and some are not.

i've thought long and hard on this since involving myself in radfem and gender critical circles. i think female class consciousness is incredibly important, as is feminism. the world needs radfems right now, to combat the complications of the trans movement and the other overlooked (and incredibly dangerous at times!) symptoms & consequences of patriarchy. criticism is, and always will be, important, and anyone who thinks negatively of radfems, thinks of them as pests, is sorely wrong.

i have my criticisms too. i think anyone in any community has their criticisms. with any activist community, there is bound to be hate, sometimes reasonable and sometimes not. while our anger is justified, the way we respond to it isn't--not always. there is a line between shaming or criticizing someone for committing a wrongdoing and shaming or criticizing them for what they are outside of that wrongdoing. if we see women getting attacked by males (including trans women) in sex-segregated spaces, that is a male problem. it is not a trans problem--many of those males are not trans, or are pretending to be trans. many trans women do not hurt or attack, just as many men do not. we can be aware and wary of the male propensity for violence--and even criticize it--without essentializing it. we often say 'all men' in order to emphasize that even the 'nice ones', or the ones you would never suspect, or the 'feminists allies', are equally capable of committing male violence. but in reality, it is not all men, and we should know this even as we use that turn of phrase. it is not. it is a male problem, but it is not hardwired, it is not written into their genetics and it does not follow them from birth. people who commit hate crimes (racist, sexist, etc) generally do so because they are taught to; taught that it is justified, that it is okay, etc.

so, criticizing the trans community for its wrongdoings is important. it is important to be critical of any community, and movement, regardless of its initial goal or intention. it is okay and often important to disagree with what everyone else agrees with--we know this, we have learned it, we have done it. and i know many trans people who also criticize the community, who hate it for the same reasons as us. what do we infer from this? that the trans community is not a trans problem. but, as we have seen, it is a sexist problem.

what is wrong with the trans community is not necessarily that it is trans (though you can still disagree with some aspects of gender identification, or gender conceptually), but that it has adopted sexist values that have no place in it. it is a sexist problem. i think a lot of us know this, and see this. others don't. at the end of the day, it all blurs together.

i still think it's fine to poke a little fun online--to call TRAs gendies or genderists, for instance, if they hold those beliefs (and they almost always do)--but i'm getting one thing straight. i am only going to criticize the trans community and trans activists in the context of what i don't agree with, and that does not include the personal choice to transition. dysphoria is a motherfucker, society is a motherfucker, and sometimes people choose to adjust to the framework rather than to fight to break it, because its their whole life. just because i can desist doesn't mean everyone else can.

[goongiveusnothing]

That Deadline article is so telling. Struggling to think of other movie flops who've had articles written like that about them. Made me think of that British tabloid also going on about how Harry is destined to win awards at the Brits and Grammys too. His people are desperate to try and keep the hype about him going, despite his tour selling well and his song As It Was doing well. They still act like he needs more, because they probably know despite all of the success, it's all hollow and payola.

Yes. I have no idea why the fans and non fans for so long have tried to pretend that Harry isn't actually interested in movies and only filmed them because of the pandemic. That piece is from his team and they show that he and his team are desperate for him to achieve movie stardom. It also shows how deeply well connected his people are that they're capable of Deadline basically giving them an entire puff piece acting as though his acting ambitions are sailing through the heavens right now.

Claiming Harry's having an amazing fall season? The man who has been turned into an entire joke on social media? Millions and millions of views making fun of his singing and acting and clothes and queerbaiting and dumbass comments, then the nanny exposing that he had an affair with two women on set and broke up two women's relationships. Article after article stating Harry needs an entire citizen's arrest on his acting career. His lead co-actress refusing to even acknowledge he exists in public. He released a weird video for a song trying to give his album extra hype and extra sell out singles and the video only has 13 million views after a few weeks release. Harry used to get 100s of millions per video, now he can barely get over 10 million. What an amazing fall he's had indeed.

It's like I said as well, the Elvis thing has been pushed by his team hard. His entire album roll out came with all the Elvis talk. They wanted that connection inside our heads, and still want it now. They think a failed flop audition proves his talents. It shows for him and his team, that his acting ambitions have taken a priority. To sell the album they wanted more to sell him as a credible movie star.

And this section was telling: "But beyond a mere acting feat, My Policeman meant an even greater deal to Styles as it’s a film that spoke directly to his LGBTQ fanbase. For Styles “being able to connect with (them on) a story that would genuinely mean something and connect and help people understand what it could be like if you start rolling back laws,” emphasizes Grandage." Not that it connected with Harry on a personal level, not that it spoke to him. It's basically weirdly admitting to him queerbaiting, but making out like that's a gift to his fans. It's verys specific that this isn't about a connection to Harry's own life, it's about the fans.

Also, there's no way I believe Harry cared or thought about rolling back laws or anything like that, remember his interview where he said it was hard to imagine a time where it was all illegal etc? Like he just couldn't fathom gay people being closeted and all the rest? Despite growing up in the UK where there were still laws and things like Section 28. That's not someone who sounds cautious it could get rolled back, it sounds like someone who thinks we're all living through a Nirvana of LGBT rights.

But we can see he and his team are very keen to try and somehow drum up some interest and credibility in his future acting endeavours. I have no doubts he is still auditioning. I expect a brief cameo in January on some MCU project, but I expect too that that cameo will be filmed and then edited down, because I think every project will now be wary about Harry turning their project into a viral joke.

[feral-radfem]

Obsessed for someone who couldn't stand the engagement.

I just took a screenshot this time so I don't get "HaRraSsMeNt" cried at me, but I figured since they're still talking about me and this is the second post where I have been vagued about, I'll give the girly the attention she wants so bad.

1. We were not harassing you. I've already explained exactly how that isn't harassment. You can go back and read it, if you are capable. It's the same post that I told you you could turn off reblogs and replies. And then you did that.

Which brings us to point number two: we didn't stop responding to you because we thought we were wrong all of a sudden, you turned off our ability to respond to you. You think I give a fuck about you reporting me? I do not, it did nothing, it's useless, this is tumblr. Also, completely ignoring the stupidity in what you're implying. There was evidence beforehand because we reblogged it. The evidence is all over both of our blogs and everyone else's who engaged with you. How did you even jump to that conclusion?

3. You keep comparing us to Men by mere virtue of not doing what you want us to do, which is a weak insult. It's why everyone has ignored it when you've said it like 30 times. I can make a vague comparison to your actions and men as well. And about the 'gender minority' thing, playing the victim here only works if we're not also women. I'm telling another woman, my equal, that she is by definition not experiencing harassment for a conversation she keeps engaging in, and that getting so emotional over discussion she keeps engaging with and keep starting by doing antagonistic behavior is doing you no good. It is simply annoying. Mind blowing, I know. Also, you're throwing around a lot of emotional appeals and insults which makes you look over emotional. I was saying if you wanted to be taken seriously and debates you may want to lessen the emotion in your approaches because it makes people not listen to you. It was helpful advice from someone who has debated people on a stage, you should take it.

YOU ARE VERY BAD AT ARGUING. THIS POST, AND ALL YOUR OTHER POSTS, PROVE THAT. YOU CANNOT MAKE AN ARGUMENT WITHOUT USING LOGICAL FALLACIES OR EMOTIONAL APPEALS, THAT MAKES YOU BAD AT ARGUING.

Also, engaging while being unwilling to read the other side's points, also makes you bad at arguing. No one has to take your word for how good you are at something you've demonstratively failed at multiple times.

Also I find it very cute that while you were screaming and crying about how much you were being harassed and what it's doing to your mental health, you haven't been able to shut up about that 3-day span of interactions since then. You made it your Pinned post for a minute and you have made at least two vague posts now, how is pretending to be a victim in this situation serving you when it is fairly obvious that you get some sort of joy from the attention this brings you. I mean why would you still be kicking the hornet's nest if you were so terrified of being stung again? You wouldn't.

[l-stintheworld]

If I was to tell you what I know you want to hear it's that I am here for you and will help you work through whatever it is you need to talk about. You can lean on my arm as you break my heart, you can be mean to me I can take it and put it inside of me. I'd tell you that you that I truly believe she is trying to make you jealous, and that I know one day she will come back to you because she will realise what she's given up even if that's years down the line, but I dont want you to be alone and spiralling while that happens. If I wasn't so clouded by my feelings I'd explain how she longs for your attention and love but doesn't know how to reciprocate, the same way you can't handle the way I feel for you. Maybe she isn't in as deep as you, but she craves that life long devotion that only you are providing to her. Now she may never come back to you, but she will always long for your feelings for her. She sent you those pictures because she wants you to be mad, she wants you to argue with her because in a fucked up way it shows you care more then you ever could if she was with you and you were happy together. If you allow it, she will do it forever and you should decide whether you are prepared to be that person for her at the cost of the love you could be receiving. But I dont know her, and I dont know 13 years of history between you, I only know what you've told me. It hurts because I'm too afraid to tell you all this because I know it would mean I'd lose you, and I'm being selfish so I will keep it to myself.

But if I was to tell you what I want to tell you for my sake and my feelings, it's that you should cut her out because I don't think she is capable of giving you want you need or deserve. I'm worried you would regret this and grow to resent me for it. I know I could be so devoted to you, and be your biggest cheerleader. You would be the "main character", I could make you feel that way and give you everything you want. But what you said keeps playing in my head, that a few years down the line we could have put in all this work to be together, we could be happy and she would come back and you'd go back to her. Not that I believe it would be a waste of my life, but you have to understand why I can't continue doing this if that's even a slightest possibility. I couldnt live knowing that your biggest regret would be choosing me because even though I know I don't deserve it, all I want someone who would be willing to do anything for me. I know she craves your devotion, because I think all women do. Maybe me saying that about her is just a protection of my own feelings. It's such a huge ask to want someone to care that much, for someone to love me that much so I never will. If I was protecting myself, I'd say we have to give it up sooner rather than later, before we're in a serious life destroying position, but I dont have the strength to do that because you know I've already given up so much for you. Maybe I'm just too emotional, maybe im ignoring every red flag, maybe I hate myself so much I believe I deserve a life of being the consolation prize and even though you have insisted that this isn't what it is, it's clearer that it is.

Instead of saying any of this, I will wait for you to message me first, I will give you space and I'll talk about whatever you want to talk about. I'll wait by the phone for when you when you want to call me and cry on your break, or when you want to sing to me before you go to sleep. I'll be here when you want to play a computer game or watch a YouTube video with me. I'll be here when you want me to be some rival and to argue about politics. I'll be here to give you unconditional love and acceptance when you need it. I'll do it all sobbing from 4500 miles away. I'll stay up until 4am to provide these things, I'll keep my phone on loud so you can wake me up when you finish work to tell me about your day. I'll try to be there for you but I can't pretend it doesn't hurt me that you'll never be there for me in the same way. I never expect that from you.

I just wish things were different, Adam.