#they've got something going on and the things i've seen of it are probably biased in the way they present that information but like

[lighthouseborn]

oh you know i actually don't get to do this a lot because our experiences simply do not often line up but henry (handshake) me -> whales are just built different

[dr-futbol-blog]

The Gift, Pt. 5

From Zelenka leaving to fetch Dr. Kusanagi we jump to Teyla finding Weir and Beckett together still working on the wraith log. It seems as though they also have been up all night, so a considerable amount of time has passed between these two scenes.

While Teyla had a nightmare, she seems to have gotten at least some (uneasy) sleep and we are explicitly told that it's the following morning. So we are to understand that Weir and Beckett in the lab had worked all through the night, and while we are not explicitly shown it, Zelenka and McKay may have done likewise. What Sheppard did during this time we are not given even a hint of. Teyla tells them that they look like she feels which also indicates that she got very little rest from her sleep.

They share their discoveries with her, breaking in the horrifying news that she has wraith DNA.

After this, they have a meeting with the team in the conference room. Beckett and Weir are sitting on a table, probably being that they are both exhausted, while the others remain standing, underlining how pressed for time they all are. In fact, because McKay and Sheppard remain standing and later take off together as though they had places to go, there is a case to be made that they had also walked into the meeting together, having been interrupted from doing something together. In this case, possibly from having been doing some kind of work with the command chair.

Weir and Beckett are shot over Sheppard's shoulder which is probably again meant to direct the audience into thinking that we're looking at them from Sheppard's perspective and that he's looking at Weir when we are actually standing behind him and Sheppard himself very obviously, once more, has his body turned toward McKay. You can compare this scene with Sheppard standing next to anyone else in the episode and you will not find him as physically wrapped around this person as you find him with McKay.

Presumably Teyla wanted to share what they've discovered with all of them, the whole team, although it is notable that she herself is not a part of this meeting. Note that McKay is more interested in Sheppard's reaction to this news than he is in the news itself, turning to look at him instead of the person breaking in the news:

Sheppard: You're saying Teyla's part-wraith?! Beckett: A very small part. Weir: Which makes her about as different from us as you, because of the Ancient gene you possess. McKay: Well, and some other things!

This is interesting. We are not specified what McKay means, here. He might mean that wraith as life-sucking aliens are very different from humans, or the Ancients ("And some other things [make them different from us]"). There are many things separating them. He might mean that Teyla is different from Sheppard ("And some other things [make her different from him]") in some fundamental ways (not having a chiseled jaw, broad chest, and his other masculine attributes certainly being among them). He might mean that Teyla is special ("And some other things [make her different from us]") also in some other ways (Beckett referred to her 'superpowers' and "I've seen you fight, dear" earlier), although this is unlikely given how little attention McKay pays women, including her.

But McKay might also mean that there are other things about Sheppard that separates him from "us," from ordinary people, ("And some other things [make him different from us]"). There are things beyond a single gene that makes him distinct from everyone else for him. Now, Sheppard is someone that McKay sees as special and extraordinarily capable, so interpreting this as a reference to him is warranted. He might be biased but to him Sheppard is the most unique person he has ever met. Note also that we are once again reminded of the fact that John Sheppard is a little different.

Sheppard doesn't want Ford to tell Bates about this and enforces what he says with his hand; let's keep this between us, let's keep this hush-hush for now. What's notable is that he is very comfortable getting right up in McKay's personal space and that McKay himself is also so comfortable with it so as not to react in any way to Sheppard reaching across him. He doesn't step back, he doesn't watch where the hand is going or what it's doing, like it's the most normal thing in the world to find Sheppard's hand doing things in his peripheral vision. In fact, they again move in unison, both turning toward Ford at the same time. These two men are attuned to each other's bodies, is the thing. Also, while Sheppard is gesturing to Ford for him to keep quiet about it and his intention is to protect Teyla's reputation, what he is effectively doing is creating a protective barrier around McKay with his arm. It's like he's shooing every evil thing from approaching this man.

Being that Sheppard is the only one of them that has actually seen a wraith feed on a human (McKay has seen the aftermath of the feeding), he looks absolutely horrified as Weir tells them that the plan of this wraith had been to make "the feeding process more efficient". But as disgusted as he is, as striking as this image must be in his mind's eyes, the moment McKay starts talking, his attention shifts back to him and, just as suddenly, he's not thinking about the wraith any more.

They discuss the topic and Sheppard has a reaction to the mention of the Iratus bug that almost killed him. McKay glances at him, clearly also having a memory related to this incident in 38 Minutes (S01E04). Because Sheppard already had a visceral reaction to the mention of the bugs earlier, he is checking up on him. This also invites us to compare especially McKay then and McKay now.

Back then, he was unable to focus on doing the work because he felt like he was the only one who understood just how screwed they were. Even now, he probably understands how screwed they are much better than most people on the base, even though everyone is worried about the approaching attack. But it is especially being around Sheppard that has taught him that it is better to focus on the work than on panicking because panic does not actually solve anything. And neither does learning about Teyla's fascinating lineage, as he points out, again letting his exhaustion show in not mincing his words:

Ford: So what you're saying is the Ancients actually created the Wraith? Beckett: By accident. McKay: Or negligence. Weir: Well, either way, it doesn't matter. Beckett: Ultimately, the more we know about Wraith physiology, the closer we get to a biological weapon that can attack the Wraith and leave humans unharmed. McKay: Yes, but for the moment all we know is that the Ancients might have accidentally created the Wraith, and why Teyla can sense them coming. I mean, fabulous mystery solved! But neither of which help in any way stop them from coming. Weir: Rodney's right. Let's get back to work. McKay: Thank you!

But he says 'thank you,' the man who never says 'thank you'. He is trying not to be "always like this" McKay so hard.

In this scene, we see Sheppard walk out after McKay as though pulled by in invisible tether. We are not explicitly told why or what they are going to do but it is very obvious that they leave the meeting together. The way Sheppard looks at McKay is similar to how he did at the end of the meeting on the previous morning so it follows that he likely walked out of that meeting after McKay too, what with his lunch plans and all.

Now, the next time we see them they are talking about the control chair, but this does not mean that they went from the meeting directly to the control chair room or that they were coming from the control chair room to Weir's office. This is an assumption we can make and that the main stream audience certainly is going to make. But what is true is that we see them leave together and we see them arrive together, and that they have spent time in the meanwhile in each other's company doing something that we don't get to see. And while it is more obvious here, this happens for the second time in this episode that the pacing of the episode gives them space for private time with each other following a meeting.

Even if it is just working on the control chair, it's still something that they did in private and that was not for our eyes. Is it too boring to show us Sheppard with the chair? Hell no, it isn't. It's something we're looking forward to. Sheppard wants to hop on that chair. McKay certainly wants to see him in that chair. So why can't we see it happen? Why are they going out of their way to let us know that we are missing scenes that must have taken place between them in private? Why are we told of things that have happened between just the two of them but the show is going out of its way not to let us actually witness any scenes where it's just the two of them?

We get scenes where Sheppard is alone with Teyla. We get scenes where he's alone with Weir. The last time we saw Sheppard and McKay alone together, and even though they were in a public place and were interrupted by Weir in Before I Sleep (S01E15), they were basically sitting in each other's laps, might be the reason. The last time we saw them alone together without being interrupted (and only for c. 20 minutes, we're told) was when they were walking toward the jumper at the end of The Defiant One (S01E12).

Sheppard was damn nearly walking backward to be able to have his body facing McKay. The only thing that might have saved this man from backing himself up against a wall only to pull that damned fool there with him and having his back pressed against what ever it was for a kiss were those cracked ribs, and they didn't seem to be bothering him all that much. All I'm saying is, by this point the show has a problem and all they can do is figure out different ways of splitting them up.

The most fascinating thing about this is that they don't need to say anything to the other person. Rodney just says "Thank you!" to Weir and takes off, and Sheppard just follows. His face is doing all kinds of things because he doesn't know what to think about any of this yet but even while his mind seems to be occupied doing at least a dozen things at the same time, his body just follows McKay. Like he doesn't even have to think about it. Where that man is going, he is going.

Continued in Pt. 6

[duchessofostergotlands]

I think a lot of royal watchers equate number of photographs that they themselves have seen to number of engagements which is obviously lazy but also why if your goal is to criticise and ineffectively compare then you would think Leonor has done more engagements than "some monarchs" lol.

I always think to myself that if you're going to make such bold statements, the person would have at least done some form of research but I guess not. I seriously don't know how people get the confidence to say such things even with the anon button. I honestly could never.

I think you're probably right there. It's the same thing that happens with conversations around "impact." People conflate it with exposure and so assume if a post on Instagram got more likes then it was a more impactful speech or project. And I'll say as well: we all do it. It's human nature that if we see someone more often we think they've been out more often haha. I'm not trying to suggest I'm some superhuman who isn't impacted by biases or anything like that! But, as groundbreaking as this might be for some people, you don't actually have to say it on the internet!!

And the second paragraph is music to my ears, I think we'd get on. I talked in the podcast episode Error. Error. Error Message about the way my brain works and I think it's hopefully quite illuminating because I've been here for 10 years and have had every "flaw" in my personality thrown at me in that time. And a lot of people have said I'm arrogant or condescending or I think I'm right about everything. And I absolutely understand where that comes from haha. But it's actually not that. I am deeply insecure! My brain just has this process it has to go through like a robot. And I do not speak on serious things unless they get to the end of that process. So when I speak up about something it's because I've agonised over it, I've questioned myself over and over, and once I've done all that of course I'm pretty damn sure it's solid and I'm willing to back it up point by point. So yes, it might seem arrogant. But people never see the 90% of topics that go through my brain and don't reach the end of that process so I don't feel comfortable speaking about them. Whereas other people don't seem to do that. I spoke about that recently in the context of neurotypical people actually. Most people seem to just say things as they come to their mind. So they aren't always going to fight for it, they can't always break down sentence by sentence why someone else is wrong, because they're not really that invested in the million and one things they say openly on any given day. And honestly I don't understand why just saying anything to anyone without thinking about it is completely fine but considering your opinions and only speaking when you feel confident is perceived as arrogance! I will never understand people!

[mineonmain]

Thai QL Favorites Tag Game

Tagged by @telomeke ^u^ slay

Credit: this game was created by @thatgirl4815 as Thai BL Favorites Tag Game.

Favorite Thai QL: Bad Buddy was my first and probably till date my fav. What a way to start. Very few BLs overall have lived up to the unreal standard that this show set, and no matter what all has happened IRL since the airing of the show, this show has a place in my heart that nothing is going to ever replace. It's the show that revived my love and passion for TV shows after years. This show (ep 5 4/4 👀) changed my brain chemistry, without exaggeration. P'Aof i'm chewing on your furniture until you pay for my therapy. [Other favs are MLC, ATOTS, UWMA, Between Us, MSP]

Favorite Pairing: I guess i'll talk about actor pairings but onscreen, not how they are offscreen. EarthMix is absolutely one of my favs, they bring a maturity, natural-ness, and intensity to their acting that I've rarely found in other GMMTV pairings. I'm also gonna mention FourthGem because they're the GMM young blood and I think they've got an incredible amount of potential. We've already seen their range in MLC and MSP, and I think they're going to be huge. I have a huge soft spot for BounPrem (but I may be biased lol), and this may be a lukewarm take but I really enjoyed BillySeng, I thought they had some incredible onscreen chemistry.

Most underrated actor: Oh jeez where do I start. Gotta mention Fourth - he's not really underrated but he's just starting out, but I can already see he's got the chops and with the right training and right directors he's absolutely Going Placed. Shout out to Fluke Natouch, that boy does emotional scenes like no one else. Special shoutout to Tonnam - he's supposed to be starring in his first BL as a main character this year, idk if that's still on schedule or not, but every character he's ever played so far has been a hit in my book. His comedic timing is unparalleled for me, it never fails to hit.

Favorite Character: How do I choose!! Pat Napat is so dear to me??? As is Ae from LBC???? Tutor from Why R U???? Team from Between Us?? I've got so many different little blorbos it's impossible to choose. They're all pocket sized to me. Making me choose is a crime.

Favorite Side Character: Idk why but the first one that comes to mind is View from Between Us. He's absolutely Little Bro, but he's also so sweet and genuine and full of love??? He's annoying bc all little brothers are genetically coded to be annoying but he's impossible not to love. His smile is healing. You can't take him away from me.

Favorite scene in a QL: Bad Buddy Ep 5 4/4. This was the scene that actually broke me. The lead up to the scene, the subtle but deliberate choices that both the characters made. Pat gritting himself to go talk to Pran bc if there's one thing he doesn't do it's avoid people and situations. Pran resigning himself to the conversation bc he can't avoid it any longer. Pat finally saying exactly how he's been feeling less than a business day after he had the realisation himself, bc the moment he feels something and decides it he has to act on it. The music swelling in the background. Pran realising that he's been projecting his fears onto Pat this entire time, that Pat has always feel differently about him too. Pran asking the question to break it all, wording in one way where he was expecting one kind of answer, not expecting that it would be interpreted in an entirely different way and would rock the foundation of their already teetering relationship. Pran asking if they want to be friends, because the alternative would be to be enemies. Pat hearing 'do you want to be only friends', and realising that that would never be enough for the both of them. Pat seeing that Pran is scared, and realising that he has to have courage enough for the both of them. Pat taking the deepest and shakiest breath of his life, swallowing down his fear and trepidation, voice trembling saying 'no'. This is the scariest thing that Pat has ever had to do, but how he'd rather do this than lose Pran again. Them both taking a step towards each other, because this is a decision not of one but of equals, mutual as they have always been. Pat treating this like his first kiss, like a relief of finally knowing the answer to a question that has long plagued him, like the start of something, going into it with utter joy and coming out of it with complete bliss, because the world finally makes sense. Pran treating this like his last kiss, like the end of everything they had ever been or ever could be, like he was going to milk this for everything it was worth because he was never going to get a chance to do this ever again, going into it with fear and desperation, and coming out of it with heartache and resignation, because they had lost everything they had and couldn't get it back. Pat crying tears of joy because he finally found what he was looking for, and Pran crying tears of pain because he got to experience for the first and last time what he would never be allowed to have but had longed for all of his life. Yeah I'm so normal about this show.

Favorite line in a QL: I mean. I literally said it all above, but yeah. 'If we're not enemies, could we be friends?' 'Do you want to be friends?' 'No.'

Most Anticipated QL (& why): I don't honestly know?? But I do wanna see the Thai remake of Cherry Magic, I'm interested in seeing how they're gonna treat it differently from the source show, esp since Thai shows have a tendency to bit more high heat and the original show was all about the tenderness of falling for someone because of their goodness.

Healthiest relationship in a QL: oooh i gotta go for TinnGun from MSP, they're just so lovable. Yes it's a highschool relationship but it was presented so sweetly without coming across as childish, and my boy Tinn is the ultimate green flag. Also even tho I'm not personally a SaifahZon fan (they're not my cup of tea) I think they're incredibly healthy.

Most toxic relationship in a QL: TharnType (i'm mostly looking at you Tharn), most of the KP pairings (the T in Theerapanyakuls stands for needs Therapy), early RainPhayu (i'm sorry but pigtail-pulling on the playground to show you like someone is very kindergarten behavior Phayu), LianKuea (go ahead girlbosses who gaslight and gatekeep).

Guilty pleasure series: I honestly don't know if anything I like counts as a guilty pleasure. Maybe SCOY?? Because I know there's a lot of people who don't like it and find it cringe but I think they're all kind of missing the point. I could write a mini-essay about this show too but i'll save that for another day.

Most underrated series: Ingredients (Baby Jeff!!), My Only 12% (It absolutely deserved more love and hype).

Tagging: @antisocial-burrito @liyazaki @webetterlove @bisexualhedgehog @shortpplfedup @whatisgodtoanonbeliever @onstoryladders @respectthepetty @heesulovebot @gunsatthaphan @incandescentflower @rythyme @elevatormusic @vegaspetesupremicy

[icaruskeyartist]

Hey I think you were a person I've seen dissect Serano's work pointing out the negative things said about trans mascs. I came across this post and while this quote seems positive toward trans mascs, stuff earlier in the article don't seem great but I'm worried I'm just hanging onto biases from her earlier work. Do you have thoughts?

https://at.tumblr.com/asterosian/704465315608870913/k1dj12qys9u7

Oof okay I have to admit I'm very biased against her, so reading this will be a challenge (also thanks, I think this is the kick I need to get back to reading Whipping Girl, knowing she's got another book out that may pertain to trans masculinity).

I'm gonna pull out some quotes from her article I feel pertinent to touch on, whether in agreement or not. This is gonna be long.

tl;dr She's still minimizing trans masculine issues, throwing AFAB folks under the bus, utilizing POC for her own end when she can, and is a hypocrite within the same page. And nonbinary folk don't exist.

So yeah, the coat of paint is new, but it doesn't really feel like her attitude towards nonbinary and masculine people have changed. And she tries to relabel rad fems as cultural fems. Which... no. Cultural feminism afaik has a totally different connotation now with lib fem than whatever it was in the 80's.

 Some of the insights that I uncover in Sexed Up are pertinent to the aforementioned “perpetually male privileged” claims levied against trans women. In addition, they also shed light onto why bisexual women are analogously dismissed as “perpetually heterosexual privileged” in some of these same settings.

But men aren't also dismissed as heterosexually privileged if they're bi/pan/aro/ace? This is speculative, but I do thing that there are probably a lot more bisexual men out there who don't know because they've been taught to reject their attraction towards men their entire lives... not unlike how women are taught the same but women are also more encouraged to be in touch with their emotions. Men aren't.

This is a nitpick admittedly. Of course she's gonna focus on women, like how I focus on men. But idk, if I was actually writing for a general audience, I'd want to be as even-handed as possible.

 I will also consider how said purity politics underlie recent debates between trans female/feminine and trans male/masculine communities.

Color me unexcited.

In Sexed Up, I discuss all these various forms of sexualization in depth and detail how they play out with regards to specific marginalized groups (e.g., people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people, amongst others).

I'm highlighting this mostly because of my experience with Whipping Girl is ringing eerily similar to this article. Mainly in that Serano likes to reference work I don't have access to and just assumes she is right.

I'm thinking specifically on her assertations on Navajo gender identities and saying they are trans feminine actually (or something similar) and her source was like... another college educated white person who just so happened to be a dude. It's why I want to eventually go through my notes and read all her sources and do an annotated version of her book.

I just really don't trust her with identities outside of her own is what I'm saying. Maybe she's changed, but I don't have access to her new book atm, just this article (sorry I might read her other article she linked at the top later but not right now).

As an example, falsely smearing a marginalized individual as a “slut,” or “pervert,” or “faggot,” or “predator,” or “groomer” typically has little to do with finding them attractive and/or wanting to use them sexually, but has everything to do with invoking sexual stigma in order to defame, humiliate, or ostracize them.

I don't disagree with this bit. Though I'd throw off the word little because we can't know what's going on in someone's mind. It can be a complex mixture of it all in a gross, confusing slurry of unexpressed emotion.

This imagined “sexual corruption” is especially acute for minority women: If a billboard ad featured a white, cisgender, thin, able-bodied woman wearing a sexy outfit, many passersby wouldn’t even notice it, but if the model were Black, or transgender, or fat, or disabled, or some combination thereof, it might strike them as “sexually inappropriate.”

A really more straightforward example would've been porn stars. Actresses (esp white actresses) who have fucked black men tend to have lower prices attached to their work afterwards. I wish I remembered where I read that so I could link to it, but it's been awhile. And for me I think it makes sense logically. She's "corrupted" herself with another race or w/e. Stupid blatant racism but a very obvious example.

Even more obvious: the amount of women who get devalued for having an only fans and how their SO's are treated.

And if a person intentionally hurts or humiliates another person, we often call them a “dick.”

What does this have to do with penises being imbued with metaphysical powers in society?

While penises, and those who are attached to them, are not stigmatized themselves, they do seem to possess the ability to impart sexual stigma upon others. [Sexed Up, p. 164]

Once again, Serano cuts her own nose to spite her face. She tries to be even-handed while focusing on women, but as soon as she quotes her own work (hence the italics) we can see her laying down the blanket statement again.

Men are stigmatized for having sex. It's just not in the same way women are. And it's different depending on the specific sub-culture you're in. Sub-culture specifically because Serano, despite her claims otherwise, I will not believe is capable of looking past the US. That's my bias.

While a significant number of women commit acts of sexual violence, people tend to view these incidents as less serious and less harmful than similar acts committed by men — this is likely due to the imagined “lack of penis” required to initiate sex and to bestow sexual stigma upon the victim.

Oh good, I was worried she wouldn't talk about women committing acts of sexual violence.

For starters, gender and sexual minorities are often viewed as “sexually deviant” or “sexually deceptive” for our failure to comply with Predator/Prey’s roles and rules. As a result, people may view us as “marked by sex” — imbued with sexual stigma that others may fear they might “catch” from us, potentially being “turned queer” themselves in the process. 

I don't disagree again. It's a bit thing, and I think part of that fear in some people is actually repressed sexual or romantic or gender specific identities. It's scary to be confronted with something you thought was a fact but might not be... and for a lot of those people, if they soul searched they'd find themselves happy with their identity as it is.

Anyway a good recent example of what Serano is talking about here is ROGD --- rapid onset gender dysphoria. The thing that people claim is turning all the girls trans.

It also explains why so-called “lesbian porn” made by and for straight men is not considered threatening. This genre typically portrays two women kissing and fondling one another, but the “real sex” doesn’t start until the male protagonist shows up (with his penis) to pronounce “can I join you ladies?”

What the fuck porn are you watching Serano? When I look up lesbian porn, the only dicks involved are strap ons. And this isn't like. Specialty stuff. It's fucking free on pornhub and xnxx.

I realize I'm outing where I watch porn here but whatever. One day I can afford to pay decently.

Okay then there's some talk about how for bi men they're seen as gay and bi women as straight (nb/agender people not invited), some gold star lesbianism and how penises are seen as corrupting. Glad she's pointing out the penis hatred in lesbian circles (rad fems called out? nice).

Hm then something about how bi women in relationships with other women are uniquely targeted with heterosexual privilege which just doesn't smell right to me but I can't put my finger on why.

when people start wielding terms like “privilege” (or “socialization”) in non-nuanced ways — and especially when they frame these as perpetual statuses that are impervious to change — the concern they are raising has little (if anything) to do with actual oppression or marginalization.

Really Serano? Where's the "doubt" meme because

Go read the full thing here; it's infuriating. Basically, she's saying the rise in the use of TME/TMA as rigid labels is because trans male and masculine folks are upset that they're so overlooked and are pushing back on the fact trans women actually get highlight even in issues that uniquely affect us (the amount of times I heard people complaining trans women don't need ObGyn visits so why are we trying to bring up trans people...)

Also the bs that AFAB trans people highlighting the F in their AGAB means that trans women must also highlight the M in their AGAB... like Serano if that was true and we need to coin flip this bitch all the time, well, why do your adherents hate the term transandrophobia so much?*

*this is actually a lot more nuanced and if prompted, I'll go into a deeper dive on why one group trying to emphasize their marginalized status a certain way doesn't mean the coin flip group has to mimic their behavior in any way but not right now. But if you want to hear my thoughts, I beg you, send me an ask. I'll Go Off.

And in my experience, lesbians who are suspicious of trans women are usually suspicious of bi+ women as well, and vice versa. 

Name. Them. They're rad fems Serano. It won't hurt you to admit it.

Okay, she goes on a thing about cultural feminism. I'll bookmark that to read later I think. It's already 1:30. I've spent 30 minutes reading and responding after spending an hour trying to dethaw my lock to get inside after work.

Most radical feminists were careful to identify the male role rather than maleness as the problem. 

This is a quote pulled from the article Serano links about cultural feminism. I hate to tell Serano this (I don't) but this... things have fucking changed since the 1980's. Radical feminists now very much blame men for the problem, not just their maleness. That's why there's so much overlap with TERFS! They're literally rad ems!!!

Serano then goes on to talk about how they call themselves radical feminists and thus TERFs and it's like... what distinction are you trying to make here? This is worthless except to make me angry!

Cultural feminists sometimes collaborate with social conservatives and the far-right on certain issues — most notably, their anti-trans, anti-pornography, and anti-sex-work positions.

I don't understand her resistance to calling them radfems. They are radical feminists. Even if in the 1980's it was something different, it's been 40 fucking years. We didn't have smartphones or accessible cellphones back in the 80's. Get with the fucking program.

Blah blah stuff we already recognize about how radfems see trans women as inherently predatory and dangerous because they got penises. Nobody I know argues against that.

Okay yes, here we are talking about trans men.

Cultural feminist views of trans male/masculine people are more complex and varied. 

Yep, this is why we should have our own word, to better discuss these complexities separate from mere misogyny or transmisogyny. There's an inherent overlap with being once seen as a woman/girl and "choosing" to become more masculine, whether you're actually nonbinary or fully male.

Gender traitors, lesbians escaping the patriarchy, groomed by TRAs. Check, check, check. Irreversible Damage, oh that's an easy ---

And who is supposedly doing this “seducing”? Trans female/feminine people, of course. 

Do you here the tires of my brain screeching? I'm shocked my ears aren't bleeding. They actually popped. Just. Holy shit, the presumption.

What about ROGD Serano? The thing Irreversible Damage is about? The thing that "spreads" across "girl" groups? "AFAB" groups? Where are the trans women in this Serano? Do you want my ears to pop?

Okay, okay, five minutes and I've calmed down. I'll let Serano finish.

Another “gender critical” author, Kathleen Stock, has remarked that, “The autogynephilia tail is wagging the puberty-blocking dog,” adding that, “many of the loudest (partly because male) voices policing critical discussion of the treatment of ‘trans’ kids barely disguise their autogynephilia.”

Oh, so one other TERF author blamed it on the trans women. So because of that, you ignored other sources talking about it spreading across "girl" groups. As in AFAB. As in not trans women. Okay. My jaw does not hurt from clenching right now.

In their imaginations, “transgender” is a “sexually deviant and predatory man,” and “children” are conceptualized as safe, pure, and vulnerable “girls” who are in danger of being “corrupted” by a “male-borne” sexual “contagion.” It’s Predator/Prey thinking writ large.

Yeah, I wonder why the general public only think trans women exist (general public, not the public with young trans people coming out as their sons or daughters). It doesn't have anything to do with your hyper-visibility that trans men were complaining about and you defended those trying to shut them up with TME labels despite it going against what you wrote in this very article???

Here’s another way of framing this “gender critical”/cultural feminist perspective: Trans female/feminine people are viewed as inherently “contaminating” (we “corrupt” those we come into contact with), whereas trans male/masculine people are viewed as merely “contaminated” (i.e., they’ve been “corrupted” by someone else). As a result, the latter may be “redeemable,” at least to some extent or in certain cases. 

The emphasis (bold) is mine.

And here's the crux of my issue with Serano. She absolutely refuses to let go of the idea that trans women are not the most oppressed actually and there's a lot of give and take where sometimes trans women as a group might come out on top. Not that it matters in the long run because it all washes out compared to the cis world around us but she won't even entertain the idea. She has to make sure that we know that trans men and masculine people (in her view, AFAB people) aren't as oppressed as trans women/feminine people (in her view, AMAB people). And her putting masculine/male doesn't erase her total lack of a nonbinary perspective.

Cultural feminists also tend to view trans male/masculine people as relatively “safe” given that they are supposedly “innately female” and “lacking” the organ that imparts sexual stigma (and perpetrates sexual violence) upon other people.

This went with the above quote. I'm just pulling it out to show how she treats transandrophobia like its a good thing/privilege (but god forbid trans men act like trans women's visibility is a privilege because there's so many drawbacks---yeah like there is for being seen as "safe").

On the trans male/masculine spectrum, there can be a similar temptation to appease cultural feminists’ notions of “purity” and “safeness.” 

She also looks down on trans women who emphasize their post op status btw. She just really does not like hyper feminine trans women (see my videos where she complains about movies with hyper femme trans women), and she does not like trans men not entirely divorcing themselves from their AGAB. How dare we I guess?

Sorry that I was born and raised a girl and I still see my younger self as a girl. I'm not you Serano. I'm not going to act like my growth as a trans person is a model for everyone else and thus invalidate all nonbinary identities.

Whether intentional or not, these sorts of appeals tend to reinforce the idea that AMAB people (such as trans women and trans femmes) are indeed “dangerous” and should be excluded. 

Talking about trans men "playing up the F in AFAB" to access women spaces. Please someone send me an ask about this specifically so I have an excuse to go off tomorrow after work.

At the start of this essay, I brought up “recent debates between trans female/feminine and trans male/masculine communities.”

Okay awesome I'm ready. I'm not reading the linked article tonight, maybe I will if asked, but for now it's 2 AM.

So suffice it to say that some of the disagreements I’ve seen seem to stem from this imagined AFAB “vulnerability” and “safeness,” and imagined AMAB “contamination” and “dangerousness.”

Emphasis (bold) mine.

Imagined vulnerability.

Serano making me throw up in my mouth at 2 AM.

And as usual, it’s the supposedly “contaminated” group (in this case, trans female/feminine people) who gets accused of being “oppressive” in some way or other. 

Sure am glad that she chose not to go into specifics! Give us concrete examples please!

On more than one occasion, I have seen trans male/masculine people of color point out that this notion of “inherent AFAB safeness” is not generally extended to them.

But, notably, not the vulnerability. Just want to point that out. Trans MOC are just as vulnerable if not more so by fact of being men of color. White women hold so much power over them in public spaces.

It should be clear by this point that we must purge these cultural radical feminist frameworks from our minds. 

Fixed that for you. Stop trying to label them something new.

When you embrace the fact that the world sees you as “dirty” and “contaminated,” you make different art, and you gravitate toward different forms of activism.

I'm still not following links outside the article, but I don't disagree with this statement. You'll be seeing some of my own work related to this later next year.

'Being a freak] made me suspicious of appeals to “purity” and “safety” (after all, what feels “safe” to some people may in fact be “dangerous” to others). 

Would it surprise you Serano I have trouble feeling safe around women?

She also stops on the different art after talking about how in your face her poetry used to be. This is something else I really want someone to send me an ask about. I'm begging you.

[r0ttingsystem]

I'm trying to take a neutral point in the wing anon situation, I just want to say I can understand both sides, in a way. Trying my best not to be biased. Apologies in advance if this isn't something you want to receive. You told them to be blunt about it, and they were. You responded to them being 'blunt with it' by traumadumping and sending asks about them under '_ culture is' blogs & bypassing them blocking you. I don't know why you did that, nor do i know enough about what the actual 'traumadumping' post was, so I'm not going to assume. Once you figured out that what you went through wasn't programming, you still called it that(Not sure about your exact words, so I'm going off their blog and assuming you called it failed programming.), Which they made a post about. Which is fair. Failed programming requires programming to actually start and then stop or not work. What you went through was not programming, failed/incomplete or not. Now you're using the term C-DID and you aren't calling yourself a programming survivor. That's good. I hope you learned from what they said, even if it was delivered in a poor way considering the situation. Like I've said, I think both of you could've handled it better. Traumadumping & not listening to them was obviously shitty. I don't know if you've accepted that or not, but it was. I think them making directed & aggressive posts after that was justified, but not the best thing to do. You did change the terms you used, and I'm unsure if they've continued it or not. Both of you have done things that are justified. Both of you have done shitty things. I think it's pretty obvious they don't want to talk to you, so my suggestion is just to move on. Posting about them is just gonna make it worse, since they are going to retaliate sooner or later. Going off both your posts, it probably won't be something you'll want to hear, especially if aggressive tones are triggering to you. I'm sorry you had to go through this, but it really is just something to move on from.

Okay I'm not in the best state of mind right now but here goes s response (co written by Dani and preaches so it's a bit rude at parts)

Firstly, we understand that was shitty

You probably haven't seen our apology because you bring up shit that's untrue or that we've apologized for

We honestly thought they had the hc culture blog blocked (from how they talked about it), and didn't know the other blog would tag ramcoa

We weren't in the best state of mind

And they didn't have us blocked tf

And the "traumadumping" (I fucking hate people calling it that. It was on a vent blog for Christs sake) was because our host saw their post as them saying "lolz non of what you went through happened" and got triggered

We called it incomplete (better term is attempted, and the reason we're not letting go of the "programming lable" is because our abuser TOLD us that's what they were doing) programming because from our research it seemed to fit and nobody fucking had the brain to tell us "oh that's actually not what it is" without being fucking agressive or condescending

Blah blah traumadumping vagueing blah blah be fucking forreal

We're a traumatized 14 year old fucking leave us alone

We handled it shittily because we're a mentally ill child.

But I have to say that they have given us their side in private and didn't know we were a kid, we have no hard feelings towards them and we wish them the best

I would like this whole situation be put to rest finally

Thanks for your two cents about this situation though (believe it or not we're being genuine)

[p5x-theories]

Y’know there’s a lot that seems missing from P5X. Like shadow negotiations don’t seem to be a thing, and baton passes got altered to only a preset attack, seemingly no critical weapon animations, accessories seem really different, and maybe no confidant skills

Right now it's a little tricky to say what's been cut from the betas because it wasn't done vs. what's actually cut from the game, but I definitely see where you're coming from.

I think at the very least, you're probably right about no shadow negotiations; I'm assuming since the gatcha gives you Personas, that's just replaced negotiations entirely. Which is sort of a shame, but does also feel a bit closer to P3 and P4's Shuffle Time by comparison, so I don't think it's as huge a loss as it could be?

Baton passes are a little trickier to say for certain, but I'm guessing you're probably correct about that one, too. That'd be another shame, since I really liked that mechanic in P5 (and even moreso the improvements it got in P5R)! Though, again, at least something that wasn't really a series gameplay staple, and the followup attack they function as in P5X is still kind of useful.

Critical hit animations I'd actually believe might just not be implemented yet. The Phantom Thieves didn't even have Highlight Attacks in the first beta, then they almost all were given one in the second beta, and we've just gotten evidence earlier today that at least one of the P5X characters who didn't have a Highlight Attack in the second beta has one now. So we know combat animations in general, at least, are definitely still in progress. Critical hit animations are sort of a weird thing to save for later, so it is still possible they've actually cut those, but it might not be too late?

Accessories... I have no idea on, honestly, haha. I haven't paid too much attention to them specifically, and now that you mention it, I'm not actually sure I've even seen them appear in P5X? I suppose P1 is the only mainline game without accessories, so it would be a bit odd not to have them, but I know strengthening teammates works more like... well, a gacha game, here, so I could imagine them potentially omitting accessories for game balance reasons or something. At the very least, them changing how accessories work wouldn't surprise me, if that's what you've noticed already?

Confidant skills are another weird one. Confidants just seem to generally be different here, so I suppose their bonuses might as well be, too? I think I remember catching that in the second beta, Kiyoshi's Confidant gave some kind of book (books?) as a reward for one of his rank-ups. Honestly no idea whether whatever's even going on there is a beta thing or a final game thing. At least there do seem to be some kind of rewards for ranking up with Confidants, even if it's not skills? It might be the skills are just more spaced out due to the additional ranks, too, I'm not sure.

All that to say... I do think there's a meaningful distinction to be made here between "missing" and "different", but at the same time, you're definitely correct that changes are being made. I'm trying to reserve judgement on them until I actually get to play the game myself; feel like I'm just going to be biased towards what I'm used to otherwise, heh.

[incarnateirony]

Genuinely funny that for all the jealous assholes and antis desperately wanting to argue with me while I was like Take It Or Leave It, I wake up to the Misha Jam from Billy in every inbox because like 30 people sent it to me.

like yeah yall I knew he was there. I don't say shit if I don't know it.

The best you'll get on inaccuracies from me are things that actively change in development. Projects can be cancelled, episode names or songs can change, authors on lists that were intended can be busy or decline. That's fair. That's a normal margin of error and tends to happen, like when I updated about Fran. Or the final episode name. Like. Whatever. Yeah.

But if I'm saying shit at all, it's either from a direct source that would make people piss their pants in denial that I have access to that source, or from a source that has proven themselves deadly accurate in the past that I'm aware has similar levels of connections, or something I've checked into among multiple pillars of data, since I explained my three pillar info system in the past. If it doesn't meet the criteria of the first two, it's that. It's something built off of a complex set of collected BTS data that's already been screened twenty times past contexts you guys don't even fucking comprehend.

It's time to start coping and realizing that being Important At Conventions, or even Rubber Stamp Hires or Coffeerunners, that trying to pay pass and social climb a serpentine ladder towards power through conventions simply doesn't work. And whenever fans get promoted, every single one of them thinks they're at the top of the mountain instantly, because they perceive themselves mounted above the fandom, but they lack the industry perspective or knowledge to understand they just got promoted to fail, that they're not at the top of the mountain, they're at the bottom of shit mountain now.

They never let that click. And yeah. They've always been angry I exist. Day one in this fandom, long before I was ripped into internal ITK chats, I came in with external information you guys had never seen before, and the con club tried to aggressively shake down anyone in my radius in DMs demanding to know what I know. I've historically run circles around the coffeerunners this fandom loves to appeal to, be that Mary Manchin or Superwiki.

If you climb conventions, your best information will be about Things Relevant To Conventions. And even then, M&Gs for example, if people lack proper context or project biases at it, you're STILL going to completely miss the mark. Because you guys don't get how creatives speak, nor do you care to learn.

It's time to start coping and realizing not every motherfucker that thinks they have an Idea, or an Excuse To Not Believe Something, has the right to argue their ignorance in my inbox. It's ignorance. Every time, it's ignorance. And every time, reality comes back around to clock them off their feet, while they're trying to find some loophole to trapdoor their way out of reality, and guys. t'won't work. It never works.

So I kindly request the pissed off con club start processing their own internal bullshit and entitlement at this point, because last night to this morning is yet another perfect example of why being some con kid doesn't mean you have the answers. Even if you're THUPER DUPER THPETHIAL like someone's handler.

If you knuckleheads learned how to collaborate, and stopped being flagrantly jealous I exist, we could probably be an unstoppable force with convention info helping expand on other contexts. But due to narcissistic refusal to understand there's other contexts, they've just walled themselves off into an echo chamber of data that is irrelevant alone.

[ddejavvu]

Hey there! First of all I adoreeee your work, honestly no one writes tasm Peter Parker and Miguel O'Hara like you do, just so so much talent c:

And now I'm curious about something elseee, more specifically your taste in kpop, bc I saw that your favorite groups were Svt, Ateez, and Monsta X (you said that some time ago which could totally mean that things changed) and so I wanted to know who are your biases, maybe your favorite albums of each group, and about anything that you'd like to share about your time and experience stanning them, I would love to know if you're comfortable sharing!!

hi love! i do believe you have me confused with someone else because i haven't written for tasm!peter in a very long time and i actually have never written for miguel! but i do like svt, mx, and ateez, and i'd love to tell you about my kpop experience <3

so as the seasons change and my hobbies and interests change as well i find myself listening to other genres of music, and right now kpop isn't my priority. i still enjoy it, i still listen to it sometimes, but it doesn't have my full and complete attention anymore. that being said, i definitely still care about the groups and idols that i stan, svt being my ult group and mx and ateez coming in just beneath them.

my svt biases are seungcheol, jeonghan, and minghao, (seungcheol ult <3), and it's honestly so hard for me to pick a favorite album of theirs, i'm tempted to go with the copout answer of 'all of them', but i think attacca holds a very special place in my heart. i think that h:g is also very special to me though, as well as teenage. i almost feel guilty saying that teenage is one of my favorites, because they've talked a lot about how the production of that album was very hard on them, and how many of them weren't in a great place, but it has so many wonderful songs on it that helped get me into them as a group. i will say that i felt a lot more connected to their fandom before attacca era and onward, but that's because i feel most comfortable in smaller spaces, and while they were by no means an unknown group back then, they have gained tremendous popularity as of late (so proud of them!!!!!!), and that makes it a little harder for me to fit into the fandom. that being said, i still adore them all, and they're a huge part of my life. my best friend introduced me to svt, and it strengthened our bond so much, because we were just getting to really know each other at the time, and we grew so so so close through their music and through them. their concerts are amazing experiences, they give us so much and they're so mesmerizingly talented at what they do. i've sobbed so hard at a seventeen concert that the girl next to me who i'd never met before reached over to hug me and tell me that it was going to be okay (but who can blame me, it was during thanks </333). i've been with my best friend to see seventeen four times, twice at kcon, and twice at their own concerts. we've also seen a number of their online streams, like caratland, and the power of love concert. i flew up to visit her during our first year of college to watch POL with her, and we stayed up in her little tiny dorm bed and tried not to wake her roommates with our freakouts :')) some of my favorite pictures of the two of us are at seventeen concerts flashing our caratbongs and holding onto each other. i will always associate them with her and the wonderful friendship i found in her, and i will forever be grateful to seventeen for bringing me closer to her.

ateez was a group that i got into pre-debut, and i think that's probably why they're so special to me, besides the fact that they're fantastic at what they do, of course. my bias is hongjoong, and i've cycled through pretty much all of the rest of them as bias wreckers, but if i had to choose now i think i would say mingi, jongho, or yunho. i just <3333 i love them all <3333 like i said before, i got into ateez predebut, and they debuted when i was still fairly new to kpop, so they were the first group i'd stanned before/during debut, and i got to watch them grow and develop which was so awesome :') i actually was there for skz's debut too but they just didn't catch me like ateez did! i love all of ateez's albums, but i can say with 100% confidence that answer is my favorite song of theirs. it was my most streamed song in 2019 (?)/2020, and every single time i hear the opening i get chills. i don't know why i've attached myself so wholly to that song but it's so incredibly special to me and if i had to choose one song to listen to for the rest of my life i think that'd be it. it is so raw and powerful and hauntingly beautiful in sound alone, and ateez always produces such wonderful lyrics on top of that. i've got their lightstick (which is gorgeous and one of my favorite things that i've ever owned), and i've seen ateez twice at two different kcons, but every time i've tried buying their concert tickets i'm not able to get them in time </33 one day !!!

monsta x !!!! i've liked monsta x for a really long time as well, i think i was introduced to them around the same time that i was introduced to svt, they just didn't stick the same way. my bias is hyungwon, and my wrecker was wonho. it feels unfair to say 'was' like i don't like him anymore or something, because that's quite the opposite. i love him, but as he's technically no longer a part of the group i'm not sure if i'm supposed to say 'is' or 'was'. whatever the answer is, i love wonho <3333 but if i had to choose another wrecker, one that's still officially under the group's name, i think i'd probably choose shownu. i love him, i love them all, i love monsta x <33333 i'm not attached to one of their albums more than any others, but i do have very fond memories of waiting up until 2AM with my best friend for We Are Here to drop. i typically don't like kpop groups' english releases as much as their typical discography, but their venture into english releases with an entire album and several beautiful singles captivated me and i thoroughly enjoy the way that they expanded their horizons. some of my favorite songs of theirs are entirely in english, i love middle of the night, i love love u, but above all i think my favorite song of theirs might be one day. it makes me tear up no matter how many times i've listened to it, it's just so delicately sad and sweet. on a completely different note, the opposite end of the spectrum, hero makes me feel like i've got a massive dick and balls. thank u monsta x for creating the banger of the century with that one. i tried getting tickets to monsta x concerts twice, and i couldn't :( but i did get to see them at kcon one year, which was absolutely awesome :') i have their lightstick but i didn't at the time that i saw them </33

[urban-witch101]

Hey let's rate the DGR2 formal outfits part 1

Hey look it's the sequel nobody asked for a year late-

Hajime

Oh look, a protagonist who isn't boring!

Hajime is easily my favorite protag. I love Makoto, but Hajime has some snark.

Matches his OG outfit pretty well, but honestly I think a tie would work better. He has one the whole game, and you're gonna tell me he gets a bow tie?

8/10, yes I'm biased.

Twogami

What is it with fat people in these games getting stuck with stripes?

I LOVE the coat.

I can't put my finger on why but they look so much more confident than Togami.

They look like they've got a semblance of their shit together while Togami is just such a coward-

9/10, very in character

Hiyoko

Itty bitty bitch baby

Look at her!

And it's clearly not her old outfit recolored, the hair and textures are all different!

It's pleasant to the eye.

9/10, she's adorable!

Mahiru

Words cannot describe how much I despise this outfit.

This outfit is artsy and cute and fun, but it's not her.

It's so tacky. Her original outfit was just kind of this light academia schoolgirl outfit. Like very photojournalist vibes. It was a little bland, but that was the point.

This is so much. It's like they were overcompensating so they put all the stereotypical art student outfit choices into one thing and it just. Isn't. Her.

0/10, I love Mahiru and they did her so dirty

Soda

This is almost just as bad as Mahiru.

The top half? Excellent. I don't like the color scheme and how it matches his work uniform but I can overlook that.

The slicked-back hair and spectacles? The patches, the tie, the suspenders??

Excellent. So in character.

And then we hit the ankles. WHY.

2/10, he's not even wearing socks.

Mikan

Am I fully aware that Mikan was made for fan service, and that applies to the anniversary? Yes. I don't care. I still hate this.

This is a semi formal celebration and you are in leather high thighs. Like if you got it then rock it but can Sexy Britney Spears Knock-Off stay home?

0/10, I'd be here for hours if I delved into every little thing wrong with this one.

Nekomaru

Why is nobody wearing socks

He's wearing skinny capris. You can see the muscle in his thighs and his fucking knees. Why.

I've never looked at a person and so clearly seen that they dressed themselves, and how they did it.

He's an athlete trainer/manager, he doesn't do formal shit. The most effort he put was probably deciding how much cleavage to go with lmao

6/10, he tried and I laughed.

Teruteru

Pfffft-

Okay okay. Hang on.

It's like if the Pillsbury dough boy was an aesthetic.

I want to like Teruteru, I really do, but his creepy behavior is not it.

That being said, this is something he would wear. I'm not sure if he's pulling it off.

What is that in the middle? A big-ass belt?? A waist trainer??? Help.

5/10, as disappointing as he is.

Part two coming out whenever I feel like it ✌️

[quarthly]

Twilight characters as random animals that I think are oddly fitting

(Also yes, I am roasting the animals as well)

Edward: He would be a Cheetah. Now I know, seems like a cop out just because of his speed but hear me out. Cheetahs are, at face value, pretty cool. They used to be my favorite animal as a child, but then I grew up.

Cheetahs, through no fault of their own, are severely inbred. Now thats mainly because of poaching, but the cheetas anxiety also comes into play. In captivity, cheetahs are usually given emotional support dogs. I will admit it is cute but it negatively affects the population. Excluding one in the wild, cheetas can be to anxious to breed and thats not good for conservation efforts.

Cheetahs can hit up to 80 miles per hour in a couple of seconds. They are designed for fast running and agility. Their claws are similar to that of a dogs for better traction and they have elongated spines for longer strides. They have a thin build, long legs and a long tail for balance.

This has downsides though. Many times after making a kill, it will get stolen for them by larger predators. Thats right, they get absolutely bodied by the other animals. I should probably make these shorter but I'm on a rant now, so I guess this will be semi educational.

Throughout the series, we see Edward over estimated his abilities and value, constantly getting bodied by others. He's essentially a perfect mormon, though thats on S'meyers. He constantly judges others, dehumanizing them to their baser flaws, without doing any self reflecting. Him viewing himself as a monster doesn't really count to me. While he definitely hates himself, the only thing he is truly demonizing is being a vampire.

Bella: Picking up from Edwards, Bella is a Chocolate Labrador. Yes, she is his therapy dog. I feel like this is really fitting for her. I know Golden retriever would make more sense, as thats the most common breed for service animals. However, I kind of focused on her appearance. Only at first though! I just know that Edward raved about her human qualities and that would pass over as animals as well. Her chocolate eyes and brown fur, very average and boring. Thats essentially Bella. Even Edward wasn't into her until he got a wiff. Labradors a very loyal dogs and while they have more personality than Bella, I just couldn't shake it. Their also very stupid. Ok that's kind of mean, they're not stupid but when it comes to love, then yeah they are stupid.

I used to have a lab, loved him to death, but god he was something else. Very much danger prone, from their own stupidity or their lack of survival instincts. I know that labs are almost aquatic. They love water, swimming, all that jazz. We can just say that bella has a few screws loose in her dna and is just "not like other labs."

Rosalie: Now she was hard. There are quite a few animals that I think would fit for her. I'll list the other ones, but that one I went with is the Swan. Like Edward, seems a little on the nose, but I have my reasoning.

I was going to pick a predator for her, as she is shown to be very vengeful and viscous. I would have pick some type of cat, most likely a purebred, from a rich family. It could still work, but the swan just speaks to me on this one.

Swan's are known for being beautiful, graceful, and are pictured as the symbol of love. They are also very vain. Edward constantly brings up Rosalies vanity. She was constantly valued for her beauty as a human, so of course that crossed over in the transformation. She was raised to be married into wealth, she was used as a bargaining chip to increase the family's standing.

Rose has a very strong character and makes her opinions known. She's assertive and aggressive at times. She's not afraid to get dirty.

Swans mate for life and like geese, are known for being great parents. I was also going to choose geese as an option for the maternal instincts. I was wary at first because swans can be really aggressive. Like actually, you think geece are bad? Yikes bestie...

I was conflicted because swans are known for drowning dogs and sometimes people. However, I can actually see Rose drowning Bella. It's not that unbelievable lmao.

Emmett: Now this one is just ironic. I only associate him with bears. Its inevitable, but picking a Grizzly or Black bear is too obvious. So I went a slightly different route...

So I was going to pick the Sun bear just because of looks alone. Like, I'm not exaggerating, it looks like someone wearing a bear costume. I don't think it fits him but I know for a fact that he would dress up as a sun bear and sneak into a zoo to see if anyone would notice. I'll put a pic of it here

Like look at this thing. I have no words...

Anyway, what I picked was a Sloth Bear. Now Sloth bears are mostly nocturnal, which either way works consider vamps don't sleep. Their diet is also odd but honestly so is the cullens. They're native to the Indian subcontinent, and are known for being aggressive towards humans. Its said that for the most part they're pretty calm, so I think its just fear of humans that make them act aggressively. Honestly, that's a good thing because they are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red list.

They have some similarities with sloths, which is where they get the name. They have long claws and unusual teeth. They are known to hang upside down from tree branches, and is described as having a messy appearance. Honestly, Emmitt has a messy personality. Sorry bestie but you're a lot of work.

Now heres the biggest reason for choosing this bear. Aside from Baloo from the jungle book being a sloth bear, they are known to run fades with Tigers. Honestly, how fucking badass is that!? Now I don't think there are recorded instances of a Sloth bear killing a Tiger, but when push comes to shove, they can hold their own and I find that incredibly impressive.

Carlisle: This one was somehow the easiest as well as the toughest. I know Owl seems like the obvious choice, and I can see it. However, I believe Carlisle values emotional intelligence as much or if not more than academic intelligence. He is so charismatic and values other's above himself. He might not be as Saint like as Edward thinks, but he does try and I think he genuinely cares about others. For that reason alone, I choose a Elephant.

Elephant's are very social animals and are extremely intelligent. I could rave about them for ages, I love them so much.

Now elephants live in a familial unit and are usually matriarchal. Bulls usually are on the outer edges of the herd or form little groups with other males. Honestly, they're not that bad aside from when their in musk.

In the group of males, the elder ones will teach the younger where to get the best food, water, how to use things as tools, and every other thing that will increase their odds of survival. This is really cute to me tbh, they do this because the females usually choose the older males because they've proved that they are intelligent and strong, that they have survived and will continue to for awhile. Teaching the younger males these things are to make the odds of them getting chosen to mate more likely. The whole unit just reminds me of a father that has to deal with rowdy teens.

Carlisle likes to take in strays, he might not have a herd but he will make one and teach them to thrive. That's how he envisions it anyway. He just has a found family and is trying his best.

Esme: Now this might seem like an insult, but I promise it's not! This is in no way misogynistic. I love cattle and ever since I took animal science in highschool, I have appreciated these grass puppies like they deserve. Call me Castro because I love cows.

Yup! I chose a Cow for her. Specifically a beef cow. That might sound weird but its because beef cows have higher maternal instinct than dairy cows. I'm thinking Scottish Highland based on vibes alone.

They are nicknamed the Gentle Giants of Scotland. Super maternal and sweet and ugh look how cute they are!

Esme came from a abusive marriage and had just lost her child, she was depressed and desperate. Her changing was, in a way, salvation. She just fits in. She adopts all these strays along with him and will protect them to the death. She might be gentle by nature, but don't fuck with her family. She lost her first one and she isn't going to lose this one.

Alice: She's an odd one. There are so many possibilities and maybe I'm biased, but I feel like she would be a Crow.

Ok listen, I'm definitely biased but it just feels right. Crows get a bad rap, they are so cool! They are so intelligent and have the ability to actually sit and think about the past, prest, and future. I forget what its called, but this was only seem in humans! Maybe other apes, I can't remember exactly, but either way its awesome. They do live in groups, or murders, and remember people and faces. They remember locations and are able to pass down information through generations. They essentially have their own language! They are able to use tools too!

Alice's story is really sad. When we first meets her, it revolves around the death of her mother and her institutionalized. She was essentially tortured and forgot everything from her past. All she had was the future and even that wasn't constant. Crows a often viewed as omens, they are associated with death. I personally believe that instead of being the cause, they just know something is going to happen. They are very inquisitive and can be creative.

If you befriend a murder of crows, sometimes, depends or the group, they will bring gifts. Its can range from food to shiny metals and colorful plastic. Hell, I think I've seen a post of one stealing things from people just to gift it to their human.

Alice's love language is gifts. Even if they are focused around fashion, she still goes out of her way to get something that will look good and at least be a little comfortable. By that I mean she tends to forget peoples comfort zones, but she means well.

Jasper: Honestly not to sure what to put for him. I know a predator would be more fitting, but for some reason I can see a donkey working. I know, seems like I'm clowning on the confederate. Fair, but I'm serious about the donkey thing. Honestly, it would be perfect if it wasn't a herbivore. Porcupine would also work.

Being a predator would make more sense. Given his backstory and his characterization, it wouldn't make sense for him to be a prey animal. Usually I wouldn't count this, but given his gore filled past and trouble with the diet, it seemed fitting.

I see him as a Big Cat. Honestly, vamps in general just give cat vibes. Jasper though especially have some cat like qualities, which originates from hunting and being a soldier.

I specifically see him as a Mountain Lion. Aside from him being blonde, he just has the predatory stealth to him. In midnight sun, we see him use his gift to make the nomads overlook him. He's honestly really powerful.

Mountain lions are known for being stealthy with an air of grace and power to them. They are stong animals. And I mean strong. They can jump 40-45 feet.

They're very elusive and quite. They stalk their prey and tend to attack from behind but don't think they won't hold their ground if need be.

Jasper was changed during the Civil War and forced to fight in the Newborn wars. He was a soldier as a human and as a vampire. He's able to feel and manipulate others emotions. He's covered in scars and is very intimidating.

He still struggles with the diet and honestly I hate how the others handle it. Like they have no room to talk. I don't want to defend the confederate but it just pisses me off. He has to deal with his hunger on top of everyone else's. Like damn, besties always on edge! Everyone doubts him which I don't think helps any.

Also, Mountain lions and Cheetahs can purr!

@aquanova99 I'll do a Volturi one too. That one will be fun lmao

[coldgoldlazarus]

(This was written stream-of-consciousness on no sleep, so sorry if it's a bit disjointed and not the most coherent argument, I'll probably revisit it once I've had a nap or something)

Among all the various criticisms of RWBY that I see sometimes, one of the ones I'm most bewildered by is the whole "The characters are making mistakes, being hypocrites, and acting on their emotions, it's bad writing!" argument. Maybe it's just me, but that's one of the things I've really liked about the recent volumes.

--- Disclaimer Tangent ---

Don't get me wrong, RWBY absolutely has its problems. Character arcs have this weird habit of being implied more than actually shown; Weiss unlearning her prejudices is spotty at best, (we see the start point in V1 and the more-or-less endpoint in early V7, but only a few steps along the way and very little of the actual process of it happening) and Oscar got similarly shafted with a lot of his growing moments happening offscreen unless someone else was present. (It's gotten better at least, but it's still not great) Like, it does mean there's a fair amount that can be inferred from reading into it yourself, but there's a point where that becomes a hindrance rather than a good thing, and RWBY kinda wanders back and forth all over that line as it goes on. And of course the whole Faunus racism problem, which while I think it's still possible to fix things and do better with it in the future, in it's current form is... Not Great, to say the least. Even if I don't think the writers have malicious intent, there's definitely their own subconscious biases and White Liberal™ understanding of the issue that's caused a lot of problems, and I can only hope that the IRL events of this past year might have shifted their views somewhat.

But I digress.

--- Tangent End ---

The whole criticism of the characters making bad decisions with negative consequences is really confusing to me, when a lot of the ACTUAL ON-SCREEN development we've seen lately has been centered around that. You don't have to read extensively between the lines to still get a sense of where the characters are coming from and what their motivations and experiences are behind a lot of their current decisions, no matter how good or bad the decision itself is.

I loved how Volume 7 had Ruby making the exact same choice she was criticizing Ozpin for in V6, because I could clearly see why she was making it now, and also enjoy the possibility for growth and perspective it may offer her, now that everything's blown up in her face the same way it did for him even though it was still the best and most reasonable choice to make in the moment.

Similarly, Clover's stupidity and then Qrow's response didn't bother me, because it was completely consistent with how they've been characterized so far. Clover was literally introduced doing a Lawful Dumb thing, and he hasn't had the experiences with Tyrian that the protagonists and audiences have, so underestimating him to focus on being Lawful Dumb makes sense. Similarly, people like to act like Qrow's recent growth also precludes him from acting the way he did, but he was literally just beginning to even attempt to untie the self-feeding gordian knot of his depression and self-loathing and who knows what else - giving up alcohol isn't going to fix him overnight, and a lifetime of nilhism isn't going to be solved by just a month or so of kindness from some mildly handsome stranger.

(I'm not going to get into the ship issue, aside from saying that I personally didn't care much about Clover outside of what he could and still can do for Qrow, but I also do feel bad for MLMs who felt shafted by the whole thing. Due to how recently I caught up I only have the show itself to go off of, but I heard the official marketing and social media machine was really pushing the ship, which was definitely not a wise move.)

And aside from that, the general vibe of it just rubs me the wrong way. "How dare the characters act on their emotions in an emotionally stressful situation, instead of being logical at all times? They're only written as making Bad Decisions to forward the plot!" Seems to be what I'm hearing every time, and it just makes me want to bash my head against a wall. Sure, there's cases in all sorts of stories where characters act weird and inconsistent and irrational just to make things turn out a certain way, (Game of Thrones, looking at you) but for the most part in RWBY these moments of irrationality or hypocrisy are motivated, consistent, and framed well within the narrative. Ruby emulating Ozpin's decisions is treated both as a questionable choice that will (and does) have dire consequences later down the line, and also a completely sensible one given everything they'd witnessed and the gaps remaining in their knowledge. I don't know about you, but I appreciate the bit of nuance in that, and how the consequences are being explored, and I feel bemused that even that bit of unsubtle 'depth' seems to throw so many people off. Again, in theory I understand the criticism that out-of-character stupidity for the sake of cheap drama would suck, but that's really not what I'm seeing here. I love that the show is exploring these sorts of situations where there is no Objectively Correct answer to the problem at hand, and allowing RWBY (the team, not the series) to make mistakes or have to deal with the bad results of even a good option. It's also led to a thematically richer plotline for the current arc, and I can only hope that marriage of narrative, nuance, and meaning will carry forward into Volume 9 and beyond, no matter how smooth or messy you may feel it's executed.

At the risk of hyperbole, it feels like the people making this brand of criticism are expecting or wanting a much more straightforward conflict with no moral struggle at all, where the characters always make the most logical and informed conclusions and never have a conflict between themselves. And frankly, that just sounds boring, and it's definitely not the kind of story RWBY is trying to be.

TLDR: People make bad decisions all the time in daily life, (like me posting this lol) I don't understand why characters doing it in a story when they have every reason to is somehow "bad writing", when to me it's a sign of the show's growth.

Super TLDR: It's a feature, not a bug.