#this talk is about a beautiful book called the religious sense

[songpasserine]

We need a total response that comprehends and saves the entire horizon of the self and our existence. We possess within us a yearning for the infinite, an infinite sadness, a nostalgia – the nostos algos (home sickness) of Odysseus – which is satisfied only by an equally infinite response.

The human heart proves to be the sign of a Mystery, that is, of something or someone who is an infinite response. Outside the Mystery, the needs for happiness, love, and justice never meet a response that fully satisfies the human heart. Life would be an absurd desire if this response did not exist.

Not only does the human heart present itself as a sign, but so does all of reality. The sign is something concrete, it points in a direction, it indicates something that can be seen, that reveals a meaning, that can be experienced, but that refers to another reality that cannot be seen; otherwise, the sign would be meaningless.

On the other hand, to interrogate oneself in the face of these signs, one needs an extremely human capacity, the first one we have as men and women: wonder, the capacity to be amazed, as Giussani calls it, in the last analysis, a child’s heart. The beginning of every philosophy is wonder, and only wonder leads to knowledge…

If wonder opens me up as a question, the only response is the encounter, and only with the encounter is my thirst quenched. And with nothing else is it quenched more.

— Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis), 1998

[gayerthanevertbh]

mommy’s little girl

pairings: older!natasha romanoff x innocent!reader

warnings: huge age gap, masturbation, slightly dark!natasha, dirty talking (heavily implied), mommy kink, and praise. 18+ MINORS DNI

notes: mommy natasha who’s also a big bear and i just want to post my fantasies lol enjoy x

masterlist | navigation | kinktober masterlist

“Sweetheart, please turn off your computer. You have school tomorrow.”

I sighed, putting away my book as I turned off my computer with a small smile on my face; showing that I wasn’t ready to go to bed. I recently turned eighteen this month, and I hoped that I’d have a bit of my freedom but that was no longer the case when it comes to my parents. I live in a conservative, religious, and highly respected home. Having a boyfriend or a girlfriend would never be a faith of mine; most certainly having the life that I truly want that isn’t even that stupid. Just a bit of my freedom would be appreciated.

“Mom?”

“What’s wrong, baby?”

I hesitated, but I knew it must be said. I took a deep breath and whispered, “When will I ever leave the house? Like… explore?”

She sighed through her nose and I could immediately tell that she was not having this mere conversation. Every week, I’d ask her about this. And she would ignore or find another topic to talk about so that we would forget about it. But there was no escaping this time; surely, she cannot escape this conversation.

“When you’re ready, Y/n.”

I only nodded and felt her lip kissing the crown of my head and turned off the lights in my room; I felt my own heart grow heavy and lay comfortably on the mattress where I think about another reality. Where I’m happy. When will I ever be satisfied? When will I get to have a life of my own?

Then, I grabbed my phone under my bed and began to download this app that my friend told me, it’s where you chat with strangers. Like Omegle. But she said that this app was different, you get to call and meet them – which is a little strange, but I don’t mind. It was hard to make a profile picture since I don’t take photos of myself; so I chose a photo of me that was almost a year ago and used it instead. I gave it a few minutes and saw an account trying to add me, making my heart beat a little.

At least from an online world, someone could appreciate me.

I clicked on their profile and I almost squirmed underneath the blanket. This woman was a beautiful-looking redhead. She had her hair short, her lips matching the shirt that she was wearing. Pink; is a great color. I smiled when I read her bio, it says: I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, And Mourners to and fro Kept treading – treading – till it seemed That Sense was breaking through – which I understood immediately. It’s a poem by Emily Dickinson, making my heart swell with joy. Finally, someone like me. Someone that I could relate to.

I decided to add them back and waited for their text; I rested my phone against my chest.

I felt my phone buzzing, I immediately threw myself up.

Natasha: Hi! :)

At this point, I didn’t know how to respond. I could do two things; ghost her, or don’t ghost her and face the person who is texting you right now. I chewed on my lower lip, watching the clock tick at its new number whether I should respond to her or not. I know I should, it would be rude enough not to say a simple hello. I began typing quickly and sent my message.

You: Hiiii! I’m surprised you texted me.

Natasha: I saw you here and I immediately had to add you. You’re really pretty, so so pretty.

You: you’re making me blush. thank you, fellow kind ma’am. :)

Natasha: how old are you? You seem extremely young.

I put my phone down and thought intensely if I should give her my age. If she knew I recently turned eighteen, she might block me and never speak to me again. And if she doesn’t talk to me again, that means I can’t have a friend. But being honest is also a good trait when it comes to these things; I have to tell her or else I’ll just keep pushing her away.

I sighed, sending the message of my age.

You: I’m eighteen. I hope you don’t mind.

Natasha: no, not at all! You’re so cute.

You: you’re giving me too many compliments, I can’t take it :(

Natasha: well, if we are going to be friends, you might expect me to tell you these things. Where are you from?

You: Queens!

Natasha: Really?! I’m from Queens too! Well, I just moved here recently. Business stuff.

You: how old are you then?

She’s probably twice as old as me, which makes me a little sad. If she was my age and I was allowed to have a girlfriend; she would be the perfect fit. Even though I only met this person not even an hour ago. It took her a while to respond, but she did and it made my heart drop.

Natasha: 38. Are you okay with that?

You: you’re the same age as my parents.

Natasha: I’m sorry, cutie. If you want, we could stop talking. I understand if you don’t want to talk to me anymore :( but I’ll be very sad…

I don’t want to break her heart, I thought with a sigh through my nose. She must be so kind.

She’s probably the kindest person I’ve ever had a conversation with; I decided to keep going, which made me create a smile on my face like a stupid little girl.

You: I want us to keep talking, don’t go!

Natasha: Okay. We will keep talking then. :)

You: why are you in this app?

Natasha: Because I’m going through a really tough time and I wanted some company… hehehe.

Usually, whenever my friends would talk about guys online, they immediately want to have sex. They tell me it’s a turn-off, especially when the conversation is smooth and delicate until shit has been replaced. I haven’t experienced it myself, and I most likely wouldn’t want to experience it. So I decided to type my thoughts, getting a reply from her before a minute.

You: is sex your catch?

Natasha: you made me laugh, on a fond matter. No, sweet girl, that’s not my catch. I just want to make some friends, can’t I do that? :(

You: of course, you can! I was a little scared that you would want sex with me.

Natasha: sweetheart, I wouldn’t. We haven’t built a relationship, hahaha. Isn’t it late for you? Pretty little girls like you need their sleep. :D

You: you’re a flirt, aren’t you?

Natasha: It’s in me, I can’t help it. Plus, you’re not a minor. You won’t report me to the police, right?

You: what would be the reason for that?

Natasha: I don’t know, it seems like you would. :( Wouldn’t that be juicy?

You: I think I’ll go to bed :)

Natasha: lol. Okay, sweetheart. Get some rest, let’s keep talking tomorrow, okay? Goodnight. :)

You: Night!!

I brought my phone back under my bed and closed my eyes, as I think about the night that I made a friend. It’s a swelling feeling, a good swelling feeling. She was beautiful – too ethereal – and was the sweetest person I’ve talked to, even though she’s a big flirt. Though, that didn’t seem to mind me at all. If I would let her stay by flirting with me like that, then I wouldn’t care. I’d let her flirt all day long until I was bored.

I slept humbly like a babe.

Natasha and I began to have a strong bond a few weeks later, which caused a ruckus in the house since I’ve been on my phone too much. My mother, who’s too strict in everything, demands to have my phone and I would simply give her by not worrying (Natasha taught me how to hide our chats, which I’m grateful for) and she would give it to me back with a defeated face – knowing that I’ve won the fight. I would tell Natasha that her plan had worked and she would give me a response that sounded too flirty but also supportive at the same time.

And there was this gnawing feeling inside of me that wanted to roar out. Sometimes, when I’m in bed, I can’t help but think about her lips on mine. Would we be a great couple? Does she see me as her daughter? She’s older than me, she’s smarter than me, and I feel so young and innocent having someone to talk to someone so… mature. I know deep inside of me that she probably is a good kisser and would touch me delicately; but I also want to experience that and not with my dreams.

I was having a small conversation with her while doing my homework, laughing and giggling whenever she would imitate Mickey Mouse from my favorite TV show in the world.

“Natty, you sound exactly like him.”

“I try,” she laughs faintly, hearing herself flop on her bed. “Too bad I can’t see your face. I would be thrilled and blushing if I did.”

“Yeah,” I sighed, knowing that we wouldn’t able to have a video call. “This app is stupid anyway, I wish I could text you properly.”

“When you have your own life, then you will. For now, this is what we have to work with, m’kay?”

“M’kay.”

“God, you sound so cute. I wish I could kiss your cute face.”

My face flushed, and I immediately stopped writing down in my notebook as I repeated the words she had said in my head. A woman like her wants to kiss me. It felt surreal; different. Yet, it’s a great feeling that I cannot describe whatsoever. I gulped and responded quietly under my breath, “What does that mean, Nat?”

“Would you be angry if I asked you to call me your Mommy?”

“H-Huh?” my breath hitched; I could hear her groaning from the speaker of my phone, and I had to ball my hand into a fist so that I don’t let out a suppressing moan that my mom could hear behind my door. “Nat, what are you talking about?”

“I think about you all the time,” she whimpers with a deep voice. “You’re my sweet little girl, my pure innocent girl. That fuckin’ turns me on so much, you make me so wet.”

“T-Tasha…”

“You want me to keep talking, baby? Yeah? Fuck, I’m touching myself right now. Mmph, call me Mommy. Please, baby, call me Mommy.”

“My parents could hear me if I say that,” I whispered close to the speaker, closing my eyes as I imagined her hands underneath her panties. She must be so insatiable, which I find attractive. I took a breath and whispered close, moaning: “Mommy.”

She groans as I can hear squelching sounds from the background. “Fuck! O-Oh god, you make me so horny. You don’t know what I can do to you, little girl. I can fucking lick you like I’m hungry for you, I can fuck you so hard that you might beg for help. Oh, I’d love to hear you beg, fuck baby fuck.”

“Are you–”

“I think you’ll love my cock much more, don’t you think? Please, baby, let me see you soon. I want to lick you, I want to kiss you so much. I love you, I love your little body. God–I know you’d be so little, and your pretty pussy must be so tight.”

“Keep talking to me, Mommy,” I whispered with a whining moan as I slipped my fingers into my underwear to touch my clitoris, shutting my eyes tight; not having an idea what to do next. “M-Mommy, I’m touching myself…”

“S-Shit, you have no idea what you’re doing, huh?”

“Mhm,” I continued to rub my clit, biting my lower lip to keep quiet. “I can’t be loud, they could hear me.”

“Imagine me going to your room as your parents are downstairs, thinking about their daughter being so innocent. I’ll take your virginity, I’ll keep you quiet. Do you think about me kissing your lips? Baby, talk to me. I need to hear you.” Natasha thrusts her fingers into her rapidly, as she thinks about the naughtiest imaginations about fucking me in her head. The things I could do for her.

“I-I can’t be loud,” I rest my forehead against my desk and continued to rub my clit in circular motions, counting how many times I should do it in my head. I heard her groaning from my speaker and heard something, but I couldn’t figure it out. “Mommy, I feel so icky…”

“Mommy wants to help you out so bad,” she whines as she creates a rapid pace into her cunt. “I love you, my little girl. Keep it down for me, sweetheart… I’m going to cum soon. I wish I could cum in your mouth.”

“My mouth?–Oh god–”

“I wish I could fuck you in the ass, I wish I could taste you. Mommy’s cumming baby… yeah, I’m–Oh SHIT!” she lets out a strangled moan and arches her back, whimpering and whining out my name multiple times as she has the orgasm that she wished would last forever; it felt too good for her, especially when she thought of her strap-on inside of my little pussy, as she says.

I pulled my hand out and wiped it on a paper towel near me, I waited for her to calm down before hearing her say: “We have to meet, okay baby girl? I really want to see your face.”

“I want to see your face too, Tasha bear.”

She chuckles deeply as I hear a ruffling sound that was coming from her sheets, I was guessing that she was changing or getting herself comfortable; the sound lasted for a minute. When silence hit us both, I realized that I was about to fall in love with an older woman. And I wished that she felt the same way; otherwise, it would be embarrassing enough to have feelings for someone else who wouldn’t give them back to you.

But she has said I love you to me multiple times; she must love me then, right?

“I’m your bear, alright.”

“You’ll always be my bear.” I responded shyly, tucking a strand of my hair in my ear. I hear another chuckle again that churns my stomach; she really has that effect on me that I don’t understand.

“I want us to meet at the Avengers Cafe, can we? Please?”

“But what if my parents find out?”

“They won’t,” she reassures desperately. “I love you, I want to see you. I promise I’m not a pervert.”

It took me a while to respond, and I could tell that she was losing hope. I knew immensely that Natasha wasn't a pervert nor a threat; it was more of how will I survive when my parents know about her? Especially when I live in such a conservative home, it's really damn hard. But I knew, deep inside, that it was worth it. Meeting the possible love of my life would be the greatest challenge I'll ever do.

I decided to give in and nodded, smiling through the phone.

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Let’s meet then.”

“Good,” she sighs happily and closes her eyes; her hand still in her panties. “Tomorrow sounds good?”

“Yeah, it does.”

“Goodnight, my dearest.”

i’m serious. should i post part two where natasha fucks reader in her innocent bedroom? ooooo

[nightcolorz]

loveee the armand music discussions i feel the need to talk about some of my most armand songs of all time (no mitski this time as we’ve already discussed that ^^)

- notre dame by Paris Paloma (literally any paris paloma song tbh esp the fruits and labour but notre dame isn’t appreciated nearly enough) Very very religious guilt armand, angel symbolism heavy, also very cult era armand in paris. I would put lyrics here but oh its the whole song. its the entire song.

- Abstract (Psychopomp) by Hozier. again impossible to put specific lyrics but the song being about painful memories, getting past traumas with new loves, and heavy symbolism of a hurt animal in the road and the singer feeling kinship with it is just so SO armand imo its impossible to explain. i always think of a deer being the “poor thing in the road” in the song though it is left to interpretation, and armand’s doe eyes very much come to mind with that.

- Spellbound by Siouxsie and the Banshees (Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance, we are entranced, spellbound) Both these lyrics and the intense sound of the song bring to mind Armand’s heavy use of and skill with the spell gift, especially in TVL (for books) and s2ep5 (the show) You do feel entranced by his spells even if you don’t realise it and this song captures it perfectly (also i think S&TB are very armand overall so honourable mentions to Cities in Dust, Arabian Knights and Melt which are all sooo armand as well i just didn’t want to make this so Siouxsie-centric)

- Devils Don’t Fly by Natalia Kills (Angels were never meant to fall, and you were the loveliest of all) This song reminds me so much of 2018 YouTube but oh the lyrics are so very armand. Always called an angel, even referred to it as shorthand, but so torn religiously that he could never be holy, never be more than a demon with what he is and has been through. But being made so young and so beautiful, its very fallen angel of him.

- speaking of angels, Not Strong Enough by boygenuis (Always an angel, never a God, I don’t know why I am the way I am) I don’t feel like i need to explain this one it just Is

- Teen Idle by Marina (I want back my virginity so I can feel infinity, I want to drink until I ache, I want to make a big mistake, I want blood guts and angel cake) & (Adolescence didn’t make sense, a little loss of innocence, the ugly years of being a fool, ain’t youth meant to be beautiful?) Just something about Armand finding his worth through his beauty and physical desire, not to mention the utter horror of having to be a teenager forever, seen as that same sort of obscene beauty forever. The line about drinking and making mistakes feels very Venice-era as well, with Amadeo’s main coping mechanisms being getting blackout drunk on the daily and sleeping with people he knows he shouldn’t because he doesn’t feel like he’s good for anything else or even able to do anything else (which of course also leads to his death eventually)

- Jolene by Dolly Parton (Your beauty is beyond compare, with flaming locks of auburn hair) Definitely sillier but reminds me a lot about how people in the books (especially lestat) wax poetic about how beautiful Armand is and fear it somewhat in a mix of jealousy and insecurity.

- Dominion / Mother Russia by Sisters of Mercy. this one is much more vibe based that lyrical but there is the detail of armand being described as russian in the books and also the lyrics being very repetitive and prayer like (as well as the ‘some say prayers’ line) very much remind me of his repetitive prayers both when young and in the cult

- Swan Upon Leda by Hozier (One more sweet boy to be butchered by men, But the gateway to the world is still outside the reach of them, Would never belong to angels, Had never belonged to men) This song is overall about sexual violence and reproductive rights, but these lyrics deeply remind me of Amadeo’s abuse as a child and young man, and of men feeling a right to him and his body because they found him beautiful, angelic.

I have about a million more but I won’t go on too much. Hope you like my choices and give them a listen if you’re unfamiliar with any (to anyone reading this <3)

AHHHHHHH THANK U FOR THIS IM OBSESSED!!!! GONNA ADD THE ONES THAT ARENT ALREADY ON MY PLAYLIST RNN!!! (I already have got not strong enough, Jolene, devils don’t fly, teen idle, and Notre Dame, we r the same person). U get Armand like no one else mutual kittenbradensgf. Devils don’t fly made me laugh because it’s also on my Armand playlist because 2018 AMV YouTube songs r always so Armand to me 😭 !!! Ur so right the lyrics r so him. angel of darkness is on mine and I can’t stay it’s entirely ironic, lmao. Ugh this is my favorite I’m gonna run in a room and listen to these forever, ur analysis is so good

[chatsukimi]

Types of people as friends of mine

*when you can’t help but appreciate the people in your life

Romantic: bubbly laugh with crying eyes, childish jokes, spontaneous, shy, anime + manga list on post it note, hopeless romantic, indecision, short attention span, funny, curly hair, beautiful-oblivious, dark circles under eyes from sleepless nights, inferiority complex, doodles, follows rules by authority, nice, childhood crush’s sunflowers on drawer

Cynic: witty, warm hands, loyal fists, courageous, family over everything, secrets + facts, strong gaze, pencil scribbles on table, wrestling a sibling, cucumbers, competitive, computer games in class, sunlight, touches (aggressive and gentle), mothering, dependent and independent, middle child, joking gaslighting, uncommon common sense, unbelievable life stories, religious, competitive, caring, inappropriate jokes at inappropriate times, middle fingers at one’s enemies, bass beat of a club

Pessimist: dyed blue-black hair, alternative, black eyeliner, 50000 tabs open, murmurs, Six of Crows, morse code on revision sheet, silence, round glasses, stuttering laugh, mystery novels, K-drama, “mysterious”, burnt out gifted only child, introverted, drapes pride flag as a cape, pining for childhood heroes, leather jackets, fresh smell of books, fireplace, apathetic face, shares a brain cell with the romantic

Realist: golf on Sundays, maths equations, pushover, bathroom science experiments, critical, parental expectation, wine events, stubborn, slow words, slouching to hear others, gifted kid, jealousy, reliable, cursive text, sheltered, scathingly sarcastic, explanations to friends about school, hard working, overthinking

Absurdist: charismatic, midnight gym sessions, mimics friends’ movements, trespasses, calls of their name, independent, everyone likes them, knowing smiles, pull ups on a goal post, black cat, nights off the face of the earth, intellectual what-ifs, playful eyes (long periods of eye contact), chill, “that’s fine”, peaceful, coffee coffee coffee, dreams, doing before thinking, thrill-seeking, logical, music tastes reloading, direct, brave, reckless

Optimist: messy handwriting, cold hands, expensive coats handed down from family, intuitive phrases, distant, empty smiles, raised eyebrow, talking with strangers, flares of genius, will one day change the world, wandering into unmapped countryside, early mornings, passionate arguments on politics, leader, odd, emotion felt through piano, hopping on the spot, open-minded, ambitious, forgetful, sleeps in class, visionary, confident, “intelligent but insane”

Deontologist- smile of a little kid, teacher’s pet, anxious when imperfect, chocolate gelato at family movie nights, polite, golden retriever, righteous anger, serious gaze, baritone, supportive parents, fair but vindictive, polyglot, musicals, lover not a fighter, simple life, hidden past (turned success story), Mediterranean beaches, commitment, accepting, holds open doors, gifts from Europe, worried for optimist's happy-go-lucky attitude

[i-cant-sing]

OMG OTTOMANS MEANT Οθωμανοί! WTF I WSS READING THE WHOLE THING AND I WAS SO VONFUSED NC OH WELL THEY SOUND LIKE QUITE THE NATION BUT WHY CANT I RECOGNIZE THEM

Also I adored pt 8 , and it was so SO good

I am not familiar with Islam so the names and some of the things you talk about confuse me a bit , but google knows everything so I did some research

This has nothing to do with the story , but interesting fact: I live in greece so the ottomans are considered ' enemies ' or some shit, and you can really notice that though our history and religious books in school

Like everything is so against the religion and the nation it's stupid

I remember reading about Islam on our theology book and it was something from the koranio(I can't remember how it's called in English , but that's how we call it in greece) (I do not remember it exactly and it might not be a real translation so yeah)

The point of the two sentences that were given with no subtext were that Allah was promoting defending the Islam even with blood or something

And I specifically remember our teacher going on and on about how many deaths have been cause due to Islam (as if christians are any better). And I just stood up and told her that it is not Allah who did those things but the people who misinterpreted the book

Side note im not muslim , but I am very attracted to the religion and wanted to start some research about it and all . I dont know why but I have always felt a strange attraction to it and I wanna pursuit more

"And I just stood up and told her that it is not Allah who did those things but the people who misinterpreted the book" you get it nonnie! Smart cookie! i completely forgot about the whole greeks vs ottomans and then i remember hearing they had animosity and i was like??? because i thought they shared all the beauty and attarctive appearances of the whole world so it wouldnt make sense for them to fight? but like yes- at least from my skimmed articles, the way ottomans treated greeks was very un-islamic. all of yall have to remember that it is strictly FORBIDDEN in islam to force someone to convert.

u should definitely do some research, religion and history are always so interesting. i think i got into history due to my interest in Greek mythology (lol i played Hermes in a school activity) and i was EATING it up. It was sooooo fun to learn about all these immortals being so chaotic😭

[vintage-bentley]

How in the fuck are you going to be anti trans and a Good Omens fan as if both the book and the show don’t explicitly establish the existence of several nonbinary characters and both Aziraphale and Crowley themselves are genderless beings

Not to mention both David and Michael’s staunch support of the LGBT (really emphasizing the T here, since you love to drop it) community as a whole, and David literally has a trans child

Part of me is even asking this in good faith because how do you see a series that is so incredibly queer and like it considering how much you shit-talk trans people on your lackluster TERF blog

There’s many reasons, actually! I’ll explain them in good faith, because I think that people who ask questions like this don’t understand the perspective of so-called “terfs” and assume we think like you do.

Firstly, I’m a feminist, so I’m used to media not aligning with my politics. I expect it, actually. Down to very simple things, like knowing I’m never going to go into a show and see a woman just existing with body hair like men do in shows all the time. But I’m comfortable and confident enough in my beliefs that I can consume media that doesn’t align with them. This extends to my feelings regarding gender. A they/them character doesn’t make my head explode, it’s just the same for me as seeing a Christian character (like Ella from Netlix’s Lucifer) or a female character who’s pro-beauty culture (like Elinor from First Kill). It’s a representation of a belief I don’t agree with and personally don’t believe in, that’s all.

Secondly, Good Omens is set in a made up universe with fantasy themes. I can easily get behind the idea that the true forms of angels and demons are genderless, because that makes sense to me in the same way God being genderless makes sense to me. This doesn’t have to carry over to me believing that humans can be genderless (I don’t believe in the concept of internal gender identity, because I don’t believe in souls. So I guess the better way to put this is that I don’t believe humans can be sexless unless we’re using gender and sex as synonyms). In the same way that it makes sense to me that angels and demons have souls that are put into bodies issued to them…but I don’t have to believe that also applies to humans. Or how it makes sense to me that Aziraphale and Crowley could survive without food, water, and sleep…but I don’t have to believe that also applies to humans. Etc. etc.

Basically, just because something is in a fantasy show, doesn’t mean I have to believe it’s real.

Thirdly, what the actors do in their own lives is none of my business. I don’t agree with supporting the TQ+ especially in relation to LGB (considering they’ve made it a primary goal to harass lesbians into pretending we can like penis, and to take every chance they get to express their hatred for homosexuality. I love to drop the T because they dropped me and my fellow homosexuals years ago). If two straight male actors want to do that, whatever. I also don’t agree with Sheen having a baby with a woman his daughter’s age, but that hasn’t stopped me from watching the show or appreciating his talent.

This all takes me back to what I said about believing you don’t truly understand the perspective of those you call “terfs”. Just because you might not be able to comprehend watching and enjoying something that doesn’t perfectly align with your worldview, doesn’t mean others feel the same. For example, many radical and rad-leaning feminists enjoyed the Barbie movie, despite it not being radical feminist. We’re capable of watching and enjoying things we don’t agree with, and of having discussions about why we don’t agree with it.

A much simpler answer to your question would be: I’ve always loved angels and demons and all things supernatural. I’ve always loved old cars. I love Queen. Religious/moral commentary and critique interest me. I love lighthearted comedies. I’m gay and starved for representation of healthy gay relationships. I love gay star-crossed lovers stories (go watch First Kill). Naturally, I’m going to love Good Omens, even if it doesn’t perfectly align with my worldview.

[hubristicassholefight]

Swordswoman Showdown Round 3

(Better here in a "preferred character" sense, not "who would win in a fight")

Propaganda below cut

Brienne

gets gifted a sword made with the rarest metal ever because she’s THAT good; she’s simply the best

Brienne is one of the top sword users alive in her day. She's descended from a man who's catchphrase was "I'm better with a sword." Better than what? You. Jaime Lannister. Loras Tyrell. Any five given guys at once. She has a fantastic sword that might be magic or cursed and is named Oathkeeper because that's what she does; I love her

Beat like 20 guys in a tournament when she was 19. Was given a magic sword. Won a sword fight against the premier swordsman in the realm. Very swordly; Very tall and strong. Holds her sword in high esteem. Accomplished with other weapons as well!

She's defeated multiple of the top knights in the series in duels. One such knight gifts her the fabergé egg of swords and she uses it to defend orphans and stuff. Got out of a bad betrothal by dueling him and beating his ass so bad she broke multiple bones. Honestly there's so much more she is the swordswoman of all time. to me; She's buff and ugly and 6' 5" and so honorable and kind that she inspires the guy who fucks his sister to yknow. stop doing that. literally gets mauled for the sake of protecting a bunch of orphans (with her sword). also she's 20 she should be at the club ‼️

One of the best sword wielders in Westeros, the author says he would pick her to defend him. Has a cool sword called Oathkeeper. Manages to go up against 7 fighters and take out most of them,. The only true knight; First off, talking about book brienne, they massacred show brienne, the show runners simply didn’t understand what she’s about.“ She had no chance against seven, she knew. No chance, and no choice” brienne had plenty of choice but she couldn’t leave people to die. The chivalric paradigm is rotten and corrupted, but here is Brienne, the one true knight, who isn’t even a actual knight! “knights are for killing”, but here is a knight who risks her life again and again to protect innocents! Bri IS hope, she is the light in the dark that shows that things can be better, things must be better. Fundamentally an idealist: “Winter will never come for the likes of us. Should we die in battle, they will surely sing of us, and it's always summer in the songs. In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining”

Adora

She has a big magical sword for her magical destiny that gives her a magical girl transformation, I love my girl and I love her awesome sword;

Okay TECHNICALLY she is a multi-weapon user since her sword transforms but its usually a sword. Also it is magic and gives her the power to turn into an 8ft magical girl <3; Lesbian magical girl who in addition to being a literal lesbian in canon is also a parable for being queer and breaking free of religious indoctrination <3 She just kicks all the ass okay I love her I'm only on S2 I'm sure someone else who's watched the whole thing will submit her with better propaganda

FOR THE HONOR OF GRAY SKULL *cool music plays, she's got a transformation* and now she's a legendary warrior that defeats the bad guys!!!

Giant technological sword gives adora magic powers and can turn into anything she needs while being She-ra

she is a HUGE sword nerd. her introduction basically has her info-dumping on rare swords and being adorable. also a little pathetic but she’s trying her best and she deserves the world (and also a win)

Has a magical sword that gives her magic powers; Has a magical sword that gives her magic powers

[icarusapotheosis]

Introduction

Me

You can call me Ted or Teddy and use he/him pronouns for me, and I'm seventeen :))

I love talking to people so feel free to dm me or send an ask anytime!! I would love some writer/reader mutuals ❤️❤️❤️

I like reading and listening to music and acting and watching films and looking at art and creating art and making things with my hands and analysing media and laughing and loving and living

My blog + writing

This is my general writing blog and I'm currently working on three projects that I'm calling Mosdale, Glacier, and The Apocalypse Thing (the names will be changed later...hopefully). I'm planning on making another post to introduce each project, and I'm sure I'll be talking about them loads on here lmao

I'll probably also complain a lot on here because at this point complaining is my love language

I love to use Greek mythology and Christian imagery in my writing, though I'm not actually religious myself (at least not in the traditional sense)

Almost all of my characters are queer in some way and I aim to provide other kinds of rep

Favourite...

Books/book series: the folk of the air trilogy, six of crows, iron widow, the lunar chronicles, red white and royal blue, and they both die at the end

Shows: elementary, arcane, our flag means death, the owl house, shadow and bone, stranger things, dead end, queen charlotte, and probably others that icr rn

Films/film series: httyd, nimona, spiderverse, venom, avatar, the grand budapest hotel, portrait of a lady on fire...

Webtoons (though I'm probably not up to date on any of these cuz I tend to wait a bit and then binge yk): solid state (literally the bestest every actually. I have screenshots on my wall. I'm in love), marionetta, riptide, dagger to my heart, and royale

Artists: Hozier, Lorde, Cosmo Sheldrake, Lana del Rey, Mitski, George Ezra, Lady Gaga, etc

Songs: we have it all by pim stones, beautiful crime by tamer, spiracle by flower face, ribs by lorde, glory and gore by lorde, figure you out by VOILÀ, partners in crime by FINNEAS, scrawny by the willows, and omg there's too many I'll leave it at that for now, you get the gist

[urfavnegronerd]

dreaming of you- selena

trope: angst because i'm missing someone real hard rn so now its everyone's problem

published: july 20, 2023

warnings: sadness, possible errors (i edited it by myself so i did my best), tried rly hard to use regular punctuation, i haven't used y/n in a fic ever so for now we have a good ol character name that u can substitute if you'd like, alternates from past to present tense but let me know if i messed that up a bit so i can fix it for the sake of clarity, religious themes if you squint (a church, a saint and a prayer, nun too crazy mostly just honoring someone), i think that's it

pairing: oc (amari, gender neutral) x miles (1610 or e42, either works)

wc: 1.7k ish

cielito- little sky (at least that's how my family uses it), amor/ mi amor- love/ my love

Late at night when all the world is sleeping, I stay up and think of you

Time is fleeting, the days turn into months into years and however long. The concept of time is funny because doctors will tell you that you have a new dermal layer about every month. So my body has forgotten and forgotten him. It’s strange because he– Miles, is always in the back of my mind, tucked away quietly for me and only me.  

It’s been three years since Miles’ passing. 

and I wish on a star 

If I were to talk about Miles, I would tell you about his voice and how smooth it would sound 

“Amari,” he calls, reaching out for me. I hum a response, distracted by the calculus assignment in front of me. if I had known, I would have given him a proper answer. 

“Are you busy?” 

“ ’s just a little bit of calc” I mumble. 

“Oh. Do you need help?” I shook my head in response, too prideful to ask that of him. I felt him slowly and gently pad his way over next to me, the carpeting absorbing the sound, and put his head on my shoulder. His curls tickled my pierced ears, the scent of his hair overwhelming my senses. The smell of pomegranate and honey, something so soft and kind to me, to my nose, to my body. If I could go back, I would smell his hair over and over again, to keep that part of him with me, always.  

“I just wanted to feel you, Mari,” the mumbles into my shoulder sent butterflies into my stomach, the same way they always did. 

After I would tell you about his voice, I would tell you about his mind. 

Miles had the most beautiful mind, a painting of beauty in a warzone. A small rose, reaching up from the cracks in the concrete, fighting nature with pure willpower, a colorful muse in the bleakest of places. His mind was the birthplace of such beauties, and treasures, treasures that I will keep tucked away in my head. For me and only me. Something to tell the world, to tell Brooklyn, that Miles Morales was not invisible. He was the opposite. He was vibrant and kind.

“Amari, baby, do you like this with drips?” he asked looking back at me, standing on his tip-toes, his hands smeared with yellow spray paint, trying to reach an impossible spot with no one's shoulders to stand on. I look up from my book, perched on a tattered couch somewhere beyond the train tracks. The light he would use to paint throwies and murals was blinding, he would squint with his whole face starting with his nose and traveling to his eyes, brows, and forehead. 

“Yeah. I like the drips a lot baby,” he smiled something goofy, something whole-hearted and warm, no doubt the byproduct of the love he had in his home. In his heart. 

Miles was soft, too. 

He would lie on his back on the floor, staring at the sky on the rooftop and listening to music. He turned his head to me and stared. He stared at me like I was the brightest light he had to look at, like out of all the constellations I burned the brightest. At that moment, he was Galileo and I was the sky. 

“Cielito,” he whispered, taking the wired ear bud out of my ear and gently turning my face towards him. “I’ve never looked at someone as beautiful as you, knowing how much they love me. and I like you so much that I can hardly breathe Amari, and it's like I have this thunder in me, in my veins. You make me nervous. but also calm, calm from lovin'. Mari, I love you.” 

Instinctively, I blush, bringing the sweatshirt up and over my mouth. Smiling something fierce, I laugh and press my forehead to his. 

“I love you, Miles,” I whisper, staring into his eyes. I had never once been so sure about something in my life. But I was sure about Miles, I was sure about his hazel eyes and tightly wound curls. Sure about the way he looked at me like I was the only thing he could see. I was sure about the comfort and calm in his eyes, a small pearl in our Brooklyn neighborhood. 

I was sure about the way he kissed me next, sure about how softly his hands held my face. Sure about the small and rough callouses on his wrists, and how no matter how rough the world saw Spiderman, he was soft. comfort, warmth, and all of which are attributes of a home. And the more that I think about it, he was home. 

That somewhere you are thinking of me too 

I slam my hand on my alarm with a vengeance, and a seething ache in my heart arises as I look around my room. Sage green walls once clad with photos and posters, now stare back at me, tangled in bed, empty. All signs of a life that were once reflected on these walls are gone. Boxes litter my floor, and shelves once full of trophies, plaques, books, and jewelry, are empty. The only remnant I have of this room being full of warmth is in my head, tucked away neatly next to the memories of Miles. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes and tugging off my bonnet, I shimmy into cargo pants and a too-big hoodie. Miles’ hoodie. Folding up my pajamas, taking the sheets off my bed, and neatly folding them, I push the rest of my life into a box half full. 

I can’t tell if it’s anger or sadness that fuels me, but I push the boxes into one corner and sit on the edge of my now-stripped bed. I stare at the fire escape, the cool metal being the home to several sleepless nights, endless secret kisses and so much more. Memories of a life that’s been loved. 

A surge of emotion hikes in my chest, something that I don’t want to deal with, at least not yet. I pull on an old and battered pair of hightops and hike down the fire escape one last time. One last stop at the bodega down the block for flowers and a bag of sweet plantain chips, lightly salted. One last time to shove my metro card into the reader. 

Waiting for the train, I look up and see the sticker Miles stuck on the ceiling rail. I don't think Jefferson had the heart to take them down after he passed. Memories of a boy was loved beyond belief. Tugging the hood of my sweater over my head, I enter the train and grasp the cool metal. Something to ground me at this moment that feels surreal. Something to hold on to, an island in a hurricane.  

Stepping off the train, a shiver runs down my spine. The air hangs thick, despite the cool summer weather and a feeling of sorrow creeps up my throat again. Pushing it down, I walk. Walk past the small costume shop and endless coffee chains and then I stop. The church hangs ominously over me like it’s betting on me to turn back. To run from this nightmare, this anger, this pain in my chest. 

Shakily, I step forward, swerving behind the building and into the graveyard. Miles is next to Peter Parker, and I huff at the irony of it all. Clutching the chips and carnations in my hand, I walk to the heavily decorated graves. Emotions tug at my chest and prick my eyes. I finally let it leak from my tear ducts and streak my face. 

“Hi Miles,” I look at his headstone, half expecting him to respond in his slight Brooklyn drawl. I half expect him to reply Hi, Mari clear as day, like he used to. He doesn’t. 

“I leave for school today. It’s far, in Rhode Island.” 

I pause, my face contorting violently before finally letting out a choked sob. 

“You know, your mom keeps telling me that you wouldn’t want to see me like this. That I should let it out. And I feel so angry about it. Not at Rio, of course. Angry because who the hell gave you the idea that you could leave? Leave before Rio got to scream at our graduation. I’m not angry at you Miles, not in the slightest. You tried,” 

My voice breaks.

“So hard. You fought so hard, and I’m so proud of you. I just thought I should stop by before I leave. I brought you bodega flowers, and the chips you like. You don’t have to eat them.” 

I clean his grave up a bit, grabbing dead flowers, deflated balloons, and any sort of unsightly thing off his grave. There are a few unlit prayer candles left, no doubt from Rio’s extensive visits, almost all of them being Saint Micheal. Jabbing my hands into all my pockets desperately, I pull out an almost-dead lighter to light the five remaining candles.  

“May eternal rest be granted onto him,” I light the first candle, “let perpetual light be cast onto him,” the second, “for my faithful and departed soul, Miles” the third, “o lord” the fourth, “let his soul be at rest” the fifth, “and let him know that I love him.” 

I wipe my eyes one final time, kiss my three middle fingers, and gently press them onto the cold and gray granite.  

“Always good to see you, Cielito.” 

I stare at his headstone one last time. 

“I love you, Miles. You don’t have to say it back, mi amor.” 

The only thing pushing me to go back home is the fact that I have a long drive ahead of me. I would stay curled next to his headstone for the rest of my life. It kills me to think that he’s alone down there, probably cold. During his funeral, I remember placing his headphones on his chest before the casket closed. His hands were ice cold, the makeup made a poor attempt at covering the small and delicate freckles that littered his cheeks. The finality of it is forever etched in my mind. 

Somewhere, I hope he’s listening to music. 

I climb back up my fire escape and tumble into my now-empty room. Sitting on the floor, I fold my knees to my chest and stare at the walls. 

and there's nowhere in the world I’d rather be, than here in my room, dreaming about you and me.

fin <3

a/n: i didnt finish the get-down on Netflix, but zekes line where he confesses his love to mylene makes me cry every time, i had a really intense astronomy phase when i was little so i loved writing the galileo line it might show up in future fics idk. leave comments, constructive criticism and pointers!! and send reqs! love you goats 🩷

-rae

[kaddyssammlung]

Fall for Me – Analysis

“In a city of ice there are burning cathedrals”

I like how he play with opposites here. A city of ice but yet burning cathedrals. The way that he brings up religious images make me think sometimes. Weather he means this in a good way or not and also weather he has religious trauma or not. Other than that it just sounds so beautiful.

“Turning the skies into glass”

And that's where my problems begin. I could tell you what to research so you would understand this. But I can't. There are a few topics that I can't talk about on platforms like these. Maybe I will add it someday and release this as a “book” and just write and explain. Or I will turn the things that I can't talk about into a science fiction story?! No one cares about fiction writing. But then again…I don't even know what he really means. So why the effort?!

“and through echoing futures are the buckling sutures that hold shut the wounds of the past”

That just feels so sad but so relatable. We all of have wounds of the past but not everyone wears them for the world to see on their skin. I just feel this line and it makes me sad.

“So won't you fall for me? Wont you fall for me?”

It's self-explanatory but it would be interesting to know who he means. Does he means Sleep? Or someone else? Or himself even?

“Through a fractured existence”

This is just plain painful. I feel like this quite often. Thanks to CPTSD (“childhood trauma”) and therefore being unable to remember much of my childhood, I feel like this.

He brings this up quite often. Maybe it's from dealing with the aftermath of something similar to what I experienced. Abuse leaves you like this. No sense of self and just fragments when you try to think about things. You just don't remember them because you dissociated.

“Won't you fall for me From reality?”

My spiritually self has a bit of a problem with this one. Whit what we call 3-dimensional-reality. It feels so materialistic and dense. I don't like it.

Maybe he means Sleep? Sleep coming from a higher-dimensional realm down to three-dimensional-reality?!

“My insecurities surround me like lions in the den”

I guess many feel that way. I often still feel like that.

“And I feel like I'm losing touch with what I am again”

I feel this one. It reminds of the many ups and downs that I had for years while I was trying to not give into my addiction cravings anymore. Sometimes I felt strong but then this feeling left me suddenly again.

“and slowly I remember why I cannot pretend that I never think of you in all this screaming silence Oh God I Wish You Were Here”

This has me in tears today. It's just so sad but also part of life. Maybe someone died, maybe someone left and never looked back. I don't know. But I can relate to the feeling that is being conveyed here.

[ursineknight]

Have I already talked about how horny the gyrladies/gyrgardon relationship is

Okay, in Saint Death's Daughter, in the country Quadiíb, gyrladies (who seem, so far, to be exclusively female) pair up with gyrgardon (plural and ungendered singular--male singular is gyrgadi, female singular is gyrgardu).

(Later amendment: we have non-binary "gyrlady" confirmation--somebody is a gyrveard.)

Gyrladies and gyrgardon swear a magical, binding bond to each other, to serve each other and be each other's bosom companion for always. Then gyrladies get clasped with a bracer on the right arm that lets them control their gyrgardon's fucking transformations into falcons.

Gyrgardonhood is a profession but also wrapped up in religion and law, so when they say "gyrgardon cannot let their gyrladies come to harm," that's being acted out to the HILT. It's not, like, a magical compulsion or anything, but every single gyrgardon seems that single-mindedly devoted to their gyrlady. Gyrgardon divorce used to be a huge scandal and religious affront, apparently.

But gyrladies and gyrgardon aren't even necessarily lovers! There's a couple (real) pairs depicted in the book, and they're not together. But they might as well be!! They're so in sync with each other! They know the other's thoughts! It's wild!!

As a larger thing, the gyrgadon practice seems to be taken up only by people who are dedicated to making the world a better place.

From Gyrlady Tanaliín:

"...It's like a gyrgardon is born wanting to save the world, save everyone. They love widely, deeply, devotedly. They are... how should I say it...? service-oriented. I think a gyrgardon chooses their gyrlady solely based upon... oh, I don't know... whomever they think might help them save the most people? Or whomever needs saving even more than the rest of the world? Some instinct, some hunter's sense of who might be lacking, or weak from want of love. Then, the gyrgardon swoops in! Their instinct is to fill that void. To befriend. To protect. To create family. All they ask for in return is that we help them do more of the same..."

Which. Swoon. I think this write-up has been decidedly horny for the gyrladies, but what a fucking beautiful image. The gyrgardon depicted in the book are beautiful, strapping, sunny people with gentle demeanors and a steely animal ferocity in defense of those they protect.

Also, gyrladies command their gyrgardon to take the forms of birds of prey, and the gyrladies have falconry equipment made for these, their life partners. These women are walking around with custom jesses for the people they have sworn to share their lives with. They put their beloveds in hunting contests. Have I repeated this enough.

And one of the gyrlady/gyrgardon pairs is an older professor (named Tanaliín) and a younger (adult) student (named Duantri) who would not let Tanaliín fall into despair alone when she was grieving the death of her first gyrgardu. "I will have thee or no one, Tanaliín!" Okay!! Fucking okay!!

It's like. You compel me into an animal. You also call me back. I chose you. I trust you. It's me and you. It's me before you get hurt. It's you before everything. And together, we're going to be amazing.

[eirasummersart]

A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate

Refering to this.

Thank you for the ask! Let's answer this one too C: Adding this after the full answer, I'm gonna add a read more because it turned out quite long hahaha

7. A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate?

Ah, what medium of art don't I appreciate? I love art! I love reading, listening to music (and singing, but I'm not great at it hahah), sculpture, etc.

With reading, I mostly read fanfics lately, but I enjoy lots of typical books and authors too: Chaos Walking (Patrik Ness), the Lord of the Rings, Rick Riordan's books in general, MXTX's books, the Castle in the Sky. Those are the ones that come to mind first, my faves~ Of course, I include here manga and comics, there's sooo many I love as well. I do draw, but don't usually do comics (maybe someday!). Lately I've been loving Jujutsu Kaisen and Akagami no Shirayukihime, but I could recomend so many good ones.

With music I just always need some music if I'm not watching anything that has sound otherwise, I love so many kinds of styles, but I have a preference for melodic, mellow songs~ specially ones that I can sing along too. Lots of classical too (Chopin is my fave~). And piano is my fave instrument to listen to <3 I kinda talked about music already in the previous ask, so I won't go into more detail hahah

For sculpture I don't really have a particular artist I like, it's more a casual love. But all those "realistic" sculptures are mind blowing to me, how it seems completely real, specially fabric or expressions, but it's made of marble or another hard material.... man, so much talent, I admire them so much.

If we talk about drawing/painting I'm not proficient at but I still admire: watercolour is gorgeous and I am incapable of it. I love the art made with it! Oil and classic paintings as well, there's so many classic artists who have made amazing pieces. My fave is Monet! But I also greatly admire the ones from the victorian period in general. The way they render fabric and clothes is SO GOOD. I kinda emulate it unconsciously when I do my shadding ahah but I am sure it looks nothing like that xD Like, look at this art called "Flirtation" by Frédéric Soulacroix, that fabric 🙏🙏🙏 And the background is gorgeous too.

Also, I really enjoy watching movies/tv shows. Wether they're animation or not. Specially if they have good plot and/or if they have good photography/animation. There's so many beautiful works of arts in that medium as well. Ghibli movies are some of my faves (Howl's Moving Castle is my fave movie ever), Lord of the Rings movies are also masterpieces. I've also enjoyed lately the Poirot movies they've been making recently, they're really interesting and have great photography as well~

I have to say, I don't often watch theater/musicals because they're expensive and I'm broke af. But the times I went to see some, they're amazing as well 🙏 I'll include dance performances here too, because they're in a similar category to me.

I enjoy seeing architecture as well. My fave period for architecture is gothic! The way they did all those high arches and beautifully decorated walls. And the stained glasses! Sooo many great buildings!! Most of the ones I can see around where I live and was able to travel are churches or cathedrals. They are such beautiful buildings, even though I'm not religious in any sense at all, I always love visiting them and seeing them. But there's sooooo many amazing artstyles out there as well! Lique some Mosques are absolutelly stunning, with their intricate colorful patterns! There's so much good architecture to admire as well...

Also, I'll add that videogames are a form of art in my opinion as well, and I admire lots of creators. There's SO MUCH variety in this media, it's insane. Stuff like Return of Obra Dinn or Papers Please by Lucas Pope (who makes it all, including music, he's so talented), Baldur's Gate 3 (currently enjoying this one), Chants of Sennar, Binding of Isaac, Fire Emblem, Kingdom Hearts, etc. So many different styles but so fun and interesting. And also, so many good RPGs with amazing stories I don't think can be told in a better way using other media (Persona series, Tales of series, Dragon Age, the Nonary Games, Mother saga, Xenoblade Chronicles, etc.)

Sorry for the big rambling, I guess you didn't expect me to go into such a extended answer hahahah I really, really love all art of creation, it's such an amazing thing that someone visualizes something and can create it so everyone else can see.

I've said this over and over again, I wish I were filthy rich, so rich I could never ever use all my money, only so I could be an art mecenas (I think it's called patron in English, I like the word we use in Spanish tho XD) and give money to aaaall my favourite artists so they can just create without any worry at all, just focus on their art and not the money they need to make to survive. Just create their own stories, characters, art pieces, or create fanworks of any kind. I don't even want to request stuff I want to see, I just want to see what they want to create! What their mind can imagine and how they see the world!!!

Ah, if only...

Anyway, this has gone for long enough hahah thanks again for giving me the oppotunity to ramble~

And if you read till here, thanks as well for your time~ Feel free to send more questions for this ask~ (or anything else, really, if you want me to expand on any of these topics I mentioned here haha I'd be happy to~) P.D.: Just as I posted it, I also remembered tappestry/weaving/any kind of thread art. AND OF COURSE, fashion/outfit makers and designers!!! There's so much art in this world... so hard to remember it all, but it's all around us <3

[sev-wildfang]

can i ask wut about parkinson-morgan's writing u dislike/ find wanting? (genuinely interested not tryn to burn u)

for referanc i have not read lancer have read icon nd have read sum of k6bd but stopped when white chain (tgrl angel) got a body bc i was sorely disappointed by that choice nd the choice of body he gave her(no dick imo convent atractiv)

it's the showmanship to wow people who dont read books, dont research topics, and dont engage with philosophies or religious practices beyond patting each other on the back on imageboards, that does it for me. it comes across as intellectual but if you dig even an inch deep, youre not finding anything substantial, youre finding pop culture impressions of what buddhism and hinduism are, a metatron ripped not from biblical studies but from his dark materials, and a sour undertone of unreflected western Tales of Great Men.

once you notice this you can't unsee it: the Great Man (or great woman, like Allison) steadily improves himself through facing adversity to perfect himself more and more, through sheer willpower. id hesitate to call it a "grindset" but it is a kind of philosophy birthed, cradled, and reared by western capitalism. it disgusts me, politically. hes not doing it on purpose, which may be even worse, that he doesnt put these convictions into his work on purpose. in fact if he was, he wouldnt contradict himself about his own work! he might genuinely not be aware of what his own magnum opus actually says! (and dresses it up in Orientalist drapery)

and finally, to talk about the tokenism of White Chain you brought up: seeing her immediately turned into a beautiful black cis woman and discarded from the plot after providing another stepping stone for the Randian protagonist is not a great look. it makes sense in the context of what the plot says (its not a story of unpredictable twists and turns) but in the end that whole sequence does culminate in the lower-class queer woman and the black girl being sacrificed to further the white woman's hero journey. theyre her deadwife motivations for the final act. theyre the Casca to her Guts. unoriginality proliferated, and not even in an interesting way.

it's even funnier because he did acknowledge that on twitter, if only to scream "no this isnt what im doing"; a writer worth my respect either writes their text to make such accusations baseless, or sticks to their guns until a twist absolves them. flailing about telling readers that they shouldnt engage with the plot at face value is spineless to me. thats all i have to say on that.

[mxharleyhua]

Harley Hua ~ Task Thirteen: Short and Sweet

What is your favorite book from childhood? I was just talking to Elliot about this the other day, but I loved Watchmen. I know it's not really for children, but my parents didn't. I also had a more age-appropriate book I loved, because the art was so beautiful in it. I remember it took place in the woods, but not what it was called or what the plot was. But it was so detailed, and colorful, and had a unique art style.

Do you own an item that comforts you when you’re sad? Do my art supplies count?

What makes you happy? I seem to have a one-track mind tonight but after a long day I love to go home, take off my cochlear implants, light a candle, and spend hours painting. I do my best work in the middle of the night when everyone else is asleep. What are three things you like about yourself? I like almost everything about myself. That sounds like a cop-out, but it took me a really long time to learn self confidence. So maybe that's the first thing I like - that I'm a confident person. I also like the discipline I have to eat right and work out every day so that I can have the body I always dreamed of. And I love my sense of fashion. It's so much fun to dress up for all the events we have here in Merrock.

Which season is your favorite? Summer, easily! I love the heat, getting to spend a lot of my free time at the beach, and how much brighter everything feels; literally and emotionally.

Do you believe in the supernatural? What are we defining as supernatural? Ghosts and witches? Or are more religious symbols such as Gods, angels and demons also supernatural? Being raised both Jewish and Chinese, I got a lot of mixed messages as a kid. Parts of my Chinese culture are clearly against Jewish law. But I didn't grow up orthodox, so I've always taken it with a grain of salt on both sides anyways. I was generally discouraged from things like magic, or ghosts and demons, unless it was coming from a Chinese family member. I think my parents disagreed with how to raise us in that regard and tried to compromise, but it just made any of it being taboo feel nonsensical. Anyways, both cultures say not to mess with ghosts but I really want to go ghost hunting one day. Name a song that has a deeper meaning to you You've activated my Deaf card. What do you think about social media? I think it's great! Obviously, there are some drawbacks. But it allows people to connect in a way we couldn't have just a couple decades ago, and connects vulnerable people to resources that they need. How many queer communities have thrived on websites like tumblr? I remember being a teenager and seeing people like myself online when I didn't know there was anyone else like me in Merrock. It was lifechanging! What would be your dream job? Illustrator. Specifically, illustrating comic books but I also really want to do childrens books too. Name three things you don’t leave the house without My keys, obviously. And my phone. Normally I have my wallet or my cochlear implants on me, but not always. With so many places having tap-to-pay now, you really only need those two things. What is your favorite comfort food? My grandma is an amazing cook and she does this delicious lamb hot pot. It's a good thing she lives so far away, because I could not stick to my nutrition goals if I had the opportunity to eat that every week. Are you an active person? / What do you do to stay active? Is water wet? Technically not, but that's not the point. When I'm not painting or instructing a class, I'm almost always on the move. I try to spend two hours at the gym every day, although that's not always realistic with my busy schedule. I get a lot of steps in, walking around and giving tours at From Brush to Canvas. And I grew up doing gymnastics and cheerleading and try to practice so I don't lose my ability to do some of those stunts. Even as I've transitioned, I've managed to keep a lot of the flexibility I grew up with. I also live in the ocean in the summer, whether I'm surfing or swimming. Name your three biggest inspirations (people-wise) My brother and my grandma are easily my first two. Leaving my family for the third one, I think Gerda Wegener was amazing and pushed boundaries on sexuality and gender with her art in a way I really admire. What is currently your favorite airing show? I don't watch a lot of TV. When I'm at home, I like to take off my cochlear implants and enjoy the silence. And after a long day, the last thing I want to do is read captions for an hour straight. But I'm really excited for Echo to come out in a couple months. If you had to go anywhere right now, where would you go? If I had to? A warm, tropical beach that has complimentary cocktails and crystal-clear water.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

Top 5 novels(or series)? 👀

i miss being a bookseller and talking about books irl so this ask makes me super happy! also this is going to be long and i apologize in advance

beauty queens by libba bray

my favorite book of all time. i read it WAY too young, like in 2011 at age 12, and it massively influenced my awareness of the world, personal philosophy, sense of humor, and creative identity. beauty queens is an ahead-of-its-time ya satire novel about teenage girls getting stuck on a deserted island and going feral (positive connotation).

it features a well-balanced main cast of about a dozen diverse young women, including the first trans character i ever encountered (because i read the book pretty young, it's actually how i found people can be trans at all). while this character's execution does include a few now-questionable tropes, she's written in incredibly good faith and i am so grateful for her being in this book. beauty queens also introduced me to perspectives from women of color, disabled women, and women from religious communities that i hadn't really gotten the chance to encounter in my bubble of a hometown. while the author is admittedly a cis white straight woman, she pours so much empathy and love and nuance into each individual beauty queen, and especially for 2011 i think she did a really good job.

in addition to All That Deep Meaningful Stuff, the book is like a james bond parody with a villain clearly meant to be sarah palin set in a hyper-capitalist satirization of america, characterized by super weird and out-of-the-box "commercial breaks." i describe it in my review as "weird, campy, tropey, and over-the-top," and warn that, "if you take everything very seriously, you will have trouble with this book."

my general creative philosophy is that art is at its best and most meaningful when you have no doubt anyone else could have made it. libba bray knows exactly what she wants to write, and she fucking does that, even if some people won't understand or enjoy it. the world is a better place because this book exists, which is true of everything on this list--but this deeply weird novel, seemingly lost to time, is my all-time favorite for a reason.

sharp objects by gillian flynn

gillian flynn is my favorite AUTHOR of all time. she wrote gone girl, sharp objects, and another lesser-known novel called dark places. sharp objects is a hard one to gush about without spoilers and/or triggers, but oh my god it is a masterpiece. its final line is my favorite final line in any media, ever. i am a huge lover of the domestic thriller genre, and while gone girl is more domestic thriller than sharp objects, i think this one is the better BOOK. huge trigger warning for self-harm if the title and cover aren't enough of a hint, but hoooo boy this book is the best kind of brutal

the illuminae files trilogy by jay kristoff & amie kaufman

these sci-fi ya thrillers are told entirely through transcripts, message logs, and other "found evidence" in a dossier meant to expose an evil corporation. the characters are clever and interesting, the conflict is layered, and there's some awesome space-horror a la alien movie. there's a love story and philosophical musings and wise-cracking idiot teenagers who i adore. there's a deranged ai and beautiful page layouts and the quote, "you have me. until the last star in the galaxy dies, you have me." these are great books for people who can't stand large chunks of prose, appreciators of comics and mixed-media storytelling, and the AUDIOBOOKS are like full-on radioplays with voice actors and sfx. all three novel hold their own while still feeling cohesive when read sequentially. so unique and so freaking cool

no exit by taylor adams

idiot college art student gets snowed in at a rest stop, realizes that someone is in the middle of trafficking a child and has to a) figure out who it is and b) stop them. this thriller is gory and fast-paced and darkly comedic and does the whole cat-and-mouse hero and villain thing that always lives in my head rent-free. it's gleefully violent and reminds me of films like kill bill and american psycho. i can't and won't spoil more but this book is so fun to read, especially if you enjoy media that doesn't take itself too seriously. the movie adaptation sucks and i'll be mad about it forever, especially because taylor adams comes from a screenwriting background and i doubt they let him touch the script. there's a thematically-relevant garfield clock and nail gun used several times as a murder weapon. in my storygraph review of this book, i summed up my love for it pretty well: "Sometimes a book just speaks to you. Probably not great that this one does it for me, but at least I had so much fun."

the stepford wives by ira levin

people discuss the stepford wives as a Cultural Concept, but i wish more people actually read the novella. it's really freaking good as a work of horror and satire. it's short, too. i've been dreaming up a stage adaptation for years.

other honorable mentions: the hunger games trilogy you know who wrote it, solutions and other problems by allie brosh, anya's ghost by vera brosgol, all of mary oliver's poetry, never saw me coming by vera kurian, in a dark dark wood by ruth ware, dead to her by sarah pinborough, annie on my mind by nancy garden

[inquisitiveshashank]

#7

Summary Of Meditation and it's method

According to swami Ji the first major sign of you becoming religious is that you are cheerful no matter whatever happens to you . He talks about the signs of yogi that how the yogi should follow the middle path and not  go for the extreme in words of swamiji " A Yogi must avoid the two extremes of luxury and austerity He must not fast, nor torture his flesh.He who does so, says the Gita, cannot be a Yogi He who fasts, he who keeps awake, he who sleeps much, he who works too much, he who does no work, none of these can be a Yogi"

He further comments that the greatest help to the spiritual life is meditation he says that " the touch of the soul can paint the brightest colour even in the dingiest place" and to get such touch one must look inside through the method of meditation.

 In the next few pages swamiji explains the basic nature of humans, how they(people) will surround you and love you when you have something for them but will leave you when you are broke. In his words "there is none who will share in your evil but will all share in your good " and here he introduces the concept of god ( to be precise soul or atman for him) the reason why I said this will get clear as we will proceed further in the summary .

He then goes on further elaborating the  three stages of meditation which are 1)Dharana concentrating the mind upon an object. I try to concentrate my mind upon this glass, excluding every other object from my mind except this glass.

But the mind is wavering... When it has become strong and does not waver so much, it is called 2)Dhyana meditation.And then there is a still higher state when the differentiation between the glass and myself is lost 3) Samadhi or absorptionThe mind and the glass are identical. I do not see any difference. All the senses stop and all powers that have been working through other channels of other senses are focused in the mind.

Speaking about rest he says something amazing he says that we all think that sleeping provides rest to our brain but it's not the case because the brain doesn't  rest even while we are asleep (   During most stages of sleep, the thalamus becomes quiet, letting you tune out the external world. But during REM sleep, the thalamus is active, sending the cortex images, sounds, and other sensations that fill our dreams) and here he goes on to says that when we do meditation its the best sleep or the best rest brain gains in whole of his life time 'in his word " when you come out of it after the hour you have had the most beautiful rest you ever had in your life"  

He says that  everything we do is affected by nature. He says that even the slightest movement in this world has the contribution of nature in it. Hence if one says that one won the game all by himself he's pretty wrong because there he undermines the factor that the nature(eg;- the wind , pitch ,air resistance weather etc) played making him lift the winner's trophy .  

             

                    MAJOR TEACHINGS

 The whole concept of the book is about meditation and how can we practice it but the book somewhere tells us a lot about the views of swamij on Science and Vedanta .  Swamji vivekananda rejected the idea of idol worship.... This might be due to two reasons 1) due to his belief in "jnana yoga" ( where one uses the path of knowledge to reach the god ) 2) his belief in the soul . In the first point he says that he is more a follower of jnana yoga than bhakti yoga for him meditation is a science or  a way to reach god (although his concept of god is completely different ) and in the second reason as we saw that he believes more in soul he says that the soul is the most powerful element and is the source of everything that we are seeing today.

He says to turn the mind inwards during the meditation because for him god is cosmic intelligence he says that god is a principle and not a person he further elaborates that you and I are personal god  the absolute god is nowhere in the idols but inside us. He says that if you want to worship the personal god first worship yourself ,he says that you are his incarnation. He then says that we all are brahman (great sage) . It's just ignorance because of which we are not able to use the power of being brahman. The ignorance according to him is not realizing that we are brahman and thinking one self to be someone else.

Hence he continuously says to look inside to find god and not outside. He elaborates that we are not this body we are just pure energy consciousness or what he calls as the soul and all this can only be understood once we start looking inwards and not outwards. He says that it's a practical joke for him when people say that someone from heaven is seeing you continuously he says that there is no one except you it's you your atman that is constantly watching you keeping counts of the good and evil deeds that you did .

In case of knowledge he points out that there is no exterior knowledge all that you are seeking is inside, it's just that you have forgotten them and hence go to the exterior source for learning it again he says that the best way is to look inwards .

 According to him the only god to worship is the human soul in the human body .

In one of the chapters we can see his strong disagreement with Gautam Buddha and his method of leaving his house, parents,wife and child. He says that if you have to leave them to attain god then you are doing it wrong and have still not understood god.He says that the person who see god in every being his wife his child his parents is a true yogi and has completely understood the concept of god   because according to him the god is within us and not anywhere else ... and hence he says that the lord is equally present in happiness, misery, success ,failure . In an example he points out that humans(parents) from the start have told their child that they are weak and try to scare them with the concept of god and making a negative image of god life long for him... But as we come to the end of the book we find that he kind of gives acceptance to idols of god which  according to him  is a way to teach common masses  meditation as they need something exterior to focus ... For temples from the beginning he says that they are pious places that contain a burst of spiritual energy and one should go and meditate there more often . In one of the lines we can see that he believes in Manifestation as he says that what "we think we become"  . Hence according to him thinking is very important but he doesn't elaborate on the topic and leaves it there . So we cannot conclude something from this ... Vivekananda points out the law of working. He says that to get the grace of god one should always strive and do something and should not sit ideal  as even god overlooks those people who cannot help themselves..... Everymind is connected and the mind is the part of a universal mind swamiji is seen as a believer of this theory. Swamiji says that we all are part of this universal mind and also states that we can connect and communicate with each other through this method ....

THE CONCEPT OF PRANA AND AKASHA

 There is nothing occult in the air that we take in with our breath and assimilaté to purify the blood, the action is merely a motion. This motion can be reduced to the unit movement we call Prâna, and everywhere, all movements are the various manifestations of this Prana. This Prana is electricity, it is magnetism, it is thrown out by the brain as thought. Everything is Prana, it is moving the sun, the moon, and the stars.We say, whatever is in this universe has been projected by the vibration of the Prana. The highest result of vibration is thought. If there be any higher, we cannot conceive of it. The nerves, Ida and Pingala, work through the Prana. It is the Prana that is moving every part of the body, becoming the different forces Give up that old idea that God is something that produces the effect and sits on a throne dispensing justice In working we become exhausted because we use up so much Prana The breathing exercises, called Prânâyâma, bring about regulation of the breathing, rhythmic action of the Prana When the Prana is working rhythmically, everything works- properly When the Yogis get control over their own bodies, if there is any disease in any part, they know that the Prana is not rhythmic there and they direct the Prana to the affected part until the rhythm is re-established

Just as you can control the Prana in your own body, so if you are powerful enough, you can control, even from here another man's Prana in India. It is all one There is no break unity is the law Physically psychically, mentally morally metaphysically, it is all one. Life is only a vibration. That which vibrates this ocean of ether, vibrates you. Just as in a lake, various strata of ice of various degrees of solidity are formed. or as in an ocean of vapour there are various degrees of density, so is this universe an ocean of matter This is an ocean of ether in which we find the sun, moon, stars, and ourselves in different states of solidity, but the continuity is not broken, it is the same throughout Now, when we study metaphysics, we come to know the world is one, not that the spiritual, the material, the mental. and the world of energies are separate. It is all one, but seen from different planes of vision When you think of yourself as a body, you forget that you are a mind, and when you think of yourself as a mind, you will forget the body There is only one thing, that you are, you can see it either as matter or body or you can see it as mind or spirit. Birth, life, and death are but old superstition

Just now, to us, this universe is a unit of Prana and Akâsha, force and matter. And mind you, like all other basic principles, this is also self-contradictory. For what is force? that which moves matter. And what is matter? - - that which is moved by force. It is a seesaw! Some of the fundamentals of our reasoning are most curious, in spite of our boast of science and knowledge. "It is a headache without a head", as the Sanskrit proverb says. This state of things has been called Maya. It has neither existence nor non-existence. You cannot call it existence, because that only exists which is beyond time and space, which is self- existence. Yet this world satisfies to a certain degree our idea of existence Therefore it has an apparent existence

Man is an infinite circle whose circumference is nowhere, but the centre is located in one spot, and God is an infinite circle whose circumference is nowhere, but whose centre is everywhere. He works through all hands sees through all eyes, walks on all feet, breathes through all bodies, lives in all life, speaks through every mouth. and thinks through every brain. Man can become like God and acquire control over the whole universe if he multiplies infinitely his centre of self consciousness.