#tw brutality

[hasellia]

Okay apologies for hopping on tag trending train but I have an important request.

If you don't know about the history of Aboriginal genocide in Australia, watch this program.

It's a very very hard watch but one that is important.

If you're outside of Australia, make sure to set your VPN to Aus. You may also need to set an acount for SBS but it's free viewing.

I would also recomend most of SBS's docos through NITV, as they're the National Indigenous broadcast station.

A little update on the warnings before I forget. I'm a little pressed for time so this is from my DM's with someone I've shared with.

I just wanted to give a heads up that the show contains footage of a mourning ceremony (with the grievers's permission from what I remember). There is also a segment where stolen remains are returned to their families but there is no appearence of the remains themselves on screen. From what I can tell/remember these scenes are treated with care and gravitas but I don't think I can be the one to say whether they were treated appropriately. Anything on colonialism is a hard watch, but this doco particularly follows on the unglamourised brutality of the frontier wars as well the lack of recognition on the wars from the Australian government/military and from the wider Australian public. That's on me for not disclosing that properly in the post.

[bionicle-ramblings]

I've been thinking about a post I made a little while back, specifically the one where, theoretically, Teridax took over the body of Mata Nui and exacted his revenge on Vakama by killing him over and over all over again, essentially making his own time loop to trap Vakama in, one Teridax has full control of; he'd have Vakama be a Toa so he doesn't die or break easily, and the transformation probably hurts a lot

I thought about something else: what else would he do? The Toa Haga already get taken out of commission almost as soon as Teridax takes over, and I'm pretty sure something happens to the Toa Nuva and Mahri in canon, but I'm not 100% sure, but imagine if Teridax saw everyone realize what's happened to Vakama and why and decides to twist the knife further for all of them; he's essentially God now, so what's stopping him?

For instance, the Toa Mahri and Takanuva are forced to remember Metru Nui, that they had whole lives before Mata Nui and don't remember because of the sleeping containers. Teridax mocks them when they say they were forced to their slumber and he tricked them, thought Takanuva gets a heavier dose of "remember juice" because he also remembers further back, that he was an Av-Matoran that went into hiding and had his memory wiped

With the Toa Metru back, they get some surprises as well:

Nuju has been speaking in a way no one else can really understand, so it's only fair that he get to experience what that feels like, so he is left unable to understand what anyone is saying to him regardless of what language they speak to him with

Nokama, the teacher and most knowledgeable of her team, with her translation power, has not only her speech taken from her, but also loses the ability to read anything she sees; her speech will prevent her feom properly communicating with anyone about anything

Whenua, who has the ability to read and knows damn near everything because he's an archivist, is challenged to FIND anything because Teridax takes his ability to see anything

Onewa, strong-willed and brash, Teridax has a surprise for: driving him batshit insane until Onewa's left staring at nothing and simply being dead weight

Matau, who was someone who helped Vakama overcome his fears and the horkida venom, gets the honor of seeing and experiencing what happens to his brother and leader, getting a clear first-person POV shot of whatever happens to Vakama, so if Vakama is being burned alive, Matau will see and feel it

And does Vakama know about it all? Maybe. Solid maybe because as good as it would be to have him feel guilty for the damage of so many people he cares about, he won't exactly be able to focus on it because he's busy dying repeatedly

Bit of an upside, though:

Takanuva, using the vents, saves Vakama once more and the two slip away; the Great Spirit robot is essentially a giant Bionicle body, and most are aware of what goes on in their body, but they can miss stuff in the inner workings like veins, or vents

It's a half-baked idea, but they manage to get away, barely, and regroup with the others, where Vakama sees what's become of his team and the Toa Mahri

I will make a follow-up post to this one day, but I'm going to stop here before I make this too long

[twilightprince101]

"EVERYTHING IS FINE" is awesome, but it is NOT FOR EVERYONE

Hi! So recently I've gotten into the Webtoon "Everything Is Fine," created by Mike Birchall. And honestly? I'm fucking loving it right now! And I don't see many people really talking about it on Tumblr, which is frankly a crime considering how popular it is on Webtoon itself!!

I wish I could talk to all my friends about this webcomic, but I am fully aware that there are a few VERY BIG hurdles that some people would need to get past first.

So! To all my mutuals and followers, let me give you my pitch for this webcomic, along with a few disclaimers on what's to come.

IS THIS A "CUTE BUT SECRETLY EDGY" THING?

The main way I found out about this webcomic was through marketed/animated ads on Youtube. The general vibe that they were going for was that it was a "looks cute but is actually really fucked up" story. Think your Happy Tree Friends or Don't Hug Me I'm Scared's. Designed to lure you in and then SLAP you across the face with all of its gore and fucked-upness. If you've seen ads for a game called "Evertale" on youtube that kinda looks like pokemon, you understand what I'm saying and I get your apprehension.

And don't get me wrong, those worries are not unfounded! There's some stuff in this comic that is really messed up and honestly leaves me up at night. But while in the cases of the two above samples they feel more to shock, Everything Is Fine feels a bit more deliberate in what it does. They feel like they're a product of the world and a side-effect to the setting. The fucked-upness holds a purpose outside of shock and says something.

(this isn't to bash on the two above examples btw, no shame in liking them. However for me personally, it definitely seems more for the purpose of drawing in attention than telling a story)

The first 12 "episodes" have by far some of the darkest in terms of content-- ALL OF WHICH I WILL LIST AT THE BOTTOM WITH A "READMORE" LINK--but if you make it past those first 12 chapters, there's a really damn compelling story waiting for you. The moment that the main character Maggie opens up a science book, that's when you've crossed that threshold.

Everything past this point is spoiler territory, so if you already feel like going into this then I recommend just reading the warnings past the read more then heading into the story blind.

OKAY SO WHAT IS THIS STORY THEN

Here's my best elevator pitch for this series:

It's a dystopian domestic thriller that utilizes a suburbia setting to enforce themes of formality and productivity vs family and love, while also incorporating a "Mind games battle" style into its action ala The Promised Neverland or Death Note.

Whew, that certainly was a word salad! Lemme break it down a bit more.

-Dystopian Domestic Thriller?

The exact scale of this story (at least at the time of writing this) is very small scale. It focuses on two characters: Maggie and Sam, a married couple that are forced--alongside everyone else--to live in a picturesque happy neighborhood. A very "Howdy neighbor, can I borrow a cup of sugar" type place, and if you deviate from that vision then... well, it doesn't end pretty.

However, despite just how grand a change this is (the world is implied to have been just like ours 7 years ago or so), the focus is much more intimate. The whole first chapter solely focuses on five different characters, all of whom are neighbors in this dystopia trying to get by, along with getting the reader acquainted with their situation. And, despite the friendly faces, each family wouldn't think twice about throwing each other under the bus if it meant they could move up in the world and get a chance to [REDACTED, GOTTA READ TO FIND OUT YOURSELF BUD].

There are no evil monsters. There's no big bad boogeymen waiting in your closet to eat your brains. All there is is your neighbors, the ones that wake up next to you with a smile on their face. And it's almost impossible to tell whether or not their smile is genuine or not.

-"Mind games battle?"

If you haven't read The Promised Neverland (or watched season 1 of the anime and ONLY season 1) or are acquainted with "mind games battles" in general, imagine this scenario:

There are two different characters, each of them entirely equal in their strengths and weaknesses. One has a diamond, the other wants the gem for themselves. To try and get the diamond, the thief tricks the other into thinking they already have it, causing the owner to reveal the key's location so they can steal it themselves.

That is the essence of "Mind game battles" or (coined by SuperEyepatchWolf) a "Non-Battle Battle" story. Very little violence truly happens, the core focus is on espionage and getting a leg up on your opponent by figuring out what they're going to try and do, then countering with your own plan. Highly recommend checking out his video btw

This might seem a little strange compared to what I just described with the whole "Suburban Dystopia" setting, but this brings it down to its core elements. Everyone is a normal person, at the youngest about 30 years old, and in the end they want to throw each other under the bus to get further in life. It utilizes that suburban dystopia setting with the fear that "secretly, deep down, all your friendly neighbors and friends wouldn't blink to sacrificing you for something more" and it hits fucking hard, leading to a story about forging your own path and recognizing who truly matters in your life.

It is MUCH more subdued and tame compared to the above examples, but believe me when I say this was intended from the very beginning, and it's only going to get better.

BUT WHAT'S THE POINT OF THE STORY

geez you don't gotta yell like that every time dude

So if you're like me and you tend to try and search for a bit more meaning in your stories, you might be wondering why you should read this (aside from my recommendation of course). You might ask "yeah if it's scary/fucked up, cool. But is that all?" If you're the type that stays away from horror-esque scenarios like this, I can doubly understand (again, READ THE WARNINGS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST).

But as I've been growing into the adult world, a constant nagging fear that's been growing is the thought "People are only nice to you out of necessity, none of their kind words hold any truth to them. Their smiles are only of toleration." With how much of the business world thrives on that sort of formal kindness (job interviews, sucking up to your boss, etc.), it has ended up leaking out into my personal life and causing some pretty harsh damage to my mental health.

This webcomic not only feels like the first story to address this specific fear, but also one that has a direct answer/resolution to that. Yes, sometimes it may feel like it's impossible to tell who's truly kind and who needs to be kind. It will feel hard to truly tell that difference.

But no matter what fear you feel, no matter how impossible that feeling is to overcome, there will always be someone in your corner that loves you for you. Their smiles are not of necessity, but of enjoyment of your presence. And if you acknowledge them and trust in that kindness, nothing will stand in your way.

And... fuck man, I don't know. I think that's something I kinda needed to be told, and something I think a lot of other people need to hear.

So yeah! "Everything Is Fine" is a fucking banger and I highly recommend it! If all of the above parts (and the below warnings, FOR THE LAST TIME CHECK THOSE WARNINGS) didn't bother you and you seem intrigued, go check out the webcomic and send some cash the dude's way. Chapter 2 is getting into full swing, and I want some peeps to enjoy this with as these two keep moving their way upwards.

Either way, that's all. Hope you have a nice day!!

Now then...

TIME FOR ALL THE CONTENT WARNINGS

-One of the things in episode 1 at the very start is a decaying dog carcass, which has been implied to be sitting there for at least a couple months rotting away.

-In episode 3, a starving homeless man is given said carcass. I don't think I need to go into detail here.

-Body horror doesn't come up too frequently, but let's just say those masks aren't just masks. This starts subtly at episode 9 and 11, but from then on it'll become more apparent when it comes up.

-Several moments of suicidal implications come up throughout as well, most especially in Episode 11. They often have warnings at the start of the chapters when they happen though.

-Attempted murder and successful murder, via bashing a person's head in! Oh boy!! These will be apparent when they come up as well, keep an eye on that hammer.

The last warning is a SUPER BIG SPOILER so don't read it if you don't wanna be spoiled.

One of the biggest punishments/consequences that each of the characters can be given is called "Red Status." Getting into Red doesn't kill you, but instead it forces whoever is subjected to watch their children die--though vague, it's implied that those fates are. Not kind. Episode 26 gives us a front row seat to two children seemingly being forced to jump off a tall building and commit suicide. They don't show the bodies, but it still very much happens. It's one of the most subtle, but horrifying moments in the series so far.

Definitely not as bad as a lot of other stuff out there, but... that dog scene man. Fucks me up still today, and I know one specific person it would fuck up the most. So if these are too much for you, you know what to do.

[helenofsimblr]

Apex: Too late!! Gyaaahhhaahhh!!!!

***

Apex: (incoherent roaring!)

Lyra: No!! Stop!! Please don’t hurt him!!

***

Elita: Apex slammed my dad to the deck with a massive thud. The entire deck rattled and we could swear we felt it down in the cargo bay. Lyra heard a horrific crunching noise, she didn't know if my dad had his neck broken there and then by Apex...

Lyra: Oh my gods, you bastard!

[underclerysclock]

A police officer shoots his ex boyfriend and partner with his police issued gun and the grieving queer community BEGS for them not to march in pride because we literally just lost two of our own, and there's absolutely no sympathy from the cops? I'm not surprised, but I'm disgusted and appalled. ACAB includes queer cops too.

[gay-impressionist]

france is burning.

667 people were arrested last night. they are curfews in place. public transport is partially closed at night.

nahel, a 17-year-old, was shot tuesday by the police during a traffic stop. he wasn't violent or armed, he wasn't a threat. but he broke the law and tried to drive away, so the cops killed him.

and now france is rioting.

there is a video so the government isn't trying to deny the facts for once. but the minister of the interior (in charge of the police) still insist that the police shot less people since the 2017 law on public safety.

but an analysis of police statistics by Le Monde, the most read newspaper in france, says otherwise. when the police shot on average 250 people each year in the five years prior to 2017, that number became 297 after 2017. for shots fired specifically on moving vehicles, the average used to be 119 and it's now 150. before 2017, there was an average of 0.06 deaths per shot. now it's 0.32.

more than ever, the police shoots to kill.

so france is burning.

[uncanny-tranny]

"Treatment" for addiction that requires you to lock up, confine, coerce, or otherwise strip addicts of their autonomy, it isn't treatment. It is a revenge fantasy that prioritizes your desire for subjugation over the actual betterment of addicts.

[manichewitz]

some photos i took from emerson college’s encampment for palestine. most of these were taken only a few hours before the boston PD attacked hundreds of protestors and brutally arrested 108 students, most of whom were poc, jewish, and/or queer.

anyone who spent any amount of time in the encampment will tell you just how much it brought us all together—there was always food, music, arts and crafts, and hundreds of messages of support written in chalk.

after the BPD was done brutalising us for peacefully protesting, they power washed down the walls of the encampment—all of these messages are gone. theyre trying to erase what happened, but they’ll never truly be able to. everyone saw, and everyone will remember.

[sayruq]

The Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoner's Club announced in a joint report that the Israeli occupation forces arrested at least 20 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including former prisoners, between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. The report indicated that the arrests were concentrated in the Tulkarm governorate, while the rest of the arrests were distributed in the Beit Lahm, al-Khalil, Ramallah, Nablus, Tubas, and al-Quds governorates. The arrests were accompanied by widespread abuse and severe beatings, threats against the detainees and their families, as well as extensive vandalism and destruction in the homes of citizens and the homes of prisoners in the occupation prisons. According to the report, the number of arrests after the al-Aqsa storm rose to more than 8,165 in the West Bank, including those who were arrested from their homes, through military checkpoints, those who were forced to surrender under pressure, and those who were held hostage. The data related to the arrests includes those who the occupation kept in detention and those who were later released.

I'll never stop reminding people that the reason the Palestinian resistance took hostages on Oct 7th is because Israel kidnaps thousands of Palestinians and tortures, rapes, and starves them in prisons.

[angelnumber27]

The Tyre Nichols Memorial Fund

Tyre Nichols was loved by his community and was known to be gentle, kind, and joyful. He loved skating and was originally from the Bay Area in California. He was known as someone “you know when he comes through the door he wants to give you a hug” and that “he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“He had never been in trouble with the law, not even a parking ticket. He was an honest man, a wonderful son, and kind to everyone. He was quirky and true to himself, and his loss will be felt nationally.”

Btw, the link includes a photo of graphic injuries. View with discretion.

[stickus1]

tw: blood!

some freak fortress 2 speeding bullet😋

[the-land-of-women]

[ellydrawsstuff]

"Please just stay here with me"

[intersectionalpraxis]

[stickandthorn]

The way Terry Pratchett handled police in the Discworld continues to be one of the many, many things I love about his works. I certainly don’t have time to describe all the details of why he wrote such good policing, but I think the best summation of it is the arc that Sam Vimes had in many of the books.

I haven’t read all the watch books, but in the ones I have, there’s often a similar plot structure. We meet a truly detestable criminal Vimes is chasing down (think the Deep Downers in Thud, or Carcer in Night Watch). They show themselves to be truly awful people who do awful things, and they’re also just plain jackasses. They’re characters you hate to read about, the grind the audience’s gears. They also grind Sam Vimes’s gears. 

Throughout the story, they commit more and more crimes. Horrible crimes, like torturing and killing innocent people, or practicing violent religious extremism. They do things that personally target our protagonist, like go after his wife and son, or relentlessly taunt him and try to kill him and his past self. They consistently do bad things, and even as Vimes is chasing them, they do more bad things. You want them to be punished.  Finally, at the climax, we get some sort of final confrontation between the villain(s) and Vimes. In a different book, Vimes might kill the people who sent people to hurt his infant son, or tortured and killed innocent people, and the audience would probably cheer. In fact, Vimes wants to kill them. 

But he doesn’t. Every time, he suppresses the urge to enact his own justice, and he doesn’t kill them. He arrests them. Because, as he says many times, if you’ll do something for a good reason, you’ll do it for a bad. Even when there’s every excuse as to why this particular villain doesn’t deserve to live, he just arrests them. It’s not his job to decide how they should be punished for their crimes.

I think this is a masterful takedown of police brutality and Punisher style characters. Vimes isn’t a perfect person, it’s not that he could never dream of killing the bad guy. He can, and he does, often. But he never follows through, he understands why he can’t do that, so no matter how tempting it is, he doesn’t.

Because in this story, the hard boiled cynical cop truly believes in following the law. The message is always that law enforcement killing a criminal is never ok, even if they’re undeniably guilty of something truly dreadful. Hell, police brutality is personified as a millennia old demonic quasi-deity possessing Vimes, one that’s never been beaten before, but he beats it and doesn’t give in. I think that’s a really unique message in cop stories, and another reason as to why Pratchett was such a good author. 

[femmespoiled]

"Remarkably, hostile neighbors were relatively rare. Writing about homophobia, bell hooks criticizes the contemporary feminist view that homophobia is stronger in the Black community. She argues that, if this is the case today, it is a relatively recent phenomenon. When she was growing up in the South, poor Blacks, who were struggling for survival in a society fraught with racial hatred, did not ostracize their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. Tolerance, if not acceptance, was the norm. This would appear to be true of Buffalo in the 1950s. Few, if any, Black narrators remember being physically attacked and beaten by Black men. Most white narrators confirm that they felt more accepted in the Black straight world than in the white. This is not to say that homophobia was absent from the Black community in the 1950s; it simply took different forms and it did not generate as much aggressive physical harassment of lesbians.

The police, however, were an ever-present danger. Black narrators, unlike white narrators, recall the police as vicious during the 1950s. Racial prejudice seems to have magnified hostility toward lesbians and gays to the extent that Black lesbians risked arrest for “disorderly conduct” just by walking in their own neighborhoods."

- Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community by Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy and Madeline Davis