#which seems to be a commonly held belief

[thesylverlining]

Finishing Disco Elysium felt like a great way to end 2023

i'm not crying you're FUCKING CRYING AND SO AM I

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Do you think Riddle is so short because of what his mom made him eat ?

Like only making him get the perfect amount of calories like in his overblot backstory

Maybe it is because his mom is also short? Anyways she doesn't seem tall, also where is his dad.

***PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT speaking as a dietician or a doctor; the information and interpretations presented here are based my own scientific knowledge and research, and apply ONLY to the analysis of a fictional character. This post is NOT meant to be taken as any sort of medical or dietary advice.*** Personally, I'm not of the belief that Riddle is short due to his controlled dietary intake. In very simple terms, calories can be thought of as the fuel you burn to get through activities. While a caloric deficit can contribute to stunting of growth, I don't think this applies to Riddle since he lives a relatively sedentary lifestyle (sitting and studying) and is provided an adequate amount of calories per meal. I want to take a quick moment to dispel the commonly held belief that Mrs. Rosehearts underfeeds Riddle. This seems to sprout from a misinterpretation of a line in 1-25 when she is serving Riddle a birthday meal. Here, she states the exact amount that Riddle must have in order to not overshoot 600 kilocalories. This is led some fans to think that Mrs. Rosehearts restricts Riddle to 600 kilocalories a day, which is just not true. From the dialogue, it is clear that Riddle is granted 600 kilocalories per meal. Assuming 3 meals a day, that means 1800 kilocalories per day, which is very close to the recommended 1745 kilocalories for the average 8-year old boy (not accounting for fluctuations from individual child to individual child). This is a perfectly normal intake, but is appears strange at first glance because very few parents actively calorie count what their child eats to this extent.

Back to the original topic, nutrient intake also contributes to height. (Think of nutrients as the building blocks to a building called your body, and the calories as workers or the 'energy' that assembles the building/your body.) However, that doesn't mean that I think Riddle didn't get enough nutrients; it is possible to have low calorie meals which are nutritious. (For example, athletes may have to follow specialized diets in order to attune their bodies to whatever sport or activity they do. Similarly, Vil crafts a diet for the VDC/SDC squad in book 5 which cuts out junk food, is overall lower in calories, and still provides the group with the energy they need for practice.) Mrs. Rosehearts has dialogue where she describes the nutritional content of the meals she has prepared, which seem to be tailored for brain function. I'm going to assume that those meals also adequately provided for Riddle's other nutritional needs. I don't have reason to believe Mrs. Rosehearts, a doctor and mother who is detail-oriented and hellbent on her child's success, would knowingly and intentionally sabotage his health.

It’s canon that maintaining physical wellbeing makes for a good mage (which is why NRC makes its students take P.E.). Additionally, eating well is said to be one way a mage can make a recovery from blot accumulation. If Riddle were eating poorly and/or was of poor health, that would only mean struggles with concentration and his magic suffering the consequences—and that’s very much counterintuitive to the success that Mrs. Rosehearts envisions for her son.

You don’t need an abundance of calories or nutrients for growth and development. The excess will get stored as adipose tissue/fat or (depending on the nutrient) exit the body as waste. It’s important for a child to be fed well in order to grow properly, but generally if they aren’t malnourished (ie getting less than what they need) then they wouldn’t be stunted.

By in large, genetics is the major deciding factor in height. I believe current studies suggest as much as 60-80% of one's height is predetermined by DNA sequences (although those DNA sequences can be altered by the environment and outside other factors). It could very well be that Riddle is just short because his ancestors had the "short" gene. Looking back at manga images of Riddle's mom from the manga, she doesn't seem that short to me. Even when Mrs. Clover is bowing her head to her, both moms appear to be about the same height (if Mrs. Clover were standing). Maybe Mrs. Clover is a little taller (it's hard to say just staring at the image), but not by a lot. If I had to guess, they seem to be about average height for women. That doesn't mean anything in terms of genetics though, you could be any height and still carry the "short" gene to pass onto your children (the shortness trait just isn't always expressed outwardly.)

If I had to guess, I’d say Riddle is just “naturally” short or drew a bad lot in terms of genetics (since his height seems to be a sore spot for him). He’s about that age where most men will stop growing too (although some do grow well into their late teens and even early twenties).

Regarding Mr. Rosehearts, we haven't seen him yet but he's definitely mentioned a few times! He is said to be a medical mage like his wife and is implied to not have a happy marriage with her (according to Riddle). That's about all we know of him now. Some parental figures just get less focus than the other, and that’s the case for Mr. Rosehearts as well as many others (Mrs. Trappola, Mr. Spade, Mrs. Asim, etc.).

It’s possible that the short gene came from Mr. Rosehearts, but we don’t know for sure since we’ve never gotten so much as a silhouette for him. Again though, he could be tall or average but have an unexpressed short gene. I believe many fans headcanon him as short though, as the King of Hearts in the source material is smaller and meeker than his wifez

[arceespinkgun]

The Sci-Fi Racism of MTMTE/LL

As I've reread MTMTE/LL I've been struck by the offensive content and messaging, particularly the constant ableism and racism. The ableism I've seen discussed (though I really do think it needs to be mentioned more because wow it is relentless and does not get better throughout the story), but the racist themes don't seem to be mentioned quite as often. I think this is for a lot of reasons, and one is probably that the cast being robots is sort of obscuring connections to real-world marginalized peoples.

But one of the most meaningful purposes for the sci-fi genre in general is to explore these issues through symbolism and allegory, placing real-world people in speculative scenarios, theorizing about the future etc. And I think when you look at what MTMTE/LL is saying about race with its themes it's a lot of extremely negative stuff—I doubt the messaging is intentional, but in my opinion that kinda makes it even more important to talk about it....

The Cold-Constructed

I'm going to begin this post by giving context for people who don't know anything about this story. In these series, it often comes up that there's more than one way for a transformer to be created. The main ways are forging, when the planet itself imbues the malleable metal of a protoform with a spark, and cold-construction, when an existing spark is split, put inside a photonic crystal, and put into a body that's pre-built. There's a lot of bigotry surrounding these origins for transformers, which is a clear parallel to real-world racism. I mean, you can see the word "apartheid" being used to describe the treatment of the cold-constructed, and the use of a slur for that group ("knockoffs") in the panel at the beginning of this post.

It's a commonly held belief that being forged is just better and being cold-constructed is just worse, that someone who's cold-constructed is just more likely to be morally bad, less able to do precise work, and more disposable than the forged. For example, at the beginning of MTMTE, Ratchet is worried about his hands locking up because he doesn't think they can be replaced by building new ones, that only forged hands are good enough for a great doctor.

There's a lot of internalized ableism that can be read into this too but this post is already so long I'm going to just focus on racism

The big end-of-the-season villain of MTMTE is Tyrest, the former Autobot Chief Justice turned neutral, who was the one who created the cold-construction process, and who also created a computer he thought could determine anyone's guilt. He used the computer during war crime trials he presided over, and discovered 100% of defendants who were declared guilty had been cold-constructed. Breaking from the guilt he felt, thinking he'd created an immoral, inferior race, he tries to kill all cold-constructed people.

Thwarting Tyrest's plot to kill the cold-constructed was the final battle of the first season of MTMTE.

The cold-constructed person letting the heroes know about Tyrest's plan in the panel right above this is Getaway. He is also an MTO. MTOs ("made-to-order soldiers") are an even lower class within the lower class that is cold-constructed. MTOs, as you'd expect, were bots built specifically as wartime fodder, sent out into the battlefield with a life expectancy in the range of seconds, often before their bodies and minds were even functional. As the war between Autobots and Decepticons raged on, they were even imbued with less and less cultural knowledge, because in the minds of their creators, what did it matter if they were going to immediately be killed anyway? Brainstorm's an MTO, too—in the panel at the start of this post, he's lying about attending protests in the name of the cold-constructed. He's masquerading as an ally there, but it's revealed soon after that he's also cold-constructed himself.

Let's pause for a moment. Assuming you know nothing about MTMTE/LL, what do you think the story would depict when it comes to this oppressed race? I feel like I would expect that the beliefs of the main characters that these people are inferior and immoral would be challenged! I'd expect the cold-constructed and MTOs especially to be saving the day. I'd expect an exploration into why 100% of bots found guilty in those trials were of this marginalized group—a discussion of a prison pipeline that benefits the privileged, maybe? Signs that the computer used was biased because it was created by someone privileged and programmed with biases? Maybe a discussion of how the oppressed were pushed to commit crimes to survive because of the systems keeping them marginalized?

Do these things happen? Er... well... not really, no. Shockingly, Tyrest's assumptions are never challenged despite his villain status and a lot of time being devoted to thwarting his plot? And the people who defeat him, like Tailgate, Rodimus, and Magnus, were all forged. Tyrest was Magnus's former boss and mentor, and Magnus realizing he needs to be stopped is super important, but Magnus never challenges any of these beliefs about the cold-constructed or anything even though Magnus's entire personality involves being super focused on ethics?

I also think it's notable that when Tyrest activates the killswitch, the only characters from the main cast who are affected are Chromedome, Brainstorm, and Getaway. Chromedome and Brainstorm are Autobots who worked together in a system that forcibly lobotomized thousands of people. (There's a lot I could say about the minor and other characters JRo chose to be affected by the killswitch, like how many of them are evil and how they're all treated by different narratives, but that's beyond the scope of this post.)

Getaway, while not having done anything immoral yet by this point in the story, goes on to become a central villain. In fact, Getaway is one of the most despised characters in the entire TF franchise because of how depraved and manipulative he becomes. His arc involves a self-righteous crusade to remove Rodimus and Megatron from the Lost Light and show up Rodimus by completing his quest before him. Getaway is a self-admitted groomer and murderer who does things like murdering his second-in-command by ripping him apart, tearing his head off with the spine still attached and getting energon all over the floor. Oh, and brainwashing hundreds of people.

Pictured: the brain stems of crew members Getaway kills in just one of his many crimes

When Getaway's eventually gruesomely killed, it's all forged people who come to confront him (Rodimus, Cyclonus, and Whirl). I think fans might say that this couldn't be racist messaging because Rodimus comes to think better of killing Getaway and tries to save him, but then Getaway still tries to kill Rodimus and Cyclonus and is killed by Whirl for that... but like, imagine if these characters weren't robots and were instead real people. If the horrible villain was someone from a marginalized group (who had even been tortured for it by a genocidal villain) and all the people who confront him and the person who eventually kill him were people from a privileged group, there would be issues with that. Plus, Rodimus saved Getaway to be "better" than him morally.

I "loved" how right before Getaway's attempted suicide and then actual death, the narrative makes sure to underline that he's an MTO, which makes it impossible to not think about MTOs during this scene

Plus, Getaway's even something like a class traitor. He wants to be validated by Primus so bad, he teams up with Tyrest, the genocidal guy who had tortured him earlier!!! I thought this was a bizarre series of writing decisions to make regarding a character who was introduced as a victim and part of an oppressed group.

One moment that shocked me occurs when we get the first exploration of what being an MTO means. Basically, there's some convoluted sci-fi crisis happening, and everybody needs to reveal their origins. Some characters, like Getaway and Riptide, talk about being MTOs.

Nautica, a very consistent moral voice throughout this story (whose points are often ignored by other characters unfortunately but still), is also in the room. She's from Caminus, a colony world, and missed the whole War. A large part of her story arc will involve how she's not used to experiencing war and death. So does she have some big concerns about Cybertron's culture upon hearing this? Nope:

She would not fucking say that

Instead, her reaction is to immediately look at the guy who started the War, Megatron, and credit him for being responsible for so many lives. What. She's also weirdly not fazed when learning about how the superiors of MTOs eventually just stopped supplying them with cultural knowledge because it was expected they'd immediately die after coming online, and these horrible facts are really not discussed again:

I also want to point out that Riptide is a good character who's an MTO who in my opinion really doesn't do anything immoral, but he was still aligned with Getaway's mutiny initially and is quite literally diagnosed with stupid, which doesn't do a lot to challenge prevailing assumptions about MTOs in Cybertronian culture.

Brainstorm's status as an MTO becomes a plot point again during his character arc, in which he invents time travel and tries to go back in time to prevent the War in order to save everyone who died during it. When he sees that it seems like nothing he does is preventing the War, he resorts to trying to kill Megatron, but he's easily talked out of it because he doesn't want to murder anyone.

On paper, it sounds like Brainstorm's goodness might disprove cultural assumptions about people like him. But I do want to point out that when Nautica (who again, is a strong moral voice) feels very betrayed by all the secrets Brainstorm kept from her, Ratchet convinces her to give him a second chance by pointing out that since Brainstorm's an MTO, if he'd prevented the War, he'd have been erased from existence. This is portrayed as a selfless, moral act, and not as a self-destructive cry for help, which I think is a poor choice, but worse, the narrative never even brings up the fact that Brainstorm would've not only erased himself, but all MTOs!

Okay, if bigoted assumptions about the morality and mentality of MTOs isn't something effectively challenged by the story, well, are the claims that forged people are physically more skilled ever challenged? Not really, no. Genuinely, I don't think that ever comes up. Megatron does perform a spark surgery somehow better than actual trained doctors First Aid and Velocity could do near the story's end, but Megatron's someone who was neither forged nor cold-constructed. He has a forged spark in a pre-built body, which given that bigoted assumptions about the cold-constructed are never really addressed by the narrative, lends itself to jokes like, "The cold-constructed body killed 100 billion people, but the forged spark was super sad about it!"

Rodimus describes Megatron's origin

EDITED TO ADD: There is also a skilled cold-constructed Decepticon neurosurgeon, Spinister... but the way other characters, even his closest friends, consistently treat him is that he is an idiot in every other respect in a way that feels very ableist. It's similar to the way Riptide is treated and his portrayal falls short of challenging the stereotypes, but even more extreme (personally, nothing Spinister ever did or said actually came across as stupid to me, but I'm fairly certain that his actions are supposed to seem that way).

Organic Life

Surprisingly given that this is a story about transformers, I actually think some of the most racist messaging in these series has to do with organic beings, not even with the robots! Some of the most shockingly racist moments, at least.

Something that's often discussed in MTMTE/LL is a concept called "technoism," the belief that mechanical beings are superior to organic ones, and that mechanical beings should commit genocide against organic species. This is a belief tied to Decepticons, and Megatron was the first big proponent of this idea. In fact, Megatron is stated to have killed 100 billion (!!!) organics, including driving multiple species to extinction.

Tarn (evil leader of the Decepticon Justice Division) recounts Megatron's desire to purge all organic life

Now, I feel like people who've read this story might be surprised to see that I feel this concept was handled in ways that promote racist messaging, considering the story repeatedly points out that technoism is bad and that Megatron was wrong. Some portion of Megatron's character development involves instead choosing to save organic life.

Unfortunately, I really felt this was extremely clumsily handled. A major Decepticon character who remains a Decepticon, Fulcrum, is especially disgusted by organic life. In one of the most shocking moments in this entire story, Fulcrum basically tells Tarn, "Life was so much better back when we Decepticons did ethnic cleansing, before mean bullies like you ruined it":

The shocking thing to me is that this is portrayed as a... noble act, I suppose I could put it? Everything is framed as if Fulcrum is doing something heroic in this moment. Disconcertingly, after this moment, Fulcrum is repeatedly used by the narrative as a sort of moral voice when talking to his fellow Decepticons. Whenever they're doing something unethical, he's almost always the first to speak against it. Yeah, ethnic cleansing guy, pre-any character development, is used as a moral compass.

Now, if his belief that organics are inferior and disgusting and deserve to die was challenged and he grew, that would be one thing. But he still finds them just as gross by the end of the entire story.

Similarly, another Decepticon who gets to team up with the heroes and get a happy ending is Nickel, herself a former member of the Decepticon Justice Division, and a strong believer in technoism. She joined the DJD to get revenge against organics who destroyed the colony she comes from. Even by the end of the story, it's clear that she despises organic life.

The very strange thing is that Nickel and Fulcrum are never shown to change these philosophies, but then join the fight against functionists who want to cleanse the universe of non-mechanical life... but there's nothing ever shown to indicate that they wouldn't agree with that plan themselves...?

Another moment that displays issues with how this story handles these concepts is a little interlude with the organic-operated Galactic Council:

On the surface, not much is happening, but this is one of my most hated moments. Why? Because the implication is that organic life, this group of beings that Megatron committed staggering, multiple genocides against, is now preventing his character growth journey. That the narrative's taking time to dedicating a whole scene to showing oh, organics can be bad and extort people too! There's "moral complexity" here!!! I really hope I don't need to explain why that's gross and extremely dangerous to apply as a lesson to any sort of real-world situation.

Other

There are other details in this series that feel racist that wouldn't necessarily fit into the other sections of this post.

I wanted to talk about Ten. Ten is a legislator, a non-transformer robot originally programmed by Tyrest to be a non-sentient law enforcer. However, after Tyrest's defeat, Swerve reprograms Ten to be his... well... slave. I mean it, Swerve makes him a worker at the bar who Swerve doesn't pay. Other people like Ratchet and Ultra Magnus try to convince Swerve he shouldn't treat Ten like this, but that isn't enough to get Swerve to stop.

Worse, Whirl etches graffiti onto Ten's back saying he "failed the Ambus Test," which is a test that measures sapience in-universe.

Now, eventually Swerve and everybody else does accept that Ten is sapient and Swerve feels bad about what he did to him, but Ten continues to be treated badly in general by people like Rodimus.

When Ten later dies, no time is spent mourning him. Also, nobody ever removed that damn statement that was etched on his back.

I also wanted to mention Drift. He was originally created by writer Shane McCarthy in the IDW comics before these series, and he's heavily Asian-coded, particularly Japanese-coded. Unfortunately, Drift was considered a real Poochie the Dog of TF for a long time by fans, a real Mary Sue, you could say, and it wasn't until MTMTE/LL when James Roberts began writing him that his reputation changed for the better.

...Unfortunately, included in JRo's new direction for Drift's character is repeated mocking of his spirituality. This does get slightly less extreme over time, but that doesn't erase how for the entire first season especially he's made the butt of jokes for it, and the end of MTMTE/LL even confirms that his beliefs were wrong, essentially. It confirms that the gods he believed in both didn't exist and were heavily morally compromised. Combine this with the fact that Drift is so Asian-coded and I feel that it comes across as racist.

Worse, while Drift already had a backstory, JRo wrote a new one for him that can be read to play into offensive, Orientalist stereotypes. JRo shows that Drift was originally a drug addict who earned money by renting out his body parts, an act that feels like a robot equivalent of prostitution. JRo even made jokes about this on his Twitter account, joking about Drift literally renting out his "thighs" for people.

None of this surprises me necessarily especially given the long history of English Orientalism, but it still sucks, and fandom's fixation on this aspect of Drift's character also sucks (especially the tendency to make this prostitution allegory literal), especially for someone like me who is part Asian.

Another, pretty bizarre and racist thing in Lost Light specifically that I don't really know how to categorize involves a minor villain from that series. When Nautica wants to bring her best friend, Skids, back from the dead, she goes to someone who claims she'll take Nautica's grief in return for using a Cybertronian artifact to bring Skids back to life.

This villainous character's name is... sigh... Mengel. If you don't know, Mengel is named after real-world Nazi Josef Mengele, infamous for the horrific human experimentation he performed on prisoners in one of the Auschwitz concentration camps. As if this weren't in bad taste already, none of the real-world crimes against humanity have anything to do with the character in this comic I'm talking about—the character Mengel was named this just for shock value and so readers would have the immediate realization that she's an evil scientist.

But this really bad taste isn't even the main thing I wanted to say about her. The main thing I wanted to point out is that she's actually part of a different race of mechanical beings that Cybertronians consider inferior. Even the generally very morally good Nautica (and of course, this is a belief that is not challenged in any way)!

Plus, this villain has darker "skin" than most of the transformers present in these series, and she has buck teeth with a tooth gap. All of these details combined other her in a racialized way, and I hope it's obvious how disturbing it is to pair these traits with the name of a real-world virulently racist Nazi historical figure.

Conclusion and TL;DR

In this story, it's not enough that a genocidal person like Tyrest is a bad guy or that the genocidal Megatron changes his ways when even the characters often cast as moral voices in most situations like Ratchet, Nautica, and Fulcrum have racist assumptions about the world that the narrative just doesn't really make any attempt to disprove or challenge them on. Or worse, that the narrative sometimes seems to validate with characters like Getaway, (sigh) Mengel, or the Galactic Council. And on a personal note, it's especially frustrating to me as someone who loves characters like Nautica. If she appears a surprising number of times in this post, it's because I'm attentive to her and how the story uses her, because I really like her!!!

Now, obviously, I don't think that stories have to address and defy all bigoted ideas and statements that inform the culture they're set in. But I believe that the people behind these series think the messages of these series are anti-racist and anti-fascist. In fact, one of the issues was even titled "This machine kills fascists," real-world slogan of singer Woodie Guthrie. Plus, I think it might be easy to think that with so much representation of, say, gay and trans people, that this story would have more positive messaging, especially when villains include racists and fascists. But I think MTMTE/LL show a real lack of understanding of the roots of these real-world issues and often reinforce the beliefs that contribute to them. In fact, when I reread these comics, every time some racist idea that's never ever challenged or adequately discussed came up, I tallied it up, then converted the number to dollars and donated the amount to helping displaced Palestinian children. I would love it if I could inspire some fans to donate as well! There’s a wide range of vetted links here.

I'm being so critical of these series not only because I rarely ever see the racism pointed out, but also because it's important to note it so these issues can be avoided in the future. In these comics, I actually think it would have been very easy to avoid these problems that plague the narrative. The bigotry behind Tyrest's philosophy could've been pointed out, maybe even by the people most affected by it. Drift's new backstory didn't have to be one featuring Orientalist tropes. The central villain didn't have to be someone who was a marginalized victim. Characters like Fulcrum didn't have to be portrayed as moral voices while simultaneously in the same breath talking about ethnic cleansing like it's a good thing, and they could have grown and changed in a natural way! etc. None of these things had to be like this.

[dateamonster]

Let's learn about animals!

This furry fellow is called a bear. Bears can be most easily identified by their bright coloration, upright posture, and the unique fur pattern on their bellies.

Bears come in two known variations: type A and type B. Type A bears are known for their short, velvety fur and round features, and have been found to be quite docile and friendly, if unintelligent, creatures. However, a type A bear is still a wild animal and are not to be kept as pets, as these bears may suddenly metamorphose into their larger and more dangerous counterparts at any time.

In comparison, type B bears express a more muted coloration and can grow up to eight feet in height. Type Bs are big eaters, as well as highly territorial and aggressive to those it sees as a threat. Even before reaching their full stature on day six of their metamorphosis, the loss of saturation in their coat, which in type As is a necessary evolutionary tactic to warn off predators, shows that these bears are no pushovers.

Contrary to commonly held beliefs of the past, type A bears are not simply the young offspring, or "cubs", of type Bs. While it's true all bears start out as type As, some bears may go their entire lives without metamorphosing, while some others undergo this change very early in life. Furthermore, in tests where metamorphosed and un-metamorphosed subjects of the same species were introduced in captivity, type Bs continued to attack type As indiscriminately whether they had been previously acquainted or not, seeming not to recognize them as one of their own kind. Research is still ongoing as to just what the relationship is between these two subgroups, and what if anything triggers the change from a type A to a type B.

Bears are quite the fascinating creature, and yet they've become an increasingly common presence over the years, inhabiting woodlands all throughout the northern hemisphere. While a spike of hunting and trapping these majestic animals for their valuable pelts, as well as for ritual purposes in certain areas of North America, once threatened to thin their numbers almost to extinction, the bear's ability to reproduce asexually and yield up to six vibrant rainbow cubs in a single litter has allowed the species to persist even under the harshest conditions.

Animal Fun Fact: No two bears have the exact same set of markings, and may have evolved these strange symbols as a means of communicating amongst their kind, identifying their lineage, rank, and temperament to any other bears they come across.

[na-t0]

𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳

Nicholas D. Wolfwood x reader (fem)

nsfw . male masturbation . multiple mentions of religious themes . minors please do not interact

"I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth...shit, what's next?"

Despite of what others think, Nicholas D. Wolfwood has come to the conclusion that he is indeed, the perfect example to belie the thought commonly held by people that him, and all the other children of the Lord who is high in the heavens, are made in his image and likeness. He is just a man, a mere mortal, vulnerable and weak in the face of temptation, son of original sin. Trying to atone for, and amend, the errors that life has brought within his path, and from which he cannot seem to escape.

Same life that unfortunately has also placed him in the way of your so intoxicating self. As if it were an unforgivable and cruel test to endure the strength of his already cracked spirit, a test to prove how much he is capable of resisting when the sharp claws of lust slowly scratch his back when he tries to sleep and the image of your beautiful face invades his mind. He also claims being able to feel them scratching once again when, after what seems like an eternal week of waiting, he manages to spot you sitting among the 47 people that fit in the orphanage’s chapel at the time of the religious ceremony he presents on Sundays at 10 in the morning.

Nicholas talks to himself all the time. He talks about a whole bunch of different things to stay busy and distant from the loneliness that his profession entails. He also writes, on a small black notebook that shamelessly reads Holy Bible on its cover, which he keeps in the inside pocket of his suit all day. It is possible to find random thoughts scrambled between its pages, occasional unfinished sketches of the kids who visit him frequently, prayers and attempts at poetry that, despite the ease he possesses to release a speech towards an audience made up of people full of faith in the word he preaches every weekend, the simple idea that one day you might inadvertently read what lies on those yellowish paper sheets terrifies him to the point where he can feel each and every one of his nerve endings on the surface of his skin, pulsing with the same intensity as the wings of a flying hummingbird.

He writes for you, more specifically. Even though in life, there are weaknesses that sometimes, do not allow the deepest feelings of the heart to flourish freely.

"I am just an object waiting to be ashes, and it is precisely for that reason that I would like my body to burn until it is consumed as one with yours. So at the end, dust will be the only thing that remains of our spirits, mixed together, to be later carried away by the wind of this unforgiving desert we call home."

“I have reached such a degree of insanity that, not even with the help of a thousand divine healing rites, my composure will return. I have even considered exchanging the blood of as many sinners as necessary to the Devil in order to melt into the blazing but purifying fire that surely arises with the single touch of your lips, and if you allow me, to endulge in the perfect contradiction that lies between your legs. A place both sacred and infernal, a place where good and evil converge and is powerful enough to drive even the most righteous and ruthless of religionists to an infinite madness. A place that I can only imagine feels like heaven and hell at the same time, capable to burn but also soothe the wounds in the soul of a disgraceful believer, one such as myself, your humble servant.”

“And I am not ashamed to affirm in front of the cross in which the son of God was punished because of filth like me, that, your mere presence encourages me to violate every order imposed by the invisible power of my belief, all that for what he, the same guy I mentioned earlier, sacrificed himself for in the first place. He sacrificed himself for you and especially for me, and above all, for the atrocities that come with the human race to disappear from the world. Such as the kind of things that flood my mind when my gaze manages to distinguish a little glimpse of your underwear when you put on that pretty dress of yours and you take a seat in the front row. A dress I like to imagine you only use for me.”

When Sunday comes, the ceremony starts and it's your turn at the moment of communion. It all happens in a matter of minutes every single time, a fleeting contact that is difficult to remove from his system. The host is delicately held by Wolfwood's hands as he stares at you, the abyss of his obsidian orbs capturing your attention to ask for your permission. You nod and look back at him too, subtly batting your eyelashes and slowly sticking out your tongue in an inviting way, that more than innocent, seemed diabolical, as if you knew which cards to move to obtain an absolute victory. And he feels it, he feels something struck his chest. Like a pair of magnets who can't fight the silent attraction that tries to unite them. You glance at the thick fingers infront of you for an instant, and then once again, you lift your stare towards him to take the host. His breathing stopped the moment he felt the back of his fingers get in contact with the wetness of your tongue while accommodating the wafer on it, and he almost, just almost, stutters in his words, but he doesn't, it takes all of his will not to. He blinks and his hand moves away from your lips to continue with the the other presents. You turn around and go back to your place without looking back. Luckily for him, the robe that covers his body does not allow to reveal any trace of what could give away his growing hunger for you.

Reminiscing something that he himself already wrote once in his notebook.

“It’s a disgusting sight, truly. How you take the sacramental bread from the hands of a sinful bastard, how you try to be purified by the same hands that are permanently stained with the obscene thought of consuming your body, your entire being. But you don’t have an idea of how much I love it, how much I want you to be mine.”

The lecture finished at 10:57 a.m. Nicholas remembers glancing at the watch on his wrist to regain the track of time he lost when you got close to his body. Seeing that people were starting to get up, he decided to clean his instruments to leave everything in order, and at the same time, bring some peace to his mind. He didn't have long arranging his space when Wolfwood felt a sudden and intense urge to look back, and when he did, you were the first thing that he focused on, stumbling upon the surprise of your eyes already searching for his while walking to the exit, wearing the most precious smile he’s ever seen on your face. A smile just for him.

By 11:23 a.m. the chapel was completely empty and Wolfwood walked with an unbearable weight on his feet towards the confined space of the confessional, along with a box of matches in hand that he took from an old cabinet. He closed the door, took a seat and leaned his head against the wall, which protested with a slight screech, as if it knew what was going through the troubled man's mind. Of course you appeared immediately, the images of every time you two have exchanged greetings in the streets, in the market, or even at the events to raise funds for the orphanage.

First came the color of your eyes, which seemed to dominate and illuminate the darkness of the small space he was in, then your eyebrows and the expressions that characterize your words while speaking. Thirdly, your mouth, the Eden he dreams of so much, reflected in the shine that your lips acquire when you bite and wet them with saliva. Imagining how they move to the compass of your voice, if they are rounded, if you smile or if you stay quiet. Nicholas raised his right hand and gently touched his own mouth to try to calm the urgency of joining it with yours. He closed his eyes and remembered the slight meeting he had with it an hour ago. The warmth of your breath on his knuckles and the softness he touched with the pads of his mistreated fingers. How easy would it be to draw a whimper out of you, the sweetest sound he can think of. His pants began to feel more and more uncomfortable with every passing minute, the pressure exerted by the growing erection in his groin started to become unbearable. Will he be able to obtain salvation if he confesses everything, here and now?

"God...please" And just as he often does, he began to talk. "I want her more than...a-anything in this world...can't I have her either?" The hand that previously touched your lips, traveled up to his crotch and gave a first cautious squeeze, allowing himself to be carried away by the venom of the serpent that condemned us all as sinners centuries ago, which little by little contaminated his veins and blinded his sight. Now not only did he imagine the Eden in your beauty, he was about to enter that precious place, only to break the rules. "I haven't been...a g-good man, but..." His breathing began to falter, with great gulps of air, his chest rose and fell, trying to oxygenate his racing heart. "I swear I...I can treat her right." The restraint of the stiff bottoms was starting to be painful for Nicholas, so he reached for the button, hastily undoing it to reach into his underwear. The burning heat of desire greeting him. And as he could, he pulled out his member from the base without removing his pants. The cold edge of the zipper brushed against the prominent veins of his rigid sex while his hand tried to conciliate the relief he so desperately needed. He kept traveling with his mind through your neck, your chest, your waist and your navel, the unknown nudity that he longes for unfolding before him in an imaginary scenario within the four small walls of the confessional. His breathing became more and more disturbed and growls began to sprout from the depths of his being.

"I'm sorry, God...I'm so s-sorry" He started to apologize because he knows exactly what is next. He enjoys being rough with his wicked self, he is violent. Pulling his own hair with one hand while the other strokes himself harshly. He spits on the tip, and watches how saliva slowly rolls to the base. He grunts, an animalistic type of sound that reveals the wildest part of his existence, his human predatory instinct, the part that he tries to repress with calling himself a preacher of the Lord’s word. He likes to tighten the grip in his member to the point where the veins on his forehead begin to become visible and the color of his shaft changes entirely with the accelerated flow of blood. Suffocating in his own body, a prisoner of his dark desires.

"Our Father, who...a-art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is...i-in heaven." It was in that moment when he began to pray. And the drops of fluid that came out of his slit with anticipation gave his hand more access to stroke with a quicker pace. From outside the confessional, it was possible to hear the faint slippery sound of friction from skin to skin and the murmured pleas of a man sunk in perdition.

"Give us this day our daily bread, a-and forgive us our trespasses...as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temp-temptation...but deliver us from...evil."

Would God be able to truly forgive such an act?

"A-Amen."

And it's just when he finishes his pleas that he finds himself betrayed by his own mind, letting your name slip from his lips, over and over again, like a renovated prayer, but profane and corrupted. The peculiar burning sensation in the lower part of his abdomen starts to approach. He bites the collar of his white camisole and drool escapes from the sides of his mouth in the delirium of a near orgasm. Squeezing his eyes shut he imagined your breasts swaying in front of his face as you grind on top, your angelic face contorted with the ecstasy of a fictional encounter, and your core eagerly receiving each of his thrust. The sweet aroma that your sweat must have and all the possible ways you could moan his name.

"Ni..cholas, ah...Nicholas...Nic..."

The entirety of his skin crawls to the thought. And his hips begin to move with an unbridled, involuntary frenzy, consequence of the carnal instinct that species keep hidden in their bodies.

"Oh...God..please, please...ple-please." He calls uselessly for the only one who could redeem him, the only one who could accept a sin like this. Finally, he rapidly drags his hand a couple of last times and the orgasm begins to hit his senses. A last growl comes out of his chest before his teeth unconsciously loosen the fabric of the shirt to let out a deafened cry. With some last thrusts, his hips rise in a lost rhythm from the bench on which he is sitting as his seed spills violently into his right hand, staining some of the fabric of his black pants along the way.

The warm sensation of contact with his own release brings him back to himself, and he can only at this point, contemplate more clearly the mistake he has made.

“Divine forgiveness, what a bunch of shit.”

He drops the other hand that was tugging at his brunette locks in the heat of the momentum inside his pocket, pulls out a cigarette, places it in his mouth and proceeds to wipe the remains of cum on his right palm with a handkerchief, so he can pick up the matches he had brought with him, light the stick, and take a hit, trying to quell with smoke the latent nectar of lonely intimacy impregnated in the air. He takes a few moments to let the haze of the moment pass completely as he watches the mess in his lap and his now softened member.

The cigarette is half finished, he is a fast smoker.

He inhales and exhales once more, and then, there’s a subtle, almost silent, knock on the door, followed by what he recognizes is your voice coming from the rusty confession room's grate.

“F-Father Nicholas...?”

[megyulmi]

Chapter 260 Spoilers!

I keep adding to my initial post on what Sukuna saw in Chapter 260, but the possibilities seem endless and as someone who enjoys drawing up theories, here is yet another.

In this post, I talked about the concept of Rebirth and how Buddhism believes that everything in nature happens in the ‘cycle of time’. If we take this into consideration is it possible that we may see Gojo return as a ‘Vengeful Spirit’ just like his ancestor Sugawara no Michizane? However, here more than Onryō (怨霊, Vengeful Spirit) I want to put emphasis on Ikiryō (生霊, literally translating to a ‘Living Ghost’) that refers to a disembodied spirit or ghost in Japanese folklore.

Onryō of the living are said to inflict curses upon the subject or subjects of their vengeance by means of transforming into their Ikiryō form. It is believed that if a sufficient grudge is held, all or part of the perpetrator’s soul leaves the body, appearing in front of the victim to harm or curse them, a concept sort of similar to the Evil Eye (a supernatural belief in a curse brought about by a malevolent glare). Ikiryō can be found in Buddhist scriptures as well, where they are described as ‘living spirits’ who, if angered, might bring about curses, even just before their death. Possession is another means by which Ikiryō are commonly believed to be capable of inflicting harm, the possessed person is thought to be unaware of this process. However, according to mythology, Ikiryō does not necessarily act out of spite or vengefulness, and stories are told of Ikiryō who bear no grudge, or pose no real threat. In recorded examples, the spirit sometimes takes possession of another person’s body for motives other than vengeance, such as to manifest its presence around loved ones, friends or acquaintances.

I have mentioned the tales of Tōno (Iwate Prefecture) in another post before, as Akutami Gege often takes local folklore for reference, so to add to this, in Tōno Monogatari Shūi it is reported (regarding Ikiryō) that in Tōno, “the thoughts of the dead or the living coalesce into a walking shape, and appear to the human eye as an illusion.”

I think Akutami Gege might have put his spin on the tales of Ikiryō to bring Gojo back without him actually bringing Gojo back, even for a flicker of an illusion to aid his students. To make this point more plausible, in the Heian period, a human soul leaving a body and drifting away was described as ‘departure’. For example, in The Tale of Genji, the mentally troubled Kashiwagi fears that his soul may be found wandering, and requests that the last rites are performed on his body to stop his soul from escaping if this should happen. We have yet to see what happened to Gojo’s body and whether it has a proper resting place before rites/burial, therefore, it is possible that his soul is still in the process of ‘departure’ (this does sound similar to a particular scene, does not it?) and capable of return in that crucial moment even in the absence of his physical body.

[cosmicdream222]

have you entered the void before?

I'm asking cause I've seen you post about it a bunch times with different methods to enter

Also, thank you for introducing me to the phase method! I'm using it and another method (one I created) to enter

Hey! Glad to hear the Phase has been helpful for you! Happy to answer your question, but it’s a bit more complicated than a yes/no answer and I’m feeling rambly today so you’re gonna get a whole backstory on how this blog came to be 😂

Backstory about me & this blog

I’d been in the personal development manifestation community since around 2016, and it was my life for a long time. But the kind of manifesting these people taught was basically like… wake up at 5am, work out, journal, meditate, shadow work, tarot cards, affirmations, cold showers, start a business, post no less than 10 times a day across your 5+ social media channels, and maybe if you hustle hard enough and cleared enough past life karma and Mercury isn’t retrograde, then the universe might grant your wishes... (if you don’t die of exhaustion first. 😅)

It really was a mess and realize now despite the facade of positive thinking and good vibes, the whole community really just keeps themselves identifying with lack & victim mentality so the coaches at the top profit off everyone else’s misery.

I believed in manifesting and had faith I would achieve my goals, but despite years of trying a million different things, only saw small or short-term successes and never seemed to get anywhere. I was feeling pretty burnt out and miserable, so summer 2023 I decided to stop trying so hard and just spend some time focused on myself and what I wanted. I went back to the two methods that I’ve always loved and had success with: affirmations and tapping.

I tapped every day and started making affirmation art and lockscreen wallpaper for fun. I posted the affirmations on Pinterest, which eventually lead me to finding affirmations pinned from tumblr. I think it was a screenshot from blushydior I saw at first, but her blog was deactivated by then. So I started stumbling around tumblr (around Aug-Sept 2023 at this point), where I eventually came across loa, the void, and shifting.

I was surprised because despite my extreme research into all things personal development & spiritual, I’d never heard of it. Although I’d read about quantum physics and more supernatural things, every coach/teacher had major limits. “Manifesting” only meant getting logical earth things like making 6 figures in your business through hard work and hustle so you can afford to travel and buy luxury cars & Chanel bags. Stuff like changing the past, waking up with all your desires, etc was absolutely impossible and not even talked about except “you can’t change the past”.

So having only heard about these incredible overnight life-changing manifestations from tumblr, I was skeptical and wanted more information. I basically started this blog to collect information from outside tumblr to prove it to myself and share with others. Which of course sent me down a rabbit hole of research and overconsumption and overcomplicating the void 😅

I did get kinda obsessed and throw myself into trying every shifting & void method I saw right away, which just left me frustrated with “failed” attempts. But I see now I was just repeating the same victim mentality from the old community - that everything had to be hard and a struggle, that I was a victim of circumstance and limited by a higher power. (This is also a really commonly held limiting belief in religion and society in general that affects many people.)

It took me more than a few months to realize, but I’m finally switching my default programming to that of a creator instead of a victim. Because I don’t want to be obsessed and put the void on a pedestal, I’m currently just working on my self concept that I am in control of my reality and can manifest whatever I want - with or without the void. I still do want to experience it of course, just want to make sure I’m going at it with a healthy mindset.

However!

About a week or two ago I read someone’s void success story that triggered a memory from many years ago: I realized I actually did wake up in the void and manifested something, long before I even knew what manifesting or the void was 😭 Because I’d always believed in supernatural things, I thought I had a “psychic dream” but now I know it was the void! (If anyone wants storytime I can make another post with more detail).

And since at the time, I entered without even knowing about the void’s existence, I realize we here or tumblr really do overcomplicate it. Like the video I posted where the void is described as the midway point between wake and sleep - it really is that simple!

I’ve noticed now that whenever I wake up naturally (not getting woken up by an alarm, outside noise, or cat jumping on me) I do always seem to wake up in the void. It’s the same kind of experience, and I don’t hear anything, but my first natural instinct when I wake up is to wonder where the sounds of my environment are. So I end up tuning in to my room and snapping out of the void.

I guess I just have to train myself to make my first thought an affirmation for my desires instead of just wondering where the sounds are 😅 But regardless, now I know it’s absolutely real and possible for me, I know it’s only a matter of time until I figure it out!

[hedgewitchgarden]

This year, the Feast of Hecate, which we’ve adopted into our own craft, falls on the Dark Moon and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Several years ago, we published an article on Hecate and the origin of her festival on August 13. In the early 2000’s this festival was commonly ascribed to an aspect of Hecate known as the Lady of Storms with some notion that part of the reason for the festival was to propitiate Her to protect the harvest. Our work and experiences with Our Lady of Night have changed and evolved since that time, and as the feast date continues to grow in popularity, we thought we’d revisit the article.

Back in 2007 we wrote:

There’s not much in the classical literature about [Hecate] being associated with storms, beyond that Zeus ‘gave’ her power over all realms. Her dominion here instead seems to grow out of the “dark and stormy night” image that she developed during the middle ages. There is, however, widespread belief among modern worshipers that she has a feast day on August 13 to protect the crops from violent storms. Wikipedia is perpetuating this belief, citing Leo Ruickbie’s “Witchcraft out of the Shadows” (2004). In a side-box he claims that the ancient Greeks observed a feast day on August 13 in which Hecate was propitiated to not send storms to destroy the growing crops. Ruikbie, in turn, cites his source as Diane Stein’s “The Goddess Book of Days” (Llewellyn, 1997). Her original calendar was published in 1988 and does not give a primary source. Various Internet sites claim that this occurred in the House of Storms and Fertility, that it was a Festival to Hecate of the Moon, or that it was part of the Festival of Hecate and Artemis. Mikalson, in The Sacred and Civil Calendar of the Athenian Year lists for Metageitnion 16 that “the sacrifical calendar of the deme Erkhia prescribes sacrifices on this day to Kourotrophos and Artemis Hekate.” Metageitnion is the Attic lunar month that lines up with late July/August. The 16th would be two days after the full moon (July 31, this year). Unfortunately, I cannot find what occurred during the rite (if anything specific at all). Still, this doesn’t explain why August 13 was chosen, fixed as it is to the Roman solar year instead of the lunar calendar used by the ancient Greeks. Also, there is never any mention as to why Hecate would be called to protect crops (as opposed to children and mothers-to-be). According to Brumfield in his book The Attic festivals of Demeter and their Relation to the Agricultural Year (1976), during the time of the year we call August, the grain harvest had been completed and the grape harvest would not have begun until September. August was a lull in the agricultural year and nothing needed to be protected from violent storms. A few clues come to light when we stop looking for ancient Greek sources. In Rome, The Festival of Torches was held on August 13, called the Nemoralia. In it, woman would walk from the city of Rome carrying torches to a lake sacred to Diana where they would offer their petitions. There was a strong conflation between Artemis and Hecate in Greece, with Hecate taking on a number of Artemis’ roles. Diana and Hecate were also conflated some, but typically maintained separate spheres of influence. Still, this seems to be a likely source for fixing the ritual on that particular date. Additionally, in 1986 a ritual performed on August 14, 1985, was published in Circle Network News which invoked Hecate Chthonia and incorporated a Hecate Supper. A web page by that author claims that a similar ritual incorporating much of the same text was performed at the MoonStone Circle of the Aquarian Tabernacle and published in Panegyria on August 13, 1988. The original date it was performed, August 14, 1985, was a dark moon, which has been a sacred time for Hecate since classical times. The other date, though, perhaps inspired by Stein’s recently published Goddess Book of Days, was a waxing gibbous. None of this explains a connection with storms or harvests, however. This strikes me as a purely Neopagan phenomenon rising out of widespread observance of harvest-type rituals during early August, the most common being the Celtic feast of Lughnasadh.

Eight years later, we still suspect the modern Feast of Hecate held on August 13 comes from the Nemoralia, the festival of Diana held in the groves at Nemi. This cult has a long association with modern paganism, being the inspiration and central study in Sir James Frazer’s The Golden Bough which, in turn, formed a pillar of the neo-pagan movement.

The goddess Diana as she was worshiped in the groves as Nemi possessed a triple form, not unlike the triform figure of Hekate that is familiar to many modern witches. One of the three was known classically as Hecate or Proserpina, something which has troubled me. Why is a Latin Goddess being called by the name of a different Greek goddess? Is it syncretism, like the conflation of Artemis and Hecate, and Artemis and Diana. CMC Green in Roman Religion and the Cult of Diana at Aricia offers this plausible explanation: “The identification of Diana with Hecate (a Greek name) has been made unnecessarily complicated. Diana the Huntress was identified with the moon, as Apollo was with the sun. As the moon grows dark once a month it is inevitable that a moon-goddess will have some part of her identity located in the underworld. Hecate is simply the Greek name for that part of her identity.” The names Hecate and Proserpina were also likely considered safe substitutes for the true name of the Underworld Moon.

There are numerous classical references to this association. One of Horace���s Odes mentions Diva Triformis, and Virgils Dido calls on “tergeminanque hecaten, tria virginis ora Dianae.” Isodore of Seville writing in the first century explains: “Concerning which Virgil writes..the three faces of the virgin Diana, because the same goddess is called Luna, Diana, and Proserpina”. This tripartate Diana persisted through the centuries, showing up in triple form in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and John Skelton’s Garland of Laurels in 1523 (“Diana in the leaves green, Luna that so bright doth sheen, Persephone in hell”). As mentioned previously, her cult instigated James Frazer’s life work The Golden Bough and influenced Robert Graves’ The White Goddess, through which the concept of the triple goddess was introduced to modern Wicca.

To return to the August festival which honored the three-fold goddess, Green’s translation of one of the poems composed by the Latin poet Statius in the 1st century CE is appropriate:

It is the season when the most scorching region of the heavens takes over the land and the keen dog-star Sirius, so often struck by Hyperion’s sun, burns the gasping fields. Now is the day when Trivia’s Arician grove, convenient for fugitive kings, grows smoky, and the lake, having guilty knowledge of Hyppolytus, glitters with the reflection of the multitude of torches; Diana herself garlands the deserving hunting dogs and polishes the arrowheads and allows the wild animals to go in safety, and at virtuous hearths all Italy celebrates the Hecatean Ides.

Finally, Green (really, just go pick up her book) suggests that the festival lasted 3 days, starting with her decent to the underworld on the Ides (August 13th) where she would be known as Hecate, and culminating on the 15th of August when she ascended as the Queen of Heaven, the full moon. Incidentally the 15th is celebrated as the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, Queen of Heaven, in the Christian church, who may have adopted this (non-infernal) part of the festival.

Today, the August 13 Feast of Hecate has grown immensely in popularity among modern pagans, and includes many individual observances as well as larger public rites such as Hecate’s Feast hosted by the Temple of Witchcraft. We conclude that the Hecate honored at these rites isn’t necessarily the Greek goddess of boundaries or Lady of Storms, but they are an indirect continuation of rites to the dread face of Diva Triformis as goddess of night, the queen of the dark moon roaming the underworld. This year, in addition to feasting on delicious Mediterranean food and wine, we’ll celebrate by giving offerings at the crossroads under the shower of falling stars and ritually blending an offertory incense for use in the coming year, Hecate the Saffron Clad. From the classical torch-lit rites within the grove at Nemi to modern observances by pagans and witches, August 13 brings together all those who form the conclave of the goddess of night. May she bless you all.

[daydreaming-scheming-demon]

i quite honestly believe that nobody is immune to making up bullshit

i don't even believe im immune to making up bullshit, or you, either

and when we make up bullshit, we can sometimes trick ourselves into thinking it's true

i want to use a particular comeback i heard a terf say as a sort of case study here to explain what exactly it is that leads people to making up bullshit

the bullshit im talking about here is "Only gunk comes out of trans women's breasts", said in retaliation to someone asserting that trans women's breasts can produce milk

this bullshit may sound reasonable to someone who has reason to believe in it. but it starts falling apart if you think about it past the surface level, or if you're a biologist. it just doesn't make any sense. firstly, what even is this 'gunk'? that's not a very scientific term. where does it come from? what's the difference in biology that causes this 'gunk'?

of course, there are no answers to any of these questions, because clearly whoever said this did not understand what they were talking about.

but why would someone lie like that? well, you could say it's just because it's a lie that can be used to argue for their side, and you wouldn't exactly be wrong in saying that, but i think it runs deeper than that. in fact, i theorize this person genuinely believed what she was saying, despite having just made it up. so how does that work exactly?

well i believe there's two major factors that went into convincing this person the thing she just made up was true, actually. the first is her existing worldview and beliefs, many such beliefs being socially conditioned from youth. it's bioessentialism, and the general belief that men and women are almost like different species, in mind and body. it's an understandable belief, honestly. i remember back before i cracked and i was just beginning to research about trans people. the fact that trans women grow breasts and don't just have them inserted with surgery was a fact that blew me away. i honestly didn't even believe it at first. it felt too out there to be true. but it's true. male and female bodies just aren't as different as society conditions you to think they are. another fact i found kind of amazing is just how little differences there are between males and females before puberty. the differences are literally so minor. i thought there would've been more. but like, it makes sense, we're all made from human wombs. men aren't from mars and women aren't from... uh... uranus? i honestly forget the phrase.

this social conditioning very likely played a big part in how this person came to believe in their own lie. because the lie simply fits with their existing worldview, ideas that have likely been put into their head since a very young age. and when they learnt that trans women can objectively grow their own breasts, their mind must've jumped to "There is no way they're the same as a cis women's".

and there's another reason. im not gonna talk about this one as much, it's quite a simple reason. it's because she likely wanted to believe it. along with bioessentialism a thing a lot of terfs seem to carry with them is a sort of specialness to women, if that's a word. it's probably not. the belief isn't exclusive to terfs either. it's a kind of opposite to the commonly held beliefs that men are the special ones. now, i want to clarify here, this is not me saying that women can't be special, but i've noticed a lot of terfs seem to romanticize certain very normal traits commonly seen in women, like child birth, or being connected to the moon (which is actually false btw, women have no connection to the moon, id love to explain to you in depth how this falsehood spawned and grew in popularity, but this post is already long enough). honestly, im not entirely against these kinds of beliefs, though they are a little strange to me. and they likely played a role in how this particular terf convinced herself her lie was truth. because she wanted to. because she likely sees breastfeeding as one of these special unique female traits that men could never do, and since she sees trans women as men, and then learns that trans women can actually breastfeed, too. her mind probably rejected the idea outright.

now of course this is still just a theory, im no mind reader. but putting the pieces together, i find it likely that a mix of a socially conditioned worldview where her lie makes sense, and reason to want to believe her lie, were both major factors in her making up bullshit, and then believing in her own bullshit. she spread misinformation to herself, how fun.

now, i want to come back to the beginning of this post. i may have just spent an unnecessarily long time dissecting why someone might possibly have believed in their own lie, but the point of this post im trying to make is that this can be you, too.

sure, maybe you're not a terf. maybe. but i really do believe that anybody is capable of making up bullshit under the right circumstances. even me. maybe what im saying right now is bullshit, after all, im still only speculating here.

sure, the worldview and beliefs that may have tricked this particular person aren't great. but any set of beliefs could do the same, even if they're 'correct' beliefs.

things exist in this world that could make your beliefs look wrong, no matter what they are. the world doesn't twist itself to anyone's worldview. and sometimes, when we're put under certain circumstances, our worldview, our beliefs, and whatever reasons we have to want to believe something, they can lead you to making up bullshit and tricking your mind into thinking it's true.

so please, think about where you got the facts you state from.

and you know, this post was just supposed to be about making up bullshit, but ive realized this relates to more than just making up facts, it relates to believing in facts. how some things can go unchecked due to our biases, how we can look needlessly for anything that affirms our beliefs. and nobody's immune to this. nobody. we're all susceptible to our own biases. and that's why we need to look out for them. admit that you're biased, admit that you're emotional, and maybe then you can work through your biases to an extent.

ultimately, i could've just started this post off like that. "We're all BIASED and we must ADMIT to ourselves we are BIASED to work through them! thANKS FOR READINGGGG!!!!!! :-DDDDD" the post could've been that simple, but i extended it out to an absurd amount of words. eh, whatever. i enjoyed dissecting that particular case of bullshit. hopefully someone gets something out of this unnecessarily long post.

[bettyshoweduptotheparty]

I saw an inflammatory post from a Swiftie that said "it's time to go" is about Karlie. I think that's a commonly held belief by a lot of the general fans (maybe), so I was wondering what your take on the song is. 🤔

Needless to say, if it is about Karlie being a crook or what have you, she seems exonerated by Midnights. 🤷‍♀️

Anybody wanna pick this one up with more in depth knowledge? I don't listen to ITTG often because it's not one of my favourites, so have not looked into this very much.

Swifties will take anything remotely negative in a song and make it about Karlie, that much I've learned. From my initial 2020 notes, I've made the following observations about this song:

Not a 'you and I' pronoun song. Most of the time Taylor addresses her muse it's in the You and I format. There is no You in this song, only a he and otherwise third person. -> likely not about her muse

It gives me strong Scott B vibes. Everybody pretty much agrees that the last verse is about him, so why not the rest...

'Asking for the tab' - similar picture to the RWYLM restaurant setting (same person?)

like peace/TIWWCHNT this seems like one of those songs where every verse is about a different situation

First verse references both a friend and a sister. Doesn't seem like those two are the same person.

From that last point, I remember thinking that it seems more likely that Karlie is the one referred to as a 'friend' in the first verse. the person who's the crook is the sister/twin from your dreams. That to me, would be a weird way to refer to someone you had a romantic relationship with, even if they're now your ex. But even if it is about Karlie, Taylor refers to herself and her lover as criminals and cowboys all the time, swindling and lying to people. Just yesterday, someone quoted the line from the Alcott 'did my love aid and abet you' which I think says enough.

Over to all of you!

[kiskyz]

“Seashells”

i started this in July, forgot about it, then finally finished it. sorry for my absence college and work is fucking me in the ass rn… Anyways enjoy!

TW: just general yandere shit

They say seashells hold the sound of ocean waves.

When you first saw one half buried in the sand, you dug it out and something inside you lit up. So you began collecting them.

The years flew by and your collection grew and grew.

In your 3rd year of high school, you ran into a strange man at the beach.

He gestured to the bag of seashells you were holding. “That’s quite a lot of seashells.”

The man had white hair and wasn’t dressed for the beach. What an odd character...

You looked up from the sand at him, “Yeah, I collect them.”

You held the bag up and the shovel in your other hand.

“Why seashells? They’re just old, protective shells for sea animals.” He asked.

You smiled, despite being a bit angry at his ignorance.

“Do I need a reason to like seashells and collect them?” You asked him challengingly.

He seemed taken aback by your response, before shaking his head, “I guess not.”

“Well this will serve as a learning experience, so listen well. Seashells are a lot more than meets the eye,” You explained, “As you know, a seashell is usually the exoskeleton of an invertebrate. Seashells are commonly found in beach drift, which is natural detritus deposited along strandlines on beaches by the waves and the tides.”

“So?” He questioned.

“So, they’ve gone through many different times and places. It all ranges. They look the way they do because the color comes from the mollusk's environment. They’re beautiful, proof of history.” You held a few out.

“Interesting.” He smiled at your explanation. “I guess my time spent on land has been worthwhile.”

“What was that?” You asked, not hearing the last of what he said.

“Nothing, nothing.” He waved you off. “Though… return to the beach at a later date, and I might have something for you.”

You looked at him with confusion but nodded, “I won’t be back for a while, but I will return.”

“Oh, and what’s your name?” The man asked frantically.

“Y/N, yours?” You questioned.

“Azul.” The man smiled wider and you wave to each other, before leaving.

The next time you visited was during your winter break in your 4th year of high school. Not the best time to go in the water, but that wasn’t why you were there.

You wandered the beach looking for seashells and the white-haired man.

“Eh, why do we still come here again?” An odd voice sounded from behind a rock scaring you.

“He does have a good point.” A calm voice responded.

You lowered your body against the rock. You weren’t intentionally eavesdropping on their conversation, you were just a bystander searching for seashells and they happened to be talking loudly.

“Do I have to explain it AGAIN?” A familiar different voice answered sternly.

Could it be?

“Don’t you think this girl has forgotten you?” The odd voice teased.

“Even if they did, it’s pretty much tradition to return to this beach every break we get!” The familiar voice spoke again confirming your beliefs.

It was him.

“Why can’t we just return to the dorms? It's gotten so annoying and it’s not fair why we have to come!” The odd voice asked.

“I’ve never asked you to.” The familiar voice answered.

“How about we ask the person listening if it's fair.” The calm voice spoke.

How cliche! Welp, there’s no point in feigning ignorance.

“M-my bad…” You came out from behind the rock, before defending yourself, “You were the ones talking loudly!”

“Oh! I was just hoping to find someone to squeeze!” The owner of the odd voice chirped.

You shivered before looking at the group, two appeared to be twins, both with blue hair, but opposite haircuts. You looked at their eyes and noticed they had heterochromia, but once again opposite to each other. The other man was the same guy from years prior, Azul.

“It's you.” You pointed at the one with white hair, blue eyes, and a… even weirder outfit.

“Oh… It’s you.” Azul said with a smile.

“Your! W-wait they were actually real?!” The more laid-back twin exclaimed.

“Floyd. Did you really not believe they were an actual person all this time?” Azul asked, annoyed.

Floyd shrugged and looked at you up and down.

“You still collect seashells I see.” Azul gestured to your bag.

“Yeah, not as many though. I’ve been too busy with school and soon I have to start college.” You sighed while diverting your eyes from Floyd.

“What college do you plan to go to?” Azul smiled.

“Whatever I get into.” You reply.

“Good luck! Oh,” Azul looked at the two other guys, “Let me introduce you to these two. This is Jade and this is Floyd, they’re twins.” 

You nodded in understanding. Although you still felt uncomfortable, as they were both staring right at you.

“Anyways… What’s with the strange outfits, not to be rude.” You reassure them.

“Oh, this… Just our dorm uniform!” Azul smiled.

What an odd dress code…

The sun began to set, the sky a mix of beautiful colors.

“Well,” You looked at the sky and then Azul, “it’s getting late. I’m sorry to cut this short. It was nice seeing you after all this time.”

Azul looked away with sadness before exclaiming, “Wait! I have something for you!” 

You waited as he grabbed a bag from… somewhere? And dug through it frantically.

You patiently waited till he pulled his arm out, holding something.

“Oh my god.” You gasped.

He held an insanely pretty and alluring seashell.

“Where… Where did you get this?!” You exclaimed, grabbing his arm with pure adoration.

Azul flushed in the face, “I-I have my ways.”

Hah! How cryptic!?

“Please Azul!” You can’t direct your eyes away.

“It’s the gift I mentioned before.” He held it out to you.

You grabbed it and felt… emotional!

“Thank you, thank you. Thank you so much, Azul!” You analyzed it from all angles. “How can I ever repay you?” 

“Oh, you don’t have to!” He smiled.

The sky darkened.

“I can’t just take this thought!” You exclaim while still looking at it.

Not like you’ll give it back, but you can’t do anything for him.

“In that case…” Azul went off in thought. “Keep it by your side always.”

You nod a bunch before realizing how late it had gotten.

“I'm so sorry, I have to go now.” You bow. “So nice to meet you Azul, Jade. Thank you again Azul, I’ll keep your wish. Hopefully, we can meet again.” You wave before leaving the other way.

April approached and you got into a good college, majoring in oceanography. 

The seashell gifted to you by Azul was still enchanting and you brought it everywhere in the form of a necklace. The only problem was the fact that when it was held to a person's ear, it was silent. 

You obviously knew seashells don’t really carry the sound of the sea, the phenomenon is caused by its shape and its effect on the air. So it’s quite impossible for it to be completely silent.

Time flew by and an unexpected event occurred.

A black carriage came for you meaning… 

You got into Night Raven College.

You weren’t magicless (rarely using the magic you have), but you had never planned on becoming a mage. Despite this, your mother's insistence and the job opportunities, if you went, were too good to pass off.

When you arrived at orientation you surprisingly saw a familiar face. Although he didn’t see you, you saw him. Conversing with the new students. You couldn’t approach him though, you had to be assigned a dorm.

You walked up to the mirror and it read your soul as fitting to Octavinelle.

You looked over at the separated groups and heard a voice yell next to Azul “Octavinelle Dorm here!”

You walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

“What do you think-” He turned around and stopped right in his tracks, “Y-Y/n?!”

“Azul!” You exclaimed happily. “What are you doing here?”

“O-oh, I’m the Housewarden of Octavinelle.” The man responded proudly, before looking down at your necklace. “You kept your promise.”

You laughed, “Of course and lucky for me, I’ll be staying at Octavinelle Dorm!”

He flushed for a second before his face returned to a cocky smile, “I’m glad to hear that!”

After everyone was enrolled, you followed Azul to the dorm and he showed you to your room.

Maybe these next few years will go well!

-

-

-

Despite getting closer to Azul and the twins it seemed you were a walking bad charm. Every time you talked with someone they avoided you the next day and every time someone said anything positive about you they went missing. Most of the time it was stated that they were kicked out or never found again.

It took a bad turn on your mental state causing you to go to your only friends.

“How about signing a contract with me?” Azul smiled.

Knowing his reputation you thought hard. You should trust him. You’ve been friends for a long time then again...

“Sure, but I’m going to need some time to think.” You eventually respond.

“Ah yes, and it may take me some time to make a contract that will best suit your needs.” He smiled. “Expect nothing but the best.”

It seemed to get worse after that conversation with Azul.

What's worse is that people looked at you with... fear?

In times when Azul and the twins were busy, you found strength in that necklace. The beautiful seashell is a statement of your friendship with him.

But you forgot it one day.

“Hey, can you help me with this question?” A boy sitting next to you asked you.

You looked around. Was he talking to you?

“Me?” You look back at him.

He looked at you with confusion, before giving a look of realization, “Don’t worry I don’t easily believe rumors.

You grabbed at where your necklace usually is, to rid yourself of your anxieties, but you can’t rely on it now. You swallowed down your fears and helped him. You prayed to the seven for his safety.

Yet the next day he was fine. And the next. And the next. And the next, the next, the next.

You were always surprised to see each next day.

“The contract is ready.” Azul pulled it out as you sat on the couch across from him.

You started to wonder if you needed it. You talked with that one boy and he's still alive, not even avoiding you.

“I’m going to need time to think about it.” Azuls face fell into an unreadable expression for a split second but returned to his charming business smile. “Of course.”

You forgot your necklace again. Without it, you felt bare.

“Ugh... How much of the essay have you written?” The boy next to you asked, setting his head on his desk.

“O-oh, not a lot.” You laughed.

“How does he expect us to finish this essay in 2 days!?” He exclaimed.

“Hah, that's college for you!” You look at him.

“That's such bullshit.” He looked at you.

“Y-yeah!” You looked away, face flushed.

Somehow despite the necklace being beautiful, without it, you gained a confidence boost. At least you were able to talk to him. Maybe you didn’t need that contract.

You experimented by leaving the necklace at home the next day and talking to the guy next to you, then again the next, the next. Yet when you arrived another day he was gone.

Your heart dropped.

You imagined if he was here he’d probably say, “You're just overthinking!” Yet he wasn’t there the next day or the next.

You put the necklace back on.

Then you heard gossip from behind you.

“Did you hear? The guy that sits next to that one weird girl, broke his leg and his ribs due to an accident or something.”

You ran to the nursery. 

Sure enough, he was there.

Your heart dropped.

You rushed to his side. He was wrapped in bandages. You knew the nursery was able to treat not just small injuries, but also accidents, as this was a magic school, and accidents are common.

Was this your fault?

You ran back to Mostro Lounge.

“Can we add something to the contract?” You asked out of breath.

He nodded.

“Can it guarantee the safety of the people I talk to?” You look at him helplessly.

“Yes let me make the minor adjustments.” He wrote on the contract and you impatiently waited.

“Done.” He set the contract down.

You looked over it briefly before not caring and signing it.

“Perfect!” He laughed.

“Did you even read it?” Jade asked from behind Azul.

“Kinda haha…” You looked away.

“How unfortunate.” He smiled.

You looked at him with confusion before finally reading it over.

You didn’t even know what Azul said the price was going to be. Although, even after reading it you didn’t really understand. So you read it again. And again.

“What does this mean?” You look at him.

The way he worded it made it over complicated and wordy.

Azul laughed at you, “To put it in simple terms, you will be able to talk and, to a certain extent, guarantee the safety of those close to you right now.”

You thought over his words, “Only right now?”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“T-that’s a scam!” You yelled out.

“Yet I’m afraid that what you signed. I thought you wanted this? To talk to people.” He gave you a look of confusion.

Well, as long as it guaranteed the safety of those close to you. It included the boy that sat next to you.

“What do you gain from all this?” You asked.

“Ah yes, the big question. ‘What do I gain from this?” He mocked you. “What I gain is your eternal loyalty and obedience.”

You stared at him for a few seconds, before bursting into laughter.

“You can’t be serious!?” You laughed harder.

“Oh, I guess I forgot one more thing!” He grabbed the contract pointing to a word, “Your love.”

You laughed even harder.

“Azul! Your so bad at jokes.” You cried.

All this laughter made you forget what your whole goal was. The boy in the nurse's office. 

“I have to get going.” You got up frantically.

“Why?” He asked coldly catching you off guard.

“To tell you the truth, there was this guy who sat next to me in history. He got hurt due to some accident, but thanks to your contract he will be safe from here onward.”

“You may go.” Azul turned away from you.

You ran back to the office, despite feeling exhausted. When you arrived he was gone.

“Excuse me?” You went up to the nurse, who was busy with paperwork.

“Yes?” The nurse didn’t look up.

“What happened to the boy who was staying in that bed.” You pointed to it and the nurse looked up before he gave you a sympathetic look.

“I'm assuming you’re a friend.” He asked.

“Yes?” Your heartbeat sped up with anxiety.

“I-... I’m sorry. His state was critical so he was sent to the hospital and well... He has been reported to have,” The nurse paused, “passed away shortly after his arrival.”

Your heart dropped.

It was at times like these you were grateful for the friendship with Azul. So you sought him out once again.

“A-Azul…” You said in between sobs sitting next to him on the couch in Mostro Lounge.

He looked at you.

“My friend he…” You went off.

“He wasn’t your friend,” Azul stated coldly.

“Huh?” You looked at him with confusion.

“Y/N, why did you break our promise,” He looked down.

You thought hard about what he meant.

“What do you mean?” You set in between sobs.

“Azul~!” Floyd burst through the doors. “Aw, what’s wrong shrimpy?”

You looked up at him. He looked at you and then at the contract.

“Oh! I know, it's about your friend right!” Floyd laughed.

“H-how do you know about that?” You looked at him with shock.

“Hmm... I wonder~” Floyd smiled.

What was going on?

Why did Azul say that about your dead friend and how did Floyd even know about him? Then your mind went back to what Azul said.

Every time you met with your seat neighbor, you didn’t have the necklace.

You promised Azul you’d always have it with you. You broke his promise. Yet how did it all tie in? Did it have something to do with the odd fact that it was completely silent?

“Azul, I don’t think they understand,” Jade commented on your confused face.

Azul sighed and grabbed at the necklace around your neck, “Why did you leave it? I couldn’t hear anything for days and all I could see was your dark, empty dorm. I get maybe forgetting it once, but you kept forgetting. I knew as anyone would that it wasn’t accidental anymore-”

“Not true. You kept arguing that Y/N was just a forgetful person,” Floyd interrupted him, “Me and Jade how to drill it in your head that they-”

“Quiet Floyd.” Azul looked at him coldly then back at you. “I had the twins investigate what you did when you forgot it and then they told me something I could hardly believe.”

Azuls grip on your necklace tightened, “You were seeing a man behind my back.”

“What?” You looked at him with utter perplexity.

“You see,” Azul pulled your necklace in, along with you, “I had no choice but to have that homewrecker dealt with.”

He was spying on you using the necklace?

And the accident... It was all their doing.

You attempted to pull away from Azul, yet it was useless. Azuls' empty hand went to your face. 

He caressed it.

“L-let me go. Y-you guys are disgusting... monsters! Freaks!” Your mind spiraled, spouting any insult you could think of and you whacked his hand away.

“Don’t you see,” Azul looked into your eyes, “I’m doing this all for our sake.”

Your skin crawled.

Disgusting.

Just as you were about to go on another rant Azul spoke, “Just be quiet, please.”

Your mouth shut.

“The contract is working,” Jade commented.

“I love you Y/N. Just stay with me.” Azuls voice softened and he pulled you into an embrace.

Thanks to that useless contract, you have no choice but to follow his words.

[sunieepo]

one of my biggest pet peeves with the bloodborne fanbase (from reading fics, mostly) is that everyone assumes that gender roles in yharnam were the same as gender roles in irl victorian england

...but this is textually not true. yes bloodborne is heavily inspired by victorian england but it's definitely not exactly the same. for starters, obviously, yharnamites worship eldritch gods which isn't at all in line with the cultural values informed by following christianity (i dont think i need to elaborate on what i mean by this)

the most obvious low hanging fruit example is vicar amelia, who is laurence's successor and current head of the healing church... and a woman, something that would never be allowed in victorian england era christianity (and honestly isnt even allowed today in many denominations)

the other which is slightly more obscure but even more valuable is that yharnamites are, in-canon, heavily inspired by the culture of the pthumerians. whether yharnam was literally built in the name of pthumerian queen yharnam or if it was simply named after her later is unclear, but the yharnamites evidently hold pthumerian society in high regard. and the pthumerians were almost certainly a matriarchy (female rulers, and only women were embalmed in coffins). i think of pthumerian to yharnam the way one might think of what rome was to the european countries later influenced by it.

other little things are:

the existence of gratia: an old hunter who was a woman renowned for her physical prowess. not very "womanly", yet clearly exalted by the church; item description refers to her as heroic

clothing details: most clothing items have very little differences between male and female hunters. most notable that does off the top of my head is that the church set for women has stiletto heels, which i think falls in line with my belief that most women of the church were blood saints. nevertheless, you do fight a pair of female church hunters in the dlc who seem to have no issue kicking your ass in said heels. this could be said to be due to game dev laziness, but importantly there are sets that Do have gender differences (like the cainhurst set...)

cainhurst: cainhurst is commonly pointed out by fans as the "odd one out" for its matriarchal vibes, so people assume yharnam must not have been. i agree, but that still doesnt mean yharnam had the same gender roles as the ones we have irl. in fact if anything, theres a distinct lack of emphasis placed on gender in cainhurst item descriptions or even alfred's hateful ramblings; although we assign misogynist intent to him, pointedly what he (and item descriptions) take most issue with isnt the #feminism, but rather cainhurst's obsession with nostalgia and bombast.

this isnt to say that yharnam had No gender roles. it did. just Different ones. (and im not saying it was a matriarchy either btw.) the existence of blood saints indicates that women likely were relegated to religious roles in yharnam. women who could not become blood saints probably became hunters of the church. characters like yurie also show that amelia wasnt an isolated case; women also comprised some amount of choir members as well, indicating that they likely regularly held high positions within the church hierarchy. additionally, lady maria being one of the byrgenwerth scholars indicates that women were allowed as students alongside their male peers, even if they may have been less common. all of these things are markedly different from how victorian gender dynamics were.

its just a bummer because i actually think the gender dynamics of bloodborne are super unique and interesting and are way more nuanced than a simple "women and men swap roles" type thing. but then all these fans who claim to be bloodborne loreheads just supplant irl victorian england gender roles into yharnam and call it a day when that is like... at best lazy/uninspired and at worst directly contrary to canon.

i rly mean no hate ofc (ive even enjoyed reading fics that include such things, even if i disagree with them heavily) and im happy to discuss these thoughts further, i just want to draw attention to smth about the bloodborne lore that i think is sadly overlooked because, when it comes to bloodborne and its feminine themes, ppl get much more caught up on the more overt pregnancy symbolism (which is understandable, but doesnt exist in isolation of the above). i have a lot more to say on this topic but this post is already getting long enough so ill just stop there lol

[solarianvulpine]

Did you know that, in the late 70's, there was a violent rally held by angry rock fans in which they blew up disco records to "kill the disco movement" in response to it's place in both gay liberation and afro/latino empowerment plus their belief that it was destroying rock and roll?

Discotheque originated in french nightclubs in the twenties, thirties, and fourties. However, it was the mid seventies that brought about a strong American take on the genre. Disco was growing in the underground club, bar, and punk scene. Featuring rhythmic drums and african influenced beats, it was rapidly gaining popularity in the dance scene and massively outselling rock and roll. Rockers felt that switching up musically to sell better was synonymous with selling out. Plus why would they bother? They said that disco was a mindless fad compared to their superior lyrical work and sound.

For a few years the conflict of genre built tensions. Producers wanted more and more disco funk. Bringing about an age of gay liberation and putting black and brown artists in the spotlight, featuring openly queer black artists like Sylvester and Martha wash. Rock was being called on much less. It all came to a head in July of 1979.

"Disco Demolition Night" took place at Chicago's Comiskey Park between baseball games on July 12, 1979. It was organized by radio host and dj Steve Dahl. Calling for the death of disco, the end of the "musical disease." Dahl claims it was nothing but a harmless stunt; continuously denying its racist and homophobic nature.

The day after the event Dahl hosted his usual morning broadcast. He began by reading the headlines reporting the previous night's events, mocking the coverage, saying, "I think for the most part everything was wonderful. Some maniac cohos got wild, went down on the field. which you shouldn't have done. Bad little cohos"*

To my understanding Steve Dahl never renounced his feelings towards disco nor has he shown any remorse for his actions. Seeing as he still sells merchandise featuring the event on his website. Including hats and tshirts commemorating the night of 7-12-79.

Rolling Stone Critic Dave Marsh attended the event and wrote at the time, "Your most paranoid fantasy about where the ethnic cleansing of the rock radio could ultimately lead... white males 18 to 34 are the most likely to see disco as the product of homosexuals, black and latins, and therefore they're the most likely to respond to appeals to wipe out such threats to their security."

Fans rushed the field brandishing tshirts and banners stating "Disco Sucks." A notable phrase used in connection to the movement to kill disco. Still heard in passing to this day. The phrase may seem harmless today noting that we use "sucks" so casually. It is worth noting that at the time it was new slang; directly and intentionally homophobic. It is often forgotten exactly what we're accusing the subject of sucking.

The effects of Demolition Night swiftly radiated out into the media production circuit. Sending Disco back underground to the safe havens of queer clubs and bars, like the loft and stonewall, as well as the subterranean punk spaces of their origin.

Today it's commonly believed that disco's popularity did die in 1979. Producers, studios, and clubs started rebranding the genre as "dance" music. Even pioneers of disco became disillusioned with the genre noting that media producers had oversaturated disco sound, wringing out any cultural significance it had at the start. Making way for hip-hop, pop, and punk.

However, dancing to the selections of DJs had integrated into culture in major urban centers. As an activity it wasn't going anywhere. With the inability to capitalize on it the culture discovered a new lease of life, free of the labeling and profiteering. Disco may have been dead, but its influence was alive and well.

To learn more:

A more extensive account of the culture and history can be found in this book "Love Saves the Day" by Tim Lawrence.

I also recommend this playlist curated by the Woody Guthrie memorial museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma during their exhibit of the same name earlier this summer. Exploring the history and sound of disco.

TL;DR - Disco was major to gay and poc empowerment. Then a bunch of people rioted and blew up disco records at a baseball game leading to the decline of Disco's popularity in mainstream media.

*Coho - noun; a person or thing that shows the existence or direction of a trend - (another definition is a kind of salmon but i have the feeling that would be inaccurate as funny as it may be)

[stephensmithuk]

A Scandal in Bohemia

This is the first of the short stories to be published in The Strand. The character was of course clearly established by this point in A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four, which were both serialised in other magazines.

Holmes as aroace - we've got some pretty clear textual implications here. Baring-Gould's belief Holmes and Adler became lovers is rather unfounded, IMHO.

Trincomalee is a port city in what is now Sri Lanka. That would have been a rather long trip for Holmes!

A "slavey" is a maidservant. Watson's wife has let her go for incompetence.

Egria seems to be a mis-rendition of Eger, now the Czech border town of Cheb. Albrecht von Wallenstein was a mercenary commander on the Catholic side in the Thirty Years' War, considered one of the most successful mercs of all time - until he got caught plotting against the Holy Roman Emperor (seemingly trying to negotiate a peace deal behind his back) and was assassinated by his own commanders.

Carlsbad is now Karlovy Vary in Czechia. The German name is used by no less than three American cities.

There was a King of Bohemia, but it was one of the titles held by the Austro-Hungarian Emperor by this point. Franz Joseph I did have a long-standing platonic relationship with an Austrian actress, but was otherwise pretty restrained by the standards of European monarchs.

One popularly cited inspiration for Adler is Lillie Langtry, an American actress who was one of the then Prince of Wales' many mistresses and had a very interesting life, including being the first celebrity "endorser".

A brougham is a four-wheeled carriage with an enclosed compartment for four passengers and an open seat at the front for a driver plus footman. Named after a politician called Lord Brougham.

"Adventress" is a euphemism for courtesan. The king is implying Irene Adler is a high-class prostitute.

The Victorians themselves frequently viewed ladies acting is not that far removed from prostitution and certainly quite a lot of actresses at least dabbled in that.

A prima donna is the leading female performer in an opera company. They had a reputation of being well, prima donnas, hence the term becoming common.

A "cabinet" is roughly equivalent to a 4"x6" photo in size. Not hugely easy to conceal.

A grand in upfront expenses? No wonder Holmes could afford to stage an entire street fight!

A landau is a convertible carriage - the roof can be lowered. They're commonly used for ceremonial occasions, such as royal weddings.

The Inner Temple is one of the four Inns of Court - a professional body for barristers and judges: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Temple

An ostler was someone who looked after the horses of someone staying at an inn.

"Nonconformist" is a term, falling into disuse now, for Protestants who do not belong to the Church of England, such as the United Reform Church. They were discriminated against, although to a lesser degree than Catholics and nearly all the legal restrictions had gone by 1888. They became a major voting bloc for the Liberal Party and later Labour, with the Church of England historically being "the Tory Party at prayer", although the latter has moved a good deal to the left economically under recent Archbishops.

Women playing male parts - especially young male parts - became a thing in the Restoration period i.e. the reign of Charles II when women were finally allowed on the stage and became rather popular due to the fact these ladies were wearing tights or trousers... so, yeah.

By the late Victorian period, it was still pretty common in burlesque (not that sort!) and pantomime; the tradition of the 'principal boy', a male panto lead character, like Aladdin or Dick Whittington, played by a young woman has gotten rare, but is still a thing. Oh, yes it is, just ask Bonnie Langford.

1880s evening dress was modest by modern standards, it seems.

[unfilteredwithniku]

A heavy word abortion which I didn't come across very often. I think it's still taboo in society to talk about it but there's a growing awareness and effort to understand it better.

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. There are two primary types: spontaneous abortion, commonly known as miscarriage, which occurs without intervention, and induced abortion, which is a deliberate procedure.

An induced abortion is the intentional termination of a pregnancy before the 20th week. This process is also called “Abortion pill” a process of abortion that can be self-managed at home by using two different medicines to end a pregnancy. It can be done through medical means, particularly within the first 12 weeks, using a combination of medications like mifepristone and misoprostol. This requires that the woman has access to accurate information, quality medicines, and support from a trained health worker. This medicine causes cramping and bleeding to empty your uterus. It’s kind of like having a hefty, crampy period, and the process is very similar to an early miscarriage.

it might seem straightforward medically to not care about people who are being self-managed during the initial months of the pregnancy but the mental and psychological effects can be quite significant. You come across a range of emotions including relief, guilt, and grief, and in situations like these, it becomes necessary to have your loved ones' support. Having support makes it easy to process the grief and the guilt and helps you to move forward with your decision.

After even coming across the concept of abortion, I got to know about the term pro-life which states the opposition state of view against abortion. Labels like pro-life and pro-choice may be some of the outdated labels but they are still used in current times with the belief in minds that people have the right to control their bodies, and everyone should be able to decide when and whether to have children.

Pro-choice and pro-life are terms of self-identification used by the two sides of the abortion debate: those who support access to abortion, and those who seek to restrict it, respectively. They are generally considered loaded language since they frame the corresponding position in terms of inherently positive qualities.

When you say you’re pro-choice you’re telling people that you believe it’s OK for them to have the ability to choose abortion as an option for an unplanned pregnancy — even if you wouldn’t choose abortion for yourself.

The pro-life and pro-choice sides of abortion represent deeply held beliefs about the value of life and personal autonomy. Both sides have valid arguments, and it’s essential to approach this topic with empathy and understanding.

[latinokaeya-moving]

okay under the cut rosaria kaeya albedo dynamic discussion and why i’ve been obsessed over it for months at this point

i just think rosaria kaeya and albedo are all characters that play around with interesting concepts like the authenticity of their projected self, the dichotomy of revealing truths vs concealing lies, the way their past has come to define them and how that continues to impact their present/future lives (or not); and what makes them so fascinating in Particular is the way these ideas impact their interpersonal dynamics in such a way that it seems to juxtapose with their popular perception or at the very least skews it slightly differently to common belief (at least those held by both other characters in game and by the audience itself) and the implications all of this Must have on their relationships with one another

like the manner in which rosaria talks about kaeya and albedo in her voicelines… she mentions that despite knowing the smooth talk and pretty words are kaeya’s protective veil she finds him incredibly easy to see through anyway; meanwhile for albedo, who for all intents and purposes appears to be the most bluntly honest/straightforward of the trio, she says she finds him “profound and mysterious…impossible to read at a glance”; that’s all completely to the contrary of what is commonly understood to be either of their ‘established’ characters, and speaks to rosaria’s ability to scratch at beyond the surface and get closer to the root of peoples’ ‘true’ natures!

and i just think there’s something so incredibly juicy about the idea that rosaria is the one able to sus out that contradiction, that as a vigilante character she has taken it upon herself to cast judgements and deliver retribution to wrongdoers in the name of protecting mondstadt, and that she latched onto these two characters that unbeknownst to her seem almost cosmically destined to bring strife and disaster to mondstadt, and she said “you are both liars, are secret threats hidden in plain sight, and i see you, see through the both of you, because liars and threats see themselves in each other. but because i see the way you work for and in the name of mondstadt (just like i do), i will simply continue to lie in wait, watching you until the day of reckoning arrives” which is just. so insane. like!!!

and Then, because kaeya’s character is so heavily defined by the need to be constantly performing, to deny the truth of his authentic self and put on a show for others, his view of rosaria and albedo are coloured by this self imposed restraint. when he talks about them he says, for albedo: “a calm, collected and handsome fellow… just the type that people like”; for rosaria: “…i have a good impression of her, much better than most. she is honest with herself”. it’s interesting how he leans towards describing them in the context of what others must think of them, and whatever he has to personally say is tacked on offhandedly, as if wanting to seem casual about it.

kaeya, i think, is a character that’s self aware enough to know he is bound by his lies, and therefore gravitates to those he believes are honest, forthright, and genuine. he is intellectually aware that everyone has secrets, obviously, but he also does not see himself as someone worthy of passing judgement on that. and it’s not so much that kaeya cares whether or not they lie, have mysterious pasts, keep secrets, but more so the manner in which they present as being faithfully genuine to their characters, as not caring for what others think of them and simply existing as themselves, for themselves.

i think kaeya’s relationship to rosaria and albedo must have began with a sense of deep rooted respect for that sort of authenticity that feels so out of reach for himself, but that which can (and has had the potential to!) evidently develop into him taking off the masks, peeling off his layers, letting down his hair in their presence in private as their relationships have progressed (if what rosaria has to say about him is true, and if what is to be understood by the way in which albedo has come to trust/include/value kaeya in the upbringing of klee, the person albedo views as his most important family member)

this is getting too long so the final point i will make is that the interlinking portrait imagery also goes crazy with these three, what with the way portraits, by nature of having both a creator and also distinct subject of study, function to not only to be a conduit through which said subject can be perceived by its viewers, but more specifically is a gateway to understanding the creator’s own perception of their subject. the many many references made in game to albedo’s artistic talent and how he is constantly using kaeya as a muse for his drawings, therefore committing him onto a canvas in a manner more permanent than any of his masks + rosaria calling albedo a “dignified oil painting” she’s interested in figuring out the story of, that she considers some sort of challenge of her own perceptive abilities + kaeya’s performance arguably being a live portrait of himself, something rosaria sees through and chooses to ignore in favour of paying attention to his “true colours” instead… Yeah