Appreciation post for the Hephaestus crew using the word 'boat' to refer to spaceships

Ep9 The Empty Man Cometh

EIFFEL: Unfortunately the good folks at Goddard Futuristics spared every expense when they put together this boat. [referring to the Hephaestus]

Ep23 No Pressure 

EIFFEL: The power and the support systems on this boat do kinda have a rocky relationship… [referring to Lovelace's shuttle]

Ep27 Knock, Knock

MINKOWSKI: I don't trust anyone on this boat right now. [referring to the Hephaestus]

Ep29 Pan-Pan

LOVELACE: Believe me, kids, right now I'm up for killing everything and everyone on this boat. But I promise the grid is down. [referring to the Hephaestus]

Ep30 Mayday

EIFFEL: Eiffel's Action Plan #1: turn this boat around, get back to the Hephaestus. [referring to Lovelace's shuttle]

Ep42 Time to Kill

EIFFEL: And we're sure our little lifeboat can survive the three hour tour? [referring to the experimental module]

Ep61 Brave New World

MINKOWSKI: Miss Young, you're going to go up to the bridge, you're going to get me flight capabilities, and then you and Kepler are going to get the hell off my boat. [referring to the Sol]

Self-Indigenisation is something that I brought up on an earlier post and I think it’s something more people should be aware of. It describes the way that Settler populations will claim Indigenous identities for themselves in order to justify their presence on the land and mistreatment of actually Indigenous populations. This can include using tenuous or even outright fabricated Lineal connections to indigenous peoples in order to claim membership to a group they have no social or cultural ties to. The most well-known example in North America are USAmericans who claim that their grandmother was a “Cherokee Princess” or something of the like in an attempt to buttress their identity as being in some way more impressive or “authentic”. Another example I’ve read about is White Quebecois (who at most might have a very distant indigenous ancestor, and sometimes not even then) with no connection to Indigenous communities claiming indigenous identity in order to launch lawsuits over land rights, sometimes even to the direct detriment of actually indigenous communities. Self-Indigenisation can also include claims that a particular settler population itself has some deep enough connection to the land that it can be considered indigenous. In South East Australia in the 1930s you had locally born Settlers explicitly assert themselves as the original inhabitants of the land and the actual indigenous peoples as nothing more than peripheral transients. The idea of US Appalachian settler populations being some sort of indigenous people has become a recurring one in scholarship and activism in the region and serves as way to assert the rightfulness of their ownership of the land even in a progressive and supposedly anti-colonial context. I haven’t personally read it myself but apparently the book Distorted Descent by Darryl Leroux does a pretty good job of exploring Self-Indigenisation in contemporary Canada.

While most of the literature on the subject I could find focused on North America*, this process if far from unique to that region. Indeed, Self-Indigenisation is one of the major rhetorical strategies used to justify the continued existence of Israel especially in more “progressive” spaces. Like hell even just being active on tumblr recently is going to expose you to numerous Zionist claiming that the Israelis are the true natives of Palestine and that the Palestinian Arabs are merely “squatters”. “Zionism means Landback” and other such nonsense. To be clear there is very much an indigenous Jewish population in Palestine, the “Old Yishuv” Shepardim, but the Settlers who established the state of Israel are very not much it not it no matter how much they try and construct such an identity (such as by suppressing traditionally spoken Jewish languages like Yiddish and replacing them with a reconstructed for of Hebrew) or repute the identity of indigenous Arabs. Essentially self-indigenisation is an especially heinous tool that Settler populations use to evict indigenous peoples on a spiritual level in order to maintain their physical displacement. Such rhetoric must be resisted and discredited as much as possible lest it’s able to have its intended effect

*I suppose it makes sense given that I was only looking at English-language literature and that region is home to the most populous of Anglo settler states

𓅀PET ASTROLOGY𓅇

Copywrites reserved ©️Gemini Moon Madness

Like humans, animals have unique natal chart placements. This post is in regards to your pets sun sign, though if you are aware of their moon sign, you may see those traits come through as well.

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Aries pets like to lead the way and be in charge, especially when on a walk! (They’re the dogs tugging on their leash) These pets will be harder to train than most and are known to not come when they’re called. Even though they have highly independent traits, they will still want to be the centre of your world. These pets may always be injuring themselves in accidents quite often and get to know the vet very well lol. They are confident & strong no matter what kind or size.

Taurus pets are extremely laid back. They love food to the point they’ll always check whatever you offer them out even if they’re not hungry or in the mood. They love to take regular naps! They appreciate affection but only when they’re in the mood. They can also be shy & don’t like be shown off to strangers. Loud noises and chaos stress them out so they need a peaceful environment.

I had a Taurus dog that was terrified of thunderstorms & lawn mowers. Even the noise of the builders 2 doors down was enough to force him out of his element.

Gemini pets can get moody. They can be passive and agreesive, have their good and bad days, sometimes they are outgoing, sometimes they’ll be reserved and distant. They are a quick learner as they are quite smart. They prefer to form a bond with more than one person rather than following the “ownership” dynamic. These pets are prone to separation anxiety/nervousness, they can be indecisive in their eating habits, love going for walks and are affectionate. They also love social environments and being spoken to.

Cancer pets are loving and may need continuous attention and reassurance. They are such sweet pets, very sensitive. They like to comfort eat & can become overweight/unhealthy easily. They make friends with other pets, as if they were a companion to them also. Moving home or visiting new and unfamiliar places can make these pets uncomfortable and a lil annoyed with you - They may not seem like themselves for a while until they settle in or get over it.

Leo pets have a pride about them, they’re warm, generous and the most loyal pets out there. They have energy to burn and will always be up for an outdoor adventure (their favourite!!) They love being heard and are known to regularly bark, even for no reason lol. This pet will enjoy to be the centre of attention wherever you take them, whether you’re at home, a friends house or the park, this pet is happy in the spotlight. Other pets may bully your Leo pet due to jealousy & feeling the need to assert dominance.

Virgo is the calm and quiet pet. They love routine and don’t like change, though these pets can handle stressful situations quite well. They like to follow you around, they will be a loyal travelling buddy as they tend to stick by your side when they are outdoors. Very intelligent and analytical which makes them easier to train than most pets. They enjoy it when you talk to them throughout the day, they may even try respond with their voice.

Libra pets are indecisive, one day they may like a treat, the next they will turn their head up at it. They will usually eat when they want to. They need structure and going with the flow won’t work for these pets. They also may suffer from a short attention span, (similar to ADD) which makes them slightly harder to train. These pets are extremely loving and need gentle discipline to feel safe & secure.

Scorpio pets are highly emotional but also strong willed. They usually get what they want and tend to stand over other pets, maybe even people! They require structure, because without it they will take advantage of everyone and everything they come in contact with. These pets would benefit from daily exercise/activity to relieve stress and built up tension (dog: walks, bird: let out of cage, cat: backyard time, toys). These pets love being groomed and in your company. They know what’s bad company and don’t forget when they’re wronged, they may make it known when they dislike someone.

Sagittarius pets love a challenge. These pets have such a happy go lucky vibe to them, they’re very outgoing and kind. They radiate positivity, maybe even with a visible smile on their face. These pets have a tendency to be picked on by other pets, so keep an eye on them. They believe you’re their one true love and will adore your affection. They are very loyal and will want to be with you at all times, this sometimes turns into separation anxiety with some Sagittarius pets. They love to have another companion in the house, they like company so the more pets the merrier for them.

Capricorn are the clean pets, they are extremely grounded and will act the way as you’d typically expect the species/breed of pet to act. Very easy to train though they do have a mind of their own. They always want to be working as they enjoy keeping busy. They love to run around! These pets don’t sleep as much as other pets do and they also suffer from anxiety in stressful situations. Capricorn pets may not like having a companion and will take their time to get used to any new pets or people.

Aquarius pets are highly intelligent and intuitive. They are unpredictable and can go from 0 to 100 real quick! They like to do what they want and when they want. They make for extremely loving and friendly pets. These pets will befriend another companion despite what it is whether you get a dog, cat or chicken. (They’re the pets you see in those cute videos where a pig and cat are besties or dog and duck, etc 🥹) Aquarius pets need their space and enjoy alone time to plot their next surprise for when you least expect it!

Pisces pets are the most sensitive out of the lot. They are very sweet and need a tranquil atmosphere to flourish as they can get stressed out easily. These pets usually get bullied by other pets for their non-aggressive nature. They are independent in the way that they do what they want without attracting attention. Pisces pets are sensitive to your emotions and may require gentle training and when they become afraid they want you to be there comforting them. They know what you want and will have YOU well trained 😉

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꧁꧂ That was fun to create, how was it to read!? Who wants to see more Pet Astrology?

ღ I appreciate all interactions & feedback ღ

LOST IN THE LIGHTS CHAPTER 2

Pairing: OT7 x Female Reader

Word Count: 1 K

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Idol!BTS falls for spoiled brat reader who’s just looking for some fun! Can all 7 of them win her heart and make her theres and theres alone?

Genre:  Idol! BTS social media/sociallite reader. Modern day. No covid

Story warnings: Light smut, swearing, BTS are men and sometimes men are dumb as hell. That B!tch reader. Bi-sexual reader Mild angst. Swearing, lots of casual sex. possesive (?) bts. Unlikely to be member on member action but never say never. 18 PLUS MINORS DNI

Chapter 1

It was Seokjin who brought it up. All the boys were gathered around the dining table for family dinner. He was barely paying attention to the various conversations going on around him as he was scrolling through your Insta. 

It was maybe the third time he had done a deep dive on the page unable to take his eyes off of you in various locations.

“Mind your business!” Seokjin blushed as Namjoon reached over and grabbed his phone, before he could recover it Namjoon was sighing at the screen, before flipping the phone to show the rest of the men. A collective groan swept over the group.

There were photos of everything really, you looking stunning in front of the pyramids, a half-eaten croissant with a woman’s hand reaching towards it, five different photos of a cat walking down the street. He liked looking at your world when you weren’t around.

“Jin Hyung!” Jung Kook called from two chairs away snapping Seokjin out of his scrolling. Jung Kook chuckled “What are you looking at?” 

“It’s really not fair how sexy she is” Jimin sighs running his hand over his face. Taehyung nods adjusting in his seat to pull his phone out.

“Look at what she sent me” He smiles showing the boys the cute selfie you sent him while you were lying by the pool. 

Your skin is glistening and you still have that all-knowing sexy glint in your eye even through the photograph. Taehyung had texted you earlier asking to come over and see you and when you politely declined he figured he’d tease you and ask for a selfie instead. His heart sped up a little when you actually did what he asked. You were so beautiful and he had to share how gorgeous you were with the group. He smiled as they all stared at his phone cooing over you before putting his phone away. 

“Asked her what Hyung?” Jung Kook spoke up quirking an eyebrow at him as he shoved more noodles in his mouth. Hoseok laughed a little feeling embarrassed as all the guys stared at him. He was relieved when Yoongi patted him on the shoulder speaking up. 

“So have you guys like…asked her?” Hoseok cleared his throat looking around. They all turned towards him waiting for him to finish his sentence.

Taehyung earnestly breaks the silence “I asked her to move in once” And for a split second no one reacts before everyone bursts out laughing. 

“Don’t play dumb guys.” Yoongi scoffed. “Do you guys ever ask her to get more serious?” A quiet falls over the table as the question hangs in the air.

“Tae what the fuck.” Namjoon cried. 

“Ours.” Hoseok corrected raising an eyebrow at his friend. And that seemed to do it. Silently they were all in agreement, you were going to be theirs one way or another. 

“We’ve only known her like two months!” Jimin breathed out through giggles.

“Okay but I would have too hyung” Jung Kook admits smiling at his friend. He wasn’t afraid to admit he wouldn’t mind seeing you all the time.

“Ahh, I can’t live like this” Seokjin sighed. “I wouldn’t ask her to move in so soon, but I’d like her to be mine” He nods his voice gaining a serious tone. The tension slowly racks up in the room at Seokjin asserting a form of ownership over you. 

Slowly the idea formed between them on how to convince you. First things first, invite you over for a movie night with all seven of them.

And so there you were at their house flouncing around like you owned the place bouncing from member to member flirting and having a ball. 

“I already said no” You laughed coming back to the living room with a fresh bowl of popcorn where they were all spread out waiting for you.

“Ughk stop saying that” Jung Kook whined pulling you onto his lap.

“What’s the issue then?” You asked while picking up the remote from the coffee table and scrolling through the selections before landing on Legally Blonde. 

“What it’s the truth! You don’t like the truth?” You smirked at him while Namjoon reached over for the popcorn popping a kernel in your mouth before sneaking a kiss on your lips and settling back into the sofa.

“I don’t think the truth is the issue baby” Jimin chimed in scooting closer to you and Jung Kook.

“The issue is that you’ve never had boyfriends like us” Taehyung looked up at you from the ground flashing a charming smile. You rolled your eyes and chuckled. 

“I don’t know about that, I mean aren’t all men essentially the same?”

“Bull shit” Yooongi breathed. He had been relatively quiet watching you own the room like you always do. Don’t get him wrong he wanted you as badly as the others and he let you see that but when it came to their mass fawning session he liked to take a more low-key approach.

“Oh yeah?” You looked him in the eye as the room slowly quieted. The heat between y’all building.

“Let us prove it” He shrugged.

“Prove it?”

“Correct”

“Okay?” You laughed looking around the room as their eyes roamed over you. “And how do you all expect to do that and don’t say-”

“It’s not what you think” Jin rolled his eyes, cutting you off. He got up from the opposite end of the couch shuffling over to you before pushing Jimin aside to sit by you. He rested his hand on your inner thigh before nuzzling your ear. You squirmed enjoying his touch and the attention of the others watching you two.

“Seven dates” he whispered in your ear. “One-on-one with all of us. Let us show you how different we all can be” he teased while inching his way up your thigh and planting a kiss beneath your ear lobe. “Let us show you how good we all can be”  

“Fine.”

And oh my god, he knew all the right spots, between the seven of them they all did. Your head was swimming and you were enjoying his hand drawing tortuously small circles on your inner thigh. You were also well aware of all seven of their eyes drinking you in as you slowly melted in to Jin’s touch

“Don’t make me beg, love” Jin squeezed your thigh snapping you back to reality. And you knew you’d regret it but you said it still.

The issues (and non-issues) of bimbocore

This little discussion is coming off the back of a thought (rant) I shared on another blog a few weeks ago, largely where reinvented bimbo started compared to where it is now and why is everyone blaming Chrissy Chlapecka?

the resurgence of the 'bimbo' aesthetic in the early 2020s embarked as a movement of reclamation, a way to assert that there was actually nothing demeaning about a barbie-esque appearance and to remove the power from stereotypes used against us, essentially centring the Bimbo in a queer, left-wing ideology.

If you were to ask a modern Bimbo why hot pink? Why bedazzled? Why perform this exaggerated caricature of femininity? You might end up in a seemingly unrelated discussion about the modern Western political landscape. Bimbo culture has essentially emerged upon the heels of the controversies surrounding feminine experiences and bodily autonomy across the United States- women feeling that they are being confined to a specific performance of femininity, that the government is regulating their femininity, may tell you that the idea of bimbo culture is a satirical backlash to the ideas of what a modern Western woman should be and what she is expected to be. She is nothing more than a doll to the culture that surrounds her and her response is to take what is expected of her and make it a performance a juxtaposition of what she is expected to be and what she is and make them hate her for the femininity she is presenting. And thats exactly what Lauren Pantin said in her short update newsletter - ' If you’re going to punish me for being a woman anyway, I’m going to be the silliest, brattiest, potty-mouthed no-no of a woman you’ve ever seen. I’ll be the dumbest bitch on earth! Where’s my crown!"

Ask another bimbo and she'll tell you that her bimboism stems from the movement to satirise consumerist culture and misogyny, aiming to remove the stigmas around hyper-femininity. Essentially, allowing women to empower themselves through their femininity (rather than the popular idea of in spite of their femininity cough cough inlog cough) and giving women ownership over their sexuality and their body in ways that actively combat the misogynistic standards held against them- oftentimes gearing it towards queer people. It's a new-wave feminist movement designed to avert the male gaze through women appearing as these caricatures of traditional femininity whilst emphasising their own dominance and independence as support for women's right movements.

So it's a kind of sartorial rebellion against oppressive politics and culture? Well, it was at first. And to many it still is, however, as with all trends rooted in a sartorial culture the meaning tends to get lost in the shares and reposts as it expands across social media. Those who just happen across the culture or see nothing but images of it scattered across the internet arent likely to understand that this aesthetic is also a political performance, it will become a bimbo resurgence!... but not effectively hold the same weight and meaning that the movement was intended to hold.

One way to look at this is the trend of " girl [activity]" . Trends like girl maths, girl dinner, explaining things to the girlies. Now let me get it straight theres nothing wrong in finding a little fun in these trends- girl dinner was cute, as someone who loves cooking I loved seeing what everyone was making for their dinner until it got overrun by the 'I only had iced coffee today' brigade. Sometimes I'll see a girl maths video about how if I pay in cash its basically free since the number on my bank account didn't change and I laugh because thats logic I have applied to purchases before. There's little funny things and behaviours that people will have in common, and they're being labelled as 'girl [blank]' because it is predominantly groups of women discussing them and finding a little fun in it. But again, as trends reach a wider audience their initial intention becomes lost along the way and generalisations start to set in. TV shows and radio hosts have entire segments explaining girl maths, it has become cute and quirky to explain political landscapes in terms of shopping and makeup, and bimbo culture has become less of a satirical performance and instead commonly assumed as a Karen Smith- esque personality reminiscent of the 'dumb blondes' of the early 2000s.

Removing this sartorial protest from its context can be seem as damaging, especially in the way that social media currently presents aesthetics surrounding sexuality to young people. As bimbo culture reaches a wider audience it's likely to fall into the hands of young people who are, let's face it, not going to care about the deeper meaning. Young people are likely to see celebrities, tiktok personalities, attractive people in general donning their hot pink promiscuous outfits and feel inclined to join in on what is presented to them as nothing more than the newest fashion trend.

One of the key movements of bimboisim is to embrace feminine sexuality and overcome the stigmas about women expressing their sex and sexuality and sartorially this is represented by the micro mini skirt and the skimpy shirt. Society has had no difficulty pushing teenage girls to grow up rather quickly by presenting them with teen magazines in the y2k era talking about how to get a bigger bust or butt, social media promoting the attractive body type the attractive face the attractive makeup the attractive style of clothing that will settle their pubescent insecurities and validate them in the eyes of a society run by men. Young women are ridiculed for their bodies not being developed enough at 15, for not being sexually active at 16, must have lived the life experiences of drugs and alcohol and sex and heartbreak at 17 and are then turned into high school girl fucks random guy porn at 18. Removed-bimboism has become part of the problem in which young girls not only feel the need to dress promiscuously and express a sexuality that they still haven't fully explored in order to feel validated as an active part of society but also have to present themselves as stupid in order to seem funny cute and quirky. The idea that women are only able to understand complex theories if they are presented in terms of fashion and shopping and makeup is a stereotype enforced by tv and movie comedy that women have worked endlessly to overcome, and the reclamation of bimbo culture should not actively counteract the progress of feminist activity. You don't have to be smart to be a modern bimbo by any means, in terms of intelligence the movement is centred around a more relaxed approach to success that counters the ideology of the girl boss movement- you don't HAVE to be a huge success or overwork yourself to hell and back to validate who you are as a woman.

Modern bimboism set out with the comfort of knowing there is no pressure to understand everything, you might need something explained in your own terms, you might just be a little fucking stupid sometimes but there is no active harm in not always understanding. That, however, has been twisted through these trends discussed prior to make it seem like all bimbos (and by misogynistic extension, all women) are just not as smart as men. Which, as we know, is likely to be emulated by young people as it reaches a wider audience.

So it's understandable why there is concern over bimboism. But at what point does critique of bimboism begin to drift into the right wing? Blaming women who dress provocatively simply for being women who dress provocatively is not the answer, in my opinion, to the issues with the bimbo culture. There is (to the chagrin of many) nothing wrong with an adult women expressing the ownership of the sexuality that she was granted the right to express through the liberation of women, sex and queerness.

Tensions have been rising within more radical groups, or groups who are of the tendency to reject feminine presentation in regard to what they perceive as an active threat to the reputation of women. There has been a desire expressed across social media sites by these women that 'all women' should refrain from direct expressions of femininity and reject all social norms expected of women under the assertion that it 'makes us all look bad'. There is a lot to be said about the ways in which misogyny utilises stereotypes and generalisations of what is considered 'feminine behaviour' to degrade women, however, it is highly pretentious and internally misogynistic a notion that the very idea of feminine expression is to be at fault. The ideology begins to attack individual women, expressing that their online content is to blame for the ways in which men treat women, or that children have become so oversexualised.

In a way this reflects the puritan standards of online censorship frequently weaponised by the right wing in order to oppress further marginalised groups. 'Think of the Children' has been used time and time again as a way to bastardise protests of queerness, of sexual liberation of racial equity and it is being weaponised now again just as it was across the 70s against women who dare to be 'immodest' . It goes without saying that people who create content online are not responsible for the actions of teenagers who in the midst of discovering their sexuality, may seek out more mature content- not just for sexual gratification, but a newfound interest into how adults express their sexuality as a way to help them navigate expression themselves. To place limits on how women are allowed to dress or express sexuality is to revert to the ideas of puritanism that existed prior to the (well, partial) liberation of the marginalised people.

Is bimbo culture perfect? No, it's been washed out as a mimicry of early 2000s internalised misogyny. Is it worth hating on random women? No, there issue is more centred to how misgyny is so deeply rooted in our society that we are happier to blame women for the stereotypes forced upon them than to actually comment on how society cultivates these ideas.

I often find the idea of a symptomatic reading to be an interesting way of presenting texts from the history of philosophy. In other words it is sometimes useful, and necessary, to read texts for "problems without solutions" and "answers without questions." Although I must admit that my use of this practice is less in line with the rigor that Althusser defines it in Lire Le Capital, and closer to what he writes in the essay on Rousseau's Social Contract. In that essay the symptom is a matter of certain discrepancies which exist between the theoretical object and its historical, which is to say economic and social, situation.  ...in Locke's Second Treatise of Government right after asserting the condition for any property, the principle of possessive individualism, that is in some sense Locke's theoretical object, writing “The labor of his body, and the work of his hands, we may say are properly his," Locke goes onto include "grass my horse has bit" and, more importantly, "turfs my servant has cut" as examples of this principle. Including disappropriation as an example of appropriation, and doing so before anything like money or the conditions of wage labor are defined. It is an answer without a question, a conclusion without a premise. In some sense this is Locke's preemptive strike of a sort, rushing ahead of himself to reassure his readers that the connection he has made between labor and property, between the work of the body and ownership exists to be severed by the institution of money. To take another example from the same class, in Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations we get the following story of technological progress and change made possible by the division of labor: “In the first fire-engines, a boy was constantly employed to open and shut alternately the communication between the boiler and the cylinder, according as the piston either ascended or descended. One of those boys, who loved to play with his companions, observed that, by tying a string from the handle of the valve which opened this communication to another part of the machine, the valve would open and shut without his assistance, and leave him at liberty to divert himself with his playfellows. One of the greatest improvements that has been made upon this machine, since it was first invented, was in this manner the discovery of a boy who wanted to save his own labour.” Smith's story is not only an interesting reversal of where technological change comes from, it is also its own little "autonomist hypothesis," making resistance and the refusal of work the engine of technological change. More importantly its idyllic scene of little boys rushing to join their friends omits an important fact: if this kid was working on a fire engine it was probably because he, or his family, needed the money. Smith does not mention that this kid has invented himself out of a job (as well as others). Whereas Locke rushed ahead, providing a conclusion without premises, or an answer before the question was asked, Smith's is more of an omission, a cause without an effect. In each case the symptom exists in the gap between the idea and its reality.

I remember being infuriated by the Locke passage referred to above when I first read it so it’s sort of vindicating that someone else noticed this specific aspect which is seemingly glossed over a lot

being a mormor shipper is amazing because, due to there being no source material, there are so many different dynamics you can choose from. and they’re all so good. for example, my favorites

jim and sebastian who are both fucked up people, who drive each other to higher and higher heights of violence, who don’t have a definable relationship beyond the neon burst of adrenaline the other brings. it is what it is, which is to say, something bright and sharp that can’t possibly last long before one or both of them burn up.

alternatively, jim and sebastian who come to understand each other deeply, despite not having made any other meaningful human relationships in their lives. they’ve both always felt seperate and disconnected from others, but for the first time, they’ve found a person who feels real. they’re not the same, not in the way jim always thought would be required for him to connect with someone, but they don’t have to be. they aren’t alone anymore.

intimacy issues TM: jim who doesn’t really think of himself as a human being, who has gone through life believing he’s a sociopath with no weak spots and no real emotions to speak of, who is suddenly confronted with the fact that he is not only incapable of killing sebastian anymore, but that he does care for another person. and he does not fucking handle it well. maybe he lashes out to prove to himself that it isn’t true, tries to push sebastian away or hurt him.

or maybe it’s about power, about nobody ever gets to me; maybe jim equates caring with weakness, and does everything he can to assert his dominance, stay aloof. keep sebastian in his proper place.

seb who is devoted, little better than a dog- he’ll admit it- but only for one man; he’ll stop at nothing to keep following jim, keep this going just a little while longer. he’ll be whatever jim needs, a warm body, a weapon, a soft voice or a whipping boy.

maybe jim isn’t able to love; maybe seb is just a toy or a distraction or a morbid experiment to see if he can build a shrine to himself in someone else’s chest. maybe jim uses him and gives nothing back; sometimes seb knows, and it’s fine. sometimes he never stops reaching for any shred of jim he can take for himself, and he never really can.

maybe sebastian is a revelation. he isn’t like jim but he isn’t like anyone else, either; they certainly aren’t going to fix each other but that doesn’t mean seb won’t always guide him, hollow eyed, back home; doesn’t mean jim won’t give sebastian a home to come back to, and every piece of himself he can spare.

speaking of seb as a revelation; maybe jim finally finds in him someone he trusts enough to fully hand himself over. sebastian doesn’t have to be the only one collared like a dog, on his knees.

seb who is cunning, capable and sarcastic, stubbornly refusing to be cowed by the most dangerous man he’ll ever meet, because he wasn’t built that way. who respects jim and would give his life for him; that doesn’t change the fact that he’s going to fucking push back. and jim. jim finds his match. jim’s fingers leave bruises around his throat; that’s fine, because jim has a matching set on his hips. reminders of ownership and respect and debts to be paid.

I am here to ask for the post that takes a deeper look at the more power heavy BDSM aspects of Astarion, and of course his nastier kinks.

I jeed it like breathing. 🙏 and thank you.

So I started out this post a while ago and it ended up in this super long, detailed, and off-topic rant about how their relationship goes off the rails as he slowly, subtly manipulates her into a position of complete submission, and then I realized that wasn't really the question. It was a bit more in depth on how he did it as opposed to what he wants, so I saved that for a different time if anyone wants that, but for now, I'm just going to stick with what he wants.

See, I sort of lied when I said it was BDSM. BDSM implies 'safe, sane, and consensual' and literally all of those things are optional to him. It is, by all rights, an extremely unhealthy and toxic relationship.

Power. Control. Domination.

He is possessive; he is obsessive; he is demanding, demeaning, and cruel— or at least he can be.

But this doesn't fit with his character, you might think. This is post-vampire lord, when he has officially gone off the deep end with his ambitions. I think he has a lot of self control during the early stages of the relationship, and might not show his true colors immediately. When he becomes more comfortable, however, I think things would be very different.

"Alright, what the fuck does this have to do with his kinks then?" You might ask. Well, the control he asserts over her and his kinks go hand in hand.

You see, Astarion has heavily conflated love and ownership in his mind. Centuries of torture like he endured will do that to you. He needs to possess what he loves, wholly and completely, not dissimilar to the way that Cazador 'owned' him. He needs his love to suffer for him, both as proof of their love-- and his dominion over them-- and for his amusement and arousal.

His love is not one of equal power and partnership, but one of heavy domination. Undergoing the type of miserable, awful torture he did for so long might've rewired his love maps a bit. It is probably possible to emerge from something like that a better person; he did not. Instead, it messed with his psyche in an irreparable way.

As you travel with him, you might notice he's a wee bit sadistic. I feel this will only be worsened after he accomplishes his goal of not only eliminating Cazador, but also becoming a vampire lord himself. Asto is very prone to becoming drunk on power, and even seems to revel in it.

After a while, this will bleed out into his relationship. Once he has decided this girl is where he wants to permanently stake his post, she loses any other option. He is extremely charming, manipulative, and strategic in his schemes, so she is often too deep in it once she realizes what is happening and what he's done-- if she ever realizes it at all.

Once he has decided he wants her, he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her. He is not above making her a spawn to force her hand if it comes down to it, but it's more of a last resort than something he's actively striving to do. He prefers her with free will, and he prefers being actively desired by her despite all of the wretched things he's doing.

This is mostly because I view Astarion as a bit of a brat tamer. He occasionally likes instigating things and he likes a tussle-- so long as he is the one that comes out on top-- and rest assured, he will. He wants her to push back sometimes. After all, it's her he fell in love with. He's not looking to make her some hollow vessel. He just also gets off on winning and being the one in control.

He enjoys the punishments he gets to dole out when she is disobedient, and he likes that he has enough power over her that she will grit her teeth and bear the pain for him.

When he's feeling generous, it's about what you'd expect from an... unconventional relationship. Spanking, stern chiding with cheek puckering and a firm talking-down to, forcing her to say things she might not want to say to appease him. Humiliating her and debasing her for fun. Minimizing her power while maximizing his own but with a strange, sexual twist that makes it a bit strange to call outright abusive.

But he's not generous, is he? He's a power hungry monster-- quite literally.

He squeezes her a little too hard, slaps her with a little too much force. Fucks her a bit too rough. He likes licking the blood from her teeth, kissing her swollen lips, watching her skin darken from his less-than-tender affections. He likes watching this absolute powerhouse crumble before him, looking up at him with teary eyes, helpless and powerless and still utterly enamored. It makes him feel powerful to have such a lovely creature on her knees for him, both metaphorically and literally.

It's a careful dance he does. Meticulous and practiced. Slowly breaking down her mind so she hardly even blinks at it. The power shift is gradual and even willing.

No matter how afraid, no matter how squeamish, she will take it for him.

Even when he pulls out the knife.

Oh, that damned knife. Such fond memories he has. He'll carry Cazador's sadistic tokens of affection for all his days, so it's only fair she should carry his, right?

There's just something so arousing about the fear that flashes on her face when he pulls it out. This woman has taken down gnolls and trolls and goblins galore but he can still strike fear into her heart.

Astarion has beautiful penmanship. A true artist when he has the time. She is a work of art, and a masterpiece befits a masterpiece. He takes his time with her, even as she cries and kicks her little feet, begging him to stop. It hurts but he knows that. Just a little more, darling. That's it. Don't squirm too much, love. You don't want ugly scars, do you?

And after it scars over, his mark on her will become permanent, just like he intended from the beginning. Now she is his forever. She won't escape him like he escaped— not a chance in hell.

He won't be cruel to her in the same way that Cazador was. He won't force her to eat rats and bugs and sleep in the dark, alone and cold. No, she'll eat the finest foods, wear the softest silks, sleep in the most luxurious sheets— with him. At least if she behaves.

And if she doesn't? He has other ways of reining her in. He wants her reigning at his side. She's submissive only to him.

And she lets him. Begs for it even. He's good at what he does, and can masterfully balance out pleasure and pain until the two become twisted into one and the same.

She feels fear when he ties her to the bed, yes, but there's also anticipation and eagerness. She wants to make him happy, so she'll let him gorge from her neck and wrist at will. When he's firm with her, she looks at him with doe-eyes full of love and admiration because he's so strong and powerful, her handsome vampire lord—

—or that's his ideal situation anyway.

I think what I'm getting at here is Asto is a power hungry monster who also wants genuine love without relinquishing any control or vulnerability. His 'punishments' are just his kinks in disguise and ultimately stem from his need for dominance. He likes pleasure with his pain, and likes when she fights back because it turns him on (and there's a wee part of him that feels like he deserves it) but ultimately, he wants to come out on top.

But if he tells her to get on her knees, she will end up there, one way or another.

It's easier for me to write a like... Scenario than it is to analyze because I feel like I ramble on about boring shit. Sorry this one took so long— I struggled a bit because my creative lock has been absolutely dastardly lately, and I'm desperately trying to get back on the rails.

It's funny, I began replaying the Kingdom Hearts games as a way to offer myself a firmer sense of closure after the disappointment I felt in playing Kingdom Hearts 3 (a game I never actually finished). "This will make me feel less betrayed by the concluding entry in this saga if I can say, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that I'm over Kingdom Hearts - out of my respect for the nostalgia and emotional entanglement I had for this series, I'll pour through it all and then close the book", I thought. But with each successive entry completed, with each old game and story dove into and explored, I've come to realize that any sort of admission of "being over this series" would be entirely dishonest. I love Kingdom Hearts and not just when witnessed through the lens of nostalgia. There's such an earnest feeling to most of these games, an attempt to tell a simple story (with sometimes overdone props and designs, I admit) about what it means to share yourself with people.

Yes, there's a lot of flaws with the execution of both the mechanics and the stories of these titles - for instance, there are a lot of characters and plot threads that feel like they were conceived with the idea of dismissing the homoeroticism of the male/male bonding so often associated with Nomura's work - but acknowledging what I disdain about the games comes with the complicated obligation of admitting what I love. Xion is both a character I feel was forced into the narrative to discourage gay identification with Axel and Roxas, and a character whose narrative of self-identification as a means of fulfillment and rebellion against an oppressive hierarchy who assert ownership over your body is one I identify with far more now as an out trans woman than I ever thought I would (she's rapidly risen to be one of my favorite characters). Aqua, Kairi, Namine, and Xion are all heavily underutilized and often underdeveloped (and expendable) female characters that exist to motivate the more complicated emotions of Nomura's precious pretty boys - but at the same time, they often orchestrate and play pivotal roles in some of the more mature and nuanced storylines and dialogue. THERE ARE LIKE SEVENTEEN RIKUS AND ALL OF THEM CEASE TO BE A CHARACTER AFTER DREAM DROP DISTANCE LIKE WHAT

TLDR I'm nowhere near done with my replay through most of the Kingdom Hearts titles, but I'm grateful I'm undergoing this little project because it has left me with a greater appreciation for the beautiful and flawed nature of these games, stories, and characters that once occupied a very prominent place in my heart - and now do so again.

idle thinking on the shape of love, endurance, persistence, and unconditional commitment in this manga.

rapidfur

!!!!! This is amazing! It's a little funny, but I always kind of disliked Akane, but... I feel like you have a knack for really looking deeper into the work and finding connections, and bringing out a complete story! It's a little funny, I think recent western fandom developments have made analysis for this series hard, since everyone is so quick to point out themes of abuse and such... which isn't necessarily bad, but when has real life ever been so simple. D:

HEY THANKS this is probably my... favorite of the posts I’ve made, I!!! even wish it was a little more coherent/organized lol.... but, I’m glad the messaging is there and interesting and got through!! I really-- feel most strongly, about this through line between all arcs!!! My jaw was.... on the floor, as Akane/Aoi happened, I couldn’t imagine their r’ship would also thread all of these themes into it. I also thought the manga would be a little messier, have a few more loose ends, some ‘randos’ if you will. I honestly thought Akane and Aoi would always remain boring to me, and I can’t believe the manga essentially popped me in the jaw about all my assumptions. The ‘twist’ of their personalities doesn’t even feel cheap, either .... I suddenly felt legitimately guilty for writing off Aoi as ‘just some normal girl, friend of Nene, nothing significant’..... I had to deal with Akane going from “god, some goober SIMP out here...” in my mind to “hhihihieeeek... why is he allowed to do hot things omg”

I’ve definitely seen some write-ups try to assert the theme is ‘abuse’, and responses to/conditions of abuse, but by god, if that were true, it sure would be gosche how often this manga uses punches and brutality as either a punchline (what is Akane + Teru in this lol?), or a spicey picante to an ultimately romantic scene

It would be so out of tune for a Manga About Abuse to sooooocapriciously depict the very ropes that symbolize isolation and ownership/control/influence of others as sexually alluring. Boy all the contexts of these, ropes... all these situations....

... but if isolation/ownership/control was at times allowed to be an aspect of some sort of, ultimate love, hmmmmm... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

hmmmm...love....

hmmm... control

hmmmm... influence..... 

hmmmm... HMMM 

Not to be TOO cheeky, lol, but gosh.... devotional love bleeds through every inch of symbolism in the manga. Hanako himself compares being ‘bound’ to ‘like being in a relationship’ (I can’t... believe you say that....)

Hanako relates a curse to love..... 

can’t believe we come all the way back around to this concept, so many chapters later.

ohhhhhh famous bound-boy Hanako-kun can just say being ‘bound’ and ‘being in a couple’ are synonymous by certain definitions? you who are bound? to someone? GEEZ. I honestly hate this manga sometimes. It’s TOO linear. It’s almost blindingly direct.

Which is to say, there's a lot more to appreciate to a character than only thinking theyre worthless because they're annoying... ♡ devotion! I was starting to think AidaIro was writing a really confusing all-over-the-place story, but these analyses are really making me rethink my way of media analysis. Sometimes it's very easy to just parrot what other people say as fact, and not think about things deeper... anyways! Just offering my appreciation again. ☆ミ

thanks again!!! It’s.... rrrgh I’m just one person with one interpretation, in a sea of equally proposed ones, I’m just happy if anything I say feels like it ‘clicks’ or rings true to what you’ve read yourself, personally. If it goes down smoother than other things you’ve tried to perceive in the text. 

Its always a struggle for me a bit-- I love DOING analysis-- but I also dislike the way modern fandom tends to convene on analysis and defer to analysis, rather than engaging the manga themselves directly (and trying to interpret it for their own). On one hand I resent the pipeline of some reddit take becoming the penultimate western narrative (usurping the very manga itself), but also I kindof have no choice but to try to assert my own take, too, and influence other’s perceptions (for better or worse, as I’m just some shmuck).

I feel that modern-day fandom is sortof odd, I think social media winds up dominating and creating a singular discussion/interpretation of media  .... I saw it so much I did want to at least, prove that someone out there has a different take, that very different interpretations can exist....?

...but anyway, I do think. Love is this manga’s greater unifying factor than anything else. Sincerely!!! Really!!!

😊 Would my muse ever ask someone on a date?

👍 Does my muse prefer to be asked on a date, or would they rather do the asking?

😉 What are my muse’s fetishes/kinks?

💯 What is my muse’s ideal date?

🍬 Is my muse a sub, dom, or switch?

👮 Has my muse ever had sex in public?

💑 What are my muse’s requirements for a potential partner?

🎀 Who would my muse sleep with if nobody ever had to know?

💘 What are the ways my muse says ‘I love you’ without actually saying it?

(For Chifuyu! Also not for research purposes for Ryu, totally not 🤣)

intimacy & romance. || @protectivemuses

'not for research purposes.' yes, I'm very convinced.

😊 Would my muse ever ask someone on a date?

Yes. He might be a little roundabout though. The sort of thing that he won't necessarily call it a date and leaves it vague.

👍 Does my muse prefer to be asked on a date, or would they rather do the asking?

He doesn't have much of a preference necessarily. Chifuyu's a little dense to read signals though, and he doesn't have the most easily read signals himself. From a practical standpoint, the other person asking might make it a little clearer.

😉 What are my muse’s fetishes/kinks?

I wrote a whole headcanon post about this 😂😂

For Ryusei, I think Chifuyu views them on equal levels. I think Chifuyu would be more assertive in this ship (or take more ownership over his actions) because Ryusei has a tendency to drive him up a wall sometimes. It's a challenge/competition; a lot of back and forth exchange.

They're opposites. They communicate differently, but they communicate well. I think they'd be a lot more teasing, and Chifuyu would be receptive to that. Of the two, I suspect Chifuyu's more easily flustered. Although, I imagine they both make one another flustered rather consistently. It becomes a sort of game.

That blindfold art probably becomes a Thing with them. You can't tell me otherwise.

💯 What is my muse’s ideal date?

Answered here for his younger years.

As an adult, he appreciates going for drives or walks together. Nice dinner dates are always a go-to for him. Scheduling with a fulltime job can be hard.

🍬 Is my muse a sub, dom, or switch?

Sub-leaning switch.

👮 Has my muse ever had sex in public?

Not... yet. 😎

💑 What are my muse’s requirements for a potential partner?

Chifuyu's not needy, but he does have some important markers. He likes to play games. By that, I mean he has a lot of silly ideas that he wants to live out. Like, child-like wonderment? He reads a lot of manga and sees things he wants to enact sometimes. For instance, kiss him in the rain or teeter on the seesaw. Little romantics. He needs someone who's receptive to those ideas or he'll feel unsatisfied and somewhat insecure.

He also needs to feel like he can talk. Just talk at any point about whatever. Be it his weird ideas or his day or the cat he saw in the park that afternoon. He can't be with someone who asks him to censor himself or finds that annoying.

Calling him annoying would shatter him.

🎀 Who would my muse sleep with if nobody ever had to know?

Sano Emma.

He thinks she's cute but too much for him to handle in a dating way, and well... Draken and Mikey.

💘 What are the ways my muse says ‘I love you’ without actually saying it?

I thought we'd share, or Half's for you.

Alternatively.

I'll still believe in you.

Okay more suicidal Tim au thoughts (sorry!!)

There’s def an high element of infantilization to the way the batfam treats Tim and the way they encourage him to view himself.

so I’m the same anon as autistic Tim, lol, so like, I view him as autistic. Just a disclaimer

Anyway his whole life has had to be masking a LOT— I mean, everything he was most of the time was a role he was playing in order to be good, or useful. I think that’s a massive defining trait of his character— above anything else, he needs to be useful. I don’t think he views himself as having anything to offer outside of the practical sense, and he craves attention and validation.

So I think the batfam very much view his masking as this terrible thing that the world inflicted on their poor Timmy (nevermind that it was them doing it half the time)

Bruce and Dick vaguely remember a Timmy who was sweet and shy and got a little jumpy and fidgety when he was excited, how he’d bite his lip and bounce his leg to keep from rambling

And they hate themselves, because they hadn’t appreciated it at the time

And then they look at the Tim right before the fall— alone, serious, exhausted most of the time. And they view this now as him being seriously ‘sick’.

In their view it kind of culminates in him leading The teen Titans and young justice, because they in hindsight view leadership roles as forcing this responsibility and masking onto their delicate Timmy.

They’re basically like— this video of teen superheroes is NOT cute. Timmy’s only behave in this serious, assertive manner when they are deeply stressed. Please take this down!

I think Tim also tends naturally to age regress sometimes, either when he’s very stressed or he feels very safe. This is something that he was very ashamed of and took every measure to tamp down on, punishing himself. The batfam takes this ‘self-punishing’ behavior very seriously, refusing to allow Tim to ever be embarrassed or ashamed.

This is an aspect partially of their entitlement when it comes to Tim and his complete lack of autonomy. He lacks ownership over even the most basic things about himself— both his body and his emotions are the treasured, carefully nurtured possessions of his family. They want him to be completely dependent and *trusting* of them. So of course he should never be ashamed or self-conscious or embarassed of anything, because that indicates that he doesn’t really trust them.

So if Tim begins to go under, to do something childish, to stim, especially in a strange way, they wholeheartedly encourage it. They’ll get upset if he tries to stop himself halfway through, and they learn to recognize when he’s internally battling with himself over an urge.

They don’t want him to be nervous or self-conscious over wanting *anything*. He just needs to tell his brothers or sister or daddy. They’ll give him what he needs, and they love him completely.

If he wants to curl up against their lap, or suck fingers or Jason’s pecs, or to be smooshed on all sides, they never want him to hesitate to act or tell them. That’s what they’re there for, after all. They love it when he’s giggly and high-voiced and stupid, when he is just their little baby boy inside.

This shame and responsibility and seriousness is all viewed as the result of outside ‘contaminants’, as the reason they have to hide Tim away from the dangerous outside world.

They basically want a full time cglre dynamic ngl.

Of course, there’s times when Tim is more lucid or ‘big’ than others, and they know that, but they demand that he never force himself to be even a little bit big when he doesn’t absolutely want to.

And as I said, a lot of these aspects of infantilization are imposed or enforced, regardless of whether Timmy wants them or is comfortable. Dick insists on regularly bottle-feeding Tim his juice or milk or water. He’ll say it’s ‘less messy’, and so that his ‘neck isn’t tired’, whatever that fucking means. Tim’s like, I can just use a straw, and Dick is like ‘no :)’ .

They carefully curate what media he’s allowed to consume or how they act around him, but it’s all distorted to this weird fantasy dynamic.

We’ve discussed how in the suicidal Tim au, the batfam grows a lot closer, and I think this would lead to casual incest/sexual behavior between members that aren’t necessarily just Tim and others. It’s viewed as normal and healthy, and to be fair, they are vigilantes, so what’s normal for them has always been skewed.

But this leads to Bruce being totally okay with Tim watching Dick and Jason make out heavily and Jack each other off on the other end of the same couch (Bruce is just sitting in a nearby armchair, reading the paper) but he scolds Jason heavily when a ‘*fuck*’ slips out under his breath.

How dare he use that kind of language around his younger brother! And Dick would reach over, his whole thang still out and swinging, to place his hands over Tim’s precious ears.

Just this weird dichotomy where Tim is only allowed to watch certain PG films or movies and not to hear swears, but full on sex is okay AS LONG as it’s between members of his family.

This doesn’t apply to other sexual stuff tho— of a TV show or movie has a sex scene, that’s an instant veto. To them, sex is only something that Tim should see and experience within the context of his family, like everything else. Besides, they’ll view sex in media as ‘degrading’ , like a Christian mom about even the lightest of kink. It’s always too rough, too impersonal— sex is something loving to be experienced in his family, and they don’t want him getting the wrong ideas.

This of course is all informed by the fact that most of them are some degree of delusional. It comes to the point where some of them (ie Dick and Bruce) genuinely don’t aknowledge any of Tim’s life before the fall, and maybe even construct a fake history in which he’s just a sickly, lovely boy who’s always been cared for by his family. Obviously Tim knows and has experienced a bunch of fucked-up stuff, whether it be regarding sex or violence, but they refuse to acknowledge this. To them, every hint of sexuality in a movie that isn’t Cinderella chastely kissing Prince Charming is his impressionable young minds first exposure to these sordid concepts.

I think all of this is the origin of some of their weirder kinks, like Dick’s previously discussed and very real piss and period kinks. In Dicks mind, the idea of Tim waking him up to tell him he wet the bed is thrilling and arousing because it indicates a lack of control on autonomy on Tim’s part, and a complete trust, that Tim wasn’t embarassed or scared to tell him. That even the most abstract concept of fear is something that is never warranted in reaction to his big brother, Dick.

this view of sexuality is that it’s something to be expressed and enjoyed between trusting members of a family, but it’s ultimately just one more aspect of their love, and not the main focus. They don’t view themselves as having a ‘kink lifestyle’. There’s no line dividing the sexual and non-sexual because it’s all considered platonic in a sense.

This is also why I personally believe Bruce would actually not encourage Tim to call him ‘daddy’ for sexual reasons, because he would view it as a word that has been corrupted by this overtly-sexual context of the larger world and culture.

Like obviously if Tim regresses and calls him daddy he’s not going to be upset or correct him, and he def likes being Tim’s ‘dad’ and having it be acknowledged, but he dislikes the implication that their relationship is primarily or inherently sexual, instead of that just being one aspect of the ways they love each other.

What title do I think Bruce would be SO into? ‘Papa’. It’s perfect. It’s incredibly informal, it’s bursting with affection, it’s versatile and fits in sexual and non-sexual situations. He’s Tim’s papa. Don’t worry, baby, Papa will take care of that. Papa loves you. Do you want Papa to cut that for you, Timmy?

Sorry this is so long and weird I just have a lot of thoughts lol

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANON I LOVE YOUR MIND!!!!! i fully believe there would be rapid infantilization in the scenario after tim's "fall". they'd handle tim with kid gloves at first but then their treatment of him would shift and change because they're so determined to have tim in this clean, sterilized environment free of where he could be influenced by anything on the outside. because it was 'outside' forces that drove him to do what he did (but the call is coming from inside the house).

them bottle feeding tim, carefully curating the media he consumes, baby talking him and even forcing regression on him.

it makes it all so delightfully twisted because the situation is all so fucked for everyone involved. they're all in such horrible distress and it all goes unaddressed and in many ways they all make each other sicker and worse. and tim is probably the only one of them that can see how wrong things are bit he's essentially getting psychologically tortured and in many ways some things about his captivity are being made appealing. because they speak to him softly, touch him gently. he even gets used to being fucked even when his mind is young and confused about what's happening to him.

damian assures him it's okay because he's been practicing being gentle so he doesn't need dick or jason to supervise him anymore.

like tim's mind is getting twisted by all of them around him and even as he sinks deeper into this delusion he still can't deny part of him feels like there's something...off.

but that feeling doesn't last and isn't strong enough to make him do anything about it.

honestly speaking i don't think they ever snap out of it and no one reaches out to them and sees what's happening proving the point that they really only have each other.

it's bittersweet to people on the outside because they can see the twistedness and how much they need help but if they were "helped" they'd be miserable. at least like this they're happpy.

and isn't that...preferable?

oh this AU is equal parts happy and tragic and it goes back and forth depending on the time of day !!

WARNING:

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Note that while I make no claims as to ownership of the imagery posted in this tribute blog, I do assert "Fair Use" of such for the purpose of commentary with regards to what constitutes feminine beauty in the eye of this particular beholder. However, content will be removed at the specific request of its documented copyright holder. In any event, I always strive to identify subjects featured herein.

FWIW, I’m a single (divorced), male (he/him, duh) gynesexual (attracted to feminine beauty, regardless of one’s plumbing), affectionate (love slow-dancing, hugs & cuddling) Scorpio (readily aroused) living near Memphis. But, I'm no player or chaser, 100% NOT into dudes, nor am I anyone's ATM. Anyway, if you’re OK with all of that, please feel free to message me, and do stay tuned...

Thank you, thankyouverymuch!

P.S. Check out my other blogs @gurlcrazytfa & @wordstfa

Clothing, Claiming, and Negotiating: The Imagery of “Non-Normative” Bodies

Key (or New) Terms

Body schema— non-visual sensing of the body, including haptics, proprioception, or spatial awareness of the body and interoception, or awareness of the body’s internal state (Featherstone qtd. Manivannan 66)

Cartesian perspectivalism—the eye creates a two dimensional, artificial image of a 3D scene that is decontextualized, held up in a vacuum, and assumed to be a real, authentic reflection of reality (Hum 110-111).

Scopic regimes—culturally specific ways of interpreting what we see that seek to organize reality into one essential socio-historical construct (Hum 108).

Polymorphic literacy—a constantly evolving, multifaceted literacy made up of verbal, graphic, and mental (visual-kinesthetic space, reality in the absence of reality) (Fleckenstein 623).

I knew that my choice to host this blog on Tumblr, my first social media platform and online “home”, would eventually resonate with the contents of this course. I just didn’t expect it to come so soon! As I read Michelle Grue and Vyshali Manivannan’s pieces on role that clothing plays in navigating academia as a person of color or a visibly disabled person, I thought of my “main” blog. Just a tab away from where I’m composing this post waits a collection of historical and cultural fashions and aesthetics cultivated over the course of years, interspersed with quotations from literature, scholarship, and the work of historical interpreters, reflecting my own evolving relationship with history, fashion, academia, disability, and authenticity over the years. I find myself wondering what I would uncover if I examined that collection for markers of class and “authenticity”. How have I negotiated with what Sue Hum calls the “dynamic of universality”—have I looked for or considered the historical, social, and economic tides that brought content to my dash, or have I allowed what I saw to be reduced to a flattened, commodified “reality” of other cultures focused on what we in the West would like to believe we all, as humans, share?

Manivannan’s “But You Look So Well” brought this home for me in a very real way. Since I am visibly disabled, “dressing sick” or “dressing well” aren’t a concern for me in the same way as for her. I carry obvious, universally (Western) symbols of “sickness” with me everywhere. But I do find myself having to dress in ways that reinforce a sense of belonging in academia. At my undergraduate institution, I was once stopped on my way to class (in sweatpants and a t-shirt) and kindly asked if I needed help getting back to a program for special education high school students that sometimes ran on campus. In a dress and a blazer (especially the blazer, which seems to impress undergraduates) I am much more reliably clocked as an academic. As Manivannan notes, these more formal or ostensibly intellectual ways of dressing reflect a sense of neoliberal independence and “ownership” of pain that people with intellectual disabilities, especially, are stereotyped as not possessing. This speaks to Sue Hum’s assertion that Western society calls for an ostensibly objectivist way of seeing—what looks, to our sensibilities, as “authentic Chinese culture” is authentic, and what looks, to us, like an unintelligent person must be so.

Moreover, I’m aware that these standards are in some ways highly specific to me as a white woman. As Grue notes, the standard, “serious” styles that work well for white women seeking to be taken seriously can get Black women stereotyped as angry or unnecessarily severe. Grue’s piece offers a powerful reminder that clothing, like other imagery, is never neutral. I was especially struck by Grue’s reflection that Dr. Tamora “needs to perform a certain way to protect her body and her intellect, so she can do the work she wants to do.” I’ve often regarded signifiers or stereotypes of intellectualism (books, overtly academic vocabulary) similarly, as armor I can wield against societal stereotypes and prejudices surrounding the “useless”, naïve disabled person—a category I fought not to be included in growing up.

Now, I strive to conceptualize my disability as a key part of what Fleckenstein might call a home place—a kind of mental map that integrates all aspects of my disability and identity in a way I can return to, draw language from, to build solidarity with others rather than defining myself in opposition to others. Perhaps especially in online spaces, I think it pays to be aware of how our imagery (mental, visual, verbal, or sartorial) positions us in relation to others (the Other); online, as elsewhere, our presentation is deeply rooted in identity and experience, even when it isn’t intended to align directly with our everyday selves.

looks like the same handwriting too i wonder how reluctant he was to write it. frankly i was abt ready to suggest u go post anonymously on ur local FB for businesses in your town, etc, bc thats shitty.

i work at a combo cafe/gift shop/more place where we make "a living wage" (her words) so not """waitress wages""" and thus are not supposed to take tips. theres a whole rigamarole she gives abt hoe if she let us our taxes get messed up etc etc but honestly i get so many customers who side eye the reasoning when we tell them. instead we have to tell them that we encourage donations to... the k9 unit.

Apparently one of our trainers told him off and our groomer threatened to leave. And considering there’s only like 11 ppl that work there, I think he knew that he’d be screwed. We all hate him anyways, he’s honestly just a really awful person and doesn’t actually do anything for the kennel (the kennel doesn’t have many negative reviews online, but all the ones that do are people saying that he was rude or ignorant towards them, so he really does more damage than good imo).

Stereotypical white, rich boomer. Trains bird-dogs to hunt for sport, barely pays us a living wage despite the company making enough money for him to have a private “farm” and go on exotic hunting trips, overcharges clients, etc. very “old school” and by old school I mean that he is a professional dog trainer that still believes in and teaches Alpha Theory despite being told multiple times that it’s been debunked and the whole asserting dominance thing is more harmful than helpful for dogs. He just doesn’t want to change his ways or admit that he’s ever wrong.

But IMO, the worst thing he does is his treatment of his dogs. He essentially treats the kennel like his own personal nintendogs kennel. He has 4 (really 3) dogs, and sometimes he’ll just decide to drop one of them off for a few months just because. I say 3, because one of his dogs has been living at the kennel for over a year now. She’s a 9 year old pointer that he used to breed, but now that she’s too old to have puppies or hunt, I guess he just doesn’t see a point in keeping her around. He comes to the kennel every day, sometimes he interacts with her, sometimes he doesn’t. But never actually brings her home. Every single person working at the kennel would take her home if we could, because we all acknowledge that this just isn’t right. She deserves to go to a home at the end of the day, and even though we give her playtime and lots of attention, she’s clearly depressed! Her owner basically dumped her and she only gets to see her puppies/pack when he brings them to work every once in a while. He’d be furious if you ever brought up the possibility of changing ownership, but fuck. She just deserves better. And it’s infuriating that the only trying we can do is give her as much love and attention as we can during the work day.

Musical NFTs — What are they and how do they operate?

Almost everyone enjoys listening to music daily, and the most famous singers since the 1950s have typically been pop singers. Over recent decades, however, the industry has undergone considerable change and turmoil.

Physical disc sales have declined and online broadcasting provides very little compensation to artists with millions of fans. Many famous musicians assert they do not receive fair payments; most claim there’s no opportunity to earn a living through music due to current conditions. Is this something that can be improved upon?

Music NFTs promise to transform the music industry and how artists are compensated for their hard work. Blockchain-based systems may still be new but show great promise: Music NFTs could change musicians’ lives while increasing fan engagement. We will explore these tools from both sides — fans and artists.

Are You Wondering About Musical NFTs?

As is widely known, “non-fungible token” (NFT) refers to digital certificates created within Blockchain networks such as Ethereum that certify ownership of unique assets. Economic principles surrounding fungibility should always be considered when evaluating NFTs; uniqueness should also be considered during evaluation.

An NFT certificate identifies who owns a piece of music. Anyone can buy such certificates, and owners can use the composition at their leisure.

NFT refers to any form of fungible coin that can be owned and managed in different ways by multiple owners at once, secured via blockchain technology and giving access to videos, music albums, or other content for exclusive owners only. NFT token development plays an integral role in accessing music content — just like music itself!

Music NFTs offer musicians, bands, and songwriters an ideal opportunity to interact with their audiences in fresh and imaginative ways.

What Is Musical Non-Fungible Token (NFT)? Musical NFTs work similarly whether for production or sales: first, the musician/group selects content they wish to provide their fans such as audio files, concert tickets, or merchandise, and then selects a blockchain and platform where they want their tokens minted and finally selects which NFT platform will host it all.

Once they have identified their preferred platform, they will inform their fans about upcoming new film release (NFT) auctions and set their desired bidding price for each.

All non-financial transfers (NFTs), including music NFTs, cannot be replicated. A music producer may decide to sell audio files once and the highest bidder will own both the audio file itself as well as its rights. Furthermore, this high bidder could then create several NFTs and sell them on online marketplaces directly — providing another method of music distribution without middlemen.

Every fan who purchases NFT music becomes the new owner of that musician’s work. Additionally, NFTs may be stored in crypto-wallets and sold at higher prices to generate profit reselling NFTs if necessary if that musician no longer performs; nonetheless, Music NFTs empower musicians in many different ways.

What are the advantages of music NFTs for artists?

Due to advances in technology and distribution, musicians now have new avenues of income generation. Prior to now, musicians had difficulty monetizing their work or maintaining control.

During the 1950s, businessmen would sometimes exchange services in return for songwriting credits. Once record sales increased in the 1960s, few artists actually owned their recordings themselves, and this process was handled by record labels and publishers.

Since 1990, physical music sales have declined while streaming services have gained market dominance; yet artists remain dissatisfied with their low financial returns from these platforms and some musicians have even left them due to concerns regarding fair compensation or misinformation; non-streaming platforms (NFTs) allow them to maintain creative control as well as financial security.

Music NFTs offer musicians many advantages. First is royalty payments: musicians can profit from NFTs they create to sell music directly without using intermediaries like record labels, publicists, and managers; you can also expand your fan base with NFT airdrops helping musicians reach new audiences.

One potential strategy is providing fans with immersive fan experiences such as meeting their idols either in person or virtually; Snoop Dogg and Post Malone were pioneers in this realm. Musicians may also share collectibles; Aphex Twin, MF Doom, and Grimes have done so.

Create your Own NFT Token With Us,

Entry barriers for new artists into the NFT scene are low — nobody expects new music from them or that they fit any particular category, just so that they may gain record contracts. Music NFTs allow musicians to upload their music onto any platform and market it directly to fans.

How can I invest in music-themed NFTs?

As a cryptocurrency enthusiast, you may be contemplating investing in music-related NFTs. Doing so may prove profitable while helping support various artists; NFTs could revolutionize an industry, though profit may not always be guaranteed.

Music distributors may make up to 50 percent of revenue from deals related to music distribution, while artists receive very little income as a result. No-fee taxpayer models increase artist income and allow small artists to avoid record label restrictions; fighting for justice can be a worthwhile cause.

Now, there are three primary approaches for investing in music NFTs.

Markets NFT Collections

Fondos NFT

Blockchain technology can help strengthen relationships between you and your fans if you decide to mint NFTs. While minting incurs costs, any sales made later would likely incur Ethereum network fees, marketplace charges, and royalties from original artists that must be paid.

Decide on the music that will go into your collection. Music and art can both be subjective. Remember the rarity principle we discussed earlier — rare or exclusive releases can prove highly sought-after and potentially valuable investments.

Many music NFT projects issue digital tokens which represent ownership of digital versions of songs with accompanying artwork, but these tokens do not constitute rare or unique items; they can easily be replaced with similar items from similar projects.

Most successful NFT projects are those that focus on supply rather than solely demand, so collecting an exceptionally rare NFT collectible item could increase its prospects among cryptocurrency enthusiasts.

Remember, regular NFT markets are immensely popular in crypto, while music-specific NFTs remain relatively new concepts; some markets already offer them and they have caused quite the buzz in the music industry.

What are the sizes of NFT markets?

Coinbase announced their plans to introduce a New Financial Technology (NFT) market by 2021, following OpenSea’s monthly volume reaching $3 billion last year and interest from Visa as well as several other markets — even music has begun taking notice of this trend.

Steve Aoki, Todd McFarlane, and OddKey recently unveiled the OddKey platform, one of the leading NFT music marketplaces. Royal allows users to purchase shares of royalties associated with a song; Opulous promotes new musicians while NFT Tone promises similar benefits.

OpenSea is the market leader for non-financial assets (NFAs) such as music. A host of cryptocurrency exchange services will soon enter this market as well.

NFT Collections

An NFT collection consists of various unique tokens. Music NFTs provide an innovative new way of supporting artists’ careers while rewarding you for having foresight; your collection could reap benefits should an up-and-coming artist become successful and you own their NFT.

Investing in the market or in particular cryptocurrency is like buying stocks in an established company; while music NFTs resemble art. Careful consideration of all of their advantages and disadvantages should be undertaken prior to investing. There are always increasing opportunities available to you in order to build up a collection.

Doja Cat, Snoop Dogg, and other pop stars launched highly successful NFT Projects in 2021. Many music artists collaborated with digital content creators on NFT collections that were highly successful; many were even inspired to explore digital content creation themselves!

Fondos NFT

NFT funds are created by asset managers who choose to invest in non-fungible cryptocurrency tokens. A notable CryptoPunks NFT holder recently launched one such fund; it will invest in NFTs on behalf of users; many institutional investors are eager to explore this investment prospect.

NFT funds offer many advantages for starting new NFT collections, including reduced risks involved with collecting NFTs from popular collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club to secure loans. Bitwise Blue-Chip NFT Index Fund was recently introduced and will cover CryptoPunks as well as Bored Apes collections.

Can Non-Financial Transfers Disrupt the Music Industry in Any Way?

Unfair distribution of music industry revenues has long been debated. Non-fungible tokens stand out due to their unique properties and are beloved among both artists and hobbyists for their versatility; their appeal won’t likely decline any time soon!

NFTs offer an exciting way to reimagine artistic and cultural expression. Music NFTs go beyond just another numbers game; investors should remain aware of current zeitgeist and popular culture trends when investing.

Do musical non-profit trusts represent a worthy investment? Absolutely. Trust your instincts and consider the value. Additionally, establish your risk tolerance before joining an established community that supports its members.