#like I’m made at capitalism for gendering marketing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hellishjoel · 4 months

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ahh so many congrats to you, my love!! i feel so lucky to have met you through this fandom and definitely consider you a friend worth having <3

for your casino: 💎 + "fixing the other's hairstyle to let their hands run through their partner's hair"

the red viper of dorne and the snake charmer

1k / pairing: oberlyn martell x reader

physical affection request: fixing the other's hairstyle to let their hands run through their partner's hair

warnings/information: MA 18+ (minors DNI), reader is described to have hair but no other physical traits - including unspecified gender (this is my first time attempting a non-specified reader so if there are any slips, please feel free to let me know and I will quickly address it!)

a/n: I used the lovely @morallyinept’s character analysis of Oberyn and dialogue for assistance since this is my first Oberyn piece! Thank you so much, Jett! Please go read the rest of their works, they are amazing!

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What’s to like about King’s Landing?

You miss home. You miss Dorne. It may be summer here in King’s Landing, but the warmth wasn’t as rich. The sun didn’t glow on your skin, it didn’t make you melt into happiness. There were no hills, there was no sand. It was all crowded streets and city dwellers. And it smelled like the sewers.

The only reason you’re here is at the request of your paramour, Prince Oberyn of Dorne. And he hates this place as much, if not more, than you do.

So many terrible memories here, terrible people, terrible ideologies. No one was open here. It was incredibly traditional and formal, with not a single soul open to anything but the old ways.

Perhaps that’s why you and Oberyn were seen as sore thumbs compared to the rest of the capital visitors for the great wedding of yet another king. You wonder how long this one will last before another usurper takes the dead man’s crown. The gold smelter must have been very busy these past few years.

You sit atop Oberyn’s balcony, legs dangling over the edge as you look past the city and over the water. You’d rather wait on the ship, to be truthful.

A warm presence joins you from behind. Oberyn’s silky robes and toned muscles meet the planes of your back.

“You’re not present, my love.”

An immediate peace settles over you, letting your muscles go lax at Oberyn’s gentle coos.

“I'm sorry, my dearest. I’m not sure I’ll ever be while I’m here,” you admit, eyes casting downward as you watch people weave in and out of the market streets. They’re so small from up here. Maybe that’s why the Lannister's act the way that they do. They really must believe they are bigger and better than everyone else because that’s all they see from the towers of the Red Keep. Tiny little people with tiny little dreams.

You can hear Oberyn sigh, his tough and calloused hands working up your arms and gently into your shoulders. Your eyes fall closed as he speaks.

“You know, when I was just a boy and visited King’s Landing for the first time, the Iron Throne and the fight for it was at its peak. I was so curious about this Iron Throne, having never seen it before, but knowing all the great stories. Young and with a wild imagination, I leaned into the legends of the throne, not knowing how true or untrue those rumors may be.”

Oberyn pauses to run his fingers down the long braid you had tied your hair into. Your hair in all its naturalness didn’t seem to be taken affectionately by the people of the capital. You didn’t know how to style it in the manner that they did. So you thought it would be best to tie it back and keep it out of the way. Make yourself smaller so they can make themselves larger.

Oberyn loves every single piece of you just the way you are. His fingers dip in and out of the interwoven pieces as he continues.

“I imagined that the Iron Throne was a hundred feet tall, made upon tens of thousands of iron swords that were conquered from King Aegon. It was dark, and scary, and daunting. But when I saw it in person, saw it for what it really was…” he pauses to stroke his fingers through the strands, your face softening as he admires the beauty you so naturally possessed.

“And what?” You ask as you turn your head just slightly to the right, chin over your shoulder to let him know you are listening. “What was it really?”

Oberyn shakes his head and shrugs nonchalantly.

“It was a horrible chair.”

You sputter up a laugh and smile for the first time in King’s Landing. He joins you with a hearty chuckle, and it makes your heart beat faster.

“Truly, it was just a horrible, uncomfortable chair. Others saw it as a symbol of power, I saw it as a symbol of oppression. It was made of melted swords from defeated enemies, that so much is true, but it was made with no care. It has sharp edges and points, those parts left unmelted by dragonfire. It is ugly and brutal. It wasn’t smooth or elegant or formal, it was all a lie. But it was told to be great.”

Your face softens, and your gentle eyes meet that of the Red Viper’s. Oberyn sees you as his equal; not many in such a high-powered position could so confidently say that.

Finally free of your braid, of your constraint, Oberyn runs his fingers through in a routine way he usually does at night, the two of you bare between silk sheets. It’s comforting to him just as it is you.

“You don’t like it here.” He states. “Then… we set sail tomorrow at dawn.”

You part your lips in surprise, tilting your head. "What about the wedding? The King?"

He scoffs and shifts his jaw. "Fuck the King."

His large hand cups your cheek, strong fingers memorizing the curvature of your features as the brown embers in his eyes meet yours. But you can’t help but feel a bit guilty.

“You don’t have to void your entire trip just because I’m…” Your words fall flat and you look back out over the sea, wishing so desperately to be seeing the outskirts of Dorne.

“My dearest, there is nothing I would love more than to be in the sultry embrace of a Dornish night with you, where the stars themselves seem to dance to the rhythm of our beating hearts. You are my flame, my fire, and your flame is dying here. I must protect you. Your eyes scream for the desert sun. I was a stubborn bull to take you away. Our shadows will burn together, I know this to be true, for the passion I feel for you is marked on the landscape of my desires.”

Your heart races under his gaze. He’s made by the Gods with his sharp jawline and cheekbones etched of marble stone. Eyes brewing with pure charm and eroticism that dance hand in hand.

“Let us escape the constraints of King’s Landing. For in the realm of pleasure, there are no houses, no sigils, no armies. Dorne is here, with you, always. Be with me for one more night in King’s Landing, and I promise to never return.”

He stands and offers his open hand to you. You smugly smile and join him, letting him reel you in further to the bedroom. “The Red Viper has quite the tongue.” You taunt as your warm palms fall to Oberyn's sun-soaked chest.

“You already know that to be true, my love.”

hehehe ngl that was fun, thank you so much for celebrating with me, Erin!

#oberyn martell #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #oberyn martell game of thrones #game of thrones #the red viper #oberlyn martell got #house martell

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transmutationisms · 1 year

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this isn’t rly a coherent point just a thought but i feel like the succession audience anon might be getting at the fact that the sociopolitical commentary of the show is lost as its audience increases? imo jesse’s political commentary is very clear but i also have my commie goggles on. but i know for a fact that the show is was not written nor marketed the way i’m consuming it. maybe jesse leans that way a bit but like he’s obviously descriptive and not prescriptive in his art so there’s that, and the constraints of tv are that it has to have broad enough appeal so you can’t be shoving your politics down the people’s throats necessarily. i think it is marketed to the brooklynite class you’re describing and i think they don’t fully get it and i also think as more people watch the more its themes are ignored in favor of stuff like omg who’d make the best successor, despite that not being what the show is about at all (also jesse has told us from day one who would make the “best” successor). idk like the people who get excited abt kendall becoming ceo you know? like omg it’s a win for him! like… are we watching the same show

ok i agree with a lot of this, and i am certainly also a known user of commie goggles lol. i think the fundamental limitation with the show is, like you said, that it's more interested in a descriptive mode than a prescriptive one, which means at its best it can nail character development and political satire, but it isn't really trying to offer any coherent alternative worldview. the portrayal of logan's gender / body politics is not flattering and doesn't flinch away from either the interpersonal trauma he inflicts on those around him or the broader political harm done by liberal capitalism; the show has also always been fairly sharp i think on the fascistic tendencies of capitalism and the way the latter turns into the former—again, shown both through logan's ideology of domination, social darwinist thinking, valorising certain types of bodies, etc, and through waystar's engagement with politics and politicians. however, i'd agree that this is all motivated by a description of the characters' worldviews and by satire of them, and we would probably see more of the cracks in the writers' and showrunners' politics if they tried to put forth some kind of more active alternative political platform.

that said, the fact that people miss these aspects of the show says as much to me about the political consciousness of viewers as it does about the intentionality of the writing. people with certain beliefs about masculinity are always going to watch 'fight club' and think tyler durden rules, no matter how effectively the critique is or isn't being made. similarly, people who think capitalism is a good or necessary system and doesn't derive value from fascism, or that succeeding in business is a matter of skill and mystical genius powers rather than a game of luck and accreting wealth, are always going to watch 'succession' and think that logan rules, or that the point is to identify the person who 'deserves' to take over waystar, or that capitalist electoral politics is a noble exercise in rhetoric that has simply been corrupted by a few evil apples, or what the fuck ever.

like, i'm not saying the writing is perfect or denying that it hits a wall in terms of actual radicalism. but i do think there are certain critiques the writers consistently and clearly make, often specifically via satire, that large swathes of the audience simply don't pick up on because they're approaching the text through their liberal capitalist ideological lens. you can see this, for example, in the journosphere's takes on the cruises storyline, which by and large completely failed to engage with the broader critique of capitalism as inherently producing death, exploiting bodies, and specifically preying on those deemed other or marginal—namely sex workers, migrants, women, etc. these points were very clearly made in the show and the meliorist viewpoint very clearly satirised (eg, in 'argestes'). ultimately, though, you can't rescue viewers from their own liberalism and you can't make them read the text from beyond those parameters. it's an issue of political consciousness, and although it can certainly be exacerbated by bad or milquetoast writing, even an explicitly radical piece of art will be interpreted through that liberal lens by people who are liberals (anyone remember the reviews of 'sorry to bother you'?)

i also would add that, in my opinion, this season has actually been more willing to overtly engage with the political threads than season 3. viewers can no longer hide behind the idea that the problem starts and ends with logan as an individual. matsson and his people have consistently been characterised as staking their own worth on their supposed biological superiority, with specific references to athletic ability, bodily strength, élite education that forms a class barrier, and the general idea of racial and genetic superiority ("nasdaq master race," "shallow end of the gene pool"). i'm aware there are many viewers, including on tumblr, who are not stringing these things together and seeing an overall discourse on capitalist eugenics and racism—but i do actually think that the satire here is being laid out pretty clearly in front of our faces. is this a show interested in exploring imaginative political alternatives? no, and you could convincingly argue on that basis that its fundamental stance is more self-satisfied snark than anything resembling actual leftist politics. i think, though, that this would be pretty evenly true since day 1, and that, at its best, the writing does hit on some key aspects of how capitalist spectacle functions, the power abuses it creates and enables, and how these things are inherent to capitalism writ large rather than being a unique pathology of the roys or waystar.

ultimately i love to see art that is actually communist / leftist in nature, is interested in alternatives to capitalism and ways out of our current political economic arrangement, etc. 'succession' is not that, clearly. part of the reason i do shit like blog about it is because it used to annoy me so much that no one was connecting certain more radical dots (like the obvious path from the show's historicised thinking -> a critique of capitalism as contingent) that are implied or allowed-for by the writing but never unpacked or explicated. so, often what interests me in the show is at least as much the lacunae left in the writing as the things it explicitly says. again, commie goggles. i also would tentatively agree with you that it's primarily marketed to people who are basically liberal and milquetoast, for reasons of profit motive, although again i honestly take in so little television advertising that i don't have much that's cogent to say about this angle of things lol.

i'm certainly not lying to myself that this show is any kind of radical statement of communist party values—i just also think that there are points of actually interesting satirical critique that the writers are very deliberate about, and that the guardian-new yorker-industrial complex is pretty much inherently going to miss these points or ignore them, for reasons that don't necessarily reflect one way or the other on the actual quality of the writing.

anyway, it was maybe goofy to write this out like an hour before the election episode airs, but these are certainly questions i will continue rotating after i see it lol.

#blood sacrifice

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coochiequeens · 1 year

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Ladies, always keep stickers on you

China’s Surrogacy Debate Extends to Women’s Toilets

From universities to hospital toilets, women are finding themselves surrounded by small ads recruiting surrogacy candidates as well as customers. They, and some companies, are hitting back.

By Yang Caini

May 15, 20233-min read #gender#surrogacy

Women in China are covering up surrogacy ads in toilets with stickers and lipstick as they try to discourage other women from becoming surrogates or take up their services.

In late April, a video of an anonymous woman covering up a surrogacy ad with stickers in a women’s bathroom in a hospital in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region went viral online.

Her actions were widely praised, with netizens sharing similar experiences about covering up surrogacy ads they encounter: “I erased these sorts of ads in the toilet of a movie theater.” “I’ve seen ads like this in dorms and school bathrooms.” “They can be found in all three toilets in a Changsha shopping mall.”

These ads look to recruit surrogates as well as customers. They are usually made up of very few words, with a price and a contact number provided. Many also guarantee a son, the favored sex in China.

Five university students from five different cities told Sixth Tone that they’ve seen the ads “countless times” in toilets. Zhao Yifei, a master’s degree student at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, said that these ads can be found in almost every toilet on campus. She sometimes feels conflicted when scratching them out with her keys.

“On the one hand, I think (surrogacy) can help those families who cannot conceive because of physical reasons. On the other hand … the most likely result is that the rich use surrogacy in large numbers and exploit the poor,” said Zhao.

Commercial surrogacy is banned in China, together with all sales of gametes, fertilized eggs, and embryos. The prohibition has led to the emergence of black markets and cross-bordersurrogacy services that target infertile and same-sex couples.

Surrogate mothers in China can receive up to 280,000 yuan ($40,282) for their services, while customers reportedly pay up to 1.1 million yuan for a surrogate baby with a chosen sex.

The question of whether to legalize surrogacy in China is a heated debate. In 2017, state-run media People’s Daily published an article that discussed legalizing surrogacy to ease the country’s falling birth rate and help infertile senior couples. Opponents, however, decry the practice for exploiting vulnerable women.

Li, who insisted on only using her surname, has kept a marker pen and anti-surrogacy stickers in her handbag since 2019, when she first erased a surrogacy ad in a shopping mall toilet with her lipstick in her hometown of Zhengzhou, the capital city of the central province of Henan.

“I’m embarrassed to say it, but I was thinking about whether the lipstick can still be used afterwards. But this was only for a few seconds — after all, this matter is much more important than lipstick,” Li, 26, told Sixth Tone.

Afterwards, Li purchased anti-surrogacy stickers in case she ran into the ads again. Some of these stickers mention that they are 30 centimeters long, the same length as a needle used for retrieving a woman’s egg. She hopes this scares women thinking about surrogacy by showing what it will mean in practice.

Some women’s products manufacturers, including sellers of pads and skincare products, are supporting these anti-surrogacy efforts by gifting customers free anti-surrogacy stickers with their purchases.

SISCOM, an online vendor with over 40,000 followers on e-commerce platform Taobao selling feminist merchandise, began giving customers free anti-surrogacy stickers in 2021. “Surrogacy exploits women. It’s banned in China. You will be punished for it,” the stickers read, with a reporting hotline included.

Qiqi, co-owner of SISCOM, told Sixth Tone that she has seen many of these ads herself.

“Sometimes I can’t help but feel that the people who make these ads are so smart … The toilet compartments are so private that you can hardly catch them and ban them,” she said.

Women’s public toilets have been in the news before. In 2020, advocates launched a campaign to install pad-sharing boxes in women’s toilets, which swept across the country.

Editor: Vincent Chow.

#China #anti surrogacy sunday #Anti exploiting women #Babies are not commodities #Stickering #Couples are willing to pay more for a boy #Retrieving eggs uses a needle 30 centimeters long #Surrogacy exploits women. It’s banned in China. You will be punished for it

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f1ghtsoftly · 1 year

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It can be so frustrating imo to explain to people who haven’t seen it for themselves What Is Wrong With Q**r Politics until they see it themselves.

I think a large part of it is because the paradigm is still “accepting gnc people vs ostracizing them”. To most of them there was no “before” to go back to. They never had access to the lgbt friendly spaces that did really exist in the 1990s and 2000s which, were not perfect, but generally you could count on a critical mass of people to be cool with men dressing like women and women dressing like men. To not pressure anyone to medicalize and to use pronouns with fluidity and context to express the realities of LGBTQ experiences not the rigidity of trans identities.

I’m not a luddite, I don’t long to go back to the AIDs crisis or a time when same sex public affection could illicit a beating, but a nice thing about being marginalized is that we were not marketed to, there were no influencers with thousands of followers trying to sell us on medicalization. Nobody believed that acceptance came at the cost of our health and our finances and that living a radical, gender fucked life is entirely compatible with homosexuality (and encouraged). Marginalization forced us to see a radical reality, not a shackled one.

It is so fucking telling how much this movement serves the needs of capital. Not only does transitioning destroy LG visibility, but it’s wildly expensive. It’s so easy for niave/immoral actors to cash in on a demographic that is in general isolated/ low in confidence and our gender system ensures that gay people will always be marginalized. We can’t overthrow gender under capitalism because the unpaid labor of mothers is too valuable.

Until we destroy the social system of patriarchy, gays and lesbians will always pose a “problem”. We are unproductive, ill fitting cogs in a machine that says only boys are one way and only girls are another and this is the only natural way. Not only does patriarchy keep women poor, weak and working 24/7 it also directs men’s rage towards women but it needs to be shoved in everyone’s faces 24/7 to hold. Oppressing 50% of a population is hard work.

Patriarchal propaganda is intense and pervasive. It has to be in order to work. This propaganda says the state of affairs is natural. That women like their position. That men are naturally agressive. That this is just the way things are. And it’s *that* propaganda that fucks gay people the hardest. The kind that says women oriented sexuality is innately agressive, so lesbians must share the fantasies of straight men. The kind that says anything associated with women is fair game for violence and exploitation, leaving men who preform for male attention exposed to male violence. The kind that says men must prove their power over women always, leading men to see lesbian masculinity as a direct threat. Plus all the ways gays and lesbians are made to feel uncomfortable, ostracized and left out from gendered social forms and rituals.

And rather than fix the actual problem, it works best for our system to allow predatory doctors to cash in on that. And activist groups can promote the shit out of it with minimal social backlash and without having to actually change how our system works. It doesn’t threaten the beauty industry or the entertainment industry or the plastic surgery industry because unlike women’s rights, unlike a radical restructuring of our society, it conforms with ideas about gender already popular in American culture. That gender is natural and “women” are naturally self sacrificing and submissive.

And reflecting back, it really just proves how revolutionary the idea that one’s natural body, personality and sexuality is more than good enough really was. Self acceptance has been so totally destroyed by the the weird neoliberal/wellness/moralism paradigm that it now means to become an image that has been sold to you, rather than to allow yourself to just fucking *be*.

Gayness, homosexuality, lesbianism, has been colonized in mainstream culture. It’s been turned into a mockery of itself (and jesus christ honestly it looks like it, the queers have NO DRIP). To be not a call to return to our truest selves and to see love not through the eyes of production and resources but through real feeling but a cruel endorsement of capital’s need to force us to conform, consume and constrict ourselves.

And I just hate the idea of literal decades of activism, people’s ENTIRE lives work, of lives destroyed by the AIDS crisis, by psychiatric hospitals, by poverty and addiction. Of all of that suffering and that work and that courage to fight through all of that just being mangled before our eyes.

There is no reform that will last. We have to take this all the way home.

#radical feminism #radblr #radical feminist #char on char #radfems #radical feminist theory #radical feminists do touch #radfem safe #radfem

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a-room-of-my-own · 10 months

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Okay that makes a lot more sense. It seems like a lot of the discourse is so idealised that it makes it easy to weaponise against others without making sense. I’m still trying to figure out if rad feminism has a theory or idea of what it is that could lead to egalitarianism/female liberation. But maybe also advocating for one specific path would be fruitless because there isn’t likely one thing/way that would realistically solve sex (and/or gender) based oppression. It reminds me of when other leftists talk a lot about the “revolution that’s gonna end capitalism and bring about equal rights” that feels more religious than attainable

And calling women a dick worshipper/etc is absolutely ridiculous and regressive. Attachment to men or having sex with men is not enough to change the inherent value, soul, or personality of a woman

- - -

Oh there’s definitely and influence of the extreme left in the idea that everything will be different after le Grand Soir - the big event that will start the Revolution®️. I can’t tell you how many times I had discussions about this when I was in college and yes, there’s some magical thinking involved. I suppose it’s easier to believe that one day the past will be erased and you’ll have a blank canvas to reshape society completely, rather to deal with reality and try to better your circumstances little by little.

Feminists in France were in many cases close to leftist movements, but they quickly realized that for those freedom fighters, women’s rights were kind of a blind spot. This lead to the creation of a famous feminist slogan : travailleurs de tous pays, qui lave vos chaussettes? > workers around the world, who cleans your socks? To say basically that wanting freedom from capitalism while exploiting your wife wasn’t exactly the way to achieve liberation.

First and second generation feminists have managed to change society in an unprecedented way thanks to patient grassroot organizing and that’s what needs to be done for the next few decades. Which is something I think younger generations don’t know how to do, because the third wave was in fine superficial, coopted by marketing and girl power feminism. So much that there’s a wide generational gap between the second wave, that ended more or less in the mid 80s, and us. We need, in some ways, to learn how to do that again, and I really hope I’ll see that happening in the coming years.

Finally, separatism is to me a very American debate. The most extreme feminist views, even when they came from French intellectuals, never really made roots in France. It’s a bit like how postmodernism was very successful in American universities but was never really popular in France except in some very restricted elite circles. I think both are popular in the US because - I suppose - it makes sense in America that the best way to start something, or to do something better is to start from zero. That’s the pioneer mindset : it didn’t work in the old country so we’re starting again from scratch with better values. And we’ll shun anyone who challenges the new order.

#i’m thinking out loud so sorry for the novel 🥲😂

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optimismxmagicism · 5 months

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Ewan in Fodlan!

Personal Info:

Gender: Male (transmasc) Birthday: 22nd day of the Harpstring Moon (May 22nd) Age: 14 Height: 145cm Weight: 38 KG Crest/Holy Blood: N/A Class: Blue Lions Affiliation: Gerik’s Mercenaries, Caer Pelyn

Personal History:

Magvel 791 - Was born to a wealthy merchant couple in Jehanna To protect him, Tethys took him from their home and fled. Grew up on the streets of Jehanna’s capital with his sister, Tethys.

Magvel 799 - Was found and recruited by Gerik’s Mercenaries

Magvel 800 - Started tutelage under Saleh in Caer Pelyn

Magvel 803 - Participated in the war of stones, joining Princess Eirika in her battle against the Demon King.

Magvel 805 - Received a letter of acceptance and traveled to Fodlan, joining the officer’s academy as a student of the Blue Lion house.

Interests: Studying Magic, harmless pranks, Likes: Learning, Magic experiments, brain teasers, sharing sweets with his loved ones, eating sweets, playing pranks on friends, Dancing. Dislikes: Poverty, the dark, being alone for too long, being made fun of for his height, spiders, going to bed hungry, lecherous men. Status: Student to the Great Sage Saleh and junior member of Gerik’s Mercenaries

Close Allies: in TOA: Erk, L’arachel Outside: Tethys, Saleh, Gerik, Marisa

Dining Hall Preferences

Likes: Saghert and Cream, Sweet Bun Trio, Pheasant Roast with Berry Sauce, Peach Sorbet, Small Fish Skewers, Fried Crayfish, Vegetable Pasta Salad, Onion Gratin Soup, Country-Style Red Turnip Plate, Fruit and Herring Tart, Fisherman’s Bounty, Fish Sandwich

Dislikes: Beast Meat Teppanyaki, Pickled Rabbit Skewers, Daphnel Stew, Cheesy Verona Stew, Pickled Seafood and Vegetables, Gautier Cheese Gratin.

Dining Hall Quotes

Favorite Dish

“Wow! This is seriously tasty! Do ya think they used magic to make it?”

Least favorite dish

“Uh…. I’m not hungry right now. ..what? No dessert?! Aw… okay..”

Tea Time Guide

Favorite Tea: Honeyed-Fruit Blend

Favored Topics

A place you'd like to visit / Books you've read recently / Children at the market / Cooking mishaps / I’m counting on you / Our first meeting / Past Laughs / Reliable allies / Someone you look up to / Tell me about yourself / Thanks for everything / The library’s collection / The view from the bridge / Working together / You seem well / You’re doing great work / Favorite sweets / Shareable snacks / Books you’ve reach recently / Heart-racing memories / Hopes for your future / Dreamy Knights

Tea Time Quotes

Greeting

“Thanks for the invite! I always enjoy drinking tea with a friend!”

Favorite Tea

“Ohhh, this is my favorite! Sis sometimes bought it for me as a treat!”

5 star tea

“Gosh, are you sure you wanna spend such a fancy tea on me? Well hey, thank you!”

Being Observed

“Aw, do I have something on my face again? I can wipe it off myself, I’m not a child!” "What is it? Am I just so adorable you can't look away?" "I can see the clarity in your eyes! ..That's what teacher sometimes says, hehe." "You can poke my cheek- it's soft, I promise!"

Introducing Own Topic

“I was studying before you called me here, so getting the chance to relax is so nice!” “Have you ever tried tea made from mountain herbs? It’s surprisingly sweet!” "This school is so fancy.. Kid me would've never imagined attending such a place!" "I wonder how my big sis is doing. I should send her a letter again sometime..." "You're not my first teacher, did you know that? I'm studying magic under someone else too!" "I wonder who got the idea to put leaves in hot water.. I wonder if other plants would work too..." "Hey so, I've been thinking about designing Pegasus-pulled carriages! What do you think? Doesn't that sound fun?" "The air here is so nice. So much better than dry desert air, yuck!" "There's so many pretty people here- but none are as pretty as my big sis!"

Quips

“Hm?” “Oh!” “Yeah!”

End

“Ahh.. I feel so refreshed already! Thanks so much for the tea, Professor!”

Misc. Dialogue

Gift Guide

Favorite Gifts: Armored Bear Stuffy, Board Game, Tasty Baked Treat, Gemstone Beads Disliked Gifts: Blue Cheese, Smoked Meat, Training Weight

Gift Quotes

Disliked gift

“Uhh.. Oh, here’s a magic trick! One, two, three.. and poof! It’s gone!“

Liked gift

“Oh, wowzers! Thank you!”

Favorite gift

“Whoa, is it really okay for me to have this?! I'll have so much fun with it, thanks!”

Lost Items

Doodled Tome - A beginner spell tome full of juvenile doodles, much to the original owner’s chagrin. It probably belongs to a scatterbrained mage. Location found: dormitories

Dancer’s Bracelet - An ornate bracelet usually worn by dancers outside of Fodlan. It’s held on a string, as if to be worn as a necklace. It probably belongs to someone close to a dancer who’s too small to wear it properly. Location found: library

Ribbon Staff - A healing staff decorated with flashy red ribbons, perfect for use on stage. Probably belongs to a mage that likes to show off a little. Location found: Classrooms

Lost Item Quotes

Owner

“Ooh, I was wondering where I dropped that! Thanks so much for finding it!”

Not owner

“No, that doesn’t look familiar to me. Should I use magic to figure out who's the owner?”

Battle Quotes

Mock Battle Retreat

“Owie! Aw.. I guess I still have a lot to learn after all..”

First Kill

“I.. I took on magic to protect my friends, but this is… so much blood…”

Monastery Lines

Choir Practice

“La La laaaaa~ Ehehe, surprised? I used to sing all the time with my sister!”

Cooking

“Hey, do you think this would go well with what we’re making? …no? Aw, okay.”

Tutoring

Instruct

Bad

“Huh?! What went wrong here?! Aw, boo..”

Console: “Thank you.. I-I’ll do better next time, promise!” Critique: “Yikes, that’s harsh! I was trying my best!”

Great

“Heehee, that was no problem at all!”

Perfect

“Did you see that?! Are you proud of me, Teacher?”

Praise: “Aw, shucks, I’m blushing.. keep it coming though!”

Stable Duty

“Aww, you're such a cutie, aren't you? Want a sugar cube- OW! Don't bite my hand!”

Weeding / Clearing Rubble

“Ow, my back is starting to hurt.. why don’t we take a break soon?”

Sky Watch

“W-Whoa, we’re so high up! Don’t drop me, okay Pegafriend?”

Certification Exams

Failed

“Aw, what the heck? I totally thought I nailed that one!”

Passed

“Woohoo! Do I look more like a great sage yet? Huh? Do I?”

Lecture Questions

Approach

“Hey teacher, I have a question!”

Question

“Hey so, I sometimes hear people say magic is lame and that makes me so mad! Yet when I confront them they just laugh me off and call me a pipsqueak.. how should I get rid of them?”

OK: “Just ignore them, they aren’t worth your time.” Bad: “Have you thought about bulking up a little?” Good: “Give them a demonstration! Show em who’s boss!”

Bad Answer

“Uh.. if you say so!”

Good Answer

“Yeah, I totally thought so too!”

Update Goals

Reason

“I wanna be a great sage like my teacher back home as soon as I can, which means achieving total mastery over anima magic! To that end, please help me train my reason skills!”

Faith

“I fight to keep everyone safe, but sometimes injury is unavoidable right? If I can heal everyone I can be even more helpful! So please, help me train in Faith!”

Swords

“I’m not one for swordfighting, but my sister and everyone else in the mercenary company knows how to use them! So maybe a little practice would be good, what do you think?”

Level Up

0 to 2 stats up

“Maybe I should just take it easy for a little bit…”

3 to 4 stats up

“Hey, not bad, not bad at all!”

5 stats up

“With magic like this, I’ll protect everyone!”

6 stats up

“Wahoo! I’ll catch up soon Teacher! You’ll be so proud of me!”

Upon reaching level 99

“Whoa… I’m already so strong, yet I don’t have a wizard beard… phew.”

Budding Talent

“Heehee, I’m just a treasure trove of surprises, huh?”

New Skill

“Ooh, I wonder what I can do with this!”

Reclassing

“Hehe, what do you think of this snazzy new look? Am I tough? Or adorable?”

Battle Quotes

When selected

Full/High HP

“Ooh, I’ll help!”

Medium HP

“Still got energy to spare!”

Low HP

“I’m.. a little worn out.”

Enemy Deals 1 or No Damage or Misses

“That’s all?” “Whoops!”

Critical Attack

“I’ll protect us all!” “Woo, watch me go!” “This show’s over!” “Magicaboom!” “Like a great sage would!”

Gambit

“Let’s do this everyone!”

Gambit Boost

“You can count on me!”

Defeated Enemy

“Oh! I won!” “How do ya like them apples?!” “My magic’s the best!” “Are you proud of me, teacher?”

Ally Defeats Enemy

“Wow, you were so strong!” “Heehee, don’t hog all the spotlight!” “Hey, could you teach me how to do that?”

Ally Heals/Rallies

“Feeling SO much better!” “Yay, thank you!” “Just what I needed!”

Death/Retreat Quote

Casual

“Ow ow ow OW! That was too much! Sorry guys, Time to exit… stage left..”

Classic

"Why can’t I.. move? I don’t.. Sis.. Teacher.. I’m so sorry, I completely… messed up…”

#(ooc: let's take it easy!)#//FINALLY got this done! :D

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salted-caramel-tea · 6 months

Note

could i please please rant about a fashion aesthetic that personally gives me brain damage? see i actually agree with everything you said about balletcore being about classism with people trying to look rich with no respect for the art itself but i also want to talk about the opposite side of it, COTTAGECORE. I FUCKING HATE IT.

its the exact opposite in this case because people are trying to look poor which they somehow consider as humble???? and these days its so tied with TERF shit that it makes me homicidal. "Oh look how the simple village folk were so effortlesly beautiful, the village women nothing but fairylike waifs dancing through the fields with a handwoven basket full of apples, the absolute pinacle of true femininity and grace ❤️" IF YOU SAW AN ACTUAL VILLAGE WOMAN AT WORK, YOU WOULD PUKE.

theres also that millionaire bitch on tiktok that keeps pushing tradwife shit in her village cosplay kitchen which is a whole nother topic but lets continue onto the actual outfits used for this aesthetic. first, every single color and pattern choice is fucking wrong. i have my great grandmothers clothes, i wear her headscarves, the actual village aesthetic is surprisingly mainly white with bright pop out colors done in culture specific patterns on the hems of the garments. while cottage core is muted brown, muted brown, oh look! muted green! what a fantastic variety of earth tones and creams! why not just wear a fucking potato sack while your at it?! and surprisingly they rarely if ever incorporate headscarves into the easthetic, as if there aren't multiple village cultures that all share the use of headscarves as work and celebratory garments. and none of the aesthetic clothes have patterns outside of just cableknit! its all just cream shirt, cableknit sweater, long skirt. thats it? no scarf? no sash? no embroidery patterns? no apron?! also depending on the region (and the aesthetic is heavily focused on the EU countries often the western side) where the fuck are the furs?! wolf fur hats, fox fur coat/scarf???? welted boots?! its a fucking disgrace

all that i understood from doing research on the aesthetic is that they took western EU village outfits, took every single cultural marker out of them, smashed them together, got a brownish mess like dirty paint water, seperated it into basic color tones, and made shitty clothes which they mass produced and are now selling at an outrageous price so that the rich can badly cosplay as the poor. i have way more hang ups like how cottagecore is often merged with wiccan to make up mystical terfy bullshit which is so fucking disrespectful to the actual pagans but thats outside of fashion so nvm

yeah there’s been a lot of criticism of cottagecore and the audience it markets itself to there’s definitely something weird with the way they treat femininity and the whole connection between cottagecore tradwifeisms and divine femininity which is starting to seep into radfem spaces too like . the way that a soft femininity is being weaponised to promote anticapitalism and feminine separatism but also promoting traditional gender roles and enforcing a borderline biblical femininity as the ‘right way to be a woman’ whilst actively pushing capitalism by buying into aesthetics and specified interior design to portray the illusion of humility . it all feels very not like other girls as well by rejecting and borderline condemning modern femininity esp the treatment of women who enjoy glamour and express sexuality liek its almost puritan . its pretty i like muted greens i love a safe green kicthen but aestheticism always goes beyond the clothes it’s communication and i’m not a fan of what’s being communicated through cottagecore a lot

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mcx7demonbros · 2 years

Text

My MC: Klein

Made by Picrew [X]

Name: Klein

Race: Human (before Lesson 38), Archon of Sin (after Lesson 38)

Gender: Male

Age:

21 (at the start of the exchange program)

23 (currently as he’s my self-insert)

28+ (after having children)

Birthday: July 28 (Leo)

Religion: Roman Catholicism ✝️

Affiliation: Evil

Titles

Evil Overlord

Son of Heaven

The Lightbringer of the Devildom

The King-Consort of the Devildom

The Avatars’ Consort

Master of the Seven Capital Sins

Master of the Seven Lords

One Master to Rule Them All

Likes:

Villain, delicious food, Lucifer

Dislikes:

Heroes, annoying things, his commands ignored by his minions, his privacy being violated

Info

At first glance, Klein seems to be a normal human. But he’s actually an infamous villain in villain community, well-versed in both science and magic. Klein debuted as a villain in a fight against Rangers in Super Sentai when he was only 13.

Klein has a butler, Cedric, who was Barbatos’s schoolmate at Butler Academy. Cedric multiple times prevented the demon butler from looking into Klein’s background back in season 1, seeing this as a breach of his Master’s privacy. Cedric isn’t a demon, but some kind of ethereal being, who took a male adult form to serve beside Klein. According to Cedric, he’s one of the weakest of his kind.

Due to having no self-control, Klein dates all Seven Brothers, the Royals, the Sorcerer, and the Angel. However, he fell for Lucifer first since the first time they met, and Lucifer’s still his favorite. The fact’s only known to him and the eldest. Klein’s enemies call him a man whore for this reason.

Klein’s minions are very variable, demons, robots, mutants, etc. About 30% of Little Ds swore loyalty to Klein, instead of Diavolo.

Being well-versed in science and magic, Klein realized how insignificant he was. So he decided to return to Christianity (he was born in a Christian family, however, he became lapsed when he was a teenager). Despite that, the dude is still evil. At least, he’s generous to the Church, the poor and needy.

Sins

Pride - dude here is prideful like a peacock

Greed - loves wealth; owns like 20+ illegal businesses, including selling monsters & weapons to criminals, selling prohibited substances, selling creatures in Red List, managing a black market, etc.

Envy - “It should have been ME”

Wrath - when a plan fails, nothing in the room survives

Lust - “man whore”-his evil enemies and some nasty demons

Gluttony - dude eats like a pig

Sloth - “5 more minutes, Cedric” ”Master, it’s already the 10th time you said that, please get out of bed.”

Fics featuring Klein

Klein sees the Brothers’ tongues (based on this)

Brothers saw Klein creating a monster for the first time (first time for them, not Klein)

Soulmates

Another Evil Machine pt. 2

Banners

La Course de Chevaux

Org Seeds

Pickle - Mouse

Stubble

Taro Soup

Door Kicking Practice

A Spell Went Wrong

Yogurt

Big Brother (dialogue fic)

The Most Adored Person in the Devildom

A Misunderstanding

Klein & the Boys’s Favorite Food

First Year of the Exchange Program Fics

Confusion

Lucifer x Klein

Raptor

Blood Stain

First Time

Wet Dream

Angel and Devil Klein

I Have Failed You

Rain and Thunder

Mammon x Klein

Night Talk

He Is Not Useless

La Curiosité

Levi x Klein

Supporting the Wrong Side (nonsense dialogue)

Watching Anime Together (Levi’s birthday ‘23 fic)

Satan x Klein

The Reason (nonsense dialogue)

Asmodeus x Klein

World Domination

Eater’s Bad Ending (crossover with Love Unholyc)

Barbatos x Klein

Tea Cup

I’m an Evil Overlord

Prologue: The Cancelled Factory Tour

Prologue II: Just a Coincidence?

Chapter 1: The Truth is Out

Chapter 2: Fool Me Twice

Evil Ancestor(s)

A Thousand Years Old Conspiracy

The rise of Archon of Sin

The Sacrifice

Le Deuil

Darkness and The Coffin

I'm Willing to Do Anything

World Conquest

The Fall of America pt. 1

Portraits (from Picrew)

First portrait (see above)

Second portrait

MC’s Template

Third portrait (a rb from obeythedemons)

Fourth portrait (a rb from obeythedemons)

Children

Lucius (with Lucifer)

Fics featuring his children

How Was I Born (birth of Lucius)

One Little Happy Family

Happy Birthday, Klein ‘22

MY OBEY ME MASTERLIST

#obey me main character #obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me mc #my mc #obey me masterlist #obey me mc: klein

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pashterlengkap · 2 months

Text

GOP candidate for governor called teachers “demons” for teaching about “filthy” LGBTQ+ people

A 2021 video shows staunchly anti-LGBTQ+ GOP candidate Mark Robinson referring to LGBTQ+ people as “filthy” and calling teachers who speak to students about LGBTQ+ issues “demons.” Robinson – the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor and the state’s current lieutenant governor – was reportedly speaking at a 2021 Independence Day event held by Conservative Coalition North Carolina. Related: Man parades rainbow-painted donkey through GOP campaign rally in bizarre attack on trans people “I thought to myself, that is not a rainbow unicorn.” “I’m a little more concerned with what’s going on in our classrooms when you have these demons in there trying to teach our children about all this filthy homosexuality and transgenderism, trying to force it down their throats,” Robinson said, adding that kids are also being taught to “hate America.” Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Daily * Weekly * Good News * He also made the contradictory statement that “you have the right to be transgender, but you cannot transcend God’s creation and you are not playing on the girl’s team if you’re a man.” “When did freedom become insanity?” he asked, emphasizing his belief that there are two genders: “Two. Count them. Two. There’s two sets of DNA, male and female. That’s it.” In the same speech, he blasted the notion that racism is a problem in America, saying, “We’ve reached a point in this nation where people don’t care what you look like anymore.” He also repeatedly praised Donald Trump and said America needs to “wake up” and “tell those socialist b****rds who want to destroy this nation, ‘You will not do it on my watch, you will not do it now, you will not do it ever.” Donald Trump recently endorsed Robinson, calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids.” This is despite the fact that Robinson once called the Civil Rights Movement a communist plot to “subvert capitalism” and “to subvert free choice.” He was speaking on a podcast in 2018 and said Black protestors and white allies who had protested racist laws by eating at a racially segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter during a July 1960 protest in Greensboro, North Carolina were “ridiculous” and wrongly trying to pull “the rug out from underneath capitalism and free choice and the free market.” As the November election looms closer, a spotlight has been cast on Robinson’s long history of inflammatory comments. In March 2023, Robinson declared that God created him to battle against LGBTQ+ rights and added, “Makes me sick every time I see it — a church that flies that rainbow flag, which is a direct spit in the face of God almighty.” In 2017, he wrote on Facebook, “You CAN NOT love God and support the homosexual agenda.” In 2021, Robinson compared LGBTQ+ people to cow dung and claimed straight people are superior to gay people due to their ability to procreate. In the same sermon, he declared there are only two genders and disparaged trans people’s bodies: “I don’t care how much you cut yourself up, drug yourself up and dress yourself up, you still either one of two things — you either a man or a woman.” He also said people who support events like Drag Queen Story Hour do so because they desire to molest children. He has previously proclaimed that being gay is a step before pedophilia, that former First Lady Michelle Obama is secretly a trans woman, and that trans-affirming people are “devil-worshipping child molesters.” He also condemned gay people as an “abominable sin” in response to the 2016 Pulse massacre. Robinson created an education task force to investigate and remove LGBTQ+ literature from public schools, as well as report instances of LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools. Teachers’ names, employers, and information were released unredacted in the report, yet many of the… http://dlvr.it/T4jKbl

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ericleo108 · 1 year

Text

05/26/2023 Click here for Spotify, Apple Music, or Youtube. “John Wick” is my 45th official release. This song is edutainment, or educational entertainment which is music that teaches you. The song is intellectually stimulating but dark and contains an all to common story of what those who are trafficked experience. The song was self-recorded, and mixed and mastered by Keyano. The beat is from Retro Beatz, and the cover art is made by Zain from Fiverr.

This is a remake from ‘The Chalice Mixtape’ I made in 2017. I have more songs from the mixtape and demos from SoundCloud on the way. The theme of ‘The Chalice Mixtape’ was gender equality which human trafficking broadly falls under. We all have that feeling of wanting to stop evildoers but the truth is this the solution is simpler, being as trafficking will probably continue to prosper until we legalize prostitution.

As the song enunciates, pimps entrap girls from a young age and the practice of prostitution is illegal so they can’t get assistance from the state, they’re seen as criminals. Then due to their criminal status they’re not able to get a job and are tapped in a life controlled by a pimp. This means the current law gives power and economic control to usually male abusers in an unregulated market.

Pimping/illegal prostitution is all driven by money. If you take away the money you take away the motivation and agency. This is why I support legal brothels. The current economic model of prostitution depends on pimps that have no competition, don’t pay taxes or payroll, and are violent against women. How is this capitalism? I support legalizing prostitution because its the only way to put human trafficker’s out of business.

Prostitution is natural. Prostitution is the oldest known profession. When you introduce money to monkeys the rich ones will pay for sex. We are denying people’s humanity by making prostitution illegal. Sex work is work and women deserve to be paid well for their work in a safe environment just like any other worker. In America if you pay for sex, it’s illegal, unless you film it, then it’s porn and legal. If you would like to help victims of human trafficking you can donate to wearethorn.com

You can see me talk about this blog post from last Sunday Update here:

youtube

Lyrics:

A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere

Ain't shit changed since the days of slavery

Still got the modern-day slave trade functioning every day

Low risk, high profitability

More slaves today than ever before in history

Girls get taken,

Liam Nelson don't save um

We look to Ashton Kutcher to search for their placement

I'm just telling you cuz I want Thorn paid big

Human trafficking, a fact you see

A tragedy in the vicinity

Forced prostitution, involuntary servitude

Tell me bought your conscience, and what it really do for you

Millions oppressed

In a life of regret

Under duress

Exploited for sex

Seventy percent women

Most are children

Man I’d be god damn if I don’t stop the villain

Batman wouldn’t kill, put another murderer in the world

But forget it I’m a kill 'em, I’d rather save the little girl

Being a victim is like falling asleep

And having Freddy Krueger stuck in your dreams

I’mma go hard, change the laws, and stop this

Like someone stole my car and killed my dawg, John Wick

Being a victim is like falling asleep

And having Freddy Krueger stuck in your dreams

I’mma go hard, change the laws, and stop this

Like someone stole my car and killed my dawg, John Wick

A daughter at play

She gets taken away

Is forced to obey

Becomes mentally estranged

While the world ignores this

She gets sexually exploited

Addicted to the endorphins

She got forced in

Feed drugs so she’s addicted

Does anything for her fix again

She don’t know who the victim is

Cuz she’s been in it since she’s a kid

Prey are the vulnerable

Children who run from home

Kids from foster care

That get lost and no one cares

Needs money to survive

Trapped in this life

Coerced for prostitution

Soon enough, what she do is

Gets caught, at fault

For breaking the law

Spends years in a vault

While her pimp gets to walk

Being a victim is like falling asleep

And having Freddy Krueger stuck in your dreams

I’mma go hard, change the laws, and stop this

Like someone stole my car and killed my dawg, John Wick

Being a victim is like falling asleep

And having Freddy Krueger stuck in your dreams

I’mma go hard, change the laws, and stop this

Like someone stole my car and killed my dawg, John Wick

You can get mad at me

Not understand these things

But I’m here for you girl we’re family

Thirty three billion in traffic

Where’s that money from the taxes?

I’m for legal brothels

So we protect what we got there

Oldest job in history, it’s called employment

Look I know your business, I’mma force you to quit

I wonder what would happen

If we gave Philip Defranco a gat then

Told him in three states it’s legal to track down

Petafiles, sex offenders, you can kill’um if you act now

I’d be with Phil laughin, admiring his passion

After we beat them senseless

Tortured their senses

Broke their mentals

And cut off their genitals,

But for real all my real friends kill on the weekend

Pop a beer, eat the heart out of the deceased then

Hang’um from a tree, peel the skin off, disembowel them

I’m really thinking of you pimps and how it all will end

Human skin has the texture of pig flesh

What you gonna do when I want it from you next

Who crazy, who knew, I have schizophrenia fool

And I just want you to know that I’m thinking of you

Being a victim is like falling asleep

And having Freddy Krueger stuck in your dreams

I’mma go hard, change the laws, and stop this

Like someone stole my car and killed my dawg, John Wick

Being a victim is like falling asleep

And having Freddy Krueger stuck in your dreams

I’mma go hard, change the laws, and stop this

Like someone stole my car and killed my dawg, John Wick

#Spotify #Youtube

0 notes

duskthevampqueen · 2 years

Note

Gender neutral reader that's a knight x prince Nightowl please!!!! No serious angst I want it to end happily please and thank you very much

Of course, I can do that! This prompt actually gave me quite a bit of inspiration, and I kept true to no serious angst(I think)! I adore fantasy prompts.

I will also let everyone know that I’ve been struggling a little bit with writing Nightowl, so that's why I’m so adamant to get prompts about him. I’ve basically ignored any prompts that don’t involve him simply because I wanted to get over the personal challenge of writing him. I apologize if I’ve promised any of you fics/head canons and I haven’t posted them.

Please enjoy this though!

Knight!MC x Prince!Nightowl, Gender Neutral Reader

You had a gut feeling this would happen.

Over the time you had been Prince Owl’s knight, you found yourself doing less protecting, and more playing hide and seek with him. Although in this version of hide and seek, he was sneaking out to the woods to explore, running out to the main area of the capital to go to the market, or finding hiding spots within the castle to avoid his duties. You suspected it was the last option in this case, since the castle gates were being closely guarded today.

You knew this would happen the instant his parents set this particular date to meet with marriage candidates. You had hoped, however, that he would keep in mind that you wanted to be off duty today. So when a couple knights came up to you with wild looks in their eyes, you already knew they needed your help to find the ever mischievous prince.

Luckily for you, you knew every single hiding spot for him, and his favorites. With you having been his personal knight for so long, you two had grown quite close that despite his higher position, considered best friends. Everyone knew the two of you as best friends. Even if some were starting to get a bit… suspicious.

Today’s hiding spot seemed to be in the maze garden. The King and Queen avoided the maze garden like the plague because they would always get lost in it easily, and so would all the staff and other knights of the castle. Meaning that only you and Owl knew the maze like the back of your hands. Him being in the maze meant he only wanted to talk with you and wouldn’t listen to anyone else anyways.

You made your way through the usual way, the way that would lead to a small, square garden in the very center of the maze. It held a rainbow of flowers, a bench, and what seemed to be the perfect spot for a picnic under an apple tree. You found Owl in that spot, already having a picnic blanket laid out, a basket full of food opened up but not spread out quite yet.

He was sitting against the tree, his head tilted back to look at the sky through the branches, the sun shining down to make his blonde hair shine like gold in places. As you drew closer, quiet as always, you were able to get a better look at him without the usual smile he had on. He didn’t look as tired today, his face relaxed as his eyes flickered through the branches above.

It wasn’t until you were nearly on top of the picnic blanket did he look at you, a smile coming to his lips. Having gone through this many times, he patted the spot right next to him, for you to sit against the tree with him. You obliged, letting your shoulders bump together as you settled, glad you kept your sword and sheath on the other hip.

You took the time to pull the picnic basket into your lap to search through it and lay out some of the food. You were mid chewing a sandwich when Owl spoke up with a laugh, “If I stay in here today, will that make you my only marriage candidate? I sure wouldn’t mind my cutie being my only one.”

“Well, had you not run off, you would’ve seen I’m amongst the marriage candidates. But I suppose if I’m the only one you meet, then yes.” You laugh, bumping shoulders with him once more, but your words got a wide eye look from him.

“Really? My cutie was going to be part of my life-time partner line up and you didn’t even tell me? I really would’ve stayed had you told me!” He pouts at you, but even so, wrapped his arm around your shoulders and snatched a cookie from the picnic basket. You really should scold him for eating sweets when it's still mid morning, but you weren’t in Knight mode right now.

You were in lover to the prince mode.

And when you were in this mode, you would snuggle up to your love’s side while you ate a sandwich, chuckling when he beamed even brighter. You would share your food with him as he played with your hair or traced his fingers along one side of your face, excitedly talking with you in quiet voices.

You always had the sweetest of moments in that garden. It was when you two were of equal standing, in your own little world secluded from the outside.

The love started only a year after you were assigned as his personal knight. While he had worn you down a little bit in terms of not being as strict, you were still having difficulties finding his hiding spots, especially if they were outside the castle walls. But as his first show of true trust that you were on his side instead of on his parents’, he showed you one of his favorite hiding spots, the spot the two of you currently sat.

It took you a month and many walks with Owl to have the maze completely memorized. And when you first got to the center garden on your own, you vividly the most proud, happy smile on his face that you’ve ever seen. He looked as bright as the sun that day, as he ran over to you and hugged you tight.

You also vividly remember the year after that, where there was the spring ball. He had slipped out of it early on, still dressed in his royal regalia, although he had long messed up his hair to its usually fluffy state instead of brushed back. You were dressed in a more formal Knights uniform, a version that was specifically made for those guarding the Prince. It made you two look like the perfect pair.

So when you came to the garden that night to see Owl gazing up at the sky from the bench, eyes lit with wonder as he studied the stars, you couldn’t hold it back anymore as you approached.

That night, you confessed to him. Even got down on one knee and dedicated your sword to him, not out of duty like your knighting ceremony went. But out of love.

And you knew it was worth it. If the myth about the gods blessing royalty with beauty were true, you could certainly see that then, as you looked up into his hickory colored eyes. It was clear when you gazed at them that he was deeply in love with you, and would always be.

#bloomic #blooming panic #blooming panic nightowl #bp nightowl #nightowl #Prince!au #Royal!au #Knight!au #Gender neutral reader

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potteresque-ire · 3 years

Text

More ask answer about Word of Honour (山河令, WoH) and the so-called “Dangai 101 phenomenon” under the cut ~ with all the M/M relationships shown on screen, does it mean improved acceptance / safety for the c-queer community?

Due to its length (sorry!), I’ve divided the answer into 3 parts: 1) Background 2) Excerpts from the op-eds 3) Thoughts This post is PART 1 ❤️. As usual, please consider the opinions expressed as your local friendly fandomer sharing what they’ve learned, and should, in no ways, be viewed as necessarily true. :)

(TW: homophobic, hateful speech quoted)

After WoH had started airing, I had waited for one of China’s state-controlled media to publish opinion pieces about the show. Specifically, I’d like to know ~ what is the administration’s current take on Dangai (耽改), as a genre? How does it characterise the closeness of the same-sex leads—the closeness that is suppressed when the original IP, of the genre Danmei (耽美) was converted for visual media presentation?

This is important, as China is a country where the government’s attitude becomes the official public attitude. The state opinion pieces will be quoted and parroted, especially if they come from heavy-weight sources (state-controlled media also have their importance/influence hierarchy). Production of the upcoming Dangai dramas will adjust their scripts accordingly. Marketing tactics will also adjust, make sure it doesn’t spread “the wrong message”; Dangai and Danmei dramas have both been pulled off shelves during or immediately after its airing before (Addicted 上癮 and Guardian 鎮魂, respectively), despite having already passing the censorship board.

If a heavy-weight state opinion piece pans the one-lead-fawning-over-the-other scenes in WoH (there are a few of them), for example, scenes / lines of such suggestive nature will likely disappear from the upcoming Dangai dramas for at least a year or two. If the critique spills over to a harsh stance against the presence of queers in Chinese media, all future Dangai dramas can become strict “socialist-brotherhood” stories, their “no homo” message reinforced by, for example, by inserting a female lead (or changing one of the leads to female).

Whether the official public opinion equates the true public opinion or not, public behaviour in China is quickly driven by the official public opinion. Example: the Xi regime’s conservative stance on queer issues has already translated to a quick deterioration of queer tolerance in China; open expressions that were tolerated, even welcomed, just several years ago are now met with significant hostility in the public.

This is a reflection of the nature of their government. A quick thought experiment may explain this. Take … jaywalking. It’s probably fair to say we’ve all committed this “crime” before?

Will you still jaywalk if your government declares it immoral to do so? Where I am, in the United States, the answer is definitely a no. The public will probably laugh at (and make memes about) the poor official who made the declaration, kindly ask the government to do something useful for once (f*** off), and keep jaywalking.

Now, what if the declaration comes with a law that includes a one-year prison term + lifelong criminal record for jaywalking? Let’s say this law is fully executable and irreversible, given this being a thought experiment—nothing you, or the public, can say or do can contest it.

Will you still jaywalk, even if you disagree with government’s stance that the act is immoral? You’ve got a neighbour who continues to defy the law. Will you think twice before letting your young loved ones go out with them?

Very soon, jaywalking becomes “bad”—even though such “badness” had little moral basis at its origin. It is bad because the government has “characterised” it to be so—an authoritarian government that doesn’t allow challenge of the characterisation.

The retention of queer elements in Dangai is the jaywalking in the example. The Chinese government stepping in to characterise (定性) an event, a phenomenon etc is common, and the people know the drill well that they fall in line quickly.

If a powerful state-controlled media publish a negative opinion piece on the queer elements in Dangai / Danmei, therefore, those elements can disappear overnight.

My question had been: will the state do it? The Xi regime has made its distaste for LGBT+ representation in visual media abundantly clear with its NRTA directives. However, while the Chinese government typically puts ideology (意識型態) as its Guiding Principle, exceptions have always been made for one reason. One word.

Money.

TU is a legendary financial success story every production company (Tencent itself included) wants to replicate. As a result, there are ~ 60 Danmei IPs (book canon) with their copyright sold for Dangai dramas; this long line of Danmei dramas in the horizon has been nicknamed “Dangai 101”, after the name of the show “Produce 101” Dd was dance instructor in. These dramas are all competing to be the next TU by profit.

Adoration from fans is nice, but money is what matters.

C-ent is currently in a financial bleak winter. The anti-corruption, anti-tax-fraud campaign started by the Xi regime in 2018, which cumulated to a sudden (and unofficial) collection of 3 years of back-taxes from studios and stars, has drained a significant amount of its capital; the number of new TV dramas being filmed fell 45% between 2018 and 2019, and production companies have been closing by the tens of thousands. The tightening of censorship rules also means production is associated with more risk. The commercial sector outside c-ent is also eager for replications of TU’s success—they need more “top traffic” (頂流) idols like Gg and Dd whose fans are sufficiently devoted to drive the sales of their products. Such “fan economy” would benefit the government, even if it doesn’t have direct stakes in the companies in and outside c-ent. People’s Daily, the Official State Newspaper, previously published a positive opinion piece on fan economy in 2019, estimating its worth at 90 billion RMB (~13.7 billion USD) per year.

But if the state allows the queer elements in Dangai’s to pass the censorship board (NRTA) for profit, how can it do so with the current “No homo” directive in place? From previous experience (scarce as it may be), the queerness has to be sufficiently obvious for the shows to make the profit everyone is wishing for. Dangai dramas in which the leads’ romantic relationship remains subtle have not sold the way TU does, even if they are well-reviewed and feature famous, skilled actors (as Winter Begonia 鬓边不是海棠红 last year.)

NRTA, and the government behind it, can’t just say I’m turning a blind eye to the flirting and touching for the money. What can it say then?

Here’s what I’d thought—what it can say, or do, is to “characterise” these Dangai dramas in a way that leave out its queerness. It did so for TU. TU’s review by the overseas version of People’s Daily devoted a grand total of two characters to describe WWX and LWJ’s relationship—摯友 (“close friend”). The rest of the article was devoted to the drama’s aesthetics, its cultural roots. (The title of the article: 《陳情令》：書寫國風之美 Chen Qing Ling: Writing the Beauty of National Customs).

How could it do that? The State’s power ensuring few questioning voices aside, I’ve been also thinking about the history and definition of Danmei (耽美)—Dangai’s parent genre as the causes. Based on the history and definition, I can think of 3 ways the queer elements in Danmei (耽美) can be characterised by the state, 2 of which provide it with the wiggle room, the movable goalposts it needs should it choose to want to overlook the queerness in Dangai.

The 3 characterisations I’ve thought of, based on the history and definition of Danmei (耽美) are:

1) The queer characterisation, which focuses on its homoerotic element. * Summary of the characterization: Danmei is gay.

2) The “traditional BL” characterisation, which focuses on BL’s historic origin as a “by women, for women” genre. The M/M setup is viewed as an escapist protest against the patriarchy, a rejection of traditional gender roles; displays of M/M closeness are often “candies” for the female gaze. * Summary of the characterization: Danmei is women’s fantasy.

3) The aesthetic characterisation, which focuses on beauty—from the beauty of the characters, the beauty of a world without harm to the romance. * Summary for the characterization: Danmei is pretty.

The queer characterisation (1) is well-understood, and likely the default characterisation if it is to be made by the fraction of i-fandom I’m familiar with. Most i-fans I’ve met, myself included, would likely and automatically associate the M/M relationships in The Untamed (TU) and WoH with queerness.

The “traditional BL” characterisation (2), meanwhile, equates Danmei with BL as the genre of homoerotic works developed in 1970’s Japan for women comic readers, and has been widely interpreted from a feminist point of view.

Under such interpretation of “traditional BL” works, the double male lead setup wasn’t meant to be an accurate depiction of homosexuality. It wasn’t about homosexuality at all. Rather, it was about the removal of women and along with it, the rage, the eye-rolling, the unease women readers had often felt when attempting to interact with mainstream romance novels of the time, in which the female leads had mostly been confined to traditional women roles, and their virtue, their traditional feminine traits.

The M/M setup therefore acted as a “shell” for a het relationship that allowed removal of such social constraints placed on women. The lead with whom the woman audience identified was no longer bound to the traditional role of women, such as being the caregiver of the family. The lead could instead chase their dreams and roam the world, as many contemporary women already did or aspired to do; they were no longer limited to playing the passive party in life and in the relationship—and they enjoyed such freedom without risking the love, the respect the other male protagonist felt for them.

BL, in this traditional sense, has therefore been interpreted as an answer for, and a protest against the heteropatriarchal gender norm still dominant in societies deeply influenced by Confucianism, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China. The M/M setup is, at heart, (het) women’s fantasy. The inclusion of two young-and-beautiful male leads also satisfy “the female gaze” ~ the popularity of BL among het women has therefore been compared to the popularity of lesbian porn among het men. In both cases, the audience is drawn not for the homosexual element but by the presence of double doses of sexual attraction.

(Please forgive me if any of my wording comes as disrespectful! I’m not used to talking about these topics.)

The availability of the “traditional BL” characterisation (2) is key to bypassing queerness as a topic in the discussions of Danmei (耽美).

The aesthetic characterisation (3) is very closely related to 2) in origin, but deserves its own point as a characterisation that can stand on its own, and may be more obscure to the English-speaking fandom given the common English translation of Danmei (耽美) as Boy’s Love.

Boy’s Love, as a name, amplifies the queer characterisation (1) and de-emphasises the aesthetic characterisation (3); Danmei (耽美), meanwhile, does the reverse.

Where does the name Danmei come from?

When BL was first developed in Japan, it used to have a now out-of-fashion genre name: Tanbi. Tanbi was borrowed from same name describing a late 19th century / early 20th century Japanese literary movement, known as Tanbi-ha and was inspired by Aestheticism in England. Aestheticism “centered around the doctrine that art exists for the sake of its beauty alone, and that it need serve no political, didactic, or other purpose”. Along the same line, the core belief of authors of Tanbi-ha was that art should celebrate beauty and reject the portrayal of ugliness in human nature, the darkness of reality:

…Tanbi writers argued that the ideas of naturalism writers such as “objectivism,” “truth is more important than beauty” and so on would “oppress human beings’ desire” so as to “lose beauty and human nature.” Accordingly, they insisted on “acute mental and emotional sensibility” [Ye, 2009].

(Source, with more details on Tanbi.)

Neither romance nor homosexuality were requirements for works in the original Tanbi-ha genre. BL borrowed the name Tanbi because its early authors saw their work created under the same principles: the emphasis on the beauty of their characters, their love (romantic and platonic), in a world that was also beautiful and untouched by ugliness such as sexism and homophobia.

The stubborn persistence on keeping one’s eyes trained on the beautiful, the willingness to turn a blind eye to reality for the sake of the beauty is built-in in the genre’s name. Tanbi meant more than beauty, aesthetics; its kanji form was written as 耽美; 耽 = to sink, drown in, to over-indulge in; 美 = beauty.

Tanbi, therefore, literally means to drown in, to over-indulge in beauty.

Over time, as the genre expanded its writing style, Tanbi eventually fell out of favour as BL’s genre name in Japan. However, as it gained popularity in the Sinosphere in the 1990s, starting with Taiwan and Hong Kong, the kanji of Tanbi was retained as the Chinese name of the genre.

In Mandarin Chinese, 耽美 is pronounced Danmei. A hyperfocus on the aesthetics, the utopian aspects of traditional BL is therefore retained in Danmei by its name. People’s Daily could therefore devote its review of TU on its aesthetics. Realism, including politics and all discussions of social issues, can therefore be swept aside in the name of respecting the genre’s tradition.

I’ve mostly been reading about and observing c-fandom, and I believe these 3 characterisations have all attracted its own kind of fans. Fans who care and talk about queer issues even when it isn’t encouraged by their sociopolitical environment, who shine a light upon these issues in their fan works. Fans who treat the M/M leads as if they were a traditional cishet couple, such as calling one of the leads 老婆 (wife) and assigning him biologically female functions when needed (via, for example, the ABO trope). Fans who insist the works must meet their beauty standards, rejecting those that fail (for example, if the leads are not good looking enough) by claiming they’re there for Danmei, not Danchou (耽醜, “over-indulgence on ugliness”). Fans who are drawn to the genre by a combination of these characterisations.

By the history and definition of the genre, all the above reasons for fanning Danmei are as valid, as legitimate as one another.

I thought about this related question then: are c-fans of the second (traditional BL characterisation) and third (aesthetic characterisation) groups homophobic? When I first asked this question, I—a fan whose fandom experience had been entirely in English-speaking communities—assume the answer was yes. I thought, in particular, the insistence of treating Danmei’s M/M couples as cishet couples in a homosexual shell had to be conscious queer erasure. How can anyone ignore the same-sexness of the leads? How can anyone talk about Danmei without associating it with homosexuality?

However, as I read more—again, specifically about c-fandom, and in Chinese—I realised the answer may be a little more complex.

Previously, I had largely thought about homophobia in terms of individual attitudes. This has to do with my current environment (liberal parts of the United States), in which the choice to accept or reject the queer community has become a close to personal choice. Pride flags fly all over the city, including the city hall, every summer, and most churches welcome the LGBT+ community. I hadn’t considered how an environment in which queers have never enjoyed full social exposure, in which education of related topics is sorely lacking, would affect Danmei’s development as a genre.

In such an environment, it is difficult for Danmei to evolve and incorporate up-to-date understanding of RL queerness.

The consequence I can see is this: Danmei is more likely to be “stuck” in its historical characterisation as (het) women’s fantasy inside than outside the Great Firewall, with its queerness de-emphasised if not erased—and it draws fans who are attracted to this kind of characterisation accordingly. This is, perhaps, reflected by the fact that the (het) women-to-queer ratio of Danmei / BL fans is significantly higher in China than in the West (Table 1 in this article summarises how Danmei / BL fans have split between different genders and sexual orientation in the Sinosphere vs the West in different research studies).

Another driving force I can see for Danmei to retain BL’s traditional feminist and aesthetic characterisations: women in China are not free from the social pressure that led to the birth of BL in 1970’s Japan. While many of them have achieved financial freedom through work and have high education, the young and educated have been subjected to immense pressure to get married and have children especially in the past decade.

In 2007, the China’s state feminist agency, the All-China Women’s Federation (中華全國婦女聯合會), coined the term 剩女 (literally, “leftover women”) for unmarried, urban women over 27 years old. The government started a campaign that, among other things, associated women’s education level with ugliness, and their unmarried status with pickiness, moral degeneracy. The reason behind the campaign: birth rates are plummeting and the state wants educated women, in particular, to nurture a high quality, next generation workforce. More importantly, the government sees a threat in the M/F sex imbalance (high M, low F) that has commonly been attributed to the country’s “one child policy” between 1979-2015, which encouraged female infanticide / abortion of female foetuses in a culture that favours surname-carrying boys. The state fears the unmarried men will become violent and/or gay, leading to “social instability and insecurity”. Therefore, it wants all women, in particular those who are educated, to enter the “wife pool” for these unmarried men. (Source 1, Source 2: Source 2 is a short, recommended read).

For Chinese women, therefore, patriarchy and sexism is far from over. Escapist fantasies where sexism is removed—by removing women from the picture—are therefore here to stay.

Danmei is therefore not queer literature (同志文學). The difference between Danmei and queer literature is highlighted by this reportedly popular saying (and its similar variations) in some Danmei communities:

異性戀只是傳宗接代，同性戀才是真愛 Heterosexuality is only for reproduction. Only homosexuality is true love.

The attitude towards heterosexuality is one of distaste, viewed as a means to an end the speaker has no interest in. On the contrary, homosexuality is idealised, reflecting the disregard / lack of understanding of some Danmei fans have towards the RL hardships of c-queers. The ignorance may be further propagated by gate-keeping by some Danmei fans for safety reasons, keeping queer discussions away from their communities for fear that their favourite hangouts would meet the same uncertain fate of other communities that previously held open queer discussions, such as the Weibo gay and lesbian supertopics. Such gatekeeping can, again, be easily enforced using tradition as argument: the beauty 美 is Tanbi and Danmei (耽美), remember, includes the beauty of utopia, where ugly truths such as discrimination do not enter the picture. A Danmei that explores, for example, the difficulty of coming out of the closet is no longer Danmei, by its historical, aesthetic definition.

[I’ve therefore read about c-queers viewing Danmei with suspicion, if not downright hostility; they believe the genre, by ignoring their RL challenges and casting them as beautiful, even perfect individuals, and in some cases, by fetishising them and their relationships, only leads to more misconceptions about the queer community. Dangai, meanwhile, has been viewed with even more distaste as potential weapons by the state to keep gays in the closet; if the government can shove the Danmei characters into the “socialist brotherhood” closet, it can shove them as well.

I haven’t yet, however, been able to tease out the approximate fraction of c-queers whose views of Danmei and Dangai is negative. The opposing, positive view of the genres is this: they still provide LGBT+ visibility, which is better than none and it would’ve been close to none without Danmei and Dangai; while Danmei may skim over the hardships of being queer, fan works of Danmei are free to explore them—and they have.

This article provides insights on this issue. @peekbackstage’s conversation with a Chinese film/TV director in Clubhouse is also well worth a read.]

That said, Danmei can only be dissociated from the queer characterisation if there’s a way to talk about the genre without evoking words and phrases that suggest homosexuality—something that is difficult to do with English. Is there?

In Chinese, I’d venture to say … almost. There’s almost a way. Close enough to pass.

The fact that M/M in traditional BL has been developed and viewed not as queer but as a removal of F also means this: queerness isn’t “built-in” into the language of Danmei. The name Danmei itself already bypasses a major “queer checkpoint”: it’s impossible to refer to a genre called Boy’s Love and not think about homosexuality.

Here’s one more important example of such bypass. Please let me, as an excuse to put these beautiful smiles in my blog, show this classic moment from TU; this can be any gif in which the leads are performing such suggestive romantic gestures:

How can I describe this succinctly? In English?

Two men acting in love? Er. That’s… the definition of gay, almost.

Two men acting gay? Well. GAY.

Right. Fine. Let’s go negative. Queerbaiting? … Still gay, because the word “queer” is in there.

[Pie note: for the record, I don’t think TU or WoH is queer-baiting.]

Personally, I find it impossible to describe the GIF above in English that I do not automatically associate with RL romantic love between two men, with homosexuality. But can I do it in Chinese?

… Yes.

There’s a term, 賣腐 (pronounced “maifu”), literally, “selling 賣 the rot 腐”, derived from the term known among i-fans as fujoshi and written, in kanji, as 腐女. Fujoshi, or 腐 (“rot”) 女 (“women”), describes the largely (het) female audience of the Japanese BL genre (>80%, according to Wikipedia). Originated as a misogynistic insult towards female Japanese BL fans in the 2000s, fujoshi was later reclaimed by the same female BL fans who now use the self-depreciative term as acknowledgement of their interest being “rotten”, for BL’s disregard of the society’s traditional expectations on women.

賣腐 is therefore to “sell the rot” to the rotten women; ie. the suggestive romantic gestures, exemplified by the GIF above, between the M/M leads are catering, performing fan service to their target audience.

[賣腐 is also a term one will see in the state opinion pieces.]

There’s nothing gay about this term.

I’ve therefore found it possible to talk and think in Chinese about Danmei while giving little thought to queerness. The history and definition of Danmei allow that.

Again, I’m not saying any of this to excuse homophobia among in Danmei and Dangai fandoms. The point I’m trying to make is this — given that Danmei has three potential characterisations, two of which can be discussed without abundantly evoking queer concepts and vocabularies, given that history of Danmei, as a genre, already favoured characterisation 2 (traditional BL), the government addressing homosexuality in its opinions on Danmei and Dangai is far from a given.

By extension, the popularity of Dangai may mean a lot or little to c-queers; by extension, the state can approve / disapprove of Danmei and Dangai in a manner independent of its stance on homosexuality, which is itself inconsistent and at times, logic-deying (example to come…).

This is both good and bad, from the perspective of both the government and the c-queer community.

For the government: as discussed, the “triality” of Danmei allows the state to “move the goalpost” depending on what it tries to achieve. It has characterisations 2 (the traditional BL characterisation) and 3 (the aesthetic characterisation) as excuses to let Dangai dramas pass the censorship board should it want their profit and also, their promise of expanding the country’s soft power overseas by drawing an international audience. These characterisations also allow the state to throw cold water on the popularity of Danmei / Dangai should it desire, for reasons other than its queer suggestions—despite the Xi regime’s push against open expressions of queerness (including by activism, in media), it has also been careful about not demonising c-queers in words, and has countered other people’s attempts to do so.

Why may the government want to throw cold water on Danmei and Dangai? They are still subculture, which the state has also viewed with suspicion. In 2018, a NRTA directive explicitly requested that “c-ent programmes should not use entertainers with tattoos; (those associated with) hip-hop culture, sub-cultures (non-mainstream cultures), decadent cultures.” (”另外，总局明确要求节目中纹身艺人、嘻哈文化、亚文化（非主流文化）、丧文化（颓废文化）不用。”).

Subculture isn’t “core socialist values”. More importantly, it’s difficult to keep up with and control subculture. 環球網, the website co-owned by People’s Daily and Global Times (環球時報), ie, The State Newspaper and The State Tabloid, famously said this on its Weibo, on 2020/03/04, re: 227:

老了，没看懂为什么战。晚安。 Getting old. Can’t figure out what the war is about. Good night.

The State also cannot stop subculture from happening. It doesn’t have the resources to quell every single thing that become popular among its population of 1.4 billion. What it can do to make sure these subcultures stay subcultures, kept out of sight and mind of the general public.

Characterisation 1 (the queer characterisation), meanwhile, remains available to the state should it wish to drop the axe on Dangai for its queer elements. I’m including, as “queer elements”, presentation of men as too “feminine” for the state—which has remained a sore point for the government. This axe have a reason to drop in the upcoming months: July 23rd, 2021 will be the 100th birthday of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the state may desire to have only uniformed forces and muscled, gun-toting “masculine” men gracing the screens.

What about for c-queers and their supporters (including group I fans)? What good and bad can the multiple characterisations of the genres do for them?

For c-queers and their supporters (including group I fans), their acceptance and safety are helped by the Dangai genre, by the Dangai 101 phenomenon, if and only if the state both characterises the queer elements in these dramas as queer (characterisation 1) AND their opinions of them are positive.

Personally, I had viewed this to be unlikely from the start, because a queer characterisation would mean the censorship board has failed to do its job, which is embarrassing for the Chinese government.

Characterisations 2) and 3) are not bad for c-queers and their supporters, however, and definitely not “enemies” of Characterisation 1); they can not only serve as covers for the queer elements in Dangai to reach their audience, but also, they can act as protective padding for the LGBT+ community if the content or (very aggressive) marketing of the Dangai dramas displease the government — with the understanding, again, that the “traditional BL” arm of the Danmei community is itself also highly vulnerable by being a subculture, and so its padding effect is limited and it also deserves protection.

The downside to achieving LGBT+ visibility through Dangai is, of course and as mentioned, that these dramas are, ultimately, deeply unrealistic depictions of the c-queers. The promotion of these dramas, which has focused on physical interactions between the male leads for “candies”, can encourage even more fetishising of queers and queer relationships. The associated (character) CP culture that makes and breaks CPs based on the dramas’ airing cycle may also fuel negative perception of queer relationships as attention-seeking behaviour, something that can be initiated and terminated at will and for the right price.

Finally, with all this said, which characterisation(s) have the government taken re: Dangai and/or WOH? And what opinions has it given to its characterisations?

PART 1 <-- YOU ARE HERE PART 2 PART 3

#pie metas #yizhan #bjyx

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fantastic-bby · 3 years

Text

SKZ vs. their crush

Pairing: Gender neutral Reader x Member

Word count: 3.9k

Genre: Fluff

Summary: It’s just them crushing on you

Warnings: -

Masterlist

A/n: I tried a different format this time and used bullet points rather than just making it like a full story since my brain was going crazy when I wrote this. Let me know which format you prefer and maybe I might incorporate both bullet points and the essay ones since I actually quite enjoy writing using both.

Chan

You guys only met because you knew Jeongin

The tiny babie brought you to meet his friends

Chan was smitten when he first met you

He thought you were so pretty when he saw you following behind Jeongin

“Innie,”

“Yeah?”

“Who is that?”

He wants Jeongin to introduce you two

Sensing the vibes, the maknae is more than happy to introduce you two

if he was being honest, he already knew Chan would pretty much fall in love with you immediately

Chan’s flustered when he introduces himself to you

He’s almost blubbering all over the place

You find it kinda cute but he’s scared you found him really weird

He tries to steal little moments to be with you

Like ‘accidentally’ bumping into you in the hallway

Or how he just so happens to walk into Jeongin’s room when you’re on a call with him

Or how he just so happens to be lingering around the flea market nearby your college campus

Chan takes care of you without even realising it

If you bump into each other he asks whether you’ve eaten or how your day is

He loves the way you seem to parent his friends like he does

“Jisung, put the knife down. You’re going to hurt somebody”

“Hehe, make me”

“PUT IT DOWN 〴⋋_⋌〵”

Chan’s surprised he listens to you

He loves how everyone only seems to listen if you’re the one talking too

If you’re hanging out with them at the dorms and Chan can’t seem to control everyone, you just step in

“Guys, please”

And suddenly the chaos has calmed down

Chan finds it amazing

Everyone just… stops when you ask them to

You find it amusing

It’s like watching a single dad trying to control his seven wild sons

He chases after Felix around the dorm a lot because he’s usually done something weird with Minho and Jisung

He manages to get your number using an excuse of needing you to calm down the boys

“Please… they don’t listen sometimes”

Jeongin finds reasons to push you two together

“Yay! You guys made—oH nO I ComPleTeLy foRgoT!!”

Leaves the two of you alone

He honestly just thinks you two should get together and so does the rest of the group

So they find excuses to get you two alone together

But your relationship takes f o r e v e r

Only because Chan wants to be absolutely certain that he likes you

He doesn’t want to commit to someone he’s worried he’s not sure of yet

Slowly but surely, he starts to ease into the relationship

He sends you music he thinks you’ll like

Eventually he’ll start sending you his own music

He only confesses when he’s absolutely sure he’s pretty much falling in love with you

The way he does it just wins your heart immediately if you weren’t already as whipped for him as he was

He writes a song for you (´༎ຶ ͜ʖ ༎ຶ `)♡

Minho

Bumped into you at a dance studio he goes to often

He thinks your dancing is amazing

At first he doesn’t want to bother you

But then he’s all like “heyyyy I’m Minho”

And you’re pretty much taken away by how gorgeous the man is

Minho wouldn’t be too flustered

He would keep his cool around you

Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t try to impress you with his sexy dance moves

Tries to win your heart the romantic way which doesn’t work because half the time you’re too busy dancing to actually realise he’s trying to flirt with you

“Hey, baby ;)”

“Huh?”

“Nothing”

Wonders whether he should just make a dedicated advance towards you

He likes your humour

It’s similar to his

You both just laugh at really weird stuff together

When you share your numbers, he sends you weird videos that he thinks you’ll like

Minho’s not much of a texter, but when you do get a message from him, it’s either something he’s really excited about or something really weird

Only realises he’s actually crushing on you when Changbin points it out

“Why are you so nice to them”

“Who?”

“(Y/n)”

Then Minho realises that he really likes you

Starts slowly working harder to win your heart

Helps you with your dancing

“Your body looks a bit stiff”

Buys you lunch

“I got you the lunch box from 7 11”

It’s always something you end up liking if you hadn’t tried it before

Buys you drinks from the vending machine

“What is this???”

It looks like a double shot coffee

“Energy?”

Minho doesn’t know either but you both drink it anyway

And end up being at the studio until 3 a.m. because you’re both so hyped with caffeine

Offers to walk you home if it’s getting late

“It’s not safe on your own”

“Minho, I’ll be fineeeee”

Doesn’t take no for an answer and forces you to let him

His advances work

You’re pretty much whipped for him by the time he confesses

Which Minho does by buying you flowers and bringing it to the studio

Changbin

You work at the music shop that he goes to often

When he’s browsing the CD’s and the vinyls, he spots you at the counter

His heart almost explodes when he sees you

The first thing that caught his eye was the way you were dressed

Fits Changbin’s style

He’s nervous to approach you with the vinyl in his hand

Why was he so nervous?

Oh right, he was pretty much completely smitten by you

“Hi!”

He loves your voice even more

“H-Hey,”

Changbin’s so nervous

He likes your bracelets too

He thinks they’re really cool

He ends up coming back a lot and you wonder why this man needs so many CD’s and vinyls

Eventually, he builds up the courage to talk to you

Changbin comes by every once in a while just to say hi

Sometimes he just comes in to talk to you during your break

You tell him you’ve always wanted to try making music

He tells you he makes music

You’re all :0

Changbin tells you about it

And you get really interested in his music

He starts coming after your shift or during your break to play you his songs

He gets all uwu when he sees the way your eyes shine

You have him wrapped around your finger without even knowing it

Doesn’t admit that he’s pretty much whipped

Even though he visits you almost every other day

And how he buys you your favourite snacks

Or how he stays way longer than he expected to just bcs he’s talking to you

You’re just as whipped tbh

You love talking to Changbin

You like his music taste and he’s fun to be around

Confesses to you by taking you out on a date

He brings you to his studio

Shows you how he makes music

He finds it adorable how you’re so amazed by his equipment

So he teaches you whatever he can in the time you’re together

You both spend the evening just messing around

You make a short track that you’re sure sounds really off

Changbin reassures you that it’s nice

He teaches you how to layer the different tracks

And eventually teaches you how to edit them despite the few hours you have

You’re so excited

He smiles every time he looks at you

Bcs you’re so adorable he feels like he might burst

Confesses at the end of the night

“I like you a lot”

He blurts it out and it catches you slightly off guard

But you like him back so it’s fine

Ends up offering to take you to the studio anytime you’re both free

Hyunjin

Met you through Felix

Felix invited you to play a game with him and his friends

Hyunjin hears your voice the first time and he’s already curious

He thinks you’re really chill and he likes your vibe

You end up playing more games with them

He ends up wanting to get to know you more

The thing that honestly gets to him the most is the way you take every loss so lightheartedly

“There’s always another game”

You don’t rage or stress out over it

Over time, he starts spending one-on-one time with you

Until you’re both just doing literally anything else but gaming together

He denies them as dates whenever his friends ask, claiming that it’s just friend time

Until one night you’re both awake at four a.m. and talking about everything and anything

He likes the way you think

“Hyunjin, did you know that sometimes in movies, they use trash cans to replicate tiger roars”

“What???”

He likes how you’re joking talking about starting a revolution

He knows you won’t

“So, yeah, fuck capitalism!”

“Yeah!”

He loves the fact that you’re so open about what you think even if it’s something small or weird

“Mercy’s ass is so thick… for what reason…”

“She’s a video game character??”

“Felix, her ass is so thick, she could kill someone with it”

Hyunjin loves hearing you rant about your day

“And?? It’s so stupid!!”

“Calm down, (Y/n)”

“Don’t tell me to calm down, you egg!”

Hyunjin thinks you’re adorable when you’re all riled up

He finds it amusing because he likes hearing you talk

“You live there too?”

He didn’t expect to be so close to you

“Yeah, that’s how I met Felix”

He never realised you and Felix knew each other in real life

You spend more time together

Talking about whatever comes to mind until the dead of night

Sometimes you watch movies together

You stay away from horror movies because he doesn’t like it that much

But you’re always talking about something with him

The two of you are always the last to leave the call because you end up talking after games

Hyunjin asks you out without even realising it sounds like a date

“Is that a date??”

“Sure”

He didn’t even realise he asked you out until after he’s left the call

?!?!?!?!

Goes into panic mode

He just asked you out!!!!

Starts asking Felix about you

He laughs at Hyunjin but helps him anyway

Shows him what you look like on your Instagram

Hyunjin thinks you’re so pretty on your posts

When he sees you in person for the first time

He’s so taken away

You’re gorgeous

Whatever feeling he didn’t realise he had for you comes rushing in

Hyunjin loves your laugh

You spend the whole day together just walking around town

It’s nice to hear his voice when it isn’t coming out of your headphones

By the time the date’s over, Hyunjin wants more of you

So he tells you he wants to take you out again while he’s walking you home

You accept

He turns to you with a c: before asking if he can kiss you

Jisung

You’re a barista at the cafe nearby the JYPe building

Jisung was designated as the drink buyer that time by the rest of his group

If he was having trouble remembering all their orders before

He has even bigger trouble now when he sees you

YOU LOOK SO CUTE IN YOUR APRON

He freezes the moment he sees you at the cashier

“Hi! What would you like?”

Jisung’s eyes go ◑.◑

“Uhm… sir?”

“Sorry!”

He struggles to get his order out properly

But you’re patient with him and even though he barely knows you

He likes that you are

Jisung’s watching you the entire time you make his order

He can’t take his eyes off of you

You do notice it, but you find him adorable so you don’t say anything

He seems to be easily flustered

When you hand him his order, he’s still a blubbering mess

“T-Thank you…��

Your name tag says (Y/n)

So he thanks you using your name which you smile

“Have a great day!”

Jisung comes back the next day

He doesn’t even need any drinks, he just wants to see you again

When he does, he feels all fluttery on the inside

“Welcome back”

He orders a dark chocolate smoothie and an iced mocha for Minho

Minho would kill him if he found out Jisung went to the cafe without him

Jisung sits at an empty table and watches you again

The next day, the cycle repeats

And the day after that

Minho follows him at some point, wondering why Jisung seems to obsessed with the place

“Why do you like this place so much?”

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT”

Something’s definitely up with him

Minho only finds out when he sees the way Jisung’s face seems to light up when he sees you

“You like the barista, don’t you”

“WHAT BARISTA ಠoಠ”

That’s all he needs to confirm it

Minho lets Jisung order, seeing just how excited and giddy he is when he’s talking to you

Jisung’s practically bouncing up and down while you talk to him

When they leave, Minho’s all up in it

“You really like them, huh”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about >:c”

Knowing Jisung, he wouldn’t do anything about it

So Minho takes it into his own hands to bring you two together

The group is having a mini event and they need someone to serve drinks

Who else to ask other than you?

Jisung’s eyes almost bulge out of his skull when he sees you because

What are you doing here????

He’s so nervous

Minho practically shoves him your way

Again, you find him so cute that you don’t even realise he’s practically dying to know you more

“Hi Jisung!”

You learned his name over the course of him constantly coming back and Jisung just loves hearing it from you

“Hi (Y/n)”

“I can’t make anything ice blended, but I can trade if for an iced dark chocolate”

“Okay!”

As long as you make it, he’ll take it

The event comes to an end but Jisung’s pretty much spent more time with you rather than his group mates

Even they’re amused by how into you he obviously is

“Hey Jisung”

You stop him before you leave and he’s immediately at your side

“Since you keep coming over, here’s my number”

◑.◑

“Give me a call before you come in so that I can have your drink ready for you to pick up”

He’s so happy :D

He sends you pictures of cute animals and random snippets of his music

Felix

Met you through League of Legends

You have good synergy so you became friends through that

At first, he only managed to play with you occasionally

When he’s able to, he notices how you always sound so bright

“Hi Felix!”

He likes playing with you

You’re laid-back

You don’t stress over losses too much

“Ah, what to do?”

But when you’re irritated, Felix finds it funny

“Fucking asshole!”

“You were in the way, (Y/n)”

“Shut the fuck up!”

You’re so funny to him

“Felix, don’t go into bush”

“I can bait them”

“DON’T”

His character dies

“Oops ( ͡° ͜V ͡°)”

“-`д´-”

You’re easy to game with and that’s what he admires the most right off the bat

You always seem to be up for games

Even when he’s not able to play, whenever he logs into Discord he sees you’re online

Wonders whether you sleep at all

“I don’t need sleep. I am gamerrrr. Gamers don’t sleep”

“Please sleep”

“Lix, sleep is for the weak and I’m not weak”

“You passed out last night in call”

Honestly slightly concerned for you

Overtime he realises that he really looks forward to games with you

Before Felix would just go to sleep after practice or shows

But he’ll start waiting to see if you’re up for even one game

Which you always are

Slowly starts spending time with you just talking

Eventually it leads to the both of you staying up until 5 a.m. laughing at really stupid memes

During the day when Felix can’t join call

He sends you funny tiktoks and memes

You appreciate it because you like him

But you don’t admit it because you’ve never met him in person before

Until you both find out that you live only a few hours away from him

Invites you down to Seoul to spend time with him

You’re nervous

Felix is nervous

He knows what you look like

You exchanged Snapchats and started streaking a while before

He sends you funny pictures of his members

You send him selfies with random filters

But nothing could prepare him for when you appear from around the corner

He sees you appear and he’s all (゜ロ゜)

Your photos don’t do your natural beauty any justice

Is a bit of a mess when you’re walking around together

Eventually loosens up around you

Compliments you a lot and it makes you blush

You spend the day just wandering around the place

Felix takes you to his favourite places and favourite cafes

He wants to share his favourite things with you

You find it endearing

Tries to make you laugh a lot because he’s just grown to really like the sound of your voice

Since you’ve spent most of your time talking over call

Felix just loves hearing your voice

When the day’s over

He asks for more nights that aren’t just filled with games because owo he wants to do more with you

Seungmin

Bumped into you at JYPe because you were visiting a friend

Hears you singing with Yeji and he immediately falls in love with your voice

He peeks into the dance studio to see the two of you just sitting on the floor together

There’s no music

It’s just the two of you singing together

Your voice makes him :D

Seungmin leaves the two of you bcs he doesn’t want to intrude

But he ends up seeing you more often

Turns out you’re in Seoul for a while so you’re spending quite some time with Yeji

He sees you in the hallways a lot

When you walk past each other, it’s always just a polite bow

You don’t really think much of Seungmin other than the fact that you think he’s pretty handsome

Yeji teases you for that

When you’re walking through the building to look for her

You hear someone singing in one of the rooms

You peek through the glass

It’s Seungmin!

ಠoಠ

And he’s so good

You listen from outside the door

You knew he was good since he was an idol

But you didn’t think that he was that good

You don’t even realise he’s done when the door swings open and you’re standing there

When Seungmin sees you, he realises you were most likely listening

Now you’re just staring at each other like

(ﾟωﾟ;)

Because now he knows you were listening

And now you know he knows

“Uhm…”

You’re embarrassed

You’re lucky Yeji pops from around the corner and your eyes plead for her to drag you away

Which she doesn’t

“Sunbaenim!”

“Hi Yeji”

“Have you met (Y/n) before?”

You actually want to tear her apart

“Not properly, no”

“Well... “

“WELL WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE TIME”

You drag her away before she can say anything else

The next time you see Seungmin

You pass by him in the hallway once again while you’re looking for Yeji

“(Y/n)”

ಠ_ಠ

“We keep passing each other but we’ve yet to actually meet each other properly”

“Haha…”

“I know you were listening the other day”

“Haaahhhhhhaaaa…”

“I don’t mind that you did.”

“Huh”

You’re actually bit surprised that he doesn’t mind

“I overheard you and Yeji singing the other day in the dance room”

༼ : ౦ ‸ ౦ : ༽

“You sing really beautifully, (Y/n)”

There’s an awkward wall that takes a while before you two actually break it down

But when you do

It’s almost like you visit the building to see Seungmin rather than Yeji

She doesn’t mind since she saw it coming

Doesn’t mean she can’t tease you about it

Seungmin looks forward to having lunch with you in the cafeteria

At this point, the staff don’t even question your now daily appearance

You end up falling for Seungmin way faster than you thought possible

The feeling’s mutual

He just likes everything about you

You’re so sweet

You’re also really caring

He notices that when you follow him to the practice room where Stray Kids are

Changbin trips over Hyunjin’s legs

You’re rushing over to help without any of them really realising it

He loves how nice your voice is too

“Can you sing for me?”

You’re shook

You wonder why he wants to hear your voice specifically

“Your voice is just really nice

He realises he really likes you when you briefly disturb their practice to give Seungmin lunch

He briefly mentioned that he forgot his wallet and his lunch

Since you aren’t an idol or staff

You had to use your own money in the cafeteria

Seungmin’s heart flips at the realisation

Ends up asking you out so that you don’t have to spend so much time inside the JYPe building all the time

Jeongin

Meets you through Changbin

You went to the same high school as him and you kinda just stuck around

Changbin brings you to the dorm bcs he borrowed a hoodie

The entire dorm greets you really brightly

Jeongin’s the only one just watching in awe

He’s so shy when you wave at him

Seungmin notices and raises a brow

“I-I’m Jeongin”

“Hi Jeongin! Changbin talks about you guys a lot”

He’s so nervous

He wants to know you more, but he also doesn’t want to make it obvious that he’s taking interest in you

The others don’t really notice because they’re too excited by the new person

Seungmin, on the other hand, tells Changbin about it

Changbin now makes it his mission to bring you two together

He brings you over to the dorm more often

Especially if Jeongin’s the only one home

“(Y/n), you’ve met Innie before right?”

You nod

Jeongin’s adorable

Changbin ends up bringing you over for movie nights

Now you’re just an honorary member of the group

Everyone else loves you

Jeongin always tries to sit next to you during movie nights

Especially if it’s a horror movie

When you get scared, you hug his arm and he likes that

Makes him feel like he’s able to protect you like a big strong man ᕙ(`▽´)ᕗ

You kinda like him too

So you test the waters around him

You start talking to him more since Changbin told you he’s really shy

Jeongin slowly eases into your company

It takes a bit of time, but he’s started getting more confident around you

You visit the dorm thinking Changbin’s there because he stole your favourite belt

When Jeongin opens the door he’s all :D but when you ask where his hyung is he goes D:

Tells you he’s not home but lets you in anyway

No one else is home except for Jeongin and Chan

So you sit in the living room with Innie

You start talking about random things

You end up talking about almost everything because it turns out that Changbin’s gone way longer than both of you thought

Chan eventually emerges from his bedroom and waves at you

He orders fried chicken for you guys

You and Jeongin continue talking while eating

Chan finds it super cute

Jeongin’s playful around you

But he doesn’t want to make himself appear immature

But you like when he’s being playful so you slowly ease him into being more comfortable

He still just wants to impress you so you like him back

Wait, when did he start liking you???

He realised it when you were over for a regular movie night

You fell asleep in his lap

Jeongin thought you were so cute

When you wake up he asks you out

You accept

He cuddles you for the rest of the night and asks you to spend the night at the dorm

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biconicfinn · 3 years

Text

Sam/T'Challa Headcanons

just some general headcanons for my faves <3

i dont remember much of the mcu timelines anymore but whatever have this post okay thank you

i'm thinking maybe they get together post-ca:cw, t'challa helps shelter steve, bucky, sam, clint, scott, and wanda in wakanda for a while so they can recover

obvs bucky goes into cryo and then i'm thinking maybe clint takes wanda under his wing and goes on the run, maybe scott joins them too idk i didn't spend too much time thinking about it

so it's just steve, sam, and cryo bucky

steve spends most of his time talking to bucky and moping and being generally Emo but eventually starts going stir-crazy so he turns his usual captain america suit into the nomad one, and heads off to go be a vigilante fugitive

meanwhile sam decides to stay in wakanda; he hasn't had a chance to just be in a long, long time, not since captain america first knocked on his door asking for a safe place. he stays in a small little apartment in the capital city, kinda near the palace so people can still keep an eye on him

over several weeks sam establishes a routine: wake up, go for a run around the neighbourhood (cutting through the public gardens at the palace), come back home and work out, shower, eat breakfast, go out on a patrol with the border tribe around the area, explore the city and practice xhosa along the way, check in with sarah, lunch, check in with steve and bucky, read, sleep, repeat.

he finds a purpose in the help he gives his neighbours, helping the older lady next door with errands at the market, telling the kids stories about what it feels like to fly with your own wings, joining the border tribe on their patrols around the city

occasionally he runs into the generous (and gorgeous) king who gracefully allows him to stay in wakanda in peace while running through the palace gardens

t'challa rises with the sun and often runs in the morning to get at least some form of training in; crucial on days where he's stuck in meetings

sometimes the two run into each other—once literally, and okoye never lets t'challa hear the end of how he was so very flustered by sam wilson taking off his shirt to cool off and the sight of him all hot and sweaty and half-naked made him freeze and run right into said man—and sam has to come to terms with the fact that getting lapped by superhuman attractive men (though he personally prefers t'challa over steve) is just his life now

typically sam opens their conversation with a cat pun that makes t'challa fight back a smile and respond with something so dry and deadpan, couched in the characteristic diplomatic quality he uses it takes sam a minute to reply and react

but when sam does understand, t'challa is met with a charming half-smirk half-smile that makes his heart trip and he relies on all his diplomatic training to remain neutral or at the most amused at sam's comments

the conversations grow slowly, from casual one-liners and sarcastic quips to sam's stories of riley and sarah and his community back in delacroix, and t'challa's anecdotes about growing up in wakanda

soon enough, what starts off as a brief conversation during a part of their respective runs becomes a standing daily routine run together, the two becoming fast friends, admiring one another's loyalty, dedication, honesty, and determination

of course, because sam and t'challa are sam and t'challa, the platonic friendship with a side of appreciative attraction slowly becomes a crush

and it's not just the funny stories and misadventures they share with one another, but the sleepless nights and trauma and grief and healing too

sam couldn't sleep one night and went for a walk in the gardens he ran into an equally sleepless t'challa and so began yet another routine for them; to sit in the gardens at a clearing where the stars were bright and plentiful and visible, so vast that sam felt an ache in his bones to be up there, to be in the skies along the stars, and he realised that if there was anyone he wanted to be up there with him, it was the man sitting next to him in quiet contemplation, shoulders slumped slightly, expression handsomely brooding; the man behind the mantles of king and black panther

t'challa found himself wandering towards the gardens on those nights he couldn't sleep, when the weight of the crown and his legacy and the nation weighed so heavily on him that he felt he would crumble under it, he sought out the clearing in the garden, and more importantly, the man with his soul in the skies, his heart wherever he could help people

some nights were quiet for the most part, a brief check-in with one another before just simply taking comfort in one another's company. others were filled with conversation, those deep talks you only feel safe having in the dead of night, when the only thing awake and alive is nature, when every word is just that much more honest and real

losing parents and partners, the responsibilities of leadership, recovery and healing; just some of the things the two talk about when they can be just them, no titles or nationalities or protocol there to censor them

over morning runs and late-night conversations, sharing music and food and language and culture, and impromptu excursions to the city or beyond they grow close and find that their feelings are getting more and more difficult to ignore, both wanting more than just a friendship

it's not during a morning run or nighttime confession that they admit their feelings, but over a shared lunch together

they're eating a simple picnic lunch near the warrior falls where t'challa will soon undergo the first part of his coronation ritual and offer the people of wakanda to send a representative to fight him in ritual combat for the throne

the view of the falls is spectacular, and sam's wide-eyed face of awe and wonder, bright smile shining with all the warmth of the sun makes t'challa feel like he could take on the entire country in ritual combat and come out the other side victorious if sam continues to smile at him like that and if they had more time then they would probably go for a swim, but they don't so here they are, alone at the falls, the rush of water and the sounds of the river fauna their only company

they're laying on a blanket on the grass, watching the clouds, and sam feels just as at peace on the ground with t'challa next to him then he's ever felt with his wings in the skies

during a discussion about the coronation where t'challa answers the questions sam asks him. the subject turns to his duties as king, and sam asks about whether t'challa is expected to marry a woman in order to produce heirs for the throne. he knows wakanda doesn't discriminate against people for sexuality or gender identity, but the duties of a king are to ensure the legacy of the royal bloodline is preserved isn't it?

t'challa laughs, and says that while the royal bloodline is important, there is no restriction on who the king (or queen) marries, as long as they would be able to connect with the people, serve and help the people of wakanda the way any good ruler should

"so what i'm hearing is all's fair in love and war"

"i guess you could say that"

"so if gender and sexuality don't matter; does nationality?"

"perhaps in the past yes, but i feel wakanda is changing, and that it will not be such a concern moving forward"

"even if the king were to be with, say, a fugitive american ex-pararescue-slash-ex-avenger?"

t'challa turns to face sam, heart caught in his throat as he processes just what sam said, takes in the hopeful and tentative look in his eyes masked by a slightly wavering tone of jest and hunour, as he shifts to mirror him.

the moment stretches out for what feels like an eternity before t'challa can respond

"for you, my falcon, i think we can make an exception"

their lips meet, the two smiling too much for the kiss to be anything other than as sweet and warm as honey and sunshine, and sam wraps his arms around t'challa, bringing the king on top of him, and two exchange soft kisses and softer words until t'challa gets called away, promising to meet later not just for their near-nightly rendezvous, but for dinner in t'challa's private quarters

okay so that's all for now! i kinda hate how this turned out but whatever it's done!! taglist under the cut! if anyone didn't want to be added i'm sorry just let me know and i'll delete!

@sambuckies @thewondrouspickle @tchalcons @like-butterflies-and-glitter @shadowyenthusiaststudentus @vodka-infused-unicorn @cassleia @finger-lickin-fuckboy @twisterss

#skyrambles #t'challa #sam wilson #samchalla #black panther #king t'challa #the falcon #idk what else to tag uhhh #t'cham #???

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