#so i have to force myself to always give my viewpoints so i don't get caged into her expectations unwillingly
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This went through my head when I was writing my previous post, but I dislike the concept that you shouldn't do something if someone doesn't like it. Personally I feel it's unrealistic and very.... uwu safe-space-y.
In the case of my previous post, it'd be the fact that the villainess doesn't like the male lead, and yet he consistently puts himself in her presence. Someone can say that he shouldn't do that because she doesn't like it. But as that previous post pointed out too, they are in a political engagement decided upon by their parents. As nobles, they have obligations to fulfill. What they personally want doesn't matter. There are times you have to do things you don't want to do because it is your responsibility to do so.
I also think that going too far in the above mentality infringes upon your right to live your life. If you know someone doesn't like you at work, are you expected to accommodate them by avoiding the break room and bathroom in fear of running into them? If dogs give your friend anxiety, will you let that stop you from owning a dog? If your friend dislikes a specific person that you personally have no issues with, will you avoid that person to respect your friend?
While the first two are easy to decipher, I know the last one will catch people's attention. Personally, if the person you dislike didn't maliciously harm you in some way, I feel you have no right to expect your friends to avoid that person.
To paint a picture, my friend really disliked this one girl because she was a whiny attention seeking flirt that flirted with anything that gave her attention, even guys eight years younger than her. They even had a few clashes here and there. However, even though she may not have liked it, even she realized she didn't have the right to stop me from interacting with the girl. Whatever beef they had was between them. It would be unfair to me to rope me into it, especially because I was friends with both of them before the clash.
While I do believe in the golden rule of not being a jackass, there is a difference between being a jackass and asserting your right to autonomy. The sad fact of the matter is that you can be the nicest person in the world and still upset people. You can still make people uncomfortable. Not only that, people have different thresholds with what they are able to handle and what they will allow. What's important to realize is that these thresholds are subjective. Your thresholds will only match you, so don't push them onto other people.
#rambles#i will say tho that if you know your friend dislikes someone you don't know personally#it would be a dick move to purposefully go out and meet/befriend that person#the situation i'm giving in the post is when you are already friends with/acquainted with both people#i have to continuously remind myself of the words in this post whenever my friend gets upset#she is a very moral-outrage kind of person#she gets offended very easily#she also gets uncomfortable very easily#and when she vents about these things she is looking for people to validate her feelings#however to validate and leave it as just validation would be to agree#so i have to force myself to always give my viewpoints so i don't get caged into her expectations unwillingly#it's very hard#just because something bothers her doesn't mean it needs to bother me#just because she refrains from doing/liking something doesn't mean i need to refrain from doing/liking it to#don't be a jackass but don't let people walk over you too
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Can I ask something from Code Geass? What do you think are Lelouch and Suzaku’s greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic? Sorry if you've answered these questions before.....
i haven't actually! thank you so much for sending this. thoughts in the read more below!
the thing abt suzaku and lelouch that really called to me was that they are two sides of the same coin. theyre both altruistic to a fault (different but the same), they love far too deeply (not talking abt this in a ship way either. both lelouch and suzaku do things out of love for others that is...questionable at best), they don't really understand the situation as a whole, and they don't really face major consequences to the end. lelouch is cruel, selfish, manipulative. suzaku is uncritical, righteously full of self loathing, half-hearted. theyre both major fucking hypocrites. they hate each other for the same reason they work so well together. (they love each other for those same reasons, too.) they're kind and optimistic to a fault. they're children playing war.
easily my favorite scene in all of code geass is one of the final scenes during the damocles battle, when the core argument between what lelouch stood for and what suzaku stood for is contended between the entire cast of characters, jumping from statement to statement, viewpoint from viewpoint. not only do suzaku and lelouch have their own quips but the other characters are what really make it for me because those are all people who are just as alive and have just as many feelings as they do--but at the end of the day none of that matters to them, such symbolized by the finale and zero requiem. their world was always so small, suzaku, lelouch, and nunnally. the final punishment was to destroy that in such a way that it could never be restored, that nothing could ever be the same. it's a much crueler punishment for suzaku, but i think lelouch knows suzaku well enough to know that suzaku would not be able to truly live (if you can even call it that, haha) without being molded into being something he is not (he was regarded as a knight and hero when all he saw himself as was a murdered.) but in the same breath, lelouch knowing that, accepting that part of suzaku, it being his final parting gift, his form of an eternity together... its powerful!
its kind of funny because code geass has its moments where the writing is so very much Not Good but then it also has these amazingly complex interwoven moments sprinkled in. personally, i actually grew up always asking myself whether its better to change the system without any casualty whatsoever vs dismantling it no matter the price, so i see myself in the both of them, though i agree with lelouch far more. truthfully, i didnt even like suzaku until after he detonates the fleija in r2 and he tells schneizel that as long as he makes him knight of one, he will slay the emperor. it took him a while, but he finally showed his own truth, understanding his fate as a weapon above all else.
its an anime with characters that are more complex than they look, parallels that run deeper than i believe many give credit for (dont get me started on shirley), and the truth of war, though maybe a bit sanitized. that being said, code geass would be Nothing without suzaku and lelouch at its helm, the true driving forces of the narrative and even the world of code geass itself.
those two are truly one of a kind.
#answered#code geass#suzalulu#i hope this answered ur ask! i feel like i kinda went off topic but it is what it is. playing the hand i was dealt#just like lelouch and suzaku do
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My thoughts on the shutdown of RT by Warner and on RWBY
Read on if you wish.
Ok so there's a good bit of things for me to say on this matter. Normally I don't do personal posts a whole lot like this but I want to express my thoughts on the matter. I will disclaim that this is a matter of opinion based on my understanding of the situation and I will explain more on certain subjects when I get to it. This is more of my inclination towards RWBY as a series than anything else.
So let's start with the short and simple part of my thoughts on it. It does suck that the company is shutting down mostly for the workers involved. As I understand from secondhand knowledge and statements by other onlookers that the company leadership has made very poor decisions with their franchises, both in writing direction and with treatment of the staff and also consumers. I can't say much more on that front as I will admit I haven't looked into it much and I haven't delved into that matter too much either so that's about all I have to say with that.
Onto the thoughts/feelings on RWBY. Now I enjoy RWBY as a franchise and series to a degree. I know lots of people have issues with how the show's writing became after some points in the series, myself included, but I remain hopeful. Warner still tried to do stuff with RWBY by aligning it with DC comics for crossovers. I haven't watched the two crossover films but I do intend to check them out despite what others say. I am more driven by curiosity with the show than much else. I won't sing it's praises nor will I bash the hell out of it. I get my initial impressions then I gauge what others think and adjust based on what I may or may not agree with after giving much thought on it.
My opinions on things can change drastically. One example which I will use as a somewhat loose comparison, is with Star Wars. I love the world of Star Wars and I always have since I was a kid. I was excited for the sequel trilogy and gave it a go. Force Awakens was an ok start, nothing spectacular, but its problems were showing but they still had time to pivot and correct these errors with the next two movies. The Last Jedi came out. I watched it and was at least entertained on the first watch. Then I saw the discourse erupt in the fandom. So I was curious to what made people so mad. I looked at a lot of writing critiques of the movie by fans of the series. Then I saw the behind the scenes things going on and it changed my view. At first I liked TLJ but that opinion quickly fell into greatly disliking it. I didn't even want to see Rise of Skywalker based on rumors of the plot of the movie. Mostly the ending. But I still watched it just to finish what I started. Even though I disliked it heavily and never touched that trilogy again.
What's this have to do with RWBY? Well it's the same thing for me. I started watching with a friend who was into it. I got into it. And for the most part I enjoyed it. After the fiasco with Star Wars I refrained from giving full opinions until after viewing the show or movie and thinking about it after. I also look into viewpoints of others to see what people liked and didn't like and see if I agreed or not. I seek to understand what turned people away and what made others stay. While I don't agree with everything others list I at least understand why they think about it the way they do. But in the end even if I agree with them I still want to see where it ends. I want to finish what I started. I can understand other people leaving the show after a certain point and not coming back out of outrage or disinterest. But I enjoyed the show at first and even if the ending is dog shit, much like with the Sequel trilogy, I will stay on this ride until it ends.
Now onto extra thoughts. So I did read the article explaining the closing of RT and based on my understanding, Warner may still be looking to complete the series they have, even if its just to milk what they can out of it, at the very least the final season of Red vs Blue is confirmed to happen. I haven't seen anything regarding the state of RWBY but I remain optimistic and hope they will keep most of the hardworking team (the ones that make the show happen and not the dumbasses who mistreat them) and treat them fairly so they can end the series on at least a decent note. There's no undoing what they've done at this point and it's naive to expect one or possibly two final season(s) to fix it. But they can at least try to give it a respectful ending. It is optimistic and it may be a long shot or very unlikely but even so I want to see what they do.
Hopefully this is clear enough in my thoughts and opinions on this matter. I haven't stated anything specific to the series in terms of writing but I don't feel it necessary to do so at the moment. Especially since I still need to catch up on it. You may not agree with my viewpoints or reasons for things but that's ok. I just wanted to get my voice out there.
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Comfort Food Comics - Best Comics of 2023
Man this year, like every year lately, was an extreme blur. Time is a hyperkinetic illusion. While 2023 may have been the best year of the hellish era of the 2020's personally, it was one of the worst comics wise. I used to read or at least check out just about every book I could weekly, especially the Big 2, but ever since I left the comics "journalism" websphere, I just cannot. Art is mostly dead these days as soulless corporate billionaires just want a nice bottom line and positive PR. The actual creators languish in minimum wage, benefit free hellholes. ESG scores and Twitter pleasing directives force annoying cookie cutter product that is anything but progressive, respectful or fun. Nothing seems to be made solely for art or creative vision, and even if it starts that way the end product sure doesnt resemble that. Everything is positive diversity memeable aesthetics with no thought for substance. It's depressing. Comics kinda sucks right now. That being said I still found some comics I enjoy this year, so here we go:
Santos Sisters - 2023 gave us Santos Sisters #3-5 and the Halloween Special. Santos Sisters is one of my favorite "ongoing" comics these days. I originally was piqued by the Archie like art and thought it may be some weird hipster modern version of Archie but it's actually much more than that in the weirdest way. A bunch of silly stupid stories are in each issue starring the relatably cynical Santos sisters as they go about their every day life which only sometimes has them using their powers to help. There are no stakes, no deep continuity, it is a stupid slice of life comic that is always making me chuckle. It feels like a cross between Seinfeld, 90's Nickelodeon shows and the best of Adult Swim all in an art style that can be described as the best Archie comic you've ever seen. I also love that the characters never use contractions when speaking. I don't know why but I love it and it adds to the bizarre charm of these great books.
X-Men Red: Man you can find some really cringey writing from me around the internet about how the HoxPox era of X-Men is the greatest thing to ever happen in comics basically. I wish that even a spark of that potential remained in the line. I went from thinking that we were experiencing one of the best times to read X-Men to one of the worst currently. They botched just about everything Hickman set up and I find myself more often than not hating what I read. The only X-writer that hasn't disappointed for me is Al Ewing. X-Men Red is about the only ongoing Marvel book I truly love and get excited for each issue. I feel like Ewing really has done some excellent Marvel Cosmic work with SWORD, Guardians and now this book. Giving Storm her dues, developing the Arrako mutants and history and lore, bringing Nova in, having the best cameos, amazing tie-ins, awesome fights- the book has it all. But the best thing in this book is just raw, pure character development. Character and story arcs feel planned, earned and satisfying. The Arrako mutants we meet in this book are ones you actually become invested in and want to stick around. They arent just plot devices or persecuted self inserts or meme characters to screenshot on social media. Ewing doesnt always hit but he feels like one of the last real Writers in superhero comics. Not just a pop culture fan who wants to plug himself into his action figure fight. I may now truly hate the X-Men line but I love this one underrated gem.
Girl Juice - Probably the funniest comic I read this year. I've always been a fan of Benji Nate's surrealist pov of modern culture and this perfectly encapsulates that viewpoint into a book full of humor, charm, bizarre crushing realism and artistic skill. I think I was grinning like an idiot nonstop whenever I read this one. Just so damn enjoyable. A masterpiece on comedy and developing separate character personalities and having them play off of each other organically. I'm also always impressed by how much story and development Nate can pack into so little panel space. Such an underrated and important talent in the comic medium.
Magneto #1-4: I used to hate these nostalgia minis where they brought back older creators to play around in a specific slice of continuity, but quickly realized I just got sick of Peter David and hate Greg Land art. Now that they've expanded the amount of these I've come around to a bunch of them. They allow some really great stories to be told by some Legends of the industry. The best of these are the minis done by J.M. DeMatteis. DeMatteis is my favorite writer in comics. Period. I would kill for him to have an ongoing title at Marvel right now. But I'll take this consolation prize. Magneto was the usual exemplary work by DeMatteis, digging into the psyche of all the characters featured in this book, not just Mags. I adore the era when Magneto was Headmaster at the Xavier institute and feel his mentoring of the New Mutants is a SEVERELY underdeveloped relationship that is rarely ever brought up. It was a delight to see it really dug into here. I also loved the newer continuity of Mags' background being blended with the old here as we take so many trips (literally) into his mind. Just fantastic character work all around within an extremely entertaining story. Also what a treat to see such great art from Todd Nauck. He has always been a huge favorite of mine and I've really enjoyed his refined art as of late on recent DC and Marvel books.
I should also add DeMatteis' other mini Spider-Man: Lost Hunt finished in 2023 and was a delightful little tale of a specific time of powerless Peter Parker married to a pregnant Mary Jane that I love more than life itself. That being said the book was hampered by some art that wasn't visually appealing to me and the story never breaking from quite good to alltimer like the Mags one. Still TOTALLY worth getting and another of the few bright spots this year for me. Also one of the few quality Spidey things in one of his worst years in media.
Everything Sucks: We got three issues of Everything Sucks from creator Michael Sweater this year. The last one - "Friends Forever" - has made my CFC alltimer short boxes. I love these comics. They are crabby and messy and aggressive and funny and gross and wholesome and so fucking dumb and I just love them. Repeat what I said about Santos Sisters above. They have very similar vibes. These books are like Curb Your Enthusiasm mixed with Tiny Toons....maybe. Or maybe not. Maybe I just think of Plucky Duck every time I see main character Noah, a green duck. Actually no, that's an apt comparison. If you want to experience that buy these from Silver Sprocket. They rule. Also, Sweater experiments more with composition and panel layout each consecutive issue in an artistic battle with himself where he just keeps winning. It's awesome to see and a feast for the eyes.
Copra: Copra has been on my best of the year list every year it's been published and 2023 is no different. Michel Fiffe pushes the boundaries of what a comic can be every single damn issue. I really enjoyed this year's stories. They were less mega epics and more character driven loose ends and I eat that shit up. I don't think I've ever seen a piece of media that is so blatantly riffing on other media but does it so well that it becomes it's own thing and you just do not care, in fact you ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE IT!! I don't know what it is man. I usually despise shit like that. I can't stand the influenced by Earthbound or Pokemon games that litter Steam. Copra transcends that hack shit. You enjoy looking for what artist Fiffe was studying when he created that issue, what movie he was watching, what random 90's music he was listening to. You search that shit out in every page of Copra and it is so fun and satisfying. No comic in the past decade has contained more sould than Copra. It's all Fiffe and each line, each color, each word contains so much thought and creativity and pure wholesome love of the medium. I love and respect every issue of Copra we get. (Oh also my dog was in #45 - hell yes!)
Beautiful Duck Comics by Brian McCray: Brian McCray is one of my fave artists out there. I've posted some of his work here before. I love his barbarian Krania comics and I love all the random little stuff he does with his weird sexy duck women. So I was delighted to see him make a collection of just that. More surreal, bizarre, dumb shit that I can't get enough of. Pure fun made by a sole creator just because he wanted to for him. That's that good shit man. McCray feels like an artist that Eros Comix would be publishing a bunch of his shit in the late 90's, early oughts. And I mean that in the highest complimentary way.
Polar Bear Cafe: Seven Seas dropped the English translations of these starting in January 2023 and I bought them based solely on the cover and title. I was not disappointed. Silly, irreverent every day lazy life with various cute animals as they make dumb Japanese humor puns. I tended to enjoy it more when they stopped doing as much pun routines and just did longer cute tales. It's just so easygoing and nice reading these, like a nice breeze on a warm day.
ARCHIE & FRIENDS: ALL ACTION: A fun little oneshot where Archie parodies giant mecha anime, most notably Neon Genesis Evangelion. That's pretty much all that needs to be said. It's funny and it rules. The only negative is the story is WAY too short. Ryan Jampole does the spectacular art for the story and I am a massive fan of his. I can't wait for his Taka comic in 2024. I hope to see more Archie from him too.
Witch Watch: I only discovered Kenta Shinohara's work this year but I lost myself in all of Sket Dance, Astra Lost In Space and my favorite, Witch Watch. A teenage "chosen one" witch trains with her ogre bodyguard and an ever expanding cast of deeply memorable characters. This is one of the most fun and enjoyable manga I have ever experienced. I don't tend to actually laugh out loud when reading but this one had me cracking up so many times over the year. I'm a bit skeptical of the new direction they've taken to close out the year but they are quickly proving it will be just as great. I JUST WISH WE COULD PHYSICAL COPIES OF THIS GEM ALREADY!!
Batman - Wayne Family Adventures: I was extremely skeptical of this whole series when it was first announced. Miraculously this has turned out to be the best Batman related comic there is for the past few years. It's essentially longer early 2010s tumblr comics of the assorted Batfam members. Surprisingly, it's not just meme after meme, some of them have some incredible range of depth and emotion. There's also a real understanding of each character and who they are and how they should speak and act that has maybe never actually been done right in the main Batbooks and certainly not currently. Sometimes they do go for the low hanging fruit of a meme panel or some overly saccharine tale, but thankfully that's in the minority. Check it out to get a DC Universe that feels right that you are actually allowed to have fun with and enjoy. This is the good shit Tom Taylor always thinks he is writing but isnt.
Martial Master Asumi: There's nothing particularly unique or amazing in this manga to talk about as it's hook or selling point, it's just a really solid charming shonen comic about MMA and human relationships. Family ties, nature vs nurture, teen romance, friendship, dreams and careers, all kinds of ethical issues - all of these normal everyday issues are entertainingly blended with an MMA fight comic that is bursting with fanboy passion for the sport. It's super cute and funny and also a brutal, dynamic fight comic.
Grog the Frog: The Book of Taurus: I absolutely fell in love with David Orellana's art this year on his Instagram. Thankfully that led me to him and Alba BG's Grog. A whimsical grumpy ride with such a fun main frog wizard character and such oddball side characters that shouldn't work but just do. Another super weird fantastical book mixed with the mundane. That's certainly a pattern on my list. Orellana is just supremely talented and I can't picture a more aesthetically gorgeous brand of artstyle. So much magical detail in the art here.
Batman/Superman World's Finest: This is about the only ongoing DC Comic I actively look forward to reading. I enjoyed Shazam, Fire & Ice and JSA(when it actually comes out), but for the most part DC is an absolute joke currently. I can't say this book has had any alltimer arcs or anything like that, but it just fills that Comfort Food niche for me. Waid and Mora combine to make you feel like you're flipping through the legendary Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez DC Comics Style Guide but it has some stories to it now. Fun, simple, bright and colorful superhero stories spread throughout and highlighting all of the DC Universe. I'll take that anyday.
Sewer Boyz: 31 different RADICAL creators who do some of the most unique and subversive art out there right now come together to get sloppy and silly doing their own homage version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is an absolute art JAM that any Turtles fan or comic fan would love. Such a wide swathe of awesome artstyles in here.
One Piece: C'mon, it's One Piece. It's the GOAT. It will always be in my best of list. Who wouldve thought that big weird dumbass Kuma would be making me cry?
Batman - Pygmalion from Batman The Brave and The Bold #6-8: Guillem March, one of comic's most underrated masters is let loose to do it all and really cook. This is a short, sweet fascinating little story that has a charming tropey hook and an even better late twist. March's art is on another level and he does a fine job here with writing chores as well with such a wild and fun story. Very quickly became an alltimer story for me.
Godzilla Rivals: Space Godzilla: Space Godzilla is my favorite of all the various Kaiju of the Godzilla franchise. I can't even begin to describe my lifelong fascination with the crystal shouldered space faring dickhead. He is just the absolute best. The Godzilla Rivals series of oneshots rarely disappoint and that was the case again here. I tend to usually roll my eyes at Matt Frank's attempts at story or his own Kaiju OC's over the years and prefer him as just an artist, but I enjoyed his unique alien viewpoint story here. It is the perfect Reverse-Godzilla story complete with the absurdly dickish bully behavior Space Godzilla should always have. The final moments are a grotesque delight.
Anyways that's about all the ones I can think of off the top of my head that came out this year that I really truly enjoyed. Comics mostly suck but you can still find some great shit out of there. If I think of any more, which I'm sure will happen, I'll add them to the list.
#2023#lists#best of 2023#comics 2023#comics#comic art#me#my writing#writing#magneto#spider-man#space godzilla#guillem march#batman#batman/superman#grog the frog#everything sucks#michael sweater#santos sisters#one piece#sewer boyz#ninja turtles#teenage mutant ninja turtles#martial master asumi#witch watch#polar bear cafe#copra#archie#ryan jampole#best comics of 2023
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Hi! Hope you're doing well!! Do you have any BNHA fic recs you don't mind sharing? You seem like you'd know and have read some really good fics, esp bkdk fics :)
Hi!!! I am doing well thank you, still job hunting but that's because I'm procrastinating so badly on it. You've actually caught me at a good time because I've been reading a few recently after hopping round other fandoms for months. apart from the last, these are all complete!
lose it all (with eyes wide open) by ghostwriterofthemachine
KtDk - oneshot - 5k
okay is is MAJOR whump, read the warnings before you read the fic and take them seriously. that said, I love loved this fic to bits and peices and it triggered a search for similar material that I just couldn't find. basically:
"Katsuki is blinded. Izuku is muted. Both of them are kidnapped. Things get worse."
ktdk are kidnapped and are forced to depend on each other, slowly losing their senses of selves and triggering major co-dependency. it has a happy ending and god the way it's written is just so good. I cannot reccommend it enough, it really takes you into their viewpoints and how vital it is that they know exactly where the other is as they grow dependant, and how they start blending together to the point that if one is taken away, the other feels like their world crumples and aspj;oerjjepgijiegwe READ IT
Immovable by asdfjkl129
KtDK - 3 ch. - 75k
Bakugou and Midoriya get trapped under a building together.
As Midoriya struggles to keep them both alive, refusing to give even an inch, Bakugou realizes some crucial things and refuses to leave without Midoriya by his side.
I am obsessed with their characterisations in this fic. especially katsuki's, which is so hard to get right and I'm jealous how accurate the author makes him. ktdk in this fic love each other so so so so so much and they are so ride or die. it's exactly what it says in the summary, what it doesn't mention is how the first chapter will make you clench your jaw with tenseness and then melt into a pile of mush for the second two.
"Average Person Gets Kidnapped 3 Times A Year" Factoid Actually Just Statistical Error by ohshiddlesticks
Kt & Dk - 2 ch. - 5k
"Midoriya Izuku just sort of assumed that everyone else got kidnapped at least once a year, and his once-or-twice-a-month ordeals were just a little bit more than normal."
––
Bakugou gets kidnapped, and Izuku is surprised that nobody else knows what to do. It's a normal childhood occurrence, right?
this isn't technically ktdk but it's adjacent-ish. it's back in the LoV kidnapping arc where izuku, used to a lifetime of kidnapping events, goes and singlehandedly gets kacchan back. i don't know how to describe it any better than that, I just love fics where izuku kind of comes out of left-field with skills that people don't realise he's had because his life-experience as a quirkless person means he's been exposed to different things. plus, he's badass and i always love reading aizawa's reaction to his problem child going off and causing him problems
The Distance Between Suns by totallyrottentomatoes
KtDk - 17/19 ch. - 220k - INCOMPLETE
okay the summary for this one is too long for a tumblr post that's already long so I'm making my own
Katsuki and Izuku grew up with each other in a forest deeper, bigger, and more mysterious than any usual gathering of trees. they are seperated when soldiers come to burn down their world; Izuku is taken to a city of sand as prisoner, ending up as the prince's advisor, while Katsuki is taken to a camp to train as a soldier for those in the city. They struggle to find each other and go back home once more
if you love intense world-building, political/smart!Izuku, bamf!Katsuki, and ktdk willing to burn the world for each other (and if you're coming here from OEL then you probably do) then this is the fic for you. i haven't had the extra brain power/time to immerse myself and finish this just yet, but i'm halfway through and i want to take this fic by the shoulders and snuggle it, maybe chew on it's fingers a little bit. I need to become one with the fic. it's amazing
those are a couple of the ones I've been reading recently, but if you want my all time faves then just go to my bookmarks where i always save the fics that i want to reread over and over again. Or, if you haven't already, then shameless self-plug and go and read (or re-read) any of my fics that take your fancy!
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My queer identity
Transition part 9:
As is tradition of many (I want to be really bold and say all, but that's an enormous assumption made by yours truly) of us trans people, I'm reflecting on my sexual and overarching queer identity as I transition.
Expanding my social circle has made this a really interesting process. Having more queer peers to talk to, I get to see so many different identities and lifestyles. It makes it easier to not force myself into boxes of gender and sexuality. I can form my identity based on my own comfort and what resonates with me as an individual.
My sexual identity, while I don't feel like has necessarily changed, the lens through which I view it has changed. For most of my teen/adult life I've identified as bisexual. I've dated and fooled around with a lot of (cis) men and a few (cis) women (while I was young and closeted). In the past year or so I've found I definitely align with demisexuality. My sexual attraction to someone comes AFTER I get to know them (and like them) as a person, and how much we have in common as people. My partner will always also have to be my best friend because my brain doesn't allow for the two to be different.
But that doesn't cover everything. I'm finding myself also identifying as a gay man specifically. "Gay man" feels like an important part of my identity. Does gender actually matter to me? I'm not sure. To be honest, I think I just don't want to date cis/het people. Queerness is more the core of my sexual attraction and I think that goes along with my demisexuality. I will relate more deeply to queer people, simply because we share a similar experience, than I will with cis/het people. My preferences do lean more towards men, and identifying as a gay man gives me gender euphoria, so I am using that label for now. And while I prefer men, I wouldn't let gender stop me from dating a person. But they would definitely have to be queer in some form.
I'm definitely T4T. A large part of this is also my demisexuality. I will more closely emotionally relate to a non-cis partner, than I will a cis partner. My current partner is gender fluid (they/them) and it's made a HUGE difference in my confidence and ability to explore myself. I was previously with a cishet man (before I came out) and the dysphoria problems that would occur for me in a relationship like that would just be too much. Having a non cis partner makes it so much easier to explore my gender without feeling pressure to meet certain expectations or social norms. I don't have to feel self conscious as I'm going through my changes. I don't have to worry about still being seen "as a man" when I'm at home, and I need to take my binder off. I'm seen as a man, without doubt or question, no matter how I present, or how I act, or how my body looks, ect. They've also been exploring their own queer identity with me. We came out to each other on a date we went on in the city. We've both been present for most of our queer development, and have been supporting each other. Having a no expectations no pressure safe setting to explore gender freely has been really fun for both of us.
Having only been on T for a few months, I'm viewing my transition as an exciting journey of self exploration. At first I had it framed as "I can't wait to minimize my dysphoria" which is true, it ABSOLUTELY does. But testosterone takes time, getting funds for top surgery takes time, physical transitioning just takes so much time. My entire life has felt like a waiting game for "things to get better" even outside of transitioning. All it's ever done is exhaust me, so I'm trying to view things differently. I saw someone on tiktok say he is a man and wants to be "male adjacent". He wants to be very very close to cis male, right next to it in fact. But he doesn't want to BE "cis". He wants a male body form that he can build his gender identity off of and I absolutely LOVE that viewpoint. I don't have a goal of "being cis" or even passing as such.
I'm trying to enjoy this time of self discovery, as an adventure I get to take myself on. In the past, trying to work myself out was painful and confusing. It always felt like I was missing a really important piece of myself, and I couldn't figure out what. I thought a person would fill that, made that mistake over and over for years. But since I've been transitioning, I feel whole for the first time ever. I feel whole, ON MY OWN. I've never felt that way before. And that feeling alone, is enough for me to want to really savor these euphoric moments, and enjoy that I get to finally feel at peace with myself.
Being on testosterone has made all of this positive change possible. Even without my top surgery, I feel SO MUCH BETTER mentally and emotionally. And it's honestly the reason I'm able to feel so grateful for my life and feel so positive about my future. My mental health has improved so much and I am so grateful that I'm in an environment where I can do all this.
[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9]
#lgbtqia#trans#queer#transgender#ftm#trans boy#trans men#trans experience#transition#trans ftm#queerkaitalks
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all these questions are great 🌿💞☯️
🌿how does creating make you feel?
When I create, my body is taken over by the ideas demon and I only regain consciousness after I've made something sufficient enough to appease it.
Seriously though, it's hard to put into words what writing (and drawing) does for me. It's often very cathartic; it gives me an outlet and the freedom to express myself without real constraints. Sometimes it can be frustrating but I don't think I'd be able to live a fulfilling life without creating, even on the days where my ideas aren't working out the way I want them to.
💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language
The boring answer is: all of it! A well-written story, to me, has all of these things working together and strengthens the narrative (hello, Tai Sui, I have not forgotten you - I will keep reading, I swear!) I guess what's absolutely necessary to capture my attention (and what I'm always aspiring to) is to have a solid plot that holds up under scrutiny and characters that feel real and come alive on the page. Continuing my Tai Sui example, every character in that story has their own quirks and personalities that feel distinct from one another and give them more depth - even the minor characters!
☯️how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?
Fandom has always been about community to me. Sharing memes and jokes, pondering over the story and coming up with theories, having people to bounce ideas off of or get a differing viewpoint. Not to get too sappy but fandom was a major driving force behind me writing and drawing again. Years ago, I'd given up on all my creative hobbies but slowly getting into fandom again and having people encourage me helped pull me out of a very dark place. Of course, all fandoms have their shitty side but when it's a group of people who value each others opinions and try to foster that creativity, it works!
I'm not an incredibly social person IRL. I appreciate my alone time and, while I do get out and hang out with friends every now again, I'm definitely not a social butterfly. Online, it's a bit easier because anonymity makes me a little less self-conscious and being behind a screen takes away that element of needing to be hyperaware of how I look or behave (gotta love masking!). I still struggle with reaching out to people out of fear of being annoying. I typically wait for people to comment or message me and then things are easier. I always feel like I'm on the outskirts, even in small fandoms, but I've learned that's where I'm most comfortable so that's okay!
#whew this got long - siren you always get me to talk too much! lol#writing things#writing asks#asked and answered#cryptid's thoughts
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I don't know if I really agree with your assessment on Eggman in Frontiers, but I respect your viewpoint and get why you don't like the decisions and won't try to argue with you over them. Though I do worry you're probably going to find it stressful being in the fandom for a while, since I feel like most of the fandom that's not all that into Eggman already is probably going to be really positive towards the developments with him and Sage in the game and that's probably going to have a big influence in how people view/write the character in the fandom for a while now. I hope you don't feel too alienated by it whatever happens and you're still able to enjoy future material with Eggman
I know nobody agrees, I was always the odd one out and I've always been alienated by those that love Eggman being soft and nice and caring and it's going to get so much worse but that's why I'm stepping away. Nothing has been causing me stress so far quite like the people coming to me and trying to give me reminders and trying to debate me so I have to repeat myself when I'm not interested. I can't be convinced otherwise and the people laughing, trolling, and acting like I'm wrong and don't know what I'm talking about need to leave me alone and I'll be fine.
I've decided I'm going to have to filter a lot of words and keep my distance from most types of fan content in general online for a while because all the stuff I know will come from this will be uncomfortable for me. I'm just going to focus on appreciating all game Eggman characterization in the games pre Frontiers and work on my own headcanons, fics, analysis and appreciation as usual because my love for him and passion for what I do will never die. Even if my way is the unpopular way and it makes everyone leave, I'm just doing what I enjoy.
I just hope people will stop pestering me and let me do my own thing because I'm trying to avoid it and focus on my own posts and that's it. I don't want people to keep bringing it to me and trying to kill my mood whenever I try not to focus on what happened and feel better. I'm going to finish the debate asks I've got currently and then I'm going to kindly ask that people don't keep trying to debate and argue or remind me because I'm not interested and I'm getting tired of it. I'm doing all this and people are still being rude and acting like I'm the one coming to them to complain.
Thank you, I really hope there's still stuff for me in future canon material but definitely not fanon anymore, knowing what fandom tends to focus on and how this is everything people that love fluff and family dynamics and want all villains to be like, so I know they'll eat it up and focus on it tons. And I can't stop that just like I couldn't before they forced this into canon and I'll accept that and keep making what I want to see alone, if people would just stop coming onto my posts and acting like I'm stupid and telling me how to think and feel about it.
I'm already upset but nothing is making me more stressed than people coming onto my posts and inbox and being rude when I'm just trying to say what I want on my blog. It's my point about toxic positivity in full effect, nobody will let me express my disappointment or criticisms without giving me shit for it. I'm not even looking at other fan content that could bother me because I filtered everything, so them coming to me the only source of it left to do so now. I just hope it'll die down eventually and people will realize that arguing does nothing.
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Ppl can refer to themselves as queer, but I have gotten A LOT of people that have told me that me asking them to not call me queer is "terf rhetoric".
I'd love to be off anon but I have gotten death threats over this so 😗✌🏻
Neither of the two offline LGBT+ communities I'm in use queer either. It makes me worried that so many ppl in our communities are becoming so chronically online that we're losing touch with real LGBT+ experiences and can't recognize individual preferential labels and have to force their viewpoint on others
It's interesting that this almost sounds like you're positing using "queer" is a sign of being "chronically online" and that the "real" experience is one of not using that term when my experience is quite the opposite: all the offline spaces I've been to were explicitly queer while the rejection of that term is something I've almost exclusively seen online.
This is not to say that I disbelieve you about your experiences or that I think you meant to call queer people "chronically online", I just think it's funny how our experiences are essentially opposites of each other.
Another differing experience: I personally haven't encountered pushback against individual people asking not to be called "queer", but I have seen people putting "well don't call me queer tho" on posts by and for queer people, which is very self-centered and annoying as those posts aren't for or about them in the first place, and then getting all offended when people point out how rude they're being by trying to make the post all about them. That doesn't have to mean it doesn't happen, just that our experiences aren't the same.
It sucks that you got death threats, that's never okay (and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here and assuming you didn't state your desire to not be called "queer" on posts that weren't for or about you but on your own post) and you deserve to have your wishes respected and be referred to only with terms of your own choosing.
It always sucks when people try to force their views on others, be it "you have to be okay with being called this term because I prefer it" or "you cannot call yourself this term because I don't like it". We all have aright to decide for ourselves what we do or don't like to be called. You have just as much of a right to not be called queer as I have a right to call myself queer.
#anonymous#this isn't sarcasm btw I genuinely do think it's interesting how different our experiences are and I am choosing to believe#that you didn't go on queer people's posts about queerness to talk about not wanting to be called queer
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Hey, so what I was going to ask was how do you deal with the negativity and the hate that goes on here? I've been trying to avoid it as much as I can but when I look at the people I've blocked it's way more than people I currently follow. It's not just because I want my dash to have positive vibes or people I agree with. I am completely fine with people with different perspective and viewpoints. But it almost always comes draped in excessive amount of hate for someone. Even the Jared hate I'm uncomfortable with. It's one thing to dislike someone and not talk about them (which thankfully most of my favourites do) but keeping to talk shit about them unwarranted is a little excessive in my opinion. I think Tumblr is quite toxic and sadly now I'm a part of a toxic fandom and it really messes with me sometimes. There's a lot of good content but every once in a while it becomes a freaking mess. It's bad enough to have drama in your actual life, but seeking it out on social media is kind of stupid. Either people who have such hateful things to say have really fantastic lives or they just like being combative and negative for no reason. And it's really exhausting to weed them out. How do I cope?
Infact I never post about stuff that I want just because I am afraid I'll end up offending someone or the other and would invite someone's ire.
Hi anon, I'm sorry for such a late reply but I was busy today and I didn't want to give you some half-ass response. Also I apologize in advance for the long response.
I feel like avoiding negativity is very hard because one way or the other it's going to be there. But after some time you become a bit better at ignoring it or at least not paying attention. It kind of becomes like white noise (like a turned on tv in a room while you're actually doing something else and you almost forget it's even there)
I used to get affected by hate and negativity so much, it was actually insane. Like you said, when shit is happening in your personal life it makes it even worse when there's constant hate happening somewhere you go to to escape. It was actually a big reason why I took a step back from this fandom a few years back and just watched the show by myself quietly. There was always some type of drama about anything and everything. But then after a while I came to realization that no matter what I do (block people, leave the fandom...) negativity will always be there. And also i really started to hate the fact that I was censoring myself and not allowing myself to enjoy something out of fear that someone will have a problem with me. Basically i realized that the only way I can actually enjoy myself/this damn show or just the ship in general, is if I force myself to ignore it (which is easier said than done, i know). Shit was hard, I'm not gonna lie. Every vague shady post had me thinking it was about me.
But after some time I just stopped giving a fuck. If someone has a problem with me having fun on a website talking about a damn show/ship/actors then that's more their problem than mine. As you said yourself, someone that has time to spread hate 24/7 clearly likes being negative for no reason. It's a sad life to have and I don't want that shit, so I just ignore it and vibe in the corner. Eventually you will see that most of the people on here, don't have the time or energy for constant hate and you will end up finding people that also just wanna post about the show/actors/whatever it is, without any drama.
You're allowed to enjoy yourself/this damn show or whatever you want. And you really shouldn't give random strangers who clearly have nothing better to do with their lives, the power of taking that from you. Especially during times like right now where everything in the world is a shit show. You are allowed to have fun and talk about stuff online that bring you joy and make you happy and it kind of breaks my heart you stop yourself from doing that because of some gross people in the fandom.
I don't know if this was any help at all but hun, i really hope you just say fuck it and post about whatever the hell you want. And if at any point someone comes at you, just block them and delete the message. Life is way too short to care about every single morons opinion on stuff you enjoy.
#anonymous#im sending you a HUGE hug#again sorry for late reply i hope you see this#in the end of the day just remember: these are just random people who in real life wouldnt say half the shit they say online#idk if youve ever watched umbrella academy#but theres this one scene i love#where theres this big fight happening but Klaus is listening to music on his headphones and not paying attention#he’s just dancing and walking around not giving a single fuck bc he doesnt notice it#that’s basically how i do this shit#i just vibe and post about whatever and ignore anything else
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Wha-? Now people are labeling muns who just play devil's advocate and don't have strong feelings either way about what other people write? I didn't sign up to be a 'proshipper' just for not caring what other people ship. I don't care about a lot of things. Why the label for this particular thing? It sounds so dumb, like a way to yank in more muns who just want to mind their own business into drama and 'sides'. I agree with your post, I'm just angry at the rpc for being babies. And the labels...
I'm always angry at the RPC for being babies and the labels, it's alright, Anon.
I believe (and I could be wrong, because for the most part, I tried to stay out of any and all fandom-related things for years and years - I just want to enjoy the movie/shows/books, I don't need or want to discourse about that shit, you know?) that all of those terms originated in fandom, outside/predating transfer to the RPC.
I know when I encountered them initially, it was in fandom, not the RPC part of fandom...and at that time, it was just the label of people being "antis." A label they gave themselves by, literally, asserting themselves as "anti-character here-."
It's been my supposition that the RPC's transition to being more canon character and fandom-based than OC-preferred led to an organic transfer of more fandom-specific terminology (and behaviors). As places like twitter and tumblr became hubs of fandom and RPCs, they brought tags to the table. While that is an absolutely wonderful thing, it also means that we all started out tagging things with good intentions, only meant to be tags. You could tag something, pulling from a random fandom here, "anti-Daryl Dixon" from TWD and the plethora of fans who love that character could block it. It was a peacekeeping measure at that state, not a flag for discourse and drama.
Tag-language influencing and becoming an organic part of language, in general, is a whole other, though fascinating, topic, so I'm going to just leave that there. The point is, it happened.
And unfortunately, you quickly got people popping "anti-whatever" in their bios and blog descriptions. Not as a means of allowing others to avoid it, but as a means of making it really clear that they despised the character, fandom, ship, whatever. With purity culture 3.5 hitting in earnest, the reasons for despising those things became raised stakes. It wasn't a basis of simply disliking them anymore - you needed a dissertation how this thing was morally objectionable and destroying the world. Anyone disagreeing with you, by that logic, is morally reprehensible themselves and must be stopped. Raised stakes.
Actions cause reactions, too. People started making it clear that they were "pro" whatever, too. These became opposing designations, and honestly, I'm not sure who started up "proshipper" first. I only know I saw it being used negatively first, that doesn't mean it happened that way! What I've seen has been the entire ship/write/like what you want crowd being given that label negatively and taking it up themselves in the same way people are given to take up a lot of things they've been negatively called.
By "what I've seen," I don't just mean witnessing it happening in the wild lol it happened to me, as well. I reblogged a post about how shipping wasn't activism, and got an anon informing me that I was a disgusting proshipper (every time I reblog that, I get at least one person popping off in my RP inboxes, actually, it hasn't slowed down any). At which point, I, too, was very much like, I'm a what now? Yes, I am okay with shipping? What the hell is this person even on about?
So, it's my theory that in response to the anti movement, some people stated that they were "pro-ship and let ship" and thus...we got to be "disgusting proshippers."
Regardless, it absolutely is just another way of labeling people in order to single them out and/or keep feeding drama, yes.
And again, I feel you. I know labels, good, bad, reclaimed, whatever, seem to give a lot of people a grounded sense of identity, but I've always been uncomfortable with them. I don't understand the need for them, even if I get that they make others feel a certain way. I just want to feel the way I do, be the person I am, and have that person engaged with based singularly on my actions.
It's alright if someone else wants to freely label themselves in a way they feel is positive (though, I do wish that younger people, especially in the queer community didn't have this batshit pressure to do so, and correctly, the first time), but they've always felt threatening and restrictive to me.
As such, having people create and bestow a label on me for the purpose of designating me a problem is kind of an uncomfortable realization of why I feel negative about them. I don't like it, and it's part of why I don't like the bullshit of making this distinction in DNIs. By doing so, they're literally as hell singling people out...with a negative label they gave them for the criminal act of feeling like it's absurd to police fiction, instead, expecting adults to behave like adults when engaging with fiction and each other.
It's honestly forcing hostility and drama, when the point of being ship/write/like and let ship/write/like is not having that hostility and drama. It's merely a live and let live mentality, that's what y'all are attacking! The labeling is a rotting cherry on top that is so indicative of this same, legitimately problematic, behavior that goes on in the extremism I talked about in the post you referenced. It's...gross, let's just say that.
And I'm really sorry that it makes you upset, too! You don't have to label yourself, you can reject that and refuse to engage with those using it in this negative way. That makes me feel considerably less annoyed and disturbed! I'll totally joke about it, as I do fall into the designated parameters of being both "proship" and "anti-anti," but I don't actually label myself thus. I only consider myself a reasonable adult who has better and more serious shit going on than to worry about what fiction someone else is writing or enjoying.
Just...do be aware that, like myself and others, you're likely to be labeled if one of these hostile parties sees you reblog the "wrong" thing or make the "wrong" statement. You are being labeled in those DNIs for your viewpoint of wishing to avoid absurd drama. So, I'd advise, for your peace of mind, to try to avoid blogs stating that they're "anti" anything but drama/bullying etc., or who feel it necessary to put up those DNIs. You are who they're talking about, they just don't know it because you're not labeling yourself or being otherwise obvious about it :/
Try your best to avoid that changing, you deserve to peacefully enjoy RP! As disturbing as it is, as rightfully upset about it as you are, maybe it's a good thing you found out? In this way, I mean. Without someone bringing it to your inbox hatefully. Now you know what it means, that they mean you, and you can stay away from it! Try to look at it that way - there will always be people weirdly desperate to make their drama hobby everyone else's problem, you can only make an effort to stay out of it if you know what to look for, right?
I hope any of this made you feel better about the fresh hell that is the RPC lol keep doing you, Anon! You're not the problem, infantile drama mongers are <3
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very all over the place introduction
Hi there! I'm so happy we've found each other.
Prepare yourself, I am the queen of run-on sentences.
My name is Valentina and I'm a 25 year old faerie living in Northern Ohio, but originally spent most of my life in Oklahoma. I grew up being taught many different things by my mother, but knitting seemed to stick to me like non other. Since I started crocheting as well I've been wishing on every shooting star I see for an extra set of arms + hands!
You can peek me here, but I have made the move back to Tumblr so you'll officially always get more of me here, and a better chance to chat/become friends with me here.✩ I've made this online move mostly because Tumblr has always catered to my extremely chaotic and unusual posting formats, though there are plenty of other reasons.
STRICTLY PLATONIC CONNECTIONS ONLY PLEASE
you will be blocked if you can't comply or don't have a shred of human decency
More information?? Well okay lets get this out of the way
I was born with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia which is a fun way of saying I'm legally blind in my right eye. It's a tiny bit lazy because of this, and causes a complete lack of depth perception; which brings amusing struggles with light switches sometimes. I was also born with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. I will affectionately refer to myself as a werewolf because of this, and the way my cycles affect me.
I was supposed to be born on the 20th, but my birthday ended up being on March 24th (however I celebrate all month long)
☆ Aries Sun ⋆ Gemini Moon ⋆ Libra Rising ☆
For about five years now I've been raising two fur children with the love of my life. We have plans of moving soon, though we are still undecided on where. Mostly because we wish we could leave the country entirely.
The dream job I had as a child was with fashion design, but I let myself feel incapable for the better part of my life due to my fluctuating larger sizing. Into later adulthood I've found myself on the self growth/love journey I wish I could have started so much sooner.
Surrounding myself with the right people who have loved and supported me in my growth, and diving headfirst into crocheting a few years ago has really shaped me into who I am still becoming
*.·:·.☽✧ A Fiber Faerie ✧☾.·:·.*
If its not been clear yet, you've found a messy personal blog! I'm not able to stick to a schedule of posting, or really give this a whole lot of structure. I do however think its fair and fun to give this introductory. Kind of like a ~Hi nice to meet you this is me- but it's also a warning; if you're not of similar mind you might be driven insane by me!~
I will probably rant here and there, but I also plan to rbg/shitpost, as well as share ALLL the details I'm always character limited against sharing with my creations. I am always making something, and it's almost always clothing.
I'm currently an odd size where measurement-wise I am at the Goldilocks point of L-2X depending on what brand or designer deems whatever measurement to be whatever size. Confused? Me too.
My ongoing sizing debacle gives me a different viewpoint on most existing crochet clothing patterns, and has forced me to adapt and learn how to redesign things in order to fit me more flatteringly.
I've also learned how to design clothing completely just because I'm so tired of feeling like so many things aren't made for people my size and up.
I decided I'll just do it myself, and I want to tell everyone how I did it so that anyone who wants to can as well. So I plan on eventually writing out more detailed posts for each article I have and will make, but for now I guess this is still just an introduction. Didn't I warn you it'd be like this?
Bye for now, but know this will be updated and changed around periodically.
like cmon we all know this could always use cleaning up lol
#crochet artist#fiber artist#crochet witch#fiber faerie#fiber art#introduction#pixie dream#awkward#consistently updated#pcos#optic nerve#hypoplasia#pmdd#living with pmdd#faerie aesthetic#faeriecore#intro to me#fur children#cat mom#plus size#plus size crochet#crochet advice#crochet tips#faeriebabble#spotify#song of the day#favorite songs#updated#pink haired girl#purple highlights
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how do you personally go about trying to change someone’s mind—what communication strategies do you use, and have you found them effective?
Well, I don't think I've ever actually tried to do that. In college I debated for fun, and I liked the people who fought back. (That has a limit, though. Some opinions are... just satanically delusional. And at least half the people online disagreeing with other people are 16 years old and they like getting people upset because they feel powerless in their lives. I think it's kinder to just pass over that behavior, assuming they'll grow out of it.)
Now I usually try to avoid debates. I think my spiritual well-being depends on remaining untroubled in heart. Whether I'm in a debate or not, I just try to tell the truth as far as I grasp it. And I always try to remember that even if the person I'm talking to disagrees with me, someone watching or listening might be strengthened in some way if I am kind or at least patient, and of course honest.
I think trying to change someone's mind is fairly dangerous for both parties. People have to change their own minds. That's in their power alone. They have reasons for what they believe, and until they see new reasons, they won't change. Why would they? Changing sucks up enormous energy.
Also, forcing changes in people is what I despise about revolutionaries. To me, it becomes a moral assault really quickly. And I think a great part of the mushrooming of evil we're seeing right now is due to conservatives fighting back too viciously when evil was still relatively small and powerless.
So the most I can do is provide new reasons, to whatever extent those reasons can be intellectual or experiential. I can't change people's life circumstances, which I think is how God probably changes most people's minds. Also, evil beliefs have a way of creating circumstances that change people's minds for them, which is how I've changed over time myself. So if you give people time and don't interfere in their development, and if course help them when you are able, and pray for them, things could work out on their own.
Part of my support for tradition is the belief that living naturally and traditionally creates conditions which, in turn, provide powerful life-reasons for people to believe good things. So I actually think goodness and love and kindness and beauty precede truth.
There are very dangerous people, empty restless angry power-needy people, who have ostensible beliefs and reasons for their actions, which are nothing like their real states of mind. (These people drive all sorts of real-life conditions that lead others to believe dark things.) I don't think it's safe to have anything to do with such people. I would never dialogue or debate with such a person if I could help it. If you find out you are talking to someone like that (or someone completely delusional) I think you just have to be as bland and inoffensive as possible and extricate yourself from the situation as soon as you can. At most, if you aren't in the dangerous person's power, make a few points for the sake of other listeners who might be less experienced and might be confused.
My publishing company is not about convincing people, either. In fact it's the opposite. I just want to provide delightful and improving art and entertainment that doesn't make traditionalists, conservatives, and religious people miserable or offended. That includes publishing things that might not be my own particular viewpoint. But it also includes getting the attention of said conservatives and traditionalists and letting them know I'm here, who I am, how I think, what I'm up to...
What about you? What's your approach?
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Collar x Malice Short Story: Inside the Box
Christmas Shiraishi-centric short story.
HEAVY SPOILERS. Only read this AFTER you have finished the first game.
**Please don’t move this translation or claim it as your own.**
Generally speaking, the thing called ‘Memories’ is not clear.
Unlike memory as information, it has no fixed form. Its content can depend on the person.
Sometimes sad memories turn into hatred, and happy memories sometimes turn into delusions.
The human brain can't be trusted. It can automatically rewrite itself for its own benefit.
I, who did not require ‘Memories’ —— surely it is the same for Shiraishi Kageyuki the human.
◇ ◇ ◇
This was when I lived in the ‘Facility’.
Every day, every minute and every second, I lived like a machine.
For me, who knew how to suppress pain and happiness as soon as I understood how, all I had was ‘Curiosity’.
The vast amount of knowledge grew with each passing day. Memories of the outside world were written in letters. Like events of a distant world, even the difficult to read special books were simply ‘Unknown Stories’ to me.
I thought that my desire to know things defined my personality. However, when I think about it now, it may have been a desire planted in me as part of my training. Training to become a perfect doll.
"Christmas. The festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, coming from the word "Christ mass", it takes the form of many activities in Japan—...”
Inputting information was simple. However, I was also trained how to ‘Use Memory’. If a huge amount of information stayed on the surface of the brain, it will become confused, so if it is not necessary, there was no need to take out the memory sealed in the deeper layers.
(Gifts are put under a tree, and you gather with your family around the dinner table…)
Perhaps this information will also be stored in a box that is rarely retrieved from.
Of course I knew the basics, it was only carefully investigated because it was related to other information.
(Giving love to each other...for what...?)
The outside world is full of as many far-fetched, mysterious customs as mountains. If you had questions about everything, it would only make the processing slower. But this time, I was not sure why I was so interested in this subject.
"Are you interested in Christmas?"
——Suddenly hearing a sound coming from behind, my shoulders moved unconsciously.
Points are deducted if you are seen reacting. I immediately pretended to be calm and looked back, only to see an unfamiliar face.
“Your hand, it’s been paused on this page for a while now.”
What peered at me was a pair of eyes full of serenity, transparent no matter where you looked — like glass balls.
"No, I'm very sorry. I memorised it without any problems."
"I’m not blaming you for anything. I know you have good scores here."
He was a high-ranking person who has inspected this ‘Facility’ many times.
But his appearance did not match his position, with his youthful face. He appeared to be younger than me.
I remembered his name, because it was necessary for me to do so. —Mikuni Rei. He was a human who worked with those who ‘control’ us.
“I’m interested why you, someone that’s like a precision machine, showed interest in ‘that’, that’s all.”
"I didn't become interested... I just had questions."
"Like?"
“......”
What was the meaning of his response? Was I being tested, or was he being whimsical? Either way, I had no right to not reply.
"Why do humans, who aren’t related to that religion, choose to give each other love on that day? What for?”
"...I think there are many other things similar to it but..."
"Yes. But... after reading this information, I think for the average person, this part seems to be more special than others."
As I finished speaking, he— Mikuni Rei’s eyes became slightly dim for some reason. Careful observation of the facial expression can lead to an answer.
【Pity】
A boy in the ruling class felt compassion for a stray cat trapped in a box.
A sense of superiority, a desire for control, and empathy. There were many times where I wanted to give it a name, but it was difficult to understand because I was immature.
"Human feelings... cannot be explained by theory alone. If you feel special, it must be because it touches your heart.... If the other person is the object of your envy and admiration, they are not bound by rights or wrongs."
Thoughts continued to sound as the words continued.
If ‘we’ have feelings for a particular thing, in his viewpoint, it is not a good thing. However, he agreed.
“Why do you treat me like a human?”
“Eh?”
Asking questions is normally prohibited. But now my curiosity had prevailed. This was a serious error. There should be no more curiosity beyond the rules.
"You said these things about a pawn, things impossible to explain with theory."
"...You are right. I don't know why. It's just..."
After speaking, his bewildered gaze stayed on me, and then he spoke unwaveringly.
"Number 14. I... don't want you to be unhappy."
...At that time, he smiled.
But what kind of smile it was— I can’t remember.
Pitiful? Loathing? Hateful? Kindly?
I don’t remember. I can't remember.
Because it's stored in a box that can't be taken out, deep and deep inside.
◇ ◇ ◇
In my dream, someone is calling my name.
“————Shiraishi-san.”
Did I always have this human-sounding name? I want to lie and tell myself that this is true.
But it's impossible. Even my name, which was supposed to be just a code, has become so dear to me.
“Oi, Okazaki! There’s no room for you here for dinner!”
"How mean. But it's okay, I'll eat some from Mineo-san’s.”
“It’s NOT okay! No one told you to come!”
“I’m sorry, Enomoto. ...I was the one who called Okazaki here today.”
“Geh! Yanagi-senpai?! When did you fall this guy’s wily ways—!?”
"His voice was so loud we heard it from inside, obviously he’ll attract attention. Yanagi-san probably didn’t want to disturb the neighbors."
“Yanagi-san let me in when I kept saying ‘I’m so cold… I’m so lonely…’, fufu, he’s so nice.”
“So you just left Yoshinari outside? Talk about pitiful…”
“I'll bring him a souvenir later. It's food that Yanagi-san and Ichika-chan made together. It'll definitely be delicious."
“I don’t know if it’ll suit your tastes but… Ah, but Yanagi-san’s food, I promise it’ll move you! It’s definitely not inferior to food you’ll find at high-end restaurants.”
"Why does the stupid cat look so proud?"
"It looks good thanks to Hoshino being particular about the arrangement."
“Yanagi-senpai…! I’m getting a little jealous watching you two compliment each other, please stop it!!”
Ah, so noisy. Completely unproductive dialogue. There’s no calculation and no falsity, the boring everyday that I like.
When did I get used to this warmth and treat it as part of my everyday?
While I was thinking in a daze, Ichika-chan reached out to me.
“Shiraishi-san, come here. The party has already begun."
——Party? ……Is that so? Has it started?
"These were all made with everything we had. Let's have a good meal today."
——Fufu, as usual, Yanagi-san takes care of others like this.
“......Though I really don’t understand what’s so good about a bunch of us adults coming together.”
——Although that was what Sasazuka said, he also stayed behind to join in.
"Hey, don't stand there in a daze! You’re the protagonist today!"
——Hm? Did Enomoto-kun just call me ‘you’?
“I heard Ichika-chan is giving you a present, right?”
——Even Okazaki is here… Fufu, he must have come in by force.
"Yes. It’s a wonderful gift I prepared with everyone."
I took a box from Ichika-chan who was smiling as she spoke.
I felt strange rather than happy. I was looking right at Ichika-chan, instead of looking down.
Yanagi-kun patted my head, and it also seemed to feel very big. No, maybe it's because I have shrunk.
Thin limbs, short hair. I am the same age as when I talked to ‘Him’ about Christmas.
(Ah. Is this… a dream?)
It seems I dream too much at Christmas.
"But Ichika-chan. I haven't prepared a gift."
"No, Shiraishi-san. We’re...returning you what you gave us."
“...? What I gave you?”
"Yes. You gave us… a lot. It's only natural that we want to return the favour."
“I see… so this is what it means… to exchange gifts…”
"Yes. We want to share it, because we cherish each other. Please open it, and take a look."
“Okay.”
I slowly opened the box, and inside was——、
◇ ◇ ◇
When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar scenery.
This was their base, called the ‘Detective Agency’. It also became a place I could feel comfortable as well.
“Ah, Shiraishi-san, you’re awake?”
A pair of eyes I seem to always see somewhere, someplace, were looking at me. Crystal clear—like glass balls.
“Ichika-chan…? Ah, huh? Where’s... the present box…?”
"? Fufu, it's rare to see you half-awake. If you sleep in a place like this, you’ll catch a cold. Are you going to the office to stay overnight?"
I realized the reality as my consciousness gradually returned from my awakening.
That’s right. The collar—in order to protect herself from those who had declared to ‘pick her up’, she had taken refuge here with her brother.
The deadline announced by Adonis was approaching soon. In order to make her forget this fact temporarily, I had been talking to them about Christmas. When I thought about the gift she gave—and the only gift I could make, I fell asleep.
(Truly... the ‘Heart’ is so difficult to understand. I… must have been scared to have a dream like that.)
—Everything will end soon.
That smile of his I had gently stored away was blacked out.
The contents of the boxes I had received from her and everyone had been badly damaged and dirtied.
But I decided not to regret it, even if I was scared or in pain.
Because I got the most precious gift in the world.
"Ichika-chan...Thank you."
"Eh?"
"You taught me my first Christmas, right? So, thank you."
"What are you talking about? The real fun starts from now on."
"...Fufu, yeah."
In a few days, we won’t be able to greet Christmas as we promised. Regardless of what happens, it will only make you sad.
Even if I understand that, I want to see it. I don't want to give up. I want to make my wish come true.
This is certainly not a sad story.
I, who had received such a present, could not be unhappy.
Even if I get it dirty with my own hands, this warmth will not disappear.
There’s no reasoning. It’s because I’m human. ...Because I am special.
A shining, sparkling gift for me, who was supposed to be called Number 14.
An opened box filled to the brim with tender memories.
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How do you counter a Bruce hater? Not the 'never read comics so Bruce Wayne is a useless rich guy who should redistribute his wealth' hater, an actual hater who'd root for some villains like Ivy or Harley, want him gone so the Robins & Selina don't have to listen to him or care about him, thinks he should be obsolete because he's Idk.. old and has too many comics maybe? Genuine hater who somehow really loves his kids but not him. Doesn't hate the older version tho, acknowledges some parts..
I think it just comes down to why you want to counter them, tbh? Don’t get me wrong, I TOTALLY get being defensive of a fave, and respect how these fictional characters still nevertheless mean a great deal to us for various reasons.....but we hate various characters for a ton of different reasons as well. Bruce is....an especially complicated subject, because he’s such a CHARGED subject. He’s one of the oldest comic book characters out there, and he’s EXTREMELY polarizing....because people see radically different things when they look at him. Both canon writers and the fans.
And thus we so often get these different takes on him that are literally AT ODDS with each other....the loving, caring father who is ideal for his kids because he wants to be for them what he never really had for himself vs the absent, neglectful father due to being a brooding, emotionally stunted lone wolf who believes he’s no good for anyone else and is best on his own.
And so the thing is, as much as it sucks, Bruce is one of those figures in comics where because BOTH takes (and everything else in between them) are real, just at different times, and are at such extreme opposite ends of the spectrum......there are reasons for loving his character that are absolutely valid....but there are reasons for hating his character that are absolutely valid as well. It kinda just depends on where your point of entry into the characters and their narratives are, and what your area of focus is.
For instance, its not really that weird that there are people who genuinely hate his character but somehow really love his kids....because I mean, using myself as an example....Dick has always been my character of focus, the one I personally relate to the most and invest in the most, and well, there have been a lot of times when Bruce has been written being extremely shitty to him. And that’s specifically WHAT I hold against Bruce’s character a lot of the time, and its not a contradiction to like Bruce’s kids and not like him.....the way DC has so massively fucked him up in regards to his kids a lot of the times IS the reason people who like his kids don’t like him. And even though its totally the writing that’s to blame, there sometimes comes a point when the problems are so everpresent in the writing of a character that its just too hard for a fan to separate the writing from the character, and it gets all tangled up together and thus you end up with someone hating Bruce, even though its really only certain ways he’s written that originated that.
So I mean, for myself, I don’t hate Bruce, but I DEFINITELY hate the way he’s written a lot of the time....I’m just very much used to centering my writer brain even when I’m reading, and thus its...easier? For me to keep an awareness of when I have a problem with a character inherently vs when I just have a problem with a certain take on a character? So I don’t hate Bruce because I recognize the times he is written well in regards to his kids and I see the potential for that always being there, but that doesn’t stop me from hating on the times he ISN’T written well in regards to them and is basically outright abusive because I mean....that’s part of why I invest in Dick’s narratives so much....I come from an abusive household and as much as I WANT Bruce to be good for Dick, I recognize and see myself and my own story in a lot of Dick’s narratives with Bruce.....which is why I dislike Bruce on a lot of occasions....BUT I also recognize and see in the OVERALL CHARACTERS the potential for Bruce to do what DIDN’T happen in my own life and like....get his act together. Be better. FIX himself and his relationships with his kids so that he can give them the family they deserve.
And so that’s why and where its ideal for me to keep the fact that the flaws are in the writing, not the characters, front and center.
But that’s not necessarily ideal for everyone, is the thing you gotta remember to respect. And other people who might be drawn to Dick and Jason and the other kids’ narratives BECAUSE they relate specifically to them as characters who have dysfunctional or even unhealthy relationships with an abusive or neglectful parent.....they might be less inclined to not hate Bruce because a family resolution isn’t ultimately what they’re looking for when relating to these characters....maybe what’s best for them at this point in their life is to see or imagine stories where these characters break away from a family member who only seems to hurt them lately, to not wait and hope for things to get better or him to improve but to just...move on on their own. *Shrugs* I don’t know, I can’t speak for everyone but none of us can is the thing.
And so its messy as hell, and its not a lot of fun sometimes, but the fact is, we just all gotta try and remember that what we look for in these characters and what we see in them is not the only thing that’s there. There are SO many facets to these characters and their stories and SO many reasons people are drawn to them and SO many things that fans are looking for and hoping for from them.
So my only advice is don’t worry about countering so much as just....holding front and center your own motivations for loving Bruce’s character and the WHYS of it. And its not....it doesn’t have to be one or the other, you know? Its not a zero sum game. As much as it makes it complicated to navigate fandom a lot of times, there’s room for multiple interpretations to exist, and the reasons you love Bruce’s character don’t HAVE to counter or negate the reasons other people hate his character, and vice versa. The reasons other people hate and criticize Bruce don’t HAVE to impact or harm the things you love about him......just focus on speaking to and putting out there your own view of things, and by all means, be as forceful and passionate about that as you want or need to be!
But just....know the reality is that even if you’re trying to persuade someone else to see Bruce the way you do, that doesn’t guarantee they will, or that they have to, because unlike in a lot of instances where people just smear other characters for entirely baseless reasons, a lot of people DO have anti-Bruce sentiments that are rooted in entirely real justifications.....but that’s not an indictment of your pro-Bruce sentiments, and it doesn’t have to be, and you don’t need to take it as one. Which means you don’t have to defend him....there’s nothing to defend, maybe. Your reasons for liking him have nothing to do with someone else’s reasons for hating him and they don’t need to go head to head and duel it out, necessarily.
Honestly, just whenever possible, just try to keep front and center in your mind and your reading of posts that like.....a lot of times “I hate Bruce” is actually more likely “I hate Bruce’s writing in x and y and z situations and stories” and that can make it a LOT easier to digest.
I mean, going back to using myself as an example, obviously I’m hugely vocal in defensive of Dick Grayson, lol, but a lot of people question why I so often attack fanon characterizations of him specifically....and its specifically BECAUSE I’m attacking the tendency of so many fans to say “I hate Dick” when its actually in my eyes more “I hate Dick’s characterization - as depicted in these various fanon myths that only exist in fandom and have no basis outside it.” So THAT’S what I ‘defend’ Dick against more often than not, versus just....defending him against people who hate him - there’s no real counter for that, at the end of the day. You can’t MAKE someone like a character if they have actual real justifications for why.
But you CAN be clear about where it is you do and don’t agree with their view of a character.....is it because you have fundamentally different views of the character that are both rooted in canon basis, or is it because you feel they’re not accurately characterizing a character based on your knowledge of him, or is it because you both simply prioritize and focus on different areas of a character’s past writing? Etc. etc.
That won’t necessarily help you ‘win’ any arguments against an opposing viewpoint in fandom, but it will help you....deal with the existence of opposing viewpoints that have every bit as much validity as yours, I think. Just being able to recognize when someone isn’t criticizing or condemning the Bruce you know and love....its just that the Bruce they know and hate is kinda almost a different version of the character entirely.....but both versions can and do exist and its ultimately just a matter of finding some way to balance that.
I don’t know if that’s of any help at all, but hopefully there’s something in there that’ll be of use to you!
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Hey, I know you already graduated so sorry if this is a bit off topic! I'm starting at Oxford next month to do law, and I'm a bit panicked about the reading. I feel like I read pretty slowly, especially if I'm taking notes (which I kind of have to if I want to focus at all), and it just seems like they're so much raw material I don't know if I'll keep up. Is that something you ever struggled with? How many pages did you tend to have to read in a day? I worry I'll have to stop sleeping ngl
Well, congratulations on getting into Oxford! That in and of itself is not an easy task so it’s always a good thing to remember when workload is stressing you out that your tutors must have picked you for a reason, and that they think you can handle it even if sometimes you feel like you can’t. Also, I may not be able to give as many examples as I would like because I’m currently in the process of moving so all my old reading lists and breakdowns are in a box somewhere…
First, everyone struggles with reading. EVERYONE. Even if they don’t admit it. Law is one of, if not the most, intensive subjects when it comes to the sheer amount of reading you have to do. The Law Faculty describes the workload by saying it should be around 30-40 hours a week – a fulltime job essentially. However, this is quite a bit exaggerated. Of course, it all depends on what college you’re in and who your tutors are, but you can get by just fine without forcing yourself to be glued to a textbook/casebook/WestLaw all day:
· You do not have to read the entire reading list of cases. Your tutors will hopefully make this clear to you, and if they don’t then the finalist lawyers in your college definitely should. Every reading list I was ever given by a tutor had certain cases in bold or marked by an asterisk. These are the must-reads, which you will have to know and come exam time will likely be referencing often. You should read the entirety of these cases, including all the judgements, even if there is no dissent in the case. It’s by knowing the little details in each judge’s reasoning in these cases that you get in the 67-74 mark realm, which is where you want to be. There’s usually a couple of these per reading list, but no more than ten on any one list I would say. For cases that are not bold or marked, your tutor will probably tell you to read these anyway. I did this in my first year and it just stressed me out without helping much. It’s kind of a thing you have to get a feel for. I would read the headnote of the case (so the facts and the summary of the judgement), and decide whether it was important from that. If the case is mentioned a lot in the important cases because it was at one point important precedent, it’s probably still a good idea to read it. If not, and if it is on a very small subsection in the reading list (like trustees de son tort in trusts), I wouldn’t bother. The only other thing I’d add with regards to cases is that recent cases (so for you anything that came out [2017] or later) is probably worth reading because tutors like to bring them up. If your tutor insists that every case is important, look up the faculty reading list for that subject on WebLearn, as the most important cases are highlighted there as well. You can also use the faculty list if you want some more cases/articles for your essay but the tutor hasn’t provided many.
· Textbook reading can be hit or miss. A good chunk of your weekly reading can come from the assigned textbook chapter. From what I remember it’s usually around 70 pages per subject per week, and for your first two years you’ll be on a subject and a half a term so around 70-140 pages a week from the textbook? Tutors have their own textbook preferences, and will probably point you towards a certain one, but some subjects do not really (in my opinion) fully warrant investment into a textbook – I barely ever used my EU law or my administrative law textbooks, I think I only opened the second for my final! I also think there is something to be said for trying to understand the cases in your own way before reading the textbook, as some of the authors are very biased in their explanations. Other subjects however (especially Intro to Roman Law) are more focussed on textbooks because of their nature. You’ll figure it out pretty quickly though were textbooks are important and where they’re not. I would however highly suggest the Text, Cases, and Materials series though! These combine a textbook and a casebook, and are pretty up-to-date on new developments. My contract one was honestly a god send, and I cut a lot of cases and textbook reading out of my week because of those books.
· Articles. I’ll be honest, I would usually only read an article if it directly correlated to the essay, or was under 20 pages. Articles are your tools for getting a 70s, but you can get very high 2:1s without having to read many of them. Articles in my opinion are more time consuming than textbook reading – there was a week of admin reading that ended in five 60 articles on the same topic and that was actual hell. It’s also rather difficult in an exam setting to remember many articles and academic viewpoints unless you completely drill them into your head so… Yeah – you don’t need to read many, and you certainly don’t have to read all of them (but if you’re really interested in the subject and have the time – go for it!)
· Legislation. This applies mainly to land law and it’s heavy reliance on statute – literally glance at the sections on the list and post them all into a word document which you keep open during tutorials. You’ll get to know the really important sections through the cases, so don’t waste time on trying to remember it all (especially since you’re allowed statute books in exams). For EU law (which also relies on legislation quite a bit), maybe have a closer look at the actual wording and the implication of it, but again you get a statute book so…(also EU is a finalist subject so I’m getting a bit ahead of myself)
· Your finalists are your friends. I mean upper years in general, but the finalists are the ones with all the tips and tricks because you get so stressed you learn all the ways to cut corners :D Do not be afraid to ask your seniors for notes! This does depend somewhat on college (again), but in my college a dropbox is made each year by the graduating cohort of all their finals notes (so I’ve just done this), and second years add in their moderations notes as well. These are great because they let you skip cases (providing the notes include case summaries) and can even point out those little differences in judge’s reasoning that I was talking about earlier (like the three-way split in Re Baden’s 2). So don’t be afraid to ask for notes, or even for advice on what you can safely skip knowing your tutor.
· They ease you into it. You’ll do criminal law, constitutional law, and an introduction to roman private law over your first two terms, doing a subject and a half per term. Of those three, criminal law is the only case-heavy subject. Constitutional law and roman are mainly textbook/article based. So you shouldn’t have a very intense workload until Trinity term at the earliest (outside of revision for mods in Hillary) at which point you should have found your ideal work pace. So try not to worry too much about it all happening too much at once.
Honestly, I think it’s kind of an Oxford thing that we somewhat exaggerate how much work we do. Personally, I would divide my reading list into chunks (usually about a third of a side of A4) and say – this is how much I’m going to get done each day. Most reading lists are 2/3 sides of A4 I would say? I could still have days where I wouldn’t get that chunk done and would still be okay and reach the deadline. So I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Also you could make arrangements with other fresher lawyers to take certain parts of the reading list, but I maybe wouldn’t do that until you know them and how they approach cases/reading/notes, etc.
I hope this wasn’t too ramble-y and did somewhat help. I’m totally happy to answer any questions you have about Oxford/law despite graduating because it helps me relieve my youth and avoid the real world :L Good luck for your first year!
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