something i was thinking about yesterday/the day before—various ways the Patriarchy and State mirror each other, are interconnected, common points of origin, analogous function. & about how both treat abuse & sexual violence. artificially creating helplessness & vulnerability in the oppressed; concentrating the ability to respond to abuse & assault in hands of the above. so common trope of the husband furiously avenging a rape of his wife (by an outsider), parent raging about Predators attacking “their” child, threatening violence against the preds, doing gruesome tortures. under the logic that wives & children are property of the father, & violation of them by an outsider = violation of the father’s property right over them (how dare you damage my things) (violation of “purity”); not actual solidarity with the victims themselves as persons or the trauma they experience, according to them, or their wants/needs.

crucially, this → victims cannot defend themselves; encountering a Predator = need to have your man around to protect u, need to tell a Trusted Safe Adult so they can handle it, and the only problem nowadays is that the kids don’t realize that these adults are trustworthy safe adults and if they just told everything would be okay, and there needs to be no other possible routes. self-defense is still criminalized overall; the patriarch reserves sole right to defend the woman/child’s “purity” and to attack outsiders.

i remember another thing i read like in early 2022 or so—a CSA survivor talking abt her experiences & saying, that commonly when someone is sexually assaulted the offense is viewed as a crime against the state, not one against the victim’s sovereignty over their own body/self. see the carceral logics of state punishment—how long or violent sentences are commonly being justified based on how to preserve Law and Order because of this crime against our peace and justice and law and order, crime against the System. following the correct rules, technicalities, to the letter (without considering the victim’s perspective/needs, ofc).

and yet.

most reported rapists & sexual assaulters & abusers (already few) do not get sentenced at all. even illegal offenses. rarely is the crime even viewed as a true crime in the first place. clearly they do not care.

state reserves a sole right to determine public safety. “don’t take justice into your own hands.” “still have to respect the rule of law.” “if you’re assaulted then you must report it so we can do state-y things about the perp.” this means survivors rely on a dice roll for safety after. if the state says nope we don’t care then you’re fucked. the state reassures that they are the optimal method to decide correctly, they’ll never answer wrong. but they almost always do.

a way of thinking abt this is that the above systems draw differences btwn “legal” & “extra-legal” violent abuses & victimizations; some forms are mandated as policy, and some forms are technically outlawed/claimed to be wrong; in capitalist systems you have “soft” authoritarianism/rule which are the official/legitimized forms of liberal economic exploitation, institutional abuse, domestic control of women/queers/youth, + conservatism & fascism & “totalitarianism” working to consolidate total control, technically “illegal” (there’s hate crimes legislation! some nazis get arrested!) but ultimately not combatted effectively, still sanctioned enough to allow them power, still an arm of the oppression we experience (antifa far more criminalized). they say that country or that past era over there was “extremely” misogynistic and violent towards women and queers and children but you’re here now and here we have Equality now and you’re probably just experiencing microaggressions and sure you’re being controlled but it’s just “mild” “not as bad” this over here is completely totally qualitatively different from Them we are actually against Them and would ban them if that ever happened here. (legitimized, or technically legitimized vs (constructed as) (technically) illegitimate but still quietly sanctioned)

compare: sexual assault w/in the family or other similar “legitimized” institutions, vs sexual assault by outsiders, even the things they usually use for moral panics and blow up the visibility of such as (actual) sex trafficking gangs who distribute csam online, both are still ultimately part of the same system of oppression, with both the patriarchal status quo is an enabler. compare: sexual assaults that are mandated or explicitly permitted as a part of policy (i.e. “if u get married u have to allow him to have sex w/u bc Marital Rights”; “rule says trans kids get genital inspections”) vs sexual assaults that occur slightly outside of that sphere of explicitly legitimized (some friends ganging up on a woman to rape her. cis adult grooming and sexually assaulting a trans kid they have authority over. not in the rulebook in words but they all know they can get away with it).

it’s very difficult for most ppl to conceptualize actual survivor autonomy everyone thinks there must be at least someone in a higher position to do it for us, decide on our behalf, (with)hold the potential of our safety from us/monopolize it in their hands. when people complain about ostensibly pro-survivor/anti-abuse initiatives that ultimately end up “going too far” (as in goal of punishment, using torture, taking power over a perpetrator/taking away their basic rights, doing genuine injustices to them) these are always used as evidence that the premises of leftism/anarchism are entirely wrong, all violence against oppression/abuse is wrong, we must have pacifism see checkmate extremists, but the issue here is that they only ever conceptualize privileged parties as potential actors/agents in situations of abuse, and no one thinks of the victims, and the conversation never turns to so how do we empower survivors better, show better solidarity, get them what they actually need instead of misdirections that are just selfish self-interested personal ventures, as if these types of social-capitalist vigilantes are truly on the same side as survivors, as if they don’t harm survivors the most, completely brushing aside the long very frequent violent histories of how groups like these are abusive to victims & other oppressed ppls, how they both fail to strike at the actual sources of power and they also take power over the vulnerable and the “anti-abuse” claims are a facade, they don’t truly believe in what anti-abuse activism actually is, don’t truly have what it takes to free us, these are often abusers of the marginalized themselves, but when we fight them or when we fight our abusers [of the first group] neither is viewed as acceptable by liberals, always something to criticize, never listened to or believed

nuclear family abolition is anti-rape activism prison/police/state abolition is survivor activism

also by the way i am always obsessed with how spider-people just click and can work together without anything being said in spiderverse . mcu spiderman being like "omg ive never worked in a team” “how are we going to work together” “well im on a team so i’ll lead us" like that was the most boring way to do it . spiderverse instead saying "we just know how to work together because our histories and lives are so linked, its like knowing someone your whole life. seeing the self in the other. our lives rhyme.” LIKE I LOVE YOU GUYS

DP x DC: The Most Dangerous Card Game

Ok so Danny has essentially claimed earth as his. And he is fully aware that there are constant threats to the planet. Now he can’t stop a threat that originates on earth (that’s something he’ll leave to the Justice league) but he can do something about outside threats. Doing some research on ancient spells, rituals, and artifacts, he cast a world wide barrier on the planet to protect it from hostile threats so they cannot enter. This will prevent another Pariah Dark incident. However, barriers like this come at a price. You see, there are two ways to make a barrier. Either make one powered up by your own energy and power (which would be constantly draining) or set up a barrier with rules. The way magic works is that nothing can be absolutely indestructible. It must have a weakness. The most powerful barriers weren’t the ones reinforced with layer after layer of protective charms and buffed up with power. Those could eventually be destroyed either by being overpowered, wearing them down, or by cutting off the original power source. No, the most powerful barriers were the ones with a deliberate weakness. A barrier indestructible except for one spot. A cage that can only be opened from the outside. Or that can only be passed with a key or by solving a riddle. So Danny chooses this type of barrier and does the necessary ritual and pours in enough power to make it. And he adds his condition for anyone to enter. 

Now the Justice league? Find out about the barrier when Trigon attempts to attack, they were preparing after he threatened what he would do once he got to earth. How he would destroy them. The Justice league tried to take the fight to him first but were utterly destroyed, so they retreated home to tend to their injuries, and fortify earth for one. Last. Stand. Only when Trigon makes his big entrance…he’s stopped.

The Justice league watch in awe as this thin see-through barrier with beautiful green swirls and speckled white lights like stars apears blocking Trigon and his army’s advance. The barrier looks so thin and fragile yet no matter how hard the warlord hits, none of his attacks can get through and neither can he damage said barrier. That’s when Constantine and Zatanna recognizes what this barrier is. Something only a powerful entity could create. For a moment, the league is filled with hope that Trigon can’t get through yet Constantine also explains that it’s not impenetrable. And clearly Trigon knows this too for he calls out a challenge. 

And that’s when, in a flash of light, a tiny glowing teenager appears. He looked absolutly minuscule compared to Trigon and yet practically glowed with power (this isn’t a King Danny AU though).

And that is when the conditions for passing the barrier are revealed. And the Justice realize that the only thing stopping Trigon and his army from decimating earth. The only way he can get through….is by beating this glowing teenager in a card game. 

Not just any card game though. The most convoluted game Sam, Danny, and Tucker invented themselves. It’s like the infinite realms version of magic the gathering, combined with Pokémon, and chess. And Danny is the master. So sit down Trigon and let’s play.

(The most intense card game of the Justice league’s life).

After Danny wins, this happens a few more times with outer word beings and possibly even demons attempting to invade earth, yet none have been able to beat the mysterious teenager in a card game. Constantine might even take a crack at it and try to figure out how to play. He’s really bad though. Every time this happens, the Justice league worry that this might be the time the teenager looses. Yet every time, he wins (even if only barely). 

Meanwhile, Danny, Sam, and Tucker have gotten addicted to the game and play it almost daily. Some teachers might seem them playing the game are are like ‘awww how cute’ not realizing this game is literally saving the world. Jazz is just happy they aren’t spending as much time on their screens playing Doomed.

Someday, Damian is going to outpace Tim height-wise. He'll be at least a couple inches taller, because Damian's parents are both tall(ish) while Tim has done everything in his power short of getting an Ed Elric-style arm to stunt his own growth.

Once that happens, Damian will uncover his greatest power of all, a power he had only dreamt of before now, a power possessed by Superboy himself. Because once Dami is even a centimeter over Tim's head, this will occur:

Tim: Nice try, [insert rogue name], but you've officially been busted by Red Robin and the boy wonder himself.

Damian: Why does your name come first?

Tim: I'm older.

Damian:

Damian: *opens mouth*

Damian: *draws the biggest breath of his life*

Damian: I'M TALLER!!!!!

Unfortunately for Damian, he is not Jon, and Tim is not ten, and therefore, Tim has a comeback.

Tim: Name a single culture where height is a basis for authority and we'll talk.

Damian is devastated. He lashes out. They have their biggest argument in years. It gets physical. It gets vicious.

And yes, the rogue does get away while they fight.

HE WAS SO MAD

Riordan: And the grand lesson that Percy needed to learn over the course of hoo, the culmination of his character arc of this series, the moment where the fate of the world hangs in the balance because of a single decision he has to make... is realizing when he needs to take a step back :)

Me:

i once saw this video on tiktok basically saying that percy gets annoyed with monsters more than he gets scared of them because of his years of experience. and i honestly fuck with it. like, this man only feels true fear when the stakes are high as shit, like if the world or his loved ones' lives are on the line. other than that, he's just slightly spiffed that this hellhound bothered him because he and annabeth have a lunch date. or he's only mildly annoyed because he's just trying to spend time with grover on their "bestie tuesday's" but has to hit pause because an empousa decided they wanted a rematch.

A lil doodle of the boys as rats from @thebad-lydrawn-sanses

COME ON GUYS DON'T LET DIANXIA DOWN

Odysseus' reintegration into the world bound by mortal limitations foregrounds both his age and the distance he has traveled. The shipwrecked sailor who manages to crawl ashore naked on Scheria, bereft of companions, possessions, any token of identity — of all but the bare ember of vitality (cf. 5.488-90 — a lonely spark in a pile of ashes) — meets the young Nausikaa, whose life (like that of Telemachus) is just opening to the possibilities before her. The scene in which Odysseus, awakened by sounds that evoke in him fears of hostile men, faces instead a group of teenage girls playing ball, is both comic and poignant as it measures the difference between their expectations and stages of experience. Later, as he is challenged to compete in an athletic contest, Odysseus acknowledges the toll that age and journeying inevitably take. This is not, then, the epic of the beautiful death (one way to read the Iliad (e.g., see Vernant 1991: 50-74)) but the epic of timeworn, embraceable life.

John Miles Foley, A Companion to Ancient Epic, 2005.

Many of us saw the Raimi trilogy as kids and so the main characters were just put in the mental category of "adults," but growing up and realizing Peter, Harry and MJ were all in their late teens/early 20s gives their behavior a lot of much needed context, actually.

Oh, they're indecisive and riddled with insecurity? Their love lives are a complete mess? They think one mistake or setback means their life is over? Well, no wonder! They haven't even beat the 25 allegations yet.

Voyager should have had an episode where the command trio beat the absolute hell out of each other while blaming each other for being stuck in the delta quadrant as the fever pitch of a rising tension that was building throughout the episode. Like, they're absolutely being pushed to do it by some outside force. Maybe it's a telepathic being - maybe it's that they're stuck in some arena or an alien court or a time loop only the three of them are aware of - no matter the specifics, the sentiment behind their words has to be true and it has to be something they've been keeping back for months, maybe years. That fear and hatred and blame that doesn't really have an actual target because it's not actually rational but 'who's to blame' doesn't have to be capital T true to feel true. If Chakotay hadn't been in the badlands, If Janeway hadn't made that choice, If Tuvok hadn't supported it... "You trapped us here. It's your fault. If you hadn't-! If you hadn't-! If you hadn't-!" are just echoes of "I trapped us here. It's my fault. If I hadn't-! If I hadn't-! If I hadn't-!" Because at the end of the day more than being angry or hateful they're despairing in their own ways. Episode probably has a somber end - they beat whatever it was and it's a victory! They won by working together even after they beat each other half to death! But after the celebration we see them alone in their quarters...silent. Gazing out at the stars, into a candle's flame, at that same family picture before turning away. Because even though they won they're still there in the delta quadrant. Is that really victory?

Every time I watch Shore Leave, I become more convinced that Ruth is dead.

Like, Jim's hellbent on chasing after Sulu, Yeoman Barrows has just been attacked, and then he stops for these flowers with a look of wonder on his face?

My theory is that he's terrified he'll be too late and something will attack Sulu, he thinks something along the lines of "how many more flowers will I have to lay on graves?" and then he sees the exact flowers he lays on Ruth's grave and he has to stop and take one and smile sadly.

And then the whole conversation with Ruth, I mean... Yeah, it does make sense if they were once together and then broke up, but the /pain/ and /longing/ in his eyes, man.

(Also this leaves open the possibility that because he's already seen one dead loved one on this planet, after McCoy is "revived", he might be half-convinced that the McCoy who came back was just a reconstruction because he wanted to see him, and the real Bones is still just as dead as he was. Oh, I want to write this fic so badlyyyy.. if it wasn't a work night ...)