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bosbas · 26 days

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Chapter 7: something gave you the nerve to touch my hand

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pairing: colin bridgerton x enemy!fem!reader WC: 3.4k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, a small part of the dialogue is in Spanish, idiots in love-ish moments (maybe idiots in non-hate?)

Summary: It took precisely two days in England for you to utterly despise Colin Bridgerton. It took him approximately twelve hours after that to hate you right back. But he doesn't care that you're the only person in the ton who doesn't like him. You're set to marry someone else anyway, right?

June 1, 1816 – A few whispers have been floating around about Lord Arthur Barlow’s whereabouts following his escapade with Miss Barrington at the Bridgerton ball, but this author must sadly say that she has no credible information on the subject. The Duke has likely paid his staff handsomely to avoid any news reaching the curious ears of the ton, much to our disappointment. While propriety suggests that his wedding plans to Miss Barrington should be in full swing, Lord Barlow is not particularly known for his propriety, and therefore we cannot assume anything.

Among other Montclair-related news, two of the Count’s children arrived in London yesterday: Lord Philippe Montclair IV and Lady Isabelle de la Torre, accompanied by their respective spouses and children. Is this unexpected gathering somehow linked to Lady Y/N's recent entanglement in scandal, or is it merely a coincidental family reunion?

You wrung your hands nervously in your carriage bound for Hyde Park, not quite able to sit still. Beside you sat Leonor, Philippe's wife, while your sisters, sitting opposite from you, observed your anxious demeanor with growing impatience. Isabelle, in particular, seemed annoyed by your restless gestures, her irritation palpable in the air.

“Y/N, for heaven's sake, it’s not like you’ve been compromised in any way!” said Isabelle, exasperated. “You’ll find someone else, and the Duke’s betrayal will be but a distant memory.”

It was easy for her to say; after all, her own search for a husband had been nothing short of a fairy tale. Unlike the rest of your siblings, Isabelle had had a love match from the beginning, and it only made it easier that Carlos, her now-husband, had strong ties to the royal family. Though her love story had been one for the ages, the fact that it had happened so easily was making her quite unsympathetic to your loss of a Duke you weren’t even properly interested in.

“I might as well have been! Lady Whistledown is still mentioning my involvement in the scandal, and your presence isn’t helping.” You thanked the universe that your mother was on another carriage with Louis, Carlos, and Philippe, and hadn’t heard you being rude toward your sister.

"And why should we care about the musings of this Lady Whistledown?" retorted Isabelle with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“These English people treat that gossip column like gospel,” said Charlotte, crinkling her nose in disdain. “Though I dare say, Y/N, your predicament isn't as dire as you're painting it," she added, casting you a knowing glance.

"You two can afford to be cavalier about it, being safely married," you sighed, feeling defeated, and turned your gaze back out the window.

As your carriage rolled into the park, Leonor leaned in, placing her hand over yours. “No te preocupes, cariño,” she whispered reassuringly, so only you could hear (Don’t worry, sweetheart). “En todo caso, te vienes a España con tu hermano y conmigo” (In any case, you can come to Spain with your brother and me).

You smiled at her, resigned, but grateful for her offer. As you surveyed the bustling crowd outside, predominantly comprised of eligible men, the allure of Spain beckoned. It would certainly have better weather than London. And at least there was no Lady Whistledown in Salamanca. Though with the seemingly endless sources the woman had, you wouldn’t doubt her abilities to follow you there, too.

Stepping down from your carriage and walking toward the crowd of people in the park, you made eye contact with one of the gentlemen who had called on you yesterday. Though his poem had nearly put you to sleep, you smiled politely anyway. Perhaps he would be the first to talk to you today and ask for a turn about the park, and you would be able to finally relax in the knowledge that at least one person was still interested in you.

Though you hadn’t seen or heard from Lord Barlow since the Bridgerton ball, he still lingered in your mind. He ended up being just like any other man, you thought, annoyed. You hadn’t necessarily expected him to be the picture of attentiveness and love, especially not when you had only known each other a little over a month, but it was still disappointing to see how it had all turned out.

"Lady Montclair," a voice interjected, drawing your attention to your right. Startled, you turned to see Colin Bridgerton, sporting an uncharacteristically earnest smile.

“Mr. Bridgerton?” you inquired.

You had thought your dance two nights prior had been a one-time event, a small courtesy on his part, for Eloise, so you didn’t look a complete fool upon your re-entry to society. So why was he here now? Had he come here to resume tormenting you? You weren’t quite sure you had the energy for that today, already feeling the familiar flutter of nerves as you thought about how many men you would have to impress and the intense scrutiny you would face from the rest of the ton.

“Would you care for a promenade?” his voice, a gentle invitation, broke through your thoughts.

“A prom- What?” you said lowly, careful that no one would hear you. “You already danced with me once, and it was more than enough,” you assured him.

Colin was fighting an internal battle. He was torn between still being absolutely enchanted by you after one dance, and the larger part of him that was annoyed that you apparently didn’t want to speak with him today. Yet, true to form, Colin’s more combative side won out.

“Well, I don’t particularly see gentlemen lining up to speak with you today, so I rather think you might need some more help,” he shot back.

You felt your face flush as you gasped in offense. “That is so patronizing. I’ve barely been here three seconds! I hardly think that amount of time is indicative of whether any suitors would like to speak with me today.”

It was true; Colin had rushed to greet you moments after you had stepped down from your carriage. But aside from the fact that he was embarrassed by his eagerness and trying to cover it up, he was not about to let up, not against you.

“Do you think, for once in your life, you could engage with me without throwing a fit?” he asked you, anger seeping into his words.

You were speechless, your eyes wide as you stared at him. Your instinct would have been to get mad at him, but unfortunately, he was right. You were struggling to let yourself be vulnerable with Colin, never mind how good of a time you had had dancing with him. But you were too stubborn to accept his offer to walk with him. You simply stared at him, your eyes swimming with uncertainty, and silently willed him to keep pushing you to accept his help. It was the only way you would allow yourself to do it, and you were relieved when he held out his arm for you to take.

“Come along,” he said, rolling his eyes. “For both our sakes, we should just walk to avoid a scene.”

“Very well, then,” you relented, slipping your hand into the crook of his elbow. You were momentarily distracted by the feeling of his arm beneath your touch. It lit a fire inside of you that you weren’t familiar with, and you suddenly found yourself out of breath.

“My sister can chaperone,” he suggested, gently guiding you toward where his family was situated.

You could only nod dumbly in response, the flutters in your lower abdomen only growing stronger when he placed his hand over yours. Vaguely registering Daphne and Simon waving at you, you smiled and greeted them, grateful to have something else to focus on that wasn't Mr. Bridgerton's very well-sculpted arms.

As you began to stroll, the Bassets a few paces behind you, you felt that your voice was stable enough to begin a conversation. “So, Mr. Bridgerton, indulge my curiosity and tell me more about your travels. Have you ever been lost at sea?”

Colin smiled at you, unable to hold back his fondness for you once again, and his breath was stolen from his lips as he made eye contact with you. You looked back eagerly, staring straight into him, and he was momentarily speechless. But you blinked, indicating that you were still awaiting a response, and he realized he had forgotten himself once again in your presence, an alarmingly increasing trend.

After clearing his throat, Colin answered, “A few times, yes. Most unfortunate was the time we became lost in the twilight hours when it was freezing out, but the stars proved an exceptionally useful tool in helping us find our way.”

“The stars?” you asked, curious. Could it be that you and Colin had yet another thing in common? It was hard to parse who he had been with you the past few days with the man you had a rivalry with practically from the moment you arrived in England. Who was the real Colin?

“Yes, indeed,” affirmed Colin, his voice revealing a hint of excitement. “They’re actually quite a useful tool. Regardless of our whereabouts, we look at the same constellations, albeit from differing vantage points. For instance, if you look up at the sky any of these nights, and you see three stars close together arranged in a line, that’s-”

“Orion’s belt,” you finished for him, your voice soft. Then, seeing his amused, and admittedly curious, smile, you explained, “My governess used to take me outside at night, even in the winter, so I could look at the stars. I know a fair few constellations, and I always like to know which ones are visible to me.”

Colin shook his head in wonder. The universe was a cruel thing, to make you so perfectly suited to him and make you hate him more than you hated, apparently, anyone or anything else. But it wasn’t like he liked you any better, he reasoned.

“I’d wager you’d be a wonderful navigator, then,” he said. “I’m certain you’d never get lost in treacherous waters.” He had to physically bite his tongue to keep from suggesting that you go with him on his next trip around the world.

You hummed softly in response. It never quite felt like you had a grip on where you were going. Usually, you just felt like you were groping around in the dark, desperately trying to find the right way to go.

The promenade stretched on longer than anticipated, with both of you engaging in pleasant conversation throughout, and more than a few stolen glances. It was a shock, really, when Daphne cleared her throat politely behind you and Colin. You suddenly realized that you and Colin had been walking together for longer than was typically appropriate.

“It might be time for Lady Montclair to promenade with someone else,” she suggested gently, a sympathetic smile on her face as she looked at Colin's crestfallen face. Turning away from you, she leaned over and whispered something unintelligible to Simon as the pair walked away back toward the rest of the Bridgertons, allowing you and Colin a few moments of privacy.

“Thank you,” you smiled at him, finding yourself slightly disappointed that your time together was ending. “I’m not quite sure I would have needed your saving again, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”

Suddenly, you noticed a piece of lint on the lapel of Colin’s jacket. You reached over, almost instinctively, and picked it off. Your fingers barely grazed his chest, and his words caught in his throat as he saw your hand reach toward his chest in slow motion.

The two of you stood still, staring at each other for what felt like an eternity, one of your hands still extended toward him. Realizing your actions necessitated an explanation, you hurriedly brought your hand back to your side again and averted your gaze, avoiding eye contact with Colin.

“Lint,” you explained awkwardly. “On your coat.”

Oh, how could you have done something so brash? And in such a public setting, too, you scolded yourself.

“I-Th-Well, I-Thank you, Lady Montclair,” Colin stuttered out, his brain short-circuiting from your intimate gesture. But you were already walking away, fists clenched at your sides as he saw you walking back to your family.

Once more, you were intercepted by what could only be described as a horde of men vying for your favor. But, just like two nights prior, all Colin could feel was a pleasant warmth spreading through him as he watched you walk away, your laughter ringing like music in his ears.

He knew what that was like now. To have you genuinely laugh at something he said. And it was different from how you were with these men. Even different from how you had been with the Duke. His heart warmed when he realized he had something of you that no one else did, and he wanted to bottle up your laugh and keep it in his breast pocket, forever a reminder of you near his heart.

A short distance away, Carlos observed with amusement as Colin stood there, seemingly transfixed by your departure. Standing beside him was Leonor, who had also been privy to the entire spectacle. The two often found themselves together during family outings, enjoying speaking in Spanish for a change.

“La ama,” Carlos said to Leonor, his tone tinged with amusement at Colin's evident infatuation (He loves her).

Suppressing a chuckle, Leonor discreetly cleared her throat. “Y cuanto tiempo crees que será hasta que se de cuenta?” she quipped in response (And how long do you think it'll be until he realizes?).

---

In the late afternoon, you found yourself seated by the pianoforte, the pleasant notes of your scales filling the room. Across from you, your mother quietly engrossed herself in a book, while Isabelle diligently worked on her needlepoint. Suddenly, the tranquil atmosphere of your sitting room was disrupted as your butler made an unexpected entrance.

“Lady Montclair, a visitor,” he said politely, bowing slightly.

Your fingers stopped playing and you looked toward your mother, who had a questioning look on her face.

“I hadn’t been expecting anyone. And at this hour? Is everything alright?” she asked the butler.

His face flushed slightly. “My apologies, I meant Lady Y/N Montclair,” he corrected himself. “It’s the Duke.”

But he barely had time to announce your visitor before Lord Barlow strode into your sitting room, hair disheveled and bags under his eyes. He looked positively ghastly, and you wouldn’t have doubted it if he told you he hadn’t slept in a week.

He was panting and slightly sweaty, clearly having rushed over to your home for some unknown reason, when he took off his hat and crouched next to the pianoforte bench.

“Forgive me,” he addressed the other women in the room. Then, turning back to you, he roughly grasped your hand, placing a wet kiss on the back of it. You slightly cringed in disgust, not particularly wanting this man anywhere near you.

“Y/N, my darling, I am so terribly sorry for what happened at the Bridgerton ball. It was unforgivable. Except that you must forgive me!” he pleaded, voice full of desperation.

You were utterly confused, and more than a little angry. Who did this man think he was, barging into your home at this hour and demanding forgiveness? You shared a look with your mother, who looked equally as scandalized.

“Lord Bar-” you started, but before you could finish, he interrupted you, grasping your hand even tighter.

“No! Not Lord Barlow. Arthur. Your Arthur. It’s me; I’m here. What happened with Miss Barrington was a foolish mistake, and it will never happen again. Marry me, Y/N. Marry me and make me the happiest man in all of Mayfair. In all of England, even. Please,” he begged.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Leonor leaving the room quietly, and your stomach churned uncomfortably at the idea of having to face this man on your own. You breathed deeply, calming yourself with the thought that your mother remained in the room before you addressed Lord Barlow.

“I don’t understand,” you said, shaking your head. “What of Miss Barrington? She will be ruined if you do not marry her.”

He scoffed, throwing his head back and shaking his head in annoyance. “What of her? She is not as important to me as you are,” he said lowly. “I do not have with her what I have with you. I need you, Y/N. Please marry me.”

Letting the anger that had been slowly bubbling inside you take over, you snatched your hand out of his grip and stood up, towering over him. “Are you quite finished? You are completely unbelievable. I will not marry you, your Grace, and it is egregious that you would even suggest it. Do you truly have so little respect for Miss Barlow that you would leave her, ruined, as you married someone else? Do you truly think so lowly of me that you thought I would say yes?”

“Barlow, take your leave,” came a commanding voice from the doorway before the Duke could respond to you.

With a surge of relief, you caught sight of Louis and Philippe standing firm with Leonor at their side, their expressions firm and determined, while she was looking anxiously between you and Lord Barlow.

But the Duke was relentless, his desperation palpable as he pleaded his case, his words brimming with urgency. He stood up from where he had been kneeling and turned to face your brothers. "You don’t understand. I must marry your sister. I must!"

“I believe my brother asked you to take your leave, your Grace,” said Philippe, voice cold and cutting. “Louis, if you could be so kind as to escort Lord Barlow out.”

Louis wasted no time, roughly grabbing Barlow’s arm and dragging him away from you as the man protested profusely. But your brother wasn’t going to let him hurt you again. It was bad enough that he had already done it once, but Louis would rather come to blows right now in your home than let the Duke stand in your presence for another second.

As Louis ushered Lord Barlow out of your sitting room, Philippe placed a protective hand in front of Leonor and pulled her behind him. Ensuring his wife’s safety, he turned to you, a concerned expression on his face.

“Y/N, are you alright?”

But you didn’t have time to answer, your father storming into the room with fury in his eyes.

“Was that Barlow I saw in the hall? Can someone give me an explanation?" he demanded, his gaze fixed on your stricken expression.

Your voice trembled as you confessed, still reeling from the shock of the encounter. "He asked me to marry him," you admitted, the words hanging heavily in the air.

“She said no, of course. And put him in his place,” your mother added, eyes wide and fixed on the doorway still. It seemed that Lord Barlow’s unexpected appearance had been an unwelcome shock for her, too.

Your father placed his hands on his hips, staring at the two of you in disbelief. “Well done,” he finally conceded after a few moments of silence.

You nodded meekly in response, not quite feeling anything right at this minute.

“He is not worthy of you, Y/N. A title and fortune are important, of course, but so is honor. And he clearly has none,” said your father, disgust clear in his voice.

You’d heard this speech a million times, but this time the words rang loudly in your ears. A title and fortune are important, his words echoed in your mind. It was what your father always said, but this time you couldn’t help thinking: Colin Bridgerton, whom you had developed an inexplicable fondness for, possessed neither title nor fortune.

But as quickly as the doubt arose, you cast it aside. You reminded yourself firmly that Colin was not the sort of man a Montclair could marry. The reality was stark, and you refused to entertain the notion that such a match could ever be possible. You weren’t even sure that you liked the man, why were you thinking of marrying him?

—

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ephemeral--dreams · 1 year

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Ideal types in partners - Alhaitham, Scaramouche, Ningguang, Ayato

☆ ☾ ☆ ──────────────────

Alhaitham

Ideally, someone more outwardly emotional and expressive than he is. He needs someone to balance his more reserved nature - as well as someone who can read him well enough to not get scared off by it. He can be a bit too blunt with things. Fights may arise out of this if you can't handle that part of him, so it's better if you're sensitive but not Too sensitive.

Intelligence is important as well. Alhaitham needs to be able to have complex conversations with his partner. You'll need to be able to keep up with him when he talks about his interests and knowledge. Will probably be overly fond of having debates with you over academic matters.

Overall, someone who has enough empathy to understand him and perhaps bring his own emotions out more. He's a complicated person! Understand that about him and everything should work out.

Scaramouche

He needs someone with the patience of a saint. You're going to have to deal with a lot of things. Mood swings, teasing, and the fact that he's often harsh (even when he may not mean to be). He can be difficult. His partner must be able to accept all of this easily, without blowing up at every little thing.

I think he would do well with someone affectionate. He's spent many years feeling abandoned and distancing himself from others. To have someone who is very openly loving toward him would be a welcome change, and would certainly help him settle him as a person. He may say it's annoying if you're clingy, but he's just as clingy himself. :)

You must be able to read between the lines with him - he doesn't often say what he truly feels or thinks outright. He's often an actions over words sort of person. He may not say he loves you so straightforwardly, but you can see it in how he treats you so long as you pay attention.

Ningguang

Someone who can challenge her. Ningguang, after all, thrives on such things. She is surrounded by people who admire and revere her, people who take her word for gospel, who hang on each bit of information or order she gives. What will make you stand out is that you don't do that. Question her, bicker with her, show that you have a mind and will of your own. She'd love to banter with you.

She doesn't have much need for wasting her riches on herself, but expect to be showered in expensive gifts. Ningguang would like someone she can spoil. Accept what she gives you. She won't take no for an answer when it comes to this.

Know that she will often be busy. You will need to have enough independence to spend a lot of time without her. Don't expect her to drop her work for you, and don't be too needy. She is yours, but she is also Liyue's. If you aren't the sort who can accept this, things wouldn't work out.

Ayato

Much like Ningguang, he's often extremely busy. And, again, you'll need to be able to get along well enough on your own when he is.

He needs a partner who is good with people. You'll have to go to events with him, talk to others of high social standing. Maintain a good public image and get along well with others. Have good manners and be polite. And, most importantly - be intelligent enough to tell when someone doesn't have Ayato's best interests in mind, and refrain from saying anything to them that might come back to bite you. To that end, someone who can defend themselves would be ideal as well, considering how many people go after him, and may go after you…

It is, of course, expected that you'll be completely devoted to him in every way. Love is nothing without loyalty, in his eyes.

Being the leader that he is can be rough. If you're able to easily comfort him after a long day, it would be appreciated. Ayato takes care of many things, including you. Take care of him in return.

#Alhaitham x reader #Scaramouche x reader #wanderer x reader #ningguang x reader #ayato x reader #kamisato ayato x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #headcanon hours

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smhalltheurlsaretaken · 1 year

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this stupid scene right here.

(this scene haunts me. when the question of thranduil's motive for showing up is raised, HE brings up that Bard's people need help, HE implies that he came to give that help, HE delivers on this by actually bringing food for the starving, freezing, broke homeless humans, and then he still says that it's not why he showed up??? WHY IS HE SAYING THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT HE JUST SAID

This would make sense if Bard was the one who inferred that Thranduil is here to help and Thranduil coldly dispelled that notion, but no!! It's literally Thranduil who brings up the saving only to then dismiss it as irrelevant. WHY DID HE BRING IT UP IF HE THINKS IT'S IMMATERIAL AND HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT IT??

And why oh why would he be giving them food in the first place if he doesn't care about them at all.

This is such a transparent way to have the necessary deus ex machina food-wise while making sure Bard will never reference this in his talks with Thorin, or Gandalf, or Thranduil or Bilbo. I mean it's also not like Thorin's beef with Thranduil in the movies specifically has to do with him not helping desperate dragon-displaced refugees or anything right - yknow, something that Thranduil is now doing while Thorin is the one turning them away. Nope, we're not gonna go into any of this? What it might mean about the two of them as people, good or bad? No? We're still meant to take "I've seen how you treat your friends" as the gospel truth assessment of Thranduil's character? WELL OKAY THEN.)

(still not how you pronounce 'long will i tarry ere i begin this war for gold' by the way)

#i had fun rereading dionetaofavalon's hobbit posts lol #took me right back to my roots #poorly laid out sarcastic commentary over shit quality screencaps is my passion #the hobbit #tbotfa #hobbit movies #the hobbit: the battle of the five armies #battle of the five armies #thranduil #movie thranduil #bard

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patronsaintofhomosandpain · 2 months

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I'm sick of hearing; "Writing is a refreshing way to cleanse your mind and put you onto a better path."

Babes, this path may have been paved with good intentions, but it was recently patched up with glass shards and used needles.

Also I haven't slept in three days, so here's a list of other bullshit I'm sick of bitches saying to writers.

So much for refreshing.

☆.𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𓍊𓋼𓍊.☆

Feckin Friday 22/03/24

🐈‍⬛️ 1. "Write what you know."

Okay, yes! You shouldn't bullshit your entire book, but also, don't be confined to only what you know. Do you think I know anything about corpse reanimation? Whelp, that didn't stop me! It's good to learn something new, and it's great for your writing to expand your repertoire. Hell, who knows? You might find your new niche. Besides, research is your best friend.

🦇 2. "But my friend, cousin, neighbor, cat's best friend's sister in law's spouse wrote their book in (a ridiculous small amount of time)!"

Well, good for them! They're still going to get slingshot into the sun with the rest of us anyway. Not everybody is the same, and the only thing that ALL writers have in common is that they write things! Find what works for you and tune out the rest of the bullshit, including your own. Don't bully yourself for not writing! We are only on this earth for a very small amount of time. Take care of yourself!

🐦‍⬛ 3. "You have to have a plan/outline/entire plot done before you start writing!"

This is just *ugh* bullshit. Like yeah, sure, if you're a normal person, I guess plot it! But you know what? I've got an illiterate, hyperactive squirrel behind the control panel of my brain, and he's on his sixth line of coke. All I have to say to this is JUST WRITE it'll either all come together when you go over it later or it will be cut. Either way, it's putting words on the page, and that's great practice.

🕷 4. "Writing is your only job, and you have to treat it as such."

Gross. Look, even if someone is lucky enough to be able to write as a full-time job, I guarantee you that writing isn't all that person has does.

A lot of us are parents or keep our houses, most of us are still in school, and a majority of us have to work at least part-time to afford to write!

Writing should be treated as a job in such a way that you take pride in it, but it shouldn't be something you're forced to do.

You know how people say, "If you love what you do, you never work a day."

There ya go.

🕸 5. "Follow this plan!" / "Writing’s easy!"

I have three things to say to that.

Bite me, bite me, bite me, BITE ME.

Look, I am so glad that Stephen King smokes three blunts and eats a pile of shrooms as a part of his routine, I AM SO HAPPY THAT WORKS FOR HIM! But it's not gonna work for me and it's probably not going to work for your poor stressed out little writer friend who is six months behind on sleep and is trying to catch up with shots of espresso and tall boys of redbull. We know you mean well, and we really appreciate hearing new things to try. Don't get that twisted! But I'm sorry, there is just no gospel or quick fix to writing.

What's some other shit you're sick of hearing people say? Come on! Let's trauma bond!

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #writing #writblr #writer things #writers #writerscorner #writerslife #book blog #writing stuff #creative writing #writer life #feckin friday

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that-ari-blogger · 4 months

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The Gospel Of Elphaba

In May 1900, the George M. Hill Company published The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, a book written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. That book captured the imagination of its audience enough to get sequels and one of the most dangerous film adaptations to make of all time.

The book was about good and evil, and featured a stereotypical medicine journey about a child trying to return home. It discussed personal growth and childhood fantasy and is generally a good book, even with the elements that haven't aged as well (again, it was published in 1900).

But then, in 1995, Gregory Maguire wrote Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, a fanfiction that takes a very different approach on the story. This book discusses the same themes, but from a different angle. Now things are complicated.

Enter Wicked, the musical, which dissects the themes even further, and uses its opening song, No One Mourns The Wicked to tear apart the idea of good and evil in the original book.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I wasn't joking in the title of this post. No One Mourns The Wicked (NOMtW) and the musical as a whole do act as a gospel. Which is fascinating.

Now, I am not Christian, but I do have experience with the faith from a scholarly perspective and from growing up in a heavily Christian culture. As such, while I will treat the faith with the respect befitting any living religion, my perspective on it is that of an outsider looking in, so I cannot be considered a definitive source on Christianity.

The word "Gospel" comes from a few different sources, most notably "godspell" according to etymonline.com, which means "good spell" or "good message" or, if you really stretch the thesaurus, "good news."

The gospel of mark literally opens with "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus..." (English Standard Version) or "the beginning of the good news about Jesus..." (New International Version). So, the word is interchangeable.

And would you look at that, the opening words of NOMtW are:

"Good news, she's dead".

The song is deliberately drawing comparison between Elphaba and the Biblical Messiah, specifically with the defining act. Jesus' most famous act was his death, and the same is true for Elphaba. But both characters have more to their story than the surface level ideal, notably their perspective that people should be kind to each other, and that was why they were "killed". Also, neither of the two stay dead for very long.

But there is more to the similarity than just some neat little references, specifically in how they differ. And that might be contradictory, but it really isn't. Opposites are similar in how they relate specifically to each other. A thing can only be the opposite of something else, it can't be the opposite on its own.

NOMtW actively asks the question: "Was it actually good news?" Specifically in relation to Elphaba. Wicked is told from the perspective of Elphaba, and it frames her death as a tragedy. So NOMtW gives the audience the setup for that story.

"No one mourns the wicked!"

"No one cries they won't return!"

"No one lays a lily on their grave!"

Voiceplay has a phenomenal A cappella Medley for the Wicked musical that I highly recommend you check out.

These lines serve to build into the tragedy itself, they make you feel sad for the deceased person. But the anger with which they are said gives a different vibe. Suddenly, these become warnings, don't be wicked or else.

Fun fact: I was in a high school production of this musical, as a chorus member, and I was given the line about the lily. The director told to deliver the line as a threat to the audience, which reframes the meaning a bit, doesn't it? The chorus is telling you not to empathise with the Wicked Witch of the West.

And interestingly, that's who she is in this song. The name "Elphaba" isn't mentioned once. She is the Wicked Witch. That's who the audience thinks she is, and that's who the chorus thinks she is. The citizens of oz become the audience surrogates.

Glinda, the good witch, then begins to argue with the chorus. Her melodic voice contrasts with the spite of the Ozians, and that translates into her lyrics.

The conflict here is to confuse the audience, I think. It is to ask them who they think they should be agreeing with here. And when the chorus echos Glinda's words, they change them. Those last three lines become:

"And goodness knows,

the Wicked's lives are lonely.

Goodness knows,

The Wicked die alone.

It just shows when you're Wicked,

You're left only

On your own."

What is truth in this world? Can even that be trusted? That's what the musical as a whole seeks to answer, as well as what consequences that has on the real world.

"Nothing grows for the Wicked

They reap only

What they've sown"

"Are people born Wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them? After all, she had a father. She had a mother, as so many do"

I have put some of the above quote in bold, and that is because it is a fantastic question to ask in a story about good and evil. In the original book and subsequent film, the Wicked Witch of the West is evil because she does evil things. She tries to kill Dorothy on multiple occasions, so she is evil, right?

Here, Glinda asks a simple question: "Why did the witch do that?" And this part of the song becomes spoken instead of sung, to really emphasise the point.

But Glinda also tries to humanise Elphaba here, she had a mother and a father. This reminds me of another humanising moment, but not from the bible this time.

"Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? ... If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"

This is from Act 3 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, written in the 1590s. And it features Shylock, the outcast of the plot, appealing to a collection of people that he is in fact, just as human as them. He tries to convince them that the outsider is worth respect just as much as any other, and that his actions have motivations just as much as any other.

In that story, the appeal has no effect, and in Wicked, written 400 years later, I can't say it is any different.

The moment with the mysterious lover is important because it is yet another specific divergence from the biblical story. It turns out to be the Wizard, a man from another world, who comes to see the mother of the protagonist. But the divinity is removed, and that's a key element here. Elphaba isn't a one-to-one Jesus figure, she's had all of the intrinsic morality taken away and replaced with being green.

Elphaba is othered because of a physical alteration caused by elements she has no control over. She is outcast from even her family because of her appearance. I will talk in another post about what being green means in story, but for now, it is most certainly not heavenly, instead being linked with the garden of Eden with the snake and the apple.

That apple is a neat connection to the vial that the wizard offers Elphaba's mother, once again reframing the story. Now the Wizard gets aligned with the snake, making Elphaba the antichrist? This metaphor goes buck wild if you look too far into it.

Final Thoughts

I have a love for Wicked, to the point where it is one of those formative stories for me. The music is fun and as I grew up, I realised that I empathised with more characters than I was entirely comfortable with.

If this is the first of my posts you have read, I do analysis of storytelling. This will be a series on Wicked as a whole, specifically delving into the songs and what they say about the musical's themes. Next week, I will take a look at The Wizard And I, so stick around if that interests you.

#wicked #rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #character analysis #what's so special about...?#wicked the musical #wicked musical #elphaba #the gospel of elphaba #glinda upland #elphaba thropp #wizard of oz #no one mourns the wicked

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hollow-keys · 10 months

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I am thinking about this interview with Judd Winick (the guy who made Jason Red Hood and laid the foundation for his entire modern characterization) because it's very telling with regards to the motivations for why Jason was made into a villain.

"I've said this before, but think anyone would agree that Batman is a hard character to write because we've done so much with him already. He's the most psychologically analyzed character in the entire superhero genre. Even when he makes the jump to second media stuff, it's equally about what goes on in his head as it is about his fists. So he's been explored inside and out. For me, Jason represents a whole new avenue of story in the Bat-universe, both as Batman's greatest failure who has come back to haunt him, as well as a character that is interesting to explore as an individual."

To me, this is him saying that the decision to bring Jason back as a villain was primarily to serve as a good antagonist for Bruce and keep Bruce's story fresh rather than being for Jason. Exploring this new Jason as a character in his own right was a secondary motivation. Winick's character decisions are not rooted in what best serves Jason and what makes sense for him, it's to serve Bruce.

"Yes, Jason sees what he's doing as making himself into a better Batman, the Batman that the world actually needs today.

But some of that is just Jason fooling himself. The truth is, all of it is based in the fact that Jason is just damaged and tortured and angry with Bruce. And this is a constant revenge upon him."

So, the justification for Jason being a villain is that he's traumatised. It should go without saying, but saying "this guy is evil and broken because trauma, you should write him off because trauma" is not a good way to write survivors.

"So do I understand him? I don't know. It's a scary thought that someone would have an affinity with someone who is as messed up as Jason. I do think he's wrong. I don't think he's going about justice the right way. Maybe I'm able to get inside his head a little, but thankfully he hasn't started rooting around in mine."

Winick not only views Jason as a villain but as one no one should have affinity with. He's not meant to be relatable, as above you're meant to write him off. There's no room for the idea he might have a point.

It reminds me of the leftist villain trope where they don't actually care about equality, they're just jealous or they do care but they go too far so you shouldn't listen to them.

"I also like the fact that Jason's actions aren't black and white. Sometimes he functions in that gray area, and it gives you the license to be somewhat hypocritical, because he is. I used to do that with Oliver Queen in Green Arrow, and people would go crazy, because I thought it was interesting to explore that sometimes he's a bit of a hypocrite. I find that likable about the character. And in Jason's case, he professes that he's trying to be a better Batman and he's trying to rid the world of evil, but then he's also just trying to stick it to Batman. It's very much a man-child thing going on."

If by "go crazy" you mean "hated it" then yeah, you're right. A lot of Green Arrow fans do not like Winick's run precisely because he does not understand the character and misrepresents him to make him look worse, like a hypocrite. There's a parallel between how Winick treats Ollie and how he treats Jason because in both cases he's taking pre-established characters and making them look worse because he does not respect them. He writes Jason as having very legitimate grievances with Bruce's ethics and then writes him off as a man-child. He is not approaching him in good faith.

I see Jason being a villain as a choice the writers made not because they thought it was good for the character, but for secondary reasons and then justified by villainising trauma survivors.

This is exactly why I don't take Winick's word as gospel with regards to Red Hood.

And post Winick, DC only seems to create stories where Jason is nothing but an edgy anti-hero divorced from righteous anger or strong ideology and stories where Jason has to change and throw his ideology away so he can be reincorporated back into the Batfamily. It's not great.

But that being said, I do think there's potential for Jason as Red Hood. I don't want it scrapped altogether because I would love to see a Jason who is actually trying to serve victims and help people in bad situations by both destroying what causes harm and constructing alternatives. Jason is a character with a lot of potential that I would like to see realised.

#jason todd #red hood #judd winick #dc comics #meta #📨

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blessedarethebinarybreakers · 3 months

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Due to flare ups, I’ve been thinking more about my relationship with my disabilities and my relationship with God — any good resources/book you can recommend?

Hey there, sending love and solidarity as you go through flare ups and as you explore all this <3

You came to the right place — disability theology is one of my great passions! Here are my recs for you. If anyone has more resources to add on or insights for anon, please share!

For starters...

First, you might enjoy wandering through my #disability theology tag over on my other blog, which includes excerpts from various disability theologians.

Or reading through / praying with the disability text prayers I shared here last July for Disability Pride Month, which were written by a variety of disabled folks.

Since it's Lent, Unbound's Disabling Lent: An Anti-Ableist Lenten Devotional is timely!

___

Memoirs Exploring Christian Faith & Chronic Pain / Illness

My Body and Other Crumbling Empires, Lyndsey Medford (2023)

This memoir connects faith, chronic illness (especially autoimmune disorders), and the sickness at the heart of Western Empire / the Protestant work ethic.

How can we learn to work with instead of against our bodies? How can we rebuild our world to treat all bodies with the love and gentleness they deserve? .

This Here Flesh, Cole Arthur Riley (2022)

An incredibly beautiful book, poetic and searing...explores the goodness of embodied life and intersections between disability (particularly chronic illness), Blackness, queerness, womanhood, and more.

Each chapter focuses on a different emotion (anger, joy, lament, love...) to teach us how to honor and listen to what we feel in our bodies.

CW for accounts of sexual assault and other forms of and abuse and trauma, as well as accounts of antiblack racism. .

Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've Loved, Kate Bowler (2018)

If you've been steeped in any kind of prosperity gospel, "if you pray hard enough you'll be healed" type Christianity, I highly recommend this book.

Bowler writes with gentle honesty about how her chronic pain and then cancer compelled her to move away from that kind of harmful Christianity into a faith with room for doubt, grief, and a God that holds her in her suffering.

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Disability Theology — Books, Podcasts, Videos

Disability: The Inclusive Church Resource edited by Bob Callighan (2014)

If you're interested in the perspectives of various disabled Christians, I love the range of voices they brought into this text! A great intro to how theology and church life impact disabled persons and how our churches must re-form themselves with disabled persons at the center. .

My Disabled AND Blessed YouTube series

I've got multiple YouTube videos that draw from various disability theologians!

I especially recommend my introduction to reading the Bible with a disability lens — stressing how different biblical authors hold different views around disability; so what's God's overall message? — and my video on Luke 14's parable of the banquet!

If you have questions about or struggle with the Gospels' healing narratives, I also recommend my livestream on that topic. .

My friend Laura's Autistic Liberation Theology Podcast (you can listen wherever you get podcasts)

Laura explores scripture through the lens of an autistic trans person who uses a wheelchair and has multiple chronic & mental illnesses.

I especially recommend their episode on "the Gethsemane of things," which takes an honest look at pain and where God is in our suffering. (Most of Laura's eps don't have transcripts, but I shared an abridged version of this ep on my podcast and it has a transcript)

"I am not your ornamental prophet" is also a great episode for thinking about what pressures are put on disabled persons and how to construct boundaries for yourself .

The Mad and Crip Theology Podcast

This podcast interviews the authors who are published in the Mad and Crip Theology journal, which is really cool! You can watch episodes with captions on YouTube, or listen wherever you get podcasts.

A good starter episode: this one "on Queer and Crip Sexuality and the Disabled Christ" .

Some eps of Blessed Are the Binary Breakers

While my own podcast largely centers trans perspectives, disability comes up frequently as well! Each ep has a transcript. These are the disability-focused ones:

"No End to Transphobia without Uprooting Ableism — exploring embedded forms of oppression"

"Our Pride Is Not a Sin — a Queer and Disabled Christian Lens"

"Goodness Embodied — an intersex, nonbinary first human and a disabled risen Christ"

"Marginalized Bodies as Spectacle and the good news in Jesus's disabling wounds"

"Eli and the prophet Elijah"

“Secular” books that helped shape my own theology

What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World, Sara Hendren (2020)

Fantastic book digging into recent disability history, present, and future with focus on the “misfit” theory of disability where body and world interact with each other disharmoniously, and the creativity disabled people employ to make them more harmonious .

Exile and Pride, Eli Clare (1999)

One of my favorite books of all time. Connects disability, queerness, rural life, trauma, and more. Clare is one of the originators of the concept of the “bodymind” (though he talks about that more in one of his later books)

___

Wanting even more resources? Here's my google doc with aaaaall the disability theology stuff — plus some helpful disability 101 stuff to share with loved ones!

Praying for comfort, wisdom, and community support for you as you journey! Please feel free to drop by again with any questions that come up or to share any insights you've gained any time <3

#disability theology #disabled AND blessed #disabled christians #faithfullydisabled #resources #recs #books #this reminds me i've been meaning to share more excerpts i've gathered from disability theology books...#anyone interested in that should go follow my other blog a-queer-seminarian and i'll start posting some in the coming days...

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witheredoffherwitch · 8 months

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Why do you find Alysmond compelling at all? After he's with Alys, he seems to lose all motivation. He betrays his family, and without thinking rushes after Daemon - ultimately resulting in his demise. It's strange for fans of Aemond to ship them together as it appears that Alys is the cause of Aemond's downfall.

Hi nonnie, thanks for being polite in the asks.

First of all, Aemond was spiralling long before he met Alys. He was famously declared a kinslayer - and therefore 'cursed in the eyes of both men and gods'. Aemond's actions not only jumpstarted the civil war, but also resulted in his own king to lose their heir --- AND left his queen on the brink of madness, ultimately costing their faction a skilled dragonrider. We see Aemond making it to Harrenhal only after he becomes Prince Regent... and by then much has passed - and in many ways, the claims of his role being his brother's greatest asset was somehow looking more and more dubious.

Many fans consider one of the Alysmond characters to be a 'victim,' and that may or may not be true. However, based on our observations of the show, it's unlikely that Aemond would take her by force. We can assume that Aemond is someone who has little to no interest in taking bedmates or lovers, and on top of that, we also learn that he was a victim of unwanted sexual advances when his brother took him to a brothel for his thirteenth nameday. This "we men have no taste for depravities" Aemond doesn't scream as someone who would rape or even coerce any woman into an unwanted sexual relationship. Moreover, his distaste for Aegon's proclivities further demonstrates why he initially sees his brother to be inferior or, in his own words, 'a drunken wastrel who's never taken half a interest in his birthright'. Instead, he is the only male in the Targaryen family to show any kindness and understanding towards women in his life - namely, Alicent and Helaena. Contrary to what many accuse him on this platform, Aemond's character has not once uttered any derogatory term against his half-sister. Instead, we have only seen two men using the word 'cunt' - and those two are Daemon and Criston!

Now coming to the subject of Alys - she is introduced as a bastard of House Strong. Many fans mistakenly think that all bastards are treated the same way as Jon Snow or Strong bastards. But there is little evidence to believe that Alys was 1) treated right by other members of House Strong, or 2) even considered a kin by her own blood. Bastards were considered shameful to any great house, and they served as reminders of the lords/ladies who had broken their marital vows by pursuing intimate relationships outside their marriage. It's a massive taint on their honor. In addition to that, Alys was a wet-nurse after having stillborns - and there is no evidence to suggest that she was anything more than a servant serving under House Strong. Furthermore, she was believed by many to be a witch which will not yield many positive engagements for her in this world of Westeros.

Thirdly, coming to the question of why I find them compelling - well, LOOK AT THEM! A kinslayer and his witch queen coming together to make a bloody mess in their way. These two are every gothic fan's wet dream. A bastard witch who is reviled by her own kin AND the kinslayer with a conqueror's dragon who is feared by many around him! Most Alysmond fans see these two people - who are an unlikely couple in every other sense - come together (for even a brief period) to relieve the loneliness that has plagued them both in their lives! And if we go by Aemond's characterisation in the show, the couple could be shown as two misunderstood characters who might seek solace in each other's company.. and can find a common ground as social outcasts. (This is obviously a speculation and should not be considered as a gospel truth)

Now the world of asoiaf is riddled with many problematic ships, however I would argue that Alysmond is definitely one of the tamer ones. Alys is older while Aemond is the prince, and although some say she groomed him, it should not be forgotten that in this very patriarchal world, he holds absolute power over her. Unlike his first sexual encounter, he is not only a willing partner but is believed to be the one who had initiated it. On the other hand, I have already reiterated why I believe Aemond may not be the kind to rape her; moreover, Alys is not shown as some hapless damsel without any choice -- she becomes his closest confidante, to the point that Team Black holds her accountable for leading him to his death!

At last, although you may think Aemond lost his entire purpose after meeting Alys and ended up 'betraying' his family, a lot of fans however believe that his purpose changed from beating Rhaenyra to protecting his family - which he did by standing up to Daemon. Although Aemond's death was a great setback for the Green faction, Daemon's death likewise eliminated the biggest obstacle for his family, Alys and their unborn child.

#aemond targaryen #alys rivers #alysmond #anon asks

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eirikrjs · 4 months

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UPDATE 1/3/24

Happy New Year y'all and here's a quick personal update that hopefully won't get eaten up by a connection error.

The story of the past couple months has been my grandmother being in and then out of the hospital, thus I've spent a lot of time in the hospital and emergency room visiting. But she's doing great now. 2023 seemed determined to kill my family off completely, but it didn't happen

I'm doing better. A significant improvement of recent is my gait, thanks to a new round of physical therapy. My left leg used to swing out in something of a circular motion but now it's been mostly corrected to be straighter.

The most challenging part of my recovery has been living with/depending on my evangelical MAGA mom, but I'm just gonna put it like it is: Christofascism. If you aren't already experiencing it, my fellow Americans, it's definitely coming. And the thing is, she wasn't always like this. Christian, sure, but never this extreme until she started taking every word of a certain televangelist as gospel, and wouldn't treat me well until i submitted. And yes, it's a lot of doom and gloom "Going to HELL"negativity in spite of the "boundless love of Jesus." So I'm currently law-aligned again for the second time in the past year, just to survive. It could be worse, and I can't say it's particularly difficult to do either.

My arm still hasn't seen any major improvements but I have been going to a great, expert hand and arm clinic since the end of September. I expect good things in 2024!

My ko-fi is still up for tips towards my goal of paying off my credit card & recovery expenses (only if you can afford it/I am in no danger of starving or being thrown out into the street/I currently have no income of my own, though): https://ko-fi.com/eirikr

I'm grateful for @sorenblr and for streaming knowledge to give me something to look forward to every week, and it seems like I might be doing face cam on the stream permanently now, so check that out when you have the chance. Thanks for sticking around with me!

#the stroke #streaming knowledge #megaten #shin megami tensei #jurassic park #Christofascism

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raayllum · 3 months

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I honestly can't imagine Rayla not dooming the world for Callum if the situation required it. She literally called going to dark places an "act of love."

I mean, there's a few things:

The opinions of anyone working on the show (cast, crew, etc.) are not gospel and not the default, nor do they need to be treated as the be all end all. You can disagree and that's more than gouda

People will give misleading answers and/or answers that are true in the moment (i.e. would S5 Rayla doom the world for him? Maybe not. Would S6 Rayla after some development? If the answer's yes, that's gotta stay under wraps) to avoid potential spoilers

I was actually honestly pretty surprised 1) someone asked such a direct question and 2) even more surprised that it got directly answered, since it feels like it could skirt into spoilery territory potentially for next season given the possession plot line. (I was personally gunning for a "what do you think Rayla and Claudia would think of Callum's S5 dark magic use, if they knew?")

I will admit Paula's response was, admittedly, what I've leaned to for Rayla as a whole in terms of that World vs Loved One binary. One of the things that makes Ezran and Rayla interesting to me was the uncertainty of "would they risk [insert thing here] for their immediate circle of loved ones" routinely being a "I don't know." Not that they necessarily 100% wouldn't, but just that I was genuinely 50-50 split on whether they would, or leaned towards No or Yes but could see the other way being plausible too. That uncertainty paired with the certainty I had that Callum would, and that contrast, has always been one of my favourite things about the Trio as a unit and Rayllum as a duo. It's one of the reasons that Heart vs Duty conflict for Rayla as a character has always been so compelling to me and why 4x07's introduction of the "You have to kill me" conflict was so (and is) exciting!!

But I digress.

I don't think that Rayla's letter is the best example of what I think you're trying to illustrate (I'll raise something I think that is perhaps more indicative in a moment) purely because the whole reason Rayla ultimately left was to protect the world. I've talked about this before in my "Priorities in Through the Moon" meta from ages ago, but Rayla does not go into the portal because she's primarily concerned about finding her parents. Callum researches the portal and helps recreate it and his whole side of things because he wants to help her with her parents, even being the one who brings them up when they resolve to go ahead. Rayla's concerned primarily with Viren, stating her reason for going into the portal even after finding out it requires facing water:

"Listen, Callum. Soren was worried about Viren too. Worried that we never found his body. We need to know what happened to Viren. He's a threat to the whole world! This might be the only way to be sure he's actually gone."

This is in line with how Rayla operates and references her parents in her letter to Callum, given her goodbye exchange for her parents:

Rayla: Surprised you even noticed, considering you've got more important things to do. Lain: Nothing is more important than our favourite child. Rayla: I'm your only child, and you're still leaving me behind for the Dragonguard. Tiadrin: We have to leave, Rayla. For you and for all the other Moonshadow children as well [...] This is our duty that we're doing for Xadia. For you. Someday, I hope you see that.

Just as trust and love are not necessarily synonyms to her, duty and love are not necessarily exclusives. Her parents left out of love for her and for the world, even if that meant prioritizing the world over her in the immediacy of their choice. Rayla leaves to go kill Viren out of a similar mutual desire to protect Callum, yes, but that's mostly there in the fact she left alone and didn't want him to stop her. Not necessarily that she went to hunt down Viren in and of itself, but that she went by herself ("I was trying to protect him. I knew I had to be strong alone"). Protecting the world - and a Viren-less world being one Callum would be safer in by proxy - was worth blowing up her relationships to her.

Going to dark places wasn't what she was doing just to protect Callum - that played a part, too, but her primary goal was to hunt down Viren (going to said dark place) alone and by leaving Callum behind, hence the "Stay safe, and stay in the light. Don't look for me, and don't follow me" - a sacrifice she was making on her own so that Callum wouldn't have to, but still for a collective cause that she deemed meaningful: "I have to make sure Viren never hurts anyone ever again." (Which is also why she goes after Viren again in 4x09, tbh)

That doesn't mean leaving in TTM wasn't also an errorful, self-destructive choice to leave (see like every other TTM meta I've written) but that the goals she could conceptualize was to protect the world, full stop. Anything else along the way (getting closure with her parents, protecting Callum) were extra stops and bonuses to help her have the courage to go through with it, maybe.

This is also in line with how we see Rayla treat other scenarios where it's a choice between individuals / individual relationships vs the potential to help or harm the greater good

Prioritizing the world / new mission of stopping the assassination mission > her relationship with Runaan ("This is a miracle, a chance for peace!") in 1x03

Being willing to and convincing Callum to let Ezran search for the egg under the ice in 1x06

"Then it's time to go. War's coming like the world's never seen, unless we get the wee dragon home to his mom" (2x01)

"Callum, I know you trust them, but by the time we know the truth, it'll be too late. Do you understand? We'll lose everything" (2x03)

"So please, allow him to pass into Xadia and help bring the Dragon Prince home. Because I don't think I can do it without him" (3x01)

Do I even need to specify 3x09? Or TTM?

"I hate it too, but we have to keep moving [...] We can't save everyone, Soren. There's too much at stake. I'm leaving, and you better be right behind me" (4x05)

"If I threw the coins in the lava, would it release their spirits? Or would they just be trapped in some of eternal burning agony? Let's trade. You let him go, and I'll give you the coins." "I'm not making a deal with you!" (4x09)

"I love you, and I haven't forgotten about you. But I can't help you yet. Because right now, the world needs me. Callum and Ezran need. There's a great evil trying to return to Xadia, and we have to stop it, at any cost" (5x01)

"It hurts me to know they're trapped like this. It's agonizing. But I know our mission comes first. The world is in danger, and you can trust me to stay focused" (5x04)

This is, arguably, the strongest core trait she has in common with Viren, just for the record, especially in arc 1. He's very greater good centric as well, just with the push of his own ego and thirst for power + he only considers humanity's concerns, whereas Rayla has minimal pride and arguably not enough ego, and she wants to improve situations for everybody on a collective scale post-1x02 onwards.

The exceptions to this consistent behaviour is largely 2x07 and 3x08, which I've talked about more in my Dragon Quartet meta (from Dec 2019 good god??). These are arguably two of the times, in addition to TTM in some ways, where Rayla is operating the most out of her emotional core ("My allegiance is to my heart" —Tales of Xadia) and what feels 'right' on that level. For better or for worse.

"That dragon was defenceless, and I just left there." / "So I have to stay, and defend the Dragon Queen."

I say Rayla is at her most emotional largely because in each scenario she's abandoning the mission of keeping Zym safe (and thereby her own identified "world's best hope" for peace) in favour of protecting a different individual dragon. This seems to go completely against the "mission first" if indeed, like in 1x03, Rayla can abandon one mission she's devoted herself to in favour of another one just like that [snaps fingers]. If she cares about the world first, why prioritize these individuals, neither of whom she particularly knows or personally cares about? BH also spells this out for us, since it's likewise a mirror to her offering to go up into the tower with Callum to defend Harrow even though the egg should technically be her first priority:

But to Runaan and those like your parents, love is rooted in all families, all creatures. Souls like that feel called to protect everyone as fiercely as those they hold close.

In 2x07, Rayla is at her best, if least logical, whereas in 3x08 she is at worst (until arguably S4) and likewise her least logical ("I know you feel guilty, but you're not thinking straight"). In each scenario the boys stand a Much better chance of survival and of accomplishing their mission with her from just an objective point of view (they don't know Xadia's terrain at that point and circa 2x07, neither could really be combatants in a fight since Callum didn't have a weapon or primal magic). We could slap an easy "you're being a dumbass and dooming the world" label on it and be done with it. But not only does Rayla think the boys are fully capable of completing their mission without her ("I believe in you") but 'the world' as a stake never enters her mind.

Instead, Rayla looks at each as an individual last stand where the only neck on the chopping block is ('rightfully') hers. Whether she's right or not to do so regardless of how she frames it is debatable (I personally view it as understandable, admirable, but more than a little short sighted or guilt ridden considering The Stakes), but that very much seems to be the thought process.

She's not risking the world, in her mind. All she's risking is herself.

And that's perfectly acceptable to her as a trade off. It always has been. It's one of the perfect kind of microcosms of the cognitive dissonance she lives under, where why should she care about herself when there's bigger fish to fry ("Don't worry about my hand; the egg is all that matters now") ignoring the fact that 1) she can & arguably should let herself care about two things at once and 2) she's going to be much less effective as a team member / dual wielder if she's recovering from a messy at best recent amputation.

This path of "Rayla works to save Callum because she doesn't care about what happens to herself" is admittedly probably the option I leaned towards most when it comes to Rayla in S6, even if I do wonder how it might be streamlined time / arc wise cause it does elongate her arc further. Either way, this is the route that lets her not kill Callum, working free him instead while also being able to justify trying to free him to herself, because she's not conceptualizing the Big Picture. She's narrowing it down to him and her and deciding if one of them has to get hurt in order for him to be freed, it's gonna be her.

It's not the Character Development route as I call it, but it sure is consistent.

TLDR; While I still lean towards Rayla having an ultimately positive impact (i.e. breaking Callum free from potential brainwashing) in s6, it would not surprise me at all if from her perspective it is framed as a self-sacrificial move on her end > a big picture risk to the world, even if that's how Callum may see it.

More thoughts on Rayla + the possession plotline in S6 here, here, and here.

#thanks for asking #anonymous #tdp rayla #i need you to kill me #my heart for xadia #analysis series #analysis #christ this got long #it's like. rayla's act of love is also filtered through callum's request to murder him as well #whereas viren lost sight of his love for the individual or the collective #and callum prioritizes the collective until it's his two ppl on the line #none of them are perfect avenues (altho viren's is defs the worst) but c&r are all coming from Valid Places

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papirouge · 2 months

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Radfems are sooooo frustrating sometimes because they will blithely support abortion without examining how it upholds the status quo: "oh well with abortion women won't have to stay trapped with abusive men or be tied to a man for 18 years" the problem I have with this is that this does not actually solve this issue. You know what would? Making it easier for women to escape these situations without forcing them into an abortion.

It's kind of like saying abortion helps poor women because they don't have to spend money on another child... except a lot of those women would have kept their babies if they had money and support. An abortion is not really help. You're side-stepping the issue entirely and perpetuating a lot of societal inequality for the sake of upholding abortion as an institution. It's weird and you can't talk about it without people losing their minds and saying, "um um um but what about the women who have to live now and not in the future where your perfect pro-life utopia exists?" Yeah well you could start by helping local women who are on the fence and need help NOW, today, this very moment, and not the feckless "well you made the right decision, get over it" kind of way I see from these types. I don't see a whole lot of pro-abortion advocates out there donating money or baby clothes to pregnant women in need and they fire bomb pregnancy resource centers, which do, so..... ya know

Anyway sorry for the rant, I hope you're doing well, I hope the rest of 2024 treats you kindly!

Yeah, this abusive men talking point is so wack to me because a man can turn out to be abusive AFTER having children. Should women refrain from having children altogether to avoid the possibility of being linked for 18 years+ with an abuser??

There are tons of reasons women stay with abusive male. One doesn't need a child with a man to stick with him. It's so wicked to shift the blame of female abuse onto babies to remove from them the right to exist because they MIGHT get in the way of a woman's freedom. I always said that abortion culture was the transmission of the sins of patriarchy onto innocent babies, and I stand on that ground.

Radfem will defend their anti prostitution stance by saying "if it wasn't for money, those women wouldn't do that, so prostitution is inherently coercive and wrong" and yeah they're absolutely correct for that. But when prolifers say "if it wasn't for money, a significant amount of women wouldn't abort, that's why pushing for abortion onto poor women as a solution is taking the problem by the wrong end, and glossing over a deeper issue that's the financial vulnerability of women as a class" it's a problem and HOW DARE YOU QUESTION A WOMAN'S CHOICE??!? .... that's why I can't help but roll my eyes whenever I see radfem look down on choice feminism because...honey, that's you 🥴

There's no bigger choice feminist than a radfem defending abortion LOL

Radfem mock the transcult but they embrace the exact them cultish hive mind whenever a woman remotely questions the Holy Abortion. They elevated a bunch of idols out of their cult (pro abortion merch) and like the typical fanatics, attack whoever goes against their gospel. Have you witnessed how enraged radfem are against reverts (ex radfem who either became tra or tradfem) or worse: PRO LIFER??

#thank you for your ask and sorry for being so late #feel free to rant more that's what my askbox is made for💌#first trimester of 2024 was meh but I'm slowly getting back on track #i really fee like 2036 will be my year you feel me?#answered #pro life #abortion

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coolfire333 · 4 days

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Genuinely really loving the rap/music discourse going around...let's all expand our perspectives a little but for the love of god some of you (not anyone I follow) are literally so stupid

Disclaimer: I am a little worried since it's easy to throw stones at "boring white girl music" which makes me wonder if this is just going to end up dunking on women in a veiled-sexist manner in general a la the "pumpkin spice white girls" trend that was popular a while back that basically was just making fun of women for having harmless fun under the guise that they were "basic white girls"

HOWEVER everyone in the notes of posts that are even slightly rude or poking fun at popular white musicians getting all up and arms because some (likely black) blogger poked fun at their (likely white) precious punk music or girlypop diva are really showing their ass on this one

As someone with a background in music and music history I can confidently say that nearly every popular genre in mainstream music would not exist without the innovations of black (usually American) musicians. And I think that's super neat! Ragtime, jazz, gospel, soul, r&b, blues, rock, pop, hip-hop, rap, all uniquely American genres that came largely, if not entirely, from the ideas of black Americans.

I'm undoubtedly missing some genres (I'm a bit old-school at heart so I don't know what's trendy now or where exactly it came from) but if you're American and on this website, doesn't that give you a form of national pride? That all those years ago people from your country were able to create new musical styles that have, for the most part, persisted and spread around the world? Honestly it brings a tear to my eye sometimes listening to old music and realizing how impactful it was on modern music genres.

Instead of going "ewww I don't like xyz" why not ask a fan of that kind of music why they like it and maybe what recommendations they have for someone who doesn't listen to that genre. And if you really don't gel with a genre for whatever reason, at least treat it respectfully and recognize its impact on the genres of music you do listen to.

"Ohhh but rap is just sex, drugs, and violence," I hear some of you saying. Well, keep in mind that that same critique has been used for pop, rock, jazz, ragtime, and pretty much every other "new" (keyword "black-influenced") art form so you really want to be careful labelling an entire genre as that. Controversy sells, so think about why exactly "mindless" rap might be the rap you're exposed to or most familiar with from the radio instead of more serious or contemplative rap songs.

Also realize that the songs you like probably also discuss drugs, sex, and violence, but perhaps less directly or in a way that's somehow more tolerable for you. Explore why! Why is it ok for (insert genre you like here) to talk about mature or "dark" themes but when rap does it it's suddenly offensive to you.

It's ok to have biases and be working on them! Also, if someone is trying to criticize a group you're part of for being biased, and they're trying to do it respectfully and seriously, don't joke around like "oh LOL that's so me" and don't get overly defensive either. Be serious and respectful back and genuinely listen to what they're saying.

Literally just don't be a jerk to music and art of marginalized communities! Is it really that hard to have respect for other people even if you don't 100% understand the culture from your perspective?

#serious #text post #talking #music #long post

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creature-wizard · 1 year

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The Law of Assumption: Where It Might Be Useful, & Where It Definitely Isn't

So, exactly what people think the Law of Assumption can do varies. I want to make it clear that I'm not claiming that everyone who believes in the Law of Assumption thinks that it can do literally everything I'm going to talk about in this post. Some definitely do. Not all, but some. And those some are enough to justify making this post.

So, I think that Law of Assumption has some amount of merit. For example, if you assume that everyone you meet will judge you and hate you, you're going to behave in a more defensive manner around people, which most of them will interpret as hostile. But if you assume that people will like you, you're more likely to act in a friendlier way, which will generally make a better impression.

If you assume that you just can't learn new topics or new skills, you probably won't even try; or if you do try, you probably won't put in much of an effort. But if you assume that you can learn, you'll be more likely to make a real effort and get somewhere with it.

If you try to manifest a certain item into your life, you are almost certainly priming your subconscious mind to be on the lookout for it. If you affirm to yourself that you own pretty dresses, it's inevitable that you'll be looking out for pretty dresses to buy. You might also communicate to your friends that you'd like one, whether you mention it or put pictures of them on a board they can see; and maybe they buy one for you.

I personally try to live by the assumption that every problem has a solution, because it encourages me to keep on trying where I might otherwise give up. This has worked very well for me most of the time.

I would like to think that one could use the Law of Assumption in a more magical context, but since I cannot definitively provide any evidence that this is indeed possible, I'm not even going to address it. I am also not going to address fundamentally unprovable claims that higher powers decide when, where, and if your desires will manifest. Instead, I'm going to move on to some of the big whopping absurdities that some people are pushing as gospel truth.

First is the claim that literally everything in your life is determined by your expectations, including the way your own parents treat you. To suggest that a child is somehow responsible for their parents abusing them is utterly absurd - do not the parents have minds and wills of their own? Are their choices not, in fact, their own? Or are we supposed to believe that literal babies are somehow born with the expectation of being hurt by their parents?

This belief also implies that literally every oppressed and exploited group of people were somehow responsible for their own exploitation and oppression, and that the people doing the exploiting and oppression had no real agency or choice in the matter.

Conversely, it also implies that hateful stereotypes about oppressed and exploited groups of people must be true, because it's how the more privileged members of society expect them to behave.

Also, can anyone truly say that life always played out exactly as they expected it to? Have you never been surprised by a plot twist? Have you never said something that didn't come off the way you thought it would? Have you never been in a vehicle that unexpectedly got a flat tire? Never had the waitstaff at a restaurant mix up your order with someone else's? Never gotten the wrong item in the mail? Have you never, ever had a day that just went totally off the rails due to an unexpected twist? Never had anything happen that you didn't expect?

Secondly, some people are claiming that you can manifest things literally out of thin air. Like literally "assume there's a million dollars sitting in your closet and it will manifest there." Claims like this effectively deny that the physical world has any sort of stable ontology, which is absolute head-up-ass territory - this is the kind of thing that pretty much always comes from cult leaders and scam artists, and those naive enough to repeat their message without properly testing it out first.

Third, some people are effectively claiming that other people aren't even real by making claims as grandiose as "if England exists in your reality, it's because you've manifested it." This implies that literally every person who lives and ever lived in England isn't even a real person, but rather a construct of your imagination. This sort of solipsistic worldview is inherently dehumanizing.

Furthermore, this worldview denies and minimizes the reality of ongoing violence against real people by proposing that if believe that things like human trafficking and labor exploitation aren't happening, then they simply don't exist in your reality. Nestle isn't abusing workers and taking water from people because you've simply decided it's not happening.

If you're this far gone I don't think there's really any way to reason with you. If not, I hope you can see where this kind of mentality is absolutely depraved. To think that ongoing abuses of human rights are a problem that you made up, and that you can merely assume them away, is egocentric in the extreme.

Fourth, you've got people who are basically in faith healing territory, and faith healing doesn't exactly have a great record of success. Search up "faith healing scams" sometime. Understand that if the Law of Assumption worked in the extremes some people are claiming, faith healing would have a far better success rate because those that sought it did so assuming it would work.

So, these are some of my present thoughts on the Law of Assumption. Is there a demonstrable amount of usefulness in the practice? I do think so. However, there are also people who are taking the whole thing dangerously far, and we can't pretend otherwise.

#law of assumption #loa #manifestation #witchblr #witchcraft

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nerdyenby · 9 months

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Orange time :D I’m watching Jojo

TOASTER!!!!!! :DD

Jojo wanting to get Pearl her first win <33

Watching people study ace race is such an experience

Owen be well rested, well fed, and well moisturized and Jojo just being… fine… lol

Jojo’s comms are so iconic and for what

Wait I didn’t realize Owen was pg lmao

This team’s sot is going to be legendary

“I will do anything for everyone” my streamer’s a team player <33

Stupid bodies trying to keep us alive, smh

AIMSEY!!!!! :D

Nooooo Olliegamerz D:

This team top three EASILY come on guys

“Jojo, how would you describe me as a sandkeeper” best in the business baby!!!!

Pocket sand???? Omg genloss reference 👀 /hj

Nooooo purpled D:

It’s so fun seeing so many contestants just coincidentally fighting to the death in water fight

“Turns out all you had to do to make skybattle my favorite game is remove fall damage, remove armor, and remove swords” “-and give everyone guns” “and give everyone guns!!”

“Orange is my name, orange is my game. Get your daily dose of vitamin C”

WHERE ARE YOUR PRONOUNS AIMSEY /j /lh

“Say that I’m giving birth because I am pushing” AIMEEEEE 😭😭😭

“They ‘said what are you wearing’” “Do you want me to kill them?” Jojo that one meme fr

Jojo being ready and willing to kill transphobes is so ally of her

Did Jojo just get two aces back to back??????? And not even bat an eye???? Queen shit

Pearl accidental igl arc, everyone listening to everyone she says as gospel, as they should

This team is so <33333

Aimsey being so excited that they still have their crown is so <3

“I’ve just won, I’ve had one glass on wine, I’m with Pearl, I’m having a beautiful time today” Aimsey’s living xeir best life!!

It’s the smallest thing, but Owen using “they” for Aimsey when he’s not in the call can be something so personal

They’re so funny and for what

“MCC reminds me that time is always passing” SAME

Rocket Spleef

The vocal stimming is strong with this one

Freinds who lose together stay together ig 😂

Owen popping off!!!

False appreciation hour :))

Hole in the Wall

Their comms are so good!!!

These walls do feel trickier but it might just be the map, idk

Aimsey’s popping off!! 4th!!!!!!

This team is so well balanced, they’re wild

Skybattle

I love this team so much, they’re simultaneously chill and stressed but like in a fun way

That border is so fast what

JOJO OH MY GOSH!!!!! /pos

Aimsey is such a good hypeman :))

TWELVE KILLLLLLLSSSSSSS

Can’t believe she’s the only person ever <333

Jojo and Ran <333

Meltdown

Pearl taking charge my beloved :))

“Pearl, you’re my hero” so true Jojo!!!

Aimsey going absolutely wild!!!!

I figured it out!!!! This team is super good at listening to each other, they keep comms clear while having good banter. The respect they have for each other both as players and as people is so evident in how they talk to and treat each other and it’s just so <333

Omg that was so silly of them

“That was kinda funny” “It was kinda funny” so true!!!

Aimsey is so freaking funny and for what, their humor is so under appreciated

THATS MY TEAM!!!!! LOOK AT THEM GO!!!!!!!

“I feel very safe in Pearl’s guidance” Owen’s so real for that, honestly

Jojo’s screams when Aimsey fell were so /pos

Them shouting at Jojo to go in without them

“All my friends are dead 😢” lol

OWEN AND PEARL!!!!!!

Them hyping each other up and being so happy for each other up means everything

“I’m gonna go kiss my girlfriend, be right back” “okay, alright, go brag about it” they’re everything, actually

Jojo thanking Pearl for being igl and telling her how good a job she did <333

This team is just so soft and encouraging and trusting, I love them so much you guys

Aimsey truly is the swiftie of all time

Battle Box

Strategy time :))

Jojo getting hard targeted rip

Good round against purple there!!!

This map is very rough, even when watching teams that are doing well it still feels bad a lot of the time

Double trouble is over now, it can’t hurt you anymore

“I’m so close to writing a twitlonger about that map” Aimsey my beloved lmao

“If we skip sands of time I’m babyraging, I’m saying this now” “Babyraging? I’m full on raging, I don’t even care” my streamers are so based

Ace Race

I love Aimsey so much you guys

Jojo and Owen top 3 and 4?!?!!!!!

First and second?!!??!!! Orange 33 supremacy!!!!!!!

Pearl’s little giggle at Owen’s pun killed me actually /pos

Pete appreciation hour <333

“ASSHOL- I mean… butthole” nice save

That exact tie is wild tho

“Bottom ten” “or: top thirty” Owen my beloved

Aimsey popping off!!! Don’t be hard on yourself king, you’re killing it <33

“The M in MCC stands for misogynist” Aimsey is the funniest person on the planet actually

Grid Runners

Best game time :))

Owen being so excited to learn new minecraft mechanics is so /pos

They’re so smooth with it!!!!

This run is a piece of art holy crap

That redstone room kinda got them but they figured it out really well considering I don’t think any of them are super familiar with redstone

Oh my gosh their running commentary of the score breakdown was so freaking funny

Punctuation matters lmao

“Hold on, I’m just gonna- dear Taylor Swift, please may we play sands of time today, amen” AIMSEY

Sands of Time

Owen, hon, it’s eleven and it does not matter /lh

Aimsey is such a good sandkeeper you guys

Incredible comms, amazing vibes, I love them so much

“No worries… a little bit worried, but it’s ok” I love Owen

NOOOOOOOOO SO CLOSEEEEEE

They did so good tho ;-;

Pearl 21st individual!!! That’s my girl!!!!

Owen and Pearl synchronized reassurance <333

Dodgebolt

“All the glory, none of the pressure” so true Owen

“We consistently defied expectations” MCC Reddit is sexist as hell, I predicted y’all third because I’m always right and have never been wrong ever /hj

“I don’t know who I need to bribe to get Aimsey as a sandkeeper again but I would- I would sell my house” OWEN BASED

Aimsey getting the appreciation they deserve 💗💕💗💗💕💕💗💕💗💗💕💗💗

I entirely thought Aimsey said captain crunch lmao

Ok I don’t like Sapnap for several reasons (rancid vibes, toxic as hell, bffs with a racist and a groomer) and I’m not a fan of Punz either but Ponk being the first Black player to win MCC is huge and also disgusting that it’s taken 33 events, so happy for them and Gumi too <3

This team was amazing, I love them so much

Pearl I love you so much, please be kind to yourself, you’re incredible and don’t be hard on yourself <333

Oli and Jojo are everything, actually

“I want proof of one person who put you guys low” “Callum put us in 8th!!” “Callum is stupid, bro!!!!” Cpk slander is never not funny to me, I love that guy but he’s a fool /pos

#mc championship #mcc 33 #jojosolos #aimseytv #owengejuicetv #pearlescentmoon #nerdy’s mcc reactions #cw caps #cw swearing

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scaryinclusive · 5 months

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i know this seems lengthy, but please give it a read! this blog has one goal in mind - to make tumblr a safer space for the 'scary' side of neurodivergence. for some, this might act as a resource blog, for others it might be inflammatory and for hopefully the majority a place of safety and respect. i will be exploring and discussing the mental health disorders and conditions that don't fit into society's 'acceptable and appropriate' boxes, the ones that can't so easily be romanticised or that are too often fetishised, that face extensive, harmful and isolating stigma and ableism and that often suffer tremendously at the hands of misplaced blame and unaddressed trauma.

please approach this blog with an open mind and show the same respect you'd want to receive. i know it's easy to forget we're all people behind a screen but we are. anon is off, because i want to avoid hate speech where possible. this is for all corners of tumblr, including the roleplay community. i appreciate some of the things you might see may make you feel invalidated or might trigger you, but be patient and try to remain unbiased. at no point do i want or intend to offend or criticise you. if anything does, let me know and we can talk about it.

i personally face the daily stigma and ableism that comes with my own mental health - such as narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. i'm not about to make a list, but as someone that's experienced and witnessed this stigma and ableism an unbearable amount within the roleplay community and tumblr generally, as well as outside of my own home in the real world ( because as much as some would like to argue that being 'chronically online' is the root cause of facing mental health ableism, it isn't. ) i am as vulnerable and exposed to it offline as i am online. i do not condone generalising mental health and will treat every disorder and condition mentioned as a spectrum.

i am not the gospel, i am not the know all, but i've reached a place where i can't sit by and say nothing anymore while strangers demonise and villainise people like me without a second thought. often while insisting on receiving empathy, kindness, respect and compassion from those around them. mental health support doesn't stop at depression and anxiety. if you want to call yourself a supporter, and certainly if you want to use the title of 'empath', do the right thing and support everyone - yes, even society's 'scary' illnesses.

this starts with things such as altering your vocabulary. i'm not telling you to tip-toe around every word, but every word on that list holds weight and impacts those around you. it's very telling if this doesn't matter to you. be mindful that everyone deserves a safe support system, and everyone deserves compassion - even if they're not capable of reciprocating it themselves. everyone deserves to feel welcome. you can't expect individuals exhibiting harmful or negative behaviours, due to a background of trauma forcing them to develop in a specific way to survive, to seek help and healing while continuing to demonise and villainise them. this only serves to make us hide, bottling everything up until we can no longer cope, because we feel therapists are compromised by stigma and no one will be supportive or sympathetic to our situation. we cannot heal, despite ableists demanding it from us, because of them creating harmful media, stories, characters, assumptions and lies about us. this costs lives.

please note this isn't written in accusatory tone. nobody is perfect. i, myself, have experienced internalised ableism - due to society teaching me to project my own confusion, frustration, trauma and discomfort onto others instead of picking it apart, breaking it down and accepting myself. this is also frequent within the community, where individuals have been brainwashed to believe there's something 'wrong' with them, that they require 'fixing', dooming them to fail. that the only way to heal is to contribute to the ableism and stigma, to label themselves as evil and accept what a nuisance they are to society. it's just not true, and i refuse to believe we can't facilitate spaces for these 'scary' individuals, myself included, to heal and take responsibility in a positive way that benefits everyone, where blame isn't misplaced and trauma doesn't go undervalued. where people can learn that we're not so scary, but vastly misunderstood and misrepresented.

this blog does not support the ideology of 'narcissistic abuse', nor the placing of any disorder in front of 'abuse'. this is ableism. please read this short, non-accusatory, self-helping article to understand why. this is also another article, written by a professional, to help understand. emotional abuse, or just 'abuse' is adequate enough; i do not condone the besmirching and generalisation of an entire community in favour of misplaced and unaddressed trauma. hopefully you'll give this blog a chance, maybe even help me add to it. if not? that's okay. i'm not here to tell you what you can and can't do, but if you decide to follow the resources posted here i can promise that you'll be helping make a corner of the world safer for us. change really does start with you. and if you're asking why bother? does it even matter? read this post again.

#mental health awareness #npd safe #aspd safe #actually cluster b #actuallynpd #actuallyaspd #actuallyautistic #i cant tag every condition but know ur all welcome here :)

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