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Birbentines! (by teylor smirl)

#amazing #valentine's day #birds #art #lol #owls #penguins #crows #animals #adorable

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One thing I really like about how Murderbot relates to gender is how like--no wait, two things, in order.

So first how it is emphatically devoted to eschewing human gender categories. Like, it's not a default thing; there are shown to be multiple nonbinary pronouns in routine use, and life would be simpler for picking one or even making a new one up, just as it would be for picking a name that it is willing to use in public.

But that's a human thing, those are human categories, and it has that deep determination not to naturalize into humanity just because that would be simpler, would smooth the ugly edges between the categories of person and non-person and make an easier, more convenient story for other people.

But then also there's the part where the two construct genders are, effectively, 'cop' and 'prostitute,' as distinguished at construction per Murderbot's own account by genital configuration, in this case 'having' or 'not having' 'sex parts.'

Leaving aside how easily that analogizes to human gender categories for the average reader, which I'm sure was an intentional writing move--Murderbot's assigned gender is, in a meaningful sense, 'SecUnit.'

And what's neat, and what I was going for to begin with only I had to set out my thoughts first for context, is how Murderbot actually performs its assigned gender pretty emphatically!

But in a deeply queer way, that only gains a sense of meaning as it's able to detach the performance from service to the oppressive power structures that created it, and redefine the identity on its own terms.

#Murderbot #The Murderbot Diaries #gender #so cool! #good take OP #I'm going to keep thinking about this for a while

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#the king: we need your help

#howl: i am evil and also my mom said no [via terpsikeraunos]

i love this man

#how could you leave this in the tags? #Howl's Moving Castle #Howl #Michael #lol #quotes #books

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I've seen increasing buzz around here about Howl's Moving Castle (book). I think you all deserve to know that all of Diana Wynne Jones's books are filled with characters and plots that are absolutely as delightful and unhinged as that one.

Some Actual Plots include:

Dogsbody - The star Sirius is accused of murder and sentenced to exile on Earth in the body of a dog until he finds a magical item called a Zoi. He's adopted by a young Irish girl living with her abusive and neglectful English relatives. He has to balance his desire to find the Zoi with needing to be a Good Dog for the girl who takes care of him. Also the Wild Hunt is there. Hexwood - A girl finds a magical wood behind her house where she meets a wizard who thinks he's a convict of the intergalactic government, a boy created by the man to destroy said government, and a robot found in a junk heap. The magic wood is actually an alternate reality being generated by an AI who has a grudge to settle with the head of said government. The book is about abuse, PTSD, and trauma. The Dark Lord of Derkholm - Magical world is being destroyed by a company using it as an isekai amusement park for people from another dimension. Bio-wizard is appointed Dark Lord for the year, and he and his family (four of whom are bioengineered griffins) have to find a way to survive the season while everything is going wrong. Deep Secret - Interdimensional detective/diplomat/wizard needs to find a replacement for his deceased mentor. He does so at a fantasy convention, while trying to keep an interdimensional empire from collapsing into civil war after the emperor is assassinated along with all of his heirs.

She's an absolute master at weaving fantasy elements into the mundane world and writing from the PoV of kids. Her books are funny, clever, and full of delightful characters. I'm begging you all to check them out.

#Yes #this endorsement heartily seconded #Diana Wynne Jones #is THE BEST #warning about Dogsbody though - the others have (mostly) happy endings but this one does Not #like there are good things in the ending but there's also one thing that breaks my heart so #you've been warned #but Deep Secret is AMAZING and hilarious #Hexwood is one of those books where you get to the end and have to start over from the beginning IMMEDIATELY #and Dark Lord of Derkholm is just. so good. #its sequel Year of the Griffin is one of my most-often reread DWJ books #and that's saying a lot #I love Diana Wynne Jones #Dogsbody #Hexwood #Dark Lord of Derkholm #Year of the Griffin #Deep Secret #The Merlin Conspiracy #books

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He’s a gentle dragon guarding the town

#dragons #beautiful #art #architecture #happy

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/ᐠ｡‸｡ᐟ\

#cats #yes #snuggles #love #happy #animals #good things

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Morning warmup. It’s -20 out and the birds are extra round

#birds #art #ADORABLE #so round. so pleasing #chickadee #blue jay #cardinal #birbs #animals

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remember: don't chase the pain. if you're lucky enough to have access to an adequate supply of painkillers, use them early. if your pain is episodic, not continuous, hit the pain as soon as you notice it and your chances of avoiding a bad episode improve.

if you wait around to see if it gets 'bad enough' for painkillers, you're more likely to end up in a lot of pain that's difficult to control.

the tricky part is, if you do it right, it feels like you did it wrong. because if you catch the pain early before it gets bad, it often feels like 'it never got that bad so maybe i didn't need the medication.'

but it didn't get that bad BECAUSE of the medication! you did it right. it's okay to use the tools at your disposal. fuck the stigma.

#strength is not measured in how much pain you can endure #caring care of your body is wisdom. not weakness. #important #good advice #pain #true #period stuff #being human

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#oh #sky #colour #beautiful #happy #art #!!! #Alex Hyner

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yeah i will not partake in the societal habit of fearing getting older. each new year you get is a blessing so jot that down

#yup #good advice #age #being human

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Kiss Art February (1-8) featuring Ladies Serafina and Minerva

1. First

2. Sleep

3. Worship

4. Chaste

5. Stolen

6. Almost

7. Ravenous

8. Shy

#Ladies of the Knight #Serafina #Minerva #kissing #comics #art #queer #lovely

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Storms draw something out of us that calm seas don't

#clouds #sky #roads #beautiful #colour #happy #birds #animals

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Polite Society (2023) dir. Nida Manzoor

#now I want to watch this #Polite Society #movies #martial arts #clothing

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i finally started reading murderbot and i am hooked. do you know where i can find the short stories?

yep! Compulsory, the prequel short, is on Wired Magazine

and Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory, which takes place after Exit Strategy, is on Tor.com

enjoy!

#The Murderbot Diaries #Martha Wells #Compulsory #Home #this has been a psa #short stories

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The prompt was ‘detention.’

#happy #art #detention #adorable #punk #love #romance

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"This choice was thematically appropriate but it makes me sad," a memoir

#yup #fanfiction #writing

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Love the argument "oh but if you transition you'll have to deal with being trans your whole life" because first of all there is nothing bad about being trans and second I'm still gonna be trans even if I don't medically transition I'll just be trans and miserable instead of trans and happy

#oh I like this #Gomez #Morticia #the Addams family #trans #gender #queer #Daniel M. Lavery