#how about you fucking learn some goddamned nuance??

[vinecoveredgarden]

Unfriendly Reminder

This blog is violently in support of Women's Rights, Queer Rights, TransID Identities, Plural Rights, Para Rights, and any other fucking person's right to exist in a way that makes them comfortable, fulfilled, and happy.

If you cannot understand the simplest concept of Do No Harm, fuck. off.

#foaming at the mouth #no there is NOT ever an excuse to comment about a woman's body unsolicited #no it is NOT okay to throw queer people under the bus for your benefit #(or POC) #and before some fucking dipshit comes in like 'ummm what about (pro-c/transharmful/someotherbullshit)??' #go fuck yourself how about that #how about you fucking learn some goddamned nuance?? #huh?? #what about that?? #do not fuck children do not fuck animals do not fuck people who do not wanna be fucked #boom now FUCK OFF #(this blog supports transharmfuls I'm just so fucking tired) #(what a horrible fucking conversation that was) #vent post #rant post

[ltleflrt]

This whole backlash against printing fics irks the fuck out of me, and I got some shit to say about it. Mostly "Fuck You" but here's some nuance:

On the surface, I understand where the naysayers are coming from. It's a legitimate fear that making a profit from fanworks will bring down the C&D Hammer on fandom. I get that. Do not put on the One Ring, or you'll risk the Eye of Sauron.

But here's the thing. Fuck capitalism. Fuck digital only. We're living in the digital dark ages, and 100 years from now huge swathes of our history, fact and fiction, will be lost to our descendants because there will be no physical copies of our lives for them to find in old libraries and boxes in the attic, etc.

Creators deserve physical copies of their creations, and so do the other people in the world who love them.

I don't want to profit from letting people print my fics. That's why I use Lulu, since they have an option to set zero profit and make the links hidden so only fans in the know can get a copy. Other printing sites I've looked at in the past don't have those options. In fact, the first time I ever even thought about printing one of my stories was when I won NaNo for the first time and one of the prizes was a coupon for 3 free printings of your story. HELL YEAH, that's a copy for me, a copy for my beta, and a copy for the artist who made the cover for me. Perfect! But I ended up not using that coupon, because the site required I set a profit margin, and did not have an option to make it private. Ummm, no thanks. Not worth the risk. And even though the profit margin could be set as low as ten cents, I did not want to make ANY money from my fic, because I know that would be breaking Fair Use rules. I found Lulu instead, and decided to let other people get copies too, because I'm nice. And if I don't, it's not like I can stop them from doing it themselves, no matter how much I'd rather they not do that.

But that's not good enough for the Reporting Trolls. Their argument is that it's not possible for it to be completely profit free, since Lulu makes a profit on the printing costs and the shipping carriers make a profit off the shipping costs. Someone is making a profit, and that's unacceptable, even if that someone is not Me, The Person Who Made The Printing and Shipping Worth Paying For.

I would like anyone who thinks that to delete your accounts where you read fanfiction. AO3, Wattpad, FFNet, LJ, Dreamwidth, hell even Tumblr for the short ficlet stuff that only gets posted here. Because even if the website it self isn't profiting, (AO3 for example), the companies that sold them their server hardware made a profit. Since utilities are privatized, the electric company that runs those servers are making a profit. IF YOU PRINT IT ON YOUR PRINTER AND PUT IT IN A 3 RING BINDER, the paper, printer, and ink manufacturers made a profit from your dinky little print out. The companies that build all the parts for your computer or your smartphone made a profit on your portal to the internet, who profits from your monthly subscription, just like your electric company profits from the power it takes to run your pc or charge your phone battery. IT'S A SLIPPERY FUCKING SLOPE, AND YOU NEED TO LEARN WHEN TO BACK AWAY FROM THE LEDGE.

We live in a Capitalist Hellscape, and if a company could figure out how to charge you to breathe and for every single beat of your heart, they'd fucking do it. So get off your goddamn high horses with this "wELL SoMEonE iS makINg PrOFit" bullshit. Or if you truly believe that, shut off every account you own, turn off your utilities, and go live in the woods and make up your own goddamn stories, which you can only share orally to the local wildlife. They give kudos by biting you and giving you rabies.

(not to mention; these assholes don't go after fanartists who are ABSOLUTELY making a profit off their work. but noooo, Flirty can't format a fic for print and allow other people to pay for the printing service and shipping, while never seeing a penny of that herself, despite all of the GODDAMN WORK I HAVE PUT INTO IT, WRITING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE INCLUDED FUCK YOU VERY MUCH. fuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufucky--)

#ltleramblings #printed fic

[brothermoth]

Some of y'all are grown ass fucking adults who didn't pay attention in English class and make it OUR problem now. No, somebody is not a bad person for liking a villain character. Human morality is not black and white like that, and all you are doing is stripping writers of our chance to make you think for once in your goddamn life. Antagonists play a role more than antagonizing. They're meant to tell you something about yourself, about the world, about relationships.

Just because I think a character is interesting will never ever mean I condone or agree with the things they do. It's fiction, in real life I would despise them, but because they're not real I can toy with them in Google docs like a little puppet. This is not the 1600s anymore where you're terrified to make one wrong move lest you be sent straight to hell do not pass go do not collect 200 dollars.

If you're going to be an avid consumer of media, at least learn how to analyze it. Don't be reactionary xitter users, please?

--this is about red dead redemption I'm sorry--

BUT Micah is a bad person. We all agree. We shan't defend the things he does or believes because despite being unfortunately average opinions of the time, his actions do little but hurt the people around him.

YET he's just some guy, at the end of the day. He's a reflection of Arthur, of who he could potentially have been if his father hadn't been hanged and had kept him around. Arthur has the same potential to be Micah as Micah has to be Arthur. Hell, his brother left and started a family, he could've done so as well. The game is about choice. It's about actively choosing to do the right thing, even if the right thing is a bit questionable sometimes. You cannot in good faith aim your staunch moral opinions toward this game. You miss so much nuance and important conversation that the writers wanted you to have. Arthur isn't some golden retriever good boy, he's done terrible things and acknowledges that. He beat a man with a terminal illness to death over like thirty bucks, and he thought nothing of it until he got sick himself. Arthur had his chances to leave too, but he dug his heels in the same as Micah did, he refused to take that opportunity and resigned himself to being a violent arm of the gang.

Kill the puritan worms in your brains guys. Please. Use the thinking meat, that's what it's there for.

#red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #micah bell #You thought it was a lesson but it's about Micah Bell again

[c0l0re]

I think people need to be reminded that media literacy is an actual, extremely important thing and not just a fancy buzzword people throw around to look smart.

Media literacy is completely and unarguably absolutely vital in order for you to engage with media at all, not just extremely complex ones, and I am being dead serious. You cannot constantly refuse to actually think about something. You cannot refuse to read between the lines. You cannot refuse to actually use your brain when interacting with media, especially it actually is based around nuance and dark/uncomfortable topics.

You can't make everything black and white, and you can't refuse to ever thoughtfully engage with anything. Not only does it make you immature, but it also makes you extremely easy to manipulate. No one, and I mean NO ONE is immune to propaganda, but it is especially dangerous for people who can't even recognize that what they're seeing is propaganda in the first place. This is not a debate. If you cannot understand basic media literacy and analysis, then you are even more vulnerable to getting swept up in some really sinister shit because you simply couldn't recognize the red flags and took everything at face value, or deliberately refused to actually think about any other possible implications.

People who refuse to learn media literacy and understand why certain pieces of art exist and are important are a massive reason for things like book bannings. Why do you think books like Lolita are still so controversial and still has so many people insisting that it romanticizes child sexual abuse? It's because they refuse to actually read the fucking book and really think about what it's trying to say, and how it's saying it.

Or if you want a more online example, why do you think fandoms for really heavy and mature pieces of media still have people that refuse to acknowledge and talk about the actual media and its messages, metaphors, etc? Why do you think so many people grossly misinterpret and misrepresent characters and stories that have any amount of nuance or development? They refuse to accept that media is not, nor should it always be "easily digestible" or "comfortable"

Believe it or not, sometimes art is SUPPOSED to make you uncomfortable. Sometimes art is SUPPOSED to make you rethink yourself and your own ideologies and world views. Sometimes art is SUPPOSED to have a message in the story it tells, and that message needs to be analyzed and talked about in an actually meaningful and mature way.

You don't get to just ignore the entire point of more heavy and mature media just because it's uncomfortable for you, or because "you just aren't good at media literacy" or because "all you know is your little blorbos" or whatever the fuck. You do not get to sweep meaningful and extremely valuable stories aside and ignore everything about them other than makes you comfortable.

And don't even try to say "But that's what fandom does, that's to be expected!" because that is not the winning defense that you think it is. Tell me, do you truly believe that it's good, constructive, and healthy to have massive groups of people all sharing the same incorrect and potentially harmful information and incorrect readings of something that is meant to have a real point and message? Do you really think that it's a good thing that people are refusing to read into heavier and more mature works just because "They're too silly for media analysis uwu"? Do you genuinely believe that that sort of space is going to lead to anything good? "It's just how fandom is!" is not an excuse for you to refuse to use your goddamn brain and actually think critically about a piece of media for once.

If you don't want to talk and think about such heavy stuff, then find a different piece of media. Find something that's more to your tastes than bastardizing and spreading misinformation about something that is supposed to be layered, nuanced, and yes, even uncomfortable. Don't come into a community for a piece of media that is mature and nuanced and get pissy when people are discussing that media in a mature and nuanced way. Take a second to think that maybe you aren't the person that this media is for, actually.

Don't be surprised when people get annoyed with you for refusing to actually use your brain when engaging with something. Don't be surprised when people tell you that it's not funny or cute that you don't understand the basics of metaphors, symbolism, or allegories. Don't be surprised when people tell you that a piece of media is not for you because you refuse to actually appreciate and respect it for what it actually is, and instead turn it into something completely different.

Sometimes there is a reason that the curtains are blue, and you're gonna have to learn to accept that. The world isn't black and white, and neither is the art that people make.

Don't get mad at other people for actually acknowledging that and talking about it.

#media literacy #media analysis #textual analysis #fandom #colore speaks

[bloodpen-to-paper]

PSA regarding cultural exchange and internet culture. Its a rant but its something that needs to be said

I'm already seeing the Qsmp admins calling for understanding and patience with the announcement of the Korean CCs that will be joining, and it frustrates the hell out of me that any of it needs to be said because people on the internet are so poisoned by cancel culture that this opportunity to engage with Korean culture is beginning with stress.

Its an issue that extends far past this server unfortunately, the modern standard for morality on the internet is insanely unrealistic and honestly very anti-human. So many people, most people actually, do problematic things in life and make mistakes, which is completely normal. Its how we are and how we're supposed to be, its how we learn and grow. But having someone get dogpiled/harassed online and potentially even risk losing a career for saying or doing something vaguely problematic that they should be encouraged to learn from is so incredibly harmful and makes the online place more toxic than communal.

There's a legitimate line to draw between something we should encourage someone to reflect upon and a genuinely irredeemable act, and if you can't tell the difference you then shouldn't be speaking about it online. To all the people who dramatize an easily fixable situation, you're part of the problem of people not knowing how the fuck to act when there's miscommunication, differences of opinion or people doing/having done something problematic but not ill-intentioned. Genuinely good people are being either pressured off the online space or terrified to ever make a mistake because people who don't touch enough goddamn grass are so drama-addicted that they make a situation negative when it literally never needed to be. You're toxic and you're making everyone else toxic, the problem is not the person who accidentally said something offensive in ignorance but is willing to learn from that, nor the person who misunderstood a situation and could be convinced to reflect on their actions, the problem is you, adding unnecessary fuel to the fire and blowing shit out of proportion when it could be resolved so much easier. If you're someone who does this, I hate to sound like a boomer but holy shit you should be ashamed of yourself. There's enough bad in the world as is, stop posting and do better.

And here's the funny part, and I don't care how many people this pisses off: current online cancel culture is xenophobic as fuck. People in different cultures have different ways of life, and though that doesn't necessarily excuse some of what goes on in other nations, the current standard for "dealing" with culture clashing takes no account to how someone's culture can make them act differently than you, and they shouldn't be demonized for it even if some of what they do isn't the best. People from multi-ethnic backgrounds, especially children of immigrants, understand that some of our parents say the most cancellable shit imaginable but are still good people at heart. Strangers online wouldn't understand that at all, and their need to complain about everything online with such hostility and lack of nuance would and is doing the exact opposite of what it should be doing; instead of getting people to see different perspectives and learn why their behavior can be harmful to others, thus encouraging them to do better, online witch hunting either drives them away from wanting to interact with anyone, and/or actively pushes them further down problematic avenues where they aren't demonized for harmful behavior.

I am so sick and tired of everything thinking cancel culture is normal, because it is so incredibly not. Its exhausting seeing the same thing play out over and over as someone who's actually interacted with people of different ages, gender and ethnicities, and who knows what these people are like in their hearts, while also knowing the internet would eat them alive without a second thought to who they are or why they act the way they do.

People say and do problematic things, it doesn't mean they're bad people. It means they're human. I encourage everyone to remember that.

#psa #discourse #culture clash #cancel culture #mcyt #qsmp

[momo-de-avis]

Your video talk reminded me of an archeologist guy that saw so much mis/disinformation and conspiracy theories being peddled on tiktok, that he started to make videos debunking all that bullshit, and ended up kinda making a career out of it. Milo Rossi, Miniminuteman on YouTube, he's hilarious.

lmao know exactly who he is, he's so goddamn funny, he doesn't even debunk shit, he just clowns on conspiracy theorists now which honestly is the way to do it

my whole reaction yesterday came from a video I came across some little boy who was talking about a "great book he read" and its a book Ive seen, never felt inclined to even touch it, smelt of shit to me in the distance, it's "as razoes do atraso portugues" or something like that by some economist (economists always think they know history) and this little dude summarised the book and its apparently... bc of the MArquis of Pombal. And he did this in the Gen Z tone which made it even more obnoxious "yeah, the guy we were taught at school was so awesome! that guy!" what school? what school taught you that? "he ruined our economy because he made sure the gold found in brasil [which had been pouring in since before he was minister of jack shit] was misapropriated and then he kicked out the jesuits who were responsible for education" absolutely no nuance on matter, one of the most interesting, most controversial figures in our history that I always describe to my clients as "one step forward, two steps back" a guy who is described by Brazilian historian Laurentino Gomes, who dead describes XVIII portugal as the most backwards and delayed european nation (because it WAS), as the only moment of progress in our history because how hard can it be to grasp that a man who was raised on the Republic of Letters, who was taught among some of the brightest Liberal minds of Austria and England was responsible for some of the most incredible progress in Portugal AND YET was also responsible for some of the greatest set backs due to his paranoia and dictatorial ruling as Prime Minister? Where is nuance?

The dude in the video also said that, according to the book, the Marquis of Pombal was responsible for implementing Absolutism... is John V a joke to us? Do you think absolutism sprouted from Pombal's ass one day when he went to take a shit in Rua do Século after the earthquake? Do you think we call Manuel I proto-absolutist because it's just a fun little quirky thing historians dug out of their sphincter?

Why do yall think the medallion with his face in Commerce Square is there with the completely wrong that, something like 1838?

Did people lose their ability to think?

Stop reading history books written by economists. I am a fair believer than anyone can become a historian so long as they learn the methodology and digs into the sources (I'm not a historian myself, I'm an art historian) but economists are doomed to fail man, fuck them

#Also go read Laurentino Gomes to get a good understanding of Brazil during the XVIII empire #cause that's some shit we really need to fucking learn. also yes thta's my reaqding of the moment lmfao #also the book apprently states we're the most delayed western european nation #which is so debatable #and somethign only a right wing economist could claim

[moonlit-positivity]

Tips for someone just starting out their mental health journey

So you've decided to take on the beast within. You courageous, bold, empowered human being, first of all congratulations 🎉 I'm so proud of you.

Lots of things bring us to this point in our lives, but I've always believed that mental health should be a journey of self exploration. You're taking the first steps to making your life a little better than it was before, regardless of how you got here. You're a goddamn warrior. I love this for you so much.

So please heed these words of caution before you begin your journey:

Your safety should take the main priority at all times. There can be such a thing as retraumatizing yourself with how much info you try to take in all at once.

If you're eager to learn, eager to change, in desperate need of a way out, escaping an abusive situation, or just generally curious about what the heck is going on in ur brain and how you can "fix" it, then here are some things you might want to be aware of before diving head first into those uncharted seas.

1. Pause. Take a deep breath. You will be okay.

The very first thing you need to know. Please. You will send yourself into a whole flood of massive spiraling panic attacks if you do not take it slow and take it easy.

Breathe. Deeply. Deep breaths. They do recommend this for a reason. You might think it's bullshit but breathing is going to help. So just breathe.

2. Baby steps

Please do not try to consume all there is to know all at once. You will absolutely spiral into a panic attack and it will traumatize you. You're trying to build Rome in a day if you do it like that. It's just not fuckin possible.

If you're doing therapy once a week, that is already enough. Build it up gradually over time. When you feel stronger and ready to dig deeper, maybe consider setting aside a personal space specifically for healing & reflection time.

But you don't need to do it all at once and you don't need to do it right the fuck now either. Take your time.

3. Just think about it

You don't have to do anything. You don't have to do anything right now. You don't have to do it all at once. You don't have to get up and make an immediate change. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.

Just think about it.

No matter what you read online, no matter what you say in therapy, no matter what your therapist or social media will recommend you do, You don't need to make any sudden decisions. You don't need to make any sudden and scary changes right now.

Just give yourself time to think about it.

4. This isn't your fault

You may come across some information that is going to be eye opening for you at some point. And it may make you feel guilty, ashamed, and deeply gutted because you genuinely had no idea that this is what was happening in your life. You will feel so ashamed for not knowing or understanding. So please listen to me, you brave courageous and strong human being. This is not your fault.

How could you have known? If this is the first time you've ever heard it? How could you have known? Please do not let it sit on your heart. You are not a bad person. You've just been through some bad things. You don't deserve to be judged for that.

5. This is a lifelong process

So please get ready for the long haul. Please don't go into this experience expecting immediate results by July, thats just not how this works. And please don't go in expecting to "fix" yourself or "unbreak" your habits.

You are not a fuckin robot. You're a human being. You need time and patience and understanding to do this type of work with. That in itself is a skill you will have to learn. Go back to step one and breathe it out.

6. Take what you like and leave what you don't

You're gonna be exposed to a lot of new things. New concepts, new mental health bullshit, discourse, nuances, spirituality, I mean. Stuff is gonna be coming at you from all angles all the frickin time.

Take what you like. But learn how to leave what you hate behind. You don't have to force yourself into someone else's ideologies if you don't agree. You're allowed to disagree. You're allowed to make your own definitions, your own decisions, your own way. You're allowed to make it your own.

There are no rules to how you approach this. Do it your way.

7. Don't force it, walk away

You don't have to talk about it. You don't have to sit with it. You don't have to force your way through. This is gonna traumatize the fuck out of you.

Please learn how to say, "I'm not ready for that yet." Honor your timeline. Honor your autonomy, your right to choose and your right to stop and quit when you're overwhelmed.

This isn't just for therapy. This is also for when you're spiraling and having panic attacks.

"I'm not ready for that yet" means "I need a break from this."

8. Take breaks often

You cannot be doing this stuff 24/7. It will ruin you. Keep in touch with your hobbies, your interests, your comforts, and the things that get you out of your head. Try really hard to not let yourself be consumed by your grief.

Even if it's just for 5 minutes. Take a break. Do something else. Please. Just 5 measly minutes of fun. Please. I'm begging you.

9. Be kind to yourself

If someone you loved was sick, would you call them a lazy fuck? I hope not. Dont do it to yourself either. You're allowed to be nice. Find your manners.

10. Slow it down. Take it slow. Breathe

I keep saying that for a reason, yanno?

Slow it down. Take it slow. Baby steps. You will figure it out.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Take care of yourself. You can do this, but more importantly, you can do this in a way that won't overwhelm you or make it worse. You deserve that type of care and God knows I wish someone had told me this before I started therapy.

Be brave, courageous human. You can do it 🌸

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

#recovery #ptsd #trauma #mental health #boundaries #healing #healing thoughts #mental health discussion #therapy #trauma awareness #self diagnosis #trauma informed #bpd #npd #pd safe #mental health awareness #self care #self advocacy #self love #self esteem #advice #relationships #abuse #abuse recovery #growth #shadow work #inner child healing

[biblicalhorror]

Zaylor Midnights, Part II

And we're back! If you haven't yet, please peruse the disclaimers I covered in Part 1.

Let's jump right in!

8. Vigilante Shit

Here's where we start to get some more Catwoman vibes on this album.

"Cat eye sharp enough to kill a man"

Also some generic Gaylor lyrics:

"I don't dress for women / I don't dress for men" Oh so you're bisexual? Okay got it. Case closed.

"Picture me thick as thieves with your ex-wife"

Also the implication she fucked Scooters wife is too funny to not mention. She loves a divorcée ;)

9. Bejeweled

Initially I was fully prepared to write this one off as a song about Jake or John or even Calvin and therefore irrelevant to Toë, but holy crap is this MV gay as hell.

Opening, of course, with the scene where Laura Dern satirizes the concept that a proposal from a prince being "the best thing a girl could hope to achieve"

Note this Kravitz quote from the earlier GQ article:

We'll come back to this later.

Anyway, Taylor plays Cinderella in this music video, who rejects the proposal from the prince (played by Jack Antonoff, who has the same initials as Joe Alwyn), impresses the Princess (played by Zoë Kravitz) with her burlesque routine she learned from queer burlesque icon Dita Von Teese, and ends up taking the castle for herself.

Basically, another song that has nothing to do with Zoë but is extremely gay (in context of the music video, at least)

10. Labyrinth

I go back and forth on this song. I've heard other people theorize that it's about trying to end a relationship and then falling back in love with the same person again, which I think is a totally valid interpretation. It could be that.

However! It sounds to me like it's about the feeling of finding yourself falling for someone new and your traumatized brain is so focused on what could go wrong that you get completely ahead of yourself and start mourning a relationship that hasn't even started yet. Taylor is a Cancer moon, which is a moon sign that is deeply introspective and retrospective. The "labyrinth of my mind" could be referring to the twists and turns her mind takes to convince her that every relationship will end in catastrophe based on the way past relationships have panned out. Past becomes present becomes future in this song. Maybe it's about finding her connection with Zoë after the fallout from a Karlie or Lily breakup? Maybe Joe cheated on her and she found comfort in the arms of Zoë and they became a polyamorous couple? Who knows.

11. Karma

EDIT: I've found some articles claiming Zoë is a songwriter on this one and others that do not mention her. I believe there was initially a mistake on the Apple Music pre-release info, so for now we'll say she's not in a fact a cowriter for this song.

Taylor Swift clearly has a complicated relationship to gender and womanhood. Many of her friends called her "king" in their 2021 birthday posts:

In Dear Reader, she explicitly refers to herself as a "cursed man."

Queer women also tend to have complicated relationships with gender due to heteropatriarchal society. Some lesbians and queer women use he/him or they/them pronouns for any myriad of personal reasons. It's not too far-fetched that these women could possibly call each other by male pronouns/adjectives sometimes.

Zoë had this interview where she talks about High Fidelity, identifying more with male roles because they're often written to be more complex and nuanced due to misogyny in film/tv, and how passionate she is about how "women can be fuckboys, too"

"Karma is my boyfriend" but also "Karma is a queen" >>> "Karma" is both genders and neither gender. (Note: Zoë has a tattoo of a crown on her finger)

"Sweet like honey, Karma is a cat" First of all, that's pussy babe

Also, these two stone cold weirdos apparently have the same method acting technique:

"Flexing like a goddamn acrobat, me and karma vibe like that"

What else could "flexing like a goddamn acrobat" refer to other than Zoë playing a superhero famous for her acrobatics (and/or Taylor being in Cats (2019))

these two weird Sagittarius girls love to simply vibe together as cats or otherwise

"Karma is the guy on the screen coming straight home to me"

Not "Catwoman of my dreams" but "CAT WOMAN OF DREAMS" this girl is horny as hell and loves dreaming about women

Sweet like JUSTICE = another batman reference, of course

12. Sweet Nothing

Written by William Bowery who we think could be Zoë

Zoë also lived in London from 2020-2021, she could possibly have gone on holiday to Wicklow (in Ireland) after filming for The Batman wrapped

Taylor made her meals throughout covid isolation and a birthday dinner in December of 2020. Nice to Have a Friend in your pods with you, huh ladies?

Also, remember when Zoë crossed the picket line for the Oscar's party and then made a "joke" about the Will Smith situation being uncivilized? This is a song about a couple of out-of-touch insanely rich girlies who just Can't Be Bothered and also happen to be in love

Speaking of which, if this is in fact a song about Joe Alwyn, it's a (pretty) lie. "All that you ever wanted from me was nothing." Being in a relationship with Taylor has gotten him movie/tv roles, a Grammy, etc. He's gained so many accolades just by being associated with Taylor. If he doesn't want any of that, why does she keep jeapordizing her own image as an artist to get him awards? Zoë likely genuinely wants nothing from Taylor because she's been famous her entire life. She doesn't need Taylor to pull any strings for her to get roles or accolades.

13. Mastermind

This song is Taylor being very tongue-in-cheek about how this lover she's been singing for four albums about is actually a target she decided on long ago

Starts with a hand touch in a crowded room (obvious Gorgeous reference), that Bowery hangout did look awfully crowded, didn't it?

Dominoes cascaded in a line >>> hair falls into place like dominoes (Gold Rush)

All the wisest women had to do it this way / WE were born to play the pawn in every lover's game (as in, WE women are forced to play these roles)

Two lines that could reference Zoë's tattoos:

"I'm the wind in our free-flowing sails">> Zoë has several pirate themed tattoos

"And the liquor in our cocktails" >> "être toujours ivre" (always be drunk) tattoo

-----

And that's it for the 13 original Midnights tracks! Part 3 will be looking into the 3am tracks.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

#gaylor #zaylor #toë #taylor swift x zoe kravitz #gaylor analysis

[fangirlwriting-stories]

Hello darling ❤️ gosh I can't even pick one but like, god— PROTECTOR. I actually wanted to wait for it to be posted in full before reading it all at once but like, I know how much you love the relationships between the characters in the fic and how messy and nuanced and just shsksjs they are. (the brotherly dukexiety in particular is 🥺✨👌🏽👏🏽😭). So can you talk a bit more about that? Like, the relationships between each character etc? I would love to hear you ramble about the Bois 💜💚

God, the relationships. The relationships in this fic are my favorite part and also the bane of my fucking existence. They are the entire reason this fic is 111,000 words and not like, 45,000. Well, that and the fact that Virgil and Janus flat out refused to talk about anything, and then they refused to talk about everything at the same time, and then by the time they finally got to the point I needed them to in order to move the plot forward it was goddamn chapter 18.

But mostly it was Virgil’s fault. Virgil was supposed to be angry at the core sides and stay angry at the core sides, but no, he had to start caring about them, which overrode just enough of his anger to make everything way more complicated, the little shit. Virgil’s relationship with Remus was actually the easy one, he was always supposed to care about Remus to the point of causing problems for everyone else. What he wasn’t supposed to do was start caring about Remus’ stupid asshole princey brother, or the softie Patton, or the robot Logan, or the actual asshole that abandoned them in the first place. Virgil you’re supposed to be a prick, why do you have to secretly be such a softie?

Anyway, yeah, specifics. Writing Patton and Virgil was fun because I got to make a ton of bonding and tender moments and symbolism out of things like Patton showing Virgil how to cook or do the laundry. They’re the entire reason I love writing realistic fiction, I get to shove so much character into those moments. It’s not about the laundry guys, it’s about they love each other!

Logan and Virgil was supposed to be how Virgil learned a couple coping skills without Logan realizing that’s what was happening, but then Virgil accidentally stumbled into a friendship that worked really well for both of them. Virgil being surprised that he cared so much about his time sitting with Logan was a bit of a surprise to me too. Honestly so much of this story was Virgil telling me through the writing “my feelings about this have changed” and me going “seriously? Okay I guess we’re doing this now, great”

Roman and Virgil were probably the most similar to how they are in canon, in that they fought quite a bit until something forced a perspective change, the only difference being the perspective change was caused by Janus. I do remember when I sent you (Mishii) the “Why do you have to be so much like our brother” line and we both just started screaming “OUR BROTHER” back and forth xD

Virgil and Janus, as I said, were this story’s biggest stallers. They didn’t want to talk. They didn’t want to do it they didn’t want to talk and no matter how many times I got at their feet and begged them they just wouldn’t do it they’re so goddamn stubborn I can’t take it—

Anyway they have the most complicated relationship throughout the story, for obvious reasons. Virgil’s dealing with the very difficult situation of realizing that someone who was shitty family to you is very good family to other people, and it’s naturally gonna cause some confusing and complicated feelings. These two still have a bit to go for the rest of the story, but the place they end is both inevitable and fucking exhausting for me, the author.

Virgil and Thomas were about how they were in canon, just in a different order. Thomas is kind and understanding at first because that’s who he is, and learns things about Virgil he later thinks are lies but are actually true. So his feelings fluctuate a lot, while Virgil’s stay positive throughout, whether it’s complicated love, uncomplicated love, complicated love again, and ending on uncomplicated love. Thomas is always his Thomas, it’s just his behavior that’s changing.

And Virgil and Remus, despite being the story’s most important relationship, are also the least complicated one. They’re just ride or die brothers and best friends who have each others back, and I love them for it. Guys, thank you for staying consistent for me and just agreeing that you love each other, you made my job slightly more easy than it would have been.

Anyway. Wow this got long. Fuck characters having free will. It makes the story better but it is fucking annoying for me.

#asks #Story Talk #Protector #Virgil and Janus stop being stubborn assholes challenge

[rosysugarr]

Twitter is genuinely like. so fucking weird about how they treat lesbians in general. Like, they are SO particular about the way people are allowed to talk about or to lesbians, what jokes are okay, what words are okay, what lesbians can or can't be, who can say they're a lesbian. And it's like. how the fuck do I explain to yall that none of this goddamned matters

I genuinely do not fucking care if a straight boy jokes that he's a lesbian. I do not care if a straight boy's fans joke about him being a lesbian. I don't fucking care if people joke about a man dressing like a lesbian. None of those things actually hurt me. They do not cause lesbians any real damage. There are genuinely bad, lesbophobic things out there, but none of the above are it. mspec lesbians are not the enemy. he/him lesbians are not the enemy. These people have existed long before any of you were alive. They have a right to be here and express themselves however they fucking want to.

oh and another important thing they need to learn? CONTEXT. The WAY words are used matters MASSIVELY, and they refuse to see that. Like. They insist certain things should just never be said ever and if you ever say it you are bad and part of the problem. But listen. What a queer person is comfortable with should be up to THEM and not a blanket decision made for everyone. Some people are incredibly uncomfortable being called certain things and that's fine! But that doesn't mean NO ONE should be able to call themselves that term or ask others to call them that! And yeah, that includes words like dyke and queer. The other day I had a friend who is also a nonbinary lesbian refer to me as a "boydyke" and when I tell you I got some INTENSE gender euphoria yall better BELIEVE I did. because YES. I LOVE IT. But I entirely understand that term could be super fucking upsetting for others to have used toward them, and there are some contexts where you should NOT use terms like that in general. But if you know someone personally and you know they're perfectly okay with certain kinds of language and they use those terms towards themselves, who the fuck is some 14 year old you don't know to tell you not to use it between yourselves?

I am BEGGING kids on twitter to learn what actual lesbophobia looks like, because their obsessive picking apart of language and borderline terf-lite behavior is actively doing more damage than good. Learn some fucking nuance. Learn critical thinking. Learn your lgbtq history. Learn to fucking listen before you speak.

#rosychatter

[idiopath-fic-smile]

I’ve been obsessed with But Maybe (lullaby of cautious optimism) for several years, would love to hear what you think!

absolutely, and glad you like it! (song lives here for anyone curious)

this is basically a song about trying to navigate the world with hope when you have a temperament that predisposes you towards noticing (and maybe fixating on) crushingly sad shit.

it's very wordy, and i had a fun time trying to get some cadences of how i normally talk in there. the line about expecting every birthday that you will transform into a tougher, smarter, less geographically challenged version of yourself is very much true to my life. (i am extremely soft, not nearly as intellectual as i'd like to be, and i get lost easier than anyone i've ever met.) i have made my peace with this to some extent, but it was recent.

i had a weird time in college sometimes, majoring in the humanities, where half your education is being exposed to the darkest shit imaginable, and then your other half is like "write a poem! :D" To be totally honest, it fucked with my sense of self, getting some glimpse of how bad the world could be while also realizing that the main pursuit that brought me joy was making media that is ultimately hopeful (plus sad songs, which defy my overall making-things patterns, but i wasn't really writing sad songs yet). it felt like clinging to optimism in my art meant i was very fluffy and insubstantial as a person. but i couldn't function well without it.

(please don't take this as an argument against teaching kids, particularly privileged white cis kids, about the evil in the world that has been done by people who look like me and the ways in which i am complicit in the system! i just wish there had been more of an acknowledgment that this can be a lot to process, and that "the world is depressing me" was an okay reason to seek mental help.)

but anyway, yeah, i have often felt like kind of a silly person for needing joy in my art.

"but maybe if i was a little less mean to myself" — this was a gradual realization that took a very long time and that i'm still kind of learning, that beating myself up in nonproductive ways helps nobody. the amount of energy i have wasted on self-loathing could power a CITY. that sounded weirdly like a brag but you get what i mean, right?

"we drag each other back up" is my version of humanism. we're all we have so we gotta be kind and so on. i'm not certain enough in a lack of god to call myself a secular humanist, but i was raised Unitarian Universalist and they're big on designing your own personal creed, so my janky temporary term for it is "agnostic humanist."

ultimately, what this song is trying to get at is a lesson i didn't fully internalize until after college, which is that "humanity is awful and everything is terrible" is no more true or nuanced than "humanity is wonderful and everything is great". and that "i see what's wrong, and i'm gonna do my best to help, but in order to do that i need to take a little goddamn care of myself" is a perfectly fine stance.

the interesting thing about this song is that i haven't needed it in a while. i think that in a post-trump world, i fully lost any shame about seeking out joy and lightness; it became so hard to do and so profoundly necessary.

#song meta ask meme

[ablednt]

Ok so update at about 11 chapters into this 63 something chapter long book (not as long as you think these chapters are pointlessly short but too long for this concept boy can I tell you)

Taking a break to write down some of my thoughts somewhere other than my notes document but to summarize my biggest gripe with this book and also summarize the plot our main character Skylenna (almost every character has some made-up fantasy name and I think Skylenna is more stupid sounding than the time we committed the same crimes as a kid and came up with "Raviella" as a name idea/hj) knowingly gets a job at a graphically violent and abusive psych ward

I thought from reading the synopsis that she was doing this so she could gather evidence of the abuses going on in there, like they were somehow being covered up. Instead, she's started working at this psych ward because her special empath ass is just so kind and smart that she'll reform it from inside despite being in nothing even hinting at a position of power to anyone except the patients.

She's such a good little empath that she gets a nonverbal person to speak to her and she's like yayy now they'll start taking me seriously here and let me make this place better!

And it's just. Yeah ok I hate this I hate everything about this how does this allegedly anti-psych media manage to be the most potent psych ward nurse propaganda I've seen in my goddamn life.

Also if you hate the brand of cis white feminism that thinks corsets are the sign of oppression and were literally killing helpless victorian women rather than just being like. bras. you're going to be even more uncomfortable with this book because it replaces the concept of corsets by having the government make every woman in the country have a mandatory eating disorder like literally anorexia or bulimia they are told to pick one and if they don't do this they're sent to the asylum. This is awkward and unrealistic to how nuanced societies work enough but it's emphasized how Horrible it is to be a woman in this society to a ridiculous amount that is actually so fucking uncomfortable.

The main character taking a fancy bath with oil in it and putting on lotion was described more vividly and as if it was more horrible than someone experience actual water torture and I have no fucking clue why but it is So Fucking Weird and unsettling to read.

I deliberately chose not to look up any of the criticism this book was getting because I want a genuine/unbiased first thoughts review on everything but when I learned about the book from the beginning of a review I didn't watch the youtuber mentioned she was linking to videos of a trans person talking about the transphobia in the book so I am really not going to be surprised if the author is terf adjacent somehow.

Oh and when she's empathing all over the place she describes the mentally ill people she's helping (all of which we've met so far are convicted murderers by the way) to animals and says it makes her feel like she's playing games with children when she communicates with nonverbal people.

The plural character hasn't even been introduced yet because everyone is too afraid to speak his name or go near his door and it's this big mystery on who this terrifying person is. The ableism of that aside it's so funny to me that so much mystery is supposed to surround this character considering the entire synopsis goes into detail about him so we know exactly who he is already.

I have a lot of thoughts on the structure and overall writing of the book (it all really sucks lmao!) but I don't feel like typing those up right now.

#ableism tw #psych ward tw #psychiatric abuse tw #eating disorder tw #ED tw #torture tw #ask to tag in case I missed anything that needs to be tagged here #I wonder how many words I've read of this now

[chromes-corner]

hey it’s me again 😍

how about lotus dragon & white lily for the character bingo ?

(i’m in love with them…)

YES YES YES YESSSS I LOVE THEM TOO

lotus first!!

so i dont have a TON to say about lotus dragon but um.... THEYRE HOT!!!!!! they are probably my favorite dragon design so far and they'll probably remain that way unless the fifth dragon fits all my niches in terms of what I like in character design. god god GODDD they look so intimidating and I love their intro animation so goddamn much... the little menacing flash of their sharp teeth makes me go 😳😳😳😳

tbh theyre also the most interesting of the dragons. their whole little mythos is so freakin cool and different from the other dragons. controlling wishes and draining life force is JUST!!!!! EAT YOUR FUCKING HEART OUT ANANAS!!!!!!!!!!! PITAYA COULD NEVER!!!!! LYCHEE IS SEETHING!!!!!!!!!

be evil forever lotus, xoxo hugs and kisses

andddd white lily!!

you know what??? ill say it.

i love white lily.

for some reason, that seems to be an unpopular opinion in this fanbase. I've seen a lot of people who don't like white lily, but I like??? really fucking like her???? a lot??????? shes honestly probably one of the most dynamic characters in the game and god I respect that so much and even then, I feel like there's so much more about her to discover. i feel like there's a lot of characters that I want to learn more about because they're underdeveloped, but shes one of the few I want to learn more about because she IS developed. like her whole demeanor and the she is so soft-spoken versus her lust for knowledge (and power, as evidenced by her transformation) makes for SUCH an interesting personality. like, beneath this timid, shy exterior is fucking DARK ENCHANTRESS of all people. that means SOMETHING. something that I want to DISCOVER.

i really REALLY need to do a study on her one of these days. its been a while since I've looked at "her" (since she was just like a reflection or echo or something) dialogue in the earlier chapters of the game. i want to POUR OVER IT eventually. try to dig out every little nuance there is. i just like her a lot. something about her evokes a very melancholic feeling in me and I want to find out what it is about her that makes me feel that way.

i also REALLY want to know the other ancient's opinions on her besides pure vanilla. its obvious shes very dear to him, but what about the others??? what does hollyberry think?? hell, what does DARK CACAO think, considering there are traditional paintings of her in his castle??????????????? and golden cheese too????

all im saying is watch out PV, you might not actually hold the spot of my favorite ancient forever

#chromespeaks #thinkposting

[thatwitchrevan]

Hello the random internet thing that's pissed me off today that no one cares about is someone posting a biiiig thread lecturing everyone on how essential it is to get legally married if you want rights in a relationship while ignoring or dismissing whether there should be other ways of legally designating Your People (there should) and what the heck disabled people and people on welfare are supposed to do because they're damned if they do and damned if they don't, and ofc someone took the opportunity to shit on queerplatonic partnerships and polyamorous relationships, and ultimately I understand the point of 'if you're with someone you want to share a life with and are able to you should probably get married so you can protect each other' but what a masterclass in oversimplifying and ignoring huge swathes of people. People need to learn some goddamn nuance and stop being such patronizing fucks.

#our legal system is shitty and arbitrary #marriage is not a good and sound institution that benefits everyone whether we're talking religiously or socially or legally #why are we back to 'everyone needs to get married' #i mean a lot of people would LIKE to damn well get married and they fucking can't so maybe we should talk abt that instead

[promiseiwillwrite]

Learning to Shut the Fuck Up

I am learning all over when and why and how to shut the fuck up.

I can say it here, because this is my blog about mental health shit, and people can roll their eyes and scroll right past if they want.

Lol, you asked for it.

I am fighting some emotional projection about relationship insecurity right now. Things that keep coming up for me include, but are not limited to thinking my partner finds me boring and annoying, to the point where I am paralyzed, and can't even speak around him. He has never said anything like this. I am pretty sure this is anxiety and trauma talking during the damn movie again. I am afraid to play games with him, because I am afraid he will think I am stupid and slow and not worth his time.

I know in a rational part of me that these are just thoughts and they are painful thoughts. I have been told, and I have started to believe that it is in my power to choose better thoughts and feelings, but these insecurities keep coming up. Because that is the habit of 35 years talking.

I have started to think that I have never had a suite of emotional and affection needs met ever because of a complete failure to articulate those feelings when I have them. I feel like what I want should not be important to anyone else, and that it is my own problem, and my own failing.

What is worse is that I am afraid these wants and needs are irrational and fictional and unreasonable to ever ask of other people, and that doing so would be immediately harmful to them.

I walk around my life deeply envious of dogs. Everyone wants to pet them. They can be touched, and it doesn't mean anything but that they are soft and fluffy. I want to be touched by everyone, to be patted like this. I also catch feelings at the drop of a goddamn hat, so I try to keep a distance between me and everyone, because I don't want to fuck people's lives. I don't want to hurt others or be hurt when they don't care back.

I feel trapped by my fear.

I feel trapped by my determination to do no harm, no to not even risk doing harm.

Fuck what I want.

But even as I type these things that are definitely real and problematic for me, I also feel like I understand where the fear comes from, and I know there is nuance that anxiety is just trampling over.

I know one of the things I keep not looking at is trying to control the experience others have of me by changing my behavior so that I don't cause negative reactions in them.

I know this is a trauma leftover.

I know this is a toxic way to behave toward people you love and trust. It is disrespectful at best and abusive at worst.

But that just makes it easier to kick myself when I see myself doing it.

I just can't seem to stop. Even though I know it doesn't work. I can see the reactions in people when I shut down and stop talking. They are worried they did something wrong.

I can throw logic at it all day, and sometimes I win, but the root is still in there. The tape keeps rewinding itself and plays all over again.

I am afraid to ask for anything more, because it feels like an incredible, unbelievable imposition that others put up with me at all. I have restricted myself to crumbs because that is what I was used to, and had to survive on. It was all I could reasonably expect.

What do normal people reasonably expect in their relationships with one another?

I feel like some of what I want is In that! Not everything I want is weird or wrong or hurtful.

But that means I have to ask.

And that is terrifying.

[foxhouten]

The Summer I Said Bye, Bye, Bye

The year was 2000. A new millennium had dawned, and with it came a musical masterpiece taking the Y2K-weary world by storm. The pop music quintet *NSYNC (always spelled with the * at the front, unless you were some kind of fuckin' poser) had dropped their much anticipated (by me) sophomore album, No Strings Attached. The album's release was fronted by its first single, an undeniable catchy break-up song called, "Bye Bye Bye". When the band released the single and the music video for "Bye Bye Bye", it did so with a flourish -- not only was the song a fuckin' banger, but it had its own elaborate dance number. And as a 17 year old ready to embark on his senior year of high school, I was determined to learn and perform that dance. This would be a minor feat for most mortal men, but for someone who can barely walk a straight line without tripping, this was my Everest. And I was determined to conquer it. The song was a radio and MTV hit in the latter half of my junior year of high school. I felt confidently that the song's popularity would blast well into my senior year, and thus I had an entire summer to learn that dance and wow my classmates (yes, I really thought this would happen). So while my friends were out stealing beer, getting to third base (I hear it's really great), and overall just having, ya know, lives, I was in my basement, repeatedly rewinding a VHS tape containing the music video and a live performance of *NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye". In front of that 32" TV screen, I danced and danced, a poorly-coordinated white boy flailing about, while my younger sister, who was supposed to look up to me, could only shake her head in bewilderment. I want to make clear how long this endeavor lasted. I began my "Bye Bye Bye" dance journey in the late spring/early summer of 2000 and eagerly spent THREE GODDAMN MONTHS learning the dance routine to a 3-minute pop song. There were literally days in which I broke into a sweat in my parents' basement, cursing at myself for not nailing the cross-the-chest 'bye bye' hand motion, followed by the closed-fist hand twirl. It was a hard summer. But when senior year arrived, I was ready. I had flown under the radar for three years at my school (translation: I was a loser for three years at my school), but here, in my final year, I would make my triumphant mark. By scoring a winning touchdown? No. By graduating with honors? No. By doing something -- anything -- that would positively impact those around me? No. By performing a pop-dance routine from a (in hindsight, mostly forgettable) song that had been released months ago? YES.

My opportunity to blow the (high school) world away would come at the Homecoming dance in the fall of 2000. In my head, I envisioned the song would come on, a dance circle would form (cause that happens in real life), and I would step into the middle and SHINE. My moves would bring about cheers and gasps of awe. Fuck you, Homecoming king -- I was the real king tonight. But in reality, the Homecoming dance came...and went. The song -- MY song -- was never played. It seems that while I stayed obsessed with this one song, the world had moved on. "Bye Bye Bye" was no longer popular. I wasted three months learning a dance I never got to perform. I've attended many weddings and other dance parties since then, have sat patiently through so many Macarenas, Cupid Shuffles (another dance I painstakingly learned way too late), Supermans, and Electric Slides. But never have I had the opportunity to say "Bye Bye Bye." But Dan, if the situation presented itself, you could do the dance now, right? No. I can't. "Bye Bye Bye" isn't like riding a bike, dear friend. It's easy to forget the nuances, and in the years since my last year of high school, I have forgotten most of the dance. A dance that will now only live in my mind and heart.

#humor #nsync #I have two left feet