#totally not discussed | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

inkskinned · 2 years

Text

i have so much to say about this but like. fuck social media for making certain types of "pranks" popular. just as a blanket statement? if the intent of a prank is to humiliate someone without their consent, there is a good chance what you're doing is actually just bullying.

and if you record that person, you are being twice the asshole in that situation. recording someone takes away their agency. do you really think someone you just humiliated on camera is going to have both the bravery and presence of mind to calmly ask you to please delete the video if it makes them uncomfortable? and do you think the people who pull these kinds of pranks would be like - oh sorry, sure, let me delete it, no problem.

"pulling a prank" is like. supposed to be funny for both sides. when you put people in unsafe situations and then laugh at them/judge them for their response.... like. that's not funny. that's abusive behavior. you are training them to accept their dehumanization. it's controlling and ugly. please fucking have any form of empathy.

if you don't actually care if they feel safe/comfortable, you're not being funny. you're being mean. labelling something "a joke" in hindsight does not undo the damage. it just gaslights the other person into thinking their reaction was invalid. you broke someone's trust and personal boundaries for clout. they deserve to be upset about it.

and as a side note? i will bet you 200 american dollars that most of these "pranksters" would immediately crumble into a huge overreaction if anyone even vaguely reciprocated and put them into that level of humiliation - because it was never about how "funny" pranks are. it was about control and manipulation. they like feeling powerful and they like making other people feel less powerful. which is ... bullying.

#okay bye #i also feel none of these people know how to apologize #when someone's like #its . not funny she got hurt dude #theyre always like IT WAS AN ACCIDENT LIKE WHY ARE YOU BLAMING ME #MAYBE IT'S NOT FUNNY BECAUSE YOU'RE STUPID #like yuh or i respect her personhood????? ig??#how about u just start doing things that are funny and then i will laugh?#my friend sent me gaara themed items every day for advent #it was fucking hilarious and confusing #bc i would just. find gaara in places #THAT is a good prank.#my family once had the Ice Barbie #which is a head from a barbie that had been frozen in ice #and we would Put Her In Places #the house i lived in w/8 roommates had The Spider and The Rat #both of which would be hidden in Areas #like soup pans and microwaves #totally not discussed #just a funny and fun stupid joke #it's literally that easy #instead tiktok is like #LITERALLY trying to get boys to call girls ''bitches'' just to see ''what happens''#like you got it!!!!!! that's a prank bc it .... ?????? hurts her feelings #''i prank my girlfriend by being mean to her!!!!'' .... so you bullied your girlfriend for clout and then #made it so she couldn't respond honestly #by saying it was a joke #...... you are somehow both admitting you suck while ALSO gaslighting her about it!!!! amazing.....

1K notes · View notes

somewhereincairparavel · 29 days

Text

I'm not obsessed with Jason Grace. I'm merely giving him the love he didn't get all these years. 💅

#Yeah no i totally am not obsessed. look at me. lying behind the screen #I love brick boi sm #He deserves more love #But I'm glad I'm seeing more love for him on Tumblr tho. Instagram reels are SO harsh on him like is it a trend to hate him there or smth?#I saw Goodread discussions from wayyy back in 2013 and literally all comments were trash talking him sm #I felt like such an outsider looking at those comments tbh bc ppl give me weird looks when I say I like Jason #pjo #pjo fandom #pjo hoo #percy jackson #jason grace #pjo hoo toa #pjo series #annabeth chase #piper mclean #leo valdez #frank zhang #hazel levesque

235 notes · View notes

cursedzucchini · 1 year

Text

DC x DP prompt #5

This is so dumb but Danny is Bruce's uncle.

And not in the Danny is old or whatever, no, my dude is 15 looks like he's 13 and when he was running away from home, he met this really really old lady which looked at him, looked at his wounds and went "aight I'm adopting u"

Danny thought she was a ghost and this was her obsession, so imagine his surprise when it turned out that not only this lady was alive, but also supposedly from very influential family??? Danny wasn't sure Abt that one, bc he himself never heard abt these "Waynes" like that just sounds weird, but hey. It made the lady happy so.

Anyway they part ways, bc the lady only wanted to adopt not care, and Danny decides, hey now that I have a new fam, maybe i should get to know them or something?

Well imagine his surprise when he found out some guy in his fifties is supposedly his nephew and has like bazillion kids.

Idk what happens next yada yada sheniganas happen and than Danny ends up in Gotham. And meets Bruce Wayne. Who obviously sees young child w si gns of abuse, black hair, blue eyes and is immidietly like "aight I'm adopting u" (like grandma like grandson huh)

Only this time, Danny is sure he isn't a ghost, and has a counter argument "u can't adopt me I'm ur uncle" and immidietly flees bc dealing w his problems isn't something he does.

Cue confused batfam or stuff idk, I'm so tired and this is just an excuse for crack

#they should maybe work out w Danny #dc x dp #dp x dc #dp x dc crossover #crossover #dcxdp #dp x dc writing prompt #danny fenton #bruce wayne #the batkids think this is absolutely fucking hilarious just until he turns his eyes on them and starts agressively taking care of them #bruce theyre sorry they laighed can u pls tell ur uncle to stop grabbing them by their necks and carrying them around like kittens???#bruce does not see until danny does this to him #than it becomes something #danny is feral #also jason gets special treatment bc hes obviously sick and starved >:((( why arent u feeding him bruve >:((((((((#i feel like someone mentions joker killed jason ajd danny goes very still #the discussion stops for a moment before they all try and stop danny from beating joker to death (danny wouldnt kill.him just......#nah he totally would)#anyway personally i dont like children killing anyone bc its traumatizing so i think itd be pretty cool for jason to see this #bc like someone finally wants to kill the joker for him #but its 15 yo abused fetus and killing anyone wont help him get better #i might even argue itd make everything worse #and maybe hed kinda see stuff from bruces perspective?? tho the last few tags r just my personal stuff so feel free to ignore it lol #uncle danny >:)))

2K notes · View notes

sexy-sapphic-sorcerer · 4 months

Text

The Gayest Episodes of Merlin:

The Diamond of the Day: part 2 (5x13)

The Dark Tower (5x06)

The Dragon's Call (1x01)

The Moment of Truth (1x10)

The Nightmare Begins (2x03)

I will not elaborate (unless you ask me to)

#I actually will totally elaborate if you ask me to #sometimes I just say things to start a discussion #this was just spawned because I have seen claims that multiple of these are the gayest on my dash recently. i wanna weigh in #bbc merlin #merlin #merthur #morgwen

225 notes · View notes

drizztdohurtin · 2 months

Text

erm I just wanna talk about how I know in my heart that gale is actually really funny and if the events of the game weren't so life and death, especially for him, we would've been able to see his funny side far more than we currently do and honestly I feel robbed

#I just know it #and it's not the type of haha comedian style funny #it's just like the way he talks I think he'd be extremely sarcastic and generally more chill #if y'all watched the video fo the cast playing dnd - some of the things Tim said as gale i was just like #omfg I could totally see gale saying that under less dire circumstances #I think i'm trying to say he'd be funny in a charismatic way and not a slightly awkward way #anyways #serena the yap-atron 3000 #I'm supposed to be working on a discussion post for class but alas I am thinking about the wife of waterdeep #wife #gale dekarios #bg3 #shitpost

152 notes · View notes

words-after-midnight · 11 months

Text

Eternally confused and bewildered re: people being shocked and outraged about horror (especially contemporary, psychological & gothic subgenres) addressing dark/taboo/potentially triggering topics. It's... horror? It's supposed to tackle the distressing and horrific and uncomfortable. I genuinely don't get this.

#i've seen a bunch of posts discussing this lately #luckily not something i see much in my circles on here but i've encountered it a decent amount on twitter #i totally get being personally uncomfortable reading something but when it comes to esp contemporary horror it's really like #what do you expect lol #horror #writing

446 notes · View notes

slttygeto · 4 months

Text

studying for my finals and brain is full of engineering student suguru who scribbles down on his paper in such an attractive way. he uses a black pen, no colored pens and has papers taped to the wall facing his desk. he chews on the cap of his pen because he refuses to smoke in his room, but his knee keeps bouncing as he stares at the formula before him. when he gets frustrated, he slams his pen down on his desk and throws his head back with an annoyed groan and he pushes his chair away. he cracks his neck and knuckles, stretches a little before getting down to the floor to do a plank for a full minute. he doesn’t get back to studying until he feels the muscles in his arms burning.

#going feral over him for some reason #also this is totally not smth i have already discussed w aurelia #jujutsu kaisen #geto suguru #engineering student suguru

167 notes · View notes

teddyhoneybear · 10 days

Text

Sometimes it's surprising to me that after the Azriel bonus chapter, people still think Elain and Azriel are endgame (it's ok to ship them though, I ship Azriel with Eris sometimes💀), but why force it on others? Why attack artist just because they choose to draw a ship you don't agree with (when they've already done yours several times)? Why hurt/insult others in the process? Go on AO3 and fantasize all you want (that's the point of the site after all, to quench your thirst - I mean... that's what I do🤕).

*I* was an Elriel (maybe not a strong one, I'm very open minded) before, but after reading that chapter I just gave up lmao (I sulked a bit while starring at gorgeous fanarts with them, wiped my tears and moved on). And I do understand how it feels to get very attached to a ship, I still think of Harry and Hermione for God's sake. Or Draco... 😶‍🌫️

Not only that his inner monologue gave me the ick, then his arrogance and entitlement when speaking with Rhys, but his gift compared to Lucien's was just... lame (and I really like Azriel, even if the way he behaved there dissapointed me).

And if it wasn't enough, after that dramatic *in a raspy male voice* "Oh babycakes, it was a mistake!" and Elain giving him back the necklace like a lost battle, out of absolutely nowhere Gwyn's character shows up! In the same chapter! It has to mean something, right? Not only that, but it's obvious she makes him curios, her character challanges his (I won't even mention his shadows making heart-eyes at her).

92 notes · View notes

zigster-ao3 · 2 years

Text

@p1013 this is still a WIP. Color will eventually happen, but for now, happy belated birthday

#modern ofmd au #Ed’s vibing in the lazy river #spots something he likes at the drinks cart #stede x edward #edward teach #Blackbeard #ofmd #Ofmd fanart #our flag means death #our flag means death AU #gentlebeard #blackbonnet #zigs drew stuff #fan art #Jen and I did discuss thst a photo like this probably does exist on Taika’s camera roll #he totally owns a flamingo pool float #I mean #I don’t actually know this as fact #it just feels on brand for the man

3K notes · View notes

aroaessidhe · 8 months

Text

2023 reads

The Spider And Her Demons

YA Australian urban fantasy/horror

about a Malaysian-Chinese girl who’s half spider-demon, just trying to keep her head down and survive high school

when she accidentally kills and eats a man in front of the most popular girl at school, they strike up a strange friendship and she starts to learn more about herself and the supernatural world

aroacespec/sapphic ish

#The Spider And Her Demons #Sydney Khoo #loveozya #aroaessidhe 2023 reads #you give me a teenage girl with giant hair spider legs who scuttles across her bedroom wall on page 3 #and then eats a man and i am already sold.#also aus books are always so familiar compared to US books :)#and yes sexuality stuff is ambiguous but basically: a bunch of discussion on relationship hierachies (ie friendship equally/more important)#themes of feeling unlovable bc you're different and different forms of love #multiple times the MC says she has no interest in dating or relationships and also is touch (and maybe sex) repulsed #- but of course that Also has to do with the whole Being A Monster thing #and it definitely shows some kind of attraction to dior - ie looking at her lips/bare skin; blushing; etc #and ends on sort of hand kiss / 'is this something??' vibes #I asked the author and they said they see them as QPR / platonic soulmates but are not at the point where they would know what to call it #which makes total sense to me!#the part of me who wants more obvious aroace YA wishes it was a little more specific #but also I DO love ambiguity and I think it wouldn't be true to the characters #who are clearly not even ready to start figuring that stuff out.#and also. aroacespec sapphics is like. also something i want #also like. I think it's reductive to assume just because 'looks at lips' is a common allo attraction trope....doesn't necessarily mean #it has to be that. yknow.#anyway. i loved it a lot.#gross spidergirl (affectionate)......#also dior is such an interesting and complex character. like another book could have made her nicer or less fucked up

194 notes · View notes

six-demon-crafting · 7 months

Text

look! a project i actually finished all the way!!

🧵 Bye by TheLonelySeaman

#i stg i will get an actual setup to take pictures one of these days smh #we will not discuss the weird things i was doing for this one to not look like complete and total shit due to lighting problems #cross stitch #xstitch #cross stitching #craftblr #crafting #sixstitch #skull #finished object

175 notes · View notes

inkskinned · 2 years

Text

it's the levels of scrutiny too.

a movie that has a largely-female cast has to be well-written, well-shot, well-acted, well-advertised. people will spend 2 hours on youtube talking about a single plot hole; about a moment of bad pacing, about a singular background character's poor scripting. if there isn't something obvious, they will say - well there's nothing specifically bad, but it wasn't specifically good either.

they will turn out another all-male movie, and it's just a movie.

a book that has queer representation in it has to defy every convention of writing while also being true to traditional plot, structure, format, and pacing. it must have no boring chapters, no missteps, no awkward dialogue. it must be able to "prove" that any queer relationship "makes sense", their sparks must fly off the page and their love must be eternal. the writing must be clear and beautiful, the storyline original and fresh, the values traditional but with an undercurrent that is modern and saucy.

they will turn out another book without queer rep, where a man and woman just-fall-in-love, and it's just a book.

i am latinx. i am queer. i am nb & neurodivergent. my father said to me once: you will need to be exceptional to be just-as-good, and you will need to be beyond exceptional before they see you as just-a-person, and not your labels.

i am not beyond exceptional. i am a human person. i am skilled because i worked my ass off to be skilled.

i am currently reading a book that's so-bad-it's-good about a girl that falls in love with a vampire. i was 64% of the way through the book before she figures out tall-dark-fanged is not natural. i like books like these, i like letting myself relax while i just enjoy the read. but i do spend a lot of time wondering - would this have been published if it was about queer people? would this have gotten past the editors if the characters weren't white and sexy?

i want to write a movie about being a woman in a male space, and i want to start that movie with a 10 minute scene where the woman is lectured with the exact same whining that occurs in the youtube comments of even the trailers for those movies: "haven't we had enough diversity?" "we've had enough girl power movies" "sorry, this is just pandering. it's boring."

here's what's fucked up: it shouldn't matter, you're right. my identity shouldn't fold after my name like a battalion of stars: a cry of what i've gone through. what we all know i had to move past and through. i should just be a writer, plain and simple, without my work being shifted through with tweezers - i know everything i make, always, i am incredibly responsible for. beholden to. i don't like knowing that if i fuck up, i am also fucking up for every person like me. every person in a community i belong to.

once, back in undergrad, i wrote a short story about a girl who had been kicked by a horse. it was my first time writing about my experience with my ocd; i felt proud of it. the story was mostly about grief and slow recovery. the queerness of the main character was not important to the plot, my main character was just-queer. there wasn't even a romantic interest in it.

i remember one of my classmates being disappointed. "i just feel like you always write about girls who like girls, and i'm bored of it," he said. "you're a beautiful writer, but i'm like - oh, at some point, it's gonna be gay again." during the workshop, he folded his hands over my story and said, "and okay, i'm just going to say it. she's ocd, she's gay, she's depressed - it's a little much for me to believe is all happening to one person."

it is a little much to be that person (and more besides). i have therapy weekly, after all.

over and over, belonging to exception.

#spilled ink #poetry #prose #warm up #idk what this is #maybe more of a confession #btw the book is called crave it's OKAY #it's very straight #main character keeps being like totally okay with situations where dude is DEF #being a stalker villian #she's known him for a WEEK and shes like #'hes all that matters'#girlfriend ur parents only died a MONTH ago #there's a lot about timing in that book im like .... did this author ever have any #actually bad experiences #like main character being like ''i shouldn't cry over them it's pathetic'' a mONTH after her parents die #btw this isn't bc she's in denial/suffering/etc it's bad writing #the narrative is instead like #'' .... bc the author doesn't want to remember to discuss it''#she forgets she has a sprained ankle a lot #tbh im THIS close to saying ''fuck good writing''#and writing my OWN stupid supernatural school YA romance #and YES!!!!! IT WOULD INDEED BE GAY #''oh this school? we're all... different here....bc... of the witches??oh . i mean yeah but no actually we just really believe in a diverse

3K notes · View notes

nebulouscoffee · 10 months

Text

The thing about Kai Winn's storyline ultimately being a tragedy is, it's not only a tragedy because her fate (in the eyes of the non-linear Prophets) was already known and nothing she did or said was ever going to make them acknowledge her- not only because she wanted so badly to have a big role to play in the grand, historic story of the newly independent Bajor and just couldn't handle the fact that she was never meant to- not only because the Prophets spoke to Sisko and Bareil and Kira and literally even Quark but not her- not only because she was deceived and raped and killed in the end- but most of all because, it was partly her love of Bajor that killed her.

Think about it- her whole regression during that final arc with Dukat is so tragic precisely because she was THIS close to redemption! Throughout the show, we see that her brain processes information in very rigid, binary ways: if you are not my ally, then you are my enemy. If you disagree with even one of my opinions, you are my enemy. If you refuse to endorse and support me in this mission, you are my enemy. That's part of why she's so easily swayed by fascist rhetoric, I think- she's just unable to cope with nuance. (This is foreshadowed in 'Shakaar', where she puts the whole of Bajor under martial law just because Shakaar disagreed with her over how she was handling soil reclamators.) Her personal narrative is I am the one who will save Bajor -> anyone who gets in my way is my enemy and therefore an enemy of Bajor -> I must stop them using any force necessary for the good of Bajor because I am after all the one who will save Bajor.

But when Sisko discovers the city of B'hala in 'Rapture', she is for the first time forced to accept the truth that he really hasn't been faking this whole "talks to the Prophets" thing- he's the real deal. We learn later on (when she tells "Anjohl" about how she honestly felt nothing the first time she saw the wormhole open) that a small, small part of her actually always doubted the existence of the Prophets. Now, she is faced with definitive proof that they are not only very real, but they also really do have a bond with Sisko. And for a while, she even comes to terms with this! In fact, at the end of the episode, she and Kira have possibly their first completely honest exchange:

KIRA: Maybe we're the ones who need to trust the Prophets. For all we know, this is part of their plan. Maybe they've told Captain Sisko everything they want him to know. WINN: Perhaps. I suppose you heard that Bajor will not join the Federation today. The Council of Ministers has voted to delay acceptance of Federation membership. KIRA: You must be very pleased. WINN: I wish I were. But things are not that simple. Not anymore. Before Captain Sisko found B'hala, my path was clear. I knew who my enemies were. But now? Now nothing is certain. KIRA: Makes life interesting, doesn't it?

Like, YASS babygirl- you too can learn to handle nuance!! I believe in you!!💪💪

And later on, at the onset of the Dominion War, she comes to Sisko for advice herself. She doesn't want to see her planet colonised again, and she's even willing to put aside her desire to be the main character to ensure it doesn't happen. Driven by pride and the need for power as she is, she is also driven by the desire save Bajor (and preferably be the one saving Bajor, which is the subsection of this desire that ultimately ends up being her downfall) - and she does briefly decide that cooperating with the Emissary is the best way to do this! I think about this scene from 'In The Cards' so much:

WINN: ... I have asked the Prophets to guide me, but they have not answered my prayers. I even consulted the Orb of Wisdom before coming here and it has told me nothing. So I come to you, Emissary. You have heard the voice of the Prophets. You were sent here to guide us through troubled times. Tell me what to do and I will do it. How can I save Bajor? SISKO: You want my advice? Then this is it. Stall. Tell Weyoun you have to consult with the Council of Ministers, or that you have to meditate on your response. Anything you want, but you have to stall for time. WINN: Time for what? SISKO: I don't know. But I do know the moment of crisis isn't here yet, and until that moment arrives we have to keep Bajor's options open. I'm aware that this is difficult for you, given our past, but this time you have to trust me. (Winn holds Sisko's left ear.) WINN: Very well, Emissary. We put ourselves in your hands. May we all walk with the Prophets.

In the earlier seasons, Winn would often casually make claims that the Prophets had "told her" something, or that she was just "doing what the Prophets asked"- and her political position as Kai always allowed her to just lie about being in contact with them all the time. Now, you can see the sheer humility- the embarrassment, even- on her face as she (for the first time) openly admits to Sisko that she has never actually heard them speak before; and that they clearly "prefer" him. Yes, there's some (understandable imo) bitterness here- but not at him, at THEM. And when she tries to read his pagh at the end- something she probably does to dozens of people every day, most of whom would unquestioningly believe anything she declares afterwards- she doesn't even try to pretend she felt anything there. It's one of her most genuine moments in the whole show, you can just SEE the redemption arc in reach and it's so heartbreaking!!

I think 'The Reckoning' is a huge episode for her too, for many reasons- but let's talk about how it sets up this fascinating parallel between her and Kira (who Odo describes in this episode as having "both faith and humility"). The Prophets choose Kira as their "vessel" because she was "willing"- meanwhile, Winn was right there just begging to be a part of this! Here she is, with a Prophet right in front of her face- and she prays and postures and begs and prays some more, all just to get ignored. Kira's brand of faith is very, "I am ultimately insignificant and I surrender my power and my body and pagh to the Prophets"- Winn's is more, "if I do all the right things, then I will be able to prove to the Prophets that I am worthy of their attention, worthier than everyone else, and maybe then they'll appoint me the saviour of Bajor! It's My Destiny, You See!! (Why Isn't This Happening For Me??)" And the events of this episode are kind of a big slap in the face to her honestly, because they sort of prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Prophets have no interest in her. Maybe stopping the battle was also an attempt at regaining some kind of agency with them- I DID THIS, I pulled a switch and it had a direct effect on the Prophets, so there!! (Whatever that effect entails). She does care about Bajor. Of course she does. But her ideal configuration of Bajor involves her being a major player in its salvation, which she was just never meant to be. And this is why she's so tragically susceptible to Dukat's manipulation- he was the first person ever to tell her everything she always wanted to hear.

And the intriguing thing about Dukat's deception is, it doesn't all fall apart at one go. It falls apart in layers. And this makes for some excellent, excellent Winn characterisation imo.

First, she thinks the pah wraiths are the Prophets- and they tell her, hey, The Sisko has faltered, Bajor needs you, and only you can fix this. Good lord, imagine finally getting to hear those words after a lifetime of silence! And it's very telling that her first reaction isn't to gloat like she would've in the earlier seasons, but instead to humbly- even anxiously- pray. Bajor needs her, the "Prophets" have asked her to do something, this is her moment! Then, this random lovely Bajoran farmer comes in and tells her even more things she has always wanted to hear- that her activism during the Occupation (ignored by Kira and Sisko alike) saved lives, that he always wondered why the Prophets would choose an alien as their Emissary, that surely Sisko and his followers were mistaken- and finally, "our world will be reborn- with YOU as its leader". Sounds good, right? But THEN she finds out she's been speaking to the pah wraiths and the lovely farmer is a devil worshipper actually. And she tries the "wash away my sins" approach- she wants some kind of quick fix ritual that will "purify" her, so she can continue to be Kai the right way. She even admits to Kira that she's always been power hungry and she wants to change- and I believe her! Unfortunately, Kira then tells her something she doesn't want to hear- that she has to step down as Kai. And surely that can't be, right? She's the saviour of Bajor! She's so complex... it's not simply her love of power that this scene reveals imo, but more significantly, her inability to see herself as not a vital part of Bajor's history; of this whole larger narrative. Like-

WINN: I'm a patient woman. But I have run out of patience. I will no longer serve gods who give me nothing in return. "GIVE ME"!! ADAMI MY BESTIE MY GIRL MY BUDDY THEREIN LIES THE PROBLEM!!!

So, okay, fine, now she's swayed over to the side that maybe the Prophets aren't that great, and maybe the pah wraiths are the true gods of Bajor (because they were willing to talk to her), and maybe she's okay working with the devil worshipper. But then it turns out he's DUKAT- and at this point, she's literally murdered someone, she's ready to stop this, to go back to Sisko and set things right- but then the book of the Kosst Amojan lights up because of the blood she spilled. She did that. It happened as a direct result of her actions. She's just so desperate to be acknowledged... to have a role to play in all this, no matter who offers it to her. So the pah wraiths actually giving her a reaction isn't something she can resist. And here's where things get even more tragic.

WINN: But the prophecies! They warn that the release of the Pah wraiths will mean the end of Bajor. DUKAT: The old Bajor, perhaps. But from its ashes a new Bajor will arise and the Restoration will begin. WINN: Who will be left to see it? DUKAT: Those the gods find worthy. It will be the dawn of paradise. And you, Adami, are destined to rule it. WINN: You're sure of that? DUKAT: It is meant to be.

Again with the ease at which she's swayed by fascist rhetoric! Let's be clear, she was (and is) absolutely against the Cardassian Occupation. But her worldview is built on the pursuit of being "worthier" than everyone else, of being "closer to god" than everyone else- her expectation of faith is that it's some sort of determiner of who's doing it The Most Effectively, rather than it being a practice- and she just completely misses that any sort of plan that executes masses and spares whoever is deemed "worthy" is... literally exactly what people like Dukat did to her planet. Something something faith as competition, faith as determiner of inherent superiority, faith as a way to gain power via proximity to god… never faith as submission. And the worst part is she’s self-aware. It’s heartbreaking.

And it's about to get even more heartbreaking, because she truly believes she has arrived at her girlboss moment in the finale (I think the tragedy of her being a rape victim and knowing this and having to hide the body of the one (1) person who was looking out for her while being stuck with her rapist speaks for itself.) After kicking Dukat out on the street (lol), she studies the eeevil texts and realises that to set the pah wraiths free, you need to make a sacrifice. So now she gets to deceive him in return. And she does! The look of shock on his face when he discovers she poisoned him is priceless imo, and her triumph as she taunts his dead body, the sheer joy on her face as she casts off her Kai robes, when she recites those incantations and something actually happens- and that too such a large pyrotechnic spectacle- is so sad knowing what's coming. Because ultimately, the pah wraiths want to destroy Bajor, right? And Winn just doesn't. Of course they don't choose her. Of course they choose Dukat over her! She really thought that by tricking and murdering him, she'd made him the unimportant piece of the puzzle, that she was stealing back his thunder- but tragically, it turns out even the pah wraiths see her as disposable. Of course they resurrect Dukat (a man who's proved time and time again that he wants to see Bajor & Bajorans destroyed) and turn her into the sacrifice. The way she screams "NO!" here breaks my heart- she's betrayed her planet, and it was all for nothing. (Dukat's "are you still here?" is particularly devastating.) I think it's very significant that her final words are "Emissary, the book!"- it shows that in her last moments, she's owning her mistakes- she's stepping away from power and putting Bajor first, and leaving her own fate in the hands of the Prophets. Who, of course, once again ignore her, and choose to save Sisko instead. God.

The utter tragedy that even in the pah wraiths' plan, she was just a pawn. That she died at the hands of the gods she thought chose her, but used her, all while the gods she'd coveted her whole life stood by and did nothing. The Prophets chose Sisko because they believed he would put Bajor's interests over even his own- and now they ensure he will be back one day to see the new Bajor. She never will.

Yes, it was her pride that got her here. Her mean streak. Her inability to cope with nuance. Her inability to see herself as ultimately insignificant. Her inability to surrender to a higher power in any way that didn't involve becoming more powerful herself; more relevant, more "close to god". But it was also her love of Bajor. Because if she'd cared about Bajor less, then maybe the pah wraiths might have chosen her- or at least spared her, or taken her to their realm after she burned, the way they did with Dukat. Now, she ends up being the one thing she never wanted to be: insignificant.

Honestly if I had to summarise the tragedy of her arc in one sentence, it would probably be Kai Winn: Too Evil For The Prophets, Not Evil Enough For The Pah Wraiths. She and Dukat are not the same! She is a perfectly pathetic, sad and wet blorbo and I am holding her gently in my hands while apologising for her crimes <3

#cw rape mention #ds9 #just to be clear: I did write this post after seeing the take #'the prophets never spoke to winn because even they found her insufferable & knew she didn't even care about bajor'#which I happened to disagree with (as I do w/ every take that claims she didn't care about Bajor or that she and dukat were 'equally evil')#BUT! this is absolutely not meant to be a callout post or anything #there is a lot of general misogyny in discussions about her and I have my issues with the way people make light of her trauma #but if you just don't happen to love her as a character that's totally fine! honestly the very last thing I want #is to make anyone reading this post feel bad (or for it to be used to hate on people who just like other fictional characters more)#so I kindly request that people not reblog this post with that sort of energy thank you <3 #(also I might turn off reblogs if I suddenly get shy lol)

314 notes · View notes