TW: Pedophilia

Reflects my thoughts on the current discourse perfectly, and explains what I couldn't put into words. Great post!

For the people who are out there “fighting the good fight” and “trying to make fandom a better place,” I have two important questions for you:

1. Is the author dead? x

2. Is your baby in the bathwater? x

What do I mean by those things? Let’s start with #1. The Death of the Author is a type of literary criticism, the extreme cliff notes version of which is that art exists outside of the creator’s life, personal background, and even intentions. I’m using it slightly differently than Barthes intended, but that’s okay, because the author is dead and I’m interpreting his work through my own lens.

In fandom, the author is dead. In fact, the author was never alive in the first place, not really. The author has only ever been the idea of a person, because unlike published fiction, the only thing we know about a fanfic author is that which they choose to tell us about themselves.

Why is that important?

Because it might not be true. Hell, that happens in real life with published authors, who have SSN’s on file with their publishers, who pay taxes on the works they create and have researchable pasts. If the author of A Million Little Pieces could fake everything, why can’t I? Why can’t you? Why can’t the writer of your favorite fic in the whole wide world?

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: “you can only write about [sensitive subject] if [sensitive subject] has happened to you personally, otherwise you’re a disgusting monster that deserves to die!!” Or maybe “you can only write [x racial or ethnic group] characters if you’re [x racial or ethnic group] otherwise you’re racist/fetishizing/colonizing!”

You can play this game with any sensitive subject you can come up with. I’ve seen them all before, on a sliding scale of slightly chastising to literal death threats.

Now, I could tell you that I’m a white-passing Latina whose grandmother was an anchor baby. I could tell you that I speak only English because my family never taught me to speak Spanish, something which I’ve been told is common in the Cuban community, though I only know my own lived experience. I could tell you that I’m mostly neurotypical. I could tell you that I’m covered in surgical scars. I could tell you lots of things.

Are any of these true? Maybe! I could tell you that my brother has severe mental development problems, so uncommon that they’ve never been properly diagnosed, and that he will live the rest of his life in a group home with 24-hour care. Is that true? Am I allowed to write about families struggling with America’s piss-poor services for the handicapped now?

Am I allowed to write about being Cuban? After all, I did just say that I’m Cuban. But is it true? Can I instead write a character that’s Panamanian? Maybe I really am Panamanian, not Cuban. Maybe I’m both. Maybe I’m neither. Maybe I’m really French Canadian. Should we require people to post regular selfies? I can’t count the number of times I’ve had someone come up to me speaking Arabic, and I’ve been told that I look Syrian. What’s stopping me from making a blog that claims that I am Syrian? Can you even really tell someone’s race and ethnicity from a photo?

Am I allowed to write about being a teenager? Am I allowed to write about being a college student? Am I allowed to write about being an “adulty” adult? Can I write a character who’s 40? 50? 60? How old am I?

All of this is to say: you can’t base what someone is or is not “allowed” to write about on a background that may or may not be real. No matter how good your intentions. And I get it - this usually comes from a place of well-meaning. You’re trying to protect marginalized groups by stopping privileged people from trampling all over experiences that they haven’t suffered. I get that. It’s a very noble thought. But you can’t require a background check for every fic that you don’t like.

If you say “you can only write about rape if you’re a rape victim,” then one of three things will happen:

Real survivors will have to supply intimate details of their own violations to prevent harassment

Real survivors will refuse to engage and will then have to deal with death threats and people telling them to kill themselves for daring to write about their own experiences

People who aren’t survivors will say “yeah sure this happened to me” just to get people to shut up

Has that helped anyone? I mean really - anyone??

So now let’s get to point #2: is your baby in the bathwater?

If your intention is to protect marginalized people from being trampled upon, stop and assess if your boot is the one that’s now stamping on their face. Find your baby! Is your baby in the bathwater? Which is to say: find the goal that you’re advocating for. Now assess. Are you making the problem worse for the people you’re trying to protect? Does that rape victim really feel better, now that you’ve harassed and stalked them in the name of making rape victims feel safe?

Let’s say you read a fic that contains explicit sex between a 16 year old and a 17 year old. Is this okay? Would it be okay if the writer was 15? 16? 17? Should teenagers be barred from writing about their own lives, and should teenagers be banned from exploring sexuality in a fictional bubble, instead of hookup culture? Is it okay for a 20 year old to write about their experiences as a teenager? Is it okay for a 20 year old to write about being raped at a party as a teenager? Is it okay for a 30 year old? How about a 40 year old? Is it okay so long as it isn’t titillating? Is it okay if taking control of the narrative allows the writer to re-conceptualize their trauma as something they have control over? Is it okay if their therapist told them that writing is a safe creative outlet?

Is your author dead?

Is your baby in the bathwater?

Now let’s take a hardline approach: no fanfiction with characters who are under 18 years old. None. Is the 16 year old who really loves Harry Potter and wants to read/write about characters their own age better off? Should they be banned from writing? Should they be forced to exclusively read and write (adult) experiences that they haven’t lived? Will they write about teens anyway? Should they have to share it in secret? Should 16 year olds be ashamed of themselves? Should we just throw in with the evangelicals and say that the only answer is abstinence, both real and fictional?

Let’s say that no rape is allowed in fiction, at all. None. What happens to all the hurt/comfort fics where a character is raped and then receives the support and love that they deserve, slowly heal, and by the end have found themselves again? Are you helping rape victims by banning these stories? Are you helping rape victims by stripping their agency away, by telling them that their wants and their consent doesn’t matter?

Is your baby in the bathwater?

Fandom is currently being split in two: on one side, the people who want to make fandom a “safer” place by any means necessary, even if that means throwing out all of the marginalized groups they say they want to protect - and on the other, people who are saying “if you throw out that bathwater, you’re throwing the baby out too.”

The whole point of fandom is to be able to explore all kinds of ideas from the safety and comfort of a computer screen. You can read/write things that fascinate you, disgust you, titillate you, or make your heart feel warm. This is true of all fiction. People who want to read about rape and incest and extreme violence and torture can go pick up a copy of Game of Thrones from the bookstore whenever they want. Sanitizing fandom just means holding a community of people who are primarily not male, not straight, not cis, or some combination of those three, to higher and stricter standards than straight white cis male authors and creators all over the world.

There is nothing you can find on AO3 that you can’t find in a bookstore. Any teenager can go check out Lolita, or ASOIAF, or Flowers in the Attic, or Stephen King’s It, or Speak, or hundreds of other books that have adult themes or gratuitous violence or graphic sex. The difference is that AO3 has warnings and tags and allows people to interact only with the types of work that they want to, and allows people to curate their experiences.

Are these themes eligible to be explored, but only in the setting of something produced/published? Books, movies, television, studio art, music - all of these fields have huge barriers to entry, and they’re largely controlled by wealthy cishet white men. Is it better to say that only those who have the right connections to “make it” in these industries should be allowed to explore violence or sexuality or any other so-called “adult” theme?

Does banning women from writing MLM erotica make fan culture a better place?

Does banning queer people from writing about queer experiences make fan culture a better place?

Is M/M fic okay, but only if the author is male? What if he’s a transman? What if they’re NB? Who should get to draw those lines? Should TERFs get a vote? What if the author is a woman who feels more comfortable writing from a male character’s perspective because she’s grown up with male stories her whole life, or because she identifies more with male characters? What about all the transmen who discovered themselves, in part, by writing fanfiction, and realized that their desires to write male characters stemmed from something they hadn’t yet realized about themselves?

How can we ever be sure that the author is who they say they are?

Who is allowed to write these stories? How do we enforce it?

Is it better for none of these stories to ever exist at all?

Have you killed your author?

Have you thrown out your baby with the bathwater?

“I think I love you.”

NOT ONLY DID THEY KISS BUT BLAKE POPPED HER LIL FOOT. I’M STILL MELDED TO THE FLOOR.

you punch nazis!

(requested by anonymous)

@texanredrose just admit it already

Callout post for @texanredrose

Theyre a good friend and I’m love them

I needed this a long time ago

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

Edit: People, I’m an English and creative writing double major in college; I understand that there’s nothing wrong with simply using “said.” This was just for fun, and it comes in handy when I need to add pizzazz. 

I have died and been brought back by the power of the hug

THE SOFT LOOKS BLAKE AND YANG GAVE EACH OTHER 

AND RUBY AND WEISS GAVE EACH OTHER THO

REBLOG IF YOU TOO ARE DYING

welcome back!

to the people who sent in welcome back mail <3 thank you~ 😌 pls enjoy ✨them✨ 

also to that rando anon, i like french toast 

Happy Blake is good Blake.

Reblog if you love this good hearted, trying her best, kitty

WE DID IT!

Started from the bottom 

now we’re here

Started from the bottom

NOW MY WHOLE TEAMS FUCKING HERE

A little Nuts N’ Dolts angst

A little prompt a wrote a couple months ago for a friend of mine.

Walking through the decayed ruins of Beacon was nothing if not cathartic for Ruby after all these years. The war against Salem had long been over, Beacon’s campus relocated to avoid a repeat of the past, and many had moved on from the events that had transpired on these hallowed grounds.

Ruby hadn’t.

That’s why she was here after all. On the anniversary of one of the worst days of her life.

She walked through what would have been the entrance hall, the shattered remains of the doors still lie in heaps around the door’s frame. Dust is kicked up from her steps, uncovering shards of Atleasian knights strewn across the floor.

“I can’t believe you! You never told anyone what was truly going on!” Ruby screamed.

“And I take full responsibility for that. It was a mistake…”

“A mistake that I will never forgive you for.”

“I don’t expect you to, in fact, I would prefer if you didn’t.”

“So many people died...people we were supposed to protect! They didn’t deserve to die!”

“And that is MY burden to bare Miss Rose, no one else's!”

“It is my burden when I didn’t keep my promise! I failed them…”

Her footsteps echoed off of the empty corridor leading to the cafeteria, the clicks of her heels against the stone the only sound to be heard.

“Are you okay friend Ruby?”

She spins around to find nothing there.

“Another stupid memory…” Ruby says to herself.

“Are you okay friend Ruby?” Penny asks as they walk into the main hall the night of the dance, “Your hand is shaking.”

“I’m nervous.”

“Nervous about what? We’re just going to be dancing.”

“I know, but we’re going to be dancing...together…”

“I don’t understand.”

“Hold on,” Ruby says as she pulls Penny off to the side, “Friends normally don’t go to dances together Penny.”

“So are we not friends?”

“No no Penny, I just...don’t know how to explain this…”

“Are we more than friends?”

“No, but...I want us to be…” Ruby says with a blush.

“Ruby,” Penny says lacing her hand with Ruby’s, “You deserve someone better...someone real.” She says, tapping her arm to make the metallic clang for emphasis.

“You are real! You think just because you were made instead of born makes you any different from me? You can feel, you have an aura, you…”

“But I don’t know if I can...what’s the word?...love. I don’t know what that means for someone like me.”

“I know that I care about you, I want to see you happy, and I’m going to keep you safe no matter what.”

“Is that what love is?”

“That’s what it is to me.”

“Then I think I can manage that.”

“Does that mean…” Ruby studders.

“I believe it is customary for one of us to ask the other to be in a relationship.”

“Penny, will you be my...girlfriend?”

She kisses her cheek as she wraps her arms around Ruby’s shoulders , “I still don’t know if I can be enough for you, but I can try.”

Ruby presses against her to tighten the embrace, “You will always be enough for me.”

The end of the corridor is blocked by the collapsed roof. A blinding silver glow comes from Ruby’s hand and the debris moves itself out of the huntress’ way. The dorms were only a short walk from the cafeteria, but that didn’t stop the memories from coming back to Ruby in waves.

Passing Oobleck’s classroom reminded her of the time Penny had snuck into the back of the classroom and spent the whole time trying to distract her from the lesson by drawing the two of them.

Next was Goodwitch’s. Ironwood requested for Penny to be able to attend Glynda’s class, letting her spar with students was one of the easiest ways to gauge her abilities, and Ruby was the first one selected(she suspected Penny had something to do with that.) It wasn’t as much a fight as it was a dance between the two. The constant clash of metal and spray of sparks each time their weapons met was exhilarating for the two.

Then came the dorms, and what a mistake that was.

The halls were blackened with Grimm soot. Every surface etched with the scars of the fighting that had become the school’s legacy, every surface but a single door, one engraved with four letters, RWBY. It was spotless, as if all the grimm feared to come near it. Gently, Ruby pushed open the door. A thin layer of dust covered the room and all it contained.

“Why do I keep coming back here? It’s not like this will change anything.” Ruby thinks to herself as she look over the room.

That’s when she spots it, a small glint of metal beneath what used to be Weiss’ bed. Fully extending Crescent Rose, Ruby pulls a small chain out from under the bed frame. It was a simple gold chain with a small locket attached.

“No...I was sure this was gone.”

Inside the locket was a photograph, one taken from a Scroll camera, of Ruby and…

“You don’t deserve to say her name!” screams a voice in her head.  

“You’re right. I failed her…”

The words echoed off of the empty walls, only drowned out as Ruby fell to her knees sobbing.

“Why? Why did it have to be Penny and Pyrrha? Why couldn’t it have been Cardin or anyone else?! They didn’t deserve to die!”

The silver glow returned to Ruby’s hands as her anger came in waves. The light grew from a small globe to a staff of pure energy, one she had only seen once before, the night she fought Salem.

“I DON’T WANT THIS!!! I WOULD GIVE IT ALL AWAY TO HAVE THEM BACK!” Ruby says, letting the staff fall to the floor.

As if made of glass, the staff shatters, but the pieces begin to rise and form a frame around the window.

“This has to be some kind of trick, some curse Salem placed on me, they can’t come back…”

“If they can’t,” a voice in her head laments, “then what is the harm in trying?”

She presses her hands to the glowing crystal frame only to have sparks fly from the edges pressed against the wall.

“Please, let me see them again, if not both, let me see Penny again!”

The frame filled with the same glow from before, only it began to clear. On the other side appeared to be a small house, something not too extravagant, but homely at the same time. Standing on the front porch was an older version of herself with an older Penny by her side. In Penny’s arms was a small bundle of cloth with a tuft of brunette hair.

“I can’t believe it. This is what Salem took from me. This life with her.”

Ruby places her hand onto the image.

“Ruby…” Penny on the other side of the image speaks.

“Penny?! Can you hear me?”

“Ruby…”

“Penny please!”

“RUBY!”

The sound of Penny yelling her name brings her upright. Tears roll down her cheeks as the shuddering starts.

“FUCK THAT NIGHTMARE!”

Arms wrap around her shoulders, “Was it the same one again?” Penny asks as she cradles Ruby in her arms.

“Salem’s curse yea.”

“We’ll find a way to fix it. I promise.” Penny says, kissing her forehead.

“You always bring me back. Even when I truly believe Salem won, when I believe you and Pyrrha are gone for good, you pull me out.”

“I’m glad. Sometimes I worry you’re not going to come back one of these times.”

“Don’t worry. I intend to keep my promise, I’ll keep you safe and happy for as long as I live.”

“That was so cheesy of you to put in your wedding vow.”

Ruby giggled, “It was, but I meant it, then and now.”

Penny sighs, “I know you did and still do,” She says, running her hands through my hair, “Is there anything new in the nightmare this time?”

“Nothing different than before. Though one thing about the nightmare is strange, the image I always see of the two of us that brings me out has you holding a baby. I know we talked before and you didn’t think...”

Penny freezes, “Uhm…about that...”

I look up at her, “Please tell me that is you’re about to say something incredible.”

“I talked to Weiss and she seems to think there might be a way to use dust to…”

“Let’s try!”

To be continued...