What's The Time Mr Wolf

Right?!

My favorite moments of Infinity War - Part 11

Bare with me this got lengthy but I think it’s worth a read.

The Last Jedi basically took all the things we thought we knew about Star Wars and set them on fire. While we see many of the same elements and themes from the previous films, we were left questioning a lot including if Kylo Ren is a good guy or bad guy. So much of Star Wars has been built on being able to label the chacarters. Darth Vader is the bad guy, but then he saves his son and is now a good guy, etc.

The Last Jedi however upturned our labels and moved some pieces behind the scenes that many might have missed clueing us in to who the real enemy is. When I sat down and thought about this I was reminded of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire when Haynitch tells Katniss to remember who the real enemy is. Katniss is puzzled because she knows exactly who her enemies are, the dozens of tributes she’s about to face that will stop at nothing to kill her. But then again at the end of the film where the plan she thought they all are following is falling apart, Finnick repeats Haymitch’s line to her, “Remember who the real enemy is”….in that moment Katniss realizes what she’s been missing. These people aren’t her enemies. They are just like her, forced into a war no one ever wins. No, the enemy is behind the scenes. The enemy has been getting by unscathed and blameless while she and others bear the burden of the war this enemy purpetuates. She turns her bow and arrow and shoots into a weak link in the arena and sends the whole thing crashing down. She faces her true enemy.

“Remember who the real enemy is,”

How is this important to Kylo Ren and Star Wars? Because Star Wars has been grooming us to believe that Kylo Ren and the first order are our true enemy. And The Last Jedi began to reveal that we could be wrong about that. Kylo, who can’t kill his mother. Kylo who tells a young girl she is not alone when she feels she is most. Kylo who saves the girls life by betraying the man who has essentially raised him. Kylo who can’t hide the shame and regret of killing his father even if he tried. That’s not a true enemy. That’s not a big bad. Kylo says he serves one thing (the dark side) but his actions repeatedly show us differently. Like Rian Johnson said, he’s one half of the protagonist, NOT ANTAGONIST!

Even at the end when he orders they take no prisoners from the rebellion, the film is still grooming us to think he’s the big bad. But trust me. He’s still not. Luke knows this, which is why Luke would not allow his nephew to kill him. He triggers his nephew instead, almost encouraging Kylo to get it all out, scream, strike at me, hate me. Get it out. Because when I leave you, you will face an enemy greater than ever before. Luke leaves his nephew will some nuggets to help Kylo see this. “I will not be the last Jedi”. I truly believe he is talking about Kylo as well as Rey in that moment. He knows now that Rey is in place to bring about the Jedi order the way it was meant to be, and he also knows his nephew shares the same wishes for the galaxy as he does: end the Sith and the Jedi. What Luke did for Kylo in the sequence was almost therapeutic. Kylo lets it all out, all his anger and hurt towards what his uncle did to him without actually harming anyone.

Then at the end when he is alone in the rebel base he signals the first order to leave him alone. He falls to his knees. He is empty. Facing Luke emptied him. His rage is gone, expended, and he is left with nothing. Then he sees Rey and for a moment you can see how just seeing her makes him feel whole again. But the consequences of his actions settle in and she shuts the door on him as tears stream down his face. It’s kylo’s choice where he goes from here and I don’t think it will be towards the dark side. I’m not even sure he’s really dark at all anymore. Just playing a part. And someone close to him can see through it quite well.

The Real Big Bad

So who, or better yet, what is this enemy? The real big bad? Not the first order. Remember above when I pointed out in The Hunger Games that the people Katniss was fighting were not her true enemies, it was the people (person) behind the scenes who perpetuate the war that forces them to fight. It’s the same here, what this saga is trying to show us. Soldiers don’t start Wars, they just show up dressed for battle when told to. And There is someone that tells them to suit up. Hux.

Sure he had some funny one liners but that is a facade meant to trick us. Because he did some other notable things that flew under the radar. First of all, in the beginning when he is talking to Poe and Poe pretends to hear him-Listen to how passionately and assured speaks about wiping the filth of the rebellion from the galaxy and making them all suffer terrible deaths. Have we ever heard Kylo talk like that? General Hux means what he says, and the hatred he expresses is far more detailed then I’ve even heard Snoke express. He believes wholeheartedly what he says and that he is right and that rebellion must suffer. He has no light and he doesn’t want any.

Also we are made aware that Hux has had private planning conversations with Snoke that Kylo wasn’t even aware of. At the beginning of The Last Jedi, Kylo walks in on Snoke saying to Hux “tied on the end of a string indeed,”… it was the tail end of a clearly detailed private conversation about how they are tracking the rebellion. Which we are never confirmed is the way Rose and Finn believe it works. The conversation stops the minute Kylo walks in. Hux walks away and as he passes Kylo he has a smug smirk on his face like he knows something Kylo doesn’t. Snoke then berates Kylo and says he keeps Hux around because he’s weak and it can be a sharp tool. I actually think he was talking about Kylo when he says that line. That Kylo is weak and Snoke knows how to manipulate him to get him to do what he wants. Because right after he berated Kylo and screams at him at how weak he is and how he’s failed, Kylo gets so angry he stand up to strike at Snoke almost, before Snoke strikes him down. Kylo then immediately goes to attack the rebellion in his anger. Snoke manipulated him to do what he wanted by using his weakness, his anger and emotions. Weakness is a sharp tool when Properly manipulated. And I have no doubt Snoke and Hux have had many other private conversations Kylo wasn’t invited to.

Back to Hux and that smirk. Hux clearly can’t stand Kylo Ren. He hates him. I think he hates him because Kylo has force powers but can never do what he has to do for the dark side, and hux doesn’t have force powers but would do anything for the first order and dark side. Hux sees it as unfair and hates Kylo for it. The next part we see Hux’s true nature is after the throne room scene when he comes upon an unconscious Kylo Ren. He stares at Kylo’s lifeless body with a look of disgust. Once again, Kylo has failed the dark side. Once again he couldn’t do what needed to be done. Hux then reaches for the weapon in his hilt. He’s made up his mind. Snoke’s dead. Kylo’s unconscious. This is his chance. Right here he can take the power he so badly wants from a man who doesn’t deserve it. He won’t fail the dark side the way Kylo has.

But suddenly Kylo wakes up and Hux’s moment has passed. Kylo commands Hux to get the army ready to attack. Hux is INFURIATED! “YOU DARE COMMAND MY ARMY” he says. He built that army while Kylo has been playing around with a girl from the rebellion who has bested him twice. How dare Kylo think he can command him. Hux believes HE should be the successor to Snoke. Hux is quickly put in his place when Kylo uses the infamous force cholkhold on him. Those damn force powers. If only Hux had them.

Lastly, at the end when the first order enters the empty rebellion base, Kylo tells Hux and the stormtroopers to stay back while he enters the command room. Hux stares at Kylo, he sees through it all. He knows Kylo is defeated and is not truly committed to the dark side and it pisses him off to no end. He knows Kylo is weak and as he watched him enter that room alone Hux is already considering his options. Kylo is unworthy to rule the first order. It’s up to Hux to restore it to the glory of Snoke and do what Kylo can’t, kill the rebellion.

That moment was no accident, them fixing in on Hux’s face. It’s Hux’s last scene. He’s the real big bad. He is the one that truly believes in the idealology of the dark side and would die for it, he is the one who built this army and should command it. He is the one who can get the job done. Hux and the ideology that he clings to is what is perpetuating this war, and all the wars before them. They are the ones pulling the strings. Hux can’t be saved. His love for power exceeds even Kylo Ren’s. Hux belives he’s the man to get the job done.

Ok so here’s my Ep 9 meta:

Kylo and Rey will take their bow and arrows and burn the whole arena down….

Then they will kill the ideology that built it.

In episode 9, I foresee we will see Kylo at his weakest, and closer to Ben then ever. He’ll be alone, not even enough anger left in him to fuel his hatred. As Kylo is Broken and defeated, Hux will strike while the iron is hot. Hux will overthrow Kylo Ren with the army he built and will be the one to seek out and try and destroy the resistance. Kylo will be in trouble. Rey will have read the Jedi texts that even Luke didn’t read, and as such will have an understanding of what the Jedi were originally meant to be. The prime Jedi. The dark and the light. The balance to the force. She will immediately think of Kylo Ren and his darkness and realize her trying to take his darkness away from him was wrong. That she failed him. He is the other side of the coin they need to end this war.

THEY CAN ONLY WIN BY SAVING WHAT THEY LOVE NOT FIGHTING WHAT THEY HATE. So there will be a lot of “saving” in various forms in ep 9.

And this will go one of two ways:

1. Kylo escapes Hux and the first order barely and takes off to find Rey. He finds them and they take him prisoner, not trusting him. Rey and him talk and realize what they’ve been missing, they have to unite. She convinces the rebellion to trust him and they all go after Hux, where Rey and Kylo are in harmony, United, and at balance to become an unimaginable power to defeat him. Rey and Kylo throw their weapons down and both armies are confused as they stand between them refusing to be a part of anymore violence in this war, and beg for the two opposing sides to end it. Kylo frees the first order army and Poe frees the rebellion army. Rey and Ben brings balance to the force and teach both the light and dark side to anyone who wants to become a force user. The force is available to all.

2. Rey having figured it she needs Kylo and has failed him tries to force bond with him. She discovers he’s in trouble and wants to go save him from Hux but the resistance is hesitant and won’t go with her thinking it’s a trap. Leia will secretly help Rey leave the rebels to go to Kylo where she is there to save him. She finds him but they are caught in their escape and sentenced for execution. Suddenly the rebellion shows up with Finn and Poe and Rose at the head ready to save them. Kylo and Rey get free and join forces, balancing he force and becoming an unimaginable power to defeat Hux and then call for a cease fire. They end the war, explain that the enemy has always been putting the light and dark against eachother but the answer is in reconciling with both. The armies are freed and Rey and Ben join to together to bring balance and make the force available to all.

There are of course other scenarios. My point is that I think we will have a situation where Hux overthrows Kylo and he is essentially helpless and either will go to Rey for help or will accept defeat believing he is the monster everyone says and await his death at the hands or the first order. And Rey will in some way shape or form save him (win by saving what we love) even though he feels he doesn’t deserve it and even though the resistance thinks she’s nuts for it. I can definitely see Rey choosing him over the resistance in that manner and the rule of three being proven right when she accepts his 3rd offer to join him finally in ep 9, because this time his offer will be the right thing to do. Then by her example of loving Ben, an unlovable monster, the resistance will get it too and know how to end this war. Stop fighting it.

Ok. This is long. THANK YOU FOR HANGING IN THERE AND READING! I’m done lol!

So imagine three or four year old harry’s green eyes widen when this cat trots over to him and he bundles her up in his arms and he may be hurting her a bit from how hard he’s cuddling her but mcgonagall purrs all the same. 

This becomes a tradition every summer, in the beginning harry always knew who she was, this was the cat from the past few summers, who allowed him to stroke her and ramble about his weird family who don’t talk to him a lot without hissing or scratching him like the mean old neighbour’s cat. 

Then Harry’s almost 11, Dudley is out playing with some friends (aka terrorizing someone that isn’t him) and he’s in the garden, getting rid of petunia’s weeds. He’s keeping an eye out for the familiar animal but he hasn’t seen her at all this summer and he can’t help but feel a little sad about it. 

Mcgonagall watches in her animagus form from her secret hiding spot in the bushes. She wants to go to him and rub her head against his arm, let him know that soon it’ll be okay. But she can’t risk it, he’ll surely see her in her animagus form at school, she really shouldn’t go to him. 

Then Petunia opens the upstairs window and yells at Harry, insisting that he’s not working hard enough and then minerva decides that it’s the last straw. 

Harry jumps when he feels a bundle of fur brush against his legs. 

A bright smile appears on his face and he kneels down, not caring whether his aunt is watching or not. 

“I thought you weren’t coming back.” 

He scratches behind her ear and she purrs, grateful that even though she can’t do a lot for James and Lily Potter’s son, she can at least make him feel somewhat happy for a few days every year. And she knows that in two months he’s going to be happier than he ever has been, at Hogwarts. 

I’m going to point out some weird things about @projecttrinity‘s upcoming visual novel “Women of Xal” in relation to this site.

1) It’s an upcoming Kickstarter bound otome game that very obviously is PoC / People of Color & WoC/ Women of Color centric. We’ve got a bi female lead with several romancable women. And it’s in a harsh matriarchal society ready to give some brutal parallels to our own. Being helmed by a very capable and snarky Black writer. The two programmers are women. The artists are women. The singers are women. One of the animators is a woman. AND THERE’S TANGIBLE QUALITY TO IT! I thought we’ve been asking for more projects like this for years now. But Tumblr has been the most quiet of the four sites it’s updating on??? (Youtube, Facebook, LemmSoftForums, Tumblr) 

2) How are hateful anons finding this project before everyone else? Why are we letting Black creatives feel like the anon has a point about Tumblr not caring? Isn’t this site notorious for propping up content like this? Where are my feminists at?!

Like, I truly get it: Most of you will have only just heard of this. And Tumblr didn’t make it easy in the first place. Tags and timing are madly important. But so are reblogs and follows! You’re reading this now - there’s nothing truly stopping you from showing that anon the middle finger. For every time WE DON’T JUST ‘HEART’ A CREATIVE’S POST and reblog/follow their content, we prove hateful anons like this wrong. And every time we prove them wrong, we send an encouraging message to other minorities who want to share their passions with the world, but face that uphill battle.

And hey, the writer clearly has faith in this site still:

You can find out more about the project here.

Or, better yet, follow, and support the team here!

By telling the oppressed that their anger is unjustified, you allow the oppression to continue. I know it’s hard to stay calm. I know it’s scary. But you’re coming from the safe place and they aren’t. Just please … Try to be more understanding. /// r.i.d (via inkskinned)

EVERYBODY READ THIS. RIGHT NOW.

(via miriamforster)

Don’t forget the fear. Anger is easier than fear.

Writing with Color: Description Guide - Words for Skin Tone

We discussed the issue of describing People of Color by means of food in Part I of this guide, which brought rise to even more questions, mostly along the lines of “So, if food’s not an option, what can I use?” Well, I was just getting to that!

This final portion focuses on describing skin tone, with photo and passage examples provided throughout. I hope to cover everything from the use of straight-forward description to the more creatively-inclined, keeping in mind the questions we’ve received on this topic.

So let’s get to it.

S T A N D A R D  D E S C R I P T I O N

B a s i c  C o l o r s

Pictured above: Black, Brown, Beige, White, Pink.

“She had brown skin.”

This is a perfectly fine description that, while not providing the most detail, works well and will never become cliché.

Describing characters’ skin as simply brown or beige works on its own, though it’s not particularly telling just from the range in brown alone.

C o m p l e x  C o l o r s

These are more rarely used words that actually “mean” their color. Some of these have multiple meanings, so you’ll want to look into those to determine what other associations a word might have.

Pictured above: Umber, Sepia, Ochre, Russet, Terra-cotta, Gold, Tawny, Taupe, Khaki, Fawn.

Complex colors work well alone, though often pair well with a basic color in regards to narrowing down shade/tone.

For example: Golden brown, russet brown, tawny beige…

As some of these are on the “rare” side, sliding in a definition of the word within the sentence itself may help readers who are unfamiliar with the term visualize the color without seeking a dictionary.

“He was tall and slim, his skin a russet, reddish-brown.”

Comparisons to familiar colors or visuals are also helpful:

“His skin was an ochre color, much like the mellow-brown light that bathed the forest.”

M o d i f i e r s 

Modifiers, often adjectives, make partial changes to a word.The following words are descriptors in reference to skin tone.

D a r k - D e e p - R i c h - C o o l

W a r m - M e d i u m - T a n

F a i r - L i g h t - P a l e

Rich Black, Dark brown, Warm beige, Pale pink…

If you’re looking to get more specific than “brown,” modifiers narrow down shade further.

Keep in mind that these modifiers are not exactly colors.

As an already brown-skinned person, I get tan from a lot of sun and resultingly become a darker, deeper brown. I turn a pale, more yellow-brown in the winter.

While best used in combination with a color, I suppose words like “tan” “fair” and “light” do work alone; I’d just note that tan is less likely to be taken for “naturally tan” and much more likely a tanned white person.

Calling someone “dark” as description on its own is offensive to some and also ambiguous. (See: Describing Skin as Dark)

U n d e r t o n e s

Undertones are the colors beneath the skin, seeing as skin isn’t just one even color but has more subdued tones within the dominating palette.

Mentioning the undertones within a character’s skin is an even more precise way to denote skin tone.

As shown, there’s a difference between say, brown skin with warm orange-red undertones (Kelly Rowland) and brown skin with cool, jewel undertones (Rutina Wesley).

“A dazzling smile revealed the bronze glow at her cheeks.”

“He always looked as if he’d ran a mile, a constant tinge of pink under his tawny skin.”

Standard Description Passage

“Farah’s skin, always fawn, had burned and freckled under the summer’s sun. Even at the cusp of autumn, an uneven tan clung to her skin like burrs. So unlike the smooth, red-brown ochre of her mother, which the sun had richened to a blessing.” 

-From my story “Where Summer Ends” featured in Strange Little Girls

Here the state of skin also gives insight on character.

Note my use of “fawn” in regards to multiple meaning and association. While fawn is a color, it’s also a small, timid deer, which describes this very traumatized character of mine perfectly.

Though I use standard descriptions of skin tone more in my writing, at the same time I’m no stranger to creative descriptions, and do enjoy the occasional artsy detail of a character.

C R E A T I V E  D E S C R I P T I O N

Whether compared to night-cast rivers or day’s first light…I actually enjoy seeing Characters of Colors dressed in artful detail.

I’ve read loads of descriptions in my day of white characters and their “smooth rose-tinged ivory skin”, while the PoC, if there, are reduced to something from a candy bowl or a Starbucks drink, so to actually read of PoC described in lavish detail can be somewhat of a treat.

Still, be mindful when you get creative with your character descriptions. Too many frills can become purple-prose-like, so do what feels right for your writing when and where. Not every character or scene warrants a creative description, either. Especially if they’re not even a secondary character.

Using a combination of color descriptions from standard to creative is probably a better method than straight-up creative. But again, do what’s good for your tale.

N A T U R AL  S E T T I N G S - S K Y

Pictured above: Harvest Moon -Twilight, Fall/Autumn Leaves, Clay, Desert/Sahara, Sunlight - Sunrise - Sunset - Afterglow - Dawn- Day- Daybreak, Field - Prairie - Wheat, Mountain/Cliff, Beach/Sand/Straw/Hay.

Now before you run off to compare your heroine’s skin to the harvest moon or a cliff side, think about the associations to your words.

When I think cliff, I think of jagged, perilous, rough. I hear sand and picture grainy, yet smooth. Calm. mellow.

So consider your character and what you see fit to compare them to.

Also consider whose perspective you’re describing them from. Someone describing a person they revere or admire may have a more pleasant, loftier description than someone who can’t stand said person.

“Her face was like the fire-gold glow of dawn, lifting my gaze, drawing me in.”

“She had a sandy complexion, smooth and tawny.”

Even creative descriptions tend to draw help from your standard words.

F L O W E R S

Pictured above: Calla lilies, Western Coneflower, Hazel Fay, Hibiscus, Freesia, Rose

It was a bit difficult to find flowers to my liking that didn’t have a 20 character name or wasn’t called something like “chocolate silk” so these are the finalists. 

You’ll definitely want to avoid purple-prose here.

Also be aware of flowers that most might’ve never heard of. Roses are easy, as most know the look and coloring(s) of this plant. But Western coneflowers? Calla lilies? Maybe not so much.

“He entered the cottage in a huff, cheeks a blushing brown like the flowers Nana planted right under my window. Hazel Fay she called them, was it?”

A S S O R T E D  P L A N T S &  N A T U R E

Pictured above: Cattails, Seashell, Driftwood, Pinecone, Acorn, Amber

These ones are kinda odd. Perhaps because I’ve never seen these in comparison to skin tone, With the exception of amber.

At least they’re common enough that most may have an idea what you’re talking about at the mention of “pinecone.“ 

I suggest reading out your sentences aloud to get a better feel of how it’ll sounds.

“Auburn hair swept past pointed ears, set around a face like an acorn both in shape and shade.”

I pictured some tree-dwelling being or person from a fantasy world in this example, which makes the comparison more appropriate.

I don’t suggest using a comparison just “’cuz you can” but actually being thoughtful about what you’re comparing your character to and how it applies to your character and/or setting.

W O O D

Pictured above: Mahogany, Walnut, Chestnut, Golden Oak, Ash

Wood is definitely an iffy description for skin tone. Not only due to several of them having “foody” terminology within their names, but again, associations.

Some people would prefer not to compare/be compared to wood at all, so get opinions, try it aloud, and make sure it’s appropriate to the character if you do use it.

“The old warlock’s skin was a deep shade of mahogany, his stare serious and firm as it held mine.”

M E T A L S

Pictured above: Platinum, Copper, Brass, Gold, Bronze

Copper skin, brass-colored skin, golden skin…

I’ve even heard variations of these used before by comparison to an object of the same properties/coloring, such as penny for copper.

These also work well with modifiers.

“The dress of fine white silks popped against the deep bronze of her skin.”

G E M S T O N E S - M I N E R A LS

Pictured above: Onyx, Obsidian, Sard, Topaz, Carnelian, Smoky Quartz, Rutile, Pyrite, Citrine, Gypsum

These are trickier to use. As with some complex colors, the writer will have to get us to understand what most of these look like.

If you use these, or any more rare description, consider if it actually “fits” the book or scene.

Even if you’re able to get us to picture what “rutile” looks like, why are you using this description as opposed to something else? Have that answer for yourself.

“His skin reminded her of the topaz ring her father wore at his finger, a gleaming stone of brown, mellow facades.” 

P H Y S I C A L  D E S C R I P T I ON

Physical character description can be more than skin tone.

Show us hair, eyes, noses, mouth, hands…body posture, body shape, skin texture… though not necessarily all of those nor at once.

Describing features also helps indicate race, especially if your character has some traits common within the race they are, such as Afro hair to a Black character.

How comprehensive you decide to get is up to you. I wouldn’t overdo it and get specific to every mole and birthmark. Noting defining characteristics is good, though, like slightly spaced front teeth, curls that stay flopping in their face, hands freckled with sunspots…

G E N E R A L  T I P S

Indicate Race Early: I suggest indicators of race be made at the earliest convenience within the writing, with more hints threaded throughout here and there.

Get Creative All On Your Own: Obviously, I couldn’t cover every proper color or comparison in which has been “approved” to use for your characters’ skin color, so it’s up to you to use discretion when seeking other ways and shades to describe skin tone.

Skin Color May Not Be Enough: Describing skin tone isn’t always enough to indicate someone’s ethnicity. As timeless cases with readers equating brown to “dark white” or something, more indicators of race may be needed.

Describe White characters and PoC Alike: You should describe the race and/or skin tone of your White characters just as you do your Characters of Color. If you don’t, you risk implying that White is the default human being and PoC are the “Other”).

PSA: Don’t use “Colored.” Based on some asks we’ve received using this word, I’d like to say that unless you or your character is a racist grandmama from the 1960s, do not call People of Color “colored” please. 

Not Sure Where to Start? You really can’t go wrong using basic colors for your skin descriptions. It’s actually what many people prefer and works best for most writing. Personally, I tend to describe my characters using a combo of basic colors + modifiers, with mentions of undertones at times. I do like to veer into more creative descriptions on occasion.

Want some alternatives to “skin” or “skin color”? Try: Appearance, blend, blush, cast, coloring, complexion, flush, glow, hue, overtone, palette, pigmentation, rinse, shade, sheen, spectrum, tinge, tint, tone, undertone, value, wash.

Skin Tone Resources

List of Color Names

The Color Thesaurus

Things that are Brown (blog)

Skin Undertone & Color Matching

Tips and Words on Describing Skin

Photos: Undertones Described (Modifiers included)

Online Thesaurus (try colors, such as “red” & “brown”)

Don’t Call me Pastries: Creative Skin Tones w/ pics 3 2 1

Writing & Description Guides

WWC Guide: Words to Describe Hair

Writing with Color: Description & Skin Color

Describing Characters of Color (Passage Examples)

7 Offensive Mistakes Well-intentioned Writers Make

I tried to be as comprehensive as possible with this guide, but if you have a question regarding describing skin color that hasn’t been answered within part I or II of this guide, or have more questions after reading this post, feel free to ask!

Jennifer Lawrence calls out the fear of feminism

1. A story entitled “A New Beginning”.

2. A story about rising to a challenge.

3. A retelling of a fairytale.

4. A story about three siblings.

5. A story set in London.

6.  A story about finding something that has been lost.

7. A story about a journey.

8. A story set during a war.

9. A creepy story.

10. A story featuring a countdown.

11. A story set at a full moon.

12. A story about a contest or competition.

13. A story that takes place entirely inside a vehicle. 

14. A story from a villain’s perspective.

15. A story set at a concert or festival.

16. A story that begins with a gunshot.

17. A story set in a country you’ve never been to.

18. A story about a historical figure.

19. A story set in a theatre.

20. A story written in 2nd person narrative.

21. A story set on another planet.

22. A story written from the perspective of someone dead/undead

23. A story about a birthday.

24. A story that ends on a cliffhanger.

25. A story set at the summer solstice.

26. A story about nostalgia.

27. A story that features a song or poem.

28. A story that ends at sunrise.

29. A story opening with the words “F*** you!”

30. A story about a magical object.

31. A story set at sea.

32. A story about a curse.

33. A story set 100 years in the future.

34. A story about loneliness.

35. A story that features a real recent newspaper article.

36. A story written from an animal’s perspective.

37. A story about a scientific discovery.

38. A story set on another planet.

39. A story with only one character.

40. A story about a secret.

41. A romance that ends in tragedy.

42. A tragedy that ends in romance.

43. A retelling of a recent Hollywood movie.

44. A story that takes place the year you were born.

45. A story about a near-death experience.

46. A story about anger.

47. A story about a magic spell.

48. A story set in a strange small town.

49. A story about justice being done.

50. A creation myth.

51. A story set at Christmas.

getting a blowjob is a sexual thing and it also does not ‘feed’ anyone whereas breastfeeding is literally not even a sexual thing a baby is having food that they need to live like it’s nowhere near on the same level as getting a blowjob omg

if you are uncomfortable seeing a woman breastfeeding then that is your problem because you have oversexualised breasts so much that you can’t even stand seeing them being used for their actual purpose and also you’re an idiot

1.) Breasts as sexual fetishes is a (largely Western) cultural construction. Yes, it’s a fetish – anything you are sexually attracted to that is not the genitals of an adult is a fetish, or paraphilia. My professors have met non-Westerners who think our men are “like babies” because they are attracted to breasts.

Breasts ≠ genitals. Scientifically, they are considered secondary sexual characteristics – same category as facial hair. They can be sexual in a sexual context, just as necks and feet can be. But their primary purpose is reproductive.

2.) Breastmilk is not a “bodily fluid.” It is FOOD.

It is not categorized by the CDC as a biohazard, and so no you don’t need to freak out if your coworker wants to store her milk right next to your Lunchables.

MOREOVER,

Breastmilk is not just protein and vitamins. It is a living, dynamic substance that BUILDS HUMANS.

It has hundreds of ingredients (<— actually that list needs to be updated because they’ve discovered more already). There is a lab at the University of Washington St. Louis, where they have written all of the ingredients of human milk on the wall – They have run out of room on that wall. Among those ingredients:

The exact ratio of protein-sugars-fats that human infants need (cow’s milk doesn’t even come close)

Antibodies to pathogens in the baby’s environment (synthesized by the mother within hours of coming into contact with a given pathogen) and other immune factors

Stem cells. FUCKING STEM CELLS. (They used glow-in-the-dark mice to find out what they do!)

Hormones (support growth and regulate behavior)

peptides

Self-digesting fats (what the whaaat)

Growth factors

water, vitamins, minerals, carbs, etc.

prolly other awesome shit we don’t even know about yet because we’ve barely scratched the surface of this research!

These ingredients change hour-to-hour according to the baby’s needs. It will even add more water on hot/dry days. Fuck, breastmilk kills cancer in a petri dish. Breastmilk. is. not. a. bodily. fluid. It. is. liquid. gold. 3.) When you tell a woman to go to the bathroom to breastfeed, you are perpetuating the notion that it is dirty and shameful and needs to be hidden away. This idea is the biggest barrier to achieving breastfeeding goals in the United States. Because women feel ashamed, they often stay isolated at home when they should be spending time out and about with friends and family and having, like, a life. This isolation can contribute to postpartum depression. From the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding: Women may find themselves excluded from social interactions when they are breastfeeding because others are reluctant to be in the same room while they breastfeed. For many women, the feeling of embarrassment restricts their activities and is cited as a reason for choosing to feed supplementary formula or to give up breastfeeding altogether. And since we have this culture of shame and privacy surrounding breastfeeding, young girls and women don’t see it enough to learn what is normal/not and how to do it, so they often give up when they run into problems because they don’t realize there’s an easy fix. Moreover, an infant needs to be integrated into society in order to develop properly. He/she needs to see faces and hear voices. Isolating them – or throwing a blanket over their head – takes this important component of their development away. It also often annoys them because they are understimulated. 4.) YOU NEED TO SEE IT. That’s right, YOU. Even if you are a dude. Maybe you aren’t a parent, but you probably have loved ones who are. Or you might become one yourself someday. And if you are American chances are you have no idea how breastfeeding actually works, because you never fucking see it. It’s messy and complicated, and hard. It used to be a part of everyday life, because there weren’t any alternatives – So we learned how to do it by being around it all the time, NBD. The whole sexualization/modesty thing surrounding breasts wasn’t a thing until like the mid-20th century. Check out this 1871 drawing of a woman breastfeeding IN FUCKING CHURCH: