#which i think is going to start being my tag for that to differentiate it from just Screaming

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

having thoughts about nine, and i think one of the biggest things i would personally do to fix him and his role in the story (without making him a flat out villain) is to change the core theme of his character from 'missing stair will not and should not ever be held accountable for their actions,' to:

cruelty and defiance are not the same thing. existing out of spite is not an evil thing; refusing to lay down your weapons under the guise of being small and soft and palatable is not evil; defending yourself and others from being wiped out or made less than you are is not evil. it is not cruel. making good on 'fuck around and find out' can be one of the most important things you will ever do.

and because it's not cruel, it does not excuse cruelty. 'kind does not mean nice' doesn't mean 'cruelty is acceptable as long as it's for a Good Cause'; it also doesn't mean that cruelty in some instances and kindness in others balance each other out. if anything, the latter just ends up becoming part of the former with a different face. it doesn't matter how soft or palatable or loud and rough-edged you are: either your worldview is built on kindness or it isn't, and that will show in how you act on it no matter how hard you try to quarantine one philosophy from the other.

there are lots of other things i'd change; a major one being to pull the fuck up on said cruelty by a LOT, holy shit. as well, don't make him abusive, whether as a) a tactical abuser who pretends his trauma took out the filter he absolutely still has, or b) someone whose trauma has taken out their filter, and left them a disoriented, barely functioning wreck with no idea what the hell is going on inside or outside their own head; whose confused flailing manifests as lashing out in abusive ways, and who wants to do better, and would actually improve with both help and accountability for their actions. that last one has worth as a narrative, but it requires pulling on the sensitivity gloves so far up your arms that it's just a whole spandex suit, and these writers have well and truly proven they are just not fucking capable of that lmao

but in the end, one of the things that does absolutely have to change is that his character has to have a point other than getting away with being a missing stair. there might be other ways to write him as a static character and still a good one; they do have their place! but given that the conventions of the genre would generally involve a growth arc for a character like him, i feel like this interpretation is one that probably falls closest to what they were actually going for.

(or at least, what they wanted to trick the audience into thinking they were going for. lol)

anyway yeah, i have a piggy bank full of cents about this and that is two of them. tl;dr justice for nine, we could have had it all

#lorien legacies #LL number nine #LL crit tag #LL tag #the crit files #take a hammer and FIX the canon #which i think is going to start being my tag for that to differentiate it from just Screaming #bc the other half of the awfulness of recognizing Bullshit is the joy and satisfaction of using that knowledge to create something better #also re: the 'two types of abuser' thing i am planning on going into that in its own post; but the tl;dr is that abuse is a learned skill #the inclination to do it isn't; but the process of putting it into practice /is/ #sometimes people are looking to meet a need and find an easy button to mash to fill it; because unskilled or not #Abuse Works :') #but the patterns of control and manipulation that nine use are ones that require practice; observation of people; and gathering a toolset #even if they haven't had a victim they've managed to Trap yet; they've spent a lifetime developing that skill passively #testing what they can get away with; how people react to things and the effects they have on them; taking notes from other abusers #fine-tuning What Works #post-escape nine is both inclined to be abusive /and skilled at it;/ the first in a way we don't see him at all inclined toward beforehand #and the second in a way he absolutely /could not have learned/ in the circumstances of his life pre-capture; he was completely isolated his #entire teenagerhood; a 30 second exchange about climbing safety was 'one of the longest conversations he'd had with a kid' before maddy #the only place he'd have been able to pick up a toolset like that from would be to lift it wholesale from sandor; and as abusive as sandor #was; & much as you can see some seeds in there of nine's later BS; it's not anything like as much or as blatant as nine would need to copy #and like. tactical abuse vs button-mash abuse is very much a spectrum #but if nine came out of captivity inclined to abuse people it would /absolutely/ not look what we ended up with #it would be HARD on the button-mash side of that spectrum #and what we got was on the same level as him being a bullshit unbeatable charming-and-debonair death machine #and fck y'all writers for portraying trauma and mental illness as magic wands to turn someone into an abuser #to try and force people to like your godawful edgy obnoxious creator's pet; by pretending it makes him sympathetic and complex 😒 #lmao anyway. will probably repeat a lot of this tag rant when i type up The Post about it but yeah

[sommerflue-22]

Childhood Crush | Muichiro Tokito

Yuichiro version

Featuring: Muichiro Tokito, Yuichiro Tokito, aged up!Muichiro

Content Warning: gn!reader, modern setting, fluff, annoying grade schooler behavior ew, but happy ending (sort of), not beta read

Word Count: 1.3k

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A/n: I just finished my thesis but I'm still waiting for feedbacks from my professor. This is a warm up piece before I get back to my other writings. Still, I hope you enjoy~

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On your fourth grade, the teacher assigned you to sit next to Yuichiro. Being Yuichiro's seatmate was alright, but sometimes he could get a little snappy. Especially when something happened to him during recess (probably couldn't make another kid the "it" while playing tag). So you let him be most of the time.

You didn't know Yuichiro had a twin brother until one day he didn't come to school because of the flu. You didn't pay him any mind but you were shocked when you saw "him" going to the restroom. You weren't exactly his close friend, so you just waited outside until "he" finished.

Afraid and in shock, you paced back and forth in front of the restroom. What if something bad happened to Yuichiro and his spirit had come to haunt you? You were so ready to run to your homeroom class if "Yuichiro" didn't come out in five minutes.

Bless your poor innocent soul because "Yuichiro" did come out. Nothing prepared him for being trapped in a kabedon position by you.

"Teacher said you're sick! Why are you here?!"

"What do you mean I'm sick--"

"I didn't see you the whole day!"

"Huh?"

"You're not a ghost, right?"

He tilted his head, "Oh, I think you're mistaken. I'm Mui. Yui's at home. He is sick."

And that was how you met Muichiro.

You learned that Muichiro was Yuichiro's younger twin brother. He's from another class, but after knowing you he often visited your class to chat with you and Yuichiro.

Unlike Yuichiro, Muichiro was friendlier. He let you braid his hair, lent you his blueberry-scented eraser, and even taught you how to draw Pikachu. Muichiro also let you call him Mui. He told you only his family and closest friends called him that, so it made you feel special.

Mui was a soft boy. You sat with him during recess and talked about random things. Cartoon, what you wanted to be when you grow up, doctor appointment, tooth fairy...

You didn't really know when did it happen the first time, but one day you looked at him and thought "Wow, Mui's really pretty."

You started braiding his long, black hair more often, told him more jokes to make him laugh, drew him a lot (and by a lot, I mean a lot) of his favorite cartoon characters. They were bad, you couldn't really tell which character you drew, but Muichiro always thanked you.

You'd like to think that maybe Muichiro did like you too. He would hold your hand when you both were running down the hallway, playing tag with the other kid. He would also give you random things he found like flowers, marbles, stickers from kids magazines.

You didn't remember every little things that happened between the two of you, but you did remember that Muichiro brightened your days and made your school years more memorable.

By the time you started the 6th grade, though, everything went downhill. A few kids noticed your little crush for Muichiro. However, as we all know, grade schoolers can be a little mean. They started to tease you. You were afraid that Muichiro would find out and stopped being your friends.

The thing was, those little rascals couldn't tell the difference between Muichiro and Yuichiro. Since the fifth grade, the twins had been put in the same homeroom class. Differentiating them became more difficult for kids who weren't their friends.

You were visiting their class one morning, looking for Muichiro. You met Yuichiro instead. You could tell it was him, because he didn't immediately talk about the latest episode of that one cartoon you liked.

"Hi, Yuichiro. Where's Mui?"

"He forgot his lunchbox so he's waiting for our mom--"

"Ew, Tokito! Stop flirting with them! It's not even the first period yet!"

You froze in your place as Yuichiro turned to the kid who jeered at you both. "What did you say?"

"Eh? Aren't you two dating?"

"(Y/N) likes you, Tokito!"

You couldn't meet Yuichiro's eyes as he stared down at you, "You like me?"

"N-no... I... It's not..."

"(Y/N)?" A hand was placed on your shoulder, "Are you okay? Yui, why are you staring at (Y/N) like that?"

You lifted your gaze and sure, Mui was back with a lunchbox on his hand. "M-Mui, I..."

"Oh, shit!" "Oi, language!" "Oh my, I think we got the wrong Tokito twin!" "Does it matter? They look the same!" "Which one do you actually like, (Y/N)?" "Yeah, which one is more handsome?" "You can tell them apart? Cool!" "Pick one, (Y/N)" "Yeah, pick one!" "Pick one! Pick one! Pick one!"

As the kids chanted, you frantically look around trying to find an escape. You were panicking, afraid, annoyed, so you couldn't think straight. You looked at Yuichiro and he looked back at you in (what you thought was) disgust. You turned to Muichiro who was just staring at you, wide eyes, lips parted like he was about to say something.

You couldn't hold it any longer so you just cried, which made a few of the kids laugh.

"(Y/N)..." Muichiro placed his hand back to your shoulder, trying to calm you down.

"Stay away, Mui!"

"But (Y/N)..."

"I said stay away!" You shoved past him and pushed the other kids out of your way as you ran out of the classroom.

Ever since that day, you stopped seeing both Muichiro and Yuichiro. Other kids still teased you but they gradually stopped because they found another target to bug. You didn't even say anything to them during the graduation ceremony, even though you could feel Muichiro's eyes on your back.

Things got better when you started middle school because you moved to another town. A start fresh, exactly what you needed. You thought you would find someone new there, but to no avail, your mind kept wandering back to a familiar pair of mint green eyes and gleeful laugh.

You gave up trying to find a lover, and sailed through high school and first two years of uni without sparing a thought for teenage romance.

That was until you found him, tracing his fingers on the spines of the library books. His hair was still as long as you could remember, the only thing different was the mint green ombre. The library was off-limit for outsiders, so he must be a student. How could you not see him before around the campus?

You realized you've stared at him for too long because the next thing you knew, he was staring back at you.

"(Y/N)?" His eyes widened.

"Uhh... hi...?" You let out a nervous laugh. "Long time no see... uh..."

His eyes softened and his lips quirked up. "It's Mui."

"Yeah... should've known it's you. Yuichiro hates me, so he wouldn't greet me like that."

"What makes you think so?"

"You know... when that happened..."

"Ah, yeah. The fuckening."

Muichiro cursing was something you did not expect, which made you snort. "The fuckening, indeed."

"Don't worry, he doesn't hate you. We were wondering, though..."

"Eh?"

"...which one of us did you fancy?"

You wanted the floor to swallow you whole right then and there. Even though it had been eight years, you couldn't help but blush. Muichiro waited patiently, holding back a giggle as he watched you struggle.

"W-well, wasn't it o-obvious..."

Muichiro tilted his head. He walked towards you and ruffled your hair. God, you didn't even notice how tall he had grown.

"If you're still up for it now... and if you're free... we can grab a coffee. My treat. I'm sure drawing each other deformed Pikachu and Princess Peach doesn't count as a date now."

You sighed, trying to control your heartbeat. Mui chuckled again and waited for your answer.

"Y-yeah, I'd love to."

"Okay." He put his arm around your shoulder and led your hyperventilating ass out of the library.

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Read the sequel to this post here

A/n: Thank you for reading until the end! This is actually longer than what I was planning, so yay :D I've been thinking about aged up!Muichiro, so cool and pretty and tall and aaaaaaa >.< Anyway lemme know if you want me to write more aged up!Mui because I love him sm T^T

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer imagines #demon slayer fanfic #reader insert #muichiro tokito #yuichiro tokito #muichiro x reader #muichiro x y/n #modern setting #childhood crush #aged up characters #new blog #alternate reality

[kitramune]

Hello!

Fellow inukagger here *shakes your hand* I noticed your tags on an inuyasha video edit post where you stated inuyasha was seeing kagome during their almost first-kiss. I want to believe this soo badly, but I have actually made a post where I argue the opposite bc that’s (unfortunately) my interpretation.

I would genuinely love to hear why you think this as I’m more than happy to be convinced 🥺❤️ If you’ve posted about it before, apologies that I haven’t seen it; please kindly drop a link.

Thank you very much! (It’s all 🫶🏼 and interest in civil discussion, certainly not looking to start anything otherwise)

Sure thing! I think there's a lot of misconception firstly because Kagome herself says this. That he hates her for looking like Kikyou, but when he looked at her in that moment, it looked loving, so she herself put two and two together that he must still be seeing her as Kikyou, but therefore have been in love with Kikyou. Which is partially true in that we know he did have feelings for her back when she was alive. (I have my own InuKik-critical perception on this, but that's a whole other rant and probably not what you're asking.) But I think it's VERY important to keep in mind that Kagome is an Unreliable Narrator in her own story here, particularly where it comes to interpreting Inuyasha's feelings at times. This holds true for pretty much the entire story, but particularly early on, when she doesn't know him as well. First off, I'm going to fast-forward slightly to give examples of Inuyasha himself making it clear he does NOT see Kagome as Kikyou, to prove my point that he's not lying when he tells her so at the almost-kiss. Keep in mind a lot of these are only available in the source material and the anime DID cut them to fuel love triangle drama. The manga is the original intended canon, so that's what I'll be going with for this entire conversation.

(Let it be said that as far as Japanese subtleties are concerned, he is asking Kagome to date him, here.)

For the sake of argument, let's look back at this "very beginning" he mentions, and how long it took him to realize Kagome LOOKED a bit like Kikyou, but was not Kikyou:

Well that was quick. He does compare them a few times after this, but it's always about how different they are. (Usually to be rude, but let's face it, this is early Inuyasha.)

(I include this "comparison" just because he's RELIEVED here at Kagome NOT being Kikyou. It's the first explicit indication that he likes her for her and would be heartbroken if the girls got switched.)

(Then he proceeds to make it even more explicit, and even Kaede spells it out.)

He completely stops comparing them in any capacity after this, and the way he does it says to me that he sees and values them very differently IN SPITE of the slight physical resemblance, not BECAUSE they look alike.

"But Kit!" I hear you say, "These examples are meaningless because they are AFTER he tried to kiss her!" Well I disagree his feelings would have changed that drastically in the small amount of time given the context, but let's still look at all InuKag have been through at this point. I'll just do a montage of Inuyasha feeling pride or affection for Kagome in said arcs because I am self-indulgent like that, lol.

(My boy did not need to protect her, here. If she was gone, he'd be free of the beads and thus free to just take the Jewel. He did it purely out of valuing her life in some capacity.)

(Knowing her scent already? Lending her your only armor just so she won't get hurt? Why Inuyasha, that's not extremely intimate at all!)

(I find him saying her name significant not just because of differentiating her from Kikyou in his mind, but in that Inuyasha doesn't say ANYONE'S name unless they are important to him. Exceptions.)

("I refuse to get involved!" *Kagome's in trouble, immediately gets involved*)

(I love this arc overall SO MUCH cuz they not only have their first friendly pouty BFFs spat, but Inuyasha then immediately comes running to save her after smelling her blood THROUGH SPACE AND TIME, and is so desperate to be relied on cuz it makes him feel good to protect her and he's realizing that.)

(Lest we forget he had SOMETHING TO TELL HER right before threading their fingers extremely intimately.)

(Inu wasn't in this arc much but he WAS very worried and impressed with her.)

(I could honestly put the WHOLE spider head arc in here and gush about every detail of their character development, but we all know the highlight and I think Rumiko put it best in the Profiles Book that Inuyasha had never encountered or thought of anyone who would be saddened by his death before. I truly believe this is when he decided to open up and give his budding feelings for her a chance to bloom. And more importantly for this particular argument, decides NOT TO LIE to her again.)

And it's at this point we come to him trying to kiss her. It's true Inuyasha's emotions are slightly volatile from Kikyou being brought up. It's a definite sore spot, which even Kagome picks up on. Kagome asks point blank if he still sees her as Kikyou and hates her for it. To which he says she has it all wrong.

Considering her previous statement was if he HATES her, we can pretty easily infer that he's answering that directly, here. As in, no, he does not. Reading into context clues and what we see before and after this moment, I'd go so far as to say he's implying he LOVES her, here. Or at least is beginning to realize he likes her much more than as a friend. The last arc was huge for him, let's not forget that. He'd never ever been vulnerable like that with anyone: both in letting them know his night of weakness, and emotionally. All signs point to him having realized he's fallen for Kagome pretty hard and is ready to finally LET himself fall. (Though clearly Kagome's not quite ready herself, yet.) I'd argue that Kikyou's resurrection arc and the arcs following shortly after that I linked moments from earlier are there to just cement that he doesn't see her as Kikyou to any viewers who are still skeptical. In the manga anyway, we're never shown Inuyasha pining for Kikyou or wishing she was back to life. Quite the opposite, he only wishes her to rest in peace and reach Nirvana, which he has said to her more than once. The closest we get is this line right after the resurrection arc comes to an end and Kikyou's presumed dead from the cliff:

Which I personally interpret as him still being heartbroken, yes, but the fact he brings up the idea of falling for another woman tells me he's still mulling over how he has romantic feelings for Kagome, and his trauma regarding romance making him wonder if he should backpedal on that or give up his initial goal that was a symptom of his heartbreak in the first place. (As in, he immediately stole the Jewel after Kikyou betrayed him essentially to make the hurt go away as soon as possible. Also note this is AFTER the almost-kiss, right before Miroku makes his appearance.) So I have a pretty hard time believing that he suddenly decided to lie to Kagome right after his entire breakthrough night of vulnerability with her, and how that affected him. Also keep in mind that Kagome doesn't have concrete feelings for Inuyasha yet, so there is no jealousy or lack of confidence where Kikyou is concerned at the point of time in question. One could (shakily imo) argue that he might lie to protect her feelings later on, when he's worried about her becoming angry or jealous, but he has no such reason to lie, here. Therefore I believe he's being extremely genuine, and probably the most genuine he's been so far since he decided to abandon his previous lie about disliking her scent. I truly think he wanted to find out what kissing was like with this spitfire girl who'd run away with his heart already and made him feel and share things he'd never felt or shared with anyone. I hope this at least elaborated on why I see that scene the way I do! If you have questions or want me to discuss an aspect of it further, don't hesitate to hit up my inbox again! I'm happy to share my thoughts on the series and especially InuKag!

#Inuyasha #InuKag #meta #analysis #xanthippe-writes #asks #my first ask yay!

[l3viat8an]

Make that four asks (please tell me to shut up if I'm sending too many things I won't b mad, I tend to say. A lot :,> )

Imagine if MC is bad with names & either doesn't remember anyone's names for the first few weeks or just gives up and calls them not-their-name

Like if they're in the same room MC just blankly stares and points at them / snaps at them to get their attention bc they forgot the name of the demon

Or just like

"wait where's Sarah" (meant Satan)

"Yo cilantro?" (Again Satan)

"sunglasses where are you" (mammon)

"indigooo :D" (Levi)

"belll" (beel)

"are you suuure spooky scary skeletons isnt here" (Barbatos because of his wing-horn-things)

Etc

And mc somehow never mixes the brother's names up / calls them eachother's names but will call them LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE

Hair colors could technically work but then theres

"I mean uhm- uh- wh-white hair-"

'do you mean Mammon or Solomon?'

"..why are their names so similar 😰😰"

'???'

Related but also not, I also instinctively call everyone 'sir' because of my cat ("SIR- Sir. Sir. sir. You aren't allowed in my room") so that wouldn't even differentiate the brothers either but it would be funny to just accidentally whip around and be like "SIR! Stop that!" to Satan or Belphegor trying to pull a prank on Lucifer, or Mammon trying to steal something

Everyone is relieved when MC finally starts getting names right

You’re fine!! I don’t mind lolol

At some point the boys just start catching on to which random nickname means who kshsjshsj

Lucifer makes the bros wear name tags jkjk he does try to correct MC whenever he can tho. After all names are important and calling the wrong brother the wrong name could lead to a stupid argument like accidentally calling Satan / Lucifer or Levi / Mammon 

Mammon is absolutely going to correct MC about his name at first I mean he is; The Great Mammon!!! After all!! Tho he does kinda like being called sir-

Levi just kinda figures MC doesn’t think his name is worth remembering and fair enough, he’s a shut in loser- blah blah blah- MC would have to explain to him they just suck with names and it’s not personal 💀

Satan and Asmo wouldn’t mind weird ish nicknames but they would get moody if Mc calls them by another brothers name- that’s just plan rude and we look nothing alike!!!

I feel like Beel and Belphie wouldn’t care in general- like they’re the youngest and mixing up names between 7 siblings is bound to happen- besides they’ve been called worse 💀

#somehow feel like I stayed on topic and got distracted bdkshsksh #but yeaaaa #mail! #ro rambles

[turnstechgodhead]

Le sign... speaking of the server,

dirk is encouraging me to be more firm on my own thoughts for my comfort

i've seen ppl talk about it in stream a lil which im always like I Don't Care when it pops up but i've had Enough and i want to talk about the topic bc it's itching at my brain follicles.

since we're pretty strider-oriented, this had to happen at some point: strider cest/strilonde cest/in cest wont be allowed in the main server. if other people don't care, i might make a separate server.

-"hey why is that ^ something you would allow? pretty insane." / "are you a pro shipper then??"

no

"so you're an anti?"

also no

i dislike this argument as a whole bc i don't 'get it' i guess because im audhd. neither side is fully correct nor fully wrong.

"fiction affects reality." and "fiction is not reality." are two different thought processes that can and should coexist in the same space.

look. fiction can affect reality, but it IS also possible to separate from it. you can para or whatever responsibly. tag it. try to make sure people who don't want to see it don't have to see it. and if minors are getting sent your shit, make sure its clear that this should NOT be happening in reality. if you're a child, keep that shit blocked. it's NOT for you and you should not be actively consuming it. (please listen to this advice bc i grew up on the internet barely supervised, from a very unhealthily early age [7-8] and then developed into a fucked up hypersexual.) (seeing something fucked up and being like AUGH my eyes! is normal because that just. happens. thats life. you deal with it afterwards in some way. talking to someone you trust etc. you do not go back for more i am begging.) (if someone is showing you these things on purpose then please read this website all the way through for me ok?)

you should not be looking at an adult exploring/enjoying fucked up shit

videogames are not going to make you or me more violent by having violence, gore, and murder in them. but videogames DO make some people violent. those people should not have access to these things. but we (you and i) cannot control that beyond making sure content is labelled and set aside. i like playing games where i assassinate people. i am not an assassin. someone could play the same game and get terrible ideas they act on. this is not my fault for playing the game.

and, if you're an adult who likes fucked up shit (me too) tag your shit or have it listed somewhere on your about that it's something you post about frequently there. and maybe reiterate that it's not real. its just toys. and should never be followed irl. yeah, it fuckin sucks that we gotta do this shit, but kids are unfortunately on the internet, with the inability to differentiate grey from black and white. your shit might be the first exposure. which sucks!! so it's our responsibility to try and mitigate harm on both sides unfortunately until we can convince parents to start parenting their children again. which sucks. i just wanna post shit in peace but the buzzing around from very loud teenagers makes me anxious. i get it.

it fucking sucks!!! but we can't control other people, especially if theyre malicious

but you control what YOU see on the internet. block anyone. (i blocked someone back in the day for disliking johndave. be free.) and help people do that (control what they see) by making it very clear. you aren't evil for not wanting to see it, and other people aren't evil for enjoying fucked up content.

also some of yall on BOTH SIDES do some truly vile shit in the name of this argument when your energy could be spent elsewhere doing shit you like or even doing things that are actually. Helpful.

so i don't like either label i dont want to be associated with either of the sides but if you want to call me one or the other then . Whatever i guess? thats your business, not mine. just know you are not a failure or a freak for not constantly reinforcing and reassuring everyone that you think adults doing their own thing in fictional spaces with little toy dolls (that theyve been doing since the 70s-80s) is gross. you can just think that like. in general and look away because the dolls are dolls. but don't go posting doll horn-knees untagged. that's rude as fuck.

#community infighting is NOT the way. everyone thinks we're ALL fucking weird. just IGNORE each other #timaeus posting #mumbling #dirk is holding me at gun point to post this because he's Tired tm

[sennqu]

ok i am ready to be spicy. so i made this post the other day (or yesterday what is time) without tags: (with some slight word changes)

"oh, I get it now. I think I understand a big reason why the "Mike is in love with Will but just doesn't want to admit it because he has internalized homophobia" is such a popular fandom opinion. Because then Mike's behavior becomes "obviously" romantic since this take assumes that he's aware of his behavior.

The take that he's "simply oblivious, simply doesn't know his feelings are actually romantic in nature", which -- in my opinion -- is much more heavily supported by the text, is... actually kind of scary to consider from a "wanting the ship to be canon" perspective. Because it's pretty much close to saying that his feelings are actually just platonic after all because that's what Mike thinks they are."

So, I have been thinking very hard on this for a while because I do think that this is why there is a sort of...friction? anxiety? in the general vibes of the fandom with regards to how byler can even work out in S5 after the events of S4.

In my opinion, I think that the second take -- Mike is oblivious -- actually lends itself well to the prospect of official, no ways around it endgame byler better than the first one does.

Because imagine it: Mike doesn't have to suffer through thinking he's wrong or he's a mistake or that he's not conforming to society's standards before coming to terms with his feelings. He just has to realize he's in love with his best friend, and that his best friend is in love with him. Mike is going to be the out, loud, and proud person of this relationship. He just has to figure his shit out.

First, what do we know about Mike so far and what can we take away from it? and why is it not "internalized homophobia"?

The biggest evidence for me against the "internalized homophobia" take is in S1 when Will was being called names by Troy and friend. Mike physically retaliated. He didn't look ashamed; he looked angry. Because they were insulting his missing best friend right in front of him. He was not internalizing these slurs. What he was doing was defending Will, who was the target of this hate. He prioritized defending Will, who wasn't even there, over cowing to displays of homophobia.

What about that "It's not my fault you don't like girls" line? Surely that means he's repressed and internalizing some shit? Yeah, and maybe he was just talking faster than his mind could think? Mike ends up clarifying this line and gives away the actual thing that's holding him back: heteronormative thinking. He talks about getting girlfriends as part of growing up as a young man. He says this like a neutral piece of information.

Let's talk about Mike's fears. So far, all of Mike’s insecurities are about being needed, being useful. It's not conforming to society. It's not fitting the mold. If he feared that then he'd have done what Lucas did and joined a popular group. But what did he do? He leaned into his DnD hobby and even started dressing differently, growing his hair out too. S4 Mike is not afraid to be an outcast.

What he does fear most is people leaving him behind. That's what he says about/to El, and that's practically what he says to Will as his excuse for being weird at the airport. The knock-off outfit, the flowers. That wasn't him trying to be straight so he wouldn't be outed as gay or in love with his best friend or whatever. That was his attempt at saving his relationship because he does love El and he doesn't want to lose her too. But they are incompatible. He doesn't realize he doesn't love her romantically but he does love her. That's why he's struggling. Because he can't differentiate between the two.

Lastly, he says to Will: "I feel like I lost you". Which means he felt like he already lost Will. Loving someone and losing them is something Mike never wants to happen again because it already happened once, twice, three times before with Will. Once when Will vanished, the second time when Will got possessed, and the third time when Will moved away. Mike's issue isn't about loving Will and fearing he's gay; it's about losing Will again.

The bolded part is the one I want to highlight because it's the most important piece of the puzzle imo. I am willing to bet that not wanting to lose Will again is going to be a huge part of Mike’s arc in S5 and is going to lead to him finally realizing his feelings. I honestly don't think Will's confession is going to figure into things at all until Mike's realized his feelings. Because the audience has to see Mike fall in love with Will before he figures out Will loves him back. The audience should not be made to think that Mike only falls in love with Will because Will's in love with him.

But how will Mike realize exactly the difference between his love for Will and his love for El if he's this goddamn oblivious? How will the process even start? El has to break up with him. No other way around it. El has to tell him straight up that she does not believe he is in love with her. Only then can Mike be free to even think about what romantic love actually means to him. I imagine this is where he and Nancy will actually get to talk about something substantial again, when he asks her what being in love means. and that will further get the ball rolling. And I believe however his arc plays out, we will get to see Mike and Will definitively end up together.

Because Mike loves Will so much. He isn't quite aware of what this love is yet but he has it in abundance. That is why he was the only one apart from Joyce who pushed for finding Will initially; that is why he is always the first to apologize when he and Will fight; that is why the best thing he's ever done was ask Will to be his friend; that is why he lashed out at Will at the roller rink; that is why he was so over the moon about Will's painting and Will's words in the van that he ironically didn't even see Will crying; that is why he only said his monologue after Will practically told him to.

Will is and continues to be Mike's most important person. Once Mike realizes he's in love with Will and the feeling is mutual? Homophobia can go suck a tail pipe because how dare this concept make the love of his life feel like a mistake? Mike is going to kiss Will as soon he realizes because he is not going to let anyone make him wait a minute longer before kissing the boy of his dreams.

sneaky edit: the underlined parts are links to other analyses i've done before regarding Mike's behavior. Analyses over the airport/roller rink scene, him being oblivious, his love for El, etc!

#this is.... very long #absolutely the longest post i have ever written #it's not as concise or as pinpointed as i wanted it to be #but that's fine. I'm laying it all out there #ku blarghs #strangely blogging #byler #this is a great starting off point for my planned predictions post too #and as is the norm for my posts... links abound... #also i know i am very confidence and 100% hope personified in this post #because i am. i am confident. not about the specifics. but i am 100% they are going to kiss #you guys can be worried about it being canon it's ok. i have enough confidence and hope for all of us lmao

[filmtv2022]

In the Bleak Midwinter: Chapter Four (The Sound of Shovels)

Previous Chapter Next Chapter (Updated Once Posted)

Masterlist

Pairing: Thomas Shelby X Reader

Chapter Summary: Y/N begins her healing process, and Tommy is forced to open up about the nature of the letter. Past trauma haunts Y/N, but Thomas isn't ready to give up on her yet. The two begin to find their way back to life with one another's help, but finding a new normal again after all this time proves very difficult. 

Warning: memories/nightmares of previous sexual assault + mentions of suicide + violence (in the context a war 'flashback') + some smut/heavy petting + language

A/N: First of all, sorry about the delay. Work has been off the charts, and I don't see it slowing down for a while. With that being said, I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Tommy and the reader are finally realizing how much they need each other. Additionally, I think there is another story being published right now that has the same/a similar title. That is totally okay, but I'm trying to think of a way to differentiate my story from those in the title so that readers aren't confused. Oh, and as always, I apologize for all mistakes.

** If you'd like to be tagged in future updates, let me know in the comments.

“This one’s yours.” Turning the knob, Tommy opened the door to a grand bedroom. The walls were covered in ornate carvings and elaborate paintings filled the blank spaces. The room screamed of a woman’s touch, but as of yet, there'd been no hints of other inhabitants, not even the lingering scent of perfume.

“This place is beautiful, Thomas. You and your family must be very happy here. ” Making your way across the room, you ran your fingertips along the smooth edge of the bed frame, the shake of your hand already proving to make simple actions difficult. 

With your back turned to him, you missed the way his shoulders tensed. Desperate to avoid any further conversation about him, he found himself staring at you. Your steps were as steady as they could be given the circumstances, but your hands gave away the struggle. Standing in the doorway, Tommy’s focus remained on you, scanning for signs of what was sure to come. The increasingly erratic tremble of your hands caused his body to go rigid once more.

“Y/N, there are some things you need to know.”

Glancing over your shoulder, your brows scrunched up in uncertainty, “Okay, I'm listening.”

Pushing off of the frame on which he was leaning, Thomas made his way over to you, his palm gently resting on your shoulder as he guided you down to sit on the bed, your knee bumping with his as you settled. A heavy silence filled the space as you waited for him to speak, his touch shifting to brush over your fingers. Holding your hand in between both of his, a steadying warmth rolled off of his skin as he cleared his throat but remained mute for a moment longer.  

“This is gonna get worse. You might-” 

“I know how this works, Thomas. It’s not my first time. I’ve been down this road before.” dragging your face up to meet his, a flash of worry and confusion split across his eyes, “I had a whole life before this… before I ever met William.”

There was devastation in your features. Some form of it had been there the whole time, but something deeper, more broken joined as you spoke about the past. Tommy held fast to you, his thumb smoothing over the back of your hand in an arc. 

“How long have you been back at it?”

“It was just the whiskey at first, it helped… it dulled the edges. And it was easy enough to get.” Embarrassment bled into frustration at your admission. This man deserved nothing, not an ounce of explanation, and yet, the words flowed of their own volition. 

“And the rest?”

“I buried my children, Tom. When do you think?” 

“All right.” Standing up, he started toward the door, but your words caught him before he could leave. 

“The opium... I started again with Will’s, he had an open prescription left over after he...” Tommy stopped in his tracks, turning back to look at you, a mask of calm painted over his features, “The doctor gave it to him for the headaches and the nightmares. But uhh, it didn’t work, not the way it was supposed to. He still heard ‘em.” 

“Heard what?”

“The shovels.” 

Stunned, Thomas stood staring blankly back at you, the commanding touch of his voice faltered as he finally spoke, “Someone will be around later with food. I’ve… I’ve got a meeting to get to. This door is to remain unlocked at all times, understood?” 

“Of course, and I won’t keep you.”

Watching him go, you remained seated, slipping your pantyhose off and discarding them on the floor. Wasting no time, you changed out of the clothes you’d worn to travel this morning. You were quickly running out of fresh ones, but it had yet to become an emergency. Pulling on a soft blue jumper, you pulled back on the tattered bottoms you’d worn for bed. Laying back on the pillows, you snuggled your nose in the collar of the sweater. The faint musk of tobacco and cologne lingered in the fabric. The scent was weak, barely clinging on, but it was there, the last physical reminder you had of William.  

… 

Evening settled over the house, and the tremble in your hands intensified as the remnants of your vices left your body. Sweat coated your skin in a sticky sheen, while every muscle in your body tightened in vicious knots. The spasms were strong enough to take your breath away, but not enough to pull you into unconsciousness. You were stuck, the loop of pain and anxiety trapped you inside your mind. The real world was hazy as the memories cut like knives in the night, hacking and slicing away at your sanity. Falling somewhere between the layers of what is and what was, the food and water on the nightstand next went untouched. Darkness sat as a constant companion. 

Raised voices crashed in waves from somewhere far off in the house. The words were lost, but their desperation and anger were clear. Most were foreign to your ears, but there was one that caught the fragment of your mind that held firm to the present, Tommy’s. Even with the rage that flowed freely over every syllable, the sound of his presence brought a sense of peace to you. 

…

The dead of night brought with it a hollowness to Arrow House. With his family long since departed from the residence, memories of the past flooded in without hesitation. Papers were cast in haphazard piles around the desk in front of him. Running his hands over his face, Thomas pinched the bridge of his nose, shoving out the rest of the world. The small amber vial in his pocket weighed heavily on his heart. Slipping it from its hiding place, he held it firmly in his fist, letting the edges bite into his calloused skin. 

Releasing a heavy breath, Thomas moved quickly, unstoppering the bottle and bringing it to his lips. Draining it, he fell back into his chair and waited. The whisper of her voice calling to him slowly slipped into focus as the opium took control. 

“Grace” Her name was a faint prayer, begging the universe to bring her back to him.

…

Caught in that thin line between wake & sleep, you felt the ghostly presence of another hovering somewhere in the room but lacked the strength to respond. Panic flared white hot at the sound of approaching footsteps. Struggling to regain control of your limbs, you stirred under the covers, your breaths coming in ragged fits. The steps fell away, replaced by the press of another body. It fell hard on your chest, pinning you to the bed. Fingers dug savagely into your neck as warm breath wafted over your exposed skin, their teeth biting harshly along your chest. Terrified screams caught like barbed wire in your throat, the column of your neck strained with fear. Tears began to flow in steady streams down your cheeks, the release of emotion allowing the agonized howls to rip from your lungs. 

Tearing you from your sleep, the phantom sensations gave way to reality. Strong hands held firm to your biceps as you writhed against the touch, your eyes still jammed shut to block out the memories. A stern voice called to you, repeating your name over and over. 

“Y/N… Y/N… you’re all right. There’s no one else here, you’re safe.” 

Your eyes snapped open, but the face in front of you remained out of focus. Shoving yourself away from the figure, you pleaded in wheezing sobs, “Stop, please, get off me…” 

“It’s me, it’s Thomas. I’m not-”

“Don’t fuckin’ touch me.” Yanking yourself away from Tommy, his hands dropped from your body as if he’d been stung. 

Backing away, he raised his hands, holding them up by his shoulders showing that he meant no harm. He continued to stare, his attention never leaving you as his eyes raked over your body. Forceful sobs shook you, your face buried in your hands as a small, youthful voice rang clear through the chaos.

“Daddy, is everythin’ okay?” 

Turning to look, Thomas found his son standing in the doorway, his hair mussed up and pajamas rumpled from a deep sleep, “Everything’s all right, Charlie. Why don’t you back to your room, and wait for me there, eh?”

“But I heard the lady cryin’.”

“I know son, I know, but she’s all right. Now be a good boy go on, go.”

The light patter of bare feet on wood floors bounced into the room as Charlie took off toward his room, his little legs carrying him away as quickly as he could manage.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” you mumbled over and over, continuing to shake not from withdrawal, but from fear, “I’m so sorry Thomas.” 

Carefully, Tommy returned to your side, finding a place to sit near your feet. Avoiding any physical contact with you, he waited for your breathing to slow before speaking again.

“What happened, Y/N? Who were you seeing just now?”

Pulling your face from your hand, you went rigid at the intrusive question, “That is none of your business.”

“You just scared my child, and disrupted my home with your screamin’. I think I’ve a right to know.”

“But you don’t ‘ave a right. If you want me out just say so. I’m happy to leave. You’ve done enough already, and I’m sure my dead husband won’t care one way or the other.” 

“I’m not lookin’ for a way to get rid of you. I just… I want to know you’re okay.” 

You huffed an incredulous laugh, “I appreciate the sentiment, Thomas, but I don’t need it.” 

“Need what?”

“Your pity. I’ve had my fill of that from everyone else. I’m tired of people lookin’ at me like I’m ready to break.” 

“I don’t pity you, Y/N.” 

“You’re a liar, Tommy Shelby, I can see it in your eyes. That sad, worried look, like you’re afraid to turn your back on me lest I decide to end it all.” 

“Can you blame me for that? Given everythin’ I’ve seen it seems an honest concern.” 

“Maybe you’re right, but I still don’t fuckin’ understand your concern! You don’t know me!” 

“You’re right, I don’t. But I did know William.”

“What the hell does that have to do with me?! Why the fuck did he write that letter anyway? Why am I here Thomas?”

Standing up quickly, Tommy put space between you both as he spoke, “Because he almost died trying to save my life! And I prom-” Thomas’ voice wavered, the confession taking the wind from his lungs, “I promised him that I’d do whatever I could to keep you safe if he didn’t make it out alive.” 

“What are you talkin’ about? He never said anythin’, I never heard anythin'…” Lost and confused, you begged for more. 

Seeing the hurt wash over you, Thomas returned to your side, this time sitting close enough that your bodies touched. Your hands sought his the moment he was settled, pulling them onto your lap. 

“Tell me what happened.” 

“We were down in the tunnels, god I don’t know how many days it’d been, but we could hear the Germans through the dirt. Their shovels were working fast, closing the gap. We knew they were getting close, but when they broke through… all hell let loose. In the chaos, I don’t know what happened exactly, but they had guns. William, he… he pulled me out of the way as they fired. I got hit in the shoulder, but if it hadn’t been for him… that bullet would’ve… it would’ve ripped straight through my chest.” 

Thomas paused, his eyes glassy with images of the past. He was relieving that night over in his mind as he spoke, feeling him slip further away from the present, you held his hand tighter.

“What happened after that?” 

“They just kept comin’ with their bullets and bayonets. Shooting and stabbing. William put himself in front of me, and they got him before he could fire a shot. The others, we managed to fight them off, but by the time the threat was gone he’d lost so much blood. We tried everything we could, but it just kept pouring. I thought, everyone thought, that he wasn’t going to make it out of that tunnel.”  

Thomas exhaled a shaky breath, pausing for a moment, to collect his composure, “I stayed in the tunnel with William while the others left to go get help. He talked about you. You were the only thing on his mind as he lay there. He just kept asking for asking for you. I lied to him, I told him you were comin’, that the boys had gone to fetch you..”

“Thomas…” 

“He made me promise that I’d bring him back home. So that you wouldn’t have to wonder where his body was and you could move on with your life. He made me promise that I’d make sure you were all right, that I’d take care of you, no matter what. He didn’t want you to be alone, Y/N. He lost consciousness before the medical team got to us, but he was still holding on. They managed to get him back to a field hospital. He was sent back home after he recovered.” 

The trance broke as his blue eyes found yours once again, “He loved you. And I know how broken you feel, but you can’t let the pain win. Not this time, not ever.” 

Leaning forward, you cupped his face, your thumb running along his cheekbone, “You can’t let it win either.” 

He pressed his forehead against yours, his breath was hot against your skin, the scent of whiskey and opium strong enough to sting, “Y/N.” 

“Where’s your wife, Thomas?” Turning your face away, you tried to put space between yourself and him.

Feeling you hesitate, he pulled back just enough to meet your eyes, his thumb ran over your lips, “She’s dead… because I couldn’t keep her safe. I promised I’d make her safe, and I failed.”

“You have to forgive yourself. You can’t hold onto that guilt, it’ll kill you.”

“How can I do that when it's all my fault? If it wasn’t for me she’d still be here, and Charlie’d still have his mother. I don’t deserve…” 

“Stop it, Thomas. You told me that I deserved a life, and to be happy, and the same goes for you. You deserve happiness, you deserve a life.” Your fingers found the simple metal band that adorned his hand, “There are people who need you… I need you.”

Letting go of his hand, you slid your palm along the buttons of his shirt, stopping at the collar, his breath hitched. Dropping his face closer to yours, lips touching in a near caress. Thomas panted, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he let his touch wander over your body. Gingerly, he fumbled for the hem of your jumper, one hand finding a home on your waist while the other wandered higher, cupping your breast. A gasp fell from your lips as he brushed over your nipple. Needing more, his lips found your neck, laying a line of fire from the shell of your ear to the hollow of your throat. 

“We shouldn’t do this, Thomas.” Holding him to you, your words and actions were at odds with one another. A clear depiction of the war going on in heart and mind. 

Bringing his face back to yours, Thomas captured your lips with his. It was a hungry kiss, teeth and tongue clashing in a desperate embrace as if the dam had broken, and he was holding back the flood waters with the last of his resolve, “Tell me to stop, and I will.” 

Hovering over you, he shifted so that he was kneeling, one hand gripped the headboard, while the other remained on you, waiting. Seconds passed and when no answer came, he pushed you back into the pillows and continued to work at your body. Featherlight touches over your stomach and sides sent shivers down your spine. Stunned and overwhelmed by the feeling of him, you found yourself moving without thought as he tried to take off your shirt, the collar catching before he freed it from your body. 

The chill of the room sent goosebumps across your exposed skin. Feeling you shudder, he pressed closer, the heat rolling off of him was enough to relax your muscles. Settling his weight between your thighs, he groaned as he rolled his hips into yours, relishing the sensation of having you so close. Your head fell back against the pillows as he kissed down your chest, nipping at the tender skin as he went. Soothing over the bites with his tongue, he found his way back to your breasts. Threading your fingers through his hair, you tugged roughly at the silken strands making him moan.

Laying open-mouthed kisses along your stomach, his one hand reached for your throat stopping just short, while the other ran down the outside of your thigh. A whimper tumbled from your lips as his free hand toyed with the top of your pants. Sliding the hand on your chest up the rest of the way, his wide palm spanned the width of your neck, his fingers curling around the sides applying pressure. 

Your lungs hitched, and anxiety flooded your system as the same images you’d seen in your dreams were now haunting your waking moments too. Your heart thrummed in an erratic pattern as you began to panic. Quickly the room around you started spinning, your breathing coming in rapid gasps as you wrapped your hand around his wrist and pulled hard. Tears spilled down your face as you finally managed to speak, shoving him away, “Stop, Thomas, please.” 

Crawling out of the bed, you wobble a few steps before gaining your footing and leaning against the wall. A harsh sob wracked your body as he stood up and made his way to you. Holding onto your waist he dipped down so that he could look into your eyes, “Y/N, hey, look at me… look at me, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” 

You shook your head no, unable to form the words you so desperately wanted to say. Seeing you continue to collapse further inside of yourself, he wrapped his arms around your body, one coming to rest on your lower back while the other wound into the base of your hair. Whispering words of comfort in your ear, he held you fast and let you cry. There was a conversation to be had, but not now, not until you were ready. 

@sadroses98

@weaponizedvirtue

#thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby #thomas shelby x y/n #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby fic #thomas shelby fic #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky blinders #thomas shelby smut #tommy shelby smut #peaky blinders smut

[hecateisalesbian]

The Pride of June: Aromantic

Todays art piece (bottom) was created by @zedleaked. Please go check out their blog and show support!

Scroll to the bottom for a message from our Tumblr User!

The Aromantic Flag is the Flag used to describe someone who experiences little to no romantic attraction. This IS NOT the same as asexual. Someone who is Aromantic can still feel the desire to have sexual relationships.

Fun History Fact: They first recorded use of the word Aromantic was said as joke by someone trying to explain they have no desire to be in a relationship

Tumblr User: @zedleaked, and @boilinghotsoupandcrackers (who is aroace)

Media characters: Lilith Clawthrone from The Owl House is aroace, Peridot from Steven Universe is aroace, Percival King from Epithet Erased is asexual and implied aromantic, Howie Honeyglow from Epithet Erased is aroace, Kusuo Saiki from the Disastrous Life of Saiki K is aroace. Unfortunately, aromantic people are very underrepresented and aroace representation in general is very limited. It can be seen that there aren’t any characters in media yet that are alloaro [people who can feel sexual attraction but not romantic attraction] which is a little unfortunate, we can only hope by spreading awareness about aromanticism that one day we may be represented more in media. (Written by @zedleaked)

Why the colors? Green and light green represents the aromantic spectrum, White represents platonic love and friendships, and Gray and black represents the spectrum of different sexualities

Where can I find the calendar? The calendar is my pinned post on my blog @hecateisalesbian! This will be occurring all throughout June, and tags such as #The Pride of June and #PoJ Project can be used to find my post

Special Message

”What does being aromantic mean: Aromantic is an umbrella term for people who do not feel romantic attraction or do not feel it most of the time. Romantic attraction is the desire to have a romantic interaction with another and potentially be in a romantic relationship with another. Aromantic people can be asexual at the same time or can just be standalone aromantic.

Fun history fact: The term aromantic started being used in 2005. There was an aromantic community formed on the AVEN: The Asexual Visibility & Education Network which was a community centred around asexuality. Guess these two really do go hand in hand!

Personal Experience: To break the professional language for a sec, figuring out whether you are aromantic or not is hard, especially if you are not asexual as well. When I was figuring myself out I often found that I never really developed crushes on others and that made me feel weird since romance is so mainstream and talked about and for some reason I don’t feel these weird butterflies in my stomach or something? I guess I’m just weirdo! Sure, I can find people attractive and cute but I didn’t feel that romantic feeling. As a kid I would try and just scan other kids in my class to try and figure out if they’d be a good partner. I didn’t know that there had to be some kind of feeling to get in a relationship with someone. I just thought people would go ‘hey this person is nice and cute, I will be their partner!’ but that’s definitely not how it works. I would find it hard to differentiate romantic and platonic love because I mean… love is love…? I mean some would say romantic love is doing stuff like cuddling, holding hands, kissing, hugging… but you can also do that platonically, right? There’s just that extra step in romantic love that I just can’t see because I can’t experience that extra step. There are moments where I think I feel love but I realise that at the time I was just really eager to be their friend as I get very excited when meeting someone like me but if I really thought about if I would be in a romantic relationship with that person… the answer would probably be no. Some aromantics can feel lonely as they can’t feel romantic love and they don’t have the desire to devote their life to a person, but remember that you still have those platonic relationships and they can be just as strong if not stronger than romantic ones, nothing is better than hanging out with a really awesome friend. If you believe you’re on the aromantic spectrum but are unsure, try doing some research for yourself as there are many terms under the umbrella that may fit you! Demiromantic for example is when you only feel romantic love when close to someone or grey-romantic is when you feel fluctuating levels of romantic love but as a whole barely experience it”.

#Aromantic #aromantic #aroace #The Pride of June #The pride of June project #PoJ Project #Queer #lgbtqia #pride month

[laufire]

This is redhoodinternaldialectical from the "main" blog, returning fire with the character ask game :3

For Jason: 23. Fav picture of this character 24. What character from another fandom reminds you of them? 26. Freebie question! What do you think his complicated opinions about Heathclif would be? (Saw ur tags about that hehehe)

I might come back with other characters, but just Jason for now cause it's WAY passed my bedtime

Fav picture of this character

there are so many options... (see: my header of his hamlet moment). but I'm going to go with this one, from batman annual #25.

I fucking love a character climbing out of his own grave. and that lightning bolt is so frankenstein of him <3

What character from another fandom reminds you of them?

my mind is wired to draw parallels and comparisons, and I happen to be rewatching a tv show (the 100, one of those "it could be so good if it was good" things xD) where sometimes it seems that all my favourite characters have some jason-coded moments and traits lol.

BUT. among all of them, we definitely need to talk about john murphy!!! he's my #1 in that show (with some strong competition), because I love his journey. he really started being... well, what dc regularly tries to convince us robin!jason was: a mean, angry teen, product of his society, who lashed out at people once he could, because he had been wronged himself. this show gave him far more grace about it (even during his messy revenge quest lol), and in season 2 they landed on a really potent love story with him and another character, emori (another outcast in her own society, this time because she was born with a mutation, that survived by stealing from others) that ended up catapulting him to Romantic Hero status in a way s1!murphy couldn't have dreamed of lmao. it was great.

even his backstory (which he's given in the first episode of s2) is. very jason añdslkfjasf. two important things about this gifset is a) the girl here, raven (another favourite), has a similar backstory (alcoholic mother who failed to take care of her, raven would've starved if not for the kindness of her neightbour & childhood sweetheart). she's taunting murphy because a few episodes before murphy shot her in the spine (he didn't intend to hurt her but it wasn't exactly an accident. part of his messy revenge quest against a -barely- adult who failed him lol). she hates him, and yet she clearly can't help but empathise </3. a few episodes later she tries to get him killed to save her ex <3. in a few seasons they'll become best friends <3. as far as I'm concerned she's memori's third <333

a few other things in favour of "jason-coded murphy" are this post, or the fact that at one point murphy had to use sex to survive in a way I personally headcanon jason doing (I've actually drawn some comparisons between that plot and nightwing/tarantula but only stylistic ones; plot-wise it's a very different situation where he displays an attitude closer to what I imagine jason doing).

What do you think his complicated opinions about Heathclif would be?

alñsdkfjasdf I can't believe I'm going to talk more about other characters than about jason but here we are lol.

anyway first of all, unlike many people in this fandom, jason is a smart cookie capable of differentiating fact from fiction, who could recognise heathcliff did some really fucked shit against undeserving people and still appreciate the hell out of him as the fascinating character he is. tyvm. that said, he's also someone who gets very personal about literature xD

one thing about heathcliff is that he does what some people argue jason is doing when he "targets" tim or mia (or damian, but that's bftc and fandom has more or less accepted that it's a mess, and also damian isn't white :))). aka, he's (a grown man!!) viciously, hatefully going after innocent children for the sins of their fathers!! for shame. sorry but that's not even true in bftc or hush (the situations there were very messy and the writers desperately needed medical consultants to make them make any sense, get off his dick xD), but definitely not true for titans tower or seeing red. jason was NOT trying to kill these teens (a few years younger than him at most), he's never wanted them death, and he's never even aimed to caused grievious, irreparable damage. again, get off his dick :P

but it's interesting to me thinking about jason reading the book for the very first time during the lost days era, in particular. he would empathise with heathcliff's desire for revenge, but I don't think he'd ~relate as strongly to him as some people think. yes, there is mistreatment in their youths and the revenge plot (after heathcliff does whateve he does in his own lost days period lol); there's even possible racial ambiguity in common, if we take into account the shiva thing. and he'd half-mindedly draw some links between bruce and earnshaw senior and, if he's feeling ungenerous lol, between dick and hindley, but nothing particularly strong, imo.

but I can see even this faint link being enough to have him pondering his own lines, what he's willing to do once he returns and what he isn't. and it's a fact that jason crossed some of his own purported lines, because he was too in his head about bruce or because they were convenient at the moment or because of all other reasons. and I picture him rereading the book years down the road, and grappling with that fact. wondering if heathcliff had drawn his own lines beforehand or gone all in from the beginning, wondering if he had any regrets.

otherwise, he would appreciate heathcliff as the force he is in the narrative, while being utterly disgusted by some of his actions. at the same time he'd be really wary of the unreliable narration (I imagine him thinking nelly gives all the lintons too much grace, even if he obviously would think heathcliff's actions towards isabella and cathy are undefensible). I also believe he's ready to fist-fight anyone that supported the "monstrous" readings of heathcliff as something inhuman, as some supernatural force of nature. heathcliff, to him, is utterly human.

ALSO. jason is definitely that bitch who reads the FUCKING UNHINGED SHIT (x, x, x, x, x) catherine and heathcliff say about each other and be like. why can't that be me 😭. he's fucking unwell.

(and feel free to ask me about any other character you want! or any extra questions about jason lol)

#replies #redhoodinternaldialectical #thank you sm i had a lot of fun with this one lol #talking to the void #my thoughts #dc #dc thoughts #t100 thoughts #wuthering heights thoughts #jason todd #john murphy #everything i love is the same #heathcliff #dc comics

[thegeminisage]

WELL. it is time for the final tng update (until the movies ig). last night we watched the series finale, "all good things" parts i & ii.

all good things (not differentiating parts):

my main takeaway from this episode is that they somehow managed to bring back tasha yar, only to 1. have her do absolutely nothing 2. die again?? they have killed tasha yar three times. hat trick for dead tasha yar

second takeaway: old people makeup. i couldn't find any gifs for this episode because when you go in the tag they're all just comparisons with picard the show. which IS kind of fun, admittedly. losers in the old people makeup department: riker. winners: beverly. hers was kinda hot ngl. milf.

conceptually this episode kind of fucked. like, three eras of having to be in the same place, coordinating stuff over 4D space via rapid shifting...that's cool. there was a cool episode buried in here somewhere. i think the problem was 1. it took way too long to figure out what was going on 2. the three eras in question were season 1 of tng (bad), season 7 of tng (also bad), and tng 25 bad future. i have lots to say about the bad future in a sec but let's not get distracted. because all of these eras were bad, it wasn't very exciting to be coordinating stuff across them. i TOTALLY understand the temptation to bookend the show by going back to the pilot, but the sad truth is the pilot was AWFUL. q has largely been annoying and the trial was one of his MORE annoying appearances.

on the bad future: worf and riker fighting over deanna being DEAD somehow and us not getting any more information was pretty awful, especially since they sort of seemed to be having a fight about deanna in the present-day too. i don't like them fighting over her but i REALLY thing the deanna/worf was so rushed...riker is normally so chill too, it doesn't make any sense. plus it's absolutely bonkers that picard came back and DIDNT warn deanna she had 5 years to live. come on!!!

if geordi really grew back his eyes bc of the anomaly, why are they blue in the future? they look like prosthetics or something. also can't we just give him brown eyes cmon. also, it's SICK AND DISGUSTING they married him to leah. i like geordi, but his thing w women made liking him difficult, so thanks for reminding us of his absolute WORST moment right as we're saying goodbye to him forever

someone on the aos team did not do their research. romulus was destroyed in 2387, and the last season of tng is in 2370. that means this future era took place in 2395, eight years after romulus was destroyed. it would have been such an easy thing to avoid, too. you could have simply had spock and nero travel back from 2395 instead of 2387. like it's that easy. NOTHING would have to change except a number. this isn't even tng's fault like how could they know what crimes that man would commit. this is all on him. i like the aos movies but girl what the hell

wins for the future: data crazy cat lady. and everyone gaslighting picard. and beverly being soooo hot

the problem w this future is that it doesn't say anything about anyone except "you guys drifted apart without the mission to hold you together and forgot you needed each other." actually, it didn't say that second part, though i wished it had. the episode was also a bit muddied in that respect...like, what did it episode SAY about those three eras, other than "don't stop being friends later"? what did it SAY about picard and his crew? this is the finale, and there weren't any goodbyes or big character moments for anybody except picard, who had to have his big character moment in the fucking farpoint courtroom.

we did get canon worf/deanna and picard/beverly but she TURNED HIM DOWN EARLIER and only started macking on him when she found out she might die (just in time to get herself on the will and no that's not my joke). STAY STRONG...YOU DON'T NEED HIM...beverly crusher, i could be your man.

in a final act of hilarity, at the very end, picard INVITED HIMSELF TO CARDS. while i am always thrilled for poker games, and was feeling a genuine emotion about the last scene being a poker game, the profound silence when picard showed up at the door really dragged me out of it. "you were always welcome" HE LITERALLY TRIED TO DO THIS ONCE AND YOU GUYS THOUGHT IT WAS WEIRD

oh yeah. final note. can't believe they pussied out of shearing jonathan frakes for that flashback section. they just photoshop magicked that shit. it was clever, but it was cowardly

i really wish s7 of tng had been good...we had a few good ones near the beginning but the ones near the end were ALL duds. i could have forgiven so many crimes if we had gone out on a high note. tng WAS very good sometimes. i know they had it in them. unfortunately they generally chose to be ass instead, and as a result tng went out the way it came in: in the very worst courtroom scene in the entire world. rest in pieces.

NEXT TIME: ds9's "tribunal" and "the jem'hadar."

#personal #star trek #tng lb

[quinloki]

Writers - Where You Gonna Post?

Hey all, so the TL;DR of this is that I post on Wattpad, Tumblr and Ao3 - All have their pros and cons, and this post is going to get into those (with a neat little summary at the end).

Note this is not an endorsement or criticism of any of them. Just my personal understandings of each, the pros and cons I've noted, and a chance to put it all in one place.

We're going to touch on - Ease of Posting, Visibility, Tagging, Searching, Cost, Security & Visibility, Functionality, and less objectively - Vibe.

word count: 1,874

-:- Ease of Posting -:-

Wattpad: 7.5/10 Tumblr: 9/10 Ao3: 4/10

Wattpad and Tumblr have direct-from-source formatting, meaning your paragraphs, italics, bolds, etc. stay in place when you copy from Word, google docs, or - I assume, Scrivener.

Tumblr has more options for font size, color, and links within the body of the text, and so scores higher than Wattpad's more limited capacity (Wattpad does allow for centering, justified, etc. positioning of paragraphs.)

Ao3 has far more CAPACITY than both, but the ease isn't there. You have to know your HTML markups, and for so people that can be a pain. There's a very useful Google Doc markup template that can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you, but hyper linking, image inserting, and other functions that are available have to be done manually.

This is great, in terms of options, but lowers Ao3 on the whole "ease of use".

-:- Visibility -:-

Wattpad: 4/10 Tumblr: 3 or 9/10 Ao3: 9/10

Wattpad has an algorithm and their tagging system - compared to Tumblr and Ao3 is pathetic. I realize I said I was going to be objective, but that is being objective. It's a spaceless tagging system, so you get really awesome tags like roronoazoroxblacklegsanjixreader and... yeah. There's also a limit on the number of tags, so if you're doing a collection of one-shots it's hard to get everyone in there.

On the upside, their search function doesn't just search by tags (would that it did though.) So having information in your summary will help your visibility. What really gets your stuff visible are reader interactions - knowing someone established on Wattpad and having them give you some shoutouts when you start is your best bet for being seen.

Tumblr's visibility - tagging, searching, etc rely HEAVILY on what kind of writer you are. SFW items are far easier to search than NSFW ones, and the Mature label hides you from people who have opted in to see Mature content, which still boggles me. The in-site search function leaves a bit to be desired, but google searches in better enough to off-set that a bit. Tagging is far more robust on tumblr, but it's also a little hit or miss, especially with new users. (I had no clue how to "tag" properly when I started, believe you me).

There's a solid foundation of readers here, so that makes it a good place to get your feet under you without being on TikTo-- I mean Wattpad.

I'm not going to say much here, because let's be fair, Ao3 was BUILT for visibility. There's no algorithm and the tagging system is robust and customizable. Searching is easy - as long as writers are decent with their tagging, and it's not too hard to find what you want, fluffy or otherwise.

-:- Tagging -:-

Wattpad: 4/10 Tumblr: 7/10 Ao3: 9/10

I've touched on this already in the other sections. Wattpad has a lot of restrictions on its tagging system, and aside from using it to "rank" stories, I'm not entirely sure what else it does. I really don't think it comes into play with searching - key words pull from titles, user names, and summaries at the minimum.

Tumblr tagging is a bless - for the most part. The site deems some words "problematic" and doesn't let you search them, which is poor practice because it doesn't differentiate smut from sex ed. (Personally, not that I want it to block anything on my behalf. If I type it Tumblr, I mean to look for it.) Fortunately, as stated, you can use external search engines to get around this.

Ao3 has probably the most robust, and most customizable tagging system of all three. This is great, as long as you know what you're doing, and terribly confusing if you don't. There's primers out there for tagging in Ao3 and other general "good to know" type things, but it's not intuitive. You really do need the primers.

And Ao3 limits neither content nor tags, so take care when searching, and use the omission functionality if you need to - Ao3 won't hold back unless you tell it.

-:- Searching -:-

Wattpad: 6/10 Tumblr: 6/10 Ao3: 10/10

Smash visibility and tagging together and you get search ratings. Wattpad can be hit or miss because of the Tikto- er - algorithm, my best advice is don't be afraid of the results on page 2 and beyond. As much as it tries to "rate" works, rating is just too subjective. You're going to have to dig, just like you do on Tumblr and Ao3.

Having fan fic reader connections is really your best bet when searching, but slugging through the proverbial trenches yields gems too - and one man's quartz is another man's diamond, so I'm not putting any writing down when I say this - what we're looking for varies, and what's out there is multitudinous and variable.

Ao3 is your best place place for good hunting - it's literally built around it. The only hangups are the limitations of what an author puts in for tags vs what you think to search. Differences in how we perceive some words regionally can limit what bounces back - and sometimes a writer might not think of the word in the first place to add it.

-:- Cost -:-

Wattpad: 3 or 9/10 Tumblr: 10/10 Ao3: 10/10

Wattpad has ads - on the mobile app. You can pay for some stuff on the desktop too, but it's not in your face there like it tends to be on the mobile app. Still, you can use it for free.

Tumblr and Ao3 both request money and offer stuff in exchange for money. Sites need money to run, so it makes sense. Neither locks functionality behind cost (neither does Wattpad, not even on the mobile app), but it's easier to ignore ads on Tumblr than Wattpad's app (and no ads on desktop at all for Wattpad >.> just fyi).

-:- Security & Visibility -:-

Wattpad: ??? Tumblr: ??? Ao3: ???

What's important about security and visibility changes from person to person and I'm not really sure how to rate them numerically.

Tumblr and Ao3 let you make your works private - member or password access only, so there's a layer of visibility control with these platforms that does NOT exist on Wattpad.

Ao3 let's people download works to read offline. Technically you can copy/paste with Tumblr and do this as well. Wattpad does not allow this - you cannot download or copy/paste a work from Wattpad (you can copy/paste when in edit mode on things you own on WP, but readers cannot).

You don't need an account to interact with Ao3 and Tumblr - I *think* you do for Wattpad, but all three are free sign ups - Ao3 is just by invitation (when did that start, btw? I signed up years ago and missed that change).

Which is best, is up to you.

-:- Functionality -:-

Wattpad: 8/10 Tumblr: 7/10 Ao3: 10/10

Let me start by saying that Tumblr's functionality for Short Form Fiction is easily 10/10 - the search limitations notwithstanding. Tumblr's functionality for LONG Form Fiction can be a real pain in the ass, hence the 7/10 overall. Linking posts is a manual nightmare, and sometimes breaks between mobile and desktop for no reason.

Wattpad's limitations on some styles of formatting and linking aside, it does have an easy to use update process, and if there's a limit to how many words can be in a chapter, I haven't seen it, or heard of it.

Wattpad's mature settings are also more functional than Tumblr's, leaving the onus of if the reader is old enough on the reader by the words of their own ToS (I still block minors, personally, since you can see who votes and comments.) They do have stricter limitations, regarding "dark" content, and there is by no means any threat to be levied against minors allowed. Shonen levels of violence, sure, but you're not posting Juno the novel on the site without some issues.

All three sites - Wattpad most recently - have blocking functionality. Wattpad's recent changes allow for deleting comments as well as blocking users, which can be a cathartic ability to have.

One thing Wattpad and Tumblr have that I'd LOVE to see on Ao3 (and if it has it I've missed it) is the ability to schedule your posts and updates. Wattpad added this recently - it's only functional on the desktop, but it works.

For those of us who can write 10k words one day, and none the next two days, it's useful for spreading out your posts. Plus there's just something nice about being able to create a backlog of content, especially if you post on a schedule.

-:- Vibe -:-

No rankings, we die like blorbos.

One of the best things - to me - about Wattpad is a paragraph-by-paragraph ability to comment. Wattpad's readers have a similar vibe as Tumblr's readers - and I mean this affectionately.

You're all GREMLINS.

It gives me life and I love it.

Assholes exist everywhere, but my general vibe of who has the most goes: Wattpad Tumblr Ao3

Maybe some of you aren't assholes, you just don't think about how your comments can be taken before you post.

Ao3 gives me the most Long Form Comments I get out of anywhere else, and I love them. Please, PLEASE, gush to me about what you loved. Feel free to toss in what you didn't vibe with - as long as you're not cruel about it, I can take it. I can't possibly write something everyone perceives flawlessly.

I post to all three, because I like the combined experience I get from them. Ao3 feeds me in ways Wattpad and Tumblr can't, and honestly you can exchange all three of those entirely.

Ao3 feels like I'm walking down the street perusing sex toy shops and someone stops me and goes "Oh I read your story and really liked it, please keep up the good work!" (sometimes maybe they throw a drink in my face.)

Tumblr feels like I'm at a rave with 500 other people and there's 50 blorbos people are doing body shots off of and we're all having fun - and occasionally some asshole comes in, but they're handled pretty quick.

Wattpad's like... being at a Barnes and Noble having coffee in the cafe that's inside the store, and there's a BDSM class being taught in the manga section that's upstairs, and sometimes people take the escalator up and right back down again cause oops.

That's my breakdown - I hope it's helped you, or at least made you laugh a little. Good luck out there, where ever, however, and whenever you post, I hope you find the words you're looking for.

(I do want to add that Wattpad does, as mentioned, have a bit of a TikTok vibe. If you don't vibe TikTok you're not gonna vibe Wattpad, flaws and all).

#quin muses #fan fiction #wattpad #ao3 writer #ao3 #tumblr writers #writers of tumblr #platforms for writing

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

What do you think of fanon cross guild. I think for me. I find the canon idea really funny but have started to lose interest slightly because it seems the only version of the cross guild that fanon wants to interact with is through a ship lease (and there’s nothing wrong with that!! People can and should ship whatever they want) I just feel like the potential of the cross guild is being wasted in the fandom. Come on they literally put bounties on marines that is sooooo funny!!!! Like they are such a funny concept and it’s so sad that very few people are interacting with them that way. Also how do you think the cross guild will continue to play into the canon story. Like obviously right now they are being played as a joke with buggy essentially tripping his way to being an emperor and declaring they are goi g to look for the one piece. While simultaneously they have a bit of a dark undertone because they are essentially putting hits out on marines and that has already been shown to have serious consequences.

it'd be nice if there was an easy way to differentiate between "cross guild the ship" and "cross guild the organization," wouldn't it? i was thinking about that when i was tagging that last ask - because that post is not about the ship at all, but it's in the same tag on my blog as my post on the subject of the ship. (which is still my opinion on the ship, btw: funny, but i'm more interested in two of the pairs within the trio than the trio collectively.)

and it sounds like you're more interested in the organization than the ship! which i get, i think the way cross guild is setting itself up as a financial and military power in opposition to the marines is fascinating. doing so by destabilizing the historically uneasy alliance of the marines and bounty hunters by offering to pay well for murder of high-ranking marines is a smart move on crocodile's part.*

…but, and i mean no offense by this, you are looking for gen meta on the shipping website. are you really surprised you're having trouble finding any? idk if reddit's gonna have the discussions you're hoping for, but it's worth looking into.

(*i'm certain it's a crocodile move, it seems very obvious to me when you look at cross guild in the context of being his post-baroque works project. first he used bounty hunters against pirates to get money and make himself look good to the marines, now he's using bounty hunters against the marines to cull their ranks and seed distrust, making the navy weaker and bounty hunters unable to get jobs from anyone but crocodile… you can kinda see how this is just a modification to his old plans for alabasta, right? once he was formally in charge i bet he would've accused the world government of failing alabasta during the terrible drought, seceded, and turned his bounty hunters against the marines to defend the country and finance building his superweapons.)

anyway, to answer your final question i don't think the marines see cross guild as a joke - that's just us readers, and people who know buggy, who think the leadership of cross guild is a joke (and well, it kinda is). the marines are well aware of the trouble cross guild can cause for them - that's a major reason why buggy's an emperor now, after all - and my assumption is, if any seraphim are still alive and aligned with the marines after egghead island, they'll be sent to take care of things.

assuming it survives that encounter, i think cross guild is going to be a major player as we approach laugh tale and the one piece. not as sure about its involvement in other stories along the way, but that's because i'm not sure what other stories there are gonna be along the way.

#asked and answered #one piece #cross guild #sir crocodile

[toppedbykakuna]

Hi! Just writing to let you know that radical feminism isn’t “pure hatred”, and that the vast majority of women who support it don’t care half as much about people identifying as trans as they do care about protecting marginalized women worldwide (whose issues are fundamentally unable to transcend their biological sex in the way alternative feminism dictates). You said in the tags of a recent post that you’ve spent “so many years trying to understand” radical feminism, which is confusing, because it’s a relatively straightforward approach to feminism. No radfem is ever going to dictate how someone should or shouldn’t dress or behave. The single defining feature is just that radfems argue that how someone dresses and behaves should not be conflated with biological sex or be indicative of a societal gender norm. The entire concept is that boys can wear dresses and girls can wear pants and they are still male and female. Radical feminism strives for the elimination of gender and gender roles!

Genuinely hope you have a good day :) you don’t need to reply to this, I won’t see it anyway, but you really don’t have to prove anything to anyone either. Your beliefs should be yours, not something you feel the need to repeatedly reaffirm to an online public to stay socially acceptable.

Peace:)

Hey anon, thanks for the polite message, I do appreciate it. I'm gonna use this ask to share my perspective a bit more, and while you definitely don't have to continue this conversation if you don't want, if you have any further thoughts I'm happy to hear them!!

Essay below about my history with the phrase and community of "radfems/terfs"

I do acknowledge that in my original post I used the term "radfem" in that tag where I meant to use the term "terf", however in the past 10ish years I've found that the people who use these terms to describe their identity haven't given me any reason to differentiate the two terms.

When I joined Tumblr in 2013, I had already been involved with the queer community for a year, learning about the different corners of the community and our history. At that point, I had accidentally stumbled across the small "radfem" community that had started leaning into the "terf" category of identification on Tumblr specifically.

I remember this movement was relatively small but in any post I saw celebrating trans-ness or gender, there would be somebody with a "radfem" tag in their username trying DESPERATELY to shut down the joy. Comments filled with "you can't change your gender!" type beat, y'know? At the time, I figured it would die out and I moved on.

Suddenly a few years later, I'm on Twitter and I see a particularly famous children's author involving herself in the community I had forgotten about years before, liking posts about whatever the current drama was about and getting herself involved with the whole "you can't change your gender!" type beat, and whaddya know, it BLOWS up.

Now, let's take a few steps back. I'm somebody that struggled with fitting into same sex groups for my entire life. My childhood sport was same sex, my gym classes, the bathrooms, all the things that people don't really think too much about. For me, it came with a body rocking form of anxiety about things like my body being witnessed, the possibility of getting made fun of (which happened if I wasn't keeping an eye out), trying to fit into conversations that I wasn't really interested in because it's what people my sex and my age were talking about, I was getting denied opportunities from my parents because I was interested in activities that weren't typically for my assigned gender.

Funnily enough, I came across some old posts of mine from 2014, 3 years before I came out, that are absolutely mourning my assigned sex and begging to be anything other than my assigned sex. I didn't want my assigned sex to be perceived, I wanted my gender to stop controlling my life. Once I realized that being nonbinary (or agender, as I prefer) was an option and I could partially transition in order to become more androgynous, it has made my life MILES better. I have never thrived so happily in my body without my reproductive organs and a minor level of HRT, and I would encourage anyone looking for androgyny to discuss HRT options with their doctor because it seriously changed my life.

NOW, let's come back to how that's relevant to "radical feminism". In the last 10 years that I've acknowledged that phrase, I have never met a person who uses that phrase with the intention of including transgender people. I would genuinely like to know if anyone knows any people who identify as a "radical feminist" with the intention of including transgender people, cuz they're not doing a very good job of making themselves visible right now.

I live in a country that already has 3 different regions currently attempting to remove transgender people from the vocabulary of anyone under the age of 18, something that I would've THRIVED with the knowledge of as a teenager. If I knew that puberty blockers were an option, I would've avoided 8 years of incredible intestinal pain, dysphoria, depression and more. That's my choice.

I'm of the same opinion that anyone should be able to wear whatever they want and present however they want, along with identifying however they want. If a boy wants to wear a dress then that's so good for him, but if it's an 18 year old trans boy who wants to wear a dress, he is still valid as a man, whereas I've seen typical terfs argue that a trans man wearing a dress means he wants to stay a girl, therefore should just identify as a girl.

If we're genuinely talking about a group of people who identify as "radical feminists" and don't have a single opinion about transgender people I would like to know who they are, because from my perspective "rad fems" are the exact same group of people as TERFs.

To wrap this all up, my fiance is a transgender man. He was actually a huge influence to help me come out myself and better my life, and I'll forever be thankful for his kindness and education. My best friends are all trans or genderless, my sibling is nonbinary, the 3 different women I would run away with if they asked me to are transgender women... ahem

I love transgender people. I love people who play with their own genetics and put themselves through years of medical stress to be the best versions of themselves. Transgender people have been the kindest community I've ever interacted with, the most selfless group of individuals, the most in tune with their own minds and bodies and the world around them. I love their resilience and their strength in a world that wants them to desist, and I will always be on the side of transgender people.

This blog is not censored for appeal, nor will I ever post anything to satisfy any form of masses. This blog is my own beliefs, and my beliefs are that trans people are (pardon my pun) rad as fuck.

#lexis ESSAYS #my GOD #lexis thoughts #not dnp #lgbtq+ #lgbtqia #queer #if u couldn't tell this is one of my passions #i will talk about how much i love trans people until i die #trans rights are human rights

[dragonbleps]

I can no longer hold my silence

who is dal? everywhere I go, I see his face. I've heard so much about the man and yet I don't know who he is. oc? sona? simply an incredible fictional character?

(aka I dont member but am intrigued so i'm specifically asking you to ramble about your guy. I need twelve paragraphs by noon tomorrow /lh)

you've activated mY TRAP CARD

MY BOY!!!

SO, Dal is my OC! Or, rather, Dal is the nickname for my TES OC, Dalamus Rex, but when talking about other AUs of him, I'll also use the name Dal often without clarifying, usually forcing people to either assume or figure out from context which version of Dal I'm talking about. A few of his AUs keep the Dalamus first name, or have a name that can be shortened to Dal, even if the name they actually go by is different (ie "Modern Dal" Damon Rex, whose birth name is Dalmatius). Sometimes, if talking about multiple Dalamus' in the same post, I might differentiate between them by using last names (Rex, Sarangerel, Strighym). Or sometimes I'll tag something as "Dal" because it applies to all of them, or vaguely makes me think of Dal even if it isn't entirely accurate to a specific version of him.

Clear as mud, right? WELL, allow me to go through the list!!! (All AUs are specifically AUs of Dalamus Rex. No weird permutations. Dalamus Rex is the origin of all and acts as the base.)

Dalamus Rex (he/him) is the original Dal, and one of two that can be safely assumed I'm defaulting to when I just say "Dal", (the other currently being Dalamus Strighym, and we'll get to him later). Dalamus Rex is a TES OC! He's a Dunmer/Bosmer (Dark elf/Wood elf) vampire who was originally intended to be a one-off antagonist for my other character, Thaerondil, to face. I felt I had hit a wall when writing Thaerondil, and needed something to force me to get him to mature a bit, so I started writing Dal. Dal was eventually supposed to just disappear or die and. Well. It's been 12 years and he's still here! And he's infecting the rest of my braincells.

Dalamus Rex started out life in Morrowind, to a family with a terrible father and a mother who tried her best but was treated just as awfully by her husband. I won't go into specifics unless asked, but you can search Dal's blog and find info (just mind the trigger warnings)! After his mother died, he ran from home and just kept running, eventually making his way into Skyrim at a young age. So while Morrowind might be his homeland, he basically grew up in Skyrim.

In Skyrim, he continued to use his stealth and thievery skills to survive, jaded and unstrusting, until eventually he caught ill with serious respiratory illness and collapsed outside the door of a Bosmer named Falin (fuh-LEEN). Falin took care of him and nursed him back to health with food, kindness, and herbal remedies because Dalamus does not trust mages or healing magic. In spending so much time together, they become fond of each other and fall in love.

Unfortunately, it would be cut short. At Falin's behest, Dalamus accompanies mercenaries to help clear a den of vampires, and ends up knocked unconscious and unknowingly infected with vampirism himself. Near the end of the week, Dalamus would wake a vampire in the middle of the night and kill his beloved Falin for his first feeding.

Wracked with guilt and shame, he runs and goes into hiding. For nearly two centuries he oscillates violently between ridden with guilt and starving himself, and succumbing to the Thirst and becoming a terror to anyone or anyplace nearby. He is stealthy, and wickedly fast, so god help you if you try to run, because he enjoys the chase. While not the strongest vampire, his agility and athleticism more than makes up for it.

Near the end of the two centuries, he finally evens off into a sort of homeostasis, emotionally speaking, allowing him to integrate himself into society if only to lure people to their death in typical Suave Charming Seductive Vampire fashion. This is where his blog canon takes place.

As he manages his Thirst better and can spend more time among people without needing to feed, he spends his time thieving from people and seducing them for more.. mundane needs. But it also means he has the time and ability and wherewithal to have conversations with people, and conversations often lead to connection. And he starts getting attached. (The next bit is going to be incredibly condensed and summarized because otherwise it's 10+ years of storytelling).

He starts building bonds with people. He learns to trust. He starts making friends, some to the extent of considering them family. He learns how to be vulnerable. He accidentally hurts friends. He learns how to apologize. He makes up with friends. He finally finds love again. He has a daughter. He cheats on his wife. He learns that apologies are not always enough. They get a divorce, and it hits him hard. But he has supportive people in his life now, his closest of which know he is a vampire and know of his past and that he has killed on his way here.

He learns how to change his behavior while still remaining himself, becoming ever closer to his friends and family. He finds love again, and is now in a stable relationship with an Agent of Mara, who also happens to be a Healer and a werelion. He has several close friends who he quite literally owe his life to, and for whom he would risk his life in an instant to keep them safe. Dalamus is not religious and is still afraid of Healing Magic but he occasionally reads about teachings of Mara when struggling, and he is slowly, slowly working up the nerve to be accepting of magic, although traumatic experiences and misunderstandings of how magic works are significant bumps in the road.

Damon Rex (he/it) -- A vampire in a fantasy Modern Earth who owns a jewelry store called Aeternum Rex ("forever the king", "forever king", "king forever", "eternal king", however you wanna think of it). CEO, owner, manager, boss, he's all of it. This is his store, and he uses it to swindle wealthy people :)

He's also a jeweler, gemologist, silversmith, gemcutter, etc etc. He's had time to learn it ALL. And he does make some of the available jewelry for the store. Some of it is stolen from the rich and altered to hide the fact. And some of it is synthetic jewelry altered to seem natural. The idea is that he steals valuables from the rich, changes them slightly, then sells them back to the rich when they come around looking for a replacement. Selling the synthetic gems at such a high profit margin also gives him leeway to give discounts to.. whoever he wants, really. But generally it is given to those who are not rich or wealthy, those looking for one-time gifts who will likely not be repeat customers.

He employs mostly teens and young adults from less-than-ideal living situations, or generally those who are desperate for the financial stability to get out of bad situations, buy necessities, etc. How he does this legally, who knows. But he pays them very generously for easy work, and time off is given on the honor system, assuming you will show up when you can work. See, with his speed and with how small the store is, he doesn't really NEED the help, but he wants to help others.

His own backstory is similar to TES Dal's in terms of family situation. But where TES Dal's mother died, Modern Dal became a vampire and returned to save his mother from his father. He then was able to live with and take care of his mother for the rest of her natural life, and this helped give him skills to integrate into society in a healthy manner earlier in his life.

Few people know he is a vampire aside from other supernatural creatures. His employees (who he eventually comes to see as his own kids, in a way) joke about him looking like one or dressing like one, but none of them actually believe anything out of the ordinary is happening. He's just goth, that's all. He's a little scary but he only ever uses his scariness on people who are disrespectful of his employees so it's fine.

Dalamus Sarangerel (he/they) -- FFXIV AU. A Xaela Au Ra who grew up in the Steppes in the Sarangerel tribe. His father is an herbalist, and his mother a hunter, giving him the chance to learn a well-rounded skillset for survival. The particulars of his tribe are TBD, but in my head they're more bestial than is shown in-game.

They were a peaceful tribe. His tribe worshipped the moon, Dalamud, as a guiding deity--Dalamus' was even named after it. But when Dalamud turned red and began descending, all manner of creature and people began behaving strangely. Dalamus' tribe was affected gradually, so gradually he hardly noticed, until they started treating Dalamus himself as a harbinger, and sacrificing animals for their deity.

When the Calamity happened, and Dalamud split open to free the dragon Bahamut, Dalamus got the wake-up call he needed to leave the tribe. Their violence continued, but Dalamus was determined to find a way to reverse their madness.

So, he left for Eorzea (where the game takes place), and discovered that the reason he was unaffected by Dalamud was this mysterious power called the Echo which he unknowingly had. And it meant he was a Warrior of Light. Out of one "prophecy" and into another. Chosen One for a different camp. But if defeating Primals will help him find answers on how to help his tribe, he is willing to do what they ask...

(I haven't played super far into the game, so, alas, his story is limited!)

Dalamus Strighym (he/him) -- BG3 AU. Dalamus Strighym, a Drow born simply as Dalamus, as surnames denoted nobility and a House, and he was born a commoner in the subterranean city of Menzoberranzan 200 years before the events of Baldur's Gate 3. (Disclaimer: Lolth-sworn Drow society in DnD is all kinds of messed up and potentially Problematic, and I'm well aware, but I'm not going to be the one to fix it; I'm mostly taking it as-is).

His family's trade was gemcutting, but neither of his brothers showed much aptitude for it. He had two older brothers. Orgoll, the eldest, a mean sonovabitch who delighted in harassing his youngest siblings. Orgoll became a military officer, strong and powerful, and most importantly, feared. Orgoll was jealous of what small amount of favor Dalamus was shown for his gemcutting skills, and would often sabotage his work.

And Nilaufein, second eldest, a weirdo by Drow standards, passionate about his job raising and training Riding Lizards and Pack Lizards, with a curiosity and fascination about the Surface. In private, he was kind, and hated the cruelty which ruled Menzoberranzan, and avoided being cruel whenever possible, instead using his wit and charm to diffuse situations and altercations. Nilaufein tried his best to keep his brothers from seriously injuring each other.

Nilaufein was selected to join a Raid on the Surface when Dalamus was 30. It was to be Nilaufein's Blooding, the coming-of-age ritual that would see him socially treated as an adult, if he survived. But he never returned, and is presumed dead. Dalamus' own Blooding was to battle a Displacer Beast with a handful of other Drow, and he survived, but not without massive scarring from a tentacle. To celebrate his success, Orgoll visited at the behest of their parents, but used the opportunity to mock both Dalamus and Nilaufein. Dalamus killed Orgoll later that night.

For a while, Dalamus had peace as the only child. He is excellent at gemcutting, one of the best. He makes good money for himself and his family. Then his sister, Taliira, is born, and immediately becomes the family favorite (Menzoberranzan operates under a Matriarchal Theocracy, where men are second-class citizens at best, and Priestesses of Lolth rule with fear and cruelty). If Taliira can undergo clerical schooling to become a Priestess, the family can be elevated.

And so, much of Dalamus' money becomes saved and dedicated to Taliira's teachings. While she is still small, Dalamus is often left to take care of her. He does not dare punish or discipline her, leaving her to do whatever she wants. At first, this meant hanging around him and curiously watching him work on his jewelry. She'd ask innocent questions, he'd give straightforward answers. But as she grew up and was encouraged to be cruel, Dalamus became target practice for her budding magic skills. Despite only being a teen, she was a hellion, and further compounded Dalamus' dislike of magic, especially anything that manipulated the mind or body.

She eventually was sent off to schooling, at which point Dalamus got a few years of peace. Until the minor noblewoman, Nedvyllanna Strighym, set eyes upon him. She thought he looked handsome, and interesting (his eyes and hair are not the typical Drow colors often selectively bred for), and his jewelry skills were second-to-none, and she wanted him for herself. And so she did. He became her personal gemcutter, jeweler, and favored consort.

I won't go into details what that entails bc again, messed up society (if you're interested then you can check his blog where I've written headcanons). But we will just say he is not treated kindly, and yet, because of how twisted the society is and the expectations for men, he thinks it's fine, even preferable in some cases. After 8 years, they have a son. He is not allowed to see or be around the son and does not get attached.

Two years later, he gets caught stealing from another noble (at Nedvyllanna's request), and his punishment is exile. She injures him with a whip and sends him out to wander the Underdark and hopefully die. But he survives, using his piwafwi for stealth, his knowledge of Underdark flora to stanch his bleeding, and a little subtle help from a Goddess he does not worship (and doesn't realize it's her doing). He doesn't escape unscathed, though, as an encounter with a bear-like creature called a Quaggoth gives him a back injury that'll prove permanent and be a source of both chronic and acute pain.

But he makes it to the Surface. And despite being blinded by the light and exhausted by the heat, he makes it to a town, and then a city, and commissions a back-support corset to be made. About a month later, he receives the corset--and the Nautiloid appears over Yartar and begins abducting people, Dalamus included.

So now he's got this mind flayer parasite behind his eye, his back injury is still healing, heck his face and neck scarring isn't completely healed yet, and now he has to work with strangers on the Surface where the sun burns his skin and blinds him, to try and figure out how to remove the parasites before they all become Mind Flayers.

It's been a helluva time the past few weeks for him.

Other versions of Dal I occasionally talk about but don't have specific blogs for:

Dalrex -- (Fallout) An odd, intelligent dark-colored Alpha Deathclaw. Seems to have a proclivity for finding shiny loot to try and decorate his hide with. Curiously able to speak, but not much more than a child. Extremely dangerous, and yet some say he's actually docile unless given a reason to be otherwise. Not many are willing to test that theory, though.

PokeDal -- (Pokemon) An adult pokemon trainer named Damon. He's gaunt, has bags under his eyes, is pale, and a Lampent follows him around. It's believed Lampent is a sort of emissary of death, appearing right before someone dies to take their soul, and yet Damon is still here. Some say it's because he's actually a vampire! But he's not. Probably. He's just a tired recluse who lives in a castle. He takes care of a sanctuary for pokemon who can't, won't, don't want to, or shouldn't become partner pokemon for trainers for various reasons. His team consists of mostly Dark types. Lemme see if I can remember... Houndoom, Corviknight, Umbreon, Zoroark, Lampent, Crobat. I think.

Stardew Dally -- (Stardew Valley) Dalmatius is a farmer who got tired of the monotony of working for a corporate entity. He's a bit pale and thin but surprisingly strong. He always wears his straw hat because he burns in the sun so easily. Just might be a vampire. He mostly keeps to himself, but holds respect for the townspeople.

MonHun Dal -- (Monster Hunter) An arrogant, tall Wyverian man named Dalakai. Unlike many of his people, who dedicate their lives to the study and understanding of the world around them through scholarly endeavors, Dalakai thrives being a Monster Hunter. He is considered immature and brash by his people, but his skills are nothing to sneeze at.

#ask #saltedcaramelchaos #missy rambles #thank you SO much for giving me an excuse to ramble about him. i love him so much. i never get tired of talking about him #missy art #my oc #dalamus rex #damon rex #dalamus sarangerel #dalamus strighym #pokedal #stardew dally #dalrex the deathclaw

[slightlytoastedbagel]

Bagel decided to review the new outfits because why not: Leo/Need

I know there will be a lot of people doing this I've just decided to also do it. The general consensus I've seen from the new outfits is... mixed to say the least. For me, the old outfits and new outfits both have their strengths which I'll be going through in this series of posts. Starting with Leo/Need for the sake of order.

I'm just going to say it outright; Leo/Need got the best upgrade of an outfit. The school uniform motif getting expanded upon is great and plays into the School Sekai wonderfully. I do think the blazers could have been darker (however as someone who has to wear a dark blazer to school I would NEVER wish that upon anyone) but other than that I enjoy their new designs a lot. The way they all look more unified and all of them now smiling is definitely the icing on top. They've all grown so much...

Going into individual designs, I'm so happy Ichika got to keep her thigh straps and the shirt and tie not being fully fastened is a great touch. I'm also just really happy she gets to smile now. I sort of wish she got to continue having her blazer wrapped around her waist but that would have made it too similar to the og so I respect the decision to have her wearing it properly.

Saki's yellow works best with the blazer and skirt. I love the double belt and the little star on each of her socks. The choice to give Saki and Honami bows while Ichika and Shiho have ties is a nice differentiation. That's... all I really have to say here. I'm happy the keyboard is no longer in the way.

Honami's (and also Ichika's but I only noticed now) skirts only being half pleated was a good way of making the girls' outfits not all look the same while still keeping the more unified feel of them. I think Hona is my favourite of the group. The star on her arm along with the half belt and buttons on her skirt are great touches. Her old outfit just looks so bad in comparison to this one.

Shiho also got an improvement as she no longer has that bright lime jacket!! It's interesting to note that her skirt and blazer use different shades of green, maybe they thought the darker shade would look better with the blazer? Either way I like it better than her original. Her shirt hanging out is also a nice touch.

L/N Miku is the only one I'm not fully sold on. I like the skirt and think the jacket makes her different enough from the girls but I miss her safety hair clip so much. Oh well...

Overall, I think Leo/Need do the best job of what the outfit redesigns should be like. Showing the development of the unit while keeping their representative colours and themes present enough. In the case of the former this does mean just making the outfits look like they go together but still.

I did say in the tags of that post about Rui facing with his back to us that I liked L/N and WxS the same amount, but looking at them now I definitely like L/N more. My only real complaint is that the blazers would have looked better in a darker shade but it's not a life ending difference.

In terms of if I think it's an improvement to the original, this is the only one I can confidently say is (but I am writing this before Nightcord's release so that may change). Their first outfits may have been more individualised but Honami and Shiho look so much better here.

#project sekai #leo/need #bagel's rambles #reminder this is all opinions i don't want a war over this please thank you #these are going up one hour after the other just for the sake of spacing them out

[samthehyena]

Sam's Guide To Writing Chatfics

Step 1: Read chatfics

Browse your local ao3 for chatfics to find what you like in them and what stuff makes them difficult to read.

One of my favorite things about chatfics is how much a username can reveal about a character - plus it's a great way to include puns. The trope of having characters change their usernames based on the flow of the story is also very fun (e.g. in my Togachako chatfic Himiko changed Dabi's nickname to Dad-bi and Hawks' name to Pop-eyes after they basically adopted her). Chatfics are also a great way to balance having a lots of characters talk at once.

Now one of the things I have a hard time with a lot of chatfics is that it can be difficult to keep track of who is who - especially if it's a story with a class group chat. One way to mitigate that issue is to periodically have your characters address other characters by their name. Having usernames directly relate to common HCs or very specific traits unique to the character is also a good route to go with (e.g. 3D_Printer for Yaoyorozu Momo).

Step 2: Find character voice

Since character interactions are the foundation of chatfics, characterization and imitating the way your characters speak in canon is important.

To get a character's vibe right I usually start off by watching clips on YouTube so I can get a refresher on what kind of words they use, how formal their register is and most importantly how to make characters with somewhat similar personalities more distinct.

For example, Tsu and Jiro in my Togachako chatfic have a lot of similarities in the way I write them. Both have a bluntness to them and won't take anyone's shit. So I try to differentiate them by their role in the conversation. Although both make blunt commentary, Tsu has more of a stating the obvious angle while Jirou adds her dry sense of humor to the fic via sarcasm.

Another thing to consider is how a particular character would realistically text. Which characters don't use capitalization because they couldn't be bothered? Who relies heavily on emojis to reflect how expressive they are in canon? Who uses abbreviations and makes Internet references because they seem like they'd be tech-savvy? Who always writes in full sentences and super formal?

Step 4: Humor

Chatfics work extremely well for banter and can tie in well with broader meme and Internet culture, making them the perfect platform for humor (oh, my beloved Crack Treated Seriously Tag).

I find that a particularly effective way to incorporate humor into chatfics is by weaving in fandom inside jokes since the rapid-fire back and forth for the convos suits that well. (e.g. Toga Himiko literally being thought to be a vampire).

There's also all sorts of room for jokes like someone not understanding an Internet reference or a character making typos - oh dear lord, I can't think of anything else of substance to say for this section.

Step 5: Plot or no plot?

Ah, the big question! Some people like how chatfics can be silly slice-of-life stories that are fun and episodic without an overarching plot, and others want more conventional linear storytelling out of their chatfics.

Both are great routes to choose! I tend to write chatfics with some sort of plot (if we want to generously call it that), but my two cents on chatfics that aren't plot driven is to focus on the same group of core characters so that readers can get investigated in their dynamics and interactions.

Now for plot-driven chatfics one thing that I keep in mind is justifying why this story needs to be a chatfic rather than a full-length prose story. Maybe there's a catfishing storyline. Maybe conspiracy theorists meet through an online forum. Or for a specific example here's the summary of my Togachako chatfic: "Ochako's friends are suspicious of her online girlfriend. For all they know Himiko could be a villain, a serial killer or even a vampire."

The fic's plot hinges on the chatfic format since otherwise the online relationship aspect doesn't hit quite the same.

Of course, you don't need your chatfic to be one-hundred percent chatfic. If there's a plot-point where you think it would be nice to incorporate introspection to make emotional moments hit or have characters interact IRL, go for it y'all!! The way I like to do this is by just switching between chatfic and prose sections. Other authors split off the prose parts into their own one-shots (The Todoroki In-Laws series is a very well-executed example of this).

Step 6: So Formatting

The bane of my existence tbh. A lot of authors have neat coding tricks up their sleeve or go the extra mile to add times for each text for ultimate immersion which is very cool.

But alas I am lazy. When drafting my chatfics I use the characters' initials or sth and then I add all the usernames and formatting later.

Screenshot of one of my chatfics:

Step 7: PC or Phone

Whether you prefer to write chatfics on your phone or laptop/computer is up to personal taste. I've done both depending on my mood.

The pros of typing on a phone is that it makes accessing emojis or kaomojis easier - plus it's easy to get in the headspace of characters who are texting. And you get to write your fics while being all snuggled up in bed. The downside is autocorrect which makes typing a lot slower especially when I try to add distinct ways of texting.

The pro of PC is that it's easier to switch between full length prose and chat fic sections and I at least type faster on my laptop. Of course the caveat is that emojis tend to be less accessible via Google docs and word ... Or at least there isn't as much variety as on a smartphone.

So yeah just go with whatever feels right. I find chatfics pleasant to write while traveling since I don't need to whip out my entire laptop on a plane and can draft chatfic on my phone instead

Step 8: Have fun!!

Ultimately there are no rules, this stuff is just my takeaway. Do whatever suits your fancy because fanfic is all about being self-indulgent and YOU having fun.

#chatfic #writing #writing advice #fanfiction #mha fanfiction #bnha #bnha chatfic #togachako