#// to have it said upfront hey this is a limited time only thing

[thanatologie]

good morning, i need to go do my workout soon, but i want to press pause here a second and at least get this thought out into the aether but-

it has, i know, a lot to do generally with emmrich having given up on having a big damn love story to begin with, but. have you stopped and thought about how emmrich went ahead and put an expiration date on his relationship with rook, before it was even fully a relationship? like good on him for being totally upfront about it, you know, laying out expectations is a good thing but.

how demoralizing, right, to realize this guy's already decided there's an end date for this whole thing (which i mean it's also good you can push at it and find out there's no rule against lich/mortal relationships - but consider this is emmrich putting that time frame on it, not because of some oath or rule he'd have to follow).

like if you're an in it to win it type, how does that not take you aback a little.

[animeshotsh]

You what? | Viktor x Jayce x Kid!Reader | Arcane ¤

Summary: Viktor knows Jayce sometimes does things without thinking, but this? This goes beyond his own limits.

Warnings: Mentions of trauma - Kid!Reader - Viktor and Jayce are a couple - OFF CANON EVENTS - Human traffic - GN Reader - PLATONIC - grammar mistakes -

When Viktor enters on monday morning into the lab with his coffee in hand he expects nothing but silence, after all he is here before Jayce most mornings.

But he stops in his tracks when he hears Jayce's voice, maybe sounding less...well less like him. He sounds like he is talking to a small animal. It reminds him on how he uses to talk to Rio when he was a kid.

Pushing memories aside Viktor retakes his way and goes deeper into the lab, where their experiments are.

And oh, if his illness did not kill him as most doctors had said then this would do it.

Jayce, using one of his experiments showing it to a kid who seems to be as suprised as any kid would be and perphas gives the most honest reactions to his inventions.

But wait, go back.

Jayce and a kid.

His cane hits the floor in suprise and he ends being watched by two pairs of eyes.

Jayce looks like he was discovered breaking some important rule, to which Viktor is centrain that bringing a kid into the lab counts as but he wont say it. And another pair that looks at him with curiosity.

There is silence, no one really knows what to say or how to act. But Jayce ends reacting, leaving the experiment and going to help Viktor with his cane who is feeling a headache coming.

"Hey Vik! long time no see, how's your house?"

Honestly? Viktor wants nothing more than to go back in time and insist that he is fine and does not need rest. Maybe like that he would have stayed with Jayce and prevent...this.

But time travel is something that is still on the making, so back to the main point.

Viktor just gives out the most tired look, then turns to a near chair, sits and taking his coffee simple says "Explain"

Becuase if there is something he has come to learn while dating and loving Jayce is that nothing should suprise him (and yet Jayce still manages to do it) and also, is better to ask upfront than to wait for him to talk up. Viktor can still remember that one time he found a big (illegal no less) plant at his home and Jayce ignored it for two hours till he asked.

"Well you see, its really funny actually..."

"Jayce...."

"Alright..., so I took a walk around campus and saw some...suspicious individuals and well lets say I was not very discrete"

Viktor can just imagine the scene

"And they saw me and ran but I chased after them"

Stupid move Viktor thinks

"And then they trow me this kid at me, i mean what could I have done? So i took them home, gave them a warm meal and a bath" Jayce ends sounding a bit too proud of himself.

"Jayce you...you stole a kid?" Viktor asks because he is confused "And did not report the incident?"

"Uh well i was going too but then (Y/N) started to wonder around so i kind of forgot..."

"(Y/N?" Viktor asks and sees you peeking out from behind the big desk.

"Yes! Thats their name, im not sure about much more, only that they like chocolate and blue stuff"

Viktor ends in silence for various minutes. You must be an orphan he concludes, an orphan from the undercity, who had no other choice but to follow a gang in order to survive. He tries to calculate your age but its hard, you have been not eating well, thats clear, and he can already see some bruises from the misstreatment of the undercity.

Being raised by parents or family its a luxury after all.

"Jayce you cant just take a kid in" Viktor says and his heart almost breaks as he sees you run towards Jayce hugging his legs.

Noted, you may not talk but you understand, its clear you are more intelligent than what you leave to be at first.

Street smart maybe?

"But Viktor! I cant just leave them" Jayce responds picking you up. "If they return to the undercity i dont think they will make it"

Jayce sees how you push your head against his chest and smiles softly at you.

"And we cant leaven them at an orphan home! I have read of these places, they suck"

Viktor must agree, its not like he comes from one but knows well that lots of kids ends being sold off...

"Alright and whats your plan?" Viktor asks "Do you even know what it means to raise a kid, or how? What about me? Were you going to consulte me?"

He can see the pain in Jayce eyes at his last sentence. "Of course I was! I was just thinking of a...well a good moment"

"Because bringing them to the lab was the perfect idea"

"I could not leave them at home! I mean i tried but- they would not let go of my leg, i think they have some type of trauma..."

Viktor takes another deep breath, Jayce kidness and heart knows no limits.

"Besides you did say you wanted to help the peopel from the undercity"

"This is different, we are talking about raising! adopting a kid!"

"So you are considering?" Jayce asks in the most hopeful tone ever.

Viktor just lets out another breath.

"Well, its not like they can go back and yes, orphan homes sucks" Viktor responds. "But we need to do this right. And i mean legally"

Jayce nods and all of him lights up like he has discover a new thing. He goes to Viktor carefully managing (Y/N) by his hands and leans down to peak Viktor's lips.

"Yes!! Totally! I will talk to Mel about it, im sure she can move some contacts for this" Jayce says and Viktor can see his brain making more and more plans.

"They also need clothes, and we should think of getting them into school" Viktor adds standing up with his cane and going closer. He can see (Y/N) eyes and cant denied how it makes his heart melts.

"Dad?" Its what you say looking at Viktor, then you look at Jayce "Mom?"

Jayce smiles and nods while Viktor is left without words. "Yes! We are your mom and dad now" he says pointing at him then at Viktor.

"Family?"

Jayce nods again

"...Chocolate?" You asks once more

"Alright thats all, if they eat too much sugar this place will be a disaster, you do remember we have dangerous things in here, right?"

Jayce nods at Viktor then whispers to you "We will get chocolate once we end work"

Viktor snorts then moves to his desk to finally start working and also to let his mind register everything. He hears the doors closing imagining Jayce went with you to talk to Mel.

But no, he feels a pull at his trousers and looks down at you who looks up at him extending your arms

"Dad! Up!"

Viktor does as told pulling you on his lap and passing you some papper and a pen. Both fall in a comfortable silence.

And Viktor thinks, this is something he can totally get used to.

[crimeronan]

I feel like I would consider myself polyamory agnostic in a way, like I would maybe like for it to happen but I often fear that I don't have the ability to manage even one partnership, let alone multiple relationships, since I am often. So tired. I often find myself idealizing the "late" stage of a relationship when everyone already has settled into what to expect of each other and knows not to take it personally if someone falls asleep mid movie, for example. All this to say, how do you handle your relationship structure as a disabled/chronically ill person? Do you have any advice/thoughts on how it works for you? (I feel like perhaps you have posted about this before and I am just forgetting...)

oh this is a really good question! i'm not sure how relevant my life experience will be to you, particularly given that i started dating all three of my current partners before becoming disabled/crippled. but i am happy to share!

first off -- i 100% get romanticizing the late stage of relationships, sometimes you just need things to be chill and flexible. but i also don't think that this stage necessarily Needs to be reserved for Late Relationships?

like.... the older i get, the more upfront i've decided to be about my needs, especially with new people. granted, a lot of the people i meet these days are either disabled themselves or Get It -- my social circle is mostly queer spoonies in their 20s and 30s + much much older retirees that i hang out with at the local pool.

some people prefer not to be so open so quickly about their limitations, it is hard and scary to be visibly disabled, harder still to ask for help & admit that you might be inconvenient / a burden / take up extra space. this USED to be me until i said. eh. fuck it. after a certain point, wounded pride is just a mental construct

basically, like. when i'm online these days, you'll see me be clear about my limits with strangers - i'll say that if i stop replying to chats or asks, it's not bc i hate you, it's bc i'm tired or forgetful. that i can't guarantee responses to ppl, even people i'm already friendly with. that if my mood is bad or my pain levels are high, i won't engage in much social interaction at All. that my capabilities fluctuate wildly depending on the day and that i cannot be relied upon for consistent scheduling or posting or creative output

i'm similarly open with people irl. it helps that i'm often using mobility aids when i'm talking to people. the mobility aids sorta strip the possibility of pretending not to be disabled. it's kinda the elephant in the room. but it means that i can be like, "as you can see, i am very crippled. i may need flexibility with any plans that we make. due to being very crippled."

if people get upset by this or simply don't have the capacity to deal with it, that is fine! that's not either of our faults, no one's done anything wrong, we're just not in the right circumstances to mesh. i don't get hurt by that personally. i've honestly found that it saves SO much time and hassle and potential drama/heartache to set expectations right away. the only other option is to exhaust myself and end up failing to meet expectations regardless and losing the friendship after burning up a bunch of energy and social bridges. painful and bad!

so like... i can meet a new person, and if they're cool with My Whole Deal, then there's no waiting period before we're familiar enough for flaky behavior. i can be like, "i'm not sure i'll be able to walk tonight, is there a place to sit down at the event?" or "i'm flaring a little, is it okay for us to be kinda flexible about tomorrow's schedule?" or "hey, i'll get back to you as soon as possible i promise, i'm just fogged TO SHIT today [peace sign]" from day 1. it's great

i'm not saying that you Have to do this; i am aware that it breaches like seventeen laws of general social etiquette. i'm just saying that i have met many people who are totally chill about this! as long as you're chill and respectful of the other person as well, you can do whatever you want forever

that was not even relevant to the initial ask, so. AS FOR MY PARTNERS.

i actually don't find that my illness makes it harder to navigate my relationships at all. like i mentioned, i've been with all three partners for Many Many Years now. we know each other Extremely well, we're all extremely turbo autistic, we all have blunt communication down to a science. so saying "i'm not up for doing [x thing] tonight, can we take a rain check?" is super easy.

in fact, my partners can basically intuit a flare from just my physical movements and tone of voice, even before i say a single word. we are VERY familiar with each other.

.....and, alright. after fighting the urge to longpost i've decided to put the rest under a cut. YOU'RE WELCOME 4 THE RETURN OF YOUR DASHBOARDS. "why didnt you put it under a cut so much earlier" read my posts boy

anyway. click readmore to hear me expand upon just how fucking incredible and awesome and kind and generous and loving my People are

there ARE some ways that the illness has made it more difficult for ME to be the kind of partner that i want to be -- for example, i often lack the energy to provide proper emotional support during stressful situations, i have a shorter threshold for pain/irritation than i used to, i can't give 100% of my energy anymore and there have been times when that has resulted in hurt feelings in my partners.

(there have been far more times, though, when nobody's feelings are hurt and it's literally fine.)

in every case where feelings DID get hurt, we've talked stuff out and fixed it within like an hour. bc we all trust each other and know that we don't WANT to hurt each other's feelings. i never ever Ever say things with the intention of wounding my partners, and they know that. they never say things with the intention of wounding me, either, which is why our very blunt "hey, you need to change something you're doing" convos go so well. there's no need to tiptoe, it doesn't hurt me to know what they're thinking or feeling or needing.

sometimes things are just hard and shitty and we're all doing the best we can. this is just part of adulthood i think. especially adulthood in late stage capitalism, etc. the Biggest key to my polycule is that we are all much happier as a family than we would be without each other. the relationships are about as wholesome and healthy and non-toxic and openly communicative as they can get

the Other key aspect when dealing with my illness is that.... being polyamorous has actually been... SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER than being 1) alone, OR 2) in a monogamous relationship EVER WOULD BE?

it is Extremely Stressful for my family to deal with me being this sick. i am aware of that. but i haven't had to bear the brunt of it. not only do they support me, but they also all communicate with and support each other. so no one person is bearing the entire weight of the stress or pain or fear. and i don't have to comfort people over my own symptoms, which most disabled ppl i think would agree is.... exhausting

when i'm too fucked up to speak aloud, let alone support my partners the way i usually do, they ALWAYS have EACH OTHER as a safety net.

this safety net has been beyond vital for me personally, too. round-the-clock care from a single partner is insane and exhausting and leads to unraveling tempers. but when you live with two partners who can help cover your chores and cook and make sure you don't die of your Symptoms (TM)? that's much more doable.

it's HARD, bc literally everyone in the house is disabled to some degree, but it's doable. (it being hard is part of why my QPR is going to move in with us soon. extra hands!)

a few weeks ago, rafi (partner of 7ish years) went on a short vacation to visit family in california. and justice (QPR of 3ish years, best friend of 8ish years) booked an impromptu next-day plane ticket to come stay with me and vi (partner of 11ish years) while rafi was gone. because i was Very Sick. i was flaring horribly the whole time she was here, and she made meals and cleaned and ran errands and picked up medications and returned phone calls and lay in bed with me watching low-stakes tv shows and made sure i didn't stroke out without anyone there to help.

this meant that i basically got to stay in bed the whole time, which was very very Very needed. and vi -- who has a bad back -- wasn't unduly taxed with Literally All of the household upkeep in rafi's absence.

the same principle has applied when i've needed my partners to help cover my share of bills or my household chores or my errands or whatever. since there are three other people involved, the Immediate Support Net is much wider than in a monogamous relationship. especially bc all three of them have their own familial and friend support networks to reach out to!

having more people around is actually awesome for me. i don't feel like i'm expending a lot more energy than i would in a monogamous relationship, but i AM receiving a TON more support and care and love than would be possible in a monogamous relationship.

i guess the conclusion i'd make is: no man is an island, humans are hardwired to build large social support groups, and in a good relationship, you'll receive At Least as much as you give. right now i'm receiving a SHIT TON MORE than i give, and i do often feel pretty bad about it despite knowing it's not my fault.

but these people have chosen to be my family. and if they ever want to stop choosing me then they absolutely can. and if they need more from me or they need something Different from me, then they'll literally just tell me.

(i know they will literally just tell me because all three of them have literally just told me in the past. they're three people i can implicitly trust to say things like "hey, this thing you said made me sad / was unhelpful" and "hey, i'm really stressed out about [x thing], can we make a plan to deal with it?" and "hey, this situation is pretty serious and i know that you don't want to face it but i really need you to. i will take on whatever i can for you and support you the whole time")

so: yes it has been hard to some extent, managing three relationships while also being sick. but it is also a wonderful setup with a million unthought-of advantages & i am much better cared-for and much better AT caring because of it & i fucking Shudder to think how horrific being sick would be without them.

i love my family so much.

[slivensays]

Did the idea change at all by the time the fic was complete? What was the most challenging aspect of writing it? Talk about the characters’ struggles & how you decided on those Share a piece of lore you made up for the story

for Finding New Words, which i'm saving for a slightly less busy moment to give chapter comments to sorry 😅

Oh fun!

3. Did the idea change at all by the time the fic was complete?

Well, the general idea of where the fic was to start and finish remained largely the same. However, the bits in between grew quite a lot. I never imagined it’d be as long as it got! And some of those ‘in between’ bits did change parts of the story, for sure. (The runes being one such thing.)

11. What was the most challenging aspect of writing it?

I wanted to describe how and when they spoke different languages without having to use actual ME languages (or Grelvish). I don’t know them, and so it would have looked either fake or just bad. I just hope it flies well.  

Also, I wanted to keep true both to canon (ish) and to what decisions I had already made in “King’s Mercy”. Which was frustrating, since some ideas I got simply couldn’t fit into Gríma’s backstory. But, having to stay within those limits was still a good exercise.

Additionally, getting either Gríma or Éomer to actually find any new words? Gee. These boys simply did not wanna do a lot of talking. They were incompetent, in truth. But hey, at least I tried.

15. Talk about the characters’ struggles & how you decided on those

Well, Gríma wants to maintain what he has. Since this is a continuation of a story that places him in a pretty safe position, but with the new “threat” of a queen, how can he be sure he’ll remain where he’s at?

For Éomer, it’s kind of the same, only he’s more confident.

Lothíriel is after a sort of freedom. She needs to get at home in a new country, with a new language, rather quickly in order to claim her place as co-ruler. Considering how Théoden was, I believe, canonically less strong in Rohirric than in Westron or Sindarin, I think learning Rohirric would be a priority for Lothíriel. She is a bit of a scholar and thinks that in order to rule the people of Rohan, she must have that sort of insight.

27. Share a piece of lore you made up for the story

I made up most of Rohan’s festivals and traditions based on Norse customs, such as I know them. I borrowed quite liberally from Greek mythology for the stories of the stars. I made up some sort of tax- and trading system for Minas Tirith, so that I could put in place a tax fraud system. (I spent so much time thinking about this!) Hmm. The token-system instead of coin in Edoras as well, I figured members of the royal household should be able to place orders and run errands without having to pay upfront for everything. And that perhaps not everyone can be trusted with said coin. I tried to show cultural differences between Rohan and Gondor. In all, I just had a lot of fun.

Thank you so much for the ask!

(Comments are of course ever so, so welcome, whenever you are in the mood. But no pressure! I just hope you’ll enjoy the story!)

[ninapedia]

I saw your post 623829004122718209/hey-i-can-finally-post-this-heres-one-of-my through radar, i have a question I am an illustrator but so many say to sell their illustrations on etsy or gumroad or a trillion sites but I dont comprehend what is different between someone getting an illustration of mine on tumblr or deviantart and then one on etsy, what is the difference in yours?

Hihi! I'm answering this publicly because I think others could benefit from this as well.

So, full disclosure. Art is not currently my full time job. I have a day job doing marketing/graphic design for a medical device company (I'm on my lunch right now, hi!) and do art on the side because it makes me happy.

When it comes to the art I do sell, my primary business is not prints. It's other merchandise such as clothing, key chains, enamel pins, stickers, buttons, etc. Basically things most people cannot make on their own. Some examples below:

When I do sell a print of my work it's typically at an in person event like a convention or art show. Most of my online sales are not prints, though I do have an InPrint and a print listing on my webstore (and I used to have a RedBubble and Society6). Hell, most of my in person sales aren't prints. Usually it's my hats and shirts.

For selling illustration prints online the biggest difference between someone buying a print and someone just right-click-saving-print-themselves it quality.

Most of my work is uploaded as a 72 dpi png that is significantly scaled down from the digital canvas size I actually used to draw/paint it. Anyone who's saving and printing it out is going to get a pretty shitty quality print. Buying a print directly from me is getting a nice crisp 300dpi jpeg print that look GORGOUS, if I do say so myself.

The quality of the paper is important as well. The people who don't have the funds to purchase a print typically also don't have the funds to invest in fancy paper or specialty printing. I do sell a lot of 'gimic' prints (foil, holographic, pearl) and most people who attend conventions are willing to pay a premium for something like that, but even my standard matte prints are on nice heavy or textured linen paper. I use professional print services mostly (thank u CatPrint for my life) but even if I'm printing at home for a smaller con I have a very nice printer and very nice cardstock. A lot of convention artists who just do prints also sell fancier things like canvas prints.

Unrelated to the actual 'product', you should watermark your work and offer the unwatermarked version for sale if you want to do prints. I don't always do this out of laziness but, again, it's not my primary source of income. The Beloved illustration you linked was specifically for a larger DND 5e supplemental. It wasn't even designed to be sold as a print, so I didn't bother watermarking it. I honestly still should have but in my mind the value of that piece was contained around the book it was drawn for. The illustration is nice but it feels empty without all additional information included in Bardic Inspiration.

To circle back to something I said early, don't limit yourself to only selling prints. Make stickers of your illustrations, put it on tote bags and tshirts. If you don't want to source products yourself RedBubble and Society6 are fairly decent print on demand services. The only reason I left their platforms was because I didn't like the way they were changing their payment structure for artist, but it's not a bad place to upload things and make passive income. If you're flexible with your art and are willing to source products yourself, you can make other merch. The upfront cost is higher but the eventual return is MUCH bigger than any print on demand services. People wound up liking Beloved enough for me to make an enamel pin of her

Maybe it's the circles I travel, but most people do want to support the artist they like and the people who are right-click-save-print either can't support you financially or were never the type of people who were going to support you financially.

As long as no one is re-posting my art as their own or sharing it without credit, I really don't care if someone decides to save my illustration to admire it later. If you're broke and want to print one of my illustrations out at a library and slap it on your wall go for it.

[rraakkee]

hey i'm doing PWYW icon commissions for a bit while i try t get peepo to the vet 🥲✌️

icons, bc i dont have much time t do more complex pieces for money (MIGHT accept them on a case by case basis, ask). Minimum is US$15, which would get ya smn like a transparent headshot. obviously the more you pay the more you get (ie. more complex BGs, shading, alts??? feel free tell me what ya want). I'm capping it at US$40

takin' p4ypal n v3nmo. dm me if inch rested and/or reblog t spread da word 😎

here's my ko-fi as well if that's more your thing ! I offer doodles

will/wont draw n TOS under the cut

I can draw pretty much anything (humans/humanoids, animals/furries, object heads, fan art/characters, robots/mechs, etc.). but here's my list of no's:

× Strong Violence/Gore

Heavy injuries I can do, I just can't do blood/gut baths, it's not my strong suit

× Depictions of birds, bugs, or children in distress/pain

Anthro birds/bugs are fine, feral ones no

× Real People Fiction (RPF) 

Real, established relationships are fine. Shit like Slushmello isn't

× Any sole piece with more than four characters

× Pedophilic/Incestual/Non-con relationships in any context

I don't care for your technicalities or whatever stupid arguments you have to justify these things. This is nonnegotiable.

× Overly complex subjects

I love drawing things like weaponry n mechs, however by overly complex I mean things with extensive color palettes and/or very intricate detail. If you're unsure if your design(s) is/are too complex, feel free to show it to me so I can gauge it myself

× Anything offensive or bigoted 

this include N*zis or characters that look like they're inspired by them. I can't believe I have to say this

× Anything political 

I don't consider LGBTQ+ stuff n human rights in general "political" so those are fine

× Fan art of certain fandoms/people as well as fan characters of said fandoms (ask)

This is not a fully comprehensive list, merely a list of exclusions based on topics that are popular or relevant to me. Just because something isn't on it doesn't mean I can't reject your commission. Please respect my boundaries.

× If you want to ask about something not specifically mentioned here or have other inquiries, don't hesitate to ask! ×

===

TERMS N’ STUFF

• If I approve your commission(s), communications will be done via DM or email; I'll give you the necessary information depending on your preferences.

• Payments will ONLY be accepted via P4yPal or V3nmo. Payments will be made via P4yPal invoice or V3nmo link*. You must pay everything upfront before any work can be done.

          □ I do not offer discounts of any kind, nor do I allow clients to haggle. All prices are firm unless otherwise stated.

          □ *I will admit that I am new to Venmo and am referencing an online guide on how to use it. Please excuse any goofs!

• I send WIPs in three to four stages: sketch, linework, color, and, if applicable, shading. You can request up to three changes in sketch or linework phases for free. After that, I will charge a 20% fee per change.

          □ If changes are requested due to my own mistake, that is forgetting/misinterpreting something shown on the references given, the fee will not apply.

• Major alterations will not be permitted after approving linework without a fee that is 20% of the commission's price including extras. Examples of major alterations include but are not limited to: drastic change in character's pose or expression, extras (you will be charged appropriately), and basically anything that will vastly change how the finished product looks.

          □ Slight tweaks such as altering colors, mild changes in position/expression, and minor anatomy/line art fixes will not require a fee unless they are constant in which case the 20% fee will also be applied.

• I will set up a separate document that details my commission queue; you will also see the status of your commission there.

• ETA should be no more than two weeks; of course, it can vary based on how life treats me. I have depression and hypotension, so that also affects how quickly I can work.

          □  I'm iffy about deadlines, but if it's reasonable, I'll do it. Note that commissions with deadlines may be subject to a rush fee depending on how quick you want it and how big my queue is.

• I will update everyone if a situation arises where commissions may be delayed. In extreme cases, you may be liable for a refund.

• If I am unable to complete a commission or you decide not to go with it before I send a sketch, you are entitled to a full refund. For any other circumstance, refunds will be partial, except in the case where the commission is complete, where which you will not be given one. This is non-negotiable.

□ You will not be allowed to use the art you ordered under any circumstance if you decide to go with the refund.

• ONLY THE CLIENT has the right to use the finished piece as they like non-commercially, but they must credit me. 

          □ If you wish to repost the full piece to personal accounts, it must be the watermarked version, and, of course, there must be credit somewhere in the image description. This is to deter potential art theft.

          □ We can discuss commercial usage if desired; note that this will come with a 100%-300% price increase depending on how you want to use it.

□ I do not permit the use of any art I make for the creation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), regardless of whether or not credit or royalties are given to me.

• I reserve the right to deny a commission for any reason even if it may follow the guidelines. Note that I do not have to explain the exact reasons why I do not wish to do business with you, and any misconduct that arises from this can and will get you blacklisted.

• If I feel as though you have breached the terms in any way and/or have failed to cooperate with me in a professional manner, I reserve the right to blacklist you from further transactions.

By commissioning me, you hereby agree that you have read and comprehended the terms that were just listed. If you find an issue with any part of these terms, do not commission me.

[quinloki]

i saw someone mention this a few months ago and cannot stop thinking abt it but um corruption with franky maybee and for the other two: gentle femdom and clothed partner/naked male (idk how this would work i guess a dress would make this easier but whatever u feel like writing!!) thank u for taking these and also having anon on im so shy bro but i love your writing and characterization!!!

Whew, okay, I'm going to do the best I can with this, which is admittedly going to be a bit of a let down so I apologize.

I have been looking at this ask for almost a week and I cannot seem to sort out how to head canon this. Don't get me wrong - Franky has like a very strong vibe of being just smooth AF when it comes to sexy times.

This is a guy who has good energy in bed, matches his partner well, isn't concerned or limited by gender or anything. He's there for a good time, and hey, maybe even a long time, but I think he tries to keep things casual upfront.

He has *swag* - 100%. He is so self-assured and confident it's almost dangerous arrogance, but it's tempered by a long life of shit going sideways, so he's very much a Super Safe (kinky) Partner.

All that said, my brain absolutely cannot seem to wrap around him in a way that works for answering your ask. I have blue screened dozens of times trying to find words for it.

So I'm going to go with some knee-jerk reactions and at least try.

Corruption kink - rather not - Franky's willing to try his level best, but this isn't really something he vibes with. He's a cool cat (daddy-o) and he's not here to collect v-cards or twist someone into his darkness - not that there's really any there. He tries to give off that hard-ass vibe, but he's a grease monkey and while he's experienced, he's not trying to pressure anyone into anything.

However, if you're into the kink and liable to go wander off and find someone less Super than Franky to feed your craving, he'll give it a try. He'd rather be a little uncomfortable himself than see someone get into something bad when he could've helped them avoid it. (which is the part of him that makes it hard for him to do the kink in the first place XD )

Gentle Femdom - FUCK Yes - Top, bottom, dom, sub, I think Franky's up for all of it. Well-kept secret - his service game is almost better than Sanji's, and Queen if you want to step on him, he's got a alloy chassis and he's happy to oblige. He certainly gives off more top/dom vibes as a general rule, and I think he leans more that way, but he's 60/40 a switch in all aspects.

Clothed Partner/Naked Male - Yes - Let's be fair. Franky's natural habitat is barely clothed in the first place. Don't think this setup will make him more compliant, he's more likely to be fired up because he's already out in the open. (For some reason I feel like he has a telescoping dick, prehensile and everything. ( "perfectly shaped for SUPER pleasure!" ).)

AHEM - anyway, he'd be into it - and he'd even let his partner keep their clothes on if that's what they wanted. Only gotta move a couple things off to the side to go at it, nothing has to come completely off >.>

... and now I'm going to be thinking about telescoping, prehensile, vibrating metal Franky dick.

Kinky One Piece Head Canons

[thepaladincosplays]

Paladin’s Commissions

Hey y’all, Paladin here. 

Now I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is yes, I am gonna start taking writing commissions. For the time being I’ll only be taking three, first come first serve type - HOWEVER, I ask that if you would like a commission that you only ask for one since this is going to be a trial run on my end and since I’m only limiting it to three commissions at this time. Here’s all the details you need to know if you wanna commission me.

Pricing and Payment💲:

Every 1K words will be $10 - so, for a 3K word fic the price would be $30; for a 2.5K word fic the price would be $25. 

Payment is preferably done through PayPal, and a link to my PayPal will be provided. Payment for the fic can be done upfront, upon completion, or half-upfront/half-upon completion.

Examples of what I ✅will✅ write:

Slice of Life fics, such as this example and this example

Slightly more serious fics, such as this example and this example.

Of course, these are just a few examples of my own previous works and I’m flexible on what I will and what I can write. As they say, the real meat is in the details, after all. Any questions you have regarding what I will and can write can be asked in DMs.

The only thing I ❌won’t❌ write:

NSFW content of any kind - I love those kinds of fics as much as you do, but I struggle with writing them and don’t feel as though I can complete them in a timely manner, especially for a commission.

As far as when fics will be completed, and the order of which they’re completed, I will keep everyone who commissions me updated on when I start writing their commission, when I’m finished, and I will provide a preview of said commission so that they can look over it before it gets posted.

If you would like to commission me, please contact me through DMs and I will respond ASAP. Any questions you have regarding commissions can be done in DMs or through my ask box, however I will only discuss and accept commissions via DMs. 

[superellysan]

Okay in the weight lifting requirement defense, the amount of times I had to lift heavy stuff to ring it out when I was a grocery cashier kinda does mess with your hands so upfront asking “hey can you lift this?” on the job application is fair

HOWEVER

50 pounds is a LOT to ask for a cashier job. At most it’s like 10 pounds. The only job coming immediately to mind that would need the 50 pound thing is like. The people who load luggage onto planes or something. That’s actually why there’s an extra charge for checked bags over 50 pounds because 50 is the OSHA limit for what a single person is allowed to try and lift. If it goes above that they’re required to grab an extra person to come help and so they charge extra

HAVING SAID THAT yeah it is shitty the kind of stuff employers will try to pull to keep certain people out of the workforce instead of. You know. Putting in any effort to be accessible to everyone. It really is sucky -n-

On a job application: “What is your preferred name and gender, we value diversity, so be honest.” Me: 

[goldenspecter]

Hey everyone, this is serious talk time. 

I don’t write call-out posts, I’ve helped and added on to my fair share of them, but never have I expected to write one of my own. But here we are, in this day and age and I’m writing a callout post. Let me make clear and upfront as to why I’m writing this callout post:

My partner @dakotafinely has been bullied, harassed, and stalked by one single person, @b-tchidowhatiwant and his other previous accounts, for over a year. It has finally reached its breaking point. 

Allow me to lay out the evidence, lay the groundwork, and pave the way so you all can understand why this guy is dangerous and should not be in this fandom. Please reblog so people can know how dangerous he is.

This started in March 2021 with this ask. This ask is dated March 28, 2021. This response my partner has given him has established several things: 

This is repeated behavior. 

There is a pattern that this guy did: follower appreciation->hate ask->deletion(ignoring of ask initially)

This has been an ongoing behavior. 

Then there was this ask, a day later on March 29th:

This ask, dated March 29th, 2021, also establishes a repeated behavior we’ll be seeing crop up time and time again: Misogyny. 

Despite submitted asks there are many that were deleted or that were not posted. The following consists of a few amount of these unposted asks made by the same person. The dates of these unposted messages are November 24th, 2021, and March 3rd, 2022.

This user has also continued their harassment outside of anon hate and messages through posts on their various Tumblr accounts that have proven to be connected to the same individual. All of these had been reported and blocked repeatedly by both me and @fluidfox123. Below is a list of links where this user has been called out on for their meanspirited behavior by both myself and other people who happened across it(do note that I won't be able to put all of the links, only 10 of them thanks to Tumblr's limit, but I've selected the utmost important ones to be hyperlinked and screenshots from some of these links have been used later on down in this post):

*These qoutes that are hyperlinked are all things that he has ACTUALLY said about Dakota

"You know nobodies gonna give a shit about your story if you never write it right?"

"you're cheating on your apparent "boyfriend" now?"

"I am not obessed with Dakota. I do read other stories. Which is why she pisses me off."

"getting her riled up is fun."

"I JUST said it’s fun, plus she deserves it."

"She’s a toxic, manipulative, delusional writer. Who doesn’t deserve an audience."

"Just admit you don't love her she's impossible to love."

They confirmed that these three separate accounts (un-important-fool, chaosab0veitall, and b-tchidowhatiwant) were and are created by the same individual:

While using the Tumblr platform directly against Dakota, he has also used those close to Dakota to try and turn them against them by being "polite" and "supportive" towards them. This has mainly been aimed at Fluidfox. Ask Dates are November 25th, 2021. 

He has also turned his ‘support’ toward me. Let it be known here and know that I do not ever support this kind of behavior or display of support of my content when it actively involves bringing down another person simply because you don’t like their content. 

However, despite this blatant guilt tripping mainly towards Fox, he does so to others who call him out on his actions with the same tactics or anger and unpleasant comments. 

*Please note that there are more, but because of Tumblr's 30 image per post limit, I can not put up more than what I have now and I will gladly share these images if people ask for them. There will also be in here that will be added as well so everyone can see where they came from.

Nevertheless, despite his actions toward Fox and those who call him out, most of his aggression and negative behavior is aimed directly at me for defending Dakota and dating them. Screenshot dates are November 24th, 2021, and December 1st, 2021 as well as a few screenshots from a link below.

However, recently he's changed tactics completely by escalating to blackmailing and threats. He’s made threats to ‘out’ my partner as a current tcester, even though she is not if she would ‘comply’ with his demands to ‘never post TMNT content’ and to back out of the fandom, as seen in these screenshots: 

Even after she agreed to do that, he still decided to make the post anyway. I’m not directly linking it at all as to not give him attention, here it is. Let’s talk about it. 

There are many things that are wrong with this post, let’s count them out. 

This is not fucking true. Not at all. I know my partner better than he does, and I know that she's not a tcester, the absolute audacity to dig up shit from someone's past, something that they no longer are identify with and have made it clear they have indeed grown as a person is fucking appalling and despicable. He is intent on isolating her within this fandom by trying to use stuff from her childhood against her.

These shots are clearly edited to hell and back. None of these things match each other, the fonts aren't the right size, and god knows what else. I have the originals that she shared with me and can prove that he is lying about it. Here are the screenshots: 

3. This bastard has the audacity to act as if he doing the right thing, that he’s being self-righteous as if he’s doing the right thing by this fandom by wrongly slandering another person’s reputation and then having the audacity to ping my main account(@polyrhyme is my main Tumblr blog, this blog, @goldenspecterr is where I’m most active) and act so smug about it. These are the signs of someone who is clearly obsessed, a stalker with no good damn intentions, especially with tags such as these:

This dangerous behavior has been expanded upon by Fluidfox in this post. The most important highlights in the post are calling out this user's need to warn the TMNT fandom without support from other TMNT users, their stalker behavior, and harassment towards others.

In summary, @b-itchidowhatiwant is a dangerous individual who has spread nothing but hate in an act of a misguided attempt at 'helping save' the fandom from @dakotafinely.This user stalks manipulates and harasses those who get involved with their twisted need to tear down Dakota. It's advised to block this user, report their blog, and take their hate posts as ill will with improper sources. 

This user accused me of making the ‘threat’ to out them out as a stalker, and I decided to follow through with it. So I’ll say to y'all what I said to him: 

Fandom’s a privilege, as well as being a part of fandom spaces, those are privileges. If you do shit like this, you do not ever deserve to have those privileges at all. You act like this, stalk, harass, and bully people in fandom, you lose the privilege to be in fandom spaces, and that's final. 

I’ve been through hell and back in this damn fandom. I’ve fought bullies, tyrants, groomers, and god knows who else and fucking came out on the other side a goddamn winner, and I’ll do the same here. I will make sure that you never know peace for the rest of your time that you are on this damn platform if you @b-tchidowhatiwant continue to harass and stalk my partner, and knowing my history of who I’ve gone toe to fucking toe with, that’s not a goddamn threat, it’s a fucking promise. One I’m filling with glee. 

Batter up motherfucker, I’m fucking swinging, and I’m making a homeFUCKINGrun. 

[shinidamachu]

CHAPTER SEVEN: I Bought You a Ticket

SUMMARY: “and I’d choose you. In a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.” – Kiersten White. For each chapter, a prompt from the One Hundred Ways to Say I Love You list.

WORDS: 622

GENRE: fluff

FANDOM: Inukag

FORMAT: multichapter

ALSO FOUND ON: AO3, FF.Net

Kagome could barely contain her enthusiasm.

Precisely five years ago, she and Inuyasha shared the kiss that marked the beginning of everything. 

And five years from now, Kagome was sure she’d still remember how magical it felt. The lights. The band. Slow dancing to Thing For You. How his lips touched hers and a crowd of thousands disappeared.

Which is why she knew from the moment Hinder announced a concert in their town on the exact same date of their anniversary, that she had to take Inuyasha as a gift. Even the most cynical of men couldn’t ignore a sign when the stars aligned and Kagome was no cynical nor man.

She had made the purchase the very night the tickets were available, not wanting to ever risk them getting sold out before she secured theirs, but steep prices aside, this was the easy part. 

Keeping it from Inuyasha had been the real challenge.

It was a true miracle that Kagome made it. She had lived in constant fear that he would see right through her or that she wouldn’t be able to hold her tongue for much longer. The temptation to tell him was almost irresistible. Almost.

Retrieving the little cards from their hidden place — the far end of the spice cabinet Inuyasha avoided like the plague — Kagome walked with her hands behind her back to the living room, where her boyfriend sat casually on the couch.

“Alright, it’s gift exchanging time.”

Inuyasha put his phone down, a devastating grin slowly gracing his features.

“And what makes you think I have a gift to give you?”

“Because you do.”

He rolled his eyes and Kagome chuckled.

“Smartass,” Inuyasha muttered, “I’m guessing from the way you’re nearly jumping from one foot to the other that you wanna go first.” 

She nodded and brought her hand upfront to finally reveal its content. 

“Hinder is playing tonight and I bought you a ticket,” Kagome blurted out “actually, I bought us two tickets,” she clarified, her fingers sliding so the second ticket could be seen.

“Kagome—”

“Yes, I know we had a budget limit. I just thought that the opportunity was too perfect to ignore. I mean, when will a Hinder concert ever happen here, on this, of all days? It’s gotta be kismet, right?”

“Kagome—”

“Plus, don’t you think we deserve to have some fun? Even if it’s a bit expensive? How long has it been since we’ve done something for the hell of it? Let’s go have an adventure and… why aren’t you excited?” She questioned, noticing that he looked less thrilled the more she rambled.

Inuyasha sighed and got up, making his way to the notebook case laying on the table. Kagome watched, puzzled, as he unfastened the zipper, fished something out of it, then returned to her side.

“Happy anniversary," he said, offering her an identical pair of tickets.

Dumbfounded, Kagome stared at them. At Inuyasha. And back at them.

“You gotta be kidding me.”

“Nope.”

The couple started laughing. Uncontrollably.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Inuyasha and Kagome asked, in unison. “I wanted it to be a surprise.” They replied simultaneously.

Kagome giggled.

“Are we becoming the same person?”

Tickets still in hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Fine by me.” Inuyasha pulled her close, his hands finding her waist with expertise. 

“What do we do now?”

“We can try and sell two of these, get our money back,” he suggested, “or we can invite Miroku and Sango to come along.” 

“It’s only fair, considering they were there the last time.”

“Hey, as long as we get to ditch them again.”

“Are you planning to take me on a romantic getaway?”

“You bet your sweet ass I am.”

A/N.: @inukag-week wrote this for the "anniversary" prompt. It's not much and I'm super late, but here it is.

Also, I really love Thing For You by Hinder so if this sounds awfully self indugent... it's because it is.

[animeomegas]

Omega!Obey Me characters forgetting a mating anniversary

Anon: reactions to their alpha missing an anniversary? or you could switch it and do reactions to realizing they forgot an anniversary. either or !

Anon part 2: hi! i’m the anon from the anniversary request. i was thinking maybe the obey me! fandom? whichever characters you like. my exams are coming to an end so i’m looking forward to spending hours on that app during the summer 😤😤 i hope you’re doing well ! 💕

(Hey hey!! I’m going to do their reactions to forgetting a mating anniversary, because they’ve been alive a long time, I imagine it would happen at least one hehe. Let’s see~)

Warnings: Mention of sex in Asmo’s section

Lucifer – He denies it at first. He can’t have forgotten, he would never forget something so important, you must have the date wrong. His response is very likely to make his alpha either more angry or more upset, and he inadvertently blows the whole thing out of proportion because he struggles to admit that he’s wrong. But when he realises that he is wrong? That he was so caught up in paperwork for Diavolo he did forget? It’s a hard pill to swallow. He would probably buy his alpha some expensive flowers as an apology of sorts, but unless he’s been in a relationship with his alpha for several hundred years, I don’t see him directly apologising. He does feel guilty, but he really finds it hard to articulate. The upside is that it’s extremely unlikely that he’ll ever do it again. He’s checking four times every week at least now that he hasn’t missed any important dates by mistake.

“Our anniversary is next week, my beloved, you must have confused the dates.”

Mammon – Mammon metaphorically shits himself when he realises he forgot an anniversary. His scent is pure, unadulterated panic. His first instinct is to plan an anniversary event that moment. Hell’s Kitchen must still be open right? He tries to pull his alpha with him right that second. If that doesn’t work, he starts to panic that he’s ruined the most important thing in his life. This is when the begging starts. He says sorry about a hundred times, will get on his knees, offer whatever you want as long as you forgive him. Mammon is actually a very compassionate person who doesn’t like upsetting his loved ones, so it’s very hard to stay mad at him. Unfortunately, he’s not great at keeping track of dates, so it might happen again. The best thing to do is organise something together and give him a few reminders when that date’s coming up.

“Oh shit! Er, Hell’s Kitchen is still open right?? I’ll buy you whatever you want, we’ll order one of everything, does that work?”

Leviathan – He almost certainly forgets because of some game event or new releases. And to make everything worse, at first he acts like the game and event was more important than the anniversary and he thinks it’s a legitimate excuse that you can’t argue with. He realises pretty quickly after the event finishes that he’s completely alone because you’re mad at him. He turns to tell you everything about the game but you don’t want to listen to him?? He sulks in his room for a while. What pushes him to apologise is when he sees you hanging out with other people instead of him. He growls away the other person, pulling you into his room and sobbing angrily against you, asking why you love other people more than him. He apologises then, desperate to have his best friend and lover back with him. He might do it again, but he learns pretty quickly to just communicate when he wants to partake in a special gaming event and then he never forgets again.

“W-Why don’t you love m-me, like you l-love him?! I’m sorry, p-please don’t leave!”

Satan – He feels guilty, but he handles it well. He is phenomenal at apology dates. He organises the perfect romantic date, taking into consideration his alpha’s likes and integrating them. If you have a favourite romantic novel, you know he’s going to recreate a date scene with you. If you have a favourite restaurant, he’s booked the best table and ordered a bouquet of your favourite flowers for the centrepiece. It’s very hard to stay mad at Satan, especially because it’s very out of character for him to forget a date so important.

“If you want any more drinks, just let me know. I want you to enjoy this evening as much as possible.”

Asmodeus – He also deals with it fairly well, even if he can’t believe that he forgot! He’s honest and upfront about forgetting and expresses regret. He will definitely try to seduce you as an apology though, offering to let you do whatever you want to him. If that doesn’t work, next step is a joint pampering session! He’s pretty good at conveying a genuine apology without making anything too dramatic. I think it’s unlikely that he would do it again, because he loves, loves, loves anniversaries!!! He genuinely can’t believe that he forgot because he normally plans everything months in advance.

“Oh! I can’t believe that I… Oh dear, here come to my room and let me make it up to you…”

Beelzebub – He’s heartbroken that he forgot! He is so upset. He apologises immediately, looking like he’s on the verge of tears, and he asks you to tell him what he needs to do to make it up to you. He doesn’t offer up solutions, he wants his alpha to pick something, so he knows they’ll enjoy it. The only thing he definitely does immediately, is offer whatever food he’s been saving for them to share with him while they discuss. He will likely ask for advice from some of his brothers, probably Belphie (who doesn’t help) and Asmo (who’s slightly more helpful). He may do it again, but he always tries his hardest to make your anniversaries as special as he can.

“Here, you can have my ice cream… I’m really sorry… What can I do?”

Belphegor – He doesn’t think it’s a big deal that he forgot, because you can both just rearrange it, right? I think it’s pretty unlikely that his alpha takes kindly to that opinion. It takes Belphie a little while to realise that a) he’s in the wrong and b) he needs to apologise. He’s not good at planning, but when he genuinely puts his mind to it, he’s actually pretty good at giving gifts. He buys something you’ve been wanting for a while, he might even put a sticky bow on top if you’re upset enough. He gives you the gift while mumbling apologies. The second you forgive him, he drags you to take a nap with him because he hasn’t been sleeping well since you’ve been mad at him. He’s pretty likely to do it again at least a few times, but he learns not to be such a dick about it eventually.

“Oh, I guess I must have forgot… We can just go tomorrow; I want to take a nap.”

Diavolo – He is gutted that he forgot. He organises the most extravagant apology dinner possible (which is pretty extravagant, because he’s a king, very dramatic, and very in love all at once). He gives a dramatic speech about how there’s no excuse, how he never wants you to think he doesn’t value your relationship etc. At this point, I imagine most people would be begging him to chill out and promising that they already forgave him. Either way, I don’t think it would ever happen again, especially because he tells all of his staff to remember your anniversary and always remind him the week before. He isn’t going to let this happen again.

“My love, I will never forgive myself for hurting you in this way. I will never stop trying to make it up to you, even if it takes me a millennium.”

Barbatos – This would never happen. He is amazing at keeping organisational data in his brain, especially data that means so much to him. Also, he can see the future, so, even if by some miracle he did forget, he would see your future reaction and know in advance that he forgot. Barbatos isn’t perfect, but he’s not one to forget important dates.

Simeon – Simeon is another one who is heartbroken that he’s treated his most beloved one this way. He feels awful. He does tear up a little bit if the relationship is old enough. Simeon makes a huge effort to create some adorable picnic date, cooking baskets and baskets of food and picking the most beautiful park. He brings flowers and bunting and a little cake that he ices with an apology in an unbelievably cute handwriting style. It’s very, very hard not to forgive him when he’s so apologetic and good at making you smile. He goes out of his way to make sure he never upsets his alpha in this way again. 

“My beloved, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I will seek to make it up to you for as long as you’ll let me.”

Solomon – He doesn’t care that much about anniversaries but he’s not dumb enough (like some other people on this list *cough*) to think that saying that to your face is a good idea. He definitely tries to play it off as though he had something planned all along and that making you think he forgot was part of the plan. He then scrambles to plan things last minute, and he’s quite good at covering up his mistake. If his alpha doesn’t believe him, he makes up for his mistake with expensive and rare gifts. He will find something special for his alpha. A first edition copy of your favourite book or limited edition merchandising of your favourite media, something like that. He knows the excitement will help dull any negative emotions you have towards him. I could definitely see him doing it multiple times, but if his alpha ever expressed genuine hurt long-term about that particular habit, he would readjust his priorities. He’s not a complete asshole after all, he just sometimes has a hard time pulling his head out of said asshole.

“Here, it took me three days to track down someone who had a copy, but I finally found a first edition for you. I hope you will accept this as a token of my apology, my dearest.”

[marshmurmurs]

hey. hey psst. grian & purpled friends au is a banger. you um, you got any more? mayhaps?

Ok so you're gonna have to bear with me for aa few moments since this au is made by someone who hasn't watched Evo in a hot second and someone who I believe hasn't yet finished watching it, so we are mostly working off of fanon and my terrible memory for Watcher stuff

With that said, you've heard of Watcher!Grian, now get ready for Watcher!Purpled too :D

So you’re probably wondering how in the world we got here. It started with Peggy mentioning that Purpled got a clean view of both Tommy’s duel with Dream and Phil taking out Wil. That’s enough for me to start the Watcher propaganda babey!!!

“They watch but cannot be seen”

I'm pretty sure I yoinked this quote from a sign that showed up in some Watcher thing at some point. Purpled sure does watch. I also believe he has done some messing around with replay mod to see inside the prison or something? So yeah, Watcher boy be looking. And the “cannot be seen” part? He’s constantly falling into the background, almost forgotten, and maybe it's in his very nature.

Grian and Purp were both Watchers, though their time as Watchers only briefly overlapped. Purpled was already a Watcher during Evo times, having been picked up by the Watchers while traveling the void in his spaceship. They had promised him he would become something greater than himself, he would be part of something important, he would have a legacy. Purpled went along with them, at first, it wasn’t like he really had anything better to be doing. Besides, the magic and wings he got out of the deal were pretty cool.

It was when the Watchers started looking to recruit Grian that Purpled started to question why he was there. That legacy they promised him, he wasn't sure if they ever delivered on that. If anything, it was the Watchers that were benefiting off of him. The Evolutionists were the only people who were confident in their existence, and even then, they only knew of the group as a whole. They had no idea how many of them there were or of any of the individuals within. He doesn’t think that was ever what he wanted out of joining the Watchers... He wasn’t actually sure what he had wanted out of them.

Purpled noticed the Watchers focusing their attention on Grian, he saw how they worked to break down his will to rebel. Sure, he had joined them, but it wasn't like he had been told all their rules upfront. Naturally the guy who had continuously tested the limits of their patience when they had been some unknown power wouldn’t stop that just because he was one of them now. Grian would push the limits of what he was allowed to do, finding loopholes, dancing around the rules, and even outright breaking them at times. The two interacted a few times and Purpled liked the guy well enough. He liked him enough to break the rules himself and not report Grian when he caught him breaking some rules, he even pointed out a few spots in the rules where the phrasing could be exploited. Still, he recognized the opportunity Grian’s presence provided him. Purpled was no longer the newest Watcher, no longer constantly under their gaze. He could just leave, and if he was smart about it, he could get away and have plenty of time before anyone noticed.

So he did. With a final o7 to Grian, Purpled left. Their final encounter within the Watchers domain went something like this:

Purpled: Hey do you want some advice?

Grian: Sure

Purpled: *walks away never to be seen again within the Watcher’s domain*

It was only later that Grian realized what the advice was, long after he began sneaking out, began testing the limits of what he could do. It was long after he figured out that an eye couldn't really look within itself and he could use the very powers the Watchers had given him to hide himself from them, long after he'd made his own domain, long after he'd slipped away to a land he created specifically to stay out of their sight and reach that he realized what the advice was. Purpled had left. His advice was to leave. Grian had—albeit unknowingly—followed that advice.

Purpled had taken a much different method to getting away. Instead of making himself untraceable, he hid in plain sight. He went to Hypixel and made a name for himself playing Bedwars. With each game he won, with each game he clutched, he amassed supporters. Players, believers and doubters alike, began to bet on the outcome of his matches. Purpled had made himself seen. He knew the Watchers knew he was there, but that was the point. They couldn’t reach him, not without breaking their own rules, at least. Unlike the two Players turned Watchers, the original Watchers cared deeply for and were bound by their rules. Even if they had tried anything, Purpled managed to create his own legacy, making for himself what they never could. Beyond that, he'd found friends, he'd built a community, surrounded himself with people who would look for him and make themselves a problem for the Watchers if they tried to make him go back. They were forced to sit by and do nothing as he continuously broke their most important rule.

Purpled didn't need the Watchers, he never did.

Grian didn't really know how he felt about the Watchers. He didn't think he hated them, not really. The Watchers had given him a taste of true freedom then immediately began to restrain him. They'd given him wings and the power to create worlds in mere seconds, something which would not only take a regular Admin a much longer time, it would require a significant amount of preparation. He was given the world at his fingertips but was limited by the long list of rules the Watchers enforced. He doesn't regret joining them—he wouldn't give up his wings for the world—but they just weren't enough. The more they tried to make him fit their mold of a perfect little Watcher, the more sure of that he became.

It was almost funny, the Watchers had become stricter in order to prevent another Purpled situation. They were trying to ensure Grian wouldn’t leave them too, but in doing so, they had given him reason to. He was a bit curious though, he wondered what Purpled was up to now. Grian hadn’t gotten news about him since he’d left the Watchers.

So Grian went to Hypixel, he wanted to see if he could track down Purpled. He knew the other was there, judging by the leaderboards, but he couldn’t seem to catch him around the hub. He managed to track down gamblers betting on Purpled's victories. Grian followed that lead, tailing the person who was updating them on the results of Purpled's matches. Somehow that person continued to find intel without Grian catching where Purpled was. It made no sense, and if he was being honest with himself, it had long since reached the point of being frustrating. Eventually, after an infuriating amount of dead ends Grian decided he may as well play a few games before calling it a day and heading home. He tried a few solo matches of bedwars and while PvP wasn't really his thing, he had to admit throwing fireballs at people was pretty fun.

Grian finding Purpled wasn't even intentional on his part. At that point he wasn’t even actively looking or playing the game properly. He’d simply started building houses after politely asking people to leave him alone with varying levels of success. After a few games, he received a friend request from the person who had won the last match with a message inviting him to join them for some doubles. Grian accepted after a moment of thought, they seemed polite enough. They had left him for last when it would’ve been way easier and much more convenient to just continue their clockwise sweep.

It didn’t take Grian long to realize that his new companion was nicked, though to be fair, he was too. It’s not that he particularly cared when someone was nicked, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. There was something about this person, the way they held themself, the general energy around them, something that just felt so familiar. Try as he might, though, Grian couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

It was when he noticed the absolute confidence and ease in which his companion threw themself into the void that Grian finally gave in to his curiosity. Players usually avoid the void, and even if they did jump into it for strategic purposes, he's never seen anyone

recover as fast as his companion did. While they ran off to go stab someone who was getting too close to their area for comfort, Grian tried to look past their disguise. He was met with resistance, surprisingly. Usually looking past a Player being nicked was no issue. He pushed harder, it was more than just curiosity at this point, he needed to know who this was, why they were able to resist him. Somehow the results were worse this time. Grian realized with increasing bewilderment that he could no longer even see his companion. His teammate was just gone, there one moment and gone the next.

Grian blinked away the purple in his eyes, focusing on his surroundings. There were no new bridges leading away, his teammate was still in the game, and they hadn't died. Where could they have gone? He continued to scan the island when he was suddenly hit with the overwhelming sense of being watched. There, standing beside him was his teammate, eyes glowing the same purple Grian's had moments before.

"Something wrong, Grian?"

It all clicked for him then. His nicked companion was the guy he had been looking for the entire time, he’d only just now decided to reveal himself. Of course Grian’s Watcher abilities hadn’t helped, Purpled had way more power here than he did. He was just a guest in the other’s domain, he never had a chance of finding him if he hadn’t wanted to be found.

“Y’know, you could have been a lot clearer.”

“Rule 7. Besides, you figured it out, didn’t you?”

Once they reunited, the two realized they still got along well. They agreed to keep in contact, and they did. Grian would sometimes hop onto Hypixel to join Purpled for a few games—always nicked, they didn’t want the Watchers to realize they were in contact— and other times he'd drag him off to a creative world to challenge him to a game of build swap or various flying courses he’d created. The two often swapped tips and tricks for things they were good at. Grian would give Purpled lessons on building, block palettes, and flying (he argued the other only ever really using his wings while voiding didn’t count). In exchange, Purple would try to give him advice on various things he’d picked up from playing bedwars: block clutches, speedbridging, and general PvP.

When Purpled was invited onto the DreamSMP, he was fairly excited. He loved what he had going on with Hypixel and his friends there, but part of him had always wanted this. Ever since he was with the Watchers, overlooking everything on Evo and worlds before that, part of him had wished to be on the other side of things. This desire only grew stronger as he heard the tales of what Grian got up to on Hermitcraft.

The Dream SMP was nothing like he expected it to be. It turned out to be a hardcore world, only 3 “lives” allowed per player. There were also seemingly infinite respawns, though, which made no sense. He wasn’t sure which was more annoying: the unclear respawn rules or the fact that he was never told about them before he agreed to join.

Besides that, there was also some entity with a great amount of power, even more than the admin himself. Purpled had noticed their presence fairly quickly upon joining and he was immediately on edge. He had no information on the being, their power, their motives, nothing. And that felt dangerous. Purpled had unintentionally ended up falling back into old habits from working with the Watchers as he tried to establish himself in this world. He claimed land for his own, carving out his own domain within that of the unknown god while trying to avoid catching their attention. Eventually, once he was comfortable enough within the world, he began trying to reach out, trying to get involved in the things that were happening. He heard there was a war brewing, and if he learned anything from Grian, things were about to get really fun.

They didn’t.

His attempts to involve himself mostly failed, so he went back to doing what he had before. He claimed more and more land and continued watching over events from the sidelines. Things got serious, conflicts got personal, and unless he was directly pulled in by someone he considered a friend, Purpled just watched.

Anyway my excuse for whatever is going on with their designs is that Watchers can control how they are perceived. This is my city and I want them to have cool wings. Also Peggy was supposed to be my impulse control but the memo got lost in the mail and she never got it, so she enabled me instead. Now we have both funky dragon/parrot vibes on Grian and vague alien/phantom/vex vibes on Purpled

[felassan]

Article: ‘The Most Powerful Woman in Gaming Wants to Make EA Loved Again’

Laura Miele is helping direct the company toward a future where it’s more attuned with consumers.

One of the first things Laura Miele did when she became chief studios officer of Electronic Arts Inc. three years ago was to gather 19 video game influencers in a conference room. “What do you want me to hear? Lay it on me,” she recalls asking them. “One guy sitting at the corner of the table, he just said, ‘I don’t understand why you don’t give players what they’re asking for.’ ”

[rest of article under cut for length, pasted as Bloomberg has an article read limit]

One of the first things Laura Miele did when she became chief studios officer of Electronic Arts Inc. three years ago was to gather 19 video game influencers in a conference room. “What do you want me to hear? Lay it on me,” she recalls asking them. “One guy sitting at the corner of the table, he just said, ‘I don’t understand why you don’t give players what they’re asking for.’ ”

It’s something many gamers have wondered about EA for years. The $40 billion company, one of the biggest in gaming, is responsible for Battlefield, Madden NFL, and other megahit franchises. But many gamers have long seen EA as a necessary evil, resenting the direction in which it took some games and bristling at its aggressive attempts to extract money by charging extra for digital items in games that cost as much as $70 upfront. This dissatisfaction was no secret in 2018: Gamers spent their days filling up Reddit and other message boards with free advice for EA—but many felt its decision-makers weren’t listening.

EA’s leadership knows it has to improve that relationship, and Miele is a key player in its efforts to do so. Her focus group asked for new content for Star Wars Battlefront II and requested new types of games. Miele quickly assigned 70 people to the Battlefront development project, which dramatically improved its net promoter score, a measure of how likely people are to recommend the game. She also prompted EA to create a skateboarding game and committed to reintroducing its college football franchise, the two genres at the top of the influencers’ list.

In a sense, the guy at the meeting became a stand-in for all of EA’s long-suffering customers in Miele’s eyes. “I wanted to do right by this player,” she says.

As chief studios officer, Miele manages 6,000 staffers and thousands of contractors globally. She oversees EA’s 24 studios, where she makes personnel decisions and sets strategy, and she’s reshaped how the company uses analytics to create and market its games.

In the process she may have become the most powerful woman in gaming. In a 2019 International Game Developers Association survey, fewer than 30% of the more than 1,100 respondents were women, and few if any hold a more central role at such an important company. “It’s a tough place for a woman,” says Peter Moore, who was Miele’s boss when he was EA’s chief operating officer. “It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but she battled her way through.”

Proving good intentions is more important for EA than ever, as the business model of gaming continues to shift in ways that have the potential to alienate customers. Like its rivals, the company is increasing its focus on free-to-play games, making money through sales of digital products such as outfits and weapons for characters.

There are signs it’s succeeding. Apex Legends, EA’s free-to-play hero shooter game, has posted more than $1 billion in sales since it was first published in 2019, and it continues to grow. “The way to succeed with free-to-play games like that is to listen to and engage your customer base and earn their loyalty through incremental purchases,” says Doug Clinton, managing partner of the venture capital firm Loup Ventures, who says Miele deserves much of the credit for Apex Legends. “It feels like a proof point for her that the company is adapting well beyond traditional disk sales.”

Miele, 51, was born in San Francisco but grew up on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. She got her start in games—the kind that require a board—during family nights, when she pitted herself against her brother in Monopoly, Clue, Yahtzee, and backgammon. While attending the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, she worked at architectural companies. By the time she dropped out she’d moved on from receptionist positions to more senior roles, while gaining a reputation for organizing lunch-hour card games with her co-workers.

Miele landed a job as a project manager at Westwood Studios, a video game developer best known for Command and Conquer, in 1996. She eventually took over all marketing for its parent company, Virgin Interactive.

It wasn’t always a hospitable atmosphere: Miele remembers her colleagues expecting her to take notes at meetings, then clean up afterward. “That is just not something I would do today,” she says. “I adapted a lot because I was so passionate about what I was doing. I found my voice along the way.”

When EA acquired Westwood in 1998, she stayed on. At the time, the company did revenue forecasting by looking at sales data once a month and putting together spreadsheets by hand. Miele was tasked with developing more advanced analytics. She hired a group of data analysts, nicknamed “the Jedi,” and had them build EA’s first statistical regression models to examine sales trends, seasonality, and preorders. It took almost two years to put the system in place, but it overhauled the company’s business processes, and executives were soon using it to determine how to invest in advertising and promotions. “I loved how data and analytics can inform your judgment and your gut instinct,” Miele says.

Miele also decided to make one major break with EA’s existing business practices. In 2011 about 80% of game advertising budgets were spent on TV ads. But she saw how much time gamers spent online and decided to spend the bulk of the ad budget for Battlefield 3 on digital, downplaying other types of ads and cutting the TV ad budget to only 30%.

Messing around with the plan for Battlefield 3 was a good way to make people nervous. Miele remembers two executives calling her in for a meeting and demanding to know why they weren’t seeing billboards for the game as they drove in to the office. “It was scary for me, too, and I don’t blame our executives questioning me on that,” she says. But the game ended up being EA’s fastest-selling, moving more than 5 million copies in its first week. From that point, Miele’s marketing strategy became the standard for the company.

When EA signed a 10-year deal with Walt Disney Co. in 2013, Miele became Star Wars general manager. In 2014 she took over publishing operations, marketing, and other key areas, first in the North American region, then globally in 2016. At the time, the game industry was moving from physical disks to digital downloads, transforming its relationship with retail partners such as Walmart Inc. and Best Buy Co.

Miele was in charge of smoothing things over, explaining that EA would start competing with them for customers even as the retailers accounted for the largest portion of the revenue. “I never said to them, ‘Hey, see you later, we are moving on,’ ” she says. “It was, ‘How can we move forward together?’ ” EA began making physical cards with digital credits that its retail partners could sell at their stores, allowing them to share in the revenue from digital sales.

EA’s studios are spread around the globe, and Covid-19 altered Miele’s routine radically. “It was a very difficult year, and I’m really proud about how our company showed up,” she says. “I considered myself a wartime leader last year. You had to get in a bunker with everybody.”

Days became an endless progression of Zoom calls. To keep up with gamers, Miele started spending evenings listening to Clubhouse chats while answering work emails. Because she hasn’t been on the road, she’s also had more time to dine at home and play board games or Apex Legends and The Sims with her 16-year-old twins. As the pandemic retreats in the U.S., her schedule might change, but she still envisions providing more flexibility to her employees to work from home and office. “I do think we’re going to have a different work environment as we go forward,” she says.

Miele is itching to get back to the studio visits. She’s helping steer EA further toward smartphones. The company plans to release mobile versions of Apex Legends globally this year and spent $2.1 billion in April for Glu Mobile Inc., a mobile game publisher, while also preparing the next releases in its existing franchises. “I think the next Battlefield and the mobile shooter games, along with how successful the M&As come out will be key litmus tests of her management this year,” says Matt Kanterman, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. “Her scope is clearly rising.”

— With Dina Bass and Jason Schreier

[source]

[sparring-hyena]

the time of our lives.

this one was kinda requested/suggested by @cloakanddaggerthings. they’ve also been a great help in hammering out the finicky details. thanks heaps, mate! 

OR, the one where it takes a year for these two goofs to realise they’re in love.

-

i. New Year’s Eve.

naturally, this is where they start. although, start in a very loose sense of the word. because they were something before tonight. something fiery and intense, but certainly not something real.

they were midnight rendezvouses, sharp remarks that lacked any real malice, and moments that somehow meant nothing and everything. but what they were is irrelevant. because Poppy’s got a reputation and parental expectations, and AJ doesn’t fit into any of that.

so, they stand in the front yard of some frat house, a New Year’s party raging on inside, and fight. they shout and cuss and say things that don’t at all mean but that make this whole thing easier.

it’s with ten seconds of the year left that Poppy says, “i hate you,” and feels something break in her heart.

“i hate you, too,” AJ says as the countdown finally reaches zero.

there’s cheering from inside and then AJ leaves and now Poppy’s standing alone on the front lawn. she ignores the tears that fall down her cheeks and tries to tell herself that everything will be fine.

so, yes, that’s how they start: in the final ten seconds of the year with an i hate you that actually means something else entirely.

ii. Valentine’s Day.

she sees AJ sporadically throughout the day. and that irritates Poppy like nothing else ever has. figures it would be today of all days that she sees her everywhere.

first it’s at the crack of dawn as she walks home after a one night stand that she spots AJ on a jog. they’re on opposite sides of the street, but it’s empty so they see each other.

AJ stops in her tracks and looks right at Poppy, not exactly irritated but certainly not pleased. Poppy fixes her with a glare that says what are you looking at? AJ shrugs and starts up on her jog again, and Poppy huffs and continues on her walk home.

then they see each other on campus way too many times—in the café, on the quad, and in the library. and each time, Poppy’s glare is met with a shrug from AJ.

the last time she sees AJ it’s late. the sun has long since set and there’s a chill that’s set in for the night. she’s on her way home from dinner—some blind date Veronica had set up—when she spots AJ across the street, laughing and walking hand-in-hand with some girl who looks vaguely familiar.

Poppy watches them until she can’t see them anymore, and wonders if AJ saw her this time, too.

iii. spring break.

she goes to Miami for the week with Veronica and Chloe. her intention is to have a fun and carefree week where she doesn’t once think about AJ.

it’s two days into her trip when she finds herself scrolling through Instagram late one night. curiosity nibbles at her restraint until she’s typing AJ’s name into the search bar.

she finds AJ’s profile and the first picture she sees is some candid shot of AJ and that same girl from Valentine’s Day looking at each other with ridiculously cheesy smiles. Poppy switches her phone off and doesn’t dare touch it for the rest of the night.

Poppy goes to a party the next night and hooks up with a girl who looks a lot like AJ. Veronica and Chloe point this out a few days later, laughing over cocktails. Poppy scoffs and tells them that’s complete bullshit and tries to hide her blush by taking a long sip of her drink.

iv. summer break.

the academic year ends and Poppy sighs with relief as she collapses onto her bed. she’s got three months until her final year starts, and three months where she doesn’t have to see or think of AJ.

it goes well at first—the not thinking about AJ. she spends a lot of time shopping and partying and lounging by the pool of her parents’ beach house on Long Island. but there are only so many hours of the day where she can keep her mind busy. so it’s at night, when she’s in bed trying to fall asleep, that her mind wanders back to AJ.

the first time it happens, she groans and rolls onto her side, and tries to flush all thoughts of AJ from her mind. that works. but then it happens again and again, and before Poppy really knows it, it’s halfway through August and she’s thought of AJ every single night since the end of June.

she lays awake in bed and watches the fan on the ceiling spin in lazy circles. her brain summons a long and near forgotten memory of a night a lot like this. she closes her eyes and sinks into the warm embrace of the memory:

she was in bed with AJ. it was either late or early, Poppy can’t quite remember. she decides it probably doesn’t really matter. they were talking and laughing under the quiet blanket of night. and Poppy suddenly remembers how she’d reached for AJ’s hand and never wanted to let it go.

Poppy opens her eyes and glances to her side. the bed is empty beside her, the sheets untouched, and she can almost feel the ghost of AJ’s touch on her hand. she squeezes her eyes shut, trying not to cry, and realises she never did hate AJ. she was probably just scared.

v. Halloween.

there’s a party on campus—isn’t there always? a frat party with costumes and decorations and cheesy music that starts to sound alright after three or four drinks. Poppy slips in later in the night, when everyone’s teetering on the edge of tipsy and drunk.

she moves through the throng of people towards the kitchen to pour herself a drink, and bumps into AJ for the first time this semester.

“hey,” AJ says, awkward and unsure, and Poppy silently regrets everything she’s put her through.

“hi,” Poppy says, smiling and really meaning it.

that seems to loosen AJ up a bit, and she returns the smile in kind.

“haven’t seen you in a while,” AJ says, leaning back against the counter and sipping her drink.

“been busy,” she lies even though that’s something she’s trying to stop.

and AJ seems to understand the lie for what it is. “you wanna go outside for a bit?”

Poppy only nods, afraid that if she speaks, she’ll ruin whatever’s happening right now. it’s quieter outside, the cheesy music and chatter nothing but a gentle murmur. they stand out on the front lawn of some frat house and Poppy gets a strange sense of déjà vu.

“i wish things had been different, y’know?” AJ says, her voice a gentle reassurance.

“me too,” Poppy says, and then: “i’m sorry that i said i hate you. because i don’t.”

a moment of silence passes, uncomfortable and almost tight like a rubber band pulled to its limit. because it looks like AJ’s about to say something important that’ll put them on a better path. but then the front door of the frat house flies open, and a few drunk students stumble out into the yard.

AJ offers Poppy a smile, almost sad and longing. “it was nice seeing you again.” and then she heads back inside.

vi. Thanksgiving.

Poppy doesn’t plan on visiting her parents this year. and besides, they’re going out of town for the holiday. so if she has to be alone, she’d rather it be in the sorority house than in some stuffy brownstone on the Upper West Side.

it’s late in the afternoon when Poppy gets a text from AJ. all it says is are you at the sorority? she stares at it for a moment, debates deleting it and carrying on with her day. but something tells her to respond, so she does.

she says that she is and waits for AJ’s response. she waits five minutes, then ten and nothing comes. Poppy scoffs and tosses her phone onto her bed. it’s not long later when she hears a knock on the front door. Poppy doesn’t think much of it, so she answers it without checking.

she finds AJ standing on the front stoop, grinning like she knows something Poppy doesn’t.

“what are you doing here?” Poppy says. “i thought you’d be on your way home by now.”

“i’m getting an early flight tomorrow.” then AJ holds up a plane ticket, grinning like this has been her plan all along. “and i was wondering if you’d want to come with me.”

“what?”

“come home with me. my parents always cook too much food, so really, you’d be doing them a favour.”

Poppy folds her arms over her chest and studies AJ for a moment. “don’t you want to take your girlfriend,” she says, and maybe she wants her words to hurt a little bit.

“we broke up over the summer,” AJ says, simple and easy.

“oh. sorry.”

“don’t be. it wasn’t working out and hadn’t been for a while.”

“are you trying to use pity to get me to come with you?” Poppy says, and she knows AJ wouldn’t, but it’s kinda fun to mess with her.

“no, of course not! i just wanted to be upfront with you. so, come home with me. please.”

Poppy plucks the ticket from AJ’s hand and says, “i’m only doing this for your parents.”

“of course.” AJ winks and grins. “i’ll see you bright and early at the airport tomorrow then.

the flight is uneventful, although Poppy decides AJ is much too cheerful for seven o’clock in the morning.

when they step inside AJ’s childhood home, Poppy’s immediately struck by just how warm and lived in it all feels. AJ’s mother tells her to mind the mess as she ushers them both inside, and AJ’s father greets them and says hugs’ll have to wait as he gestures to his dirty apron.

they all cram around a too small table in mismatched chairs that creak and rock back-and-forth. Poppy doesn’t care that she’s sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with AJ and one of her sisters. dinner is loud and fun, and AJ’s parents insist on sharing stories from AJ’s childhood. and as dinner winds down and dessert is served, Poppy reaches for AJ’s hand beneath the table and knows that she’ll never let go.

vii. Christmas.

it’s close to midnight on Christmas Eve when AJ appears on the front stoop of the Zeta house. she looks distraught and like she hasn’t had a good night sleep in days. so Poppy steps outside and asks, “what’s wrong?”

AJ looks at her, really looks at her, and Poppy feels something shift in that moment. and then AJ’s talking, words tumbling from her mouth, and it doesn’t look like she can stop herself. then she says i love you and everything goes still.

it takes a moment, but AJ seems to catch up to what she’s just said. her eyes go wide, and Poppy can see that she’s gearing up to apologies. but Poppy doesn’t let her. she surges forward and hug AJ tightly because oh god, i’ve missed her so much.

Poppy doesn’t say the words back, not yet anyway. but she holds onto AJ and tries to show her that she loves her, too.

viii. New Year’s Eve.

naturally, this is where they end. although end in a very loose sense of the word. because they will be something after tonight. something supportive and challenging, but most importantly something real.

they will be promises of forever, witty remarks that are just an i love you in disguise, and moments where the rest of the word falls away and it’s just the two of them together. what they will be terrifies Poppy. because she’s got a reputation and parental expectations, and AJ doesn’t fit into any of that... right?

maybe. but maybe it’s good that AJ doesn’t fit into that. maybe it’s good that AJ had upended everything she thought she knew. maybe that’s what makes what they will be so damn perfect.

so, they stand in the front yard of some frat house, a New Year’s party raging on inside, and finally admit what’s been there all along. they talk and tease and say things they mean with all their heart.

it’s with ten seconds of the year left that Poppy says, “i love you,” and feels that final piece of her heart heal.

“i love you, too,” AJ says as the countdown finally reaches zero.

there’s cheering from inside and then AJ steps closer to Poppy, smiling so bright and warm, and Poppy twists her arms around AJ’s neck and doesn’t once care that she’s probably smiling like an idiot in love.

so, yes, that’s how they end: in the final ten second of the year with an i love you that means exactly what it claims.

[frenchphobic]

long fucking post on why a c!dream is a shitty person and probably should not have a redemption because it is unpog

honestly i just want to refute dream apologists thats why im making this post. i think that dream as a villain is interesting but i think that trying to make him out to be secretly a good guy is just bad ngl. also /roleplay and all

tw for abuse and mentions of suicide

dream as a villain

dream is a villain. he is chaotic evil according to wilbur, deliberately does not stream to appear less sympathetic (and yet), and is set up as an antagonist to tommy who bears the title ‘hero’. dream is not a good person, no matter how you look at it or try to justify his actions.

‘but he wants to unite everyone to be a big family :((’ the ends dont justify the means believe it or not. having a vaguely positive goal does not excuse the actions you’ve done. it also goes hand and hand with saying dream is correct for punishing tommy the way he did because he acted up. if i socked you across the face and then suddenly said ‘sorry there was a roach on ur face’ does that make it okay? probably not i still punched you, enacting an unnecessary amount of violence. thats a very simple analogy i will admit and there are more complex comparisons. another example off the top of my head is say a child just scribbled all over you walls with crayons. would hitting them be a justified answer? if u said hes thats really fucked of u go seek help u loon. violence as a punishment is very toxic, just because it gets the job done does not mean it is okay. at the end of the day, you still committed this act and the harm you caused is real, having a good motive doesnt suddenly make it okay.

‘but tommy causes all of the conflict’ the disk war wasnt even caused by tommy, it was sapnap and then tommy got involved. and the reason why tommy even caused conflict was because of the discs, because he wanted them back. and most of the time there was a level of antagonism from another party, such as schlatt exiling him, dream taking the disks in the first place, dream threatening l’manberg. and if dream wanted to end the conflict so badly, why didnt he just give tommy back his disks? tommy upfront said everything started with the disks, so he wants them back so he could end the conflict. notice how after tommy got his disks back he has been staying out of conflict, apologizing to everyone, and the only bad thing hes done is try to scam people but everyone does that. this would have been the most peaceful option, yet dream chose the path that would further antagonize tommy which then draws everyone else into conflict. why did dream need to have leverage over tommy so badly? why did he want to hold power over tommy so badly? its because of control, and that’s ultimately dreams end goal. sure he wants a big server family, but would said family have a free will?

‘but dream is sad’ the thing is dream is completely at fault for everything that happened to him. he pushed away sapnap (and george ig). he tried to take control over the server and their possessions. literally everything that happened to tommy. literally everything involving ranboo. villains can be sympathetic, i am not arguing against that. but it does not mean that they should be left off the hook. that doesnt mean u should ignore the shit theyve done because ‘oh no theyre sad’ because it doesnt make anything better. dream had this shit coming for him.

now people also skirt around calling dream an abuser. which is fair ig, its a very loaded word. its much easier to say manipulated. that being said, dream can classify as abusive. and no, tommy is not abusive. abuse is about control and a power imbalance. dream has power over tommy, but tommy does not have power over dream, at least not in the way dream does. he’s taking back power to stand up for himself, dream uses power to control.

the reasons i listed for why dream is from the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project so if u want a source on that, there you go.

using coercion or threats: dream often threatened tommy, such as the pit thing and often employed violence on him. while normally this could be attributed to Normal Minecraft Player Go Smack. minecraft mechanics cannot always translate to real world since violence is pretty normal in minecraft however we also need to consider the context of the scene. dream gave an order, tommy refused, dream applies violence, tommy submitted. thats why its a threat, it has tangible effects that can correlate to real life.

using intimidation: dream blew up logsteadshire as a punishment. dream also destroyed tommys items anytime he visited. dream also hit tommy with his axe i believe. he killed mushroom henry, one of tommys pets.

Using Emotional Abuse: dream guiltripped the shit out of tommy for just hiding things and pinning the blame on tommy for just wanting his own private items. he definitely played mind games on tommy, pretending to be his friend. honestly i probably dont even need to go as in depth because it was so obvious.

Using Isolation: putting him in exile in the first place. destroying the bether portal so no one could visit tommy anymore. i really dont think i need to expand upon that.

Minimizing, Denying, and Blaming: dream in tommys stream when he got trapped said that exile wasnt that bad. he does shift the blame onto tommy for logsteadshire being blown up, even though dreams reaction was entirely unjustified for not listening and hiding.

Using Economic Abuse: see this is where i attempt to parallel minecraft mechanics to real life. obviously, there is no monetary system in place, so when i mean economic, i will use valuables such as armor, food, etc in place of currency. the idea behind economic abuse is to limit the victim’s resources so that they are dependent on the abuser and cannot escape. dream only really allowed tommy to have the armor he gave him while not giving access to armor so he does not regain a sense of power, and in the prison stream, dream holds all the potatoes which puts him in a position of power over tommy. this argument is more ambiguous i feel cause the whole minecraft mechanics thing is kinda weird so u don’t necessarily have to take this part in.

i feel like i need to emphasize this very strongly because dream is not a good person. abuse cannot and should not be a response to someone. its an awful mentality to have. i just want to prove the point that dream is not a good person, his reasons absolutely do not justify his actions.

what makes a good redemption

redemption arcs are tricky. when done right they are great. when done poorly, its a slap in the face. rn im going to establish a formula to what makes a good redemption with an example.

the most well known example of a good redemption is zuko from atla. first, its the magnitude of what theyve done and why. zuko did commit some shitty actions, since he was in a position of power in the fire nation but its because he is a child being abused and wanted to regain honor. zukos real awful acts was season 1 and the whole betrayal thing. thats not to say that zukos actions suddenly are okay, he did shitty things. but its something that can be traced to a higher entity or seem less malicious then the other villains. the thing also about the magnitude of actions is that there is a certain point of atrocities that there is no redemption. some people simply cannot be redeemed because the actions they commit are so ingrained in their character or the action itself has serious moral issues that it would just be wrong.

the next is acknowleding what they did was wrong. a genuine reflection on the self and analyzing what they did and why it was not okay. zuko realized what he did to uncle iroh was bad for example. he turned his back on his father, realizing he didnt and shouldnt seek acknowledgment from someone as heinous as him. its pointing out your actions and going ‘hey, this wasnt right i should not have done this’ and not even excusing ur actions. its also going straight for the root of the problem and figuring out to stamp it from the source. just because a character is sad does not mean they are reflecting, sometimes they are attempting to garner pity. it has to be direct and clear acknowledgement of the injustice.

and finally, an important part about redemption arcs is the actual redemption part. its when you make amends. zuko made amends with katara by trying to help her get revenge, he fought against the fire nation and tried to make things more peaceful in his rule. he apologized to iroh. an important part of the amends section is that it does have to be a genuine desire to change and become a better person, not to change a person’s perception of you. the thing is u cant expect a person youve hurt to forgive you. you cant expect people to be sympathetic towards you nor should u attempt to make urself sympathetic. u shouldnt be expecting a pat on the back or an award. redemption is about internal and character change.

why dream should not be redeemed

ive already established the key points to a good redemption (imo) but heres where dream falls short. his actions are extremely heavy so redemption may not even really be possible. abuse is not something you can wave off so it does cross to the point of fucked up. acknowledgement of what he did was wrong? all he said was that he changed, yet never explained why he changed or was too vague. he needed to label specifically what he did and bring it up. attempting to make amends? he’s been doing the exact opposite in fact he continues to manipulate tommy and ranboo. its not a genuine change. he is still repeating the cycle and has given no indication of ceasing. at the moment he does not have any signs of redemption.

and the thing is most of the attention around a dream redemption comes from either justifying his motives (which i do want to emphasize does not make anything suddenly okay) and because he is sad in prison sad face. these are not good reasons. its gonna pain me severely to bring this up but snape from harry potter does have some form of sad character ig yet he very much abused his authority to bully children as old as 11 just because he said ‘aight gonna die’ doesnt suddenly make his general bigotry and abuse suddenly okay there is a threshold. again im so sorry for using harry potter as an example none were coming to mind and i needed a popular one i do not like harry potter please dont say i do i would pass away.

and the last thing to consider is the audience. keep in mind that the audience is composed of minors and while yes there are adults, minors are the main component of the fandom. keep in mind that there are quite a few people who can relate to tommys character because they might be in the same position or have gone through his experiences. tell me what kind of message does it send to that audience that abusers can be redeemed. this is not a narrative u should push to this audience in these situations and the writers are seemingly aware of it. remember how in exile tommy spiraled into a suicidal mentality? consider how fucked of a message it would be if he just committed suicide instead of escaping abuse and attempting to recover from his experiences. tommy did an excellent job in not going that route and having a message of ‘it will not get better’. its the same thing here. victims are not obligated to care for or forgive their abuser, and portraying an abuser as sympathetic might fuck with the message a lot, even change their perception in that ‘oh, maybe my abuser was right, maybe they had a reason for treating me the way they did’. this is not to say that every victim watching this will internalize this message, but people also look up to these characters. there can be a degree of influence from the story onto oneself and thats the dangerous part.

conclusion

all in all dream is a shitbag asshole and probably shouldnt get a redemption because it would not be pog thanks for coming to my ted talk.