#<- tagging shows which i think could do with a better propaganda

[anystalker707]

Got ya

Pairing: Marine!Portgas D. Ace x Pirate! [male, amab] Reader Words: ~ 3 200 Summary: The rear admiral has a favorite pirate, apparently. Tags: Rough / Bruises / Overstimulation / Hate fucking / Dom-sub dynamics / Dom Ace / Very light dacryphilia / Objectifying

Requested by anon ["Smut with Ace & Amab reader, (Hero x villain), Hate fucking (they just won’t admit they like each other), lots of overstimulation, Reader is a villain & Ace is a hero (...)"]

MASTERLIST

          It’s always that damn marine. The same rear admiral coming after you to ruin every plan you have. Sometimes he’ll just blow things up indirectly or make it quick when he can’t hold you captive. How could he be so annoying? You make part of the Worst Generation, of course, but you don’t remember Kid, Law, or any of the others having a personal marine going after them like that.

There was a while since the last encounter—which involved Ace creating a fire barrier that fucking stopped you from doing anything until the marine cleared the area. Worst thing? You were actually just helping the local village get out of the control of some other pirates that were the real bad ones, but no, Ace was there to make your crew seem like the villain of the story. Again.

Ace sort of left you in peace after that. He disappeared for a while, instead showing up in marine propaganda with that damned smile. You hated seeing that pretty face on the first page of newspapers, but you still kept it. All those pages of newspapers, either hanging on your cabin’s wall or kept inside the first drawer of your desk. Those pretty eyes stared at you whenever you lay on your bed, thinking about how you should’ve just taken a knife and buried it right into Ace’s chest the last time the two of you were having drinks together. Maybe if you did, you wouldn’t be like you are right now.

Ace had fucking caught you. You were on a random island, and the only thing you knew next was that you woke up, tied to a chair with the idiot sitting on top of a desk in front of you, swinging his legs. Was it all a plan? Did he give you a pause so that you’d let your guard down?

Well, it didn’t matter now.

“Oh, look at who’s awake again!” A silly grin stretched across Ace’s face as he looked at you, leaning back on his hands.

A sigh escaped your lips. Your head didn’t hurt, surprisingly. “That’s mad cliché.”

Ace observed you for a moment, then exhaled, shortly and humorously. “Let me think about something else to say.” He paused, tongue peeking out between his lips as he thought for a moment. “I’m glad you’re finally in my hands, I hope you enjoy your stay. Does that sound better?” A smirk played on his lips. Idiot.

“You’re so funny,” you didn’t even try to sound sarcastic as you moved your fingers over the armrest of the chair. Your ankles also ached to move, but they were way too restrained for that. Soreness tugged on your muscles, that sharp pain making itself present the more you tried to move. A sigh escaped your lips. How long had you been tied there? Damn, Ace. “Let’s just skip the part where we have a drink and let me go already. I’m not in the mood for our pointless talks today.”

With a quiet hum, Ace hopped off the desk. “No, I don’t think you understand what’s happening. That’s it, (y/n). There’s no going back. The marine has caught you, so that’s bye-bye to your pirate era.”

Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked at him. “Don’t be annoying,” you said simply, voice strained. “I’m really not up for jokes today, Ace. You really just interrupted me in the middle of a—”

“If it makes you feel better, I don’t care,” Ace said simply as he stood in front of you. He had his hands in his pockets when he leaned forward to your level, and you could finally see his eyes properly. There was something different about them. There was some sharpness in his eyes, and the playful glint they usually carried was replaced by something else. It was different from what you were used to seeing when it came to Ace—a shiver ran down your spine while you gulped.

“I’ll be making sure you don’t get away this time, (y/n),” he said in a softer tone of voice that made your skin rise in shivers, but you couldn’t really identify whether it was due to panic or something else. Ace’s index finger ran along your throat before it was set under your chin, lifting your head, so you could look at him. “You’ve been causing a lot of trouble, and do you know what we do with pirates that stress us out a lot like this? Yeah, we keep them on a tight leash,” he said slowly, eyes never averting away from yours. His words sank in a little harder than they should.

It took you a solid minute to ground yourself again and gather your thoughts. “Well, drop the act. I know you’re not that type of marine. You hate a tight leash yourself.” It was obvious how much of a headache Ace could be for his superiors—it was practically common knowledge, at this point.

A small scoff escaped Ace’s lips. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get my duties done. Or better— It doesn’t mean I don’t achieve my own goals.”

          Ace was exposing you around like some wild animal he had caught. He had his arms crossed and that grin over his face the whole time, always nearby whenever you were interrogated by the other navy officers. There were so many repetitive and boring questions that you had to go through with those shitty, heavy handcuffs sinking into the skin of your wrists.

Once all the interrogation was done, your mind felt so fuzzy. Your thoughts couldn’t complete themselves. All you could do was curse everything and everyone. It took you every ounce of self-control in your body not to curse and kick everything when your jacket got stuck on the door handle.

Ace could probably see the annoyance irradiating from you, with that lousy smirk over his lips as he walked ahead of you. The look on his face made you want to strangle him with the chain of the handcuffs, but you just walked past him when he opened his office door for you again and let you walk in. You sat onto the armchair with a huff, trying to finally calm down as you kicked your feet over your desk, but you were driven to the edge again as Ace started clicking his tongue.

“Nope,” Ace said after closing the door. “Where are your manners?” He scoffed exaggeratedly as he pushed your feet off the desk and let them fall to the ground.

Hell, how could someone be so annoying? Your blood boiled under your skin, heartbeat in your head as you glared at him.

“You think you can—”

The words died on your tongue at the moment Ace’s gloved hand took firm hold of your jaw. His eyes gazed into yours with that sharpness once again; his face was so close you could feel his breath fanning upon your cheeks. “Who do you think you are here?”

“Who do you think you are to control a pirate?” Your voice was breathy and as low as his.

Ace’s lips parted into a grin as he tilted your head back up. He turned it from side to side as if to get a good look on your face. Are you some object to him or something? That loser.

“I know I always say that,” Ace said with a chuckle, “but you look so adorable when you’re angry like that.”

That really was the last straw. Ace couldn’t even see it coming when you suddenly stood up and pinned him to the wall with the cuffs’ chain across his neck. His eyes widened, but it was a matter of time until Ace started laughing. His hands wrapped firmly around your wrists as he looked at you.

“You can be quite stubborn, can’t you?” Ace scoffed. “That’s so annoying. Can’t you just recognize it when you fucking lose?” Ace’s grin disappeared as he easily pushed you off him and pinned you to the wall instead, holding your hands above yourself by the chain of the cuffs. “Don’t make me waste time.”

“Ah, Ace, go get a life!” You said through gritted teeth. “What even are you doing now that you caught me? I thought catching me was sort of your life goal or something.”

The way Ace started laughing made you lose it again, and you tried to fight him, thrashing and kicking. He was actually caught off guard this time, resulting in the two of you wrestling a little until he had you pinned to his desk this time—the edge of the wooden surface dug into the back of your thighs as he forced you back. His lips were parted in a wide grin as his hands closed tightly around your wrists.

“You better stop this,” Ace said with a chuckle, though humor wasn’t the only thing it carried. “My patience is starting to run out.”

“I don’t care,” you hissed in response. “Aren’t you always making things happen your way? Letting me run away in the end? Let me go already. You’re taking this way too far—”

Ace’s fingers were tight around your jaw again, making you look at him. Something about that simple action made your heart jump in your chest every single time it happened. “You’re not escaping anymore,” Ace said, his breath fanning over your face with the smell of the fruit drink he had earlier when talking with you during one of the uncountable interrogatories. “And I’m making sure of that.”

Damn it, that voice of his…

“You are?” You scoffed. “If anything, you’re a useless Marine. You could’ve caught us so many times—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Ace said as his face fell serious. “I’m not joking—”

You started struggling against Ace again, trying to get his hands off you, not minding how his palms started heating up against your skin. “Then fucking shut me up!”

Ace’s eyes widened a little as you started shouting, and the tightening grip of his fingers around your jaw sent pain sharp enough to make you falter.

“Oh, I will.” Something played in Ace’s tone before he pressed his lips to yours, making you gasp and ball your hands into fists. Despite all the tension and the will to fight, it wasn’t that bad.

A soft sound escaped your lips with the way Ace’s lips pressed forcefully to yours—forcefully, but damn, enough to make your legs want to give up under you—, and the way his thumb gently ran along your jaw made you snap back to reality. That damn fucker. You bit down on his lip harshly, making Ace hiss as he pulled away.

“You’re asking for it!” Ace scoffed.

Damn it. Maybe you were. Maybe ever since the first time you ran into him. The grin on your face didn’t deny Ace’s words, making his gaze change a little as he pushed his things off the desk before pushing you on it instead. He had one hand on your hip and another on your wrist for some leverage.

“You’re so annoying!” Ace clicked his tongue and forced a kiss upon your lips again, starting to move his lips only when you finally welcomed the kiss.

It was a shitty, forceful kiss, but it sent the blood straight to your crotch. His tongue ran against your bottom lip before he took the smallest opportunity he could to push his tongue into your mouth with a soft groan, also managing to snatch a sound from you. His tongue pressed down to yours, gliding against it as he deepened the kiss and pressed closer out of instinct. Fucking hell. It had you throbbing, but you half wished it wouldn’t have been against Ace’s thigh. He felt that, of course—he broke the kiss with a satisfied sigh.

“I’ll show you who you’re messing with,” he whispered, “and make sure you don’t escape again.”

Ace wasted no time. His fingers unbuttoned your shirt skillfully, letting his hands roam over your chest and pinch your nipples. He seemed a little amused by the way you tensed up, skin raising and shivers and nipples hardening as you squirmed just by the little touches. His thumbs pressed to your nipples to rub circles into them until you let out a sound—a hiss through gritted teeth because of the friction of his gloves against your sensitive skin. He let himself continue his journey until his hands met the waistband of your pants to start unbuttoning them.

“Fuck you,” you whispered as you observed his hands. The chain between the cuffs was long enough to let you lean back on your elbows as you sat on the desk, even if it was uncomfortable.

Ace scoffed a chuckle. “Well, that’s what I’m going to do, can’t you see?”

He let out a low whistle once your pants were unbuttoned, revealing your tented-up boxers. Your tip stretched the thin fabric, making its shape obvious. He took his glove off by biting on the tip of the middle finger of it and pulling his hand, then let the glove fall to the side.

There wasn’t any discretion in Ace’s touches. No hesitancy. He just took hold of your cock through your boxers, giving it a couple of experimental pumps, his lips slowly curling up into a smirk once it made you start squirming.

“As much as I’d like to,” Ace said as he got rid of your pants and boxers—along with your shoes—properly, then removed his other glove. “I am not going to invest too much into foreplay. Not this time.” He reached into the desk’s drawer, rummaging through it.

“This time?” It probably sounded more desperate than you intended it to be.

Ace chuckled. “What?” He didn’t formulate. He turned back with a small tube in hand, pouring lube generously on his fingers before he also let some of it over you; the cold liquid made you hiss and twitch once it fell on your balls and slowly dripped down to your ass. You squirmed with it, but not as much as when two of Ace’s fingers started tracing your hole and pushed in. The soft burning feeling and the discomfort of the intrusion quickly subsided as Ace’s fingers curled up. Given how brief it was and with little real care, you presumed it was to actually spread the lube rather than prepare you for anything.

Your elbows were starting to hurt from pressing into the wooden surface of the desk like that, but you couldn’t resist it. You simply had to see it the moment Ace lowered his pants and boxers, mixing the bit of pre-cum that coated the flush pink tip of his cock with the lube he had in hand.

“Finally,” Ace breathed. He hooked a hand under your knee to push your leg up, and feeling his gaze on you like that made you throb more. Fuck. His cock sat heavily on his hand as he stepped closer, and just the tip of it pressing to your hole was enough to make you squirm. Amusement laced Ace’s grin—his eyes met yours before he finally started to push in.

“F—Fuck you! Fuckin’ hate y—you!” You couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped your lips when Ace’s cock started stretching you so good, making your arms give up under you. Lying on that desk wasn’t comfortable, but it was one of the last things you thought about now that Ace was thrusting his hips into you while his fingers sank into your thighs to hold them up for him.

          The moans were impossible to suppress, even with Ace scolding you. Whenever he got annoyed and scolded you, the thought of being caught only made you tighten around his cock, leading Ace to fucking you harder and snatching more moans from you. Even when he teased the way you came so fast the first time—all the teasing and degradation just made you more sensitive and louder, something that Ace didn’t hesitate to exploit. His hands were everywhere, he was deep inside you, and his lips were wherever he could reach. He fucked you until your eyes crossed before giving you a break and starting it all over again, not caring whether you were shedding tears or not.

Despite the way your neck hurt, you kept your head up to observe Ace.

Ace’s eyes were half-lidded, eyebrows occasionally furrowing as he practically made out with your chest. His lips were wrapped around your nipple, sucking and licking on it. He had been on it for a couple of minutes already, and his touches made you feel on fire, but you wouldn’t make him stop, still. You could tell that excited him—his cock throbbed inside you while he kept that extremely slow pace. Suddenly, his eyes shifted to meet yours, and it was just a second before his teeth sank into your skin.

A long, loud whimpering moan drew from your lips as you arched your back and let your head fall back again, squirming with the sharp pain. Cold air replaced Ace’s warm lips once he pulled away, and he was back on slamming inside you again, fingers sinking into your thighs enough in a way he’d probably leave bruises behind.

The moans slipped past your lips with each thrust, each time your body rocked, but you had already given up on fighting that. You looked at Ace, observing it as the strands of hair started to stick to his face and neck already. Looking down at your chest, you saw that the hickeys he’d left behind were now accompanied by a bite mark that formed a ring around your nipple. Fuck. He was hot.

Ace suddenly pulled away, and all you could do was mumble slurred questions about what he was doing, only to be silenced when he guided you to change positions, letting you bend over the table this time. Your arms felt too weak, so you just let them rest ahead of you, and this position thankfully gave your legs some rest, despite how feeling the surface of the desk all over the bare front of your torso wasn’t the best thing ever. It wasn’t only that, though.

A gasp escaped your lips as Ace pushed inside you again, his cock reaching new angles that just felt so perfect. You felt like you could easily cum again, but he was careful not to let that high arrive so easily. He aimed for your sweet spots, rubbing your hips in a way that made you squirm the most, but his motions fell slow again at the moment he felt you squeezing around him way too much. Hearing your words fall into incoherent pleas satisfied him so much. Something he took pride in.

Ace moaned as he squeezed your hips, feeling his own high arriving again. He had come a couple of times already, but not as much as you, and his self-control was starting to falter a little. He hissed softly as he rolled his hips, holding tightly onto yours, so he could fuck you as harshly as he wanted to, fucking you through his release and apparently giving you yours as well.

“Ah, fuck,” Ace cursed as he observed his cock slowly slip out, letting the cum trail out of your hole. He took it in his thumb, pushing it inside you again while biting his lip.

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

[volivolition]

hi, how are your fic wips? ive been. thinking a lot about them lately lmao. if you dont wanna share any info thats fine feel free to delete this ask bdidndhx

HI ANON!! oH WAHH CRIES???? that means a lot, thank you for thinking of my stories omg?? :'] <33 im ALWAYS happy to share info about my fics, don't worry!! in this one, i'll talk about "Let's Make It (a) Home" and "Swept Up"!!

Preface, here's all my fic wips as explained before!! and all my writing can be found in my #inland drabbles tag! ask 1, ask 3!

Let's Make It (a) Home is a fic about the Hanged Man case, from the perspective of the skills learning to work together again and rebuild a home! current word count is 3042 :]

Swept Up in the Feeling is a character study fic from the perspective of Empathy hanging out with the other skills! current word count is 13116!! :D

RIGHT OFF THE BAT HERE'S A SNIPPET FROM MAKE IT HOME!

oN GOD IF I COULD JUST SHARE THIS ENTIRE SNIPPET?? i won't but IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY HJGKJG so like. skill check failures means that skill is unable to fulfill its duty. if this were, say, a hand/eye coordination check fail, he'd probably drop the sword or like. accidentally stab himself hkjgh BUT volition stands for self-restraint, serious business and acting responsibly, so WHEN HE FAILS THE SKILL CHECK…

god. i love volition. i love swords. it's just volition showing off to his heart's content, HE DESERVES TO BE HAPPY MAN HGKJG. writing the description following this was absolutely delightful, i love how poetic it turned out, THIS WHOLE SCENE IS SO DEAR TO ME..

this fic is probably my favorite out of all my fics, tbh? i love the skills man!! the dynamic of like... "i don't remember a lot of you or a lot of myself, and it's all so distantly familiar, but regardless we all have to work together right now." i think before this they were really dysfunctional, and that persists through the game, and in the fic. they bicker and argue and they don't always get along, but this is a fresh start for all of them and it helps them learn to cooperate better, learning to work as a team!!

the idea that they're also struggling through this, everything harry feels, but trying to keep it together, to work together for their core. in the end, they all want what they think is best for harry, y'know? im really excited to write for the dora dream, y'all know how the skills are in the dream, my GOD. SCREAMS. anyway thats hype hfjhg the whole concept of getting to see the game from the skills perspective, rebuilding, reforming bonds. its really sweet to me.

writing this fic requires replaying all of disco elysium, so i can write it from the skills perspective, which is a BIG ENDEAVOR hgkjg

NOW!! Swept Up in the Feeling, aka EMPATHY MY DARLING. my favorite guy i love him!! kisses his forehead lovingly!! i adoreee this volition chapter, it's a flashback chapter before a MAJOR EVENT happens in the fic and it's just there to showcase my volition and empathy childhood best friend propaganda, theeyyyyy make me so happy i'll cry hgkjg

it's just!! volition was the first skill empathy ever met and attached to!! and empathy was the first skill volition ever met alone, so he feels a sense of responsibility for him hkjg and they're playmates and they take naps and they grow up together and they care about each other.

oughhh i have MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THEM, and so many art wips of them too hgkjg <33 i'll get to it!!! eventually!! hgkjg

otherwise, I LOVE SWEPT UP!! i love skills character studies!! i love these guys as characters in their own right, and not just narrators or extensions of harry's thoughts!! i love exploring them from empathy's point of view, because thats EMPATHY'S WHOLE THING?? HJLKGJ that he'll know how the other skill feels, how they think, and he'll try to understand and empathize!! he's like, the PERFECT character to do character studies from?? i LOVE YOU EMPATHY!!!

every chapter makes me endeared to each skill hgkjg the drama chapter is fuckin cookin man, thats INTERESTING STUFF HKJGG the phys chapter RAUGH. I LOVE YOU COACH YOU'RE REALLY FUNNY AND ALSO I FEEL EMOTIONS ABOUT YOU HKJG i love all of them really, if anyone wants details on a chapter in specific, hit up the ask box bro hgklj i don't have everyone down yet, but even if i don't i'll probably just use it to brainstorm hgkj <33

OKAY THAT'S ALL!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK!!! i really love chatting about my fics, it just takes a lot to type it all out in words hkjgg i could ramble forever if anyone wanted to listen for that long hkjg ANYWAY THANK YOU CHEFS KISS

[inkedwingss]

Dress weird — but only weird enough: you know what I mean, just apparently weird, not real weird, silly. Borderline humiliating. No one likes real weird: it means appearances mean nothing and I can't manipulate anyone, which is terribly uncomfortable. If you can, show us your skin also, as much of it as possible. It's cool to be very edgy, so dress weird, yes: ''break the cage of old traditions'', go out half naked (you're just a piece of meat anyways, so just go already). We could change your face a little as well, correct your nose, maybe? Bigger lips, now, yes? The filter looks better anyway, and you know it! Oh, don't worry, you can dress weirdly, baby, I mean.... If you're hot! Just... Be thin, I guess? It's not a spiritual fast, forget the feast, and look in the mirror, your waist needs a trim! But don't worry, you can still dress something weird: especially if your bag has a nice Big Name on it. What? You're doing this for man? Oh, don't be silly, real men don't even care about it. The only ones who do are the ones who are listening to me as well, all trapped, just like you. So do it for yourself— call it freedom, call it self-love, because destroying yourself is the reason why you're alive, didn't you know? At least, that is what we want you to think. So be our propaganda girl, be like they show on television, worship the deconstruction of humanism, and make it all cool and aesthetic; a soulless and pornographic act. Call other people perverts and ignore your own perversion by doing that; what do you mean you want to cry? Don't you know the rules this world is run by? Don't you want to be pretty to be loved? What do you mean... ''Did you put the teeth inside my gums when I was young?''

''Did you choose the colour of my eyes?''—what? ''How about the curve of my smile?''

Who is shining this light on top of my scars?

You know what?

You're fading.

reading tag list under the cut

Feels a bit weird to do this but here we go @caustic-splines @hersurvival@icantdance@poetici@informedimagining @thedayoftherae @sablewing @stumbling-through-time @burntblanc @lelestarmy @fairytaleinagem @remnantofabrokensoul @yakultstan @illarian-rambling

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group A Round 3: #A5 vs #A6

#A5: Two girls unravel mysteries surrounding an isolated manor

#A6: Sad lesbians sing while fighting monsters

Details and poll under the cut!

#A5: Shadows House

Summary:

The Shadows, characterized by their pitch-black appearance and tendency to emit soot when agitated, are a family of nobles who reside in a colossal manor deep within the mountains far from other humans. When a Shadow child is nearly of-age, they are assigned a Living Doll who acts not only as their attendant but also as their second half—the faces they could have had if not for their complexion.

Emilico is a cheerful, newly created Doll who serves a rather soft-spoken master named Kate. Despite their difference in personalities, Emilico does what she can to carry out the needs of her master. As she learns more about her role and duty, Emilico begins to meet her fellow Dolls and their respective masters and comes to know more about the purpose of her existence.

"Do not fret over trivial matters," says one of the rules by which all Dolls must abide. But how could the ever-curious Emilico do so in the face of the deep secrets that the Shadows House holds?

Propaganda:

The atmosphere of the manor is probably the most effective aspects of the story, creating a feeling of isolation and worry as Kate and Emilico try to survive in the mansion. The show starts off pretty subtle, but as it progresses it becomes more and more strange and off-putting. This series is an incredibly interesting, layered mystery, and the horror elements are excellently done.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse

#A6: Symphogear (Senki Zesshou Symphogear)

Summary:

The world is beset by creatures known as the Noise. Nothing can touch them, and if they touch a human being, both turn into carbon dust. But, with the symphogear system-magitech battle armor powered by music and singing, humanity has a chance to fight back.

Propaganda:

This is the best example of music fights I’ve ever seen. They sing WHILE fighting. It’s amazing. The fight choreography, how the music plays into it, and let’s not forget the incredible character development. The entire cast is full of characters that would be the highlight of any other show. And last but not least, it is off the walls insane fun. You think it reaches its heights at the end of season 1, but no. It keeps climbing, and you are along for the ride.

Trigger Warnings: Drugs, Emotional Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Guns, Kidnapping, Nudity, Slavery, Suicide

All warnings apply to the main characters, some are for the later seasons (drugs, guns (especially S2)). Slavery and kidnapping are rather said than shown and are fom a flashback.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[galacticnova3]

I will not shut up about this actually rambling in tags isn’t enough I need to shout my fantasy giant friend spider propaganda into the void or I will explode

-Various domesticated spiders raised just for their silk. Different species can produce silk more suited for some applications, such as construction, clothing, wiring, and even surgical use. Even the largest ones are comparatively cheap to care for, being content to stay in one place and being healthiest when fed once every few days or so. The main drawback would be the time it takes for them to reach adulthood, and the risks to males when it comes to breeding.

-Spiders raised as pets! Sure, people already keep real spiders as pets, but I’m thinking something a bit more tolerant of interaction. Not necessarily social, but able to recognize the people they’re around and not stressed by handling. Maybe they’re otherwise very similar to real life spiders, maybe they’re selectively bred to have reduced fang size or limited/no venom production. Think of all the morphs, too! Given that it’s a fantasy world I feel like it wouldn’t be unfair to have them come in all sorts of colors, since real life spiders of various kinds already do. Even just taking tarantulas into account they can be the usual dark browns, blacks, and grays, but also come in sapphire blue and bright purple and purplish-pink and peach and orange… And that’s not taking into account the fact that they can have beautiful patterns and MORE COLORS!! I mean just look at the Antilles pinktoe— contrary to what the name suggests, they start out bright blue and then grow into adults with a teal cephalothorax and black legs with fuzz that ranges from blueish-purple to red! Heck, imagine being able to keep a hamster-sized peacock spider that actually doesn’t mind being held!

-Spiders raised to protect livestock or even people. Could be brightly colored as a warning to would-be threats, put down thin layers of silk around the perimeter that alert it to anything approaching before it even comes into view, threat displays offer a final chance to avoid confrontation. Could kick hairs as another deterrent which might also act as a way to mark a would-have-been offender. Just imagine the satisfaction of finally having proof the neighbor’s dog is the thing that’s been terrorizing your chickens because your spider has a bald spot on its butt, and the dog has been scratching ever since a bunch of hairs that are the exact same color as your spider mysteriously appeared on it. Sure, scuffles would involve a bit of clean-up, but better to clean up after a spider than dispose of livestock remains.

-This one I don’t have any details for but imagine with me, for a moment: jumping spider if it was like a cat. Y’know how some cats do the begging thing with their front paws? Jumping spiders basically already do that sometimes. Excited tippy taps. Failing the mirror test and trying to either scare off or hide from the uninvited stranger spider. Doing a lil dance like a pigeon trying to woo its owner. Pouncing on toys. Showing off brightly colored chelicerae or booty. Making a little silk nest and hanging out in there. Trying to threat pose at the vacuum cleaner

[orfeoarte]

For the Choose violence ask game, 7. 21. And 25.

HI DUSK! thanks for the ask, we're going to avoid pulling any punches here HEHE but, again, personal opinion. Ask game here

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

Damn. I don't know. I can be persuaded to love or hate anyone if given a good enough reason. I'm kinda tired of Miraak though. I haven't met him in the game, and that's probably a part of it LOL. I also have a love-hate relationship with Mannimarco and Vanus. I love them, but if I look at the tags, excluding my friends, I tend to incur 1d10 psychic damage each time.

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

it's hard to explain if you're not a resident of my brain but i don't like the Human pantheons. I wish we got more exploration of Aedra from a Mer perspective, and I wish we got more Bosmer religion in general. So, in comparison, seeing Humans everywhere in TES and seeing people not do the due research on how a society would develop if they were nonhumans and had different fears and cultural tenets (which only I really care about) is a bit tiring 💛

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

I'll twist this question a little. I'm tired of hearing the fandom complain OR talk about how TES is meant to show different points of view and take for granted that things are In-Universe propaganda (with which I agree), only to then turn around and ignore that real life people make the games, and their biases SHOW. The writing isn't that big a deal to me... it's not some paragon of polyphony. It's a window to the mind of a pocketful of USAmerican men. I guess that also counts as something I think is overhyped. The writing. It's so glaringly obvious to me and I really dislike when people ignore the very real life conditions of a piece of cultural work.

NOT THAT THIS IS BAD I JUST DISLIKE IT. my dislike is personal and comes from a place of love for TES as a world and setting. I wouldn't criticize it if I didn't both love it and think it could be even better

[general-sleepy]

[ID by @mushroomjar: tags with the water filter over them. They read, "#one second i have to google something #holy shit what the fuck #what the fuck #do NOT google a serbian film holy shit #wow #what's #atrocious #no matter what the director says about his film. how he says its about like. the culture of serbian filmmaking at the time #it does not convey. this film should never have been made. #also i think the director should kill himself for featuring a film with… *that* scene #edit: also maybe lets throw salo or 100 days of sodom on this list too. i hear its kind of. nasty."

The meme of Chris Pine sitting in front of a laptop with headphones on, wearing a thousand-yard stare.

More tags: "#something about the casualness of saying 'i hear it's kind of nasty' about salò is sending me #this 'cannibal holocaust sounds a bit sus you guys" END ID]

Someone in the notes of this said that it's more complex whether Birth of a Nation is irredeemable than A Serbian Film. I won't name them, but this is blowing my mind. Birth of a Nation is terrorist, white supremacist propaganda. A Serbian Film is an edgy horror flick that doesn't quite land its intended sociopolitical message. They're not even vaguely comparable. (Maybe you could say Birth of a Nation is the better movie on a technical level, but...)

If people are going to talk about "irredeemable media" it should apply to things like The Turner Diaries or Triumph of the Will or those comic books made by the Children of God. Not Salò or Martyrs or Nekromantic or whatever, certainly not shows and movies for little kids.

(Apparently, the person who wrote the tags about wanting Srđan Spasojević to kill himself said that they regret doing it, which is cool).

'Irredeemable media' is such a funny concept to me because it's never used for stuff like Birth of a Nation or A Serbian Film. It's always The Owl House or My Hero Academia because these people only watch things for children and can't stand any conflict more complex than Super Mario Brothers.

[dameronswife]

There were several ways of pulling Poe Dameron out of his head, but Nyamié had found that thrusting a cup of caf under his nose succeeded the most often.

Word Count: 878

Tags/Warnings: hurt/comfort, implied past toxic relationship with family, poe getting in his head a bit about things <3

A/N: now you're probably wondering "nym, don't you have an oc with poe already" which. yeah i do. but i've been toying with making a resistance era oc for a while, and came up with Nyamié. so this is me kind of testing the waters for her.

There were several ways of pulling Poe Dameron out of his head, but Nyamié had found that thrusting a cup of caf under his nose succeeded the most often.

So, after spying him ruminating alone in the rec room, that's what she did, along with a plate piled high with stolen pastries. "Credit for your thoughts, Dameron?”

Poe, who initially startled at the clatter of the dishes, relaxed as he realized who it was. "I think I should be the one giving you a credit," he said, eyes twinkling as he picked up the mug to take a sip. “Nope, I definitely owe you at least five credits. Force, this is good.”

“Nubian café's loss, the Resistance's gain," Nyamié said cheerfully, dropping down into the seat opposite of Poe. Popping one of the sugar dusted snacks into her mouth, she continued, “Seriously though - you're brooding.”

Poe fixed her with a stern look. "I do not brood."

Nyamié pinched her stained fingers together. "You brood a little bit. It's just that nobody notices.”

Reaching for a pastry himself, Poe couldn't help but ask, "Yeah? And how come you do?”

She gave a little shrug. "I don't know. You just don't seem like that big of a mystery to me - you get quiet and your face, especially around your eyebrows, gets pinched. It's a dead giveaway.”

Not to anyone but you - well, you and Leia.

Poe shifted slightly, looking around the room; it was largely empty, unsurprising given the late hour, but unfortunate because it meant Poe couldn't get away from Nyamié’s question.

“Just - thinking,” he said, faltering when he glanced back to find Nyamié licking her fingers clean. 

Apparently oblivious to his reaction - though Poe thought it was something of a performance, because Nyamié’s lips twitched slightly - she continued, “I hear that's dangerous.”

“General wants me to try it more, what can I say?”

Nyamié rolled her eyes, fond, then said softly but with emphasis, “Poe.”

His shoulders slumped; there were few things in the galaxy that could get him to cave quite as quickly as the sight of her big brown eyes, her quiet but fiery understanding. “Been thinking about the search for Tekka.”

Nyamié leaned forward, putting her chin in her hand. “What about it?”

Here, he hesitated again but — but it was just the two of them, and Nyamié was many things but judgmental wasn't one of them. “Do you think Skywalker will be enough to make a difference?”

Her eyebrows lifted. “I thought you believed in the Jedi?”

“I do but…but the Senate hasn't listened to Leia, hasn't listened to any of the former Alliance members: why would Luke make any difference?”

“Luke’s a Jedi, that'll give people hope.”

“I’m not sure turning one man into a symbol of hope is enough to get people to take the First Order seriously,” Poe said, turning one of the pastries over in his hand. He had no idea where Nyamié scored them, but he'd learned long ago sometimes it was better not to ask.

Nyamié pursed her lips. “I think it will. I mean - you know better than anyone how well it can work. Remember how many recruits we got after Suralinda posted that propaganda poster Yolo made of you?”

Poe made a face. “That was a ridiculous poster.”

“I thought you looked dashing in it actually,” Nyamié admitted sheepishly. “But my point is, people need someone to show them how to fight back sometimes, to remind them that they can be brave.”

“I know that, I just -” Poe sighed, leaning back in his chair - “I don't understand why Leia isn't enough.”

Nyamié’s expression softened, before screwing up with irritation. “I don't know either. It isn't fair, she's -” she stopped abruptly, that now familiar panic of I said too much, so Poe reached over the table to take her smaller hand into his, a silent encouragement to continue, and with a deep breath, Nyamié did - “she's still here, Luke…isn't. I don't understand how he could have left, could have left his sister. Family is supposed to help each other, protect one another…”

Poe squeezed her hand, trying to draw her away from the memories he could tell were pulling her under. It seemed to work, clarity flashing in her eyes as she refocused on him. 

“I don't know,” he admitted. “I don't because I can't imagine walking out on this, not until it's over.”

Nyamié’s brow furrowed. “I can't imagine even after that. I don't want to go back home.”

Poe looked up, alarmed. The very idea of her returning to her family was like a vibroblade through his gut, sent a chill through the very core of him. “You won't have to.”

“How can you be so sure?”

His lips upturned into a warm smile. “Because you said it yourself. Family protects each other. I won't let them take you back.”

Nyamié’s eyes began to shimmer as her face lit up, and she ducked forward, pressing a quick kiss to Poe's knuckles. “Maybe that’ll be what makes the difference in the end.”

“What?”

She smiled back at him. “The Resistance. We're there for one another. I think that's what will make the most difference: in Skywalker, and in the galaxy. We just need to remind them.”

[schrodingers-redfish]

Hey, I don’t think the post about how the meal aid sent to Palestine wasn’t halal is entirely true. Every source I’m seeing online says there were halal meals sent, and OP hasn’t posted any sources themselves, just criticism of anyone who contradicts them + anyone who cites things that aren’t tiktok. MREs also don’t expire (smth they mentioned in a tag); they’re meant to be shelf stable for years and years and the date on them is an inspection date, not an expiration date. Not to say there’s nothing to criticize about the aid efforts - like it would def be better if MORE/ALL of the meals were halal, and also if he wasn’t sending weapons to Israel. But I feel like OP is misrepresenting the situation, which feels like misinformation. Figured you’d wanna know. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/03/israel-hamas-war-news-gaza-palestine/

The fact check is appreciated. The offending post has been deleted.

Goes to show how important it is to do due diligence even when the information could easily be true. That's the kind of misinformation that spreads the farthest and none of us are immune to propaganda.

Also I blog exclusively from mobile so my apologies that this ask was probably sitting around for a minute. I only noticed I had a message by chance when I went to do a bot purge.

Thanks again, sorry for the delay

[undead-discourse]

Proshippers or Pro-paras who actually say they are just doing thoughtcrime extend the definition of thoughtcrime to point its not a thoughtcrime anymore . Like you publicly present a identity that shows a belief saying that you expect the space to tolerate you which would have to include everyone else who has that label and , publicly post it for others to see and follow people on top of saying how proud you are of it. Like you might be like "I think these thoughts are fine in my head but not in real life" but does everyone under that who feels happy with those thoughts as desires push beliefs in their to support those feelings. And if they don't why go out of your way to make fiction that will be used as propaganda when knowingly making it that way to those who don't know and if they can't call you out for publicly being like this how could they call out someone who wants to hurt others before someone gets hurt when detecting others who do when what possible hint they might be is just chucked up to proship/pro-para nonsense. Like you might not want to do harm your self but how can I know when those who will hide behind your community, and when you sprout this stuff how am I suppose to know that this is bad when you and many others talk it up so brightly like it is propaganda and so many fictional things are meant to invoke thoughts of real life to feel real feelings. Like if this was really a thoughtcrime you would just keep it as a thought and say and post nothing which would still not change the fact of beliefs and the fact that if you really just wanted to do stuff privately you could just not say anything and lurk to get off the things you want and not post shit or build up with a community like that which would still not make up immune to that stuff making you really buy into it and go to worse things by getting bored. All I can say is better advocate for better help that doesn't make you go to jail and lose your loved ones or leave public websites and fandoms since those clearly don't mix which people who want to keep their spaces safe and your worth as a human does not hinge on if a internet space wants you or not and the simple fact that some people just hate each other and don't mix for far petty things. Like I don't think that there are any "freaks" or "normals" since we all live in a capitalist world and those in first world countries live off the suffering of others and the word freak is subjective but truly if people are freaked out because you take that stance or think that way without being sick your self maybe just leave and don't form spaces and just lurk or again advocate for help because you people and internet spaces don't mix. Also yes some fictions does have a lot of issues but some others who like those works can like it being critical of its issues. Truly no one has to hear your feelings on the internet and tags when others can still find it and a community that only listens to others like them because all others would want them out because they could never mix to form a space that can never mix it self can only lead to trouble.

.

[eternitas]

... Sorry to add onto this but this time i didnt want to just leave it in the tags.

I think sharing experiences can be healing in a way so here is mine.

My mother loves me more than anything in the whole wide world. So much so she believes that it was her purpose in life to be my mother. You guessed it, she is a bit of a helicopter parent.

But she was also raised and lived in belarus, brainwashed to believe russian propaganda. She doesn't speak belarus anymore, she watched putin tv for years and build a sense of pride in an identity as russian, that is like one or two steps into full fascism. The problems we have are a lot and political talks are incredibly taxing.

But she loves me and I know that. She doesnt realize her bigotry but she notices when she hurts me and she has tried her best in the past 10 years to get better. Even if it is hard for her to face that she can not treat me as her picture perfect daughter doll that will be a housewife and bear children bc that was what she dreamed of.

Her "daughter" will stay with her now fiance and both do not want children. And while yes, this is our decision, she has a hard time coming to terms and balancing her own worldview with her love for me.

She supports me where she can, she wants to make sure that i am safe and have a good life and she works hard so she can ensure especially financial support for me which is so crucial in late stage capitalism. She wants me to be happy, but it hurts.

It hurts that in small ways she still lets me unwillingly know that she wishes different for me. It hurts to know that I could come out as genderfluid with a new name and more leaning he/him pronouns to my school and my friends but not to my parents.

Every time i spend time with my family i feel like i regress back into a forced female role that I am not fully comfortable with. Its like I am relearning how to be my true self every time I leave my parents vicinity again.

But I can also see that she tries.

She does suppoet me, she doesnt make as many weird comments anymore about me and my fiance, she doesn't bring up the topic of children all that much anymore and she never ever stopped telling me that she loves me more than anything and that she will support me no matter what.

I think thats why it is hard for me to... Just cut ties. It hurts, it hurts so much, but she also shows that she is changing and willing to adapt even if it is hard for her. And that makes it... Impossible for me. A happy ending feels so so close and in arms reach that I can't really give myself a definitive reason as to WHY i NEED to leave her.

Especially when our relationship keeps improving in a sense.

The damage is done. I likely won't be able to tell my mum about my identity anytime soon, I am still careful WHAT i say around her, I am careful not to start discussions I know will only hurt me. I will never truly have an unstrained relationship with her.

But I was also never kicked out. I was never sent to conversion therapy or actively set up with another partner. I was never called sinfull or locked up, i was never beaten-

But it doesn't need that.

It just needs my mum mindlessly saying that my sis and I should just marry some rich guy and be set for life! Only for me to remind her that I am very very happy in my current relationship.

It just needs my mum telling me that your "family" will always remain and you can always rely on them, while friends and partners come and go.

But my mum loves me

I feel like we always see parents who are 100% super supportive allies, or parents who are horrible and cruel.  At least in media or in the most popular stories.  But I feel like that ignores just how many people have parents where you just have no idea?  And even if you think they’ll accept you on a surface level, you don’t know if they have a breaking point.  Especially if you need to go on hrt, or request they change the way they think about and refer to you.  Sure they’re liberal and all, or centrists, or “tolerant”, but how far does that stretch?

I think most closeted LGBT+ kids live like this, wading around in the grey area.  I’d like it of more of us knew that was normal, I’d like if we talked about it more.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group A Round 3: #A3 vs #A1

#A3: Girl who sees ghosts meets poor shinigami. Comedy ensues.

#A1: Teens with special powers seek & protect other unique teens.

Details and poll under the cut!

#A3: RIN-NE (Kyoukai no Rinne)

Summary:

Rinne Rokudou has bigger problems than going to school—namely, helping spirits pass over to the next life. Because of this responsibility, he often finds himself short on money and struggles to buy his necessities: food, clothes, and exorcism tools.

Sakura Mamiya has been able to see ghosts since she was little. She hoped she would outgrow it, but even after starting high school, nothing has changed. To make matters worse, the first time her ever-absent classmate, Rinne, shows up for school, only Sakura can see him. She assumes, as anyone would, that he is a ghost. However, to Sakura's surprise, Rinne proceeds to attend school like normal the next day.

Propaganda:

This is one of Rumiko Takahashi’s underrated works (mostly getting overshadowed by Inuyasha due to her releasing this series after the fact), and I don’t see a lot of people talk about it often. While it’s not my favorite of her works, it’s one that I still like because of the way she portrays the characters. Plus, it still has that classic Rumic comedy and feel to it and I really love the animation with her artstyle. Anyways, if you like supernatural comedies (with a hint of romance) then vote for Rin-ne!

Trigger Warnings: None.

#A1: Charlotte

Summary:

Yuu Otosaka has the ability take over a person’s mind and body for five seconds at a time, allowing him to cheat his way to the top of his class and enter a prestigious high school, where he continues his dishonest acts. His shenanigans are eventually stopped by Nao Tomori, the headstrong student council president from Hoshinoumi Academy, who sees through his deceit. Through coercion, Nao convinces Yuu to transfer to Hoshinoumi and join the student council.

With Yuu begrudgingly assisting in council affairs, the group sets out to find and protect new ability users from harm. However, as they further investigate the abilities, their findings entangle them in far more complicated matters than they could ever imagine.

Propaganda:

I would encourage anyone who enjoys shows that make you think to check this one out! Due to things revealed near the end of the series, a second watch-through is well worth it to see the clues towards the ending and foreshadowing along the way. Consequential drawbacks for these special powers are included throughout the series. Plot-twists keep the audience hooked through it all. There is character growth as the main character changes and as hard choices come up later. It does take you on an emotional roller coaster from light-hearted humor to hitting you right in the feels. (I totally did not watch this anime just because my favorite voice actor is in it lol)

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Child Death, Emotional Abuse, Flashing Lights, Gender Identity/Sexuality Discrimination, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Rape/Non-Con, Torture, Mutilation.

The non-con warning is for female characters unwillingly having their underwear publicly exposed.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[the-adaptation-was-better]

Do you have an adaptation you like just as much if not more than the original book? Tired of automatic claims that the book is better or people insisting an adaptation is bad just because it's different in any way? Is there an adaptation that you feel is underrated, or just makes you really happy? Is there a show or movie you love dearly, regardless of whatever it may be based on?

Boy, do I have the poll tournament for you!

The rules are simple:

Submit any screen adaptations that you think were just as good if not better than the books they were based on.

You can submit as many characters as you want but do it in separate submissions. Please don't spam one character a bunch of times in a row.

Only submissions through the form will be counted, not asks.

Generally, I'm focusing on TV/movie adaptations of books, but you can make a case for anything if you want.

TERFs, transmeds, exclusionists, and other bigots are NOT welcome.

SUBMIT YOUR ADAPTATIONS HERE!

Please keep in mind I am just doing this for fun and vibes! I will delete shit that doesn't pass the vibe check (things like Harry Potter) but I might also include things that didn't get a lot of submissions if the submitter can convince me with a passionate TedTalk.

I don't know if I'll do a traditional bracket or just vibe. Probably just vibe. I'll probably do little graphics though so if you have a picture you want me to use feel free to send something in or you'll be making do with whatever I find on Google.

I will try to reblog propaganda if I can, but I can't promise I'll see it all and if this blows up (which it probably won't, but who knows?) I might not even be able to reblog them all. I won't be reblogging anti-propaganda (aka "actually in this case the book WAS better because...")

Any hate messages will be blocked and ignored.

I will probably stop whenever I get Too Many Submissions, or in like, a week. Whichever comes first. This could either blow up or completely fizzle out.

I have tried to make this blog and post like five times and tumblr still refuses to put it in the main tags.

[samdyke]

i was thinking last night about how spn as a show is a white supremacist cop narrative and how the show could have turned in its ending (if not sooner) towards a future where this system is dismantled - the post about sam setting up systems for “monster” rehabilitation and protection or the concept of that in general where the endgame is the pratice of hunting being eradicated is the only way to end that narrative supremacy

but anyways while i was thinking about it, i was also considering the idea of making the supernatural known to the general public (once again the idea that hunters are outside the law and above the public because theyre special is supremacist, there cannot be an unknown controller). this makes sense for a slew of reasons and frankly the suspension of disbelief required to even accept that the public in spn is still unaware is pretty signifigant, considering how frequent supernatural encounters are and how large we’re led to believe the hunting community is. the show says that the public cant know because of panic and hysteria which is like....okay, and the delusiona of granduer of hunters is the better alternative, because they’re “special”? it’s absolutely a cop out and it’s ridiculous.

the only reason that we see hunters as the heroes and not as a supremacist threat to society is because that’s what we’ve been shown. i’m not very invested in the comics or the movies so this is a very loose connection but like - take the x-men and mutants. in their story, they’re the heros (in general) and the real threat is the radical humans who fear them and therefore hate them. that’s, essentially, the role of hunters in supernatural, but narratively we’re never supposed to ask whether the winchesters are wrong. when we ARE supposed to ask - as in, when the show does its half assed not all monsters bit - the answer is always ultimately No! Of Course They’re Not Wrong! even though by the very nature of showing that “monsters” are capable of complex thought and diverse behavior, hunting is an inherently flawed structure....this doesnt really have a point i guess, the show just does a fantastic job at making sure the viewers all buy into the supremacy fantasy

[nemainofthewater]

So far we have Shan Gudao in first with 28% of the votes, followed by Shi Mei with 18%, and with Zhou Zishu in third with 13%!

Tag propaganda under the cut:

Yu Ai

#shan gudao was bad#but i think yu ai is worse merely because he genuinely thinks he's a good person#like sgd you eventually go wow you're a fucking asshole#but yu ai tries to make you feel guilty for being mad about the attempted accidental murder#that bitch would try to manipulate those around him for decades without any outright murder attempt#poll#worst shixiong by @antique-forvalaka

#i voted yu ai before i even saw shi mei#but then idk i feel like i could forgive shi mei more readily than yu ai#maybe thats just me tho by @myloveasrare

Shan Gudao

#there's many excellent candidates here but it's real hard to beat shan gudao#faking death causing war pulling a coup all just to be better than his overachiever shidi. iconic levels of obsessed#nobidy doing it with quite as much malice and resentment as he is by @nutcasewithaknife

#it's a tie between Yu Ai and Shan Gudao for me#although I could only vote one so Shan Gudao it is#as far as malicious shixiongs go Shan Gudao had slightly more vitriol by @alxina

#definitely shan gudao#what a dick lmao#at least poor shi mei had an incredibly motivating factor driving him#even if the things he did to accomplish that ambition was terrible#shi mei defense squad 💪 my bby did many things wrong but i love him anyway#poll @thebeingofeverything

#shan gudao#it was between him and zhou zishu among thr characters i actually know#but if going by who i’d rather have as a shixiong#at least with zhou zishu if i don’t interfere with his work i’d probably be ok#poll#back to add since people in the notes are clearly voting on idiot show zishu that i was considering the novel version#where the only bad shixiong thing he does is kill jiuxiao#but if jiuxiao had just stayed out of things he’d’ve been fine so by @intyalote

#I don't know all of them but shan gudao#Worst shixiong on purpose#Wwx and zzs however...#Not necessarily on purpose#reblog#tumblr polls by @mx-myth

#FUCKING shan gudao#i voted yesterday for this to be the poll today exclusively so i could vote for him by @commandersya

Zhou Zishu

#zhou zishu’s decision to lead tian chuang literally gets every single one of his shidis killed#can’t think of a better argument for ‘worst shixiong’ than that#and sure he regrets it and does better when he reestablishes the sect#but that’s him being shiFU#when he’s shiXIONG? yikes by @sunnyuto

#shan gudao for sure terrible person#but mainly ruined one lil shidis life#zhou zishu wanted to be good at it but man....#they are all dead now by @fqonly

Hao Chen

#hao chen#he caused everything#everything is his fault#and it took the Heavenly Emperor stepping in and telling him that everything was his fault#for him to realize just how much of an asshole he was#manipulative gaslighting#he did a mind wipe/soul splitting/sex change on his supposed best friend#and then he continued manipulating#the man is walking red flag. a red banner even. by @howdaretrashships

#yeah all of them are pretty bad but hao chen is a whole other level#he almost crushed his old sect under a meteor#he did this weird ereasing memories / gender change to his best friend#he manipulated xuanji during 40 eps or smth#if i start listing everything he did i am here for half an hour again#so yeah pretty bad shixiong by @bananaproved

Shi Mei

#the audacity of putting wei wuxian on that list lol#technically not incorrect though#but for real it's SHI MEI by @purplehanfu

#hard choice between Shi Mei and Shan Gudao#But Shi Mei wins#firstly he poisoned his shidi's mind with a flower that brings out his hate and suppresses positive emotions#which was originally meant for his shizun#then he fakes his death so that shidi can lead the world to ruin#and lives in another sect with a separate identity#then when shidi dies he starts fucking around with forbidden spells#massacres hundreds upon hundreds of people#to pave a path for his kin#and then gets crushed#Shi Mei 2.0 is still alive but he dramatically does get held hostage by another version of himself and slash his eyes open right on purpose#....he does regret it in the end and help but ya know#amused at the lack of Gu Mang from Yuwu but he isn't the Worst Worst so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ by @travalerray

#gotta go with shi mei on this one#like shan gudao is truly a trash shixiong but on the level of trash shixiong shenanigans...they do not compare by @noswordinourlake

Strictly speaking, joining a Sect is probably a good idea if you want to survive the cultivation/jianghu/immortal world, but it does comes with its own dangers.

No, not the terrible food.

I'm talking about your Shixiong.

Whether maliciously or through poor life choices, a lot of the time your Shixiong could be the key cause of your downfall and/or death.

Learn from today's candidates; vet your martial siblings carefully!

(A note: I am not saying that the candidates are bad people necessarily, just that they are bad Shixiongs)

WARNING for SPOILERS

!!!!!!!!!

Write-ins, propaganda, and images are welcome!

[autumnslance]

Do you ever get tired of people comparing trauma between Yotsuyu and Fordola? Or how some say Yotsuyu should have lived and Fordola should have died?

I manage to avoid most of it, honestly. Folks who spend a lot of time and energy on character hate don’t tend to get my follows, and sometimes even get filtered/muted, depending on platform. I don’t go digging through the tags very often, either, just take what comes across my dash, and I keep my following count low for various reasons (mostly having to do with my own time, energy, and sanity). Still, there are things I see, so I sigh and eyeroll, and scroll on.

Fordola and Yotsuyu were meant to be two versions of the same story, in two different places, showing the damage of not only the Empire but from their own people, and how that played its part in driving them to accepting the Empire—their abusive conquerers—as the better of bad options for their own goals of security, safety, strength.

I do think one story is told better than the other; I don’t think they should have avoided the nastier parts of Yotsuyu’s history, but the way it was done was clumsy and just didn’t work within the MMO story limits. Especially adding in the infantilization via amnesia, and how poorly Hien is written in handling the Yotsuyu issue, which keeps affecting Doma’s story even through Endwalker. If Hien were just screwing up, OK, he’s young and new to ruling, but he’s simply not allowed to be the heroic character he’s supposed to be through it.

Anyway; I figured either Yotsuyu or Fordola would die, and the other get to work toward redemption. Toward learning and seeing a different way than the one they had spent most or all of their lives laboring under amid abuse, discrimination, and propaganda. While the other gets a redemptive moment, but dies in the process. It was simply a matter of which one.

“Death Equals Redemption”, while a popular trope, can also too often be a cop-out. The audience is supposed to “forgive” someone for one shining moment after a lot of bad while they escape actual consequences, actual effort, in dealing with what they did. It’s often an appeasement; give a villain their comeuppance for those who want to see it, while also some kind of nice moment for the fans of that character. But real redemption takes time and personal work, and does not at all mean someone has to be forgiven by those they’ve wronged. Yotsuyu’s is handled better than some. She did learn a few things, and genuinely cared for Gosetsu. If she couldn’t have her revenge on Doma, she could at least get Asahi for everything he’d done, and I maintain she went into that situation knowing that was the best she’d get as it was otherwise suicide-by-WoL, which was also acceptable to her as she regained her memories and the ability to feel remorse with them. But she also doesn’t get the chance to move forward from that moment, which is a waste of those lessons and the ability to put them into practice, which is where some of the fan disappointment comes in.

I think it turned out as it did because Lyse takes to heart the lessons she had learned through the story, combined with her life as a Scion, giving her a more global view in general. She’s able to find a different path for all of Ala Mhigo, letting go of their tumultuous history to build a new future together, so offers that opportunity to Fordola. Hien can’t quite yet see the societal issues in Doma that he stands within and gets written into a corner, especially with the portrayal of trying to rebuild Doma similar to how it used to be, holding onto traditions that gave the Domans strength through the occupation (as they hadn’t the same issues that Ala Mhigo did pre-empire).

Yotsuyu and Fordola have different but just as valid abuses and traumas—and commit similar abuses and traumas on others—though some folks feel more sympathy for one than the other. For some fans it’s a reflection of their own painful pasts, letting them empathize with one or the other more. For some folks, it’s simply finding one character’s personality more grating than the other. For some, it’s simply about finding one “hotter” than the other, a matter of basic aesthetic appeal. There’s some folks who don’t think antagonists should get a chance to change and find redemption at all, especially if they conflate “forgiveness” in it, which the game has deliberately shown is not the same a few times now. And for some, it’s the perceived unfairness in how one story is clumsily resolved in tragedy, while the other is getting what I actually think is the best written and paced redemption story in a game that usually handwaves those for our reforming antagonists. In many cases, it’s simply character preference leading to emotional responses, and not about what the characters are bringing to the narrative and why.

Because you can’t really have one character without the other within the “war and what comes after” story of Stormblood. These women are comparisons and commentary on the imperialism/colonialism, but also on their respective nations. Their stories work in tandem, separate but the same in many ways, challenging their narrative foils (Lyse and Hien) to think and consider and learn; one fails, the other succeeds, due to how they are moving toward their nations’ futures. Tearing down one woman to elevate the other is missing a point in what these characters mean for a story of societal redemption, as well as their own individually, and what they teach the heroes along the way.