#◈▏▐ ❛ someone stop me. ❜ ― ( self promo )

[norcumii]

My family watches Wheel of Fortune some - most? - nights when dinner coincides with it. I grew up with many fond memories of spending the night with one of my grandmothers, and after a day of her explaining her incomprehensible Stories as we watched I don't know how many soap operas, we'd watch Wheel together and I'd be awed by her skills.

Nowadays it's me and my folks loudly commenting - we're truly terrible backseat drivers with VERY strong opinions about strategy that might well not hold up under actual competitive conditions, and we're aware of that, but it sure doesn't stop us yelling in derision every time someone picks the "Thing" category.

Last season was the host's last - Pat Sejak's retired, which given some health scares, is totally understandable. Tonight was Ryan Seacrest's first on the job, and...

well...

We were all underwhelmed. I loathe the new set - not that it's the first time that's happened - and some of the new style of camera angles are disconcerting and not what I'd prefer, though that might all just be Not Liking Change. The part that stood out to all of us, however, was Seacrest just did not vibe well. He seemed uncomfortable, a little too handsy not in a "LAWSUIT!" kinda way just a "dude back off please personal space!" kinda way, a bit too try hard and self-conscious of the failures. Watching him snap into a WILDLY more comfortable persona in the last 5 seconds when he went from "ZOMG I am hosting WHEEL o_o" to "Ah, promo-ing a thing for the network, I can do this in my sleep!" was astonishing.

I keep reminding myself it's his first night. I keep reminding myself that he's now responsible for Wheel and its 45+ seasons of history. I keep reminding myself he's trying to step into the shoes but not replace the former weatherman we've all had in our living rooms for freakin' DECADES, and that's a HELL of a steep learning curve.

I also keep thinking about Sam Reich putting his friends through increasingly complicated and deranged Shenanigans for our amusement WITHOUT a shred of that awkwardness, and all I can think is "skill issue."

[astradyke]

okay yeah let's get freaky with it (not an acceptable way to start a post whatsoever) i cannot stop THINKING about this fucking We're All Doomed cap. like just in the last TWO days...

[ID: photo one is of Phil Lester in the hospital, wearing the We're All Doomed cap. photo two is of Phil Lester in a pool, in which the We're All Doomed hat is laying on the edge of the pool. end ID.]

and then not to mention all the latest videos...

[id: photo of Phil wearing the We're All Doomed hat]

(there are definitely more but i'm multitasking so i can't sleuth out the videos rn)

like, when i am trying to describe Dan and Phil as a phenomena to my friends i always mention the fact that Phil is like THE consistent hype person for Dan (vise-versa but focusing on Phil here). "Dan is leaving me" is obviously an insane video about their relationship but also spends a substantial time promoting We're All Doomed; "I TRY TO GIVE DAN A HAIRCUT!!" is basically just YWGTTN promo. What Dan and Phil Text Each Other 2 (iirc) Phil encourages Dan to talk vaguely about upcoming stuff, etc. like Phil is ALWAYS so crazy supportive of what Dan does

from the mukbang "I wanted you to be happy [...] you did loads of shit on your own" (quoting from memory)

but something about the We're All Doomed hat feels DIFFERENT to me fundamentally because it's just... such a casual thing? they're no stranger to using their old merch, or wearing merch in videos after its release, but Phil literally cannot be separated from this hat as a guy who never seemed to be that crazy about hats to begin with. but it's just such a casual presence in his life, like a must-have object, it goes with him everywhere from Türkiye to the A&E, just this constant support for Dan's solo work.

when Dan says in Basically I'm Gay: "And for someone who has dealt with the same kind of self hatred I have, one person accepting you makes all the difference." (quoting from memory again),

it's like. there is such a love confession in the sheer act of seeing someone's creative work, something they poured their life and soul and savings into, and holding THAT in your palms -- and loving it. Phil was part of the WAD pre and post show, Phil was listed in the credits, even in Why I Left YouTube Phil's presence is there in the fact that he was patient as Dan tried to pursue Dan Is Not Okay, even at the potential risk of them postponing moving. don't even talk to me about how Phil was involved in Dystopia Daily, not only as a guest but also working on the set too.

holding something that has as much meaning as We're All Doomed does to its creator and not only loving it in the moment, not only relentlessly promoting it, not only being part of the premiere, but also continuously wearing its merch -- it's such an embrace from Phil of not only Dan as a person, but who Dan is creatively, and the ways he expresses himself.

and considering all the thematics of We're All Doomed, the hope and the new era and the self acceptance... yeah. fucking YEAH.

we talk a lot about different kinds of love and all the different ways they love each other, and i think this has always been the loudest and what i've personally been most affected by. the way that Phil Lester became a safe and accepting place for Dan Howell back when he was eighteen, and how he never fucking stopped being that place for him since.

[justmenoworries]

some unorganized thoughts about Vox and Valentino Hazbin Hotel

Spoilers For Hazbin Hotel episode 2

TW: Discussions and depictions of abusive relationships, sexual assault, extortion and financial abuse

So going by the promo material shown to us, a lot of fans seem to think that Vivzie has changed course on VoxVal and that it's going to be a much more healthy relationship than previously implied.

Not gonna lie, that disappoints me.

Because depicting an abusive romantic relationship with an imperfect and unexpected victim would have been extremely interesting. We already know Valentino is a piece of shit who doesn't care about anything but himself and profit.

The "Addict" music video and the prequel comic "Dirty Healings" make that very clear.

Valentino regularly assaults Angel, keeps Angel's earnings for himself and tries to keep Angel in the studio as long as possible, even getting angry when Angel goes out by himself. Even if it's to get money for Val.

And for all of his faults, it's very easy for the viewer to feel sympathy for Angel. Angel is a likable character who's been shown to have a much kinder side to him via his friendship with Cherry and him trying to comfort Charlie in the pilot after her pitch for the Happy Hotel flops.

Vox though?

Vox is slated to be a main antagonist. He's a fellow Overlord of Hell. Someone for whom it'd be much harder to believe that he'd let anyone treat him like Valentino treats Angel.

And yet...

To be fair, this artwork is from the in-character Instagram accounts, which were already confirmed as non-canonical. (The accounts themselves are sadly archived now due to some really messed up stuff that happened with the Octavia and Stolas accounts.)

Still, depicting Vox as one of Valentino's victims would have been pretty intriguing. It shows that this kind of thing can happen to anyone, no matter the gender or financial or social situation. It would also acknowledge that just because someone is a victim of abuse doesn't mean they're pure, innocent or weak. And that no matter the circumstances, no one deserves to be treated like Valentino treats Vox and Angel.

I'm honestly hoping that this aspect of the VoxVal relationship isn't entirely gone and I kinda think it isn't.

In episode 2 we see right off the bat that Vox doesn't really like Valentino. And it's easy to see why.

Valentino is a spoiled angry manchild with no self control. He needs Velvette and Vox to reign him in, otherwise he's going to do stupid shit like waltz up to the princess of Hell's doorstep with a gun in hand. Because he can't handle the idea that one of his employees is living somewhere he didn't approve.

If Vox hadn't stopped him and talked him out of it, Val would have gotten the VVVs into some serious shit. His violent streaks can also not be talked down completely, they need to be satisfied somehow. Vox needs to offer Val the lowest earners to shoot at and work out his aggression on or Val's going to continue to go on a rampage and most likely tear apart more of Velvette's models.

Speaking frankly, Valentino seems way more trouble than he's worth. Vox and Velvette appear to be doing all the work in their shared empire while Val just throws tantrums and forces them to go out of their way to calm him down.

So if that's the case, why do the other Vs puts up with Val?

In Alastor's and Vox' duet in episode 2, Alastor has this very interesting thing to say about Vox and his relationship to Valentino and Velvette:

"Is Vox as strong as he purports? Or is it based on his support? He'd be powerless without the other Vs."

What's also interesting is Val's and Velvette's reaction to it.

They're smiling. Like they agree.

Alastor also reveals that Vox was trying to get Alastor to join the Vs. Alastor declined.

Vox of course tries to deny all of that, but in the process gets so worked up he short-circuits himself and causes a city-wide blackout.

If Alastor is telling the truth here (and we don't really have a reason to believe he isn't), that puts everything in a whole new light.

Vox is he brains of the operation but is he also the only thing that's keeping it together? Val and Velvette don't really get along (Velvette insults Val behind his back, Val rips apart her models when he's angry) and both don't seem to respect Vox that much. Velvette lets him deal with Val's bad moods, Val doesn't hesitate to throw stuff at Vox when he's pissed (the fact that Vox nonchalantly dodges the glass Valentino throws at him implies this is not the first time). They both have a look of disdain on their faces when Vox hugs them during "Status Quo".

So why does Vox go to all this trouble to keep these two assholes in line if he doesn't really care for them and they in turn have no love for him?

Maybe for business reasons, but Vox already has a giant multi-media empire, right? So again, what does he need the other Vs for?

I think it has to do with Vox's need to be admired and liked and at the top.

See, another thing this episode tells us about Vox is that he's deeply, deeply, insecure.

He has a dozen different programs where he changes his outfits, approach and demeanor to cater to every single sinner possible, he throws out new business ideas on the fly so he'll always be the newest trend everyone follows. If something (or someone) comes up that cracks his cool confident businessman facade even a little he can't handle it and literally breaks down.

Really, Alastor puts it best:

"Is Vox insecure? Pursuing allure? Between this fad and that, is nothing working? Every day he's got a new format."

So Vox doesn't just want to be powerful and popular, he wants to be the most powerful and the most popular and his shows alone aren't going to cut it for that.

That's why he needs Velvette and Valentino. They provide the content that draws the viewers Vox so desperately craves. Without them he'd be all on his own, might lose large chunks of his viewership. And that's something I think Vox is deeply afraid of.

So no matter how little he might actually like them, regardless how shitty Valentino treats him, Vox needs these two. In his view at least, he can't afford to lose them.

[sgiandubh]

Once someone shows facts about anything then there will be something to discuss. After 10 years everything anyone has about Sam and Caitriona has been opinion. All the Sam and Caitriona pictures and videos together have been acting or promotional, so not reliable as to personal life. All the pictures about Sam with anyone other than Caitriona are short life and appear set up and his interviews about personal life are awkward. Caitriona, aside from talking briefly about her son, is for the most part private. So agree, disagree. So far no one has truth, facts or anything more than speculation.

Dear Facts Anon,

You are the same Anon regularly popping in here with her deaf drumbeat and her rather fragile English, and I should ignore your very primitive and desperate attempt to curb my enthusiasm. But I am not, because this is the only answer you, your sock accounts or any other Anons are going to get from me on this topic.

Perhaps you chose to lie to yourself and you are comfortable with it (not my problem, of course), but we do have pictures of SC that are neither promo, nor acting. I shall not add insult to injury and enumerate them here, since that would make you look and probably even feel like a fool. These have been mentioned to death, over many years, to no possible avail. To be honest, dialogue about these has always been impossible, across the Great Divide or even across those tiny rivulets of nuanced opinions. Because every time something does not seem to fit, it is dismissed with insults, flimsy accusations, counter-narrative and calumny. In anger. You call that 'a discussion', Anon?

You write, with confidence: 'Once someone shows facts about anything then there will be something to discuss'. Facts have been shown, more than once. Facts are still being discussed, under the counter, never in public. Primarily because of the disgusting collective reaction to the coffee run revelations, something many wanted to see, many pressured to see and when it was finally there, lo and behold: feather and brimstone and insults and accusations. How this served the very idea of 'discussion' is just beyond any logic. If that served to something, it was certainly to put a halting stop to any open discussion about anything: people have feelings, people have self-esteem. Show me the masochist that would come back for more insults, after what happened and still does. It served as cautionary tale to many, including myself.

The intellectual gap across the Great Divide is a reality. Calling us 'mental' will not help anything. You have nothing to do on this page and you shall receive nothing from me. You are undeserving, Anon. I do not know you and I do not trust you. Trust being the operative word, here.

[gregorygerwitz]

The way so many people within the fandom are reacting to Buck being canonically queer (bisexual, specifically, according to Oliver) is making me so uncomfortable

I made a post about it last night, but Buck being attracted to men isn't about anyone else. This is about Buck and only Buck. And making it about another character - namely, I'm seeing people make it about Eddie and Hen - is such a disservice to Buck as a character and Oliver's clear excitement to portray this storyline.

Buck being attracted to a man other than Eddie is canon. Buck being attracted to men is canon. We have a storyline involving a man in his 30s having a self discovery arc. Whether you believe his attraction to Tommy is genuine or not, the way I've seen people talking about it is so... Not believing someone can be attracted to someone because they must actually be attracted to this other person instead is biphobic rhetoric.

Being excited for this storyline and not acknowledging all of the other representation in this show in the same breath is not "forgetting Hen" or "erasing her" or "ignoring her marriage to Karen." Yes, Hen and Karen have been there the entire time. No one is saying there wasn't any queer representation in this show before. We're simply excited to see a grown man having a bisexual awakening in real time after headcanoning it for years. Don't tell people they're ignoring or erasing another character because they're talking about an arc that doesn't have anything to do with that character. Pulling attention away from a bisexual storyline in favor of other representation is biphobic.

A lot of people are also talking about Buck coming out as if it's going to happen in the next episode. Stop it. If Buck does not feel comfortable coming out to anyone (he looks clearly uncomfortable in the promo for next week when Eddie shows up during his first date with Tommy) then he does not have to. There is nothing that says Buck has to come out within a certain timeline. In fact, considering how short this season is, it wouldn't even be surprising or unreasonable for him to not come out until the end of the season or even in season 8. Talking about that like he's "lying to Eddie" by not coming out is queerphobic. He's allowed to not be ready for that, no matter who he's surrounded himself with.

Yeah, Buck is a fictional character, Oliver doesn't have a Tumblr and won't see any of what you're saying. But, to use a cliché, all of your bisexual friends and followers (especially those who don't watch the show and therefore have almost no context) will see it.

And yes, even if you yourself are bisexual, this is still biphobic rhetoric. These are arguments that people used against bisexuals all the time.

Insisting that he's not actually attracted to Tommy because he's secretly in love with Eddie is pick a side rhetoric.

"Reminding" people of Hen and Karen when they're celebrating furthers the idea that bisexuals aren't "queer enough" to deserve celebration.

Saying a character "gets to" be out is shaming people who are still closeted.

Buck's storyline is about Buck. It's not about Tommy. It's not about Eddie. It's not about Hen. It's. About. Buck.

[specialinterestshows]

Your girlfriend has a long day ahead of her in the latest chapter of my Rhea Ripley x lady!reader fic, Absolute Smokeshow.

Warnings for this section: Hickies, cheating, jealousy, parasocial stuff, rage, guilt, alcohol mention, cannabis mention

-

Absolute Smokeshow (Part 81 of ?): Polyagony

Rhea squinted in the sunlight, awoken by a startled cry from the bathroom. Before she could get her bearings, Rhea saw Cathy walking out, hair a mess and a trail of hickies covering her neck and shoulders.

“You really went to town, huh?” Cathy laughed at herself, a blush blooming on her cheeks, “I don’t know what I thought was on my neck, but it scared the hell out of me for a second.”

“Can you blame me?” Rhea asked, smirking at the sight of her own shirt covering the torso of her conquest, “You’re delicious.”

“There’s a phone on the bathroom floor, by the way,” Cathy mentioned after a self-satisfied giggle, “Is it yours or should I take it to the front desk?”

The memory of what Rhea had heard last night (this morning?) flooded back and a slew of emotions began bubbling beneath the surface. The monster wanted nothing more than to make an appearance early today, but Rhea had to do whatever she could to save that energy for the match tonight. Still, her heart ached. At least her girlfriend had given her a heads up about sleeping with someone new, but Dom-

Fuck. She still hadn’t messaged her girlfriend about Cathy.

Rhea leapt out of bed, saying, “Phone’s mine, I’ll get it” as she rushed to the bathroom.

The abandoned phone was right where she had left it, and a message from her girlfriend was waiting behind the cracked screen when she picked it up:

“Good morning! I love you”

A pang of guilt struck behind Rhea’s sternum as she started with the easier section of her reply:

“Morning, babe. I love you so much”

She pressed the little black heart before pausing, searching for the right words to continue the text.

Rhea inhaled deeply before typing out the rest, releasing a rapid exhale and closing her eyes before pressing send.

“Spent the night with Cathy. Going to get a match tonight against Jacy.”

Waiting for a reply was torture; Rhea was already mentally beating herself up over it, especially since her girlfriend had been nothing but patient and communicative. Was Rhea taking advantage of her kindness?

Her phone lit up with her girlfriend’s response:

“I thought we were telling each other before we slept with new people?”

Another large pang of guilt hit Rhea before she typed out a reply, deleted it, tried again, and ended up with:

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t think. I’ve just been stressed lately and needed an outlet”

Exactly one second after sending the text, she typed out another:

“I’m going to make it up to you and put my all into the match tonight, I promise.”

-

“Mami!” Dom ran over to Rhea backstage as she was putting the final touches on her makeup before her promo, “Where’ve you been? I checked the hotel room-“

“Me?” Rhea’s tone was icy, “Where have you been? You didn’t even answer my messages. If you wanted to know where I was, you could’ve called.”

“I lost my phone,” he explained apologetically, “I tried to call it, but I think it ran out-“

“I know where your phone is,” Rhea interrupted, “It’s wherever JD McDonagh fucked you last night.”

Dom froze.

“But- how did-?“

“Ripley?” Ava poked her head into the locker room, “You’re on in three.”

“We’ll talk about this after the show,” Rhea huffed, passing Dom without a second glance, “And stay backstage. I’m taking care of this alone.”

Four minutes later, Rhea was in the ring, barking into her mic for them to cut her music so she could be heard.

“I have a score to settle,” she snarled, “Jacy Jayne, get out here!”

Jacy’s music blared as the tron flashed with her intro graphics and Jacy herself emerged from the gorilla. Thea trailed behind her, an unfamiliar black bag over her shoulder.

“Yes?” Jacy asked into her mic, acting clueless.

“You just can’t seem to stop bothering my girlfriend,” Rhea growled, “While we’re at it, you’re treating your so-called “best friend” like a pawn in your little game. You’re shamelessly hurting innocent women and it ends now. You’re so self-assured, taking advantage of anyone who won‘t fight back, but I doubt you would be that arrogant if you were up against Rhea. Bloody. Ripley.”

The crowd began to chant, “Ma-mi! Ma-mi! Ma-mi!”

“Rhea, Rhea, Rhea,” Jacy walked back and forth in front of the ring as she tutted, “Only one letter away from actually being a pretty name” - she turned to Thea, who smiled and blushed - “It’s funny how you act like you’re somehow treating your girlfriend well. I mean, look at this.”

Jacy held her hand out, waiting until Thea pulled something out of the bag and gave it to her.

It was a tabloid magazine.

The tabloid. The one with Rhea and her girlfriend kissing on the cover.

Jacy cackled at the shift in Rhea’s expression as a large close-up of the magazine cover showed on the screen as well.

“You’re the one who took your innocent girlfriend and forced her into the spotlight,” Jacy accused, pointing to the photo, “She looks so uncomfortable. Does she always make this face when you kiss her?”

The match isn’t scheduled until the main event, Rhea reminded the monster, seething as she growled, doing her best to hold herself back.

“Oo, is that a yes?” faux sympathy coated her words, “Guess she’s not that into you, huh, champ?”

The crowd booed Jacy, but she didn’t let it stop her.

“Wait a minute, where’s your boyfriend?”

Jacy feigned looking around with a sarcastic pout, “Don’t tell me he’s not into you either” - she took on a more confident pose as a spark shone in her eyes - “Maybe he’s just too busy with someone else.”

The image of the tabloid was replaced by a post by NXT Anonymous: a video, captioned solely with the eye emoji, that began to play immediately.

A city street at night was all it showed, at first. Then, zooming in on a neon sign, confirmed the gay bar now onscreen was something to note. Then the real subjects came into view: NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio and aspiring Judgment Day cohort JD McDonagh, each with an arm around the other as they strode out of the bar. They were talking and laughing, inaudible over the city noise - the person filming was presumably across the street - but whatever was said, JD pulled Dom into a deep kiss.

The audience largely gasped, though there were a fair amount of “boo”s as well and even a shriek of excitement. Rhea felt empty, numb, but with the monster boiling beneath the surface, ready to take over. Then, JD grabbed Dom’s ass and the video ended.

“Can we even show that on television?” the commentator’s question echoed from a million miles away.

“You don’t seem so sure about letting JD in your little group,” Jacy jeered, “But your boyfriend sure let him in last night!”

The monster broke through that very instant.

As if summoned, Ava came out, phone in hand and a referee close behind her, right before Rhea was getting ready to leap at the woman who had just aired out her dirty laundry.

“You two, in the ring, now!” she declared, “We’re pushing up the main event before we have to fine or suspend either of you. Just do me a favor and wait for the bell.”

Jacy wasted no time sliding into the ring, along with the referee. The moment she did, the bell rang and Rhea came at her with all the fury she had been suppressing.

The intensity of the match was unparalleled; Rhea was known for her brutality for a reason, and Jacy seemed to be trying her best to give as good as she was getting. The two women snarled and screamed at each other, each wanting to savor every second of the other’s pain as they pulled and pushed each other’s extremities to their limits with submission holds.

Landing blow after blow and taking in the pain evident on Jacy’s face felt satisfying in a way nothing else had the past few days. The monster was out for blood, and it would make Rhea end this woman’s career if it meant an undeniable victory.

Jacy tried to keep a brave face on, but after several consecutive hits and another painful submission hold from Rhea, there was fear behind her eyes. Looking around for Thea, Jacy tried to signal her tag partner to help her. Seeing this, Rhea stomped on her opponent’s outstretched arm, extinguishing Jacy’s plea for help.

“Don’t you DARE make another woman do your dirty work!” Rhea shouted at the woman grimacing under her heel before looking up to see a horrified Thea Hail, eyes welling with tears, frozen just outside the ring.

It was then that Rhea’s bloodlust faltered and she noticed the referee trying to separate her from her opponent. She growled before letting Jacy go, cursing herself as she paced the ring.

Forget about her girlfriend’s hurt feelings, the monster told Rhea as she waited for the ref to finish checking on Jacy. She needs to pay for what she’s doing.

“This match is over,” the referee declared, just loud enough for the two women to hear over the crowd.

The words sounded wrong to Rhea. Felt wrong. She hadn’t hurt the other woman nearly as badly as she wanted to; the match should have ended with Jacy tapping out. As Rhea tried to process the rage that still insisted on an outlet, the referee signaled the need for medical attention.

The sound of the bell echoed in Rhea’s ears as she ground her teeth, watching Thea Hail, tears streaming down her face, place Jacy’s uninjured arm over her own shoulders to help her walk to medical. Jacy kept her injured arm close to her torso as she limped out of the ring, jumping slightly when Rhea screamed after her, “Stay away from my woman, or you’ll leave on a stretcher next time!”

The referee blocked her view of the two women retreating just as a group of security guards spilled out of the gorilla to protect them.

As the adrenaline from the match began to fade and Rhea was accompanied out of the ring, a realization hit her: something about seeing Thea cry made her think of her own girlfriend, and every single time that Rhea felt like she had let her down. The Eradicator was suddenly exhausted as she walked backstage, wanting nothing more than a drink or a joint.

Turning the corner, however, she found Dominik waiting for her instead, title belt resting on his shoulder and a small bouquet of purple flowers in hand.

[end part eighty-one of ?]

Part 82: “Fights, Camera, Getting Some Action”

-

Tag list (thank you!)

@littlemiss-fanficlover , @babybatlover , @girlofpink , @kagome2909 , @domripley , @wiccanpriestess , @falloutboy-lover , @aut0luminescence , @riverina69 , @itsrheasgirl , @1-800-sinister , @ripleylove , @beeposts , @teganc

[andy-wm]

How to explain JK & JM and their endless coincidences?

Easy really, none of them are coincidences.

I'll admit that I'm not the quickest at reacting to what's going on around me. My poor ND brain takes a while to absorb it all and put the pieces together, but then I can't stop thinking and thinking and thinking about all those puzzle pieces.

Gotta get those thoughts out of my head to make room for new ones LOL... so here they are.

Everything is not a coincidence 🎶

I hear Jimin singing this in my head.

No, of course its not.

We've seen how intricately they plan their cocepts, outfits, stages and releases. We saw it in detail with the Artist Made Collection and the Photo Folios. The processes they went through were thorough and thoughtful. They considered everything.

For Jimin and Jungkook, aligning their message is nothing new. For years they've been coming out in matching clothes, jewelery, and accessories - including the cute and silly matching Pororo bandaids at the puma fansign in 2016 when neither of them had an injury (JK's idea, according to JM).

Sometimes the matching outfits are identical...

Other times the alignment is more subtle....

But it's so frequent, we barely comment these days.

When they aren't matching, they're swapping. Their shared wardrobe is legendary - especially for someone who doesn't like other people wearing his clothes (JK) and someone who has assured us they have different clothes (JM).

But I digress....

The gist is, we know they pay attention to the mesage they send with their clothes and styling.

AND...

They know WE we pay attention too - they know we notice it all. Every.Single.Thing.They.Do.

AND...

They tell us they know all the ARMY jokes and memes. They do and say things that correspond too closely to ARMY's conversations on socials to be a coincidence.

Everything is not a coincidence 🎶

So with the visual themes of their solo releases being so astonishingly similar, anyone with eyes in their head (and a moderately functional brain and heart) can't think it's accidental. And JK and JM can't possibly think they're being subtle either.

And I honestly don't think they're trying to be subtle. Not at all.

I think they are demonstrating very clearly that even when they're apart, they're together. They're always aligned*.

They share ideas, they work together (they certainly don't work in secret) and they agree on what they, together are choosing to show.

Everything is not a cooincidence 🎶

We know they've shared ideas for this because at no point has either of them shown suprise at seeing the other wearing a similar outfit, holding a similar pose, or adopting similar aesthetics. They're hyping each other's music and promo work, and sharing their pride and enjoyment with us. (JM posting on insta to celebrate JK's #1 on the hottest 100 was NOT for JKs benefiit. It was for ours 💜)

It's not a matter of who did it first or who copied...all of this they created together.

They're showing us their individual strengths and telling their own stories, but using an aesthetic framework they've planned together. The visuals overlap is enough to to unmistakablly link their narratives together without restricting their self expression.

It's genius really.

They're living their 'I am you, you are me' dream right now, but in such a way that they are also without a doubt independent individuals as well.

Personally I love this. I love them.

I love that they can contribute to one another's creative processes, each produce something wholly unique to themself, and still have visually connected stories.

One day this will become their shared history. With a brief glance, anyone who looks will be able to see how much they supported and cooperated with each other, and that they chose to reflect their personal relationship in these works.

This would be a very conscious decision - to be visibly connected, not just for the few months their solo work is on the charts but for as long as the record of BTS's existance remains.

And that will be a long, long time I am sure 💜

*They're always aligned, i believ, with regards to their goals. For their work but also in terms of their relationship.

I think they trust one another implicitly, both professionally and personally. I think they're honest but kind, and they have each others backs. They are each other's highest priority and I hope it will always be this way for them 💜

[nishayuro]

Excuse me, ✨The Amazing Madam Nisha✨ but I would like to send in a request. I would like Tamaki, Tsuyu, and Eraserhead with a GN reader (platonic) that has a similar personality to Hu Tao because my girl deserves better. Also her is cake for your hard work 🎂

My Hero Academia with Hu Tao! Reader (Platonic)

A/N: Hallo! Thank you for the cake ^^ I hope u enjoy this!

Genre: Fluff

GN! Reader

Warning: Mention of dead people (nothing graphic)

Character building!! Your quirk lets you summon a sentient ghost buddy (It’s similar to Dark Shadow.)  that for some reason has fire powers, you speculate that its a demon, but who are you to judge really.

Another thing about your quirk is it lets you see the memories of dead people when you touch their corpse. Kinda creepy, I know. 

Your family runs a funeral parlour, so your whole life you’ve been exposed to the notion of life and death, and you’ve long ago removed that fear in you. Human lives are meant to end one way or another, But that doesn’t stop you from dreaming of being a hero, so that even for a few more years, those people can live their lives and die of natural causes and not of evil doings.

You’re a very cheerful person albeit your fascination with death, which drives some people crazy when you go up to offer them coupons for your family’s business. But hey, who can blame you? Business is business.

Tamaki Amajiki

You’re one of the Big 3, well, now known as the Big 4 along with Mirio and Nejire. Your quirk has been helpful with lots of murder investigations, and you’ve trained your ghost buddy with controlling its fire.

Tamaki at first was scared of you, I mean, you did offer him a coupon for a coffin one time when he was to be deployed on a mission. 

But he later realised that it's just a personality of yours, and got used to you. 

Whenever he has his panic attacks, you’d let your little ghost buddy out for Tamaki to play with as a form of calming himself. 

He sometimes gets scared when the Big 4 hangs out and Nejire asks about your missions, because most of the time, you’re deployed to help solve murder cases. And that’s not entirely a fun topic. 

But overall, Tamaki is glad to have a friend like you, who shows they case in even the weirdest ways. 

Tsuyu Asui

You’re one of class 1-A’s top fighters, along with Bakugo, Todoroki, and Midoriya. 

Tsuyu is a naturally friendly person, so she was able to befriend you right away, and you earned yourself a place with the Deku Squad.

She does get a bit creeped out when you offer up coupons and promos, but she’s there to pull you away from possibly angering or creeping out anyone else with your antics. 

She knows you’re a very dependable friend though, and goes to you for advice whenever she has a problem. 

You also come to her whenever missions get taxing, sure, you’re used to the face of death, but it’s still a whole new can of worms to be sent out to missions where you know you’ll see bodies, some more gory than others. 

When days like that come, she’ll be there to help you through them and get you back to your ever so energetically weird self. 

Aizawa Shouta

You’re his student, and with the rise of Nomu cases, your quirk has been in demand to help solve it.

Being able to see the memories of dead people helped with solving many murder cases, so naturally, they’d wanna see how your quirk works on the Nomus.

Aizawa at first was against this, I mean, this was emotionally draining even for someone like you. 

But you assured him that this was a way to properly give justice to the poor souls who suffered. 

So he’ll let you, but will be with you when you do it. 

He knows you’re dependable and strong, and he admires your resilience.

He’s also another one to wrangle you up before you cause trouble with your ways of promoting the funeral business. 

He’d do everything to protect your cheerful energy, he’d hate to see that light of yours grow dim. 

Masterlist

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[darcytaylor]

“If somebody is close to a situation, they should have other friends that are close to the situation, they don't need to come onto social media to talk about it…”

100% agree. And anonymous people/fan behavior aside, I think this is why so many are annoyed/mad at Luke’s friends because they’re not looking out for his best interest or protecting his privacy. They post things that hint he’s with them and sometimes what’s happening in real time.

He doesn’t post much on social as it is, and yes some fans I’m sure make him want to be on social less, but his friend group is not helping. They seem like a very self-serving group and that makes me sad for Luke. Especially because he and Rory have been friends for so long.

The only person who seems to be protecting and being respectful of Luke is Nicola. Deleting nasty comments about him on her posts and even swapping out a pic she posted on her insta story to avoid more speculation about the Polaroid in her phone.

And the contrast between Luke and Nicola is she has this incredibly supportive friend group who protect her at all costs. Even throwing some shade when necessary lol.

Luke needs to surround himself with better people if he’s going to have any chance of a long career. His current group are going to ruin things for him and he doesn’t deserve that.

I know he’s done some questionable things like not promo BS3 online as much as others have but for someone who isn’t online much, it’s probably not always top of mind. Especially after doing so much live promo for months.

Anyway, just want to give my two cents. I wish nothing for the best for Luke and I think if he surrounds himself with more people like Nicola and her friends, he’ll be a big success in whatever he does. And that includes if he’s active on social or not :)

Friends are a tricky subject, because while I can look in on Luke and his core group of friends (you know the ones), I can obviously see some questionable things (like not caring about his privacy at all), but I also don’t truly know their motives or who they are as people. 

I’ve had 2 people in my life (who I had been friends with for years) that I had to cut out of my life. This wasn’t an overnight process though. It was a process of accessing situations, forgiving them, then continuing the cycle. It took me a while to even realize that there was a cycle, and that it was a cycle of my own doing.

(I have realized as I have gotten older that it's okay to drop people, but I also realize that it is never an easy thing to do)

My situation brings me to thinking that the friends aren’t solely to blame, because Luke is the one that is friends with them at the end of the day. He has chosen to stick it out with them, and let situations happen that they know fans will see. I am also sure that some things were done unintentionally and the thought process wasn’t about the fans. I like to give the benefit of the doubt sometimes.

Luke and his friends know that fans follow the group (this was even before season 3) to catch a glimpse of Luke. There should be more care regarding the optics and digital footprint that they are all bringing to the world/fanbase. Because when they post about Luke (even a hand or a leg), they are adding it to the fanbase and making it public. 

(I also think everybody should stop following these people, it’s not like any of them are doing anything of importance - that sounds mean but it’s honest)

Nicola said in her Harper’s Bazaar: Life Lessons interview, “surround yourself with people you want to be like”. It seems simple but can also be hard to do depending on where you are in life. Nicola knows who she wants to be, so she knows who to surround herself with. 

With friends you always want to give them the benefit of the doubt, you want to help them in bad and good situations, and it’s easy to look at things with rose coloured glasses in friendships (in any type of relationship really). This is especially true if you are kind, or empathetic. 

I’m sure that Luke has talked with his management and they have informed him of how things are being perceived by the public. I’m sure Luke had an idea even before a conversation had happened. Now we just have to trust that Luke understands his situation and makes the changes necessary (if he wants to) to continue to grow his career. 

[goreinfested]

If it John Cena hcs then it’s crush hcs

JOHN CENA CRUSH HCS:

( little a/n: I said i was going to sleep but I keep thinking about all these requests and the gears in my head are turning I can’t stop them ! I am a little sleepy though so hopefully it doesn’t affect my writing :p)

One thing about John is: if he has a crush it will never stay a crush the champion ALWAYS gets what he wants

From the moment he saw you he was stunned. you were exactly his type. It was like you came from straight inside his head and decided to come to life hand crafted and made for him- but we all know that’s not how it works and he’s a bit dramatic

It really didn’t take him that long to introduce himself as he’d saunter over to you with a lopsided smile

“hey I don’t believe we’ve met, I’m sure you already know who I am by now” he said pointing to the shirt that said ‘the champ is here’ “ but allow me to officially introduce myself”

You thought at that this bastard was so cocky that you simply just laughed and walked away. You laughed at him? The world wrestling champion? Now that simply couldn’t slide

Of course this filled him with determination to get you to really see him. Taking every chance to talk to you be it passing in the halls, after promos and matches to even one time he kept trying to have a conversation with you while you were on the way to the bathroom

You gotta hand it to the guy, his dedication was admirable.

I’d like to think you of course were oblivious

When trying to have simple conversation with you didn’t work, being his normal funny self surely would right?

He’d do all sorts of crazy stupid shit to grab your attention. Pulling stuff like walking up to you with a bra on and modeling it like some poster girl, or better yet this other time where he was putting on the best impressions he could muster ( some could say he was making fun of them) of wwe superstarts ( specifically Randy orton) and while it did make you laugh, Randy stood behind him the whole time and didn’t let the poor guy know he was hearing the whole thing

Of course when he turned around color drained his face and he was hightailing it outta there yelling ‘c’mon Randy it was just a joke no need to scowl you’re gonna age your face 30 years!” And he said so laughing the whole way right out of that situation

Chaos really erupted after that but it got your interest in him and it got your attention.

People definitely started whispering about it, not that cena was shy about being into you.

People like triple h & r truth were spreading around cenas rumored feelings for you around the locker room saying things like ‘ isn’t John acting a little strange ? I think he’s got the hopeless romantic act or something going on’

Of course since the company was so big, this was going to start spreading EVERYWHERE. People saying all sorts of things even at one point it got spinned to make it look like YOU were the one who had a crush on HIM.

He’d be really upfront about it if someone asked though.

“ hell yeah I am attracted to them! And I’m first in line if they’re single.”

He did not play when it came to stating how he wanted a chance

It was laughable and kind of cute really

Nothing was too embarrassing for him. Not constant rejection or any of the whispers

Of course if you were really not interested cena is not disrespectful enough to keep pushing your boundaries, he’s very respectful to those around him. Especially people he feels are closer to his heart than others

HOWEVER IF you do show him interest? He’s cranking up the volume 10000%

The smooth walk up to you, stupid pick up lines and the whole nine yards seemed to be a daily routine

He would NOT have any type of flirting or anything with other people if he had a crush

Unless of course if it was for a storyline or something but I’d like to think he’d be a little hesitant

Definitely feel like if his heart is leaning towards someone it’s all or nothing. He doesn’t really betray his own feelings or loyalty even if you weren’t together yet

[mistystarshine]

Guitarspear Rec List

A Guitarspear fic rec list for @qdkdraws ! I was just going to send them via ask, but I figured I might as well post them so others can enjoy as well. It is short because I am picky and the only category that I am judging by is if it brought me joy. And characterization, I guess, because I'm a stickler about that.

Onward!

Profane by Anonymous

After ending up in hell, Adam finds himself tangled up with the wrong crowd. Bad decisions is the word of the day. Note: This fic deals with heavy subject matter takes a while for the Guitarspear to happen, but it is so worth reading to that point. This series is my favorite thing in the Hazbin fandom. The third fic is actively ongoing!

In Which Hell Is Too Damn Long by Udbsken

If sinners can wake up in Heaven after they die, logic follows… Adam opens his eyes in Hell Note: This one is not explicitly Guitarspear and Lute does not actually show up, but Adam does a lot of pining.

Sinner's Rut by MagnusThree

Lute is approached by Lucifer of all people with a proposition that she would have never expected to hear. But all she cares about is the prospect that Adam is alive, and whatever the state he is in, she is determined to be at his side once again. Note: This one is smut! It is going on the list anyway because it's smut with plot and the angst and fluff changed my brain chemisty.

The Missing Link by Vincent_Levinsk

Во время истребления Лют, командующая армией экзорцистов, успела закрыть Адама собой и, истекая золотой кровью, пала в бою. Тело её было потеряно под завалами других трупов экзорцистов и грешников, поэтому после боя каннибалы никак не ожидали наткнуться на кого-то живого среди гор их кровавого пиршества. Потерявшая свой святой облик, но сохранившая воспоминания Лют, похожая отныне на зверя, осталась в Аду совершенно одна, и единственная её цель — во что бы то ни стало вернуться в Рай. Note: Yes, this one is in Russian. I enjoyed it enough that it's going on the list anyway. The basic plot is that Lute dies and becomes a demon instead of Adam. It is feelsy and hilarious, run it through a translator and be bountifully rewarded!

Twinkle, little star by Cracked_Empire

Hell is forever. This immutable truth was imprinted with pain in Adam's heart. If that heart even existed. But it did, for Adam could feel it stop. And then he opened his eyes and found himself more miserable than ever. Lute finds Adam in Hell. She is given a special assignment to find Anomaly in Hell. She goes down to Hell for Anomaly (she goes down for Adam, even though he now has real horns).

Adam -- First Man, Next to Fall by MagnusThree

The attack on the hotel had been a disaster, especially for the army of Heaven. Their leader, killed; their soldiers, butchered; their weakness, revealed. Lute and those remaining exorcists that had survived the massacre have only just made it home, but she isn't ready to let it go. Not when there's still someone's head to cleave from their body, and while Adam's blood was still fresh on bedrock. Maybe a little too fresh for someone that is supposed to be dead.

Aaaaand I'm going to do some self-promo and include my own fics, because writing them brought me joy and there's nothing to stop me from doing so.

Hypocrisy and Other Sinful Things

“Wait!” the thing cried in that familiar voice. “Lute, fucking— Wait! It’s me!” Lute froze, the tip of her spear pressing lightly against the skin of the sinner’s throat. It stared up at her with wide, horrified, hopeful yellow eyes. Now that she actually looked, she couldn’t deny that she would have known them in any lifetime. The shape of his face was the same. The hair was the same. The voice was the same. But— The creature before her had one more eye than it should have. It had horns growing out of its head — the same shape that the ones on his helmet had been, but real in a way that no angel’s were. Knives grew from the tips of its fingers, impossible to be covered even by the gloves it wore. The thing in front of her was undoubtedly a demon. Adam had been an angel. Adam was dead. - Or; Lute goes to hell during the next extermination seeking revenge. Instead, she gets the crisis of a lifetime.

The Great Overlord Pissing Contest

In which Adam ends up in hell and makes his psychological breakdown everyone's problem. Note: No Guitarspear yet beyond a whole lot of Adam pining, but things will heat up in the next fic.

Salvation on the Radio

“What the hell, Alastor! Why would you bring him here?” Vaggie shouts. Alastor tilts his head to the side innocently. One ear twitches, but his smile never wavers. “Why, our little meeting last week! Charlie did say that the hotel needs new guests, didn’t she?” “Guests, not evil bastards who destroyed the hotel!” “But Adam here is seeking redemption! We do not discriminate between souls in need, do we?” - Or; Alastor drags Adam to Charlie's doorstep like a cat that hasn't killed its prey yet. Things happen from there. Note: Again, Lute doesn't actually show up for a while. So far it's a whole lot of Alastor inflicting The Torments upon Adam and Charlie having PTSD. But we will get to the actual Guitarspear content! ~ Eventually! ~

Vile and Blasphemous

When Lute finds out that Adam is alive as a sinner and under the effects of an unknown curse, she goes to hell to find him. There, she is helped by an amnesiac sinner named Eve. The two hardly get along, but Lute will take whatever help she can get. Yet she can't quite shake the feeling that something is off… Note: Because it's not supposed to be a secret and you can't see tags on tumblr, I'll just say it here. Eve is actually Adam. Lute has unknowingly recruited Adam to help her find Adam and gets to have a gay crisis whilst on her remarkably circular journey. I am having. So much fun with this fic.

[sevensoulmates]

7x05 Eddie Spec (Claw arm call)

A lot of people have been talking about the promo and Buck's date (rightly, because !!!) but I haven't seen anyone talking about the rest of the promo with the dude with the claw hand being a speaker at a convention talking about "the secret to self-control" with the sign "I'm the boss of me" behind him, while his hand seemingly takes on a life on its own and tries to hurt him.

Given how we know this episode is gonna have a huge Eddie plot and will likely be Eddie-centric if not feature him heavily, and calls are usually supposed to reflect whatever is going on in the character's personal lives, I can't help but feel like this "self-control" convention is pretty interesting to see in relation to an episode where Eddie's going to be struggling with his relationship with Marisol (and maybe his sexuality subtextually).

Eddie and "self-control" have already had a tumultuous relationship over the course of the whole time he's been on the show. A lot of Eddie's personality is very restrictive, not allowing himself certain things either because he doesn't think he deserves it, or because he would rather sacrifice his own wants and needs in order to prioritize someone else's (usually Christopher's). Eddie's irrational need to always be in control of himself (hence why he was so in denial about his panic attacks) has caused him many many issues over the years, and while he's definitely started unpacking a lot of it, especially in regards to his military service and his relationship with his dad, he hasn't really done so in regards to his relationships, and I think that's on purpose.

"Self-control" is also "self-denial" which is also in the same vein as "repression" and I just can't help but feel like this call will likely mirror Eddie, in that the "hand that suddenly has a life of its own" and is now coming back to hurt the man, is a reflection of something within Eddie that he's tried desperately to control before, but will now take on a life of its own. When you deny yourself something, it's usually denying a desire of some kind. And I think that it's time that Eddie's desires that he's been so desperately trying to keep under lock and key for years will finally take on a life of their own, and the more Eddie desperately tries to wrangle it back inside, to shut it up, to stifle it, to deny it, the harder it will fight back and the worse it will hurt him in the process.

My prediction for that call is the second that man finally stops trying to control his arm will be the second he's free of whatever is "possessing" it. Because in actuality, the arm isn't being possessed, it doesn't have a life of its own (it may or may not be something medical idk but my guess is still that it's likely something psychological). The man's arm is a part of him. Just like Eddie's sexuality is a part of him. And Eddie can only find harmony in himself, and stop hurting himself by making choices he knows he doesn't actually want, when he stops trying to control the Unspoken thing inside him and lets himself be free.

I'm not saying Eddie's going to be having any big revelations in this episode, or that it's going to be resolved right away but this call will likely be a strong hint at where Eddie's story is going to go, and 7x05 will be just the start of it.

[missmagooglie]

The promo for next week is what made it clear that Buck is regressing regressing. All that bullshit he's suggesting to Chim? All those proposals that Bobby (correctly) said were just a list of potential calls?

That's Season 1 Buck talking. That's Early Abby Days, pre She Needs You To Step Inside With Her Buck who wants love and romance but doesn't know what it's supposed to look like. That's a version of Buck who isn't ready for something quite so grown up.

Our Buck, Season 6 Buck, knows better than that. He knows Chimney and he knows Maddie and if he stopped and thought about it for half a second he would realize that a big showy proposal isn't right for them. He'd realize that the right approach is something more personal, more intimate. It's Chimney sitting Maddie down and saying, 'we both know there are plenty of reasons we "should" get married, but let me take a minute to make sure you understand the reasons I want to marry you', and giving Maddie space to express all the reasons she's hesitant rather than putting her on the spot with something public that pressures her into saying yes without a conversation.

Buck's been different since the lightning strike, sure. It was a big event, it had a profound psychological effect. But I think the bigger issue here is that Buck has been growing and changing and maturing for the past 6 seasons and he hasn't had a chance yet to properly acknowledge that to himself and update his self-concept. I think the reason we're seeing Buck regress so hard is because he's consciously trying to act like "the same old Buck", but his understanding of "what it means to be Buck" hasn't kept up with the growth he's been doing.

At the gravesite, Buck says he feels like Natalia "really sees him" - which, let's be real, is an insane thing to say about a person you've just met on a good day. And he's saying it to Eddie, who the writers have made abundantly clear is the one person who most sees Buck and understands him and has seen his growth and his insecurities even when others don't.

But the thing I think Buck is getting from Natalia is actually the opposite of what Buck thinks he's getting from her. When Buck says "she sees me", he means "She only sees this me. She doesn't know the man who died, just the man who woke up again."

And while there is some value in that, mostly in allowing himself to be his "now" self without worrying about how it might or might not align with his past self, I think Buck also needs someone who can help him understand that those two versions of himself are closer to each other than he thinks. And the version of himself he's trying to be for the sake of everyone else (ie "the same old Buck") is not the version of him that his loved ones lost at the top of that ladder.

The lightning strike changed Buck - after all, how could it not? And Buck, being someone who is so used to being left behind, is naturally worried that changing who he is will cause the people he loves to leave. But that isn't something Buck needs to be afraid of, because he's been changing for a long time now and he has people who love every version of him, and will continue to love every version that comes next.

And I keep thinking about that choice to have Christopher fall asleep on the couch just like Buck did, the way it puts Christopher and Buck in the same category for Eddie - that category of "family" and "home". Because Christopher is changing too. He's growing up. The man he is going to slowly become is not the same person as the boy he is now, and it is understood that while some of that growth might be painful it is normal and natural and to be expected. And there is not a single direction in which Christopher could grow that would make Eddie love him even a little bit less.

When Buck realizes that Eddie loves him the same way? That there is no version of Buck that Eddie will not love with his whole heart? And when he doesn't just realize it, but actually believes it?

That's the endgame, baby.

[ireadwithmyears]

hey, everyone.

you might have noticed that I haven’t been writing as much recently, and the lack of motivation has been part of it, I’d say a lot of that stems from my blindness being a barrier to being able to produce my best work. Unfortunately, I’ve come to the realization that no matter how hard I work to edit my own fics, i’m not going to be able to catch everything, which I do my best to give myself some grace for, however, this leads me to my next point.

i’m searching for a beta, someone who would be able to help edit my work, as I think, if I want to be able to continue doing this, this would make my life easier and make me stop dreading finishing something because that means I’m going to have to edit which as a blind person, takes much longer than it would if I were sighted.

I primarily write for Star Wars, the clone wars and the bad batch, mainly fluff and hurt/comfort, but I would like to write more smut. If you’re familiar with my stuff, then you know my jam. If not, shameless self promo here 😏 but yeah, if you know anyone who would be up for the job, or if you could even share this to help, I would really appreciate not running this ship alone anymore🥲

[kelvintimeline]

Thank you for your comments regarding Gaiman. I'm sure it feels like you're talking to a brick wall when trying to communicate to his stans why their continued support of him/his works is so harmful, but please know that your efforts are appreciated and so important.

It’s no problem. The entire fandom behaviour is appalling and so self centered and it’s important to call that out.

On some level, I can sympathize with being surprised and hurt by someone you who’ve invested in—even indirectly, through just enjoying his art if not himself personally—ending up being awful.

I can even vaguely understand not being able to let the art go. At least not immediately.

I would let it go but I understand if you’ve put years in… it’s hard.

But it’s just the fact that people have to post about it that’s an issue. To immediately find out about someone else’s suffering and think “Not only will I keep consuming their victimizer’s art, I will do so publicly AND defend my moral right to do so, ensuring their abuser has a continued legacy and an empowered platform to use against even more victims,” is truly horrific.

Trying to create loopholes and make the consumption of rapists art not just morally neutral but morally good (“i’m supporting the crew of the show who rely on him for work!!” “i’m pirating so in a way i’m stealing from him :)” “we’re doing this for each other not for him, good omens is ours now, not his!” “we’re trying to get him fired so it’s okay to be excited for season 3” and the worst one i’ve seen so far “actually if the show gets canceled because of him, we might get fanfic endings even spicier (yes that’s the exact term) than what we would’ve gotten on the show”) is heinous.

It’s cruel.

It is genuinely cruel to take such a scary moment for his (at least) two victims and find a way to make it about how you can still uplift Neil’s work without uplifting him. It’s cruel and untrue.

You cannot separate this art from the artist while he lives, while he uses his art to find victims, while his platform will be used to call his victims liars.

But if you want to enjoy his art as ethically as possible (which isn’t very ethically but it is a spectrum) you cannot do it as a fandom. You cannot publicly create art and fic and posts as free advertising for his products and be in the moral right

or even in the morally grey.

You side with a victimizer when you side with the victimizer’s art.

And so, if you’re some fandom brained you can’t let it go: Your ONLY method of consuming that art is privately, wallowing in the shame of it. Not offering him promo, not praising his art for how it’s so good it saved your life, but instead just thinking it quietly to yourself.

Bad people make good art sometimes. They do.

But that isn’t justification enough to keep publicly enjoying that art.

Not if you claim to care about the victims,

So either say you think the victims are lying hussies and you’ll stand by your man, Neil.

Or shut the fuck up, stop posting about Neil’s art, and stand by the victims.

It is no burden to me to point out these are the only two options left.

[velvetvexations]

I'm genuinely trying to not just be constantly negative and starting shit and arguing with people. I feel like even the people I mostly agree with are getting put off by it if they haven't already. I'm very self-conscious about my opinions and how much I talk on a given subject, and I know I do have issues that make my expressed opinions more pointed than necessary.

But like, me jokingly comparing the Bad Kids to the protagonists of 8-Bit Theater is interesting, because I love 8-Bit Theater to death, it's an extremely important work to me, it hurts a lot that I didn't hear about the scriptbook Kickstarter until it was over and I'll always be looking for a pre-owned copy for the rest of my life.

Like, I think the issue isn't that I have a problem with the Bad Kids acting so awfully. That's okay, especially in a comedy. Comedic sociopathy is a totally fine trope and I enjoy it on a regular basis. The issue that gets me is that it's such a hard counter to not only D20's usual tone, but also the way the DM, the players, the narrative itself, and most of all the fandom treat them and their actions.

That's why I soured on Kristen specifically so hard and so fast, because before JY I just thought she was like, A Lot, but not really a big deal and had some good, solid moments in SY (I did not like FY in general for completely unrelated reasons, sadly). But with JY, it was like, right out the gate she's ignoring Cassandra literally half to death, and I wonder if that would have seriously bothered me as much as it did if the fandom wasn't determined to completely excuse her for it in spite of the fact that it was clearly meant to be a personal character flaw and not just "unfortunately mental illness is happening to her".

Even then I was like, hey, I watched those promo videos, this is obviously something that's been planned ahead and will be dealt with. I'm very far from the first person to point out that we're now entering the season finale and chaos has not yet stopped being cute. Partially that in particular may have been hamstrung by the dice rebellion in the mall fight, with the original plan having been for Cassandra to not get separated from Kristen so fast and subsequently unable to have them actively work on their relationship and Kristen's commitment to her. Kristen running for president also likely threw a monkey wrench into decutifying chaos, because there was never any chance of Ally going about that by having Kristen put on a slick suit and say "I need to take this seriously and research school governance and formulate a policy I'll elaborate on in a debate with Kipperlilly". The race for president could only possibly be a bit the second it went to her instead of Riz, not because I don't think Ally could handle that kinna plot if they set their mind to it, Margret Encino would have killed it just as good as Riz, but because it's simply so far from who Kristen Applebees is as a character.

So anyway, I sat there watching this season waiting for Kristen to grow up because I had faith that was going to happen. But lest you think I just hate Kristen and possibly also Ally, these last few weeks they've been the least of the issue.

As hilarious as it was I don't understand how in the good Lord's name we're supposed to care about Oisin "making Adaine think she liked him" by acting a little flustered around her when Fig literally started catfishing Ruben on the first day of school ages before they had any in-character reasons to suspect the Rat Grinders of anything, all so she could...no, really, why the fuck did she do that? What was the impetus for that decision? I cannot emphasize enough how little motivation is given for this course of action:

There is nothing to it except that Emily correctly pegged he'd be an antagonist later. It's like the detectives on Law & Order arresting someone because they recognized the special guest star.

And like, other people, I get it, other people who don't like the direction JY has taken can shrug it off more easily than I can, there are a million reasons to not treat this like the end of the world, but unfortunately my autism gets me stuck on shit and I just cannot reconcile things like this. I cannot take the show seriously and care about the protagonists as people and share joy in their triumphs and sorrow in their failures and ignore something as blatantly breaking the logic as stuff like this.

I'll grant you, okay, Adaine was understandably hurt but neither the Bad Kids nor the Intrepid Heroes were really like "oh now we have to really fucking ruin Oisin for being the worst person alive". The fandom treated it like he Frozen'd her but fandoms are dumb and should not dictate as much of my opinion as they do, I simply cannot fathom the kind of person who'll cry over the deep and traumatic emotional damage Oisin caused Adaine with his missed beer pong shots but doesn't think Fig should be in jail.

That's also not the end of it, though. I could keep going on just about Fig specifically and the fact that she is at least sex crimes-adjacent, not to mention Emily's infantilization of a very autistic-coded character, but I'm trying very hard to not just come off as being like the people who have harassed Emily and Ally over their roleplaying choices in the past. As I keep stressing, I like both of them and especially Emily because I've been a CollegeHumor fan longer than some D20 fans have been alive. I think I actually like Fig more accepting that she kinna canonically sucks and taking her as more a Complicated Woman than someone whose actions I need to reconcile with the expectation of her being better than that, although I know none of it will ever actually be addressed.

So yeah, all the Bad Kids have been fucking weird this season in ways they weren't in SY. Adaine's intense and completely inexplicable loathing of Kipperlilly was funny at first and then increasingly uncomfortable as it fed into the fans wanting to crucify her. Gorgug going full bully was weird but also like, a one line bit, but whatever. Riz stealing Kipperlilly's file was gross and would or SHOULD deeply hurt Jawbone if he ever found out, and you can say they had to do this horribly unethical action in the name of homeland security or whatever, I accept that there were extenuating circumstances, but it's given no thought whatsoever and absolutely no regard is given to the fact that she was trying to address her issues with the closest mental health professional available who Brennan goes out of his way to note is failing her by overcorrecting for his bias towards the BKs.

But as much as I genuinely believe Brennan has been planting seeds the Rat Grinders could be reached, he's not been great here either and like Mice & Murder these things are more on him than any of the players because he's the director here. Like, I'm embarrassed I got snippy with someone who guessed ahead of time that Kipperlilly desecrated the rogue teacher's grave, but nonetheless think it was a weird conclusion to reach and that it's just even more bizarre that it ended up being "right", except the way it's described doesn't even make sense.

Like, the goal was "find the rogue teacher", right? And the rogue teacher is dead. So to me, it certainly seems like bringing a back hoe to the graveyard is one hundred percent the right move! But even if we accept the apparent canonical intent that was Kipperlilly threatening to merely destroy the grave as an act of vandalism rather than retrieve the body, it's like...so what? Literally who cares? As if the Bad Kids or any other adventuring party wouldn't dig up a dead body to cast Speak with Dead or something, as if the foundational Dungeons & Dragons formula wasn't raiding tombs like 19th-century colonial archeologists? And why would any of that be necessary anyway, when Riz found Eugenia by just...walking up to the grave?

But regardless, that, you might say, is a matter of the Rat Grinders being unfairly presented as evil and not the Bad Kids being unfairly presented as good. When it comes to Brennan's part in it, though, these are the same issue, because as the creator and director of every atom of the world outside the PCs, he's just so very willing to go with what the players start to expect. That's fine for a home game, but this is like, a television show that people pay money for, and that's an issue. He'll plant enough seeds of the Rat Grinders being better than they're treated that a chunk of the audience will notice and think the players are being weird about them, but he won't push it further than that and instead just rolls with the players being weird because his first priority is their enjoyment.

Again, fine in a home game, obviously. But it creates this divide between the players and the audience because the world has been crafted in such a way that when the players being weird is noticed it's like, why are they being rewarded for that? Why are they getting zero pushback? Brennan and I both heavily, heavily value collaborative storytelling for good reason, it's why I love TTRPGs and actual plays, but if this were a story told by a single person you could either have the protagonists pick up on those hints, have it be a point that they didn't pick up on them, or just not even include them in the first place.

One of the reasons I really, really like Aabria's DMing, as I've said recently, is that she truly remains firm in her worldbuilding and is not shy about providing realistic consequences or acknowledging PC behavior is dissonant with what's going on around them. And it just makes it super ironic that Kipperlilly's whole deal is correctly identifying the fact that the world is warped around the Bad Kids, and in this season more than ever the DM is like, fully changing reality to accommodate them and giving them plot resolutions on a silver platter, to the point of letting them just full-on take back spells because the target turned out to not be there, which is pretty far beyond the quibble about the climactic move in Calamity's final boss fight.

It's not that I think D20 is 'rigged' exactly, because it's not really a game, or at least it's not really Dungeons & Dragons. This was a revelation I had when I watched Critical Role other than Calamity for the first time and was amazed by how they'd stand around after a battle looting bodies for random magic items. D20 isn't a sandbox TTRPG, it's a very on-rails shooting gallery with roughly as much choice in the narrative as a modern RPG video game, and it has to all wrap within a certain amount of sessions. That's fine, but occasionally it can feel deceptive when we pretend there's much chance of things going radically wrong. One of the reasons I liked the first half of Crown of Candy and all of The Ravening War so much is because they're the only times where failure has really, truly been on the table in an Intrepid Heroes season, but I still liked most of the other Intrepid Hero seasons nonetheless.

This season, I just, I dunno man. I don't believe Ice Feast just accidentally wah wah wah had the effect of completely neutralizing the primary threat of the final boss fight. And Blimeygate, like, I thought it was mostly a fun moment, but it also felt like the most exaggerated-for-marketing-purposes the "got'em!" bits have ever been.

But despite all that, I am still currently capable of enjoying the next season. I'm hoping next week does not make things dramatically worse.