#'tell me if you disagree with anything and i'll tell you why you're wrong'

[trentcrimminallybeautiful]

you know if we do accept the last epilogue-esque sequence as a sort of dream/wish of ted's and therefore not necessarily canon, very funny if we then simply go "yeah, trent's book is called 'the lasso way' actually. he didn't change that. nope."

[hotvintagepoll]

Vintage movie recommendations for getting through these dark times? 🙏 Looking specifically for anything joyous, especially if it's queer/progressive for its time. Thanks!!

ooh ok! that's a big ask, because queer/progressive doesn't always show in the ways we expect in older movies. still, joyous i can do, and as poly as I can I'll try for:

the talk of the town (you knew i would say this). jean arthur, cary grant, ronald colman are all tangled up in all sorts of ways, legally but also including in each other's pajamas. it's free on youtube and tubi last time i checked!

singin' in the rain (you also knew i would say this). cosmo brown, weird little third wheeling queerplatonic ideal that you are. gene kelly, debbie reynolds, and donald o'connor have fire chemistry and all three of their characters love the other ones so truly and with such joy they break all of hollywood with the power of song. (it is gorgeous and sublime that the story is built so only these three ever actually engage with the musical format—the format that is, in universe, the way of the future—structurally equating music and musicals with love. no one else gets a song or a villain number or a little ditty that's not a literal musical number. only these three break the story and heal it at the same time.)

the adventures of robin hood—i swear to god will scarlett is good for nothing else besides being robin's hot little friend. will alone makes this movie queer for me. also, watching a movie about a socialist uprising against a cruel and unjust government sure feels apt! for no particular reason! (this one is also on tubi.)

the philadelphia story—jimmy katharine and cary are absolutely a threesome in this movie and it's a crime they didn't just make more of this movie, again and again, forever. is there a plot? they're all by a swimming pool, it's hot, there's champagne. what else do you need for a film. oh yeah there's some discussion of autonomy and women's rights and wealth and class and marriage, some of which i disagree with, but i think mostly it's katharine hepburn in an evening gown and jimmy stewart in a white terry cloth robe and cary grant standing there not minding in the least. (content warning: there is one instance of a racial slur [not directed at anyone but still there], and one shove. also on tubi.)

the lady vanishes—i love this movie, so much, couldn't tell you why (i can: michael redgrave is here being hot). there are two bit characters who read as queer coded (they are also obsessed with cricket and are mocked for being english by the narrative, which is nice), and there's a weird plucky joy in michael redgrave's performance that feels like a departure from your usual Solid Very Serious Male Heroic Main Character. this movie does trend mildly xenophobic in a very England-in-the-30s type of way—there are shady "foreign" characters and other batshit stereotypes—but nothing I think that would cause direct offense. (let me know if I'm wrong on this though and I'll tag accordingly). this one is free anywhere and can be watched on youtube.

the wizard of oz—i know you've probably seen this before but it's worth seeing again. yes you're allowed to cry at the end i always do

[euniexenoblade]

I debated if I wanted to mock this post/screenshot for a couple hours and i decided I was just gonna go in line by line and dissect it

"being poly is a choice you make. not an identity you cannot change."

I disagree. I struggled with this through most of my teens and early twenties. The desire to be with multiple people was strong and the concept that I couldn't be with all of them was very confusing and hurtful not just to me, but the people I was with. Had I been taught what polyamory is younger and had known that monogamy is not actually the only way you're allowed to be, i'd have probably been able to stop struggling with this much sooner. Do I think this was as big of a mental struggle as being gay or trans? Nah. But it was certainly an issue that ate away at me.

As much as polyamory was a choice, so was me being trans was a choice. I would say both are inherent to who I am. Just because something isn't inherent to your identity, doesn't mean it isn't inherent to mine.

The second paragraph is a gross misinterpretation of what was said. I said abused poly people in relationships they cannot escape will likely cheat when they do find love. The same is true for monogamous people who cannot escape relationships. This happens all the fucking time. To women. To gay people. To trans people. To poly people. This is so utterly common it's an overused trope in story telling.

"OBVIOUSLY abusive situations aside"

The post was about abusive situations. You're already throwing away the core concept to the post.

"why are you staying with someone you are completely incompatible with"

This shows how this person has no value for relationships. Just because you realize you're poly doesn't mean your feelings for an individual disappears. You want to see if this relationship can still work, whether monogamous or polyamorous. Not to mention so many people would find themselves homeless or penniless by just leaving. There's no actual understanding of love and relationships and the heart here.

"you don't need to pursue any kind of relationship ever"

And gay people don't have to be in gay relationships. Trans people don't have to transition. Doesn't change the longing to experience what you want to experience.

"where exclusivity is agreed upon"

I know poly people who entered relationships under the premise the other person was poly, just for that person to decide "actually I'm monogamous, and I'll kill myself if you leave me." You have no understanding or empathy.

"wanting to be poly does not excuse cheating what is wrong with you people"

Look I agree cheating sucks and violates trust, but acting like it's the worst thing in the history of ever is just childish. I get it hurts but at the end of the day, you do not own another person's body and sometimes shit happens. I just do not care what other people do with their own bodies and you cannot make me believe I'm supposed to care. If my husband goes and fucks someone without my permission (which he commonly does) then that's rad. I hope he has fun. If my wife goes and fucks someone I don't know (which she regularly does) then fuck yeah I hope they both had fun. Y'all are too fucking uptight.

Also the tags

The "monogamous people are losers and shouldn't get a say in anything" was something I said in reply to a heckler on my 'monogamous people often abuse poly partners' post. To take it solely as 100% serious opinion is foolish and childish.

"I cheated cuz waaa"

I've never cheated on any partner. The post isn't even saying it's ok cheat, it's saying that poly people get branded as cheaters whether they do or don't. But I'll say it here just because it's so controversial that it pisses losers off: it's ok for polyamorous people to cheat on monogamous partners. Get out before they abuse you.

[that-guy-sleepy-miles]

Hello folks, it's Miles here! You may know me as the guy who deduced what Rayman is snorting in episode 5 of Captain Laserhawk! And today, I'll be going over how...

There Are 6 Types of Magic in LEGO Monkie Kid

You can honestly stop here if you don't want to get into the most convoluted stuff ever. If you're vaguely interested but don't have much time, click read more and scroll down to Red Son, because he's where shit gets interesting.

A disclaimer! I've literally never broken down or written a magic system before, I'm just like. writing down and making sense of what I've noticed while watching the show. If you disagree with my assessment of a character's magic, think there's a better term for something I've described, or think I'm just plain wrong, please let me know so I can update the post! I don't know what I'm doing, and I've never looked into magic systems before!

An important thing to note is that LEGO Monkie Kid adheres somewhat to the power systems in Chinese mythology, so I will be bringing up concepts from Chinese mythology that are not talked about in the show. Honestly, if you went 100% on the show and not on Chinese mythology at all, there wouldn't be a magic system in the first place.

Now, let's begin!

‎

First, vocabulary.

Magic Class: The root of a user's magic. Classes are not exclusive, but actually compounding. For example, Wukong has Intrinsic-based Actively Cultivated Magic. Magic Subtype: A modifier to a class; additional information to explain how a user's magic came to be or how it works. For example, Tang has Revitalized Bestow-Inherited Actively Cultivated³ Magic — the subtype goes before the class because it's a modifier. (Yes, I will explain why his Actively Cultivated Magic is cubed.)

(In the naming scheme of magic, everyone has a full classification and then a shorthand classification. The classifications above were all shorthand.)

Magical Energy: The basic form of magic; unfiltered energy that can be channeled, manipulated, and cultivated. This energy can be used to attack directly or utilized in a spell. MAGICAL ENERGY IS QI, "MAGIC" IS JUST BEING USED BECAUSE THIS IS WRITTEN FOR A WESTERN AUDIENCE. Power: A defined ability, such as a spell or a technique. Not all Powers are explicitly named, but powers have defined forms and details whereas Magical Energy is usually a geometric shape. Examples of Powers: 72 Transformations, Golden Sight, teleportation. Magical Expression: How Magical Energy and Powers form upon release. Examples of Magical Expression are glowing eyes, full body glowing, magical seals, anime-esque energy blasts, Red Son's* fire, Ne Zha's fire (two VERY different forms of Magical Expression), and Macaque's purple shadow outline. Ne Zha's Wind Fire Wheels are examples of Magical Expression with a conduit. Zero Magical Expression ≠ zero release, but can. Conduits: Anything that can hold, channel, or manipulate Magical Energy. All living beings and magical artifacts are examples of conduits.

Channeling: Collecting magical energy internally Releasing: The basis of Magical Expression; using collected magical energy for an attack

(Mei showcasing channeling and releasing in Rip and Tear) You can always tell when a character is channeling and releasing.

Knowing which class of magic a character is using can be hard — they all tend to utilize anime-esque energy blast graphics and glowing bodies for Magical Expression — so you have to pay close attention. I'll be going over how to identify the specific magic types as we go through them.

Each type of magic has a "poster child" — a character that fully embodies that type — and I'll be using them to explain how the magic works. Once we finish the easily categorized magics, we'll get into the Special Cases.

(MK showcasing Intrinsic Magic in Rip and Tear)

(Wukong showcasing Cultivated Magic in A Lifetime of Mistakes)

Now, onto the classes of magic!

Intrinsic Magic is a class of magic...

That's not inherently pedigree-related. Ne Zha's father Li Jing was a mortal man.

Most gods and local deities have, and some yaoguai have. (Older demons like DBK and Wukong have Intrinsic Magic, while younger demons like Pigsy and Sandy might technically have Inherited Magic. It all depends on how you want to look at it.)

That usually comes with unique powers, commonly the ability to walk and talk upon birth. (Wukong got laser eyes, and Red Son* got the Samadhi Fire).

And holders have unnatural births? Pangu's cosmic egg, Ne Zha being born a ball of flesh after being gestated for three years, Wukong's rock that's existed since the dawn of time, etc.

Ne Zha is the epitome of Intrinsic Magic! If you think Intrinsic Magic, you think Ne Zha. The unmistakable way to identify Intrinsic Magic is to look for themes. If a character has a theme to their magic, again and again, they likely have Intrinsic Magic! For example:

Ne Zha's Intrinsic Theme is (obviously) lotus flowers/petals.

Red Son's* Intrinsic Theme is flames.

Macaque would be a contender for intrinsic magic (we will be getting back to him, though).

Cultivated Magic is a class of magic that has two subclasses: ACTIVE and PASSIVE, and...

That's ENTIRELY self-created. A magical pedigree can help, but no pedigree is required in Cultivated Magic — Li Jing cultivated magic as a completely human man, for example.

That NEEDS a Conduit. The conduit for Cultivated Magic can be the magic user themselves, but often it's a magical artifact or a technique. Note: a conduit doesn't require Cultivated Magic to be used, but Cultivated Magic requires a conduit. (Known Conduits include: Wukong's Cloud Somersault, Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels, and Princess Iron Fan's Banana Leaf Fan.)

That's very backstory-heavy. There's always a way that a character learned or got their power, or a description of how old they are.

A magic that you see most with yaoguai and immortals. The older the yaoguai, the more cultivated they are.

Passive Cultivation: Every living being is a conduit for passive cultivation — by existing, you are passively cultivating. The best method of passive cultivation is age; the older something is, the more passively cultivated. A Huli jing is the best example of passively cultivated magic. According to literature, the older a fox is, the more power it accrues.

Active Cultivation: Active Cultivation is when a being seeks out magical power. The most common form of active cultivation is being taught Tao techniques (Wukong's Cloud Somersault, Li Jing's Burning Pagoda Art). In this situation, the technique is the conduit. Other forms of actively cultivating magic are yaoguai eating humans and magic-accruing technology (specifically DBK's Furnace armor, which converts rarity into magical energy.)

Cultivated Magic comes with the implication of being wise, at least in some form, and those with cultivated magic are able to teach others. Being a disciple immediately means you have Actively Cultivated Magic.

Cultivated Magic often doesn't have Magical Expression, because it's all about existing and learning. When it does have Magical Expression, it's usually depictions of strength and power or the conduit itself glowing.

(Wukong's hairs glow as they are used as conduits for his cloning technique in Macaque)

(Wukong and Macaque's strength is showcased through Magical Expression during a fight in Macaque)

Cultivated Magic can be seen through any technique that was stated to have learned, such as Wukong's astral projection and his speed/quick reflexes.

(Wukong focusing in order to astral project to MK in Dumpling Destruction)

(MK having to actively learn and practice astral projecting in Minor Scale)

MK: Monkey King! It worked! Monkey King: Hey, bud. So, you figured out astral projection, huh? MK: Yeah, and I only had five nose bleeds.

Cultivated Magic is best showcased in action, and characters cultivate over the course of the show.

(Wukong showcasing his Cultivated Magic by pulling some fast ones on MK in Impossible Delivery)

(4 seasons later in Strings That Bind, Wukong and MK spar, showcasing MK's Cultivated Magic. Tumblr will NOT let me embed both videos, and the first one is more important, so this will just be a link.)

Inherited Magic is a class of magic that has two subclasses: ANCESTERAL and BESTOWED, and...

Comes from someone else and was given to or passed down to the magic user.

Is sourced from Intrinsic or Cultivated Magic, but the magic user is not intrinsically magical/did not cultivate that magic themselves. The Intrinsic/Cultivated Magic is specific to another (perhaps deceased) being.

Can have ZERO Magical Expression or release.

If a character has Ancestor-Inherited Magic, they'll have a family animal, a family artifact, and/or a known ancestor.

If a character has Bestow-Inherited Magic, they were given their power by another magic user (known as the Bestower) so that they would serve that magic user, defeat a foe, or as a reward. Bestow-Inherit Magic users are often previously mortal.

Bestow-Inherited Magic is most blatantly a character giving another character magical powers, but being granted godhood, being brought back to life under a deal, and everyone receiving heavenly ranks/Wukong and Tripitaka receiving Buddhahood and Buddha titles at the end of Journey To The West is also Bestow-Inherited Magic.

A quick note: Older yaoguai (DBK, Azure Lion, Wukong) are considered to have Intrinsic Magic, but Modern yaoguai (Pigsy, Sandy) are deemed to have Inherited Magic. This is because these younger demons are not yaoguai specifically unto themselves — their status as a yaoguai comes from their ancestors. They have no unique, intrinsic powers, nor were they specifically predestined to be yaoguai despite their heritage (such as in the case of Nezha, who was predestined to be a celestial being).

For example, Pigsy. His status as a Magic User exists because of his family history. While, yes, his family is important to his character and story, it's not something he did himself — he did not cultivate his grandma — and there is nothing unique about him biology-wise besides just being a pig demon. He is a reincarnation, but being a reincarnation didn't make him a yaoguai. (That was a whole fate, symbolism deal, though.) If Pigsy hadn't been born, his family would still have a pig demon kid.

Now, onto the subtypes. (As a reminder, a subtype modifies a class!)

Revitalized Magic is a subtype of magic. It means that the magic is from a pre-incarnation that a character unlocks and requires reincarnation.

Uuuuunless it doesn't, and it required Un-Death. Auto-Revitalization of Magic is definitely a thing, but it's not a real category. It's just a specification to explain things that have happened to a character.

For example: The reason Macaque's shadows turned into chaos magic at the end of season 5 is because he's dead. He's outside of the reincarnation cycle, he's Undead, his magic is Auto-Revitalized —so when the reincarnation cycle is broken, his magic is also changed. At least, that's my personal theory. I might be DEAD WRONG.

Okay, back to Revitalized Magic proper: Remember back when I said Tang's magic was cubed? Yeah, this is why. (Before we start, Táng Sānzàng will be referred to as Tripitaka from here on out.)

The full classification of Tang's magic is: Potential Revitalized Bestow-Inherited (Tripitaka), Revitalized Actively Cultivated (Golden Cicada), Revitalized Actively Cultivated (Tripitaka), Actively Cultivated Magic. (Maybe, we'll get into this.)

The entire reason demons tried to eat Tripitaka was because he was the reincarnation of the Golden Cicada, who was a disciple of Buddha, which made Tripitaka's flesh holy. Being a disciple immediately means Actively Cultivated Magic; Tripitaka had Revitalized Actively Cultivated Magic. Tripitaka was a Buddhist disciple as well, which means he also Actively Cultivated. If Tang is a reincarnation of Tripitaka, who is a reincarnation of the Golden Cicada, then Tang has Revitalized Actively Cultivated Magic twice (or, even, 10 times, if you look at the Sandalwood Buddha thing, but Tripitaka and Golden Cicada are the important disciples so we're only counting them).

If Tang has Revitalized Actively Cultivated Magic and Revitalized Actively Cultivated Magic, that means he has Revitalized Actively Cultivated Magic². However,

Tang is a SCHOLAR. BEING A SCHOLAR MEANS THAT TANG IS ALSO AN ACTIVE CULTIVATOR.

HENCE, TANG HAS ACTIVELY CULTIVATED MAGIC³.

Celestial Magic is a subclass of magic that includes any magic with a seal. It's not exclusive to Celestial beings, but it's most often used by beings with Heavenly connections.

Celestial Magic is also known as "Spells", I'm pretty sure. Wukong just dropped this terminology on us in Season 5, and spells usually require words, but like. Okay, buddy. Whatever. You're the magic guy.

Celestial Seals have a unique symbol for every "Artist", or a Hànzì that explains the spell's purpose. For example, Li Jing's seals have a little pagoda on them, and the containment spell's seal (the only thing that can truly be called a spell here) has the character "牢", which means "prison" (or "enclosure", which is hilarious because it's containing 3 monkeys).

Consequential Magic is any magical energy or power gained as a result of an action taken by someone who is NOT the magic user.

Consequential is not a subclass of Cultivated because the magic user had no say in acquiring/did not know they were acquiring Consequential Magic; Consequential is not a subclass of Inherited because the magic user was not intentionally given these powers and they did not come from ancestry.

(Red Son* is literally the reason this subtype exists.) Every example of Consequential Magic is different, so I'm just going to some of the ones I know of in canon:

Wukong's Golden Sight (Consequence of the Eight Trigrams Furnace; Torture-consequence)

Ao Lie having the Samadhi Fire inside him after they fucked up the seal (Samadhi Fire/Red Son*; Samadhi-consequence)

Mei Dragon's ability to harness the Samadhi Fire/the remnants left over inside her after (Samadhi Fire/Red Son*; Samadhi-consequence)

MK's human form (form as in the shape of something btw) (Xiangliu fucked his shit up; Birth Interference-Consequence)

Macaque's new Chaos Magic (Xiangliu fucked his shit up; Chaos-Consequence)

I have spent this entire post explaining the way magic seems to work in LEGO Monkie Kid, getting slightly more and more unhinged as we go on. But there might be two things on your mind: Why? and Why does Red Son's* name have an asterisk on it every time I've mentioned him in this post?

I can answer both of those questions with one statement: Red Son does not adhere to the magic rules other characters follow. I've tried to find examples to see if I was thinking of the magic wrong — and that's fully possible — but I didn't find anything. In fact, the more I look, the more sure of this I become. It's like he actively decides against following the rules of the magic system.

He can be used as EXAMPLES of the magic system, but when you dig into his magic specifically, it's completely wack-a-doo.

First and foremost:

Red Son has a completely unique form of Magic Expression. His emotions are directly linked to his Magical Expression and release.

Emotionally linked magic release is something no other character does, but here he is doing it over and over and over again. The only example close to it is MK's Mystic Monkey form flickering in and out when he's distraught, and that's LITERALLY CREATION-GIVEN NÜWA MAGIC, THAT'S FROM A CREATURE WHOSE CANONICALLY "OUTSIDE OF THE 10 SPECIES" AND CANNOT BE CATEGORIZED?? AND ALSO NOT QUITE THE SAME EITHER.

(This could also be attributed to the concentration part of the Samadhi Fire, but he doesn't... seem to have access to that anymore? At least, not like Mei does. We'll consider it a factor in his magic expression, though.)

About his fire,

Red Son and his mom are the only two characters with Wuxing/Elemental Magic — every other example comes from a magical artifact. It's actually a 50/50 chance on whether or not PIF has wind powers or if the Banana Leaf Fan gives her wind powers (I'm pretty sure it gives her wind powers, but just to be safe we'll count her as having wind powers.) Wuxing Magic is not uncommon in actual Chinese mythology, but it is in the show for some reason. And it ALWAYS has an artifact as a conduit. Wuxing Magic always seems to be just a visual effect or an added addition to attacks in the show.

Another weird ass thing about Red Son's magic is its contrast with Nezha's. I'm pretty sure Red Son's fire is actual fire that he conjures magically, in contrast to Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels (conduits that Nezha fuels, and release Wuxing Magic as a visual effect) which make specifically magical fire.

Okay, so, I've been going through this assuming you're aware of the show's visuals concerning magic, but this is important for me to cover in detail. Everyone has two magic colors (white doesn't count for this). They can change in lighting, but you'll always recognize them as being the same general colors. Other colors may be used for emphasis, but they'll only be darker versions of the colors and they'll be used as a background for the main colors. (Quick note, MK and Wukong might have only one magic color? Fun stuff.)

The reason I think Red Son's magic is not... magic persay, is because it doesn't follow the color rule. Like, it's not actually the color of Red Son's magical energy half the time, it doesn't follow the magic color rule. Red Son's fire shifts like an actual fire, which is very cool visually, but is not how magic works.

(Quick note, magic seems to be lighter in the celestial realm. This is because the Celestial Realm is really well-lit. The environment is literally pure sunlight or some shit, so all the characters and their magic are in perfect lighting. So Red Son's magic getting inexplicably darker would make no sense unless Red Son's magic is doing that on its own and the lighting has nothing to do with it.)

His magic also isn't the color of the Samadhi Fire, nor is his fire. That time in season 5 when Mei helped him with the seal, the two of them together made a Samadhi Fire-colored seal. He didn't seem capable of doing that by himself, which leads me to my conclusion:

I think the suppression of the Samadhi Fire suppressed Red Son's Intrinsic Magic as a whole, and his magical core (as one user put it) is compensating by drawing directly from his element.

Characters having an element isn't a new thing. Wukong's element is metal, he's a metal guy, it's why he can't swim, and it's why MK can't swim. MK needs floaties because he'll sink like a rock because he shares the metal element with Wukong.

But this is a possible explanation for why Red Son's magic is so weird.

On the note of Mei having more access to the Samadhi Fire than him, Skellebonez (my rock through this journey of a post) brought up a good point: "[I] think it makes sense because whatever they did to remove it from him could have also added a barrier preventing its return to an extent[.] Like a filter[.]"

This Intrinsic Magic cap/Samadhi Filter might also explain why he keeps getting his shit rocked despite having such potential to be powerful (that's probably just because it's silly tho) and it could explain why his parents are so damn disappointed in him in season 1. It's because they took his magic from him (however unintentionally) and he's not as magical anymore. The only type of categorizable magic he uses is Celestial magic, which HUMANS can use and can be bestowed on ANYONE. You can just like... LEARN THAT, and I think he just did.

In canon, nobody ever seems to be hurt by Red Son's fire? It seems to just be... a thing that he does. Everyone is less and less scared of it as the show goes on, and the only thing it does major damage to is MK's apartment. He uses his fists to attack more than he uses his fire, it's generally left as a visual effect. Red Son uses his fire as an intimidation tactic, not as an actual weapon, and I think this could also be explained by an Intrinsic Magic cap. His intrinsic magic is suppressed, so he has to rely on things like physical strength/cultivation.

I also think nobody knows this in canon, they didn't know about it, or they don't understand it. I think Red Son has a magic limiter on him, which is why his parents were such raging fuckasses in season one. They thought their son was "useless", or in Wukong's words, "half-baked", after showing such promise in his childhood before an incident. They only got a healthier relationship after they stopped obsessing over power and spent some family time together, when they realized that their son being a powerful magical demon isn't the most important thing in the world. (AND WE WEREN'T SHOWN IT.)

Red Son is magic-disabled, in this essay I did.

ALL MAGIC COMES FROM THE PRIMORDIAL CHAOS, SO, IN ACTUALITY, ALL OF IT IS THE SAME! FUCK YOU!

[girlgenius1111]

you could see the best of me

leah x r

Leah has barely touched R since her surgery a few weeks ago. R is slowly losing her mind.

smut 18+

The combination of aroused and annoyed was not one you were used to; it had been weeks since your injury, and therefore, weeks since you'd done anything with Leah. There weren't really an physical limitations stopping you; Leah was terrified to hurt you, and she refused to do anything more than kiss you in the past few weeks.

At first, you hadn't really noticed, all hopped up on pain meds, but as you stopped taking them, the desperate need for your girlfriend that you always seemed to have, returned. Still, even when you tried to get Leah to go farther, she always pulled back, smiling apologetically at you.

You really didn't understand. Leah was normally all over you, and your surgery had been weeks ago. You weren't sure why she didn't seem to want you; you really underestimated how worried she was about hurting you further.

It all came to a head one night, 4 weeks [4 entire weeks] after your surgery. You had managed to pull Leah into a heavy make out session, and you thought that maybe, this time, she wouldn't pull back. When she did, pressing a kiss to your forehead and walking off into the kitchen for some water, you couldn't help the frustrated huff you let out. Or the tears that flooded your eyes.

It was embarrassing, honestly, that you were crying because of how badly you needed your girlfriend to touch you, but you couldn't help it. Since getting together, you and Leah had barely gone more than 3 days without having sex. These past 4 weeks had been both unprecedented and torturous.

When Leah walked back into the room, looking annoyingly attractive in a dark green sweatshirt and joggers, you were still wiping angrily at the tears falling from your face.

"Baby? What's wrong?" She asked, smile falling from her lips. You rolled your eyes, thinking it was pretty obvious. Leah seemed to disagree, as she came to sit next to you on the couch, placing a gentle hand on your cheek. "What is it? Does something hurt?"

"No Leah, nothing fucking hurts," you spit out, and the blonde removed her hand from your face, blinking in surprise.

"Okay," she said, pausing. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" she asked patiently. She was being too nice to you, treating you like you were fragile, and it was infuriating.

"Stop being so nice to me," you cry, really overwhelmed now with frustration, aware you weren't really making much sense. Leah's brow scrunched adorably.

"You're upset because I'm being too nice to you?"

"No. I'm upset because we haven't had sex in weeks, Leah. Weeks." you reply, face flushing at the confession. Leah was quiet for a few moments.

"Love, I know it's been a while, but we need to be careful with your knee, I don't want to hurt you."

"Leah, my knee is fine. Definitely fine enough to have sex."

"I don't want to risk anything, y/n," she started, but you cut her off, rising unsteadily to your feet. You'd recently started walking completely unaided, but it was slow. It took some of the sting out of your words as you shuffled into the bedroom.

"I'll just take care of things myself then, if you won't help me." You say over your shoulder, leaving behind a bewildered Leah. She hadn't realized how bothered you were by this. She was considering her options when she heard you cry out from the bedroom. She was on her feet in a second, moving quickly into the room.

"What happened??" she asked, taking in the way you sat on the edge of the bed, gripping the comforter under you tightly. Your shorts were pulled down one leg, still resting around your bad knee.

"They got caught," you said miserably, motioning to your shorts. You couldn't even get undressed yourself, couldn't even tease Leah without having her help you. She walked towards you, ignoring your partially naked body, attempting to wrap you in a hug. You shrugged off her arms.

"No, Leah, I was just so mean to you, please don't." The blonde ignored your attempts to shrug her hug off, shushing you lightly, and pulling you into her.

"I'm sorry you're frustrated, love. I know it's hard not to be able to do things, and I don't meant to hover over you. I just want you to take your recovery seriously."

You lifted your head, resting your chin on Leah's abdomen to look up at her.

"Leah, please. I need you," you say, hoping desperately that Leah will take pity on you. To your excitement, she sighs, a sign she's relenting.

"Alright, baby, but we're doing this my way. And if something hurts, we stop right away. Got it?"

"Yes, I promise," you say, before gripping her face in your hands, and pulling her down for a kiss. She chuckles into your mouth at how desperate you are, but you're past caring about seeming needy.

You're knee was starting to ache from the position you were in, and you knew you needed to say something. If you didn't, there was no way Leah would let it go. You break the kiss, reaching down to attempt to finish pulling your shorts off your body.

"Let me," the blonde says, carefully pulling the shorts down around your knee, pausing when you're completely naked from the waist down. "Are you sure about this?" she asks, studying you closely.

"Leah, please just fuck me," you beg, pulling her closer by her shirt. She keeps her eyes on you as she pulls her hair into a ponytail, getting it out of the way. It makes your stomach flutter with excitement. She strips you of your shirt and bra, tossing them onto the floor to be dealt with later. Leah doesn't speak as she guides you to lay back on the bed, ignoring your eye roll when she props up your knee on a pillow, before leaning over you from your other side.

Her lips ghost over yours, blue eyes boring down at you as you stare up at her, all of your willpower focused on not grabbing her and pulling her onto you. She's made it clear that she's going to take it slow, and she won't touch you before she's ready. She traces your jaw with her fingers, enjoying the way you twitch slightly at the simple touch. She leans down as if to kiss you, instead taking your bottom lip between her teeth, and tugging lightly, before letting go. You can't help the whimper that escapes your mouth, or the plea that follows it.

"Lee, please,"

"How do you want me?" She asks, breath a hot whisper on your lips.

"Anything, fingers, mouth, just touch me," you reply. She only hums in response, and without any more preamble, brings her hand to your hot core. You bend your good knee, pulling it out of the way, and Leah breaks her eye contact with you to look down at where her fingers have found themselves.

"You're wet," she says matter of factly, choosing that moment to press lightly on your clit, before beginning to rub slow, small circles over it.

"Fuck- it's been 4 weeks, Leah," you remind her, ignoring the smug look on her face. She keeps her attention focused on your clit, 2 fingers on it, increasing their speed. After only a minute of this, you're panting, unable to believe how turned on you were. Your eyes fall shut, and you gasp in surprise when Leah's mouth connects with your chest, kissing her over to your nipple, and sucking it into her mouth. She flicks her tongue over it in sync with her fingers on your core, and you're, embarrassingly, already close.

You feel your face turning red, feeling that this is another level of desperate that you weren't eager to fall too. You tense your muscles, wanting more than anything to last longer, throwing an arm over your face to hide your blush. Evidently, Leah takes your movements as an indication of something other than pleasure. You cry out in disapproval when her motions come to a halt.

"Talk to me," she says, pulling your arm away from your face. "Are you hurting?" The smirk is gone from her face, replaced with Concerned Leah's face, brows scrunched, lips pressed into a hard line.

"No, god don't stop," you whine grabbing her hand, and trying to direct it back down; you can feel your orgasm slipping away.

"Your knee feels okay?" she checks again. You sigh, heavily, trying to remind yourself that she was being a good girlfriend, regardless of how frustrating her constant questions were.

"Yes it's fine, but I was close and you ruined it," you pout.

"Oh!" Smug Leah has returned. You don't even care, because her fingers are moving back to your core, and she's picking up right where she left off. It doesn't take long before you're on the edge again, coming with a loud cry of her name as her hand holds your hips down on the mattress, and the other works your through the waves of pleasure.

You got a glimpse of the Leah you knew normally, as she slid down the bed, slotting herself between your legs, barely giving you time to catch your breathe. She hovered over your cunt, taking in the abundant wetness there, but doesn't put her mouth on you. Instead, she rests her cheek on your thigh, gazing up at you.

You look down, frustrated, expecting her to be checking on your knee again. Instead, she's looking at you through hooded eyes, clearly waiting for you to beg for her. Her favorite thing.

"Please," you sigh, reaching for Leah's head, trying to push her closer to you.

"Please what, pretty girl?" She said lowly, not moving any closer.

"Please, I need your mouth on me," you plead, hips bucking up towards her face.

"My pretty girl, dripping all over the sheets for me," Leah said, before burying her face in your pussy. Her tongue feels perfect against you, as she laps at your slick, humming into you, enjoying the salty taste of you.

"Leah, shit, so good," you cry, beginning to grind up into her face.

"Don't worry baby, I'll take care of you" she says, pulling away for just a second to speak, before taking your swollen, sensitive clit into her mouth and suckling. Her fingers move to your entrance, two digits easily slipping in.

"Fuck baby," you moaned, hands lacing through Leah's hair, and holding her against you. She curls her fingers, pressing perfectly against your sweet spot, sucking hard on your clit. Your orgasm hits you harder than the previous one, and your body jerks up into Leah's face as you cry out.

"So good, so pretty when you come for me," Leah says, pulling her mouth away, but keeping her fingers inside of you, only slowing slightly.

"Leah, more," you say, barely coming down from your last orgasm before you feel yourself tumbling into the next.

'There you go, baby, so perfect for me," Leah says, adding a third finger, fucking into you harder. You come for the third time, your body jerking uncontrollably. Your bad knee slips off the pillow it was resting on, and you feel a sharp stab of pain, ending your bliss prematurely.

"Fuck, fuck my knee," you cry, and Leah pulls away from you, hands fluttering over your knee, afraid to touch it and hurt you more.

"Baby?" She asks, as you press your face into the pillow, breathing hard, trying to let the extremely different sensations flowing through your body. "Y/n, are you okay?" Leah asks again when you don't respond.

"I'm okay," you whisper, keeping your face hidden away, trying to blink away the tears in your eyes before Leah can see. You feel her leave the bed, hear her footsteps going down the hall. You roll onto your back again, carefully moving your knee back onto the pillow, breathing through the pain. You don't know where Leah's gone, but you take the opportunity to wipe the tears from your eyes.

The defender returns quickly, and you watch as she speed walks in, hands full with your brace, and ice pack, and several different pill bottles.

"Tell me what you need? Should we go to the hospital?" Leah asks, resting a hand on your cheek. You swallow a laugh, knowing her concern is genuine.

"I'm okay Leah, I promise. I just tweaked it." You assure her, placing your hand over hers and holding it in place.

"Let me put the ice pack on, at least," She says, pulling her hand away from your face, and expertly wrapping it around your knee. She stays standing by the edge of the bed, looking down at you, guilt etched across her features.

"Leah," you start, before she interrupts you.

"No. I knew that wasn't a good idea, we should have waited, and I hurt you." Leah says.

"It's not your fault, Leah," you say, grabbing her hand to try to pull her closer.

"You're right," she says after a moment. "It's your fault. You talked me into this." she glares at you, crossing her arms. Your jaw drops almost comically.

"4 weeks Leah. 4 weeks. I cannot be blamed for my actions." Leah rolls her eyes, snorting. You reach for her hand again, giving her your best pout.

"Come lay with me, please?" You can see Leah's frustration melt away, and she nods, quickly moving to the other side of the bed, wrapping you up in her arms. She's fully clothed, and you're completely naked, and the vulnerability feels good. It's a different kind than the one you'd been forced into the past few weeks; Leah having to help you do everything. This was different, intimate, and it felt good.

"You promise you're okay?" She whispers into your hair.

"Promise." You reply, letting your eyes flutter shut.

"Hmm." She says, considering. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Oh I see, but I'm the needy one," you laugh.

"4 weeks was long for me too," Leah defends, laughing with you. She presses a kiss into your hair, absentmindedly running a hand up and down your arms. The pain in your knee has faded away, but even if it hadn't, your sure it would be gone, even from just a minute in Leah's arms.

-----

[devotedfem]

→Manipulator

Synopsis: You were a psychologist forensic, having the task to study the criminal profile of Hoseok. You were intrigued by him, because despise of his atrocious crimes, he was the sweetest man to you. But you should know better than to trust him. Something about his vibe and smile sets you off, and your instincts might not be wrong.

J. Hoseok x f. reader

Genre: criminal au | yander-ish

Tags: manipulator Hoseok, naive psychologist reader, possessive behavior, yander-ish, mental manipulation, hidden intentions, kind of ¨bipolar¨ Hoseok, creepy behavior.

From the series masterlist; The chasing.

You bit your inner cheek reading Hoseok's file, it was honestly disturbing to read all of the crimes he committed.

Your boss called you yesterday, telling you to build a profile of a offender, a criminal with a very complex mind. So now, you have to interview one of the most dangerous man in South Korea to understand his potential motivations behind his felonies.

The guard outside of the interrogation room didn't look at you once, he just opened the door expressionless. You took deep breaths to calm your nerves, it wasn't your first time doing this so you didn't know where the anxiety comes from.

"Hello."

A hoarse voice startled you. You blinked watching a man handcuffed to a table, smiling eagerly and widely towards you. He looked friendly, if you didn't knew better you would return the smile. But you do knew better, or so you think.

"Hello Hoseok, i'm y/n, and i will make you some questions if you don't mind." And if he does mind, you will still interview him.

"Oh, i don't mind at all! I like to talk about myself," he teased with a warm smile, and you just smiled back.

Hint of narcissism. You noted.

You started to ask him questions based on your readings and the protocol, and he answered rather calm and polite, always smiling and listening to you.

Sometimes you catched him looking at you without blinking, with an intimidating gaze lingering on you long enough to be considerate impolite or strange. But he returns to his "nice" and friendly persona immediately.

"Do you think i'm a bad person?"

The question took you by surprise, the interview was going smoothly until he asked that. You cleared your throat to hide the fact that you were taken aback.

"I think you're a very intelligent person, capable of knowing what's good or bad. So you can ask that question to yourself."

You looked at your watch feeling a bit uncomfortable every second you spend with Hoseok, and the worst part it's that he didn't do anything wrong to make you feel that way. It was something about his vibe.

"Okay well, i have a last question for you."

"I'm all ears." He smiled warmly at you, very attentive to what you have to say.

He was so nice and well mannered, but at the same time so creepy.

"Based on what you told me, i can say that you are a person very aware of your actions and those of others. So... why did you kill those people?"

The million dollar question. Why did he kill innocent people that have no relation with each other or with him? There's not a specific pattern.

"Why not?"

Silence.

"Pardon?"

Sadist. You noted.

"I said, why fucking not?"

You blinked genuinely confused and surprised. You touched a nerve, breaking his facade.

"Because innocent people don't deserve to die just because." You answered calmly, studying his every expression, and he was doing the same with you.

He just hummed at you, with his handcuffs clinking.

"I might just kill all of your family and friends just to have you to myself, isn't that enough of a reason?" His eyes glinted with evilness, and your breath hitch at his threat.

"Of course not." You tried so hard to not lose your cool, but it was hard when his piercing eyes bore your face.

"I disagree. In fact if you walk away and never return to me, i'll make some calls to arrange your friends and family deaths."

You blinked, not knowing if you should laugh or run.

"What?"

In the next second he jumped to your side of the table, breaking the handcuffs with a pin you didn't knew dropped from your hair. He grabbed your neck with one hand, and both of your wrists with the other. His grip was bruising, and the guard outside of the room ignored all of your cries and screams for help.

"If you don't come back tomorrow, i might hurt you and everyone you love just because. Your choice." He growled in your ear, making you whimper by his rough grip.

"Okay! i'll come tomorrow, just... just leave them alone," your lips wobble, and he coos wiping tenderly your tears away.

"Aren't you clever, my y/n. I promise we will have so much fun together." He whispered against your neck, and his tongue lapped the skin of your neck like a hungry dog, making your stomach turn with disgust.

You were so fucked up.

[skyfallscotland]

We really need to talk about this obsession with toxic positivity in fandom.

There are corners of the internet (tumblr, reddit, in some respects AO3) that were made for discussion and exploration.

Part of being in fandom is, and has always been, discussing canon through a critical lens. This should be expected, not lambasted as if the creators themselves are going to read every post and be so viscerally offended they skip their dinner for the night.

If you’re required to only “be positive” about something, the community devolves into an echo chamber and that's boring. Going against the grain, believing something different, never used to make you a 'hater'. Where did we go so wrong that it’s perceived as such now?

Everyone has a valid viewpoint to add to any discussion, however my viewpoint is only welcomed if it’s in agreement with the majority of people—which it generally will never be given I am, in fact, a minority and therefore do not view the text through the same lens as most people. My lived experience means I don’t think like most of you, and I'm frustrated that I’m essentially told to sit in a corner and be quiet because of it. Why are you even posting under a discussion flair if any opinion different to yours is met with vitriol? You clearly don't want discussion.

Here’s the thing—you don’t love this book more than me just because you don't have any critiques. Your opinion is not more valid than mine (or anyone else's) because you lack the ability or the inclination to imagine, to explore, to question.

You (we, if I may) can love something and still believe it can be improved upon. Generally, if you love something, that is what you want—you want it to be the best it can be.

And even if you don't think the same way I do, here's the thing—ultimately, how the hell does it affect you if I don’t agree with an aspect of the text or your interpretation of it? My criticism of the way certain books are lauded for bare bones disability rep or their inclusivity when they have *checks notes* a character of ambiguous skin tone, should have no bearing on your enjoyment of the book. My opinion that a character has ambiguous morals should have no bearing on your enjoyment of the character.

You wanna know what I think it is? (You don't, but I'm going to tell you anyway)—people seek to find themselves in stories. We want to feel seen, that’s normal. But now, especially in these fandoms, people are getting the lines blurred. They’re getting their identities completely entangled with these books.

It’s ok to love something, but to become so entrenched in it that you can’t separate the book from your own sense of self? That's dangerous.

These unfortunate people need you to say only ultra-positive things about it because anything else is perceived as an attack on them and who they are—because they think they are the things they enjoy. Positive opinions on the text and its characters, in line with their own, are self-validation for them.

Enjoying something doesn’t mean it has to be a part of your identity. Things can be beloved and formative without affecting your self-esteem and sense of worth.

And I think, for me at least, it all trickles down to this: at the end of the day, if I disagree with something, I attempt to counter the opinion, that's how my brain rolls—people who disagree with 'being negative' (and I say that with the utmost derision, because usually it’s not negativity at all) don't have an argument that you're wrong, they just don't think you should talk about it. They go straight to attacks and vitriol, and telling you to get out.

You can still like something and admit it’s flawed.

There are a great many things I love about my fandoms, I just don't always mention them because it's been covered already 😉 Why bring up something ten other people already have day in, day out?

In closing, I'll leave you with this:

Even when fandom is being critical, it ultimately comes from a place of optimism and devotion, one that centers on the hope that a beloved property might stop fucking everything up and start being good again, x

Oh, and no, I won't "quit reading fantasy" just because I want to see a protagonist with my physical limitations. That's ableist as fuck. Have the day you deserve!

[jakes3resin]

Modern Reincarnation AU Part 5 ✨️

Part 4

"Hello."

Bucky turned his head into the crook of his arms. The material of his new suit jacket itches at his cheeks, but he still rubbed his nose against it pretending it was enough to cover his sniffles. He wasn't interested in talking to whoever this was. He'd had enough with talking. Enough of people staring at him with pity as they offered condolences that didn't do anything. No one said anything worth listening to here anyway.

"You're John, right?" The person from before asked. Bucky could hear the rustle of clothing as whoever it was knelt down.

"It's Bucky." Bucky murmured. He refused to lift his head from his arms, so his voice came out muffled and wrong.

"Buffy? Like the vampire slayer?" The voice laughed. "Bit silly, but okay."

Bucky lifted his head to glare at the voice. He didn't care that the man was in a fancy uniform like his parents' old ones or that the kind smile on his face grew in triumph when he did so. No one was allowed to make fun of his name.

"My name is Bucky." Each word enuciated crisp and succinct.

"Well, my name's Chick, Chick Harding. Nice to meet you kid."

✨️

"Knew I'd find you out here."

Bucky doesn't turn to acknowledge Buck as the other leans out the kitchen window. Thankfully, he doesn't step out onto the stairs. Bucky's not sure he wants Buck in his space. It's easier at night when Bucky can pretend, can ignore the hurt just to bask in the comfort. In the daylight, it's the echo of Buck's voice that haunts him dogging his every step.

Don't count on it.

Damn it Curt, how many times do I have to tell you? He doesn't know!

The same voice over and over.

Bucky stares down at the traffic below, watching strangers running around going about their lives. Sometimes, he sits out here and imagines their lives. Imagines what brought them here, where they're going next, and how that changes them.

"Curt asked if we wanted to go out tonight. After dinner with your father, that is."

Curt... Bucky hides his wince by shifting against the railing. He hasn't spoken to Curt yet. He wasn't sure he wanted to. He'd had enough with talking.

"Not sure," Bucky shrugs, turning back to his book. He still doesn't look up at Buck. "Probably not."

"That's not like you." Shock colors Buck's voice. Bucky curls his knee closer leaving only one leg splayed out on the stairs above. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Bucky scoffs. He breathes out softens his voice. "I just don't think I'll feel up to it after dinner."

Buck makes a noise as if he understands, but the fib tastes like ash on Bucky's tongue. His fingers curls around his book, more homework he was supposed to finish at the library.

"You should go. Paint the town red." Bucky finally lifts his head to meet Buck's gaze. The other's face pales. Bucky tries not to feel vindictive. Or guilty.

"Maybe next time." Buck chokes out, voice gruff as he pulls his head back into the apartment.

✨️

"You gonna be calm about this?"

"What? I'm always calm."

"Bucky breaking his arm at baseball practice would disagree with that statement, Chick."

"Extenuating circumstances. He was crying!"

"And he was crying last night when I had to talk you out of calling in favors to take out a university student."

"Political office has to come with some perks. Why shouldn't I use them?"

"Because Congress can impeach you for misappropriating State Department resources, and I won't help you out of it."

"Didn't our marriage vows include for better or for worse?"

"Probably, but who knows? But back to my original point, keep your cool. We don't know what's going on between them."

"Right. I don't think I'm going to like this boy. He's too old for Bucky."

"He's twenty-six to Bucky's twenty-three. Our age gap is worse."

"Well, he still has a lot to explain."

"Sure. Would you get the good plates out of the china cabinet for me? Bucky will be here any minute."

"Yes, dear."

✨️

"We're here!" Bucky motioned Buck in first. Buck's big blue eyes took in the entryway. The high ceilings and beautifully decorated rooms certainly looked different from his college apartment.

"In here!" Jack's voice rang out. A crash echoed from the kitchen alongside his father's voice cursing. God Bucky hopes Jack didn't let him do any of the cooking. Bucky's already dealing with heartbreak he doesn't want to deal with food poisoning as well.

"Follow me," Bucky tried for a smile, but judging by the pinching around Buck's eyes, it was more likely a grimace. "If you're worried about an ambush, they'll at least wait until you've eaten something."

"Right." Buck reaches a hand out for Bucky's. His thumb rubs over Bucky's knuckles. "Let's face the music then."

Bucky leads the other through the living room towards the kitchen. Buck's eyes jumping over the many childhood photos of Bucky decorating the walls, the same wild curls and equally wild smile greeting him in each one.

"Bucky!"

Bucky's dragged out of Buck's hold by his father's hug. Shocks tingle at the tips of his fingers. He might have been imagining it, but it felt like Buck's hand tried to reel in him back.

"And you must be Gale Cleven." Bucky's dad reached a hand out to shake his hand. Bucky watched his father squeeze Buck's hand. Buck's smile never dipped.

"Mr. Secretary, you have a lovely home."

✨️

"So how did you two meet?" Chick asked as filled Jack's glass of wine alongside his own. Both Buck and Bucky had both chosen not to drink that night. Alcohol, as much as Bucky craved the release it gave him, probably wasn't the best idea for him tonight.

"Oh," Bucky cleared his throat. His food suddenly felt like sludge as it went down his throat.

This was fine. He'd prepared for this. He could play the lovesick kid tonight. Tomorrow, he'd confront Buck. He just had to make it through this dinner.

"At a coffee shop just off campus. Buck said I looked like a friend of his from Wisconsin. Said we shared the same name."

"That a fact?" Chick leveled Buck with an deep look. "And that's how the kids do it these days? Chance meetings in coffee shops?"

"Dad," Bucky groaned burying his face into his hands. "Please don't."

"What?" Chick nudged Jack who simply rolled his eyes at his husband's teasing. "Am I too embarrassing now? I thought I was a cool dad."

"Anyone who has to say they're a cool dad, ultimately is the lamest dad." Bucky laughed.

"I'll remember that next time you want a favor or special tickets to something." Chick threatened, but no one at the table truly believed him. His smile was too wide and happy when he looked at Bucky. Plus, Jack would testify that Chick had never denied Bucky anything since Bucky had come into his life.

"You're from Casper Wyoming, aren't you, Gale?" Chick turned his attention back to Buck. Bucky noticed that every time his dad called the other 'Gale,' his hands tightened around his utensils. "How'd you end up in DC?"

"School, sir. I'm a graduate student at Georgetown. Interplanetary physics." Gale took a sip of his water.

"Ever think about joining the Air Force?" Chick laid his knife down. "Degree like that could take you far. I knew a Major who studied the same thing once."

"No, sir." Buck's jaw clenched. "I respect those who serve, but I think I'm happy where I am."

"Chick," Jack laid a hand on Chick's forearm. "He's a retired Colonel, so you'll have to excuse him. Years at the State Department and somehow his allegiance is still to them."

"Not a problem." Buck's jaw finally unclenched. Bucky resisted the urge to reach for him. "Did you fly any of the big birds sir?"

✨️

"Sorry about them," Bucky glanced back towards Buck. The other had fallen behind, eyes distant as if lost in thought. "Buck?"

"Sorry?" Buck's eyes met his own once more.

"Now who's distracted?" Bucky let the other catch up. He twisted his hand out of the way when Buck went to hold it. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew his phone to check on the status of their ride. Buck's hand felt back to his side.

"Sorry about the interrogation back there. He's protective."

"It's alright, Bucky." Buck smiles. "He's not so scary. Not to me, and not when it comes to you. Besides, I'd go through a lot worse to stay with you."

The words, heartfelt and genuine, felt sickening to hear.

What about Curt? Would you do the same for him?

The question was once more on the tip of his tongue, the rage and heartbreak burning in his chest, but the sound of the car arriving kept him quiet. Buck let him in first with an overly exaggerated sweep of his arm. Bucky settled into his seat with a laugh as Buck climbed in after him.

"Oh," Buck glanced down at his phone. His fingers tapped over the screen, but Bucky couldn't see who was texting him. "It's Curt."

"Really?" Bucky glanced down at his own phone checking his messages. Nothing from Curt.

"Yeah, he wants to know if you wanna go out tonight?" Buck frowns. "I'll tell him no."

"You know what?" Bucky shoves his phone back into his pocket. What better way to see the pair interact? "Let's do it. Paint the town red, right Buck?"

✨️

[georgegraphys]

WARNING : OPINIONATED, AGREE TO DISAGREE, some speculative things. Mercedes shooter/snowflakes who hate getting their opinions hurt/who close their eyes blind fuck off

I'm a Mercedes defender but you CANNOT say that at ONE POINT in George's career, they can be manipulative af.

Two things can be TRUE, AT THE SAME FUCKING TIME:

1. Mercedes helps and choose George, George loves and choose Mercedes

2. At some point of his career, there were manipulative acts performed by Mercedes.

Let's talk from the beginning

I don't think i need to tell the story about George's powerpoint presentation saga anymore because all of us know it. But shortly,

His manager got a hold of Toto's email > George sent his CV > Toto saw em and invited George > George came ALONE to Toto's office and there were other higher ups > presentation > Toto mesmerized because of how George is very brave to go inside his office and present his "why you should pick me" CV alone without parents/manager > Toto want him in the junior team but can only offer an ass team > George refused for an English team (Carlin Volkswagen) > Toto say "i told you you're wrong but let's keep on contact"

Then George blew his expectations. Did a pretty good season in F3 EU first year. But he got into a financial problem which he later resorted to testing for BMW in DTM as he looked for plan B. He cooked their. First on the record, allegedly beat Audi and Mercedes too. BMW liked George so much that they threw him a $$$,$$$ contract directly. But the testing saga was leaked by an ex-BMW employee who moved to Mercedes and Mercedes came back to George.

Okay, if you're saying "oh awreeee, but george chose mercedes" oh amandaaa, for the second time, it was mercedes who approached george.

Although George in the end DID choose Mercedes, you can't look at this statement and tell me "oh my word! this is so pressure-less! i bet they're having tea over this talk!" 🥰🥰🥰 "Oh but Ari this is normal-" you're talking to me here as someone who will NEVER be in the position of money-less and your dream in the verge of getting over.

The keyword here is "It was absolutely clear from Mercedes-Benz". You are EIGHTEEN or SEVENTEEN with a career most possibly focused on racing. And a powerhouse company said "there won't be an option with Mercedes Benz in the future (if you pick BMW)". And if you look at it, you don't need to be a Law Student or a Comms Student to know that the deal they're offering to George is so fucking ass. Do ALL the sims for Merc, they test you on and off the track. All that and they say "oh but we won't be so sure tee hee~ we'll get back to you in October 🩵🩵🩵". All that while not letting him keep the BMW contract. George did choose Mercedes, but you can't tell me that there is no pressure (or minor gaslighting) at all from a big company who had ventures in GT/DTM/F1 to a 17/18 y.o who had financial problems and is desperate to continue his career.

Second. During this "test" period for George's second year at F3 EU. They also did not allow him to continue with Carlin despite George wanting to because Carlin is supported by Volkswagen. He had to opt for Hitech, a completely new team (rumored to get that discounted price seat in exchange for driver coaching his teammate Mazepin, whose father sponsors Hitech)

You can have a different opinion about this and you might say "eh but that makes sense, it's job obligation" but for me "why let go of Carlin VW when they don't even guarantee anything about George's seat in the junior team"

Other saga of this "shady ass slightly manipulative shit" Merc did? Whatever that Red Bull saga is

The fact that they said this while also thinking about someone else in that Merc seat in 2022 LOL 💀💀💀 Even when George was almost out of his seat in 2020, they'd rather send George to GT or DTM than let him go to Red Bull or other team. In 2020, he was linked to a Ferrari or McLaren seat. You can say "why would you want him-" and I'll say that you only say this because you're in the future now and you know George is in Mercedes. But if you were BACK THEN and he's on the verge of getting his seat grabbed by someone else and his team snoozed around just because they won't let him go, you'd want to bite their neck off too.

But yeah as I said earlier, this is my opinion and some of the red flags I see. You can't 100% glorify Mercedes for helping George. I'm very thankful they helped George throughout his career. George is in his place now partly because of Mercedes. But let's not act like Merc is a divine angel for helping someone out. They did some red flags too. George chooses them, YES. But let's not act like there is absolutely no pressure at all to a minor at that time.

[butwhatifidothis]

Thanks for the catch Raxy boy! I have now made sure that the two names I censored were better differentiated!

Since you're looking over my blog anyway and care so much about me talkin' about your buddies, can you finally directly address all the horrible shit Shandale has said?

Like this?

Saying that the entirety of a race should be subjugated and stripped of their rights because of the (MADE UP) actions of some of them? I've talked about this clearly horrible example of Shandale's rhetoric before but you seem to have missed it! So here it is again for you since you're combing through my blog again <3

And here's the entire conversation that the person I'll refer to as White - who you forgot to censor, by the way, you left their name unedited in that second screenshot, fixed that for you in this post but you might wanna go do something about that in yours - had with deathbirby (as much as it can be gleaned from the deleted messages):

See how White is seemingly having a conversation with themselves, especially in the bottom portion of the last screenshot? That'd be because they were talking very cordially with deathbirby about birds - not even talking about 3H!

But then White asks deathbirby why they were in the discord... and they have a cordial - if very strange and telling - response to whatever was said:

How weird! Even though deathbirby has done nothing in the server to warrant any action from mods, White seems pretty convinced that deathbirby is going to be kicked... just because they "are part of [the] group [the discord's] sorta 'beefing' with" and no other reason! Not for any argument they were trying to start up, since again - literally only White was talking to them! And they were literally only talking about birds! At best Shandale dropped two bird pictures! No shit was started at all! But the discord seems to have that bad of a tribalism problem that literally anyone who associates with The Wrong People are automatically deemed undesirables by the people in charge, and White already expects deathbirby to get banned because of it - totally not worrying at all!

Then out of nowhere, here comes another mod and Shandale!

Accusing deathbirby of "bringing tumblr bs" but, hm... they were just talking about birds to White; seems like they just wanted talk to me! At best they wanted to have a discussion about something, and it probably DID relate to something about 3H, but given White's responses deathbirby was far from "starting shit" about anything - wonder where Wonder got that idea from?

Hey, when does it say that post was made? October 29th? What "tumblr bs" was going on at that time that deathbirby had on their blog-

Oh. Ohhhh. The "tumblr bs" was my first post pointing out Shandale's proclivity to use genocide apologetics and upholding genociders as liberators for 3H - and the first reblog I did for that post going further into Shandale's posts, if we wanna go for the exact day. So deathbirby not taking keen to Shandale's racist rhetoric gets dubbed "tumblr bs," and then, oops!

They're "stirring shit up" now, they're "acting like an innocent party" now, they're using "bad faith arguments" and "outright slander" now. Looking at messages said by Shandale and still held by Shandale which Shandale stubbornly defended and Shandale openly deleted messages over is bad faith, and deathbirby gets banned for it. With White still wanting deathbirby to talk despite all that! Despite Wonder and Shandale accusing deathbirby of starting shit! Almost like... White didn't think deathbirby was trying to start shit! Probably because nothing shows deathbirby was trying to start shit!

Almost like you, Raxy, only insist that because you think anyone you dislike - or is around people you dislike - couldn't possibly want to have a cordial conversation with you and your buds! Almost like that's because you and a lot of your buddies would never have a cordial conversation with anyone who disagrees with you! Funny how that all seems to click together!

Oh, and just cuz I'm nice like that: when you say that someone "tried to start shit," that's commonly understood to mean that that person was trying to start an argument of some kind - whether a "debate" argument or a, oh, would you look at that, "trying to start shit" argument! Hope that helps <3

[miya-twins]

miyacest !! (idr if u talk abt them on this blog so if u don't feel free to ignore)

oh dw idc. this is my blog and I'll talk about whatever I want <3

Send me a ship, and I will tell you:

1. My take on their canon relationship: they're each other's most important person. full stop. that's what canon says. if you disagree you're wrong. obv canon doesn't mean it in a shippy way, I get it, but that doesn't matter. sometimes the most important relationships are entirely platonic. the point is, they've spent their entire lives together, and even when they grew up and their paths diverged and they fought about all this change, it didn't tear them apart, if anything, it only brought them closer together. idk how anyone can read hq post-ts and not get insanely emotional about them. look at atsumu wearing osamu's old number to the olympics, and osamu being all proud, wearing the same jersey at home. look at how happy osamu gets from seeing atsumu eating his onigiri and taking strength and ecouragement from it to perfect his serves and get even better. look at their stupid ass bet to each be the happier one because they can't be fucking normal and say "I support you and want you to live the happiest life you can". literally I can't shut up about them.

2. Do I ship them: obviously.

3. Reasons why I do/don’t ship them: canon gave us such a juicy, complex relationship, how could I not ship? nobody gets them like they get each other. osamu literally was created so atsumu wouldn't be lonely. what else do you want me to say??? idc about anyone's supposed 'moral concerns' like damn, it's a story, them being related just gives an extra layer of drama if I want one. I'm not passing up one of, if not the best relationship in the series for a stupid reason like that.

4. Headcanon, if any: when things get tough, they make another stupid bet on who's gonna be the first to give up on their relationship due to outside pressure, and they both know it's 100 times more meaningful than any promise to stay together forever, because they're both committed enough to never give up on what they have, or else they wouldn't have agreed to the bet.

5. How much do I ship (%): not measurable in numbers they make me insane

[promptling]

STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS ( 2011 ) change pronouns as needed.

that was our ride!

what the hell did you take?

we have to do this now.

if we're doing this, we've got to do it now.

you sure you don't want me to go instead?

i was kidding.

they're trying to kill us!

i can't hold this position.

i am, surprisingly, alive.

i can save her.

what did you say?

who are you?

you're not actually going to answer that, are you?

you filed a report?

are you giving me attitude?

i am expressing multiple attitudes simultaneously.

you have any idea what a pain in the ass you are?

what's the lesson to be learned here?

you think the rules don't apply to you because you disagree with them.

what was i supposed to do, let them die?

you think you're infallible.

it's a pattern with you.

why should i listen?

you don't listen to anybody but yourself.

you got your ass handed to you.

i don't know what to say.

it's fortunate that the consequences were not more severe.

do you understand why i went back for you?

the truth is, i'm going to miss you.

tomorrow's too late.

spit it out, don't be shy.

there is no regulation that condemns a man to die without a trial.

i'm not going to take ethics lessons from a robot!

this action is morally wrong.

i wasn't asking for your opinion.

i don't have time for a lecture.

this is clearly a military operation.

is that what we are now?

i'd rather not talk about it.

your ears burning?

let's go get this son of a bitch.

i was simply attempting to use your vernacular to convey an idea.

you don't rob a bank when the getaway car has a flat tire.

enough with the metaphors.

remind me never to piss you off.

i would prefer to discuss this in private.

are you really gonna do this right now?

i'm not the only one who's upset with you.

don't drag me into this.

you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring.

the truth is precisely the opposite.

i am here to help you.

you and your people are in danger.

how the hell do you know that?

i will consider that an apology. and i will consider that apology.

the nerve of that guy!

i am not doing that man any favors.

are you out of your corn-fed mind?

you're actually going to listen this guy?

don't agree with me, it makes me very uncomfortable.

when were you going to tell me that?

you're much cleverer than your reputation suggests.

may i remind you, you are not there to flirt.

you're going to want to see this.

you are a murderer!

my crew is my family.

you already knew that, didn't you?

i don't take your meaning.

i'll do anything you want. just let them live.

we cannot fire and we cannot flee.

the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

i have no idea what i'm supposed to do.

you coming with me or not?

just give me two seconds!

try not to get shot.

your path is yours to walk, and yours alone.

did you defeat him?

i got you, i got you.

you'd better get down here.

that's a nice move.

i'm scared, _______.

how do you choose not to feel?

there's too much damage.

go get him.

you saved my life.

it's nice to have a family.

i defer to your good judgement.

[ai-the-broccoli]

hmmm. tbh I wanna talk a bit about why I see misa as having bpd and how it ties into her comphet (or, even through an interpretation where she is not a lesbian, how it strongly affects her attachment to light), but I know that some people understandably don't like personality disorder hcs, so. I wonder if I should do it?

(some thoughts about nd hcs under the cut)

alright ofc I do know why personality disorder headcanons for characters - especially if they are villains or antagonists - are controversial. since, if it's someone without those doing this based on entirely incorrect, stereotypical conceptions of what the disorders entail, that would be very ableist and demonizing. (and then obviously there are also people who are either under the conscious impression that or hold the unconscious prejudice according to which PDs make you inhumane and evil, which they don't want to hear about their favourite characters)

but personally, speaking as someone who is cluster b themselves and has indeed done a decent amount of actual research on this, I wanna say that (aside from light, who def has cluster b traits imho but is more controversial in this regard. maybe I'll talk about it some other time) misa does def read as having bpd to me, even though I'm sure it's not the authorial intention, and I do think that's a point worth considering when we are analyzing her character.

... anyway. I strongly disagree with the idea that this kind of character hcs (especially when it's about, for instance, a disorder that is often formed and/or triggered through a person's experience and/or trauma to begin with, like personality disorders are) automatically make for reductive interpretations of a character, or in any sense automatically take away from other intriguing aspects or angles of analyzing the character.

those things do not have to conflict with each other at all, and sometimes may even complement each other; it's only a problem if someone does do it in a reductive way (like, it's bad if someone slaps reductive, inaccurate ableist stereotypes on a character and call it a day. and then also, if someone's hc that a character has X neurodivergence prevents them from analyzing the character in any meaningful sense that is not just a plain "they have X" and nothing else beyond that, not even about how having X influences the character and connects to their behaviour or themes etc., then I see the problem. but if they're able to analyze the character while having the nd hc then I don't think there's anything wrong with it at all).

e.g. "Light has OCD, autism, and/or a PD" and "Light initially became Kira because he simply can't otherwise accept the fact that he has killed two people" and "Light's story is a cautionary tale about xxx and how this can happen to anyone under his circumstances" are three interpretations can very well coexist, imo. see, I don't vibe with the idea that's like 'no he has to be neurotypical because the point of Light's character is that this can happen to anyone under his circumstances bc he is "normal" for someone in his circumstances', because... see, I don't think it's NOT normal to have one or more of the disorders mentioned above, when you're in the circumstances he is in?? like, that IS very much an 'anyone can be like that' thing to me. idk. anyway. pls tell me if you'll be interested if anyone's still here lol

[mari-lair]

There has been a massive argument about aoikane on Twitter since this morning ,people are calling Akane a domestic abuser ...

I'll be honest with you, Anon, my reaction to that was "Of course they are, the dumb fucks" cause I have no respect for twtbhk. Zero. Negative even.

I don't need to tell you why Akane isn't a domestic abuser (I hope i don't have to. Please, I want to believe tumblr have basic reading comprehension) but I'll use this ask to vent about Twitter.

Most of twtbhk don't care about the manga, they don't even have their own opinion. I am not joking. It's like a cult of ungrateful kids that use 'jokes lol' to hate on everything they disagree with, being so immersed in their own headcanons that they don't even know what they are talking about anymore

They don't care about Akane as a character, at all, if he is a domestic abuser or not in canon doesn't matter, they won't check, they won't change their opinion, they won't go "oh this character action doesn't fit my perception of them, let me see if I missed something" they'll just claim the character was "written wrong" or "acted ooc in that scene" because they want a character to just be an accessory to a ship or to be an easy target to hate. They'll forever ignore the manga for a version that they created that is the "correct version of the manga" and they'll keep mischaracterizing Akane, or Aoi, or any character they like/dislike to fit their cute troupes or easy to hate 'version.'

They'll basically create OCs and act like is the truth, aoikane doesn't exist on twitter, it never did, I have seen people say "Chapter 69 doesn't exist cause I personally hate that chapter" unironically. So yeah... They don't care about aoikane, the ship they are talking about, where Akane is a domestic abuser? It's just something they made up.

Picture this:

They are openly disrespectful towards Aidairo (I no longer check the comments on their wonderful art) when they created the manga they claim to love, so of course they have no respect for other fans and won't try to hear them, of course being kind to a stranger is something that doesn't cross their mind, they want to argue or 'joke' about it instead.

At this point, if I visit twtbhk expecting anything insightful, that's on me, shame on me. I should have known better.

So my advice to you is to not go there, and if you're addicted to the site and can't escape, just block people without restrain. I promise you're not missing anything, they aren't even reading the manga you like.

[formulapookie]

Bezzetti and "Guess i was never enough for you" but please, i am begging you, dont make it a sad ending, my heart can't take that 😭❤️ (obviously, no pressure, write what you feel like, this is your writing etc)

They don't argue.

Never.

Not because they never disagree, but simply because they always manage to solve discussions before they turn into something ugly.

Something like this they're going through right now.

"Why do you care so much who I hang out with? It's not like I go and fuck them Marco for god's sake!"

"You go around with that one all the time, ALL THE DAMN TIME when I'm not there he's constantly attached to your hip, how do you think it makes me feel?"

"You don't raise your voice at me, ok? And I can have friends, or have you gone mental? Have I ever been jealous of you and Pecco? Huh? You guys spend more time together than we do, and we're together Marco, boyfriends. Yet you stay with Pecco the majority of the times"

"Well it's easier for me to do it! He's up there with me in MotoGP and we have the same calendars and timesheets, you are not, I can't constantly be there, but you know that guy likes you, you know perfectly well he has a crush on you and you STILL go with him"

Bez realizes one second too late he's fucked up.

He's up there with me in MotoGP.

It echoes in Cele's ears and brain, it takes a poisonous edge and cuts a wound deep in his heart.

You are not.

It's all in slow motion, the way he can hear his heart crack a little, the way he sees Bez walking close to him to hug him.

He pushes Bez's hand away, looking in is eyes and it's all blurry, tears at the corner of his eyes threatening to come out in a flow.

He knows he's not up there yet but he can - he can still make it right?

He won last week, he showed them he can do it still, he did right?

He showed Bez too. That he was worthy that - that the people telling him he should go and be a mechanic were wrong.

He's trying to prove everyone he deserves to be up there, with them.

But Bez just - he just made it all crumble like a castle of cards with a breath of wind.

"Guess I was never enough for you then" Cele is speaking impressively without sobbing, despite the tears keep on falling.

"Pecco is uh he's the champion no? He's great, he's the winner, the one you look up to. He's important and he surely makes a better everything than me"

"No Cele no please listen to me I never meant it in that wauy I just - I wasn't thinking ok I'm not saying I enjoy his company more because of who he is, I just meant we obviously spent time together more easily because of schedules but I would never ever think of replacing you"

"But you could. With Pecco you could celebrate victories basically every weekend, and not have to trail behind my failures every time"

"I don't give a fuck about celebrating victories Cele, nothing, especially if you're not there I don't care. i just. I don't like him being that close to you because he's got a crush as big as the sun for you and I fear you'll see something in him that will make you go away"

"What would I see in someone else making me date them when I have you Marco?"

"Anything?"

"Oh come on you seriously think I'd choose someone else over you?"

"You told me I would. That I'd choose Pecco"

"Because you have a reason to do it! He is so much greater than I'll ever be Marco, I - I don't want to be the reason why you need more, I want to be the reason why you don't need anything else"

"I think you've got a concussion because you're not making sense. you are irreplaceable, I would never choose someone who's not you to love, you give me everything I can hope for and more. Pecco is my best friend yes, and I love him, but not how I love you, I don't want to be with Pecco, I want to be with you. You were always more than enough amore"

Cele feels a bit stupid now, because how could he doubt Marco when that boy came to pick him up at a bus station when it was pouring and Cele had forgot the umbrella and brough along sweaters and blankets to make him feel warm? When that boy overcame his fear for spiders and threw one out the house instead of killing it because Cele told him it'd be sad to do?

"I'm sorry I dodn't want to be a weight again"

"Amore. Cele. You are never a weight ok? If you don't like me being so close with Pecco I'll distance myself, he'll get it we're grown ups."

"No it's not. i don't want you to distance yourself just - spend more time with me? When you can? Please"

"of course. I'll make sure to use every free second I have to be close with you ok?"

"Ok"

"And never think again you're not worthy of something ok? You are worthy of the entire world amore"

ANGST ALPHABET (send me a ship and a letter and I'll write it)

[g0ldgauntlet]

I do not feel sympathy for Michaela Laws.

This is sort of a vent post (and likely the only post I'll ever make about Yansim since anything else I could say has probably been said by several other people), so feel free to scroll past this if you're not interested.

If you are, then proceed below. (Tw for grooming)

A few days ago, Michaela Laws resigned from her role as Ayano Aishi from Yandere Simulator after learning that its developer had groomed a minor. I want to first make clear that I am glad that she left, and she did the right thing by leaving. However, all I could keep thinking was one thing: Why did it take her this long?

So many people already knew about how horrible Alex Mahan (aka Yandere Dev) was. Surely someone must have told her-

Oh wait.

I found out that multiple people did, in fact, tell her about his past actions. Her response was to defend him, and then she doubled down on defending him when she was informed of the more current actions that Alex had committed at the time.

If you don't believe that's her, the post is still up on Tumblr via this reblog and here. Michaela knew about all of this as far back as 2017.

I find it most interesting that in these screenshots and posts, she referred to everyone who despised Alex as "anti-dev masses," and she ignored the things he said and did because she is, in her words, "an intellectual who can separate fiction from reality."

She even claimed that the people telling her that he treats women differently (which he does) are "sexist," even when said people told her that he very well could have hurt other people even if he was nice to just her.

The cherry on top of this is her unironic usage of the term "SJW," which tells me everything that I need to know about this. And you know what? Her saying in her resignation tweet that she still hopes that the game gets completed makes perfect sense to me now despite how out of place it feels compared to everything else. If she believes in separating fiction from reality, then she likely believed that she could still separate content from the creator.

In Alex's case, I strongly disagree with that notion, but what feels more contradictory is this other statement in the tweet:

I did not join to be a defender or arbiter of anyone's actions outside of the project.

However...That is literally what Michaela did. As I said, she defended Alex because of the "rumors" being spread about him.

She doesn't get to cry on Twitter about things turning out like this when she willingly claimed that Alex was only getting so much bad attention because "people don't like him."

She was the one who said "don't believe everything you hear." It was her who downplayed Alex's actions as "mistakes" or "accidents," and she claimed that he is "just a guy trying to make a game and be a game developer."

She doesn't get to backtrack now and pretend that she didn't knowingly defend Alex and stick by him for six more years after the making of that Tumblr post.

It took her six years and another minor after sisefs getting hurt for her to acknowledge what most people who knew about Yandere Simulator already knew about this man - That he is a terrible human being.

To be clear, I am not putting any blame on Michaela for what happened to the victims. I do not believe that she could have known about the current victim, or even the past one at the time of when the information came to light. Also, I do appreciate her giving support to all of the victims involved and correcting her previous statement since some (myself included) thought that she was perpetuating victim-blaming. However, that is as much benefit of the doubt that I could possibly give her. As for everything else? I cannot do that, and here's why:

It is my belief that she was well aware of what she was doing, and she either didn't see anything wrong with what Alex did or just didn't care until she finally realized how badly this all reflects on her now that Alex has been shown up-front once again to be an awful person (I also believe that this is connected to the backtracking in her resignation tweet as well).

Basically, my frustration comes from how far things had to get before she finally decided to denounce Alex and his actions.

She made her choice. Given that she previously claimed that she does not care about trying to look better and said that she would delete attempts to "sway" her about Alex, it seems clear that this was also the hill that she was willing to die on. Well, look where that got her. I cannot, for the life of me, understand how she didn't expect that a terrible person with a rightfully terrible reputation would end up doing something even more terrible, and that she was willing to ignore everything up until now. I don't understand how she didn't think that this would also negatively affect the game by association of the developer, but at this point, whatever happens to the game doesn't matter nearly as much as what Alex has done and likely will continue to do since it's been proven time and time again that he will never change as a person.

So no, I don't feel sympathy for Michaela Laws. I don't feel bad about her saying that she stuck with this game for almost ten years despite sticking up for Alex and sticking by him for six of those years. She did this to herself, and Yandere Simulator is probably something that she will be connected to for a long time since she is well-known as the voice of the game's main character. She could have left sooner, but chose not to and made it clear that she didn't want to until the truth had to be shoved right in front of her face.

So for that, Michaela only has herself to blame.

Edit:

I would like to add this Twitter thread that proves the point I was making here.

Michaela, three years after the Tumblr post I linked, straight up admits that she doesn't care about what Alex does, and she accuses a victim of Cryaotic (another groomer) of lying.

Even if Michaela apologized for the latter bit, it just goes to show that she was more than willing to ignore what people told her about Alex and still stand by him and the game.

This whole thing is a recurring trend with her. Had Alex not been exposed again, she probably would still be defending him even now.

She isn't sorry about being a part of the project at all.

And if she isn't sorry, then I don't feel sorry for her either.