#Also because I could use that as a way to leave the US lol.. like .. if I get to choose my dream location.. couldnt I just choose some othe

[13thpythagoras]

random tangent on ancient history but why didn't humans get a foothold in Europe until 20-40,000 years ago?

Yet we made it to Australia 65,000 years ago and the Americas over 120,000 years ago?

Neanderthals were BEASTS, absolute wrecking balls, we loovvvve to think they didn't eat us but we base that on no evidence. Neanderthals were faster and stronger than us, by A LOT. They didn't like to eat each other, but did on occasion. They liked to hunt humans at night and would raid our villages. It's why we humans never made it into Europe / western Eurasia until the younger drias cateclysm by and large 12k years ago, could be closer to 25k, eliminated the Neanderthals' larger food sources and they retreated to the mountains globally along with Denisovans, likely becoming what we now know as Bigfoot and the Yeti. They would often eat the human men and rape the women, and leave, and the women having male babies would have no hybrid gandbabies, as the male hybrids were all infertile. But the women having female neanderthal-human hybrids after that were indeed capable of producing fertile matriarchical lineages that resulted in some people, including some black African folks, having literal 2-4% Neanderthal DNA, often evidenced by the sharp-ish "bump" on the back of the head often called the "Neanderthal bump," one that I have, for example, and my family also did a DNA test and confirmed we are indeed about 2.6% Neanderthal by DNA.

So fascinating to consider the vast majority of human history has been basically us sneaking around the edges of tropical Neanderthal/Denisovan territory, tiptoeing around the edge, inhabitting what land we can, until their way of life and the big game it relied on all died out with the Younger Dryas cateclysm, likely a series of asteroids hitting a glaciated northern hemisphere.

Same reason they had to build the city of Atlantis on the Azores islands, if they had built it in Europe at that time, they would have been eaten by Neanderthals(?!) but alas with the Azores being at a triple plate junction, and the glaciers melting due to asteroid impactors, we saw a sudden rise in global sea level, and thus rise in sea weight on seafloor, pushing down harder and at those triple plate junctions like the Azores, the island dropped over 1,000 feet in elevation in one big series of earthquakes.

It really is super offensive to proud white people to suggest Neanderthals practiced cannibalism or ate humans, it's so funny. Look, we know polar bears are the most aggressive type of bear. It's just a fact.

Ever heard the bear identification phrase,

"if it's brown lay down, if it's black fight back, if it's white goodnight.." (??)

Yes, polar bears are like that. They will chase and hunt for days. It's not because they're racist honkies either, it's because they're polar animals and food is scarce in that ecosystem. Same dymamics apply to create why we see Scandinavian families will mayyyybe offer you a water when you visit (this was my fam growing up LOL) but when you visit a Mediterranean family they offer you a 5 course feast and are offended if you don't partake. These are cultural artefacts that represent food scarcity in the local ecology, and it's the same factors that cause Neanderthals to be more aggressive, and white people too. It's best to accept these realities and account for them, seeking balance on higher vibrations and planes of existence, better that than denying our history and pretending that Neanderthals were the pot smoking vegetarian hippies we liberal whiteys idealize our parents to have been in the 60s and 70s. lolll if that was true we'd be seeing human fossils in Europe over 200k years ago and we simply just do not.

And the ultimate takeaway? Neanderthals have been killing us human men and raping our women for maybe 100,000 years, and we've had a pause of that for 30-10k years, or have white people just replaced Neanderthals, and now it's white men killing other men and raping their women? Kiiiiind of explains a lot of a lot. (no white men aren't extra murderous and rapey*batman smack* yes they fucking are! above is why)

pro-tip: don't ever use the sentence "thousands of years" in your worldbuilding unless you really know what a thousand years is like

[revelboo]

First, booo on pains in your hands, boooo! Those need to march right on out the door and quit coming back! (Does voice dictation work for you? Some of the newer ones seem to be better tuned to being able to be a mostly-acceptable substitute for the people I know using them—saying it gets better with their speech patterns the more they use it at least, but I don’t personally know myself.)

When you get a chance AND you aren’t feeling all the joys of being held back by your own conspiringly-traitorous body parts — could we get introduced to Tarn and Soundwave proper in Needs and Wants? Or if you’re not feeling inspired in that arena, I think poor Sunstreaker may be ready to explode, lol.

On another note, I DID IT! I managed to keep my ask to only *two* of your stories, even though I’m in love with sooooooo many I would accidentally repopulate Cybertron with my mech-harem after a single solar year. So. Very. Many. Of. Them. All because of you and your wonderful, scratching-that-itch, must-be-addictive-because-I-crave-it-at-3-AM, emotionally-engaging-character-driven stories.

I love their highs. I cry at their lows. I’m angry with them, I laugh with them, and I fall in love when they do. These are the stories that shoot straight into my heart and burrow into my brain. Your writing is like permanent ink on my soul—it’s uh, gonna leave a mark. <3

I usually don’t bother with the dictation stuff. My southern accent messes them up. 🤣 but, yay, I’m infecting folks with my Cybertronian fuckery

Needs and Wants Pt 6

Wheeljack x Reader, Misfire x Reader, Soundwave x Reader, Tarn x Reader, Ratchet x Reader, Bluestreak x Reader

• There you are. Growling softly as he stills, Tarn meets those frightened eyes and it chains his restlessness. So alien and soft looking. Much too fragile for him. Servos flexing with the urge to touch you, pull you into him and pull the scent of you into himself. And your eyes flick down to his bound hands, your brow creasing. “Don’t worry about me, little one,” he growls, unable to stop himself. Knowing you’re not for him, that you’re an organic and he shouldn’t want you. Need you. That this need goes against everything Megatron stands for.

• Glancing at that lunatic Megatron created, Soundwave drifts closer to you. Drowning in the fascinating chaos of your organic emotions. Because this is nothing like the thoughts of another Cybertronian. Can’t get a feel for your actual thoughts on him, just that quicksilver, maelstrom of emotions. Wants to soothe away that chaos, slide his servos against the curve of your cheek. So small, he could easily tuck you into his cassette compartment if he was full size. Shield you from your anxiety. “Come to me,” he rumbles, stretching out a hand to you. Wants that. Wants for you to come to him, feel safe with him.

• And you want to move closer. They’re all staring at you. Making you aware of them in a visceral way. And the flush of heat that spills through you is shocking and unexpected. Something more than simple attraction, this is unlike anything you’ve ever felt. Horrified at yourself for wanting to get closer. To reach out to touch them. Wondering if they’d be warm or cold under your palms. What are they doing to you? Some kind of alien pheromones to leave you a confused, needy mess? Aching to be touched, held.

• “Stop crowding them.” Snarling at the others, even though he’s also unconsciously moving closer, Ratchet grimaces. You’re far too delicate looking. All soft skin, muscle and bone instead of living metal. Exotic and strange. And you look at him, meet his optics to send hunger twisting through him. Reaching out to offer you a hand, wanting, needing, you to take it. Let him protect you from the others. Be your shield.

• “Look who’s talking,” Misfire mutters at the Autobot, flashing you his best smile when you look his way. And sweet Primus when those shy eyes give him a once over, his spike stirs behind his plating. You’re going to be so sweet, aren’t you? Flaring out his wings for you, he impulsively pulls a cleaning cloth from subspace. “Are you cold?” Because you’re trembling, eyes darting around at them. It’s probably fear, but as he holds the cloth out, you hesitantly reach to take it. Soft fingers brushing his servos and gone far too quickly to make him shiver.

• Watching you wrap the blanket sized cloth around yourself, Wheeljack scowls behind his battle mask at the Seeker. Knowing exactly what the mech is up to. That cloth scents of him and now, you do, too. The Decepticon smirking slightly, wings out to try and keep your attention as his biolights pulse for you. “Are you hungry?” Wheeljack asks, reaching out and touching the back of a soft hand, that contact roaring through him as the other mechs all rumble a soft warning.

• Wheeljack’s touching you and Bluestreak wants to reach out, too. Pull you into his arms and feel your softness against his hard frame. “Hi,” he says, pleased when you immediately look at him. Meet his optics and he’s just met you, doesn’t even know you, but you feel like home and he’s not had this feeling in so long. Wants to cling to it even as the past threatens to swamp him. And he’s reaching as he steps forward, servos curling around your upper arm as your lips part and he pulls you into his frame. Pressing his face against your neck and venting to pull your scent into himself.

Previous

They’re starting to show up. I remember Lucy from last year and I left him a unicorn rubber duck on his step 🤣 he’s probably going to be deeply offended by it judging from the flames and skulls he’s rocking

[carn4g3]

Hi! Could u make a ticcy toby x male reader hurt/comfort-ish oneshot where the reader feels ignored in a way, like ppl dont rly care to listen to them or let them express themself? And gets comforted with words of affirmation/physical affection If that makes sense lol its ok if not tho! Have a nice day :)

Rookie Mistake | Ticci Toby x Male Reader

Summary - One of these days, you're going to give Tim a taste of his own damn medicine. But, for now, you have Toby.

TWs: Descriptions of blood, dead bodies & murder, reader has some anger issues, indirect mentions of abuse

Word Count: 3k

A/N: Tumblr kept eating this ask without my permission, I swear it disappeared at least 3 or 4 times before I finally caught it and saved it to my drafts. I rewrote sections of this a few times so lmk if something isn't as clear as I thought it was lol

"I'm supposed to do this and clean up on a solo mission?" You asked the masked man incredulously.

Tim looked less than interested in the question, a loud sigh leaving him as though you were just another chore, "You can handle that, can't you?"

His response felt more like a trap than an actual expression of concern. If you said you could, he would dismiss the rest of your complaint. On the other hand, the opposite answer would only spur him to poke further at your abilities-- like you hadn't heard from him and everyone else a million times over.

"You always have Brian with you for clean up," You chose to answer with instead, "Why don't I get someone?"

"Everyone has more important things to do than help you out, rookie." Tim scoffed.

You scowled at the nickname. It didn't take long for you to not only receive the moniker but also grow incredibly tired of it. Damn near everyone called you it now, and you were beginning to gather that the tone wasn’t always just playful teasing. People like Tim said it out of a place of superiority— thinking they were better simply because they had been around for longer.

"Really? And what important things are you doing." You scoffed in disbelief.

"Watch yourself." Tim shot back sternly.

This was hardly the first time you had fought with the man. At first, you had been pretty obedient towards all of those who took on "teaching" you. You reveled in their advice, taking their harshness as an opportunity to grow, and even enduring their verbal assault as something you would just grow used to. After months of it, you felt fortunate that your senses finally returned to you. Of course, it wasn't without the help of Toby. He fought with Tim just as much, probably even more, and he helped you realize how much of an asshole Tim really was.

"Grow a pair and do your dirty work yourself." You replied, letting the words spew out before you even really thought them over.

You could tell he was mad, fists clenched at his sides as though he was barely restraining himself from throwing a punch. The subtle shift of his mask suggested he was grinding his jaw, something he did as to not lash out fully. A normal person would be relieved, but you could only feel more irritated when he chose to be the "bigger" person. He had to have known it upset you. That was the only explanation for why he would do it.

"It's your job," Tim said tersely, "Don't do it and you'll answer to the Operator."

His tone suggested the conversation was done there. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he took a few steps back to return to whatever depths of the woods he had crawled from.

"Fuckin' asshole." You knew he hadn't missed the muttered words when his movements paused, shoulders tensing as though he were daring you to say it again.

"I said you're a fuckin asshole!" You repeated louder.

Deciding that you would be the one with the last word, you made your own exit. Glancing over your shoulder, you had hoped to see Tim still standing there-- reeling from your verbal assault. Instead, he was retreating silently just as you were.

You were exhausted-- no, beyond that. All but dragging your body through the woods, muscle memory was pretty much the only thing that got you back to the rundown cabin now sitting before you. The exterior was almost entirely dark given that the porch light had long since succumbed to the dust, cobwebs, and moss that patterned every nook and cranny of the building. Despite that, a sliver of illumination peaked its way out from between the drawn curtains just left of the doorway: the kitchen light, if you remembered correctly. Forcing your aching muscles to pull you up the creaky front steps, you reached for the doorknob. As expected it twisted with ease; the man inside never really did remember to lock it.  

Eyes falling lazily over the interior, you found that your suspicions about the light source were proved right. To your left, the dim yellow glow of the kitchen light cast a net of illumination that extended only a few feet from the room’s entryway. Shutting and locking the door behind you, you easily found the object of your interest rustling around the pantry. Loose tufts of hair and edges of dirtied, blood spattered clothes peeking out from behind the door, Toby seemed to be surveying it for options. 

"I'm home." You greeted abysmally.

"Hi." Toby replied, clearly engrossed in his task.

The kitchen space was minimal, pretty much a glorified hallway, but you managed to brush past him anyways. Settling on his right side, you let your head fall to his shoulder as you observed the sparse pantry. It had been a while since the last supply run, and it wasn't like either of you had the luxury of free time to go shopping.

"There's Doritos." You noted the party sized bag that had been folded shut.

"Yeah," Toby's body lurched, but it didn't deter you from your position for very long, "You look like sh... shit."

You sent a half assed glare his way, "So do you, dick."

You didn't even need to fully take in the other man's appearance to gather that much. Just like you, he had come right from a mission. Dried mud clung stubbornly to the notches of his boots, the particles of which were undoubtedly spread all over the floors by now. From your close proximity, he reeked of sweat, BO, and blood-- all of which you had long grown accustomed to.

Although, you weren’t in any position to pass judgement. Perhaps more blood stained than your counterpart, you could feel the mostly dried sticky substance clinging to the front of your clothing. Splattered and messy, it stained your hands, caked under your nails, and hid in the creases of your skin. You were sure some of it still gently dotted your face as well-- all mixed with sweat and dirt.

"How'd it g-go?" He chose to ignore your insult in favor of asking the question.

"Fine," You answered bluntly, "You?"

Thinking over the previous events, it wasn’t entirely a lie. Killing the victim had been easy. A hardly athletic, 30-something year old man glued to his computer, it was easy to attack him from behind and send him helplessly to the floor with a single hit. You wouldn't admit it, but it was partially intentional that the first hit didn't even knock him out properly. Seeing him crawl away in futile desperation only spurred you to strike him a second time. Then a third. If you had to guess, he probably expired somewhere between the fourth and the sixth strike.

It was cathartic in a way, picturing the pathetic corpse before you as the remains of the masked bastard who had ordered you there in the first place. You were certainly less than gentle with the body as you went about hiding it, taking some creative liberties in the disposal method. Though, it came to bite you in the ass when you began to embark on the several mile journey back into the woods, shoulders and legs aching from the effort before you even started.

"Fine." Toby echoed, "Got what I-- shit!-- nee-needed."

"Nice." You sighed, too tired to ask anymore questions as you turned your attention to the bag of chips.

Plucking them off the shelf, you turned swiftly to the darkened living room on your left. Though it would have been easy to flick on the light switch just adjacent to the pantry, you opted to throw your body onto the awaiting sofa instead. Knowing the couch had been through far worse, you hardly perturbed by the thought of blood and dirt sticking to the already stained fabric. Toby, as expected, was just as uninterested in maintaining the couch’s cleanliness or in illuminating the room as he trailed in just behind you. Taking a seat in the relatively small gap between your body and the left arm rest, he looked down at you expectantly as you ruffled through the bag of chips.

"You g-gonna share?" Rolling your eyes at the question, you grabbed a handful before shoving the rest of the bag into the other man’s lap.

"What'd you ha-- have to do anyway?" Toby asked, the bag crinkling loudly as took some chips for himself.

"Kill and clean up." You answered.

Toby paused at that, "By yourself?"

"Blame that fucker with the mask." You didn't even need to clarify which one, both of you knowing exactly whom you were referring to.

"C-course," He scoffed, "that asshole."

"That's what I told him, said he shouldn't make his fuckin' dirty work my problem." Your teeth grit together at the memory.

"Should've told me, we could... could've switched." He replied.

"No," You responded a bit harsher than you intended, "Wouldn't fuckin change that he thinks I'm some weak little bitch who can't do anything for myself. They all think I'm some fuckin’ dumbass! And for what? Because Slender chose them first? It's bullshit! None of it makes them better..."

You let the rant spill from your lips as you felt that simmering rage from earlier finally boil over. 

Without realizing it, your hand clenched around the remaining chips in your hand, causing them to crumble into an array of pieces across your palm. Feeling the pieces poke at your skin and the dust becoming intermixed with the already sticky concoction of sweat and blood, you felt yourself become even more disgruntled. 

"Fuck!" You cursed, throwing the remains aimlessly into the dark room, "I wanna wring that fucker's neck."

Wiping your hand aggressively against your clothes, you found no reprieve from the uncomfortable sensation even as you felt the skin turning raw from the repeated movements.

"It would do the w-world a fuckin' fa... favor." Toby's voice joined in once more.

Turning your gaze in his direction, you waited silently for Toby to say more. Instead, you were only met with the sight of a triangular chip dangling over your face. A bit confused at first, you reached out hesitantly to take it. Just as fingers started to brush it, he abruptly pulled it away as though it were simply some sort of taunt. Finally realizing what he wanted, you parted your lips, waiting as Toby finally dropped the chip into your awaiting mouth.

"Thanks." You replied, already forgetting about whatever it was that had just upset you.

He grunted in acknowledgement, returning to the previous topic instead, "I wouldn't rec-recommend trying it. He'll si-sick his real bitch on you."

You couldn't help the small snort that left you. He was talking about Brian, of course. You hadn't thought the hooded man was all too bad initially. Brian was pretty nice to you, from what you remembered. Though, it did help that he very rarely spoke– unlike his counterpart. You had no clue what he saw in Tim to hang around him so frequently, but it only took a small push from Toby for you to hate Brian as well. 

"Fuckin' coward." You commented. 

Eating the rest of the chip you were handed, the two of you sat in relative silence for a moment. Turning your gaze towards Toby once more, you watched as he absentmindedly ate. With his faceguard pulled down around his neck, you had a full view of the opening in his cheek: the strands of saliva that formed across the opening, his teeth gnashing at the chip, and drool involuntarily pooling at the corner. He usually made it a habit to not eat around others, so you couldn’t help but be mesmerized every time you got a rare look at it. You didn’t even realize he noticed your staring until another chip was thrust unceremoniously over your vision. 

“Something on my face?” Toby asked.

“Nah.” You averted your gaze quickly, feeling your face heat after having been caught.

“Yeah right, creep.” He muttered, the words mostly playful.

You weren’t allowed a response as he shoved the awaiting chip into your mouth the second you opened it. Letting him take the win on this one, you fell back into the cozy moment. Despite the loud crinkling of the bag and the usual creaks and groans of the old building, you could feel that itch of tension slowly melting away as it always did when you were around Toby. You liked spending time with him for that reason.

Admittedly, you hadn’t thought he was much different from the likes of Tim or Brian at first. He talked more than the latter but was only a little less harsh than the former. But, unlike the other two, you steadily warmed up to him. You were both the new guys, relatively younger than any of the proxies or Slender’s other allies. It felt easier to express your frustrations to him, to trust the advice he gave you, and to see the underlying compliments in what was usually admonishment from anyone else. It was an easy decision once you were finally granted Slenderman’s full trust as a proxy to move into this rundown cabin you had spent many nights before. Consumed by your thoughts, you didn’t notice the way Toby was attempting to get your attention until he outright flicked the center of your face

"Ow,” You hissed, “What was that for?”

"You're far." He replied.

"I'm right next to you." You scoffed.

"You know wh-- what I f... fuckin' mean." Despite the way he matched your tone, he turned his gaze away as though he were embarrassed.

It was endearing how he got flustered whenever asking you for affection. Though, you suppose you forced him to the point of reaction just for your own interest sometimes. Shifting your body against the couch, you slid towards Toby until your head rested comfortably against his thigh.

"Happy?" You teased him.

"Little sh-shit." He hissed, though still gave you another chip as though it were some reward.

As you chewed on it in stride, Toby spoke once more, "None... none of them know what they're ta- talking about. They're all-- shit!-- stuck with their heads up... up their ass."

You huffed in amusement, though didn't find yourself too moved by the words, "And they're in charge."

"Not f-forever," Toby scoffed, "Slender will grow ti-tired of them soon. Then they-- fuck-- they'll be beg-begging us for their lives."

Now that thought was appeasing to you, "Yeah, and we'll make those assholes pay."

Toby's hand moved to your hair, ruffling it in agreement with those words, "Damn right."

Described this to my roommate as: Hurt/comfort but the reader has been trained like a dog.

[peanutheaddd]

After possessing dm is Petey afraid to leave his body and see the damage that possessing him has caused? (For a physical cost maybe burns on dm’s back that matches the placement of Petey’s wings on his?)

Ur art is absolutely amazing btw! (Runs away with a suspicious art shaped lump in my mouth)

i actually think petey would leave the instant hes able to . the longer he stays in there the more dms soul degrades .

i thot more abt the phyiscal tax on dms body and i think one immediate effect is like . a temporary comatose state thats proportional to the amt of time his soul was dormant . so the sooner he leaves the shorter that comatose state is . i reckon once he realizes that dms soul has gone dormant hed get kinda frantic trynna wrap up the possession so he can haul ass outta his body .

ALSO THE BURNS ARE SUCH A GOOD IDEA ANON. LOVE U SO BAD. CANONIZED!!!!!! i think maybe the demonic parts of him get burning hot when hes adrenaline pumped hm hm……..

also peteys actually never possessed anyone before bc he just . has never seen a reason to . hes been able to commit all of his acts of tomfoolery without possession and most potential vessels disgusted him LOL . its funny bc for petey any vessel thats willing automatically makes him Not wanna possess them . like “oh… this vessel is weak to temptation /: i dont think this shitty vessel deserves my awesome demon powers” its like BECAUSE petey is such a powerful demon his offers of possession are more tempting. so most people accept his offer which in turn makes him not wanna possess them anymore LOLLLLLL

dm is the first vessel hes actually been interested in and he keeps proving his holiness bc he keeps rejecting his offers of possession even in situations where he could benefit which makes pt wanna possess him more and more (#yaoi)

all that to say idt hed fully Know the consequences of possession well enough to be scared of leaving . he knows that possession is physically taxing on the vessel but he mostly knows that bc he was told by other demons and thats abt it. he knows abt the comatose state and the soul degradation bc those are just classic parts of possession . but bc his wings being burning hot are a more petey specific thing idt he Realizes that his wings would burn dm .

when hes actively possessing him its all petey in there . theres a certain disconnect betwen the demons soul and the hosts body so the demon usually cant rlly feel what the hosts body is phyiscally feeling . its like piloting a mecha ina way? the mecha can take damage but the pilot woukdnt feel anythjng. similar to that

not to mention dms last words before going dormant were to not hold back and to use his body to its limit if it means lp would be safe . so he went all out which is proportional to the amt of damage taken by dms body . also there were probs js some physical costs during the fight itself like broken bones and skin cuts that petey doesnt feel.

i reckon he only realizes the sheer Extent of the physical tax on dms body Post possession and he feels guilty as hell abt it LOL 😭😭😭 the typical human body does Not fare well having been burned broken and cut all within the span of a few hours and be can See that . pts only unaware of it during possession bc hes Inside dms body. but once he ends the possession he sees him in 2nd/3rd person pov so he can actually see all the physical damage his body took . and i reckon that makes him a litle sixk to his stomach . so yeah .

i did NYATT mean for this post to be this long but i js keps thinking of ideas . THANK UFOR ASKS MY GOATS I LOVE RAMBLING ABT AND DEVELOPING MY AUS YAAAYYYYYYY

[orphiclovers]

I wanna talk about rape/SA in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint err so that's what this post is about!

cw: discussion of rape depiction in media ( it's exactly as graphic as orv makes it so if you read it and were fine this post is probably okay too) ; also various homophobic/transphobic/misogynistic tropes related to SA. let's fucking go

rape is referenced in orv shockingly often early on.

1. there is the jung heewon backstory - the most neutral and nonproblematic of the depictions of SA but its still pretty.... It's certainly a choice to make your female character's whole premise be "ordinary" gangrape victim (picked up and carried to safety by our Male Protagonist of course) growing into an empowered and strong and badass sword woman with a strong sense of injustice who uses her powers and experience to kill all evil abusers going forward. classic weak-to-strong storyline. "crouching figure" evolves into "judge of evil".

making your female character go through rape AS the start of her arc will always be a tough premise that could be easy to fuck up and make offensive, but it's not like you CAN'T write a story like that and have it still be good. aside from a couple of things, I feel like her character was handled respectfully overall in regards to the rape backstory, perhaps because it's non explicit and basically never brought up again later. mostly approved👍 7.5/10

2. then there's the human slave farms/forced gangrape and murder livestreaming operations, one of which Kim Dokja's old buddy from Minosoft ran (lol) and Han Sooyoung ends up in. her clothes are ripped to the point her underwear is exposed (which is Sexual Assault obviously) and the threat of imminent rape is explicit. once again kim dokja shows up and rescues her heroically, but this moment is subverted when we learn she was just pretending to be unconscious in preparation to strike and kill and everyone so didn't "need" rescuing at all. I guess there's technically nothing to criticize here, its just weirdly more explicit than jung heewon's assault and feels more unnecessary and random. 5/10

3. there is Nirvana who plays into the tired old tropes of Gender Ambiguous/crossdressing men are Crazy Sexual Predators AND Homosexuals are Preying On Straight Men. sigh. These are really bigoted and untrue homophobic ideas that have been used in media to spread bigotry for decades. including a caricature of a queer person like this so thoughtlessly and uncritically sucks and actively harms the queer community bc homophobes STILL use these same long disproven talking points to discriminate against transgender women and drag queens.

especially for a work that is so concerned with deconstructing tropes and storytelling and what it means to write fiction and how it affects reality, they should really know better. ESPECIALLY if the authors plan to gain most of their profit from their overwhelmingly young queer readers that they gained by doing agressive queerbaiting (dont argue you know its true), its just the bare minimum to think it through if youre not playing into really old homophobic shit. anyway.

this particular example is really annoying because I would LOVE nirvana's character otherwise, but this really ruins him and leaves the story A HUNDERED TIMES WORSE OFF wjy did tjey have to write him like this UGH -1000/10. explode

in summary its a really mixed bag of depictions, some worse and some better. there's actually way more examples I want to talk about but that's gonna go in part two of this post eventually

[alienlikestoabduct]

fandom pretends—with a headcanon they made up about how Mu Qing hates revolution in respect of his father’s memory because… his dad was executed for being a revolutionary Lol, it's such a stretch 😭 I mean, it's an interesting and creative headcanon, but why treat it like an actual fact to defend him in the context of canon

And yeah , it’s soo obvious that hua cheng beef with them run deep—also ties back to how they treated him when he was Hong Hong’er

“Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”That child shook his head. “No home.”Feng Xin approached, holding the arm that was now in a sling. “No home? So, he really is a little beggar?”Seeing that this child was so emaciated and small, his clothes filthy and unkempt, it wasn’t impossible to believe. If he had no home to return to, they couldn’t possibly leave him at the palace or throw him out on the streets. Xie Lian pondered for a moment, then said, “If that’s the case, then let’s bring him with us back to Mount Taicang.”Unexpectedly, Mu Qing suddenly spoke up. “He’s lying.”

Chapter 26:Lost Red Pearl, Inadvertently Luring the Red-Eyed season sea's english translation

That young child peered at Mu Qing and didn’t say a word. Feng Xin was doubtful.

When Xie Lian looked closely, it was indeed as he had said. So he asked, “Do you have grown-ups at home?” The young child shook his head, but Mu Qing said, “There must be. If he doesn’t go back, his family will surely be worried sick looking for him.” “No, no way! There’s nobody!” that young child cried, sounding like he was afraid to be sent back, and he opened his arms reaching for Xie Lian. He was still covered with mud and blood, and Feng Xin couldn’t stand it anymore. “What’re ya doin’, kid? Things were urgent earlier, so whatever, but shouldn’t you know better by now? This is the crown prince. His Highness the Crown Prince. Do you understand?”

Feng Xin spoke up. “No. I still don’t think Your Highness should hold a strange child for everyone to see.” “What’s the problem?” Xie Lian asked “You’re the crown prince!” Feng Xin exclaimed.

One could argue that, at one point, they did shield Hong Hong’er but

The two were defending a protection array that repelled the invasion of evil spirits, straining as they barely held on. Sure enough, Feng Xin’s voice rang out.“Your Highness, don’t come in! There’s something strange with this child! All those things are coming for him!”Only then did Xie Lian notice that behind the two figures was a small, black shadow, kneeling on the floor with his head in his hands. He cried, “It’s not me!!”

also the scene where the State Preceptor backed away, yelling, “Make him leave the mountain, hurry! Don’t touch him, I mean it! That fortune is too toxic; don’t touch him!”The Deputy State Preceptors hurriedly moved aside, and Mu Qing and Feng Xin didn’t know whether to act. Seeing that everyone was avoiding him like he was poisonous vermin, the child was shaken and started thrashing even harder, biting and screaming with all his might. “I’m not! I’m not!! I’M NOT!!!”Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, encircling his small form. A voice came from above his head. “You’re not. I know you’re not. Don’t cry, now. I know you’re not.”

Chapter 27:To Ascend Is Human, to Fall Is Also Human. They remained silent. It was only Xie Lian who comforted that little child in pain and Hua Cheng is honestly so right in his hatred toward "heaven"

It wouldn't take much to read the novel properly before writing meta about it on the wiki. One would expect a of bit professionalism

also in the amnesia one Might you aid me in seeking out two individuals?” Xie Lian asked politely as his hand dug into his sleeve to reach for a few pieces of gold foil as an offering. The Lord of Soil and Ground waved his hands wildly when he saw what Xie Lian was doing. “Oh no, no need for that! Whom does my lord seek?”Just as well, for Xie Lian didn’t manage to pull out anything. He took his hand back out. “My two servants, Feng Xin and Mu Qing,” he replied.

he did referred to them as his servants

Hello, hope you are doing well… I'm sorry it's going to be so long, it's just that I was going through Heaven’s Official Blessing’s wiki... When I first read it, I had a very uneasy feeling I couldn’t quite pinpoint. But after reading your meta about Mu Qing and Feng Xin, I finally understood why.

"After the fall of Xianle, Hua Cheng was reintroduced as a ghost fire and was found by Xie Lian.He was told by Xie Lian that Mu Qing had left and additionally was present when Mu Qing requested Xie Lian to leave the mountain meant for cultivation alongisde the 33 gods that humiliated Xie Lian. With Xie Lian being his main priority, Hua Cheng's hatred for Mu Qing grew further"

‘Requested’😭 Bruh

Mu Qing was holding a long saber-and the sharp tip was pointed directly at Xie Lian."Please leave," said Mu Qing, weapon in hand Chapter 98:Thirty-Three Heavenly Officials Fight Over Blessed Land

the nameless ghost declared, "To die in battle for you is my greatest honor."I'm sorry," he replied. "Forget me."The nameless ghost's flickering flames flared brighter. "I won't forget. Your Highness, I am forever your most devoted believer."Xie Lian forced down a sob. "...I've already lost all my believers. Believing in me won't do you any good; it might even bring disaster. Did you know? Even my friend has left me."The nameless ghost declared as if swearing an oath, "I won't.""You will," Xie Lian said.The ghost was insistent. "Believe me, Your Highness.""I don't," Xie Lian said.He no longer believed in anyone, especially himself Chapter 96:Hero Defeated by a Penny

It was said in that context, but without it, it’s easy to misinterpret. And since people often rely on these sites more than actually reading the novel, it becomes a problem.I don’t know—maybe I’m wrong—but it’s giving… like it’s either hua cheng's own perception fault or xie lian's the reason that he continues disliking Mu Qing? What about people making up their minds and going into the novel reading THIS—?? No offense, but?! Also, Xie Lian didn’t just find that ghost fire out of nowhere—he literally saved Hua Cheng and the other ghost fires from the clutches of a greedy maybe mention that too.

"He helps Xie Lian make a present for Hua Cheng's birthday [10] and even pretends to be his servant again when Xie Lian has amnesia. [11]"

"What's going on?"Xie Lian looked up and saw Feng Xin and Mu Qing-but they weren't the same Feng Xin and Mu Qing he knew.Sure, their general appearance was the same, but their demeanor had changed. They didn't seem like two rash young men, but more like generals with years of battle experience under their belts. Moreover, both were wearing black robes that looked rather sumptuous, quite unlike the dress that ordinary folks wore, and quite unlike anything Xie Lian had ever seen them wear.The one who had spoken was Feng Xin, and he walked over. "Your Highness, what are you doing out here by yourself?""That's what I was going to ask," Xie Lian said. "Where did you two run off to? I told you guys to train idioms outside last night, but why could I not find a shadow of you this morning?"An odd look that matched the Lord of Soil and Ground's crossed both Feng Xin and Mu Qing's faces, like they couldn't comprehend what he was saying.Xie Lian felt his head splitting, and he cried, "And what's with those outfits? What in the world is going on?!"Feng Xin looked down at himself and wondered, confused, "What's wrong with my outfit? Isn't this normal?" Chapter 135:Extra 2The Strange Amnesiac Adventures of His Highness the Crown Prince (Part One)... seven seas edition

When did he ever pretend in that whole scene? Like—?? They probably didn’t even know ,one can see from Feng Xin’s confusion that Xie Lian had referred to them as his servants.

"Although Mu Qing admired Xie Lian and wanted to be his f-f-friend, the nature of their dynamic as master and servant complicated this.As a servant he couldn't voice his real thoughts or truly express his personality; in Xie Lian's memory he was always soft-spoken and well-mannered. [13] Xie Lian was oblivious to this issue, thinking that he treated everyone as equals. Though he had an easier time than Feng Xin understanding how Mu Qing was interpreting something, Xie Lian couldn't see the issues in their own relationship.An example of this is the missing pearl earring. Due to an offhand comment, Mu Qing thinks the others are accusing him of stealing it"

Are you sure Xie Lian couldn’t see the issues? Because literally in the next sentence, it says—it's in Mu Qing’s mind, he’s a prisoner of his own thoughts.

then there's Feng Xin

"He was exceedingly loyal and supportive of Xie Lian, only leaving him when Xie Lian orders him to do so. [14]" "One of his most remarkable qualities are his loyalty and devotion, [1] shown through his history with Xie Lian. Feng Xin always supported him and during their first banishment, he refused to leave Xie Lian's side for the longest time despite desperate circumstances.[8][9]"

"Leaving him when Xie lian orders him" "always supported", "refused to leave"? At one point he did but he literally did left him—over what? A single sentence from Xie Lian saying he should stop following him? "loyalty and devotion" to what , huh? an authority figure, not to the person that should’ve been mentioned.

I have nothing against Mu Qing or Feng Xin —they’re interesting characters, no doubt. But the whole wiki sometimes feels like it’s trying too hard to justify their behavior and choices. It’s okay to love a character with flaws; no need to over-defend them. After all, it’s a wiki—not a personal space for fan bias, such sugarcoating! I just needed to vent, but honestly, people should be aware—things like this can really affect how someone interprets canon ...or maybe i don't know I am overthinking this...the whole wiki isn't that bad but it's sigh.

The tgcf wiki was written by a Mu Qing stan who hates Xie Lian and notoriously got into it with me on this blog in which they argued against my meta—that Mu Qing is actually a very classist character that is not a “working-class hero” like fandom pretends—with a headcanon they made up about how Mu Qing hates revolution in respect of his father’s memory because… his dad was executed for being a revolutionary. Idk how bad the svsss wiki is, but both the mdzs and the tgcf wikis are useless as tools to understand the story because they are written by people who aggressively hate the MCs and are using admin control to attempt to twist people’s understanding of the story to oppose them.

Also, Hua Cheng dislikes both Feng Xin and Mu Qing for abandoning Xie Lian, but he treats Mu Qing noticeably worse, almost as if he has personal beef against them that isn’t just tied to their treatment of Xie Lian 🤔 (He does. Both Feng Xin and Mu Qing treat Hong Hong’er like shit, and then Mu Qing kicks Hong’er out of the army out of pettiness. Hua Cheng didn’t just forget this because “it had nothing to do with Xie Lian.”)

[icewindandboringhorror]

(also feel free in the tags to clarify Why you made the choice you made!! :0c)

[blaec-ynk]

i know some people are absolutely incensed that Arcane dropped the ball on the classism and discrimination and poverty and all those plotlines they had introduced but the truth of the matter is that Arcane always framed any type of Zaunite insurrection/revolution against Piltover in bad lighting and claimed that any fight/war for the freedom and wellbeing of future generations is ultimately evil because it gets people living right now killed

Vander is the most sympathetic Undercity leader/hot shot only because he is supporting Piltover's superiority and oppression of the Undercity. he has a deal with the cops to ensure that he will keep his people obedient and subservient to Piltover and the cops. he aids the status quo and thus Piltover's exploitation of Zaun; he never encourages pushing for change in any manner, violent or non-violent, instead always pressuring those around him (esp Vi) to just take Piltover's scraps and mistreatment because you wouldnt want to lose your loved ones, would you? (which is just like, a threat. an actual threat that figures of authority like cops make to their victims to keep them inline) Completely ignoring the fact that people in Zaun HAVE, ARE, and WILL BE losing loved ones to police brutality, disease, toxic/radioactive exposure, famine, poverty, gang violence, etc. BECAUSE OF PILTOVER.

Arcane is/(started out as) a great show but it was always most sympathetic towards Piltover and the status quo. it never pushed for Zaun's independence/freedom in any meaningful way--and whenever it did deal with Zaun potentially becoming its own nation? it didn't show the power of revolutions, of class actions, of uniting and protesting and fighting back--it just said that if you sit your ass down tight and let the oppressive government shit on you enough, you might eventually be granted some rights--unless you fuck it up with a rocket, of course. but that's not how real life has ever worked

not only that but any attempt at fighting back is literally shown as being plain violence for violence's sake. we dont see or hear anything about how silco or vander planned on rebuilding the Undercity/Zaun, how they wanted to expand infrastructure, how they would support the people and keep them safe--Arcane doesnt paint revolutions as the complex operations they are, they just show us the violence of them and nothing else. like really, all Silco wants to do is use Shimmer to scare topside--but that's not how revolutions or fighting against opressors works! because Piltover will be scared, yes, but that just means they will double down harder on all the violence and restrictions. that's obvious. not only that, but lets say Piltover gets scared and retracts from Zaun completely--Zaun seems to be heavily dependent on trade from Piltover to get what they need to survive. Silco doesnt mention anything about how to fix that. and that to me just plays on harmful stereotypes about any and all kinds of social movements. all of the real work is reduced to violence.

i dont have a closing statement im just so pissed at how theyre handling the classism in s1 now that im rewatching it

[milfbrainrot]

i feel like i type so much more than is reasonable when i do talk to people but i also don't get to socialize a ton so i just have soooo many words in me and if i'm like, tired or short on time, it is so much harder to restrain to the already-pushing-it point i can sometimes manage ;-;

[seenthisepisode]

i did something that was absolutely legal but it feels completely illegal and i am so stressed i have a migraine

[justalittlebluetiefling]

I haven't been involved with coaching for almost 3 months now and somehow I am still getting dragged into the drama.

[tardis--dreams]

Me panicking because i have 9 missed calls and 5 emails talking about my absence and how "a colleague could take over for me" vs. Me knowing it's really not that important no matter how pushy a client is and that on top of it I'm underpaid and have way to much overtime so i shouldn't even care

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread

This Doesn’t Mean Anything

NA contemporary romance about a sex-repulsed girl starting uni and meeting an upperclassman who hangs out in the same study room and coffeeshop as she does

struggling with her asexuality, new friendships, and harassment

[albonium]

in other news i might be jobless in september lol

[6mayhem]

but i would give anything for just one day spent in the life i had when i was 15. it may not have been perfect but i felt like i belonged somewhere. and i didn't worry so goddamn much about the big picture

[talkorsomething]

genuinely tried to Be Asleep for like two hours this time and just couldn't. I think i'm cursed [unwell]