#Because I REALLY am bad at remembering people

[cacw]

Truly nothing has ever pissed me off so much as this animal. An abomination is what this is. And I'll never be free of it. He has haunted me for years. Remember back in 2021 when we all had some hope for arc 9? Maybe not much, but some. Flamepaw, they called him. And then it was 2022. The excerpt was released. And I knew it was over. Because they gave him mommy issues. But already he was garnering fans. Already, people were buying into his lies. And then the book came out. It was April 2022. The world would never be the same. The Big Sparkpelt Retcon. The name change. Stealing his new prefix from yet another woman continuously wronged by the narrative. He didn't even pick his own name but he pretends he did and thus the fanbase believes this to be true. Never in my life have I felt so hateful towards a creature such as this. I cannot stand him. I can hardly bear to look at his sprite. What a joke. His chapters were grueling and aggravated me to no end. I've never read from a POV this painful. Every word that leaves his mouth is worthless. What a joke. I hope he burns in the deepest and darkest pits of hell. I like to imagine this often, because I hate him terribly. His screams would be the greatest sounds to ever escape his throat, and the flames that lick his skin would be as bright as his horrible amber eyes. They're not even bright in this photo. I bet he changed them just to make me look bad. He's good at changing things when he so wishes it. I can't stand him and I can't take it. He is the worst character. His existence shouldn't matter, yet he is somehow the most important character in the series, and so I could never get myself to really believe they might kill him off. But I wanted it more than anything. Opening each new PDF on release day I would pray that he would be flayed alive. Just brutally eviscerated. This did not come to pass, because I never get anything I want. My heart is as black as his sleek, self-righteous coat. I am so angry.

[iamespecter]

THIS.... OH MY GOD. THIS.

...THIS IS SUCH A GREAT ANALYSIS. THIS MAKES ME LOVE JAX EVEN MORE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE TENDENCY TO HATE ASSHOLE CHARACTERS.

And admittedly enough, if this analysis needs proof that this can happen to people in real life, I think I'm proof enough of that. I'm a person who doesn't really deal with what life throws at me very well, like yeah sure, I can act silly and goofy online but the moment I step away from the screen and reality seeps in?

... All I can really say is that I don't have a good coping mechanism for all the trauma I went through growing up in an abusive household. I even remember how it started: Memorizing the entire Kung Fu Panda movies and going to a secluded area, pretending I'm the characters because it came from a place of wanting to beat up my physically and verbally abusive, asshole of a father.

I'm not even kidding; sometimes when things are really really bad for me, I'll stare off into a wall or the floors and imagine an invisible audience that can hear my thoughts as they observe me like you would a TV show, and those thoughts slowly devolve into a third person narration that's either describing my motivation, my plans, my next move, or talking like it's an entirely separate entity from me.

When I'm in the bathroom, I talk to myself like I'm in a talk show in order to lessen the buzzing thoughts occupying my head. Keeping silent so that my cover isn't blown.

I've even entertained my friends that I prefer to be an NPC and while I don't say it to them often (because of fear of being thought of mentally insane, who could imagine), it always crosses my mind when I walk down a street, thinking "what if I was a background character, experiencing the world that I'm meant to be worldbuilding fodder for".

Listening to music helps stop these thoughts because the music blasts it all out, leaving no space for any crazy thoughts like that.

But to hear this analysis and to finally understand what pulls me to Jax that other asshole characters can't.... it's... I don't know how to feel. A part of me feels seen, but a part is also just... preventing me from further spiraling at the realization.

It's scary to admit this. It's downright horrifying, even, that I have a pit forming at my stomach as I tell this. To not only admit it to myself, but to also admit this publicly, where people would think I'm not mentally sound. Perhaps I am, perhaps I actually need help as much as I wanna say I don't, but I still wanna get this out there.

With Gooseworx all but confirming that the Jax being an AI thing is bullshit, I personally want to talk about an interesting part about Jax that a lot of theorists used as "evidence" that validates the theory:

Jax's fourth wall breaks are a common topic brought up amongst the "Jax is an NPC" theory. After all, Caine broke the fourth wall in the pilot, knowing full well that the world of The Amazing Digital Circus isn't real and is talking to some unseen viewer as he introduces the Circus Crew.

There's also this bit of official art surrounding Jax's pin:

Where everyone else is inside their room, Jax is outside as pieces of the circus fall apart around him and all of reality to crash. Certainly lends itself to this idea that Jax knows he's not a real person and that his presence could cause great disruption to this world. And he doesn't care because none of it is real. Might as well have fun and cause chaos in a world that doesn't exist.

And I'll admit, all of this seems like valid claims for how the theory could be true. I saw it all and thought that it surely COULD be possible...but there are some things that stop me from being convinced.

Firstly, Caine breaking the fourth wall in the pilot doesn't really seem like an AI talking to the audience. It looks more like an AI programmed to talk to a player as a game boots up. What we saw in the opening could be more like a morning routine that he has to do at least once a day. Plus, we've yet to see any other NPC talk to the audience like Jax has. He explicitly called out the viewers in episode three, knowing full well he's being watched by SOMEONE. Or, at the very least, acting like he is. What do I mean by that? Well, to explain, I'd like to use one of my favorite fourth wall breakers as an example:

Deadpool, in most adaptations, knows fully well that he's a fictional character. He'll talk to the readers/viewers, move the camera around, and constantly talk shit to the writers/studio for occasionally screwing him over. It's all in good (Sometimes bloody) fun...but there's a canonical reason for this. It's not like She-Hulk where the fourth wall breaks are a way to tell HER stories HER way. You see, Deadpool...is just fucking insane.

No, really, that's the reason. Due to the trauma of gaining his powers, Deadpool's mind breaks and he's led to believe that he MUST be a fictional character. In comics, he actually gets voices in his head that makes him think he must be some comic book superhero, and the movies implied that something similar happened given how he never broke the fourth wall ONCE before getting his powers. This means him breaking the fourth wall could be seen as a coping mechanism. After all, it's better to believe you're a fictional character designed to entertain some invisible audience than believe that all of the shitty things that happened to you and people close to you is just a cruel joke from the universe.

Sound familiar?

Going back to the pilot, remember how Pomni's first instinct was to say that the Circus was all just a dream? To her, it's better to live in a lie that everything around her isn't real than to accept the reality that she's stuck in digital purgatory. Jax very well could be going through something similar, but unlike Pomni who seemed to just accept her reality, Jax never did. The trauma of being stuck in the Circus had led to his mind breaking just like Pomni's, Kinger's, and anyone else's. It's just that, for him, he thinks he's coping with it better because he discovered the secret that no one else did: None of this is real.

They're not actually people trapped in some hellscape while an AI unintentionally tortures them. They're all just fictional characters whose tragedies and silly antics are used to entertain viewers. I mean, it's either that or they're real people forever trapped in the circus with the closest thing to death being a full, psychotic break as they give up their sanity because they no longer want to exist in this hell anymore...But that possibly can't be true. Because if that IS true, then Jax has to face that he's a real person stuck in a real, awful situation that he can't joke his way out of. So, it's best to think nothing is real and nothing they do matter. So, might as well have fun with it.

Going back to the pin...

I don't think this is damning evidence about Jax being an NPC. Actually, it perfectly captures who he is as a character. He knows the circus isn't real. He even thinks HE isn't real. So instead of grappling with that, Jax lets himself believe that if nothing is real than nothing he does matters. He can break things, ruin lives, and assist in torturing the others in the circus. It's what he thinks will make the show more entertaining, even though all he's really entertaining is himself so his mind doesn't break more than it does.

Now, could the same apply if he's an NPC? Well...maybe. Gumigoo definitely proves how far someone could fall when they're told their world is fake. He was about ready to give up on life because he didn't think he had one. If Jax was an NPC, I could see him having a similar break, but going in the far opposite direction where, instead of giving up on life, he chooses to live the way HE wants it. Instead of being some one-off NPC for a lame adventure, he could go off on adventures of his own and ruin the lives of others now that his is thoroughly ruined.

However, Gooseworx makes a good point: "...a lot of people come up with theories based on how unexpected they'd be, and not because they make sense or align with the show's themes."

If Jax is an NPC, it would harm the overall message of the show. That there's meaning to be found in a stagnant life, and you find that meaning with people close to you who make that life worth living. Jax represents a sort of foil to that idea, with his way of coping with the madness being pure chaos and breaking others. It's his coping mechanism, and it works because it shows how human Jax really is. They're ALL human and they have human desires and wants, with the Circus pretty much stripping that away and leaving them...as they are now. They're emotionally broken, their sanity is decreasing, and some of them are losing all sense of self. By making Jax an NPC, it would definitely be surprising, but it would take away from that idea. It no longer makes him a human facing his own tragedy but instead an AI that's just as broken as Gummigoo. More than that, it gives the others an easy out. All the crew has to do is tell Caine that Jax is an NPC and POOF! No more annoyance. So making him someone who HAS to stay with the others and they're forever forced to deal with him also adds more to THEIR tragedy and torture.

Jax being an NPC is an interesting theory, but I don't think it's one that SHOULD be true. To me, it's more fascinating watching Jax treat the world around him as meaningless knowing he's a human instead of a rogue NPC breaking everything. And Gooseworx made it clear how they feel about it. Now, could it potentially be a mislead to get fans off the trail? Genuinely...I don't think so. That sounded very "I don't like this idea so it's not gonna happen" type of response. Still, we won't know until the show wraps up. Anything can happen, but don't get your hopes up if a character who does bad things to people that don't deserve it is more human than you think.

[aaksuitac]

[03:10 am.] “sleep, pitfighter.”

comfort. wc. 1.1k

(tagging @dilemmars again lol bc i did this on a frenzy and realized later q usé cosas de tu historia qjhdiqndk el efecto de tus audios tía akdbqk)

she nuzzles her head on your chest, a half groan accompaniying the motion as her hands, still stained with grease and dirt, pull and knead the fabric of your jacket.

vi can feel it against her cheek. she can’t recognize the fabric, of course, she has no clue what the damn thing is anyways, but she can’t have it in her to care. it’s soft. it smells like you, sweet, alluring, warm.

“when do I have to pay you?”

her voice is a mumble. an eco that reverberates inside the four sad walls that somehow still stand and separate what she calls an apartment —or something remotely similar, i guess—, even if the resemblance is quite uncanny. gross, to be fair.

you look at the wall, wondering what could be the best way to tell her to stop thinking about that, and you can swear that even the spider that creeps up and travels to her cobweb on the ceiling sighs and shakes her little fuzzy head at the sight of the pitfighter.

if you answer her question or not, vi doesn’t remember. she remembers the sound of your heartbeat, constant, deep, far away from her grasp yet still the closest she could ever be to it. she sighs. somehow, when she reaches for things that she thought constant in her life, they start disappearing. changing.

“are you asleep?” you ask, laying next to her. when there’s no answer, you sigh softly, stroking her hair away from her face, not minding the stain that lingers on your fingers.

vi had a complicated relationship with change —the least you could say was complicated. saying complicated was being nice—, and still, through change, she met you. because if it weren’t for change, she wouldn’t have ended up in the brothel, a drunk in distress. vi doesn’t have a clue how she uttered anything with any kind of sense, until a soft voice came from a pretty stranger with some kind of mask over her eyes.

“darling,” you had said, an enticing smile that dissarmed her, despite the knowledge that it was part of your job. “are you on the floor by chance or by choice?”

by resignation, she wanted to say, but it was as if the word had gotten stuck in her mouth. vi didn’t quite remember how she had ended up on the floor on the first place, barely even acknowledged when the line of the horizon lowered as her legs eventually gave up and tripped.

she had no grudges against the people that worked in the brothel. how could she judge, she chuckled humourlessly in her head, considering her fucked up excuse of a family. taking that in, working in a brothel was, at least, legal. people from the brothel were better off than her on a good day… and on a bad one too.

as she stood —or well, laid— there, you looked at babette, your boss, and she shrugged, staring at vi on an angle much closer to yours. you both ultimately decided that vi wasn’t much of a threat. or anything else, judging by her state.

“should we… kick her out?” you mumbled. you didn’t really want to. the poor thing looked like the embodiment of misery.

at the question, babette sighed, tapping with her fingers on her cigarette as she smoked, with a grace rooted by experience.

“kid,” she spoke lowly. “do you have money in you?”

vi blinked at her, and softly shook her head sideways. babette sighed, her eyes dull with something you couldn’t really piece. she looked like she knew the pitfighter. as if she was… sad when she looked at her.

but you weren’t paid to psychoanalize stares. and as fast as you noticed, babette blinked the emotion away from her eyes.

“no trouble, no problem.” she smoked, heading back to her office. “let her in if she can pay later. someone in her family owns me money anyways.” she smirked humourlessly to herself.

taking her inside your assigned room was hard enough on itself, but you didn’t really mind it. by staying on the communal rooms with the rest of the clients of the day, you ended with a fair paycheck while she slept peacefully.

but when she blinked awake, the story was much more different.

she didn’t knew where she was. there was a weird sound coming from a record player. some kind of scratchy music, as if whoever had recorded the vinyl didn’t really know how to do it.

“cupcake?”

and vi shivered, from the inside out. her eyes widened, and she was fully awake for a minute. you just blinked, puzzled, looking at the pitfighter now aggresively standing before you, huffing from the effort and sudden adrenaline running through her veins.

“what did you say to me, skank?”

you smiled alluringly, swaying your hips. only a fool would be offended by a drunkard.

“i’m offering you food, pitfighter. are we naming honourable professions?”

her eyes softened. she stumbled as her posture relaxed, and she suddenly let out a groan, taking her hands to her head.

“ha. karma.” you snickered, handing her the pastry before turning to your vanity and wiping away your make up.

day after day, she kept coming back. not as drunk. even drunker. sometimes accompanied by a big man. always paid in coins, never struck any deals. didn’t have the energy to hustle.

she’d get to the brothel to sleep. a wild concept. sometimes, she’d even take you by your wrist and make you lie down with her. as a paying customer, she wasn’t doing anything inherintly wrong. she was paying, too. nothing wrong you could say on her behalf.

after a while, when she’d get to the brothel and knock on your door, it started to have a pattern. some kind of sign. a way to say, “it’s me”.

five knocks. five knocks and a scratch, so, technically six. vi, her face read. a v and an i. numbers? possibly. you didn’t learn her name until after the first month. which is funny, at least, considering not only was it written on her face, but because you knew her address by the third day.

the big man that she sometimes came with to the brothel also came to visit you, a week and a bit after. not for your services either. but with an offer.

“the pitfigher.” he had stated calmly. “she…” he sighed. “you’re the only one she’ll speak to right now. i’m not much for deals or favours. just… please, take care of her.” he mumbled.

she’s asleep on her bed now. and you take care of her. weirdly, it seems like the right thing to do. so skipping a low night of work doesn’t seem wrong when you take her home and stay with her, make her eat, redo the bandages on her arms and torso, put oinment on her scars and clean the make up from her face, careful not to let the tattoo on her face show, as she had said.

“i don’t know if i’m vi anymore. or if i should be.”

the stains on her hair fade quickly because of ther sweat. you did that to her by request, but honestly, it’s not your best work.

“you can always be neither.” you replied softly, to a question that hadn’t truly been asked. “not vi. not pitfigher.” you stay silent, your words slurring in your mouth when you concentrate on dying black the strands of hair that cover her face. “i am not who i was before the brothel. nor am i the name i use when i work.” you smile gently. “i am neither.”

“if i don’t know who am i, i’ll try not to be who i don’t want. whoever that is. i keep it close to keep it in watch, and so i never, ever be that kind of me.”

you stroke her hair now, and you sigh, about to stand up and leave, maybe tidy up the shitty apartment beforehand out of generosity, but then her arm passes over your waist and pulls you closer.

“i never… i don’t like being weak.” she mumbles, half asleep. “but… i don’t like sleeping. not since…” she sighs, nuzzling her face into the crook of your neck.

“but… it’s… it’s not so bad with you.” she utters against your skin.

there were many things you didn’t know about her. why was she a pitfigher. why was she so afraid of sleep. why did she sometimes wake up crying. who where those people she called for in her sleep. and maybe, that should’ve been a reason to leave.

so when you hug her, and then, tighter, you weren’t too surprised to notice her breath hitch.

“sleep, pitfigher.” you smile softly. a smile out of work. a smile of trust.

you cover her with the thin bedsheet she owns, and she smiles too. softly. efervescent. a blink and you’ll miss it kind of smile.

business was going to be bad for a couple of weeks. obviously, you weren’t going to let her pay you anymore.

~k.k. (☆) have fun!

a/n I AM NOT PREPARED FOR TODAY’S CHAPTERS, THIS IS MY WAY OF COPING. SEND HELP.

aaksuitac, november 2024 ©

[gayferrari]

okay i am coming to you as carlos fan who loves charles to my core (he is my soul sister!!!) but only ever roots for him for ferrari reasons, trying to see this from charles fans pov how is anything that happened tonight carlos’s fault and not just ferrari’s fault… like i try to be critical and i love to shit on carlos when he is stupid (bc he is stupid a lot) (for example spain24 i fear i am not on his side there) but ferrari fucked carlos over so bad today with his pit stop like i truly believe the thing that happened with charles was more of a fuck you to ferrari and not anything to do with charles at all so like i get why charles fans are upset but… i don’t know again would like to hear your thoughts on tonight

DISCLAIMER VIEWS MY OWN (as in. I don't speak for all Charles fans and probably not even a majority of them about this. and I enjoy it when athletes are petty and angry and grudgy and let out their ugly sides)

my first takeaway is that it's truly not that deep. Like, yeah, it's race day emotions are running high but so are the emotions of the guys in those cars. they're gonna get out of the car, calm down, shower, go on with their lives, and not think half as hard about this stuff as fans do, and some fans will remain upset for far longer than their blorbos will ever remember this. I think it is good to keep in mind before getting worked up

what happened: [regardless of garage 55 brainfart moment] Charles was ahead before the pit stops. At the pit exit, Bryan told Charles that Carlos had been told not to fight him and he should just focus on tyre temp instead of defending; Carlos went ahead and overtook him anyway. (That's when Charles said "Next time tell him in Spanish") Later, when Max was right behind Carlos and Charles was trying to overtake Max, Carlos was really slow. Like, there's speculation on reddit that he was feeding Max DRS <- not saying it happened (WE will never know) BUT he was slow enough that other people went "Wait this is weird," and his frustrated teammate would have noticed. If EYE was fighting for the wcc and I even suspected my teammate put someone else between the two of us (costing the team points) to protect his individual race, I would also go off about it. Regardless of whether it's true. Again! Not saying this is what happened and we will never know, but earlier in the race Carlos was definitely told not to overtake, and did it, and between the two of them he's the one with a history of ignoring team orders.

EYE (tumblr user gayferrari) have my own opinions. nuance button. I don't think you should get a gold star for being a "good teammate" or that following team orders is always the right thing. But CHARLES clearly values it, and in the past he's actually put his money where his mouth is and pulled his weight even when it cost him individual points, and I can understand he'd go on a heated tirade for 4 seconds when he's high on adrenaline. I don't think any of this should be a big tell about Charles's personality, team dynamics, his relationship with Carlos or whatever. I think he just spoke without a filter for a couple seconds, and I believe in taking these kinds of radio moments with a big pinch of salt. I'm gonna RPFy the shit out of this because I am on f1blr to have fun not to get angry. But I don't agree Charles was mad at the team, it was a very much "other side of the garage" kinda moment.

(*) note also that Carlos was told to swap with Charles earlier and DID do that, but after a few laps / because he was struggling with pace + very early on, when Charles dropped P2 -> P4, he was the one who spontaneously brought up letting Carlos pass because he knew he was struggling. So they both had moments where they were collaborating this race. I'm bringing this up for completion's sake, like, yeah Carlos swapped when asked even if late! But he also overtook when told not to

I hope this clears it up! Again, it's MY view that it's not that serious because we all choose how to enjoy sports and I'd much rather get angry about other things I feel matter more, and leave the petty drama as RPF fodder. But everyone enjoys sports differently so I can't speak for others

[bay7let]

I hate that everyone just constantly forgets what Kai went through/the trauma he has.

People constantly forget that Kai literally raised Nya Of course hes going to be better at cooking, stealing, sewing and treating wounds, even just handling situations. He was 5 when his parents left. 5!! Nya was 3. Thats a baby taking care of his little sister. Kai may act like a child sometimes but that is quite literally because he never even had a childhood.

Speaking of people not talking about his trauma i dont think the other ninjas even really know? Like he offhandedly mentions it once or twice, but we literally never get to see him talk to someone about it and that hurts because that must have been hard.

And everyone constantly saying how selfish he is??? Like no he is not. My guy raised Nya then practically raised Lloyd as well (everyone did lol but i feel like Kai was most helpful/protective of him) Literally the only reason he became a ninja was because he needed to save Nya. And he was a bit selfish at times but it's mainly because he saw himself as a burden to the team because he thinks he isn't as useful as the other ninjas, plus part of his entire arc was him learning he didnt need to be selfish because he was just as good as the other ninjas. Selfish isn’t the word im looking for but im not sure what i am looking for lol. But that is one of the main reasons he wanted so bad to become the green ninja. He wanted to be validated because his entire life he was looking after Nya or helping others, putting others before himself. Becoming the green ninja would have validated all that he went through because he would finally be recognized for helping people.

Wu even says that Kai pays the price for Wu’s mistakes in season 11 (i think its episode 11 or 12 i don’t remember). Kai is constantly self sacrificing (or attempting to) to save others. (Except season 8 episode 10 when for some reason Kai doesnt want to give up his powers to save Lloyd? Which does not make sense because he was always the one to give up anything and everything to keep Lloyd safe, best shown in season 5) (while on the topic of weird character choices for Kai why did they make him suck at negotiating? Cause he was a blacksmith woth a shop he ran on his own, of course he is going to be good at negotiating. Unless customers were scamming him all the time)

I hate that people just straight up ignore his trauma, and make him out to be some dumb guy. Of course hes not going to be book smart because he literally did not go to school (did Nya even go for that matter?) but he was constantly finding ways for them to survive while he and Nya were on the streets. Hes not books smart but he is very street smart.

Sorry about the giant ass rant but i hate that his character get so misunderstood

[dykedvonte]

I find the line "I have to believe our worst moments don't make us monsters." Fascinating because it comes from Anya, and I feel she really proves it the best.

For obvious reasons most people are in the "Anya did nothing wrong" camp and for good reason but there is a single action that I don't think she did well and it was her suicide. Specifically her method.

Realizing that Anya took Curly's painkillers was horrifying to me. As a Nurse I have no doubt that she'd know how terrible dying from overdose is. She had access to a gun which is well known for having a far more instant and far less painful death. And despite everything falling apart around her, knowing how bad Jimmy was, she still left Curly alive.

I don't think I thought about it much like that at first but the longer this game has sat with me the more horrified I am by the action. Curly is man who has been horribly disabled and is completely unable to help himself and he is very much a human being who does not deserve to be anywhere close to that amount of pain. Those painkillers were one that the few things that could give him any amount of relief and Anya took them.

She could have shot herself and left the painkillers for whoever was left to help Curly. She could've shot Curly and then taken the painkillers. She could've shot them both and quickly put an end to their misery, yet she didn't. Anya had a great amount of her agency stripped away from her, to the point that she didn't deem life to be worth it anymore and ended it, right next to a man who couldn't make that choice for himself even if he wanted to.

It is easily her most horrific choice and yet, she's still an angel.

(Please don't take this as Anya slander, I genuinely love her so much. I just find this to be an incredibly interesting thing)

I do subscribe to the idea that Anya realized that Jimmy was hitting Curly when giving him his medicine but didn’t intervene. I also don’t think her taking the pills from Curly as monstrous mainly because (while she knew he suffered worse with out them) she likely also knew they were basically bandaids on a bullet wound.

I have this sort of belief that that statement can only really apply to Jimmy in the inverse. Like some statements in the games aren’t meant to apply to all characters and not in every context of every action they do. It’s the idea that no one should be responsible for Jimmy’s actions but himself but they are forced to by him or the environment. Everyone is experiencing their worst moments but no one is a monster outside of Jimmy due to his inability to take responsibility and how he escalates the severity of the situation through his bad choices. Even then it’s not one moment that makes Jimmy a monster it’s the culmination of every moment that prove his inability to be anything but in this scenario.

With Anya you must remember she did have the code to the gun. Yeah, she could’ve broken it open but who’s to say how easy or how long it would’ve taken. Not to mention, there’s this misconception that she wanted the gun to kill Jimmy which isn’t true. She wanted the gun to defend herself in the case he got aggressive which is an important note of Anya being the only proactive person on the ship vs reactive. Locking the door, knowing there was no way in was likely a duel mercy for them both. A person in his state would die relatively soon without constant care and she has ample time to pass. It’s a hard decision to make for herself and someone else but it was the easiest even if it caused more damage than it was ever meant to cause.

It’s a sort of parallel to how Curly made choices he thought would help Anya and everyone but ultimately doomed them all further. Jimmy got what he wanted in both scenarios of crashing the ship and wanting Anya gone. What happened on the Tulpar will go down as a tragedy if they are ever found, a mystery if not but certainly not in a way that Jimmy wanted. Anya and the pregnancy are effectively gone but he’s still facing the repercussions for it.

There’s this idea that it’s controversial to say that Anya was anything but perfect and while I don’t think she did anything wrong, she certainly didn’t make the best choice in telling Jimmy but that again was because of the situation and environment she was in. We don’t know why she didn’t wait on Curly after their conversation in the cockpit, we know that was the plan and we know Jimmy finding out through her alone was the catalyst to the crash within like the next hour, yet you can’t really blame her. We don’t know why Jimmy came to medical nor what anyone else was doing. It can be considered her one mistake but then again we can’t blame a reasonable action on someone’s unreasonable response.

I think that’s a big aspect a lot of people look over in the characters actions. Most of them are normal, reasonable, human. But the systematic responses to them and Jimmy’s are unreasonably harsh and punishing.

This has gone off in a tangent from what you originally posed but I genuinely think of what might do happened if that confrontation happened with Curly there and away from the cock pit. I assume it’d happen in medical or even utility, hell, an area away from anything sensitive but what if? If the ability to do something awful wasn’t at Jimmy’s finger tips, if there was more than one voice in Curly’s head during that moment, what would’ve changed?

When I look at Anya I see her as having the best responses to anything happening during the events of the game but the environment, systems against her and even the other crew mates to an extent made it so it would inevitably backfire on them and mostly her hard.

[tinfoil-jones]

Gravity Falls: For Your Own Good, Ch. 15

Summary: A few years after moving to Gravity Falls and having his lab built, Stanford Pines happens upon his estranged twin brother, Stanley. He mentally prepared himself to be suffocated by his brothers neediness all over again - what he wasn't prepared for was Stanley walking right past him like he didn't even notice him.

Rating: M for language, violence, and adult implications

Preface: Dialogue only, but some actions will be annotated for clarity. Cross-Posted on AO3 Here

First - Prev - Next

“Hey F, could I get some of that dip? Someone threw all of my cans of Snus away when he confiscated my stuff.”

“Sure thang, handsome. Oh- you sure you need that much Stan? You’ve cold-turkey’d nicotine for weeks now.”

“I’ll be fine, stretch. It’s not like I haven’t done worse for less.”

(...)

“Fiddleford, is there a particular reason Stanley is under the table in the recovery position?”

“He tried too much chew all at once, he’s got the nic-sick.”

“Stanley, I told you that you needed to quit that nasty habit! This is precisely why I threw your tobacco products away when you came here.”

“Y’know this headache was bad enough without you yelling at me.”

“I cannot believe you enabled him.”

“Stanford, he's a grown man, he’s allowed to use nicotine if he wants to.”

“He can still hear you. And you know what? I don’t think you ever need to bitch at me about it ever again, Doc. I’m not touching the stuff again for a long time…”

“It’s for your own good.”

“PhD, next time you think about saying that I want you to remember I’m not above hitting a guy with glasses.”

(...)

“Stan, how old are you?”

“Twenty-seven going on twenty-eight.”

“Do you remember when your birthday is?”

“Not the date, no. I know it’s late spring or early summer.”

“And I know your memories are hazy, but did you ever… celebrate it?”

“I think the last time I did was before I was on the streets. After that? There wasn’t a point, I was alone. Why do ya need to know, F?”

“I’m just checking is all.”

(...)

“Stanford, how old are you?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“When is your birthday?”

“June 15th.”

“And if I remember correctly from BMU, you never celebrate it?”

“Last time I did I was seventeen.”

“Can you tell me why?”

“I told you back then Fiddleford, I did not see a point, I was-...”

“Used to sharing it?”

“Why?”

“I’m just checking is all.”

(...)

“So each of these is supposed to be your, what, doctors cert?”

“Doctoral degree, and yes.”

“So you have a dozen of them?”

“Yes.”

“Wow. Twelve whole PhDs? That’s pretty cool.”

“...You really think so?”

“Yeah, most people don’t even got one -  but you got one for each finger huh?”

“That’s not why I-. Well, yes, I suppose I do.”

“Stanford! Stan! I’m back, come over to the kitchen!”

“Do ya know what he left for?”

“He did not say.”

“Why’d he turn out the ligh-.”

“Surprise!”

*Stan and Ford stop at the entryway to the kitchen. Fiddleford is standing next to the table, which has a sheet cake and twenty-eight lit candles*

“...”

“Fiddleford, what is this?”

“I know you said you don’t see a point to your birthday, but I couldn’t help myself.”

“Oh, it’s your birthday?”

“...Stanley. It’s not just my birthday.”

“Are you okay Stan? You’re looking spooked. I apologize if I put you on the spot-”

“N-No. I’m fine. It’s uhh- I don’t even know when my birthday is.”

“It’s today. We’re twins.”

“...”

“You still don’t believe-.”

“Wouldn’t, you know, the other guy, be upset?”

“There is no ‘other guy’, it’s literally you.”

“I’m- I don’t… I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Stanley, I understand you’ve stubbornly held onto the belief that I’m insane and trying to replace something I’ve lost-”

“The cake’s getting covered in wax here, fellers.”

“But I haven’t celebrated my birthday in a long time, because I’m used to sharing it. I am not trying to force you to, but I’m requesting you let me share it with you; I want to share it with you.”

“...Fuck it, I said I’d play along with your delusions until you got over it. Okay, PhD, I accept your offer. But I’m taking all of the corner pieces of the cake.”

“I can accept those terms.”

“Okay you two, I don’t think we got enough time to sing the happy birthday song before the candles melt themselves outta their wicks. So just blow ‘em out and make your wishes.”

(...)

“Hello, Dr. Stanford Pines speaking.”

“Stanford?”

“Hey Ma.”

“Happy birthday hon.”

“Thanks Ma.”

“Please tell me you celebrated your birthday this year. I know your last one couldn’t have been easy after-”

“I was busy with research last year. This year, yes I celebrated, I have… Company, this time.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful. Listen hon, I know it hasn’t been easy without Stanley since… the accident.”

“I’ve had more than enough time to think about it. I am not going to lie to you and say I’m not upset at all, but it’s been long enough that I have other things to concern myself with.”

“I just want you to know if things get too hard, don’t be afraid to talk to your old Ma again.”

“...I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I love you, Stanford.”

“I love you too, Ma.”

To be continued…

[beevean]

I'm tired of "Ha Elise bad, Sonic hates her" jokes

Why did the twitter takeover have to do Elise dirty like that again. I thought they were past this?

I'm not sure this is part of the hot takes, but I know what this refers to lol

Alright.

First of all, this question wasn't even worth answering at this point. Three words? At least the askers didn't have to pay :V

Second, to be honest, I don't read Sonic's tone as "he hates Elise" or "he's pretending he doesn't know her". The tone reads to me as slightly confused and not interested enough to hear explanations. Literally "whomst" before moving on.

The joke is simply "Sonic doesn't remember '06, so he doesn't understand the question". This enters in the territory of "is '06 canon", which I am in no way equipped to answer. I have always imagined that Sonic doesn't remember Elise consciously, but he might feel a sense of déjà vu if he saw her or heard her voice.

That being said, it is really lazy. A more serious answer could have been Sonic like "Elise? Who is that? I meet so many people everyday, I can't remember them all! Although... mhh...". Same joke, but at least it wouldn't feel like the writer and VAs are going through the motions. I would imagine this sort of blunt answer if Shadow was asked about Mephiles, basically.

So yeah, I don't take this as a pointed jab against Elise, it's not like that line in LEGO Dimensions where Sonic seems to actively shudder at the memory, but it does denote a lack of care. It's annoying that every criticism has to become relentless discourse on Twitter, because I understand why Elise fans would be left like "that's all we get?"

[kalinara]

Oddly, I find myself inspired to talk about Scott/Emma today.

I want to disclaim first that I actually really do enjoy the Scott/Emma ship. I think, at their best, they were amazingly good for each other. I think she was the partner he needed at a time when he needed to be harder and more ruthless, less yielding, for the sake of the survival of their people. I think he helped her remember the good person that she;s always been capable of being, despite her anger, rage and pain, and made her want to be that person again.

But I will never not be frustrated by so many aspects of how the relationship began. And I'm going to get into them below the cut.

(Content warning: I'm going to discuss violation, victim-blaming, and sexual assault/rape.)

So, let me talk about my first frustration:

I will never be able to stop my knee jerk reaction whenever I see someone, in character or out, call it a "psychic affair", when it goddamn well wasn't.

(New X-Men #131)

What it was, was a case of therapeutic abuse. He went to her FOR THERAPY. The "affair" was conducted in the course of therapeutic sessions. This isn't just malpractice, something that, were Emma a real person in the real world, would cost her her license.

In the State of New York, real world, what Emma's doing is a prosecutable crime. Because a patient, in the course of therapy, has diminished capacity to consent.

And look, it's not that I think this is a deal-breaker to their future relationship. The X-Men are fucked up. We all know that. But it is irksome to me that, to this day, this is referred to as an "affair", and not a single character has ever pointed out that Scott was not actually a consenting equal partner here, but a victim.

(In retrospect, maybe THIS is the first initial sign that Hank McCoy was slowly drifting to the dark side, because I cannot imagine a man like DOCTOR Henry McCoy, of this era and before, not being seriously aware of and passionate about the ethical responsibilities that a doctor has to his patients.)

It's probably fair to note the Doyleist elements. It is possible that the writer/artist team never intended this to be as violating and victimizing as it is. But I am skeptical of this. You can't tell me that the people who wrote and drew THIS SEQUENCE:

(New X-Men #128)

did not know they were writing Emma as a sexual predator here.

(I have seen folks bring up the "defense" that Scott was a fucking idiot to go to her for help, as though that in any way excuses her actions. Surprise! Someone who has been recently traumatized does not make wise decisions! That is entirely shocking! It's almost like he might not be in a position to consent to a sexual relationship with someone claiming to act as a therapist!)

--

You know what's even more frustrating though? The shit Scott gets for the actual START of their relationship.

You remember how it goes? Jean's dead. Scott is at her grave, mourning. Emma goes to him with an offer - a relationship and a co-leader position at the school. He accepts and there's that infamous making out at the grave scene.

It's awful! It's completely understandable that this turns off a lot of folk both readers and in character.

Except that's NOT what initially happened.

THIS is the scene as it initially, actually happened:

(New X-Men #151)

So yeah, THIS is what actually happens. Emma makes her offer. Scott says no. He leaves.

But THEN we get a whole storyline with future bad things happening, and well, apparently someone gets the idea that there's one really good way to avoid all of that mess happening.

So in New X-Men #154, we get this:

And the same scene again:

The exact same scene. Same place, same dialogue, same time.

But what's Scott's response:

It's really hard not to read this as anything but Scott having his "No" literally rewritten to a "Yes" by a future version of his own wife.

And here's the thing, this isn't a meaningless action. Scott takes a LOT of shit from a LOT of his friends and family for this decision. Not just taking up with Emma so early after Jean's death, but also where it happens. THIS IS JEAN'S GRAVE after all.

Rachel, his DAUGHTER, is furious. She basically disowns him outright, switching to her mother's surname and costume. It isn't until the End of Greys (meanspirited bullshit of a story worthy of another rant someday), and their shared grief, that they're able to reconcile.

Hank, probably the closest friend he has at this time, is utterly disgusted. And so many others have similar reactions.

Look, it can be frustrating to read and talk about X-Factor because, in my opinion, so much of Scott's choices are mischaracterized and taken out of context. But at least those are CHOICES that he actually made.

This wasn't a choice! This was an incredibly fucked up act of spousal rape by proxy committed by a hypothetical future version of Jean, where all of the negative consequences fell on the victim's head. Both victims, really, because Emma was not a willing participant in the violation of her new partner.

And what makes it so much more frustrating is that this will never be addressed. There is, I think, a very slight chance that one day an actual, ethical therapist or Doctor might hear the story of the affair and point out "actually, no, that was actually something terrible that happened to you."

But no one is ever going to learn the truth here. Why would it even come up? Scott and Emma have been longer as exes (Krakoa polyamory possibilities aside) than they've been together. Jean isn't the same Jean, she's as innocent of this as young Hank is of any of Hank Prime's crimes.

So this will never get addressed, ever, and I will seethe eternally at yet another example of unjust treatment toward my favorite character. And I can't even be mad at the people involved this time (unlike AvX!) because he DID what they're mad at him about.

It's just he DIDN'T initially, and it's so frustrating.

--

Again, i don't intend this rant to reflect on Scott and Emma as a pairing on the whole. As I said above, I think, on the whole, the two have been very good for each other. I like the weird whatever-it-is they had going on in Krakoa.

(I could have done without that X-Men Blue storyline where she tries to psychically force baby Cyclops INTO adult Cyclops, but that's a rant for another day. I was really glad to see her back as a proper anti-heroine in Rosenberg's run later.)

I just hate that these darker parts of their origin have never been satisfactorily addressed and it will always bother me.

[bumblingbabooshka]

I think Sarek and Amanda Grayson both lowkey seeing their children as little experiments in different ways is undeniably bad parenting BUT .... I mean you talk about matching each other's freak .... Like imagine for a second Sarek is like "I am going to show that Humans are just as good as Vulcans by molding this Human child and my half Human son into the perfect Vulcans - This will show that despite what society thinks of as their genetic inferiority, they're just as good as any Vulcan." and Amanda's response to that is to think "Sarek is wrong...Michael's humanity MUST be preserved...so that I can show her all the love and affection I can't show Spock and maybe through their sibling bond all my unspoken and unexpressed love can trickle down to him through her." What are you both DOOOOING!?? You guys are NUTS like PLEASE just TALK to each other and compromise about how you're going to raise your children!! [Love the drama though] So I'm imagining in my head that Sarek is severely pressuring both Spock and Michael to act as perfect Vulcans their entire lives with him or else they're failures not only in his eyes but in all of society's (because he's an ambassador and raising these children is tied irrevocably with his work as such) WHILE Amanda is secretly trying to funnel her humanity and love for Spock through Michael and as such failure to receive, express, or internalize that love is failing not only your mother but also the entire Human race. Damned if you do damned if you don't! Who do you want to disappoint more, kids?

In 'Point of Light' Amanda says that she gave Michael all of the love, joy, and affection which she wasn't "permitted" (we must question the use of the word - what stopped her from directly giving Spock this love? I'm not saying there wasn't pressure for her not to, I'm saying the word 'permitted' absolves her of any personal choice or failing in a way that's interesting to me) to give Spock and though this is on the surface level sweet and probably meant to be interpreted that way, I submit that it must be kind of fucked up to hear that your foster mother was maybe only so kind and caring to you because she felt she wasn't allowed to act that way towards her "real" son. Michael Burnham as a tool for both her parents, however unintentional, is very interesting and I'm not sure it's something canon considers (haven't watched the show, I just like imagining things). The feeling that you have to be grateful to these people for not only being your parents but being YOUR parents. For taking you in and giving you a beautiful life - you have to pay them back, you have to make them especially proud of YOU. Because they didn't HAVE to, did they? Because you're not their "real" child. In the end, it's always Spock - isn't it? The love your mother gives you is Spock's love and if only one child can enter the Vulcan Science Academy then it has to be Spock. You're the appetizer your father serves before the REAL main course and your mother's stuffed doll which represents the thing she REALLY wants to hold and you know they genuinely care about you. That's the worst part. Because you know they care and they didn't mean to hurt you and the voice in the back of your head keeps telling you that any hurt they've dealt you pales in comparison to the debt you owe them and they love you, they love you, they love you, they love you, they love you [repeat as often as need be: remember the debt]

[thunder-wolf64]

Ugh okay I'm about to get very not silly.

Content warning for: Sexual Assult, Body image issues, self harm, probably some depression.

Hmm. I want to talk about this incase I can give strength to anyone else. I know my problems are not as bad as others, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt and it's not valid.

Ive mentioned my fear of small children, I've mentioned really not liking a family friend (to a point that being forced to stay in a cabin with them made me feel so bad I dug my nails into my skin and scarred my arm and hand)

This all partly relates to one incident many years ago. I dont remember how old I was? Must have been earlier middle school?

The family friends I'm referring to have a son. He's a lot younger than me. He's neurodivergent in some way, he doesn't have the best idea of social anything.

I was staying at the family friends' cabin, my family and theirs. There was a guest cabin. I had just taken a shower to clean off the lake water. I was standing in the guest cabin looking at myself in the mirror by the beds, brushing my hair. I had major body image issues with good ol' puberty. I hated how I looked and i felt shameful when my shirt clung to my chest extra tight. I knew I would dry off more, and it would be less form fitting. I thought i could just stay in the guest cabin until then.

Then all the little kids, the boy and my two sisters, burst in, chasing each other around as kids do. I was still brushing my hair.

Something immature boys find funny is the word "boobs" he laughed at me and kept repeating the word. I adjusted my shirt as best I could I wanted to tell him off, but I was scared I would get in trouble if I made him upset.

I went back to looking in the mirror and brushing my hair. He ran past, giving my boob a poke as he sprinted out the door, my sisters in tow. That was it. That is what the warning was for. A touch. Over in a second.

I was panicked, I didn't know what to do. I sat on the bed for awhile, crying and thinking of what to do. It felt like forever. And as embarrassing as it is to say... at that time in my mind I felt as if it was my fault, as if I had a sign pointing to me saying "touch me". And with that in mind, I calmed myself down, told myself i wouldn't say anything, and walked back to the main cabin.

And when I walked in, it was tense. The boy was getting a talking to from his mother, and mine walked over to me.

She asked me if i was okay.

I said I was fine, confused. Thinking its not like he shoved me, punched me, hurt my physically. My mind did not corelate the emotional anguish rushing though my head as I felt even more shame that people knew. that they had told on themselves somehow.

I was not okay, i am still not okay. And it really sucks. I can't blame everything on one incident. But oh man can I corelate a lot of my problems with that incident.

Tight clothes made me feel like scum. Ive only ever worn sports bras that leave me with terrible chest pain. I still cant stand a tight fitting shirt, a v-neck. I can't stand my feminine traits. Because that's what got me into the mess in the first place.

Something so small can mess you up so much. And I'm sick of not acknowledging it. Everyone has forgotten or said nothing. And I feel like I'm going crazy.

So if you made it this far, your struggles are valid. Your feelings are valid. No matter what happend, everyone takes things differently.

And i don't know if I'll can call this sexual assault, but it feels like it was, and that's what should matter.

Everyone stay safe

[creatingblackcharacters]

hello, i hope you are having a nice day! i am working on a character in a world made of people with animal traits (like satyrs but any animal), i decided on a sheep character and while doodling made her Black. however i remembered i’ve heard people describing Black hair as “sheep like” or “wooly”, and i know it’s rude to compare features to animals, so i was wondering if that’s a real negative link? (note that’s not why i made her Black of course, i really liked how she looked with cornrows & went from there) should i change her race if i’m going to make a sheep satyr? thank you, i hope your day is pleasant

If Jesus' hair can be stated as the texture of sheep's wool, it can't be that bad 🤣 nah but jokes aside, your sheep satyr can be Black. While the comparisons might make a little more sense given that they're in a universe where everyone has animal traits- because yes, it would be racist if the only people you used those descriptions on were of Color- if you're really that worried about not doing it appropriately, just don't use those descriptions. There are plenty of other words that can be used to describe our hair.

[velvetvexations]

it's so annoying it took this long like clearly I need to be way louder and more persistent

Please feel free to ask anything you'd like~!

I was on Tumblr for most of the 2010s but bounced shortly after the porn ban. I came back early this year after Reddit takes on FHJY infuriated me and I moved back over here.

The idea is that supposedly AFAB non-binary people are constantly rubbing their unique gender complexity in the face of "binary trans women." This is complete fucking nonsense and not remotely a thing that actually happens. Some people just be really fucking insecure and project that insecurity onto others to give them an excuse to be defensive about being binary.

This reaches to the point of claiming that no trans woman is "binary" in "a way that counts," and like...

Do you remember when TRFs had a meltdown about other people liking a shark plushie?

Or the time TRFs targeted a trans man for "erasing transfeminity" by drawing himself into a meme that was originally depicting a trans girl?

Or what about "gentrification of a fetish"?

Because, boy wow, you wanna talk about appropriation, am I right? Fucking "no trans woman is binary" get the fuck out of here Programmersocks.

Fascinating. Thank you, anon!

it's always funny in a cosmic sort of way when a TRF starts yelling about how you can only be a tryns wymyn if your birth certificate says "M" like okay miss Vogel

this is tangential but I had to google remind myself of Lisa Vogel's name and getta load'a this take lmao

Well~!

We have each other, anon. <3

misgendering is bad on principle but some people only care when it affects them in a way they don't like

lmao that sounds like a children's book that gets adapted into a Disney Channel movie

[jiminy-crickets]

this poll was made in a lab for me

brady tkachuk IS abby cadabby (one of the sesame street muppets) like i really don't know how to explain it beyond trust me bro but it is true trust me IT IS TRUEEEEEEE i just KNOW brady and rocco would get along good!!! and they are both talkative and kind until they get angry at which point they lash out and need to learn a lesson (abby gets told that yelling isn't nice, brady gets put in the box)

here are some of my other faves/assorted hockeys as muppets

connor bedard: robin the frog (i am projecting a bit)

nick fologno: kermit the frog (.... okay, this is left field UNLESS you know the chaos that is the 24-25 hawks team, plus if connor is gonna be robin then nick has to be kermit)

alexander ovechkin: cookie monster

tyler seguin: denise (kermits girlfriend from the ABC Muppets sitcom)

leon draisaitl: ernie (people think that ernie is hyperactive, he isnt he's just social and bert is more introverted)

connor mcdavid: bert

matt rempe: big bird!!!! ITS BIG BIRD HE IS BIG.... BIRD!!! even if he wasn't tall he would still be big bird

kevin korchinski: snuffleupagus (mostly because he's big bird/matt rempe's friend and NO ONE HAS SEEN HIM [he's just down in the AHL right now])

cole caufield: little bird (no link to kevin or matt, he just seems like one of the wiser shot boys)

marc andre flury: pepe the king prawn

quinn hughes: fozzie bear

jack hughes: rowlf

luke hughes: lew zeeland

will smith: grover (again, just trust me)

macklin celebrini: rosita

travis konecny: animal

mitch marner: julia (he was made perfect but then he was tainted by association and now everyone hate him, and everyone who remembers that he's perfect is laughed at by the ones who hate him)

tom willson: bobo the bear

nate mackinnon: captain vegtable

evgeni malkin: oscar the grouch

sidney crosby: slimey

mario lemiux: uncle deadly (this could go for any player who has his hands all over the franchise after retiring, but i think mario is the funniest one)

auston matthews: janice

matthew tkachuk: miss piggy

tim stüzle: zoe

dr bunsen honeydew: shane pinto

beaker: josh noris

jacob trouba: gonzo (this one is hard, because.... well.... its gonzo, but i think trouba is a good mix of mad comedian, bad performance art and stuntman, now unfortunately this also means that jacob touba is gender queer now i guess???)

brad marchand: camilla (you need to seperate camilla from gonzo for this to work, also the idea of a trouba/marchand relationship terrifies me so.... just no, instead you can imagine that brad marchand as camilla is dating muppet gonzo, and jacob trouba gonzo is dating muppet camilla)

wayne gretzsky: statler

paul "biz nasty" bissonnette: waldorf (okay these two are just vibes, BUT read this amazing post from @/crosbyism then tell me i'm wrong!)

claude giroux: dr teeth (again vibes, but him being an actual doctor fits with claude bragging about working with his dad for a summer as an electrician)

erik karlsson: swedish chef (have you SEEN this man's pregame meal, holy SHIT)

notable omissions

walter: i just can't think of any hockey who is walter, i feel like playing hockey long enough to get to the NHL would un walterify someone.

rizzo: none of these men are rizzo. and frankly that disgusts me.

sam eagle: i refuse to give a republican enough of my brain energy to assign them to sam

count von count: all the stats nerds have other muppets who better fit them.

elmo: maybe one day there will be a true elmo hockey but.... i can't see one. if there is a true elmo he'd need to be in juniors because elmo CAN'T be an adult who acts like a child, elmo is just a child who is being himself!

[wrathful-reptile]

Good dreams are a double-edged sword.

On one hand I love them. They're good dreams.

On the other hand they're not happening and then I wake up and feel sad.

[etoilesombre]

You know what? People shouldn't feel bad about liking things in fandom, or creating things that make them happy. I'm absolutely vagueposting, but this really isn't about one post, it's about a tone I've noticed popping up again lately from multiple people (including people I follow and generally respect!)

-"They absolutely cannot fuck! So crazy people would think about that and be into it, it would break canon! "

-"Mod AU doesn't work, they're Serious Characters they aren't gonna run a coffee shop its OOC! "

-"Actually, fun fluffy fic about them at all during a certain era doesn't work!"

I get it. I agree with a fair part of it. People post all kinds of asinine shit that I hate actually. But you know where I bitch about it? Privately in group chat.

Let people fucking have fun. I get the sense that many people come to this fandom specifically because it's Serious and Challenging and you want to Do Serious Analysis. I think a lot of folks around these parts either are in school and not having a good time about it, or wish that they had gone into better academia that doesn't really exist, and they're getting that need met here. And that's great! For real!

But you know what else is fine? People who either don't have that need, or are getting it met in other parts of their lives, and come here for stress relief and a fun free hobby.

Of course they can't fuck for real! It's not in the text, they simply don't. But the tension is obviously written in, and playing with possibilities can be fun! Also if you can't see how it could happen and still not fix shit, that's a skill issue. Fic authors aren't stupid, we don't fail to understand canon, but not everything has to be everything all the time. Sometimes you want to do all the work and try to match the level of writing in the show, and sometimes you want to have something nice and easy. The show is REALLY well written and what it needs to be, the point of transformative works is playing with what it's NOT. Some people cope with fluff, or good ending everybody lives AUs, and it might be so totally valid to look down on that, but maybe being publicly correct might be less important than being kind?

Actually, the main thing I want to say is that if YOU reading this are a person who wants to write a cute coffeeshop AU, or be horny on main about your boys kissing, it's actually fine!! At least, it historically has been fine. This is a really small fandom now and not that many people are actively creating, please don't be discouraged by this stuff, because the people who criticize on tumblr are actually not the majority. The REASON they criticize is that, if you go to AO3 and sort by kudos, much of it is this super sweet OOC stuff! It looks like that's most of what there is, because a lot of readers in the wild who watch the show and look up fic like it!

Anyway. Let people have fun, it doesn't cost you anything, and not every thought needs to be public. It actually does discourage people.