#I do think ALW is a well meaning person

[s0r3wach1gauy0]

Yeah I say things like I'm going to fight ALW in a Walmart parking lot but ik he's doing his best and we just idk, I think we fundamentally disagree on stex. It's also hard when so many different people have differing opinions on your show and you want to keep it relevant. I use humor sometimes in that way as a shorthand for liking something but wanting to shape it into your own vision.

Just because I like Starlight Express doesn't mean I like Andrew lloyd webber. There are so many other people that go towards making that show amazing. My appreciation goes to the cast and crew, not the writer.

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

the pained peace treaty

fused with the foe, chapter one

a/n: oh wow, i have no idea how to introduce this beast of a story except to say hi, hello, welcome! i really hope you enjoy this story, as well as the rest of the trilogy, idk if i've ever gone as in depth and all out with any story as i have with these.

summary: “now, everything is already set into motion, so we don’t have time for any of your theatrics,” not looking you in the eye, he frostily told you, “you are to be married. A carriage has just arrived a few minutes ago to pick you up and transport you to Eflorr.”

warnings: king!steve rogers x reader, fantasy AU (monsters, but not much magic), original fantasy world, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, slow burn, innocent!reader, abusive father (like super bad. he is a garbage person), wedding, blood, injury

word count: 4813

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“Your majesty, I must warn you, if, gods forbid, our people come to discover the great lengths you’ve been willing to go in this disagreement over the past two decades, they might start an uprising. And if you keep going, then it’ll turn into a full-blown war and you know our kingdom wouldn’t be able to survive that, not with them. Our city’s walls may be high, high enough to keep out any beasts that may wander this far south, but it wouldn’t keep them out. You know better than most how people from Eflorr are. If you don’t wanna lose your crown, one way or another, then I’d strongly advise that we come up with some peace treaty.”

“I know, I know…” King Ivan leaned back in his gilded throne with a huff, the quality of his voice was as thin as his towering frame, “a trade I think should suffice.”

A different advisor then timidly pipped up, “but our mines ran cold ages ago, what could we possibly offer that would be satisfactory?”

Not lifting his cold gaze, the king stared at a fixed spot on the marble floor as he said, “I know one thing the king lacks that we may be able to provide for him… a wife.”

“A wife–,” both of the men’s eyes grew wide, “but do you mean–, your majesty, she is your only daughter, are you certain this is the fate you want her to have? Those people are barbaric! If one of the dangers that rule the north doesn’t get to her first, one of their citizens surely will. Sire, what if history repeats itself?”

“Then let it do so. In fact, perhaps this could have been her purpose all along and I just didn’t realise it. Couldn’t see past my own rage to grasp how useful she actually could be…”

Sharing a nervous glance, one of the advisors asked, “should we send for her? See if she agrees with the plans?”

“No, I’ll tell her when the time is right. Wouldn’t want her to do anything stupid and ruin the one good thing she could ever provide,” finally lifting his stony gaze, the king commanded, “make the arrangements, I’ll see to it that she doesn’t ruin it.” 

Deep within the opulent halls of the gilded palace, standing grand and safe behind Ingorn’s tall city walls, twisting up towards the clouds, up in a window in the western tower, there you sat. 

Book in your lap, you leaned back against the small pillow you’d propped behind you to make the wide windowsill more comfortable. Small paper butterflies hung from strings above and some dangled so low that the childhood craft that still decorated your window trickled the crown of your head. Flipping the page, your fingertips brushed down over the illustration that appeared in the agricultural tome you’d found in one of your brothers’ rooms. 

As long as you put it back before Angus returned then you’d probably be good. And if he were to somehow notice, then as long as he didn’t rat you out to your father then it would be alright. Both Angus and a few of the others that were closer to your age, Oliver and Francis respectively, were always a bit of a gamble whether or not they would do such a thing. They didn’t always have the same spirit as the eldest pair of your older brothers, Xavier and Callum. 

You missed them so much your heart ached. The older they got, the longer their diplomatic missions seemed to stretch out, making the quiet palace that much more lonely in your solitude. 

A knock then suddenly boomed at your door, causing you to jump edgily in your seat before you slammed the book shut and nervously stuffed it behind the firm pillow. 

“Come in!” you called out, swiftly straightening out your dress that had crumbled around your legs at the comfortable seat. As the door to your room slammed open, the figure that stood in it caught you by surprise, “Father–, oh, hello,” you straightened your posture that much further at his arrival. 

Skipping over any niceties, King Ivan simply stated, “you need to pack up your stuff.”

Your brows knitted into a fierce furrow, “what?”

“Not everything, of course,” he cast a cold glance around the room though didn’t take a step to enter it, “just the things you are particularly attached to.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” your head lightly shook from side to side, “where am I going?”

When his eyes finally gave you the time of day, it swiftly dropped to the floor as a heavy sigh flowed from his lips, “why do you have to be the spitting image of her…” the muttering was unfortunately just loud enough for your ears to catch. His disappointment was always just loud enough for your ears to catch. When he entered the room and you moved to get up, he swiftly said, “stay seated, Y/n,” before he planted himself next to you on the wide windowsill, “now, everything is already set into motion, so we don’t have time for any of your theatrics,” not looking you in the eye, he frostily told you, “you are to be married. A carriage has just arrived a few minutes ago to pick you up and transport you to Eflorr.”

“To Eflorr?” your gaze grew wide, “you wish for me to marry someone there?”

“Not just someone, you are to marry their king.”

“I–… I–…” your chest rose and fell rapidly beneath your rosy dress, “but father, you can’t–, I can’t go live with the people who killed mom.”

“We don’t know if they actually murdered her. But I do know that you did,” his glare locked upon you as he let himself seethe, “if you hadn’t been born then she’d still be alive,” the fact that the only thing he blamed more for his late wife’s untimely demise then the kingdom she’d perished in was you, remained a point that the sovereign had never been shy about sharing with you for as long as you could recall, “your duty is to protect and serve this land, this crown,” your eyes naturally fluttered up to gaze at the twisted gold balanced upon his head, “if you don’t go through with this, then those savages will come pillage and ruin your home. You are, regrettably, the very last hope this kingdom has of survival. You have no choice, Y/n. This marriage is the only thing that can stop a war we would never survive,” exhaling slowly, he then dominantly nodded in a concluding fashion, “pack your stuff, you have an hour.”

You felt tears sting your eyes as your bottom lip quivered, “an hour? But–, can’t we wait at least a few days before I leave? Can’t I get a chance to say goodbye to at least one of my brothers? None of them are home yet.”

Regret instantly washed over you as your father’s nostrils flared angrily. Seizing your arm in a bruising grip, he yanked you close as he hissed, “you listen, and you listen carefully, you little brat. You have been the bane of my existence ever since you took your first breath. You took away the love of my life. You don’t deserve a goodbye, you don’t deserve anything. Do you think I got a goodbye when your mother suddenly went into labour on that diplomatic mission? No. All I got was you. Not another son, but a living, breathing reminder of what I lost that day,” your eyes squeezed shut as your cheek tingled at the memory of his strikes, “now, be a good girl and go wet his prick, give him a few babies, do anything he’d fucking please, so that him and his barbaric army doesn’t come here and slaughter everything you know and love.”

“Your highness, are you cold?” the high-ranking warden sitting across from you in the carriage noticed the shiver that your body couldn’t seem to shake. 

Tearing your eyes off of the scenery along The Emerald Path that the narrow window granted you a view of, you glanced back at the warrior. The brown hair he had practically tied off at the base of his neck blossomed into a dark beard. A bare palm clasped over an inked one in his lap as you met his gaze and said, “no, I’m–…” in truth, you were scared, so scared that you were trembling like a leaf, but you couldn’t tell the foreign king’s advisor that, too much weighted on your shoulders, you couldn’t screw this up, “no,” glancing back out of the window, you only stared a moment at the sparse cottages that slowly came into view on the rolling hills before you turned your head again and let the nauseating nerves control your words, “pardon me, Barnes, is it?”

“Yes, your highness?”

“Sir, how much further till we get there?” your quiet voice echoed within the carriage, “it’s just–, it’s been days.”

“Oh, not long at all,” he shook his head lightly, “actually,” the knight leaned forward in his seat and cast his glance outside, “if you look out the window now, right there,” a small smile tugged at his lips as his finger shot up to point, “that river, that means we’re getting close to Borün city.”

As the river then suddenly curved before the dirt road, the clomping hooves of the horses that hauled the coach resonated as they trotted over a stone bridge. 

Twisting your head, you glanced out to your right and spotted farmlands curve over the rolling hills that swiftly blossomed into thickets and towering flora you’d only assume was the southern perimeter of The Noll Woods. Books about this kingdom had been banned in your homeland for as long as you could remember, but even though you were essentially going in blind, you still weren’t completely ignorant when it came to the dangers that called that sprawling forest its home, not that you were an expert in the slightest, but your brothers had from time to time told you tales of the monsters who dominated in this part. From giant and twisted insect-like creatures, to mischievous pixies, to even the rare dragon, those stories had always been your favourite. Apart from the rare occasion where Callum would share stories with you about your mother. Being the eldest, he was the only one who truly remembered her. 

Instinctively, your fingers fluttered up to fiddle with the opalescent stone that hung from a chain around your neck. In the middle of the milky jewel was a small rune engraved into it. You had no idea what it meant, but your fingers had still traced the carving countless of times before as it had hung from your neck for as long as you could recall. It hadn’t been till you were a ways into your teens that you’d come to discover that it had belonged to your mother. 

Casting your glance out the other side as you passed a tall watchtower, behind the wide city stables unfolded a port town so quaint that it surprised you. Over the small valley of gabled roofs towered a central tree, and beyond all of that, the sparkle of the sea caught your eye, a sight you’d never beheld before, haven not only stemmed from a landlocked metropolis, but also not haven been permitted to leave your room as much as your heart had desired. 

“This is Eflorr?” you asked as the carriage began to roll up the winding path to the stone castle that loomed on the cliff, granting you a new view of how the river that you’d crossed slid through the city and spilt into the ocean.

“This is Eflorr, your highness,” the corners of his lips twitched at the sight of how wide your curious eyes were. 

“It’s–… it’s–…” your stare danced over the lush ivy that climbed the solid towers, “not what I expected…”

“What did you expect?”

Tearing your gaze away from the window, you blinked, “oh, I didn’t mean–,” suddenly worried that your shock had come out sounding rude, “I just–… I don’t know a lot about this land,” in the few tales you’d heard about this place, there had been a running gag that the people of Eflorr had lived so close to the dangerous beasts that called this part of the continent their home that they too had turned into monsters, “it’s just different than I imagined.” 

Ascending the jagged hill and passing through the front gate, it opened up into a wide courtyard before you felt the carriage finally roll to a stop. 

The wagon creaked gently as Barnes stepped out first, though when his boots were firmly on the cobblestone, his frame twisted as he reached an outstretched hand back for you to grasp in support of your own exit. Ever so apprehensively, you slid your own palm into his as your other twisted in your long skirts before you slipped out of the carriage. 

Letting go of his gasp, the soldier's low timbre washed over you as your head tilted back to take in the vast stronghold, “his majesty, unfortunately, couldn’t be here for your arrival as there was a bit of a dryad problem further up north he had to take care of,” you gaze tore away from the fort and fell upon him, “but I assure you he should be back in time for the wedding.”

“Oh, alright,” you breathed, unsure if that fact made you feel better or worse about the entire predicament.

“If you’d like, I can give you a brief tour of the castle,” he offered as he led you towards the main entrance into the castle proper, “or if you’re exhausted after the journey, then I can just show you directly up to your chambers.”

Offering him a polite smile, you nodded, “a tour would be lovely, thank you.”

He only briefly went over the buildings surrounding the courtyard you’d entered into, as they were mainly designed as barracks and various other facilities for the local wardens, though the horses that stuck their heads out of the royal stalls in the corner did catch your eye before you moved on inside. 

Barnes’ voice echoed in most of the chambers he showed you in the castle’s western wing. The vast stained-glass windows that were in the ballroom for instance took your breath away as you saw how the light streamed through them and warmed up the room with glittering little rays of colour. 

Behind the great halls, squeezed in between and connecting the two major parts of the fort, there you crossed through a much more quiet and lush courtyard. The pebble paths that curved around the central fountain too curled around various topiary bushes that were trimmed to perfection like living sculptures. 

Though as your guide showed you the eastern wing that crested over the foaming sea below, your curiosity got the better of you. 

“Hey, Barnes?”

Slowing his leisurely stride, he tilted his head slightly, “yes, your highness?”

“What are dryads?” your brows knit lightly together, “you mentioned there was a problem with them, but what are they?”

“You don’t know?” he glanced over at you, clearly trying to mask his surprise as you shook your head, “oh, well, they are forest spirits, nymphs,” he explained as you roamed deeper down a broad hallway on the second floor, passing many private chambers both to your right and your left, “it’s not uncommon for them to wander and bother the folks who live further up the coast. Have you never encountered one? They are not as uncommon in Obelón as most of the other creatures that thrive this far north.”

“No, I’ve never seen one…” you shook your head as a low sigh flowed from your lips, “never really seen anything…”

“Not much of an outdoorsy person?” he guessed in a light-hearted tone. 

Forcing a smile, you replied, “you could say that…” as you hadn’t been allowed to be one even if you wanted to. Passing a set of double doors that stood wide open, the sight inside made you halt your steps, “is this the library?”

Shadowing you as your feet crossed the threshold, he nodded, “yes, it is,” then pointed back over his shoulder, “and your quarters are right down that hall.”

Numerous grand bookcases stood lined up all the way down to where a tall window allowed the sunlight in and let it stream through the rows. 

“Can I–… would it be alright if I read some of them?” 

“Of course, your highness.” 

“Would you mind showing me which ones I’m allowed to read?” you briefly peeked back at him as a bubble of anxiety fluttered in your belly, “I don’t wanna accidentally read something that I’m not allowed to.”

Barnes then blinked back at you a moment before he uttered, “your highness, you can read each and every one of them if you’d like. Why wouldn’t you be allowed to read whatever you wish? They are yours after all, or will be after the wedding,” the corners of your lips twitched upwards as he then asked, “would you like to peruse the titles now or do you want to see your chambers?”

“Oh, uhm,” you tore your gaze away from the tomes and turned back, “I’ll look later.”

“Alright,” he nodded, extending his inked arm to show you the way. As he pushed the heavy wooden door open to the room at the very end of the hall, his voice rang out once more, “this is the peacock suite,” following him inside, he settled to a stop near the exit for you to explore the space on your own, “you can, of course, change anything you’d like for it to match your taste.”

“Thank you,” you breathed as you slowly made your way deeper into the chamber. It was gently divided with a more formal area towards the front where both tufted couches and a crackling fireplace stood, as well as a set of doors that opened up to a quaint balcony. Towards the left, under a swirling archway, twisted a broad canopy bed up towards the tall ceilings, warm with blankets and furs, and in the corner, by a breezy partition, stood a deep cobber bathtub.

Haven not noticed that he’d moved, you then heard as Barnes creaked the doors to a close, “if you need anything, anything at all, I’ll be right outside.”

With a loud creak, the heavy double doors opened before you and revealed the grand hall. As soft music gushed out, you nearly didn’t recognise the space from your tour the other day as it was now decorated with vibrant flowers and flowing banners that dropped down from the high ceilings above, as well as being completely packed with a swarm of people. A thin path parted the giddy crowd right down the middle towards the opposing grand door that guards opened simultaneously to yours. 

A shaky breath filled your lungs as you stared at the man crossing over the threshold. The flickering candlelight caught the honeyed shine of the locks that came down to tickle the nape of his neck. A bit darker, his short beard was full and warmed up the bottom half of his gruff features. He sure looked like a man who could slay a kraken with his bare fists, as the soft fur cloak that draped over his shoulders did not conceal his bulky physic one bit. The neckline of his indigo tunic stretched low enough for you to see the concave of his fuzzy chest and the impressive battle scars that broke up the rippling flesh. 

You’d seen the portrait of the king that hung in the hallway that stretched up towards the throne room, but to see him before your very eyes, in flesh and blood and not precise paint, was something else entirely. 

The long and embroidered train of the blue silk kirtle you wore dragged across the store floor behind you as both you and the monarch slowly stepped into the chamber to join in the very middle. 

The enchanting music stopped as you reached one another and the parted paths to either exit slowly closed as the crowd gathered and enclosed around the sacred vow that was about to ensue. 

Parting the sea of people like a divine force, an elderly woman, with a braided grey mane so long that it hit the floor, stepped up beside the both of you. 

“People of Eflorr,” the crone’s calm voice boomed, “today marks a day of unity, a day of peace, and most of all a day of love. Like a seed planted in the soil, tonight we will all witness this relationship blossom and go on the journey of growing into a magnificent tree, with roots strong enough to endure any storm, to propagate new seedlings that will watch over and shade our kingdom when yours have fallen.” 

Looking to the king, she handed him a small dagger from her belt and spoke, “blade across skin,” and he reached out for your right hand, “strike out your seedling’s love line,” your breath hitched as you felt him slice the top of your palm. Crimson blood trickled down onto his own hand as yours rested atop it, “and claim it as your own,” he flipped the blade around and handed it to you, before presenting you his own palm, open in yours. He didn’t even blink as you hesitantly pierced the calloused skin and traced the line already adoring his broad palm, “weave your lines together, so they become the same,” he then moved to clasp your hands together, his wide grip engulfed yours completely. Your teeth sank into just the faintest bit of your bottom lip at the fresh sting of your wound as it bled into his, “and may this scar serve you as a reminder, of the vow you made on this momentous day.” 

And as the last of the matron's words flowed from her lips so did the roar of celebration that erupted throughout the crowd as the festivities of the night bloomed at an instant.

The feast had been nothing short of immaculate. Countless of dishes had been spread out on the crowded banquet tables ranging from the savoury braised legumes to the sweet and shiny pies. It was an impossible task to try and taste every one of them, but an excuse you still used to stay glued to your seat and not get up and mingle with the boisterous gathering of strangers. 

As a stark contrast, you thought you only noticed the king take two bites before he rose to greet some latecomers who had arrived. Laughing and chatting with the sea of people, he hadn’t offered you a single word, barely even a brief glance the whole night. Though your gaze still followed him from your seat up at the high table as he moved through the crowd like they were all his dearest friends. 

When the moon had floated up to be high in the sky, clearly visible on the other side of the stained glass, your head had dropped down into a propped-up palm as a deep yawn forced its way out of your frame. 

“Are you tired, your majesty?” a deep timbre suddenly found your ears, a specific tone that caused your spine to straighten out at once. 

Whipping your head to your right, your weary eyes grew wide as you saw the king again at his seat, “no, I’m alright,” you hastily coughed out, “I’m so sorry for behaving like that in your presence. This party is exquisite.” 

“It’s alright, you can yawn,” you suddenly felt the need to look away now that his ocean stare was finally fixed upon you, “it’s late, I was about to retire for the night as well, so I can only imagine how you must feel. If you’d like, I could escort you back to your chambers. I’m not sure how familiar you’ve become with the castle since you’ve arrived, but even I can still get lost when the corridors are this dark and I’ve indulged in perhaps one too many goblets of wine.”

A flutter of nauseating nerves rushed within your belly, but even so, you still pushed through and forced a smile, “if that’s what the king desires, then sure, you can escort me.”

It was your wedding night. You knew what was about to happen. 

Or, actually, you didn’t quite know what the marital act entailed, but you were sure a man such as Steve had enough of an understanding to take charge. All you knew was what little you’d been told. To strip down naked, not whine or scream, and do as he tells you. 

The soaring butterflies within you only grew more ferocious as you followed his long stride throughout the castle. Out of the ballroom and through a cold stone hallway, when you crossed the bridge that linked the two wings over a part of the cliff that descended dramatically, you nearly doubled over the parapet to empty your stomach over the town of Borün that blossomed below. 

But with a shaky intake of breath, your fist closed around the silk of your skirt as you settled yourself and forced your feet to keep moving. Even as you passed the threshold into the eastern part of the castle, you still shadowed the monarch up the many steps until his broad palm held the door to your chambers open for you to enter. 

The fire had been lit while you were gone, and the room was encased in the warm glow. 

“Did, uh…” you heard the door close behind you as the king attempted a bit of small talk, “did you have a nice time tonight?” 

“I did, your majesty,” you kept your answer brief out of fear that he’d hear the tremble to your tone. 

Slowly turning his back to you, his gaze washed over the room, “are you pleased with your bed chambers?” he settled to face the balcony, the door slightly ajar to let the night breeze seep through and rustle the sheer curtains, “because if you don’t like it, if you’d rather have a view of the town then the sea, then that’s an easy problem to fix.” 

“I think the view is just fine from here, but thank you,” you answered politely as you gathered up the last bit of your courage and reached back to undo the long row of buttons that went down the spine of the light blue dress. 

When the silky garment dropped to the floor, the quiet rustle was enough to draw the king’s attention.

First offering you just a quick glance over his shoulder, he then swiftly whirled around completely, “what are you doing?”

Weaving your fingers in the thin material of your chemise, you blinked back at his stunned features, “I’m sorry, am I doing it wrong?” sure that he could already see everything through the sheer, white fabric. 

His feet didn’t move as he asked, “what are trying to do?” before he averted his gaze to the stone floor. 

“Well,” you uttered quietly, “it’s our wedding night.”

“Oh…” was all he breathed. 

“To be transparent, I’m actually not quite sure what’s to happen, but I do know it’s something,” reaching up, you took the gold and twisted circlet, that crowned your head, off and carefully sat it down on the side table to your left, “I don’t know the details, I just know that I should strip down. Do you know what we’re supposed to do?”

“Fuck,” he cursed, briefly squeezing his eyes shut, “yes I do, but, your majesty, please, keep your clothes on,” his gaze flickered back to you as you slowly began to hike up the last layer. 

“Why?” your fingers froze, “isn’t it a tradition here for us to–”

“Well, yes, but–…” he let out a strained sigh before slowly stating, “I’m gonna go.” 

A chill crawled up your skin, “…oh, I see…” you uttered quietly as he crossed the room, “did I do something wrong?”

Halting in the doorway as he ripped it open, “no, you–…” but the rest of his words crumbled as his gaze settled upon you one last time, instead letting a low sigh flow from his lungs, “sleep well,” and added nearly subconsciously just before the door slammed shut, “goodnight, dove.”

Even though a wave of relief washed over you, a sting of hurt also followed suit as the king left. 

Had you done something wrong, or did he just find you that repellent, that hideous, that he refused to perform his marital duties?

© 2024 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[starlight-45]

Bllk boys X Affectionate! Extroverted! Reader (Part 1)

Featuring: Yoichi Isagi, Meguru Bachira and Rin Itoshi

Here's the masterlist and Part two with Hyoma Chigiri, Reo Mikage, Seishiro Nagi :)

A/n: It's my first time so sorry if it's bad ⊂⁠(⁠・⁠▽⁠・⁠⊂⁠)

~Yoichi Isagi~

• As we all know, the sweetest boy to exist in blue lock. unless given a soccer ball, pls refrain from giving one to him if you don't want the most infuriating and tanuting insults your way

• *coughs* Anyway.

• At first he is suprised. Like pleasantly surprised. He's definitely NOT used to someone like you. And he loves every second of it. He is a bit oblivious about it, you know?

• He is used to taking initiative in planning, or interacting or anything tbh because blue lock is filled with traumatised and/or self centred people.

• And then you arrived...with your not-so-shy approach and assertive nature, and absolutely won his heart.

•"Yoichiiiii! Can we go go that café later? Please? :D"

"Just the two of us?"

"Yessir!"

"Like a date?"

"No, not like a date- it's a date!"

•His brain went to full autopilot mode, whereas you oblivious to his suprise and continued with some other topic blissfully.

• So you're such so refreshing with your sweetness! Needless to say, he was attracted to you from first sight.

• Like he had never been complimented so openly about his personality and looks (aside from his parents)

• "Hey, I got you a drink as well."

"Thank you so much! Next time I'll buy you juice okay?!"

• YOUR. SMILE.

• Darling, I'm not joking when I say he would kill for it.

•And your laugh too. Like why are you so pretty and sweet?!

• And when you're comfortable enough to hug him all the time? Oh boy, he's having a field day then ;)

• He was bit suprised, like what do you mean you missed him so much that you ran straight to tackle him as soon as he was in your vision-?

• But damnit he can't stop his blushing just thinking about it!

• He is both intrigued and in awe when he sees you having deep conversations with random strangers.

• "Was that your friend?"

"Huh?"

"That girl in bus."

"Oh, no I don't even know her name."

"SO WHY WAS SHE TALKING ABOUT HER CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND YOU BEING ALL SYMPATHETIC ABOUT IT?!"

•Nevertheless, he loves you too much to be actually annoyed. He simply thinks that 'Damn how did I manage to pull such a sweetheart?'

• He's so blessed to have you! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

~Meguru Bachira~

• Fell in love at first sight with your vibrant nature. You excite him him so much!

• He couldn't almost believe you were so interested in him and were so nice about it!

• Before you know it, you guys were practically glued together, competing you could show more affection.

• You guys are the type which doesn't faze your friends even a little bit that you are dating.

• Speaking of which...

• "Hey, you guys are dating right?"

"Wait Meguru...are we?"

"Why not?"

"....yay!!!! :D"

• Never even a bit suprised or fazed when you first tried to hug him.

• Just hugs you back while chuckling, picking you up just to hear that sweet laugh.

• It soon become a habit, you hugging him as soon as you saw him and him picking you up!

• Sure, he looks happy as hell around you. But that's just surface level feelings for you, he's deeply grateful for having you in his life.

• Geuninely thinks he'll never pay you back for the joy you bring him.

•Doesn't stop him from trying though! Not in a million years! Always bringing you snacks and drinks, complimented you. sneaking a kiss here and there too :P

• He always initiaties hangouts by the way. You wanna try that new mall? Arcade? Just lightly mention it and he's clearing his schedule for it and asking you to go.

• He can't deny he feels just a tiny, little bit jealous when he sees you interacting with random strangers with such sparkle.

• Just drags you by arm mumbling how you guys are getting late without warning, when you take too much time, shooting a glare to the other person.

• While he doesn't get fazed by the physical affection, you always manage to catch him off guard with your compliments.

• "Oh! Nice shirt, looks good on you! :D"

"You think so?"

"Mhm, goes well with your eyes."

• Is not afraid to get his hands dirty, someone is making names behind your back? He's ready to beat the hell out of him.

• He knows the feeling. The feeling of being left out, called weird or strange. He doesn't want you to to feel that way, even for a second.

• You're the best thing after footballthat happened to him, y'know?

• He just can't let you be sad.

~Rin Itoshi~

• Oh God okay-

• He thought you were strange as hell, and didn't even call you by your actual name, opting to call you 'dumbass' or 'idiot'.

• Not necessarily because he thought you were annoying, but because you were so... geunine in your adoration for him.

• You didn't even want anything in return, so why? He didn't wanna admit it, but he was a little intrigued deep down.

• No, soccer was his priority, beating his brother in football was the main aim in his life, he can't get distracted by a idiot girl like you-

• But damnit, he can't resist it, the way you look up at him with that sweet smile, innocent eyes most adorable expression.

• Rin knew he lost the game at that point. Still took a while to get used to the reality of having a crush though.

• When you first hugged him, he froze, his eyes widening. When he came to his senses a few seconds later, a red blush come on his face and his hands wrapped around your frame mumbling "dumbass".

• NO but like he's lowkey sometimes high-key tsundere about it. Always telling you to get off him but his arms pulling you in his embrace anyway.

• "Get off me, you damn idiot!"

"Aww but you're still supporting my back though :D"

"Just shut the hell up okay?"

• He is so confused though...why would someone so sweet like you be with him? And what do you mean he's cute?! He's supposed to be the aloof, lone wolf, why don't you understand?! Lowkey loves it though.

• If he does manage to flusterate you with his affection...he surprisingly becomes talkative-?

• "Why the fuck are you getting all red? Do you have a fever or something?"

"N-No."

"Just... just don't act suprised okay? I'm trying my best to express my feelings.".

• At moments like this, he's very soft, very gentle with you. Geuninely tries his best, he doesn't want you to feel like he doesn't feel the same way.

• You're so sweet with him... that'a the least he could do.

• Definitely a very jealous boy. Interacting with random NPCs? Who doesn't even deserve that sweet smile of yours?

• His brain immediately resorts to overthinking. What did he do? Did he scare you off with his insults? Did he neglect you?

• A moment of slip up results in the showing his vulnerability on his face, quickly recovers from it, and gives the deadliest death glare to the person.

• And the poor guy just runs for his life. Whereas you are very oblivious to the scene just happened.

• "Hmph. Didn't even say goodbye. Meanie."

"That NPC doesn't deserve your attention. Let's go."

• You really will turn him crazy one of these days, idiot and even will let you, how stupid. He thinks.

A/n: I was blushing so much while writing it (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

[fallenandinlovewithhumanity]

Watched 9-1-1 for the first time (and caught up) Here are some unsolicited and unfiltered opinions about our fave gay firefighter show.

Bobby Nash: Must be protected at all costs. Traumatized dad doing his gosh darn best. So happy he is loved by the 118 and that he seems to be accepting that more now.

Athena Grant: There's a post out here somewhere about how people named after gods/goddess embody that deity. And Athena? Yeah she does exactly that. That woman deserves so much respect for the badass she is.

Howie "Chimney" Han: Silly goofy man who needs a hug and appreciation. His storyline with Kevin and every parallel to Albert made my heart hurt.

Evan "Buck" Buckley: Sweet baby boy, the firefighter Dean Winchester of another universe. I LOVE THIS MAN. Seeing him smile on screen is so infectiously amazing and I want to send a strongly worded letter to all the writers who are clearly trying to make sure I stay in the "fix-it" tag of Ao3. He is by far my comfort character in the show and someone needs to tell that man that he is loved.

Eddie Diaz: If I had to describe my type in two words it would be "Eddie Diaz." Holy fucking shit. (<- written by Buck.) But seriously, I've seen some stuff about how he's not the "best" latino representation because he does not have any specific cultural storylines ( I would love to see celebrations or other cultural things too, maybe for 8B and onward) but I for one feel represented plenty by his complicated relationship with expectations coming from his parents, partners (former or otherwise,) and himself.

Hen Wilson: GIVE THIS WOMAN A BREAK. I love her and it seems like she is always hurting when it comes to her family. Please give my queen a goddamn break. Some domestic bliss would do her kindly.

Maddie Buckley Han: When I say that I would die for her to be safe and happy, I mean it. The Buckley siblings have dealt with so much but Maddie, her storylines not only hit something compelling and dramatic but they are also too fucking real.

Christopher Diaz: I love him. Amazing. A fucking king. No Notes. Please come back to your dad(s).

Carla Price: LOVE THIS LOVELY HUMAN.

The Grant-Nash Fam: Harry and May are interesting characters and I really do love seeing them on screen, I understand why we see less of them though. Michael and David were lovely as well.

The Wilsons: Imma repeat what I said earlier, give them an episode where the biggest thing to happen is juice boxes getting left behind. They need a break. And give Karen more damn screen time that isn't just crying and fighting with Hen.

Josh Russo: the pre-Glee/ post Glee explanation was gold.

Captain Vincent Gerrard: Grumpy old man that needed a cozy job. Loved his "taking you under my wing" moment with Buck.

The Bigger Love Interests (Eddie):

Ana: I really liked her character, but saw how much anxiety was embedded into that relationship. She was never sure of her place and he was never sure he was ready.

Marisol: This felt weirdly rushed and like it happened mostly off screen. The nun thing was... catholic guilt intro I guess??

Shannon: Oof. The drama, the need for closure. I enjoyed having her on screen and I cried when she passed.

The Bigger Love Interests (Buck):

Abby: He was much more invested in the relationship and I think part of it was the circumstances but the way she left him was so damaging to his psyche. Not a fan.

Ali and Natalia: They did not leave a lasting impression on me. Though Natalia being interested in Buck because he died did raise some red flags.

Taylor: Listen... I love her fierce independence so much. But she did Buck so dirty. Trust issues and abandonment issues for Buck coming right back up.

Tommy: Narratively speaking, I tried to understand why he happened but I don't. His confusion at the beginning of the relationship just made me think that he just went along with what Buck thought he wanted. As a character, that man felt a bit one dimensional, and when he showed an ounce of personality it was always an interaction with Buck that made him feel lesser than. I feel blessed that man is off my screen.

The Writing/ The Plot:

At this point I am watching for the two idiots sharing a brain cell. But.. the disasters and plots are out of left field and really interesting. It takes a lot for a procedural type show to not fall into formulaic/ average 911 calls and I feel like at least one writer has a subreddit or something pinned to get ideas. I am far too invested in the 118 to leave now.

What do I ship at this point?

Buck and Eddie.

Athena and Bobby.

Maddie and Chim.

Hen and Karen.

Would I recommend this show?

Abso-fucking-lutely... if you enjoy some pain, I swear all these characters go through so much and the tissue boxes are not enough.

Thanks 9-1-1 for bringing me back to Tumblr.

And if anyone has headcanons, I would love to hear them!

[dross-the-fish]

Love Never Dies- Thoughts and Reactions

This might end up being split into multiple parts but I am not finished talking about Love Never Dies. I did give it a rewatch to refresh myself and...oof. This play needs to be taken out back and shot because that is what it did to every single character in it. NO ONE looks good. Not even Christine. Let's start there. Let's talk about what this show does with Christine because we have completely reduced this character to nothing but her voice. What does Erik miss about Christine after ten years of pining? Her voice. He just wants her to sing for him one more time. The only thing he ever really mentions about Christine is her voice. Though I can't really fault him because if we're being serious about Christine's character...

What does she have outside of her voice? Nothing. Somehow LND Christine has even less personality than she did in the OG musical. She is a cardboard angel that other people pine over, try to control, or envy. She has almost no agency. I said before, I suspect that Andrew Lloyd Webber hates women and Christine does not come out of that unscathed. She spends pretty much all of the musical being bullied by Raoul, mothering Gustave, or being threatened by Erik when he and she aren't reminiscing about that one time they banged 10 years ago. Seriously what even the fuck was "Beneath a Moonless Sky?" For a song about how two characters couldn't resist each other neither of them seem particularly filled with desire. Christine is recoiling in horror and disbelief and Erik looks like a 15 year old who thinks sniffing his crush's hair is peak sensuality.

Mmmm....sexy. But whatever. Christine says at the end of the song she woke up to swear her love and was ready to dump Raoul but Erik had skedaddled so she ran back to Raoul. You read that right. Christine was going to pick Erik after they banged it out and he left and that is the only reason Christine is with Raoul. Seriously Andy? You're going to make her regret picking Raoul over Erik when she didn't even actually DO that? Erik made the choice for her?

*internal screaming* Erik, seriously, how are you going to be upset that she's moved on with Raoul if YOU left HER? Do you really think you have the right to coerce her to sing for you one more time when you were the one who broke it off? The hell is wrong with you? Of course when Christine resists he immediately goes to threatening her child.

When I say Erik is the WORST I mean it. He is reprehensible in this.

But this is about Christine. We'll get to Erik later. LND Erik deserves his own post.

There's honestly not much more to write about Christine. She spends a lot of time cowering from or trying to appease Raoul. She worries about her son and her death is honestly so unwarranted. When I say ALW's work has an undercurrent of meanspiritedness I mean shit like this. Christine hasn't really done anything wrong. I guess she cheated on Raoul 10 years ago? But well she was going to leave him and only stayed because her first option bailed on her? She didn't do anything to Meg. She's been living 10 years in an abusive marriage and her crazy ex who kidnapped her came back to threaten her kid and coerce her to sing his music one more time. Then she just...gets shot. She dies. It adds nothing to the story that she dies. It doesn't feel earned or justified in anyway. It just feels miserable for misery's sake. It's almost unceremonious the way they ax her off because it's not even intentional. Meg misfires the gun because Erik fucks up in trying to talk her down. Christine's death isn't even about Christine herself. It's about Meg and Erik. It's such a useless and stupid death to give this character. How old even is she? Supposedly she's around 18-20 in the original musical (we're ignoring the 2004 movie that puts her at 16) and this is 10 years later? She's barely 30 but she ends up a casualty to everyone else's vanity, jealousy, and selfishness. I feel like we're supposed to find it tragic but it doesn't hit. It's a meaningless and undignified end to a character that was given no agency over her own life or her death.

[ask-widesmile-theredcaboose]

Okay I copy I read you.

I have you spend three!

--------------------------------------------------

This is an ask and replay blog for the red caboose or better know as CB.

CB the Red Caboose is from ALW's musical Starlight Express.

____________________________________

Things to know about here:

The railway CB is from is Apollo Victoria railyard/railway. [It's just what I like to thing is the in universe place StEx takes place in. I picked up the idea from the fandom. Ty y'all. 🥰🥰]

CB is pretty chill for the most part unless you get him upset or when he feels like making trouble, and he likes his radio esque tech and such. [I can't help but think CB is just into that kinda stuff cuz he got radio stuff in him anyways. Lol. And I'm sure I'm not the only person who thinks the same. 🥰]

CB uses radio/trucker slang, mostly when he's talking over the radio but will sometimes use it as well face to face too. [I just love the idea of the freak Caboose using it. 🥰💖]

wall to wall and treetops tall = I hear you loud and clear, and that's what I use for answering asks.

breaker breaker = can anyone here me or or hello, it's a way to start a transmission/chat, and that's what I use for reblogging other people's things.

Translation for any radio slang is always in the tags of post. So don't worry to much about having to figure it out on your own. [I wasn't going to do it originally but I thought it would be better to have them. (⁠^▽^⁠;⁠)⁠ゞ]

... [I will add more points when I think of them. (⁠^▽^⁠;⁠)⁠ゞ]

____________________________________

Mod Talk: Do be warnd I am still knew to StEx.

It should also be known:

I will do my best to be as accurate as I can to the characters, but I will most likely lean a lot towards my own interpretation of the character and this blog may also lean towards my own headcannon of things. So understand this will most likely not be very canon so to speak. Sorry not sorry. :P

I can and will probably throw caution to the wind sometimes for I am an adult, and I'll use swears. So warning on swearing and most likely mean, rude and or crude language.

I will also warn you I am not the best at roleplaying but I will try my best, and if you are looking for multiple paragraph are RPs I am not the person for that kind of thing. But if you are willing to help someone new and or are okay with RPing with someone who is new then thank you for your time.

------------------------------------

CB hanging loose

CB the Red Caboose!

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Weird thing probably, but I want to give it a try.

An hommage to all "I, personally, think Zuko is hotter than Aang, so Katara obviously would think the same" that's been said ever because if they think they can do something like it, so can I.

I moved to the other country for studies and for work several years ago, leaving all my family and friends (got new ones, good ones, but still). And I like a lot of things here, some of them are better than in my homeland. Some things I don't like, they are worse, or just "not for me". And whenever I read a zutara fic, when I still had enough hope to do it, I thought about Katara's experience with moving to the Fire Nation, which is a pretty common thing there. First, there are no things she does not like. Some social unjustice - well, of course, she must confront the nobility and have saintZuko supporting her to show the readers how perfect and amazing he is - but the cuisine, the climate, the customs, the holidays, all this stuff? She's completely fine, she likes everything and gets used to heat and spices very quickly if she even needs to get used to it at all (I still have problems with both these things here).

I can come visit my homeland one or two times a year. Guess Katara would have been in a similar situation, because zutara insist that Fire Ladies have a lot of responsibilities with internal affairs - your rules, guys, she cannot leave very often in this case.

I can contact my family and friends any day - write to them and see if they are online and read it, and get immediate answer, or call them and hear their voices, or make a video call and see their faces and the stuff they want to show me, or exchange photos and videos. Katara would not have such luxury, the messenger hawks don't fly that fast, and she can only write or wait until her friends come around (good thing Aang has Appa, and the Fire Nation has these balloons, but it's still slower and more rare that a video call through internet, and ships are even slower).

I am lucky enough to have some people of the same origin as me here - not a diaspora, but there are many of them, I often hear people speaking my mother tongue on the streets, I can find some products that I remember since childhood, I have someones to share cultural practices with, etc. Katara is often completely alone in the fics, she doesn't have many (if any) Water People to talk to, and the only Water Tribe things around her are the ones she took with herself while moving. And, not going to pretend, I am not as devoted to my culture as Katara is (partly because I am not the last waterbender and my homeland was not raided for decades I guess) - I love it, but she obviously loves hers more; it just means more to her.

I chat with my sibling almost constantly, about every little thing, we only stop if we're really busy or asleep (and we still miss each other). Katara also has people whom she's super close to. She does not have my luxury.

Granted, I do not have a romantic partner to be crazy in love with, but even if I had, they would not replace my friends and relatives, and all the things that I miss. If anything, I would be sad sometimes because being in love, being happy with someone is another wonderful experience I cannot share immediately with the people who are dear to me.

And we're down to the bottom line - who of us misses their homeland and all the stuff that made it "home", their family, their friends? Me, who has internet connection to talk any moment to any person I want; who has a company talking the same language, watching the same catoons when they were little, walking the same streets as me while growing up; who can just come and buy some food exactly like in the supermarket next to my family's apartment back home? Or Katara in zutara fanfics, living in the Fire Nation, having much stronger connection to her home than I do and much less options to be close to it in any way?

Judging by my experience with zutara fanfiction, the answer is always me. Not once have I read about Katara's experience with moving to Fire Nation and think "yes, that's how you feel leaving your home, even if you have a good reason, even if you are in a good place". More often it was like "okay, you're saying, for example, that Katara missed Sokka - where exactly did she do it, again? He wasn't mentioned once before that line". Why every time I read a zutara fanfic I felt like I miss my home more than Katara does in this fic? Much, much more! Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't it be at least the same? Like, okay, not everyone has this experience to describe it realistically, with all small details - but the authors are not even trying! They write Katara as not caring about the home she left, and I don't get it! Isn't her devotion to save her culture, to learn waterbending, best from a real southern waterbender, one of important, core, traits in her personality?

So, my take is: "I, personally, miss my home a lot, despite being happy in the place that I chose and not regretting my decision, and, comparing our sutuations, if Katara moved to the Fire Nation, she would have missed hers at least as much as I miss mine". Just as valid as their takes about preferring Zuko over Aang, I'll take no criticism.

She never does. She never actually misses anything. Even if the South Pole in the fic is told to be a fine place with good memories for Katara and not some misogynic oppressive hell.

They screwed up her character, big time, and it pained me every time I saw it.

I looooooooove using zutarians' weird "my experiences are universal, actually, so Katara MUST feel the same" against them, so congrats anon, you did it perfectly.

"Granted, I do not have a romantic partner to be crazy in love with" What a coincidence since, in these Fire Lady Katara fics, neither does Katara - after all, she never loved Zuko.

[randomfoggytiger]

Fail Better Premium: David's Thoughts (Part VII, 1/1)

Creating a breadcrumb trail with David Duchovny's personal growth.

David Duchovny: "Hi, Fail Better premium listeners! This week I'm coming to you with something a little different.

"I talked with Patric Gagne for so long about so many different things; so, I wanted to share a little more from that interview. I love this moment when it happened-- and it showed an interesting side to her, I thought."

[Excerpt begins.]

DD: "Well, let me ask you: do you have feelings for the planet that's dying? Do you have feelings for animals? Do you have more feelings for animals than you have for people?"

Patric: "Probably. Yeah. But I've, I've noticed that I... the less I have to engage with that animal, the more I can experience those feelings. So--"

DD: "Hm."

Patric: "I... um, was recently-- this is such a dark story; but I was recently in, um, the humane society. And I had gotten there early, before it had opened, because I was doing something there; and a man came in. And he was very much the... based on the clothes that he was wearing, he was very much the spiritual opposite of me. He represented a lot of the things I do not represent-- and it was very overt. I mean, this was someone who was very clearly trying to cause a reaction by the clothes he was wearing: the things that were written on his shirt, the things that were written on his hat. And he came in and he had a dog with him.

Patric: "And... and as soon as they saw him, the people in the humane society really wanted nothing to do with him because of what he was promoting. But they finally got to him; and they said, 'Why are you here?' And he said, 'I'm here because I need to put my dog down. He's dying; and I need to put my dog down.' And, and she goes, 'Do you have an appointment?' No he didn't. And she goes, 'Alright, well, you can't do it without an appointment-- you're gonna have to come back tomorrow. I'm gonna go, and, y'know, gonna get some paperwork.'

Patric: "And it was just him and me in this waiting room. And he was so sad. And he was just petting this dog; and he had such... he was in so much grief. And the woman comes back and says, 'The appointment's tomorrow.' And he said, 'How much does, how much will it cost?' And she said-- I think it was, like, $300 or something. And he started shaking; and he said, 'I, I can't afford that.' And I remember saying, 'That's okay. I can. Go home, have a good day with your dog; come back tomorrow; and it's all taken care of.' And... I didn't have to engage with this person; I didn't have to engage with this dog; I didn't have to have a relationship with either of these beings to understand the pain that they were both experiencing, for completely different reasons. And I wanted to stop that pain. I wanted to take care of it so that they wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

Patric: "And so when you ask about the planet or animals, that's what I feel-- is that, that I do feel for the planet; and I think it's outrageous that, that.... Once again: choosing to deny reality doesn't make, y'know, that reality any less accurate; it just makes you less safe within that reality. And so, when I see the cognitive dissonance at play with the atrocities being committed to the planet, to animals, I am enraged by it.

Patric: "Now, is my reaction to curl up in a little ball and cry? Is my reaction to cuddle a bunch of animals? To, to adopt a bunch of dogs? No, that's not my strength. I'm not a dog person-- I, I have a hard time with being around... with need. Like with the man in the humane society, I saw pain, I saw solution. It was an easy solution--" [claps her hands loudly] "--let's take care of it and keep it moving."

DD: "Let me just say, um, nobody would know this but while you were telling that story, your eyes were actually tearing up. Y'know, so--"

Patric: "Yeah."

DD: "--You cry."

Patric: "Yeah, oh for sure. Sadness is an inherent emotion. I feel extreme sadness-- I just can't always connect to others while experiencing that. I can't always connect to others' sadness, in, in, in a way that's 'typical.' But I remember seeing that animal, and understanding that that animal was in pain. And this man, who, y'know, by virtue of what he was wearing was clearly trying to insult and enrage others; and I understood that because he was, y'know, because he had taken this position he probably wasn't getting a lot of help."

(Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV: 1/3, Part IV: 2/3, Part IV: 3/3, Part V: 1/3, Part V: 2/3, Part V: 3/3, Part VI: 1/2, Part VI: 2/2, Part VIII: 1/1, Part IX: 1/1, Part X: 1/1)

[lesharl-eclair]

recent chinese vettonso webweave explainer

so anyway.. here's the song lyrics translated

還要我等多久 -> how long more will i have to wait 見到你的笑容 -> to see your smile 你在哪裡追求 -> where do you chase after 是否已經擁有 -> what you already have?

你離開的出口 -> the exit by which you departed 變成我的缺口 -> has breached my defenses 只有你的遷就 -> only your giving in 能解我的憂愁 -> can resolve my worries

(start of webweave text here:)

總有人要遠走 -> there's always someone leaving for far away 總來不及挽留 -> and always, it's too late to persuade them to stay 在分岔的路口 -> at every crossroads 在下雨的時候 -> in every rainy season

總有人要廝守 -> and there's always someone waiting there for them 還剪不斷離愁 -> sorrows of parting unsevered, even when cut 別和往事戰鬥 -> don't fight the past 我們不是對手 -> we're not enemies (more on that later)

like hello... tell me its not them. their career parallels for one (caties post :")) . fernando n seb being gremlins but also being so tender but also knowing that they are always 1 brush away from each other. alw closely following but never together. this wwv. sm crossroads sm decisions for them in their long and storied careers and yet theyre somehow still following each other. and rain..... rain in suzuka 2022 especially. my god were they close. isn't suzuka something special!!!! seb and rain. nano and rain (lol). and fernando carrying sebs legacy at aston?!?! in some sense. building off the other's work. there's always someone waiting for seb (in this case that person is fernando alonso in the aston martin garage at suzuka 2023.) fun fact: that particularly poetic line (sorrows of parting...) lends itself so well to lyric even though it's from a tang dynasty (i think) poet bcs it has such a crazy beautiful form. short sentences and a very musical lilt. and that line is taken from a work titled 相见欢 (happiness in meeting again). that's literally this. more on the form here, and the work here (with english translation) and of course the last 2 lines. don't fight the past. dont fight what you cant change. that doesn't mean don't change. 对手/對手 has a bunch of nuances and is not only opponent, enemy, well-matched adversary, rival, but can sometimes mean partner. grudgingly. so perfect. anyway. end of ramble :)

[khajiit-reads]

I'd like a g-witch reading please, my initials are ALW and my pronouns are he/him. I prefer femme significators

Well met, internet traveler!

Your wish number is 16! That means your wish will likely come true.

Repeating for the sake of clarity in case you return to this spread at a later date and no longer remember in the future: The inner circle represents your destiny, and the outer circle the forces affecting you and it.

Let's start with the inner circle. ⛤ Sun above Tower beside Birds. Sun is a positive card, but it has clouds below it in the Tower card, and Birds is a very negative card, so Sun's positivity is dampened. Snake is nearby as well in this spread, meaning vexation. ⛤ Birds beside Sun and Snake. Sadly, the outlook is pretty grim - Some great calamity will befall you in your social sector. ⛤ Snake beside Birds and above Book. It's safe to assume that this calamity will include things coming to light that you didn't expect, or a mystery being unfurled. ⛤ Tower below Sun and above Eye. Tower is made a bit more positive under the light of the Sun, but above Eye, it still foretells sickness and a bit of doom and gloom. ⛤ Book below Snake and above Mountains. Much of the same as before - Calamity, likely due to an enemy. ⛤ Eye below Tower and beside Tree. Eye is considered "far" in my reading of the inner ring as a corner piece, Tree is another positive card in your destiny ring, and might indicate that the calamity in your social sector will either work out or perhaps vindicate you in some form or another. ⛤ Tree beside Eye and Mountains. Good things are sandwiched between two bad cards, so this could indicate that while you're trying to find good and success, there are people working against you to stop you. ⛤ Mountains below Book and beside Tree. Mountains is far, so, we can take it to mean a less mighty enemy. Below Book it becomes a mystery of who it is, and beside Tree, it might indicate swift ending of the problem.

Hooo, pretty bleak. Remember, destiny isn't set in stone - You still have a chance to avoid this or end it quickly if it's already begun.

Now let's tackle the outer ring. ⛤ Fish beside Rapiers and above Park. Failure of the past is haunting you and hurting you, perhaps a past experience with an old "friend" who ended up not really being your friend. ⛤ Rapiers beside Fish and Ring. You may have trusted this friend a lot, and thought that everything would be okay. You might still believe that, that if something was different, it would have been just fine. ⛤ Park below Fish and above Clouds. Clouds light side is facing the Querent, so we're looking at it in a more positive light. Park is near, so we can read it as a new love, but under the distant Fish, it could be saying that you were close with this person, at least in your own books, and you had a honeymoon phase before it all went down the toilet. ⛤ Key below Ring and above Dog. Key has an unlucky card below and a positive card above, so we can take it rather neutrally. You seek success but might not be receiving it. ⛤ Clouds below Park and beside Star. Star is near, so we're looking at success in enterprises. Park is also near, so new love. Clouds light side is facing the Querent, so a positive reading is in store. You do have good people in your life who want to support you and be there for you, despite all the doom and gloom forecasted here. ⛤ Star beside Clouds and Dog. Dog is far, so we can expect unsuspected enemies. However, Star is near with light side of Clouds facing the Querent, so we can expect these enemies to be dealt with swiftly. ⛤ Dog below Key and beside Star. Dog has Clouds on the other side of the spread, so we can take this to be a bit less negative - I think it bares repeating the "we can expect these enemies to be dealt with swiftly" part.

The Querent faces the right, so your focus and awareness might be on the things to the right. You might find yourself so focused on the bad and negative, thinking there's something terrible happening or going to happen, while ignoring the positivity behind you, especially in the form of friends and other loved ones.

Birds faces a different direction than the Querent above the Querent, so we can both assume that the misfortune Birds brings is leaving; as well as it being the main thing on your mind.

Below the Querent lies Tree, which could signify a lot of hope in your emotions right now.

Thank you so much for your patience with me performing this reading.

Reviews are helpful, but optional. You can send them in replies, my ask box, or reblogging this post. Feel free to reblog this post with your thoughts in general, or without a review! You can also reblog my guidelines post if you like. If you feel particularly satisfied with my work, you may leave a tip in my Ko-fi. No pressure for any of this!

Please do not reblog this post if you are not the querent. If you want something to reblog, please reblog my guidelines post. If there's something within the post you want, you may ask, and depending on the request, I might fulfill it! Thank you!

I hope you, and all readers, have a wonderful day!

[fl3shm4id3n]

Wₕₐₜ ₖᵢₙd ₒf yₐₙdₑᵣₑ ᵢₛ ₗₒₚₑz

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍ ʟᴏᴘᴇᴢ x ꜰᴇᴍ! ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ/ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Tw: yandere/obsessive behavior, stalking, talks about violence, gaslighting, manipulation, murder, talks about sex, oral sex mentioned, baby trapping, forced? marriage, abortion and miscarriages mentioned.

A/N: I guess you could say this is my first Yandere hc? Hopefully it sounds yanderish.

Masterlist

🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀🫀

Before Lopez and you began a relationship, he was stalking you. He wanted to know almost everything about you by watching you from afar. When your stuff always ends up messing, he has them, some stuff he returns and some he keeps to himself to have something of yours.

He has a good memory, he remembers everything that you talk about, even the smallest detail, he'll remember. Also because he has listened to your past conversations in the past.

At the beginning of your relationship, everything was fine and dandy, Lopez is really loving and affectionate, it was like a dream come true. Until Lopez began to change, a bit.

He is the jealous type, he doesn't like a man around you, or anyone that he knows might take you away from him. Lopez loves you so much that he doesn't want to lose you, ever.

You had stopped hanging out with your friends and just dedicated yourself to Lopez. He had begun to basically brainwash you and would explain to you that your friends were jealous of you and whatever stuff he'd come up with. You listened to him since you believed that he had no reason to lie to you. Right?

Not only that, but he'd also manipulate as well as gaslight you into thinking that it was him that you only needed in your life, that without him you're no one, or that no one will love you the way he does. He Is good with his words.

Lopez takes really good care of you, he makes sure you're hydrated, well fed, or just flat out doing great with your health. He wouldn't want nothing to happen to you.

He is respectful in a way you could say, Lopez will never put his hands on you, ever. He was taught better growing up and he will not change that. No matter how mad he is, he will not hit you or put a hand on you.

He will hug you tightly, very suffocatingly tightly if you do something he didn't like. You'll have to basically tell him that he was squeezing you too hard and he'll stop, as well as apologize. Giving you a small kiss on the forehead.

He'll buy you gifts, more like 'rewards' if you have been good, he'll buy you whatever you want. If you had been wanting something for a while or have been saving up to buy something, he'll buy it for you. Don't feel bad, he wanted to get you it because he loves you. If you want to repay him, just give him a kiss or some head.

Another form of manipulating you is with sex, he will never force himself on you, ever. He'd prefer that you'd go to him or he'll go to you. Lopez will make love to you from time to time, as a way to show you (again) that it is him who can satisfy you in any way. No one else can do it like he does.

Lopez is also very watch full, if he notices someone bothering you, just tell him and he'll take care of it. He will make that person disappear or he'll make their death look like an accident. If you feel bad for that person, don't, because Lopez didn't feel bad killing them and you shouldn't.

Since one day he wishes to marry you, he'll talk to you about marriage A LOT. He will about it non stop until you agree to marry him. If you say yes, he is happy but if you say no or that you're not ready for that commitment, he is patient, he will wait until you finally agree.

Lopez would want to knock you up, he'd want to have a child with you, but this also means that you and Lopez would be stuck together, due to the baby being both yours and his.

If that were the case, he'd be happy to know that he is going to be the father of a beautiful child. But if anything were to happen, like if you have a miscarriage or would want to have an abortion, he'd be there with you. You could always have another one, right?

[itsjaywalkers]

Could we get some headcanons about Pandora please? :(

OF COURSE!! i love that insane girl more than anything!!

i gotta warn u tho nonnie, my version of pandora is not a common one so !! u may not enjoy the hcs.. i do hope u at least will find them interesting!!

this isn't 100% about pandora but i feel like it shapes her personality and the kind of person she is so . the first thing is that i love her as evan's twin!! i tend to write them as siblings almost always

she's as insane as evan but in a different way.. despite how quiet and reserved he is in comparison to his sister, i feel like his brand of crazy is more obvious. he's unnerving and doesn't bother with keeping up appearances + doesn't care if he makes others uncomfortable

pandora doesn't give a fuck about what others have to say about her either, but she's more of a people person!! she's nicer and more open, doesn't mind talking to others or keeping them company

despite this, she gives off freak vibes. ppl feel uneasy around pandora and that's why they try to keep their distance, but they couldn't tell you why they find her so weird or offputting

she's always unapologetically herself. she's softer than evan in many ways, but that doesn't mean she measures her words or takes others' feelings into account before she speaks (although she's more careful when she's dealing with someone she actually loves)

despite what i've mentioned about her being a ppl person, i don't think she actually likes people that much, outside of her close circle of friends. she's just good at pretending, and doesn't have any issues with entertaining others sometimes or being around them

that's why i think that her interest resides on animals, nature, the world around her. both rosier twins are scientists, but while evan is fascinated by the human body and ppl's behaviours, pandora prefers to study creatures or how everything else works

she loves learning, but it matters more to her the process of getting the answers, and having fun along the way, than the actual answers. that's why she isn't that upset when one of her experiment doesn't do well, or doesn't result in what she expected

she's very picky about the people she lets close, but once u have her trust, u have it forever. you'd have to betray her very badly for her to cast u out. that, or hurt her brother in any way

evan is the person she loves the most in the world

i love to hc both twins as trans!! and them exchanging names the moment they realised!!

i tend to see her as bisexual?? but i've written her as a lesbian before

she can be a bit careless when she's very focused on her research or on an experiment. she prioritises knowledge always, so she forgets to eat or sleep, and never considers the risks to her own well-being (which has ended with her hurt more than once)

this is also why i think she and evan usually work side by side. they look after each other almost unconsciously. it's second-nature to them, an instinct. they keep each other alive

she's always a bit in love with barty, just like barty is always a bit in love with her

regulus is her best friend!! he isn't her person, exactly, bc that's always gonna be evan, but he's the closest to a soulmate outside of her brother she has

she's very gray, very neutral. i don't see her as someone who cares about doing the right thing. i think she can easily tell good from bad, but that the lines blur for her, because it's never a matter of being on the side of good, but a matter of surviving and what suits her and her brother best

she'll try anything at least once

despite her nice, almost sweet disposition, she's a very dominant person, definitely more than her brother. it comes easy to her, taking the reins and being in control

she's the younger twin, but has always acted like the older sister

she likes her parents and has an okay relationship with them, but they've never been close. they still support her and evan, even when it comes to their craziest endeavours, but always at a distance

she heavily dislikes sirius

my favourite ship for her is pandalily!! as most of u already know.. i just think that she and lily bring out the worst in each other but in a . good way . they encourage all the ugly and embrace it and there's never any judgement

i also like her with barty tho!! and with barty AND evan bc c'mon the incest connotations are right there but i don't think u guys are ready for this conversation

i've also read her with dorcas and i'm more indifferent to their ship but i still find it fun

and i'm gonna stop there bc this is already way too long

[steventhusiast]

Fanfic Tag Game

tagged by @hbyrde36 for this lil tag game EEEE i love tag games :D

-

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

12. a lot of them aren't stranger things related tho! and they're allll oneshots. working on my first (first for this account anyway) multi-chapter fic atm :D

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

27,486 hoooo boy idk if that's more or less than expected. like i said, mostly oneshots!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

currently only writing stranger things fics, but every now and then i go back to my spider-man phase so i'll inevitably write spider-man fanfic again. i've also written moon knight (tv show) fanfic before. i just love when my blorbos suffer what can i say

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

NONE of these are stranger things fics fdhgskjfhd

When Peter Forgot What Day It Was

Debriefed

Protector

When the Past Calls

Avengers, Meet Moon Knight

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try to! i didn't for a while because i didn't know how to respond to like, comments with just emojis? i've always appreciated them but yeah only started trying to respond to ALL comments recently. love comments so much, so i want to encourage as much as possible!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hmmm idk i tend to write hurt/comfort, like it ALWAYS ends with some sort of happy. so idk. i mean there is To All The Days We Were Together (To All The Time We Were Apart) which i'm SUPER proud of and that is super sad because it acknowledges eddie's canon death while also being a steddie fic. poor stevie

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

hmmmm maybe Google Translate? it's not got LOADS of plot in it it's just a cute lil meet cute.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

gonna also knock so hard on wood for this, but so far no. i've received a comment pointing out how i've gotten various cultural aspects wrong before and just corrected, but never something hateful. i'm definitely VERY afraid of getting hate though. i am fuelled by validation

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

no, i kind of want to give it a try though? i used to write it (like when i was fifteen/sixteen LMAO) and the things i wrote did well but,, obviously i didn't know anything? you know? idk maybe i should give it another go

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

not really? crossovers feel like BIG projects and i haven't really done a big project yet

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no. i've had people request to translate my fics before though? which doesn't count but like,, feels weird because i think one time (when i was writing on wattpad), the person didn't even ask they just started publishing my fic translated and didn't credit me.......... was so strange

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

LMAO yes. both with permission and without as mentioned. i don't mind it if people ask, you know! i just have to make sure it links back to me- it's my work

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

i don't know, this is a hard one. steddie right now,, but like. i just enjoy fics my favourite charaters are in, you know? i will read any ship that is well written and contains steve, and most ships that are well written that contain robin, etc etc.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i would LIKE to think i will finish my WIPs but i don't know. im not very good at that. we will see, i don't wanna say any and discourage myself

16. What are your writing strengths?

i find these kinds of questions very hard to answer HAHA. i think maybeeee i'm quite good at writing internal monologue? i don't know. i get worried to say things like that because i don't want to sound like i'm boasting and it not even be a boast that's supported LMAO. i TRY and ENJOY writing internal monologues of characters a lot, and often have to cut things out to make sure it's not going too internal

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

transitions. i'm TRYING to get it in my head that i don't always have to detail every little thing for the reader to know it's happened, you know? need to work on figuring out things people can assume has happened, or fill in the gaps for, and what people can't

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i don't mind it! i think it depends, you know? if the reader is supposed to understand the dialogue, i prefer if there's a translation in brackets or something, or when it's written in english but the dialogue description tells me the language, more than if i have to scroll all the way to a bottom of a chapter to find the translation. and if the dialogue is NOT meant to be understood by the main character/reader (unless you speak the language of course), i LOVE it i think it's neat

19. First fandom you wrote for?

troye sivan..

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

either Separation Entwined (she is near and dear to my heart) or When Peter Parker Forgot What Day It Was because it's me combining all my favourite spider-man oneshot tropes into one thing fhdjsgkdf

NO PRESSURE TAGS (sorry if you've done this already) @dreamwatch @cranberrymoons @spoookysix @theheadlessphilosopher

[raccoonspooky]

Hiya, I’ve gotten a few questions across different platforms about commissions so I’ve decided to bite the bullet and do it!

Obviously, I’ll still be writing fanfic but this way you can get something specifically catered to what you’re into!

You’re totally welcome to use any of my pre-existing fics to give me an idea of what you’re looking for (tone, vibe, kinks, sequel, etc)

Important things to note:

I need a way to get into contact with you to chat about your piece! There needs to be some form of communication so I can send you any questions, or so I can send you some bits for your approval and feedback.

You can message me here on tumblr on this blog or on my main blog @possumteeths, otherwise I’ve also got discord or an email address. DM me for discord or email!

Payments will be through paypal or my kofi. (Please talk to me about the commission beforehand! Sending anything does not mean I’ll write your fic unless youve spoken to me beforehand and you’ve been given the go ahead!)

If I write over the agreed wordcount, which I likely will because I don’t know how to shut up, that's yours for no extra charge! If I get excited about an idea and end up writing more, that’s just a bonus for ya!

Rules, Pricing and other Info under the cut!

Rules:

You MUST be 18 or older to commission me.

I will not write anything nsfw involving an under aged character. I will not write scat or anything referencing necrophilia and extreme gore. Characters getting hurt or canon typical violence is absolutely fine, I just won't write horror/gore in a horny sense. I will not write incest, if the reader insert is involved with brothers or something, I’m 100% fine with that I just refuse to write family member x family member.

No real people please! I will not write real people!

That being said, if your fic is a little on the darker end and might squick any of my readers, or if I’m not comfortable posting it to my page, I’ll post it anonymously or email you a pdf.

Overall, if I am uncomfortable with something I’ll let you know but there’s not much that squicks me out besides what I’ve listed.

If you’d prefer the reader insert be named, I can do that but I will not write your pre-existing OC. I'd rather use a named default character or a character that you and I design together. You’re welcome to chat with me about characterization of the reader insert or third person insert though! I’d love to brainstorm with you!

If you post this fic anywhere, be sure to clearly state that I wrote it and link my tumblr/ao3. Do not mention it is a commission!

More stuff:

I enjoy writing second person x readers without using the “y/n” device. Of course, I can write third or first and integrate any reader insert devices that you’d like.

Character x Character or second person x reader format stories are things I’m good at!

x female reader is always my default but any gender of reader is fine with me! Any pronouns you prefer are fine! I can write f/f or m/m as well.

I write mostly smut!, your commission does not need to be rated E, but I quite like writing rated E type o things haha.

Monsterfuckery is something I LOVE and i’d love to write.

You will not be charged anything extra for poly or reverse harem ships! But if keep in mind, I can only fit so much into certain word counts! I’ll let you know if I think your idea is unfeasible under a certain word count!

Fandoms/Characters that I know well and I’d love to write for:

Horror/Slasher films: (Love! The Sinclair brothers, Brahms Heelshire, Billy Lenz, Harry Warden, Leslie Vernon, Bubba Sawyer, Thonas Hewitt and Billy/Stu from Scream.) Don’t let this list deter you! Im pretty much down for all forms of slasher fuckery, these ones are just my favorites lol!

Dead by Daylight

Fallout

The Boys

Mass Effect

Dragon Age

Skyrim

Tons of other junk.

Original works/generic (insert trope) settings

I’m open to writing anything else, just ask me if I know the fandom/characters and I’ll let you know! Crossovers? Hell yea. I’m always down for silly shenanigans.

If it’s something I haven’t seen/read/played I’m totally down to consume the thing for a fee depending on how much I have to watch/play/read and how easily accessible it is lol!

Pricing:

Base price: 1,000 words ($15)

Any increase of 1k will be an additional $5 until 8k words.

After 8k words, price will be $10 per additional thousand words. For example, a 10k fic will be $70.

As of now, the cut off for what I'm willing to write is 40k words!

When can you expect your fic?

A 1k fic will take me about a week but at the most it could take me about 2 weeks. Anything after 5k to 10k please give me up to a month to get your fic done!

If you for whatever reason need a fic done ASAP or by a certain date, you can put in a rush order, meaning I'll ask for an additional 10% on each thousand words that you're asking for!

I'll post all commissioned fic on my ao3, it will be gifted to your username if you have one! If i'm uncomfortable posting it, it will be posted anonymously or emailed to you as a PDF. Its totes okay if you want to keep your commission to yourself! I won't post it if you don't want me to!

If I'm very busy, I'll let you know and let you know when you can expect your fic before we even start talking about premise!

[linagram]

To the prisoners: What was the last memory you remember before ending up here?

oh god this is going to reveal A LOT

(note: i'm not sure about canongram, but in my ocgram all prisoners arrived here like two or three days after they committed their crimes)

Akio: "I remember walking to school like I usually do. But it felt.. weird this time. I got used to walking there with someone else, but he didn't reply to my messages and I haven't seen him anywhere. Also, I don't want to say this, but I forgot to brush my hair that day and my uniform also didn't look as neat as usual. I swear, I usually pay a lot of attention to my appearance, but this time.. it was different. I don't remember anything else though. I guess I was kidnapped and brought here before I got there." *sighs* "I can't believe my only excuse for skipping classes would be "Sorry, I wasn't at school because I had to be judged for murdering my classmate that day"."

Aimi: "Do I have to talk about it? It sounds kinda sad now that I think about it.. Well, I remember just wandering around without any reason. The sky was gray, it was very cold and I could tell that it was about to rain. People looked worried, but still.. No one has tried to help me, haha. I think the very last moment that I remember is when I sat on a bench and just.. closed my eyes. I don't know why I did that, maybe I was tired. Maybe I just wanted everything to end."

Shun: "I'm not the best person to ask about their last memory. But if I try really hard to remember it.. I think I was lying on the floor and looking at the ceiling. I wasn't alone and there was someone else lying right next to me too. I got up, though it took me a lot of time, and I was going to cook something for both of us and.. S-sorry, I don't remember anything else."

Naomi: "I remember sitting in my room and reading my victim's diary. I remember being surprised because I didn't expect him to have one, he didn't seem like that type of person to me. His parents told me that he wrote in it because it was the only way for him to express his emotions in a healthy way, which.. made me feel sorry for him. They allowed me to have it, they said that they don't need it and they're not interested in reading it. I stayed up all night and I think I fell asleep while reading it. When I woke up, I was already here."

Kei: "Hmm, so do you want to know all the details, or like, should I just give you the general info? Let's see.. I remember brushing his hair and fixing his makeup, I really wanted to take some photos of him and I needed him to look as beautiful as possible. Of course, he always looked beautiful, but you know what I mean. So when I realized that I left my camera in the other room, he asked me why I decided to do all this, since I usually prefer him to look a bit.. different. You know, covered in bandages, with blood on his face, torn clothes, all that. I couldn't answer his question, but he managed to answer it himself. He's so smart, haha.. I remember smiling at him and going to get my camera, but that's when I suddenly lost consciousness and woke up here. Oh no, now I'm starting to miss him even more.. Hm? Who am I talking about? Ah, the most precious person in my life, of course!"

Eiko: "I was sitting in my room and talking to my mother on the phone. We were talking about, you guessed it, my "crime". Oh, no, she's not the type to say things like "I'm so sorry, honey" or "It will get better, I promise". I mean, I did tell her that I was the one who killed him. And she was fine with it. I know, she's such a supportive mother!~ The very last thing she said to me before she ended the call was.. Wait, why should I tell you? Just know that I got a little bit angry and threw my phone on the floor after that, haha. I thought that I should go and drink some water, but right when I was about to do it, everything went dark. Seriously, did you break into my house or something? Couldn't you at least knock? Ei- I mean, Guard-san, you know that I'm always happy to see you~"

Asahi: ".. It was cold. I was crying. I was far away from home. My mom was there to hug me and say that everything is going to be okay. That's all I remember."

Yurika: "She promised me that we will watch some anime together tonight and I wanted everything to be ready. She has invited me to her house so many times, but this was the first time when she decided to come to my apartment. I was so nervous, my room was such a mess, I had to clean it all up as soon as possible!.. But when she actually came, I started to feel dizzy. I don't remember anything after that."

Riku: "I remember my friends teasing me for losing one of my school shoes. You see, I actually lost one of my school shoes a few days ago as well and these were my new shoes, so me losing a new one was.. yeah, not great. One of my friends suggested that I wear one of my sneakers since I can't go back to class with only one shoe, but when I asked "Why should I wear only one and not both of them", he smiled and said that if anyone asks about it, I can say that I'm still wearing one of my school shoes, so this is not a violation of the dress code." *laughs* "His jokes weren't the best, but I appreciated it anyway. Oh, you wanna know how I lost it?.. Why does it matter?"

Reina: "It's a secret~.. Fine, fine, I will tell you. My friends came to visit me and this is how my parents have met them for the first time. When I asked them why they came, they said that they wanted to.. "comfort me". This sounds stupid, I know, I wasn't even sad! My parents got mad at them and told them to leave. I just locked myself up in my room.. Wow, all of this actually does sound sad. It wasn't always like that, I promise!"

[pizzaronipasta]

Not for nothing, but the reason people are getting on your case about the AI art thing is because you were literally the one who started it. Someone made a post about how anyone can make art, and you responded by insulting that person, calling them an asshole, and accusing them of ableism. I've checked their blog, and you continued to argue with and insult this person until they finally blocked you, which I don't blame them for. If people aren't listening to you, or are upset with you, it's because you attacked someone else first. You're perfectly capable of discussing your thoughts without being a dick– someone sent you an ask in which they were far nicer to you than you've been to anyone else, and you treated them in kind. Ironically, this was after thanking them for their politeness and good faith, something you have not been affording most other people.

I'll be frank– I do not understand how AI works, nor do I think I ever will. That is not my area of expertise. But I have a wealth of experience in being human and wanting to create things that are beyond my abilities. You seem to think that this is something that only disabled folks experience, but wanting to make something and being physically unable to do so is, in fact, something every artist experiences. It is the feeling that drives people to create art in the first place. Art is a lot of things, but at its center, it is having a thought inside of you that you would like to make physical. This is fundamentally impossible. I will never draw anything as good as the image in my head, I will never sing anything as good as the song I imagine, and I will never take a picture that matches my experience of the world. Those imperfections are what makes our art ours, and when we say anyone can make art, that is exactly what we mean. A child making a crayon drawing is an artist. A tone-deaf person singing a made-up, off-key song is an artist. Art is not about the quality of the finished product, it is about the process of creating.

That having been said, from what I can tell, you genuinely view AI as a tool. You're not entirely wrong. AI is something built by humans, and if someone builds their own neural network, trains it themselves, and provides it with images from consenting sources, there is nothing wrong with using it. Nor would there be anything wrong with using an AI someone else developed provided, again, that the images it's trained on come from consenting sources. You said at one point that when it comes to art theft, "the ones making AI are the culprits here, not the AI itself, nor its users." That is, to put it mildly, bullshit. If someone robs an art museum, cuts up the Mona Lisa, and hands me the pieces and some glue, I agree that the glue is not responsible if I then decide to reassemble it into something new. But the robbers and I would definitely be at fault. By choosing to use an AI that has been trained on stolen art, you are explicitly saying that you, the user, are okay with the theft.

Which you may well be, considering you keep conflating art theft with the legal term intellectual property. No one who is upset about art theft gives a shit about whether or not it's legal to do. Plenty of things are legal and awful. What people are upset about is when people take something that someone else has worked very hard on and use it without permission. This is not exclusive to AI– people have been angry for years about art tracing, after all, or simply taking someone else's picture and claiming it is your own, which is what the term art theft used to be most often used to mean. People are not upset about AI using stolen art because they think it is illegal; they are upset because the people who made that art did not consent to it being used. Speaking personally, I would love to see someone train an AI using my art. It would be very interesting to me to see what it could make. But at the very least, I would want them to ask for my permission first. Consent is, as always, key.

TLDR, people are being assholes to you because you were an asshole to someone else first, and AI may be a tool but the way that tool is currently being used is shitty and that's why people are upset. Maybe stop insisting other people are ableist for not liking the current usage of AI and accept that what they're upset about is the non-consensual use of other people's art.

You're right, I was the one who fired the first shot. I've been aware of this for a while now, and I regret my initial hostility. I honestly don't blame anyone for being combative in their responses. That's why I go out of my way to thank people for especially tactful ones; they don't necessarily owe it to me. On the other hand, however, I can't meaningfully respond to those which haven't meaningfully responded to me. I can't help but be disappointed by how few people have made an effort to actually convince me of anything.

You are also right about the nature of art. However, I speak from experience in saying that "wanting to make something and being physically unable to do so" often means something different for disabled people. Due to my ADHD, I struggle with executive dysfunction. I have a severe disadvantage at bringing myself to work on my art in the first place. It's not a matter of imperfections, it's a matter of even getting started. It's not about the quality of the finished product, it's about creating a finished product at all. I am simply not able to make art as easily as most people. Neither are countless other disabled people. This is why I took issue with the original post that said everyone can make art.

I don't like to use the term "art theft" loosely. Its primary meaning refers to literal theft, be it of a physical artwork, or of the tangible medium of a digital one. Such a specific term for it exists because art is important enough to us that we consider crimes against art to be worth identifying. In the era of digital art, though, it has taken on a secondary meaning, which roughly refers to plagiarism. Between our cultural emphasis on individualism in authorship, and the common tendency to mistake intellectual property for an ethical framework (which was my whole point in bringing up IP in prior posts), this newer definition actually reaches far further than just plagiarism, and even encompasses some things which are perfectly ethical in actuality.

Consider the fact that inspiration is inseparable from creativity. Even the most original works of all time are shaped by the artist's lived experiences—after all, our lived experiences are what literally rewire our brains and inform our every decision. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks creative inspiration is immoral. On the other hand, there is an overwhelming consensus that plagiarism is immoral. Both of these, at their core, consist of producing something by drawing upon existing works. The only inherent difference between them is how transformative the process is. AI training is one of the most transformative processes there are—data is transformed into behavior, and each pixel in the resulting outputs is determined by using the sum total of everything that was learned in the process, not merely copied from a random work. AI is nothing like gluing together cut-up pieces of the stolen Mona Lisa. In reality, it's no different from how we humans take inspiration from existing things to create something new. That's not personification—generative AI is an emulation of the structures and functions underlying brains and nerves, albeit an imperfect and simplistic one. To say that AI can't be trained on publicly accessible art without express permission is to say that people can't be inspired by others' work without express permission. Of course, there's nothing wrong with taking measures to prevent or deter AI companies from using your art. If that's what you want, be it personal preference or because of a problem with the companies and their practices, then go for it! There's plenty to take issue with in regards to the companies themselves, which is what I was talking about when I called them "the culprits."

Thank you for bringing up that first topic; I appreciate the opportunity that gave me to reflect on it. And of course, thank you for addressing things in a constructive manner.