#I don’t *wanna* block people but I will for the safety of me the creator and younger folks on the internet

[an-albino-pinetree]

A reminder to please have your age in your bio if you are interacting with any of my spicy art, that includes likes, reblogs, and commenting, thank you! -v-

[cupcakeslushie]

I’ve been debating on saying something because I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I just want to say a quick (maybe not so quick) thought…

“Comfort Character” is not a declaration of ownership. Just because you relate to a character deeply, and see yourself in them, does not mean you get to go around policing the stories that get told regarding them, or the how they’re depicted in said stories.

I wanna be clear. Im not saying you can’t pose genuine questions and have perfectly reasonable discussions about the intricacies of hard topics. In fact, fiction can even help make those discussions easier to digest by lowering the stakes, because there are not any actual stakes when none of it is real.

Unfortunately, I’ve been seeing the entire opposite. People taking stories that may make them “uncomfy”, and declaring that they’ve now decided they are taking it personally, to near obsessive levels. You are not the only one allowed to play with these characters. It is a huge sandbox, and these toys are mass produced enough for everyone to have their own doll to do with whatever they’d like.

I get you might see yourself in a character, but that doesn’t give you the right to go around sending death threats just because someone wrote, or drew your current blorbo in an unfavorable light. Prioritizing some cluster of lines and colors over the mental health and safety of actual real human beings, is worse than whatever fictional, moral “atrocity” that you think you’re championing against. You only end up sounding just like the people calling for book banning in schools.

You are not the character. You are not being hurt. The character is not even being hurt, because they do not in fact, exist to actually experience any of the pain creators are putting them through. And most importantly, you have no claim on how other people entertain themselves with said character. Because that is what these characters are. Entertainment. They can be used in good or bad stories. If you don’t like how a creator is using them. Move on. Don’t send death threats or attacks.

Block and filter your tags.

I have triggers, but that is my issue to control and maintain. It is appreciated when steps are taken by creators to help me avoid the things that trigger me, but I don’t wish death and pain on anyone who doesn’t view the world through the same lens as myself, and might not have considered my own personal feelings on the matter. My feelings of unease or anxiety from coming into contact with my own triggers, might be valid, but initiating an attack on a creator, because I took a personal offense to their story, is not. I do not outright assume that something was created with me and my tastes in mind.

Also, this is not aimed at any one person. This is a rampant issue that I have seen first hand, going back all the way to more than a year ago. I’ve seen it happen in multiple fandoms, but as I spend most of my time in the Rise fandom, that’s where I see the worst of it. I’ve received attacks, I know other creators have received attacks, and if this keeps up, creators will just stop wanting to share anything at all.

I also need to emphasize, I’m not mad. This is not a lashing out. This is just a frustrating and hurtful trend to constantly witness, when creators are putting their own heart, time, and energy into creating intriguing and complex works of all kinds in order to broaden the beauty of this fandom, and they’re getting anonymous messages to kill themselves.

Please think about the real life person behind the art and stories you are consuming, instead of prioritizing the fictional comfort of made up characters inside the story, that will in actuality, never have any opinions on what’s being done to them. Because they do not exist.

[melobin]

Hi Melo! <3

I hope you‘re doing better…if you don’t want to re-engage in this topic definitely feel free to ignore this!

I was never really a smut consumer, most definitely not when it comes to the r@pe stories on Tumblr. So they weren’t really on my radar, but I did stumble upon your discussion about it and since then, I keep noticing the creepy amount of such stories as if they‘re a thorn in my eye.

I‘m now blocking creators left and right because I struggle to comprehend how writing about a real person in such a light isn’t sexual harassment in itself. I get that it‘s used by some as a coping mechanism, just like you said you understand them as well, but it‘s still written about a real person who most likely would be scared to see such things about them. We don’t have their consent for any of this…I think creating a non-existent character for such topics should suffice.

I don’t know, ever since I saw your discussion about it, it has been weighing heavy on me (as a victim myself), because this feels like a cyber-victim-turning-perpetrator situation and I‘m getting goosebumps at some of the things I‘ve seen since noticing the existence of that type of content.

Sorry for the wall of text.

hi sweetheart <3

it’s okay !! i don’t mind. i’ve been blocking people too LMAO. yeah i just …. i think the funniest part of the whole situation to me is the attacks ive been getting both in other peoples dms and indirectly because of me saying i dont wanna deal with this bullshit anymore. i think it’s more than valid for us to have our own stance on this situation, it’s not something we want to see and it’s not something we think she be normalised. like i said i understand using it as a way to cope but after having things trigger me after it not happening for so long, i just thought enough was enough. im happy to keep my opinion to myself if it pisses people off that bad but i will be and have been actively blocking people who write and reblog noncon.

i’m tired of it tbh. i’ve never said anything bad about these authors personally and i’ll continue not to. i just simply don’t like what they write and i think i that’s valid, no? we’re all entitled to our own opinion. personally, i don’t get mad when someone doesn’t agree with something i like. but i do support your agenda of blocking people.

you should protect yourself and set your boundaries. put yourself and your safety first !!!! you being comfortable is what matters the most to you.

[alienqueen4]

(*Erwin comes in to his office as he surprisingly got a surprise visit from Loba*)

Loba “Well there he is”

Erwin “Loba, to what do I have the pleasure of your visit”

Loba “I see you haven’t changed this mediocre of a school”

Erwin “Well this was your home”

Loba “No it wasn’t”

Erwin “…What are you doing here”

(*Loba throws top secret files*)

Loba “I been digging up top secret files of mutant cases and the most recent one is a mutant which I find out one of your students is in here”

(*Erwin surprised to see Erin’s name*)

Erwin “Erin? How could you be sure-she is not involved in any crime”

Loba “As a matter of fact her creator is targeting her…there’s been several incidents of robberies, specifically DNA testing centers that are conducting toxin research”

Erwin “…Why would her creator wanna target Erin”

Loba “You never knew? Erwin your student is an extraterrestrial from an unknown universe she could be dangerous-“

(*Erwin slams his fist on his desk*)

Erwin “I did not came here for you to talk bad about one of my students”

Loba “I’m not saying it that way just please hear me out Erwin…..her creator is a well known scientist Dr. Mason and he’s been working under the White House to capture mutants”

(*Erwin finds photos of dead corpse of mutants and the autopsy shows they all been killed by toxins*)

Erwin “Well what do you suppose this Mason wants with Erin”

Loba “I’m not sure but whatever it is he won’t stop until he gets what he wants, you need to protect Erin”

(*Erin walking down the halls still feeling sad wiping away her tears till she bumps into Chris*)

Chris “Geez watch where your going”

(*Chris kools down when he saw Erin crying*)

Erin “*sniffles* Sorry….what are you doing up here anyway”

Chris “…Nothing I needed some air”

Erin “Whatever”

(*When Erin decides to walk past by Chris he suddenly transitions into a sudden vision contact of the future visioning anti-Mutant people invading the entire school kidnapping all the kids in the school then kidnaps a student crying for help that are targeting someone and turns into a vicious 10 foot monster attacking the people and sees a mysterious man in the vision*)

Chris “*gets nervous*….”

Chris “…Wait”

(*Erin already left the halls to go back to her own dorm*)

Erwin “You really think this Doctor Mason could be capable of experimenting on Erin and make her mutant powers more dangerous”

Loba “It is possible, your talking about an extraterrestrial toxin mutant here that could destroy anyone or anything”

(*Levi knocks opening the door*)

Levi “Oh I’m sorry am I interrupting something? Loba nice to see you here again”

Loba “Tch you know you love me darling”

Levi “In your dreams”

Erwin “Are the kids alright”

Levi “Yeah they’re all good, they’re just watching a marathon of movies just hanging out nothing unusual”

Erwin “Good…well I must finish up my final task of the day, Loba if you would excuse me”

Loba “Don’t say I didn’t warn you”

Levi “I’ll clean up what’s left in the dining room”

(*Downstairs*)

(*During the movie marathon all the kids enjoying their little get together when suddenly a knock at the door rings when one of the kids decides to go open the door*)

.

.

.

.

“Heyo! Did somebody came in through the back door or something?”

(*Walter and Jake Sully suddenly freak out realizing the security has been breached*)

(*A little kid suddenly sees flashing lights aiming at the entrance of the house when Jake and Fuse ran after the kid when Jake hold on him into his wide arms and Fuse activates fire crackers from each direction before they shot trampolizer darts*)

Fuse “I’ll take care of these blinkers!! You get the kids to safety!!”

Jake “Let’s go let’s go!!”

(*Jake gets the kid along with him to grab the kids to safety as mysterious fegutives are breaking in the school surrounding the hallways*)

“Stop where you are!!”

(*The kids become scared as Jake fights back head blocking one of them and kicking another*)

Jake “Come on!! Down the basement everyone!!”

(*Jake runs towards the entrance of the basement to get the kids to safety*)

(*A sudden man sneaks behind Jake Sully to beat him up until a surprise from Ruki camouflage his skin behind a wall to attack him down*)

.

.

.

.

Jake “Thanks kid”

Ruki “What’s going on professor Sully”

Jake “I don’t know but whatever it is I need you to protect the kids down the basement”

Ruki “But I wanna help”

Erwin “Jake!! What’s going on”

Jake “We have unknown breach going on! I have the kids down the basement”

(*Kids started to scream downstairs when anti-mutant officers are kidnapping all the mutant students*)

“Sleeeeep”

(*A mutant demonic creature puts the students to sleep as the officers gather all the students to their custody*)

“Hehehe my what adorable children”

(*Jake Sully lands down the basement seeing the officers take the kids*)

Jake “Hey stop right there!!”

“Sleeeeep”

(*Jake got distracted when he is put under a deep sleep transition spell by the mutant*)

Ruki “Professor Erwin the kids are gone!”

Levi “What?!”

Erwin “…Oh no”

Erwin and Levi “Erin!!!”

[tired-trans-apostate]

Someday, if god does exist, I will make him beg for my forgiveness. I will use his "this hurts me more than it hurts you" against him. I will mold HIM I will hurt HIM to make him "better" and see how he likes it. I'm so angry at this fake little creature that I've been raised to believe in. But the thing is It isn't even real I'm so ANGRY and I can't even take it out on this thing that's been made to abuse me and so many others cause it isn't even REAL. I don't want it to hurt I'm not a bad person for not wanting it to hurt I'm not a bad person for not wanting myself to be chiseled into gods image.

God thinks he knows sacrifice? God is the one who fucking made the rules, he didn't have to choose that he "needed" to SLAUGHTER his own son just to SATIATE HIS OWN FUCKING ANGER he could have just said "oh I gave humans free will now I gotta understand that that means they won't do what I want". HE COULD HAVE CHOSE LOVE. I'm not a bad person for not wanting god to chip me away til I'm just what he wants.

Why is my anger not seen as righteous, when god's anger at his own creation, anger at the instincts he gave them, anger at their decisions to not wanna be abused— is seen as LOVE? Is seen as JUSTICE? Is seen as the divining force of this universe; that if god is angry at you you must be punished? I fucking hate it I fucking HATE IT.

Why does god get to hurt and abuse and manipulate the people he calls his CHILDREN all while saying it's because of LOVE, I love you but I must CHANGE YOU so you are WHAT I WANT YOU TO. BE WELL LISTEN UP FUCKER THAT ISNT LOVE THAT ISNT FUCKING LOVE ITS ABUSE ITS FUCKING ABUSE ITS FUCKING MANIPULATIVE AND CONTROLLING AND EVIL

And if I end up in hell one day ill be surrounded by the people I love cause theyd also rather live authentically. We would rather truly live than remain a Christian puppet that feels so "Loved" yet it is trapped and tangled inside the strings of its creator, that it chooses to be strung after those strings were cut via free will. If you choose to let someone make a decision you cant be mad at them for deciding what you dont like, you cant fucking do that.

And god fuck you if you really are seeing all my thhoughts all my words, if you truly know all see all like the perverted little freak you are, know that I still mean it. That im not a coward and im not fucking afraid of you anymore because am myself I am my own person and I dont need you to feel love, I dont need you to feel a purpose, I don’t need you cause i already know i DESERVE life and safety and comfort just from EXISTING. i dont need you when ALL YOU’VE BROUGHT ME IS PAIN!

christians do not interact, you will be blocked on sight

[riacte]

HBomb watching Grian’s world tour.

It’s like 1h 30mins long with the commentary. Here’s some highlights lol. Keep in mind most of this is paraphrased :P

*seeing Grian has 61 eps* Hermitcraft is nuts. They are so invested and talented.”

“Did they makes little railing things to send messages to each other? That’s the cutest thing ever. It’s like when you’re living on treehouses with your next door neighbour.” OK HBOMB WAIT TILL YOU SEE THE SEASON WHEN REN AND FALSE LITERALLY LIVE IN THE SAME AREA.

Grian, about the mansion: It’s lacking soul

H: WHERE??

H FREAKING OUT ABT STRESS’S BUTTERFLIES

About Grian’s chest monsters: “I’m starting to realize me and Grian have a lot in common.”

“You can give villagers dragon heads?”

He was stunned into silence by Scar’s Big Dig. For like fifteen seconds. Just gaping.

About the Big Dig: that’s more work by Scar than we put into Dream SMP

AND YEAH HE HASN’T EVEN SEEN THE SHOPPING DISTRICT???

About Mumbo’s base: “This is so beautiful”

H said people really under appreciate Minecraft grass and leaves. YEAH HE’S ON TEAM HEP LMAO.

He smiled so much at Grian and Mumbo’s shenanigans lol.

He screamed “ISKALL!” the moment the Omega Tree came into view. And he proudly told chat “I KNOW THAT GUY!”

H legit made the POG face when he saw Stress’ base. “I thought they all lived super far from each other.” “I know Stress too!! She’s on Vault Hunters!”

“I wanna see more of the dragonflies”

“Renpog renpog renpog? That’s my MCC9 Teammate”

About Ren: “he’s nuts”

About Ren’s Darth Vader base: “this would take me a full year to build”

AND THEN REN SAID “<3 <3 <3” in chat

“We love Ren in this chat. Ren’s out of his mind.”

Now he said Ren put in more effort than everyone on DSMP except Sam.

Grian: I struggle with terraforming

H: I struggle with everything compared to the Hermitcrafters.”

“It’s so crazy!” H said while massaging his head.

“Mumbo Baggins.”

“I forgot about Keralis! I haven’t watched him in so long.”

H also stared at Keralis’ build for ten seconds just making the Pog face.

“I can’t tell how big that is. 30 blocks or 300.”

“I feel like there’s always 40 people on the server.” Good try, H. Lol.

Grian fell down Keralis’ hotel’s elevator chute but flew himself to safety. “Grian’s at 3 hearts. Thank God’s he’s so good with an elytra.”

H about graffiti: “Oh I love this”

H saw the Keralis Bee in front of X’s base and instantly made the same face.

Grian admitted he doesn’t watch his friends.

H: as a content creator, it’s very awkward to watch your friends. 100%.

He said Etho was the first MCYT he fanboyed over aaaa

About Etho’s base: ohh it’s so cool

“I love that the beacon is going through the end crystal!”

About Wel’s base:

Grian: I don’t think he’s on very much

H: that’s more than I built in my lifetime

H confusedly squinting and peering at Zedaph’s base lmaoo

About Tango’s base: “that looks straight out of a Doctor Suess novel. I LOVE IT. I LOVE THESE TWO (Tango and Impulse’s) BUILDINGS.”

About Impulse’s base: the quartz and water combined look really cool

Grian, about Impulse’s base: is this mega?

H: y e s

Grian: no

H: that thing is freaking huge. I’ll say that’s mega. That’s huge. It’s mega.

Grian: it’s not mega

H: it goes down the water IT’S MEGA

H ARGUING WITH GRIAN ABOUT MEGA

H stared at Tango’s base for fifteen secs. “I love it. I love it. Chat, have I ever told you I love it.”

“Did he make an iron farm with ravagers?!”

Grian: I don’t know what I’m doing with farms

H: I don’t know what I’m doing 24/7

LMAO BOTH H AND GRIAN BEING CONFUSED BY TANGO’S PEASHOOTER CREEPER FARM

HE RECOGNIZED FALSE’S BASE AYYYY

“She’s nuts, chat”

“When I raid False, I ask my chat to ask her to show her base because it’s so freaking cool”

Grian: is False’s base mega

Grian: this is juuuuust mega

H, screaming: JUST? I’m gonna throw hands with Grian

H: LET’S TALK. CHAT.

Then he proceeded to talk about False’s water at the bottom of her base and how she had to place water sources and blocks (chat told him she used ice, but hey it’s the thought that counts)

“That’s insane, chat!! It’s so cool!”

“I’m ready to throw hands with Grian.”

He wanted to win the mega argument with Grian lol. “Hbomb VS Grian.”

“I actually don’t know what Grian looks like irl. He might beat me up.”

H stared at Cleo’s armour stands. “OHH THAT’S SICK!”

“WHY IS SHE ABLE TO MAKE BETTER MINECRAFT CREATURES THAN MOJANG. EXPLAIN.”

“I’m still mad at you on the megabase thing. Other than that, we’re good.”

He watched False make the Nether hub on Twitch.

Grian: X made this Nether build-

H: X gonna give it to ya

“Ren and False are just built differently.”

H’s face legit froze when he saw Cub’s base. And he bellowed “WHY?!”

H: size matters

“Link’s ready to throw hands with Grian” (Link is H’s dog)

“He managed to make our Targay look absolutely irrelevant.”

“Do you think they’ll let me on to play with them? Just for like, twenty minutes? 🥺👉👈”

“THAT IS DOPE!!”

“Walls made out of ancient debris. Jesus Christ. WHY?!”

Pomo, donation: impulse once raised his base by one block bcz he thought it looked better

H: oh no

“Imagine there was an ancient debris wall on the Dream SMP, chat. It would be there for an hour. Maybe two. Maybe.”

“Doc was another Minecracker”

He was so relieved when he saw Joe’s stuff lol. Since people can be “normal”.

About Mt. Goatmore: OHH THAT’S DOPE!

He went to a Bdubs meet up when he was in college. And had a photo and autograph of Bdubs and Gen.

“Yo that cliff is dope”

About Bdubs’ castle: I won’t be surprised if he used diamond blocks.

“I love how Bdubs use the nether wood trapdoors.”

He loved the anvil droppers thing and said he’s gonna steal the idea. He also mentioned Beef and Mindcrack.

H is such a HC stan now lol. AND HE WANTS TO PLAY THE HC MINIGAMES. PLEASE LET THE MAN ON. Also he’s gonna vibe so well with Grian. Not only do they have similar views in MCC but also in a lot of other things (don’t watch their friends, chest monsters, etc).

[soulmate-game]

Okay, I’m not sure if what I was trying to say in my last post was said very well.

I completely understand the tagging situation from the First Wave with the DC fans. That’s discourse that is mostly solved and we can’t do anything about those who are forever gonna be bitter or lazy. I’m not talking about that stuff.

The stuff I want to prevent/limit is the hate that comes after our fandom deliberately. And yes, I know I can’t stop it. None of us can stop bitter, antagonistic people from being bitter and antagonistic. None of us can stop people who just want to be angry.

I’m not talking about stopping them, though.

I’m talking about what we can do to protect ourselves as creators and consumers in this fandom. As people who love and appreciate what the creations and people in this fandom have to offer. In simplistic form, I’m saying we need to learn how to shield ourselves from bullies. And there are methods we can use to make ourselves less of a target to the people who go after us, and methods to cut their attacks off short. None of these methods are fool-proof, but they will work to filter out a good majority of the shit we would otherwise be showered by, like a big umbrella against Assholery. Sure, the wind might still blow some in our face and we might splash in a puddle or two by accident, but at least we aren’t soaked.

So let me list the various things that can help you shield yourself from hate/harassment/antis who might just be out to get you.

1) leave the fandom.

The most effective, but least attractive method possible. This is limited to being a last ditch effort, if things have just gotten too hard to handle. I’m covering it first though, because we have to acknowledge that it is a viable method. If you feel trapped, hated, bullied, I’m sure all of us in this fandom would prefer you take a break and leave us for a while in the sake of your own health and safety then stay where you are miserable. This is less of a problem for us though, because mostly this option is gonna be for fandoms where the discourse and attacks are internal. Maribat is largely a peaceful and supportive/healthy environment once you’re inside our little bubble, the main discourse comes from outside in. So let’s focus on the main point of this post— how to keep our bubble from popping.

2) Make it apparent right away that you are Unapologetic.

Whenever you post content or are approached by someone about the topic of your fandom, don’t you DARE ever apologize for liking what you like or posting unproblematic content. You need to make it clear right off the bat that you are not gonna be swayed, bullied, or shamed out of your fandom. Stand with pride and make it clear, but don’t be verbose about it. A simple “Don’t like, don’t read” is classic but sometimes if you’re posting/talking during a more confrontational period of the fandom, you need to up your game to reflect that. The funny thing is, people can easily be intimidated by swearing if it isn’t directed at them or clearly antagonistic. If you’re swearing in a joking, casual or even in a manner that shows you’re not taking yourself too seriously, people will usually avoid picking fights with you. For this, my favorite lines to use on my work include;

“Don’t like, I don’t fucking care. I fell down the rabbit hole.”

“Don’t bother reading if you’re not into this, this shit bitch-slapped me and dragged me along on it’s adventure.”

“I’m addicted to this fandom, don’t bother trying to save me. If it bothers you, I don’t give a fuck. Save yourselves.”

3) Don’t approach or interact

Unless someone comes at you first, never try to persuade someone away from hating us. That just makes you a target in an empty field, for the vultures to surround and gang up on. If someone approaches you with provocative but not overly insulting or intelligent language— I.e; trying to start a fight, vague insults not always relating to the fandom itself, trying to insult your character/judgement— do not respond. Delete the message, block the account, and surround yourself with fluffy good stuff to forget the wanna-be harasser. These people are often not brave enough to outright start a fight, and want you to get defensive first so they know the weak points in your armor to exploit. Defensive statements declare your own insecurities, don’t get defensive. It gives them a way to win without having to defend themselves or feel vulnerable— it’s like exploiting type differences in Pokémon. You wait for an unfamiliar Pokémon to expose it’s type, then snipe it with the moves it’s weak to. Then, you have a near sure-fire win even with under leveled Pokémon on your team.

Don’t be a proud Infernape that gets sniped by a weak-ass level 5 Piplup. We’re strong, don’t show them the chinks in our armor.

4) Have a support network. Even if they don’t know they are your support network.

The fandom as a whole serves this purpose, and this is mostly gonna be a tactic you use when the discourse is inside the fandom, but there can be uses for this in discourse from outside the fandom as well. If someone tries to act like they like your story/art “but...” they passive aggressively state things they “would prefer” or they try to make it sound like you made stupid mistakes (a tactic to make you insecure about yourself) instead of kindly pointing out errors or offering constructive criticism (ex: “you know you put your trigger list somewhere where it’s useless right? Love your story though.)—THESE ARE ALL PROVOCATIONS. They are trying to make you insecure so that you change things about yourself, your work, or jump through hoops to try to “make it up” to them when you did nothing wrong and there are no problems to fix. Do not fall for it! Instead, politely as possible, bring the issue into a public space where you feel safe/trust the people in that space to keep the bullshit from escalating. For me, I straight up explain my reasoning for the placement of my trigger list as if I’m advertising a particularly boring but important product that I’m selling, then offer places for them to bring the issue into a discussion with others. I send them to a discoed group or right here to my tumblr, and I immediately make the issue into a big discussion (do YOU think there is anything to change? Let’s ALL talk about it) so that I am no longer isolated and easy for them to harass. They might refuse to join the discussion and further try to pressure you, but do not cave. Merely say that a public discussion has been started, and if they are actually, legitimately concerned about the way you do things then they can debate it in a public setting. This way, you have back up. 9/10 people who try to target you this way will back off and never enter the conversation you started.

5) Do not fight back.

This sounds counterintuitive, but a lot of the time once discourse gets this bad, arguing/defending/ trying to prove your point only fuels their rage more. I have found that people hate very little in this world more than they hate being wrong. And people who hate being wrong will fight to the bitter death about their opinions, no matter how invalid or hurtful they are, in the favor of their blissful ignorance. Remove yourself from harmful discussions or those that seem to be going in circles as soon as possible, and try to surround yourself in your support group. Never let people make you feel stupid, your opinions illegitimate, or your likes/dislikes invalid or evil.

6) Try to learn how to recognize bullies in disguise

It’s too much for me to try to cover here, but you need to PLEASE look into how to spot gaslighting. Tactics of gaslighting are often used to attack others and try to make them feel like their own opinions are invalid or their mindset untrustworthy. People will often approach you in the guise of friendship/support/ “I am not into this, but...” and while this is not always a red flag, we have to keep our eyes open for any signs of this person or their approach being rooted in anything other than legitimate curiosity or kindness. Not all suggestions that say they are out of concern actually ARE. Keep an eye out for warning signs, and cut off interaction once things seem like they may lead to an argument or you being in a vulnerable position if you continue interacting.

(Brief mention of s**cide and threats in the section below)

7) If all else fails, BLOCK THEM.

No hesitation, we don’t need this shit. They make a second account? Block that too. Don’t respond, only take screenshots or reblog if it is directly harmful information that can/should be documented (words that encourage suicide, threats, insults that seem a little too specific for comfort) and give the evidence to someone you trust to look out for you. A therapist, a family member, or even the authorities if you deem that necessary. Just don’t handle it alone.

We are not responsible for other people’s actions, opinions, or anger. Take the steps to protect yourself instead of trying to reconcile. Sometimes, reconciliation isn’t an option. Both parties have to be willing to reconcile, and it is clear they have nothing in mind but hurting us. So raise your shields and protect yourself and your friends, we’re not gonna lose a war to petty jerks.

[tickle-bugs]

I had two people ask for some advice on starting up/running a blog, so I thought I’d make a little post for anyone else looking for advice! There’s no one right way to run a blog and I am by no means an expert. This is just a compilation of some of the things I’ve learned :) 

Feel free to add advice to this!

- The first thing is something I cannot stress enough. Write for yourself first. You will be absolutely miserable if you’re only writing for attention. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s so incredibly important. If you don’t like a prompt, fandom, or scenario? You don’t have to write for it! A personal example: I’m a theatre kid and total musical nerd. I could probably write some compelling Dear Evan Hansen or Hamilton headcanons if I wanted to, but I don’t. That’s fine! I’m allowed to say I won’t write for it and deny prompts/requests for those fandoms. 

- Set boundaries. This is a very mixed community with all sorts of creators and participants with hands in different baskets. Don’t want minors to interact? Put minors DNI in your bio. SFW only? Put it in the bio. No RP? Bio. This goes for private conversations/askbox/other interactions as well. If someone comes into your askbox/dms and says something that makes you uncomfy, shut it down. 

- My advice is more geared towards writing than art or video, but I suppose you could apply this advice as well. Make what makes you happy! If you’re only in one fandom, feel free to stay there and make content for it. Multi-fandom? Excellent! Completely non-fandom? Epic! Make the content that you want to see and the content that makes you happy to create, especially if you’re in a more niche fandom/area. 

- Organization. ...I’ll admit this one is more of a personal pet peeve than something urgent, but it is something that people positively respond to. If you have some sort of consistency/organization to your blog, it’ll make it easier and more enjoyable for people to navigate. Make a fandom list/indicate your fandoms somehow (mostly for prompt purposes. people can’t read your mind, so it’s important to tell them what you will write for and what you won’t, however you want to do that)! 

Make a masterpost/link your fic tag! Use a fic tag of some kind. Give your fics summaries and leave a little bit of the fic above the ‘read more’ to intrigue folks (look at #my fics and my masterpost for basic examples of how I do this, if you need!). Use read mores. Please use read mores (if you can, idk if they’re on mobile. regardless no one wants to encounter a three thousand word block of text on their dash). (No seriously though, organize your blog, even if it’s super simple. literally just a ‘mine’ or ‘my fics’ or ‘[pseud] writes’ and a fandom tag. It’ll make it easier for people to find your stuff and support you)

- Practice general internetiquette. Please remember that the people in this community are real people with feelings, boundaries, and lives outside of the blog that they run. Be genuine and people will respond to you! Don’t manipulate people into likes/reblogs/attention. No one wants to be on the other end of that. Being in this community isn’t a transaction or a mosh pit, it’s an experience.  

- Be ever-so-liberal with the block button. Someone’s user makes you uncomfortable? They give you bad vibes? They’re a minor/older than you and you don’t want them interacting with your content? You don’t wanna see their blog for some reason? Block em. This goes for anons too. That’s what the button is for. Don’t feel guilty for using it. Use it. 

- How you write is 100% a personal choice and not really something that I can give advice on, but embrace your style! take prompts if you want, or don’t. Write oneshots, series, drabbles, or novels. Write romantic, or don’t. Etc. Change things up if you feel like it. Do what you want. Your blog, your style, your rules. 

- Numbers matter. Don’t let them define you. This is a bit of a harder one to explain, but I will try. I often say that I don’t care about numbers, and I really don’t, but that’s not to say that I don’t see them and they have zero effect on me. I absolutely notice and am bummed if a fic doesn’t get notes, or at least the notes that I was expecting. That is entirely normal and okay to experience. What isn’t okay, though, is creating for the sake of getting notes/numbers/attention (re: write for yourself first, internetiquette). If you find yourself relying on tumblr for gratification and a reward, I implore you to take a break. I’m not your therapist or your parent, I’m not gonna tell you what to do, but when you make things only for the sake of notes, people notice. Celebrate your milestones. Know that it’s okay to be bummed about low notes/celebrate getting plenty. Just make sure that you don’t depend on the numbers for your happiness, or you will be miserable.

- You’re (probably) doing this for free. You are providing people content: a service. Produce as much or as little as you’re comfy with, but always remember that. No one is entitled to what you make. If someone asks you for headcanons, sends a prompt when prompts are closed, etc, and you don’t feel like fulfilling it? You have no obligation to do that. Getting commissioned is another story entirely, but as long as you’re making free content, you have zero obligation to do anything for anyone and certainly no time constraints. It can take me months to finish prompts, and that’s okay. I do them when I do them and I fill them how I want to. If my prompts are closed, I deny new ones until I’m ready to accept them. Make yourself happy first.

- How you interact with others is up to you! It’s generally considered good practice to like/reblog your mutuals fics/art, but this is not necessarily a hard and fast rule. I veeeeeery rarely reblog fics for fandoms that I’m not in, even from my mutuals. What you can do to show your support (and you should try and show support somehow. No one is in competition. Everyone’s in your boat, whether they have no followers or 1k) is send an ask/reply to the post/leave tags to let the author know you liked it. Like the fic and don’t reblog it, if you don’t want to. Just make sure you show your mutuals (and others in general!) roughly the same support they show you, however you decide to do that. Treat others how you want to be treated, as cheesy as it sounds :)

- Don’t repost content that isn’t yours without express permission from the original creator, and credit them appropriately. If you see a cute piece of tickle art and the artist doesn’t want it reposted? Don’t repost it. Don’t post fics/videos/gifs that aren’t yours (obviously if it’s like a scene from a movie/a clip on youtube that’s different, but don’t take credit for things you didn’t make, including ideas). Can’t tell you how frustrating it is to have work stolen from you. Don’t be that person. ‘Credit to original artist’ and ‘credit unknown’ is total bullshit btw. Link/tag the creator in the original post and make it clear you don’t own the content. Best practice is to ask the original creator if they’re okay with reposting, work inspired by or connected to theirs, etc. This goes doubly for saving/downloading someone’s fics. 

- It is not illegal for a minor to have normal, nonsexual, healthy friendships with people older than them. There’s a weird attitude that minors have nothing of value to offer adults besides a relationship/sex, which is...not true? Minors are thinking, living human beings with feelings, thoughts, and opinions. You can talk to them like normal people, because they are. Just obviously don’t talk about/introduce sex or endanger them. Minors don’t bring up sex/activities you’re underage for with an adult. IDK this isn’t a seminar just...don’t be weird. Adults can offer great life experience, support systems, and the basic joys and needs of human connection. Minors can too. Mind your business unless someone’s actually in danger. The next point is a caveat, though: 

- If you’re a minor, don’t interact with NSFW blogs/blogs with ‘Minors DNI’, NSFW blogs don’t interact with minors, etc etc. Not your parent or whatever but this is pretty common sense and it’s for everyone’s safety, but especially the NSFW person. internettiquette!

- If you use your TK blog as a side blog (meaning you have another blog as your main blog, not two separate accounts) and don’t want your main exposed, that is up to you. I recommend not liking posts. Also, follow people that you trust. These actions route through your main blog and your main will show up in the notes. You can reblog from a sideblog. If you want to send an ask “as your tk blog”, send an anon and sign it somehow, like ‘hey :) // @/tickle-bugs’. It should tag you in the post so you get a notification when it’s answered!

- Find your people! As an anxious person this one has been hard for me, so I know it’s hard for a lot of people. Fandom is literally a community of shared interest. Peachy and I have an iron bond almost two years later and we met talking over shared interests. You can absolutely find your people here. If someone makes you happy, strike up a conversation! Send an ask! You never know what doors it might open or whose day you might improve :)

- If you were an anon/lurker on someone’s blog and they inspired you to write/submit/start your own, sign your messages!! the common form that I see is either an emoji or [noun/context of the ask]!anon (prodigal!anon (i miss u every day), butterfly!anon, etc.) Let us know how to find and support you!! Those messages produce good brain juice. 

- The big finale: Have fun. If you’re not having fun here, maybe you could tweak something to make things enjoyable. Running a blog is like driving a car. Keep your hands on the wheel, respectfully indicate your intentions (flashing lights optional), and be safe. Poebody’s nerfect, y’know. If you make a mistake, course correct. I’m by no means perfect. Your favs aren’t either. Just do your best and have a good time :)

@rosytickles and the anon in my inbox, I hope this helps! Thank you for asking me, I’m very honored that you value my opinon/experience/advice. I apologize if I come off as preachy or aggressive, I envisioned grabbing my younger self by the lapels and shaking me vigorously while I wrote this. Probably a bad idea. 

Anywho, hope it helps. Anyone with questions, additions, or comments, my askbox is open! Just be constructive, is all I ask. 

[rosartemis]

Your Phenomenal Dramaturgy DSMP Animatic

Was gonna post a YouTube comment, but then I realized I didn’t want to get eviscerated by the dsmp fandom for having a different opinion, so submitting my interpretation of the lyrics/animatic in regards to c!Dream here instead :P

“But I don’t know a thing, love or losing, see?” I believe references how before Wilbur and L'manburg these kinds of conflicts/wars were never a thing on the server and Dream had no idea how he should deal with it. “So I threw to the side any human in me.” Implies Dream believed he had to make harsh choices to end the conflict, he couldn’t be soft, “No mercy” right? “If I live a lie of shallow words and empty replies, then what am I?” implying Dream keeps his word, but the people of L'Manburg don’t. It’s framed as a response from Dream to Wilbur during the declaration of independence, and makes sense if you consider the fact that Wilbur was scamming everyone out of their own potions supplies and made L'Manburg in part as an excuse to get away with it when the other members of the server got mad (Dream was uninvolved at this point, but he likely heard about it from Sapnap, who was one of the people that had confronted Wilbur and Tommy about their theft). “Then it stuck in my head, gotta run away” Dream and Sapnap getting carried away with burning down the forest surrounding L'manburg. “Playing out like a scene, posing every lead Near the end of the show, waiting in the wing, see?” Not sure about the first line, aside from referencing how everything’s a play and Dream’s the lead actor, but the second line refers to Eret’s role as the hidden traitor “Waiting in the wings”. “Run to front stage, you’re all actors anyway, no one to watch, You’re all part of the play” Dream having to make tough decisions as the de facto leader of the Greater Dream SMP faction during war. He’s planning out strategies with George and Sapnap, but the map turns into a chess game and he hates how he has to consider using them like pawns in the game to win this war. “There’s no one inside me There’s no one that’s hiding Always been me, empty, a body but nobody here to see” Montage of Dream prepping for the battle, there’s a scene in which he’s stepping into an argument between George and Sapnap. He’s steeling himself for the battle ahead. From a meta standpoint, these are all the scenes we as viewers never got to see, but they still happened, and it was still Dream who had done all this for his faction. “And knowing that those eyes are watching…” From the animatic implies that Dream seems to think things aren’t quite over yet, so he’s keeping an eye on things. “Til before we could see, we were monsters in skin ” Dream and his relationship with being called a monster/tyrant/villain continuously by the other members of the server, in particular those that are a part of L'Manburg. Could also be how he hadn’t noticed himself slipping into that role until far too late. “But even if I had tried to move on, why can’t I leave my past?” Same as above, but this time with the bonus of Pogtopia Wilbur manipulating him and convincing him he’ll be nothing more than a tyrant, a villain despite his clear attempts to amend that opinion of him and change by siding with Tommy (and Wilbur), who he thought were the “good guys”. ““Considering it’s you, better give up soon” “Cuz no matter what you do, you will always lose”” Dream talking in reference to Tommy and Wilbur (?). “And then I was alone way before I knew Blocking every little thought that I couldn’t sit through” George leaving the conflict (and Dream) alone to build his own thing. Dream realizing he’s alone/his friends don’t seem to care about him as much as he does them, and trying not to think about it. “All they want now is safety from what’s around Waiting for help but never learning how” Dream constantly covering for George and Sapnap during conflicts they got themselves into without asking for anything in return, and George and Sapnap never learning how to stop causing conflicts/resolve them by themselves. (taking advantage of Dream’s help) “I don’t wanna think now” Doesn’t want to remember the good times he’s had with everyone/his friends. Him swiping away the pieces like he wants to stop this stupid game of chess. “I’ll play dumb anyhow” Reference to Dream losing his godly powers because of the exorcism and being split into 2 (as explained by creator of the animatic) and pretending everything was fine afterwards. “Always been me, empty, a body but nobody here to see” Realization he’s lost his powers and can’t rely on XD to help resolve the Manberg/Pogtopia conflict. Here his mask goes from covering the top of half of his face to covering his entire face, a “loss of humanity”/“empty” (from a circle to being fully molded onto his face covering), and is also when the strings motif starts. Trading chessboards for puppet strings. Very obviously, you can see him slipping and his mental state deteriorating. “So standing at the front line and maybe this time I’ll be there with a flag high” Reference to the Manburg shield hinting at his allegiance and how he’s leading the Manburg “army” during the battle. “Outmatched but easygoing "Never gonna need a script with me”“ Dream surrendering and playing along with their expectations (Pogtopia winning against Manberg). "Oh you too yes yes so take a deep breath "Swear that you’ll see me again” One chance is all I have now And so I better make it count Climatic ending, come see The final act, I’m shaken to my knees" Speaking to Tommy about meeting him for the final confrontation, Tommy realizing this is his chance to take down Dream for good, “climatic ending” the finale Dream’s planned out for them. Dream is determined to see things through to the bitter end. “Yet crying and lonely” But what has he lost to get to this point? (also the juxtaposition of Doomsday Dream with his armor and cloak staring at the sunset atop his obsidian grid, framed by destruction being swapped out for an image of the old Dream, still with strings tied to his hands, but staring up at the softer night sky being framed by trees, is just, so good) “The world that I locked out is nowhere to find The people who mocked me are gone from my sight Emotions and feelings are useless to keep The tears that had fallen were not mine to weep” Hardening his heart against George/the rest of his friends (who later in turn abandoned him/left him), beating down those who had wronged him in the past, letting go of Spirit and the attachment associated with them so they’ll never be used against him again (representing him cutting off the rest of his attachments to do the same thing) despite it being very obviously painful and hurting to do so. (choosing to let go, but finding that doing so hurts anyways. Crying for something you think you shouldn’t cry for.) “The kindness and warmth, I can’t feel them at all The hands that are offered, I’m scared that I’ll fall The hole dug inside me can’t hold any love Instead, you can see me break down from above” Unable or unwilling to form healthy emotional attachments/connections with other people. He’s scared that if he does he’ll just be hurt again, and so he pushes them away, even those who’d offer him their help. He’s lost so much that he’s grown emotionally repressed (his past as Cornelius and how he lost his entire family in a week) and has trouble feeling things like “love”, and starts collapsing under the lose. (his mental health spiraling hard) “Hey, remember when you saw that they were nearing their end? And you looked like you were laughing at the pain they were in But what did you see? Oh really what could it be Well, take a breath ‘cuz you’ll need it, so c’mon saying” Something more happening with Dream behind the front of “big bad villain” that he puts on for the rest of the server, what was he really feeling? What was he really planning? We don’t know. “We’re pulling at the boundary, unseen A curtain dyed in black soon came to be And knowing that those eyes are watching…” The end of a season/the “show”, Dream’s put in prison and the curtains appear to be closing, but there’s still some loose ends that haven’t been tied with the other characters, and Dream’s presence can still be felt all around the server despite him being locked up in a literal torture box with no real power (power that could get him out of said torture box). (also, just loved how you incorporated the chorus! I’ve known about Dramaturgy for a long time but hadn’t realized how well the lyrics just fit with the DSMP plotline XD)

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Wow, thanks for such a detailed response to my animatic :D I’m really glad you enjoyed it enough to type so much out!

I really like your interpretation, you basically got most of the things I was going for. While I yearn to type out something longer, I don’t really want to tell people how to interpret something lol

Thanks again <3

[abrabloodycadabra]

Hi! I've just seen your opinion on this whole ethrenisnothehero situation. And I just wanna day that I couldn’t agree more, giirl. To be honest, it’s upsetting to see that they disrespect artists so much and believe that their actions are absolutely right. It feels like they consider everyone who disagrees with them to be that pedophile supporter. What’s going on? Sorry to bother you btw

I was just about to read my speech and replies again, and turns out I'm blocked by that person now, since I can't see anything. Oh, come on, I've just begun having my fun!

Thanks, anon, and don't worry, you're not bothering me. The disrespect towards artists is a very serious topic to discuss, and there are people who make it a norm - to disrespect creators. What that guy, the defender of justice, has said about the art theft has really insulted me as a creator and I just pointed out he was a thief himself. He didn't even deny it, because I'm right. I don't want to say it again, so in case you're interested, you can see my repost here. I want you all to understand - I am talking about the art theft, about stealing with no permission or credits.

And about God complex of @ethrenisnotthehero . He did a good job exposing some people of the fandom, but now he's just enjoying the show he has started. People are like savages, they're craving for more, they want more drama, they need more reasons to hate someone. They don't give a shit about the the well-being of the victims or the laws or the safety of the fandom. They just want to be toxic. It is clear. It's a fact.

So, Hogwarts Mystery fandom! You were cool, I loved being part of it! But now you are falling a victim of hypocrites. Internet is never a safe place, you can't expose every single criminal in here, so when these guys say "I won't stop until this place is safe for little kids" or "I want them all to be in jail", they just mean "I'll be here for as long as I enjoy being the center of attention, enjoy being worshipped, being praised for everything I do". I'm just warning you to stay away from these people. There's a line between "doing for the sake of others" and "doing for the sake of oneself". They've crossed it. Their intentions are not pure anymore. They just want attention, drama and to see how people attack and hate each other.

And they block those who disagree with them :) You see, I just said they're hypocritical and have an overblown ego, and now I'm a persona non grata in their blog, lmao

I AM NOT SUPPORTING CRIMINALS. I'm saying that those people's goal is not fighting for justice and safety in the fandom anymore. They're enjoying their role of the master of puppets now. And y'all are puppets.

[bedrockbros-hell]

Ok so I couldn’t stop thinking about the epic confrontation between c!Tommy and c!Dream that’ll probably go down Thursday/Friday when Tommy breaks into the prison so I wrote it out :3

TW: blood, gore, PTSD, death, manipulation, swearing, graphic depictions of torture and violence

(Seriously this got kinda intense, make sure you stay safe ok?)

(Also I’m ignoring the whole Wilbur-gets-revived thing for now)

*DISCLAIMER* I do not condone or support torture or murder, nor do I condone or support any malicious action of c!Dream’s (e.g. manipulation, child abuse, etc.). All characters in the story are referencing the DSMP characters, not the content creators.

****

It was time. The plans had been made. The break-in had been executed. The TNT cannon had worked and Tubbo was off somewhere distracting the Warden. Tommy stood at the threshold of the cell, at the precipice. It was time.

Tommy recalled the last instance he had been at the prison, swearing that it would be the final visit. And he remembered how sourly things had gone: instead of healing, his visit had left him more broken than before. And now, being back there, staring at the wall of lava, things felt a little too familiar...

No, Tommy reminded himself. Things are different now. He pulled out his Axe of Peace, its dark netherite surface glowing with magic. Things were certainly different now. This time, it really would be the final visit. He stepped onto the platform and pushed the button.

Waves of heat rose up around Tommy as the moving platform brought him through the molten liquid, and he could feel himself sweating underneath his netherite armor. As he got closer to the cell, his heart began to pound from old fears and he worked to steady his breathing. Tommy gripped his axe tighter to stop his hands from shaking. The platform halted and Tommy stepped off, facing the wall of netherite blocks. As the platform receded, the curtain of lava closed behind him, trapping him inside. Tommy fought down his panic. He knew he could leave whenever he wished, but it didn’t stop himself feeling suffocated.

Suddenly a mechanical groan and whirr distracted him from his thoughts. The wall before Tommy split apart, the top receding into the ceiling and the bottom sinking into the floor. Inch by inch, the innards of the maximum security cell were revealed to him.

And there he was.

Dream sat cross-legged in shadow, directly in front of Tommy, his back against the cold obsidian wall. He wasn’t wearing his mask, though his unruly hair had grown long enough to cover his face. Looking around, Tommy found the mask a few feet away from him. It was cracked in half. Everything else in the cell, Tommy noticed, was pretty much the same as when he had last been there. The chest, sink, and small bookshelf were tucked in the same corner, wood moulding from the crying obsidian. An empty space by the sink showed where Dream’s clock had been. The low orange light cast from the lava gave the whole place an eerie glow. It was all too familiar. Tommy swallowed, reminding himself again, this is not the same. I am in control.

As Tommy stepped into the cell, Dream spoke, without lifting his head. “Welcome back. You’re earlier than usual.”

Tommy halted, surprised. “You’ve been expecting me?”

At the sound of Tommy’s voice, Dream whipped his head up. His eyes widened. “Tommy! It’s–I thought you were...” He paused. “Never mind.” Suddenly, Dream smiled. “You’re here! You’ve come back to visit me!” He stood and began walking towards Tommy, arms outstretched.

Tommy raised his axe. “Stay back! Stay the fuck away from me! I didn’t come here just to visit you.” Dream stopped, lowering his arms and eyeing the axe. Tommy took a few deep breaths, his heart racing in his chest. “Just shut up and listen to me ok? You have caused me so much pain, Dream. And not only me, but everyone on the server. I thought locking you away in here would put a stop to all that, but I was wrong. You are still ruining people.” Dream was silent, no longer smiling. He was still shadowed, and his eyes were unreadable. Tommy continued, “I am here to finally end your reign of terror, permanently.” The netherite axe glinted wickedly in the dim light.

Dream said nothing. Then, astoundingly, he burst into wild, humorless laughter. Tommy bristled, taken aback. “What the fuck is so funny?” he yelled over the cacophony of Dream’s cackling. “I’m here to kill you!”

All at once, Dream stopped laughing, though the crazed light hadn’t quite died from his eyes. “You’re here to kill me, Tommy?” he repeated softly, smirking. “Are you sure that even death can stop me from–as you put it–ruining people?”

“What do you mean?” Tommy asked roughly, his voice betraying the fear that bubbled in the pit of his stomach. “I know it will. You’ll be dead!”

“Tommy,” Dream said, as one speaking to a child struggling to understand, “death doesn’t have any power over me. I know this, and I know you do too.”

Memories cascaded over Tommy. The body-wrenching pain and the mind-shattering numbness. White light. The images were like hands tightening themselves around his wrists, his neck, his heart. His very soul ripped from his body. The void. Wilbur...

Tommy shook his head, forcing these thoughts out. “Stop it! This is different. There won’t be anyone to bring you back.”

“Won’t there?”

Tommy faltered.

Dream chuckled softly. “Ah, of course,” he said. “You don’t know.”

“Know what? What the fuck are you talking about?”

Dream said nothing. Then, slowly, he stepped into the light, and Tommy felt the axe slide out of his grip and hit the floor with a clang as he processed the full horror of what was before him.

Dream’s body was utterly broken. His face was black and blue and covered in gashes, and there were gashes on his arms and legs showing through the shreds of his prison jumpsuit. Some of them were still bleeding. His nose was crooked, and trails of dried blood ran down his lips. There was blood everywhere: on his hands, in his hair, stained on his clothes. He walked with a limp, which Tommy hadn’t noticed before, and looking down, he saw that one of Dream’s feet was bending the wrong way. Many of his fingers were also bent at unnatural angles, and in fact... Bile rose in Tommy’s throat as he realized that not all of Dream’s fingers were there.

Tommy dug his nails into his palms to stay alert. He had just enough presence of mind to pick up his axe. “What the fu...what–what the hell happened to you?” His voice was pitched with hysteria.

Dream grinned, revealing several missing teeth. “Let’s just say you haven’t been my only visitor.”

Tommy was at a loss for words. For all that time spent preparing for this final confrontation, running through a million scenarios in his mind, he had never, ever, expected something like this. He cursed himself. It was supposed to be simple, straightforward. Find Dream, kill him. But now, though he was disgusted with himself for being so, Tommy couldn’t help but feel sorry for Dream. The axe lowered slightly as Tommy wavered in indecision.

Dream tilted his head, shifting his hair, and Tommy saw that a chunk of his ear was gone. “So are you gonna kill me or not?” he asked innocently, though Tommy knew Dream could sense his hesitancy, and was enjoying every bit of it. “You know, at this point, death would probably be preferable to what I’ve had to endure here,” he said, almost nonchalantly.

“I–,” Tommy stammered, trying to collect his thoughts. “No, no wait. What did you mean before, when you said, ‘you don’t know’? What don’t I know?”

Dream barked out another dry laugh. “Oh, Tommy,” he said, “there’s so much you don’t know.” Tommy hated this, hated feeling like Dream was always two steps ahead of him. It made him feel powerless, despite his weapons and armor. “You wanna know the reason I look like this? Where I got these injuries from?” Dream asked, coming closer to him, and Tommy had to look upwards meet his eyes. “I was being tortured. Every day.”

Shock boiled inside Tommy. He was torn. One part of him was screaming in vindication, the other was absolutely sickened. Even Dream didn’t deserve this, did he?

“Know why I was being tortured?”

Tommy said nothing, his mouth completely dry. He didn’t want to know the answer, but his voice stuck in his throat.

“The revive book, Tommy,” Dream said. “Someone wanted to know how to use it.”

With great effort, Tommy managed to get his throat unstuck. “What–what the fuck does that have to do with anything?” His words were raspy and shaky.

“It has everything!” Dream screamed so loudly it reverberated off the obsidian walls. “Everything to do with this! Do you know how fucking long I endured what would have had you crawling and pleading in two minutes? You know how many days I spent with nothing more to look forward to than the destruction of my body and sanity? And I could have gone on longer,” he said, punctuating his words with hysterical laughter. “Oh I could have gone on until they chopped off all my arms and legs and I was nothing more than a half dead chunk of meat on the floor! But guess what?” Dream stepped closer, and Tommy could see the manic glint in his eyes. “Guess what? I chose to give in. I let them in on my powerful little ability. Know what that means?”

Tommy took a step back, revulsion rising up inside of him. This was too much. It was too much. This was not what was supposed to happen, everything was going wrong. Tommy hated feeling so out of control. A voice inside him was screaming at him to just put the fucking axe through Dream’s face, but Dream was so clever; he always knew exactly what to say to derail Tommy, make him doubt himself.

“Know what that means, Tommy?” Dream asked again. The light from the lava behind Tommy painted Dream’s face in an evil red glow. “It means there will be someone to bring me back if I die. I have a safety net. You can’t kill me!”

“No.” Tommy shook his head. “No, no, no, no! You’re lying! All you do is lie, Dream!”

Dream shrugged. “I mean, you can think that, if you want. And who knows, maybe they won’t want to bring me back. But the thing is, now there will always be a chance that I could come back. As long as one person knows how to revive the dead, the dead can’t be gone forever.” Tommy’s eyes widened with the horror of revelation. Deep down, he knew Dream was right. And just like that, his entire plan was all for naught.

“So go ahead, kill me,” Dream continued. “But I’ll never truly be gone. You will always live in fear that one day, I’ll come back. So you see? You can never escape me, no matter what you do.” Dream stepped even closer to Tommy, who was frozen in terror, and put a mangled hand on his shoulder. “Did you actually think,” he said, bending down, his beaten face inches away from Tommy’s, “that you would ever get closure from me?” Tommy’s skin crawled, and every part of him wanted to recoil at Dream’s touch, but he had been cornered against the lava. It burned the back of his neck. “You didn’t actually think I would ever let you be free of me, did you?” Dream’s voice was deathly soft, quiet but dangerous, like hidden poison. “No. You may think you’ve moved on, but I will always reel you back in. You may think you have me under control, but I will always have you right where I want you. You might be able to physically leave this prison, but really, we both know you will always be stuck in here with me.”

Something snapped in Tommy’s mind. Without thinking, without pausing to let his brain register what his arm was doing, Tommy swung his axe. He felt it connect with something solid with a sickening crunch. He pulled back and swung again. And again. And again, even after Dream’s lifeless body fell to the floor. It was as if he had been possessed by a hateful monster, avenging himself for all the suffering Dream had caused him. He didn’t even realize he was screaming until he was out of breath. Tommy continued hacking away until the violent energy seeped from his body, until he was utterly drained.

Tommy stepped back, breathing hard. It was over. It was done. Dream was dead. But was he truly gone? Tommy looked around him, as if Dream’s ghost might be in this very room. Stupid, he chided himself. Tommy wasn’t going to let Dream get the best of him anymore. He was done. Fuck whatever Dream said about there being a chance of him coming back. With new purpose, he cleaned off his axe, wiping away the stain Dream had left on it. Tommy would see to it that Dream stayed dead. This really would be the final visit. Now all he had to do was deal with the person that knew how to use the revive book. Tommy turned away and left the prison. For the last time.

[praise-the-lord-im-dead]

I'm gonna be political for one second, so please feel free to scroll past this/ignore me. The last thing I wanna do is stress people out right now, but I do have some opinions, so here we go:

Rights are only as good as what you use them for.

I'm hearing a lot of people, largely either conservative or libertarian, yelling about free speech right now, largely in reference to social media platforms blocking users and in reference to app-selling platforms dropping apps like Parler. The worry seems to be that if apps and app stores will do those things to people who actively participated in an insurrection, they will also do those things to anyone who happens to be right-leaning, or anyone who's in a political minority.

And the only answer to that that I've got is, like...maybe don't post stuff inciting violence on social media?

We all had a similar conversation a while back about the rules that PornHub introduced requiring content creators to be verified. Those rules were put in place to avoid things like actual rape videos being put up online, but everyone was upset about their rights. Their right, apparently, to see people get hurt and to enjoy it.

Our freedom is always, always, limited by other people's rights. We can't hurt others and call it freedom; that's anarchy. Society operates by making it the job of those in authority to decide where the line is between freedom and safety. It's not an easy job, and it's an easy thing to make mistakes about, or to use badly.

The thing is, it's our job as citizens to NOT USE OUR FREEDOMS TO HURT PEOPLE, because at that point, you are giving the authority figures reason to take those freedoms away.

I don't like seeing powerful corporations decide who gets a platform and who doesn't. I don't like the government promising to put more anti-terror laws in place. But I also don't like seeing people talk about these things like they're unreasonable actions, given the things we've seen, because guess what? They're not.

It's like complaining that the government goes around putting people in prison, as if the criminal justice system was a sin in and of itself. It's like punching someone and then complaining that you're not allowed in their house anymore. It's like abusing your kid and then getting mad when your lose your right to be in that kid's life.

Rights are only as good as what we use them for. Always. To argue that someone had a right to do something is to say that they were, if not right in doing it, at least not wrong enough to be penalized. It's to say that their actions weren't dangerous, and it's to say that they didn't stand a chance of significantly hurting anyone.

I get people being worried. Power in human hands is a dangerous, scary, largely immoral thing. But it's also a necessary thing to have unless you give up living in any kind of society whatsoever. We're here to watch and protest and object when we see power being used *wrongly*. Not just when we see it being used in the way it was intended.

[laurens-lil-fics]

Parallels Chapter 1 (Starlord x Reader)

Series Summary: In a universe where Yondu returned Peter Quill to his father, a bounty hunter is about to make the catch of a century. But will she turn in her quarry and walk away rich? Or will both she and her cargo go through a change of heart on their intergalactic road trip?

Chapter Summary: (Y/n) receives a call from some old friends and gets a job that’ll change her life.

Word Count: 2111

Warnings: Rated MA. Some angst. Dark themes, violence and mentions of death to come. Slooow burn but not too slow.

Author’s Note: FINALLY writing “Parallels!” It’s taken me basically the whole Summer to plan this series and work up the nerve to post the first chapter. But here it is! Let me know what y'all think, reblog or send in some asks with feedback. I’ll try to post an update once a week. If y'all wanna be tagged in this just lemme know!

“If anyone out there can hear us, you’re not alone.”

(Y/n) jolted awake that the crackling radio beside her head. She hadn’t even remembered turning the damn thing on the night before. Funny how alcohol will make you forget little things like that, never the things that count.

“They’ve been keeping the truth from us. All this, it wasn’t a rescue it was a hostile takeover-”

(Y/n) switched off the radio, the familiar voice making her shit headache even worse. Every day it was the same broadcast over a different frequency. What a way to wake up. It was always nice knowing nothing had changed in the past 2 years.

She ran a hand through her hair, groaning as she massaged the deep ache in her head. The blinking red light coming off her console became more and more urgent the more time she took to get to it.

Bright blue light flashed into her eyes as an image of Yondu shouting at her appeared onto her message screen. He looked a little worse for wear, and that was saying a lot considering… well, how he usually looked.

“Girl I dunno why you’re not answerin your comms, you better be sleepin or dead!” He sneered, “I got us the payload of the lifetime, you meet me at these coordinates in 24 hours or it’ll be yer ass I take to the pyros next!”

(Y/n) rolled her eyes, memorizing the coordinates before putting them into her navi console. Once the ship was set to auto pilot she pushed herself to shower and get on some proper clothes.

Did she always do business with the Ravagers? Only on the jobs that counted. She figured she owed them something… At least that’s what was screamed in her face every time she took a job from them.

(Y/n) plopped into the captain’s chair with a grunt. The backroads of the galaxy were the best route to get her to Yondu, but she’d be cutting it a bit close, arriving at the coordinates about two hours before her deadline.

She flicked on the radio in the cockpit. A different and even more oppressive broadcast echoed through the empty ship and she was suddenly in the mood for another drink.

“-roadcasts are an attack on the peace that our Emperor has helped to establish throughout the galaxy. These terrorists have done nothing for the safety or well being of the galaxy.”

(Y/n) cursed to herself, trying to cycle through the different frequencies. Unfortunately the same irritatingly calm female voice was blasting through all the channels. She eventually gave up and relaxed into her chair, sleep ebbing at the corners of her brain.

“If you see any suspicious activity, report it to the royal police immediately and you shall be rewarded by the father himself.”

(Y/n) felt the hair at the back of her neck stand on end and her eyes blow wide as the galaxy before her exploded into swirling clouds of purple and black and white.

A figure who had haunted her dreams stood before her in the abyss, his hands outstretched for her ship and white hot power flowing from his palms.

“Father of everything, the creator and giver of life, our Emperor Ego loves all of you, his children.”

A shrill scream echoed in her ears and the figure came closer to her, so close she could see the emptiness of his eyes.

“By his grace, may you prosper.”

(Y/n) practically jumped out of her chair when she heard someone shouting at her over her radio. A string of drool connected to her chair made her feel a strange mix of disgust and comfort as she realized it was just a dream.

Finally focusing on her surroundings, Yondu’s massive ship came into view. She took a deep breath before responding to the new message.

After docking in the freighter’s landing bay she began making her way through the ship. It had taken her only a month to memorize the corridors when she stayed on the ship, she was glad she wouldn’t have to ask anyone for help, especially with how each Ravager she passed eyed her up and down.

Once she got into the main bay she elbowed her way through the small crowd of Ravagers blocking her path to where she knew Yondu would be perched among the chaos.

However, she found his seat empty once she fought her way through the center of the room. The other Ravagers went quiet once they finally realized she was standing among them.

“Well…?” she called out, looking among the sea of faces, some familiar and others new. “Where’s Yondu… and what’s the emergency?”

“Yondu’s restin,” (Y/n) turned her head, recognizing the second in command, a Ravager known as Dhaki. Kraglin was lost in the chaos two years ago, leaving Yondu with Dhaki. “Got pretty roughed up gettin his haul back here…”

“Then I imagine it was important.” (Y/n) said, hooking her thumbs into her belt loops, standing tall as the Ravager approached her.

“Maybe he would’t’a gotten hurt if you bothered to stick around!” He growled, baring his sharp teeth at her. “You still owe us, don’t forget that.”

(Y/n) took a step away from him, ignoring the snickers among the Ravagers as she did so. “It’s hard to forget when you keep reminding me. Just cut to the chase and get to the job, what’s my haul?”

Dhaki’s scales began to practically glow with anger, (Y/n) definitely wouldn’t have been feeling so brave if her senses weren’t still clouded from her night of fun.

He snapped one of his clawed fingers, his eyes not leaving hers as a handful of mean left the large room.

“You know the drill… Get the cargo to the pyros and bring us the bounty.” He said.

“That doesn’t answer my question, what’s my haul?” she asked again, stepping beck once more as Dhaki moved closer to her.

“Does it matter?”

(Y/n) went silent, knowing her cargo wouldn’t change the details of the job. Still, she had always been curious. Two years in space among pirates hadn’t changed that.

The small group of Ravagers returning with a prisoner in tow pulled the two apart. (Y/n) eyed the prisoner up and down, taking in the details sewn into his fine clothes. The blue and gold silk was a dark contrast from the sack over his head. He was someone of high importance, more important than the generals and commanders she had smuggled in the past.

It wasn’t until one of the men holding him held out a small metal orb that she slowly realized who the prisoner was. She slowly took the orb from him, looking over the intricate carvings before looking back at the man on his knees.

(Y/n) didn’t even realize Dhaki had been speaking to her. She only stared down the prisoner before her in a daze.

Approaching the man, she gripped the orb like a vice at her side as her free hand reached to touch the sack that concealed his identity. She roughly pulled the fabric from his head.

The room broke out into howls of anger and whoops of delight. Each noise crashed into her like the wave of an ocean’s storm against the shore. She could feel tears burning at the edges of her eyes.

Peter Quill.

“This must feel as great for you as it does for me.” Dhaki said, the pride evident in his voice as he brought a hand to (Y/n)’s shoulder. “The man who helped Ego take the cosmos, you get to bring him to justice.”

Peter’s eyes flew around the room from one face to the next, finally landing on the woman who stood before him. She looked like she was torn between breaking down into tears and breaking his nose.

He tried speaking against the gag between his lips, cursing at his captors as the lifted him onto his feet and placed the sack back onto his head.

“That collar on his neck,” Dhaki began, holding up a slim black remote, “Those were used for powered people back on Terra. It’s holdin back his Celestial shit from destroyin us all… You keep it on him…”

(Y/n) slowly nodded at him, taking the remote from Dhaki and grabbing hold of her cargo.

Soon the noise of the room they were in was gone, and he only felt a small pair of hands holding him and dragging him through the ship. He tried fighting against the person’s grip, only for them to stomp on his foot and force him to keep moving.

Peter yelped as he was pushed into a small cot. The sound of something metal clanging shut told him he was in a cell. He stayed absolutely still, hoping whoever had him wouldn’t rough him up the way the Ravagers had.

After what felt like an eternity had passed, Peter realized he was alone. He squirmed against the cuffs that held his wrists behind his back. His hot breath made the sack feel almost humid.

He grew still once he heard lone footsteps approaching his cell. The door opened then shut, and he let out a deep breath once the sack was pulled off his head.

The woman from before stood over him, refusing to make eye contact with him as he sat up.

“I’m trusting you enough not to attack me while I’m in here…” She trailed off, feeling his blue eyes burn into her as she removed his handcuffs and his gag. “My job’s to keep you alive till we get to our final destination. So I won’t pull anything unless you do.”

(Y/n) left the cell, locking it behind her and leaving him confused. She came back a couple minutes later with a tray of warm food and a cup of water.

Peter eyes the food suspiciously as she placed it in his lap.

“What… no utensils…?” he spoke up, looking between her and the tray.

She scoffed lightly, shaking her head at him and leaning against the cell door.

“I don’t trust you that much, Quill…”

Peter rolled his eyes at her and scooped what looked like beans with his fingers and began eating.

“You know who I am…?” he asked through a mouthful of food.

(Y/n) nodded her head at him, scrunching her nose as she chewed through the meat on his plate.

“That’s a stupid question… I’m Terran, of course I know who you are.”

Peter sucked his fingers clean, his eyebrows knitting in confusion at her statement.

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?”

Judging on the look on her face, he shoulda chose his words more carefully. She had that look on her face again from when he first saw her, only this time she looked more like she was leaning towards hitting him.

Before she could cave she left the cell, locking it behind her.

“I’ll make this simple. The more you try to escape, the more unpleasant your stay on my ship will be. So behave yourself and we won’t have any problems here. Leave your tray at the door, there’s a blanket under the cot. If you’re good, you get to shower.”

“Wait, cmon!” Peter shouted, going to the door of the cell and gripping the bars as she started walking away. “What did you mean, it’ll eat me up if you don’t tell me!”

(Y/n) scoffed, shaking her head as she made her way up the stairs to the cockpit. He only continued shouting for her, but she was most comfortable answering once she was out of sight.

“You destroyed earth, douche nozzle!” she yelled from the top of the stairs, smirking to herself once the ship grew silent. She felt prideful only for a moment, then the weight of what she had revealed set in. She had tried her best not to linger on those memories.

The sky going dark, the rescue ships arriving and leaving once they were stuffed full of people, the Avengers trying their best to stop the figure in the sky before it landed on Earth.

(Y/n) remembered just barely catching a glimpse of the man as she and… as she was hauled onto a Ravager ship. The man who was sitting in her ship, eating her food, breathing her air.

But while (Y/n) escaped to her quarters, trying to drink away all the memories of that day, Peter sat awake in his cell, racking his brain for something, anything resembling what she had described. But he found nothing.

[creatorofculture]

Psychological Safety, Problem Solving, and Ownership? Just the Tip of the Iceberg! A Conversation With Bryant Vitanza.

https://youtu.be/OK3KfUg-_gg Creator of Culture: Welcome, to the Creator of Culture podcast. It's great to have you here. Bryant Vitanza: Thanks for having me. Creator of Culture: It's my pleasure. We have a lot, actually, three really great topics to be discussed tonight, we'll see if we can get to all of them, we... Before we get in and dive in, feet first, tell me a little bit about you... Why are you passionate about this? What does culture mean to you? And anything else you wanna discuss? Bryant Vitanza: Definitely. So obviously, we've been talking about this type of stuff ever since I met you for I guess four years back now, but it's something as I've stepped through my career, spending a lot of time in the transformation... Large scale change space, I've realized a lot of the root causes are not due to technology limitations or not due to process, it's mostly around the people, and at the end of the day, when you think about the people in organization, everyone always says that the number one asset of an organization, but when you actually look at how an organization provides a space for those people to excel and to work at their best, that kinda gets into that culture Real, which in essence is the soul of an organization. It is one thing that you can't...You can't see it, but you know it's there, and you know when it's working for you and you know, and it's not working for you. And a lot of organizations struggle with this culture where they do don't wanna change the culture 'cause it's what makes them unique, or that's their kind of bread and butter in terms of being able to drive innovation, what they don't realize is you have to continuously re-evaluate that, see what aspects of the culture do you want to retain and what aspects do you need to start to shed for whatever reason. And so as I've stepped through my career, I've seen time and time again how organizations have blinders on and they don't really recognize that their culture is actually limiting the innovation, they're not providing a safe space for their employees, that psychological safety, that's allowing their employees to really... Work and grow at a much higher potential in the organization, so I'm really passionate about helping organizations to understand why this is something from diversity of perspective, understanding all the different perspectives, why competencies are no longer in silos, but you actually need to be able to cut across competencies and be cross-functional and your understanding of the organization, how it runs, what you do, and so I'm really excited to talk about these topics, 'cause this is something that we've... Is talked about quite a bit, and I really enjoy... I really enjoy talking about it, so yeah. Creator Of Culture: For sure. The material out there is great, I think it needs to be unpacked a little bit further, there's still a stigma around culture and there's often saying that, "I sense it, I can feel it, but sometimes it's hard to label and define", so through this project, Creator of Culture, and discussions with people with experience, with stories to tell, we're looking to demystify that and basically label that feeling and label, well, I really feel that in an organization... So anyway, let's jump right into it. Bryant, you mentioned something previous about psychological safety in organizations, I wonder if you can unpack that a little bit for me and for people or listening. Bryant Vitanza:  Yeah, I think to kinda pull on a thread in terms of being able to feel it, I think it's the old school mentality kind of chain of command, top-down directive of an organization where people really... We're just there to put a bunch of time clock or to do a task or to do a job, and weren't really empowered. That's kind of, I think, time and time again, is whether it's through studies or through actual results is proven not to be the most effective way to build an innovative organization. And so one of the key aspects of, I think, a modern organization is this concept of psychological safety, and then there's a lot of literature obviously about this, one of my favorite people to look at, Adam Grant talks a lot about, this is a room of books around it... But when you think about psychological safety, it's really from the top of the organization and is really important from the leadership perspective, providing people a safe space where they can make mistakes and not feel like they're gonna be reprimanded or penalized for making a mistake that they're transparent and they don't feel like they need to sweep something under the rug, and so it really gets back to the kind of humility, being able to express your feelings in a way for all the way, again, from the CEO of letting their people know, “hey, it's okay to make mistakes, I make mistakes every day.  And I want to empower you to express yourself in whatever way, it's a safe space, so if you have a problem or you make a mistake, that's okay. Let's support you and help you grow.”   Because that's what really drives that idea of a learning culture, this concept that what helps you do your job today, and what's got you to where you are in your career is not what's gonna get you to the next step. And every organization is very good at doing what they do today, but it's that learning culture that's gonna help them to innovate and do what they need to do 5, 10, 15 years from now to be relevant. And so the psychological safety, I think, is one of those kind of cornerstones of ensuring that you build that learning culture so you can stay relevant and continue to innovate in your organization and retain talent, people want to be empowered, they wanna feel safe in their jobs, and that kind of ties into the diversity inclusion space, which is another important topic, but it's something I think that a lot of the leaders today that I grew up in the old school of mentality, really struggle with, they have a lot of blind spots around some of those softer, what would typically are referred to a softer skills, emotional intelligence type of thing, so I think it's a challenge for them to kind of bridge that gap into the next generation and start to really build psychological safety into the culture of the organization, if it's not already there... Creator of Culture: Now, that's a really interesting point, Bryant, about psychological safety. And a lot of things seem to basically combine to produce the safety, one is, you mentioned vulnerability and vulnerability from the CEO down.  You say, “hey, it is a safer organization. I make mistakes like everybody. It's okay if you do, because our culture of what we're trying to create is something, say innovation is a priority, and to create that, it's trust, making mistakes, that safe place to learn to grow, to move beyond your comfort zone and support that”.  And basically say It's okay. How does that relate to, in your opinion, to problem-solving, is this interrelated, is it overlap in a way, or is that something separate, do you think?  Bryant Vitanza: I think it's very much related. Right, this is where traditionally, we grew up in education system where you focus on different subjects and you really don't learn how to express yourself or how to understand, Well, why am I feeling this way? Or, Why can't I do this? Or, how do I overcome adversity? Or if I fail, do I get back up and keep moving forward? So you're educated in mathematics, you're educated in English, you're educated and all these subjects, but at the end of the day, you get into the workforce and you realize a lot of that doesn't apply, a lot of it is just basic problems, Hobson skills, being able to connect the dots between the problem you're encountering today and how are you going to actually solve that problem? And so when you think about creating that safe space, being vulnerable, being your authentic self, which drives creativity and innovation, you need to be able to have support and feeling power to be able to problem-solve, otherwise you're gonna continue the status quo, which means if I see a problem, and it's not in my little world, it's not part of my job responsibilities, I'm just gonna look the other way and that problem is gonna stay there where if you're empowered and really owning it and feel safe and part of the team, in terms of we're all in this together, the mission, and if I help you, you're gonna help me type of thing, you can leverage your problem-solving skills to step outside of your comfort zone or step outside of your competency area and help to drive that... Whatever that problem is, or challenge to completion, and I think that's how people grow, right. I think no longer are you gonna be stuck in your competency, right, whether you're a contract professional or whether you're finance professional or an engineer, it's very rare that you can now operate just within that mode, you need to have these against softer skills to be able to... Attack these problems that we've never faced before, the environment's changing at a pretty rapid pace in terms of competition, in terms of the industries, in terms of the challenges, and so problem-solving is gonna be critical to that, but you need to have a safe space to be able to grow and operate within that. Creator of Culture: Bryant, why can't people let their guard down and be vulnerable? Is there something... It makes me think that…. is there something from your perspective, physiologically going on in our body that just is a block from doing that is letting down your guard? What's the hold up? I guess, is there a fear of doing that, are people worried about exposing too much?  In your opinion, how do you get over that hump? Bryant Vitanza: Yeah, so this is a really good question. I think it's not too much of a kind of a stretch to pull the thread and realize that this is actually impact your personal life too, in terms of the vulnerability, psychological safety, being able to express yourself, and so just to tie it back to how we're brought up as children and through the education system and through college, you're rarely taught how to channel that and to understand how you're feeling... How should I express myself? And I can't speak to whether on the physiological thing, but... Do you think in terms of overcoming, it takes a lot of self-awareness and being able to look inside introspectively and say, Why am I feeling this way? or why?... Every time I step into this room, I freeze up and I don't wanna talk about something. And really unpacking that. And is it because I don't feel comfortable with the team? Is it because I'm out of my comfort zone in terms of whatever the subject matter is, and I don't feel like I add anything to the team, and once you start to kind of understand what those limitations or why you're feeling a certain way, you can start to develop tools or mechanisms for you to channel and be able to work through that, a So I've spent a lot of time understanding what those limitations are for me personally, and figuring out how can I overcome them, or how can I work around them to make sure it's not limiting me in terms of my growth potential, and I think it's different for everyone, everyone's got their own kind of reasons, but it is a lot of self-reflection to really understand what is it gonna take for me to feel psychologically safe in this environment, what is it gonna take for me to be vulnerable.   And it's different for everyone. So I think the ability to express that to you, whether it's your manager or if you're working with a close team, what your comfort level is in terms of sharing, in terms of having that safe space, what kind of support you need is really important because if you can't express that other individuals working around you don't necessarily know what you need to be supported, and so it's really important to do that self-reflection and then be able to communicate and articulate it to those, especially your leadership or the peers that you work very closely with, so they can help to provide that that environment for you that can help you grow and overcome some of those limitations. Creator of Culture: That's a great piece of wisdom. What I heard was almost two parts. Bryant, one part was the process and learning how to, I guess, evaluate yourself as to why you're feeling a certain way introspect and have that ability. And a follow-up question, does it have to be taught?   Some people know how to do that, it can be hard to do. And does that take a form of education or a study experience? or even having a coach to help pull that out?  Second is, one feels they're capable of doing that, they're competent in that sense, is still a matter of trust on how much is disclosed, say in a workplace or a group or a community before they can start saying, "Hey, I can be my authentic self and be real without being judged?"  because I realized that this place is supportive because they get it, if they're not, you'll never see someone's authentic, so I just wondered if you could speak up on those two points for a second. Bryant Vitanza: Yeah, so to the first one, I definitely think it takes... When you think of self-development type things, it takes learning to kind of be able to have that self-reflection, self-awareness, you need to be true to yourself, you can't make excuses for things, and you really need to take an honest look at yourself, and you may not always like some of the reasons. So you have to be able to unpack that. I do think there's a lot of kind of tools or ways to teach yourself, whether it's through books or things like meditation or even things like the therapy and talking to someone else, especially someone outside of either your personal life or professional life that really does not have any skin in the game, and it's just there to listen to you express things that you maybe have never expressed openly to anyone before and help you assess that, and then on top of that, there's definitely significant value in finding a mentor, again, I strongly recommend mentors outside of your core professional life that can really help impact some of that and talk to you about some of their experiences in dealing with that as well, in terms of… This is the second part, that's where the psychological safety and making sure that whether it's your community or your job, whoever is in leadership positions at the highest possible level, they are visibly vulnerable and creating that safe space. So you have some comfort that, Well, if they can do it, so can I. But it also comes to accountability from the leadership and making sure leaders at all that was the organization, whether they're informal leaders are not... Are held accountable for making sure they're creating that safe space, because the last thing you want is someone to kind of go through that self-reflection and start to be able to express themselves and bring their authentic selves to only be shut down, like you were saying, whether it's someone else pushing them to the side or judging them, because that's only gonna be that much harder for them to kind of come back out of that. And so that's... I think one of the challenges organizations have today is we speak a lot about diversity, inclusion, psychological safety, but there's not a lot of action in terms of the leaders of the organization openly expressing themselves and being vulnerable, but also holding everyone else accountable in the organization to make sure that they're creating that safe space as well.And I think that goes for any community organization or even in your professional lives, whether it's a relationship or family... Creator of Culture:  That's so interesting. And it brings me to the next point that we've talked about in the past and beneficial, I think for our discussion here today, and that's if you see accountability and the concept of ownership. Now, I'm just thinking about what you just said, if someone went through all those steps to self-reflect, to learn why, to be able to turn around and express themselves only to be shot down... Not a good recipe. Imagine put yourself in that person's shoes who has had the courage to go down that road, then only to be let down... lost them forever. So... Can you talk about accountability? I know from the ownership perspective, that not only are we “talking the talk”, but “walking the walk” and backing up what we're saying. Could you explain that a little bit, and if you have an example, it doesn't have to get names and things like that, but just a general example, Bryant, maybe of something you've seen that worked or someone who backfired because there wasn't ownership... Bryant Vitanza: Yeah, no, I mean ownership and accountability go hand in hand, right, no matter... I think what you're talking about, and especially when you get into this area, a psychological safety, diversity inclusion, it's an imperative that whatever the person's role or let's focus in on kind of a leader of an organization, that they actually own it and they're holding themselves accountable and they're asking other people in the organization to hold themselves accountable because the last thing you want is you go out and hire a diversity inclusion expert, you bring them into the organization and they start talking about these concepts and people start saying, Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, this is great, I love this, this is what we need. And then the CEO of the organization is exhibiting the exact opposite of what they're talking about in terms of actions, they're talking it, they're kind of openly expressing support by saying, Listen to this person that's talking about this, but in their actions, they're not following through with that and they're not holding themselves accountable for creating the safe space, so I can speak to a couple examples where I've seen senior leaders openly radical people in meetings and I scream at them and read them, and that's where, again, not only are they not holding themselves accountable, but they're not actually walking the walk, they may be, again, supporting the word, saying the words, but when people see a senior leader, an organization yelling on a person or braiding a person or belittling them, they're immediately gonna shut down and say, Okay, I don't wanna ever say anything in front of this person. Because what if on the next one on the list... And so that's where the accountability... And we're human, right? So at the end of the day, we can't always hold ourselves accountable, especially when we put ourselves in certain situations, but being able to say, Hey, Mike, I wanna make sure... I'm creating a safe space. Can you hold me accountable? And if you see something in the meeting, please immediately just call me out and say, Hey Brian, I don't think that's appropriate, and I'm giving you that, I'm empowering you, whatever your level in the organization is to hold me accountable, and I think that's really important for senior leaders, CEOS, any level of management, to allow their staff to allow their peers to hold them accountable openly, publicly, because that's where everyone starts to understand, Okay, this is not just on me to hold myself accountable, this is really all of us working together to hold each other accountable, and that lends itself to, again, the creating that safe space where we all are in it together, working towards the same... Same vision. Creator of Culture: It's all interconnected. Read the full article

[heartslogos]

newfragile yellows [824]

“I don’t make it a habit of questioning gods," Ellana says.

Bull starts laughing. Ellana would describe it as uncontrollably but Bull is nothing if not a master of his own body.

Ellana glares at him as she tries to figure out a way around the rocks blocking the entrance to the narrow cave.

“You wanna rephrase that?” He asks, gently nudging her aside so he can inspect the rocks, tapping his knuckles against a few of them. “Move a bit away. I’m going to start moving rocks and I’d rather you were clear.”

“Fine. I don’t make a habit of questioning my god’s existence. Everything else is suspect,” she corrects. “I don’t know. The Wolf has always been the Wolf. He doesn’t have an origin story like the others do.”

“You don’t think it’s weird that all of your gods have normal portrayals and then you’ve got the one that’s an animal?”

“Ghilan’nain is portrayed as a hala and Mythal is Mother of Dragons.”

“Yeah but they’re mostly depicted as people, not hala and dragons,” Bull replies. “And I’ve never seen a depiction of Fen’Harel as anything other than a wolf. Also — all of them have origin stories. How can Fen’Harel not? I mean. He didn’t just appear.”

“You think I’m going to ask the Dread Wolf what his lineage is?” Ellana replies, scoffing as she watches the stones above them for any movement. “All I know is that he was associated with both sides. The Creators and the Forgotten ones, and he’s the reason why the Creators are beyond the Veil and the Forgotten ones are in the abyssal realms.” Ellana keeps the information that it was not a betrayal on the Creator’s part to herself.

They wanted to go. They were ready to go. The Wolf lingers just in case. He is not the gate keeper, but the observer.

She doesn’t think Bull would accept that without further question. And Ellana might be the sort to ask questions, but there are things even she doesn’t poke into without express invitation. And the Wolf is not inviting.

“What do you need here?” Bull asks, stepping back from the rock and stone to observe it as a whole.

“I don’t know yet,” Ellana says. “I suppose I’ll find out when I get inside. From what I can guess, whatever caused the collapse of the entrance probably upset something inside. Maybe I have to fix it, or clean it.”

“He really doesn’t tell you what you’re supposed to be doing? What happens if you don’t have what you need to fix it?”

“I figure it out,” Ellana shrugs, sitting on a tree stump and putting her chin in her hands. “Besides, this time isn’t so bad. He told me to bring you with me. Clearly he felt pity on me this time around. He wanted me to have someone with muscle and a bit of structural knowledge.”

“Or maybe he got tired of you talking at him and wanted you to talk at me instead,” Bull says. “Is he here?”

“No.”

“Did you check?”

“Don’t need to.” Ellana shrugs. “He isn’t here. I just know it.”

Bull gives Ellana a flat look. “You wanna ask him — “

“No,” Ellana cuts him off. “He’s not going to offer us any hints. Well. He’s not going to offer me any hints. He’s already gone off to do whatever he does when he isn’t telling me to do things or watching me struggle because he’s bored. Should we go back and get Rocky?”

Bull takes another look at the collapsed entrance. “Give me another pass at it. If I can’t figure it out we’ll get Rocky. But his solution is probably going to cause more damage to whatever’s inside.”

“Maybe he wants me to destroy what’s inside.”

“A lot of guesswork going on here. Isn’t that a little dangerous when god is involved?”

“It’s god. It’s nothing but guesswork. Take a look at the Chantry if you want a pillar of example for that. I highly doubt the Maker was such a good wordsmith as to craft the entire Chant of Light. Nor am I guess Andraste returned from the dead to personally pen every verse — including the forbidden ones. Guesswork is basically faith with touches of the tangible thrown in. Guesswork is an act of prayer.”

Bull looks absolutely scandalized. Ellana smiles at him.

“You’re backwards,” he says, turning his back on her. “I’m going back to trying to figure out something that has actual logic to it. Don’t talk to me until I’ve sorted my brain out again.”

Ellana rolls her eyes before sliding onto the ground. She crosses her legs, laying her staff across her knees and closes her eyes.

The Wolf isn’t here and Ellana said she wouldn’t call him. But she can still try and reach him.

Guesswork is an act of prayer after all. And Ellana guessing that the Wolf hears her when she throws her thoughts out looking for him is a prayer all on its own.

Ellana focuses outwards and calls, a single, questioning howl into the ether.

Like the brush of a leaf, like the tip of a claw, Ellana feels a single touch to the center of her mind. He’s far away, but she has some of his attention.

Does what is needed here require caution and delicacy?

The touch wavers, fading.

Am I able to use force for expediency?

The touch strengthens, pushing hard. 

Do I drastically increase my chance of causing harm to myself and others from the effect of what lies beyond by using speed and power to resolve this?

The touch remains steady.

Will the situation worsen if I take my time to fix this in order to make sure my safety is secure?

The Wolf’s presence brushes over her, like a hand. His voice answers, no. And he’s gone.

Ellana opens her eyes to see that Bull’s marked some stones with some chalk.

“We can go slow on this,” Ellana tells him. “If worse comes to worse, we can get Rocky, but it might be more trouble than it’s worth. I don’t think it’d kill us, though.”

Bull grunts. “Did you ask if there’s a timetable for this?”

“It won’t get worse if we work on it slowly. But I don’t think the Wolf would appreciate me leaving this for later entirely.”

“Alright, fine. Come over here and let me borrow your small hands. I need you to feel for some gaps.”

[greenwater76]

Batman is wonderful

a brother and his younger sister are noticed to be in arkham. They have no prior records before coming to the prison and they do not have case or transfer records. According to the records, they do not exist outside of arkham. The boy, about 17, has the ability to change people’s perception of himself and a small number of people. Additionally, he can change facts. The limit is that he can only change things that will have a small effect. For example, he can change the fact that poison ivy’s hair is orange to it being yellow, but he cannot change, for example, the color of a species of butterfly. These things are often not noticed unless they are closely monitored and usually are accepted easily due to his powers. The girl, around 14, is incredibly smart and attentive. She has the power to force people to keep deals with her if they sign a contract she has drawn up. She cannot force them to do things that are impossible for them. If at any time, either side will not be able to uphold their side of the contract, (such as when one side dies and cannot be revived or fulfill the conditions without their lives) the contract is nullified. She can cancel a contract at any time. If the other side wants to, she must also agree to cancel it. She also is very protective of her brother. You threaten her brother, you die. They have committed crimes, but nothing anything like most of the people at Arkham. The girl assaulted someone both because they were discriminating against her friends and because they had insulted her brother. Additionally, one of the newest superweapons’ blueprints had been traced back to her as the original creator. Her brother is her mental anchor because she has both a god complex and is mad at her family for not believing in her because of her gender and because she was the second child. She is very arrogant because of this, although she does not mind people insulting her, because she believes that they could not possibly see how wonderful she is if they are no higher than water bugs. However, the brother is especially caring about other people’s opinions of him and he does not feel very comfortable about himself because of that. Although, his sister’s rampages make him feel better because he knows she loves him very much and sort of idolizes him. The brother was always kind to her. They have a deep bond. They would also die for one another. She keeps him from doing anything too dumb, he keeps her temper in check. They do have separation anxiety. They have a very deep instilled fear that if they are kept apart for too long, both of them will die inexplicitly. The two siblings reside in arkham because 

1.  They are homeless, since they ran from their parents.

2. They liked the food ok.

3. They are provided mental help for free and without much identification needed.

4. The inmates respect them because they assume they did something very bad in order to be prosecuted as adults.

5. They were bored and so they decided to try and help the inmates, since most of them are decentish people.

The brother is an introvert who doesn’t like inconveniencing people and hates starting a commotion because of something small. He cares very much about what other people think of him and he lets a lot of things go. The sister, however, is sort of an ambivert and doesn’t mind not seeing anyone but him. She does, however, pick up on social cues very well and this makes her a very good socializer. It also allows her to predict what her brother is thinking easily, especially since she’s known him all her life. 

Rising from her hunched posture over ivy’s neck and slowly getting off of her back she said,“Ah. It should be deactivated, but I wouldn’t suggest you try to take it off. It should still have the alarm system and think that it still blocks your abilities. Besides, if you weren’t wearing it, you’d probably add years to your sentence.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem. I’m glad you entered this agreement with me! Just remember, no harming anyone unless someone else lets you out of the collar.”

“I will.”

“Ah bats, ya’ know, the people here in Arkham often don’t get the help they need to rehabilitate. It’s a shame really. So many missed opportunities. Ah! Ya’ know I’ve met a few that even want to start their journey to becoming a normal, functional citizen. Sadly, this place just doesn’t have the funding.” Batman stands in silence, his eyes narrowed at the girl. It sounded like she was trying to get something out of him. “Oh! Maybe you could have that billionaire persona of yours donate some money to Arkham! I bet people will eat that up. Just think about it, ‘Generous Bruce Wayne Donates Money to Rehabilitate Criminals and Ensure the Safety of Gotham!’ A nice headline, eh?” 

“How dare you fucking maggot even think to speak about my brother that way! You who are so low that I wouldn’t dare touch you unless it prevented harm coming to my brother!”

“So what? What are you gonna do about me talking about your brother that way, ya’ little bitch? Gonna go cry to the staff that we’re bullying you? Oh boo hoo. Grow up.”

“You forget that I’m the one who controls this prison. I’m the one who FUCKING OWNS YOUR LIFE AND YOU SHOULD DO WELL NOT TO FUCKING FORGET IT!” In the middle of this exclamation, she had to be held back by her brother physically, so she did not bring harm to the man. 

“Oh~! Does big bro have to hold back his little gremlin of a sister? I thought you ‘owned my life’ and ‘controlled this prison’? Oh well. Maybe you wanna put this little liar in a time-out corner.”

“IVY! I SWEAR TO GOD! I’M AMENDING OUR CONTRACT NOW! YOU CAN HURT THIS MOTHERFUCKING BASTARD!”

“Ivy? As if Ivy’s gonna attack me on your command! She doesn’t even have the collar off! How could she--” It was then that that man decided that he regretted doubting the little girl. Ah~~~ He had just wanted some extra food. 

“Sister? Sister, it’s fine! I didn’t even care.”

“You know you fucking did and thats why I’m showing this bastard that he’s wrong. He’s just saying that because he’s mad that we’re better than him.”

“You didn’t have to start such a commotion for me.”

“Yes, I did. Because even if I didn’t you’d worry about it all night.”

“I would not!”

“You would!”

“Anh! Besides, I’m just going to worry about this so why does it matter?”

“They’re my actions, you shouldn’t worry about them.”

“But you’re my little sister, I’m responsible for you! And you wouldn’t have to do this if I had self confidence”

“Just cause you’re responsible for me doesn’t mean you should worry about something I did endlessly! And you don’t have self confidence because of people like him and because of mom and dad’s lofty expectations!”

“It’s not their fault!”

“Yes it is! You know it is! We’ve had this argument time and time again, and it always ends with you saying you know it’s their fault and that you know they’re shitty, but you can’t help but defend them because they’re your parents!”

“You’re right.”

“Of course I am.”

“Let’s go back to our room.”

“Sure. Oh! Thank you, Ivy.”