#I'm not gonna say anything on the sexualizing 16 year olds that topic just makes me way uncomfy i don't like talking about it

[artofapeach]

Remember that stoneman85 guy that you hear a while back. I forgot to mention that guy sexualize his characters WHO ARE 16. He also laziness steal stuff from other media. For example. For one of his story, he rip off starfire, her powers, her backstory and costume and claim it inspiration. God I hope he doesn’t find zoophobia, he was just make jack a Mary Sue, rip off some zp fan kids, just Damian make evil, ignore rusty being gay and ruined my girl Cameron

Yeah, I remember him! I didn't find his stuff all that bad, but I also barely read more than the first chapter (which were way long wwww)

But hey! Your feelings about him are valid! Feel free to vent to me if you need to! I love being a listening ear!

Buuuuuuut I also love to talk, so if you don't wanna read my thoughts, ignore the tags X3

[enemyoflactose]

To start this off, I want to mention the extremely weird obsession you have with watering Ryou down to this dumb Femboy for having feminine characteristics. God forbid a boy- yes, a BOY, a 16 year old, anorexic and confused guy to not be the manliest guy alive. Also all the overly sexual things directed to him or in relation to him? They are just downright revolting and can be in no way justified. You wonder why people can’t recognize your Ryou art when you dumb him down to a fucking femboy. Ryou bakura is based off many other characters and is supposed to be ANDROGYNOUS. (hence his Female VA and overall appearance.) he is NOT a girl. Also, stop making him to look really fucking dumbed down. If you even read the manga, ryou is actually really fucking smart. He isn’t a bimbo, he isn’t some kind of fucking stupid silly uwu boy. HES A TEENAGER GOD FORBID HE EVEN EXISTS

The next thing I wanted to allude on, Marik's mischaracterization, oversexualization (again) and woobification? How are you gonna dismiss one of the best written Characters in the entire show just for a few petty arguments, rude and impolite at that too. You’re also a giant hypocrite. Being as Yami Bakura (your favorite character) is a bad person AND I WOULD EVEN SAY, HES AN AWFUL PERSON. more so compared to Marik. His redemption arc i can get as to why you’re so pissy about it but you need to realize that this is also a kids show with limited writing due to 4KIDS, manga is more well constructed. Honestly i just have a giant problem with your Marik. I’m not even gonna talk about the thiefshipping, angstshipping, and opinions abt YM..why is Marik in your head like a fuckass. Like, your perception of him is so weird. Marik is equally as bad as every villain in Yugioh, you constantly make him out to be a hypersexual sex craved MANIAC. Also not to mention the blatant racism on your blog (it’s self explanatory.) I don’t understand all the hate, from his arc to the character design…pick a side, do you hate him or do you only like him because he pounds ryou in your head :T

Also the pure, unadulterated watering down of SA in your "crimes of marik/yami marik" post? I can't put into words how extremely shameful it is, to disregard such an important and scary topic and to make a joke of it honestly. IT WAS NOT SA? the scene was ryou bakura about to FALL OVER because he is INJURED. Marik isn’t trying to do anything to him. Thanks for dumbing down real life situations you’re an awesome person

Where did you get that Ryou was anorexic? Being thin and not really eating a lot doesn't make you anorexic. I would know, I was almost diagnosed with it.

I head cannon Ryou as a femboy not because I'm sexualizing him, but because I want to draw a character that I like and relate to in outfits that I just want to see him in.

Do I end up drawing Ryou in sexual outfits? Yes. I'm sorry this upsets you, but I find certain typically sexual outfits such as maid outfits and MEIKO's Blue Crystal model to be very pretty and cute. Not to mention they're just fun to draw.

I have plans to draw Ryou in other dresses and skirts that aren't sexual, I wouldn't have this head cannon if I didn't.

I'm well aware that looking androgynous doesn't automatically make someone a femboy or tomboy. I may be dumb, but I'm not an idiot.

The kind of stupid that I think Ryou is, is the kind that makes you unable to see certain social cues or just be ignorant about a lot of things. I give him the same stupid that I have because I'm projected on to a character that I like and relate to.

I'm also still new to writing, so the way I characterize Ryou hasn't been shown to its fullest. I write him and acknowledge him how he's already written, but I add things to make myself happy. That's how fanfiction works.

I never said that Ryou was a bimbo, I said that he's stupid because he makes objectively dumb choices like keeping the millennium ring and not telling his friends about it. Also, yes I do know that he's being abused. From an outsiders perspective however, his choices just come across as looking stupid.

I am making light hearted jokes about a fictional character and projecting myself on to that same fictional character, and you have a problem with that?

And to talk about your insults to my art, I know that the reason I'm scared people won't recognize Ryou is because I draw him to like this:

Instead of this:

I'm well aware of that because despite my low intelligence, I can understand that he doesn't really look like Ryou.

Also, why are you so intent on telling me that Ryou is a boy? I know he's a boy. I constantly say that he's a boy and acknowledge that he's a boy. You need to identify as a boy to be a femboy 💀.

For your Marik takes, I have no clue what woobafication is. I also don't hate Marik because he's a bad person, I "hate" him (it's fucking theatrical you dumbass) because he has a poor redemption that needed to be explored more. Marik is a character that I genuinely like and I think he's fun and hilarious, I just have problems with how he was redeemed since in my eyes, he did nothing to deserve it.

Yami Bakura is also not my favorite character. Weevil and Joey are. I just talk about Yami Bakura way more because there's more for me to say. I like Ryou more than him as well because Ryou is my projection character.

I'm well aware that Yami Bakura is a worse person than Marik, he did almost kill all of Egypt is I'm remembering things right, but that doesn't mean that Marik isn't also a bad person.

Just because someone is worse than another, doesn't mean that that person's sins are cleaned completely.

Of course you don't wanna talk about the angstshipping thiefshipping discourse you little pussy.

Marik is objectively worse than Pegasus, Noah, Gozuburo, and the Douma trio. He kidnaps, brainwashes, steals, kills, abuses his brother, and all the while he still blames Yami Yugi for how he is.

Marik being hypersexual is just a fandom trop. That's why I think he is, because a pretty big number of people also think that way.

Where is the racism? I'm genuinely concerned about this one it is not self explanatory.

I do actually like Marik as a character, it's not because he pounds Ryou in my head, it's because he's entertaining. He's fun, I like fun villains. (His purple shirt is ugly as hell tho)

Now to talk about my biggest issue with you. You think I can afford to just read the manga and watch the sub, don't you?

Well guess what chuckle nuts, I'M FUCKING POOR

I don't have the money to buy more of the Yu-Gi-Oh manga or to pay for a Crunchyroll subscription.

I'm broke, no money, poor, jobless.

You're making the assumption that I can fucking afford to buy the manga. I have to ask my family to buy it for me as gifts for birthdays and shit. I literally have no money.

So let me put everything you need to know in a little list so you, and anyone else, can understand things about me.

I project onto Ryou

I think pretty boys in pretty dresses is cool

I actually really like Marik

My favorite character is Weevil

I happen to like angstshipping

I happen to not like thiefshipping

I think certain sexualized outfits are pretty or look fun to draw

I have media literacy

Fuckass is not a word in my vocabulary and I don't know what that means

Please block me 💕

[itsaship-literally]

My god, this is going to sound SO silly but I NEED to vent or I'm going to explode.

Do not misunderstand me, I don't want to sound like one of those Beetlebabes haters who use age to complain about the ship even if it's meaningless, but seeing people EXPLICITLY sexualize underage Lydia is TRAUMATING to say the least.

Like, I'm not here to complain about these people because it would be very naive of me to think that they're going to stop because of me or any nonsense like that but... How do you guys usually deal with that? Really, I don't know what to do or think about the situation, I just know that it's bothering me a LOT. I know, I know, it's silly to care about it because I absolutely can't do anything about it, but it still hurts.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to exaggerate or anything, I don't mean to upset people either, but god, I feel so gross seeing this and at the same time I feel guilty for worrying too much or whatever… I saw that in yours blog you mention that you support ship in a sexual way when Lydia is older (Or something like that, forgive my poor memory), so how do you usually react/deal with this type of content? Or does it just not bother you?

I apologize for the outburst, but I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to have a nice experience in the fandom because of this... I just arrived, I don't want to leave because of this, but it's making it IMPOSSIBLE to enjoy. I feel like a dirty pedophile just for shipping, so I think seeing posts like this only makes it worse.

Um, anyway, I appreciate the attention :)

You know what, you bring up a good topic here. Before we start. I don't kink shame people because it's just not me. However! I had moments when I was younger (early 20's) that freaked me out when it came to over-sexualizing things (in my case it was bellydancers because that was my hobby at the time) but after a while, I sorta just stopped worrying about it because like you said, it won't change how people feel about their proclivities. The same goes for fandom. I ick after things too. (Example: the Dora the Explorer stuff. holy shit) Today, I learn that the best way to go about it is to not look for it. Don't seek the stuff that ick's ya. I don't much care for baby toon Lyds in adult situations but I can separate the idea that Lydia is an actual real person. I can take a story as just that. A story. As for art, I do not like Loli stuff. It's an ick for me. But I also don't judge a person for enjoying it. I would prefer to avoid it and I set my boundaries with my friends accordingly.

Back to Lydia in the Beetlejuice fandom!

Let's say you are a Shipper

Age of consent is a big deal for most here, including myself, but we are also realistic in the sense that many don't think that people give teens enough credit for their own biological functions. Let's take a step back to reality for a moment. 100%, It's not right for a real-life person to act on things like taking advantage of youth and naivete. However, it can not be dismissed that many people in their youth made choices based on their overactive hormones. I recall being one such teen where I allowed myself to act out in ways that, as an adult, I CRINGE at. To have Lydia as a 16-18 year-old act out with an undead creep feels plausible. Does everyone here feel that's a comfortable read? No, not at all. Many, like me, prefer to have an older, more informed Lydia make choices that work for her. Now about Beetlejuice. First off. He's a creep. If it's got tits or whatever suits his fancy, he's gonna jump on it. He's always been that way in media. Except with Lydia. His respect for her, and his treatment of her have always been different from other people. He'll probably take any advantage given to him and if his death was during a plague-riddled time then his view of human women could easily be skewed. Again it comes to how comfortable you are with his characterization. Do you want him chasing a 12-year-old, a 16-year-old, or an adult? Do you think he would go for body type? Do you think he would choose feelings over physical desires? Your best bet in navigating the whole Betelyds/Beetlebabes dynamic comes from understanding yourself. Are you confident in separating your choices in romance from alternate depictions? Do you prefer a more Ace approach of no romance/sexuality? Do you like a soft romance with no raunch? Do you want sexuality and passion in a more adult setting? Check with tags. Look for underage warnings. Talk to writers and artists to see what they do. Skim over or remove yourself from places that ick ya. Ask questions of yourself and others. There is no harm in discovering your boundaries and respecting those who have set theirs.

Now let's say you are a Friendshipper only.

You want Beej and Lyds to be pals with a slight affection for each other that defies a normal buddy pal. Maybe they have something that can't be defined as a friend but also not a romantic relationship. I like to consider this Babes Adjacent. They are not romantically linked but they are bonded. Soul mates without being physical mates. We have plenty of Babes who love friendship just as much. Some prefer to be called non-shippers, and others don't really care. They just wanna vibe. Some of them like Kid Lyds and her ghostly Boo. They support and care and protect each other like there is no tomorrow. It's painfully sweet and heartbreakingly loving. So many of us need that in our lives. Unconditional support and protection from things that make us hurt. In this case search for the & and not the / if you can. If folks are willing to send me art and fics where this bond is emphasized, I'd appreciate it. I admit I have a fear of finding a fic of someone who is gonna freak when they see my screen name and go "Noooooooo not a Beetlebabe!". That's a stress I don't enjoy. I just wanna vibe and watch these two dorks be happy with each other. Now to address your last fear, that you feel like a dirty p-word. All you gotta do is know where you stand on your attraction. It comes down to knowing yourself. Personally, I like an older man and older lady (Bi-mama here) but I don't shy away from stories with younger characters. I don't squick because I know my preferences are not reflected in getting lost in a story. With all the love and support I can send ya through the blog. Please don't feel ashamed for enjoying a ship (friendship or relationship). Just set your preferences and find your inner confidence. Stay polite to those who have different levels of shippiness. You can navigate the ship. I believe in you.

[xplrvibes]

some choice quotes from the subreddit which I peeked at since I'm nosy:

"They make videos for kids like “WE GOT ATTACKED BY A ANGRY GHOST” and have a hot babe in the thumbnail, wtf is going on, who tricked joe this bad"

"Bro literally I checked out their channel thinking it’s gonna be like paranormal activity, but it was more like the ghost hunters from South Park. “What was that!! There’s a wet fluid going down my pants”

'Damn, mad respect…. I made it 14 min. I’m assuming not one ghost was proven to exist throughout the entire episode. Someone please tell me I’m wrong."

"No, im 42min in and you hear about how they tried everything to get famous and settled on Ghost hunting because it was safe and not illegal so they wouldn't get in trouble like they did with the other stuff they tried. They didnt mention anything about having a 6th sense or experiencing paranormal stuff when they were young. Nope they found out they could get views doing this so they stuck with it. So yeah their whole thing is bullshit."

"They only farm kids for views, there is nothing special or good about it, you understand that it’s like 5-12 year olds that are watching this mindlessly right? They use sexuality and fear to get this kids hooked."

"Lmao, they're all grifters but I would take anyone over these tiktok e-boys. They could have had someone like Jack Osbourne, Josh Gates, Jason Hawes, Katrina Weidman, the Buzzfeed dudes- hell I'd take Zak Bagans. Those people would have more to say than just "we're popular because we're cute and 16 year old girls love us, please subscribe to our channel where we make the same scared face again and again".

I am picturing all of these coming from dudes sipping on Mountain Dew after doing 20 push-ups. tho some of them are being won over lmao. I almost feel a little bad for snc since now their fandom is mad at them and Joe rogan's is trashing on them. since when do Joe rogan fans get to feel superior.

THE GHOST HUNTERS FROM SOUTH PARK LMAO. What a topical and timely reference. 🤣

I'm sorry, this whole thing is killing me. These guys have their little asses so bent out of shape over this and it just makes me laugh so hard. I love when the dude-bros get all mad and yelly because a couple of not douchey boys who are extremely popular with the girls show up and take over their testerone fueled man time.

SNC really is getting pummeled from both ends today, but hey- what else is new lol. Half the snc fandom hate watches them at this point anyway, and who actually wants a bunch of Limp Bizkit wannabe internet trolls like these Rogan stans joining the snc fandom? This might be the best case scenario for them, lol.

This'll be the last time they ever do anything mainstream though, just you watch. 🤣

[fadebolt]

As someone who also got to experience the Hungarian education system (well, technically, it was the Serbian one, but from what I could tell, there isn't really a difference, which kinda makes sense with the history of north-Serbia), I feel like I should probably add my two cents to this, because it made me feel somewhat validated.

Gonna leave a "read more" here too, since you know, these are pretty heavy topics. Things I don't tend to talk about on this blog (and for a good reason).

So the claim that there's a normalization within our culture, of people engaging in more adult-oriented activities in way younger ages is absolutely correct.

I can't recall anybody mentioning a relationship with an older person, but I have witnessed many elementary school kids (generally 12-14 year olds) smoking, commonly drinking alcohol and openly talking about how they watch lots of porn.

Thankfully in my high school, the other kids were way more cultured in that way. The environment was way more pleasant, which I'm very grateful for, because elementary school was an extremely miserable experience, and I truly hope I'll never have to deal with such a rancid environment ever again.

Though there was one moment where my friends from high school have surprised me. Because when our class went out to cook and eat a big meal, as a way to celebrate our final year being over, we did a little drinking game with a mobile app that asks a bunch of questions. A lot of the questions were about more sexual topics, and I was shocked to see just how many of my classmates have actually been engaging with that stuff... and that they've been doing it for a while too (we were 18-19 at the time, so I still expected a few yes-es to those questions, but not from like, over half of the people there xd).

And what do ya know, one of them has literally gotten married a couple months ago. As a 20-21 year old. Yup, that just happened, I guess.

The thing that's funniest about all this, is that up until recently, when I started to frequently hang out around internet spaces, it never really occurred to me that there was anything wrong with all that. Because like... nobody ever questioned it. Sure, I did feel like it was a lil much a lil early, but I always thought that I was the weird one, and that I'm just developing slower, or not getting the hormones that everyone else does. Simply put, I just assumed that everything is normal, and that the problem was with me. (Which was usually correct when it came to social stuff... yay autism!)

And it weirdly makes sense that nobody questioned these things. After all, both Hungary and Serbia has age of content at 14, and we even have a few Romani people living here, who like to push things even earlier. (Like "Matisz Papa", the guy that became a grandfather in his late 20s, and speaks Hungarian very weirdly. Dude can still be found on YouTube, if anyone's interested)

So you can imagine my confusion when I start frequently going into the internet, and hearing about people saying how it's bad for 16 year olds to engage with adult stuff. It honestly felt as if I was seeing an alternate reality, or an alien species. And for a while, I was conflicted too, because I haven't actually seen anybody being damaged due to watching NSFW or having intercourse at a young age.

However, I don't imagine most damaged people would be open to talking about these things, and I have absolutely 0 personal experience to draw from (outside of accidentally stumbling onto NSFW images as a teen while looking through fanart, but like, that happens to everyone, and I don't imagine it as one of those things that causes permanent damage), so I learned to trust the internet a bit more in regards to this, and have come to understand that, yeah, maybe there is something horribly wrong with the culture that I was born into.

Unfortunately, I really don't know if this is something that could be fixed. The best thing one can do is educate their own kids about this stuff, to make sure they don't end up in a situation that can leave them hurt for life.

That's what my father did, any time my brother or I have brought up smoking, even in the context of a joke. He's been addicted ever since his buddies pressured him into it as a teen, and he fully understands the horrible consequences of not being careful with the cigarettes, and so he has done everything he could to keep us safe from this dangerous addiction.

You can't prevent everyone from doing dangerous and unhealthy things. However, you can influence the ones close to you and keep them safe, so that in return, they can keep others safe too. On some occasions, things really might be too far gone, but it never hurts to at least try. As people always say, "Be the change you want to see".

Or just pressure the government to fix some things. I mean, they're the worst in both Serbia and Hungary, so heck yeah, go do that too!

What's up with minors being completely comfortable sharing with everyone that they're dating with grown adults in their 30's????

[jj-babebank]

Camp Willowdale / JJ Maybank AU / PART 2

Synopsis: Camp Willowdale is buzzing with new campers. It’s Caroline Windsor’s first year as a camp counsellor after attending the camp as a camper for ten years. Little does she know that this year Willowdale Lake is going to be a little different from what she is used to it being…

Warnings: future chapters may include curse words, mentions of drugs, mentions of alcohol, mentions of sexual activities, mentions of death.

Pairings: JJ Maybank x fem OC

Part 1 can be found here. xxx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 2 -

Lunch was over and Pricilla organised the boys to go set up the objects for tomorrow night's scavenger hunt around the camp grounds. The boys had drawn the groups their pairs would be in charge of before leaving and JJ and Caroline had gotten Teens 2, whereas Sarah and John B had gotten Teens 1, which meant that, for better or worse, their groups would be partaking in a lot of activities together, seeing as they were both in the same age group.

The girls were given the job to set up the seating area where the bonfire was going to be, so Sarah and Caroline stuck together as they made their way towards the clearance where it was going to be held.

"Can you believe I got paired up with JJ Maybank?" Caroline sighed.

"Beats Routledge by a thousand, I can promise you that," said Sarah, still extremely disappointed, "At least Maybank looks like he takes care of himself."

Caroline chuckled at her comment. John B had also grown his hair out over the years and it was now down to his shoulders.

"He does seem like he is... in touch with nature," Caroline remarked and Sarah laughed genuinely for the first time since drawing the boy’s name out, "Maybe they won't be that bad to work with, besides, it's only nine weeks, what could go wrong?"

Sarah seemed to think for a second before her lips curled into a devious smirk, "Hey, didn't you used to have, like, the biggest crush on Maybank?"

Caroline's cheeks turned red immediately, "I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled quickly.

Sarah started laughing, "You totally did! You lucky, lucky bitch! I wish I got paired up with my childhood crush! Instead I get to spend my last summer before moving away with snot-nosed, bug-eating Routledge... Why was the Universe on your side and not on mine?"

They walked behind the rest of the girl counsellors towards the bonfire area. When they arrived, the logs that Pricilla had informed them would be stacked up in a convenient for them to move around way, were all scattered across the ground. The pillows that were meant to go on top of them were also in disarray. All the girls looked around in confusion.

"Surely this couldn't have been the wind?" one of them said.

"Surely this was the boys." said Sarah matter-of-factly, "I'd bet 50 bucks that Routledge had something to do with this."

All the girls turned to look at her in confusion.

"What?" she protested, shrugging her shoulders, "You know I'm right."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Boys or not, we better sort this mess out before sundown, we have cabins to set up as well."

The girls agreed, Sarah being skeptical but also finally giving in, and little by little, they set up the bonfire area. It took them a little over two hours before they started making their way back to the cabins, which they were supposed to decorate with welcome signs for the arriving campers.

Since Sarah and Caroline were both in charge of the oldest groups, their campers were meant to be sharing two cabins - one for the boys and one for the girls.

"Let's split up, I'll do the boys and you do the girls," Sarah offered, nearly shocking Caroline, "Try being as quick as you can. Meet me back out here in 15 minutes tops." she ordered before scurrying up the steps into the boys’ cabin.

Caroline rushed into the cabin next door, pleasantly surprised by Sarah's sudden determination to get work done. As she was arranging the banners and posters on the walls and ceiling, she couldn't help but think that Sarah must have had some sort of ulterior motive to being this enthusiastic about working. Sure enough, she was right.

She had barely taken a step out of the girls' cabin when Sarah spoke up, "Took you long enough. Now let's go find those stupid guys."

The sun was setting and the woods had gotten a bit chilly as Sarah lead Caroline towards where the male counsellors were supposed to be. After setting up the scavenger hunt objects, they were supposed to set up the archery area. As they were getting closer to the archery grounds, the two girls could hear the laughter of the boys in the nearby distance. Sarah pretended to gag yet again.

"Quick, around here," Caroline pulled Sarah behind the small hut where they kept all of the camp's archery supplies. From their spot they could see the guys quite clearly and could hear everything they were saying, "Remind me again why we're doing this?" Caroline whisper-yelled at Sarah.

"Because I'm still furious about their little prank," Sarah explained, "Which is why I want to prank them back."

"How are we gonna do that exactly?" asked Caroline, "By eavesdropping?"

"A good villain is one that knows the enemy's weaknesses," said Sarah, "First we listen for a bit, and then we make a plan."

Caroline couldn't help but smirk at this new side of Sarah she was seeing. She much preferred this Sarah to the constantly whining, gloating Sarah she had gotten used to over the years. Plus, being somewhat of a daredevil herself, Caroline couldn't help but find the idea of pranking the boys back exciting.

"Can you believe I got paired with Jenna Kinley?" one of the boys, Kelce, said, "Not only are we supposed to work together, but we're also meant to be taking care of babies..." he face palmed himself.

The other boys laughed.

"C'mon, Johnson, 10 year olds are hardly babies," said another one of the boys, Topper, "Besides, working with Kinley will not be nearly as scandalous as working with Hague!"

JJ spoke up next, "Aw, don't be like that, Top," he said, "Madison's not that bad!"

Topper scoffed at JJ, "Easy for you to say! You and Routledge got paired with the best girls out of the bunch! And you got the teens groups!"

Sarah and Caroline smirked at the remark.

"Boys, boys, boys," came John B's voice suddenly, "Let's put this topic behind us, I'm sure you'll all be glad to hear about what I managed to sneak into our cabin." all the boys were now staring at John B in anticipation, "16 bottles of pure, fine whiskey, m'boys. Safe to say, tonight will be a ball."

"Bingo..." Sarah and Caroline smiled mischievously at each other, the perfect prank idea forming in both of their heads.

They quietly made their way back to where all the cabins were and sat at one of the patios.

"So here's the plan," said Sarah, "We sneak into their cabin, raid Routledge's luggage and steal his bottles of whiskey. Let's go now!"

Caroline stopped her, "No, no, not now!" she hissed, "They're gonna go to their cabin before dinner and Routledge's gonna want to show them his stash! We'll sneak out during dinner. Oh, and, I suggest we throw a party of our own to this occasion."

Sarah smirked at Caroline, "I like where you're going with this, Carrie," she said, patting Caroline's shoulder before standing up to go into their cabin, "Not bad for a nerd."

Caroline sighed, there was the old Sarah again.

~~~~~~~~

“Windsor!” Caroline heard a voice behind her call out, “Been paired up for a whole day now and we still haven’t the chance to talk!”

Caroline turned around to find a beaming JJ smiling at her. Had he come over from the boys table specifically for her? She could feel her cheeks beginning to burn slightly.

“We can talk,” she said quickly.

JJ took a seat next to her on the long bench. She could feel the heat in her cheeks become even hotter. JJ didn’t seem to notice her nervousness, or awkwardness.

“How’s life been then?” he asked.

Caroline took a deep breath to soothe her nerves, looking up, only to find a smirking Sarah crossing her arms across from her at the table.

“Just the regular, nothing too special,” she said, frowning quickly at Sarah before turning to face JJ again, hoping he hadn’t noticed Sarah’s behavior.

JJ jokingly frowned, “Nothing too special? I heard you got accepted into Charleston University, that’s like super special.”

Caroline cringed internally, “Did you happen to hear anything else by any chance?”

JJ smirked, “Not sure what you’re talking about,”

Caroline wasn’t sure if he was being serious or not but she pretended to not be bothered.

“Well I hear you’re throwing a party tonight,” Caroline crossed her arms in front of her.

JJ smirked even more, “Where’d you hear that from?”

“Why?” she tempted, “Is my source wrong?”

“Hardly,” JJ bit back, standing up, “So perhaps I’ll see you there.”

With that he walked back to where the other male counsellors were sat, giving one last look at Caroline, smirk never leaving his face.

Sarah started laughing loudly, “Looks like someone’s got their eye on little Carrie,” she teased, “Lucky, lucky bitch.”

Caroline rolled her eyes at her, “Bullshit,”

Sarah leaned over the table to whisper to Caroline, “I like the way you handled the situation, we’re definitely going to be there, on more occasions than one.”

Caroline looked at her watch, “Shit, it’s getting late, we better go now!”

And with that, they snuck their way out of the Wildcat Lodge and towards the boys’ cabin.

“Crap, the door’s locked!” Sarah cursed.

Caroline looked around. One of the upper windows seemed to be open. This gave her an idea.

“Sarah, do you still do cheerleading?” she looked at the girl, a plan forming in her brain.

Sarah raised an eyebrow, “What’s that got to do with anything? And duh, how else would my legs look this good?”

Caroline’s lips turned into a grin, “Give me a lift.”

Sarah’s eyes widened, “Excuse me?”

Caroline nodded her head towards the upper window and Sarah whined, “Why’s it always me?”

Silently, they rushed into position. Sarah took her stance, her hands ready to lift up Caroline’s body. Caroline balanced herself on Sarah’s shoulders as Sarah readied her hands to push her up. In one swift motion, Caroline had pulled herself in through the upper window and was now inside the cabin. She immediately went to the door to unlock the handle from the inside so that Sarah could let herself in.

The two girls looked around the space. It was dark and the only light penetrating into it was the one from the lamps outside. Three pairs of bunk beds were sitting there, covered in unpacked suitcases, boxes and bags.

“Great,” sighed Caroline in annoyance, “How are we ever going to figure out which one’s Routledge’s?”

Sarah took a better look at all of the bunk beds again, her eyes landing on one with a particularly large suitcase with a Green Peace sign on it, “My guess is that it’s that one.”

They went over to the suitcase and Sarah nervously leaned over it, “Eurgh, bug eating Routledge better not have live animals in there,” she said as she quickly ripped open the zipper, flinching away as soon as it came undone.

“That’s it!” Caroline excitedly said, “Help me pick it up!”

The suitcase contained three changes of clothes and a large box filled with unopened bottles of whiskey, just like they had heard John B brag about by the archery area. The two girls combined all of their strength to lift the heavy box off the bed and made their way towards the door, when they heard a loud thumping sound from the back of the cabin. Something heavy had fallen in the corner of the cabin that was unlit by the outdoor lamps, making both girls slightly jump and nearly tip over the box full of alcohol. They squinted their eyes in the direction where the sound came from, however they couldn’t make out anything in the thick darkness.

“What was that?” Sarah said nervously.

“Whatever it was,” Caroline said, leading them out of the door, “We can’t wait around to find out.”

With that they were out of the cabin, closing the door behind them and making their way back to their own cabin quickly.

They hid the box inside the storage room and decided to sneak back into the Wildcat Lodge, so that nobody would question their whereabouts.

There was half an hour left until the end of dinner service as Sarah and Caroline sat back at their designated table, trying to draw as little attention to themselves as they could.

“Do you think someone saw us in there?” whispered Sarah so that only Caroline could hear.

Caroline shrugged her shoulders, “I really hope not, but I did get the weird feeling that we were being watched once we heard that noise,”

Sarah shuddered, “Yeah, major heebie jeebies in there. Glad the boys got that cabin and not us.”

Caroline rolled her eyes, “Relax, Sarah, worst case scenario is it was just one of the guys and he saw us stealing tonight’s party supplies.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow, “I swear to God if it was Routledge -”

��If it was Routledge, he wouldn’t have let us get away with it,”

“Shit, Carrie, you’re totally right!” Sarah unwillingly raised her voice, “Who do you think it was?”

Caroline shrugged again, “Honestly? I don’t think it was anyone, I just think something happened to fall down on its own.”

“Hmm… You’re probably right again.” Sarah turned to look at the big clock on the wall, “We’d better get going, we’ve got to get ready for that party you got invited to!” she winked at Caroline, smirking.

Caroline looked towards the boys table where JJ was already looking back at her, a smile dancing on his thin lips. She met his eyes and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She decided to give him a little wave to which he happily waved back.

“Hello?” Sarah’s annoyed voice broke Caroline’s focus from JJ, “Are you coming or what? I want us to look good for when we see the guys’ disappointed faces tonight!”

Caroline sighed and followed Sarah out of the Lodge. Tonight was going to be interesting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I know I only just uploaded the first part, but I want to establish the Camp Willowdale universe as fast as possible so that the actual story can take off and it does in the next part. I'm going to create a taglist for people who have shown interest in the story thus far, so if you want to be included, make sure to leave a reply so that I can include you in the next part.

Also if you haven't noticed so far, this story, aside from fun and romantic, will be quite campy so I hope you're into that. We've also got quite the mystery coming up so stay tuned for that as well x

Alsoooo please give me some inspiration on who I can base Caroline off, I'm kind of leaving her up to the reader's imagination so that you can just imagine yourself as her, but ideally I'd like to have someone who's picture I can use for future photos. I've got my mind set on Maia Mitchel, but feel free to drop recommendations too.

Anyways, let me know what you think this far and feel free to check out the rest of my works in my masterlist. xxx

Part 3 here

[fallin-flcwer]

Fifty Questions With Spotlight // Youi Moon

THINGS YOU’RE NEVER ASKED

which song went to number 1 on your birthday? (find out here) "for the u.k. it's The Long And Winding Road by Will Young & Gareth Gates and for the u.s. it's A Moment Like This by Kelly Clarkson."

if you could turn any scent into a candle, what would it be? "A candle that smells the way cherries taste, if that makes sense? Most cherry flavoured things I come across taste very... artificial."

which element best suits you: fire, earth, water or air? "Fire, i think"

what’s the worst grade you’ve ever got on a test? "C+. History is my weakness."

what’s the best grade you’ve ever got on a test? "A+."

how many countries have you travelled to? "The list would go on forever so i'm just gonna narrow it down by saying most of Asia, the US and some of the UK."

who is your favourite disney character? "Tadashi from Big Hero 6. Mostly because I had a massive crush on him when the movie came out."

what is one thing people believe that you don’t? "Things like soulmates and love at first sight doesn't exist. The fantasy that you will have all your needs met in a relationship without ever having to be vulnerable isn't true. Sometimes you need to communicate things to your partner in order to receive it."

do you usually drink enough water in a day? "Most days, yeah."

what’s your middle name? "I don't have one!"

PARENTS

do you know both of your parents? "Yeah, I do."

are they together? "Yep!"

are you adopted? "No"

what’s your favourite memory with your parent(s)? "Mum taking me and my siblings to the first hotel built in her chain. I was around five at the time. It was so fascinating to see something that's a big part of me, yet so much bigger than me."

what did your parent(s) study when they were at the academy? "My mum studied music and dance."

which project of your parent(s) is your favourite? "I'm very passionate about this topic, but for me it's a mix between Dream of You and Stay Tonight! It still baffles me that Roller Coaster is the first song people associate with her still."

which parent is the strictest? "Mum."

which parent do you look most like physically? "I'm gonna say mum, though I think I resemble my grandmother more."

which parent do you behave the most like? "I think I've spent most of my teen years going against the grain simply because I could get away with it, but these days I'm definitely trying to behave more like my mum."

are you close? "Yes!"

THIS OR THAT

the titanic or the notebook? "The Notebook. Though Titanic gets brownie points for having young Leo DiCaprio."

dc or marvel? "Marvel movies, DC comics.."

disney or pixar? "Disney"

pink or green? "Pink."

summer or winter? "Summer."

spring or autumn? "Autumn."

dogs or cats? "Cats."

rom-coms or horrors/thrillers? "Horrors and thrillers."

nights in or nights out? "it's 50/50 for me. it really depends on the day."

early riser or night owl? "Early riser."

GETTING PERSONAL

what age did you have your first kiss? "16."

have you lost your virginity? how old were you? "Yeah, I was 17 at the time."

what’s your biggest regret? "I don't think I have any. To be fair, I try to avoid having any."

which song most reflects your life so far? "Flourishing by my mother. I might be biased but it's such a motivational i-don't-give-a-fuck kind of song."

what’s your biggest fear in life? "Being alone."

do you want to get married? "That's not really something i've thought about."

do you want children? "Nope, but who knows? That might change.'

what is a cause you feel strongly about? "Hidden spy-cam p*rn... In Korea it's called 'molka' and it's freaking disgusting. My family has no tolerance for it, and people that have attempted to install cameras have all get caught and arrested. The fact that it's still such a problem in South Korea scares me."

what’s your sexuality? "Heterosexual"

when in life did you feel the loneliest? "It was when I went to Gallagher. Even though i kind of asked for it, I quickly realised that I missed home and my family."

10 TRUTHS

have you ever skinny-dipped? "No"

ever had inappropriate thoughts about somebody you shouldn’t? "Yes"

what’s the worst thing you’ve said behind somebody’s back? "I can't think of any on the spot, but it was probably a joke about my brother... San, if you're reading this, I love you!"

have you ever sent a sexual text? "Probably LOL"

is there anything you dislike for no apparent reason? "Frogs."

what’s the most recent lie you’ve ever told? "I had a fun time in Amsterdam."

can you put your hand on your heart and say you’ve never complimented a project you didn’t really like? "Yes, but I have complimented projects I didn't fully pay attention too."

the best advice you’ve ever been given? "When it comes to your career be as selfish as possible. Your company will always do what’s best for the company so you need to do what’s best for you."

a quote you try to live by? "A tree doesn't fall by one blow."

where do you want to be in ten years? "This might sound really ambitious, even for me, but I'd love to establish my own talent agency ten years down the line. I'd love to give rising artists a platform to showcase their talents, give them the creative freedom over their sound, look, concepts, and the resources to do so, whether they want to self-produce or need help from me or in-house producers."

[iplaydrake]

FULL CIRCLE - CHAPTER 5 - DRUNK HIM CAN’T GET OVER HER

Catch Up Here :

CHAPTER 4 - WE’RE BROKE... SEND HELP!

Author’s Note : This story is gonna get a little dark. Talk of Suicide, Assault (both physical and sexual), Gun Violence, Blood, Swearing. Please read with caution. Positive feedback, constructive criticism, and reblogging are always welcome. I own nothing except the storyline of my MC. Everything else belongs to Pixelberry. I also don't own Tiffany’s or Berta Bridal (just putting it out there!)

Pairing : (Eventually) Drake x MC

Tag List : @likethetailofacomet @carabeth @rhymesmenagerie @speedyoperarascalparty @butindeed @wannabemc2 @client-327 @jovialyouthmusic @be-still-my-aching-heart @riseandshinelittleblossom @lodberg @drakesensworld @alj4890 @rainbowsinthestorm @ao719 @andy-loves-corgis @drakewalkerisreal @whenyourheartskipsabeat @furiousherringoperatortoad @silentcoyotesong @choicesmacmakes @ladyangel70 @lady-alex-keith

*** FLASHBACK – 2 WEEKS BEFORE SWEET 16 ***

The door to her limo opened and she immediately spotted him, leaning against the archway of her Estate with a smile on his face. She couldn’t help it as she ran and jumped into his waiting arms, hugging him tight as he lifted her off the ground.

“Hey, Duck! How was Paris?”

She rolled her eyes and laughed at her nickname as he lowered her down. “Drake, it was unbelievable!”

He smiled and grabbed her hand, walking himself backwards. “You wanna go have lunch and tell me all about it?” She smiled back at him and allowed him to lead her away to their spot.

He'd found her there a few months before, upset over a comment Madeline had made and without even thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried. Slowly, and without either realizing it, they’d found their way back there more and more, spending any extra time they had together, an unspoken claim that it had become theirs. They’d sit for hours on end, whether it was talking about everything and nothing all at once, or just enjoying a companionable silence, each doing their own thing, but still together. 

They had somehow managed to become each other’s best friend, confiding in each other things they were afraid to tell others, including their friendship. For Drake, she was the only girl who had ever accepted him for him; not even Kiara had made him feel like he was good enough to be in the company of the nobles at court. But to Remi, the fact that he was a commoner had meant nothing and it had allowed him to see her in a completely different light instead of just being Maxwell’s little sister. 

It was no secret that she was head over heels for him, but because she was younger, Drake had always been careful to keep her at arm’s length, never going further than a hug or a kiss on her cheek. She’d brought it up to him once, asking if he ever thought that one day, there was a chance for them to be together. After a few tense moments for Remi, he had finally admitted that he’d been thinking about it more and more. From then on, it'd become a regular part of their conversations and he'd even gone so far as to tell her that the minute she turned 18, he’d be her very first kiss.

And there they sat, on a blanket under the trees near the riverbank; Remi with her legs stretched out and Drake laying flat with his head resting in her lap. She couldn't help but play with his shaggy hair as they talked, both completely relaxed after eating what he had prepared for them.

“But I thought this trip was supposed to be so you and your dad could spend some time together. You didn’t see him at all?”

“No… He was just really busy I guess with business meetings and stuff. It was still an amazing trip! I walked along the Seine, saw the Eiffel Tower, went shopping…”

Drake looked upside down at her, his head still in her lap. “By yourself?”

“Yeah… But oh my goodness, I walked past this store and I saw this bracelet... Oh Drake, it was so pretty! But I guess it was too much money for just plain silver, at least that’s was he said… I’m hoping they’ll surprise me with it for my birthday, though!”

He closed his eyes, and smiled at her excitement, “I’m sure they will, Duck.” before slowly drifting off to sleep as Remi continued stroking his hair.

*** END FLASHBACK ***

Remi stared at the bracelet in her hand as the memory slowly faded. She'd recognized it immediately and couldn't help but wonder how he'd managed it. She was still crying as she linked it around her wrist, letting it come to rest over her tattoo, and it was almost as if the significance of each slowly began to heal the other. She slid off the counter and made her way back to her room, the weight of the entire day suddenly overwhelming her.

*****

As soon as Drake put his truck in park, he opened the bottle of whiskey he'd taken from Ramsford. He was reeling after his conversation with Remi. His hope was to numb the pain he felt as the image of her crying to him replayed in his head over and over. 'Just tell me why, Drake... Why would you do that to me?... Why would you make me believe-... Did I mean nothing to you?' After finishing the bottle and realizing the pain was still there, he slowly slid out of his truck and stumbled towards the entrance of the palace. 

As he made his way through the halls, the anger and sadness overtook him all at once and after making it to his room, he immediately stepped to the bar cart and picked up a glass, throwing it against the wall. He picked up another and soon he was throwing anything he could find across the room, cursing Kiara and Madeline with each one.

As Liam made his way to his quarters, he heard the sounds of screaming and things being broken and he immediately took off in a run down the hall. He skidded to a stop in front of the doorway to Drake's room, seeing Bastien already inside trying to console a clearly drunk, teary-eyed Drake.

"You should have seen the way she looked at me... She thought it was me. She thought I... I would have never..."

"Shhh... It's okay... She's been through a lot. You can fix it. You just have to explain what happened and-"

"She was my best friend... How could she think-?... Bastien, I loved her..." Liam's eyes went wide as he heard Drake's admission. He watched his best friend break down fully in tears, as Bastien gently and slowly led him to the bed, Drake not putting up a fight at all.

"I know... I know, son."

"I love her and she left me... She was the one, Bas... She was the only one."

Bastien slowly lowered him down before turning to see Liam in the doorway, a confused look on his face. Liam waited to see if Bastien would explain what he'd walked in on.

"It's not my place, Your Highness." Liam nodded his head in understanding and watched Bastien walk out and down the hall back to his post. He turned back to see Drake draped across his bed, already asleep and snoring softly, and he couldn't help but wonder if he hadn’t been the only one hiding his relationship with Remi.

*****

Early the next morning, everyone made their way to the palace for the start of the social season. The first event was that night and it was a ball to formally introduce all the suitors for Liam. Remi slowly walked the halls reading and responding to Liam's messages that they had been sending back and forth since she'd left Ramsford.

Remi double checked the time and took off in a sprint towards the boutique. After a long appointment, she'd finally found the perfect dress but she found herself beginning to feel sick as she tried to mentally prepare herself for the evening ahead. She made her way out of the palace and walked through the garden's maze to the center where a simple swing hung from an old tree. She sat, taking some time to herself before the chaos began.

“Hey Beautiful!” She turned to see Liam walking towards her. She couldn't help her smile as he walked up behind her and grabbed the ropes of the swing, slowly pushing her back and forth. “Did you get a dress?”

“Yes. Thank you again so much. You didn't have to do that.” Liam leaned forward and kissed her temple before speaking. “I wanted to. So...” He hesitated, unsure how to broach the topic with her. “I was wondering if I could talk to you about something. Drake as a matter of fact.” She felt nervous all over again but stayed silent as she waited for him to continue. “I'm assuming that he finally was able to talk to you after I left yesterday.”

She turned to look at him. “What makes you say that? I mean, we did but...”

“I don't know, maybe the fact that he was completely drunk and upset and said some things...” Remi's eyes widened and Liam caught the look of surprise on her face. 

She was hesitant to, but after a few moments, she finally spoke. “There's so much about me and Drake that you don't know, Li... That no one knows.” He looked down at her waiting for her to continue. She nodded as she took a deep breath and sighed. “A few months before my birthday, we started hanging out more, by ourselves. I mean, every extra moment we had, we spent it together, talking about everything and anything. He'd tell me that we just had to wait until I turned 18. Once I turned 18, we were gonna be together. I honestly thought I was gonna marry him, Li... Ugh, and then my fucking birthday happened and... Well, let's just say it was implied that he was involved. I guess with everything that happened that night and the fact that he didn't come for me at all, I believed it... So I've spent the last 6 years hating him. Last night, he wanted to talk and I... I called him out on it and he- I don't know, Liam... I want to believe him but I just..."

He moved in front of her, crouching down to get her to look at him. “Remi, even if I hadn't known Drake all my life, after seeing how he was last night there's no way I would believe he had anything to do with hurting you... And I think you know it too.” Remi didn't say anything as she let Liam's words sink in. Deep down, she knew he wouldn't have hurt her, much less let anyone else hurt her. “Listen, it would be so easy for me not to say anything about this and maybe see what you and I could be. I mean, we've been talking for the last 6 years and I'd be lying if I said that, after all this time, there's not SOME feelings there, at least on my end because there are, Rem. There are definitely feelings and I'm not even sure exactly what they are, but Drake is my best friend and I know that the way he was last night, he's still upset over you.” 

Remi looked up at him with tears in her eyes, “Liam, I... I don't know what I feel for him anymore, but I do know that I have feelings for you too. I just... I had no intention of ever figuring out what they meant. All I know is that I would never want to hurt you.”

He grabbed her hand and helped her to stand. He put his hand to her chin and slowly leaned in, brushing his lips against hers. She was caught off guard for a split second before completely giving in to him. They got lost in each other for another moment before he pulled back, his hands falling down to hold hers.

“Remington, I'm here for you no matter what, but only you can decide what is best for you. I think you need to talk to Drake before you do, though. If you talk to him and feel nothing? Hey, great for me!” He smiled at her before continuing “But you guys clearly have some unresolved issues and it's not fair for any of us for you to make a decision without having all of the facts. It may change the way you're feeling now..." He glanced down at his watch, "I, uh, I should probably head inside and start preparing for tonight... Just think about what I said, okay?” He walked past her, holding her hand as long as he could, and when he disappeared from her view, she sat back down and closed her eyes as she laid her head against the rope. She allowed herself a few more minutes before she stood back up to head inside and get ready herself, resolving that she would talk to Drake that night, before anyone else could get hurt.

Want to continue? Click below for the next chapter :

CHAPTER 6 - THE RIGHT AND WRONG (AND RIGHT AGAIN) WAY TO BE A STUNNER - PART 1

[killian-whump]

Hi, I'm a Nealfire fan and this is an honest question. Hook fans have been bullying me forever saying that Neal/Baelfire was much older than Emma and that made things creepy. Yet Baelfire was just a small kid when his mom ran away with HOOK, which makes Hook way older than Baelfire but Hook fans are OK with Hook being with Emma because that's not creepy at all. You seem like a reasonable person, can you enlight me, please? You fellow Hook fans are scary and very aggresive all the time. :(

Oh, Nonny. I’m sorry you’re getting bullied, but I gotta tell you... You’re not being bullied by Hookers. This topic has literally nothing to do with Hook, so I’m not sure why you would even think/believe that it’s Hookers bullying you over this. The only way it could even be considered having anything to do with Hook would be by people trying to discredit Emma’s relationship with Neal in order to bolster the “one true love” of CS - and let me tell you, those same folks also enjoy bullying Hook/Milah fans in their efforts to discredit Millian for the same reason.

Now, please take note: the people who engage in this kind of behavior are what scientists call “assholes” and it’s THAT trait that makes them bully people, NOT being a fan of any specific thing/person/ship. So please stop painting entire fandoms as scary/mean/bullies because of the assholes in that fandom. EVERY fandom has assholes in it. Don’t judge a fandom by its assholes. My “fellow Hook fans” are delightful, wonderful folks. I’m sure there’s a couple assholes in the bunch, but I have never encountered any, myself. AFAIK, most Hook fans are too busy making fun of Hook to bother fans of other characters. We’re also too busy lately arguing amongst ourselves about Wish Hook to really even give Neal a second thought. Sorry, but it’s just true.

Now. To answer your question... There are two age-related issues at play here. One is the age difference between Emma and these men - in which case, yeah, Neal is about 20 years younger than Hook... but they’re BOTH about 2-3 hundred years older than Emma so 20 years is kinda a drop in the ocean here. However, people who just don’t like age differences in relationships are gonna probably find fault in both of those relationships equally - and that’s their prerogative. I mean, some people like some things; some people don’t like other things. C’est la vie.

The other issue, however, IS different for the two men. And that issue is Emma’s age at the time of the relationship. When Baelfire was with her, she was technically a minor. (I say technically, because the age of consent varies in different places, so that designation starts becoming more of a technicality around age 16-18. Like, you can be a minor one minute, then step over a state/national border and suddenly be an adult. It’s definitely not the same thing as talking about, say, a 10-year-old being a minor.) When Emma gets with Hook, she is well beyond the age of consent - and it is a non-issue. It doesn’t matter if Hook is older, because Emma is older at that point. Legally, she can be with whoever she wants - even a centenarian ;)

That said... Statutory rape is not part of the narrative the show meant to tell. They wanted Henry’s birth mom to still be young and relevant, but have Henry be old enough to be a character in his own right. Media likes to have main characters in their twenties, and a kid under 10 probably wouldn’t be a good main character. So they HAD to give Emma a teen pregnancy. It’s the ONLY WAY to have a 10+ kid and his 20-something Mom both be main characters. This is not relevant to the narrative itself, however. It’s just the usual Hollywood sexist/ageist bullshit that makes a teen pregnancy more palatable than showing a woman out of her prime years of sexual desirability :P Ultimately, some folks are going to focus on the narrative as it was intended and some are going to focus on the warts and blemishes underneath the veneer, and there’s nothing anybody can really do about that except agree to disagree.

Anyway, I don’t really have much else to say on this topic. As I said before, it’s honestly not of much interest to us Hookers - namely because it doesn’t actually involve Hook at all. Sorry, Nonny.

[too-cute-foryou]

I'm glad you like the WHO decision! I'm glad you like that actual dysphoric trans people will not longer be able to have their surgeries covered by insurance and have to pay out of fucking pocket to feel correct in their fucking bodies! I'm glad you like that suicide rates of actual trans people are going to go through the roof! I'm glad you like that transness is not a mental illness anymore, but seen as a sex disorder such as pedophilia! I'm glad you're fucking transphobic!!! I'm glad!!!!!!!!!

First of all, there was no need to phrase this so angrily, but I’m not going to hold it against you. Clearly the WHO decision elicited a very emotional response from you. And, clearly, you’re taking it out on me via my inbox. I get it. You’re probably stressed, you’re definitely jumping to conclusions, and you’re incapable of talking to the World Health Organization. What they decided made you mad or scared, but you don’t have any way to tell them that, so you’re telling me. Or, yelling at me and accusing me, more like. That’s fine. I really don’t blame you.

Emotional responses are hard to control, and sending messages like these can be some sort of release. I’m not upset and I don’t feel attacked. If anything, I’m glad you took it out on me specifically, because I know there are a lot of people who would be hurt by somebody coming into their inbox and screaming at them for being happy about something.

But, enough about that and enough about feelings, let’s talk about what your message is really about: The WHO decision. 

From what you’ve said to me, I can assume that following things. You’re afraid it’ll affect your insurance coverage, you’re worried about suicide rates increasing, you’re concerned about being lumped into the same pile as pedophiles, and that I’m “transphobic”. So, I’ll acknowledge all of those things.

I honestly hope it helps you out, and I hope it calms your nerves and makes you feel less mad/afraid. I’m not trying to be condescending when I say that, and I’m sorry if it sounds like I am. Tone of voice is impossible to convey over text. It’s going to sound like I’m preaching from a soap box and looking down on you. But I swear I’m not. The rest of this is going to go under the cut, because I this is gonna be long.

So, number one, let’s talk about insurance companies and their coverage from now on. 

I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know much about insurance. I’m 16 and I’ve never had to pay for it/worry about it. All I know is what we’ve talked about in my personal finance class and also one time my parent’s insurance stopped covering my therapy for a few months. That’s kind of the extent of my understanding. I’m gonna have to talk through the words of others.

The WHO’s decision probably won’t affect american insurance companies much, because the DSM is what stands in the states. I don’t know if you live in the states or not, but I hope that’s at least assuring? The WHO affects Europe. And, even then, Julia Ehrt (executive director of Transgender Europe) has said that she’s “elated to see that the WHO understands gender identity isn’t a mental health issue”

The WHO moved being transgender to the “sexual health” chapter. They didn’t remove it from the books entirely. Tt’s still there. It wasn’t ripped out of the records, and it wasn’t classified as cosmetic. It was simply moved to a category that fit it better. 

My attention span isn’t too good right now, but after a bit of research, I found out that at some point the DSM did something similar(?). In the DSM-IV-TR it was “placed in the category of Sexual Disorders, with the subcategory of Gender Identity Disorders“  I’m not sure if it’s still there, since the DSM website doesn’t want to load for me, but it’s important to note that this is a change that is similar to the WHO decision. (I think, at least. Like I said I should probably do more research, but focusing is hard right now)

When The WHO decision was made, it wasn’t to fuck with insurance, and those concerns were explicitly addressed. “The change is expected to improve social acceptance among transgender people, while still making important health resources available”. 

And, on top of that, Dr. Lale Say (coordinator of WHO’s Adolescents and at-Risk Populations team) says that it was “taken out from the mental health disorders because… leaving it there was causing stigma… to reduce the stigma while also ensuring access to necessary health interventions it was placed in a different chapter.” 

I don’t know how insurance works, but I honestly don’t think it’ll affect insurance. And, even if it does, there’s no need to yell at me like I have a say in what is and isn’t covered. I’m just a stupid fucking sixteen year old on tumblr, my opinion makes no difference in what companies want to cover.

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s explore the next concern: transgender suicide rates and how the WHO decision will affect them. I’m going to have to be honest again because like… this is a hard topic to research? I can’t find very many sources or concrete statistics overtime. It’s hard to see if suicide rates have gone up or down, because I can’t find charts anywhere? (If you fine any, tell me) But, I don’t think the WHO decision will have much of an affect on suicide rates? Trans suicide rates are very high, but there’s so many factors that play into those rates, that it’s hard to say. I don’t know. There are plenty of resources out there, though, so I hope nobody kills themselves over this.

So, since I can’t say much about that, let’s move onto your next thing. The fact that being trans is now in the same category as pedophilia. 

Before I even talk about that specifically, I wanna mention this: Margarine is one molecule away from plastic, humans are a few DNA links away from chimpanzees. Being close to something and being in the same category as something, doesn’t mean they’re the same or even similar. 

But, that aside, let’s talk about it. The WHO now considers being transgender to be a “sexual health” thing. That’s a very broad category. Yes, that category has paraphilias in it (such as pedophilia) but it’s not just “oh there’s two sexual heath things, and those things are being trans and being a pedophile!”

The sexual health page on the WHO’s website mentions things like the need for knowledge about the body, education about healthy relationships, gender equality, the need for freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation, access to reproductive health care, and many many more things.

They’re not saying trans people are the same thing as pedophiles. They’re putting being trans in a category that fits it more. It’s not a mental disorder, it’s identifying as something that isn’t your birth sex. 

Say what you want about this, and think what you want about the category, but don’t go running around screaming that “THE WHO THINKS TRANS PEOPLE ARE PEDOPHILES!11!!1″ because that is not what’s happening at all.

And, to talk about your last point, I’m not transphobic. I’m literally trans.

The WHO decisions probably won’t have the implications you think it will, and it’s more than likely a good thing. You don’t need to run around scared and screaming like a chicken with it’s head cut off. And, you don’t need to yell at me or accuse me of being a terrible transphobic asshole because I apparently “like the idea of these terrible consequences that won’t even happen.”

This is probably my longest post ever, so sorry for that. I hope this was coherent. I’m tired. Idk. You’re getting panicked over something that shouldn’t be causing panic, and you’re yelling at me for a decision I didn’t even make.

[pilferingapples]

I'm going to be predictable and ask for Bahorel because I love your headcanons for him, unless someone else has already asked, in that case Combeferre? :D

Sorry this took a while but you DID ask for the whole 25 questions! so OKAY here goes : 

1) Something this character is truly proud of.

His reputation! Not the  "woe a cannibal savage bouzingo romanticist" thing that certain papers (laughing at you, Figaro) go on about; he IS happy about that, but mostly that's just funny.   But the one he's earned with the circles he cares about, for being the person who Knows Everybody and who can Get Those Connections, a central hub in the radical republican network--that he’s proud of. He's built that up over years of  Going Everywhere and Talking to Everyone and honing the kind of social smarts that make that a sustainable life, and he's very satisfied about it.

cut because this is Super Long: 

2) Who they want to please the most.

...himself, honestly.  Not in a hedonistic way (though that too) but he has a fairly complicated set of internal ethical standards that are often kind of at weird angles to most of the world, and he'd consciously rather stick to that than "please" anyone else. Iiiiit's a whole Romantic Thing. 

3) Who depends on them.

 In the usual way people expect a man of his era to be Depended On? No one. His family's fine, he's not married or anything like it, no one's going to have their material security destroyed if he dies or Vanishes for Mysterious Reasons (which are Going to Prison or Fleeing the Country to avoid the prior two outcomes). 

But a whole lot of people depend on him to organize, stir up trouble, ringlead, cajole, exist distractingly and generally do what he does.

4) What they would do if they had one month to live.

Unlike some  people, who seem to think that they don’t  have limited lifespans, Bahorel is already living his Best Life and doing everything he most wants to do or thinks will mean the most for The Future After Him.  Things he hasn't done yet are things where the timeline's not up to just him. 

5) A cherished personal belongingLeaving aside the Correspondence Chest, he has an old *very* beat-up illustrated book of fairy tales.  An uncle who couldn't read picked it up way back when Bahorel was a kid, and he couldn't read either,  and he and his siblings used to make up endless stories  about the pictures before they could read. The chance to figure out what stories went with those pictures was much of what made Bahorel put up with school as a kid. ...and then they realized the damn thing wasn't in French at all, but an old beat up import, so he would have to learn another language.   Which he did, eventually;  but really he keeps it for the joke and the memory of the stories it isn't. 

6) Something they lost, but would love to have back

Various security deposits, fines for Disorderly Behavior, and so on. Fairly lost, well spent, but it would be a  nice night out to have them back nonetheless! 

...Also, you know, THEIR  **CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED** STOLEN REVOLUTION BACK. THAT WOULD BE NICE. *

7) This character’s favorite character

HOW COULD HE EVER CHOOSE, OH CRUEL FATE. The Creature from Frankenstein, Hercules, Orlando, Hans of Iceland (HE HAS A POLAR BEAR) , Puss in Boots, that’s not EVEN getting to Shakespeare... (he can go on about all of them, and will. No one asks him these sorts of questions anymore.) 

8) What kind of car they would drive.

...a Fury. 

9) What calms them when they are upset.

Calm....when upset? like calm down? How DARE you suggest such a thing, how could  you. You're clearly the sort of bloodless monster who'd douse a candle when it's almost melted away, 

10) How they deal with pain.

Minor Pain that’s Annoying but Not Obviously Fatal:  Ennnndlessss yelling and cursing and cheerfully overblown complaining, often with metaphors. No one has ever suffered so. the realm of the Physical has betrayed  him,What Sort of God Makes Such a Cruel Treacherous World With Tables Viciously Lurking At Shin Height, Like Snakes In The Forest, etc. Pain that Is Actually A Problem and Maybe Indicating Something Lethal: he’s fine this is FINE, get out of the way Combeferre, he needs to Fight Everything before the blood loss makes him pass out ok

(There is also a Third Reaction , because Intense Sensation is Intense Sensation, but he really needs to be in the right mood and the right company for that.)

(The Right Company can be a rioting crowd or The Really Good Architecture,that works) 

11) This character’s favorite piece or pieces of clothing.

 He likes his red waistcoats! The more alarmingly outgoing the lapels, the better.  And if they really worry some people, he can always take them off, and then whose idea is it that he’s naked this time? Not his,clearly, CHECK AND MATE, BOURGEOIS. 

12) How they sleep. Like someone who spent his Formative Years sharing a room and sometimes limited beds with a large and mischief-ready army of siblings, which is to say soundly, but not so soundly that he won’t be awake and punching in a heartbeat if his Prank Sense gets activated. 

13) What kind of parent they would be.

A pretty enthusiastic one!He likes kids, he doesn't mind noise and mess, he's pretty much at the point of being Ready to train the Next Generation of  revolutionary hellions  (he'd be an enthusiastic parent, and an affectionate one, and even a reasonably responsible one, but like hell he'd ever be a Respectable one.) 

14) How they did in school

It was an exercise in not just frustration but rage, for both him and most of his teachers. Not because he couldn't understand the material--he understood fine-- but because he wouldn't (couldn't) stop arguing about it. He and Combeferre have had many unusually mutual ranting sessions about what Total Garbage it is that Teachers These Days won't engage Young Minds in a Little Honest Debate, MAYBE if you can't DEFEND your stupid history lesson to an eleven year old you need to reconsider your own ideas, DID YOU EVER THINK OF THAT, MASTER DUCHEMIN? 

15) What cologne or perfume they would useProbably just the scented powders/pomades type stuff.  He goes for jasmine and lavender (he's still well in the era of men's bath goods smelling like flowers). 

16) Their sexuality

...like many other Romantics, goes a good ways beyond just Mortal Flesh and into the realms of Landscapes and The Concept of Rose Windows With The Right Lighting and *ecstatic swoon*  REALLY DARING POETIC METAPHORS AND STREETS IN REBELLION *discretionary fade to black*

17) What they’d sing at karaoke

CCR, ABBA, old school Cash-and-Haggard era country, Black Sheep, So Many Journey Songs, any showtunes, Rob Zombie...just whatever, whatever's the Mood, sung  with shameless enthusiasm

18) Special talents they have

**censored**  **censored**  **censored**  **censored**  and he can really belt out a tune! He's got a great singing voice, even when **censored**  **censored** **censored**  **censored** 

19) When they feel safest...Law School. Because it’s basically indistinguishable from being a corpse,and a corpse is quite safe; nothing more terrible can happen to it, it will never know or care if injury or outrage is done to it, and yet it makes everyone else uncomfortable with both its taunting resemblance to a living person and its remarkable smell, much like their good professors.  LIFE IS RISK, SAFETY IS DEATH, DON'T DO THIS TO HIM. 

20) Household chore they hate the most

Back home? Cleaning the Chicken Coop, and anyone who has ever cleaned a chicken coop knows why. In Paris? Dishes. CURSE THEM. 

21) Their fondest childhood memory

One time he took up some other kids on a dare to Spend The Night In The Graveyard and that ...actually got kind of boring kind of fast, and a significant portion of those buried there were his relatives anyway and he can’t be scared of family,  geez. But when he’d been up there a few hours/ forever,geez an Actual Wolf loped through like three feet in front of him, and stopped and looked at him for a  while before moving on, and that  was awesome . 

22) How they spend their money.

Like it will give him a rash if he has it for too long. 

23) What kind of alcohol they drink

Good Alcohol?  Alcohol That Is One Fire, sometimes?  All The Kinds? any of these answers are correct! 

24) What they wish they could change about themselves

--He doesn't really have the full poetic Gift, at least not to his standards, and it's probably his only real disappointment with himself. He doesn't want to make a living with it or anything, he just wants to be able to look at things that way and doesn't quite. How exactly? If he could say *exactly* then he'd *be a poet*, obviously. 

25) What other people wish they could change about them

Even many people who love him and whose opinion he actually cares about somewhat would like it if he could maybe chill a little, ever, about anything. (He can't , it's not gonna happen, Frenetic's not a phase, Mom, it's Who He Is.)

* Some people may disagree that it was a Stolen Revolution, they may disagree to his face, he is completely prepared to discuss this topic at Epic Length. 

[m0th-punk]

This is something that's been on my mind for a long time. Long ramble under the cut

TL;DR: Grazer-razor has some of the worst black and white mentality I've ever seen and I can tell he has never critically examined his biases a day in his life.

Because I'm a terrible little gremlin who can't leave well enough alone, I've been reading these posts

Ignoring the absolute stupidity of these statements (I'm pretty sure the lack of rainbow logos is because in many middle eastern countries, homosexuality is a crime and these companies just want to make money. But I'mnot going into the nuances and implications of rainbow capitalism today.), something stood out to me.

Does Grazer... genuinely think nobody has ever criticized the Muslim faith? That we all ignore the homophobia present within the religion just because they're a minority? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've seen even some of the most staunch leftists criticize things like their horrible treatment of homosexuality or the rampant sexism often sanctioned by radicals. Even other Muslims, especially women and lgbt+ Muslims, have been critical of these things.

It wouldn't shock me if Grazer believedthat anyone who supports Muslims believes they can do no wrong. After all, he thinks any criticism of Christianity is hatred, and dismisses any harmful things Christians do as not being "real" Christianity in a classic case of the "No True Scotsman" fallacy.

Note how he didn't even respond to the first asks comments, just accused them of being me (because obviously any time someone sees his blog it's all my fault /s)

So it seems like in Grazer's mind, there are only two options when it comes to religion: Uncritically praise and defend everything a religion does no matter how heinous it is and justify it because it's done in a God's name, or condemn anyone who practices it as hateful terrorists. Because he doesn't see people doing the former for Christians, he automatically assumes that they're doing the latter, and vice versa for Muslims.

Also note how he gets mad when muslim faith is "respected" (again, homosexuality is criminalized in many of these areas) but then demands a secular children's show cater to his religion for the sake of his precious childhood.

(Also, can we just talk about the absolute fucking cruelty in this answer? There are people out there that had their childhoods ruined by abuse, illness, losing loved ones, homelessness, poverty, bullying, near-death experiences, having their countries torn apart by war, a shitty foster care system, teen pregnancies, and so many other things that can absolutely destroy a life.  Grazer's was ruined by…  *checks notes* a cartoon character supporting gay rights and a drag queen singing a cutesy children's song.  So yeah, if that's the worst part of his childhood he's pretty damn lucky, and the fact that he has the gall to still complain absolutely makes him selfish and ignorant. It's disrespectful, plain and simple, and if he were truly a good Christian he'd have some compassion.)

Okay, so Grazer has some weird "rules for me but not for thee" shit when it comes to religion. This isn't news. Where am I going with this?

Well, turns out he has this opinion about more than just religion. Know how I know this? His response to ESRB ratings and trigger warnings.

So it seems like Grazer sees the ESRB as some sort of moral compass, in a way. Something being rated E or E10 means it's pure and good and wholly unproblematic, while anything higher means it's evil and disgusting and he can't even look at it.

This is further confirmed by this post, where he flat-out states he sees the ESRB as deeming what things are and are not morally acceptable.

Now Grazer, I'm gonna explain this as best as I can, because it seems like you don't quite understand this. Read very carefully.

This is not the purpose of the ESRB rating system.

I repeat, this is NOT the purpose of the ESRB rating system.

The ESRB does not decide on what is and is not morally correct. It simply says "This game contains these topics, and as such is most suitable for people in this age group.". That's it. It's a guideline, not a rule.

Let's take cartoon violence, for instance. It's a very common warning the ESRB puts on games. Almost every game from Mario to Sonic to Crash Bandicoot and even Monster Tale has this warning. These games are all rated E for everyone. Does this mean those games are promoting violence to children, or claiming things like Bowser kidnapping Peach or Pinstripe trying to gun down Crash are perfectly okay and morally correct? Of course not. It's simply saying that these games contain mild, non-graphic violence, but most children should be able to handle seeing it.

On the other side of the coin, let's take a look at the warnings for nudity and sexual themes. Most games that contain these topics are rated T at the lowest and AO at the highest. This obviously isn't saying that nudity and sex are inherently bad or evil. All it's saying is that these topics are best handled by adults (And, regardless of morality, it is illegal to distribute sexual content to minors unless it's meant to be educational, like a health class textbook).

A few extra points:

. Games can be rated different things in different countries. Different countries have different regulations. Do you know why the blood in Danganronpa is pink? It's because in Japan, games with excessive amounts of blood and gore are given a Z rating (Japan's equivalent to an AO rating). They got around this by making the blood pink, securing the game its desired M rating. Meanwhile here in America, Mortal Kombat is allowed to show as many graphic, brutal deaths as it wants and still receive an M rating.

. ESRB ratings are not legally enforceable. I was so convinced as a 16 year old that the employees at gamestop would try to card me or something when I was picking up a copy of Bayonetta, and I was surprised when they simply rang me up in two seconds, no questions asked. It doesn't happen. For fuck's sake, one of the first games I ever played, at the tender age of four, was Soul Edge. A T rated game. The only instance ESRB ratings are legally enforced is in the case of AO ratings, as these games often contain incredibly graphic violenceor sexual content. If this outrage is coming from the idea that certain ratings will keep younger people from playing these games from a legal standpoint, don't worry. A nine year old is not gonna get arrested for playing Among Us. Just don't buy them GTA San Andreas or Leisure Suit Larry and everything will be fine.

. No two consumers are exactly alike. While one 13 year old may be perfectly fine with the jumpscares in Amnesia, another may be too scared to even go near the piano in Super Mario 64. That doesn't mean either of these games is rated incorrectly. The ESRB is there, once again, as a recommendation for the average consumer, and doesn't take individual experience into account. An individual experience is not their responsibility. It's also on parents (or you yourself!) To decide what the consumer can or can't handle.

"But Haley," I hear you say, "What if this piece of media DOES contain something morally bad?"

Well it's simple. You are allowed to like things AND still criticize the bad parts of it.

Hold on now, I'm not telling you that it's perfectly alright to enjoy things like Birth of a Nation or anything like that! Contrary to popular belief, there are some pieces of media that are truly too steeped in hatred and morally reprehensible things to be supported, even through a critical lense. The only merit things like that have is to serve as a warning: This is a terrible thing made for terrible reasons, and we should not allow it to happen again.

But outside of those rare circumstances, it's not so cut and dry.

Let's take a piece of media i actually enjoy, for instance, so you know I'm not a hypocrite: Persona 5.

Persona 5 is easily one of my favorite games in the Persona series. It does a lot of interesting stuff, the artstyle and soundtrack are (in my opinion) the best in the series, and overall it's very enjoyable for me.

But, like anything, it's not perfect. I'm incredibly uncomfortable with the hypocrisy the game has in regards to the sexualization of teenagers. While Kamoshida is rightfully condemned for his sexualization of teenage girls and Ann's persona awakening comes from rejecting this objectification, the game and story undermine it by not only putting Ann in a sexually revealing outfit, but also making light of Ryuji's sexual harassment by adult men (Allegedly Persona 5 Royal tries to fix this by making the men drag enthusiasts who think Ryuji would look good in drag and giving them more sympathetic personalities, but it's still really weird and hypocritical of the game to do this.). The teenage protagonist is also allowed the option to date adult women, including his teacher, and the game rarely if ever touches on the problems with this.

The game's homophobia also left a bad taste in my mouth. Aside from the aforementioned men who sexually harass Ryuji, the only other canon LGBT+ character is a bar owner who is either a drag queen or a trans woman (or both?). Sure, she's portrayed as being kind and protective of the protagonist, but there isn't much room to interact with her or learn more about her. On top of that, not only can the protagonist not romantically pursue his male friends (A feature that even the SECOND persona game had), he's not even allowed to give them gifts or platonically show affection towards them without the dialogue mocking him. The game that allows a teenage boy to date his teacher won't allow him to simply give his male friends a present.

And yet, despite those criticisms, I do still enjoy the game. I don't consider the game irredeemable garbage based on those poorly handled topics alone. And I also understand that for some people, those topics make them so uncomfortable that they don't want to play the game at all, and I completely respect that.

Criticizing the things you enjoy is not only normal, it's oftentimes healthy. Being able to step back and say "I like this thing, but I don't like the bad things it's done. This thing would be better if these issues were fixed." Sure, sometimes some people tend to complain a bit too much about the media they supposedly enjoy, but for the most part being able to acknowledge the bad with the good is a good skill to have.

Oh, wait, all of this means nothing because Grazer thinks that critically enjoying things is nothing more than an excuse to consume media he doesn't personally agree with. Okay then.

So if he can't even realize something as simple as "it's okay to criticize some parts of media that you otherwise enjoy", how can he be expected to look critically at a religion that he's been raised in and around all his life?

Soooo yeah, Grazer has some serious problems with black and white thinking that he refuses to acknowledge, further worsened by the fact that he's practically been brainwashed into believing that Christianity is the ultimate moral compass that everyone should follow. I understand that this tends to be an issue for neurodivergent people, but it's not an excuse for the actions he does that are related to these things (sending death threats to the ESRB, antagonizing others, etc.