#I'm so so so done with everyone's claims about caring for human rights.

[redvelvetwishtree]

Hope everyone who was putting up a show about boycotting the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is also boycotting Eurovision.

[florascent]

Human

Pairing: Keigo Takami x gn!reader

Word count: 1.8k

Genre(s): Slight smut, mainly hurt/comfort, ends in fluff

CWs: Dissociation, multiple pet names, mention of sex, reader has glasses

You lifted your gaze. His name jolted into your mind as you met golden honey, sweet and warm just for you. You wished you could bask in it, feel it deep in your bones, let it melt into and under your skin. How nice that would be. How pleasant. You would drown in it happily as you had done countless times before if you could.

Instead, you observed him in a detached manner, hyper-focused on his face as you rememorized everything you knew about him. Pieces of information came back to you, certain yet careful so you won't get overwhelmed. Unlike life, your mind and body knew to treat you gently.

Hawks. His name was- No. Not Hawks. That was his hero name. His persona. His name was Keigo. He was Keigo Takami. Your boyfriend. You recently moved in with him. He took care of you. He loved you. You loved him. You loved him. You loved him.

The feeling escaped you now. No matter how much you repeated the claim in your head. Frustratingly, tragically, far out of your reach. Regardless, the fact remained. Your current state didn't change anything. You took reassurance in that, at the very least.

Everything was so incredibly hazy yet perfectly clear at the same time.

You must've shut down and rebooted slowly to not short circuit again. It certainly felt like that was the case. One second, you were watching a movie with Keigo, comfortably snuggled close to him. The next, your vision went dark. With a blink, it came back and you looked to the man sitting beside you, not quite feeling like yourself anymore.

Maybe I'm not human, you mused emptily. Maybe I tricked myself and everyone around me into thinking I was.

He'd understand, won't he? Yes, rang in your head. He was always so understanding. Even when you didn't make sense. Even when your mind was a tangled mess of overwhelming emotions. Even when you acted crazy.

He was so good at deciphering you, so good at detangling your messy thoughts and feelings into neatness, so good at making you feel sane and normal or matching your crazy so you wouldn't feel as much of an awful person. You sometimes thought you didn't deserve him.

You stared at him. He stared back, his eyes soft and gentle and kind. Did you look as dull and empty to him as you suddenly felt? Probably. You didn't try hiding it. You didn't want to be a burden, but you also wanted to lay yourself bare to him. You knew he wanted that, too.

He had begged you to let yourself be vulnerable around him one day. You gave in, because how could you say no to him? But only on the condition he did the same for you. Your partnership with him was a two-way street and you wouldn't stand for anything less. You'd be personally offended if he wasn't vulnerable with you, if he purposely hid those parts for ‘your sake’, when you did your best to be good to him.

He didn't hide his worry. You saw it on his handsome features, sensed it in the slow, careful way he lifted his hand to your face. Like, you'd get easily spooked. But you weren't on edge. You didn't feel nervous or scared or anxious. You softly acknowledged that you were safe in your shared home, with him right beside you. So, why was he…?

Oh. That's right. You were his bunny. His cute, little, soft bunny. That's what he always told you when he was in a mean, teasing mood.

The more illicit aspects of the nickname came to mind as he caressed your cheek. Maybe he was trying to bring you back? You wanted that. You wanted to feel something. It wasn't just a lack of love. You were a blank slate trying to remember who you were. Emotions weren't part of that equation.

You half focused on his warm touch as you recalled the first time he called you 'Bunny'. It was during sex. His touch had been searingly hot while grabbing at your body as he pleased, his gaze predatory while he looked down on you, cocky smirk in place. He had murmured the name in your ear, breathless and teasing. Your guess was that he figured hawks enjoyed eating bunnies. You had definitely felt devoured by him in that moment.

“Everything okay, Dove?” Oh, yeah. He also called you Dove and Babybird and Birdie and- There were too many things he called you but his preference for giving you animal-like nicknames was not lost on you.

A slow, robotic blink.

Lips twitching into a concerned frown.

You contemplated on how to answer despite the question being an easy 'yes' or 'no'. It didn't feel easy in your head. Yes, I'm okay. I'm not overwhelmed. I'm not hurt. That probably won't fly with him.

“No.” You answered honestly, voice almost timid. Something was still clearly wrong. You were lost in a surreal daze, where you didn't quite feel like a person. Like, you had taken over someone else's body. Everything else felt… tangible. Real. You were the only thing out of place.

He removed his hand from your skin, hovering an inch away. “Touch?” He watched your expression carefully for any hint of you not wanting his hands on you.

You thought about it briefly. “Yes.” There were times when just the thought of being touched made you uncomfortable, but this was not one of them. You felt a certain indifference about receiving physical contact, but you thought that maybe his hands would help you feel more human. Although, you did wonder if a parasite deserved such a thing.

As soon as you gave verbal consent, he slid your glasses off and set them on the bedside drawer at his side of the bed. He cupped your cheeks with both hands immediately after, pressed a soft, lingering kiss to your forehead. You closed your eyes. Warm. He was warm.

You slowly moved onto his lap when he pulled his lips away, chasing after that warmth of his. He wrapped his arms around you as you rested your chin on his shoulder, his breaths lightly fanning into your hair. He rubbed your back with strong, soothing hands. You closed your eyes again, gradually melting into him.

“Tell me what's wrong.” He murmured in your ear, hands tentatively sliding under your shirt and up your back. It almost sounded like a question. You melted further at the skin contact. His touch became less hesitant.

“I feel… weird. Everything feels off.”

“C'mon, Angel.” His voice softly coaxed you to give him a better answer. He wanted to help you properly.

He leaned back against the headboard, gently forcing you to pull away. You sat upright, watching large crimson wings shift behind him. You presumed so he'd be more comfortable.

“I'm not real.” Your eyes shifted from bold red to that golden honey. His eyes looked back at you seriously.

“Babe-”

“You asked.” There was no bite to your tone. It was soft. Monotone. Factual.

He moved from his relaxed position and rested his forehead against yours. You both ignored the soft laughter coming from the TV. The movie still played. He cupped your face once more. “You're real.”

“No... I'm not- I'm not a real person.” Granted, the surreal factor to your perception was starting to fade. Maybe his hands really were the remedy. Or maybe it was him getting you to talk. Either way, as per usual, he was helping. He was so effortless. “This isn't my body. It's not mine. I'm not real. I just want to be real.”

“You are real, Dove.” He insisted softly, ever so patient with you. You felt his breath on your lips, warming your face with each calm exhale. You wanted to believe him. You were starting to. He would never lie to you so there was no reason you shouldn't.

“Baby, it's all in your head.” His voice was so gentle, so certain, soothing you back to a stable reality. All in my head… You hadn't considered that. Not in the way he meant it. Your brain still felt too hazed to think too deeply of anything.

“See these hands?” He took your hands in his, placing little kisses on the knuckles. “They're yours and they look pretty real to me.” He kissed your palms next, his lips soft and warm. “They feel real.” You felt him grin suddenly against your skin before his tongue made an appearance.

You snatched your hands back while he chuckled lightly. “They taste real.” He licked his upper lip. You wiped your hand down his bare chest in response. He had a habit of going to bed shirtless, something you didn't mind at all.

He rested his hand on top of yours, moving it over to his beating heart. It was steady, slow. The other reached for your face, thumbing at the skin under your eye. “Am I real?”

“Yes.”

He moved your hand to your own chest, palm pressed over cotton fabric where you could feel your heart. “Do you feel that?” You nodded silently. “That's your heart.” He pecked your cheek while hooking his finger to the neckline of your shirt and tugging it off your shoulder. He kissed the skin there next. “This is your body.” He murmured against you, hands returning to massaging your back.

He continued to press affirmations to your skin, focusing on your face, neck, and shoulders, until you fully believed him. He ended with a loving kiss to your lips. He lingered, enjoying the feel of your lips brushing together with his.

He pulled away, citrine eyes gazing at you with pure love and adoration. “Let's get some sleep, yeah?”

You nodded. It was late, past midnight. You hadn't felt tired enough to sleep earlier but now it crept up to you. You settled yourself on your side of the bed as he sent feathers to flick the TV and bedside lamps off.

Darkness instantly took over the room but it was comfortable. You listened to the nighttime city sounds drifting in through open windows. The song of crickets, the occasional car whizzing by, an aircraft whooshing through the sky. It became white noise, along with his quiet breathing.

“Keigo?” You reached out, hand searching for his own. You clasped on when you found it.

“Yeah, Dove?” He slid his palm against yours, interlocking your and his fingers between each other.

“I love you. Even when I'm not myself.” You meant to thank him but he’d probably brush it off and say it was what good boyfriends do.

He gently pulled you close, both an arm and a wing draping over you. You melted into his embrace. “I love you more.” You felt a soft pressure on the top of your head, his lips lingering. You didn't have it in you to scoff and argue that you loved him more. Not tonight. Tonight, you accepted his affections in silence before finally drifting off to sleep.

[pondering-gales-left-orb]

i will not accept shane spouse room slander anymore im sick of it

I'm so mad at everyone who is mad at Shane's spouse room and i cant keep silent about it anymore

let me start by saying yes Shane was my first ever spouse in SDV and no i was not thinking i could fix him i was just impressed by his progress and self improvement so i had my character marry him

then i went online to see what are people saying about him and i was SHOCKED everyone was so mean to him and were absolutely wronggggggggggg about him

this man does improve himself he absolutely is better after marriage and everyone that's mischaracterizing that because of his spouse room is a coward sorry i don't make the rules

facts: Shane goes to therapy and starts getting his alcoholism under control by eliminating the source of his pain which is wasting his life away at joja and doing something he loves which is raise blue chickens THAT HE MADE MIGHT I ADD HE INVENTED A NEW BREED OF CHICKENS BTW. that last point alone pisses me of so hard because people so often over look it! he is just as smart as Maru just as creative as Eliot and just as ambitious as Sam, let me repeat myself HE INVENTED A NEW BREED OF CHICKEN WHILE HE WAS DEPRESSED AND SUFFERING OF ALCOHOLISM.... recognize his brilliance please

so that means people saying he falls back into his old habits because he has a six pack in his room is wrong, imo he stops being an alcoholic and goes back to having drinking be a hobby he does while gaming or hanging out with friends at the bar THAT'S THE POINT UR SUPPOSED TO GET FROM HIS HEART EVENTS

yes his room has mud tracks but consider this this man's WHOLE JOB is to RAISE CHICKENS IN A COOP !!!!! chickens who again he literally invented their breed who track mud shit and drop feed on the floor of the coop he is in all day!!! OF FUCKING COURSE HES GONNA HAVE MUD ON HIS SHOES!!

he works all day for his blue chickens and then just wants to come in and relax playing a video game and drinking a beer if he was a horrible dirty alcoholic like people claim he is he would track mud ALL OVER THE HOUSE AND DIRTY UP ALL THE HOUSE but no its just his tiny hobby room

you as a farmer also work all day on chores and after you are done you also just wanna do something fun to relax and guess what YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE HOUSE EVERY ROOM IN THE HOUSE TO MAKE INTO YOUR HOBBY ROOM some of you fill the house with kegs because you are making it your thing hell one of my farmers who was a witch had an entire room that's just crystals potions and a fucking cauldron , in my Shane save i had a room LINED with fish tanks that was my farmers Hobby, do you think Shane gets mad that i had 4 to 6 fish tanks running all day with puffer fishes and some legendary fishes stinking up the house?? NO because he gets his hobby room and the farmer gets their hobby room everyone keeps to their space period.

i think everyone needs to understand that having a messy hobby room is not a bad thing and that Shane and the other spouses have a right to their own room to look however they want and it doesn't have to match the house

everyone also needs to look at Shane in a better light please I'm begging you to let characters have small flaws and not be squeaky clean perfect

Shane sought help he is helping himself and trying to be better but that doesn't mean he doesn't get to indulge in some guilty pleasures he is human and is aloud to be one even while still in recovery! the difference now is that he HAS CONTROL OVER ALCOHOL AND GAMING CONSUMPTION AND IS NOT SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL LIKE BEFORE he has job he loves a family he takes care of and he makes sure he doesn't dirty up his entire house but gives himself a break in his ONE room and doesn't stop himself form having fun doing the things he enjoys without over indulging or falling into bad habits.

Edit: i know in the end the drinks are non alcoholic as confirmed by him and i mentioned beer and drinks cause i know there is non alcoholic Versions of them som.. but as i said im adressing the MISSCHARACTERIZATION of shane by the shane haters who didn't go through his heart events hence me saying "you are supposed to learn all this from his heart events" cause they dont go through them :D

Anyway,

in conclusion SHANE IS GOOD SPOUSE, a good man and an inventor in his own right. yall just need to be gentle to him in your judgment cause man is he trying his earnest and that needs to be recognized. i mean look at him look at this healthy man <3

[purge-samauwu]

Hate how one of the most compelling characters in the show arcane is forgotten and slammed online by the fans that fail to understand his story and writing. Hate how most of the hate is because of shippers putting yaoi logic on characters that are supposed to be complex and as real as possible, human even. Hate how there are actually analysis videos on him and virtually no one watches them because no one cares about the corrupt politician man that's the worse (not even close to the complex character he is, that EVERYONE is.)

Y'all will defend a guy that has only ever shown care for his daughter and no one else. Claims to care for the under city while poisoning them. But a naive scientist that does bad with genuine good intent is too evil for you to see any good?

I'm so fucking done with chronic shippers. I like the ship but people just make Viktor a helpless disease ridden guy that needs constant care from the strong Jayce and isn't treated right because Jayce is an asshole and then they divorce and blah blah blah blah. UGH.

I want to die every time I see Jayce hate because it's always sooo dumb.

WATCH AN ANALYSIS VIDEO FOR GOD OR SATAN'S SAKE DAMN. For humanity if not for either previously mentioned deities.

[eventuallyaugust]

why i'm getting all worked up in defending palestine

feel free to unfollow me if my reblogs regarding pro-palestinian posts is getting annoying to anyone who's seeing them on their following feed. i do not care if i lose followers for that reason alone because for the record, isnotreal is posting pics or videos of literally anything to show the things they've done or stole from palestinian homes, including canes.

literal fucking canes for the disabled and elderly !! like what the fuck are those zionist idiots think on why most people are not siding with that disgusting country??

"why are you getting affected by it when you're not even there?" so? what? just because i'm not living their pain doesn't mean i don't have any right to affected by it. just because i'm not one of the people suffering under that fucking country's massacre doesn't mean i won't do anything about it.

i'm a person with sympathy and a heart. i have fucking human emotions, sensitive to other people's pain, so when i fucking saw that one doctor seeing her own daughter being brought into the emergencies (refer to this one; TW: DISTRESSING THEMES), i cried, okay?

i fucking sobbed

so before anyone try to send me ask anything about anti-palestine, feel free to block me. with all due respect, block me right. now. i don't care if i'm being extremely political right now because i will genuinely fistfight someone for these people, even though i live almost on the other side of the globe. and before any fuckers hit me with the christianity being related into that white and blue country, i just want everyone to know that Jesus won't support them because He literally preached about loving everyone and loathed the hypocritic actions the pharisees were doing, like the zionists using His name to justify their wrongdoings, using Him to murder the people (palestinian children, men, and women) due to their greed of claiming the land palestine was occupying.

[ramen-writes]

"Saints, what happened to you?" He says frustrated as he rubs his temple. "You used to do what I say without any question. You used to-"

"You want to know what happened?" I ask. Controlled smile on my face but I try to bite down my tongue to stop me from letting the anchor I feel on my chest free.

"You really want to know what happened to me? You did" I glare at him. He's older, wiser. My mentor who took me off the streets but right now I don't- I can't see him as that as anyone but the person who turned me into a monster.

"You happened to me."

He sighs in exasperation, as if I'm a kid throwing a temper tantrum. It annoys me and makes me feel so small.

"What in this world are you talking about, child?" he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighs yet again.

"I'm talking about how you made me into a pawn doing your bidding!' I yell. That does it. He looks up at me and glares.

"I did not such thing, I saved you"

"You used me!"

"I've raised you since you were a child"

"You didn't raise me, you trained me"

"I turned you into a hero"

"No" I shake my head, tears threatening to fall down my face but I hold my head high. "No, You turned me into a weapon"

"You saved hundreds of people"

"And I killed a hundred more!"

"They were the enemy"

"They were innocent"

"Nobody's innocent"

"I was!" I yell. "Maybe not now, not with all I've done, with all the blood on my hands but I was. I was innocent before you plucked me like a flower you found pretty. Li-like your favorite little toy you got to control"

He looks at me in something that looks too much like disgust.

"I wanted you to be better". He finally says and I think I hear my heart crack.

"I didn't want to be better" I say, almost a whisper. "I just wanted to be happy" my voice cracks.

He scoffs, "Stop living in delusion and take a look around you. You are in a better situation then half the people in this town. You should be grateful"

"Grateful? Grateful?! You took me from the only people I had with the promises of helping everyone else and what happened?!" I ask.

"What happened to that promise? Because last I took a look around me people were dying, last I took a look around, the same people you promised I would help live a happy life are dead or barely surviving in the slumps that you promised to clear!" I yell, my body is trembling but I stand tall.

"You promised I would help them if I went with you. That they'll be happier if I left them without the burden of taking care of me" I whisper. My heart aches, I miss them, I miss them so much that my heart longs for them. They were the closest to family I had and I.... I left them.

"You promised I would be helping them, that my sacrifice would be for the greater good. I was a sacrifice! And for what?!"

"Well some promises get compromised" he states, ever so steady and it makes me want to scream and yell all over again. Like the kid he thinks I am.

"I built you up to be stronger, to protect your people" he says.

"But what about me?! I didn't need to be stronger I needed to be protected too! I was a child"

"I did protect you!"

"You never protected me, you stifled me, you hide me! You protected me like a bomb that could explode at any moment".

"What was I supposed to do" he scoffs "treat you like a fragile flower? Act like you're a child?"

"But I was a child! All you had to do was treat me like I was a human-"

"But you aren't!"

That makes me pause, I look at him, his eyes don't waver. "Wha- what" I barely get out.

"I said, that you aren't a human"

I feel like all the air has been sucked out of my lungs and I feel myself get lost inside my mind, like I'm no longer in my body.

"B-but" I gulp, tears threatening to fall "You said I was human like all of you. You're the only- the only person to tell me that-"

"I said what I had to to keep you from becoming the monster everyone claimed you already were" he looks at me, I searched for any sign that he is lying, that it was said in anger, I search for guilt or regret to his words but I find my self detecting none.

"You're lying" I say though my voice sounds like it's not a part of me, it's distant as if even it knows that I'm searching for diamonds in a coal mine, that this was the only truth he has uttered this entire conversation.

"Don't kid yourself" he sneers. "You always knew you weren't human. Humans can't do what you can. You already knew that you were different, but I never expected you to turn into the monster even after all I did to save you. But I guess it was faith itself-"

"No" I shake my head, looking him dead in the eye. I hate that my body is trembling, that my knees feel like they will buckle any second now but I try, I just try.

"This was all your own doing, you turned me into this"

"You did this to yourself" he snarls and glares at me.

Tears are already rolling down my face but I can't do anything but try and keep my head high, not let myself fall, not now, not ever again.

"You can't blame me for the cracks in my window when you are the one who handed me the hammer" I say. "I won't let you make me believe that I was born like this when you're the one who destroyed the only part of me that could feel"

[notyourgoodjew]

hi, may I ask what BDS means?

Hi! Of course you may :D

BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. It's a movement that promotes boycotting Israeli goods, universities, cultural institutions etc., divesting from companies that provide military supplies to Israel and calling for sanctions in hopes of pressuring the country to meet their demands. Which are to withdraw from the West Bank and remove the barrier, equality for the Arab-Palestinian citizens, right of return for Palestinian refugees etc.

Obligatory warning! I do NOT support the far right Israeli government and its policies (fuck Bibi and his cronies)! I do not see any joy in deaths (both Palestinian and Israeli), I want this war to end as soon as possible, I want peace in the region for everyone!

While their support from Palestinians is high, their tactics had little to no positive effect... in fact it has been quite the opposite, considering the movement has been active for almost two decades...

They have failed to pressure Israel economically, their effect on the economy being negligible, although they have been successful in convincing quite a few unions, and organizations to endorse their cause and pull support of Israel, but due to their boycott of Soda Stream, the company closed their factory in the West Bank, costing a lot of Palestinians their jobs...

So far they've only really been a useful tool for the Israeli right. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Some people see the movement as being very wishy washy I would say. Their definitions are broad to the point that everything Israeli can potentially fall under a boycott. Like hummus, which they allege "provides support for the Israeli military" (I assure you, hummus export is not a significant part of the Israeli economy).

And while they claim to be pro peace and advocating for a two state solution, they unconditionally support anything Palestinians do and rarely if ever condemn terrorism on their part. Which just endorses more violence instead of a dialogue towards peace. Also due to their focus on Israel they single it out as a uniquely oppressive regime (while ignoring other, often worse, atrocities around the world), which while I agree that Israel has done a lot of awful things, it is far from the worst human rights abuses and certainly not unique in its cruelty. Of course it is right to condemn Israel for its wrongdoings, but the movement has been very ineffective so far in the "let's put economic pressure" sense, only demonizing Israel and everything related to it.

They refuse to engage with anything Israeli, including art (and causing several artists to cancel their shows in Israel) and more importantly a part of the movement (specifically the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, or PACBI) has condemned an Israeli-Palestinial grassroots peace organization(!!!) Standing Together (which I highly encourage you check out) which has been doing actual work towards conversation between Israelis and Palestinians with the goal of a Palestinian state and peace, which has condemned the occupation of the territories, which has been protesting despite the police refusing to allow them to (facing arrests and police brutality because of that) and so much more. BDS sees this as "normalization", a "distraction", and "whitewashing" (somehow?), which just reveals that a lot of people in the movement just want Israel gone, not caring about what would happen to its population.

From what I see and where I stand (barely, I'm a cane user, badum tss), BDS is ineffective in achieving its actual goals, however it has successfully divided college campuses and politics both in the US and Europe, inviting even more antisemitism, they are extreme and very narrow minded, accusing American Jews of dual loyalty. Their support of the Boston map being the prime example (which they later distanced themselves from, kinda).

But of course, look into this yourself to make your own opinions. I'm far from an expert and if I've been factually incorrect, please let me know.

[ahouseofstarkdefender]

Beware the butterflies!!!

I would like to praise what Martin did today (on Aegon II's name day no less!).

He is not stupid. Honestly, I think he may have problems speaking and expressing himself, so he can't express his ideas when talking with dimwits (D&D, Condal & Hess) to reach some reason why they need to keep something on the shows, but when he writes he will blow up your mind.

And what he did today was amazing. Because I think that he put every word on purpose, in the way he always writes, with allegories and twisting things.

He talked about the butterfly effect. He called Maelor a butterfly, and he is.

They deleted a butterfly from the history of Westeros (series).

And Maelor, as Martin says, it's nobody.

"Maelor by himself means little. He is a small child, does not have a line of dialogue, does nothing of consequence but dies... but where and when and how, that does matter... "

And you see, with us, Maelor doesn't die in Bitterbridge, he died in the mind of Condal, and it changed everything for Martin for the series.

"Sometime between the initial decision to remove Maelor, a big change was made." he wrote

He was tired of HBO bullshit. He is rich, he is human, he has ONE dream and he wishes to fulfill it and then die in peace. He doesn't want to deal with this bullshit anymore, so he decides to break the NDA. Why? To piss them off?

No.

To slash them hard.

He spoiled Season 3 on purpose to force HBO to read the post. He revealed one scene. A scene everyone will know will happen. He actually didn't reveal anything because anyone who read F&B knew it would happen. What did Martin reveal? That it would be a meaningless scene. He can defend himself claiming the spoiler is already in HIS book. He can talk about HIS story whatever he wants.

I bet Martin took down the post with a smirk. Knowing it was already late for HBO. The damage to their "amazing" story is done. The author, who they claim is on their side, had spoken. They had been defending their bullshit claiming Martin is on their side, and Martin got tired of being dragged in the mud and defended himself calling them incapable of thinking.

"I have no idea what Ryan has planned - if indeed he has planned anything..."

There are still at least two seasons, and Martin doesn't want this series to end like GOT. He knows talking time behind the doors has already tried (and failed), so he decided to push them.

"There are large and more toxic butterflies to come if HOUSE OF THE DRAGON goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4..."

He finishes with this message. With this warning. He is telling us, the fandom, the outline doesn't look good (it may be worse), and he is tired of shouting at a wall, so he decided to attack them with a simple post, a post everyone would read by spoiling a simple scene everyone knew it was going to happen, to hit HBO to react.

And he used Maelor, a simple, innocent and deleted butterfly from the history, to make them see the consequences they were causing.

I can imagine what were some of those "toxic butterflies" they want to come to the story, so Martin is preventing it making them hear him. And the fandom.

Yeah, they are trying to make damage control, and I'm sure their lawyers are shouting at each other, but Martin doesn't care because, in the end, he is right. And now he is going to be heard for once.

[neilgill]

Wish Defense I: The 'Complaints'

“Be to her virtues very kind, Be to her faults a little blind.” ― Matthew Prior

Disney's Wish was actually great and I'm here to defend it.

I'd like to start by negating most of, if not all, the 'complaints' this film's been getting. Please join me as I do this in 12 brief points:

Asha is a great protagonist. She is not just 'quirky' or one-dimensional: she's caring, strong, beautifully flawed, and doesn't solve every problem on her own; the movie makes a point of every one of these. I never saw her as a clone of someone like Mirabel or Anna. And she does have a character arc: she matures and learns to work hard for what she believes in. She learns that doing the right thing is difficult, but it's necessary. All this makes for a beautifully put-together character that gets through challenges and comes out stronger. Why aren't people talking about how great that is?

Magnifico is a great villain. He's an amalgam of familiar villains like Maleficent, Ursula, and Gaston, done in ways that seem fresh and unique. I've seen a lot of people say his motivation seems to change every few minutes or so, but I disagree. Him using his traumatic past is his excuse for his bad behaviour: that's what narcissists do. Just look at Mother Gothel and all her gaslighting. He was always a self-absorbed jerk who wants everyone under his heel, and whose darkness just got revealed more and more. And his 'villain shtick' is a cool and terrifying one: stripping people of their hopes and dreams to make them docile subjects who depend on him. He takes away their agency, essentially their souls and who they are as people. That is the bad thing he's been doing from Day 1, it's what makes him a villain: the film tells us that. How can people defend him? It's like people defending Gaston all over again. He's a great villain in that he goes against the values the story holds dear, challenges the protagonist in personal ways, is wonderful to hate, and is rightfully depicted as in the wrong for doing bad things. He's the selfish one, not Asha as the 'critics' are claiming. Why aren't people talking about that?

Star is a great secondary character. He is intentionally supposed to be a character that harkens back to those like Jiminy Cricket or Timothy Q. Mouse (I have a very personal connection with Dumbo, so this was important to me). People are REALLY misinterpreting that concept art of them: Star and Asha were never supposed to have a romance because Human Star would look like her grandfather. And 'Starboy' would just be a copy of Peter Pan or Genie, which people would definitely slam, thus I'm glad they changed him. See point 11 for more on Star and why his current form is the one they went with. People just care about having a Jack Frost clone (if they did go that route, they'd probably be slammed for copying Dreamworks, knowing 'critics'). The idea of a mute, magical sidekick, something that we haven't seen since Tinker Bell, is a pretty fun one that feels new and cool. And it's important to note that he never grants anyone's wish: he just helps out, letting Asha and others know that they themselves have to make it come true. Why aren't people talking about that?

I was really worried Valentino was going to be little more than a gag, but he wasn't. He helps out here and there, especially when aiding the Teens in freeing the wishes, proving his importance to the narrative. Plus I did find him pretty funny.

The Teens do stand on their own. I went into the movie knowing they were going to be new versions of the 7 Dwarfs, but each of them felt like their own unique person to me, especially Dahlia and Simon.

The animation is gorgeous: you have to watch it in HD or 4k, which people are doing for other films like Spider-Verse or Nimona, just not this one. It is far from 'lazy' or 'Disney Junior level': it harkens back to art styles Walt Disney himself loved. I can't believe they managed to replicate the feel of classic Disney backgrounds, like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, so perfectly with modern technology. It looks like a painting, or a tapestry. Disney movies are still beautiful. Why aren't people talking about that?

The music is great: I've caught myself singing every song at least thrice. Each song brings something to the table. 'This is the Thanks I Get' fits Magnifico's character, and is something in the same vein as Gaston's song; you cannot tell me that one rent line is worse than 'nobody spits like Gaston'. I still get chills listening to 'This Wish' and its reprise. I don't know how people online are starting to think it's a bad song, but now others are just jumping on the bandwagon. You can see Asha's love and struggles within the song, and it even has the melody of 'Part of Your World'; how can you hate that? I've seen so many people personally connect with that song, myself included... Why aren't people talking about that?

'At All Costs' was never a love song between Asha and Star: Julia Michaels just wanted a love song (find that Variety article), and now it can be used for all kinds of love. I actually did tear up watching that sequence for the first time, seeing Asha hold her grandfather's wish dearly in her arms. I've seen people say it reminds them of what a parent would sing to their child, like 'You'll Be in My Heart', and I think that's just so wonderful and heartfelt. Why aren't people talking about that?

I don't have the actual post, but I'd like to bring attention back to what an artist on the film said: every 'Easter Egg' is meaningfully placed, a tribute to what has inspired generations. Not one of them felt shoehorned in to me. This movie is a tribute, a love letter, a celebration of what people have loved for 100 years. Why aren't people talking about that?

Magnifico's defeat is far from silly. It makes sense given the rules the world of the film runs on: the fact that 'we are made of stars' is a good Chekov's gun that carries a lot of meaningful importance. Each of us is special, each of us has magic, and each of us has hope. And this is where evil dies and good endures: Magnifico cannot comprehend that anyone but himself is worth anything, thus why he cannot quell this and it is the reason for this downfall. He, the villain, loses because he lacks the virtues the heroes possess. Why aren't people talking about that?

The story of this film is special: as confirmed by the staff, the film is an allegory for Walt Disney's life, and the story of Disney overall. Asha is Walt Disney, Star is Mickey Mouse: a magical force of creativity and inspiration that lights up a dark time. Because of the special nature of this, even though I'm a die-hard Disney fan, I'm fine with there not being any romance in this film (even though I'd like it back someday). This was intentionally made as a simple film à la Snow White, which was meant to be a happy, hope-giving film for people back in the 1930s. Just like this film is supposed to be now. One last time: why aren't people talking about that?

This is the first of a few posts I'll make defending this movie, so for other Wish fans out there, please stick around. I don't care if I get dragged for this: I'd rather stick up for my beliefs and defend myself my way than let online bullies like Schaffrillas, Aldone, or Astor Rhymemaster stop me from loving something I really enjoyed. I really hope this movie gets the Atlantis treatment and becomes a beloved cult classic down the line. Until next time.

[xxsp3llb0undxx]

howdy! i'm not sure if you're still taking twilight writing prompt requests, but if you are, could i get a 5 (in random prompts section) with jasper hale? bonus points if it's with a pregnant reader!

Immortality and its flaws (Jasper Hale x Pregnant!Reader)

Prompt: R5 - "I swear to the holy ghost, if I catch you; you'll be deader than you already are."

Disclaimer: Please do not repost my work to other sites or claim as your own, this is purely written from my imagination and from the help of the franchise. All rights of the main storyline goes to the writers and producers of Twilight.

Summary - Reader is Jaspers pregnant mate, they've been together for the last 5 years. Jasper decides to play a prank on his mate with his adoptive brothers, Edward and Emmett; only they didn't expect to be running away from her in fear of being scolded like a bunch of children. Which lets be honest, they are.

MASTERLIST CULLENS

Y/n's pregnancy was a surprise to everyone; including Jasper, but that didn't mean he wasn't thrilled to be a dad. The first couple weeks of her carrying their child were probably the hardest, still being human and having to drink blood to make sure their child was well nourished wasn't exactly what Y/n planned on happening but anything for her baby. Jasper was nothing but loving and caring, he would go out of his way to make sure Y/n was comfortable and nothing was hurting her.

After the first month of the pregnancy, Y/n was slowly able to get up and walk around the Cullen house without being supervised every second, but of course Jasper was still lurking around in case of his mate needing him. That was until one day Jasper wasn't there to help Y/n, he was instead, planning a prank with his two adoptive brothers; Edward and Emmett. It was just supposed to be light hearted, never truly anything to aggravate anyone. Alice was in on it too, she was not to tell Y/n what the boys were conspiring, in return they said they would bring the petite, fairy -like vampire on a shopping spree whenever she wanted.

And so the planning began, the three vampires were sat outback on an unusually sunny Friday afternoon; Edward kept reading Y/n's mind to make sure Alice was keeping her occupied for the time being, feeling reassured enough to walk back to his brothers, Edward heard Emmett's bounding laugh bounce off the surrounding trees. "So, what have you come up with?" Jasper's lips stretched into a wide grin, his amber eyes twinkling with mischief. In this moment, he was the living embodiment of the Cheshire Cat. Jasper explained to Edward what Emmett had proposed, the bronze haired boy was all on board to go forward with their little escapade.

Y/n was sleeping peacefully when the Cullen boys started to move all of Y/n's favourite snacks to the lower shelves in the kitchen, knowing full well her swollen stomach would restrict her from being able to reach them. Emmett's laughter roared throughout the house, the blonde vampires trying to shush him in fear their prank would be cut short from Jasper's mate waking up. Luckily, Alice had come downstairs and told the trio they were in the clear for now but Y/n would wake up any minute.

The Cullens boys rushed around to finish off anything that had to be done to make this prank the best it could be. Five minutes later, they heard one of the doors upstairs open, they were met with a waft of honey and the smell of grass after it had been raining; it was Y/n. Jasper rushed upstairs and took a hold of his mate. "What are you doing up out of bed? You're not strong enough to be walking around." His thick southern accent more noticeable, that only happened when he was worried or anxious about something.

Her bright e/c stared into Jaspers amber ones, she held such a soft look in her eyes; the same look that she always uses in an attempt to assure her mate everything was okay. "I was hungry, so I thought I would go down stairs and get something to eat." Her voice was velvety, it made Jasper's still heart skip a beat. Said vampire picked up his mate and carried her down the stairs, he wasn't going to risk her getting hurt from falling down the ash wood stairs. Once they had reached the bottom, Alice had come over to help Y/n walk to the kitchen.

The fairy-like vampire knew of the prank her adoptive brothers were pulling and she knew how cruel it was but, boys will be boys she thought. Y/n started rummaging through the cupboards trying to find her favourite snacks to eat, she let out a frustrated sigh as she stretched her arm as far as possible to open the doors to the cupboards beside her legs, the pain in her back accompanied by her swollen stomach stopped her from being able to bend down. Once the thin slab of wood finally pulled open, Y/n saw a glimpse of her favourite snacks pushed behind the cleaning products. She was livid, how dare they move her beloved snacks.

Quiet laughs came from the living room, before Y/n could confront her mate or his brothers, Alice had broken away from her vision; Edward knew what was coming next so instead of sticking around for Jasper's angry, hormonal mate to come and murder them; he starts running for his life, his brothers hot on his tails. When Y/n finally managed to hobble her way to the living room, the three vampires were gone. She knew they were still around somewhere, close enough to hear her. "I swear to the holy ghost, if I catch you; you'll be deader than you already are. You better run, Hale."

To say the least, Jasper didn't come back home for a few hours until he was certain his mate had calmed down a little bit. When he finally came to his sense, though, he was met with an extremely angry Y/n. She told him she would only forgive him if he cuddled her and told her all the stories about his life prior to meeting her, and of course, new snacks.

[andreal831]

Enzo is the Morally Gray Character Everyone Pretends Damon is

Let's discuss.

Backstory

The writers didn't even try to hide it as they paralleled much of Enzo's background with Damon. If anything, his story is more tragic than the "poor little rich boy" story we get from Damon. I'm not discrediting the abuse Damon suffered, more pointing out the privilege Damon lived with, especially given his role in the Confederacy. No child should have to suffer abuse. But this privilege is often ignored when discussing Damon.

Enzo has a tragic childhood, being orphaned at just four years old and forced into a workhouse. Unlike Damon, Enzo was turned without any prior knowledge of the supernatural world. And he was turned by Damon's mother, tying them together. He was then abandoned as the only vampire he knew was locked in a prison world, leaving him to figure everything out himself. Damon was also alone, but this was done by choice. Like Damon, he also fought in a war, but unlike Damon, he fought on the right-side of WWII. We don't know much about this time in Enzo's life, but I do love that they almost give this story to Damon as well. However, Damon was only joining to be with Stefan and ended up not enlisting at all when Lexi talks him out of going with Stefan.

Enzo was captured by Whitmore and experimented on for ten years. He found love but compelled her to forget him to keep her safe, but was later killed by Damon. Similar to how Damon compelled Elena to forget him, but unlike Enzo when Elena chose to compel the memories away, he can't just let her be happy without him.

When Damon was also captured by Whitmore, Enzo befriended him, showing he still was caring person despite everything that had happened. Despite being held captive for twice as long as Damon, Enzo gave Damon his rations of blood for a year, starving himself so they could escape. But when the time came to escape, Damon left Enzo behind for dead. Because of Damon's actions, Enzo is then held captive for over 50 years.

Throughout the Show

When we meet Enzo his anger is initially directed at Damon, but upon learning that Damon kept his promise on killing the Whitmores, he forgives him for leaving him for dead and shifts his anger to the Whitmores. Enzo killing Aaron made sense since this was his entrance and his anger was still fresh, whereas Damon killing Aaron just showed that he hadn't actually had any character development that the show claimed he had. Damon also uses his position with the MF gang to manipulate Bonnie into helping by threatening Jeremy.

Enzo only turns on Stefan when he believes that Stefan was the one who killed Maggie. Finding out that it was his only friend that killed the woman he loved, instead of trying to kill Damon, he turns off his humanity because he feels so betrayed and heartbroken. Without his humanity, he targets Elena to get revenge on Damon. Stefan kills Enzo so then Enzo seeks revenge against Stefan. It's all logical.

The worst thing Enzo did was Sarah. This is my least favorite Enzo storyline, but not just because the death felt so pointless. But because it all felt out of character and random. Why was Enzo holding onto such a strong grudge for Stefan? Yes, Stefan killed him, but only because he was trying to kill Elena. Enzo's anger would have made more sense directed at Damon, but the writers couldn't let anyone be angry at Damon for more than an episode. But then Enzo doesn't even kill her. Sarah convinces Enzo to let her go

When Enzo kills, it is strategical. He doesn't do it out of joy, but rather because he feels he needs to and he has so much anger inside of him. Right or wrong, this is different than Damon's stance of killing for fun. When Caroline pushes back to Enzo, he says sometimes they have to kill for survival and they can't afford to hesitate. When Damon is called out on his killing, he says it is just part of being a vampire. He revels in it.

Even when Enzo is reunited with his long lost family, the Heretics, he doesn't enjoy taking their side. He is torn because he has never known a family and doesn't know what one feels like. He doesn't like harming the people he has known for a short while. He again chooses his blood family at the Armory initially, still hoping to find that family. But he's not really betraying anyone by doing this. The MF gang was never his family. Damon was his friend who betrayed him. He didn't owe them loyalty. But when Enzo finally finds family in the MF gang, in Bonnie, nothing will make him betray that. Unlike Damon, Enzo's loyalty isn't transactional.

Growth

The biggest difference between Damon and Enzo is that Enzo has the character development the show desperately tried to pretend Damon had.

Enzo values his friendships. When Damon dies, he is one of the main characters seeking to bring him back. Even attacking Stefan for giving up. Enzo comforts Caroline throughout the summer as she struggles. He counsels Bonnie to let him go because he'd rather her live and be safe than bring him back to life. He even talks her into forgiving Stefan so she doesn't live the rest of her life in pain.

Damon does very little to bring people back, usually just resorting to begging/forcing Bonnie. Even when Elena's in a coma, he doesn't spend the years seeking a loophole, rather he decides to desiccate and abandon his friends and brother. He misses his dead friends but doesn't honor their memories.

The writers actually learned from their mistakes with Damon. Damon entered the show as a villain in Season 1 and that was really hard to come back from. His assault on Caroline, killing Lexi, Vicki, and countless other people for fun, his yo-yoing back and forth between "good" and "bad" depending on how Elena was treating him, it was all too much without a really good redemption arc. Which they didn't bother doing. We don't see Damon ever feel remorse or apologize for anything. Everyone just forgives him.

While Enzo actually works to repair his relationships. He feels remorse for what he's done to the extent that he warns Caroline and Bonnie not to live like him. His very last actions are to make sure Bonnie forgives where he couldn't so that she could move on the way he couldn't.

Enzo was far from a perfect person, but he is by far a better "morally gray" character than Damon.

Race

While the show essentially white washes Michael Malarkey's background, we have to acknowledge the racism that plays a part. And even the larger disenfranchisement of Palestinian actors or even just Pro-Palestinian actors. Michael is proud of his Palestinian heritage. We can't ignore the impact this has had on him in the fandom and even with the cast and crew given their stances.

People are always quick to talk about the racism in the fandom, yet it always seems to fall short when discussing Michael/Enzo. It could just be because of the whitewashing in the show, but I've seen the discussion brought up more with Michael Trevino who is also a whitewashed character thanks to the shows blatant racism.

A lot of the complaints against Enzo is that he was taking roles they wished their favs had and he wasn't even a "main character. But why is Enzo not considered a main character? He has a 59 episode run time (4 seasons). He is classified as a main character online, but the fandom continues to sideline him. He has a longer run time than Klaus by double, yet we wouldn't say that Klaus wasn't a main character on TVD.

I've never actually seen legitimate reasons to hate Enzo. All of the reasons are farfetched or cherry-picking the plot so bad I swear they only watch certain character scenes.

Damon was a bad person who had moments of goodness. Enzo was a good person who had moments of "badness." I don't get why everyone wants to hate on Enzo just to make them feel better about liking Damon. Just like Damon.

But I love Enzo and I have so much respect for Michael Malarkey. They both deserved better from the fandom and the writers.

[4me2knowandyou2wonder]

As a fandom we have come to the conclusion that Graves has mommy issues. This got me thinking… So hi i'm here to talk about some of the southern parenting I’ve seen in the form of Graves’ mother head canons. Welcome!! (or at least I tried to do that jury is still out lol)

This post is dedicated to @captain-mj ! and is based on This poll where, we can all agree, the answer is Graves! LMAO

now, onto Mrs. Graves:

Phil's Mother is seen in her community as a kind and strong willed woman. People might describe her as ‘a joy to talk to,’ ‘always ready to offer a helping hand,’ and ‘a strong leader’ but there are also people in her community that refuse to describe her at all. ‘Oh do you know Mrs. Graves?’ these people may be asked. ‘We're not close,’ these people will reply, letting their tone carry the end of a topic.

This is because, to those who meet her in passing, she’s a wide smile, a southern drawl and sugary attitude—What they don’t see is this is all done because she is using kindness and charisma to craft a careful social narrative that is designed to keep criticism at bay, and people complacent. (Have you ever noticed that humans are more willing to let people who we consider ‘good’ get away with hurting others?) Mrs. Graves cannot handle anyone challenging her authority, and she is constantly fighting to make sure no one may question her.  

To those who spend more time with her, her personality becomes much more clear. She’s the woman who won’t hesitate to tell the farm hand what they’d done so wrong, the woman who will demand hard work and harder hours, the woman who is seemingly blind to the struggles of anyone who she deems under her. (Which is everyone except the people who will grant her social power btw.) 

Those who are unlucky enough to get closer to her have seen even more of the cracks in her mask. Mrs. Graves holds her power over the others heads, she will claim she deserves privileges beyond a reasonable expectation, she often uses the lord’s word as justification for unjustified opinions, and (in some cheap version of making herself look Better) Mrs. Graves complains about those she deems ‘under her social level’ to ‘peers.’

The largest crack in that ceramic smile, however—the one that reveals the raw flesh beneath—is how she treats her son. 

Her “mini me.”

Mrs. Graves enacted strict control over all activities Phil did. Privacy was a luxury not a right, and it was a luxury he didn’t have. “You shouldn’t have anything to hide,” was a common phrase uttered. Phil had limited and monitored access to any ideas outside of the christian ideals his mother wanted for him. Phil went to christian school, and any friends he was allowed to hang out with outside school hours were either from his church or approved by his mother. Phil didn’t fight this. He was a kid, this was his mother. She said she knew what was right for him, so she knew what was right for him. He liked it when his mother thought of him as a good son and letting her approve of all his friends would make her think that. 

Mrs. Graves used her husband’s authority for her own gain, using the “man of the house” as a tool to inflict her will. Mr. Graves’ parents did have a hand in his matrimony :/. They found him a nice christian woman for their good (read: bitter and emotionally closed) christian son. Mr. Graves shares the same perspective of gender roles as his wife… 

Actually I need to stop talking about Phil’s father, this is a post about mommy issues. 

Point is, if Phil did something wrong in Mrs. Graves eyes she would threaten Phil with his father’s wrath. And if Phil did something wrong in his father’s eyes his father would rage on his own. Phil hated disappointing his mother, but he feared making his father mad.

-

Phil’s mother of course forced him into community activities as much as she could, church groups, 4H, anything that had a community where her boy could make her look good. She would make him participate and do the best work he could even if he hated it, he had to win every paper boat race, every mini science fair. Sometimes she would do the work for him to make sure it was done ‘right.’ Mrs. Graves would berate Phil if he ever did anything that might make her look like a “bad parent” (Like losing the boat race … Ma’am please…)

Mrs. Graves also believes emotions are a weakness especially from women and believes emotions are simply not allowed for men either. Any Big feelings Phil showed as a kid were frowned upon and chastised. He was made to feel pathetic for fear, sadness, and even anger.

Mrs. Graves is unafraid to use humiliation to punish her son, she will happily drag him aside and chew him out in front of his friends. Sometimes it's a show for Mrs. Graves' friends, other times no one is around and she is just angry at something he did. 

As an example of how Mrs. Graves handled parenting, A kid on the playground once shoved Phil to the ground and stole the toy dino he was playing with. Phil wanted to cry, but “Buck up” was one of his mother’s favorite phrases, and Phil hated to be told to Buck Up so instead he got angry. He rips the dino out of the other kid's hand and yells at the other kid that he hates them. I’ll spare you a whole play by play about what happened and give you the footnotes:

-Phil gets his toy back, but his anger didn’t go unnoticed by his mother

-His mother realizes that the other Kid’s mother has now seen Phil act up and can’t handle the perceived judgment.

-everything Phil does she takes as a direct reflection on HER so she is blinded by this hit to her ego

-she now must prove to the other mother that she is a Good Mom who has her kid Under Control

-She yells at Phil, grabs his ear, forces him to apologize and gives the dino back to the other kid (it's Phil’s toy) she tells him they’re going home.

-the other kid has realized their own mistake and quietly gives Phil back his toy. 

-Mrs. Graves doesn’t realize Phil has the dino back until they’re in the car.

-She grabs the dino, breaks it and throws it out the car window

wow… That hurt to write

Anyway~

It wasn’t always bad, When Phil did something good he was showered in praise and affection. If he was cute for a picture, If he complimented his mother in front of her friends, or won a school competition (remember this reflects well on her), that's when life was good. She’d get all sweet, maybe they’d get ice cream later, or maybe she’d even tell him that she loves him.

I hope you’re picking up what I'm putting down: that Love was inherently conditional for Phil. 

But you see, Phil has known no other type. He never knew unconditional love, this was just how life was. As long as he worshiped his mother, sung her praises, was successful, was good and listened to what she asked, he was loved. As a long-term consequence of this Phil is always looking for praise and reassurance, he has deep rooted self worth issues that he can’t see.

-

Phil’s mom has always been described to him as powerful, a woman to respect, (no one is going to insult someone's mother to their face. Though they probably should have, because now…) Phil has internalized these ideas, and he can’t see how flawed his mother truly is. Phil has idolized his mother, becoming blind to her faults in some twisted compensation for all the pain she has caused him. (Phil is the type of person to say “sometimes I just needed a good slap” and MEAN IT.)

His worship of his mother was of course more extreme when he was a naive child. So during his tween and teen years when he was a bit more of his own person ‘all the sudden’ a rift definitely started to develop between him and his mother. 

Phil’s mother has always made jokes about never wanting Phil to grow up, never wanting him to stop being her little boy. Once he was grown they just shifted to wishing he never had. Sometimes when she’s feeling affectionate towards her son, (normally after being particularly doted on by her adult child,) she’ll say ‘You’ll always be a little kid to me.’ Phil thinks its praise, thinks its love. He can’t see how toxic the narrative is. She’s expressing love for the young kid who worshiped her, and denouncing the teen or adult that is his own person in front of her. ‘I wish you were still that little kid, I wish you’d never gotten bigger.’ These are words that hurt, but cut in a way that isn’t felt on the surface. 

(sorry, the timeline ran away from me. We’re going back to roughly Phil’s teen years again, weeee!)  

Speaking of hurt that isn’t felt on the surface! While corporal punishment wasn’t uncommon in the Graves’ household, 

(sometimes in the classical sense when he was younger, but also as a teen in the sense of off-handed corporal corrections, like the quick hards knocks over the head if he talks back, the swift yank of taking something from his hands, and kick in the shin under the table if he talked too much to guests about something that interested him.)

There was also an undercurrent of causal aggressive physicality that Graves hasn’t identified as abusive to this day, because, well, these family interactions that were always spoken of positively. Why should reality be any different? These are all just loving family play? Right? 

The dig of nails into his side to jumpscare him around the kitchen counter, (only to be laughed out when he yelped). The trick that got him to picking up something hot when he should’ve ‘known better.’ The throw his favorite canned cranberry sauce into his shoulder hard, as a ‘gift’ 

Graves got mad at that one at first, telling his mother to not throw hard cans at him, as duh, it hurt?? She chewed him out for 15 minutes about how she’d done something nice and gotten him something he liked and his ungrateful ass was so selfish that he couldn’t even say thank you“Th-”“Do not interrupt me!”

She ‘didn’t hurt him’ and ‘he was being dramatic,’ ‘a real man could handle a light hit to the shoulder!’ 

Graves tried to show her the already forming bruise. She offered to give him a real one. 

That was her joking with him… right?

These are the interactions that Phil would never see as trauma inducing. These are positive memories starring playful family rough housing. 

He doesn’t give a second thought to why he remembers each one vividly. 

-

Okay, almost done!! Adult years! 

Once he was 18, Phil left to join the army and Serve His Country as the Good American he was, but even out from under her rein Mrs. Graves’ influence can be felt. 

Mrs. Graves always demanded respect, and like a good southern boy, Phil has always given it to her. Even now as an adult Phil loves his mother and tells everyone he couldn’t ask for a better mom. (He really could…) He has disregarded his own emotional well being in a desperate attempt to be a good son, and can’t even see it.

I mean, of course he did. Taking care of his mental well-being was frowned upon. If he wasn’t pushing himself to perform for his mother he wasn’t being a good son. But now the last time Graves cried was at 15 years old, and he’ll need to do a lot of healing before he’s able to again.

When he visits his mother she without fail tells him he doesn’t come home enough. All mothers think their kids should come home more, but Mrs. Graves makes it sound like a personal affront. When he’s home the light bullying hasn’t stopped. He can’t do much without being chastised. Even when he does something she can’t criticize like taking care of himself she can often find a way to make a remark. (like putting on sunscreen? ‘Scared of a little son, don’t want a thick skin?’)

[brothermoth]

the left wing of the ostrich

You know what? This is the fault of young people being so fucking stupid and unable to educate themselves with the vast fucking resources they have available. I don't give a shit how good or bad your formal schooling was. The internet is free and you can learn these skills entirely on your own by simply not being a goddamn reactionary fool.

You're not a fucking anarcho-communist or a Marxist leninist feminist or whatever the fuck y'all are spouting now. You're an uneducated shitheel who thinks calling yourself the most left sounding thing is going to make you better. You've never read Marx or Engles and I doubt half of you even understand the theory you claim to follow.

I'm not blaming this on anyone with a learning disability who has difficulty accessing educational materials by the way. This is about people who make a willful choice to be radicalized online. This is about people who do not have the common sense to pull their head out of their ass.

Gen z (I fucking hate generation labels but it is largely people 18-30 that this problem comes from) is one of the least educated groups of people with some of the lowest reading levels since public education became widely available.

These are people without an ounce of fucking kindness or goodwill in their heart who feel so much apathy toward any one group of people that they are not even willing to do anything but stare like a fucking fool and let shit happen.

Radfems get off your high fucking horses—you had a hand in this. If your feminism isn't based on basic human fucking empathy then you're nothing but a shill doing absolutely fuck all for women or anyone else for that matter. You're a bastardization of feminism and you should be fucking ashamed.

Anti voting cunts? Genuinely I want you to sit and spin. Your fake empathy is pathetic. You don't get to put myself and everyone I care about in front of the bus so you can get on your moral pedestal about being against genocide. Your hands are stained with fucking blood. You're an idiot and your stupidity and your silence is murderous. You had a chance to get off your ass and DO something that fucking mattered for the people in your own community and you basically told us we are not worth it. The man who wanted to shoot protestors will absolutely be beneficial for Gaza. Right.

You're such lukewarm activists that you believed misinformation about Kamala Harris that was so easy to just fucking verify. (No she did not imprison people for weed. She was in fact supportive of lessened sentences and education for prisoners so they can find jobs when they're free. She has done a LOT for people and she was put in a very difficult position where she could not risk losing the large pool of moderate voters.)

Hey "activists"! Do you know how your own fucking government works?

THE VICE PRESIDENT CANT DO SHIT. KAMALA HARRIS HAS LITTLE TO NO SAY ON WHETHER OR NOT WEAPONS GO TO ISRAEL.

Hell, BIDEN doesn't have much sway over that decision. Congress is red and they make the majority of foreign policy decisions you fucking stupid cunts.

Trans Americans will never forgive you. Black Americans will never forgive you. Poor Americans, disabled Americans, Latino Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and all the others.

I hope you regret the choices you made. Christ, I hope it fucking haunts you. Trump voters were always going to vote trump without hesitation but you? You had to play leftist and call every marginalized person who pleaded with you a liberal. You're pathetic. If I could spit on you via internet, I would.

Put your fucking head back in the sand. You can stop pretending to care now.

[enigmatist17]

Angel notices it right off the bat.

It's been a good year or so since he'd last seen Joyce, and he's not particularly surprised she's still terrified of him. Angelus had done too much harm for Angel to overcome, so the general initial discomfort of his return to help Buffy for a while wasn't unexpected.

Joyce moving so that Spike of all people was between herself and the older vampire, however, was surprising.

"Don't worry love, he won't 'urt you." Spike smirked, blue and hazel eyes tracking each other without a blink as Angel stands beside Buffy.

"Since when did you care?" It's petty, sure, and Spike only snorts.

"You know, most people find it rude to insult someone when you've been out of town for a while." Joyce chided, finally feeling safe enough to stand out from behind Spike. "Spike has been a lovely guest."

"You 'ear that? Lovely." The younger looks as smug as he possibly can, and Angel wants to just punch him.

"For some unknown reason, Mom has been letting him stay here." Buffy grumbles from her spot in the kitchen, and Angel would have had a heart attack if his heart still beat.

"Y-You just let him live here?!"

"Well, when you're a neutered vampire, kinda takes the whole concern of him killing out of the picture, you know?" The Slayer shrugged, and Spike growls as Joyce put her hand over her face.

"Neutered?" Angel raised an eyebrow.

"Before anyone decides to throw curses around, Dawn is upstairs." Joyce sighs, cutting off the Brit who was now flipping Buffy off. "Buffy, why don't you escort Angel to...wherever he's staying, and we can catch up tomorrow evening."

"Okay..." For a moment everyone awkwardly stares at each other before Spike breaks it by slinging an arm around Joyce's shoulders with a grin.

Angel's eyes go wide, the blonde just waggling his eyebrows.

"C'mon bird, it's almost Passions time." The older woman seemed to be relieved at that, retrieving a forgotten bag of popped popcorn from the microwave as Angel rolled his eyes.

"Of course she watches Passions."

"Mhm." Spike grinned as he and Joyce left the kitchen, the older vampire eyeing the protective arm around Joyce, who doesn't seem to understand what Spike had just done in front of his grandsire.

"Angel?" Buffy clears her throat, glancing between Angel and the living room. "You okay?"

"....when you say neutered..?"

The drive to the hotel wasn't long, and Buffy shrugged as she slipped into the passenger seat. The tale of the Initiative fills the void during the drive, and by the time they've reached his temporary home, Angel is as angry as he is amused.

"Why are you doing that laughing thing?" Buffy pestered after Angel checked in, sitting on top of the trunk with her arms crossed.

"My what?"

"Your, y'know, the face you do when you're trying not to laugh about something."

Angel raised an eyebrow as Buffy slid off the trunk, grabbing his bags of essentials before locking up for the night.

"You..." Angel can't hold back the laugh that bursts from his mouth, and the Slayer is looking confused as they entered his room. He laughs again the moment the door closes, Buffy rolling her eyes as the vampire works himself into a fit of giggles.

"I don't understand why you're being so weird about Spike hanging around my mother."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Angel coughed, grin still playing on his lips as Buffy took a seat on the bed. "It's just so obvious."

"What is?" Buffy crossed her arms, Angel joining her with a soft smile.

"When he put his arm around your mother in front of me? He just basically claimed her, and the fact that it's your mother with his history is...unsurprising."

"He did what to my mother?" Buffy's voice is strained as she stared at Angel, who gently took one of her hands and squeezed.

"This may sound weird coming from me about Spike of all things, but it's very rare when a vampire claims a human without turning them. It's an ultimate sign that they care for whoever is claimed, and being a Master will ward off danger from low ranking demons...which is 90% of Sunnydale's inhabitants." Angel paused as he struggled for the words, Buffy looking a touch relaxed as she returned the squeeze. "How long has he been living with you?"

"Ever since he escaped the Initiative, or well, a few weeks after that? Mom found him near her work one night pretty weak, and despite my many, many, many protests brought him home, and he just kind of never left."

"When did you find out he was...neutered?" Angel cringed at the word, and Buffy bites back whatever sound tried to make its way out of her throat. "I am not calling it that."

"Pretty quick, I may or may not have lashed out, and he blacked out when he blocked one of my attacks. The chip in his head gives his entire brain a shock if he does anything to harm humans."

"That's why I'm back?"

"Yep." They sit in silence for a minute before Angel looks over, lips twitching in an amused smirk.

"So, they both are Passions fans huh?"

"Don't get me started!"

[midnightsunnyday]

The Contract

Diavolo: so then, I assume everyone is caught up on the rules of Extream Chessmaster: Sudden Death Edition, yes?

*everyone groans*

Diavolo: I'll take that as a resounding yes! Now then, as for the teams, Lucifer and I will be--

MC: hold it one second, mister! *pulls out a fancy slip of paper*

Diavolo: *clears throat* "And so, in the event that I, Lord Diavolo, current and acting prince of the Devildom, randomly proposes a game or event that threatens the continued health, longevity, and sanity of mortal life, hearby pronounce the human known as MC 100 free "Claim Lucifer" cards for their assured well-being, lack of death, and overall fair chance of competition." Huh. How curious.

Lucifer: how curious indeed.

Barbatos: that does look to be your handwriting, Young Master.

Lucifer: and your signature.

Diavolo: indeed they are. Though I'm not sure if I recall ever writing such a thing *smiles mischievously*

Mammon: oh, well isn't that convenient, then? Show em, MC!

MC: *pulls out tape recorder* *in Diavolo's voice* um, testing, testing. Is this thing working? *laughs* I always wanted to try that! Anyway, this recording acts as further verbal clarification that I, Lord Diavolo, current and active prince of the Devildom, did in fact write and sign the "Claim Lucifer" contract for MC under no threat of violence, lack of mental clarity, or under the influence of any substance. There, is that all? What do you mean there's more?

Diavolo: *pouts* well, that can't be fair.

MC: *fast forwards recording*

Mammon: I still don't know why you need Pridy McPrideface in the first place when ya got me, but fine! I, the GREAT Mammon, current and active Avatar of Greed and one of the seven lords of hell, blah, blah, blah, hearby announce myself as acting witness to the "Claim Lucifer" contract to avoid future denial and dismissal.

Satan: while I, Satan, Avatar of Wrath and one of the seven rulers of hell, act as signatory.

Belphegor: hm? Oh, right, what they said.

Beelzebub: and I'm also here.

Satan: now then, I need you all to sign here...and here...and here...Beel, stop drooling! And...done! There. The contract is now approved.

MC: thanks guys.

Mammon: *spats* yeah, whatever. You both owe me!

Diavolo: was all of this really necessary?

MC: *mumbles* considering how much of a brat you are, yes.

Diavolo: pardon?

MC: nothing!

Belphegor: trust us. The more grief Lucifer goes through the better. And there's no one Lucifer griefs over more than MC.

Satan: indeed. They're like a walking hazard sign. Surely he'll pass out from the stress alone.

MC: hey!

Satan: and so concludes our little meeting. Have fun...Lucifer.

MC: *ends recording*

Beelzebub: oh, yeah I remember that *drools* Those donuts were delicious.

Leviathan: so the Anti-Lucifer Leauge strikes again!

Asmodeus: leave it to Satan and Belphie.

Lucifer: *glares* Pridy McPrideface, was it?

Mammon: eek!

Barbatos: regardless, that is indeed the Young Master's voice.

Lucifer: it would seem so *frowns* Though I don't think I care that the entirety of my free will has been lessened to that of a slip of paper. Or how any of this is legal without my presence!

Mammon: eh, don't worry about it.

Asmodeus: 100 free "Claim Lucifer" slips, hm? There's no telling what one could do with those.

Leviathan: right? Imagine what would happen if they got into the wrong hands? Especially Asmo's?

Asmodeus: hey! I'm the sweetest and fairest capture you could ever have! My 100 step spa routine is to die for!

Leviathan: a 100 step spa routine? Sounds more like torture.

Diavolo: you are aware that I could just revoke all of this, yes? After all, I am a prince.

Lucifer: that would be appreciated, yes.

MC: true, you could. But then I'd never speak to you again. And can you really handle that? Can you?

Diavolo: preposterous.

MC: hm? What was that? I could've sworn I heard someone.

Diavolo: you wouldn't.

MC: ...

Diavolo: ...

MC: ...

Diavolo: ...Darn it! Lucifer, just...go.

Lucifer: *sighs and walks over to MC's side* honestly, I can't believe either of you.

MC: yay! I knew these would come in handy. Ready to win, buddy?

Lucifer: not particularly.

MC: aw, come on. It'll be fun.

Lucifer: hardly *smiles maliciously* Though not as fun as what I plan to do with one of my 100 free "Make MC Do As I Say For A Day" cards.

MC: ...I don't recall agreeing to those.

Lucifer: is that right? *pulls out a fancy slip of paper*

MC: "And so, in the event that I, MC, current and acting representative of the entire human race, use one of my 100 "Claim Lucifer" cards--" Oh, come on!

Belphegor: looks like Lucifer had this planned from the beginning. Typical.

Satan: even when he looses he wins. It's infuriating!

Mammon: hey! Just why the hell is he the only one with those cards, huh? Fork em over!

Leviathan: that's right! No monopolizing over MC. This is a democracy!

Asmodeus: yeah, what Levi said! I think.

Beelzebub: it's ok, MC. We can hang out whenever you want.

Belphegor: you're being way too nice about this, Beel.

MC: aw, thank you, Beel. You know, all of you could learn a thing or two from your younger brother. Frankly, I don't think I care that the entirety of my free will has been lessened to that of a slip of paper. I'm a human being not an item! And isn't that what matters most?

*silence*

Belphegor: ...no offense, Lord Diavolo, but I don't think I'm in the mood to play games anymore. Not that I ever was.

Satan: you're right, Belphie. In fact...Lord Diavolo, how would you like to negotiate a contract? Concerning MC, of course?

Diavolo: concerning MC, you say? Barbatos?

Barbatos: it would seem that your schedule is conveniently clear for today, Young Master.

Lucifer: how fortunate. As is mine.

MC: I don't like where this is going.

Mammon: eh, don't worry about it.

Asmodeus: ooh, ooh! I want 500 MC cards! No, one million!

Mammon: you're not thinking high enough! I want a quadrillion! Times 500 quadrillion!

Solomon, walking in with Luke and Simeon: hello everyone, sorry we're late, we--

Mammon: yeah, yeah, can't talk bye!

*everyone rushes out of the room*

Luke: uh, where is everyone going?

MC: to sign my life away.

Simeon: should we...be concerned about that?

MC: possibly.

Solomon: I suppose we should all try to stop them.

MC: YOU SUPPOSE?

Luke: can someone please tell me what's going on?

Simeon: we'll...tell you when you're older, Luke.

Luke: no fair! You always say that!

[lwtkmm]

I saw the replaced mc au going on in twisted wonderland I'm gonna contribute to the reason for your therapy!! Angst time!

You are Yuu. Yuu here is gender neutral with they/them pronouns ,so is the replacement. The replacement goes by P/N (player's name) . This is a replaced au + self aware au

Remember, you are loved, you are special, you are worth it, your presence matters and you are beautiful.

Unrealistic human

.

.

.

.

Perhaps you weren't the only one who knew that you were enclosed within a world of pixels. A false reality. A reality that was actually a bunch of programmed codes on the screen.

You knew there was someone else behind that screen. A higher entity who had the liberty to control you and the things around you.

You always felt their presence whenever they logged into the game. You always felt this warm spark inside you whenever the player made their presence known. The other times you felt cold and lifeless. Like a fake in place of a person.

You knew you were in denial, you claimed to have your own identity but deep down you knew you were just a shell for the player to interact with the others. Would you ever be able to escape this puppet situation?

The answer was no.

You didn't mind though because for you, the player was like an angel to you who brought you into existence.

But you didn't know that angels can fall from grace too.

You didn't know how this happened but there stood before you were the player. You could identify them just by the warmth they carried with them. Was this even possible? How was it even possible for the player to enter the automated world?

You thought only you knew that they were the player but it seemed like your friends were also aware of this higher entity like you, and you just made a fool out of yourself.

Your friends ? The player's friends**

The moment the player came within their sight, they didn't even try to hide the absolute favoritism towards them. You , the favorite of them all, were suddenly ignored and pushed into the corner.

Was all this favoritism towards you in the past just an attempt to get the player like them ? Seems like you were quite right with your guessing.

You didn't know whether to despise the player or to be grateful to them for they were why you were even brought into existence. They could just go back and delete the game off the device and you would cease to exist. You had no authority over them.

How could you bring yourself to despise them? They had done nothing wrong. All this favoritism, affection and attention was always meant to be theirs, you were just a shell for them to interact with the others. You were just an empty shell and the player brought the life into you.

It had been more than a month since the player arrived. Everyone seemed to have had forgotten that someone named Yuu existed. Maybe you didn't actually exist. You were just a corpse that needed to be controlled.

You overhead people talking once..

" Jamil, don't you think we've been distant with Yuu these days " It was kalim.

This made you somewhat warm inside since there was at least someone who was trying to reason with how unjust they all had been with you.

" Did you forget Kalim? All we've ever done was for p/n, whoever cared about yuu anyways" Jamil replied.

Kalim was quiet. You just smiled to yourself. What were you even expecting.

They were obsessed, they worshipped the ground p/n walked on, they were never left alone. There was always someone with them and it often resulted in violence since they all wanted p/n's attention. You knew that p/n lowkey didn't like being around the guys all the time. They were already overwhelmed by the fact that they were stuck inside a game and now these guys followed them around everywhere like a lost puppy.

Even if you wanted to, you couldn't bring yourself to hate p/n, they always tried to include you in whatever they were doing as soon as they realized you were being left out. They were genuinely a good and kind person. Maybe that's why everyone was so smitten with them.

They were not the reason why you were being treated this way. You were programmed to be their shadow. It was never about you, it was always about the player and the guys, you were just a medium of communication. The player didn't force anything upon you, rather , you were created specially for that purpose , to be the player's shell was the sole reason for your existence. It was you who got too lost in the love and attention you were receiving that you forgot that it wasn't meant for you.

How nice it must be for the player, somehow ending up in their favorite game and receiving endless love and attention from the characters you adore. It was like a fever dream. Too good to be true.

Sadly every good thing comes to an end.

"Yuu! " You looked up from your resting spot underneath a tree in the courtyard. All of the guys were there, looking at you with a smile.That was rather odd..

"Hey y'all, finally remembered I existed ? " Your tone dripped vengeance.

" What are you talking about yuu, of course we know you exist, you're our best friend after all " Ace broke the awkwardness of the moment.

" We have a favor to ask for, yuu "

You somewhat felt a little scared of what was gonna come next.

" You know... We're afraid that p/n might have to go back to their own world.. Soo... "

Your eyes widened, you didn't believe that they were actually saying this to you. Your fear was going to come true.

" So you want me to be a shell for them so that they can stay here?! " You looked up in anger..

" Wha-.. Uh.. Yes." They didn't even try to hide their pathetic reasoning for this..

" Well you all asked and my Answer is no"

" You don't get to say no, herbivore, p/n is the reason why you're here and it isn't like you were supposed to be your own person, you were always p/n's virtual shell, in fact you should be thankful that they would be putting you to use. "

You clenched your fists..

" Now be good, little shrimpy, and let us do our work, we don't want p/n to leave "

You got up and started running , you didn't know how long this chase would last but losing it would mean losing yourself.

"We're sorry yuu" .

They were after you.

The end

Honestly I kept this as an open ending so y'all could decide what happens to you next, do you survive or do you become a puppet.. I enjoyed writing this so much, and I've been writing something after a long time so I'm not quite sure if it's satisfactory. I know it's a bit short but i haven't quite calmed myself down after exams so my thinking cap's kinda empty rn 😭 Have a nice day luvs :)

- HANI❤