#They're allowed to be wrong about something

[thetadispatcher]

"Oh, right, three. I'm sorry." Peter had trouble keeping where most of the androids came from straight, but he tried his best as he didn't want to accidentally offend them. But that still didn't stop him from making mistakes on occasion that he felt he'd have to make up for, even if most of the androids understood that he was only human and an odd one at that.

"They're easier to care for as they need far less work. I can't say for sure if they deviate, but I'd have to say probably. It's just less noticeable as they still act like the animal they're based on. BeeBee is harmless though, sure she was aggressive to begin with, but that was just because Zlatko mutilated her and kept her locked up. She calmed down after I got her fixed back up, think she just needed proof I wasn't going to hurt her before she'd let her guard down." He didn't blame the URS12 for her initial aggression, she'd been through a very traumatic experience and was just acting accordingly as she didn't know he wasn't there to hurt her.

Peter brought his hand to his mouth, sticking two fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp, short whistle. He knew G and BeeBee should be inside as Dan had likely taken Strasky for a walk around the property to calm him down, meaning Dan would take over watching for anything suspicious and G would take BeeBee inside for a break.

He lowered his hand as he heard the sound of claws rapidly clicking on the floor that were heading for the basement. He turned as BeeBee came to a halt in front of the room and sat down, chuffing and shaking her head. Peter motioned for her to enter the room as he knew she was waiting for permission. She quickly got up and jogged over to him, getting up on her hind legs as Daniel moved out of the way. She rubbed her nose against his as she made a purring sound, using her front legs to nudge him onto the ground, allowing her easier access to rub against him.

"They are furry, and BeeBee is just as fluffy as a polar bear should be. She usually is with G as he patrols the property, pretty good deterrent for anyone looking to cause trouble." Peter explained as he ruffled her neck. "She's not gonna hurt anyone unless given the command to do so, other then that she's a sweet heart." He gently coaxed her down so he could stand up again as Brent left the room to fetch more finished parts.

"Yeah, but don't point it out to them, they don't like that and I found that out the hard way." Not that it bothered him as he didn't get in trouble for the fight, the group had attacked him first and he had merely defended himself. He was just warned not to call out anymore protestors or acknowledge them if they tried to talk to him.

"Oh, nothing else. The computers should be it as we haven't come across any issues that can't be easily fixed." Sure they were still working on the space, but so far he couldn't name anything else that was obviously wrong that needed to be replaced.

"I don't, but I'm fine with it." He didn't understand why it was so important to the android, but he knew he needed to address Dan's overbearing protectiveness before it worsened.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't blame her if she still wanted nothing to do with me. I did threaten to kill her and jump off the roof with her, even held her out when the RK800 showed up to talk me down." Daniel wouldn't hold it against Emma if she never wanted to see him again after what he'd done to her. "And I find it interesting to deal with someone who's neurodivergent verses one that was perfectly normal." He didn't mind the change, in fact he found it to be a fun learning experience.

"He also really didn't want to be there as his goal was finding me, and being stuck on a rusty ship wasn't helping him accomplish that. And then to be dragged along occasionally or just hearing them planning something just added to his hatred of being there." Peter knew Dan understood it was best he hide as a deviant, but that didn't stop him from being upset about it.

"And finally reuniting with me and finding I lost an eye didn't do him any favors mentally. He deviated because he thought I was dead and had to find out if I was okay, so finding out I actually could've died well he was in the same city as me... Messed him up. I'm gonna see if we can fix that, he's getting very over protective because of that."

"There's three." the android corrected, "Three of us remain on the property."

"What's the point of android animals?" Rook asked, "Do they deviate too? Are they fuzzy at least? Can I pet BeeBee?"

"Rook."

"I want to pet a bear, Willow!"

Willow rolled her eyes, "Yes, the belief that the evil machines are stealing jobs is a myth that only serves the corporations. Unfortunately, most humans are too dense to understand they're considered on par with any other piece of equipment, thus are just as easily replaced by whatever is more cost effective."

So, trying to get the computers out of storage through semi legitimate means was most likely a lost cause. Willow resorted to sending a text instead. "Would you like to have everything delivered to this room?"

"I'm glad you understand now." It still didn't explain why Bishop specifically wanted his counterpart to fail, but that wasn't relevant to the android's argument as to why he felt the need to prevail.

It was a reasonable question, as far as he was concerned.

"Sometimes kids don't know better. Maybe she'll come around when she grows up and starts thinking with her brain." Rook told Daniel, "It's good that you found yourself new people to hang out with, even if one of them speaks in riddles— You've got something to add, Willow?"

"Oh, I was just thinking that Dan was right about most of Jericho's plans."

[curly-my-beloved]

I love love LOVE your fanfics<3

Anyways, can you write a Curly smut with a reader who's too timid of the idea of sex. Like, he's being so patient and they're just so sensitive and nervous and all they can do is lay down and let him lead with a smile on their face. They're so excited and nervous they can't tell what's causing the butterflies in they're stomach. I just think it's be romantic to have passionate sex with Curly<3

Comforting moment during sex with Curly (drabble)

cw: gn! reader. reader's genitals not specified. non-descriptive sex. can be read as part of the fiance saga if you want.

"Shhh... it's alright..."

Your eyes flickered open, looking up at the gorgeous man above you. He put his body weight on one of his arms, his hand close to your head as his other hand gently cupped your cheek.

He was a great view.

Handsome. Stunning, even. The way some of his golden hair fell out of place to frame his face, which seemed to glow with a thin layer of sweat, all coming together to add an extra glow to those beautiful but oh, so painfully bright eyes of his.

The eyes that where now focused on your own, trying to understand why you'd tear up in a moment like this. Did he do something wrong? He did his best to be gentle, but maybe that wasn't enough and you were in pain despite his best efforts? He hoped not, he'd never forgive himself if he ruined it for you...

Or maybe, as much as he dreaded the thought... maybe you were scared. Maybe somehow he put too much pressure on you and didn't even realize.

"What troubles you, my love?"

Oh, how you love his voice. It was so soft, so warm, so comforting... it made you melt every time, especially when he used the hushed tone he used now.

You let out a soft, content sound as he wiped away a stray tear of yours. His hand was a bit rough, even after he started using hand cream after your recommendations. Not that you minded, there was something comforting about the texture of his skin. And the way his palm fit perfectly against your cheek.

You shyly reached out to him and he understood immediately, pulling you close. His arms wrapped around you securely his strong heart beating against yours through your chests as he allowed you to cling to him.

Finally, you confessed to him what was on your mind. You weren't in pain or scared, which made him visibly less tense. You were... happy. Giddy, even. And so ridiculously, too. The joy that filled your heart must've simply spilled over, making you tear up from how happy and just how ridiculously in love with him you were. It almost made him chuckle.

"I love you too, sweetheart. More than you know."

He assured softly, carefully laying down with you still in his arms. Perhaps tonight was a better night for cuddles.

[phantomrose96]

twice now ive started and not finished silt verses. (no particular reason i didnt finish, ive really enjoyed it both times and keep thinking that i gotta get back to it.)

a moment that really hit me, and i think i'll always remember, is in hayward's first episode. the series starts with carpenter, so we know that worshipping the trawlerman is illegal and a bit about what that worship is like, but not much about how worshipping other gods works. even with the deer/hound people (who i forget if they happened before or after hayward's intro), that's another illegal and hidden religion. it leaves space to assume that the deadliness and the human sacrifice is WHY these gods are forbidden.

and then hayward's ep happens. and he says, offhand, like it's something completely unremarkable (paraphrased), 'people following those kinds of gods wouldn't get in trouble over it if they could just be reasonable about these things. there's a right and wrong way to do this, like how every new building starts construction by drowning two criminals in the cement foundation.' hearing that, and hearing how casual he was about it, i felt my entire understanding of the setting shift drastically.

legality wasn't about whether a group of worshippers do or don't kill. it was about what worshippers kill the acceptable targets, in the right way. and suddenly i find myself much more distrustful of a society that's motivated to create acceptable targets than i ever was of how carpenter and faulkner do things.

its a really chilling and well done bit of writing.

someday ill get past five episodes. im sure i'll really enjoy it.

Yes!!! YES!!!!

I've mentioned once or twice in my ramblings here that that was also my biggest "Oh" moment for TSV.

I started out episode 1 vaguely thinking of Carpenter and Faulkner as if you'd made a podcast following TMA Avatars as main characters. We know right off the bat the Trawlerman's people are human-sacrificing cultists. Obviously Nana Glass wasn't a good person. She killed people! And she got killed in a police stand-off because she was a mass murderer. And we know Carpenter and Faulkner are following in her same line of work so, really, we're following antagonists aren't we?

And then my "Oh" came later with (not necessarily that Hayward scene specifically) but when I went "Oh. The Trawlerman's people are being persecuted by the authorities not because they're human-sacrificing cultists. But because they're the losing human-sacrificing cultists."

Because actually, the legal authorities, the politicians, the corporations, are all very much part of human-sacrificing religions. That part is allowed. These "backwards hick" gods are illegal and horrible, because their kind of human sacrifice is uncivilized. Unlike the civilized people's human sacrifice, which is allowed because the corporations and the institutions have okayed it :).

They do so much with it over the series.

Also I see you're only on episode 5 so actually I'm putting this part beneath a readmore since I checked and this is about episode 7

The episode with Paige recounting what happened to Vaughan is what drove it in for me, I think. It plays out line-for-line like a corporation going through lay-offs "These are tough times :(. We understand this is difficult for everyone leaving us today :(." but they are... just... allowed to kill these employees they're letting go in a ritual sacrifice. To a legal god. And Paige thinks surely they won't--surely good people won't do that--but they do, very much, kill Vaughan.

Money is tight and times are hard and ritualistic human sacrifice is, in fact, incredibly allowed... As long as you're one of the legal powers, doing it the correct way.

[sclappin]

A Note About Scams and Commissions:

(This post is brought to you by a weird conversation that just happened in my DMs.)

I know that it's easy to get excited about receiving messages about potential commissions, and you may feel pressure, socially and/or financially, to take whatever you can get, and look past red flags if someone says they're willing to pay money for your art.

I want to remind you that if a client seems off to you, and the request raises red flags, you are allowed to say no to a commission request. (Hell, you can say no for any reason! Too complicated, too tight a turnaround for your liking, you simply do not want to draw what they're asking for! But especially if the request seems like there's something wrong with it).

I've encountered this most frequently with pet portraits, but I'm sure they can take other forms. Things I've seen in messages that raise red flags for me:

The potential client doesn't seem to know anything about you. They do not follow you, they do not know your commission rates or if you even have any. They are asking for subject matter you don't really do.

Pricing doesn't seem to matter to them. Details of the finished piece do not seem to matter to them. (This is because they do not want the piece and have no intention of paying you. I believe these are planned to be overpayment scams).

The blog they're contacting you from is very new, and has like one post.

They get very, very defensive and angry if you question the legitimacy of the business transaction. Like if you tell them you don't accept e-checks, or require partial payment up front because you worry about getting scammed, they lose their minds.

They try to make you feel insecure about your art, or remind you that you need the money. This is an attempt to pressure you into accepting the shady commission. I've never had a legit client do this.

I've never had a scam client get as far as getting any money from me, but I've fallen for one long enough that I put several hours into a drawing that I'll never get back before the "client" got really pushy about e-checks. I've had others that seem like they're trying to phish for my personal info. But mostly, it appears that the plan is to overpay the artist, demand the extra amount be returned, and then cancel the original transaction (or have the check bounce) after the artist has sent the "return" payment, so the artist no longer has the original payment AND is short whatever "surplus" amount they "returned" to the client/scammer.

Having this sort of thing happen can be really embarrassing on top of the monetary/labor loss, so people don't always speak out about it, but I feel like it's important to!

(And on that note, if you for some reason want me, an illustrator who mostly draws old-timey riffraff, video game people, and professional wrestlers, to do a picture of your cat: you gotta be normal in my DMs.)

[matrixbearer2024]

I had an ask about this regarding my AU but I don't know what happened to it after I saw it in my inbox cuz it might be tumblr being funny but essentially it was just:

"Does West Coast Tech still exist? Why didn't Ford go to West Coast Tech?"

Short answer is, he simply didn't want to in this AU. West Coast Tech is among the Ivy Leagues in my AU and BMU still exists too, it still has the prominent reputation of being a back-up university.

In this AU ultimately Ford never really developed the mindset that he was "special" and had to make a point of it or prove that he was somebody. Because of their upbringing, there wasn't a "preference" others had towards either twin because Filbrick disliked them equally and their academic and extracurricular skills basically made them break even. There wasn't a stupid twin/smart twin between them and Caryn made damn sure about it.

Possibly the only thing that most people say about the two is that they're "smart but stupid" because of all the trouble they get wrapped up in doing whatever or being too curious for their own good.

The teachers or coaches didn't favor one twin over the other either and they were generally liked by their peers. Ford didn't end up with that sense of arrogance that you can typically see in canon where he believes he is above the rest and he has to be and Stan didn't develop that inferiority complex compared to his sibling.

In this AU, Ford had the option to go to West Coast Tech but even throughout senior high he already knew that a good university could really only get you so far. He was a sharp tool yes, but... he didn't think that edge would really push him far. He had an edge, but it wasn't much.

There's a lot of gifted people nowadays and even good credentials aren't going to guarantee a decent job or a stable career, that's if you can even get a job right away.

The science project and everything was still what gave him the opportunity and Stan even congratulated him for scoring that high but Ford wasn't really pleased? I'm not sure with the word but he wasn't exactly happy with the circumstance. They didn't fight over it considering all throughout highschool they kept talking about potential careers and whatnot.

It didn't help that Filbrick encouraged the idea of West Coast Tech because of how much money Ford could potentially make. Even so, Ford was stupidly skeptical after seeing the pamphlet and researching online. Realistically it seemed too good to be true, and he couldn't even sleep on it from how much he kept thinking.

Stan knew he would likely take longer to figure things out but he'd get there, and he was willing to let Ford just reach for the stars as he always did. They still have that dream of sailing around the world as adults but it's a lot more defined and realistic compared to how they planned it in canon. They're thinking, work hard, get rich, then retire early to sail and travel around the world. If their paths split early, they'll find a way back when they grow up. They always do.

It's something they constantly talk about because they both desperately want to move out after graduation just to get the hell away from Filbrick. It doesn't matter where they end up they just need to get away.

Even so, Ford mulled over the offer and decided to visit the university before making his decision. His gut feeling was both parts right and wrong, sure— what he thought was too good to be true was the actual reality of the school and it's pursuit of academic excellence, but he was right to be skeptical after he noticed the snobbish and arrogant nature most of the students have. It's a common thing for ivy leagues to have that mentality that they're the cream of the crop. The best there is. Not everybody is like this of course, but sometimes the loudest crowd doesn't always have to be the majority.

It does take a lot of work to get to their level and to stay at that level but Ford couldn't see himself in that school. He didn't want to allow himself into that crowd where he knew it would potentially make him worse off as a person. Also, he had the entirety of undergrad to get through, if he so much as wanted to transfer to an Ivy League to get his masters or doctorate he knew he could! So what was the rush?

University was a stepping stone and he had time, he knew he could do a lot but he didn't need to rush. So... Ford turned down the offer.

Sadly, it was pretty much as chaotic(bad) as you'd think.

Of course, that meant looking for another university instead and it was mostly Stan who did the research this time because Ford was too burnt out and sulky after everything. He knew he made the choice that would inherently grant him more happiness, but it doesn't always feel like that right away and it didn't help that the walls were paper thin. It's hard to fall asleep to your parents yelling and throwing things around in a fight because of a decision you made.

Both of them had generally pretty good track records academically and a long list of achievements to follow it so it wasn't hard for them to find universities either. That's how they ended up with Graviton University in Oregon, it's not an Ivy-league but it's not as bad as BMU either. It really is just a stepping stone in the middle, your performance practically shapes the path you walk on.

The Stan twins have a choice in this AU mostly because they could also afford it, take note- the family is financially comfortable in this AU because Filbrick is one hell of an unscrupulous businessman but very successful. They're not rich but they're comfortable, and that's a lot in the state of the economy nowadays.

Ford has choices in this AU and it's also a very big part to play in why he could turn down the offer at the time and not look back at it with regret. Stan also being on even ground beside his brother is why they don't ever fight about such topics either, he's not ever chasing after Ford— he's standing right next to him.

The subtle differences from canon can genuinely just make a world of difference in the bigger picture. But yeah, it's why I had them go to Graviton University instead. It's a middle-ground and it's also how I can essentially get them to stay in gravity falls instead of ending up elsewhere when I cranked the "weirdness" level pretty low. There's still bits and bobs of it around, but not to the degree of the canon show I would think.

I hope this generally clears up how I wrote or my thought process as to why I didn't have Ford reach for the stars despite having that option and why the Stan Twins are generally this tight knit in my AU.

[bunny-lovers]

Imagine your f/o comforting you:

Dealing with emotions can be hard. Your f/o knows that and they also know that you're allowed to feel upset when bad things happen, they'll always be there to take care of you and to help you let those feelings out.

People can be awful to anyone who's vulnerable. Your f/o promises that their nasty words mean nothing, and that those people's behavior comes out of jealousy and pent up anger, you're not responsible for how someone else feels and you're not doing anything wrong.

Nightmares can dig out your biggest fears. Your f/o will always be there, ready to embrace and comfort you when something from your dreams makes you scared and anxious. Their words will calm your heart, their presence will help you feel better.

Anxiety can make small things seem worse than they are. Your f/o is always prepared to help you calm down and try to give you a different perspective on the situation. They know it can be hard to change your mind about whatever is eating you up, but they'll always support you through everything.

Depression can make you feel helpless. Your f/o understand how it affects you and are very patient with you. They celebrate all your small victories and cheer you on through every single day you experience. They're glad you're here and they love you very much.

Responsibilities can drain out your energy. Your f/o is proud of anything you accomplish, no matter how small you may think it is. They give you motivation to keep reaching for the stars and to conquer whatever it is you want. They believe in you.

proship/darkship/neutral DNI

[ladywhumplady]

Revival Whump

Whumpee who killed themself for the freedom/relief of death is brought back to life against their will, kicking and screaming as they are brought back to Whumper

Whumpee is a lab rat used to figure out what happens after you die

Whumper figures out a way to come back to life every time Whumpee/Caretaker kills them so Whumpee can never be free

Whumpee is raised from the dead and made into something else. They are mindless, unable to do anything but listen to Whumper's orders... or so everyone thinks. While their body is ruined, their soul/spirit is a ghost wandering around, begging Whumper to kill them so they can return to the afterlife

Whumpee dies somehow and the afterlife is worse than life. They are relieved to be back with Whumper and Whumper is overjoyed to see their subject/Whumpee behaving itself

Whumpee is so distraught about Whumper's death that they bring them back like a good little Whumpee

Whumpee's species goes back and forth between death and life, like a phoenix. The experience is excruciating but Whumper drugs Whumpee so it happens more often because they find it fun to see how Whumpee suffers

Whumpee comes back exactly the way they were but Whumper is still convinced that something is wrong with them and is determined to experiment on them to figure out what

Whumpee who is desperate to live is killed publicly by Whumper, reacting extremely emotionally. They are publicly humiliated when Whumper brings them back to life

Whumpee is brought back to life and it's like they're two/multiple people, as though when they died they were split into multiple pieces

Whumper treats Whumpee like a stress toy, destroying them and bringing them back like a pop-it so they can play over and over again

Whumper doesn't have to go easy on Whumpee; they can destroy Whumpee completely and have them back in time for dinner

Revival takes a long time to complete and so by the time they're awake, Whumpee is old/still young but everyone they loved is dead - except Whumper

Female Whumpee is killed on their period and brought back to life when it's over so Whumper doesn't have to deal with all that 'gross blood'

Whumpee is older/younger when they are brought back to life

Pet Whumpee who doesn't realise their Whumper is immortal/will come back to life is distraught over Whumper's death and kills themself. When Whumper comes back, they are extremely annoyed at their henchfolk for allowing them to do it.

[velvetvexations]

hi velvet, i hope this ask finds you well. something happened to me irl a month or two ago and i just cant stop thinking about it, it just shocked and frustrated me so much

so i was hanging out with a couple of my friends (a cis guy who i will call S and two transfems, M and B) at M and B's dorm room, and we were all having a good time, horsing around for a bit and then we eventually got to talking about M's family and their reaction to her being queer and trans. her parents are a little weird about it but supportive enough that she's allowed to openly wear what she wants and date who she wants. after she was done sharing i shared a little bit about my family (very unsupportive, i never plan on coming out to them or sharing anything about my love life to them in any way if i can help it. i am 3 months on T and i plan on never telling them, if the topic of it comes up im just gonna straight up lie.)

after i shared a bit she kind of interrupted me and said "at least you get the short end of the trans stick you know?" and i asked her "huh what are you talking about" "you know, us trans girls they just kill us they kind of just leave you alone (in a sort of jokey tone)" and i looked at S and B to gauge their reactions and they both looked really uncomfortable and like they didn't know what to say. so i said "no?? they kill us too" B and S nodded a little bit and then M said "yeah but they like give you some extra time first at least (laughing nervously a bit)" "yeah thats when they're raping us, corrective rape is a huge issue for trans men" (in hindsight this was fucked up to say but i was upset and wanted to point out that trans men don't get extra grace from transphobes) and then we changed the subject

that whole interaction has really stuck with me, it really really sucked to have TRF rhetoric literally said to my face by someone who i really like and respect and love spending time with :(( ive talked to S about it a couple of times to try and get it off my chest but understandably he stays out of trans infighting discourse so he's just like "yeah that was weird it's understandable that it hurt your feelings" and thats all he has to say on the matter and i havent talked to B about the incident bc M is its roommate and best friend and i don't wanna split hairs but it's refreshing that it agreed with me in the moment

i just don't know that was a shitty moment that happened for sure

I'm very sorry, anon. I'm gullible and always looking for the best in people, but also in case it might help you process it, it sounds like maybe she realized she said something massively wrong and awkwardly tried to walk it back with a joke that made it worse? Like she is not necessarily a complete apricot-aligator which, I know, low bar, but. IDK maybe talk to her about it? Hopefully she'd understand and yall would be able to clear the air.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

What do you think of the claim that “the beach episode didn’t prove anything. Azula wasn’t a good friend.”

I think they're completely missing point or deliberately taking stuff out of context. The Beach is not about "These characters are all good people actually", it is all about revealing hidden depths.

Ty Lee, the super happy, cheery character that seems so lovable, and Mai, the aloof, grumpy character are both dealing with the same trauma, aka being ignored by their parents, and deal with it in opposite ways: Ty Lee tries to get as much attention as possibly to fill that void, while Mai avoids getting attached to anything to prevent more heartbreak.

Zuko, the character we are constantly seeing being angry at everyone for the smallest thing, is actually furious at himself because, in his despair to please his father, he constantly acts in ways he would normally find morally reprehensible.

And Azula, the openly evil princess that seemingly had no issue with being evil, is actually super emotionally confused over why her mom had an issue with that side of her, and fears that means she wasn't loved.

She is arrogant and mean and wants everything done her way, yet she doesn't tell Chan and his friend that she's the princess because she wants to see if she could get people to like her for who she is as a person, not because of her status.

She is a terrible friend that is prone to putting people down when they easily achive something she struggles with, but she also feels bad for making her friend cry, apologizes, and actually admits to her jealousy.

She calls Zuko pathetic for caring about right and wrong, but her entire struggle with their mom is proof that does care about it too, she just has a VERY different idea of what "right and wrong" even mean.

She's disregarding the others' confessions as "performances", as if she considers it all insincere, yet she's clearly repressing the fuck out of her own emotions - leading to her breakdown in the finale.

It is a key episode to understand Azula as a character, and it doesn't not make a redemption arc inevitable in any way (in fact Azula was the only one of these four characters to get a tragic ending in the original show) - but because it shows her in a more sympathetic light and shows she's far more complex than the fanon interpretation of her (in which she's a """"pyschopath"""""), thus proving that a redemption is not impossible for her, even if it was something the showrunners clearly had no interest in (unlike the lead writer) people get mad.

God forbid the villain, even one that is just a teenager, is allowed to have feelings, insecurities, fears, or just generally be a human being while still being clearly evil. Unless the villain in question is Zuko, I guess.

This fandom is alergic to complexity.

[arom-antix]

Yeah exactly, the expert presentation is something that bothers me a lot. I don't care whether a person explaining something is an expert or not because they don't have to be. Again, you shouldn't need a PhD to simply have an informative conversation. Fandom is not and should not be an ivory tower. However, when someone confidently gets something wrong, is corrected, and then confidently gets it even more wrong as if they're an expert with some secret knowledge that the correcter simply doesn't understand, that's when I get pissed. You're not an expert. Don't pretend to be one.

And I know there was no direct claim of expertise in the post or the response so feel free to defend yourself with English being your second language or whatever your excuse is now, but the way you're speaking makes people feel talked down to. I don't care that that wasn't your intention. That's how it feels talking to you. I don't claim to be an expert and I make that EXPLICITLY CLEAR in my posts because tone is hard to glean from text and I want people to know that I'm not an authority and that I encourage them to participate or even slam dunk correct me on everything I've ever said. That's how an open discussion works (and how scientific discussion works, just to be entirely clear) and I think everyone should be allowed to participate, especially if they disagree with me. Tell me why. I want to understand even people I don't agree with.

Also, you don't have to agree with anyone! You can have a discussion without the goal of converting the other person to your personal beliefs. You can just talk about stuff. I've had plenty of discussions with people I don't agree with but I learned so much about alternate viewpoints and how to empathise with even people I dislike. If you enter a discussion with the goal of "winning", you've already lost. Either you can't handle other people having other opinions or you have an ulterior motive, neither of which make me want to listen to what you have to say.

It's okay to disgree. It's good to disagree. But do so respectfully and understand that no matter how vehemently you argue for your point you will never convince everyone. Just let it go. Let people be. They're not your responsibility. They can handle themselves without believing everything you do. It's okay.

Hey, just wanted to reach out to say that I found you pointing out and calling this person was really great and you shouldn't have apologized. It was incredibly true what you said, and to be honest it seems out of touch with the reality of a great deal of the japanese fandom, the nuances and their culture. Also, it was as you pointed out, extreme and may I say rude. I want to mention too that the way it was written, as if entitled of the knowledge and the 'explanation' made it all worse in context of the 'fucked up'. The original poster always gets away by using the 'well-written academic'' statement of their 'metas' as an excuse to do or say and make everyone else agree and if not, uses victim narrative and discourses exactly selecting wording for people to agree on it or feel bad.

I don't know if they tagging you in the way they did made you reblog and apologizing/backing up, but no one thought bad about you pointing it out. On the contrary, a lot of people had been bullied and discriminated by this person when they called them out/disagreed going onto lenghts of sending their friends to harass people, and the other persons can't even defend themselves because they are effectively blocked. To quite a few people in the fandom has been done, even accusing them as 'acephobes' (when they're not) or even Nazis by spreading lies. So yeah, I just wanted to say that. I think you were right to call them out publicly.

Thank you very much for this ask. To be completely honest I agree with everything you said here and don't actually feel bad about pointing anything out. I mainly apologised because I didn't want any potentially poor phrasing from my side to cause unnecessary hostility and because I myself have gripes with this person's behaviour but didn't want to cause a scene.

My honest opinion is that they have a serious issue with taking accountability for their own mistakes and highly overestimate their own intellect. If you're reading this, @thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai, sorry if I seem harsh, but it's true. I saw your post lamenting how you're the only academic meta writer / fan in the fandom and I didn't interact then because I honestly do not care enough to start that drama but with the information Blonndiec has just given me, I think it's necessary that someone calls you out.

You're not an academic. You're not beyond the mental capabilities of other fans. You're actually incredibly childish in your metas and analyses and I am not kidding when I say that I was halfheartedly writing essays more academic than every analysis I've seen from you when I was barely a teenager. I don't know how old you are and I frankly don't care. You're not as clever as you think you are.

Also, don't think I didn't notice that you didn't reblog my correction (link here to my correction and here to their "response" for those who didn't see that exchange) of your post so that you could control what your followers saw of the exchange. You're the opposite of an academic. You control information to tailor the narrative, you don't cite your sources properly if at all, you don't format your posts in anything close to how an academic analysis would be, you make unbased claims, you reference posts and canon material without in any way indicating where that information is from, you reference your own (equally unacademic) metas and your conclusions from them without indicating what post it's from or that it's your own theory this new one is based on and instead present it as a common fact, and I could go on and on and on. Your posts are also riddled with logical fallacies and you talk in absolutes and opinions when there's no canon basis to claim such things. I'm sorry, but that's not academic in the slightest.

To be clear, you don't have to be an academic to post on the Internet. You don't have to be anything at all. You could up front be a genuine idiot with no remorse and that's fine. But when you claim to be an academic and also put down the rest of the fandom for not being on your level, you have to be able to back that up. It'd still make you sound like a prick but at least your arrogance would have a basis. It currently does not.

I haven't personally seen the discussions that Blonndiec is referencing and I'm not going to claim anything definitive (because that would be unacademic of me, take notes) but if what they're saying is true and did happen as described, which I have empirical, if anecdotal, evidence to believe could very well be (a friend of mine has personally been blocked by you after they criticised you without actually mentioning your name which I of course can't prove is the reason for the block but the timing is awfully convenient), you should know that you should be ashamed of yourself.

If there's context missing, feel free to enlighten me and call out any incorrect accusations. You have every right to defend yourself. However, I encourage you to cite your sources since you're such an academic. If you don't, then it's just your word against Blonndiec and anyone else who might comment's word and that doesn't prove anything. Don't misunderstand, acephobia and nazi rhetoric should absolutely be called out but only if it's actually happening. False accusations can ruin lives. I hope you know that.

I'm not a fan of calling people out publicly and, again, thank you for this ask, Blonndiec. But considering many of the issues I've personally seen and those I've been informed of by second hand sources were posted publically, I don't really feel bad about calling this out. I could do a full breakdown of just the insulting "academic" comments alone and how there's no academia to be found in said academic metas and, Samurai, if you give me reason to, I will show exactly what I mean point by point (and academically just to give you an example of even low level academia).

If you respond to this, do it in a reblog. That's what a real academic would do. If I'm wrong and you can prove it, you'd have no reason to not show my post in your rebuttal. If I'm right, you'd have every reason to be upfront about your mistakes and how you intend to rectify them. There's nothing wrong with being wrong but there's a lot wrong with refusing to admit to it in a way that lets others peer review you (academic thing, look it up) and come to their own conclusions about the situation. That's what you did when you just @'ed me instead of reblogging my response. A true academic wouldn't hide a peer review. You'd know that if you were one.

I swing in many academic spaces and yet that doesn't make me any kind of expert and I don't claim to be one because I'm not. But since you want to be one so badly, reblog this with a response and show us all how smart you are. I'm dying to know what your academic take on this is.

[windsweptinred]

I'm a simultaneous believer in: 

All of fandom should read the source material. Know about this amazing book/comic only character. Know about this event/piece of lore. Because look how it changes our perception of this character. Look how it fleshes out the universe they inhabit. Look at how this multi issue arc answers so many fandom questions. Look at how these chapters provide a deep dive into a character's motivation. In a way no amount of posts or Wikipedia skim reads is going to get across. 

And 

You don't have to read the source material. No matter how similar, tv/film adaptations can be classed as their own separate canon. And if that's all you ever want to interact with, that's your right. Not everyone has time to devour a book/comic series or can afford it. And more than anything, you have a right to not have the story spoiled. Never feel pressured to read ahead, just so you're up to date with other parts of fandom. They had their chance to guess at how the plot would unfold. Make bad/ incorrect takes based on what they knew of a character's arc at the time. So do you.

I'd always highly recommend you read the source material, if you can. But NEVER allow fandom to pressure you into it. You have every right to enjoy this thing you love the way you want to.  

[chirpsythismorning]

Thinking about the what if El was never interested in Mike romantically, she just assumed she was discourse on the tag today and how it's very possible what could make El fully realize this, is when in s5 she see's Will's love for Mike in real time, for the first time, and she's just like damn! That is not me!

[nocofamilyau]

total drama moment (4/8)

[butwhatifidothis]

Regarding the isolationism post‚ I looked at the hopes datamine to double check‚ and 2 out of 3 countries trade outside Fodlan. Aegir to the east (e.g. Morfis)‚ and Dominic with Albinea. Leicester is a bit iffy since Edmund has islands and is a hub for merchants (but I'll give the benefit of the doubt and say that it's trade with the other countries). Unless this is a different type of isolationism that I'm not familiar with.

Even without that, Almyra, the place that keeps trying to fuck over Fodlan for literal shits and giggles, has some form of trade be done with it because Fodlan manages to get shit from eastern Almyra (Almyran Tea Blend). And that's without mentioning all of the other foods and teas and shit they get from foreign countries! Plus the entire existence of a set of traveler's journals that detail someone's personal experiences with foreign countries that is readily available in the biggest religious center of Fodlan also swerves Fodlan away from being this isolationist nightmare some folks claim it to be.

Like I'm not going to sugarcoat it Claude was wrong. Incorrect. Not right. He himself directly alludes to his own incorrectness in 3H. It's not about lying it's not about being sneaky it's not about trickery and obfuscation and schemes the guy was wrong. Like oh my god can we please just let characters be wrong sometimes none of us are five we should be able to handle a character being wrong sometimes

[crownedwille]

.

[pa-pa-plasma]

one of the things that will always destroy me is people believing that good story = darker/more mature/more sexual. this belief has ruined so many stories that could have been amazing & has prevented almost everyone from enjoying other really good stories simply because the age range it's aimed at is one they believe can't have complex themes, characters, plot, etc etc. they don't believe they can be moved by something a publisher or studio decided is for kids & so write it off without even thinking about it. biggest curse of being a writer who actually loves stories & telling them is that literally no one else cares in the most pessimistic, higher-than-thou, capitalism brainrot way you can imagine. & it's all automatic. because that's just what you're taught.