#and i don't have much choice of frames either because of all the shit that go into my lenses

[sherlock-is-ace]

.

[crimsoncandy04]

I'm secretly obsessed with the yandere Kabukimono thing I wrote about once lk.

So like I kinda thought about it and came up with some more head canons for this alternate universe where Wanderer in his past is obsessed with someone to the point of it being unhealthy.

Kabuki is more gentle natured and naive in comparison to the man he'd eventually become, but he's not an entirely different one at the end of the day and the desire to be wanted by someone would definitely still be there. It's just not as toxic yet.

So I feel like if he were just out and about one day and suddenly locked eyes with a young woman and felt instant and extreme attraction to her, at first he'd kinda freak out but would be ultimately curious about the raging new flow of emotions he's experiencing and would quickly try to speak with her as soon as possible.

After greeting her and having their first conversation together he'd want her attention immediately every day after that and all to himself. As he would figure out very quickly that seeing this girl spend time with others would cause him to feel insecure and paranoid. Fearing that he's not enough for her in some way thus making her want the company of other men and pushing him away.

Personally I don't see Kabukimono doing your typical yandere violence shit.

He's still too sweet.

But that doesn't mean he's not clingy and obsessive here in this verse.

I feel like his empathetic and selfless nature would become his weapon of choice here. And he'd be more emotionally manipulative and controlling but NOT to the extreme of Scara yet. He's still too inexperienced and doesn't want to do something he outright sees as bad yk because he's a sweet guy still? He just doesn't know how to handle his intense feelings here.

He'd probably try to take up all of her time constantly. Always doing as much as possible for her so that she had no reason to seek outside help for anything and always finding ways to make her feel like she had to stay with him for long hours so she didn't have time for anyone else either.

He'd be hesitant to bad mouth anyone but he'd probably try to make a big deal out of things when he sees someone do something questionable like

"someone said they saw _ doing _. I had no idea he was such a selfish person like that. You really shouldn't spend time with people like that Y/N." Or something along those lines.

He'd frame it all as just wanting the best for her and him trying to be considerate while slowly becoming suffocating and stalkery.

And YES. He'd stalk her.

But only because he doesn't understand what he's doing. At least by moral standards.

Kabukimono only understands that he wants to know what this girl's doing constantly because he just enjoys being around her and knowing she's content and safe.

He has absolutely no idea why people keep reprimanding him for hiding in the bushes outside her house and following her while she's out foraging or running errands.

He just wants to always be by her side!

What's wrong with that?

(he has little to no understanding of social cues or rules yet)

When it comes to intimacy, Kabuki is a mix of red flags and green ones. On one hand he's supposed to be a yandere in this scenario and OF COURSE he'd be yearning for a moment of physical affection with his cherished one.

But obviously he wouldn't do anything drastic or vile.

He's still kabu after all.

I feel like he'd be physically touchy anyway, but until he figures out what fornication is, it's mostly just hugs that go on for too long and little cheek kisses and stuff. Like sweet hand holding too.

But after he learns what it means to bed someone, he'd be a man with only one thing on his mind. Yet not because he's some overly horny pervert.

But rather because he's just learned about something new and exciting sounding that would allow him to get VERY close with his beloved. And of course because we're in ancient Inazuma (Japan), I'm sure anything he read about the topic would convince him that he had to be the initiator and dominant one when laying with a woman. So he'd make sure he did it "right" and make the first move like mortal men "should".

I feel like he'd do something embarrassing here just because again, he obviously doesn't understand subtlety or flirtation enough to have any kind of game. So he'd probably just ask over dinner or something and shock everyone. And until he's made aware that it's creepy and inappropriate, he'd probably keep asking too until someone pulled him aside and informed him on why he shouldn't discuss such things in front of people.

However after that (if she eventually gave in) he'd try to do nice things he read about that women supposedly enjoyed. Because after all he'd still want his partner to feel like he's irreplaceable and therefore not want to get rid of him.

He'd try to impress her here a little. In other words.

Also thankfully he's open to suggestions and will immediately listen to anything she says to him during the act.

So if she doesn't like something, she could easily just let him know and he'd stop.

Kabukimono is like the most green flag of a yandere there could ever be.

But his abandonment trauma does make him a little uncomfortably clingy and insecure at times. Especially when it comes to being possibly "overshadowed ' by another person in any way.

From his perspective he wasn't good enough for his creator.

So in his mind the most important thing is that he constantly proves to his beloved that he is irreplaceable and necessary in nearly every aspect of her life.

[gguk-n]

Chapter 2- Secret and Surprises

Unravelling Max's Mystery (Max Verstappen x Online Friend!Reader)

Series Masterlist

Summary- Y/N has lost out on a few of her publication dreams while juggling 2 jobs. Her crush on Max has only led to failed relationships. She dreams of one day meeting and being with Max. But Max has a girlfriend and a career she knows nothing about.

{Reader's POV}

I finally moved out from my parents's place a few years back when I decided to pursue Literature. It was a very difficult time for me but I had Max by my side. Trying to convince my parents that I want to understand the art of writing and then doing what I love was very challenging. I moved to a another city with my dream university. Even today, they detest my choices and hope that I would take my life seriously. It has been difficult but seeing them once or twice a year only has made it easy.

Max and I are still very close. I still have a crush on him; it got worse after we started video calling each other after I moved out. I wasn't about to get 'caught' talking to a guy under my parents's roof. The consequences would be disastrous. Max is still the same, slightly older, has a stubble. I still don't know his full name, but he doesn't know mine either and I don't mind keeping it that way.

Having Max as a friend has hindered quite a few relationships either because they weren't him or they were jealous of some guy I would drop everything for. He still has a horrible sleep schedule, I've scolded him a couple time, but he doesn't listen. However, he has the cutest cats, Jimmy and Sassy. They love their dad a lot; I really wanna get cats too but I'm barely keeping myself alive, I'll kill my pets.

My job pays shitty, I'm a primary school teacher and freelance editor. I had hoped that being an editor for bigger and well established authors would help me improve my writing and get my book or poems published; has yet to happen. All my clients are kind people and very understanding of my predicament. Alas, this doesn't leave me much time in the day; teaching, lesson planning, correcting papers, editing other's stories or poems, talking to Max. Max has gotten pretty good about not disappearing like he did a couple years back. I still have no clue what he does, not like he knows what I do specifically. But he said he does something along the lines of cars; I knew he loved cars. I hope his job pays him better since he moved a few years back when I was still at home. His place looks lavish, either he gets paid well or it's from the company. I will never know. He's seen the shit hole I live in, but has yet to comment on my poor living conditions. I have too much of an ego to let my parents know I am struggling; I would rather starve then let them know. All I would hear is that they were right and I should mend my mistakes. What mistakes should I mend when these were my choices and I'm happy with them.

I've compiled 20 of my poems and even wrote a book, I've sent it to so many publishers in hopes that it will get picked up. This is like my fourth or fifth time. I mean, I haven't exhausted my resources and till the day all the publications shut down I'm not giving up. I've been rejected quite a few time, sometimes at the initial stages or after first reading and preview. They make publishing a book look so easy on shows and movies. I wish it was that easy in real life, but it isn't.

Being on spring break makes it so much easier for a while, till I have to return. However, I can focus on my book and the editing gig since it pays better than teaching. There's this guy I'm editing for currently and he's so annoying. I want to stop working with him except he pays the best. The life of being chained to capitalism. I was fixing up his errors when my phone rang, it was Max on video call. We spoke on video call a lot after I moved out. He's attractive, blue eyes; truly all my weaknesses combined. When the screen popped up, he almost fell out of frame when Jimmy jumped on the phone. Max placed Jimmy on the floor. Max- Hey, Schat. Sorry about Jimmy. Y/N- Hi, honestly I would rather talk to Jimmy. (I laughed) Max- Sometimes, I think you are friends with me for my cats. Y/N- Yeah, I would've stopped being your friend had you not adopted them. Max- Wow! I'm hurt. (He placed his hand on his chest) Y/N- Stop being dramatic. I'm just living vicariously through you. Max- You should get cats too, you seem lonely. Y/N- I wish, I'll end up killing them since I'm so busy. Max- hmmm, I hope you find a companion. I did find a companion Max, every time I get a boyfriend, we break up directly or indirectly because of you I thought. Max- What happened to Finn? I thought he was smitten for you. Y/N- Yeah, things didn't work out. We both were too busy with work. In actuality, when we finally got close after months of talking and the first time we had sex I moaned out Max's name. He left immediately. I wasn't about to tell Max this. It would ruin everything, I believe. Max- What were you doing? Y/N- Editing that ass's book. Max- You know maybe, you should leave some blunders, not the most obvious ones but one's that would make him look stupid. Y/N- I wish Max, he pays me a shit ton to do my job. (I laughed bitterly) It's fine, honestly. I'll be done soon and I'll never have to see him again, hopefully, fingers crossed. Max- I hope so too. Y/N- Max, you should date someone. Instead of worrying about me. I've never seen you date anyone in all the years I've known you. Max- ahh, yeah, I'm too busy with work to do that. Y/N- If we lived closer, I would've set you up with someone. That someone being me, but he doesn't need to know that. We haven't even met yet; we never even spoke about meeting each other honestly. Max scratched his neck, shaking his head. Max- I'm good, schat. You should find someone, maybe you'll stop being cranky. Y/N- I'm not cranky, at least not with you. Max let out a deep laugh. Max- Well, I've got to go. My sister's visiting. I'll talk to you later. Y/N- Sure, say hi to Victoria for me. Bye Maxie!! Max- bye Y/N.

Talking to Max always brightened up my mood. But since, Victoria's visiting, he won't be available to talk as often. That means I'm gonna have to spend all my free time scrolling through Instagram. It's all fun and games until I'm on hour 6 of some random video on Youtube. I spent the next couple of days cooped up in my home, just to enjoy waking up late. There were still a few months still summer break and I intended on enjoying them to the fullest.

School started way to soon for my liking. Max would send pictures of Jimmy and Sassy to cheer me up. It did cheer me up. Max travelled a lot for work, I've seen quite a few hotels and I think they are 5 star hotels. So, his work place is rich rich. I wish Max would hire me, I lamented, maybe then we might meet. I've thought about meeting him but he never showed any inkling that he would like to meet me. I wasn't about to seem desperate; I would probably jump him if I did. I mean he is single, so it's fine.

When the school started after spring break, I got handed a new author to help edit her work. I spoke to her and she was very nice to talk to. The book she was writing was based off a sport. On further questioning, she told me it was Formula One. I had heard about it when my city hosted a Formula E race a couple years ago. I don't remember much because I'm not sure if they held it again but what I can tell you is that traffic got so bad, I hated leaving the house for a couple of days. I don't really see the appeal of watching people go around in a circle in fast cars. I think I would panic if I found out how fast they drove. The author asked me to do some research on the topic. I was a good student and I wanted to be of help, so I decided to spend the next couple of hours going through Formula One and their rules.

There's something I have to clear up, I have a type of blindness bias. If I'm not interested in a topic, it would be like I live under a rock. Nothing could phase me and I couldn't care less. That's how I ended up on the wikipedia article of Lewis Hamilton, Micheal Schumacher and then current champion Max Verstappen. Schumacher and Hamilton were very good, reading about them made me awe struck. What really shocked me was a guy named Max Verstappen, who looked awfully like Maxie. I've stared at Maxie more than I would like to admit, so I'm sure they look alike. As I went through the article, my heart seemed to beat harder; not sure why. I felt like this was my Maxie however I believed that Maxie would've told me if he was a Formula One driver. I had to lay my doubts to rest, so I ended up on Youtube with the search bar reading Max Verstappen. My doubts laid to rest in a place I didn't want them to; Maxie was Max Verstappen. I could recognise that voice anywhere. He talked a lot, I could recognise his voice in a crowd of people or in my sleep. All my suspicions were cemented when I saw a picture of 2 cats who looked like Jimmy and Sassy and were called by the same name. My heart was ready to jump out of my chest. Max had lied to me; but was it really lying when I never prodded him for answers. Worst of all, he had a girlfriend and a kid. That's when I felt I was lied too. How could he not tell me? I would've genuinely been happy for him. We would've celebrated his 2 championship wins. My throat felt dry and my eyes wet.

Life wasn't fair when I've been trying to get my book published while my best friend, don't even know if I can call him that, is a 2 time world driver champion. He never even told me, while he has been in Formula One almost all our friendship and karting all his life. I felt the ground slipping from under my feet. Was I that unimportant to not share such a crucial part of his life or huge accomplishment in his life? Was I even his friend? All these questions raced through my mind, while tears streamed down my cheeks. The pillow wet from my tears when my phone rang. It was Max on the other line, and for the first time in 10 years I did not answer his calls even though it rang for a 4-5 times. He finally stopped after sending me a couple of worried messages; asking how I was and where I was?

[Max was freaking out. Y/N never missed his calls, no matter the time or place. Worst of all, she didn't even reply to his messages; not after 5 minutes or 10 minutes or 20 minutes. Max didn't know where she lived, he didn't know who to call, or who to ask about her. His hair was a mess, he was pacing the room so much so, that his girlfriend’s daughter asked him what happened. He couldn't tell them, no one knew of this secret internet friend he had. Who was he supposed to contact to file a missing person's report? He tried to calm himself down and think happy thoughts but all his thoughts were Y/N]

[whoopsyeahokay]

Alphabet Soup

summary: prompt fill. the journey of a clandestine love affair at several stages because Wally Clark craves what he can't have and refuses to keep his hands to himself. and you live for it.

(AN: this'll be a multiple-oneshots deal—out of order—with regular additions until it's complete.)

🛎️prompt - Wally Clark NSFW alphabet.

pairing: Wally Clark x fem!reader

warnings: smut. AU - modern setting. romanticized toxic behavior. grey!Wally Clark. cheating. voyeurism. egregious use of the word 'baby'.

bon reading, frens

___________________________🧿

Alphabet Soup - B

B is for bad life choices, and, shit, you're one of them.

The head cheerleader's step-sister, the principal's daughter; a billboard sign in bold print bad bad bad idea wrapped in daisy dukes and a sheer, breezy kimono.

You're cute and kind and oh-so hospitable, doing the job your mama would do if she and your step-dad were in town. Keeping snacks on the table and the ice in the coolers filled. Innocent eyes and friendly touches, giggling to dumb jokes told by the Inner Circle that Wally doubts you really find funny.

That is until you clock how Wally looks at you. Caught mid-imaginary-fuck as he tears your clothes off with his eyes. Right there. In front of birthday-girl Janet at her own pool party. Everyone gathered in the kitchen for cake.

As soon as you know, Wally sees your demeanor shift and suddenly you're looking back at him, and fuck don't you blush so nicely? Cheeks such a sweet shade of pink, eyes down, lip caught at the corner between your teeth.

Makes Wally want to bite, hold, mine. To pin you down by the throat, keep you under him always.

Two hours later, Wally's the last one floating in the pool, sipping diet coke through a straw with his sunglasses on so no one can tell where he's looking. Janet dries on a lawn chair nearby; the other guests are either gone or on their way out.

Wally knows your bedroom overlooks the backyard. The room across the hall from Janet's, door always closed when Wally's over to play Boyfriend. Now, the curtains are pushed wide open and you're stepping into frame.

Precious little thing. Don't even realize the difference, the evening light dim enough to make it seem like the curtains are exactly how you always leave them.

Wally smirks around his straw.

Back to the window, you drop your towel and Wally almost groans out loud. He sinks his pelvis into the water. An awkward seat in the hole of the inflatable donut, but necessary to hide the rising tent in his swim trunks. He dips a hand beneath the surface, hidden, quiet, and squeezes himself loosely through the material.

You lift one leg at a time to dry them, foot propped on your desk chair, wet hair sticking to your back, rivulets of water making tracks on your skin that Wally wants to follow with his tongue.

So beautiful and just for him.

There's too much he wants to do, not enough time to imagine it all as you move through the motions of your post-shower routine. Smoothing cream into your arms, your shoulders, across your chest. Arms moving in a way that suggests you're massaging those perfect little tits. The thought shoots fire through Wally's veins.

"Such a good girl for me, baby," He whispers, tightening his hand over the base of his cock to keep himself in check. Janet stirs, raises her head and looks at him, a question on her face. He lifts his drink, "I said, you doing okay, baby?"

She scoffs, rolls her eyes. Hides behind her phone to scroll through what Wally knows is her camera roll. Posting heavily edited pictures to Insta and perfectly-angled clips to tiktok that he'll have to respond to later with the words and emojis Janet will type herself. Force him to agree to before she commands him to press send.

But that's a Future Wally problem.

When Wally looks back to your window, you're half dressed. Teensy white pajama shorts that cling to the swell of your ass. And what Wally wouldn't give to eat you out through them, barely-there-tease that they are. Get you to soak the fabric translucent before he humps himself to the edge against the impression of your cunt.

Soon, he decides, because he isn't good at playing the long game. Impatient. Entitled. And you're too damn delicious not to eat, and Wally has always sucked at delayed gratification.

Finally, you turn around and notice the curtains, notice Wally through the curtains, openly staring with a Cheshire grin. He rocks his hips up, correcting his position in the donut, happy to show you exactly what he thought of the show.

He lowers his sunglasses just enough to send you a wink that you respond to by dropping to the floor. Seconds later the curtains are yanked closed.

Later, Wally texts you, number lifted from Janet's phone while she showers off the chlorine and Wally lounges on her bed.

Gonna let me help next time? xx

i don't think it's a good idea

Wally licks his lips, eyes molten, reading the words because, fuck no, it's a cheap, shitty, terrible idea.

But you didn't say no and that's enough for Wally to tiptoe across the hall when Janet's asleep—Ambien heavy—and give you a taste of how good Wally can make you feel.

And fuck, baby, Wally moans as he buries his face between your legs, smelling you through your teeny-tiny shorts, this is the best idea he's ever had.

🧿___________________________

also available on AO3!

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[clericofgale]

I didn't expect to get fucking actual literal triggered by a godsdamn IGN article and yet here we are.

Gale's arc is about finding the will to live, that suicide isn't the solution, that there's always a better way. You are worthy by your own merits and not your talents or what you can provide. So many Galemancers I've talked to or read of talk about their struggle with depression & SI, self-worth problems and how Gale has really help inspire them to hold on. My mental health has much improved since my darkest days, so I really didn't expect to get so upset.

Chrystal Ding, Lead Writer: On a very human level, you have the guy who starts off annoying everyone, he's constantly asking you to give him your most treasured possessions to eat, otherwise he's in trouble, and at the end, he gives himself for the world.

NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. If you have a character with depressive characterization and brimming with suicidal ideation tendencies...Don't mix in the 💣 ending framed as a selfless act! That's a call to the void to people walking on the ledge. Gale has literal WillingtoDie flags! It's major yikes all around. At the brain stem Tav is either talking someone who isn't suicidal anymore back into killing himself, or allowing a suicidal person to do it. "Feels like the right ending to me"? Nooooo thank you interviewer.

I actually like the 💣 ending in a tragic "My choices ran out and I failed to save Gale" way. Never ever, will it ever feel the "right" ending.

Asking for help takes COURAGE, especially from someone who isn't used to it. Gale asking you for items is literally because he's in so much pain he can't function anymore. He has no other choice. If asking for help for your pain is selfish, then I don't ever want to not be selfish.

Gale was never annoying to me. If they tried to make Gale the annoying, selfish, asshole who redeems himself in the end. They failed.

I'm mostly mad at the interviewer, to be honest. But oh man the devs didn't help.

I'm hopping off my soapbox now. Thanks to anyone who read it. And yes I did my therapy shit and am calm now.

Oh and remember, there's always another way, and that way is never, ever, EVER the "right" way. Seek and you shall find me.

[one-and-a-half-yikes]

Thought that hit me outta nowhere when I was half asleep this afternoon-

What the hell was Fanny doing at the gala???

We never come back to this, and although Cuphead calls it out:

We never find out if this is true or not. Will we later on? I fucking hope so cause I seriously want to know what the point was.

If we go with Cuphead's assumption here, that she was planning to "crash the party to prove a point" I am endlessly curious to know what point was proven and to who? Her parents (or more specifically her father)??? Oswald??? Did she think he was going to be there and wanted to show out (see what you're missing if you hadn't settled?) But that seems silly, she'd probably want to avoid him.

So maybe herself? Prove to herself that she made it to where she wants to be in life.

I think this one makes a little more sense to me. As I've mentioned in my Fanny meta, Fanny's life is stressful, and she's constantly dealing with so much shit on her plate. Between her controlling husband whose presence doesn't allow for the home to be a safe environment for her to escape the troubles of work life. Work life, where she's dealing with entitled and ungrateful patients on one hand, and on another rude colleagues who make her job harder for no reason; not to mention supervisors and managers above her who she has to answer to. Then, dealing with the smell and sight of bodily fluids of all kinds on top of that. Nursing is a thankless job, that part Fanny was right about. So at the end of the day you want to relax, right?

Well it's hard to do that when all your friends are busy, and your husband's idea for a night of fun is completely different from yours.

Fanny doesn't like to be in her own head. Ever. I think going to the gala was a way for her to let go of her worries and reassure herself that she'd made the right choices. Her life was great. Or actually I guess a better way to frame it would be that Fanny was PRETENDING she had made it. The fact that she was insistent on reminding Cup that she could "go alone" was interesting because I'm almost positive she didn't bring her wedding ring with her that night.

I think for her, this was a different form of escapism than what we are used to seeing. One where she envisions a life of luxury amongst the high echleons of society. Where she could pretend for one night that she wasn't going to go home to a loveless, abusive marriage. Where she won't have to wake up at the ass crack of dawn for grueling work as a nurse dealing with ink illness patients. One where she could be Cinderella for just one moment before the clock struck twelve. To pretend for a night that she was a single, young woman without a care in the world.

But we see how that turned out for her, and THIS is the part that left me puzzled by the end.

This girl is DRUNK.

And not even in the fun way where you go out with friends and come back fucking washed. She's pouty, miserable, and moody as hell when Cuphead stumbles upon her while leaving.

To get that bedazzled and feeling yourself. Pulling out all the stops to look good for a fun night out to THE biggest party of the year, only to be midway through the gala and sloshed put of your damn mind bemoaning how much you ended up hating the whole thing. I have a good guess as to why she hated the party, probably along the same reasons that Cuphead despises events like these. In Fanny's case, I think it reminds her a little too much of what she came from.

I suppose I'm more confused as to why she assumed this party would NOT be like that? What exactly did she expect from an event like this? Why go at all? She knew she would be the third wheel of what was very clearly an expensive all-out date between Puphead and Dovil. Why even waste your time on something like this? You wouldn't have any company, and as far as I know, I don't think Red went to that event either and stayed at the house with the patients? Even if she had gone, she's as much of a public figure as Oddswell, being his assistant and all, and wouldn't have had time to properly chat with Fanny through the night.

Betty isn't anyone important enough to go to an event like that. So, with few options and all her friends fairly busy, I ask, what the hell was the point? Of course, any single person could go to the gala alone, but most of those women who would go alone were probably of some importance enough that they could mingle with those in their class, right? Plus, the dance floor. Plenty of seats available to simply observe while eating and drinking. Diné, the black cat woman Bendy danced with at the gala, is a good example of this. Far as I know she didn't come with anyone and yet she was clearly having a grand time.

Anyways, I just find the whole thing strange, but this is my general speculation on why I believe she went. Even then I still think it odd, cause I feel like she could have just as easily gone to a regular club and had that experience.

NOTE: Was going to originally include Cuphead as a possibility, taking into account that the Cupanny Evil Author chapter seemed to hint that Fanny asked Cuphead to be her plus one to the gala. But that part just doesn't make sense to me, there's no way it didn't slip that Cup had a plus one, it would be silly to think she would pull a goofy stunt like that when she knew he was a public figure and all eyes would be on him through the night.

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Rose Quartz Propaganda

"We saw her character arc in reverse!! We first saw all the good she did and then learned of her terrible actions in the past. If her story was told the other way around, it would have been a great redemption arc. Yes, she did some terrible things, but she had no choice. She did everything she could to stop the colonization of earth peacefully buy nothing worked. Blue and yellow diamond just didn't listen to her and when they did, THEY were the ones who made the zoo and shit. Rose wanted to free them but couldn't get to them after the war! And with the corruption, there's no way she could have known that'd happen. There's so many things she wanted to do but just couldn't. And with spinel, yes it was shitty to leave her alone for so long, but again, between running her court, running the rebellion, dealing with earth, she likely wasn't a very high priority and like with the zoo, there was no way to get to her after the war since the galaxy warp was destroyed. And don't forget, she was practically a child around this time. You're saying you didn't do any stupid, selfish, or harmful things as a kid? She learned from her experiences and grew, we just saw that growth in reverse, leaving us as viewers with a poor perception of her."

"Rose Quartz is Steven Universe’s dead mom. Initially, she’s set up as sort of an ethereal perfect figure who everyone misses and compares him to. Later we get to see more of her backstory and discover that she’s actually like, a person, with flaws, who has done some bad things, but she did those bad things largely in the course of trying to escape an abusive home life and save the people and planet that she fell in love with. It’s very clear that despite her flaws she was trying to do the right thing and that she deeply cared about others. Unfortunately, a woman who was not a Perfect Martyr was way too much for the Steven Universe fandom to handle. She pretty much set off the wave of SU crit blogs because these people were furious either that she had taken violent measures to solve her problems, that she hadn’t taken violent enough measures to solve her problems, or both somehow. Lots of “Why didn’t she just murder her abusive parental figures?” Lots of “She was evil for having a baby even though she knew she’d die in childbirth!” Lots of “She should’ve been able to protect everyone from a magic nuclear weapon with the power of love somehow.” Lots of “She shouldn’t have rebelled (even though not rebelling would’ve meant the destruction of Earth) because her abusers retaliated and that’s her fault.” LOTS of people drawing her as stick thin even though she was fat in the show. People treated her like she was on the same level or even worse than her abusive parental figures who were also the main villains of the show. It was unbearable to witness."

Mahiru Propaganda

"They got unfairly voted guilty in the first round and keeps getting blamed She never meant to hurt anyone and the only reason she did was cause she couldn’t read social ques"

"Mahiru Shiina is the most traditionally feminine character in Milgram, and she’s very in love with the idea of love. That makes her an easy fandom target. In Milgram, we are introduced to ten murderers. It quickly becomes apparent that not all of these murders are conventional. By the time we are introduced to Mahiru, we already know most of these unconventional murderers. Mahiru’s first music video depicts her going on various dates with her boyfriend, even though he is not shown in the frame. At the end of the video, Mahiru wakes up, turns to the camera, and has a horrified expression. Whatever happened, she didn’t want it to happen. And then a lot of the fandom accused her of being a stalker. Was that what got her a 55% guilty/unforgiven vote? I don’t know. I wasn’t there. But she heard what the fandom said. She heard these voices saying she couldn’t be forgiven. Saying that she was a stalker or that she didn’t really love her boyfriend, even though that wasn’t true. She was beaten to near-death by Kotoko, a vigilante who was forgiven by 67%. Fuuta, who also sustained serious injuries from Kotoko, calls out the audience surrogate, saying what we did with our verdicts would have made us the same as him if Mahiru had died. And yet Mahiru doesn’t blame either us or Kotoko. Mahiru’s second music video shows that she was indeed in a proper relationship with her boyfriend. She smothered him with her love. The video slowly revealed the toxicity in their relationship. She asked why she can’t do anything right. The fandom perception was better in that she was safely voted innocent/forgiven. Still, there are issues. Some infantilize her or say that she’s delusional. Yes, she had a sheltered upbringing and has difficulties reading social cues, but that doesn’t take away her agency. On the flip side, some have theorized that she kidnapped her boyfriend and wasn’t in a proper relationship with him. (Not sure what to say about that, but this is a series about sympathetic murderers.)"

[fetishfairytales2]

Besties 6 (Story)

This was originally written as a continuation of a story by [no longer active] called Besties.

—————

Besties 6: Alone with Ms. Lyndsey

“Heather, seriously?” I laughed; “is Connor really cool with all of this? Cause I know he’s not, y’know…” Heather laughed in response, walking out of the nursery, back to her bedroom. "No, he’s too much of a real man to give a shit about that," she snickered, pointing to Brandon, "Brandi just has a tight little ass that could milk a big dick and Connor likes to fuck it occasionally!"

Heather went back into the bathroom to wrap things up, leaving me alone with Brandi. "Connor gets it," she called out. "Sometimes I just want him to tear into Brandi’s ass because I get off on seeing it." There was a moment of silence. "Other times, Daddy Connor just wants to show her who the real man is in this household."

"Does Brandi like it?" I couldn't help but ask even though I already knew the answer. Heather emerged from the bathroom, rocking a killer outfit with her tight trench coat and those red heels, looking like a total babe. She had the biggest grin on her face. "The real question is," she giggled, "does she even have a choice? Now, Brandi, I'm heading out. You better behave for Ms. Lyndsey, be a good girl. Don't forget, if I hear any complaints, Daddy will find out!"

She turned and gave me a wicked grin. "He'll be getting punished either way, good girl or not. But if she acts up, let me know. I'll send you all the deets and instructions. Don’t forget, her dinner's in the fridge. Oh and do me a solid, share all the pics and vids I send you tonight with Brandi. She loves seeing Mommy's naughty side during my date nights!" She hugged me and lightly tapped Brandi's butt before strutting out of the room with a smirk.

I couldn't help but smirk as I saw Brandon, the man who was once so full of himself, reduced to nothing but a pathetic little sissy in a frilly dress and diaper, forced to face the consequences of his asshole behavior. I loved that my best friend had made it all happen. She took away his power, his pleasure, his whole life. I bet she wasn't done yet either. "Oh, look how far Brandi has fallen," I taunted as I grabbed his hair and pulled his head up to meet my gaze. "But don't worry, we can make you sink even further."

"You, like, have noooo idea how much shit I'm about to put you through, baby bitch," I cackled, eyeing Sissy Brandi's pathetic little frame. I pivoted, checking myself out in the mirror. This situation called for a whole different vibe. I came dressed down to Heather's place, but now it's time to bring out the big guns. I rummaged through her drawers until I found the perfect thing: a sexy black lingerie set.

Turning to Brandi, I couldn't resist poking fun at his sorry excuse for masculinity. "Heather and I have been swapping clothes and men since college," I said with a sly smile, knowing how much that would hurt his fragile ego. "All of them way better than you, of course." I held up the lingerie set and let him squirm in embarrassment. "But hey, some things never change, right?" I could practically hear him whimpering under that gag, clueless to what was happening behind him. Tossing the lingerie onto the bed, I couldn't wait to see his reaction.

I ran my perfectly manicured nails through Brandi's hair, feeling him tremble as I whispered, "Relax sweetheart, we have all night to play. No need to get too worked up just yet." A sharp slap on his ass made him squirm with anticipation as I continued my search, this time in the nightstand.

I pretended to be all innocent, asking with a sly smirk on my face, "Hm, I wonder if your mommy has any fun toys hiding in here?" I couldn't help but laugh as I found the handcuffs and the Hitachi wand, more evidence of Heather's kinky side. I turned again to Brandon with a smug look, ready to ruin his night.

"Anti-crucio!" I yelled, watching as Brandi immediately spun around to face me. My grin couldn't get any bigger as I twirled the handcuffs on my finger. "You have 12 seconds of freedom, just to hear how screwed you are, Brandi," I gloated, poking my finger into his chest.

[mdhwrites]

Do you think the show rewards Luz’s Selfishness too much?

So I normally frame Luz's decision to self martyr herself and stay in her own world as not wanting to bother with the effort to fix her mistake. Let's shift that a bit so we can talk about why the show couldn't have Luz tell ANYONE this deeply selfish choice. A choice that by all means, Camila seems to think is just a bad choice for Luz and for no one else.

But... Luz chooses that her pain and angst is so bad that she doesn't want to help Amity reunite with her siblings. Or to make sure they can live in a world where they're safe. Gus' dad, Willow's parents, Darius, etc. All of them can rot as far as Luz is concerned. She even explicitly states this in For the Future. "Once Eda and King are safe, I'm going home."

No one else matters. LITERALLY no one else matters to her but the people she has chosen to care about and there aren't many of those. This is framed even worse by the fact that by the end of this episode, Camila will effectively say that Luz has NEVER done anything wrong. That trying to critique her at all, to try and give her life skills and friends with the camp after she put people's lives potentially in danger (snakes and fireworks are not meant for school for a reason), was wrong. That Luz just needs to be 'understood'. Part of understanding Luz, especially in S3, means that unless someone attacks her about it, like the dream sequence, WHICH ISN'T HER OWN MIND BUT A FABRICATION AND LIE, she isn't going to think about others. Just her adopted family and herself. And even then, maybe not even her adopted family since they sure as shit didn't matter in Thanks to Them.

BUT. we are supposed to sympathize with her and believe she did nothing wrong, just like Camila. Do not question her motivations, or her efforts, just believe her words.

This is emblematic of the show as well. The first two episodes talk a big game about fantasy vs reality and like Luz's selfish motivations, warped way of looking at things and her learning to be a human being, not a walking, wanna be protagonist will be interrogated. But... Not really. She repeatedly does things that are mirrored in her favorite series. Her final battle line will be a reference to that series and her delusions with that series. People might get briefly upset about her actions but most of the time she either doesn't have to do anything, like Reaching Out or Adventure in the Elements (where she gets a glyph BEFORE making up the fuck up she did) or show how special she is like in Lost in Language and Covention. I can only really think of like one episode after the first two where Luz fucks up and genuinely has to take the brunt of punishment for it, Winging it Like Witches, and even in that one, she is saved before anything bad happens to her before winning with the same trick that hurt her friends, just... Now it's okay because they're all on the same page about it I guess. Couldn't have had Willow come up with something herself because Luz actually was willing to listen to Willow and not force something onto her. That'd be too much work.

It's part of why the more you interrogate Luz's intentions and motivations, it gets BAD. So much of what she does could be easily grafted onto a kid trying to play hero or not learning anything from past mistakes. Don't ever forget that Teenage Abomination says "Listen to your mentor about their specialty," then The Intruder says "Don't take shortcuts to magic" before then in Adventure in the Elements, Luz takes a shortcut for magic while also not listening to Eda and almost gets people killed for it. GREAT JOB LUZ! Much development, such depth.

And yes, lots of shows will have characters yoyo and the like but these are within HALF A SEASON of each other. It usually takes a little longer for most animated shows to straight up start repeating lessons. Hell, yes, it is theoretically a problem for Amphibia too with stuff like Bessie and the hibernation episode both featuring Anne's impatience but also S1 is genuinely about how Anne is fighting between the lessons she's learning and her growing empathy versus how she used to be with her selfishness and laziness. Also, both episodes might be about her impatience but they genuinely tackle it in different ways, with one being about disregarding the rules because of overconfidence and the other one is out of boredom. For TOH... It's just that Luz wants the magic she thinks she should have, as easily and as fun as she thinks it should be instead of weird and actually taking work, and fucks it up because of that same motivation.

That same motivation that doesn't treat reality like reality. According to the show though, that's just the best way to be. Follow your own version, fuck everything else. That's what Luz gets to do in the end after all and she's the one literally blessed by God to be correct.

So yeah, I think her selfishness might be a touch rewarded.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[manic-sapphic]

i'm sorry but i just gotta rant a bit about relating to catra - but tbh, not just her..

i know i've been sleepy on the rants lately - i realized tumblr let's you freely make and post gifs (only 10 at a time tho, how's my obsessive ass supposed to live w that? i'm tryin) out of short vids and omfg, believe me, i ain't done w that. never. but i'm sorry if i duped you into thinking i was done posting any rants muahahahs cause i ain't done w them either.. ever. likewise. gifs are great cause a pics worth a 1000 words right, and they're 3 seconds of frames of pics. but sometimes, it feels like silent film. and i just can't always stfu

sooooo ~~

oooook, tbh, i haven't personally gotten much of any bs from people on this platform tryna hate on catra, but it's still happened to me elsewhere, and i know it still happens to some here, and i have thoughts about it. so, while i recognize that most the people i interact w on here prob feel mostly the same way - i'ma post about it just so it's on my blog. just so it's out there for those who can't and/or won't try to understand.

as many do, i relate to catra for personal reasons that run pretty deep - from my first watch, it's what made me empathize w her character at her worst and still hold onto the hope that she'd somehow claw her way out of the fucking pit she straight up dug for herself.

found herself down there and figured shit - that's it. this was my doing, this is my life now, till it becomes my death; this is where i've trapped myself; i dug my own grave and there's just no getting out of it ("you made your choice, now live with it" ~ reminds me of the fairly common proverb of "you made your bed, now lie in it")

but her chance to do this bold, brave, selfless - yet, ironically, still quite fittingly (for the catra we all know and love) self-destructive act (but this time, embracing self-destruction as a means of self-sacrifice - in an attempt to keep the promise for what she thought would be her last chance to ever do so) - of helping get glimmer to darla without adora ever having to actually dock at horde prime's flagship -

...break my heart, why don't you? into a number of pieces i can't fathom; like, if i gathered them all into a pile, i could start counting the shattered lil shards and wouldn't be able to count out the last one in my lifetime. break my heart like that. that's not a joke. this show makes me feel something, lots of things, in ways that, tbh, i have a hard time finding much of irl anymore. no fault of life's, ofc. much like catra, i know this shit is all on me.

but hey hey hey tho - that's ok. i'm ok. i don't mind that, because it's ok not to feel ok. tbh, sometimes i think people need to let themselves feel that more when they need to; just look at catra in s1-4. it's not an uncommon motif in fiction; every villain has an origin story. and emotions almost always play into it; and a villain's typical determination to repress the very emotions that plunged them into a previously unknown depth of darkness - only ever adds to their unpredictable, chaotic, and vengeful nature. who woulda thought~

that being said - my main point is, for anyone who just can't help but hate catra (and luckily, that doesn't seem to be anyone who typically sees my posts/interacts w me, so this is really just something i kinda feel the need to say, even if i'm preaching to the choir and know, deep down, if it actually met a catra-anti's eyes - it would prob only spark more irritation on their part, or at the very least, make no difference) -

but just know (i mean this sincerely) if you just can't see any reason to - not even empathize, i can see how that could def be something not everyone can manage - but if a person can't even see catra's character as someone they can try to sympathize with… and i mean, it doesn't have to happen in the first 4 seasons, but if the show ended and one happens to still find themselves unable to understand at all or even find her worth trying to understand in the slightest ~~

this is not sarcastic, i really swear i mean this: it seems like you might be pretty lucky.

truly and sincerely, i mean that; if you're someone who can't find any way in themselves to relate or even sympathize w this character, i'd guess it's at least due in part to the fact that you're quite literally incapable of seeing where she's coming from - at all. and idk. in some ways, i envy you. in others, i don't. it's confusing.

i've had remarkably good luck myself, it would seem, (idk how often other people get troubled by catradora antis here) endlessly ranting on this platform w/o anyone tryna give me a hard time - i've been able to share shit about not just catra & adora, but almost every other character - cause although i may not relate to any of them in quite the same way, they all represent (in my mind) different facets of personalities, interests, and insecurities as well. and i think many fans prob feel they share some aspects of themselves with certain parts of, often, more than one character.

and even the brightest characters have at least a small streak of darkness - even if it's as innocent as feeling like they don't fit in (glimmer, frosta, and scorpia have all shared this feeling- one to the other- at some point) or finding it so difficult to be in tune w their environment / circumstances that they're unable to connect w and use their powers; like perfuma in the crimson waste or adora on beast island.

i think there are a lot of just jaw-dropping, wonderful characters in spop - and def not for their powers, abilities, or accomplishments - but for the flaws they possess that viewers can relate to while they watch these characters simultaneously display their strengths and own those flaws - refusing to let them be what defines them. such a dope fucking msg if you ask me; everyone is flawed, everyone fucks up; but at the end of the day, everyone has their strengths, too; and if you're trying your best to use them for good - even if you falter at times.. what more could anyone ask of you?

i relate to catra all throughout the show (and i realize many do, and while i feel for whatever in anyone's past/present has caused them to see a kindred spirit in catra, i'm sure we can probably all agree: it is so lovely to know there is this fictional cartoon character [of all things] that was rebooted in a way that [imo] was very much intended to offer some solace, hope, & understanding to those who do find her relatable)

cause guess what. you're worth more than what you can give to other people.

that goes for everyone.

or at least, it certainly should. we all deserve love. ok?

you too. <3

[inconsistent-kuroshitsuji-blog]

Hello. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask for headcanons about the kuro characters and their favourite video game genres/series? ^_^

Absolutely.

Kuro characters and their favourite video game genres/series

don't know why, but he looks like he'd enjoy simulator games

if Black Butler would've happened in the modern day (and someone would've taught this grandpa how to use technology) he would probably used these to learn the things he needs to know as a human

cooking simulator (or Cooking Mama), school simulator, anything that could be useful like that

definitely also enjoys slasher games

simply judging by the way he enjoyed that bloodbath on the Campania, he'd looooooove extremely violent games

idk, I don't know too many in that genre, but Dead by Daylight could be one of his faves

but nothing with guns. Those things are beneath him. He wants the real thrill of the kill

oh, please, as if he'd even know what that is

he doesn't even have time for this

imagine the hours wasted on lines of code and digital pixels

do you know that one game where it's basically like a VR job simulator with different kinds of jobs like cook or office or gas station? Instead of humans, the NPCs are robots that insult you at every given opportunity and set you up for failure. Yeah, he'd like that.

also, Powerwash Simulator

ok, stereotypical, but dress up games

especially Style Savvy (ngl, these games are way too good)

other than that, she seems like a casual enjoyer of Animal Crossing

except that she bullies all the ugly neighbours off of her island and hunts for very specific characters (so basically like me)

another obvious choice is Bayonetta

I mean, have you looked at her? Slashing her way through demons and angels while having chainsaws for arms and legs? The cunty outfits?

Let me tell you: Bayonetta and Grell? An iconic match made in heaven

I can't decide

either he's a die-hard Mario Kart player or a huge Sonic enthusiast (the older games, not the newer ones)

he probably doesn't have enough time to really play though, since he's either out working overtime or out partying

he doesn't seem like a shooter person

okay, this is coming out of me because of a huge lack of sleep (it's currently 1 am where I'm living), but why does he look like he would drunkenly play Fortnite or Roblox?

"You got games on your phone?" No, back the fuck up dude. You're an adult.

Why did I just write that? Inco, what's wrong with you?

this is very specific, but that one Coraline game for the Wii and the DS

he's definitely leaning more towards psychological horror games

American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns. You can't convince me otherwise

he's an unfairly skilled Mario Kart player, to the point that it almost seems like he's cheating (he's 100% cheating, just like when playing Uno)

on the other hand, he's a huuuuge sucker for Kirby games

doesn't matter what type or gimick, he loves it and has perfected it down to the last frame

but you'd never know unless he wanted you to know (and I know it because I am God and run on my last bar of my batterie and because he's officially and undeniably my husband, deal with it. Omfg, this is so fucking cringe, I'm gonna go shoot myself, I'll be right back.)

well, first of all, you need to explain everything to him because he couldn't even read the instructions on the screen (I'm 100% convinced that his eyesight is pure batshit and he's just cheating his way through the manga through some deus-ex-machina type of shit)

newsflash, but he loves horror games

I really see him with games like Resident Evil or Don't Starve Together

also, Undetale

you know, because of morals and choices and consequences and all that (surely not because of a skeleton with dry humour)

maybe it would help to show him a bathing simulator so this crusty man learns how to clean himself

is it too obvious and on the nose to say The Mortuary Assistant?

omg, look at him! My boy! Finally animated! I love him so much! My boy!

ahem, so anyway...

Trombone Champ

he'd play it on his loudest speakers just to annoy the hell out of everyone

also, you know those really cheap horror games you can find on Steam that are really terrible? He lives for those

idk why, but he seems like he'd enjoy Portal

and Assassin's Creed. Especially the first four mainline games

continueing with puzzle games, he really enjoys Professor Layton, no doubt

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

That's it for now. It's almost 2 am and I have to help out at a sports event I only registered for to watch some random kids suffer in the heat. But now I have to wake up early for that... Oh, how ironically bitchy life is. And to top it all of I have to work the graveyard shift today. Coffee and energy will be my best friend today.

So, yeah, that's it for now. Or maybe not, maybe I'll pull an all-nighter simply so I can't oversleep. If you're up for a part 2 just slide into my requests and I'll see what I can do.

Until then~

Your Inconsistent Kuroshitsuji Blog~

[galatikid]

I'm going to say something whacky but I really hope enough see it and internalize it.

I'm deeply concerned with the rhetoric of Trump bad so vote blue. Project 2025 is bad so vote blue. Vote Biden. Yes he's continuing a genocide but vote for him anyway because do you really want Trump again. Don't vote third party because that's throwing away your votes and we need to make the change on local levels first.

This conversation style lets the current status quo (bad all around) continue. Lets the powers that be continue to be.

Y'all do see and understand that's defeatism right? Like you're accepting that the game is lost before we hit the ground because the game is shit and has been. This kind of thinking is what they want, because it keeps us fighting amongst ourselves. Infighting! Why!! This conversation pattern has been ongoing for YEARS. Why??

Stop feeding the trolls that you've let inside your head.

We can make the change now. We should make the change now. Local elections have already been shifting and have been for a while. The time we're currently living in is a monumental tipping point to be seized. If you don't like either choice we have 6 months to reach an agreement for an alternative. And we need an alternative because there's a lot on the line.

Neither party truly serves the majority of the population, we all agree on this! We all agree that the world is suffering with us due to the companies and governments that loom over us. Why should we wait 4 more years to do anything about it on a nation wide scale. And how much longer are we going to choose to wait? Where's the goal post? What's the time frame y'all are working on? Why are you choosing to wait currently other than "anything else is a long shot"? Oh of course it is you keep saying it, of course it's a long shot if you all keep saying that it is.

Stop saying it! Choose the third option, choose something, anything else!!

You want change then demand it. Make it happen.

It does not have to continue to be this way.

[mademoiselle-cookie]

Tome 8

Remember that no one forces you to read this. If you don't want to see your favorite manga being critized, block me and move on 😄

Prostitutes

The author really has a problem with women.

Jack the Ripper's victims are all (ALL) prostitutes. There is no particular reason for them to be targeted (not like in Black Butler), it's just to create fear. They are simple tools for the plan of men who don't even consider taking other targets.

The only reason is that they are easy to find. They could have been abandoned kids or sick people, it would have been even easier.

And no one points out the sexism of the situation? Even Bond?

It would be nice if we stopped using women as objects to be abused. Especially if it is not to say anything about it.

Of course, in the original story, Jack also attacks prostitutes. But we saw with the case of the Hound of Baskerville that the author doesn't give a damn, IRENE is proof that they can perfectly modify pre-existing stories. Bond is neither a trans man (?) nor a Moriarty man and even less an idiot who gets defeated by everyone.

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION is proof that they don't give a damn about historical accuracy.

What is the reaction of the prostitutes? We see that the inhabitants of Whitechapel (all males) have decided to create a militia because they do not feel safe. But what are the opinions of the sex workers? Are they afraid to go out to work? Are they resigned because they have no choice? Are they used to such horrors happening to them? The murderers say vaguely that they are afraid to go out but these are only indirect testimonies, we do not see them.

Speaking of which, isn't it a bad idea to use prostitutes as targets? They are very often victims of violence and no one will come to their defense, especially at this time. And because of their profession, they are even less respected than other poors. So it's a big gamble to use them to create fear and indignation.

In addition, the two victims were seen with different men. Didn't anyone think that the crimes had nothing to do with each other and that there was just a smart aleck trying to get noticed by communicating with the press?

Good point, the organization that created "Jack" hired someone to manipulate the press so that it would be taken seriously. But just because the press says something doesn't mean people think the same thing. (WE don't always take it seriously when the media freaks out)

The cops admit they don't give a shit about Whitechapel, why not a word about the lack of interest in prostitutes in particular?

It would even be used to make Sherlock guess that this story is fishy, ​​like: "It's horrible but murder and violence against prostitutes is pretty common, it's strange that the press would get so worked up over a jerk who could very likely take on other people's crimes."

The Lord Crime

William presented himself as the Lord of Crime for free to his enemies.

Which, I remind you, is something you do NOT do when your identity is supposed to be secret. And you don't go there with your face out in the open either.

No matter how confident you are in your abilities, you remain cautious, the unexpected can always happen. Maybe one of the fake Jack the Ripper will manage to escape or survive, maybe someone saw him and his brother and will recognize them…

Ah but that's exactly what happened!

The guy whose brain works so much that he has to sleep a lot didn't foresee that?

Jack the Ripper

The case is not closed at all, the criminal has not been captured. (Don't tell me "in reality, we didn't know who it was. It's historical respect." Because, again, I would have liked to see this respect for the French Revolution.)

However, it is this absence of a culprit that created the following mess with Chief Inspector Arterton. It is not because the innocent accused has been cleared that the inhabitants will be reassured that the murderer is potentially still at large.

Moriarty & co. could have taken advantage of this to frame someone else, a nobleman whose downfall - rather than murder - would do much to help the cause. A nobleman whose real crimes are hard to prove but whose arrest would be credible (especially if he already has a track record of corrupting officials).

And Sherlock's test wouldn't have been whether or not the people who died mysteriously in an explosion were actually the real Jack the Ripper, but on the contrary not to say that the asshole (whom he knows to be a criminal) is innocent in the only case that could put him in prison.

(It's funny that Sherlock manages to guess what happened despite the few clues, but that we don't see anything of his reasoning. Really, how did he figure it out?)

Moriarty & co vs Sherlock & co

Who remembers when I said that the men on Moriarty's side are competent while those on Sherlock's side are buffoons? Everyone I hope, I say it in every review.

Well, we have another example of this phenomenon in this volume with Lestrade and Moriarty's spy, Paterson.

One is yelling, fidgeting and using a puppet show to try to convince Sherlock to take on the Jack the Ripper case (which he already intended to do so it was useless).

The other is calm, discreet and cunning, he even seems to know Bond, the new kid on the block, pretty well. (Yet more proof that Moriarty's team has super privileged and ✨special✨ relationships with each other)

One is ridiculous, the other is classy. One is manipulated, the other manipulates. I'll let you guess who is who.

Conveniently, the spy ends up at the head of the police force at the end, even though he officially did nothing to deserve that position and doesn't seem to have the power or connections to get it (apart from his connections with Moriarty, but it's not suggested that they had a role in that).

Moriarty and Sherlock

I like their interactions. I would like to see more of them. As long as the author doesn't remind us that Sherlock is inferior, the two respond well to each other.

Speaking of which…

Sherlock's zero points

Sherlock managed to find out that Moriarty was a mathematician thanks to the golden number on a staircase. This is his very first interaction with William.

It is therefore quite implausible that he has no points in Moriarty's test, as difficult as it is.

I could have accepted it if the author had taken the opportunity to inform the reader that Sherlock has very selective knowledge. That he has an enormous memory for what is useful to him during an investigation but that he is completely ignorant of the rest. This is what allows him to have space. He can know which locksmith in London makes what type of lock but not that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

But no, it's just a joke to humiliate Sherlock and show how much less intelligent he is than William.

Talk about a credible rivalry…

[inposterumcumgaudio]

Could you rant about Arthur and Sally’s relationship? It’s my favorite part of WHF and I’d love to hear your opinions about it

So before we get into Sally and Arthur specifically, I need you to understand something about how shit was. How shit still is in some places, where people are less terminally online and where there's generational ignorance.

Now you and I understand that a wide age gap in a relationship is a red flag. We've seen enough r/relationship_advice posts to know a guy who goes after young girls does so because they are easy to manipulate and mold. But we only know this thanks to the hundreds of nineteen-year-old girls posting about how mean their 30-year-old boyfriends are being to them and everyone else telling them exactly why that is.

In the world that these girls come from, the attention and admiration of an older man is quite flattering. Especially if you are a very pretty girl, but this man is telling you how smart and mature you are.

But I need to make sure this is understood too: I do not believe Mr. Hastings was grooming Sally. I don't think he was out trying to bag a teenage girl.

What I think what happened is, Sally enjoys the attention of men - older or otherwise - as she sees it as her greatest power in the world, especially since she thinks girls aren't worth her time. Arthur remembers specifically that boys would stop to watch her go by and she "always got a kick out of that". And without her mother to try to dissuade her from being so cavalier with this charm, she uses it indiscriminately with every man she meets. Including Arthur's dad.

Now Mr. Hastings should have had the good sense not to think anything of it. But again, it's a time where we don't have reddit for him to know about power imbalances in relationships. It's a time where you have to pick your partners based on geography which means even the prettiest girl has to compromise and pick the best of her options. And he's also a widower so there's not really any conflict as far as he can see since he's not married and Sally is sixteen and therefore leaving school soon which more or less makes her an adult as far as anyone thinks in the 40's.

It shouldn't have happened, but I can see how it did.

And I can see why Arthur gets so angry with her about it without ever really blaming his father for his part in it. To his thinking, she treated his father the same way she treats all her "friends" (all male "friends" because she thinks she's not like other girls) so it's no wonder Mr. Hastings took it to the logical conclusion.

And the thing is, you never actually see Sally blame Mr. Hastings either. She'll say she didn't have a choice, but she never says Mr. Hastings forced her. She doesn't blame herself either. She says sometimes things just happen whether you want them to or not. Which I think means Sally doesn't think of this situation as rape so much as a misunderstanding or, more likely, a transaction that she was only just then told what the exchange was.

Because her whole existence is transactional. She only does things for people if she can expect to call in a favor later. The way she frames it is that she had no choice because her housing hinged on pleasing Mr. Hastings. But she does indeed find somewhere to go, once Arthur finds out.

So this is the crux of conflict surrounding their relationship.

But I actually think this is tangential to their core personality flaws which would have prevented them from ever being happily together, Mr. Hastings or not. It's just the thing both of them fixate on to sabotage themselves.

They're both stuck on the vision of each other as children. And it's literally as they turn sixteen and are about to embark on adulthood when everything changes. The stakes are higher now, but because they diverged at that point, they can't really see each other beyond what role they played for each other as children.

To Sally, Arthur is her safe space because she can expect him to give her whatever she wants without expecting anything in return. He's the only guy in her world who "doesn't want just one thing" and seems to see her as more than a pretty face. She has all these memories of hiding away with Arthur somewhere and commiserating over their shared misfortunes.

Arthur, on the other hand, remembers all these same moments of deep friendship with Sally, but also remembers that "she was always so wonderful when she was there, but a girl like Sally always has so many better places to be, and better people to be with, or worse people that she prefers anyway for some reason. And sometimes she’d just hide in Percy’s old room in the attic and not come down."

He'd always played a role of convenience for her. Maybe that was okay when they were children, when a gangly dork would not get to hang around a popular pretty girl at all otherwise. But they're not in school anymore and the situation's a lot more serious, even disregarding that Arthur's feelings about Sally have matured.

Meanwhile, Sally's feelings about him really haven't. She thinks of him often, but only in terms of her missing the comfort he was when they were young. She never supposes about how he might have changed or who he might have become in her absence. To her, he exists in stasis and (if he'd just forget about the thing with his father) would be exactly the same as he ever was.

The great irony is that when they meet again, Arthur is the one who needs something. And if Sally could just have given it to him without asking for something in return first, they might have had a shot at more. Probably not a successful relationship because they are who they are, but it wouldn't have mercifully ended at her apartment door like it does.

I think it's the kiss that does it in, really.

Arthur has spent all this time playing court eunuch to her Queen of Wellington Wells, all this time with her charming every guy she comes across (including his dad) and never giving that same kind of attention to him.

And only now, when he's off on some fool's errand to make a trade with her, does she finally favor him with that kind of gesture.

He can't trust it. As frustrating as it was to be ignored as an option and as much as he always wanted it, to be acknowledged as one now? It makes him just another one of Sally's "friends" and how committed to any of them was she? It's part of the transaction.

It's really quite unfortunate that this is also the one time Sally ever wanted to do something for someone with no expectation of a returned favor, but necessarily couldn't. If she could have got the Letter of Transit for Arthur without asking him to fetch the cod liver oil, she would have. And if she could have done that, it wouldn't have been a transaction at all and then Arthur maybe could have felt secure in and special for that kiss.

It's better this way.

[cinamun]

I just got caught up and I am emotionally exhausted, the Drakes and friends are really going through it (I say this with glee). Some of the highlights for me were:

Bishop's Love Kills hoodie…

In the gif after Bishop sends the text, the animation got Jayce looking like Questlove lecturing; it don't hurt that he's thicc, too

The way Mercy called out Jackson after waking up disoriented and in pain, said too much

I howled when I saw the "He's dead" link for the previous one right under this pic with Bishop in the background; gotta give it up for environmental storytelling (we can dream).

Hope comforting Jayce by comparing their father's indiscretions

Charlie, bless his heart…

Okay, Amaya…

Damn, Mercy.

Dreams do come true~

Damn, Mercy.

Don't take it out on the child, Mercy.

Damn, Mercy.

Indya: "DJ if you're gay just say that. No need to throw us under the bus." 🤣

As soon as Charlie said that she always runs away, I started thinking, Dira can do what she wants as long as all parties are consenting, and I know she made it clear to the folks she got involved with, but I think that she should stop using people even if they want to be used. Don't be an enabler for unhealthy behavior… A lot went into the outlook she has on life now. She really wants it her way. But what is the "it"? Is it the control, is it the attention? Is she taking shit out on the wrong people? All of the above? She's drawing lines with her words but blurring them with her actions… This is not to say she can't get down with friends, but when you know they want what you don't, do everyone a favor and cut them loose. What's really going on in that child's head? And then, here you come with that scene!

Darren always running in those hard-ass soles.

I love how Darren and Indya's ways of counseling are different, but manage to fill in the blanks for the other.

Dira told Indya that she "went to bed" but, going by Charlie, looking exhausted like he really went through it, I wonder if that's the extent of it or has she lost time?

What's up with Jules offering a potential patient a drink before he learns what her vices are? It's not a date.

It's incredible that Mercy, Jayce, Eva, DJ, and Dira are all in reality's choke hold right now.

Mercy with this IDGAF attitude. I wish I could believe it was like a "finally free to be me" makeover, but it feels like she's preparing to be alone, she's pushing people away before she can be pushed.

Jayce having to a accept a whole lot of truths and being completely out of his depth with how to process it, mentally and emotionally; he's so used to knowing that he's just unsteady every step of the way through this, trying to hammer out one dent only to find that he created another.

Eva is taking a lot of this in stride because she's actively processing everything, but she's kept caring for her child front and center. Unlike her new big brother, she can't just come home and ignore her family and be forgiven for holing up in her head until she finds a modicum of clarity while her partner picks up the slack. So, she really has no choice but to keep it together. Though it doesn't hurt that she's pretty straightforward because it will save her a lot time since she'll have less BS to wade through.

Interestingly enough, DJ and Dira are in similar situations; they've both become the expectation vs reality meme. I understand their perspectives, though, kids have limited frames of reference, so if they don't copy the adults around, they are left with choosing between doing the opposite or taking a cue from elsewhere. It's obvious they both did the latter because I know the Drakes have definitely made it clear to their children that you are free to do what you like, but you have to accept the consequences as well. The twins are so much more alike than I thought they were. I don't think either one of them are wrong for wanting what they want, but they are definitely going about it in the wrong way, because any way that hurts other people (even if they stick around knowing they'll be hurt) is not the way to go.

I honestly thought I wouldn't have much to say because I feel so out of practice, but I was wrong. Thanx for still doing what you do, we're all better for it.

Also, I don't know if you know, but sometimes, just sometimes, liking your posts on cinamun.tumblr.com takes you to the top of the page.

Always a nice breakdown of events and I very much appreciate the real time reactions! There is certainly a lot to take in when it comes to Chapter 25. When it comes That Scene™, I hope that answered the questions you had about Dira choosing to be who she is and do what she wants. This is fiction, but in non-fiction real life, young girls get caught in horrible relationships, get hit with low self-esteem and even worse, all because other people's opinions have a profoud impact on their lives. Young women, especially young Black women, are scrutinized far worse for doing the most basic shit like being honest with their lovers about what they want.

That's why we needed that scene.

As for Jules, that's just who he is. He offered Darren a cigar imported from Sulani during his first visit. Its just The Doc™.

We'll be returning to those shenanigans soon enough though. Welcome back!

[orcboxer]

Been following your journey around the trolley problem and I agree with your position: the trolley problem should not solely be framed in a way where a mythical third and better solution exists. Engaging with hard questions/hypothetical situations where all the outcomes suck is a valuable exercise for developing your own stance and morality, and it recognises that in real life, sometimes things just Do Suck.

I would add though, that as far as my understanding goes, both sides of this argument (aka "Leave the problem untouched" and "Add a secret variable") are valid philosophical perspectives to engage with through the trolley problem. Philosophy at its core is speculating about how people come to certain conclusions and examining what other conclusions there might be (and why those exist).

The trolley problem in this instance becomes a vehicle to discuss different problems and solutions. It is as valuable to discuss a situation where all outcomes are shit in different ways and how this might be solved and why, as it is valuable to consider adding a new variable to the situation. The trolley problem can be expanded to make different arguments and explore different belief sets, and I believe it should be. But equally, its basic premise shouldn't be disregarded.

It's an illustrative device through which you can frame your argument. Through which you explain it. And because of its inherent simplicity, it's capable of portraying a great amount of different problems through slight variations to the premise. And saying things like "What if there was a secret third solution" is as much a thought experiment that can be imposed on it as "What if there wasn't". Both serve different functions and neither is less valuable or correct than the other. Framings that deride either as worse are only simplifying a complex discussion (the complex nature of human morality) into having a one sided "correct take", and aren't what philosophy is about.

I think I would agree with that, yeah, in that the TP can be altered to present a new type of scenario, provided it's acknowledged that the new version is a completely different subject and not like, the secret trolley hack that solves it once and for all lmao. And there's certainly something to be said for scenarios that do have better options.

Like from a big picture perspective, capitalism fans tend to set up scenarios as TPs completely unnecessarily, like "aw well it's too bad we have to sacrifice disabled people for the economy but if we don't everything will collapse" like no, you .. you don't have to do that actually. We should be talking about how to feed everyone rather than who deserves to starve, for instance.

But then on more specific situations, it's like, do I vote in favor of a city policy that would cap rent prices, even tho it's just a temporary fix, or do I refuse to vote for it due to the ballot not including a "abolish rent" option? I would certainly choose to abolish rent if that were an option, but in this moment, is abolishing rent an actual outcome that's on the table? Or will inaction simply result in rent continuing to go up?

Big picture: we should have installed a failsafe on this trolley. Small picture: you can't fix that right now, you can only mitigate the damage the trolley does. You have to make a tough choice in this moment, there's no making it easier, but afterward, you should get together with people and try to build up something strong enough to stop runaway trolleys so that your options aren't so dire next time.