#and i just want you and the people who've created such great contents know that i appreciate you so much

[my-ugly-organs]

HUGE seconding this, i genuinely believe the reason there's been a huge shift towards the right lately and with the U.S.A election and whatnot, is the result of propaganda that's been circling around sites such as facebook and twitter, and feel free to correct me if i'm wrong, maybe i'm just an ignorant paranoic Mexican dude, but have you guys heard of the "Empty internet" theory? I don't know much about it i saw it a while ago on a Dross video lol (Youtuber who's huge in latinoamerica) Anyway we do know for a fact there's a lot of bots online but i'm sure i saw a post here on tumblr (i can't find it right now) that detailed how much of the bots we see online are controlled by people who spend an awful lot of money on these bots, and use them to create whole pages whose only purpose is the shifting of people towards a certain opinion. This terrifies me because i'm almost convinced that this could be the case for a lot of the content we see on those sites that's "pro" LGBT or "pro" feminism that's actually the opposite, often celebrating as a "win" things that nobody cares about or that go totally against what these communities and activists strive for.

So when people are bombarded with right wing media content that paints us as dangerous degenerates and also content that's supposed to be on our side that paints us as unreasonable and intolerant and ridiculous and looking for an excuse to fight over the silliest of things... Well, even moderate people who've never interacted with or known people from these groups already get certain idea of how "we're like" from mainstream media without actually getting to know us, which makes it more difficult for actual people to discuss our ideas and leaves more people afraid of speaking their minds or on the closet, because first we gotta get rid of a lot of assumptions that people have that just aren't true, and it actually encourages people from these communities who already are jerks (or who, let's accept it, are minors and clueless) to be more awful and lo and behold cue infighting between members of these groups becomes a thing which... yeah... Isn't great.

But there's good news! We can fight back! We can make people listen to what we actually think and want through a good platform! There's hope!

Hey.

The Onion just bought ALL of info wars. Like, ALL of it. The company, including the trademark and all trademarks under it, the rights to their supplements, all of their broadcast equipment. Everything.

Alex Jones was auctioning it off as a means of paying off his $1.5B debt to the victim families of the Sandy Hook shootings, who won two separate lawsuits against him.

And the families actually chose to forego a portion of the money they'd be receiving to increase the value of the Onion's bid.

For one, this is incredibly funny. Like, what a fucking hilarious development.

But on a sociological level, I consider this a HUGE win for propaganda.

source.

[mswyrr]

kanthony thoughts: wrestling with love and death

The bee is such a perfect symbol for the love story of S2 - it symbolizes the duality of life. It is a symbol of fertility: bees are associated with spring, the act of pollination, and sex (e.g. "the birds and the bees"). But here it is also a symbol of death and trauma. It is what killed Papa Bridgerton, took Violet's true love, stole a father from the kids, and what (in this patriarchy) forced an 18 year old boy to become the "father" of the family, trapping him emotionally in time at that period of loss which Anthony never processed.

Through this duality, the bee embodies the themes and core struggle Kate and Anthony are confronted with. It is both Eros, sexual love and reproduction, and Thanatos, a representation of death. Both are interwoven throughout our lives. And we all end up in death's country eventually, some sooner than others. People like Kate and Anthony, who've met the heartbreak of the world very young, often see death and loss everywhere - because it is everywhere, but so too is life.

There is another fertility symbol that is also a death symbol: the pregnant Violet in flashbacks. The great love she and Edmund shared has brought beautiful children into the world - but the act of creating life can kill a mother. Violet herself has suicidal thoughts about wishing the act of giving life had killed her. It is an inescapable part, even with the best modern medicine, of procreation for someone who gives birth. Bringing life is also risking death.

This is the truth that Anthony and Kate both know and fear and have shaped themselves around. They fear living because they've both suffered losses young and known, from a young age, that death is always there. Uncertainty and loss are woven throughout all joy and love. Their solution to this problem has been simple: they will choose to not participate in living.

They both make statements to this effect. Anthony to Violet, saying he will be not happy but "content" without love.

And Kate shares her similar plans for a miserable "contentment" without love:

Anthony will make himself the image not even of his vibrant and loving father, but of something worse: an old man before his time. No joy, no pleasure, no love. Just duty and a rigid focus exclusively on the mind over the heart. Violet tells him - your father allowed himself to love. The truth is Anthony cannot be like him like this.

Kate has a similar scene - she has made herself exiled from life by choosing to be a spinster. As she explains, she wants to be like Lady Danbury, but in the same way Anthony cannot be like Edmund without letting himself live, Lady Danbury tells her: you will *never* be like me if you go on like this. I had a life! I lived and now I enjoy my social games very much because I am satisfied that I have lived.

These two young people, they're not even thirty yet, and both of them have buried themselves alive. They've done it in a futile effort to escape the pain, the loss, that comes along with the joy of living. We open ourselves to it when we open our hearts. And keeping our hearts shut is not an escape from death, it's giving our lives up to it before we've even had our measure of joy.

In case we missed the point, Kate and Anthony's little sisters come in to drive it home: you think we respect you for the things you do, emptying your life of anything but duty, Daphne tells Anthony, knowing that he longs to be the respected and great figure their father was. We don't. We pity you. OUCH. Harsh but so so necessary - when someone has created a toxic and false narrative in their mind and they're giving all their energy to it, sacrificing everything to this... broken coping mechanism, sometimes a jolt is required. Daphne is letting him know that the thing he consoles himself with, the idea he is respected by his family for his dutiful sacrifice, is a lie.

He cannot be the man he wants to be if he won't let himself live, like Edmund did. Edmund spent every moment of the short time he got on earth living and loving deeply. And when he died, it broke so many hearts. But, as Violet tells Anthony later: I'd do it all over again, I'd suffer the pain again, just to have the time we got together. The love Edmund and I shared was worth all the pain.

And Edwina, for her part, is brave enough to see the truth. She finally realizes that Kate has inadvertently been living vicariously through her - trying to give her little sister her own dreams, not realizing the problem with that. Edwina is a grown woman and she still doesn't actually know what she truly wants her life to be. Again, this is such an OUCH moment. Kate never would have intentionally done such a thing to her beloved little sister. But she needs to hear that she has!

The kind of repression Kate and Anthony engaged in - it comes from a place that makes sense, they even mean it lovingly, but it doesn't work. As Daphne said earlier: these kind of feelings will find a way out. Kate accidentally imposed her own dreams on her sister and thwarted Edwina's growth and choices.

Both younger sibs are courageous enough to demand more, for themselves, and for the elder siblings they love - even though they can be overbearing. Even though, in this moment, both of them need their younger sibs to give them some "tough love" to shock them out of the nonsense they've fallen into and dragged their families along with them.

The parallels are so gorgeous. And the power of these two fearful people, who have buried themselves alive, choosing risk and joy and love finally? Embracing life and all its pain for the joy it brings? Soaringly romantic and such a beautiful affirmation of life.

I adore this romance!

[kikitakite]

@fantasyfictionfables

I was going to reblog some of your posts because I wanted to discuss your takes on Mystra, but then I found out you're a Christian conservative who hates gay people.

No gay person thinks their sexual orientation is their identity, but it's absolutely PART of their identity, just as being straight is part of yours. You can claim otherwise, but it determines who you might love and marry and that person will one day become a part of you and your identity. It's inevitable. As a wife and mother of three, you should know that better than anyone.

But people from groups like yours shame gay people for exploring that part of themselves and that's why Pride Month exists. Pride isn't "propaganda". It's about marginalized people showing the world they exist and they're not ashamed of it. Parades are also a great way for gay people to meet each other. My bestie met her wife at a march 15 years ago and they've been together ever since. It's beautiful. They have two happy, gorgeous children who wouldn't exist without Pride, because their moms never would've met.

Pride also raises money to help gay teens who've been cast out of their homes and gay refugees who've had to flee their country because being gay is illegal there. It also provides support for gay people who need medical help, therapy for abuse, suicide prevention and more. It's a safe space for people who are often discriminated against and even KILLED just for being who they are. So sorry that seems to bother you.

Your take isn't brave, it's just ignorant and hateful. You didn't have to write that post. Nothing provoked it. You just WANTED to to air your allegiances. And then you turned off comments and reblogs lmfao. For the majority of the year, gay people survive just like us straights. They go about their day and don't even mention being gay. You picked the one month in the entire year that's dedicated to them to complain about their existence and call them "deranged". And then you have the audacity to say you "bear no ill will" towards them? Bullshit.

I can only assume the word "pride" scares you because you're a Christian and it's a sin, am I right? Well here's something ironic: lust is also a sin, yet your entire blog not only consists of Gale thirst posts, but you're also stealing Tim Downie's voice to make audio clips using AI. Hmmm, I wonder if God would approve of a married woman posting NSFW content and using a man's voice for her hedonistic writings without his consent. 🤔

And by the way, as a veteran DnD player I can tell you right now that Mystra has done some absolutely VILE shit to her followers. She's not perfect. None of the gods in DnD are. They're flawed and often cruel. I've seen you compare Mystra and Gale to stories in the Bible, but that almost feels blasphemous. Mystra has a history of evil deeds. She orchestrated Elminster's rape, made sure he had kids and never told him about them. She turned Volo into an anchor without his knowledge. She tortured a peasant because he refused to sleep with her, then killed his wife and punished him for crying about it. And don't even get me started on the "daughters" she created. The third Mystra (who has Mystra and Mystryl's memories) is cruel to Gale as well and the game gives so much context for that. Plus ALL the companions agree she's unreasonable and tell Gale to reject her, and if he does it leads to one of his most satisfying endings. He's happy, he's a teacher, he marries tav and everyone approves. Your way of playing isn't the only right way and people aren't wrong for criticizing Mystra. There's plenty about her that deserves to be criticized, as is the case with every god in the pantheon.

Speaking of, I have nothing against Christians, but I do when they use their faith to shame people and act like total hypocrites.

[jessefandomunited]

Supporting artist rant

I've been seeing a lot of people saying " oh you should support artist what watcher is doing is okay" .you do not get it.

They ARE getting paid . Their patreon, their merch , touring , ads on YouTube, and sponsors. They ARE getting paid .

Yes you are correct that they have been spending a lot on the quality of their art which is all well and good... when you have the money. If they don't I don't think putting everything behind a paywall is the way to go.

See the problem is when you have supporters that are watching this content that you are putting adds on , they are supporting you, you get paid for that. Those who are able to have been sponsoring them via patreon . If they really are hurting they could put more special videos and incentives over at patreon so more people with money would be willing to donate to see what they have to offer there. Going 100% full throttle into this venture of creating a website , which I believe is down right now( not a great sign), and saying all of our content will now be behind this wall , is a poor choice. No madder how meager their earning were on YouTube to stop posting all together not only alienating the people who were supporting them with no extra money to spare, but also bashing them in the subsequent post they had made, that's so rude.

I don't know if you guys saw Steven's post but he literally said something along the lines of " You guys who want to keep watching us we appreciate it" that is so unfair, There are so many more professional and grateful ways they could have worded that post that didn't look down on the people unable to buy it . (My opinion I think he saw the instant backlash and got heated and wrote that caption) . But just because people can literally not afford your subscription doesn't mean they don't want to watch your content. They literally can not .

I understand the people saying " support artists " hearts are in the right place. They love watcher and are upset at the backlash because they simply see them charging for their art. And while that can be seen as true that still does not justify the move. There were many different avenues they could have gone down to ask for monetary assistance, heck I would have totally given money to go fund me's for their projects. But this was just a real slap in the face to people who've been here since the conception. You can disagree that is your right but please do not go after these people who are financially struggling and tell them they're not real fans, that's incredibly cruel

[i984]

Thank you for the tag! :") ❤

I feel like if I was a deity I can get away with having longer hair and make it look nice LMAO

also a nice little OC I'm planning to write for but now I'm not sure if I ever will ��💀

Tagging everybody who wants to do it hehe :p

✨DEIFY YOURSELF TAG GAME✨

rules: using this piccrew by @ malachitinous create yourself as you’d look as a god/goddess/deity; feel free to either make this a chain or do your own post from scratch!

ty for the tag @bvcksmunson ilysm! i made myself into a moon 🌙 goddess bc that’s my ruling planet (i know the moon isn’t a planet) as a cancer plus i just think the moon is that bitch.

zero pressure tags @irrelevantwriter @thesewickedhands @littledemondani @munsonsduchess @blackleatherjacketz @mareethequeen @novasforce @wroteclassicaly @imtherain

[lightningqueen11]

Got these lads some better references! Not complete ones, but they're still pretty good.

Here are the 8 Links I'm planning on including! I have general characterization concepts for all the others, but they were being kinda annoying designs. I might include em as I continue to figure out this AU, but for now here's what I got!

Our very first hero! I don't really consider the SS prequel manga canon here so Sky's the very first holder of the Hero's spirit. He's a very kind soul, protective of those he cares for and holding the endless determination and courage of any hero.

After the end of Skyward Sword, Sky's taken up a bit of an 'ambassador to the surface' type role, educating those who've come down with while Zelda spends as much time as she can with her family on Skyloft. Though the scars from his fight with Demise still twinge, Sky's happy to move forward with his life on the surface.

Minish is our youngest member, but that doesn't mean you can underestimate him. Minish is quiet, playful, and endlessly curious. He's the best spy this chain has, able to shrink down to the size of a mouse and be completely invisible to everyone but fellow children.

After saving Zelda from being encased in stone and having her light force drained, Minish simply seeks to spend his time enjoying his childhood with his best friend and learning to forge a sword as good as the four sword.

Mask is our resident angst, his life has been far too hard. Mask is mysterious, closed off, and talented. With the body of a teenager and the mind of a young adult, this lad has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

Resuming his travels after Termina, Mask finds himself looking for somewhere to belong. He's travelled to Labrynna, Holodrum, Koradai, and yet the only place he really felt any sense of family remains in that strange war with Tune and Captain. Perhaps, someday, he'll find his way back to them.

Tune's our resident navigator! He can read and create maps and starcharts like no other, plus he knows his way around a boat. Despite the more pirat-y aesthetic, Tune's really a sweetheart. Sure, he enjoys finding abandoned treasure and sailing, but he's hardly a ruthless bounty hunter or thief. He just loves meeting people, and wants to help anywhere he can. A trait practically required for the hero life.

After his adventures, Tune's living a life of travel on the Great Sea. He has his own boat, but broadly he sails with Tetra, the two finding buried treasures from Hyrule. He's always had that itch to go somewhere, to do something, and maybe he's about to get exactly what he wants.

Wolf's a bit of a mysterious edgy man himself, but this time it's all appearances. Our resident furry is just a big huggable rancher with a protective streak when it comes to his family. He's amazing with animals, and with the help of a certain amazing nose, he can track basically anything.

I'm diverging from canon a lot here. Midna's never shattered the mirror of twilight in this universe, she's just not around in the light world because it would hurt to be anything more than a shadow there. Instead, after their adventure Wolf and her hang out frequently. Wolf's pretty content with his lot in life, he's got his family, his home, and his best friend. Really, what more could he ask for?

Unabashed favorite character alert, Four's a bit of an asshole. Like, they're very heroic and frankly, often right, but they've still got an arrogance problem. They're fiercely loyal and incredibly smart, and will take the role as supposed leader because frankly, no one else wants the title.

After returning the Four Sword with Vaati and Ganon completely obliterated, Four's gone back to their life as a knight. There's still a fierce purple ache in their chest for a certain Shadow, but the teal confidence easily shoves that to the side in favor of being the perfect warrior. Now, Four's rising through the ranks of Hyrule's guard, ready for whatever challenge comes next.

Wild fits their name very well. They're quick to explore every mountain and valley, loot every chest, and find every korok. Incredibly different from the Link from before the Calamity, they share memories but not so much experiences. Wild is the best archer in the group, even without their champion ability.

I can't quite decide whether I want Wild to be pre or post TOTK, but it doesn't make too terribly much of a difference. After his adventure he continues to explore Hyrule and the lands beyond it. He's verrryyy close with his Zelda, and the two like to do a bit of mad science with Purah every so often. He's happy with his new lease in life, but if the chance comes to explore something new? Well, Wild's definitely going to take it.

Cap's here! And he's a bit of a mess. Traumatized from his fights with Cia and Dark Link, Captain has trouble being confident in himself at all anymore. He's always been naturally confident, but ever since that first battle with Dark, Captain's been suppressing that part of himself. He's a very skilled leader and tactician, with the most experience working with a large group.

After the war Captain.. didn't really know what to do with himself. His friends had left, and there was no longer anything to fight against. He decided to dedicate himself to being a guard, but he still felt a little empty. He's never really moved on from the events of the war, but maybe soon he'll return to some old friends.

[fury-brand]

hey, just wanna say its deeply disingenuous and intellectually dishonest to frame the somerton situation as "mob mentality is evil" when that was nowhere near what bea was trying to say w/r/t manipulative people trying to maintain what power they have after it's been threatened by people seeing through their facade. i have and had far too many friends who've dealt with suicidal ideation in their lives, and i also have dealt with people who were manipulative and abusive. threatening suicide to gain empathy right after you've been rightfully called out for your behavior is right out of the manipulator playbook. like yes, there are harassment/doxing campaigns that drive people to suicide are, in fact, bad. nobody is disputing that. if you think that's what was happening with the somerton situation, you need to seriously reconsider why you feel that way. it's both entirely possible to be critical of him and the actual material harm he's caused while also being empathetic of his mental health struggles and wanting him to be ok. but it is also perfectly, rationally ok to be skeptical of a person who has shown themselves as a liar and manipulator attempting to once again lie and manipulate you. it does not in fact help them to believe them unconditionally. all it does is allow them the ability to continue lying and manipulating for their own benefit as they already have. criticizing them for their behavior IS helping them, and is how they, hopefully, grow and change as a person.

Friend, it is neither disingenuous nor dishonest. You can surely understand why the "mob mentality is bad" discussion is pertinent to suicide rumours of a high-profile target of mob harassment, yes? Yes, you can. I believe in you.

Manipulative people do threaten suicide from time to time. We are agreed that it is reasonable to be skeptical. My objection is not to skepticism. It is to the idea that anyone who attempted to evaluate their own behavior and to show this guy some grace was a fool because he "had not earned it." I said what I meant pretty clearly in my initial post: you should show grace to people who haven't earned it. This was the point of contention.

And here's the thing: it is not just doxxing and direct harassment that are the problems with the mob. The constant chatter and the insinuation that he deserves whatever he gets because he's a bad person and a liar and a thief are all part of the great big bonfire that is his ongoing social exile. It works all together to dehumanize the target and grants permission to those who do want to doxx or harass directly. It collectively enables the "dregs of society." It has nothing to do with better protecting the community and it sure as shit has nothing to do with creating space for learning and growing because everything we know about people tells us they don't grow and change under these conditions.

It's just petty bloodsport. And thank goodness for the folks willing to show some grace.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for saying I don't give a fuck about Red, White and Royal Blue?

Firstly, absolutely no hate to the show. I know that sounds contradictory to the title, but bear with me. I think the show is great in terms of concept and the fact that its an insanely popular mainstream piece of queer media.

However.

It bored me to tears and by the third episode I knew it wasn't for me. That's fine, it happens, I just stopped watching it and started another show instead.

Now here on Tumblr I run a pretty popular multi-fandom blog where I post ship content, meta, GIFs, fanfiction, fanart, ect. I have a lot of fandoms I create content for. I didn't want to make it seem like I was shitting all over the show, nor did I think anyone would notice/care that I wasn't engaging with it, so I didn't bother to make any sort of personal post to say I'd tried it but it wouldn't be part of my blog.

Wonder of wonders, I received an anon, one of my followers, asking if I'd watched it yet and when I'd be making 'stuff' for it. Presumably fanart or GIFs. I answered it and just cheerfully/politely said I'd given it a go but I was more interested in other stuff as of now.

Anon shot back with 'so you didn't like it?? Watch it again. Its really good. You need to stick with it, you'll like it.'

I just reiterated that, no, actually I'm pretty confident I won't, but I gave them a list of blogs I follow who've started posting about it so they could the content they want. They're just not getting it from me.

They were still pretty insistent, and after two more anons basically demanding I watch the show and insisting I'll love it and kind of vagueing that I'll be a steaming turd of a person if I don't, I snapped a little and said;

I've tried to be polite about it, but to be quite honest I don't give a single fuck about RWRB. Its not my thing. I tried it, I didn't like it. I will absolutely not be making any content for it and I've got the tags blocked so I don't see it on my dash. I will not be watching it or making content for it and that's final.

Apparently I'm now a raging homophobe and either they alone or they and some friends are now sending me a smattering of anons calling me homophobic and trashing me for 'shitting all over strong gay media.' Which is laughable because all the ship content on my blog is queer. But.

I do actually feel bad for losing my rag and because the post was reblogged a handful of times by people who are into RWRB with a few comments about it being awkward and saying its cool I don't like it, but I don't have to say it publicly and I don't have to trash the show.

So AITA for that? I did lose my rag admittedly and I know I should've been politer, but my god, I simply do not care about the show.

What are these acronyms?

[enigmaticexplorer]

Six Options for Star Wars Watching Order: For those who don't know where to start

Hi @violetasteracademic! I saw your comment asking about Star Wars and because Tumblr’s comments only allow so many words, I thought it best if I typed out a complete response :) 

I’m going to break this down into six watching orders depending on your preferences for engaging with Star Wars content. 

The first option is a general, easy way to get back into Star Wars that focuses only on the 11 movies.

The second option is for people who are NOT interested in watching animated shows; this focuses solely on the 11 movies + live action shows. 

The third option is intense and combines movies + live action shows + animated shows.

The fourth option is for those who've seen the movies and are only interested in live action shows.

The fifth option is for those who've seen the movies and are interested only in the animated shows.

The sixth option is for those who've seen the movies and are interested in watching both the live action and the animated shows. (This is my recommended viewing option for those who have already seen all 11 movies.)

Option One: The Simple Viewing Order of Star Wars

If you want to get back into Star Wars but aren’t 100% sure what content you want to engage with, I would start by rewatching all 11 movies. Recommended watching orders depend on each person. I recommend watching in chronological order, especially since you’ve already seen the movies before:

The Prequel Trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith)

Solo

Rogue One

The Original Trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi)

The Sequel Trilogy (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker)

Rewatching the 11 movies will give you a big picture overview of the Star Wars universe as it currently exists, and then you can decide which eras you want more content about (the Clone War era, the Empire era, the post-Empire era), if any. 

Option Two: Star Wars Movies + Live Action Shows

If you want to immerse yourself into ALL live action content of Star Wars, then the Disney+ shows are a great way to start. There was a surge in the Star Wars fandom when The Mandalorian (a live action show) first premiered back in 2019, and since then, five more live action shows had been created.

I recommend watching the live action shows interspersed among the movies. The shows build off the movie era they take place within, and they provide additional information and world building to their respective eras.

The shows that take place in the post-Empire era (after Return of the Jedi) are all connected. Characters in one show can be seen in another. So, to avoid spoilers, it's important to watch these shows in chronological order.

It’s important to note, however, that watching only the live action materials means you’ll be missing relevant information revealed in the animated shows. The animated shows are not necessary to understanding the big picture, but you might want to do some reading before you start the live action shows to make sure you know who the main players are and the general plot of what’s going on. 

Your watching order will be:

The Phantom Menace (movie) 

Attack of the Clones (movie)

Revenge of the Sith (movie)

Solo (movie)

Obi Wan Kenobi (live action show) 

Andor (live action show)

Rogue One (movie)

A New Hope (movie)

The Empire Strikes Back (movie)

Return of the Jedi (movie)

The Mandalorian Season 1 - 2 (live action show)

The Book of Boba Fett (live action show)

The Mandalorian Season 3 (live action show)

Ahsoka (live action show)

The Force Awakens (movie)

The Last Jedi (movie)

The Rise of Skywalker (movie)

The Acolyte (live action show)*

* The Acolyte show just finished airing last week. It takes place hundreds of years before The Phantom Menace. No other Star Wars media deals with the content and era seen in The Acolyte. If you’re interested in this era, you will need to get into the books and comics which delve into it more. Since I have not watched this show, I can’t make a recommendation of whether or not it’s necessary to understanding current Star Wars media. However, if you want to give it a shot, I would watch it last.

Option Three: Movies + Live Action Shows + Animated Shows

If you want to engage with ALL the Star Wars media content out there, you’ll need to buckle up for an intense ride. You will be combining all of the movies with the live actions and the animated shows. The animated shows have multiple seasons with 12-24 episodes each season.

Before you start watching the animated shows, it’s important to remember that these shows are intended for children audiences. They are kiddish at times. They are unserious. There are some dreadfully dull episodes (looking at the Droid Arc in S5 of TCW). However, ALL of the animated shows mature with each passing season, and they provide SO MUCH information that’s relevant and, frankly, pertinent to understanding the depths of Star Wars as a whole. If you’re able to overlook poor animation at times and a handful of cringey kiddish storylines, then the animated shows will payoff. They contain some of Star Wars best moments ever—from lightsaber fights to emotional deaths to gut-wrenching relationships. I will always recommend watching the animated shows.

The animated shows are also great for not only understanding the Star Wars universe but also navigating the fandom. The clone fandom, especially, has a big presence on Tumblr. (This is the fandom I'm part of and it's such a wonderful place!) You'll see lots of fanart and fanfics from this community alongside The Bad Batch community whose show just recently concluded a few months ago. If you like soldiers who respect women and emphasize loyalty, then you will enjoy the hell out of this fandom.

Here is the chronological watching order with movies, live action shows, and animated shows*:

The Phantom Menace (movie)

Attack of the Clones (movie)

The Clone Wars Movie (animated movie)

The Clone Wars (2008) (animated show)

Revenge of the Sith (movie)

The Bad Batch (animated show)

Solo (movie)

Obi Wan Kenobi (live action show)

Rebels (animated show)

Andor (live action show)

Rogue One (movie)

A New Hope (movie)

The Empire Strikes Back (movie)

Return of the Jedi (movie)

The Mandalorian Season 1 - 2 (live action show)

The Book of Boba Fett (live action show)

The Mandalorian Season 3 (live action show)

Ahsoka (live action show)

The Force Awakens (movie)

The Last Jedi (movie)

The Rise of Skywalker (movie)

The Acolyte (live action show)

* Please note that this viewing order is biased. I have excluded the animated shows Resistance and Visions. I didn’t enjoy either so I don’t recommend when watching. And since neither has proved itself pertinent to the Star Wars timeline, at the moment, they are not necessary to understanding the universe.

Option Four: The Live Action Shows

You've seen all 11 movies and now you want to jump into the live action shows. The live action shows build off the information provided in the movies and deep dive into certain eras. These eras are split into two: the Empire era and the post-Empire era.

The Obi Wan Kenobi show and the Andor show take place during the Empire era. The former has one season (it may have a future season but this hasn't been confirmed and the first season ends on a conclusive note). The latter has a second and final season that will be premiering either this year or next.

The Kenobi show is perfect for Obi Wan lovers who want to know what happened to him after Order 66. This explores Obi Wan's grief, his relationship with the twins, and his own encounters with his old apprentice.

The Andor show is perfect (my favorite of all the live actions) for those who want to get into the "dark side" of the Rebellion. Building off the less-than-ethical means of fighting we were introduced to in Rogue One, Andor continues this exploration of rebellion and the means required to fight against a fascist government. This is slower paced and darker but it's one of those shows that you have to rewatch because the little hints scattered throughout make more sense on a rewatch (and, if you're like me, it makes it even more exciting).

Now, if you want to know what happened during the post-Empire era--the era when the New Republic existed and prior to its eventual collapse to the First Order--then The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka are the shows for you. These three shows are interconnected. Pay attention to the watching order below.

The Mandalorian relies on information and characters explored in both The Clone Wars (animated show) and Rebels (animated show). However, you can understand its storyline fairly well without these shows as background. You might have to do some research, though, especially when it comes to the third season. The third season lacks background information and expects you to know its major players from prior knowledge.

The Book of Boba Fett is to be watched immediately after The Mandalorian Season 2 and before Season 3. It's one season and most likely, due to the backlash it received, will not have a second season. Warning: If you're a big fan of cold-blooded, bounty hunter Boba Fett, this show will disappoint. Lower your expectations.

The Ahsoka show builds off the two previously stated shows but is also heavily influenced by Rebels (animated show). If you do not watch Rebels, you will need to do some extensive research on characters and plot lines in order to understand the main objective of the show.

Watching order:

The Mandalorian Season 1 - 2 (live action show)

The Book of Boba Fett (live action show)

The Mandalorian Season 3 (live action show)

Ahsoka (live action show)

Option Five: The Animated Shows

The animated shows are the spine to Star Wars. They provide so much information, character development, and plot explanation for the Clone War and Empire era.

The Clone Wars (2008 animated show) is one of the most popular pieces in Star Wars media. It has seven seasons and it follows the storylines of both Jedi and the clone troopers who fought alongside the Jedi. It's a devastating show but the characters introduced and explored are complex. If you want to watch this show, I would recommend watching the dreaded The Clone Wars movie before. It's not necessary to viewing but it does introduce the main characters of The Clone Wars. If you decide to skip it (totally understandable), I would read a summary on it. The later seasons (seasons 3 - 7) are much darker, more intense, and more heartbreaking. If you're struggling to enjoy the first two seasons, push through to the third (or skip to the third). That's where the story really starts and, if you don't like that season, then you can dip out knowing that it's not the show for you.

The Bad Batch just concluded a few months ago and it's well-lauded like The Clone Wars. It's set immediately after Order 66 and its follows a group of rogue clones as they find purpose and make their own life during a fraught time period when they're being hunted down. If you like the clones and want more clone-centric content, then this show is the perfect follow-up to TCW. (It also stars Omega--a young girl who grows into herself and steals your heart.)

Finally, Rebels takes place in the Empire era as well. Some of its characters are seen in TBB. Unlike TCW and TBB, Rebels gets a bad rep for its poor animation and its kiddish tendencies. The first two seasons, especially, are difficult to watch. However, the last two seasons are much more mature and the storyline becomes intense. The final season is one of the strongest single seasons Star Wars has produced. This show follows a found family of rebel fighters trying to make a small difference in the galaxy and whose Jedi members become responsible for more than they were expecting. It's emotional and it's affecting future Star Wars projects, especially upcoming live action storylines. If you choose to skip Rebels, I would watch the final season or read an extensive summary on it in order to understand what's coming.

Your watching order:

The Clone Wars Movie (animated movie)

The Clone Wars (2008) (animated show)

The Bad Batch (animated show)

Rebels (animated show)

Option Six: The Live Action + Animated Shows

You've watched all the movies and now you want to watch all the shows (excluding the three shows that I haven't seen/don't recommend). Watching the live action shows + the animated shows is the best way to immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe. And after you've watched the shows, then you can dive into the books (which provide even MORE information to the universe as a whole!).

Here is your watching order:

The Clone Wars Movie (animated movie)

The Clone Wars (2008) (animated show)

The Bad Batch (animated show)

Obi Wan Kenobi (live action show)

Rebels (animated show)

Andor (live action show)

The Mandalorian Season 1 - 2 (live action show)

The Book of Boba Fett (live action show)

The Mandalorian Season 3 (live action show)

Ahsoka (live action show)

The Acolyte (live action show)

There’s A LOT of media content with Star Wars right now. It can be very overwhelming! Let me know if you ever decide to get back into the fandom! Obviously it has its toxic sides but the fandom on Tumblr is fairly welcoming and kind. And if you have any questions, let me know. I’d be happy to talk :) 

[cellray]

Approval and praise from followers and friends is one of the most satisfying and important things to me as a creator. I don't realize it sometimes, but when interactions don't include comments or messages, I slowly lose confidence and motivation.

Hearing what people have to say, and knowing they enjoy it, is such an integral part of my confidence. Lately I've felt lost, with each big piece of content being responded with silent numbers. A single comment is worth more than 100 likes somehow.

This last break has been me feeling a bit demotived, so I'm sorry for not creating much. I'm bad at asking for things, so I guess I've been quite silent about it but I really want your attention and praise. Your experiences with my content, what you like, how it feels.

I want to be talked about. I want to be recommended to others, asked for input, credited for work, cited for advice. If you find me worth the effort, then please give me this gift <3

It's hard reminding myself of all the praise and love I already get. I have so many great friends and followers who've been with me since the beginning, and showed me support all throughout it. Yet a little slump suddenly leaves me thinking "What do I really offer?"

Comparing myself to the attention others get is such a bad and toxic habit I have, yet it's so hard for me to suppress. I write, I animate, I edit. I create multiple forms of original content, yet I always feel like I'm short of being complete.

I'm not confident, independent, self sufficient, or smart.

I'm just such a mess.✨

[dorianpavus]

I want to play the new Baldur's Gate 3 but I've never had an exposure to the franchise and barely any knowledge of D&D. Do I need to have that in order to properly understand the game, or...?

oooh!!! i'm very excited you're interested in bg3, it's SUCH a fun game. :')

the short answer is no, you don't need any knowledge of the previous games or dnd! the game takes place about 100 years after the events of the second game, and it functions as a stand-alone. and because it's a video game, the game comes with tutorials and explanations of mechanics! if you want to jump right into it, many other people have, that's totally an option! 😊

the longer version is this:

FRANCHISE LORE

although no knowledge is necessary, some would help.

there are many people out there who've done let's plays of the first two games, or have summarized the plots. you can find relatively short or very in depth versions of those on youtube! take your pick. or don't watch at all! :)

because this is dnd, and there are some creatures that can live for centuries -- through magic or natural lifespans -- there are some characters you'll come across that were in the first two games, even though that was 100 years prior!

you yourself are a new character, though, so it's not like you're expected to know who they are. it's more like it's exciting for people who have played the previous games, but they function as normal characters for everyone else! this is also true for familiar locations making a comeback. for a new player, they're just cool new places -- no previous knowledge necessary! DUNGEONS & DRAGONS LORE

what will help you most of all while playing the game, imo, is knowledge of dnd. both mechanically, how the game/combat works, and some knowledge of this setting.

people play dnd in all kinds of different settings. lots of people make up their own, but there are some "official" settings, that published content is made for.

one of these settings is called the "forgotten realms," and that's the one this game takes place in!

there's this great ongoing lore series on youtube that goes over a lot of the lore (specifically relevant to baldur's gate 3) that leads into the game. if you want to know about the big players in the world, religion, the fantasy-talk the characters drop, this is the playlist for you! each video is about 10-15 minutes long, so they're great to watch quickly while eating lunch.

(i would really argue watching those videos will get you more prepared for bg3 than just a recap of the first two games.) COMBAT

then there's combat.

the good news is, if you play other video games, lots of them were modeled after dnd! it probably won't be too different from other fantasy rpgs.

there's gotta be thousands of videos explaining how dnd combat works, but i'll break down the important bits here:

almost anything you do in dnd boils down to rolling some dice and adding some numbers. usually, for combat and skills, that means rolling a d20, and adding any relevant numbers afterwards (that come from your own stats). when you're making your character, it will be useful to know what ability score affects what!

example: most melee weapons use strength. that means if you're using a longsword and invested in strength when creating your character, you'll have a higher number you get to add to your roll when you're attacking (so more likely to hit your target), and a higher number to add to its damage.

there are some exceptions to this -- some melee weapons have the "finesse" property, that allows you to use your dexterity instead of strength. (daggers, rapiers, scimitars, shortswords, etc.) that's useful if you're playing a high dex character rather than high strength!

ranged weapons, like longbows and shortbows, use dexterity.

classes that use magic have a "spellcasting ability" that they use for magic. for wizards, that's intelligence; for bards, sorcerers, and warlocks, that's charisma; for clerics and druids, that's wisdom. investing in those abilities as that class will let you add a bigger bonus to you rolls, or to the number enemies have to roll against you.

combat is turn-based. at the start of combat, every character (enemies and allies) will "roll initiative," which comes from their dexterity. (higher dex = higher initiative). then everyone takes their turn in order of their initiative.

dexterity is also used with armor -- without any armor on (and lots of spellcasting classes cannot wear armor), your base AC, or "armor class" is 10 + your dexterity modifier. that's the number an enemy has to roll to hit you. the higher your AC, the better!

different armors will have a different base AC. some of them you can add your dexterity modifiers to, and some of the heavier armors you cannot. (realistically, it's saying you're not gonna be too nimble when you're clanking around everywhere).

for characters who cannot wear armor, there are spells and buffs in game to help raise their AC! if they're getting hurt too easily, you might want to invest in one of those -- for instance, the Shield of Faith cleric spell adds a +2 to AC, and the Mage Armor wizard/sorcerer spell makes your base AC 13 + Dex Modifier (instead of 10 + dex!) when not wearing armor. Very very useful!

"Concentration" is when a spell must be passively maintained by the caster. You can only concentrate on one spell at a time, but you can cast other non-concentration spells with no issue. If you attempt to cast a second concentration spell, however, the first one will drop, and you will lose its effects.

If this is all overwhelming, I know! I just threw a ton of information at you that's all probably meaningless until you're playing the game. Don't sweat it too much, and feel free to come back to this if/when you're making a character.

Regardless, the game will try to teach you everything that you don't know. At the top right corner of the screen, little tutorial icons will pop up as you play, explaining some new feature -- don't skip those!

And my inbox is always open. If you ever have any questions or are having any difficulty or confusion, hit me up! Tl;dr, NONE of that extra frou frou I just gave you is necessary. You could hop into the game right now and start playing. You'll figure things out as you go!! Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!!! It's an incredibly rich game with very vibrant characters and so much to explore and delight. :')

I'm sorry if my wall of text was too much sldgkhslkgh 😭😭💖💖💖💖 I LOVE this game and I'm so excited anyone else wants to give it a go!!!

[doktorpeace]

I finished Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Redeemed

All in all absolutely phenomenal experience. Truly a visionary and audacious way to end such a popular series. Thematically resonant through to the end and well earned in the resolution it goes for. Beyond this I'm going to put a read more, under which will contain spoilers for the entire Xeno- franchise. That means Gears, Saga Episodes I-III, Chronicles 1-3, and X. I have a lot of thoughts and plenty more marinating to do, but these are my initial impressions.

Somehow managing to connect all of the Xeno- series not to AUs but canonically the same Prime Earth, which contextually is Our Earth is RIDICULOUS in how he pulled it off. It feels truly organic to all of the stories *AND* doesn't contradict any of them! It even, seemingly, directly ties into the beginning of X with it being 'May 23rd, 2022'. Elma arrived on Earth in the early 2020s and I believe she's that blue dot we see flying onto the Earth at the end of the credits.

Smashing all of those different FTL/Outer Space Colonization projects into a single radio broadcast in the background of just one cutscene is truly remarkable. Just a few lines recontextualizes this man's entire career.

And also, to those in the know, it reveals that all three of them: The Earthlife Colonization Project (Xenogears) The Immigrant Fleet (Xenosaga) and Project Exodus (Xenoblade X)

Occur due to Zohar related experiments gone horrifically wrong. Which we know from each series individually. But knowing that all of them stem from a single post-scarcity, conflict-free, truly equitable and globalized Earth, which nonetheless kept on trying different experiments with these godlike processors and all of them went awry is really interesting.

This game in particular very much focuses on the idea that advancement and power and control for their own sake are meaningless. If you don't have an idea behind it, if you don't want to make things the world tangibly better it's pointless.

Future Redeemed successfully ties every Xeno- game into this theme directly, no matter how subtle they are about it in their own content.

The Chronicles games happened solely because Klaus wanted to play God and make a new universe he would control, using The Zohar.

Gears happened because The Gazel Ministry wanted to create a creature that matched the Biblical God in terms of ability which they could control.

The Saga games happened because people wanted this power for transhumanism, to perfectly control the genes and births of every person, to ignore the realities of death and disease, but in doing so became so entrenched in making literal Designer Babies that it cuts off natural human diversity and reduces the people born to mere products and instruments shilled by different companies with different patents.

And all of these happened from The Zohar, a processor/machine mind that far outstrips anything humanity can believe. A thing which the humans of Earth only discovered by chance. Being meddled with purely out of avarice and hubris. The humans of that Earth didn't need any of those things. They'd already accomplished a perfect, post scarcity world. And that's why Alvis, a machine who's sole purpose is to be the logical arbiter between two other AI, when left to his own devices, decided going back to that would be best, no matter the cost.

He saw all of the tragedies in the three Chronicles settings that occurred solely due to Klaus' hubris and realized none of it would happen if these humans, the ones who've only known strife and difficulty and pain, had access to that post scarcity, conflict free, equitable world and beyond this, Takahashi buries the lede a little bit.

All of those previously mentioned projects to get humans off of earth. They're all cover ups by the Coalition Government of Earth. They're all touted as great advancements for human progress and potential but in actuality they're all just covering up massive, horrific, failures which would each result in the destruction of the Earth and its people. It's just Klaus' mistake had such immediate and tremendous consequences it couldn't be covered up.

Everything was destroyed in an instant. And we see, in Gears and Saga, that those decisions still ultimately do lead to an unimaginable amount of human suffering, just not on Earth. All they've done is ship off that suffering, literally, to some far reach of space.

Underpinning all of this is a distrust in the government and their motivations. A distrust for authority who claims they only want best for you.

Which is why Fei returns to living a quaint life. It's why Shion and Kos-Mos return to their normal. It's why Shulk refuses to become a god. It's why Rex and Pneuma live simple lives. And it's why Noah throws away the Sword of the End.

Each has the chance to become an ultimate authority, to have complete dominion over the lives of countless others, and they all give that up to just be...human. This franchise is truly something special. I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Please, Takahashi. Let us go back to Mira now.

Thank you, truly, @andawarmgeek, for sending me a download code out of the blue for Future Redeemed. This was an experience that I won't soon forget.

[cryptid-intraining]

People who discredit fanon interpretations of characters can suck my dick. just because something is fanon doesn't make it bad, say you don't like fandom and fanfic culture and move on.

I know of people who've only ever read Batfam fanfiction and fanon content and never once touched a comic, but then gone in to write their own Batfam fics purely from their understanding of them from fanon and I think that's incredible. good for them, honestly. the fact that fandoms and writers and artists can create a whole separate world that you can consume and explore without ever getting into the canon material is so cool and such a unique element of fandom that I could honestly talk about for hours and shouldn't be discredited.

If people are talking about why they think Jason is redeemable and why they think he's misunderstood and you bring up how he's actually really unrepentant and violent in the comics, fine, that's a great argument if we're talking canon, but if they're talking about fanon and their own headcanons? that doesn't make what they're saying any less valid and shouldn't be dismissed as unimportant.

Saying "oh but pit madness isn't canon" in response to people bringing it up in discussion of what Jason did to Tim and why they think the characters could reconcile if the work was put in and they actually address their issues when they're talking about fanon and headcanons is asinine.

We know. We're not talking about canon. Not everyone values characters based on their canon representations.

Most of my favourite characters wouldn't be my favourite if it weren't for fanon. They're just more interesting through the lense of fandom. The fans always have better ideas, more interesting theories, and far more complex interpretations.

Plus they're fucking good writers. Far better than the ones that write the canon. The same goes for the artists.

And while we're on the topic, just because people like Jason as a character in canon doesn't mean they're saying he's a good person. we can like bad people in fiction and also acknowledge that they're bad people.

But then we go to fanon and fanfic to explore the idea of them being better and changing. Because the canon material leaves us wanting, we see these characters with such interesting potential and want to develop it.

Bad person =/= likable character. Saying we shouldn't like a character because they've done bad things is genuinely ridiculous.

I've seen so many people say that Jason is being fucked up by DC writers (I agree) but then have an issue with fanon without acknowledging that people go to fanon and fanmade content to get better portrayals of their favourite characters. just because you don't like how fanon views a character or that fans write them to be redeemable where you don't see redemption doesn't mean it's wrong or bad or stupid.

You just don't like it.

I don't understand this mindset that fanfic needs to reflect canon. obviously you can do whatever you want with fanfiction, that's the glory of it and I would never want to take that away, but why write what is already found in canon? Jason doesn't need to be written like a violent, unrepentant guy in fanfic just because that's how he's written in canon.

If you don't like a character, cool. We all have characters we don't like but you don't have to list reasons why you're right and why the character is actually shit. Just because you dislike a character doesn't mean fans of that character are wrong or misguided or misinterpreting the character. You just don't like them. That's it.

Fandom is such an important space and there is genuinely so much to be gained from having conversations that take into account both sides of a character (like there are so many issues with how some people talk about Jason that go beyond personal taste and just become super problematic but that would be a whole other post) but it is just so hard to hold a civil discourse about these things, irl or online, and especially on this hellsite.

If you want to discuss in the replies and reblogs, fine by me, but don't be assholes and just respect other people's likes and views.

[initiumseries]

I was the art / interviewer question ask, and you got me there. I saw that you reblog the post about liking vs. reblogging things and mentioned that you don’t bother on posting art on tumblr. I guess this is what I was trying to say: what platforms you like posting your art on given the cons of each one? Not sure if this is even coming out right.

Ah okay, gotcha. Tbh with you, I don't enjoy posting my art on any platform at all anymore. I'm old enough to remember when social media as we know it, didn't exist. It was just one website after another, rising and falling every few years, and they largely existed to connect you to your IRL friends, but didn't mean you couldn't meet people online outside your immediate IRL friend circle.

Then facebook made its debut, and in its early aughts, it really was just about...connecting you to people you already knew or had shared interests/friends in common. Then instagram came along and it was amazing for artists because it wasn't the disaster it is now. It was literally just for sharing photos, with your friends, and whoever else happened to see it. And this was honestly a great time for artists because you didn't have algoritms burying your "content", you didn't have algorithms forcing you to create reels, videos, and all posts were in chronological order. So you could just throw your artwork out there and your friends could a) see it and b) enthusiastically interact with it, share it with their friends etc. So if your reach was, 20 of your friends, and 10 of them shared it with 20 of THEIR friends etc, you see how you could immediately reach a LOT of people who enjoyed your artwork? Now I'm fighting against Instagram forcing you into reels, stories and all these videos. It's hard enough *creating* the work as an artist, now I have to do progress videos, edit them to music, then upload them to platforms that bury your work because you have a small following, didn't post at the right time of day, didn't use the right hashtags etc ad infinitum. I'm just an artist, not a business person, or a social media manager, web designer, SEO manager, and I don't have the bandwidth to be all those things JUST to post some jpegs of this piece that I really enjoyed and wanted to share with the people who follow me.

That's why, pre-2018 mass exodus, tumblr really became the last place I'd post any art semi-regularly because you could just...post it. People were on this site literally to *interact* with you. Sure it wasn't always positive, but it was interaction, and it made me happy to just throw some relatively popular hashtags on a piece, throw it out into the universe and have even 12 people be excited enough about it to share it with their friends, or sending me asks saying how much they liked it or asking how I created a piece or just really enjoying a simple process video on youtube enough to subscribe there too. But now, a lot of the younger folks who've migrated to this site, like the post I reblogged said, interact with tumblr like they would tiktok, passive consumption. Where 12 reblogs and 10 likes becomes 12 likes, and nobody interacting with you at all, or engaging with the content you put out, and it's disheartening honestly. Getting eyes on my art has become so laborious that I don't find it fun anymore, and the times I do post, reify why I don't bother. You go through all this work to create a piece, record your process, edit the video, add music, upload it, and then...I donno, 4 likes? What did I bother doing all that work for? Lol. I could've just shown my family the finished drawing if I wanted 4 people to passively consume my work with 0 engagement on how it made them feel or expressing any real interest at all. So I just...stopped. Which is a common refrain I hear from a lot of creatives. It's too bad.

Hope that gives you a clearer insight into why I don't really post my artwork on tumblr, or any other site with any true regularity.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

Nowhere near as exciting as your ex-agent Dabi and Mafia family Tomura idea, but what about a bakery AU starring:

Kurogiri, as the owner who hires people shunned and maligned for their quirks to give them a sense of belonging and worth

Tenko, as the anxious, angry young man forced by his dad to find a job or be kicked out onto the street

Touya, as the lead baker with mysterious burn scars who teaches Tenko the trade while teasing/challenging him constantly

Toga, as the energetic pastry chef who loves her crushes, blood, and the art of food in that order

Spinner, as the barista who no longer hides his mutation quirk and is fiercely protective of his friends

Magne, as the manager who's more like a big sister to the staff than their supervisor

Twice, as the prep cook with a sad past but hopes for the future

Mustard, as the high school student working the counter part time and always coming up with "experiments" when no one's watching him

Atsuhiro Sako, as the supply salesman with a flair for the dramatic

Plus, Moonfish, Muscular, UA kids/teachers, and others appearing as customers

Basically, Tenko applies for a job as an assistant baker because 1. It's at night so he won't have to deal with people, 2. It doesn't require any previous experience, and 3. His dad threatened to kick him out of the house if he doesn't "stop wasting his life on video games and either get a job or go to school". He nervously shows up for the interview and is surprised at how kind both Kurogiri and Magne are to him despite his awkwardness, scars/skin, and his quirk. In this AU, people with quirks considered "potentially villainous" are closely monitored and treated as if they're destined to become criminals (a lot like the reactions to Shinsō's quirk). His father often brings up how Tenko accidentally killed the family dog when his quirk activated for the first time at the age of four or five. Years of mental and emotional abuse like this reinforces the idea that his son must have been born bad and any attempts at striving for something will end in failure.

To Tenko's pleasant surprise he gets hired. His first night on the job starts with Kurogiri teaching him how to mix dough and put it through a machine that turns it into bagels. (BTW, I work as a baker at a bagel shop, which is how this silly idea came about.) Tenko tells himself it's just like playing a video game, and quickly starts getting the hang of things.

Then he meets Touya, who's supposed to teach him the actual baking process. Tenko's immediately annoyed by Touya's attitude and teasing ("You Decay any of this equipment and it's coming out of your paycheck, mophead"). He throws himself into the task, determined to shut Touya up. And secretly, Touya's impressed by his show of determination and tackling something new. He hopes to himself that Tenko lasts unlike other people who fell by the wayside.

And Tenko does stay, getting to know the others who've come to form a sort of family at the bakery. He becomes close with Himiko and Shuichi in particular, empathizing with the isolation they endured and the harsh demands Toga's own parents put on her. These new friendships make putting up with Touya every night worth it.

Then Tenko overhears an angry phone conversation and realizes Touya's not all smooth confidence and devil may care attitude. That his home life may be just as messy and painful as his. Bit by bit, Tenko learns more about his coworker and opens up in turn, each seeing they have quite a bit in common. Rivalry turns to friendship (though it still has a healthy streak of competition). Over time, however, things between them start to shift yet again. The usual jokes ("Aw, did you burn your fingers? Want me to kiss them and make it better?") cause awkward silences and flustered backpedaling. The number of accidental hand touches and bumping into each other increases ten fold. Eventually, it gets to a point where they can't deny romantic feelings snuck up on them when they weren't looking.

Like I said, not exciting or action-packed. Most of the conflict would be about the characters dealing with unhealthy family relationships, overcoming the terrible things they were taught to believe about themselves, and society's crappy treatment of them, I think. And they'd fight both by sticking together and supporting one another rather than being forced to become villains. It'll take on a clearer shape as it's written.

Thanks for letting me ramble! I just wanted to share so maybe my mind will settle down and let me work on this.

LISTEN FIRST ANON, NEVER— AND I WANT TO MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR— UNDERESTIMATE YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE ME SCREAM LIKE A MAD MAN HAVING THE BEST DAY OF HIS LIFE.

Anon, please you need to write this. We all have different ideas, different approaches, different portrayals and points of view. THAT'S NOT BAD. In fact, that's the opposite of bad. That's why we get a great range of fanfics, that's why we can enjoy new things and cry with new genres or enjoy new content.

And I absolute adore whenever people bring their knowledge about something into an au. I could have never come with anything so well written or so complex because I have never worked in a bakery, but you have! You have the ingredients, you have the tools, and look at what lovely au you have created!

I'm obsessed with this. I'm obsessed with the softness of this. This is like a butterfly kiss on your cheek on a summer afternoon while you watch a lake reflect the sky.

I want to know more about this. I want you to tell me more about your fanfic ideas and even if you want, I can help you write this, but please, let others enjoy this as much as I enjoy it. Because it's so so so so good.

A lot of villains fans are looking for this type of comfort. Damn, it is a dream to see a bakery filled with people who are getting better and finally having a chance in life, becoming a family, finding love, fighting their abusers in their own ways.

You even gave them the specific jobs. I'm— 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 this is so well thought. Really, please write this. Please.

[darkfinch]

okay i'm back to talk about ace quinn & parker. if this is too rambly ignore me i just don't how to stop talking. this idea came to me after some of the posts about quinn reading/writing romance novellas. at first i thought maybe it's just a fun interest that's very different from Homicide. but you know that post "one of the reasons quinn and parker get along is because all their hobbies have to do w crime" ? that was bugging me. why would quinn, murder kitten, think about romance books so much

so i created this hc of quinn gets into romance novellas because he's ace and there're parts of human relationships he didn't relate to. which, cool, perfect, not a problem. but one day he's bored on a stakeout or something and decides he wants to know more. it started as research, like people watching, and then just. is fun for him so he keeps doing it.

hardison makes flow charts for parker for navigating human interaction and eliot talks thru different dynamics of relationships with quinn. because hardison and eliot both imprint and will do anything for their people.

and then when parker finds out about the romance novellas (or i guess the smut aspect of them? idk?) she's like "i don't get this" and quinn is like "no same"

!!!!!!!! more ace quinn and parker what a gift what a delight.....

i DO know that post [x] (i think) and i love this reasoning!! maybe it starts as vague curiosity, and then partway through the book he's like. wait this is hilarious. this is so funny, obviously no one actually thinks like th—oh. oh wait. oh wait do people....Think. Like This, and suddenly it's a weird little research project and he has a stack of secondhand books in every safehouse with notes in the margins

like, he can't ask a human person because then he'd have to talk to a human person, but he CAN read a romance novella like a textbook and dissect it for useful information to find The Appeal

[readmore bc this got kinda long]

for me, when i was first thinking abt quinn reading Bad Romance Novellas [x] i was thinking bodice rippers/particularly romance novellas of. A Certain Quality/Time/Type, because a lot of them tend to be,,,,,surprisingly dark and kind of distressing with their content, and i think that the idea that these frequently awful people/people who have horrific things happen to them Back To Back To Back can, in the end, have that cheesy picturesque happy ending with 2.5 kids and a golden retriever or whatever you're supposed to want....would be VERY COMPELLING to him for reasons he refuses to explore :3

(and then also like...dramatic romance is absolutely a spectator sport when you don't participate. as an aroace who enjoys shitty dating shows because Why Are These People Acting Like That, the absurdity of the whole thing absolutely backflips directly into comedy when you're watching with an outside perspective, and while i think he would find that kind of show deeply irritating, i think the like...condensed nonsense + internal monologue for Explanation Of The Thought Process provided by that kind of book would be very fun for him?)

There's also the fact that the plots tend to be romance-arc-centric and so (like hallmark movies, which i also think he likes; unlike real socialization, which he does not) follow a very predictable formula where you can enjoy your absurd romantic escapism with the assurance that you won't get the rug pulled out from under you. You know what you're getting into and you can watch this headstrong lady be swept off her feet by this questionable garbage pirate with good hair, stress-free, unrealistically, and it's great :3

it's Work Research, but it's also getting to briefly live in a version of the world where people are more predictable, this thing he doesn't get is broken down into an unintimidating formula, and the worst people who've experienced the worst things still have someone look at them and go, "hey, wait, stick around". escapism!!

also i LOVE the idea of a very determined eliot sitting quinn (and occasionally parker, who has had this talk before and likes to help field questions) down for a fun seminar on relationship dynamics. hardison made a powerpoint (eliot hates the powerpoint). there's snacks. this is the only way he can absorb information here we go have a colour-coded polycule diagram—