#and there are so many ppl like me and all we want to do is write and just!!!!

[scorpiafanclub]

plopping my tag block here and adding more bc of course i am but i remember seeing a tiktok where someone was like "cant believe i went thru all that pain watching those 5 seasons and all i got was a kiss at the end" WHAT. U PEOPLE ARE SO FUCKING UNGRATEFUL !!!!!!! and also how can u talk as if it was always only about the romance. i had to get off the app after seeing that one bc i was getting too mad at a random person on the internet over a television show but like. it rlly put into place for me how many ppl are only watching it for the romance. and they go in having some sort of expectation of the way itll go and then it doesnt do that and is instead just a tragedy to watch for like 51 and a half episodes they get mad that it wasnt what they started watching the show for (romance). when again their love is shown very clearly though messily and unhealthily throughout the entire show. its what the whole goddamn show is about. if u watch them kiss once at the end and go "thats it?" u missed the fucking point u missed the entire show what were u even watching for. AGAIN it just makes me so sad how much complexity in these characters is lost by ppl just not having the ability to dig deeper and look closer at them and view the story outside the box of what they expect from it and want to see from it.

plussss i feel like this show was on the tail end of like ppl still being shocked abt getting queer rep in shows? like this is one of the last shows i remember at least personally being truly not sure whether we were going to get an on screen kiss or not. it was obviously something nd "all my characters are queer unless stated otherwise" stevenson wanted to do but i just wasnt sure if it was going to be a reality until it happened. in the last bunch of years i see a lot more ppl being ungrateful for the rep that came before the more recent ones, and thats seen in the aforementioned tiktok of "a kiss? thats it?" i rlly think its super important to appreciate the way these two were written to show their deep undeniable love for each other even if they hadnt gotten an on screen kiss. they were written in a way that we all knew what the intention was (except that one guy who wrote an article in s1 abt how its gross to ship them bc they were raised together and thats like incest or smth and then deleted the article when s5 dropped) and the kiss was just a cherry on top to what we already knew and understood and everything that was already solidified in the show for anyone who has any ounce of media literacy. their love is just so much more than that kiss scene idk. i wish their characters and their writing got the credit it deserves. ok i think im done fr now

so annoying how people ignore that adora’s “protectiveness” is not just a sweet quality and that she has like, a martyr complex because of abuse. like that is literally part of her character arc, learning to let herself be taken care of and to stop throwing herself on the chopping block.

same with people seeing catra as someone adora protects through a solely shipping dynamic lense or this damsel in distress almost and portraying it as this romantic thing (usually to make them fall into an opposites masculine and feminine dichotomy (not that masc and fem couples are bad but this misses the point) when catra actively hates it. the climax in their relationship is catra as the protector, adora’s knight in shining armor (paralleling utena) for a reason.

[the-six-that-thrive-if]

I've been reading through the first six chapters over and over, wanted to say how interesting and enjoyable it is! The variations are probably hellish to write, but it makes everything feel alive. Not just MC options, but the fact that the cast takes a long time to appear unlike usually in interactive fiction and the big possibility of poly options and exploration. I'm not sure if I'm correct but so far it seems that romance is not the usual flirting, but intimacy like in any friendship/close relationship. Very excited to see what horrors await the MC, but also the bonds they can build along that.

So far the whole cast feel like full fledged people, with complex pasts and emotions. The differences of plot dynamics with them and the MC is great. Dante and the bond, Warden and the father. It makes me as the reader much more motivated to learn about the characters and I'm excited to see all their arcs.

As for the MC variations I need to express how freeing it is to have options for both mental and physical disability, plus all the trans options! I talk about a lot how we should have more stories where the characters just happen to have disabilities and not have them be the main point. I play an MC that has autism and ocd, is deaf and has lost both an arm and leg and uses a crutch. It's amazing that the plot acknowledges those things while also not holding them back. Plus the way that the other characters interact with the disabilities is great, both with the main cast, side characters and antagonists.

I think it's also a fun dynamic with someone like Dante (who is full of scars and has gone through much physical injury) to bond with someone who also has many scars and has lost limbs. While we haven't yet met most of the cast I love Dante's character a lot and hope the MC and him will one day, if only for a moment, get to experience domestic happiness despite all of the pain.

There's one question that came to mind when it comes to the romance system so far: do you need to choose all the actively crushing options and sexual acts atm or can it be more slow burn for the MC?

This just means so much to me I'm low-key getting emotional but it was really important for me while writing for it the main character to simply exist with those traits and that be apart of who they are but not everything they are!

And I want ppl to know and feel like those and or having those traits makes you just as desirable as anyone else. Which is personally why I steered away from those traits being tied solely to trauma.

It is always nice to hear from people who chose those functions, because I was not 100% certain how proper show autism, adhd, ocd, and I'm always always doing research about it and making sure it doesn't come off as insensitive and or just this blatant stereotype of people who actually face those things.

Now to your question, you can have a slow burn romance. Choosing to have a crush on Dante doesn't change or limit your interactions with him later on, you definitely to more scenes, but if you want it to be a slow burn and decide later on you like you you can. You don't even have to confess anything within the first book.

This is goes for all the ROs, because you'll get many moments to decide if you like them, if you want to date them, and even reject them and end relationships.

You could go through the entirety of TSTT without having anything romantic, that won't stop certain characters from liking you romantically thou.

[faaun]

last night i got home kind of tipsy and very much in tears and my mother told me the force you exert to keep someone in your life is proportional to the force with which they will leave your life. if you have to fight tooth and claw to keep them, their leaving will be just as hard, just as harsh, and just as definite.

[pronouncingitwang]

adam scott says in the "inside the episode" of 2.07 that it allows the audience to "see the magic of gemma and why she immediately took over [mark's] life and his heart" and dichen lachman describes the ep in the severance podcast as "the audience getting to know [gemma] and everyone seeing what mark had that he lost." well, what about gemma? how much do we really get to know her? what did she lose? why did mark take over her heart?

they had 50 minutes for a Gemma Episode and they spent half of it on dead wife tropes and her smiling at mark with come-hither eyes while not giving us a single new fact* about her or a relationship outside of mark and mark's family. a subversion of the dead wife trope is not just scenes later showing they had an imperfect marriage bc mark (or nobody) is the problem in all of those scenes; you need to disrupt the idea that she was the perfect wife, and i don't think we get that. so much of it is explicitly presented through mark's pov. she doesn't hurt him at any point. she's just there being lovely or victimized as he loves or neglects her. everything we learned about her past gives more depth to his current grief but contributes little to our understanding of her current suffering or motivations. that could change with time, but for a first try, i think it's an abysmally bad showing

* that wasn't in mark's 1.07 monologue, his conversations with devon and alexa, or the the you you are pdf, all of which i think did a better job than this episode

[welcometogrouchland]

Noticing that TV and film will often have a character either have had an abortion in the past that isn't showcased on screen (and just used as part of the character's ~fucked up and twisted backstory~) OR contemplate getting an abortion in the present day but not to through with it. Just once I want to see someone delete that fetus within the events of the plot and not be like. Extremely majorly punished for it and/or be in the wrong

[skrunksthatwunk]

did my first ever used car browsing online and there's a car that's like really good on basically every aspect but the color is fucking NASTY. but ive been evolving a bit around it. and so now im like thinking "okay the bit's funny now but would it be funny in like seven years" kinda stuff

[beclight]

im known for being THE bec light fan of the fandom, so i feel like im in the right place to say this: YOU DO NOT OWN FANDOM CHARACTERS AND CANNOT PREVENT OTHER PEOPLE FROM LIKING THEM JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO, and if that makes you uncomfortable (which is fine, and for any reason), THE THING TO DO IS BLOCK NOT HARASS THEM!!!!!!! ive seen too many ppl in this fandom disrespect others over DARING to say, even as a joke, that they're the number one fan of X character. If someone having the same favorite group of pixels as you genuinely angers you, to the point of feeling the need to insult them and having concerning thoughts about them, then maybe it is time to log off

[satoruxx]

someone remind me to stop going on twt because for the last 3 days i’ve opened the app and ended up being in a horrible mood for the rest of the day ..

[littlemeanings]

I really do not blame students for using AI within a capitalist education system that prioritizes efficiency, productivity, and short term memorization of profitable skills over genuine critical engagement. some skills are obviously crucial (i.e., writing for building critical thinking) but can and are still being built with minor adjustments like proctoring. the research shows cheating rates have not changed and have remained high since AI has become available. with the students that do cheat, it's due to deeper systemic issues. many high school and college students are working multiple jobs, caretaking for family members, have health issues, etc. and they will use whatever is available to give themselves some relief.

I get complaining about AI in passing. like I love to hate on it. but most people aren't really offering real ways to protest it other than just telling individuals they are evil for using it... which in any other area of politics we would think flawed and inadequate (re veganism, eco friendly lifestyle changes, etc).

sooo many AI-critical takes are liberal/idealist/individualist and not materialist. once again, we see individuals blamed for the profit-maximizing decisions of corporations (who are the ones responsible for the most harmful aspects of Al). instead of viewing the problems of AI as a symptom of structural issues requiring collective action, they would rather frame it as a personal character flaw of workers and students. and this individualizing of political issues closes off potential for a deeper critique, coalition building, and more opportunities for action. it's a way to both feel superior to other people and subscribe to inaction.

AI does not defy the capitalist historical pattern of labor-saving technology creation, monopolization, dependency enforcement, and exploitation. new technology increases productivity/profit expectations. these increased productivity expectations translate into pedagogy that also expects increased productivity. medical schools actively encourage regular AI use because they know doctors will now be expected to be faster and see more patients because of it - despite the fact most AI tools are not accurate enough to trust for medical information. however, this does not matter in the real capitalist world. what matters is how many patients you can see and how much money you can make for the shareholders and insurance companies.

just like all new labor-saving technology, AI decreases the bargaining power of workers and heightens capitalist contradictions: if you cant stay competitive and keep up with the pace as a worker you risk your job and livelihood.

I am not advocating for doctors, students, and other workers to continue uncritically using AI, but to understand their part in the class war and act accordingly. under capitalism, all productivity gains from new technology will always go straight to the company owners, who would rather expect double/triple the productivity of workers rather than give the time saved back to workers or god forbid give the workers ownership over the new technology.

AI will not save us from capitalism - capitalism develops the productive forces for its replacement. we must radically organize and self-educate. activism isn't about being perfect but doing the best you can consistently without burning yourself out and this will look different for everyone.

[clumsypuppy]

i wrote this as a joke because I wanted to strangle a guy watching tiktoks without headphones on the bus, but im genuinely disturbed that we've gotten to a point where convenience comes first. and it depresses me even more that its used to justify and monetize greed

[luniviravosshipper]

Man things have been depressing in my personal life lately

Idk why I had to fall for the most fucked over by the narrative characters ever that I’m completely unable to take comfort in when I need a form of escapism the most

[jamiethebee]

You know what irks me the most about the mha ending. (Sorry I'm still on it.)

Like the early parts of the manga, there were so many grown up hero AUs in fandom (like storylines that took place when they're adults and heroes) and they're fun! A little silly!

And then we had the war arc and cities are being destroyed and everything's torn up and for over a hundred chapters, it's been oh huh I guess every AU like that will just be canon divergence lmao

And then Horikoshi basically wipes the slate clean so I guess all those AUs could technically canon compliant. There's not even much in the way of lasting physical damage! Because it's dealt with???? Immediately???? Within months?????

Which is fine! Nothing wrong with it! The AUs are fun! But, it just irks me that you could throw out half the manga because it didn't matter. Nothing majorly changed. Silly adult hero AUs for everyone I guess because the League may as well have been 2 bit villains for all the effect they had at large was. Idk. Maybe I'm bitter? Maybe my brain still trying to process the ending and the change in how AUs relate to canon? I guess - what was all the constant sprinkling in of "society has let people down" that we see from chapter 1? It meant nothing? I guess????? I mean A WAR HAPPENED. But whatever I guess heehee wasn't that soooooo silly???? That people's take on early story can be the same as post story?????

[march32nd]

me when the girl i've been dating for two months tells me that she doesn't find me at all attractive and isn't attracted to me and doesn't know if she ever will be !!!!!

[bunnyboy-juice]

OH MY GDD I FORGOT TO TELL YALL MY WIFE CAME HOME YESTERDAY AND JUST. WOOP. PICKED ME UP LIKE NOTHING. AND THEN DID IT AGAIN LIKE 20 MINUTES LATER AGAIN LIKE NOTHING.

[bell-swamp-fitzjames]

mcdonald goodsir talking scene but its like an hour bc i just would like to see them talk more

[the-somwthing]

Welcome to my little meta analysis essay called

Why do we misremember Flower Husbands as being “nicer” than it was?

Disclaimer: I’m not here to talk about whether or not FH is “toxic” or anything like that. It’s just a fact that many old fans rewatching FH POV and new fans who are watching it for the first time after seeing fan content tend to be surprised at how they actually behaved in the series compared to how everyone remembered them being back in the day. This will NOT go over whether or not I think FH is unhealthy or whatever and instead just discuss why I believe this phenomenon has happened.

So, if I try to make this a fancy well written essay, I’ll be here all day, so I’ll just get to the point. 3rd Life came out during the DSMP era of mcyt. MCRP has been around for ages, but the DSMP style of RP (which I’ll be calling “smp rp”) was pretty much popularized by DSMP, mostly towards the end of 2020. For reference, 3rd Life started early 2021, so there’s about a half a year between these two events, and DSMP kept going for years so 3rd Life was absolutely happening during the golden era of DSMP.

But what does DSMP have to do with this? Well, it sort of created this idea of “lore” and only specific things being “canon”. You can make fun of me for the way I worded that, but you know what I mean, DSMP was weird about that stuff. I don’t really blame them as it was kind of a new style of RP they accidentally spawned, but still, it was a confusing time for SMPs.

3rd Life was actually less like DSMP and more like the modern SMP RPs, where there’s no (known, lol) scripted events and the fandom itself deciphers what is or isn’t “canon” rather than it being told to them, with mostly everything being considered canon. HOWEVER, I do believe that DSMP’s style did still affect the fandom, specifically with the topic of this essay, Flower Husbands.

But why would it only really affect Flower Husbands? Now we get into a rough topic: shipping discourse. Back in those days, shipping in the mcyt fandom was heavily frowned upon. Moreso than it is today (I know it’s still around, but it was a lot worse the earlier we go lol). I’ve even seen old relics of ppl saying flower husbands should only be portrayed as platonic cuz it’s wrong to ship them, despite their team name literally being husbands. But more importantly, for A LOT of people, flower husbands was the One Ship people felt “allowed” to ship, BECAUSE it was canon. So they would allow FH and shun every other ship.

My point isn’t actually that, with it being the only “acceptable” ship everyone tried to make it more wholesome, though I suppose that could be a contributor. But my ACTUAL point is where all the things I laid out finally close in on each other:

Ships were a Dangerous territory in mcyt fandom, and ships being “canon” was something a lot of people weren’t prepared to deal with. People don’t want to get too close to RPF territory, but back in the day their ideas of c! vs cc! wasn’t as great, so they default to the DSMP Rule of “if it’s stated to be roleplay, then it’s canon to the characters, if not, it’s noncanon and just the CCs hanging out”.

You see where I’m going with this? When trying to follow this rule for a character relationship where they don’t explicitly state what is or isn’t RP, they hear “we’re married” and instantly mark that as canon to the characters since it clearly isn’t true to the CCs, and tend to block out anything else, otherwise you’re risking it not actually being true to the characters. Especially when it’s things like Scott saying something mean about Jimmy; that directly contradicts the “these characters are in love” thing, so it must not be canon, right?

But wouldn’t people still remember that these things happened, or did they actually straight up not process any of it? My answer to that is: of course everyone was paying attention, but with the context that it’s the CCs playing a video game, all of the teasing and other behavior seems WAY less serious. It just looks like average friends playing a hunger games smp together. And as I explained earlier, the fandom was ONLY processing this as a CC thing, so Scott’s treatment of Jimmy never stood out because that’s just how it is playing games.

Back to DSMP, I’m not active in that fandom anymore but I’ll see snippets sometimes, and I’ve seen the claim that beeduo was actually boring in canon and the fandom was the one that made it interesting. I feel like this is exactly what happened with FH. Nobody was actually expecting anyone to go hard into romantic roleplay, so the fans just take whichever pair says they’re getting married and fill in the blanks themselves. And that was normal back then, it wasn’t fans making stuff up for no reason, it was kind of expected of us.

So yeah, I personally believe that this whole confusion about FH is a result of its time. Whether you want to finally look at the actual substance of the relationship rather than following weird rules about what is or isn’t “canon”, or you believe that since FH was from a time where romantic RP was confusing and weird it would make the most sense to take into account the time period it came from and ignore the less appealing bits in favor of the fanon, I don’t really care honestly. But man isn’t this an interesting situation.