#and while we have nothing against shipping this blog has historically not posted any ship stuff iirc

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

What do you think of fanon cross guild. I think for me. I find the canon idea really funny but have started to lose interest slightly because it seems the only version of the cross guild that fanon wants to interact with is through a ship lease (and there’s nothing wrong with that!! People can and should ship whatever they want) I just feel like the potential of the cross guild is being wasted in the fandom. Come on they literally put bounties on marines that is sooooo funny!!!! Like they are such a funny concept and it’s so sad that very few people are interacting with them that way. Also how do you think the cross guild will continue to play into the canon story. Like obviously right now they are being played as a joke with buggy essentially tripping his way to being an emperor and declaring they are goi g to look for the one piece. While simultaneously they have a bit of a dark undertone because they are essentially putting hits out on marines and that has already been shown to have serious consequences.

it'd be nice if there was an easy way to differentiate between "cross guild the ship" and "cross guild the organization," wouldn't it? i was thinking about that when i was tagging that last ask - because that post is not about the ship at all, but it's in the same tag on my blog as my post on the subject of the ship. (which is still my opinion on the ship, btw: funny, but i'm more interested in two of the pairs within the trio than the trio collectively.)

and it sounds like you're more interested in the organization than the ship! which i get, i think the way cross guild is setting itself up as a financial and military power in opposition to the marines is fascinating. doing so by destabilizing the historically uneasy alliance of the marines and bounty hunters by offering to pay well for murder of high-ranking marines is a smart move on crocodile's part.*

…but, and i mean no offense by this, you are looking for gen meta on the shipping website. are you really surprised you're having trouble finding any? idk if reddit's gonna have the discussions you're hoping for, but it's worth looking into.

(*i'm certain it's a crocodile move, it seems very obvious to me when you look at cross guild in the context of being his post-baroque works project. first he used bounty hunters against pirates to get money and make himself look good to the marines, now he's using bounty hunters against the marines to cull their ranks and seed distrust, making the navy weaker and bounty hunters unable to get jobs from anyone but crocodile… you can kinda see how this is just a modification to his old plans for alabasta, right? once he was formally in charge i bet he would've accused the world government of failing alabasta during the terrible drought, seceded, and turned his bounty hunters against the marines to defend the country and finance building his superweapons.)

anyway, to answer your final question i don't think the marines see cross guild as a joke - that's just us readers, and people who know buggy, who think the leadership of cross guild is a joke (and well, it kinda is). the marines are well aware of the trouble cross guild can cause for them - that's a major reason why buggy's an emperor now, after all - and my assumption is, if any seraphim are still alive and aligned with the marines after egghead island, they'll be sent to take care of things.

assuming it survives that encounter, i think cross guild is going to be a major player as we approach laugh tale and the one piece. not as sure about its involvement in other stories along the way, but that's because i'm not sure what other stories there are gonna be along the way.

[yellowmagicalgirl]

Hey, how do you and other Krexie shippers work around the age gap? I mean, I ship Krexie and have my own headcanons, but I'm curious to see what others have done.

I feel like I answered this before several months ago, but I don’t feel like finding that post so I’ll answer again. The full answer to your question is a short essay (and that’s without including the footnotes) so I’m gonna put it under a cut. This is based upon my own experience in the fandom, and the krexie circles I frequent are the ones on FFN, AO3, and of course, here on tumblr. Abuse and grooming (in the context of real people) will be talked about below the cut.

TL;DR I’ve seen three main ways of dealing with the age gap: ignoring it, aging Krel up, and aging Douxie down.

Ignore It

This one actually encompasses two different methods. The first of the two is to treat one or both of the boys’ ages as nebulous, with the maturity level of “teenager” and nothing more explicit since Douxie is about nine centuries old and Akiridion royals live for centuries Krel’s exact age is unknown. In this case, the age of one or both of the boys won’t be mentioned aside from being hundereds of years old. In addition, at least on Douxie’s end, this is somewhat canon. Fun fact: Douxie never calls himself a college student, and neither does Archie. Likewise, neither of them call Douxie 19. That was Steve, who deserved far better of a character arc than just to be the idiot that he is in Wizards. However, even though he deserved better Steve is not a reliable source of information on Douxie’s age, but Douxie and Archie are. In Wizards, the only information Douxie and Archie give on Douxie’s age is that he’s about nine centuries old.[1]

The other method of ignoring the ages is to treat Douxie as a 19-year-old (ignoring the immortality) and Krel as a 16-year-old, and to mention one or both of their ages. Their ages are ignored due to one or both of the following reasons: for one, in real life a three year gap between teenagers doesn’t automatically mean the older person is a predator. It’s something to be cautious about, and the younger person really needs to have people they can trust since if the relationship does turn toxic they would have less power and thus be in more danger (usually, though it is possible for the younger person to be more dangerous to the older one), but that doesn’t automatically mean something bad will happen. The other reason to ignore the boys’ ages is because honestly? If someone needs non-canon ships to tell them which relationships are healthy and which ones are dangerous, then their parents/guardians and teachers have failed them. Fanfic authors, fanartists, and other people creating/consuming fanworks on the internet are not responsible for educating random people on the internet. In fact, they and their content are not responsible for if a random person is abused, even if the abuser uses fanworks to groom the victim. It’s the fault of the abuser for being abusive.[2]

Out of these two methods, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen more using the former method of ignoring than the age gap than the latter.

Age Krel Up

This, again, has two different methods. The more common method is to have Krel (and the other Arcadia Oaks High students) age naturally, until they’re at an age that the fanwork creator is more comfortable with having krexie at. These types of fanworks take place years after the events of Wizards. The other method is to create an au where Krel (and likely the other Arcadia Oaks High students) were already the age the fanwork creator is more comfortable with when Douxie and Krel first met. I, personally, have created a lot of content for the first method, and I’ve seen other people use this method as well. My fake marriage au utilizes the latter method, and this method would also work for au’s where Douxie and Krel are both adults when they meet but the au does not follow canon.

Age Douxie Down

This one also has a basis in canon, though I haven’t seen any other krexie shipper use this method of dealing with the age gap. I, personally, use this whenever I want to make krexie content that’s compliant with Trollhunters and 3Below but also do not want to deal wit backwards time travel because I hate backwards time travel. However, someone should write an au where Douxie and Krel are human high schoolers whose biggest problem is being gay for the guy attending your rival school.

Now, while Douxie and Archie gave Douxie the vague age of about 900 years old and Steve made the assumption that Douxie was a 19-year-old college student, Trollhunters actually went out of its way to show that Douxie was a high school student.

In season two episode 10, Mary reveals that she was dating a student from Arcadia Oaks Academy, and Eli remarked that that was their rival school. I was in high school when Trollhunters was airing, and let me tell you: high schools do not have rivalries with colleges. Arcadia Oaks Academy would have to be a high school, or maybe a k-12 or 6-12. However, it’s far more likely that Arcadia Oaks Academy is a high school with the same age range of students as Arcadia Oaks High. In season three episode 1, Mary excitedly tells Claire that a student from Arcadia Oaks Academy is at Arcadia Oaks High. This student is Douxie, and unless I’m remembering wrong he also mentions attending the Academy. Unless Mary knew all along that Douxie was a wizard and was trying to give him a cover story for why he was hanging out at Arcadia Oaks High only for this information about Mary to be cut from Wizards due to time constraints, there is absolutely no reason for Mary to lie about Douxie’s age to Claire. The fact that Douxie was considered to be a high schooler by most of the fandom (some people had been on the train of “he’s a centuries old adult�� for a long time) is why the krexie fanworks created pre-Wizards are all treating Douxie like a high schooler. (Yes, people shipped krexie (or at least consumed/produced fanworks for the ship) before Wizards came out. I have my fic on AO3/FFN and other people’s comments to prove it, as well as some fanart saved to my blog. Sadly, some of the people are now antis, and one them has now harassed at least one krexie shipper.)

Personally, when I age Douxie down, I age him down to 17. Only 17. Not 17-plus-several-centuries-without-aging. In-universe he may try to call himself 1492 years old, but he’s really just 17. However, as I mentioned before, if I’m aging him down to 17 then I’m also completely ignoring the backwards time travel aspects of Wizards. And, by doing that, I end up really changing the lore of Wizards. If you would like more information for the timeline I use when I age Douxie down, please refer to this ask.

In Conclusion

Thank you for reading this. These footnotes aren’t nearly as on topic and are more of a ramble.

[1] Re: Douxie having a really vague age of nine centuries. If you take enough chemistry and physics (but in my experience especially chemistry) courses, you will have it drilled into your head that 900 years old could really be anywhere from 850 to 949 years old. So, while 919 is definitely possible in the age range given by the age of “about 900″, it’s really a give-or-take number. However, if we truly want to be accurate, then if we choose to have Trollhunters take place in the 2016-2017 school year, choose to have had the moppet been between 16 and 19 years old at the Battle of Killahead Bridge, and we consider that the late 12th century (aka the time period of Wizards... supposedly, considering that it is not historically accurate) to be the latter half of that century, then Douxie would have to be somewhere between 834 and 886 years old. If we want a 16-year-old moppet and for the 900 years to be an accurate case of rounding, then the Battle of Killahead Bridge would have needed to be in 1183 at the earliest, which is accurate for the description of late twelfth century. If Douxie were to really be 919 in 2017, then the Battle of Killahead Bridge would have needed to take place somewhere from 1114 to 1117, aka the early twelfth century.

[2] Re: the argument that fanwork creators are not responsible for if an abuser uses their content to groom a victim. When I was a kid, the big scare was that strangers would lure off innocent children with candy. We were told not to go anywhere with a stranger, even if they had candy (or puppies, kittens, etc.) I don’t know how many kids have been hurt by strangers promising candy, nor do I know if this is something kids are still being warned about, but I do know that there isn’t some campaign against candy companies for daring to sell candy that an abuser would use against kids. This is because, as horrible as children being hurt is, it’s not the fault of the candy companies. It’s the fault of the abuser. And likewise, it’s not the fault of a fanwork creator if someone else uses their content to harm others.

PS: A side note since we’re discussing ages. I’ve been in this fandom for years, specifically on tumblr, AO3, and FFN as well as one of the discords. It wasn’t until the krexie discourse started that I started seeing people start calling Krel 14. I had seen people call him 15-16 in the past, because the fandom wasn’t sure if he and Aja were twins or had a minimum of a 9-month gap (assuming, of course, that Akiridions reproduce like humans do). That being said, before the discourse I never saw anyone treat Krel (or Aja, for that matter) like he had a canonical age. 14, however, seems to be something that stemmed from the wiki. You know, the same fan-run wiki that claims that Nomura’s full name is Zelda Nomura even though nowhere in the shows, books, games, or graphic novels is she ever called by that name. Yeah, the Arcadia Oaks-Pedia is not a reputable source. I’m going to give the wiki editors the benefit of Hanlon’s razor and hope that they were just going “well, since Krel is Aja’s younger brother and we’re assuming she’s 15-16 years old like the rest of the protagonists he must be 14-15 years old” and it was only after that that antis took the idea of Krel being 14 as canon and then ran off with it to be cruel and cause chaos.

[thejustmaiden]

Just bcos u PERCEIVE SessRin as something that promotes pedophilia and grooming doesn't mean that's how the author portrayed it. It's disappointing to see that antis force such idea, as if they know what's inside Rumiko's mind. It is fine if u find sessrin cringey. Just don't force your idea of pedophilia and grooming as THE CORRECT PORTRAYAL OF SESSRIN.

Hello there, nonnie! You had quite the party in my ask box, I see. Breaking it up in parts may actually help me get to the point and address your concerns swiftly and accordingly. Here goes nothing. 😉

This answer is for your first two asks by the way. Firstly, you're putting words in my mouth because I do not view Rumiko as an author who promotes pedophilia and child grooming and never have. She never once placed an ounce of romance into their scenes. Rin was essentially introduced to serve as a catalyst for Sesshomaru's character growth. That's major in and of itself, which is why I'm not sure why she needs to be the mom on top of all that she's already done for him. It was you, Sessrin shippers, who had to go and make it romantic, not us. It was you who took every innocent scene and turned it into a romantic one. You'll even use some of their scenes as proof they will end up together, then back-pedal later and say those very same scenes weren't romantic in order to protect the sanctity of your ship. I mean, which is it? It can't be both, it's either one or the other.

I repeat, NO we don’t actually think Rumiko wanted to portray this relationship with pedophillic or grooming tendencies. It's you shippers who insist there is no other way for their relationship to evolve, as if you speak on behalf of Rumiko. Your interpretation of Rumiko's work is what implies child grooming; she may not be condoning it but your perspective sure is. You talk down to antis who disagree, because in your opinion, your interpretation is not only superior but already canon in your eyes. You're doing a disservice to this fandom by spreading false information like that when you try to pass it off as official. So if it's anyone that assumes they know what goes on inside Rumiko's head, it's YOU. Somewhere down the road in the (un)foreseeable future, it's you who changes course since remember we were all in agreement at the beginning that their relationship wasn't romantic. So what did I miss? Please break it down for me and explain what exactly influenced you to change your mind, then describe in detail how again this transition in their relationship magically came to be. It's you who came to that decision on your own- nobody helped you get there, and certainly not Rumiko (as you said yourself). The user boycottyashahime put it better than I did, so here is the link to their post. I highly recommend you read it if you haven't already. I urge you to keep an open mind about it while reading, too. You may not like what they have to say, but there's no denying they make excellent points all the same.

I'm pretty sure I catch your drift, but can you clarify if you're referring to historical context or cultural context? I suppose both can be applied here. haha Anyway, from what I gather, you believe that fans should be on board with the idea of Sessrin and at the very least tolerate the pairing. Whether they ship it or not, you believe this simply for the fact that the story takes place in the feudal era and couples with a similar relationship back then were more than acceptable. The thing is, we may be transported to Feudal Japan in this story but we're still taking our modern day morals with us for the trip. I have a whole ass blog dedicated to the significance of fiction in real life (convienently pinned on my page) if you wanna check it out. I also discuss what age-appropriate content is and isn't for Inuyasha viewers in this recent ask here that I find is also pretty relevant to the convo.

Alrighty, moving onto your next point. I can't stress enough to you guys that this isn't a mere Caucasian vs. Non-Caucasian dilemma. I'm a POC, so I ask that you please not presume to know things about me you couldn't possibly know unless we met or I shared it with you. In fact, many of the other antis I frequently chat with are POCs like myself. So for all that's good and holy, please stop ignoring us when we say: THERE ARE FANS IN JAPAN WHO HATE THIS SHIP TOO. THIS ISN'T A DIFFERENCE OF CULTURE, THIS IS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION (& FACT). It may have not been called child grooming during that time, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't; it just went under a different name, that's literally it.

Let me give you another example. So if I'm watching a movie about WWII in Nazi Germany, am I supposed to sympathize with an SS officer if the story is being narrated from his point of view? Because in his mind and during that time period, his ideology is right. Like a lot of Germany during that war, I rally to support his leader for what is in my opinion a just cause. Tell me, how does context matter in this instance? Does it matter so much so that you would adopt the same ideals just because it was "historically accurate" and you don't see anything wrong with it when you put yourself in their shoes? Does the "it's just fiction" defense come into play here, too?

The illustration I believe you are referring to is the calendar with that one official illustrator for Inuyasha, right? The thing is, an official illustrator doesn’t equal the creator of Inuyasha. They may support the Sessrin ship, but their work has no connection to the Inuyasha series in any way besides the name affiliation. I've heard that the illustrator also included Kagome x Koga art, so should we take that seriously then too? Rumiko never once alluded to a future romance between Sesshomaru and Rin, to which you even (kinda) agreed. She described their relationship as neither parental or romantic, and she added that she even contemplated making Rin a boy at first. Fun facts, y'all!

I've heard about those magazines but they sound fishy to me. Would you mind sending me a link to a reliable source that comes with an English translation? I'd like to emphasize again that illustrators or VAs can do and say as they please, but their opinions are still only opinions at the end of the day. Nothing is set in stone until Rumiko says it is.

For one, I never said my interpretation was the only correct portrayal. That's you putting words in my mouth again. What I did say, however, was that my interpretation was more logical and reasonable than yours based on popular and widely-accepted story patterns found in real life and in fiction. Look this isn't about who's more "correct" or not. You can perceive Sesshomaru and Rin's relationship any damn way you want, BUT what you cannot do is dictate how we react to your depiction of this ship. You can't demand us to view your ship a certain way to fit your preferences. I'm sure all the hate on your ship can be unbearable at times, but that's just the cross you'll have to bear for supporting such a problematic couple. If a large part of any fandom is strongly against a pairing and what it represents, then there's usually a very legitimate reason for that. You may not want to hear this, but certainly you must realize there's some truth to it all. A couple of your fellow shippers have even admitted to me that Sessrin would be wrong IRL. You see what I mean? Even if we find the ship gross, antis don't care if you choose to ship Sessrin. All we care about is you acknowledging that, like IRL, Sessrin potentially poses a lot of problems for young viewers and how they come to make sense of and view similar situations that are borderline grooming or the very thing itself. Teens watching this show are more vulnerable and impressionable, which is why it's crucial to not show relationships like Sessrin in a favorable light. If they're ever put in a situation IRL that resembles Sessrin, they need to be aware and understand that it's not at all normal or healthy for that adult to make a move on them. Let's say Sessrin does go canon, then that would mean Rin had to get pregnant around 14 or 15. Sending that kind of message to an audience made up of mostly teenagers isn't exactly wise if you ask me. Please really think about that and sit with it if you need to.

I'm positive I'm following the same story, thank you very much. Also, how can you be so confident making a statement like that when I have actual Sessrin shippers praising me for making valid points? Sorry to break it to you, but I don't think I'm as lost as you claim me to be or wish that I was.

That's a wrap, peeps!

Read over what I had to say again later and then get back to me if want, but only write me back if you plan to be respectful. Otherwise I will decline to answer. Just keep that in mind. And may I suggest only sending 1 or 2 asks at a time? Please and thank you!

I think I may know exactly who are, nonnie, but I can't say for sure. Besides, it doesn't really matter, as you have a right to stay anonymous if you so wish to. Listen, don't forget you are also more than welcome to interact (but appropriately) on my blogs/asks/etc. If you are who I think you are, then you recently did make a comment on one of them but didn't stick around when I replied back (and for good reason). Finally, if you hope to ever have a real discussion about this topic someday, first put your ego aside and refrain from throwing insults and then I'll hear you out. I have never once put you down in all of our interactions, so there's no need to show up here all riled up and aggravated in the first place. There's also no need to laugh at or mock other's opinions. Don't take jabs and assume I must not know something about Inuyasha just because I don't support your point of view. I may not agree with your opinion, but you don't see me having a condescending air about it.

Apologies if you're not the member I believe you to be, but no offense, you probably still needed to hear all of that too. It's not included here since I answered it immediately, but that final ask you sent me where you got angry and assumed I wasn't going to answer you was totally uncalled for. If you ever hope someday to participate in real discourse with me or any other antis, you should take my advice and seriously chill and learn how to be patient.

Hope this finds you well, nonnie!

[self-ships-ahoy]

let's do all of those historical asks! please? uwu for anyone

Historical F/O Ask Game

Kitty....why. /nm

When an f/o isn't specified, I go with Medic, cuz he's the main. Plus I just like talking about him. 😊 Also...I'm gonna try third person writing for this. Non-ship blogs will understand that better.. Long post ahead:

⏳: What era/fantasy universe is your F/O from? What is your favorite thing about this era/universe?

TF2 takes place during the late 1960s/early 70s in New Mexico. I can't really think of too much I like about that era specifically; I don't vibe with a lot of the fashion/house décor styles, and the music is a hit or miss. The cars were good quality I hear. Maybe I'll say the TV. We got some entertaining shows in syndication by then, like Get Smart and Star Trek.

♟: What kinds of activities do you like to do together?

Lots of stuff! Not only special stuff they set aside for dates and such, but also just...anything! Tech just sorta like hanging around him as he does stuff, and depending on the activity, she likes to join in! He also has his moments of hovering around her, just cuz he likes watching her...be. XD The last ask said they like to play music together and go dancing, but they also like to share in other every day activities like cooking and cleaning and caring for the doves. He's an acts of service guy and she's a quality time girl, so they're always doing stuff for and with each other.

📜: How do you communicate with your F/O when you’re apart? Is communication difficult?

Aw gee.. Well, cell phones don't exist yet, so if they're not both in a place that has one of those video phone devices, there isn't really a reliable way. I see Miss Pauling message the mercs somehow, but I didn't actually see what she used to call them. It's not too far fetched to think cell phones were invented in this world, since the internet's already been invented. XD I don't think cell phones are that far away then.

🎩: How does your S/I dress? (Include reference pictures if you want!) How about your F/O?

I'll do Medic first. He dresses very formally and intellectually. Not as formal as Spy with his suits, but Medic does like to appear somewhat professional at his job, since he knows how important he is to the team. You'll frequently see him in ties and vests, and even off hours, he doesn't wear things like t-shirts often, unless it's really hot.

Technician also likes business casual, but she'll also expand her wardrobe when she's feeling pretty. To sum it up, her wardrobe is cozy and feminine. Lots of sweaters, blouses, sun dresses, and slim jeans. I do intend to show off more of her closet when I get the chance, since I actually have found some nice outfits of the decade to dress her up in.

🕰: How did you and your F/O meet? How long did it take for you to get together after you met?

They met when she was assigned to RED, some time after Medic and the others joined. It took a long time for them to start dating, since she outright avoided him out of fear for the better part of a year. It took a while to get from reluctant acquaintances to friends, but from there their friendship really took off, and falling for each other was only a matter of time.

🕯: Would you and your F/O ever get married? What would the ceremony be like? If not, why not?

They're engaged!! I'm still planning out what the ceremony is going to be like, but it's probably gonna take place on the seaside, away from the sand. I already have a dress picked out too, but as for the actual date, we'll see. I wanna make a picture for it this summer, and idk when that's gonna be done.

🥀: What kinds of gifts has your F/O given you? What kinds of gifts have you given them?

Tech likes to cook for Medic, especially since he has a tendency to work through meal times; some nice, traditional German comfort food is also a good way to cheer him up if he's particularly stressed, and she took quick note of that. She just likes to give him anything that reminds him of home.

Medic isn't always the best at giving gifts more than gestures, but he does pay attention to what general kinds of things she likes. If she's eyeing something specific, you bet he's gonna get it for her, no matter the price. He's got the money, and he wants to spoil her because she's the world to him. On the other hand, he also knows how little gifts and gestures touch her, even moreso than large gifts, so he'll just pick up small tokens and souvenirs for her whenever he's out as well.

🏰: Do you and your F/O come from different backgrounds (class, culture, etc)? Has this had an impact on your relationship?

Ok there's nothing I can infer from this so this is pure headcanon. I see young Ludwig having grown up in an upper class family, with rich but neglectful parents; they bought him stuff and set him up to be something to be proud of, but when they learned he might have mental illness, they kept a tight grip on him and tried to 'force' him to be normal so not to cause any negative publicity to the family (it was bad enough there was a history of other family members routinely being run out of town for their mad 'antics'). It only made him feel worse.

Tech spent half her childhood middle class, but when she and her mom left her dad, they lived in a boarding house struggling to make ends meet. Even as a teen, she felt a lot of personal pressure to work and fight to succeed because the world's against her, and failure could mean she loses everything.

The mental toll their childhoods took on them does affect them in their relationship, but they do their best to understand each other and communicate their problems and issues (it's harder for Medic, since he was taught to keep in any sight of weakness).

🎼: What kind of music do you and your F/O listen to? Have you ever danced together? Do either of you sing?

Answered here! (In first person though >_>)

[itsgoatmanentrapment]

If you don't respect other people in the fandom, I think you should leave. This is a healthy fandom that people have been building for so long and we don't need any influencers. The people who shipirl, they didn't SEND any of their contents to the people and keep it low. It has been this way since forever, people who ship, people who don't, they respect each other and don't call each other out. If you can't see it this way, I'm sorry, this place isn't for you.

I’ll humor you, anon, even though I already said that I’m not interested in debating with unmovable people when I myself an unmovable on this subject, I’ll still humor your argument here.

So let’s unpack it. 

First off, no one has control over who participates in fandom on this website, and no one has control over how they participate in fandom on this website; this means that I don’t have control and neither do you. So you gotta realize how absolutely juvenile and entitled you sound when you say I should “just leave” the fandom if I don’t like it. This is why I block people instead of saying “hey get out of here no one likes you!” because if I don’t want to see it then I’m going to remove it myself and not expect people to bend to my will.

Secondly, yes RPF/RPS has always been around but guess what? It shouldn’t be. And I’m going to be critical of it for forever because it’s gross and disrespectful. I’m not going to stop making my views and my criticisms known about it because being silent about it doesn’t effect change. Same goes with all criticism. If we aren’t critical of toxic behavior, if we don’t speak up against it we are allowing it to happen and nothing will change. And this does need to change. Criticism is crucial to all progress. No one is immune to it and no one should be immune to it (except like...children who haven’t learned better yet). Saying “this is just the way it’s always been” doesn’t mean it’s what’s right.

I’m not going to be silent on this subject just because it makes disrespectful people feel disrespected.

Thirdly, in that post I wrote “writing fic about them is still a form of objectification even if they aren’t going to see it”. That wasn’t an accident. I wrote that on purpose. It was a precise and direct decision. I know the main argument against RPF/RPS is the fact that it makes the RL people being objectified and disrespected uncomfortable. That argument holds value but that is. not. the. only. reason. I. am. anti-rpf/rps. I will not trust or respect someone who thinks it is okay to take a real life person’s identity and mold it to their own design. This is why I wrote “writing fic” and not “writing romantic/smutty fic” because it’s STILL objectification; it’s STILL taking someone’s self and making it dance like a puppet; it’s STILL not okay. I do not trust a person who justifies this behavior. I do not trust or respect a person willing to turn someone they supposedly respect into a fictional character who does their fucking bidding. Having the person’s consent is only half the issue with RPF/RPS. So I don’t fucking care if IRL shippers keep their ship to themselves (historically they do not and you’re dead wrong about that) I still think they are gross for treating real people like action figures in their own barbie dream house.

Fourth, anti-rpf discourse has also been around for a while so I don’t know what fucking rock you’ve been living under if you believe that everyone in fandom is just tolerant of each other’s shitty behavior all the time. The fact that your sending this to my BFU blog...? Have you not been participating in the BFU fandom for long because it’s a common subject here. It’s well fleshed out in this fandom.

Lastly, that post was tagged “anti-rpf” on my Danny blog. I did not reblog a rpf/rps blog’s content. I did not call out a specific person. My main point is that I do not want to see that shit so I will block people for it, because I’m not going to argue with unmovable people. 

This isn’t harassment

This isn’t bullying

This is sparta criticism

If someone reads that post and feels attacked it’s because they are being criticized for their choices not their identity. And that’s good. People do need to feel accountable. People do need to be criticized. Including me! Do I consider this ask harassment or bullying? Hell no. It’s also criticism. It’s criticism that I heartily disagree with but it’s still criticism.

So, if you don’t want to see these types a posts then why don’t you take a leaf out of my book and block me! Because you’re never going to convince me to stop criticizing this. Danny Gonzalez himself could say that he thinks RPF/RPS is okay and I would disagree with him, argue with him, and call him gross for believing that. 

[noxstellacaelum]

Female Protagonists Deserve Their Stories

Believe me, I get it.  I am not the target audience for shows like Shadowhunters, Veronica Mars, or GoT.  I am far, far removed from ship wars, cons, and the overall social media craziness that seems to animate fandom culture for shows like these.  These shows -- particularly Shadowunters -- are really just guilty pleasures for me.  With bonus points b/c they are sci fi/supernatural/fantasy/action & adventure genre pieces with strong female protagonists.  That’s all.  Just a genre that I love.  Nothing life-changing.  

So why, months later, am I still so pissed off about GoT S8, Shadowhunters 3B and the &*%& Shadowhunters finale, and basically all of Veronica Mars S4?  Especially when the writers/ show runners behind these projects -- and huge chunks of the fandom -- really, really don’t give a shit about what someone in my demographic thinks.    

Fundamentally, I am pissed off because each of these shows destroyed the narrative arcs of their female characters.  And, because the showrunners -- a bunch of middle-aged dudes -- should have known better.  

This post focuses on Shadowhunters.  And I am writing it just for me.  I appreciate and understand that others may disagree.

Ok, let’s just acknowledge the demographically engineered pulpy charms of Shadowhunters (TV) up front.  The cast were (and still are, obviously) uniformly gorgeous; the casting was racially diverse (YAY!!!); each season features lots of angst-y love triangles, break-ups and make-ups (Oh, the drama :-)); and, the show deliberately centered LGBTQIA relationships, especially Malec (again, YAY!!!)

So, what’s my problem, when there is so much to like about the show’s stated desire to be inclusive and diverse?  Especially when I believe that representation matters, particularly in genre projects like Shadowhunters, which historically have tended to lack diversity with respect to race and sexual/gender identity.

My problem is that somewhere along the line, the Shadowhunters showrunners decided that to tell the story they wanted to tell, they had to eviscerate the narrative arcs of Clary, and by extension, Jace.  

To understand why the decision to sideline Clary (and Jace) is so frustrating, it helps to know a bit about the TV show’s source material.  (Spoilers follow) SHTV is based on The Mortal Instruments, a six-book series written by Cassie Clare.  Clary is the protagonist of TMI:  Clare has described TMI as a “girl power” story, and she has made it clear that in TMI, she wanted to tell a story where a girl saves the world.  She’s even clapped back at those who would question whether Clary is worthy of heroine status.  Last year, in the Thule section of Queen of Air and Darkness, Clare showed us an AU where Clary doesn’t save the world (and is instead killed by Lilith, the mother of demons).  It’s a hellscape:  Clary’s evil brother Jonathan controls everyone and everything; angelic power no longer works; and anyone who tries to resist Jonathan is hunted, killed, “endarked” (turned into a soulless, murderous soldier), or otherwise enspelled.  All of our other heroes are dead or enthralled.  Realizing that he was turning into a demon, Magnus begged Alec to kill him (which Alec does, before committing suicide).  And Clary’s love Jace?  Devastated by Clary’s death, and enspelled by Jonathan, Jace becomes twisted and evil.  

In addition to the Thule AU, Clare has written more generally about right of female creators to own their own work (on a Tumblr blog post).  And, she has used other series in the shadowhunter world to center other characters and relationships (e.g., the Malec series currently underway); to interrogate gender roles (e.g., the Julian and Emma pairing in TDA); and to explore relationships and identities other than the Clary/Jace pairing (e.g. the polyamorous Christina/Mark/Kieran relationship in TDA).  Why does all of this matter for SHTV?  Well, Clare wrote TMI, and she made Clary the protagonist.  So the fact that Clary is the protagonist of TMI was not some ancillary or inconvenient matter for SHTV.  It was and is at the center of the books upon which SHTV is based, and as to which the show has IP rights.    

[NB:  This is not to suggest that Clare prefers Clary and Jace to other characters or other ships, or that other characters aren’t also heroic or ship-worthy -- they are, they are just not the protagonists of TMI.  And, SHTV is still based on TMI.]

[NB2:   And, I absolutely don’t mean to suggest that the show had to be a transcription of the books, or that only Clary and Jace should have gotten screen time.  I am affirmatively HAPPY that the show gave rich story lines to other characters -- especially Simon, Magnus and Alec.]

With that background in mind, why do I think that Season 3B and the finale destroyed the Clary and Jace characters?  Well -- and I know this sounds snarky -- let’s look at the parade of plotholes, the random redistribution of plot points, Clary’s loss of agency, the and general sidelining of the Clary and Jace characters and their heroism.  (Again, spoilers to follow).  I leave the memory wipe to last here, because I still can’t believe that anyone thought destroying three seasons of character development was a good idea.  

1. Evil Clary story line:  In the books, Jace is twinned with Jonathan.  This makes narrative sense:  Jace and Jonathan are “brothers” of a sort, having both been raised by Valentine, and Jace’s vulnerability to Jonathan (and Lilith) is rooted in childhood trauma of abuse and neglect that Jace endured at the hands of Valentine.  

In the show, however, Clary is twinned with Jonathan.  From the start, Clary’s ability to resist the rune is tied to her proximity to Jace.   In fact, as 3B progresses, Clary becomes increasingly unhinged and violent any time she is physically separated from Jace.  Eventually, when she is blasted behind a wall while on mission (and thus physically separated from Jace), she succumbs entirely.   All of a sudden we have dark Clary, taking a walk on the wild side with the murderous brother who kidnapped her and nearly killed Jace just a few short weeks ago in show time.  Dark Clary joining forces to burn down the world that she loved, and that she repeatedly saved.  Really???  And then, when Jace and the others finally manage to free her from twinning rune, we see Clary saying that she WANTED to help Jonathan with his murderous rampage.  And, we hear Jace saying that the call of blood was too hard for Clary to resist.  Again, really??? The girl who killed her father, called upon an angel to bring her boyfriend back to life, survived the death of her mother, and who was nearly killed by her possessed boyfriend is somehow unable to resist the call of her Morgenstern blood?  What about Clary’s agency?  Her strength?  Her love for Jace and her chosen family?  Her identity as a shadowhunter?  Enthralled book Jace at least still loves Clary, and has a scene where he temporarily breaks free of the twinning rune, and makes it clear to Jonathan that he hates him, and that he is being controlled. But Clary says she wanted to help her brother, and that it’s her fault for being unable to resist her “blood.” While team evil might have been fun -- and probably was a blast for the actors to play -- it didn’t make narrative sense to me.  Not the biggest sin, and to each his own.  But not for me.

2.  Heavenly fire storyline:  In the book, Jace is filled w/ heavenly fire.  Clary eventually figures out how to get the heavenly fire from Jace into her weapon (heosphoros), which she uses to kill Jonathan.  In the show, Izzy gets the entire heavenly fire storyline.  Again, why???  For one thing, the scene in which Clary and Izzy fight (and Izzy ends up with the heavenly fire after being struck by shrapnel) -- while cool -- made no sense to me.  Book Izzy is a formidable warrior.  Show Izzy is disarmed by Clary (who has been training to be a shadowhunter for, like, 5 minutes at the time of their battle).  Also, why does Izzy get the heavenly fire from a few bits of shrapnel, but Clary is totally fine after being STABBED by the sword?  More generally, other than giving Izzy more to do, what was the thinking behind taking away this story arc from Clary and Jace?  And, for making Jace basically a potted plant in 3B?   (In contrast to book Jace — who was key to the good guys’ victory— show Jace is made to basically stand there: Show Alec, Izzy, Magnus, and Simon get literally every single heroic plot point in the finale — remember that we’re Lightwoods moment, sans Jace (the adoptive brother)?? — while Jace is relegated to crying or supporting Clary.)

3.  The Jace character:  While this post is principally about Clary, I can’t help but note that the show did everything possible to isolate Jace and make him incompetent and unlikable.  

- Book Jace comes across as arrogant and as a wise ass, but Clary and Alec see the arrogance for what it is -- a coping mechanism/ PTSD following a childhood full of trauma at the hands of Valentine.  Through his relationship with Clary, Jace learns that he is worthy of being loved, and that he can love without destroying.  And, Jace’s parabatai bond is a source of strength and joy for both Alec and Jace.  Show Jace gets none of this.  3B kept Clary and Jace apart from each other much of the time (what w/ Evil Clary preferring to help her murderous brother burn down the world).  3B also effectively eliminated the parabatai bond:  Alec is entirely focused on his relationship with Magnus, and he is impatient with a clearly suicidal Jace.  You can count on one hand the number of minutes that Alec and Jace are on screen together in 3B.  

- Book Jace becomes (with Clary) head of the NY institute, having rejected and fought against bigoted members of the cohort.  I appreciate that this likely could not be shown b/c the show does not have the rights to TDA, but this does not explain why the show made Jace so incompetent as head of the NY institute.  Show Jace gets the job only because of nepotism (Herondale blood).  Show Jace is on board with the downworlder registry.  Show Jace is so incompetent that he abdicates in favor of  Alec after about a day.  None of this made any sense.

- Book Jace is all-in w/ Clary from the beginning.  He has one encounter w. Aline, but that’s presented as being as much about Aline’s confirmation of her sexual identity as it is about Jace in turmoil.  (I know some people object to CC’s writing of Aline, but again, it’s her story.)   But even if the showrunners felt that the Jace/Aline hook-up was “problematic” -- and I get that some fans feel that way -- why did the show choose to do some weird male version of slut-shaming of Jace? There is the Jace encounter with Maia.  (To be clear, this was shitty to the Maia character, too.  She hooks up with a drunk rebounding Jace, whom she had just tried to kill. behind a bar.)  And, the comments about Jace, Kaelie and book club. Everyone keeps talking on the show about how Jace sleeps around, and they judge him for it, when, in reality, Jace is pretty darn faithful to his relationship with Clary from the moment they meet.  Simon, Clary, Alec, Magnus, and Izzy all have more sexual encounters (and in the case of Simon and Izzy, more partners) vs. show Jace.  And no one calls Simon or Clary slutty.  No one decides that Alec is unworthy b/c he lies to Magnus.  And no one decides Magnus is unworthy or slutty or not devoted to Alec because he’s had many sexual partners in the past.

- As noted elsewhere, the show isolated and shamed a clearly depressed and suicidal Jace in 3B.  He’s shown devastated and alone in 3B when he thinks Clary is dead in the “Lost Without You” montage:  Alec (his parabatai) and Magnus are busy comforting each other;  Maia is comforting Simon; Mayrse is nowhere to be found.  Same thing after Jace almost gets himself killed on the mission involving the Seelie:  Alec yells at him and tells him to suck it up; Mayrse once again is absent; and only Izzy checks in.  Then, in the flash forward, Alec, Magnus, Izzy, Luke, Mayrse, and Maia all seem entirely unconcerned with Jace’s state of mind.  Once again, he’s told to suck it up and move on.

4.  Female characters/ sexuality generally on the show:  So much could be written about the show’s treatment of its female characters generally.  Book Izzy is strong and fierce, and yes, body and sex positive.  Show Izzy is all over the map.  S1 captures Izzy’s sass, but she’s treated like slutty eye candy sometimes.  S2 and S3 Izzy has more depth, but less sass.  Tell me again why she had to be a drug addict?  Or, why she gets disarmed by Clary (who had a couple of months of training at that point in show time) in the finale?  Or why she alone (vs. Mayre or Alec) is sent to check on a clearly suicidal Jace?  To be clear, I loved the Jace/ Izzy bond, but why does the show let Alec and Mayrse off the hook w/ regard to Jace’s mental health, and leave Izzy w/ caretaking duties?   And Mayrse, who seems to exist in season 3 solely for the purpose of being punished — and then being redeemed — for her S1 homophobia. She becomes “captain of the Malec ship” after being deruned, and then is shown caring for Alec when Magnus is in Edom, and nurturing the Malec relationship. But, she vacations in Brazil in the finale with zero regard for her grief-stricken, suicidal adoptive son? And then there is Maia. Why does she hook up with Jace against a wall behind a bar? And what’s with the forgiving her abuser storyline?  And Clary.  Believe me, nothing made me happier than the show’s decision to make reasonably short work of the incest story line.  But to have Clary literally jump into bed with Simon, her bff?  Immediately after learning --falsely, as it turns out -- that Jace was her sibling?  Was that Clary’s first sexual encounter?  Was is not weird to suddenly start sleeping with your friend (who you turned into the vampire, and who can walk in the daylight b/c he drank your ex-boyfriend/ now you think your sibling’s  blood)?  I know the books present Jace, Clary and Simon as a love triangle — YA, after all — but book Clary wrestles w/ her feelings for Simon. I get that aging them up on the show — which I liked — would have changed the dynamic around these relationships and the characters’ sex lives, but the handling of the Climon story line was so clumsy. And, in any event, why is S2 Clary snarky about Jace’s sexual past (the book club comments)?  And in 3B, why does dark Clary manipulate — or worse — a basically roofied Jace at the club?

5. The Memory Wipe:  OH.MY.GOD.  I CANNOT EVEN CONVEY THE DEPTHS OF MY DISLIKE FOR THIS TROPE OF A PLOT POINT.  In the book, Simon volunteers to give Asmodeus his memories, thus saving Magnus (and everyone else).  Once again, this makes narrative sense -- Simon never wanted to be a vampire, and he (unlike Magnus) could survive the loss of his memories, and even return to mundane life.  And, after Simon gives up his memories, his friends NEVER give up on him.  Clary, Izzy, and the others watch him, they reach out to him, and eventually, with Magnus’s help, they reconnect with him.   Magnus even says that stealing Simon’s memories was a little bit “fascist.”

Show Clary has it much, much worse.   Let’s remember how it played out in the finale:  

- Jonathan goes on a murderous rampage.  Clary saves the world using her rune power, killing her last living relative, knowing she would be stripped of the Sight and her memories.  

- Notwithstanding Jonathan’s mass slaughter and Clary’s sacrifice, the MOST IMPORTANT THING is that Magnus and Alec have decided to get married at the institute the very next day, after dating for about three months on-and-off in show time.  

- And so we have much of the finale devoted to the wedding.  We see everyone smiling and happy (despite the slaughter of shadowhunters around the world the day before and Jonathan’s death at Clary’s hands).  We see Clary in a very revealing dress sobbing as she dances with her boyfriend and her runes are obviously disappearing -- but no one notices. We see Jace letting a sobbing Clary walk out the door.

- And then we see Clary alone, sobbing on the street in a revealing party dress, in the cold, with no memories, no I.D., no best friend, no love of her life, no money, no home (burned down in season 1), no mother (killed by Alec), no father figure. Nothing.  I get that sacrifice is a shadowhunter virtue, but the trope of a memory wipe (I see you, Chuck) is SO far from canon, and so inconsistent with how Clare wrapped up the Clary (and Jace stories).  Zero emotional logic.

- Then, to make matters worse, we jump ahead one year, and no one gives a shit about Clary or Jace or their sacrifice at all.  Alec and Magnus are living their best life mixing cocktails in Alicante (leaving Alec’s clearly devastated and suicidal parabatai to just figure things out, I guess).  Maryse (Jace’s adoptive mother) and Luke (Clary’s father figure) are vacationing in Brazil, seemingly more concerned about the humidity than they are about Clary or Jace; Izzy and Simon are loving life together at the NY institute (so much for Clary and Izzy as parabatai, or Simon and Clary’s friendship); and Simon tells a grieving, suicidal Jace -- the same Jace who almost killed himself a couple of weeks prior in show time -- to stop checking on Clary and to move on.  Apparently, Simon thought that Maia’s naming a salad after Clary was enough.   So much for Jace’s mental health.  So much for Clary and Simon’s friendship (and in the books, their eventual parabatai bond). 

- But, we we did get closure for the lizard/ Lorenzo; Underhill’s first name; and an update on Raphael.  All of these developments were apparently more important than honoring Clary’s narrative arc, her chosen identify as a shadowhunter, her relationship with Jace, and her chosen family.  

None of it made any sense.

1. Why would the angels strip Clary of the Sight when she used her rune power to SAVE THE DAMN WORLD?  After all, let’s see who gets to keep the Sight/ memories in the showrunners’ telling:  Valentine (insane, imprisoned an angel, killed downworlders and shadowhunters ); Jonathan (murderous, insane); Alec (killed Clary’s mother while possessed); Izzy (also possessed); Jace (killed his grandmother and mundanes while possessed, threw Clary off a roof, almost killed Alec); Jocelyn (almost killed Jace, circle member); Aldertree (despite getting Izzy addicted to drugs and torturing downworlders).  The list goes on.  But Clary’s invention of runes to stop her insane brother from destroying the world incurs the wrath of the angels? 

2.  The showrunners would have us believe that Clary lost the Sight (and her memories) because the angels were spiteful.  How does this fit with Cassie Clare’s conception of angels AT ALL?  They are completely unconcerned with human emotions in the books. And, why would only Clary suffer this fate when, as noted above, there are shadowhunters who did terrible things for entirely selfish or otherwise awful reasons? 

3.  In what world would Jace not notice his girlfriend’s runes disappearing?  In what world would he ever let his sobbing, de-runed girlfriend -- whom he just got back from the twinning rune/possession/killing her last living relative -- walk out the door alone?

4. For a show so concerned about representation, what about Jace’s story as a survivor of childhood abuse and trauma?  What about Jace’s near suicide earlier in 3B?  Why does everyone in Jace’s life (specifically Alec after the Seelie mission and Simon in the finale) tell Jace to suck it up and move on when he is clearly depressed and suicidal?  What about the show’s depiction of the relationship between Jace and his adoptive family? What message does the finale send about who was — and was not — a member of the Lightwood family when Mayrse and Alec either ignore Jace or yell at him when he is grieving and suicidal? So much for family. And, what about Clary’s mental health, after the showrunners stripped her of her friends, family, chosen family, memories, identity, home, and love?  

And then, after all of this, the showrunners made things worse by talking up how important the wedding was for them, even as they made it clear they didn’t care about the resolution of the Clary, Jace and Clace story lines.

- The show runners misidentified the supposedly spiteful angel who I guess would have been the big bad in Season 4 in press coverage of the finale.

- They said they didn’t know where the Clary, Jace and Clace story was heading, and that “fan fiction” would figure it out.

- They talked about how difficult and important the seating chart was for the wedding, and about how they had tried to get every character, no matter how minor, back for the “reception” scene.  And they spent precious time in the finale showing us party scenes involving ancillary non-canon characters (Underhill, Lorenzo) vs. coming up with a coherent resolution to the protagonist’s story.

- They engaged only with Malec content on social media, and talked endlessly how the show was a “love letter” to fans, and ignored less favorable fan reaction involving the Clary and Jace characters.

- Same drill for the writers, BTW.  A young female writer for the show (who supposedly was the book stan in the writers’ room) has been on social media explaining how great it was Clary’s story line came “full circle” in finale.  She’s now heading to a con with the show runners, having studiously ignored questions about the show’s treatment of Clary and Jace. (I get why she would do this — work, and all — but still.)

- To the extent the showrunners, producers, and writers have addressed Clary and Jace at all in press coverage of the finale, they have argued that the memory wipe was no harm/no foul b/c the final scene suggests that love conquers all.  First, we knew that -- we are talking about a pulpy YA novel, after all.  Second, if the last scene sends the message that love conquers all, it’s because Kat M. and Dom S., the performers, imbued that scene with more depth and emotion than the writing deserved.  Finally, the love conquers narrative ignores the fact that Clary and Jace earned their character arcs as INDIVIDUALS, not just as half of a ship.  Clary deserved her identity, her chosen family, and her love.  Jace deserved his hard-won happiness with himself, and in his relationship with Clary (and in his relationships with Alec and Izzy).  I personally didn’t want a wedding -- I don’t think anyone should get married after a few months of mostly unsuccessful dating.  I did, however, want to see these characters enjoying their hard-won happiness vs. a dystopian future for two characters only, w/ a rom com meet cute tacked on at the end.

Fundamentally, the showrunners made SHTV into a fan service-, ship war- driven series of plotpoints in 3B and the finale.  There are lots of potential reasons for this:  Maybe they preferred the Malec storyline, and thought that playing to Malec fans might help the show get picked up (or maybe get a Malec spinoff approved); maybe they thought that punishing Jace and sidelining Clary might please some segments of the SHTV fandom; maybe they bought into the idea that the books are “problematic” and need to be fixed, or that dislike of certain performers justifies trashing the character.  Whatever.  The end result is the same:  For me, they lost the narrative thread of the characters, and the emotional logic of the stories.  They fed into a stupid ship war and a stupid book vs. show war.  And, they played into scarcity, as if honoring Malec required tearing down Clace.  

At the end of the day, the show runners’ decision to wipe Clary’s memory broke the show for me.  No matter how much I love Malec, and no matter how amazing the last scene was (and how lovely the performances were in that scene), I will always believe that Clary and Jace deserved better.

And so I want to say to the showrunners and writers:  NEXT TIME, LET YOUR PROTAGONIST HAVE HER STORY.  SHE EARNED IT.  (And FFS be tiny bit humble when there is source material :-).  

[quilloftheclouds]

About the Writer Tag

I’ve been tagged in this an overly ridiculous amount. That’s just because I waited way too long to reply to it. Clearly, I am a tag game dragon.

Tagged by @alternativeforensicscientist, @shadows-on-everkin, @igotablankpage, @understanding-not-understood, @oradall, @multimousenette, @astro-writing, @sundaynightnovels, and @txintedsxint! Thanks, folks!

I shall taaggggg: @writersloth, @isanyonetoknow, @esoteric-eclectic-eccentric​, @roll-a-bi20, and @snickertoodles, as per request by this post! Feel free to do it or leave it as you like!

There appear to be two separate versions, but I may as well do them both at once! For those I tagged, you can certainly choose one or do both!

This is very long, so under the cut we go!

Version One

Relationship status: Single, sure, but currently not looking!

Favourite colour: Ohhhh too many, mate! TOO MANY. Typically I go for a deep greenish-blue, soft turquoise, or a dark forest green, for this!

Top three favorite ships: Uh. Um. I actually don’t ship characters that often, I mean. Gimli and Legolas is always a hilarious favourite, you don’t know who this is but Hawk and Cynn Numair from White Noise, uhhhhh and sure let’s go with Peridot and Amethyst because why not. (Be aware my ships can include just close platonic love, too!)

Lipstick or chapstick: I’m trying to get into the habit of wearing chapstick more often, since my lips crack easily bleh. So chapstick!

Last Song: Listening to right at this moment as I write this: Waving Through a Window from Evan Hansen and originally by Owl City

Last Movie: YOU SHOULD GO ALL WATCH SPIDERVERSE IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY IT’S GORGEOUS.

Last Book: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr! Holy heck this book was SO GOOD, and the way it writes a blind main character!!! (Reference for my new wip? Yeah.) IT’S SUCH A GOOD STORY. Bittersweet and dark at some parts, but I definitely recommend it!

Currently Reading: I haven’t really had time to pick up something new recently, but I’m looking to get back into reading again sometime soon!

Fanfiction: I’ve written Warrior Cats and Steven Universe more recently (but shared with no one, sorry ^^’). Fun fact, though! Most of the main characters in One Siren’s Soul (my current main wip) are based on SU ocs I made a long while ago! Also, when I was much younger, Storm Hawks and Hotwheels: Battle Force Five were my go to. Oh sweet mercy, please don’t ever make me look at those again. ouo

As for reading fanfiction, though: I don’t really, no. I have nothing against it, I just am very new to the online writer community and haven’t had the chance yet~

Annnnd Version Two

This one had a lot of different questions, but I’ll try and answer all of them~

Nickname: Quill!! The Quirkiest of Quills

Zodiac: Geminiminiminimini

Height: I actually have no idea now. 5′7 probably. Maybe.

Time: ADT

Favourite band/artist: Oh stars, come on, I like too manyyyyy. Right now I really like Dodie and The Score! Wow, how’s that for some contrast.

Song stuck in my head: Stay by The Score is super darn catchy and I’ve been playing it on repeat way too much lately. -u-

Last movie I saw: Answered above!

Last thing I googled: What timezone I was for the above question. ^^’

Other blogs: Only this one, so far!

Do I get asks: Whenever I reblog an ask game I typically get quite a few! Of course, I try to send out ones when I see others reblogging them, too! I get a lot of those positivity chain ones, as well, and although I love the premise of them, the work of going through and messaging others isn’t really that pleasant to me. I don’t really want to put that on others, either. Kinda taking a break from those at the mo~

Why this username: Stars, when I first made this blog I was freaking out over what name to choose because it had to be aesthetic and fitting and stuff. Quill because writing (and porcupine quills are culturally significant, as well!) and also FEATHERS are so pretty and fancy and stuff. Of the clouds because I’m a daydreamer! My head is always in the clouds! I’m also a weather nerd, and I know all the names of the different cloud types, and I love trying to predict the upcoming weather from the sky alone!

Following: 623. Is that a lot? I feel like that’s a lot. Huh.

Lucky number: 24!

What I’m wearing: My trilobite collection shirt and fluffy pajama bottoms because I’m going to bed soon. c;

Dream job: Probably a geologist? An environmental scientist? Something along those lines?

Dream trip: ICELAND HAS SUCH COOL GEOLOGY. Also any place in Scandinavia would likely be really cool!!

Favourite food: Carbonara with pasta made from scratch, parmesan cheese, and bits of actual bacon~ I made it with my Dad for my birthday!

Instruments I play: Mainly the violin and the piano! But I can also play the harmonica, the penny whistle, somewhat drums of varying types, kinda the oboe, and grass blades. What do you mean grass blades aren’t instruments?

Eye colour: Dark brown but according to one of my friends they look yellow in certain lighting. Hmm...

Hair colour: Last time I answered this I had brown hair with turquoise dyed tips! Now those tips are brilliantly vivid Chalcanthite blue. 

Aesthetic: Think way too energetic earth sciences nerd with a passion for learning everything and way too many hats and plants. I live on weird weather and obscure nature facts.

Languages I speak: I’m bilingual in English and Acadian French, and I’m learning ASL and a bit of Russian, too!

Most Iconic Song: Honestly, Take to the Sky by Owl City, is a song from my childhood that I just... absolutely loved too much.

Random fact: I’m currently working in the Historical Archives of my city! A few days ago I got to personally handle and transcribe documents from the late 1700s. SO COOL.

[disabilitythinking]

The Disability Alphabet: C Is For ...

I’m covering just one word for this entry, since there is more than enough to be said about it for one blog post …

Cripple / Crip

Definitions

Dictionary.com:

* Offensive - a term used to refer to a person who is partially or totally unable to use one or more limbs.

* an animal that is similarly disabled; a lame animal.

* Offensive - a person who is disabled or impaired in any way: a mental cripple.

* anything that is impaired or flawed.

* a wounded animal, especially one shot by a hunter.

Do follow the Dictionary.com link because there is a pretty long and detailed “usage note” that discusses the historical and current acceptability of “cripple,” as compared with “handicapped,” “physically challenged,” and “disabled.” Notably, while it presents a fairly up to date analysis on these terms, it deems “cripple” simply offensive, and doesn’t mention disabled people using “cripple” as a reclaimed term of irony or pride.

Wikipedia:

A *cripple* is a person or animal with a physical disability, particularly one who is unable to walk because of an injury or illness. The word was recorded as early as 950 AD, and derives from the Proto-Germanic /krupilaz/. The German and Dutch words /Krüppel/ and /kreupel/ are cognates.

By the 1970s, the word generally came to be regarded as perjorative when used for people with disabilities. *Cripple* is also a transitive verb, meaning “cause a disability or inability”.

Wikipedia does discuss disabled people reclaiming the word.

Wikipedia also says that the street gang “Crips” got the name “when members started carrying a cane which gave the impression they were crippled.”

Common Uses

It’s possible that “cripple” and “crip” generate more feeling and conflict in and around the disability community than just about any other term. The conflict centers on two opposing uses of these terms.

“Cripple” is a derogatory tern, a slur, against disabled people, such as when a non-disabled person refers to or directly calls a wheelchair user “a cripple,” or when a disabled person dejectedly refers to themselves as “a cripple.”

“Cripple” is a term of pride, self-confidence, and an enjoyable transgression for disabled people, as when disabled friends working together to assert their pride ironically refer to themselves as “cripples” or “crips.” The disability blogger Smart Ass Cripple uses the same principle to project an irreverent and, paradoxically, empowered take on disability. #CripTheVote is doing something similar, too. This turning a negative term into a positive is known as “reclaiming.”

These two opposite uses are further complicated by a third category, the everyday use of “crippled.” On the surface, they have nothing to do with disabled people ... as when we call a broken down vessel as a “crippled ship,” or when we say that their ability to carry out a project has been “crippled” by some circumstances. There’s always an implied negative view of disability in these, but it’s always distant enough that people can credibly deny they mean anything derogatory. And like other off-topic, causal uses of slurs, some feel it’s important to call it out, while others think it’s not a big deal.

Problems and Misunderstandings

First there’s the classic misunderstanding or dispute that hangs around other “reclaimed” slurs. “If you can call yourself a “cripple” or “crip,” why can’t I call you one?” This is easily answered. It’s the same reason it’s okay to use certain kinds of jokes or terms of endearment within your immediate family, but not in front of strangers or directed at your boss or coworker. But the objection persists, sometimes from people who sincerely don’t understand and view it as a double standard, other times cynically, as a rhetorical weapon to discredit disability culture and activism more broadly.

On the other hand, some disabled people truly just can’t stomach any use of “cripple” because it brings back traumatic memories of being taunted and explicitly discounted. Some disabled people are unaware of or confused by “reclaiming,” but plenty of others understand it completely, and simply don’t care. “Cripple” is just too painful, no matter what. They feel that whatever benefit comes from calling yourself a “cripple,” with pride or a little smirk, isn’t worth the continued use of a nasty, insulting term.

This points to another, broader divide that will come up a lot in this Disability Alphabet series ... the gap between people who view language as concrete and neutral, with fixed meanings, and those who see language as constantly evolving and inherently political, as a legitimate tool for social change. If you treat words as fixed and literal, then it doesn’t make sense for “cripple” to be anything but mean. But if you view language as a tool, then it can be quite tempting and exciting to use its negative power for a contradictory and more positive good.

Another problem with “cripple” and “crip” as a term of pride for disability culture is that it doesn’t seem to cover the whole, diverse disability community, even though the way people use it increasingly suggests that we want very much for the word to be inclusive. Deaf people are in some sense disabled, but can they call themselves “crips?” How about blind people, autistic people,or people with intellectual disabilities? Again, if you view words as evolving, then “cripple” and “crip” might well be a term we can all embrace. If not, its more specific reference to physical disabilities may limit the ways it can be used.

Suggestions

I think “reclaiming “ words can work as intended, but it doesn’t always work well enough to be useful. So I would approach using “cripple” or “crip,” for any reason with caution and care, even if you yourself are disabled. And I think when you do, it’s a good idea to explain why you use the term, what you mean by it, and how your using it fits into the historical context of the word.

That’s what Alice Wong, Gregg Beratan and I did when we chose #CripTheVote to represent the Twitter conversation we started about disability in politics back in 2016. After using the hashtag for awhile and fielding some occasionally pointed questions about it, we posted an explainer. It still sums up how I, personally, feel about what “cripple” and “crip” mean to me as a disabled person: #CripTheVote: Notes On Crip.

Next post: D Is For …

Previous Disability Alphabet post: B Is For …

[thelonelyrdr-blog]

Thoughts on the Heroes of Olympus series (Part 3)

(The ending is somewhat spoiled in this one, so if that bugs you, read with caution.)                      Apparently, yesterday was Percy Jackson's birthday. So he's a Leo. Makes sense, I thought, and set to integrating this piece of trivia with my mental image of Percy, but then I realized that I already knew it from the following exchange in The Blood of Olympus: "Like the zodiac sign?" Percy asked. "I'm a Leo." "No, stupid," Leo said, "I'm a Leo. You're a Percy." The bad puns in this series are so real, guys. Anyway, given that it was Percy's birthday, it would've been neat if I could've posted this review yesterday, but alas, I just didn't have the energy after work. But hey, my lateness won't stop me from tagging this post with #happybirthdaypercy in a shameless attempt to increase my readership. Happy Birthday, Percy! I know you won't mind my using your birthday as a marketing tool.   The Blood of Olympus  Reyna and Nico are by far my favorite parts of this book, both separately and as a pair, but especially as a pair. Both are characters with deeply traumatic pasts who feel a respect and kinship for one another that eventually evolve into familial affection. Hazel may be Nico’s sister in name, but Reyna seems closer to filling Bianca’s role as big sister to Nico: whereas, historically, Nico has had to protect and guide Hazel, Reyna is someone who will not only do the same for him, but who will also worry for him. She has the magical ability to literally empathize with his need, as a boy who has lost a mother and an older sister, to feel cared for and considered, and is therefore uniquely qualified to respond to it. Nico’s bonds with both Reyna and Hazel, though, are beautiful.  As for Reyna herself, as much as I love all of the female characters in both this series and the original, in my estimation, she's the best, simply by virtue of being the most complex. Riordan's skill with developing characters through their internal struggles shines in Reyna's chapters. Let's not kid ourselves like the other characters do: she killed her father, even if it was in self-defense and even if he'd degenerated into a mania, giving her what is certainly the darkest backstory of any character in this series and probably of any character in any middle-grade series ever. I'm surprised that the publisher didn't insist on cutting the murder, though Riordan does gloss over its moral ambiguity somewhat. Nico's pretty terrifying in that one scene, too, and in his case, Reyna and Coach Hedge fully acknowledge the immorality of his actions. You all know the scene I'm referring to, or will if and when you read this book. Can I get some Dark!PercyxDark!Nico fanfics in addition to the Dark!Percy ones I already tried to commission in my previous blog post? (Oh, and if you're wondering about my thoughts on Reyna's sexuality, as I know many have imagined her as gay or bisexual, I personally ship her with herself regardless of her sexual preferences. To be clear, I have nothing against either interpretation of her character, but I got a little disenchanted with every character being or wanting to be in a serious romantic relationship as the series progressed. There are single teenagers, you know. I was one of them.) Before I conclude my discussion of Nico and Reyna, though, I have to mention the scene where Nico finally confesses to Percy that he once had a crush on him. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one cheering for him and wishing that I could be that cool while simultaneously laughing at Percy’s confusion and Annabeth’s amusement. And oh man, that high five between Annabeth and Nico. Perfect.  But it's time that I commented on Leo’s happy ending, in which he fulfills his role in the prophecy by dying (but not really) and keeping his oath to Calypso to free her from Ogygia.  Their whole relationship is comprised of moments of subtle tenderness, but the line in the last chapter that struck me most was:  “Leo Valdez,” she said. Nothing else - just his name, as if it were something magical.  I fangirled when I read that line, and the entire last chapter, for two reasons. The first is that, no matter how I try to deny the tendency in myself, I’m a hopeless romantic (yes, I’m a hopeless romantic who doesn’t read straight romance and who wants to see more single characters in middle-grade and YA novels. Everyone has their contradictions) who was invested in this couple from the start. However, the second reason pertains to Leo’s character. He’s the “seventh” wheel of the group, who’s spent the whole series doubting his own merits and developing crushes on girls who either take no interest in him or take no interest in him and seem interested in one of his friends instead. To be fair, one of these girls is a villain anyway, but her rejection still validates Leo’s insecurities. Even Calypso herself has a history with another of the Seven (Percy) and initially reacts to Leo's arrival on Ogygia as though it were a cruel joke of the gods'. The fact that the other characters largely disregard Leo - even I've ignored him until now, ironically, despite how hilarious I found his dialogue and narration - is what makes Riordan’s positioning him as the hero of the series so emotionally and narratively satisfying. He forms a plan to defeat Gaea without even consulting the others (might it be said that his inherited tendency to work independently and in isolation, which he and dad Hephaestus both perceive as a flaw, is what enables him to save the world?); he breaks Calypso's curse without leaning on the gods or on Percy's bargain with them. He goes from being the most overlooked of the Seven to someone whose very name inspires awe (and you can't tell me that Calypso's awe results solely from romantic feeling - I'm sure that, when she utters that line, she's also thinking of how Leo is the first and only person to manage to free her, to even remember her after leaving Ogygia). His is an underdog story done right. Overall As I hope you've gathered from my individual comments on each book, there's a lot to appreciate in this series: it's by turns light and funny and dark and morally ambiguous; it's smart and subtly overturns stereotypes and prejudices; and, perhaps most importantly, it's full of likable, relatable characters who feel distinct and real. It's self-aware too: as in the original series, Riordan raises the question - here, most notably in Arachne's version of her myth - of whether the gods are truly good or merely better than the alternatives of Gaea and the Titans; whether theirs is the side the demi-gods would willingly choose or merely the one they happen to be on because of their parentage. It's not often in children's adventure stories that the heroes consider that the villains may have a valid moral point, and beyond that, one that invalidates theirs. Even the last two Harry Potter books don't go as far with humanizing and demonizing Voldemort and Dumbledore, respectively. Unfortunately, the narrative does not adequately answer this question or many of the others that it raises. Take, as another example, Percy's "fatal flaw," loyalty, which I noted in Part 1 of my review never seems to result in negative consequences for either the Seven or the quest, despite being talked up by both gods and monsters throughout the series. Were the repeated warnings about it supposed to be foreshadowing Percy's decision to fall into Tartatus with Annabeth? If so, that makes no sense, as at least one demi-god was needed on each side of the Doors of Death, anyway, and Percy and Annabeth were obviously more successful as a team than either would've been alone. Or, as is more likely, was Percy's "fatal flaw" part of a larger plot thread that was dropped due to time and space constraints? But if that's the case, then why couldn't the first two books in the series have been condensed into one, or the series extended to include six or seven books? Surprisingly, considering how tightly plotted the original series was, the plot in this series fizzles to near nonexistence by the end of The Blood of Olympus, the tension building inconsistently as the climax approaches. Compared to the final battle in The Last Olympian, which engrossed me even more than the Battle of Hogwarts did (fellow Harry Potter fans, you don't have to call me a traitor; I assure you, I already feel like one), the stakes in the battle against Gaea and her army seemed the equivalent height of those in a fight involving elementary school children wielding sticks. Riordan's failure to deliver in this respect was especially glaring considering that he'd promised readers not one major battle in The Blood of Olympus, but two. Instead we get a one-on-one fight between Reyna and Orion that feels more internally than externally resonant and forestalls Major Battle #1, the Roman attack on the Greeks, before it even begins; a fight with the earthborn during which no one but Jason is really needed, as he's shown to be tremendously overpowered; and a fight between Leo and Gaea, which should've been Major Battle #2 but which is over within a page or two. The characters reiterate throughout the series how powerful Gaea is and how much more substantial of a threat she is than the Titans, but even the lowest monster in Tartarus was scarier and took longer to defeat. Hell, the Minotaur in The Lightning Thief would've been a worthier opponent for our heroes. The only explanation I can think of for the disappointing finish to this series is, again, that Riordan must have run out of time or space to give readers a proper final battle (though he hinted at two, I would've settled for one). Or possibly steam.   Still, although the series as a whole has a rushed and sloppy quality to it, I would still highly recommend it, both for the reasons listed above and for its resemblance to fanfiction. Yes, sadly, only in fanfiction would I expect to read a continuation of Percy Jackson's story with as many minority as white demi-god protagonists, whose cultures, used respectfully by Riordan, inform rather than define their identities; a gay character who is revealed to be in love with the protagonist of the first series; and an emphasis on female empowerment and the glorification of the feminine. There’s even a character -  arguably the most physically attractive of the Seven, might I add - who discovers that he needs glasses! I was shocked, albeit pleasantly so, to find a published series containing all of these elements, and I'm not even gay or a minority. If you pick up these books for the representation alone, you won't regret it.     But that won’t be necessary: there are a multitude of other fun reasons. 

[bionic-bat-archive]

Wang So is the 4th Prince (and later monarch) of Goryeo. At a young age, King Taejo Wang Geon sent him to be adopted in order to maintain peace amid the political chaos. His life was spent brutally learning the ways of warfare and earned the reputation of a “Bloodthirsty Prince.”

Those rumors of his ruthlessness grew upon the arrival of a mysterious foreign Queen known as “The Wolf Queen.” Many believe The Wolf Queen is an evil spirit sent to destroy Goryeo and that Wang So made a pact with her in exchange for power on the battlefield. Some believe that power came at the cost of his soul.

What is truth or lies remains unknown as many fear to find out...

CONTACT  ☯  SINGLE-VERSE/SHIP  ☯  CANON/AU/OC-FRIENDLY  ☯  MULTI-PARA LIT.

(Feel free to like this if interested and I'll come to you!)

RULES AND OTHER INFO (PLEASE READ):

CHARACTER INFO:

FC: Lee Jun Ki

S/O:  Straight

R/S: Ask me!

THIS VERSION OF WANG SO IS AN OC-HISTORICAL FIGURE LOOSELY INSPIRED BY THE KDRAMA “Scarlet Heart: Ryeo.”

While his FC, personality and minor aspects of his history resemble the Kdrama counterpart, HE IS 100% MY OWN.

(AU-kdrama version will only be portrayed upon request)

ALL INTERACTIONS WITH HIM OR ANY OF MY MUSES MAY CONTAIN TRIGGERING OR OTHER CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE.

PLEASE SEE MY RULES BELOW.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Morgan, 25, she/her, has 10+ years writing experience. Loves to chat, write and RP. Mega geeky and very friendly!

I am mostly para/novel type of a writer. I don’t really do one liners with some exceptions. I prefer writers that are good with grammar and punctuation (I’m not perfect at this, but, I try ^_^).

If English is not your first language, I can make an exception, just please put in the effort.

(feel free to like this if interested and I'll come to you!)

reblogs are appreciated

ps: if you want to RP but don’t know how to feel free to message me and I can teach you! it’s easy!

RULES

BASICS:

MUN AND MUSES ARE ALL 21+. DUE TO MATURE SUBJECT MATTER, I WILL ONLY INTERACT WITH MUNS/MUSES THAT ARE 21+ Internationally (18+ U.S.) unless underage muses have been pre-plotted.

PLEASE READ MY MUSE SECTION BEFORE INTERACTING.

ALL IC ASKS MUST STATE WHO THE ASK IS ADDRESSED TO. If you have no preference then put in “*”.

IF THE ASK IS ADDRESSED TO ME (THE WRITER) PUT “TO MUN” IN THE ASK.

No Godmodding

I will (try) to schedule all replies to post automatically at 12 A.M. MST every Monday. (However, I might reply more frequently/slower depending on how I feel)

This is both an IC and OOC blog (because I don’t give enough fucks to make a blog for personal shit.)

THREADS/ASKS:

I am selective about who I will thread with and might drop threads if I feel uninspired to write them. THIS IS NOTHING PERSONAL AND SHOULD NOT DISCOURAGE YOU FROM TALKING TO ME IN FUTURE OR SENDING ASKS!

I prefer to only thread when I have a plot and storyline.

If you don’t have a plot or story in mind (and we can’t come up with one together) feel free to send me an IC Ask and/or meme instead.

I’m always willing to try and plot but I CANNOT PROMISE MY MUSES WILL COOPERATE.

I DON’T DO FOLLOW STARTERS. PLEASE EITHER IM ME OR SEND AN ASK IF YOU WANT TO THREAD. (See above about threads.)

I can rarely wing it but I will try if need be.

I AM ALWAYS OPEN TO IC/OOC ASKS & MEMES.

(seriously, chat with me I love to talk. 🌸 ),

I AM OPEN TO ALL SORTS OF PLOTS EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING:

No slice of life

No high school/college AUs.

No domestic-base AUs.

My brain can’t handle mundane non-fantasy scenarios.

BETTER YET, LET’S JUST SAY I DO NOT DO AU’S AT ALL WITHOUT HEAVY PLOTTING.

MUSES:

ALL MY CHARACTERS ARE INTERCONNECTED AND HAVE A PRE-ESTABLISHED STORYLINE.

I will ONLY ship if the characters have chemistry!

I AM SINGLE SHIP/VERSE.

I am always open to different types of relationships: friends, enemies, etc...

I WILL NOT sugar coat my muses behavior!

My muses have the right to attack and/or try to kill yours if they feel threatened (or in some cases) if the muse goes against cultural/period norms.

Some of my muses have 800+ years of military/espionage experience, and supernatural abilities. I will play them based on common sense. (Example: If your muse is a 30-year-old Marine, or 100-year-old vampire and tries to attack one of my 800+-year-old muses, odds are you won't win. Not god moddy, just realistic.)

GENRES I WRITE:

Thrillers, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Historical, Crime/Thriller/Espionage.

TRIGGERS:

I don’t tag my stuff that being said I WILL ONLY TAG TRIGGERS UPON REQUEST.

I will not RP graphic torture (implied and some graphic things are OK) or anything “mature” involving characters under 21.

I will NEVER RP anything involving animal death/cruelty/abuse or mature subject matter with characters under 21. (18 U.S.)

NO MARY/GARY SUES/SELF-INSERTS. PLEASE JUST DON’T.

I prefer interacting with the muns OOC and building a solid means of communication. That being said, I also have anxiety and don’t do well with reclusive/sporadically active muns.

If I’m interested in a plot and our muses click I can become a bit attached with the writer especially if we hit it off well, and like a lot of activity and chatting.

That’s not to say I’m pushy/annoying about it (I know we all have lives) just PLEASE give me an idea of your activity before hand. My anxiety disorder and I will thank you.

That being said, if you prefer to keep some distance, that’s fine, but please have the courtesy to let me know about your boundaries. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.

Last thing, no ooc drama, don’t waste my time. If you send hate I’ll either reply IC or just ignore it all together. So do yourself a favor and unfollow me if you have an issue with my blog.

If you read to the end, please send a 🌸 (Sakura if mobile) as soon as either I or you approach for RPs. This will tell me if you read the rules or not.

TL;DR: I’M MOSTLY OPEN TO ANYTHING. I AM SELECTIVE WITH THREADS, BUT LOVE TO CHAT IC AND OOC WITH PEOPLE.

PLEASE PLOT WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO DO ANYTHING MORE THAN JUST FUN LITTLE THINGS.

[aeschylusresigned-blog]

all of them

((I’m guessing you mean the mun thing because I didn’t reblog anything else and if not and you’re just sending all of them out of context then wh o o boi I just put myself through An Ordeal for nothing.

☯ Is there a muse you’ve always wanted to play?

Yes! Nepeta!!!! I’ve always wanted to play her but I don’t have the confidence because I lack proper grasp of her character.

♣ Is there an author(s) that you look up to with your writing skills?

Ooo yes definitely. Beloved, for one, has the most amazing prose I have ever seen. I’ve learned a lot from their writing and I still aspire to someday be able to write something as breathtaking as their works. Quenive as well has spectacular writing and their stories and dialogue flow so well and j u st ohmy g od.

♧ Is there an RP partner(s) that you credit for becoming a better writer?

Definitely. I would say it was all of the people I’ve roleplayed with before that allowed me to develop Hal so much. The people in my old group chat definitely helped me flesh out different aspects of Hal that I could play (ie: sadist demon while still managing to be an angsty know-it-all) and the spontaneous connections on parp really helped me figure out how to play Hal in stupid situations while still keeping him ic.

♥ What’s your favorite ship with your muse?

Ha ha h a,,h,a,,,,wh ee zes

♡ Would you ever write a poly ship?

If anyone were actually interested in writing a poly ship with me, then yes definitely.

♦ What’s an AU that you’ve always wanted?

Oh boi there are just s o  m a n y. That one godstuck au maybe. That would be fun to play out. Also the generic vampire aus I am weak for them. There’s also the au’s I’ve made that would be fun to play out but they’re difficult to explain. Merstuck au’s are also amongst the favorites to play along with dragon rider au’s I love me my fantasy genre. Whoops that was more than one but listen ok I want a lot of AU’s.

♢ What’s an AU that you think just won’t work with your muse?

Hmmm I’m not sure. I can’t think of any at the top of my head but any AU that revolves around Jake probably wouldn’t work well with Hal.

♔ What’s your opinion on teacher/student verses? Do you have any of these as threads?

I’m not personally a fan of them and I can’t say I see the appeal but if that’s what rocks another person’s boat then I’m not going to be the one hating on them. As of the moment I don’t have any as threads.

♕ Do you like magic!anons? Why or why not?

Yes!! They’re a lot of fun and I always think throwing the unexpected at my muses is the greatest thing ever. 

⚜ What is the best time to write for you? Why?

Late afternoon or evening because that’s the time I’m awake and Functional and have actually thought of Creative ideas to write.

★ What type of historical AU would you like to do one day?

Maybe something based on the Renaissance period? Or the classic medieval period. Ancient Greece would also be fun to play out.

☆ What type of fantasy AU would you like to do one day?

There are many. Just, anything that is fantasy I probably want to do it. I’ve never really tried the whole AU with the fae/faeries so perhaps that would be fun to look into.

☄ Do you think your muse would have liked going to high school sports games? Do you or did you go to high school sports games?

Nope, he wouldn’t be interested in the actual sport. Going to see hot guys though? Definitely. I don’t generally go on a day to day basis because I understand like nothing. If a friend wanted me to go or a teacher was giving extra credit for me to then yeah I’d go.

☾ Do you like writing smut? Why or why not?

I have actually never written smut so I can’t really say. I think it’d be difficult for me to having had no experience whatsoever with anything relating to smut.

☽ Do you like writing angst? Why or why not?

Yes and no. Yes because I love to make my muse suffer and it’s great and fun to throw Tragic headcanons to my rp partner and to watch them suffer(not really) a well. No because,, I am a simple person,, who wants my muses to be happy,, and roleplaying angst fucking h u r t s.

☼ What’s an FC that you’re dying to use? Why?

Uhhhh???? I don’t really have one of a Real Life Person but I pretty much draw my own interpretations of Hal so? That probably counts maybe. 

☀ What’s an FC that you desperately want to play with? Why?

See above.

☁ What’s an FC that you refuse to play with? Why?

See also above. 

☂ How does your muse spend a rainy day? How do you spend a rainy day?

Napping against the window sill lulled to sleep by the gentle patter of rain falling upon the glass is how he spends a rainy day. I, on the other hand, spend it indoors on my laptop like I do every single day.

☃ If your muse was cartoonized, what would their FC be? Why?

???????

☺ What’s a character that you desperately want your muse to play with? Why?

Any of the robots. Literally any. I hardly ever get interactions with any of the robots it’s kind of sad.

☹ What’s a character that you refuse to play with? Why?

There aren’t any I would refuse to play with but there are some that I prefer to not interact with. This is due to the fact that either I or my muse or both dislikes the character and roleplaying with them would actually require more effort on my part.

☢ Are there any ships that you would like to write for one day? Any that you wouldn’t?

There are definitely ships I would like to write for one day because I’m a sucker for that really. There are also ships I wouldn’t but I’m not going to get into that because I don’t want to be involved in The Discourse.

☣ What’s one thing that will make you drop a thread?

If a mun godmodded my character or forced their character onto mine, probably.

♨ What’s a muse that you wished had lasted, but didn’t?

Mmm can’t really say I have one. All of my main muses stuck with me. I guess there were my OC’s that I used to rp with my friends but it’s not that much. I do wish that my friends and I could have lasted in rping with each other tho.

❀ Do you like reblog karma? Why or why not?

Assuming I have the correct definition of reblog karma, yes. It’s nice because it’s like a win win scenario. Everyone gets asks in their inbox and it’s kind of just polite y’know? Like a tip of the head “I see you like this rp meme just as I do so I’ll send you something so we both can enjoy it.”

✿ Do you have a mun FC? If so why did you choose that as your FC, and if not who would you choose?

Nnoot really? I have my own drawings of how I depict myself through my art if that counts.

♪♩♫ Does music inspire your muse? What’s one song on your playlist that reminds you of your muse?

Sometimes but not really. He doesn’t listen to music for inspiration, more of to fill the gaps of silence that occasionally settle in. Gasoline definitely reminds me of Hal. Definitely.

✂ Do you like to format your posts? Why or why not?

I like when other people do because it’s aesthetically pleasing and it’s so nice and spiffy. I, personally, don’t like to because it’s a pain in the ass and I only have so much patience.

✆ Other than RPing, what’s a hobby of yours?

Drawing! My icon and header is drawn by me so-

✉ Do you RP on any other platforms?

Does Parp count? Sometimes I use cherubplay too but not too often because the people there intimidate me.

❤ Have you or are you currently in love?

Romantically, probably not if you get what I’m hinting at. ;)

❥ Has something ever happened for you to hate a ship? Why?

Hoooo boi you can bet on it. Let’s just say an extended encounter with a really Toxic Roleplayer And Person In General has led to me disliking basically any ship involving a certain character.

ツ Who has been your favorite muse to play so far? Why?

Hal because he’s such an asshole I love it. I don’t generally get to be mean but man with Hal I can be as petty as I want.

回 Which muse was the worst to play? Why?

There was this once I tried to roleplay Dave and it just. It went terribly wrong I had no grasp on his character and I still don’t. Never again.

✘ People come in a group. If I were to look on your blog, who would I see you interacting with the most?

@timaeustestbed this one. This one @documentingsatan has also been taking up a lot of blog interaction lately too. Though they’re both the same people.

ღ Do you have a personal blog? Do you share it with your followers or do you keep it private?

I do! It’s linked right on my “mun page” lmao.

▼ Do you keep your character in character even if they are one of the worst people in the world?

I would like to think I do because Hal is objectively one of the worst people in the world. Though, I’ll admit I do a lot of justification for Hal’s actions from Hal’s point of view because Hal doesn’t see himself as a villain. Just a terrible person. I am also very soft on Hal and he probably acts happier than he should.

▽ Why did you create this muse?

True story but when I finished reading Homestuck I was like “shit I need to pick a character to roleplay” because that’s just what I did. I like to roleplay and Homestuck was such a large fandom that it was bound to be Fun to roleplay. There were many Failed and Subpar attempts to rp some characters on parp and I just couldn’t find a character that clicked, y’know. I tried John, Dave, Karkat, Jade, Rose, Dirk and just nope. And then. On a random spur as I scrolled through the available options in the Parp menu I saw “Lil Hal.” Of course, at the time, I only clicked it because I had thought I exhausted all other resources and if I fucked up everyone else why not fuck up this character I knew nothing about it (and I mean literally nothing about. I used to hate when Hal started talking in the comic because I thought it was so damn annoying). But surprise I was?? I was good at rping him?? People liked my shitty depiction of Hal. So I read more about Hal and how to play him and he just grew on me and here I am today.

[suzanneshannon]

What the web still is

Being a pessimist is an easy thing to fall back on, and I’m trying to be better about it. As we close the year out, I thought it would be a good exercise to take stock of the state of the web and count our blessings.

Versatile

We don't use the internet to do just one thing. With more than two decades of globally interconnected computers, the web allows us to use it for all manner of activity.

This includes platforms, processes, and products that existed before the web came into being, and also previously unimagined concepts and behaviors. Thanks to the web, we can all order takeout the same way we can all watch two women repair a space station in realtime.

Decentralized

There is still no one single arbiter you need to petition to sign off on the validity of your idea, or one accepted path for going about to make it happen. Any website can link out to, or be linked to, without having to pay a tax or file pre-approval paperwork.

While we have seen a consolidation of the services needed to run more sophisticated web apps, you can still put your ideas out for the entire world to see with nothing more than a static HTML page. This fact was, and still is, historically unprecedented.

Resilient

The internet has been called the most hostile environment to develop for. Someone who works on the web has to consider multiple browsers, the operating systems they are installed on, and all the popular release versions of both. They also need to consider screen size and quality, variable network conditions, different form factors and input modes, third party scripts, etc. This is to say nothing about serving an unknown amount of unknown users, each with their own thoughts, feelings, goals, abilities, motivations, proficiencies, and device modifications.

If you do it right, you can build a website or a web app so that it can survive a lot of damage before it is rendered completely inoperable. Frankly, the fact that the web works at all is nothing short of miraculous.

The failsafes, guardrails, redundancies, and other considerations built into the platform from the packet level on up allow this to happen. Honoring them honors the thought, care, and planning that went into the web's foundational principles.

Responsive

Most websites now make use of media queries to ensure their content reads and works well across a staggeringly large amount of devices. This efficient technology choice is fault-tolerant, has a low barrier of entry, and neatly side-steps the myriad problems you get with approaches such as device-sniffing and/or conditionally serving massive piles of JavaScript.

Responsive Design was, and still is revolutionary. It was the right answer, at the right place and time. It elegantly handled the compounding problem of viewport fragmentation as the web transformed from something new and novel into something that is woven into our everyday lives.

Adaptable

In addition to being responsive, the web works across a huge range of form factors, device capabilities, and specialized browsing modes. The post you are currently reading can show up on a laptop, a phone, a Kindle, a TV, a gas station pump, a video game console, a refrigerator, a car, a billboard, an oscilloscope—heck, even a space shuttle (if you’re reading this from space, please, please, please let me know).

It will work with a reading mode that helps a person focus, dark and high contrast modes that will help a person see, and any number of specialized browser extensions that help people get what they need. I have a friend who inverts her entire display to help prevent triggering migraines, and the web just rolls with it. How great is that?

Web content can be read, translated, spoken aloud, copied, clipped, piped into your terminal, forked, remixed, scraped by a robot, output as Braille, and even played as music. You can increase the size of its text, change its font and color, and block parts you don't want to deal with—all in the service of making it easier for you to consume. That is revolutionary when compared to the media that came before it.

Furthermore, thanks to things like Progressive Web Apps and Web Platform Features, the web now blends seamlessly into desktops and home screens. These features allow web content to behave like traditional apps and are treated as first-class citizens by the operating systems that support them. You don’t even necessarily need to be online for them to work!

Accessible

The current landscape of accessibility compliance is a depressing state of affairs. WebAIM’s Million report, and subsequent update, highlights this with a sobering level of detail.

Out of the top one million websites sampled, ~98% of home pages had programmatically detectable Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) errors. This represents a complete, categorical failure of our industry on every conceivable level, from developers and designers, to framework maintainers, all the way up to those who help steer the future of the platform.

And yet.

In that last stubborn two percent lives a promise of the web. Web accessibility—the ability for someone to use a website or web app regardless of their ability or circumstance—grants autonomy. It represents a rare space where a disabled individual may operate free from the immense amount of bias, misunderstanding, and outright hate that is pervasive throughout much of society. This autonomy represents not only freedom for social activities but also employment opportunities for a population that is routinely discriminated against.

There is a ton of work to do, and we do not have the luxury of defeatism. I’m actually optimistic about digital accessibility’s future. Things like Inclusive Design have shifted the conversation away from remediation into a more holistic, proactive approach to product design.

Accessibility, long viewed as an unglamorous topic, has started to appear as a mainstream, top-level theme in conference and workshop circuits, as well as popular industry blogs. Sophisticated automated accessibility checkers can help prevent you from shipping inaccessible code. Design systems are helping to normalize the practice at scale. And most importantly, accessibility practitioners are speaking openly about ableism.

Inexpensive

While the average size of a website continues to rise, the fact remains that you can achieve an incredible amount of functionality with a small amount of code. That’s an important thing to keep in mind.

It has never been more affordable to use the web. In the United States, you can buy an internet-ready smartphone for ~$40. Emerging markets are adopting feature phones such as the JioPhone (~$15 USD) at an incredible rate. This means that access to the world’s information is available to more people—people who traditionally may have never been able to have such a privilege.

Think about it: owning a desktop computer represented having enough steady income to be able to support permanent housing, as well as consistent power and phone service. This created an implicit barrier to entry during the web’s infancy.

The weakening of this barrier opens up unimaginable amounts of opportunity, and is an excellent reminder that the web really is for everyone. With that in mind, it remains vital to keep our payload sizes down. What might be a reflexive CMD + R for you might be an entire week’s worth of data for someone else.

Diverse

There are more browsers available than I have fingers and toes to count on. This is a good thing. Like any other category of software, each browser is an app that does the same general thing in the same general way, but with specific design decisions made to prioritize different needs and goals.

My favorite browser, Firefox, puts a lot of its attention towards maintaining the privacy and security of its users. Brave is similar in that regard. Both Edge and Safari are bundled with their respective operating systems, and have interfaces geared towards helping the widest range of users browse web content. Browsers like Opera and Vivaldi are geared towards tinkerers, people who like a highly customized browsing experience. Samsung Internet is an alternative browser for Android devices that can integrate with their proprietary hardware. KaiOS and UC browsers provide access to millions of feature phones, helping them to have smartphone-esque functionality. Chrome helps you receive more personalized ads efficiently debug JavaScript.

Browser engine diversity is important as well, although the ecosystem has been getting disturbingly small as of late. The healthy competition multiple engines generates translates directly to the experience becoming better for the most important people in the room: Those who rely on the web to live their everyday lives.

Speaking of people, let’s discuss the web’s quality of diversity and how it applies to them: Our industry, like many others, has historically been plagued by ills such as misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism. However, the fact remains that the ability to solve problems in the digital space represents a rare form of leverage that allows minoritized groups to have upward economic mobility.

If you can't be motivated by human decency, it’s no secret that more diverse teams perform better. We’ve made good strides in the past few years towards better representation, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Listen to, and signal boost the triumphs, frustrations, and fears of the underrepresented in our industry. Internalize their observations and challenge your preconceived notions and biases. Advocate for their right to be in this space. Educate yourself on our industry’s history. Support things like codes of conduct, which do the hard work of modeling and codifying expectations for behavior. All of this helps to push against a toxic status quo and makes the industry better for everyone.

Standardized

The web is built by consensus, enabling a radical kind of functionality. This interoperability—the ability for different computer systems to be able to exchange information—is built from a set of standards we have all collectively agreed on.

Chances are good that a web document written two decades ago will still work with the latest version of any major browser. Any web document written by someone else—even someone on the opposite side of the globe—will also work. It will also continue to work on browsers and devices that have yet to be invented. I challenge you to name another file format that supports this level of functionality that has an equivalent lifespan.

This futureproofing by way of standardization also allows for a solid foundation of support for whatever comes next. Remember the principle of versatile: It is important to remember that these standards are also not prescriptive. We’re free to take these building blocks use arrange them in a near-infinite number of ways.

Open

Furthermore, this consensus is transparent. While the process may seem slow sometimes, it is worth highlighting the fact that the process is highly transparent. Anyone who is invested may follow, and contribute to web standards, warts and all.

It’s this openness that helps to prevent things like hidden agendas, privatization, lock-in, and disproportionate influence from consolidating power. Open-source software and protocols and, most importantly, large-scale cooperation also sustain the web platform’s long-term growth and health. Think of web technologies that didn’t make it: Flash, Silverlight, ActiveX, etc. All closed, for-profit, brittle, and private.

It also helps to disincentive more abstract threats, things like adversarial interoperability and failure to disclose vulnerabilities. These kinds of hazards are a good thing to remember any time you find yourself frustrated with the platform.

Make no mistake: I feel a lot of what makes the web great is actively being dismantled, either inadvertently or deliberately. But as I mentioned earlier, cynicism is easy. My wish for next year? That all the qualities mentioned here are still present. My New Year’s resolution? To help ensure it.

The post What the web still is appeared first on CSS-Tricks.

What the web still is published first on https://deskbysnafu.tumblr.com/

[thesunnyshow]

EPISODE 4: MILLY

Writing Blog URL(s): @bumblebeenct 

Name: Milly

Age: 18

Nationality: Welsh

Languages: English

Star Sign: Capricorn

MBTI: ISFP-T

What fandom(s) do you write for?

 I write for NCT, but I have written for Harry Potter in the past

When did you post your first piece?

Around the empathy era I’m pretty sure, 2018? I used to do moodboards only but I was inspired by other writers to give it a go

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why?

I find that I stick to the fluff/angst tropes because they’re easier to formulate because I can relate myself to the scenario more. I also find that its also more interesting to write angst because there's complications to a story that take longer to form and you have to really think about the different emotions the characters are feeling.

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc?

I write x reader mostly, but at some point in the future I’m thinking of writing an OC purely because the concept I want to focus on has a particular emphasis on name and I don’t think it would work with y/n

Why did you start writing on Tumblr?

I used to use Wattpad but it was very difficult to promote myself and I struggled to meet anyone through it. On tumblr it was much easier to orientate and the community was so much nicer. 

What inspires you to write?

My mutuals! And other writers on tumblr, everyone is so supportive and kind it’s amazing. Also the feedback I sometimes get from readers, it makes me really happy whenever I get a comment or someone interacts with a piece I enjoyed writing, or alternatively when someone supports a fic I wasn’t confident in as it really boosts my confidence :)

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most?

School/ College aus because they’re very familiar and I am confident in getting the tropes and ideas right. But I also like works inspired by movies or songs because there’s so much to work from and it’s nice to see where you can take the plot and lyrics in your own story.

What do you hope your readers take away from your work?

That writing is for everyone, honestly at the end of the day I’m just a kid in my room writing stories about artists I’m a really big fan of. If you want to write you can, and you don’t have to necessarily be a “big” blog or writer to do it. 

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively?

Take a break, that’s my first port of call - usually in the method of food or I look at the inspiration material again, I listen to the song, read the lyrics, consult my friends and mutuals for help. It’s always good to be able to put something down to start again later when you’re struck with inspiration

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful?

My favourite personally at the moment (since one I really like is currently, as of answering this question, unpublished) is ‘Remember Me’ purely because it was the work I was the most passionate about writing and it really let me explore a new field of writing, since a lot of my stuff had been fluff before. My most successful in terms of notes is my Mark one shot ‘Sugar and Spice’ and I’m very proud of it.

Who is your favorite person to write about?

Park Jisung, my ult bias, I have to convince myself to write for other members sometimes as I often resist the urge to be a Jisung blog. However I have been enjoying writing for Mark and Hendery recently, as my other NCT biases

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose?

To a certain extent yes, it really depends on the writer. For many fanfiction stories, including ones we may label “cliche” the only difference is who it’s about, there are countless amazing fics I’ve read which I would assume could be made into a novel, the only thing making it fanfiction being the characters themselves.

What do you think makes a good story?

Feeling! There’s nothing that really constitutes a “good story” as it’s all subjective, but if you can read a story and feel what the characters feel, or even just see the emotions the writer is trying to portray then it’s definitely a good story. I’ve cried while reading most of, if not all my favourite stories.

What is your writing process like?

I plan first in a little notebook so I don’t forget any of my ideas or plans and then I try to churn it out whenever I have access to my computer, my speaker and a comfortable blanket. I like to “get in the zone” and then write as much as I possibly can. I usually think of ideas as I write so the notebook helps me put them in order and make sure I don’t get too ahead of myself.

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story?

I have thought about it and honestly, I’m not sure. My fics are not series’ and they’re all very short - most of them under 4k so I’d have to turn the idea into a full length thing you know? But I have thought about doing the opposite with a very old original story of mine I’ve otherwise given up on but still holds a special place in my heart.

What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand?

I am a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope mainly because the character development in these stories can be so much more interesting and complex. On the other hand I’m not fond of “yandere” type fics, however I have read several well written ones which I cannot speak against because they were actually really good.

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you?

I’d say a lot, in terms of how much I write feedback means a lot to me - it’s also nice to hear what people think of things you’ve written because it’s a different view from your own and sometimes can boost confidence. I am also open to constructive criticism if any writers have any tips or suggestions for future works I’m always open to listen. 

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)?

When I see anyone interacting with my work it’s really rewarding and I love when people reblog with custom tags because it lets me know that people actually like what I do and to me, that’s a success.

Favorite color: Purple

Favorite food: Pasta

Favorite movie: Heathers (1988)

Favorite ice cream flavor: Cookie Dough

Favorite animal:  I would say bees, but I don’t think that counts so I’ll say dogs

Coffee or tea? What are you ordering?

Coffee, either black or a really fancy one with frothy milk

Dream job (whether you have a job or not)

 I’d love to be a singer honestly, but at the moment I’m working towards education I hope one day to be a lecturer

Go-to karaoke song

 Best Part by Daniel Caesar or Escape (the pina colada song) by Robert Holmes because it’s funny

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose?

 Stopping time because there’s so much you can do - except the question is, would I continue to age even if time has stopped?

If you could visit a historical era, which would you choose?

My mind goes to two extremes, I think either ancient Greece because why not and the 1950’s purely for fashion and music.

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you?

No, but I think if I could restart specific moments I would. There are so many good moments but some things you don’t want to relive even if you can change the outcome.

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken?

100 chicken sized horses, I’d be terrified of a horse sized chicken it would probably be able to eat me and I’m not about that life, tiny horses I can deal with. Kill them with Kindness or whatever haha.

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been?

A mix of quiet teachers pet and loud side character friend. The duality kills me, I can be shouting with my friends one minute but whispering the minute the teacher asks me a question.

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures?

I’d like to, I think some are really cool and it would be amazing to live among them, but also some are dangerous, but I would love to see or meet some creatures. Imagine living with dragons man that would be epic.

What are some of your favorite hobbies and how did you get into them?

I really like reading, courtesy of Harry Potter, but I also enjoy singing and playing the piano which I started doing more often in secondary school when my piano teacher suggested I started to sing as well :)

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know?

I did Karate for about 10/11 years, and I’m a black belt *insert awkward smile here*

Do you think fanfic writers get unfairly judged?

A lot of the time yes, there is a stigma around fanfiction and often paints us in a negative light but we just happen to be a community of creative fans who want to share and support the people we write about. But I can see where the stigma comes from, sometimes it can be taken a bit far and I am aware that some things make the artists themselves uncomfortable. I think if people who judge fanfiction are referring to it as a single idea it becomes unfair because it is all different, but I also think that writers of fanfiction themselves have to make sure they don’t cross any boundaries when writing that could make readers or the artist (if they ever happened to stumble across your work) uncomfortable.

Do you think art can be a medium for change?

Yes in some ways of course. Art is not only a way to express what the creator themselves is feeling but it is also a way to teach others about issues, prejudices and ideals. For literature specifically it allows you into the shoes of another person you may not have understood before, in art pieces there’s a clear message and encourages people to educate themselves on certain issues which in turn makes room for change.

Do you ever feel there are times when you’re writing for others, rather than yourself?

Sometimes if i’ve been suggested or requested to write something because it isn’t an idea that comes for me but mainly if I am aware that someone is waiting for a fic or someone has said they’re anticipating it I feel like I’m writing for others, but I don’t particularly mind it because it almost encourages me to write to a better standard.

Do you ever feel like people have misunderstood you or your writing at times?

Not particularly, I'm often as clear as I can be when portraying meaning, or I will straight up say it in a different thread or to different people because I can’t keep secrets and I’m a sucker for a spoiler. Although I am constantly worried about the way I come off in messages and things like that - I am a terrible overthinker.

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr?

A few of my closest friends and other kpop stans I am friends with irl are aware of my blog and support me as much as they can with what little information I give them. I think only one of my irls has my url because she reads and I send her my binge reviews when I do them.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers?

Thank you so much, honestly it’s cheesy but without them I don’t know where my blog would be. The amount of them surprises me everyday and I don’t think I believe it half the time. Also if anyone ever needs help or support or just wants a chat I’m open, its 100% likely that if you interact with me or my posts on the regular then I will recognise you when you come say hi, I’m not that scary I promise.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there?

Just do it! It’s better to get your stuff out there and circulating to get a better idea of what people like and where your strong suit is, the more you put out the more you grow. But if you’re scared, talk to other creators, we’re always open to help and we can let you know what to do, it was something that helped me out :)

Are there any times when you regret joining Tumblr?

When I first started there was a lot of struggle with me trying to figure out my style and what I wanted to do, and it was a learning curve of what can I do, what should I avoid and who am I doing this for. Sometimes when I’m really down I will question why I do it, but I never regret it because it has allowed me to make some wonderful friends and be exposed to some amazing creations and get more into something I’ve always liked doing, writing.

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey?

I don’t want this to be too long, but I feel like it could be. I’ve met so many wonderful people and I love all of them so much, but in terms of being formative and supportive these are some of the people I talk to the most. @renjunwrites - I am a huge fan of Denise and to even be able to be in conversation with her about the stuff she writes is mindblowing to me, @nanasarea - nana was one of the first people I spoke to (before I joined discord) and was really accepting of my antics from day one. @glossyjaems - me and Louna have become very close recently and I can’t wait for our project to launch, keep an eye out for that. @mjlkau Anie is really one of the biggest supporters I have, always willing to read what I send her and give me support and love. There’s so many more people I’d love to mention but this would go on forever, to anyone ever involved in my writing process I’m thinking of you as I write this and I love you all (I feel really bad not talking about every single one omg).

Ending thoughts:

“We’ll be alright, I want to try again” - Try Again d.ear (ft. Jaehyun) because this is something I hold close, ‘try again, we’ll all be alright in the end’

BONUS: K-POP CONFIDENTIAL

Interested in your very own episode of The Sunny Show? Find out how to apply here.

[tripstations]

Luxury travel news this week

By Paul Johnson on Jun 30, 2019 in Accommodation, Air Travel, Asia, Europe, Featured, France, Hotels, North America, Regions, Resorts, Road Travel, Singapore, Speciality Travel, USA, Washington DC, Western Europe

Here’s a round-up of luxury travel stories that have caught the eye this week. To make sure you receive these new weekly alerts in your web browser, please click on the red bell icon in the bottom right hand corner of the page and click ‘subscribe’ (works on desktop only – for other ways to subscribe, please click here). This will also alert you to any other posts on the blog. Should you wish, you can unsubscribe at any time, by clicking on the icon again and selecting ‘unsubscribe’.

France records all-time highest temperature of 45.9C

France recorded temperatures nearly two degrees higher than its previous record and firefighters continued to battle historic wildfires in Spain as much of western Europe remained in the grip of an extreme early-summer heatwave on Friday. The French state weather forecaster, Météo-France, said the temperature in Gallargues-le-Montueux in the Gard département hit 45.9C at 4.20pm on Friday… [read more]

Take a look inside the luxury jet billed as a ‘flying cruise ship’ that the Red Sox took to London for their series against the Yankees

The Boston Red Sox flew to London in style for their upcoming series against the New York Yankees. While baseball players might be used to chartered flights, the Red Sox took things to another level for their trip to London, flying aboard the Crystal Skye— a Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner wide-body jet from Crystal AirCruises. According to The Action Network’s Darren Rovell, the flight cost the team $500,000, but taking a look around the interior, it’s easy to see why the trip is so expensive… [read more]

Here are 9 crazy features found on high-end luxury cars

They’re not called high-end luxury cars for nothing. They take opulence a step further with all kinds of outrageous options that would have most people scratching their heads. But hey, it’s all about what you want, right? You have to have that one veneer, that intricate clock, and that special exterior color that doubles the manufacturing time of your Bentley or Rolls-Royce. Here are nine crazy features on high-end luxury cars that you can find today… [read more]

Singapore’s second ‘ultra-luxurious’ Raffles hotel is coming to Sentosa in 2022, and a Raffles Bali will open next year

The Raffles Hotel on 1 Beach Road has for a long time been recognised as one of Singapore’s most iconic and historic brands. Now, the brand is bringing brand new excitement to the hospitality scene here with a planned second hotel set to open on Singapore’s Sentosa island… [read more]

Luxury done differently: why Seattle’s billionaire society prefers biking and hiking to fancy hotels and traditional fine dining

On first glance, Seattle is decidedly unflashy. Walk the length of Pike Place market, in fact, where the stalls sell hippie t-shirts, sauerkraut and bagels, and the vibe feels happily countercultural. But if first impressions make you think Seattle is the city that luxury forgot, all hash cakes and sensible shoes, you’ve missed something major. With multi-billion-dollar businesses such as Starbucks, Microsoft, Boeing and Amazon all headquartered here (not to mention Jeff Bezos himself, the richest man on the planet), this is a place that delivers luxury readily, just discreetly – and differently… [read more]

We really enjoy hearing from our readers and would love to hear your views on any of these stories! Please click on the comments below and share your thoughts. Thank you.

Have a story you’d like to share? Please contact us for details.

The post Luxury travel news this week appeared first on Tripstations.

from Tripstations https://ift.tt/2ZSCI2g via IFTTT

[yes-dal456]

Of Course Cancer Isn't Random

Despite the study in one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, and the high-profile media coverage of it: no, cancer is absolutely NOT mostly random and a product of “bad luck.” It wasn’t true when these same investigators published very similar work generating very similar media hype and nonsense two years ago, and it isn’t true now. 

That’s what I want to talk about, but must hasten to append the obvious proviso: cancer can, rarely, be or at least seem utterly random. But to call cancer random because a child rarely gets retinoblastoma or glioblastoma, or because a non-smoker gets lung cancer would be like calling injury from violence “random” because of what stray bullets can do to innocent bystanders. In both cases, horrible things have happened for no apparent reason.

Of course, even the most apparently random of terrible fate may not be truly, completely random. We have abused our planet in innumerable ways and riddled our environment with a vast inventory of toxins. Perhaps some of the most seemingly random cancers to affect the human body are related to such transgressions by the body politic. Similarly, a stray bullet and its victim can be utterly random- but such a tragedy is more likely, and more common, in a society with a highly permissive attitude about guns and the profits attached to their exchange.

In such ways, then, cancer can be “random”- but overwhelmingly, it is not. 

The evidence we have that cancer is often, even routinely preventable by choices we can make singly (i.e., lifestyle), or collectively (i.e., policy, and the social/environmental determinants of health), is nothing short of incontrovertible. We have clear data linking a number of modifiable exposures, tobacco salient among them, to cancer incidence. We observe enormous variations in cancer rates, both in general and of specific types, among different populations around the world. We even observe an enormous change in cancer rates when the same population, with the same genes, changes its environment and lifestyle.

How, then, could it be- as the prevailing coverage of the new paper in Science suggests- that cancer is mostly about “bad luck”? It cannot be, and it is not.

Now, as two years ago, the researchers at Johns Hopkins examined the correlation between a type of mutation, called replication error, and the incidence of cancer by tissue type. The principal difference between this study and the prior was that they looked only at the U.S. population last time, and this time, the sample was global. With all due respect to these investigators, the other major difference is that this time, they overstated the implications of their research rather more egregiously. Last time, in their study title of January, 2015, these authors only said that cancer was often attributable to random mutations. This time, they go on to assert in their title the implications for cancer prevention.

Specifically, the researchers suggest that since so much cancer is associated with random mutations, primary prevention- forestalling cancer from developing at all- simply isn’t possible. Their advice is, in effect, more cancer screening: colonoscopy, mammography, and such.

I fully support cancer screening, of course, but the study authors’ assertion is nonetheless wrong. For one thing, we simply lack reliable screening approaches for many, even most cancers. For another, the conflation of mutations in tissues for cancers in people is as misleading as it was two years ago.

This entire line of research basically indicates that when cells divide and DNA is replicated, copy errors occur. We knew that. It also indicates that the frequency of those errors correlates with the frequency of cell division. We knew that as well, and it’s why tumors of the brain and heart are very rare, while tumors of the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive organs are common. The latter are tissues with high rates of cell division, and into the bargain, large surfaces exposed to potential toxins from without or within.

So, the key finding about copy errors in DNA could be translated to a corollary about copies of office memos: the more copies somebody in the office makes, the more likely that an error will turn up in their batch of copies. More copies, more errors.

Why, then, doesn’t this mean what we are now being told it means- that we are all rather helpless victims of replicative happenstance, prone to more frequent cancer in our more frequently dividing tissues? For two reasons at least.

First, there can be a high, or even nearly perfect correlation between mutations and cancer in a given tissue, and yet be massive variation in the absolute frequency of both in tandem with environmental factors and lifestyle practices. So, for instance, there could be a “random” mutation associated with breast cancer 75% of the time in both the U.S., and Japan- but the rate of breast cancer in Japanese women could be only half that of American women. Historically, in fact, that has been the case- although sadly, the rate of breast cancer is rising in Japan with globalization and the subordination of traditional, cultural practices to bacon-cheese burgers, fries, and Coca-Cola for all. 

Second, a mutation is not a clinical cancer; not by a long shot. We are all subject to mutations all the time. The tissues that divide most often, and produce the most mutations, are also apt to renew themselves routinely. We slough, and replace, our inner and outer linings- skin, and intestinal epithelium- at a very high rate. Many of the mutations that occur there may be jettisoned accordingly. 

When mutations occur in cells not carted out with the trash, the body may nonetheless dispatch them effectively. Among the many crucial functions of the immune system is “immunosurveillance,” prowling the body for rogue cells. The very lifestyle and environmental factors associated with low rates of cancer foster the efficiency of immunosurveillance; converse exposures conspire against it, offering mutated cells an exploitable opportunity.

Lastly, cancer develops through a sequence of well-delineated steps, of which a relevant mutation is only the first: initiation. The second, progression, is again highly dependent on lifestyle practices and environmental conditions. Mutations can occur rather instantaneously, while progression is a process often involving years, even decades. Thus, the greatest cancer prevention opportunities reside at this step, to which the new study is inattentive. A mutation may be necessary for cancer to develop, but it is with rare exception quite far from sufficient.

We might say, I suppose, that ships sink randomly because ships tend to sink in storms at sea, and storms at sea are not under our control. The analogy with cancer is fairly robust. Storms at sea are random to a degree, but we also know where, and in what season, they are most common. Similarly, we know about social, environmental, and lifestyle factors that favor mutation, and impair immunosurveillance. More importantly, although any ship is more likely to sink in a storm than in fine weather, the likelihood of shipwreck varies, of course, with the competency of captain and crew, and the seaworthiness of the vessel. 

Mutations are the storms; the human body is the vessel; and we are captains, all.  Cancer is, to be sure, a constant threat- like storms at sea. But it is generally no more random than the risk of shipwreck.

For scientists to be heard above the constant cyberspatial din of modern life, there is some insidious pressure to push the implications of research findings as far as the proverbial envelope will bear. For the media to garner attention above the same background static and in ever tighter news cycles, there is rather overt incentive for hyperbolic and even willfully absurd headlines. Since this appears to be rule rather than exception where science and media collide, there is nothing random about it. 

In this case, since much the same research generated much the same misrepresentations two years ago- we may reasonably consider the entire episode a replication error. 

-fin

David L. Katz

Director, Yale University Prevention Research Center; Griffin Hospital

Immediate Past-President, American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Senior Medical Advisor, Verywell.com

Founder, The True Health Initiative

Follow at: LinkedIN; Twitter; Facebook

Read at: INfluencer Blog; Huffington Post; US News & World Report; Verywell; Forbes

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from http://ift.tt/2nnv796 from Blogger http://ift.tt/2mSWc85