#and who (i think) would probably observe fashion trends the most

[wh00psramblings]

look, i get it. fabian is a jock but that doesnt mean hes not fashionable and i think some of yall arnt giving this guys wardrobe any credit bc yes he probably does own a bunch of sweats n a bunch of tank tops and work out shirts but do you truly think

this mf is being caught wearing sweats n a work out top to school??? in junior fucking year???

life is a mother fucking runway (and toxic masculinity is dead) so i raise you

this guy has a collection of button up cotton shirts he never fully buttons, an aggressive amount of designer hoodies/jackets (i also choose to believe he has a collection of vintage jewellery) and may i remind you that he listened to and really liked rubens emo music

[gemsofgreece]

I find it so sad that many greeks dont appreciate aspects of our history and culture like the byzantine era and our rich folklore. We have so much beautiful music, art and tradition that developed long after antiquity, but it gets glossed over because people are ashamed for some reason. Why do you think that is? Is this a uniquely greek problem?

No, it is not a uniquely Greek problem. I have observed this in several nations that would be considered on the "weak" side. Weaker nations are more susceptible to the influence of powerful countries. It's how fashion works, it's no different at all. If you look and sound and speak like you are from a richer country, you hope people will think more highly of you. The irony is that this is essentially never true. Most people can smell the lack of self-esteem and authenticity from a mile away.

However, the situation is even more complicated in Greece's case. Most countries on the weak side simply get ignored overall (which is also problematic). Greece is fortunate or unfortunate (you decide) that elements of it are disproportionately glorified and it is really so disproportionate that the part that would normally *just* be ignored receives in this case enormous hate for not being identical to the part that is glorified.

The susceptible Greeks, who are usually young people, teens, people with limited knowledge of history and understanding of politics (and there's a lot of them) are particularly vulnerable in internalising the foreign perceptions about their country and the culture. The reasoning is simple: oh this country loves x thing about us and hates y thing about us >>> that country is rich and powerful and its lifestyle is trending >>> surely they must be right then in their assessment of us >>> I am gonna focus on the things they love about us and reject the other things >>> I am going to be accepted and respected.

Something else also happened that is unique in Greece's case: the unprecedented global team-up to ruin the country's reputation during the financial crisis. Media and foreign people were out for blood at the time and I have yet to see other poor countries or even countries with dictators or countries that have committed or do commit war crimes or crimes against humanity to get an equal amount of systemic and well organized disdain in the way Greece got for a full decade due to... the politicians mismanaging its finances. There are Americans who can't tell the place of their own state on the map, let alone Greece's but at the name's mention, they go "oh you got a financial crisis there hahaha!". Still, twelve years later. It's really interesting to observe this.

This, alongside the real problems in Greek economy and society, made it a 100 times easier for many people to internalise this crooked foreign - probably racist - perception of things. Nowadays, a lot of Greeks remain particularly pessimistic and defeated. They have also reasoned that if they had maintained the elements of what made Ancient Greece so powerful and inspiring to the West (constant civil wars? bovine sacrifice to Apollo? chitons? women in the house until they die? philosophizing inside a large amphora? really not sure what all these people mean after all, more likely they don't know what they are talking about) our position in the world and the economy would certainly be much better. Of course, in order to truly believe all this you must have a huge deficit in critical thought and understanding of history, no matter if you are a Greek or a foreigner.

People nowadays are less brainwashed than they were during the peak of the crisis, fortunately. But there is distance to be walked still and our dystopian politics don't make this any easier. Young people don't get any help from the school. To develop their critical thinking. To become self-assured people. As long as the educational system ails, don't expect much.

[dynamimight]

cw: THIS IS NOT A FIC, the internet is simply my diary lmao. just a lil thing to get stuff about tumblr rn out of my head. read if you please, i also rly want to talk about this w/ppl 😭😭 (readmore bc i put this in fandom tags)

i recently have been feeling a certain kind of way about reading fanfic; if i find myself scrolling (bored/looking for fun stories as always) i kinda just quickly scroll through the whole page and give?? up??? like im not as excited as i used to be. this is for a few reasons:

1. i feel like a lot of fics are the same now 👍🏼 not a terrible thing, but i really look back to the quarantine era of "forced creativity" (a different conversation) and think about just how much people were writing; not to "give out content," but to truly explore an online writing community and do something that was worthwhile. the resurgence if the "[as]" trend on tiktok really put that into perspective for me: quarantine forced ppl to explore creativity, created job opportunities based on that (influencers/content creators as we now know them), and really pushed artistry to the point of basic normalcy. even though this was a cool kind of thing (seeing so many ppl create), our level of understanding art and its brilliance was lowered. which brings me to point 2-

2. a good amount of the "creative era" of quarantine was simply ppl replicating other ppl's original ideas, or straight out stealing them to add an extra topping of fame, bc ofc "everybody wants to be famous." my best examples of this are the two sides of the tiktok coin: dancing & damelio.

dancing became a big thing, and it made sense to start dancing trends; a trend is just popularity + replication. but charli damelio becoming famous for creating one of those trends and it later being stated that a completely different girl, jalaiah harmon, created it and had no recognition until the news came out?

and yes, she was on ellen, but that pales in comparison to the millions of dollars that the damelio family made bc of one instance of improperly following a trend.

and that's what i see now with multiple online spaces; they've become boring bc everyone is doing the same thing w/o giving proper credit to anyone. before content creation & whatnot became huge, no one irl would go around seriously saying tht they created some huge, celebrity-reach trend without being checked.

now, the difference between tiktok and fanfic pertaining to "trends" is based on power imbalance. no one is gonna believe a middle schooler saying that they started the trend of wearing skirts over jeans when it was very obviously some a-list celeb. in writing, you look to your favorite authors, poets, etc. and formulate your own writing style. whether that's word choice, plot format, or anything else you can cultivate to your own writing experience.

while you can always put your own spin on new dance/fashion trend, writing is different. you wouldn't put a spin on a classic in the same way: it would be a modern retelling, or smth symbolic of the original. adding an extra move is is not equal to adding an extra sentence. and that is what leads me to my final point-

3. writing is becoming/has became very formulaic. a good amount of fics in the most popular fandoms here follow a similar style. we see this with the short cycle of complaints that went around when the fic format of "short blurb with a group of character names under it" came about. along with the fact that the format probably came from the notoriously unoriginal & wattpad-esque booktok, everyone who wanted activity in their notifs was using that format. and so now, with every new group of teens that comes here to enjoy stories and explore writing, the new "trend" isn't a fully fleshed out story: it's like pushing out content.

i'm not complaining, and i'm not saying that everyone lacks originality. i enjoy whatever ppl put out bc i know that any form of writing comes from some place within. i am simply making a written observation of something i've noticed happen over the last couple of years- being a younger teen when it started, and now growing into the basics of adulthood.

the internet is my diary lol

[lilmackiereads]

IF I HAD YOUR FACE (2020) BY FRANCES CHA SPOILER FREE REVIEW

A couple months back I finished If I Had Your Face (2020) by Frances Cha. I was drawn in by the gorgeous magenta and yellow cover of a lovely Korean woman looking lost in thought. This review will discuss my thoughts on plot and characters without giving away spoilers. For spoilers or comparisons of your opinions to mine, check out my Spoiler-Filled Review.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The story relates the lives of five young Korean women in Seoul who each have their own personal and family hardships. The main ladies we receive first-person narration from are Ara, a mute hairstylist with a tragic past and a K-pop obsession, Kyuri, a room salon worker who knows all the coolest plastic surgery and fashion trends, Miho, a Korean-American artist who made her way out of an orphanage, and Wonna, a newlywed facing the uncertainty of motherhood. While there are five main storylines we hear about, one of the women, Sujin, does not get any chapter narration and thus we can only discover her story via the observation of the other women in the group. She is saving up to be like her role-model, Kyuri, in hopes to be considered rich and beautiful by South Korean standards. I like that this story brings together friendship, through hardship and fun, as well as talking about economic strife and the harsh standards of beauty, marriage, and motherhood expected in their society as women.

I do not know a whole lot about Asian culture, let alone South Korean culture so some of the cultural standards seemed very odd to me. For instance, plastic surgery is not considered taboo/ high maintenance/ unnatural in South Korea as it is in many parts of the United States but is rather encouraged as a way to compete for better opportunities in romance and the workplace. Due to this, I feel like I was able to relate to Miho the most because she is Korean born but spent a few years in the United States as a young adult and is considered the "odd" one of the group due to her American customs and opinions on individuality (American belief) vs community (Asian belief).

My favorite character was Ara because I feel like she had a lot of spunk and I feel like she and I have similar interests and reactions to life's challenges. While I like Miho a lot, some of her decisions made me CRINGE. The most heart-breaking story for me was Wonna and why she is so worried about becoming a mother. Kyuri and Sujin were ok, but I feel like their characters revolved so heavily around working in the salon room and getting plastic surgery that there was not a lot of other interesting things happening in their lives in my opinion. Reading their sections just made me kind of sad to be honest because they were so pretty on the outside but so sad and ashamed on the inside.

This book reminds me a lot of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which I have not read but I have seen both films. However, I think this story relates on a lot darker topics, such as body modification, physical-emotional-and mental abuse, working in the sex and service industry, suicide, adultery, and alcholism.

Would I read this book again?

Probably not because I think the story ended without a lot of the questions I had unanswered. Also, the backstories on most of the women is just pretty depressing. However, I think it is a very interesting book and is worth the read, especially if you are interested in Korean culture.

[saint-starflicker]

I — (we're off to a great start) don't personally have a problem with reading fanfiction that's being told in first person, and if the character voice in my mind insists enough during the creative process then I do lean into writing that way.

There is a trend I observed that's scapegoating fanfiction and YA literature together for the decline of media literacy (Zynart in that '“book lovers” don’t love anything about books and it’s weird' post, and video essayist Laura Crone in 'the pink aisle of crime fiction must be stopped'—to be clear, both were excellent otherwise but I was confused by their going right to disparaging fanfictions and YA Lit without qualifying why those modes and categories of prose apparently deserved to be disparaged. It was giving bandwagon.)

I say it's important to note that those two — fanfiction and YA Lit — get fashionably disparaged in the same breath because of this one detail:

Young Adult gets told in first person as an industry standard.

I learned that bit from interviews with a singer/actor turned author that I admire. His debut original novel was YA, and he initially expected his editor to tell him to cut down on the cussing or limit the number of implied sex scenes...but the actual instructions this author got was that he has to tell the story in first person.

And I think that's related in a roundabout way to somebody I used to know offline having two dealbreakers in book recommendations: Is it told in first person? Is the protagonist a teenaged girl? If the answer is yes to either, then she won't touch it. She already knows she's going to hate that book.

My points of reference are scant: only two unrelated internet essayists threw in a "fanfictions and YA literature bad", so it's not exactly a widespread meme that I can really call scapegoating or hate-bandwagoning if a whole two people did it one time each years ago; the stated personal experience of one dilettante YA Lit author who's moving on to writing adult autofiction? memoirs? next anyway; and one, uh, that.

But if you will allow me a red string corkboard meme moment...

...I'm finding a pattern, here...

First person prose is getting stigmatized as conceited and immature.

And as you pointed out, plenty of classical literature gets told in first person. Well, yes, and I think that's because during that era, if I recall this was around the 19th century, it was third person that was getting stigmatized as "unrealistic" and therefore philosophically unfashionable. First person in adult literature was probably industry standard to stay profitable during that trend back when, for very different reasons that first person would be an industry-standard imposition on YA Lit today.

But because YA Lit is marketed towards younger people and read by younger people, then I suspect the mere exposure can get inexperienced readers who become inexperienced writers most likely to publish a fanfiction that is also in first person—if that's what they're more often shown, that most of what they read is told in first person.

That inexperience might show in other ways: difficulty capturing and replicating character voice, stilted descriptions, limited understanding of character motivations if it's in conflict with the fanfiction author's favorite, difficulty writing subtext, difficulty committing to plot or polishing things up for pacing—Even experienced writers will have some of these weaknesses, but when it's all together like this and almost always in first person while being like this...then fanfiction readers pick up on that pattern and then they get snobbish about the use of first person in the same way as my offline acquaintance up there.

Recently I saw a lot people complain about fanfictions that are written in first person and I do not agree.

Yeah of course you can have your own preferences and it's totally fine to not read what you don't enjoy. You do you!

But like I personally don't get why that's a problem? Can't a fic be well written and life changing in first person? Why is third person better?

Also as a fic writer myself this really makes me kind of insecure about my writing. Most of my fics are in third person, but there are two in first, because I think it's necessary to tell their story.

So could someone enlighten me and tell me what you guys think is so bad?

Also why is it accepted in many (classic) novels, but not in fanfic?

Why do you guys don't like your blorbo telling a story frrom their perspective?

I'm looking forward to your answers!

[ulubionywuja]

🖤 Non-obvious tips for babybats / new goths 🖤

Hello! My blog is a small one, but I still hope someone will find this helpful. So. There are plenty of “tips for babybats” videos on youtube and now probably tiktok, but they’re always basically the same things: research music, thrift, don’t be obnoxious, find a local scene. Easy. I’ve been a part of this goth thing since 2012 and observed some stuff. So here’s my little post about do-s and don’t-s. If you’re a new goth and don’t agree with me, that’s fine too.

Firstly, I don’t think babybats are really defined by “listening to Evanescence or Manson, shopping at Hot Topic and writing questionable poetry”; well, this is just one half of this group in my opinion. The second one is new goths who just learned what goth actually is and make it their entire personality, look, lifestyle, everything. I don’t think it’s good to just throw your non-goth hobbies and interests away for the sake of being ubergoth. In fact, most goths who have been in the community for a while will probably find it laughable, and nobody wants to be laughed at. I installed tiktok recently and EVERY goth video I’ve seen was either “hehe I’m so goth my fav band is mgła” or “Hey call me Siouxsie!!!”. Althrough I must admit I don’t spend a lot of time on tiktok. Anyways, if you like rap, don’t stop listening to rap; if your favorite color is lime green, add it to your outfits. It’s fine. Only people with no working braincells will have problems with that. And! Don’t shriek at e-girls, it’s so stupid and peak babybat.

Secondly, I often hear that babybats should “get familiar with goth subtypes, like victorian, perky or trad and pick one that suits them most”. Well, you can do that, if you want to be a super mainstream goth who defines their style by one thing only. (Goth has it’s own mainstream, yes. When I started it was focused on romantic and nu goth, now I feel like it’s trad and hippie goth.) Obviously you can take inspirations from major goth icons like Robert Smith, Rozz Williams, Siouxsie and Dave Vanian - they all have or had great styles - but don’t become an impersonator. I personally have been a fan of visual kei since forever and many of my style icons come from this scene, and also Japanese goth / post punk. If you’re dead set on trad goth, google pictures of batcave kids, they were really creative, and maybe pictures from the 80s scenes from around the globe, countries like Russia, Turkey and Japan had really big goth communities.

The third thing - goth is a communtiy of people, and it has seen better times. The scene has a little crisis and many clubs are closing (it was happening before covid too), so don’t gatekeep. Just don’t. It’s killing the scene. I’ve seen a drawing made by a teenage goth here on tumblr, depicting a trad “““grufti”“““ stabbing an e-girl with a knife. This is so embarassing, oh my god. I left a very very critical comment under that post. If you’re a new goth, don’t even try to “educate” e-girls, emos, whatever, because these people are not trying to “steal” goth or be a part of our community - they’re doing their own thing. If one of them actually wants to be a goth, they will get there by themselves, it’s one google search away from them, and after all, gatekeeping will stop newcomers from actively keeping the scene alive.

The fourth one - goth trends. They’re quite dumb. Don’t follow them, I would say. Goth influencers often participate in them, as they recieve PR from goth clothing companies, thus, they’re promoting them to their viewiers. Goth trends are based on mainstream trends - in 2015 there were cringey “witchy n bitchy” slogan tees and skinny jeans with studs, now we’re seeing a lot of layering, strega inspirations, techwear-ish items and Y2K influences. And it’s just not worth it. It’s so overpriced and after all, fast fashion, so it will be considered tacky (or fall apart) soon. (I owned a Punk Rave coat once, it was tragic.) It’s a different story if you really like a trend and maybe see yourself keeping the item regardless of what’s “in” - for me it’s wide leg pants and layered strega skirts. The swooshier, the better. From the 2010s, I still own a felt wide brim hat and a lot of maroon things. I love maroon and no one will disrespect my vampire red color in my house. (It’s so dumb, why is an entire color considered cheugy? Mainstream, you ok?) Also don’t buy polyester, it just looks sad. The wrong type of sad.

The final thing. Very, very important. Goth has a big crossover with the fetish and BDSM community, thus we see a lot of harnesses, latex clothing, ridiculous heels and also nudity. If you’re a babybat, you’re probably a minor, so please protect yourself, because this scene is sadly full of weird creeps. I’m not saying you should wear a black potato sack, but maybe don’t wear a latex lingerie set, fishnets and stripper heels to any events and don’t post riskey pictures of yourself. It’s not “empowerment”, it’s dangerous. If you want to be a sex worker, wait until your an adult and REALLY think about it before starting.

AND WEAR YOUR MASK.

Have fun and remember, babybat isn’t a bad word for more experienced goths. Just a part of the community, an incredibly important one. Don’t be offended if someone calls you a babybat or a newbie, it’s most likely not with bad intent.

[scorpionmidheaven]

astrology observations 2

- taurus moons enjoy good food! Taurus in general loves food and especially seems to place importance on high-quality food but taurus moon needs it for emotional fulfillment!!! Emma Chamberlain (taurus moon) literally once said “I eat my feelings”!!!

- I’ve noticed that you most likely share one of your big threes with your best friends. All of my good friends have either my sun as their rising, same moon sign, my sun as their moon etc. It‘s definitely a pattern I‘ve noticed but it‘s also not necessary for a friendship to work because there are a lot of other aspects or overlays you could share with your friends.

- people with taurus on the IC probably had a very stable & secure home. They were definitely materialistically provided for and grew up with comfort food. Taurus 4th house also points to a beautifully decorated home altough it doesn‘t necessarily have to be expensive home decor.

- I think someone with an aries moon and a taurus mercury or maybe even just a dominance of both signs would gossip a whole lot. I think especially underdeveloped aries moon have a tendency to not be as empathetic and maybe turn into a bully.

- capricorn in personal planets and dominant people seem to be fond of things from the past. Whether it‘s music from the 80‘s/70‘s or fashion trends from the eightys or nineties capricorns seem to love it. a fun fact is also that cap placements really like cars!!!

- libra placements (especially moons) make for very smiley people!! Literally everyone I know who has a lot of libra influence loves to smile and show how happy they are.

- people who love cooking most likely are cancer or taurus influenced. I think that earth signs in general have a knack for cooking and cancer/4th house is related to the home, which obviously includes cooking.

- virgo venus love flowers. They also tend to have a very accurate sense of smell and they enjoy good smelling things a lot!!

- I feel like your IC/4th house could be, in some way, considered as your 2nd moon sign. I know it might sound a bit bizarre but hear me out. The fourth house is all about your home life and your family, it‘s a very secret side of you, you don’t show to anybody. Cancer is ruled by the MOON and rules the 4th house. It‘s our save haven, somewhere we can withdraw ourselves from the outside world. All these descriptions also apply to our moon sign, as it‘s our secret, most honest self, our feelings.

- your mars sign is your vibe!! It‘s your drive and I also believe it‘s what other people see very easily( I think that might be so because mars is ruled by aries and the 1st house, so it‘s a part of us we show to the world)

[concealeddarkness13]

WHG 15 Impostor Syndrome Part 1

Triel is going to have a fun time! Tagging: @sparkles-and-hens, @knmartinshouldbewriting, @maple-writes, @pen-of-roses, @thoughts-of-nora, and @ratracechronicler!

I wandered outside the district as my thoughts wandered through my plan one last time. Today was the day. I was going to volunteer as tribute and give the Capitol a big middle finger as I helped as many tributes as possible escape from the arena and to freedom. What could go wrong?

It was going to be foolproof. It had to be, right? I had to project confidence, or no one would believe in my scheme. And it would work. It had to.

“Sparrow, what are you—” I barely heard the voice before I bumped into someone. Not just someone. I grinned as I looked up. Aunt Reeves. She was here!

I flung my arms around her, and she hugged me back in one of her signature bone-crushing hugs. I held on tighter. “I could ask you the same question!”

She grunted. “You didn’t even let me finish it.” She paused. “We’re here because Graem wanted to talk to you.” She lowered her voice. “Don’t tell him I said it, but he’s worried about you.”

“I heard that.” I pulled away from Aunt Reeves as Uncle Graem walked up. I grinned and ran over to him to get crushed by one of his hugs too. When we broke apart, he sniffed. “And I’m not worried about you. I just want to talk over your plan a little.”

Aunt Reeves snorted in the background, and I probably should give some exposition about who these two were. They weren’t really my aunt and uncle. First, they weren’t married, and they weren’t my blood relatives. Aunt Reeves was a pirate captain, and Uncle Graem was her first mate. They found me when I was a baby, and I had been cast out to sea. There’s more to my backstory, but I’m not going to divulge everything yet.

I grinned and nodded. “So, I’m planning on volunteering for the Hunger Games and convincing as many tributes as I can to escape from the arena, where my airship and crew will be waiting for them to take them to safety!”

“And where is safety?”

“I’ve been eyeing this interesting fabled mansion that has anti-Capitol defenses that should keep us all safe. Shine will be in control while I’m in the arena, and they [yes, they’re non-binary…and deaf, just to let you know] will make sure everything runs smoothly on the outside.”

Uncle Graem frowned. “And what happens if it doesn’t work out so perfectly?”

That was the big problem, wasn’t it? And no matter how much I thought about it, I hadn’t come up with a solution. It would all go to shit if it didn’t go well. I smiled sweetly. “Could I ask for your help?”

Aunt Reeves snorted. “You can—”

Uncle Graem nodded. “—but we won’t be helping you in this scheme. I must say, I was impressed in how you found Nesri and hid her from the Shades [exposition to come about those guys], so I want to see where you’ll go after achieving so much. We will only be impartial observers.”

I had known that would be the case. I nodded. “Thanks. I hope you’re impressed.” I bowed theatrically, and Uncle Graem and Aunt Reeves were gone as soon as they had come.

Now, I could explain about the Shades and Nesri. The Shades joined the Capitol and somehow were able to give kids this magic that made a person glow and float and crystallize liquids in a certain radius around them, and the crystal was as strong as a diamond. The Shades were behind the fear mongering about the people who had the glowy magic, so the Capitol thought they could control them. And for the most part, that was true. But Nesri was able to escape, and I had found her a month ago. She joined my pirate crew, and the Shades had no idea where she was. Unfortunately, she was a Victor, so she had to show up to the Reaping and the Hunger Games, but I wouldn’t let them take her.

Everything was going to work out. I just had to work my hardest, and everything would be fine.

I jumped when the bells rang. The Reaping would start soon. And my plan would be put into motion.

*

But first, I had to fix my look. Last night, Shine had made a bet with me, and they had won. Because of that, I didn’t have a cool hat or coat anymore, so I had to get those for the Reaping. I headed over to the Victors’ houses to find suitable replacements.

I went to Cahira’s house first. She was one of the oldest Victors, and she still defied the Capitol whenever they weren’t paying attention. She was an information specialist, and I had gone to her to get the information I needed for my plan. So, she wouldn’t be surprised to see me.

I knocked on the door, and Cahira herself opened it after a slight pause. She grinned at me and patted me on the shoulder. “To what do I owe the visit, my dear?”

I smirked back. “Wardrobe change.”

Cahira laughed and let me in. “I’m not attached to any of this stuff, so you can have it, as long as it fits you. But you should hurry. The Reaping’s starting soon, and I heard from a little sparrow that it will be an exciting one.”

I nodded and started walking. “Don’t worry. I don’t mean to miss it.”

Cahira left me to it, and I stalked through the hallways, looking for a promising room to raid. Before I could get very far, however, I froze at the light on in one of the rooms. I snuck up to look inside, and I smirked. Oh. Cahira had a guest.

She was a dashing beauty, with curly, dark blue hair and bright green eyes. She didn’t have make-up caked on her face, unlike most of the rich snots in the Capitol. But she was from the Capitol. No one from the districts would have such an impressive (read: ugly) wardrobe.

As she was perusing the selection, I walked up with my best dazzling smile, eyeing the perfect long, black coat and wide-brimmed hat just hanging in there, asking to be taken. She didn’t even startle; she just looked over at me with a smirk.

“And what is a local doing in Cahira’s mansion? I thought she was a loner?”

She certainly sounded like a Capitol snot. Light, breezy voice that sounded like she wanted to give a tinkling laugh in your direction at any moment. I smiled wider. “Miss Cahira invited me to find the perfect outfit for the Reaping here. And I’m glad I took her invitation. I wouldn’t have found such beauty here otherwise.”

She did give the tinkling laugh. “How cute. If you’re able to be Reaped, I’m too old for you.”

“Does that mean I can’t appreciate beauty when I see it?”

She cocked her head, still smirking. “Is there any reason why you came to my room in particular?” She paused, gesturing at her expansive wardrobe. “Anything catch your eye?”

A trap? Her eyes were amused, and she crossed her arms. I turned to the clothes and pretended to look over them. Most of them were gaudy Capitol things. It was kind of odd that there was anything normal in this selection. “Honestly, Capitol fashion has always intrigued me, but this—” I pointed to the long coat and wide-brimmed hat, “really confuses me. How does this fit with the rest of the styles you have?”

She laughed that same annoying laugh. I couldn’t tell if she was toying with me or not. I couldn’t read her at all. Who was she?

She took the coat and hat down and set them on her bed. “Truly a curious trend. It happened a few Hunger Games ago, when the tribute who won refused to wear anything fancy during his interviews or chariot ride. So, we decided to hop on the bandwagon and wear casual things, but casual things are such a drag. I only brought this along just in case a local came looking for good clothes. Why don���t you take them?”

Oh, she was totally toying with me. I eyed her. “What’s the catch?” I could get away with just stealing this. She wouldn’t be able to use me after the Reaping, since I was going to be a tribute. So, there wasn’t a huge risk for me. But still…

She cocked her head. “Oh, I’ll think of something before I leave. I’ll find you after the Reaping. Wear the coat and hat proud until then.” She winked.

I nodded. That was acceptable. I wouldn’t have anything to give after I became the Capitol’s property. So, even if she could get to me during the visits, it would be useless. I snatched the coat and hat and ran out of the room before she could change her mind.

[galaxycosplayart]

A Man on a Roof

A simply short story I wrote heavily inspired by a dream I had. I tried my best to do research on 1920's fashion and culture, as well as try to make the New Orleans theme authentic. Constructive criticism is appreciated! (There's also some lgbtqia+ representation in here since I'm basing this off my dream where I was the narrator and I am in fact LGBTQIA+) ---

The sound of jazz resonated throughout the rather extravagant hotel venue, loud and upbeat. People swung along: dancing to the sweet melodies like there was no tomorrow. The band’s performance was booming with energy, passion and life; the colourful music painting a perfect picture of the ‘20s in all of the attendee’s minds. The dance floor was packed of all different shapes, ages and sizes. This gathering was one you wouldn’t forget. The sights, the sounds, the feeling; this 1920s themed extravaganza surely did live up to that title. I would know. I was smackdab in the middle of it all.

I’m going to be honest: I don’t really like parties. Too populated, too loud, too obnoxious – but I can’t say no to some swing. This party really was worth coming to, and for once I have to say I had the time of my life. Something about the general aesthetic, the beaming faces of everyone there, the historical backstory, it just made me swell up with joy (and excitement!). I was on my own, my parents were probably off making friends with other adults. In my hand was a glass of non-alcoholic champagne. I am but 13-years-old, after all. I continued to sway, careful not to spill my drink, when I happened to notice a boy leaving the party. He caught my eye, not for attraction, but intrigue. He looked to be a young man, around 16 or 17, but he was somewhat tall and lanky. Unfortunately, I didn’t get enough time to take a proper gander. Fortunately, nothing stopped my compelled urge to follow.

---- He was going to the roof. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry. No, he trotted nonchalantly to the elevator, his footsteps in sync with the music. He seemed to caper with the pleasant melodies coming from the venue. As he entered the elevator car, he lingered on to the tune with each step. The door closed before I could join him, and I watched the floor-level indicator above the gate gradually flicker to the roof of the building. Now, I know tailing people isn’t very polite, but I had taken a liking to the man’s... energy. Once taking a separate car up and searching a bit, I spotted the man near the edge of the flat roof. He continued to tap, now bathed under the glow of the full moon, illuminating his dancing figure. Since I could finally see his face, I can tell you he certainly was a rather attractive man. His warm amber skin basked splendidly under the moonlight; his eyelids shut. His low-ponytail of curly black hair swayed with him as he stepped, the music taking control of his body and mind. His outfit was truly vintage: a neat white dress shirt beneath some dark brown suspenders, the shirt tucked into his black dress pants. He also wore a dark chocolate-coloured bow tie and a light-grey longshoremen cap. Strong jazz could be heard, slightly muffled from the floors below, but that didn’t stop the young tapper from Charleston-ing his way around the roof.  Listen, I’m no professional dancer, but I like to have a bit of knowledge in any given topic. My little knowledge prompted a question in my head, “Aren’t you supposed to have a dancing partner for this particular swing?” I said nothing aloud though, for my focus was on observing this man’s joyous pep. I leaned against the wall, quietly enjoying the stranger’s strut, when the moment was cut short by the sound of giggles. He opened his eyes, revealing mahogany brown irises, only adding to his beautiful appearance. He and I both turned to see a group of young women, looking to be around his age, goggling the boy. I mean, you could say I was too, but I didn’t interrupt or jest at his actions; I merely gazed politely. The nearest girl walked up to him and began to chat, which ceased his dance. This disappointed me, he seemed to be enjoying himself and they decided to throw off his rhythm. He appeared uninterested in talking too, giving the girl a bored look and responding in short answers. From what I heard, she was clearly chatting him up, probably attempting to make a move on him. However, this encounter was also interrupted; for it was his turn to spot me. We made eye contact; his line of sight aimed downwards at my short figure. I immediately panic, thinking, “Crap. How am I supposed to explain why I’m here? ‘Hello sir, I followed you upstairs, I liked the vibes?’ Hell no.”  As I ran through all the possible excuses or justifications for why I decided to basically stalk this man up the hotel, I didn’t notice him making his way towards me. Nor did I sight the annoyed look of the girl he just left behind. He comes up to me, and soon realizing I was lost in frantic thought, gently places a hand on my shoulder. I snap out of my frenzied state, jumping at the touch and looking up once more to see him a lot closer than he was a couple of seconds ago. “Hey, you alright? You seemed frozen in time, dere,” he said with a gentle smile. His accent was faintly reminiscent of downtown New Orleans, which explained how his energy matched the parties so perfectly. It was smooth and peppy; an endearing tone. “Oh, yeah, of course,” I say quickly, still trying to find the right words. “I- uh- I liked your dancing,” was all that came out of my mouth, and I mentally facepalmed with the awkwardness that came with the broken statement. Instead of cringing at this display, however, he instead laughed. “Thank you, cher. And what are you doing, all alone on this here roof?” he asked kindly. “Just... exploring. I happened to notice you dancing when I got to the roof, so I kind of... watched for a bit,” I replied sheepishly. I mean, I wasn’t lying. I did explore the roof a bit before I found him, and I did spot his Charleston when I did. I just happened to omit the details of following him up the elevator car. And through the lobby. From the party. No biggie. “That so? Well then, can you dance?” he asked, extending a friendly hand and dishing out a genial grin. I panic again, but this time for a different, more trivial reason. “Oh, no, no I’m not that good at dancing-” “Really? Ya seemed to be enjoying it down there at tha’ party.” “...You saw me there?” “I watched you follow me, sha.” “...” Well, this was incredibly embarrassing. If I wasn’t already blushing from this whole ordeal (which I incredibly doubt – my face felt very hot), I most definitely was now. I should be thankful for his carefree attitude, because when my spluttered apology attempted to vocalize itself into comprehensible words, he simply waved it off and laughed once more. “Oh, it ain’t nothin’. Don’t worry ‘bout it,” he assured light-heartedly. “Still, I wouldn’t mind if you joined me. It’s fun to have a dancin’ partner, ya know?” “I- well... I guess a bit of dancing wouldn’t hurt,” I admitted. He extended his hand once more in invitation. I hesitantly accepted, and as soon as my palm fit into his, the grip strengthened as I was whirled to his side in the open area near the edge. As the next song started to play, and we couldn’t help but get lost in the music, I heard one phrase be exclaimed from the still-anonymous boy beside me, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!"  ---- I had easily resumed my cheerful demeanour by dancing with the man, enjoying our time to the fullest. Despite my lack of expertise in cutting a rug, we enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. It was more of feeling out the music and letting the rhythm take you, relishing a fun stranger’s presence. Sadly, this enjoyment was often interrupted by a third party, who continued to loiter around on the roof; each individual taking their turn in attempting to woo the boy. Louis, as I now knew him, also kept up his trend of giving the girls a cold shoulder, and we exchanged a cheeky grin each time one would storm off huffing. However, something did confuse me slightly. Well, the women were exceptionally beautiful. They also didn’t seem rude, or arrogant; they actually seemed rather kind and friendly. Some even referred to Louis by name, meaning he was probably familiar with the ladies. They simply were shooting their shot, and Louis would keep refusing one after the other. Obviously, he wasn’t obliged to humour any of their advances, but it’s like he didn’t even acknowledge the idea of dating them. I am a curious – and frankly, unfiltered – soul, so as the last dame trudge off to the group, I turn to my new friend and say,  “Hey, mind if I ask you something?” “Sure, what's on your mind, cher?” he replied smoothly, as we both watch the gaggle of women finally exit. “You know em’? The group there, I mean,” I clarify, though there wasn’t such a need for it anyway. I just have a bad habit of... shedding light on things that aren’t as dark, you feel me? “Yeah, they’re good friends of my brother’s. Why?” “Oh, well, they seem awfully interested in you.” “Yeah, they do that now and then. I’m used to it.” “Can’t take a hint, huh?” “Yeah, you right.” I decide to sit down as the current song begins to fade out, allowing myself a small break before the music resumed. Louis takes a seat beside me, sighing. I press further, while simultaneously pondering why I was so curious about his decision to dismiss these dates. Looking back on it, it was really none of my business, but something about the rejections just felt oddly... familiar. Still, I probably shouldn’t pry into other people’s matters. “May I ask why you constantly say no? I mean, they seem like lovely ladies. Are they just not your type?” He doesn’t reply at first, so I immediately jump to the conclusion that I upset him in some way. He’d be justified in feeling so, but I soon come to realize he was thinking of how to answer. After a few moments, I got the reply. “Sort of. I mean... in a way? They don’t know that though,” he says with a smile, to which I respond by giving him a quizzical look. What was that supposed to mean? I’m pretty embarrassed I didn’t realize it sooner when he sees my expression, and states, “Oh. I’m gay.” I stare at the boy for a few moments, blinking. I then burst out into laughter. What a heteronormative approach I took to my questioning. Me, of all people! He was amused with me, and we share a joyous laughing session to the realization.  “Ah... no wonder I related to your rejections,” I say with a cheerful grin. He quirks an eyebrow, and asks me with a curious twinkle in his eye,“Hm? What are you talking about sha?” “I’m bi. And non-binary. That’s partially why I found it so ironic that I didn’t get that sooner.” We chuckled once more, now aware of how hysterical the situation was when the final song of the evening began. He gets up first, helping me up, and we find ourselves dancing our way into the night.

[opbackgrounds]

Alright, friends, you know the drill by now. Here’s Part III of Sarcasticles’ overblown thoughts on sexism in One Piece. If you haven’t already, go read Part I and Part II before proceeding. 

I promise after this I’ll be done. By hook or by crook, we’re getting through the point of the original question. To the Anon who originally sent the ask, sorry it took this long to get here, I hope it’s helpful.

Also, I allude to some very, very minor Wano spoilers, so if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing here’s your warning. 

Characterization? I Don’t Know Her

What makes a good character?

I’ve spent an awful lot of time talking about character designs, when, funnily enough, it’s one of the aspects I pay the least attention to when it comes to deciding if I like how an author portrays their characters. I personally don’t care for fanservice, never have and never will. But unless it’s particularly egregious, I tend to ignore it because there are other factors I think are more important. 

The secret sauce for building characters is hard to define, because a good writer can take a concept that has no right being any good and turn it into something incredible (Oda does this all the time) where bad writers will seemingly slot all the right information in the right holes and still have their characters come out of the developmental oven flat and under cooked. 

One of the biggest buzzwords floating around these days is agency. Is a character active in their own story, or are they jerked around by the needs of the plot? Is their voice heard? Is their voice unique, or do they blend in with the background?

This is particularly important, because the term Strong Female Protagonist has been warped into shorthand for “girl who fights a lot and looks pretty doing it”. You can have a girl strong enough to lift mountains and still have her be a shit character. You can write a girl who’s main motivation is to get married and have babies with phenomenal depth. What matters is execution. 

The Petition to Call A Group of Rescue Arcs a ‘Damsel’

Both Nami and Robin had to be rescued, their main arcs bearing similarities that are impossible to ignore. But these aren’t copies of one another as much as variations on a theme, and with the existence of Marineford and Whole Cake Island I think anyone would be hard-pressed to say that One Piece’s rescue arcs are a girl’s thing. At this point it’s a feature, not a bug. 

Which makes sense given how fundamental the idea freedom is to the series. Hell, the first thing Luffy does after becoming a pirate is free Coby from Alvida’s tyrannical reign. Then he frees Zoro from an unjust authority that would have killed him had Luffy not intervened.

Notice a pattern here? 

One Piece is written like Pachelbel Canon, in that a very simple core of ideas are repeated over and over with layers of complexity and nuance added over time, examining the same themes from every possible angle. 

And when you look at the Four Big Rescue Arcs -- Nami, Robin, Ace, Sanji -- you’ll see that it’s Ace who’s given the least agency throughout his arc. Nami chose to hijack the Going Merry, repeatedly chose to push away the Straw Hats until she reached her breaking point, at which she chose to ask for help, with Luffy only intervening once she does. 

Robin is a little less obvious, but during the post-Water 7 party chapters, Aokiji makes the interesting observation that Robin could have escaped CP9, but chose not to

Remember that before Robin’s backstory was shown, Luffy specifically said he didn’t care if she wanted to die or not, so long as she was with the Straw Hats when she made her decision. No one bullied her into “I wanna live”. It was a choice she made of her own volition after realizing the depths the Straw Hats would go on her behalf.

I know there are people who disagree with me, but Nami and Robin are well-written characters. I’ve expounded enough on my reasoning both here and on my main that I don’t want to spend the time belaboring the point. What I do want is to note that Luffy wouldn’t be able to attain his dreams without them. Nami keeps them on course while also severing as a sort of moral compass for the crew -- remember she was the one who insisted on saving the giant kids at Punk Hazard -- while Robin’s ability to read the poneglyphs is what’s going to get the crew to Raftel.

Robin admittedly doesn’t have the same presence within the Straw Hat Pirates as Nami, but I would hardly call that sexism. Since Water 7/Enies Lobby she’s been pretty content to go with whatever Luffy says, and the fact that she’s literally quieter than anyone else in the crew means she doesn’t get as much focus. I think there could be more scenes with her using her specific skill set, like her investigations in Wano and the forensic anthropology scene in the pre-Jaya chapters, but I’m okay with her being a supporting character. 

The East Blue Crew have consistently gotten the most focus of any of the Straw Hats. They are the core of the crew, something Oda admits in a roundabout way in the Color Walk where they all appear together for the first time in a color spread

With the main cast as large as it is, not everyone is going to have the same amount of focus or development. Robin is given a unique voice within the story because she doesn’t overreact the way literally everyone else does. Through her silence, she stands out. I find there to be very meaningful character development when she feels comfortable enough with the Straw Hats to start calling them by name in Thriller Bark, relaxed enough with her friends to comitt her first facefaults in a series lousy with them in both Dressrosa and Wano.

In an ideal world, Oda would better rotate through his cast, much like how Brook was the unsung MVP on Whole Cake Island (where Nami was also excellent in a supporting role) but I don’t think people realize how hard it is to juggle almost a dozen different people in a story that’s bloated exponentially over time. To his credit, Oda has handled his expanding crew better than most writers. 

I also find it hard to judge this aspect of the series because the manga’s not done yet. I don’t know how Robin and Nami will be used in the future. I mean, Robin never got a chapter title declaring her “The Seventh” which I find suspicious, so Oda could very well have events in store that completely turn our perceptions upside down. It’s impossible to say.

I will acknowledge that the lack of big fights is somewhat disappointing, but neither Robin nor Nami’s dreams revolve around them getting stronger. Robin doesn’t need to use her power to make people explode from the inside out, Nami doesn’t need to fry end-game bosses with her lightning stick. That’s simply not their narrative purpose. With the exception of Tashigi, I’ve found that the female characters advertised as fighters have lived up to their billing. Hancock came out of Marineford unscathed. Carrot’s sulong form was awesome, in the old-fashioned sense of the word. The whole climax of Whole Cake Island revolved around surviving Big Mom’s wrath. Not beating her, not fighting her, it took all the Straw Hats had to just survive. Once again you’re left with a number’s game where where there just aren’t enough female characters to even pretend things are balanced.

All said, I think if you’re going to complain about the lack of Robin fights then I think you also have to complain about the lack of Brook fights, and that’s just not something you hear about, especially after Whole Cake Island. You can’t have it both ways. Either there needs to be more even distribution of major fights throughout the entire crew, or you have to acknowledge that a character’s worth isn’t dependent on their fighting prowess. 

One Piece is a battle manga, and I do think that it’s fair to criticize when a character isn’t allowed to fight when they’re perfectly capable of kicking ass. But it’s also an adventure story, and that opens up entirely new space for a character to occupy, and that’s where I think Nami and Robin (but especially Nami) really shine

That Moment You Realize Humor Isn’t A Universal Language

I’ve spent so much time defending Oda’s designs and characters that it might seem like I’m perfectly okay with everything that’s portrayed in the manga. To be clear, I’m not. If the messages and comments I’ve gotten over the past several days have taught me anything, it’s that many fans share the same sticking points I do, namely in regards to some of the gags. 

I again want to be careful here, because I’m hardly an expert on Japanese culture and it’s really hard to tell if Oda writes his jokes because he thinks they’re funny, or if he thinks his audience will find them funny. I’m again going to default to somewhere in the middle, because if Oda truly found the perviness distasteful he probably wouldn’t have included it, and I’ve read enough SBS to know the guy likes his dick jokes. 

First and foremost, one must address the culture gap. Japan ranks last among G7 nations on gender equality, In 2004 two-thirds of Tokyo women in their 20-30s reported to being groped while on public transport. There are numerous barriers that make it difficult for a woman to succeed either in the workplace or politics. 

From what I can gather, some of these trends are reversing, albeit slowly and with great resistance. Contrary to what many people seem to believe culture is not always value neutral. And I say that as an American, recognizing there are plenty of things about my culture and country that are really fucked up. 

But who gets to decide who’s right and who’s wrong?

When inside that kind of environment, that kind of culture, it’s a lot easier to understand how a character like Sanji can exist. It’s easy to understand why Momo shoving his face into Nami and Robin’s boobs might be played for laughs. It’s not an excuse, but an explanation. And with Sanji failing more often than not, being the butt of his own joke as he slowly turns into a parody of what he once was, one could almost say Oda is pointing those types of people and saying, “Look how pathetic this guy is. Now go laugh as he gets a nosebleed so bad he needs multiple blood transfusions in order to not die.”

I say almost, because Sanji is never condemned for his actions, nor does he learn from them. Instead you have this character who’s supposed to be one of the kindest characters in the series decide to immediately go peep on a woman’s bath house after gaining the power of invisibility. 

Stay classy, Oda.

As distasteful as I find it, I don’t find fanservice to be an inherently evil thing that must be eradicated at all costs, and with Oda doing things like putting his entire cast, male and female, into skintight leathers you can hardly say that he’s excluding the men. 

Everyone will have their line in the sand, and mine goes back to agency. When Nami did her Happiness Punch way back in Alabasta, that was of her own volition. When Nami and Robin dress in clothes that show everything but the nipple, that’s something they chose and feel comfortable in. 

But when Smoker and Tashigi swapped bodies at Punk Hazard, Tashigi specifically asked Smoker not to strip, and he did anyway, opening her coat and removing her bra. This is especially egregious as Tashigi is one of the very few women in the series who is always shown wearing very conservative clothing. Oda specifically showed Tashigi getting upset at Smoker’s actions, and Smoker repeatedly refusing to listen to her.   

That’s where I draw my line. 

Some Final Thoughts I Couldn’t Fit Anywhere Else 

Thought The First--Oda has an interesting habit of turning his most despicable, scummy pieces of flaming human garbage into the butt of the joke. Villains like Crocodile and Doflamingo are certainly evil, but it’s the idealized, cool type of evil that makes you almost admire them. There aren’t very many real-world Crocodiles, but just about everyone knows a Spandam, or an Absalom, or a Vander Decken. These kinds of villains aren’t scary because of their physical prowess, but their unyielding obsessions and the power they’re able to wring from the system, and -- surprise, surprise -- all three are either actively trying to be creepy sex pests or coded as such with the visual language of the comic.   

And Oda turns them into a mockery. 

While there are some who feel like not treating serious issues like sexual assault seriously are doing a disservice to people who have endured similar experiences I think there’s merit to turning them into a laughingstock. As someone much smarter than me said once, if an opinion cannot withstand mockery it’s revealed to be ridiculous, and these scummy-scum villains are certainly ridiculous.

Thought The Second--It’s hard to say how much sexism is a thing in-universe. Kuina is the only one who is explicitly told her dreams were impossible because of her gender, but with the recent reveal confirming that her family came from Wano, which in turn is based on Feudal Japan, it’s hard to say how widespread these beliefs are. Tashigi brought it up again at Loguetown and Bellemere specifically told her girls that they lived in an era where “girls needed to be strong, too”, but otherwise it’s not a topic that’s been explored in any depth

Thought The Third--The in-universe fetishization of mermaids has some implications that I think are unintended but worth discussing. Shirahoshi has a reputation of being one of the most beautiful women in the world despite not leaving her tower for over 10 years (she’s 16). Mermaids whose tails have split are worth less on the slave market than those whose are intact. Even Zoro erased Kokoro from his memory after meeting the more attractive Caime. It’s one of those odd things that when combined with the more obvious racism themes could have some unfortunate implications, and I think could have been avoided had Oda show a little more restraint with some of his jokes. Unintended consequences are still consequences. 

Thought The Forth--There are many other instances throughout the series that people bring up with talking about sexism in One Piece. I feel like a lot of these can be explained away individually -- for example, both Belo Betty and Rebecca’s stripperific outfits were inspired by other media, the painting Liberty of the People and Red Sonja respectively; Lola chasing after an obviously abusive man makes a whole lot more sense when you meet Big Mom; Hancock’s love sickness could be seen as an emotionally stunted woman experiencing her first crush, etc., etc -- it’s when they’re all put together that they begin to read as “Problematic”. 

It would be impossible to go over all these individually, but I tend to fall on the side of leniency. In the end, everyone has to make their own decisions based on their own values. I’m hardly unbiased, and my enjoyment for the series will undoubtedly make me look the other way when another might call the exact same incident The Worst Thing Ever. The thing is, opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and most are convinced that theirs don’t stink. I include myself in that statement. In the end it’s a comic for kids. It’s supposed to be fun. 

Thought The Last--I have spent entirely too much of my time writing this up, but in the end I guess I have to go back to what I said when I talked about my thoughts on Sanji: Everyone has their own personal line of acceptable bullshit, and for me Oda does more good than bad. Sanji specifically gets very little leniency from me because I don’t like a lot of the gross behavior Oda passes over as a joke. But the female characters themselves, generally speaking? They’re fine. There are other mangaka that have more equal male to female ratios or have women play more active roles in the story, but Oda does a lot better than most other shonen titles I’ve read. 

It’s okay to be critical of media you enjoy. It’s okay to complain. But remember that One Piece is a very long series, and there are some fans who have been a round for literally decades. I myself started reading weekly around the time Duval was introduced, way back in 2008. Every time a new batch of fans comes in the same old arguments get stirred to the top of the pot: Sanji is a creep, Oda can’t draw women, why doesn’t Robin ever get to fight?

It can be exhausting to go through the same hoops time and time again. So if you’re someone who is being critical and feel like no one is listening, or that a bunch of fans are going out of their way to defend Oda, that could be one of the reasons why. They’re tired of having a series they enjoy be shit on. 

There are other fans who legitimately don’t think that Oda’s done anything wrong, that jokes are just jokes. If you happen to fall in that category, remember that not everyone feels that way. Art reflects life, which in turn reflects art. One Piece is a few million copies away from outselling Batman. To say it isn’t influential to young readers, both in Japan and abroad, is beyond asinine. 

I thank everyone who’s taken the time to read this so far. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how civil the discussion and my inbox as stayed. Even if I didn’t respond to your message, I promise that I did read it. 

I wrote as much as I did because I know this is a topic a lot of people care about, and also so I hopefully don’t have to write about it again. A lot of hours has gone into this project, and it’s been exhausting, but in a good way, if that makes any sense. I’m ready to put it to rest. 

I was joking with some friends that I think I’ve hit just about every hot topic issue now, so hopefully I can go back to fun questions like speculating if Wapol can eat a person and poop out a devil fruit. 

Until then, Sarcasticles, out         

[iworshipkeanureeves]

There Are No Rules (1/3)

Keanu Reeves x Reader (The Devil Wears Prada AU)

A/N: This is my entry for @toomanystoriessolittletime​ birthday writing challenge and I’m so grateful for this AU idea, because I have so much fun writing it. The story should have 3 parts, and if everything goes according to the plan, the remaining chapters will be posted over the next couple of weeks. As always, I hope you enjoy!

Summary: Reader applies for a job in a fashion magazine where Keanu is editor-in-chief.

Warnings: insults, anxiety

Words: 1.9K

There she was, standing in the bustling lobby of a skyscraper, ready to go up to the highest floor for the interview at one of the biggest magazines in New York City. A small town girl, desperate to become a world-renown journalist, writing stories she was passionate about. But this had to wait, at least for now. Y/N needed a job, any kind of job, just to make ends meet, and working within a publishing industry, even if it meant she wouldn’t be writing for some time, felt like a good compromise.

The elevator ride appeared to take ages, Y/N was nervously stomping, grasping her petty resume in her hand and repeating her words of introduction. Finally, the door opened, and she stepped into a loud corridor crowded with people rushing back and forward, all kinds of perfumes mixing in the air.

Y/N looked around, finding the reception desk to be empty. Having no idea where to go next, she just stood still startled by the chaos surrounding her. Even though these people seemed ignorant and unwilling to help, Y/N still felt observed, like an exotic animal at the zoo, and completely out of place.

“Are you lost?“ A stunning red headed woman popped up in front of Y/N’s eyes. She was elegant and sophisticated, with an immaculate style, so perfect that it made her seem intimidating. The fact that she was scowling, while examining Y/N with a judgmental look, didn’t help too.

“Uh-I I‘m Y/F/N, I‘m here to meet mister Reeves.“ Y/N’s words seemed to make the woman even more puzzled, and she squirmed crossing her arms with a suggestive hostility. “For the job of assistant,“ Y/N added, feeling her hands getting sweaty and drying them on the sides of her skirt.

“Are you sure you’re in the right place?” the woman pointed to the huge sign on the wall spelling Vogue, and Y/N’s enthusiasm was dissipating with every second spent here, she was already questioning her choice.

“Yes, I’ve been told to ask for Emily, where can I find her?”

The woman lifted her brows looking rather agitated, “Oh God, okay, that would be me,” she sighed rolling her eyes. “After me.” Emily gestured for Y/N to follow her, and an awkward silence settled between them.

Y/N was observing people through the glass doors, every single one of them looked like they were professionals of their craft and it definitely didn’t help Y/N to calm her nerves.

“Listen, I’m just curious, you are clearly not into fashion, so why Vogue?” Emily finally spoke, and she seemed genuinely interested how someone like Y/N could end up in a place like this.

Y/N knew it was probably better to lie, but  at this point, she was convinced the job would never be hers, no one from Vogue would ever even consider her. “I saw a position open online and just thought why not, I mean it was either Vogue or TV guide, so…” Y/N hated herself for coming here, TV guide would have worked just fine for a temporary job, and now she felt like she was going to end up unemployed again.

“Oh, just great, that’s exactly the spirit we’re looking for” Emily’s voice was full of ridicule, “Well, good luck!” Another scoff left her throat as she watched Y/N sheepishly approaching Reeve’s office.

“Good morning, Mister Reeves?” Y/N knocked on an already wide opened door, finding a man in an elegant suit sitting behind a desk full of stacked issues of Vogue. He nodded slightly arching his brow, and Y/N understood that she was expected to explain what she came here for. “I’m Y/F/N, I’m here for the assistant’s position, human resources sent me.”

“Hmm,” Reeves hummed eyeing her from head to toe, like everyone here did. “Okay, sit.” Y/N stepped forward placing her resume on his desk, and carefully positioned herself on the edge of a chair with her back unnaturally straight. She was extremely uptight but she couldn’t help it, especially when everyone here was pitch-perfect, and she didn’t feel so. “And call me Keanu, please,” he said opening the folder, beginning to look at her resume.

Y/N sat there looking at him flipping through her portfolio, she was analyzing every little frown settling in Reeve’s face, but frankly, there weren’t any clear emotions showing, he seemed stone cold, and Y/N didn’t know what to think of it. Did he like what he saw? She wasn’t so sure about that.

“What do you know about fashion?” Keanu leaned back in his chair, pushing the folder away. In that moment Y/N got really scared, she didn’t know what she had expected, it was stupid of her coming here in the first place. Sure she knew what Vogue was, she had heard of a few fashion names before, however, Y/N couldn’t tell what exactly was trending right now, and it showed.

“I don’t know much yet, but I’m willing to learn, I graduated from…” Y/N was trying to come up with something, but she got cut off by Keanu raising his hand up, gesturing her to just stop talking.

“Listen, it’s great you’re educated, you resume is impressive, but I need you to show me some character, you know. Vogue is fierce, thousands of girls would kill for this job, and I have to be sure you can withstand it.”

“I-I can,” Y/N stuttered, feeling like this was the end of it all.

“I’ll be honest with you,” Keanu sighed, fixing the loose strand of dark hair falling over his deep gaze. “You’ll hear a lot of crap from me and maybe even more from others working here, I just need to know you won’t be a whiner about that and you’ll do the job exactly the way I tell you. If you don’t like it, that’s fine, turn around and go.” There was something petrifying about how unbelievably calm he spoke those words, just as if it was the norm in this world of Vogue. Given the way Y/N was welcomed today, it probably was.

For a second Y/N doubted herself, she couldn’t understand why Keanu just hadn’t rejected her yet if she was clearly unfit for the job. Yes, Y/N wanted this more than anything, but she was also getting a little afraid that these people were going to eat her alive.

Before Y/N could say something, the conversation got interrupted by another man storming into the office with his hands full of colorful drafts. Keanu immediately stood up shifting his attention away from Y/N, leaving her with unsettling thoughts. That was when she noticed how tall Reeves actually was, and it only added to his intimidating image.

Y/N could hear everything they were talking about, it was mostly colors and patterns for the upcoming shoot but some gossip slipped in too. Of course it did, it was a fashion world after all, still Y/N couldn’t help but think that it was kind of rude. What kept nagging Y/N the most was the fact that this new man was constantly glimpsing at her, and his glance was judgmental too.

“Who’s that?” he murmured to Keanu, ignoring that Y/N must have heard him as well. Never in her life had she felt more objectified than here at Vogue, but it didn’t matter since she was ready to get going soon.

“That’s, Y/N, my new assistant.”

Y/N couldn’t believe Reeves had just called her that, she was certain that the interview was going south and there was no way she could get the job. But there she was, Keanu Reeves’ new assistant, working at Vogue. Y/N had to gather all her strength trying to play it cool, but the corners of her lips were giving the excitement away.

“I’m Nigel, art director.” He came closer to shake Y/N’s hand, still a little confused whether that was some sort of a silly joke.

He then immediately turned to face Keanu, who had already gotten back to his chair. „Reeves, don‘t worry, I have a new line from de la Renta, we‘ll find something to make her look... umm, well... presentable,“ Nigel exhaled looking at Y/N over the top of his glasses. „Not sure if I have her size, but I‘ll make some adjustments.“

“Leave her the way she is,“ Keanu said in a strict tone, giving Y/N a slight smile. „I like how she looks, it‘s authentic.“

The office stood still. Nigel gulped, failing to understand what was happening, and Y/N was flushing, trying to wrap her head around the fact that Reeves, the editor in chief of Vogue, had just said she looked authentic.

In a minute Keanu eyed her again, arching his brow as his sight was reaching her feet. “Yeah, but the shoes can go,“ he said in a deep voice, turning his chair away to face the New York skyline.

Well, it couldn’t be too perfect.

“I don‘t think I can find the shoes that go with the rest of her outfit,“ Nigel laughed trying to taunt Y/N a little more, but this time it didn’t got to her heart. She knew Keanu liked what she was wearing and that was enough for Y/N to get her confidence back.  

“Then maybe you don‘t have enough talent for what we pay you,“ Keanu told Nigel off without even bothering to look at him. Everything coming from Reeves sounded placid, and it left Y/N wondering whether he ever raised his voice here. She assumed there was no need for him to do so, since his stolid tone was enough to make Y/N shiver.

“Come,” Nigel commanded Y/N, and she was confused, unsure if her conversation with Keanu had ended. For a second she stared at the back of his chair, but he didn’t make a single move, so Y/N decided it was time to follow after Nigel.

Everyone here was extremely fast, nobody wanted to waste time, and especially with her. Y/N had to almost run, trying to catch Nigel’s steps and he wasn’t going to slow down.

“I‘m sorry if you got in any trouble because of me,” Y/N whispered trying to lighten the mood between them.

“Oh honey, you have to grow some thick skin here, that was nothing, trust me.“ Nigel suddenly stopped opening the heavy door leading to a huge closet filled with designer pieces. Y/N had no clue what some of the names written were, but she also didn’t have much time to think about it, since Nigel was already getting away from her.

Afraid to lose him in the labyrinths of garments, Y/N was rushing at Nigel’s pace. “So is he always like that?“ She wondered getting a little breathy.

“No, he seems nicer than usual today.” Nigel handed her classic beige pumps, with label saying Jimmy Choo. Y/N wasn’t sure if that was for real, or Nigel was just messing with her, but she didn’t have the guts to ask again. She would have to see it herself.

“Let’s go, I have places to be.” Once Y/N had her new shoes on, Nigel was hasting again.

She was desperately wobbling after him, her Jimmy Choos were sinking into the soft carpet lining the floor and it left little balance for her heels. “Those are not very comfortable,” she whined, realizing how stupid it was, since nobody cared about her problems here.

Not surprisingly, Nigel only rolled his eyes pushing Y/N out of his closet. “Get used to it.”

-Part 2-

Tag-list: @keandrews​

>Masterlist<

[raz-b-rose]

Donsy Week 2020: Day 4: Future

This one twisted in such a way even I was surprised lol. Liked the experiment and will probably rewrite it sometime. 

Words: 1705

@donsyweek

Donald always thought he could plan his whole life out, and his teacher encouraged that mindset with the constant writing of future plans. He always thought he would graduate high school and go to college for a degree that could take him anywhere. He would travel, sailing the seas of the world. That was not how everything has played out so far. 

The war happened, and he was drafted fresh out of high school. He sailed the seas alright, just not in the way he desired. It was a difficult choice on whether or not to make friends during his time in the military. He could lose any of them at a moment's notice, but spending that much time together it was inevitable that a brotherhood would be formed. 

He saw the world, but he wished he could forget some things. The rubble of the cities they patrolled for survivors or made their base camp were seared into his mind. He could smell the smoke and taste the dust still to this day. 

He hated camping and campfires now. He hated canned food, he hated the smell of plaster and he hated the feel of sand and dirt beneath his feet.

Afterwards, returning home to Della and Scrooge, part of him was chipped away at by his experiences and his memories constantly taunting him with the inability to put himself back together. 

Della understood, to a degree. She flew for the army, delivering troops and supplies. She was never in war zones though, rarely saw the aftermath of battles. She tried to help, she tried to get Donald to talk.

However talking to someone, only months after returning home, who did not fully understand his experiences was difficult. He did not want to share the knowledge of war with his sister, he wanted her to live knowing nothing of the horrors he saw. It was easier to share with someone who already had that same knowledge. 

Donald sat on a  bench across from the sea. He was thankful that despite everything, his love for the sea was left untampered with. He could watch the waves all day. He did watch the waves all day. Scrooge didn’t know how to handle the changes in Donald, so for the most part he had left him alone. Alone to relive and process everything while staring out at the water. 

The sun reflected off it now, the early morning chill in the air ineffective towards him. Even after all this time at home, he still rose before the sun, the still peacefulness of the mornings, before others took to their respective days, a reminder that he fought to save these mornings for everyone else and that was good. 

The sun made its way above the horizon little by little, the colors gaining a purple and pink hue blending with the blue of the sky and the sea. The asymmetrical blob that was the sun quickly gained power and was impossible to look at anymore. 

So he closed his eyes, relishing in the salty air and humid breeze. He took in the creaky, warped weather worn wood of the bench with his fingers. He sat there every morning and knew every groove and divot of this wood almost as well as he knew the wood of his boat. 

The wood shifted, a weight taking occupancy beside him. He didn’t open his eyes, wanting to prepare himself in his bubble a little while longer. Interactions with the citizens of Duckburg were still challenging, something he knew he had to work on to regain a sense of normalcy. Not for him, he would never be normal again, but for the citizens. So they could be comfortable in their innocence around him. 

Slowly he opened his eyes, the sky now a lighter purple, pink all but gone, and blue taking control with the sun to declare the day had begun. He glanced at his seat partner, surprised to find a young woman as the occupant. 

She looked around his age, her feathers white and perfectly held back in the fashion he had seen most women wearing these days. He wasn’t sure what it was called. Della wasn’t one to take notice of fashion trends, so he himself never knew. 

Her hands were placed delicately in her lap, eyes closed as she too seemed to be talking in the morning. He saw her take a few deep breaths, so he elected to leave her to her thoughts, still deciding himself if he would even strike up conversation with her when she was done. 

Looking back to the water, he watched the waves push and pull, a constant game of tug of war. A battle of the elements. A battle of nature. Something natural and uncontrollable to man. Maybe mankind had taken too much inspiration from the natural world around them. 

She adjusted herself beside him, reminding him of her presence. Her eyes were now open and Donald couldn’t help but stare. This woman was not only his age physically, but it seemed spiritually as well. 

She had a heaviness to her eyes and a haunted look to her soul. She met his gaze as well, their shared memories being exchanged with a single glance. He saw the way her hands shook the slightest, a broken smile offered to him. 

“Daisy.” She said softly, holding out her hand. 

“Donald” Her hand was not soft. It had a roughness to it that spoke to her experience and sacrifice. 

“It’s a beautiful morning.”

“It truly is” 

They didn’t speak anymore after that, letting the wind converse for them, the waves adding their own opinions. One by one, people leave their homes, people passing by in front of them, blocking the view. 

Donald stands, offering a hand to Daisy. She takes it without hesitation. Both of them were quick to break contact however, both walking deeper into the city with no destination in mind. Donald observes as men dash down the side walks, almost all of them checking their watches while they walk. Women had their own sense of urgency, walking as quickly as they could in their heels, moving politely through the crowd. 

“Would you like to join me for breakfast?” Her voice holds a gentleness, quiet and sad. 

“I would be honored” He follows her into a shop Donald swore wasn’t here before the war, but he could never be too sure. 

He sips on his coffee, watching the patrons outside the window, the waitress having just left the table with their orders. He hears the clink of her spoon as she stirs her own coffee. Besides Della, she was the first woman he met that drank coffee almost as black as he did. 

“It's strange isn't it,” He says quietly, “It's almost as if nothing has changed, but we both know that isn’t the case.”

She hums in response, lowering the cup from her lips, “I only just returned,” His eyes widen a little, while she takes to looking out the window, her eyes clouded with memories. “I was a nurse, trying to rebuild something, anything for the survivors.”

Donald felt guilt bubble in his gut, grief weighing heavily on his shoulders. “I was no help in that department, I can barely hold myself together on a good day”

“Nothing wrong with that, the things we’ve seen, it's enough to haunt you for three lifetimes” She whispered, slowly looking back at him.

He laughs dryly, “I was going to travel the world, but now, I think I’ve seen enough”

She laughs as well, “Yeah, but home feels just as foreign right now, does that ever change?”

“I still feel that way too, I don’t know if it will. I hope so.”

The waitress returns, placing their food in front of them. She offers them a blinding smile and a command to enjoy before flouncing over to another table. He picks at his eggs, still having trouble with his appetite even after all this time.

“What are your plans now?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I used to think about my future all the time, but now it just seems so clouded and impossible”

She nods, taking a bite of her own eggs, “I don’t think I can be a nurse anymore, not right now anyway”

“Enough for three lifetimes,” He reiterates, she whispers the words again herself, gaining that far off look once again.  

Donald looks back out the window, taking notice of all the families and couples and friends and single people all going about their lives. He glanced back at Daisy. It was easier to talk to someone who already shared in the knowledge and he knew he had to talk eventually. 

“Would you be interested in being foreigners together?”

“That sounds nice,” Again her tone was soft, but there was less of an element of sadness to it now. And so two foreigners in their home city shared a delicious breakfast. 

Donald always thought he could plan his whole life out, and his teacher encouraged that mindset by writing about future plans. He always thought he would travel, sailing the seas of the world. That was not how everything has played out.  

Donald jumped, gasping in surprise at the dull pain on his stomach. He wiped the sleep from his eyes, shaking off the remnants of his dream, slowly gaining his bearings. 

“Dad! Come play with me! No more sleeping! ”Lying across his stomach, with wide eyes and an even wider smile was Thomas. He ruffled his feathers, slowly sitting up in his chair, adjusting his son so he sat on his lap. 

“Donald, what have I told you about afternoon naps? Now you’re going to be up late again tonight” Daisy enters the house, closing the door behind her, scolding Thomas for leaving the door open again. 

“Yes Ma’am,” He sassed, smirking at Daisy’s glare, rising to kiss her, prolonging the kiss when Thomas started to shout his disgust. She smacked him gently on the shoulder, kissing his cheek before leaving the boys alone. 

Donald wasn’t too sure how his future would look for a short period of his life but now, with Daisy and Thomas, he knew it was a good one.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #400

“it’s an age-old story: the first will be last, and the last will be kings  /  the small will be great, and the great will be weak”

Who was the last person you sincerely thanked? My mom; I thank her every time she cooks for me/us, and I really do mean it. What’s the longest you’ve ever stayed as a guest at someone’s house? Somewhere around a month. What was the last thing to really surprise you? My brother has a fiancee and is having another son! :') Have you ever found out that you have been sleep walking? No. Have you ever tried making something from one of those short cooking videos? How did it turn out? No. Have you ever written a review for a product you bought online? No. What was the last thing you had the urge to do? Idk about anything notable. Is there anyone you feel that takes you for granted? No. What is the last thing you had a craving for? A donut. Do you ever read the comments on social media posts? Sometimes. What was the last thing you felt like you wasted money on? It's so rare that I buy things with my own cash that I really don't know. What was the last thing you wanted to buy, but couldn’t afford? Venus' terrarium on my own. Mom has to help me with buying it. What is a recipe you’d like to try to make for yourself? I don’t cook, so. What goes through your mind when you look back at old photographs of yourself? More than anything, I get sad over how much weight I've gained. I was so healthy once upon a time. It also just makes me miss my childhood. What was the subject matter of the last email you sent? I believe it was about setting up an appointment with my therapist. How do you get your news? Facebook articles, really. What do you think about lizards? I love them! I was that kid that always tried to catch them when I saw 'em. Now I just observe because I don't want to terrify them by trying to pick them up. Have you ever done consumer testing (testing products before they come out on the market)? If not, would you ever want to? No, but sure, I'd do it. Have you ever received anesthesia or morphine? Both. The time I received morphine, it did jack-all for me. If you had to choose which video game to be in, which would it be? Hmmm... I would say Azeroth from World of Warcraft, but too much shit goes down, ha ha. Perhaps the top of the temple in Shadow of the Colossus? So long as I could have someone I love with me, I'd be in Heaven. Although... I doubt there's WiFi there, so I might drop that answer, lmfao. I really don't know. Between the two, would you rather live in a place where it’s only night or where it’s only day? Day. I need the natural light of day sometimes, and if I wanted to sleep, I could just find shade. If you had to be an actor/actress in a movie, what genre of the movie would you be best at? Fantasy. Out of fire, earth, water, wind, light, and dark, which element appeals the most to you? Dark. What’s one thing that you wish was real? Friendly dragons, haha. Is there anything (show, comedian, etc.) that you constantly quote or make references to? No. What’s your favorite Disney Channel movie? I have absolutely no idea. I don't even remember almost any of them. What’s your favorite holiday? Christmas. Do you ever have to do yard work? No. Do you have any live versions of songs in your music software? Yes. Did/do you listen to Britney Spears songs? Yeah, sometimes. I genuinely don't mind her. Do you still make Christmas lists? Yeah, because I'm asked to. Do you watch the show Dexter? Never seen it. Which musical instrument do you think sounds the prettiest? I'm torn between the violin, harp, and piano. Is your mom or dad the older parent? Mom, by a year. Do you and your parents like any of the same bands/singers? A lot, actually. Is there any food in your bedroom? What? I have these tictacs I keep in my purse in case of a dry mouth. Medication makes me have that severely, and my psychiatrist recommended me to always have a hard candy available to suck on since it forces salivation. Do you know anyone who has road rage? Who? My younger sister, badly. How far away do your grandparents live from you? They're all dead, but they lived in far away states. Do you know anyone who wants to be the president one day? No. What kinds of chips are in the cupboards? None. It's a bad idea to keep chips in this house, haha. Do you have your mom's or dad's hair? Well, I was born with dirty blonde hair like my dad, but my hair is thick and more similar in color now to my mom's before the cancer completely drained the color. If you were going out with your celebrity crush, what would you wear? OH MY GOD LA;KSDJFAKLWJE I DON'T KNOW I LOOK AWFUL IN EVERYTHING. Have you ever cried when a teacher retired? Teared up, yes, multiple times. Do you swear and yell while playing video games? I might swear under my breath, but that's the extent of it. If you were adopted, would you want to know? At this point in my life, I don't really know. I kinda find myself leaning towards no. Has a best friend ever ditched you for a girlfriend/boyfriend? Pretty much. Do your pets chase after bugs? Roman sure does. When’s the last time you were so excited you couldn’t sleep? Why? I want to say that was the night before I was getting my tattoo redone. Do you own any flip-flops? Yeah, considering they're like... all I wear, ever. Did you ever really believe that the stork brought babies? I don't believe so, no. Have you ever had a dream about sleeping with a celebrity? (You don’t have to give details.) It was the only lucid dream I've ever had and I'm not complaining about it lmao. Have you ever had a dream that upset you or made you cry? Oh I'm sure. Has anyone ever told you that they needed you? Do you think they meant it? Not to my recollection, no, and I don't believe you should ever adopt that mentality and say that to someone. Do you own a laser? No. Is there anything you like to put on a sandwich, that some might find odd? Nah. I do enjoy a layer of potato chips on some sandwiches, like ham and cheese, but I know that's like an actual thing some people just like. What colour are the shoes you wear most often? They're black flip-flops. When was the last time you were required to put on a mask? In the morning when I go to the TMS office. And what colour was the last mask you wore? It's one of those normal blue and white medical ones. The last time you were in a queue, what were you waiting for? To see the woman who would give me my APAP mask. Have you had your Covid vaccine yet? Which one, if you have? Yes, Moderna. If you've had your vaccine, did you experience any side effects? None for the first shot, but my second shot bruised badly and I felt seriously shitty the following day. I was perfectly fine afterwards, though. Can any of your friends sing well? Which one has the nicest singing voice? Sara has an AMAAAAAAAAAAAZING voice. When was the last time you wore make-up, if ever? What shades/colours? I don't even remember, but I'm sure it would've been black. What is something that seems popular, but doesn't interest you personally? Fashion, various TV shows, etc... Are you clumsy or graceful? I am STUPID clumsy. Like it's just ridiculous. Do you like gloves? I like fingerless gloves. Does your sibling(s) have braces? My older sister did as a kid. Do you ever say "OMG" in person? No; it's a random pet peeve of mine, "Internet talk" irl. What was the last thing your parents got mad at you for? Dad, no idea. Mom, uhhhh. Not "mad," but "annoyed" probably better fits how she felt about me leaving the heating pad I use for my cramps on the floor. Do your pets have favorites? I'm definitely Roman's favorite seeing as he is my literal shadow, and I'd assume Venus trusts me more than anyone else, but realistically, she's in contact with almost no one else, so. Who was your first boyfriend/girlfriend? Why did you break up? The first guy to have the title of "boyfriend" was Aaron, and I broke up with him 'cuz I just wasn't as romantically into him as I thought I might be. It was puppy-dog love, and I feel I knew that. My first *real* boyfriend was Jason, who broke up with me because my mental illnesses began to affect his wellbeing. Which I now accept is fine, but he seriously coulda gone about things differently... When was the last time you got a new bed? Is your bed comfy? Late into my teenage years; idk the exact age and don't feel like doing the math. Teddy kept peeing on the bed to where it was just unrecoverable and needed to be thrown away. My current bed is comfy enough. What kind of games did you play on the playground when you were younger? My absolute favorite was digging tunnels in the sandbox, pretending to be a meerkat. The only trend I ever created, haha, seeing as my classmates got into it with me, allowing us to make huge tunnel systems. It was really cool. I also liked playing 4 Square (which I now don't even remember the details of) on the basketball court. Do you remember the first time you ever drove a car? Who were you with? Yeah, my driver's ed instructor and the guy who was on the same route as me. What’s your favorite thing to do when drunk? Would you do this sober? N/A Are you a fan of dogs? Do you have any as pets? I'm picky with dogs. I like interacting with any dog, but I don't plan on ever owning another. I don't like how hyper they can be, and I prefer more independent pets, like cats. Basically, I'll be hyped to meet a random dog on the street and give it some loving, but I don't want to take it home to be my own. Are you an elitist (even a little bit) when it comes to anything? What? No. I cannot stand elitists. Is just being fond of something enough, or does it take more than that to be a ‘real fan’? And I hate gatekeeping in fandoms even more. There are varying intensities of "being a fan," but regardless, if you like something, congratulations, you're a valid, "real" fan. What type of fabric is most comfortable for clothing? I don't pay attention to this, honestly. If you wear one – bras with or without a wire? I'll wear either, but without is way more comfortable. If you wear one – are you able to find cute bras in your size? God no. What length do you like your shorts to be? I don’t wear shorts. What was the last disappointing movie you saw? Warcraft, but not because it was bad. I've talked before how in the theater, the orcs' voices were just so fucking baritone that I couldn't understand almost ANYTHING they said. Kinda ruined the experience for me. What was the last disappointing book you read? Don't recall. Do you ever watch compilation videos? Of what? Very rarely. If I do, they're mostly of animals being silly. Favorite Disney character who isn’t royalty? Probably Dory, but idk. There's WAY too many options to fish through.

[autumnblogs]

Day 15: Troll Girls and Human Boyfriend Material

https://homestuck.com/story/2626

In exactly the same way that the indecency of Vriska’s abusive behavior (and the expectations of Troll Culture) are exposed when they come into contact with Tavros’ non-resistance, the indecency of the conditions of Troll Society are exposed as soon as Karkat is able to observe the conditions of Human society.

Karkat isn’t awake to that yet, though, so all his anger comes out pointed in the direction of the most immediate target - John Human Egbert. Thus begins the most legendary hatecrush in Paradox Space.

Dave and Karkat are both attracted to the same guy.

More after the break.

https://homestuck.com/story/2629

That little affair ended about as fast as it started.

I think what’s interesting about Karkat and Terezi’s relationship with full retrospect is that with the exception of their respective introductions, nearly all of their shared storyline takes place after they have already broken up.

Terezi is a bit of a serial romantic, leaving behind a trail of broken hearts, repeatedly breaking her own heart in the process. Maybe she’s trying to fill the void left behind by the end of her friendship with Vriska - if friendship is all it is. Terezi might not be the most important person in Vriska’s life (she also might be,) but Vriska is definitely the most important person in Terezi’s life.

Playing house with Karkat, turning Dave into a project, having her weird Batman and Joker relationship with Gamzee, but none of them fills the niche. I might be reading too far into that.

https://homestuck.com/story/2641

https://homestuck.com/story/2642

John and his Dad both address each other with symbols representing each other.

https://homestuck.com/story/2644

Being able to reunite with his Dad is, at this point, the same kind of fleeting fantasy that being able to fly is for Tavros.

https://homestuck.com/story/2652

Roxy Lalonde, Copium dealer.

Suffering is what all human beings share in common. Mom and Dad didn’t know each other until today, it seems, but they have their shared losses in common. That makes them friends.

https://homestuck.com/story/2653

Vriska probably latches onto John for the same reasons she latched onto Tavros - Breath Player. I have heard it hypothesized that Vriska envies the freedom that people like John and Tavros enjoy, their relative detachments from other people. She wants to be more like them. On the other hand, she also wants them to be more like her, and she does her darndest to turn both of them into hero coolguys (the kind of person she wants to be!)

On the subject of Vriska as coolguy, she is a parallel to Dave in that respect, and in more ways than that. Vriska ultimately wields the Ultimate Weapon against Lord English in the final battle as his nemesis, a role which is also foretold of Dave. Like Dave, Vriska has spent her entire life around vectors by which Lord English has infected her subconscious mind.

But Vriska becomes a dangerous antagonist whose presence represses other people’s agency. Dave, on the other hand, turns out to be a laidback and chill dude who rejects the violence inherent in the system. Dave has kinder, more understanding friends and easier living conditions though.

More push and pull between nature and nurture.

https://homestuck.com/story/2660

Maybe I do finally have something to say about the Carapacians’ emotional arc and the themes of their story.

It’s clear that the Mayor has aspirations of leadership and noble intent, but he doesn’t want Power with a capital P - not the kind of currency that power is in Carapacian life. Whether you’re a Dersite or a Prospitian, life for Carapacians is being part of a war machine, so the form that power takes is the capacity to commit violence and destruction.

A Mayor though, isn’t defined by his ability to destroy things, but to create them. His power doesn’t come from his personal capacity to commit violence, but from his community’s trust. Being the leader of the rebellion on the battefield is one step in the right direction.

As the Ringbearer, just this little guy caught up in a war that’s much bigger than he is, the Mayor is full of references to Frodo Baggins, who along with the other Hobbits, is part of the parable about violence that is central to Lord of the Rings.

The world will probably always have employment for heroes like Aragorn (and like John, and Vriska), and there will always be tyrants for those heroes to oppose like Sauron (and like Lord English, and Vriska), but it is the pity of Frodo in sparing Gollum, the humility of Samwise in rejecting the ring, Merry and Pippin’s love of simple things, and earnest respect for other sentient beings, that are ultimately what win the day. It is not the courage of the great, or the wisdom of the wise that rules the destiny of nations, but the compassion of the lowly.

Maybe the Mayor was the secret hero of Homestuck all along.

https://homestuck.com/story/2662

Vriska breaks character in this conversation with John a bit and continues the trend of secretly valuing the journey and just doing some cool things more than she actually values the destination.

She may pretend to be all business, the kind of girl who cheats, cuts to the chase, beats the final boss and wins the treasure, but Vriska loves meaningless sidequests.

https://homestuck.com/story/2663

She almost immediately reneges on the sentiment, of course.

John also has a bit of an interesting response, and one that suits his general gullibility. I could be reading into his non-plussed response, but I feel like it fits a pattern where John outwardly assents to the first truth claim that he receives, while pondering it and questioning it internally.

https://homestuck.com/story/2672

Few interesting things in this conversational sequence, actually. More of Paradox Space’s self-fulfilling, self-justifying, self-authenticating nature rears its head. Vriska meddles with John because she does - the meddling comes from nowhere in particular, she sees that John is standing around in his room for a few minutes doing nothing, and meddles with him, and it turns out that it was her meddling that caused it in the first place.

It’s these times, where a character’s actions result in a stable time loop, that I think Paradox Space uses to help them understand their own true natures - what does Vriska do in a vacuum? She meddles, because that’s what Vriska does.

https://homestuck.com/story/2682

Rose is uncharacteristically aloof here, and it should be our first clue that all is not well in LOLAR. None of the jocular flowery language she usually addresses her friends with - she is sharp as a razor and ice cold.

Rose is also careful with the words that she uses. She describes her relationship with the consorts as coercive. That is concerning.

I bring all of this up because it’s the first time we’ve seen Rose in hundreds of pages, and the very last time we saw her was the fallout from her awakening on Derse.

This is isn’t just about the game, it’s about everything - because the sorts of enemies and troubles the game manifests for the heroes to fight aren’t trivial, they’re rooted in the symbols that characters associate with their fears and social anxieties - Sollux’s Brain, Karkat’s Blood, Pipes as a symbol of John’s Dad and their ambivalent relationship, Water as a symbol of loss - Jasper, as far as Rose knows, drowned in a river.

Rose is tired of losing the things that are most important to her, and feeling antagonized by emotionally distant forces who she yearns for intimacy with. She’s mad as hell and she’s not going to take it any more. And of course, it might be that cutting through the bullshit surface-level quest and going off to create the Green Sun might have been Rose’s real quest all along.

https://homestuck.com/story/2694

The actual material of Karkat’s speech is not particularly important, and it’s clear because the reaction of all of his counterparts is not different from how they would normally react to Karkat. Kanaya is supportive of Karkat’s idea because she is supportive of Karkat. Terezi is dismissive. The point of the speech isn’t whatever Karkat said, but that it makes use of the relationships Karkat already has.

https://homestuck.com/story/2705

The other conversation John and Kanaya have.

Really, just so great.

https://homestuck.com/story/2725

Fashion!!!!

Fashion obviously becomes more important the higher on the haemospectrum you go, but even some of the other lowbloods are more fashionable than Karkat, so the reality is probably just that he either doesn’t give a shit about it himself, or does but can’t afford anything fashionable.

https://homestuck.com/story/2727

Rose is clearly not okay with the fact that apocalypses are pedestrian in Paradox Space, but she has revolted, and one part of that revolt is revolting against her own preoccupation with the transitory nature of existence. She coolly pretends to be fine with it.

https://homestuck.com/story/2728

Kanaya is attracted to Rose exactly because she is so dangerous - Rose fills a Vriska shaped hole in her heart.

Skaia and the Horrorterrors are directly contrasted here. Let’s make a simile.

Prospit Dreamers are to Skaia as Derse Dreamers are to the Horrorterrors.

Prospit Dreamers go with the flow, are comfortable with the status quo, optimistic and flexible. Skaia reflects existence presenting everything as it is to Prospit Dreamers, without comment.

Derse Dreamers are rebellious, uncomfortable with stability, predisposed to catalyze change. We should expect that the Horrorterror’s relationship with reality and all of Paradox Space, is to question it, criticize it, and probe its vulnerabilities with their tentacles.

They are polar forces. There is one Skaia, because there is only one reality that all of the characters share. There are infinite horrorterrors because outside of the bounds of the one reality, there are infinite possibilities that could have been, or could still be.

Rose is predisposed toward the Horrorterrors because of her intense dissatisfaction with life. At times, her dissastisfaction trends toward the ultimate - there are a few indications throughout Homestuck that Rose might have suicidal ideations, and a number of places where she unnecessarily seeks out extremely self-destructive possibilities in the heat of the moment because of that intense dissatisfaction.

Kanaya is predisposed to trust her first impressions of her surroundings and the people in her life, and that gets her into trouble too. Her misplaced trust in Vriska’s intentions and goodwill toward everyone lets Vriska exploit her. They balance each other.

https://homestuck.com/story/2730

Rose has become dangerous because her dissatisfaction has increased to the extent that she doesn’t trust the people who care about her any more. Sure, she enjoys their presence, but she’s not really willing to listen to their concerns. She won’t be dissuaded from being manipulated.

https://homestuck.com/story/2734

Vriska reproduces/transmits herself onto John by replacing his symbols with her symbols (except for his green ghost, which is emblematic and can’t be erased.)

https://homestuck.com/story/2737

Constantly dunking on each other is a part of these two’s schtick that I’ve brought up before and I’ll bring it up again - they can barely go two seconds without exchanging shallow and insincere hostilities.

https://homestuck.com/story/2742

The Alternian Coolkid is, of course, Vriska.

Braggadocious, contentious, competitive. Terezi, like Kanaya, is trying to fill a Vriska-shaped space.

https://homestuck.com/story/2759

Man, somehow I forgot that Sollux is not merely their hacker guy, but their IT guy in general.

Suddenly, I am 1,000,000% more sympathetic to Sollux.

https://homestuck.com/story/2780

These past few pages have been absolutely swimming with good Dave dialogue.

Dave fills his speech with sexual innuendo and outright explicit language, particularly when means to shock and offend or deter someone from interacting.

He tends to string together multisyllabic adjectives and punctuate them with profane or explicit words in particular as a form of humor, and the words that he chooses tend to be literary references.

He tends to coin new words by stringing together adjectives or nouns.

Uses lots of slang suggestive of rap culture and basketball, both of which Dave has a fascination with.

I’ll preface this by saying your headcanons are valid, but I’ve always viewed Dave Strider as an intensely white character. For exactly the same reason that his use of Apple Products and his ironic coolkid routine come across as performative, so does his engagement with things that are culturally coded as black. Dave is an outsider, and a poseur. It would seem incongruous for Dave to actually be a member of the subcultures that he engages with by parodying them - because in no small part, he parodies them because he wants to feel like he’s a part of them, to enjoy the sense of community that comes from them.

https://homestuck.com/story/2784

John really is a clever and perceptive lad.

https://homestuck.com/story/2789

Even this early on in the comic, it’s obvious that Karkat and Dave have chemistry. Dave doesn’t respond to him with the kind of verbal legerdemain that he reserves for people who make him uncomfortable, he jokes around about himself with Karkat.

https://homestuck.com/story/2790

Wow this is a great conversation, there’s so much in here to unpack.

Let’s start with one of the first things.

Dave and Karkat’s language here is pretty indistinguishable from the way that they both normally talk to their friends - Karkat is always rude and shouty to everyone (except Kanaya), and Dave is similarly pretty rude and dismissive even to his pals. The thing is though, Dave is doing his whole performative alpha male thing, and so is Karkat, and it creates this really unpleasant tension between the two of them. These guys should obviously actually get along with each other for reasons that are complementary to the reasons they both get along with John, but they’re both so insecure that they can’t let the other’s challenge to their dominance go.

As a coming of age story, Homestuck is to some degree or another about puberty, and the effects that it has on social life - sexuality is intruding into formerly sexless spaces as youngsters become aware of their own bodies, and each other’s bodies. So that’s another tension in this conversation - being the alpha dog doesn’t just mean being the guy who is toughest, but being the guy who gets the girl, and part of that routine is Dave deliberately using his burgeoning friendship with Terezi as a point of contention with Karkat - making Terezi an object of competition.

The same tension makes everything awkward between all three of them because Karkat is attracted to John, and Dave (while still not awake to it) is also attracted to John.

And then Karkat wakes them both up to the possibility of the invasion of the sexual into formerly sexless friendships by bringing up the possibility of reproduction and the only biologically and culturally viable breeding pairs. (Breeding pair, as long as we’re on that topic, is as I understand it, film-industry jargon for the male and female romantic leads when considered together. Don’t quote me on that.)

Classic John is being completely puzzled by the existence of sexuality - completely oblivious to others’ attraction toward him, completely oblivious toward other people’s bodies. The only time in the comic John seems to show legitimate attraction toward another person is Roxy, but we’ll get back to that later. I think John might be Ace, which could be a bit of blatant wish fulfilment since I am Ace, but what am I gonna do, not project my own foibles onto characters I relate to and enjoy?

https://homestuck.com/story/2791

I am not going to play an interactive game right now, it’s getting late, and my break is about to be over.

So for now, this is Cam signing off, and you know the rest.

[shimzus-a]

ok i’m ... only going to talk about my unpopular opinions in regard to kiyoko’s character & her portrayal. i disagree about more things than that, but i’m not trying to overstep my bounds into other people’s portrayals or the way that furudate decided to write hq.

i don’t ship kiyoyachi. i honestly can’t see them as anything more than platonic friends / best friends. kiyoko hasn’t really given any indication of her being interested in dating in the manga, nor has yachi, & their differences in personality & age make me prefer to see them as just friends. more than anything, i think yachi is someone that kiyoko is grateful to have as a friend. furudate has said that kiyoko struggles with her words / communication a lot, which means that kiyoko’s ability to talk to yachi as another girl on an all-boys team, as a senior passing the torch to the future team, & as a simple friend is something she greatly cherishes. he’s also said that he added yachi as a character who “doesn’t overlap with kiyoko-san at all,” further stressing their differences. i think they blend a lot better as friends than they do as partners, & i prefer them to just be platonic. 

kiyoko isn’t rude to her own team, or rude period. she’s usually painted out to be cold & reserved, but it’s clear that she cares for her team. some people might be confused because of the distinction between concise speech & rudeness, but i think that kiyoko’s tendency to give short, simple responses sometimes leads to her being perceived as snippy or curt. but she’s been shown joking with her team ( in an off-brand sort of dark / unclear humor that sugawara also shows, sometimes ), high-fiving / patting them with distinct physical contact ( that a rude person might not ), & smiling around them. the only clear instance of her doing something that could be perceived as “rude” is that oikawa’s current concern lists her as having ignored him. but in contrast, she’s been confronted by terushima & whispered about / talked about by multiple other strangers or opposing players, but she never treats them poorly. she politely tries to excuse herself from terushima, or feigns ignorance / looks away from anyone she hears talking about her. most of the time, it’s tanaka & nishinoya who prevent her from coming in direct contact with boys who think she’s cute, so she’s never clearly “shut anyone down” in a rude way. 

in that same boat, she doesn’t HATE people who flirt with her. hate is such a strong word & i don’t like to use it to refer to her feelings, but sometimes i’ve seen kiyoko be portrayed as the type of person who coldly, meanly shuts people down when they flirt with her. there’s an extra illustration in which she’s wearing a sarashi ( chest wrap ), & oikawa, kuroo, & bokuto exclaim that they want to help promote the volume so they can see her in it. but she doesn’t shut them down for it -- she crosses her arms, blushes, & makes a sort of pout-like expression ( like she’s not pleased with it, but she can’t stop them ). i don’t know where the notion of her being this aggressive, icy “man-killer” came from, but i think her responses to flirtation are pretty normal. most often, tanaka & nishinoya will stop the advances, but if they don’t, she’ll be polite to excuse herself or she’ll pout & feel embarrassed / exasperated by it. she might also rebuke advances with short, dry answers, but this is usually directed towards people she knows well ( tanaka & nishinoya ), & not strangers who could perceive it as rude if they didn’t know her well.

[ speculation ] kiyoko isn’t rich. karasuno has been painted out to be a rural public high school with medium- to low-acceptance standards. kageyama couldn’t pass the written exams to enter shiratorizawa ( a private school ), & i believe aoba josai has also been confirmed to be a private school. furthermore, the facilities at karasuno point to it being a bit of a hodge-podge school -- the volleyball team doesn’t have a coach & they aren’t given a replacement, & the girls volleyball club has to share a gym with the basketball team. so, although this is just my speculation & not confirmed in any way, kiyoko is probably local & comes from a middle-class family, which would be common in suburban / rural miyagi. her out-of-school clothing in some official art suggests that she lives comfortably & can keep up with some fashion trends ( her teddy-esque type jacket in winter, small backpack at the shrine visit, two confirmed pairs of swimsuits, etc. ), but she’s clearly not loaded with money or from a high-class family. 

she’s not a highly intelligent character. she’s in class 3-2, one of the lower level classes ( not a college prep class ). some of her observations in haikyuu-bu ( though it’s technically a comedic spin-off ) suggest that she’s not highly intelligent in the way some other characters are. furudate also comments on her in the haikyuu guidebook, “i created her with the image of a ‘capable secretary’ in mind who does her work in a matter-of-fact manner. but that doesn’t mean she’s cool, in fact i draw her as being not very good with words.” i interpret this choice of wording of “cool” as also inclusive of “intelligent / clever.” i don’t think she’s unintelligent. i wrote a headcanon based on gardner’s multiple intelligences theory to explain that she’s more skilled in certain intelligences, & i plan on writing another headcanon about her intelligence later, but at least in terms of traditional book smarts, she’s not considered intelligent.

she’s not useless. this is an opinion i unfortunately see / hear a lot, & i think it’s rooted in the fact that kiyoko is a minor character, often seen as a block to certain ships, & because karasuno has two managers instead of one. i want to stress that because haikyuu is a sports manga, the majority of the on-page action is in volleyball matches, not the behind-the-scenes work of the managers. kiyoko is a minor character & accordingly doesn’t get much development or time on the page. but what we learn from hints in the manga is that she has essentially taught herself the rules of volleyball with minimal assistance from a senior manager ( since she was recruited in her first year & there was no manager there at the time ), that she is responsible for cooking, washing jerseys, & doing dishes ( from the ‘what if shimizu-san wasn’t the manager’ extra chapter ). sawamura also at one point remarks that she’s “got a lot of work on her hands” before the team plays at the interhigh tournament, which means that even the team captain recognizes her responsibilities & worth on the team. 

9/10 dentists characters have called her pretty. at one point i actually tried to make a list of all the characters who have in some way commented on her appearance or acted strangely around her because she was pretty. off the top of my head, i can list : hinata, yachi, tanaka, nishinoya, sawamura, sugawara, azumane, yahaba, kindaichi, oikawa, yamamoto, lev ( ? ), kuroo, bokuto, terushima, & bobata. unfortunately, furudate’s earlier art doesn’t do her beauty much justice in my opinion ( which is why i think this tends to be downplayed sometimes ), but she clearly has some testimonials to her appearance. 

she’s probably not close with any of the team outside of practice. during their new years shrine visit, the third years remark that it’s the first time they’ve ever all been to a shrine together. kiyoko also states at some point during that visit that she needs to get a gift for someone from class, which clarifies that she probably has friends outside of volleyball class ( in the same way that sawamura knows yui or ikejiri, or hinata knows friends from middle school ). furthermore, when she comes to visit hinata in the first year’s hallway, she gets a lot of comments from other students in shock, asking “who’s that pretty girl talking to hinata” / “hinata knows the hot third year ?” then when she calls hinata outside the school to come to the gym for his updated measurements, a student remarks “whoa, hinata knows that pretty third year !” this tells me that she probably doesn’t visit the first year’s hallway very often ( despite being friends with yachi ), & likely not the second year’s either. 

she’s not insecure about her beauty. her legs, yes, but not her face. i’ve seen some interpretations in fics of kiyoko somehow being embarrassed by her attractiveness, but clearly it doesn’t seem to bother her in the manga, even when she’s flirted with by other characters. she also doesn’t seem to look shy / hide when she wears her swimsuit in official art or puts her hair up in a different hairstyle. 

she has a sense of humor & she knows how to smile. i touched on this in like one sentence before, but she does have a sense of humor. it’s just not what you would expect from her -- it’s a bit dark ( such as when she grins when she scares yachi with the vocabulary term “kill block” ) & convoluted ( such as when she clearly goes against her actions by calling out “oikawa-san !!!” in the anime after ignoring him ). obviously, her humor doesn’t register with everyone, & is probably used at unusual / not obvious times, which means that it isn’t always read as humor. but she’s not some kind of humorless, cold robot girl. she just tends to dial back her reactions & behaviors in a more subdued way than other characters.