#and you knowing how to read does not necessarily mean that you are comprehending

[myglittervoid]

The average person in the US has a reading level below the 8th grade. Most of the US is lacking media literacy and reading comprehension.

When you hear people say things like "underaged woman", they are counting on you not understanding that they are talking about a child.

[star-writes-fanfiction]

:: i n n o c e n c e :: ʚїɞ :: n e w t ::

concept: y/n has just arrived in the glade and has virtually no knowledge about s3x or s3xual things, and newt feels the need to *teach* her

warnings: smut [oral, penetration, finger fucking, only semi-consesual ], swearing, alcohol consumption

other: your nickname is bunny, it explains why but just go with it.

🔞*MINORS DNI*🔞

:: newt's pov ::

We were all gathered at the monthly bonfire to celebrate our newest arrival, just one month after that of Y/n. I sat myself down next to Minho, a bottle of Gally's moonshine in my hand, fully intending to get ridiculously drunk.

The night was going great. Thomas had already held three philosophical debates with Zart about, well, everything, Minho had been dared to run around the Glade with no pants on yelling "FREEDOM FOR THE SCROTUM!"... which I wish I could say was a fever dream, and we'd danced around to music from the little radio the Creators sent up.

Eventually though, everyone had to sit down because we'd had at least three moonshine-induced casualties. We instead played a more 'gentle' game of just asking people deep questions, and if they didn't answer, they'd drink (funny that we were answering our drinking problems with more drinking, but anyways).

I got asked first by Jack from the gardens. "So, Mr. Second-in-Command, what's your type?" I wasn't quite sure. I mean, there weren't exactly many girls in the glade, only five, so I hadn't had much to assist me in figuring it out (unless I liked guys, but that's a whole different story). However, I could easily spot what traits were bad in a girl from what I'd seen so far.

"Gotta be funny," I started, looking over to Minho for approval - at this point we were basically married, and all the Gladers are our children. Everything we do the other parent must approve. "...and kind. I guess attractive, but I wouldn't know much about that. So maybe... y/h/c hair, and nice eyes." The other Gladers gave small nods of agreement.

"Alright, Newt. Your turn. You ask someone a question."

I looked around me, my sight landing on Thomas, cheeks flushed from all he'd been drinking. "Tommy. What's your favourite..." I tried to think of something that wouldn't get me demoted by Alby and ruin my reputation. "...what's your favourite... thing about Bunny?"

He blushed slightly, clearly wanting to be polite to the girl sitting only a few metres away. "She's nice, from what I've seen. Nice eyes." Despite his saying, he averted eye contact.

"Fair," I replied. This went on until Minho's turn. I love the guy, but he clearly does NOT know how to respect a Greenie or he probably wouldn't have chosen to ask Bunny a question, let alone the one that he did.

"Hey, bunny, what's your favourite sex position?

:: ʚїɞ ::

:: your pov ::

"Hey, bunny, what's your favourite sex position?

Sex position? What the fuck shuck is that? I vaguely remembered learning about sex, but never that there were positions. It was just... sex. And to my knowledge, I'd never even had sex before.

"I don't know, the normal one," I replied, trying to asnwer as nonchalantly as possible. Even though I was sure they wouldn't necessarily judge me, it's likely that they'd make fun of me for it as long as I lived. A few boys laughed.

"The normal one, and which is that?" Minho asked, probing me sassily. "The one where..." I froze, trying to think quickly. "I don't know, I've never had sex, okay?" As I suspected, most of the boys chuckled, but luckily didn't make fun of me. As they were laughing, I caught someone's eyes across the room. Newt.

I couldn't quite his expression. Anger? Concentration? Wanting?

I hadn't been in the Glade long enough to read and comprehend his facial expressions, and definitely wasn't close enough to him to understand what they meant. I was confused, so I decided to leave and head to my hammock to hit the sack.

:: ʚїɞ ::

:: newt's pov ::

When I gave Y/n the nickname 'Bunny', it was because she looked innocent. The way her y/h/c hair fell around her sweet, round face, and the way her eyes glistened when she looked up from the Box. It was the first thing I thought of, just as how beautiful she was was the first thing I saw when I pulled her out of that cage.

But I didn't know then that she was a different kind of innocent too...

I watched as she departed the gathering, headed to the hammocks. I found the urge to follow her growing inside of me (and in my pants), but I knew I needed to let her sleep.

However, there is such a thing as lying, so I decided to get up anyway. "Hey, Minho," I said, looking in his direction. "I'm gonna go check on Bunny, and then head to bed, alright?" He nodded absent-mindedly.

As I walked to the hammocks, I started hearing sounds, but I brushed it off, thinking it was the wind. But as I started to get closer to where Y/n was 'sleeping', they grew louder and more frequent. It sounded like... moaning?

I couldn't hold back my curiosity any longer.

I quietly crept over to the hammocks to see Y/n splayed across hers, hands between her thighs, ducking in and out of herself. Fuck, that's hot, I thought as I knelt down beside her.

"Hey," I muttered, smirking as she recoiled in surprise.

"Oh my stars, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were there." She said, pulling her hand out of her pants. This was my shot.

"It's alright, Love. Let me help," I said, placing my hand over hers before reinserting it inside her. I set the pace, moving quickly. She let out little whimpers as I continued, our four fingers combined making her arrival come faster.

"Fuck, Newt~" she cursed, throwing her head back. I sped up in response, my movements faster and jerkier until I felt her clench around my fingers.

Her breath hitched as she came, wetting her canvas hammock.

"Mmm, great job, Love," I said, whispering softly in her ear, watching as her face flushed with embarrassment. "Thank you."

:: ʚїɞ ::

:: your pov ::

I yelped in surprise and anticipation as he lifted me up from my hammock, and took me to his room. He laid me gently on the sheets, closing and locking the door as he unbuckled his belt.

"Is this okay, Bunny?" He asked, now pulling off his shirt and walking over to the bed. I nodded intently, my eyes skimming over his toned chest. I blushed as he pulled his boxers down every thought in my mind being replaced by the idea of him inside me.

Before long, he laid in front of me, and hooked his thumbs in the waist of my pants, pulling them down. I lifted myself up to help him.

He held himself atop me as he began to leave ghost-like kisses across my neck, nipping softly and sucking on my sweet spot. "Fuck, that feels so good," I muttered, leaning my neck to the side to allow him more access. His hands grasped the hem of my shirt, signalling for me to take it off.

With my bra exposed, he kissed the tops of my breasts too, moving slowly down my stomach. I was getting desperate. "Newt, hurry," I managed to sputter, as he narrowly avoided the place I needed him most, and instead kissed down my thighs. "With time, Love," he simply replied, fingers latching on to the band of my panties. "May I take these off?" I nodded - even when drunk, and clearly aroused, Newt was always a gentleman.

I felt myself grow wet as my core was exposed to the cold air, whimpering from all these new sensations. I felt his tongue press against me, his fingers entering my heat once again. "Newt, shit, fuck~" I cursed as he ate me out, sucking on my clit.

It didn't take long for me to fall off the edge, his calloused thumbs rubbing circles on my hips as he helped me ride out my high.

Soon it was time for the real thing.

"You ready, Love?" He asked, positioning himself at my entrance.

"Mm-hmm," I replied, just eager to finally feel him, even after my two orgasms.

He slipped in slowly, allowing me to adjust to him. "Fuckkk," I whispered, head thrown back in ecstasy. After a few seconds of stillness, I longed for speed. "Move," I said quietly, gripping the sheets. As if something clicked in his head, Newt began to thrust, methodically and mechanically.

It wasn't long before his dexterous hand found it's way between us and began to circle my clit. The added stimulation filled me with fireworks of pleasure.

He let out little grunts with each movement, me adding to the sound with my high-pitched moans.

Before long, I felt his cock twitch inside me before he came. Although, he rather politely continued his motions until I too came with him.

I felt him pull out of me, leaving what felt like a gaping absence, before he layed down beside me, cradling my naked body.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this, Love," he mumbled in my ear.

Yeah. Best sex-ed lesson ever.

Thank you so much for reading! Don't forget to leave requests in my inbox (read my pinned post first). See y'all next time with another story!

Also, please like and reblog because it helps promote my content!

-star ✨

[timebambi]

class bias in arcane : the problem with the "vi can't read" headcanon.

the idea that vi never learned to read or write because she's from zaun is not only ridiculous and completely unsupported by the show, but always revolves around the stigmatization of zaunites in general and the uplifting of caitlyn. which is, obviously, very bad …

this is going to be a bit long, but i really wanted to explore this and share my thoughts, especially because this headcanon harms vi and other zaunite characters in the show indirectly. which is something i. hate. so. much. i just can't comprehend how people are still saying this.

vi can read. the show literally shows us this.

in season 2, vi says to jinx that the letter is from vander to silco. a letter. which is handwritten in manuscript. meaning she's actually reading. because it requires standard literacy skills. so, you know, she can read :)

and she's not the only one. jinx also reads the letter (if you somehow missed her cracking hextech in season 1). vander wrote it himself, meaning he was literate too. silco and vander put their initials on their jackets, just more proof that literacy isn't uncommon in zaun. literally, at no point in season 2 does arcane show a zaunite struggling to read or write.

season 1 already gave us clues about this.

this isn't even new information. in season 1, episode 1, vi searches jayce's lab for valuables to steal, but she still stops to look at the books. that's not something you do if reading is completely foreign to you.

she also looks at jayce's research board, which is covered in scientific notes and calculations and immediately realizes she's in an inventor's workspace. if reading were completely unfamiliar to vi, that mess of writing would just look like abstract symbols or nonsense to her. but no. she can process enough of it to understand what it means.

and let's not forget powder. well, maybe i'm reading too much into that, so you can ignore this if you want. but in the same episode, she picks up a book and seems to read a line before closing it. it doesn't seem to me that she’s staring blankly at the page, but that her eyes are actually following a line of text.

so if vi’s younger sister could read at that time, why wouldn't she ?

zaunites aren't illiterate, arcane shows that over and over again.

okay. so, if vi knowing how to read is still somehow up for debate, what about the other zaunites ?

ekko is literally shown reading, writing, and eventually inventing a time machine in season 2. since this alternate universe shows zaun becoming like piltover, you'd expect a major difference between these two characters. i mean, according to some people, the undercity is full of the poor and uneducated, right ? so with piltover being more open, powder should have had more resources to develop her skills. if that were true, you'd think she'd notice ekko lacking in literacy. but nope. he's just as literate as the powder from that world, since they collaborated without any issues.

maybe i could add viktor. yes, arcane doesn't detail how viktor got into piltover's academy, but his official lore confirms that viktor's intelligence was recognized early, he was already deeply knowledgeable in science as a child, working alongside singed and so later, he was brought to piltover and caught the eye of heimerdinger. i just don't see how any of this would be possible without being literate. there's no way he'd get into the academy without knowing how to read or write.

so, now the question is : why them and not vi ?

why wouldn't vander make sure vi and powder could read ?

again, if you somehow missed that jinx can read and write in season 1, or if you still think that doesn't necessarily mean vi can, and to answer "why them and not vi ?", let's go over this.

nothing in arcane suggests that zaunites are generally illiterate, it's actually the contrary (e.g. ekko, vitkor, silco, vander), so why would vander's kids be the exception ? and if one of them had to be, why vi ? especially when both vi and powder didn't have to work in the mines thanks to vander. no but this alone shows that he invested in their well-being beyond just survival, so why wouldn't that also include making sure they had basic literacy ? even if their parents didn't teach them first, what reason could vander have to not teach vi and powder when he can read and write himself ?

actually, it makes even less sense to assume that the sisters never learned to read, considering they were more privileged than many other kids in zaun, especially since vander kept them out of child labor.

the "vi can't read, so caitlyn teaches her" headcanon is just ... gross.

now let's talk about how this headcanon is not just a silly fandom theory, but something harmful.

there's this recurring fandom trope where caitlyn, the wealthy piltover enforcer, teaches vi, the poor ex-prisoner from zaun, how to read. and it's always framed as something "cute" or "romantic."

except … it's not.

this plays directly into the class divide between them. caitlyn already comes from a position of power and privilege. framing vi as this uneducated, illiterate street kid who needs caitlyn to "civilize" her completely strips away vi's intelligence and independence. it infantilizes her, turning her into some kind of "fixer-upper" project rather than the strong, capable person we know she is.

and after season 2, this headcanon feels even worse. it's as if the fandom is desperate to preserve a "wholesome" version of their relationship, even if it means making vi less than she actually is. if the only way to keep caitvi looking healthy for some of you is to belittle vi's intelligence and reinforce a savior dynamic, then maybe the ship isn't made for you anymore.

this headcanon needs to die.

i guess i have to conclude with the fact that nowhere in arcane is there any real evidence that vi is illiterate. if anything, the show gives us multiple signs that she, and many other zaunites, can read and write just fine. also, the idea that she can't isn't just wrong, it's rooted in a fandom bias that constantly downplays her intelligence while uplifting caitlyn's role in her life.

[fwckriley]

I've read lots of fanfics and headcanons about Ghost with partners who are usually kind, pure, like a angel, all flowers and butterflies and stuff etc. I get it, but no offense, and looking at it from another perspective, when you think about people who have experienced childhood trauma, they tend to repeat certain patterns. I'm not saying that every person with a traumatic past will have a toxic relationship.

But, you see: I personally believe that Ghost would never give a chance to someone he deems "perfect," innocent, pure, because that's completely opposite to how he sees himself. How could he be in a relationship with someone so different from him? How could he be understood by someone who doesn't have a certain darkness within? I'm not saying it wouldn't work, but I think a part of him would never fully reveal itself out of fear of being judged. On the other hand, I believe he would also seek out people who, in some way, are unattainable, to reaffirm that little voice inside him saying he doesn't deserve to be loved. Of course, none of this is really true, but that's how the mind of someone with many traumas tends to work.

I think he would avoid relationships and commitments for a long time, and wouldn't be able to choose someone outside of his field of work. "Normal" people could never understand the things he does, they could try, but never fully comprehend. In my opinion, he would fall in love, without realizing it, with someone from his field of work, probably a teammate with whom he shared many experiences. Someone with whom he has a deep connection. And, as I mentioned at the beginning, I believe he would unconsciously seek out more complex people. I see him attracted to people with a similar outlook on life, who are tougher and more realistic. Who share a darker sense of humor. Who have also experienced some kind of trauma in the past, so they can understand how he feels. I imagine him in a relationship with someone who has these characteristics, and unlike him, is ambiverted or extroverted. Someone who challenges him, calls him out when he's wrong, or is determined. Someone honest, but not rude. Someone funny, smart, creative. Someone with a thirst for adventure and a spark, to contrast with some parts of him.

But honestly, I can't picture him with someone he deems pure and perfect. He doesn't feel worthy or even attracted to that. He tends to surround himself with people who are similar to him because that's where he feels comfortable. Just to clarify, it doesn't necessarily mean that this partner in question would be a bad or toxic person, but simply someone similar to him. I believe Price is the best example of that, who is good but not innocent, not entirely right.

In the end, I think the relationship with the chosen person would be a challenging but functional one. Not toxic, not abusive or destructive, just difficult. Traumatized people are human and fully capable of relating to each other, but it takes patience and determination, and a lot of work. I think that over time, they would improve greatly. Because Ghost's biggest fear is one-sidedness. He needs to know that he is protecting and helping, but he also needs to feel protected and helped.

[cocogum]

Yugo should have been an enutrof.

I feel like Yugo loved being himself before he learned he was an eliatrope.

As Yugo began to learn about his past—his siblings, his origins, his identity, and who his mother is—he seemed to almost regret discovering it all. This is ironic because, along the way, he made friends and formed the Brotherhood of the Tofu to help him search for his biological family and reconnect with his lost culture.

Because he had a good life before discovering his true identity. One could argue that he might have reacted similarly to the other rulers in the World of Twelve when they had learned about the Eliatropes in Season 2 and their association with the necromes in Season 4.

It's days like these where he makes me wonder if he sometimes looks up at the sky when he’s in bed and wishes he had been an enutrof instead. Where he could have had a normal family and helped his two dads Alibert and Gustavio (read the wakfu slice of life webtoon eps to know him) in the inn while taking care of Chibi which could have been another lost enutrof too.

Maybe then, he would’ve had it easy. He would’ve met Ruel thanks to Alibert’s connections just as early as when he used to be a kid and might’ve met Dally the same way, too. Amalia and Eva would’ve grabbed some food for the travel by taking a break at Alibert’s inn.

Even when he was a kid who didn’t know he had powers, Yugo unknowingly had trouble with being himself because of his antlers.

Yugo grew up as a mortal and learned life through a mortal. There was no way anyone could reverse that.

Grougaloragran may have chosen the person with the kindest heart, but that didn't necessarily mean the choice had to be a mortal. It really makes you wonder what might have happened if Grougal had selected someone else who not only had a good heart but was also a demigod.

The issue at hand is this: when selecting someone to raise Yugo, it is essential to choose a person who genuinely cares for all living beings, regardless of what they are. However, bringing such a person around mortals poses a significant problem, as mortals have a much shorter and inevitable lifespan. This discrepancy can lead to serious emotional harm for Yugo.

Imagine growing up as a mortal when you’re a demigod, and you become way too close to the mortals who took care of you but it’s already too late. When they die, your brain is unable to comprehend that they’re gone and will not come back no matter how much you try to find a solution. Still, when you finally give up and accept how life works, you keep them in your memory. Years go by, and you get to meet new friends and find a family, but the same cycle repeats itself. And the same one after that and the same again in the next. Now you’re wondering if all that caring and attention put on them might not have been healthy for you. Or useful, even...

Which is why I decided to make an AU featuring Yugo's preferred race and why it would be Enutrof!

Here's what I propose:

An AU where Yugo is not an eliatrope but an enutrof instead. He got adopted as a baby by Alibert and Gustavio (in this AU, these two never broke up and instead got married) when the former found him in an abandonned stroller.

Yugo gets to live his early life in Alibert's inn just like in Season 1. He does not wear an eliatrope hat since he doesn't have wakfu antlers so he's constantly hatless.

He knows Ruel because he occasionally visits Alibert and Gustavio to eat, consistently putting his meals "on the tab."

Alibert is the mayor and responsible of the inn with the food. Gustavio, on the other hand, greets the customers and is in charge of the wine.

Yugo (hatless), still wears the same clothes as Season 1. He gets his kindness from Alibert. His courage is unique and he's selfless, a strange mix for an enutrof but a special one at that. When he'll get older, he'll be the one to inherit Alibert's shovel and upgrade it. Ruel considers Yugo as his own son since they will adventure together like in Season 1.

Since Yugo's an enutrof, there are no primordial eliatropes. Only primordial dragons. So when Yugo finds an abandonned baby Chibi, Yugo immediately takes him in and talks to Alibert and Gustavio about it. The two agree to take him in, with the latter being incredibly enthusiastic about the idea of getting a second baby.

On the other hand, Adamai and Grougal are considered primordial dragons because the Great Dragon formed unions with various other mortals. This unique lineage is why primordial dragons differ from one another. They represent six more dofus from the bunch, which rank just below the most powerful six main dofus in the world, and are now interconnected with all other dofus. (For those who don't know, the World of Twelve has tons of dofus but they're usually pretty minor compared to the actual primordial ones. Dofus like Adamai and Grougal in this AU are part of those special dofus where they birth dragons.)

Grougal and Adamai are living away from humans in Oma island. Adamaï has separate adventures from Yugo.

Since Yugo is not an eliatrope in this AU, Oropo doesn't exist but the brotherhood of the forgotten is very much real and Echo's the one leading it.

Nox is not being manipulated and is just crazy for hearing voices from the cube.

The eliacube was actually an artifact from a mechasm's heart (Orgonax) that got left in the world. Studies by professionals have determined that there's a possibility that the cube is the only thing left from an extinct race, OR it was the only thing left from them after they left. Either way, they know that it's extremely powerful and can change the course of anything just like the dofus.

The Brotherhood of the forgotten wanted to take it so they stole it from Bonta and then ended up on Oma Island to use the place as their base while using it. Unfortunately for them, Grougaloragran, occupied the Island and recognized the cube since he's so old and has actually met a mechasm before.

He attacks them and throws the cube in the ocean. It eventually lands to where Noximilien is at and the rest is history.

Since people know the cube came from a mechasm, they called it "the Mechacube".

Yugo ages normally but he's a bit shorter than Amalia by a few inches for being a year younger than her.

Adamai had been instructed by Grougaloragran to explore the world and develop his own perspective to better understand how it works. At one point, Adamai gets lost and ends up in Amakna. He visits the inn in his human form and meets Yugo. Since Yugo does not recognize him as a resident of Amakna, he assumes Adamai is some kind of adventurer or tourist (though he secretly hopes that Adamai is indeed an adventurer).

Luckily for him, Adamai entertains him by saying that he is one. Since Yugo's great with customer service (and is immensely curious), he and Adamai engage in a good conversation and get to know each other more.

Just as everything was going great, a possessed Dally barges in and wrecks the place. Adamai was about to do something about it but Yugo quickly steps in. Events of the beginning of S1 ensues. They then meet Amalia and Eva after Yugo witnesses one of his dads turning into a leafy statue.

They form the little team and get to know each other while trying to save Amakna.

The only reason why Nox is captivated by Amakna and spied on the group was because he was tracking Adamai for being a dragon with lots of wakfu.

After saving Amakna, Yugo and his friends decide to accompany Adamai back to Grougal. Adamai is concerned for Grougal’s safety, as a crazed Xelor is targeting dragons, and he feels that he has had enough adventures for a while. Yugo wants to help, so his friends choose to support him in this effort. The middle of Season 1 unfolds just as it does in the original storyline.

But they aren't careful when Nox tracks them back in Oma Island, Grougal sends them away and dies before going back to his dofus.

The sadida battle against Nox happens and it goes the same way (except Yugo has enutrof abilities).

Dally dies and then S2 proceeds the same way. It's only when the brotherhood goes back to the Sadida Kingdom that the events change.

Yugo loves the adventures so much that he decides to stay with Adamai to help him obtain more than just Grougal's dofus and gain additional family members to ease his grief over Grougal's death.

But deep down Adamai was also doing all of this because he's secretely jealous of what happened in Dally's case.

After all, how come he gets to come back instantly while he's the one that has to wait for Grougal?

Sure, Grougal will eventually come back but Adamai needs to wait. He at least has his dofus and the Mechacube with him. So at least he's not totally empty-handed.

Adamai has made the decision to search for Phaerys's dofus first. He isn't sure whether his brother is even alive, but he is determined to find the dofus regardless. While traveling by boat, Adamai, Yugo, and their friends encounter a detour that leads them to new adventures in Season 2, where they meet Elaine, Black Ink, and, of course, Cleophee. Eventually, they manage to get back on course and arrive at the island where Adamai can sense the presence of the dofus.

Meanwhile, the Sadida Kingdom receives no meetings with the other rulers because there are no eliatropes. And Rushu doesn't receive an attempt to invade the world.

That's basically all I got for now.

It's like a small little rant slash AU I came up with, but I like the idea.

Not only would we see Yugo having a complete family, but we would also witness Adamai utilizing more of his abilities and showcasing his human form during their travels.

Anyone can use this AU and extend it however they want idc do what you wanna do ✨️✨️

[apeninastory]

ivan as a tragic-love character (pt.4b?)

first post HERE. i have been writing this thing since nowhere came out - 3 times listening to it and i was hooked and obsessed and you can't even imagine how much i'm dying to listen to it again.

anyway. wanted to get the preparatory posts out of the way before nowhere comes out again, so here, take part 2.

it was getting too long, so i split it. let's get going!

6] the making of ivan's character - a story by ivan

so, ivan as a social being functions thanks to his mimetic strategy, and with this, he starts to learn things on his own, of course. he probably puts labels on his emotions, one at a time, the more he experience and feels like he understands them. it's just that not all of them are correctly intended. let me underline this: ivan learns abt emotions from little kids, aliens, (alien? human?) classic literature, and absorbs it all through his own perception and understanding of them. no one tells him "this is right, this is wrong" (or those who do may not be super reliable?) + he is numb to most sensations, so not even the way he perceives them can be fully trusted in his learning process.

being unable to completely comprehend what he feels since he has no reliable models/source material, he can only: (1) trust what he does have and label his emotions accordingly, categorizing for examples things like friendship, satisfaction, hunger, vitality, tiredness, fear as "easy" to recognize, as monolitic and unchangable sensations following certain events/actions/reactions (2) stare at what he doesn't find in his "manuals" until it either goes away or becomes comprehensible or (3) he has to coexist with the unfathomable emotions and his inability to fully understand it, disassembling it slowly.

consequences: (1) emotions he has labelled are reliable only partially, as they may be more complex than he believes, so he files other traits under different labels without realizing that many feelings comes with multifaceted elements - so what he knows is not necessarily wrong, but may be incomplete. (2) what he doesn't understand elicits frustration, so he either misplace the emotions in his labelled list in his haste to categorize them or just... lets the be and avoids situations where he is forced to confront them (his rhetoric must be terribly good to fend off emotional attacks! i can see that in him). i kinda like this latter possibility better, maybe as an unconscious mechanism of ivan's part. (3) he is attracted by the idea of decomposing certain emotions he doesn't understand, even if it is not a pleasing experience.

all this makes ivan super good at reading the room, perceiving shifts in mood and behaving accordingly. it derives from his survival instincts + everything he learned to better adapt and survive at anakt. ivan is to me someone who prefers and is good at being in control/having control over himself and what surrounds him - not necessarily in a i-want-to-control-people-around-me way, but like, he wants to be sure that whatever surrounds him (people, things, event) has no secrets for him. he may have a... superiority complex of sort (?) derived by the total lack of control he had when he lived in the slums. the better control he has over things that influence him, the more stability he can achieve.

the art vivimeng posted abt ivan and sua's interaction, with ivan laughing at sua for being as twisted as he is and becoming a trauma for mizi? yeah. he talks as if he has it all figured out (and he is right, there is logic in predicting how sua's sacrifices will end up being a burden for mizi, in his eyes), but we are meant to perceive more. ivan affirming this with such certainty might mean he needs the affirmation, like he is rebuking sua out of spite for something - envy for being at the receiving end of mizi's affection the way he'll never be with till? mh. and of course, we know what he'll end up doing because it's different for him, since till won't miss him.

BOY.

ivan is a subtle, manipulative-freak with slight drama queen tendencies (only regarding more superficial, known-to-him emotions - the rest, he bottles them up reaaal good), so he carefully build his own character. a boy with a tactical, handsome smile, great student, good at everything, a bit annoying but funny to be around, diligent and a teaser, with big-brother vibes. someone who can be perceived as popular in anakt and can easily attract attention outside, a benefit for unsha's investment on him.

the facade works like a wonder - though, not on sua and till, in different ways. sua sees through it, and ivan feels they are similar, so it makes sense that it doesn't work on her. till ignores it and finds ivan unsufferable, probably prefers when ivan doesn't pretend, since he remembers how freaky he was as a child. we know they both enjoy the quite moments with no fights between them, something ivan thought of as one-sided, but it confirms that till likes (not intended in romantic ways) ivan when he stops being annoying and calculative, possibly kinda likes having him around and considers him a friend of sort - albeit a strange one.

ivan isn't quite aware of that, so he probably tries his hardest with till, and the way he is often seen orbiting around him tells us ivan knows that till at least tolerates his presence. after mizi, ivan is the one till grades with the hightest percentage among the people close to him, so even if ivan doesn't fully understand till and what he feels, till still regards him as a friend.

all the way through graduation, ivan cultivates his emotions, both fake and authentic ones. but as we can expect, this is bound to leave holes and discordances in this narrative he writes/lets others write for him.

friendship. he gets good at it, being a good people-reader, but many kids say they don't know much abt ivan. he probably is that type of friend that doesn't share abt himself, so people have the illusion that he is friendly and open and approachable, but when they think abt it, they don't know much abt him at all. ivan himself is surprised to be addressed as "the popular one", saying "it's a first" in his interview, and that he is getting used to the attention. he also says that back in anakt

I've been asked out a couple of times, but I wasn't that popular. I did have a lot of friends, though.

appearance. he is the one with the beautiful smile, but compliments regarding his appearance are strange to him. he doesn't rely on his charm, since "he thinks he has more flaws (ahah)", but instead studies abt the brand he has to work for - again, studying, reaching out for clear models, mimicking and replicating. conclusion: my baby is stunning and not even he can argue against me abt this.

love. he sees till loving mizi from afar and does the same with him, but his nature is far more obsessive and needy, so he orbits closely around till, who fails to understand what ivan's intentions are. and how could it be otherwise? ivan is unclear abt his own feelings without being able to address the existence of that unclearness (or not totally), so it is hard for him to convey them to others (you can't explain what you don't understand/don't know), let alone till, who's incredibly dense and biased (with reasons!) when it comes to ivan.

love pt.2. i've always found it curious that ivan doesn't mention love in black sorrow (i think someone hypothesized he may have not written the lyrics), since we can see how that sorrow may be intertwined with love. also, love is the most stereotypical of the labels he probably came across, and i guess he must have attached it to till, at some point. i can imagine ivan asking himself "what is love?" and looking for clues around him. growing up, he sees kisses, relays to till that everyone is doing that and he wants to try - half teasing, half curious himself, probably.

understanding of himself. he is naturally detatched. he mocks sua for her intentions toward mizi, but the moment he realizes (by observing and imitating) that what she has arouses envy in him, he probably understands he wants the same. he looks at mizi and sua being happy and wants that - though maybe he feels like he is not able to produce the same feeling within himself. does he understand that what he feels is envy? that he desires till's love? probably, but not totally. he acts like he has it all figured out and mouths poor sua for something he'll end up doing too. first step toward hypocrisy.

understanding of himself pt2. what i love abt his character is that despite this whiny, clingy self he decided to role as, he is incredibly closed off abt his emotions - i am very similar, as i tend to voice little things i find annoying and whine abt random stuff but gatekeep deeper, far more problematic emotions. his portray of himself is flawed - either because he can't look at himself objectively, he mistakes people's intentions/feelings toward him or is unaware of certain things. no matter where we put the origin of this, ivan can't be relied upon when he speaks abt himself.

7] the meteor shower thing and how it is a turning point in ivan's narrative

this is such a pivotal moment in kid-ivan's life.

imagine him training his smiles and trying to be more sociable and studying hard because that's what he needs to do to survive at anakt. imagine till being one of the first spontaneous, not-survival-related thing ivan wants for himself and trying to understand how to please till in order to become closer.

he sees till's struggle, his need for freedom, his fighting spirit against injustice. little ivan would have loved someone like him in the slums - a curageous hero, unafraid to vent and rebel, who could lift their sleeping, numbed spirits. till would have probably drawn more harm than good, though, and ivan probably finds him stupid and reckless, totally unable to be relied upon and ensure his own survival, so his days must be numbered, right? how can someone like till even exists in their world? either his light will stop shining or he'll die in an explosion so bright, he'll be forever remembered.

ivan can't help but be intrigued, so he follows till around. baits him into an alien's den and just can't stop looking at till's light. till is just like the meteors he saw when he was taken - he burns, he falls, all in repeat. beautiful.

so he offers till what he thinks till wants - a life far from the pain of anakt, far from fake walls and experiements and forced singing. a life where till can burn and fall to his own accord, a life full of stars, just like the metors witnessing their escape. did he know there would be a meteor shower? maybe that's what he wanted to do - share with till his most precious memory. sometimes i wonder if ivan had to prepare for a long time to make it happen - he probably studied the pattern of guards patroling and looked for safe exits and such, right? do you think he was something like hopeful the entire time, imagining how it would be?

i wanna kms

till rejects it. no hard blame on him *refrain from delving into till's character, hanji, refrain*, but what a hard blow must have been for ivan. maybe a part of him knew it'd end like that - depending on how much he had already figured abt till's kind personality.

ivan almost had him, but he slipped away. till's reaction makes sense to him, probably - why trade the total unknown, the instability ivan knows comes from living on the streets for something secure, even if fake and temporary? there is no guarantee they'll make it out there, either. beside, why would till want to stay with ivan? it all makes sense.

(NO BABY NO IT DOESN'T I'D RUN AWAY WITH YOU TO THE END OF THE EARTH)

but he can't help feeling resentful and angry and disappointed and sad. that's human, even if he doesn't understand completely, even if he thinks it doesn't make sense for him to feel negative abt till's reaction, given what rationality tells him. escaping without till makes no sense for him, either - escaping was for till, not for himself.

this is where the dissonance is rooted.

"ivan" splits in two: on one hand we have the character he has built for himself. on the other, the raw, unknown and unlabelled emotions he thinks he has under control/understands. love is the most emblematic, for us. in ivan's mind, love is the devotion in sua's eyes when she looks at mizi, mizi's blinding smile when she sings and play with sua, till's longing and artistic inspiration stemming from mizi. he observes and mimics and tries to be part of it all.

he does watch till from afar, but can't completely imitate till as he forces his presence in till's space far too often to abide to till's awkward circling around mizi.

his emotion is as twisted as sua's, who wants to gatekeep mizi for herself, but not as soft and innocent as her gaze on mizi. there is something darker and crueller and more violent and obsessive under ivan's controlled affection, something that is psychologically normal, given what he went through, but that fits none of ivan's labels and definitions.

after all, love is pure and light and vessel of beautiful and positive things. although what he feels for till partly adapts to what love is, it is not only that. it's more, it's less, it's bigger, it's hard to convey.

8] hypocrisy and how ivan signed his own emotional doom without really being aware of it

the dissonance grows, even if he doesn't actively address it. he probably forces it down, tells himself "let it be, just go on", like he did a million times in the slums in orderd to survive. it is a well-oiled mechanism. but he has grown comfy in his new life - a life where he doesn't actively have to fend off dangers, since they are inevitable but controlled, so he has time to think and desire.

Realising he loves till probably wasn't immediate - the feeling is there, it's unnamed, and I wonder if Ivan eagerly put the label on it or not (was he relieved? or was he burdened byt it? maybe a bit of both - like, "i am capable of love, but in this environment, where will this lead me?"), and how long it took. from his anakt profile, we know he dislikes ignorance and rudeness (he is so composed, when he has to play his role in society, so aware of what he has to do, so how could he not?), but we can find these traits in till - so it's not (only) that he dislikes them, these traits frustrate him because despite not liking them, they are part of a person he has deep affecton for. again, hypocrisy.

After the meteor shower, nurturing something that maybe was already there, the feeling grows with the dissonance, and with love comes hate. i like the idea of him (usually so in control) unconsciously taking his frustration out on sua in that scene where he accuses her of becoming a trauma for future-mizi, while silently, he wonders what will be of him and till if they will have to face each other.

PART 3

[beanghostprincess]

Any comprehendible thoughts about Bruno’s and Leone’s relationship ?

By "comprehendible" I'm guessing you mean "coherent" and not "they make my skin crawl and my organs twist in a way that not even throwing up would be enough to get them out of my system they make me completely ill to the point of insanity and I would sell my soul to see them together again and happy". So I will try for you and write some thoughts you can understand instead of this being me sobbing over them for a whole year--

Part 5 has some incredible JJBA ships (I know you said relationship and not necessarily in a romantic way but it's impossible for me to see them platonically, I am sorry), I've realized, and maybe it's because they are all wayyyy gayer than usual and extremely more poetic. Araki went hard with the symbolism here. I missed it (he does this a lot idk what I'm saying) (but I missed the feeling part 2 gave me because it's my favorite) (well actually my favorite is part 4 but Battle Tendency will always be important to me and I'd choose it over anything else) (I forgot what we're talking about) (I apologize I never talk about JJBA here and I use every chance I get to mention everything I can).

So Bruabba (I believe the ship is called) wasn't my favorite ship in the beginning. It's kind of like that one thing you already just assume so you don't go that insane over them? They're so in love it's sickening and almost canon to me to the point that I often forget they are... Not canon... Wild. Honestly wild. In my mind, they kissed. But yeah, they were just there and I thought "they're gay and married. Good for them". Abbacchio's beef with Giorno is so funny to me, too, because God forbid Buccellati gives attention to someone other than him for two seconds 💔💔💔 (no but seriously I actually love Abbacchio and how protective he is) (his dynamic with Giorno is something that I love too but that's for another day).

But oh......... Then they show Abbacchio's flashback and how he is only at ease whenever he's with Buccellati... They trust each other so deeply and would not hesitate to do anything to save the other?? Something about Abbacchio hitting rock bottom and Buccellati saving him from his desperation and showing him another path. Something about Abbacchio going "The only time I'm at ease is when I'm following the orders of something great and absolute" vs "The only time I'm ever at ease is when I'm with you, Buccellati". Something about Buccellati seeing Abbacchio as not only someone he can rely on but someone he can lower his guard down around. Something about Buccellati being so protective of him which, you know, he is protective with everyone but it hits differently with him (he did something to me when he went "The moment you stab Abbacchio, I will end your life" like damn, they're not taking him away from you, soften your grip sweetie) (they're indeed taking him away though) (I am very sad). Something about Buccellati having to deal with the weight of leaving Abbacchio after his death and being the one to make the decision while Narancia sobs.

In general their dynamic is just insane to me because they both respect each other in different ways but so deeply. Buccellati will forever be Abbacchio's capo and light and savior in a way that is almost religious devotion. And Abbacchio will forever be Buccellati's most trusted person and he was just so proud of him and of choosing him. Like, if fate is a thing (which it is because it's the main theme in this part) these two are definitely soulmates. Not to mention that there's just something so beautiful in Abbacchio following orders but choosing to go with Buccellati knowing it'd probably get him killed. And Buccellati seeing so much potential and humanity in Abbacchio and someone to call home, too.

They're not even my favorite ship but yesterday I read so many... So many fanfics of them... This ask is the perfect timing, honestly. They've been on my mind lately. I literally woke up today after a nightmare and INSTANTLY went here to look for fanart of them.

Basically, coherent comprehensible thoughts, I love them an abnormal amount.

BONUS! Yesterday I asked my fiancé (who has not watched JJBA) their thoughts about part 5's characters and this is what they said about them:

[sentience-if]

So I finally read chapter 5 and the interlude... And I'm recovering from the revelations. I also used this chance to actually think about my MC's name, and I'm quite content with it.

So, I named him Esmond. It basically means "grace protection". Now, I think it does fit with the religious aesthetic of the game (although the 'grace' part of the name may mean grace as in graceful, and not on a religious context, although I doubt it matters much). And after the reveal of who Io is, I think it makes even more sense. I also like it because it's old fashioned, yet doesn't feel out of place amongst the other characters. And I like it better than the original name I had used (I wrote about it a while before, I used Richard the first time I played the game). I must admit I did make a list of names and I was checking how they sounded with Io as a last name. I like how Esmond Io sounds well enough, although Io is a lot more limiting of a last name that I expected.

Before I forget, since I'm speaking about names: have you considered adding suggestions on the page where we write Io's name? You don't have to, but it could be helpful to people like me who obsess to much on how to name my MCs in a way that fits the world... I know it shouldn't mess with the code much, at least depending on what method you end up using. I understand if you don't want to, however. So no pressure.

Now, for the reveal... I wasn't expecting it, but it does make sense to me. It just makes me wonder what are angels and demons in this setting. For instance, we know is a post-apocalyptic setting. Therefore, is it logical to assume its inhabitants may have specific terms for certain things that do not align with the terms we would use. Furthermore, we don't know when, how or why the apocalipse happened. However, with the reveal of Io's nature I can't help but think a lot of the most mystical elements of the setting are actually technology that the average person wouldn't comprehend as such. As is, Io may not be necessarily a robot (after all, there are too many scenes that suggest a biological composition, not just a synthetic one). But Io may also not be what we would conceive as an angel.

That is to say, angels may be machines, or part machine. Maybe they are machines with a significant organic component to their design. Not necessarily in a cyborg way (a combination of a living being with technology), but rather as a machine built with flesh. It's clear that some sort of coding language is in place, which suggests some part, or the entirety, of the brain is synthetic. But there are also moments where the texts refers to a purely, human like, organic kind of experience. Although there is always a chance Io, angels and demons are very advance machinery.

Also... The reveal of Io being an angel feels so adequate for how I was playing my Esmond. It truly is a very angsty playthrough, now that I think about it:

1. Esmond is hugely dependant emotionally on Val. Like, as clingy as possible. He is very thankful for Val's help and assistance, and cannot see himself without Val. And it all makes sense given what happened on the Interlude. It was so fascinating, and so cute. And makes point two (below this) even more deliciously interesting.

2. Esmond is significantly more faithful, if you will, than Val. At least, he feels a really strong connection with faith. So there is a conflict there with Val. Now, so far, both seem able to live with it (well, until Val dissappeared), but there's that.

3. Esmond is in love, or at least has a crush on Dane Constantine. And the confrontation, the asking about why Connie hates him... It was wonderful. I loved that scene. Because it meant Esmond had to confront both how Connie never really saw him as someone separate from Val. But also how he himself may have an issue with it. Esmond is not Val... But isn't he so clingy that, seeing him as an extension of Val, makes a whole deal of sense?

4. Esmond is very friendly with Ira. But he doesn't harbor feelings for them. So, Esmond feels conflicted because he likes Ira, but also is insanely jealous.

So, overall, I'm really happy with what you have written. And really excited for what it is to come. Guinefort also intrigues me, and I need to know what has being going on with their mind and Io.

Also, I must admit. I have no idea what/who the God from below (is that the term? I apologize if it's not) is supposed to be. A part of me expects it to be some sort of super computer or something, but it also doesn't feel right. So I don't know.

Anyhow, have a nice day!

I've thought about adding name suggestions, but that would require me to sacrifice so many entries on my Good Names List and im too selfish lmao

re: angels - something I've tried to be really careful with is that the characters only know what they know. there is no omniscient narrator. Not to bring up Ancient Aliens (derogatory) but they've got that whole trope of 'ancient people called the aliens gods and magic because those were the words they had at their disposal'

also hiiii esmond it won't get better <3

[sil-te-plait-tue-moi]

hi! i read ''got shocked'' and i loved it! this is probably the stupidest question, but what did you mean when you said ''she was kind, but not gentle''. ? what's the difference? i really like your shit<3

oh my GOSH you have no idea how excited i get when people point out specific things that i write, thank you much for asking me this and NO QUESTION IS A STUPID QUESTION I REALLY APPREVIATE BEING ASKED SHIT

to answer your q…

i think i meant that kind and gentle don’t necessarily go hand in hand. gentle is more like tender and caring outwardly in my head, and the OFC/y/n isn’t really that. she’s not really caring 😭😭 like she does not give a fuck about the people she works with (except a select few) and she doesn’t go out of her way to do things for them, more like she has to or is made to.

Her kindness is strategic and a conscious decision because, as a woman in a male-dominated field — and I guess ‘got shocked’ was an exploration of that workplace and how certain men behave — she knows she won’t get places if she’s prickly and doesn’t want to sacrifice her career over someone calling her a bitch because she didn’t let someone call her sweetheart or buck. so she lets it happen.

she’s not a pushover, but she’s not going to burn the status quo down because it’s not practical and doesn’t align with her interests.

and because rust is fixating on her, he comes to uncover this, although he—a man—struggles to comprehend her passivity. he’s more permitted to be ‘active’, to slap geraci over his face for crossing him, while she isn’t. ((in my head, part of why she left Brooklyn was because she snapped a bit)). he admires the restraint that, really, he could never develop to the same extent because he was not raised with that female passivity drilled into him all his life.

this gap in his ability to understand her fully fucks with him because zuh he wants her but just doesn’t know it yet. and the fact that it’s fucking with him fucks with him because he knows, really, he shouldn’t care at all

very overwhelming, hence the near panic attack/synesthesia overload

innnnn conclusion, i think i used to phrase like “decidedly kind” or something instead of just “kind” because i don’t think her character is like necessarily kind because she’s dishonest and kind of deceptive and, even if that is for some sort of survival, that’s not plain kind it’s calculated.

if you’ve read the idler wheel or other stuff I’ve written ((thank you if you have ☺️☺️☺️☺️)), she does have tenderness that she lets herself feel relatively freely—in the confines of her own mind/world at least, very separate from her job.

she likes rust as well, but he is kind of a calculated risk in itself 😭 like she willingly sacrificed some part of her ego too to let herself indulge in that want, just as he did, though maybe in a slightly different way. and if you read the second part to the Idler Wheel (it’s coming I swear, this is self-promotion), then you’ll see that she’s dealing with the consequences of her sort of “deception”/calculatedness, wanting to give way to genuineness which does not usually come naturally to her

anyhoo pls ask me more questions about this kinda stuff, I love answering 🤓🤓🤓

[maslows-pyramid-scheme]

will you tell us more about your hypothesis that postmodernism is poisoning grade/high school?

I'm still making sense of my observations, but it seems that post-modernism is entrenched in every aspect of learning to teach. Like, conceptually, several of my teachers have pushed the idea that 'truth' can only ever be personal, and that we should encourage children to see it like that (particularly in connection to teaching Indigenous students, which, in my opinion, is creationism by stealth); practically, the resources they're giving us show us how to teach content when content is subjective.

I'll give you some examples (under the cut, because this is going to be long):

Looking at language isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the focus on wording to the exclusion of everything else, or at least without a firm consideration of everything else ('development of new words and language forms,' 'requires an understanding of how language and other forms of communication work in social context, as distinct from abstract ideational meaning,' 'a key point here is that the focus is not to ask "what does the text mean?," but rather "what are the effects of this text on the reader and how does it achieve them?"'), contributes, in my opinion, to the generation of people who can't actually comprehend what they're reading. Like, if you show them a word, they know what the word means, but they can't make sense of the sentence, and the ideas that the speaker is trying to communicate - those people who seem to take everything in the worse possible context, who get angry because a person expresses a very normal opinion but uses (inoffensive) words to communicate it.

I'm sure we could also have a discussion about how post-modernism discourages action too, e.g. the example of gender from Buchbinder in the second screenshot. I thought this was a stark contrast to twentieth-century theories that education could be used for social transformation - that, as a teacher, you could not only teach how power hierarchies are maintained (like Buchbinder gets at), but what to actually do about it (which Buchbinder doesn't get into, because post-modernists are more interested in explaining what things are than how they should change).

These last two screenshots are from the practical teaching guide we were given to frame our teaching on; we're being encouraged to try and ensure that, when we teach, we try to integrate these into our lesson plans because 'they work' (I'm sure we could have a conversation about teaching fads and educational standards lol). While I understand that children should be taught to question things, I think it's contextual: I want them to question whether the industrial revolution was a huge step forward for humanity, not whether evolution is real, whether the Holocaust actually happened, or that there's no such thing as truth and that they should just deconstruct everything.

But this is just the degree, and I'm hopeful that it'll look different in a professional context (and that people in the degree will have the good common sense to know that some of these things are nonsense, or have to be done in moderation).

[hepilsketches]

Okay, guys, here's a little announcement!

It's officially Jee&Zuko/jeeko only blog since now on. Ta-da! Maybe with a bit of Zhao, if you lucky. If I ever want to post something else, I'll just create a new blog. So, if anyone weird was still hoping to find here some different content - run! Run for your lifes!

(I mean, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll be posting more often in the near future - my new job tends to leave me pretty burned out, but… just so you know, lol. Hope dies last and all that.)

On a completely unrelated rant note…

Honestly, I just want to cry here a little bit and pretend someone cares, okay? :') Okay. You don't have to read it. Anyways…

---

I didn't lie when I said I'm against glamorization, and yet…

I'm just so f*cking tired of all the ponytail bashing in atla fics, guys T_____T You have no idea. It feels like a freaking torture to stay in the fandom at this point.

For some reason, people believe what if the guy transforms during canon, then acting like f*cking bullies towards his 'before' version is suddenly okay. As if all iterations of Zuko don't coexist simultaneously and can't be loved and wanted in their own unique way.

I mean, I'd be okay if ficwriters called the ponytail names and still let the authentic book 1 Zuko to have some action - like, it's your or your characters' personal opinion, it's your right, whatever, - but no. Mostly, if the guy doesn't look absolutely perfect, the only option for him is mockery and rejection - until he loses the canonical integral part of his identity and becomes generically 'hot', that is. As if these people can't comprehend the mere possibility of loving or wanting something alive and imperfect.

(Well, unless it's a cool-looking scar that doesn't really gross anyone out so you can safely smear it with you mental saliva until it's glistening and treat it as a declaration of a true undying love. … In the same forbidden-enemies-to-lovers au where still-avatar-chasing Zuko has full head of sexy long hair for some reason. Freaking hypocrites.)

And even if Zuko didn't just "wake one morning with the desire to cut off that ridiculous ponytail" in chapter one, I have to read, for example, of how characters imagine him "with his dark raven hair in a longer, more scruffy look, as opposed to the bald ponytail look he has going on currently" while touching themselves in book 1 fics.

Or how "He was also incredibly charming ans sexy, third season style, without the lame shaved ponytail thing because that isn't cool at all and this is an alternate universe wherein everyone is as attractive as possible for the sake of the smutty plot".

(Yes, these are real cases and real quotes.)

Are you f*cking kidding me, guys? You literally have 99% of fandom aus to enjoy your sexy hair, but no, you just have to do this kind of shit to me, don't you? I'm trying to stay impassive and not to hate on book 3 Zuko, I really do, but honestly, it's nearly impossible at this point.

Some people here don't see the ponytail as an annoying parasite that just stuck to the head of their sexy shaggy-haired baby, okay?

Some people perceive it as an integral meaningful part of the character they're here for.

Some people's sexuality is a bit (or a lot) more complex than just "I want the prettiest guy in the room", okay?

Is it really such a difficult concept for you so-called normal people to comprehend?

If the ponytail is such an unbearable turn-off for you and you love Zuko's shaggy hair so f*cking much, why don't you just leave a book 1 timeline alone and write a f*cking book 3 fic? >__< Or at least let people imagine whatever the hell they like? Why the hell you keep insisting on shoving Zuko's shaggy hair down your readers' throat?

Ficwriters don't own anything to anyone, DL:DR, yada yada, I know all that, but does this fact make acting like bitches towards the fandom's minorities okay?

Why the hell this kind of behavior is normalized?

I hate this f*cking cult of glamorization with passion. It makes people with unusual tastes feell like outcasts in the space that could bring them joy otherwise.

I can't even filter this shit out, for god's sake. It's just f*cking everywhere. And even when people put warnings in the tags, it sounds like "It's an au where Zuko never had that disgusting ponytail you're welcome".

(Yes, it's a real quote too).

You call the ponytail disgusting? Your behavior is disgusting, guys.

Anyway, I don't have inner strength left for intellectual honesty or good taste in fiction anymore. I'm too exhausted. At this point, I just want my favorite angry boy to be loved, and be called gorgeous, and be f*cked silly and not be treated like dirt under the feet of book 3 Zuko on the ONLY non-canon territory where I can find him just because his haircut doesn't fit majority's standards of sexiness or something. Simple as that.

…

So, I'm just gonna sexualize the hell out of aged up him in my own art, lol. Brilliant!

Jee too. For company.

(Love Jee. The best randy sailor that ever sailed the seas, if you ask me.)

And if my love is blind, then I don't wanna see.(c)

P.S.: also, as a finishing touch, here's the absolute gem of my collection:

"The wind surged up again, blowing his hood off and wrapping his hair around his throat. He gasped, clawing at his neck, but he was trapped and blind and definitely not starting to panic—

He couldn’t breathe. It was impossible to be calm if you couldn’t breathe. Zuko pulled his knife from his belt, but his hands were trembling too much to risk bringing the blade anywhere near his throat, so he reluctantly reached up and began to slice off his Phoenix tail at the root, wincing as the knife jittered against his scalp."

Reluctantly, my ass.

You call the ponytail ridiculous? Look at yourselves, guys. Just look at yourselves.

[password-door-lock]

The third consecutive time that you call him, Saeran decides to cut his losses and pick up. It goes without saying that he’s in a shitty mood about it— who do you think you are to bother him like this, and why did he have to inherit such an annoying toy in the first place? Can’t you follow the instructions that he gave you? He shouldn’t have to tell you multiple times to just stay in your room and wait. But then again, of course you would be troublesome. If Ray liked you, and if you actually liked him back, then it probably follows that you’d be a little strange-- though that’s no excuse for interrupting his work. “When did I tell you that you were allowed to bother me while I’m working?” He snarls.

“Hey,” you greet him, as if you didn’t hear the question he just asked. Unbelievable. “Good morning! Did you sleep well?” 

“Why are you asking something like that?” Saeran demands, “Don’t tell me you’re trying to get rid of me by boring me to death.” 

“The opposite,” you assure him, “Like, I see what you mean about this place being boring— as you know, you just left me here to sit around, and as instructed, I’ve been brainstorming ways that I can entertain you, and I decided to call, since I thought you could use a break.” 

So you finally want to be useful? Still, Saeran’s expectations for you aren’t very high. Just because you claim that you want to entertain him doesn’t mean you’ll actually try to do it, let alone succeed. “Then why are you wasting time by telling me good morning?” 

“Because that’s a thing that people say to each other when they talk on the phone before noon,” you explain, “And sometimes after noon when they don’t realize that it’s not morning anymore, and they say ‘good morning,’ and the other person says, ‘it’s two thirty,’ and the first person is like, ‘oh shit I’ve been reading fic for how long?’ Et cetera.” He doesn’t bother asking you what you’re talking about— if he did that every time you said something ridiculous, Saeran would never get anything else done.

“And now you’re wasting time by telling me why you’re telling me good morning?” He huffs, incredulous. “Do I have to give you a step-by-step guide for how to have a conversation, or is even that too difficult for you?” 

“You asked,” you protest, still sounding for all the world like this is the best day of your life. What reason do you have to be so chipper? “You wanted to know why I said good morning, so I explained why I said good morning. I am following your instructions to a T, sir.” 

“Prince(ss),” Saeran warns. He really does not have time for this conversation, and he doesn’t have time to interrogate the joy in your voice. You’re supposed to be miserable, so why do you sound so excited to be talking to him? “Stop blabbering and start trying to find a way to entertain me. That’s why you called in the first place, isn’t it? So you should go ahead and try it before I really lose my patience.” He doesn’t want to hear any more of your cheerful voice. It doesn’t belong in a place like Magenta, anyway.

“What patience?” You ask, sounding proud of yourself for thinking of the one-liner. Before Saeran can admonish you for mocking him, suddenly you’re talking again: “But, whatever, you want me to entertain you, so I’ll entertain you. I just have a couple of questions before we start— okay, first of all, how familiar would you say you are with dad jokes? Like, where are you on a scale of one to ten?” 

Saeran doesn’t have the slightest idea what you mean by that. He assumes it’s just some silly thing that weaklings like you like to waste time thinking about, and decides not to engage with your weird question. “I thought I told you to stop spouting nonsense,” he growls. “Do I have to talk slower so that you can understand? If you know what’s good for you and you’re able to comprehend what I’m saying, you’ll cut the act now, prince(ss).” 

“Mhm, okay,” you reply, which is not necessarily an answer to his question. “What did the blanket say when it fell off the bed?” 

By this point, Saeran is fuming. You called him while he was working and strung him along with that whole good morning song and dance just to ask him about a blanket? “I said entertain me, not ask stupid questions!” 

“It said, ‘Oh sheet!’” You cackle. 

Saeran smirks, though the so-called “joke” was not remotely funny. He’s more amused by how much you’re laughing about it— seriously, is that all it takes for you to go to pieces? What an airhead.“You must be intentionally trying to piss me off,” he decides. 

“I’m trying to make you laugh,” you pout. It seems you’re always trying to make him laugh, but Saeran doesn’t understand why. Is it that hard for you to just act how he wants and be scared of him? That would be much less of a hassle for everyone involved. You were willing to listen when Ray told you to get into a strange vehicle and put on a blindfold, but suddenly you’ve forgotten how to follow instructions? What kind of messed-up logic is that? “Okay, okay, I’ve got a better one. What’s black and white and red all over?” 

Are you just going to sit around asking stupid questions all day? “What are you—” 

“The RFA messenger!” You giggle. You even have the audacity to cut him off. “Get it? Get it? Because the app display is black and white, but you’ve read all the messages, so it’s read all over.” Oh. Read, not red. 

Saeran can’t help but laugh a little at that— he couldn’t care less about the word play, but at least you seem to understand the extent of his control over the messenger. “Yes,” he confirms, “I’ve seen everything you’ve said there, so you should watch it when you’re typing to your friends.” But, then, if you’re able to understand the situation, why are you still so full of hope? 

“Oh my god,” you breathe with exaggerated surprise, “Did the great hacker of Magenta just… laugh at my joke? I feel so accomplished! Let me tell you, man, there’s so much more where that came from. Feel free to call me whenever you need to cheer up; I’ll be here, sitting around and thinking of jokes.” What the hell are you talking about? You must think you can manipulate him by catching him off guard or something.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, toy,” Saeran spits in a vain attempt to ruin your mood. What gives you the right to be so happy-go-lucky when you’re locked up in the toy room, rotting with your thoughts? “I’ll come see you soon to remind you of your place.” He leaves you with that, hangs up, and turns off his notifications. He won’t allow you to bother him while he’s working again— but it goes without saying that he’ll be thinking about ways to bother you.

[bellshazes]

I was going to reply on your post about C vs CC distinction but I couldn't, so I hope you don't mind me asking here - my brain wasn't cooperating today so I was struggling to read it and comprehend it properly as written. But does it basically boil down to the fact that it's difficult to create a distinction between what's considered "character" vs "creator" in the digital medium Minecraft offers for storytelling? That there's no real way to draw a distinction between "this PERSON did this in the game" and "this CHARACTER did this in the story's world" because it's told on a platform and in a way that makes it hard to find a non-fuzzy divide, and that we shouldn't necessarily try to find that line anyway? Basically that - when it's so hard to define canon when "canon" is influenced by the person both on and beyond the screen, and interactions between "characters" are often colored by the creators behind them, and when the story being told is never really fully concrete anyway, it's just...better and, honestly, more fun to just enjoy the nondefinable art form for what it is? Because if that's what you're saying, I wholeheartedly agree. ^^

When the story's medium is a sandbox game, it's much more fun to interpret canon and its connected fanon as a sandbox too, something malleable and formable and explorable in a flexible way that doesn't rely on defined boundaries to be enjoyed. It's sand. You can make a solid sandcastle for a while, but eventually the water that packed it together dries and the wind blows and things shift again, because that's what sand does. Just - let sand be sand. :3

(And if I've totally misinterpreted then I apologize, it's been a long day and like I said, my brain's not cooperating hah.)

~ Pixie

I definitely didn't get back to my original point in that rambling reblog, so I think you've gotten what I was trying for up until the idea that the SMP Thing is nondefinable. I really struggle articulating this all the time and people often do take it the way you have, so it's a failure of explanation on my part...

It's not resolvable into a single truth, but currently the dominanf response to that is to throw the baby out with the bathwater and say if there is no canon, everything is equally true no matter what the text says, because the text is as (un)real and unknowable as my own imagination. I comprehend that this is very fun and believe this approach has absolutely no moral valence. often this evolves into annoying (imo!) fandom standards that become quasi-canonical due to sheer popularity in the group sandbox but whatever.

However my patented peter bellshazes perfect world involve not this kind of overwriting being a dominant fandom mode, but people taking the lack of One Single Master Story all other pieces fit into as a joyous invitation to pick apart all the threads on their own and how they relate without forcing them into anything and seeing them more clearly. It's to me like the difference between trying to force jigsaw puzzle pieces to fit that are from different boxes and - I don't know, like a complex 3D sculpture that is one object but portrays different images at every angle its viewed from. And people discovering that instead of taking photographs to find the One True Angle in 2D, walking around to examine the previously unstudied backside.

that's abstract but in practice it means like... idk treating it more like a vivisection. I love taking different perspectives apart as standalones, and also interrelating them, but finding joy and spaces to explore and discuss and feel through in those individual examinations, and not forcing them to make sense in some master truth. It makes me appreciate different approaches to the medium more, how tone and technique contribute beyond C!Cubito Is This Trait or whatever. I like it when people articulate if we think about THIS event and how it was shown in THIS way (in terms of acting/performance, editing, cuts made or not made, ) then the story is like this and what's in the gaps or what if it extended or what would it have looked like if different choices were made from a craft perspective or how does that contrast with or contextualizes a different series or scenario. throwing nothing out but never looking for a grand unified theory of truth.

Again no moral valence but i just feel like maybe if I can articulate my brand of fandom joy people might want to give it a try! and I genuinely appreciate people who care enough to try and parse what the hell I'm getting at bc it's almost always only when I try and answer questions that I feel like I get better at explaining what I was trying to say, so!

[xxchthonicreaturexx]

Matchup Trade

Twisted Wonderland matchup trade with @ryyylaaaiii

HELLO HELLO Im so so so so sorry this took so long but here it is! Thank you so much for waiting!

Twisted Wonderland

Azul Ashengrotto

The moment you started off I had already kinda pictured Azul. Taking good care of your body, the beauty marks, all things I assign to Azul's personality. I mean, he was bullied as a child due to his shape, so of course as a young man he would be extra diligent to take care of himself, as well as respect those that do the same.

And then you had to top it with the pearls-

That just solidified it. I mean, pearls are so pretty in general, and Im sure they look gorgeous compared to your dark hair. They're cute and feminine, and where do pearls come from? AZUL'S HOMELAND.

This man will literally gift you so many pearls. I mean authentic ones can be so expensive, but to someone who was raised under the sea? I like to think that pearls arent as expensive down there. So, cue the many many pearl jewelry sets. Some pink hued, some blue, cream colored, any best quality he can get his hands on.

I mean, imagine one of the events for Halloween or literally anything and he somehow managed to force a Pomefiore student to make you this extravagant dress with pearls sewn into the lace- (poor kids probably worked to the bone and still not paid up)

Id say another point most definitely is the awkwardness. As collected and business savy as Azul is, you cant deny that he can definitely be a bit...frazzled at times. I mean, its probably easy to fluster him once you have the upper hand, so you wouldnt need to necessarily worry.

That also leads into psychology. Once in an established relationship with him, he would absolutely love for you to share psychology tricks. I mean, the more mind games he can play, the better business he has. He'll ask you for tips, have you secretly analyze students, anything. Truly partners in crime.

Id say the only con, however, to this relationship is that he feels you make him let his guard down too much. Compared to how kind you are, he sometimes even feels bad for how he treats his "business partners". He feels bad, and sometimes even guilty when a deal happens when youre nearby or if you happen to be inside the room when hes purposely swindling someone to get the short end of the stick.

He admires your hobbies and intelligence though, I mean, being a book worm and having been in a journalism club? He loves that youre linguistic and able to comprehend his contracts.

I actually like to think that's how y'all started talking. He tried to ake a deal with you, but you read the fine print, realized his wording was a bit sneaky, and shyly called him out. Tried to cover his ass, but just looked a little awkward haha

He'd love for you to sit and read to him or even do your makeup at his desk while he studies or does some other paperwork. May even let you do some makeup on him!

Hes not so much into gardening, but you know who is? One of his trusty sidekicks loves mushrooms, so best believe when Azul's busy, you can go garden or collect plants and shrooms with Jade! Floyd will probably harass you to no end, but i mean he is entertaining, and you have built in buddies for when Azul's busy.

And lastly, cute coffee dates? Babes, he owns a lounge. You want a cute cafe study date? Sure, he's blocking off a whole section, changing the lighting a little, and one of the eels is bringing you the fanciest coffee youve ever seen! And at 75% off? What a steal! (Sometimes you can score a free one)

You want a nice candlelit dinner to fuel your hopeless romantic fantasies? He's already having workers break out the stolen wine and some steaks...just dont tell Crowley that he serves wine there.

In all 9/10. I think you guys would be adorable, and as much as Azul is kinda a selfish little conman, I think hes a softy and hopeless romantic at heart that was just bullied too much as a kid. I think he just needs someone kind like you <3

[euphoricfilter]

i’m so tired of searching for fics and just people in general that don’t see or treat jimin completely different than the rest of the members. idk how to explain it? but nothing he does, none of the others don’t. and yet he gets treated like this absolute baby girl feminine princess. an almost 30 year old man. it just feels like everyone else in bts smut land is respected as a man even the most babiest babies like jk and jin. and the babies with duality like hobi and tae. but jimin? no he’s not a man from busan who gets angry easily, always talks his shit and always flirts with fans. isn’t extremely and has always been sexually expressive and a tease. from filter to serendipity to like crazy to that video of him in paris with those girls at a party like ugh. i feel like i’m the only one that sees jimin like how we see every other man who we respect and don’t demasculinze and misgender based on stereotypes. i just want soft dom, cute boyfie jimin fics, without it being all about switch stuff and sub jimin stuff. a man can be sweet and pretty and still be a man, and act as such in and out of a relationship 😭 this was a random rant but searching jimins name on reddit and twitter got me so mad at seeing him being projected onto and emasculated and dehumanized because of he’s a sweetheart. anyways i’m candy anon. much like jimin, sweet and soft but also sometimes hard and sour. all yummy. (also jimins busan satori is the hottest thing on earth, when he gets mad or upset, which is a lot lol. his native accent coming out? >>>)

no i kinda know what you mean!! i think people feel like ‘femininity’ (within whatever capacity we’re talking about) and dominance are exclusive events and can’t coincide?

i think we’ve mentioned it recently on this blog how open we think jimin is about sex as whole 🚶‍♀️i agree!! he’s very sexually expressive, especially through his solo songs and projects where he’s able to express himself as an individual 🕺

as a writer— and as mentioned like months ago, when i started writing requests (which was meant to be a joke but became way out of hand), barely any one ever requests jimin. i think i got one request out of 30+?🚶‍♀️ and i don’t know if it’s just my page.. or if it’s because it’s kinda obvious that i find it hard to write any of the members as subs or as a switch (simply because i don’t have a dominant bone in my body and even though i don’t necessarily see myself as the ‘reader’ in my fics, it’s hard to write the “other” character as a sub) and therefore no one was interested because they saw jimin as a switch or more subby

i think for people it’s easy to demascluinize jimin simply because he’s come to terms with himself and has been open that yeah, he isn’t what you’d call a “classic male” or doesn’t present as a “typical man” but i think that some people can’t comprehend that just because someone shows more feminine traits or qualities, or has been open about not forcing a stupid, outdated agenda onto himself. doesn’t mean he’s any less of a man 🧍‍♀️

soft dom jimin ☹️ going back to what i was saying a couple of days ago. he’s definitely the type of guy to do a lot of research to make sure he knows a lot and that what you’re doing is gonna be a safe experience for the both of you and just :( he’d definitely be a pleasure dom too. and would definitely be open about sex as a topic, probably doesn’t shy away from much

it’s okay!! i quite enjoy having these kinds of conversations with people but it’s not often i get to have them 💞

i really do see what you mean though. a lot of the twitter aus i’ve read, either it be member x member or jimin x reader he’s always basically portrayed the same in most if not all fics.

if i ever stumble across any fun dom jimin fics i’ll reblog them for you 🙏 and obviously try and write some good stuff as well whenever inspiration or motivation hits 💪

candy anon 🫂🫂🫂 that’s so cute 😭

jimin using satoori >>>>> 🕺

anyways! if you wanna go deeper into this topic at any time or literally anything else i’d love to just chat about stuff. it’s always interesting to see other peoples’ opinions on things like this

[thatmittengirl2009]

I’m put too high on a pedestal that there is shame when there shouldn’t be any. The only thing I’m most hurt and upset by is the need to hide and lie from me. That’s what sucks the most. Like what is going on. //

Same anon who asked for an update. Hi. 🥹

So much to unpack and I don’t want to make this long and drawn out, but the reason I encouraged you was because I’ve been precisely where you are and my heart is screaming out because I know the struggle and the internal battle and feeling like you’re being ripped apart.

Masking is exhausting.

First off you are a badass, in the most respectful of ways…..I never know how people take that term, but I mean it as a very good thing. 😅 I need you to be aware that you are still in your healing journey.

Being in the middle of my own journey of recovery, I realize how so many of us are surrounded by people who either don’t get it, don’t realize the impact of their words and actions on us or simply misunderstand and judge us for things they can’t comprehend.

With all of that said, I want you to realize you are not alone love.❤️

I’m so freaking proud you for putting yourself first and you’re understanding your worth and value of what you do and do not deserve and will or will not put up with. 👏 I know it’s a hard and painful process, but you’re doing so good even though it may not seem like it. I know I’m just some random internet stranger, but I just wanted to make you realize you’re not alone and someone out there gets it and is very proud of you.

Take this time to focus on you and getting better and working through things. It’s okay to rest, it’s okay to take time off if you can. I know how stressful work life can be especially when it’s limited freedom to be able to actually take a break, I’m still in fear of losing my job, but I need you to understand if you don’t take time to rest or find time to rest anyway you can, it will lead to burnout. Your body will force you to sit down and rest, I’m still recovering from my own burnout and it’s hard to bounce back. Not sure if you’re in solo therapy, you mentioned recovery group, if I read that correctly, but yeah took me decades to find a good therapist and right now that’s the only support and human I can vent to.

I wish you well on your journey and please don’t beat yourself up, you’re doing great and it’s one step and one day at a time.

One thing I want you to also remember is very important, you are HUMAN. This is part of that experience and unfortunately due to ignorance and stigma in the world, many of us are made to feel like we’re weak or less than human for going through the very things that make us humans. That’s the furthest thing from the truth. We are stronger than we realize and this experience is allowing growth and it hurts but you are gaining more and more strength each day, don’t you ever forget that. 🥰

*sends you e-hug*

It’s going to be okay and it’s okay not to be okay right now. You got this!

Take care and thank you for updating us. ☺️

Hi stranger,

I’ve gone back and forth on how to address this, or if I even wanted to address this. There’s some things that have triggered me a bit.

Healing is lifelong. There is no end goal or end of it. We all need to learn how to live and heal at the same time. That said, I’m not necessarily in recovery. That was a decade ago now at my lowest. Do I still have some low moments which are completely natural? Yes. Does that mean I need healing? No. It’s kind of insulting.

I guess I’m just confused by this ask because I already understand my worth and have. My last post was about choosing someone I personally saw value in who is struggling and I chose to willingly fight that struggle with them. It just sucks when there is a wall up because you know they’re hurt and scared. We all build walls time to time to protect ourselves and in the end, it’s not healthy at all. Fighting for someone because you see their worth and understand their clear potential is far different than being with someone who abuses you. I’m just stuck at the he scared stage. I am very bold, honest and an open book and often throughout my life I have been told I’m intimidating because of that. It is what it is though and I can’t change who I am. Most people once they get past the boldness, learn I’m chill and down to earth but for a shy or nervous person, yeah I’m a bit much. What I meant is that I hope he’s not propping me up on a pedestal of this unattainable person and that he feels like he has to be perfect or something. That’s not how it works. I would hope no one puts me on a pedestal just like I don’t put them on one. Being perfectly imperfect is how it should be.

I guess I don’t know what I’m getting through or getting better? I’m not sick, I’m not relapsing….I’m in a weird friendship space and sometimes vent about it. The past decade has been nothing but unlearning behaviors and loving myself. I’ve been single since 2017 & have worked on myself for too long now that I yearn for companionship. Idk I feel slighted here.

I know it’s good intentions but it’s my biggest pet peeve when people say “take time off.” I literally can’t or I’m fired. I’m on mandatory overtime because I work with US Customs and am in the middle of the trade war Trump started. No one is allowed time off right now. Sometimes saying it is so easy but you’re asking someone to risk their career. It’s like telling a depressed person don’t be sad. This is why I’m beyond stressed because there is no backup plan if I’m let go. I just have to get through it day by day.

I see a therapist once a week but recovery group, I meant I’m in some online groups that is a safe space for us to vent and support each other to stay sober. It’s not actual therapy though it can feel like it sometimes.

I guess my main post was because I love someone and wish they would just get the courage to talk to me about it instead of hiding or running away from hard conversations, especially when they were like “yeah!! Say how you feel!!” And then I did and they hid. Like I understand they’re not at the best place in life and are a little broken like all of us are but it don’t mean they have to suffer alone. Like that’s not how that works. It’s not how any of life works. But it’s not me needing to recover or heal or anything. I’m not a kicked dog. It’s more annoyance than anything like c’mon dude!! Let me in and let me help you!

But healing? Nah, it’s just part of life. I’m just real and authentic but people perceive that as “you need to heal” and if I hear it one more time I’m gonna explode. I’ve done all the self work a human can possibly do and just because I like someone, I have to heal? WTF.

And to answer the other ask - yes I have ADHD. I have a million projects I start and never finish.