#anon feel free to send more asks or to not

[autumnscribbles]

take care of you | rc

pairing: mommyissues!rafe x pogue!reader

summary: after a heated argument with ward, rafe seeks comfort from the only woman in his life who’s ever stayed

warnings: wee bit of theorizing about mama cameron (death)

wc: 1.8k

a/n: hey friends!! thank you to the anon that sent this request in!! i love me a soft rafe moment who just needs to be held🥹 enjoy!! feel free to send me more angsty/soft rafe i love it!!!

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘

Rafe slammed the truck door shut behind him, twisting his key into the ignition. Ward stood in the doorway ahead of him, his mouth moving but his words unheard. Rafe stopped listening to him even before he decided to leave. He couldn’t listen to it anymore. The rain pelted the windowsill, overpowering the pounding sound of his accelerated heartbeat. He pulled out of the driveway, no destination in mind. He just had to leave.

As he drove, his headlights broke through the rain ahead, illuminating the pitch black road. His breathing was still heavy, trying to ignore his fight with Ward. They weren’t exactly few and far between, but this one had escalated particularly badly. He replayed it over and over, on the verge of screaming just to make it stop.

He didn’t know why he tried to hard to impress Ward, or to get his validation. Everyone is his life left in one way or another. Whether it was on their own terms, or they were taken. He clung to Ward and the fact that just maybe, he would stick around. Be proud of him. In the end, everyone gave up on him. Everyone screwed him over.

Except maybe one person.

When Rafe first met you, he didn’t like you. He never thought he could be friends with a pogue, let alone be with one romantically. You had too much confidence for someone who didn’t have very much. He admit, he thought less of you. He judged you about things that didn’t truly matter. Eventually, he began to find you endearing. You didn’t need boats, a big house, designer clothes, or anything material to be happy. You knew who you were, and he admired that.

You understood him in ways no kook ever had, and probably more than any kook ever will. You knew hardship, and you saw through his bravado. You could tell deep down, he was in pain. No money could fix what was truly happening inside. All the other kooks were shallow. Never having any conversations with substance, just rambling about bullshit. Rafe never really fit in with any of them. He pretended to be friends with most of them, to keep up appearances and his reputation. At the end of the day, he knew none of them truly cared about him. Even worse, he knew they would mock him if they knew he was with you.

Without realizing, Rafe ended up pulling into your driveway. Through the still pouring rain, he could barely see your house. All the lights were off, including the porch light. Were you home? He didn’t even know. As his mind reeled, he automatically drove here. He wanted to see you. Wanted your comfort. Before you, he hadn’t had that in a long time. Since his mom…no one had ever been there for him. No one to tell him things would be okay, no one to comfort him, or hold him. He craved it.

He hopped out of the car, jogging through the rain to your front door. He rapped his knuckles, hoping you would appear on the other side. He saw a light turn on inside, and exhaled a sigh of relief.

You opened the door, met with a dripping wet and sad looking Rafe on the other side. You were surprised to see him. You had some distance from each other recently, since Rafe told you that his friends couldn’t know about your relationship. You pulled back as he continued to hang out with them, unsure how to move forward.

Seeing him here made your heart sink. He pouted as his blue eyes bore into yours, sadness overcoming his entire expression.

“Can I come in?” he asked. “Please.”

“Of course,” you muttered. You stepped aside, letting Rafe into your empty house.

He crossed the threshold, a shiver coming over his body at the sudden change of temperature. His wet clothes left him cold, making the warmth of your house even more shocking to his system. He wiped at his face in attempt to dry it.

“Are you cold?” you asked gently. “Here let me go get you some clothes and a blanket.”

You walked away for a moment, leaving Rafe standing in your doorway. You gathered a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie that belonged to your brother. He wasn’t here, he wouldn’t mind. You snatched your fuzzy blanket from your bed, scurrying back to where Rafe stood waiting. You passed him the clothes, offering him to go change.

As he took his time, you put a kettle of water on the stove. Opening your white cabinets, you rummaged through the various flavours of tea you had. You settled on chamomile. You knew Rafe liked it, even though he would never admit it to literally anyone else. You grabbed 2 mugs and placed the tea bags inside as the kettle began whistling.

You took the two steaming mugs out to the coffee table, where Rafe sat on the couch, waiting for you.

“Here,” you muttered, handing him the mug. You grabbed the blanket, placing it across his lap. “That should warm you up.”

“Thank you,” he said softly, gentle eyes looking up at you.

You sat down beside him, tucking your legs up on the couch. You both sat in silence for a moment, sipping your tea. He let out a small sigh after his first sip, a little smile tugging at his lips.

“My favorite,” he whispered. You responded with a nod.

“You take such good care of me,” he said, breaking the silence more. “I don’t deserve it.”

“Rafe,” you sighed.

He shook his head, not wanting you to deny the truth. He didn’t want you to tell him that he deserved it when he knew it wasn’t true. You were consistently there for him, exuding a kindness he’d never felt. Yet what did he do in return? Essentially tell you he’s embarrassed about your relationship. It was ridiculous, and you shouldn’t be nice to him.

“Come here,” you whispered, opening your arms to him.

His eyes welled up with tears, and he leaned over, resting his head on your lap. You tugged the blanket up slightly higher, covering his torso. You ran your hands through his hair and down his back, feeling the tension release from his body.

Unexpectedly, the tears continued to fall harder. Rafe’s breath caught in his throat as he heaved out a sob.

“You’re okay,” you cooed. “I’m here.”

He let out all the emotions he had been trained to hold back. Grown men didn’t cry. Strong men didn’t cry. This is what he was told over and over. No one ever let him express himself freely, or show vulnerability. For some reason, he felt safe to show it around you. Confident that you didn’t judge him, or view him as weak.

He didn’t realize how much he was craving to just be held. To have his hair played with, his back scratched. To be told it’s okay. He couldn’t remember a time when someone treated him so gently. He wondered if his mom was the last person who truly took care of him. Now, he felt responsible to take care of people around him most of the time.

“Talk to me,” you said. “What happened?”

“My dad,” he blurted out. He rubbed the tears from his eyes, taking a deep breath as he tried to compose himself. “We got into a fight, as always. I accused him of…of killing my mom.”

“What?” you asked, unable to hide the shock in your voice. “Do you really think…”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I was too young, but sometimes what he says just doesn’t add up. Doesn’t matter anyway, not like anything would happen to him.”

You nodded silently, knowing he was right. Even if Ward had killed her, no justice would be had. You knew Rafe grappled with the loss of his mom. Rose wasn’t exactly a replacement. She was cold, unkind. Rafe was in a constant battle with Ward. Trying to impress him, get his validation. Rafe grew up wanting his dad’s success, but most of all he just wanted his love. His acceptance. He didn’t think he would ever have a real family. That possibility only came into view when he met you.

“I’m so sorry, Rafe,” you consoled him. “I know how tense things can get with your dad. My arms are always open if you need a break, or need to talk.”

He sat up from your lap, facing you. His eyes were bloodshot from his previous tears. His usually hard features had softened, his eyes still carrying a deep sadness that you knew you couldn’t fix.

“I’m going to tell everyone we’re together,” he told you. “You’re…you’re perfect. You don’t deserve to be hidden. I don’t deserve you in general.”

“It’s okay,” you whispered. “When you’re ready.”

“I’m ready,” he nodded. “I think…I think you’re the only person who actually cares about me. Who listens and…sees me.”

Your eyes welled up slightly. You weren’t expecting Rafe to say something so vulnerable like this. His rough edges were beginning to soften around you.

“I see you, Rafe,” you told him. You reached out and cupped the side of his face, brushing your thumb along his cheekbone.

He leaned forward, his warm lips crashing onto yours. The kiss was desperate, yet gentle. You didn’t realize how much you had missed this. When you pulled away, Rafe’s eyes were glistening once more.

“Everyone in my life leaves, or screws me over,” he told you, repeating his previous thoughts. “Please don’t leave me.”

You pulled him towards you, wrapping your arms around him. He melted into your touch, safety and warmth encompassing his entire being.

“I’m here, Rafe,” you whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

You heard his stomach gurgle, making you let out a quiet chuckle. “Hungry?”

He nodded into the crook of your shoulder. You laughed once more as he pulled back, a smirk on his face.

“Let me make you something,” you told him. You planted a kiss on his cheek before standing up, placing the blanket over his carefully. “You just sit here and relax, okay?”

“I love when you take care of me, baby,” he murmured as he rested his head on the arm of the couch.

You smiled down at him before going into the kitchen to make him some food. He felt safe with you. You had to admit that your heart soared at the thought that you were the first person he came to after a fight with his dad. The first person he opened up to about his mom, to try in front of.

You didn’t even realize it would always be you. You would always be the first person he would run to, even in a crowded room.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘

[leejuyeonism]

hihii just read you ur contact name smau and it made me squeal its was so cute :> could u try doing hiori and yukimiya for part 2?

❝ 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆? ❞ [PT2]

── blue lock smau by leejuyeonism

𝜗𝜚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ࣪˖ ── chigiri hyoma. nagi seishiro. itoshi sae. hiori yo. yukimiya kenyu.

part1. ⋆ as requested, a part 2 of fem!user asks blue lock boys what they've saved her contact name as. as always, fluff mostly, some traces of crack. i added a few more characters as well !! again, i apologize if they seem ooc </3

EDIT: the formatting shat on me and i can't fix it (i hate you tumblr) so bear with this just this once thank you 🙏

𝜗𝜚 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 ࣪˖ ── part1. asks.

thank you for reading! as always, if you'd like to see other characters or other smau's then feel free to send in a request! i'll happily oblige :)

also thank you anon for the request !!

[jellyskink]

(Different Anon here, I hear we're sending in fan fics, feel free to post if you want.)

“Dr. Pines, I was wondering if you can tell me about yourself” Dr. Oleander was leaning against the counter in her office. On the examination table sat a man she's only known for the past months. He was first brought to her with injuries so severe she was amazed that he was still able to move. She was worried for the man and asked him to make follow up appointments at least once a month so she can monitor him. For the most part he was good On his word but there we times he ether cut it close to this appointment time or did both showing up at all.

The next time they would meet he would he would express his deep apologies but his “Muse” didn't see the point to the more frequent doctor visits, after all he hasn't been to a doctor in over 25 after all. He only allowed the first after his “Muse” grew tired of him vomiting blood everywhere, and wasn't able to move after intense abdominal pains, as if they were the man's fault. After the second visit (the follow up to make sure the medication was working) they grew close and bonded over there love of science. And then on the third visit the man gave her a dead mouse as a token of his appreciation. As disturbing as it was it was endearing, and it reminded of her cat, Calamari, if it were any other patient she would be highly concerned for sure, but what little she did know about him she knew it was the only way he knew how to express affection. In short his life was more concerning then the dead animals he gave her. She desperately wanted him to seek mental help for his trama but he adamantly denied it saying nothings wrong and if he did he deserves it and how he should be grateful that his muse is merciful for putting up with his past problems.

She thought long and hard, if she were to help him she would have to get creative and probably break a few HIPAA violations. So after a few more visits to regain his trust she decided it was time. He was the last appointment of the day and asked if he could stay longer she told him it was to help fill in his medical charts and to record data, and promised him a lollipop for his help. These were two things he couldn't resist the promise of scientific research and food.

He looked At her confused with a lollipop pop in his mouth. She asked again, “Dr.Pines? Could you please tell me some more about you.”

To Ford what was originally routine physical Examination and quality time with someone he could trust, was turning well off. His Doctor had already been aware of himself, a man mid 60s he thinks it was hard to keep track of time in the bubble and time flew when he was with his beloved muse. He loved science and had an interest in biology, with a particular interest in lepidoptery (the study of moths.) And more importantly he did everything for his muse. He lives and breathes for the sake of him, he loved him and In return Ford knew he was special to his muse, and that made it all worth it.

“Dr. Pines I know this is difficult but I need this information for your chart.” The doctor continued. “Please start from the beginning, your childhood, if you would be so kind.”

The beginning. He didn't like thinking about any time before he came to his senses with his muse. To him they were the dark times, without the guiding light of his muse how did he even manage to live before his muse.

What was there to say really? He was born to an ex-concrete pourer turned pawn shop owner, and a pathological liar who made a career of being a fake phone psychic. He had 2 brothers, one older and one younger. The Doctor already knew about the younger one Stanley, his twin and the only one he had been in contact with post muse. They lived in a small beach town in Jersey. He was born a freak and was bullied all throughout his adolescent years, for it.

Then there was static. Then the next thing he remembers he was at college. He couldn't remember why he went to Backupsmore but he did and met a man he could call his friend. Fiddleford, he was a genius mechanical engineer, you name it he could build it. He supposed That was the reason Ford called him up one day to help him with a project. Again static.

It was a few years After his graduation he moved to a small town in Oregon. He spent many days hiking the surrounding woods in search of answers to the strange and unusual. One day he found it. From the paintings on a cave wall he found a way to summon a being from another dimension, the beings name was Bill, Stanford’s Muse, the light of his life, his shining star, beacon of hope, his lord and master. He informed Ford that there was a way to bridge his lowly inferior world to that of a gods'. And like the loyal man he was he got to work straight away. He called up friend who was squandering his potential with what he called a computermajig, a waste of time Ford thought.

The beginning stages were wonderful. His Muse, was lead them on the path of greatness, and with the aid of a friend the impossible was possible. That was until it all went…. More static filled the events that transpired on that day. He didn't like thinking about it to begin with. the day he-he… The thought alone brought him great shame to begin with, he hated that he once resisted… only flashes of anger, Betrayal, hurt, pain… an unbelievable amount of pain… he deserved everything second of it, after all he went against His muse. It was a rough 5 years. Most of it was spent chained up, starved, and severely dehydrated. More static. But in the end it was okay, thanks to his muse steering him on the correct path. How foolishly he was. After an eternity alone in a small dark room, his muse finally came and rescued him. He reward Stanford with his first meal in weeks and water life saving water he lovingly put more minerals in for him.(in reality the meal was nothing more then a dead rat and gutter water) He was always looking out for him even when he new he shouldn't have deserved it. But his Muse found it in his heart to forgive him so Stanford did the only thing he could think of to thank the being that saved him. He turned on the portal.

In the years since the activation of the portal. Stanford learned to be the perfect pet for his muse. When he was good he was rewarded with Jellybeans, and good dreams that served as revenge fantasies (take that Crampelter, 6 fingers are better then none, who's the Freak now). Sometimes he slips he doesn't mean too of course how could he intentionally do something that angerd his Muse. His Muse would try and correct the behavior, whether it be withholding food or isolation. Ford couldn't stress this enough it was his fault his Muse did this to him in the first place. He needed To be perfect for him, so he could finally recognize his devotion. So for now he'll sleep on a dog bed, eat the scientist Kibble, and attend the dog shows (which always ended badly and he spent the rest of his night sulking in the back of Dr. Oleander’s car.) He would happily do any of that if his Muse required it. He's fine what would a doctor know about this anyway. No one could understand.

Dr. Oleander was starting to regret this tactic. After she asked her patient a rather personal question, she just watched him stare off into space, his eyes devoid of any life. She tried to speak to him again, but nothing registered. It was 30 minutes of intense silence. The best she could do was work on the much need paperwork until her patient came through. It wasn't much longer after her final bit of paperwork was finished when a small voice apologized, thinking he might have dozed off for a second. She lied to him, saying that it was alright she saw how tired he was, and he deserved the sleep. She gave him his prescription and a few more of her lollipops for the road. The man seemed more interested in the sweets then the life-saving medicine. She led him to the front door and offered him a ride back. He politely denied the request, seeing how the weather was pleasant enough for a walk. She wished him the best and gave Him a date and time for their next appointment and reminded him to floss more as per Dr. Ibis instructions. He smiled politely back at her and continued on his way. Once back in the safety of her office, she took down a notebook and scribbled more notes on her patient. At the end of her notes, she put down one more thought like it was a wish to the universe. “I hope Dr. Pines eventually gets the help he needs.”

Maybe it's for the best he didn't actually say anything...

(Poor bby!!! I love ittttt)

[ljubimaya]

── .✦ 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓

EDITOR'S NOTE: Playboy's motto has always been "Pleasure to All", but with today's issue, we are directly offering you and your partner the chance to have the shooting of a lifetime and be featured on the cover of our next volumes.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT? You can expect a highly personalized playboy cover edited by me. Here are two examples of how the covers might look like.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a professional digital artist or anything of the likes. I'm simply a girl with too much free time on her hand, a laptop, and access to Canva. I will give my best to make it look as pretty and accurate to your requests, but please view this as a simple, silly event :3

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

⟢ To enter, you must be

⟢ 18+

⟢ Sending your ask off anon

⟢ You don't need to be a follower or mutual to enter, but mutuals will take priority

⟢ We offer both nsfw and sfw shoots

⟢ You'd like a solo cover without a fictional other? No problem!

Please send your ask with a description of yourself, your partner, and your dynamic with them. Specify if you'd like a sfw cover or something smutty. The more details, the better. Have a photo in mind? Feel free to attach it to the ask!

Please keep in mind that in some cases, we won't be able to give you the shoot you're requesting. For this case, keep your asks/dms open so I can reach out to you. After all, you deserve the best possible cover.

This event is limited. My ask box - and ling with it the event - will officially close on Monday, December 2nd.

[fvrtvne]

i'm not really sure why you rp isabela as avoidant to romance when she's clearly available to romance in game?

I'd have recommended coming off of anon so I could DM you about this privately, but no, you're choosing to waste my time with this ask.

Really? Really?

I need you to step back for a moment and ruminate on these questions ;

) Do you remember Dragon age 2?

) Did you just mindlessly mash through dialogue because hhrrrr pirate lady hot sexy hgghhdhghsouhhhh?

) Did you even play Dragon Age 2?

Look, I get it's hard to sit back and remember every piece of dialogue, but if you even remotely cared about Isabela as a character / actually cared enough about the game to listen to her dialogue then you'd understand that she does NOT want to be in a relationship when you first meet her.

Beyond maybe, idk, looking over her wiki, what vibes beyond finalizing your romance with her gave you the impression that she was going to throw her arms around you and run off into the sunset? Where in any of the story, even through bits of dialogue, does Isabela ever hint that she's ready to settle into a committed relationship?

Here, let me grab one of my favorite (not actually) excerpts from her wiki page; (which, btw, since we're here, google's free) ;

But Madam Hari grew disillusioned with the life of a fraud and eventually she converted to the Qun to give meaning to her life. She sold Isabela into marriage with a business associate of the Antivan Crows, Luis, when she refused to convert. While Isabela offers numerous interpretations of the bargain her mother struck when she was given away, she is noted as having told Varric Tethras once that her mother gave her away in exchange for nothing more than the promise that she would be looked after. Luis took her to Antiva City and they were married three weeks later, just shy of Isabela's nineteenth birthday.

Alright, cool, hoping you digested that, because I'm gonna go ahead and link this image that accompanies that entry.

Does this look like someone who's happy with the prospect of marriage? Does this look like someone who isn't traumatized by a decision made without her consent?

I know this bit was hidden behind comics for like maybe a month (year? idk) after it was published, but for fucks sake, it's been on something as accessible as wikipedia since (and i spent over 20 minutes scrolling) March 15th 2013.

Consider, maybe even momentarily, that Isabela perhaps doesn't want to relive that trauma, or perhaps doesn't even want to come close to feeling as trapped as she did when her mother had made a life-altering decision without a SHRED of concern for her daughters wellbeing.

Put yourself in her shoes for a moment, yeah?

She spends the next 8-10(ish) years of her life pretty much coping with this by never settling down, even in terms of location. Through her own dialogue, even being stuck in one place for too long is almost too much for her.

If that isn't enough, please, for the love of god, consider additional dialogue she provides in the game.

You know who shares a similar trauma to her? Fenris. You know who she has a healthy and casual relationship with because neither of them are looking for tied down commitment without some sincerity and legwork due to their similar feelings of helplessness? Fenris. You know what kind of blog you wouldn't send an ask like this to bc you're very clearly hung up on Isabela? Fenris.

Yeah, they fuck nasty, but even in the mission you do to even recruit her, Isabela proves time and time again (until you ofc complete her romance mission) that she's violently uninterested in a deeper connection beyond casually fucking. (In her own words; "it was just rutting".)

Sure, you can romance her and have a semblance of some kind of relationship with her, but you, as Hawke, (provided you're romancing her), spend SEVEN TO EIGHT YEARS building foundations of TRUST and COMFORT to prove to her that you're capable of not only understanding her past, but helping her through it. You're proving that YOU can stand beside her when shit goes south, and that you're not going to prevent any attempt she makes to claw toward her own self liberation.

I've been writing Isabela for close to 12 years now, and I know the ins and outs of her character better than I know half of my college coursework.

Anyhow, replay Dragon Age 2, learn to use google (it's free! as a reminder!), and maybe order yourself a size 24 loafer to match your clown-car? Idk. Hold this for me.

[warpedwings]

Misha Collins - Sneakers, Part One

Thanks to Anon for the request, more sneakers to come in a few days!

Part Two Part Three Part Four

[junkissed]

need to ride jun's abs so bad this isn't funny anymore . 💤

i soooo get you but also... what if you were riding jun's cock and right before you're about to cum he lifts your hips off of him and ruins your orgasm and instead makes you ride his abs and you have to cum from that before he'll let you have his cock again. honestly i think he would be just as into ab riding as you are, if not more (and trust me i am very into ab riding). it gives him a rush knowing you can easily get off merely by grinding against his stomach. he would hold onto your hips so tightly and drag your pussy back and forth, making sure your clit touches every single ridge of his toned abs. he would tense the muscles so it would give you something nice and hard to grind against and the entire time he would be praising you at how well you ride him (but also at the same time lowkey bragging about how good his abs are; we've seen his lives lolol and we know he loves to tease us about his abs). "does that feel good, sweetheart? which do you like more, riding my abs or riding my cock? silly question- i know it's a tough choice, baby. you want both. and i'll let you have both, if you keep being such a good girl and cum all over my abs. then you can have my cock, hm?" and then when you do finally cum, he'd make you move so you can see the trail of wetness you've left all over his body and he'd coo about how you're always so wet and beautiful and desperate for him. and only then he would let you ride his cock again

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

ari, do you have any shoko headcanons you want to share with us?

SHOKO HCS !!!!!!! my wife ….. i do i do ………. this is more of a character analysis maybe but ;;;;;;

shoko is very similar to stsg in many ways. one of them being her brand of loserism …….. just like them she appears very cool and nonchalant at first glance, a charming stranger that keeps catching your eye from across the room ……. i think she has a very particular allure. pale skin and long coats and half-smoked cigarettes and a barely-there kind of smile. radiates the kind of energy that makes you go ’i could fix her’. BUT once you actually get to know her that mysterious charm gets dashed to bits because i do think she is a loser …… a wet cat of a lover. if she falls for you i don’t think she ever falls out .

she is sooooo emotionally repressed and detached but she loves you very deeply and steadily ……… touch is something kind of foreign to her but she’s pretty clingy with you . or more like she wants you to he clingy with her so she doesn’t have to initiate…. i think she melts whenever you link arms. loves feeling like she’s safeguarding you somehow (sashisu all share this trait). basically !!!!!!! she is a bit awkward when it comes to love . a bit of a mess. but she’ll stay with you through thick and thin — that’s the easiest way for her to show her love for you . she has a lot of love to give but you’ll have to get used to her emotional constipation and occasional withdrawal

[mesetacadre]

Hello! I'm currently debating with a good friend of mine, a democratic socialist, on a few topics. Namely the function of a vanguard party, centralized state power in socialist nations, and the use of violence in a revolution. They're a very open minded person, and are engaging with me in good faith, but in my opinion, their ideas rest on a few idealist assumptions about liberal democracy, and misinformed views about "authoritarianism" in the Soviet Union and "Violent Revolution" rhetoric (used the French Revolution as an example :/). To clarify, we are both in the Imperial Core. I'm a Marxist-Leninist who is critical of the USSR in some respects but admire the progress they achieved as the first major Socialist project, and believe it was a more democratic and fair state than any bourgeois republic.

I'm already working on my response, I'm not looking for you to formulate by arguments for me, but I find your analyses of specifically historical socialist movements to be very compelling, and I'm wondering if you had any insights you'd be willing to share on the topic(s)? In particular, the idea that vanguard parties are uniquely susceptible to opportunism or autocratic consolidations of power, and the Bolsheviks' dismantling of the worker's councils and opposition to the Mensheviks. These subjects in particular I'm a bit less familiar with.

Thank you!

Hi, the Mensheviks (of which Trotsky was a part of until late summer of 1917!) emerged as a defined faction within the RSDLP in the 1903 Second Congress, with the divide only widening after the 1905 failed revolution and the outbreak of WW1. Mensheviks were closer to what demsocs are today than any kind of revolutionary marxist. They consistently showed no interest in the armed overthrow of tsarism and capitalism, something which became crystal clear after the February revolution of 1917, after which they joined the provisional government of the Cadets (liberal monarchists) joined with the Narodniks, abandoning any of the more "radical" demands they still had in the process, such as the seizure of land by the peasants. Of course the Bolsheviks opposed them, they were opportunists who only held revolutionary words in their mouths until they managed to grab some scraps of power in a capitalist and imperialist government.

About vanguardism. The class consciousness that emerges spontaneously among workers from their everyday exploitation is of a different definition and character than the class consciousness one acquires through praxis and theoretical work (by praxis meaning practical work for revolutionary politics, not a broader sense of activism). I've talked about this difference a lot on this blog, so I'll keep those brief strokes and not go into more detail. This is the main fact from which vanguardism emerges. The instinct that guides the greater part of the working mass is imperfect, it can be easily misguided or turn away from revolutionary politics on its own. So there should be an organization, such as a party, that is able to politically lead, like a vanguard, one step ahead, not two ahead or one behind, of the working class' mass. This is not a case of elitism or dirigisme, not by any measure:

Vanguard parties do not lead by decree, they never have. They consist of the most politically-educated (i.e. the workers whose non-spontaneous consciousness is most developed) members of the working class. These members exist in the core of the working class, they are supposed to become known coworkers and neighbors, people who can talk with the mass of workers, teach how to avoid the unavoidable mistakes that come with spontaneous consciousness or a developing non-spontaneous consciousness. It is from these interactions that the party members learn, pass on to the party itself, which is then able to combine all that information into decisions, concrete tactics, and to perfect its own activity. The members of a vanguard do not know more than the average worker about the general state of the working class as a whole, they both are individuals just the same. But what they do know are the frameworks most suited to analyze the bits of experience they receive, and an effective vanguard party is able to collectively analyze the state of the working class as a whole. Again, not because they know more than anybody else, but because the party members have set up an organization that can extract information from all walks of life. An effective vanguard party that is properly weaved with the working class is almost akin to a statistics institute collecting data to unify it and reach conclusions about the state of society.

That is how vanguardism works. It is wholly democratic because in the context of holding power, it is the most able to carry this out, and the entire working class actually participates in decision making. If your friend considers bourgeois democracies a good standard, where the participation of everyone is reduced to a single vote however many years, why would they consider a process through which the conditions of the working class are actively taken into account every single time a decision is taken? The CC of the Communist Party of Cuba knew more about the average sugar cane harvester in Matanzas of the 60s than Kennedy ever did about his neighbors in DC. The CC of the CPSU knew more about the average fisherman in Kamchatka than the European Commission knows about the people who clean their building. And I know these are not exaggerations because there is a clear and intentional bottom-up flow of information in a vanguard, leninist party, and there isn't in, say, the nordic social-democracies, which I think is pretty safe to assume your friend has a soft spot for. And what consolidation of power? The consolidation of power into the hands of the proletariat? The Communist Party is the unified party of the working class, much like the various parties that, in liberal democracies represents the interests of the capitalist class in the state administration. Through the democracy enabled by vanguardism, it is the entire working class that holds power. Not as the addition of all individual workers, but as a class. This is necessary in the transition to communism, it would be idealist, counterproductive and effectively counter-revolutionary to call for the total decentralization of power after a revolution, that would strip the proletariat of any hope at defending itself.

Now that I feel that is cleared up, the soviets/workers' councils. They were very relevant in the period of tsarism because they were the most advanced forms of mass workers' organizations, where the emerging russian proletariat would most effectively learn from its experience and gain trust in its own strength. The slogan "All Power to the Soviets!" was also adopted once the tsarist, semi-feudal state transformed into the seeds of a fully capitalist state, as the sudden destabilization of the Russian state following the February revolution left room for dual power to exist, simultaneously in the provisional government and the soviets. The context of that slogan was that of a working class that had only just begun to accelerate in its political consciousness, not as an absolute reclamation of workers' self-organization. Conditions changed rapidly and, with the joining of the provisional government by the mensheviks that I mentioned earlier, the many Soviets that the mensheviks had a hegemony in also turned into arms of the capitalist, imperialist government. Just as quickly as the Soviets had turned into the forefront of revolutionary development, they had also become mostly reactionary, and the slogan was dropped. Mass organizations in general, which the Soviets were, can become a tool for the advancement of the activity of the Communist Party. They are useful places where communists can more easily access already receptive workers. But the goal is not to get more workers organized in ideologically-deluded mass organizations under a capitalist state, it's to advance their consciousness by any means necessary. As soon as the conditions became such that the Soviets no longer represented that golden opportunity, it made no sense to continue to claim all power for the Soviets. Conditions changed, so strategies changed.

After the October revolution, Soviets still existed. They were not dissolved, rather the existing structure was incorporated into the new proletarian state, as its instance that's closest to the proletariat. Hence, the Soviet Union. They used the structure of the Soviets because soon the civil war of intervention began, and they could not afford to create another completely new structure. But still, it's not that the Soviets themselves should be independent and somehow make up a different source of authority than the Communist Party, an already completely democratic organ and more capable than any loose confederation of councils. They were, before the revolution, one of the main ways the bolsheviks reached the Russian proletariat. After the revolution, the formal organ at the factory or city level that made that democratic connection between the workers and the party.

[blighted-lights]

I want to know your thoughts on an opinion I have. I really hated part of that scene where Megatron and Ravage are talking and Megatron is like, you've seen the worst of the Decepticons. Want to join me? And I really hate this because shouldn't Ravage, as this ultra-loyal Megatron follower and skilled operative, BE and EMBODY the worst of the Decepticons, along with Megatron himself? Was she not there, totally endorsing Megatron back when Megatron was personally training the DJD to be the way they are, something he literally mentioned having done like, one issue before extending this offer?

hiii nonnie!!! thank you so much for the ask!

and i agree, the dialogue in that scene does kind of fit strangely, especially with the assumption that ravage has been close to high command and would theoretically already have seen much of the "worst" parts of the decepticon cause- whether that be the djd themselves, the camps like grindcore, the k-class, the six phasers, the abuse megatron dolls out to the other decepticons, or the genocides of billions of organics. the implication that this is suddenly ravage's first time witnessing the "dark parts" of the decepticon cause IS jarring, especially considering that ravage seems to be completely oblivious to the djd before this arc. to the point where ravage can't even identity the djd's scent on the split lost light, or even recognize the djd's handiwork.

when faced with the bodies left behind on the split lost light, THIS is ravage's reaction:

she's got no idea who did this! none!

as for ravage's opinions on the formation of the djd, i'm kind of split on this. we have zero information on who was involved in the djd's training, who supported it, ect. we have zero proof that ravage was supportive of the djd or even how much she actually knows about them or what they do, and given her reaction above and willingness to distance herself from the rest of the decepticons after witnessing it, i'd argue that she wasn't endorsing him. ravage isn't unaware of the fact that megatron has fucked up- we see her admit this in their first scene together.

ravage calls him a tyrant outright, references what she generously refers to as his "wobbles". she has a very idolized view of him, but it doesn't prevent her from being able to see that he has fucked up. she's just willing to look past his fuck-ups in favor of the idolized version of him she has in her head.

and it is somewhat difficult to pinpoint when this undying loyalty to megatron even started meta-wise, as ravage in prior comics shows no special interest or loyalty to megatron whatsoever. before mtmte, it's always been soundwave she looked to- not megatron. and the megatron ravage endorsed would be a pre-war/early megatron, anyways- long before the formation of the djd. given her reaction to the djd, i VERY much doubt she was in any way supportive of its formation or its practices. but what could she do about it? ravage doesn't have as much agency in comparison to those like soundwave and starscream. none of the cassettes do. though that is a whole different post worth of meta.

BUT! you're fully right. ravage isn't exempt from taking part in what the decepticons have done. i think her role is far more limited than the other big names we know, but it's not like she was kicking her feet off to the sidelines, lol. just because the people around her did much worse doesn't negate the fact that she was just as guilty in the things she was a part of.

this kind of got away from me, but yeah! i agree that the wording in that scene was somewhat odd and this shouldn't of been the first time ravage was faced with the dark parts of the decepticons. UNLESS. these "darker parts" were, for some reason, intentionally kept hidden from ravage in fear that she would leave the decepticons if she knew, which is what we see her do in mtmte. but that feels really unlikely. i really don't think ravage was some big supporter of the djd either, nor would she endorse it or megatron while creating it, but there IS a fair bit of hand-waving ravage does when it comes to what megatron and the decepticons have done in the past. though... that's kinda on-par for mtmte lmao

[ghostlyeris]

may I provide a penny for your Inkblade thoughts? the people have to know!

absolutely anon! i don't have a full analysis since i'm waiting for part 2 of the finale to drop before i make one (still holding out hope for that rat grinder revivication) so instead have some headcanons while we all wait for the finale together

the crush was absolutely real. freshman year oisín thought adaine was the coolest thing since sliced bread but was always too nervous to talk to her. post shatterstar, that crush got warped into bitter resentment over adaine never noticing him, but somewhere deep down he still just wants her to think hes cool

the first person adaine went to talk to her new crush about was riz, hence his deep hatred for oisín, a dude he's never talked to. riz was super supportive, albeit a little uncomfortable, and as soon as adaine turned away he started crafting an intricate revenge plot in case oisín ever broke adaine heart. he's disappointed, but not surprised, that he has to use it

part of the reason adaine was so hurt about the heel-turn was the fact that this crush actually made her feel normal for once. sprinkling in some of my aroace adaine agenda, but for the first time ever she thought she found someone that could actually make her feel something romantic, the way a "proper" high schooler should. unsurprisingly, after this is all over, adaine goes back to riz to talk about it

the little apology in the cafeteria was genuine. oisín wasn't going to at first, but when he overheard adaine defending him despite having no reason to do so, something other than rage and resentment broke through for the first time in a while. he wasn't just apologizing for the cafeteria, but for everything he had already done and was about to do

aaaaaaand if oisín survives, their senior year is TENSE. adaine is hurt, and even though oisín apologized at the end of junior year, she's still on guard around him, waiting for everything to be another big joke on her yet again. oisín on the other hand still has that crush, and is doing his damnedest to give her the space she needs while also doing his best to make up for everything he did

[hero-of-the-wolf]

Enabling you to yap about some headcanons you have for the chain (or any animal facts that you have in store. You always have some fascinating facts)

Time and Lullaby were childhood best friends that grew apart as they got older. They start to reconnect again later in life, when Time joined the war effort against Ganondorf and the Gerudo.

(and then he dies)

Time and Malon have a little girl together 🫶

stealing this from @crazylittlejester but Time’s joints are kinda messed up after transforming so often (esp when he was y’know still growing) so his joints will pop out really easily and get really sore

Time is the OG animal lover. Where do you think Twilight got it from?

side note— I love the idea of Malon becoming something More after her death. You can still hear her singing at night if you listen very closely, mysterious bad things happen to people who hurt horses, Twilight strangely never feels alone, that sort of thing :)

Warriors was very close to his mother. She passed away during the war, and he didn’t find out until after he returned home 💔

(my first thought is that she died from disease, which always runs rampant during war. but maybe, perhaps, Wars’ home village was razed by monsters 👀)

Warriors had two close friends during the war. One died in his arms. The other one betrayed him and directly led to him getting captured by Cia 💔

depressed Twi 🫶 anxious Twi 🫶 Twi with chronic pain 🫶

Hyrule gets chronic headaches and dizzy spells, esp when he overuses his magic :)

Hyrule’s dark world form is an opossum 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

Legend enjoys knitting!! it’s a nice calming activity that helps him destress, and he really enjoys working with his hands :)

LEGEND MADE THE DOLLS FOR HYRULE. LEGEND KNITS AND HE MADE THE DOLLS AFTER HE WENT BACK HOME BC HE MISSED RULIE AND THEN HE IMBUED THEM WITH MAGIC AND HID THEM AROUND FOR HIS SUCCESSOR TO FIND

I also hc he has a lot of chronic pain 🫶

[ivys-head-is-spinning]

in honour of getting 200 followers (seriously thank you guys that’s crazy) I was thinking that most of you probably don’t know me very well so I thought we’d play a little game shall we?

so basically feel free to drop any of these emojis in my ask box to ask whatever the corresponding question is (I’m sure you’ve seen these before so y’all should know how this works)

❤️ a fun or interesting fact about one of my interests

🎵 a song I love and my favourite lyric/part of it

✨ an interesting story from my life

🎀 a random picture from my camera roll (none will be of me)

🌈 what I think of my dynamic of you (person who sent the ask) as moots (I.e sibling, best friend, weird cousin, etc. just for shits and giggles of course) also I’ll only answer this if we are moots and please don’t use anon cause how the fuck would I answer that

⭐️ a picture of either one of my marbles, stuffed animals, or Disney pins and you’ll have no clue which until I post it

🪐 an opinion I have on a random topic. I’ll either give you one on something really dumb or something serious and it’s a surprise what you’ll get

💎 a head cannon on a character I like

💕 a dream I have for the future

🪴a random thing I have saved on my dream apartment pinterest board

💌 the last text I sent

🥰 something about who I am as a person/an opinion I have about myself

🎧 something about the musical I’m writing

🩵 a random silly thing that I find amazing/beautiful/funny

🫧 a random thing saved on my pinterest

🪩 a small good that that’s happened to me recently

🧸 a random thing I have in my room

🎲 ask your own question that you have for me!

yes I know some of these emojis don’t work great with the prompt but I used emojis that kinda relate to myself in a way

alright have fun! I also add this to my pinned post if you want to ask something else but can’t find the post <33

[rattkachuk]

i'm sorry. you reblogged the sensory prompts and as i read each of them i got different ideas for mattdrai and most of them were somehow angsty. if you can, 63 with them? pls and thank you <3

ohhh i was on the verge of sleep but then this ask was too tempting to ignore 💖 it is a little angsty, i couldn't help it. but!!! here's a blurb set in a hypothetical oilers/cats scf !!

63. Indigo skies just before dawn

-

Usually, when they were able to share a bed, Matthew slept with his limbs thrown over Leon. An arm across his middle, a leg slotted between his thighs and the other around his hips. All askew and taking up room. Leon always rolled his eyes, but if he was honest, he loved waking in the middle of the night and curling in closer, like it was Matthew’s very arms keeping him safe and together. His own personal weighted blanket.

When he woke up this time, there was a noticeable absence of touch. Leon frowns into the dark, stretching his hand across smooth sheets to find Matthew’s side long cold. A glance at his phone tells him it’s 5AM.

He doesn’t want to get out of bed, knows the air outside his blankets will be cold and unforgiving. The concern wins out, though.

Able to scrounge a hoodie from the floor, he trudges out into the hallway. The bathroom light is on (Matthew always insisted on keeping it on at night), but everything else is dark and quiet.

“Matthew?” Leon says quietly when he finds his familiar shape in the living room, curled up with his knees to his chest on the couch closest to the window. The Edmonton city lights are twinkling stardust in his eyes, “Are you okay?”

“Yah. Sorry, I uh…just couldn’t sleep. Lots going on up here,” Matthew waves to his own head, then holds out his hand to Leon once he’s close enough.

Leon takes it, squeezes gently before sitting down beside him. He taps at Matthew’s calves til he lets his legs lay across his lap—the weight he missed waking to moments earlier.

Matthew sighs, looking back out the window. If Leon sees a shine to them, a flash of wet beneath his eyelids, he wouldn’t bring attention to it. Their emotions are so often guarded, so protected and caged, navigating this pocket of vulnerability with Matthew was something Leon was still getting used to. It gnawed a little worry right into the centre of his ribs, though.

The light in the sky is just starting to shift, deep blue and purple shadows casting onto Matthew’s face. Right here in the dark, just them, it’s easy to imagine there’s nothing greater awaiting them when the sun rises. No huge arena with great expectations, no glory of something they’d both been chasing their whole lives (only to know one of them won’t get there, and it will be the others fault). They were now intertwined in a way that Leon wasn’t sure he liked.

In fact, it made him nauseous to think about.

His life goal was right in front of him, and the only thing standing in his way was breaking the heart of the person he loved the most.

“We’ll get through this, right?” Leon asks, nose screwing up as he looks anywhere else in the room, anywhere but at Matthew beside him. If he does, he's not sure what might spill out.

Matthew’s breath is shaky, and that’s it. Leon prepares himself, braces for impact. The big crash and the limb being ripped away from his body. Instead, “Leo. Of course we will. It’s gonna suck, but we will.”

Leon clears his throat, trying to rid himself of the big lump that was forming there, “Okay. Okay. Good.”

“We have to. Cause I can’t-” Matthew trails off, brushes some of Leon’s sleep mussed hair away from his forehead, “We. Just. You know.”

I can’t imagine life without you. I love you, Leon’s brain supplies. He just nods. Rests his chin in Matthew’s palm and savours the indigo light that blankets them both, “Yah. I know.”

[gingiekittycat]

Hi! Love your fics so much thanks for writing and feeding us!!!

Do you have advice for writing GO fics?

(no pressure to answer)

Thanks anon! I'm happy you like my fics 💜

As for advice... Wow! Do you mean any advice at all, in general? I'm trying to think of things that would be specific to the Good Omens fandom and not just to all fanfic, but I'm having a hard time thinking of something.

So how about just some things I do when I'm writing a GO fic?

Rewatch the source material (even if it's just 5 minutes every few chapters or so, to remind myself of how the characters sound)

Vocalize dialogue to make sure it flows OK (and yes sometimes I do the accents, though not very well, heh). I try to visualize the characters saying it while vocalizing. The looks on their faces, their mannerisms. (I uh, don't do this for the sex scenes though... The vocalizing part anyway)

Use my own personal religious trauma as a jumping off point to really get into the characters' heads (haha) (*cries in ex-catholic*)

Also, if you haven't already, read the original novel! (Please do this even if you don't write fic, you will get SO much more out of the show by reading the book. Plus, you know. The book is fucking brilliant.)

Maybe my followers have some more advice too?

[beescake]

you invented solkat I think

ACK i am goop. i am merely a student trained by the og solkats of the past decade