#be more mindful and critical of your biases please.

[trannyradfem]

Yeah anon, like, genuinely just learn what gendie speak means and translate it in ur head. You'll find there's way more similarities than you'd have ever guessed. There's a fuckload of things TRAs agree with us on but they have so much cognitive dissonance caused by fear and threats (especially for AFABs) they'll never break it down and admit it. Not until/ unless they peak, anyways. But we can. Read between the lines.

When they say, "why do you say you hate men that's too binary :(", try to imagine their perspective. Regardless of how YOU feel about it, trans afabs exist, and will continue existing until MUCH better treatment modalities come out. (If they ever do, as radical feminism isn't really doing anything to help these women, so where else will they turn to for relief? The trans community, duh.) How can we expect otherwise when women with dysphoria are basically told it's their fault for being misogynists if therapy doesn't work? We don't even have any treatment modalities specifically for dysphoria, so, be more realistic about your expectations, please.

Breaking it down, "that's too binary" can mean multiple things. It can refer to how trans AMABs will call themselves women, but still can easily be extremely misogynistic in the same ways you're talking about when you say you hate men. But they WILL get mass harassed by their own community for saying it bluntly like that, so they use the gendie speak. By adding more flames to the fire, all you're doing is adding more pressure and making it actively harder for them to ever have a chance at unpacking their cognitive dissonance. You're perpetuating the same reactive dehumanization that has made the trans community cultlike and reactive in the first place. And that's a disservice to both that person and radical feminism in general. This person saying that quote is agreeing with you, just not in the way you want them to.

It could also mean to address how trans AFABs only really have transient and watered down male privelege, especially when they aren't flat out the binary type that wants to fully pass as a man. And they want to know, "Do you hate me like that as well?". You see nonbinary and have a negative reaction to that, and I get it, but you're not trying to discern the actual meaning underneath the gendie fluff.

If you can acknowledge that gendie fluff language is useless and detracts from the point, you can also break it down to see what they're actually saying in reference to their own material reality. So this actually isn't all that wild of something to say, you just missed an opportunity to get a gendie to see it your way. You're not obligated to do that by any means, but if you call yourself any level of activist, that's a part of what activist work really is. Not just online, but irl as well.

The next quote, "girls in school bullied me for being too masculine, but boys did not, thus males are not oppressive" is-- once again-- gendie fluff that represents an extremely complex reality as a GNC woman, as dykeulous explained. There's also room here to educate on personal experiences versus systemic oppression, because that's very obviously a missing piece in their logic from the get go. The best way to do that is to sympathize with the very real issue of GNC hate and homophobia that causes this environment for young women in the first place, and then explain your views. Go by statistics, especially when it comes to male crime vs female, sexual violence statistics, pregnancy mortality statistics, etc., because you probably already know these areas well if you're a radfem. And emphasis on "just because it didn't happen to you in that way, doesn't mean it's not happening for most women".

Just kinda treat them like people and not a stereotype of the worst gendie you've ever met. Please?

How do you get patience to deal with TIFs when they are out there saying shit like "but why do you say that you hate all men, it's too binary 😥" or "girls in high school bullied me for being too masculine but boys did not (?), so your idea that men are more oppressive is wrong"?

gender conforming girls bullying gnc girls in school is a very common problem, one that is very much connected to misogyny. girls being mean to & ostracizing other girls because “they aren’t like them” is likewise a common problem we should be talking about. homophobic women have a very unique way of acting out their homophobia, specifically against lesbians, and that is something that we undoubtedly need to be talking about– especially given the rates of lesbian exclusion within feminist spaces, historically & contemporarily. neurotypical & allistic girls being ableist to neurodivergent & autistic girls who don’t conform to societal norms is also a huge problem, very connected to misogyny & we need to talk about it when having feminist discussions. making fun of gnc female people is not feminist, no matter how “insufferable” you find them to be. mocking them & claiming their problems aren’t valid, claiming their history of being bullied specifically by girls is false, calling them attention-seeking-male-validation-wanting-pick-mes is not the feminist move many may think. you are not morally superior for being gender conforming or for not being dysphoric. “tifs” face a unique form of misogyny & oppression that you probably cannot relate to. you can criticize internalized misogyny & reactionary behavior from dysphoric female people & transmascs without generalizing us all. malgendering is a big thing within the trans community, and there are several transfems (baeddels) out there claiming they “hate all men” & being outright misogynistic to transmascs under the thin veil of their fucked up version of feminism. there are genuinely misogynistic transmascs out there, i agree, and by all means criticize them when they start with “transmisandry” claims & “hating all men is harmful” rants– but invalidating their trauma & instituting that someone “has the patience to deal with them” (concluding that they are insufferable annoying confused girls that thus should be excluded & left behind from feminism) is just no way to go on about that criticism. please refrain from speaking about the things you are uneducated about. that being said, you literally sent this ask to a transmasc person… don’t know if you are aware of that though.

[michellesneptune]

HOW THE MOON SIGNS ACT WHEN THEY LOVE YOU pt. 1

disclaimer: forgive me if the series doesn’t cover all twelve signs, but i don’t think i’ve known enough people to speak about everyone’s way of loving. please be patient🤗

aries moon/1H

ooooh those little devils🔥😈 you can see the mischievous twinkle in their eyes. they’re children of Ares - the god of war! when they speak of their loved ones it feels as though they’re ready to kill for them any minute, only waiting for the right (or any😂) reason.

(just my observation, please don’t come at me) i believe that these natives are prone to being more loyal, less selfish and flaky than aries venus. aries is known to be 'the baby' of the zodiac, valuing independence and self-fulfilment greatly. however, i’ve noticed aries moons to be devoted af!! you will never catch them bad mouthing a friend or a partner.

also, from my experience, both placements like to fight, however aries venus often does it for own enjoyment, the initial chase turns them on. as for aries moons, they’re more steady. they would go to great lengths for friends and partners. you can call them in the middle of the night and ask the craziest favor, they WILL come and help.

(please keep in mind that i mean unevolved aries venuses that still have a lesson or two to learn!)

PS. they love to be treated like the center of your world, please give them attention💕

taurus moon/2H

hmmmm how do i put it… 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍! i will say that i am biased bc my boyfriend is one and the way he’s attentive, always asks about the details of my day, pays attention to my routines and shows love through acts of service🥹 you’ve probably heard the rumours and they’re true. taurus moons make the best cooks ever. and i don’t mean putting together a couple of cheap pancakes, nuh uh. their sharp senses only let them buy the best quality ingredients and cook with great care. bonus points if they prepare a dish that they know is your favourite!

i will say though, they are not the most verbal lovers. but when they’re in, they mean it. when they say they love you, it becomes a fact so obvious that they don’t feel the need to repeat it over and over. they like to settle into a routine, so don’t expect them to be flaky, send mixed signals and stir things up just to feel something/for fun (sag moons cough cough😅😅).

they also seem brutal sometimes. but i believe it’s because they see honesty as the highest form of trust. they want to feel comfortable with you. they value silence, too. they’re the type to show you their appreciation not by telling you how perfect you are but by actually putting in the work to show you your value and show that they’re worthy of being by your side.

lastly, their homes are their sanctuaries, a reflection of their feelings. usually beautiful and they look for someone worthy of letting in, to match their belongings. they get a rep for being possessive and stubborn, nevertheless with the right person they can make a sacrifice and at least try to change their ways😂😂

virgo moon/6H

okay so i know they’re said to be critical, demanding, neurotic etc but hear me out. virgo is a mutable sign, ruled by mercury and in true mutable fashion they DO get wild, fun and unhinged lol. as a virgo moon myself i am well aware of the fact that i often act like i’ve got a stick up my ass. but when i get closer to you i want it all: karaoke nights, fast car rides, spontaneous trips! sometimes i even take those things to the extreme!

they’re also said to have the highest standards. and while i imagine it’s partly true, i believe that this placement is all about accepting the biggest, weirdest quirks of your s/o (as well as 6th house synastry!).

besides, i think that we get more so insecure and self-critical in relationships, analyzing the f outta our partners, wondering whether we’re meeting their demands! we’re about the overall quality of the partnership and just want it to be perfect🥺 we’re also quite anxious and require lots of reassurance.

lastly, everyone knows it: virgo moons are like the final boss of small acts of service lol. vacuuming your flat, folding your clothes. they notice the smallest things that could improve your life and happily do them for you!

capricorn moon/10H

this one is tricky. they remind me a bit of taurus but more rough in a sense that they probably won’t pamper you with luxurious baths and gourmet food but they will do things like pay your rent, get you a job or buy a car😂. i’ve noticed them to be a bit grumpy sometimes, definitely not the softest lovers.

they’re up to giving some tough love. pushing you into a scary path that they know will be rewarding in the end. teaching you that even in the hardest lessons of saturn there is light. they’re not the most cheerful on a daily basis but - surprisingly- they are the ones that keep calm in the face of crises. they’re like okay we can’t do anything about it now let’s appreciate what we do have and focus on what we can change.

it’s because they know all to well how karma is. they had to learn it the hard way which made them so strong and resilient.

what i’ve personally noticed: they will stick by your side no. matter. what. this isn’t always a good thing as sometimes it’s best to walk away but if you’re expecting a cap moon to give up on you, don’t.

i also feel like they’re used to being the oldest sibling, the mom friend etc. please take care of them from time to time!

that is all i have for you! thank you for reading💕 i wish all of you lots and lots of love💋 see ya

~Michelle

[rottmnt-residuum]

Hi, I've read the Residuum comic, and I think the characterization of the boys is really good. I was wondering if you have any tips on how to write them? Especially Mikey, please.

I'd actually recommend re-watching the show with one character in mind. All my notes on the turtles come from doing separate re-watches for each of them. The key is to ONLY watch the character you are focusing on.

In the end, you'll probably be happier with your own personal interpretation. As we are with ours lol

TL;DR

Massive post under the cut

To preface: we'll be contrasting (this Mikey) against the fandoms version of Mikey, as our interpretation is very different. Don't worry if you prefer the fandom version, there's nothing… wrong per se with writing him this way. We just find him flat and uninteresting. (Main author: not me, I just hate him, lol).

Every reader or fan comes into a story with their own biases and experiences. A ton of our view of Mikey is based on how our siblings acted. We see Mikey as the young sibling that got preferential treatment from the whole family, simply due to being the youngest, but is now aging out of the privilege. Which all youngest siblings do at some point or another.

The fandoms version of Mikey is empathetic, naive, vulnerable, co-dependent and quite often a door mat who cries at the drop of a hat. And as much as the fandom like to say that people love him… when this particular character archetype is in other media, they seem to attract the most criticism. Mable pines, Bolin from Korra, people rag on Aang all the fucking time, and Steven Universe is a whole other bag. These characters don't deserve it, and yet it happens anyway.

To flatten Mikey to simply 'the baby' is a disservice. We don't see or write Mikey as the fandom “baby” version (cinnamon roll uwu). Part of this comes from having multiple siblings, so we interpret the times when Mikey does the puppy dog eyes as typical younger sibling bullshit, mostly by the way that the other turtles rarely react to it, if at all.

The other turtles traits can also get projected onto Mikey. Mikey being the fandom therapist is in the same category as this. He isn't a therapist, he's a psychology nerd who likes to psychoanalyze people and meddle in their relationships. (Donnie and Shelldons relationship, Splinter and Draxums...) he's not trying to resolve your emotional issues. Of the turtles, the character that cares the most about people's feelings is Raph. And Leo is more of a consoler than Mikey ever is. It flattens all the turtle's characterizations when you start doing this because you are ripping out parts that are integral to another characters' complexity.

Co-author has told me that they've seen people become confused when going into the show after only reading fan fiction or coming from the movie. They see his characterization as inconsistent and become upset when their view of him is contradicted. This also happens when a fandomized version of him becomes the primary characterization that they use. Sometimes when this disconnect happens (or if they just don't like the character), Mikey characterization is swung in the complete opposite direction.

They make him manipulative and abusive, or someone who is hyper violent and avoids being held accountable for anything. This is an uncharitable interpretation of him and can come off as pretty racist depending on the circumstances. (like if someone considers the turtles black or not)

Every version of Mikey is a shithead (affectionate), even this one. Especially this one, really. When Mikey not doing the "baby schtick" hes mean. If you pay attention to what he's saying, and just not his tone of voice, he's consistently saying pretty mean or condescending stuff. (You could take this as simply naïveté, but he still says mean shit pretty often regardless)

The times he does say genuinely nice stuff the turtles don't exactly expect it from him, at least, in the early season. And while he is mean, and seems to find saying mean things to be funny, Mikey isn't cruel. Nor will he ever be.

This shit-headery behavior is found in both 2003 and 18 Mikey. They have a degree of social intelligence that lets them use it to annoy people into doing what they want. 18 just has the advantage of being baby faced and having better tonal control. He's good at using people's perception of him to get what he wants.

Let Mikey have his problematic traits, but don't overexaggerate them. He doesn't revel in fooling people. He loves doing character bits, and the baby faced one just happens to be one of them. However, to infantilize or to deem him incompetent is to piss him off, he wants to be viewed as a competent part of the team and competent as an individual. He's not insecure about being young, he just doesn't want to be treated like he can't do anything.

Mikey above all is an optimistic character, he sees the brighter side quite often and is conscious of the harm his actions have on people. Mostly after the fact, but he consistently attempts to rectify the harm he has personally done to peoples lives. (Todd, Bullhop, Draxum). Food and shelter seems to be a thing that he considers to be a right. He doesn't cross a boundary twice once he learns of it, and he never pushes people too far (if he likes you, that is. if he doesn't know you or doesn't like you, he doesn't give a singular shit. But that is standard to most people.). He doesn't care about people's stuff, though. He breaks things all the time.

Mikey understands boundaries, but he doesn't automatically recognize them. He needs them to verbalized or for there to be a very obvious reaction to the boundary being crossed (unfortunately, for Todd and Donnie). Sometimes people mess up (esp. younger people), and it can take a while for teens to learn where boundary is, but he fully respects the boundaries he does know about. He doesn't act petulant when he's told about boundary, he apologizes, accepts it, and moves on. He doesn't dwell.

Mikey doesn't hold on to distressing emotions. He bounces between emotions quickly, but isn't effected in the long run. One thing Iv'e seen people often conflate is the difference between sensitive and vulnerable. Mikey is sensitive, but I have never seen him vulnerable to others. To be sensitive is to be easily influenced by the current situation. To be vulnerable is to hold that influence for a long time. Characters can have one, both, or neither of these traits. But Mikey is not vulnerable. It is the difference between compressing memory foam and a piece of metal until they deform. One will pop back, the other does not.

Those who are vulnerable but not sensitive will take longer to effect, but once you do, they will hold on to that emotion for a very long time. The vulnerable, are grudge holders. (leo). But like I've said, Mikey bounces back. What a character does has an effect on his emotions, but it doesn't make a lasting impression.

Forgiveness is another thing people like to push on him. It is not that Mikey forgives people easily, it's just that he doesn't hold grudges. He neither forgives nor forgets, but he does not ruminate. He's generally affable, first impressions seem to be a big part of how he views people. He is idealistic, and doesn't assume people are unchanging and/or evil, but he's not a mark.

Mikey isn't so much as naive or overly trusting… it's just that he's inexperienced. He doesn't get fooled by anyone in the series except meat sweats, and that's because Meatsweats is on Todd drugs. Mikey just didn't notice when he started faking. He's not… actually all that aware of people's emotional states, passively. He has to tune in to notice things like that.

Mikey isn't someone who really tries to regulate others emotions, either. The fandom like to make Mikey afraid of his brothers fighting and others being upset, but Mikey doesn't actually care. The most distressed we ever see him in a fight is in the movie, and he's not SCARED, he's just concerned (and then alarmed once it turned physical). If anything, outside extenuating circumstances (like the movie), Mikey actually seems to find their fights annoying.

(Mikey actually seems to have a pretty short fuse, but his bounciness doesn't really let it linger very long, lmao)

(One pet peeve of fandom Mikey is the constant crying, crying at fights, crying at insults, crying for no reason all the time. Sure, he tears up when he gets emotional, but when Mikey is genuinely crying It's when he's desperate, like when he's hungry, or when he's trying to save Leo from certain doom. Same thing, really.)

Mikey respects no one (we love him for this). He admires people, he admires his family: April, the turtles, his dad, Lou Jitsu. He admires Rupert Swaggert, but he respects none of them. No one is sacrosanct to the Mikey.

Above all, the way we write characters is to give them a past that informs how they act now. We view Mikey and the other turtles as teenagers that were kids, and that will be adults. Yes they all have “problematic” traits, but 1) good characters need flaws, and controversial traits are one of the best to use, and 2) they're teenagers, don't expect adult behaviors from them, also don't expect them to be kids. They're minors, not toddlers.

This is getting as long enough as it is, so we'll stop here, but this is a very broad overview of how we characterize him. There's a lot we didn't cover here, but if we even started on hobbies, or the real minutia of his quirks and ticks, or even how he feels about other specific characters... we'd be here all day. So I hope this is good enough lol

If there was something you wanted to know in particular, you'll need to get specific. Feel free to ask again ahahh

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Alright, so there's been a lot of chatter about some of the most common racist takes in the fandom lately, and I know most people aren't engaging in good faith but I'm gonna spell some things out anyway. Here's a handy-dandy White Fan's Intro to Racist Fanon 101

Why is it racist to depict Ed as uncontrollably violent?

Because he's not actually depicted that way in the show. OFMD goes out of its way to depict Ed's relationship with violence as complex and intensely traumatic for him. Because he has so many hangups around violence, Ed is one of the least violent characters in a show full of violent characters. He is always shown giving people many chances before they're able to push him into reacting with violence.

Even if you think you're just doing a character study on a guy who is really very complex and nuanced, please take the time to consider if you're assigning more weight to Ed's violent actions than those of other characters or assuming he's worse than he actually is (for example, Ed never physically hurt the crew during his kraken spiral, just Izzy. His crime was being a shitty boss, not going on mindlessly violent rampages).

What do other common fanon depictions of Ed that are racist look like?

The biggest ones are depicting Ed as untidy/messy, as illiterate, and as needing a white man (most often Izzy) to clean up after him. I hope I shouldn't have to spell out why these are racist, but please keep an eye out for them in the fanon you consume so you can be critical of how you respond when they pop up.

Are you saying that all Izzy fans are racist?

Liking a character is morally neutral. Insisting that the viewpoint of an antagonistic character is the lens through which the show should be understood, though, especially when that antagonistic character's whole deal in the first season of the show was trying to control the behavior of the brown lead so he could gain power for himself, however...

Just please consider - why do you find Izzy's tears more deserving of sympathy and compassion than Ed's?

But my hot take/fic/meta doesn't say anything about Ed's skin color!

It doesn't have to. Most of the racist takes/fic/meta out there don't mention Ed's skin color explicitly. Racism doesn't just look like saying "this character is a brown man so he's bad." Everyone who grows up in a racist society (that's everyone on the planet, btw, you included) has biases to unlearn, and those biases impact how you interact with the world around you, including with the media you consume.

The thing is, OFMD isn't a subtle show. It's very consistent with telling us who Ed is, how he responds to situations, and why he behaves the way he does. If you find it easier to throw all that aside in favor of believing what a white antagonistic character tells you about him, then you should really take a bit to examine that.

And here's the most important thing to keep in mind:

This is not about you.

Trust me, it has to be pretty damn bad for fans of color to call out racism in fandom. Every time we do, we know we're gonna harrassment and just some truly awful shit in our inboxes. But you, random white fan who Did A Racism? No one is out to get you. No one thinks you're an awful person for including a racist trope in your stuff, we just wish you'd examine it so we can make this fandom a better place for everyone.

I have had amazing discussions with white fans who saw my posts on fandom racism and wanted a sensitivity read or a check so they could fix an instance where they uncritically included a racist trope. But most people who make similar mistakes will just double down and insist they didn't do anything wrong, and that makes fandom a worse place for all of us.

Fans of color deserve to feel safe and included in this fandom, and we're just tired of feeling like we have to beg to get some circles to see poc as people. You can do your part by being critical of these tropes and your reactions to them when they pop up.

[zorrasucia]

Teach Me Tonight - Part 6

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Deleted Scene] [Part 4] [Part 5] Part 6: [Part 7] [Deleted Scene] [Part 8]

Reader x Carmy Berzatto (The Bear FX)

Rating: Explicit (5k)

Tags: Smut, Set sometime after the opening of The Bear, Porn with a little plot, Virgin!Carmy, Jealous!Carmy, SoftDom!Carmy, Fluff, Miscommunication, Make up Sex, Sex Toys, P in V sex, Oral (M and F receiving), Both Carmy and Reader have a bit of a praise kink

Summary:

You were in over your head.

Some fashion vlogger had recorded a video in your store, giving it a glowing review and it had been good for business. Maybe too good. The store was now full of stylish teenagers with baggy jeans and designer bags, you had a new hire to train, and a local journalist had emailed you to ask for an interview.

He showed up a couple of days later, tall with dark hair, and every bit as stylish as you would expect a reporter from a fashion magazine to be. You had shown him around, let him take photos, talked about your favorite brands and decades of fashion, and complimented his printed shirt.

"It's from the seventies," he commented bashfully. "I'm a little obsessed."

And he talked about his ongoing quest for the perfect pair of bell bottoms. You showed him what you had in the store and promised to be on the lookout.

"You know, it's weird," he gestured to the side, where The Bear was. "I used to come here when they did sandwiches."

"They still do!" you beamed. "The fine dining is really good too. Well, I'm biased but-"

"Right! Being their neighbor and all," he concluded. You simply nodded along - no need to let him know the intricacies of your personal life.

"Let me buy you lunch," he offered. You were about to refuse when he added. "I'd love to try their food but I hate eating alone."

You accepted. It seemed harmless and it could be good for the restaurant too - maybe he knew a food critic and would recommend the place too.

Richie guided you both to a table with a smile, quickly catching up with your plan once you mentioned the interview, offering the journalist a sampler of the menu.

It was good - the food, the conversation. It caught you by surprise when Carmy stormed out of the kitchen, something angry in his stride.

"Are you enjoying the food?"

It was a simple enough question, it was the way he said it-

"It's excellent, thank you!" the journalist said earnestly, which only seemed to wind up Carmy even more.

"Good, great," he rasped, then turned towards you. "Can I talk to you?" it was said in that clipped tone that meant he was stressed and he didn't have good news.

You followed him to the back and touched his wrist briefly, trying to convey how important this was.

"Carm?" you asked, your face wrinkling in worry and confusion.

"You mad at me or something?" he asked.

"No! Just nervous, stressed... I don't even know - it's just the interview," you tried to reassure him. "Can we talk later, baby?"

"Sorry to interrupt," the journalist had walked up to you without either of you noticing. "I just wanted to know - are you the chef here?"

"He is, yes!" you smiled, thinking everything was going according to plan.

“Carmen Berzatto,” he said without offering his hand, his frown furrowed and something deadly in his stare.

The journalist gave one look at Carmy and his face shifted from friendly to scared. "I'll give you guys a minute."

Carmy was burning holes on the back of the guy's skull and you couldn't be more embarrassed.

"What's wrong with you?" you whispered.

"That fucking guy."

"He's the fucking journalist! Are you out of your mind, Carmen?" you were losing the last shred of patience you had left. "I was trying to do a nice thing and you- We can talk about this later at home, okay? Now leave, please."

You turned away from him and didn't look back until you had paid for lunch and walked the journalist out the door.

"I'm so sorry about him," you explained. "It wasn't personal."

"Don't worry about it. I worked as a server once. I swear working in a kitchen does things to your brain..." he mimicked a spiral by his temple. You winced.

"Yeah."

"Hope he doesn't bother you again," he said, which made your stomach drop. "I'll send you the article when it's done. And you have my number if you ever find those bell bottoms."

He waved goodbye and you huffed in defeat.

Suddenly, you were being hugged by Nat, her arms around your shoulders.

"Did Carmy send you?" you asked, patting her forearm.

"Kind of," she let go of you with a sigh. "He walked in the kitchen and kind of lost it? I had to get it out of him. And when he explained, I came over."

"Thank you," you said softly.

"He can be an idiot," she said.

"Yeah," you nodded.

"He loves you, though."

"I know," you said, rubbing your temples. It had been a long day. "I'll text him."

You were pacing the carpet, waiting for Carmy to get back from work. You had a list of things you wanted to tell him ready to go: that making a scene like that had been embarrassing and hurtful, that he had probably ruined the whole interview acting that way -

Your train of thought and frantic pacing was interrupted by the key in the door. Carmy walked inside, a defeated look on his face, and every cell in your body wanted to go and hold him but you stood still, arms crossed while he closed the door behind him.

"Hey," you said.

"Hey, I, uh," he stumbled. "What I said... What I did... I mean, even Richie thought that it was fucked up so..."

He let it hang there, in the air between you two, keeping his distance.

"Carm," you took a deep inhale. "I need you to understand the store is just as important to me as the restaurant is to you. It's finally going well. And maybe that means I have less time for you. I need to know that you'll be okay with it - with me being busy sometimes - that whatever that was won't happen again."

"I know, I know," he said looking at the ground. "I'm happy it's working out. I am."

You tilted your head. "Then what the hell happened?"

He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand.

"It's so stupid," he mumbled, embarrassed. "I got jealous. So fucking jealous. I had never- I didn't know what to do with it."

You uncrossed your arms - you actually hadn’t thought of that.

"No need to be, Carm," you reassured him.

"I just-" he blinked hard like he sometimes did when he was stressed. "This tall as fuck guy, with the fancy fucking shirt, just being charming around you..."

"You think I care about that shit?"

"I don't know, maybe?" Carmy looked at you with wide eyes. "I'm an asshole sometimes, I cancel plans, my family is a fucking mess-"

"Hey, I like Nat!" you interrupted his spiral.

"And I think she likes you better than me."

You stood in silence for a while.

"I'm sorry. I am," he said in the end.

You moved one step closer and pressed your forehead to his. "It's okay if you're jealous, Carm. Just- keep your cool if it happens again. Please," you said softly. "I don't know if I can handle you acting like that again."

He nodded. "Promise."

"I'm coming home to you, baby. No one else," you emphasized, running your hands over his chest.

"Mhmm," he tilted his head, eyes closed, like he wanted to kiss you but needed your permission. You surged forward, trapping him in a tight embrace and a searing kiss.

It got heated quickly.

He cornered you towards the kitchen, grabbing and pressing, until you were sitting on the counter, legs bracketing his hips, hands in his hair.

"Carmy," you gasped, as he kissed your neck like only he knew how. His tongue traced the contour of your collarbone and you moaned.

He undid the first few buttons of your blouse, burying his face between your breasts, kissing and nipping. You carded your fingers through his hair, and crossed your legs behind him, keeping him close. The heat between your thighs was getting more unbearable as time went by. He started kissing down, like he would eat you out, atoning for what happened, but you didn't want that.

You pulled on his hair and made him look up. "I need you inside me," he exhaled shakily. "Now."

He took a condom out of his back pocket while you unbuttoned his slacks, undressing him just enough to free his cock. His hands went under your skirt, eager, and moved your underwear to the side. When Carmy leaned to start fingering you, you grabbed his wrist.

"I need your cock inside me," you clarified.

You didn't want the tenderness of foreplay. You moved to the edge of the counter, taking his cock in hand and putting the condom on yourself. You guided his head to your entrance and felt him fill you out. It hurt a little, your pussy tight and unprepped, and weirdly that was what you wanted now. You whined once he bottomed out and he groaned at the feeling, the sound making you roll your eyes.

"Fuck," you held him close, arms around his shoulders, clinging to him for dear life. Without knowing where it came from, you said to the side of his face: "Show me I'm yours."

He inhaled sharply, his hands shaking where they held your waist. Then his hips moved back and forth in one long, agonizing stroke. You moaned. Again. And you held him tighter, letting drowned out cries pour out from your lips. He kept going for a little while, the pace so slow that it made you wonder whether all his anger had fizzled out by now.

Except he started going hard, hitting that spot that made you dizzy. Your breasts and legs were shaking with every thrust. You covered your mouth to stop from screaming.

"Holy shit, Carmy" you mumbled.

His hands touched all over, scratching your thighs and up, squeezing your hips, tracing your sides, caressing your arms and holding your wrists. You shivered. His cock kept hitting just right, his mouth exhaling on the side of your face. His hand traveled south, finding your clit like it was second nature, thumbing at it in small circles, just the way you liked.

"No one can fuck me like this," you whined. "No one makes me feel this good."

His hips stuttered and he moved so that your foreheads were touching and his eyes were staring right into yours, you could feel the sweat on his brow.

"Yeah?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Yeah," you replied, your jaw slack as you kept panting and moaning. His pace was so steady that it felt like Carmy could go on forever. Then, impatient, you started thrusting your hips against his, making it go twice as fast, making him groan into your mouth and start losing control.

"Fuck," he cursed, grabbing your hips, steadying himself. "I'm so crazy about you."

"Carmy," you managed to say, desperate, your voice getting high, and your nails scratching at his scalp.

His free hand squeezed your breast over your bra and you slipped your hands under his shirt, caressing the hair on his navel, and up his chest, pinching one of his nipples hard.

"Fuck, baby," he groaned again.

You were so close you could almost taste it. Just then you grabbed his face with both hands.

"Tell me," you pleaded. "Tell me you'll never do that again. Tell me I'm yours."

"Never. Never, I promise," Carmy breathed into your mouth, little desperate sounds escaping his throat. "You're mine, you're mine, you're mine."

He came with a strong exhale, drowning every other sound into your neck. His thumb on your clit kept moving until you joined him, completely spent, bracing on the edge of the counter to stop yourself from falling back.

He placed gentle kisses on your throat while you both recovered your breath. You clenched your walls around his cock, drawing a satisfied moan out of him.

"Did you get the guy's contact?" he panted against your skin.

"Yeah, why?" you replied ruffling his hair with your exhale.

"Thought I'd send him a cannoli or something," Carmy looked up from his place on your chest. "Make sure what I did doesn't make you look bad."

You ran your fingers through his hair, soothing.

"I don't think that's necessary but I'm sure he'll appreciate it. He said something about wanting to marry whoever made the desserts," you teased.

"Don't think Marcus'll be interested," Carmy inhaled deeply, his nose on the exact place you sprayed perfume every morning, though by now it had probably faded into a saltier scent. "When's the article coming out?"

"Couple of weeks," you hummed, caressing his back under his shirt.  "We have time, baby. So much time."

~

You were leaning on the kitchen door, watching as Carmy and Syd posed against the counter. A photographer was giving them vague instructions about where to stand and where to look. She was also complimenting Carmy and hitting on him like she was getting paid overtime for it.

"Sydney, lean forward, yes, nice! Carmen, hit me with those blue eyes! Gorgeous, what a handsome guy!" she said with a cat-like smile.

The restaurant was going to be featured in Food & Wine, which entailed a photoshoot.

They had both started wearing their chef's whites, going for a more professional approach. Then, to make them more comfortable, the photographer asked them to change into their street clothes. It had done wonders for Syd, who was now showing off one of her mother's beautiful shirts with a proud smile on her face. It hadn't been quite as successful with Carmy - he had a tortured look in his eyes. Now he was standing awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen, even more withdrawn than when they had started, every wink and cheesy one-liner from the photographer making him wince.

"Okay, Sydney, a little to the side. Exactly, chin up, please! And Carmen - why don't you stand this way? Yeah, let's show off those arms."

You bit your bottom lip.

"Carm?" you called him - he turned with wide eyes. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

He nodded. "Sorry, excuse us," he mumbled, leaving the kitchen quickly, trailing behind you. He grabbed your hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry," he said, his blue eyes pleading.

"What for?"

"All the things she's saying..." he turned briefly, making sure the door was closed. "Fuck, I don't mean to-"

"You're not doing anything wrong, baby," you reassured him, cupping his face gently. "It looked like you needed a break, is all."

"Yeah," he exhaled heavily. "It's a lot."

You nodded. "The kitchen looks really nice," you commented to lighten the mood. They had done a deep clean the day before that had run into midnight.

"Thanks," he smiled. Then added: "This is a fucking nightmare."

You intertwined your fingers with his. "I think-" you paused, "that she wants you to look confident. That's why she keeps saying nice things."

"They don't feel nice," he bit his cheek.

You remembered how hard it had been for him to accept compliments for anything other than his cooking when you had first started dating. He would scoff and dismiss every word. Even now, sometimes it felt like he didn't quite believe them and maybe was just humoring you - which broke your heart. There wasn't enough time to unpack all that, so instead you leaned forward, placing one hand on his hip, whispering to his ear, flirtatious.

"Carm, I want you to go in there and eye fuck that camera like you would if it was me," he took a sharp inhale. "I will make it worth your while. Let you do anything you want to me," you promised.

He gulped. "Jesus," he mumbled, his pupils dilated.

You gave him a brief kiss on the cheek. "I'll tell them you'll be back in a few minutes," you said with a satisfied grin and went back to your place by the kitchen door.

"He went for a quick smoke," you lied to Syd.

When Carmy returned, he was in control, hands on his hips, like he had suddenly remembered he owned the place.

"Okay, guys, let's get this over with," he took his place next to Sydney, leaning on the counter and staring right into the lens, something defiant in his stance.

Your heart started racing. Even the photographer seemed affected by the shift.

"Uh, yes, good," after a few clicks she said: "I think we got it. Mmm, one more from this angle and we'll be good to go."

She led them to the main entrance to The Bear, Sydney crossing her arms and Carmy mirroring that same stance. They looked like they had stepped out of a magazine, modeling some understated and ridiculously expensive brand. Carmy looked in your direction for a second and licked his lips, before he turned back to the camera, unflinching and determined.

Another few clicks.

"Thank you guys, that would be all," the photographer went up to shake their hands and say her goodbyes. You were about to follow her out when Carmy took you by the wrist.

"See you tonight," he drawled and you felt yourself get wet.

"When I said you could do anything you wanted to me, I wasn't expecting this," you panted, your hands buried in Carmy's curls, as he kept kissing and licking every inch of your pussy. He was taking his sweet time too, biting on your thighs and going up to give some attention to your breasts and neck whenever he felt you were getting too close to your release.

"What were you expecting?" he asked, an amused glow to his face while he rested his chin on your hip, his mouth and nose shiny with your arousal.

"I don't know," you sighed, frustrated but so turned on. His hand caressed your pussy gently and you moaned. "Give you a blowjob, wear a silly costume, something like that."

"And are you into that?" he asked.

"I do like to suck your cock," you said honestly. Sometimes, with other guys, it had felt like a chore, not with Carmy, you loved to see him come undone, let go completely.

"See, the thing is," he kissed the curve of your hip, "if you gave me a blowjob it would be over so quickly," he exhaled right on your spread out clit which made you shudder. "And where's the fun in that?"

You giggled giddily when he squeezed your ass, manhandling you closer to his face, keeping his focus on your pussy.

"So you're just going to edge me until I beg?" you asked, half wanting for him to say yes.

"Don't worry," he gave a long lick, from the bottom of your lips to the top, making you arch your back and curse. "You will come," there was something dark in his eyes again, that same determination from the photoshoot back in his face - he was in charge. "When I want you to."

You shivered. "Fuck, Carm."

He started sucking on your clit, his tattooed fingers curling inside of you. You melted under his touch, feeling your pussy squeeze his fingers.

"Please, Carmy..."

He stopped sucking, messing with the rhythm, keeping you hanging by a thread.

"You will come," he repeated, "when I want you to," the speed of his fingers increased. "As many times as I want you to."

You moaned. His mouth latched onto your clit, licking until you were thrashing on the bedsheets, his forearm kept you in place on the mattress.

"Fuck, shit, baby," you mumbled. Your gazes met, his blue eyes fiery. He nodded and you came in a blur, desperately grabbing at anything - his hair, the bedsheets - the feeling all the more intense for the time he had spent working you up. He kept kissing and sucking until you stopped moaning and started chuckling breathily.

"Just like that," he praised, something playful in his voice and you would have teased back if you weren't so completely spent.

He kissed the outside of your folds, staying away from your clit and your entrance, just worshipping the skin around them and you caressed his hair lovingly.

"You make me feel so fucking good," you exhaled.

He climbed up your body and kissed you hard, mouth open, letting you taste yourself on his tongue. His cock, hard inside his jeans, grazed the lower part of your belly, it made you tremble in anticipation. "You gonna fuck me?" you asked between one kiss and the next, your hips lifting up to ground on his.

He clicked his tongue. "Not yet," he got up and opened the drawer of your bedside table, taking out your rabbit vibrator. "This charged?"

You nodded, biting your lip.

"Good girl," he praised and your hand squeezed your breast almost unconsciously; something happened to you whenever he talked to you like that.

He lowered himself next to you, held up by one arm; his hand teased your pussy, his calloused fingers spreading wetness around.

"D'you need lube, baby?" he asked, more out of politeness than anything since he knew the answer very well.

"I think I'm okay, Carm," you laughed and he kissed the side of your face.

"Mhmm. So fucking hot," he whispered and you felt the dildo poking at your entrance.

You placed your hand on the side of Carmy's face, your thumb near the edge of his mouth. He sucked on it thoroughly, then let go with a pop. You whined needily.

"Please, please, please..." it poured out of you.

He bumped your forehead with his, his gaze was intense and hungry.

"Keep looking at me," he ordered, and you obeyed, keeping your eyes open even as the dildo went all the way inside you and filled you up deliciously. The coldness of the toy reminded you it wasn't Carmy's cock - but he was holding it, he was right there next to you. Your face contorted in pleasure.

"Yes, like that," he encouraged you, his words tickling inside your belly. He seemed to be overcome just looking at you - it made you feel wanted, adored, beautiful. You wanted to make him feel that way too.

"Carm," you gasped. "I need you to know- Oh, fuck," he pumped the toy inside you, slow, so slow. "I need you to know," you repeated through the fog of pleasure, "all those things the photographer said. They're true. Oh, my God, baby," his expression softened even as he buried the dildo deep inside you. "Your eyes are beautiful," another thrust, you caressed his face. "Your arms are so hot," you held onto the arm that was fucking you, squeezing the muscle there. "Shit. You're handsome, gorgeous, fucking- oh!" you blurted all at once, turning the compliments into moans. "I swear - fuck!" you held his gaze. "Can't believe you're mine."

He leaned forward, kissing you tenderly, swallowing your moans.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you," you replied, a choked out sound leaving your lips.

He turned on the vibration and watched you lose control, becoming desperate with lust, thrusting your hips wildly. He kept you there a bit longer than necessary, torturing you a little with how long he was drawing it out. It was so good, so fucking good.

"Carmy. Please," you begged.

"I know, I know," he soothed. "You're doing so good."

It sent a shiver down your spine and made the very last thread inside you snap.

"Oh," you exhaled, coming harder than you ever had, scratching at his forearm, screaming into the skin of his shoulder.

"Sound so nice," Carmy mumbled, looking as pussy drunk as a man could be without actually fucking one. "Baby, baby, baby."

You stayed there for a while, the dildo still inside you, and Carmy's hands touching your waist tenderly while you kissed.

After a long while of that, he got up from the bed, and started getting undressed while you watched. You bit your lip and put your head on your hand, enjoying the sight. He caught you staring.

"You really meant all those things you said," it began as a statement and ended as a question, Carmy's voice going up slightly.

"Every word," you said, taking out the dildo as Carmy showed you his cock. You licked your lips. "D'you mind? Me saying things like that?"

You wanted him to be confident but you didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

He shook his head. "I liked it," he admitted. He stood right by you, beside the bed, fiddling with the condom he had retrieved from your drawer. "Made me feel good."

"I'm glad, Carm," you reached out to caress his leg, following the line of muscle there. Saying he was beautiful once while you fucked wasn't going to change his mind, but you were willing to keep trying.

In the meantime, you could show him. Even with the exhaustion of everything Carmy had done to you, you wanted him inside you, wanted to see him roll his eyes in ecstasy. You crawled to where he was, kneeling, near the edge of the mattress. His cock was hard, pulsing, and it made your mouth water. He stood still, dropped the condom on the mattress, probably guessing what you were about to do.

When you were an inch away from his cock, he pulled your hair and stopped you.

He gestured at the vibrator. "Put that back inside you," he said in that demanding voice and you rushed to do as he said, only uttering a small moan when you had it inside you. He leaned over, tracing a long line from your neck to your ass, reaching to turn it back on on the lowest setting. You writhed a little but after a moment of adjusting to the feeling you were able to stay still and look at Carmy.

"Good girl," he said again and you keened, leaning forward to suck his dick. The sound he made once your mouth was on him was heavenly. "Holy fuck."

His hands were tangled in your hair and you wished you could deep throat without choking, just to watch him lose his mind completely. You settled for going as far as you could, getting every inch of him slick with saliva, making him groan and sweat. You looked up, his eyes were white and his face was flushed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried to breathe. You hummed with satisfaction and that woke up his competitive streak.

He pulled on your hair lightly. "Gimme a second," he panted. You thought he needed a breather, but he actually moved to turn the vibrator up a couple of notches. You trembled and reached for his ass, bracing, leaving red scratch marks on the tender skin.

"Fuck, baby," you said between moans. "Not fucking fair."

"Mhmm," he smirked, caressing your scalp. It took all your willpower and concentration but you moved forward and went back to sucking his cock, feeling a pang of pride as he threw his head back and uttered some curse you couldn't quite decipher.

The vibrator set a pace you could follow, rocking forward as it pulsed, letting you give Carmy pleasure while you were ridiculously close to losing your mind yourself.

"Shit, baby," he gasped, his knees buckling for a second. "Make me feel- Fuck, y're so good, so good," he mumbled.

The steady pace of the vibrator was building up a tense knot inside you - you were close, and so it became a race of making Carmy come before you did. You doubled your efforts, speeding up, hollowing your cheeks, moaning into his skin.

"You're fucking killing me," he growled, pulling on your hair just the way you liked it, making you roll your eyes as you sucked on his length. You were completely overwhelmed; you couldn't help but whine over and over. "Holy fuck."

He stared right onto your eyes as he came. He had told you he didn't mind if you spit his cum but sometimes you felt like drinking it all, consumed with lust - today was one of those times. You stayed there, licking his slit, caressing his balls until he pulled you away.

"Fuck, baby," he sighed, kneeling on the carpet to look at you.

He was completely wrecked: face red and sweaty, hair messier than you had ever seen it and a glazed look in his eyes. He tilted his head to kiss you thoroughly, tasting the cum leftover on your tongue. You could finally let go. You put your hand between your belly and the mattress, maneuvering the vibrator so it hit right where you needed it and you came immediately, kissing Carmy, biting on his lips, and humping on the bed. It was too much and just enough.

Carmy helped you take it out once you started whining from feeling sore. He moved your body to lie comfortably on the bed, your head on the pillow and him next to you.

"Fucking insane," he exhaled. You chuckled in agreement, fucked out senseless. "D'you need anything?" he asked gently after a moment.

You shook your head, raising a hand to caress his face.

"I feel perfect, Carm."

You moved your index finger, tracing the contour of his eyebrows, the line of his nose, and the curve of his cheekbone. 

“Pretty,” you managed to say.

He smiled and brought you closer, inhaling the scent of your shampoo, his arms around making you feel safe.

~

[Part 7]

~

@th3h0nkz

[physalian]

The Dos and Don’ts of Giving and Receiving Constructive Criticism

Some of these should be painfully obvious and yet. They come from experience.

Receiving feedback:

Do

Understand that a criticism of a character’s thoughts, actions, morality, and choices are likely not a criticism of you as an author, unless the character is an author insert

Understand that they are being paid to critique how successfully you told an entertaining story, not pander to your trauma dumping

Understand that critiquing a book’s success as an entertaining story means that how much you yourself connect with or love a character or scene or plotline is irrelevant if it doesn’t make a compelling narrative

You might have written your book for yourself. Your editor is a different person with their own human biases and perspectives. If you just want to pay someone to stoke your ego, make that 100% clear up front.

Stand up for yourself and clarify where necessary if some details were overlooked or if explaining outside the narrative can better contextualize anything confusing or lacking detail.

Stand up for yourself in what feedback you are expecting, and what degree of criticism you’re willing to endure. An editor can let more or less of their own views show depending on what you ask for.

Stand up for yourself if your editor delivers inadequate or useless feedback. You’re paying them for a job, and you deserve to have it done properly.

Try to separate dislike of a book from dislike of yourself. It’s not easy, but the goal is to fix your book that you’ve already spent a lot of time writing, and they’re only trying to help.

Remember that your author insert is subjected to the same level of criticism as any other character, and that you asked for this.

Keep an open mind and be prepared for feedback that you don’t like, because you can’t please everyone. Your editor should be able to tell you whether or not a scene or character, or plotline works separate from their own personal tastes.

Don’t

Argue with your editor over their religiosity or lack thereof and insist that adhering to genre expectations means they “worship the god of [genre]”. (really, argue with your editor over anything like this, e.g. their own sexuality, religiosity, gender, socioeconomic status).

Argue with your editor while still expecting more work from them as if your aggression will in any way positively impact their perception of your book.

Insult your editor’s intelligence for not understanding your jargon and attempts to sound smarter than you are.

Get mad when your editor sees right through your BS and calls it like they see it, specifically your self-insert Mary Sue protagonist.

Insist that the solution to better understanding your book is for that editor to do extensive homework on your niche topic. If it’s a niche book for niche audiences, hire an editor who’s already knowledgeable about that niche topic.

Equate a bad review and opinion of the book with unprofessionalism. These can overlap, but they are not interchangeable.

Forget that your book is probably meant for leisure and entertainment, and your audience is under no obligation to read “until it gets good,” when they can go do literally anything else. Your first job is to entertain, if you write fiction.

Giving Feedback:

Do

Pay attention to your client’s wants and needs and expectations. If they’re more sensitive to bad feedback, do your best and stay as objective as possible. You can’t please everyone, either.

Helpful feedback includes an explanation of why an element needs work and how it can be improved. Saying “I hate this” with nothing else helps no one and just makes the author feel bad with no direction of how to make it better.

Communicate beforehand how much of your own personality your author wants from you. Do they like personal opinions and your personal reactions to the text, or do they want it as impersonal as possible and solely focused on the structure of the narrative? This might avoid a mess.

Remember to leave notes of where things worked well to balance the criticism. Even a simple “this is good” highlighting a line or a paragraph or two helps keep authors motivated to keep writing. I firmly believe that no book is completely unsalvageable.

Make it painfully clear with no room for debate that criticism of a character is not criticism of the author, unless it's an author insert, in which case the author absolutely asked for it.

Make it clear that you are just one person and these are all suggestions, not laws.

Don’t

Let your own personal opinions cloud your judgment of whether or not someone with different tastes could enjoy the book.

Unless given permission, get too personal with the narrative and reach beyond what’s written on the page.

Do more than what you’re paid for. You’re an editor, not a therapist for the writer’s trauma dumping.

Forget to wrap up all your thoughts in a condensed format that the author can reference, as opposed to endlessly scrolling through the manuscript trying to summarize your points for you.

Walk away with absolutely nothing positive to say about the manuscript. Even if it’s awful on every front, the writer still tried and that deserves merit.

This is from my personal experience beta and sensitivity reading, and dealing with other beta and sensitivity readers. We are all human and these jobs are not one-size-fits-all and there aren’t really hardline rules as every author, editor, and manuscript is different with different needs.

Just some things to keep in mind.

But also, for the authors who do write self-insert Mary Sues: You are in for a very rude awakening if you expect anyone other than yourself to adore your book with zero criticism. If you really just want someone to proofread and look for typos, tell them.

[polling-sonic-fans]

Tumblr Biases

Recieved yet another note on a poll expressing concern that it would be a biased result because the population of tumblr does not reflect all Sonic fans. This is true for all of this blogs polls - they can only, and only aim to, capture data on the Tumblr Sonic community.

A few expected biases that come to mind immediately, that you shouls be aware of interpretting the data from these polls (and many others on this website:

Tumblr seems to have above average incidence of neurodiversity when comparing large polls to global data (See Table 2). This is expected to affect polls regarding narrative readings, specifically in interpretting neurodiversity in characters, and interfan relations/ fandom culture.

Tumblr is known to overrepresent non-hetero sexualities (regrettably, citing buzzfeed here); this might suggest that polls will skew towards reading characters as LGBT, and a preference for same-sex pairings over more typically 'straight' user bases.

Tumblr has a higher proportion of women/ female identifying people, as well as a large non-binary and trans population. Considering that in 2015 Yougov found that more women than men listed Sonic as their favourite video game, (although we cannot extend this data too far - it is out of date, British, and a very specific wording), it could be said that this doesn't impact our polls as much as gaming communities with more men in them, however we should be aware that tumblr has a distinctly smaller community of cisgendered men.

Tumblr is perceived to lean left, although this is a difficult metric to quantify as 'left' is so broad. Still, we should expect polls relating to politics, ethics, and activism can be expected to be affected by this.

70% of tumblr users are Gen Z and Millenials. This should not be a major issue, as it is expected that the majority of Sonic fans will be under the age of 50 at present, but will impact the life stages we expect most users to have hit.

There will be more ways in which the data gained in these polls is biased by hosting on Tumblr. Blogrunner does not have ambitions to host polls on any other site, as this is where it is active. However please consider these and other biases if you intend to use any data gathered here for your own purposes, as well as the following caveats:

The reblogging nature of this site means that polls with small sample size cannot be considered reliable: one large blog might be able to share a poll and encourage their followers to vote in kind with them. I recommend that until polls start reaching 500 votes minimum, they cannot be considered fair representatives of the tumblr Sonic community, and as always the more votes the more reliable.

I am asking polls in English: these questions can only be considered to be reflective of the english speaking population of tumblr.

Polls on tumblr do not allow for changing vote - if wording is complex, votes are more likely to be inaccurate.

Polls regarding characters will include that characters tag, and therefore recieve more traffic from fans of the character who frequent that tag, than those who dislike the character, who may even have it blocked. Same for ships and games people may either follow or block.

That's all that's coming to mind right now. This post will be pinned as a disclaimer, please always do your own research and think critically about the ways in which netnography and survey are limited data points. Thanks.

[critical-skeptic]

"Why Is It Always Children And Not Elderly Or Homeless?"

Why is it that every time we see someone doing meaningful community outreach, like trans people reading books to kids, the knee-jerk reaction of some folks is to clutch their pearls and conjure up the most grotesque, baseless insinuations about "sexual deviancy"? You want to know why people aren’t lining up to read books to nursing home residents or the homeless? Simple: nursing home residents and homeless adults don’t need to be introduced to basic human decency and inclusivity lessons—they’ve already lived their lives with all the prejudices, biases, and social mores they’re going to carry to the grave. Children, on the other hand, are still forming their worldview, and maybe, just maybe, they could benefit from seeing that gender-diverse people exist in the world and can be mentors, caregivers, and guides just as easily as anyone else. This isn’t about some dark, deviant agenda; it’s about building a kinder, more understanding generation that, ideally, won’t grow up to perpetuate the same hateful rhetoric you’re so fond of spouting.

Then there's the redirection tactic of "But why don’t they go help the homeless instead?"—as if the people griping about drag queen story hours are suddenly overcome with a burning passion for solving systemic poverty. Please. Most of the time, these very same people wouldn't lift a finger to help marginalized adults unless they thought it could score them points in some twisted moral competition. This brand of armchair outrage doesn’t come from genuine concern for the homeless; it comes from a narrow, knee-jerk discomfort with seeing trans and queer folks visible in society. It’s the classic “I’m totally okay with the existence of marginalized people—as long as they stay out of sight and don’t interact with my kids.” The irony is rich: the people complaining the loudest about moral decay and deviancy are the ones obsessed with what others are doing with their bodies, projecting their own insecurities and narrow definitions of "normalcy" onto everyone else, while offering no meaningful solutions to the actual problems they claim to care about.

And let’s address the thinly veiled accusation that reading books to kids in an educational setting is somehow a predatory act. This is nothing more than projection, plain and simple. Those spewing these accusations are often the same ones who have internalized a culture that sexualizes and polices everything they don’t understand, reducing every act of goodwill to some perverse ulterior motive. It’s a classic smear tactic: if you can’t actually criticize what someone is doing on the merits, then conjure up the specter of “protecting the children” to justify your own discomfort and ignorance. Never mind that the vast majority of crimes against children statistically come from close family members or trusted adults in traditional community roles (particularly those traditionally most sanctimonious about gender and sex preferences)—let’s conveniently ignore that and demonize the people promoting inclusivity instead, because that’s easier and fits the narrative you’ve been fed.

The reality is, people in marginalized communities engaging in public service, especially around kids, is about as far from “virtue signaling” as it gets. It’s not performative; it’s an act of resilience and generosity that exposes kids to perspectives beyond the narrow, exclusionary views they might otherwise inherit. If you’re so concerned about the moral guidance of children, maybe consider what they’re learning from you: fear of the unknown, contempt for differences, and a complete inability to approach the world with empathy. Maybe, instead of wasting your time policing the identities of people volunteering to make a difference, you should be figuring out how to channel your energies into something actually constructive—like addressing the societal issues driving homelessness or pushing for better elder care. That would be “virtue” worth signaling. But, of course, that wouldn’t give you the satisfaction of othering people who are different from you, now, would it?

[caslyra]

Please don't expect consistent (and continuous) posting

(Look after yourselves!)

Hi!

I feel the need to make one of those intro posts because recently a few blogs started following me that seem to be more into the fanon interpretation of things, and I don't want anybody to get the wrong ideas about what to expect from this blog.

About me... I'm 30, she/her, pan/bi (I don't care which label), and demi (which took me really long to figure out).. I used to be a judge but dropped out because of a myriad of reasons but mainly because of... well, depression. I cannot, for the life of me, remember how many letters there are in the alphabet, I love carrots but they make me nauseous, and my socks are more holes than fabric.

So... let's move to the important stuff.. JK sucks, and parts of the canon suck too - like the house elf stuff and her naming "skills" which are very telling, her fat shaming, and the anti-trans shit that is even written into the original source material. But for the most part, the characterization isn't one of them. So on this blog, I will defend the canon version of characters, flaws and all.

To make myself clear: hc characters as trans and writing characters as gay etc is great and I fully support that. What I mind, however, is the heteronormative, mysoginistic cliches we keep seeing under the guise of 'progressive' queer ships. If you not only change their gender or their height but also their personalities so that they fit heteronormative stereotypes that's problematic. Same goes for the casual racism going on in this fandom. Portraying non-white people as huge, buff guys with anger-issues is - you guessed it - problematic!

What to expect from this blog:

Me applauding the many great people out there. Do you even know how great you are???

Me geeking out, especially about the characters and ships I love most

Nuance - or at least, I try. But I'm just a person with biases, and I read the books through the lens of my own experiences, so yeah. And of course there's always a range, even when sticking to canon.

Me writing long-ass metas at two in the morning because that one post was the final straw.

(I say I care about nuance, but you'll find me swaying to full-force apologism the next second - get used to it, I'm a hypocrite).

Remus/Sirius will always be my OTP - canon personalities - dysfunctional mess and all. But I do enjoy a few other ships and I love so many characters!

Some writing. Here's my ao3. I'm also working on a long wolfstar fic. I plan on starting to post it before I turn 30 (which will be in mid-December) soon, hopefully. Struggling with mental health atm.

I can get very passionate about fictional characters, but I'm an adult, and I know they're fictional. And I believe I can take criticism, so if there's anything on your mind... Hit the "ask" button or reach out to me. Reaching out is always fine anyhow!

It's always my personal opinion I'm talking about; I don't think I'm some kind of hp authority, but that goes without saying.

What not to expect from this blog:

Art (I reblog, of course, but you don't want me to draw, believe me).

Dumbledore hate / Remus hate (don't confuse with criticism, I'm all for criticism). No ATYD hate either. I have my issues with it, but it's not the author's fault it has become the fandom's new rulebook.

Me dumbing down James and Sirius, etc.

Me abandoning James and Peter. But, sorry not sorry (and wolfstar aside), I will keep pushing my "Remus and Sirius (also) were close friends at Hogwarts" agenda

Jegulus/Slytherin skittles stuff. If that's your thing, that's fine, but it isn't mine.

Me keeping it short.

I'm always happy to discuss stuff! :)

Most important information for last, right? If I speak ill about Remus, it is always with the most love possible. I keep saying Sirius is my favorite character, but he has a lot of fans out there, and avoidant, self-loathing, passive-aggressive, manipulative, ruthless, but also smart, brave, kind, loyal, empathetic, thoughtful and selfless (yes, you read that correctly) Remus holds a special place in my heart.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Struggling with Feedback That's Missing the Point

triplecreature asked: I'm in a creative writing course in university and we're doing workshops where we review each other's poems and short stories. I'm conflicted because I don't want to be closed-minded about constructive criticism, but sometimes I feel like the feedback I get is missing the point. For example, the instructor indiscriminately marks up any "abstract" line, even if it's emotional sentiment or would break the structure/line scheme to remove. She's also biased against heavier topics because they're too depressing and said I can't make poetry about characters/conversational perspective. My short story got negative feedback from my peers because my protagonist wasn't inherently good or bad. They felt it his grey morality "didn't make sense." I don't want to be arrogant so I feel bad for struggling with the criticism I get. How do you gracefully approach a situation where you feel uncertain or misunderstood by feedback you get?

Here's the thing...

Reading and writing is a very, very personal thing. We all develop very strong opinions about what we do and do not like, and sometimes people confuse their own preferences as being universal truths. Abstract poetry doesn't seem to resonate with your instructor, and unfortunately she's choosing to interpret that as a problem with abstract poetry rather than a personal preference.

Having said that, it's really important that we not take negative feedback too much to heart. It's always worth analyzing where the feedback is coming from and whether it's more likely to be feedback based on a personal preference or actually credible feedback.

When you get critical feedback from a single person or a few people that feels off to you, you can generally disregard it, especially if it conflicts with the majority feedback. For example, if three people says your morally gray protagonist makes no sense, but ten people don't have that issue, you can probably assume your protagonist is fine. If you give your story to six classmates, and all six of them feel the morally gray protagonist doesn't make sense, it's worth considering why all six out of six people feel that way. Are they saying it doesn't make sense because they expect a character to be either good or bad, or are they saying it doesn't make sense because something you laid out in the story is conflicting with the idea that this character is morally gray?

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide whether or not to listen to feedback, but especially in a creative writing class, I wouldn't take the negative feedback too much to heart. If it's one person's opinion, smile, nod, and thank them for their opinion. If it's five people with the same opinion, take some time to consider whether there could be some merit to what they're saying. In any case, don't take it personally. ♥

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[alatismeni-theitsa]

hello! i hope you’re having a wonderful day 💕 i wanted to ask if you know of, or have any literature or book recommendations that surround Ottoman Era Greece, The Revolution or the 19th century? i’ve been trying to find stuff but all that comes up is greek myth retellings it’s rather annoying 😭. if they have an english translated version that would also be superb! fiction or nonfiction i don’t mind, i’m just super keen to read and learn more about that era of Greek history many seem to overlook. Thank you so much! btw i love your blog so much.

Hello! Very sorry for being late to answer this but I was gathering books. While I have read historical articles and texts on the Revolution and the Ottoman period, they were in Greek. I will list here books I found in English, mostly by foreign authors. I checked them and they seem mostly fine (I usually try to avoid those with specific western agendas in the descriptions, and generally I am trying to show the most objective works. Please make sure to read more than one, so you can see multiple perspectives. I'm sure there will be biases here and there xD

Historical Books

Stories Of The Greek Nation - In Today's Language: (14th and 15th Volumes) - Paparrigopoulos Konstantinos (Also published by National Geographic in 2004)

The Greek world under Ottoman and Western Domination: 15th-19th centuries - Kitromelides Paschalis

Greece, The Hidden Centuries. Turkish Rule From The Fall Of Constantinople To Greek Independence - Brewer David

The Edinburgh History of the Greeks, 1453 to 1768: The Ottoman Empire - Molly Greene

Viewing The Morea: Land And People In The Late Medieval Peloponnese

Ottoman Cyprus: A Collection of Studies on History and Culture (Near and Middle East Monographs) - Matthias Kappler, Eftihios Gavriel

Ottoman Brothers: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Early Twentieth-Century Palestine - Michelle U. Campos

Crypto Christianity And Crypto Christians In the Southern Balkans, Asia Minor and Cyprus - Athanasios Dimitrios (Protopresbyter)

Sephardi Lives: A Documentary History, 1700–1950 - Julia Phillips Cohen and Sarah Abrevaya Stein

A Jewish Voice From Ottoman Salonica: The Ladino Memoir Of Sa'adi Besalel A-Levi - Halevi Saadi Ben Betsanel

The History of Greece under Ottoman and Venetian Domination - George Finlay

Jewish Salonica: Between the Ottoman Empire and Modern Greece Devin E. Naar Stanford University Press

The Genocide Of The Ottoman Greeks - Studies On The State-Sponsored Campaign Of Extermination Of The Christians Of Asia Minor (1912-1922) And Its Aftermath: History, Law, Memory

The Greek Revolution

Ioannis Makrygiannis Memoirs (Makrygiannis is a Revolution Hero) Theodorou Kolokotroni Memoirs (Memoirs – Court Case) (Kolokotronis is a Revolution Hero)

Deligiannis: Memoirs - Deligiannis Kanellos (Deligiannis is a Revolution Hero)

The Greek Revolution - A Critical Dictionary - Kitromilides Paschalis, Tsoukalas Constantinos

Collective works: Stories Of The Greek Nation (Sixteenth Volume): Contemporary Hellenism From 1941 To The End Of The Century . (Publisher: Athens Publishing House)

Poems

The Cretan - Dionysios Solomos

The Free Besieged - Dionysios Solomos

Works by Rigas Feraios

Fiction

Imaret - In The Shadow Of The Clock - Yiannis Kalpouzos

Niove's Children - Tasos Athanasiades

Number 31328 - Elias Venezis (A true story in a literary style)

Bloodied Earth – Dido Sotiriou

Ottoman Odyssey: Travels Through A Lost Empire by Alev Scott

Please suggest more books if you have something in mind!

[vee-crytraps]

Hiiiii

I hope you're doing good, not good criticism aside.

Now, this chapter 🧑‍🍳💋 as always

There's so much to unpack good god.

The fact that Bruce forced everyone on an outing bc missy I ignore and isolate my daughter and then get mad when she goes looking for a more receptive father figure? It's so dad of him lol. Like, you're the one basically forcing your daughter to go look for love demonstrations that actually make her feel loved and not controlled, attention, understanding and quality time and then have the audacity to be mad, plan a shitty trip and then disappear. Honey, thanks for trying but you gave us absolutely nothing.

Dick mentioning how it was him and Bruce the ones to take Robin away from her says a lot about his character. I swear to god am equal parts attracted to your Richard as much as I am holding a personal Vendetta. Girl, get out of the stage please (and he's reenacting Mia's Goth "Please I'm a star!" Scream while we kick him out).

I don't feel good about being proved right like Barbara, good god, I feel so fucking bad 😭😭😭😭.

Jay bird baby, why are you out here proving me right? I don't wanna be. I need the fanon uwu coquette version of him to heal my heart. When he was I'm going back without any regard for batsis? Girl, I needed to take a deep breath and hold onto my heart pieces. Jay, Jason, my love, no. Immediately no. That was literally your only line.

Damian, and I AM biased, love you. He's so intense lmao, same boy, same. But when Nadia came? I put down my phone and punched a pillow. I could never. I'd probably die hahahahhaah

Can't hate her, she's giving enabling bad influence young aunt and I love it. Dick, you're stepping up to your nickname hun.

Also, the scene by the lake? Sorry, I literally want to slobber him up and hydrate his beautiful caramel skin with my saliva and tears cause he's so hot and then kick him in the balls and assure he doesn't have any offspring that could potentially come out as dumbassy as him. But him getting to know about Damian? Hihihihihihi I was rubbing my hands together.

This is just where my imagination went, batsis with Damian and Jon (sorry, I just love them together, they make a great pair and balance each other out). Dick's face would be so fucking funny.

Also, not him being "you shouldn't continue that". Shut up. The fact that you hurt her doesn't give you the right to assume Damian would. At least not the same way as you. And we all know he has already begun to ruin her opportunities at getting to know decent people (as Nikolai is described as) so don't act like you actually have her best interests in mind. You are so hypocritical Richard Grayson agh.

Also, Jon as always being THE knight in shining armour that he is coming to save the day. Dear heavens, can he be anymore sweethearty? Impeccable job, as always Jonathan Kent, immaculate. Clark, we salute you. Thank you for healing us and giving us a speck of hope in man kind (by this I mean actually men, not humans).

I may be a bit disillusioned with the girls. Come on sugar, please include your little sister innnnnnn. Barbara, stop being my representation in the story, I can't stand it. I just don't want to be right about the boys 😩

But it hurts so good!1!1!1!1!1!!1!1!1!

Anyways, thanks for such an amazing chapter.

Ignore people who don't appreciate it. I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

Xoxo - 🫀

Ah, you have no idea how happy it makes me that you slid in here before I shut off my anons!!!

This is totally a shitty dad trip, this is for real a thing my dad used to do when I was a kid lmao. Dick is the mooooost complicated one of them all simply because batsis is like a piece of his childhood. I mean he was in his teens when she was adopted, but she was around long enough to know him from top to bottom. Much like Bruce he's got this caged bird attachment to her haha He does think he's doing good for her by steering her away from Damian and others, but it's the kind of 'I'm sure i'm right' that just so happens to align with the fact that he wants to wait until he's good enough for her. Jon is a very very lovely guy! Clark raised a good boy, but I hope everyone remembers that they're also superheroes! And aliens, who canonically don't experience or understand the entire range of human emotions. The venn diagram is only almost a circle. The truth is, most of these boys have been shot, stabbed, torn apart, mind controlled, broken every bone both indidivually and together, murdered and brought back to life in a goo that makes you crazy, broken then put back together both correctly and incorrectly emotionally and mentally; wooooof they are not okay. But they want to be! For her! They just have to learn a hard lesson first! Bruce has set the example that your civillian life is where you cut corners and make sacrifices- which does not bode well for batsis, who is attracted to people who were raised by him haha. Not to mention, her entire existence is her civillian life. Bad luck fr! Things will get better! Remember this leads into KMM where everything is sexy and happy! Thanks as always for dropping in. As you can guess it was pretty discouraging knowing I put like 90,000 words into creating this universe as a whole and then having someone tear it down with a few hundred. I very much needed this <3333

[demigoddessqueens]

(1/2) Can I request a male match up for Critical Role Campaign 1 Vox Machina, Campaign 2 Mighty Nein, Castlevania, and Baldur's Gate 3 please?

Sexuality : Straight but please exclude Baldur's Gate 3 Raphael, Emperor, Cazador, Thorm, and the Withers!

My personality : I'm shy, timid, quiet & polite to strangers. With people I'm comfortable with, I'm loud, outgoing, playful, mature, responsible, motherly(to naughty friends), childlike(to mature friends/family) and sarcastic (unintentionally).

I'm kinda tomboyish as I wear over-sized t-shirts, baggy pants, sneakers but don't play sports or video games. I'm a slow learner, not smart, not strong, and not talented. It's pretty normal that even my loved ones would be frustrated with me when I can't understand what they want me to do.I'm pretty dense, straightforward, oblivious, and naive too.

I get confused or misunderstand what people meant easily so it's best if you tell me straight to my face so I can't be mistaken. I'm also touch starved as I love giving & receiving affection but I only can hug one person and even then, I do my best to not overdo it because I can be overly touchy if I don't hold myself back.

I'm a hopeless romantic, sensitive, clingy, forgetful, & overthink often. I work as hard as I can & try my best & be careful as I can to everything I do, as I'm pretty clumsy & makes mistakes more often than most people. I try to help my family and friends as they've helped me & cared for me dearly.

2/2) I try to communicate properly & ask for their consent first before doing anything because I misunderstood that I had their permission before. I do my best to give people the benefit of doubt but I do have my limits. I don't really get angry often that even my family & friends are surprised when it happens once in a blue moon. I don't believe in compliments I get occasionally or why my family & friends care for me because I don't see good things in myself only bad things. I'm insecure about still being a bit underweight.

Hobbies : drawing, reading manga, listening to music, fanfics especially reader inserts, and watching anime, movies, & cartoons. My favourite genre is romance but I love comedy, mystery, action, sci-fi, fantasy, and historical too! My favourite music genre is pop, but I also love ballads, & alternative rock!

Likes : music, fanfiction, manga, anime, cartoons, books (If I find it interesting), family, friends, potato chips, chocolate, cakes, bread, anyone who is kind, patient, supportive, helpful, tries at least, trustworthy, responsible, fair in general, respectful, flexible, honest, open-minded, humble, sincere, accepting, thoughtful, encouraging, forgiving, careful, understanding, wise, mature, cooperative, caring, etc.

Dislikes : anyone who's rude, disrespectful, doesn't listen to others, refuse to admit mistakes, blames others for their mistakes, ignores people yet demands attention from them, demanding, won't acknowledge what you said, hypocritical, biased, irresponsible, careless, disloyal, inconsiderate, insensitive, inflexible, petty, hostile, untrustworthy, immature, uncooperative, unforgiving, judgemental, narrow-minded, self-centred, unethical, self-righteous, etc. That's more but that's all I could think of.

MASTERLIST 11

Vox Machina

I pair you with….Vax

He’s your support, your listener, the one who understands what you’re going through and those sticky fingers always “gifting” you things that catch your eye. He adores the romantic side of you.

The Mighty Nein

Pair you with…Beauregard

She’s curious about what interests you and sees how you don’t take shit from anyone or anything at anytime. You stick up for her and she’s got your back too. Kisses from you on her bruised knuckles help all the same.

Bell’s Hells

You are with….Ashton

He feels protective of you, despite his denial that he’s grown more fond of you than before. The barbarian can be their most authentic self around you, all the ugly and good is at your feet, and you accept him still.

Castlevania

I pair you with.., Sypha

She recognizes how similar you and Trevor can be which can cause you to butt heads with each other but she knows you mean well. Living as a Speaker entails being well read and observant which you two find common ground on. She’ll even listen to your music, one earbud for you both

Baldur’s Gate

I pair you with….Astarion

He feels a closeness with you because he can recognize the same cycle he’s repeated for 200 years but he sees you making a difference. Bit by bit, he does too because you inspire him. Gentle touches from you make him shiver at the touch

[multi-fandom-lunatic]

Representation in Keeper of the Lost Cities: A Critical Analysis

NOTE: This essay was written was originally a rant on the KotLC fanbase Discord. I copy-pasted my points into Chat-GPT and asked to make this into essay format. This is an AI assisted piece. Please don't think, however, that my points are any less valid. NOTE: This is also on the Keeper of the Lost Cities reddit.

Please add your thoughts!

Introduction

In discussing representation within Shannon Messenger's Keeper of the Lost Cities (KOTLC) series, it's imperative to address the nuances and complexities of how various groups are portrayed. While the series enjoys widespread popularity, it also reveals significant shortcomings in the representation of People of Color (POC), LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized groups. This essay explores these issues, highlighting both the problematic aspects and potential areas for improvement.

Representation of People of Color (POC)

One of the most glaring issues in KOTLC is the limited and stereotypical portrayal of POC characters. The primary POC characters in the series—Tam, Linh, Wylie, and Maruca—are few, especially considering the statistical likelihood of a more diverse population. Even more concerning is how these characters are represented. For instance, upon their introduction, Tam and Linh are compared to anime characters and K-pop idols in Sophie's mind. This reinforces harmful generalizations and stereotypes about East Asians, which is both insensitive and problematic.

Moreover, despite elves in KOTLC not having countries or distinct cultures beyond "elven culture," which is portrayed in a predominantly European manner, there are inconsistencies in how racial representation is handled. For example, official artwork by Laura Hollingsworth depicts the Song family in front of an Asian temple, despite the series' premise that elves do not adhere to human cultural practices. This selective representation is problematic and reflects a lack of cultural sensitivity.

Stereotyping and Racism

Tam and Linh's characters fall into several Asian stereotypes. They have strict parents, a common trope for East Asian characters, and Linh is depicted as a bubbly, sweet girl without much depth, until her sudden, seemingly random outburst in "Stellarlune." These characterizations do not allow for the full depth and complexity that POC characters deserve.

The portrayal of gnomes in the series is even more troubling. Described as brown-skinned, unpaid workers who do manual labor for the elves, this depiction carries disturbing parallels to historical and contemporary issues of racial exploitation. The gnomes are presented as happy to serve their white, elf masters, which echoes deeply racist narratives. Despite being able to leave, the gnomes have no viable alternatives, essentially forcing them into servitude.

If Shannon Messenger chose not to include queer characters, it wouldn't necessarily be harmful, just lacking positive representation. However, employing Laura Hollingsworth (LH), known for her homophobic views, exacerbates the issue. LH, a conservative Christian, has openly opposed queer identities and followed white supremacist accounts. Her biases are evident in her work. By continuing to collaborate with LH, Messenger not only excludes queer representation but also tacitly supports an artist who opposes it. She has even addressed this. This perpetuates homophobia, and Messenger should be held accountable for her choices in supporting such a figure within the KOTLC series.

LGBTQ+ Representation

As an LGBTQ+ individual, the lack of queer representation in KOTLC is particularly disappointing. While it is not inherently homophobic to exclude queer characters, in a series as character-focused as KOTLC, it becomes a notable omission. Early books could have integrated queer characters naturally, but introducing one now might feel forced and tokenistic.

Characters like Linh and Marella have been perceived as queer-coded by some fans, but there is little textual evidence to support this. Queer audiences should not have to read subtext to find representation. Additionally, the series employs an artist, Laura Hollingsworth, who has expressed homophobic views. Shannon Messenger's response to concerns about Hollingsworth's involvement was minimal and failed to address the deeper issues.

Body Image and Ableism

KOTLC also perpetuates harmful beauty standards. The elves are depicted as perfect, which often translates to being slender, muscular, and fitting Western beauty ideals. This can negatively impact young readers who already struggle with body image. Additionally, the series lacks representation of disabled characters, implicitly suggesting that physical perfection is an elven trait, thereby excluding those who do not fit this mold.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Shannon Messenger's Keeper of the Lost Cities series falls short in its representation of POC, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized groups. The series reinforces stereotypes, perpetuates harmful beauty standards, and fails to include diverse identities in meaningful ways. Addressing these issues requires a commitment to sensitivity and inclusion, such as hiring sensitivity readers and reconsidering collaborations with problematic artists. By doing so, Messenger could create a more inclusive and representative world that resonates with all readers.

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

A Talking To

Summary: Shinsou's homeroom teacher wants to talk to him about training for heroics. It doesn't go how anyone would expect.

Note: This was an exercise for me in trying to write a character I like (Shinsou) critically. It is Shinsou Critical and uses an OC to do so. It does not go as far as some fics do, but I had a good time trying this out.

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 Shinsou Hitoshi had been waiting for a few minutes when his homeroom teacher finally showed up to her office. Gas Attack, or GA-Sensei as most called her, looked at him apologetically. 

 “Sorry Shinsou, had to deal with some crap thanks to the internships coming up,” she said. The very tall and muscular woman opened her office to reveal a simple room with a desk and chairs. Gas Attack was one of the few teachers who had their own office, with most preferred the more traditional style of sharing. Hitoshi knew though that Gas Attack’s Quirk was behind her sole office. Poison Gas had her only ever breathing out deadly clouds, meaning for safety reasons she didn’t share an office so she could eat comfortably. 

 “I heard some heroes were offering internships to Gen Ed,” Hitoshi said as causally as he could. He hoped that was the reason for his meeting.

 “Second year students yeah.” Gas Attack said crushing his hope. The woman let him into her office, following after. She sat at her desk, removing her tank from her back so she didn’t have to sit uncomfortably. “Alright Shinsou. Do you know why I asked to meet with you?” 

 “No,” Hitoshi said. It had been sudden, her request, but he didn’t think it would be like that time with his teacher in middle school who wanted Hitoshi to mind control someone else. 

 “Shinsou… you’re aware you’re on wait list with the rest of your classmates correct?” Gas Attack asked. 

 Hitoshi scowled at the reminded he’d failed the entrance exam because the stupid exam was stacked against people like him. who had Quirks that didn’t work against robots. Only to stop. “Wait what?” the rest of his classmates?

 “… Shinsou, you do know class C is the class for students like yourself who applied for Gen Ed and heroics, and who got wait listed for the heroics program right?” Gas Attack asked. “I know Nezu and I both talked about it at the beginning of the year. Though I’ll admit that orientation got very long…”

 “I… no.” Hitoshi could admit he hadn’t been paying attention. To bitter. “How did Ito not get in?” He couldn’t help but ask, mentioning the girl with laser eyes.

 “Same way you didn’t. She failed the exam.” Gas Attack said. “I know you students seem to be fond of complaining about how unfair the exam is, and I’ll give you that it is biased towards flashy Quirks but we have an invisible student in 1A this year, and a student who just talks to animals. If you’re smart, cunning and skilled the exam can be passed.” 

 Hitoshi nearly flinched. His mom had posed a question to him after watching the sports festival, if he was so certain he’d failed the exam because of his Quirk being a bad match up, how did Hagakure get in. The boy hadn’t been able to answer. 

 “I suppose this actually explains a few things to…” Gas Attack muttered. 

 “What?” Hitoshi asked.

 “Shinsou, why haven’t you taken advantage of the gyms here? Why haven’t you approached me or any of your other teachers about advice for training?” Gas Attack asked. 

 “… what?” Hitoshi repeated, baffled.

 “Shinsou, it was all in your syllabus. Please tell me you didn’t just ignore it,” Gas Attack said in a very disappointed tone as Hitoshi squirmed. He’d thrown it out the first day, to angry at being denied a place in heroics. “This explains everything I wanted to ask at this meeting.” Gas Attack sighed. 

 “What was this meeting about?” Hitoshi asked. If she'd already made up her mind, something had to be going on.

 “There are three ways people can become a hero at this school. Start off in heroics, transfer in or receive specialized training to gain a recommendation for the licensing exams.” Gas Attack explain. “Also explained during orientation.”

 “You just said it was long,” Hitoshi said in embarrassment he'd missed that. “I doubt anyone else heard it.”

 “Six of your classmates approached me about gym time and training plans. Three asked about apprenticing with someone and one has already been offered special training,” Gas Attack said. “When I was asked about you I said I didn't think you were ready and so far nothing has proven me wrong.” 

 “What?!” Hitoshi jumped up. “How can you say that?! I got into the final round of the sports festival and it was just because of that monkey and perf-Quriked-”

 “Shinsou, do not use slurs in front of me!” Gas Attack said, her voice carrying. He froze, eyes widening when he realized what he'd just said in front of a teacher. Shit.

 “I… I didn't mean it. I was just angry.” he said quietly as he sat back down. He didn't mean it. It was just… easier to use those as descriptions. He didn't mean them meanly. 

 He wasn't a bad person. 

 “Don’t lie,” Gas Attack sighed. Hitoshi flinched. “I don't think you're actually anti-mutation like you just hinted but I do think you're pretty damn Quirkist Shinsou.”

“What?!” Hitoshi felt hurt by that. He wasn't Quirkist! How could his sensei say that?! He thought he had a teacher who understood him given the first day of classes she laid out who she was. Government Hero Gas Attack, part of the military and used as a last resort when death was the only remaining option. She was on a watch list because of the risk of her Quirk. He thought she understood.

 “Present Mic was muzzled for most of his childhood. He's talked about it openly yet last week I heard you talking about how he doesn't understand discrimination after he told you off for commenting on Ito’s complaints about her eyes.” Gas Attack said. Hitoshi remembered that. Ito complained about the stinging in her eyes which led to her complaining about how people reacted to her Quirk. He'd said she should shut up about Quirk issues. Then Present Mic and…

 Hitoshi had forgotten about that. That Present Mic was muzzled for a portion of his life. Because people didn't like his Quirk. 

 “You complained about Cementoss telling you off about using your Quirk on your teammates in the Calvary battle and said he doesn't understand how hard it is with your Quirk when he's been buried alive by classmates for his. All of this is public knowledge Shinsou. I know you know it.” Gas Attack said. Hitoshi remembered that to.

 Cementoss told him it wasn't heroic to brainwash people to work for him, that doing so showed a lack of teamwork. Hitoshi had been angry. What did the man know about having people refuse to work for him? It happened all the time. But… he forgot about the interview on why the man was scared of enclosed spaces. How his classmates hated him that much. 

 Yet that… that wasn't…

 “Its not the same!” Hitoshi said and it wasn't. They were treated like crap sure but it wasn't like how he'd been treated by people! They didn't understand how it was to have to face fellow students refusing to answer questions, teachers nudging people to make sure they weren't controlled or people trying to convince him to use his Quirk for their benefit! They didn't understand had it was for him.

 “What about me?” Gas Attack asked. “My parents abandoned me at age five and I bounced around the foster system which tormented me. I'm on a watch list just in case and I have to eat alone because of my Quirk. I have to routinely go in when murders happen around my place to show I didn't do it even as a hero. Do I not understand how it is with a Quirk people call villainous?” 

 “I never…” Hitoshi stopped. “I’m not Quirkist.”

 “Using a slur sure says you are and despite what you think? Perf-Quirk is a slur used against people who have traditionally attractive Quirks. Meanwhile you have no idea what goes on behind closed doors.” Gas Attack said. “I had an army friend who had a super strength Quirk. Flashy, cool. Her husband used to beat her and assault her every time he could. She killed him when he tried to hurt their son. Another friend of mine has a Quirk that let her sing perfectly. She was forced by her parents to be a teen idol where she faced sexual abuse as well as physical before she ran away to join the army.”

 “I…” it wasn't like that. Kids like Midoriya or that Bakugou asshole got everything in life while Hitoshi only ever got looks and people edging away. Sure, he'd never been physically harmed. His mom would murder anyone who did that, but he never had a comfortable childhood with lots of friends. His own dad got uncomfortable with his Quirk all the time. 

 “It's the same thing.” Gas Attack said. She learned forward in her desk. “I think you're a good kid with heroic potential. I also think you're a bit Quirkist and someone who needs to realize you can't just use your Quirk and expect results.” 

 “You think I can be a hero?” asked Hitoshi softly.

 “I do, expect you focus on that,” Gas Attack sighed. “I said a teacher asked if you were ready for specialized training. I said no due to my worries. They said I was wrong and I said I'd set up a meeting for this.” she motioned to the two of them. “I was actually hoping you'd prove me wrong, and that I could sign off on you receiving training. However Im not.” 

 “Please! I'll do anything to be a hero,” Hitoshi begged. She couldn't deny him this. He wanted to be a hero more then anything! He'd earned it! He got so far into the sports festival! Not like Ito and her stupid eyes or the dog faced… 

 Hitoshi froze, his mind realizing what he'd just done. Another Quirkist comment was made in his mind. What…

 Gas Attack couldn't be right. She couldn't be. She just couldn't. 

 “Therapy,” Gas Attack said. “We have ten therapists on staff, I arranged for a meeting with one of them.” she grabbed some paper from her desk. “Plus I want you to show me you're dedicated before I sign off on anything. So there's a training program for you. Follow it. We’ll talk more in the second semester.” she handed the papers to Hitoshi who clutched at them desperately. He wasn't Quirkist. He was a good person, better then so many others. He'd show her! He would!

 He had to. 

-0- 

 Gas Attack sighed as she entered the staff room. Aizawa was waiting like a vulture for her, Present Mic and Midnight sitting with him. 

 “Who was right? I was. Kid is nowhere near ready if he's calling a mutation kid names and saying shit like perf-Quirk.” she said to Aizawa who stared at her in shock.

 “Oh shiiiiit,” Mic muttered, though he didn't seem surprised. Kid’s comments to him were probably fresh in his mind. Kid just had to whine that Ito, who could go blind, didn't know anything about hard Quirks. 

 Teenagers, thinking they're the center of the world.  

 “That can be treated while training,” Aizawa said.

 “It can be if he'd showed dedication to training himself before,” Gas Attack went to sit down with the three. “He outright admitted he hadn't paid attention or read the syllabus. Kid was unaware that C is the waitlist class or anything.” 

 “Wow.” Midnight said. “I mean I think a lot of people don't but like shouldn't he try to pay attention if he wants to get into heroics?”

 “Youd think. Honestly, I think the kid will be a good hero. He's just in the bad habit of relying on his Quirk to much and having a victim complex. And he's pretty Quirkist against people he views as having acceptable Quirks. Hopefully he grows out of it.” Gas Attack shrugged.  “I was surprised you wanted to train him given how much you claim to hate people coasting by with their Quirks.”

 “Claim?” Aizawa asked, catching her word usage. Good.

 “Yes claim. After all, that Bakugou kid in your class may work out but he certainly seems to think having a strong Quirk is all you need as a hero.” Gas Attack said. “Hell Nezu sent me his file, shows how worried he is about it.”

 “… oh fuck,” Aizawa said, covering his face.

 “Whats wrong?”

 “I read the files during the second week so I don't have biases going in. Other then medical files I mean, I know about Kaminari’s ADHD and the such. But…”

 “Oh shit.” Gas Attack said. “Wondered why the kids haven’t been in extra lessons or something. Hell I was surprised Bakugou hasn't been put in my class for a wake up call while you go around claiming a mark is on his record to scare him.”

 “… I need to read those files.” Aizawa sighed.

 “Should have first week of class,” Gas Attack said blandly, causing the man to flip her off. She grinned in reply. 

 “You gotta be more on top of this shit Shou,” Mic sighed.

 “I know, I know,” Aizawa groaned. 

 “Do you?” Midnight asked sarcastically. “Cause it's every year.” 

 “Shut up,” Aizawa sighed. “GA, want me to try and see if Shinsou would go and get special training without permission?”

 “Now? Kid would, he's a dumbass teenager,” Gas Attack snorted. “Give it a few weeks, see if he's still desperate after a couple of sessions.”

 “Think he'd learn that fast?” Aizawa asked.  

 “Eh, maybe maybe not. If he doesn't it'll be second year before I even think about speaking of extra training.” Gas Attack shrugged. “We’ll have to see. But you need to read the files and look into the kids who want to be underground. Why the hell were you looking at Shinsou for that?” 

 “… can we blame lingering concussion?”

 “No.” 

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Notes:

 Shinsou does not fall for the trap and instead works his butt off. He gets the training with Aizawa who is also training Ashido, Shouji, Tokoyami and Midoriya! 

 Aizawa also does read the files and make his apologies to Izuku cause Holy shit he fucked up. Bakugou is watched closely and he fails the final exam for hitting Izuku (they were put together with Izuku’s permission). He then flunks the extra lessons for leaving the cabin to try and fight when they warned them all to stay inside. He's put into class C, and the empty spot in 1A is fought over by the ten students who were already trying. Shinsou doesn't get a spot just yet, but he does eventually much later.

-Gas Attack is an OC who was used because Japan usually has the homeroom teachers only do homeroom and because I wanted a character who has been heavily hurt by how society views their Quirk. Gas Attack is always being second guessed and only joined the military along with heroics in the words of Kaiden Alenko: ‘might as well get a paycheck for it’ because they're watching her anyways. She's been retconned slightly by me for reasons.

-One of my biggest pet peeves when reading Shinsou critical stuff is how they write him as a complete monster who'd use his Quirk on everyone for stupid reasons. He's a jerk, but hot damn are you doing exactly what you say his stans are doing which is making things up to make him seem a certain way. Sympathetic or monstrous. Either or. 

-It's hard for Shinsou to argue against him not working out so I had him mostly focus on the response of Quirkism. He's very stubborn but he does see where Gas Attack is coming from and hates it.

-I don’t think Shinsou would double down after this. Rather I think he'd be so determined to prove GA wrong he realizes she's right and tries to be a better person. 

-Aizawa isn't the center of this piece but I included him for more detail. He’s at least aware he fucked up even if it's because of his injuries. 

-I also retconned the kids actually having a mark on their record cause that’s just awful. They scare the kids with it which isn't much better but once they become better they tell the truth. 

[splatoonpolls]

Anyway! With the two big elections this year, and the current wars going on. Here’s some ways to fact check! (I’m stealing this from social studies haha. I am not an educator in this subject email your professor or seek a greater source than this please)

Picking a source

What is the political position a news source have? Is it right wing, left wing? Is it even Marxist or hey even gives literal Nazis their opinions to voice it? Google up the news site and you will probably find a Wikipedia article of even a site saying the news source political leaning. Learning about that it’s important because political news sources will be biased.

Do they cater to a specific crowd? Political leaning and this is different while they might overlap. Do they cater to mainly an lgbtq audience? An animal rights/climate change movement one? A more religious/ethnic audience? This will help you to see through different biases.

If it is public service/gets money from the rulers (two different things), check if the current government/rulers isn’t a dictatorship/or just really shitty. One example is the Turkish public service which has been used for pro Palestine news, but you need to keep in mind they do deny the Armenian genocide and also supported the invasion of Artsakh. So be critical of those too.

Does it get funding from a non government agency? Let’s say they get funding from a lobbyist group that focus on fossil fuels. Then learning about the environment wouldn’t be as good of a source now wouldn’t it?

If you’re using a non profit organization. A quick reminder they’re also not perfect.

Also compare different news sources! Especially on the opposites of stuff.

Don’t use the big 3 Ts (twitter, tumblr, or TikTok) as a main go to for big political information unless it is from a trusted journalist with a proper education.

TLDR: there is no perfect news source. But ouch one you think suits your current needs for the current situation.

Now when you’ve picked a new source. Here’s how to check the article!

Check if the source is true. They might use misformation and even disinformation. It’s really common with far right news organizations to spread misinformation about lgbtq people. One time libsoftiktok posted how a university had period products in the men’s bathroom. While a quick image reverse showed articles saying that university were just adding free period products.

When was it written? And who told it? Let’s say a car crash happened where you live. You may hear it from person A who was on the bus while the crash happened. However there is also a chance you may hear it from person G two weeks later. One will have their information more tangled up. (And this is also a way to see if something is a conspiracy theory or not)

Is the source in general trustworthy or has it on several occasions said misinformation (like Alex jones). If it is the latter. Don’t use it

If it has had people of two different opinions together. Please make sure it isn’t like “hey person A and B!” Will you please talk about the housing crisis” and they give person A four minutes while person b gets 30.

If anyone wants to correct me or add info! Feel free to do it!