#because this is some evil clown behavior

[burningcheese-merchant]

Hey Merchant! Brand new to the blog and I love it, but I was wondering your opinion on something. I’ve been noticing recently (especially on TikTok) people coming to a compromise in defending ShadowVanilla but/by antagonizing BurningCheese. They’ll say stuff like “SV has nuance but BC is just toxic” and while I can see that in a way, it doesn��t sit right with me. Again, just wondering how you feel about that (No hate to those people from me though).

Hypocrites. They're stupid, annoying hypocrites. Plain and simple. There's nothing to see except for that. It doesn't sit right because the chair is fucking busted dude, it's got 3 legs and two of them got mauled by termites and the rest got cobbled together by Patrick Star

If Golden Cheese was a man, BurningCheese would be just as popular as ShadowVanilla. It would have mountains of fanart on this dumb website and it would have a million fics on AO3 (400 and counting vs 40, yes I am bitter and disappointed, I'm only one person and there are only so many hours in a day I can't bridge that gap alone) and it would have hordes of dumb, horny fujos running interference for it 24/7 just like ShadowVanilla does. (And I specify GC being a man and not BS being a woman because let's all be real. Nobody cares about f/f ships. M/f and f/f are and will always be overshadowed by m/m whether any of us like it or not.) If they actually bothered to pay attention to the game, and to GC's and BS's characters and how they intertwine/compare/contrast, then they would see that their dynamic has equal weight and value. But they don't. And you know what? At least half of them didn't recognize the weight and value of ShadowVanilla, either, until episode 7 and 8 came out and the concept was directly spoonfed to them by the narrative. The OG ShadowVanilla fans went from rarepair hell to having their ship borderline gentrified, that's a whole separate tragedy honestly

You know what's blinding those people to BurningCheese? You know the truth? I'm going to explain better.

Burning Spice is a man and Golden Cheese is a woman. That automatically sets it back in the eyes of a lot of morons online. Hetero pairs bad. Also, BS hurt GC in the story, which is his literal job as a villain and all the Beasts do this, therefore misogyny abuse toxic blah blah blah. GC fought back and kicked his ass and never once tolerated any of his behavior but that doesn't matter I guess. Shadow Milk psychologically tortured Pure Vanilla and essentially mutilated him mentally/spiritually and turned him into a husk (Truthless Recluse). But that doesn't matter because gay = get out of jail free, also there's probably a dose of "lol men can't be abused or mistreated and anything bad that happens to a man is hot and/or deserved" underlining some people's thoughts let's not kid ourselves

Burning Spice is not a Tumblr Sexyman and Shadow Milk is. Shadow Milk is thin and nerdy and has multicolored hair and dresses like a literal and figurative clown and is kind of effeminate and is basically the final boss of all theater kids and is dramatic and charmingly evil and is confirmed to be about as physically tough as cooked pasta. Burning Spice is built like a brick shithouse and has to bend down to fit through a doorway and speaks in a rumbling baritone and is the "wrong" kind of evil (he is not suave or charming, he is all out bloodthirsty with zero dramatics or window dressing of any kind). Burning Spice is a traditionally masculine man and Shadow Milk is not. And the Tumblr I always thought I knew never liked men like BS, they like men like SM, and so far no one has done anything to prove me wrong. Tumblr Sexymen can do whatever they want and always be praised, regular sexy men can do the exact same shit and be condemned as toxic and abusive because they're perceived as threatening while Tumblr Sexymen are not

Burning Spice and Golden Cheese are not white/based on non-white cultures. They're both very dark-skinned, at that. Yes they are cookies not humans, but come the fuck on Burning Spice is literally Shiva but red instead of blue, certain cookies are obviously supposed to be certain races/ethnicities deal with it!! Skinny white boys have always been what Tumblr and TikTok girlies want, it's always been this way and always will be. Go look at the top pairings on AO3, 99% is yaoi with white dudes. (No you are not racist if you don't like BurningCheese, not liking a ship is not racist good Lord. Racism is a little bigger than that. I'm just pointing out a pattern)

I will say it until I'm as blue in the face as Shadow Milk is, I LOVE ShadowVanilla. I really do. I love them individually as characters and together as a pair, I love all the beautiful fanart, I love everyone's analyses of them, I love all the fantastic fics written by fantastic authors I will never in my fucking life measure up to I don't even know why I bother at this point, I do I do I do. But I am SICK of the hypocrisy. SICK OF IT. I am SICK of BurningCheese getting maligned while ShadowVanilla is celebrated in the same fucking breath. Look me in the eye and tell me SM is any fucking better than BS. Look me in the eye and tell me you'd still like ShadowVanilla if PV was a woman, instead of screeching about misogyny and abuse. I accept and love both ships for what they are and what they can be. If someone can't do that for whatever reason then fine, that's nobody's problem but theirs, it's shipping it doesn't actually matter do what you want, but don't try looking down your nose at others because "Fallen Hero/Heinous Villain Being Canonically Attracted To/Obsessed With Their Heroic Counterpart/Narrative Foil, Whom They Cannot Live Without Because They Are Actual, Literal Soulmates" is better than "Fallen Hero/Heinous Villain Being Canonically Attracted To/Obsessed With Their Heroic Counterpart/Narrative Foil, Whom They Cannot Live Without Because They Are Actual, Literal Soulmates" because ❓❓❓❓❓❓❓

I'm sorry Anon, I'm not mad at you. I'm happy to hear from you, I'm happy you took the time to reach out to me, I'm happy you like my blog and I hope you stay. I'll just be honest, I'm dealing with something genuinely awful in real life right now and I am not ok. I'm really not ok. I needed to yell at something stupid and ridiculous so I could pretend I'm not the utterly powerless creature I actually am, if only for a moment. I saw a punching bag in the shape of your ask and I started swinging. Worst part is I don't even feel any better, but I already typed all of this out so I might as well keep it

TL;DR: TikTok -> OPINION DISCARDED

[impmansloot]

on Rook as a protagonist

I'm genuinely surprised that some people say that Rook is the best protagonist to them out of all in Dragon Age games—obviously, to each their own, and if you genuinely think that and love your Rook, then hey, that's great, I definitely do have some positive feelings towards my own Rook too despite not being able to genuinely roleplay their personality and having to change it to fit the restrictions given by the game.

Like, your personality is basically fixed in place, it's not a protagonist you can roleplay but rather a predetermined one with your skin on. You have some variety of lines but they're within, well, the same personality: friendly/empathetic sarcastic, Clown, stoic sarcastic (sure, it's a generalization, maybe an unfair one, but listen it's how I'd describe it), which sometimes don't even work like they're supposed to: e.g. you'll have a friendly/empathetic Rook sounding more stoic than the actual stoic one in the same dialogue tree.

I would say though that DAtV makes it easier to connect to Rook as a character because again, they're basically a pre-made with a distinct personality, so you can grasp that personality pretty quickly and if it works for you, it works. Inquisitor by comparison can come off bland, especially if you don't construct their personality beforehand and due to the lack of proper origins and an initial other character to bounce off of (Varric to Rook). Generally, the roleplaying aspect is not an issue exclusive to DAtV: I'd say the further we go, the worse it gets. DAO honestly handles it best because: 1. HoF is a "silent" protagonist, which allows more tone/voice speculation + what you say, you say phrasing-wise 2. you have origins which help you connect to your character throughout their events and via characters you're related to while still giving you the liberty and space to react to the events with accordance to your character's personality/vibe. 3. generally the amount of dialogue and behavior options: you're a leader, but you're not immediately put into these shoes, and you can go about your party as you want. Like yeah, you have to save the world, you're not given any other choice, but if you don't want to be a good guy, you don't have to. Defile Sacred Ashes and side with the cultists, murder the werewolves, turn dwarves into golems, annihilate the Circle with innocent mages, make a deal with the demon (doom the boy and potentially sacrifice his mother), kill your companions, be stupid.

Now Hawke is a more limited character for obvious reasons, but even they have more variety than Rook: Hawke's relationship with Malcolm will literally be determined by your personality—which is a bit silly tbh, but it's something. Hawke's personality options are distinct enough too, and most of all, you have the option to be a bad person and make bad, outright evil decisions. You can side with slavers in Darktown, you can give Fenris to Danarius (which is a pretty dumb option with a dumber reaction from companions, but it's a choice), you can just be mean in general, have beef with your companions, which will influence their personal quests. Now, is Hawke the best character for roleplaying? I don't think so, but it's still more variety than whatever DAtV gives us.

As Rook, you just can't be an asshole, can't ever argue with companions, disagree on things (which has been said by many others atp), and generally you can't do truly bad, evil decisions. I'm gonna be real, DAI doesn't always give you this choice either. DAI also doesn't allow you to be like, stupid stupid for example cause you have to be a leader of currently one of the most if not the most powerful organization in Thedas, aside from the Chantry itself, but you can say dumb shit here and there, and you can do bad things too: you can be a cruel and ruthless leader, you can be an asshole and execute people for your amusement, like hell, order Cullen to take lyrium (obviously a bad choice, imo this quest should have some immediate repercussions, like some actual penalty for the Inquisition if Cullen is in withdrawal), give Vivienne the wrong vivern's heart, force Blackwall to keep lying about his identity, generally influence your companions to make questionable decisions. And no matter what you do, your choices won't be approved by all your companions: sometimes they will argue with you, question you on them, mention how they think you fucked up on low approval.

Rook though? No, Rook is always a good guy, Rook can't be bad, Rook is a hero. Rook has to be a hero. In the narrative and in companions' eyes. Whatever happens it's fine eventually. Oh, you're a crow? You're still a hero, you did a good job, you made the right choice, and those bad bad higher-ups condemned you for doing so. I get that some factions would limit you to being basically a good guy, like Shadow Dragons, because it requires your character to have a strong moral compass to be in an oppositional organization with the goal to abolish slavery and defeat corruption in Tevinter, and it's totally fine, but when ALL factions make you out to be a hero.. it just. Well it sucks? It feels like one backstory reskinned basically.

And even if all faction options in their nature were a predisposition for you to be someone with a strong moral compass (say, every faction would be like Shadow Dragons in nature), it doesn't mean you wouldn't have the capacity to be wrong, have biases, and make bad decisions. You can fight for good causes (or believe you do) but still be an asshole and commit heinous things. You can simply be someone rude and angry or just a terrible friend, independent of your moral/political stances. Even if you're a Hero.

And even if we argue that being a good guy specifically is what the story requires of Rook, why make a story—an RPG—that limits you so badly? And how good and impactful can a story about regrets be where you can be no wrong and nothing is essentially your fault, nor framed as such?

[taragreenfield]

How to be an anti, or the main species of the anti-Darkling discourse

During my stay in the fandom, I've noticed some bizzare patterns among those afflicted by the Darkling Derangement syndrome. They can be roughly divided into three categories:

The screeching banshee brigade. They appear out of nowhere and are easily recognizable by their unique writing style: they type as if capital letters and commas became a paid feature and try to fit into one post as many misapplied buzzwords as humanly possible. If amidst peaceful, well-argued conversations you see something like this: "how can you defend him hes an abuser groomer he manipulated every woman in ravka including those who died before he was born whats wrong with you be ffr bro", that's definitely one of them. I don't know what they are trying to achieve, but if it's exposing themselves as ignorant clowns, they absolutely succeed.

Pseudo-intellectual Bardugo's devotees. These believe that their favourite author can do nothing wrong and everything she says should be taken as gospel truth. Six of Crows is the best masterpiece that was ever written, and that fantasy as a genre probably didn't exist before Shadow and Bone was written. They are going to rave for hours about how Crows are such complex and relatable characters, Kaz is the blueprint of "a morally gray" character, and Kanej is the only example of romance where the leads cannot touch. They usually defend anything Bardugo wrote with religious fervor: "it's her characters; she can do whatever she wants with them!" That's like telling a restaurant guest they can't complain about terrible expired food, as it's your restaurant and you can serve whatever you want. They lament the lack of "media literacy" and "reading comprehension" when people refuse to see the Darkling as the evilest evil that ever eviled, even when Bardugo specifically brought him back in the later book to lecture the readers about how terrible he was. Bad news, but "media literacy" doesn't mean swallowing up everything the author shoves down your throat. Real media literacy invites questioning, contextualizing, and interpreting texts—not simply parroting authorial talking points. They enjoy pretending that the books give a good representation and exploration of such themes as abuse, grooming, power imbalance, and manipulation, and if you don't think so, "you didn't get the point of the books". I get the point; I just think the author did a shitty job conveying it. You may intend to write a character who will be the best surgeon in the world; you can even have other characters praise him as such. However, if the said character was never shown performing a successful operation and all his patients keep dying due to his negligence, there is quite a possibility that "the point" might be utter bullshit.

The moral posturing crew. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. Nobody appointed them as the moral police. Nobody asked them about their opinion. But they keep reading sermons like it's their holy mission to protect the fandom from moral decay. You know all their arguments: if you like the Darkling, you are either a silly, naive woman who thinks with her lady parts and will inevitably fall prey to a dangerous, powerful manipulator in real life or a terrible misogynist who would rather defend an abusive guy than his poor female victim. Some of them tone the crusade down a notch and generously "allow" you to like the Darkling if you repent your sins publicly flagellate yourself on the central square denounce his crimes and acknowledge that he's evil. The biggest irony is that their own behavior - insinuating that women can enjoy a controversial male character only because he's hot, implying that women are inherently more susceptible to manipulation and brainwashing, insisting that female characters should always be seen as victims who never did anything wrong in their lives, and making assumptions about a woman's personal life and experience based on her fictional tastes—are glaring examples of benevolent sexism or raging misogyny. The calls are coming from inside the house.

[askhezureviews]

Why does the narrative say that when Adam kills sinners it’s bad but when Blitz kills humans it’s totally fine?

Blitz kills people constantly whether they are innocent or not for money. He is actively going against the balance and sending people to hell constantly and is also actively contributing to the over population problem in hell. He also takes great pride and sadistic pleasure in his work and he swears and makes d!ck jokes constantly.

Adam is also killing people, the difference however is that these people are already in hell and from what I’ve seen everyone in hell is either an asshole like Angel or genuinely evil like Alastor. Adam was also assigned to do it by the angelic council themselves because of over population and is not doing anything illegal or interfering with the balance. He also takes great pride and sadistic pleasure in his work and he swears and makes d!ck jokes constantly.

I’m not saying Adam is good person. I’m saying Adam and Blitz are very similar to each other, and imo Blitz is way worse than Adam, yet Adam is seen as the only villain here for some reason…

That's actually an issue Helluva Boss has, where they make the antagonists worse than our main characters to excuse our main characters' bad behavior. Most of the people Blitz & Co are up against: Annoying jerk kid in the pilot, satan worshippers, rich money hoarders, hollywood obsessive weirdos, bitchy alcoholic ex-girlfriend Verosika and her band of sexual harassers, asshole ex-friend robo Fizz who is absolved of any wrong doing the second Viv wants him as a main character, power imbalance black mailer demon Prince Stolas who cheated on his wife- forcing Blitz into a relationship only to absolved of any wrong doing now that Viv wants him as a true main of the show; jerk father Paimon, jerk father of Blitzo, jerk father of Moxie, jerk shark exboyfriend of Moxie and Millie, shallow bitchy sister Barbie, shallow bitchy twin clown girls, shallow bitchy teenage girls from camp... and then there's the two embodiments of sin- gluttony and lust, but they're treated like a good thing in comparison to the others for some reason. "We just want to party and be sexually free!" instead of the point of them being sins is overuse and abuse of those concepts...

The government agents and the Cherubs are the only non-evil antagonists in the show, but they're overlooked if not ignored. (and even then, the Cherubs are made to look like racists I guess?????? and well, its the US government, so... that's an impossible thing to not be evil or corrupt in some way... these are pretty low bars here)

Hazbin has a similar issue, where they need to make the antagonists look worse than our mains to excuse our main characters bad behavior or beliefs. That's one of the biggest problems Viv faces as a writer, is keeping her characters complex. It's very hard for her to have them do something aborttently wrong or unforgivable, which is unfortunate, because that's the entire point of the show. That's what the characters are in hell for. That's what made it so intriguing in the first place. Watching someone take the worst of the worst and redeem them? What a writing challenge! What a complexity! What a concept for an adult show, this I had to see!

But low and behold, in the end... :/ I was disappointed

[eldritch-nightmare]

Hi hi !! 🎀 anon here! May I get some HCs of Laughing Jack, Tim Wright/Masky and Jeff the Killer with an affectionate clingy s/o please and thank you! 🥹👉👈

(An unrelated note regarding last time: My job and boss is actually super cool and they said I can dye my hair!! I’m so stoked eek! <3 magenta highlights, once again, after so many years, here I come! They have been missed…)

a/n: omg yay!! happy you get to dye your hair!! <3

with an affectionate and clingy gn!s/o.

includes: laughing jack, jeff the killer, and tim wright.

warnings: uh... none... i don't think.

LAUGHING JACK.

Out of all three, Laughing Jack is definitely the most stoked about having an affectionate and clingy significant other.

My guy has terrible abandonment issues, and he can be a bit clingy himself if the mood calls for it, so to have someone who doesn't want to leave his side? Might as well return him to heaven or something, because nothing will ever get better than that.

He is equally as affectionate if we're being honest.

Yeah, he's a big scary evil clown and all that terrorizes children but he knows how to be nice to the people he likes.

Knowing that you cling to him the way you do, it helps reassure him that you don't intend on leaving anytime soon. I mean, if you wanted to leave him, then you wouldn't be clinging to him like you always seem to do, right?

And so long as you keep clinging to him like you do, then his abandonment issues will rarely ever show up and everything will be all good and a-okay.

JEFF THE KILLER.

Hm... he can't decide if he likes you being clingy or if it annoys him. He won't lie, he loves the attention and it feeds his ego whenever you praise him or call him beautiful. You being affectionate is something he knows he likes. But he's not sure if he's fond of the clingy part or not.

When he first met Nina, she was pretty damn clingy as well, and that made him grow to hate her. To be fair, he didn't harbor any feelings for her. He does harbor feelings for you, however, and it feels different when you cling to him.

There are days when he can't stand you clinging to him, and he'll make it known in a rather rude way, to be honest. But there are also days when he wants you to cling to him because sometimes, your clinging to him feels a lot more genuine than your affectionate words.

He's very 50/50 on it, and it can change by the hour, to be honest. But he's fine with it more often than he's not. Only because he likes you.

But will he ever actually tell you that he likes it? Probably not.

It'll be fairly obvious though. Jeff may be rude, but he's not exactly the best at hiding his emotions around people he feel comfortable with.

TIM WRIGHT.

Please give him time to adjust because holy shit there's no way he'll be immediately comfortable with you clinging to him. He can barely take a compliment without feeling uncomfortable, so there's no way he'll be fine with physical affection right off the bat.

He'll tense up whenever you throw your arms around him, and it'll be very awkward because he's not entirely sure what he's supposed to do. Does he hug you back or does he just stand there? He's never been super close to people like this before, so it's all still very new to him.

If he becomes too uncomfortable, he'll let you know and will definitely put some distance between the two of you until he no longer feels that way.

He doesn't feel suffocated by your affection and clingy behavior, it's just something he's struggling to get used to because, I mean, Tim does have the mindset of 'I don't deserve this type of love' so it's very hard for him to accept it.

He'll definitely distance himself from you entirely during the events of Marble Hornets because there's no way he wants you getting involved, and he already blames himself for everything that's happening. He doesn't want anything to happen to you.

And if you're still around after the events of Marble Hornets, then honestly he would need your clinginess to ground him.

[pureshadough]

crk reread - crispia 7-8

I got so excited about this section that I immediately went against my word from the last post about doing three chapters per-post because I straight up ran out of images while talking about the Forgotten Academy section in isolation. So. Um. (long post under the cut)

the map design in general for the yogurt academy is absolutely fucking gorgeous. this is where the locations in this game Really start to stand out to me i think. i wish we had more kingdom decor that directly matched this kind of dusk-lit aesthetic cuz i would absolutely cover mine in that shit

HMMM DONT SOME OF THESE AESTHETICS LOOK FAMILIAR (stairs in the back)

i love the ferryman. this guy was my icon in game for Years just because his design was so remarkably different and silly. Why are there dessert creatures made of bone on Earthbread. No idea. Doesn't matter. He's just a little guy.

fghjkhfsuidhsfiudhsdfdg???????

LMAO CUSTARD

devsis was fucking DIABOLICAL for this one because by all accounts these sentences aren't Wrong, But,

Oh my god theyre sofuckgin cute i huHRGSGDFsdGDGDSFSSJHDfG

pure vanilla's manner of speaking here is REALLY different in a way that fascinates me. really goes to show just how carefree he was as a teen prior to the Virtues snatching up the two of them. i wonder how much of this attitude & behavior was informed by him being a shepherd who lived largely in isolation prior to being an academic. the honest heart and optimism was always there but this farm boy had ZERO manners about it. very funny.

lily's complete lack of self confidence has always made me SO SAD. girl couldn't even stand the nature of her own ingredients... 🙁

[visibly shaking] We are not talking about design parallels right now we are not talking about aesthetic parallels right now we are not talking abou

is crumbs the equivalent of saying shit here because if so My god this kid really has zero filter

what if we committed atrocities against nature together and we were both cookies 😳

(glances nervously over my shoulder at the eluded-to antagonist figure made by Dark Enchantress who has currently only been referred to in text as The Ultimate Cookie) R. Right. Okay

[VISIBLY SHAKING] WE ARE NOT TALKIGN ABOUT DESIGN PARALLELS RIGHT NO

The discussion of the academy willfully hiding The Truth from its student body about the nature of cookie kind is so. It's so. [clenches fists] I SIMPLY THINK IT IS VERY INTERESTING.

bro fucking jumpscared me why does he appear at the end of this random unvoiced cutscene without warning 💀

this being the first time since the prologue we see him with his eyes open is CRAZY by the way

these two are REALLY fucking funny together. dark choco in general is just incredibly silly as far as introductions go. bro literally just walks up and clutches his evil eye before getting kicked over by 5 children. gingerbrave listens to him prose about his cursed sword and how he doesnt believe in friendship for 2 entire minutes and promptyl goes "Yeah dude seems alright" as soon as he leaves. Incredible. No notes

OH GOD HERE IT IS.

"The first headmaster taught the Cookies how to use magic". NOT THE STUDENTS. THE COOKIES. COOKIEKIND. the first headmaster, a mystery figure older than the ancients who's broadly known for his aesthetic association with milk products, blueberries, eye symbolism, and the moon, is basically described in PLAIN TEXT to be the PROGENITOR of magic PERIOD in this sentence. Do I even have to say anything else.

So that all being said this portal is 100% just a hole into the Other-realm. Right. regardless of the What, i'm more or less completely convinced that during her attempt to steal the first headmaster's soul she crossed paths in some nonzero capacity with shadow milk AGES before she ended up in the silver kingdom. maybe she didn't even do anything precisely wrong herself with this procedure? Crazy as it is on paper its like. Just by trying to reach the headmaster (the fount) (shadow milk) she let The Clown take a peek outside and go "Oh, ew, it's my old fucking school" and bro just decided to wreck the place and the people in it for fun with her as the scapegoat. GOD. GOD!!!!! The fact that all of this is almost certainly a retroactive association is CRAZY and if there's somehow a world in which this ISN'T part of shadow milk's background I am going to be FLOORED. This is straight up too good of a setup to not be the case.

in which lily tells a bunch of 8-14 year olds to literally kill her

Hey queen 😘

oh i forgot this is what originally lead into the red velvet dragon guild fight. huh! there ya go!

Dear god I had way more I wanted to yap about for this one than I thought I would that I had to actively debate what screenshots to share. There is just SO MUCH happening with these two chapters in ways that are becoming only More Relevant as time goes on. Next on the table we at last meet transgender jesus cookie in the flesh. High likelihood I will have just as much to talk about there but we'll see

[sophieinwonderland]

In light of what has happened recently; Every passing day makes it more and more incomprehensible to me that the American electorate voted for clowns like Trump and Vance when there were red flags everywhere. Jesus...

This is something that bears repeating: The Republican candidate being a bully and all around horrible person is a feature to the people who voted for him, not a bug.

Yes, what tipped the balance might have been neutrals who were misinformed into thinking Kamala would be the worst option, or people "protesting voting" or staying home... but Trump's base... the people who have been loyal to him through all of this... they don't see his behavior as "red flags."

The term "sanewashing" has popped up a lot lately in how the media refers to Trump. But I think it started with his electorate first.

There was this idea among Democrats back when Trump was first running that he was too radical to win the Republican primaries. When he beat out all the competition, Democrats would cope by saying "well, look at all the Republicans who didn't vote for him." But it didn't matter because those people did vote for him in the general election.

Democrats have been acting for the last decade like there is going to be something Trump will do that will be so horrible that the Republican electorate will turn against him.

I think that this is because most Democrats are fundamentally good people who expect that even if they disagree with their political opponents, those opponents have some shred of humanity and human decency somewhere inside that will be appalled by what is clearly monstrous behavior.

Democrats and Republicans both project. Democrats are largely good people who tend to project our goodness onto Republicans, thinking Republicans should be horrified by things that are so clearly horrible. Republicans are terrible people who only care about themselves and want to hurt everyone who isn't like them for being different, and project by seeing us as just as vile and nasty as they are.

One example of this that I've seen a lot is the "Russian Bot" narrative. Yes, I'm sure that there are plenty of Russian bots out there. No doubt! But it also seems like a way of shifting blame. An idea that the most horrible messages have to be coming from bots because you just couldn't imagine a real human being that terrible or monstrous.

It's not that all Republicans are terrible either. There are or at least were some good or okay ones.

But remember that moment when John McCain corrected supporters who were claiming Obama consorted with terrorists in 2008 when he was the Republican presidential candidate, and he was booed by his own party at his own rally?

This is what Democrats seem to consistently not understand about the Republican party.

The rot is in the electorate. It always has been. The politicians are terrible and corrupt, yes. But a lot of them are also still representing what their voters want.

What you see as "red flags" are traits Trump's voters WANTED from McCain and he couldn't deliver on.

They like Trump bullying our allies because they see that as strength.

They like Trump taking away rights from trans people and locking immigrants in concentration camps because they don't have the capacity to empathize with anyone not like them as a human.

They like Trump breaking the law as he sees fit, being accountable to no one and declaring himself a king because they want a dictatorship as long as the dictator is theirs.

And the hardest pill to swallow is that these horrible people who would have gladly supported the Nazis in the 30s and 40s are not bots. There are not some distant enemies. They're your neighbors. They're your family. They're the people who will smile and wave as you pass them on the street.

This is what modern Democrats cannot seem to process. That there is this actual blight of evil in this country that are otherwise normal people, but politically would gladly support the most heinous and monstrous of policies.

[batmanfruitloops]

Alright long but silly post, going into the reason why the furry versions are the animals they are. A few choices are influenced by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles v.s. Batman, some choices are already associated with the character (Catwoman, Penguin, etc.). Most choices are an uneven mix of visual, symbolic, and behavioral. So some have more thought put into them than others but it's all for fun.

Batman (Bruce Wayne) -Vampire bat

A pretty obvious choice. I think specifically a vampire bat is fitting, they are very stealthy and aware. They come built with the perfect tools for lapping blood and cause little harm (excluding diseases). Just as Batman always comes with what he needs and only causes as much damage as necessary. Bats are also social creatures and thrive in groups, so there is a bit of irony there. Bruce can put on a good face for the public and business but isolates himself and therefore goes against his nature. He craves family but keeps his loved ones at arm's length in fear of losing them.

Joker (John Doe) - Red-banded spitting cobra

This is a choice influenced by the TMNT v.s. Batman. Also haha Lego Batman clown snakes. I chose this because I'm tired of both snakes and clowns being seen as evil. John is already the way he is because both Sarsee and I agree clowns should be silly and whimsical instead of how more modern media portrays them as creepy and scary, which also includes the Joker. Snakes are my favorite animals. So keeping Joker as a cobra represents what we have set out to do with the au in the first place.

In terms of behavior, John acts mostly the opposite of what you would expect. Snakes are mostly solitary and overall not very social. John is a very outgoing person and extraverted, but he's social skills are stunned from both being autistic and his childhood. So not quite fitting in but he enjoys standing out. Though cobras are a more intelligent species of snake. John is very clever but most wouldn't guess that. As the Joker, John relies on the element of surprise and subverting your expectations. As a bonus spitting venom is similar to a clown's flower spraying water.

Two-Face (Harvey Dent) - Puma

A partial TMNT chose. Instead of just a cat, I went with a puma. Pumas are not classified as big cats but are the largest cat in North America. Despite not being a big cat their presence demands respect. Even when you do not see them if you are in their territory you would be wise to be careful. Pumas know how to pick their fights, taking on challenges with strategy and retreating when they know they are outmatched.

I think these things fit Harvey and Two-Face quite well. He may not be as high on the social ladder as say, Bruce, but he is no less of an important figure in his community. You know when he is in the room and you think about him when he isn't there. He is intelligent and strategic. He's never to be underestimated and most fear and or respect him. These things apply as a rogue or as a candidate. These strengths are what put a target on his back and thus becoming Two-Face. I also do not know enough about this but pumas are not as solitary as other cats. Which fit with Harvey's ambivert personality.

Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel) - Spotted Hyena

This one is also an obvious one I would think. Spotted hyenas are a matrical species, meaning the females are in charge. Harley as a character I think usually represents feminine strength at least in recent years. Hyenas are very strong, they take what they want and fiercely protect what is theirs. They have a nasty reputation but live in a pretty unforgiving environment. Hyenas actually do hunt and have to protect their prizes from animals like lions. They have good reason to be the way they are.

Harley is a pretty unpleasant person but she has her reasons. Having dealt with a lot throughout her life. Her actions come from a place of pain though ruthless. She is not satisfied with what she does at the end of the day. She knows she has a lot work to do and a lot to figure out. Scary as she is.

Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)- Orchid mantis

Another animal associated with feminine power. Mantis are fierce and confident, they stand their ground even against other animals much bigger than they are. They are not very fast and can't fly very well, but are a top insect predator. They have no need to chase, just sit and wait until the opportunity to strike comes to them. Of course, they have the reputation of eating the head of their mates, but that's actually common for insects. Still fitting.

Ivy is a powerful person literally and personality-wise. She has incredible control of her environment as long as there are any plants around. She is beautiful and deadly. Anyone who can get close to her is very lucky. She's pretty content keeping to herself and her plants and is laid back when she is comfortable. She takes opportunities when they are presented to her with full force. Best stay on her good side and give her space. She makes a wonderful mantis.

Bane (Antonio Diego) - Grizzly bear

Bears are incredibly strong but it's not just brawn they have brain too. Bane is not just a brute, he knows how to use his strength well and is incredibly strategic. A bear can be a very scary animal but also fun to observe. Some find them cute, and some find them terrifying. Bane also comes off in a similar way, it just depends on what you know about him. He is someone you can have deep and philosophical conversations with but most would be too scared to approach him. Unfortunately, his addiction makes him unpredictable and behave in a way he would not want to. Bane does have a code he follows and will return the respect you give him. Just a bear will respect your space if you know how to behave in their territory.

Catwoman (Selina Kyle) - Domsitic long-hair cat

Yeah, Catwoman is meant to be a cat in person form so, I don't think there is much to explain. She comes and goes as she pleases and does what she wants. She likes to bother those with no interest in her. The whole shebang. Not bad but not good, just her own brand.

Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch) - Arctic hare

Arctic hares are one of the largest species of hare. They mainly live alone but come together for warmth and mating. I'm still not too sure about this, I haven't found much on this yet but it seems like rabbits are much more territorially and aggressive than hares. Either way, most think Jervis is a rabbit and not a hare, because of his height and demeanor. Hares are often seen as crazy and generally have a wild reputation, and Jervis is pretty demure. This instead comes out as passion for the things he loves. However, if he is pushed too far all of his pent-up emotions and frustrations will come out in an explosive response. Despite his appearance, he's very fit and strong. He has metabolic issues that make it difficult to lose weight so in his efforts to lose it he instead makes himself stronger. A similar effect to powerlifters. I thought specifically an Arctic hare was fitting because of this reason, as an arctic animal it's incredibly important for them to gain weight to survive the harsh weather. Something that others believe including Jervis himself thinks is a weakness actually becomes a strength. He does become more comfortable with himself eventually, but he has a lot of trauma to overcome to fix his own self-image.

Riddler (Edward Nigma) - Domestic rat

Rats are very social and intelligent. Despite media depictions, they keep themselves clean and are very affectionate. Ed is very much an extrovert and hates being alone, though he can be overbearing at times he loves those close to him very much and gives as much as he takes. Rats are great at getting around being able to squeeze into most places and can tread water for a long time (ironically Ed cannot swim). Ed can also squirm his way into anything be it physically or finding information. Rats enjoy causing mischief and are often high-energy, they need a lot of enrichment. Ed is functioning at 100% and crashes to 0% once he's out of energy, he has to keep himself busy and do little evil genius tasks until he's completely exhausted himself.

(I drew these on stream and Marxtheimpish asked to give Ed a cheerio, and Jervis lettuce, Ed is mad he only got one single cheerio.)

Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane) - Milksnake

A pretty biased pick since I mentioned snakes are my favorite animal, and Scarecrow is my favorite rogue but I have a good reason for my choice. First of all, as someone raised in the South, I associate milk snakes (and therefore corn snakes and rat snakes) with the country. They can often be found on farms and are great pest control and that also makes me also associate them with scarecrows. Milksnakes mimic coral snakes to scare away predators. Jonathan does something similar and comes off as scary and intimating but for the sake of his own protection. Snakes really want to be left alone and so does Jonathan. Snakes are often misunderstood and seen as something evil (especially by some religious people), but they are anxious skittish creatures and will stay out of your way. The religious association is another reason I picked a snake. Most people assume the worst in Jonathan because of his appearance and aloof disposition. He's pretty tired of trying to prove them wrong and has convinced himself he can't be anything else. But know this, there is no such thing as an offensive snake there are only defensive snakes.

Music Meister (Darius Chapel) - Golden-breasted starling

This one is mostly a visual choice. Darius is a pretty boy so of course he should be a pretty bird. Starlings are also a songbird and incredible at mimicking sounds. Just as Darius is an incredible singer and has a wide range of expressing himself musically. I think starlings are sometimes seen as pests or nuisance, I've only heard that in passing. If that's true that fits with Darius. Some people find him annoying but he's a very pleasant person.

Polkadot man (Abner Krill) - Spotted newt

Spotted newts are poisonous and their spots and color advertise that. Just as Abner has dangerous spots. This is mainly the reason why I chose a newt for Abner. I think aposematism, when an animal is colorful because it is toxic, is a really cool thing that happens in nature. I couldn't pass up the chance. Newts are also very cute and humble animals so all the more reason.

Mr.Freeze (Viktor Fries) - Polar bear

Of course, Viktor is a polar bear. Polar bears are solitary animals, especially the males. They only need themselves, and can only afford to care for themselves in the environment they live in. Viktor is a very independent person. He's confident in his abilities and can do almost anything by himself. Nora is an arctic fox, I bring this up because arctic foxes often follow polar bears around. So they are a perfect match. Polar bears are very formidable, you do not want to get in Viktor's way. Though he may seem cold, he is a good person with a big heart.

The Penguin (Ozwald Cobblepot) - Emperor penguin

Yeah, penguin. Emperor penguins care very deeply for their families and don't much care for anyone else. They will brave harsh weather and dangerous waters all for the sake of their families. Oz does not like anyone besides his family. He'll go through any extreme he needs to, no questions asked. Just a cranky old man that wants to give his loved ones a good life.

I'm much better at expressing myself visually than verbally so I'm not sure if this was comprehensive enough. I don't feel like I got out what I had in my head properly. So please feel free to ask any questions. Also, most of these facts are from my memory and may be inaccurate, but I did my best to fact-check myself when I was unsure of something. So if I got something wrong please correct me, I love learning more about animals. Otherwise, enjoy this word vomit infodump.

-Fluffy

[kiththecat]

how do you make the plot of your fanfics? do you just wing it? or do you have a plot outline or a lore document of some sort

ok this answer became longer than i intended but i love talking about writing. im just going to talk about it from ajwiaap perspective but this is my general experience with all longer works. 

i kiiiinda wing it. i'm good at storing ideas in my head so i rarely put them on paper because everything changes so much all the time that it'd be a lot of effort to write down.

i'd say the main thing i do for plotting is just thinking about it. a lot. like every time i go for a walk, or before falling asleep, or when im doing every day tasks, or sometimes just sitting down somewhere and jumping into my head for an hour to play out scenes and tweak ideas.

my outline and all the lore exists pretty much only in my head. i have a short list of acts of physical affection that i'd like for clownzy to do and turn to that for inspiration every time im writing a scene. i also have a list of park-related ideas. and i did keep an outline for the first few chapters but, well, the level of effort put into it can be shown in the way i wrote chapter 10 plot down:

- “Watch and learn, Kaboodle.” fucks shit up!!!!!!!

- (gets depressed)

with the "watch and learn, kaboodle" dialogue never happening and the (gets depressed) being his stir crazy arc.

i DO have a vague plan, but i also give myself a lot of freedom to switch things up. i find it more fun to write when the scene im writing can take a sudden turn because i came up with something new on the spot.

a few instances where this has happened:

chapter 12 was almost fully written and edited before i came up with the breaking the wrist conflict, so i had to rewrite and edit almost all of it

despite setting up ash and squiddo spending a night in the park, i only came up with the idea of them being there the same night as minute as i was writing the start of chapter 9

the chapter 13 clownzy renegotiation is literally two drafted scenes with vastly different contexts and atmospheres in a trenchcoat. honestly have no idea how i pulled it off.

for the first two months of writing i imagined clowns house to be a much smaller, cosier place, until they finally got there and i was like.... this is no place for branzy to go insane

when i wrote the halloween murder scene i too had no clue who the murderer was. all i knew was that clown knew.

the scene where rek and branzy call the kids on new years eve simply did not exist until i was editing, but now it's important to the plot.

(for every new lovely idea made on the spot there's like two drafted scenes that will never see the light of day also god bless)

in the earlier chapters, back when i was updating every week (insane behavior) i was much more focused on writing... clownzy. in a way. like, yes, still big clownzy now! they're weirder than ever. but back then, the plot was kind of a background thing to me and i prioritised silly and weird flirting. but as my attachment to the fic grew (and as i started getting a lot of feedback from you guys like !!!!!!!!!!!!! holy motivation) i started wanted to just flesh things out more, build the world a little better. one reader asked me some worldbuilding questions in chapter 9 and i found it really fun to think out the answers.

which is also why the updates are slower now. i spend hours thinking about how to make the plot work and how to set up the concepts that need to be introduced (it's either thinking deeply about the world and the complexities of the character dynamics or me just thinking about clownzy kissing. no in between. one is much more productive). i dont wanna post something if i have this sense that there's a better direction to take it, or if the dialogue sounds clunky to me. im also mildly upset that i didn't get into proper worldbuilding a bit sooner but i think the evil capitalism workaround + branzy being unreliable narrator has helped it make sense, even though there are things i would go back and change in earlier chapters to make the worldbuilding better (if i wasn't too lazy to be bothered)

all that being said. in short terms. what happens with me and writing long fics is that usually, i'm like "ah, this will probably be about 20k words" and then i get to 20k words and the fic has taken over my life and i'm suddenly saddled with the task to think of a proper storyline. and the "taken over my life" is not hyperbolic, it is literally all i think about.

and as of now, the outline is as polished as it's ever been. it also still only exists in my head, but ive set up things for the major plot points im planning, so im not winging it entirely, just keeping it in my head! :D

[godrestyescarygentlemen]

Thinking and taking some inspiration from dark shows/movies because I am invested on writing regarding Terrifier and Art the Clown specifically.

Certain plots in my head are mostly related to the Lore of the franchise, taking things from the 9th Circle short film by Leone but also trying to pinpoint Art's personality without writing him out of character, and man is *hard*.

I am not very interested in writing him soft or out of character but I mostly overanalyse this fella, especially his motivations and behaviors, and the more I do the more is like the dude has no agenda beyond wanting to mess with the life of people he finds on his way.

Is af if death has become such a norm around him he has lost respects for the living. Something I have realized is that his personality runs through a spectrum from childish fascination, to serious as fuck and focused on his work ahead, and then absolutely unhinged.

He is evil, that is for sure, but I do believe the movies makes you believe he is the ultimate evil, when he is not, makes you forget even when powered by demonic forces he is still human at his core until the writing says otherwise.

Other thing I realized about him is the contradictory information we have had from his actions alone, he seems to have some type of OCD which people has taken as a sign of him being "civilized"; he mops the floor in the laundromat, cleaning after himself, cleaning his clothes and also cleaning his dishes, he also flush the urinals and cleans his hands after going to the bathroom, drinks a glass of water in Allie's kitchen, as well as to knowing how to prepare a good mashed potatoes in Sienna's house (you know the scene). He seems to be very methodical in what he does, and does it for himself most of the time, as a preparation or even to relax after the job is done.

He is also annoyed by people, annoyed at their society and even their emotional connections, he finds it funny. But what I found interesting is how he found Vicky, a literal demon, annoyed af when she seem to find the rats on his hideout cute and started playing with them.

My theory is that maybe Jonathan is wrong, maybe is not the fact that Art is a serial killer what attracted the demon possessing Vicky to this world, is something else entirely, this is a distraction. Art is some type of bridge.. the same way Sienna is for a celestial force, why?

Because both of them might be half human even if they don't even know they are, and the key is on the short film The 9th Circle (2007) by Damien Leone.

That would explain why they are the only ones seeing the Little pale Girl aka a Demon on this world, why Art, an antisocial psychopath, tries to fit into society doing mundane things and laughing with people, until he finds is too boring and kills everyone around him, to the point he laughs at human's mannerisms and reactions to HIS reactions, to the point he finds alien and uncanny.

A lot of people tries to analyze Art as if he does not understand or does everything so bizarrely wrong regarding human behaviors, but what I see on him is that he does understand quite well human behaviors, social connections, reactions and also mannerisms to the point of mocking them in his own performance, or even using it at his advantage.

But also he still is antisocial, being annoyed even at the mere company around his hideout. This is because he might have stopped caring long time to really fit, he plays with people, he plays around with humans, until he finds them too much, too annoying, this is a man who found even a demon annoying and only interacted with them/her when realizing he could have an advantage in killing more people, I don't even think for a minute Art really thought in following Vicky's orders beyond his own interests.

I have others theories as well and I might want to analyze them more and fresh them out before posting them here.

[roachliquid]

Before I get going into season 3 of Danny Phantom, I feel a need to take the time to enthuse about my all-time favorite antagonist of this series to date. I mean to tell you, this guy dethroned the Box Ghost, and he's still sitting at a solid #2. Though with that being said, it probably won't be too surprising when I tell you who unseated old Boxy, since this dude is so absurdly threatening that so far, he's only been deployed twice.

Yep. I'm talking about the man, the myth, the incredibly attractive legend himself, Freakshow.

Don't try to embarrass me; I've got no pride.

But uh. Moving past my taste in evil would-be clowns, I will admit that Freakshow is a classic example of Danny Phantom's derivativity. Creatively, he's blatantly heavily inspired by other cartoon villains - Jafar and the Joker being the most obvious ones - and visually, he's like if Richard O'Brien decided to work for the circus. Which I'm not remotely complaining about; it's a combination that works very well - it's just, y'know, classic DP creativity.

Anyway, the thing that I find whenever Freakshow shows up is that I am genuinely a little bit scared of him. Not in a "I am no longer aware that I'm watching a silly cartoon for kids" way, necessarily, but in an "oh shit our heroes are in real trouble" kind of way. Which sounds impressive for a guy who has no powers of his own, but... I think that's a big part of why he feels so threatening.

See, while Danny's faced a goodly number of powerful and high-stakes villains, I rarely find myself feeling like he's truly out of his depth. At the end of the day, most of them are ghosts, and he can usually defeat them by doing some kind of ghostly activity, such as shooting them with beams or taking a trip to the Ghost Zone. The few exceptions include Dan Phantom, a guy who could only really be defeated by Danny choosing not to become him, and then this motherfucker.

As I mentioned before, Freakshow is a normal human, a fact that he has a way of using to his advantage. Not because it exempts him from being blasted with beams or anything, but because he isn't constrained by the behavioral patterns or weaknesses of your average ghost. He doesn't have a consistent, unified power set that can be memorized and predicted, nor does he have a convenient Achilles heel sitting somewhere in the Ghost Zone just waiting for some hero to find it. Instead, he exhibits the far more worrying tendency of just having whatever powers he was recently able to get his hands on, and being more than prepared to get his hands on them whenever the opportunity arises.

That's the thing about Freakshow, is that he plans. And not in the grandiose, elaborate habit of Vlad Masters, who puts all his focus on a singular plan at the expense of flexibility. Freakshow's plans are simpler, but generally more effective - he looks out for potential opportunities, and does whatever legwork he can so that by the time one arises, he's ready to seize it and hit the ground running. He is, to put it in a word, adaptable.

And that's genuinely worrying. Because when someone is that flexible, you can never be too sure what they're capable of. Combine that with the absence of conventional ghost weaknesses, and you create a problem that Danny is just... not equipped to solve.

As badass as ghosts can be in Danny Phantom, I treasure those moments that show that they have their own disadvantages. Freakshow is a stellar example of that principle, a guy whose greatest strength - unfortunately unbeknownst to himself - is simply being a human being in a situation where that isn't the norm. Especially to a fourteen-year-old whose biggest non-existential threats are ordinary humans, that's a pretty big deal.

[apple-r-r-r]

MIND PREOCCUPATION WITH SEX

(blackpill feminism community on Tumblr, op deleted)

───────────── ⊹⊱✿⊰⊹ ─────────────

Reminder most people cannot function without sex occupying their minds. It's almost like they know that sex quickly downslides into rape and other forms of sexual violence. Everybody wonders where the hypersexualization in modern societies are coming from but it's coming from the unrestricted nature of the primary mode of human sexuality where most of this crap has started with the sexual revolution and then was further accelerated in uniquely horrific ways through the creation of the internet and now AI which can spit out as much big booby child-faced art as much as possible to placate the sex-obsessed male and become a muse for current and future female generations. But honestly what we're seeing is nothing new (Babylon, Weimar, now America falling in this same trend, etc.) and as they say, history repeats itself.

It's no surprise young preteen-teen girls look like they're in their 20s and are being exposed to traumatizing things like teen pregnancy/ DV/rape/porn early because that is the end goal of predominant heterosexuality is to start legalizing and normalizing all taboos and have some kind of degenerate orgy in public until the traditional conservatives come swooping in and make a convincing argument to restrict sexual and social freedom yet again in a nauseating cyclical loop. The harshest and most offensive blackpill I've ever swallowed is knowing that homosexuality needs the predominant hetero model to exist because without hets getting it on and creating even more gay people there would be no such thing as homosexuality and all these identities that've followed. Even in ancient myth this theory is symbolized: through the union of the traditional het unit of the masculine (Ares) and the feminine (Aphrodite) they birthed a child named Eros which the "LGBT+" community lauds as a mythological representation of themselves, because they know hets with all of their sexual experimentation are the gateway that allows their existence. There was absolutely nothing different between hets and "gays" who I honestly don't even think are gay. I think the real gays and gender non-conforming people stay quiet and live relatively normal lives, what we keep calling as LGBTQ+ABCDFGH is just another variation of the already existing model of human sexuality where it always leads to high preoccupation with fantasy, constant experimentation with endless dopamine hits with instant pleasure and curiosity which results in inevitable civilizational decay. A drag queen and a woman with long nails, eyelashes, and the same clown makeup and clownish behavior have about the same utility and purpose as the woman, as Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, so therefore, a man can also be a woman and that's the way it's going to be until we start entering into the typical anticipated phase of conservatism which was bred by this era of unbridled sexual curiosity and technological innovation.

I've seen many spiritualists (which you don't have to believe in spirituality at all) praise the upcoming "Age of Aquarius" which is honestly what we've been experiencing for awhile with social retardation and dependency on tech but what comes after this is the Age of Aries - a very masculine, male-dominated astrological symbol that's associated with warfare, traditions, patriotism/tribalism. Back to square one to fuck everything up all over again because humans don't evolve, just run into lovecraftian horror level time loops. These TIMs who cry about evil cis people need to clap and thank their creators: they literally made you and gave you a birthright to enact rape on as many unwilling females as possible because you wear a dress. Aphrodite wears a dress, you like to get fucked and not be the fucked, and Aphrodite likes to get fucked and not be the fucked, so you are a woman! TIMs whiplash this hurtful and painful truth to every single woman they come across, that you've been living a lie that has nothing to actually do with legitimate female nature, so there is actually no difference between you and that TIM in spirit and essence, only the difference of biological sex characteristics. You refuse to get rid of that 'woman face" along with the clownish acts like empathy, compassion, and charity you accuse TIMs of wearing and performing, because once you get rid of those values and behaviors, TIMs birthright to rape with glittery tutus and eyeliner on nearly shreds to pieces as we see through the stark contrast between the non-clownfish woman and the clownfish man that this is clearly a predatory, parasitic relationship at work.

At this point, I really do agree with the feminists who've said that PIV = rape and also their ideas on "consensual" rape. The boundary between sex and these disgusting fetishes, gender experimentation and bizarre-philias/identities is very murky and it is by natural design. You are literally apart of their humiliating masturbatory fantasy (no consent of course) without them even having to touch a finger on you through the smash of a virtual button and a trending tweet. I cannot count how many times I've seen examples of this where hets make social media posts about their own children and quickly ready to sexualize them in their own heterosexual fantasies and desires without even having to abuse them and then become shocked that their own children are growing up way too fast and here we have the same thing in spirit where a TIM is making a sex fantasy meme about raping lesbians with his dick it's literally just the same shit enacted by "different" people. This shit isn't just physical violence but a war of psychological and social boundary-breaking and manipulation. Rape isn't just physical but I believe that it can happen to the female mind and spirit.

[franzkafkagf]

Just a little disclaimer I’m not asking this question to try to come across as hurtful or anything like that. But I was wondering how as an Aegon-stan his treatment of women can make you have a very nuanced opinion of him? :o

- Personally I’m TB but do have empathy for some TG-characters. I do like Aegon as an antagonist and I do feel for his very toxic and harmful upbringing but due to his violent behavior towards women.. I just can’t really connect that well with him 🫣

Hi! Thank you for your ask :) Super interesting question actually! I have written some things for him in the past, talking about what exactly fascinated me about his character so much ( exhibit one, two three, four and five )

I also urge you to listen to Tom talk about Aegon; this man gets him as a character so well and says it better than I ever could. Some interviews found here, here and here

I can understand not being able to connect with him because of his treatment of Dyana— it's an unforgiveable thing he has done to her and might have done to others. But in spite of that, he is still just a character. Everything he does is meant to inform us about his certain traits he has, even the ugliest of things.

What does it tell us about Aegon? He is entitled, doesn't take things seriously, he is indulgent and does not see Dyana (or other smallfolk for that matter) as a real person (succession reference wink wink)

I wouldn't call his behavior towards women in general toxic though— I actually think he is somewhat demure when faced with women like his mother, Rhaenyra and also Helaena. He seems to kick down most of the time, while trying to get recognition from the ones he sees as peers or above him.

If you look at the culture he was raised in, it's not really a surprise he turned out the way he did, seeing women beneath him as something he can just take if he likes to. Westeros is cartoonishly misogynistic; traditions like First Night or the prevelance of brothels filled with women working under harsh indentures show that.

Young men of noble origin seem to see visits to brothels (again, filled with women that do not want to be there) as a normal past time activity; it's so prevalent that it's surprising if a young nobleman does not participate. Now, I do not want to excuse his actions, but seeing the culture he grew up him and the influences around him? -> He probably thinks this is normal behaviour, disturbingly.

On a bit different note, I want to talk about his relationships. A thought I see often echoed in the fandom is the headcanon that Aegon is violent towards Helaena when that... was never stated anywhere? Now I'm probably biased because I'm a big Helaegon girl but I don't see him being violent with his sister.

People say he impregnated her at 13 when.. he was also just a 15 year old boy? He did not want to marry her! Both literally did not and could not consent to what happened to them, I think it's so sad that people try to demonize a child who just did what was demanded from him from all the adults in his life :(

(like yes tell me about how one of these KIDS forced himself on the other out of fully selfish desire and pure evil. you're so smart and do not lack media literacy whatsoever)

The dinner scene literally shows Helaena laugh at Aegon's antics until he goes a step too far w Baela, and what does Helaena do? She clowns him in front of everyone with her toast. And what does he do? He just takes it... not the behaviour of an evil abusive man but the delulus will swear otherwise.

People will also try to twist her crying at the coronation as some depressive moment for her where she realizes that he will have the ultimate power over her when that's LITERALLY just a (very boring) headcanon. It's hinted at in the text and literally written out in the script that she is scared, because she knows what crowning him means; the dance cannot be stopped. That's all, that's why she's crying. She feels like their end is near.

All in all I think no one can change your mind on how you feel about Aegon; what he did IS unforgivable, but I hope you see a bit of my pov here too. Seeing the nuance in deeply flawed characters and digging to find hidden depths in them is something I'm very passionate about! My Aegon girlie mutuals and me will be feasting come season 2 🙏

[ohwell-itsme-but-danganronpa]

The Kokichi treatment talk

Kai: god the everything ever always makes Kokichi seem much more vile than he even depicts himself sometimes it actually lowkey pisses me off how aggressive this shit is towards him- we get it he's trying to trick people into thinking he's evil- you can stop making it worse he does plenty on his own

Sayakxami: Frankly, they treat him like garbage even before he does anything actually wrong Like, sure, he's an asshole, but that doesn't warrant the reactions they have whenever he does anything, really. Or not helping him out when he's literally bleeding from his head & has clear signs of concussion

Kai: is cause he lied about things that have literally no affect on any of them? Tenko is much more actively assholy that Kokichi is and people don't villainize her

Sayakxami: I've read some theories that maybe in that first flashback light there was something that made everybody dislike him from the get go She's genuinely awful to all male characters, and she's extremely weird about Himiko. I could never forget that spit comment Most of his goddamn lies is literally called "joking"

Kai: that's bullshit, i think the writers just wanted us to hate Kokichi and jumped the gun on when to actually start it i wouldn't hold my breath about it being intentionally sneeky writing, sometimes this crew just sucks at writing something something occam's razor

Clown: They definitely treat him irrationally badly sometimes, yeah. The best explanation I can give is that ouma is a remarkably easy scapegoat. Ya know, killing game, stress, fear for their lives, one single guy who is considerably annoying. It's easier for them to direct their distaste to the closest option. I do really like that one scene with rantaro after the death road of despair. At that point ouma had done literally nothing wrong, but Rantaro as a person is paranoid as all hell, so when he accuses him of going straight for murder it makes sense. The fact that ouma doesn't do anything to deny it already plants that seed of distrust in everyone

me: The set up is there though, Tsumugi makes comments about him already in chapter 2. But he also deliberately pulled their frustration with Kaede onto himself the morning after the death road, that was a very effective provocation, making them feel for Kaede and unite against him. Earlier it can be said that Rantaro was just snappy because of the stress, but the result impacted the group's impression of Kokichi, and so did this. His behavior alarmed them so much more because it Had To Do with the killing game, addressing the situation, and I know it's not nice to hear, but also because he's a guy. Just straight up, the standards are very different. Unusual behavior is much more likely to be seen as threatening and disruptive because he's a boy. Girls are just weird sometimes, they're annoying, but they can be ignored, Tenko throwing people can be a bit, it's just her emotional impulsive girly thing, it's not actual danger, but when that boy walks in everybody holds their breath, what shit will he start this time? His words matter unlike Miu's who they realized is a crazy girl on first impression and she just says things, he must be full of intent and schemes. And we could go on and on if we combed through canon material, because there is a lot of things that are taken lightly in-universe (and sometimes as a result by fandom too) because it's just girls, in skirts, silly

Kai: okay, they may have tried to set it up but it's not well done, it's really badly done and the point i was making is there is no actual in game excuse for them hating him right off the bat because of how poorly they handled the setup. set up does not match the reactions. and "they're girls, there's different standards" isn't an excuse for bad writing, actually that emphasizes a whole different issue with ronpa as a whole, but it isn't the focus of what we were talking about. also the girls aren't the only ones who get away with being really nasty in a killing game with no concerns while Kokichi breathing wrong gets him shunned

Sayaxami: I've always got the impression that it was sort of the point if poorly handled That their treatment of Ouma was awful, because they weren't really as good as they believed themselves to be And tbh I do think that everybody's treatment of Ouma greatly contributed to him following with his fake mastermind plan It cut off his other options, because he could not count on anybody. Obviously, his paranoia was there and was definitely a big contributor, but he was isolated and treated in a way that signalized that nobody would have cared if he died. He's supposed to be a leader, but he can't make these people work with him without using some underhanded methods or going about it an extremely roundabout way. He couldn't act without anybody assuming the worst of him, and that also limited his movements. He was forced into a corner, so he weaponized that, because it was the only thing he could still do

me: don't get me wrong, I did mean it as, the bad writing in dr is mostly rooted in bigoted ideas such as sexism, and I'd be more leaning towards belief that they intended shit that falls flat in our eyes than do something like that thoughtlessly, they don't treat any topic delicately so they're not afraid of reaching for low hanging fruits sometimes to reach the goals, but I wouldn't say it goes as far as to bare author's will in character's actions, we can find it when analysing it, but generally you can see in-universe explanations first or at least just as fast if you try, like, if you won't generalize and look at characters individually reacting, taking in each other's reactions and forming opinions and their personalities, it'll be clear that not all of them were this negative towards Kokichi and it made sense for the ones who were to be because they're righteous/reactionary/paranoid themselves etc

Sayakxami: All of that, tbh It's just that most people who were neutral/okayish with him died off early on Rantaro was distrustful of everybody, so nothing special Kaede wanted everybody to get along Ryouma was pretty neutral for obvious reasons tbh Kirumi was also pretty neutral, though she didn't like him calling her mom & was angry when he explained how she was trying to get somebody to take her place for execution, but aside from that there wasn't much Angie, I don't recall them having much of a relationship, so mostly neutral + she would've wanted everybody to join the students council & get along so Chabashira is awful to all men so nothing special here Korekiyo… I don't remember tbh, I seem to recall him being not much of a fan ngl, but Korekiyo's a bag of issues I don't feel like unpacking rn Miu and Kokichi were friends/partners up until she betrayed him by planning hisi death, which came from her paranoia & hopelessness rather than her hating him or something Gonta was everybody's friend, though he was a little more distrustful of Kokichi after the Insect Meet&Greet, but he still cared about him Most people were definitely annoyed with him, I have no doubts, but it wasn't that everybody despised him for existing, it's just that the people who were the most against him were the Training Trio and Tsumugi. Kiibou was still trying to reason with him in chapter 5 post mastermind reveal, and Himiko also seemed kinda whatever, but at the very least she didn't want kaito to kill him, so always something

[girlnadian]

i do want to hear about tabi, like, in general, but i do not have the power or skill or pvpciv knowledge to protect you from Every Yaoi Liker On The Site so use your best judgment. but i do want to know more about tabi and to hear your takes on her which are obviously correct.

ok since two other peopel also asked ill post one of my incomprehensible rants. under a cut. this post is an evil swirling black void of evilness so dont click it if its evilness will harm you

so tabi is the secondary protagonist turned antagonist of evbos parkour civilization series . For those two dont know. and his love interest. there are two main fanon characterizations of tabi i see one of which is the irredeemable demon bitch from hell (though some people frame this "positively" with fandom typical slay girlboss talk)

tabi is canonically without question the person evbo cares about most in the entire world . this is indisputable and obvious. even after she betrays him you never get the sense that anyone else even comes close. he is talking about her and thinking about her CONSTANTLY, with no disdain or grudge at all. he loves her !! and tabi loves him too even if its harder to see because shes much more closed off and not the pov character

tabi could have killed him. she should have killed him. he showed up in front of her annoying and lost like a yapping dog and she rebuffs his affection constantly but she Loves Him you literally cannot argue that she doesnt love him. tabi is a soldier. shes on a mission. she kills without hesitation and without care except for when its evbo. evbo gives her a clear shot and says "prove that i mean nothing to you" and she CANT!! all she had to do was kill him with the eternal sword and he wouldnt respawn but she Couldnt. when clown implies to her that evbo might be dead and asks her how she woudl feel about it she completely dodges the question. idr exactly what she says, something like "i would say you did what had to be done" but very very notably and particularly doesnt answer the question of how she would feel. because she doesnt let people see how she feels. shes closed off because she has to be but her feelings are Very Much There. i think because people disliked the girlfriend jokes so much - which, like, fair - a lot of them decided that tabi must dislike evbo for making them but thats just. not true. and even if she did return evbos feelings that isnt something she would allow herself to indulge in. she cant jeprodize her job. evbo is in love with her pretty much immediately and while i definitely Dont think tabi felt the same at first, even if tabis feelings did change her outward behavior towards him wouldnt change proportionately. she made the mistake of being a slightly unsympathetic and stoic female character so now a bunch of people hate her for hurting their sunshine boy or whatever. whatever

but the second mischaracterizarion i see a lot. and this is where im gonna get controversial abt it. is people that DO acknowledge tabi cares about evbo but have to. fuckin. make her his Mean But Cool Girlboss Lesbian Older Sister 💪😎. to reconcile with that fact. so they do not have to exert Too much brainpower thinking about a female character or god forbid a m/f relationship

it just kind of drives me crazy i know we are coming off of the sausage fest that was parkour civ and everyone is yaoibrained I GET IT nothing wrong with yaoi brain and the girlfriend jokes are cringey i get it I Get It. but. and this is my most controversial take in the world are you ready for it . pvpciv tavbo is just what people wish parkciv seavbo was. do you like seavbo but u wish they had spent more time on screen together ? bonded more? That exists. Its tavbo. their dynamics hit a lot of the same beats. but evbo more openly cares about tabi and is ACTUALLY INTO HER and theyre friends and trust each other. + pvpciv tabi and parkciv seawatt are very similarly driven characters. theyre warriors who are fighting for their home. tabi in the same way has to weigh up completing her lifes long goal vs her caring for evbo. and she betrays him but then spares his life . she likes him but she also isnt going to throw away something shes worked for since she was born. yyou people wanted enemies to friends to enemies to lovers and you got it but tabi is a woman and having to think about women is the enemy of all fandom spaces so no one GAF. in fact they wil go out of their way to Invent New Reasons why shipping them would be Weird🤨 like . everyone who says pvpciv evbo is actually a child. BE FUCKING FOR REAL !!!

and then of course seawatt shows up for one pvpciv ep and everyones like omg guys seavbo real again 🥺🥺🥺🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 bc they had like a single conversation . i like seavbo dont get me wrong im not trying to argue that seawatt didnt care about evbo to some degree. Happy for you seavbo warriors i love that you got that W. its just that. like. gestures like an insane person. You see the double standard right. am i crazy. chat am i crazy be real.

[seaskate]

I know that it's been theorized who from the ada is going to the PM because of the deal and everyone has been drawing parallels and ideas on who it could be, but one thing that I dont see may people looking at is behavior.

Personally I think that it will be Dazai that will go, he's the logical choice and would act as the best bridge between the ada and the pm, especially since Kunikida was named to become the next president and Dazai is his partner, so if Dazai were to go back and become boss at some point then that relationship is already there and is better than Mori's and Fukuzawa's from the start.

There has been a lot of points made about Dazai not being with the Agency when they are all gathered together (like that one manga panel or the party after the Guild or Kyouka's party) and how he appears more with or parallels Mori more in the intro than before (all of which is true) but we dont talk enough about how his behavior had been changing since episode one.

Dazai in episode one was only serious for maybe a small handful of seconds of screentime during the tiger debacle in the warehouse, when no one else was around to see. We can easily assume that home acting like a class clown happened more often than not from the way that he acts in the series. However, ever since the introduction of Atsushi and the Port Mafai in the series, Dazai has been slowly acting more serious than before.

In the first season alone, He sets it up so that the Azure Poet is killed and doesnt show any emotion when Kunikida tells at him for it. He bugs Higuchi and listens in on her and then basically goads Akutagawa into declaring war. Small instances, but close together.

When the Guild came there were more. There was the Q incident at the train where he all but threatened to kill the child and then slapped Atsushi out of a panic attack (which pain is actually one of the easier ways to remove someone from a panic attack, which is why people often dig in their nails or snap bands at their wrist when they feel one coming, but that's another argument to be had) which was effective but anyone else in the ada would have attempted another method. There was the Moby Dick and how he acted with Akutagawa there. And the meeting between the Ada and the pm where Dazai talked about war strategy. He blew up Lovecraft and allowd Chuuya to kill countless Guild hired guns when they ambushed him during that same instance.

None of those actions were things that someone at the ada likely would have done before the current arc. But now Dazai is continually acting in such away more often. Acting less like a detective and more like a mafioso.

He's relying on the mafia more often too.

Dazai had gone two years without any mafia contact while at the Agency, but now he's going to art museums with Hirostu and met with Akutagawa in the woods. That's not counting Chuuya and how they have worked together three times now in as many months, if you count Dead Apple, this current time in which Mori even helped with the fake vampire teeth. Not only that, but Dazai still calls Chuuya his partner. Not former partner, current.

Dazai dances on a fine line between good and evil, even as he believes in neither, but if it means that he could save those that he’s come to care for then he doesn’t hesitate to cross it (murder isn’t exactly condoned at the Agency, yet that’s exactly what he did to Fyodor - I know that he came back, but still - and has set up for Chuuya to do to those that had stood in their way since reuniting. Like the prison guards). Mori - who still has the executive seat waiting for Dazai to reclaim it, and had told Oda four years ago that Dazai would likely be boss in a few years time - knows this.

Yosano thought that this deal was a ploy for Mori to get her back, but she wasn’t the only child that he lost to the Agency. If we adds this to the paraless in the opening that exist and the fact that Dazai had been acting more and more like the Demon Prodigy with each season, Chuuya, and his place as an executive, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was the one chosen.