#but I feel like a lot of these opinions I’m sharing are genuinely valid

[eternally--mortal]

YES! This. Completely. I agree that the things that added were super valuable changes, especially regarding Percy’s struggles as a neurodivergent kid and how Sally tried to help. And that they’re short changing the things from the books. I love our main three trio and I feel like by giving mythological knowledge to Percy (probably in order to speed up the plot to make up for the time they’ve given to new content, which is valuable, but would require longer episodes to fit the real full content as well) they’re robbing Annabeth. They could just as easily have her be the one saying ‘oh that’s so-and-so from mythology’ or the two of them working it out together and going ‘oh I know this one! It’s on the tip of my tongue’. But having Percy already know these things and having a key role that Annabeth plays just given away changes the dynamic of their relationship. I really wanted them to let her not only have Big-Theme-Pride as a weakness, but also to let her have a childish kind of pride that makes her feel superior in intelligence because she’s a daughter of Athena and has her own style of smarts. Childish pride is messy. It stumbles over itself. And it’s presence gives Percy the chance to prove her wrong and make her embarrassed by his street smarts only for her to double down because of that embarrassment. I always felt like that was their dynamic in the beginning. They were confused about whether they should get along or not because of how their parents feel about each other; that’s a MASSIVE theme in the books and I haven’t really seen evidence of it at all in the show. Maybe with Medusa, which had some great changes in the show, but for the most part Annabeth’s inner struggle over how her mom will respond to her gaining glory by associating with a son of Poseidon has been completely erased. That bled out into everything she did in the books. Did she predict who his dad was in the books? Almost definitely. Did she talk herself into ignoring the signs because she didn’t want him to be a sim of Poseidon? Yes. Did she go ‘well, I guess we can’t be real friends but I am going on this quest anyway because you are my ticket to what I want’ —100%. This girl is supposed to be super problematic because her life is a mess. And Percy is supposed to be angry about being used and mistreated for having a dad he doesn’t even know. I don’t need Annabeth to go on dramatic speeches about glory. I need her to be written in a way that Shows me her flaws and desires without Telling them to me constantly. It makes her more believable and interesting.

I don’t know fully how to describe it but I’ve been getting the feeling that I’m missing something in their interactions. Like the bonding is too fast-tracked and there’s not enough life-is-crazy-and-we’re-people moments. It feels like there are little blackouts where emotional progress is made and the characters understand each other better but I don’t fully know how they got there. I’m not sure if I’m explaining this right. But it just doesn’t quite flow all the way. It’s Really close, but I still feel like something is missing. Like the scene were Percy agrees to sit in the throne so Annabeth can get the shield. It was like he suddenly just forgot about his mom! His whole motivation for doing the quest in the first place. Also, if he picked Annabeth to be willing to ‘push him down a flight of stairs’, let Her be the one to bring that up and force him to make a difficult decision. If he’s the one to bring it up, then it means he never needed her to make the tough decisions in the first place. I just didn’t feel like his relationship with Annabeth at that point had been built up enough to supersede his relationship with his mom and how important getting her back would be. I’m the book, it was a super big moment for Percy to use the pearl and leave his mom behind because he had spent every waking minute that he wasn’t almost dying or exhausted trying to get her back—something Annabeth doesn’t understand because of her relationship with her dad. But in the show we’ve already seen him agree to leave his mom in the hands of other people. Percy’s not used to having people to lean on so he’s not super trusting right away. Yet the writers felt it was appropriate for him to choose to sit in a chair that he might never get out of when he picked Annabeth as a quest partner specifically because he knew she would focus on getting the bolt back? The Percy character I know would have gotten upset about Ares giving them a quest where one of them would have to be stuck. Annabeth would explain the myth, he would get angry, and he would turn to her and say ‘you’re smart, right? So how do we do this without getting caught.’ She might go ‘we can’t. Hephaestus built it to trap Hera.’ And he would go something like ‘yeah, but we’ve met Ares and he seems pretty dumb. How smart could Hera possibly be.’ And Annabeth would tell him not to insult Hera which would have been hilariously ironic.

I mean, they didn’t even try reaching the shield to pull it down before Percy decided to get into the chair. What’s with that? It’s not like the chair was the only way to reach it. And they were surrounded by water. He could have tried to use his powers.

Maybe I would feel better if we got some Annabeth flashbacks, too? But I feel like there are ways they could let her have a more obvious role in the quest like she does in the books.

And I hate this because there are so many things that I like. But sometimes I just get angrier at a show when it’s just right enough that with a little more thought it could have been even better. I don’t want to ruin it for anybody who is genuinely fully enjoying it but I just can’t ignore the parts that don’t sit right with me. I just have to sit there and go ‘I guess in this parallel universe, this facet is completely different’. But when they start messing with emotional continuity and character goals I get really upset.

book finding the bolt:

Percy: give us the bolt!

hades: what??? I don’t have the bolt, you have the bolt. Give me my hat back!

Percy *finds bolt in bag*: oh shit did I take the bolt??

show finding the bolt:

Percy: whoa the master bolt is in my bag

Grover: Ares must have put it there

Percy: I concur, we should see if hades is working together with him

[thorniest-rose]

Hi everyone,

A lot’s happened over the last few days and I know that I’ve been under a lot of scrutiny and the subject of conversation, so I wanted to take a moment to talk about it with you. I didn't address it last week when I was told that people in the fandom were posting about me and sharing screenshots of my blog. This was to protect my mental health, but now I want to share my own thoughts.

It's really hard not to lash out in situations like this because of how much it hurts. To go through something like this is shocking and humiliating, it rips the ground up from under your feet. But I didn't want to go on the attack because I knew how much worse that would make things. No matter how opinionated I am, conflict makes me feel sick and makes me want to hide. So instead of lashing out, I've done a lot of thinking over the past few days, not just about what's happened to me, but about things I've done and what could have led to this.

Firstly, I want to apologise to everyone whose feelings I may have hurt when I posted certain things in the past. I want any space that I cultivate to be a happy, positive one for the people who spend time here and at times I think I’ve unintentionally created an atmosphere that has felt combative or alienating. I honestly never consider myself to be a well-known writer or someone whose voice has reach in the wider fandom. No matter how many followers I have or how many people read my fics, I always see myself as a girl just spending time on her tumblr, but that's naive and I should have recognised that in a shared space, all opinions are seen and have an impact. 

Discourse is my least favourite thing about interacting in fandom and there have been times where I’ve let myself be drawn into it. That doesn’t mean it’s ever okay to look down on what other people enjoy and I really regret posting those things now because that’s not who I am as a person. Expressing displeasure and other negative feelings isn’t what I want to engage in and I should remember how easy it is for flippant, spur of the moment comments to be taken out of context. Saying things like “I don’t like this” even on my own blog is immature and beneath me and I’m genuinely sorry.  

I am also in no way any sort of authority on how these characters are written, no one is. A fandom is for everyone. I’m passionate and vocal in my own space because I treat my tumblr as a slumber party with my friends, but in my enthusiasm, there have been times where it seems like I’m saying my characterisations are the only valid ones. I don’t think that’s the case at all, and I genuinely love and admire the creativity in this fandom. I’ve said this before, but just because I have preferences doesn’t mean I want every characterisation to be the same as mine because that would become extremely dull. I believe that any and all interpretations should have an audience.

However, while I take responsibility for the things I've said on my blog, the things that have been said about me in response have been extremely spiteful and damaging. I never wanted a war with anyone. I should know better than to court discourse in such a volatile fandom, even inadvertently. To take issue with me and what I said is fine, I accept the criticism and apologise; at times my comments have been juvenile and mean-spirited. But a group of people targeting me, screenshotting my posts, calling me names and attacking what I write isn’t proportionate at all and encourages a wider pack mentality. I think we should all remember that there is an actual person behind the screen reading the things that we post and that our words can cause real harm. It’s easy to dehumanise an avatar and a username. And I think it speaks to a rot at the heart of fandoms that so many people find pleasure in fighting and where feelings can fester into hatred and vitriol.

I am outspoken and passionate about what I love. I sometimes bristle at things I see that don’t gel with my ideas or at a misjudged tone, and I post about them instead of seeing the bigger picture and moving on. It’s a flaw and something I’m working on, to be more open and less reactive. I don’t want fighting or tension, and I don’t want rivalries. I also don’t ever want to make people feel like their characterisations are wrong/invalid/unworthy or that they themselves don’t belong and that I’m some kind of fandom queen bee trying to ice them out. While that’s genuinely never been my intention, I can see how things have been taken that way and I’m sorry for that too.

Again, I’m sorry to everyone I’ve hurt or alienated with comments that I’ve made. I always want to be kind and compassionate. And while I don’t think what’s happened over the past few days is OK, I can see the bigger picture and why things I’ve said, or the atmosphere I’ve cultivated, has planted seeds of resentment. I've also unblocked the person who's been posting about me, if they want to reach out to talk privately.

I know there are people reading this who have been following me for the past four years, and in that time have seen me struggle, and fall down, and make mistakes, but hopefully grow and learn from those mistakes too. I’m so grateful to you all.

I’m going to take a break from tumblr for a week or so, to spend time away from socials, to connect with friends and other passions and focus on self-care. And to write, of course, because I’ll always be writing, whether it’s here or elsewhere.

See you all soon,

Brooke 💕

[nekropsii]

what do you see in equius ?? genuine question i don't mean to sound rude but to me she's just really offputting. she gives me such creep vibes that i can't seem to get over and every time i read a page with her it just gets worse..... like when i first read nep & eq's chats i was sitting there wondering if this was outright abuse or at least bullying of some kind??? it felt like it idk.......

but honestly i do wanna see an equius liker's opinion on him because i can't understand it like at all and i'm probably just missing something that all the equius likers saw and i didnt LMAO

Well, considering I’m an Alpha Trolls Enthusiast and have been for, like, a decade, as well as having Horror as a Special Interest since age… What, 3? I’d say I personally have a pretty strong stomach for Weird and Offputting in fiction, lol. Stronger than most. Equius isn’t a very palatable character at all, I’ll be the first to admit that - a lot of the characters I enjoy the most in Homestuck aren’t very palatable… But I find ‘em real interesting, personally. The fact that they aren’t palatable adds to the intrigue for me, and poor execution tends to be a total weakness of mine. Again, Alpha Trolls Enthusiast for a decade straight.

I have a post here that talks a bit about my reading of Equius, I’d recommend giving it a read. I see Eridan and Equius as being very similar characters - not necessarily due to their shared hemoloyalty, but because they’re both teens falling down online pipelines. They’re very prevalent Kinds Of Guy that no one wants to talk about.

But people talk about Eridan plenty even to this day - he was even a fandom favorite for a while, being the fandom’s first Prettyboy Sad Gay Anime Prince long before Dirk… So he doesn’t reel in as much interest for me as the chronically overlooked Equius.

If there’s anything to know about me, it’s that I love a good underdog.

Equius-Likers, from my experience, are very aware of his issues. It’s part of the draw. Enjoyment of him tends to be an analytical fixation. I haven’t met a single Equius-Liker that hasn’t had some very complex thoughts on him. They’re just kinda quiet about it. Fitting.

Unfortunately, I’m Aranea But Real, so. No quietness here.

Your response to Equius is valid. It’s also intended, I feel. To specifically address the bits about concerns of his relationship with Nepeta not being healthy… I mean, it’s not abusive, but it’s definitely more complicated than fan art would lead you to believe, as always. “Complicated” is to be expected from a Moirallegiance - remember what they exist for?

Nepeta is very much so in control of the things going on, and their relationship is pretty equal, all things considered, so I wouldn’t be worrying too much about that. She very distinctly does not lack agency here - Nepeta is the one who has a leash on Equius, not the other way around. Equius is mean, because that’s the way she is to… Everyone, more or less, but she’s not of any danger to Nepeta. They have a fine Moirallegiance. 1,000% more functional than whatever the fuck Karkat and Gamzee had going on.

Anyway. I think Equius is neat, and has both missed and oft overlooked potential. One of the very few characters I’d be 100% down to have seen more content of in the comic.

Once again, check out this post. I still think it’s decent. Maybe you will, too.

[yourpeepysucksdotorg]

Looking back on my syscourse days with the wisdom of age, I feel as if I can pinpoint a single psychological concept that explains why syscourse is so prevalent to begin with, and why it’s so toxic and inescapable; group polarization. Basically, people are more likely to come to extreme conclusions or make risky decisions when in a group with those sharing the same ideologies, even though most members of the group will have the same core beliefs that aren’t nearly as radical.

In syscourse, this most often occurs when people debate the validity of endogenic systems. It also makes it impossible to have a good-faith discussion on the matter.

I’m not endo-neutral, and while my thoughts on the matter can be found elsewhere on my blog, I’ll remain neutral for the sake of this post making it to as many people as possible, because I genuinely believe so much fighting could be stopped if we just recognized the unhealthy patterns we’ve fallen into. Disordered systems who are anti-endo seem to blame endogenic systems for a lot of things, and while I’m not endogenic, I can pretty accurately guess that having a bunch of strangers tell you that you make their lives worse by expressing your identity makes you feel shitty. This keeps the two communities separated outside of verbal spats, and of course, after these spats, members of both communities will want support. Once again, I can’t speak from the endogenic perspective. But I know that anti-endos will continue to perpetuate that endos are bad, that you didn’t do anything wrong, that they’re just dumb and stupid. Which, I can assume this keeps endogenic systems in constant defense mode, as they constantly have to check which system blogs or servers are or aren’t okay to interact with, out of fear of being attacked by other systems, or worse, becoming some kind of lolcow for singlets.

When both sides feel like they’re being attacked, no productive discussion can be had. Once again, I do have my own opinions on the matter, but right now, I’m really just advocating for all systems to treat each other like living beings. If someone is being terrible to you, there’s no pressure to fight back. Just block them. While that one person might be an asshole, there are so many more people who care about you, support you, and want you to exist more than you even know. This is a saying as old as time, but don’t feed the trolls. Don’t aggressively retaliate, because you’re just giving them more material to bend to their will. And if you’re the one perpetuating assholery, just stop.

Maybe I’m just being an optimist, but I believe that so much syscourse could become irrelevant if we realized that the world isn’t black and white, and there aren’t good and evil systems. We’re all in this together, singlets are still gonna treat us like we’re nuts. We need to stand united rather than push each other further and further away.

[hamiltonconfessions-but-better]

Before getting into the main article, I'll quickly debunk a few common misconceptions: 

1) Alexander Hamilton never purposely set his son up for his death. In Blow Us All Away he talks about how his mother can’t afford another heartbreak and he doesn’t want her to get hurt. And even if Phillip hadn’t thrown away his shot as Alexander instructed him to, he would’ve been shot anyway because Eacker shot early on the count of seven.

2) Alexander Hamilton is not a villain, there is no villain in Hamilton. If you think here is, you missed the entire point of the musical and Burr’s insight. He calls himself the villain in Hamilton’s history because people will always find their own opinions on people and paint them as the villain without sharing the full story. LMM did just this by giving insight on both Hamilton and Burr, its history, there is no villain. Everything musical Hamilton did was in good intentions. He was never intentionally malicious nor did he ever go out of his way just to hate on Aaron Burr as people like to think. 

3) Alexander Hamilton isn’t this heartless person who doesn’t care to spend any time with his family. He always tried to make time for them, and he even says himself in Dear Theodosia that he’d never be anything like his father. He says in It’s Quiet Uptown he’d give his life up for Phillip’s, and he does take pride in everything his son does. He constantly worries if he’d be enough for Eliza in That Would Be Enough, who says herself that he’s perfect the way he is, she just wishes he’d share a fraction of his time. Although unfortunately he can’t spend a lot of time with her due to his job, it’s clear he genuinely loves and cares for her.

—

Alexander Hamilton cared about his family

The interpretation that Alexander Hamilton is a kind of sociopath, who's action/speech is an elaborate facade, is unsupported fan speculation.  As a 2 hour long musical, LMM had enough time to establish any character personality traits, motivations, and how they act. If this was the case, it would be addressed in the musical as it would be an important plot-line. When there are multiple songs in the soundtrack describing Alexander’s character, especially at the first track, everything is consistent with his pros and cons. For example, when Alexander worries about being good enough for his family - that is how he actually feels. Alexander makes sure to stay alive and make it out the Battle of Yorktown for his wife.  Alexander’s personality is consistent with every character he interacts with: His wife, friends and enemy- never once displaying sociopathic traits of being able to switch facades.  So his dialogue/actions are genuine and valid evidence. 

Alexander’s affections towards Eliza before he even discovered about the child. Proving Alexander loved Eliza, and loved her for for herself and not some of other malicious motive involving rank:

"Eliza, I don’t have a dollar to my name, an acre of land, a troop to command, a dollop of fame [...] "No stress, my love for you is never in doubt." [...] "As long as I’m alive, Eliza, swear to God you’ll never feel so helpless. [...] "My life is gonna be fine cause Eliza’s in it".  - Act 1, Helpless.

He clearly wasn't doing it to get some tactical advantage for himself, as he says himself that he’s worried that he can’t provide for Eliza’s life in That Would Be Enough. Even if it was a plan he was doing by himself, he would have definitely mentioned it while he was confessing everything in The Winter’s Ball as it would have been the subject.  But he doesn't. Clearly, it's not true. When Alexander asks if it mattered “if, Burr, or which one” he says that as a joke, he’s never met any of the Schuyler sisters. He says it as a joke because Burr brought up his image as a tomcat. They’re friends, they’re making jokes about how they’re reliable with the ladies. Not once was Alexander toying with Eliza’s emotions for his own benefit. 

alexander hamilton defense essay 1/(?)

-alexander hamilton defense anon

.

[hugheses]

these are just some thoughts after seeing ur post on the hockey thigh thing btw, and i hope you hear me out. you being a lesbian (im bi and i have a gf currently), which is something you emphasise a lot, and not being attracted to these dudes doesnt make this whole parasocial archive any less weird or creepy. i'm not here to shit on or invalidate your passion, because obv its something you care about deeply from how much your scour the web for all these old things, even of their mother when she was young. and genuinely, thats pretty cool, i work in archival and i have a lot of respect for that with the effort you've put into it.

but i think you are encouraging others to imitate this blog and culture, when it comes to other players who aren't as in the media as the hughes family. like i agree that its part and parcel of the job as athletes who represent a multitude of things like ur franchise ur family etc, but i feel like we just shouldn't proliferate this. i know people on twitter are unjustly harsh and oftentimes critical to the point of meanness, but i think some points they share are valid. just bc its on the internet, doesnt give us the permission to do stuff ykwim? like imagine just going up to the hughes and giving them a scrapbook of every media moment from their mothers childhood, to her college, their dad, and them as kids and now as adults. thats just straight up weird. and don't even get me on the sexualisation, i get they are adults but isn't that just basic respect?

i know having an internet community is rlly important to some, and im sure ur followers would still give you that support u need even if you dont constantly supply them with these media things, or dangle ur secret archive like a carrot over them.

hoping you have a great day

you clearly put a lot of time and thought into this, so i will give you that same level of consideration back. i think you have some misunderstandings about me, hockey fandom, and fandom culture as a whole.

first, the lesbian thing. admittedly tumblr search is very broken but according to it i’ve mentioned the word lesbian twice on here, as a disclaimer for why i might not be the best person to understand what male attracted people find hot. it's possible it's come up a few other times but it’s definitely not something i "emphasize a lot". it's somewhat ironic that you bring up you being bi and having a gf in what reads to me like a deflection on your critique that i say i'm gay too much, when you seem to think me saying i'm a lesbian is bc i'm trying to deflect on sexualizing these guys. which admittedly is the most confusing part of your entire ask. is this solely about the thigh ask? if you’re worried about "basic respect", hockey fandom is probably not the place for you. i know i don't like seeing 500 reader insert posts every time i open anyone's tag, which is why i have related terms muted and block people who don't use them. however this is very much a part of hockey fandom and i’m aware of that. on the flip side, the unfortunate reality is that hockey players are some of the nastiest misogynistic men on the planet who generally do not see women as actual human beings beyond mommies, maids, and holes. if i WAS sexualizing these men 24/7 i would feel well within my rights to do so, and could make an only slightly ironic argument for it being feminist praxis. if jack hughes can ask girls to flash him, i can have a little sexualization, as a treat. 

calling me weird and creepy isn’t actually negated by following up with saying you're not trying to shit on or invalidate my passion and you respect the effort i put into it. if you think i’m weird and creepy, you’re allowed to feel that way, but actually own it if that’s what your opinion is.

you imagined this scrapbook scenario and then say that it’s weird. i agree, that hypothetical thing would be weird. good thing i’m not doing that, will never do that, and take many efforts to have a strong fourth wall and keep this blog separate from the people it's about. i am a firm believer in keeping fandom private and secluded! that's why im not tweeting all of this and tagging them. 

it’s a big leap for you to assume that i do this because i "need support". not that it matters, but i do all of this because i find it fun and i’m being generous with people who do not have the time/resources/know-how to find this stuff on their own. there's nothing wrong with finding a community online, but i had one before doing all this. in fact, all of this has been really more trouble than it's worth in terms of harassment vs kindness lmao. some people on here have been lovely to me, but i’m beyond the age where i need virtual validation from strangers. you’re right about one thing, i do dangle my secret archive like a carrot, largely for petty reasons because of a few specific assholes. 

you seem to think i’m the only person who does stuff like this. update/archival accounts are very common for musicians, actors, even like... tiktok influencers. were you not online when people hacked an airport security cam feed to watch one direction sit and do nothing? everything ive ever posted on here has been available to the public. i’m just good at finding stuff. even within this smaller sports fandom on tumblr, i have been inspired by OTHER BLOGS who were doing this before me and go way harder than i do. i didn’t invent the concept of collecting information and images about public figures like you seem to think i did, but thanks.

if you want to critique fandom culture as a whole, go right ahead, but i ask that you keep the sanctimonious lectures out of my inbox, especially when they're based in assumptions. any one of these things could have been questions i would be willing to chat about if you were actually curious about me and what i do. i in fact have lots of opinions that might surprise you on many of these things you mentioned. but i will have those conversations with other people, who talk to me with the respect and dignity that i deserve.

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

You and I share a lot of the same literary opinions so I want to know your opinion on this Some people are waaay too invested in a lot of the retelling and essentially remakes of mythology and not the actual history of the myths. For example, Hades and Persephone's origin, where she was literally kidnapped by the god, sure they might have had the "more stable" marriage compared to Zeus and Hera, but it still not great. (It is a mythological marriage from a culture that had horrible views on women)

Ares as the absolute bloodthirsty monster when he was originally a protector of women

Even the humans in myths aren't free from it when I see people get genuinely para-social fandom with Odysseus when analyzing the myth compared to the musical and video games that feature the character.

The modern interpretation of myths have made a lot of people forget the origins and should anyone base something on the original myth it gets extreme hate. I played a game where Persephone killed Hades because he kidnapped her, which is a valid interpretation and continuation of the myth. That is not saying one can't prefer or like the retellings, I find the more modern interpretation of the Hades and Persephone myth great (it is just the most common example rn), but people can't neglect the original myth.

I could go on a fucking tangent about the hades and Persephone myth.

Because it’s not even that, it’s literally called ‘Hymn to Demeter’… It’s about a woman literally defying the gods in order to get her daughter back from the underworld. It wasn’t a tale of an overbearing parent, but a loving one, she wasn’t against Hades and Persephone because age gaps, or whatever, she was against her daughter being taken away from her, or, in a metaphorical sense, dying. It was a tale to give power back to mothers and young girls forced into arranged marriages, where the daughters were taken away from their families, and it was also to make people feel less intimidated by death, as it also promised to the followers of Persephone intimate knowledge about the underworld.

But I’ll stop about that. I think some of the modern interpretations are cool, they just lack the meaning of the original tale.

I think a lot of modern retellings are trying too hard to make myths ‘comfortable’ and sanitised, instead of merely adapting them to the new context. They want Hades and Persephone without the work, so they make Demeter an overbearing parent, as it’s the best they can do to make Hades and Persephone ‘okay’.

I’m not very well-versed in other myths, but honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if similar issues ensued. I know some have changed certain things in order to get their point across, if they’re trying to emphasise certain points, which I think is excusable, to an extent. But when you’re changing something so *fundamental*, it gets so fucking jarring.

I also think retellings need to stop using such negative language about the original. ‘Feminist retelling’ ‘giving a voice to characters that didn’t originally have one’ and it’s not feminist or giving a voice to the voiceless, it just talks about the original in a really non-helpful way. It just gives people the idea that original myths are these terrible out-of-date stories and not the basis for so much modern literature.

[kat-rose-griffith]

Hi. I love you blog ❤️

But I have an unpleasant question to ask. I hope it doesn’t bring your mood down and I hope that you may have some advice.

I love the Bridgerton community here and I genuinely enjoy the series analyses and the memes and love and praise for the actors. But you know how the situation with Luke has been recently.

I had to block #lukola and lukola content since the comments are mostly generated under this tag. I know that not everyone is using it romantically but I hoped that it will bring down the amount of posts that make me see red or genuinely depressed me. And I still have to block users just to remove their posts from my dash even though I thought that the filter may help.

I want to generate positivity instead of fighting but some posts are just THAT outrageous that I feel the need to dismantle them. By doing that I feel like I keep the hate train rolling simply by bringing the content of these posts into question in order to point out how harmful they are. I’ve also tried doing nothing and ignoring, but it feels like I’m letting the baseless cruelty slide and letting my principles and who I am at the core down.

I’m not sure what to do anymore and I’m thinking about stepping away from all social media for a while. But this thought also makes me sad because I used to love it here and I still (sometimes) do.

Do you have any advice? How do you deal with this? Maybe I have to filter something more? Do you see any way to contribute something good without fighting but also without hiding and running away from the tide?

If I’ve overstepped, I am sorry, and if you decide to remove the ask or not answer it I would absolutely understand. Thank you for listening in any case ❤️

Oh my gosh you’re so sweet. Thank you so much for enjoying my blog. That means so much to me and I truly appreciate it!

As far as advice goes I don’t know if I have a lot. I know it can get really hard to not let other peoples hatred and negativity bring you down. It can get really frustrating especially when the hate is as illogical and unwarranted as the harassment that the bridgerton actors, especially Luke, have been getting. It’s not guaranteed but hopefully the aggression will die down with some time as people move on with their lives. Just know that you’re not alone in these feelings.

I’m personally pretty susceptible to this kind of negativity too. That’s why tumblr is my only form of social media. The way that I try to work with those reactionary feelings is pretty similar to what you’re already doing. Whenever I see something that affects me like that I just block it and move on. Sometimes I do forget to do that and get wrapped up in scrolling through the hate or typing up a response, but then I have to stop myself and think if it’s really worth my time. I remind myself that these people want attention and they want the notes on their posts to feel validated in their opinions. It is hard but the best course of action is to try to just ignore them because they’re truly not worth the stress or energy.

With that I do want to say don’t be afraid to vent your feelings on your own blog. If you don’t feel comfortable putting it in the tag or associating it with your blog because you don’t want to deal with those people harassing you there that’s completely fine. You can always leave it untagged, type it up but leave it in your drafts, create a side blog just for that, or block them when they leave an upsetting comment. I’ve just found that it’s helpful to me to let out how I feel on here instead of holding it in and it’s especially helpful when I find people who actually get it and share my feelings. That’s actually one of my favorite things about tumblr.

Another thing that I try to do is just make my blog a nice place that I’m proud of, which is why you liking my blog has made me very happy. I try to share as many things that I like as I can. With the negativity in the tag surrounding Luke I’ve just been trying to counter it with any positive post that comes to my mind to drown out how negative and hateful some people have been. These people aren’t the majority, they’re just loud. That’s why whenever I’ve been making posts about this season I’ve been putting them in Luke and Nicola’s tags. If you have other social media accounts spamming the cast and their tags with love, complements, or just anything that’s not hateful to counter the hate spamming that they get is always a good idea too.

All that being said if it is all too much I always recommend just stepping away from social media for a second. It can be very overwhelming and hard to remember that it’s not real life, so if you ever feel like it’s effecting you too much just check in with yourself and walk away, for at least a bit.

I know that’s not great advice, but I’m going to post this in all of the tags that I use for bridgerton to see if anyone else has any advice that might be a bit more helpful. I’m very sorry that you’ve been experiencing this too and I hope that it gets better. Thank you so much for liking my blog, that really did make my day

[noddytheornithopod]

I'm aware of this sudden spike of discourse around The Good Doctor, and while I have never seen the show and I think many Autistic people are right to feel uncomfortable about how it portrays them, the way people are treating it with memes and stuff to criticise it bothers me?

Like I'm seeing even Autistic people instead of engaging in thoughtful critique just share memes and mock the character in it. And like, you can say it's "bad acting" or an "inaccurate portrayal", but I still think there's something uncomfortably ableist in how people are acting?

Like, the way people are acting is like when people act like bullying "weird" people or people who don't have friends is fine, but suddenly you find out they're Autistic and then you find out it's all bad to do that now but only because they have that formal label.

That's what this whole Good Doctor thing reminds me of. Thing is, even if it might not be true to you... I know other Autistic people who watch the show and even relate to the character. It might be problematic or not fully authentic, and you have every right to feel that way, but the thing is, not every Autistic person is the same. Some of us DO respond in ways many of us would write off as stereotypical. Some of us DO act in ways that might make us uncomfortable, and are not what we want to think of ourselves as.

Like, it feels a lot like there's a lot of respectability politics going on, deciding what the "right" way to show us is like, which is ironic given we're trying to fight a lot of stereotypes in the first place, which TGD sounds like it does fall into.

I might even go as far as calling it purity politics, in that we're so concerned with how people see us that anything uncomfortable is making people react poorly and lashing out as a result.

I will reiterate, I have not seen the show. I've heard mixed opinions from the friends I've spoken to, their relationship with it is complex. It doesn't sound like something I'd care for, especially with the neurotypical lens it's created through.

But my ultimate point is... no one of us is the same. We're not a monolith. Even if the show does suck hard, some of us might still relate, and they're not bad people because of it. Deciding who is and isn't a "good" Autistic is gatekeeping bullshit we don't need.

So yeah, you don't have to like The Good Doctor. You can hate it. But the way people are mocking it instead of having serious nuanced, empathetic discussions feels just like one step away from giving Allistics permission to mock us.

You can go "oh it's from us so it's fine!" but people still can internalise bigoted beliefs about themselves. Look at the purity politics in queer communities, for example. To act like your actions have no consequences is pure arrogance.

Also, think of how it looks out of context. I know I just whined about respectability politics but seriously... random person making fun of an Autistic character? Even if you make excuses, it still looks shitty, even if your reasons ARE valid.

I'm not defending this show. I do not have interest in doing so. What I'm concerned is that Autistic people have given in to internet toxicity and the need to appear perfect to the point we're willing to throw anyone who doesn't fit the "good" narrative under the bus.

And lastly, if you see me not uncritically mocking the show in a way that would be identical to a neurotypical bully at work or school and think that makes me your enemy, you're exactly who I'm talking about. Take a breath, step back, shut up, and reflect on yourself. You're really going to give into petty infighting over a show that some people have more complex feelings about than just pure hate when there's groups like "Aspie Supremacists" and the "Autistic Dark Web" out there?

You're not making our lives better by putting people who have diverging opinions about a questionable show on twitter or whatever. If you genuinely want better, more nuanced representation (I do too!), start by not putting each other down in the first place.

[grandmother-goblin]

Some thoughts about Astarion and romantic relationships because why the hell not!

As always, these are my opinions! My experiences color my interpretation just like your experiences color yours! Not here to fight, just here to talk about a character I like because I’m a huge geek.

1. After all he did whilst under the influence of Cazador, I strongly believe that he doesn’t really want sex or romance without a genuine connection with the other person.

2. This is why the potential scene with the drow twins makes me feel a little bad for him. I think if Astarion agrees to it, it’s mostly for Tav’s sake and not because he really wants to. But he does want to make Tav happy. And I think Tav, in that case, is a bit selfish for asking that of him.

3. Or! If Astarion agrees to the thing with the drow twins, it might just be because he doesn’t know how to say no or he’s falling back into old habits.

3. Or! Lastly, maybe he does genuinely want to try it! And then he gets there and is like “oh…. Oh no… Well, I’m committed now.” While I can see this being possible, I find it a little difficult to wrap my head around why he would want to try it in the first place. Because he’s essentially just using his body for people again. One of those people is Tav, who he cares about, but he doesn’t know the drow from the gnome two blocks down. (This is probably just a me thing. I’m sure him wanting to try would make total sense to some people and that’s valid! My little pea brain doesn’t totally get it though lol)

5. All that being said, I think Astarion is perfectly capable of being in a healthy polyamorous relationship in certain scenarios! But it would depend a lot on his current mental state, where he is in terms of healing from his trauma, and how secure he feels in his relationship. I’ll use Halsin as an example because that’s a possibility in game.

6. Case 1: Astarion and Tav are in a secure relationship and Tav wants to hook up with Halsin (just sex). Astarion, I think, would be okay with that provided that he feels confident/secure in his relationship with Tav. Far be it from him to keep Tav from a good time! No pressure for his involvement beside his permission.

7. Case 2: Astarion and Tav are in a secure relationship and both of them are emotionally close with Halsin. I think Astarion would be totally chill with polyamory in this case. Him and Tav want the same thing and he doesn’t have to worry about Halsin stealing Tav away.

8. Case 3: Astarion and Tav are in a secure relationship, and Tav wants a threesome with him and Halsin. Unless Astarion is already close with Halsin, I feel like he would be less okay with this. It would be similar to (2) on the list where Astarion is mostly just trying to make Tav happy.

9. Last headcanon and one that I know not everyone will agree with: Astarion is a possessive bastard.

10. Astarion went so long without having anything to call his own, not even his own body, so I think that when he’s in a relationship that Tav is his. He can share Tav if he wants to, but at the end of the day he has to know that he is Tav’s first choice.

11. This is where polyamory would probably get messy with him. I think that he would need to be Tav’s favorite. If Tav seemed to be liking their partner just as much as they liked Astarion, I think Astarion would get really jealous and insecure really fast.

12. My personal favorite scenario for Astarion is a monogamous relationship (this is not everyone’s favorite scenario! That is okay! I’m not fighting you!) The reason why this is my favorite because I think this is ultimately what Astarion would feel most comfortable with. It leaves less room for doubt, insecurity, jealousy, etc (I am fully aware these pop up in monogamous relationships as well. I am not exalting monogamous relationships here. I personally just think that would be the most comfortable situation for this particular character. Your opinions may differ and that’s fine!)

I can probably talk about this more, but that’s all I’m gonna say for now! Again, absolutely not judging or calling out anyone who thinks differently. You do you! I’m just throwing thoughts around like confetti because why not?

[vain-creature]

is it like… an inherent narcissistic trait that a person w NPD must be constantly manipulating and on edge and that every part of their life must be entrenched with the disorder?

I was thinking i might have it but unless in direct danger of vulnerability or being seen a certain way I just… chill? I’m not always on the lookout and manipulating and everything I do or don’t do isn’t always related or consciously related to it. Again, I’m just questioning so I might not be the best example of this, but I believe there are people with NPD who live “normal” lives, just with a disorder? People with diagnosed NPD who have friends and partners and family they’re not bent on manipulating for attention? That they like spending times with for the sake of it? And I’m sure there are people with NPD who have a job that has nothing to do with their disorders, or is even in direct conflict with it (for example something that draws little attention but that they like doing)? Because people with NPD still have a conscience and likes and dislikes.

Even discarding my own possibly non-NPD experience, it’s still weird the way people who have it are framed. And it is very characteristic of this personality disorder, and not any other (maybe aspd? i’m not sure).

For example, I was just reading an article on NPD, and the (clearly biased) writer said: a covert narcissist will pretend to be shy for attention. And I was like: or maybe they are shy? why can’t they just genuinely be shy? NPD is a disorder that affects people, not a strict way to be that controls every part of the person. People with NPD are still people and they still have personality, and they can be shy. Maybe the vulnerable narcissist is actually shy and quiet? Instead of presenting as such for attention.

I swear this view of the disorder is so stupid, I can’t believe it is the shared consensus.

Yeah, I think believing that every pw/npd is inherently a manipulator is extremely biased. Just because someone has NPD it doesn't mean they are a master manipulator, and depending on what it is comorbid with it can look really differently (eg. autism, like with me)(and don't get me started about how hard it can be to even notice that what you are doing/thinking/feeling is not really normal, especially with comorbidities!)

The disorder is inherently a part of how I view the world, sure, but it doesn't cause me distress 100% of the time, every second, every day. In my opinion the diagnostic criteria are pretty ambiguous (I am one of the "takes everything literally unless hinted otherwise" people so I went "well I am not doing x ALL the time so I don't fit the criteria")

I, personally, resort to manipulative actions when I am feeling like my ego is in danger, and in most cases it is, as I call it, a knee-jerk reaction, instinctual, automatic, subconscious. A lot of epithets, I know, but I want to convey the thing clearly sksksk. Even when I do it consciously, it is not malicious - my main goal is, always, first and foremost, preserving my ego, preserving my image. I don't deny that I may have hurt others through my actions, but I don't want it to happen. I don't like hurting others because it also endangers my ego, after all. Being a good person is very important to me, and both external and internal validation are really important for my mental well-being. If I went left and right hurting others it would be really damn hard to get that external validation!

So, when nothing like that is happening, I am well-adjusted, I would say, at least in the npd range. Do I still think of other people inferior and myself superior? Yeah. But I also have people my mind considers equal to me, people I genuinely enjoy spending time with. (Also like. just because I think someone is inferior it doesn't mean I treat them badly?????? Idk where that notion came from in anti-npd folk, but like in my eyes me treating people I find inferior nicely is actually proof how good of a person I am so like???)

Because of knowing I have NPD I have started noticing when I am manipulative, and, just like you said, I have at least the semblance of conscience, so I really try to restrict that. Not always works out, but at least I am trying. Not every pw/NPD is evil and malicious, after all.

Also, like, most people need some form of attention to be healthy, fishing for it has no negative value.

There seems to be this specific bias appearing when people write or generally perceive pw/NPD -> every little action, every trait, every word, is, actually, a well-orchestrated plan to manipulate or otherwise fool others. Well, that's straight up wrong. There's so much diversity in the world, it's not that improbable that someone with NPD could be shy, for example. We are not cartoon villains rubbing our hands together at every possibility to lie and deceive!

If the perception of NPD was not.... what it currently is :/// I would have known way earlier! At least for me it was a random coincidence that I learned stuff about NPD that was not the evil black-eyed demon from pop-psychology. I was extremely unaware of all the ways it manifested in me and now I can actually realize that my feelings and thoughts are actually often skewed.

There is always one article I like consulting about things NPD, NPD Basics from McLean Hospital, which outlines that current diagnostic criteria are... well. Really biased towards the grandiose side of NPD

The NPD diagnosis in DSM has been criticized for being one-sided and relying primarily on external socially and interpersonally striking and provocative features. As such, it has failed to capture the full range of narcissistic personality pathology, especially the internal vulnerability and insecurity characterized by severe self criticism, insecurity, confusion, shame, aloneness, and fear. Instead, the diagnosis has primarily emphasized external characteristics related to boasted grandiosity, and obviously adverse interpersonal functioning. Important aspects of the patient’s internal distress and painful experiences of self-esteem fluctuations, identity diffusion and emotional dysregulation have not been included.

Contrary to the external confidence, arrogance, and insensitivity, people with pathological narcissism and NPD tend to struggle with a shifting and conflicting sense of self and identity. Underneath a more noticeable self-praising or self-enhancing outward facade they can be excessively self-critical and judgmental.

Both clinical and empirical studies have confirmed that emotional distress, interpersonal vulnerability, a sense of inadequacy, need for control, avoidance, and fear, pain, and anxiety are important facets of narcissistic personality functioning. Co-occurrence and fluctuations between self-enhancing grandiosity and self-depreciating vulnerability are also present in narcissistic pathology. Typical indications of narcissistic vulnerability include inferiority and insecurity, avoidance, shyness, hidden aggressive reactions, shame, and persistent self-negativity. Paradoxically, hidden excessive self-negativity can also serve empowering, protective, and controlling functions. Additional characteristics frequently found in patients with NPD are perfectionism and high standards accompanied by self- and other-directed criticism, as well as by preoccupation with fear of not meeting standards and of failing. In addition, chronic envy, rage, boredom, and emptiness can co-occur with hyper-vigilance and defensive emotional reactivity, especially aggressivity, criticism, and dismissiveness.

^ Three interesting fragments. Notice the connection between traits associated with grandiosity with underlying issues associated more with covert npd -> at least in my experience they are two sides of the same coin! That's why I don't necessarily identify with one or the other, because depending on the situation, social norms and people I am with, I may come off as both a grandiose and covert narcissist! The line is not as rigid as it may seem, I would even say it can often be nonexistent.

mclean.org/npd-provider-guide

^ a link for those interested! It's a really good read and I recommend it to anyone questioning if they may have NPD

:)

[aardvaark]

I watched Leverage growing up and when I eventually discovered the fandom online/on tumblr I was genuinely shocked to see everyone hated The White Rabbit Job when it had been one of my favorite episodes as a teenager. I understand it's fucked up (part of why I liked it) and a little or really a lot campy/unrealistic (part of why I liked it) but I always like (as an exception to the norm ofc, it works best when it's rare) when the mark is sympathetic, and I liked the weird dream state stuff, and what the story brings out in Sophie and Parker's characters/narratives (and Nate, too, and his arrogance/brilliance/faith in the team). I don't think it's necessarily still one of my favorite episodes but I still enjoy it, although I understand better why some people don't like it. It's just funny to me every time I think about it because I always remember my initial reaction of "what do you MEAN people dont like the white rabbit job????" < totally mystified teenager me

huh, i had no idea it was so unpopular! definitely not one of my favourites, and i can see why it might not be well-liked, but i didn’t know how much people disliked it. i’m pretty new to interacting with the fandom here. im guessing the problems are how much they mess with a guy who’s fairly decent iirc and how the idea of that kind of psychological manipulation happening to you would be pretty terrifying. i can understand that. sometimes surreal things are kinda triggering for various reasons - paranoia, delusions, OCD, etc. and no it’s probably not the most realistic of their cons haha!

though mainly i liked the parker moments anyway, not so much the con. there’s:

one of the last major moments in the sophie & parker relationship arc, with sophie saying she trusts parker to talk to the mark alone.

parker proving that sophie was right to trust her, too, because she talks the mark down by herself, and she does it *as parker*, not as a grift and not trying to emulate sophie. she does it in her slightly awkward, very parkerish, completely valid way - she’s earnest and brave, and it’s not what sophie would have said (sophie would probably be very sweet and soothing) but she doesn’t have to talk to people like sophie. parker’s own way of connecting works, possibly better than sophie’s method would have!

parker opening up a little about her brother. and talking about her Feelings to a stranger!!showing a bit of vulnerability and sharing!!

parker coming back at the end and asking if they’re all good, sophie asking her if they’re all good, and parker saying they are.

THE line "they thought i was crazy, but i never was! i never was" which is SO important. parker’s always taken it on the chin when people say she’s crazy, insane, that there’s something wrong with her (and not in the now-affectionate eliot way). people have told her that for a long time. maybe she’s even believed it. but now she insists that not only is she not crazy now (ie after some time with her new family who’ve helped her heal), but that she was never crazy - not when she was a traumatized and grieving autistic kid, not when she was a scared and closed off teen or young adult, not when she does or says things that people call "weird". and she says it like a realization and she sounds so determined and insistent and aaahh!!! it’s just so important!!!!!

anyway yeah. i guess i don’t know about the episode overall, but i enjoyed the parker moments. she’s my favourite, im not even gonna pretend lol. i really like the sophie & parker relationship beats in this one and that it shows how incredibly far parker has come - without changing who she is at her core. that’s how i viewed it, at least! totally willing to hear other opinions tho :)

[moonjxsung]

Hi Star!! 💫 Before I jump into my question, I just wanted to say something. I know words can’t magically take the weight off anyone’s shoulders, but I really, really hope you find little bits of joy, fulfilling rest, and tasty treats waiting for you after work or whenever life tries to rain on your parade! I hope you can always feel loved because you're genuinely amazing! ❤️💗🤍💗❤️

Now, onto my question! TL;DR:

I just don't think blaming passive readers when you rely on “appreciation” or “feedback” to write is the right thing to do, but what's your take on this?

You get a lot of messages, but do you feel like your writing gets enough appreciation?

Are you happy about your interaction with your followers? Would you prefer more writing-related stuff over 'less-relevant' messages?

So, I’ve noticed some writers leaving Tumblr because they feel like they aren’t getting enough meaningful interaction or feedback on their work. I get why they’d feel discouraged, but I also wonder if it’s a bit of a “fixed” mindset, you know? Like, wouldn’t it help to just write for yourself first and others second?

As readers, I think we should absolutely show writers we appreciate them. It’s such an easy way to boost someone’s mood, and it’s honestly just a nice thing to do! But still, should appreciation and interaction be the main reason to write? Isn’t it more satisfying to write because you love it, no matter the response?

I’ve seen some writers are upset with the “passive” reading culture that seems influenced by other platforms (TikTok, IG, etc.), and I totally get that. Tumblr has always felt like a more engaging place, so it’s a bummer when it feels different. But instead of getting too frustrated, I wonder if there’s a way we could adapt and just cherish the people who do interact meaningfully?

I mean, I feel the same frustration with passive culture, but I’ve also noticed some readers genuinely struggle to express their thoughts, not because they don’t care, but just because they don’t always know how to put it into words. Instead of judging “silent likers,” maybe we can just keep encouraging people to leave their thoughts, or maybe even give them examples to make it easier?

Anyway, I wanted to ask your opinion since you’re one of the most interactive writers around here. You respond to Asks with so much enthusiasm and care! But really, do you feel like your writing gets enough appreciation? You get a lot of inbox messages, but I know most of them aren’t about your writing. Would you prefer more writing-related feedback over random Asks? I’d love to hear your take!

Hope this didn’t feel too heavy to read! As a reader, I just really want you to feel appreciated and supported. ❤️

Hi my love!!!! Thank you for the kind words!! I’m taking it day by day and hope you’re taking care of yourself, too 🥹❤️ I’m doing much better and I’m sure things will continue to go up from here. Thank you so much for thinking of me 💓🫶

Also, I absolutely LOVE this series of questions and I feel so honored that you’ve asked me MY thoughts on them, because I have so much to say about this! It always makes me really happy when people pick my brain with interesting questions or long asks to respond to. Genuinely makes me feel so appreciated even if it doesn’t pertain to writing (which might preface my response to this…) but ANYWAYS, let me get into these:

Little disclaimer: I never want my thoughts on this to undermine the emotions of other writers on here. I totally understand the sentiment that sometimes getting virtually no feedback on something and just getting “empty likes” can be really defeating, and can even be a catalyst to stop writing altogether. I share this frustration myself sometimes, and especially with kinktober, I’ve noticed a lot of the organic engagement decrease on here.

At the same time, I’ve always said on here that I don’t write only for the purposes of feedback or for the validation of others, so I am typically able to just brush it off if I don’t see much feedback. Even if I get a handful of sweet comments on a full-length fic of mine who appreciate the time and effort my work took, that’s enough for me. I do think a lot of readers can fail to acknowledge that aside from the sheer amount of effort writing fanfic takes, it’s completely FREE, and we’re not doing it for any incentive. I once described it here as a “world outside the world of just the kpop industry as you know it”, and I still stand by that. When you’re not watching music videos, fancams, content filmed by the members, and you opt to turn to writers’ fictional work, you’re entering a world that WE’VE created for you to be able to like the members more than you already do. And that’s certainly not an easy task. So a second of appreciation for your favorite authors, even just a “thanks for writing this!” Can go a long way for us to keep doing what we’re doing.

My blog, however, has also long transcended the sole purpose of writing fanfiction. It’s a little family we’ve curated on here, an entire tight-knit community of fans who vent, tell jokes, ask questions, tell me about their lives- and some of them, who read my work. I really wouldn’t hold it against my readers if they stopped reading my work, because I do it to strengthen my writing skills and to tap into the ridiculously intricate daydreams I already get lost in. I just offer my writing on here for some entertainment if yall get bored and want something to read. But if I stopped getting likes on my stuff tomorrow, I would still write. If I stopped liking kpop tomorrow, I would still write. I write because I LOVE to write, and that doesn’t mean I’m owed anything by users on a platform simply because I’m posting on it. My middle school computer has a collection of 1D/justin fanfic I never posted anywhere, I just wrote it all because it was fun!

Sometimes people don’t know how to leave meaningful feedback, or they’re a little awkward, or they just get shy leaving feedback on smut. And that’s perfectly okay. Your emotions are totally valid, and you don’t have to explain yourself to me. I don’t expect everybody to feel obliged to interact with me on here in any capacity, or to even enjoy my work. Everybody is different, and I feel happiest when I can write and interact with people on here, not having to overthink how much feedback I’ve gotten.

At the same time- THANK YOU to the people who do leave me feedback. I hope my followers know that I remember every nice comment ever said to me on here, and I hold them all so close to my heart. I once considered physically printing out analyses of some of my works to hang in my room, because they inspired me so much. Your writing about MY writing inspires even MORE writing. It’s a beautiful cycle we have, and I don’t take it for granted in the slightest.

I honestly can’t say I wish that my asks were more pertaining to my writing. I love the way they are now. The occasional “I love this fic!” Makes me super happy, but so does “hey, I got engaged today!” Or “I got my driver’s license!” Or “I’m having a rough time and I need someone to talk to.” I feel honored that people are willing to chat with me on here in any capacity, and I just want this to be a safe space.

TL;DR:

• If you read fanfic, consider leaving feedback. It’s free, and it takes a lot of time. If you can’t, don’t sweat it, but know that every writer is different, and some authors might stop writing if they feel like they’re not getting feedback.

• I personally don’t write for feedback only. If you stop leaving feedback on my stuff, I’m still gonna produce fanfic and post it. Just don’t steal my stuff !!!!

• My blog is a whole community, not just an archive of my work. We can chat about anything and everything. I love interacting with my followers about writing or literally anything else. I’m all ears !!!!

I hope this makes sense, and AGAIN, this isn’t to undermine other people’s opinions of this. I know many authors will disagree, but I’m not trying to promote some narrative that we shouldn’t value feedback. It’s just a shift in my own personal mindset I’ve experienced since curating this little community.

(And I love you, thank you for all these questions!!!! 💕🫶💓 sorry this is so long 😭)

[the-violet-galaxy]

(I’m still a ways off from catching up with the The Sun and Moon Show in the present, but I’ve been keeping up with the story off and on from around the time Ruin was cured; but what’s happening with the current arc with Ruin and Eclipse has given me such big feelings I needed to share them right away!)

(These are my disorganized opinions on Ruin tied in with Moon and Eclipse.) So:

I hope that Ruin isn’t the one who built the new Eclipse, personally. Not only do I adore Ruin (and relate to him a whole lot) and want him to stick around, find his place in this dimension, and be part of the family, but I also worry about what a “Ruin was secretly playing everyone the whole time” reveal would do to Moon.

We’ve seen what Eclipse’s return has done to Moon. It's clear he’s relapsing into violent and paranoid thought patterns, into an unhealthy mindset where he doesn't trust anyone and assumes everyone could be a danger to his family. It’s only getting worse as Eclipse’s arc spirals.

That's why I don't want Moon's paranoia to be validated, by Ruin turning out to be tricking him this whole time. If Ruin went through a whole elaborate act of "Ruin is a small/meek/innocent person who Moon ganged up on and menaced, then Moon felt guilty when his search turned up nothing, then he apologized and began to warm up to Ruin even just the tiniest bit", only for it to be revealed RUIN WAS PLAYING HIM THE WHOLE TIME, AND MOON WAS THE FOOL WHO LET HIS GUARD DOWN AND LET THE THREAT SNEAK RIGHT UNDER HIS NOSE... It would be proof to Moon that his paranoia is correct, and he'll have every reason to double down on it, and getting him into a healthier mindset will be extremely difficult if not nearly impossible thereafter.

"If Ruin could trick me -- after I utilized every resource I had at my disposal to investigate him and found nothing, and I didn’t even notice the threat in front of my face -- then ANYONE can trick me. Anyone who acts nice or innocent or wants to get close to my family could be a bad guy, putting on an innocent act, waiting to attack us! I must NEVER let my guard down ever again, I must never let anyone new into my life, or this could happen again."

It's why I'd rather Ruin be a red herring -- either he's totally innocent and he's just in EVERY wrong place at EVERY wrong time to accidentally make him look suspicious -- or someone like The Mimic, his Virus self, or someone else has hijacked his brain (which is why he has no memories of doing anything bad) or kidnapped him and assumed his form -- and Ruin himself is not at fault. He's genuinely trying to live his new life and doesn't even know he's being used.

The creepy arcade stuff? Let that be the doing of whoever is controlling/disguised as Ruin! The creepy face in that one thumbnail? That’s the person using Ruin as its puppet, watching from the distance!

(That actually puts me in mind of a theory, which I’m just gonna throw out for posterity. I’m not actually sold on this, but it DOES have me thinking:)  

Hell, it could even be the M.X.E.S Entity from the RUIN DLC who lives in Virtual Reality! He could be the one hijacking Ruin’s body and brain, and using the arcade machines to do something! In the DLC there was that Matrix bullshit, where virtual stuff can transform into physical stuff in the real world; so if TSAMS wanted to bring this into their lore, they could easily just change it to be Magic. That means the Entity could be in a Ruin-shaped disguise (or brainjacking Ruin’s body) and slipping in and out of virtual reality, easy-peasy. That’s why Ruin was missing in the back room when Solar checked on him after the memory scrub. M.X.E.S. would be using the arcade machines as, like, those Node things from the DLC. (Come to think of it, if Ruin’s controller and Eclipse’s builder ARE the same person, then, M.X.E.S being in Purple Virtual/Magical Reality could be the reason Eclipse just showed up in the Daycare’s back hallway. The rabbit dumped him there from the other Reality I guess. All part of this crack theory.)

Note: There are lots of gaps in my knowledge of the lore for the rest of the Shows, so I’m not sure if The Entity has been used anywhere else, oops.

Whatever the case, I want it to be either a new villain, The Entity, Mimic, Ruin’s Virus self, etc, -- That way, we can keep our silly British boy around, and Moon can eventually heal into a better mindset, knowing that Ruin himself was never trying to harm him; he'll learn that even though there are dangerous people out there, and even though he’ll always be a deeply cautious person who is very guarded around others, not every individual is a danger to him and it’s okay to trust some of them.

And bonus thought, for Eclipse himself! There was that moment, when Eclipse kidnapped Ruin, where Ruin threw out the possibility of “healing Eclipse’s mind” which was compared to therapy. Eclipse shot this down, but the possibility stuck with me. I think that could be interesting -- if Eclipse realizes Ruin didn’t make him and stops trying to kill him, and the two are able to form a connection. Maybe the first real connection Eclipse needs to start genuinely changing. Or maybe not; that’s a huge if and would be a very long way off and it’s wishful thinking.

But I want good things for Ruin. I love the little guy. Let my boy be good, let my boy have a happy ending ;.; It'll be good for everyone around him too.

[yandere-yearnings]

Waiittt Dar appreciation timeee

so it turns out I’m a suuuper shy reader, I don’t really interact with people because I’m honestly the worst at getting things out and overcoming my shyness, like I mean I type something out and if I make a single typo I’m already contemplating whether or not to delete my whole account 😩

but your blog and you overall radiate such nice vibes!! You are an amazing amazing sweet person, I get super happy whenever I get a notification and I’m being real but I RUN to my phone to see your post, I have no shame in admitting I read your posts over and over again because I love YOU and YOUR work so freaking much, I’m literally kicking my legs while writing this, in my humble opinion you deserve everything positive coming your way, it makes me feel sad seeing YOU sad, you are such a pretty pretty beautiful breathtaking person, I along with many many others appreciate you, so never doubt your abilities, because if you were as bad as you think you are there wouldn’t be so many people loving on you and reading your work,

thank you dar for being so kind and giving to us, I love youuu 🫶🏼🫶🏼

I'M ACTUALLY CRYING?? 😭😭😭 this is literally the sweetest thing and i think it's just taken away all the heaviness in my heart, i genuinely am on the verge of tears like,, i can't thank you enough for this, really.

you're so valid, i totally get where you're coming from!! granted, i don't read a lot bc i'm dyslexic, but that feeling of a single typo making you rethink everything is so familiar to me, i get it completely😩💔 i'm a really introverted person, so it takes a lot out of me to interact with others and while it isn't the exact same as being shy, i think i can understand how difficult it probably is for you and it just means so much to me that despite that, i'm still privileged to the sweetest asks from you. they always, always make my day and i'm so grateful that you feel comfy enough to share your thoughts with me, thank you so much🥺💕

i'm so happy to hear you get good vibes from me and my blog?? literally you've got me blushing rn, the fact that you even have notifs on for me to begin w/ is so flattering, i'm so flattered😭 it's the same for me bc whenever your user pops up i open tumblr so fast, you're always making me smile🥺🩷 a moment of honesty from me but i really hate my writing so i don't have a habit of rereading my posts, the fact that they're decent enough that you come back to them just gives me so many positive emotions i wouldn't be able to describe😩💕 i love you too, i feel like i don't say it enough but i appreciate you sm❗️❗️and you're absolutely adorable, thank you for saying that😭 i'm kicking my feet right alongside you, wishing you always, always stay happy and that everything good in this world comes to you🥰

after all this, i don't think i can be sad anymore, honestly. haven't felt this way in so long and i really owe it to you, so pls don't be sad bc that's the last thing i'd want🥺 thank you for your sweet words, when i say that i could describe you in exactly the same way, i really mean it. a beautiful person w/ a beautiful heart and i feel so insanely lucky to be able to be around for it all🤧 i appreciate you and everyone else as well, i wouldn't be doing this had it not been for all the kindness and compassion you've all been showing me, it truly is everything😌💕

thank you for being even kinder and for taking the time out of your day to send me this, i really suck at expressing myself so you'll never know, but it's really done so much for me🥺🩷 thank you for always receiving so kindly, and know i love you even more❤️

[meraki-yao]

I feel like there’s something wrong with me - I don’t love the RWRB book as much as the wider fandom does and sometimes I feel like I’m being shamed for enjoying the movie more. I just can’t find the same passion in the book like I do for the movie. I tried a few times to get into it - tried to see what about it was so magical. There are a few lines I like, though that’s about it. I’ve read essays and replies and pieces that give it so much praise. What am I missing???

I know the book means a lot to so many people and nothing would be here without Casey….it just puts me off to know there’s such a vehement hatred against the movie adaptation. 😓 I try to avoid the negative stuff in the tags and online but sometimes it pops up and it gets so draining. I don’t want it to taint my experience of the movie because it really came out at a time when I desperately needed joy and love and hope.

I’m glad to follow people like you and others in this fandom who have a deep appreciation and love for what Matthew, Nick, Taylor and co. have given us ❤️ They put so much love and care into the story and i’ll always have a place for it in my heart.

Thanks for listening - hope this isn’t too much to unload on you.

Firstly thank you for viewing my blog as a safe space to tell me this. It means a lot that you trust me. 💜

There is nothing wrong with you for not enjoying the book. Books, movies, and shows are complicated things: We often see consensus in opinions because of the shared experience and taught moralistic values the majority of society shares, but at the end of the day, our perception is our own, influenced by our individual personality, experiences and thoughts. As long as your opinions are genuine (as in you really feel that way, you tried seeing the other side and still couldn't agree with it, and you're not disagreeing for the sake of hurting others and disagreeing), it's okay to have them. They are valid, and you are still a valid part of this fandom.

Just to put in my two cents, while I do love both the book and the movie, and I'm able to view them as equal but alternate tellings of the story like two parallel universes, I do find myself going back to the movie more. There are parts of the book I like more, and there are parts of the movie I like more. But mostly I think because I'm more drawn to older, more mature portrayals, I rewatch the movie more than I re-read the book. So if you're saying you like the movie much more, I do understand. Sometimes a book sticks, sometimes it doesn't. It's just part of the reading process. The fact that you acknowledge that the book means a lot to people and that it's the start of everything and can appreciate that despite not feeling the same way is actually really respectful and nice of you. I appreciate that.

I think a lot of the hate towards the movie is the common adaptation hate. Whenever a book is adapted into visual media, every book fan already has their own idea of what it would look like because they visualize the scenes in their head while reading, and they want the book to come to life page by page, word by word. So when that media goes against what they wanted, they get tend to get upset. Taylor himself talked about understanding the judgment that automatically comes with a book adaptation because he remembered feeling disappointed watching the first Harry Potter movie and realized that one of his favourite characters wasn't in it. The truth is, and I emphasise this a lot, that visual media has a lot more constraints that a book doesn't have, therefore adjustments and changes have to be made. In my opinion, as long as the changes make sense and are consistent, and the core of the story is still present and strong, we should learn to understand the changes. Unfortunately, a lot of people can't look past that.

There was a lot of negative stuff in the tags that I kept seeing when the movie first came out. But please remember that this is your space, and if you just want to have a good time, just block the blogs that write shit about the movie. I blocked a lot during the early days, and I was only using Tumblr for like two weeks at that point. There's a fine line between keeping your peace and staying in an information bubble for confirmation bias, but I think in this case, avoiding it would be the best thing. You're here to enjoy RWRB after all.

As for the tags, honestly, the way I do it is that I follow the tags, but I rarely if ever go look into the tags. See if that's something you wanna consider doing.

As much as you can tone it down and block a lot of it out, negativity unfortunately happens in one way or another. I've experienced it in this fandom. But ultimately the good far outweighs the bad, and if the bad seems overwhelming, I do think it would be a good idea to take a step back from RWRB for a few days and come back when the impact of the negativity dies down.

Again, it's completely okay for you to not enjoy the book, and try to make your experience as happy as you can make it. Thank you again for reaching out to me, I'm glad my love for this movie and everyone involved can make you a bit happier. If there's anything else you want to rant about please feel free to reach out to me again! 💜