#but I’m like. well it exists at least relatively and it’s been happening to me

[itspileofgoodthings]

I saw a friend the other day and she was like “have you read the great divorce” and I said no “and she said well it’s very hard to explain but basically the souls in heaven are more solid than the souls in hell and I just wanna tell you that you’re getting more and more solid every time I see you” and when I say that’s one of the most personal things anyone has ever said to me

[girlactionfigure]

what is happening on the...right?

MARCH 23, 2025

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I’ve spent the past five or so years sounding the alarm -- evidently in vain -- on the mainstreaming of what was once relatively fringe antisemitism on the left of the political spectrum, particularly in the West. 

Now, I’m noticing a similar pattern taking hold on the right, and we need to talk about it.

Please note this post will discuss this issue primarily in an American context.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Like left-wing antisemitism, right-wing antisemitism is hardly a new phenomenon. After all, antisemitism, as the “world’s oldest hatred,” long predates the left-right political spectrum as we understand it today. The Nazi regime, for example, which murdered nearly 70% of Europe’s Jewish population, is what we would consider far-right. White supremacists, who hate Jews as a matter of principle, are far-right. 

But since the Holocaust, blatantly overt and violent right-wing antisemitism -- temporarily, at least -- became increasingly sidelined in mainstream right-wing politics, especially with the rise of Christian Zionism and Evangelical influence on American politics (more on this in a second). 

That’s not to say right-wing antisemitism ever truly disappeared from the mainstream right, because it didn’t.It simply became more covert. For example, the McCarthyist purges of the 1950s carried heavy antisemitic undertones, and McCarthy was, by all accounts, an antisemite, but at least in the open, he was going after “communists,” not Jews.

A RISE IN LEFT-WING ANTISEMITISM WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO A RISE IN RIGHT-WING ANTISEMITISM, AND VICE VERSA

Left and right antisemitism work together, not apart. They are not two separate entities. They utilize the same tropes, same conspiracies, and same stereotypes. Time and time again in history, and to the present day, right-wing antisemites have collaborated with left-wing antisemites with one ulterior mission: to hurt Jews. Antisemites always prioritize their antisemitism over their political views.

When antisemitism rises on the left -- as we have seen in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre -- it also rises on the right, and vice versa. When left-wing antisemites spread antisemitic conspiracies, stereotypes, and tropes, white supremacists hear them loud and clear, and vice versa.

It’s no surprise that with the mainstreaming of left-wing antisemitism in the aftermath of October 7, the antisemitic rhetoric of notorious far-right figures such as Candace Owens, Dan Bilzerian, David Duke, and Nick Fuentes is suddenly gaining more and more traction on the mainstream right as well. 

Antisemitism is not a political position, though it is often weaponized by politicians, and addressing it as such is a distraction that hinders our ability to effectively combat how this bigotry moves and functions.

CHRISTIAN ZIONISM AND THE POLITICAL RIGHT

Zionism is the belief that Jews have a right to self-determination in the Land of Israel. In modern terms, this translates to support for the State of Israel’s continued existence. There are many Christians who are Zionists, but this differs from an entirely separate movement known as Christian Zionism. 

Christian Zionism is the belief that the return of Jews to the Land of Israel and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 was the fulfillment of a Biblical prophecy. Many Christian Zionists also believe that the gathering of all Jews in Israel is a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Jesus. Jews will then be faced with the choice of converting to Christianity or death. Christian Zionism sees Jews and the State of Israel as a means to an end. It’s not about Jewish autonomy, sovereignty, identity, safety, or beliefs. 

Christian Zionism is deeply popular with the right-wing American voter base and has been since the 1970s; as many as 80% of Evangelical Christians are Christian Zionists. However, though naturally many Jews consider the movement uncomfortable, if not outright antisemitic, it is much less overtly antisemitic than the antisemitism we see from far-right white supremacists like David Duke or figures such as Candace Jones.

THE MAINSTREAMING OF CHRISTIAN ZIONISM

American conservative right-wing attitudes toward the Jews started shifting after the Holocaust, but what really changed it all was the mainstreaming of Christian Zionism. 

In the 1970s, an American pastor named Rev. Jerry Falwell formed an organization called the Moral Majority, with the purpose of mobilizing conservative Christians to register to vote for conservative candidates. One of the founding principles of the organization was “support for Israel and Jewish people everywhere.” By the 1980s, the Moral Majority had some six million members. They are credited for putting Ronald Reagan in office.

Falwell was a televangelist, and in 1980, he went on television in front of millions of viewers and stated, “I firmly believe God has blessed America because America has blessed the Jew. If this nation wants her fields to remain white with grain, her scientific achievements to remain notable, and her freedom to remain intact, America must continue to stand with Israel.”

While the Moral Majority was disbanded in 1989, 80% of American Evangelical Christians continue to support Christian Zionism. Despite their real intentions, this meant that, in practice, most conservative Americans started supporting policies regarding Israel that were usually -- but not always -- conducive to Jewish safety (after all, half of the world’s Jews live in Israel and most American Jews feel invested in the security and continued existence of the State of Israel). Overt expressions of conservative and/or Christian antisemitism became much less overt and less mainstream.

RIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY THEORISTS DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANS, JEWS, AND ISRAEL 

Since the explosion of left-wing antisemitism post-October 7, overtly antisemitic figures on the right have gained more and more traction, often by regurgitating rhetoric that perfectly mirrors that of left-wing antisemites, or rhetoric that is only slightly repackaged to appeal to their right-wing audience. In particular, I’ve noticed influencers like Ian Carroll trying to drive a wedge between Evangelical/Christian supporters of Jews and Israel, thus pushing for overt antisemitism to become mainstream and accepted on the political right. 

Consider, for example, Carroll’s now infamous, conspiratorial, and blatantly false rant on the Twins Pod, shortly before he went on the Joe Rogan Experience, the most listened podcast in the world: 

“In the early 1900s…the Rothschild family hired this dude, this pastor, in the deep south. He made a new version of the Bible, called the Scofield Bible. He wrote this new Bible that has all these new interpretations of the text...that’s where Judeo-Christianity kinda came from, and the idea that…this modern Israel thing is the Israel of the Bible, it came from that Bible...And so they had the deals that they could make to get that Bible into all the mega churches across whole denominations of Christianity. So that was when Christianity got kind of…Jewified.”

A white supremacist and Holocaust denier Tweeted this regarding Ian Carroll’s nonsensical conspiracies about the “Scofield Bible”:

Conspiracy theories about and demonization of the Talmud are emblematic of the oldest kind of Christian antisemitism, dating to the Middle Ages. In his response, Carroll implies that his goal is to ultimately return this kind of classic antisemitic rhetoric to the mainstream.

THE RIGHT AND ANTISEMITIC PODCASTERS

The Joe Rogan Experience is the most listened to podcast in the world, with some 19.4 million subscribers on Spotify alone (that’s more subscribers than there are Jews in the world). While Joe Rogan doesn’t call himself a conservative, over half of his listener base identifies as Republican and even more identify as conservatives. In recent weeks, Rogan has hosted two prominent antisemitic conspiracy theorists on his podcast. Among them: 

Ian Carroll, whose comments on the show included calling Jeffrey Epstein “a Jewish organization working on behalf of Israel” and blaming Israel for 9/11.

Darryl Cooper, a Holocaust revisionist, who used his platform on Rogan’s show to call Jews paranoid, claim Hitler opposed Kristallnacht, and insist that Hitler’s antisemitism was a natural response to Germany’s sorry economic state post-World War I.

Rogan justifies inviting these guests on as “just asking questions,” but he never seriously challenges their harmful claims.

Meanwhile, for months, other popular conservative podcasters such as Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson have spent the past year or so really ramping up the antisemitic rhetoric on their respective platforms, engaging on everything from Holocaust denial to October 7 denial to conspiracies about the Talmud and more.

Blair White is a conservative influencer and political commentator who in the past has expressed support for Israel. Now, as antisemitic conspiracies become more and more popular among right-wing figures, she too is engaging in this rhetoric.

For a full bibliography of my sources, please head over to my Instagram and  Patreon. 

rootsmetals

will be VERY interesting to see who shares this who hasn’t shared any of my posts about antisemitism on the left…and vice versa 👀

[kunikame]

# PURPLE LILACS !

[11] - the embrace of home (rediscovered) | prev. | m. list | next

ace trappola x fem!reader smau

! warning(s) : readers first attemp at using magic, meowing, ace trappola is literally the sun, cussing, floyd leech, the curse of ra be upon yee

! w/c : 1087

you find yourself sitting on the wooden floor of the living room, back pressed against the old, dusty couch, hands fiddling awkwardly with the thing crowley gave you.

it’s odd, really. despite having seen countless of these things since you arrived in twisted wonderland, you have never once thought you’d be holding, much less possessing one of them.

lost in thought, you missed the 3 knocks that rapped against the entrance, as well as the heavy creaking of the door.

“dude, you will never guess what i just saw–” startling at the sudden voice, you whipped your head to the side only to see the ginger you called over staring intently at your hands, eyes wider than you’ve ever seen them be, “is that a magic pen?”

“um, yeah. that’s- that’s what happened with crowley, haha. turns out i have magic, or something. yay!” you performed the most awkward jazz hands humanity has ever had the misfortune to witness and ace dropped all the candy packets in his hands.

“huh?!” he rushed over to you, shaking you by the shoulders, “dude, what?! tell me everything!”

“okay- but stop shaking me, damn. um, so he called me in and he went on about having some research and tests done or whatever, and he was all ‘yeah so you basically have a magical affinity haha, the carriage wouldn’t have brought you here otherwise’ and how it was through ‘unfortunate means’ and stuff. he said we would have to run further tests to fully unlock it so he gave me a magestone for now and called it a day, said it would at least power weaker spells and the like,” a moment of silence passes as you look away from him, thinking your next words through carefully, “i didn’t have to accept it– didn’t want to, initially. but then i remembered, and, yeah. i felt compelled to.”

“remembered?”

“my parents. surely they would feel better knowing i can.. protect myself? and live a relatively ‘normal’ life here, if i went through with it. .. they would, right?”

you looked back up at him, your eyes sparkling a little more than they did before, and despite it being further from the truth than the usual blunt, no bullshit ace trappola would have liked, he found himself agreeing.

“.. yeah. yeah, i’m sure they would. i think they’re proud of you for taking that step towards ensuring your safety.”

ace trappola has never been much of a hugger.

but, then again, he’s never been much of a liar, either.

in the warm embrace of your newfound friend, you rediscovered something you missed so dearly, and you sobbed.

not purely over the circumstances you found yourself in, but also because ace was warm.

one hand rubbing soothing circles on your back while the other found itself in your hair, ace was gentle. somehow barely there yet completely enveloping you at the same time, his presence ghosting over you, like a soft blanket on cold winter nights. like the gentle caress of your mothers hand, and your fathers warmth as he sat next to you on the couch. ace trappola felt as warm as the sun, almost like the everlight orb shone purely on him, illuminating his existence– and ace sucked it all up like it was nothing, readily sharing the light and heat with his peers– with you.

ace trappola embodied not only the warmth of the sun, but also the comfort of home.

amidst your sobbing, the loud thumping of a heartbeat went unnoticed.

a short while after your breakdown, you find yourself completing the finishing touches on floyds clay figurine– or ‘floyd jr’, as he likes to call it– with ace by your side, scrolling on his phone while also keeping a steady eye on you.

eventually he discarded his phone completely, his attention now on the creature in your hands. this version of floyd looks far less terrifying than the real one, at least it can’t tackle him at basketball practice, he thinks.

“don’t you want to try it out?”

you hum a questioning tune, eyes flickering up to him for a mere moment, then immediately shooting back to mini floyds hat.

“your magic. it might make it easier to make these. and it’d be a good way to see if it works.”

he did have a point, but you’re almost done with this one and you don’t really want to risk ruining it.

then you remembered some left over fabric from a previous project, and rushed to your room to grab it– you just hoped it would be enough for what you have in mind.

once you returned to your position on the living room floor and cleaned off the table to not break anything that was on it, you grabbed the magic pen and envisioned your creation. ace sat with bated breath (which he will not be caught alive admitting) and as he watched you flick the pen, the fabrics were sent flying all over the room.

“oh.”

“.. maybe it was too complicated a vision for a first time spell.”

you retrieved the fabrics to try again, with a less taxing version of the project in mind.

this time, after a gentle flick of your wrist, the fabrics floated up slowly. they began to weave together with matching colors of threads, the scarlet and whites forming the pattern of the heartslabyul uniforms, while the vermillion floated up to the top of the doll, settling on its head in a messy mop of ginger hair.

once it was finished, the plush doll fell on the desk with a loud plop, conveniently standing up and staring you directly in the eyes.

a short silence settled upon the room then– you didn’t think you could actually do that!

ace reached out for the plushie with shaky hands, slowly lifting it to his face, studying it intently.

“is.. is that me?”

“yeah! i tried my best to make it look like you, at least, haha. i wanted to thank you for, y’know, keeping my secret, and being there for me, or whatever. so, yeah, thanks. you’re not as much of an ass as i initially thought you were, so you get your own merch, like all the people precious to me here.”

‘like all the people precious to me here.’

he’s precious to you? all he’s doing is lying to your face.

but instead of saying that, he smiles, “you’re precious to me, too.”

## ❝ after the events of the phantom bride wedding, ace started wondering whether he still had the ability to charm girls. he hasn’t thought about anyone romantically in years, hasn’t really flirted with anyone either, what if he’s gone out of it? perhaps it’s time to put his talents to the test; with the person who hates him most, no less. if he can charm her, he can charm anyone. ❞

#TAGLIST ! : @solxima @gabirii @lunavixia @y2unagiz @the-ghost-0f-t0m0 @borlining @verity-moon @myunghology @doughnuts-eater @lifeless-bug @babygurlenthusiast @shirishere @xopeach @stormyovent0aster @bontensbabygirl @ars-tral @wrathy-mcwrathface @sinofthesloth @skeet-2 @everettelz @sakuram1nt @shatiyuh @ambigrueity @junebunny06 @norylight @dyedracoonhair @persm1net @meowbuscompany @sugarrush-blush @oopsie-daisy-doo @yuumei-strawberry-shortcake @jaiistg @erigaur // ask/comment or fill form to be added/removed! (if you’re in bold i can’t tag you)

[thedarkestcrow]

10th Blog Anniversary!

Hello everyone, today, March 8th 2025, is the 10th anniversary of my blog here on Tumblr. I know I’ve been almost inactive for the past year, and it’s been relatively quiet here for even longer. With the manga being on hiatus and many of my mutuals focusing on other fandoms or becoming quiet here as well, I didn’t really have much to write about and quite frankly, I didn’t really feel like it, either.

However, this blog is still very dear to me. Even though I’m not posting much, I still check on it regularly. Since today marks the 10th year of this blog’s existence, I wanted to at least do something here. It’s crazy that it’s been 10 years already. When I first started here, it was because I wanted to follow some blogs that provided great content for my favorite manga at the time, be it spoilers for new chapters, translations from Yana’s blog at the time, beautiful art, or interesting theories. But then I started contributing my own content, first with some edits and later with my own theories or analyses which has shaped my blog into what it is today. I got to interact with so many people who share the same love for Kuro. And for that, I’m very grateful.

I know the fandom hasn’t always been nice to each other, there were (and probably still are) sensitive topics that led to nasty arguments that escalated to disgusting insults on a personal level. Fortunately, I’ve never really been on the receiving end of this, probably because I’ve tried to avoid engaging in such conflicts. I love discussion and differing opinions on all sorts of topics. That’s what gives rise to new ideas and perspectives. But it’s important to remain respectful, even or especially towards someone who has a different opinion. After all, we’re all part of the same fandom, so we should stick together and respect each other.

That said – and on a lighter note – I believe the majority of the fandom consists of really great people. That’s been my experience over these past 10 years here. So to those people, thank you! Thank you for sharing your content, be it art, stories, theories, ideas, thoughts and so much more. Thank you for keeping up with me for all these years. Thank you for being nice and making this a fun place on the internet to be. For the most part, I’ve enjoyed running this blog for the past 10 years, and I’ll always have fond memories of my time here.

With the Emerald Witch Arc being animated starting in April and with Yana preparing for the final arc of the manga, I expect more Kuro content and maybe (just maybe) that will get me to be more active here again. I won’t make any promises though, it probably won’t happen until the manga returns and even then it might only be occasionally. Just know that this blog is not abandoned yet.

For the 10th anniversary of my blog I have prepared some posts, at least for today. I hope you’ll enjoy them. Take care, everyone!

[celestiall0tus]

Miraculous AU - Chapter 50 - Ripper

Beginning || Previous || Next

            Viperion ran along the rooftops. He found Chat at the rendezvous point, leaning on the railing. Chat’s ears twitched and he turned as Viperion joined him.

            “Hey,” Viperion said.

            “Hey. How’s it been since, you know?”

            “Quiet, for the most part. Nathalie has been playing mom. Rose and Juleka seem to love it. I haven’t minded, only because she leaves me alone.”

            “She’s doing well?”

            “Yeah. Except for her kwami. Duusu doesn’t like his new accommodations and is always prowling around the house, ready to fight. However, the past few days he’s been perched on Nathalie’s shoulder, refusing to move. I’ve wondered what happened, but I don’t pry so long as fancy bird isn’t out to kill us.”

            “Has Nathalie been any different?”

            “You’d know better than I.”

            “I wish I could see her more often.”

            “How’s it been without her?”

            “There’s a shift in the atmosphere and everyone seems to be in foul moods all the time. My cousin is always angry, throwing tantrums and breaking whatever he can. My aunt just badmouths my cousin when she isn’t yelling at him, which then makes him angrier. And Father seems like he’s unraveling with them around. Probably not helping that I slip out whenever I can. Not just to be rebellious, but I just can’t stand being in that house right now.”

            “I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t even imagine what that’d be like.”

            “It is what it is, I suppose, right?”

            “I suppose. It should get better once the relatives leave right? When are they supposed to?”

            “I don’t know. However, I think that Father will send them back to London right after tomorrow.”

            “Why after tomorrow?”

            “Cause it’s my birthday and that’s the whole reason that Father let them come in the first place. At least tomorrow I can leave the house without sneaking out. Though I’ll have to spend the day with my cousin.”

            “Is that why you invited me along?”

            “Kinda? I also just wanted to hang out with you some more. I had fun when we hung out several nights ago. And I feel like I could learn a lot from you as well.”

            “From me?”

            “Yeah. It’s painfully obvious how sheltered I am. A lot of what I’ve experienced has been from Ladybug and her friends, but I can’t help and feel I’m missing out on something. Not to say that I’m ungrateful to Ladybug, but it just feels like there’s something else I could be experiencing. And when I’m with you, I don’t feel that.”

            “But, why me? I’m no one special. There’s nothing to me at all. And if there is, it’s just a reflection of Souris.”

            “You know we talked about this before, Viperion.”

            “I know, but it doesn’t change the fact of how I feel about myself. Who I am, what I am, it doesn’t matter because it doesn’t exist. I’m just a shell of a person, a mirror that reflects how other people act around me. I mean, look how I treat those close to me. Juleka and I are direct mirrors to each other, always reflecting and bouncing off the other. Marinette I’m nice to because she’s nice to me. Everyone else pretty much ignores me, so I just ignore them.”

            “What about with Alix?”

            “She’s… a unique case. I’m not a reflection with her, but I don’t know what I am.”

            “And what about with me?”

            “I don’t know. It’s a lot like with Alix. I don’t feel like a reflection of you, but I don’t know what I am.”

            “Maybe that’s the real you?”

            “And what is the real me?”

            Chat smiled and brushed Viperion’s cheek with the tip of his tail. “You’re a grumpy, standoffish guy who is kind and loving to those close to him. Who is also very passionate about music. You’re also a great listener and easy to talk and open up to.”

            Viperion blushed and looked away.

            Chat looked back out to the city. “It’s why I want to make amends. I know you’ve forgiven me for what I did, but I hadn’t forgiven myself at the time. It actually took Duusu to make me realize I needed to move on and let things go. That I can’t really afford to hold onto things like that. It was cemented more when Mayura killed someone. I wanted to be more disappointed in her, to reprimand her, but I couldn’t. She did what she had to, just as I did.”

            “So, what now?”

            “I would like to start over. To be your friend, if that’s ok. I enjoy your company just as much as Ladybug’s. In a lot of ways, you two are similar. You’re both incredibly compassionate people, extremely passionate about your work, and enjoyable to be around.”

            Viperions’s blush deepened. “You think so?”

            “I do, for what it’s worth. I know I’m not that great a judge of character. Not in the way that Souris and Louve, but I can make my own conclusions, right?”

            “You can, though don’t set the bar that high. Louve and Souris are in leagues all their own. They can pick you apart before you have a chance to blink.”

            “Isn’t that the truth. Both figured out who I was off the smallest of things. It’s quite terrifying how analytical they are.”

            “It is. Though it does make them both a little pushy, in their own ways.”

            “I don’t think Souris is pushy.”

            “That’s because you don’t live with her or are her brother.”

            Chat smiled, then it faded. He stood up as his ears twitched, then straightened. His pupils narrowed into slits as he grabbed his staff. He held it at the ready as he turned. Viperion looked behind and saw a hooded figure dressed in black. Viperion stepped back against the railing when he saw a red forelock from the hood, gold claw armor on the shoes, dark blue tail feathers, and a gold chain at his hip.

            “I hope I’m not… interrupting, am I?” Rooster asked. His voice low and deep with a growl added to it.

            “What do you want?” Viperion asked.

            Rooster smiled. He held up his hands to reveal yellow gloves with golden claw armor that was stained red. “Oh, you know, don’t you? Looking for some… entertainment. And it looks like I found it.”

            Rooster took a step towards Viperion, but Chat stood in the way.

            “Does the kitty want to play?”

            Chat hissed. He charged at Rooster and threw them both from the roof.

            Viperion ran to the edge as the pair sparred in the street. He searched for this phone, but it wasn’t on him like this. He backed away and knelt. He de-transformed and pulled out his phone.

            “What are you doing?” Sass demanded.

            “We need to let Alix and Carapace know. Mayura too.”

            Luka got a message out to Alix when he heard Chat yowl, then a loud crash.

            “Sass, scales-.”

            Luka was cut off when Rooster pinned him down by his throat. He fought to stay calm as the smell of fresh blood made him sick.

            “Look what I have here. You’re Adrien’s new boy toy, aren’t you? I’ll give it to Adrien, he knows how to pick the pretty ones. Though I don’t feel you quite fit the bad boy look without a few scars. What do you think?”

            Luka tried to transform, but Rooster tightened his grip on Luka. Luka clawed at Rooster’s hand as he fought for air.

            Rooster ran a clawed hand over Luka’s chest. “What can I do? What can I do? I don’t want to cause too much damage. It’d be no fun if I just killed you after all.”

            Luka gasped and struggled against Rooster. Sass hissed and transformed into a snake. He bit onto Rooster’s sleeve.

            “Do you mind? Actually, I have an idea. Why don’t we test how much your kwami can heal you, snake?”

            Rooster moved his hand as he raked the shoe claw armor across Luka’s chest, from the throat to the stomach. Luka screamed and Sass gawked at Rooster in horror.

            Luka tried again to transform, but Rooster slashed at Luka’s face. He winced and cried in pain.

            “Not just yet.” Rooster slashed at Luka’s left arm as deep as Chat cut his right.

            Sass removed himself from Rooster and transformed into a larger snake. He sank his fangs into Rooster’s leg. Rooster sneered and swiped at Sass, but his claws couldn’t harm Sass. Rooster stepped back from Luka’s throat as he wrestled to get Sass off him.

            “Sass, scales slither.”

            Sass released Rooster as he vanished into the bracelet and transformed Luka.

            Viperion ran for the edge, but Rooster grabbed his tail. Rooster pulled and smashed Viperion into the ground. Viperion moved to stand when Rooster pinned him down again.

            “You’ll need to be faster than that.”

            “Let me go.”

            “If I do, you’ll run to the kitten and heal him. Unfortunately, I can’t let that happen.”

            “Why? What do you have against us? Why do this at all?”

            “Because its fun watching you all squirm and suffer. Especially the pretty ones like you.”

            Viperion grimaced as Rooster’s claws settled on his face. A green flash from behind Rooster caught his eye. Rooster turned as a pink whip wrapped around his waist and pulled him back. Viperion gasped with relief and made a break for the edge. Viperion scanned the area and saw a large hole in a building. Viperion jumped over and moved away the rubble. Under it was Chat.

            Viperion felt sick at the sight of Rooster’s quick work. Blood stained Chat’s hair as it trailed from his head in rivers. Long, deep lacerations marred Chat’s face and chest as Rooster cut through his suit. He reached out and touched Chat’s pale skin. He shuttered when it was lukewarm. He pulled Chat into his arms.

            “Rejuvenate.”

            Golden light enveloped Chat, then faded away. Chat gasped and woke with a startle, like Alix had. He looked around frantically before he stared at Viperion.

            “What happened? Where is he?”

            “He’s-.”

            A loud crash interrupted Viperion. He shielded Chat from the debris that fell around them. A moment later, Souris fell onto the rubble pile.

            “Souris!”

            Souris coughed and hauled herself to her feet. There was a long cut on her arm and a nick on her cheek. Tears fell from her eyes as she rushed to Viperion. “Are you ok? I saw Rooster had you. He was hurting you and… and… I’m so sorry!”

            Souris wailed as she hugged Viperion.

            Viperion patted Souris back. “I appreciate the concern, but now’s not the time.”

            Souris ignored Viperion as she clung to him.

            “Chat, can you fight?”

            Chat looked up at the rooftops. “I don’t think I should get in the way.”

            Viperion turned and saw Liberte and Rooster. Rooster’s hooded disguise was torn off to reveal himself. He wore an orange dress vest with a yellow collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up and brown pants. His skin was a yellow-ish orange and his hair red, spike up in a mohawk. In his fight against Liberte, he wielded dual hand scythes connected by a golden chain. Viperion grimaced with each blow Rooster landed on her until he put her in a type of headlock with a blade at Liberte’s throat.

      ��     Liberte craned her neck back. “You’re a son of a bitch.”

            Rooster grinned. He raised the second blade to Liberte’s face. “Thank you, love.”

            “I’m waiting.”

            “Waiting for what?”

            “Fuck, you’re stupid.”

            “Now, where would the fun be in that? After all, you’re the most fun I’ve had in a long time, love.”

            “Oh, the fun isn’t over yet, love. Defiance.”

            Rooster’s eyes widened as Liberte landed a swift jab to his gut. He fell back. His blade ran across her throat, but it went unnoticed. He attempted to stand, but she knocked him down. She kept him down with each blow. She launched him in the air, then threw him back down. She stood in the air before she fell. She increased her mass and landed on his gut as they fell through the roof to the ground floor. She held him down by his throat.

            “You have two choices, love. Renounce your jewel or die.”

            “Is that all? You seem to be missing a few options.”

            “What makes you so sure?”

            Rooster grinned. He tapped his throat. Liberte felt her own throat and discovered the large gash.

            “How did you…? I didn’t feel anything.”

            “Quite the power you have, love. The ability to defy almost anything must be quite intoxicating, but it can’t last forever. And if I’m a betting man, which I am, you don’t have much longer.”

            Liberte sneered. “Damn you.”

            “I know, love. It’s unfortunate we must part like this, but this must be how we leave each other. For now.”

            Liberte spat in Rooster’s face before she leapt from the building. She stopped beside Viperion and knelt. She craned her neck so he could see the cut.

            “How aren’t you dead?”

            “Just fucking heal me before you grill me.”

            Viperion moved his free hand up to Liberte’s neck. “Mend.”

            Gold light stitched together that wound and the others Liberte had sustained. Viperion looked at his bracelet and saw the final segment had dimmed.

            "Liberte, is it safe to leave?”

            “Safe enough.”

            “Please get us out of here.”

            Liberte put her hand on Viperion’s head. She teleported all of them back to the Couffaine residence. Souris released Viperion as he scooped up Chat and sat him on the couch.

            “Sass, scales rest.”

            “Kaalki, dismount.”

            Their kwamis popped out from the jewels and fell towards the floor. They caught their respective kwami and headed to the kitchen. Luka grabbed an apple and cut it up for Sass and Kaalki to share. Souris approached Luka.

            “Are you ok?”

            “Why ask me? I’m not the one that was almost killed.”

            “No, just tortured!”

            “Hey, can we hold off on fighting until we assess what happened? Take note of damages and all that fucking shit?” Alix suggested.

            Luka nodded and pushed past Souris. He took a seat beside Chat. “How are you feeling?”

            Chat shook his head.

            “Do want to talk?”

            Chat shook his head.

            Luka nodded and moved to Alix. “Can I see your neck?”

            Alix craned her head up. Luka grimaced at the small scar where the cut was deepest. Her other wounds healed without any scarring.

            “He got us both good, didn’t he?” Alix pointed to Luka.

            Luka looked down. His jacket’s sleeve and shirt were shredded where Rooster struck him. Long scars remained of the wounds.

            “Fucking hell,” Luka breathed.

            “He truly is a monster, isn’t he?” Chat whispered.

            “He certainly doesn’t need butterflies to make him one,” Alix agreed.

            “So, what now?” Luka asked.

            “Answers. Chat, what happened with you?”

            There was a long silence. “Rooster was stronger and faster than me. I got him away from Viperion, but he quickly took me down. He slashed my back and chest through my suit. Then he threw me into a building, and everything went dark.”

            “So, you were transformed? Why did you de-transform?” Souris asked.

            “Because I needed to tell someone. And I wasn’t expecting to come across the bastard when I headed out, so it was on Luka, not Viperion.”

            “That is fair. Even Carapace and I were starting to have our doubts that Rooster would show up. However, now that he has shown up, we can come up with a plan. Namely, who should be the ones to handle him.”

            “Who else besides you?” Luka asked.

            “If he’s stronger and faster, then his bond with his kwami must be superior to ours. So, we need people who stand on equal footing. However, there’s not a lot of us with those bonds yet.”

            “I agree, but it’s not all bonds,” Luka said.

            “What do you mean?” Alix asked.

            “Our natural skills are enhanced when we transform. So, for example, the more athletic and in shape a person is, the stronger they are.”

            “Wait, really?”

            Luka nodded.

            “So, if that’s the case what the fuck was the point of the training we had in our hero forms? Shouldn’t you all have been training yourselves?”

            “It was to train our powers further too, Alix. We’ve all gotten stronger with them. We all also learned to fight through people like you. After all, not all our kwamis give us access to such knowledge,” Souris pointed out.

            “Fair enough. Still begs the question, doesn’t it?”

            “Maybe we should start exercising more, no?”

            Luka grimaced.

            “What’s the matter, Luka? Afraid to get all hot and sweaty?” Alix teased.

            Luka glared at Alix.

            “Hey, a thought. Maybe we should let Ladybug know that Chat is here?” Souris asked.

            Alix nodded and took out her phone.

            Souris moved from the kitchen to the stairs.

            “Where are you going?” Luka asked.

            “I’m going to scout things out. And get your phone.”

            Luka felt his pockets and didn’t feel his phone.

            “I appreciate it. Thank you.”

            Souris nodded and left. They sat in silence until they heard a thud and the click of heels. Luka and Alix turned as Ladybug ran downstairs. Luka’s jaw dropped when he saw her new outfit. It was a long, short-sleeved red cheongsam with black spots. The skirt had splits up to her hip on both sides that allowed her to move with complete freedom. She had black shorts, long gloves, and thigh-high, high heeled boots on. Platinum armor guarded her ankles, wrists, and rimmed the top of the boots and gloves. She still had her mask, but her hair was half up in twin tops buns with the rest of her hair down.

            Alix cat called. “Looking sexy, gorgeous!”

            Ladybug staggered and growled. “Shut up, Alix!”

            Chat looked up and gawked at Ladybug. “Ladybug?

            Ladybug chuckled nervously as she sat beside Chat. “Pay me no mind. I was just trying something a little… different.”

            Chat blushed. “You look stunning.”

            Ladybug blushed, then shook her head. “Thank you, but this isn’t about me. Are you ok? Alix told me what happened.”

            Chat looked away and shook his head. He pulled Ladybug into a hug as he rested his head on her shoulder. Alix rolled her eyes and moved to the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of water before she sat beside Luka.

            Alix grinned.

            Luka’s eye twitched. “Fuck off, Alix.”

            “But I didn’t say anything, yet.”

            Luka hummed. He looked away when he heard Rose and Nathalie’s voices. They walked in as Lapine and Mayura, carrying groceries. They paused when they saw everyone.

            “What happened?” Mayura asked.

            “Rooster,” Alix said.

            “Rooster? Why didn’t you tell me?”

            “I didn’t have time. I was only able to get a message out to Alix before he came back after me,” Luka explained.

            “And Souris wouldn’t let me contact you with Luka in trouble,” Alix added.

            “Can you tell me what happened?”

            Luka explained what happened with Rooster, then Alix finished the story with her part.

            Mayura exhaled. “This is… troubling. From this point, be more cautious. Avoid combat with Rooster. If you have to engage Rooster, don’t do it alone. If you are able, reach out to me or Alix immediately. Understand?”

            They all nodded.

            “Good. Now, I’m going to keep an eye out for Souris. Lapine, would you get started on what we discussed?”

            Lapine nodded. She de-transformed and moved to the kitchen.

            “Can I join you, Mayura?” Chat asked.

            “Of course. Would you like to join us, Ladybug?”

            “I would, but I should get back home. I’ve got a lot of work to do still.”

            “We’ll see you out. Come along you two.”

            Mayura left with Ladybug and Chat. They saw Ladybug off before they strolled along the Seine.

            “How are you feeling, Chat?”

            “I don’t know. There’s a lot of everything that I don’t quite know. It’s making everything feel different. Like, really different.”

            “Different how?”

            “I feel a lot more in just the past few minutes than what feels like my entire life. I’m pissed that Rooster hurt Luka the way he did. I’m ashamed that I let him beat me so easily. I’m loathing having to return to the hell that home has become. And that’s not even mentioning Ladybug. Whatever I’ve felt around her feels so much stronger. And with those feelings come new thoughts that I’ve never had before. Why am I feeling so much like this?”

            “That’s the power of Rejuvenate. It heals the body and purifies the mind and soul. Gets rid of barriers that allow for healing to take effect. It’s like taking medication and going through years of therapy in a matter of seconds. So long as you capitalize on it. Just look at Liberte and Carapace for examples of Rejuvenate’s effect.”

            “So, what I’m feeling is because of Viperion’s power? I don’t like this. Everything feels stronger and scarier. And there’s so much of it too. Is this normal?”

            “At your age, yes. You should have been experiencing these kind of things for a while, but due to your upbringing, you were stifled and stunted. Now, not so much.”

            “What do I do then?”

            “Just let yourself feel. Don’t try to stuff away how you feel. Allow yourself the luxury to feel and shout it to the world.”

            “Ok, but what about with Ladybug? The feelings are so much stronger, and they come with thoughts I never had before. Thoughts that make me feel weird. And I don’t know why.”

            “That’s love for you.”

            “Including the weird feelings?”

            “Weird how?”

            Chat blushed and looked away. “I’m not sure. Just… weird.”

            Mayura sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Chat, did your father ever have that talk with you?”

            “Which talk?”

            “The sex talk?”

            “Uh, no. He said he’d have that talk once I was dating, at eighteen. With a girl of his choosing.”

            “I hate that man. Alright then. Let’s head to a rooftop while we wait for Souris to return home. We’re going to talk.”

            In the back of Mayura’s head, she heard Duusu snicker.

            ‘I told you so, Precious. But you never believed me. Tsk tsk.’

            Mayura’s eyebrow twitched.

            “Are you ok?”

            “I’m fine. Just a small headache. Come along now.”

~~

            Felix slipped in through the window of his room and leaned against the wall.

            “Orikko, sundown.”

            Orikko appeared from the twin chained rings and fell onto Felix’s shoulder.

            “Ugh! I forgot the horse packs a punch.”

            “Quit your whining. We need to come up with a plan.”

            “Why? It’s clear we can easily take these heroes.”

            “We took on a small sample of them. Yes, their cat is weak and the snake an idiot, but the horse is a threat. We got lucky with her that I slit her throat. Next time we may not be so lucky. And that’s not accounting for the other heroes that didn’t show up tonight.”

            “No thoughts on the mouse?”

            “How could I? The horse removed her from the fight after I landed just one blow.”

            “I suppose. So, what is this plan you insist upon?”

            “Chat Noir. He may be able to fool his fellow heroes, all of Paris even, but I can see him for who he is.”

            “Are you sure? He doesn’t seem the type to be the cat.”

            “I wouldn’t have thought so either. But I see Adrien in Chat Noir, only because I see myself. And I hate it. Not to mention that Adrien’s clearly changed. Or at least starting to.”

            “Oh, that’s nothing. You’ll see massive changes after tonight.”

            “Why’s that?”

            “Rejuvenate, the snake’s greater power. It’s needed to heal us kwamis, purge the effects of our powers, and so much more. Especially with your kind. It’s like if you actually were sent to therapy for years and received the help you needed to become a better person, condensed into seconds.”

            “And how will that affect Adrien in any great way? What trauma could that perfect bastard fucking have?”

            “Beats me. I just know whenever Rejuvenate is used, the holder tends to change. Typically for the better, though not always.”

            “I see. We’ll have to see if we can use it to our advantage. Regardless, we’ll need to use him to lure out the peacock.”

            “Why?”

            Felix scoffed. “Because Nathalie raised both of us. And I don’t think she’d leave Adrien to die.”

            “Then why didn’t she show up tonight?”

            “I don’t know. I hope she was just busy with something else. At any rate, we will be trying again tomorrow night.”

            Orikko cooed. “She’d have to show up tomorrow. Can’t let anything bad happen on his special little day.”

            “Exactly. We’ll follow Adrien once he leaves as Chat. We’ll strike before more of his companions show up. If more heroes do show up, then we show them the power of the rooster. Sound good?”

            “I have no complaints.”

            “Good. Eat up. We’re going to need to be at full strength for tomorrow.”

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[auroral-melody]

I've been thinking of something for a while and I'd like your opinion on it... what if instead of the universe expanding from a single point with the big bang, the speed of light was infinite until the big bang at which point it became a finite number and has been decreasing since.

So this ask is fully from May 2018. I wrote up a whole thing about it, and then ended up never posting it because I wasn’t very confident in my answer.

4 years later I had done a research project in particle cosmology and more or less concluded that no one actually knows anything ever, physicists should be taught more group theory, and that spinors are evil.

Anyway, 2 years after that, here we are. I doubt you even remember sending this. This ask is honestly still out of my area of expertise. Yes, I’m an astrophysicist, but I focus on stars which means my problems are so different 😂 If any cosmologists follow me then I welcome corrections.

Anyway, I skimmed my answer I wrote 6 years ago and edited it. Shoutout to younger me to doing their research alright – I mostly hit the main points lmao.

Firstly, to clarify, the Big Bang is difficult to discuss in terms of space because it’s fundamentally the expansion of space. We don’t have any other reference point, so as far as we’re concerned, there’s no single point that the universe expanded from, because it expanded everywhere.

Anyway, in general, we consider the speed of light to be constant because that’s been our base assumption for the Entirety Of Physics Really.

But if we dismiss all of modern physics and reinvent it, there is some interesting speculation to be had regarding the speed of light.

Essentially, when we look at all our maps of the universe, we see quite a bit of “isotropy” – that is, generally, it’s about even in density. (I’m talking on a scale much bigger than galaxies – think galaxy clouds, local groups, etc.) In order for this to happen, light/energy has to have traveled to all these places. But with the current speed of light, that’s simply not really possible given the age of the universe!

So there’s two theories to explain this:

1) Inflation. This is the most common one. The theory is that the universe kinda evened out when it was little, and then expanded.

2) Variable Light Speed. This is closer to your suggestion, and also something posited by João Magueijo, of Imperial College London, and Niayesh Afshordi, of the University of Waterloo in Canada, as well as Jean-Pierre Petit and John Moffat. In this theory, the speed of light was infinite, or at least much higher, at the Big Bang, so that light could propagate fast enough to get everywhere in the universe.

In general, VLS (or Variable Light Speed, or VSL Variable Speed of Light) isn’t widely accepted in physics. It’s not like it’s been disproven or anything; we just don’t have evidence for it.

If we do find evidence for VSL, we need to totally rework physics. G.Ellis, according to Wikipedia, explained that in order for VSL to work, we

must redefine distance measurements (the meter is the distance light travels in 1/299792458 seconds, by definition)

must provide an alternative expression for the metric tensor in general relativity (i.e., “we have to try to redefine what space is”)

might contradict Lorentz invariance (the laws of physics are the same no matter where in the universe you are. it’s a fundamental assumption, and changing it will break pretty much everything in physics)

must modify Maxwell’s equations (explain why electromagnetism is a thing. which is hard. light is by definition an electromagnetic (EM) wave, so if we mess with light is screws things up)

must consistently explain other physical theories too. (gravity still has to exist and make sense with your math)

The theory proposed by João Magueijo and Niayesh Afshordi is, tldr, really complicated, and poorly understood. If it is right, we’d kind of have to try again with the whole physics thing and redefine a bunch of stuff and do some serious math.

People who like VSL as an idea are waiting to see what super sensitive experiments (about the ~spectral index~ of the universe) have to say about their predictions.

Thanks for the ask!

[astra-galaxie]

★☆☠♡☯ for zara tien? 🥺👉👈

I confess, Travel in Time is actually my least favourite season… However, despite not being the season’s #1 fan, I LOVE the team, and Zara is no exception!

So, let me refresh myself with Zara’s character and see what headcanons I can come up with for her!

★ - sad headcanon

When Theo started fading away while the team was stuck in Medieval Asia, Zara barely left his side, fearing that he would disappear when no one was around. If they couldn't save him, she didn’t want Theo to be alone when the time came for him to be erased from existence. Zara also took photos and videos with him to document his memory. She didn’t know if any of them would still exist after he faded from the timeline, but she had to do something to try and preserve her memory of Theo if the team couldn't save him.

☆ - happy headcanon

Zara’s grandmother was her closest relative and biggest supporter growing up. Her house was a safe space for Zara whenever she needed an escape from her life. There would always be freshly baked treats waiting for her, and her grandmother would always have her favourite snacks and drinks stocked up for Zara’s visits. Zara’s grandmother tried to help her granddaughter in any way she could and wanted the best for Zara. When Zara told her that she had been accepted into T.I.M.E., her grandmother was overjoyed and so proud of how far Zara had come from the little girl she had basically raised to a bright, confident, strong woman.

(Zara’s grandmother also really likes Kai and Theo. The two treat her granddaughter well, and she knows Zara is in good hands with them.)

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

Zara struggled with anger issues as a child. She often got into fights in school, which led to her earning a long list of detentions. As she got older, she tried to calm down, but it was hard given the violence she grew up surrounded by. When she was a teenager, she was arrested several times for fighting. Sometimes, she would spend the night in jail until her grandmother could bail her out in the morning.

After joining T.I.M.E., Zara still has some anger issues, but Marina helped her take control of them. Zara’s always the first to jump to her teammates' defences in a fight and never backs down, regardless of her opponent. But she’s learned not to instigate fights, at least not as often. However, if someone antagonizes her enough… Well, she can't be considered at fault for teaching an asshole a lesson!

♡ - romantic headcanon

Even though they got together while the team was trapped in the past, Zara, Kai, and Theo’s first official date happened when they returned to their fixed timeline in 2029. The date involved something each had picked. Theo chose the restaurant they went to for dinner. Kai then took them to a live performance of one of his favourite telenovelas. Lastly, Zara brought her boys to her favourite street food vendor, which makes the best desserts.

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

While we already know that Zara is a fan of extreme sports and dangerous activities, her favourites are skydiving, motocross, and bungee jumping. Kai is also teaching her how to surf.

In relation to this obsession, Zara hates it when people try to tell her that extreme sports aren't safe and that she should be doing something “safer.” Just because a sport is classified as extreme does not mean it’s unsafe. These sports have safety measures to protect people, and Zara ensured she learned everything she needed before attempting a new sport.

Hopefully, I did a good job with these headcanons. It's been a while since I played Travel in Time, so I’m a little fuzzy on the details of the characters…😅

Thanks for the request!

[maplegracefour]

where i've been

TW// Miscarriage, blood, generally gross imagery

I want to preface this by saying that I am okay! I’ve been taking a lot of time to process everything and honestly, I am doing much better. Very much a word-vomit. And considering this blog is relatively anonymous, it feels like the best place to do it.

My language is a tad vulgar in places during this. And please know these are just my feelings on these matters at the time as they were occurring.

That being said, please read this with caution. Contact a professional if you need help and take care of yourself <3

—

I had my first miscarriage September 2023. I remember not quite processing it first, I didn’t want to even say the word ‘miscarriage’, it felt dirty, it felt wrong.

“At least it was early.”

I don’t care if it was early, I don’t care. It still hurts just the same if it was 6 days or 6 months. The fact that my body can’t do the one thing it’s meant to just sucks.

“You can try again.”

Well, we’ll get to that later.

When I realised, I was working. I went to the bathroom and realised something was majorly wrong. I called my doctor and they told me I just had to let it run its course. He spoke about it like it was a fucking cold. He spoke about it like he hadn’t just confirmed that I had a life decaying inside of me.

I had at least another week or so of bleeding to deal with, everytime I went to the bathroom I was reminded by the sick image of my own failures.

“I’m sorry.”

Are you though? It’s not like it’s your fault that my body is blueprinted to do one thing predominantly and yet, it can’t.

Then I had to tell my boyfriend. How do you tell someone that their future was dying inside your body? I really struggled. I still couldn’t say the word, I danced around it for a long time before I actually explained what was going on.

Then weeks of physical pain. Lethargy and aches, stomach cramps and headaches. It faded eventually but the reminder of what I lost was just constantly etched into the back of my head. I hadn’t really considered having kids until I realised that maybe I wouldn’t get a chance like this again. I thought about names. Frankie. Oscar. Heather. I thought about first words, first steps, first day at school, first birthday, first Christmas. I wasn’t getting any of that.

The strangest thing about all of this is that I just couldn’t get over the fact that I felt ridiculous for feeling this way. They were right, I was early. At least I hadn’t bought nappies, or food, or toys. Why was I mourning someone who never existed?

Then I was angry, angry at myself. Angry at doctors for never picking up that something was wrong with me (strangely enough, they still don’t know).

Two months after my miscarriage, my sister told me she was pregnant. Thankfully, she carried to full term and gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl. (I actually started this blog whilst staying in the hospital with her!) But I couldn’t help the resentment, bubbling underneath my skin. The anger that she got everything I lost. I had to watch her have all the firsts that I wanted, the ones I deserved.

But I didn’t. And slowly I’ve come to terms with that fact. I’ve come to terms with the fact that my baby is gone and that I won’t be experiencing parenthood any time soon. Maybe one day, but not now.

I had my second miscarriage December 2024.

This one was harder. I didn’t take any time off work, I didn’t call the doctors. I knew what was happening. I knew how to handle it physically. Mentally, I had clocked out. I couldn’t face it this time. Facing the true reality that this isn’t a one off incident anymore, there is something wrong with me.

I didn’t tell my boyfriend for three weeks, I gave myself more time to process on my own. It was worth it, he understood. He lost something too but it wasn’t his body. I deserved that time.

I’m going back to the doctors for more scans, more blood tests. But the reality of my future seems much clearer to me than to anyone else.

[ooh-sorry]

I know this is way late but I just remembered I have this account so I wanna share my thoughts about these specific bits from the Christmas comic… I’d love to give a full commentary on it but that’d be way too long to reasonably post. So Just Hanzo and Weaver for now!!

Spoilers (sort of?) for Where Honor Lives & Rebuilding Ruins from Heroes Ascendant! As well as vague spoilers for Stone by Stone (haven’t read it yet 💔 jusy know a little bit)

HANZOOOOOOOOOOO FUUUUUIIIIIIIIIIIICKCKKKK HE ACTUALLY VISITED KIRIKO AND HER MOM FINALLLYYYYYYYOAAUHHRHG

there r so many interactions between the two where Kiri bugs him to come visit and talk to Asa and I think this is perhaps the most recent like? Update? We have? On Hanzo’s whereabouts? Potentially Kiri’s as well? I did read where honor lives a while back so last I know they were together fighting off Null Sector & the Hashimoto in Kanezaka, Right? Or he at least agreed to stay there with her. Excitingg! It’s at least very sweet to know he’s staying with them… the panel itself is so cute tooo awwww hanzo looking relatively at ease is so pleasant and I think it is fun to see them interacting more like family especially considering how tense things have been between them!

I’m being really optimistic here but I really really really hope that next year we get a continuation of Overwatch’s story PAST like. A day after the recall… I feel like this litle comic is sort of trying to push things along and I appreciate that but things have been pretty repetitive for a while now with a lot of story stuff so who knows how much longer they’ll be dragging it out for..,, I just want to see a Shimada family reunion some dayyyyy…. 💔 anyways

LIFEWEAVERERRRE……FUUIOOOOOOCKKKKKK….

I already saw another very insightful post about this whose author I unfortunately cannot recall (u know the one… u Must…) but it is very meaningful to see him here ooohhh!! It’s so sweet that they’re all together especially too omg. I have yet to read Stone by Stone but I know Satya and Zen meet and become friends? And I don’t know if this happened before or after the events of Rebuilding Ruins bur like ooh…. ohhh…. How sweeeettt… anyways… The Implications…

So this means Zen and Niran have talked for sure.. and it also means that currently in the story (I think?? The Christmas comic is like the latest? Event? Chronologically? Is it? It seems like it? I really need to check omg) Niran is staying with them both? Temporarily? Oohhh this is meaningful. Oohhh. Whenever I see characters who aren’t part of Overwatch talking to ones who are I want to say Oohhh so they are joining Overwatch Now! But it just sort of came to me that Niran sort of has the whole thing with the Arcology BUT LIKEEE Overwatch is operating illegally and Niran is being chased by a corporation so I mean… he could potentially seek refuge there? But also idk about possibly bringing the existence of Overwatch to another powerful entity’s attention by him being there so like. Maybe not. Many possibilities! Either way it seems he is safe with them for now….awwww….also I recognized those little flowery things in front of them but couldn’t for the life of me remember what map they’re in, I googled at like 2 am last night trying to find it but I fell asleep. And I don’t feel like hopping on just to check but surely other people have better memories than me and have already pointed out where they’re at,,,

I really feel like I need to fully catch up with all the comics and short stories because there’s a lot I’m thinking about but I jsut don’t have ALL the info…oooohhh… maybe this will be my New Year’s resolution.,,

[timetopanic34]

My relationship with fan fiction is complicated. I'm relatively old (compared to most of you!) and so for the first half of my life fan fiction only existed in written form passed among those in the know. I was definitely not in the know!

Once it hit the internet I discovered it and slowly started devouring it. But I felt it was a dirty little secret. I mean what would people think if they knew I read fan fiction? Some of which is basically just porn?

But slowly I've learned - plenty of people would just be meh if they new and if not - then that's their problem. Nothing wrong with me enjoying what I enjoy and what many others enjoy too.

Even so I remained hesitant to interact and truly involved beyond just reading. I stayed an anon on AO3 for a long time and never commented, even when I loved a fic.

There were copious reasons mostly mixed up in my anxieties and fears. What if it's taken the wrong way? What if I'm having a bad day and many people disagree and pile on? Why would anyone even remotely care about what I think of their work?

A few years ago I commented a couple of times and nothing bad happened.

I got a bit braver and at some point I made an AO3 account and then made a new Tumblr with the same handle.

I struggled posting to Tumblr as well since I couldn't quite free myself from the hold my anxiety had on me.

But at some point I started leaving kudos and giving the odd comment. I also started reblogging things on here.

Then I boldly started adding to my reblog. A couple of times I very boldly state things I feel that I know are controversial ideas to some. I can’t tell you how hard that was.

Instead of some sort of mental health decline I’m finding that being more involved in fandom has been incredibly positive.

So many cool things have happened. I've had discussions about fics and characters. I have had beautiful replies from writers.

But most importantly I feel I am becoming a part of a community and finding my people. Nobody in my real life reads fan fics or have favourite ships so feeling at home here and on AO3 is such a beautiful feeling.

Now I know there is some real toxic corners of fandom out there. There are people who leave terrible comments and feel somehow entitled to do this (if I don't like a fic I will never leave a comment. Ever. I will stop reading and click away - it's that simple!) and there are people who will attack others for having a different opinion.

I am lucky in that so far all my interactions have been positive. I daresay that if I had experienced something negative as I was slowly moving my way forward into participation it may have halted my progress.

But now I think I know enough to be able to deal if it ever happens to me.

So I'm posting more here. I've also set myself a goal to comment at least once (no matter how small - though lets face it - brevity is not my strong suit!) on fics I enjoy.

I also have a goal to write a fic and post it before the end of the year. That's gonna take a lot of work convincing myself that yes some people might like to read it and if not then I can write it for the one person who wants it - me!

Huge shout out to @hesitantsorrows who actually wrote a fic based on an idea I had for a Stucky fic. In my wildest dreams I never expected someone to do something like that. It still makes me smile every time I think about it. It’s a fab fic too!

[holdingforexo]

Hello. I have a question and hope it's not too controversial. If it is, you can ignore this. Twitter never talks about the former members, but I was going through your blog and saw you actually found EXO through Tao. Do you still stan him? I'm a relatively new EXOL so I don't know too much about how it all went down. Is there bad blood? Like, does EXO still keep in touch with them? I'm most curious about Lay since he was in EXO-M with them and also in China now. I wonder if they ever talk.

I think this came weeks ago... I haven’t gotten around to replying, not because I think it’s a controversial topic, but because it’s one that requires some time to think through and type out. This is going to be lengthy, but hopefully, I address all that you’re curious about :)

Disclaimer: I’m only going to mention Luhan and Zitao. The other one does not exist.

I think it’s normal for the fandom to not talk about the former members... at least, in relation to EXO, anyways. I know some people who still follow and support the former members, but they do so separately, as individual artists outside of EXO. I see nothing wrong with that. I do it, too, actually.

I didn’t actually stan Zitao. Flashback to 2018—I was watching Negotiator, which Zitao was the male lead. I found his character enduring, so naturally, I looked up the actor. Found out Zitao started in Kpop, which led me to EXO, and I’ve been in this “We are one! EXO saranghaja!” nonsense ever since. Of course, with my luck, it was around the time Minseok enlisted.

I don’t stan Luhan either. But I like his music, so I pay attention to his discography. And because of that, I’m also somewhat updated on his other projects. I don’t follow Zitao’s projects, but both he and Luhan are doing great for themselves. They each have over 60 million followers on Weibo, and are considered top of their field. They’ve also stayed close friends since their EXO days. They’ve collaborated on music. They hang out together. Luhan is currently on his China tour, and Zitao was at one of the shows recently. They’re doing good.

As for their relationship with EXO—truthfully, I think it’s nonexistent. I obviously wasn’t around during both of their exits, but from what I gathered, everyone knew they were leaving. It wasn’t sudden, and I’m hopeful conversations were had among the members. But, while there might not be bad blood, I think it happened so early in their careers and lives, maintaining relationships afterward probably didn’t happen. It’s like when you’re in high school... those years were great, but keeping those friends in your life gets harder after you graduate. It probably also didn’t help much if SMent was actively prohibiting communication. I’m not saying they did, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

The only public interaction I remember was Luhan liking Minseok’s IG post before he enlisted. Luhan still follows five of them on IG, and Yixing follows him back. Zitao doesn’t follow any of the EXO members, and none of them follow him.

Yixing has been true and loyal to EXO. He talks about EXO normally and casually and have always referred to them as his brothers. But I don’t remember him ever mentioning the former members. It’s actually quite funny because the three of them (Yixing, Luhan, and Zitao) are arguably three of the most well-established young singers in China, but there’s a known awkwardness whenever Yixing is at the same function as the other two. A couple years back, Yixing and Luhan were on the same stage for an event, and Yixing avoided Luhan’s eyesight the entire time. I think I’ve seen Yixing and Luhan interact in public all of two times—both very casual, short, awkward greetings.

For the record, I do not think there are any negative feelings between Yixing, Luhan, and Zitao. I think Luhan and Zitao grew closer over their similar experiences, while Yixing chose EXO. I’m sure no one regrets their decisions, it’s just the way it is. I also don’t think being in the same country impacts or affects their relationships. Yixing and the rest of EXO aren’t in the same country, but Yixing consistently talks about keeping in touch with them despite the distance. At the end of the day, I think it’s the effort you put into maintaining the relationships you choose to keep in your life.

[mskinkyafro]

THTH/LITG VENT…if I want to even call it that. Mostly about THTH. With LITG it’s whatever.

(Please don’t come at me with some bullshit, this is me just getting shit off my chest. If you don’t agree, just scroll pass. Pls and thank you).

There’s this strange sentiment that I’ve seen from the audience on mainly the subreddit (the cesspool I know 🥴🤷🏾‍♀️😭) and what why say about certain characters and how they perceive them. And I find the logic flawed and weird.

For some reason 👀 they pretty much “uplift” for lack of a better or almost excuse one characters more consistent and horrible treatment as “well they are upfront and you know who they are” vs “this other character is pretending or fake, and that’s the worst kind of person”.

But not the person who has been harmful….or insulting…since day one? Okay…

And I take it as the latter are not allowed to exist and can’t possibly be as multi dimensional vs their counterparts. Instead, nope they HAVE to be a liar and fake and that’s worst.

Which is…just strange.

I can at least scream this in a void and not be harassed or gaslit as if I’m always making this a race issues. Bc believe me as long as I’ve been playing, I realize it will always happen but damn it just hits harder this time around bc I feel like the black characters can relatively do minimal damage and they still find a way to twist it to them being public enemy number one.

And all it is, is “moving the goalposts” or just the upholding black characters to different higher standards.

And I’m sorry, I’m a black woman, I’m gonna always look at media with my own lens and is not always about intention. It’s still a matter of there’s bias that some have subconsciously that make it easier for you to perceive these characters a certain way.

Like with THTH, I have no problem being upset with Julian bc of his hypocrisy with spending the fund. That’s fine, I get.

But even before that, the something about him I can’t stand or his just so annoying (given) but it’s like, they latch onto one like thing and just salivate at the chance to pounce of the character when they do something “inherently” wrong. And then that’s all the are. Or they aren’t allowed to be more than just that.

But before Sean’s small moments of backstory are revealed if you even earn it, you got people talking about, “clearly he has Been through something, I can /want to fix him”.

But Julian has been adhering to Sean’s relentless attacks and bullying and when he gives it just as bad back. (Whether it’s right or wrong, that’s a consequence Julian should have to pay for. Just like Sean, however Sean hasn’t been held accountable for.) Or for his incessant spending, there’s no curiosity to his own trauma or why he is this way. No he isn’t afforded that empathy. And it’s literally just crazy.

And now we are seeing them slowly shift their sites for Gigi. And blame this black woman for the actions of two GROWN ASS men.

Why didn’t she get in between two grown ass men? Why didn’t she do more? Why is she not sticking up for Sean during this moment of vulnerability? Why is she not coddling Sean’s irrational insecurities or taking iniatice and controlling Julian’s crush on her. Why hasn’t she spoke up for her said, friend.

Like with her not telling Sean not to speak or treat Julian a certain way, at first I fell into a trap of, damn she ain’t being that great of a friend to let your man talk to your friend any kind of way but then I realize, she’s in the middle of her journey. She will get to that realization. But at this time in her plot or arc, she doesn’t see it.

And that’s the gag, we allow characters like Sean to maneuver their arcs and journeys and give boosters and understanding to their redemptions. (Which I’m firmly believe he is written to not have one. Just like Justin or even non romanced Antoine in S2. The realize too little too late)

But Gigi and Julian, nope. No grace, no wiggle room, and they are no dimension. And it’s just funny to watch over and over.

Idk I’m just over it.

[thepunkmuppet]

so i have been writing my ideal version of season 14 in my head laying awake at night for weeks now and someone else needs to hear about it before i go insane. so.

concepts that would make miss ruby sunday ✨interesting and spicy✨ without going against the evidence we already have:

she is from the near future (2046 possibly?? i heard that year floating around in relation to robert ap gwillam)

she is from the further future, potentially WAY further, but was sent back in time by weeping angels hence her seemingly modern clothing. also this makes way for a weeping angels episode. you’re welcome.

she either has splinters like clara or there is a spatial genetic multiplicity thing going on (like with gwen cooper and gwyneth), and she exists in multiple time periods (eg, 60s and regency like we have seen in promo photos)

she is some kind of creation of jinkx monsoon’s character or “the duchess”. we don’t know anything about these characters but they are described as “the doctors most powerful enemy yet” and “beware the duchess”. i think creating a companion would be a pretty cool thing for a villain to do (and would probably end in utter tragedy, in the interest of fucking the doctor up, which is always fun)

she is a zygon, other alien or even a time lord who thinks she is human living on earth. i have thought about this and it’s my absolute favourite. there is potential for a queer / outsider allegory which is always great (i don’t belong here, i feel like i’m hiding, etc). she can still be from the modern era, but would have a unique perspective and presence on the show due to actually not being from earth. if a zygon, she would be able to shapeshift, a helpful and never-before-seen skill to have on adventures with loads of fun possibilities. and it would just make the whoniverse feel interconnected, not just retconning important world events with “time can be rewritten” but actually acknowledging that yeah, there are zygons living on earth! remember that? now that ive thought about it, i really want this option…

she is actually from the 1960s or the regency era, and we are seeing it out of sync and/or assuming based on promo stuff that her modern clothing is her everyday clothing and the historical stuff is just for funsies. i would love a 60s companion because a character from the time of the shows creation next to a black doctor?? what a fucking boss move it would be so awesome

she is mia tyler. im adding this because it’s popular, but people are really grasping at straws here in my opinion and i just… don’t like this idea? if mia tyler ever appears i want them to make it damn well clear, at least with foreshadowing and stuff. i’m going into season 14 wanting new and fresh and original. not supernatural nostalgia-bait soap opera shit. “I’M YOUR DAUGHTER FROM ANOTHER UNIVERSE” gimme a break i don’t like this one

she’s a unit or torchwood agent. this could actually be real! i like this one it’s fun, we know there’s gonna be a unit episode including kate stewart, why not have her be involved? love me a badass spy lady, plus it could open up martha jones and spin-off opportunities so….

she’s a secret villain. very broad and vague i know, but it’s never happened before and the shock horror twist of it all would just be so awesome, especially because millie has a background in soap operas lmao

her timeline is funky in some way. maybe she’s like river song, maybe she’s like clara, maybe she’s stuck in a time loop or is from an alternate universe or there’s something very wrong about the events of her life that means timey wimey stuff ensues

she’s a time lord / gallifreyan and possibly a relative of the doctor. possibly linked to susan in some way, or an otherwise relative of the doctor’s. a secret sibling (again, millie gibson’s soap opera background!!), his child / susan’s parent, someone linked to the doctors daughter jenny, etc etc

she’s a time agent. the idea of time agents is really cool but woefully unexplored, we only ever meet jack and john and sure you can’t beat the wives but i want to see the full potential of them, there’s so much you could do

if you can think of any more, please do share in tags and comments i wanna know other ways i can get my hopes up way too high!! :))

[crippled-punk-guy]

I want to talk about outbreaks, poverty, and medical oppression.

I’m sure most of you are aware of long covid, the phenomenon that people who were infected with covid are having health problems they didn’t before infection that are now following them through their life. A lot of these situations have been disabling; I myself now have an extra disability tacked onto the list as well as many of my once abled friends joining me. Even my grandpa has developed a disability because of his infection. And this is something our family is not new to.

For the purpose of this story I’m going to call her aunt M. Aunt M was my grandma’s aunt, so technically my great aunt I believe. When she was a little girl she was completely able bodied like most of her immediate family. They had no known health problems that would cause anything like what happened to her. By this time polio was very well known about, vaccines were starting to be rolled out and treatments had started to become available to more people according to my uncle (her older brother). One day aunt M and her siblings go outside and find that their neighbors yard had flooded, so like a group of five kids in a small town with nothing else to do they play in the water. They had no idea that something so small would completely change the course of their little sister’s life. She ended up contracting polio, the only source anyone could think of was the standing water. As far as I’m aware no one else got sick or at the very least as sick as she did. It completely destroyed her lungs and her ability to walk, the muscles in her legs contracted and got stuck in a bent position and could hardly handle any weight. Aunt M spent the rest of her life using an oxygen machine and a power wheelchair once her family was able to save enough for one, and while you will not give her any pity because she never wanted any, I will tell her story to remind everyone of her. She shouldn’t have been disabled. She wouldn’t have lived a life of pain if not for one reason: poverty. You see the rich neighborhood a couple miles away had the resources. Any kids there were properly vaccinated and given treatments like leg braces to help them. Their family didn’t have any of that. No access to medication. No way to help her. She was very lucky that her symptoms didn’t get worse, she could’ve very easily died.

Aunt M passed away during the covid pandemics first year, it was very sudden and unexpected, we were all devastated. But part of me thinks it was slightly a blessing, a blessing that she wouldn’t have to watch her nephew go through the same thing. I was already disabled when this whole thing started, I already used a wheelchair and she knew that, I always felt a closeness to her because of it even though I hardly got to see her. But I got sick, more sick than usual, and ended up developing severe POTS. I have much less energy than I did before and that’s saying a lot, I have trouble pushing my wheelchair now because of my lung capacity and overall weakness. Hopefully soon I will be getting a power chair. And I can’t help but think of Aunt M.

I can’t help but think of all of the people like her, just innocent people who were living and then suddenly now their life is changed forever. I feel like it was easier for me because I had already accepted being disabled, sure more to worry about isn’t ideal but at least I’m no stranger to it. But think about that and think about aunt M. How a little less than a hundred years ago the same fucking thing happened.

Post polio syndrome and post covid syndrome are one in the same in a lot of ways. The effects they cause are surprisingly similar, at least in my family and experience, and it took years for people to admit post polio existed like it will for post covid. This is why it’s called a mass disabling event, people go into it relatively healthy and come out with health problems and disabilities that will never go away. The wealthier people can try out the experimental treatments and possibly be helped or cured, while the rest of us have to live with the proof that our government doesn’t know how to take care of their own people.

While POTS does effect the body differently than how polio effected their lungs and chests we need to comprehend how serious this is. Some people live with POTS and can mitigate their symptoms to the point of it barely effecting them, and some of us need to use wheelchairs because we can’t breathe or think while standing for longer than three minutes. It’s a syndrome with a wide variety of presentations and effects on patients, and it is a nervous system disorder so it may have more lasting effects than we can even think of right now.

Honestly I don’t have a point to summarize into, but just remember how the government handled polio and how it’s handled covid so far, I predict that when those of us who are young adults now are my aunt M’s age we’ll see the same fucking thing happen all over again. And we’ll sit there, with our long covid impacts and know, we haven’t learned a god damn thing.

I’ll end you with reiterating, do not hold any pity for my Aunt M, she was a very strong willed person who wouldn’t accept any amount of other people feeling bad for her, direct your emotions to the government who did this to her and us. Aunt M was healthy, she should’ve stayed healthy. Government inaction decided her fate for her.

[aeoki]

SS Finals - Crown: Chapter 24

Location: ES Dome Lobby Characters: Seiya & Gatekeeper

“Gatekeeper”: It’s the same as that movie. It seems people have been referring to the Boss with the same name recently.

But that’s a story about how a pure and innocent man turns evil. It’s a story about inheriting a legacy as well as the hatred and sins that have piled up over the years.

Seiya: What are you talking about?

“Gatekeeper”: I’m saying I’m looking forward to the future, Hidaka.

The establishment of ES meant breaking down the existing entertainment history and fusing everything together.

The one possessing vested interests in that traditional entertainment industry and was the one controlling it from the shadows was “Priest”, who inherited majority of the Boss’ legacy.

Seiya: You weren’t the one who inherited his legacy?

“Gatekeeper”: All I inherited was simply hard cash and land. But “Priest” was the one who inherited the personal connections and other ties that were deeply rooted in the entertainment industry.

I was aware of it but I did nothing. I don’t give a damn about what happens to the entertainment or the idol industry.

Seiya: I see you truly have no interest in idols.

“Gatekeeper”: That’s what I’ve been saying from the very beginning.

I even told the Boss time and time again that he should stop playing with those idol toys and to do something better.

The Boss didn’t listen, though. He never listens to anything other people say.

Seiya: That’s what idols are like, more or less.

“Gatekeeper”: Is that right? Then I hate you lot. I’d prefer it if you lot just perished already – If not, then go someplace where I’ll never have to be involved with you.

Seiya: I’d say the same – I’d appreciate it if a mafia like you would stay away from the industry.

“Gatekeeper”: I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you? That’s why the things that happened this time was an accident. An unfortunate accident. Those two worlds should have never intersected, but they ended up coming in contact with each other through the connections the Boss left behind.

The Boss had three confidants.

“Gatekeeper”, “Priest” and “Apostle”. The only one the Boss wanted to obtain was “Apostle”. He was the only one loved by the Boss.

“Apostle” was supposed to be his rightful successor.

The Boss was quite devoted to him – He called him “Apostle”, adored him and got all excited trying to make him his successor.

Saying that he was the only one who could inherit everything.

The ones who didn’t like that idea were “Priest” and I – we both admired the Boss. We were envious of “Apostle”, wondering why only he was chosen.

I detested him to the point I wanted to beat him to a bloody death.

I had no choice but to give up. An utter villain such as myself can never be an idol. At the very least, I cannot be the idol the Boss wanted.

Not like the sort of idol “Apostle” is.

So it was obvious why I wasn’t loved. I was convinced with that and gave up.

I didn’t want to contort myself to become an idol, and the Boss wouldn’t be interested in that sort of superficial “phony idol”, either.

There was no way he would love that.

So I didn’t try to become the idol the Boss loved, but I instead did everything in my power.

I helped the Boss and did everything for his sake. All because I loved him.

He was the only blood relative I had. The only family I trusted from the bottom of my heart in this entire world. He was the only person I had.

Seiya: Oh, so you two were actually related.

“Gatekeeper”: What sort of relation did you think we had? You know that lad, Ibara, refers to me as his granduncle.

The Boss’ history is pretty hazy, though.

Our family history is rather confuddled due to the chaos during the war and the fact that the Boss would alter his past records himself quite often too.

I don’t even know if the Boss’ name that I know of is his real name. So I have no clue if I’m actually related to him or not.

But I clung to that. It was the only thing I could rely on mentally. It was a belief I needed in order to remain sane and to survive in this crazy world.

Seiya: I understand a little how you feel! I would destroy the world for my beloved wife, after all!

“Gatekeeper”: You’ve already gone mad. Urgh, there are nothing but people with screws loose around me.

In any case, I was satisfied with that and sacrificed myself for my duty, but “Priest” was different.

Most of his duties consisted of being the body double for the Boss. I don’t know about his background, but I think he was an orphan who was similar to the Boss.

There’s this saying, right? There are three people with the same face in the world. The Boss found one of them and took him in.

The Boss had a lot of enemies, so his life was always in danger. It was a preemptive measure for that, so he was a body double in the correct sense.

But even a body double has a heart. Annoyingly enough, he’s human too.

After periodically standing in for the Boss, who had everything and stood at the top of the industry, “Priest” started finding that position comfortable. He began relying on it – obsessing over it.

He became extremely afraid of losing that position.

But the Boss selected his successor without ever noticing the feelings of his body double.

The Boss innocently jumped up and down in joy, trying to bring him into the family.

Seiya: …You’re referring to Akehoshi-kun, aren’t you?

“Gatekeeper”: Indeed. The legendary super idol referred to as “That Akehoshi” is “Apostle’. The Boss’ legitimate successor.

Seiya: Akehoshi-kun must have hated having such a ridiculous name.

“Gatekeeper”: Yeah, “Apostle” was generally indifferent.

He was just a petty bourgeois who simply wanted to perform on stage to make everyone happy and to spend his days blissfully with his precious family.

Maybe that’s also one of the reasons why the Boss loved him.

He climbed up to the same place without hurting or trampling over anyone – He was like the sun.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[barfok]

I’m not sure if sending this will help at the moment (though I have been meaning to for a while) but at least in my own little opinion, your writing is totally magnetic. I don’t even like fanfiction, for a myriad reasons, but I find myself immediately drawn into and invested in the pieces you write. I feel like your work is really on a magnificent level that is genuinely transformative, and that’s why I love it so much.

I want to say that you, more so than Todd or K*rkbride or that Schick guy from ESO or anyone else, make the world and history and cultures of TES feel real to me. But more than that, your attention to detail, to world-building, to pay-off from climactic moments, to writing realistic relationships of all kinds… it may still technically “just” be the Elder Scrolls, but these aspects more than stand on their own as a reflection of the skill and dedication you’ve put into your craft. Seeing familiar characters and events and worlds given due justice is a bonus of course, but it is not the only thing that defines your work, and at this point I am more than convinced to read anything you write.

I know I said I don’t like fanfiction but I have, aiming for a similarly transformative work, written it before. So I do have a lot of painful empathy for the situation of pouring blood sweat and tears into something that is inexorably tied to an existing media, especially that relatively few people will read. It really really sucks and it can feel so pointless and exhausting and frustrating. Deciding that all writing is practise helped a bit… taking apart the pieces of existing fantasy worlds and finding out how to improve them has taught me a lot about world-building and writing. I hope it has for you to.

Even if you feel it hasn’t… idk I’m not demanding that you agree with all this because I know it’s really hard to see or accept compliments on creative works when feeling down about them. But I felt I needed to send this anyway. I know am just one stranger on the internet but as someone who has followed Iliah and Karnalta and Egg of Time and your other work for a few years now, I just wanted to say thank you for sharing them. Your work is wonderful and inspiring and wholly unique and I hope you continue to write in whatever way makes you happiest

i'm ngl i misread the first line as "your writing is totally misogynistic" and thought that i was about to be attacked. oh my god

that said, this is an incredibly kind comment, and i really appreciate it-- thank you so much for taking the time to send it. as you obviously understand, writing derivative work feels like a completely thankless task at some points, so any and all feedback is extremely appreciated. even someone saying, "hey, i read that!" is like a godsend

i do justify all of this as writing practice and to be fair it has paid off in non-fanfic related writing (i've actually won a couple of competitions with original short stories i've written, and my academic writing is the only part of my academic career that's consistently complimented). i also justify it by the sheer fact that... i'm autistic, this is the topic i happen to be fixated on, and indulging that fixation releases a nice concoction of brain chemicals simply by virtue of how my brain is constructed. a lot of my frustration with myself is that i happen to be fixated on this, but this is an agony i've had since like 2018 so i don't foresee it changing any time soon. oh well.

i'm really glad you enjoy my work despite it being fucking, elder scrolls fanfiction. i just really do not have the words to say how much this message means to me, thank you a thousand times.