#but I'm happy to clarify any of my points if they're not clear!

[waytootiredforthistoo]

On The Grammys (AOTY)

I've had this conversation probably 6 times this week already, and I'm going to try to get my thoughts down in one coherent place so that I can start just pointing back to this instead of yapping endlessly again.

I think more people need to be cognizant of how racism and classism play a role in how they talk about the AOTY results from this year. I wanna be clear about my bias from the start, I'm a Swiftie through and through, Fearless was literally the first album I was ever allowed to buy on my own. I loved Tortured Poets, and I still think Beyonce's win on Sunday makes sense.

I'm not going to try and convince anyone that her album was better than your fav's, and if your whole argument is "I love ___'s album so much! I think it was the best album of all time!" Then I love your enthusiasm, and I want to hear all about why you love it! Pop off! But if your thought process revolves around thoughts like "Beyonce just isn't that popular," or "people didn't really listen to Cowboy Carter like that," or "A country album? As AOTY?" Then I'd like to invite you to take just a minute to consider how racism and classism might play a hidden role in how you got to those conclusions.

(more below the cut)

I'll start with the classism bc I feel like that will somehow be the most controversial, but also the most straight forward. Cowboy Carter is a country album. Full stop. Country. Album. If you look at literally the first song on the album she explicitly talks about how hard she has had to work to have this album perceived as country. "Used to say I spoke too country, and the rejection came. Said I wasn't country 'nough. Said I wouldn't saddle up, but if that ain't country, tell me what is? Plant my bare feet on solid ground for years. They don't know how hard I had to fight for this." Beyonce is from Houston, Texas. She is southern, and she is, in this album, writing country music. Since 1969, 5 other country albums have won AOTY. A lot of people have large prejudice against country music and a lot of the time it's just thinly veiled classism.

I am literally from the deep south, but every day I get on the internet and people act like I'm supposed to be embarrassed by my love of country music (quite frankly, it happens a lot irl too). For some reason, the only acceptable verbiage to praise country is "I hate country... well, obviously except Dolly. And oh, I like Kacey Musgraves," or "actually Taylor was better when she still did country," and this or that and on and on and at what point can you just admit that you might like the genre? That maybe every single song doesn't tickle your fancy, but that maybe that's true of every single genre ever, and that maybe you shouldn't make a blanket statement of hatred about someone else's deep rooted cultural tradition! I know we're poor! I know we're not always the most educated! I know we make bad decisions sometimes! But why does that empower people to say that our cultural traditions and music are uniquely bad and mockable? Why does the poorness of our music, the instruments we traditionally had available to us, the themes that are relevant in country music make it fair game for you to make fun of to my face?

I think, perhaps, it is the world's hottest take to imply that Beyonce of all people could possibly be subjected to classism, the irony is not lost on me, but I still think it's true! I think people have a distinct prejudice against country music that is almost always based in classism and ignorance on their part (I have never had a person who 'hates all country music' be able to tell me any songs/artists they've actually listened to that solidify that hate. They can only name major artists with recent scandals, songs that got too annoyingly popular on the radio- as if that is a country specific problem, or their slew of exceptions, the good country songs).

Also, if your argument is that you don't think this was a country album because a black person wrote it I need you to fuck all the way off bc that's straight racism and you are not who I'm trying to reach with this post.

On to my second main point, which is one I hear a lot. It has to do with the alleged popularity of Cowboy Carter, especially as it relates to the other albums nominated. If you think Beyonce's album wasn't popular because it wasn't playing in the spaces you were in or around the people you hang out with, I invite you to take a second and think about who and where those people and places were. I so sincerely do not mean this as any kind of indictment on anyone, but demographic studies have shown numbers like 76% of Black Americans being Beyonce fans. Do you hang out with Black Americans? Black people? Americans? It's not shocking that her biggest demographic is the one she comes from. It's not shocking that if you're not spending your time in spaces with people who like her, that you would hear less of her music. (to be clear, every racial demographic in America polls at over 50% Beyonce fans, but I am aware than generally in other countries her biggest audiences are often black women).

SNL did a skit about this literally 8 years ago. It's called "The Day Beyonce Turned Black" and it's obviously goofy, but it really highlights my point here. Beyonce had just put out Formation, which had a lot of overt references to her blackness, and white people lost their shit about it. If you don't remember the skit, it birthed this reaction image, which you've probably seen:

If you find the concept of Beyonce winning AOTY genuinely unfathomable, I invite you to consider the possibility that maybe it just wasn't for you, but that doesn't mean that it also wasn't for millions of other people. If you don't know anyone who listened to Cowboy Carter then I'd say maybe look at who might be missing in your friend group demographics because the album had a billion streams, so clearly it's hitting with somebody.

Another thing point worth mentioning bc it has come up a shocking amount to me, is that if you are one of the people who genuinely believes this win must have been part of some kind of conspiracy, but you also haven't even listened to the whole album then that's maybe also worth taking into account! Is it possible that Cowboy Carter would have been your favorite album this year too if you gave it a proper chance? Is it possible that the Grammy voters were simply making a more informed decision than you were?

Again, I just want to say that I don't want to tell you that you have to also believe that Cowboy Carter deserved Album of the Year, and not liking Beyonce doesn't make someone a racist/ classist. I just want people to be mindful of how quickly the rhetoric we use around our favs can backslide into some pretty nasty prejudices if we're not keeping an eye on our blind spots. (Hell, I'm sure I have plenty of blind spots of my own in this post, and I welcome any other thoughts/ critiques/ perspectives/ questions)

[toriaaniin]

The only real couple here is L and A. You should ship them, they are really in love.

Thanks for the recommendation Anon... but NO. I'm here to ship one couple, and one couple only.

If Nicola or Luke find love and happiness with someone else, wonderful! Will I ship them with other people? No. Will I be happy for them? Absolutely! The thing is, what I see between Luke and Nicola is unlike any connection I've ever seen and it's THAT connection - a soulmate connection - that I'm here for. When either one of them makes it clear that they're committed to another person (which they haven't done :: going on a "date" while being unwilling to post that "date" on your IG stories, or a friend walking you home after a pub night who then shields you because a photographer is papping you :: these aren't examples of committed, romantic relationships!), I will stop shipping Luke & Nicola. I will not, however and ever, stop believing in the divine love I witnessed through them.

And another Anon asked and suggested:

Anon: even though my blog is new-ish, my stats tell me that I'm not being laughed at. Because I'm posting your ridiculous messages, YOU on the other hand, ARE being laughed at. In fact my readers are going to laugh at you in the comments 😂🤣

Lukola friends - these aren't the only Anons to reach out to me these past days, but they'll be the only ones I'm going to respond to publicly. I decided to share evidence of their troll campaign so that you could rest easy in the knowledge that the Lutonia's (edited to add: and Jakolas [see P.S. below]) are panicked. They saw what we saw at the BOSS event and the pieces don't fit their "hot couple in love" narrative.

A situation that didn't make sense given the lack of contact between Antonia & Luke since the end of July,

A petrified Antonia who wasn't professionally styled, as though she wasn't a priority,

An angry and disgruntled Luke who cast Antonia's hand aside, then looked like he wasn't happy to be photographed with her,

Luke's eventual (3 days later) black screened IG story with a black heart (macabre!) and a link that required two navigation clicks to get to TT so that the viewer could watch a reel that listed Antonia as "guest".

To my way of thinking, the whole "date" was an orchestrated PR stunt aimed at deflecting gaze away from Nicola & their treasure during a time when the utmost privacy was desired by both her and Luke.

So the Lutonia/Jakola anon troll's strategy? Push us when they perceive us to be down in the hopes that we don't get up. Hit out with verbiage meant to feed doubts they think we have. They also (and I love this because it's so fucking hilarious!) work soooo hard to link obvious Nicola and Polin "Lady Whistledown" references to their sinking ships. Silly gooses. And of course they ignore that Luke has never claimed or clarified Antonia's status in his life... even now, after the BOSS event.

The trolling behaviour doesn't phase me in the least. I don't have doubts they can crush with their silliness. Nicola and Luke are soulmates. End of statement.

So troll anons: why not head back to your sinking USS Lutonia or USS Jakola and cast off for home before your ship sinks to the bottom of the ocean. From this point forward I'll be blocking those that send me messages like this. If you're inclined to message me similar bullshit, why not save yourself the trouble and stay in your own shipping lane.

Aaniin Xxx

P.S. I just discovered a kinda back-door way to see who these Anon posters are... and they're NOT officially Lutonia shippers. They're JAKOLAS!! What dickheads. To all the Jakeholes that are reading this post - fuck off to your own ship. You're worse than the Lutonias. Your desperation stinks like shit. I've also incorporated Jakolas into the original post above.

[daenerys-apolog1st]

Ok, I already posted this on TikTok, but I just thought I'd reiterate my thoughts here:

People that compare Laenor's situation with Robert's and try to use that to justify everything the Greens said about/did to Jace, Luce, and Joffrey have either watched both shows with their eyes closed and headphones on full volume or are intentionally being obtuse about what's going on in these situations.

First of all, I'm going to say upfront that I'm only talking about the respective shows here. In the books Jace, Luce, and Joffrey are in all likelihood 100% Laenor's biological sons and there's plenty of evidence to that point, the "bastard" rumors were just an attempt by the Hightowers to discredit Rhaenyra and her sons' claims. However, in the show they decided to make these rumors true because the writers are overwhelmingly Team Green and decided to sacrifice the original story as well as any kind of coherence in order to push the "both sides are bad" narrative---both points, I'll make posts about later on, but are beside the point here.

So, with all of that said:

Firstly, Laenor is 100% aware of Luce, Jace, and Joffrey not being biologically his- (and I say "biologically" because it's made clear in the show that he views these children as his own and has essentially adopted them).

Rhaenyra and Laenor quite literally have an entire conversation about it in Season 1 where he apologizes to Rhaenyra for being gay and not being able to give her children- (either because he simply can't with her, or because of infertility---because, in that same conversation, it's clarified that they did "lay together" and try but nothing came of it) -and Rhaenyra tells him that she's not sorry he is who he is at all because he's a good man.

However, as mentioned previously, Laenor is shown to be perfectly happy with the situation as is---he still views Luce, Jace, and Joffrey as his children and calls them his sons, and never once does he mention anything about "blood" or even seem unhappy that they're not his.

Secondly, everyone else that matters in the situation is also aware of their parentage, and doesn't give a fuck and supports them.

Corlys, the current ruler of Driftmark and Laenor's father, is also shown to be well aware of Luce, Jace, and Joffrey not being Laenor's blood---he and Rhaenys have a conversation about it during Laena's funeral where Rhaenys suggests changing the Driftmark heir from Luce to either Baela or Rhaena, since they can just say it's in honor of Laena and not cause any fuss.

However Corlys, when Rhaenys suggests this, tells her- "the blood doesn't matter, only the names, and they are Velaryons" -which, frankly, says everything that needs to be said about the situation and brings up the point that---whether Laenor's biological children or not---they were basically adopted and are, for all intents and purposes, his children so calling them the "Strong boys" or railing against the people calling them "Velaryons" is both tone deaf and disrespectful as fuck. But anyway-

Corlys, throughout everything, never wavers in his intention and support of Luce inheriting Driftmark and Rhaenys---even though she perhaps disagreed---knew this, which is why she defended Rhaenyra and her sons in that ridiculous "trial" held by the Greens.

Baela, who would likely be the one to inherit Driftmark if the succession was in question, is also shown by this point to be aware that Jace isn't Laenor's blood, but she's also shown to not give a fuck. She loves Jace and views him as a Targaryen, which he IS, case closed.

And while it's not shown whether or not Rhaena was aware, although I'll bet she probably was, she was going to marry Luce and therefore inherit the Driftmark throne anyway---and the throne would then pass to her children, grandchildren, etc.---which also closes the case for that matter of succession as well.

The ONLY person who opposed it was Vaemond who, I'll remind everyone, WASN'T advocating for Driftmark to go to Baela or Rhaena---the next logical heirs, if Laenor's children were off the table---he was advocating for HIMSELF to get the Driftmark throne. He might've said he was doing it for his family and honor and whatever, but he WASN'T---he was just being greedy and wanted Driftmark and its power for himself.

And, another reminder, Luce didn't even WANT Driftmark because- "that would mean everyone is dead" -which shows that he actually cared about his family since he was willing to forgo power and wealth if it meant his family was still alive, which---call me crazy---makes him more honorable and more worthy of inheriting Driftmark than Vaemond, who openly called Rhaenyra a whore in public court and ignored his brother's CLEARLY STATED wishes.

That covers the Driftmark succession, since the main issue with bastardy in noble/royal society was inheritance, and Jace inheriting the Iron Throne was never in question since the throne is passed through the ruling family---the Targaryens---and Rhaenyra was his mother, so the throne passed to him through her. There's no issue there.

Not to mention that, say what you want about Viserys---and I will eventually, literally the entirety of the war could've been avoided if he wasn't such a moron and actually had a backbone---but he was the king and the king's word is LAW, he said those boys weren't bastards---something supported by the family/house who would've actually been hurt by the bastardy in any way---so, legally, those boys weren't bastards, blood or not.

----------

Moving on to Robert's situation, it's completely different in every possible way.

Robert is shown, in detail, to not be aware that Joffrey, Marcella, and Tommen aren't his children---and Cersei had bastards intentionally, without his knowing.

Robert and Cersei definitely did NOT have the same arrangement that Laenor and Rhaenyra had, and it's shown in multiple ways that he and Cersei COULD have had children together. They originally had a son together, although that child died, and Cersei explicitly tells Ned Stark that she was happy that she didn't have Robert's kids and that she intentionally- "finished him off in other ways" -so that there was no way he could get her pregnant.

Cersei also, in contrast to Rhaenyra, did everything in her power to make sure that Robert never knew that "his" children were actually bastards---she had TWO Hands of the King killed, as well as who knows how many other people, in order to make sure that Robert stayed in the dark. Which shows that---unlike Laenor---Robert wasn't aware of it and definitely WOULD NOT have been fine with it, and succession IS actually a problem in this situation because of it!

If Cersei's children were in line to inherit titles, power, etc. from HER House and family---the Lannisters---then succession wouldn't be an issue, since they'd be inheriting it through her. However, they're inheriting the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms which were being held by the ruling family, which---as of Game of Thrones---were the Baratheons, of which they were not. Not to mention that every Baratheon family member was vehemently AGAINST Joffrey inheriting the throne and no one was in his favor.

Even NED, who gained NOTHING from Joffrey being disinherited and would even LOSE power---since Sansa, and therefore his blood/family/house, would no longer be marrying into the ruling house/family---was like- "oh no, Robert wouldn't be okay with any of this, I need to make sure the rightful heir sits the throne" -which is exactly why HIM being vocal about bastardy is honorable and Vaemond's wasn't.

Ned was actively letting go of power in order to do the right thing, and he was doing it for the right reasons and to make sure that he did what Robert would've wanted if he had all the facts, meanwhile Vaemond wanted to GAIN power and didn't care about Driftmark going to the blood heirs, Baela and/or Rhaena, nor about honoring Corlys' wishes. It's selflessness vs. selfishness.

So yeah, these situations are nowhere near the same, so please shut up about it.

[bloggingboutburgers]

I think everyone will benefit from properly tagging posts. xreader fics abd ship fics ONLY include the relevent _x_ tags but none of the character's name on its own, allowing all the usual fanart, theories and such to stay on the main name tag and not be crowded out by horny fanfiction (I say this as someone who very much enjoys very horny, very smutty xreader fanfictions. I want to be able to search the fics I want directly without having to trawl through headcanon posts, fanart, unrelated ship posts, etc.).

No one really has a tailored experience on the internet (I'm glad tumblr is at least a little more user dictated than advertiser algorithm based), but I do get the frustration and discomfort that comes from the abundant hornyposting feeling inescapable.

It's tempting to take offence to persistent cries against xreader stuff. I like special POV episodes of shows for the same reason I like xreader fics. My favourite characters WERE the company I kept, my only real form of companionship (albeit simulated) for many many years. Not because I am allo, basically. I sought something to meet my social needs growing up where I was unable to find community or companionship in real life.

Unfortunately, because they are usually sexual in nature I just came to associate a need for human connection with sex (so am I allo or just conditioned to blend sexual, platonic and romantic feelings and actions together?). I was just happy to feel like I had someone to hang out with. I knew they weren't real and that I needed to find real people to connect with (not for lack of trying, kids are just cruel. Finally made friends as an adult, yay).

Didn't intend for any of that to be so sad or pathetic, but hopefully it gives context for the prevalence of xreader fics. Alongside the varied reasons people write / read them (no just blind allo horniness), especially in light of the widespread loneliness epidemic over the past decade.

It's still more than ok to not want anything to do with them either (be it due to being aroace or not - I know plenty of allos who find xreader fics cringe).

Something I need to clarify here – we get it. Well, we don't fundamentally get it, but trust me, we've been told time and time again why people would write/draw/be into xreader content (it's all part of the package of "aroaces MUST put themselves in allo people's shoes at all times"), and we know they're perfectly legitimate reasons, and we don't find it sad or pathetic, or cringe. At the very least I don't at all. That's not what it's about. It's not something as surface-level at that.

The thing is... The same kind of understanding effort is VERY rarely put forward in return for us. And the fact that we're perceived as naysayers is symptomatic of this. We're not crying against xreader content. People are free to do whatever they want. We just want it to be tagged to keep ourselves safe, and so we can appreciate some variety and find fandom content we can properly connect with with the identity we have.

The issue isn't that there is xreader content, or heck, that there's lots of it. It's that, as @kaoruko-han put it, "everyone is assumed to be into this", and that you can't express something as simple as "I'd rather read something else" without being finger-pointed as a villain.

Yeah, no one has a tailored experience online, but there's still a very clear lack of balance on what is acceptable to tailor to or not (and for us, that includes tumblr). And trying to find fan-content while being sex-repulsed? Bruh, you'd better pray on your lucky stars and be ready to trudge through an ocean of stuff that's loaded with the very thing that makes you scared, uncomfortable or downright triggers a feeling of sickness in you, because a lot of it ain't tagged. An alarming amount of people don't bother, because why would people like you exist, right? There's only ever them, and puritan bigots. It's that black and white in a lot of people's heads.

Here's the difference though: we, too, want people to be able to vibe to whatever fan content they want. We just wish "people" included us properly in this case. As it stands now, trying to find fan content that won't give you an uncomfortable feeling as a sex-repulsed person feels kinda like this (I'll try to illustrate that to the best of my ability as a vague comparison, please no one take that as a clear parallel, I'm literally just trying to explain how it feels in a way people who have no idea how it feels might understand): you're not into gore at all, you don't wanna look at it, but your streaming platform keeps recommending you those series that are loaded with gore. You try to filter it out, but no matter where you go, you keep being recommended those series. And no one ever gets your discomfort and you're being branded as nothing but a wet blanket for not wanting to see gore. It's kinda like that.

At this point I admire sex-repulsed or romance-repulsed people who still TRY to find anything at all in fandom spaces. I've stopped reading fanfic altogether and I've largely stopped engaging with the large majority of fandom spaces for those reasons. And that wasn't an easy choice, or one that I find fun because it feels incredibly lonely, but it's the result of years of exhaustion and strain on my mental health trying to navigate something that's so hostile to me at its core, even if it's unintentional.

So... Yeah. We know the reasons, just like the content itself, they're kinda impossible to ignore. But we are largely being ignored in this, and it's not just something at an "ick" or "picky" level ; for a sex-repulsed person, being spammed with sex entails much more than that. It's not even frustration anymore at this point, it's downright despair a lot of the time. So... Yeah, like you said, everyone would benefit from stuff being more properly tagged. For us it'd be so huge to know our safety is taken into account – that we're taken into account at all. Thing is, we're not, and we're so invisible in this and most other things that at this point, I don't have much hope. Sex-related controversies allo people can understand would sooner create a change than anything done for our sake.

[catoslvt]

Gally (tmr) x Reader

You were the first person to come up. It starts with a girl and ends with a girl.

Not together.

I stand with furrowed eyebrows as I watch gally stand and laugh with everyone.

Out of an entire maze with forty-four gladers, it's safe to say I only hate one.

Gally.

But I don't actually hate him, I actually really love him, but for some unknown reason, we act as if we're sworn enemies, but we both know that's not true.

But today, our forty fourth glader came up, so I suppose I should act happy with everyone.

As I slowly approach the group, I watch as Gally quickly realises I'm approaching and straightens his posture and crosses his arms, he always does this and I'm not sure why, I normally just put it down to me being the leader here.

"Hey guys, has anyone seen the new greenie?" I quiz and everyone shakes their head.

"Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on him?" Gally asks as he raises an eyebrow at me.

"I thought Alby was, but he's clearly here." I say as I motion to Alby, who's stood with Clint and Jeff as they both advise him to stop drinking, usually at the bonfire for the new greenie, alby doesn't drink, but when we hit the forty mark he stopped caring, realising that we're probably not getting out of here any time soon.

Suddenly, my attention is snapped to screaming coming from the deadheads, and I take off in a sprint towards the screaming as it actually sounds terrifying, but I let out a groan of annoyance when I realise its just Minho and Ben pranking the greenie, who stands doubled over with a heart over his chest.

"We're having a meeting first thing tomorrow." I tell them all as I point at them before I walk back to the party and Newt and I shush everyone.

"So guys, after something that just happened there, I've decided that we'll be having a meeting tomorrow morning first thing after breakfast, which is perfect because us runners have the day off tomorrow." I announce, and everyone groans and sighs, but Gally just sort of stares at me with a proud smile. Normally, I'd beg Alby to do the meeting announcements, but then I thought why should I?

I was the first person here, so people should respect me.

As I stand in front of everyone, I clear my throat.

"So, I'd like to clarify that there will be no scaring of the Greenies until they're used to the glade and have remembered their names." I say to everyone, and the new greenie nods. He hasn't remembered his name yet, but I'm assuming he'll figure it out by the end of today.

"But how? That isn't fair." Frankie complains and I motion around the room which is full of people.

"You have tons of other people to scare, but scaring the newcomers isn't fair. Don't want them dying of a heart attack before they've even remembered their names, right?" I ask, which earns a wave of laughter from more than half of the room, but the other guys just groan, the sexist guys.

"Why should I be taking orders from a girl?" One spits, I'm not looking at their faces so I don't know who.

"Because im the first in command?" I say confused.

"And what did Alby have to say about this?" Freddie, frankies possible twin brother by how alike they look ask and I turn to them and just shrug.

"I don't give two shucks about what alby thought, I'm the leader here. I don't need to run past my rules to anyone apart from myself." I state, and they both just scoff.

"Yeah, they put a girl in charge and were still stuck in the maze. Maybe they should put Alby in charge. We'd get out of here much faster." Frankie growls, and everyone turns to him almost in shock.

"Okay, frankie, how would you feel if you were the leader here? You had all these responsibilities thrown on you, half of the things you don't even understand? How would you feel if you had to juggle being a runner and being in command? You couldn't handle one day in my shoes, so just slim it." I warn and they both laugh.

"Go ahead, put me in charge. We don't need some useless girl like you in charge. Makes sense on why there's forty-three of us and only one of you." He then adds and that's when I lose it.

"I said slim it, one more word out of either of you, and it'll be three days in the slammer with no food." I threaten, pointing a finger stern at them.

"She's losing the soon she's threatening us how scary." Freddie cries and I throw my hands up in anger.

"You know what? If you think it's so easy being first in command, then you can take my job. I don't shucking want it." I spit before I push through the group of boys and leave the meeting hut, walking towards the deadheads.

Once I found my usual spot where I sit to clear my mind, I hear footsteps approaching, and I expect to year either frankie or Freddie continuing the argument, but instead I hear newt let out a little laugh.

"You will not believe what gally done back there." He ushers as he sits next to me, and I look at him and raise my eyebrows.

"Hm? What did he do?" I ask and he laughs again.

"He punched both of them, but you weren't there to punish him, and Alby and I pretended we didn't see it, so he can't get punished." Newt says, and I let out a laugh.

"Did he say anything before he hit them?" I gasp, my stomach filling with butterflies at the thought of gally someone for me.

"He said,'Will you two just shuck off and leave her alone? She doesn't deserve any of your cruel comments she does everything for everyone, and you two do nothing. One day, when we get out of here, you'll realise how much we need y/n.' And then he just punched both of them and stormed out." Newt explains and my eyes widen.

"I should thank him. Where did he go?" I exclaim and Newt thinks for a second.

"Towards the builders area." Newt answers.

"Great! Thanks, newt." I happily gasp before I jump up and begin running towards where the builders work, quickly slowing my running speed to a normal walking pace when I see gally throwing bricks at the ground.

"Gally." I say as I slowly approach him, and he drops the bricks and stares at me.

"How long do I have in the slammer?" He grumbles, and I shake my head.

"You're not going in the slammer gally, I didn't see it, and Alby and Newt both turned a blind eye to it, so technically, it didn't happen." I say and he just nods.

"So gally, why did you do it? I mean, I thought you'd be on their side with how much you hate me." I then ask and he just stares at me.

"You know I don't hate you, and they had no right to say those things, I mean, we've survived this long because of you, we'd be nothing without you, and I could see that you were getting really annoyed. You shouldn't let those shanks get to you. They're just annoyed that you're the leader, and they're not." Gally says as he tries his best to give me a comforting smile.

"But what if I don't want to be in command anymore? I just want to be me." I say with a small frown.

"Then who would be in charge y/n? You're the best leader we could've asked for." Gally pushes and I shake my head.

"You're only saying that because I'm here in front of you, all the other times I was near you, you acted as if you didn't want me there gally, you're only saying all of this to get out of being put in the slammer." I tell him as I shake my head and he furrows his eyebrows as he steps closer to me.

"Y/n, I don't hate you." He tells me, and I just scoff.

"So what's with all of the glares? All of the mean comments?" I quiz, and he grabs my face and looks deep into my eyes, his stare sensing shivers down my spine.

"We both know the answer to that." He states and I shake my head.

"No, gally, I don't. I've never understood why you hate me, I've asked newt, but he doesn't know either, so why me? Why do you hate me." I exclaim, extremely frustrated and gally doesn't say anything, and instead, he leans in and kisses me, taking me by surprise, but I kiss back anyway my hands making their way around his neck as I pull him closer than ever, as close as we've ever been.

"That's why I acted as if I hated you y/n, because deep down I loved you, but I didn't want any of the other boys to know incase they got you before I did." Gally complains, and I stare at him, extremely confused. Before it hits me, gally would've been jealous.

"You should've just told me gally!" I exclaim as I then hit one of his shoulders out of pure outrage that he never told me.

"I didn't know you felt the same way. You returned the hatred feeling." Gally complains, and I let out a quiet chuckle.

"I was trying to make the feeling mutual." I argue, and he smiles.

"God, you're such a shank." He tells me before he kisses me again, my smile widening against his lips.

[gffa]

saw someone say "dickbabs is bad cuz they're written as a stereotype of smart nerd/dumb jock which is a disservice to their characters" and its so weird cuz i cant think of any comics where they're written that way?? like the best comics of them are the ones where they're working on cases together combining both of their strengths and resources to solve crime and theres plenty of those.

also i've noticed so many dickbabs antis have a problem with barbara's intelligence in general which is odd to me. esp when dick himself is never intimidated nor threatoned by it and its sad. its like ppl claim to like girlboss/malewife couples but then when there's actually a couple that displays that dynamic in a way that matters and isnt just based on appearance or physical traits its too much and they back out!

I just wish certain Dickbabs antis would stop putting their "why this other pairing is so much better than DickBabs" stuff in the #dickbabs tag, like you are not helping me think better of your competing ship with that kind of behavior, it just comes off as so desperate to be mad that other people like something you wish they wouldn't like. Otherwise, I don't really wander into spaces that aren't into the things I'm into, because I'd much rather spend my time yelling about why I DO love the thing I love, so in that vein, LET ME TELL YOU WHY I LOVE DICKBABS SO MUCH. (To be clear, it's perfectly fine not to like the ship or like it in a different way, we'll still get along fine! It's not the sum total of EITHER character's role in the comics, there's plenty to talk about them without getting into this relationship! I'm just not here for those who need to go out of their way to shove it in my face that they don't like the ship, but disliking it and staying in your lane--as many, many lovely people do! the majority I would even say!--is of course fine.) (To further clarify, I don't know the context of the original post mentioned here, it's not part of anything I'm speaking of, this is purely about trying to shove it in others' faces, not about how other people interpret ships differently from me while staying in their own lanes. So I'm probably not speaking about the original post whatsoever here!) For me, I think the heart of their bigger relationship is built on their mutual support for each other, that they each have established themselves individually and have their own books and their own time in the spotlight, but they keep gravitating towards each other because they're better and stronger and more fun together. That each of them gladly takes their turn being the support for the other, because that's what relationships do! And they do it with such love, like-- I love them because they've known each other so long that they really get each other, they get that the other isn't perfect, and they've made the choice to be with that person even when their issues have thorns. Like, I loved everything about their conversation in Nightwing #96:

That is exactly what he needed to hear--she wasn't being cruel or dismissive of his issues, she wasn't even really being mean about the issues he picked up from Bruce, because she's right, Bruce does have some really shit traits that he passed on to his eldest. She's not saying that either he or Bruce are bad for it, she's just accepting that it's part of the man she loves and she'll cut through it with him because he's worth any effort it would take to be with him. I love that she laughs right in his face about breaking up, because that's not cruel or dismissive either, it's just Dick being ridiculous and sometimes it's part of his charm and they've always teased each other--the thing is, it's also always followed up with warmth and care, she asks him point blank, are you happy with me? Because you are allowed to be happy. I'm allowed to be happy and I'm happy with you, you're worth dying for, let's do this together. Or I love their earlier dynamic in the Batgirl comic as well, just after Bruce and Selina's failed marriage (this is before they got back together, like in the above):

I love SO MUCH that Babs isn't sure that she necessarily wants a marriage any time soon, she doesn't trust yet that it could last, but what she does want is someone who would be there if she needed them, that at this point in time she feels like moments are all any of them are allowed to have, so what she wants is someone who will always answer when she calls. At this point, she's afraid to commit because she doesn't feel like they get that kind of thing, she's afraid of her own feelings, that really gets hammered in during the Death Knight storyline where they're fighting against the end of the world, the collapsing of the multiverse, and Bruce is tired of their bickering, so he tells them to just "skip to the end", which is basically, Dick wants to symbolically marry her, but she's afraid because she doesn't want her feelings for him to get in her way, she's terrified of losing him again:

But he's there for her, he says that it's just for tonight, he can put it aside when they need to, and later he'll win her back. This is who Dick and Babs are to me--they dance around each other because their feelings are so intense and sometimes it feels like they're on different pages (Dick's a romantic who wants to get married someday and knows it, she isn't sure she wants marriage but something less defined), but then you dig into it a bit and realize they are on the same page, it's just that their costumed lives, the traumas they've both lived through, make them scared of that level of intensity. And that's why Babs being the one to say, once they're together, no, we're happy together, we're allowed to be happy together, is so important. It's why she refuses to not come along with when Dick is going to the founding of the Alfred Pennyworth Foundation and doesn't take his shit about trying to keep her safe in Nightwing #88.

Because they take turns supporting each other, they take turns being the one to say I love you so much that I would fight the world for you, that they make each other stronger and shore each other up. Even before they got back together, they supported each other and were always there to listen, to joke around to lighten the mood, to just be a friendly ear without expectations of anything else:

Plus, they are adorable when they're flirting:

DICK'S IDEA OF A HOT DATE IS A NIGHT ON THE SOFA IN SWEATPANTS, EATING POPCORN, AND WATCHING THEIR FAVORITE SHOW. HE UNDERSTANDS HER, OKAY.

Ultimately, I love them because sometimes she goes to him. Sometimes he goes to her. Sometimes she cuts through his bullshit with love. Sometimes he cuts through her bullshit with love. They're always there for each other, even when they're not together. They have a blast flirting with each other. They're both aware of the other being a hot mess sometimes, but they know that's part of the person they love and deal with it. They're partners.

[datastate]

@exmartialgod

hello hello! I am curious about your interpretation of Sei…

steeples my hands. oh, i have so much to say... i'm going to try to make this as clear & concise as possible, because there really aren't too many deviations, but if you have any further questions please let me know! i'd be more than happy to clarify :D

that said, let's get into it! i'll be using yakuza hierarchy terms.

sei yoshimoto, as an individual, hasn't changed very much. his background is thus: the sole heir of the yoshimoto family, and of the handful of survivors after they were slaughtered (by gokujo & allied groups) -- after which he was entrusted to the family's captain, rikuto minami.

i will not delve too much into minami's story, especially as he is a key character in deliver us from evil, but his role has essentially been sei's aide; sei was with him at the time of the slaughter, and it is a guilt they share.

to make matters worse: minami doesn't have the right to be the next patriarch, with a blood-heir still alive. but he is nonetheless a 'captain' who is expected to offer forth a sacrifice in the upcoming assassin's trial (meant to be preparation for the death game, as we know it, where the patriarchs will then offer their heirs). but without an heir of his own, nor any known/living relatives, the other patriarchs reason that sei is his only possible candidate.

sei is sent into the fray, and none of the old guard will step in to stop his impeding death.

there are many power plays happening behind the scene, but at this point... none of that really hits sei. he is just burdened with this feeling that he only has himself to rely on, as well as minami's training - because that's all it's become. his captain, his father's friend, has become so much colder now. harsh and insistent. detached and desperate. all at once. it's heartbreaking.

during the young assassins' training under captain minami, kai and sei are two of the agents that show the most potential. they're often pitted against one another and find the other quite frustrating to deal with. in this sense, the way in which they clash is similar to what we see in-game... and they slowly come around to one another once they realize they are simply. two people, two kids, who are fighting to survive for the one person who would stay at their side, no matter what. even once all of their affections faded, the trust is still there. but the two of them are lonely in ways they cannot, and couldn't dare, express. it is then, that they realize they at least have each other... they form a friendlier bond, though they're as competitive as ever. with each other to rely on, they improve quite quickly after this.

however, they are separated just before the assassin's trial begins.

minami has removed himself from being a general trainer for the candidates, and has instead focused in all his efforts on training sei alone. gashu takes the opportunity to have kai improve his weak physical constitution. it is very laborious for both of them, and moments to meet are few and far between, until it finally begins.

and of course... we know how it ends. kin reunited, and ruined.

[titanicfreija]

Distractions

Sunny found the empress in the Hall of Heroes, standing tall at the doorway they normally started through. "You wanted to talk?" the Ghost asked sweetly.

Caiatl grunted and turned to lumber down the hallway, posture heavy and steps plodding. "I wanted you to talk. I am weary and would appreciate the company of a friend," she replied.

Sunny whirled around and wheeled. It was a relief that she knew Sunny needed the instructions, she must have been getting used to her habits.

"I have good news, then! We got to dig into Thomas's previous life, and Freija asked him about his history! Rex never told us! I have no idea wh-- actually, I do."

Caiatl's relief showed immediately, shoulders relaxing and weight resting on her heels. Her breath even slowed down.

Sunny figured she would only be half listening, but she was happy to have the audience, and even happier to be a relief to someone that needed it.

~

"So this roommate, of whom you speak quite lowly, was a Warlord?" the empress asked jovially.

"See, that's my favorite part about it-- he said no. He says no, but then every single time he tries to defend his point, he fails. He even gives up and says yes, but then if you say it later, he tries to say no again! I don't understand it. He said he wasn't proud of it, but he even thought about hiding it when they were talking about it!"

"They were not good times for your people. From the sound of it, he did not want to be a Warlord. I personally am on his side of this-- if he does not call himself a Warlord, regardless of his role played, he was not one. I am surprised to hear this. Was his skill always so limited?"

Sunny groaned and swept into a huge circle. "I don't even-- he's not big with his jump, which a lot of Guardians consider to be an important thing. He really is terrible at anything except clearing gaps with a good run-up on flat terrain. But he's fine on the ground. And he can shoot really well, I didn't even know that, and really, he's not bad, it's just that his Ghost is a jerk and he can't be bothered to put up with it enough to shake off the rust and gather some momentum!"

Caiatl grunted. "This Rex. Does he believe Thomas qualified as a Warlord?"

"You know, I don't know," Sunny mused. "Thomas did say he misses those days. Rex didn't say anything himself, he was grouchy that whole trip. He's jealous of me and Freija, they both are, no one is being secretive about knowing. They can't help it, and really, we can't either. The weirdest stuff can bother them, and sometimes I get it but other times I'm just confused."

"Their bond is...?"

"I don't know if you mean bond like the love I mean or like the connection Freija talks about."

"If you will clarify, I will accept any answer."

Sunny wondered briefly if the thing that connected a Ghost and Guardian could be disrupted at all. "The love like I mean, they're... Not in a good place. Rex gets spiteful and apparently won't heal under certain circumstances, and I did know he had problems with his scanner bandwidth range, but I didn't realize how bad, so even the few times he does help, he's not as helpful as, say, I am, just because he can't. Which... If he's been trying to make Thomas make up for things he can't do.... It's rough. They make me feel lucky. They make me feel lucky when we're fighting. But as far as I can tell, they're just as much Ghost and Guardian as Freija and I are. He's actually a great fighter, he really is. It's a shame."

Caiatl "hmphed". Something in it sounded amused. "This is an interesting account. I would not have imagined that a Guardian and their Ghost would be so at odds. It seems counterintuitive."

"People are people," Sunny sighed. "Even an obligatory mutual symbiont. Rex started it, but I think he started it out of something pathetic instead of something mean. Thomas might have been mean back, back then. He's so kind, now. If a little resentful, I can smell that without olfactory sensors."

"How old are they? How long ago was this rift formed between them?"

Sunny wheeled. "I have no idea. Thomas had indicated that it was the library, which means the Tower's formation a couple hundred years ago, but the story he told made it sound earlier than that."

"I would like to witness this discordance," Caiatl chuckled.

"I don't," grumbled Sunny. "They make me feel bad. Sometimes even a little guilty for being friends with Freija in front of them. The look on Thomas's face when I gave Freija her backpack before she asked for it.... I feel bad for Thomas sometimes because I know Rex just can't, but there's lots he can and won't. It's just... Sad."

"And yet he, like any other, kept a band of mortals," she chuckled. "Out of a sense of obligation, as I understand it. Was this Rex supportive?"

"I got a real keen sense that he wasn't." Sunny turned to see Caiatl's tusks bobbing thoughtfully. "I don't know. I literally can't imagine what would make me act like that at Freija. I know he thought he could drive Thomas into being more than he is, but he was mean about it. We've all tried to help, but Rex is too angry about being wrong to correct his mistake. And he gets to see where my incessant cheering on has gotten Freija, someone he considered to be far lesser than Thomas as long as he could get away with it, and that just makes him so angry."

"You seem to simultaneously pity and dislike this Rex. And yet you call him friend?"

"I can love someone I don't like," Sunny said. "I wish I could help them. Freija wants to, too, but neither of us know what to do. Rex is angry and wants to be angry. Thomas is.... Just.... He's so kind, patient, he loves Rex, I think. Feels sorry for him, too. I don't know. They... It's so weird. And sad."

Caiatl chortled and heaved a long sigh. "Somehow, it is a relief to know that even bonds so deep do not guarantee harmony. They do work together?"

"Only in combat. It's one thing Rex can do well, and it's what he wants to do. Thomas is good at it, too, as long as what you need is cover fire. His threadlings will dissolve Vex almost as fast as his needles can unmake them, and once he's linked the needles into his gun, he can send that magic everywhere. But he's not tough. And he's real bad about getting caught out, I think it's him and Rex both being bad at spatial awareness. He has to stay in the back. Rex hates it."

"This Thomas has aligned strongly with the Darkness?" Now the amusement turned to real interest. "Do you suppose there is a link between their weak relationship and his ability to use the Darkness? Does the Ghost facilitate the Darkness the same as the Light?"

Sunny wagged a "no". "Guardians are paracausal-- outside causality, able to break the rules of physics and create matter or manipulate the intangible forces of the universe. So it allows for manipulation of Darkness. I think. I don't know for sure. But anyway-- no, I really don't. Rex likes the Darkness, too, he says. He could just be saying it for effect, but he says Stasis feels minty and strand feels like to swimming in warm water, and he likes both of them. It's been a big relief to them both. We thought it would help them, but they're stuck in their ways. Rex refuses to help Thomas do anything but fight, and Thomas doesn't like fighting. He hates getting shot, he hates dying, and he doesn't like working with anyone at the same time as needing backup." She rolled in the air and wheeled her petals. "That's one thing he is jealous about, Freija is so stupid and headstrong and he would love Thomas to be so combat-ready. Thomas would, too, I think."

Caiatl chewed on that one, too. "Do you think he would be happier with her? Or a Guardian like her?"

Sunny wagged another negative. "I think he'd hate her and anyone else like her. He doesn't know what he wants. If he had Freija, if he tried to tell her to do anything, she'd fight with him first. Anyone like her would do the same. He can't be nice, and Freija doesn't respond well to authority."

Caiatl rumbled another laugh. "She responds to real authority well enough. She knows Rex is not her superior."

Sunny wanted to argue but then she remembered Neomuna. Yeah, fair enough.

"Do you feel a Guardian like Thomas would relieve you of the guilt you suffer for raising a soldier?"

"Eternally bound to the fight," she sighed. She hadn't considered it. "I would ... Probably feel like Rex. Like I wasn't doing enough. I like to think I wouldn't scare my Guardian away from me. I... I don't know what's wrong with Rex."

"You feel he is ungrateful?"

"He had Thomas for five hundred years before I found her and he was disappointed from the first day because he didn't want to get shot. I feel like it's blasphemy to be disappointed in your Guardian like he is. Something about it should feel wrong to him, if you ask me. I think it might and that's what makes him feel like that."

Caiatl chortled. "Is there a grander belief that one can blaspheme?"

Sunny didn't even think about it when she said it. "I mean.... Some of us think we were all created with a purpose and a single Guardian out there to find. Some of us think we happened by accident, tiny fragments of the Traveler trying to save ourselves, and the connections to the Chosen are happenstance, or are something else magical. Some of us think that we were created to fight, or defend humans. It varies by who you ask."

"Your personal belief?"

Sunny paused to consider it. She hadn't rethought it in a while. "Well, I believe that... We were created unintentionally. I also believe that no individual holds the spark for an individual Ghost. We have our Chosens, but to think that we were all created a thousand years ago to look for people that wouldn't be born, let alone die, for centuries..... Bodies decay. To think that anyone could miss their chance just because the body rotted... To think that the Traveler created some Ghosts to die... I don't think it did. Really, I don't think it did just because there's too many of us. I think it broke and we're just dust that came off it. I think the bodies we're drawn to call us, but I don't think it's any single one-- I think more than one holds our spark. But maybe not at a time, or maybe it's spread out until I feed the one that grows, like the one seed of three planted."

Caiatl silently considered this for a time, gazing ahead. She then smirked. "I do not envy your position. I would suffer many doubts, more than you, I think."

"I... Honestly, I don't know. It all comes down to the fact that, if we don't fight, there will be nothing left to fight for. And I have Freija, and she wants to fight, so fight we will. Terrifying as that is."

"Your courage is seen," Caiatl promised.

"Your strength is, too, but remember that you have to rest," Sunny said, seeing the light fade in her eyes. "Do you sleep? You should probably sleep."

Her weight rocked back to her heels and her face plate shifted as her tusks lifted. Her eyelids still drooped. "We sleep. I will. I am glad to see you. I will entertain you, next time." Caiatl put a fist to her chest and bowed, an unusually stuffy gesture.

Sunny nudged the tip of her helmet. She was pretty sure it was the first time she touched the empress, even that little bit. Caiatl chuckled as she drew back to her full height.

"You must be tired, defaulting to formality like that," the Ghost observed. "See if Nimbus will hide you for an hour or so?"

"I will steal the sleep I can," she promised. "How is your Guardian?"

"Standing ground with fire and hammer," Sunny said. "It can be so beautiful, even amongst the horror."

"Her fires are indeed," agreed Caiatl. "I look forward to our next meeting. Farewell.

@wolvereaux. @annieruok94

[lopunnears]

new & improved about me

hi. you can call me a (it stands for whatever you want it to, send me your guesses if you want). i like fighting type pokemon, music, and traveling, so you'll see some posts about that. i'm an adult and any pronouns are fine.

{{ooc: my other blogs are @snowpointmailguy and @greatesteagle , but they all follow from here!}}

{{ OOC UNDER READMORE -- I RECOMMEND CHECKING IT }}

warning: i'm wordy. you don't have to read this whole thing, but i'd appreciate it if you at least skimmed the bold parts!

i've been meaning to update this blog with a fancified account for a hot minute since i got a (frankly surprising) amount of followers from this post--originally, when i started pokeblogging, i was mainly just intending to interact with my friends and they more or less know what i'm about. i think that, since i'm planning on kicking this blog back to life with an event, it's fair that everyone have some basic information about me, what i will and won't interact with, and my character.

for me: hi, i'm eve. i'm also an adult (21) who uses any pronouns, like my character, but that's where a lot of our similarities end, lol. as i'll elaborate on a bit later, this blog is sfw and i don't care if minors follow/interact, but i want this info out there so people can set boundaries as they feel they need to. i'm not excessively familiar with pokeblogging but i've been roleplaying on and off in various places for a long time! i'm wordy and i can be a bit blunt but i promise i'm friendly and would love to rp or talk :3

general boundary-setting:

like aforementioned, anything to be posted on this blog is sfw. for clarifying purposes, this refers to sexual content exclusively, and not necessarily violent content. any interactions of explicit natures will be ignored, and i would rather not extensively interact with any predominantly nsfw blogs; i'm happy to write with sfw sideblogs though! i want this blog to be safe for all ages; generally, i aim to maintain a pg-13 rating, so (for other adult muses only, please) mildly suggestive flirting that fits within that rating is fine!

i'm not familiar with all of the pokeblogging terms, but as a general rule of thumb, i'll interact with any kind of rp blog. canon protagonists, oc protagonists, fallers, sapient pokemon, it's all cool with me. however, i'd rather not interact extensively with any non-rp blogs, because...

i do my best to keep ic and ooc interactions purely separate. i am not generally comfortable interacting ic to ooc, ooc to ic, which means i politely ask you not to reblog my posts (with additions) on non-rp blogs because i will ignore them. asks from non-rp blogs are fine on or off anon as long as they aren't intended to be long-form interactions. i just need it abundantly clear that i am not my character and my character is not me.

about the character:

all of this information below is ooc and most muses have no way to know it. there will be hints for attentive muses but please don't pull anything revealing on him without letting me, the mun know beforehand.

a is an oc protagonist for legends arceus. he is alive in a day close to the present, primarily hanging around in paldea. he looks like a particularly haggard thirty-something, and that's the age range he claims, but he has lived for over a century. he has protagonist-level knowledge of the base game canon and will interact with legends arceus characters with that knowledge in mind. also, warning for a canon-typical complicated relationship with arceus/god figures in general.

a is not his real name. i would say she wouldn't give out her real name, except an attentive muse might notice this blog's connection to @snowpointmailguy at some point. the connection is that they're the same person, from two different points on the timeline. snowpointmailguy is drew pre-hisui timejump, lopunnears is drew many years post-hisui timejump.

various heavy content warnings may apply; i will tag to the best of my ability but feel free to ask if something is showing up frequently that i'm not tagging. if i start any major arc that will have frequent sensitive material, i'll make an announcement post warning for it!

if you got to the bottom, wow, i can't believe i actually wrote that much. i'm no good at being succinct, lol. thank you for reading and i look forward to writing with you!

[theroyalsims]

SIMBLEDON APPEARANCE WITH ANYA HAS "LEGITIMISED" ALISTAIR AND MARGEAUX'S RELATIONSHIP

There's officially a new royal "It Couple" in town!

With today's Simbledon appearance, royal fans and royal watchers everywhere got a first "official" glimpse of Alistair and his new girl, Margeaux. And apparently, the simple tennis date is much bigger than it seems. One royal expert suggests:

"This was more than just going out to watch tennis. This was Al saying 'look, I'm taken, this is my girl and we're happy together.' The move is a slap on the face to all his detractors and for everyone criticising Margeaux.

For weeks now, since they were first spotted together, the two have been hounded by negative publicity and some even gave Margeaux the cruel monicker 'Princess Rebound.' But with this outing, the message is loud and clear: this is not just a fling. They're legit. Plus, you take into consideration that it came with Anya's mark of approval, you can say Margeaux's very much fitting in quite nicely with the royal bunch."

(Above: Prince Al and Margeaux, with the Prince's security detail, were photographed leaving Simbledon Arena.)

The difference between the Prince's latest relationship is said to be night and day compared to his previous romance with Ximena Kalarmy. A source close to the Prince shares:

"Al and Ximena were together for years, but we actually never got to see them 'out' except maybe for her restaurant opening. Everything else, they were all paparazzi shots of their private dates. But now, we see Al and he's really happy to be out with Margeaux.

With Ximena, there was a point when all the nasty stuff spewed by the press got to her and she was really insecure. That's despite the fact that Al never let her feel inferior. He made sure she knew he loved her. But that was never enough. Ximena got into her own head and eventually, that caused Alistair to call it quits with her. I think in the end, he got tired of having to tell her again and again that she's enough. A man can only take so much."

(Above: Chatting like old pals - Anya has welcomed Margeaux into the royal fold.)

Ximena's fear of not fitting in with the royals was reportedly an issue with the couple as well. The source further reveals:

"Whenever Al invites her to family outings and dinners, she'd shrink back and put up her walls again. It was a never-ending case of 'what-ifs': what if Anya doesn't like me? What if I use the wrong fork? What if I forget to curtsy? Do I have to curtsy? In the beginning it was normal, we don't all get to meet royals and there are certain formalities and protocols, but they were together for over three years, and she never got past that. It was clear to Al that it was always going to be an issue. But still, he loved her, and he was ready to marry her. When he got shot down because of those same issues, he just had it.

The sad part? The royals seemed to genuinely like her for Alistair. Even Prince Jacques thought that she was 'sweet.' All those stories about Anya and Ingrid snubbing her was not at all true. For starters, Anya is incredibly busy and isn't at all that invested with her sibling's love lives. It was Ximena and her walls that kept her distant from Al's family. Ingrid is arguably the nicest of the bunch and even she had to ask Alistair if she'd offended Ximena in any way because Ximena wasn't talking to her."

These revelations seem to clarify the whole Alistair+Ximena break-up, but we feel that it's a tad bit unfair to keep talking about the young lady, especially now that she's no longer with Prince Al. How about we appreciate Al's newest relationship and finally leave poor Ximena alone. Not all break-ups need a villain. Sometimes things just don't work between two people despite both of them loving each other.

[allthelittlecreepycrawlies]

More very old twitter stuff that I'm just now bringing to tumblr.

Specifically, two versions of repetitive time travel I Will Probably Never Write (But There Are Snippets Included This Time!).

(Variant One)

The war has barely ended when Jin Guangshan mysteriously dies in an 'accident' with a monster.

There are plenty of witnesses, but the timing is JUST suspicious enough (right as he's making a play for Xiandu) that Jin-furen demands the bastard son deal with sussing out what happened. Recognizing what a huge responsibility has just been dumped on his friend, Lan Xichen offers to help with the investigation.

Evidence is a bitch and a half to come by, and most of it seems to make no sense at all.

Not least of all because it seems to be pointing to Nie Huaisang, of all people.

They almost dismiss the possibility entirely because while they know he can be clever, the idea that he would orchestrate something like this...?

But gradually, it becomes clear that even though they don't have enough to prove it's him, it can't be anyone else. They're trying to figure out whether they should take what they have to Nie Mingjue and hope he believes them or confront Nie Huaisang directly when they happen to come across him talking to a creature that has to be magical... mostly because it's talking back.

And what it says clarifies a great deal of things, at least for Jin Guangyao.

"Reincarnation is one thing, but humans aren't meant to live the same lifetime over and over. If you don't settle, you risk shattering yourself and ruining your chances of ever reincarnating again."

The one thing Jin Guangyao had never been able to figure out was motive. Why in the world would silly Nie Huaisang go out of his way to murder a sect leader?

But if what the creature says is true, that Nie Huaisang has been repeating the timeline... well, there's only one thing in the world that could possibly drive him to that kind of madness.

He tells Lan Xichen that they should confront Nie Huaisang first, but when they do, he only has one question to ask.

"How many times did my father order your brother's death?"

===

"Hm... and why should I go back? Exile is exile, is it not? And if I'm here, no one will ever have to wonder or worry about what I do again."

"That's not true, and you know it. We’ll worry whether you're safe."

"Too late for that. Far too late for that." Nie Huaisang stretched, the motion calling attention to just how thin he'd gotten in the years since Jin Guangyao had seen him last, walking silently out of the gates of the Unclean Realms.

"I'm tired of talking to you," he said as he stood up "Go home. Tell everyone you trapped me here on purpose, and they'll consider you a hero. Everyone wins."

"Except you."

The smile Nie Huaisang gave him made his heart hurt. "I've already gotten the only thing I was after. For the first time ever, my brother has finally passed thirty years old, and he will live many years more. Whether or not I would be around to see any of that was never actually important."

Without another word, he turned and began walking away, and the shifting fog that permeated the strange in-between realm they were in closed him off from sight within a few steps.

Jin Guangyao shoved himself to his feet, a sudden sense of panic flooding his chest. "Huaisang, wait! Huaisang!"

Nothing answered him but the faint sound of wind. 

—-------

(Variant 2)

Jin Guangyao with a pretty decent/happy life discovering that this is actually the second (third, fourth, fifth?) version of this lifetime, with canon having been the first and Nie Huaisang having been the one who changed it to save his brother.

He becomes obsessed with the realization that Nie Huaisang could have destroyed him, and yet chose not only to spare him, but to include him on the list of improved lives.

===

“I still don’t understand.”

Nie Huaisang swallowed the last of his soup and cradled the little wooden bowl in his lap. "Don't understand what?"

"You could have gotten rid of me. If death was off the table, you could have just as easily injured or disgraced me to make me go away. Why didn't you?"

For a long time, there was no answer as Nie Huaisang just stared into the fire. Then he sighed and slumped against the rock behind him, tipping his head back.

"I thought about it. I'd even made plans for it," he says in a hollow voice that sends a shiver down Jin Guangyao's spine. "But the more I thought, the more I realized it wouldn't do any good. He would have just sent someone else to do it. In fact, he did just send someone else to do it the two times I managed to convince you to back off or otherwise distract you."

Jin Guangyao frowns. "Who... Xue Yang?"

Nie Huaisang gives a tired, bitter laugh. "No, no, as much as he probably would have been eager to do it, he was still considered too necessary," he says, then wipes his eyes. "Poor Yu-er. As expendable as he was to your father, figuring out how to keep him alive was almost as hard as keeping Da-ge alive."

Jin Guangyao swallows hard and decides he doesn't want to know. 

"Besides... I didn't always hate you, you know. At one point I would have given you almost anything you asked of me."

'Anything except my brother,' goes unspoken, but not unheard.

And, considering Nie Huaisang had gone so far as to give him this new life, comfortable and secure and free of his father's never-ending demands, he believes it.

Especially since it has all come at such a harsh cost to Nie Huaisang himself.

He reaches out and gently takes the bowl from Nie Huaisang's hands to refill it, but sets it aside instead of immediately handing it back.

"And now? Would you still do it?" he can't help but press, curiosity eating at him.

Nie Huaisang tilts his head, expression a mix of emotions. "That implies I have anything left to give you."

"You do," Jin Guangyao says, then leans in and kisses him.

[thelioncourts]

hi!! how do you think they show is gonna portray armandstat? i’m so curious about them and also nicki,i guess we’ll see some louis/nicki parallels but idk,seeing amc is already promoting armandstat i guess they are gonna be big,s3 can’t come soon enough!!!!

I'm probably not the right person to ask about armandstat, I don't like them lol but ! trying to put aside any of my personal feelings/bias/etc. I don't think armandstat is going to be as big of a thing as some people seem to think it will. I could be wrong, of course, but I'm one of the people in the 'armand was lying about most of 2x3' court so.

and to clarify all of this, my thoughts on 2x3 being a lie aren't rooted in questions of lestat's attraction to armand or anything, they're rooted in several other things, namely that 1) the complete omission of gabrielle is extremely telling (and funny) 2) the change from book-to-show regarding lestat's involvement in the theatre is something I'm very much questioning 3) the true appeal of armandstat in the books is that they can't and they won't.

(1) the complete omission of gabrielle is telling to me because if you read through tvl, gabrielle is present for, like, all of the interactions between lestat and armand. and while lestat and armand definitely have their own thing going on, armand just as badly wants gabrielle to love and accept him. so her lack of presence just has me going ??? armand. none of this is real, is it?

(2) truly my biggest 'past' question as soon as 2x3 aired was why did they make lestat a true founder of the theatre? because in the book, lestat is not happy with, nor the mind behind, the theatre des vampires at all. nicki is the main voice behind its creation, and lestat calls nicki petty for it. he gives nicki (and the theatre itself) money out of this obligation and guilt he feels, but he does it at the point where he and nicki hate one another and are ready to say their goodbyes for good. so I think this 'lestat was the main creator behind the theatre' is, at the very least, an embellishment that will be cleared up this season.

(3) truly, at its core, armandstat is interesting because they can't and won't. if they do, it loses, like, 99.9369% of its interest. I've said it a lot before, but I get angry when people try to simplify loumand into being 'armand only loves louis because of lestat' when that's not true at all; armand loves a handful of people and he loves them with his entire soul and existence. armand loves louis, and he loves louis for louis; armand loves daniel, and he loves daniel for daniel; armand loves lestat, and he loves lestat for lestat; armand loves marius, and he loves marius because he had no other choice but to love him. I think people do forget that lestat looks a lot like marius and wears red like marius, and so when armand saw him the first time he associated lestat with marius. this isn't a 'lestat is like marius' conversation, but that the association of the two impacted armand soooo much, especially because lestat was the first person armand really does this 'falling in love with' after being taken away from marius. and, like marius, lestat changed armand's worldview on things with his overpowering personality, his confidence, his ideals. and I think we will see that, but I think we'll also see how lestat immediately clocks armand for what he is, and tells him "We (Lestat and Gabrielle) cannot be Marius for you,' I said, 'or the dark lord, Santino. We are not artists with a great vision that will carry you forward. And we are not evil coven masters with the conviction to condemn a legion to perdition. And this domination - this glorious mandate - is what you must have. (TVL, p. 272)" like lestat knows he cannot ever be with armand. he knows that in his heart. and I think that's so important to them as characters, and I do hope the show goes through with that tbh.

so yeah! those are my armandstat thoughts lol I think we will see their complexities a lot, I think we will see armand desperate for lestat, but I think the truth of it is not quiteeeee what a lot of people are hoping for/thinking

also, I don't think we're going to see a ton of nicki/louis parallels. there really aren't even that many in the book, they're both just sad (but different kinds of sad) and I think the importance of nicki in the show will be to set a framework as to why lestat himself withheld in a certain kind of way in his relationship with louis, and how that was part of their damnation. :)

[trainsinanime]

I've said it diplomatically twice now, but I think I need to be absolutely clear here:

Stop making stupid posts that make me want to defend Tumblr's Core Product Strategy!

I don't want to defend that document! I am worried about large parts of it! But so much of the replies are just so badly informed, badly argued that it makes me embarrassed. Here's some recent examples of fallacies that make me want to tear my hair out:

This poll proves that users like the way things are now! Ah yes, a Tumblr poll, the most unbiased of sources, of course. With 136k replies! That's definitely meaningful on a website with several hundred million monthly active users, right? [The sources I've found differ wildly] Self-selection bias? Never heard of it.

I definitely know how Tumblr's algorithm works and it's physically impossible for an algorithm to help small creators! Come on, guys. If you're concerned about an algorithm only boosting established creators, yes, so am I. But if you're saying "that's certain", Tumblr will just say "well ours won't" and ignore it.

Tumblr is totally easy to use, staff just refuses to explain it properly or do the very easy things required to fix what is broken. Don't be silly. Tumblr is full of weird cruft. Every day you see people who don't know the difference between sending an ask, submitting a post or sending a direct message. We got both reblogs and replies, and both suck for longer multi-party discussions. Tumblr still asks you for a post type despite that not being necessary anymore. And then there are all the ways in which people use tags, and expect others to use tags. Tumblr takes some getting used to, we just don't see it because we've all gotten used to it. And don't give me any "just add a tutorial" shit. Design is how it works. Websites shouldn't need tutorials, and users won't read tutorials, and won't remember tutorials once they reach a point where they need them.

I must once again stress that Tumblr asserts that there are a large number of people on this site who aren't having a good time because they can't find interesting blogs to follow and nobody is finding the stuff that they post. That's a statement that you have to deal with in your response. Going, "my Tumblr poll, held among people who use Tumblr a lot and are happy here, proves that everybody likes Tumblr as it is" is not a valid response. It's just silly. The "pissing on the poor" reading comprehension thing is supposed to be an insult, not a goal to strive towards.

Read the posts by staff again until you understand what they're actually saying (they even clarified that the chronological timeline will remain, by the way). And once you've done that, get mad at them because they're saying, "we want to be more annoying for users who aren't logged in". That's one of the parts that I'm the most annoyed about.

[darkshrimpemotions]

@valleyg0th Like I said, answering this in a separate post because it's too long-winded for a reply and sort of off the topic of the original post. My comments and yours from that post above for reference.

Also, I'd like to preface this by saying that the ethical and moral considerations around RPS/RPF are massively nuanced and complicated, and something that I'm still working through myself. That being said, I do have some pretty hard and fast ideas about what ISN'T okay, which inform a lot of what I'm getting into below.

But first, I'd like to clarify my statement as it seems from your reply that it did not come across the way I intended. When I say "something Taylor has made it clear she doesn't want to be super public about" I'm not talking about her sexuality. I'm talking about her relationships in general.

She has made it very clear, repeatedly, over the years that she does not appreciate uninvited intrusions into her personal life. That's not really debatable at this point. She wants to be the one to choose what and when and how her personal life is shared with the world. If she has ever asked for anything, anything at all, it's that.

That's part one of why I find the constant spreading and debate and speculation over these still-unconfirmed break-up rumors so distasteful, particularly from people who claim to love Taylor.

Part two of why I find it so distasteful is the way so many people are celebrating this breakup rumor because it validates their theories about Taylor's sexuality, rejoicing that she's "gotten rid of her beard" and such. That's gross regardless of what you think her sexuality is. If people were on here going "oh yay she broke up with Joe this is how Haylor can still win" I would find that despicable, too.

I'm not particularly invested in any of Taylor's relationships beyond being happy that she's happy, but I do participate and get invested heavily in RPS/RPF in other fandoms, and the keys to respectful RPS/RPF are pretty clear, whether the ship in question is het or queer.

1. You do not demonize, villainize, or harass the real life significant others of the people your ship concerns. (It's also generally considered distasteful to float or perpetuate rumors or conspiracy theories about the relationship being fake or forced, but the bare minimum is you don't make whatever you think about the relationship that SO's problem.)

2. You do not involve or bother the children of the people your ship concerns in any way, ever.

3. You do not ever, ever, EVER put your shipping or associated material (i.e. fics, fanart, theorizing, tinhatting) where the real people it concerns are likely to see it.

And that third one is where Swifties, Gaylors in particular, are really fucking failing right now. Now, if a famous person goes onto AO3 and searches for their name, that's one thing. Or they come into any fandom space where they aren't a known presence and start poking around...they went looking for it. But bringing it up at live events or putting it on social media platforms that said celebrity openly frequents in a way they're likely to see it (i.e. by @ing them or putting it under their name's hashtag) is crossing a line.

And yet what is the Taylor Swift tag FULL OF, on tumblr where we all know Taylor has had an account for years and lurks occasionally? People calling Joe an ex-beard, celebrating the end of their relationship, and analyzing her every move and facial expression and song choice in the context of these unconfirmed break-up rumors.

This shit is gross, full stop. And on top of everything else, far too many of the fans in the Gaylor camp are quick to call anyone who has a problem with their behavior in this regard a homophobe, trivializing the very real dangers and struggles faced by queer people to win their stupid little fandom arguments. That's disgusting. It disgusts me as a queer person.

Part three of why I find all the breakup rumor speculation so distasteful is that once again, Taylor is doing the absolute most and completely killing it at her career, but many of her so-called fans only want to focus on her relationship status with some guy. It's all "she's doing so great on tour in spite of the Joe breakup!" or "she's doing so great on tour because of the Joe breakup!" How about we stop attributing anything in this woman's career to the men she's involved with? Are we capable of that? Have we fucking evolved past 2015 yet?

As for Taylor's habit of leaving clues in her albums, I find it wild that people assume because she has left fairly obvious little puzzles and easter eggs for us throughout her career ABOUT her career, i.e. background info about the music on an album or foreshadowing around what's coming next, that means that she's constantly sending us secret coded messages about her private life.

Like...capitalized letters in liner notes that spell out a detail about that song or album that you wouldn't otherwise know, or a numerical code on her instagram that reveals the vault tracks on her next TV re-recording, or even easter eggs in a music video related to very public knowledge that inspired the song and album...are all a pretty far cry from "Taylor has been sending secret, unconfirmed signals that only we can see for over a decade to tell us that she's actually queer and being forced to stay in the closet and have PR relationships with men she doesn't care about."

And finally, I actually don't have a problem with interpreting Ivy or any of Taylor's music as queer. Interpreting art is not the same thing as speculating on the artist's sexuality, and it sure as hell isn't the same thing as celebrating a breakup rumor because it validates that speculation. I myself interpret a LOT of Taylor's music as queer. But I also understand that how I interpret art is just as much about me as it is about the art.

Me finding something in Taylor's music that I resonate with as a queer person doesn't necessarily mean Taylor herself is queer. And even if she is, she hasn't chosen to share that with us, so it's simply none of my goddamn business. "A lot of Taylor Swift's music resonates with me and my queer experiences" and "Taylor Swift's sexuality is none of my business" are ideas that can and should coexist.

As are "I think she might be" and "but that's none of my business" for that matter! Hell, I can even admit that based on my own experiences of being closeted and coming out, I wouldn't be surprised at all if one day Taylor comes out as bi. But that doesn't mean she OWES me or anyone else that disclosure, or that it's okay to be on the internet endlessly speculating on unsubstantiated rumors concerning something we know she specifically likes to be private about in a place we KNOW she's likely to see it! Especially when that speculation gives way to actively celebrating the end of her relationship without knowing a) if it has actually ended, and b) how she feels about it if it has.

[stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland]

My answer to @samcscreams

I don’t wanna start any drama but I feel like either post wasn’t for the other. My only reason is that Jenna isn’t an A-list celebrity. Don’t get my wrong after Wednesday Jenna became a highly sought after actress (rightfully so). So her social value is high but since that really only happened about 7-8 months ago she hasn’t reached A-list millionaire yet. I mean I’m not 100% sure but I don’t think Jenna’s made over a million for any project she’s done.

Thanks for comment. I'd like to discuss a few points here that I think would be worth clarifying, and I'll start by saying that nothing I mentioned in your comment post is anything against Jenna at all. That being said, what you say about Jenna not being an A-list artist is not true. She stopped being an unknown artist since she became popular with Wednesday and Scream and thus, she is already considered an A-known artist. She is in that range and if you take a look at her IG, you will understand what I am saying. Jenna Ortega's image is absolutely controlled as a mainstream artist and as such, she is making money in the same way. Maybe not to the extreme of a Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise, but she is on her way to it and that is clear with her sponsoring. Adidas, Dior, Neutrogena, Jenna's invitation to an event like the Met Gala positions her as an important artist who will gradually continue to gain cachet and a better salary, which if you ask me makes me very happy. The issue here is that she stopped being a working actress who has to fight every day to get a job and it shows. It's good news. As for the amount of money earned in her movies and series, as far as I know, she exceeded the million dollar range without counting sponsorship, which, as far as I know, most of that money goes into her pocket. at least she's lucky to reach the annual money that Sag-Aftra asks for health insurance.

Also you have to take into account that out of what she does make she has to pay her team. Her publicist, her agent, accountants, coordinators whoever she has she has to pay. I as a consumer often forget about how much actors have to pay out of pocket for their team. So when they negotiate it’s not only for themselves.

What you say is true, but as I commented in the previous paragraph, I wouldn't worry about the money that she can generate because she is doing excellently at the advertising level and that is partly what I don't like with her. The fact that she is now a mainstream artist means control of her image, therefore much of what she can say, especially on social networks, is not her 100%. No artist is 100 percent genuine in that sense and it's something I don't like artists to do, I don't know if I'm making myself understand

I also understand what Melissa is saying and she’s right. If Leonardo DiCaprio or Meryl Streep did an Indy film it would be a little off putting. Sorry for the rant I just don’t feel like there’s any drama here and I’d hate for nothing to become something.

Melissa is absolutely right. I was discussing the subject with a friend and we both agree that indie productions should be left to working artists who are not mainstream, because it is more convenient for them to have work like this. That's not to say that mainstream artists can't do indie, but it's unfair that they take jobs away from hard-working actors when they're paid so much less for that work. So no, I didn't mean to make a drama out of Melissa and Jenna, but it was really funny to me that Jenna's IG came up with two strike-related stories when she or her team only posted one strike-related post when it started. That's what I meant when I said I hated that Jenna's image and her networks were so controlled, because it seemed like she was really affected by that Melissa story.

This is all of course my point of view which can also be wrong, but I'm still happy to see Jenna's hard work getting the recognition she deserves because she really does. I would leave out the excessive attention and control, but we know that the industry does not give you anything for free and this is part of what makes it a famous artist.

[song-of-the-rune]

To anyone who does OC writing of any kind -- essentially, how do you decide who a character is?

Thinking aloud, please feel free to answer without reading all of the rambling below, which is more about a specific character than the question in general:

I found this in my drafts. I don't need advice on this particular character anymore, but I am still curious to hear about others' processes!

I have a character who I know a little bit about, but he's relatively undeveloped, and I'm trying to make him the protagonist of this short story I'm writing. I have a vague background, and I know how he typically handles things in the moment -- but I'm not sure how to have him react in the longer term. Partially because I know he himself is conflicted.

I guess part of my problem is that I don't want him to be too similar to the antagonist/deuteragonist, or if he does end up being very similar, I want to keep it clear that that's a corruption of his old self or it's otherwise forced on him.

I guess, partially, I am torn on -- do I want a happy ending for my protagonist?

I like happy endings, but I also like torturing my characters a bit and exploring pain through writing. I know I shouldn't worry about what others think of my writing in general, but when this is done, it's going to become lore for my tabletop setting, so... it does need to be a little bit consumable. (Or, I guess not? It's not like this is all happening on-screen.) It's also not like he's particularly... relatable for most readers, I'd think, at least not for my players. He's established in the setting as not a fantastic person, though I've started sympathizing with him when I started writing this. On the other hand, he's also a great candidate for a redemption arc, and I'm a sucker for redemption arcs. On the OTHER hand... It's very much against his own sense of self-preservation at this point.

Okay, I guess let me explain some things to help clarify the question:

(Spoilers for a story about my OCs I want to post here later if I get around to finishing it)

How do I decide how much Kaz values self-preservation?

High-fantasy setting. The man has been murdered and forcibly turned undead to grant him immortality. Why? So he can serve as a soul cage for the now-lich Rik who forcibly turned him -- essentially, he is the key to someone else's immortality. But he needs his own soul cage, and in an attempt to make things "even", embeds it in Rik's body. So, the two need each other to survive in order to keep surviving -- almost, I'll get back to this in a moment.

However, uh... obviously that's not a healthy relationship. So Kaz wants out, because he trusted Rik up until this happened. However, he didn't come prepared like Rik did, so he's actually at a bit of a disadvantage. Basically, Rik could replace Kaz at any time, taking away his immortality, so he's essentially at Rik's beck and call if he wants to survive. Not only can Rik take away the thing making Kaz invulnerable, but because of the way they're bound, Kaz can't put distance between them to keep himself safe from Rik; there's essentially always the option to teleport directly to Kaz. The best option in terms of survival is to make himself indisposible, which means cooperating, even if minimally. But, he knows that Kaz is going to be psychologically manipulating him the whole way and it probably won't be minimal.

What does he do? Does he just... die? Or does he keep doing things he doesn't want to do in order to survive?

How do I decide what a character lives for?

He's undead. He doesn't want to be. He misses food and feeling the sun and being able to be around animals without them being terrified of him.