#but currently I can't think of a better way to phrase it and I'm sorry

[rollychan]

Sorry to butt in here but your (@unlucky-number-13) response spawned many thoughts in my brain (thanks for that, it's been fun to go thinking about Loki again, been a while), so let me try and put them down, hopefully in a way that's comprehensible.

(this got very long, I am very sorry, I also hope you're not reading my disagreements as an attack because it really isn't, it's also late and I'm tired so if something doesn't make sense, mea culpa)

I don't agree with your assessment of what Loki's "true" personality is, both because I fundamentally don't agree that there is some "true" personality in the first place (if he spends the majority of all his movies acting and pretending, that is very much a personality trait), and also because this is fiction and there were enough characterizing instances in Thor 1. I'd somewhat understand that reasoning if it were real life.

Loki's characterization in Thor 1 is not all an act

How he behaves when he's having a meltdown is of course part of him, and losing control in fiction does indicate that some hidden truth is coming. But the fact that he only breaks down or shows his cracks when he gets this confirmation, as opposed to already breaking down when he saw his arm turning blue, or on the way back, is also characterization. Him being a good liar and actor (or Laufey wouldn't have ever believed him on account of him being a prince of Asgard) and preferring stealthy subterfuge over direct confrontations (sabotaging Thor's coronation, sending a message to Odin secretly) and illusions and throwing knives over close-combat weapons (requiring him to be more strategic and inconspicuous) are all characterization. And that all is not an act. Neither is keeping quiet and not attracting attention to himself when Thor and Odin have their fight, or trying to pick up mjölnir when no one can see him.

He is decidedly not an in-your-face character and being controlled in his gestures/mannerisms is definitely part of his personality, and the writers and TH did a great job characterizing him as such in all aspects, as well as the visuals.

He also has anything but flat affect. Look at his face - it's very expressive. Maybe we just have different understandings what "flat affect" means, but he does not lack in emotional reactivity (which to me is what flat affect means). He does have two rather impressive breakdowns in Thor 1 alone (which are very appripriate given the situations, his voice definitely doesn't lack emotion there either). The worry is clearly written in his face when Odin and Thor have their shouting match (and he also sighs). The shock is also plainly visible in his face when his arm turns blue and he looks at the frost giant that grabbed him. These instances alone are already enough to prove that he is very much emotionally reactive (that doesn't mean he likes revealing his inner workings). And, like, even in the two instances where he really loses control and breaks down, he doesn't spazz around with his arms and hands and whole body (and since he's losing control there, he should be displaying his "true" behavior, which isn't at all similar to the series behavior). Because that's just not who he is.

Avengers ending and TDW scenes as comparison

I agree that it's hard to find a movie that has a situation comparable to the one in the series, especially considering the difference in his experiences between Thor 1 and TDW. But I do think right after Avengers 1 and the first scenes in TDW with him are good picks. And none of those scenes support his sudden behavior change in the series.

When Loki asks for the drink in Avengers 1, he's also not spazzy or trying to make his face emote to the power of ten. Granted, he has just been beaten up, but even in this funny moment (because it is intended to be so) he isn't exaggerating at all, and rather still.

In TDW, he is being brought before Odin in lots of chains. He still manages to move in a very controlled and smooth way, even though he's exaggerating at one point there with his last step when he comes to a halt very pointedly (even that exaggeration is still very smooth and controlled - he knows exactly what he's doing).

A not so little aside: even later in the movie (though too much time has passed by then to really be comparable to the series in that sense) when Loki is moving with more of a swagger and gestures more than in Thor 1, his movements are still controlled and smooth, not spazzy and erratic and all over the place as in the series. There is still a world of a difference there. I don't agree that Loki was mirroring Odin in the first place, so giving that as the sole explanation for his behavior in TDW is already unconvincing to me, but also because his behavior makes much more sense to me for different reasons, and also more than one reason. For one: freedom after over a year of solitary confinement, freedom of Thanos, freedom in general after so long, sibling dynamics and despite the divide between them, being glad to be with his brother again, mischief/trickery - which is one of Loki's emphasized traits in Thor 1, so yeah, it actually very much falls in line with his Thor 1 characterization. Sadly, we don't see much of it in Thor 1, we're only told about it, though it's framed as a fact (and we see plenty of trickery, just not the harmlessly mischievous kind). The one scene where we would have seen that exact behavior was cut from the movie and therefore, in my book, doesn't count (in discussions like these, in fics I'm all for saying it's a fact that happened), and that was the scene right before Thor's coronation, when Loki does the little trick with the snake and also bickers with Thor about their helmets - that scene existing at all makes it kinda hard for me to see Loki's behavior in TDW as dramatically different. Also, when Loki creates an illusion of himself that hangs from the bifröst in Thor 1, asking Thor for help - that's rather showy. And by both their reactions it's not the first time Loki's done something similar. And the last reason I can think of off the top of my head: surviving trauma, after which it's not uncommon that people become a little sarcastic and go on the offensive to provoke (as Loki did with Thor, he provoked Thor to the point Thor almost lost his temper, on that skiff with Jane). Which, still, is rather in line with his Thor 1 behavior. When Loki snaps he attacks. He attacked Thor in Thor 1 and he yelled at Odin.

The scene where Loki makes fun of Captain America after his defeat in Avengers 1 wasn't even in the movie, that was in Endgame (that came out after TR, where he already began with the exaggerated behavior), which I consider a retcon, so it doesn't count in my book.

Loki's change of behavior and mannerisms isn't gradual

Which brings me to the (to my knowledge) as of yet uncontested fact that Loki already exhibited his OOC and spazzy behavior before and during his capture by the TVA in Mongolia. He knew nothing of the TVA and was already all spazzy and exaggerated facial expressions. I haven't seen a single argument that convinced me why he would do so. In front of, in his view at the time, mere humans, and right after his defeat and before his sentencing by Odin (which would have happened bar the time travel shenanigans) - all where he was (and would have been) still very composed and controlled.

You say he gradually mirrors Mobius but he doesn't. It's immediate and before he even meets Mobius. Which is part of the reason I can't quite agree with your reasoning re Loki mirroring Odin and Mobius.

Him finding out about the TVA and being ripped out of his universe is not a convincing argument to me. His world also shattered in Thor 1, when he found out he's a frost giant, which, in his mind, makes him a monster or a relic/object Odin stole - which also implies he immediately drew the conclusion he isn't worthy (he isn't and never could have been as special and worthy as Thor), he's just a tool, everything he thought he knew was wrong, and nothing he does will ever be enough, because Odin "can't have a frost giant sitting on the throne" (his fight with Thor should have him being more spazzy in his mannerisms because at this point he's lost control of everything). It's really not all that different a reveal emotionally (also remember how quickly Loki got a grip of himself and killed the frost giant who grabbed his arm. He does not let such situations faze him while he's not safe enough to have a meltdown).

Even if the TVA situation was worse to him than that reveal from Thor 1, that still doesn't support his spazzy and over-the-top behavior. When he was in his cell in TDW he was also in the same situation that nothing he does really matters anymore because he was sentenced there for a whole Asgardian lifetime, and also, what did he have to lose at that point? His gestures and mannerisms were still controlled and smooth, even when he broke down after Frigga died. Nothing in his previous characterization points to him resorting to the series behavior. It does not fit his characterization.

Our interpretations of the source material are very different, so maybe we won't agree on anything here (because your argumentation is based on the premise that Loki is copying behavior, whereas I already reject your premise, mainly), though maybe I'm also very tired and am overlooking something.

rewatching the Loki series, and the more I watch, the more I realize that Loki was not as OOC as most people say he is. Yeah, there are a lot of "he would not freaking say that" moments, but there are fewer than I remember. (Sylvie is also less annoying, but I'm only on episode 4, so that may change.)

What I am watching is Mobius systematically breaking down Loki psychologically and Loki desperately trying not to die or get beaten up the entire time. Loki would do anything to keep Mobius happy and Mobius knows that and exploits it. He manipulates Loki and never apologizes for any of it. Mobius is horrible.

The plot is still an absolute disaster though.

[cyberrose2001]

TFP Optimus with a goth and metalhead reader. Reader is female. Fluff.

TFP Optimus x Fem!Goth/Metalhead!Reader

Heyy so this was pretty cute to write. I had come up with a couple different ideas but I went with something simple and took creative liberty. I hope you enjoy!!

Warnings: None, Fluff, reader is human.

Word Count: 1,259

'There's no escape from the thoughts inside my head,

Dark days has taken the best of me,

I can't go on like this.'

Sliding the volume bar up, you relax into the stained lounge not currently occupied with kids bickering for player one. They can be pestering at best. However, you love them a lot, especially Miko. That little rockstar has wiggled her way under your skin more than you would've liked. You can't count how often she's come to you with a new metal song she wanted to destroy your eardrums with, in a good way, much to the chagrin of the rest of Team Prime.

So when your fellow metalhead friend goes home with a big smile on her face and the second guitar she's broken this week, you take the opportunity to relax with your own music. With added earbuds, of course.

'Can you turn back time,

To change what you have done?

To shape who you become?'

Shutting your eyes, you let the rolling drums and metallic melodies flood your senses, the lyrics soothing you better than any therapist you could throw money at.

'DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUUUUU-'

Tap tap.

"GAHH!"

After nearly giving the base a new emergency exit via a Y/n-shaped hole through the roof, you rip off your earbuds to glare daggers at exactly who tapped you on the shoulder in your mid-maladaptive daydreaming.

A very concerned, slightly mortified Optimus Prime stares at you right back.

You have now exceeded your yearly quota for embarrassment in the span of five seconds.

"Oh! Optimus, sorry I-" You fumble for your phone that went airborne to the other side of the lounge, quickly pausing your music and clearing your throat, "Sorry, is there something I can... do for you?"

Optimus recovers from your sudden outburst and clears his vocalizer, "Nothing to be concerned about," He pauses, "I think... but I couldn't help but overhear music coming from your small device."

"Oh, these?" You show him your earbuds, heavily used and on its last string of wire, "Yeah, that's what they're used for. Personalised music only you can listen to from, called earphones."

"Ah, a device that recognises its user," Optimus says confidently, "Would it still be functional if another were to use it?"

"Uh, no," You hold back a soft chuckle. Optimus may be an eons-old robot, but it seems he still has much to learn about human culture, "I phrased that wrong. It sends music directly into your ears. Not only does it sound better, but it's more... respectful to the people around you."

Optimus seemed to understand that, nodding and leaning in to get a closer look at the magical, elusive earphones, "Hm, I see. How interesting, I am not sure if Cybertron ever had these."

You're unsure if you should explain the crucial 'ear' part, but then again, you also had some things to learn about Cybertronians.

"Maybe," You say, giving him an unsure smile, "Would you... like to try them out? I'm not sure how they will fit because, y'know, ears."

The mech perks up at your offer, seeming interested in something other than having a candle-lit dinner and wine with his datapad.

"If you allow me," Optimus holds out a servo, "I would be grateful for the opportunity."

God, he's so sweet. It's like you asked him to accompany you to a high school dance, except it's not. He wants to try out earphones.

"I am sure they will be fine. My comlink had previously been modified to accommodate external inputs."

You smile sheepishly. That's a good enough answer and one you were hoping for. You move from the lounge to step onto Optimus' outstretched servo, and now you realise that you've never actually been held by Optimus. You know he's big, but suddenly becoming inches close to his faceplates and getting a feel for the mech's true size has your mind spinning.

And this piece of heavy metal that holds you like a delicate flower is about to experience true heavy metal.

Optimus studies you for a moment longer, and his optics finally get a proper, up-close look at your unique style, "You look quite... different from the others. Before proceeding with this 'personalised' experience, may I ask why?"

That shouldn't have made your face flush, but it did. Questionable choice of wording, but he's right. You do have a different style even compared to Miko. Instead of colourful streaks of pink and the brash early two thousand' get-up, you chose to adorn yourself with all-black clothing and absolutely no bold colours in your hair. Even your make-up, black lipstick, and harsh eyeliner that would make a Christian mother weep. Optimus would undoubtedly question why you chose a different way of representing yourself.

"Well, I'm sure it's strange to you," You begin, trying to ignore how high off the ground you are, "But it's another way for humans to express themselves. It's more of an aesthetic of sorts, but a way of life for others. I guess you could compare it to Cybertronians choosing their alt modes."

Optimus nods, absorbing the new knowledge like a sponge. For some reason, that was easier to explain than the earphones.

"Ah, so it is a distinct way to present yourself to others—an identity of sorts. We Cybertronians are quite limited in our own modifications, partly due to the war." The mech reaches his other servo to your hair, toying with the ends to admire the softness, "I do not find that strange at all that you would choose to modify yourself this way. It's rather endearing and unique; I admire that about your species."

"That's..." Your cheeks flush once again as you watch him play with your hair, "Kind of sweet." You give him a soft smile, touching his servo near your head. He makes eye contact with you, and that's when your breath hitches, and you clear your throat, "But it's not just clothes or... or other mods we can use - we can use music too."

Optimus nods his helm in familiarity, "Yes, I have become aware of that. Miko can be quite the musician." You're unsure if he's saying that to be polite or if he genuinely means it.

"Yeah, I've been trying to teach her, I promise." You chuckle softly, as does he. You continue, unconsciously gripping his servo, "But music is the pathway to the soul, at least for me. It can help me think and even untangle my emotions or just let them be and only soothe. It helps me live in the moment. Like a... a therapist, if that makes sense."

The Prime seems to have connected the dots, "That is why you spend most of your time resting on the couch listening to your music?" Optimus realises his impudence towards you earlier when he startled you, "I see. I apologise for interrupting your therapy earlier; that was rather brash of me."

God, no, he is exceeding unprecedented levels of sweetness now. His optics' soft, apologetic look nearly obliterates you, thinking he had legitimately interrupted a therapy session.

"No, no, Optimus," You suppress a laugh, "It's okay, really. It's a figure of speech. It feels like therapy. Sometimes it's better."

Optimus exhales a gentle sigh, "Apologies. You humans have such expressive figures of speech I have yet to catch onto."   

"It's alright. Now, speaking of therapy." You try to hide your ever-growing affection for him and retract your hand, holding up one end of the small earbud, "How about that personalised experience?"

[minhosimthings]

love.

Synopsis: in which Hyunjin comforts you on a hard day

Warnings: fluff fluff fluff, heavily self indulgent because I can, hurt/comfort, reader cries, mention of food

A/N: yay I did this finally it's out of my notes Woohoo! Idk when this idea came into my brain but it did and I couldn't stop thinking about it so now it's here. For my loves @chlorinecake and @astraystayyh they are my Hyunjins

Song rec: love by Wave to Earth

The weight of the world on your shoulders.

You had often heard that phrase as a child. It was ridiculous, initially.

The world can't possibly weigh that much.

You were the smartest in your class, you knew the multiplication tables by the time you were five, the capitals of the world by eight, and by fifteen, the weight of nothing but your own shoulders dragged you behind everyone.

University was an easy affair, that's what you told everyone. Someone's got to keep up the smart girl, book child status up right?

Studies were easy, just understand it, write it down better. Yet, fuck, you could feel the words fading by, was it a stalactite or a stalagmite?

Graduation was easy, you were peaking and nothing was in your way!

Then you realised something.

The world did weigh too much.

Everyone weighed too much.

Your mind weighed greater than your heart, something you fought off for eons now.

And diamonds are formed under pressure, but hadn't you learnt that diamonds turn into graphite every now and then too?

You were so smart as a child, what happened?, You wished ever so fervently that you could tell them that you weren't a child anymore.

No longer the child that thought the only thing that she needed to do to be loved was to get a good grade off her papers.

Or was that love starved part of you still inside?

"Rough day, love?"

Love. It was the nickname you most adored. Lucky for you nicknames were Hyunjin's personal favourite job.

"Fuck..." You swore softly, immediately collapsing onto your couch, and wrapping yourself into the warm cocoon that was your boyfriend's arms. You swore you would become a butterfly from your current catterpillar state one day.

The gruesome world always seemed to calm down on its axis of rotation as soon as you reached Hyunjin's touch. As if he was the petals of honeydew calming down the speed of a hummingbird. Would you have been the overactive bird rushing around to cater to the needs of everyone around her?

You could hear your own heartbeat in the moments of silence, when the dust seemed to still and the winds seemed to wait, eavesdropping on conversations old and new. The hauntedness of the thumping sound made you shiver.

The tightness around your throat felt tighter by the moment, like an invisible rope hanging round it. Your heart felt too heavy too for some reason. It's a heart, you tried to convince yourself, you need it to live. But you knew that you could rip it out of your chest at this moment, and you would still keep living on. But did you really have to-

"Want to talk about it, love?"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

A loud sob ripped through the thick air, coating the curtains of the atmosphere in a blueish paint that seemed to have rotted inside it's bucket far too long. Hyunjin was quick to bury your head further into his chest.

You know you smell really comforting?, that went on in his mind, the thing you said on your first cuddle session, in which, he remembered fondly, you described his scent a bit further than most people usually did.

Broken strings of words escaped your lips, I'm sorry—im so sorry! Guilt always flowed through your veins whenever anything like this happened.

But Hyunjin understood, he always understood. And fuck, you both hated and loved that he understood.

One hand lay on the back of your head, while his other caressed your back, rubbing circles on it. As if a magical void would appear and take all your problems away.

Hyunjin was your magical void.

"Can you talk to me?" Hyunjin asked quietly. He felt you shake your head against his shoulder, causing him to tighten his hold on you.

"It's going to be okay love. I promise you."

Another wave of tears surged through you, nearly making you double over at the rush of fresh emotions popping off in your brain, your jaw tensing as you tried to stifle the illegible babbling falling from your lips. 

Hyunjin's words in your ear and his hand rubbing ribbons of comfort onto your back made you catch your breath, and slow down. Silence rose once you had stopped crying, you felt even more tired now and you had to admit, Hyunjin was a nice pillow.

The occasional sniffle and tired breath from you, broke Hyunjin's heart even more. He hated seeing you cry, so much so, he'd always distract you if he ever sensed you were in a depressed mood. Even if there were times that you poured your entire heart out of him in tears, he'd always shed his own tears in private, sometime later.

"Love?"

"Hmm?"

"Want me to run you a bath?"

"With the candles and everything?" You managed to say in a quiet, exhausted voice. Your throat was tired from all the crying.

"With the candles and everything." Hyunjin smiled down at you, pushing back stray strands of your hair behind your ear, "Can we go up to the bedroom, love? Can we do that?"

He was speaking so softly to you, and it was making you want to sob rivers again.

Silently nodding, you felt yourself droop down all over again as soon as Hyunjin got you up, strong arm wrapped around your waist, hugging you to his side.

Pressing a sweet kiss to the side of your head, Hyunjin started with shuffling moments upto the bedroom, which you followed, not even being able to lift your head up from the pure exhaustion.

Sitting on the bed felt like you were hung down by iron nails, while Hyunjin prepared the bath for you. Even a moment without him felt down, and even if it was a bit dramatic , you were willing to admit it.

"Hands up?" Hyunjin looked at you softly, taking off your shirt for you and discarding it in the empty laundry basket, "You did the laundry yesterday? Wow, I'm proud of you baby."

You let out a breathy giggle at his words. Hyunjin somehow always knew every word in the instruction manual of how to make you laugh.

"Is the temp alright?"

You couldn't get yourself to say yes so you hummed what seemed to have been a 'yes'. Your throat was raw, and your face was congested as well as your chest. You sounded like you swallowed a frog, and the frog was also now sick and subsequently congested.

The water truly didn't have any texture or temperature to it when you got into it. The world felt numb again as you relaxed into the tub, which, evident from the scent, Hyunjin had filled with your favourite bath salts.

What seemed like a year's worth of time, passed in silence, as Hyunjin quietly stroked your skin with soap, was it the lavender one or the tea tree one? You couldn't tell, remembering how you often joked that both of them gave off the same perfuminous vapours and that Hyunjin should just buy one of them. The water seemed more mellow now.

"Love, look at me?" Hyunjin's voice broke you out of your seemingly never-ending stupor. Like it always did.

You turned your head and rested your eyes on Hyunjin's softened ones, and you felt that familiar tightening of your throat again.

"Hyun I-"

"Don't you dare apologise." Hyunjin said before you could even get a word out, "You never have to apologise to me. Not for this."

His hands were sickeningly sweet as they ran over your back, washing lathers of soap off of your back, his voice even more so.

“You deserve to relax, you know that right?" Hyunjin said, as he wrapped you up in your purple coloured towel, "“You did so well today and you do so well everyday and you deserve to rest for a while."

Hugging you into his arms again, Hyunjin provided you with a little den, a cave where you could settle into whenever you felt that you were too tired for a lion's hunt. And you were forever grateful to him for him.

"Now-" Hyunjin looked down at you with a cheeky smile, "You are not allowed to leave the bed until you finish every single cupcake I got you."

"You got me cupcakes?" Your lips broke into a smile, a genuine one this time, "What flavour?"

"Beef." Hyunjin joked, sending both of you into a frenzy of laughter, as you pressed a kiss against his nose, making it turn the touched skin like a tomato.

The one thing that you'd have never admitted to anyone when you were younger was the fact that you wanted to be loved. That was a silly notion to you.

But maybe now, under the watchful gaze of Hyunjin as he saw you devour the cupcakes, you'd admit it.

You'd want to be loved, even if it was another weight on your shoulder.

Maybe that'd be a weight you'd like to ephermally lift.

[crownmemes]

Assorted Media Sentences, Vol. 17

(Sentences from various pieces of media. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"If you could see the things I've seen, you wouldn't try to stop me."

"Do you have any idea who the father may be?"

"There's a fine line between protecting someone and smothering them."

"You can't play around! When you play around, people die!"

"I hear you've been looking for me. I'm flattered."

"Mums always know when something's not right."

"You don't know me. You don't know anything about me."

"You can love someone and not like them."

"I'm really sorry about this. I wish we were talking under different circumstances."

"Aren't you a little too grey to be making these mistakes?"

"Pass the blowtorch! This safe isn't going to open itself!"

"I think the captain has some kind of problem with me."

"Hold on, how can you not know about Watergate?"

"I can delay this, but it won't go away."

"I've been waiting for years to hear you say that."

"In our current environment, self-control is an asset."

"I talk to my cigarettes. The most they listen is ten minutes."

"I used to hate the water."

"We don't all feed on humans. I choose not to."

"You're no fun in a fight - do you know that?"

"Maybe somebody else ought to be in charge?"

"Come on, it's a party!"

"The city is just a prairie that combs its hair and shaves its face."

"Regardless of what you may have read in the tabloids, there have never been any spacecraft recovered by our government."

"When you break all the laws of physics, do you seriously think there won't be a price?"

"Do you think some people are born evil?"

"And I had you down as a goody two-shoes!"

"You shouldn't apologise for asking so many questions. It's the only way you're going to get better at this."

"You can't fall in love with a dream."

"You've been voted one of the ten sexiest men of the year!"

"I don't even understand you half the time."

"You see this? This is why I worry!"

"Blackmail does not suit you, my friend."

"Everyone's a food critic these days!"

"Not everything's like a movie. I know that."

"You don't want to go in there. It's bad."

"I have all the characteristics of a human being - flesh, blood, skin, hair - but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion."

"There are two things I never forget: faces, and being fucked over!"

"I should have known. I should have seen the signs."

[asoulwithadream]

TEASER REVIEW BECAUSE I'M DEAD

it's him. he's back. HE'S BACK. BESTIES HE'S BACK. i'm sick. his letter has caused my entire brain to shut down. "I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU. I LOVE BEING NEAR YOU. BREATHING THE SAME AIR" bestie how did you find ao3 in 1717? AND THEY GAVE US ALL THAT IN THE FUCKING TEASER TOO?????? dude he looks so fucking heartbroken– YEARNING RAAAAAAAH

THIS FUCKING SCENE— he CUSTOMISED THE TOPPERS TO LOOK LIKE THEM I'M CRYING SOBBING ROLLING ON THE FLOOR. omg omg omg omg they love eachother so much PLEASE. and poor sweet ed jesus he has been CRYING AND HE LOOKS SO EMPTY IM SICK IM DYING IM DEAD. i'm sick, i need the icu help. does this mean he's good at painting.

GOTH UNIFORMS. THEY'RE REAL. im so incredible sick frenchie has cat claws. HE HAS CAT CLAWS IM DYING. and JIM HAS A PAINTED BEARD and SHAVED SIDES. i'm actually going to burst into tears. my heart is going to stop at any moment. even FANG HAS A COOL NEW UNIFORM

i don't think i'm alive anymore at this point. THE PARALLEL. THE PARALLEL. and 9 guns he literally turned into the kraken. HE TURNED INTO THE VERY THING HE HATED HELP ME PLEASE (also did anyone notice the scene where he rose out of the ocean was very similar to potc??????? help??????) stede please stop looking lovingly out in the distance my heart has gotten enough beatings

competent stede in red. FABULOUS IM GOING TO CRYYY 2. izzy hands it's izzy isreal it's you PLEASE this is so reminisence of all the ao3 fics— izzy's finally realised what ed has become and needs to go find stede and bring ed back PLEASE HELP I'm GOING TO CRY IZZY AND STEDE BEING FRIENDS NO NO NO NO NO HELP HELP HELP HELP this is his road to self discovery and acceptance and love i'm feral

that's the same place mofos THAT'S THE SAME PLACE. THEY'RE CLOSE. omg they're going to end up FIGHTING EACHOTHER AREN'T THEY AREN'T THEY OR IS IT THE FIRST TIME THEY SEA EACHOTHER . (also, COMPETENT STEDE?????) HELP ME THEY'RE SO FIGHTING. OMG what if they're running TOWARDS EACHOTHER OKFLAIKHFL please this is insane i will cry david jenkins you have forsaken us all.

minnie what are you doing to stede. HE DOESn'T WANT IT. He'S UNCOMFORTABLE IN SUCH A STATE. LITERALLY THE NAME OF ONE OF THE EPISODES ANNE LEAVE HIM ALONE, (and do it to me) (please i'm desperate)

these two barbies are having the times of their lives.

im convinced that "susan" (whoever ruibo quan is playing) is a mermaid. buttons is being taught the way of the sea by her since she is part fish. she is setting him up with the ocean so they can make sweet love, instead of yearning like captain blondie and emo over there

WHO'S FALLEN IN A RIVER IN LEGO CITY. IT MUST BE SOMEONE ON BLACKBEARD'S SHIP MATES IS IT ED????? ED HAS FALLEN OFF A SHIP IN LEGO CITY. HELP ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. I NEED TO KNOW I NEED TO KNOW I NEED TO KNOW OMG THE REVENGE ISN'T SINKING ISN'T SHE??? PLEASE DON'T DO THAT TO ME

THIS IM SORRY BUT WEE JOHN IS LOOKING ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, ROACH HAVING THE TIME OF HIS LIFE, AND IS THAT PETE THAT MUST BE PETE IT'S PETE ISN'T IT IT'S BLACK PETE. we don't have enough content with pete. YOU KNOW WHY? or else it would have to include LUCIUS. HAH. got you there david

well. that concludes my current rant. other parts of the trailer have been excluded bc they deserve their own posts OR others have phrased it better than me LMAO (yeah because what i wrote is peak shakespeare)

october 5th can't come fast enough help me

**UPDATE: FULL THEORY BASED ON THIS

[yanderes-galore]

Romantic/Platonic Chol 'Von (Halo) with a human trader darling, who lives on one of the colonies that does unsavory business with pirates like her. Don't care which format, whichever is easiest to write.

I'm going to be honest, I've never read Mortal Dictata or any of the Kilo-Five books yet. However, I did do my research on the character so I hope I get her character right. Sorry for any inaccuracies! As a result this may be short. When I find time to read the book maybe I'll rewrite this, I'm happy to take feedback!

Yandere! Chol 'Von with Human Trader! Darling

(Halo: Mortal Dictata)

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Threats, Dubious companionship.

I wouldn't doubt Chol comes in contact with human traders.

With her ambitious goals and fondness towards human phrases and ideologies it isn't too far off to think she'd buy from you.

She needs supplies for her Kig-Yar navy and Kig-Yar have been known to ally with humans if it benefits them.

To you, Chol is merely a client when she visits your colony to discuss affairs.

She feels like an egotistical shipmistress T'vaoan Kig-Yar who enjoys intimidation.

Chol is also easily impatient and temperamental, very quick to be stressed when things don't go her way.

She's been known to be persistent in her goals and is stubborn.

To make some money you trade with her.

It isn't too new to you, you've traded with Kig-Yar and Sangheili in the past.

Yet this one is important... she's a feared shipmistress and knows it.

You've heard vaguely in Kig-Yar culture that females of the species tend to have a lot of power.

As a result you are always very respectful in your deals.

You supply fuel, weapons, all sorts of cargo.

In return you're given other valuable items or some sort of currency in return.

You're just in it for the connections and money.

Kig-Yar are pirates... but you feel they can be good allies if you provide them what they like.

Which is what Chol likes about you.

She likes your human ideologies and picks up certain phrases and info about you.

You aren't part of any major faction... just a human trying to get by.

In a way she relates due to her species culture.

Chol sees you as the key to seeing her goals through.

With your wares she can make that navy she wanted and maybe even convince the other Kig-Yar to listen to her.

Chol is more likely to be a platonic yandere to her new favorite trader.

However... toying with the romantic idea is a bit interesting albeit not plausible.

After all... she sees her current mate as a coward who fled from her and her chicks.

Maybe a human will provide much better... even if nothing can happen between you.

Chol is demanding towards you at times due to her egotistical nature.

It's an honor to help her as a human.

She respects you and is a fearsome T'vaoan shipmistress.

Can't you see you're special if she's interacting with you?

Having her as your ally will make you strong and protected.

So you better keep providing for her, yeah?

In fact... you only need her as your customer... she'll give you much better equipment in return for your services.

Her ego is definitely what makes her try to control you.

She promises you good things in return if you just make her your primary client.

If you don't do so willingly... she can threaten you.

Do you doubt her? She could cause so much trouble for you if you refuse her.

Chol feels she can control you.

After all she often boasts that she can get whatever she wants.

Any mate, any valuable, anything.

If not... she doesn't mind the ensuing bloodshed.

So when she makes an offer with you... one that makes you loyal to her on one of her ships by her side and under her protection as her primary merchant/negotiater...

She expects you to accept when she tells you.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Hey Cas, so I don't really know how this works, but I really to get things out so I thought maybe this would help? I don't know, I'm sorry, I hope I'm not being a burden or anything, feel free to ignore this if you want

So, a little context, I'm a minor (younger end of teen) and I currently live in a country different than my own and don't speak the language well (I can only say basic things like please, thank you, etc) so getting help from public/government service thingies aren't really an option.

I am a girl, at least to everyone and everything else? Okay, I really don't know how to phrase this, like, afab, except I'm not trans, or am I? ??? Very lost in the gender section of life, am I a boy? Like, I used to like or at least not mind skirts and dresses, and now if I absolutely have to wear them I will, but I don't enjoy wearing them? And sometimes I do wear fancy dresses for fancy things, and I want to look pretty in the feminine sense, but not in the way of oh, I want to be this but more like oh, I want this doll to look pretty kind of way except I'm the doll? I kind of wish I was born a boy (even not for gender stuff but my grandparents are kind of sexist? Like my maternal ones are better but my paternal ones secretly really wish I was born a boy? And really it would've made life a lot easier) and I hate my boobs and I wish they would just go away and I'd have a flat chest again. It's not like I throw up or get nauseous or anything from well, being a girl, but I kind of don't want to? But if I have to do so for the rest of my life I would tolerate it? And when I was like a kid I was never like oh, I'm a boy I'm a boy (I did go through a phase where I wanted to pee standing up like a boy but that was a weird phase and we don't talk about that). I also have long-ish hair and I kind of want to cut it all off to be super short and well, boyish, but I can never really bring myself to do it because that'd be too much of a change for everyone else and I have bad memories of being made to cut my hair short in a way I didn't want.

Even if I was trans, I can't transition or at least, I don't think I'm brave enough to. The country I live in is supportive, and I do have citizenship in a country that is supportive, but I also have citizenship in one that is not and that's sort of a problem. My family (both my parents and extended, no siblings) is also a problem because they're kinda conservative, not like send your gay kid to conversion camp and kick them out conservative but like it's wrong conservative (mostly for trans people, being in a more open minded country has made them start to slightly tolerate the gays - shh, don't tell them I'm bi) and I feel like if I told them it would just change things and while they're not especially good now, they're not bad either and I want it to stay that way. There's also legal stuff like birth certificate (was born in different country than country I am in now and places I have citizenship in), account changes, and other personal stuff

I don't really match what people say dysphoria is like, and I feel like if I am trans I'm like a poser and I don't really know what to do and while my friends would be supportive I don't know how to tell them, and I know that because I have a rather large friend group it'll inevitably get out to the whole school and I don't want to be that kid

So yeah, sorry for dumping all the gender problems my sorry ass has on you, and again, if you want to ignore this you can definitely do so, I won't be upset or anything

Hi hon!

Okay, two things: First, you're getting WAY ahead of yourself, here. One step at a time. You're not sure about anything yet, so let's figure it out first, okay? Take some time, do some research and self-reflection, maybe find a few trusted people and try out some pronouns, some different ways of expressing your gender, explore a bit!

Second, if you do come to the conclusion you're trans, you don't HAVE to do anything. The only thing you have to do is whatever you're comfortable with. There's no pressure <3

Last, being trans is different for everyone. Dysphoria, needs, preferences...it varies. If you feel trans, you're not faking it.

Like I said: take some breaths and take some time. Do some research- look into trans creators who talk about being trans, and see if you can relate. Find reliable sources that talk about it. See if your feelings are reflected in those things you find. And remember that there's no pressure to label yourself or make any decisions <3

And you are NOT a burden.

Sending love!

Naming you context anon!

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

Heeeeeyyyyy

Can I drop a request? (You can say kriff off and I will still love you ❤️)

I'd like a little soft Hunter? Or any clone really if you wanna try someone new.

I had one of the worst days in a long time about two weeks ago. It was the first anniversary of my caretaker's death combined with the worst day at work I've ever experienced. I cried for the thirty minute drive home, and for another 30 curled up catatonic on the couch. I tried to quit my job, called my mom sobbing, it was a very bad time.

Cue some clone comfort? You absolutely do not need to use the details of my bad day, that's just what was going on and inspired my ask.

Anywho, here's two cats as payment:

🌙Hex🔮

Omg of course you can drop a request, Hex, always!! You're actually the first person to make a request too, and I was so surprised I kinda cried. 🥺

Penelope and Baklava are so cute all cuddled up like that too aaaa~

I hope you like what I came up with, sweetheart; and I'm sorry you're Going Through It™ as well, too. I'm currently there for different reasons and it suuuucks so this was extremely cathartic. Hope things will get better soon, love. 🩷

W&I: Minor proofreading and plot. 2nd person POV, undescribed fem!Reader. Emotional angst. Talks and thoughts centered on the loss of a person only described as a "loved one" without explicit mention of relation to you or their role in your life. Can be read as an established relationship fic. Hunter's just being real sweet on you to cheer you up. Little sprinkling of Mando'a. Minor language. No real age rating for this one.

Word-count: 2,383

That's it. 

You're done. 

You're so over this place. 

If one more patron tries to tell me to smile while using some variation of darling or sweetheart, I'll give him teeth alright: in the flesh of his arm, you think to yourself. 

It's not exactly an appropriate time to laugh, but if you don't snicker softly to yourself over the thought of such a forbidden fantasy, you're going to cry. You're going to cry before you squeeze through the doors that read EMPLOYEES ONLY and make your way to the machine to clock yourself out of your shift and get yourself home. Who gives a load of Kryatespit if it only earns the customer's ire to have you laughing at him?

Right now, if you had your way, if you gave into your impulse, you'd quit. You'd turn in your uniform, your name badge, and any little piece of company property you'd ever acquired so these soul-sucking middle managers and CEOs can't come around and accuse you of anything. 

You didn't want to be here today. You didn't want to get out of bed today. But you couldn't get the time off approved. Some banthashit about too few hands to run the place as it is.

Well maybe if you hired more kriffing people… 

"Your receipt is in the bag. Enjoy the rest of your day, sir." When you give the customer his purchase with these phrases you're required to say, it means he can leave now and take his smug attitude with him. Social obligations means he's going to tell you the same. An empty, hollowed out "Thanks, you too." that perfectly encapsulates how you feel inside. 

How the hell am I supposed to enjoy today of all days? One of the most important people to me in this galaxy isn't here anymore. 

I don't want to be here at this job anymore… I just want to quit.

You keep your head down when you clock-out, and grab your things. You don't return sentiments of farewell from any of your co-workers, and you don't respond to the request to trade shifts with someone for some BS reason. "Hey, c'moooon! Please?! I've got things I wanna do that day!" they whine after you, calling to your retreating back. 

Don't we all? I just wanted to stay home and maybe sob into a carton of ice cream while looking at my photos of my loved one. We don't always get what we want. 

What you want is to go home. Think of how you're going to call in, or write up your two weeks notice, or just cold-quit while you're sitting in your transport and-

You find an unexpected figure leaning against your transport when you step out into the employee lot, their back to you. What the hell? You begin rifling through your bag for something to arm yourself with, perhaps something like a bottle of cheap perfume you have in there somewhere that you can spray in their eyes, or maybe there's something you can throw in their direction, tell them to scram. Or maybe their after your credits, so you hope you can just tell them to take your credits and not cause you any trouble and-

Looking over his left shoulder, you find yourself staring at the ink of the skeletal tattoo and a side profile framed by waves of curled, brown hair you'd recognize anywhere. 

"H-Hunter?" 

Hunter turns to face you, his hands fiddling with the knot of his crimson bandana to work it loose. That's when you finally realized why you didn't recognize who was leaning against your vehicle in the growing, deepening purple shadows of the late afternoon. "I thought you'd be a little happier to see me than that," he says with a look that's somewhere between a typical smile and a concerned frown, "but I guess you didn't realize it was me. And I guess I shouldn't have been standing here with my back to you, either." Hunter slips the accessory around his head and reties it with a hasty knot. "Sorry about that, mesh'la." 

There's a million questions swimming over the top of your tongue, each one vying to be asked. "Wha-? How did-? Why are you-?"

Hunter does his best to answer the questions he believes you're trying to ask. "Crosshair gave me a lift here so I could drive you home once you got off work." he says, holding a hand out. He's offering to take your bag and the keys to your vehicle. "As for why, well: it's today. I saw it written on your calendar the last time I came to visit. It's been a year since you lost your loved one. I figured you might be just holding it together by the time your shift ended, and… I think I was right." His hand cups the soft curve of your cheek, the pad of his thumb collecting the first tears that have begun to escape the confines of your tear ducts. 

Hunter sweetly helps you into the passenger seat, and gets any and all safety belts secured before he himself climbs behind the controls and gets ready to take you home. 

"We'll pick up whatever you want to eat on the way home, if that's what you want, cyar'ika." he offers, gently resting the palm of his hand on your trembling shoulder for a brief moment. He's not certain if you want a lot of these gestures of reassuring, physical touch, but it's what he can offer right now so you know that he's there for you. 

Right here, right now, as you weep silently into the sleeves of your work uniform in the passenger seat, Hunter is here for you. And he's not going anywhere until he's either satisfied with his efforts to do his best to lift your spirits, or until you ask him to leave. 

Remnants of the comfort-food you'd requested are either tucked away with the rest of your leftovers, or swept up and deposited into the kitchen trash by Hunter when he makes the offer to do a bit of tidying up. Gentle murmurings that he doesn't want you to worry about it, he'll take care of everything. 

He'll take care of you. Hunter's not going to judge you for your tears. Or for telling him how you wished you could have reamed out this difficult customer. Or for how you shout in your episodic instances of anger, calling your manager a spineless and incompetent little twit who needed to get their act together and quit being so cheap and to hire more people so you're not running yourself so karking ragged. 

Nor does he admonish you for how silly it was that you're complaining about the rip in your clothing made by the thorns found in one of the bushes outside your house, or easily you fall apart into a mess of tears at the gentle hand on your shoulder when he joins you on the sofa once again. 

"Could this day get any worse?!" you sob, your face hot with anger and grief, and your voice thick and choked with the respective emotions.

Hunter is patient and endlessly perceptive; tucking your body just right against him, the way you need him right now. "C'mere, cyare… You've certainly had a pretty thorny day… And I don't blame you for simply just having enough of it all. I don't blame you at all." he promises, sweetly and softly peppering your face in tender kisses with the intention of comfort. 

"I've been having a lot of thorny days lately…" you admit with a stutter, burying your face into the material of his shirt. Hunter smells like sun-warmed cotton and the heavy tang of seawater. Of course now you can't tell if you smell hints of his homeworld on him, or if that's the dried tear stains from earlier. When the two of you simply sat in the parked vehicle once you'd gotten home, Hunter leaned over the center console so you could weep into his shoulder. You'd dialed up your job, ready to tell them that they needed to find someone else, but you couldn't go through with it. Not then, anyways. You haven't been able to make up your mind, either. 

Hunter rubs little circles with his thumb into your shoulder blade as he holds you close, saying that he's sorry to hear you've been struggling lately. That he's sorry you're having hard days. "I just want them to stop!" you sob softly, feeling his fingers gently caress the back of your head, and the deep rumble in his ribs as he asks you to take a deep breath, promising that he's here. That he'll help however he needs.

If you breathe him in deeply enough, you could probably find something from all of his brothers. Something sugary that he was offered a bite of to share with his brother as Wrecker indulged his sweet tooth. The rich blend of caf Tech was partial to lately, that could give him the jitters when Hunter drank it by mistake. The smooth notes of the polishing agent Crosshair spoiled his Firepuncher with because he swore nothing else would do. The faint whiff of synthetic lubricant that must mean Echo had performed upkeep on his prosthetics today or the day before. 

"There we go," Hunter says softly in praise, feeling the frenzied beating of your heart begin to slow and your tears eventually peter out, "it'll be okay, cyare." 

You sniffle, mumbling softly into Hunter's chest. "I'm just so scared that it won't. And I feel silly for feeling so scared..." His arms stitch just a little tighter around you in return when you pull yourself against him, feeling his breath against the top of your head. You just feel so small in your sadness today. But in his arms, the way you fit just right…

The way he's so steady, you feel so loved and protected when you're at your most vulnerable. 

Hunter hushes you, pulling the hair back from your face with a gentle touch once you sit up again. "Tech would probably tell you that that fear is a natural and normal part of life, and that there's no use to feel silly about it. And, even if the way he'd probably say it isn't so gentle, he'd be right. How you're feeling today - angry and upset about your job and wanting to quit, and how much you miss your loved one - is all very thorny and uncomfortable, and no one likes feeling like that. But it's normal. And it's nothing to be ashamed of. And I promise you, I'm here to help. However I'm needed. However long you need me to hold you and make you feel loved while you're feeling down." 

The gentle reminder is just what you need. You're not dealing with this alone. That if you're going to quit your job, Hunter would do whatever you asked of him to help you get ready to sever those ties if you felt it was time. That even though you're left with a hole in your heart with the passing of this loved one who was very important to you, Hunter doesn't expect his presence to merely fill it like it's nothing. 

That's the marvelous thing about the human heart. 

It can hold so much love for so many people if you let it. 

You're certain your eyes look so swollen and red. You're certain you'll find more tears to shed when the thorns of grief find their excuse to make you weep once more, but right now, Hunter's hands have carefully and kindly cleaned away the last of them. He's so gentle and sweet on you, right now. 

"Hey… what if," Hunter begins, offering in a soft, low voice between the kisses he stamps in the crown of your hair and trails down one side of your jaw to the other, "you changed out of your uniform, and we found something to watch together now that we've had something to eat? Something silly. Maybe something romantic. Or both. Whatever you want, cyare. I don't care what it is." he promises.

You fiddle with the frayed and torn edge of your clothing that had been caught on the thorny plant outside. "What if I just want more cuddles after I change?" Hunter laughs gently, nodding as he reluctantly releases you so you can slip into something comfortable and try to end this day on a happier note. 

(You're going to have to send Crosshair a message later to thank him for doing Hunter a favor by giving his brother a lift and dropping him off.)

"Whatever you want. Especially if that's more cuddles." Hunter says once more with a warm smile, hooking your pinky fingers together so he can hold some part of you just a moment longer. If you found comfort in his touch and wanted more of it, he was happy to provide. 

You're pulled back into Hunter's arms when you come back to the living room after you've thrown on a comfortable pair of clothes, finding yourself wrapped up tight. He's so strong, like all of his brothers, and every ounce of it is devoted to comfort and consoling you right now.

Hunter is so warm and comfortable, and you're so emotionally drained that it's hard to resist the act of nuzzling one cheek into his chest and closing your eyes to simply relish this quiet moment. You don't know what you want to do, but you just know that you need this. Hunter knows it too.

People need a good hug now and again. This galaxy could be so cruel and thorny to the people who mattered most to us, that sometimes what they needed most was an act of deliberate softness to remind them everything would be okay. That the bad times will pass. 

That while our hearts yearn and grieve for the ones we miss the most, the room we had for them in our hearts will always remain no matter how long they've been gone. 

And the people we love in the here and now will fit themselves next to that jagged space and trim back the thorns, if we only ask.

[Masterlist] [Requests: OPEN]

[lendmyboyfriendahand]

FInwe in the third age part ii

Over the next few days, the injured elf woke only briefly, saying confused phrases, or moaning in pain. Elrond considered whether it would promote peace in the valley if the only one present in the room who spoke no Quenya, so they could spread no rumors. But that would further distress the patient, and Elrond did not want him - whoever he was - to be upset, or to be tempted to go out and find answers. So there was always someone in the room who spoke Quenya, a nurse or a child of the Exile or a member of Elrond's family, with instructions to alert Elrond immediately if the patient was able to converse. (And to tell no one what they overheard, "for the sake of the stranger's privacy.")

It was nearly a week before Elrond was able to test his suspicions with anyway other than Glorfindel's sketches. Elladan had rushed to his study with the news that the patient was awake and impatient to know what was going on.

"Good afternoon, I'm glad to see you're feeling recovered. I am Elrond Peredhel, lord and chief healer of Rivendell."

"Yes, your son mentioned. I'm sorry, you seem familiar somehow but I can't think of any hall called Rivendell in Aman."

"I am not surprised you haven't, it's a long way from Tirion and we have not met before. I know you just survived a very stressful situation, but I have to ask you some questions to make sure you're oriented before I can explain."

"Even before you can tell me if anyone else survived the attack? The one in here earlier said it's been days, is there no word of my grandsons?" The patient began to push himself out of the bed as he said this.

Elrond pushed down on his shoulder, the weight too much for the injured elf to lift. (It's not treason to give your king medical care, and it's not like I ever pledged him my service. Elrond reminded himself. It feels like blasphemy, but when has that stopped me?) "Do NOT try to stand or sit! Your belly was torn open, and any further movement could tear it again. And as for your question, I could answer it better if I knew who you were."

"I'm Finwe! King of the Noldor and lord of Tirion - though currently Nolofinwe is ruling it. How do you not know that? Even the few Noldor I haven't spoken with should have seen me at festivals."

Elrond ignored the question. "It's good that you recall that. You were the only member of your family injured in the attack. Now, can you talk me through what you remember happening?"

Finwe sighed in relief. "That's good. I remember there was darkness. But deeper than I'd seen anywhere in Valinor, even in caves. Deeper even than a cloudy night in the forest beside Cuivienen. It was terrifying, and strange, and impossible. I told Maitimo to find his brothers and run, but something was coming. I stayed to fight it off, or at least buy time."

"That was very brave."

"What else could I have done? The attacker - surely you must know, your son didn't seem surprised when I told him to warn everyone - it was Melkor. The Dark Hunter has returned to his evil ways. He kept asking where Feanor was, and the Silmarils. I would not help him, but I have not fought since I hunted my meals underneath the stars. Melkor is a Vala, with all their might, and he overpowered me. The last thing I recall is seeing him walk away into the house. And then waking up here, among strangers."

Elrond nodded. "Thank you. Now, what I'm about to say will likely seem very shocking, but I must recommend as a healer that you do not make abrupt movements. Your body is still weak, far more so than your soul is accustomed to."

"What news could be that shocking, after being attacked in my home?"

"You are not in Valinor anymore, but instead are in Middle Earth. You can see for yourself out the window, that the stars are far clearer than they would be under the Trees."

"How did I get here? It must have taken months - did Melkor have me captive?"

"I have no more idea how you got here than you do; my people found you dying and half drowned on the banks of the river. You have been unconscious for nearly a week, and in that time we have seen no trace of anything that brought you here, nor any tracks leading from the site."

"But - if it's been a week, how has news reached you from Valinor? Even if Feanaro followed his plan to return to these lands, it would take months to sail."

"That is the second piece of shocking news, and the hopefully the last one of such magnitude. It has been over seven hundred years since Morgoth attacked Formenos, by the count in Valinor under the Trees. You were believed to be dead."

"That's impossible."

"And yet, it happened."

"Am I supposed to just take you at your word on this?"

"I do not give my word lightly, but I shall if you request it and will refrain from straining yourself trying to investigate shadows that aren't there."

"Do so, if you are not a servant of Melkor."

"I swear by Varda and by Ulmo that I have not lied to you, and that I wish for you to recover from your injuries. There is much I have not told you yet, as the tale of three Ages is long indeed, but I will tell you in time."

Finwe still lay there glaring at Elrond, but he made no move to get out his bed. "And how much time will it take before you tell me of my family?"

"There is little I can say for certain about how they are, as we do not have frequent news from Valinor. Artanis dwells on these shores, and rules Lothlorien with her husband. I married their daughter Celebrian, and so my sons and I are your family as well, but no one else is in Middle Earth."

"I am surprised Feanor did not come here, even after so long as you say it has been."

"He did, to avenge your death as much as to find a land where he could be free, but Melkor killed him as well."

"How convenient that all the people I would recognize are far away."

"No, it's not, as if you worry less you will heal faster. I suppose there is one. Do you know Glorfindel of - of the Golden Flower?" of Gondolin would mean nothing to Finwe.

"I think Turgon has a friend named that, have they started coming up with fancy titles when out on the town?"

"You could say that. He is the captain of Rivendell's guard, but could be spared from his duties long enough to speak with you."

"Fine, send him in."

[liminalweirdo]

[transcript:]

I have yet to read a rebuttal of the comparison between HIV and COVID that doesn't ultimately, eventually, boil down to the same eugenics that ACT UP were ironically acting up against. If you missed it, my name is Themme Fatale and a while ago I made some posts talking about some of the similarities both medically and socially between HIV AIDS, and COVID and Long COVID.

These comparisons are supported by empirically reviewed studies by virologists, epidemiologists, HIV experts, and even ACT UP themselves. But it doesn't stop 20-something year-old angry white twinks from getting in my inbox every so often about it.

Now the common point of anger is this idea that, like, "You can't compare gay people dying then, and disabled people dying now because the former was politically motivated."

And the latter is... what?

What is it? I want you to actually say it out loud.

What is the choice to remove protections because it's "just" disabled people dying, if not political? What is the phrase, "The vulnerable will fall by the wayside," if not political? Because it sounds like it feels less political to you because on some level you kind of agree with it.

And look, if this is you, I am begging you to just say the quiet part out loud. Just own the fact that you're into eugenics so I can stop wasting my time.

Because I spend a lot of time trying to educate people, because I believe in the fundamental goodness of humanity, particularly within queer communities. I think that we've done this before and we can do it again. We have laid a roadmap for care that we could be demonstrating and implementing right now, but instead it feels like we're failing an open book exam.

So I'm going to keep calling upon these histories to highlight how we could be doing better. That's how comparisons work, right? You take an idea that people understand and you apply it to a new situation so that people can better understand that one.

Now, I can understand the comparison between HIV AIDS, and COVID and long COVID being a confronting one. That makes sense, we're in a confronting situation. We've been steeped in denial as a society for years now. We've been repeatedly told not to worry about it. "The deaths don't matter, that's happening to this other group, not you. So why worry?"

And now here I am comparing it to one of the most traumatic events in our community's histories. Of course that's going to feel like a lot. If you've swallowed the idea that COVID doesn't matter, and then you hear me comparing this situation now to the AIDS crisis, it's going to sound like I'm saying the AIDS crisis didn't matter. But it's literally the opposite of that.

The AIDS crisis was the result of horrific and unacceptable eugenics that led society to dismiss the avoidable deaths of countless vulnerable people. People whose lives mattered, but who were made vulnerable by callous bigotry. That is what I'm saying here. That the way that we are currently allowing people to die and be disabled by COVID and long COVID — the result of horrific and unacceptable eugenics — that is leading society to dismiss the avoidable deaths of countless vulnerable people. People whose lives matter, but who are being made vulnerable by society's callous bigotry.

It was homophobia then, it's ableism now.

And the only way that that part of the comparison doesn't fit is if you don't truly believe that disabled people's lives matter.

And look, it's one thing if you didn't know it was this bad, a lot of people don't, and I'm really sorry you had to hear it from me. We've all been stepped in ongoing policies of denial, but I am begging you at this point to take some time to actually listen to disabled people on this one. It might just save your life.

And if you're looking for practical things that you can do, support your local clean air organization. These are popping up all over the world, including here in Naarm; providing access to clean air infrastructure for gigs, queer spaces, you name it.

The idea of this comparison is not supposed to be a depressing one, it's supposed to inspire change. If you're proud of our history, now's the time for you to be part of it in the present.

It was demonstrated then, and it's demonstrated now. We are all we have, but thankfully, we are all we need. We just need to act like it.

[end transcript]

source

if you're looking for another practical thing you can do right now, wear a mask in public indoor spaces and crowded outdoor spaces. Masking is community care.

[dukeofankh]

hey i really really appreciate your posts abt purity culture, desire and objectification and your perspective as an ex-evangelical!! having been born and raised a jew myself i've always been aware of how bullshit all of that stuff is, but not really able to articulate it as specifically as you seem able to, and i find your eloquence really impressive. with that known, i actually have a specific thing that's been bothering me, and i think it's an evangelical purity culture based thing, and hinges on that distinction you made in a post abt a week ago abt how to a lot of people "objectification" = "looking with lust" = "basically adultery"-- okay here goes:

on gay tiktok, there is currently a trend of women (or some nb ppl) who are attracted to women commenting on thirst-traps posted by women the memetic phrase "i am no better than a man".

now this really rubs me the wrong way for a lot of reasons (mainly: contextually this is almost always on videos that are INTENDED to be sexy so why is it weird to find this woman, who filmed and edited this video to be sexy, sexy?? AND what the hell do you mean abt gender by saying this???? women can't desire people?? men can only desire in predatory ways???), and it's weird in that specific way where i'm like. i smell weird cultural christian values embedded in this. but i can't quite articulate the way it all fits together.

this may be way out of line for me to bother you in your inbox like this, but i was hoping to get your take? your ability to explain this stuff clearly and with context i never knew existed is really valuable and while i have seen people responding on tumblr to say "uhhh don't say this", they haven't really articulated what's driving people to say such a specific thing, so much that it becomes a meme.

if u feel this isn't something you want to speak on, that's totally fine! and i just want to say thank you again for your thoughtful posts.

also i feel very weird abt dropping this veritable essay in your inbox so sorry!!

No worries! I love to talk, and I already have opinions on that particular meme 😆.

You've definitely gotten the gist of it, yeah. It's a bunch of unexamined sexist ideas about sex and desire repackaged in the sort of fun memey "it's not that deep, chill out" shell that absolutely thrives on social media. Some of it's Christian, some of it is the radfem repackaging of Christian ideas.

Basically, the version of Sexual Objectification championed by radfem writers like Dworkin was adapted from Immanuel Kant, a Christian philosopher/theologian, so it's not just cultural Christianity, it's also a direct intellectual connection. They just changed the idea from "all people, when overtaken by lust, cease to see people as people and can see them only as means to achieve their sinful sexual gratification. This cannot be avoided, but can be balanced out by keeping sex within a marriage that is otherwise built on commitment and respect," to "Men, when overtaken by lust, cease to see women as people and can see them only as a means to achieve their sinful sexual gratification (due to their patriarchal training to harm and dominate). This cannot be avoided, especially not by marriage, which is one of the main ways the Patriarchy codifies the subjugation of women to men."

Basically, Radfems and Christians get along because Radfems feel the same way about masculine sexuality that Christian men feel about their own sexuality. As for women...both Radfems and more modern Christians are pretty sure that women don't Do Lust in the same way men do. Like, women see people as ends in and of themselves, as fellow Subjects. Men see women as objects. As means to an end, that end being their own sexual gratification.

A few decades later and after a fair bit of social media iteration, we get to this weird point.

What they're basically saying is, "god damn. I swiped onto this thirst trap and I didn't even think about your personality or your accomplishments or anything. I literally just saw big jiggly titties and that's all I can think about. I am sexually attracted to you, and yet it isn't reflective of your soul or a deep connection between us or anything, despite the fact that I'm a woman and I'm supposed to be above just liking your body and that turning me on. Huh. This is what I have heard people describe men's sexuality as being like. You are so sexy that you are causing me to act as badly as men do."

See also: the way tiktok has redefined "the male gaze" and "the female gaze" to just mean "stuff men vs. women respectively like to look at" with most explicitly sexualized visual media being assigned to the former. Women are supposed to like things subtler than that.

Like, saying "I am no better than a man" could be a push to re-examine whether maybe a celibate 18th century theologian/philosopher is a bad foundation for your understanding of sexual desire. I would like to think that for some of these women it probably is sparking self reflection, going "huh, yeah, I guess we all do this."

But as a meme, honestly, even as it claims to lower ones own status I think it still maintains a claim of moral superiority? Like, "yeah, I'm being a horndog, but I am self aware about it. I can tell that I'm being horny on main right now, and it's something that has been conditionally activated by this very sexy thirst trap. Men are like this all the time and they don't even know."

I, obviously, don't like that. I don't like people saying "I'm acting like a man" when they mean "I'm perving on you", I don't like ranking a lack of desire as being better than desire, I don't like ranking genders or better or worse than another. I don't think it's causing problems as much as it's reflecting problems that have been there for a long time, but hey, it stinks.

[loser-jpg]

I hope u are still taking requests 🤗

So a oneshot with twst boys where yuu is going through a lot but doesn’t like to share it with her friends bcoz she thinks they won’t care ( because of her past experience with her friends) . Just a comfort fic with all of them trying to comfort them in their own way

I only write gn or masc reader so i switched it to gn, hope thats ok.

also i got really inspired while making this and kinda went overboard with the length so i decided to make a couple chapters to get each character in, ill add links to the other chapters as I write them

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

It had been a couple months since Yuu had found their way to Twisted Wonderland. The initial adrenaline rush had worn off long ago, but the never ending excitement of meeting new people and experiencing new things kept them distracted for a while. Now that things were dying down and falling into a day to day rhythm, Yuu couldn't help but begin to think back to their home, and all the people they left. They were grateful, of course, for all the new friends they had made, but that wasn't to say they wanted to abandon the ones they already had. And what about their family? Were they ok? Did something happen to them in the time Yuu was gone? Yuus thoughts only got more and more anxiety riddled the more time they spent at NRC.

I can't really tell anyone though. They'll get annoyed with me. It's not their problem I'm stuck here.

Yuus poker face must have betrayed them because it was only a few days of silent brooding before they were confronted by Kalim.

"Hey, Yuu! Come with me to Scarabia!"

"Sure, why though?"

"You'll see!" Yuu followed along with interest as Kalim dragged them through the Hall of Mirrors back to his dorm. Kalim was in such an unnecessary rush he was practically pushing them by the time they smelled whatever was being cooked in the Scarabia kitchen.

"You seemed sad recently so Jamil agreed to cook for you! Whenever I'm sad either Jamils cooking cheers me up, or throwing a party does, but Jamil said you probably didn't want a party." Kalim was right about that, Yuu didn't really want any sort of party, but the small act of kindness from the two boys warmed their heart, even if they didn't know why Yuu was upset.

"Kalim invited some classmates from Heartslaybul, against my better input, but he said you wouldn't mind." Jamil barely looked at Yuu for a second, but they could tell he was just as concerned for them as Kalim. It made them feel a little guilty, to make their friends worry, but the attention was nice.

"Hey, Yuu how ya doin. Kalim said you were sad." Yuu hadn't noticed, but Trey, Cater, and Riddle had walked into the room where Yuu and the two Scarabia boys were. Cater had sat down across from Yuu and went right to talking with them, thoroughly ignoring the now slightly annoyed Jamil and Riddle.

"Cater! Ah, I'm fine. Sorry I don't want you guys to worry for me or anything." Yuu laughed half-heartedly, trying to brush off their embarrassment.

"It's fine Yuu, you're our friend so we want to make sure you're okay." Trey set down a box infront of Yuu, before going over to talk to Jamil who was currently dealing with an over-energized Kalim.

"It's important for students at Night Raven College to be at their best so they may also present their best. It's...also important that you are doing well because we care for you, BUT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT YOUR ATTITUDE REFLECTS THE STATE OF THIS SCHOOL." Riddle practically ran through that middle phrase, almost to the point where Yuu didn't catch it, luckily they did, but Riddle walked off red-faced before they could thank him.

"Those are for you btw, Trey made them." Yuu opened the box in front of them to see multiple small baked goods. Too many for them to eat on their own, but nonetheless they thanked Trey, and the others for their kindness. It was nice to know there were people who cared enough to go out of their way even though Yuu didn't tell them how they felt.

end of chapter 1

Thanks for sending me a request <3

[bi-bats]

hello!! i was just wondering, since the damitim fic is ongoing, does this mean know yourself updates are slowed/paused? (not a complaint i’m loving both!!)

Hiya!! Sorry that I never give easy answers 😂

So yes, Know Yourself updates are slower (not paused or on hiatus!! I am working on it still), but it's not because of the DamiTim fic.

I've been writing Know Yourself for over a year now (even though I haven't been posting it that long) and I'm just struggling with getting the words on the page to be what I want them to be. The plot is sorted out and I'm content with what I'm going to make happen, but also when I think about the fic my brain starts to feel the way my eyes do when I stare at a screen too long 😂 so I'm trying to be patient with myself and let myself take my time with it instead of pushing something out that I'm really not happy with, because 1) I think it'll show, 2) I'll just burn myself out, and 3) if I treat it like a chore it'll never get finished.

Also I've realized (post-jaytimweek) that I prefer writing in present tense, it makes everything feel more natural to me and I can control some writing things like timing and flow a little better and I WROTE OVER 100K WORDS IN PAST TENSE FOR THAT FIC AND I'M NOT FUCKING SWITCHING NOW!!!! SO I GUESS I GOTTA FINISH IT IN PAST TENSE!!!!

And also we're at the point in the plot of Know Yourself where I'm really stepping on the gas on the number of things happening per chapter, and the chapters are overwhelmingly long. And I would love to simply be more brief, but everything happening is relevant to the plot, so. Sigh.

Now, the DamiTim fic.

That one is just going up because that fic is happening to me. I can't prevent that fic from occurring. I would love to think about something else, actually! That boy is so unwell! But that's what I'm feeling inspired about and lately I've only been able to write when something worms into my brain and I have to put it on the page immediately no matter where I am or what I'm doing (I have a newish manager who doesn't know how to write a schedule, so I'm currently on day 7 of a ten day stretch of work where I only had one day off, which I had to spend doing all my chores and then hosting D&D. So basically, gone are the days off where I could just sit at my computer and write for a day 😭😭😭).

Also, Ive been having problems with Know Yourself since May, but the DamiTim fic is just fucking pouring out of me fugue state style. My brain hasn't latched onto DamiTim and released Know Yourself in favor of it, it's that the claws of Know Yourself began to unsink from my flesh like, 2 months ago and DamiTim saw its chance. Like, this isn't about to be a cute analogy, but I feel like I'm vomiting out the DamiTim fic because it's a virus. It can't be in my brain anymore okay? I need it out. And it feels like a shame to have like, almost 40k words of it written and just sitting in my drafts when I could be updating it (which I'm sure you appreciate if you're loving that one too 😂), and it has the added benefit of yall knowing I haven't abandoned the fandom/preventing yall from thinking that something horrible has happened to me!

Tldr/to reiterate: yes I'm slowing down on Know Yourself, but it's not because of any of the other chaptered fics I'm working on.

Anyways, sorry this got long and ranty, I think I needed to vent all this out anyways so thank you for giving me a chance to do that!! And also thank you for phrasing your ask the way you did, I really appreciate you specifying that you're not complaining 😂 this is a valid question (that did not upset me but could've if the phrasing was different) and I didn't feel pressured so thank you!!! Ily anon 💕💖💚

[narastories]

So I know we're slipping into Saturday in this timezone, but I nevertheless have a question!

What's your relationship to dialog? Because I have had a variety of opinions from writers: some love it, some hate it. Do you like writing it? Is it easier to write than the rest or harder? Do you have opinions on dialog tags? On written accents and language quirks?

Sorry if this is all vague, the gist of it is: tell me about your approach to dialog. I'm asking because I really liked the dialog in your latest FPA fic.

Good luck with your current project and thank you!

Thanks for asking, I'm still happy to answer this on a Saturday lol

Also, I'm really flattered that you liked the dialog in my fic <3

This is such an interesting topic and I think I have lots of opinions! I would say there was definitely a time when I would have said dialog was my least favorite, but I think it has changed. I'm still struggling with it sometimes, especially if I need a character to give a certain piece of information to another character for plot reasons and I don't want them to sound dry. That still feels pretty hard.

But sometimes it's actually the dialog that comes to me first from a scene and then I make sure to write it down immediately. I think it also makes it a bit easier to see if it flows naturally if you only have the dialog next to each other and nothing else. Also maybe my brain hacked itself into daydreaming up some dialog because I found it hard lool

I also really like banter-heavy scenes in media (you know, the FPA has plenty of good lines for example), and that both motivates and inspires me to try to get the dialog right. It can also be fun once you learn how a particular character talks. (Although I do tend to second-guess myself every once in a while.)

Writing in first POV also indirectly helped I think because when you write the narration you are already closer in tone to how that character speaks, if that makes sense?

Writing different English accents specifically is very hard for me I think, because I never got a lot of exposure to them irl. And because of previous fandoms I know how it looks when someone does it really well (looking at you @geekinthefuschiahair sorry to tag you in a random discussion but this question made me think of how you writing Jamie's Scottish accent always filled me with awe and humility lol)

With the punctuation of dialog and the different language quirks around that I'm not picky. I don't know if you agree as a fellow European but I feel like since we get exposed to a lot of languages in our lives minor things like how someone signals the start of dialog just don't seem like a big deal? What I mean for example is that I ordered three books of the Dresden Files series and it took me actual DAYS to notice that one was the UK edition and had single quotes instead of double quotes around dialog lool I just opened both and went "yeah, looks about right" lmao

It's funny because I know that people can be extremely picky about that.

But if you read books in different languages growing up I think it's not that difficult to adjust to punctuation.

Actually, I think when I translated my first fic to English and put it on AO3 I used the Hungarian way of doing the dialog with EM dashes (I can sense some people shuddering right now) because I didn't know any better. I edited it since ofc lol Then because I got into Outlander and because I lived in the UK for a while I tried using single quotes, but then I had a lot of American fandom friends and decided to spare their eyes lol

So that is to say, I'm not picky about that. As long as you tell me who is speaking, I'm fine. Which is more of a pet peeve of mine. As a writer, you obviously know who is talking. And then sometimes you think oh I don't want to overuse a character's name or "he said/she said'. But I think that's a myth and you can't overuse that stuff. It's repetitive but I think when you read your eyes just glide over those phrases and it doesn't take you out of the scene. But if you have to stop and try to figure out who's saying what that is a lot more tedious in my opinion.

Alright, well I clearly had a lot to say about that so thank you for those excellent questions! xx

[jgnico]

passing by to say that your Jujutsu Kaisen's Power System explanation post was the very thing that got me into jjk in the first place. i'd been circling around this story for quite a bit, not sure if reading/watching it would be worthwhile, but then I stumbled upon your meta and after reading it was sold right away. i used to read your metas like people would usually read their newspaper over morning coffee and gradually fell head over heels for this story, and its themes, and its characters! your analysis of Gojo's character made me realize some vital things about him, which later on made him one of my absolute favorites as he's just so so interesting to think about. also, your 'So what do you do with someone that you can't kill, can't oppose, and can't control? / You hope that he's on your side.' is still stuck in my mind, that's such a bangers phrase!!! and then my obsession with Geto hit me like a hurricane, and it all kind of went from there to the point where I currently have biggest jjk brainrot.

all of that is to say, thank you so so much for sharing your thoughts!! they led me to better understanding what is now one of my favorite stories (even though it leaves me devastated, like, on a regular basis... *noises of distress* but sort of in a good way?). thank you! :)

/ i'm sorry for ranting in your ask box, i'm just insufferably sentimental and couldn't help myself

Don't apologize, this means so much to me!

I can't believe my first meta (the Gojo empathy one) stuck with you that much. It's still one of my favorites, so it makes me really happy to know that it's a good one lol.

Sorry for dipping out on ya for so long; I honestly miss doing my meta posts and asks a lot. Hearing your guys' thoughts and answering your questions (even the goofy, fun ones -love them) helped me understand and think about jjk in ways that I wouldn't have on my own. For a good chunk of time, this blog was very much a community effort between all of us to analyze and have fun with a manga that we all enjoyed, so being a part of that (and getting to share my thoughts with you all) made me so incredibly happy.

So yeah, I'm gonna shush before I get all sappy on ya, but thank you thank you for the ask, it truly brightened my day. And thank you for giving my metas your time and attention.

[qqueenofhades]

Hello! Anon with the history professor who refuses to take a stance on anything here. It's time for our semester final paper. Thankfully it's not on why communism is bad because he still absolutely won't talk about that but it's on the equally frustrating topic of US involvement with the war in Ukraine. And on one hand, it feels like it should be a fairly easy thing to write about given how much the war has been in the news for the past year, right, but at the same time, I feel like I'm writing basically from what I've learned from reading the news only. Don't get me wrong, my history professor does absolutely know what he's talking about. I don't exactly know how to explain it- he clearly knows his stuff but is not good at conveying it to the class? And it leaves me scrambling because yes, this is a topic that I can write a paper on but at the same time I just don't feel as though we've spent enough time talking about it and learning about it.

That is to say, we've spent plenty of time learning ABOUT the war in Ukraine, right, but the paper topic is basically "should the US get involved in Ukraine and if so, to what extent, why or why not" (I can look up the exact phrasing if you want) but while we've talked about the war, we haven't discussed things so much as what the US is currently doing exactly, nor what benefits and/or consequences would be the result because remember, he's not here to influence us one way or another and that's our opinion to form and that's why he's assigning us this essay but can't talk about whether he thinks US involvement is a good or a bad thing so I have very little to work with from the actual class. And I get it, I do, we're supposed to be able to do our own research and not just have the facts from either side spoon fed to us so that we can crap out an essay but it feels like I'm working with nothing here.

If it helps at all, it's a Russian history class I'm taking that counts as a gen-ed history credit through my university's honors college. All of first semester was basically all pre-WW1 history and we've covered everything from there up until present day in the last couple months, then the rest of the school year will be learning about the modern political, social, and economic situation there. It's definitely a fun class even if it can't go super in depth into any one specific thing there (because there's so many units in this class that could be an entire class all on their own) but I still enjoy it even if it's not taught in the best way possible. I'm a freshman this year, yes, but it also feels like after almost an entire school year I should have a better idea about how to deal with this sort of thing and I don't and it sucks. I'm definitely enjoying the class and everything that I'm learning there, I just feel as though it could be taught so much better, and I'm just reaching out for help and advice now if you have any. I'm not asking for help with the paper itself, to be clear- I'm asking more about how do deal with this situation and the class and the professor's style of teaching that I feel like I'm struggling more and more to deal with just because he can't take a goddamned stance on fucking anything. Ahem. Rant over. Sorry.

Okay but yet again, this remains utterly bamboozling for me. Not least because the paper topic is one where you HAVE to take a side, but how the heck is he going to mark it? Just correct your grammar/spelling/style and say nothing about the content and whether you have successfully made an argument, because that might be Expressing An Opinion? Not least because you will need to draw material from the class (which he won't really teach you about for fear of expressing said opinion), and you will have to demonstrate how it all works together and the actual moral and physical consequences of the system, which he seems to have avoided giving you any intellectual tools to do??? I just. Yeah.

Likewise, if he just treats it as an abstract exercise where "either point of view is valid" and he somehow grades without making it clear which side of the argument he supports, you're going to end up with some weird theoretical exercise where you could end up entirely justifying the war in Ukraine from Russia's perspective, which is... not what a history class on the USSR/post-Soviet Russia should have taught you. Like, you could literally write this paper using nothing but Russian propaganda sources, and you technically would have made a successful argument that US involvement in Ukraine is bad and this war is all NATO's fault and Ukraine should have just surrendered and Russian war crimes are justified and etc. etc., but if your professor won't take a side, how would he actually be able to discredit that or call it into question? After all, that might be expressing an opinion! In other words, he's teaching you, intentionally or otherwise, that you can make arguments that sound coherent and faithfully represent talking points offered up, but you have absolutely no ability to separate propaganda vs. actual empirical information, you have automatically given up the right to make any critical distinction between that information for your audience, and that's not... that's not what a historian DOES!

Anyway, this man's pedagogical style remains completely mystifying to me, especially in a field that is so distorted by ideology/misinformation as Soviet/Russian history. Like... you can't study Russian history without studying the historiographical and narrative systems that Russia has used to tell particular stories about itself, and you have to be able to critically differentiate between the reality and the narrative! The Russian word dezinformatsiya, imported into English as "disinformation," literally came from the Soviet-era KGB in terms of their political strategy to just make stuff up about dissidents and anyone else who threatened the Soviet regime, and since we are all talking about "disinformation" and "fake news" these days, it's kind of important to know how to deal with that! Plus, Putin has presently weaponized it to an absurd global degree with Western election interference campaigns and internet troll-farms, so like again. How can you say anything useful or valuable on this subject if you're essentially acting like "both sides are valid," when they are NOT??!

I realize that I have answered your rant with one of my own (oops) and I'm unsure how much help this is, but I still don't get this professor's teaching choices at all. I'm glad you're still getting something out of the course, but yeah. Mystifying.