#but i MUST say mean things somewhere bcos i am in fact. mean.

[equalseleventhirds]

i know that everyone is entitled to their own opinions and interpretations of things, but i am also, and if i don't have a semi-regular session of griping and being contrary then i will wither away and die. so i think it's fine as long as i'm not like, saying it to ppl's faces. u kno.

[thejustmaiden]

Just bcos u PERCEIVE SessRin as something that promotes pedophilia and grooming doesn't mean that's how the author portrayed it. It's disappointing to see that antis force such idea, as if they know what's inside Rumiko's mind. It is fine if u find sessrin cringey. Just don't force your idea of pedophilia and grooming as THE CORRECT PORTRAYAL OF SESSRIN.

Hello there, nonnie! You had quite the party in my ask box, I see. Breaking it up in parts may actually help me get to the point and address your concerns swiftly and accordingly. Here goes nothing. 😉

This answer is for your first two asks by the way. Firstly, you're putting words in my mouth because I do not view Rumiko as an author who promotes pedophilia and child grooming and never have. She never once placed an ounce of romance into their scenes. Rin was essentially introduced to serve as a catalyst for Sesshomaru's character growth. That's major in and of itself, which is why I'm not sure why she needs to be the mom on top of all that she's already done for him. It was you, Sessrin shippers, who had to go and make it romantic, not us. It was you who took every innocent scene and turned it into a romantic one. You'll even use some of their scenes as proof they will end up together, then back-pedal later and say those very same scenes weren't romantic in order to protect the sanctity of your ship. I mean, which is it? It can't be both, it's either one or the other.

I repeat, NO we don’t actually think Rumiko wanted to portray this relationship with pedophillic or grooming tendencies. It's you shippers who insist there is no other way for their relationship to evolve, as if you speak on behalf of Rumiko. Your interpretation of Rumiko's work is what implies child grooming; she may not be condoning it but your perspective sure is. You talk down to antis who disagree, because in your opinion, your interpretation is not only superior but already canon in your eyes. You're doing a disservice to this fandom by spreading false information like that when you try to pass it off as official. So if it's anyone that assumes they know what goes on inside Rumiko's head, it's YOU. Somewhere down the road in the (un)foreseeable future, it's you who changes course since remember we were all in agreement at the beginning that their relationship wasn't romantic. So what did I miss? Please break it down for me and explain what exactly influenced you to change your mind, then describe in detail how again this transition in their relationship magically came to be. It's you who came to that decision on your own- nobody helped you get there, and certainly not Rumiko (as you said yourself). The user boycottyashahime put it better than I did, so here is the link to their post. I highly recommend you read it if you haven't already. I urge you to keep an open mind about it while reading, too. You may not like what they have to say, but there's no denying they make excellent points all the same.

I'm pretty sure I catch your drift, but can you clarify if you're referring to historical context or cultural context? I suppose both can be applied here. haha Anyway, from what I gather, you believe that fans should be on board with the idea of Sessrin and at the very least tolerate the pairing. Whether they ship it or not, you believe this simply for the fact that the story takes place in the feudal era and couples with a similar relationship back then were more than acceptable. The thing is, we may be transported to Feudal Japan in this story but we're still taking our modern day morals with us for the trip. I have a whole ass blog dedicated to the significance of fiction in real life (convienently pinned on my page) if you wanna check it out. I also discuss what age-appropriate content is and isn't for Inuyasha viewers in this recent ask here that I find is also pretty relevant to the convo.

Alrighty, moving onto your next point. I can't stress enough to you guys that this isn't a mere Caucasian vs. Non-Caucasian dilemma. I'm a POC, so I ask that you please not presume to know things about me you couldn't possibly know unless we met or I shared it with you. In fact, many of the other antis I frequently chat with are POCs like myself. So for all that's good and holy, please stop ignoring us when we say: THERE ARE FANS IN JAPAN WHO HATE THIS SHIP TOO. THIS ISN'T A DIFFERENCE OF CULTURE, THIS IS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION (& FACT). It may have not been called child grooming during that time, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't; it just went under a different name, that's literally it.

Let me give you another example. So if I'm watching a movie about WWII in Nazi Germany, am I supposed to sympathize with an SS officer if the story is being narrated from his point of view? Because in his mind and during that time period, his ideology is right. Like a lot of Germany during that war, I rally to support his leader for what is in my opinion a just cause. Tell me, how does context matter in this instance? Does it matter so much so that you would adopt the same ideals just because it was "historically accurate" and you don't see anything wrong with it when you put yourself in their shoes? Does the "it's just fiction" defense come into play here, too?

The illustration I believe you are referring to is the calendar with that one official illustrator for Inuyasha, right? The thing is, an official illustrator doesn’t equal the creator of Inuyasha. They may support the Sessrin ship, but their work has no connection to the Inuyasha series in any way besides the name affiliation. I've heard that the illustrator also included Kagome x Koga art, so should we take that seriously then too? Rumiko never once alluded to a future romance between Sesshomaru and Rin, to which you even (kinda) agreed. She described their relationship as neither parental or romantic, and she added that she even contemplated making Rin a boy at first. Fun facts, y'all!

I've heard about those magazines but they sound fishy to me. Would you mind sending me a link to a reliable source that comes with an English translation? I'd like to emphasize again that illustrators or VAs can do and say as they please, but their opinions are still only opinions at the end of the day. Nothing is set in stone until Rumiko says it is.

For one, I never said my interpretation was the only correct portrayal. That's you putting words in my mouth again. What I did say, however, was that my interpretation was more logical and reasonable than yours based on popular and widely-accepted story patterns found in real life and in fiction. Look this isn't about who's more "correct" or not. You can perceive Sesshomaru and Rin's relationship any damn way you want, BUT what you cannot do is dictate how we react to your depiction of this ship. You can't demand us to view your ship a certain way to fit your preferences. I'm sure all the hate on your ship can be unbearable at times, but that's just the cross you'll have to bear for supporting such a problematic couple. If a large part of any fandom is strongly against a pairing and what it represents, then there's usually a very legitimate reason for that. You may not want to hear this, but certainly you must realize there's some truth to it all. A couple of your fellow shippers have even admitted to me that Sessrin would be wrong IRL. You see what I mean? Even if we find the ship gross, antis don't care if you choose to ship Sessrin. All we care about is you acknowledging that, like IRL, Sessrin potentially poses a lot of problems for young viewers and how they come to make sense of and view similar situations that are borderline grooming or the very thing itself. Teens watching this show are more vulnerable and impressionable, which is why it's crucial to not show relationships like Sessrin in a favorable light. If they're ever put in a situation IRL that resembles Sessrin, they need to be aware and understand that it's not at all normal or healthy for that adult to make a move on them. Let's say Sessrin does go canon, then that would mean Rin had to get pregnant around 14 or 15. Sending that kind of message to an audience made up of mostly teenagers isn't exactly wise if you ask me. Please really think about that and sit with it if you need to.

I'm positive I'm following the same story, thank you very much. Also, how can you be so confident making a statement like that when I have actual Sessrin shippers praising me for making valid points? Sorry to break it to you, but I don't think I'm as lost as you claim me to be or wish that I was.

That's a wrap, peeps!

Read over what I had to say again later and then get back to me if want, but only write me back if you plan to be respectful. Otherwise I will decline to answer. Just keep that in mind. And may I suggest only sending 1 or 2 asks at a time? Please and thank you!

I think I may know exactly who are, nonnie, but I can't say for sure. Besides, it doesn't really matter, as you have a right to stay anonymous if you so wish to. Listen, don't forget you are also more than welcome to interact (but appropriately) on my blogs/asks/etc. If you are who I think you are, then you recently did make a comment on one of them but didn't stick around when I replied back (and for good reason). Finally, if you hope to ever have a real discussion about this topic someday, first put your ego aside and refrain from throwing insults and then I'll hear you out. I have never once put you down in all of our interactions, so there's no need to show up here all riled up and aggravated in the first place. There's also no need to laugh at or mock other's opinions. Don't take jabs and assume I must not know something about Inuyasha just because I don't support your point of view. I may not agree with your opinion, but you don't see me having a condescending air about it.

Apologies if you're not the member I believe you to be, but no offense, you probably still needed to hear all of that too. It's not included here since I answered it immediately, but that final ask you sent me where you got angry and assumed I wasn't going to answer you was totally uncalled for. If you ever hope someday to participate in real discourse with me or any other antis, you should take my advice and seriously chill and learn how to be patient.

Hope this finds you well, nonnie!

[scifibi]

I reblogged it from my sideblog bellsclarkey 😊 Congratulations on you follower milestone!! Could you possibly write this prompt for bellarke? "you had an accident and hit your head. the doctor says you have some kind of amnesia that restarts your memory every few hours, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re still married so please stop with the flirty pick up lines" Thank you!!

thank you so much!

also, i turned this into an archaeologists au while i'm at it, bcos why not lmao

YOUR BELLARKE FIC:

[also on ao3]

Bellamy wakes up to a rhythmic, steady prodding, something both hard and soft jabbing into his temple, over and over again. 

He snaps his head up from the bed he's currently slumped sideways over, his legs numb from hours in the hospital chair. "Clarke?"

She blinks at him, her face clean save for a couple of small scrapes and the butterfly bandage across her brow. "You're sleeping on my arm."

"Oh, shit." He opens his fists instantly, releasing her hand from the confines of his sleep-heavy slump. "Sorry, I— are you okay? How are you feeling?"

Her eyes travel slowly around the room, taking in the bed and the beeping machines. "Am I in the hospital?"

All the breath rushes out of him in a desperate wave of relief and worry. "Yes, you're in the hospital. Do you want some water? Here, have some water."

She merely blinks at the cup he brings over to her from the bedside table, frowning slightly at the straw he holds out to her before looking up at him.

"Are you a nurse?"

He rolls his eyes, even as he welcomes the release of anxiety lifting off his shoulders. If she's already back to cracking jokes, she must be feeling fine. "Sure, Clarke. Here, drink some water."

She sips obediently, settling back into her pillow as she watches him bring the cup back to the bedside table. "You're not wearing scrubs."

"They ran out of my colour," he says dryly, moving back to the bed to perch gently on it, careful to avoid jostling her. 

She hums silently, head cocked as she observes him. "Shame. I love a man in a uniform."

He blinks at the familiar curve of her lips. That's definitely not her usual happy-Clarke smile. That looks a lot more like Clarke's I'm-about-to-make-YOU-very-happy smile.

"Clarke," he says, "are you feeling alright?"

She shifts on the bed, still smiling that coy smile. "Come on, now. That's not fair. You know my name, but I don't know yours." She pauses, head tilting invitingly. "FYI, this bed's not the only thing in this room that's single, you know."

He stares at her for a full three seconds, every last inch of him frozen solid. 

And then he leaps off the bed, bounding to the door and flinging it open. 

"Nurse!"

"It's an abbreviated form of short term memory loss," Dr. Woods explains as he stands at the foot of Clarke's bed, holding up an X-ray print-out. "There are no detectable fractures or major contusions, so the impact shouldn't leave any lasting damage. But for now, it appears that Dr. Griffin will experience some momentary lapses in her memory bank."

"For how long?" Bellamy asks, arms folded tightly across his chest. "What kind of lapses are we looking at here?"

Dr. Woods frowns in thought, tucking the print-out back into the folder in his other hand. "Her vitals are strong, all her reflexes are working fine. She knows personal details like her date of birth, her parents' names, her educational background. In fact, she appears to remember just about everything up until about five or six years ago."

"Which is right around the time we met," Bellamy sighs, glancing at her. She appears mildly interested by the news at best, preoccupied with a Jell-O cup brought in by Dr. Woods.

"Her memory should return on its own, and rather quickly, I think," the doctor surmises, tucking his hands into his coat pockets as he surveys her. "Maybe in a few days' time. Maybe even tomorrow. Although, there might be some slippage here and there. For example," he adds at Bellamy's confused frown, "she knows who you are now. But she might forget again in, say, an hour or two."

"Awesome," Bellamy says, with a small grimace.

Dr. Woods smiles. "In the meantime, keep her rested, hydrated, and out of the hot sun as far as you can help it. The important thing is to jog her memory as gently as possible. Try going about your usual daily routine as best as you can." 

"Might have to pick just one of those things," Bellamy mutters. Their version of a 'daily routine' isn't what most would call normal.

Dr. Woods smiles. "Perhaps avoid the dig site for today. Take her somewhere she can rest that's familiar."

Bellamy sighs, unfolding his arms. "I can do that. Thanks, Dr. Woods."

"Lincoln. Please." The doctor reaches into his breast pocket, pulling out a small white card. "If you have any questions at all, Dr. Blake, don't hesitate to call."

Bellamy takes the card and tucks it into his jeans pocket, his free hand reaching out to shake the doctor's. "In that case, it's Bellamy to you."

Clarke cocks her head, plastic spoon still caught between her teeth. "Isn't that a girl's name?"

Bellamy groans.

"Are we really married?" Clarke asks as he slowly pulls out of the parking lot. It's been an hour since Lincoln gave them the green light to leave, but he's still worried.

He huffs a dry laugh, one that catches even himself by surprise. "You know, it's funny, but there was once a time where I probably wouldn't have believed it, either."

She frowns. "Why?"

He pulls to a gentle stop at a red light. "It's… complicated." He catches sight of her unamused expression, blue eyes narrowed at him. "Well, let's just say you didn't like me very much when we first met."

"Oh." Her nose wrinkles. "I find that hard to believe."

His brows shoot up on his forehead. "You do?"

She shrugs. "You're cute. And hot. And bossy, like me."

Bossy. He gapes at her.

She looks at him, face still scrunched in contemplation. "Maybe I was just attracted to you and didn't want to admit it. I tend to do that when I'm in denial. Go."

He blinks, dazed. "What?"

"Go," she repeats, pointing at the light. Which has turned green.

"Shit, right—" He quickly shifts the car into gear, starting forward.

The gentle hum of the engine fills the car for a few beats.

"Are you really a doctor?" she asks.

Bellamy glances at her. "Not that kind of doctor. I mean, well— I have a doctorate."

She nods, solemn. "I'm gonna get one too, you know."

He smiles. "You already did. Finished last year," he supplies at her confused frown.

"I did?" she says, surprised. "What did I do my thesis on? No, wait—" she flaps a hand at him, "—don't tell me. I should figure it out on my own. Don't want to spoil something for myself."

"You're a temporary amnesiac," Bellamy says, incredulous. "Not a time traveller." 

She flips her hair. "Just being safe."

Once Bellamy's gotten Clarke safely installed in their cabin at the campsite, he calls Raven. Mostly because she's the only person onsite that Clarke's known for longer than six years, so if anything should help with the recovery of her memory, it would be Raven's presence.

Unfortunately, once Raven's been informed that Clarke's not in any real danger, she seems to think she's been summoned just so she can be thoroughly entertained by the whole situation.

"No, no, wait!" Raven exclaims, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Say the line again. The bed one!"

"No," Bellamy says flatly, getting up to fetch more iced tea.

"Say the one from the coffee shop! Come on, dude, please!"

Bellamy huffs, bringing the pitcher over to refill their empty glasses. 

On their way back, they'd stopped off at a coffee shop to pick up sandwiches for lunch. While they were standing in line, Clarke had apparently experienced her first lapse, resulting in yet another embarrassing episode that had had Bellamy flushing red to the tips of his ears.

"You know, if you're not going to help—"

"I asked him if I could have his number," Clarke supplies readily. "Because I'd lost mine."

Raven actually keels over from how hard she's laughing. 

"I can't believe this!" she manages through the peals of laughter. "You are actually the whitest frat boy!"

"This isn't news," Clarke tells Raven, smiling despite herself.

"It is when you've been boring as fuck ever since you married this prick," Raven retorts, jabbing a thumb towards Bellamy.

"Helpful," Bellamy repeats, settling back down into his seat beside Clarke.

Raven yanks her phone from her pocket, aiming the camera at them both with unabashed glee. "Okay, okay — say it again!"

Raven stays another two hours, which is about as long as she can afford to spare, with both Bellamy and Clarke temporarily removed from the dig site.

 In that time, Clarke has yet another lapse, one in which she seems to think Bellamy is Raven's hot friend, and attempts to get him to feel her shirt which is, spoiler alert, made of girlfriend material.

 Raven actually has to gasp for breath after that.

 Before she goes, she makes one legitimately helpful contribution to the situation (finally), which is to record a video of herself basically telling Clarke, "Don't panic, your memory's out of whack for a bit, oh and, that dude with you is your husband, NOT your kidnapper".

Bellamy walks back into the cabin, tucking his phone back into his pocket. "Dr. Woods says walking is fine, just as long as you take it slow." He checks his watch and glances out the window. "It's pretty cool out by now. Sun's about to go down in an hour or so." He looks at her, questioning. "Are you tired? Do you want to take a nap, or—"

"I'm fine," she says, already standing. "A walk sounds good."

Bellamy's not sure who felt more unsafe on that simple hour-long walk: Clarke, when she'd lapsed and spent a full minute freaking out about being lost in the woods with a strange man, or himself, when he'd gotten her to watch Raven's video and then had to deal with a whole series of pick-up lines from his wife barely five minutes later, each one worse than the last.

 When dinnertime arrives, he's reluctant to risk going to the mess area. Too many strangers, too many variables for Clarke to contend with. After considering his options, he pulls out his phone, and shoots off a text to Raven asking her to bring some food over.

In the end, he's not entirely sure going to the mess area hadn't been the better idea, especially when Clarke lapses again. Especially when she asks him if he's "a baker, because your buns look good", and Raven instantly loses her shit, nearly dropping her phone into a plastic tub of stew.

"This is insane," he mutters when Clarke disappears into the bathroom. "She wasn't ever like this when we first met!"

Raven rolls her eyes. "Yes, she was. You were just too busy flirting back to care."

He leans back, his mouth falling open in surprise. "We were fighting all the time!"

Raven makes a 'tsk' noise, impatient. "Which, as everyone here knows, is also flirting, Bellamy-and-Clarke stylez." She punches lightly at his shoulder. "You're the one that's different, idiot."

"I'm sorry."

Clarke looks up, her brows furrowed. "What?"

Bellamy sighs, moving over to sit on the bed next to her. "I haven't been very much fun today. I know I'm supposed to be… normal, help you relax and all, but I— I don't know. I guess I'm just worried about you."

A small hand covers his.

"It's fine, Bellamy," Clarke says with a small smile. "I understand. It's hard for you, too. I'm just trying to remember things, but you — you just want your wife back." 

Bellamy swallows, daring to turn his palm about so his hand can wrap around hers. "She hasn't gone anywhere. You're still my wife, Clarke. I love you, memories or no." He squeezes gently, his other hand moving to rest lightly over hers. "Always will, princess."

She squints then. "Huh."

He frowns, leaning forward in concern. "What? Does your head hurt?"

"No, I—" She shakes her head, and blinks. "'Princess.' That sounds familiar."

His heart is filling up so fast, his chest lighter than it's been ever since he got the call telling him to come to the hospital forty-eight hours ago. "It does?"

She looks up at him, eyes narrowing playfully. "I'm guessing that has something to do with you?"

He smiles, and leans in carefully, pressing his lips to her temple. "Something," he agrees, pulling back to give her a fond look, his thumb rubbing over the back of her hand. "Although—"

She jumps slightly on the bed, throwing out a hand to cut him off. "No, don't tell me!" She grins, squeezing on his hand reassuringly. "I want to figure it out on my own." 

In the morning, Clarke's memory returns.

"I mean, I still have some gaps here and there," she tells him as they're lying in bed, having spent the last forty minutes getting 'reacquainted'. "But all the important bits are there." She grins wolfishly, poking playfully at the bulge of his cock, lying limp and sated under the sheet. "Also, all the really important bits are here."

Bellamy catches at her hand, bringing it up to his lips so he can press a light, teasing kiss to it before rolling over, one elbow holding him up as he leans over her.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, Clarke Griffin," he says solemnly, releasing her hand so he can trail his down her body, "but whatever the case, I hope I'm next."

Her brows shoot up in surprise. "Hey, you made one! That was really—"

She doesn't get to finish the rest of her sentence.

He's pretty sure she doesn't mind.