#but income doesn't need to be tied to jobs

[impostoradult]

I love everyone on this website being like "Capitalism kills your soul!!1!" and then being like "HOw dare AI try to take my job!!!1!"

like, I want AI to take my job so I don't have to fuckin do it any more. since when are you all defenders of 40 hr/week wage labor?

[zyafics]

PLAY FAKE | Rafe Cameron (part one)

MASTERLIST (series) | x Female Reader .ᐟ

Summary — When Rafe needs to secure a girlfriend for his father to see him as a viable candidate for Cameron Development, he enlists the help of a bartender who wants nothing to do with him.

Content — 18+, smut, angst, depictions of jealousy + aggression, emotional turmoil, mild descriptions of violence, and usage of drugs. Reader is hyper-independent, a people-pleaser, a smart mouth, stands on business, and mysterious past. Rafe is insecure, possessive, asshole, and has mood swings.

Who knew Rafe Cameron is a blabbering drunk?

Working as a bartender on the docks, near Heyward's Seafood, you have your fair share of stories about the people who come in. Most of them are locals from The Cut, with the occasional tourists who wander the streets, settling for a clean place to eat.

But it's very rare to have a Kook.

It's been a visit for the past couple of weeks. You don't understand what caused him to come here. There's plenty of bars near Figure Eight—some of which you are sure caters specifically to the Camerons—but you don't question it. Lately, business has been slow, a couple of locals in and out, and with the majority of your income relying on tips, you take it.

Locals don't tip.

Rafe does, however. When he settled down and ordered the largest and most expensive liquor you had on hand, he slipped a fifty into your hands and asked for the bottle as a whole. You don't know if he doesn't have prior tipping etiquette—or because he tips extra for you to keep quiet about his presence—but you gladly take it. Sitting at the end of the counter, his hand cradles a half-empty glass he sips from.

Despite having the whole bottle set in front of him, he still makes you serve him.

Why?

Because he's an asshole.

"You know what he wants to do?" Rafe slurs from across the counter, his eyes flickering to find your presence behind the bar. "He wants to give the company to Sarah."

You hum in response, drying the washed glasses in your hands with a towel as you listen to his nondescript rambles. You knew most of the people he's referring to Sarah Cameron, Ward, and the occasional Pogue you don't know the name of. But, that's how Rafe sees the world: his family, the Kooks, and then everyone else.

"She's nineteen and going around OBX with her fucking Pogue boyfriend and he sees her as stable?" Rafe scoffs, shaking his head as he brings the edge of the glass to his lips and takes a long sip. "Fucking bitch."

Listening to drunk customers vent about their home lives is part of the job description. While it’s dark outside and Rafe is the only customer left, you are technically free to kick him out and make him go about his day elsewhere.

But, there's a rule in your family regarding business: don't go home until the last customer leaves. There's no such thing as kicking someone out at closing time; you were there to wait, serve, and hope they spend a couple more bucks on some more booze. It's a cheapshot of handling enterprise, but that's the way you need to do business and survive as a Pogue.

Rafe taps his empty cup in his hand, eyes pinned on you. "Refill," he mumbles, to which you resist the urge to roll your eyes, and walk over to do exactly as he asks. Lifting the bottle set in front of him to pour him another shot, he watches you as you watch.

"You think it's stupid, right?" He asks, his gaze lifting to study your face. "He thinks Sarah is more equipped to handle Cameron Development because of that Pogue. Because he ties her down. Is that some bullshit?"

His gaze is intense and you don't know whether to answer or not. While you don't know much of the story, of the background behind his persistent rambles, you pieced together enough that it's about Ward deciding to give Sarah the family company because of her stability as a person. Because she's reliable.

You shrug, "I don't know." Because you don't. You don't want to get involved in whatever problems Rafe is dealing with. You don't want to offer unsolicited opinions because who knows if it'll come back to bite you in the ass.

He scoffs, then releases a bitter laugh. "Of course you don't," he leans back against his seat, almost swaying against the backless stool, before shaking his head, disciplining himself. "You're a Pogue. I must be losing it if I'm talking to you."

You roll your eyes, turning away from the Kook and settling on the rest of your tasks. You're used to Kooks putting you down like that, seeing you as nothing more than the bottom of the chain because you don't have some fancy degree from UNC or because you aren't floating on a yacht somewhere.

Just as you're returning bottles back on the shelf, you hear Rafe mumbles to himself. "Does he want me to be tied down or something?"

You let out an abrupt laugh, before quickly stiffening the sound. However, it was too late. When you look back over, you see his blue eyes set on you, a hard expression on his face. "Sorry," you mumble, wishing you had better control over your tongue. "I thought I heard something funny."

You wished you could blame it on the TV, but unfortunately, you had turned that off a while ago.

"You laughing at me, sweetheart?"

"No," you clear your throat, but the look on Rafe's face makes it seem like he's in no mood to hear lies right now. You rectify the answer. "Yes."

"What's so funny?"

"The idea of you getting tied down," you answer slowly. You carefully study his expression to see if anything you say could trigger a bad reaction. "It just seems amusing to me."

Because it is. Rafe is known around Outer Banks as the reckless prince, the one who hosts parties, gets shit-faced drunk, and hooks up with every woman within his proximity. The idea of him losing all of that—the parties, the drinking, the women—was not something you could picture in your head.

"What about it?" He challenges, an edge to his tone. "You think I can't fucking do it?"

From your experience as a bartender, you know he's coming close to unraveling. What you say next could cause him to erupt or calm down, and while you would love to sell him some lies, to get him to back down and leave, something in you doesn't let it pass. All night, he's been nothing short of an asshole to you. To act like he's above you because you are nothing but a Pogue meant to serve him. Why would you pass up an opportunity to deliver some harsh reality?

"Look at yourself," you gesture to him, "you're here, drinking at my bar after an argument with your father. He's trying to tell you that you aren't dependable enough to rely on and the first thing you do is turn to your vices. What do you think?"

Even if you intended it to be harsh, you said it nicely.

He stares at you, hard. You don't like it. You heard the rumors of what happens when he gets pissed—where he throws chairs and smashed bottles. You don't want to be a recipient of that.

"Never mind," you shake your head, returning back to your task. "Just forget it. I'm misreading the situation."

"No," he says with a shake of his head. "You said it. Might as well own it with your chest. Dancing around it wouldn't make you anymore likable."

You clench your jaw. On top of being a blabbering drunk, Rafe is cruel.

Not answering him, you walk over to where he sits and take the glass from his hand, right as he's about to take another sip.

"What the fuck?"

"I think it's time for you to leave."

He scoffs, not moving from his position. "Just because I said I didn't like you?"

"No, because you're acting like an asshole and frankly, I don't want to put up with it anymore," you say, pouring the rest of the content down the sink. "You can take the bottle with you. But other than that, you need to leave."

Rafe stares at you for a few seconds, contemplating what to do, but he doesn't have any grounds here. He may be a Kook, but that means shit when he's in the south side of Outer Banks. When his opponent is a bartender. Instead of responding to you, he slides off the stool and grabs the booze by the handle.

Just as he's about to set out of the door, you shout behind him with a mock farewell, "'pleasure doing business with you!"

—

That day, you thought would be the last of your interactions with Rafe. After all, most people don't want to continue doing business with someone who calls them out on their bullshit and kicks them out of their shops.

But, a couple of days later, Rafe comes through the door of your family-owned pub.

You paid little attention to him. You were trying to log the tips into the cash register, not catering to some entitled prick who has no means being here. Plus, there's another bartender on hand who's more than willing to help Rafe with anything he needs.

You didn't care.

Your coworker can get his tips.

As you're filing in the last of the receipts, Miranda comes over to tap you on the shoulders.

"Rafe wants to talk to you."

You stare at her for a few seconds, as if she was speaking another language. You thought she did. Why in the world would he want to talk to you? You were unpleasant to him. You were nothing of the customer service attitude your parents drilled into you as a child. You thought it was clear grounds for him to look the other direction.

"I'm busy," you say to Miranda, who shifts uncomfortably in her stance, not leaving.

"He said he's willing to wait."

That means he was expecting you to say no.

You scoff. "Tell him I'm not going to be free until closing time."

"But..." Miranda starts again, and you are starting to lose your patience with her. "We don't have a closing time."

You smile at that. "Exactly."

Despite the harsh undertone, Miranda still relays the message back to Rafe. You watch as she does, his eyes briefly pans over to you as you offer him a forced smile with a wave of your fingers and his jaw visibly tense. You thought that would be the end of the conversation but, to be proven wrong again, he slides into the bar stool he previously occupied the other night and orders a drink.

Then another.

You did your best to avoid the area he occupied, but it was proven to be difficult as he spent his time right in front of you. You got busy, running around and assisting locals and tourists who came in to get a taste of the infamous and historical Sailor of Outer Banks. While you're running around, placing orders, making drinks, and trying to navigate the cramped space behind the bar—Rafe remains.

He remained until he was the very last customer.

You sigh as you glance at the clock. Miranda has since left and you're left carrying the shop ever since. All you want to do is go home and relax, but that will be proven impossible until Rafe leaves the establishment.

With a strong reluctance, you step forward to where Rafe sat, his eyes on the TV screen hung on the wall, while his hands occupied another glass.

"Fine," you sigh, causing Rafe to tear away from the screen. The corner of his lips lift into a self-satisfying smirk. "I'm here."

"You finally ready to talk to me?"

"You ready to stop being such a prick?" You quip back, just to see his expression broadens at your snark. You can't lie and say the movement didn't make him more attractive. "What do you want?"

For a moment, you thought he might be here to apologize for asking like an ass the other night.

But, you were too hopeful.

"I came up with a solution," he begins, his words a subtle slur that contrasts the intoxication of the other night.

"For what?" You entertain the conversation, crossing your arms over your chest.

"My dad." He answers. "He wants me to be stable."

"I remember."

"And from when he was talking about Sarah, one of the reasons he thinks he can rely on her is because she's with that Pogue." He explains, "that it somehow makes her dependable. I don't fucking know, the logic is flawed."

"And old-fashioned, but continue."

His blue eyes dart to your face, before he utters the next words. "That means I need a girlfriend."

You nod, glad to see that he came to his conclusion. You thought this was another one of his ramblings, a need to vent to someone he doesn't think matters in the long-run, just to get it off his chest. Now that it is, you're about to step back and turn around to start your night tasks before he holds out a hand.

"Wait," he commands, causing you to stop on your tracks. You raise a brow at him. "I want you to be my girlfriend."

You laugh. It truly is a bad habit of yours but the idea came out as total lunacy and shock. You thought he would join. But, when you look back to his face and have the striking realization that he is serious, you start to sober up. "You're serious."

"Yeah," he says, clenching his jaw, like the moment of wonderful ideas was truly something he was proud of and you struck it down like lightning.

"I'm sorry but," you shake your head, not having the ability to wrap your head around the suggestion. "You barely know me. Isn't there a line of other people who would love to become the next Mrs. Cameron?"

You know that's true. You also know if he had told Miranda this, she would've jumped to the idea before he concluded his brilliant plan. So, you can't, for the life of you, figure out why he's choosing you out of everyone else.

"Yes, but I don't want them." He answers with a shake of his head, leaning closer to the counter. You don't know why but something about that makes your chest warm. "I don't want a real girlfriend. I just need you to pretend to be."

Just like that, the feeling in your stomach dies.

"Pretend?" You repeat.

"Yes," he nods. "It's just like you said. I still have my vices. I don't want to give them up. I just want my dad to think I did."

"I still don't understand how this has anything to do with me," you furrow your brows together.

He sighs, out of frustration or impatience, you don't know. But, he goes to explain, "my dad once told me that John B was a reliable person. That he was a Pogue who was hard-working and determined. That's why he likes him for Sarah—because he hopes it would rub off on her too."

You nod slowly, connecting the dots as he continues. "You're a Pogue," he says with a huff, the title left his tongue with an ounce of disgust you were ready to throw him out of the bar again. "He likes to go on his good samaritan bullshit and employs people from The Cut for certain events. You were one of them."

It takes a second to remember what he was talking about. He's right. A couple of years ago, when you were eighteen, you got a catering job from the Camerons for some big business event. It was the most you made in your lifetime, from all the tips and drunk Kooks who wanted to give back to the poor.

But, he never employed you again.

"Do you see where I'm going now?"

You do, but you hate the attitude he's giving you. Like you were a Pogue who couldn't string together simple facts. Like you should've known what he's talking about.

"I do, but why the fuck you acting like I would've known the whole thing with John B?" You snap, and this surprises him for a moment. Taking a breath to cool the anger in your chest, you calm. "This doesn't explain why it has to be me."

His next statement comes off more nice. "My dad wants someone like that. I doubt he would approve of anyone else, and plus, I don't have to worry about you wanting something more. You clearly despise me."

That isn't true, but you do understand where he's coming from.

"So, let me get this straight." You start. "I'm basically an arm candy for you to parade around in front of your father while the rest of the time, you are free to drink and fuck whoever you want."

"I'm glad that Pogue brain of yours is catching up."

You glare at him, but say nothing else. Picking up the dirty rag off the counter, where you were planning on using to clean, you turn back to Rafe, "as much as I would love to play house with you, I don't have time. Unlike you, I have bills to pay and a job to do."

You turn your back to him but he stops you.

"I'll pay you."

You scoff. "It's not that," you say, because truly, it isn't. A few short-term payments for a couple of missed shifts isn't going to help you in the long-run. You're trying to revive Sailor, to make it a place where it can stand on its own. What is a couple of bucks going to do for that? "I'm sorry, but I don't have the time for it. You're going to have to find someone else."

"I don't want someone else."

He looks at you desperate, as if you would give in, and for a moment, you might. Perhaps it's because you're so used to helping others, or because you were raised to cater to people—to people like him—that your stomach cower at the thought of saying no. But, you have to stand firm on this. You don't have time to go out and party, much less spend your free-time parading around in his arms as some sort of trophy.

You were serious.

"I'm sorry, I truly am."

Your voice is filled with sympathy, and it softens him for a moment. But, that quickly passes as Rafe Cameron has to recoil with the idea that he didn't get what he wanted. Probably for the first time in his life.

With an annoyed huff, he slams the cash for the drinks he's been nursing and leaves.

You thought it would be the end of it.

Not knowing, by the end of this week, you will be known as Rafe's girlfriend.

★ part two ★

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[stairain]

Masterlist

Bolded is NSFW.

✪ = Reader Favorite ✫ = Author Favorite

Bad idea. - You see your Professor talking to one of his co-workers, prompting insecurities about him belonging with someone his age.

Yes, Professor. - What follows after a jealous argument between Professor Spencer and his student.

Only you, darling. - You tell your professor you want a “real relationship”, it doesn’t bode well at all.

Beatdown. - Your professor can’t seem to get enough of your punishments. He was pushing your limits, and you intend to break him.

✫ I know your wife and she wouldn’t mind. - Even though he's married to someone else, Spencer can't resist taking care of you every time you show up on his doorstep.

✫ Swing and a Miss. - You meet a nerd at a bar, and you’re determined to claim him as yours.

✪ In the Pouring Rain. - You're driving home and there’s a storm incoming, but pulling over and never pulling out seems more than satisfactory. 

✪✫ Vegas Redemption.- You spot Spencer at a hotel lounge alone, you see has a ring on his finger, but that doesn't stop you.

Headlights Flashing - Spencer and you are rivaling street racers, and despite your deep rooted hatred for each other, with enough adrenaline, arousal, and pure aggression shooting through your veins, you find yourself at the mercy of your contender.

Come and Save me now. - Spencer is supposed to be your doctor, but making you feel better surely wasn’t out of the job description. 

✪✫ Daddy's Little Helper. - Spencer wants nothing more than to show his appreciation for you babysitting his daughter, but by giving you a baby of your own was not what you expected.

✪ Truth of a Lifetime. - After a long day at work, you want nothing more than to unwind with your best friend, but playing a game of drunk Truth or Dare was definitely not what you had in mind. 

✪✫ Captive to Crosswords. - Spencer’s got you tied to a chair, but he’s more interested in finishing his crossword puzzle than finishing you.

✪ Down by the Dock. - After telling Spencer how distant he's been, he's determined to prove just how close he can get with you.

Dare of a Lifetime. - Part 2 to “Truth of a Lifetime” where you show Spencer the kinds of things you’re into, and he is quite the hands-on learner.

✫ Make Hate to You. - Spencer’s convinced you like him a little more than you’re letting on, but you’re set on showing him just how wrong he is.

✪ Mommy's Boyfriend. - While dropping off your son at school, the last thing you expect is your ex-boyfriend Mr.Reid to be his teacher.

✪ Gun that doesn't shoot. - You've grown tired of the princess treatment from Spencer, just wishing he'd slap you around for once, so you don't stop until he does.

✪ Old Fashioned. - After a long night of waiting tables, a quiet man who can’t help but blush every time you speak to him is just what you need.

✪ Staying Up. - You're peacefully sleeping when Spencer comes home needy for you, but you're more than happy to let him use you.

✪✫ The Art of Film - Spencer's wears his FBI vest and bodycam while he fucks you. 

BBM Baby - Spencer wants nothing more than to leave work to be with you, so you sext him to torture him even further. 

The Chase. - Getting pulled over wasn't exactly your plan for a Friday night, but getting pulled over by a hot officer just might be.  

Wrong Move You're Dead - Spencer was never shy about his obsession for you, but you don't know just how far he'd go to prove you belong to him.

✪✫Jealous Girl. - Catching Spencer talking to another woman wasn’t exactly ideal, but thankfully you know just how to handle him. 

Impatience.- Your patience was hardly that of a saint, so it’s no surprise when Spencer’s forced to leave work to fuck you. 

✫ All Aboard. - When you meet a handsome stranger on the train home, he's adamant from the moment your gazes lock that he’ll get a taste of you.

Desk Pet. - Despite knowing the importance of work, Spencer still can't help but distract you in the worst way possible.

Begging for a Breaking. - You've never been that of a beggar for Spencer, but you’re not about to back down now.

✪ Friendly Competition. - Spencer gets a little too cocky and thinks he can please you better than a toy, so you take it upon yourself to crush his ego. 

✫ Brushstrokes - You weren’t entirely sure what being Spencer’s muse meant, but it certainly wasn’t what he had in mind.

Loosen Up - Parties have never been much of Spencer's scene, luckily you've got no problem helping him calm down.

Conditioned Response - You knew training someone like a dog wasn't the most ethical, but Spencer just makes it too easy to pass up.

Good Decoration - After misplacing a folder full of explicit images, the last thing you’d expect was Spencer to take it. 

Double-Edged Sword - The only way Spencer is allowed to fuck you is to wear a strap-on.

[arnaerr]

I hate the fact that my artistic self esteem is always tied to something else but not to my own views. Some venting bc I need to note it down and work on this. I try to share all aspects of my artistic journey, and this stuff is important too

When I had a nice job, I relied on it to feel confident about my artistic skills. Then I got laid off and it was a hard blow to take. Now I have to rely on social media more bc it became my main source of income AND my new source of artistic validation and I hate it bc it made me care about the numbers. And we all know how random the algorithms are everywhere. And I feel like in my case, the algos hate my works especially strongly bc I want it to be seen by more people, but it just doesn't work. Participating in an art contest was a bad idea bc I'm always struggling with creating artworks that will be popular aka attractive to wide audience. And I can't stop comparing myself to others which only makes my view of my own art even worse. On top of that, I get rejection emails everyday. Or don't get any and get ghosted. I'm overqualified for junior concept art positions, but not qualified enough for AAA+ SUPER DUPER PRO SENIOR positions + my portfolio isn't generic enough and I feel like the fact that I have an artstyle that is a bit different from hyper realistic gamedev stuff that is popular on Artstation is doing me more harm than good.

No conclusion here, I will keep focusing on my portfolio work and combine it with fandom artworks for fun, I just hope that at some point I will learn to believe in myself more and don't rely on external sources for validation 😔

I always feel self conscious talking about my artistic insecurities online bc people don't like seeing other people brooding and such but whatever. Creating is a struggle AND a pleasure and this conflict will never end and there's some beauty in it

[bridgertonopinions]

PR Anon - Part 2 (last post from me because i should really unplug and enjoy my vacation lol. I appreciate everyone being interested in my opinion, i do enjoy my job and human behavior. For context, I work in corporate PR, mainly male executives. I'll say this, regardless of industry, men are men. sometimes...) Here is my personal thoughts about LN. I think he's a good actor and handsome, none of what i'm about to say is to hate on him at all. I'm thinking of him in context as if he was my client/a male actor on a hit show. 1. LN was/is underprepared for what he needed to do to really take this opportunity to the next level for his personal career. Idk if it's because he expected things to just happen, didn't pay attention to his team or is just choosing to ignore advice; but he's fumbling the bag. I truly understand that he can be overwhelmed by it all, but you have a team you can lean on and utilize. He may be 31, but I think he lacks some maturity that's coming into play. 2. The Canada interview was at least the second time LN has mentioned that he's learning from NC because she's had previous success with Derry Girls. He needs to stop with that narrative because i have a feeling it's going to bite him in the butt. I think it's an immature way of thinking because LN was on a Disney Show (Disney training/media/etc for their actors is no joke) plus he was in a boy band. They may have not amounted to the same amount of hype/success as Derry Girls, but it's nothing to scoff at and he should be building upon those things as well. This feels like he's using it as an excuse for the way he's handling things.... 3. Social media is critical to the success of actors these days. The industry wants a ROI on their investments. So much of the $$ actors make these days will come from brand sponsorships/marketing and right now, his social media scoring is not great for someone on a highly promoted show compared to NC. (yes, marketers will compare bc as of right now, they are tied together) 4. Idk what type of actor he's looking to be (artistic vs commercial) but either way, he's going to struggle if he doesn't make some changes IMO. If he wants to do artsy films that get critical acclaim, they don't pay well and he'll need to supplement income via brand sponsorships etc. Hence the issue with #2. If he wants to do commercial things, he'll need to get onboard with media training for studios to consider him. I said it in a previous post, the marketing money into season is insane, it's being noticed by the industry. 5. Lastly, I think he's in a real pickle at the moment. NC is very beloved; she's getting critical, commercial and public love. If he does launch his relationship with A (who knows, don't care) the internet is not forgiving and the same shitstorm from last week will come up over and over again. If he says nothing, then he needs to be aware of how he's perceived by the general public in all the upcoming promo. He was a bit standoffish (IMO!) on the Canada show (crossed arms, distance between themselves, deflection in answers). People have noticed and there is chatter already about it online. He needs to warm it up to smooth out the "landing" of this promo season. I really do wish LN success and want to see him really grow into his own. I wish both NC and LN a ton of success in the near future. If anything, this has been a really interesting case study for those of us in the PR industry and maybe for those of you who are interested in how the PR industry thinks of things. It's not an easy job, lots of consider with human behavior and free will of your client.

I’m not sure I am buying into this but thank you for sharing!

[bihanzo-advocate]

Ughhh I'm so fucking sluggish and down nowadays but BiHanzo's one of my hyperfixations that keep me going. Kinda pathetic I know, but I don't really care anymore.

Anyway, I got a lot of messy ideas/prompts/headcanons for fics of these two which I WISH I could make my own but I don't have the writing skills to execute it. Mainly focused on MK9 BiHanzo and I kinda made up my own AUs where they aren't grandmasters of their clans yet, the other where they just turned into grandmasters but have a secret affair while their clans are still enemies, then the other one where one misunderstanding leads to another and BAM these are just one BIG mess. Incoming messy ramblings and thoughts of them.

Some NSFW stuff:

Hanzo sneaking into Lin Kuei quarters late at night to meet his esteemed rival and secret fuck buddy in his bedroom. Bi-Han is surprised at how bold he is and tries to reason with Hanzo that they shouldn't because they're at risk of getting caught. Hanzo is too horny to care and just makes Bi-Han control and muffle his voice as much as he can. It gets very hot and heated. Hanzo putting his hand over Bi-Han's mouth while pressing his body down on him. Wherever Bi-Han held on for support, ice started to form on the surface showing how much he was trying to control himself. The room gets steamy from how rough and crazed their sex is.

I'd love to read about Bi-Han being tied up in Hanzo's chains and getting fucked senseless or getting pounded against a tree in the woods. They got the whole tree shaking for sure, leaves falling, branches tweaking- Yeah, I'll stop there.

Modern AU, Hanzo seeing a drunk and weak Bi-Han for the first time at a late night bar and he just gets his mind blown away from the sight. He gets a whole new perspective of Bi-Han and wants to know more about him. It seemed that Hanzo had way more tolerance and discipline than Bi-Han when it came to alcohol. The poor cold bastard was way too drunk to see or care that he's basically opening up to his sworn enemy and rival. Hanzo tries to stifle his laugh but shuts up very soon once he realizes it must have taken a lot for Bi-Han to get to this point where he starts dumping about all he has been through. I CAN ADD A LOT MORE TO THIS BUT I'LL SAVE IT FOR ANOTHER POST AND ANOTHER TIME. They don't fuck until they come to a conclusion about their relationship.

The hate sex is strong but it's also extremely satisfying for the two of them. I'm really into Bi-Han being a bottom here lol... after all he is SUB-Zero. Him being a dominant sub works too.

Pining/fluff/some angst:

Them always bumping into each other while on missions, tournaments, etc. They hated each other at first but slowly become fond of one another as time passes. Instead of fighting, they start conversing and notice that they are somehow similar, beginning to respect the other more...

Hanzo makes the first moves (holding hands, small touches, hugging, showing affecfion) and he doesn't mind doing it until Bi-Han is comfortable.

Bi-Han longing to be closer to Hanzo but he tries to suppress his feelings as much as he can, he then projects his "anger" and "hatred" for Hanzo so that he can hide the truth. He doesn't have internalized homophobia, it's just his circumstances that make it forbidden for him to have personal ties and fall for the enemy. His loyalty to his clan and the desire of his heart are constantly at battle. It slowly begins to rip him apart. He does a good job hiding what he really feels because Hanzo can't see through this facade. The cryomancer became all bark but no bite because he didn't want to hurt his secret love anymore. Bi-Han finally confesses his love before almost getting killed by Hanzo because he'd been tormented enough. He only wished to die by his love's hand at that point. But Hanzo is taken aback and shaken by the whole thing... then it goes on from there.

These two make me sick sometimes. I just need more gritty stuff between them. But that's it for now, will add more when I get ideas.

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Amanda Waller

Amanda Waller isn't a much-discussed character on Tumblr, but her reputation in the fandom isn't where it should be, and it's been somewhat worse after the Suicide Squad movies and Peacemaker. You need to read Yale/Ostrander's Suicide Squad to understand her character. Waller is also decent in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. So many people just know her through cruddy two-dimensional portrayals! They want her to be a "Karen", they want her to be a shrill uppity bitch who gets put down into her place. She is an asshole, and a bit of a ruthless monster—her superiors and her agents are all much much worse. She lives in a world overflowing with serial killers and supernatural beings that can destroy major cities in 5 minutes. She was an impoverished Black mother with no college degree, and in middle age she clawed her way up through education and bureaucracy after her children were SA'd and murdered. She has done horrible terrible things, she dehumanizes and extorts and power-trips and tortures and kills. And yet at times she's been the only one standing in the way of war and destruction of colonized countries. She is stubbon and proud, and capable of shame.

John

This fella is Fascinating. just trust me on this he deserves to be here

He tried so hard to do the right thing, he feels bad and says things would be better if he was never born. He thinks he should've just stayed acting like a monster and continued to act threatening.

(LONG PROPAGANDA INCOMING)

John. Milgram. Here's a short description of the fortunes and misfortunes of the guy. It gets worse before it gets better (probably).

While MILGRAM is a prison that judges a bunch of sympathetic killers, it doesn't consider him to be one – it didn't even exactly know he existed until too little too late, when it got its grabby hands on the brain of prisoner 009, who claimed to not know anything about any murder he'd have committed. Then, footage from his brain was extracted, as MILGRAM does, into a music video, and… that was MeMe. Ninth prisoner, Kayano Mikoto, was revealed to have DID, and what obviously who do you think actually Killed Someone?

Enter John. Well. Mikoto is half deeply unaware half subconsciously scared of his existence, so the MV painted him in a rather. Deeply disturbing way, bathing in bloody baths and all that (not a blood bath though! easy mistake). Adding to that him showing up in the first Voice Drama for five seconds to punch the "protagonist" and yell for a bit, and the result wasn't. Assuring. The fandom proceeded to treat him like a cardboard cutout and variously dunk on MILGRAM for having a cliché "evil" character w/ DID despite the overall well handling of complex characters.

Two years time skip: second season ending. We get to prisoner 009 again. The protagonist Finally gets to chat with John: and voila, he's admitting to the crime, he's apparently "killed a bunch of people because they annoyed him", which means, as he's saying, Mikoto has nothing to do with the crime at all! And he, as per the judging system, should be forgiven, right! Well, he's so full of shit. The music video immediately reveals how protective he feels of Mikoto (and well, he definitely doesn't rebuke That one), that the events of murder were somehow tied in to Mikoto's job at a black company, his continuous overworking and him being mentally on the brink of breaking; that any committed violence was For The Sake of Mikoto and that John feels deeply horrible for messing up his life in any way. By making himself into the image of a "monster" he's trying to make Mikoto look good in comparison and be forgiven and all. He also mentioned if Mikoto is voted innocent he's gonna try to go dormant since he's The Issue, right, and the audience/protagonist hates him, Right, and Mikoto Also Hates him, Right?

I'm underselling the sheer devotion of this guy tbh.

Yeah, the fandom results were kinda mixed on that one. Lots of people immediately started to love him dearly and kinda forgot any people were maimed or killed with baseball bats; lots also got sold on him "messing up Mikoto's life" and actually voted Mikoto innocent Specifically because of John's promise to eventually "disappear". There's more of the babygirlifying kind in the English side of the fandom that I've seen, to be fair. And that's around where we are!

[end-of-update-blog]

Thank you for your encouraging messages, anon. In Apex, where I currently draw a lot of fan art, there are ships that haven't become completely canon, but are clearly favored by the game developers, and when they sometimes come into view unexpectedly, it makes me feel very upset. I hope there are people who like the fanon art I draw.

And from here on, I'll once again be writing about my recent daily grievances on this blog, which I thought had stopped updating. If you don't want to read them, please ignore the following paragraphs (I'm feeling very lonely in my new place, where I've abandoned my old handle name, so please forgive me for wanting to vent my frustrations in such a visible place)

My sister, who was the direct cause of me abandoning my old handle, seems to have developed some kind of facial abnormality, and has turned down the job she was offered and is staying at home all this time. And, as hard as it may be to believe, she spends her time lazing around, dubbing the fish she keeps in a very harsh, high-pitched falsetto, and singing alone. Even when I ask my family if they can do something about my sister, they just brush it off by saying, "She has a disease that's causing her face to look strange." From my perspective, I can't understand why my sister, who doesn't work, devours sweets and juices that aren't included in the meals provided, and lives a life that reverses her day and night cycle, can't work. From my perspective, as someone who goes to work every day in the hot sun and works hard, my sister just seems to be relying on the family's savings. It really makes me sick to think that some of the money I've earned is being used to support my sister's lifestyle...

Although my work at the office is worthwhile, I often receive requests to do work that is outsourced, and my salary is not commensurate with my salary. My colleagues jokingly tell me that I should receive outsourcing fees, but if I actually asked for that amount, I would probably be fired.

Even though I draw pictures as an outlet for my frustrations at work, I don't have the skills to do so, and so my work doesn't get as many views as it used to (although maybe it just feels that way because I hate my sister so much). The work is hard, my hobbies aren't rewarding, and when I get home, the source of my stress is there. I have no way to release my stress!

Furthermore, my sister previously hid the fact that she was overweight online, which meant that she was unable to meet people even when they arranged to meet up offline, and as a result, people she had made plans to meet in the future got angry and cut ties with her, and now it seems she is repeating the same thing. It breaks my heart to think that more people will be hurt because of my sister.

I think the only way for me to escape this situation is to leave my parents' home and force myself to change my environment. First, I'm planning a reckless plan, but Nintendo has been recruiting for career graphic designers since December last year, so I'm going to apply there, even if it seems like a long shot. I'm also thinking of applying to other companies. I'm no longer at an age where I can be considered young, and I have no intention of getting married in the future, so I need to become independent in order to make a living with my skills. In that sense, I'm relying too much on my family, so I'm telling myself that I need to work harder.

And I think I need to get better at drawing. Of course I need a main job as a source of income, but if I can get some work from my drawing to a certain extent, nothing would make me happier. A long time ago, when I was drawing pictures of Wander Over Yonder, I had no intention of becoming famous, I was just expressing what I wanted to express. I want to get back to that feeling and work hard on art production...

[findmeinthefallair]

Imagine leaving the country + culture you've tried to integrate into (as someone queer and neurodivergent) for three decades, for a short vacation. And feeling the last few paper-thin roots you tried to plant in said culture, crumble to dust during the vacation.

When you come back from the vacation, your fears are confirmed. You don't feel part of the culture anymore. Whatever ties you had with it have slipped away for good.

You peer through a thick transluscent glass wall, watching how people around you have planted roots and been on their way in their relationships and study/work in their own cultures. Pushing as hard as you can against said glass wall, to attempt connecting with the world and people, is hardly paying off. Most people here don't even think about the queer community or neurodiversity as things that exist. Including the hiring managers for regular-paying jobs who rejected you after the interviews you've been to.

And the person you live with is doing just fine in said culture, having gaming calls multiple times a week with two different gaming friend groups. The sound of them having fun makes the loneliness so much worse, so much more unbearable.

Any friends you have here locally aren't the type to want to meet regularly at all, or have long phone calls with. They engrossed in their jobs or relationships. People at the meetup groups you've tried attending aren't that sort either. You're so tired from trying so so many times. Those days have been lost, since you took the risk to leave church in 2020. You deeply regret dedicating so much time to church, and somehow not being bold enough to get out there in your 20s.

You start to write a suicide note, but the only things you've put in there so far are just the passwords for your laptop, phone and important apps/accounts. You take it as far as that for now, in case. It brings you a bit of peace that nothing else has so far.

You start peering outside at the balcony of your 23rd storey apartment, a few times per day, thinking how this could all go away if you're brave enough for half a minute if you put your mind to jumping. Worst are the distressing images you start having in your mind of carrying out the suicide plans that have formed. You have earned extremely little income, so little that a bank employee the other week had to do a double take and ask you to confirm a second time, when viewing your last annual income total. You have failed to launch your career twice, are not attractive to anyone here, and aren't the first person anyone would love to intimately text to share about what happened during their day. You've had to delete Google Maps from your phone as a safety measure because you've started looking up places where people such as hikers have died, tempted to make one last drive to such locations.

When you've called crisis helplines, the good ones are so occupied that your call is rejected, and with the remaining ones, the volunteer keeps asking you to repeat yourself because the language barrier is evident enough.

You, as a trained therapist yourself, start to be therapy-resistant (because all you need, really, is regular enough companionship in person or over a voice call) and it terrifies and confuses you. But you're a trained therapist who succumbed to neurodivergent burnout and immense minority stress in a culture that doesn't safeguard or vouch for the queer and the neurodivergent. Your licence to practice as a therapist expires, and you don't renew it.

Staying in existence saps away at the energy of every insanity-ridden fiber of your body: in order to be brave. The system and norms and your brain all scream out how much of a failure you are. You spend most of each day napping or sleeping.

You feel so much frustration because your family has actually lived in Western cultures, but moved back here because of financial instability combined with pressure from extended family. You have arrived at this nowhere place because they raised you with a blend of West and East that has led to you being neither-here-nor-there in terms of cultural identity.

Someone offers to fund you to do an MBA course in Australia, the chance to begin a new life in early 2025. The money left from the critical illness fund from last year's cancer hospitalization and surgeries..isn't enough for both the MBA's tuition fees AND accommodation while there. But you'd rather die than take someone else's money to start anew. You're ashamed of yourself. It might be your brain lying to you, but you're terrified to start over like that because maybe you'll feel EVEN more behind that you already do. Your hopes of getting away from family and the old life in order to be self-sustaining...has absolutely not worked out by age 31, it's a massive dream that has fallen through terribly.

How you'd love to just leave everything behind because at least I can have control over that. Instead of not knowing how each passing and excruciating coming decade is gonna pan out. You know how much of a killer loneliness is.

That's been me since mid-ish June. I don't know how the same person who holds enough apparent light to create cool stuff in fandom, also holds a darkness so tremendous that it keeps threatening to kill me.

But...I'd like to keep trying. Even it's as if someone has taken an axe to my skull and soul and split them in half.

Idk if the worst of it is over, I've slept for around 12 hours in the past three days. Idk if that was my brain and body caving in to process an immeasurable mountain of grief.

But I'd like to keep trying since a friend gifted me a game on Steam, others have sent me asks to remind me what I innately have (even if a hiring manager or potential date doesn't see that in me), I called another friend who started to cry on call coz she's worried I might die, and also..there's still a summer in the UK and fall in the US to experience..and I still think of the stuff I technically *could* make for the fandom..I know I have people rooting for me, idk, maybe it can be enough to shoulder this horrendous burden of existing as me.

[transhawks]

I have brainrot in the middle of the night, what name do you think Hawks has on his citizenship? I re-read chapter 299 and Tomie's home named by Ukai, which I assume her maiden name, but Dabi still called Hawks Takami Keigo. Hawks also said that by erasing Takami name he severed his bond with his mother, meaning that he didn't follow her mother's surname. The thing is, I don't think Thief Takami in hiding would register his unwanted son with Takami name, so before Thief was captured highly possible that Hawks is an unregistered kid, especially since he was forbidden to go outside at all. He could go by false name, but that doesn't explain why he didn't just use his false name on public and why Dabi can track Tomie. And since he never went to school before HPSC unlike Lady Nagant, he was never in situation where he needed to put his name on non-HPSC record. At this point, I even assumed that Hawks didn't have citizenship, just HPSC's hero license, and Dabi tracked Tomie by looking at where Hawks' money income went to. Which is suck because if that's the case legally he can't apply for any other job except hero, so if post-canon he was fired/retired from being a hero, it will be difficult for him to get a job without citizenship and school certificates.

(Am I overthinking things? This brain cannot stop the Hawks angst train)

So, let's talk about registries. Japanese citizenship is complex because it runs on the koseki system. Meaning Japanese people have to register births themselves in the personal family register and then notify the government of changes.

Usually translated as household or family register, it constitutes the most important document for Japanese citizens. It is the only proof of Japanese nationality and the basis for all other forms of documentation in Japan. Contrary to most other countries, the fundamental unit of the register is the family, rather than the individual. It serves as proof of kinship ties: marriages, divorces, births, adoptions are all registered on the koseki. 

There's one thing - we don't know if Ukai is her maiden name. It might be a fake name, actually, even if she kept Tomie. This will have a lot of complications, we can talk about that later.

I agree that Hawks was probably not a registered kid until the HPSC found him. Let's see what that means:

Those who through no fault of their own find themselves with no koseki registration are in essence denied their rights as Japanese citizens.  Koseki registration is limited to Japanese citizens. (Marriages to non-Japanese spouses are recorded as marginal notations but not officially registered.) This means that anyone with such a registration can easily prove that he or she is of Japanese parentage and therefore entitled to all the rights of a Japanese citizen.  Koseki registration is not, strictly speaking, a requirement for citizenship; anyone born in Japan to either a Japanese mother or a Japanese father may claim Japanese nationality. That said, establishing proof of parentage can be exceedingly difficult if one is not registered on a parent’s koseki.

The upshot is that in Japan, without proof of koseki registration (either an official copy of the document or an official extract)—one cannot obtain a passport so as to travel abroad, be legally married, or claim one’s legal rights as an heir. In essence, one is deprived of one’s rights as a citizen.

The unit of registration in this system is not the individual but the nuclear family, with each family registered under a single surname. Under Japanese law, the husband and wife must take the same surname, and in 96% of cases, they take the husband’s. Thus, in actual practice, the koseki is the husband’s, with the wife and children added on as household members.

So right off the bat there's several issues. One, if he wasn't registered, he essentially has no passport. Either they registered him with the Takami koseki or faked it OR hero licenses are now a fundamental replacement for a passport (interesting to think about). It also uhh might speak to how much control they have over him. Two, Tomie and Keigo would have been under Thief's koseki and registered with him as a family unit if registered at all. Unlikely, dude was on the run. What I think might have actually happened is the HPSC did register Keigo with his father's koseki, because I think it might have made it easier to deal with legalities, but then classified it and made sure no one can really look up the Takami family register. Tomie was likely kept off it and has no legal link to Keigo or Thief. Essentially the "protection" from Thief's legacy was given to Tomie first and foremost but required her cutting off all links to her son too. Something to understand that women are essentially are in their parents' registry unless they get married - then they are in their husband's registery. And then the Koseki itself can only list two current generations. So it can only list a nuclear family of a father mother and their children. If Ukai is her family name, her actual name, then she's likely on her parent's koseki. Even if they are deceased.

Two, until recently, illegitimacy was listed on koseki. No, really, and I think it's still registered on the birth notice itself. And it gives a lot of stigma. Did you know there's no joint custody in Japan? That's important - it's seen as all or nothing, and the non custodial parent is discouraged from interacting with the kid and the mother? Why? Because (in the presumption it's the mother who got custody which it usually is) a divorced father in the life of a mother and kid discourages the mother to find a new spouse. No, really, the system and courts have that in mind. Okay, let's go back to Tomie. The HPSC are promising her a new start, disconnected from Takami thief? You know what would show up in her koseki if she had Keigo on it? The fact she had a kid out of wedlock. That would follow both of them forever since she didn't have a husband listed.

That's not a fresh start. She got to walk off, essentially. Then, with Thief likely in prison for decades if not life, the HSPC just registered Keigo in his koseki, likely putting some placeholder for his mom, and then laws for koseki would make it hard for just anyone to access the Takami one. In this way, they managed to get around the issues of him being Mukosekisha (Unregistered) which would fuck up his citizenship rights.

That's what I think happened. However if he doesn't have citizenship and the hero license functions as a passport that let him leave Japan, yeah he's fucked. It's the one job he can do because the HPSC just did his paperwork. He can't get state aid (Mukosekisha can't get welfare), his employment is limited...

Interesting how bureaucracy can genuinely turn a person's life into a nightmare.

[ashleywool]

but getting older means more awkward situations

Turned 37 yesterday. The 34 guilty convictions were a very nice present. Probably the best present I've ever received, including last year, when my present was a literal Broadway contract (ok, technically we found out on June 22, but tomato/tomahto).

A less nice present was the letter from my building management informing me that if I renew my lease (which I won't), my rent will be raised to what would have been 33% of my net income if HTDIO was still running. It was about 29% before, which is still a lot, but worth it for the ability to have no roommates in a decent apartment.

And when I say "decent," I mean decent in that it checks most of the basic boxes amenable to a reasonable quality of life. That is, if you don't mind having a walkup with a perpetually dysfunctional kitchen ceiling light, a radiator that you can't turn on, water damage on the ceiling due to other people's radiator dysfunction, construction outside your window during the day, aggressively loud pedicabs in the evening, and squeaky garbage trucks at 1am. So basically, a decent quality of life for heavy sleepers (which I am not) with fully functional body temperature regulation (again, not me) and no mobility issues whatsoever (I do check that box, at least for now).

The plus sides are: it's right in Hell's Kitchen, and within walking distance to most of the places I regularly go, it's a reasonably sturdy and non-fire-hazardy building for its age (which means I feel comfortable leaving my cats there) with functional plumbing and electricity (except the kitchen ceiling light), never had a pest problem, the refrigerator and microwave are brand new and excellent quality, the oven is younger than me, although it's small, and only one of the burners doesn't work.

I'm no stranger to the horror stories of NYC apartment living. I know I'm still more privileged than most to live in a place that's decent.

But it's not "you need a six-figure income and perfect credit just to APPLY to live here" decent.

It's not "you owe $9K in deposits and broker fees before you even move in" decent.

It's not "you must have either consistent exorbitant wealth or significant supplementary generational wealth in order to stay here" decent.

"So just get a job. Just get a roommate. Just put up with more problems. Suck it up. Or move back in with one of your parents again."

Sure. Okay. I'd love to. But.

When the minimum wage is $16 an hour, this isn't a "just get a job" problem.

When you're a highly trained professional at the highest level of your field and you're unemployed because corporate landlords were mad that your show wasn't selling $800 tickets in the middle of January like your neighbors at Merrily, this isn't a "just leave the industry" problem.

When finding a new career that would pay anything near what you need to live in this city would require taking out a small fortune in student loans to get another degree just to qualify for entry-level jobs that still won't pay your bills until you significantly advance, this isn't a "you majored in theatre, what did you expect" problem.

When you're autistic and chronically fatigued, fastidious about cleanliness and clutter, and religiously adhere to schedules and routines and predictability in your own space, this isn't a "just get a roommate" problem.

When you are a more-famous-than-average individual whose autism is directly tied to the things you're best known for, and Reddit is full of nightmare stories about what it means to have an autistic roommate, and Reddit is also rife with lies and rumors about you specifically, this isn't a "just get a roommate" problem.

And while I love my parents and have great relationships with both of them and they are doing everything they can to support me...for complicated logistical and personal reasons that are none of the Internet's business, "just move back in with your parents" is not a super helpful solution either.

But if I don't find a miracle between now and the end of August, that's probably what I'll end up doing.

And the crazy thing is, the fact that that's even an option for me STILL makes me more privileged than MOST people.

Nobody should have to face the situation I'm facing, and yet millions of people--especially disabled people--face this and worse, with far less support than I have. A cornerstone of my advocacy has been pointing out this inequity as often as I can, and trying to use my privilege and platform to help and amplify people who don't have those resources.

At this point in my career, I am supposed to be throwing down the ladder. Instead, and in spite of everything, I'm clinging to the ladder for dear life while the rungs crack beneath my feet.

And it all comes down to the landlords.

Legislation that limits the acquisition power and earning power of property owners, and enacts strict rent caps for residential AND business buildings, would solve 98% of my problems and approximately 75% of everyone else's problems in this city. (Please don't quote me on these statistics, they are sourced directly from my ass and are for idealistic illustrative purposes only.)

Anyway. Um.

34 felony convictions is still a beautiful thing.

[castlebyersafterdark]

something ive not seen discussed is the class difference between mike and will and how this could manifest in sexual aspects. class fetishisation/kink is such a big thing in the gay scene in general, and im curious if this could manifest for mike and will, even as relates to emotion and love, to their self esteem, idea of whether they could ever have a life together. maybe something will come back with lonnie and will in s5 - calling him names, saying he'll never amount to anything and just be lonely, etc - and maybe for mike, its all the expectation, but ive not seen anyone discuss the specifics of whether they could be attracted to class aspects physically and emotionally. for example, will is 'from the wrong side of the tracks' but is a sweetie instead of a bad boy. and mike is kinda loudmouth instead of polite upper middle class. theyre a great subversion of tropes.

maybe the dnd analogy does this metaphorically - a knight/paladin is surely more privileged than a wizard, who lives in a little shack in the woods?

Ooooh a really good topic! I definitely think that class and home life and income levels will play a factor in their lives in some big ways. While I don't think there's a doubt that Mike and Will truly see each others as equals and peers - they've known each other since they were five, they're fixtures, they're best friends - there can be some roadblocks, for sure. I don't think Mike would ever judge Will for being poor. He looks out for him, takes care of him, doesn't make him feel bad if he's lacking some aspect because of his home life financial situation. But, maybe he takes things for granted.

If you HC them going to college together like I do, this is where conflict and apparent differences arise. Maybe Mike's parents are paying for school while Will's gotta work harder, get a job, take loans, keep his grades consistent to maintain a scholarship. Could cause strain at times due to stress. It's not a clear path for Will. Maybe as time goes on Mike wants to take care of Will, pays for a lot of things, can be thrilling for Mike to dote on Will and spoil him but sometimes it does make Will feel bad or embarrassed that he can't do the same, or that he needs it, can't take care of himself or anyone else. Conflict, born from love but different actions have contrasting meanings.

But then there's the self esteem issue with their relationship as they stay together. The difference in Will coming from modest means but he has a support group. He's out to his immediate family. Mike is well off and doesn't worry about money as much as a young man, but he keeps them secret for a long long time. He's afraid of losing the support. The money. His family in his life in case image and their "traditional values" are challenged.

The subverted tropes are interesting, because that kinda does fit what they've got going on. Unsure if it ties into attraction because of that difference, since like I said, the familiarity would be there from childhood so they've cemented "real" views of each other quite young.

And interesting with the dnd/Clearadin angle. Often I refer to Will as a prince in his fantasy daydreams, but it would make more sense to portray him realistically as a more earthly mystic, a wizard getting by on the outskirts, not in the castle. Mike would be in some lofty position, loyalty to to some royalty - but there's a juicy little scandal or secret in pledging his true oath to a magic user or technically a commoner. Ooooh the possibilities.

[wheelercore]

I need people. To like. Understand that conformity also came for men in the 20th century because the reason why the wheeler family is so broken is because ted most likely only courted karen, asked her to marry him, and started a family due to career/family pressure.

Like "be a much older man with money and marry a hot younger woman" was not the ideal back then. Men were always a few years older than women on average (eg in the 60s the median age of marriage for women was ~20 and for men ~23 off the top of my head), but it was never a decades difference. Men were expected to marry fairly young once they had a stable job, hence why many poor women married men for income.

Men who weren't married or haven't started a family by 30 were considered immature (hence Mike's grow up and get a girlfriend attitude in S3), less reliable, and maybe even queer. The New York Times even wrote in the late 80s about how men were pressured to get married by, you guess it, 30 for career reasons. They were discriminated against for hiring and promotions by their older married male superiors. And the pressure to get married from your parents/family is also a huge factor.

There's a reason Nancy said "[Ted] was older, came from a good family, and had a good job".

Those are the 3 main factors in which men were pressured to get married then: their age, their job, and their family.

Ted is simply perpetuating on the Mike what was perpetuated onto him often times. Which is fucked up regardless, but consider there's a reason why he isn't a Lonnie or a Neil? This fandom wants him to be one to whump Mike, but the show simply doesn't treat him like one. Jonathan and Will don't get paralleled to their father as much as Mike does, if at all.

It's intrinsically tied to why Mike's sexuality was symbolised pre s4 (esp in S3) using a teddy bear (which was often used in association with will), which is a toy- a symbol of childishness. And how men back then who didn't show attraction towards women, didn't want to get married, were seemingly uninterested, were seen as childish and immature. Why Ted in S3, also had a teddy bear in his hand at the fair when he's out with Karen and Holly. Like, consider why?

[radellama]

Tagged by @future-dregs to answer a few questions, thank you!!

~~~

Do you make your bed?

Making sure sheets are on and the pillows and doona are in their covers? Almost always. Neatly putting the doona over the bed so it looks pretty? Rarely, the cats just undo it anyway lol. I usually leave it open for the perfect closing as soon as I get in haha, plus I think it's good to have the sheets in the sun sometimes

What's your favourite number?

9

What is your job?

Unemployed but looking for work......

If you could go back to school, would you?

Highschool or anything below? FUCK NO. Tertiary education? I'm considering it, I do enjoy learning, I just don't like the inherent stress of my grades/performance being tied to my income/living situation. I'd just like to learn without the extra stress that doesn't need to be there, and it's nice having the guidance from someone who knows what they're doing instead of self teaching sometimes...

Can you parallel park?

Can't drive at all lol

A job you had that would surprise people?

I feel like no one should be surprised I've been an assistant editor and done freelance video editing and illustration. Maybe the surprising one is when I was a student mentor for my uni?

Do you think aliens are real?

Yes, but I don't know if they'd be recognisable to us at first. Maybe we've already noticed them but don't know it cause we have a different understanding/classification of life. I refuse to believe we're the only life out there, but maybe we're in a quiet part of the galaxy and haven't explored far enough yet haha

Can you drive a manual car?

No... No licence can't drive

What's your guilty pleasure?

Idk. I don't really feel guilty about that stuff. Maybe a handful of games or movies or whatever that are objectively crap but I like them..?

Tattoos?

None... Yet. Maybe I'll get some, idk

Favourite colour?

Black, purple or red. Reds a new one, but I've always loved black and purple

Favourite type of music?

Acid jazz/jazz fusion. I also like acoustic folk and funk and alt rock a lot... I just really like music there's a broad spectrum of things I like

Do you like puzzles?

Yeah I like jigsaws just fine. Don't really have the room to do them and I can't leave them out with the cats lol. Puzzle games tho, usually I like them!!

Any phobias?

Idk. Spiders and heights, but they seem reasonable lol

Favourite childhood sport?

Hate sport lol

Do you talk to yourself?

Kinda, more when I'm planning stuff or trying to work through a lot of things. I talk more to my cats lol

What movies do you adore?

Gattaca, Napoleon Dynamite, Daddy Day Care, Singin in the Rain, Terminator 1&2

Coffee or Tea?

Neither, hot choc

First thing you wanted to be when you grew up?

I think it was author or archeologist haha

~~~

Tagging @chemicalbrew @woogly-boogly @darksideofthemamon @kanonavi @fanimefreak and anyone else who wants to, no pressure ofc!

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hello ! First of all, thank you for your work, your blog has been very helpful! I was wondering if it's bad if one of my MC doesn't believe in the same lie as my others MC? I've been trying to stick to the same for the longest time that I work on theirs arcs, but it always seems forced. Maybe the lie he believe can be similar, i don't know...

Character Development: The Lie They Believe

In most stories, the protagonist changes in some way by the end of the story. How much they change, and how that change ties into the bigger story, depends on the type of story it is.

In stories with multiple main characters with a relatively equal role in driving the story forward (Six of Crows, The Raven Boys, Station Eleven, or A Game of Thrones for example) all of these characters will have their own change arc, especially if the story is at least partly character-driven. Change arcs begin with something lacking within the character's self. That thing that is lacking stems from some past event that created an internal wound, and that wound is almost always the result of a misconception--the lie your character believes.

For example, let's say your character is a renowned smuggler whose been tasked with taking a valuable treasure on a harrowing journey to its new home. Their internal conflict is that they want the job because of the income and bragging rights, but they're harboring self-doubt that they're the best person for the job. What happened in their past to give them this self-doubt? What is the wound? Well, perhaps they failed to successfully complete a similar mission years ago. So, why does failing one similar mission (when they've completed several others without issue) enough to undermine their self-confidence? It's because of the lie they believe... Maybe the lie they believe is that good smugglers never fail. Or maybe the lie they believe is that they were somehow responsible for the failure when they weren't. Either way, it's because of this misconception that they feel the way they do.

So, "the lie they believe" is not something that's usually shared by all the characters with change arcs. It can be if it makes sense for the story, but typically that wouldn't be the case. Instead, for each of your characters, you need to look at their individual internal conflict, figure out the wound that caused it, and figure out the lie they believe that led to this wound.

I hope that helps!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[near-seth-experience]

Personal vents, dont mind me. I'm really going through it, and tbh I just need to lay everything out on the table. I think it kinda helps me process/ look at the full picture.

Lately, I've been feeling like the people I call my friends don't really give a shit about me. Every time I try to vent in one of our discords, I feel like I get brushed off (kind of like that, "Oh no! Anyway..." meme, tbh), and it's been ongoing for a long time, so I've stopped bothering unless something really gets to me. Recently though I've made it known that I'm struggling pretty badly, ive gone radio-silent and have been isolating, and next to no effort has been made to check on me over the course of the past 2 weeks. The closest thing I have gotten in acknowledgment was a gif or two sent in consolation.

On top of that. Only one person remembered my birthday and sent a message (kind of a bummer considering I keep track of all of theirs and have given gifts to them all over the past two years). The amounts of times I check on them and support them is severely disproportionate to their reciprocation, and I'm really beginning to feel like I'd be better off alone.

a friend-of-a-friend who makes me uncomfortable for multiple reasons was brought into a shared space and now it feels I'm being replaced by them.

I've been unemployed for over a year,

I haven't been on antidepressants or my arthritis medication in over a year,

I can't get a full night's sleep, I struggle to stand up/sit down, and it's even been a challenge lately to pull off a shirt or step my second leg into a pair of pants. My mobility is the worst it's ever been.

My psoriasis is completely out of control, both in terms of surface area and levels of inflammation. I'm constantly scratching my patches and breaking skin, making myself bleed. Seriously, it's this bad:

a collections agency is apparently on my ass now trying to get $4k out of me because last year my specialty pharmacy apparently didn't get paid properly for my arthritis medication through their copay assistance program.

I interviewed for a job on 5/1, was told they'd keep me updated two weeks later, and it's been a month since that, so I'm anxious that this job ghosted me, which really sucks because it's something that I could have done confidently and now I feel hopeless since there doesn't really seem like there's anything in my area that I am physically able to do. (I need an office job with next to no experience required, preferably not customer/public-facing)

My left foot has been swollen since March and my rheumatologist has been hoping that getting me back on the arthritis medication would resolve the issue, but the state's shitty Medicaid isn't wanting to cover it, and the medication manufacturer's support program wants to know info about my family's income to determine my eligibility (but I'm 30... they don't need my family's pay-stubs. Fuck that) so I gotta put my foot down and tell my doc that I'm at my wits end and he just needs to try getting me a different medication because at this rate I'm not gonna get any relief til 2025 at the earliest.

I'm stuck living with Trumpy parents who go to a culty church, and I feel as though I can't speak my mind or refuse their expectations while I'm freeloading under their roof and eating their food.

I made a happy pride tweet earlier in the month that talked about how and why I identify certain ways on a Twitter that's under one of my other anonymous handles away from family, and my sister stalked me, found it, and told me as much. (She's the least bigoted which is a silver lining but I don't share those personal details to family for a reason, so it felt like a huge breach or privacy, and i havent tweeted in two weeks because i dont know if i should block her, change the @, or remake the twitter all together. But it's tied to other stuff... so it's as if it's just... contaminated, i guess?)

I turned 30 and I'm still in the "years without relationship = years alive" crowd so this year's birthday was just another big wave of loneliness and feeling pathetic.