#but like. that's a rant for another day. and i don't think ~capitalism~ as a whole is the worst thing here.

[thewingedwolf]

i don’t engage with iwtv fandom at all bc i know there’s a large contingent of people who didn’t like the way claudia was adapted and i enjoyed her and found her so well written that if i see someone implying she’s not deep simply bc she has no time for lestat (…which is book canon anyway) i will have an angry meltdown on par with my ouat days and that’s not healthy.

anyway claudia and claudeleine are better than everyone else in this series and yes i’m including all your other french whites and evil twinks thanks!!!!!!

[hoodielord]

Green eyes in the fear fog.

For half a second, Steph thought today would be a decent day. But no, not in Gotham.

Steph's current events professor, who was also the head of student affairs, had offered extra credit to help give college tours. Look, she had to take the extra credit she had to, even if it meant that she had to be a tour guide. It wasn't hard, just annoying.

The group was small, only five people, but two of them stuck out. A brother and sister. The brother was the definition of adoption bait blue eyes, black hair, vigilante tendencies withholding. The sister was at least as tall as Jason. She had orange hair just like Babs, you'd think they were related.

Anyways, Steph's new mission was to make sure the kid and Dick never met. The kid would not stop making puns. Some of them earned him a laugh but some earned him a smack from his sister.

"Aw, come on, Jazz, it was funny."

"You can do better." she shrugged.

" Sounds like a challenge." A wicked smirk appeared on his face.

" Danny, please don't."

"Challenge accepted."

Yep, I'm definitely keeping him away from Dick.

But something was off about them other than looking at the crime capital's university. They could probably be metahumans. Their eyes seemed to slightly glow blue. They carried themselves as they had already expected danger. I mean, it pays to be prepared, especially in Gotham, but they aren't from here.

If the siblings weren't already on a list B has they should be now. Jazz had been almost ecstatic when we were moving through the psychology department. Danny was practically bouncing off the walls when it was time to go through the engineering and physics departments. Definitely should keep an eye on them.

It was reaching the end of the tour in the cafeteria. Another weird thing about the siblings was their reaction to food. They seemed to have this sort of optimistic curiosity like they were happy to have food to eat, but at the same time, they were poking to make sure it wouldn't attack or something.

Talking with the siblings was interesting too. Danny was buzzing about the engineering department. He went into a great rant about a project that Wayne Enterprises was working on in the aerospace engineering division. Maybe she should keep him away from Tim, too.

The conversation died quickly when a shriek rang out from down the hall. Steph turned quickly to see green fear toxin fill the cafeteria. Swarms of people ran for the exits knocking each over. She quickly dug through her bag and pulled out her gas masks, one for her and her backup.

"Jazz? Jazz, where did you go?" Danny called. They must have gotten separated.

Damn, she needed another one for the siblings. She shoved her spare into Danny's hands.

" Put the mask on and head for the exit."

"But I need to find Jazz."

"I'll find her. Put the mask on and go." Steph yelled as she went further into the fog. Quickly, she sent an alert to Oracle. Signal is on patrol right now, but more bats might show up.

It was dense she could barely see in front of her. There was some noise up ahead. Someone was screaming. The yelling grew louder as she rounded the corner.

"Stop! Get away!"

It was Jazz. She was practically growling. Her fist slammed into the concrete wall, leaving a deep impact. She was clearly affected by the Fear gas. A meta affected with fear gas, not good.

"Stop! Don't hurt him. He's not a monster! He's my little brother!" Jazz had gone from fury to sadness as she practically begged for her hallucination to stop haunting her.

If it wasn’t the meta thing it was whatever she was hallucinating that caught Steph’s attention. Definitely on B's list now.

"Isn't it interesting what fear does to the mind?"

Steph saw Scarecrow emerge from the fog.

"I saw you in the psychology department. Your eyes lit up like a fire. But now they are clouded with fear."

A chill went up Steph's spine. She quickly checked her mask for leaks but didn't have any. Turning her attention back to Jazz and Scarecrow, she saw something. Green eyes shifted inside the fog. They looked like a predator hunting its prey. For a second, they look like Jason's.

From behind Scarecrow, the eyes stopped, and a figure emerged. A baseball bat slammed into Scarecrow's face, knocking him to the floor. The figure came into full view now. It was Danny his eyes were glowing green.

He knelt down to Scarecrow.

"You really don't have any brains. Do you Scarecrow? If you did, you wouldn't have hurt my sister." His voice was downright, frigid.

He turned and rushed over to Jazz who was still trying to convince her hallucinations to stop.

"Jazz, it's okay. Come on, I'm fine. It's okay." His voice was soft and gentle as he helped her up. Jazz mumbled a little as she stumbled down the hall.

Steph quickly caught up to the siblings slinging Jazz's arm over her shoulder.

"Sorry, I couldn't help earlier," Steph spoke quietly.

"It's fine. Not everybody can be a hero."

Steph wanted to laugh at the irony of that statement, but she just nodded.

"Sorry about the tour too."

"It wasn't all bad."

" Oh, the rouge attack and poisoning wasn’t bad?" Steph asked sarcastically.

" Our hometown is haunted and our community college is funded by my godfather. And he is a rich fruit loop.”

‘Ghosts?’

“You know Gotham University is funded by Wayne Enterprises right?”

“Annoying crazy fruit loop or weird himbo? Hmmm. Yeah, I’m going to have to go with the himbo on this one.”

Steph laughed at that one. Bruce is going to want to hear about this but she’ll keep him away from these siblings for a little while.

[mollywog]

Thinking about Katniss’s friendship with Madge (and also Gale)

I think Madge is important for several reasons, but one being: She shows us that Katniss doesn't 100% 'buy' the whole merchant vs seam thing.

The mayor’s daughter, Madge, opens the door. She’s in my year at school. Being the mayor’s daughter, you’d expect her to be a snob, but she’s all right. She just keeps to herself. Like me. Since neither of us really has a group of friends, we seem to end up together a lot at school. Eating lunch, sitting next to each other at assemblies, partnering for sports activities. We rarely talk, which suits us both just fine.

Katniss (and Gale) are actually progress thinkers in this way. They hold biases/resentment about the merchants, but also can recognize it as a Capital driven division.

Even though Gale snaps at Madge at the start of the book, Katniss credits him with knowing ‘his anger at Madge is misdirected.’ In fact he is the one verbalizing the idea to her.

You can see why someone like Madge, who has never been at risk of needing a tessera, can set him off. The chance of her name being drawn is very slim compared to those of us who live in the Seam. Not impossible, but slim. And even though the rules were set up by the Capitol, not the districts, certainly not Madge's family, it's hard not to resent those who don't have to sign up for tesserae.

Gale knows his anger at Madge is misdirected. On other days, deep in the woods, I've listened to him rant about how the tesserae are just another tool to cause misery in our district. A way to plant hatred between the starving workers of the Seam and those who can generally count on supper and thereby ensure we will never trust one another. "It's to the Capitol's advantage to have us divided among ourselves," he might say if there were no ears to hear but mine. If it wasn't reaping day. If a girl with a gold pin and no tesserae had not made what I'm sure she thought was a harmless comment.

Madge and Gale inspire Katniss’s rebellious actions just as much Peeta

Madge’s pin is what makes Rue trust Katniss.

I unclasp the pin and hold it out to her. “Here, you take it. It has more meaning for you than me.”

“Oh, no,” says Rue, closing my fingers back over the pin. “I like to see it on you. That’s how I decided I could trust you. Besides, I have this.” She pulls a necklace woven out of some kind of grass from her shirt. On it, hangs a roughly carved wooden star. Or maybe it’s a flower. “It’s a good luck charm.”

And Katniss is reminded of both Gale’s rants and Peeta’s piece in their games speech in the aftermath of Rue’s death

Gale’s voice is in my head. His ravings against the Capitol no longer pointless, no longer to be ignored. Rue’s death has forced me to confront my own fury against the cruelty, the injustice they inflict upon us. But here, even more strongly than at home, I feel my impotence. There’s no way to take revenge on the Capitol. Is there?

Then I remember Peeta’s words on the roof. “Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to . . . to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games.” And for the first time, I understand what he means.

Please also check out this beautiful analysis of Madge by @wistfulweaverwoman!

[ballad-of-birdy-lamb]

hi ! i’ve never actually requested before, so i apologize if i’m doing this incorrectly 😭 i saw that you were asking for tbosbas asks and i’m starving for content atm lmao. anyway, i was wondering if you could write some fluff headcanons for sejanus plinth and reaper ash (separate) with a fem! reader (romantic is preferred, and gn is okay as well if you’re more comfortable with it) ! i’m sorry again if i did this wrong, but i love your writing and you seem so sweet so i wanted to give it a try !!

Thank you so much! And yes, you did ask in the correct place!

Sejanus Plinth x Fem! Reader x Reaper Ash (separate, romantic/fluff headcanons)

Mention of the public hangings in Reapers part

Sejanus Plinth:

He understands love and knows how to express it, he just didn't expect it to be so difficult. Like, why is Sejanus so scared to give you a note to go out with him? Why is he so nervous when he needs to talk to you? Why can't he just be smooth and not scared shitless?

Whenever Ma makes sweets, he'll give them to you as a gift. No matter the treat, if you like it, it's yours. Ma likes it since she doesn't have to worry about fridge and cabinet space and she can bake as much as she wants

If you're from one of the districts like he was, Sejanus will want to learn about your district or reminisce about District Two (if you share a district)

If you're from the Capital, he'll tell you about what life was like for the brief time he was in District Two. He’ll even ask Ma about Two just to tell you more

When Strabo eventually finds out, it's a very awkward talk. If you're from the Capital, he'll ask if you're from a wealthy family. Generally, Strabo will be calmer about it. If you're from a district, it's far worse. Strabo thinks it's an act from Sejanus wanting to stay district or keep part of it with him.

Nervous when he started going out with you. Sejanus had the worst anxiety the entire time. What if he tripped and embarrassed himself? What if he choked on food at a diner?

He constantly asks to do basic couple things. Sejanus asks to hold hands even years into the relationship when it's normal to not constantly need to ask anymore. But he does it because he's still nervous, you're still the prettiest girl he's ever seen and he will forever always be shy around you.

Reaper Ash:

FINALLY, someone talks about him omg

You're extremely lucky to be able to date him since he doesn't go out of his way to get a lover

Even then, he is the sweetest man in the world, especially in relationships. Treats you very well and forever will

Since you both live in District Eleven, one of the poorest districts, there isn't much that goes around. But even then, Reaper constantly saves up for a potential wedding. He's never gonna tell you where the money’s going. “It's going to be for a good cause for us.” Reaper constantly says, never evaluating the matter. But he'll make comments about how your future will go

Reaper wanted to win the Games not only to take on the Capital but to go home and marry you. He's said it many years before, every year before reaping day

“I'll come home and I'll marry you. We'll have a nice wedding and then we’ll live together for the rest of our lives.” Reaper smiled at the idea but looked away from embarrassment. “I hope that doesn't sound too cheesy.”

He takes his values very seriously and it affects how he sees you too. If you're sympathetic towards the Capital, you wouldn't be in a relationship in the first place. Simple as that

Reaper has a habit of going to you whenever he gets upset throughout the day. Another public hanging, he's going to you to rant. He rants about everything. He goes on about the cruelty of the Capital and how the districts are still the animals but don't kill Capital children every year

If he got the moment to talk to you before he was on the train, he would have asked for you to never watch his games. It wasn't normal to be that violent and didn't want to have your views of him altered by the violence he would need to attain to win

Every year, just before the reaping ceremony, he kisses you. He gives you a simple goodbye if he's ever reaped but it means a lot. At least there's someone in District Eleven rooting for him to come home.

[twstfanblog]

Honestly, I just love to hear you rant!!! My request is any au you choose, with Crewel, Rook, and Vil, together or separate, your choice!!! I think your rants are super sweet and sound so much like my own to my friends!!! It kinda makes me think of when I spent 30 minutes trying to find out how much a pint of ale cost in 1843 England for one sentence in something I was writing! 😅 Too bad I'm already following you, because I would totally follow you again! Can't send the Tumblr gift thingies though, because screw American capitalism.

(That price of ale thing is literally how deep I get into world building if Im not careful XD Most days I just go, IT'S FINE YOU DON'T KNOW JUST KEEP WRITING)

Hmmmm... I've written about them all a lot in most of my AU's, honestly. I dont have anything really rant worthy left to say about...I literally had a whole hour to think about it, so instead, I'm just gonna drop another AU so I can get you something new about them. My Manhwa AU is pretty self-serving, but it's got plenty of Vil, Rook, and Crewel sprinkled in.

Basic idea of the AU is that 'Villainess' type story. Yuu was seen as a villain in the original timeline, only to die and come back in time to when she was a child with her full memories. She vows to change her ways and not die in such a way again.

Crewel and Crowley are Yuu's birth parents (Because my AU's are just the same universes in different settings-oop) Crewel married Crowley 100% for the money and power since Crowley was an arch duke. You couldn't call it a marriage of convenience hard enough. But of course, Crewel had to have a puppy to fufill his duty. Crewel will openingly treat Crowley like the bumbling man he pretends to be, but he is an adoring yet stern father to his precious puppy. So you can imagine when she wakes up one day and doesn't act like herself at all. He's so concerned about her...

Vil isn't nobility, but he and his father are both rich and popular enough to buy a title. Both actors, Vil leaves for the performance to the point he was called a succubus by one of his cast stars (teenagers acting so good one falls in love but the other is like 'dude we were acting, calm down'). Vil holds onto his issues with always being casted as a villain but he holds it in much better because hes just happy that he's well liked enough to always perform. As he gets older in this AU he starts to really show his support for the arts and all who create it. He's even started looking for investors to help him fund an acting school.

Rook is a noble man, lover of the odd and offbeat art, no one but his family really accepted his art. But he tried and he shared it with everyone he could. Vil saw it during an artshow and kinda tore it apart publicly by going on and on about how disturbed it made him feel. The current brownnoser tried to 'agree' saying it was bad art.

Vil:

Vil: There's no such thing as "bad art", you toad. I said it disturbed me, I find it grotesque is a very...eyecatching way. It's not bad because it made me feel something.

So Rook falls in love instantly and basically hunts this mean beauty.

They end up working well together because Vil has FINALLY found someone willing to write him in a hero role and PROPERLY CRITIQUE THINGS WITH. They discus art and what makes something 'moving' vs 'shock value'. They fall in love hard for each other to the point Vil accepted Rook's proposal and is already 60% planned through their wedding. Only to realize he never told anyone when his dad asked if he was open to seeing anyone because he's been told many a young man and lady would like to court him.

(SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG TO DO!!!)

[noirsfantasy]

On the fifth day of Christmas…

𝔄 𝔓𝔲𝔫𝔨 ℜ𝔬𝔠𝔨 ℭ𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔪𝔞𝔰

𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Hobie Brown x Black!Fem Reader

𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔥 ➛ Fluff

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱 ➛1.5K

𝔰𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰 ➛ It’s time to decorate the tree, although it’s not going according to plan. You had the perfect idea of how a Christmas tree should look. However, your boyfriend, Hobie, had other ideas. You both begin to argue and it seems to be going no where. Words are said and feelings get hurt. Will you be able to fix this?

𝔞/𝔫 ➛ Guys, I can confirm that Hobie is just a big kid on the inside. But while some might think he’s spewing nonsense, he might actually have a point. I hope you enjoy!

12 Days of Christmas Masterlist

“No, Hobes! It doesn’t go there.” I swat Hobie’s hand away from the tree as he attempts to place one of his Star Wars ornaments in the center. It's Christmas Eve and Hobie and I are facing off in front of a pile of decorations. This familiar argument about how to decorate the tree is playing out for what feels like the millionth time. My preference leans towards a more structured and organized aesthetic, while Hobie leans towards a free and chaotic approach, arguing that an orderly tree is a submission to capitalism.

“Right, how 'bout this, then?” Hobie holds up some blue tinsel, and I immediately push his hands away from the tree once again.

"I'm not putting that on the tree, Hobie. It goes gold and then red! Blue shouldn’t be anywhere near this tree." I explain while wrapping the red tinsel around the tree. Hobie rolls his eyes.

“What’s the issue? Blue’s a good color.” He throws his hands up, looking at me incredulously. Ignoring him, I continue sorting through the decorations for matching ornaments.

“Oh, so you're just gonna let the suits dictate your every move, huh? You gonna let the capitalist drones run your life?" Hobie accuses, snatching the tinsel from my hands and wrapping it the opposite way.

"Oh, don't start that, Hobie. I just want our tree to look nice and neat this year." I argue, reclaiming the tinsel and wrapping it correctly. Hobie persists, emphasizing his disdain for conforming to holiday traditions dictated by corporations.

“Yeah, you're just a conformist sheep, ain't ya? No clue what's really goin' on, just followin' the herd. Wake up, man!” He says angrily, wrapping the tinsel even more so. He looks at me as if I am completely clueless.

"Conformist to what? Santa Claus's evil agenda?" I mock, yanking the tinsel out of his hands. Hobie snickers, but he doesn’t look impressed.

“The corporations are manipulating the spirit of Christmas, so you’ll buy presents! Can’t you see that, you wanker?”

"Who gives a damn? It's Christmas for Christ's sake!" I throw my hands up and it seems our conversation is getting out of hand. Hobie scrunches up his nose as the argument escalates.

“Exactly! It’s Christmas! The day when you’re supposed to be spending time with people you love, not maxing out your credit card on useless junk. Can't blame ya, it's that corporate mind game. Same goes for Valentine's Day—just another cash grab, man!” He starts to enter into his rant about how Valentine’s Day is pointless. Ignoring his conspiracy theories, I redirect our focus.

"Don't even start! Listen, we're not putting your stupid Star Wars ornaments on the tree and that's final. Now stop arguing and hand me those angel ornaments, will you?" I huff as I hold out my hand, determined to maintain order.

“These Star Wars ornaments are rad! Come on, just a little—” Hobie protests, attempting to convince me to allow at least one Star Wars ornament. "How 'bout just the Baby Yoda? Stick it in the back, it'll be lowkey." I sigh, contemplating the idea for a moment.

"Fine, you can put it right there." I relent, pointing to the spot on the tree. Hobie's face immediately lights up when I give in and allow him to put a baby Yoda ornament up, near the back. Despite his punk rock appearance, he actually has a soft side.

"Cheers, luv," Hobie smiles at me. He quickly unwraps the baby Yoda ornament and carefully placed it where I pointed, and then steps back to admire the result. I cringe at the way it clashes with my previous work.

“So what do you think?” He asks, looking over at me. I don’t really respond, instead looking off to the side. Hobie’s smile begins to fade when he realizes that I am unimpressed by the result of his handiwork.

“What’s wrong with it?” His facial expression turns into one of confusion. “I think it turned out pretty nice,” He said, defending his choice of decoration.

"It doesn't match, Hobes. It looks out of place like I knew it would." I grumble, crossing my arms. Hobie looks at me, genuinely hurt, and his expression turns sad.

"Sorry, luv..." He apologizes, his voice soft and sincere. "I just thought it would be cool... But I guess I don't know anything about aesthetics." He puts his hands in his pockets and lowers his head. He seems genuinely upset that I didn't like his contribution. Hobie turns away from me, deflated as he walks out of the room. I feel a twinge of guilt as I turn to look back at the tree.

His shoulders are hunched up and he is obviously disappointed. As he leaves the room, he mutters, "Stupid Christmas tree..." under his breath. I can't help but feel a bit guilty as I continue to look at the tree.

I stare at it, watching the out-of-place ornament, and thinking, 'Is it really worth it?' I just made a whole argument out of something we were meant to be doing together. I'd put my need for perfection over my own boyfriend and now he's upset. And why? Because some baby Yoda ornament didn't match my idea of what a Christmas tree should look like.

It really clicks in my head. Hobie wasn't just being a nonconformist or trying to ruin the tree. He was trying to have fun with his girlfriend and decorate the tree in a way that shows both of our creativity. I sigh as I turn away from the tree and run to the kitchen to where Hobie is.

"Hobie? Babe?" I find him sitting at the kitchen table with his back towards me. He seems to be focused on something, probably sulking. I call his name again and he slowly turns to look at me.

"Yeah, luv?" He asks, trying to sound cool and nonchalant, but his hurt expression betrays him. I sit across from him and look into his eyes. He avoids my gaze. I place my hand gently on his and bite my lip as I try to find words.

"Hobie, I'm sorry." I start. Hobie feels a wave of relief wash over him when I apologize. He looks up at me and his expression softens. He's clearly still hurt, but he seems much more relaxed knowing that I still care about his feelings.

"It's alright, luv," Hobie replies, giving my hand a little squeeze as he looks into my eyes. "I might've gone a bit overboard, I get it. The Christmas vibes hit me hard, you know? Just wanted to make it extra special 'cause I know it's a big deal for you. And-" He pauses as I press my finger to his lips.

"No, Hobie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, or tried to shut down your ideas. This isn't my home and that isn't my tree. It's our home and our tree. And it should reflect both of our creativity, not just what I think it should." Hobie's face brightens as I say that. He is a bit taken aback by my admission, but also really appreciates it. His expression turns into a smile as he stands up, pulling me with him.

"That's... really sweet, luv." He says in a soft voice and pulls me into a warm hug. "And you're right, this is our home, and it should reflect both of our tastes." He pauses and then speaks again in a more playful tone. "Even if you have bad taste."

I push away from the hug, feigning a look of offense as I playfully swat his shoulder. "I do not have bad taste!" Hobie pulls me back in and leans in to kiss my lips.

"Yes, you do. But at least you're pretty to look at." He says in a joking manner, then gives me another kiss. His lips press against mine with a tender and passionate intensity. His tongue brushes along my lips momentarily before he pulls his head back, keeping his lips close to mine.

"So, do you wanna take a break from decorating the tree and, you know...?" He trails off suggestively with a smirk and I laugh, rolling my eyes.

"Babe! We need to finish the tree!" I manage to say between giggles as I try to escape his grip. He doesn't let me pull away, instead he picks me up, wrapping my legs around his waist.

"Tree's not going anywhere, luv. We can decorate it tomorrow." Hobie mumbles against my skin, kissing my neck and starts walking towards our bedroom.

"But tomorrow's Christmas!" I shout before the door slams shut.

[stepmarchen]

Analyzing Shuri and Lucas' Relationship

Mostly a Lucas rant because he's one of my favorite characters (even though we love to hate this bastard)

spoilers up to Ch. 126

Despite our not so lovely introduction to Lucas' character in the early chapters of the manhwa, It's so interesting how Lucas' villainy took a complex route in later chapters and the role his strengths and weaknesses play to Shuri's misfortune and favor.

Shuri often recounts memories of Lucas during their childhood in Bretten and we get an inside look on the person he is inside.

"Lucas Ighofer, my brother... He thought I was slow and dull-witted because I didn't know how to be tough... but he would also sometimes step in like an older brother in front of the rough neighbors. Whenever that happened... He made me think that maybe some things would go his way."

- Shuri, Ch. 125

He wasn't exactly "nice" but the two relied on one another in that way that only siblings would relate to. While he totally belittled her, Lucas also trusted Shuri with his earnings, the code to his safe, and defended Shuri like a true big brother.

In a way, I think it's actually thanks to Lucas that Shuri also dreamt of a better life. We see this in the way she seems to remember him in a positive light (literally basked in warm light). There's also major significance in how her core memories of him are usually about his hopes and dreams, as opposed to say, his gambling habits or laziness.

Shuri could've had the same humble dreams as her bff Anna but I think she looked up to Lucas, who was the only real role model in her early life.

The main difference between the two was the vehicles in which they took towards their shared goal. Shuri planned a more earnest living, selling crops for a chicken, and the eggs for a pig, and so forth. Meanwhile, Lucas made bets, resulting in quick and large sums of cash while simultaneously losing it all in the process.

Lucas knows exactly how corrupt the world can be and he's fully willing to go down with it. It's just unfortunate that he's also willing to drag down Shuri along with him.

In the end, Shuri got an involuntary ride to the top of the food chain and Lucas... climbed his way to the capital... eventually.

Now let's talk briefly interlude about Lucas' time in the capital.

While he's a selfish mf that tried to extort his own baby sister (multiple times), he is also one of the most motivated characters in the series, even to the point where he becomes a pest. He'll take all the shortcuts he can take, but if it doesn't work out, he's not totally unwilling to take the long and hard route. In their first on-page meeting, Shuri calls out Lucas for lying about starving for 4 days. But this is never actually confirmed. I want to say that it's pretty likely that he really was starving. Now, the reason why? Proooobably because he gambled away his food money.

Anyway, back on topic.

Eventually, Lucas does make it and opens the Sheiss Gambling House at the call of Cardinal Meissner.

"He used other people's weaknesses for his own selfish interests... yet despised being exploited himself. He, more than anyone... wanted to live a life where he could use others."

- Shuri, Ch. 125

The thing about Lucas is that he's also one of the smarter characters as well. His outer farce makes him seem like a small threat, but he singlehandedly started the gears for the upcoming Holy War.

Think about it. He somehow gathered tons of blackmail on the church because he disliked the idea of being used by Cardinal Meissner over his Gambling Business. Blackmail that at this point, only an insider (with access to secret tunnels in the Vatican) like Richelieu had privvy to. We don't know exactly how Lucas gathered this material... but the fact that he did makes him a pretty big threat.

Which is exactly why the church captured him.

And it's only thanks to years of growing up side by side together that Shuri knew her brother well enough to know that the blackmail existed and where/how to retrieve it.

The only concern now is that Lucas may have also given the Church vital information regarding Shuri. And we don't know what he disclosed.

At this point, we know that Shuri still has some lingering sisterly love for Lucas, but it's unconfirmed whether Lucas feels the same way. Lucas is an asshole but I would like to think that in his final moments, Lucas would still protect Shuri like he did years ago.

In the end, Shuri outgrew her "dim-witted" nature and took advantage of the information waiting in her lap. She evolved past Lucas' shadow used his brains to her advantage. But she never used anything against him. Even in the bitter end, she tried to save him. And he ended up killing himself.

[i-want-all-the-cookies]

Weak Hero thoughts, rants, and spoilers for chapters 263 to current.

Sorry if this gets lengthy, but I got some feelings to express.

So, I gave myself a few days to process my thoughts and emotions on the conclusion of Weak Hero. To try and make sense of the direction the author decided to take his story on. And honestly, I'm still left feeling let down and disappointed.

In my opinion, one of the greatest slights an author can do to their fanbase and to their work, especially if it's a lengthy story, is to end the story abruptly. To me that is the equivalent to a slap in the face. A big slap to all the fans who have invested their time, energy, and possibly even money to the story the author has been creating. Years of tuning in and refreshing pages, only for the ending to feel so damn rushed.

I was really holding out for a small sliver of hope, I wanted to "trust the process." Maybe there would be an introduction to an amazing plot twist, or a great revelation to understand and explain why the storyline turned into what it did. But at this point, with only the epilogue left, none of that is gonna probably happen, and I'm left wondering why?

I've even wondered if the kdrama had any influence on how Weak Hero ended. Would it have been different if the kdrama never existed? Did Seopass just get tired of his story and the characters, maybe he wanted to move on to something else already? Cuz any which way that I try to look at it, I just can't comprehend why he chose that ending. Especially for Donald. One of the most charismatic characters in the series. The final boss, who possessed both brains and unmatched brute strength. A master strategist who managed to unite a whole district. A literal unbeatable character.... who he gets done in by a wayward truck!?! Right after the biggest fight in the series!?! Like, are you for fucking real? That's how his demise happens?!!?

I'm not even a Donald fan! He was never my fave (that honor always went to Jimmy ❤️), but even I expected more for him. Donald didn't even go down swinging, kicking, barely hanging on by the skin of his teeth. His death happening in the same way he lived his life, like some sort of poetic justice. No. We got none of that. Instead, we get a self defeated Donald, who was reaching out to the universe for someone to stop him, and who purposefully? didn't avoid the truck???

I'm sorry but no, DONALD DESERVED BETTER!!! HE, AS A CHARACTER, DESERVED BETTER!!!!

AND THEN, we get thrown some pity crumbs at the end with Stephen. Which to me was just another rushed ending. We get some half assed reunion. No backstory on what Stephen had to go through. No idea what his thoughts were while recovering from his near fatal drop. Did he ever think of Gray? Did he ever try looking for him?

Was I the only one that expected more from Stephen and Gray's reunion??? I can't be the only one completely disappointed, or am I?

I am however grateful we got to see Stephen again, I really am, and that we got a conclusion for him. Since it didn't happen with some of the other plotlines.

For instance, what happened to the Mapo guys, and Changhui saying they were going to wait for an opportunity to strike back? Am I the only one that remembers this?

And where the capital F was Wolf's backstory? He's a fan favorites and we get nothing? No idea on why he's a such a psycho or the reasoning behind his 3 second rule? Or even why he has it out for Grape so much?

And let's not forget about this guy! He never even got a name!

There's more, but I'm not gonna go into all of that right now since I don't want to just trash this series. I fell in love with it for a reason, and now I want to talk about the parts that I enjoyed, and that made me remember why I  loved this series so much in the first place.

Like...

The fact that Jimmy wanted Donald's recognition. Even after talking crap about him every chance he got~ lol. He still valued him as a capable leader and cared about how Donald perceived him.

And how Jimmy's signature wrist swish was influenced by Donald!!! I would have never in a million years thought that Donald was the reason and inspiration for it.

And I absolutely loved how Jimmy and Wolf were bickering at the end. It completely reminded me of siblings arguing with each other at any and every opportunity! I know there's gotta be some underlying respect and friendship for each other there, waaay deep inside, somewhere in a dark crevice of their little crazy hearts. 😆

And cuz I want to gloat too, I'm gonna add Jimmy whooping Gerard's butt. Take that shuttle patch!

I was also pretty surprised by how distraught Phillip became after Donald's death. Especially considering that the last time Phillip had any real interaction with him, Donald pretty much blew him off. Phillip not being important enough for even a backwards glance. For Phillip to still remember what it was like standing next to someone like Donald, and to have all those emotions come out of him just broke my heart.

And I am not about to forget my lovely Colton! Our very first villain. Pervy villain at that! And how much growth he's had, even as a secondary character. I went from feeling disgusted at him to wanting to give him all the hugs and support in the world.

I love you Colton you big doof! 🫶

And with that last thought I end this. Because as much as I hate the ending, I can go on and on about the things that I did like.

[lurkingshan]

If you could rant about one thing in BL, what would it be? (This could be either a complaint or a soapbox)

Thank you for the invitation to climb on my soapbox, I love it up here. Something that’s been on my mind recently is bl second seasons, so I will take this opportunity to talk about why I both anticipate and dread them in equal measure, and what makes for a strong second season in a romance narrative. I would apologize for this being so long but it's you, Emperor of the Long Post, so I don't even feel bad.

First of all, let me just say that part of the reason I love Asian dramas in the first place is because they don’t have multiple seasons. Unlike American TV, you don’t have to invest literal years in a show only to have it blow up in your face when it (nearly always) goes off the rails for one reason or another. The vast majority of Asian dramas are one and done–they tell a complete story in one limited run, and afterwards you just get to move on to the next story. As a result they tend to have a higher hit rate because they’re not trying to stretch their story beyond its limits to keep it going and going, and even when they fail you only spent a few days or weeks on it so it doesn’t feel like you wasted a lot of time. There are a few exceptions of course (lately kdramas on Netflix have started splitting into two “seasons” that are really just one standard kdrama episode count split in two and airing a few months apart–high key annoying IMO), but by and large that’s how it goes. 

So the bl genre’s propensity for second seasons already goes a bit against the grain of what I love about dramas, and add to that the very nature of bls—they are romances, which typically end at the point that the romantic conflict has been addressed and the characters decide to stay together. So in general, I am primed to be suspicious of second seasons in this genre. Many second seasons are clearly driven by capitalism more than anything else–the pairing is popular and so the production company is looking to cash in while their commodity is hot, and whether or not they actually have any more story to tell is a secondary concern. So my first questions when approaching a second season is why was this made and what is it trying to accomplish? 

I think there are a few buckets here:

Continuing the narrative season 2s: These are the shows where the story was not complete at the end of season 1, and season 2 is actually necessary to provide some resolution. Love Sick 2 and Make it Right 2 are prime examples; those narratives were incomplete after the first season and season 2 finished them. What Did You Eat Yesterday? 2 also falls in this category but for a different reason: it’s a slice of life show and the narrative never really ends. They could make 10 seasons of that show and it would make perfect sense (not that I am begging or anything).

Cash grab season 2s: These are the ones with little or no real narrative purpose. They’re more like long specials, and their purpose is primarily to provide additional fluff for the audience while they sell products (including the actors, they are also products here). Cutie Pie 2 You, Still 2gether, TharnType 2 are all good examples of this. Now I am not saying these shows are inherently worthless–they gave Aof the reins for 2SG, for instance, and he managed to make something of it and even repair some damage from the first season–but they are definitely inessential. 

What happens after the HEA season 2s: My favorite kind, these are the ones that move into the next phase of the romance, once the characters have decided to be together, and take a look at what their relationship would actually be like. Their purpose is to deepen the relationship and character development and examine the types of conflicts that would naturally come up between the two personalities. Gameboys 2, I Promised You the Moon, Minato’s Laundromat 2, SOTUS: S, Together With Me: The Next Chapter, To My Star 2, and Utsukushii Kare 2 all fall under this category. Some of these are more successful than others, which I will unpack below. 

Something like Our Skyy and Our Skyy 2 runs the gamut between these three types, with each installment fitting into different categories. The Eclipse OS2 is a great example of category 3, whereas My School President OS2 is more of a category 2, and you could make a case that SOTUS OS is really a category 1, since it puts a nice cap on the narrative of that whole series.

So, with that said, what I actually want to talk about is category 3, because these are the shows I am most interested in and where the decisions made in the writing are most crucial. Because this type of second season has real potential to either strengthen or damage the couple and how we see their relationship. The best second seasons of this type build on the established characteristics of the characters and take us through some natural conflicts that would arise as they continue their relationship. For instance, in Gameboys 2 we see Cairo and Gavreel spend prolonged time together in person for the first time after maintaining a long distance relationship and work through what physical intimacy looks like for them as well as how they intend to keep their relationship strong despite distance. I Promised You the Moon, SOTUS: S, To My Star 2, and Utsukushii Kare 2 all build on their characters’ well-established flaws from the first season to explore how that would manifest in conflict as these relationships continue and offer plausible scenarios for how the couples might make it through those issues (and it ain’t always pretty!). All of these are very successful second seasons, because they build naturally from what came before and directly address the doubts we had when those shows first ended about whether the couple can actually make it long-term.

Where this type of second season goes really wrong is when the writing violates character or the established patterns of the relationship in order to create conflict. In Together With Me: The Next Chapter, the show uses cheating as a plot device, having Korn cheat on Knock in a one-off hookup with a shitty villain character, and to add insult to injury, they juxtaposed it against Knock finally coming out in a poor attempt at dramatic irony. The reason this sucked was not just because it hurt our feelings; it sucked because that behavior was contra everything we knew about Korn, his devotion to Knock, and his well-established patience with Knock’s internalized homophobia. Now, don’t get it twisted: I do not believe cheating is an inherently bad plot device. It was actually used very well in I Promised You the Moon, a decision I will defend to the death (in fact, you can tune in to the conversation pod in a couple weeks to hear me do just that!). But its use in TWM:TNC did not make sense for the characters, and thus rather than deepening their relationship development, it irreparably harmed it. 

Another way a second season of this type can go wrong is when the writing is not committed to the narrative or leans too hard on first season nostalgia rather than dealing with the current iteration of the characters. Minato’s Laundromat 2 just did both of these things, which was especially frustrating because for nine weeks it was on track to be a very successful version of this type.The show started out tracking the painstaking and slow process of Minato dealing with his internalized homophobia and becoming a decent partner to Shin, but for reasons I can only speculate about, the show balked in the final act, backing away from finishing its narrative in favor of an amnesia plot and several episodes of first season nostalgia bait, ending with a happy resolution that felt wholly unearned and thus deeply unsatisfying. This was especially infuriating because the show got us invested in the growth arc before failing to complete it.  

So what is my point here? Second seasons can be very worthwhile, but only if there is a clear vision for what the story wants to explore about the relationship that is rooted in what we already know about the characters. There are rumors about other second seasons coming our way from shows like Big Dragon, Blueming, and The Eighth Sense, some of which have more potential to add to the original story than others (T8S is particularly primed for a solid second season IMO, because it left so much character development and natural conflict for the next stage of the relationship on the table). But regardless of where they decide to go with the plot of these additional seasons, the thing that will be most crucial is whether they keep fidelity to who the characters are and how their relationships work. That is how you successfully build from an origin romance in a way that feels meaningful and worthwhile.

[blitzsicedcoffee]

I've been thinking a lot recently about my disability, the unknown autoimmune disease, and like what could have caused it.

And of course, it could have been spurred by Covid, or stress, or so many other things. But I am of the mind that it could have been caused by my obvious burnout from the above. From covid, stress, and college.

I took about eight years to finish my bachelor's degree. For many reasons. Financial, Needed a full time job and couldn't do both, couldn't figure out a solid major, etc. And once I restarted college at the university during Covid, since I had lost my job at Starbucks at the time, I wanted to go quick. I wanted it to be over with. I wanted to finally FINISH.

So I did full time school for a year, committed to a major and minor. And then my unemployment payments dried up after a year. So I had to do full time school AND a part time job. The job I chose wasn't that bad. I worked part time at a sex toy shop. Sure the company itself left little to be desired (playboy industries). But it was a cool job cause I got to "test out" the toys, (usually meaning like, on my hand, duh), and explain to customers how they could be used. And I felt like I was also actually using my degree during this. (Sexuality and Gender studies).

Then, my senior year I ALSO took on an internship at the Queer Resource Center on my University Campus. And that was an extra 16 hours a week. So effectively, I was juggling THREE JOBS. That, my part time job, and my senior coursework to culminate into a final research project.

You could say I was already within the throws of burnout, cause I was. But I was "keeping up with it". I was getting adequate sleep, I was still on socials, participating in hobbies, doing chores. I *thought* I was *fine*.

The biggest mistake I made, was when I graduated. I started applying to jobs AS SOON as I graduated. I felt this pressure to get more money, to live up to my degree, to contribute more to my household. Even though I was already paying my portion of rent and bills just fine with the part time job. And no one was asking me to do this. Not my parents, not my partner. Just myself.

After a few months, I did land a job. A state job. Applying my degree. It was exactly what I wanted. I quit my part time job. I Committed fully to the full time job (which was three months of mind numbing computer trainings first), and I was good at it.

Then six months in, I crashed.

I started having nightmares, waking up in cold sweats. I started having horrible joint pain. I couldn't think straight during the day and had horrible brain fog. And it only escalated from there. And being neurodivergent too, I was struggling to understand aspects of the in person office, and neurotypical people's attitudes and reactions. That didn't help.

Which brings us here. I'm on leave from the full time job on paid leave until the paid leave ends. And I don't know if I can even go back. From my constantly worsening disease, etc.

I don't really have advice to give, this was mostly a rant for myself. But I guess...if I had to give advice it would be SLOW DOWN.

Please for the love of the gods slow down. The grind mindset is fucking poison. You will hurt yourself. And if you think you won't, you're lying to yourself.

Another thing to add: Yes I acknowledge theres a lot of privilege steeped in this experience. This is just my experience and what I take from it in context of soul crushing capitalism.

[ayliffe]

Can you explain the proper punctuation please I would like to learn

of course! sorry for sounding so aggressive in the post; it was only really meant as a vent. (what i'm actually annoyed about wrt those post/ers i think is less the wrong punctuation itself and more what i think the standard english + wrong punctuation implies, but that's a rant for another day.)

with dialogue, you rarely use full stops/periods to signal the end of the speech. so, for example:

"Statement," he said <- correct "Statement." He said <- incorrect "Statement," He said <- also incorrect

so as you can see, there are two main issues here: the punctuation and the lack of capitalisation. unlike with (for lack of a better word) normal sentences, you very rarely use a capital letter after a closing speech mark. this is the same with question marks and exclamation marks:

"Question?" she said <- correct "Exclamation!" she said <- correct "Question?" She said <- incorrect "Exclamation!" She said <- incorrect

generally, the only time one would capitalise after a closed speech mark is when the next sentence isn’t a dialogue tag (that is, not something like “he said”), like:

"Statement." He sat down and folded his arms.

this just about covers punctuation/capitalisation when writing dialogue i think! there are a couple of other things for when you're quoting someone, but that varies by region and ngl i don't think i'm in a state to properly explain those rules right now lmfao

[rfaromance]

hello! I'm new to ur page, so i know ur taking time off for health reasons (get that rest bae take care of urself) but i was wondering if u could do a hc about how the RFA would react to a metalhead/heavy goth mc!! I've been playing the game again but it's weird being a heavy alternative enby and being compared to rika lmfao. thank u so much if u end up doing this one!! ♡

Yoosung is the one who immediately gets roasted for comparing you to Rika. "It's not about appearance!" he'd whine. "I don't even know what they look like beyond this profile picture!" Even when you're gushing about the latest release from your fave heavy metal band and going on your latest (valid) anti-capitalism rant, he would still be enamored. "It's their heart. They have a good heart that wants what's best for good people." Rika is a state of being, an ideal, a concept he has put on a pedestal to help him cope with his grief. He thinks the fact that you have more piercings than Rika is neat, actually, and may want your help the next time he touches up his roots.

Zen finds you to be a kindred spirit, of sorts. Someone who goes against the grain, against how society "expects" people to behave. Ever devoted to his friends, he may actually start acting overprotective! He knows he got into a lot of trouble as a teen, and he doesn't want you to make the same mistakes. You may have to gently remind him that just because you dress a certain way doesn't mean you act a certain way, and that stereotypes don't benefit anybody! (He quickly apologizes and goes back to being his usual self, but he will dote on you quite a bit.)

Jaehee of course is one of the people reprimanding Yoosung for comparing you to Rika. Some may think that someone as straight-laced as Jaehee, a top student and hard worker, may look down on alternative folks. On the contrary, she admires you! When growing up, she always worked herself to the bone and kept quiet, behaving in a way that wouldn't inconvenience her aunt & uncle. She actually wishes she could express herself more instead of just plowing through school and work to land a well-paying job, all in the name of "not being a burden." Maybe you can teach her how to be more comfortable with herself and her own wishes and desires, instead of following the path that she (and capitalism) thought was "best" for her.

707 thinks you're super cool. Genuinely. For starters, you're going to have him reflecting a lot on his own gender identity. He knows he loves dressing in women's clothes, but he also has days where he wants to be a strong & handsome man. The idea that he can be both or neither... Sorry, he's going to be having a Talk with his new nonbinary bestie. He's also going to want your help with his makeup. Oh, my goodness. He's going to look at the bands you're into and look at your own appearance and go, "Teach me eyeliner. I am begging. I will get on my knees and beg." Much like Zen, however, he will worry a bit. He knows you're a kind soul, but he also knows his agency (and others like it) are quick to prey upon those who feel they don't have a place in the world. "Don't answer any phone calls from strangers, you hear?" (As if you weren't led to the apartment by a mysterious text in the first place....)

Jumin is another one who people may expect to be judgmental or critical. Instead, he's fascinated. At first you may feel like a bit of a guinea pig or science experiment with the way he just flings questions at you, but it's his way of expressing his interest. Jumin is someone who doesn't openly talk about his interests because apparently, a perfect CEO-in-line isn't supposed to enjoy the nuances of dark magic, the supernatural, or reality shows where cats compete to see who can carry the heaviest fish. Your openness and unapologetically being yourself will catch his interest. He cares about you a lot.

[vitalconviction]

Sephiroth, for that ask thing

Sexuality Headcanon:

Gay in the way that any person they would enter a relationship with would be a queer relationship, that's just how they work

Gender Headcanon:

biology wise I have Seph always as intersex in some regard and genderwise it depends on how much thought he's spared himself--overall I think he's nonbinary in the most overarching definition and if given the chance to exist outside shinra he would gravitate towards femininity and eventually land on only feminine pronouns for herself! as it stands canonically i think she transcends gender in the corrupted ascenion to godhood seph has, but overall has left the aspect of his gender unassessed

A ship I have with said character:

tsengseph! genseph! I like smashing the obvious yin and yang counterparts together and also the red guy with the almost-sort-of-blue guy

One day I'll answer this on a more eloquent level HAHA

A BROTP I have with said character:

aeriseph but I do also ship them sometimes--i just cannot get over the thematic resonance of the child of the calamity and a child victim of the calamity essentially unionizing. This would be peak full circle, cue the cycle breaking, cue the chrysalis to butterfly, all that jazz

A NOTP I have with said character:

angealseph/sephgeal-- i personally find angeal unbearable. he really annoys the fuck out of me im sorry angeal fans but he's not my man... I think that his hardheadedness/stubbornness in his idea of honour would grate on sephiroth, but the reason sephiroth likes him is because of his care otherwise. It's just not something I can see sephiroth pursuing romantically though Lol so in that vein I also don't really like AGS or any angeal ot3 😔

A random headcanon:

niche weirdest hc i have is the eyeball nipple ALSO applies to seph, he has that eyeball nipple guys.

Less insane hc is that he is a sugar fiend, desserts are his favourite food and his drinks could all be classified as syrup. also despite not being the biggest fan of citrus he really really likes yuzu! I tend to flit between him being vegetarian and not as well, mostly because he would be tripping over himself to try new things because he's excited over the prospects of new sensory stimulas that isnt, say, Pain in a new flavour

General Opinion over said character:

WAAAAUUUGH! i love this blorbo. I wish he had a chance to live and not die everything he was always going to be. It was really self fufilling and in the end he died as what Hojo wanted of him--never breaking free, dying under the abuse, becoming the abuse that made him. Fucking kills me! I want a world where he breaks the cycle, where he becomes the future. That's a reason I love the transformative aspect of fandom here, I couldn't love ff7 the way I do without all the AU's, there is just far too much here to mess with, to reshape.

Totally tangentially, but I don't agree with people speaking of him being irredeemable or deserving of punishment, these are fundamentally reductive ideas and don't even line with the politics of ff7 itself LOL Atonement and redemption does not mean everyone suddenly forgives and forgets, but it does mean everyone is afforded another chance. Everyone is deserving of that. Even people who've committed heinous acts, because foundationally they're still people. It all depends on whether or not they double down on their damage and believe in it till the end, if they're apathetic and even jubilant at their violence. If he came back uncaring, apathetic, and fundamentally unchanged from the blind bitter hate filled attitude he had before, then yes he is unredeemable because he is refusing it. But were he to acknowledge the wrongs and try to right them, try to move on and apologize then yes he could work for atonement. Sorry for the random anti-punishment rant LOL I've just been thinking abt this for a while, check out philosophytubes video on capital punishment (its on youtube!) for further challenges on this idea :D

[somerandomg33k]

Part of the reason I am asking if I save work for myself to do on Saturday, and wanting to create an excuse to work on Saturday, is that I want to try and earn as much money as possible from my job. Something like 5 years ago or more, I was thinking about getting a second job just so I can support my friend Johanna Roberts. I ultimately settled on working my regular, but try to work as much overtime as I can. I don't drive and take the bus. It would be hell trying to do the logistics of commuting between two different jobs.

Hence why in the past, I just work seven days a week. Did I need to come in Sundays? Yes… in that I didn't do my job on Friday and Saturday. But I did get in trouble for that for my "Excessive Hours." Coming in on July 4th was a big one.

So since then, I try to get as much overtime as I can get away with. The only I stream on Sundays is because it is my only day off, most of the times. And I can earn some money on Sundays from streaming. Pennies though. Better than earning no money, I guess. I hate thinking in a Capitalist way.

"But Jonathan, you should take time for yourself and relax. Take Saturday off. You work too much." Okay, sure. Maybe I should be grateful to be able to take a Saturday off every now and again. But if I don't work on Saturday, I receive between $175 to $240 less money in take home pay for that week. I am now financially supporting like 5 disabled friends now. I do enjoy streaming on Twitch and YouTube. It is fun. But I can't earn $175 to $240 a day from just streaming. And I pretty much have to be in the top 1% of streamers to make that much.

And whenever I don't work as much overtime as I can, earning as much as I can, I feel guilty. I could have helped out my friends more, but I decided I wanted to "relax." I even sometimes feel guilty for spending money on myself for like Fortnite skins. Especially with my unhealthy toxic relationship with that game that I love, when I don't suck, and hate myself for sucking.

True, I could share the links to my friends' paypals, cashapps, gofundmes, and such. But from mine and my friends' experiences, those things don't get hits, or traction. Or even if a lot of folks sees those posts, almost all the people that want to help, don't have the means to help. We are all poor. So, I took it upon myself to try and support my friends as much as I can. Even if it means less fun for me.

And I know it would be too much for me to ask others to work as much overtime as possible, and to charge up their credit cards like I do. But I also just see no way out and no permanent solution to my friends poverty.

And I am never going to have faith that the Democrats will do a damn thing about my friends' poverty. The Dems are still Capitalists. And Capitalism requires poverty to function. So the Democrats, and anyone who is pro-Capitalism is also in turn pro-poverty, whether they know it or not.

Sure, voting for Kamala Harris is better than voting for a Fascist. But I don't see anything fundamentally changing for my friends in the next decade. Or for myself, really.

Decided to go on another rant. Been awhile since I have done this type of rant before.

[fairykukla]

Capitalism rant.

I work in niche retail. My toxic boss actually passed away suddenly earlier this year. And while this has cleared away some of the problems I've been having with my job,bits also revealing some of the other problems in play.

My department has been short staffed for years now. One person retired during Covid, another got a cancer diagnosis and semi-retired. They were both full time people.

We have one new hire. She works two or three days a week, and no more than that.

We had another new person, but her personal life interfered with her availability so she left.

So we lost two full time people, and gained back one very part time person.

And the owner sees that we are functional, and doesn't want to hire anyone else. But if someone has to call in sick, or plan a vacation, we can't cover the floor.

A member of the staff in the rest of the store asked for cross training and agreed to work part time for my department. I'm a big fan of this, but because of my toxic manager literally nobody wanted to work for her.

So we had a new person, someone who only needed training on our department duties and our specific product line.

And I was *warned* about her by the other coworkers on the other side. When I asked for clarification I was told that she's ambitious. She wants to be a manager someday. She thinks she's better than everyone.

And I was like, "So what?" She either is an incompetent person with delusions of grandeur, or she's actually a hard worker who cares about how things are run. If she was incompetent, she wouldn't have been given this opportunity.

So the rest of my department became hostile to her, and tried to push her out.

I wanted her here. I was delighted to train her. I wanted to harness her desire to learn. And one day, we might need someone who is ambitious enough to be a retail manager, which is a horrible, thankless job that I don't want, despite my seniority.

Was she my new best friend? No. Not even remotely. Did I want her to continue to work for us? Absolutely.

So I was discussing it with the lady who makes the schedule, and she said, "Well, her availability wasn't what we needed."

So I asked for what qualities we needed. I said that we need another full time person.

"Well, we need someone that *could* work any of the days that we are open. Someone we can use to plug the holes in the schedule. Someone who doesn't want to work five days every week, but could work five days if we needed them at random moments."

And I laughed. I told her that she's describing a person that doesn't exist. Someone who doesn't need a consistent paycheck, but is willing to work up to 5 days a week? For just above minimum wage?

Anyone available for 5 days sometimes probably needs the five days all the time. Anyone who is content with working 1-3 days a week is either only available part time due to another job, or has a full calendar of non work things.

And I'm doing 3 people's worth of work, because they can't find their perfect candidate?

[fromtenthousandfeet]

This is the anon who made the BTS/feudal reference again. Glad it was good for a laugh. Btw, eagerly anticipating your essay (?) on Golden.

When Jimin got his #1, we were told by the so-called Army experts, that it was so unexpected by everyone that the company couldn't readjust their schedule/budget/strategy to capitalize on its outstanding success. We were also told that the 9-day promotion (and no radio, playlisting, limited non-Korean exposure, and only two mvs) was exactly what Jimin wanted because otherwise he would have demanded more and OF COURSE they would have given it to him and OMG, why do we insist on infantilizing him and disrespecting his choices?

Three things.

Was it really that unexpected? Don't they have people working for them who monitor and predict these things? They don't know the scope of his U.S. fandom? They didn't notice the chatter about Jimin or how popular he is with interviewers and media types?

A windfall lands in their laps and they can't adjust to capitalize on it? WTH kind of hidebound corporation is this? Jimin's win was everywhere. It was a story. Any self-respecting, media-savvy company would have had Jimin's name and his well-disciplined ass everywhere the next morning. BandPD wouldn't even mention it (or Jimin) during his Bloomberg interview.

STFU, company stans. Jimin isn't just your BTS cheerleader and he doesn't need to sacrifice his career for the beloved JK. Jimin has plenty of ambition, he and his team worked hard on that album, and yes, as an artist, he does want to be heard. I get that the attention may have been nerve-racking and unfamiliar territory for him. Get Jimin some help to guide him along. But don't waste an opportunity like that.

Look, I have spent my whole life living in a capitalist country. I get the money chase. I get the greed. But if you are going to be a profit-worshipping capitalist, could you at least be a good one?

And as an added bonus...Jimin and Like Crazy was their best chance for a Grammy nomination. There, I said it. Did they really think Seven and Jungkook was going to do it for them? No offense, but... as if!

I was just reading another blogger this morning who predicted little little would change for Jimin in PJM2 because BangPD and company have set their agenda, and Jimin isn't on it. I guess this agenda is written in stone, so Jimin will never be on it. And he will always have to make his own road.

Man, that sucks. This is a sad note to end a rant on, isn't it? Thanks for listening.

Spot on. I really couldn't agree more.