#but none of those are “mainstream” anymore so who knows how many people will actually vote

[inanimationinsanitation]

making another one of these

[hyperlexichypatia]

In the 15 or so years that I’ve been actively involved in neurodivergent/Mad/disabled liberation, my perspective on “overdiagnosis” or “broadening the category of mental illness” has shifted a few times. 

At first, I uncritically agreed with what might be called the “mainstream, mad-lite” perspective that “broadening the category of mental illness” was a real thing worth objecting to – that doctors and schools were pathologizing emotions, traits, and behaviors that should rightfully fall under the range of “normal.” How terrible to pathologize grief, we said, when feeling pain and sadness at the loss of a loved one is perfectly normal! 

But by 2015, when the New York Times ran an article on pathologizing women’s emotions, I was sharply critical. I wrote this: 

This is the kind of thing I would've celebrated a few years ago as a baby neurodiversity activist. But now, please count me as completely over faux-revolutionary assertions that one, specific, particular group of people should not be pathologized. The argument essentially boils down to "Neurotypical women shouldn't be pathologized for being upset, because they have legitimate reason for being upset, unlike all those other hysterical, overreacting people who are upset for no good reason, who really need to be pathologized." I regard this the same way I do the endless spate of "ADHD isn't a real disease; it's just a label for people who are creative and misunderstood!" articles. No, ADHD isn't a disease, and no, ADHD-type people shouldn't be pathologized, but the emphasis on "isn't a REAL disease" implies "unlike those other neurological differences, which ARE real diseases." These articles and ideas are not inclusive or neurodiversity-positive. "The line between pathologized and non-pathologized people should be drawn in a different place" is not a radical argument. It serves to throw other pathologized people -- the so-called "actually disordered" or "seriously mentally ill" or "low-functioning" people from whom these arguments are so anxious to distance their subjects -- further under the bus. Furthermore, because the medical model conflates pathologization with entitlement to services, these arguments often actually throw even the people they argue to depathologize under the bus as well. Extreme emotional states shouldn't be pathologized in women (or in anyone), but many people who experience extreme emotional states choose to use medications or other medical services to manage them -- a choice that should be their right. Depathologization should not be used to deprive them of access to that choice. "You're not defective, so we know what's best for you" isn't actually that big an improvement over "You are defective, so we know what's best for you."

Now, 9 years later in 2024, I still stand by what I said in 2015. Arguing about where to draw the line between pathological and nonpathological, or how wide to make the circle of accepted normalcy, is a pointless and ultimately harmful argument. I have no interest in arguing “This group of people, specifically, shouldn’t be pathologized, because they’re not like that group of people, who should be pathologized.” No one should be pathologized – not the otherwise-neurotypical woman grieving a loss, and not the visibly neurodivergent person responding to stimuli no one else can perceive. We should settle for no less than acceptance for all; pathologization for none. 

But I also didn’t quite predict how far pathologization would reach in the following decade. 

I was thinking about this because, in a context completely unrelated to disability rights, I was thinking that liberalism as a mainstream ideology barely exists in the U.S. anymore. I expressed some of that concern here. “Freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and bodily autonomy are generally, in and of themselves, good” is not a particularly mainstream idea. 

“But,” you might be thinking, “Aren’t you always saying that liberals who profess to believe those things don’t really believe them, and never have, because they don’t apply them to disabled people, poor people, young people, and other marginalized people?” And yes, I am always saying that. Universal liberalism – truly universal – has never been mainstream in the U.S., or anywhere in the world. As I said here, if you ask people “Should people have the right to…?” you will get a lot of “Yes, of course” answers, but if you ask “What about a child? What about an intellectually disabled person? What about an unmedicated-by-choice schizophrenic person?” the answer will switch to “I don’t mean them” or “That’s an exception.” There are Normal People who deserve basic human rights, and Pathologized People, who don’t. 

The trend I’m seeing now, though, is that the “normal” non-pathologized subject doesn’t exist. Everyone is some degree of pathologized. Neurotypical privilege is still very much in effect, and there is still a vast difference between those who are perceived as relatively neurotypical and those who don’t. “Everyone is a little bit [whatever]” or “No one is really normal” are ways of erasing and minimizing the very real neurotypical privilege, and corresponding neurodivergent oppression, that some people experience and some people don’t. Nevertheless, I’m seeing a real shift from “‘People’ by default means ‘normal’ neurotypical people, who deserve acceptance and freedom, but there are those ‘other’ people who don’t” to “No one is ever really ‘mentally healthy,’ so no one ever really deserves acceptance and freedom.” 

I talked a bit here about the premise that “Everyone needs therapy,” but I’m trying to think of the last time I actually saw that premise questioned. I’m thinking back trying to remember the last time I heard someone expressing the opinion “No, I don’t think you need therapy; I think that’s a normal thing, not a pathological thing.” 

I’m not saying a dividing line between pathologized and non-pathologized people was better! Not at all. And it was never absolute; non-pathologized people were always at risk of slipping into the pathologized category if they ever let their social conformity slip. As long as anyone is pathologized, everyone is at risk of being pathologized. 

But I’m saying that looking around, it feels like I wished for society to stop differentiating pathologized people from non-pathologized people, and the monkey’s paw gave me my wish. The argument “[Pathologized trait] isn’t that different from [non-pathologized trait]” isn’t effective, because there are no non-pathologized traits. Who, exactly, is considered “mentally healthy” or “emotionally mature” enough to be allowed to make decisions? Is anyone? If not, who is supposed to be in charge of us? Anybody with an audience who can successfully convince us that we’re “unhealthy” and need to be fixed, like the salesmen who convinced us that we all have a specific “attachment style”? I don’t know. I don’t know what the long-term effects of this cultural norm will be. Not good, to say the least. I know that it reminds me of certain strict, punitive strains of Christianity, with “trauma” taking the place of “original sin.” All have fallen short of the glory of Healing. But those people over there, they have fallen especially short. They need to be locked up. I know that the emphasis on relationships and interactions being “healthy” rather than respectful, consensual, and happy has pathologized a lot of respectful, consensual, happy relationships while allowing wildly disrespectful people to escape criticism because they’re “healthy.” I have no idea where universal-pathologization-culture is going, but I hope it’s not too late to turn it around. 

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Hi, since you are the rumor expert, I want to know your opinion. How would you judge the validity of the claims the Spanish reporter is making about Kate’s condition?

Sensationalist junk. Completely made up.

If you don't know, there is a certain Spanish reporter who is claiming that Kate was actually in a coma during her hospitalization. I didn't read the stories about it, just scrolled a few headlines, so I don't know if there's more to the reporter's claims. There also is a psychic medium that's going around claiming Kate was/is in a coma but I don't know if that's related - I first heard about the psychic's claims when a couple other psychic mediums came out slamming her for unethical behavior with those allegations of Kate's health.

The biggest indicator that someone is onto something is the reaction in mainstream British press, including the tabloids. If there was any truth to it, the UK media would have picked it up (either to investigate or to debunk, like we saw with the affair rumor back in 2019) and there would be an equal effort from the palace, either to bury it or do damage control. From the UK media, we would see wall-to-wall coverage from UK journalists. From the palace, they would have responded in one of their usual ways:

A new photo of Kate, most likely with the children - it would be presented as either "could she be playing with her kids if she was in a coma?" or "oof, we fucked up. Here's a new picture to make you not mad at us anymore. Some people call it a 'proof of life' photo - we saw it just last week with Charles strolling out of the hospital with Camilla, it's why they have the baby photo op, we've seen it in the past with both Philip and The Queen after they've been hospitalized.

Rolling out some of the other royals to generate positive coverage that buries Kate's health condition. (Except the problem with this is that there isn't anyone left who can generates the kind of headlines to knock Kate off the front pages. -- This is the value that Harry and Meghan were supposed to have brought the BRF but Meghan wanted to be the principal actor, not the understudy.)

A sympathetic article sourced by palace insiders and the Waleses' friends about how hard this time has been for William and the children. (We haven't gotten an actual full feature-length story about this, we've only gotten a few quotes from KP about 'William the Family Man,' which suggests business as usual for them.)

But none of that happened. No palace reaction, no Fleet Street coverage. That suggests it's so patently untrue that it's not worth the ink or memory to write about. And not even other countries have picked it up, which is also telling, considering how much Kate's comings, goings, and fashion is covered around the globe.

Like many have said/are saying, we won't know what Kate's issue is until she wants to tell us. But if there ever was a time Kate would tell us what happened or what her diagnosis was, it would most likely be if she picks up a new charity or a patronage connected to it, since we know William and Kate prefer to champion causes that they have personal connections to.

As for a 'proof of life' photo of Kate, my theory is that it will be part of the Waleses Mother's Day tribute. The UK celebrates Mother's Day on March 10th this year.

[nelyos-right-hand]

Re: fandom disagreements about Elwing/Fëanorians/whoever - what irks me here is that none of this was a problem for years when it was a common practice to piss on Elwing and various other female characters, but when people start defending them and acting in the same way against their rivals, people are suddenly amazed at how much it sucks to have your faves hated even in their tags. I don't think it's in itself a sign of misogyny to dislike Elwing or someone else, but when the fandom comes up with completely unfounded ideas in order to villainize these women while woobifying and explaining away the actual canon crimes of male characters, one can't help but draw some conclusions. So let's talk more when this fandom learns to respect women.

Hey Anon, thanks for writing me!

One thing I should probably say in advance: When I talk about "fans should be nice to each other in the kidnap fam/Elwing corner" I meant both Elwing and kidnap fam fans, I hope it didn't sound like I was only criticising the Elwing side, because that really wasn't my intention. I also only mean a small minority of people, and I don't know you, but since you came here to talk civilly about it and explain your issues, I assume you're not one of them, so I hope you didn't feel offended.

I absolutely understand your frustration, and I know that it's not easy for Elwing fans in the fandom; liking Elwing isn't a hot take anymore, but it's also far from mainstream. Nobody likes it when a person they love is portrayed negatively, and you have every right to defend her.

On the topic of disliking Elwing and misogyny - There might very well be misogynistic people in the fandom. It's actually rather likely. There're probably also racists in the fandom. This is the internet, and it's never completely free of idiots. And even though we can't change that, that's of course still not a good thing. But I don't think it's possible to identify those people based on their opinions on characters. The reason for that is that the characters we like don't mirror our moral compass. If Maedhros was a real person, he should go to prison for the rest of his life, and I would never even come close to defending him, but as a fictional character I can like him. It's like dark romance: No one would actually date their murderous stalker, but it's nice to read about it in a book.

Now, I'm not saying that there aren't any fans who dislike Elwing out of misogynistic reasons, only that I'm not in the position to judge that. And while I don't actually know any of the people in this fandom personally, I have met many very nice people, for example my beloved mutals, and some of them like and others dislike Elwing, and I do feel the need to defend them; There might be bad people in this fandom, but most of those I have interacted with are absolutely wonderful.

But I'm getting off topic and sappy. I think whether or not we have the right to draw conclusions based on these kind of things is a rather philosophical and complex question, so I get it if you disagree. The problem I addressed in my post also wasn't really about whether some people out there are misogynistic, but that some people say "Everyone who likes/dislikes Elwing is a bad person" and that's wrong and hurtful.

Now, this post has gotten way longer and chaotic than I was planning (I'm so sorry for rambling, I have to get that under control), so maybe a short summary: You're right that Elwing has been hated for many years and that it's good that her fans are standing up for her, you're also right that it sucks to only hear negative things about the characters you love. I don't think we can draw conclusions on people's moral compass based on their opinions on characters, but that's a rather complex question. What's important to me is that we treat each other with respect, don't insult others because they like/dislike a character we don't, and accept it when someone has different views on something.

I hope this helped/adressed your issues/answered your question. If not, or if I maybe misunderstood you, or something else, feel free to contact me again, I found it very interesting to hear your opinion on this and it helped me understand some things!

[papirouge]

NEVER forget despite what pathological liars say, mainstream medias were in their vast majority, pro Amber.

Social media/the people, on the other hand, was siding with Johnny.

That's why so many pro Amber freaked out at the actual hate movement against Amber : they simply cannot stomach the fact that media don't control people anymore and that the common citizen can now make their own voice heard (no pun intended) loud and clear.

It was very interesting to see pro Heard complain about "the media circus" surrounding this case, as if the "society of spectacle" wasn't already a well documented observation of modern communications dynamics for the last few decades - and most importantly, not exclusive to the Depp v Heard case or society's (alleged) rampant misogyny.....

They precisely act like legacy medias which, feeling their power & influence significantly lowering by the time, attempt to remove any credibility to grassroot reinfo movement, calling them conspiracy theorists, fake news, etc.

... this reminds you of something? Pro Heard obsessively called the movement in support of Johnny "PR smear campaign" or bots. It wouldn't remotely occur to them that Johnny Depp overwhelming support in the general public was genuine, and could be rationally explained by the fact he's been one of Hollywood's most popular actor for decades with iconic roles (Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sleepy Hollow, Cry Baby, etc.) and mostly importantly interpreted one of Disney live action movie most beloved character: Jack Sparrow. Heard was a literally a 'who' next to him, which explains why she would never be able to leverage support in such a conflicting case (so no, it doesn't necessarily has to be misogyny)

They are obsessed in controlling the narrative, even if that means lying consistently about factual reality.

Look at them obsessively keeping tabs on whoever liked Johnny Depp first post trial Instagram post, and making entire lists off of them to be canceled....

Unsurprisingly they also suddenly started cussing out popular jury who aren't "law professionals" just because the court decision didn't give the ruling they expected... Those activists pretending to care about the people are actually the biggest elitists.

Their coping about "the tide is turning" or "I can't wait for the documentary exposing how we all wronged Amber Heard" never fails making me wonder: "who's the we?" Mainstream media were and are still in their vast majority pro Heard. The general public? They mostly moved on and rejoiced at Depp winning his case. They will never apologize or feel sorry for Heard because they don't think she deserves any apology. People don't owe nothing to celebrities. Crime of thought or opinion isn't a thing.

This is the internet: Amber Heard is not the first, last, or the only laughing stock it collectively decided to pick on for any season. And the internet will never feel sorry. Deal with it.

Tbh I also blame the #freebritney movement that made too many of you believe that TMZ and paparazzi harassing celebrities represented regular citizens and that people actively sought out to ruin her... Zoomers don't seem to grasp early 00s people were much more removed from "field reportreport" as we are today, which means they had a more apathetic perspective on celebrity struggles. If media decided to milk this repentance shtick regarding their collective coverage of Britney antics back then to revamp their image, that's on them, but expecting this dynamic onto random people (not media news) who didn't have any say on media narrative is wishful thinking....

Amber Heard is none of your friend, sister, wife or mother. None of you know her. None of you talked to her, and never will. So it's weird to me how some of you are hellbent acting like we owed anything to her.

Why elevating your parasocial involvement in a millionaire celebrity civil case as a cautionary tale for ALL women?

[mrsbsmooth]

Scripts - S7 - Episode 33 (Part 1 of 2)

Finale announcement up until eavesdropping

NARRATOR: Well, here we are. The Islanders have made it to the final!

NARRATOR: Not bragging, but technically I’ve made it to the final of every series.

NARRATOR: Does it count when you live in a shed and can’t get voted off or dumped?

NARRATOR: It’s not for me to say. But, yes! It counts.

NARRATOR: But the real question is who’s about to be crowned our winners?

UMA_SURPRISED: Oh my goodness!

UMA_HAPPY: We’re in the final!

{0}_SURPRISED: It’s all happening at once.

{0}_IDLE: You holding up ok, {1}?

Uma turns to check on you.

UMA_SURPRISED: Oh yeah, I can’t tell if your eyes are happy, or nervous?

I’m beyond excited!

PLAYER_HAPPY: I’ll tell my eyes to show it.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Trust me though, I’m excited and thankful to be here!

UMA_HAPPY: Yay!

{0}_HAPPY: I’m excited and thankful too.

{0}_HAPPY: To be here with you.

Help, I’m so nervous

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: Ugh, people. I’m so nervous, is my eye twitching?

UMA_SURPRISED: No, you’re fine, girl.

UMA_HAPPY: You got this.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m with you, every step of the way.

I’m actually pretty cool

PLAYER_IDLE: Cool as a cranberry, cucumber is too mainstream.

UMA_HAPPY: You write your own rules, {0}.

{0}_HAPPY: That’s what I like about you.

{0}_IDLE: I’m glad you’re feeling cool, makes me feel a little more chilled out.

PLAYER_HAPPY: How are you feeling, Uma?

UMA_HAPPY: Excited, excited?

{0}_HAPPY: Excited.

{0}_HAPPY: Woah, we said it too many times, excited doesn’t sound like a word anymore.

UMA_HAPPY: Elated, exuberant, ecstatic!

PLAYER_HAPPY: You’re really branching out with all those E words.

UMA_HAPPY: Oh yeah!

UMA_IDLE: I’ll stop.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: I’ll be honest, I’m nervous.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: You and me both.

{0}_IDLE: We’ve definitely had our ups and downs in here.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: Like one big ol’ extended roller coaster.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: I don’t know how people will react to that.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

{0}_IDLE: I’m not sure people will stick to the idea of us.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: We’re such a fresh couple.

{0}_HAPPY: Fresh outta the kitchen.

{0}_HAPPY: Part-baked cookies!

{0}_EMBARRASSED: But you’re the cookie everyone will like…

{0}_IDLE: And I’m the frosty cookie.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: I’ve been bringing the drama, let’s not lie.

{0}_IDLE: I’m the only day one girl left in here too.

{0}_HAPPY: So I’m feeling happy to have made it this far.

{0}_SAD: But sad that my OGs aren’t by my side.

{0}_IDLE: No offence, girls.

VICKY_HAPPY: None taken.

We’ve got your back

PLAYER_HAPPY: For real, we’re here for you.

PLAYER_IDLE: If anyone comes for you, they come for us.

PLAYER_IDLE: I know we’ve had our… Moments shall we call them.

PLAYER_HAPPY: But you’re one of my girls.

{0}_HAPPY: That actually means the world to me.

I’m offended

PLAYER_IDLE: They didn’t make it. We did.

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: Bringing them up just feels odd at this stage.

PLAYER_IDLE: We’ve all been through so much since then.

{0}_IDLE: They were my girls.

{0}_IDLE: They were a huge part of my villa journey.

You’ll see them again soon!

PLAYER_IDLE: They’ll be waiting for you, I’m sure.

PLAYER_HAPPY: You can have the cutest little reunion.

{0}_SAD: I’m getting emotional just thinking about it.

{0}_HAPPY: We’re all lucky to be here together.

VICKY_HAPPY: Agreed, let’s make the most of the time we have left.

{0}_HAPPY: We’re all lucky to be here together.

VICKY_HAPPY: Agreed, let’s make the most of the time we have left.

{0}_HAPPY: {1}, let’s steal some alone time quickly.

PLAYER_HAPPY: That sounds like a plan.

You and {0} slip away to the swing seat together.

You and {0} perch beside one another. The swing seat rocks gently back and forth, the light summer breeze plays over your faces.

You share a moment of quiet as you listen to the sounds of the audience gathering outside of the villa.

{0}_IDLE: I wish we could stay like this.

{0}_IDLE: Everything happened so fast between us.

{0}_IDLE: It feels like we haven’t had much time to just chill together like this.

{0}_IDLE: I could never get tired of being still with you.

PLAYER_IDLE: For real?

{0}_HAPPY: Yeah, just bathing in the glow of your company.

{0}_HAPPY: There’s something so special about that feeling.

{0}_HAPPY: Ah, I know that sounds sappy.

{0}_IDLE: But I have to tell the truth around you, {1}.

{0}_FLIRTY: So expect a lot more sappiness.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Tree sap too?

{0}_HAPPY: You know me so well.

{0}_HAPPY: Who’d have thought it though.

PLAYER_HAPPY: What?

{0}_FLIRTY: Bryson the bundle of energy.

{0}_HAPPY: Sitting and chilling before the final of Love Island!

{0}_FLIRTY: With the girl of his actual dreams.

{0}_HAPPY: Can’t really beat it.

{0}_IDLE: You’ve really done it though, {1}.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: What did I do?

{0}_HAPPY: You see straight through me.

{0}_IDLE: You see the real me.

{0}_HAPPY: I never thought I’d be in this situation.

PLAYER_IDLE: What situation is that?

{0}_FLIRTY: Sitting with the most perfect girl I’ve ever met…

{0}_IDLE: Waiting for the results of the Love Island final!

{0}_HAPPY: I have to say this to you. I’ve never met anyone like you.

{0}_IDLE: I don’t think I ever will again.

{0}_IDLE: The only time I feel really calm is when I’m with you.

PLAYER_IDLE: Why’s that?

{0}_EMBARRASSED: Well, I know I can be a lot, energy-wise.

{0}_HAPPY: But when I’m with you, I’m just focussed on appreciating you.

{0}_IDLE: I guess that’s it.

{0}_HAPPY: You bring out the mature side in me.

{0}_IDLE: The grown Raf, who wants to be the best he can be, just for you.

{0}_HAPPY: You exude this light.

{0}_IDLE: I’m thinking ‘bout how I can keep myself in your sunbeam, you know?

PLAYER_HAPPY: I have a sunbeam? I don’t mind that.

{0}_HAPPY: You’re the most refreshing girl I’ve ever met.

{0}_IDLE: Sometimes there’s this pressure of having to be switched on all the time.

PLAYER_IDLE: Oh yeah?

{0}_HAPPY: But I feel like with you everything comes so naturally.

{0}_HAPPY: When we talk, the words just flow.

{0}_IDLE: I don’t have to think hard about what I want to say.

{0}_HAPPY: It grounds me, you know.

{0}_IDLE: It’s like you’re the only one who can do that for me.

{0}_HAPPY: I hear you in my thoughts.

{0}_IDLE: What am I saying?

{0}_HAPPY: Earth to Bonnie.

{0}_IDLE: And I fall back down to be beside you.

{0}_HAPPY: I feel pretty Zen right here, right now.

{0}_IDLE: Even though everything could be about to change.

PLAYER_IDLE: It is gonna be strange.

{0}_HAPPY: I have this feeling that we’ll be fine though, whatever happens.

{0}_IDLE: We’re kinda meant to be, you and me.

{0}_HAPPY: That’s what my brain says anyway.

{0}_IDLE: I interrupted our peace!

{0}_IDLE: Shall we just take a few more minutes to be in the moment together?

Breathe in the moment

PLAYER_HAPPY: Yes, let’s breathe deep together.

PLAYER_IDLE: That will make us feel super calm.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m all for it.

You both breathe long and deep, rocking the swing seat with your feet. Your breathing becomes synchronised.

{0}_IDLE: I needed that.

Touch in the moment

PLAYER_HAPPY: Sure, I’m gonna just rest my head on your shoulder.

{0}_HAPPY: Sounds like perfection to me.

You sway gently on the swing seat, your head resting on {0}’s shoulder.

{0}_IDLE: Feels like time has stopped here with you.

Dismiss the moment

PLAYER_IDLE: I’ve got too much energy for all this calm talk right now.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m not surprised.

{0}_HAPPY: We’re in the final!

{0}_HAPPY: You said you were excited, right?

PLAYER_HAPPY: I’m buzzing!

{0}_IDLE: I am too, don’t get me wrong.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: But the sounds of the crowd are making it feel a bit more real for me.

{0}_IDLE: How do you think they’ll react to us when we get out there?

{0}_IDLE: You said you were nervous, right?

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: That hasn’t faded away yet.

{0}_IDLE: When we get out there, if the nerves don’t fade…

{0}_IDLE: Just look at me, I’ll be there. I’ll sense it.

{0}_IDLE: Sure, this is new.

{0}_IDLE: But I’ve been here in the villa with you, {1}.

{0}_HAPPY: I know you.

{0}_IDLE: It’s you and me.

{0}_HAPPY: At the end of it, that’s all that matters.

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: I can hear that crowd though.

{0}_HAPPY: They’re definitely having fun out there.

{0}_IDLE: How do you think they’ll react to us?

{0}_HAPPY: You said you felt cool about it all, right?

PLAYER_HAPPY: I’m still breezy.

{0}_IDLE: Me too, mostly.

PLAYER_IDLE: Mostly?

{0}_EMBARRASSED: The sounds of the crowd are making it feel a bit more real for me.

{0}_IDLE: How do you think they’ll react to us when we get out there?

They’re gonna love us!

PLAYER_HAPPY: Oh, I know for sure they’re gonna love us!

{0}_EMBARRASSED: I’m not so sure.

{0}_IDLE: I feel like people might not like that we’re so new.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: And that we might have broken a couple of people’s hearts on the way here.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: Are you kidding!? We took a risk, that’s exciting.

PLAYER_HAPPY: I think people will recognise that.

{0}_HAPPY: They’ll love you, of course they will.

{0}_IDLE: I just hope they love us as a couple too.

I’m not sure they’ll like us

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: Actually, I don’t think we’ll be the favourites.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: That’s because of me.

{0}_IDLE: If you had stayed with {1} maybe you’d feel differently.

{0}_IDLE: They’re still gonna love you, {1}.

{0}_HAPPY: Everybody does.

{0}_IDLE: Hey now! They’ll love you, of course they will.

{0}_IDLE: We’re awesome together, hopefully they can see that too.

It’s hard to tell

PLAYER_IDLE: I really can’t tell, if I’m honest.

PLAYER_IDLE: You just never know how it’s all gonna go down.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: It could go either way.

{0}_IDLE: Maybe people will love how exciting our story is.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: Or they might focus on the people we left behind in all of this.

{0}_HAPPY: They’ll love you, of course they will.

{0}_IDLE: I just hope they love us as a couple too.

They’ll love me!

PLAYER_FLIRTY: They’ll adore me!

PLAYER_HAPPY: I’m confident about that.

{0}_FLIRTY: As you should be.

{0}_IDLE: I just hope they like us together too.

All of a sudden, a ping interrupts your conversation.

You hear a squeal from across the lawn.

UMA_SURPRISED: I’ve got a text!

LITEXT: Islanders, it’s time to make your way over to the firepit for the final results! {0}YouGotThis {1}WinningCouple

You and {0} exchange a look.

{0}_HAPPY: You ready?

PLAYER_IDLE: Ready as I’ll ever be.

{0}_IDLE: I’m here. We’ve got this.

{0} offers you his hand.

{0} offers you her hand.

Hold hands

You reach out and take {0}’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Let’s do this.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m so lucky.

Link arms

You slip your arm through and link arms with {0} instead.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Let’s do this.

{0}_HAPPY: Me and you.

Walk by yourself

PLAYER_IDLE: I gotta be strong by myself, thanks.

You stride out, just ahead of {0}.

{0}_IDLE: I’m here if you need me, {1}.

You and {0} exchange a look.

{0}_HAPPY: You ready?

PLAYER_IDLE: Ready as I’ll ever be.

{0}_IDLE: I’m here. We’ve got this.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: What’s up, Uma? We’re just on our way over.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I actually need to speak to you real quick, {0}.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: Sure, ok.

You wait to hear what she has to say.

She glances awkwardly at {0}

UMA_IDLE: Alone…

{0}_SURPRISED: Oh, right.

{0}_IDLE: I’ll be waiting for you over at the firepit.

{0} hesitates slightly, glancing at you, before strolling off.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I’m sorry about this.

PLAYER_IDLE: Are you ok?

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Argh, I’m so nervous.

PLAYER_IDLE: Well that’s natural, girl!

UMA_IDLE: Not just because of the final though.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: What is it then? You’re being super cryptic.

UMA_IDLE: I did something.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Something sort of scandalous.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: Really? Like what?

UMA_IDLE: Nobody else knows about it, I mean <i>nobody</i> whatsoever.

UMA_SAD: It’s all gonna come out when we leave the villa.

UMA_IDLE: I just really need your advice, {0}.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Sorry to spring this on you.

UMA_IDLE: You’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Help a girl out?

*You better fill me in!

PLAYER_IDLE: Sure, I can help.

PLAYER_IDLE: You seem super stressed, I’m sure whatever it is can’t be that bad…

PLAYER_HAPPY: Right?

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Oh, {0}. Please don’t judge me.

Not right now

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: We’re just about to hear the results.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Trust me I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I really messed up.

UMA_IDLE: You’re my best girl, I could use your wisdom.

*Ok, Uma, let’s chat

PLAYER_IDLE: Sure, I can help.

PLAYER_IDLE: You seem super stressed, I’m sure whatever it is can’t be that bad…

PLAYER_HAPPY: Right?

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Oh, {0}. Please don’t judge me.

No, we should go

PLAYER_IDLE: I think we should join the others.

PLAYER_IDLE: We don’t really have time for this.

UMA_SAD: Ok, {0}.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I just hope it doesn’t all come out at the wrong time.

PLAYER_IDLE: So come on, spill it!

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I’m serious though, please try not to judge me.

I wouldn’t judge

PLAYER_SURPRISED: No judgement here!

PLAYER_HAPPY: I’m a safe space.

UMA_HAPPY: That’s a relief, honestly.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I’ve had it on my mind for aaaaages now.

UMA_IDLE: I actually have to spill it.

I can be a bit judgemental

PLAYER_IDLE: I won’t sugarcoat it, Uma.

PLAYER_IDLE: I can be a bit judgemental.

PLAYER_IDLE: But I’m here to listen, sooooo… Go for it.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Thanks for being honest.

UMA_IDLE: It’s probably good that I’ve got a girl like you to call me out.

UMA_HAPPY: Far better than a false friend.

Depends what you did

PLAYER_IDLE: It really depends on what you did, I guess.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: There are some cases where I’d draw the line.

UMA_IDLE: Of course, I get that.

UMA_IDLE: It’s good that I have a friend like you to call me out.

UMA_HAPPY: Far better than a false friend.

UMA_IDLE: Alright, I’ll stop stalling.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Actually, hey wanna give each other complete rundowns of our lives so far?

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Chapter one, Uma’s baby years…

PLAYER_IDLE: You ain’t getting out of this one that easy.

PLAYER_IDLE: Come on. It’s probably nothing.

PLAYER_IDLE: You’ve said it yourself, sometimes you don’t know how to read certain situations.

UMA_IDLE: That is true.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: But, I don’t know. I think this situation is pretty clear-cut.

Uma takes a deep breath.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Oh screw it.

UMA_IDLE: I slept with Travis.

UMA_IDLE: I slept with Evan.

Over the top reaction

PLAYER_SURPRISED: What in the-!!!!!

You fan your face and drop to your knees briefly.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: No actual way!

PLAYER_SURPRISED: I cannot right now.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Oh no, {0}, don’t.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I told you it was awful!

Shocked reaction

PLAYER_SURPRISED: Oh wow, I wasn’t expecting that at all.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: I’m shook.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Aww, see. I told you it was bad.

Chilled reaction

PLAYER_IDLE: Is that it?

PLAYER_IDLE: I was expecting worse than that.

UMA_SURPRISED: What, really?!

PLAYER_IDLE: Yah, you had really built it up.

PLAYER_IDLE: When and how though?

UMA_EMBARRASSED: It was pretty soon after he first arrived.

UMA_IDLE: Before he chose to steal you, of course.

UMA_IDLE: It wasn’t that long after Stick or Twist.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: We had a bit of raw chemistry.

UMA_IDLE: Everyone was distracted. I walked in on him coming out of the shower.

UMA_FLIRTY: He had a towel on, but there was this moment between us.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: Woah.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: He looked so fine.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I was really horny, he was really horny.

UMA_IDLE: It was sort of the equivalent of a one-night-stand here in the villa.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: It happened so fast.

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: Ummmm, ew…

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Not like that!

UMA_IDLE: We both felt really surprised after.

UMA_IDLE: Neither of us could believe it actually happened.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: We played into the whole wild Love Island experience and got carried away.

UMA_IDLE: It shouldn’t have happened.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Especially because {0} liked me enough to twist with me.

UMA_SAD: Ugh.

UMA_IDLE: There wasn’t any chemistry between us after that one time.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: It just became suuuper awkward.

UMA_IDLE: So we sorta tried to pretend that it never happened.

UMA_SAD: I felt pretty bad about it.

UMA_IDLE: That’s probably why I was so bothered about the whole Excess Baggage thing.

UMA_SAD: I don’t make a habit of things like this.

That is kinda hypocritical

PLAYER_IDLE: Hmm, you did act really hurt after that challenge.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: We weren’t a proper couple, we’d really only just met.

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: I guess...

UMA_SURPRISED: You sound unsure. We weren’t exclusive.

UMA_SAD: I was overcompensating for sure, but I didn’t cheat on him.

You didn’t cheat on him

PLAYER_IDLE: It wasn’t cheating if you two weren’t together.

UMA_IDLE: That’s what I thought!

UMA_SAD: It wasn’t the best choice I’ve ever made, but it doesn’t make me a cheat.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I don’t want to ruin the final for everybody.

UMA_IDLE: What do you think I should do?

UMA_HAPPY: You’re my beacon of wisdom.

Tell him right away

PLAYER_IDLE: I mean, surely it's better to tell him now.

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: You don’t want to go into anything real until you’re honest with him.

UMA_IDLE: Exactly, I just don’t know if I’m brave enough to tell him here.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: The fallout could be huge.

Tell him when we’re outta here

PLAYER_IDLE: I would wait, tell him when you’re both out of here.

PLAYER_IDLE: Then you can sit down with him and be sensitive about it.

UMA_IDLE: Maybe you’re right.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Things could get a little messy if I dropped a bombshell like that.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: My thoughts exactly.

Keep quiet

PLAYER_IDLE: Don’t tell him. He’s happy, you’re happy. No drama.

UMA_SAD: I don’t think that could work.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: It’s all gonna come out when we leave here.

UMA_IDLE: It’ll be unavoidable.

I got no idea

PLAYER_IDLE: You are in quite the predicament, girl.

PLAYER_IDLE: I can’t help you. I haven’t got a clue what you should do.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: Ohhhhh, that’s ok. I’ve got to be a grown-up and figure it out by myself.

UMA_HAPPY: Just getting it off my chest is a huge relief though.

UMA_IDLE: Sorry to drop this on you.

UMA_HAPPY: I appreciate you more than you know.

UMA_IDLE: I’ll have a little think about it all.

PLAYER_IDLE: I’m sure you’ll figure out what to do.

UMA_SURPRISED: Oh, they’re all waiting for us!

PLAYER_SURPRISED: We should go, before they drop the winners and we’re not there!

You and Uma head towards the firepit together.

You stand beside {0}. The orange glow of the firepit lights up your faces.

{0} turns to you and smiles.

Affection and excitement shines from his eyes. He lowers his voice and whispers to you.

Affection and excitement shines from her eyes. She lowers her voice and whispers to you.

{0}_HAPPY: This is it.

{0}_IDLE: I just have to tell you something quickly, {1}.

PLAYER_IDLE: What is it?

{0}_HAPPY: This, you and me, has been a whirlwind.

{0}_IDLE: But I don’t care about the results, as long as I’m walking out of here with you.

{0}_HAPPY: Meeting you is all I ever could’ve wanted, no matter what names get read out.

Aww, I feel the same

PLAYER_HAPPY: That’s so romantic, I feel exactly the same.

PLAYER_HAPPY: You and me, that’s all I really want.

{0}_HAPPY: You’re all that matters to me right now.

Yeah, but I wanna win

PLAYER_HAPPY: That’s nice and everything, but I wanna win too!

PLAYER_IDLE: That’s not a crime, right?

{0}_HAPPY: Not at all!

{0}_HAPPY: It would be cool to win. Life-changing even.

{0}_IDLE: But I’m just saying, you’re more important to me.

Shh!

PLAYER_SURPRISED: Shush, they’re about to reveal the results!

{0}_EMBARRASSED: Sorry, just had to let you know.

{0}_IDLE: In case you didn’t already.

{0}_FLIRTY: I’ll stop.

UMA_IDLE: Good luck, everybody!

BONNIE_HAPPY: You’re all great. Good luck.

VICKY_HAPPY: Good luck, people.

EVAN_HAPPY: Good luck, happy people.

VICKY_HAPPY: Whew, good luck.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: Good luck, all.

VICKY_HAPPY: Whew, good luck.

{0}_HAPPY: Good luck, guys!

Wish everyone good luck

PLAYER_HAPPY: Good luck to all of you!

PLAYER_HAPPY: We’re all so lucky to have made it this far.

{0} flashes you an adoring grin.

{0}_HAPPY: We really are.

Stay quiet

You stay silent. Nobody notices, there’s too much nervous energy in the air.

You can hear the buzz of the crowd from outside the villa. The Islanders are all still and quiet. Waiting…

A phone pings.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: That was mine!

LITEXT: Islanders, the results are in! The couple finishing in fourth place is…

LITEXT: Bonnie and Travis!

BONNIE_HAPPY: Aww, yay!

TRAVIS_HAPPY: Makes perfect sense.

BONNIE_IDLE: We don’t have those love viiiibes.

BONNIE_HAPPY: So yeah, it does.

Bonnie and Travis give each other a quick hug and an enthusiastic high five.

UMA_HAPPY: You two are awesome!

VICKY_HAPPY: I’ll miss ya, my bombshell buddy.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: Aww, I’ll miss you too! We made quite an impact, I’d like to think.

VICKY_HAPPY: We sure did.

BONNIE_HAPPY: Catch you all on the other side.

I’ll miss you, Bonnie

PLAYER_HAPPY: Ohhh, I’m definitely gonna miss you, Bon-Bon.

BONNIE_HAPPY: I’m gonna miss you too!

BONNIE_HAPPY: I know things didn’t work out between us, but I’m glad to call you my friend.

BONNIE_HAPPY: I’m so glad to call you my friend.

Give her a hug

PLAYER_HAPPY: Come here, Bonnie.

You and Bonnie share a warm hug, you notice that Bonnie’s eyes look a little watery.

BONNIE_HAPPY: You know what?

PLAYER_HAPPY: What?

BONNIE_HAPPY: I reckon we’ll work together.

BONNIE_HAPPY: Conservationist, animal rights campaigner…

BONNIE_HAPPY: Plus both Love Island finalists!

BONNIE_IDLE: There are definitely good collaborations in our future.

PLAYER_HAPPY: You might be right there.

Wave her off

PLAYER_HAPPY: Bye, Bonnie.

You give her a friendly little wave.

BONNIE_HAPPY: Goodbye, {0}.

Maybe I’ll see you

PLAYER_IDLE: Maybe I’ll see you both on the outside.

BONNIE_SURPRISED: Maybe?

BONNIE_HAPPY: Not sure you’ll be able to escape us that easily, {0}.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: We’ll be popping up when you least expect it.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: Out to dinner? Oops there’s Bonnie and Travis!

BONNIE_HAPPY: At a party? Oh look who it is, it’s Bonnie and Travis!

PLAYER_HAPPY: Ok, ok, you’ve made your point.

PLAYER_IDLE: See ya round then, you two.

You won’t be seeing me

PLAYER_IDLE: Probably won’t see you.

BONNIE_SURPRISED: Really?

PLAYER_IDLE: Life is gonna be busy.

BONNIE_IDLE: Of course, but we’ll have reunions?

TRAVIS_HAPPY: And surely a group chat?

PLAYER_IDLE: I don’t know about all that.

BONNIE_IDLE: We’ll just have to see then.

BONNIE_HAPPY: Bye, gang.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: See you all real soon.

Bonnie and Travis wave and head out of the villa.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: Shall we skip?

BONNIE_HAPPY: Oh heck yeah.

They link arms and skip off together, you hear the crowd cheer.

LITEXT: Islanders, the results are in! The couple finishing in fourth place is…

LITEXT: Vicky and {0}!

VICKY_HAPPY: Fourth place? I’ll take that!

{0}_HAPPY: Not bad at all.

Vicky and {0} share a sweet embrace.

UMA_HAPPY: You two are awesome!

TRAVIS_HAPPY: I’ll miss ya, my bombshell buddy.

VICKY_HAPPY: Aww, I’ll miss you too! We made quite an impact, I’d like to think.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: We sure did.

BONNIE_HAPPY: Catch you all on the other side.

I’ll miss you, both

PLAYER_HAPPY: Ohhh, I’m definitely gonna miss you, Bon-Bon, Vicky.

BONNIE_HAPPY: I’m gonna miss you too!

VICKY_HAPPY: Oh for sure.

BONNIE_HAPPY: I know things didn’t work out between us, but I’m glad to call you my friend.

BONNIE_HAPPY: I’m so glad to call you my friend.

Give them both a hug

PLAYER_HAPPY: Come here, both of you.

You share a warm hug with both Vicky and Bonnie. You notice that Bonnie’s eyes look a little watery.

BONNIE_SAD: I’m not about to cry, swear down.

VICKY_HAPPY: Awww, I got you, Bonnie.

BONNIE_HAPPY: You know what?

PLAYER_HAPPY: What?

BONNIE_HAPPY: I reckon we’ll work together.

BONNIE_HAPPY: Conservationist, animal rights campaigner…

BONNIE_HAPPY: Plus both Love Island finalists!

BONNIE_IDLE: There are definitely good collaborations in our future.

PLAYER_HAPPY: You might be right there.

VICKY_HAPPY: Can I come too? I wanna see some whales!

BONNIE_HAPPY: I’d love that.

Wave them both off

PLAYER_HAPPY: Bye Vicky, bye Bonnie.

You give them a friendly little wave.

BONNIE_HAPPY: Goodbye, {0}.

VICKY_HAPPY: Later, {0}.

Maybe I’ll see you

PLAYER_IDLE: Maybe I’ll see you both on the outside.

BONNIE_SURPRISED: Maybe?

BONNIE_HAPPY: Not sure you’ll be able to escape us that easily, {0}.

VICKY_HAPPY: We’ll be popping up when you least expect it.

VICKY_HAPPY: Out to dinner? Oops there’s Vicky and Bonnie!

BONNIE_HAPPY: At a party? Oh look who it is, it’s Vicky and Bonnie!

PLAYER_HAPPY: Ok, ok, you’ve made your point.

PLAYER_IDLE: See ya round then, you two.

You won’t be seeing me

PLAYER_IDLE: Probably won’t see you.

BONNIE_SURPRISED: Really?

PLAYER_IDLE: Life is gonna be busy.

BONNIE_IDLE: Of course, but we’ll have reunions?

VICKY_HAPPY: And surely a group chat?

PLAYER_IDLE: I don’t know about all that.

BONNIE_IDLE: We’ll just have to see then.

BONNIE_HAPPY: Bye, gang.

VICKY_HAPPY: See you all real soon.

Bonnie and Vicky wave and head out of the villa to a chorus of cheers.

VICKY_HAPPY: I’m happy to finish with my bombshell partner by my side.

UMA_HAPPY: Cuties!

TRAVIS_HAPPY: Seems like the perfect ending, right?

VICKY_HAPPY: Right!

Vicky smiles at you.

VICKY_HAPPY: We had some fun, {0}.

VICKY_IDLE: You’re an incredible girl, thanks for being part of my experience.

Thanks for being part of mine

PLAYER_HAPPY: I wouldn’t change it, even though it was kinda unexpected.

VICKY_HAPPY: I’m glad you can look at it that way.

VICKY_HAPPY: Even though we weren't the one for each other…

VICKY_HAPPY: I definitely consider you to be my friend.

I had no choice really

PLAYER_IDLE: You stole me, I didn’t have a choice…

VICKY_IDLE: That’s true.

VICKY_HAPPY: But you were a huge part of my journey, so there’s that.

Travis smiles at you.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: We had some fun, {0}.

TRAVIS_IDLE: You’re an incredible girl, thanks for being part of my experience.

Thanks for being part of mine

PLAYER_HAPPY: I wouldn’t change it, even though it was kinda unexpected.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: I’m glad you can look at it that way.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: Even though we weren’t the one for each other…

TRAVIS_HAPPY: I definitely consider you to be my friend.

I had no choice really

PLAYER_IDLE: You stole me, I didn’t have a choice…

TRAVIS_IDLE: That’s true.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: But you were a huge part of my journey, can’t be denied.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: Shall we get outta here?

VICKY_HAPPY: Thought you’d never ask.

VICKY_HAPPY: I’m ready for that crowd to cheer my name.

Vicky and Travis give everyone a final wave.

They stroll out of the villa. You hear the crowd let out a big cheer.

UMA_HAPPY: You two are awesome!

TRAVIS_HAPPY: I’ll miss ya, my bombshell buddy.

VICKY_HAPPY: Aww, I’ll miss you too! We made quite an impact, I’d like to think.

TRAVIS_HAPPY: We sure did.

VICKY_HAPPY: We smashed it, Evan!

EVAN_HAPPY: And who knows what the future holds for us.

EVAN_FLIRTY: Well actually, first you’ve got to let me paint you.

VICKY_FLIRTY: You better do a good job, there’s a whole lot of beauty to capture here…

EVAN_HAPPY: I have faith in myself.

Evan lowers his voice whilst the others are saying goodbye to Vicky.

EVAN_IDLE: I just wanted to thank you, {0}.

PLAYER_IDLE: How come?

EVAN_IDLE: You were a big part of my experience.

EVAN_FLIRTY: I think you’re a beautiful, vibrant girl.

EVAN_HAPPY: And I wish you a whole lot of success and happiness.

Right back at you, Evan

PLAYER_HAPPY: You deserve the best, you’re a wonderful guy.

PLAYER_HAPPY: I’m so glad to have met you.

EVAN_HAPPY: That means a lot to me, I’m sure we’ll see each other again.

Vicky is right there!

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: Stop talking to me! She’s your girl, right?

EVAN_EMBARRASSED: I wasn’t trying anything, {0}.

EVAN_IDLE: Just wanted to let you know that you meant something to me.

I forgot about our history

PLAYER_IDLE: Yeah, I had forgotten all of that.

PLAYER_HAPPY: We clearly weren’t made for each other.

EVAN_EMBARRASSED: You’d forgotten?

EVAN_IDLE: I’ll try not to be too offended.

EVAN_HAPPY: As long as you’re happy.

VICKY_HAPPY: See ya, gang.

EVAN_HAPPY: Laters, beautiful people.

Hug them both

Vicky and Evan come round to you.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Get in here Vicky.

You pull her into a hug.

VICKY_HAPPY: I’m gonna miss you! You’re a very special girl. Don’t you forget it.

PLAYER_HAPPY: I’ll miss you too.

You give Evan a quick squeeze too.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Treat her well.

EVAN_HAPPY: Don’t you worry, I will.

Wave them off

PLAYER_IDLE: Bye, you two.

You wave along with the others.

VICKY_HAPPY: See ya, {0}.

EVAN_HAPPY: Later, {0}.

EVAN_HAPPY: Shall we get outta here?

VICKY_HAPPY: Thought you’d never ask.

VICKY_HAPPY: I’m ready for that crowd to cheer my name.

Vicky and Evan give everyone a final wave.

They stroll out of the villa. You hear the crowd let out a big cheer.

Silence falls again.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I wonder who’s gonna be-

A phone pings.

UMA_SURPRISED: Oh! That was my phone.

LITEXT: Islanders, the couple in third place is…

LITEXT: {0} and {1}!

{0}_HAPPY: Oh wow! Third place.

{0}_HAPPY: With my day one guy!

She smiles and throws her arms round {0}’s neck, kissing him on the cheek.

{0}_HAPPY: We did amazing!

He glances over at you, his eyes searching for emotion on your face.

Congrats, you two!

PLAYER_HAPPY: Aww, look at you two! Congratulations!

PLAYER_HAPPY: I’m happy for you.

{0}_HAPPY: We’ve had our beef in here, {1}, but it means a lot to hear you say that.

{0}_HAPPY: Thank you, {1}.

It won’t last

PLAYER_IDLE: Enjoy it whilst you can, you two. This ain’t gonna last.

PLAYER_IDLE: Just being honest.

{0}_IDLE: That’s just your opinion, I’ll take it with a pinch of salt.

{0} says nothing.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: Aren’t you gonna defend us, {1}?

{0}_EMBARRASSED: Sure, you never know what the future will bring, I guess.

{0}_HAPPY: That’s amazing! Considering how fresh of a couple we are.

{0}_HAPPY: It is! Maybe there are big things in the future for us.

UMA_HAPPY: Hug time!

She dashes over and embraces {0} and {1}.

UMA_HAPPY: You did great.

{0}_HAPPY: Thanks, Uma.

{0} turns to address you and {1}.

{0}_IDLE: Good luck, you two. You deserve to go all the way.

Say goodbye nicely with a hug

PLAYER_HAPPY: Thanks. Hug it out?

{0}_HAPPY: Absolutely.

You give her a big hug.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Look after yourself out there.

{0}_HAPPY: You too.

{0}_HAPPY: You have such a beautiful heart, {1}.

Say goodbye sassily

PLAYER_IDLE: Yeah, we do deserve to go all the way…

PLAYER_IDLE: Despite all your best efforts to get in our way.

PLAYER_IDLE: So, excuse me for not wanting to do a heartfelt goodbye…

{0}_EMBARRASSED: I was jealous, I’ll admit.

{0}_IDLE: You did cause a lot of trouble for us.

{0}_IDLE: I know.

Say goodbye neutrally

PLAYER_IDLE: Goodbye, {0}.

You smile at her cordially.

{0}_IDLE: Bye-bye, {1}.

She smiles back.

{0}_IDLE: You’ve got such a beautiful heart, {1}.

{0} turns to you.

{0}_IDLE: Good luck. I’m genuinely sorry for all the beef.

Say goodbye nicely with a hug

PLAYER_HAPPY: Thanks. Hug it out?

{0}_HAPPY: Absolutely.

You give her a big hug.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Look after yourself out there.

{0}_HAPPY: You too.

{0}_HAPPY: You have such a beautiful heart, {1}.

Say goodbye sassily

PLAYER_IDLE: Yeah, whatever, {0}.

PLAYER_IDLE: You always had it in for me.

PLAYER_IDLE: So, excuse me for not wanting to do a heartfelt goodbye…

{0}_EMBARRASSED: I was jealous, I’ll admit.

PLAYER_IDLE: You did cause a lot of trouble for me.

{0}_IDLE: I know.

Say goodbye neutrally

PLAYER_IDLE: Goodbye, {0}.

You smile at her cordially.

{0}_IDLE: Bye-bye, {1}.

She smiles back.

{0}_IDLE: You’ve got such a beautiful heart, {1}.

You all watch as {0} and {1} leave the villa, hand-in-hand.

UMA_HAPPY: And then there were two!

UMA_IDLE: Two couples, that is…

PLAYER_SURPRISED: This is it!

{0}_HAPPY: We’re either first, or runners-up, guys!

{0}_HAPPY: We made it.

{0}_HAPPY: Any second now…

{0}_IDLE: Just remember this, {1}.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m so happy to be here with you.

Before you can reply, a phone pings!

UMA_SURPRISED: That was me!

{0}_EMBARRASSED: Here we go!

LITEXT: {0} and {1}, Uma and {2}, congratulations on being the final two couples...

You all exchange nervous glances, waiting for the next text to come through…

LITEXT: The winners of this year’s Love Island are…

The anticipation builds with every passing second.

LITEXT: Uma and {0}!

UMA_SURPRISED: No way!

UMA_HAPPY: Is this real?

{0}_HAPPY: It’s real! I just pinched myself.

Uma screams and throws herself into {0}’s arms. She kisses him so hard that he stumbles backwards slightly.

{0}_IDLE: Incredible, well done you two.

He glances at you guiltily.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: I thought that this might be the outcome.

{0}_IDLE: You ok, {1}?

I’m so happy for you, Uma

PLAYER_HAPPY: I’m honestly so happy for you, Uma, {0}. You two deserve it.

A flash of guilt appears in Uma’s eyes but then quickly disappears.

UMA_HAPPY: Thank you, my best girl!

UMA_IDLE: I really did think it would have been you!

This is a joke

PLAYER_ANGRY: I actually can’t believe it. We deserved the win so much more.

A flash of guilt appears in Uma’s eyes but then quickly disappears.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: I really thought you would win.

UMA_IDLE: I think it might have something to do with you changing partners…

{0}_EMBARRASSED: I reckon so. Might’ve thrown some people off.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: That’s what I was thinking, it’s my fault.

{0}_IDLE: I really never cared about winning though, {1}.

{0}_IDLE: I just care about you.

I expected this too

PLAYER_IDLE: Yeah, I saw this coming.

PLAYER_EMBARRASSED: Changing partners at the last minute was a bold thing to do, I guess.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: That’s what I was thinking, it’s my fault.

{0}_IDLE: I really never cared about winning though, {1}.

{0}_IDLE: I just care about you.

UMA_IDLE: I’m sure they love you out there, I really thought you were gonna win!

UMA_HAPPY: I’m so nervous!

{0}_HAPPY: Oh you don’t need to be, I’m about to own this interview.

{0}_FLIRTY: Bryson style…

{0}_HAPPY: I’ll be right there with you, my arm round you the whole time.

UMA_HAPPY: That makes me feel better!

Your phone pings.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: I’ve got a text!

LITEXT: {0}, {1}, you are our Love Island runners-up.

LITEXT: Please leave the villa and get ready to greet a very special VIP guest for your interview and best bits… {0}MysteryGuest {1}YourBestBits

UMA_HAPPY: Go out there and absolutely smash it, {0}.

UMA_HAPPY: The cheers are going to be so loud, I’m going to cover my ears already!

Hug Uma and leave

PLAYER_HAPPY: I need an Uma hug before I go.

UMA_HAPPY: With pleasure!

You throw your arms around one another and rock from side-to-side in your embrace.

UMA_HAPPY: Love ya, {0}.

UMA_SAD: I’m so glad you’re not cross with me.

PLAYER_IDLE: Nah, I just wanted to win, that’s all.

Leave with sass

PLAYER_IDLE: I’m clearly too much for this villa.

PLAYER_IDLE: Later, people.

UMA_SAD: Goodbye, {0}.

UMA_IDLE: I’ll be seeing you, I just know it.

Leave with humility

PLAYER_IDLE: Goodbye, you two.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Nail that interview.

PLAYER_IDLE: Be there for each other.

UMA_HAPPY: Bye, {0}. I miss you already.

{0}_HAPPY: See ya.

{0}_HAPPY: Let’s get out of here.

PLAYER_IDLE: I’m ready!

You hold your head high and leave the villa, with {0} by your side.

You can hear Uma and {0} cheering you on from back at the firepit.

You brace yourself for the audience reaction…

PLAYER_SURPRISED: That was me!

{0}_HAPPY: Here we go!

UMA_HAPPY: Ooooh!

{0}_HAPPY: Whatever happens, you’re it for me, {1}.

LITEXT: {0} and {1}, Uma and {2}, congratulations on being the final two couples...

You all exchange nervous glances, waiting for the next text to come through…

LITEXT: The winners of this year’s Love Island are…

The anticipation builds with every passing second.

LITEXT: {0} and {1}!

UMA_HAPPY: I knew it!

{0}_HAPPY: Aww man. I’m so happy for you both.

Jump into {0}’s arms for a kiss

PLAYER_HAPPY: We won! We actually won!

You jump into {0}’s arms and kiss him passionately, all your joy and excitement contained in this one beautiful moment.

You jump into {0}’s arms and kiss her passionately, all your joy and excitement contained in this one beautiful moment.

{0}_HAPPY: Woah, I’m giddy.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m going to remember this moment forever.

Give {0} a celebratory hug

PLAYER_HAPPY: We did it! We won!

You hug {0} tenderly, all your joy and excitement contained in this one beautiful moment.

{0}_HAPPY: I knew we would, just because of you.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m going to treasure this moment forever.

Celebrate by yourself

PLAYER_HAPPY: A winner?! Me!

You punch the air in solo celebration.

{0} laughs.

{0}_HAPPY: Do your thing, {1}. I know you well enough to know when you need your moment.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m going to treasure that smile on your face forever though.

Remain calm

PLAYER_IDLE: Pretty cool, pretty cool.

{0}_HAPPY: Look at you with that calm energy.

{0}_HAPPY: I see you smiling though.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m going to treasure this moment forever.

UMA_HAPPY: It’s interview time for us now. I gotta hug you, {0}!

Of course!

PLAYER_HAPPY: Yes, you do! Come here, girl.

You throw your arms around one another and rock from side-to-side in your embrace.

UMA_HAPPY: Love ya, {0}. So unbelievably happy for you.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Thank you, Uma. You better give ‘em sauce in that interview.

UMA_EMBARRASSED: As long as I manage to make it through without being too awkward…

PLAYER_HAPPY: You’ll be fine.

No thanks, Uma

PLAYER_IDLE: Nah, you gotta get out there.

PLAYER_IDLE: They’re waiting for you.

UMA_SURPRISED: You’re right!

UMA_HAPPY: See you both real soon.

{0}_HAPPY: Bring it in, {1}.

{0} and {1} share a massive hug.

You wave goodbye, watching as {0} puts an arm around Uma and leads her off into the distance.

The crowd lets out a huge cheer!

{0}_HAPPY: It’ll be us next!

{0}_IDLE: Uma’s right, they’re going to cheer so loud for you.

{0}_HAPPY: I’m just gonna step back and let you take it all in.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Aww, they’ll be cheering for both of us.

Your phone pings.

{0}_HAPPY: It’s time…

LITEXT: {0} and {1}, you are our Love Island winners!

LITEXT: Please leave the villa and get ready to greet a very special VIP guest for your best bits and the ultimate final choice… {0}YourBestBits {1}LoveOrWhat?

{0}_HAPPY: We’re ready, we’ve got this.

{0}_HAPPY: Together.

PLAYER_HAPPY: Let’s go!

You strut confidently out of the villa with {0} by your side.

You brace yourself for the audience reaction…

You and {0} wait just beyond the stage, none of the audience can see you yet.

You can see Uma and {0} chatting and smiling with a familiar looking brunette bombshell…

{0}_SURPRISED: Is that Ivy?

PLAYER_SURPRISED: From last season?!

{0}_SURPRISED: Looks like it.

You struggle to make out what she’s saying.

PLAYER_IDLE: I can’t hear her, like at all.

{0}_EMBARRASSED: Me neither, gutted.

Suddenly, a mischievous grin spreads slowly across {0}’s face.

{0}_FLIRTY: What’s stopping us from moving closer to have a little eavesdrop, eh?

PLAYER_FLIRTY: You’re feeling mischievous are you?

{0}_FLIRTY: Absolutely.

You recognise an awkward look in Uma’s eyes.

{0}_FLIRTY: Looks like she’s about to spill some serious tea?

{0}_FLIRTY: Let’s listen in?

*Let’s do it!

PLAYER_FLIRTY: I’m so down, I want to hear all the gossip…

{0}_HAPPY: This is why we’re made for each other.

You and {0} keep low as you creep closer to the stage.

I don’t think we should

PLAYER_IDLE: Aren’t we supposed to stay here?

{0}_FLIRTY: We’re the winners, surely we’re allowed to have a sneaky little listen.

{0}_SURPRISED: Oh!

PLAYER_SURPRISED: What?

{0}_SURPRISED: I just about heard Uma drop your name.

PLAYER_SURPRISED: Did you?

{0}_SURPRISED: Looks like this is going to be juicy.

{0}_FLIRTY: You sure you don’t want to listen in?

*Actually, let’s listen in!

PLAYER_FLIRTY: I’m so down, I want to hear all the gossip…

{0}_HAPPY: This is why we’re made for each other.

You and {0} keep low as you creep closer to the stage.

Let’s miss the scoop

PLAYER_IDLE: No, let’s just chill here and wait for our own interview.

{0}_HAPPY: Of course, I’m so excited to stand up there with you.

{0}_FLIRTY: I’ve just got all this excess energy, I’ll simmer down though, promise.

[olderthannetfic]

Something that frustrates me about the Harry Potter conversation is a lot of people missing the point behind the motivation to boycott it. They seem weirdly focused on the content of HP when it's actually... not that bad? It's not perfect, in fact a lot of aspects are pretty fucking problematic and worthy of discussion, but not uniquely so by the standards of the fantasy genre. Yes, I know the goblins are clearly drawing on anti-semitic tropes. Yes, the house elf situation is fucked. Yes, lots of not-like-other-girls-style misogyny. Yes, Cho Chang was a fucking disaster of racism. I KNOW THIS ALREADY! I'm not an idiot and Harry Potter fans were talking about this for far longer than JKR has been a TERF. But I'm also a fan of the Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age and the Witcher and a shitton of isekai anime and tons of other fantasy medias which are so much worse. Harry Potter is only moderately problematic by the standards of most popular fantasy media, especially for the mainstream standards of the time period it was written. Worthy of criticism, but not dropping it entirely. And actually reading HP and looking back at JKR's behaviour at the time, much of it seems largely unintentional, just that JKR drew on a lot of fantasy tropes that she didn't properly examine as well as her own unexamined biases and she had some flawed understandings of progressivism that were fair for its day but don't fly now, but doesn't seem malicious. The actual authorial intent at least seems to be pretty progressive at least, even if the execution wasn't the best. And sure, it's not a masterwork but there's a reason it connected to so many people, even if a lot of it was luck and timing. We don't have to ignore that and doing so feels dishonest.

I'm just so annoyed when people try to shit on the contents because they're missing the point and confuse the actual problem in a way that weakens their argument. I don't give Harry Potter money anymore because JKR crossed some lines for me in real life, totally separate from Harry Potter as a piece of media, and I don't want to fund her bullshit because she is so influential it is hurting people. The content of her books is utterly irrelevant to this decision. She could have penned a goddamn magnum opus and it wouldn't have mattered. So I'm sick of people bringing up books that are "better" or ragging on the contents of Harry Potter because none of that is the point and never was the point and it comes across as just taking advantage of a shitty situations to dunk on a popular thing or those who enjoyed it. Yeah, it was a mediocre fantasy series. But it hit the right emotional escapist buttons in a lot of kids even if it had the moral nuance and depth of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles anti-drug PSA. Having to drop it sucked for a lot of people because it can't be replaced and yelling about how bad the writing was doesn't change that because it never was about quality. JKR's TERF transformation was in many ways a betrayal of JKR's intended audience considering how the text preached acceptance and love and starred an abused, unwanted child getting to go to magic school where he's special. Pretending Harry Potter should be dropped because its content has issues obscures the actual problem of a raging transphobic having money and influence and that not everything created by bad people is poor quality so boycotts might require giving up access to things you actually like or are valuable and that's not always an easy decision to make.

JKR was a probably decent person with fairly liberal politics when she wrote Harry Potter. The books, while imperfect, are not more horrible or full of problems a dozen other popular fantasy properties. JKR become a TERF later in life and while she may have had ingrained transphobia prior to this when she wrote Harry Potter, that is not the same as the virulent hate-movement she's part of now and we should recognize how easy it is for people to get drawn into hate-movements. Any argument to boycott should be about how she's using her money and influence to affect real life laws and attitudes unless you want to try and get people to also drop half the fantasy genre.

--

[betty-bourgeoisie]

It's kind of a weird thing to me that as popular and mainstream (read marketable) as Wicca has become in the last few years, people often still get very uncomfortable when I mention the fact that I was raised Pagan and within a Pagan church. Like the witchcraft aesthetic that you can buy at a gift shop is all fine and good, but the second people actually have to aknowledge that there are real established spiritual communities around some of this stuff they really don't like it anymore.

If I tell someone I'm a witch I'm just some edgy college girl. If I tell someone I'm Pagan they suddenly want to know if I cannibalize baby's (real question I have been asked within the last year). As a kid who grew up being taught never to wear my pentacle outside my shirt, and who, on the few occasions that it did fall out into public view, got enough classmates threatening to beat me with a Bible that I know my parents weren't just being dramatic, it's kind of a weird place to be.

On the one hand the aesthetics of Pagan worship that I was taught to hide for so long are actually cool now. I can wear my pentacle outside my shirt and it's not a problem! I can leave out my athame when guests come over, and while people might try to touch it (which is very rude btw, you shouldn't touch peoples magical tools or altars even if they are left out) it's not going to end in accusations of devil worship. I can mention doing a tarot reading to a coworker now and it will be considered a normal, work appropriate topic. These are all very new developments.

A lot of the energy work practices I was taught as a little Pagan kid are also like... legitimate, academically recognized mental health practices now (you would not fucking believe how many college professors I've seen do grounding and centering walk throughs while firmly refusing to call it that). Which is kind of cool even if it does put me in a weird position of watching the same classmates that wanted to beat me up for my religion in middle school begrudgingly, and often mockingly, follow a professors directions as they walk through what was essentially my childhood bedtime routine as a group.

But the other side of this is that actual Pagan religions, while maybe slightly more understood now, are still seen as fundamentaly illegitimate. If you worship the Greek pantheon for example, you're usually viewed as a satanist or some nerd with a Percy Jackson fixation, not someone with a serious religious path that needs to be protected and accommodated by society at large.

Have you ever tried telling your employer that you need to take Halloween of because it's one of your most important religious holidays? I have, and they usually think I'm joking the first time. Have you ever had to argue with a CPS case worker that your religious community is in fact safe for children, and that a child in their care should be allowed to attend worship? I have, but I know for a fact that none of my Christian friends, even those who are members of the clergy, have ever had to.

The question of where it's safe to be openly Pagan is so much more blured now than it used to be. My religious identity and community have always been so important to me, and it is so exhausting to section off that part of my identity into the bits that mainstream capitalist society finds marketable, and therefore acceptable. Like I know it's technically progress, but it really doesn't feel that way sometimes.

[fuckleupbucklehead]

oh my god also the META-reading of all these characters questioning "is this real?"

because most of us as audience members are normal people hyperaware of the lives of the ultra wealthy and famous because it's constantly shoved in our faces in media (and social media!) despite the fact that we're not intimately familiar with what that life is actually like.

when we see each of these characters, we know exactly who they are on the surface level because we were seeing these kinds of people in the news during the Trump administration* and because we recognize these people immediately, this feels real. and saying "wealth corrupts" isn't new. showing how wealth corrupts isn't new. but one of the things we don't get from the news that i think many of us as sympathetic people are secretly hungry for is an explanation of how a person could possibly end up this fucked up.

so we're turning to a dramatic show for that explanation, and the only reason we can tolerate paying attention to these people is because we're seeing the most intimate parts of their suffering, and we want it to be real because we might want to understand even when we don't want to agree with or condone it. and of course, we also like to see them suffer because that suffering is not usually public. (that's why comedians were/are so obsessed with Trump's children and how he doesn't pay attention to them. it's pathetic and sad, and it's confirmation that these people are miserable, which is the one comfort we get even knowing that they're making OUR lives miserable in a much more substantial & systemic way.)

honestly, "you're not real. you're not a real person." took me out of the episode, but i liked that. because ken's right: roman is not a real person. that's the only reason i can stand to look at him and still feel pity after the baseball scene, and the waiter scene, and the rocket launch, and this heinous shit with mencken. i can only handle him because i know the people writing his dialogue are taking the shit they've heard from real life and dialing it up to satirical extremes so that it doesn't hurt so bad.

anyways, none of this is real, and all of it is. i hope that made sense.

*btw all of these people are still around and fucking us over. we just aren't SEEING it visibly as much anymore in mainstream non-Fox media because there's slightly less appetite for giving those fuckers air time

[masterthespianduchovny]

Some people gon be mad at me, but I gotta say it...

Some Scully fans don't understand Scully or her relationship/feelings with/for Mulder.

Scully's relationship with Mulder is this utterly pure thing that is grounded by how much she genuinely cares, respects, and supports him as a person. When you understand Scully's perception of Mulder in this view, seeing her as some long suffering woman doesn't make any sense.

Most of the time Scully sacrifices or choosing Mulder isn't based on romantic feelings, it's based in moral and ethical values and what she holds important. The show sets this up early.

In Squeeze, Tom asks "who's side are you on" and Scully says, "the victim."

This coincides with the side Mulder is on.

Tom was obstructing the case due to his on bias and hatred of Mulder. Despite Mulder's pettiness, Scully understands that Mulder will always prioritize the victim. She chose justice (Mulder) over pettiness (Tom).

When Scully declines a second date with the single father, she's choosing knowledge and curiosity over romance and her personal life.

Interestingly enough, Mulder never asked her to choose him. He's always asked her to be honest about the truth, but he never put her in that situation to prioritize him over her own professional goals or personal life. In fact, he would've understood if she did and said as much.

So when I say some Scully fans don't understand Scully, I'm not being insulting or intentionally rude, I'm saying they're overlooking small character moments that inform her characterization throughout the series.

Scully was not only a workaholic, she LOVED her work. And there wasn't just an obligation to Mulder, it was to the victims as well. I often think about how in this universe, if Mulder and Scully hadn't investigated these cases, either no one would've or it would've never been solved. It must've been something Scully also thought about as well.

Scully mentioned a few times that she joined the FBI to make a difference. Not for prestige or make a name for herself, but to make a difference. She didn't throw away her career for Mulder, she was exactly where she wanted to be. Those other cases handled by mainstream agents were always going to be investigated and solved (if possible), but x file cases?

There's a reason Mulder was called from bumfuck, Kansas or backwoods, West Virginia. There was no one else. Her and Mulder were the only two who took these things seriously.

But also, Scully genuinely genuinely cared for Mulder. Not because she wanted to fuck him, thought he was hot, or really wanted to date him. She enjoyed him as a person. Like truly. After working with him, understanding this beliefs, and meeting many victims, the x files became her passion project too. She attached herself to Mulder because there was no one alive she respected more than him. Someone who stood by their convictions regardless of what others thought to the betterment of people besides him.

He had his flaws, but the great parts of Mulder truly outshined the worst parts of him.

People often overlook how much the x files and her experience changed Scully. The deadpan, straight to the point Scully we know and love came to fruition in season 5. Believe me, I checked. Remember, Scully used to be goofy, open, and free. Then she was abducted, given cancer, kidnapped, sister killed over mistaken identity, etc. That changes a person.

But none of this is Mulder's fault. Mulder changed her in the best way possible. He opened her mind up and challenged her--it was intellectual. Those other things I mentioned made Scully pull within herself and close off. It made her guarded. So suffered so much emotional and mental and literal physical trauma.

As a result, her social interactions changed.

As a reminder, she became a workaholic because of her passion for the x files and she enjoyed it. Then to add on to that, her work was wild as hell, hard to explain, and some of it classified. Scully lived such a unique experience that regularly interacting with others would've been frustrating, exhausting, and her having a sense of feeling misunderstood. And dating would've been a minefield.

Thing is: Scully didn't mind this change to her life. This isn't to say that Scully didn't want or have any friends, it's to say that she didn't strive to have a booming social life nor did she care. Again, she VOLUNTARILY became a workaholic and threw away a normal life for paranormal shit. Someone who does that isn't trying to meet friends for happy hour on Friday or planning to have serious relationships any time soon.

Not only that, some people live lives like this right now and have incredibly fulfilling lives. Some people just work and have one or two friends and they're living their best lives. The idea that just because Scully doesn't have an active dating life and a circle of friends she regularly talks to means that her life is dour is so flawed.

Scully's eventual dissatisfaction with her life was rooted in her believing she should want things that she didn't want. Scully could've walked away. She could've said enough, instead she kept finding reasons to stay because she wanted to be on the x files. And it's quite clear that you can't work on the x files and have a normal life. She didn't want both, she wanted the life that she chose.

At that time, Scully was unable to articulate just how much she wanted to be with Mulder, which is why she positions, "Don't you want to get out of the car?"

She wanted moments of normalcy with him.

And it isn't just because Mulder gets that life because he lives it, its because Scully is actually in love with Mulder for who he is. She's seen Mulder at his best and at his worst and loves every part of him.

Whatever feelings Scully had for Mulder in the past that she pushed away, she couldn't do it anymore. She loved Mulder in a way she couldn't put into words. It was the truest feeling she ever felt, the most sincere thing and she hadn't realized it yet. Then, when she does, it takes them time to get there because Mulder is literally the most important person in her life.

Which seeds were planted back in season 2. In "Little Green Men" (I think), the thought of not working with Mulder saddened Scully because it meant she wouldn't get to see and talk to him. Mulder made a huge impression on her and became important to her very quickly.

So imagine 5-7 years down the road...embracing this feeling and the thought of losing Mulder if things went south would've been devastating for Scully. She wouldn't lose just a partner, she'd lose a best friend too.

Because she genuinely cared for him and he's her literal best friend.

The love Scully feels for Mulder surpasses known definitions of romantic love because her feelings aren't centered in that. She loves him on levels that most people can't imagine. Scully cares for Mulder so much and she shows that by listening to him and protecting him even if Mulder doesn't think he needs protection. She validates him and doesn't trivialize his beliefs even when she doesn't agree with them. It doesn't matter who the person is, Scully will always go to bat for Mulder because he only ever had himself and he needs to someone to say "hey, you're not alone and you're taken seriously."

I bring this up to say, the idea that Mulder doesn't deserve Scully when Scully clearly wants him is flawed. The idea that Mulder should be lucky that Scully "puts up" with him is flawed. The idea that Scully would ever tell Mulder as such or anything resembling (and stressing how she could've been happy with this perfect other man) is flawed. Those first two things are categorically wrong and the last is something Scully would never do because she loves Mulder and that is harmful. Scully would never tell Mulder something that would harm him or that she believed could.

All Things is so pivotal because Scully stops concerning herself with what she believe she should want and embracing what she actually wants: investigating x files and living an unconventional life with Mulder.

Scully wants that.

Not dating around, girls night, or frequent intimate get togethers with her family. She wants to investigate haunted houses on Christmas Eve and discover invisible bodies and help victims find justice.

After her and Mulder get together, she's committed to him. She waited so long to be with him that even while he was in hiding, she never considered dating anyone else. Emotionally and spiritually, she'd been married to him. Now that they'd been together, she didn't want anyone else but him.

Like there's so many layers to this, which hasn't even taken the "like a switch" speech. Or her reaction to Diana, which had multiple levels--romantic, platonic, and professional.

Lastly, the idea that Scully was waiting around for Mulder (to ask her out) is such a basic take. Scully wasn't waiting on Mulder, she prioritized their working relationship over romance AND she knew Mulder had his own stuff going on with himself. Even if she had wanted to date then, she didn't fault Mulder for not asking her out. All the shit he'd been through and was going through, Scully was more concerned about his emotional well-being opposed to upset that he hadn't pursued her.

Although I do get the criticism and the desire for Scully to date, have on screen friends, and shit, it just doesn't track with what we've seen and know of Scully.

Like, this woman almost went on the run with Mulder after knowing him for 2-3 years. They only reason they didn't was because she wanted to see her sister who'd been shot. The reason she almost went on the run was due to moral and ethical reasons and not romance, however, my point is that Scully's convictions and priorities is why her life was the way it was and that's the way she wanted it to be. She then went on the run with him when she didn't have to, but we know she would because 1. his sentence was an injustice (we know how Scully feels about justice) 2. she was madly in love with him and refused to continue living her life without him.

Once again, Scully is discarding any notion of normalcy because she didn't want it and hadn't wanted it since getting assigned to the x files.

And that's on that.

(And it's why I object to the characterization of their relationship in IWTB and seasons 10 and 11. Although it's fine and makes sense for their relationship to have issues at times, the writers handled it so cavalierly and without thought. You cannot have the backbone of the show in a romantic falling out and not address it--not really. They don't try to genuinely deal with such a situation because it's melodrama, but my question is: why introduce it in the first place. If it isn't worth being addressed, it's not worth being introduced. Mulder and Scully had a chat or two, but it was so superficial and lacked teeth. It's not that I wanted the show to focus on them romantically, I just want the show to not bullshit or half ass shit they're introducing and bringing up is all.)

[inmyarmswrappedin]

i am catching up on some of your posts from yesterday and i wanted to add that i don’t think that the remakes have exactly tarnished og skam, but maybe more like watered it down in some viewers’ eyes? a lot of people saw og skam as unique in its format and way of portraying teens along with important topics. but after three years of the same stories being repeated across the remakes, it seems like some people have just gotten tired of those same stories and that then gets translated into people forgetting that they were actually new and unique when just og skam was airing. i don’t know if that makes sense? the stories got wrung dry, honestly. which is why i so wish that the remakes had just used the skam format and told their own stories, so that the universe could expand in terms of who is being represented and also so that og skam could just stand on its own once again.

Hi anon! 🍒 This is an interesting ask (btw thanks for the thoughtful asks you guys have been sending me all this time! I genuinely enjoy not just reading your asks, but giving them a platform and discussing them). I feel you in some aspects, but maybe not others.

I agree that the remakes have watered Skam down for some viewers, but I wouldn't say they have watered down the stories per se. I think it's more, like, for some people Skam is simply a show that drops in clips during the week with yellow timestamps and a lead character. That is all that Skam is and nothing else. But if you've been reading my tumblr long enough, you might've caught discussions about how Skam made use of the illusion of "realism" to actually show idealism and hope. However, for some viewers, Wtfock is just as realistic as Skam even when it is continually cruel and disdainful towards its characters. This is a way in which (certain) remakes have watered down Skam, because Skam had a very specific mission statement and feel and intention, that people don't think it's an essential part of Skam that should be kept throughout the versions. And this also goes for aspects like showing a character's vulnerability, for instance. (@lightsandlostbells explained how that was lost in some remakes because they cast actors who, simply put, were too old and self-aware to convey teenage vulnerability anymore.)

I also feel like Skam was really good at finding very specific and personal moments that hadn't really been shown on mainstream TV before, like Isak taking that gay quiz for instance. That was the first time I saw a gay character do that on a piece of media, and yet soooo many people resonated with it! It's small stuff like Noora losing her shit over the fish cakes, which was such a poignant portrayal of controlling one's intake of food not to lose weight (as EDs are often portrayed on TV), but to have control over something when your life is unraveling. I feel like this kind of scenes came about as a result of the extensive research NRK did before sitting down to write the show, like I genuinely feel they listened to the people they interviewed and sought to be accurate and respectful of their experiences. (However limited by their own views as white feminists/white moderates they were.) The remakes, for the most part, have lost these small moments, because they're more focused on dropping as many clips as possible to keep tags alive, more focused on having lots of things going on, maybe to make up for shorter, less intimate clips.

This is how I feel the remakes have watered down Skam (and tbf, the extent to which the remakes have watered down Skam varies as far as I'm concerned, like I don't place Druck and eskam and Austin with Wtfock, France or Italia, and I don't think anyone will be surprised there). Because I think if the remakes had focused on truth over spectacle, I genuinely feel people wouldn't be as tired nor the stories as wrung dry. I feel like they focused more on telling the story than telling the emotional truth behind the story.

At any rate, I feel like if a story is adapted well, it can be adapted over and over and over. Like, how many versions of Romeo and Juliet are out there? Or Pride and Prejudice? But not every version of these stories is equal, which I also feel was something the wider Skams fandom had issues with facing for a while. Like, it was kind of verboten to like one remake more than another, and even more so to like a remake better than Skam. (And for as much as this ask is all about how the remakes watered Skam down... Here's the thing: Some people like those remakes better anyway. And that's fine!)

You could say, "well, people don't just mainline 8 versions of P&P in a single year, maybe those stories would be wrung dry if people did." And like, while I do think all the remakes try to capture international fandom to a bigger or lesser extent, or at least enjoy the international attention... I also don't think any team is expecting people to watch all 8 versions lol. I don't think all that many people involved with a Skam (whether crew or cast) has watched all 8 versions with all of its seasons. So like, that's on us for feeling like we have to watch everything or we're somehow being unfair to a remake or another. And it certainly doesn't help when stans of a particular remake will be like, "well, you're just looking for reasons to dislike this remake, Sander forgave Robbe so idk why you're still talking about it!!" as if I had some sort of vendetta against the Belgians or some shit.

I do miss Skam (or when Skam was at its best rather, like I don't miss Noora's season lmao, though it had its small moments like I've mentioned), but I also feel like... Maybe the people who enjoy the "watered down" remakes never really enjoyed Skam for all that it was, but only certain elements of it. And like, I can certainly relate to that!! Because I definitely enjoyed certain elements of Skam while not liking some other aspects and liking how the remakes did them more (like, for instance, I MUCH prefer how eskam did Nora/Alejandro over Noorhelm and idc that it's "watered down" Skam and that we don't see as many small moments with Nora G as we did with Noora). And I get that Skam stans (or, like, evak stans, because I truly only see this sentiment about wishing that Skam hadn't been wrung dry from evak stans, sorry, I've never seen it from Noorhelm or Sana stans, and Mohnstad stans seem to be angrier that none of the remake P-Chrises capture Herman's raw sexuality (LMAOOOOOO) than anything else) got to have a fandom without comparisons to other evaks or without complaints that evak was too white, cis and male. Honestly, when people draw certain comparisons between Isak and a remake Isak, I too want to scream. But otoh, without the remakes, I wouldn't have David (or Shay, Jo, Cris, Joana, Eva V, Nora G, Amira N, Lucas R, and many others) so you know... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[eryiss]

Ship: Freed x Laxus [Fraxus]

Rating: Teen

Alternate Links: Fanfiction, Archive of our Own

Request: Something based off the official Rockband Raijinshuu art.

Summary: Being a rockstar, Laxus had to endure far too many chat shows. Usually he would grin and bear it, let the pointlessness of it roll off his back, but not this time. He was alone, forced to keep his budding relationship with Freed secret, and done with it. Fucking done with it all! But he had a way to fix it, and all it would take was a little courage.

Notes: This was a request by @fuckyeahfraxus. Just a warning, it has a bit of homophobia near the end, but nothing too vicious. I hope you enjoy it.

The Life Of A Song

Fuck chat shows. Fuck their hosts. Fuck their producers. Fuck their directors. Fuck their too-hot lighting, their stupid uncomfortable sofas, their tiny changing room's, their cramped green rooms with too many camera, their always cheering audiences and their utter lack of anything interesting or unique. Fuck the whole damn thing.

But Laxus' opinions on the matter weren't important. What did matter was that he smiled, laughed, told anecdotes and sat in a way that showed off his thighs and crotch just enough so that his Twitter stans - what a shitty word - made him trend once it was over.

Still, fuck chat shows.

This particular show, Late With Jase, was one of the worst. The host was young, overly enthusiastic, and his name was Jason rather than Jase which pissed Laxus off more than it should. He'd somehow dragged an audience of Netflix only watchers back to mainstream, with a mix of meme crap that Laxus cringed at, and celebrity gossip that would make a tabloid envious. But the ratings were skyrocketing, celebrities who went there usually got a boost in sales of their latest projects, and Laxus' manager had insisted he take his turn.

It would have been fine, were he not alone. If Ever, Bix and Freed were with him, they could take the responsibility and he could fade into the background. They had been a band for years, and that was how they always dealt with interviews. But they weren't there, because according to their management, Laxus was the moneymaker and all they needed.

"So Laxus," Jason turned in his chair to look at him. "Let's talk about Thunderstruck. What a success that's been? You must be thrilled.”

"It's doing well, yeah," Laxus nodded. He wanted to cringe at his words.

"It's doing more than well. You can hardly escape it," Jason laughed, and the crowd laughed with him. Laxus chuckled, even though he didn't find it funny. "But this is the first song that you've written, isn't it? And it's one of the most popular you've had. Must feel good."

"Well, it wasn't just me," Laxus swallowed slightly. "Everything we make is collaborative. Freed worked with the lyrics a lot, and Ever composed it."

"They're your bass player and electric guitar player, right?"

"I wouldn't call them mine," Laxus mumbled slightly.

There was a beat of awkward silence, and Laxus relished it just a little. Jason recovered quickly, which was annoying, and flashed a happy smile. Laxus would have preferred the man to stew in the uncomfortable silence, it would be a fitting response to him being dismissive of the band's contributions, but perhaps it was a childish way to think of things.

"Well we'll be hearing the song live at the end of the show," Jason continued, and Laxus' eyebrow twitched. The rest of the band were in the damn building and yet were being treated like shit. "But let's talk a bit about how you came to write it. Heavy rock and love songs have a troubled history, and you managed to make a hit out of it."

"Just lucky I guess," He shrugged. "Got good people around me too."

"Don't be so modest," Jason dismissed. Laxus wasn't being modest; luck was the dominant factor in successful music and without the band, Laxus would be fucked. "So, take us back. Where did the idea start."

"Well, hard to pinpoint I guess," Laxus murmured. "But, I suppose it was at the end of our last tour."

——

Performing live was indescribable. It was an assault on all his senses, in the very best way.

Everything was exhilarating. The feeling of vibrations on the stage, the cheers, roars and singing from the crowd, the sweat running down his back, the roar of his voice cutting through his throat as he sang. It all flowed through him, removing any sense of doubt or self consciousness he might have. On stage, before a stadium of fans, he was Laxus Fucking Dreyar. King, God and Dragon. Nothing was better.

They were on their last song of the set, a roaring anthem that the crowd could sing along to. It was thrilling to hear a song he'd worked on sung by thousands. Freed's words were being screamed at them, with the passion and love of their fan base. It was indescribable.

"We are The Thunder God's Tribe," Laxus yelled into the microphone as the instrumental began. The crowd roared in response.

Freed, Ever and Bix held the crowd's attention, and Laxus looked over the gathered mass of thousands. They were all there for them, because they loved them and wanted to experience them in person. A loud roar of appreciation cut through the stadium as Bickslow finished a drum solo that always brought the house down. How he managed to do that night after night while never screwing it up was beyond Laxus, but it was incredible.

Laxus sang the final verse, putting his whole heart into the performance. It was the last show of the tour, the last time they'd sing in front of a crowd like this for two years. He loved songwriting, but this was the best part of his work. The crowd, the music, the experience.

God he would miss this. This high. This buzz.

The lights died around them as the song ended, plunging them into darkness as the crowd roared their appreciation. The four of them could still see their fans as they cheered and yelled, and they took a few moments to appreciate it. He would miss this.

As they were taken from the stage, the adrenaline didn't waver. Laxus could run a marathon, deadlift any weight, swim any ocean in those moments. It was pure euphoria.

Evergreen trailed off to her dressing room first, scraping her nails down her bodyguard's chest before dragging him in with her. They were no longer pretending they were simply platonic anymore; Bickslow walking in on them must have removed any hope they could keep their relationship a secret. Good for them; Ever worked hard and deserved a big man to fill her bed.

Bix's groupies appeared out of nowhere, two men and a woman. They clung to the drummers bare chest instantly, and he cackled as he was dragged away for a night of depravity and booze. Laxus grinned; the party boy really had hit his stride this year.

Glancing at Freed, he saw the man looking equally amused.

A shared moment of eye contact sent a pulse of heat through Laxus. They stared at one another for a moment, and Laxus found his eyes crawling over Freed's shirtless torso without shame before he could stop it. Hard muscle and flexing abs were fully shown, and the heat in Laxus' face settled down lower. The rush of the performance was still running through him and he knew he wasn't in his right mind, but dammit Freed looked fucking hot in that moment. Tousled, sweating, shirtless; who could fucking resist that?

Laxus had always known Freed was hot. They spent hours upon hours together, it couldn't be missed. But he'd never thought too hard about it. You didn't fuck your badnmates. You didn't fuck your male bandmate.

And if he weren't coursing with adrenaline and dunk off of the cheers, he might have stopped.

With a stride, he surged forward and wrapped a hand around the back of Freed's neck. He pulled the man against him, pressing their lips together in a passionate, needy, energetic kiss. Freed dragged him back, pushing himself against the wall and taking Laxus with him. Hands were roaming over his chest, and Laxus groaned as they slid lower.

"Wait," Laxus whispered, pulling apart. A string of spit hung between them, and Laxus felt a twisted form of delight at it.

"What?" Freed asked, and his husky voice ran down Laxus' spine.

"We better take it inside," Laxus murmured, and Freed grinned.

They snuck into the nearest changing room, locking the door behind them. It was only in the next morning, when Laxus' mind was focused on something other than mindless, unadulterated pleasure, that he began writing a song. That he felt the need to write in a way that he'd never felt before.

Because kissing Freed was music. A high unmatched by anything else, and one that Laxus would find himself addicted to.

——

"And how did it come about?" Jason probed. "You've never written before. Did you find your muse?"

He had. But Jason didn't get to know it. Not that their manager would let it happen.

"Well, you know how bands work. You tour, make an album, then tour with the album," Laxus shrugged, reaching for his glass of water. "Your mind goes into production mode, I guess. You see things a little different, put a little creative spin on the things happening around you. Something struck me and I started writing," He laughed, awkward. "Not that interesting, really."

Not the fake story he'd been told to say, anyway.

The audience didn't seem to care about how crap the anecdote actually was, and applauded his words for some reason. Jason forced out a laugh, as if his statement had been a self-deprecating joke rather than a simple fact. What he'd been told to say wasn't interesting.

"Well, maybe you weren't struck by some divine intervention, but whatever happened it certainly worked out well," Jason continued, and the small screen beside him showed the album cover. Laxus hated the cover, it was just him. Not the four of them. It should be the four of them, or none of them at all. "It shot to the top of the charts and seems like it'll be there for a long time. That must feel good."

"It's incredible," Laxus agreed, and it was.

"So talk us through the writing process," Jason promoted, grinning. "I can't imagine you hunched over a desk night after night?"

"Well, the first draft only took a couple hours, really," Laxus confessed, blushing a little. The lights would cover it, but it was still embarrassing. "But me and Freed spent a couple nights together, and it became what you've been hearing."

——

"You always this tried?" Laxus chuckled, placing a takeout cup of coffee beside Freed.

The bassist blinked slowly up at Laxus, removing his face from its resting place against his arm. He glanced towards the coffee he'd been given with a thankful smile. Laxus smiled a little as Freed sat up straight, running a hand through his loose hair and letting it flow over his shoulders. He had bags under his eyes and a yawn split open his lips.

Laxus found himself slightly transfixed by the sight of Freed picking up the coffee, bringing it to his lips and drinking it in large gulps. His throat bobbed, pale skin stretching and chords tightening.

"Better to be tired that not focused," Freed smirked a little as he placed his coffee down.

"I think me looking at you is exactly the kinds focus we need," He grinned, and Freed chuckled.

The two of them were writing alone. After a fair amount of hesitation, Laxus had shown Freed the draft lyrics he'd written, and Freed had instantly presented ideas on how to fine tune it. He hadn't been patronising - nor had he teased Laxus about the fact he'd written a damn love song about him - and instead decided to encourage and help him make it a hit. They'd spent three subsequent nights in their studio, completely alone, and Laxus was loving it.

He'd never written a song before. Words weren't his forte, at least not the writing of them, and he much preferred to show passion through performance. But hours of Freed and him in the studio, bouncing ideas off each other, was thrilling.

Laxus suspected any time alone with Freed would be thrilling now.

Walking behind Freed to get to his own seat, Laxus leant down and pressed a soft kiss atop his head. Freed made a small sound and leant back against his chair to get closer to Laxus. He chuckled, ruffling Freed's hair slightly as he sat beside him.

"You made any progress?" Laxus asked, stretching slightly. He didn't miss Freed's eyes roaming over his chest. "What were you saying about being distracted."

"Until you wear looser fitting clothes, you don't get to talk about me being distracted," Freed smirked.

"Maybe I'd agree to that if I didn't know how uncomfortable those jeans you're wearing are," Laxus smirked. "Flatters the ass but crushes the balls, right? Regretting it yet?"

Freed didn't answer, but blushed a little and Laxus cackled.

They quickly fell into step, working on the song again. They were focusing on the second verse, which Laxus had dubbed the catalyst chapter. It had initially been a torrent of ways to describe how explosive his kiss with Freed had been - though names were vague enough for nobody to know that. With Freed's help, it had turned into a well written lyrical explanation to the first flushes of a romance. The burning passion, the fire between the two people, the erotic rush that could ignite from a simple glance. Watching Freed write, Laxus had to hope he was writing about his own feelings for Laxus.

He also had to stop himself from jumping the man, because Freed knew how to write a hot song. A really hot song…

Taking his espresso and gulping it down, Laxus looked away from his lover. Perhaps if Freed were anyone else - if he weren't a guy, or if he weren't in the band - Laxus might have given in and kissed him. He wanted to, but couldn't,

Once they'd been signed, te band had been given a long speech about how you couldn't screw your bandmate by their manager, how it could ruin things and screw up the dynamic. When Laxus had discovered he was bi, and wanted to come out as such, multiple crisis meetings were held. Not only had Laxus not been allowed to speak about his sexuality, with the risk of his contract being terminated immediate held over him, but he'd also been forced to stage pictures with a woman so he looked to be dating.

There had been backlash even then. His fans were vicious to the poor model, many seemed angry at him for supposedly betraying them by dating someone, it was fucking insane, and Laxus hadn't known hot to take it, but it had scared him off relationships for years.

So, he couldn't date. Definitely couldn't date bandmates. Certainly couldn't date men.

And knowing that, he'd still come back to Freed. Slept with him after their tour, then in the hotel later that night, they'd even fumbled about in the tour bus to the airport when everyone else was sleeping. They'd been in dates - or as close to dates two famous men could get - and a week prior had sat down and talked. They didn't care about the rules, because their budding romance was too damn good.

Never let it be said Laxus kept things comfortable for himself.

"Stop that," Freed scolded.

"Stop what?" Laxus asked, looking from the song and towards Freed.

"Torturing yourself," Freed explained, taking Laxus' hand and stroking it. "It'll do you know good. Certainly not when we're trying trying to write a ballad about the two of us."

"Sorry," Laxus hunched.

"Don't be, I think about it too," Freed admitted, leaning towards Laxus and against him. "But drowning in what ifs and self doubt is hardly going to make things better. We might as well enjoy what we have while it's still between the two of us, and deal with the fallout should it present itself.”

"You're right," Laxus nodded, blinking himself back into focus. "Not sure I can write tonight, though. Not in the mood."

"You don't want to write sonnets about how much you want me? Should I be offended?" Freed smirked, and Laxus laughed. "Or perhaps should I see it as a challenge to refocus your attention."

A hand ran down Laxus' inner thigh, and his breath hitched slightly. "Really?"

"Well, the song needs to be finished eventually," Freed hummed a little. "The sooner the better, I'd say. So getting your mind back on me seems the only thing that makes sense,"

"Really," Laxus tried to make his voice sound seductive, but Freed's wandering hand made him crack slightly. "H-how d'you think you'd do that."

"Well, let's say that in five minutes you find yourself in the instrument store down the hall," Freed mused aloud. "And let's say you find me already there, and I happen to be kneeling there waiting for you. Well, we can hardly be blamed if we find ourselves distracted."

Laxus swallowed. "Here? You sure?”

"There's no one around," Freed shrugged far too nonchalantly, and then grinned a devilishly handsome grin. "And I must admit, making you come undone in here has been a fantasy of mine," His hand squeezed Laxus thigh, before he stood up, and all flirtation was gone. "I should find a guitar, we can hardly write without practice. Perhaps I'll see you in there."

And then he was gone, walking away with his ass hugged perfectly in his jeans. All doubts about his future with Freed disappeared, replaced by the uncomfortable tightness in his boxers.

He found himself grinning, and a few minutes later he found himself in the instrument room, panting and moaning.

——

"It was pretty normal," Laxus continued, not looking to Jason. "We wrote, we practiced, we rewrote."

"Keeping your secrets close to your chest, I see," Jason laughed. "Now, speaking of secrets, the rumours have been flying on Twitter about who this is written about."

"I hadn't heard about that," Laxus tried to dismiss the statement.

"I'm sure you haven't," Jason nodded almost patronisingly, clearly not believing him. It was fair, Laxus supposed. #WhoIsThunderstruck did trend for a week. "But you have to admit, a virgin songwriter making something so powerful on their first try, and in a song so distant from anything else you've ever made, does seem to suggest maybe you've found someone to inspire you."

"I'm around a lot of talented people," Laxus shrugged. "They know how to make a hit."

He was squirming now, and not because of Jason. Their manager was seating in the front row of the live audience, and a quick glance his way showed Laxus a glare. This was a topic he had to avoid, because his fans needed to think the song was about them. It was patronising, Laxus thought, but they'd found success with their manager for a reason.

"So," Jason continued. "Have you found yourself a special lady?"

And then something ridiculous happened. Laxus found himself furious.

Such a simple statement, so innocuous and normal for Laxus' life, had opened the floodgates for Laxus. Because why had he assumed it would be a woman? Why had he assumed he could ask a question like that? Why was Laxus in a position where he couldn't answer something so simple when he really fucking wanted to?

Every ridiculous injustice seemed to swarm over him at once. How was it fair he had to parade himself on shows like this, on his own despite how his band deserved as much love and respect as he did? How was it fair that he'd known he wanted to be with a man for five years, and he'd never allowed himself to indulge before Freed? How was it fair that he'd been forced to endure meeting after meeting about how 'stupid' he was being for hooking up with Freed? How was it fair that he couldn't go out for a fucking pizza with his boyfriend without starting a ridiculous internet scandal? It was all so bullshit.

"Nah," Laxus answered, leaning back in his chair. The anger gave way to confidence; every interview he'd been on edge, but not any more. "Not a girl."

"So nobody's tamed the dragon slayer then?"

"Not a girl," Laxus repeated. "A guy. I'm bi, and for the last couple months I've been dating Freed," There was silence, and Laxus grinned and turned to Jason. "Bet you wished you'd gotten him on stage with me now, huh?"

"You're…" Jason seemed at a loss for words.

"Screwing the bassist, yeah," Laxus laughed, exhilaration flooding through him. "Inevitable really. I've known I liked guys for five years, and there's a load of fan pages who talk about how hot Freed is, so it was bound to happen," He grinned, running a hand through his hair.

This felt so good. Fuck, he didn't know how much he needed to do this.

"So," Jason tried to recover. "Well, erm, we have r to go to break now. Maybe we'll talk about that when we get back, I really don't know."

The moment the cameras cut, people began approaching Laxus. His manager, his PR team, and most importantly, his band. Ever and Bix attempted to run interference on their management team, but the angry man and his cronies pushed through them with fury on their faces. Still, Freed met him first, and wordlessly grabbed Laxus by the collar and brought their lips together. It was more passionate and desperate than any of their kisses had been.

"I'm so proud of you," Freed whispered. "And we are definitely talking about how you know those fan sites exist."

"Who d'you think made 'em," Laxus grinned, and Freed laughed.

Their small, shared moment ended when a throaty cough cut through them. Their manager was looming over them, and Laxus met them with a cruel grin, knowing it was too late: that was the problem with live TV.

"Problem?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"What the hell were you thinking?" The manager snarled. "You just fucked all of us, do you understand that? How fucking selfish are you. You've ruined this album, you know that? You think your bandmates will forgive you?"

"Nothing to forgive," Bix said immediately.

"You're a dick for not letting him do it before," Evergreen agreed.

Their manager seemed to flounder for a moment, before narrowing his glare at Laxus again. "Do you think your fans will want to see that?" He growled again, voice getting louder now. "You think they'll still want you now they know that. Now they have to think about you being with… with him!" He motioned to Freed disparagingly. "They'll leave you. You've fucked yourselves, you know that."

Silence filled the soundstage, and their manager seethed. Laxus grinned, then looked past him towards the audience, half of whom had their phones pointed towards them.

"Since you're always talking about PR," Laxus smirked. "How d'you think you'll look once this hits Twitter?"

Their manager halted, then slowly turned. He turned sheet white, and it was brilliant.

"Oh, and in case you're worrying about your little threat to drop us if I came out, don't," Laxus smirked, though looked up to his band, who all nodded. "Yer fired, so fuck off."

[uncloseted]

my mom believes in homeopathy and i don't know what to do. our town homeopath died not so long ago so she won't be recommending him to people anymore, but she still believes in the system. apparently he cured my brother's hyperthyroidism and my nephew's alopecia. she says that he went to tons of real doctors and the only thing that worked was homeopathy. that left me speechless. im still skeptical but how do you explain that? and if it's a placebo but it works, then why shouldn't we use it?

This answer is going to be a long one, so I apologize in advance. Apologies also for how long this has taken for me to write and publish. As always, I want to make sure that I answer every part of this question with thought, care, and sources. To make it easier to navigate, I'm going to add headers for each section. What are Homeopathic "Remedies"? The first thing I want to do is clarify what homeopathic "remedies" actually are and what the theory behind homeopathy is. Often, I think we imagine that homeopathy is just herbalism- using "natural" plants as "medicine". By itself, doing that is kind of a dubious approach to treating illness, but it can be at least somewhat effective. It's important to understand that that's not what homeopathy is. Homeopathy is an alternative "medicine" practice created in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann as a reaction to the mainstream medicine of the late 18th century. Hahnemann's homeopathy is based on the doctrine that "like cures like"- that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms to that disease in healthy people. In order to prevent those symptoms from occurring as a result of the "remedy", homeopathy also subscribes to something called the “law of minimum dose”—the notion that the lower the dose of the medication, the greater its effectiveness. This is inconsistent with what science knows about dose-response relationships, where the effect of a dose is reliant on the concentration of the active ingredient. Many homeopathic products are so diluted that no molecules of the original active ingredient remain. Modern advocates of homeopathy have suggested that water "remembers" the substances mixed in it, and transmits the effect of those substances when it's consumed. This isn't consistent with our scientific understanding of matter. Homeopathy also traditionally includes the concept of "miasms" as the "infectious principle" behind illnesses (including illnesses like epilepsy, cancer, deafness, and cataracts). Miasms are a negative force (imagined to be kind of like a cloud or fog) that serve no purpose other than to make humans miserable and ultimately kill them. Traditionally, homeopaths believe that individual symptoms should not be alleviated, since it will only drive the miasm deeper and the miasm will "manifest itself as diseases of the internal organs". They believe that in order to cure illness, the miasm must be removed from the "vital force". The concept of miasms have become less popular in modern times, but there are still homeopaths who base their practice around it. It's important to know that none of these ideas are backed by the scientific method, nor have they been shown to be effective when subjected to the scientific method. That said, you can kind of see concepts in homeopathy that are 18th century explanations for phenomena that are real. For example, "like cures like" and "law of minimum dose" is actually kind of how vaccines work: you give a very small bit ("a minimum dose") of a disease-causing microorganism or an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism ("like cures like"), which trains the body's immune system to recognize that agent as a threat. Another example is airborne infectious diseases. It is possible to get certain illnesses (such as COVID-19, measles, chickenpox, the flu, and norovirus) if you encounter a "miasm" (what we now call droplets of an airborne infectious disease). The problem with homeopathy is that it's not the 18th century anymore. Science has moved on from using "like cures like" and "miasms" as explanations for illness. We know that "like cures like" is not an effective treatment for every illness, and we know that not all illnesses are "miasms" (airborne). We have a better grasp of things like genetics, viruses, infections, and environmental factors that allow us to more effectively understand what causes illnesses and how to provide effective, reliable treatments for those illnesses. What's the Harm? Problems with Homeopathic "Remedies" Moving on, I want to start with

your last question first. If homeopathic "remedies" are a placebo and they work, why shouldn't we use them? What's the harm? There are three main problems with using homeopathic "remedies" that I want to discuss. The first and most important answer is just that they don't work. I'll do a deeper dive on the evidence against homeopathic "remedies" and why homeopathic "remedies" don't work in a second, but for now, just know that the first problem is that homeopathy can't fix the health problems people are looking to solve. The placebo effect is pretty limited in its scope; it generally works for subjective, patient-reported outcomes such as pain and nausea, but it doesn't usually affect the actual disease. For example, when the placebo effect is used to treat insomnia, patients perceive that they've slept better, but it doesn't actually improve the amount of time it takes a person to fall asleep. The second problem is that homeopathic "remedies" aren't always harmless. While they're generally "unlikely to provoke severe adverse reactions", there have been cases of those "remedies" being taken off of the market because they've caused serious symptoms such as seizures. In the US, homeopathic "remedies" aren't overseen by the FDA in the same what that medications are. As a result, there's no assurance that the substance you think you're getting is what you're actually getting. Frequently, "remedies" are a waste of money because they don't have enough of the active ingredient to work at all. This is especially true if the product you're getting is a "dilution", which intentionally gets rid of the molecules of the original material as a result of the "law of minimum dose", but it can even be true of things like nutritional supplements that you can buy at CVS or Walmart. In the US, there's no group tasked with objectively testing the claims made by companies that sell "remedies", and there's no group making sure that "remedies" don't have ingredients in them that are unsafe. Belladonna, arsenic, and poison ivy have been found at detectable levels in homeopathic "remedies", and cases of arsenic poisoning in particular have occurred. But because homeopathic products are marketed as if they're "drugs", many people assume they wouldn't be allowed to be sold if they weren't good, if they didn't work, or if they were advertising falsely, and so they keep buying them. If you see an individual homeopath, this problem is compounded. "Homeopath" is not a protected term in the US, meaning that anyone can claim to be one. In turn, this means that there's no licensing board that oversees their work, no professional association or government agency that keeps them accountable for their mistakes, and no educational credentials that they need to begin practicing. Your local homeopath may have no background in biology, medicine, chemistry, pharmacology, or even homeopathic or alternative medicine practices. They can literally just be a person, one who you're trusting to cure your ailments and to not accidentally poison you in the process. The last issue I want to bring up is that homeopathy is often (although not always) viewed as being an acceptable replacement for evidence-backed medicine. This means that often, people who see a homeopath aren't seeing a medical doctor, and their symptoms aren't being treated by evidence-based medicine. By not taking an evidence-based approach to intervening in illness, outcomes are significantly worsened, especially for serious, life-threatening conditions such as cancer. Patients have died as a result of opting to take a homeopathic approach to illness instead of receiving proper treatment for diseases that could have been easily managed by evidence-backed medicine. This becomes an even bigger problem when it comes to public health issues. People who view homeopathy as being equal to or better than evidence-backed medicine are more likely to be anti-vaxxers and to not vaccinate their children. Reductions in vaccination rates have led to resurgences of diseases that had previously

been close to elimination. The US has seen a resurgence of whooping cough, measles, and tetanus as a result of anti-vax sentiment. Those resurgences directly endanger people who cannot be vaccinated due to chronic health issues, people with allergies to ingredients in vaccines, and people who cannot choose to be vaccinated, such as children. How Effective Are Homeopathic "Remedies"? Next, let's talk about studies that look into the efficacy of homeopathic "remedies". Government level reviews of homeopathic "remedies" have been conducted by the UK, Australia, and the European Academies' Science Advisory Council. The UK's study found that there was "no compelling evidence of effect". Australia conducted a meta-analysis of 1800 papers, and found that "there were no health conditions for which there was reliable evidence that homeopathy was effective." EASAC found that there was a lack of evidence that homeopathic products are effective, and raised concerns about quality control. Additionally, there have been systemic reviews and meta-analyses of the efficacy of homeopathic "remedies" from doctors, universities, and medical researchers. In 2005, The Lancet (one of the world's oldest, best-known, and respected medical journals) published a meta-analysis looking at the efficacy of homeopathy. Basically, that means that they looked at data from 110 homeopathy trials. These trials were included in the study because they had a completely randomized set of patients who don't know whether they were getting a "homeopathic treatment" or a placebo pill. This type of "blinded" study allows researchers to see how effective the intervention (in this case, a homeopathic "treatment") actually is. Their findings were, "compatible with the notion that the clinical effects of homeopathy are placebo effects". Meta-analyses have also been conducted on the application of homeopathy for individual diseases, including cancer, ADHD, asthma, insomnia, fibromyalgia, dementia, IBS, osteoarthritis, migraines, ecchymosis and edema, and dermatological conditions, and all have found the same result. The UK's NHS, the American Medical Association, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the National Health Service and Medical Research Council of Australia, the World Health Organization, the American College of Medical Toxicology, the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and even the acting deputy director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine have all come out against the use of homeopathy, saying that there's "no good quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as treatment for any health condition", recommending that no one use homeopathic "treatments" for disease or as a preventative health measure, and noting that there is evidence that using these treatments can produce harm and indirect health risks. But it Seems Like it Works! What Else Could Have Happened? In terms of what happened with your brother's hyperthyroidism and your nephew's alopecia, I'm perfectly happy to admit that I have no idea. I don't know what the homeopath gave them or what else they were taking or what else they were doing during that period of time that might have changed their health status. I can offer you some hypotheses (and I will in a second), but I don't know, and that's okay. What I do know about is the current state of research on homeopathic "remedies" overall, and how it holds up when subjected to the scientific method. There are a few common culprits for why homeopathy may seem to work. I'm going to go over those now, and then I'll dig into some theories for what may have happened with your brother and nephew. These culprits include:

Placebo effect- we talked about this one earlier, but essentially, if people believe that a "treatment" will work, they're also more likely to believe the "treatment" worked after taking it. As a result, they will report feeling better on subjective measures such as pain.

Natural healing- with time, the body can sometimes heal itself without medical assistance. This is most common for things like viruses.

Therapeutic effect of consultation- care, concern, and reassurance from a compassionate caregiver can have a positive impact on the patient's assessment of their well-being, even if objective assessments of their well-being stay the same.

Regression towards the mean- many conditions and diseases are cyclical. The patient may notice a decrease in symptoms that they attribute to homeopathic "remedies", but are actually just a result of moving to a different stage of the disease cycle.

Cessation of unpleasant treatment- a homeopath may suggest that patients stop receiving medical treatment. Medical treatments can sometimes have unpleasant side effects, and so halting those treatments can make the patient feel better in the short term. The patient attributes the decrease in symptoms to the homeopathic "remedy" but it's actually that they stopped taking a medication that has side effects. In the short term, this feels good, but in the long term it is destructive because the disease isn't being treated.

Non-homeopathic treatment- the patient is also receiving medical care, and the medical care is responsible for the decrease in symptoms, not the homeopathic "remedy".

Unrecognized treatments- an unrelated food, exercise, environmental agent, treatment for a different ailment, etc. is also treating the patient's medical condition and is responsible for the decrease in symptoms.

For alopecia areata (hair loss in patches on the scalp), spontaneous remission is actually more common than you might expect. In most cases that begin with a small number of patches of hair loss, hair grows back after a few months to a year. It's possible that your nephew's hair just... grew back, especially if time had passed. It's also possible your nephew's parents were treating his alopecia other ways (minoxidil, contact immunotherapy, corticosteroids, a gluten free diet if the alopecia was associated with celiac disease) and just didn't tell you or your mum. Hyperthyroidism is a bit more difficult to guess at. It could be that your brother's medical doctors switched him to a different medication that did work or changed his dosage. If you're sure that's not it, it could be that he switched his diet to one that's low iodine and low in caffeine. Research suggests that, although a low iodine diet cannot cure hyperthyroidism, it can reduce or alleviate the symptoms in some people. If your brother went vegetarian, vegan, or stopped eating fish, that could be the culprit. If he stopped taking a multivitamin that contains iodine, that could be it. If he started eating a ton of foods high in goitrogens (soy, cassava, cabbage, cauliflower), that could also contribute to what happened, since goitrogens interfere with the uptake of iodine in the thyroid. It's also possible he was misdiagnosed, but if it's true that he went to "tons of real doctors", that seems fairly unlikely. Again, all of these are just guesses for the purpose of illustrating what confounding factors may have been present. I think the bottom line with stories like these are that you're hearing them secondhand. You don't know how many doctors your nephew or brother saw, or the quality of those doctors, or what they diagnosed, or what they prescribed, or how many different lifestyle changes they tried. You don't know what the homeopath prescribed them, or if they took it. You're hearing a story of miracles through the mouth of a believer, and that can make it difficult to know what is and isn't true (in a medically accurate kind of way). It's possible that your mum's homeopath has stumbled upon a treatment for alopecia and one for hyperthyroidism that work better than traditional medicine. I hope that's true. We can always use better treatments, especially for difficult-to-cure conditions like alopecia. But I think it's more likely that there's just some piece of information you weren't given. What do I do? Getting to your original question, there's not a ton of evidence-backed research (that I could find, at least) for how to change people's minds about homeopathy, but there is data on changing people's minds with regard to vaccines, and I think using those tactics may work in both cases. What to do about your mum's beliefs in homeopathy depend on where those beliefs come from, how entrenched they are, and how it's impacting her life. If she's just someone who tries lifestyle changes and supplements from CVS first before going to a doctor and if she believes in vaccination, homeopathy is a waste of time and money, but it's probably not too big of a problem. In that case, it may not be worth pushing her about it, especially if she hasn't found a new homeopath after her old one passed away. If she's anti-vax and/or refuses to see medical doctors, that's a bigger problem, and it's worth having a conversation about. Changing her views is likely to take time, so be prepared to have at least a few conversations about these topics. And be prepared to step away from the conversation and resume it at a later time if it becomes too contentious. Start by asking her about her fears with regard to evidence-backed medicine. Do your best to be curious rather than judgmental in those conversations and to be a good listener. Respect is the most important tool in changing a person's mind, so try not to interrupt, be dismissive, or combat her beliefs off the bat. Affirm her right to have questions (but not the validity of the actual concern), and

try to say positive things about her in the conversation (for example, "I can see you really want to do everything you can to keep yourself healthy and safe"). Focus on her feelings, not facts. By trying to understand where she's coming from, you can begin to understand where her hesitations are and how those fears might be remedied. For example, a lot of people who believe in homeopathy do so in part because they feel like homeopathic practitioners listen to them, respect them, and care about them more than medical doctors do. They've usually had a bad experience with medical doctors. Knowing where her fears lie gives you a better idea of what she needs in a medical context, and can help you figure out how to dispel misconceptions she has about medicine or find alternatives that actually work. In the case of feeling like medical doctors don't respect her, you may be able to help your mum find a medical doctor who will spend longer with her and really listen to what she has to say. You can try asking her follow-up questions that allow her to investigate her own beliefs. For example, you might try asking about Hahnemann's ideas of "like cures like", "the law of minimum dose" or "water memory" and see how she reacts. Many people, even those who use homeopathic "remedies", don't know the principles that it's based on, and will eventually express skepticism when asked to explain them. It's tempting to try and combat pseudoscience with facts, but studies suggest that presenting facts makes people more likely to cling to their original beliefs. It's better to let people investigate their beliefs on their own through asking the right questions. You might also try this technique. Ask her how likely she would be to see a medical doctor/get a vaccine, on a scale of 0-10. If she says 1 or 0, this strategy isn't going to work. But if she says 2 or 3, then you can ask her why she's not a 0. Why is she not fully saying she won't see a medical doctor or get a vaccine? This forces her to explain what she thinks the positives of medical doctors/vaccinations are. Now you're on the same side; you both think there are some positives to the medical profession. Reinforce those ideas when you talk to her. From there, you can ask what would make her more likely to see a medical doctor/get a vaccine, and when she answers, you can point to the places where those things exist in the medical field. If nothing else works, you could try finding ways to make evidence-based medicine and vaccination compatible with her beliefs. Perhaps you could try using the language of homeopathy to explain medical issues and their treatments. For example, with COVID, it might work to tell her that COVID is a miasm, and that researchers used "like cures like" and the “law of minimum dose” to create a vaccine to remove the miasm from the "vital force". All of that is technically true, at least in a sense. It's just not the language scientists would use to describe what happens. To Sum It Up The medical establishment definitely has issues it needs to work on. The lack of compassionate, respectful care in many medical settings is a real problem, and it has real consequences. There are some situations in which a placebo is a potentially valid approach to treatment. But the answer is not to encourage homeopathy. It's to do more research, develop better drugs, and change the ways that doctors interact with their patients. Homeopathy doesn't work, and it does potentially have harmful side effects, both on a personal and societal level. The way we can combat homeopathy is to be curious and respectful, to help people identify and work through their concerns, and to offer them solutions to their medical problems that take those concerns into account.

[oumakokichi]

Hello I am the Tsumugi love hotel anon Thank you for answering my ask it's great to know that other people have the same problem Sorry if this sounds strange but it's hard for me to enjoy V3 without thinking about this I love Danganronpa and I like Tsumugi but this really really bothered me And I kinda don't want to assume that someone who created a series I like so much is like this I guess as a fan Do you have any advice? So sorry but I have this habit of overthinking things and just want help

Hi again anon! It’s not a strange question at all; this is sadly kind of a common dilemma to run into in most fandom spaces, and it’s perfectly normal to have conflicting feelings about these things.

The best advice I can give is to view everything through a critical lens. By this, I don’t mean “you can’t ever enjoy things casually” or “you have to hate the media you consume in order to be a Good Fan™.” I simply mean that it’s important to be aware that pretty much all media is going to be flawed on some level, and that it’s important to not brush aside those flaws when having a real discussion about the content we enjoy and consume.

Part of the reason why I love meta and analysis so much is precisely because it’s a really good way to sort through some of these more complicated feelings I have on certain topics. For as much as I love DR and as much as it’s been a huge source of enjoyment and comfort to me for quite a few years now, I’m never going to sit here and act like it doesn’t have its fair share of flaws. It’s certainly not for everyone, and I can completely understand why some people may not like it.

There’s a very fine line when discussing media too, between raising awareness that all media and content we consume is inherently flawed in some way, and simply dismissing it as okay because “well, everything is problematic in some way so it doesn’t matter.” These things do matter, and I feel like discussion of them is a very important part of critical analysis, especially when it raises awareness of potentially upsetting subject matter to people who may have been unaware of it before.

The entire love hotel scene with Tsumugi is undeniably in extremely poor taste, particularly when incest is a very real and terrible form of abuse that real survivors have suffered through. Seeing it used for nothing more than skeevy fanservice to pander to an otaku audience is deeply upsetting, particularly coming from a game that explicitly touches on the ways in which fiction can and does impact reality in very real, tangible ways.

It doesn’t help that the love hotel scenes themselves hang in a weird sort of limbo as far as their role in the game goes, either. There’s been a lot of debate in the fandom as to whether these scenes can even be considered “canon” on any level—and even if they’re not technically canon, which I think is a fair assessment given that none of the other characters even remember them after waking up and they have no real lasting impact on the plot, the decision to include them at all is still gross on some level.

In my personal opinion, the best way to determine how comfortable you are continuing to support a series or not, is to try and gauge authorial intent: why are these topics or themes included in this piece of media? What purpose do they serve? Are they contributing to a larger narrative by being included here?

To take a topical example… let’s compare this with Harry Potter. DR certainly has its flaws, and ndrv3 is no exception. Not only are certain unsavory “tropes” like incest played as either a punchline or a tool for fanservice, but even earlier parts of the series don’t hold up particularly well (like Chihiro’s “gender reveal”). These things are definitely not enjoyable parts of the narrative—but their presence in the narrative seems to stem from a larger issue of fanservice tropes in visual novels and anime overall, rather than some overarching attempt to either demonize any marginalized group or normalize harmful behavior in real life.

By contrast, through watching JK Rowling’s downward spiral on twitter in the last few years, we’ve seen her become more and more brazen about her hatred of trans people, and trans women in particular. Though she often attempted to brush these tweets aside at first as “middle-aged moments” or “accidents” where she wasn’t aware of the content being spouted by the people she was following, she’s become perhaps one of the most unapologetic T*RFs in the public consciousness.

No matter how much a series like Harry Potter may have shaped my and many other people’s childhoods in the past, it’s really impossible for me to go back to it nowadays as a trans individual. Re-reading the series with a much more critical eye shows that many of Rowling’s most harmful, offensive beliefs are not only something she spews on twitter every other month, but also downright woven into the narrative. Lines about “boys pretending to be girls to try and sneak into the dormitories” and Rita Skeeter’s “rather large, mannish hands” while she “disguises herself” to infiltrate the school premises just hit differently, knowing Rowling’s stance on trans issues and the disgusting harm that she advocates for with her huge platform.

I suppose that’s the biggest line I try to be aware of in deciding where I draw the line between enjoying a series while remaining critical of it, and just flat out refusing to support said series anymore. This line is understandably going to be different for different people, no doubt—but I think being mindful of what creators are actually doing with their platforms is the biggest indicator about the potential intentions behind their works.

The only other piece of advice I can think of to offer, and perhaps the most important one, is to simply support small creators with all the enthusiasm and love that you would for a large series. As long as we maintain a critical eye and awareness about the flaws within popular works like Danganronpa, I think it’s okay to keep enjoying said works. But there are so many content creators out there trying to contribute all kinds of meaningful works with better representation than anything we’ve seen in mainstream media, and it’s incredibly important to support these people so that their works can become better-known.

My best recommendation is to make sure you’re striving to support these smaller content creators: especially black artists and trans artists, who often get overlooked even when hashtags on twitter to support smaller artists are trending.

This sort of became a lengthier response than I was intending, but I felt your question deserved more of an in-depth look at the topic. I hope I was able to get my points across! Thank you for the question anon, and I really hope I could help.

[viostormcaller]

Thinking about it, it kinda sucks just how little new horizons has.

Like... I love the game to pieces and maybe this is just bc im in a shitty mood (which i am) but like... god this is gonna be long and ranty and I'm sorry in advance that mobile tumblr doesnt have the read more feature

For starters, holidays are all scheduled on the company's terms, meaning in 7+ years or so there will be no more in-game holidays because by then they'll probably be thinking about/getting ready to release the next installment of the series on whatever console is out at the time and they won't want to update new horizons anymore. And adding onto this, you need the internet to download the updates. What happens to the players who don't have internet?? Can they just never experience the holidays like bunny day and toy day and turkey day? That takes a HUGE part of the fun of the series out right off the bat. Sometimes making everything rely on the internet is a bad idea. Idk if anyone can like tell me if having no internet means you can't take part in the holidays, but like... god if that's true thats really sad.

They recently took out the hybrid flower and big fish islands, which makes no sense whatsoever why they would do that to a game that has so little, but ok?? It's not like that feature was hindering the gameplay any

There's a lot of furniture but Not a Lot of Furniture, you get me? They took out EVERY set except the classic set (renamed "antique") that you can buy for an insanely high price, and the log and wooden block sets that you can craft, but other that that it's all unrelated items that aren't part of any set, aside from the cute set and diner and throwback sets which as far as I can remember are the only other sets you can buy in the game. No alpine, no ranch, no minimalist, no princess or gracie, no modern or sleek, none of that. And 90% of all the buy-only furniture in the game is just the color variants. You can't even customize them! And it's hard as fuck to find the color variants you want, much less for completing a furniture set

And speaking of which, your starting villagers don't get their default house interiors. Your first three + your two starters from the tutorial days have the same generic layouts. You NEVER see what their houses are supposed to look like, and even if you give them the wallpaper and flooring they're supposed to have (if you figure that out online somewhere), their house doesn't change (I tested this with Sherb and was kinda disappointed).

And stuff is so EXPENSIVE. I know it adds a challenge but my final loan was NEVER 1 mil+ bells in New Leaf. And you can't even expand the extra first floor rooms you get. I'm literally getting less for WAY more. The biggest rooms you get are the basement and upstairs rooms. The first floor rooms aside from the main room really don't have a lot of space and with the different furniture they DO offer, I don't have a lot of room to put things in. But it's not like I can even afford it anyway -- just a freaking air conditioner was 63,000 bells. In New Leaf it was 2500. That's a MASSIVE jump. And the kitchen items are so freaking expensive, as well.

And speaking of houses, for someone who was literally in the real estate industry in the last game, tom nook adds very few house exterior options. And the even more shitty thing is that a lot of the colors straight up don't match. They couldn't even add a plain white roof.

God and the fucking DIY recipes. I know I've said this before on my other tumblr but the RNG for this game is the worst I've ever fucking seen. There is no reason why, two months into the game, I can be given a recipe for a simple DIY bench, which EVERYONE LEARNS IN THE TUTORIAL. Who the fuck am I giving it to?! No one, because literally every player knows it already, and you can't gift diy recipes to villagers! And I keep getting repeats of recipes. My villagers give me fruit DIYs all the time, it's so rare for me to get any new ones. And two days in a row I've gotten the recipe for the deer head mount thing from the same villager. New recipes should 100% take the priority before repeats. This game is slow paced, sure, but that's just frustrating. It doesn't make me excited to learn more recipes, it makes me feel like I'm never gonna learn any new ones because I'll get the same fruit DIYs for a week straight.

And speaking of which, you can't put trees, bushes, or flowers in your storage, which to me makes literally no sense. I can fit a giant ass fountain in my storage but I can't put a flower plant? Really? And speaking of storage, for a game that added 300 whole slots for mail instead of the usual 10, I will never understand why they decided to halve the amount of items a player can order a day from the nook shopping, AND make it so that it takes a whole day to get there instead of making deliveries at 9 am and 5 pm like in New Leaf.

And the fact that they made it so hard to get non native fruit and flowers and shit??? Like they at LEAST added Lief so flowers aren't as much of an issue anymore, but you actually have to travel to other people's islands just to get all the fruits?? I know you have to do the same thing in New Leaf but the reason why this is an issue for me is because you have to pay for online access, meaning most of those nook miles for planting all the fruits are locked behind a paywall unless your villagers can gift them to you. And your mom, when you first start the game, has a chance of giving you the one fruit that's on the non-native fruit mystery island, meaning you'll only get ONE new fruit and not two separate ones (for example, my sis got pears from mom but her non native fruit islands have cherries i believe. I got pears from mom and my fruit islands also have pears. Doesnt help that that's the one fruit i hate lmao). They also took OUT a bunch of fruits, like mangoes, durians, lemons, bananas, lychees, persimmons...

And the fact that your nook miles rewards are ISLAND LOCKED. That is the WORST SHIT. Not everyone has the ability to play with others, bc no internet or no money for the subscription every month. Not everyone WANTS to play with others bc maybe they get social anxiety (like me, which is why i havent asked for things that are impossible for me to get even though i want them for my island or house), or maybe they simply just don't want to. But the fact that each island has their own color variants of the same goddamn rewards that CANNOT BE CHANGED makes me so upset. I do not want nor should I have to rely on others to get the items I want because my game doesn't have my preferred color variations. And it's not like I'm far enough in the game to have anything worth trading for said items, nor do I have the bells.

And Isabelle does next to fucking nothing and I'm really irked about how they made her character in this game. Yeah she's cute, but that's ALL she is. She became more ditzy than anything else. She doesn't let you know about visitors in the town or the plaza or if a bridge or incline was built bc of a completed donation goal. Like really useful info to know would be if Flick or CJ is in town or who is selling stuff in the plaza. Flavor text is nice but if that's all you say 24/7 it loses its charm. In New Leaf she was helpful and hardworking and super focused and on top of things. Idk why they changed that aspect of her. I know her role in New Horizons isn't as big as it was in New Leaf, but still.

And then there's glitches that STILL haven't been patched (as far as I know anyway), like the game-breaking villager corruption glitch (which you'd think nintendo would have made a priority but they're too busy removing other features it seems) or the house exterior glitch.

And it's bad enough that your game saves to your fucking system a la Fantasy Life. But even WORSE, no one can have separate islands on one console. It's not enough to own two copies of New Horizons. Each player has to own one copy of the game and a whole new Switch just so they can play on their own islands. Parents can't usually afford that (aka $360 for each kid give or take) so for a game marketed towards kids, I don't know why they thought that was a smart move (well, I DO know, and that's because money, but still). And to top it all off, cloud saves are not supported normally. If you lose your game or your switch and aren't subscribed to nintendo online, well, it looks like all your progress is gone! And there's nothing you can do about it. And they directly claimed that they did this just so people can't manipulate the game because it's supposed to be played in real time. But people can still fucking time travel by setting the system's clock! They achieved nothing except to make the players frustrated!!! If you make a game you need to accept that the player is going to play how THEY want to. You shouldn't try to make everyone conform to the way YOU want them to play. That just makes you a controlling asshole and the game loses a lot of its fun.

This game was 60 bucks and they took so long to make it and we ended up with less than we got in New Leaf. The main thing they gave us was a shit ton more clothing items (which I really like). Like I said, I love this game to pieces and it's actually one of my favorite games right now. There's so much I love about it -- I certainly don't hate it or anything. But this game has SO MANY flaws, a lot of which are needless. And I think the kid in me just misses the days where you can pay for a game and get the whole game right away. No updates in tiny batches, no content locked behind paywalls, no day one patches, no reliance on internet connection and multiplayer... mainstream companies have all gone really downhill with that shit and it just disappoints me to no end. But because Nintendo is kid-oriented, I think that's where it hurts the most. It was supposed to be accessible, family friendly fun like back during the days of the Wii and the DS. But companies get so wrapped up in competing with each other and trying to make the most money that they forget about all that. I dunno. It just sucks.

If you read all this, god damn I'm surprised XD I got super ranty and I apologize. But I'm in a sad mood and I after learning about features they've taken out I just had to get all this off my chest. It's been weighing on me since the game released, especially since for months prior this game was all I could think about and I was really looking forward to it. It just let me down in a lot of ways, I guess.

[buildingrelationshipsinanarchy]

QIM Model | Dekoship Series | Phadship Series

*You don’t have to read the rant below the infographic, I just wanted to write something to go with it.*

Part of my desire for placing this infographic second, was due to the fact that in our culture, physical touch only exists with people who appear know each other and are already close. At least, that’s how the narrative goes.

I want to separate, intentionally, the idea of physical touch meaning, suggesting, or inherently leading to serotic activities. Coining a word doesn’t magically stop the ways we’ve been encultured, it doesn’t radically change much, if anything, on its own. What makes it valuable is that it’s a conceptual tool, that when understood and applied, while practicing and building clear communication and healthy, functioning boundaries can actually create meaningful experiences that can foster new kinds of connection.

Throughout my life, all of the people who have inspired me, are people who provide counter-narratives, who un-bleached history, who had a radical imaginations and visions. I don’t want to be grandiose, but if there are ways to live and lead our lives that create relationships that are resilient, that don’t crumble because they aren’t able to be conceptualized by mainstream culture, that combat alienation, nihilism, and fear, wouldn’t that be worthy of being called radical?

That’s my desire. That this map becomes the way to understand the terrain of personal and intimate relationships. But to reconceptualize what intimacy looks like, desire must also be discussed.

Have you ever felt like everything is over-sexualized? That everyone, in one way or another, is attempting to seduce or create some kind of desire in us? Whether it’s for an onlyfans, an Amazon product, or a fucking Happy Meal, capitalism teaches to create a desire and manipulate it. It praises those who “smart” (read: demoralized) enough to find profit and exploit the space where human needs and desires intersect.

What does that look like in our relationships? Thirst traps; men attempting to manipulate emotional labor into serotic activities; certified professional cuddlers (which I almost became one) because we have to now pay ‘trusted strangers’ because we don’t have these bonds in our personal lives anymore; the rise of the ‘girlfriend experience’ market where now emotional intimacy is a commodity, alongside our serotic needs/desires (but let’s not talk about therapists who by trade, turn mental health and emotional stability into a paid arrangement, normally accessible only to those money and/or insurance, especially in the US where access to either are tied to employment).

My point in discussing these here is bring to light so off the many ways we’ve been violated, in our personal lives, by capitalism. And how it extends into our bedrooms, bestfriendships, and our psyche. Reimagining intimacy means undermining the cultural impacts of capitalism, and the amatonormative structure it upholds.

I’m not touching you because I want to fuck you, I’d open a conversation about that possibly before we got here. I’m desiring to touch and be touched, because it communicates affection, concern, comfort, care, love (in all its many, vague definitions). It makes me, and others who feel similar, connected to other humans. It cultivates warmth where apathy was, can even build trust in spaces where violence was done.

As a Licensed Massage Therapist, my entire training revolved around providing quality non-sexual touch, while also respecting all of the ways to ensure none of those experiences were serotic. This training, or at least it’s concepts, doesn’t leave once I’m done with a client. We can extend these into our lives. Touch is being privatized by ‘entrepreneurs’, and yet we can’t even feel comfortable or safe in touching our friends?

This is why I believe we need these words, and why I built them. I don’t want those to be echoed in my life and experience. I wanna be held by someone who, even they have serotic attraction or interest in me, I can always trust to respect my boundaries.

/endrant