#but on the actions they take in the real world; the love and kindness i’ve always been shown unconditionally

[sunnemona]

☆2024 has been so difficult for me, and i want to end the year off on a high note by thanking everyone who’s been there for me through it.

☆thank you for talking to me. thank you for listening to me talk to you in return. thank you for staying on vc with me to play games or talk or draw or cry together. thank you for keeping my secrets. thank you for telling me yours. thank you for the gifts you’ve given me. thank you for the advice you’ve offered when i needed help. thank you for the silly messages you've sent me unprompted—it is so joyous to be remembered when i’m not around. thank you for making me feel safe. thank you for letting me stay by your side. thank you for staying by mine.

☆the passage of time is so scary to me, i think. once things are over you can never get them back—all you can do is move forward and hold the memories close to your heart. thank you for the memories you’ve given me, i will treasure them eternally. i am so happy that we get to keep moving forward together, from one year into the next.

☆to kia, diggs, casey, and everyone in sweaties gang; to wewa and rei; to lorel; to eliza and mitsu; to wiz and corbell; to alex, nash, geddon, and paperd; to worm and goldie; to candy and ashe; to haze, mono, benji, and chasm; to my partners (sasha, robin, and keith); to steel; to michael, and to collie;

i am so grateful i know you. i am so grateful we exist here, at the same time, together. thank you for everything. i love you, i love you, i love you.

@dreemurr-skelememer @digglesgiggles @megaloserrr @lollipopz-shop @popiplant @aoartmthebitxh @s3-izures @otterbup @kuvlarstuff @heartstitched @thiccsys @b0tanicalb00ba @popiplant @rushroulett3 @wewawoomp @dagwmeno @onlyplatonicirl @elizakai @swiftmitsu @wizb1z @calciumdreams @psycho-chair @nashdoesstuff @unknownarmageddon @canine-teethed-sheets @fishfrypi @candy-cryptid @narrators1and2 @hazerun3 @monolite001 @bonejello @chasmbreach @xyriscomplanata @livinganime14 @paddinglily @corvidmellow @lambradire-art @hackrusty

♡

[falesten-iw]

To Those Who Still Hold Onto a Shred of Morality and Humanity - Stand with Us and Don’t Forget Us.

Over 40,000 lives have been lost, with 70% of them being children and women. Among these numbers are my own family members—many of whom I’ve already lost.

My family, my cousin, aunt, their children, and grandchildren were all directly targeted by Israeli airstrikes. I’m sharing a video of my aunt and cousin to reveal the harsh reality we are facing in Gaza. In this video, my aunt bravely shares her story about how the Israeli army airstruck them along with their children and grandchildren. Even if you don’t understand Arabic, just watching her speak will help you grasp the immense suffering we are enduring in Gaza. You can see the vedeo in this post.

The few family members who remain are in grave danger, and I’m terrified of losing them too. We have a chance to make a real difference and give my 24 surviving family members a chance to live.

In Gaza, jobs are non-existent, and nonprofit organizations like the UN have drastically reduced their work on the ground. Basic necessities such as milk, food, and medicine are almost as expensive as gold. My family is struggling to afford even the essentials, and my mother urgently needs medication that we simply cannot afford.

I’m also sharing another video that shows the daily struggle people face just to get clean water. The suffering here extends far beyond my family; it’s a genocide affecting every aspect of life in Gaza.

Thanks to the generosity of those who have already donated, we’ve raised $535 toward our goal of $190,363- august 17th. I’m deeply grateful to each of you, but we still have a long way to go, and I need your help more than ever. Imagine if it were your family—how would you feel if they were in this situation?

For those who have created special posts or reblogged to amplify my voice, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support means everything to me and to my family. If you haven’t yet shared our story, please take just one minute to do so. Your voice could be the lifeline my family desperately needs.

You cannot continue to treat human lives as mere numbers. This is a genocide that demands immediate action. How many more should be killed before you all wake up? Will 40,000 lives be enough to stir us to action? 50,000? 100,000? 150,000?

Asking for donations and charity is something we never imagined having to do in Gaza before the war, and it’s heartbreaking that it has come to this. But if everyone who saw my last post donated just $10 or $20, we could reach our goal in no time. If you’re looking for a way to contribute, consider giving up your coffee, tea, or other “cup” for one day, one week, one month, or anything in between. Then, donate what you would have spent to help me. Please help us and donate now!

This is about more than just donations—it’s about preserving human lives and upholding our shared moral values. Your contribution can make a world of difference in our survival and ensure I don’t lose more of the people I love.

Demanding an end to this suffering is a matter of basic humanity. You cannot remain neutral in the face of such genocide. Please, let’s stand together. Enough is enough.

Every donation, no matter how small, brings us closer to hope and healing. Thank you again for your kindness and support. I will never forget it.

Vetted and shared by @90-ghost: Link.

Verified and shared by @el-shab-hussein: Link

Listed even as number 282 in "The Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraiser Spreadsheet" compiled by @el-shab-hussein and @nabulsi : Link

Additionally, Al Jazeera News has documented apart of my family's case: Link

Important note: ** 105 Swedish kr is just 10$ ** 1050 Swedish kr is just 100$ ** 10500 Swedish kr is just 1000$

Please share !

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[unluckiestmember]

Baldur's Gate 3 X Innocent! Reader

Characters: Astarion Ancunin, Shadowheart, Gale Dekarios of Waterdeep, Lae'zel, Wyll Ravengard, Karlach and Halsin

Tags: friends to lovers, acquittances to lovers, in denial, overprotective, fluff, indirect kisses, Gale being Gale, fake love (until it's not), established relationship and innocence.

Warning: SFW. Light suggestive themes.

A/N: Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. No, I'm still in a chokehold-

Astarion Ancunin

“Well aren’t you just the cutest thing ever? I could just eat you right up, darling~.”

When he first met you, Astarion knew you were an easy target. A nice meal he could exploit, especially if you’re a virgin, and a great pawn for the road ahead. He would deliver sweet nothings to you in hopes of sleeping in your bed and drinking from the pure blood that coursed through your veins. But as time continued, as you showed how sweet you were, the pale elf found himself genuinely falling for you.

He wanted to protect you from the world around both of you and bite anyone who tried to hurt you. He’d even hesitate on feeding from you out of fear he’d hurt you or expose himself to your pained gasps. You were his precious jewel he couldn’t afford to be taken from him or tainted in any way. With everyone else, he’s still a flirtatious and snarky vampire spawn. But around you, he will always be a sweet man who wants to make sure you’re okay. His princess/prince… That being said, don’t expect him to stop flirting with you. He adores when you get flustered.

Shadowheart

“Stand behind me! I don’t want you to get hurt! Just do as I say, okay?!”

At first Shadowheart thought you weren’t real. That there was no way in the nine hells that there was someone as pure as you. She genuinely thought your personality was a charade. So she watched you carefully, waiting for you to show your true colors in the form of berating someone or betraying one of the campers. But you never did. You always stayed true to yourself.

When she realized that you were probably the most modest person in your motley crew, the Shar Worshipper became attracted to you. She spent more time with you and suddenly felt like she needed to take care of you along your adventure together. Similar to Astarion, Shadowheart tries to be ever so gentle with you, never using pain in bed and out of bed unless you approve of her actions when she asks for permission. It’s evident to everyone she cares deeply for you and wouldn’t mind spending her life with you.

Gale Dekarios

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen the embodiment of happiness. Who knew I would find that in you?”

You had Gale’s heart as soon as you said hi to him. It didn’t take long for this man to turn into putty around you nor to become friends with you. And he fell in love when you always gave him magical objects without hesitation. Asking him if he’s alright and stroking his head after he eats his weave? He was swooned. The closer you two became, the more the wizard would share his life with you like an open book and offer any kind of lesson in magic to you.

It didn’t take long for him to admit he had romantic feelings for you, leading to you to become a couple. At camp, he is a gentleman, always asking if you need anything in between kisses to your cheek and becoming bashful with you when you bless his ears with your giggles. Outside of camp, he’s focused on you, making sure no one lays a finger or spell on that cute head of yours. You bring the best out of Gale and make him the happiest man in all of the realms.

Lae’zel

“G’lyck. If you’re hurt, then go to the ghustil… Hurry up or I’ll drag you to her myself.”

You were a liability to Lae’zel. Always getting hurt? Never killing your enemies? Checking up on everyone over yourself? She wanted nothing more than to throw you to the wolves so you wouldn’t ruin the group’s odds of survival. She hated you with a flaming passion. She hated how you always asked if she was okay. How you always treated her wounds after a battle and dare to kiss her injuries better. How you cowered behind her during combat.. And especially how you made her heart flutter when you slept across from her by the campfire, watching your cute face in a state of peace…

If it was up to her, she’d kick you out of the camp for what you’ve done to her. She swears it. But for now? She guesses she’ll keep you around for a little longer. Besides, she knows without her you’d die out there. You need her and she needs you.

Wyll Ravengard

“Don’t fret now, I won’t let them lay a finger on you, not when the Blade of Frontiers is right by your side.”

Wyll always wanted to have a romance like fairy tales. Save a fair princess or prince from their troubles like a knight in shining armor while slaying dragons. To meet someone who was the sweetest thing alive and experience real happiness with them by his side. So when he met you, you can bet he felt like he won the jackpot! He found your bashful nature and careless personality to be a breath of fresh air, especially when he was punished by Mizora.

At first you were a great friend, but when you took care of him, polished his horns and always checked if he was alright after fights, true love sprung between you two. It didn’t take long for him to confess his feelings to you and take your hand as your boyfriend. From that day forward, he’s been your savior on and off the battlefield when he wasn’t your sweet lover that showered you in compliments and kisses. You are positive that with Wyll you are bound to have a happily ever after.

Karlach

“Aww, you’re so adorable I just wanna squish your cheeks and hug you forever!... I can?! Well, come here, you!”

It was love at first sight between you and Karlach. After you splashed her with water and made sure she was okay, the barbarian’s heart was in your hands. She was so used to meeting backstabbers, manipulators and liars that she wasn’t sure there were any good people left. But you proved her wrong and she was so happy you did. Because of you, she made it her sole mission to get infernal iron so she could touch you.

When she couldn’t, she would share indirect kisses with you using rocks and even gift you her teddy bear Clive when you couldn’t hold her. And when she finally was able to touch you, she held you as if her life depended on it. There isn’t a moment where you two are not touching in and out of camp. You make her feel alive again in more ways than one and to her you are her soulmate. She loves you so much and will do anything to make sure you know that.

Halsin

“If you were a part of nature’s divine design, then you are a pure ray of sunshine given by the Oak Father.”

Halsin immediately gave you his trust and respect when you saved him without a reason to. It didn’t help that he also found you to be adorable with how nervous you got around him and how you stuttered a bit. With how you were, the druid quickly grew an interest in you, wanting to be beside you and feel your skin against his. He loved how you were so considerate when he wild shaped, petting his head and playing with him effortlessly.

In the wilderness, you were something like his mate, always protected by foes and checked for injuries. If there were any, he would bandage them as quickly as he could and carry you the rest of the way back to camp. When everything was settled, he’d immediately cuddle you as himself or as a bear. You were perfect in every way to him and for that, he would be your sole protector no matter what.

If you got any requests for Baldur's Gate 3, send them my way!

Likes and retweets are always appreciated! I love you all, stay hydrated and have a good day! <3

[cloudybarnes]

bella donna

Pairing: theodore nott x reader

Summary: a sick night in bed calls for your cute boyfriend to come in and take care of you

Word Count: 800+

Masterlist

✰  ✰  ✰

Nothing was helping.

The soup burned your tongue, the medication didn’t cure your stuffy nose, and your throat felt like it was on fire.

You felt like total shit right about now. 

“I’m sorry mi amore.” Theodore said as he wrung out a wet rag to place on your forehead. You were laid up in your bed, covers drawn to your chin as a chill wracked through you. 

Theo sat on a small stool next to your bed. He was being the sweetest boyfriend ever. He waited on you hand and foot for everything you needed. 

He was the one to make the soup and fetch the medicine and rags for your head. 

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about, Theo,” you mumbled. “You’ve done literally everything right for me.”

He smiled softly, then just as quickly, his smile fell. “I just can’t believe how suddenly this came about. Something must be going around; I heard Draco coughing in class yesterday, he must be the one who got you sick.”

You chuckled but were soon thrown into a fit of coughs. The coughing was so bad, you had to sit yourself up in order to catch your breath. 

“Mio dio,” he softly said. “My poor baby.” Theo rubbed your back as you caught your breath. You smiled at him, grateful for his being here. 

“What would I do without you, Theo?” 

He smiled and left a tender kiss on your forehead. The action was so soft and sweet, your eyes involuntarily closed, a soft smile adorning your lips. Theo really was something special. While most may find him to be a brute and hard to get on with, you’d only ever seen the kind, caring boy standing in front of you. 

“The real question,” he replied, “is how could I ever live without you?”

You giggled as Theo led you from your seated position to lay down. 

“You need your rest, sweetheart. Don’t waste all of your energy sitting up.”

You nodded and let Theo guide you down. You sniffled, but all that did was send more mucus to your throat, causing it to hurt worse. A whimper came from your lips without meaning to. 

“What hurts now, dolcezza?” He felt your forehead with the back of his hand, and gently picked up the discarded rag to dunk it in the bucket of ice water on the floor. 

“Just everything: my head, my throat, my nose, it all just sucks,” you said. “At least I have you to take care of me.”

Theo smiled, his eyes alive with love for you. “I’ll always be here to take care of you, even when you’re snotty and coughing on me.” He teased as he wrung out the ice rag and placed it back on your forehead. 

“Hey!” You whined with a teasing smile. “I didn’t cough on you, just in your general direction.”

“Oh, so that’s how we’re describing it, now, huh bella donna?” 

You gave a health-hearted smile and shifted a little in bed. “I don't feel very pretty right now. I’m all snotted up and it feels like I’ve been hit by a truck.”

“I think you look beautiful, (Y/N). Fully and truly, you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

Your heart swelled. You had the sweetest boyfriend in the world. Theo never failed to make you smile and make you feel beautiful, even when you felt far from it. 

Slowly, as to not hurt the ache in your head, you pushed yourself up into a seated position. 

Theo started to fix the pillows so they would accommodate your upright position. “This okay, amore?”

You smiled down at him. Never had you felt more in love with this boy than you did just then. “It’s perfect, my love. Everything you do is just perfect, Theo. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

A pink hue tinted your boyfriend's cheeks as a smile crept onto his face. “You’re everything to me, (Y/N). I would do anything for you. Something as simple as taking care of you while you’re not feeling good is my job as your lover.” 

You didn’t think your heart could take anymore sweetest from him. “Come ‘ere,” you mumbled as you patted the empty side of the bed. “‘wanna lay with you for a little while.”

Theo walked around the bed and climbed into the empty space. He fit perfectly in the bed, like it was made to accompany him. 

You pushed him to lay down so you could rest your tired head on his chest. He lightly chuckled at your movement, and pulled you close to him. His arms wrapped around you as your fist held onto the fabric of his shirt. 

“I love you, (Y/N),” he mumbled. 

You smiled, closing your eyes. Right before sleep pulled you in, you responded, “I love you most, Theo.”

[luvjunie]

Hey sweetie, I’ve been a real big fan. Can you write some HCS or a fic about the both Miles being twins?

a/n: ABSOLUTELY 10000% YES. i had way too much fun with this oml. and omg thank you you’re so sweet! 😭 btw, let’s just pretend that in this au they don’t have the same name since they’re ‘twins’ lmao

— headcanons. miles and miles as twins

Twins? Yes. Polar opposites? Definitely.

They both have a completely different sense of style, but one thing they have in common is that they both love Jordan’s. However I feel like miles!42 is a full blown sneakerhead. Has the better collection and often finds miles!1610 wearing his shoes, because somehow 42 always manages to win the snkrs raffles.

“Are those my brand new fuckin’ 4s?” “Uh… no?” “Take my shit off before I tweak out.”

42 keeps his side of the room squeaky clean, gets upset if there’s even a sock that does not belong to him on his side

Absolutely hates the song Sunflower. Cannot stand it, makes him wanna rip his hair out. The minute it came out 1610 played it into the dirt and 42 swears he can still hear it in his dreams till this day

1610 is the more affectionate one (outwardly) while 42 likes to pretend he’s completely devoid of that as if he doesn’t love his brother with everything in him.

“You got exactly three seconds to get off me.” “Just hug me back, damn!”

They’re the kind of brothers to open soundcloud, turn on a random trap beat and see who can go the longest freestyling. They do that thing where guys bring their fist to their mouths and squeal and shove each other out of excitement when they get a good flow going back and forth

42 is definitely the athletic type, plays football and soccer. 1610 is more in tune with his artistic side. Will play sports for fun but doesn’t care for them like that

42 is introverted as hell, doesn’t really like talking to people. 1610 is more of a social butterfly

They’ve never once liked the same girl. Ever. Their taste is drastically different

“Bro, you like a white girl?” “…Yes? What does her race have to do with anything?” “See me personally—“. “Literally nobody fucking asked.”

Used to help each other break out of their cribs when they were babies. Either that or Jeff and Rio would wake up to find that 42 had climbed into 1610’s crib after they’d been put down and slept with him instead. it was impossible to keep them apart from each other, so eventually they just broke down the second crib and let them use the one.

You can tell who is who in their baby pictures. You guessed it, 42 was the oddly solemn one who always wanted to play by himself. They worried about him for a bit. They also had to tickle him as an attempt to get him to smile in pictures, and just their luck, he’s never been ticklish

When they were eight years old, 1610 accidentally broke the wolverine action figure 42 never went anywhere without, and 42 cried about it for three days straight

They definitely ask for each other’s opinions on their outfits

“Do you think this shirt goes with these pants?” “The entire outfit is black… how would it not go together?”

They both obviously love their mother but 42 is the biggest mama’s boy. Always in the kitchen helping her cook, will watch her telenovelas with her and actually keep up with the plot. He’ll willingly follow her to the grocery store or accompany her on her ridiculously long Ross/Tjmaxx sprees because he likes hanging out with her

They terrorize the fuck outta their dad and have been doing so since they entered this world because they think it’s funny. Stupid shit like dying his boxers pink, or looking up a cracked tv screen video on youtube just to watch him nearly have a heart attack thinking they broke it. They used to twin-swap when they were younger to get out of certain things, but it’s 100% impossible to pull off now. They’re way too different, physically and mentally

Uncle Aaron took 42 to get his ears pierced when he was thirteen, something 1610 would never do. Rio basically had an aneurysm when he came home with them in and Jeff was not pleased but Aaron took the blame for it, said it was his idea. 42 made up some bullshit lie about how if he takes them out before they heal completely they’ll get infected. Still has them in till this day

42 is exactly fourteen minutes older and refuses to let 1610 hear the end of it, but 1610 is taller by an inch and weighs a little more.

“I don’t know why you’re talking shit like I’m not older than you. Pipe down lil’ bro.” “Sorry, is someone talking to me right now? Cause I sure as hell can’t see ‘em.” “Nigga it’s ONE INCH”

They’re definitely scrapping over that, and both get smacked upside their heads by Mama Rio for fighting with each other

42 needs the tv and the fan on, SIMULTANEOUSLY when he sleeps or he’ll be up the entire night. 1610 can’t stand it

1610 will try and turn the fan off after his brother’s been asleep for probably two hours, thinking he’s in the clear until he hears—

“Do you value your life? Turn my damn fan back on.”

Deep down 42 is a big ass softie and loves spending time with 1610, he has no idea what he’d do without him. He’s just not the best at expressing it. 1610 teases him about it simply because he enjoys aggravating his other half

“You still got plans with Ganke tonight?” “Nah, his mom’s dragging him to some baby shower.” “Oh, cool, cool… So what movie are we watching?” “Huh?” “Huh—Headass. What movie are we watching tonight?” “Sorry, I’m not understanding. Are you—asking to spend time… with me?” “Damn, I need to say it in Spanish? Matter fact, you probably won’t understand that either. No sabo ass.”

[chillinglyadventurous]

Never Yours Part 2

Thank you to @crossxskies and @thefandomdiaries07 for requesting a part 2. I can’t make any promises that there will be a part 3, but I can indulge a part 2.

Part 1 > Part 2

The months slipped by, each day a little softer than the last. You and Stan settled into a rhythm, a quiet, comforting balance that made the ache of Ford’s absence fade a little. Stan was always there, his humor sharp but warm. His presence was steady and grounding. You started to realize how deeply you were coming to care for him, not just as a friend or a partner in shared grief, but as something more.

Yet, every time you felt yourself inch closer, a nagging doubt would rise up, twisting in your chest. Was this real? Were you falling for Stanley because of who he was or were you clinging to him because he looked so much like Ford? You hated yourself for even thinking it, but the questions haunted you. He was good, too good, and he didn’t deserve to live in your heart beneath his brother’s shadow.

One night, after closing up the newly opened Murder Hut for the evening, you found yourself standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching as Stan prepared a late-night snack. His sleeves were rolled up, his focus was intense as he buttered a slice of bread, muttering to himself about the perfect ratio of peanut butter to jelly. You couldn’t help the smile on your face. This was Stan, through and through, a little rough around the edges, but endlessly charming in his own way.

As if sensing your gaze, he looked up, his eyes meeting yours, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. “What are you staring at? My culinary genius in action?”

“Something like that,” you laughed, shaking your head.

But, as you held his gaze, that familiar doubt crept back and it must have shown in your expression because Stan’s smirk faded. He set down the butter knife, his brow furrowing.

“Hey, what’s goin’ on up there?” He asked, tapping a finger to his temple in a gentle tease. “You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world.”

You bit your lip, hesitating. “I, I don’t know, Stan. Sometimes I wonder-“ The words felt heavy, but you forced them out. “I falling for you or am I just clinging to a piece of Ford?”

The silence that followed was thick. Stan’s expression shifted, hurt flickering across his face before he managed a small, understanding nod. “I’ve thought about that too,” he admitted, his voice low. “I’m not blind. I know how much you loved him.” He swallowed, looking away as if gathering his thoughts. “I know how hard it is, carrying that kind of hurt around. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry about the same thing.”

He let out a shaky breath, running a hand over his face. “But I’m not Ford. I don’t want to be a stand-in for him. If what’s between us is just some kind of way to make the pain go away-“ He trailed off, his eyes meeting yours again, vulnerable in a way you rarely saw. “Then tell me. I can take it.”

The weight of his words settled over you, filling the silence. You realized then that what you felt for him was complicated, layered, tangled up in grief and affection. As you stood there, taking in the way he looked at you, not with expectation, but with patience, waiting for you to decide, you felt something shift inside.

“I know you’re not Ford,” you whispered, stepping closer, your hand reaching out to touch his. “You’re you, Stanley, and maybe it took me a while to see that, but I do. I see you.”

He closed his hand over yours. The vulnerability faded, replaced by that familiar warmth, the glimmer of hope. “It’s okay if you’re still hurting,” he said softly. “It’s okay if some part of you is still holding onto him. I’m not asking you to forget any of it. I just want to be here, however you need.”

“You’re the only person who’s ever seen me, Stanley,” you smiled. You wrapped your arms around his neck and he pulled you close. Behind his eyes, certainly yours as well, was a hint of distrust. “If I ever make you feel like a stand-in,” you said against his chest, “tell me and I will fix it.”

His face buried itself in your hair. His grip tightened around you. “Are you saying you want to give us a shot?”

“Yeah,” you nodded, “that’s exactly what I’m saying.

[artbyblastweave]

So I recently had the thought that Superman as depicted in the DCAU canon probably has the best-articulated-by-the-narrative and most-consistent character flaws of any Superman I’ve seen, in a way that’s enabled by the long-formedness and consistent creative vision of the series.

He’s got an Atlas complex that grinds the gears of his equally-durable, equally-capable colleagues in the Justice League. He has deep-seated fears of moving the wrong way and breaking something or someone, which is then upstream of some moderate control issues. He’s got anger problems, although it’s rare for someone to push him far enough that this takes center stage; you see this with Prof. Hamilton in the series finale of STAS, but also in a number of fights against opponents strong enough that he starts getting frustrated. When the stakes are lower, he can be cocky bordering on genuinely vindictive; there are lots of examples of him rubbing his opponents' noses in it when he finally gets them on the back foot, and it’s shown in flashbacks that he was genuinely kind of a dick when he was a teenager and hadn’t completely sorted out what proportional responses looked like. He doesn’t always think through the implications of his grand projects, be that the implicit threat-escalation posed by the expanded JLU, or the massive disarmament project he spearheaded that turned out to be part of an alien invasion scheme. There are probably more of these that I’m forgetting. The final roundup here is that he’s a good guy. He’s far and away from a perfect guy, with perfect judgement. All of this amounts to something that’s more coherent and specific than the contradictory, subject-to-eternal-revision mess you could assemble from his 60-something year publication history in the comics, but nonetheless with a substantial-enough runtime that all of these traits can be put on display again and again.

In turn, this allowed the collective DCAU continuity to get away with at least three “what if Superman went rogue” plots- four if you count the mind-control situation in Legacy- specifically because they did the legwork to establish the concrete neuroses and psychological vulnerabilities that might cause this specific version of Superman to go rogue. It was never completely insane that Luthor might figure out the exact set of words, actions, and personal losses necessary to coax this depiction of Superman into an authoritarian partnership for the supposed greater good. It’s not completely insane that this depiction of Superman, if pushed far enough, might lose faith in the collective judgement of humanity and decide to put the world and all his loved ones in a bottle. And when the Cadmus plot rolls around in JLU, it’s as effective as it is because they’ve already advanced two roads-not-taken, established what levers you need to pull to make this specific version of this guy cross the line, and that Cadmus and Luthor are pulling all of them. 

I emphasize the specificity here, because the flipside of this are Superman-gone-rogue narratives that jump right to that as the cornerstone of the continuity, with no real opportunities for juxtaposition. A major issue I eventually developed with the Injustice franchise is that despite its pretenses of being an alternate universe, there’s no established continuity that it’s deviating from, bar its own. To some extent I feel as though it’s banking on the audience transposing their gestalt-understanding of Superman and the broader DCU- hell, their understanding of the Justice Lords arc in particular- in order to elide that they’re playing extremely fast-and-loose with the specifics of what has and hasn’t happened to Superman in this continuity. The DCEU is a runner-up- jumping right to the Damocles-sword of a bad-future after two movies is jumping the gun, in the same way everything about the 2010s DCEU was jumping the gun. I think you could plausibly attack TDKR’s portrayal of Superman under this logic, although I personally wouldn’t- but that’s its own post.

Point being that you can’t sell me the upset of a paradigm if you never established it-you need to set up the pins before you can bowl worth a damn.

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

Alright let’s talk about the fandom. Seriously.

Immaturity and bad takes are impossible to avoid since this is literally a book for pre to post teens, a lot of older people either love or grew up with it, but have left because of the loud majority of minors. This post is mostly for those younger people, so keep that in mind.

I’ll just say this real quick, if you’re 12 and under. Get off, it’s truly for your own safety you shouldn’t even be online, be patient and wait, it will be worth it I promise. Young minds should definitely NOT be interacting with this fandom at all.

These books and the fandom means a lot to me, and to see it on fire breaks my heart, so here I propose some temporary solutions and suggestions:

Draw people’s ocs! No matter how off cannon or op they may be, this fandom is full of children and a little kindness can go a long way

Encourage nuance, I know it’s not our job to parent the kids who are left abandoned on the internet, but I think it’s important to understand where these kids are coming from. Learning is hard for some but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be held accountable for your actions. Differing opinions might be trivial to some who grew up in an echo chamber of the same views as them, so take a mindful approach of sharing new ideas, don’t just say “This idea is correct and because you don’t think it is you’re wrong”.

Positivity and kindness. This one is very important, you need to listen to one another and give everyone a chance to speak, there are so many diverse people across the fandom and we all just want to enjoy our dragons. Ruining the fun by harassing innocent people is not okay, relax a bit and step back, this is all just a series about a fictional species with rules that can be easily bent for fan content, everyone is having fun together, and you can either watch, partake, or ruin it.

I think that’s all I have to say for now, I just love psychology and growing minds are fascinating to me, I love children with all of my heart (not like that) and it’s upsetting to see them fighting with each other or getting dog piled by older people! Please, this fandom has to be way more mindful of it wants to continue, minors in fandoms are unavoidable but you can easily make 16-18+ servers or groups.

With that being said, I genuinely love you all and I wish to see this thrive, continue doing your art, your writing, or whatever the hell you do, I’ve seen so much amazing mixed media projects about these dragons and it makes me so happy that people are sharing this stuff with the world. I love you artists, fellow fandom siblings, and to all else who reads this, have a good day/night 💖

.

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

So the 1990s movie Independence Day was everywhere last week (for obvious reasons), and I was reminded of a particular pet peeve of mine in media: the big disaster epic where thousands or even millions of people die, but that’s not meaningfully acknowledged because we’re so focused on the eventual triumph of Our Heroes.

On one level, I get it. It’s hard to make an exciting, crowd pleasing movie if you stop the momentum at some point to mourn the catastrophic loss of life that goes along with your big action set piece. But honestly, that’s all I’m thinking about anyway when a major population center gets blown up or wave after wave of soldiers get mowed down or whatever. Who were those people? How did the loss of each one change the world in some way? How do you pick up the next day without them all? And that’s something I’ve always thought Tolkien, by contrast, did very well!

No, he doesn’t spend page after page giving us the backstory on every rank and file soldier to die at the Pelennor Fields, for example, but he does acknowledge that the victory was every bit as tragic as it was triumphant. He takes the time to give us the names of both captains and nobodies who died before we ever got to know them. He shows us there was a real human impact, and by giving us those names, he invites us to think more about them. Who were they really? What were their lives like? Who loved them back home and will miss them when they don’t return? Tolkien engages with that and even sometimes for the enemies, such as the Southron who dies at Sam’s feet in Ithilien.

I’m not necessarily on the same page with the broader culture on this point because a lot of people don’t seem to have this particular hang-up about their media and would (perhaps rightly) view too much of a focus on that kind of thing as extremely depressing, which is not what everyone is looking for in their pop culture diet! But I love and appreciate Tolkien for it anyway. And it’s probably no coincidence that a lot of those Name Only — or very close to it— dead guys are the ones I gravitate to the most easily in my own thoughts and fan fiction.

[randomness-is-my-order]

from the start, i’ve mainly been praising the show and have spoken against the minor nitpicks but i think some constructive criticism won’t go amiss. i’m always going to advocate for praise + critique but since literally all my posts praise the show (character-work, writing, directing, cinematography, literally all aspects) i’ll focus on the main issues i have with it for this one.

i’m only saying this because i do think there is merit to the conversation: yes, i agree with many other people saying the show has a very real lack of tension. the stakes are established, potential horrific consequences are alluded to, but the instances in which the action needs to take place falls short. i wanted to see percy and annabeth and grover SHOWING their inexperience through stumbling on traps (which would automically raise the tension in both medusa’s lair and the lotus casino), i wanted them to make mistakes and quick-think their way out of it. sure, there’s something to be said about conveying annabeth’s intelligence but aunty em was a great way of highlighting percy & annabeth’s dyslexia by having them be unable to read the signs. the statues could have been removed from the yard–a move that would show medusa’s intelligence instead. similarly, the fun of the lotus casino was about the creepiness that slowly and steadily builds on the backdrop of this harmless kid carival like setting. percy, annabeth and grover’s intelligence and knowledge has already been built in other obstacles so seeing them actually fall for well-set traps seems to me like a much more nuanced portrayal of the kids, their capabilities but also their weaknesses. speaking of, i was waiting for one moment of annabeth making some mistake, showing some flaw. i think it would have been cool if she was the one to lose her drachma given that she was undoubtedly jostled hard while clinging to the cerberus. grover already felt like he messed up after the lotus casino and having percy reassure annabeth after her drachma screwup would really nail in that yeah she’s intelligent and wise but she is also just 12 and she can be a bit reckless too.

honestly, i’m a sucker for flaws. i love my emotional percabeth bits to death but would i have rejoiced just as much had both of them been a little more unempathetic towards each other and been at each other’s throats for a few more episodes? yes.

i love show grover and his earnestness and savagery in manipulating a god but do i love my little coward goat boy who slowly but surely proves himself to be capable and brave? who keeps asking for food at the most inopportune moments but really has percy’s back at the end of the day? who is severely unconfident but slowly learns to trust himself more? yes! i just feel like the grover we have now was my imagining of grover in book 2-3. we never got to see his major flaws so i’m just wondering what kind of upward arc will he have and will it be as impressive as the books.

i really really appreciated that percy’s impertinence was actually something he paid a price for. it will make his continued rebellion against the gods that much more intentional. that said, i would have liked percy’s relative ignorance of the mythic world to still remain. having sally make him so prepared that he sometimes manages to know obscure greek stories sort of blends their roles in the trio. yes, each one of them is layered and there is no one super rigid position they must adhere to but this is storytelling on television at the end of the day, the characters should have unique traits to distinguish themselves. for me, percy’s intelligence was about his presence of mind and deductive reasoning which the lotus casino scene in the book beautifully portrays. similarly, his knowledge was less about facts he knew and more about the street smarts he had acquired. in some way, annabeth and percy have a weird overlap in characteristics (show annabeth feels as sassy as show percy which is not the book dynamic imo).

i don’t see these as minor nitpicks btw – i think show portrayals have changed these characters through small changes and while that is okay, it also leaves room for improvement before it is too late. there are many considerations to be made–percy’s grief, annabeth’s tackling of complex feelings about the gods, grover’s guilt, ofc. but it’s, i think, a valid critique of the show that the main trio’s dialogue and actions could be made more faithful to the books.

also, i think the direction can be more dynamic, especially in exposition-heavy scenes. there are ways to make info-dumping fun and i’m sure the directors are more than capable of exploring these options moving forward.

there are many more smaller things i would point out but i don’t want to make this longer that it already is. many people handwave alot of the critique saying that the show is for children to which i say: children’s media doesn’t mean lesser quality media–the books were literally made for children yet on tv, many scenes are sanitised, very little left not on-the-nose. i have myself mentioned how certain scenes could be impossible to film with 12 yr olds (medusa beheading) without harming them mentally in some way so i appreciate the clever sanitization there. but the action sequences do need much more edge and that’s okay to acknowledge. the show we have now is great but it is absolutely not without flaws and normalising discussion about the flaws is only going to benefit the show moving forward.

and lastly, rick might be the author of the books but there is no rule that once you like an author’s work, you will have to like all of that author’s writing. just because rick made some final decisions does not take away the fandom’s rights to question those decisions and critique the screenwriting. there is seriously no use putting him on a pedestal–and i say this as someone who adores his writing in pjo.

let’s let the fandom breathe a little. let the mild, politely conveyed critique become commonplace as much as the ardent praise because i think that’s the balance we need to ensure that season two delivers on all the fronts that season one was unable to.

that’s all. thanks for reading lol. have a nice day. :))

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

For the bayverse boys how do you think they’d take it if one of their kids got hurt on a mission?? Like it’s their first mission out of the lair (maybe they’re accompanying their dads on a case assigned by the NYPD) and they get injured in the process?? Obvs it’s nothing fatal but it’s enough that the boys are a bit shaken (if you’re uncomfy writing this sort of stuff then don’t worry about this! Love your work regardless!) 

Romeo’s First Patrol (Angst?/Fluff?)

Children Series

Bayverse!Leonardo x reader

A/N: I did a poll some time ago, in which I asked what kid you guys wanted to hear more about, and Romeo was a big favorite, so I decided to make this one about him. I’ve for a long time wanted to write something like this, but have not really had any ideas until now. The pacing might be a little strange, but that’s because I had a writer's block in the middle of it😅 Hope you’ll enjoy it anyway💙

Warning: Talk of dislocated knee, pain and knee correction.

Growing up, it had always been kind of expected that Romeo, his siblings and cousins, would follow in the steps of their fathers, becoming part of the NYPD Special Task Force. What else would a bunch of half human, half mutant turtles be able to do for work? So imagine how excited Romeo was when his 18th birthday came around, meaning that he would finally be allowed to venture up to the surface without supervision. And with that came another thing - Romeo’s first patrol.

Romeo had been talking about his first patrol for years, telling anybody that would hear how he would take care of criminals. Lock up Purple Dragons and crack down on the last few remaining Foot Clan members that still hung around. As a child he had often said he wanted to become a leader - just like his father.

But now it was finally time. The day after his birthday, he was ready with his odachi strapped onto his back, following his father and uncles through the sewer tunnels. Romeo had walked these tunnels many times before, often with his family when they were going to visit his grandparents. But today it all felt so different. Excitement hung in the air around Romeo. Today he wasn’t just going up into an alleyway, before quickly making his way through his grandparents backdoor, or watching the world pass by through heavily tinted car windows, taking him to a secluded area somewhere far from the city. No, today he was going top side, seeing the real world up close. He was finally going to actually see the city he lived in. And oh, what a sight it was.

The moment Romeo stepped a foot of the fire escape, and onto the roof of the high building his father and uncles and brought him to, he felt the wind get knocked out of him. The city that never sleeps was lit up below him, human and cares filling the streets in a constant stream.

“Does it live up to what you had hoped for?”, Leo asked with a smile, finding his oldest son’s expression amusing, if not heart warming. Leo had long thought of the day he would bring his children with him out on patrol, and seeing his oldest son stand with him and his brothers, made his insides flutter with pride.

“Yeah”, Romeo answered, not taking his eyes off the busy streets.

The night continued on with the five turtles jumping and running over the roofs, listening on the police radio, waiting for any calls or updates, calling them into action. So far there hadn’t been anything worth the attention of the NYPD Special Task force, but only minor house calls. Seemed liked Romeo’s first patrol was going to be a calm one. That gave Romeo time to observe the city and the humans in it, in a way he had never been able to before. At one point he found himself lost in thought, looking at a group of people around his age, hanging out on a street corner. Uncle Mikey noticed this, giving him a small jab in the side with an elbow, wiggling his eyebrows and nodding towards one of the girls in the group. Usual uncle Mikey antics.

But all in all, Romeo enjoyed every moment of his first patrol. His father and uncles got him uptodate to what the different code words on the police radio meant, what to do in case of certain events or emergency, all while being able to ask questions and get thorough explanations. He even had the time to joke around with his uncles, as well as having some very important conversations with his father about leadership and team work when out on patrol.

“It tell ya, his not going to make it”, Raph said, his eyes not leaving the teenagers playing some late night basketball game on a nearby playground. All five turtles had decided to take a break, and was now observing as one of the teams was about to make a shot from the shadows on a nearby rooftop.

“I believe in the little guy”, Mikey said as brightly as ever. “He seems like he has a trick or two up his sleeve”.

“Based on how his playing has been up until now, I wouldn’t count on it”, Donnie interjected.

“You wanna bet?”, Mikey asked, both Raph and Donnie turning to him with smug smiles.

However, neither Leo or Romeo were too invested in the basketball game, nor the bet the others were putting on. Instead they both sat, listening in on the small radio strapped onto Leo’s wrist, just in case something was happening.

“Calling back up for a vehicle search. I got a suspect in custody in the police car, but an extra pair of hands would really be nice”, it sounded, making Romeo look up at Leo with hopeful eyes. However, Leo just shook his head, giving Romeo an apologetic look. Car searches was not part of their job.

Romeo sighed and stood up from his crouched position, just as his uncles erupted in small sounds of cheers and boos. Sounded like Mikey owed them some money now.

Romeo started walking around on the roof, looking out at the city in front of him. The night was almost over, and he started to wonder if anything was going to happen tonight. Obviously a quiet night was a good thing, but Romeo could not help but feel a little disappointed that he hadn’t been able to show his father and uncles how good he would be on his first patrol…

“There’s an ongoing museum break in!”, Leo’s voice sounded as he stood up, ready for a quick exit. “Let’s go!”

“Finally some action!”, Raph exclaimed, before following the rest as they made their way across the roofs.

—

The turtles arrived at the museum before the police did, just like how the others had told Romeo it would usually play out. Romeo felt his heart beating fast in his chest as they made their way in, finding the burglars in the middle of trying to extract a large diamond from a glass case. Romeo had not expected there to be so many, nor did he expect their surprising expertise in hand to hand combat. All dressed in black, with nothing but their eyes visible. But he certainly did not expect Leo to be so alarmed by the sight of them, telling Romeo to stay back and out of sight.

Romeo found himself crouched behind a pillar, watching as his father and uncles took on, what Romeo could best describe as ninjas in their own right. But as the fight continued, none of them seemed to notice one of the smaller ninjas, almost getting the diamond out of the glass case.

Quickly on his feet, Romeo made a beeline for the ninja and the diamond, slamming against them and pushing them out of the way, causing them to let out a small yelp. However, they were not as easy to push over as Romeo had hoped, already kicking out at him, causing him to duck at the last second in order to avoid their foot making contact with his head.

“Yeez”, Romeo said, his opponent already standing ready for another attack. “You’re worse than my brothers”.

His opponent tried to punch him in the face, making Romeo lean backwards before grabbing a hold of their arm, ready to slam them against the ground. However, Romeo was surprised by their unexpected strength, pulling him with them down onto the ground, making him roll onto his shell with a slam while they got up. Romeo grabbed for them, intending to grab a hold of their color, but instead getting a hold of the black mask at the bottom of their face. It happened so fast, and before Romeo knew it, he found himself standing in front of a girl, who stared in shock at the black mask in his hand. Romeo too found himself shocked, staring at a human girl in front of him. She couldn’t have been much younger than himself, maybe around Marcello’s age.

“You…”, Romeo said, for a moment unable to formulate a sentence. “You’re just a kid”.

This comment seemed to trigger something within her, as in less then a second she kicked out, her heel making contact with Romeo’s left kneecap. Romeo let out a scream of pain, falling to the ground and grabbing a hold of his knee. The pained sound of his son made Leo’s parental instincts kick in, finding his son on the ground, curled up over his knee.

“Romeo!”, Leo yelled out, panic and anger strong in his voice. The unknown of what had happened to his son, coupled with Romeo’s expression of pain made him a beast as he marched through the room, no opponent standing in his way.

Seeing Leo’s giant form making his way through the room, the girl made a quick grab for the diamond, clutching it tightly in her hand.

“Retreat!”, she yelled to the ninjas. “Retreat!”

Quickly following order, the ninjas retreated from the turtles, before making use of smoke bombs to mask their escape.

The smoke hadn’t even cleared before Leo came to Romeo’s side, grabbing a hold of him and giving him a quick look over. Leo did his best to keep calm and not let panic take over, but the slight shake in his voice, his wide eyes and the movements of his hands showed just how worried he was.

“Are you okay?”, he asked, turning Romeo’s head from side to side, checking his neck before moving to take a look at his shell. “What happened? Are you okay? Donnie! Tell them we need a medic in here!”

“I’m okay”, Romeo said, tears growing in his eyes due to the pain in his leg. “But my knee…”

“Donnie!”, Leo yelled.

“Coming!”, Donnie called out, before dropping down next to his nephew, taking a look at his knee.

The sound of police sirens sounded outside the museum, Raph and Mikey going ahead to meet them in the entrance, all while Donnie felt on Romeo’s leg, asking questions as he did so.

“How does this feel?”

“That hurts”, Romeo said through gritted teeth, fighting not to curse next to his father.

Leo looked sick, his expression growing even more worried with each pained sound from his son, before he finally asked what had happened, just as the officers were walking into the room.

—

Leo stayed with Romeo as police chief Vincent and detective Jones questioned the other turtles on what happened. Donnie and another medic had determined that Romeo had a dislocated knee, and had provided him with some much needed pain medication, before sliding his kneecap back into place. Something that had almost made Leo throw up with worry.

Romeo felt exhausted, and couldn’t wait to go home. Mainly so Donnie could do an x-ray of his knee, but the thought of being able to dive into his bed also sounded very pleasing.

“How was your first day at work, kid?”, a familiar voice sounded, making Romeo look up at a well known face. Casey Jones.

“What does it look like?”, Romeo asked, gesturing towards his bandaged knee.

“Well, you look better than I did on my first day”, he smiled, ruffling Romeo’s head like he had any hair to ruffle, before making his way to Leo, asking him about what he had seen. That was when police chief Vincent made her way over, crouching down before Romeo with a friendly smile.

“And you must be the Romeo I’ve heard so much about”, she smiled warmly at him, before reaching a hand out for a handshake, which Romeo accepted with ease. “It’s nice to finally meet you, young man. I’m sorry it had to be under these circumstances, and especially on your first day”.

“That’s okay”, Romeo said. “I guess it’s part of the job”.

Chief Vincent laughed. “You truly are your father’s son. So polite”, she said. “But I have to ask you some questions about tonight, Romeo. Nothing bad, just standart routine, okay? So, your uncles described the thieves as ninjas. Would you agree with that?”

“Yes”, Romeo answered. “I even saw one of them”.

“What do you mean?”

“I got the mask from one that dislocated my knee. I saw her face”.

Both Leo and Casey turned toward Romeo, puzzled expressions on their faces. Chief Vincent looked surprised yet confused. “Do you still have the mask?”

Romeo nodded, before producing the mask, holding it out for her to see. Chief Vincent held out a pen, asking him to place it over so that she wouldn’t touch it. She studied the mask for a moment, before letting her gaze return to meet Romeo’s.

“Would it be possible for you to provide enough information about her appearance for a composite?”

“I think so”.

Chief Vincent nodded, seeming somewhat impressed. “Well, Romeo, welcome to the NYPD. I’m looking forward to continue working with you and your family in the future”.

[redeclipsee]

This is just going to be a little rant about Galadriel, Haladriel, Celeborn and other thingies I've seen discourse about lately. And this is by no means discrediting people's opinions. I just wanted to talk about it lol

I've always been pro-ship. Ship whatever the hell you want. "Problematic" ships, morally wrong ships, just whatever. As long as you're not being an asshole to other people.

Which led me to Haladriel. Haladriel is easily the most popular ship of the show, and with the end of S2, I've seen people attacking the ship, but I've seen more people demanding for Haladriel to become "canon" and absolutely shitting on other characters, plots and fans who enjoy other parts of the show that don't revolve around the ship. And it's quite embarrassing.

In the show, Sauron and Galadriel are foil characters to each other. I don't think hoping for them to face each other each season is unrealistic or even bad. In fact, it's expected. Whenever Sauron chooses darkness, Galadriel will choose light. It's a dance with those characters. 

BUT demanding the romantic ship to become canon and being mean to everyone who says otherwise is bad. You don't need canon to ship them or read them as romantic (because let's be real, the show left it to interpretation, and it's fantastic). Sauron and Galadriel being canon makes absolutely no sense with the lore, the world and the characters. We already know what the characters end up like, so being childish because they won't kiss is embarrassing.

Which leads me to some people hating the character Celeborn. We haven't even seen him in the show and yet, top 5 hated characters. I've seen more people attacking people who want Celeborn and Celeborn and Galadriel giving the most absolute insane takes; "he's boring", "you want Galadriel to be a tradwife", "you just hate Haladriel shippers“, among others. Which all of them are insane. How can you say he’s boring when we haven’t even seen him on the show? Galadriel can be happy, have a loving husband and be badass, be for real. And well, people can ship whatever. If people like Celedriel more than Haladriel is their right? Just as people can dislike Celedriel and like Haladriel, just be kind to each other idk.

SAURON & GALADRIEL

For me, there was a little romance between Galadriel and Sauron on S1. I think Sauron fell in love with her light and her power. I think Galadriel fell in love with the understanding that Halbrand gave her that she couldn’t find in anyone else, her “darkside” was understood. But Sauron’s idea of love can’t be anything but twisted and Galadriel could never really love Sauron. So yes, for me, there was love, but it was twisted.

Sauron is obsessed with her light. He wanted her power just as he wanted Celebrimbor’s art. And he won’t ever renounce it, so he’ll chace it and tempt her at every occasion he can, because he wants her light. Sauron, who thinks he needs to control everyone on Middle Earth to “heal” it, naturally has an obsession with the Lady of Light.

But that’s all there is. Because Galadriel could never truly love Sauron even when he’s the only one that could understand her darkest desires the most. 

GALADRIEL'S JOURNEY

I’ve seen people saying that her speech of “all peoples of Middle Earth will always resist you” is bad because it makes Galadriel abandon her personal goal of hunting Sauron for the greater good, not allowing a woman to have her own agency and advocating for everyone else. And well, I would agree if we weren’t talking about a Tolkien adaptation.

S1 Galadriel is galloping alone. No one believes her, no one understands her, and she can’t stop her quest. She’s prideful and selfish to an extent, and it’s her choices alone, her own internal desire to bring Sauron down that, unaware, brings him back to Middle Earth. She fucks up monumentally. 

S2 Galadriel is about the consequences of her actions, but also, realizing she’s not alone. Her letting go of Finrod's dagger at the end of S1 was a beautiful way of letting go of her quest. Gil-Galad and Galadriel’s relationship in S2 shines because Gil-Galad is harsh on her as much as he believes in her, and he tells her that. S2 Galadriel has no company and has to deal with the tables turned around by being part of Elrond’s company. Elrond, who was also acting stubborn like a mule and refused to listen to anyone (just like her S1 self). S2 Galadriel is about her finding that she’s not alone and that Finrod’s quest is over, and it’s time to fight for Middle Earth, all of it.

Going forward is about her becoming the Lady of Light that we know in Lord of the Rings. And yes, she’ll always have a darkside, she’ll always be prideful and ambitious, and I’m so excited to see hints of that in the upcoming seasons, but I don't think saying her putting aside her personal and prideful quest is bad is fair to the story the show is trying to tell. This is Tolkien, and it makes complete sense for it to be like that.

So yeah, in resume… I love Haladriel, but I don’t want them to ever be canon. I can’t wait for Celeborn to show up, and I can’t wait to see how the show develops Galadriel’s journey in the upcoming seasons! Just remember to be kind to other people, even if they don’t like your ships.

[tallestgrace]

What is your opinion on HTTYD: THW?

This is honestly such a hard question for me omg, because my opinions on it are very mixed.

Long story short, it’s a good movie, but an insanely lackluster How to Train Your Dragon movie.

Short story long, I’ll give the reasons why I didn’t like it so much;

1. Characters were acting OOC

This has been complained about far and wide, and it mainly applies to Toothless, but he was so incredibly out of character. They took a majestic, sassy, and loyal dragon and randomly made his some slobbery love-crazed dragon, who now has almost no regards for his best friend of over six years? Yeah, no, that is poor, sloppy writing if I’ve ever seen it.

Leads me into my next point,

2. Toothless and the Light Fury’s development

It’s not plausible, it wasn’t smooth, and it made me so mad. I understand that this is a children’s movie, yadayadayada, and that they are dragons, but for me their ‘development’ went way too fast. Like what, this movie takes place over the span of a few weeks? And Luna, who is a very untrusting dragon, who should’ve taken a lot more time to bond with Toothless— because of his associations with humans— is basically like, “Oh yeah, let’s mate for life (probably the dragons equivalent of marriage).” Then there’s Toothless, who seems to forget everything he ever did with Hiccup for six years and now wants to run off with the Light Fury.

3. That damn epilogue

Couldn’t stand it. For me, I think that the directors handled this horribly. One, they should’ve brought all of the Dragon Riders, not just Hiccup and Astrid. Two— and don’t be head me for this— get Zephyr and Nuffink out of there. I’M SORRY 😭!! If it makes you feel better, I also think they should’ve ditched the Light Fury and Toothless’ hatchlings as well?

I just think that it only should’ve been them, one, because it makes more sense, and two, (let me use my Gen Z slang real quick) It gave me a huge ick? To me it kind of felt like the directors were saying,

“See guys? Even though Toothless and Hiccup were best friends for six years, and they were devastated to leave each other, they got married and had children, and that’s all you need to be satisfied and happy!! Trust! There are no other goals in life but those!!! 😽👉👈”

There’s more reasons, but these are my main three 🤷‍♀️ Tbh, I could go for hours, about The Hidden World AND that poopoo looking live-action movie 😔

No pressure tags for people’s thoughts that I want to hear on this take— @blueorchid1707 (🦐🦐🦐)@ap0calypticdrag0n (I AM SO SORRY TYLER, I WILL MESSAGE YOU TO EXPLAIN MY GHOSTING BUT POSTING 😭🙏) @thereweredragonshere @booksandfairytales

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Was the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black actually any special, and were they seen as some kind of royalty to outsiders?

Because in every (or most) fanfic I’ve read with them, they are always depicted as being way above anyone and everyone else, even their own partners. The only ones good for them, or the only ones who understand them, are the ones with black blood running through their veins. As if they are some sort of gods that no one, but others with their blood, can touch. And everyone loves (and/or hates) them and wants to be a part of their family because they are so powerful and attractive, but watch out because they are prone to being crazy.

Which is actually another thing I wanted to point out and ask:

Did the Black family actually have some kind of curse of madness?

Hi 👋

Now, like many, I'm not immune to being completely fascinated by the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, so I was pretty stoked about this ask.

For the first part, are the Blacks actually as important as they make themselves (or fandom makes them to be)?

The short answer is not really, but they are important.

Now, the long answer:

I mentioned here how I believe the Wizengamot functions like a council of lords (which is what the Witengamot is named after in our real world), as such, families like the Blacks, the Longbottoms, and even the Potters likely do have a "noble title" (for lack of a better term) that allows them a seat there.

That being said, I don't think the Blacks are above any of the other families there, not really, but they think they are. The Blacks are an old wizarding family, they can probably trace their family tree back to the founders' era and perhaps even before, and it's important to them. They take pride in this legacy of one of the oldest pure-blood families in Britain. The Malfoys, for example, are probably richer than the modern Blacks, but they don't have the Wizengamot title and they came from France, they're not British Pure-Bloods, not originally, and I think the Blacks as a whole would look down on that. But other Wizengamot families that have just as much British history should be their equals then, and they are unless you ask a Black. They are a very proud family, and they might think they're above everyone, but they're the only ones thinking it.

I also personally headcanon that they have more houses aside from Grimmauld Place as well. I mean, back in the Regency and Victorian era it was common for richer aristocrats to have a manor away from London and then a townhouse/manor in London for the social season. So, I kinda assumed that's what Grimmauld Place initially was. So it isn't the family manor the way Malfoy Manor is and there is a Black Manor somewhere in the countryside.

For the second question:

No, I don't think the Black Madness is real.

Let's define "madness". Since it isn't really a medical term, I'd go with the dictionary on this one:

So, we'll treat it as repeated foolish, frenzied, or uncontrolled behavior that cannot be explained by other factors.

We don't meet many Blacks, and most of the ones we do are far from mad (I'll get to Bellatrix and Walburga).

Both Narcissa and Andromeda are completely sound of mind. Sure, they might have made mistakes, or rash decisions on occasion, but that's being human. They both care deeply for their families and act in their best interest. And they are intelligent, logical, controlled, and consistent in their behavior. So, two Black sisters are not insane.

What about the Black brothers, Sirius and Regulus?

Well, neither of them ever read as mad to me. Regulus was obsessed with Voldemort until he realized what he got himself into and his actions weren't ones of a madman, a desperate one, maybe, but not mad. He was smart enough to figure out about Voldmort's Horcruxes and smart enough to do something about it without Voldemort knowing.

Sirius isn't at the best of mental state when we see him considering it's after 12 years in hell on earth. But he is logical, sane, and sound, especially during Goblet of Fire in which he uncovers the plot with Barty Crouch Jr perfectly, just getting the wrong Death Eater. He comes to correct conclusions about people and is clearly intelligent:

“I don’t know,” said Sirius slowly, “I just don’t know . . . Karkaroff doesn’t strike me as the type who’d go back to Voldemort unless he knew Voldemort was powerful enough to protect him. But whoever put your name in that goblet did it for a reason, and I can’t help thinking the tournament would be a very good way to attack you and make it look like an accident.”

(GoF, page 334)

Yes, his mental state deteroits in OOTP when he's back at Grimmuald Place, but that's Sirius dealing with his grief, trauma, his sense of helplessness, and complicated feelings about his family. He never was mad, even then, just in a really shitty situation.

And yes, he was cruel as a teenager, but as I keep saying later in the post, cruelty does not equal madness.

So, what about Bellatrix, the fandom's poster child for the Black Madness?

I don't think she's insane either, well, at least she wasn't until Azkaban. In her trial, she is quiet throughout the proceedings, looking board, even, until the verdict is given:

The dementors were gliding back into the room. The boys’ three companions rose quietly from their seats; the woman with the heavy-lidded eyes looked up at Crouch and called, “The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!”

(GoF, 595-596)

She is fanatical, sure, but there's no baby talk like we see in OOTP, she is cold and clearly understands the situation, she isn't in a frenzy but in control. She just knows about at least one Horcrux so she truly believes what she is saying and from her point of view, it makes sense she believes that. I won't say she is right to torture and murder Voldemort, no, she is cruel and sadistic, always was. But you can be cruel and sadistic without being mad.

The baby voice she was useing when talking to Harry in OOTP was a taunt as well, not how she usually speaks:

“Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy?” she yelled. She had abandoned her baby voice now.

(OotP, 810)

The moment he cast an unforgivable and she started treating him seriously she dropped the baby voice.

She is cruel and fanatical, but not insane. She rightfully suspects Snape throughout HBP and DH, she is aware of her surroundings enough to see Snape's loyalty is odd when many others don't. She is intelligent and logical. She can keep herself in check when she wants to, she's, just, obsessive, and willfully blind to anything to do with Voldemort because she practically worships him.

But, she isn't mad in the sense the Black Madness seems to imply. Also, I think how we see her, post-Azkaban is worse than how she was before. I think we met a less stable, crueler version of Bellatrix, not that she wasn't cruel before, but she was more stable I think. I mean, she did spend about 14 years in Azkaban, and Fudge said Sirius looked too sane to him after a decade in the place. The Wizarding World expects the prisoners in Azkaban to lose it. So, is it really a wonder Bellatrix was affected by her time there?

And what about Walburga who screeched about blood-traitors and mudbloods constantly? Well, I think, like Bellatrix, we're seeing the worst of her.

I mean, Walburga had her portrait painted after:

Her eldest and favored son ran away from home

Her second obedient son joined the Dark Lord and then disappeared. She likely believed he died a painful torturous death of a traitor considering that's what everyone thought.

Her husband died soon after, leaving her alone with Kreacher in a gloomy home that hasn't felt like a home to any of them since the war started brewing in the 1970s. Since Sirius left.

So, I think the version we see of her, is one who was grieving. She was lonely, bitter, and in mourning. And that is the state of mind the portrait captured. I think magical portraits capture the person as they are when they sit down to have the portrait taken, so it captures all of Walburga's pain, and Walburga, proud daughter of the house of Black spits acid instead of letting her pain get to her, instead of allowing herself to feel the guilt that is weighing her down.

Walburga was never been the picture of a good mother, or of stability, but I mentioned here and other times that I don't believe Walburga was physically abusive at any point, but she always had high expectations for her sons, especially Sirius. She probably had control, and she wasn't always as frenzied as we see her, we just see a version of her broken by life, and when she broke, she got so much worse.

So, I don't think there is a curse of Black madness, not really. It's just the Black family had shit luck in the Wizarding Wars, and to a degree, it was their own doing — their pure-blood mania that sent their kids away.

As for other members, well, we know Alphard was sane enough to give Sirius money when he ran away. We know Araminta wanted to legalize muggle-hunting and Elladora started the tradition of hanging house elves' heads on the walls. The thing is, you don't need to be mad to be cruel, you can be perfectly calm, collected, and intelligent and still do unimaginable horrors. In the case of Araminta and Elladora, they don't consider muggles and house elves as human, as equal to them. therefore their pain and suffering aren't cruel in their eyes, it's like killing a deer and mounting its head on the wall, it's an animal, and it's fine. I don't think they were even necessarily cruel towards other wizards, just towards those they considered lesser, who they thought of as animals. They weren't good people, but that doesn't make them mad.

I think there is something to be said about evil not always equaling insanity and that people who'd be medically considered completely sane can do a lot of evil. I think calling every evil character insane or mad cheapens these terms and has always felt to me like a cop-out. Insane is what you call someone you want to Other, to forget that the evil they committed was done by a person, it's a way to wave their behavior away and say: "Well, I can't understand why they did that, they're insane," and this kind of excuse for characters' behavior always left a bad taste in my mouth. Evil can be done by perfectly sane humans, and I think that angle of analysis, is much more interesting because then you force yourself to understand. You force yourself to face the humanity in a character in a way calling them mad won't allow you to. Real evil is hardly ever so simple as "madness" makes it out to be.

(As a side note, I think it's possible quite a few of the Blacks have mental health issues, but that's very different than how terms like madness and insanity are thrown around and portrayed)

[chairofchaos]

You Deserve Better, and Other Points for Reflection

Hey friends, listen up. Real talk for a second, because nobody deserves this. And, in case anybody cares, I want you to know I come with 12 years of learning on this exact debate we have been having, because I had some very excellent fandom mentors in my communities and in the form of my uncles, who to this day support me writing and reading whatever hell I please, even in the face of protest from my immediate family. There was a lot of learning I had to do to be here with you now, and I am thankful for those people who were willing to tell me so.

If you want to post memes and think pieces and jokes and poems about a fandom debate, go ahead! You create the experience you want to see on your dash, and you will find your people.

If you want to discuss a fandom debate (a little or a lot), go ahead! I’m all for thinking through how we live and act and exist as a fan community.

If you feel that you need to take those things and turn them into vitriol to pour into the DMs and Anons of people who are running a fan week, that is not okay. Not in the slightest.

There is a big difference between debate, discussion, creative protest, and joking around, and intentionally using your words to create harm in someone’s life.

“But, Chaos, this [thing not directly sent to you/not specifically intended for you] hurt my feelings!”

Okay. Get burned once? Great! You learned something: don’t touch the hot iron again. (To translate: block the tag, block the person, whatever you need, and move on. If it isn’t for you that’s ok.) Hurt feelings are to tell you what you can and/or are willing to handle. If you don’t want to see it, block. (I love blocking tags it’s one of my little joys in life lol)

“Chaos, somebody said something really rude to me to my (virtual) face! What do I do?”

Well, you can either respond or you can block. Either way, it will probably help you to move on.

If you are responding, I beg you to keep one thing in mind. I want you to picture 7 year old you at the other end of that message. Or 13 year old you. What kind of words did they deserve to hear in a moment when maybe they weren’t getting something? Use those. Use them kindly, not in a condescending way, but in a “I want to explain this as gently as I would to my younger self” kind of way. If somebody keeps being mean, it isn’t worth it. Please use the block feature and move on. They are not worth your time.

Additionally, I would encourage you to do this: the “touch grass” mentality is something I only direct at myself. (I literally told myself to go touch grass yesterday, and there is at least one person who can corroborate that.) I stand by that decision every single day. It’s kept me out of a lot of trouble. Directing it at others does not end well, but directing it at yourself can be a good way to reflect and to consider sensible actions in the face of overwhelming situations or emotions (of which I experience many).

“Chaos, people are coming into anon and being hateful. Or just rude. Or they’re dumping triggering material into my anons.”

That is on them. That is not on you. They should not do that. And I am so sorry you are dealing with that. I’m going to be honest, I don’t know if you can block from anons (I’ve never even needed to look and so help you all if this is the post that makes me) but if you can, do. I will do what I can to help, if you need it. Regardless of where you stand on any of these issues, because I will not stand for hatred.

“I’m mad about [redacted] and I am going to be rude/mean/intentionally putting triggering material in people’s inboxes and activity feeds!”

You do that and you will be in a world of hurt, my friend. A world of hurt from yourself.

Because we create the experience we think we deserve. If you create an internet experience where it is acceptable to be hateful, vengeful, and downright cruel to other people, that is the experience you will receive in return. You deserve better than that. And if you believe that you deserve better than that but the people you’re directing cruelty towards don’t, then I want you to hear me: you will quickly find that you are not welcome anywhere. There will always be someone to disagree with. There will always be (at least) minute discrepancies in the way two or more people think, even people who are deeply similar.

Hurt the hand that reaches to help you- one day it will be raised against you in hurt as well.

As for me? Well, for that, I leave you with thoughts from George Washington’s Farewell address as paraphrased in Hamilton’s ‘One Last Time’:

“Though, in reviewing the incidents of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors.”

I am not a president (and thank god for that because who wants Chaos in charge of a country?). I am simply a fandom member. A writer. A little chaos gremlin lurking behind trees in the forest.

But like Mr. Washington, I am aware that I often fail to live up to my standards and principles. And I hope, truly, though it is wildly uncomfortable for me, that you would call me out for ways I have failed to uphold them, either in the past or in the future. (It would be super great if you like… called me out in DMs and didn’t put me on blast but oh well.)

I am in at least four other major (international, GIANT) fandoms. I am not hopeful enough to think that the ACOTAR fandom will learn from the fandoms of yore. We will have to weather these storms on our own, even with the knowledge and experiences already there. I think that’s okay. Disappointing, perhaps, but okay.

Since this post was much longer than it was intended to be, I will summarize:

If you are intentionally putting hateful materials in the inboxes, DMs, and activity feeds of people you disagree with, you will hurt yourself.

You create the experience you think you deserve, and in doing so, create that experience for others. Good or bad.

Block tags, block blogs, block what you need to enjoy the space. You will find your people.

Being intentionally cruel to other human persons is how you end up finding that nobody is “your people” because you created an environment where no one wants to be. You will be lonely and sad. Don’t make yourself lonely and sad.

I am certain I fail to uphold these principles at times. Feel free to call me out if you see me failing at these. DM appreciated, but I’m the one who invited you to do so so I’m not going to say “don’t blast me on main.” My funeral, I know.

[scribbled-dream]

I’ve finished Elemental Council, the newest T’au book by Noah Van Nyugen—and I love the ending. Spoilers follow.

For those who aren’t familiar, the book follows a crack team of T’au specialists pulled together by Ethereal Yor’i, to create a council of specialists to deal with a Human rebellion on the newly conquered world of Cao Quo.

This revolt is led by the Space Marine Artamax, and complicated by further matters—A growing sect of T’au supremacists called the Syra, who consider humanity to be a blight upon the Empire.

Throughout the book, the question is asked: Are Humanity worthy of being in the T’au empire? Are they more than they seem, ignorant and brutal?

We see this through the viewpoints of several T’au, all of who come to slowly see their pity, indifference, hatred and guilt over humanity and the actions they’ve done in service to the Tau Empire against the Human rebels as flawed, and that they need to give Humanity the same chance they were given by Yor’i.

We see this clearly through Yor’i himself—he has a Gue’vesa bodyguard, one of exceedingly high status to be guarding the ranking Ethereal on the planet. Yor’i views his bodyguard, Jules, with gratitude, but acknowledges that he is not T’au. He will never be as close to them as the Ethereal is.

Jules, too, is a complicated man, serving the T’au as a former Scion, turned by another Ethereal who he formed a close friendship with. He knows his place in the Empire is distinct, and the other characters often look at his position with confusion or scorn—confused as to why an Ethereal would have a Human to guard his life.

They soon see why, as Jules dies against Artamax—giving his life for the Greater Good to save the Fireblade protagonist, who voices continual confusion at his devotion.

A Gue’vesa backtalking a Space Marine? An anomaly.

And yet, we see again. The Humans given a second chance by the T’au repeat this behavior, with the Gue’vesa Fleet Admiral Hillar, unsure of who to support between the rebels and the T’au. Hillar wants to support the rebels, and ideologically disagrees with Artamax’s methods, desiring peace.

Hillar defies Artamax, and dies for it. The young Earth Caste Engineer, Ke, initially confused by Human independence and defiance, and exceedingly desirous of peace, learns to empathize with the life she failed to save.

All of this leads us to the ending. The twist. The group takes a Kroot into their entourage, Ghodeh—who only wants to feast on the Marine, absorb his knowledge.

Through his scent, he finds that Yor’i is not who he seems, instead a Callidus Assasin in disguise. It is barely perceptible—unless one pays attention to Yor’i’s sharp twists in mood toward the Humans, and Jules in particular.

Yor’i is initially stoic and silent about his connection to Jules, but is found by the Fireblade Swordlight to be kind and understanding of Jules, vouching for him—after he dies, there is a stark shift in his behavior.

Yor’i goes from loyalty and kindness to Humanity, to hatred, indifference, and cold apathy.

And then, we learn the twist—it doesn’t make sense, because it’s not meant to. This is NOT Yor’i—rather, a foul thing wearing his skin, a Callidus skinwalker.

The real Yor’i is taken in by a Human family—and cared for, protected. This is the true nature of humanity—a kind one.

The Callidus is slain much like the Marine—by the lowest of the low—the Earth Caste engineer. And although Ghodeh does not get to taste the Marine’s sacred flesh, he learns to accept that he can control his hunger—out of respect.

Then, we come to the ending. The T’au garrison at Cao Quo is consumed by violence and fire, rioting fills the streets, falling into ignorance and fear just like the Imperium. This is where the average 40k fan would say it should end, because there can be no peace among the stars—

but the fic proves everyone wrong.

There can be peace. There can be unity, and empathy. It is hard to reach for, even harder to name—but it is THERE.