#but that's not the point so i hope nobody takes it out of its context ASGFJDGLFDGDKGJ

[ruvviks]

juniper + 4, 16, 29 / hindsight + 35, 30, 25, 11 / erytheia + 26, 12, 33 AND i would like to know about 8 for all three of them :]

d&d oc asks!

8. do they have a nickname? who gave it to them? if it's not derived from their real name, what's the story behind it?

erytheia's nickname is niaue (pronounced ni-a-we)! she isn't entirely sure of the origins of the name but she just knows that it's her nickname, and people she has helped in the past tend to refer to her by this name as well when telling tales of her and her deeds

the name is actually a nickname that has been given to her by the tidemother, which is the deity she serves as a grave domain cleric! niaue means "lighthouse" in an ancient divine language that is not spoken anymore, and the tidemother gave erytheia this descriptive nickname because it fits who she is and how she helps people in need :]

12. how long have they been around? do you know their birthday? is their birthday the day you made them or another day? what do they think of celebrating birthdays?

erytheia is 32 years old, and she was born on the 25th of nyn; the second month of the year and the last winter month. she hasn't celebrated her birthday in many years, since in genasi culture (in my homebrew world) it is mostly celebrated with family; erytheia has not been home since the age of 19, and thus has not felt the need to celebrate since it would not be the same without her parents and siblings there :(

26. how do they move? are they clumsy? light on their feet? do they use mobility aids?

erytheia prefers to float, since she, surprisingly enough, is VERY clumsy when she's walking. she's incredibly tall and a bit lanky and often forgets about it, and she hits her head into door frames and ceilings a LOT (also when floating but she can be a lot more graceful about it then JSKGJFDKGDFJG). she only ever walks when out with @mojaves' oc bela, because he's much smaller than she is and she wants to be able to hold on to his arm or hand :]

33. if applicable, how would your other characters describe them? i mean specifically the people around them.

hindsight would describe erytheia as ethereal, and he means that wholeheartedly because he doesn't know many big words. he thinks it's amazing how she sees the good in basically everything and manages to stay so positive through it all; he tends to get very demotivated by bad situations pretty easily, but erytheia's attitude helps him power through and she's just very inspiring to him :]

juniper honestly shares that opinion, but for her it's more of a curious perspective rather than getting inspired by it. she's not entirely sure how erytheia can remain so positive especially taking into account what erytheia has seen and been through in her days; logically, anyone else in her position would not manage to be like that, and it makes juniper wonder what else is going on that the party so far does not know about her. putting all that aside, much like hindsight she sees erytheia as a very good friend, and she respects her a lot ^_^

8. do they have a nickname? who gave it to them? if it's not derived from their real name, what's the story behind it?

hindsight gave himself his nickname, which is sort of comparable to a tiefling's virtue name except it's not really a virtue for him, but more just a rather ironic descriptive term that he started going by when he fled his home country, the frozen shore, after his father's death

the name mostly refers to how he shoots first and asks questions later, but at the same time it is also kind of meant ironically, referring to his entire life back in the frozen shore and how, in hindsight, almost none of the decisions he made in there had been the right ones. he's starting a new life AS hindsight, knowing what he knows now, and he builds up this whole fake persona to try and fit in with the crowds, trying to pass as human rather than embracing being a tiefling, having gone as far as getting rid of his horns and hiding his tail and everything :( with that i also accidentally ended up making him a trans allegory but that's a suitcase to unpack another day

11. what do they have in common with you? how are they different? would you get along with them?

the autism. straight up. getting embarrassed about having wants and needs, overly apologetic, absolutely cannot handle misunderstandings and needs to sort things out IMMEDIATELY to just get it over with. he's good at noticing changes in atmosphere or behaviors of others but doesn't know what to do about it, how to bring it up, and also what it's caused by, and his brain is quick to tell him that he did something wrong </3

tying in to what i said above with the trans allegory, that mostly comes from his relationship with his horns. he got rid of them because people stared at him because of them because they were so prominent and he didn't want them to be, he wanted to be able to blend in normally and be comfortable in his body. he got his horns removed, and then years later when he's comfortable in his body, he kinda wishes there had been a way for him to just keep his horns but be able to take them off on some days and then put them back on the next day. not regretting his decision, but just wishing that there had been an alternative now that he has the comfort that he wanted all those years ago. which is basically how i feel about my chest ^_^ so there's that

i would definitely get along with him. he's a bit defensive and sarcastic and kinda pessimistic but i do love to complain about situations and scenarios so we would be like them two old man muppets basically and get too caught up into the bit and piss everyone around us off. and the possessive sex would be out of this world

25. how good/bad is their hearing? what about their eyesight?

hindsight's hearing and eyesight are both pretty decent!! in fact, perception is his expertise skill LMAO he used to be a guard so he has very sharp senses :] however he does need glasses to be able to see, which is why he's wearing those round glasses in the art i did of him :] his eyes are sensitive to sunlight so the glasses have a warm hue to them so he can see his surroundings better without getting blinded. when he learns how to read at some point (different suitcase for another day) he'll end up with rectangular little reading glasses too

30. do they smell like anything notable?

i'm always very bad at describing scents, but hindsight would smell very good. it'd be a warm and comfortable smell, like a hearth or a campfire in the woods; though not Literally that smell, but the warmth of it if that makes sense :] though there's definitely a hint of the crackle of a campfire in there because of him being a tiefling. but then mixed with a little bit of the sweetness of the marshmallow that you're roasting above it :]

35. do they ever return home?

quite literally in every way, yes. hindsight returns back to himself during the story, dropping the act and persona he made for himself by using his own accent again, showing his tail, and dropping the stoic and distant personality he created in order to keep people away from him. he also goes back to the frozen shore with the party, when they're forced to go there to investigate the next lead they have in the overarching storyline; and it even circles back to him being forced to return to the still ongoing trial surrounding his father's death, where hindsight's testimony can decide the fate of the rebels in the country which is part of the endgame of the whole story >:]

4. how crafty/resourceful are they?

juniper is very resourceful! she thinks in solutions and is quick to jump between different plans when the party is getting stuck on something, and while she doesn't necessarily have all the skills to execute the plan herself, she is more than willing to take lead on it to get the others to focus too

one of her main focuses is learning more about the world, and with that she's always learning new things that can help the party out later in time, which also greatly contributes to how resourceful she is :]

8. do they have a nickname? who gave it to them? if it's not derived from their real name, what's the story behind it?

juniper chose her nickname herself sometime after settling down in dumad, caspen, after she ended up on the material plane and gave up trying to get back to the feywild. she still goes by shivani to those closest to her, but prefers to introduce herself as juniper because to her it's her material plane name and it feels less heavy than her real name, which brings along (forgotten) memories from her time back in the feywild with her family :( as for now, the only one who knows about her real name is andy's oc mairwen!! though later in the story juniper will also tell the others about it :]

16. do they have any pets? what do they call their pets?

right now, juniper does NOT have a pet but i have been thinking about giving her one :] the party does in fact travel with a cart pulled by two wingbeasts (imagine a snow leopard mixed with a dire wolf and a hyena, with big wings), which can be considered their shared pets in a way?? they're both boys, about four years old so they're still young, and their names are darshan and naghi :]

fun fact is that juniper actually came up with their names!! the names are from a feywild legend in my homebrew world, which tells the tale of lovers darshan and naghi who were the feywild's guardians, but from their position on the plane they couldn't do their jobs well and thus took positions in the sky; but their shared presence in the sky was too much for the feywild and it began to burn. the lovers had to make the difficult decision to no longer be present in the sky at the same time, darshan becoming the sun, naghi becoming the moon, which saved the feywild, but they could never be together ever again :( it is one of the few things juniper remembers from the place and she still loves the tale a lot <3

29. are they associated with any particular element (air, earth, fire, water)?

juniper can most of all be associated with blood. she's a warlock, and her patron is vashna, a primordial hag who feasts on blood, and juniper eventually ends up as some sort of vessel for vashna to sate her hunger. in fact, it affects juniper in such a way that she ends up cursed with lycanthropy at some point in the story >:]

[antianakin]

I'm starting to see some very funny (and by funny I mean infuriating) takes on what Andor was actually ABOUT and the way it utilized its more adult narrative within the context of Star Wars. Andor as a show followed Lucas's themes BRILLIANTLY even while choosing to look at them a little differently.

One of the primary themes in Star Wars is that there really isn't much of a "middle ground" in life. You are either choosing to be selfless and compassionate, or you aren't. Trying to stay in the middle or run from making this choice inevitably ends up badly for the people who try. And one of the other primary themes of Star Wars is that being selfless and compassionate often requires LETTING GO, most often letting go of the people you love and accepting that change happens in life.

I've seen people argue that Andor is able to be a morally grey story because its characters aren't Jedi or Sith who tend to be more bound by these cosmic themes or good vs evil, but I'd argue that Andor actually represents that theme JUST FINE.

Despite many of its characters living in a "morally ambiguous" area, we still have to see them make the choice to be selfless and compassionate or selfish and greedy. One of the primary themes for the characters is how well they can LET GO or not. Cassian is constantly having to figure out how to let go of his plans for his future, let go of his mother, let go of his dreams of a normal life. Cassian is ruled by fear for much of the first season and it's only once he is pushed into a situation where there's no longer any way to run, he starts finally fighting back and refusing to bow to the oppressive force that wants nothing more than to see him discarded like so much refuse. The people of Ferrix have to let go of their desire to stick their heads in the sand and simply hope the Empire won't notice them.

And on the other end of the spectrum you have Syril Karn and Dedra Meero absolutely fixated on their respective goals to the point that they're willing to kill and betray innocent people to reach them. They've convinced themselves their goals are selfless, but their motivations are in fact actually SELFISH, they serve nobody but their own ambitions. And both of them end up paying for it.

So Andor ABSOLUTELY gets the central theme of Star Wars, it isn't actually trying to change that. What it DOES do is take that theme and just digs slightly deeper, looking at this theme from a slightly different angel even when it ultimately comes to the same conclusion. Andor asks if selflessness and compassion always looks like "I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!" Or if maybe sometimes making the selfless choice means burning yourself to light a fire to lead someone else to safety. Are all people who make the selfless and compassionate choice considered heroes, or are some of them having to make those choices down in the dirt and destined to be forgotten by history? Andor asks how many variations of selflessness might exist and then explores them in its wide, colorful ensemble.

Andor also is looking at what selflessness might look like in characters who are forced into making a choice between standing back when they see evil happening and dirtying their hands just to make the smallest difference because forces of evil outside of their control are making the purer options impossible.

And that is the EXACT SAME THEME explored with the Prequels Jedi. The Jedi who want so badly to be selfless and compassionate, whose philosophies and ideologies lead them to use violence only as a last resort and love everyone and everything in the galaxy equally. The Jedi who are thrust into a war where there's no way to win because the Sith are running both sides of it and the Jedi can't just NOT FIGHT because that will get innocent people killed and will help no one but themselves, but they have to compromise their morals as a result. The Jedi who see a politician slowly amassing unreasonable amounts of power he's unwilling to let go of and a Senate too controlled by fear and greed to see the danger, so their only option is to commit treason to try to remove the corruption personally.

The Jedi LOOK the hero part a lot more than the characters in Andor do. They're strong, confident, powerful, and wield swords of light. They fight out in the open rather than from the shadows. Cassian, Luthen, Saw, Mon Mothma, Vel, and Cinta all manipulate things and threaten people and lie and cheat their way towards victory. Both Mon Mothma and Luthen fully admit to choosing to act like their enemy in order to defeat them. And it's not that the Jedi's way of fighting is any worse than the way the people of Andor have learned to fight. The people of Andor would LOVE to be able to fight like the Jedi used to do. But they can't. Palpatine has created a world in which being heroes that way is NO LONGER POSSIBLE. He started with the Jedi, by forcing the Jedi into a situation where fighting the way they once did was the wrong choice to make. There were no longer any right choices, just better choices. The only choice.

The Jedi stood as a bulwark between the darkness and the people of the galaxy. For years they chose to dirty their hands in order to fight the battles no one else WANTED to fight because it was the ONLY CHOICE TO MAKE. So what happens when the Jedi are gone?

The rest of the galaxy is now faced with the same choice. Do you stand by and let darkness grow? Or do you dirty your hands a little because it's the only choice you CAN make?

The people in Andor are picking up the torch that fell out of the Jedi's hands when they were murdered and persecuted by the Sith. Only the people who are left don't have magic powers or swords of light, so they use the resources they have at their disposal, which mostly amounts to manipulation and trickery and striking from shadows. The fight looks a little different now, but it's still the same fight the Jedi were fighting for years.

So Andor is taking those bigger cosmic themes from the Jedi/Sith conflicts that permeate the rest of the Skywalker saga and asks what those themes might look like when applied to the little people. What kind of choices might THEY make, what kind of things might they have to let go of in order to make those selfless choices? What kind of consequences might happen when they DON'T make the selfless choice? It's the exact same theme Lucas has ALWAYS had in his stories, just viewed from a different angle or through a different lens.

But the stories we've been getting recently that are trying to argue that being selfish is actually totally fine so long as you're doing it For Love, that the Jedi were in fact the source of everything that went wrong in the galaxy, that the Jedi were DESTINED to be destroyed, those all go completely against Lucas's themes. They're the direct OPPOSITE of his intended message. It is in fact entirely possible to write a more adult story with grittier content that STILL SENDS THE SAME FUCKING MESSAGE AND FOLLOWS THE SAME THEMES and doesn't try to get edgy in its interpretation of the source material.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Can we have Azul being very excited to see his parents again with random dorm members questioning if thats the same Azul that's their dorm leader?

Octavinelle A-kun? Octavinelle A-kun. (Context: Octa A/Kon is my Octavinelle mob student OC asdblasdiabis)

Family means Nobody is Left Behind or Forgotten.

Azul had reserved a slot of time early in the afternoon--before the Mostro Lounge's usual hours of operation--for his parents.

As soon as he swung open the doors, his painstaking efforts were made apparent. Every corner of the eatery had been scrubbed, buffed, dusted, mopped, and vacuumed to perfection. Their best china was out, a vase of freshly cut flowers and romantic candlelight marking the table he had saved. The live band he had hired (no expense spared) welcomed the Ashengrotto family with a soft, jazzy melody.

The music came with a chorus of clapping. Several Octavinelle students stood in lines, giving applause to the VIPs.

Azul ushered his parents inside. "Please, come in, come in! Right this way, esteemed sir and madam," he crooned, gesturing for them to follow him.

They settled into their seats and were immediately provided with menus and tall glasses of water, the ice so clear and free of impurities that one could see right through them. Octa A--Kon--their server, hastily pulled his hand back after delivering the items and bowed. How smoothly everything ran, like an orchestra with a skilled conductor.

"So this is what you've been up to at school," Mr. Ashengrotto murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I must say, it's impressive. Not every 17-year old would be capable of overseeing an entire cafe on top of studying and juggling the responsibilities of a dorm leader--well, perhaps your mother would."

"You really do take after me," Mrs. Ashengrotto laughed, "in more ways than I suspected you did."

"Fufufu. Yes, well... I did learn from the best." Azul straightened, lifting his chin proudly. "As it so happens, I also run a little... side business, shall we say. My peers come to me with their owes, and I do what I can to help alleviate those."

"If only your grandmother could have joined us... I'm sure she would be pleased to hear of your charity work. Perhaps we could pay her a visit on your next trip home."

His stepfather raised his brows. "Seems I've married into a multitalented family."

"Please do not talk down your own abilities. You're quite skilled in your own right, dear stepfather!" Azul wrung his hands together. "Why, I can only hope to match your legal prowess one day!"

“Haha, you’re a sweet talker too. Alright, I’ll take your professional advice. No more talk of business though—let’s decide what to eat.”

“Fufufu, as you wish.”

Kon warily kept his distance, a step or two farther from the table than he usually would. Staring, listening--it was strange, he decided. Never had he heard his dorm leader speaking with such sincerity, with kindness that wasn't laced with hidden ill intent.

Is this... Azul-senpai? He seems a little different around his family. Softer... squisher somehow.

"Pick anything you like off the menu. I'm confident that you will enjoy our dishes, made fresh every day with the best sourced, in-season ingredients possible.” Azul pushed up his glasses with one hand. “If you care for a recommendation, the fried chicken is sublime. It took us a while experimenting with spices to achieve its flavor and texture, but I believe those efforts paid off wonderfully."

“Fried chicken, your old favorite! You hardly touch it anymore.”

“M-Mama…! Er, I mean mother,” Azul quickly corrected himself. “That was back then! Now I am making a conscious effort to mind my health. I ask that you respect that."

“Alright, alright. Point taken.” Mrs. Ashengrotto tapped a finger on her menu. “I’ll take the fried chicken platter appetizer, for old time’s sake. We can split it so you can treat yourself too, dear."

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly..."

"One bite can't hurt," his stepfather urged. "Here, let's get a salad as well to balance it out."

"Th-That is not how nutritional intake works at all..." Azul sighed, a hand to his head. There was a pause, then he flagged Kon over. "... You heard them, correct? One fried chicken platter and the garden salad appetizers to start."

"We'll get those out for you right away," he said robotically. A line, rehearsed. "Take however long you need to decide your mains."

The mob student turned to scurry away and pass along the order to the kitchen. A voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

“And Kon-san?”

He looked back.

His dorm leader had his legs crossed, looking very authoritative as he sat up straight in his booth. He, the lackey, trembling before the boss.

“Y-Yes, sir?” Kon squeaked.

Azul simply smiled. "Thank you for your service."

The breath he had been unconsciously holding slipped out as a sigh. And he tried to smile back.

"Anytime, dorm leader.”

[marsprincess889]

Astrologers on tumblr do not owe you free interpretations.

Interesting!

So, somebody took their valuable time and energy to comment these on my recent post:

For context, they asked about ketu and moon in rohini.

Now, I have gotten other asks about ketu placements and at first I answered them, but I added a disclaimer with each one: my interpretation, although not wrong, is formulaic and quite shallow compared what the native can experience of theur ketu, simply because of its nature and what it represents.

Now, this someone seems very triggered that I did not give a full comprehesive analysis +advice.

You guys can see my replies to them in the comments of the previous post.

I do not owe anyone to interpret placements for them.

I do not get paid for it, I did not announce that I'd be interpreting them for free. The ones that I did interpret I did out of my kindness and because of thinking I had substantial information to share, not to mention the fact that I was in the right headspace to do so.

So they have some nerve, making me some black cardinal figure who gatekeeps. + I'm pretty sure they have trouble reading in and understanding English cause I clearly said that I have no idea what it's like to have ketu in rohini, I can only guess.

What can I do....

Edit: idk guys, but instances like this really make me want quit this blog. I started this because of genuine interest and fun and with the desire of wanting to share my observations with others. The amount of people who take things too seriously and miss the point is kind of alarming. It makes bloggers lose motivation and for me, personally, it feels like people only want you to validate what they think is true or to get any kind of info, true or false, just for the sake of knowing "something".

Update: so the main thing here turned out to be the misjudging and the misundersting, but I really did get upset that me doing what I genuinely think is the best and taking the time to explain that triggered someone.

The big reason of why I'm doing this is that I want to share the information, not gatekeep it. Gatekeeping has its value, necessity, time and place and while I am a big fan of boundaries and of respectful space, I want to connect with people on here as best as possible. I love when people resonate to what I write and I hate it when my words are taken the wrong way. I do not want to trigger anyone, and if I do, please, recognize that that was not my intention, and that it is not my fault, I don't think it has ever been on here anyways.

So, wish you all healing and I hope you find what you were looking for here, and if not, then that is fine and absolutely nobody's fault.

[cushfuddled]

When I first started shoveling Jayvik fanfic into my mouth a month and a half ago, I was shocked and delighted at the avalanche buffet of top Viktor and dom Viktor content. But I've started to feel like the detective who kneels down and touches some footprints in the dirt like, "Something happened here..."

Because I can't remember the last time I saw a fanon concept become...so ubiquitous? Even in fics where Viktor bottoms, he's a power bottom/topping from the bottom. Spotting a fic with an overwhelmed sub bottom Vik in the Ao3 tag feels a bit like the moment a snow leopard graces your Himalayan trail cam.

I DO NOT mean to suggest anyone "should" write more inexperienced/bottom/sub Viktor! It's just...as someone who likely missed whatever ancient discourse might've plagued the Arcane fandom years hence, I've been through this fandom song and dance enough times to recognize the smell of...what say, capital-O Obligation.

I just want people to know they can write whatever kind of fanfic they want. That's the point of this post. I hope someone somewhere reads this and feels emboldened to let loose/goof off/get freaky/whatever.

Because I can see why people would feel Obligated to portray Viktor as a top/dom/the sexually experienced one. He's physically disabled and chronically ill. Ableism so often takes the form of paternalism and infantilization. There's this pervasive notion that disabled people don't have sex. People think we're too "pure" for sex, or assume we're "undesirable" as romantic partners/that our physical or mental disabilities would make sex impossible. With that cultural context, it's a radical act for so many people to come together and choose to portray Viktor—a disabled, terminally ill man who struggles with suicide ideation—as a sexually experienced top.

One of the hardest things about being disabled/ill is the lack of control. You can't plan for the future; you don't know whether your pain levels will be better tomorrow or demand another trip to the ER; your life is totally in the hands of overworked doctors who don't care about you. So it feels kind of like an act of reclamation to put Viktor in a dominant position. In a safe, sane, consensual arrangement, all parties have control over the situation, but with topping and/or domming comes the Role of authority/power. Making Viktor an experienced, sly top/dom gives back Viktor's autonomy and agency.

So yeah. I get why this trend is pervasive within the fandom! It's fantastically subversive. I just hope nobody feels like they HAVE to fall into this dynamic.

I remember a Tumblr post from years ago where someone described the drawbacks of a supposedly "feminist retelling" of Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, wherein the heroin saves herself by her own strength and wits. This, I would argue, is a perfectly fine story to tell...but its lack of intersectionality betrays a shallow definition of feminism. In casting those retold fairy tales in a feminist, "empowering" light, one ignores the realities of the people who found escapism in those helpless damsels.

In a paradoxical way, when my MCAS knocked me flat on my ass for two years, I was always out of control of my life AND forced to take control all the time. All those overworked, traumatized, apathetic doctors meant I had to be my own patient advocate. I had to do my own research; figure out which treatment plans made the most sense; find doctors who took my insurance and could see me within six months; argue with Medicaid when they didn't want to pay for one of the drugs I'd been prescribed; find new and creative ways to feed myself when my body reacted like it was allergic to everything other than water and Cheerios. And god, I had to self-police myself all the time. At the doctor's office, you have to look sick enough that they believe you when you say you're hurting, but you don't want to seem TOO sick because the desperation will make the doctor diagnose you with "hysterical woman" (or they'll just assume you're fishing for drugs). At home, you want to project some amount of strength so you don't worry your loved ones or make yourself too much of a "burden." (You also don't want to have to manage other people's anxiety on top of your own.) My disability (autism) and chronic illness (MCAS) are invisible, but I imagine there's a lot of masking that goes into navigating public spaces with a visible disability/illness, too.

So...when everything's this constant battle for control—when you're forced to project strength every day regardless of your pain level—of course some people are going to find relief in stories where they're allowed to shut down. I think it's important to let disabled characters be vulnerable and overwhelmed and even dependent on someone else, because as often as disabled and chronically ill people are infantalized, so too are we expected to "overcome" our disabilities/illnesses through miracles of resilience and cunning. We're pushed to perform strength, cheer, and "normalcy" for the public, who find our disabilities "sad" and "uncomfortable." Every time someone refuses to put on a mask, or a relative tells us to simply get more exercise, or a politician rails against "wellfare queens," or a bus route gets cut or a bench gets removed or our doctors hand-wave our symptoms, our world reinforces the message that we are Too Much; that our needs are exorbitant, our very existence a drain on society. So many of us throw ourselves into self-sabotaging grasps at independence. We work ourselves far past our limits to prove we aren't a burden on society. We refuse help just to maintain that tiny sense of control over our lives.

I find it deeply comforting to read stories where ill and disabled characters are...allowed to be helpless, I guess. To break the fuck down and let someone else finally take the reigns for a while—to lift some of that burden off their shoulders. I love when ill and disabled characters trust someone enough to take off that heavy armor, revealing the pain and weakness beneath the facade they were forced to take up to survive, and are rewarded with warmth and reassurance and care.

At a certain point...is it not a little ableist in itself, to restrict a disabled, chronically ill character to one specific role? To essentially lock them out of a position where they're allowed to relinquish control and be taken care of?

In essence,

Disabled and chronically/terminally ill people are not a monolith. As I always say, what offends one person will uplift another. It's an uncomfortable reality, but there's really no such thing as perfect representation. I think part of intersectionality is being willing to accept that multiple things can be true at once, because everyone's lived reality is different. It's absolutely fine to prefer one trope over another. But if I find a fanfic offensive or uncomfortable, I can always click the back button with the knowledge that there's almost certainly someone out there who'll find that same so-called problematic content empowering. Whether fic writers prefer top Viktor, power bottom Viktor, bottom Viktor, switch Viktor, sub Viktor, dom Viktor, experienced Viktor, virgin Viktor, omega vs. alpha Viktor, and every niche in between...I just hope they go where their heart tells them and write what they want.

[stariikis]

𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 | 𝐤𝐬𝐧

synopsis ; you're definitely sunoo's number one photographer, said so even by himself. usually you're the first to be pointed out by him, but today he doesn't even spare you a glance before walking in his concert venue.

pairing ; guitarist!sunoo x femphotographer!reader genre ; hurt/comfort, fluff, established rs, oneshot disclaimer ; this is NOT an smau, i just included these two texts for context ^^ enjoy reading!

(click to expand pictures)

Hurriedly fishing your digital camera out of its pouch, you alight the bus and rush towards where hundreds, nearly thousands of people are congregating. There's a good mix of male and female fans, but they all have one thing in common - they're here to see your boyfriend perform.

Two teenage girls whisper behind hands to each other, barely concealing their excitement. You can feel their gazes burning your back alive as they try to subtly point at you, but it's no use for them. Before they can scurry off, you turn and wave at them.

As much as you would like to have your own meet and greet with Sunoo's fans, you slip past the blinding camera flashes, huge tripod set-ups and the bustling groups of fans to reach the front of the crowd. Hoping to catch a glimpse of your boyfriend before he makes it into the venue.

After apologising to several mildly annoyed fans, you finally stumble out of the crowd. And there, a little ways away, Sunoo turns to face you. Everyone around you starts to scream, when the artist begins to tug his guitar case from the back of the van.

While everyone marvels at the sight of Kim Sunoo right before their eyes, all you are looking at is the sticker you pasted on the back of his case. The signature he asked you to put, hidden next to the zipper. You wonder if everybody else sees it, too, or if it's a secret for you to keep.

Girlfriend privileges, you joke to yourself.

When Sunoo successfully heaves the case over his shoulder, a surprisingly loose grip on the sling, he turns back around to greet his fans.

Usually, his gaze scans the crowd to search for you. His eyes will visibly sparkle with an eagerness that can't be explained when they land on you. He'll grin to himself, do a tiny little wave of glee and continue walking to his destination.

However, this time, he seems either oddly sure that you're not around, or is plain ignoring your presence. Dramatically, like a scene in a movie or tv show, time seems to slow. Sunoo's eyes skip past you, moving with the crowd. And as the crowd moves with Sunoo and his bodyguards, the only barrier a few mere cones, you stand still.

You're fortunate that the strap connected to your camera is looped around your wrist when you drop the whole thing abruptly.

No. This can't be. You're not only Sunoo's girlfriend. You're his tip-top personal photographer. The highest HD qualities of him come from your digital Canon camera, and your camera only. You're not going to go home with an empty camera roll.

Relying on the hope that the security guards recognise you, you enter the area marked by the cones and dart after Sunoo.

"Yah!" You yell out, to nobody in particular as you enter the restricted zone in the stadium. It's a huge recreational area, off boundaries just for today's concert. Breaking through the crowd for the second time definitely stalled you for too long, because Sunoo is nowhere to be found in the empty room.

Across the dark, foot-ball field sized room, there's a staircase, leading to the backstage. You assume that's where Sunoo is, since he needs to rehearse with the two others in the band in about... you check your watch. About ten minutes.

You can hear Jungwon's voice trailing from the floor above, and that's what helps you make the decision to take the stairs up.

Why you decided to run, slip and fall at the first three steps of the staircase, however, you're not very sure. An agonising pain shoots up your ankle while your camera skids across the ground.

Letting out a hiss, you bring your hands to grab the base of your leg, willing the sharp pain away. Your head's a little dazed, but you can recognise Riki as he rushes down the stairs upon hearing the loud crash.

"Y/n!" He exclaims, doing a 360 to see if Sunoo's nearby. "What did you do? Are you okay?"

"No, not really," you wince a little sarcastically, trying not to break face in front of Sunoo's bandmate, who has assigned you as his punching bag of teasing remarks. Riki rolls his eyes and straightens up to call your boyfriend over.

"Sunoo! Your girlfriend's injured!"

Your eyes squeezed shut to block out the pain, you don't notice when Sunoo flies down the stairs and materialises right next to you after a few minutes pass.

"Hey, y/n, what did you do to yourself?" He presses an ice pack against your right ankle in lieu of your hands gripping it desperately.

"It's okay, I think it's just sprained," Riki sighs and continues unhelpfully, "you're such a bad boyfriend. I was the first one down here."

"Yah!" Sunoo glares his way. "You took one look at her and didn't know what to do and called me!"

"I'm joking, hyung," Riki raises his hands in a surrendering motion, the laid-back grin on his face never dissipating. With that, he spins on his heel and walks back up the stairs, leaving you and Sunoo in silence.

When you can't take the chilling quietness anymore, you blurt, "what did I do?"

You're prone to overthinking, yes, but there must be a reason warranting why Sunoo refused to acknowledge you there outside the venue.

"What did you do?" Sunoo echoes in confusion, tilting his head and adjusting the ice pack on your ankle. "What do you mean?"

"Did you not see me earlier?" you hiccup, and it hasn't even occurred to you that you're crying. The ice is doing little to numb the pain, and with Sunoo acting so off, you're not sure how to feel okay. "You didn't greet me, didn't wave. You just walked away."

"Y/n," Sunoo laughs, "I really, truly, didn't know you were there." He whips his phone out of his pocket and opens your chat, continuing to chuckle quietly to himself. "I'm so sorry I didn't see your texts. I had already reached the venue and had no idea you were there too. I assumed you were going to be late."

Your voice cracks embarrassingly when you say, "you could have at least tried," before shoving his shoulder gently.

"I'm sorry, baby," he murmurs, half-amused. He does not sound sorry at all. But then he leans back, pouts, and then kisses the top of your head. "I'll let you get even better resolution pictures, okay?"

Although Sunoo's interpretation of what an apology is... may be a little warped, he's still your boyfriend, and the show must go on. As promised, when you take your front row seats next to both Jungwon's and Riki's respective plus ones, you take the best, most satisfactory pictures you've ever taken.

you're just the best at photography aren't you 🥰

thank you for reading!! feedback is always appreciated.

more of my works >

[raspberry-vinaigrette]

i fear i will get eaten alive for this but i find it so odd that some people act like flipside dave just... isn't reality dave. because flipside dave did, 100%, do all of the things reality dave did and see very minimal issue in doing it until after several layers of the flipside where he realized henry wasn't just killing kids and he didn't, in fact, "have good intentions." this is emphatically said after steven has his flashback, which is right about when dave is like "alright so Maybe I Was Wrong". and under the assumption reality dave isn't flipside dave in any sense... i dunno man. it feels reductive.

yeah, reality dave did do bad things, whether he was entirely aware of the wrongness of those things or not (depends on what you're talking about -- it's kind of a grey area for a lot of things), but that's the point of him redeeming himself. that's the point of jack freeing davetrap's soul by burning the restaurant down. that's the point of jack saying "i hope you can find peace with what you've done" to dave before he leaves with blackjack. that's the point of dave getting better. he did bad things and he acted poorly to jack sometimes and with how his soul is split (on top of jack uh... ditching him for 35 years in some bid to force him to move on) his reality self is much clingier and more aggressive when pushed to its limits -- jack and dave both emphatically say that dave's reality self cannot move on from henry / jack and that's why he keeps coming back. they're still two halves of the same entity. to treat them like they aren't two halves of a whole, just under different circumstances, is ... kind of ignoring a big part of dave's arc, imo?

fundamentally if flipside dave hadn't done anything that reality dave did, what is the point of him taking accountability? what's the point of his entire talk with dee? what's the point of him having to deconstruct what he did and what henry did to him if he isn't somewhat accountable for all he did, y'know? obviously he isn't entirely consciously reality dave, but they're two parts of the same entity pushed to different extremes in different contexts. davetrap was isolated and abandoned and he is incapable of moving on properly, much as jack tries to get him to before turning to burning the restaurant down, and he's going to inevitably have a WAY harder time acknowledging that henry did anything bad because that pedestal is all he's hinging on. if henry is bad, dave coming back over and over was all for nothing, so of course he's in such vehement denial and clinging so hard to this idea.

of course he can act hostile or aggressive or creepy to jack in certain endings, his one role model was the man who watched him with cameras to study him, cut him open and took out his organs, constantly gaslit him and manipulated him into thinking he wanted everything that henry did and then ditched him. of COURSE reality dave is therefore clingy and scared of abandoment -- flipside dave expresses this same fear, getting borderline guilt-trippy when jack first says he'll leave until jack clarifies he plans to come back. it's to a far less severe degree, yeah, but it's still clearly a part of both daves. to act like reality dave should be condemned and flipside dave was just manipulated is to act like theyre not effectively the same entities in different contexts.

i dunno. you can have your headcanons and i don't want to sound mean to anyone who considers them entirely different people because that's ultimately not my territory to tread on and it hurts nobody. if you enjoy it, have fun with it! i've just always found it reductive and like it ignores kind of the point of dave needing to take accountability and be redeemed and it tends to lead to reality dave being dismissed as "all bad" and flipside dave just being traumatized and "the good one." not sayin everyone with the headcanon does it and ultimately this is just my interpretation off canon so im not the end all be all. it's just something on my mind

[08melancholie]

Honeysuckle and Whiskey. — Micah Bell/OC

CHAPTER 13 — Oh-So Blessed.

words: 3,321 | AO3 LINK — MASTERLIST

"A parley? Colm O'Driscoll? Hah, have you lost your mind?" Melody cocks her head at Micah, who just scoffs in return.

Melody and Dutch were having a conversation inside his tent when Micah and Mr. Pearson came up, talking about some 'parley' that Colm and his men wanted, to end the decade-long feud between the two men and their gangs.

Micah turns from Dutch to Melody at her reply, raising an eyebrow. "Thought you was an optimist, what's this then?" He says, to which Melody gives another small laugh.

Arthur walks up to the group after hearing the context of the conversation, curious. "I am—but I also know Colm O'Driscoll well enough, to know this is bull." Melody reasons, and Dutch hums thoughtfully at it. "Him asking for a parley is admitting defeat in his eyes; and he'd never do that, trust me."

Micah gives another scoff, looking between Arthur, Melody, Dutch and Pearson. He's about to retort when, from a nearby table, Hosea jumps in and lowers his newspaper: "They want a parley? It's a trap." He adds, and Melody nods with a small 'thank you' to the older man.

Micah rolls his eyes and completely dismisses both people and their comments. "We've got nothing to lose, finding out." he adds, still trying to convince the group this was a good idea.

"Get shot." Arthur butts in quickly, and its soon turned into a three-versus-two for Micah.

"Not when you'll be the one protecting us, cowpoke!" Micah retorts, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "We'll find you somewhere safe, high up with a scope." Micah's proposition has Melody rolling her eyes once more, clearly not a fan of the idea. "It's a trap; you shoot the lot of them. If it ain't a trap, that slim chance..."

Finally, Dutch puts a stop to the debate. "I killed Colm's brother. Then he killed... a woman I loved dear." He stops to look to the side, as if actually considering, before making a choice that has Melody standing up from her chair, not as relaxed anymore; "Let's go. You, me, with Arthur protecting us." Dutch says, pointing to a very smug Micah and a worried Arthur.

"Dutch—are you certain, boss?" Melody follows close behind him, extremely skeptical. Dutch shushes her, dismissing her off with a wave of his hand. Clearly, they aren't taking her warnings seriously enough—she knows Colm, knows what he's like, and knows for a fact this cannot end well, for anyone.

With nothing to do in camp, Melody decided to go around and catch up a bit—see how everyone's holding up with the new camp, or if there's anything to be done she could help with. While walking around, she soon stops in her tracks, a frown painting her face. On the shoreline is a distressed-looking Molly O'Shea, and she looks to be crying; her face buried and hidden in her hands, slumped and twitching shoulders very visible to Melody. And with nothing else to do—and seeing how nobody else is looking to help calm the poor woman—Melody walks over. "Miss O'Shea." She greets, taking a seat on the rock next to her while keeping a friendly and comfortable distance between herself and the lady.

Molly looks up from her palms, mascara smudgy and eyes still glossy—confirming the unfortunate assumption Melody made, that being that she was crying. "Miss Mühl." The woman greets back, straightening up a bit in her spot. "How are 'ya holding up?"

"I think I should be the one asking you that, miss." Melody looks away briefly, digging in her satchel for a moment before offering Molly a handkerchief. "Don't worry, its clean." She add.

Molly accepts the offered tissue. "Thank you, dear." She gently runs the white fabric underneath her puffy, red eyes, wiping the black from the mascara off.

Melody looks at her sympathetically. "What's with the tears, miss?" Melody asks worriedly, watching as the woman wipes her eyes dry, but the red stays very prominent under her slight eyebags.

Instead of getting the reply she was hoping for, Molly slumps over once more, unable to look at Melody much longer. "Oh, its... you don't have to worry your head with all'at." She says dismissively, which worries Melody all the more.

"Miss, I just want to help. You can tell me if you want to, but I won't force it." Melody repeats hopefully, and it has Molly pondering for a moment again, debating if spilling her heart out and letting her inner problems free was really the right step to take.

"Its Dutch. He.. well, Dutch is Dutch." She mumbles, looking down between her feet solemnly. "I see him.. when he don't think I'm lookin', and he's starin' at that young Mary-Beth and.. and..." She then pauses, and her eyes meet Melody, before it goes blurry for Molly and her eyes dampen again.

And Melody understands rather quickly. "You don't think.. Miss O'Shea, Dutch is like a—"

"'A 'father', eh? 'Ya, that's what he says." Molly mumbles with her red lip quivering slightly, holding back another wave of tears. "He's a liar, that.. that man." Her voice falters, and she brings the small napkin back to her face.

Well, that sure is something to think about now. Melody copies the other woman's' position, leaning over like she is. A small silence passes them before Molly mutters an apology, and gets up. "I don't blame 'ya either, that's just Dutch." Those are the final words Molly gives Melody, before she walks off towards her and Dutch's shared tent.

How is Melody expected to look at Dutch the same after that? She could have never imagined Dutch—a noble leader, a father figure, her boss—looking at her in such a light. She almost feels sick from the information, staring at the ground with a churning in her stomach. The boys will be back any moment, and she'll just be expected to act normal with Dutch now? She can't even imagine that, and the fact that Dutch would so obviously do such a thing, it makes her sick and partially resentful.

As said previously, while busying her with cleaning up around camp a little, she sees Micah and Dutch ride into camp. Melody puts down the ammo boxes she was organizing and walks over, first greeting Micah with a small nod and his name, then turning to Dutch with the same, maybe a little more quietly. "How'd your.. 'parley' go?" She questions, mostly looking to Micah.

"Odd," Micah replies, sliding off of Baylock's saddle. "the two of 'em talked a little, but the parley was never mentioned. But, nobody was shot." He adds, grinning at Melody who just rolls her eyes at him.

She then looks behind them, having expected Arthur to be trailing not far behind. "Where's Morgan?"

Dutch looks at her as he dismounts The Count, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'where's Morgan?', he's supposed to be in camp already." He says, placing his hands on his hips.

"No.. Arthur ain't here." Melody replies, furrowing her eyebrows. "I thought you'd be coming back together, all three?"

Dutch's face shifts, along with Micah's who's been listening in from the side. "He didn't meet us at the cross-section, we assumed he already left for camp." Micah explains and Dutch backs him up with a nod of his head.

Melody sighs, getting mighty worried. "Well he obviously ain't here! You gotta go see—"

"I'm sure he's off doing whatever, like he always is. Don't worry about old Arthur so much, darling." Dutch interjects, but Melody isn't convinced—nor is she too happy with the term of endearment. Melody goes to butt in again, but is quickly shut down by Dutch. "Let's not argue, Melody. Just go and continue what you were doing. If he doesn't show until tomorrow, we'll get Charles to track and look for him.

"Dutch!" Melody exclaims, clearly not a fan of waiting so long, just to be corrected by Dutch.

"Boss."

Melody huffs. "Boss, this is serious. Please, just let me—"

And yet again, Dutch doesn't let her get a word in. "Enough, Melody. My word is final, you know this." He reprimands her, to which she just frowns. How could he be this careless about someone he calls his son?

Dutch then sent her off to her tent, and left for his own to speak to Hosea about the parley, but someone was still tethering on the line between the two sides; Micah. He thought it odd that Arthur didn't follow the plan they set out, as he's usually Dutch's golden boy, always following his rules to the last detail—and now he isn't even showing up in camp after such a high-stake mission? He knew it wasn't his place, much like Melody's, so he didn't bother to interject with Dutch's order. Nonetheless, he felt bad for Melody and how distressed she looked over Arthur.

But Melody wouldn't let this slide so easily.

Taking orders from Dutch was fine—but this? She knew Colm too well, and everything just pointed to him in her eyes. So, with much reluctance and overthinking, she waited for nightfall to test her tracking skills and see if they're still good. While most members got busy at the fire, drinking and singing per tradition, she snuck off to her horse and saddled it, quietly and swiftly leaving the camp as she worked to follow the horse tracks still somewhat visible in the dirt, holding a lantern up to the ground once far enough from camp. If nobody cared to check on Arthur, she would. And so, there she was; following very faint horse tracks with a lot of hope that they were still Arthurs'. Then came an intersection, which lead up a hill where Arthur's sniper was. She knew it. Instantly, she continued following any horse tracks leading down the hill, determined to find her friend.

It took some time, but she started seeing faint lights surrounding a building, and sure enough, there she was; looking at that ugly green on everyone in the form of a vest, neckerchief or hat accessory. She could immediately feel her breathing quickening, the nerves hitting her in an instant. Jesus, she hasn't seen them in so long, and yet she could still recognize a few easily. She was slowly starting to realize just how foolish this was, one wrong move and she'd be in the hands of Colm again—probably never getting out of his grasp again.

But this was for Arthur, the man who let her live and who got her a chance at a better life with the Van der Lindes, so she had to do what she could.

She slipped her bandana over her lower half, tying it at the back of her head before she rode down the tracks she came from, quietly and carefully avoiding any O'Driscoll in the area. After a while, it was getting too hard and risky to constantly avoid them, so she got the most important guns off her horse and sent it off. "I'll call you later, girl." She murmurs, and once more, she nears the area.

It was being guarded heavier than ever, and that was already a bad sign in Melody's eyes. Her forehead was glistening with sweat and her nerves were high, but if she was going to do this, she had to do it right, and stop feeling bad for the people who tormented—and let her be tormented—for years. So, she drew a few of her throwing knives.

The first kill was the hardest; a man was standing in one spot and not moving even an inch, and she had no time to waste by going all around, so she aimed—and threw her knife. Stabbed in the back, ironic.

With much reluctance, she used up a total of four throwing knives, and once her own hunting blade, totaling to killing five O'Driscolls. Despite what she said, she avoided the ones she clearly remembered, not having it in her to get them. But finally, she came to the small building which was being guarded the most, pressing her ear to the thin walls.

Her breathing was debating between quickening and stopping, as she heard Colm's voice. Jesus, it's been over six months, half a year, since she's heard his voice, and it still hit the worst. Hell, even her eyes started to water slightly, which she quickly wiped into her sleeve when she heard Arthur groan and moan in pain, with the faint sound of beating. She's all too familiar with that treatment from Colm. It was a hellish two minutes of repetitive hitting and groaning, but it finally stopped after a moment—which felt like years—when footsteps neared the door. Melody ducked and hid behind the first structure she saw, when Colm emerged.

Her lungs felt like they were closing in on her, with her hands trembling. The sight of him after so many months broke her, it was like she was reliving the past few years of her life all over, remembering the hell that came with it. But she had to push her feelings aside; Arthur was the priority here. As soon as Colm left the room, she scurried down the stairs, just to be met with an upside-down tied up Arthur, wheezing and looking the roughest she's ever seen him.

"Oh, Arthur.." She mumbled, frowning at the sight as she took her bandana off.

Arthur looked at her through squinted eyes, which soon widened. "M..Melody? Did Dutch send—"

"I had to come alone, since Dutch wanted to 'wait until tomorrow' before we went looking." She cuts him off as she looks around in her satchel, getting a small lockpick she has with her out for his shackles. "I'll tell you later, let me get you down.." She mumbled, pulling a chair up in front of him to reach up to the shackles where his legs were cuffed, picking the lock and warning Arthur just as he was about to fall. He thuds to the ground as Melody helps him up, looking at his bullet wound. "Shit.."

Arthur looks at it as well, but waves it off. "It's fine.. if we get back in time, I can get m'self patched up fine." He brushes the wound off, and Melody reluctantly listens to him. That's when a voice from above calls something out, and somebody starts walking down the stairs. Swiftly, Melody and Arthur both take one side of the wall, and Arthur quickly apprehends the O'Driscoll and chokes him out quietly, giving a small nod to Melody before they start going up the stairs—just to be stopped a second time by another pair of voices.

"What's taking so long?"

"It's one thing torturin' a man, but it's another thing forcing him through the stories of his homeland."

The two men who were conversing slowly walk away, and the two outlaws exhale a breath they'd been holding in. Melody silently gestures for Arthur to follow, handing him a revolver if need be. With that, they quietly walk around to first gather Arthur's guns, Melody getting two more O'Driscoll men with her throwing knives before they move into the room and gather all of Arthur's things. While getting his guns and satchel, a man walks into the small cabin. Shit.

Arthur, sadly, has to fire a shot, seeing how the man instantly points his gun up at me. The shot rings through the mostly-silent area, and all hell breaks lose. Bullets start flying in the direction of the cabin, and Melody has to shove herself and Arthur down to the ground to avoid them. "Well, that was going pretty well.." She murmured, checking her gun ammo from her crouched position.

"Seems we gotta shoot our way outta here," Arthur starts aiming his gun, his aim a bit disturbed by the dizziness from his beatings, but he still manages. With his and Melody's combined forces, they manage to get quite a few men down, before they have to just suck it up and flee the cabin, hoping for the best as Melody whistles for her horse, helping Arthur get as far away from the area as he stumbles and limps over to where Anni is whinnying, shooting his best at the charging men while Melody mounts up. As soon as she's on the horse, he holsters the gun and grabs her extended hand, getting up behind her and holding onto her shoulders as she kicks her horse forward.

That's when Colm rides into the area, back from wherever he was originally staying, and he sees her. Melody Mühl, alive and well; saving a goddamn Van der Linde and killing his men.

He watches the horse ride off as his men fire at it, missing the shots. But Colm isn't at all angered. Oh no, this is amazing. "Ey, c'mere." He whistles for one of his men, who instantly walks over to the leader. "Go on and get rid of the other one. She won't be of use anymore," He orders the man, chuckling darkly.

"seems my Melody is still loud and clear."

The ride back to camp is silent, with Arthur being simply too exhausted for anymore action, or anything really, and Melody seething—thinking about what could have been if she hadn't been so stubborn. The sun rises slowly in front of them as they near Clemens Point, bracing themselves.

Melody rides into the camp and hitches Anni, jumping off and helping Arthur to the best of her ability. In an instant, people notice his stare and rush over.

"Arthur?" Karen comes up and looks at the man worriedly, as Melody slings his arm over her shoulder. Mary-Beth and Abigail follow with their own callouts of his name, before Dutch and Micah arrive.

Dutch is first to speak. "Son? Son.. What happened?" He glances at Melody only briefly, but its a knowing glance—she knows she'll get reprimanded later, but she doesn't care.

"It was a setup, Dutch.. Colm, he.. he was gonna turn 'ya in to clear his name." Arthur explains briefly, coughing and clinging onto Melody and her horse.

"My boy.. my son, come.." Dutch mumbles, calling Miss Grimshaw to help as he overtakes Melody's role, bringing Arthur to his cot.

Well, that sure is goddamn-fucking-rude.

Melody watches from where Anni is hitched, without one thank-you from anyone in the gang, as they flock around Arthur in an instant. She can understand being worried for him—but she risked so much to get him back when nobody else cared, for this? She felt like a fool.

"You've got bigger balls than me, going against Dutch's words like that." Right; Micah. Melody turns to look at him, and her slight frown slowly dissolves at his next words. "Thank you for bringing the golden boy back, anyhow... Dutch.. I guess he would have went tomorrow, sent someone." He mumbles the last part, placing his hands on his hips.

Melody folds her arms over her chest with a small nod. "At least someone appreciated my efforts of going back to Colm to get him."

Micah hummed thoughtfully, nodding slowly. "I do. As much as I hate Arthur, he does a lot for the gang." Melody agrees with a small nod of her own, and they stay there together for a moment, watching half the camp boast around Arthur, before Micah speaks once more. "Come on, I know you're pissed about 'em not even mentionin' your efforts, don't look." He says quietly, carefully placing his hand on her lower back to turn her elsewhere, and walk with her. "How about we play some good ol' Five-Finger-Fillet to take yer mind off it?

Melody's mood lights up a bit, and she chuckles at Micah. "You bet your ass we'll play, Bell."

[itsblasttothepast]

Its sad when no other driver besides Max, Esteban and Carlos cared enough for Checo to send him a message or being nice to him. Im surprised about Lance, he pointed out theyre friends or Alonso, its awful like they just can leave behind someone after so many years. Daniel got such nice messages, and here Max who doesnt even care about Checo said something. Ive seen you posting things from other blogs but you havent said what you think about it, do you think this was fair?

Oh wow... a lot going on with this ask, so I'm going to answer separately as I see fit, I hope that's okay anon.

First, the message thing: I think the rest of the grid is waiting for Checo to announce something official, either his retirement of his future plans. For what I remember (but feel free to correct me, as I don't recall well), Ricciardo made a post about his retirement, right? Like making it official?

Esteban was the first (even before Max) in posting a message to Checo because he's nice and always respected Checo (even when it didn't seem like it when they were teammates). Max I feel had to do it because they were teammates, he had PR to mantain (I'm not saying it wasn't something Max would do, but in context, it would be bad taste if he didn't), and Carlos probably thought the same, as Checo has been close to him (not in a BFF way, but still). And they refer mostly to his exit from RBR, and Esteban and Carlos said they will see him again in his next journey, so... I would take with a grain of salt this topic.

If he does announce something and then the drivers still don't answer or say anything about it, then I'll be very disappointed, particularly with Lance, Fernando, Lewis and Nico.

Secondly, the posts: I have reblogged what I see portrays my feelings about this whole situation. Personally, I believe my thoughts are still too raw and emotional, so I probably would make zero sense and just ramble. There's too much I want to say, and so little order in my head. Which is why I take advantage of those who can put in words better what we as Checo fans are going through.

Thirdly, do I think it's fair? Anon, nothing about this is fair, but as Checo said, life isn't fair and neither is F1. People complaining about a driver just because he was in a particular team, wishing for him to be dead and sending threats to his family, to his kids who are innocent from all this drama... Calling him names, saying he has cartel money without caring what it would mean to his family. Spending all year trying his best with a shitty car, being ignored and gaslighted by his bosses; believing in them when they offered a new contract, just to push him away from the team and making everything his fault, letting the press destroy his image and his confidence, to the breaking point of having to leave and break the contract, and still being the bad guy and blame him for everything that went wrong. Leaving and yet they still talk about him, say awful things and then adding 'he's still part of the team, he will be our puppet next year for certain events'... of course it's not fair.

Checo was treated horrible, and nobody seems to see this, except his fans and the fans of the other drivers RBR has discarded the past years. I've read that he knew what he was getting into when he stayed at RBR, but this year... this takes the cake as the psychological horrors a person can live on the job; and for Checo to want to stay and don't give up, but at the end the choices being staying and maybe damaging himself beyond repair, or quitting and regain some of the mental health he left behind the past years... I think he made the right choice, but it doesn't mean it didn't hurt like hell.

Because Checo is more than RBR, he was a driver pushing his limits, making himself a place in the grid when nobody wanted him there. And as his fans, seeing his journey to the top and now seeing how they tried to destroy him... it makes something in you feel like bad guys win all the time.

So, yeah... I think I rambled a lot, but you wanted my opinion, and I'm maybe not as eloquent as the ones I've reblogged so far, but my thoughts are still so disoriented.

Whatever Checo decides, I'm with him all the way, but if this is the end, if he decides to retire, is not fair he had to do it like this, without the opportunity to actually enjoy his last year driving. And it will leave a sour taste in me always.

[superm4ks]

im very happy max won but the more i think about his pole being taken away/vsc or safety car not being deployed immediately/the flip flopping bw dwys n yellows and green flags etc. the more cynical i feel about the sport🙁what do u think? is this weekend an outlier or is this j how things are now? common sense out of the window, decisions taking ages…

UMMM I'll hold ur hand when I say this but Qatar definitely wasn't an outlier, prolly the most egregious showing since the sprint in Brazil, but F1 always has like 4 races in every season where u kinda wonder if ur watching a sport 😐 This gonna get long but theres some important context I think ur asking for here also I kinda lose it at the end I'm sorry but yuh.

Saur after Vegas everybody was like omfg daddy Marques is here to save us, he addressed some basic track issues and nobody got fucking paralyzed by a pothole exploding thru their ass hurray, so there was hope that maybe Marques was off to a better start than his predecessors and wud maybe give the fans a better ending to the season. But putting Qatar after Vegas is like quizzing somebody on shapes and then asking them to solve a rubriks cube or whtvr.

Qatar was originally built for motogp so the whole thing is designed to be quick and relentless. That means lots of medium to high speed corners, long straights basically 2 hours of edging ur braking. Most drivers consider it a cool track, very demanding sure but fun to drive. For us fans, though, its an odd 1 because theres no reference points so it can be hard to follow. Think of it as the opposite of tracks like Miami or Monaco. RC did a particularly heinous job here because Qatar was Marques' first taste of a track where u either plug the first leak in record time or the whole thing goes to shit. Like, his job.

A lil lesser known fact is that they had Marques on double duty that weekend because the person who replaced him to direct the F2 heat got the boot before her plane even landed and they had NO one else to do it. So Marques had to direct both the f1 AND the f2 Qatar races the same weekend. And thats not all. Just before his inaugural run in Vegas he had just been at the helm of the iconic Macau GP that saw 12 red flags in 40 minutes of qualifying. I wont even tell u how many SC were deployed but only 12 out of 27 drivers finished the race. Ugo my most beloved won so this has nothing to do wid Qatar and Macau and the way its used by the FIA in terms of junior development is a can of worms I cant open rn but like just to show u thats the type of shit Marques had been dealing wid on a weekly basis once we got to Qatar. So truly bro never stood a chance.

When Alexs mirror fell on track the only possible course of action is to get it OFF. Idc if u wanna do VSC or a full SC u need to clear that track NOWWWWW. 3 cars caught strays from that mf before a SC was even deployed. To fuck up that badly that early in the race just showed exhaustion, it showed immaturity and frankly it showed incompetence. Its unacceptable. Wud a different RD have reacted earlier? who tf knows tbh, because these 'mistakes' always happen and they're always dismissed as 'one of those crazy ones' in the season and nothing ever gets done to improve the standards of the personnel ((theres no personnel left btw)).

Then u got the long awaited return of the stop and go and drive thru pens which was super forced and made no sense and immediately showed why those bitches been sat in a corner catching dust because theres literally always better alternatives and they almost never serve actual officiating purposes. 'Precedence' means fuck all if u also have the 'precedence' of not fucking doing that and being way more consistent and delivering better racing. But ohhhh he had to stop in the pits and THEN he had to go back out ohhh he had to go thru an area of the track thats not the right one and lose a bunch of time and become essentially worthless in the race we love when competitive cars do that. Sorry this isnt directed at u I just have a very particular beef wid fans who act like drive thrus and stop and go's are these celestial artifacts that are gonna restore balance in the universe like the harder u throw the book at these drivers the better the product will become. I cud live 200 lives and not have enough time to explain how thats the actual furthest thing from the truth but ur innocent and ily so lets regroup. ❤️ My actual conclusion to ur q is that this is how things have always been and no they're not likely to improve. Unfortunately I gotta borrow even more of ur time to show ur how truly bleak it cud get real soon.

FIA been circulating a bunch of changes to their rules that are prolly gonna be approved at their general assembly in about 10 days. These 'new statutes' include 1) changing the governing bodys ethics rules so that Sulayem can in fact talk to drivers however the fuck he wants and THEY will be held in contempt for criticizing him 2) the 'compliance officer' responsible for overseeing Sulayems spending cannot report to an independent committee and propose an investigation unless directly asked by the Senate President who .. and ur not gonna believe this .. is appointed directly by Sulayem. 3) yes u understood it correctly FIA will prolly become a system where the FIA president and the president of the senate that he chose decide each other's fate in any ethics inquiry.

Sulayem is up for re-election and its becoming more and more likely that hes gonna run unopposed. A sporting director, a technical director, multiple heads of mobility, communications, legal affairs, the women in motorsport commission, several race directors, stewards, a compliance officer, deputy directors. All fired under his watch. Dozens of others quit.

Stewarding has become so abysmal Max received a one place grid drop AND a penalty point as a mitigating punishment for something he literally didnt do under circumstances that didnt warrant any type of punishment let alone a mitigating one like the document literally says that 'unusually, neither car was on a push lap' because if they had been on a push lap max wud have received a 3 place grid drop but 1 and 63 were not on push laps so naturally we have to give Max a one place grid drop and a penalty point for not doing the thing that he would've been punished for had he done it. This isnt even the most controversial or confusing aspect of this years Qatar race. Im gonna kill m

So about ur cynicism and ur concern and ur general discomfort wid how the future is looking. When the GPDA posted that ig statement telling Sulayem to watch his tone and asking where the money was, these proposed changes to the ethics commission and the financial oversight were the FIA's direct answer. And if they do go into effect on December 13th bro I think Abu Dhabi gonna be the end of more than the 2024 season.

Happy Wednesday lmfao

[pinkomcranger]

Stubled upon your post about saga and it was a very interesting read. I have to say that i havent noticed mich racism, but thats mostly becuse i started avoiding gamming websites when the release date came.

I saw a few ppl on Reddit angry about the "white asshole" line. That line is weird but it makes sense in context. Shes at her absolute lowest, unable to resurface back and fight againts her self doubts. Shes spiraling! And alan did put her in there, kind of. While we can see in their interactions that she doesnt hate him or anything, her feelings of anger and sadness take over, making her lash out as someone rven though she knows its not really his fault. And as some said, it reflects racism of the real world and tells us soemthing about saga - that she experienced this kind of feeling before, implying greater history. And idk, just feels that it makes sense for a black charscter to agnowladge these issues.

i could be rambling but im typing this out on my phone, whoops!

The gaming bros were definitely the worst offenders of it, so you were smart to ignore the gaming websites. It's why I had such high hopes for tumblr and AO3 because I thought for sure Saga would be the most popular new character. Sucks that I was wrong.

The "another white asshole telling me what to do" line CAN seem out of left field, but at the same time, perfectly fits the narrative. Because up to that point, nobody was telling her what to do. The only person who could have immediately took himself out of that position.

At the point the line was uttered, she was at her lowest, like you said and it was evident she had been in that position before. It gave us another character trait in Saga and another hint at her backstory. Alan tried to play God with her life, however unintentionally and Saga had every right to be angry at him.

The fact that she DIDN'T hate him says so much about her, and it's all wonderful. She chose to forgive him. As a black woman, it made sense to reflect on that, however brief the moment was, and I appreciated it.

[ao3cassandraic]

I'm a little confused, what trouble did the Internet Archive get into exactly?

By this I mean, is it going down? Or is it just dealing with politics behind the scenes?

(I occasionally find the Internet Archive to be useful, so I hope it doesn't disappear)

Okay, so, it helps to have context here. First, IA.

IA has its fingers in several pies:

the Wayback Machine (and allied services such as Archive-It) for website preservation

software (including game) preservation

print digitization, which started (I think) as an add-on to software preservation (because manuals matter!) and expanded to pretty much whatever print IA could get its hands on

a lending system for the above digitized collection, known as the "Open Library"

lately, machine-learning tools intended to operate over its digitized-print collections (it's still building this out, I've seen some of the grant applications) -- nothing generative-AI-like yet that I know of, however

A lot of this work is only dubiously and uncertainly within the scope of US copyright. (N.b. IANAL, IANYL, I am certainly not Internet Archive's lawyer, TINLA.) IA takes refuge largely in audacity, and in the centrality of the Wayback Machine to web preservation generally. So they have been known to pull the "if we lose this legal case totally unrelated to web preservation and have to pay gonzo fines, Wayback is in peril!" ripcord.

Is this true? Hell if I know, I don't audit IA's books. I doubt it, though.

What they're in trouble for -- what an appeals court shot them all the way down for yesterday -- is what they did with their Open Library of digitized print books, many of them in-copyright, during COVID lockdown. And to understand all that, we have to untangle some things about US copyright. Ugh, somebody hand me a read-more link.

Why can libraries lend print books, vinyl, cassettes, CDs, and DVDs in the US? Because of a legal doctrine called "the first sale right," which goes like this: if you have a legally-produced physical object containing copyrighted material, you can do whatever the fuck you want with that physical object with zero copyright implications --other than reproduce/copy or perform it (which does have copyright implications, complex ones).

You can (yes) burn it. You can lend it to a friend, or an enemy, or a random stranger. You can give it away. You can throw it away. You can resell it. You can hang it on your wall or in your window. You can make an art installation with it. And the copyright owner cannot win a copyright-based lawsuit over any of this, even if they hate what you're doing! Even if it competes with them selling new copies (as the resale market absolutely does, and as some jerkfaced copyright owners -- usually corporations, not authors! -- love to complain that libraries do)!

Here's the thing, though, and it's an important thing so I'm gonna big-type it:

The right of first sale does not apply to anything digital ever.

Not ebooks (digitized or born-digital, doesn't matter). Not streaming anything. Not paywalled online news or research.

When libraries offer these to patrons, it's through contracts with publishers or aggregators. Long story short, a lot of these contracts are ridiculously restrictive (not to mention expensive) to the point of cartoonish evil, but it's what we have to work with.

The idea behind Controlled Digital Lending is "if libraries purchased a physical item legally, we should get to lend the item to one person at a time as we always have, and it shouldn't actually matter whether what we lend is the physical item or a digital version of it, as long as only one or the other is out to a patron at a given time."

Which is an untested legal theory! I can't tell you whether it's legal! Nobody can! The case law doesn't exist! Yeah yeah, there's relevant past cases in both directions having to do with accessibility or Google Books or whatever, but a specific precedential ruling on CDL is not a thing that presently exists.

No, not even now. Because what IA did with its Open Library during lockdown, and got slapped down for by the court, is not CDL as defined above. IA didn't hold to one-person-at-a-time-per-book. They tried to make a fair-use argument for what they actually did (that is, not for actual CDL), and the court was not having it.

The thing is, IA's stumblebummed legal fuckup means that actual CDL, as actual libraries (n.b. the IA is not an actual library or an actual archives, I will happily die on this hill, I loathe IA like poison and do not want to admit them to my profession, IA people have dissed me and my work TO MY ACTUAL PHYSICAL FACE and they only love libraries or librarians when trying to hide behind us) were trying to design and implement it, now faces additional legal hurdles. Any court looking at an actual CDL program has to take into account IA getting slapped down. And that's if we can even find a library or library consortium with deep enough pockets and hardcore enough legal representation to even defend such a case.

The thing also is, IA just issued Big Publishing a gilt-edged invitation to use this precedent to sue actual libraries, especially academic libraries, over other things we do. (I'm gonna pass over exactly what in silence because I do not want to give those fuckers ideas, but... there have been past lawsuits, look 'em up.) THANKS, BREWSTER. THANKS EVER SO. Asshole.

For a calmer take than mine, check out Library Futures, which to their credit has not given up all hope for CDL.

This IS the short version of all this nonsense, believe me. I used to teach a whole entire three-credit graduate-level course in the long version. (Which IA would doubtless diss to my face if they knew about it.)

[hyuckswonderland]

Lethal Company

୨୧┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈୨୧

Where Ricky is trying to do his job of scaring off the intruders and Gyuvin "accidentally" interrupts that.

Ler!Gyuvin

Lee!Ricky

1.3k words

AN: For those of you who aren't apart of the video game community and aren't aware of the game Lethal Company, for some context it's basically a fun survival horror game where you go to different moons and go into a building looking for different materials to then sell to reach a quota for your job. Each mean has it's own difficulty with different monsters. (I think it can still be enjoyable regardless if you know about the game or not!)

Each member is assigned a different creature

Jiwoong - Bracken

Hao - Ghost girl

Hanbin - Nutcracker

Matthew - Jester

Taerae - Coil Head

Ricky - Masked

Gyuvin - Hoarding bug

Gunwook - Eyeless dog

Yujin - Snare Flea

Hope you enjoy!

୨୧┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈୨୧

Sometimes the different creatures that lived in the facility didn’t always get along. One thing they could agree on though is that they didn’t take lightly to people invading their home, their moon. Ricky especially was one of those creatures. There were others, such as Gyuvin who weren’t as protective of it so to speak. Then there were others like Hao, who were like him. The only two who could go in and out of the facility without getting caught easily. It was a risk to be out for the others unless it was night and they were alone. Or alternatively, Gunwook or Jingxiang who lived in the outside terrain of the moon.

They all worked together for the most part to scare the intruders off, at least somewhat. Those intruders had come back to their home, seeking items that belonged to them just to sell them off. The intruders were always easy to spot, if you didn’t hear their loud spacecraft land then you would easily hear how loud they were as they entered inside their home. Loud talking as they ran around, searching for their things. 

Ricky kept an eye on them, out of sight, observing their behaviors and mannerisms. What differentiated a specific person from the other. That was probably the most interesting thing about the intruders, their behaviors and how he could replicate them. All it would take is for one to be separated from the rest and he could take action. He just had to wait for one of the others to do their thing, stray an intruder from its path. 

Thanks to Jiwoong, that exactly happened. The bracken scaring one of the intruders, the poor thing stared in his eyes a little too long and was now being dragged off to his hyung’s favorite spot. His room, one which was sound proof. Nobody would hear the shrieks of laughter. This was Ricky’s chance to sneak his way in, shifting to make himself look like the intruder that was taken away, mimicking his voice perfectly.

He walked up to the group, carrying a thing of perfume in hand to seem less suspicious. “Have you seen anything strange yet?” Intruder #1 spoke, looking directly at him. Ricky shook his head “Nothing yet, I haven’t gone too far yet though. Hopefully the monsters aren’t awake yet.” Intruder #1 nodded then started heading to the left with Intruder #2 following closely behind. That left him and Intruder #3 to continue on together. “Think we’ll be fine?” he asked the other.

“As fine as we can be in this place, better than getting fired though eh?” So far he seemed to have fooled all three, the longer he stuck around the harder his job would become though. “Definitely,” he responded, “hey is that a gold bar?” Ricky pointed to a shelf. There at the top shone a gold bar, peaking out of a high up box.

“Oh yeah it is, grab it and I’ll keep going forward” Intruder #3 instructed, Ricky listened, reaching up to grab the heavy metal. He would just grab this, catch up, and start his plan of tickling the intruder to tears. To Ricky’s surprise next to the gold bar was a lovely bracelet. He slipped it on so that it would be easier to carry.

In the other room he could hear footsteps, they couldn’t belong to Intruder #3 though, he went forward, not behind him. The Mimic turned around, it must be one of the fellow residents, before he knew it there at the door was Gyuvin. “Oh hey-” He was hoisted over the boy’s shoulder as he sprinted away, screaming a loud “YIPPEEE” 

“Hey- WAiT-” Ricky tried to get out but it was hard as the other soared with quick speeds. It wasn’t until he placed down at Gyuvin’s stash of items that he realized the other thought he was an Intruder. “Wait hold on-” 

Gyuvin just grinned widely and squeezed at Ricky’s sides rapidly, giggling manically while doing so. “You have shiny things, gimme gimme gimme!”

The mimic let out a loud squeal, trying to grab at the hoarder’s hands to push them away. It was rather difficult at the fast speed he was going at. Opting to shield the spot instead, wrapping his arms around himself as he giggled loudly. “IHihiHIhiHILL LOhoHohOHOOk SUhUHuhUHuSpiCioUhuHuhUS” 

Despite the fact that would be a clear hint to anyone that Ricky was in fact not an intruder, Gyuvin continued, lifting up Ricky’s shirt slightly and raspberrying all over his lower tummy. “Cmooon just gimme the shiny things and stay here with meeee!” Instead of squeezing he moved to squeeze at Ricky’s underarms, occasionally drilling into the center while vibrating his fingers.

All the mimic could do was cackle, letting out loud snorts in between his laughter “NOHoHOHOHO BRAHAHAHAHAT- IHIHIHIHITS MEHEHEHEHEE” He tried to get out in between. Gyuvin seemed confused, easily shrugging it off and nibbling right above his tummybutton. “Who is me silly? 

“RIHIhIHIHICKY”

An expression of realization formed on the hoarder’s face, despite that he still continued. “Ok then give me my shinies already! I want them and you have them now gimme!” Ricky shook his head “IHIHIHI NEHEHEHEED THEHEHEHEM” He kicked at Gyuvin’s leg lightly, trying to escape. 

Gyuvin only grinned, giggling along with him, raspberrying all over Ricky’s tummy continuously while drilling into his lower back. Occasionally pinching along his spine for extra effect. “Kitchi kitchi koo! Who’s a ticklish little thing~ all you have to do is give me the shinies and you’re free to go!” 

Mimic held onto the gold bar tightly, trying to keep it in his grasp as he hiccuped, squirming back and forth between the two different tickles. “DOHOHOHO YOHOHOHOU WAHAHANT MEHEHE TOHOHOHO GEHEHET CAHAHAHAUGHT?” 

The taller chuckled and stuck his tongue out playfully before squeezing the sides of his back. “Hmmmmm maybe! Who knows! I just want my shinies! It’s reaaaaally simple actually! Maybe you want to get caught~” 

All Ricky could do was squirm, fighting back wasn’t an option right now, so he had to give up the gold bar. “FIHIHIHINE HEHEHEHERE-” He let go of the gold bar, letting it roll onto the ground “HAHAHAHAPPY AHAHAHASSHOHOHOLE?” 

“Nope! I want the pretty bracelet and perfume too!” If Mimic could, he would strangle this brat right now. “AHAHAHARE YOHOHOHOU KIHIHIHIDDING MEHEHE?” There was still no escape yet. He tried to hold out, really really did, but it wasn’t easy with how relentless Gyuviin was going at it. Nuzzling his face in Ricky’s neck, nibbling precisely “Om nom nom nom~” 

Ricky let out a shriek, scrunching up as his laughter began to die down until becoming silent “NOHOHOHO FAHAHAHAIR-” He hiccuped in between the silent laughter, dropping the perfume and throwing the bracelet off to the other side of the room.

With that Gyuvin let up, chasing after the bracelet then bringing it back to the pile of belongings that once were in Ricky’s arms. Now that he was free, he curled up into a ball, rubbing away the excess tingles that lingered. “YOhohohOu BIHihIhiTCh” He transformed to look like his normal self.

The hoarder looked down at the shapeshifter, grabbing him and hugging him “You know the rules, I get all shiny things or you get tickled! It’s a simple rule you should know by now!” 

“Yeheah yeheheah you hyperactive hoarder.” 

It seemed the other intruders heard him and made a run for it back to their ship because besides their talking the building was back to being silent. “At least they're gone…”

“Oh yeah look what I got from one of them” Gyuvin grinned as he grabbed a flashlight from his pocket, flicking it on and off “Gave it to me for free! Didn’t even have to attack them. What silly little creatures.”

[towards-toramunda]

I feel like it’s worthwhile to point out that nobody is saying Ludinus is a good or morally grey guy. Nobody is saying the ruby vanguard is a good group. When people (or at least me idk I can’t talk for others) are saying that seeing the humanity of the people drawn into the other side is important it’s because Matt keeps making a point to bring it up. Matt showing us Tuldus being forced to pray for hours as a child and being punished for lack of piety, showing us a locket with a child on a cultist they’d just killed, showing us Lilliana’s pain, and now with Bor’Dor’s backstory with the gods.

Being a DM myself I think that its important not to discount the constant mentions of the trauma from the masses in this cult because Matt, the dungeon master, the story weaver, the one calling the shots, keeps making a point to highlight the backstories of the people who join the vanguard. I’m guessing (based on the fact that Utkarsh doesn’t watch the show and had no context for what the vanguard was) that Utkarsh came to Matt and said “give me a character idea” and Matt decided that the story needed a PC on the other side.

It really feels like he keeps saying “Look at how these people have been hurt. See them as people with trauma and love and family who easily fell for Ludinus’ lie.”

And that lie is another reason I think its valid to question the gods. Because questioning the gods doesn’t make you want what Ludinus wants. Questioning power, why it acts the way it acts, does the things it does, and doesn’t do the things it doesn’t do, is important in any society! Even one where there are gods (and I’d say especially one where there are gods with questionable morals and backstories). Because while Ludinus is evil and has vile intentions, he is drawing people into his power grab by hiding it in a nugget of truth: many feel slighted by the gods. Many have seen the good things the gods can do and are left to wonder why they’re left to suffer. Why the gods choose to help some and not them. Why their families forced them to worship those they didn’t believe.

And seeing this story NOW when we’ve seen so many stories in real life of people who are traumatized and hurt and confused going to the internet with their grief and being led to hate groups and radicalization feels VERY intentional on Matt’s part. It feels (to me) like he’s begging us to see the ruby vanguard members as people who were drawn in by a charismatic leader who pretended to understand their pain and used them.

Matt keeps telling us its important to see the humanity and the trauma faced by the other side. He could be doing this to flavor the story or to create tension or push the characters to make hard choices or some other reason. I just feel that empathizing with the trauma of those on the other side doesn’t make you akin to a terrorist sympathizer despite what some seem to take from that, and its wild given how clearly (to me) Matt wants us to empathize with them.

(Because this is the internet and people love to misread things:

I don’t agree with the things the people in the ruby vanguard do, I don’t think Matt agrees with it, but I think Matt wants us to feel conflicted with them. I think Matt wants us to believe they’ve been misdirected and could be deradicalized, but its up to Bell’s Hells to decide if they’re willing to forgive the harm they’ve been put through or attempt the effort to deradicalize.

I don’t think it makes any sense to say that questioning the gods makes one akin to Ludinus. Theres a lot to question about the gods. Where did they come from? What even is divinity? How much of their exandrian creation story can we actually believe if they’ve supposedly been hiding the existence of predathos from us? How do we actually know what predathos is? If a mortal can become a god then what the hell even is a god? Etc.

I hope this goes without saying, but just in case: If you don’t want to empathize with real life hate groups please don’t. This is a fictional cult based in the idea that they can release a predator that will get rid of the gods. I don’t see the ruby vanguard as a hate group, a horrible cult that has done vile things and led to the deaths of innocents absolutely, but I hate groups are hateful towards one or many marginalized groups, and thats not this. (I suppose one could argue they’re a hate group for the gods and… sure. I disagree but sure). To me, empathy for the members in the vanguard makes sense in the context of the story Matt is telling, but in real life it is very hard to have empathy for hate groups even if they are formed of traumatized and hurt people who could be deradicalized. I believe deradicalization is necessary for many but fucking hard/impossible for all, and I especially believe that members of marginalized groups shouldn’t feel the need or pressure to help in the deradicalization of those who harm them.

Similarly I believe Orym is valid in his decision to be at war with members of the group that killed his family. Yes I think he is unable to be objective (Liam O’Brien said so himself), but, as a person with ptsd myself, sometimes you need to screw objectivity in the face of trauma. I think we as the audience should be aware that he has lost objectivity so we can better understand his actions, but I don’t think that lack of objectivity makes his choices “wrong”, and its strange to see people claiming that anyone pointing out Orym’s lack of objectivity doesn’t have empathy or morals.)

Anyway this was too long and I should never get involved in discourse again.

[marengogo]

if said content was from someone whose account name was related to thinking my best friend and i were romantically involved, i'd check out the account before reposting (even if the content i was planning on reposting didn't have anything to do with said shipping thoughts)

i don't blame th, but i do wish he checked the account 😞

TW: mention of triggering words/actions such as “rape” but not the actual action.

Hi Anon,I hope you can forgive me for using your post to address a topic I've been meaning to discuss. The following has absolutely nothing like for real 💜🙏🏾 against you, but it kinda sets the perfect scenario, so imma take advantage it. BUT imma offer you a jikook hug in exchange, hope you can accept this for your very honest and not blaming frustration 🥹🫰🏾💜

So the topic is: SHIPPING.

Remember that chapter 2 blog which I promised, but NEVER delivered? 🤡🤡🤡 Yeah, so,shipping was going to be one of the many subsections of that blog, which to be honest with you, is sitting unfinished in my draft, and most likely will stay like that … BUT, luckily for me not sure for y’all 😬😬 today serves itself as a perfect day to actually give it an applicable context. Through today's familiar mayhem, I read a post which I think will give the perfect context to the topic of shipping. It is a post from @akookminsupporter, the following one:

I actually happen to agree with this 100%, because I do agree that we don’t want the people we stan to directly, or indirectly, endorse problematic situations, particularly those that are recognised as such universally. For example:

GENOCIDE a UNIVERSALLY KNOWN ISSUE and NOT DEBATABLE PROBLEM

RAPE a UNIVERSALLY KNOWN ISSUE and NOT DEBATABLE PROBLEM 

RACIAL SLURS a UNIVERSALLY KNOWN ISSUE and NOT DEBATABLE PROBLEM 

You get my point.

Now when it comes to shipping, it is WITHOUT A DOUBT one of the greatest plights within our fandom in particular, but in reality it is an issue in kpop and other music genres as a whole. Yet, the reality is that shipping is indeed a traditional tool REALLY HATE CALLING IT THAT BUT … that is almost always used as a means to a common and popular end. So the questions are: 

Do fans within the kpop fandom consider it an issue? Yes and No. 

Do people outside the kpop fandom consider it an issue? … Do they even know about it, or about it being a serious issue, within its perimeter?

Do the idols consider it an issue? … Yes? and No?

In its entirety, as all the questions don’t actually have a universally unanimous answer, SHIPPING in general, as of 17 January 2024, can’t be considered a universally known and agreeable issue. BUT, in the case of kpop, the situation is much worse. To begin with, we are unable to definitively agree on whether, or not, shipping is actually an issue to begin with, or not; be it the idol or the shipper. Nobody, in their right mind, is out there making jokes about, for example, genocide. If they are, they will righteously face big ass consequences by almost ANYONE who stumbles upon said comment/s. Shipping, on the other hand, the only people who would care, are the people within said field/environment. But, as I am a very integral part of this fandom, I know that, for us, it has become quite a nerve wracking issue, so let’s go a bit deeper.

Let’s go with the generally known concept within kpop that a debuting band is very likely to engage in fanservice and, consequently, form ships. The idols know, the fans know. Then, let’s give it 4 years? More or less many bands decided that “you know what? I don’t need to do this anymore” and as a consequence, some have tried to address this subject, and some just pretend to not know anymore. No matter the choice, the fact still remains that their related shippers were created, toxic or not, and 9 out of 10 cases; they ain’t going nowhere.

In the case of BTS, it is actually very funny because the only person who has allegedly tried to address this, is the one person who is constantly under fire for “feeding his shippers��. What is even funnier, to me at least, is that none of his 6 members actually came out to back him up, the day he challenged his viewers regarding shipping, at least not that I recall, if you know of any members that was actually supporting Tae, please let me know. So, if none of my bandmates seem to find it an imminent problem because let’s be honest, they had to deal with far bigger shit, apparently, and the company seems to not find it a panic-worth problem, apparently, then, if I were Tae, I’d be initially hella frustrated, but eventually I’d be like: FUCK IT. Which is the mentality I honestly think they all end up applying, in the kpop world.

So, what EXACTLY IS considered shipping? 

Repeatedly mentioning the name of a shipped/rival member? Posting pictures with a shipped/rival member? Touching a shipped/rival member? Spending time with shipped/rival member? Standing next to a shipped/rival member? Etc. Just so you know, If any, or all, of these qualify with shipping, then maknae line is UNIVERSALLY within our fandom FUCKED, and yes, only them, because, let’s be real, not many care about the shipping involving the hyung line, even though they do engage in the same type of behaviour … except for Yoongi, he is kinda in the middle, like some sort of collateral damage. 

So then what should we do? Should we completely ban shipping? Should shipping be banned maybe 4 years after the debut of all groups? Or should shipping have regulations, some kind of universal judge that presides and guides shipping behaviour? Should shipping fanfictions be abolished? Should unit names be restricted to the sole use of members? Should members cut out time in their life to make sure that they are aware of shipping and their consequences? Soooooo many questions, and probably tooooooo many answers, but the one fact still remains that MOST LIKELY these are all issues for those consuming the provided “shipping content” but not for those providing said “shipping content”, because for example:

And here I will be applying the parent/guardian/teacher/authority figure test, as in , for the next set of examples would any of the aforementioned figures be alarmed? Following are my test results  on whose problem it is, between the fandom and its idol.

A JM fan-dedicated birthday party, being crashed by rival shippers: Shippers problems. JM’s mail being stolen: Park Jimin problem, because tbh it could have been anyone, not necessarily a shipper.

JK having to look at a poster saying that he is in love with Tae at the airport: Shippers problems. JK having an actual stalker: Jeon Jungkook problem, because tbh it could have been anyone, not necessarily a shipper.

Tae posting a picture with an shipped/rival member: Shippers problems. Tae finding a girl in his private lift with a marriage certificate: Kim Taehuing problem, because tbh it could have been anyone, not necessarily a shipper.

And don’t get me wrong: name dragging, defaming, lying,character bashing, graphic obscenity, etc, they are all very painful issues to witness, and endure, but it always mainly occurs within the kpop environment. When articles write about perhaps a lazy member, when other fandoms drag our favs to pieces, in the end, when the global announcements are made, none of those descriptive, obscene qualities follow. Grammy nominated BTS, is just Grammy nominated BTS, not paving crew Grammy nominated BTS, or “worst fandom” fuck y’all possessing Grammy nominated BTS. ‘Namean?

Furthermore, the truth probably is that, at the level of BTS, the artist DOESN’T HAVE TO SEE ANY OF THAT BULLSHIT, which is why it ultimately ends up being an “US” issue. Even when toxic shippers reach higher entities, like the company, government offices etc, the second these entities see that it is about a ship, after I am hoping due diligence, they are dismissed, pronto. And so, reiterating, we are left with the bulk of it all 🤡🤡🤡.

So if, taking today as an example, Tae sees a post ABOUT HIMSELF not even his ship, just himself, by one of his shippers, we can assume that he has a pretty good idea about what might be on their page, which to be very honest, I won’t blame him for not wanting to check, but obviously, given all that we’ve been discussing, the idol themself is probably made to not have to think about it at all, as it is considered accepted, not acceptable, behaviour.  ALSO they would leave any related, and/or possible issues, to a designated team, which will assess if there is or not a real threat. Because historically, thus far at least, if there were any life-threatening hazards the company seems to take it VERY SERIOUSLY and any other threat is also dealt with accordingly. 

But what if, for example, by not checking the shipper’s page, Tae had allowed a human trafficking account to prolifer?! … let’s not 🧢:

TODAY, nobody was angry because of the fact that him not checking the page meant that he could have missed a potential infringement of human rights.

AND If they were a  human trafficking page, why is IG allowing them a platform and not quickly doing something about it?

In addition to the fact that, it is a real thing that, CURRENTLY, the accounts that are most likely to post about Tae aren't OT7s nor his biased fans (they may not be that fast or have the numbers) not even tae solos (for lack of numbers or different immediate priorities, such as streaming) but, you guessed it, taekook shippers. Hence, his algorithm will reflect accordingly. 

I mean, are we to tell JM to stop affectionately hug his members? Do we dare telling jk to stop liking shipping tiktoks or mention members' names? ….

All that just to say that @ejassy, in reality and effectively, by reposting said story, Tae wasn't actually endorsing shipping, because shipping in SK, differently from smoking or doing drugs, is generally not frowned upon. It is not an action or message that needs any kind of endorings, because within the kpop world, those who use it as a tool do not consider it a problem, hence, it is very openly accepted as a part of the culture they willingly, or not, help create. 

“But so-and-so gets dragged viciously, and disgustingly, everyday” I know. They probably know as well, but I’ve already discussed their responsible personnel. As for us, we know what to do, report report report! . I mean, I’m sure that they have a PR team that tells them about the good trends or good SM news, achievements, etc. “So what? .. we fans are stuck with toxic shippers and our favs not acknowledging or doing anything about it?” … 🤡🤡🤡

I don’t know.

We mostly all know about shipping culture’s systematic past, we know about its problematic present. In all honesty, it feels a bit like a lost battle but recently Kpop fans were able to make it known that, for example, for good reasons, they are against Starbucks. And it very effectively got to their idols, because said fans were united and in agreement. But within the shipping world, they all hate the other shipper and at the same time they kinda don't want to stop their own shipping, because they are really not against it, in fact, perhaps, they’d like some boundaries set, but who is to decide said boundaries? OR should shipping be considered a universal issue? … I think shipping has actually become an issue, particularly when regarding the queer community, BUT, what do I know, right? So, what's the solution ....

Y’all tell me.

Always respectfully yours,

Marengo.

PS - Once again, thank you Anon, now I'm off to bed 😴😴😴

[bioethicists]

Your post about unfollowing people who’re really combative online made me think about someone in particular. Apologies if this is out of nowhere so feel free to ignore.

If somebody (with thousands of followers) who isn’t a part of a specific marginalised group habitually seeks out bad takes regarding them to dunk on, isn’t that a little weird? I’m not talking about defending your friends when they’re facing discrimination or dunking on the main bigot character of the day, but regularly seeking out bad takes from small accounts that’d otherwise never seen the light of day.

It’s nobody on here I’m referencing. I feel a little crazy because this person gets heralded as a huge ally and has a lot of people in this marginalised group who’re really devoted to and defensive of them but it just really rubs me the wrong way because they seem really discourse-brained more than anything else.

yeah haha ironically i think some of the ppl on that post are seriously missing the point (which i probably could have made clearer) in terms of some of them are like. people who clearly think being told they're racist is the same as the type of behavior i'm talking about.

but also yes! this is more what i meant- people who are seeking out fights with those who would otherwise never get any attention! especially when it's takes that are NOT popular or the response is just totally disproportionate. or just building a social media brand off of over-exaggerated hatred/meanness towards people who "deserve it". it reminds me of all the cis people on here who constantly reblog shit about like... putting terfs in meat grinders but then never even lift a finger (or, more likely, are part of the mob) when trans women are sexually harassed or viciously bullied.

i don't think joking about harming bigots is some grand moral wrong, but it's often just gratuitous in a way where... are you actually expressing outrage or are you using the performance of outrage to get followers? what if that outrage is directly putting people in danger (e.g, if you find a terf with 45 followers + start sending her death threats, is that helping anyone or is it potentially provoking more violence, which you know full well you will NOT be the primary target of). i can see how this behavior can result in members of certain groups defending you, because if nobody has shown their willingness to defend you, isn't it refreshing to see someone who will? it's not so simple, either, cuz i do think ppl who do this do CARE, but i'm not sure the way that they care is sustainable or would hold up to a real, complex situation where allyship is needed.

it's so contextual + i'm not arrogant enough to pretend like i'm the one who can see the context right 100% of the time. this is a little sappy but i feel like the difference is whether the root of the anger is love/hope or if its fulfilling your own desire to lash out/release tension/look good. like "i'm pissed because i care about my trans siblings + it hurts me to see them treated this way + nobody else is saying shit for them so i'm stepping up" vs "raging online meets a need in me that i'm not willing to acknowledge + here's the perfect target". not exactly that simple but sometimes u can tell someone would be a kiwifarms bro if they didn't need social capital from a different crowd, ykwim (which btw we regularly learn that certain leftists will comb through + disseminate kiwifarms shit if it fits their vibe, which is an automatic red flag to me that you only care about drama, not morals)

it reminds me of how some "callouts" are clearly written with the intention of preventing harmful people from maintaining the power to do more harm (e.g x popular artist sexts underage fans) while many others are clearly written with glee about someone turning out to be Bad (e.g x popular artist has a private twitter that i, op, SCROUNGED to find, where they say horny things about genshin impact characters)