#can you ever be apart of that community? why do you allow this to continue and not persecute these men for existing?

[chenleezy]

FWB!MARKLEE

Warning: ANGST!!

Enjoy <3

☆ stranger!Mark who accidentally texts you a whole 2 paragraphs about wanting you back, thinking you’re his ex.

☆ stranger!Mark who’s embarrassed about texting a random stranger and apologized over and over until you can finally reassure him that it’s okay.

☆ stranger!Mark who very quickly begins to warm up to you, talking to you everyday. Becoming a very reliable and trustworthy friend, who you’d decide to meet up with

☆ closefriend!Mark who starts to develop “feelings” for you while jokingly flirting back and fourth, he tries to convince himself you won’t be a rebound after the biggest heartbreak of his life.

☆ closefriend!Mark who offers to take you on a date after realizing his “feelings” are reciprocated. Picking you up at 2pm for an early date where you can spend the whole day doing what you both like.

☆ closefriend!Mark who kissed you after walking you home, gasping after feeling you unexpectedly pull him in for another.

☆ closefriend!Mark who ends up inside your apartment not-too-soon after the kiss. Groping at you, kissing you all over, teasing you.

☆ closefriend!Mark who ends up fucking you after the first date, spending the rest of the next day with you before (sadly) leaving home.

☆ closefriend!Mark who continues to text you sweetly everyday, checking up on you and offering you anything but is still feeling the slight discomfort of his ex floating around in the back of his mind.

☆ closefriend!Mark who agrees to make you his fwb, only until he can figure out his feelings, but he doesn’t tell you the part where he misses his ex which is why he hadn’t asked you to be his girlfriend yet.

☆ fwb!Mark who’d come to your apartment very often to “chill”.. in your bed.. naked. Always providing the best time possible, always leaving both of you satisfied.

☆ fwb!Mark who’d been slowly leaving you on seen or delivered, if he’d text you at all it would be rather dry, even after about 4 months of your arrangement.

☆ fwb!Mark who finally answered your text after being left on delivered for a week with a dry response and no emoji. Leaving you on seen once again after you’d asked him why he was being so distant.

☆ fwb!Mark who didn’t tell you how he actually put in the right number for his ex and texted her after he texted you that same night he met you, as well as the fact he’d been talking to her ever since.

☆ fwb!Mark who also hadn’t told you that it was getting serious again between him and his ex, opting for the easy way out by ignoring you.

☆ fwb!Mark who told you how his ex was now his girlfriend and he no longer felt any way about you and apologizing for the fact you were a rebound, even if he hated himself for saying that because he sounded like a complete asshole.

☆ fwb!Mark who then told you a few days later how his girlfriend didn’t want him texting other women, or even having other girl friends. Not even letting you respond, he blocked you with no hesitation. So deeply in love with his girlfriend.

☆ fwb!Mark who walks past you on the street, completely ignoring your presence, as if he was unaware you existed and you had no history together. Allowing the distance between you and him to grow as you quickly become strangers again.

☆ stranger!Mark who feels terrible about the way things ended between you two but doesn’t have the courage to talk to you, nor go against his girlfriends wishes about communicating with the other women.

☆ stranger!Mark who ends up never talking to you again, living his life with his girlfriend once again. For him, the world kept spinning, especially with the small hole in his heart.

[genderqueerdykes]

hello, i have a question concerning one of your recent posts talking about trans men, ftm and other male or mspec people being lesbians. i mean this in the most respectful way possible, but how could a trans man be a lesbian? isnt the whole point non men loving non men? im sorry if youve got this question before and thanks for answering in advance if you do

i get this question all the time lol but i don't mind answering. thanks for taking the time to ask!

that is radfem rhetoric that you've picked up from other people inadvertently- lesbian does not mean "non man loving non man," as gay does not mean "non woman loving non woman". "gay" is a form of queer attraction, so is lesbian. if we don't define "gay" by who we leave out, why are we doing so with lesbianism? we do not define who we are attracted to by who we leave out, that makes no sense. lesbian is a form of queer attraction that can include as many people as an individual feels is right for them. if we say "non men" to include nonbinary people why are we excluding nonbinary and other trans people who also happen to be men as well? some people are "non men" and men at the same time, so do we exclude them, too, or do we include them?

the logic falls apart instantly the second we remind ourselves that multigender, genderfluid, gender non conforming, genderqueer, (masc) nonbinary, genderfuck and other people who completely break the gender binary. and a lot of them are men and mascs. lesbians should not have to be shoved inside of a cis butch woman - cis femme woman dichotomy and nothing else. we've been tricked into thinking like radfems by viewing "proper" lesbian relationships as relationships between cis lesbians and feminine afab nonbinary lesbians (who are being viewed as cis women in this scenario) and nobody else. we need to allow lesbianism to be diverse, otherwise, we will continue this radfem echo chamber that has been going on for decades!

we must also consider that lesbian is a form of queer attraction, so it can include lots of experiences, just like gay can. nonbinary people, genderqueer people, trans people of all genders can use "gay" how they see fit, whether it means they're attracted to men, women, nonbinary people, intersex people, genderfluid people, and so on. people of all genders are allowed to do the same thing with dyke, sapphic and lesbian as well! the most common useage of the word lesbian is to mean wlw, but that doesn't mean every single lesbian, dyke and sapphic explains it that way. some lesbians, dykes and sapphics experience multiple modes of attraction! some are bi, pan, poly, omni and so on

lesbianism and men are not polar opposites. lesbians can be multigender or genderfluid. lesbians can be transmascs and trans men and guys and boys and men. lesbians can be boydykes and guydykes. many trans men and mascs start out in the lesbian community and find their home there. some find they never stop feeling like lesbians or butches or dykes. there are two-spirit lesbians who are also men. this is totally okay. this sort of thing can hurt intersex lesbians. this kind of thinking can hurt transfem lesbians and lesbian trans women as well if transphobic people consider them "men". we need to stop trying to exclude as many people as we can from lesbianism, and focusing on including people instead. lesbian is not and well not ever be an exclusive term that only applies to women and women only. let's be real, "non men" just means very feminine nonbinary people and ""women-lite"" enbies. this doesn't apply to masc enbies and trans people, because where does the line between "non man" and "man" begin? it doesn't exist

hope that helps! thanks for taking the time to ask! have a wonderful day you can also search the tags on this post on my blog as i talk about this a lot! :) this works best in desktop or in a browser on mobile.

[caelivir]

for your event, can you add fwb!atsumu and sweet boy by malcolm todd to the aux please !!

thank uuuuuu

now playing: sweet boy by malcom todd

first tsumu req of the event hehe. this song was lowk hard to figure out i cannot lie ‘cause it’s lowk angsty but i took one of the verses and tried to weave something cute from it. i hope u enjoy 🤗.

content. miya atsumu x fem!reader, fwb (he’s lowk in love tho), hint of jealousy, insecurity, communication, little suggestive | wc. 880+

three whole days.

miya atsumu has had this gut feeling that something’s wrong for three days, and it has to do with you. you’re not missing or anything terrifying like that. you posted a selfie on your instagram story just a day ago.

you guys can go without contact for a few weeks at a time, but this silent is different. it nags at him like spidey-senses telling him something’s not the way it should be.

that’s why he’s here, outside your apartment, even though his flight landed just two hours ago. he forced his manager to take care of his luggage and got the first taxi he could find to take him straight to you.

when you swing open your door, you blink, staring at him perplexed before you nearly shut it in his face. atsumu is barely able to wedge his foot before it completely shuts.

“oh come on.” atsumu huffs as he overpowers the strength you’re putting into trying to shut the door. he allows himself into your home when you give up.

you scowl, an expression he loves seeing you make when it’s not directed at him. “what are you doing here?”

“what? can’t see my favorite girl, now?” atsumu winks, trying to play things off as if his nerves are knotting into a tight coil in his gut. it results from a scoff out of your mouth as you shut the door.

you roll your eyes, crossing your arms. “sure, miya.”

that makes him stop dead in his tracks. atsumu whips his head towards you. the surprise is etched across his face, expressed through his raised eyebrows and dropped jaw. “miya?”

sure, atsumu’s annoyed you before, and to that you’ve called him a jerk. a dickhead, but not once has he ever been called miya. he doesn’t give a shit if others call him that. however, it’s different when it comes to you. a lot of things are. being called miya by you is wrong, illegal. it goes against every law of nature. atsumu can be anything to you, anything but miya.

he must’ve fucked up. severely.

he stalks closer, which in turn forces you to take steps back. this shuffle continues until your back presses into the back of the door. his face is dangerously close to yours, and he can tell it makes you nervous. it’s not obvious, but he sees it. your eyes waver every so slightly.

“back up.”

“not until ya tell me what i did.”

“who says you did anything?” you narrow your eyes, challenging him. always so stubborn.

“‘cause yer callin’ me miya. ya never call me that.” atsumu shoots back. that shuts you straight down. your eyes wander, looking at anything but him. “tell me what’s wrong.”

you scrunch your nose, feeling guilty. “sorry, tsumu. it’s- it’s stupid.” you mutter.

atsumu hates how dejected you look. he hates the frown on your pretty features. he hooks his index finger under your chin, forcing you to bring your eye up to his face. “hey. nothin’ ya say to me is stupid.”

“it’ll fuck everything up.” you whisper, genuine fear coating your voice.

“tell me anyway.” he assures you, lightly stroking your chin with his thumb. the silence overtakes. he waits, waits until you’re ready.

“i saw the pictures.” you admit quietly. “and the article.”

the ones from paris, atsumu realizes. so that’s what this is about. he gets it now.

“i just-” you pause, pursing your lips, weighing your next words. “i know we’re not together. we’re not anything really. i know. but i- seeing those pictures, reading that article… i hated it.

“but again, what right do i have? i mean you’ve got everything ahead of you, y’know? we don’t even see each other often. you’re all over the world. you’re bound to get all this attention, especially from girls that look like her. you deserve that. so i- i was just thinking that maybe-”

“no.” atsumu shuts that idea down before you can even get it out. he knows. he knows what you’re trying to do, and he won’t have it. he won’t even dare to entertain it.

“just listen to me.”

“not gonna.” he reaffirms with a hint of tease.

“(y/n), i don’t care about ‘em. i don’t care which model tries to throw herself at my feet. i like what we have. i’m not throwin’ that away for anyone. it’s you. it’ll only be you, ‘kay?”

however, you still don’t look convinced. he sees it in the way your frown dips slightly deeper. atsumu doesn’t like when people doubt him, but doubt is fuel. it tells him that there’s more he can do. that means there’s more he can do for you.

atsumu brings his face closer to yours, pressing a featherlight kiss to your cheek, another one to the tip of your nose, one on your jaw, before crawling up to peck the corner of your lips. he drops his hand from your face, navigating them to your waist where he slips them under your baggy shirt to feel the heat of your skin.

atsumu presses his forehead to yours, his lips hovering over yours. “i can prove it to ya. let me prove it to ya. let me show how much ya mean to me.”

[lees-chaotic-brain]

For You (Gojo x Reader)

What if you were sealed instead of Gojo?

CW: Shibuya Incident spoilers, angst, not canonically accurate (just roll with it for the plot it doesn't have to make complete sense), swearing, so much angst

Part Two | JJK Masterlist | Blog Navigation

Gojo knew that you were strong. He wouldn't have fallen in love with you out of fear if he didn't trust completely in your ability to return to him.

But that was before.

Before the shell of someone the two of you once knew and loved appeared.

Before he allowed himself to be distracted for a split second.

Before you noticed what was happening and shoved him out of the way.

Before you stood in front of him, hands bound behind your back, body rendered immobile.

"Well, this is an interesting development."

Not-Suguru clapped his hands together.

"Oh well, this will do too. Actually, we just managed to nab the strongest's only weakness: his love."

"Who are you?"

You snarl, glaring at your former friend.

"Why, I'm Geto Suguru. Don't you remember me? I'm wounded."

"Bull. Shit."

All Gojo can do is stare blankly at you, and pray that this isn't happening. That one of his worst nightmares isn't playing out in front of him.

"I know damn well that Suguru would never go out of his way to hurt us. He may have hated non-sorcerers, but even at the end he held no hostility towards us. So I'll ask you again. Who are you?"

"Satoru."

Gojo jumped a little, but quickly smoothed his expression over as you used one of your techniques to communicate telepathically with him.

"You need to run."

No! He wanted to scream. There has to be another option.

You continue taunting and yelling at the creature inhabiting your friend's body, and Gojo realizes that you are desperately stalling for time.

"Listen, I know you don't want to. But right now, you can't do anything for me without putting yourself in serious danger. I'm expendable."

Not to him, you aren't. For you, he would tear apart the world with his bare hands. For you, there wasn't a risk he wouldn't take. He has to find a way out of this. For you. Because there was no world where you were fucking expendable to him.

"You need to run! Now! I don't know how much time you have, but I know you can make it outside. You are the strongest after all. Run. Regroup with the others."

He knows that what you are saying makes logical sense, but he still can't wrap his mind around it.

Then you spoke again.

"No one should be allowed to take youth away from young people. That's what we agreed, right? So go. Do it for our kids. Protect their youth. For them. For our dream. For me."

Quietly, oh so quietly, he says something.

"I'm scared."

He admits, so quiet you can scarcely hear him.

"I'm not."

Your tone is gentle and loving.

"You aren't abandoning me forever. This is only temporary. I know that no matter what happens, you will get me out of here. Not because you're the strongest or anything. Because you love me, and I love you. And nothing can keep us apart, 'kay?"

Moving as much as your restraints would allow you, you turn your head the tiniest bit so you can look at him.

"Go. Go save our kids. I believe in you. I'll see you soon my love."

Holding back tears, Gojo Satoru, the strongest sorcerer alive did the unthinkable.

Turning away from you and speeding up and out of the train station was the hardest thing he ever did, and will ever do.

But he did it.

For your many (unofficially) adopted children.

For your shared dream.

For you.

Always for you.

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

This physically pained me to write, but it was taking up WAY too much of my brain space lol. Let me know what you think, and feel free to send in any requests you have!

[elumish]

I think the thing I find most difficult to square a lot of times is that I often see the same people arguing that having gay fiction specifically is important and and that it doesn't matter that there's relatively little sapphic fiction because it reflects people's desires and if people wanted to write more of it they simply would and that the content of what we post publicly shouldn't be looked at critically because nothing we write can harm people.

On one hand, I understand that these all exist as a form of sort of indvidualist free market free speech absolutism: people's writing is purely dictated by what they want or enjoy, and nobody should ever have a say in what someone else can post publicly because that is censorship and oppression. The good of the community is dictated by the individuals' ability to publicly share whatever (fiction) writing they want without restraint or consequence.

But the second any defense of gay fiction tips into "representation is important" the rest of it falls apart for me. Representation is important because fiction can impact people's views of themself and others, because it can normalize or alienate, because it can humanize or other.

But if you care about representation because you think positive views of gay people is important, why do you not also want to advocate for more representation of sapphic women? And if you care about representation because you believe that it engenders those positive views of gay people, why do you not believe that how things are portrayed can also engender negative feelings about groups, or harmful beliefs about things?

To be clear, I'm not arguing for a specific policy position here, not least of which because as a writing blog I am more interested in "should" than "should be allowed to." But the ideological position itself, that continues to baffle me.

[queen-of-hawkins-why-ler]

It becomes so obvious that Milkvan isn't supposed to be endgame when you compare the development (or lack thereof) of their relationship to Lumax's. Mike and El are supposedly the main characters and "the main couple" of the show, but if this were actually the case, then why wouldn't the writers spend more time developing their relationship like they have developed Lumax's?

Truth be told, Mike and El's storyline does not have much "development" beyond what happens in the show on a surface level. In s1, they meet each other, become friends, and Mike hides and protects El from the people who are trying to harm her. When he loses her at the end of s1, he subsequently misses her a lot in s2 and they spend the season looking for each other. It's very sweet when they reunite, but even so, not a lot is happening with their relationship besides the obvious, which is that they are happy to see each other again.

Contrast this to Lumax in s2, which portrays an actual relationship DYNAMIC that goes beyond a surface level. Lucas likes Max, and Max likes Lucas, but there are so many layers to how they feel about each other and what is actually going on between them. Lucas likes and cares about Max and wants to get to know her better, but he is genuinely afraid for her safety and doesn't want to involve her in the supernatural. On the other side of it, Max is clearly drawn to Lucas the more she gets to know him, but she has a difficult time trusting or opening up to people, especially when she realizes that the boys are deliberately shunning her and leaving her out of the know and AV Club meetings. Not to mention the entire problem of race, wherein Max is afraid of how her racist, emotionally abusive brother is going to react to her becoming intimately involved with a black boy. Needless to say, Lumax from the very beginning is a complex relationship that has lots of layers, while Mike and El's relationship is pretty straightforward: boy loses girl, boy and girl miss each other, boy and girl are happy to be reunited.

While s3 doesn't do a whole lot for Lucas and Max other than showing them being cute together, it does set the stage for s4 Lumax, which beautifully continues the aforementioned themes. In s2, we are introduced to the idea of Lucas wanting to open up Max and allow her to be in the know, but he does so with the fear that she could get herself killed: that he could lose her. Max, too, is unsure about the amount of risk that comes with opening herself up to somebody, and the answer to both of these problems is both characters' worst nightmare: Max getting hurt and them losing each other. We see Lucas trying so hard and doing everything he can to reach out to Max. He loves her so selflessly and wants her to know that he is there for her no matter what, but she is of course still so traumatized from what happened to Billy and scared of what Vecna is doing to her that she struggles to open herself up freely. And when she finally does, she STILL reaps the consequences and is targeted by Vecna. And of course Lucas feels like his worst fears have become a reality, and Max's ultimate fate is a direct follow up to the initial conflict that was set up for Lumax in s2.

Think about how much thought had to be put into creating that relationship for it to not only work but to be well-executed within the show itself. Not to mention that all of these story elements get developed by way of Lumax developing both as individuals and as a couple. We see them succumbing to their fears. We see them growing apart and together. Most importantly, we see them COMMUNICATING. Max pulls away from Lucas because she is afraid, but Lucas pulls her right back in and assures her that he is there for her, he is protecting her, he loves her. Do we see any of this depth for Milkvan? No. Because there isn't any depth.

In what season (or scene for that matter) have we ever watched Mike and El struggle against what they are faced with both individually and as a couple?? Mind you, there have been plenty of opportunities in this story for Mike and El to develop and to take things on together. And in a very literal sense, they DO take on things together, these things are just utterly surface-level and transparent. Mike is scared that people are under or overestimating El and what her powers are capable of, so he bats for her and tries his best to advocate for her and be by her side. Okay, that's great. El, on the other hand, worries that Mike could be holding her back so she tries relying on herself and her newfound best friend for strength (interesting writing choice lmao). Again, great. But what's happening here beyond a surface level? Nothing. There are no subsequent layers to Mike and El's relationship that the show would have us dive into. And if we ARE in fact supposed to dig into Mike and El's relationship, we are only doing so...

To directly contrast the lack of depth in Milkvan's relationship to the depth we see in Mike and Will's relationship. Milkvan hasn't been layered and built up the same way Byler has because they are not a main focus of the story. Byler IS, on the other hand, which is why their relationship is just as fleshed out and developed as Lumax's. Milkvan gets virtually no development beyond a surface level for four whole seasons, meanwhile Byler's relationship shifts and changes again and again. Even from the beginning, when we barely see Mike and Will interact, we are shown that they share a special bond that is contrasted to the platonic friendship that the other boys have, and we see Mike ceaselessly, endlessly searching for Will with no intention on ever giving up (side note: when Mike is missing El in s2, does he ever throw the tantrums he threw for Will or try to get everyone else involved in finding El the way he did for Will?? Does he ever claim to be the "only one who cares about El?" No). When he finds Will, he stays stuck to him like glue and does everything in his power to watch over and protect Will, the same way Lucas does for Max. In s3, we see Mike and Will's relationship get rocky and we see them struggle, but we also see Mike develop and go the distance as far as mending his relationship with Will, which is something we barely see for Mike and El in the same season. And then in s4, we see the ultimate demonstration of Mike and Will literally working as a team, taking on each other's problems, and most importantly, COMMUNICATING about said problems. They check in on each other, they make sure that the other is okay. They are real about their feelings and don't deliberately hide things from one another (besides the fact that they love each other, ofc, which they only feel the need to hide because it is unsafe and because they are afraid of how the other would react). Needless to say, Lumax and Byler are both well-written, fleshed out, and get development. There are many layers to these relationships as well as shifting dynamics and real, relevant plot threads. Milkvan gets none of these things. Probably because their relationship does not go much deeper than "they care about each other." The only thing worth exploring in terms of the depth of their relationship is all the things Mike isn't able to do and the ways he isn't able to be there for El because his priorities lie with Will.

[jesterscourt-e]

Do You Have to Let it Linger? Part 4

A/N: y’all wanted a twist? (Short chapter the end is near)

CW: substance abuse, angst, yearning, depression, anger issues

SCHLATT POV

“GOD, you can be so STUPID.”

As soon as he said it he froze. He tossed the phone onto the table and put his head in his hands. As he heard the phone hangup from the table he felt like he couldn’t move. His face started to burn as anger rose up in his chest. He looked for the nearest victim to aim this mindless rage at. He picked up a controller and chucked it as hard as he could across the room. He could feel the tightness in his chest rise and tears threaten their way into his eyes. God, he hated that he let himself do that. Why the FUCK did he do that???? Schlatt’s frustration from the week all culminated into this moment. The confusion of why y/n had ignored him for a whole week, racking his brain to remember every little thing he did and said to you at the wedding for some explanation. And all to find out it was because you like him and you think he doesn’t like you back. It made him mad. You couldn’t be further off.

In the beginning of your friendship the flirting had been for fun. He did think you were stunning, but it was all in jest, at first. It slowly grew into a real blooming friendship beyond the clicks and views he genuinely grew fond of you. Your personality, your quirks, and little traits. He would watch to boost numbers, but then he found himself tuning into your streams on his second account to just watch. He found your voice entrancing and the way you moved and danced hypnotizing.

He couldn’t believe that you thought he didn’t feel the same. The fact that you had a “big fat crush” on him was enough to make his heart jump, do a backflip, and fall out of his ass. He was so dumbfounded that you couldn’t see how crazy he is about you.

At first he grappled with his own fear and uncertainty, could he let someone in in this way? Was it worth it? You guys lived so far apart. Not to mention how public it could all get and the bombardment from the fans. He was terrified. As the days turned to a week his fear turned into intense longing and pain. Pain knowing how he had hurt you. He missed your constant communication that he had grown to rely on in a way. He just missed hearing you and seeing you. How your smile lights up rooms and your raw charisma enchants all who watch. He couldn't stop seeing you up there singing at the wedding. And how you smiled at him while laughing and dancing. The memories practically uncorked the bottle themselves. Minimal resistance was found when lifting it to his mouth. Each sip felt easier and easier.

Ted called sometime during the second week while the bottle was half drunk. Interrupting his quiet stalking of your stream.

“Schlatt.”

“What.”

“You gotta tell her man,” Ted pleads. He had been bothering Schlatt to spill his heart since the wedding. Then, even more so after this whole ordeal. It tired and aggravated him.

“No dude.”

“Jared Schlathew,” Schlatt scowled at the nickname as Ted continued, “I know we’ve known each other a while, but I’ve known Y/N longer. I’m going to have to tell her soon man I can’t keep listening to her heart break like this.”

“Ted, I sweartgod, if you tell her you won’t hear from me again. Ever,” he slurred and sipped.

“I don’t understand the big deal!”

Schlatt cuts him off, “I can’t, Ted, I fucking can’t! I already hurt her man, who’s to say I won’t just hurt her further or… I don’t know! I’m no good for her. She deserves someone better. She deserves to get over me…”

Ted sighs, “Schlatt, genuinely, you are one of the most kind hearted individuals I've had the pleasure of meeting-” Schlatt scoffs, “You have a rough exterior, yes, but I’ve seen how she melts your icy shell. I wouldn’t allow you anywhere near Y/N if I didn't think you deserved her, man. But I truly do think you are one of the greatest people I get to call a friend. So please, skip the angst, and get on a plane.”

As he hung up he turned your stream back on. Your presence was much duller than your normal effervescent self. He studied at the screen while you absentmindedly answered the chat.

“Ok, well I have another cover I’ve been working on so,” you sit up with your guitar a little better and begin to play “High and Dry” by Radiohead. Through his drunken haze, Schlatt sat and listened to you sing as if you were speaking directly to him.

“Fuck it.” Schlatt opened his phone and booked a flight.

———

[corinescorner]

How to be a System Ally

This can be a post for both non-systems and systems! We all should be educated on how to be an ally for the community! It's aimed towards non-systems, though.

Educate yourselves. Before engaging, you should learn about systems and plurality. Different types of systems exist, and come in many, many different ways. Terms llike headmates, switching, co-consciousness, etc. should be learned before interacting!

Read about experiences: Follow blogs, watch videos, or read posts from systems who share their journeys.

Avoid assumptions: Not every system is the same, and their internal experiences and why they even exist can widely vary.

Use correct language! Ask about pronouns, names, or terms that the system may use. They can vary between each system, or even each alter.

Respect system-specific terms: If a system describes themselves as a way that's unfamiliar, instead of calling them fake or lying, take time to understand what it means. Ask questions, do research.

Don't assume every system view their system or plurality as a negative or a problem. Some systems see it as apart of their identity, regardless of how they formed.

Respect boundaries and autonomy. Like anyone else, systems have boundaries, and it's extremely important to respect them. Some systems are more open than others, but don't assume that every system should talk about their inner world.

If you're not sure who's fronting, ask before assuming! Some systems may let you know, but others may prefer to keep it private. Respect both.

Never, ever pressure a system to switch for another alter to interact with. Or in general. Switching isn't a performance, and asking is very invasive.

If a system requests to be treated as individuals between alters, respect that. Don't treat them as a singular identity unless they prefer it. Ask questions.

Validate their experiences. Systems face a ton of invalidation, both from the outside work and even in their own community. As an ally, you should validate every experience.

Believe them. If a system tells you about their experiences being a system, believe them. Don't question their legitimacy or dismiss their reality.

Acknowledge the diversity in systemhood. Whether a system formed due to trauma or not, their experiences are valid as a plural or system. Don't engage in debates that question the validity of "real" systems.

Support how they view their system. Some view it as a disorder, while some view it as their identity. Support how they see themselves without your own judgement.

Many systems, particularly the ones formed from trauma, can be sensitive to certain topics. Ask about what topics they would like to avoid, and respect it. Avoid triggering language; slurs, stereotypes, or graphic descriptions of trauma can be harmful.

Avoid intrusive questions. Questions about how often they switch or what their trauma history is are often invasive. If they want to share, they will.

Amplify system voices. Share content, posts, or messages from systems who are advocating!

Correct misinformation. Gently guide a person to the correct information. Remember, misinformation generally comes from lack of education, so pointing them to the right direction can help.

Offer support, not pity. Systems don't inherently need rescue or pity. Don't be the "hero" of systems. Listen without judgement, listen without trying to "fix" things. Celebrate their strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.

Support a system automony. Systems are allowed to make nonconventional choices for their system. Whether it's delaying recovery, purposely splitting, creating alters, etc. They are allowed to make these choices.

Continue to educate yourself. Plurality is a diverse and growing field of discussion. Keep up with new conversations and research.

I hope this is able to help people who are newer to the system community or what to help advocate for their system friends!

[punksocks]

Astrology Observations No.13

-just my opinions, please take them with a grain of salt !

-Libras tend to only give significant attention to people they think are beautiful/pretty. (So if a libra man is messing around in your dms, you at least know you’re pretty! Lol) Subtly I’ve noticed that Taurus placements tend to do this as well? Like, they don’t write off people in the way some Libras do but I haven’t seen someone with Taurus in the big 6 dating someone that isn’t attractive or at least aesthetically pleasing.

-Stellium in 3rd/ mars in 3rd/ Gemini Mars and Stellium in 6th/ mars in 6th/ Virgo Mars: do you find yourself multitasking all the time? I find that multitasking helps me finish tasks faster 9 times out of 10. Like I need to have my attention in a few places at once to be efficient. (I love podcasts and drawing)

-Neptune conjunct moon, Pisces moon, moon in 12th: you have really deep intuition but not much clarity that comes with it. Like I had this like intense instinct go off that i was going to run into something one I cut off last year- and I was right! But only halfway lol, totally different dude than I expected lol. It’s like shaking a magic 8 ball, you’ve got an answer but not the answer lol.

-I agree that your moon sign shows the most of your true personality, especially as you get past like 25. But with sun conjunct moon I’ve had a tricky time spotting this. I think it’s clearest with Aries and Aquarius moons for me. Aries moons have so much energy and they grow into being real leaders as they get older, and Aquarius moons have real stand out opinions and tend to live in their uniqueness more and attempt to conform less as they get older.

-Mercury in 3rd or Gemini or natal retrograde can mean you’re incapable of writing short little text messages lol. You either write a paragraph or send a lot of little texts successively.

-I find that Venus/Libra dominant people can be very charming in public and really judgmental in private/anonymously. They don’t want their opinions to clash with their pleasing persona.

-Scorpio sun + Sagittarius moon/ Sagittarius sun + Scorpio Moon doesn’t mean you have to be wild but oml they’ve been some of the most extreme people I’ve ever met. I feel like these people are always bringing BIG energy into the room and changing things around them with that Jupiter/Pluto double whammy. (I have stories about every person I’ve known with those placements but my go to is an aunt that had a boyfriend that bought her a car and a dog and she crashed the car, abandoned the dog with my grandma, and broke up with the guy. He’s doing better now lol.)

-But on the flip side, Capricorn placements can bring in Saturn type changes and lesson to any environment they come into. I have a stellium so it’s hard for me to separate all the categories where I’ve seen places fall apart (usually work places and bad bosses but it applies to everyone)

But for sun- people get insecure and start acting from a place of ego, moon- emotional tension gets tested and people are more likely to react from petty places, Mercury- communication and technology that was patched together falls through in the weak places and systems get overwhelmed; Jupiter- Luck runs out for those that are flying by the seat of their pants and don’t really know what they’re doing; Neptune- no more delusions are allowed, lies and duplicity are exposed

And after I’ve left those places and their dysfunction behind it seems like the lessons continue on even more. I’m not sure why the effect lingers, except that Saturn will make you learn or punish you.

[valar-did-me-wrong]

Can we please stop this hating/targetting/erasing of a new character/ship every 2-3 business weeks that has become a new hobby of some people ever since S2?!

90% of ROP tags are filled with passive aggressive & out right aggressive posts and comments, most of which are the result of this new hate trend that has emerged these past months.

It is exhausting tbh. 2 years ago this was such a positive welcoming space and many corners of this fandom still are same, but the negativity is spreading fast. I say this because just a few months ago this started with poor Celeborn and now atleast 3 more characters and I don't even wanna know how many ships have fallen victim to this trend.

Fights over headcanon superiority with essay length posts & screenshots. Using provoking passive aggressive posts & Anons to try & poke other people into explaining & defending their muses with long, exhausting responses. Using insanely heavy words as petty insults over a fictional work.

This is no fun, this is continuing to become worse & worse and fandom is supposed to be fun.

I'm not saying everyone is doing this because I make memes on multiple characters & I know for a fact MOST people from every ship/niche like & share stuff about multiple characters & ships in genuine good natured way. But some are spreading this negativity a lot & very loudly and it's starting to drown everything else. That's why I'm not even the first person posting about this complaint recently.

The tag is full of people tired of this negativity & it's just breaking the fandom apart & hurting everyone.. and making those who don't want to shout & fight to defend their opinions over fictional characters feel silenced.

I don't know what the solution is other than use your communities for your ships, characters & niches to interact whenever you feel like you are aching for validation for your headcanons.

Convincing others on main to follow your headcanons will never bring you or anyone joy, it will just perpetuate the cycle of people defending their muses in increasingly harsher ways because everyone is different & is going through different things & finding an escape in different things.. and everyone is allowed that without having to defend it in a court of fandom law with essays.

[book-casee]

We still like oc content in the UT/UTY community, right? Like Oc x canon stuff? Too bad I'm sharing mine:

TW: Mentions of alcoholism

So, meet Gay Boy.

His name is Karis, pronounced Care-iss.

He's a type of Monster that I got the idea for in a dream, they're called Fiends, basically typical demon-esque type of monsters, big horns, sharp teeth, can safely be in really hot environment, all that, they even have tiny bat wings.

He used to be an engineer, a really successful one, too! He graduated high school and worked in the CORE for a while, originally doing boring paperwork stuff that he absolutely hated, but then went on to actually do engineering work, which he enjoyed much more, however it just wasn't really his thing. So, he moved on to the Steamworks! (Yes, his story is connected to UTY) This was his permanent workplace for many years to come, and he LOVED it! Mostly because his dream job was to me a mechanic and he got loads of that kind of work there, even invented the minigun in his spare time, but also because he had a FAT workplace crush. On Chujin. Ok pals here's where the oc x canon part comes in. Ever since high school, he's had the FATTEST crush on Chujin (see why I call him Gay Boy?) but, yknow, he kinda can't act on his feelings on account of Chujin being happily married, so he bottles his feelings up, after all, if Chujin is happy, he's happy! He's still a family friend after all, he'll be okay, if a little jealous.

Then Chujin dies. Oh boy then Chujin dies. He really goes off the deep end here. He's already been bottling up very aggressive feelings of love for years now, only for the person he was both pining for and genuinely good friends with to die, tragically, and the rest of the family fall apart soon after. He continued to bottle up his feelings, more and more, skipping work often to either stay home and drink, or go to a bar to drink, either way, he ended up passed out, only to wake up just as sad and repressed as before. It didn't help that he never felt like it was "his turn" to grieve, there were people closer to him, so he'd let them grieve before he could. It was never "his turn."

He has a soul trait attached to him, like if he had a boss fight, that being Patience, the thing that was ultimately his downfall. He never confessed when he had the chance in high school or fresh in the workforce, he never got it out while Chujin was still alive, and he never allowed himself grief after he died. He spiraled further and further until he quit his dream job, and moved to Snowdin, opening up a little curiosity shop where he'd sell the remaining things he made on the side during his career, and when he isn't at his shop, he's at home, drinking until he can't walk straight and can barely speak, only managing to sob.

Oh the things that come from never properly expressing your feelings when you had the chance.

Anyways uh yeah! I don't have lots of art of him or a proper reference, I'll make that later, so uhhh, take some assorted doodles of him

[numbuh-72]

"Rescued Savior Aftermath" - Fanfiction

A nice little conclusion to our fun little comic with @artsygirl0315

Decided to do a small fic due to inspiration by the lovely @kandykatz

While Phoebe started to count down from 10, Alice could only growl and stare at her with shock and surprised. The fact that Alice's tentacles were sliced through...she could only think of one thing that could've done such....Spirit Steel.

Alice: "Ngggh...Y-you are still weak mentally though! I-I could easily take you down right now and-- Gnh?!"

Before Alice could even think about attacking, she felt some...unusual presence...or...presences. She looks deep into Phoebe's eyes and notices two spirits were giving the lesbian tomboy strength to stand up and defend Gianna. This made Alice even more mad and begins to float up in the air.

Alice: "Grrrr....fine...you win this one. Besides, it'll at the least please me that your leader will throw a fit at you for leaving your post...

Phoebe: "...Yeah...he will...but deep down, I would rather not lose another close friend...and....neither would "They"...

Alice growls and soon disappears into black smoke, leaving the two girls alone. Gianna tries to get up but felt too weak. She could only tear up and even give Phoebe a small smile....feeling the reassurance in person. Phoebe turns around and runs up to Gianna, scared and worried. She carefully puts her weapon down, staring into Gianna's eyes.

Phoebe: "Gianna...I.."

Before she could utter a word, Gianna uses her last strength and hugs Phoebe as tight as she could. It was quiet for a couple moments until....she started to cry? Phoebe hears Gianna crying and...even teared up herself....knowing well why Gianna was letting it out. After a few moments, Phoebe started to speak up.

Phoebe: "....Is this what you've been doing the whole time you went missing? Dealing with this demon girl...?"

Gianna could only nod in silence.

Gianna: "...Yes. I didn't say anything to Numbuh 362 or anyone because I know that...everyone's been having a hard time and...I...felt like...I was alone..."

Phoebe's expression slowly grew into a worried look as she continued to listen to Gianna.

Gianna: "Everyone has just...fell apart....Carol has been feeling guilty.....Aiden has been in denial...Renya is just...completely gone....I...."

Gianna shakes a bit, clutching her fists and all of a sudden yells;

Gianna: "...I JUST WANT THINGS TO GO BACK TO NORMAL!"

That is when Gianna cries again, covering her face. Now she was feeling herself go backwards, thinking she was doing well in accepting "Their" deaths. However....that wasn't the case for the most part.

Gianna: "I...was only trying to be the light at the end of the tunnel for all of our friends....after all...I...promised..."Them"...to..do...suchhh....."

It wasn't long until Gianna fell unconscious in Phoebe's arms from the crying and blood loss. Without a second thought, Phoebe picks up Gianna and contacts Jeremiah to have medical supplies ready and be brought to their location. Not long after, he managed to arrive and becomes shocked at the sight of Gianna's state. He immediately works with Phoebe to bandaged up Gianna. Jeremiah pulls out his communicator, about to contact Moonbase to come and pick up Gianna....but Phoebe stops him from doing such.

Jeremiah: "...But, we need to get her real medical attention! She's really hurt..!"

Phoebe: "I know, but...I fear that if we do....she might be on lockdown and won't be able to leave base...ever. After all....she did break a lot of rules since day one.."

Jeremiah: "Then what do you think we should do? You know Tyler won't be allowing us to bring anyone into our base..."

Phoebe: "...We can do our best to tend to her at her own house."

Jeremiah: "...."

Phoebe: "As far as how...I'm unsure, but for now, she has her robot companion....I think her name is...R.I.T.A. What we can do is send her over medical supplies and packages so that way Gianna can be mended properly....somehow."

Jeremiah: "...Will it work though? What if Tyler finds out?"

Phoebe: "....He won't. He will think that these are just parts we are sending to Moonbase like usual."

Jeremiah: "Well...ok then. If you say so..."

With a new plan in motion, the two tended Gianna and got on the ship to take her back to her house. Once they rested her on the bed, they two exchanged looks and left a care package on Gianna's nightstand. Within a few hours, Gianna wakes up in pain and realizes she was in her room. She looks outside and realized it was night time. It wasn't long until her robot companion R.I.T.A. awoke and approached Gianna with the package. When Gianna opened the package, she first pulls out a small letter from both Jeremiah and Phoebe. After reading their letter, she soon pulls out the medical stuff and some...bonus stuff from the two. She could only smile softly and tears fall from her face. She looks out the window and up at the moon....

Meanwhile back at Sector PHP, Phoebe and Jeremiah were outside of their treehouse, watching the night sky as well. Although....Phoebe was pondering something Gianna had said to her before fainting. Jeremiah notices her and tilts his head.

Jeremiah: "...Phoebe..? What's up?"

Phoebe: "Mm....something was...different about Gianna..and what she said to me before passing out....something about keeping a promise."

Jeremiah: "A promise?"

Phoebe: "...Yeah...but...I'll need to ask her once we are....I guess stable enough to know...."

Jeremiah: "Hmm...well, that time better be soon....before Tyler finds out what we are doing...I mean...we did get a scolding from him earlier..."

Phoebe: "....."

Jeremiah: "I'm...gonna try and go to bed...see you in the morning..."

Jeremiah then leaves Phoebe all alone outside, as she continues to ponder the though of who Gianna was talking about....She looks at the sky one last time before going inside herself. Hopefully when the time comes, she can get answers from Gianna and figure out why she was disobeying orders from the start....

END OF STORY

Carol and Aiden belong to @kandykatz

Renya belongs to @numbuhinfinitys

I wanted to do comic again, but sadly haven't had energy to do such--

So wanted to give fanfic writing a shot! Hopefully this was something good to read! Plus it's like 1 AM here so now Imma rest- lol

[theeeveetamer]

On Loving Thy Neighbor: A long term fan’s perspective

Recent discussion in the tags has gotten me thinking about love, life, and the dynamic of human interaction. And it all brings me back to the same conclusion: fandom, like all things in life, requires a deft touch and an appreciation of nuance.

While it would be easy, even wonderful, if we could all just be kind to each other and have that kindness returned, anyone who has been part of fandom—a part of life in general—knows that it is often not that simple.

Bringing kindness to someone who seeks only to inflict pain on you is not only ineffective, it’s completely masochistic. We understand this when it applies to other areas of life. The solution to queerphobia isn’t “be nicer to the queerphobes” and the solution to sexism isn’t “be nicer to the sexists”. The solution is to tell them to get bent, because they aren’t welcome in the vibrant, beautiful, kind communities we hope to build if they are going to meet us with vitriol and hate. Attempting to placate a queerphobe while building a queer-positive society is like arguing that it’s fine if you just leave just one house in the neighborhood constantly on fire.

Fire does not care about your boundaries. It will spread to the other houses eventually whether you like it or not—whether you intend to let it or not—because that is the nature of fire.

Why, then, do we protect toxic actors in fandom? Why do we wave off a handful of death threats as the same thing as a handful of character or ship opinions? Why do we continue allowing people to wave that kind of behavior off? Why do we think it’s okay to keep the fire?

Simply put, it’s because it takes much less effort to assume "everyone was bad". Figuring out the nuance of a situation is hard; telling everyone to be nicer is easy.

And there the problem lies. There are many situations in which being a little kinder to each other could help. I'm not discounting that. There are also situations where doing so is masochistic and enabling toxicity. Enabled toxicity will never disappear, or quiet. It will only grow. Like fire, there is nothing you can offer it that will stop it from spreading. Pleading with it and offering it sticks to placate it won't stop it from gobbling up your house eventually.

Knowing the difference is where the solution lies. But some people don’t want to do the work to pick apart the nuance of a situation, so they tell you (no matter the context), to just shut up and be nicer. Got death threats against you? Well you said something negative about their favorite character, and you pointing out that they sent you death threats makes them feel bad. See, you both feel bad! So clearly you both must have done something wrong! So maybe you should have just been nicer.

It doesn't matter if your opinions were properly tagged, or if you censored the character's name, or if it was on a blog hidden from searches, or if it was something you sent in a DM one time that got spread around without your knowledge, or if the person who sent you the threats is someone you blocked months ago who shouldn't have been able to see it anyway. You should have anticipated that someone, somewhere in the world, might see it and get mad enough to send you death threats. Take responsibility. Be nicer next time.

If the fire spreads to your house? Well, you shouldn’t have built it so close. You knew the fire was there. It’s your problem. You deal with it.

It rings hollow. “If you were just nicer to your abuser, maybe they wouldn’t have to keep hitting you. Maybe we would all be getting along if you would just shut up about it already.”

No one ever stops to question why the fire is there in the first place, or why people are so desperate to cling to it, or what purpose it could possibly serve when all it ever does is burn down houses.

A harasser, like a fire, is not satisfied with bullying one person, or burning down one house. They will consume everything until nothing is left or they have been put out (sanctioned and excommunicated).

When you claim to take no sides in a situation like this, or you claim both sides are equally bad, you are siding with the toxic actor. You are feeding your fellow fans to the fire in the hopes that you won't be next. You will always be next.

And if there's only a handful of people in your community willing to pick up a bucket and try to fight the fire, while everyone else shrugs and says "just don't build your house too close"? The firefighters will leave, because they know they can't fight it alone, and they know it won't stop, and who wants to live in a house constantly at risk of going up like a tinderbox?

And then, one day, everyone who shrugged and stayed will turn around and wonder why their town is nothing but ashes and cinders. And they will have no one to blame but themselves.

The world only works off of "be kinder" logic if you assume everyone's goal is to get along. The sad truth is, there are always some fires, and their definition of "getting along" includes destruction and pain incompatible with kindness.

I think the only people who truly believe the core of the problem is that everyone "isn't kind enough" are so used to sitting in a burning house that they can no longer smell the smoke.

[mirai-e-jump]

Hero Vision Vol.15 (2004/Summer) ft. Kamen Rider Blade Cast Interviews Ryoji Morimoto x Terunosuke Takezai Segment (translations below)

Publication: August 20, 2004 (between episodes 29-30) Ryoji Morimoto (Hajime Aikawa) x Terunosuke Takezai (Kotaro Shirai)

"Currently, It appears that the two of you are not getting along within the drama."

Takezai: Hajime is reluctant to reach out, while Kotaro is. Kotaro wants to protect Amane-chan and Haruka-san, but can't even protect himself, and Hajime is the one to always protect us, which frustrates Kotaro……So now, he's taking it out on Hajime?

Morimoto: When he sees Kotaro like that, I feel that Hajime finds it very interesting.

Takezai: There's a part of Hajime that Kotaro admires, but he won't allow himself to feel that way. It's a complicated feeling.

Morimoto: Hajime is uncertain too. Being around Amane-chan makes his heart feel at ease and warm inside, but he still doesn't understand what it means "to be loved," and he doesn't even understand why he wants to protect her. As his human side develops, so too will the number of his problems, and I think Hajime is going to have a much harder time from now on.

"So, apart from your roles, what do you like about each other?"

Morimoto: He has good intuition, can immediately grasp the situation, and he's also very tolerant and considerate.

Takezai: I don't have anything to say about his performance, other than that I've learned quite alot from him. Usually, you act pretty silly, don't you? And when everyone's together, the tension really rises. But, when it comes to acting, he changes completely. I think, "Is this really the same guy?" The range of emotions, and the way in which he switches between them is amazing. I'm usually very reserved.

"Kotaro's becoming more and more quiet…or rather, it's more like he's becoming serious."

Takezai: There's alot of emotional ups and downs. Every time we get a new script, it's something new. I'm like, "Ah, so this time it's this emotion." I used to play Kotaro, but the range has become so narrow, that now, I'm pretty much playing the role of Terunosuke Takezai.

"Would you ever consider switching roles?"

Morimoto: I don't get to smile much, do I? Kotaro is a really cute guy, and he has a charming smile, I'd like to be able to laugh too.

Takezai: I'd like to try being Chalice. I rarely get to show my emotions. If you think about it, we're the complete opposite in terms of personality.

Morimoto: Yeah. I think Hajime is jealous of Kotaro because they're complete opposites. Hajime wants to smile, but his smile continues to be rather awkward. I want to hurry up and become human…..

Takezai: Then you'd be a monstrous human (laughs).

"What's the most interesting part about Chalice?"

Morimoto: Because I don't have many lines, the lack of dialogue makes it much more difficult to communicate through my eyes and facial expressions. That's why I'm looking forward to seeing how I'll show the process of becoming human.

"Come to think of it, have you been working out recently?"

Morimoto: When I watched 555's movie, there's a shirtless transformation scene, so I was worried that something like that would be in our movie, so I just thought......I don't want to look like a matchstick if I have to take my clothes off (laughs). I do think Hajime is strong, even in his human body.

"What about Takezai's role in the film?"

Takezai: The movie takes place 4 years after the TV show, and I've become a stuck up guy after selling my books and becoming rich……

Morimoto: Kotaro seems to be much more active in the movie.

"Do you ever have time to go out drinking together or just hang out?"

Takezai: Now that you mention it, we've never gone out drinking together once, have we?!

Morimoto: We all go out to eat together, don't we?

"Do you share any common interests, like soccer or motorcycles?"

Morimoto: We do. We both like comedy.

Takezai: I like to laugh. Although, I'm better at being laughed at than at making people laugh.

Morimoto: I'm more of Tsubaki-kuns type.

Takezai: I think you're right

Morimoto: It's better if no one notices me doing it. So I try to do it secretly.

Takezai: There are times where the audio crew picks up on it, and then they'll suddenly start laughing. It makes me happy when they laugh.

Morimoto: I can't help but sometimes joke in front of everyone! Sometimes I do it too much and get pulled aside.

Takezai: Lately, no one comments on your jokes, so you've been forcing them.

Morimoto: I'm like, "…wha, hey!" (laughs).

Takezai: That's…it's alittle bit funny.

"You share a similar hobby, but do you have any differences?"

Takezai: Yeah, I love soccer, but I'm more of an indoor type of person. I recently had 3 weeks off, but during that time, I stayed inside for a whole week. It was tiring, but I do like to just space out at home.

Morimoto: I'm about ready to get out of here! (*he can't imagine being indoors for that long)

"Well then, finally, for you two complete opposites, please give a yell of support to each other."

Takezai: Yell? Support? Don't want to.

Morimoto: No (firmly).

Takezai: With Ryoji around, I can focus on acting with a sense of ease. I trust him.

Morimoto: I'm at ease too. I feel he gives off alot of confidence.

Takezai: The truth is that I have alot of work to do. And yet, everyone says it doesn't look that way…..

Morimoto: I can see you're nervous. Your tongue tends to do this, right? (he licks his lips)

Takezai: Yeah (laughs).

"Well, we're looking forward to it!"

Takezai: Please look forward to watching Chalice this August!

Morimoto: That's right! From now on, the relationships will continue to be very interesting!

[whattraintracks]

Because it's my self-indulgent fic, I've decided this takes place somewhere in those three months at the end of season 3 when Morgane and Karadec are both single but not dating yet.

Cops & Robbers Pt 3 - First | Prev | Next

Same warning for guns and hostage situations with an added warning for a depiction of overstimulation/panic attack.

[]

They're watching her.

There are a dozen other hostages, and all four robbers are watching her. Like they're just waiting for her to mess up. They won't have to wait long; nobody ever does. Gosh, she can hardly focus with their eyes on her.

The phone starts ringing, startling her mind into overdrive.

Théa squeezes her hand.

There's something caught in her throat.

The robber sets the phone down with a snap.

Too much. Too quiet. Too loud.

théa's grip is too tight

when did she swallow her gum?

what did he say on the phone?

someone is breathing too hard

she's suffocating on a piece of bubblegum

can't think can't breathe they're still watching her

"Mom?" Théa whispers.

Morgane jolts out of her head, pasting a reassuring smile on her face that does little to ease the worry on Théa's. Shaking her hand out of her daughter's, she takes a moment to tighten her ponytail and straighten her clothes. The urge to cry hovers in her periphery, so she allows herself exactly two unsteady breaths. Then continues to ignore it.

She looks around their little circle. "Everyone's okay, right?" Those close enough to hear her nod. "Cool. Stay relaxed, do as they say, and we'll get through this."

Her favorite robber is on the phone again, introducing himself as Dr. Blue. Which is, certainly original. Then again, if all their names match the color of their scrubs, it'll be easy to tell them apart. She's primarily surprised he's still talking, given how quickly he hung up the phone the first time. She could've sworn she heard him say he'd only speak to Karadec.

Oh. She can't hear the other half of the conversation, but it must be him. It's pretty obvious why Dr. Blue wants to communicate via Karadec, and she'd like to make it known that she is very annoyed about being a bargaining chip. Still, she's relieved he's the one handling the negotiations. There's no one else she trusts more with her life.

That relief and trust buoy her through the next round of Dr. Blue's threats. He stalks toward her, and she looks him straight in the eyes as he promises to bump her off first if the cops lie, cheat, or storm the bank. He makes his point, hangs up, and heads to the back of the bank.

He's barely out of sight before a man to her right whispers frantically, "This is your fault, you know?" Turning to the rest of the group he continues, "She called the cops. I saw her. If it wasn't for this chick, the bank robbers would've come and gone, and we'd already be out of here."

A very short and very pregnant woman—Simone, according to her name tag—shakes her head. "The cops were coming anyway. The bank robbers pulled the bottom bills from the cash drawer."

"Which automatically triggers the silent alarm," the bank manager explains. "No one's fault."

Their panicker reluctantly settles down, and Morgane glances gratefully at the other two. She catches Simone rubbing her baby bump and goes to ask how far along she is, only to be interrupted by a short-haired brunette.

"I can't believe they're holding a pregnant woman hostage. They should let you go."

"Lady, they're not letting her go. They're not letting any of us go," wheezes a thin man in cheap glasses. "I've seen this movie before. I know how it ends." He pauses dramatically, then whispers, "All of us dead."

"Oh, quit it. We're not going to die," Morgane cuts through the ripple of distressed murmurs. She jabs a thumb at the front wall of framed glass, with its faint flashes of blue and red. "I work with the police. Trust me, they have a lot more experience than some characters in a cheesy action flick. They'll get us out, and we can all laugh about this tomorrow."

That earns her a variety of incredulous and generally un-reassured looks. Clearly, she needs to find some way to keep herself and all these people busy if she's to avoid mass amounts of panic.

"Okay, maybe not tomorrow, but we'll be fine. Now, M. Bank Manager." He points to himself. "Yes, you."

"It's uh," he glances down, shifting his jacket to reveal his name tag, "Dallaire."

"Sure. What's behind those doors back there?" She nods at the security gates leading to the back. The ones Dr. Blue went through a few minutes ago.

Dallaire glances over his shoulder. "The security room, break rooms, restroom, and the safe deposit boxes."

Dr. Blue reappears suddenly, and they fall silent. His compatriot in red tosses him Dallaire's stolen key and a black duffle bag. He returns to the back, and they fill a few more uneasy moments with silence.

"Okay," she whispers, blinking slowly to picture the shape of the key. "So, the key they took from around your neck was for the safe deposit boxes, right?"

"Yeah, that's my security key."

Théa leans forward. "Why aren't they trying to get into the vault behind the counter? Isn't it full of cash?"

Morgane snaps softly and points at her. "Exactly, Théa! There's something off about all this." She pushes to her feet.

"Mom! Sit. Down," Théa hisses.

"Yoohoo, M. Teal!" Three guns track her intently, but she keeps her eyes on the man in teal scrubs. The one who locked them in. "Oh, pardon me, Dr. Teal."

"You got a death wish?" he asks.

"Not at all, but I do got to go if you know what I mean"—Théa groans into her hands.—"And since it looks like we might be here for a while..."

He glances at the lady robber, Dr. Purple, for approval, then gestures for her to follow. She's escorted to the restroom, which, as she'd hoped, is just past the safe deposit boxes. As luck would have it, Dr. Blue pulls one out as they walk by. She discreetly observes its contents, and—huh. It's not jewelry or confidential documents, just photos and letters. Lots of them, but likely nothing of monetary value.

Dr. Teal shoves her along to a quite lovely but windowless bathroom. She spends several minutes checking for possible exits or an opening of any size to the outside, to no avail. A bang on the door and a shouted warning later, she washes her hands and allows herself to be led back to the others.

The man to her right asks to go next as Théa stares at her askance.

"Shush. Let me think."

Closing her eyes, she lets the sensations of the room fade. The light and warmth streaming in through the upper windows. The robbers' footsteps. The clothes against her skin. She nudges all of it to the back of her mind and imagines every detail she's gathered of this mystery laid out before her like papers scattered across the floor. She grabs a random page.

None of the robbers are trying to access the vault, which is full of cash. So this is about something other than money.

Dr. Blue is spending an awful lot of time in the back, presumably with the safe deposit boxes, but none were broken into, and he only recently came out to get the security key from Dr. Red.

Was this entire bank robbery for a single deposit box? Seems a little below the pay grade of professionals.

Some professionals, though. Simone said they set off the silent alarm.

But Dr. Red disabled the bank cameras, all four hold their guns like military folk, and when the cops arrived, Dr. Blue said they had "trained for this."

So they set off the alarm on purpose. But why waste time with hostage negotiations?

Time. It took the cops less time to get here because she was already on the phone with Karadec. But Gilles likely only called the robbery in a couple minutes before they set off the alarm.

Time. Dr. Blue asked to speak to Karadec only. Was that a bid for time? He couldn't have known how quickly Karadec would respond.

Time. The robbers could have gotten in and out quickly if they had avoided the silent alarm, taken cash from the registers or vault, and left, but they didn't.

Why? Because they needed time!

Safe deposit box keys are a pain to keep track of because they don't have numbers on them. Accessing your safe deposit box is quick if you know which box is yours and the bank manager uses their security key simultaneously. So, the key isn't his, and he needed time to check every lock and find the correct box. Time he bought by creating a hostage situation.

The box is the key.

Her eyes fly open, startling those watching her. "M. Dallaire, how are the safe deposit boxes numbered?"

He explains the ordering system with a raised brow.

Tapping her chin she traces the picture in her mind, "North wall, four columns over, three boxes down. That's box 120."

The jaw of every bank employee drops, and Théa grumbles about mothers who enjoy showing off too much.

"Do not," Morgane snips back. She looks around furtively. "If I can get a message to my partner, he can figure out whose box that is and what these robbers are really up to."

"How? I doubt they'll let you make a call," the brunette whispers.

"Probably not," she agrees. "But I've got a better idea. Théa, give me your bracelet."

Théa whines, "Aw, man."

[pleasantspark]

Criticism Over Antis v Proshippers

Not reblogging this because I don't identify as either party because both Antis and Proshippers are stupid in their own right buuut.

Look I hate antis as much as I hate the proshipping community and what do I do? I block them and don't interact if someone comes up to my blog who I don't like I don't think to "Okay I'm gonna Ben Shapiro them." there's a LOT of notes comparing Antis to MAGA which is disgusting the fact that a lot of Proshippers also in the notes saying that antis also groom and abuse minors is the pot calling the kettle black. I've been groomed by a proshipping cult. I was exploited severely and the fact you're blaming antis for something that can be easily applied to for EVERYONE is astonishing.

I don't care for Anti vs Proshipping debacle so don't label me as any, but if you're gonna compare a equally idiotic group to extremists please don't be surprised at the hidden replies. It's behavior like this is why Proshipping is known as the worse thing ever.

If we're gonna Ben Shaprio this, then why is Loli/Shota and other shit considered proship and is allowed? It's blamage on the other end and people say fiction doesn't affect reality but a lot of times people who were deluded over fictional characters are either in prison or dead.

Please, do realize most people aren't antis because they express discomfort. But my advice for anyone who deals with this, stop the callouts, stop the harassment campaigns and just block and move on. This debate is old enough to vote. If you want to call someone a pedo rapist and get pushback onto you because you're surprised the same community is hateful then don't touch shit.

ANOTHER reminder I am not apart of any side, this is so these people can also be held accountable. Encouraging minors to participate in Proshipping Spaces especially with incest and Loli should be and FOREVER be unacceptable I don't care if you justify it as it's censorship! You are in CHARGE of maintaining a fucking platform for kids, and if kids are interacting with your content remove them or something. Antis will continue to go after you because you allow minors into these spaces.

As for Antis you need to chillax, harassing people gives more fuel for them to cry foul. Both of you are equally as bad as each other and need to learn to block and move on.

This isn't a free pass to go onto Anon to argue with me, my opinion is my own and your opinion is your own. I specifically do not give a singular fuck about how you jork it to incest porn because you're some sort of contraian with no standards, keep your opinions to yourself and block me if you don't agree, if you are bothered over criticism then that means you do not believe in yourself that your proship/anti beliefs are fake and that you need to appease to the gods in order to get a win on a supposed anti, I'm a victim of proshipping grooming and by harassing me you're not following the "people shouldn't harass over fictional characters." line you believe in. Worry about your corners and worry about yourself, continuously going onto anon on people that hate your group is gonna give more fuel to the already hateful fire that your community is known for.