#fandom auntie rant

[cilil]

Ok, really not tryna vague or be shady, but I just gotta say: I do not and will never understand why there's so much drama around ships becoming canon or not.

Seriously, why do you care. Is your ship game that weak? Do you need a stamp of approval from other people for what you like and how you creatively express yourself? Because, sorry, but that's technically what that is and you don't need it.

C'mere. Come to auntie. Listen. I multiship like crazy and lots of weird and niche rare pairs too. Whenever any of my ships become canon that's pretty much an accident and a statistical outlier and because I just happened to like what the creators like for once. And then I usually think "oh that's nice" and go on with my madness. No getting smug and using it to put others down either!

I'm telling you this because I simply can't stress enough how much more chill and fun shipping is if you become deeply unbothered by what's canon, what the creators think and what other people approve of. Again, you need nobody's stamp of approval. And if people nag and bully you about what you like then these people suck and they have no right to demand explanations from you.

Make your case not to justify yourself to bullies - they won't be convinced anyway - but to get other people interested. Make your case through your art, your writing, your headcanons, your conversations with other fans. Make your case through passion.

And stop letting others tell you what you can and can't ship. Which goes both ways, just saying.

Ok, that's it, bye

[lady-phasma]

Hi , I don’t know if you’ve seen the new Ewan and Tom photo shoot and interview but …. I know this will get hate from Ewan Nation, hence why I’m coming to auntie . Anyway two years ago god it seems longer lol, I was like everyone obsessed with Aemond and his actor . The mysterious Ewan … I wanted to know about him, wanted more pics and photo shoots , however time has a way of changing things . Now I find myself wishing for the old days . The pixel days ( if you know you know 😂) I mean don’t get me wrong I like Ewan , but I miss the mysterious introvert . Perhaps that’s the thing too, I felt a connection to him and his character . The interviews he’s done it’s clear he’s extroverted so idk if the introvert was a character he was playing or what but now he just rings false to me. Phony like every other Hollywood actor who just wants fame . I don’t wanna speak cruel about Ewan nation but they seem to eat this up and anyone who dares say boo about him is attacked hence anonymous . It’s just everything he was seems flipped and he just rings false to me . A phony …. Honestly it’s turned me off from the show completely. Thank you for listening to my rant . If you response awesome if you don’t that’s fine too .

Before I get started, don't come at nonnie y'all! Keep scrolling if you don't agree or read what I have to say because it might surprise you.

Okay, so.. hi anon! Thank you for coming to me. Two things first: "Ewan Nation" is unfair because I don't like to generalize groups of people; I want you to enjoy your show again!

I definitely think your feelings are valid but I'm going to tell you what I think because you came to me... you'll probably disagree but here goes.

Ewan is a human and complicated, right? And all we see is what is presented by him, his PR people, his stylist, and HBO (while promoting HotD). So I think it's unfair to go so far as to say "phony." I think he is growing as a person and most of us are fortunate enough to not have to do that in front of the world.

I mean don’t get me wrong I like Ewan , but I miss the mysterious introvert . Perhaps that’s the thing too, I felt a connection to him and his character . The interviews he’s done it’s clear he’s extroverted so idk if the introvert was a character he was playing or what but now he just rings false to me.

I truly do not believe that he is an extrovert at all. I think he is contractually obligated to promote and to appear in articles and it's good for his career overall. Here's a link to the SAG-AFTRA page on contracts that might give you some info if you want to dig. Also, a Variety article about the 2023 strike that discusses what actors were not allowed to do during the strike. Guess what? No interviews! I'm not being patronizing, I'm trying to make the point that this is his job. Ewan may not want to be in the public eye but I would imagine his contract, as the face of one of the most popular characters in the show, is pretty full of appearances.

Anyway two years ago god it seems longer lol, I was like everyone obsessed with Aemond and his actor . The mysterious Ewan … I wanted to know about him, wanted more pics and photo shoots , however time has a way of changing things . Now I find myself wishing for the old days . The pixel days ( if you know you know 😂)

I hate to say it but "be careful what you wish for" nonnie. I mean that with the most compassion. I think you may have wanted more of the Ewan you thought he was. Or even that what you thought you wanted changed. We all change and, yes, it has been almost 2 years!! So you aren't the same person either. Give yourself and Ewan a break - a lot can happen in two years!

Lastly, and I can't fix this for you only offer my opinion, I think you should try to reframe how you look at the show. You can enjoy a film/series without needing to know anything about the actors. This part of the fandom should be fun. I want you to be able to enjoy it and there may be nothing that can make you like it anymore. However, I would like for you to think about actors as people. People who have a job and do it every day just like we do. We can't know why they do it, what their motivations are, but we can enjoy the fruits of their labor.

I think Ewan love his job, genuinely. Watching him talk about Aemond... he just exudes enthusiasm! I think loving your job that much is a gift. I don't believe he enjoys being in the public eye, but promos like this one are with coworkers who he has known for at least three years now.

If you read this far, anon and anyone else, maybe you'll have a slightly different perspective. I think anon's feelings are valid, because most of us get emotionally attached to actors and we can only ever know what's presented to us through media. If anon feels let down or disappointed that is valid, even if I don't believe it's because Ewan is fake or an extrovert. I think he is young and learning more about his industry. I hope he continues to grow as an actor and as a person. I hope it doesn't disappoint more people, but as long as he is happy and remains kind I want him to be more comfortable doing the job he seems to love.

[lohanl]

FINALLY!! I finally comment under tumbler posts 🙏🏻

Yes, I did join Tumbler after they fck it up. No, I don't regret it.

I gotta be honest, I just joined Tumbler bc of Lossie (I liked their fanfics and discovered they posted spoilers/spinets–is that the word?– of their fanfics in here)

I guess this is just my commemorative post (actually, this is just a rant about madatobi, or the authors of madatobi if I'm being honest, that took control over my brain some days ago, but shhhhh)

I want to state at the beginning that I love Tobirama as much as the next person, but I have been growing incredibly bored (and kinda triggered) of the way some autors make him a Marry-Sue. I can overlook it when, despise being a Maery-Sue, his character is consistent or the word is well built, take for example KeanBlade– Tobirama is a complete Marry-Sue in their works (he's capable of fighting Madara & Hashirama and actually beat them in fights, is a better medininja than Hashirama, has everything planed to a dent etc etc) but their word is very well built, so it's easier to overlook my discomfort when Tobirama is a Marry-Sue.

Which brings me to my main ick when reading madatobi fics—the power imbalance when Tobirama is a Marry-Sue.

It is a popular theory in the fandom that the Uchihas were poor, that theory gains weight and deaph when we look at this image

We can clearly see that none of Uchihas have armor while all of the Senjus have them. They are covered head to toes in armor while the Uchihas are using their everyday clothes, and this economic disparity is further proven by this image

Those are their everyday clothes, different from the Senjus that buy/make formal clothes to everyone in the clan the Uchihas are wearing the same clothes they use in battle to a peace talk, probably bc they can't afford formal clothes

When authors make Tobirama a Marry-Sue, when they make him stronger than Madara, they are giving away the only upper hand Madara has in their relationship–His strength. Tobirama is richer, comes from a clan that is not discriminated against, like the Uchihas were, he is smarter, and you want to make him stronger than Madara too? Why? Some autors even have Tobirama solving all of the problems of the Uchiha clan; which makes everyone in the clan, but especially Madara (since he is the clan leader), in debt with him. At least when Madara is stronger he brings something to the relationship, something that Tobirama isn't as much or more than him, so he is not completely at his mercy or grace.

Honestly, I can ignore how the imbalance of the relationship makes me feel if the fanfic is interesting enough or the word built catches my attention, but there's only a certain amount of fanfics with this trope I can read before I start to relate it to my family experience with this type of relationship

I'm just projecting, I know I'm projecting, but bc of my family history, I really can't stop projecting. My family is from a "Usina" (this is the name we have in Brazil for sugarcane plantations), and we were very poor (my grandpa worked in the field and my grandma was a seamstress for the usina). My Grandpa ended up managing to move to a proper city later in life. In this city, one of my aunties married a guy of a rich, well-known family. He helped all of her siblings, including my mom, go through college and get jobs. He had the upper hand in their relationship and the gratitude of the whole family. Let's just say it didn't end well for her. So yes, I'm projecting.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that a lot of authors give Tobirama way too much power 😅

[gayashelljatp]

Elliot Wright x Monroe Astor | What Is This Feeling? Chapter 1 + 2

Tags Enemies to Lovers, Roommates Who Loathe (Love) Eachother, Inspired by Wicked, Song: What Is This Feeling (Wicked), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting cause movie was set in 98, Sexual Tension, Love/Hate, Banter, Drugs, Sex mentioned, like a lot actually, Monroe Astor is a hoe, Will Astor being best boi and cousin, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Hedonism, Elliot Wright is coked out, Monroe Astor is brat, Monroe Astor-centric, implied catholic guilt, Monroe and Elliot are GELPHIE coded, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Not Beta Read We End Like The Symposium, I lied this is somewhat beta read

Summary:

Monroe Astor has never had a roommate before unless sleeping over after sex counts. Elliot Wright unfortunately has to live with him. Read as one of them tries not to perish from peril or fall deeply for the other. or Elliot & Monroe finally fulfill Glinda & Elphaba's enemies roommates to lovers arc.

Content Rating: Teen and Up.

Wordcount: 7,105

Notes: (Recommend y'all read on ao3 for better reading experience)

Hi, I'm Ace currently in my 'Descendants' writing era. But I'm branching out posting and writing gay shit for other fandoms.

I am finally here to post my 'Glory & Gore' fic. I've been trying to make a work worthy of publishing and I think this one's pretty nice. Writing for G&G was very out of my comfort zone but I injected my Midas Touch to it.

I've been trying to write a MonroeElliot fic since I saw the piano scene in early December. I eventually landed with mixing both of my hyperfixations 'Wikced' (2024) and 'Glory & Gore' (2024) and BAMM!!! This was made. Special thanks to my editor and proofreader who tolerated me ranting about Monroe and Elliot against their will.

If you are reading this on tumblr ahhh thank you!!! Feedback is greatly appreciated and feel free to comment anything. Triggers read the tags above.

Chapter 1: First Day

“Will, you can’t do this to me!” Monroe’s voice rang out dramatically, reverberating off the high ceilings of the dormitory’s common area. 

The room, lavishly decorated compared to the other dorms on campus, was quintessentially Astor. It had mahogany paneling, gold accents on the molding, and a tasteful but insistent display of old money. 

Monroe paced the space like a tortured poet, one hand on his forehead for dramatic effect, the other clutching the back of a leather armchair as though it was the only thing with a gravitational force.

“Auntie said—”

“Yes, that we were supposed to room together,” Will interjected, sounding resigned, his hand ran through his perfectly coiffed hair—an Astor tell of mild irritation. “But Dad said one of us has to room with one of the scholars. It’s Astor family tradition.”

“Tradition?” Monroe scoffed, throwing his arms out as if the word offended him on principle. “Can’t you just tell your dad that you roomed with said charity case—”

“Monroe, you can’t say that about…” Will paused, glancing down at the email open on his phone. “Sinclair.”

Monroe folded his arms, eyebrows furrowing like a petulant child denied dessert. “Fine. Room with this Sinclair guy. But can’t I at least live alone? A private suite? Surely I’ve earned that much.” His tone was borderline pleading now, carrying an undertone of exasperation that only he could manage to make sound bearable.

“You do realize this isn’t the Hamptons, right?” Will countered, an edge of amusement creeping into his voice. “This is a dormitory.”

“It’s our family’s dorm building. The last name is plastered all over this place!” Monroe retorted as he pointed to the Astor crest etched into the fireplace mantle.

“Exactly. Which is why you’re staying here,” Will said firmly. He tucked his phone away and crossed his arms, channeling his older sibling-energy even though Monroe had him beat by a few months. “You may be older than me, but Mom said I’m in charge.”

Monroe opened his mouth to argue but Will cut him off with a raised hand.

“Before you say anything else, no, you cannot live off-campus. My parents would track you down and drag you back here.”

“Can I at least—”

“No, you cannot convert the common room into your private suite,” Will interrupted, barely suppressing a smirk. “It’s either you stay in the Astor building or move to other housing, which probably means more roommates. So don’t be dramatic.”

“You’re the dramatic one,” Monroe shot back, his tone dripping with indignation. “You should have enrolled in a theater arts program instead of whatever boring degree you’re pursuing.”

Will rolled his eyes, adjusting the cuffs of his pressed shirt with an air of practiced patience. “Well, if I had, who would take over the family business?”

“Well, I didn’t convince anyone to let me study music theory. I just refused to apply for anything else.” The ebony-haired teen said this with pride like it was some grand act of rebellion.

Monroe’s impractical pursuit of music theory was tolerated only because, as Will had put it once, What’s the point of being rich if you can’t indulge in hobbies that will never pay the bills? That didn’t stop their relatives from complaining about it at every family gathering, though.

“God, why does this have to be so hard?”

“Cous, we haven’t even started classes yet,” Will pointed out. “Come on, let’s go grab our stuff and settle in. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Fine. But if this Sinclair guy is a slob who snores, or listens to bad music, I promise I’m moving back in with you. Family tradition be damned.”

“Duly noted,” Will replied, his lips twitching into a small, knowing smile as he led the way out of the room. 

As much as Monroe’s dramatics could be exhausting, Will couldn’t help but feel protective of his cousin. Monroe had always been a little too soft for their world of tailored suits and cutthroat business deals.

The Astor family’s business empire, Astor & Co., had its hands in everything from finance to backing high-end fashion designers and art galleries. Will was already being groomed to take over, while Monroe’s future in the family enterprise was… unclear, to put it generously. 

For now, Will was content to keep an eye on his cousin and make sure he didn’t self-destruct before midterms.

As they walked through the halls of the Astor Dormitory, Monroe couldn’t help but glance at his reflection in the polished windows. He ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed curls, adjusting his posture. If he was going to be forced to room with some random stranger, he might as well make a good first impression.

“I still think I should get a private suite,” Monroe muttered under his breath.

Will didn’t bother turning around. “Let it go, Monroe.”

“Never,” Monroe shot back, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Despite his protests, he knew Will was right. He always was.

Monroe Astor was starting to think maybe this wasn’t going to be as terrible as he thought. What were the odds? Maybe his roommate was a no-show, and he’d have the room to himself. His own little kingdom in the middle of Kingsbridge College. Private, quiet, untouched. Perfect.

Except, of course, for the fact that the lock was stubborn as hell. He jiggled the key multiple times, huffing dramatically before realizing something. The door wasn’t locked.

It was already open.

His new home was, admittedly, a step up from the cramped dorms he'd feared. The room was spacious, with white paneling that lent a modern touch to the classic architecture, and the lighting was warm—almost candlelit-like, with a soft golden glow that reflected off the polished floors. 

He strode in, deciding immediately on the left side of the room. It had the best view, the city skyline stretching out beyond the window, with the faint buzz of life below. It would be the perfect spot for his piano once it arrived.

Monroe was lost in the music as he began unloading his luggage. Bag after bag, suitcase after suitcase. If the floor started groaning under the weight of his overpacking, he didn’t notice. Headphones in place, he bopped along to some classic 60s rock.

He was lost in his world, imagining how he’d decorate the room, when���

“ Astor? ”

A voice cut through his haze, punctuated by a snap of fingers in front of his face.

“ Aghh! ” Monroe let out a shriek that echoed down the hall, no doubt alarming Will, who was unpacking two doors away. He yanked his headphones back to his neck as if the voice had physically touched him. “Jesus Christ, I didn’t see you there!” he breathed, his heart pounding.

Leaning casually against the doorframe was a guy about his height, pale as moonlight and sporting a mustache that seemed more ironic than intentional. He wore a chunky brown sweater that looked brand new but smelled faintly of weed and… something else Monroe couldn’t quite place. Bad decisions, perhaps.

“What am I? A ghost?” the guy quipped, his voice low and dry, one eyebrow arched like he’d been amused by Monroe’s shriek.

“You’re as pale as one,” Monroe shot back, regaining his composure. “You could’ve knocked.”

“I did.” The guy rolled his eyes but he looked vaguely amused. “You were too busy… doing that.” He gestured vaguely at the headphones still dangling from Monroe’s neck.

“Oh.” Monroe straightened himself, “What are you doing here, anyway? What do you want?” The shorter boy asked, sounding more accusatory than curious.

The guy didn’t flinch at Monroe’s sharp tone. Instead, he smirked—a slow, infuriating kind of smirk. “If your last name is Astor, that means you’re my roommate.”

Monroe froze, his stomach dropping. “Oh.”

Oh. Oh no.

At that moment, he wanted to die. Or better yet, lock himself in a convent and commit to a life of prayer and solitude. The level of assholery he’d just displayed to someone he was about to live with was beyond unacceptable.

“You’re Wright?” Monroe asked, his voice quieter now, tinged with disbelief.

“No,” the guy said flatly. “I’m wrong.”

Monroe blinked, his jaw tightening. “I’m being serious here.”

“Weird last name, but I won’t judge,” the other man teased, his infuriatingly sly smile lighting up his face. Monroe wasn’t amused one bit.

“I—” Monroe was about to respond when the guy added, “Pipe down. I was joking. Seems like you’re not the joking type,” the guy said, sliding his hands into his sweater pockets. 

Monroe’s nostrils flared as the guy extended a hand lazily, “I’m Elliot Wright. As in Edgar Wright, if you’ve got taste.” Monroe has seen Edgar Wright films but he doesn’t give a fuck who that is.

Monroe stared at the hand for a second longer than necessary before shaking it reluctantly. “Monroe Astor. As in Marilyn Monroe.”

Elliot snorted. “Makes sense.”

Monroe stepped aside, gesturing awkwardly toward the room. “Well… help yourself. More of my stuff will be arriving soon.”

Elliot stepped in and immediately froze, his eyes widening as he took in the sheer amount of luggage scattered across the room. “ More ?” he echoed, as if he hadn’t heard him right. “

Monroe shrugged, entirely unfazed. “I pack light.”

Elliot blinked, utterly breathless, but decided not to comment. Instead, he moved toward the right side of the room, tossing his duffel bag on the bed and plopping down his suitcase with a sort of ease that made Monroe's brow twitch.

Trying to lighten the mood, Monroe leaned against his bedpost and asked, “So, Elliot… I take it you’re into the whole ‘starving artist’ thing?”

Elliot gave him a look, unamused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you know,” Monroe said, trying for a charming grin. “The whole... sweater, weed smell, tortured soul thing you’ve got going on. You strike me as a creative type who doesn’t care about material things. Let me guess, you’re a musician? Or… a poet?”

Elliot’s eyes narrowed, his smirk fading into something colder. “I like all of those things,” he said flatly, his tone making it clear he wasn’t amused by the observation.

“Well, that’s cool! I’m a hedonist myself, so I get it,” Monroe replied, brushing off the tension with a laugh. “I mean, we’ve all got our vices, right? Yours just happens to be…” He made a vague gesture, as though trying to find the right word. “…Substances.”

Elliot stiffened, his jaw tightening. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, his gaze hardening into something unreadable. Then, in a clipped tone, he said, “Right. Substances. Sure.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted palpably. Elliot turned away, rifling through his duffel bag, clearly shutting down whatever conversation Monroe had been trying to have.

Monroe frowned, watching him in confusion. He hadn’t meant anything by it. Why was Elliot reacting like that?

“You know, it’s not a big deal,” Monroe offered, attempting to smooth things over. “Everyone’s got their thing, right? No judgment here.”

Elliot didn’t look up, his voice sharp. “Cool. Thanks.”

Monroe felt a pang of irritation. What the hell was his problem? But instead of pressing the issue, he let it drop, though the unease lingered like the smell of cigarettes that would soon become synonymous with their shared space.

“You said what to him?” Will exclaimed, his fork paused halfway into his mouth, a piece of medium-rare steak speared on the end.

Monroe waved him off, stabbing at his roasted potatoes with exaggerated nonchalance. “It’s not that bad.” He chewed with a smugness that suggested he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

Will set his fork down with a clatter, leaning forward like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. “You essentially called him —” He lowered his voice but emphasized the words, “a junkie —, casually, as if you were saying hello.”

Monroe shrugged. “It’s not like I meant it seriously. People say stuff like that all the time.”

Will leaned back in his chair, giving his cousin a withering look. “Good luck living with him after that little Freudian slip. You’ve officially made it weird.”

“Can’t I just move away from the…” Monroe dropped his voice to a whisper, glancing around like Elliot Wright himself might materialize out of thin air. “ Alleged drug dealer? ”

Will arched an eyebrow, reaching for his water glass. “There are no more rooms open. The entire floor is occupied. Everyone else seems to be capable of cohabiting without offending their roommates.”

“This floorplan sucks ass.”

Will sighed, the corners of his mouth twitching with barely concealed amusement. “Monroe, you can’t just casually insult our deceased grandfather over dorm layouts.”

Monroe shrugged. “Doesn’t stop me from hating the building. Or him. Honestly, for all I care, he can die in a ditch.”

“ He’s already passed, ” Will pointed out, biting back a laugh.

“And yet I’m still annoyed,”

Will shook his head, amused despite himself. Their grandfather had built the dormitory decades ago, though he’d always had a particular disdain for Monroe, claiming he lacked focus and a shred of discipline. On the other hand, he adored Will, much to Monroe’s enduring irritation. 

“This is ludicrous.”

“You’re ludicrous,” Monroe shot back petulantly before changing the subject with the grace of a socialite dodging scandal. “How’s your new roomie?”

Will hesitated, glancing down at his plate and cutting into his steak as though it were suddenly fascinating. His voice dropped to a whisper. “He’s a senior.”

Monroe’s fork paused mid-air. “Why are you whispering?”

Will glanced around the restaurant like he expected his new roommate to materialize out of thin air. “I don’t know. I feel like he’ll hear me or something.”

“Your roommate sounds like a weirdo.”

“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you and how you’re going to survive living with your roommate after you implied. Oh, I don’t know, he is in into substances .”

“Again with this, I was being cordial!” Monroe defended, his voice pitching slightly as his indignation grew. “Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t heard worse. And I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just… conversational.”

“Conversational?” Will repeated,. “You basically insulted the guy’s entire existence. It’s a miracle he didn’t pack his bags right then and there.”

Monroe sighed, tilting his head back dramatically. “Why is it always me? I don’t ask for much, you know. Just a private suite and a roommate who doesn’t look like he’s seen the inside of a jail cell.”

Will snorted, reaching for his water glass. “Well, Astor, you’ve got neither. So I’d suggest figuring out how to make it work before he poisons your toothpaste or something.”

Monroe glared at him, muttering under his breath. “My life is so hard.”

Will just laughed, shaking his head.

Monroe stumbled into the shared dormitory with all the grace of someone who had, frankly, had a night. His shirt was unbuttoned, his hair a mess of post-threesome chaos, and his tie hung limply around his neck.

He kicked the door closed behind him, narrowly missing the doorframe, and began stripping as he moved. First the jacket, which he tossed somewhere onto a chair, then the belt, which clattered to the floor in a haphazard coil. By the time he reached his side of the room, he was down to his tank and boxers.

He swayed slightly as he moved toward his desk, where his meticulously curated collection of skincare products gleamed under the faint light of his beloved vanity mirror. 

For all his indulgences, Monroe would never dare skip his nighttime routine. He was many things—chaotic, entitled, undeniably for the streets—but neglectful of his skin was not one of them.

As he began applying toner with slightly unsteady hands, a voice drifted from the other side of the room.

“Hello…?”

Monroe froze, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. Oh, right. He had a roommate now.

“ hOlY shIT, YOu ScAreD Me, ” he whisper-shouted, his voice breaking in his panic. He clutched his toner bottle like it might somehow protect him from… well, his roommate.

From the other bed, Elliot shifted, his voice groggy and slurred. “What? What time’sit?”

Monroe squinted at the grandfather clock his grandmother bought him, though his attention was more on the shadowy figure of Elliot lying in bed. “Uh… like… midnight? Maybe later? Why are you awake?”

“I wasn’t awake,” Elliot muttered, his voice heavy with exhaustion and irritation. “You’re loud as hell.”

“Well, excuse me, ” Monroe huffed, grabbing his moisturizer and dabbing it aggressively onto his cheeks. “You’re the one who’s always scaring me. It’s honestly creepy”

Elliot groaned, rolling onto his side to face Monroe. His hair was mussed, and his sweater—which he hadn’t bothered to take off before crashing into bed—hung loosely around his shoulders. His face, even in the dim light, was etched with annoyance.

“Fun?” he echoed, his voice still gravelly with sleep. “Is that what you call… whatever the hell you’re doing?”

“Yes,” Monroe snapped, now applying under-eye cream with a flourish. “ Fun. Ever heard of it, Mr. Antisocial? It’s what people do when they’re not moping in bed all day.”

Elliot’s lips twitched, not quite a smile but close enough to be infuriating. “You look like you’ve been hit by a car. Twice.”

Monroe paused, one hand hovering over his vanity. He turned to glare at Elliot. “I have been kissed aggressively by two very attractive girls tonight, thank you very much. I’m glowing.”

“Sure,” Elliot said, his voice flat but his eyes glittering with something Monroe couldn’t quite place. “Glowing like a dumpster fire.”

Monroe gasped, clutching his chest. “How dare you!”

Elliot groaned again, rolling onto his back and draping an arm over his eyes. “God, just finish whatever you’re doing and go to sleep.”

Monroe sniffed, dabbing his face one last time before capping his moisturizer. “For your information, this ”—he gestured at his reflection in the vanity mirror—“is the reason people want to kiss me aggressively. You could take a few notes, Wright.”

Elliot cracked one eye open, his gaze sliding to Monroe’s reflection. “You talk about yourself like you’re the eighth wonder of the world.”

“I am,” Monroe said with a smug grin, switching off the vanity light—except for the glowing border of the Hollywood-style bulbs. He wasn’t about to sleep without his sacred mirror lit. “And I’m the perfect nightlight, too.”

Elliot groaned softly. “Turn that thing off.”

“No,” Monroe said simply, climbing into bed and fluffing his pillows with a level of satisfaction that bordered on theatrical. “I like falling asleep looking at myself. Who wouldn’t?”

“You’re unbelievable,” Elliot muttered, turning onto his side to face the wall, the glow of the mirror reflecting off his pale skin.

“And you’re loud,” Monroe shot back, though his words were muffled by his pillow.

Elliot turned his head slightly, staring at the soft glow of the vanity mirror as it illuminated Monroe’s features, casting him in a warm light that made him look far too angelic for someone so obnoxious. It was annoying. It was distracting. It was Monroe.

And it made it impossible to fall back asleep.

“ Turn it off, ” Elliot grumbled again.

Monroe didn’t respond. He was already asleep, a faint smile tugging at his lips, blissfully unaware of Elliot’s scowl and the buzzing tension that filled the room.

Chapter 2: A Week Before Class

Monroe was knee-deep in the sacred art of organizing his wardrobe. His jackets were draped across the bed, arranged by material: corduroy, wool, cashmere, and that one black leather jacket that he stole from Will because it looked better on him.

Scarves were meticulously folded and color-coded on his bed, and an assortment of ties, watches, and other accessories glinted in the golden light from his vanity mirror. The room looked less like a shared dormitory and more like a Ralph Lauren store.

Monroe was entirely engrossed, lifting a cashmere scarf to inspect how the fabric shifted under natural light. He tilted it slightly, then furrowed his brows, whispering, “Hmm, maybe too matte…”

Then, out of nowhere, a hand waved in front of his face.

“ Aghh! ” Monroe let out a startled shriek, quickly smothering it with a series of coughs that fooled no one. “What?”

His new roomie Elliot Wright stood before him, leaning against the edge of the bed with the kind of lazy, nonchalance that Monroe found distracting. 

His sweater looked rumpled, like it had been picked up off the floor and shrugged on without a second thought, and yet somehow he still managed to look like he’d just walked out of an indie film.

Elliot raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. His expression said it all: You know why I’m here.

“I’m serious. What? ” Monroe pressed, crossing his arms defensively.

The taller roommate shrugged, stepping closer, and for a moment Monroe was distracted by the soft shuffle of his roommate’s worn sneakers on the polished floor. “I think you left these,” Elliot said, finally revealing the items in question: a stack of magazines.

At first, Monroe didn’t process what they were—then his eyes widened as he registered the glossy covers of scantily clad women in provocative poses.

Tucked among them, however, was one glaring outlier: a men’s sports magazine that Monroe had definitely purchased purely for the articles.

“Hey!” Monroe exclaimed, snatching the magazines from Elliot’s hands with an almost feral urgency. His cheeks burned, but he masked his embarrassment with indignation. “Were you snooping around my stuff?”

Elliot raised an eyebrow, his expression maddeningly calm. “No.”

“Then how did these get on your side of the room?” Monroe demanded, clutching the magazines against his chest like they were state secrets.

“Probably fell out of one of the many luggage bags you brought. You know, the ones taking up 90% of the room.” 

There was something about the way Elliot said it—calm, unbothered that made Monroe bristle. It wasn’t kindness, not really. It was patronizing, Monroe decided. 

The way he talked, the way he moved, the way he just stood there hush and probably high as a kite. It was as if he were silently judging Monroe for being so... Monroe.

Monroe opened his mouth to retort, but Elliot cut him off with a cheap smile. “Relax, Astor. I’m just returning them. Not my business. Just being a nice roommate.”

“Right, well, thanks, ” Monroe said stiffly, turning away and pretending to focus on the scarves still strewn across his bed. His hands fumbled slightly as he tried to refold one, his fingers oddly clumsy.

Behind him, Elliot’s voice broke the silence, soft and vaguely amused. “You don’t need to freak out, you know. I don’t care what you read. Or… look at.”

Monroe stiffened, the scarf slipping from his hands. “I’m not freaking out,” he lied, his voice pitched slightly higher than usual.

“Sure,” Elliot replied, dragging the word out lazily as he stood upright again. He took a step closer—not close enough to invade Monroe’s space, but enough that his presence was palpable. “I mean, they’re your magazines. No judgment here.”

“Are you mocking me?” He whipped around to glare at Elliot, his cheeks still faintly red.

Elliot looked genuinely confused.“Mocking you? No.” He followed up with “Why? Do you think I should be?”

“Whatever,”

Elliot, clicked his tongue filling Monroe’s flustered silence but he let the moment hang for a beat longer before stepping back toward his side of the room. “Anyways,” he added over his shoulder, “If any of your stuff gets on my side. I’ll give it back to you, yeah?”

Monroe stared after him, cheeks still warm as he tried to process what had just happened. He clutched the magazines tighter, vaguely aware of how absurd this must look.

Okay, he thought, biting his lip again. That was mildly embarrassing.

Maybe his roommate wasn’t that bad. Maybe he was... chill. And maybe—just maybe—Monroe should learn how to be chill too.

On second thought, maybe his roommate was a little too chill.

Monroe had just returned from brunch with Will, where his cousin wouldn’t shut up about the “weird senior” he was stuck living with—a human being cursed with the name Cassius.

From what Monroe vaguely remembered from countless mandatory family Bible studies, the name Cassius had something to do with a cross, betrayal, and maybe a caesar salad—mambo jumbo Olive Garden shit. Either way, it wasn’t his problem.

His problem, however, greeted him the moment he stepped into the room.

Monroe froze in the doorway, clutching the small silver cross that hung around his neck.There was Elliot Wright, coked out of his mind, sprawled on Monroe’s pristine bed like it was his God-given right.

For a brief, uncharacteristic moment, Monroe wasn’t even mad—Elliot looked almost peaceful, his long limbs stretching lazily across the covers.

But then Monroe’s eyes zeroed in on what really mattered: Elliot’s head resting directly on his perfectly steamed outfit for dinner. A white button-up, now wrinkled to hell, sat under the disaster that was Elliot’s main.

Monroe Astor was seeing red.

Storming over, he grabbed Elliot by the head, shaking him violently. “Wake uppity up! ” he hissed. “Get out of my bed, you brainless fu—”

Elliot stirred mid-shake, his lashes fluttering up at Monroe with glassy, unfocused eyes. His cheekbones caught the golden light from the vanity, and Monroe was briefly— briefly —distracted by how ridiculously symmetrical his face was.

Then he saw it.

Some sort of residue—white and powdery—was dusted across Elliot’s mustache and lips. Monroe’s grip faltered, and Elliot’s head flopped back onto the bed with a dull thud.

“Huh?” Elliot mumbled, his voice thick with haze as he squinted at Monroe.

“Huh?” Monroe shot back, the ire flooding back in full force. “ You’re on my bed, dipshit! ”

Elliot blinked again, then seemed to realize where he was. “...My bad,” he muttered, attempting to push himself up.

Monroe wasn’t about to let him off that easily. He grabbed Elliot’s head again, holding him in place, and practically shoved a tumbler of warm ginger water into his hands. “This conversation isn’t over,” he snapped, pressing the rim of the tumbler against Elliot’s lips until the other boy reluctantly swallowed.

Elliot coughed lightly, his clouded eyes darting up to Monroe. “Thanks,” he muttered, his voice softer this time.

“This isn’t over! ” Monroe restated, refusing to let the moment soften. “I’m not done arguing with you!”

“Give me a break,” Elliot mumbled, sinking back against the bed.

And that’s when Monroe saw it.

Cigarette ash. All over his precious outfit. The white button-up now bore faint gray smudges like a crime scene victim.

Monroe’s eyes widened, and his voice pitched dangerously high. “ Look at what you did! I tolerate everything: the smell and the whole getting high lifestyle of yours, but this is pushing it to another level,”

Elliot glanced at the shirt, his expression unbothered. “Get over it,” he said flatly. “It’s just a few ashes. Brush it off with the palm of your hand.”

“Are you high right now? ” 

“When have I ever been sober around you?” Elliot retorted, slouching further into the bed.

That gave Monroe pause. “That’s… alarming,” he admitted, narrowing his eyes. “I mean, I’m a hedonist myself, but that’s a lot.”

Elliot cracked a grin, his lips curling lazily. “Like what, you don’t do crack cocaine?”

“ Does it look like I do crack? Crack is whack! ”

Elliot let out a low laugh, and the sound was warm and rough around the edges, like sandpaper dipped in honey. It sent an involuntary shiver down Monroe’s spine.

“Is that supposed to be funny?” Monroe snapped, his cheeks heating for reasons he refused to acknowledge.

Elliot just shrugged, his grin lingering. Then he moved to stand, clearly over the conversation.

He sat up, unsteady and wobbling, clearly not yet reacquainted with gravity.

And that’s when he almost face-planted.

Monroe, acting on instinct, reached out to catch him, his hands gripping Elliot’s waist as they both stumbled. For a moment, Elliot sagged against him, their faces suddenly too close, their breaths mingling in the space between.

Monroe froze. His arms tensed around Elliot as he stared, unable to look away. He was painfully aware of how sharp his roomie’s jawline was, the faint flush on his cheeks, and the way his pupils dilated in the dim light.

For a second, he felt the pull of something dangerous.

Then Elliot shifted slightly, and the moment snapped.

They both fell.

Monroe yelped as his knees gave out, dragging Elliot down with him. They landed in an awkward tangled mess on the floor, Elliot’s weight pressing down against him.

“Get off,” But Elliot didn’t move right away. His head lolled against Monroe’s chest for a moment longer than necessary, his breath slow and even.

When he finally shifted, rolling off to the side, Monroe scrambled to his feet, glaring down at him with flushed cheeks. He didn’t offer a hand to help.

Elliot, still wobbly, propped himself up with a groan and made his way—unsteadily—to his side of the room. Monroe crossed his arms, watching him with a mixture of anger, pity, and something else he didn’t want to name.

For a brief moment, he almost called out to Elliot. But then he looked back at his ash-stained shirt and decided against it.

Monroe hadn’t seen his roomie all day. Not that he was looking for him or anything, but it was strange. Elliot was such a homebody—always slouched on his bed, scribbling in that notebook of his, or napping like he had nowhere else to be. 

Maybe he was out scoring more... whatever it was he did.

Not that Monroe cared. In fact, Elliot’s absence was convenient. With no roommate around, Monroe had the perfect excuse to have someone over for a little fun. 

The janitor’s supply closet and empty lecture halls were starting to feel like poorly written punchlines to his life. They were uncomfortable, unglamorous, and—let’s face it—not up to the Astor standard.

Now, he was leaning back against the headboard, his shirt unbuttoned and his lips busy with a girl whose name he’d already forgotten. Her Daisy Marc Jacobs was cloying, her laugh too sugary, but she was pretty enough and enthusiastic, which was all Monroe needed. 

Her hands wandered, tugging at the waistband of his pants, and he let out a sweet and low moan, half-smirking against her lips.

He was just starting to get into the moment when the door opened.

Monroe froze. His eyes darted toward the door, where Elliot stood, one hand still on the doorknob, his sweater slung lazily over his shoulder.

For a moment, Monroe thought he might actually die.

Elliot’s face didn’t change—no shock, no irritation, not even a flicker of amusement. He just stood there, his gaze flicking once toward the girl, who was blissfully unaware of the intrusion, and then landing on Monroe. Their eyes locked.

Monroe’s chest tightened, his pulse quickening in a way that had nothing to do with the girl in his lap.

“Uh—” Monroe started, his voice embarrassingly uneven, but Elliot didn’t let him finish.

“Don’t stop on my account,” Elliot said casually, his tone as infuriatingly indifferent as ever.

Monroe’s breath hitched. Was he smirking? No, he wasn’t. Was he? Monroe couldn’t tell, but something about Elliot’s relaxed demeanor—made his skin crawl.

The girl shifted, leaning down to kiss his neck, and Monroe flinched as if she’d startled him. His eyes were still locked on Elliot, who gave the faintest shrug before turning around and closing the door behind him.

He was gone. Just like that.

“Monroe?” the girl’s voice broke into his thoughts, her fingers trailing up his chest.

“Huh?” he said, snapping back to the present.

She giggled. “You okay? You got all tense for a second.”

Monroe forced a smile, his jaw tight. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

But he wasn’t. Not really.

The encounter had rattled him more than he cared to admit, and not for the reasons it should’ve. He wasn’t embarrassed that Elliot had walked in—no, that would’ve been too normal. Instead, Monroe found himself thinking about the way Elliot had looked at him. Calm. Detached. Completely unaffected.

Because now, all Monroe could think about was how close Elliot had been just moments ago. His chest felt too tight, his head too full, and the girl’s hands on him suddenly felt wrong—like she was in the way of something he didn’t understand.

Get a grip, he told himself, dragging in a shaky breath. But his thoughts kept circling back to Elliot. What kind of person didn’t react to something like that?

Monroe’s lips twisted into a scowl, but his fingers trembled where they gripped the edge of the mattress.

God help him. He hated Elliot Wright. He hated him so much, it hurt.

But he was just going fuck and hopefully forget.

Monroe had managed to avoid his roomie for the rest of the week leading up to the first day of class. 

Which was really fucking hard, granted they lived together. But he had his ways. A couple of nights in a hotel—the kind with crisp white sheets, impeccable room service, and a bathroom that didn’t smell like stale weed—did wonders for his peace of mind. 

Finally, he had uninterrupted privacy. Because the last thing he needed was to be mid-fuck and suddenly think about him. So that made hooking up at the hotel way easier.

Unfortunately, he soon had to check out of paradise. But on the bright side tonight was the Welcome Party , hosted by one of the frats: Kingsbridge’s Theta Chi. And if there was one thing Monroe never missed, it was a good party.

By the time he pulled up to the Astor dorms on his motorcycle, he had no plans of stepping foot into his room.

Instead, he went to Will’s, two doors down—where, thank God , his cousin always had an emergency outfit ready for him. Luckily for him, Will’s very weird roommate was not in sight. Which meant he avoided another unwanted interaction. 

“I don’t even wanna know,” Will said as he tossed a fresh set of clothes onto the bed, already resigned to whatever antics Monroe had been up to. “But if you get foundation on my jacket again, I’m making you dry clean it yourself.”

Monroe scoffed, peeling off his shirt. “That was one time.”

“It was twice , and I had to make up a whole lie to the dry cleaner about it being chocolate .”

Monroe rolled his eyes, but he wasn’t listening anymore. A leather jacket, a tight white tee, and flared jeans later, he was back to looking perfectly disheveled, exactly as he liked it.

“You sure you wanna do this?” Will asked,  eyeing him as Monroe checked himself out in the mirror.

“What kind of stupid question is that?” Monroe scoffed. “It’s the welcome party . I was practically born for shit like this.”

Will just hummed in response, clearly unconvinced.

But Monroe wasn’t interested in his cousin’s skepticism. He swung his leather jacket over his shoulder and stepped out, making his way down to the Theta Chi house.

And the moment he got there, he regretted not rushing.

The place was packed—loud music pulsing through the walls, people spilling out onto the front lawn, red Solo cups in every hand. It wasn’t the best party Monroe had ever been to (boarding school had set the bar high), but for a college rager, it wasn’t half bad.

He’d barely been there ten minutes when Will found him again, tapping his shoulder.

“Look, there’s my roommate,” Will whispered, subtly gesturing toward the other side of the room.

Monroe barely registered what Will was saying because Cassius Whoever didn’t matter. No—Monroe’s gaze was locked onto who Cassius was talking to.

Elliot.

Fucking.

Wright.

Monroe barely resisted the urge to groan out loud.

Of course, he was here. Of course , Elliot had somehow wormed his way into his night.

He needed a drink. Immediately.

He didn’t stop moving until he was lost in the throng of people, where the music was louder, and the liquor flowed faster. A few drinks later, a couple of Marlboros burned down to the filter, stolen kisses exchanged in dimly lit corners—Monroe finally started to feel like himself again.

By the time the night hit its peak, he felt a warm buzz and humming under his skin. It was the perfect moment to make his exit—before the party got sloppy, before the high wore off, before anything had the chance to ruin the night.

While the party hadn’t been mind-blowing , it had served its purpose: his mind was sufficiently distracted, and his ego? Adequately fed. He was satisfied. Finally, he could head home, face Elliot, and get over whatever weird, frustrating, wrong feelings had been creeping in since—

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.

Because, apparently, he had pissed off some Greek god or angel in a past life, because just as he was slipping out of the party, a certain someone was also leaving the party.

Monroe practically skidded to a stop in the doorway, and sure enough—standing there, bathed in the glow of the streetlights, looking as high as ever—was Elliot Wright.

Monroe sucked in a slow breath, pressing his tongue against his cheek in irritation. This was going to be one awkward walk back.

He didn’t acknowledge Elliot at first, didn’t even spare him a glance. Instead, Monroe pulled his leather jacket tighter around himself and lit another cigarette. As if the nicotine could somehow erase the fact that they were about to share oxygen.

Elliot, on the other hand, had his wired earphones in, staring straight ahead with an expression that was either zoned out or indifferent. 

But Monroe had a sixth sense for these things—for people looking at him. And Elliot was definitely sneaking glances.

Monroe’s fingers twitched as he blew out smoke, itching to say something snide. But before he could open his mouth, Elliot finally broke the silence.

“So, did you bring your keys?”

“What?” 

“Your keys,” Elliot repeated, pulling out one earphone. “Did you bring them? ’Cause I didn’t bring mine.”

Monroe stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Elliot like he’d just suggested they break into The Louvre. “What do you mean you didn’t bring your keys?”

“I figured you would have yours. You’ve been gone for three days, so…”

Monroe looked like he was about to grab Elliot by the mustache and drag him up the stairs. “You figured ? What kind of degenerate leaves their room without keys?”

“The kind that locks the door through the doorknob,” 

Monroe’s mouth fell open in disbelief. “That doesn’t even— what?! That’s not a real excuse! Who does that?! ”

“Apparently, me.”

Monroe groaned loudly, dragging his hand down his face. “Do you know anyone else who has a copy of your keys?”

“Nope. Do you?”

Monroe cursed under his breath. He tried to think—tried to focus —but it was hard with Elliot just standing there, radiating his usual smug, infuriating energy. Then it hit him.

Will. Will has a copy.

“My cousin might…”

“You have a cousin?”

Monroe didn’t dignify that with an answer.

When they reached their floor, Monroe immediately made a beeline for Will’s door, knocking loudly. “Will! Open up!”

There was no answer.

Monroe knocked again, louder this time. “I know you’re in there. Stop ignoring me, you son of a—” Okay he was not gonna insult his aunt and uncle. He loved them too much more than he admitted.

But still nothing.

Monroe yanked out his phone and called Will, pacing back and forth in the hallway. The phone rang… and rang… and went straight to voicemail.

“For God’s sake!” Monroe hissed, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

“So… he’s not answering?” Elliot asked, leaning against the wall with an almost smug look on his face.

Monroe glared at him. “ Obviously not. ”

Elliot hummed, unbothered as usual. “Guess we’re stuck. What do you wanna do about it?”

“We sit here and pray Will isn’t out doing… I don’t know, Will things, ” Monroe said, collapsing against the door next to Elliot.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. They just sat there, backs pressed to the cold door, the quiet hum of the dormitory filling the space between them.

Monroe, who was still somewhat buzzed, glanced at Elliot from the corner of his eye. He looked… softer in this lighting. Less smug, more human. Not that Monroe cared.

“So,” Elliot finally said, breaking the silence, “you’re not gonna yell at me some more?”

Monroe exhaled dramatically. “I don’t have the energy.”

“How uncharacteristic of you,” Elliot teased.

Monroe turned his head, glaring. “Do you ever not talk?”

“Do you ever not complain? ”

“Can we just sit here quietly?”

“Sure. But you’re not very good at sitting quietly, are you?”

“So,” Elliot started again, turning his head slightly to look at Monroe. “You gonna tell me why you’ve been avoiding me all week?”

“I haven’t been avoiding you. I just thought a nice change of scenery—”

“Right. And I’m sober right now.” Elliot paused before, leaning his head back against the door. “Just saying. Maybe you should loosen up. Could be good for you.”

Monroe rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath about “ wannabe philosophers .”

Elliot shifted slightly, turning to look at Monroe again. “You know, you kinda act like a dick.”

“I have one that’s for sure,” 

“Still not the joking type I see,” Elliot said letting out a slight chuckle. “I’m serious,” Elliot said, his voice softer now. “You act like you hate me, but—” 

“Hoooaaah” Monroe yawned interrupting Elliot mid-sentence. “You were saying?”

Elliot smirked, leaning in just a fraction. “Nothing. Forget it.”

Before either of them could say anything else, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.

“Monroe?”

Will appeared at the end of the corridor, dragging a very unconscious Cassius Sinclair by the arm.

Will looked at both of them up and down. He raised an eyebrow before fishing the spare keys out of his pocket and tossing them at Monroe. “I don’t even wanna know”

Monroe didn’t even bother to defend himself, too focused on unlocking the door and escaping the suffocating tension.

As he stepped inside, he glanced back at Elliot, who was still leaning against the wall with that infuriatingly smug look on his face.

“Don’t say a word,” Monroe muttered, slamming the door behind him.

Notes: Y'alll made it to the end. I wonder if anyone will ever read this on this platform. This is my first post of 2025 hopefully more writings to come. I really believe in this fic to the point I made my own GIFS. Send comments on my AO3 or on here and yk send request on my blog if you want. Hope y'all caught the Wicked references I put here and there.

[cassandras-nest]

Being a ...notsofamous... blog has its pros. I'm mostly away from fandom bullshit, wars and things I have an opinion about but I don't really want to be involved.

Sure, if asked i would take a side, but

1) I've already seen all these.. (yes being a fandom old is doing that)

2) people don't care about my opinion no matter what, if they believe they're right, they will be always against everyone.

But I saw so much bullshit these days that I asked myself why people have to be mean with others. Everyone is enjoying every fandom how they like and everyone has the right to be represented how they want and it's not anyone business to police that.

There is no fandom police, fandom should be an escape from reality, should be fun and enjoyable...we're living through a pandemic for fuck's sake, an historical event...it is already stressful

You could have your own opinion on thing until it doesn't harm someone else (and this concept should be used in real life too)

I don't like bullies and people who try to belittle others, saw too much of these in my life, so learn some manners and try and be gentle.

[moonflower-rose]

Do you have to be so rude? I'm not the person who asked for recommendation, lol. I was just curious about sitp-recs opinion on the matter. You just insulted two people for literally no reason. Are you okay?

Lol mate are you? I do indeed need to be rude, I really do. And my care factor for whether anons get insulted by it is immeasurably small.

People who use the various anonymous features of various platforms to be dicks to other people are the ones who are the dicks, you see.

If we all meekly say nothing about it, we’re kind of saying that behaviour is fine and normal, and that we accept it. So the people who do it keep doing it from behind their invisibility cloaks and experience no consequences, while the people receiving the asks (and other forms of anonymous message) who generally are just trying to live their lives and create things to be shared and enjoyed by their community, continue being hassled and miserable, and feel undermined and lose their confidence.

I could have just sent that whole rant of mine as my own anon ask and @sitp-recs may or may not have answered it, and had a go without the shield to protect me from attracting the attention of people like, well 👀…but I prefer to put my name to my opinions. You know, unlike, well 👀

This next bit isn’t really for you, because I suspect you know all this and you just get a thrill from doing the anon thing and you won’t really absorb anything, so just cover your invisible eyes or something.

For the others reading: some of us laugh and post ‘rude’ rants about stuff like this and it doesn’t affect our confidence etc, but how many times have we seen nasty asks on our feeds, answered by some poor person who needed fandom to be a place of solace, maybe be the only place they can really express themselves in the way they want to…and then some cockwomble comes along to give them a hard time about whose penis goes where or whether they’ve interpreted a character with a different racial background than is usually depicted, or any number of choices they made in the thing they created for free in their leisure time, whether fic or art or a rec list? ‘Why didn’t you include THIS fic’ or ‘why did you make Harry shorter than Draco’ or ‘why did you make it so dark because I hate dark!’ Again I ask these entitled anons, why do you think you’re entitled to anything from any fandom creator when you’re not paying? There’s no contract for services rendered here.

Or maybe that person is, I don’t know, trying to enjoy a game where people ask them what they like from a proforma list of questions that everyone and their auntie is playing, and they simply answer honestly that they don’t enjoy the specific trope - let’s say, fluffy established relationship fic or ‘innocent and soft’ so-and-so - very much. They’re just trying to enjoy interacting with their fellow fans. And someone comes along and tells them that what they enjoy is RUDE! And WRONG! And up for DEBATE. And then it happens dozens and dozens of times a week, for people with large followings, and absolutely sucks the joy out of being part of fandom. And those poor buggers start to feel like maybe they’ll just stop doing rec lists or posting art anymore, or will stop writing for that fandom and focus more on another one they’ve been getting into. Now the anons have spoiled it for the creator and their devoted audience. All because some folks want to be able to be dicks without suffering any consequences.

Does that sound enjoyable? Maybe you like it, I don’t know your life. You’re hiding behind your invisibility cloak, so I never will. But I suspect you don’t because you also came all the way over to whinge to me about it, that you didn’t like what I said and you found me rude. If you’re not really the person who asked for the rec (insert ‘sure jan’ gif here) then you’re someone who took an opportunity to have a little jab when there would be no direct consequences for you.

Let’s pretend I believe you asked in good faith. You could have gone off anon and just privately asked. You could have stayed on anon and said ‘hey about your prior answer, I’m curious as to whether you feel a sweet and innocent character can ever be complex and flawed as well?’ Or something to that effect. But that’s not what you did. If you didn’t mean it to come off as a challenge to defend rather than being interested in exploring more in conversation, then here is a handy lesson for you! Communicating intent is the responsibility of the sender of the message! That’s what tone of voice and body language is all about! And when those things are absent, it’s on you to try harder to convey those things! And you didn’t nail it this time.

Anyway mate, why do you care what I think? I just follow @sitp-recs likes thousands of other people. Let it go! Nobody knows it was about you anyway.

[dolphinsapphire28]

👆👆👆👆 THIS! Thank you for addressing these issues, op.

Rant incoming...

Max's marketing campaign was completely off the rails for s2. It is one of my greatest pet peeves, because they spoiled so many key parts of the season before we got to experience them organically.

The moment I saw they released 2 tv spots with major spoilers A DAY BEFORE the official trailer dropped (which had scenes absent from the trailer itself, no less!) was a big tell-all for the bonkers, mishandled way they were going to take with the rest of the campaign. My exact reaction was that Max has gone way crazier and eager to get it out there than us excited fans, who have to tag spoilers for the rest of the world with no access to the streaming service!!! What in the absolute HELL!!!???

And honestly, I was growing tired of all the BTS featurettes they kept releasing on a weekly basis, which spoiled the finale for me and most of the fandom. Like any other fan, I would watch feauturettes with all my love, glee, and respect for the show during its run and hype, but damn it! ... there was absolutely no need to not-so-subtly release hints and pointers and actual scenes from peak moments of the show!!!

They spoiled merman Stede, Ed x Stede's first reunion and subsequent scenes, the (lead-up to the) sex scene, Zheng's and Auntie's survival in the finale, Ed & Stede's second reunion on the beach, Izzy's death, Izzy's funeral, Ed & Stede contemplating the Inn (practically the penultimate shot of the finale), and much more....

I really wished they created suspense the right way by keeping major plotpoints HIDDEN till after the finale and not spoil them in spots and featurettes. It is obvious we were going to create our bingo cards and speculations and expect to find them in the show's run rather than experience the show with the right pace of surprises. And with the expected time and budget constraints, and the 8-episode run, there was not much left to the imagination when we got to watch the actual episodes.

If there is going to be a season 3, I will have to stay clear of marketing, to avoid the above experience.

OFMD S3 (Manifesting!)

I think we've all seen Casey Bloys' comments on an OFMD S3:

“What’s a little bit different in a linear world than here is… how a show performs over a longer period of time than three weeks or something,” Bloys stated. “So we’re figuring out how it’s doing, what it’s looking like.”

My reaction:

Really, HBO? HBO, after running one of the worst, most spoilery, most front loaded marketing campaigns I have ever seen, wants to talk about the long term?

The question that was driving everyone feral for an S2 was, will Stede and Ed find each other again? HBO/MAX put their first face-to-face meeting in the trailer. Why watch the show when the marketing will just toss a greatest hits reel out to the public before the episode even releases?

The showstopping set piece of 2x3 (MerStede rescuing Ed) was spoiled in their "marketing" since they released the concept art for MerStede days before the episode aired in a BTS video.

Let's look at the finale:

The beach kisses and the inn were spoiled in BTS videos released days before the episode was released after putting a week between 2x7 and 2x8 releases. Yeah, yeah, they didn't show the kisses exactly, but what else would that pose be for? It really enforced that 2x7 and 2x8 should have been released together, but HBO/MAX choose to create a cliffhanger while immediately posting the resolution in their marketing

Ed thinking Stede was dead was spoiled by the episode promo

Ed and Stede running toward one another on the beach was spoiled by the trailer. (It didn't show them in frame together, but it was obviously the same location and the direction they were going in matched.)

Ed reading one of Stede's letters was spoiled by marketing a few days before the finale release for no discernable reason

Izzy's climatic speech to Ricky (and that he was saying it to Ricky!) was spoiled in the trailer. It could have been a good hype VO, and they didn't need to spoil whom Izzy was talking to

The crew in the British garb and taking out soldiers was in the trailer. This plot begins nine minutes before the credits start.

The Revenge Crew working with Spanish Jackie and Zheng at some point was well spoiled beforehand in their BTS promo material. Zheng saying they should team up is three minutes before the credits start.

(Has anyone seen this amount of BTS material of episodes, including the season climax, released before an episode releases instead of after? Just holding this BTS material until after seems like a no-brainer to extending a show's interest after the finale is released.)

The reason the pacing felt super "off" on your first watch is because HBO/MAX already released a bulleted run through of the episode beforehand, and you were mentally ticking it off as you went instead of watching it organically. Watching it a second time really improves the flow of the episode.

This is a show whose popularity was raised created entirely through word-of-mouth excitement. The greediness of these streaming companies is why we couldn't have the actors doing promo, but then they took away the show's next most powerful tool, the word-of-mouth discussion, by releasing large swathes of the climax of the season before it aired, and the social media hype and discussion was front loaded to before release instead of after.

S3 was set up to show Ed and Stede as a solid couple and to show the pirate community against the British, and the season climax of these two points was released by HBO/MAX before the episode, and it was excitedly discussed then. Now, a week after release, we're stuck in some horrible gravy basket of discussing the part of the last five-ten minutes that HBO/MAX didn't outright spoil (though they tried their hardest with the grave promo stills and Ed's bloody hand in the promo!): Izzy's death. No one is having fun!

There is a lot of story setup for an S3 but DJenks and company had to set up a season that could double as a series finale in a pinch, so we also lost the "What happens next??" fervor because HBO/MAX wouldn't greenlight two seasons at once of their biggest new IP of 2022. The bizarre marketing strategy didn't lend itself to a long term success, and it's up to the fans once again to do HBO/MAX's job for them.

[lordhelpme0-0]

Olga and Her Descendents Shenanigans:

Olga and her descendent are doing what they do best, being either feared or admired (plus causing chaos)

Part 1, Part ??

It was a normal day in the Ikemen

Cybird universe. The residents and historical figures are having the time of their life. There is no such thing as an MC in this universe.

Merely a multitude of historical figures created by the fandom. Yes, we’re breaking the fourth wall here cause it’s me, ya blog, the cool narrator~!

You might have known me from Aunti Yanli has Enough one-shot. Yes, there are bloopers,you die hard fans and simps for boobies and abs.

My sibling that is seen everywhere is Classic Narrator, but they’re on break so y’all have me. Ahem! Now where were we?

Script: I can’t believe we’re doing this ever after high style…

Shut up Script, no one cares. Today we’re talking about these closeted gays and romance.

Script: what ever [curtain furls]

Can’t wait to give you to William Shakespeare.

Script: do that, and I report to Technical Difficulties. You overrated cringey worthless trash. This is why no writers have you as a part of their work.

…Can’t wait until I beat you, you anti-detail oriented piece of shit.

Script: back to you, cringe eating worth of dogshit. [fake arrows darted out]

…

Script: …

Anyway, back to the main point. Olga was merely resting in one of the many unneeded drawing rooms there are. A knock can be heard. “Come in.” Her voice magnetic and commanding. Lo and behold is Alexei. Grinning as he dash towards the Saint. “Babushka! Babushka! You wouldn’t believe what happen!”

Olga chuckled, “oh? What is it dear?” Alexei grinned, “well, as you can see…I messed around either cousin Vlad. I cut up some of his strawberries and fed it to Lady Định’s water buffalo! Soon, I went into Anastasia to help with my new scheme of dropping a bucket of milk onto Dazai! He was sleeping, of course, on a TREE! Later on, I helped with Her Majesty, Zenobia, on her new pranks at Monsieur Gilles, Sir Worth, gramp Alexander, AND Salieri! Oh! There is even the turtle war going on between me and Sir Arthur! We betted Director Theo that our Turtles will beat his herd of frogs! We won of course! So we got Theo to do some errands! Apparently Sir Arthur wanted him to get a pretty skirts addressed for him! Where is this pretty skirts? It’s such an unfamiliar term to use. And who is this Mr or Madam Pretteskirtz? Babushka! Babushka! What do you think???”

By the almighty, that boy can talk. You think he be good at some auctioning?

Script: shut up or I’ll do the sort of Olga reaction.

Saint Olga, get it right anti-detail style.

Script: …I wish I can strangle you like they did in plays.

Anyway! Olga blinked as the information sunk in. A bit confused on why Alexei would be this hyper over turtles and pretty skirts. Sighing, it seems she will need (you gotta) to give Arthur a talk about using such vulgar frivolous terms around her many greats-grandsons.

Smiling, “you’ll know what a pretty skirt is later when you’re grown. Do tell, what is this about turtles? Also, you mischievous child, you better write an apology to those poor Sires.” Scolding lightly as Alexei pouted.

“Babushka~! It was harmless!” She rolled her eyes at her grandson antics, “harmless they say. That’s what your cousin Vlad always says. Have I ever told you of his ‘harmless’ ways? He would push stakes across his strawberries and giggles. Next thing you know, he injured his tutor cause the royal tutor ‘mocked’ him. That child will always be a headache.” Alexei quieted as he heard the rants of Vlad antics.

“The only good thing that has graced that troublesome child was that girl. Yes, a human girl. Kind she was, and beautiful. Pity she died later on. Soon wives came and went. He would drank his meads and alcohol. Before Comte came after his many trips, he was lighthearted and fun. Then it got worse, both had a fallout. I’m grateful they will soon come close.” Alexei grinned, “they certainly did with ‘Stasia help of course! Do tell more about Cousin Vlad antics!”

Damn, he was a troublemaker..but Comte was worse.

Script: how you know??

The things their creators will alway says on different social platforms. Their theories are quite something! Even if it was thirsty…

Script: lololololol

“There would be no such telling.” A whimsical yet mysterious voice interrupted. Alexei and Olga turned around. Olga raised an eyebrow to see Vlad in all his glamour. Alexei frowned at the man, before huffing to go behind Olga.

Olga chuckled at Alexei's behavior as Vlad stride towards her. He lowered down before pecking his grandmother on the cheek. “I’ve got something Babushka, it’s your favorite!”

Olga smiled as she saw the beautiful flowers of fidelity. “Oh thank you, I’ll add it to my garden.” She petted Vlad and smoothen his strands as the man rested his head on the woman's lap.

Alexei sticks out a tongue before clutching himself to Olga on the other side. Both of the vampires stared at each other as if to test. No shit Sherlock. Olga rolled her eyes as she mindlessly stroked both of the men's hairs. “Have you both done your paperwork as I requested?” Soon the hand that was comforting lifted to the ears. Tweaking the earlobes as both men hold onto the strong lady wrist. “Is it a yes..or a no?”

Script: she the OG and the matriarch no question asked.

Shut up and let me continue! Throws a chair at the script.

Script: [hisses]

Vlad winced at the immense pressure while Alexei continued to ask for mercy in Russian. “They haven’t Babushka.” A melodious voice entered as a raven haired girl and a white haired woman stepped in. “Lacrimă!/ Ileana!” Olga smiled warmly, “ah! If it isn’t the beautiful flowers that have sprouted? Come, sit dearies.”

She let go as Vlad and Alexei pitifully gripped their injured ears. Ileana sighed at her uncle and cousin. Lacrima giggled at her grandfather and great uncle's pain. Lacrimă skipped over before pecking onto the Saintess cheeks as did Ileana.

Olga laughed merrily as if she did not injure some fool's ears. [Script: lol] “Lacrimă child, how was your day?” The girl smiled, “fabulous Babushka! Picnics and work of course. When will you come by Sir Faust chapel?”

Olga hummed, “another time, dear. I’ve grown fond of the chapel by the town square.” Ileana nodded, “me and Jean just got back, I’ve got some gifts for you.” Olga humbly accepted it as Ileana pecked the other side of the Saintess' cheeks.

Meanwhile, both Alexei and Vlad glumly pouted at being ignored. Vlad stood up before embracing three of the women. “Oi, don’t forget about me..!” Lacrimă laughed, before pecking Vlad cheeks who grumbled more.

Olga was not amused whatsoever, then again, when has she? “Troublesome child, why don't you go do your paperwork?” Feeling more rejected, Vlad pouted. “But Babushka~..!!! I don’t wanna do work!!” He whined about who Olga did not listen to.

Seeing this, Alexei ran towards them before clinging onto Ileana who rolled her eyes at his antics. “Babushka! Can Alexei not do work?” Olga sighed, “no.” Alexei deflated like a balloon.

Script: lmao, acting cute did not work.

When has it ever? Now stop interrupting.

Since that didn’t work, Vlad hugged his granddaughter. “Lacrimă~! Why don’t you help your old man out?” Lacrimă sighed, “I’m sorry, but Babushka is the Matriarch of the family. Not to mention, she has the final say.”

Alexei turned to Ileana, opening his mouth.

“No.”

“-but I didn’t say-!”

“Sorry, but no.”

“…”

“cmon!!”

“Great-Grandma said no. So no.”

“Pooh! You're no fun.”

“Sorry, can’t do.”

“What about uncle? Will you help him out?”

“No Uncle Vlad. You’re on your own.”

“…”

Script: talk about double whammy.

…shut up.

Script: *pulls the finger*

Pulls right back.

Considering that the plan did not work, Olga turned to pull both of the men's ears. She then twisted their ears with no remorse.

“Let’s go do some paperwork, shall me..boys?” Her face darken as she closed eye smiled at them. Vlad and Alexei gulped under the piercing gaze. “Yes Babushka..,” both murmured defeatedly. Ileana eyes twinkle in amusement with a calm face as Lacrimă laughed softly at their pitiful form.

“Girls, check on Maria and Anastasia if they are finishing their paperwork.” Olga called out as she dragged both vampires out. “Yes Babushka~!/ Yes Babushka!” Both smiled as they followed behind Olga towards their destination.

Bloopers:

Lo and behold Alexei. Grinning as he ran— never mind…he tripped.. “OW!!” “ALEXEI?!” Olga rushed as she inspected Alexei who pouted at his negligence.

Laughter was heard in the background as Charles fell over crying at it. Faust sighed as Tatiana ran over to check on his brother.

Định sighed as she nodded to the blooper person. They smiled at the young romanov before clicking, “Take 2, action!!”

Alexei grinned, “well, as you can see…I messed around either cousin Vlad. I cut up some of his strawberries and fed it to Lady Định’s water bumpy-! BLYAT!!!”

Everyone reputed in laughter, as Olga rested her head with her hand as she tried to stifle the amusement. Alexei threw his brooch down in anger. “AHHHH-!!”

“Pfft-!!! Take 15, action!!”

Alexei grinned, “well, as you can see…I messed around either cousin Vlad. I cut up some of his strawberries and fed it to Lady Định’s water buffalo! Soon, I went into Anastasia to help with my new scheme of dropping a bucket of milk onto Dazai! He was sleeping, of course, on a bee!!” “…” “FACK FRENCH!!!” “FACK ENGLISH! FUCK EVERYTHING!!” Alexei then went on a rampage in anger.

Arthur and Theo are dying on the floor, crying. Olga turned as she laughed on William’s shoulder. Lacrimă is covering her face to hide the tears of joy as Alexei continued to curse.

“Pfft-! Hehaha! T-take..<snort> 26..!!! Action-!!!”

Alexei grinned, “well, as you can see…I messed around either cousin Vlad. I cut up some of his strawberries and fed it to Lady Định’s water buffalo! Soon, I went into Anastasia to help with my new scheme of dropping a bucket of milk onto Dazai! He was sleeping, of course, on a TREE! Later on, I helped with Her Majesty, Zenobia, on her new pranks at Monsieur Gilles, Sir Worth, gramp Alexander, AND Salieri! Oh! There is even the turtle war going on between me and Sir Arthur! We betted Director T-thah..FUCK!!” Alexei threw his script onto the floor as he stomped on it.

Sir worth bend over cackling as Napoleon is being supported by Wellington who is turning his head to hide the giggles. Zenobia had to have tape on her mouth as tears welled up.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Script: insert more angry Russian noises

Lol!

“Take 58, action! Haha!”

Alexei grinned, “well, as you can see…I messed around either cousin Vlad. I cut up some of his strawberries and fed it to Lady ��ịnh’s water buffalo! Soon, I went into Anastasia to help with my new scheme of dropping a bucket of milk onto Dazai! He was sleeping, of course, on a TREE! Later on, I helped with Her Majesty, Zenobia, on her new pranks at Monsieur Gilles, Sir Worth, gramp Alexander, AND Salieri! Oh! There is even the turtle war going on between me and Sir Arthur! We betted Director Theo that our Turtles will beat his herd of frogs! We won of course! So we got Theo to do some errands! Apparently Sir Arthur wanted him to get a pretty skirts addressed for him! Where is this pretty skirts? It’s such an unfamiliar term to use. And who is this Mr or Madam Pretteskirtz? Babushka! Babushka! What do you think??? YESS!!! YES!! I DID IT!!”

William slapped his forehead as he slouched over the co-director seat. “Lord Romanov! Thou mustn’t follow thee words in such crude manner!”

“…FU-!”

The whole- hahaha! S-studio filled with laUgTheR- BWAHAHAHA!!!!!

“Take- HAHA!! 73! Action!!!”

FUCK YOU!!

Script: RIGHT BACK AT YOU ASS!!

I DONT EVEN HAVE AN ASS!!

“*sigh* Take 174, action!!”

Olga chuckled at Alexei's behavior as Vlad stride towards her..before falling down as the pot clashes in pieces. Mega fail, dude.

“…” “UNCLE!!!!!” “GRANDPA!!!”

Script: Hello darkness my old friend~! It’s nice to see you again~!

Shut up.

“Take 185, actioned!!”

Olga chuckled at Alexei's behavior as Vlad stride towards her. With a green screen bandaid. Buts that not the poi-!

“Take 186, actioned!!”

Olga smiled as she saw the beautiful flowers of fidelity. “Oh thank you-!”

“Nya~! Ichi ni san, nya~! Arigato~!”

“…”

“Nya~! Ichi ni san, nya~! Arigato~!”

“Whoops~! My bad, everyone.”

“Dazai, what in gods name-?!”

“Na~! Apple-kun, it’s my new ringtone~! Haha!”

“CAN YOU NOT REFER TO ME AS APPL—!!”

“Take 189, action!!”

Alexei turned to Ileana, opening his mouth. Before he can say anything, Ileana was looking at her phone. “Ileana.” Silence. “ILEANA!!” “WHAT?!?” Alexei nudged towards the camera.

“Oh…wait-! We’re filming right now?!” Lacrimă sighed, “what else do you think, dumbass?”

“Oh..”

“no shit Sherlock.”

“Lacrimă!!!”

“Sorry Aunty Tatiana~!!”

“Take 213, action!!”

Both smiled as they followed behind Olga towards their destination. Before Olga can make it out the door, a loud fart could be heard.

“…”

“Ew, it stinks!”

“No shit Charles.”

“Whoops! Sorry for my flatulence!”

“Yes Wellington, again, sorry!”

“Gilles..that was you?!?!”

“*covers nose* Take 360, action!!!”

Tagging: @pieground @yanderepuck @spoopy-fish-writes @a-chaotic-dumbass @sange-de-romane @vio-simps-for-purple-characters @evil-quartett @weird-profiterole

[nightswithkookmin]

chile i'm so glad i came across your blog, the amount of "i'm not going to assume they're dating" or "we can only draw certain conclusions but i can't say for sure" "we don't know their sexuality, BUT" type blogs i follow is getting kinda wack lmao. while i appreciate their perspective and nuanced takes i need to strike a balance. like let's get a lil delulu every once in a while. 💀

lol the im-not-a-shipper-but-call-jikook-boyfriends-every-other-post blogs are the funniest to me. the shipping hierarchy, so to speak is so weird. maybe just because im not a "shipping real people is bad" person i don't see the big deal. gonna get called delulu anyway, might as well go full out. they is gay/queer and they're fucking. i'm so sorry.

*also can we touch on the fact that shipping in this type of fandom (kpop) is kind of inevitable and unavoidable??! these boys are the other people we see them with day in and day out, interacting with each other and no one else. i feel like it's natural to ship when there's no other people around to break up everything, idk maybe someone can articulate this better than me. and people who are made to feel stupid for thinking that 2 members could actually be dating is so dumb. like is it really out of the realm of possibility that two people (jikook, cause all them other ships are....😬) who spent almost every waking minute together for like 8 years could fall in love. really?

/rant

It's the delulu hat for me

Lmho.

I guess for me being queer, I feel it's gaslighting for these people to be saying things like that. As silly as it is, it inadvertently deny and invalidate the existence and queerness of gay individuals and so I struggle with it.

This is the consequences of straight people in gay people business. They like defining gay parameters for us and it's like who asked you?? I feel people who say things like that are just plain ignorant or tone deaf or willfully homophobic.

I don't think everyone in BTS is gay but it makes me feel safe to see half the community assume them to be and celebrate them in that way. They are not cussing at them and threatening to leave the fandom or cancel them for this assumption and that is huge inspiration to me.

Those parts of the fandom are a safe space to be in as a queer army.

When people assume a person's queer sexuality they are simply admitting to themselves at the very least that LGBTQ EXISTS. This is important to me because I grew up in a community where LGBTQ didn't even exist in the collective consciousness of the people and EVERYONE IS AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMED TO BE STRAIGHT AND EXPECTED TO BE.

People read people's sexuality all the time and have done so since time immemorial and a lot of the time when they have had a sexuality read it's in the lines of straight, cis, rich, poor, superior or inferior. And that is a problem for some of us too because that discrepancy in the assumptions is as a result of homophobia and heteronormativity.

That whole don't assume a person's queer sexuality debacle sounds to me like a boujee way of denormalizing and preventing the normalization of queerness disguised under care, disguised under intelligence and disguised under wokeness. Especially when straightness is the default setting in this giant blue bulb.

We need to radicalize that. We need to change the cis straight default setting and if you are perpetuating this narrative you really aren't helping the situation. SIT DOWN.

I'm rarely assumed to be queer in certain circles and while that makes me feel comfortable within those circles it often times make it hard for me to admit my queerness openly in those circles too because I fear I will lose that comfort and respect and love and privileges that comes with being percieved straight in those spaces.

When I started my blog, I noticed some people assumed I was white and would use certain black descriptors as slurs when describing other people to me. I quickly had to switch the formal way in which I wrote to a much casual tone so my blackness would show through. Don't get it twisted. She black. She blackidy black black.

Then on the other hand, I was hesitant to let my queerness be known too because being black, I was marginalized as it is- you is black, or sound black💀 you know how it is- it's that intersectionality of oppression at play. Double double homicide.

When certain people realized I was black POC minority, their attitude towards me changed. I had those who didn't so much understand what black language is or perhaps wasn't used to being in black spaces and were uncomfortable with my blackness- these would take offense at me saying certain things in certain ways. Like chilee relax Karen, all I said was these motherfukkers gay as shit and they gay. Why you acting like I called them twinks or sommin. Right there, I'm cancelled for calling Jikook motherfuckers. They get sirens and everything😭😭😭😭😭😭

Same vein, I struggle destraightening myself or correcting people who assume I'm straight because I fear they will treat me differently if they knew I wasn't.

Straight privilege exists in the same way as white or even pretty privilege may exist and because these exist there's that automatic conception of queer, poc, ugly, fat disemfranschismet to run along side it.

People treat you differently based on how they perceive you. That's a fact. And for queer people, perceiving us as straight is the only way we get to be treated as human by the masses. And a lot of us embrace that- straight until proven gay am I right 🤣🤣🤣🤣

It's the duper's delight for me. Untill you catch me with a 5'8 melanin skinned silk pressed auntie on my left nipple good luck proving I'm gay.

It can be fun, I akekeke when some people around me are totally oblivious to the fact and even sometimes defend my straightness with their dying breath when nasty friends throw them shades or try to out me unprovoked.

A lot of us don't want to admit we are gay because we don't want to be disenfranchised.

I speak for myself when I say this.

But 'Don't assume someone's sexuality' is a double edged censorship used for and against queer people. It seemly offers protection on the surface of it for queer people but underneath it promotes heteronormativity and standardizes straightness and it is also used to promote closet culture, under the disguise of care and concern for the autonomy of queer people but that is a fallacy because our autonomy has never mattered to anyone since the dawn of homophobia.

And I don't know where this interpretation comes from. Why do people not want to assume queer people's sexuality but it's ok to assume straight people's???

It feels like a hijacked movement to me.

THIS IS THE ACCURATE MOVEMENT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

Don't assume all people are straight. It's ok to assume some people are queer because queer people exists too.

It is wrong however to assume queerness based on how a person talks, walks, dresses or even on their body type. That is stereotyping. And stereotyping is wrong.

When it comes to Jikook, Jimin is often stereotyped as gay more so than Jungkook because they have different body structures. Jungkook is stereotyped too solely because of the way his wrists hang, or based on moments he's femininity shines through.

But I don't think shippers stereotype Jikook in that way at all. I dont think shippers believe Jikook are dating eachother simply because Jungkook applied setting powder to his face that one time. They assume they are gay only because they believe those two to be dating eachother. That is not stereotyping. If those two were heterosexuals I don't think people will accuse their shippers of stereotyping.

It's one thing to assume Kai is gay because he looks skinny and dances well. It's another to assume he is gay because in a relationship with Gdragon. And if people can't tell the difference between the two, they should get some education and stop talking about things they know nothing about or only know because they stumbled across user69 on Twitter. They are not helping.

Untill people get offended when people assume others are straight, that rhetoric doesn't matter in its inequality. If you ask me, everyone is gay until proven straight.

Yet how many people will take offense at that?

Assuming people can be gay is not delulu.

It's ok to assume people can be gay. It's wrong to stereotype them as gay. If you can't assume they are gay, don't assume they are straight and don't assume at all. Run with this sis.

Wait, they don't ship Jikook but they call Jikook boyfriends???????👀👀👀👀👀

The fake woke syndrome will kill people in this fandom with these mentally confused thought crisis bunch💀💀💀💀

Jikook themselves are shippers💀

Smh

GOLDY

[terubakudan]

This may be an old article from 3 years ago, but these cultural aspects/observations still apply even today. And though this is strictly a Chinese perspective, a lot of these everyday life bits are observed in Overseas Chinese communities in countries such as The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. as well as countries heavily influenced by Chinese culture like Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.

I've always liked learning about other cultures and making comparisons between how things are done East vs West. Which probably stems from growing up with two cultures and Mom raising me on American movies xD

So the irony is if you asked me how many Chinese, Taiwanese, or Hong Kong actors I know, chances are I know as much as you do xD Like Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, and that's about it. But if you asked me about Western (specifically American and British) actors, then I have a useless brain dump of movie trivia and who was with who in what movie xD

Hmmm, both Taiwan and the Philippines are two distinct cultures but both look up to a certain country and are fascinated by that. In Taiwan's case, Japan and the US for the Philippines. In both cases, this is due to being under the rule of those countries in their history. Taiwan being under Japan for 50 years, and the Philippines being under Spain for 300+ years, followed by periods of American and Japanese rule. To put it simply though:

Taiwan is "mini-Japan with a very Chinese culture".

The Philippines is "former colony of Spain with lots of American influences".

But unlike the author, I've never set foot in any Western country, so my understandings are strictly what I've observed in media, which while it can be accurate, doesn't compare to actually experiencing the culture.

Some further elaboration on most points:

#1 We quite literally use chopsticks for everything. We use it to pick rice, viands, vegetables, fruit, smaller desserts, almost all the food you can think of.

But where do you put your chopsticks when you're not using them? Just put them on top of your bowl or flat on your plate. But do not ever stick them vertically. It's taboo, since it looks like incense sticks, which we use to pray for those who have passed, like our ancestors or during funerary services.

#3 The majority of Asia is obsessed with fair/white skin. In my time at the Philippines, I grew up watching all these Dove Whitening commercials and my classmates often commented on how fair my skin was, how they envied it etc. In Taiwan, girls often say they don't want to 變黑 (biàn hēi) 'become dark'. Japan and Korea too are not innocent of this either (if their beauty/skin products weren't a dead giveaway).

People here at Taiwan often mistake me for being from Hong Kong or Japan (as long as I don't speak Mandarin with my heavy accent xD). A Taiwanese classmate of mine joked that she often gets mistaken for being from Southeast Asia due to having a darker complexion. And while I laughed it off with her at that time, looking back, I now realize she was lowkey being racist. xD

And believe me Filipinas have mentioned literally being told 'your skin is so dark' here in Taiwan, or being given backhanded compliments like 'you're pretty despite having dark skin' and...*facepalms*

My point is, beauty is not exclusive to skin color. People who still think that are assholes.

#5 Not to say we don't have salt and pepper, but yes soy sauce and vinegar are the classic condiments you see on the table, be it at home or at a restaurant.

And if I may add, Taiwanese love their pepper. xD If you ever get to eat at a night market or a smaller "Mom n' Pop-style" restaurant here, some dishes/soups tend to add quite an excessive amount of pepper. Not like anthills, but quite liberally and way more than average. Enough that you see traces of pepper at the bottom of the food paper bag or swirling in your soup. xD

#6 I know this all too well from personal experience. In my years of studying at Taiwan, I always had roommates. 3 in my first school (I graduated high school in the Philippines pre K-12 so I had to make up 2 years of Senior High), followed by 2 in college, with the exception of 1 in freshman year.

My college did offer single person dorms but at around 9000 NTD ($324) per month compared to around 6000 NTD ($216) per semester. Because I wanted to save, the choice was obvious for me xD. But ah, this doesn't mean I don't value personal space, in fact I love having the room to myself, and since both my roomies would go home to their families every weekend, weekends were bliss for me xD

And you don't have to be friends with your roommates (that's an added bonus however), you just have to get along with them. I was quite lucky to have really great roommates all throughout my schooling years.

#9 In the Philippines, we do. Owing mostly to American influences and maybe being predominantly Catholic? xD

#10 *sigh* Chinese parents and parents from similar Asian cultures tend to put too much emphasis on grades, so much that kids could get sent to cram school as early as elementary. This is because what school you get into could literally affect your future job opportunities, and while that's not exclusive to any particular country/culture, I feel it's especially pronounced here in Asia. I'm really lucky my own parents weren't that strict about it. However, if your parents don't point the mistakes out to you, chances are you'll do it yourself, if you're an Asian kid like me anyway. xD It just becomes a habit.

#11 My family is an exception to this. xD We do say 'I love you' directly, but complete with the 'ah eat well ok?', 'don't scrimp on food', 'sleep well' and similar indirect words/actions of affection. We were doing 'Conceal, Don't Feel' before it became popular. xD

#13 I'm kind of confused about this but this has sort have changed over the years in which eye-contact is now more encouraged. But don't stare, especially at elders and authority figures. Sometimes it's just shyness though. xD And I've observed this with my own Taiwanese friend, especially when I'm complaining or ranting to her about something. xD I'm a person who likes to express my opinions strongly, which tends to scare/alienate some of the locals here, as doing so is kind of frowned upon. Thankfully, she does listen and offers her take on things.

#14 Ah this. xD In the Philippines, this is a common greeting known as beso-beso, and I freaked out too when an auntie did that to me. xD Needless to say, Mom lectured me later on what that was. ^^"

#16 Along with #3 another crazy beauty standard. In my view, people always look better with a little meat on them and when they're not horribly thin. Asia still has a loonng way to go with accepting different types of bodies if you ask me. This combined with modern beauty standards has made the pressure for women especially to 'look beautiful' higher than ever.

I know many people love them but please, starving yourself or glorifying eating disorders is never OK just to get this kind of 'ideal' body. I'm not part of the Kpop fandom, but even I think when idols get bullied just for gaining the least bit of weight among other insensitive comments, that's really going too far.

#17 'If you want to make friends, go eat.' <- I couldn't agree more. In the Philippines we have a greeting: 'Kumain ka na ba?' (Have you eaten?) . Similarly in Taiwan, we have 吃飯了沒? (chī fàn le méi), both of these can mean that in the literal sense but are often used as greetings instead. By then which invitation to having lunch/dinner together may or may not follow. Food really is a way for us to socialize and to catch up with what's going on in each other's lives. Not to say we don't have regular outings like going out to the mall, going shopping, etc. but eating together is a huge part of our culture, be it with family or friends.

And while I'm at it, some memes that are way too accurate good to pass up xD

Parents, uncles, aunties alike will fight over the bill xD

Alternatively:

You just space out until your name is called xD

My parents are guilty of the last one. Logic how? xD

#18 True. xD I like giving compliments out to people but I have a hard time accepting them myself, though I've learnt how to accept them much more now than before. We're kind of raised to constantly downplay ourselves so we often say things like 'ah no no' or 'I'm really not that good'. The downside of this of course is that it can come off as somewhat fake. xD

Again from personal experience, that same classmate who made the lowkey racist remark, she was good, she was on the debate team, was a honor student, knew how to mingle with people, but she downplayed herself way too much, while praising me but I honestly thought that she never really meant it from how she treated me. She wanted to keep me around her yet make backhanded compliments at me and she didn't want me socializing with my other classmate who is now my friend. *sigh* It was only after discussing this with one of my roomies did I realize how this 'excessive downplaying' might come off to people like me who more or less grew up with a more 'Westernized' mindset. I'm not saying brag about your achievements but don't be overly humble about them either, which can also be a turn off.

#20 We do tend to be a lot more realistic on how we view things, neither entirely optimistic nor pessimistic. We try to think of things practically and often analyze things on pure logic. A downside of this however, is that Chinese people can be overly practical. Taiwanese for instance don't like to 'find inconveniences' and generally keep to themselves, meaning, they won't help you in your hour of need even when they do have the capabilities. Sounds really harsh I know, but in my 6 years of living in Taiwan, while this doesn't apply to all the people, a lot of them really do only find/talk to you when they need something.

So for some people saying Taiwanese are 'friendly', that's BS xD If you ask me, Filipinos are infinitely more friendly, and again while not all, generally make more of an effort to help you when you need it. I really felt more of a real sense of community during my years growing up in the Philippines compared to Taiwan.

#21 Children do tend to stay with their parents well into college and adulthood, since Chinese families are indeed very family-oriented, in a lot of cases, grandparents often live under the same roof as us as well! And it really does save a lot of money. I see there's a real stigma in the US when it comes to "living with your parents", but that's starting to change especially because of Covid and having more and more people move back in with their parents.

Housing unfortunately is pretty much hella expensive no matter where you go, and Taiwan is no exception. Steep housing prices and the very high cost of raising a child (schooling + buxiban fees, etc.) contribute to a very low birth rate and thus an aging population like Japan. It's not uncommon to see both parents working in Taiwan.

#23 I'm an overthinker myself, but I totally agree with the author that the best is to strike a good balance between these two. Which I guess is why I love drawing or any other related creative attempts, it helps me be more spontaneous or well, creative! I like to remain intellectually or artistically inspired.

#24 Is French high school really like that? xD My friend did watch SKAM France and more or less got a culture shock from what was depicted on the show. I can confirm however that most high schools both in the Philippines and Taiwan require students to wear a uniform, only in college is everybody free to wear casual/civilian clothes.

#26 Ah this is part of our Asian gift-giving etiquette xD We always open gifts later after the event/meeting and in private. Never open them in front of the person who gave it to you or in front of others. This is to prevent any 'shame/embarrassment' that may result both to yourself and to the gift giver. I know this may come off as something weird since some people may want a more honest response or immediate feedback when it comes to gift-giving, but that's just how it is in our culture. You're always free to ask us though (in private) if we liked the gift or not ^^"

#28 I want to say the same goes to drinking, partying, and drugs however xD Those are things which are still frowned upon in our culture. And to be honest, whenever I see those in movies, it does kind of turn me off xD It doesn't mean that we're "uncool" or "boring", we just think that there are much better or healthier ways of "having fun".

#31 Is this true in France?! Man I would kind of prefer that instead of people being on their phones all the time xD This kind of goes with #20 in that Chinese are overly practical or logical, and don't read fiction as much as nonfiction. My Taiwanese friend is an exception though, she's a bibliophile who loves the feel of paper books compared to e-books, and it's a trait of her that I like a lot. Both the Philippines and Taiwan however have a huge fanbase when it comes to manga and anime though.

I'm all for reading outside of "designated reading" at schools especially. Reading fiction improves your vocabulary too, and can be quite fun! It helps you imagine and really invest in a world/story, and if you ask me something that I feel Westerners are better at, they're more in touch with their emotions and creativity, and are thus much more able to write compelling or original stories. Believe me, I've seen a fair amount of Chinese movies that rip off Western movie plotlines xD

#33 Nothing much to add on here..except that since I'm a "weird" person, Mom often jokes that she got the wrong baby from the hospital. xD

#35 True. While I agree with the care and concern that your fellow community can give you, the downside of this is we tend to only hang out with our own people, e.g Chinese with Chinese, Taiwanese with Taiwanese, etc. I've seen too that it's especially hard to make friends in Japan and Korea as a foreigner. Not only is there the language barrier, but the differences in culture too. In a way, Asians can be pretty close-minded on getting to know other cultures or actually making friends with people from other countries. I know this all too well being half-Taiwanese/half-Filipino, being neither "Filipino" enough nor "Taiwanese" enough. xD It's more of people here being too used to what they're comfortable with.

#36 Oh this is something I feel that Chinese students and other students from similar cultures should really improve on. xD How will people respect you if you don't speak your mind?

I felt bad especially for my Spanish teacher in college, granted it was an introductory course (Spanish I and II) but the amount of times that our teacher had to prompt a student to recite/speak even with clear hints already made her (and me too) extremely frustrated. The thing is, these are college students, I personally feel they don't have any reason to be so shy of speaking and technically by not doing so they're slowing the pace of the class too much and a lot of time is wasted.

Unfortunately you can't always be very vocal with your thoughts and opinions in most Asian cultures. I would say strive for that, but at the same time, play your cards well, especially if you're in a workplace setting.

If you made it to the end, thank you for reading and here's a cookie! 🍪 I'm not perfect and there's bound to be something I missed so please let me know if you spotted anything wrong. Feedback/questions are very much welcome and please feel free to share about your country/culture's differences or similarities!

[pumpumdemsugah]

You know you’re so right about the ‘your brain changes at 25’ thing. I used to roll my eyes whenever my mum said it at like 19,20,21 because I thought I was on my Grown&Sexy ™ once I hit 20 but that forced growth between 23 and 25 is wild. I’m 25 in a month and the shit that has been just clicking for me these last 6 months is insane?? There’s so many little things I don’t care about and things I’ve been able to let go of that I thought would haunt me forever. Sometimes it’s like I go to sleep and wake up with a different mindset like I’m giving Enlightened Gyal fr lol. And this is a side note but these days whenever I see some gender/race/general stupidity and I’m feeling like wasting time, I’ll click the persons blog and without fail, they’ll be 18-22 on their obtuse main character shit-

-Like I know a lot of people stay stuck on stupid even after 25 but at that point maybe they’ve invested too much in being dumb to stop the act or just don’t want to engage with the world past fandoms and white validation and ingesting what their celeb faves say idk. But the way people refuse to read and pretend everything is new is so stupid to me because why not look shit up? Someone’s already done the homework all you gotta do is take it in that’s the bare minimum! Anyway, I get you now lol like I’m tryna keep the friends I have and gay it up and get this check lol. I was talking to my sis(22) about this and she was looking at me crazy but common sense will come for her too lmao I feel like my aunties that talk about menopause man like damn, the change(a working brain)comes upon yuh like a thief in the night 😭

Yes we love an enlightened gyal . Your little sis won't believe you but it will come for her ass soon.

Lool the front lobe development is truly a game changer and everyone thinks its fake until you turn 24/25 and things just click. It's easy to think it's fake cause you look at the growth you made from your teens and it's hard to imagine on a biological level much else happening

It's your last biological level up and the older you get the more you understand teens really can't help themselves. They just need a safe environment to dumb it out and not get into too much debt and avoid pregnancy. The adhd doesn't help with how I make decisions but that front lobe hardening helped man

It's so much easier to not argue with people. I'll have a little rant to myself or on my blog but I'm not going back and forth. Older people stuck on this, it's basically the sunk cost fallacy. They put years into all this + face attached and they can't back out.

It's sad there was no way to stop me behaving the way I did in my early 20s lol. But you really just have to dumb it out while you're hype about having a twenty next to your age until your brain stops being soft

[olderthannetfic]

(Er, this is that middle-aged fandom auntie — not anti— who finally snapped and sent that rant earlier.I know, I should just update my filters.)

In atonement, I leave you with a random magic fandom moment from a Doctor Who con I attended in Baltimore in the Before Times:

Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who) & fans singing while waiting in line for the elevators—

https://youtu.be/4nlst_TZHxE

--

:)

[genshinconfessions]

NOT THE LISA DISCOURSE ON TUMBLR 😭 Even if the English dub butchered the characters, Lisa was NEVER flirty, you guys just make everything sexual. She calls MC “cutie” and that’s it, the same people talk to children or pets. God forbid someone’s actually nice on this game. Obviously, people are free and have the right to be uncomfortable with things/people, but it rubs me the wrong way when there’s so much complaint about Lisa when no one bats an eye at Kaeya, Albedo or Childe, especially when they know that she’s supposed to be your older sister/auntie character. Also, she’s no in her 30s, she’s described as a young maiden just like Jean, can people please stop believing everything they read on Google

ps: mods, I’m sorry for the rant, I’m just tired of how this fandom treats Lisa and women overall

and just a reminder that there are NO canon ages in this game (all ages you find online are headcanons and guesses)

- katheryne from liyue

[callmemythicalminx]

❄️24th of December❄️

❄️Christmas Day with the Salieri Family ❄️

Fandom: Mafia Definitive Edition

Warnings: Just flufffffffff.

Summary: It’s Christmas day and your spending it with the ones you love at the bar - what more could you want?

A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! We have sadly reached the end of the calendar, but I will of course continue to write. I’m going to be taking a break from posting during January/early Febuary but I will still be writing during this time (most likely some of the requests I’ve recieved and starting my Sam series). I hope you all understand, but most importantly, I hope you’ve all enjoyed the calendar as I’ve had so much fun making it! <3

Dedicated to:  @kaiiiiiiparkerismyhusband​ @lolita-wolfson @xxsamanthaxx @kneelingforvillains @loutino20 @levitate-gengar @dorothynerding @blackbladevika @my-blog-for-me @rammstein-obsession @octorebel @demonsouthere @mayday1284

---

The snow is falling softly as you walk down the street towards Salieri’s bar. In your hands, you lug a bag of presents, some even tucked under your arms. Finally, it’s Christmas Day and that means it’s time to celebrate with your family. Every year you all gather together at the bar to have dinner together, share presents and forget about all the stress of your lives for a day. 

As Salieri’s only daughter, you especially love this day of the year most of all. Because you’ve never had siblings, you’ve always seen the gangstas you share your life with as your brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts. Sam, Paulie and Tommy especially are like the big brothers you’ve never had, always there to care for you and keep you safe. Being able to thank your family with all the homemade gifts you create is one of your favourite things about the holiday. That and being able to just spend some time with them, laughing and relaxing. 

As you approach the front of the bar, you can already see your father standing at the bar, smoking a cigar as he speaks to Frank and Luigi. Excitedly, you kick open the door, smiling wide when Saleri looks towards you. 

“Y/N, darling! There you are! Here, give me some’a those.” You gratefully release some of the bags into his outstretched hands, releasing a sigh as you finally stretch your arms out. The three men laugh at you as you walk towards them, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks. You greet your father last, who pulls you into a tight hug while he wishes you “Merry Christmas darling.”

“Merry Christmas to you too Papa.” 

“The boys are upstairs getting the place sorted, they probably won’t groan as much if you go and help them.” You laugh. As you start making your way through the bar and up the stairs, the smell of the turkey from the kitchen grows stronger and you take in a deep breath. It makes your taste buds water and you can’t wait to enjoy some of it later. Once you reach the meeting room, you can hear Sam and Paulie arguing as you open the door. 

“Why do you get to sit next to Y/N?!” Paulie shouts, his arms flailing frantically as he gestures to the long dining table. Sam looks at him blankly, his arms crossed over his chest. He raises an eyebrow as he replies “She’s the boss’ daughter. I’m head Capo. It makes sense for me to sit next to her.” Paulie grows more frustrated and opens his mouth wide to argue back, but stops short when he sees you standing in the doorway, smirking at the two of them. Sam squints at him for a second before quickly turning, a wide smile spreading on his face as he spots you. 

“Y/N!” Paulie giddy shouts, running over to pull you into a big hug. You wrap your arms around him and squeeze tightly. Sam comes up behind him, leaning down to kiss you on the cheek and take you into a hug himself once Paulie has let go. 

“Merry Christmas Y/N.” 

“Merry Christmas to the two of you fools too. I see that you’re already arguing.” Sam lets out a ‘pfft’ sound as Paulie launches into a full blown rant, trying to explain why he should sit next to you at dinner. For a while, you let him endlessly talk, taking amusement from both his amusement and Sam’s exasperated expression. But eventually, you start laughing and place your hand on Paulie’s shoulder to quiet him down. 

“Why don’t I just sit in the middle of you two? My papa doesn’t mind me being a few seats down, you should know this already.” The two of them look at each other for a moment, squinting slightly, before they seem to come to a telepathic agreement, nodding their heads. Thankfully, the arrival of little Julia with Tommy and Sarah interrupts the childish argument as they enter the room with warm smiles. 

“Aunty Y/N!” Julia runs, jumping into your arms as you bend down. You give her a tight hug as you raise up again, littering her face with kisses. She giggles as her uncles come up behind her and take turns kissing her too. Tommy and Sarah move to greet you after Julia wriggles out of your arms, running over to the presents waiting to be opened by the tree. 

Once Ralphie, Vinny and the rest of your family have arrived, you all move to your seats at the table, passing around presents from the tree. Sam and Paulie sit quite happily next to you, smiling warmly when they see the gifts you’ve made for them. You have many to open yourself, but you can’t help but just look around at the joy on everyone’s face. It gives you more pleasure than any gift ever could- nothing compares to seeing your family happy and alive. 

Eventually the food is brought in, plates and bowls of steaming food filling the room with a heavenly scent. The boys help bring the large turkey in, placing it in front of Salieri to carve. When the meat is cut, it’s quickly shared out and everyone’s plates quickly become filled. Your father stands up, raising a glass of wine as the rest of your family follow suit. 

“Another year has passed. We’ve lost many but we’ve also gained so much. I’ve never been as proud as I am now in these moments when I stand before you all, my family, and see what we’ve accomplished. Y/N is my only daughter, but I’m sure she agrees too that you will all always be my sons and daughters. So I raise a toast. To a brighter future, a prosperous new year and good health to all of you. You all mean the world to me.”

As you look around at your family, arms raised in cheers as they send loving smiles towards your father and yourself, you can’t help but agree with him- they mean the world to you and nothing will ever change that.

--- 

Thank you all so much for reading, I really hope you have enjoyed! <3 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

[fascinatedhelix]

Some updates to the HK/NSR crossover AU, since the original was made pre-release (the following does contain spoilers!):

Ghost

Ran away from the Trankil Adoption Agency due to finding most humans too restrictive on their freedom; they’re accustomed to being able to come and go as they please, and the agency doesn’t really approve of trankil running around unattended. BBJ are more relaxed about it, leading to the little one being along the lines of a latchkey trankil.

Mayday and Zuke earn their trust by buying them food and helping them clean up in the restaurant’s bathroom, rather than just grabbing them and dragging them back to the agency. Aunty, for one, adores them, due to their sweet little face and how eagerly they eat her cooking.

Has pulled a knife on Kliff, multiple times, because he’s creepy as hell and sets off all their alarms, much to the exasperation of Zuke and Mayday. He tries bribing them with toys and snacks up until his betrayal, after which he almost gets stabbed again before BBJ drag Ghost with them to stop the fans.

Zuke doesn’t let them draw their blade in the sewer or on the streets, normally, but he doesn’t necessarily ban them from sharps entirely. He can tell they know how to use them, though he opts to let them use a kitchen knife instead of the haphazard scrap of metal they’ve been swinging around on the streets.

Zam has attempted to conduct interviews with Ghost before, but finds himself mostly just perplexed at their answers. "Okay, I’m looking at what appear to be, uh, hieroglyphics of some kind. I can see something that kind of looks like a rhinoceros beetle head... They’re shaking their head ‘no.’” The little section where he interviews them is nicknamed Ghost Tour.

Comet

They were sleeping in DJ Subatomic Supernova’s apartment at the time of the battle, since he didn’t think he’d need their help. They’re too small to be asked for a whole lot, anyway; he mostly has them around to keep himself company and have someone to talk to (or at, as the case may be).

Their sound energy absorbing powers would probably be enough to deactivate some of NSR’s robots; it comes in handy when the rogue robots are getting in the way of reinstating their guardian as charter.

Their favorite stuffed animal is a toy dolphin that DJSS calls Delphinus, though Comet calls them Splashy when they learn how to write.

As they grow older, their horns begin pointing backward and eventually curling into a similar shape to ram’s horns.

DJSS secretly relishes in the opportunity to have a legacy in the form of taking care of Comet, though he doesn’t know that they are probably more likely to carry his name farther into the future than any drones he sends up to space.

Bunny

They live with Remi, the artist and leader of the Sayu team. He treats them much like a little sibling, in the nice way, and gets them to watch some of the more family-friendly anime he watches; they’re particularly fond of Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z, even if they keep dismantling the figures he gets them. They’re much gentler with the plushies, though.

It takes a few weeks of watching Dodo and Sofa work on machinery to get them learning how to build stuff as well as break it. They make it an entire thing when they grow older, working on machinery.

They eventually grow cheek spines, not unlike some depictions of the adult Ghost, and otherwise heavily resemble Hornet as an adult. Much taller than her, though.

Sayu’s kind of reluctant to attack Ghost because they resemble Bunny so much; “You’re too cute to fight!” Zuke doesn’t like the idea of Ghost acting like a trankil shield in fights, but it does help throw off her aim.

Thorn

Yinu’s mom specifically chose the former Broken Vessel because they were the only trankil that expressed any interest in Yinu’s infodumping about classical music. They even responded to questions with head shaking or nodding.

They come to Yinu’s side after her piano breaks, letting go of their fight with Ghost quickly enough; they don’t fault their sibling for doing what they thought was right, even if they don’t understand it, but they believed Yinu needed their support more.

They’re taking violin lessons, as it’s a touch easier to adjust to playing with four fingers on that then on piano. They get pretty good at it as an adult, though in the modern day their playing is a touch mediocre.

After their performance at Yinu’s concert, fighting in her defense with a stolen machete, Yinu’s mom at first grounds Thorn for stealing and playing with sharps, but concedes to put them in a fencing program to “get it out of their system.” They turn out a lot more competent than the instructors were expecting, and intimidate the crap out of their peers. When they’re older they take up a proper swordfighting class.

Yinu does wind up joining them in learning fencing, after her mother gets a recommendation to get her to get more exercise to avoid literally rooting herself to her piano (not an unusual issue for plant folks; they have to move pretty regularly or else they get stuck in one spot and have to be cut out). Her mom worries that she takes to it a touch too eagerly, perhaps because of her relative helplessness.

Thorn acts fairly stoic and polite most of the time, but they can be quite the handful when something piques their interest. They get banned from at least one Renaissance fair due to playing with the swords or poking the roasting pig. Yinu starts covering for them after they start bribing her with extra sweets.

Scotty

Neon J initially treated them like a trainee when he got them, but it quickly slipped into adopted child territory when he realized just how young they were. He did want kids back when he was human, so he took very quickly to the role of adoptive father.

Scotty is very good at learning language and patterns, so they wind up learning English writing pretty quickly for one of their kind. Because of this, Neon J becomes one of the few privy to the nature of the vessels, though he is uncharacteristically quiet about it.

1010 adores Scotty, occasionally posting about them on social media, making them a bit of a fandom darling, though the band does have to put out PSAs about not getting a trankil irresponsibly.

Scotty’s favorite food is cheese tarts and cheese danishes, which they tend to be awarded for good behavior.

Scotty is a very active child; they dance, they run around the mansion, they swim in the pool (and just about any fountain they run across, much to Neon J’s embarrassment), and they can’t be brought within 100 feet of a dog park without trying to pet every animal in the vicinity.

They try their best to comfort their adoptive dad when he’s suffering from phantom pains or flashbacks, though they don’t know the techniques very well. Their usual method is gently patting his hand or leaning against him (among vessels they’d be leaning against each other in large groups, leading to one big cuddle pile; they can’t do it here by themselves, but they’ll sure as hell try).

Much to Neon J’s embarrassment, they become quite the potty mouth (er, hands) when they get older. He’s a sailor, he slips up every now and then!

Riley

The former Greenpath Vessel is rather happy to leave behind the harsh life they lived back in Hallownest, though they find the most success in recounting their old life through art.

Eve tends to be a very dramatic teacher, but quite gentle with her little friend. She couldn’t have asked for a more enthusiastic student, though.

Eve’s quite protective of the little thing; she’s not quite as heartbroken about Zuke’s abandonment due to the company of her apprentice/adopted child, but the thought of them being taken away tends to scare her quite a bit. As such, she tends to spoil them rotten, though they’re still quite sweet.

Riley has a degree of PTSD from their experience in Hallownest; they’re very sensitive to sounds and movement in their peripheral, and have bitten and scratched people on more than one occasion for getting in their bubble without proper warning or consent. Eve’s pretty good about avoiding their blindspot and having her footsteps make noise they can track.

Eve’s among the first to learn about the Lord of Shades and the dream realm due to her teaching her magic painting to Riley. With her help, they created the Dark Mirror, which allows people to enter a sort of waking simulation of the dream realm, though it tends to seriously disorient people not accustomed to messing with reality (musicians tend to do fine, but normal folks? Not so much). It becomes a very useful communication tool when discussing Hallownest and how it functioned.

Sterling

The former Hollow Knight views themselves as deeply indebted to Tatiana, though also viewing her as a friend. She gave them a name, a new purpose, and an opportunity to live again without the constraints of their failed duty; of course they’re going to feel kind of guilty about it.

Only the NSR artists and a few select NSR personnel have seen them in person, and the first thing people tend to notice is their sheer size. Tatiana worries how much renovations will have to be done to accommodate the rest of their kin once they grow up, if they wind up matching their eldest sibling.

They tend to have a reasonably positive relationship with the artists, due to their kindness towards the vessels and generally respectful attitude towards the behemoth of a trankil.  DJSS tends to rant about space in their general direction as his idea of small talk, and they tolerate it. He also not so subtly squees when he sees Comet interacting with their elder sibling. Sayu’s team thinks they’re anime hero levels of cool, sword and all, and Bunny tends to agree, trying to challenge them to fight. Yinu’s mom tends to scrutinize them as reference for Thorn’s later growth, though Yinu herself and Thorn tend to climb the adult trankil like a tree for fun. Neon J respects them deeply as a knight and technical prince, though Scotty’s pretty content to try and get them to play when they visit. Eve appreciates their good manners and willingness to listen, and Riley rather likes showing them their drawings.

Tatiana tends to treat Sterling as something of a confidante, due to their quiet nature and strong sense of loyalty. She worries they idolize her a touch too much to be healthy, but knowing what she does about their past, she’s not sure if a human therapist would help.

The wings grew in a couple weeks before the Rock Revolution; evidently they hadn’t developed quite enough to develop them before they had been sealed, leading to serious back troubles during their fight before their rebirth. It was a pretty chaotic affair helping them through their last molt, considering the other trankil who’ve been molting had a lot less to shed.

Tatiana tends to scold Sterling for digging through her old rock cassettes, though she comes to regret it after the whole debacle with BBJ.

Sterling’s way more ruthless than Tatiana asks for or is fully aware of; they tend to take threats to their new life, siblings, and new companions very, very seriously, and god help the poor soul who convinces them to act. Kliff doesn’t last long after the Rock Revolution, because of this, not that anyone notices.

Misc

The vessels were united under the leadership of Ghost to create the Lord of Shades, and upon killing and absorbing the Radiance, they’ve essentially become the collective gods of the Dream Realm as well as the Void and probably Death too. The level of focus and cooperation needed to fully activate these powers is incredibly high, especially after the vessels begin developing individual personalities, so there won’t be any casual appearances of the Shade Lord any time soon.

Vessels don’t need to eat to grow for the first five or six years of their life, as they have a lot of soul energy stored in their bodies from birth to facilitate growth in the Abyss (their “yolk”), but once that’s expended they won’t grow any more until they gain a stable food source and a safe environment to molt, hence why Ghost spent such a long time being so small, despite being the same age as Sterling. While not eating won’t kill them, humans don’t know that.

The average height for an adult vessel is 8 feet, from the bottom of their feet to base of their horns, whereas a newly hatched vessel (like Comet) is about the size of a tennis ball curled up.

People who aren’t accustomed to the otherworldly presence of the trankil tend to freak out when they’re nearby; the sheer emptiness of their eyes, the expressionless faces, the inhuman size and proportions all give anybody not used to it the heebie-jeebies. Of course, Vinyl City locals stopped caring pretty shortly after they first got the trankil.

[wakandamama]

Rock a Bye (Finale)

Thank you to all who read this continuation! Yes, I plan on writing more with what was set up with both this series and Being Us Again ya’ll need the wedding after all  I’m so happy I mad some many of you happy with my fics. The love I’ve been getting back from these two series has actual gave me the bounce back to finish my other fics for other fandoms as well. Thanks! Now Enjoy!

Reader and Fez start a new journey as they welcome a new life.

You waddled tentatively across the room and push the button to open the door when Leslie texts you that she was in the drive. You were a bit surprised she was so early but, it didn't matter you were bored and lonely. 

You sit heavily on the bed and huff, taking a moment to collect yourself before putting on Fez's Biggie looking sweater for warmth over your tank top and fumbling to loosen the strings on your sweat pants.  

"Y/n? You up here?"

"Yeah, I can't really leave this room!" you yell in response you listen and frown through, you hear two sets of steps.

"Ain't the girls suppose to be in school? Who's with you?" you ask and gasp when Leslie comes to the doorway with a sorry smile and shopping bags. Behind her? Your mother.

"Auntie!" you yell, then wince as a short wave of heartburn hits your chest and your scowling mother pushes her younger sister aside and strides in. 

"I'm so sorry Y/n. She wouldn't leave the house and stop shouting if I didn't bring here." Leslie begged.

"Shut it L. I still can't believe you had to make me act out of character to see my own daughter.  And you little ungrateful girl, you made me have to pry out here that my own daughter hasn't even told me she's having my grandchild! I can't believe you! First I had to learn a whole year later you moved back and is workin'. Then, that you are with this fucking drug pimp bastard, and now you are trapped as his baby momma! What, is he ya pimp too?"

"He's none of those things! He loves me!"

"Fuck you know about love little girl? You still in your damn 20's, you don't know shit about love, just stupid decisions! I can't believe my own blood would do such a thing!"

"He's my husband and father of my child and the only person besides Auntie L and my little cousins to want me back! Mom, you and dad dropped me like a rock the moment I turned 18. You even called driving me to school the last favor. You didn't call me nor care about me when I was in school and you got the nerve to be surprised I don't contact you at all?" you scoff, slowly becoming loud and wobbly standing.

You were both pissed and really had to pee.

"Oh, Y/n be careful." Leslie tries to distract but your mom smacks her lips and walks up to stand and wag her finger in your face.

"I'm not letting you have my grandchild in some crack house!" she says and you swerve around her and toddle further out the room.

"Fezco owns this house! Inherited with the mortgage paid off! More than you and daddy can say about your little rented apartment! Then again, I grew up in Rue's room before it was Rue's room, then that damn shack!" you curse, you break to lean against the wall and grab Leslie arm for support.

"Are you okay?" Leslie asks and you huff.

"I gotta go pee." you snip at Leslie's question a bit upset she brought your mom. "Husband! You married a drug lord? I raised you better."

"You halfway didn't raise me at all! Why do you think I worked my ass off for a full scholarship? So I could get away from your judgmental ass. I'm not a little girl you can bully and push all your insecurities and regrets onto anymore. Imma grown woman- FUCK!" You end your rant as the sharpest pain yet cracks through your hips, back, and belly and you suck in a shaky breath as your pants slowly become wet without your control.

"Precontractions...... All damn night, I was having pre-contractions." you think numbly, blinking at the sudden stillness of the room as the wet stain slowly spreads on your gray sweat pants.

"Oh my god! Y/n, your water!" Leslie says, snapping you out of it and your mom is stunned silent. Leslie is quick to finish leading you to the bathroom and sitting you on the toilet.

"I-I ...I needa call Dr. Carmicheal and-and Fez. Call Fezy." you mumble and slowly start to tremble.

"I will, just, I need you to fully breathe Y/n. You are cutting your breath short." Leslie instructs and makes you notice a slight heave in your chest and for force yourself to follow her deep breath.

"It's really hot in here," you mutter suddenly, as a sudden hot flash overtakes you and you start to feel sick.

"Okay, okay. I can help, you'll be okay. Hey! Don't just stand there. Get her phone!" Leslie yells at her sister as she strips off your hoodie, wets a rag and sets it on your neck. You close your eyes and sigh a little bit of relief as she massages your temples and looks over you.

"Sister!" you suddenly hear Leslie yell and you give a bitter chuckle as you hear your mom stomp down the stairs and the door slam close.

"It's okay Auntie L." you mumble and she sighs.

"I'm sorry. She argued with me for hours, woke the girls up yelling and everything. Rue had to leave early and get ready for school at Lexi's, that woman was causing such a fuss. But, hey! Someone's ready to meet mama and poppa." she lightens the mood. You give a small laugh that ends in a forced deep breath through cramping contraction. You shudder as your feel your pants get wetter.

"I think I should just go straight ahead to the hospital." you croak out and Leslie nods and leaves to get your go back and a change of clothes.

 You curl over and keep breathing, barley perking up when Leslie lays your ringing phone on your thigh. You give a tight smile to see the picture popped up was of you and Fez at the lake. You slide accept and sigh at hearing his soft, deep voice.

"Hey, I'm heading back to the house. I just want you," he says and you smile and give a nothing laugh. "Um, about that. Just meet me at the hospital. "

"What?! Are you okay, what happened?" he says and you wince.

"Yeah, so that cramping all night was actual pre-contractions. My water just broke like ten minutes ago. Aunt Leslie is taking me to Rose Hill hospital."

"Oh shit, we bout to have a baby."

"Yeah, we gonna have a baby."

💙💙💙💙

"Okay, it's time for yo ass to move out." you ramble as you and Fez finish another lap around the maternity hall. Fez chuckles at your antics. You give him a hard poke in the shoulder before laying your head on it, you guys take a small break next to the door of your room.

"I'm hungry as hell too, and you have the audacity to eat a chicken sub in front of me," you say. Fez shugs and swallows the last bite of his sandwich.

"Doc said you can't eat solids. I got you jello!"

"Hospital Jello is trash Fez! You shoulda ran to a Chinese buffett and got their Jello."

"I'll remember for next time."

"Oh, you jokes! This whole baby thing is a one-take-jake, buddy."  

"But what is Miguel is back in town?"

"Then we goin' to a Vince Staples concert."

Both of you laugh aloud. A nurse steps out of the room next to you two. She gives a small smile but places her finger to her lips to shush you two. You sigh and Fezco moves you back into the room. As soon as you sit back on the bed another contraction hits.

"Yea, I most definitely only doing this shit...oh fuck...one time for the one time," you mumble, quick to go back to a stand and wrap your arms around Fez's shoulders to steady yourself. You lay your head on his shoulder as he wraps his hands around your waist.

"How pissed you think Ash is gonna be when, he finds out ain't no way in Hell imma name the baby Ashley?" You chuckle and Fez snickers too.

"We can just make it a middle name. He'll get over it." Fez excuses, rubbing the smalls of your sore lower back.

"Yeah, you’re right." you both slip into a comfortable silence, only punctuated by a whimper of pain a wince from you.

"We're gonna be good parents, right?" you ask after a while. "Like, spoil the fuck out the baby, have a really good kid that's gonna like change the world or something... right?"

" Yea. They gonna want for nothing. THey gonna be real chill and you gonna do great." Fez comforted and you sighed into his shoulder as he started to sway you two.

"Let's do this then."

8 hours later.

"You know, how I know, that little Celeste is Fez's daughter?" ponders Gia. Ash rolls his eyes as he scrolls through his phone.

"Was it the red hair or the gray eyes that confused you? Come on now" Ash snips, Gia purses her lips and take a calming breath.

"Why you always so rude?"

"Whatchu gonna do about it?"

"Guys! Don't argue around a baby." Rue says, making the two pre-teens drop it.

"Anyways, I was gonna say it's cause she's so chill! Like, she cried for the first what, three minutes, and now she's just chilling. Like, Celeste's only been out here for an hour and she's already just accepted everything. She's just looking around and smiling at everything." Gia gushes and Ashtray gives a small snort just glances over. You were turned on your side facing Fez and ya'll baby girl, Celeste, and half-sleep. Fez, however...

"You know how, I know that she's Y/n's daughter?" Ash says. Gia smirks

"Was it the nose or the brown skin that confused you?" she says and Ashtray shakes his head

"Nah, Little C ain't stop staring at Fez for a good five minutes," Ash says and the two sisters shrug

"Well, to be fair, he hasn't either." Rue chuckles and you grumble as their talking wakes you.

"Why is it always ya'll  loud ass conversations that wake me?" you joke, cracking open your eyes and staring at your husband and child.

"Hey, pretty girl," you mumble, reaching your hand over and gently twisting one of her ginger spirals. Celeste pauses in her staring and suckling on her pacifier to make a coo at you and turn her little head. It breaks her and Fez's stare off and Fez sighs.

"She so beautiful man." He says and you smile and nod.

"You're so beautiful too baby," Fez says, scooting a bit closer to kiss you and you giggle to hear Ashtray smack his lips.

"We get it, ya'll in love and shit. Stop hoggin; her. Look, ya'll borning her to sleep. She wants her uncle." Ashtray says and Fez rolls his eyes but lets his little brother take Celeste. Rue awes over his shoulder as Celeste lets out one fascinated coo at seeing new faces. Gia raises an eyebrow at seeing Ashtray's arms shake a bit.

"Why are you shaking?"

"I'm not shakin'....she...she’s so small man. But...at the same time she, not y'know?"

"Give my cousin here, you're about to cry."

"Shut up," Ashtray says in a watery tone and Celeste gives a yawn and smile, closing her little eyes and stretching.

"Lay her down Ash. I want her to sleep a bit before I have to feed her." you yawn as well and he sighs then settles your baby girl in her hospital cradle. Gia scoots him over to get a picture of Celeste

"She really is a chill baby though. " Rue says, putting her finger in Celeste's fist and the baby yawned and grasped it. All of your guy's attention is captured when Leslie and a nurse come in.

"Visiting hours are over," she says and the teens all groan and roll their eyes at the need to leave.

"Come on guys! The new parents need their alone time with her." Leslie encourages them in leaving, you give a lazy wave to them. Fez gets up and wheels the cradle in between you and him. You hum as he lets her grab onto his finger and stretch herself out.

"I thought she'd be smaller since she came a bit early."

"You're telling me." you mutter, you give a small flinch when the soft beep of an alarm is heard. Fez recently takes his hand back and silences his phone.

"What's that for?" you ask, finally deciding to sit up in bed.

"The doctor said you have to feed the baby like ever two hours right?" Fez excuses and you snort a laugh.

"Only when she cries for it, do you feed her. You're so cute, already so protective," you say and make grabby hands at Celeste and kiss Fez when he places ya'lls daughter in your arms. She was already gorgeous with warm and light brown skin, a headful of wispy reddish-brown curls and from the few times, you've seen those little eyes open, gray pupils, on a chubby face.

So focused on the baby, you don't notice the longing and soft look on Fez's face as he watches you two, his family. You look up when he sniffs and you own eyes water at the tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Hey! Don't you cry on me. You cry and I'll start crying.  Then Celetle will look at us like we're crazy." you joke, tears already running down both your faces and you melt into his touch as he wipes the water from your cheeks.

"I love you so much," he says, kissing your forehead. His hand comes to rest on Celeste's swaddled body making her give long coo and wiggle her tiny self around.

"I love you too Fezco."

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