#hypocrisy is one thing defending is another

[studyingnstruggling]

Tonight, as usual, my dad accused me of wanting to be trans/a man and bringing “eternal damnation” all because I was wearing sweatpants, in my own house. And it got me thinking about how much I hate lipstick Muslims, and their liberal lapdogs. Conveniently, they never discuss ppl in my situation, and Ik I’m lucky I’m not in a Muslim country. But the pro hijab, pro Islam (hypocrites) who love to talk about how compatible Islam is with feminism, queerness, and liberalism, never discuss things like this. Technically, pants are “men’s clothing” and according to Hadith, not ok for women. 

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

do i support all of korra's actions??? no. do i like s2 korra??? no. will i still somehow have enough points to defend her if i get a whiff of a korra anti??? YEAH

[heartinhyacinth]

Something that I’ve always loved about Hualian is that throughout the series, people had warned Xie Lian of Hua Cheng left and right, told him various horror stories, rumors of cruelty and malice, etc., and yet…Hua Cheng never once (as far as I can remember) tried to counter the accusations with words. He never defended himself or his actions to Xie Lian, never told him of the ways it was false or not as bad as it sounds.

At times, he even went as far as to do the opposite, one example being when Xie Lian said he’d heard rumors of eming (to which Hua Cheng responds, “like how it’s evil, forged from the blood of a living sacrifice?”); when Xie Lian brushed them off as only rumors that shouldn’t be taken at face value, Hua Cheng only smiled (in the donghua at least, we couldn’t see his reaction in the novel considering Xie Lian’s back was to him), and didn’t say anything else on the matter, not refuting or confirming whether it was true, nor proving the details that would surely paint him in a much better light than Xie Lian’s colleagues had.

He’s always let Xie Lian form his own opinions on things, and that includes himself.

Much like the novels themselves, Hua Cheng takes a very “show don’t tell” approach to things. He doesn’t need to tell Xie Lian he can trust him, that he’d never harm him, and that he has reasons for doing what he does. Xie Lian already knows this. He’s shown it to him in his actions. If he had to say the words for Xie Lian to believe him, he’d have seen it as a failure to live up to them. It’s very in character for him imo—he hates hypocrisy and hates when people say one thing and then do another. So it makes sense that he would simply sit back and trust that Xie Lian would see him for who he is.

It’s all very similar to the fact that they don’t say “I love you” throughout all eight books (which I absolutely adore and I’ll make a separate post on soon).

[mostly-delusional]

I find it ironic how Alicent's disdain for both Viserys and Rhaenyra is also rooted in the fact that Rhaenyra, as heir and the only remaining child of Viserys from Aemma, could do as she pleased while he defended her every action. That Rhaenyra had the freedom to openly flaunt her privilege while her dad cleaned up her messes for her. That she was a “spoiled brat” who hardly faced any consequences for her choices because her father turned a blind eye to everything. But we also see how Alicent does the very same thing when it comes to her own children. Aegon rapes a girl and Alicent shoves a bunch of coins at the said girl to keep her mouth shut. He bullies his little brother but somehow Rhaenyra’s children are the only ones responsible for it (remember the scene with the pig in season 1 was Aegon’s doing, he was an active participant in the bullying). Instead of having to face consequences for how horrible of a person Aegon actually is, his mother places him on the throne. Aemond kills Luke and it's because he's just angry about what happened to him as a child. Everything her children do, she justifies one way or another, just like what Viserys did for Rhaenyra. The sheer hypocrisy of it all.

[teaonastro]

The case of Zelda: harassment, stalking, bullying from a certain Discord server and more.

This post was written after someone sent us screenshots of the server in 2025 where @aphrodicci and friends were bullying Zelda once again. And sharing screenshots of her dating life without her consent.

There are probably going to be multiple posts about this situation, so far, this is part 1.

HERE is the link to the original ask (also the same person who sent us screenshots). ( https://www.tumblr.com/teaonastro/785194968765661184/i-left-the-server-because-it-was-just-way-too?source=share )

As you can see from the ask, this is someone who was in the server not a long time ago (they said they left a month ago due to toxicity in our private conversation), she attested to the fact that @zeldasnotes and @a-d-nox keep getting bullied and harassed. We already had proof of that because of the asks that @spiritstalking published and condoned (disgusting behaviour, by the way). But now we also have screenshots to prove that @aphrodicci and others (apparently @sydneymykah is complicit too, ACCORDING TO THE ANON) are still mentioning Zelda's private life.

This post exists to clarify a situation that has been deliberately distorted and ignored over the past two years. What began as a disagreement within @aprhodicci's server was twisted into a moral panic, weaponized by popular creators, and used to justify ongoing harassment, classism, and digital stalking.

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In 2023, @aphrodicci and friends started a hate campaign against @zeldasnotes. They accused Zelda of racism, however, the real situation is far different from what they made it out to be.

@evangelinesbible (a Black creator) once self-described herself as being a "slave to white men" in a conversation on the server. Later, when group tensions escalated, Zelda lashed out and repeated what @evangelinesbible said to her. Here is the screenshot of this specific instance. We asked Zelda for more information too.

Now, let's be clear.

The language Zelda used was harsh and inflammatory, but we believe that it was meant to call out @evangelinesbible on her hypocrisy. Clearly it was not meant to target Black people as a group. As we always say, you are entitled to your own opinion about anything we post, including this situation. However, the people who weaponized Zelda's quote ignored the ongoing harassment that provoked her outburst, ignored the fact that Zelda was close to the server and that she thought they were her friends. This quote was misused to launch a smear campaign that is still ongoing in 2025, although they are far more focused on @zeldasnotes' private life.

If accountability was truly the goal, the context and the entire conversation would have been included. But they weren't because this wasn't about accountability or justice at all. This is the same pattern we kept talking about.

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Now, onto the main thing.

Regardless of how one feels about Zelda, everyone has a right to privacy. Zelda's personal relationships and info were leaked and mocked repeatedly for the last two years. What someone does in their private romantic life is not community business. It should have never been shared, especially considering the fact that this was shared by her so called "friends" who leaked very intimate aspects of her life without her consent. Imagine how you'd feel if you were her and somebody who you thought was a friend published screenshots you shared out of love and trust. There are NO excuses for this.

Another aspect of this that we'd like to mention is that this is also a clear case of elitism and xenophobia. Clearly, Zelda is not a native English speaker, twisting her words was easy enough for them.

They knew she couldn’t defend herself as sharply, and they exploited that. This is underlying prejudice.

They also knew that she wouldn't be able to defend herself against so many of them. This is something that keeps repeating over and over again with different creators. Weaponizing race while ignoring class, language, and ongoing harassment is not justice.

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The original post made against Zelda with those screenshots was deleted but we managed to retrieve some of them. Another point that was made is that some of those server members were genuinely mad over the fact that Zelda made her own Discord server, this was treated as theft, absurdly. Creating a safe space is not plagiarism, and this is frankly a reach. I wonder if they're aware of how many other Discord servers exist.

And as usual, @aphrodicci and friends deny being bullies by using the same tactics: deny, deny and deny while also mocking their victim and subjecting her to further harassment. It has been proven by different creators that @aphrodicci and friends send hate to those who defy them (Corvo, Selene and so many more).

What @aprhodicci and friends use can be called DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender). It's meant to gaslight and minimize harm, discredit the victim and reframe bullying as "harmless" jokes.

We will be adding screenshots from that deleted post.

"It was just jokes" is classic bully logic, those of us who have been through bullying can recognize this immediately. When you repeatedly target someone, mock them and their private life, and keep bringing them up MONTHS and YEARS later, those are not just jokes. It's targeted harassment. And you are confessing to bullying. You are all aggressors trying to hide behind plausible deniability (which you were granted simply because of your scheming in silencing whoever defied you).

"We didn't send anons" is also suspiciously defensive, and we know it's a lie. The same exact thing happened to others including Selene, Corvo, Adnox, Lexa, Tarotbyjam and more. The tone here screams damage control, if no one cared, no one would write paragraphs denying involvement, would they? "No one cares enough" was also a cute attempt at gaslighting their victim. If no one truly cared, you wouldn't have made an entire post about it and you wouldn't have been bullying her on your Discord server. Plus, the language used in anons Zelda and others received mirrored the same phrasing found in their private server and on their accounts.

Telling someone they're not a victim while openly admitting you have been mocking and stalking them is like punching someone then saying "you bruised wrong". If that's not bullying, then what is? To demand emotional composure from the same person you've been targeting, while giving yourself and others a free pass to joke, poke and instigate is madness. It's classic DARVO behaviour, to reverse roles and to make the victim look "volatile".

They kept attempting to downplay their actions, by admitting to bullying and mocking Zelda? Funny. Now we can see why the post got deleted.

-Venus and Neptune

[mywitchyblog]

Forgot to say this too :

Alright, listen up, you judgmental assholes. I see y’all out here screaming about how "wrong" and "creepy" it is for someone to age themselves down in their DR to hook up with someone or relive some youthful romance. Meanwhile, you’re out here aging yourself up for the same exact reason, but somehow, in your twisted logic, that’s perfectly fine? Bitch, be fucking for real.

Let’s cut the bullshit: If aging yourself down to date or fuck is wrong, then guess what? Aging yourself up for the same reason is just as fucking wrong. There’s no moral high ground to be found here. You can’t call someone out for shifting into a younger version of themselves while you’re over there shifting into some older fantasy version of yourself just to live out some “mature, powerful lover” scenario. It’s the same game, just flipped.

Now let’s get to the real MVPs of hypocrisy: teenage shifters. You’ve got a real special brand of double standards, don’t you? Y’all will shift to a DR where you’re suddenly married with kids, living that adult fantasy life like you're some grown-up with a mortgage and responsibilities. Then the next day, you’re back in a high school DR, flirting with your 15-year-old sweetheart like it’s nothing. And yet, these are the same people who have the audacity to label adult shifters “creepy” for shifting down to experience young love or redo some teenage memories they missed out on. How the fuck do you not see the hypocrisy?

You can’t have it both ways. You defend your shifts by saying, “Oh, teens are also horny too so it is okay for me to script sexual stuff.” But then, as soon as an adult mentions wanting to relive a younger stage of life, you’re all up in arms, crying “predator!” Girl, sit down. You’re doing the same damn thing, just in reverse. You can’t pretend your shit is squeaky clean when you’re basically flipping the script to suit your fantasy.

And here’s where it gets real funny: y’all love to age yourselves up to live that mature, adult life, but when you come back to being 15 or 16 in your DR, suddenly you wanna cry about how your "maturity" is affected? Please. You’re switching between being a married 30-year-old in one DR to being a high school junior the next, but it’s the adults you want to come after? Y’all really gotta wake the fuck up.

Then, oh the fucking nerve, teenage shifters will sit there and script full-on adult relationships with older partners in one DR, then hop back to being a teenager dating another teen in the next DR. And y’all don’t see the contradiction? How’s it okay for you to be all up in adult business in one DR, but when an adult shifts down to experience young love, you wanna call them out? Make it make sense, because it sure as hell doesn’t.

Oh, and let’s not forget the real kicker: The pressure y’all feel to cram in all these shifts before you hit 18 in your OR, like once you become an “official adult,” those fantasies will suddenly be seen as creepy. So, there’s this mad rush to get all your DR desires in before adulthood hits, like you’ve got some moral deadline. Really? You’re creating a ticking time bomb for yourself, thinking everything's okay now, but if you did the same shifts in two years, you’d call yourself out? How is that not completely fucked up logic?

And let me not forget how some of you teenage shifters treat shifting like cosplay. You’re out here playing dress-up in your DRs, accusing adults of being creepy, and yet you’re scripting yourselves into stripper DRs or pornstar fantasies, acting like that’s somehow less weird. Bitch, please. You’re over here aging yourselves up to hook up with adults, or worse, aging down your adult love interests to match your age, and you still have the nerve to point fingers at others? That’s some next-level mental gymnastics right there. Y’all are doing cartwheels with your logic, and it’s honestly embarrassing.

Here’s a real mind-fuck for you: A 15-year-old shifts into a DR, lives there for 40 years, then comes back to their OR and dates someone who’s still 15. By your own logic, they’re now some kind of “predator” because they’ve lived for 55 years, right? But flip it around, if they shift back to being 15 and date a 55-year-old who’s aged up in their DR, suddenly that’s a problem? Where is the consistency here? You’re out here with a ruler trying to measure everyone else’s moral standing while standing in a pile of your own bullshit.

It’s like trying to apply chess rules to poker—you can’t just make up the rules as you go along to justify your own shifting decisions while dragging others. Every reality is different, every context is different, and trying to slap your one-size-fits-all judgment on someone else’s shift just makes you look like a clown. Shifting is nuanced, it’s complex, and y’all really need to stop pretending you’ve got some moral blueprint for everyone else to follow when you can’t even keep your own shifting ethics straight.

Bottom line: If you’re out here aging yourself up for the same shit you criticize adults for when they age down, you’re a hypocrite. Period. Either admit that both are fine, or recognize that both have the potential to be problematic. But you can’t keep pretending that aging up for some weird-ass fantasy suddenly makes it all okay. If you’re out here policing other people’s shifts while turning a blind eye to your own ? you're full of shit.

You don't get to rewrite the rules just to fit your narrative and then sit there acting like you're the moral compass of the shifting community. If you’re out here saying that aging down for a fantasy is creepy but think aging up for the same purpose is perfectly fine, you’re not only delusional, you’re a straight-up hypocrite.

And let’s get real: the double standard isn’t just ridiculous, it’s fucking exhausting. If you’re playing the same game, whether you’re aging down or up, it’s still the same manipulation of age for personal gratification. The moral high ground you think you’re standing on? That shit doesn’t exist.

So here’s your wake-up call: Stop preaching about what’s “right” or “wrong” when you’re shifting if you can’t apply the same scrutiny to yourself. You either gotta accept that shifting age—whether up or down—comes with some ethical complexity, or you need to shut the hell up and sit down. Because if you can’t see how aging up to fulfill your fantasies is just as questionable as aging down, then you’re not as woke as you think you are.

So next time you wanna criticize someone for how they shift, take a long, hard look at your own DRs and ask yourself: Am I being a hypocrite? If the answer’s yes, then maybe it’s time to step off your high horse, own your shit, and recognize that you’re not above anyone else. Either own it across the board, or get off the fucking ride and let everyone shift how they want to. Stop acting like one version of age-changing is somehow more acceptable than the other.

[demodraws0606]

My thoughts on the latest episode (aka HU IS THE CULPRIT I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL)

Warning : My sassy attitude is not directed towards anyone else, I'm simply amusing myself and also I've only gotten barely 5 hours of sleep god save me.

This is gonna be very long and messy so strap in folks

It's so obviously not Eden or Ace it's painful (idc 'i'll die for my hubris). Not even just because Eden lying and being the culprit after all of that would be both underwelming and just...miserable. But also because of how the way we're getting the reveal in advance that it could only be Ace and Eden. The fact the cast was already on Eden's throat as well just makes this point even more clear to me.

This isn't like fucking Korekiyo in chapter 3 of DRV3, this isn't how a culprit reveal happens. Especially not when there's so much we don't know yet.

So who is the culprit ?

...

It's Hu, it's literally Hu.... and like 1 pourcent chance it's Nico but I think both of them are accomplices here.

The thing is, I don't buy any of the shit Nico is saying, their admission of guilt is strangely quick and detached. They also seem to go along with anything people say about them (like them framing Hu) which makes it even more suspicious, they could've just said they used Hu's weapon out of conveniance ? The only thing this episode has proved me is that Nico is an Active accomplice rather than a Passive one like I thought. For what reason ? I honestly don't know fully yet but again we don't know a lot about Nico anyways.

Hu's behavior really makes me think she did it and is acting out, mostly out of guilt. She seems really stressed this trial which while makes sense for character reasons, it also makes sense if she's the culprit and feeling guilty. It would explain her defending Eden and Nico mainly I think despite her probably being the culprit she doesn't want the perception that Eden/Nico has to be broken (especially not bc of her). I've already explained how Hu being the culprit makes sense from a character perspective so I'm not gonna get more into it.

By the way any arguments in this post being like "it would be out of character for Nico or Hu to do that" should honestly review their own hypocrisy if they think Eden did it, or even Ace for that matter.

Another thing that makes me even more convinced that it can't be Ace or Eden is that...you can't fucking prove any of them did it with 100 pourcent certainty. David fucking threw the BDA rule out of the window, so we can't be sure Eden didn't do it but like what decisive evidence would make it clear between the two of them.

The only pieces of evidence we have left is :

-The sticky ball of clothes (most likely turpentine because the soil of the relexation room would cause the ball to have stains on it)

-The alibi for the relaxation room water

-The missing glove (which I think i've changed my opinion on what it could mean here)

Eden did know about the ball of clothes (but that piece of fucking evidence has strings attached so we'll get to that) and Ace doesn't have an alibi against taking the water like Eden does.

The missing glove is the only evidence left untouched here and honestly I actually don't think it had anything to do with the glove having someone's hair or anything, mainly because first of all the culprit could've technically just removed any hair on the glove even if it was sticky.

And also there's something else that makes more sense.

I think they probably had to use the glove to avoid rope burn while trying to set up the mechanism to kill Arei. Especially with how high the playground's ceilling is, it wouldn't be child's play. I'm not really good at deciphering what could've possibly happenened directly in the murder but I'd argue it's just more likely that the culprit would be put in a situation were rope burn could happen. This murder set up would require a lot of physical effort, and if the culprit even slipped for a second their hands would end up being damaged from rope burn making them obviously look guilty (also ouchie), which I think is what happened.

It would also explain the scuffs on the floor, maybe the culprit was struggling to hold onto the rope leading to them causing marks with their feet while trying to pull on the rope.

The reason why I think the glove is missing is probably because it's damaged and the culprit wanted to avoid the cast knowing they used Arei's glove during the murder. In fact it's the only piece of evidence that is completely missing

But why ?

Has anyone realised something about, I argue, the three other main suspects here ?

Nico, Eden, Ace ?

They all have gloves.

"But a huge portion of the cast has gloves this doesn't mean anything, it's just a stylistic choice !!" Yeah, the majority of the cast has gloves.

I think now you can understand why the culprit wouldn't want the cast to know that the glove was used. Because if the cast did see the glove that was probably damaged, they would assume the culprit wore it and it would narrow down the suspect list to an extremely narrow pool. This forces them to basically take the glove and hope to fucking god the cast doesn't catch on which they clearly haven't yet.

You know who doesn't fucking wear gloves.

HU JING

My girl got no gloves on !!!!

So yeah, with the glove being untouched evidence yet I think it will be the main decisive thing to point out who the culprit truly is, and I just don't think it's just gonna be like "oh let's just search everyone to see which one has the glove !". For all we know the culprit could've fucking eaten the glove, I don't think we're getting another Min in trying to search shit on people's person.

Anyways I'm gonna transition to other stuff to explain how the Nico and Hu theory makes sense from a logical standpoint here.

Let's get on to the sticky ball of clothes.

First I want to get it out there that I do not think the ball being sticky is due to the soil of the relaxation room. Mono-TV's talk about the "special formula" was mostly to foreshadow the floor of the playground's properties, also the fucking ball would have stains on it.

For me this means the ball of clothes has to have been covered in turpentine especially now that we have confirmation from Ace directly.

This is extremely huge and I'm flabbergasted has no one has mentioned this. Pray tell where the fuck did that piece of cloth go, did it get isekai'd into another world ?

This question actually has multiple meaning here because that fucking ball of clothing actually has massive implications. It confirms a lot of things and also puts a lot of doubt in things that seemed to be confirmed.

Before that I also want to say that Arei 100 pourcent got knocked out with turpentine. I don't want to argue over and over again that it was used because I've done this before but I have to since there are multiple reasons why she had to have been knocked out.

The floor is extremely prone to scuffs, if Arei was struggling then we definitely would've seen more than just a few marks in one area.

The method of murder would have been extremely difficult if she was struggling, like to a ridiculous point. Especially with someone like Arei who has been shown to have been sneaky and very prone to attacking people in their weak spots.

The tape binding Arei's hand in hindsight actually probably wasn't to avoid her struggling, it was most likely due to how the mechanism of the murder work. Keep in mind how the murder had to have worked and imagine if Arei's hands were just loose and flopping around. There could have been possible injuries with her arms that would ruin the culprit's obvious plan to make it look like a suicide. It also just makes sense for weight reasons, again Arei having her arms flopping around would make moving her body even more difficult.

And even if you want disagree with all of that, the culprit could've just binded her tape to avoid the same mistake that happened with Ace with him waking up from the turpentine.

Now that I've made my case about Arei being knocked out, let's get on the actual new arguments I want to make.

First, we know for a fact that a piece of cloth was used to knock out Ace meaning it has to have gone somewhere, if you say "well they could've just thrown it away" I will personally come into your home and shit in your shoes. And you're also wrong because I've already proven that Arei had to have been knocked out.

This means the only piece of cloth available to us would be the sticky ball of clothes.

But...like let me just explain everything that's mind boggling about all of this.

-This ball of clothes had to have been made for Ace's murder to knock him out

-The only people who knew about the old clothes were Hu, Teruko and Whit. Eden only knowing later on, way after Ace's murder was planned probably, because Hu told her about it.

-The culprit used this ball of clothing against both Arei and Ace

-The cloth is suspiciously absent from the murder scene, which makes no sense considering Nico's account rely on them not having left the gym while trying to murder Ace. Them leaving to chuck the cloth aside only to come back to the gym doesn't make sense with the timeline in how we discover things.

Yep, I'm making the claim that Nico didn't actually kill Ace here, I still think it's Hu. Again you can try and complain all you want about how it's out of character for Nico but the reality is...shit is not adding up.

It's really suspicious how silent Hu becomes when her weapon is brought up, immediatly clamming up and not defending Nico anymore. When Teruko makes assumption that Nico lied to Hu to get her weapon, she doesn't reply with a betrayed "Nico is that true ?" or even a sentence she responds with "That's...". The amout of ellpises both Nico and Hu give are extremely suspicious and just make me side eye both of them extremely hard.

I'm gonna go on another tangent here, on the subject of Hu being suspicious. Mainly because I do wanna point out a moment that both makes Eden seem a lot more innocent and makes Hu a lot more guilty.

The subject of Arei potentially committing suicide.

Now, it's very clear that the way Arei was hung was meant to make it look like Arei killed herself, this was very much meant to be the culprit's intention. Both to hide the true murder mechanism and probably to mislead the cast. The fact that it's only an incidental red mark of Arei's wrist that proves she didn't kill herself, proves that the culprit intended for it to look like a suicide.

However guess who argues against this...Eden, which, if she is the culprit I don't see why she would do something like that (and if you say "well why is Hu defending Nico and Eden" I already explained it). Clearly the Eden!Culprit theory relies on her being capable of manipulation so there's no reason why she would be so caught up in her own feelings to just ruin her own plan like that.

You know who seems to really be into the idea of Arei killing herself though, Hu.

That's all I have to say on that, now let's get onto how I think Nico actually helped Hu.

I do think there's still a 50/50 on them working directly together or just Nico catching onto Hu's plans and deciding on their own to help her.

I do think Nico directly helped her though in two major ways

First, the water, it's the obvious one. Nico probably ended up giving the water the Hu here weither they did so with/without knowing Hu's intention doesn't really matter since they're deciding to keep quiet about it now.

I also want to quickly mention how Hu getting water from the relaxation room makes a lot of sense. Hu was busy with Eden in the kitchen and Teruko had taken all the drinks from the gym, so it's likely Hu was forced to take the water from the relaxation room.

Second, the note

Oooo baby let's get into my favorite realisation in watching this episode.

One piece of dialogue has made me realize something

This made me puzzled too, because yeah, who would be listening in and how did Arei not notice when she went into the room ?

Let me take you all back to Chapter 2 Episode 5

Rose and Teruko have a conversation about Rose's secret and that conversation lasts a good while, until...

Nico was actually shown to have been there the entire time, Teruko and Rose were talking without noticing they were there.

Nico then explains themselves like this, pretty much proving this is something they just like doing casually sometimes.

This actually would explain everything on how the eavesdropping happened, Nico was on the literal fucking floor of the infirmary leading to them listening to everyone's conversation. Which tmeans they could have had the information to write the note.

This would explain the inconcistencies as to why would the culprit know to eavesdrop and how they didn't get caught by Arei when she was barging into the room (if they were outside by the door).

Now this leads to two possibilities with Nico and their relation to Hu.

Either they worked together with Hu and they both came up with the murder together. Which means either of them could've written the note.

Or Nico helped Hu without her knowledge, making the note to help her (edit : just realised this doesn't make a lot of sense ignore this).

I believe this is all I have so far and I'm very tired so you won't get a conclusion

Oh wait I hear something in the background...

"WHAT ABOUT THE TAAAAAAAAPE"

First of all, y'all gaslit me into thinking Ace couldn't have taken the tape so I'm already sick of this tape bullshit being used as decisive unshakeable evidence.

You know what I think probably happened ? Ace took the tape, after all it disappeared when he woke up and it's possible that he just then threw it away in the trash.

I mean Ace did say he was gonna "commit a murder of his own", it would be in line with him taking the tape.

Why isn't he talking about it then ? Because he'd be seen as the fucking culprit and also Ace is not really the most honest bitch out need i mention Ace witholding info about David and Arei's conversation.

[merwgue]

Rhysand is often portrayed as this perfect, morally grey ruler, but when you take a closer look at his actions, it's obvious how messed up he really is. Let’s break down the so-called “benevolent” High Lord of the Night Court.

1. The Hewn City – The King of Torture? Rhysand's treatment of the people in Hewn City is straight-up barbaric. The way he holds power over them isn’t out of necessity or to “protect” them from worse rulers—it’s control through fear and violence. He tortures them, plays with their lives, and enjoys maintaining his iron grip on them. It's almost like he uses them as his personal stress toys. Is that really the hallmark of a just ruler? Sure, Hewn City isn’t full of saints, but for Rhys to stand on his high horse and act like he's saving everyone while still torturing his subjects? Hypocrisy at its finest.

2. Rhysand and Feyre – Let’s Talk About Consent Let’s not forget that he literally assaulted Feyre Under the Mountain. I don’t care how anyone tries to frame it as him “saving her” from Amarantha—there’s no excuse for the way he took away her agency. Rhys manipulated her, forced her into wearing those skimpy outfits, and paraded her around for his entertainment. All while pretending it was for the greater good. It's pretty damn disgusting how that gets brushed under the rug like it was some noble sacrifice when in reality, he robbed Feyre of her choices.

3. Planning to Execute Nesta – The Line Between Justice and Control Rhysand and his inner circle legit planned to execute Nesta, all because she didn’t fall in line. Nesta had her faults—hell, a lot of them—but threatening her life because she didn't act the way Rhys wanted? That's not justice; that's manipulation and control at its core. He wasn't trying to protect anyone. He was pissed that he couldn't control her, that she wasn't another cog in his perfect little machine of Night Court harmony.

4. Tamlin – Kicking a Man While He’s Down Say what you will about Tamlin, but there’s no denying that Rhysand completely overstepped every boundary when it came to him. The Night Court loves to preach about freedom, but Rhys had no problem strutting into Tamlin’s land, throwing it in his face, and making an already broken man feel like utter shit. There’s a difference between defending your own and downright antagonizing someone who’s in the depths of depression. At one point, he basically told Tamlin to end his own life. What kind of "savior" talks like that to someone who's clearly struggling? It's downright cruel.

5. The Night Court – A Dictatorship Wrapped in Pretty Words Rhysand's Night Court is sold to everyone as this place of freedom, where people can be who they truly are—but at what cost? If you cross Rhys or don’t fall in line with his vision, you either face his wrath, his torture, or his manipulation. He's not running a court; he's running a dictatorship where everything is fine as long as it aligns with his master plan. The fact that he keeps calling himself the “most powerful High Lord in history” just feeds into that massive god complex he has. The ego on this guy is unbelievable.

6. Double Standards – The Morality of Convenience Rhys preaches about freedom and respect, but he only seems to extend that to people he deems worthy. If you’re in his circle or someone he cares about, great—you get all the privileges. If not? Well, tough luck. He’ll trample over your land, threaten your life, or torture you into submission. The cherry on top? Everyone around him acts like he’s the greatest thing to happen to Prythian, and the fandom just eats it up.

So, yeah. Rhysand is fucked up. He’s not just morally grey—he’s power-hungry, manipulative, and borderline sadistic. His version of “ruling” the Night Court is as hypocritical as it gets. Benevolent High Lord? More like the king of self-righteous cruelty.

7. Locking Up Nesta – Rhysand’s Tamlin Moment Remember how everyone vilified Tamlin for locking Feyre up “for her own safety”? Sure, it was messed up, but the narrative painted him as this controlling, possessive villain because of it. Now, fast forward to Rhysand, who literally does the same thing to Nesta. She’s spiraling, yes, but instead of finding her real help or giving her space to heal, he decides to trap her in the House of Wind like a damn prisoner. He takes away her freedom, isolates her from the outside world, and forces her into a situation she clearly doesn’t want. How is that any different from what Tamlin did?

But here’s the kicker: Rhysand gets praised for it. Why? Because he’s Rhysand, the supposed hero, and everything he does is always “for the greater good,” right? It’s utter bullshit. He used the same controlling tactics on Nesta that Tamlin used on Feyre, but the fandom acts like he was being this saintly, tough-love older brother. What he did was textbook manipulation, stripping away Nesta’s autonomy because she didn’t fit into his perfect vision of what recovery should look like.

8. Forcing Recovery on Nesta – Ignoring Trauma Let’s not sugarcoat this: Rhysand locked up a woman who was using drinking as a coping mechanism and basically said, “Tough luck, you’re staying here until you fix yourself.” That's not helping; that’s punishing someone for their trauma. Nesta was in pain, lashing out and struggling to deal with what happened to her. Did she need help? Absolutely. But instead of offering her real emotional support, Rhys just forced her into a recovery program that suited his standards and timeline, not hers.

What makes this even worse is that Nesta was self-harming through drinking, and instead of addressing the root cause of her pain, Rhysand and his inner circle chose to control her like she was a problem that needed to be fixed, not a person who needed to be understood. There’s nothing noble about that.

9. Rhysand’s Hypocrisy – Tamlin vs. Himself This is where Rhysand’s hypocrisy really shines. He condemned Tamlin for being controlling, and Feyre (rightfully) left that toxic environment. But Rhys turns around and does the same thing to Nesta, and instead of being held accountable for it, he gets celebrated for “taking action.” How does that even make sense? It's such a double standard that it's almost laughable. Tamlin’s actions were wrong, but Rhysand’s were just as bad, if not worse, because he knew better. He knew what it felt like to be controlled, yet he did it anyway.

10. Stop Giving Rhys a Pass People need to stop giving Rhysand a pass for his behavior. He gets away with literal torture, manipulation, locking people up, and trampling over others' boundaries because he’s good at hiding it behind the facade of “protecting his court.” He’s not the hero people make him out to be. He’s just as flawed and fucked up as the people he claims to be better than.

At the end of the day, locking someone up—whether it’s Feyre in the Spring Court or Nesta in the House of Wind—is a violation of their autonomy. Rhysand isn't some hero swooping in to save the day. He's a controlling ruler who just happens to be good at spinning the narrative in his favor.

[unknown-cold]

I hate that people still think Vi needs to sacrifice everything for Jinx. As if she hasn’t been selfless her whole life and has immense guilt/trauma around it. Vi finally has the autonomy, after 7 years of being locked away, to make her own decisions. Girl is trying her best. She’s her own person and not solely responsible for her sister’s wellbeing. This is why I love Caitlyn and Vi together. Caitlyn tries to remind her of that. So sick of people always demonizing Vi for all of this :(

I agree with you on this, I don't know why people don't want to admit that Vi is also traumatized and not just Jinx and she feels guilty about what happened and what will happen. Cause Season 2 will focus on Vi and her suffering and hesitation in making decisions. And as you said, Vi is not the only one responsible for Jinx's actions, Jinx has gone too far in her actions, I understand her situation but I will never accept that she kills people and is the reason for the war. I mean the council finally agreed to the independence of Zaun and their freedom, then Jinx comes and ruins everything. And someone will come and say Jinx had the right to do this. Oh really I'm sure if it was another character who did this they would have hated her, I mean okay I understand the character but I will not accept that she does bad things and I say she has the right. That's hypocrisy guys, okay.

As for Caitlyn I feel sorry for what will happen to her, she was trying to keep the peace and help everyone but unfortunately what will happen in season 2 will change her character. For me, I can totally understand Cait's character change. The problem with these people is that they will never stop making Cait and Vi look like villains, even though they're not, they're just trying to protect civilians from Silco's men and Jinx too. I don't know, despite Jinx's bad actions, they still defend her and don't even justify her. Even Silco these people still defend him despite all the heinous acts he did throughout the first season.

I don't know what to tell them, are these people teenagers who love villain characters so they defend them or do they just like to make noise? I honestly don't know, but the only thing I know is that they are hypocrites of the first degree.

But don't worry too much about what they say because they are really annoying.

The important thing is that we know we are right because we have facts and our words are not biased towards certain characters because we love them, but rather we are defending good characters who are doing their best to do the right thing. And let's not forget that what makes this show special is that the characters make mistakes, not the perfect characters. "But the difference between them is that there are characters who admit their mistakes and try to fix them in any way they can, while other characters make mistakes on purpose and believe they are right".

[coffeebooksrain18]

Carrying on from your conversation with previous anon, the fact she tells Daemon to marry her and then less than a month later gets impregnated by Harwin says so much about Rhaenyra’s psyche.

For all their airs of “feminist writing” the writers have written a woman who is in constant need of male validation, seeking out a man to look after her 24/7.

She first tried with Criston who outright rejects her because this is high treason the punishment for which is death so she looks for an alternative.

Then for ten years she’s with Harwin, not giving Daemon a second thought. The minute she loses him however she’s suddenly all over Uncle Daemon, telling him how they’re meant to “burn together”.

Daemon however ends up being a massive disappointment as both a lover (we all saw how much she enjoyed beach sex 🤢) and a husband so she seeks both elsewhere.

Myseria (and probably others) makes up for the sex but what she really wants is a new husband.

So in comes pretty boy Jace with his pretty boy Strong genes, Rhaenyra’s perfect man. She wants him to validate her constantly, tell her she’s perfect, enable her recklessness and stupidity (looking at the joke that was 2x03’s Sept scene) because she needs constant male attention.

No because this is so true. She doesn't even try to figure things out on her own. Before marriage she ran to Viserys (even after she was married she did it but still).

Then she had Daemon but then he left her in a dangerous situation so she went and found Criston. And when Criston caller her put on his hypocrisy and how his life is on the line she acts the victim because he isn't bending to her will.

Then we have her try and convince Daemon again but that doesn't work because he doesn't want her, he only wanted to ruin her which worked and didn't. So then she turns to Harwin, why because she knows he won't say anything after he found her in the streets the night she went to the brothel. He didn't say a word so obviously he can keep his mouth shut. She had her devoted lover she always wanted, but as a running theme with Rhaenyra he left her and one of the few that is different, died.

Then it goes back to Daemon. I'm a firm believer that Daemon wasn't gonna pursue her, he was probably gonna go off to a brothel to drink and fuck his sorrow away. I'm a Laena x Daemon shipper. I honestly think he said some of the things he did so Rhaenyra would stay because he knew her intentions and why spend three copper when she is so willing? So they slept together so she could have another man validate her emotions of lust and desire even though, like I said, it was probably just because she made it pretty clear what she wanted and it's Daemon. But then she realizes he isn't the complacent person she was hoping for. He isn't like Harwin where he kept his mouth shut and let her speak; he isn't like Laenor who let her be free and do as she pleases, he isn't like Viserys where he lets her get away with anything. No he calls her out. So I honestly believe she probably found other people to sleep with during those years in the time jump.

Now onto Mysaria. I honestly find it interesting how Rhaenyra didn't seem very attracted to her until the kiss. I think she saw a lot of Alicent in her after she told her, her deepest traumas. I also have noticed she enjoys having people open up to her all while not doing it herself. She wants them to feel safe but not actually let her guard down either. And I think we see this the most with Mysaria and Jace. She uses Mysaria as if she is just a place holder. She doesn't have Daemon to validate her, and Jace seems to be avoiding her, so in the end she turns to Mysaria only to ignore the fact she kissed her.

Then onto Jace, I honestly think this is the perfect example of emotional incest. Ever since he was a boy he had to defend her. When Luc tried to reach for Baby Jof I don't think he was doing it to keep Jof calm I think think he saw Rhaenyra worried face. Then we have older him, he demands his mothers honor quite often, more than Luc or Daemon do. Like if Daemon didn't kill Vaemond I think Jace would've. Then we move onto the second season, she always wants him to validate decisions. She wants more dragons he says Targaryens married into other houses. She wants an army he finds more houses to help her (Frey), he was always trying trying make her happy. And in the end all his work was worthless to her, she brought bastards to Dragonstone to claim two of the biggest dragons (I know Silverwing was a accident but I know she was moving to her next). She doesn't seem to care about how this will look for him, how this one choice could ruin everything for him. So he calls her out, he says what she has done and how it has destroyed any chance he has at the throne. But she doesn't care, he isn't complacent anymore. So when Daemon sends word he has taken the Riverlands she leaves Jace without a second thought. I also will say through out the second season Jace hides a lot, he doesn't want to he the center of attention it seems. But then when you think about all of this it clicks, he doesn't want to be near Rhaenyra, he doesn't want to be by his Mother because she isn't acting like one to him. She is treating him like a husband.

Thanks for the ask Anon!

[wildpeachfarm]

have you seen cate’s priv tweets? if not i can send screenshots she’s beefing with twitter stan’s calling out her hypocrisy and it’s……

ok my mini ranting is going to be under the cut because all the pics make it long

This girl has such an inability to face criticism it's fascinating like I think the point went right over her head. Like do i think some of the wording in the post was harsh and probably unnecessary? Sure.

but no one said people had to exclusively 'publicly defend' george?? But maybe don't bullshit with "oh you don't know them behind the scenes" when you were actively hanging out with them prior and then continued to hang out with a few of them afterwards... it makes you look performative right longside everyone else who made giant, exaggerative claims about the situation and then was a hypocrite about other stuff.

She never once called george a "friend" during this whole thing or said she was "disappointed"- it was all venom from her so idk where she thinks she conveyed any of that.

also this is so interesting because she is always shoving her nose into shit that doesn't involve her and making these big statements about stuff so like...yeah obviously that it giving people room to critique you, that's just how the internet works.

and this is just another example of her just going "nuh uh" and not actually taking ANYTHING they said into consideration or providing literally anything to refute it in terms of things she has said, etc. so like...this isn't a good explanation. I just wish she would actually think about some of this and the core of the message people are trying to convey instead of getting mad at the mere thought of criticism for your actions in a sensitive situation and how that looks to other people.

[almacambiondaughterofsaleos]

This Defense Of Stolas Is Just So Laughable

Critical Crusher Bot, the anti anti helluva boss fan, is at it again with his braindead two cents on how to defend Stolas and it's a doozy. The main points that Stolas is getting back his autotomy, male abuse victims should be taken seriously, he's a victim not a villain, lack of nuance, bashing so-called gotcha culture, trying to invoke there is no moral correctness, and that it's a survival story, and he owes Stella nothing for cheating on her.

First thing first is that the autonomy thing is bs and hypocritical when Stolas himself violates Blitzo's autonomy by forcing him into the full moon agreement and sexually abusing. Seriously, this series and his defenders wants you to think Stolas is a brave victim of abuse standing up for himself against his abuser, while trapping a lower class demon into a sexually exploitative relationship. That's pure tone deaf bs. He's not a victim he's an even worse abuser than Stella because unlike him she never sexually abused him and most of all she didn't try to make herself out as the victim when called out for her actions. And none of this pos fans actually took Blitzo as an abuse victim seriously and brushed it off as he could have just said no at any time, but we know that Stolas had all the power but they don't want to admit it.

Also yes Stolas was the villain because you don't sexually exploit someone and expect to be seen as the bad guy. The only reason why he's seen as the "good guy" is because the narrative wants to. And that goes into the bs of nuance and no moral correctness. Because there is no nuance, because it refuses to see things through Stella's way and just make Stolas the pure woobie abused by her while she's demonized as the most evil thing ever. Also that no moral correctness is also bs because that's a cop out to say we don't want to think about how what a pos Stolas can be and people have a right to call him out. Just because someone is designated a victim doesn't mean they are absolved of horrible things they do especially if they are an abuser themself.

Also this ain't no survival story. Stolas always had the power to leave he just did out of some misguided savior complex to give his daughter proper family when in reality she was exposing her to a toxic environment that could go off at any time. He could have left it years ago and have nothing to do with her. But again this pos just put all of this on himself because he's a sucker for punishment. Calling Stolas a survival story is an insult to real survivors of abuse who had all the stacks against them and little support. Also Stolas destroyed that family life out of selfishness and now wants to look like the victim for destroying his daughter's life while his defenders overlook that.

And that's the other part, these people say we are looking for gotchas, but that's it we are looking at the fact that Stolas is presented as something in narrative when in execution he comes off as something else. He comes across as a horrible person uses every excuse he can to absolve himself of any wrongdoing to the point that even when you point out the hypocrisy people will pull up another one. That's the real gotcha which is nothing is ever his fault and you should feel shame for bringing it up.

Also just because you feel he has no obligation to his wife he does have an obligation to his daughter and he destroyed it completely by cheating on her mother. And don't use the abuse card, because he as said before could have just divorced her easily but instead became a cheating prick who sexually abused a lower class demon to feel any sort of happiness. He even multiple times chose being with Blitzo with her three times. You can't even tell me that he cares about Octavia and then says he doesn't owe anything to Stella. He really at heart is just a selfish pos who only cares about what he wants and no one else not even the person he says he loves. Because when he's around Blitzo all he does is take from him rather than give. It's a parasitic relationship that's deceptively depicted as a healing, complex relationship when in reality it's toxic as hell, but the narrative and fandom don't want to admit it. If they actually can't state the obvious morals about Stolas their support for this show crumbles and they have to question what this series actually stands for by condoning such a depiscable character.

[maxiemumdamage]

Hopefully any remaining Striker defenders will hush up after that, at least.

Like, you could not have had a more obvious way to show that he cares more about his personal interests and profit than he ever did about Imp Rights or Sticking It To The Rich.

Because Striker had the chance to rat out Stella and Andrealphus when he was called to testify! He could’ve said “that one paid me to kill her noble Prince Goetia husband and that one paid me to lie about it and blame an Imp.”

No, it might not have worked — an Imp’s testimony alone wouldn’t have gotten Goetic nobles indicted, even if with Andrealphus’s help it was enough to execute another Imp.

But Striker testifying against Andrealphus would’ve raised questions about the legitimacy of the trial, and at minimum would’ve gotten Stolas in the room. From there, Blitzo would’ve been acquitted, and Andrealphus and Stella would’ve received some kind of punishment. Given that Stolas outranks them both as a Goetic Prince and still got a 100 year sentence…I mean, their punishment wouldn’t be nothing.

But the thing is: it’s not about class for Striker at all. It’s about his personal profit, he only whines about social inequality because the current class structure doesn’t benefit him. He’s all too happy to do exactly what he critiqued Blitzø for and roll over/show his belly to a blueblood prick if it means he gains something — in this case, immunity for his pointless attack on Stolas.

(It was the same thing then. Killing one elite for profit even when it benefitted more of them for Stolas to die than for him to live and continue his relationship with Blitzø.)

Never mind that another innocent Imp will die in Striker’s place for a crime he didn’t even commit. Never mind that Blitzø being publicly executed for having ambition and daring to run his own business is worse for Imps’ rights and social development. Never mind that telling the truth and calling Andrealphus and Stella out might make all these elites turn on each other by exposing their hypocrisy and petty power plays.

It doesn’t benefit Striker, personally, so it’s not worth doing.

[katyspersonal]

Hi there, I hope you don’t mind the random question but in your mind which fanbase would you say is worse, Elden Ring or Bloodborne in terms of annoying fans. I used to think Bloodborne fans could be bad but holy shit ER fans are something else when it comes to lore discussions. As someone who is pretty active in lore talk with both games do you find one side to be more exhausting to deal with than the other? Obviously feel free not to answer this if you think it might start drama

Honestly? I can't hate Bloodborne fandom enough.

Bloodborne was my first Fromsoft game and one keeping me hostage in terms of fixation for over three years, like I said! And yes, it has incredibly bad, toxic people in it - Maria fans who kept slandering Gehrman despite all the info against their takes, honestly believed there is anything problematic with Gehrmaria, had mental breakdown if anyone dared to see Maria as bi or straight despite her not having canon sexuality, believed that the whole story is either about man bad woman good OR was incredibly misogynist, no between. Close minded, toxic people who would deliberately bait anger and pain with placing their hate in the tags and then play victims when those hurt fans snapped back. Oh, I hate them, and revealing that Gehrman's "creepiness" and "misogyny" was completely and fully translation mistake, as well as pointing out how comes why nothing is wrong with how Doll is dressed with facts, is forever my most valid contribution to the fandom. More so than my ugly childlike fanart or convoluted theories could ever be. But, not THIS is why Bloodborne fandom is worse in my opinion.

Elden Ring fandom introduced not one but SEVERAL annoying and exhausting topics to deal with! I "affectionately" titled especially rabid Malenia and Miquella fans 'Twin Cultists' because this is exactly what their behavior is and have always been! Funny enough, a person who got mad at me for this one was someone who got alienated on Discord server for Miquella fans because owners started to insist that only their headcanons are valid AND admitted to me on feeling unsafe for not shipping Finlenia. I am dead serious! Malenia fans are strikingly similar to Maria pseudofeminist fans in toxicity, Miquella fans are like if you removed all likeable traits of Leda and replaced them with even MORE of undying vitriol for anyone who dares to interpret him as anything but perfect pure radiant sunshine. Mohg triggered a pretty awful discourse between those who insisted he was rapist molester whatever and if you interpret it differently you are insensitive and media-illiterate victimblamer and people who defended him "becoming the very thing they sworn to destroy" as well as also exhibiting cult-like thought control in their circles (they know who they are -_-).

But the DLC has changed things a bit, right? Some Twin Cultists are still spilling vitriol, except now they also claim that writers are bad, not only fans that disagree with them! Still, blessed, deserved vindication finally arrived! But what about others, whose situation never changed? Vitriol towards Godrick is ABSURD. You know how common fandoms L is that they judge and hate female character for something, but when male character did the exact same thing it is humored or justified? Godrick is this, minus the gender difference, yet everyone who points out his actual characteristics and the hypocrisy of his haters gets ridiculed. You thought that his fans would flock together to support each others? No, turns out that pocket are loosers who think people who don't headcanon him as trans are childish and ridiculous and loathe cishet Elden Ring fans in general. Fia and D are caught in the weird discourse loop where one is always simplified and idealized and another is demonized to Hell and beyond, when they both are strongly caught in religious brainwashing of sorts but also are sympathetic in their own right. Ranni's fans and haters both do not know the term of Machiavellian (aka "Ends justify the means" philosophy). She is the worst most evil character in the setting over what crimes she committed in order to protect the world from the problem of potentially anyone being able to grab the laws of nature itself and shape them according to their bigotries and preferences, OR she is a perfect innocent fighter against oppression and people who dislike her Just Hate Women TM. And of course we cannot forget the one above them all! The radiant, omnipresent, eternal!...

Marika truly brings out the worst of discussions! She has been before SOTE, but you YEARN for pre-SOTE times if you hate OR love her! Not because things changed, but because now discussion can't be avoided. She is THE Elden Ring character who is only ever demonized and idealized. Before SOTE, she was only ever just a tyrant who loves genocide OR simply a puppet of Greater Will (or rather Two Fingers claiming to speak for it as it turned out) who never meant to do that shit and finally heroically rebelled. After SOTE... hahaha, oh boy... we started to deal with the issue of excusing genocide. Her fans will claim into essays and more essays why Hornsent are all fundamentally dangerous race and Marika is merely trying to rid the world of filth that ruins it by sending Messmer. However, demonization didn't quite go away either, and her haters are so angry at writers humanizing her a bit more that they say WRITERS are pro-fascist!

So, why? I've described such horrid discourse, when Bloodborne fandom sounds like it simply has a few bad apples in comparison! What can be worse than Elden Ring fandom, after a description like this? Yeah, you see... Elden Ring fandom is thorn by awful arguments and discourse, it is hostile and dangerous for your mental health if you are invested into fandom beyond just "consuming content" and advertising your art for sale. Yet, it lives. It lives in the same sense as a land torn by earthquakes lives. It lives in the same sense a volcano that won't stop smoking lives. It lives in the same sense sea lives during the storm. But it LIVES.

Bloodborne fandom is a fucking Caelid.

If you question whether I'd be scared of "drama", I assume you are new here and don't know my epic lore. I am not afraid of anything because society made itself clear on what I am for it. In the most condenced way possible, one OF those toxic Maria fans didn't like me thinking for myself too much so they went out of their way to slander me for various -ists and -phobias. Their ableist friend that doesn't take racism seriously joined in. I was a victim of stalking, harassment, slander, witch-hunting and cult-like shunning for over a year, and so was every kind fool who treated me like a human - friend or mutual. I can NOT speak of Bloodborne fandom experience from personal standpoint because obviously it is not an objective experience (though someone who also got unfairly slandered by Maria fans too contacted me, so I question whether it IS a trend..?). Still, it isn't about me or my friends, we are an oddity. Bloodborne fandom for me was just a bunch of gullible, weak sheep who are okay with witch-hunt because letting just a few people get harassed is not worth souring their fandom experience. And I do not wish to turn back or even try to mend anything. I caught my stalker and exposed their crimes, I made everyone who believed they were innocent feel stupid and ashamed, it was all I wanted. I don't wish to "befriend" the fandom afterwards.

YEAH YEAH "THINGS ONCE BROKEN" WHATEVER

But I was still posting and drawing and playing and talking and writing, right? I was still present. So, I was at least observing what was going on. And what truly soured Bloodborne fandom was actually happening afterwards, what was not involving me or any friend or enemy I knew. The worst thing happened, worse for fandom than any amount of discourse. I call it "centralization", for lack of better term.

Bloodborne is a niche fandom, yet it had a sudden zoomers burst. And that led to dynamics of "fandom leaders", and stupid fucking Discord community that are akin to elite club in which if you are not invited you might as well not exist. It ALL became about stupid "web of mutuals" nonsense. It ALL became about some cool kids deciding what will be the ship or the take of the week/month, and soon you'd see NOTHING but this thing posted. Always through the exact same lense, too. Only to then be forgotten, because it was just a trend. Rom x Caryll comes to mind as a FAD of similar vibe. Micolaurence too.

I just hate this. The fandom stopped LIVING. I saw genuinely absurd things happen! Like someone drawing Mariadeline, one of the most popular ships in the fandom, yet they get completely ignored because they've failed to grab a beer at the bar with "leaders" of this ship who "hold" the distribution of that approval and love. Even worse; over a year ago, a very talented, fun, energetic and creative fan of Mensis Trio and Byrgenwerth squad showed up! They were SPAMMING art and writing, and all of that was good! So good that..... all of that barely got over 20 notes, maybe 30. Why? Because, again, you can't just post about blorbos and expect to be liked and approached. You have to get on the "good side" of "holders" of love for characters like Micolash, Laurence and Rom, or else they'll just side-eye you! But imagine this with literally everything else. I have been watching it happen all the time, to people that were not even targets for cult-like shunning by Alfred, Eugene or Anna for associating with me. You keep to yourself, you are shy, you are not on Discord with them, your headcanons are a bit different? Too bad, you may rot, because it is not about you! People look up to a few popular artists with shallow takes and so much creative liberties they might as well make OCs to know whether this or that person should be liked and reblogged, instead of JUST liking and reblogging them!

THIS is why Bloodborne fandom is Caelid. Not for toxicity, but because it is rotten. It used to be far less "organized" when I joined in. There were no trends to define fandomry for next few weeks decided on a party where ignored creators were not invited to. There was not hegemony of certain ships, designs and headcanons. There was no "web of mutuals" and pressure to either assert yourself by the good side or vanish. Everyone were doing their things and coexisting, nobody could determine who flourishes and who rots, diversity of headcanons and interpretations were celebrated. Oh, what's a matter? You really dislike that popular artist who infantilizes Marika and stripes her out of any agency over her actions? Well, so do like 500000 other people! Every popular take is ALSO popular to hate on in Elden Ring fandom! But if you dislike a popular take in Bloodborne then sucks to be you, because diversity of interpretations, opinions, preferences and takes just doesn't exist in it. Not anymore. Unless you "asserted" your novel idea to the "court" on some stupid Discord server and was "approved", of course.

Look. Elden Ring discourse annoys me to no end. I always get my headcanons and interpretations "corrected" in the worst condescending fashion. My friend posted a very well made lore post and got harped on because his take contradicted someone's idol's headcanons (with that idol approving of that harping) and I am still mad. I don't want to post my GEQ takes to be reminded that "aktualy" she is Melina. I dislike seeing claims of Miquella's nonexistent character assassination or Radahn hated just because some sexist Redditors were using him as a mascot. Nonetheless, deep down, I am THANKFUL. Because even really annoying debates end up being entertaining. Because people here TALK about things, REVISIT things, ARGUE about things, CARE about things, HAVE OPINIONS on things. They will annoy you in the comments or reblogs, but they SPEAK to you. No take is so popular that it defines all art and fanfics because every popular take is also popular to hate on. Things are disorganized. No fandom leaders, no elite club ignored blog wasn't invited to, no "web of mutuals" that should get sucked into a vacuum cleaner and never be seen again. Elden Ring fandom is a battlefield, but also free market minus the money.

To be honest, Bloodborne fandom was done for me when based people started to vanish. Fishbowlcarnage deactivated everywhere, Cuddlefish mysteriously disappeared and I worry whether they are even alive to this day, user Molluscock got bullied away... It felt like a bad omen, it happened before my drama, and I've never seen users like this before. Except I have been, but they all are now ignored because of this stupid high school dynamic taking over. Had Elden Ring hyperfixation not happened, I'd probably just end up blocking many Bloodborne accounts and never care for trying to make connections again, just post art and vanish to draw the next one. I did end up blocking some Bloodborne mutuals, after all. After it hit me, what was bothering me so much. Appreciate Elden Ring fandom and it's earthquakes, because shaking earth can't be bigger evil than stagnation. Bloodborne fandom no longer breathes, they are champions of not feeding the sparkles that were meant to become fire hoping they die down, and I hate every looser that benefits from that "system". In Elden Ring, ALL things flourish, whether graceful or malign.

[emilywaters]

I have so many thoughts on the motives of the different gangs and what they represent in the musical bcs it directly correlates to reasons why gangs are formed in the first place, which is in direct contrast to the message from the 1979 movie portraying all gangs as ones of pointless violence and wrongdoing.

1. The warriors - support and sisterhood

Right from the start we see the warriors looking out for each other. Cleon's first concern after Cyrus was killed was her warriors and getting them out safe. Every time they fought, it was to defend themselves, to get home alive. The warriors exist as a place to belong. We see this in 'A Light or Something', where we learn that Swan was homeless before Cleon took her in. The warriors exist for community, for support. The first thing they do after getting away was making sure everyone got out after Cleon went down. This is in direct contrast to the rogues, where the moment Luther lost they began running. "My crew would die for me, loyalty matters." They exist to uplift each other, for community and family to people society ignores and abuses.

2. The bizzies and the hurricanes - justice

Both the bizzies and the hurricanes went after the warriors to get justice for Cyrus. It was out of outrage, righteous anger fueling their desire to hurt them back. This shows another, more active, form of protection. The two groups have never met, but for that moment where they were fighting for Cyrus they were unified in the way Cyrus was hoping to achieve. If the warriors exist to give a safe space to marginalized communities, the bizzies and the hurricanes exist to defend that space, to stand up to those who threaten that community.

3. The orphans - ego and power

From the very start we see the orphans ego. They talk misogynistic rhetoric and boasts and gloat bcs they don't see the warriors as a threat. They exist to copy off bigger fish and live vicariously by terrorizing those they consider weaker. But the moment the warriors decided to stop pandering to them, they ran off. There is no real power in them and they exist to bully the weaker while themselves never fighting those stronger than them. They're no better than schoolyard bullies, each of them enabling the others. The orphans exist to cushion each other's egos, with nothing substantial. If I had to use a modern analogy, they would be the boys who listen to alpha male podcasts then be dicks to everyone around them.

4. The rogues - violence

Luther commits violence for the sake of violence. He benefits off a divided system, there he can cause havoc and slip away while blaming someone else. He would be a policeman's last suspect, bcs everyone believes the white man. He is free to do as he pleases with no consequences. But if Cyrus's plan worked, all the infighting would stop. Then his actions will be spotlighted and he would have to deal with the consequences of them. If Cyrus's plan worked he would loose his advantages of favouritism. So he kills Cyrus. With her dead and the gangs back at each other's throats, he's free to run around unnoticed, with his violence for the sake of violence. He has no personal motive outside defending the privileges he holds. His violence is purely to allow him more violence. And when he gets caught he melts into a pathetic creature whining and whimpering bcs at the end of the day he wasn't anything more.

5. The police - hypocrisy and the law

The police exist solely to chase after the warriors with no regards to their innocence. They do not believe them, or trust them, or help them. People who are supposed to protect the most vulnerable individuals intentionally do the opposite. The policeman at the park shamelessly catcalls the girls. The officer in the station actively chases them, despite having no real reason to. The officers are the worst bcs they are supposed to be the ones protecting them and instead become the perpetrators of these crimes and then get away with no repercussions. And then you see why the gangs were formed.

If the people meant to protect them do the complete opposite, assume their guilt, accuse and abuse and treat them as inferiors, then they need to get together and protect each other.

And there we have our answer. Gangs exist to protect those the city refuses to protect. From the power tripped assholes down to the gun wielding murderer. Even when Luther was taken in that was done by the Gramercy riffs. The police did absolutely nothing other than arresting Ajax for self defense and killing fox after actively chasing them for no reason other than bone deep prejudices and bigotry. Gangs exist to defend the members of their communities, to defend themselves, to get justice for their families, to do what society and the law refuse to do, to create a place for them to not just exist, but to thrive.

"And they deserve a city where they'd be alright, where they all come home alive.

And someday in the city we won't have to run each time somebody broken gets ahold of a gun.

Breathe easy every night knowing we'll see the sun, when we all come home alive"

[bonefall]

would whitewater end up getting dark forested for her support of mudclaw, her hypocrisy, and her neglect?

There's a VERY high chance of it. She's almost certainly damned unless someone defended her VERY well (which is unlikely)

When StarClan makes a ruling, they aren't neccesarily deciding if you are Guilty or Innocent. They're determining if you are worthy of their ranks. You have to prove you belong in Heaven, NOT that you're not bad enough for Hell.

For most warriors this is a very simple yes, and no trial is required... but if you so much as OFFEND StarClan with your bad vibes, they might damn you just for that. Whitewater has a really bad reputation for everything she's done.

The Queen’s Rights actually work "legally" on the assumption that judgement is outsourced to StarClan, because mortals (Oakstar) can't be trusted to be impartial on this specifically. The birth of kittens cannot be used as evidence of codebreaking behavior... on the mortal plane.

StarClan was ALREADY going to give her a review just based on her affair with Mudclaw. If it ended on the Great Journey like they initially planned and she invoked QR with her Ba-less litter, there wouldn't even be a trial.

But that's not how this story goes. She was a ShadowClan cat involved in Mudclaw's rebellion, because she wanted to support him.

SHE might have only done that because she wanted to avoid ThunderClan "putting their paws in another Clan's business" or some other excuse, but StarClan says

"L + Ratio + Supported your baby daddy's coup + Set the peat on fire + What were YOU doing putting your paws in another Clan's business"

StarClan didn't even accept MUDCLAW'S explaination. They didn't even accept VIXENLEAP'S excuse, just some Thistle Law-loving RiverClan warrior who joined because Hawkyfrosty asked her to. They were always going to give Whitewater a hard time for this.

Whitewater might have been able to wrack up some goodgirl points by being a very loyal ShadowClan warrior..... and she did, a little.

But she kept her head down. No spectacular feats of redemption. Just tried to live quiet. That doesn't incur a lot of favor.

And then, the part you've been waiting for... how she treated Owlkit. Theyyyy didn't like that.

If she was sooo unattached to her mate, why did his smiting BOTHER her so much, hm?

She might have won favor for doing something very noble and giving the kittens to the bereaved Torear, but she KEPT Owlkit. Any love she had that influenced that choice drained away

and she didn't do the "right thing" for him by asking for help. She just did the bare minimum at best, and hid her abuse at worst.

Unfortunately though, the neglect and emotional abuse did not earn as much ire on their own as you're hoping. StarClan is (and was) full of much worse abusers. Hillrunner, for example.

Most of StarClan's condemnation would be based around Mudclaw's Rebellion... but they've been waiting a LONG time to process the surviving non-WindClan rebels. So... she's probably doomed.

Unfortunately I cannot imagine she takes it well. She completely ignores that Owlclaw was just a footnote in her condemnation, and uses it to confirm everything she ever believed.

"That kitten WAS meant to die that night. I should have dragged that child out into the storm with the rest of its cursed siblings. I've been shoved into the spot where Owlclaw should be!"

Hmm... maybe I should axe her shortly before the Great Battle, and actually have HER be the one who attacks Owlclaw's kittens. It would be pretty horrifying if she was the one who killed Weaselkit, her own grandchild.