#i cannot be held accountable for my actions in that situation

[mybodychoseviolence]

next time i see someone push in front of a person in a wheelchair to get on the elevator first i am destroying their kneecaps with my cane

[buckleydiazmp4]

wow i just saw. a Take

[mxtxfanatic]

Let’s talk Yi City Arc! I’ve seen a few posts since my time in the fandom that talks about the Yi City Arc as unnecessary or out of place in the whole of the mdzs narrative. I’ve even seen some suggest that the disconnect is because Yi City was originally a separate story to mdzs, a sort of prototype, if you will, to explain it away. I, too, after my first read questioned the significance of this arc to the overall story. However, the Yi City arc and its placement so early in the novel is actually just a huge and very clever spoiler to most of the important plot points of the overarching story… if you know what plot points to look for, which an un-spoiled first-time reader would not. So let’s talk about those spoilers:

1) The righteous cultivation clans’ refusal to stand against evil—and, really, their indulgence of it—leads to the wiping out of an entire clan and a monastery as well as the deaths of two powerful cultivators unaffiliated with any major sect.

The “righteous” cultivation clans happily ignore that fact that the Jin Clan is amassing power through unscrupulous guest disciples, and it is only when Xiao Xingchen, an outsider, brings the crime against the Chang Clan to light do they bother to pretend to do anything about it. However behind the scenes, the Jin Clan assassinates their only real opposition, and the other clans, great and small, continue to do nothing as Xue Yang is released to commit another massacre. The Jin are never held responsible for their actions. Likewise, all the clans turn away from Wei Wuxian, an outsider, when he calls out the Jin Clan’s crimes against the Wen remnants and accuses them of amassing power via poaching vassal clans and attempting to steal his tools. Behind the scenes, the Jin work to undermine Wei Wuxian’s reputation before joining in to massacre Wei Wuxian and the Wen remnants. The Jin are never held accountable for this, which directly leads into the Xue Yang situation.

2) Xiao Xingchen has his reputation slandered by Xue Yang killing others using his sword.

After Xiao Xingchen kills himself, Xue Yang begins using his sword to enact “vengeance” on the remnants of the Chang Clan, who he considers as having “betrayed” Xiao Xingchen. Finding the signature of Xiao Xingchen’s sword on the slain bodies leads the cultivation world to believe that a disillusioned Xiao Xingchen is killing in revenge. In much the same way, Wei Wuxian is used as a scapegoat by the cultivation world whenever bad things happen, such as the presence of walking corpses or the mass digging of graves. In neither situation does any clan investigate the true events of the situations, happy to blame the easiest suspect and allow the unrest to continue. In both situations, Xiao Xingchen and Wei Wuxian are eventually found innocent of the crimes for which they are accused, and the true culprit is revealed.

3) Xiao Xingchen is betrayed by someone he considered close to him, which eventually leads to his death.

Xiao Xingchen, due to being literally blinded by his sacrifice, ends up running into, rescuing, and caring for his mortal enemy, Xue Yang. Taking advantage of Xiao Xingchen’s blindness, Xue Yang tricks him into murdering a bunch of innocents and his best friend, causing him to commit suicide. Wei Wuxian, similarly, is betrayed by a close friend he kept near, figuratively blinded by a former childhood friendship and the present debt he felt owed to said friend’s parents. This misplaced trust directly leads to his death.

4) Xiao Xingchen must give up his eyes for Song Lan to see again, because Baoshan Sanren is not magical.

This is probably the biggest spoiler of the entire arc, but by the time you get to where this information is relevant, you’d probably have forgotten that this was even said. Xue Yang blinds Song Lan after destroying his home, and to atone for this, Xiao Xingchen goes to his master, Baoshan Sanren, to beg for her help. However, Baoshan Sanren cannot make something out of nothing. Mxtx explicitly writes that tidbit into the narration. Song Lan goes up the mountain blind and comes down with eyes. Xiao Xingchen goes up the mountain with eyes and comes down blind. Song Lan was given Xiao Xingchen’s eyes.

Much later in the story, Jiang Cheng loses his golden core. Wei Wuxian offers the miracle solution of Baoshan Sanren “giving” him a new one. Jiang Cheng, obviously skeptical, questions Wei Wuxian up until the moment he must go up “Baoshan Sanren’s mountain” alone. Wei Wuxian descends, alone, looking pale and weak. Later, when Wei Wuxian is ambushed by the Wen, Wen “Core-melting Hand” Zhuliu touches him and is visibly shocked by a discovery that he then keeps to himself. Jiang Cheng emerges from the mountain with a new golden core, while Wei Wuxian emerges from the Burial Mounds with a new cultivation method wholly independent of the need for a golden core. The Yi City arc tells us why this is: “Baoshan Sanren” cannot make something out of nothing.

And these are just the major parallels I remember off the top of my head. However, while a reread makes a lot of these parallels directly applicable to specific plot points in Wei Wuxian’s own story, I would argue that the biggest role the explicit paralleling is meant to play for a new reader is to make you question the dominant narrative of the main story. The narration tells us that Wei Wuxian is a bloodthirsty man who may as well be a demon, known for cruelty and vengeance. We see none of that from his character when he is resurrected. Then we get a mini-drama where a man with attributes Wei Wuxian directly relates to, with a story Wei Wuxian directly compares to his own life, is scapegoated by society, killed, then eventually vindicated. If nothing else, the Yi City Arc is meant to make you, as a reader, stop and go “Hey, wait a minute, what if Wei Wuxian isn’t the bad guy here???” And once you understand that, you should start questioning everything the prologue told you, just like the juniors start to question what they were told about Xiao Xingchen post Yi City in their group debrief.

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

"Murder is Werewolves" - Batman

I don't got the SPOONS to do this thought train justice, I have seriously been trying to write this thing for MONTHS so just, idk, have this half baked skeletal outline of the essay I guess:

I don't believe that Batman's no-kill rule is primarily about rehabilitation or second chances.

His refusal to believe that Cassandra could have killed someone when she was eight years old because "how could a killer understand my commitment not to kill" is absolute fucking MOON LOGIC from a rehabilitationist standpoint. No jury on the planet would think for even a second that she could reasonably be held accountable for her actions in that situation! Her past cannot condemn her to being incapable of valuing human life under a rehabilitation centering framework. However, Batman's reasoning makes perfect sense if he believes that killing is a spiritually/morally corrupting act which permanently and fundamentally changes a person, and that corruption can never be fully undone.

Dick Grayson killing the Joker is treated both narratively and by Batman as an unequivocally WIN for the Joker. The Joker won by turning Nightwing into a killer. Note that this is during a comic in which the Joker transforming people was a major theme! Batman didn't revive the Joker because the Joker deserved to live; he revived the Joker to lift the burden on Dick.

His appeal to Stephanie when she tried to kill her dad is that she shouldn't ruin her own life. He gives no defense of Cluemaster's actual life. Granted this is a rhetorical strategy moment and should be taken with a generous pinch of salt, but it fits in the pattern.

When Jason becomes a willful killer, he essentially disowns him, never treats him with full trust ever again, and... Well, we can stop here for Bruce's sake. Bottom line is that his actions towards Jason do not lead me to believe that he thinks Jason can become a better person without having his autonomy taken from him, either partially or fully.

The Joker is, for better or worse, the ultimate symbol and vessel of pure, irredeemable evil in DC comics now. He hasn't been just another crook in a long time. He will never get better, he will only get worse. If you take it to be true that the Joker will not or can not rehabilitate, then there's no rehabilitationist argument against killing him.

Batman does not seem to consider it a possibly that he'll rehabilitate. Batman at several points seems to think that the Joker dying in a manner no one could have prevented would be good. Yet Batman fully believes that if he killed the Joker, he himself would become irredeemable.

Batman's own form of justice (putting people into the hospital and then prison) is fucking brutal and clearly not rehabilitative. He disrespects the most basic human rights of all criminals on a regular basis. It is genuinely really, really weird from a rehabilitationist standpoint that his only uncrossable line is killing... But it makes perfect sense if he cares more about not corrupting himself with the act of killing than the actual ethical results of any individual decision to kill or not kill.

In the real world cops are all bastards because they are too violent to criminals, even when that violence doesn't lead to death. Prison is a wildly evil thing to do to another human being, and you don't use it to steal away massive portions of a person's life if your goal is to rehabilitate them. In the comic world, Batman is said to be necessary because the corrupt cops are too nice to criminals and keep letting them out of jail. I don't know how to write a connector sentence there so like I hope you can see why this bothers me so damn much! That's just not forgiveness vibes there Batman!!

I want to make special note here of the transformative aspect. You don't simply commit a single act when you kill, no, you become a killer, like you might become a werewolf.

The narrative supports this a lot!

Why did Supes go evil during Injustice? He killed the Joker. Why did Bruce become the Batman Who Laughs? Bruce killed the Joker. Why was Jason Todd close to becoming a new Joker during Three Jokers? Because he killed people, to include the Joker.

Even if these notions of redemption being impossible aren't the whole of his reasoning (people never have only one reason for doing what they do) it is a distinct through-line pattern in his actions and reasoning, and it is directly at odds with notions of rehabilitation, redemption, and second chances.

So why does he give so many killers second chances?

Firstly because this doesn't apply to all versions of Batman. Some writers explicitly incorporate rehabilitation and forgiveness into his actions. You will be able to provide me with examples of this other through-line pattern if you go looking for them. The nature of comics is to be inconsistent.

Secondly the existence of that other pattern does not negate the existence of this one. People and characters are complex, and perfectly capable of holding two patterns of belief within themselves, even when they conflict to this degree. You can absolutely synthesize these two ideas into a single messy Batman philosophical vibescape.

Finally and most importantly to this essay: he has mercy on killers the same way that werewolf hunters sometimes have mercy on someone who is clearly struggling against their monsterous nature, especially if they were turned in exceptional circumstances or against their will. They understand that they are sick, damned beasts, cursed to always be fighting against themselves and the evil they harbor within. It is vitally kind to help them fight themselves by curtailing their autonomy in helpful ways and providing them with chances to do some good to make up for their eternal moral deficiency.

I think in many comics Batman views killers as lost souls. Battered and tormented monsters who must be pitied and given mercy wherever possible. (The connections to mental health, addiction, and rampant, horrifying ableism towards people struggling with both is unavoidable, but addressing it is sadly outside of the scope of this essay.)

Above all, the greatest care possible must be taken to never, ever let yourself become one of them, because once you have transformed the beast will forever be within you growing stronger.

To Batman, it is the most noble burden, the highest mercy, the most important commandment: Thou shalt suffer the monsters to live.

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Alright with all the great discussion today around Ed telling Stede in s2e5 "I never apologized for jack shit" when we literally saw him do that in s1e4, here are my thoughts on possibilities to explain this. I think any configuration of these explanations is possible and one does not negate the others

This is just a consistency error. someone goofed in the writer's room

Ed naturally apologizes very easily and genuinely when he fucks up, and does it so immediately and instinctively that he doesn't really remember it and considers it on a different level than his performative YouTuber apology

Feeling forced to apologize, especially for a situation in which he was doing so terribly mentally and cannot really be held accountable for his actions in the same way (not saying it's an excuse, but it's a different level than if he'd just been doing it for fun) is making him Very Uncomfortable and he's just in a weird headspace rn

This is another case where Ed's self-perception is skewed. He thinks Blackbeard was the type of guy who would never apologize for shit and assumes it's actually true because often his self-image begins and ends with I Am Bad

On a related note, Ed is trying to further distance himself from Blackbeard. He's already talking about how he's not the captain right now, and this is another way for him to draw a line and say he's not Being Blackbeard anymore, and the proof is in how he just made this big public apology

This is the same conversation where Ed looks two seconds away from creaming his onesie over Stede's captain voice so it might be flirting tactic. "heheh nooo I never used to apologize for shit. oh noo i'm so naughty. what are you gonna do about that Captain. are you going to need to discipline your naughty boy haha"

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

I’ll be writing a critique of the way Blitzø and Stolas’ relationship was handled more at length, but I wanted to stop and take a moment to look at this scene from the new episode, “Full Moon”:

This is the sort of power and control that Stolas has always had over Blitzø.

It does not matter that Stolas has never threatened to take away the Grimoire before, or that they were “friends” as kids, or that he offered Blitzø a few months off, or that he’s been nice to Blitzø in the past, or that Blitzø actually does have feelings for Stolas.

When you are in a situation where you cannot say no at the risk of losing your livelihood, you cannot give true consent.

This is the very BASIS of their relationship. It has always been the basis of their relationship—a quid pro quo relationship where Stolas holds all of the power.

I have seen countless people go over and explain in great detail why the full moon deal was not truly coercive, or a quid pro quo situation, or how it was completely consensual.

And it’s just not. It is sexual coercion where Blitzø cannot give meaningful consent. Because if he refuses Stolas, he’s at risk of losing everything.

I want to clarify that my criticism here isn’t with this writing decision. I’m not trying to say anything along those the lines of “because this fictional character did a bad thing the story is bad and people who like the character support sexual coercion!!” That’s not what I’m saying at all.

I am bringing all of this up because my criticism is not of this writing decision, but because of the framing of the Full Moon deal and of Stolas and Blitzø’s relationship.

The narrative often frames Blitzo as if he is the one who has wronged Stolas by not prioritizing Stolas’ feelings and needs above all else. Or, it frames both Stolas and Blitzo as being equally in the wrong for the conflicts in their “relationship”.

This framing, and the extent to which fans try to justify it as being ANYTHING other than what it actually is—Stolas coercing Blitzø into a relationship where he has no power and is at the risk of losing his livelihood—is baffling to me.

This framing, coupled with the writer’s absolute refusal to ever have Stolas held accountable for his actions (including Stolas still not actually apologizing for the situation he put Blitzø into—he acknowledges that the relationship being transactional is wrong, but does not acknowledge that he was wrong to coerce Blitzø into that relationship. He says “…it isn’t right…it never was”, not “What I did wasn’t right, and never was”) is why I can’t consider St0litz to be just a “complex” or “messy” relationship.

It don’t think it can be, because it’s not a relationship. Not a real one. It’s a transaction, where Stolas treats Blitzø like a sex object. And whether that was the intent or not, Blitzø’s reaction above and saying that he would do anything to keep the grimoire makes it really hard for me to see St0litz in any other light.

As a final note, I’m not saying that you can’t write dark relationships, or have complex and unsympathetic protagonists. You can ship whatever you want! You can have characters that sexually coerce and abuse others, you can write every dark and twisted thing your mind can come up with.

But it’s very clear that Helluva Boss’s writers want to frame Stolas as being the wronged party, and the one who we are supposed to sympathize with—and you just can’t have it both ways.

You can’t act like you’re writing a complex love story between two very complicated and real people, when the relationship that you’re describing is so utterly one-sided and unbalanced.

[sillybruja]

roasting your moon sign pt 1. (Aries - Gemini) p.s. this one's gonna hurt your wittle feelings 🥲

Aries Moon

OH MY GOD. SHUUUUUUT UPPP. Seriously, you don't have an off button and talking to you is very frustrating. It's kind of like you jut like hearing yourself talk, which is fine, but the rest of us are suffering. And Holy lack of emotional regulation! When you are upset, you are really upset, eh? Seriously, you cannot control your emotional reactions even if you tried your hardest. If you feel triggered, you have to let the whole room hear about it 🙄And one more thing -- why do you think speaking louder makes your argument valid? It's kind of like listening to a toddler start screaming because crying was not getting their mom's attention good enough. It's fine to have emotional outbursts once in a while, but try to remember you're an adult, not a six-year-old. Communication takes more than scream-crying until you are heard / get your way. Btw, y'all are some of the most delulu people out there! It's like, everyday is a rollercoaster for you emotionally and you kidnapped the rest of us to have to suffer with you. Yeah, that's right, you can be insufferable and the people around you feel it. Are you even aware of that, though? Or are you more focused on creating a narrative that makes you the victim? Your lack of impulse control is a whole other thing. We get that you react first and think last, but to have the audacity to blame others for your decisions/actions is wild. Oh you punched a wall? No, that person didn't make you do that, you did that. Oh, you're insecure so you acted out of character? No actually, it's not their fault because they are secure with themselves. It's all on you. Guess what? Accountability is not the same as being held at g*npoint. You will not die. You will not wither away. You are actually wrong a lot and that's fine, but you don't have to be such a tool about taking responsibility. It gives everyone in your life the ick, and people are probably tired of walking on egg shells around you. 🤷‍♀️

Moon in 1st House:

Okay, drama Queen/King!🙄😅Besides the fact that you literally wear your heart on your sleeve, you are also so dramatic and for what, special effect? Seriously, you emotionally respond to things with the same voracity and urgency as you would an actual emergency. You can literally stub your toe and have a meltdown over it, saying that was your "13th reason" likeee y'all are D R A M A T IC and because I also have this placement, I know it's because it actually feels really dramatic but tbh it's not that deep. You just feel too deeply which is fine but guess what? You're still responsible for your emotions, no one else is. You sacrifice your power too often looking for acceptance and love, and then expect the people who you give said power, to reciprocate the same energy but they never do because what you are really expecting from them is you and that's pretty messed up tbh. You gotta let people be! your attachment issues are showing. BTW, being the sacrificial lamb in every situation does not actually gain you aura points, it just makes it obvious that you lack boundaries. The People around you take advantage of you because 9/10 times, you have made it pretty clear very early on that taking advantage of your kindness can be easy to do. Its insane that people have projected on you your whole life, and yet, you still can't detect when its happening. People are not mean to you because they hate you lol but the fact that you make everything about yourself makes it even easier for these people to project their problems onto you. Why wouldn't they? You are all consuming, and you take on the responsibility of everyone's actions, making yourself a stomping ground for ab*se. Your problem is, you are looking to find you in everyone and you will constantly be disappointed because that's something you will not find. Learn to be comfortable with others showing you how they feel, and accept it for what it is instead of for what you want it to be. Your scope of other's emotions needs work -- there's a whole universe outside of your own mind. You gotta learn to consider others emotional needs and try to walk in the shoes of other people once in a while and you will see that not everything is not in relation, caused by, or about you. Also, you have the same emotional regulation as a toddler sometimes. Stop making your problems, everyone's problems. Go to therapy.

Taurus Moon

OKAAAAAY, SLOTH. How do you expect to have the rich bitch bougee life you keep creating pinterest boards about if you won't even get off the couch and take small steps to reach those goals? Queen of "manifestation", all things "come to me naturally". Can we cut the bs and call a spade, a spade? You are lazy. You know deep deep down that you have the gift of the moon as your placement's exalted, but you have proven so many times that you prefer comfort over work. You're sitting there, waiting for the universe to deliver all the things you want in life, but your uninspired, bland, lazy ass won't even break a sweat for half of what you want in this world. YOU are the reason you do not seem to accomplish as much as you want to, because you do not challenge yourself. Do you feel incapable? I would if I'd rather live in repetitive and tired routines instead of challenging myself to grow. Speaking of growth.... do you even know what that is? Or are you still holding the same opinions of people that you had in middle school? Guess what, people grow and change... it is time to catch up! Why are you more comfortable with clinging onto the past, especially onto an old way of thinking? How is that actively helping your life? Be so for real. You cling & obsess over the past because its easier to revictimize yourself & build resentment than it is to take responsibility and make changes. Why is it more comfortable being stubbornly wrong, instead of owning up to your ways?

Moon in 2nd House

STAY OUT OF MY WALLET & GET A JOB! Seriously -- for someone who needs & craves financial stability, you sure will do a whole lot of nothing to get it. It's so weird because you manage to do absolutely nothing, and the people around you end up picking up your tab. What's it like being the community leech? And another thing... why is it that you feel you only have value when the 'yes men' around you over compliment you, or give you attention? Why is it that you cannot regulate your sense of self worth, but instead need to feed your self-esteem through manipulation, clinginess, and insecurity? Your relationships are probably prone to being unstable because of this. You are too much. Your expectations are too much, and they do not even match what you are willing to give back. You can't expect other people to pour from an empty cup just because You can't seem to fill your own. Your erratic self-esteem issues have an impact on your closest loved ones but your mindset is in the gutter because of how harshly you cling onto old mindsets and negative beliefs. Your greediness is not justified, no matter how much you have been hurt. You seem to never take your pain out in a healthy way, or on the person who actually inflicted the pain. If people come too close, you automatically assume there's alternative motives, even if there's no reason to think that. You act more like an 8H moon in your lowest vibration, and ironically enough, you are "triggered" and angry with other people who act this way. Your self-awareness is probably is as little as your confidence because you seem to live in your own bubble, and cannot understand how your own projections you put on other people are hurtful and make you look very weak. Your people pleasing tendencies will never grant you the stability you seek and until you take accountability, responsibility, and action to secure the life/lifestyle you want for yourself, you will always think shrinking yourself through people pleasing equals safety. But ya know, BE DELULU.

Gemini Moon

OHMYGOD CAN YOU SHUTTHEFUCKUP?! Yes, your friends do think you are annoying as fuck. It's because you never know when to STFU. And the worst part? It's not like you don't know you talk a lot... you do. you know you can dominate a conversation like no other. You are aware of the snotty asshole you sound like when you articulate and use word play to your advantage, and you don't care lol. If you're not that person, you're the opposite - you're weird af, you still never shut up, you have weird af obsessions, collections, and stories, and chances are you're easily forgotten about 😅 You share random facts with your friends all the time and at first it was really funny but because you never know when to stop, your friends are over it. When you talk, they sigh. It's because being your friend is exhausting. It's always the GEMINI MOON SHOW!!!! and you never give them (or anyone) the space to express themselves. You think you know what everyone wants and because you are lowkey controlling, you make decisions for others -- can you be any fuckin' worse? No wonder people don't really like hanging out with you lol. By the way, you are so dense. For being a mercury ruled moon, you would think you'd be better at reading people and yet, you constantly miss the red flags in others. What's it like being a door mat? It's like you know they hurt you, you know they are sus, and you don't care. LOL btw y'all are really big cry babies and so sensitive sometimes. You'd think that being a gemini moon would make you easy going, but you walk around and act like you have a stick up your ass. Your submissive nature is 10000% your decision but you have this talent of blaming other people for why you have codependency issues, let's call you the King/Queen of Projection. You act out, you push people away, you start fights and for what? For people to pay attention to you? lol that's sad. Why do you feel you are only worthy of getting attention when there's controversy? When you act out of character? Is it because you feel like no one cares about what you have to say unless you're being the worst version of yourself? Is that why you are so skilled at wearing masks with people? Maybe if you spent more time figuring your shit out, spending more time with yourself, and less time giving a fuck about others, you'd be able to heal the identity you shattered trying to morph into whatever everyone else wanted you to be. Basically, FIGURE OUT WHO THE FUCK YOU ARE SO YOU CAN STOP BEING AN ASSHOLE TO SECURE PEOPLE.

Moon in 3H

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?! You wishy-washy bitch you lol. (pls don't take this seriously this is a roast ok? ily) But fr, who even are you? Because you switch up your entire personality depending on the group of people you're around. You think no one notices this but I promise you they do and they're tired of your shit. A lot of people probably find you unreliable because you also seriously lie...over dumb things too? Like, who lies about what they had for breakfast? Pfft. This need to maintain a certain level of "mystery" is actually kinda cringe because you are actually so transparent. Also, you do realize you cause a lot of your own problems, right? No one can drive people away better than you can, huh? :) Your need for banter and excitement is all fun and games until it became really fucking annoying. People do not like to constantly be poked and picked at and tested. Especially if you think you're some prize to win over. Speaking of being some prize... your ego though? It's like to feel intelligently superior, your say a whole lot of nothing polished in purple prose to humiliate others. Imagine being so insecure with yourself that you feel the need to verbally tear down the ones who are just plain doing better than you in life. Your problem is that you spend so much time focusing on the people around you, wanting to gain their approval, wanting to be the center of attention, that you actually end up losing sight of your identity and you become this annoying asshole 😅🙈 By the way, you definitely do talk soooo much shit about people, and yes it is so unnecessary. MAYBE IF YOU STOPPED YAPPIN YOUR TRAP ABOUT PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WOULDN'T ALWAYS LEAVE YOU or fantasize about leaving you for your much hotter family member, sibling, or friend 🤭

Pt. 2-4 are coming x

[falling-star-cygnus]

TALK ABOUT MURDER DRONES AND YOUR OPINIONS ON EVERYTHING IN THE SHOW OK THANK YOU

ON IT 💪 -> i was up north without my computer, but i'm here now!

Murder Drones, from a fresh off the grill watcher :D -> THERE WILL BE A PART TWO BC I JUST REWATCHED EPISODE 7 AND HOLY SHIT

y'all definitely make J out to be worse than she actually is -> don't get me wrong, she sucks. She's definitely an awful person, and i don't like her, but her writing is fan-fucking-tastic. It's an 'abused becomes the abuser' type situation, bc J is a victim too, and she's genuinely scared. She can't bully V about it bc yk.. V.. but she CAN take it out on N so she does I'm not excusing her actions btw, J should be held accountable. But some of y'all are making her say slurs and come on now. Media literacy cannot possibly be that dead

anyway, mini J analysis over, FUN STUFF -> like HCs n little details n stuff :D

Uzi REALLY likes stickers and N really likes being decorated by stickers [She makes a bunch of golden retriever ones] -> I like NUzi a lot more than I thought I would considering my tastes in ships, but I genuinely screamed into my pillow during that falling scene. They're so cute <3

I like to think N made tail!Cyn a mini bow so that she'd stop putting one on Uzi [it was giving everybody unneeded flashbacks..] but also bc -> 1. Big Brother Instinct -> 2. Uzi was getting far too close to putting a metal pot over her and asking V to shoot

"THAT WAS YOUR MOM!" *screaming* [ep.7] to "N! MY MOM WAS BACK THERE" *more screaming* [ep.8] this whole arc was amazing -> Uzi's voice actor is SO GOOD too?? i'm like- rewinding every time she talks

[magpod-confessions]

Honestly i wanna hear opinions on season 4, cus im gonna confess i could NOT finish it (didnt move on to season 5 either lol). Got to like ep 135 & i just couldnt tell any of the episodes apart it felt like such a drag; just a slog of misery with some offhand Important 5 Minutes once in a blue moon. I hate repetition & i got the sparknotes from fandom/wiki stuff so yeahhh i just stopped listening; i still love TMA & it’s story & characters, it’s just the execution that got to me RIP

Everything felt kinda forced to me ig? Like there was some shoe-horned “humans are more monstrous than the actual monster” that snuffed S1 Jon’s fun cockiness/jackassery just to make him ? The best one in the archive ??? & all of his wrongdoings are either off-screen or justified by him being tricked into becoming a literal monster against his will (who would STARVE w/o his ‘evil-doings’, which didnt even kill ppl). Also felt like everyone got needlessly dumbed down except for Martin (the Love Interest ofc, who got 180’d from his pre-established incompetency to be some mastermind in a playing field he should have REALLY been inept in) just so they’d be blind to Jon’s situation & be mean to him LMAO

They started trying to make Jon accountable for “choosing this” & i couldnt handle it, held no fucking water to me—the guy being explicitly puppetted & manipulated as the entire plot? That guy is expected to take responsibility here? Felt like some after-thought theme they threw on top of it all. Anyways uhh feel free comment either on what i said and/or your personal thoughts on the season, or nothing if ya got nothing lol

🗣️

Ehh disagree. S4 isnt my fav but I dont think its bad. S1 Jon to s4 jon feels like natural character progression to me. He starts as acting all high and mighty to try hide the fact he has no idea what hes doing and is terrified, and then experiences a lot of ppl dying that he feels is due to him and is his responsibility. At that point his thought pattern is 'I keep messing up and making mistakes and getting myself and everyone around me hurt, so other ppl surely know better'. Hes got a lot of black and white thinking around him, which has been consistent throughout his entire characterization

I dont think any characters were dumbed down either

Melanie was always angry, she only go worse bc she had smth making her think everything she did was justified and when that stopped she became avoidant and stopped lashing out. She was still angry, just managing it better

Basira has always been Daisys no1, the person to justify all of Daisys actions. She knows what daisy did and why its bad but she holds onto the idea that daisy is right in doing so. She blames jon for what he does bc logically she knows its wrong, hurting ppl who havent done anything is wrong, but still excuses daisy bc she needs to. Bc that was a fact of her life and it cannot be wrong. In the unknowning she focuses on facts to keep her grounded and to her 'Daisy is a good person' 'Hurting ppl is wrong' and 'If you hurt ppl you are a bad person' are all facts she needs in her life to stay grounded. How she justifies Daisys actions is by saying that the ppl who daisy hurt were worse and it ultimately helps more ppl to have them gone. Not only can she not do that with Jon, as she believes those he hurts are entirely innocent, she also doesnt care to. Shes not close with Jon and she doesnt have 'Jon is a good person' as a fact in her mind, so she doesnt need to work to excuse his actions. Its all or nothing with her, if you hurt and continue hurting ppl, no matter your reason, you need to stop and the only way you will stop is if you are gone. She also has a lot of black and white thinking, gotta love the autism podcast

Martin being a mastermind in s4 also makes sense bc him being stupid is an act. If ppl think your stupid theyll underestimate you and ultimately leave you alone. They wont scrutinize you, they wont attack every part of you, they will brush it off as just a typical normal thing. It will get you ignored and you cannot be hurt if nobody knows who you are or how to hurt you. Its a lonely miserable existence but its one martins used to. Martin rarely drops the mask of 'Sweet but stupid' bc he needs that to survive and tbh he probably learnt that from needing to survive his mom LOL. Martin just knows and picks the best method of getting ppl to like him, which for him is doing exactly what they want and keeping their expectations low so they wont hurt him as much when they mess up. Honestly in s5 I see him as hes finally got to a place where he doesnt care if everyone hates him, bc he has someone who does and thats all he needs. Hes survived the worst of it and he doesnt care anymore

Part of the reason everyone blames Jon is bc he is there and he is the one who is currently causing the most problems. Also they dont actually see the extent that Jon is manipulated. Elias talks and interacts with Jon differently to how he interacts with others. All of them met Jon when he was already at the institute, they meet him when it does actually look like he made his choice, entirely of his own free will. It doesnt help that daisy is there, someone who completed their transformation like Jon did and turned back on it, and she looks like shes managing well enough. She is surviving without feeding so why cant Jon do the same? Also basira does trust elias on some level. She trusts he knows more than she does and can be an asset if used correctly, which definitely doesnt help things. Also the idea of Elias is locked up, he cant affect Jon anymore so why is Jon still acting this way. Elias has very effectively vilified and isolated jon and jon doesnt fight back against it bc he believes it as well. Other ppl are normally right so why wouldnt everyone be right abt him?

Oh my god that was an essay and I absolutely missed sooo much stuff but idk take that - rosette

i literally have nothing to add . rosette sincerely you are insane and i love that . i honestly don't have a lot of s4 opinions that i could really put down , but i also disagree anon . s4 may not have been the best , but it certainly wasn't Bad or not enjoyable to listen to . coming from someone who has listened to the podcast twice now [ and who is planning on a third relisten ] , i really do enjoy s4 as a whole . martin's buildup and his manipulation of peter lukas is honestly one of my favourite parts , because it has been said that martin was originally going to be apart of the mother of puppets ! this shows that part of martin we didn't get to see but has been there . i got distracted and don't remember what else i was gonna type um . whoops - deceit

[moonbunscafe]

Showtime server, community, fans, etc. Please read.

(Reblogs are encouraged)

It has seemed like they had not heeded their warning seriously.

After I had made that document, it appears the server has refused to cooperate with my ultimatum and has not sent me a single apology either publicly or privately. Saving for three members who had approached me by DMs to apologise about their behaviour, the admins and mods who are solely responsible for cultivating the chaos in the first place have yet to do the same. Every public action deserves a public consequence, which means a proper public apology post.

What I received instead is blatant denial of action and refusal to take accountability as shown here:

Side note: There were many more messages from the server users panicking about the fact they were caught and not actually acknowledging their behaviour. I only added these two for summary sake and to highlight how their mindset on all this went in a nutshell.

Please excuse my heavy language, but the attitude displayed in these messages by these people is deeply fucking abhorrent. Is it really this easy to brush aside someone you've been tormenting ever since they entered this fandom space? How aren't you phased when an entire document more than ten pages was made on you and exposed all your wrongdoings? How do you genuinely not feel ashamed?

I made a vow in my last document that actions have consequences and I will follow up on my statement. I know any follow up apology is to be disingenuous and they would not hesitate to do the same, if not worse, with another smaller artist.

Since this is their reaction to their victim calling them online stalkers/harassers, I doubt there is any need for hope held for this situation any longer.

It is simply over, and I am done.

As I had swore, I will proceed with reporting the Showtime server for their harmful and abusive actions. It genuinely pains me that has led to this, because it was never supposed to if they had owned up for their misbehaviour. But I refuse to be walked all over and not hold my ground, just as they did by refusing to admit to their flaws.

It is too late and you cannot stop me.

(For those unaware, please click here to understand the full story.)

[gunpowder-arti]

(Why I Think) Five Pebbles Is Not A Child

hello, all. it is 2am and i have An Opinion. you know what that means! essay

...okay, i might have lied; this will likely not be a proper essay because (upon looking through his dialogue on the wiki) this is very fucking hard to collect evidence for. not because it is unsupported in the text, but rather because it is attempting to refute a position that, in itself, i have seen little of others' specific reasoning for. It is a response, so to speak, to an argument that does not exist.

still, I will try, even though it's difficult, because this specific interpretation irks me and one thing about me is that when someone gets my blorbos slightly wrong I will attempt to write an essay about it regardless of whether i need to, want to, or should.

of course, mandatory disclaimer that you shouldn't, necessarily, trust me on this. I'm just some creature on the internet, what do I know? I'm not necessarily right about any of this, and you shouldn't feel pressured to change your personal interpretation because i, hollow gunpowder-arti, made a late-night post about it.

THAT BEING SAID,

I, personally, believe that Five Pebbles is not a child. I, personally, am somewhat uncomfortable with depictions of him as such.

the only proper 'evidence' I have heard for this stance is that he 'acts immaturely' (i believe generally referring to his behavior before and during spearmaster's campaign? i.e. the moon incident)--which I will concede, he does. but there is a difference between acting immature and being a child.

I will point out, also, that many times these narratives push either Moon, the Artificer, or both into a maternal role towards him--you all know my grievances with Fanon Motherly Arti, but even beyond that, it feels very.... iffy, to me.

I find that many times this idea attempts (either overtly or likely unintentionally) to absolve him of blame for his actions. which... five pebbles is not an unsympathetic or villainous character by any means. I mean that wholly and fully, in fact, I do relate to him in several ways (or... did, moreso when the hyperfixation was in full swing :P).

the situation is very complex, and Five Pebbles is not a bad person. That being said, he made terrible mistakes with terrible consequences. he acted rashly, impulsively, and, yes, at times cruelly. interpreting him as a child (and therefore not to be blamed for acting childishly), however, takes away a lot of this complexity--i would say almost as much, if not as much as interpreting him wholly villainously. because he was partially to blame. congratulations, you have made a perfectly good complex character and made him into a sweet innocent mockery of himself, who cannot be held accountable for his errors because he was a child and it was in his nature and he could not help it.

...if you cannot tell, this interpretation is very, very frustrating to me.

I... would like to go on, but I feel like I would just end up restating what I've already said. So. That's it, I guess.

One last reminder (which i do not think will be necessary, but you never know) to please not harass people on my behalf of course. This is not to say those who follow this interpretation are Problematic, simply to explain my reasoning for disagreeing with and even disliking it.

...how do I end this post. Bye, I guess?

[sabineelectricheart]

Lipstick Marks

Summary: Crius has a meeting today. An earlier encounter might lead to an embarrassingly pleasant situation.

Rating: K+ - Suitable for more mature childen, 9 years and older, with minor action violence without serious injury. May contain mild coarse language. Should not contain any adult themes.

Words: 1000

Notes: Heheheh silly little man with his silly little feelings...

While there are several things Crius loves about Anastasia, by far his favorite is how she just cannot seem to keep her hands off of him.

Where he was accustomed to being the affectionate one, the needy one, she're apparently determined to make him seem downright aloof. It is funny, yes, to see that wilful girl, self-sufficient and impetuous, mewl like a little kitten when they are alone together, yes, but it is, more than anything, it is quite pleasant for himself to be the subject of this devotion. It made him a silent sort of giddy, the greedy demands for her time and love disguised into a light and soft tease over the hands and mouth that pepper and pin him down, unrepentant, in position. Not that he resisted too valiantly, or even resisted at all.

His estate might not be particularly large, even with the trickling addition of whatever comes as inheritance from the Lynzel marquisate, but his darling wife had no interest in managing it. It is all fine and good for him, let the accountants and butlers handle the boring business that interest neither of them. Likewise, she was not one for a life of leisure, swinging between salons, gatherings and courtly life, such as her stepmother used to do long before.

Oh, no. Anastasia’s place is with the Knights of Garuda, and of that she made everyone quite clear with that same imperious temperament he loves so much. Which means, much to her husband’s satisfaction, that she would come into work with him every day, and, well, Crius found that caring for the goddess’ birds can be a part-time job if you are good at it.

Which is not to say that he is very assiduous at even that. Already late to his next appointment with the royal treasurer on the ever pressing and seemingly-always relevant subject of funding for the order, his wife has him stuck at the stables, giggling like a pubescent schoolgirl struck with her first passion. Her lips are warm and ticklish at his neck, his jaw, his cheek, and she has both her hands tangled up in his hair, holding him in place for her relentless assault.

Of course, he could get away if he wanted to. His wife is a talented hunter and bower, but is half his size. He just does not. He certainly will not.

"Lord Commander, sir!" One of the squires addresses nervously, a bag of fodder held up to his chest like a shield. The poor teen was probably taken off his task to face the commander’s wrath by his cowardly company. "Sorry, sir, it is just that the master is waiting for you at your office, and he looks impatient. You are due…"

Before Crius can threaten bodily harm on the squire, who is shivering like an anxious little dog, for the interruption, Anastasia relinquishes her hold on him, laughing a little breathlessly.

"Sorry, sorry, it is all my fault.” She apologises amiably, feeling bad for the squire, but not truly regretful about her own transgression. “Please, regard my excuses to the master, but I must get going, too. There are chores to be made.”

He does wish to say something undignified, but he settles on, “Waiting might just be an elucidating experience for a man like the master.”

The redhead suppresses a smirk. “Go, Crius. I shall see you tonight, yes? With good results, I hope. I will miss you!"

"Very well, then." The man answers with a dazed, lovesick smile, that seems to both spook and charm the poor squire standing awkward to the corner, still unaccustomed to how things functioned up there. "I miss you already."

Anastasia kisses her husband once more on the lips, and Crius cannot help but watch as she goes off. The squire seemed to have something else to say, but a harsh look communicating his perilous position shot by the commander and the teen boy suddenly seemed awfully interested in his bag of fodder and how the garudas must be very hungry indeed.

On the way to his office, knights, squires and servants kept doing double-takes as he passes. Some, the older ones in their employ, snicker to themselves and gossip like wives as he passes. Others, gawk with their mouths open, too scandalised to avert their prying eyes. The envoy from the royal treasury, on his part, has his cheeks coloured and an expression of deep displeasure when he reaches the office.

He is used to attention, after so many years there would be no way not to be, and he even welcomes it at the measure it can help in his aims. It is easy for him to disregard the look of others, but he does not fully realize why they were looking at him like that until, some fifteen minutes into a discussion about budgetary limitations of the Crown, he happens to run his eyes through the mirror he keeps off to a wall.

Just about every inch of his face is stained with distinctively lip-shaped red marks. His once neatly combed hair is mussed into a wild curve that makes him laugh as soon as he sees it. Even his clothes, if he bothered to look down, he would see that he is missing his holster and his tie is undone.

The conversation immediately falls into a lull. Crius just leans back in his chair, admiring the undeniable proof that he belongs to someone. He huffs a little chuckle, lifting a gloved hand to almost reverently touch one of the kisses painted on his cheek. Anastasia certainly knew what she was doing.

Looking at the master, he just offers a giddy little shrug. "Life of a man in love, am I right?"

Crius grins through his entire appointment. Even after the lipstick is wiped away, he can still feel the lingering warmth of her love on his skin, in the beat of his heart, and in the butterflies fluttering about his stomach.

*_*_*_*_*

Even If Tempest Masterlist

[h3ntaichrist]

ahem, i have some THINGS to SAY, and i'm well aware this may ruffle more than a few feathers. but i find my message to be more important than sparing the feelings of those who continuously evade accountability and the accompanying shame. TW: mentions of religious trauma, addiction, childhood trauma.

the most common response i've seen, online and irl, from christians when encountering something they don’t like or believe is wrong (often based on misguided interpretations of their scripture), is mockery and contempt. usually taking place in the form of memes, jokes, and slanderous or insulting rhetoric. it’s their gut reaction, an attempt to shame others. the only other group i've seen do this as much, if not more, than christians is gen x, but i’ll save that for another time.

this is my experience as bisexual, spiritual but non-religious, ciswoman that heavily supports the very social movements that are often targets of christian mockery: BLM, indigenous land rights, #metoo, LGBTQI+ rights, gun violence prevention, climate change action, USA’s pisspoor hEaLthCaRe system, fentanyl awareness, and systemic poverty. i could go on.

i grew up in the church and i learned a lot. my daddy was a preacher for quite some time, so i speak on these things with a WHOLE lot of experience. i was a troubled kid, born of addict parents. i moved in with my dad around 7 or 8 after my mama “moved to louisiana to be closer to her mom so she could get better”. this wasn’t the real story, nor did it happen that way for my mama, but that’s beside the present point.

i had a lot going on at home that little me couldn’t process alone, and i was never in therapy long enough for it to make a positive impact. each time a therapist started asking questions that pointed to the home dynamic with my dad and step-mom, i was transferred to a new one. this continued until i was no longer taken to therapy, entirely out of my control and earnestly at my detriment.

during this extremely transformative and impressionable period of my adolescence, i spent a whole lot of my time in the church—not just on sunday mornings. i was actively involved with my youth group, attended wednesday services, church camps, retreats, and went on a mission trip to broken arrow, oklahoma. while i made some friends and had some incredible experiences, these were also the places where i felt the most ostracized and i don’t think anything has come close to it since. i was a troubled kid from generational trauma, not wealth, and was destined to be the breaker of this cycle. its real hard to find your footing when the odds are heavily stacked against you.

i was very fortunate to have my grandparents, who provided comfort, kindness, and support, shielding me as much as they could from all the chaos and trauma i experienced at the hands of people who were supposed to protect me. but they could only do much. as a result, i rebelled—hard. or at least as hard as a girl growing up in the church, the bible belt, and just over an hour from Pulaski, TN, a city infamous for reasons you can google, could rebel.

my youth pastor welcomed my weirdness. we didn’t talk much about my situation, but there was an unspoken understanding between us that i’ll never forget or appreciate any less. unfortunately, the same cannot be said for most of the folks i encountered during this time. i often felt humiliated and alone, mocked, and held in contempt. not by all, but certainly the majority.

there are a few folks i still keep in touch with today, one of whom feels almost exactly the way i do. our conversations as adults have been very validating. my childhood best friend, despite our different manifestations of similar childhood trauma, did her best to stay close to me, and for that, i am forever grateful. but again, these supportive experiences were the minority. i wouldn’t feel right not including them, though.

so, forgive me if i do not share your sentiments regarding the “mockery” of your religion during this Olympic season. i don’t care. i honestly couldn’t care less. i know so many people ranging from young to old who share similar stories of experiences with the church, stories filled with mockery, isolation, false concern, and contempt.

i’m not trying to say that one wrong makes another right. this extends beyond some simple tit for tat. so much wrongdoing has occurred throughout history at the hands of christians supposedly carrying out the justice and desires of their lord. it’s time christians learn about, if they aren’t already educated, and subsequently acknowledge this. it’s time christians listen to the stories of those they cast out from their communities, whether indirectly or directly, and work to understand the impact those experiences had on them.

i personally think a step in the right direction would be attempting to understand WHY their religion and its followers are so often mocked and ridiculed by those who have suffered at its hands. but as long as its members choose to blame the devil for the current discourse, rather than acknowledging their transgressions, i will continue to care absolutely zero about the mockery of their religion.

my experiences and observations have shown me that the mockery and contempt often displayed by christians towards those they disagree with is not just a reaction to modern social movements, but a continuation of a long history of exclusion and judgement. this behavior has deep roots in the very bones of the church and its misguided teachings. its crucial for christians to reflect on this history and the pain it has caused, and to seek understanding and MAYBE reconciliation with those they have marginalized. only then can we hope to move forward in a way that fosters genuine compassion and respect for all. until that happens, i will remain indifferent to the mockery of their religion, as it pales in comparison to the suffering inflicted by those who claim to follow it.

and to the few and far between christians who are on the right track in this regard, i’m so sorry for the burden you bear due to the actions of your fellow members, past and present. your efforts to show understanding, compassion,and genuine respect are invaluable. please, don’t give up. your work is crucial in paving the way for a more inclusive and empathetic future.

rest of pics in replies

[innerpalaces]

THE PRINCESS WEI YANG - 188 PART 2

CHAPTER 188: Already Engaged

When Madam Guo saw that Li Wei Yang was lost in thought, she said softly: "Actually, your father also had the same suspicion as you, but there is no evidence. So I think maybe you are overly worried."

Li Wei Yang was startled when she heard those words. Such a big plot... Empress Pei's meticulous work was so successful that she didn't leave any clues at all. This shows Empress Pei's careful design, cautious actions, and vicious intentions. One couldn't help but admire her.

"Mother, Empress Pei's methods are naturally extraordinary. If the evidence was found so easily, how could she have been sitting on the throne of Empress for so many years? If you don't believe it, think about it carefully, who benefitted the most after the war?"

Madam Guo was stunned and seemed to hesitate a little: "This... Thinking about it carefully, it is indeed Empress Pei. After the war, many aristocratic families were damaged, but before the war, the Pei family had been faintly cornered by all the major families. But then the situation changed..." She thought of this and slowly stopped talking, going through Li Wei Yang's words in her mind. She suddenly realized the key point and her face darkened. "Jia'er, you are right. Empress Pei must have done this! Because she and her father Pei Xiu are the biggest beneficiaries!"

Li Wei Yang smiled softly and said: "Yes, she strikes quickly and accurately. This is Empress Pei."

Madam Guo looked at Li Wei Yang and said: "After Pei Ming's death, people who had close contacts with him were very scared, fearing that Empress Pei would pursue further investigations and endanger their future, and even their wealth and life. But what surprised them was that no one else was implicated. What's even more amazing is that Empress Pei issued a grace decree and ordered Pei Ming and others to be buried with dignity, and all their letters and account books to be burned. In this way, there would be no further investigation of others. I didn't think about it carefully in the past, but now it seems that this move not only won her a good reputation as a benevolent person, but also truly reflected her good political tactics."

Li Wei Yang nodded and said: "I guess my father and brothers must have investigated these things, but they have been hiding it from you, mother, for fear that you will take revenge on Empress Pei because of my disappearance. If so, you will framed as making false accusations if you don't have evidence."

The veins on Madam Guo's forehead beat rapidly, and she tried her best to suppress her anger. "Am I the kind of woman who doesn't know what's important? They underestimate me too much!"

Li Wei Yang just held Madam Guo's hand and said softly: "Mother, both father and brothers are protecting you!"

After hearing this, Madam Guo still couldn't bear to blame her husband and sons for hiding this from her for so many years. She just sighed and said: "The hatred between the Guo and Pei families is too deep, and it cannot be removed no matter what, so when you enter the palace, you must be even more careful."

Li Wei Yang smiled and said: "Don't worry, mother."

Early the next morning, Madam Guo and Li Wei Yang got on the carriage, and Zhao Yue said to the carriage driver: "Let's go." The carriage began to turn its wheels, and sixteen Guo family guards on both sides followed the carriage through the street. They turned left through the Tongde Gate and passed through a bridge. South Palace City was just in front of them. According to the rules, their carriage can enter the Nangong City Gate, and then must stop when entering the second Dong'an Gate. All of the Guo Family's guards were blocked, and the court lady sent by Consort Guo took over. Of course, two rows of eunuchs carried the eight exquisite food boxes from the Guo family's entourage, containing snacks made by the Guo family. It was naturally known that there are all kinds of good things in the palace, so the most suitable gift was giving the Consort the food she likes, which will also shows deep affection.

The four eunuchs each lifted the corner of a palanquin and carried Madam Guo and Li Wei Yang to the entrance of Changchun Palace where Gracious Consort Guo lived. Along the way, Li Wei Yang only saw palace maids and eunuchs hanging their heads and holding their breaths, and not even the sound of people talking could be heart. It can be seen that the palace rules in Yuexi are much more stringent than those in Dali. When they arrived at the gate of Changchun Palace, even the palanquin had to stop.

"...Jia'er, if you meet someone later, just follow the rules taught by the matron. Do you remember all the taboos in the palace?" Madam Guo still asked worriedly.

Li Wei Yang looked at her sideways, smiled and said she remembered.

Just as she was about to enter Changchun Palace, she heard the sound of footsteps, and a young man in brocade clothes walked out. He was tall and handsome, but his eyes shone with an  unfathomable light. When he saw Madam Guo, a sincere and enthusiastic smile appeared on his face, and he quickly greeted her: "Aunt."

Before Madam Guo could speak, he had already made a half-bow, obviously respecting her very much. Madam Guo quickly said: "Your Highness, there is no need to be polite. Oh, by the way, this is Jia'er, Your Highness has not seen her yet."

Yuan Ying turned his gaze to Li Wei Yang, and with a polite and distant smile on his lips, said: "Cousin."

Li Wei Yang smiled cooperatively, and even managed to show a shy expression on her face.

"My mother asked me to come to the palace gate to greet you," Yuan Ying said with a faint smile, "Aunt, please come in..."

Inside the red-carved gate of Changchun Palace was a spacious small garden. Green plantains, thousand-year-old pine trees, and many flowers of all varieties were scattered neatly throughout the yard.

Following Madam Guo, they walked into a solemn parlour and saw Gracious Consort Guo sitting on the beauty's couch. Li Wei Yang had no time to take a closer look at her appearance and immediately knelt down with Madam Guo.

"Get up." Consort Guo actually took the initiative to help Madam Guo up. Then, Li Wei Yang saw the gorgeous palace dress move in front of her, and a soft female voice said, "Today I am meeting my sister-in-law and niece. Jia'er, just raise your head. You don't have to be so formal."

Li Wei Yang still saluted naturally, raised her eyes, smiled, all in one go. Yuan Ying glanced at her in surprise, obviously not expecting that Li Wei Yang learned palace etiquette so well in just a few days.

Li Wei Yang's eyes fell on Gracious Consort Guo's face. She was obviously close to forty, but her skin was flawless, and her features were beautiful and dignified.

"Jia'er." Consort Guo came up and took her hand, slowly looking over her face. Li Wei Yang was wearing the dress chosen by Madam Guo. The color was bright but not frivolous. She looked dignified and gentle and her face was flushed red, making her look even more beautiful and adorable than before. Consort Guo nodded and said, "She is indeed very lovely."

In other words, after Yuan Ying came back, he had mentioned her to Consort Guo. Li Wei Yang just smiled.

Gracious Consort Guo took Madam Guo and Li Wei Yang to sit down and began to ask about the current situation of the Guo family. In fact, she had already heard these things from Yuan Ying, but at this moment, she wanted to hear them from her sister-in-law, especially regarding Guo Jia's return. She listened very carefully, but there was no trace of doubt in her face, and she was full of emotion. Li Wei Yang saw this and sighed in her heart. The problem with Guo family women is they're very emotional, even Gracious Consort Guo is no exception. She'd heard that Li Wei Yang suffered a lot when she was missing, so she sent countless gifts to compensate her.

Soon, Li Wei Yang suddenly discovered that Yuan Ying's eyes had been falling on her face, still looking thoughtful. At this time, she suddenly heard Consort Guo say: "When I was a child, I brought Ying'er to the Guo family to visit his relatives. When he saw Jia'er, he refused to let go ..."

When Li Wei Yang heard this, a bad feeling suddenly passed through her heart.

Sure enough, the next thing Consort Guo said was: "Sister-in-law, the matter we talked about in the past should be settled as soon as possible..."

Li Wei Yang felt a little scared when she saw Consort Guo's enthusiastic eyes. However, when Yuan Ying heard these words, he still had a smile on his face, without any emotion, as if he didn't understand Consort Guo's hint at all...

Li Wei Yang and the others entered the palace very early. At this moment in Prince Xu's Mansion, the master had not yet gotten up. The attendant waiting outside was the former prince's old companion, a eunuch known as Elder Wang. At this moment, he walked to the desk, gently picked up a cloak and covered him, for fear of disturbing Yuan Lie, who was still sleeping.

"Elder Wang, it's almost noon, should we wake up the prince?" the maid Lan Zhi asked quietly.

The prince was tired from reading and didn't even go to bed to rest. Elder Wang sighed. He originally thought that the former Prince Xu would live a long life, but he didn't expect that the new master would inherit the title so quickly. Moreover, the new prince has an extraordinary handsome appearance, deep scheming, and one-of-a-kind personality and bearing, but he didn't have much in common with the gentle and elegant character of the Old Prince. Not only that, in the past six months he had inherited the title of a noble and had made Elder Wang worried about one thing –

Eunuch Wang looked at the servant girl and sighed. His mood seemed to have hit rock bottom, and he deliberately lowered his voice: "You are all really useless. I asked you to serve the grand prince in bed. Why didn't anyone do anything?"

Those beautiful little maids all lowered their heads. The prince was not interested in any of them, and his temperament was unpredictable. It was not that no one had tried, but those who tried could not see the sun the next day. God knows which ice cave that daring maid was thrown into by the master's secret guard... They couldn't understand, he was obviously a handsome prince, how could he not be tempted by beauty at all? Could it be that the prince doesn't like women? Didn't the old princess curse behind his back, saying that the old prince found a bitch from nowhere and was a womanizer...

"What's going on? He refuses to marry a consort and he refuses to keep a bed warmer by his side. Doesn't this mean that the bloodline of Grand Prince Xu will be cut off? When the old prince was this age, he had already married a wife and had children... Ah!" The eunuch muttered a few words quietly. When he raised his eyes, he saw Yuan Lie yawning and looking at him.

Elder Wang was startled and said quickly: "My lord...are you awake?" He didn't expect Yuan Lie to wake up so soon. 

Yuan Lie smiled slightly, though the smile didn't quite reach his amber eyes. "I just lay down for a while when I was tired from reading, and you started nagging here..."

"I don't dare!" Elder Wang's back broke out in a cold sweat. He couldn't explain why, but he was still a little afraid of this new prince. But because of his affection for the old prince, he was still looking forward to the young prince getting married, have children, and expanding the branches of the family. "Your Highness, the old princess came back yesterday. She mentioned the candidate for the new Princess Xu and wanted to marry her niece to you. Furthermore, the servant secretly found out that she was planning to speak to His Majesty through Consort Hu in the palace... You see, it's not that this servant wants to talk too much. If someone from the Hu family is allowed to marry in and become the princess, I am afraid that she will have the same intentions as the old princess..."

In fact, the old princess also stuffed him with a huge amount of money and gave him a farm in the suburbs... These are all gifts used to win people's hearts. If it were other people, they would probably be tempted, but he has always been loyal to the old prince. Before the old prince passed away, he told him to be loyal to this new master. How could he betray Yuan Lie? But just because he doesn't, doesn't mean others won't do it. He knew the temperament of the old princess very well. She would never give up until she achieved her goal. She would do anything to put her own son on the throne. Although Yuan Lie refused to pursue the matter for the sake of the old prince, this struggle will not be easily resolved after all!

"Oh." Yuan Lie's tone was not very warm, and he stood to wash up.

Seeing that he didn't pay attention at all, Elder Wang couldn't help but worry. The old princess always hated Yuan Lie. If she was allowed to interfere with the prince, would he be able to live like this in the future? The prince didn't make a plan earlier, but he still looked like he was taking care of himself. Is he crazy? "My lord, you'd better think carefully about it. You must get ahead of the old princess..."

Although Elder Wang was inexplicably afraid of Yuan Lie, he still spoke out after weighing the risks.

"Even if you don't marry a wife, you can still take a concubine. In the past six months, the prince has never let anyone sleep with him. The old princess seized this opportunity and created a lot of rumors..." It's not that he wants to worry, it's just the prince has always refused to take concubines, and he really feels that there is something wrong with him.

Yuan Lie lazily raised his eyebrows and said, "Where are the people outside?"

Elder Wang was stunned when he saw a guard pushing open the door and entering, respectfully delivering a secret letter. Yuan Lie opened the letter and read it at a glance. He couldn't help but frown. Wei Yang actually entered the palace——

Elder Wang was still saying: "Even if the prince blames me, I have to say that if the old prince was still here, he will definitely arrange a well-matched marriage for you. But now, there is no one who cares seriously about you —" Halfway through, he saw Yuan Lie walking out like a brisk wind. Elder Wang was startled and froze in place. Then he turned back to look at the crowd and said, "Where is his highness going?"

At this moment, Yuan Lie's figure had disappeared in the yard. Elder Wang was anxious, and he slapped his thigh and said: "Why is this prince so disobedient? Do you want to watch the old princess take away the title?!"

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[bstromberg]

Alright, throwing my two cents into this whole shitshow and then going back to my corner and enjoying whatever I want. I won't even be responding to anything relating to this post.

It doesn't matter what you ship, which characters you like or dislike, who you identify with or in what way.

It's a fictional show, with fictional characters. If you find something within the show that makes you feel happy or whatever, then I am happy for you. It's not up to anyone else to dictate what you like or don't like, what you can identify with or not. Also you cannot make that choice for someone else.

When it comes to what actors have said or done then you can decide whether that is something you can forgive and move past or not. No one can make that choice for you, nor can you make it for anyone else. It's okay to want people to be held accountable for their actions, but that is also a conversation that needs to be done respectfully. Fighting fire with fire never really works in these situations. People will also need to learn that sometimes they won't get the response that they want, or even a response at all.

If you have a difference of opinion, please have a grown up conversation about it. Also accept the fact that not everyone will agree with whatever your opinion is. Sometimes agreeing to disagree is a perfect way to end a discussion.

Everyone who continues to throw hate to the other side of an argument is a part of the problem. And if you are being an active part of it because it's fun to get a reaction from other people then I have no respect for you (which you don't care about anyway).

Hope everyone enjoys the next season whatever happens, I know I will!

[wolfisland]

also basically what happened with this dude, because id actually rather be candid about it because i fucked up, and thats not something i wanna hide either. i did fuck up. intensely. if you're familiar with me and previous urls (specifically bìfēy) you may have actually witnessed this

so timeline:

- ive known this dude (went by catboyfleas at the time i believe) since i was 13, which i consider childhood for me as someone who Does Not Remember Their Childhood. we'd had an on and off friendship because he's incredibly abrasive and rude and overall the reviews from anyone whos met him that i still speak to are generally "hes a cunt", and id been pretty vulnerable to this treatment growing up

- roughly 2020-2021 (????) i criticise a person (jen truëfaggōt) who, as far as i was and am aware, is not and was not bisexual and had no right trying to coin flags for a bisexualgender flag in my personal opinion when there were already flags made by bisexuals, especially when this person had a history of biphobia

- he accidentally misgenders this person by using "king" when telling her to stay in her lane, as said person used he/him at the time and identified as gay for men, though also tma. we were not aware that this would go under misgendering as we thought it was the correct gendered term

- this person is very upset which is fair and accuses him of misgendering, and of fucking course instead of apologising he doubles down on the "well i didnt know!" and im working to try and translate dipshit speak into an actual explanation for his actions, as this person accuses him of intentional misgendering which it genuinely wasnt. i cannot stand this dude anymore, and i will throw him under the bus for a myriad of reasons now that hes no longer around to essentially mock and gaslight me for sport. but he didnt do this intentionally.

however the lack of apology is in itself transmisogynistic and me trying to apologise for him and explain things is still transmisogynistic and didnt fix it. i am genuinely and deeply sorry for this. at the time i wanted to explain on behalf of my friend, who for the better part of 10 years id been constantly insulted by and belittled and had to essentially be a pr agent of in many circumstances, and i felt that as i'd been the one to initially interact with that person, it was my responsibility to try and fix the situation. we are no longer and will never be friends again.

it was not my role to apologise for him or explain his actions, and i should have cut him off as people suggested. i was pretty strongly attached to him due to him being one of the only people whod stayed part of my life and defended me when i was being abused by my parents and partners, and i felt i owed it to him to try and fix this. i didnt really have anyone else i knew irl, and i truly did not think he had poor intentions, but actions do speak louder and continuing to make excuses for him contributed to the damage he'd already done.

- the situation later devolves into all of the attention and blame being shifted onto me, as he just logged out essentially after continuing to double down on how he never meant it as misgendering as he couldnt have known - iirc he claimed he wasnt even aware you could be tma and still be mlm in any capacity.

i end up being held accountable for his actions, and i believe this person actually at a point called me a dog? like a lot of it was very very peppered with antiblackness and bimisogyny — something she ALSO had a history of, and i will not back down on that, there was definitely warranted criticism for my actions, but i was treated with far more hostility and bad faith than he was, and after not long at all i was the sole target of criticism (rather than him) until a callout was later posted for the person, revealing she wasnt even transfem, and proving she'd been racefaking as well.

however that callout also ended up being filled with absolute baseless BULLSHIT theorising about other completely uninvolved people being sock puppets of her, and this actively harmed those people. the authors of that callout never apologised and disappeared and i do not associate with them nor do i condone the flimsy and dangerous accusations levelled against uninvolved people.

i did not write the callout but my testimony was involved, and i actively condemn the majority of the callout. it hurt others. i didnt want to hurt other people like that, i cant imagine how much stress they were under after those false accusations of being someone else entirely, and i am so sorry that they were dragged into this and subjected to that.

i wanted that person held accountable for her antiblackness and bimisogyny, as there genuinely is not an excuse for that, i didnt deserve that either. i absolutely deserved criticism for my behaviour and responses and i deserved to be held accountable and still do, but there wasnt an excuse to talk about me like i was some purposefully evil animal and the instigator of all of this and that i was aggressive and cruel. i wasnt. that was never my intention. ever.

i regret not nipping that in the bud and im genuinely sorry for my part in it. i should have listened when warned to cut him off and i should have never tried to speak on his behalf or apologise for it. i kept poor company and thats on me. i believe i have genuinely learned from this and i am remorseful for it, but i also understand anyones skepticism around my intentions or actions. everyone is entitled to that. just because im apologising doesnt mean im entitled to anyones forgiveness, especially not like... tma peoples? but the apology is still important to me. i am sorry. i do regret this. i will do better.

i have worked very hard to do better and Be better and i do hope that reflects. i care a lot about this topic and especially as a black bi woman. its important to me that i work to make sure people feel safe around me.

so. for anyone who was NOT aware of this and has no interest in associating with me further after learning it, i fully understand.

and if you were involved with this and have stumbled across this and were one of the people harmed by it, i am genuinely sorry. id considered reaching out to certain people affected directly but its been made very clear that these people do not want to hear from me or anyone else who'd been even tangentially involved in the callout and ive chosen to respect the right to peace and privacy. but please understand that if given the chance i would like to directly apologise, provided it wouldnt cause further distress.