#i cannot tell you what happens in “which one are you” because i rarely listen to the first part of s8. i do remember ep 92 “am i dead”

[8cfc00]

i love relistening to podcasts to the point where relistening to any episode becomes incredibly boring because i already know what happens

[monsterlets]

conversation tip for autistic people, from an autistic linguist

if you've ever run into this dilemma:

you are telling someone a story or informing them about something. there is a piece of information that you are not sure if they already know or not, but they need to know it in order for the rest of what you're saying to make sense. you are now trying to guess based on nothing. if you tell them and they already knew, they might think you're insulting their intelligence (or just that it was weird that you thought they wouldn't know). if you don't tell them and they didn't already know, then they'll feel lost

you can get around this with presuppositions

a presupposition is a piece of information in a sentence that is not the main point of the sentence, but that must be true in order for the sentence as a whole to be true. this is very dependent on where in the sentence the information is

for example:

you're telling someone a story about a mutual friend. the only way this story makes sense is if the listener knows that the friend's dad used to be a doctor. you don't know if they know that

this is a direct statement: "her dad used to be a doctor"

the main point of this sentence is "her dad used to be a doctor", but more importantly it's obviously the main point of the sentence. if they think you should assume they already knew that, that is now at the front of their mind. and they might think you're implying that they're not close to your mutual friend

here is a sentence with a presupposition: "when her dad was a doctor, he saw this really weird thing"

the main point of this sentence is "he saw this really weird thing". "her dad was a doctor" is just background information. not only that, but including information as a presupposition implies that you thought they already knew it

if they did in fact already know, they might not even register the fact that you mentioned it again, or if they do it wouldn't seem out of place. they just breeze right past it and on to the rest of the sentence

if they didn't know, they likely won't think that much about it since you didn't call much attention to it, and even if they take note of it they'll at least think you assumed the best of them. at this point one of three things is likely to happen (from most to least likely):

they just quickly assimilate the information into their worldview and move on to interpreting the rest of the sentence

it blows their mind so much that they ask you to explain. which is a great outcome imo

it threatens their worldview so strongly that they cannot move past it. at this point they may get mad at you, but it's not because of what you implied they knew or didn't know - it's because they just strongly disagree with you, and they were gonna get mad regardless of how you said it. this will rarely come up unless you're talking about a particularly polarizing/emotionally charged topic

note: as I said, where you put the information in the sentence matters a lot. coordinating conjunctions connect two main ideas. the sentence "her dad used to be a doctor, and he saw this really weird thing" has two main ideas. and one of them is the one that you wanted to not be a main idea

if you want more examples of the forms presuppositions can take with more technical descriptions, wikipedia has a pretty good list

also note, this is a guideline, not a rule. it's hard to go wrong with it, but if you know what you're doing you can break it

for instance, if I am not talking about anything personal, just telling someone about a special interest, I'll do different things depending on how niche the information is

if I know something is common knowledge (ex: t rex was a predator) then I'll either not mention it, or if I think it's something they need to not only know but be actively thinking about for the rest of it to make sense, then I will remind them with a presupposition

if I know something is not entirely common knowledge, but I have at some point seen people who are not deep into the topic talking about it ("dimetrodon was more closely related to mammals than dinosaurs") then I might just straight up ask them if they know that, since it doesn't say anything about them as a person other than what random information they happened to come across

if it's something you almost certainly wouldn't know about without being deep into the topic, I just say it. if they do happen to know about it it's because they randomly heard it and they probably wouldn't think it's weird that I assumed they didn't know (note: in this situation do not say anything along the lines of "you probably wouldn't know this" "this is so niche". just say the information)

you might have noticed that I haven't been following the guideline in this post either. this is for a couple reasons

I'm not talking to specific people, I'm writing for a broad audience. generally when you say things people already knew in that context they're like "well I didn't need that spelled out for me, but I guess somebody does"

I am not aiming this at neurotypicals, and I assume that you'll appreciate me being as explicit as I can regardless of how much you already knew

[alittlebitofloveliness]

Well since you said it…

Ponyboy Curtis head canons and, if possible, cherry head canons 😁

I'll do Cherry later this weekend, but for now here's some Ponyboy headcanons!

-Has tried to quit smoking multiple times, usually because Darry wants him to, and never succeeded. The second he gets even the tiniest bit stressed he’s got a cigarette lit and back in his mouth. At this point he's pretty much accepted he's locked in for life

-Had to get glasses and HATES them so Darry pulled some overtime and got him contacts

-Worries a lot about Darry, not just because he tries to carry too much roofing at once and regularly hurts his back, but also because he’s terrified of what could happen if Darry was to somehow slip off a roof

-His middle class school friends think he’s REALLY cool (like Pony, they’re all a bunch of nerds) and Pony loves it because the entire gang very much does not

-His school friends are also TERRIFIED of the gang, like they see Two-bit or Steve coming to talk to him and hightail it out of there. They’re even scared of Johnny which Ponyboy thinks is hilarious (he doesn’t realize that Johnny’s dark gaze and bruises are terrifying to someone who doesn’t know how he got them)

-Thinks Curly Shepard is the funniest person alive and is determined that Curly never find that out

-Cannot for the life of him figure out why Johnny and Curly don’t get along

-Tutored Two-bit in English so he could finally graduate

-The gang is split between those who are determined to be a good influence on Pony and those who aren’t. Dally and Two-bit are the bad influences, Johnny tries to be a good influence, and Steve claims to not give a fuck but is the best influence of all in that he’s never let/asked/encouraged Pony to take part in illegal activities 

-Pony thinks Curly Shepard is good looking in a dangerous way. Real good looking in fact.

-Is NOT afraid of girls no matter what that Johnny Cade says (I mean it man I ain’t SCARED of them, they just don think like us, and quit you’re laughing, it ain’t like you have any luck with girls either-)

-Is TERRIFIED of Tim Shepard 

-Is also terrified of Angela Shepard because even though she has the same eyes as Curly, her's are like a snakes, all cold, emotionless and deadly, whereas Curly’s are always twinkling with ether mischief or anger

-He’s actually really good at stealing things (Two-bit taught him well), he just doesn’t do it often because he feels bad about it. But if a shop employee is rude to him he’s no holds barred and could leave with like half the store under his coat

-Can get away with literally ANYTHING in his English class after he gave Mr. Simes his theme, and uses that fact to his advantage

-Regularly falls asleep in his math class but manages to talk his teacher out of calling Darry every time

-He and Darry have the same taste in literature and regularly share/discuss books. It bores Soda to the point where he jokingly tells them to go back to arguing all the time because it was at least more entertaining to listen to

-Steps on peoples heels when he walks behind them

-HATES country music so fucking much and if Johnny plays that goddamn country record ONE more time-

-Is determined to make sure neither of his older brothers find our just how much time he spends with Curly Shepard

-Cut the blond out of his hair as soon as he possibly could, even though it made his hair shorter than he liked because he hated the light colour more than he hated the short length

-Has the worst poker face known to man but is actually decent at poker (because he cheats, but unlike Sodapop he’s good at cheating so he rarely gets caught)

[spacebarbarianweird]

astarion with wizard!tav

Oh, this one is tricky! Never played a wizard (I am too dumb for this class) and I hope I haven't dissapointed you!

NSFW version

Masterlist

Headcanons

Astarion x Wizard!Tav Headcanons

You are this bookish person who rarely goes out.

Like, you left home for once, and look what happened! You were kidnapped and got a tadpole in your brains!

You are smart, intelligent, and know a lot of things. Spells, history, religion, and some weird facts are suitable only for quizzes.

Astarion loves listening to you - he's missed a lot of things within those 200 years, and you help him to catch up.

What do you mean there was a Spellplague? And magic stopped working for a whole decade? And the Time of Troubles when some gods ceased existing?

And you somehow know more about elves and vampires than he does.

"I've read the older vampire is, the longer they can spend in the sunlight. Ancient vampires are almost immune", you once casually told him, and this glimpse of hope stuck with him for a long time.

You aren't social - moreover, you absolutely cannot survive in social situations.

And you were oblivious to Astarion's flirting - like none of his seductive words worked on you. You just didn't get them.

But in the meantime, Astarion started appreciating it. Old habits die slowly, so when he sometimes slips back into all "seduce and fuck" things, it just doesn't work on you.

You know a lot of spells, and you are ready to use them. "Silence" during sex not to attract unnecessary attention. "Darkness" to protect Astarion from sunshine. "Protection From Evil and Good," which helps from inner demons as well as real ones.

But sometimes, you overstep Astarion's boundaries because you think you can help him.

Once, you used telepathy to console Astarion, only to hurt him by violating his mind.

"The only thing that was left intact was my mind, and you decided to get in there!" he yelled at you and disappeared for a few long months while you stayed alone in the wizard tower with only books as a company.

He returned. Of course, he did. But he wanted an apology, which you gave him, and the promise to ask about spells to use on him.

You have a shared love for books and a vast library where you read together and discuss things you've just learned.

You are looking for clues to cure his vampirism or, at least, give him the ability to walk in the sun.

There must be something! Something in this hellish amount of books.

Astarion isn't excited. He knows you are ambitious and need to know when to stop.

And there are too many stories of wizards who lost control of their powers and knowledge.

Besides, some artifacts and spells cost too much for the wizard, and he just wants you to avoid risking yourself for him.

After all, in your relations, he is a hero.

He is stronger and a better fighter.

He is street-smart; meanwhile, you are obviously book-smart.

So he knows how to survive.

And if strange visitors want something from you, beware your husband, who will sit them down and question them like a professional interrogator.

If you need a specific magic item - just say. Astarion will bring it. Just don't ask where he got it and how.

"Blood? What blood? Oh, that blood!"

He loves giving you things - books, primarily, but he also wants to ensure you have other things that bring you comfort, like a delicate shirt or a dress. Or a wizard hat.

And you return the favor. Astarion has a fire-enchanted blanket, which is warm on its own, and a darkness cape that allows him to walk in the daylight for a few hours until the spell weakens.

And, of course, the reflection spell. Now, Astarion knows how he looks.

When Astarion is an absolute mess and tells you he feels like drowning, you conjure the spell and let him look at himself, which helps him feel the ground again.

You are easily wounded in a fight - and he does everything to protect you.

"You body is a fragile vessel of fine potion," he jokingly says.

But he always worries sick - especially when your wounds are of magic origin.

He just doesn't understand what is happening to you, and it makes him sick.

Of course, there is Gale to ask for help from, but he soon realizes that the two wizard nerds aren't as powerful as they think.

Books. You read "useful" ones on magic, history, and others. You have never had time to read for fun!

So Astarion starts bringing you fiction novels. Some stupid adventure stories or straightforward erotica.

Initially, you were hesitant - you aren't used to spending time on nonsense.

But later, you found yourself enjoying a series of novels about the adventures of treasure hunters in the deserts of Halrua.

And love stories. You are absolutely lost in them, especially if they are somewhat spicy.

But you don't want to read yourself - you need Astarion's voice to narrate them!

Astarion mocks you often, but you know that behind your back, he can't shut up about you.

He admires your abilities, your skills, and your intelligence.

In his eyes, you are the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen.

And he makes sure you follow your routine.

Because, of course, you fall asleep on your books and forget to eat or change your clothes

So Astarion takes this role of a "caregiver" - he makes sure you eat regularly, get enough sleep hours (even if he has to drag you to bed against your will), always have a fresh set of clothes, and don't forget to walk at least once a day.

"No, please, one more chapter, I am almost done!"

But no objections - this fantastic brain of yours needs some rest.

--

Tag list

@tragedybunny @caitlincat-95 @tallymonster @astarionsbeloved @lumienyx @fayeriess @elora-the-slutty-songstress @veillsar @astarion-imagine-archive @micropoe10 @starlight-ipomoea @herstxrgirl @theearthsfinalconfession @ashrio20 @not-so-lost-after-all @vixstarria @wintersire

[alekthefox]

Headcanons about professor Aventurine and Professor Ratio AU!

Veritas mainly teaches one subject (i cannot decide which one) but substitutes for any of the other seven subjects he has PhDs in. He's in charge of the chess club.

Aventurine is happily in charge of the theatre club and teaches social studies. By Ratio's continued insistence he also became a licensed psychologist though he doesn't work in the field currently.

Reputation. Among colleagues Ratio is well respected and as for Aventurine... Sometimes people wonder how he got so far from his demeanor and leniency with students yet his results make people shut their mouths. Once, there was an important figure coming to the college by surprise and one of the higher-ups was sent to notify everyone currently working in order to make the college look good. Shock when Aventurine was on his phone, not lecturing, while the class did anything but study. Literally doing hair and nails, playing cards(and gambling secretly which Ave turned a blind eye to), drawing, chatting loudly, etc. After that Ave's students' results of the past year were checked over again more closely because it was unbelievable how relaxed and chaotic class time was with such good results. They were dumbfounded when it was all legit. Not ONE of the students used AI, or cheated in any way. NOT. ONE. That is how much they respect Aventurine and his subject. He made sure to spoil them more after that.

Aventurine is loved by all students. Extremely rare exceptions. Ratio though... Freshmen absolutely hate him to the bone marrow. He's extremely strict and not lenient at all with test scores. But with time things become clearer, usually taking a year or two to see he does actually care. One instance being how when a chronically ill student was on the verge of failing he compiled the entire year's lectures into a more succinct paper and sent it to them. (The student passed.) Another being how when one of his students was barely scraping by and finally got a score they were happy with Ratio praised them the same way he does to all other students who get a good score. And he never compares them or praises the one who used to struggle any more than the rest. Another being how he would buy textbooks for his students who couldn't afford them or get them through the school. (He did get into trouble for that but kept doing it. They couldn't do much to stop him.) But each year he would face the same pain.

Aventurine noticed each time. He sent his students to spread word and positive rumours about Dr. Ratio to anyone who would listen. Soon enough each year as soon as the first day—it had become a tradition—older students would warn freshmen of Ratio's demeanor being demanding and cold but assured them he had a gold heart and told of his many shiny moments.

Veritas was deeply confused by this. He didn't know how or why it was happening. There was also no good way to investigate, besides it did soothe his pain. One day Ratio wanted to speak with Ave about one thing or another but when he entered he was surprised to hear him telling his students to do exactly that. To praise him to anyone who would be willing to hear it. In exchange this damned man offered that the students vote on what play they want to perform and he'll convince the principal to let it happen.

Veritas leaned on the doorframe with crossed arms and fondness in his eyes. Aventurine noticed everyone was looking behind him and looked startled that he'd been caught, as if Veritas would be mad about it. This was the very first time Ratio had kissed him in public, and in front of students at that.

They would always spend lunch together. You cannot convince me otherwise. These two are glued to each other(sometimes begrudgingly).

Whenever students would ask Aventurine about family life(they still don't dare ask Ratio) he would openly derail everything on schedule for the class and gush about Veritas. He was careful not to reveal his identity though. Most students don't believe the 'rumours' of their kiss. It seems completely beyond reason and belief to them which Ave finds absolutely hilarious. One day a student asks what his boyfriend does for a job. Aventurine smiles and says: "Why do you ask when you already know?" It confused everyone in the room so he continued. "He is in the same line of work as me, and same college." Ave was so incredibly smug about it as they tried to figure out who it was. It took about four minutes of distressed chatter(Aventurine watched in delight) until someone mentioned the 'they got caught kissing' rumour. (Of course time will twist the tale.) When Aventurine smiled wider at that mention... you can imagine the reaction.

Aventurine actively advocates against the dress code(within reason). A dress code is a good idea until it turns into sexism. If he sees a shoulder... No, he didn't.

[inventedfangirling]

Pran's Growth : from pran-so-cool to pran-in-love

Since I did one for Pat I thought I should do one for Pran too although this one turned out slightly different than Pat's and far faaaar (im talking crazy levels of scrolling far) more detailed because i'm only human idk how to be brief about Pran FORGIVE ME.

Look at him he's my baby, i just CANNOT. So that now we have established that I have unexplainable levels of fondness for him, and so can only view his actions through love tinted glasses which means i'm basically Pat which means I'm super qualified to write this post, lets move on to what i actually wanted to say.

The first glimpse we get of Pran's mind (if you look in the chronological order of events in the show's universe) then its during his conversation with Pat where they discuss what song to perform for christmas.

Here we see the normally closed off Pran share his feelings (albeit about the topic of the song) with Pat with an ease that feels uncharacteristic of the Pran we come to see later. Because while Dissaya was still overbearing and controlling, Pran hadn't had to bear the worst of it yet. For a single child without friends that he could really open up to, it was natural for Pran to feel a pull towards Pat boisterous though he was, because he offered him a space where he could for the first time in his life open up in. 

It could be argued that Pran didn't reveal anything to Pat (it could be argued otherwise too i will get to it soon) but for a person of Pran's nature, who finds expressing himself difficult the space Pat offered for him to express his creativity and his passion for music and song writing was by itself a lot. But it's not just that. Pran is not only talking about a random song is he? He is talking about putting his actual feelings into the song. How he likes the feeling of hesitation of wanting to jump in but being afraid to be heartbroken.

He is knowingly or unknowingly speaking about his own feelings with respect to Pat. I say unknowingly because it is hard to imagine Pran really revealing his heart like that if he really knew what he was going through at that very moment.

And how does Pat react to Pran's words. He pays attention, listens intently and encourages Pran's idea. Pran opened up and Pat let him and Pran actually felt great about it. Its one of the rare moments in his life where he could be honest about something so special. 

And then Pat goes on doing random thoughtful acts like making the guitar pick out of his own ID just cos he saw Pran was struggling to play the guitar without it. He had nothing to gain and he still did that. He is nice to him. He says hi to him by the juice stand, he tells him he'd see him in the music room. Like he wants to see him there. Pran almost forgets their family feud. He was falling in love after all. How could he not?

The feeling being new to him, Pran like any teenager was curious to see what would happen? 

What if I step closer? What if we spend more time together? What if i was more nice to him? Could something actually happen?

But then he sees InkPat in the music room and Pran loses the spirit he had suddenly gained. 

Maybe not. Pat probably didnt feel the same way.

 And then the bracelet thing happens. 

Of course he didnt feel the same way. 

And then the christmas show happens and they practice together again, they play music together again and music and his feelings for Pat have somehow been inextricably intertwined ever since that conversation they first had about the song. And so here he was finally singing the song in front of people, declaring his feelings out loud, and the crowd was actually cheering and grooving to their song and the whole vibe of it puts him in a space where he feels anything could happen and in a rare moment of indulgence he turns to smile at Pat while singing the song he wrote about them. 

But then before he could even taste the feeling of freedom that that performance was potentially offering him, it all comes crashing down as he sees his parents standing in front of him, face aghast and anger writ large on it. And before Pran knows it he's shipped off to a boarding school away from everything he ever knew.

For any teenager that's a harsh change. For a neurodivergent gay introvert like Pran it would have been an even more isolating experience. Finding himself in an unfamiliar environment with no friends, no family and just a bunch of strangers, his only companions the anger and frustration at the whole situation at his mother and the boy who broke his heart (oblivious though he was of it).

How could Pran have let this happen? How could he have ever thought there was something there? And even if there was, that something could happen? How could he let him in? Of course it was gonna end up like this.

3 years at the boarding school pass and we can assume that Pran makes his own set of friends during this time. But we know that none if any are close enough for him to even bring up later on. Which means the one person who got him to open up, who gave him a safe space to talk and share feelings was still Pat. The one person he didn't have to be anything other than himself was, Pat. The only person who he ever felt comfortable enough to open up to was Pat. And Pran can't believe his terrible luck when he sees him stand across from him. 

Unlike Pat who has seemingly gone back to acting like a spoilt child fighting for no reason who is trying to hold onto the person he had become the past 3 years when Pran sees Pat all his feelings come rushing back to him. Despite it all, despite the three years of gap where he swore to never let himself be in such a position again, the moment he sees Pat he is gone again. Because the three years felt like nothing suddenly. And he's once again standing across from the boy who broke his heart.

Why the hell did this have to happen? Out of all the universities he could go to, why this one?

And this time things are more conducive to their budding friendship. And Pat  soon gives up his macho act and somehow keeps finding excuses to spend time with him. Of course Pran's feelings sprung back up in twice the ferocity.

His defences were still up but what the hell was happening?

Why is he helping him out for no reason? Why is he offering to do that? What the hell is being like this way for? Why is he smiling at his dimples like that? This possibly can't be real.

And yet. Day after day Pat keeps coming back and Pran's defenses are slowly threatening to come down and it's scary but its also exhilarating, but it's mostly scary.

And then he's proven right. To have been scared.

Because of course Pat never feels the same way. Of course he likes Ink. Of course that's what was happening all along. Silly Pran letting himself hope again. How foolish of him.

Episode 5 is Pran scrambling to pull back and secure his defenses, Pat is never getting through this wall again. He's done with this. He can't possibly be heartbroken over and over and over again for the same oblivious guy who probably has not a single clue what he's doing to Pran's heart.

And then the freshy night happens and then Pat acts a confusing combination of angry and hurt at the bar and Pran is supposed to be celebrating but he can't wipe Pat's betrayed face from his mind and then if that wasn't enough the confrontation with Wai happens and things come to a shrieking halt in the rooftop where Pran has finally had it. He tells him.

He finally lets it out, in the most Pran way he could at that point, telling Pat to not give him any hope to not do this to him. But instead of the final nail on the coffin that he expects Pat to hammer in, he knocks the winds out of him as he tells no, because no he actually does not want to be friends. He actually wanted what Pran wanted?

After all this time?

And then they step closer and wait for a while before Pat finally leans in, giving him the kiss that he had been dreaming about since god knows how long. Except the kiss is too short and maybe Pat had only that much to give, but Pran had years worth of love and want and longing he had been carrying around and he wanted nothing more than to let it all go. And so he does. He pulls Pat closer and gives him the kiss that he's been wanting to give him forever. 

Pran tells Pat every single one of his feelings through that kiss. Because he was never going to ever be able to put them into words was he? But alas...if Pat wasn't putting the final nail on the coffin, then the wave of realizations that follow the kiss tells Pran that he needs to be the one to do it.

It's never gonna work out ever. This is the most they could ever have. And knowing that Pat returned his feelings doesn't make it any easier.

Because what the hell was he doing? Letting himself go like this!? Setting himself up for getting hurt again? Pat may have kissed him, but he liked Ink too didnt he? And even if he didn't any longer, their families hated each other. And the last time they knew they got close, Pran had to go through hell and back. 

How could he do this to himself again? No.

It is over. It has to be over. He can't keep getting hurt again.

And he pulls back.

By miles. He is done letting his guard down and getting hurt and causing hurt. This is best in the long run. He should just stay away from Pat. No matter how much it hurt. It was never gonna work out anyways.

But then Pat comes back. Pran pushes him away. He has to give up at some point. He has to. Why would he keep coming back? But Pat keeps surprising Pran. He keeps coming back and butting in and being a pain in the ass and Pran is at his wit's end because he just doesn't know how much more he can withstand. He could see how much effort Pat was putting just to have a conversation with him. And eventhough he was staying away to protect himself he also thought he was doing it for Pat's sake too. That it was better for everybody in the long run. But Pat's steadfast efforts finally get to him.

He was still the one person in the world he could truly be open in front of. His defenses were somehow at his weakest. And sitting there on that beach dreaming of a reality where their parents don't have a life consuming feud going on Pran actually lets himself open up once again. After that it was just a matter of time before Pran was lured into the who falls in love first challenge bet. Bringing their love for competing with eo into this was the only way Pran could be eased into this.

Pat knows him so well. They've come so far. What the hell, he could win this challenge couldn't he? Pat followed him all the way to their hostile architecture trip didn't he? He would cave in.

Pat keeps surprising him though he keeps finding new ways to flirt and stump him, and Pran never to be beaten has a few tricks up his sleeve too.

Neither end up winning and things stay in that will they won't they when will they limbo and there was all chance of it continuing indefinitely and then Pat surprises him again.

He doesn't take Pran's easy out. Pran had basically offered to confess and end this bet. Pat was being handed an easy win. But he declines it. And then he surprises him even more by walking into the loss, showing up to play Kwan in a drama he didn't even need to act in, in a play he signed up for just to flirt with Pran and now the play he is offering to do, entirely and completely for Pran. At this point Pat really had the upper hand in the bet. And he still willingly volunteers to lose. He puts himself out there, knowing he will lose. Because on the other end of it Pat saw a relationship with Pran. Why prolong it any longer? And how could Pran not melt at that. Bet be damned. 

And that's why he cooks curry for Pat and when Pat tries to eat it himself, Pran stops him, looks at him meaningfully and then feeds it to him, as if signalling to Pat that if you lost for me, i'm losing for you too.

And so they start dating. And Pran now has to get used to this feeling of his defenses being down. His vulnerabilities exposed and his heart basically out there to be hurt. It was absolutely terrifying. And he wouldn't have had the courage to go for it if Pat hadn't done what he did. Showing him that he valued Pran and his feelings over his own ego. Pat's consistency and sacrifice proved beyond a shadow of doubt as somebody Pran could actually trust himself with. Over and above his overwhelming love for Pat, I believe it is that trust that helped him take that step. 

And Pat keeps showing him every step of the way that the trust was given in safe hands. After every fight, every disagreement, they stop and they talk and they communicate. Pran asks for time. Pat gives it. Pran asks him to keep it under wraps. He's okay with it. Pran compromises on a lot of things himself. He steps out of his comfort zone, willingly does things he wouldn't have dreamt of otherwise just to make Pat happier.

Because he realizes that if the relationship has to work, they both need to put equal effort. By being with Pat, Pran while being in a safe space gets to open up his heart in ways he would have been afraid to otherwise.

It is implied that Pran is the one who cooks for both of them, he leaves cute notes to make Pat smile when he's upset, he does random thoughtful things like putting the paste on the toothbrush for a waking Pat, he hurries home immediately to comfort an upset Pat, and even if it made his friend mad he still showed up to practice sessions and games because he wanted to support Pat and be there for him.

When Wai outs them it is the tremendous trust that he has in Pat and their relationship that helps Pran go over to assuage Pat and helps them get through it together. Every step of the way every block in the path they handle it together. His trust in Pat, his belief in their love growing more and more.

And that's why when Pran sees that Pat is quite serious about staying on at the beach, despite his reservations and fears and wanting to be there for his mother too he still goes all in. Of course he does. Of course he goes all in for the boy he has loved ever since he knew what love was. The one person who kept showing up over and over. The only one who he had complete and utter trust in, to be there for him. 

Because finally, finally Pran could see what he couldn't even dream of when he was young and a life he didn't dare let himself think about in their few months of relationship. A life with Pat, the kindest warmest love-shaped boy he knew, no matter how silly he could get, he would always want to be there for him, with him and he no longer felt like he had to clutch onto his defenses like they were the only thing he really had, because no? He had Pat didn't he?

The only person who knew what it was like being in Pran's shoes, and who loved him nonetheless and maybe even all the more because of it, the way Pran did with him, because he knew Pat would never hurt him knowingly.

He could do this.

He could do this with him.

His belief in their love, his trust in their relationship, the commitment that Pat expressed to him in that conversation, ensured that no matter what challenges came up later in their fake break up era, things would still be okay. It's because of that faith that Pran knew that he could afford to go to Singapore for a couple of years and they would remain strong though it all because of that assurance and confidence he felt in himself, in Pat and this relationship that they had nurtured and cherished.

We see him grow up from a boy who was scared of feeling things to a boy who was brave enough to overcome that fear to let himself be open to hurt to crying in the arms of Pat, letting himself be his most vulnerable to braving hurt to fighting for what he loves and doing what he feels is right.

We see his growth from when he went from being afraid to express his feelings to expressing that in actions and then in words and asking Pat to do the public confession and writing a song for him and asking him how good he was in bed and demanding Pat call him sweetly.

Unafraid of his wants or desires and no longer averse to expressing them. We see him growing beyond childish hijinks to buying a gift for the man who had once hurt his mother, because two things can be true at once ( Ming was an asshole, but he was still Pat's father). He was building a life with Pat, and a meticulous planner like Pran was obviously not going to leave his relationship with his future father in law to chance. 

And that's my take on how Pran went from "You still owe me" to "Every time i'm near you, nothing good happens" to "Can you please stay away from me?" to "You know that fact (that you aren't my friend) now leave" to "Someone like you what's to like?" to "You've got to stop doing this to me Pat" to "Why start when you know how it's gonna end" to "It's the kind of relationship i always avoid"  to "I care about you more" to "if you want my hand be brave" to "If i do that (thinking of it as a song for Pat) then how can i ever really quit" to "Being with you already feels like freedom" to "We like each other. Why does it bother anyone?" to "I can be anywhere as long as i have you" to "I wrote this song for him." to "Give it to him for me" to "If not you i won't allow anyone else to use it" to "Call me nicely" unafraid of expressing his feelings and desires, heart more open and loving than the one he started off with.  

To conclude and in short throughout the show the growth we see in Pran is perfectly illustrated in his password change from the Pran (who was uber protective of his own self and was emotionally repressed and closed off trying to appear cool and unaffected) of Pran So Cool to the unabashedly in love Pran (having made rapid progress in expressing his feelings and braving fears) of Pran in Love, and it's Pat's love and kindness that helped him along the way. 

The world didn't change him. Pat's love did.

[theflagscene]

15 Day BL Challenge (part 3)

41: We don’t kill the gays here but… best death/near death scene?

I love a good death scene, I just typically hate them in gay media because it’s such a classic crap plot point. They kill the gays because the gays cannot be happy, ever. 🙄 Thankfully that is (kinda) changing in non queer focused media, and is pretty rare in QLs. But that doesn’t stop me from thinking some death scenes are really perfect in my macabre lil brain.

Korn & Intouch - Until We Meet Again

I feel like this is such an OG death scene, I remember when I watched UWMA for the first time and their deaths were in the very first episode, within the first fifteen minutes of the episode! I sat straight up, complete shock on my face. Like I knew the story was about reincarnation and the red string of fate, but I did not expect it to happen that quickly. And my god, Kao and Earth left me absolutely breathless with their performances.

Wei Wuxian - The Untamed

I will once again claim the a censored BL still counts lol, but yeah, Wei Wuxian’s death scene was magnificent. It’s one of the few times I thought the series did the scene better than the books did, I think mostly because his death scene wasn’t as important in the books as what Lan Wangji did to try and save him from his death was. It was dramatic in its own way, how Wei Wuxian had no memory of the lengths the Lan Wangji went to save him from his clan elders looking for him after the fight. Considering the series was censored, I guess Lan Wangji fighting off half of the Lan clan to protect Wei Wuxian was too gay lol, but I loved what they did in the series. I love how Wei Wuxian’s death wasn’t just on screen, but it was a big ass dramatic slow motion scene. Gorgeous, just perfect.

Phaya - The Sign

The idiot didn’t listen to the monk, Tharn or any of us yelling at the screen about him to stay away from the water! Lowkey he kinda had it coming, and even though it was obvious he wasn’t actually going to die, it was a great scene and follow up episode.

Team - Between Us

Swimming alone at night without any spotters or lifeguards or even telling anyone where you are is the height of stupidity, so it not stretching before going into the water, especially considering Team’s background and what had happened to his childhood best friend. And yet, it happened, and we live for the drama. I’m glad that Boun and Prem were allowed so much say in the characters, considering the book and screenplay were being written around the same time. Because it was Boun that decided that Win would never punch Team, no matter how scared he was. Which is what happened in the book btw, the fact that they were allowed to change things and give input really helped sell the absolute terror of Team’s second near death.

Myungha - Love For Love’s Sake

Okay, so technically he’s ‘dead’ the whole ass time, and is just being shown what he could have if he decide to go back and live his life the way he should’ve opposed to how he did. Ignoring the people around him, wallowing in his own agony, never reaching out, etc. But when you finally see him die, how he died in his original life it was just gorgeous. Painful and sad but so beautifully shot and acted, I loved how he when he met the angel of death he slowly became more and more damp as he remembered walking into the lake, but was wearing his school uniform again instead of the suit he died in. It was a fantastic visual of being caught between life and death, also whilst being surrounded by complete darkness yet standing in a spotlight before his Sunbae dressed in all white. Just *chefs kiss* perfect!

[mono-dot-jpeg]

solidarity creates a family. - lifeweaver [p. niran]

summary; lifeweaver simply cannot leave those who are like him in the dust.

genre/extra tags; headcanons/bullet fic, fluff, found family vibes, big brother figure! lifeweaver fr fr, sprinkle of angst, reader is a vishkar student, reader is implied to be southeast asian but can be seen as otherwise

[teen! reader] [fem! reader] [platonic]

[warnings: shitty family, homophobia themes]

a/n; sorry for the late response. but i hope you enjoy! i turned it into a bullet fic whoops.

parents aren't always right

parents seem to forget that they can be wrong too, that they should listen when they're wrong, that they have the ability to be wrong

you lived a normal life being part of the academy that vishkar maintained

you had good grades, a nice group of friends, you were just a plain good kid that any parent would be proud of.

you met lifeweaver, bua, in gardening club. he loved talking about plants and you had a mild interest in them

he was in his senior year so he didn't see you as much as your friends would

you attended garden club when it was open which was fridays, so imagine his surprise when you don't attend for one day...

and then the next friday...

and then the next?

where were you?

it takes him until he leaves vishkar due to their want for his found biolight technology and he finds you in a shady hotel place, scrounging up some coin to stay in the dirty place as a temporary home.

he was on the run as criminal so of course he'd be in a not so great part of their homeland but you?

he takes you away from this place, "there's no way I'm letting you stay in a place like this."

and now you're both walking towards the train that leaves out of this country.

"what happened, dear?" his voice is soft and he gives you a gentle pat on the back as he guides you to a secluded spot on the train.

and you almost immediately break down into silent tears. a mangy hood over your head as you tell him how you've disappointed your family for loving girls as a girl

you tell him that you got kicked out of the family and was removed from the academy by your parents.

"you did nothing wrong." is the first thing he tells you and he tells you that there's nothing wrong with loving who you want to love.

he even tells you that he likes everyone, no matter their gender. he gives you a warm hug, "well, if your parents won't love you as their kid, then i will."

he does have to warn you that he is sort of wanted for his studies in biolight and how vishkar wants to take it for themselves.

and you both are sort of partners in crime now

he's just so sweet and supportive, you rarely find yourself feeling bad when he's by your side.

he's here for you and he lets you know it!

i imagine he's a little embarrassing sometimes but that's because he really wants to make sure that you're proud of who you are and that it's okay to be yourself

there's definitely been a time or two where he's unintentionally (or maybe intentionally) embarrasses you

but he's always supporting you no matter what

[wonhuihonwuiii]

joshua + jun pairing (junshua)

As mentioned in my previous analyses, I have STILL been seeing people criticize Jun's relationship with the members. I cannot stress enough how adorable and unique each ship is so I have decided to do an analysis.

Here is JunShua!

UNDERRATED PAIR!

I swear Joshua is Jun’s comfort hyung, you can't convince me otherwise!

Even though they’re only a few months apart, you can tell that Shua cares for/treats Jun like a younger brother but as a friend at the same time. There are times when we would catch Shua paying close attention to Jun (which reminds me of an older brother who adores his younger sibling) but we would also see him initiating cute little banter and teasing with Jun (reference to the entire Huya live). This shows how casually they act around one another, which I think mostly stems from the fact that both of them don’t really seem to care much about age gaps and they’re both foreigners so formality doesn’t really matter as much to them (I know that this is basically the dynamic of everyone from svt but these 2 specifically stand out to me).

In particular, I noticed how Jun becomes EXTRA playful when Joshua is around.  Don’t get me wrong, Jun is NATURALLY playful but he has this energy that becomes amplified only with specific members and Shua happens to be one of them. Even in their selcas together (which btw there's A BUNCH), the playful air that surrounds them is so apparent because of the silly faces they make.

It might be because Joshua’s tolerance of playful Jun is super high so he does such a good job at responding to the little pranks specifically by playing along. A specific example of playful Junshua would again, be the entire huya game live! Another would be a clip during left and right promotions where Jun was jokingly telling Shua something but instead of listening, the latter turned his back away playfully, pretending to be disinterested. So Jun with ZERO hesitation dramatically grabbed Shua. I honestly think this fits Jun’s type of humor really well since he can get all rowdy without offending Shua. 

Honestly, this is what I love most about Joshua — he knows how to attend to all members and he does so with different approaches depending on the personality of the person. For example, with quieter members such as Jun and Minghao, he would often direct his attention back to them when their voices are lost in the crowd or if they’re unintentionally unattended to, he would make sure to let them know that he was listening by responding to them even in the sidelines. This shows how observant and attentive Joshua is! 

Another thing I noticed is how they bicker A LOT!

An example would be the intro of the rice planting video with just the two of them and the time they had to babysit kids, which all happened during Super promotions. These two videos give us an idea on how close and playful they actually are around each other!

I also enjoy the fact that Jun OFTEN INITIATES PHYSICAL CONTACT! It reminds me of that Rock with you behind video of Jun lifting Shua up, as he and Minghao were about to leave for China. You’d also often catch him randomly hugging or poking Shua on the face or Jun would play with Shua’s hair. In short, Jun can be quite clingy around Joshua.

Jun also becomes very talkative with Shua! It might be because the former is aware of how much of a good listener the latter is.This reminds me of that one Junshua weverse live where Jun was passionately sharing a story while Shua sat there, with his full attention on the former. 

I also saw a clip of SULKY Shua (rare sight ik) with Jun and it was the cutest thing ever huhu (see this is what I meant when I said they treat each other like same-age friends because Shua is comfortable enough to act all baby like in front of Jun lmao)

i think it’s also nice to know that they hang out / have hung out beyond work hours especially because Jun is known for being quite shy to reach out to other members for a drink so the fact that we’ve heard stories from Shua’s perspective is so precious to me. In one of their lives together, I remember him mentioning how Jun expresses his love for Seventeen when he’s had a few drinks.

Overall there's something about Shua’s personality that allows him to click well with the craziest AND quietest members! He somehow unleashes their inner crackhead energy (like with Jun) AND I’M HERE FOR IT! I absolutely love Junshua’s sibling-like relationship with one another!

[chiramffn]

Sorry, It Was Me

(Rafayel x OC(f); hurt with comfort, fluff in the end)

(author made this while listening to Afterglow by Taylor Swift and Love Me Again by V a lot)

***

“Seriously, what was wrong with me?”

He yelled at his canvas for the fourth time of the day.

It was wrong. Rafayel knows this. Yelling and arguing with each other were not the answer to a problem. Perhaps they can blame their work for taking tolls on them.

Thomas kept bothering him with the deadline these days. He said something about the sponsor of the exhibition? Or was it something about the venue? He can’t remember anymore. And for her, the wanderers are just going rampant in Linkon. The news about the hunters is always in the air even now. All those stresses just resulting them head-butting each other on one rare occasion when they finally met. They are just on the edge of anger all the time and very sensitive. The usual playful banter just spiraled down into a yelling contest. A clear mind was nowhere to be found.

(Flashback)

“Oh, I’m sorry that I can’t be there for you, Rafayel. I’m just busy keeping the city safe these days. Have you seen the news? Wanderers appear more and more in this one week!”

Sara is walking back and forth, trying to calm herself. It’s not working though. She hears a scoff from the couch.

“Oh yeah? Sorry that I bother you so much by asking for your attention. This particular painting has just been so difficult and Thomas keeps pressuring me about it. So, I just want some attention from you! My lover! Who would have thought that you FINALLY could come here because he asked you? It’s been a while, Sara! And you came because he asked you?” tells him, eyes very intense with anger.

“I told you, I AM busy! And Thomas just worried about you, you know? I can’t help-”

Rafayel stands from the couch. “Ah, so you side with him!”

“There is no side here, Rafayel.”

“Well, you just defended him. You are on his side! I can’t believe it. I want some attention from my girlfriend, but she keeps working non-stop, and one time she finally came here, she defended another man.”

“Rafayel, you are being so childish right now. “

“Sara! I just want you to prioritize ‘us’ more!”

“That is rather demanding. You know how I love my job!”

“And I. Love. You. Honestly, Y/N, why did you agree to go out with me? Do you even love me?”

Staring at him from across the room, she didn’t believe what she just heard.

“Of course, I do! I wouldn’t go out with someone I don’t like?”

Crossing his arm, Rafayel stared back at her, “But your action now said the opposite!”

Silence followed for a while and she just murmured, “I can’t believe this.” and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I can’t be around you right now, Rafayel.”

And with that, she just walked out of the studio.

***

All of that happened three days ago. Yet, there is still no news from her.

He tried to reach out to her, yes. Even three days ago, after several minutes after she walked out. It clicked right away in him that they said things they shouldn’t have to each other just now. But of course, she didn’t answer her phone. Again.

Three days. Three days without anything from her. His heart cannot help but keep beating anxiously. Being new to this relationship thing, does not help with negative thoughts which are swimming around his mind. Is he being forgotten again? Was she walking out because she was giving up on him? Is this relationship going to be okay? Is she okay? What if she is hurt because of him?

He cannot help but keep making mistakes in his painting these several days. Every brush stroke that he did just feels very wrong. Nothing is right. All is a mess.

“Maybe I should just go to her place.” is what he is thinking. This will be going nowhere if both of them keep whatever is happening right now in between them.

He was just cleaning his hands in the bathroom when he heard a faint call of his name.

“Rafayel…?”

Oh, how he misses her voice.

Sara is walking in his studio. Her head is turning left and right, searching for him. And then their eyes met. Rafayel can’t help but walk fast towards her. But as he got closer, he noticed there are some bruises in her face and hands. Sweet smile that just adorned his face slowly fading into a concerned frown.

“What happened?”

“Rafa-”

His eyes are observing every bruise that he can see now. Very unhappy with them.

“Are they coming from a wanderer? Or is there someone I need to get my hands on?”

Sara is confused at first but then he realizes what he means. “What? No. No. It’s just wanderers. It’s okay. I want to talk to you first.”

He took her hand in his and said, “As much as I do want to talk to you first too, I can’t, you are hurt. Let’s take care of them first.”

“But, Rafa-” She is silenced. The intense gaze that he suddenly gave her made her lips just shut. And seeing her finally agreeing, he ushered her to sit on the couch.

“Wait here, I’ll take the first aid kit.”

***

Sara is staring at the beautiful man in front of him. God, he is beautiful, she thought. And I think I hurt this beautiful and kind man.

She still remembers them clearly. All the words that they threw at each other. She called him demanding, and childish, and then just walked out. What in the world was wrong with me? She thought. Now regret just keeps filling up her heart and mind. And so is sorry.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened or am I supposed to wait until you finish looking at me like I am an art piece?” says Rafayel who is cleaning up the last bruise on her knuckle.

She chuckles a little.

“It was just as usual. Wanderers. This one type is very fast and I was…not in the right head space so it got me. And apparently, they keep happening again after that.”

“You hesitate?”

“I was thinking about our..fight. Rafayel, my love, I-“

The pet name is back, Rafayel thought. And he cuts her to the chase and says it first, “I am sorry.”

She was just about to open her mouth again, but close it again after seeing him about to continue his sentence.

“I am very sorry that my stresses and emotions took the better of me three days ago. I know I shouldn’t have said all those things to you. I am very very sorry.”

He took both of her hands. His eyes are staring at his thumb rubbing gently the area he just bandaged.

“You have no idea how precious you are to me. Priceless. No one can compare to you, princess. And the idea I just hurt you with my words, I can’t bear that. I keep thinking about you. Especially after the fight.”

He continues again, “I said many thing I didn’t mean at all. Asking if you love me at all? I shouldn’t do that. Then, I keep thinking if things gonna be alright. I keep thinking of where you are at the time. I keep thinking if I should contact you first or give you some space. ‘Is it okay if I gave her some space?’ I said to myself. ‘Or will the space make things worse and make you feel I don’t care about you?’ Not to mention I was being so demanding of you so I don’t wanna burden you more. I have all these thoughts. Making me realize once more how irreplaceable you are to me, love.”

He moves his hands to hold her face. Unconsciously, Sara is leaning on one of his hands while maintaining their eye contact.

“I love you with all I am and with all I have, princess. And I am sorry for hurting you with my actions.”

Moved is an understatement to what Sara is feeling right now. Her heart is just bubbling with emotions and she can feel her eyes are getting misty. She tried to fix her sitting position and trying to get closer to him.

“As much as you hold my heart preciously…”

Sara took his hand and put it in her chest, right above her heart. Then Sara leaned down and kiss the area above his heart too.

“… yours is something I hold very dearly too. This is very precious for me…”

Sara heard his gasp. She also can feel the faster beat of his heart. Then she leans her forehead to his chest.

“I love you very much, Rafayel. You have no idea.”

She kisses his chest again.

“My love.”

And then she kisses his collarbone.

“My treasure.”

Another kiss.

“My amazing other half.”

Sara keeps muttering sweet-nothings as she kisses his jaw, his cheek, and then his nose. His face is getting redder and redder. Yet, his eyes hold so much. When their eyes met, Sara can see affection, love, and eyes that getting misty. Holding his face in her hands, she says what she has been itching to say since she entered this room,

“And I am very sorry if I hurt this precious heart. It was very wrong for me to call you childish, and demanding, and then just walk out like that. This love you have for me. There is no single intention in me to hurt you, my dearest. I love you.”

Rafayel’s gaze is intense right now. Those blue and magenta swirling emotionally around each other. Suddenly he turned his head away from her,

“Now you’ve done it! I can’t help but accept the apologies, aren’t I?”

He turns his head again and covers her hands with his on his cheeks. Smiling while leaning down, he said something that she would never get tired of hearing it.

“I love you very much too, princess. 'Till the end of time."

***

(a/n: sorry if this is still farrrr from good. I am still learning to write more and more these days. If you guys want to leave your critics, I’m open to them. Thank you for reading!^^)

[saneijeijei]

Actually.... There used to be more White Lily and Cacao content until there was a massive drama where a Dark Lily shipper threatened heavily on a beloved PureLily shipper and caused A MASSIVE purge of art because of it

First of all, if you wanted to tell me how that conflict actually happened, you needed to attach screenshots. Because listening to your version of those events, and even with an emotional coloring, is absolutely pointless.

Secondly, Purokoii did NOT THREATEN, but helped restore access to Yonyon's account and supported her in that situation, after which she left the fandom and deleted her account. If YOU didn't know. Lima who is still in conflict with Yonyon, is not related to Purokoii in any way. And she is not a popular or mainstream author who makes content for the fanbase. I wouldn't be surprised if this person has nothing to do with our fanbase at all, but simply uses (WITHOUT THE PERMISSION of the AUTHORS, I DARE REMIND YOU) otp pictures to mock Yonyon.

Thirdly. Are you now indirectly trying to shame me for the actions of a stranger? You think I shouldn't make content based on my favorite ship because some person quarreled two fanbases? Or is it because YonYon decided to delete all her work, is it my fault too? I should feel guilty for the actions of a person I don't know? Are you serious now? Should I be ashamed of did you hide your account, realizing that you need to be responsible for your statements?

Maybe I should still be ashamed that I breathe the same air as you? What kind of absurdity are we going to get to?

According to your logic, if your fans (only toxic guys, to ordinary fans who don't try to write nasty things to me every time, there are no questions, they have nothing to do with it, I sincerely sympathize that they are in the same fanbase with such people) who regularly come to my Pinterest and Tiktok accounts and say how they don't like my content because they love Purelily, you should be ashamed, because it was because of them that Purokoii left, because she was shamed by fans from the Purelily fanbase? Aren't you ashamed of them? Because of you, I no longer have the opportunity to watch the work of my favorite author.

Remind me, where have I ever spoken badly about Purelily or insulted the authors? Where? Maybe I'm writing angry posts to them or remembering old grudges? How are the events of a year ago related to me, if I was NOT even in FANDOM AND FANBASE at the time of the conflict??

Fourth. Was there more Cacaolily content before the conflict? Are you kidding me? You can type into the tag search what's on Twitter, what's here, what's in ao3 – there have always been few authors who have developed the fanbase. What's before the conflict, what's after. Literally count on your fingers. The fanbase has never been very popular in the fandom. Purelily has always had more content (AND THIS IS NOT BAD, I OBJECTIVELY UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS SO AND I THINK THIS IS NORMAL), when Cacaolily was drawn most often by regular authors in the fanbase, and rarely when new ones appeared there.

Fifth. I have already written TWO POSTS on this subject, which are publicly available. If you are interested in my point of view, you can find it on my blog and read it. Because my opinion has NOT CHANGED at ALL since writing that post.

Sixth. Since most likely you will not read my post about the conflict, because you did not come here to talk about the conflict, but to throw out your next toxic attack of aggression on me, because I do not want to apologize to you. Therefore, I will repeat myself. In any fanbase, there are asshole fans who, by their behavior, spoil the attitude towards the entire fanbase. They cannot be forced to stop doing this, they cannot be shamed or called to conscience, all that helps is to ignore them and warn newcomers in the fan base in advance not to communicate with them. Most of the fans of ANY FANBASE are ordinary people who enjoy creativity and they don't care what happens behind someone else's fence.

And so amazing coincidences under which you asked this question as soon as I made a reblog of gen-fanart, which features Cacao and Lily (because, I'm artist Cacaolily, and in your opinion I have no right to enjoy any other content, including content where all the ancients are friends and not in a relationship. After all, how dare I enjoy someone else's work and repost it? Is that why you decided to recall the old quarrels again, in which I did not even participate?).

And you don't get tired of remembering the story of a year ago. Weren't those quarrels and negativity against each other enough for you? Do you want to continue to quarrel between two fanbases so that there are no artists left who make art/fic for fans?

I hope this is the last time I will hear such comments for the first time and for the last time I will chew the obvious things.

To the Purelily and Cacaolily fanbase, I want to say one thing - strength and patience, guys. Toxic fans want we fight and quarrel again.

[edapparently]

Dirk Gently and The Salmon of Sorrow

This is my third and possibly final (I'm not sure if I'll post about the Hitchhiker's books) post about my thoughts on the Douglas Adams books I've been collecting along with my general life surrounding them. I'm not sure how much I'll miss writing these, I get a weird mix of looking forward to it but also dreading it because I have to finish the book before hand and I never find myself wanting Douglas Adams books to end That feeling was especially strong, even from the first page, while I was reading The Salmon of Doubt. You see, Douglas Adams died before I was even born and I knew that the stories of his life and various speeches and articals he'd written that had been collected and added to the book all happened before my time. And yet his work feels so personal, in the foreword Stephen Fry makes the observation that "Douglas has in common with certain rare artists (Wodehouse again included) the ability to make the beholder feel that he is addressing them and them alone" and he is absolutely right. Almost everything in The Salmon of Doubt feels like a story your best friend would tell you about their summer holidays while on your way to a cafe for a cup of tea and I think that not only shows what is appealing about his writing but why it feels so much more sad to me to know that he is dead and has been since before I even knew what Hitchhiker's was There is another quote, from the epilogue, which I feel also makes the point egregiously well. "Douglas, you cannot be dead." It's a feeling that is made extra potent in the mind after reading the few chapters he completed of the Dirk Gently story within the book. It has everything of an awesome plot that only Adams could create packed inside it and yet it simply ends at a mid point. It's that feeling of wanting more, of desperatly wanting to be thrown into the adventure he was weaving that convinces me that his death is one of the greatest creative losses of the century I feel it is needless to say, but I loved reading the book and learning about and listening to that extraordinary writer Reading is something I've started doing a lot more often now, being a uni student who doesn't drive means I spend a lot of time on public transport. I used to fill this time simply by putting my headphones on and blasting music or an audio book into my ears, but I decided to try something new with The Salmon of Doubt. I instead killed time on the train or bus by turning my music down in my headphones to make it almost blend in with the backgound noise and started reading. I have to turn the music down while I read or it will distract me too much and I won't be able to focus, but I found that making it feel like part of the atmosphere only made me more absorbed in the book than I ever was before This also made me basically addicted to reading, every chance I got I would have the book out and I suspect this habit will continue as I begin the Hitchhiker's books again for the first time in years. I look forward to beginning them again, not sure if I'll post about those as well but I hope that the few people who read these posts enjoyed them, see you guys around

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS GRAND EDITION Animate Tokuten Situation CD ”Date Escapades ~ Reiji・Subaru ~

Original title: デートハプニング ~ レイジ・スバル ~

Source: Diabolik Lovers GRAND EDITION Animate Tokuten

Audio: Reiji’s side / Subaru’s side

Seiyuu: Katsuyuki Konishi & Takashi Kondou

Translator’s note: While the plot of these short scenarios is nothing special (there is only so much you can do with 6-7 minutes), I did find them to be very cute! It’s always nice to see them spend time with the MC/their S/O and just do mundane couple things. It’s a shame that they don’t use these kind of scenarios to fill in the scenario parts of the main games, because I’d find that a lot more interesting than the usual scenario chapters which usually just involve them sucking the MC’s blood in some random place. ^^;;

REIJI’S SIDE: YUKATA AND GETA (1)

The two of you are walking along the street at night.

“Please watch your step. You are wearing a yukata, so attempting to walk quickly like usual might result in you tripping. You are free to get excited, but you are not used to wearing wooden sandals, so please be more cautious as you walk. I will not forgive you if you were to fall and get dirt on your yukata.”

You ask Reiji why he got you a yukata.

“...Why I prepared a yukata for you to wear? Why do you want to know?”

You suddenly come to a halt.

“Hm? What’s the matter?”

You point towards the fireflies in the distance. 

“Ahー Fireflies...I can only assume they are coming from the nearby river. Would you like to go take a closer look, perhaps?”

The two of you move closer to the river. 

“There are always a lot of fireflies around the riverbank at this time of year.”

You get very exicted about the fireflies. 

“Yes, I understand that they look beautiful, so please calm down a little. I understand that this might be a rare sight for you, but please refrain from getting too overly excited and tripping as a resuーー”

You nearly trip. 

*Thud* 

Reiji: Ahーー!

Reiji catches you just in time. 

*Rustle* 

“I cannot believe you nearly tripped the very second I warn you...You truly are a handful. Have I not told you a million times by now? Watch your step.”

You nod.

“I am worried because often times you will say ‘I understand’ without actually doing so. Come on...Give me your hand.”

He grabs hold of your hand as the two of you continue walking.

“Oh dear. I can hear the festival music all the way over here.”

You seem surprised, not knowing about the festival.

“Yes. Every year a festival is being held in this area around this time of year. It was my intention to take you there.”

You ask Reiji if he comes here often.

“You truly believe that I would go to a festival in the human world every year? It just so happened that I had a suiting yukata laying around, so the idea popped up in my mind. Please do not assume that I did it especially for you.”

You ask if he bought the yukata for this occasion. 

“Yes, exactly. Besides, you were the one who wanted that yukata, remember? Good grief...Listen carefully. I purchased it for you because I could tell from the look in your eyes just how badly you wanted it. 

Furthermore, it would have been a waste of money to not put it to good use, wouldn’t it?”

You chuckle.

“What are you laughing about?”

You shake your head.

“I refuse to believe it is ‘nothing’.”

You try and change the subject.

“Do not try and change the subject now. Besides, I would not recommend trying to get closer to the river while wearing those sandals.”

You promise to be careful.

“Haah...I understand. Please be utmost cautious, okay? Do not let go of my hand either.”

The two of you approach the river.

“The ground around the riverbank is extremely slippery, so walk carefully. Especially around that areーー ...Watch out!”

*Rustle*

*Splash*

“You...I cannot believe you’d slip the very second I speak the word ‘carefully’...What is the meaning behind this!? This is the second time this evening I’ve had to prevent you from falling! 

...Even after I warned you so thoroughly. Ahー The hem of your yukata got dirty, did it not? You are always so careless. ...Are you unharmed, at least?”

You nod.

“I see. ...Good to hear you are not.”

You look at your foot.

“Is something the matter? ...Your sandal? It probably flew off as you slipped and ended up getting flushed down the river. ...Even with the dim light of the fireflies, it will be difficult to search for it in the dark. It cannot be helped. I believe we must give up on it.”

You seem reluctant.

“I am okay with it, so do not worry about it. ...Ahー But I suppose I cannot have you walk around like this.”

Reiji lifts you into the air.

“Please do not grip onto me so tightly, it makes it difficult to see in front of me. Besides, do you truly need to make such a fuss over being lifted into the air? It is not elegant for a lady to be so loud.”

You insist that you can walk by yourself.

“What do you mean ‘it’ll be fine’? It is quite obvious that you will trip and hurt yourself if I were to let you walk barefoot. With your current condition, I am afraid we have no other choice but to return to the manor for tonight. It is truly a shame, but we will have to postpone visiting the festival to a later date.”

You apologize.

“Good grief...If you truly feel remorseful, then let me have some of your blood once we’re home. ...Understand?”

ーー THE END ーー

***

SUBARU’S SIDE: PRECIOUS SHOPPING BAG

The two of you are walking in town.

“...Oi, was that the last store on the list?”

You nod.

“We walked ‘round a bunch today. Aren’t you tired?”

You insist that you’re fine.

“...Ah. ...Idiot. Don’t be actin’ tougher than you are. ...’Kay. If you got everythin’ you wanted, let’s head home.”

You come to a halt.

“Hm? Why stop walking all of a sudden?”

You start to panic.

*Rustle rustle*

“Huh? What’s with the panic?”

You explain.

“Hah...? You left your shopping bag somewhere...? ーー Now that you mention it, at some point you were walkin’ ‘round with just that small purse on your shoulder.”

You panic again.

“Che...Just calm down for now. Freakin’ out won’t fix the issue, will it? Do you have any idea where you might have forgotten it? I remember you carried a paper bag in your hand when we went to grab lunch. You still had it when we left the restauran, right?”

You frown.

“Haah...? You don’t remember? Then I guess we should try our luck there first.”

The two of you return to the restaurant.

*TIMESKIP*

You leave the restaurant again.

“If it’s not here, then where could it be? ...We’ve been constantly on the move ever since we left the restaurant, haven’t we? Che...! Guess we have no other choice. ...Let’s try followin’ the same path again.”

You start to lose hope.

“Why do you look as if you’re ‘bout to cry? ...Come on, let’s go.”

You follow Subaru.

*TIMESKIP*

“...Che. It’s nowhere to be found. Wouldn’t it just be easier to just buy the same thing again?”

You hesitate.

“Oh come on, make up your damn mind already! ...Fine, I’ll buy you a new one then!”

You shake your head.

“Why not!? ...If we can’t find it anywhere and I can’t buy you a new one, then what do you want to do, huh!? Damn...!”

*Rustle*

“...Hm? That food truck sellin’ crepes over there seems oddly familiar...Wait! Right! Why didn’t I realize sooner!? So that’s what happened...”

You tilt your head to the side.

“Do you remember there was this one customer who dropped their wallet which caused coins to scatter all over the place?”

You nod.

“Wait here one sec, okay? ...Don’t you dare move, understand?”

Subaru leaves for a bit.

“Haah, haah...Haah. Here you go.”

*Rustle*

“This is what you’ve been lookin’ for, isn’t it?”

You nod in surprisement.

“You placed the bag on the ground while helpin’ the person pick up their coins, remember? That’s when you forgot about it. Another customer who saw the bag afterwards handed it to the food truck’s owner, assuming that you might come back for it. ...I can’t believe you’d forget ‘bout your own shit while helpin’ someone else out. ...Stop causin’ extra trouble for me, geez.”

You get very excited about having your bag back.

“...!? You’re way too happy ‘bout this. ...Well, I guess I’m glad we were able to find it.”

You are surprised he remembered about the food truck. 

“...Nah, It was just a pure coincidence, really.”

You thank him over and over.

“Ahー Fine, I understand! So can you please just shut up already!? ...Haah. Be more careful next time, ‘kay?”

You nod.

“...Anyway, is there really somethin’ that important in there that it was worth nearly crying over? What exactly did you buy?”

You explain.

“...Ah? For me? ...It wasn’t somethin’ for yourself? ...Can I take a look inside?”

*Rustle rustle*

“...A cushion for my coffin!? ‘Cause you saw me contemplatin’ whether or not I should get a new one...? You...”

You elaborate.

“To express your gratitude...I mean, it wasn’t that big of a deal...No, nevermind...You went through the trouble to get it for me, so I’m definitely not gonna turn it down. ...Thanks.”

You look at him, surprised. 

“W-Why are you starin’ at me like that!? I didn’t say anythin’...! You’re just harin’ things! ...Come on, we found what you were lookin’ for, so let’s just go home already!”

The two of you start walking home.

“Haah...Gratitude, huh? ...What the heck do I get her now in return? I have no clue...I suppose I’ll start by lookin’ ‘round for somethin’ she might enjoy.”

You ask Subaru if something is wrong.

“...Ah? ...I-It’s nothin’! Come on! Look where you’re goin’! ...I went shoppin’ with you today so next week...You’ll keep me company, deal?”

ー You nod.

ーー THE END ーー

Translation notes

(1) A Yukata is a cheaper version of the traditional kimono. The fabric is also much thinner and there are not as many layers, so they are often worn to summer festivals, where a traditional kimono would probably result in you drenched in sweat by the end of the night. Geta is the name is for the traditional, Japanese wooden sandals which are worn together with a kimono or a yukata. 

[shadowqueenjude]

The Snow family curse

Hera Snow pushed her food around her plate. It was plain as day that she was not in a good mood, but given her upbringing, it was impossible to tell what exactly was bothering her. Not even her father could figure her out sometimes. And he was the goddamn president.

“What is it?” the president asked his daughter, and there was genuine concern there. Despite what some in the districts might think, he was not a heartless monster. Though he had certainly seen better days in the compassion department.

Hera lifted her face and her eyes- Coriolanus’s eyes- stared back at him angrily. “I do not wish to marry Zagreus Creed,” she answered, her voice cold and clear. Hera, much like her father, was an independent thinker, which made her difficult to control. There was nothing objectionable to the Creed boy, but while Coriolanus wished his daughter to marry well into a family close to his own, Hera wished to choose for herself.

“Why not?” Coriolanus asked, but in his heart of hearts, he knew. He knew because he was far more similar to her than she wished to believe.

Hera crossed her arms over her chest, praying for her father to listen. He was a good father, better than his own had been certainly, but often busy with his own pursuits. She had no mother, who had died years before, so her father was the only one she had.

“Because I wish to choose my own husband,” Hera said. Coriolanus had been afraid of this. He placed his fork down, scrutinizing his daughter. “What is so objectionable about Zagreus?”

Hera sighed. She’d known this was coming. Much as her father pretended to be incredibly cunning and unreadable, he was quite readable to her. She saw right through him because she was altogether more like him than she cared to admit. “Nothing, I suppose. But we are acquaintances is all. I care little for him. I wish my marriage to be a more meaningful relationship.” She carefully avoided using the word love, but Coriolanus heard the ghost of it all the same.

“Marriage is nothing more than a business arrangement, Hera. You’re only getting married to have children and to secure your own future as a highly influential member of society.”

Hera scowled. It couldn’t get much more influential than the first daughter, but her father had weird ideas. Coriolanus waited for her response, which came swift and sure. “What, like your own marriage, father? How did that turn out? You despised my mother so much that you killed her. When you are not doing your political bullshit, you are miserable. I do not wish to end up like you.”

Coriolanus did not know what to do. He had to warn his daughter off of this path, had to tell her it was the wrong thing to do. That he had gone down the faulty trail of love before, and it hadn’t ended well for him or her. That love was a curse that only made you lose control of yourself. “I am better off now than I was with love,” Coriolanus said, a twinge of pain going through his chest.

Hera’s eyes narrowed. She watched her father’s throat bob. It was a rare moment of vulnerability from him, which let her know this was real. Something had happened to him. He had loved once, and it had changed him. She was curious about the man or woman who had caused her father to love so. She had always thought her father incapable of romantic love, but clearly that was not the case. “What happened?”

Coriolanus opened his mouth. He nearly told her all of it. But to bring it up once more would mean he would have to recall her and everything she had done to him, everything they had shared. Her name would return to his consciousness, and he would be plagued by nightmares for days. “Something that I still cannot bear to think about,” he answered.

Hera scoffed. A cryptic answer, as usual. No wonder he had lost whichever person had endeavored to love him. “Perhaps it is because you refuse to be open, Mr. President,” she sneered. “You cannot even be vulnerable with your own daughter; what person would have you?”

Coriolanus wished her words hadn’t stung so. Not just because he recalled Lucy Gray and Sejanus Plinth, but because his own daughter had scorned him; he could not bear to lose his own daughter. Not after everything else he had already lost. He had tried so hard to avoid weakness, and yet here it was again.

“Do as you wish, but do not say I didn’t warn you,” Coriolanus said. Hera smiled triumphantly and flounced out of the room, her blonde curls bouncing as she hummed the national anthem. She knew her father could be reasonable! Or perhaps she was just a master manipulator like him. Or perhaps both. Both sounded right.

*************

Several weeks later

When Hera came home, her ice-blue eyes were dull. Her usual immaculate curls were tangled, her makeup smudged and her clothing splattered with something that looked suspiciously like blood.

Hera took a deep breath and said the words she never thought she would ever utter. “I will marry Zagreus Creed.”

Dread entered Coriolanus’s heart at her words. He had a very very bad feeling about this. Something had gone terribly wrong. He tilted his head, staring at the eyes that matched his own. “Why? Just a month and a half ago, you were dead-set against him.”

Hera did not wish to speak of it, so she adopted her father’s air of mystery. “People change.”

“Not so quickly.” the president had a meeting to get to, but he hissed at his assistant, “Reschedule the meeting.”

The man’s wrinkles became prominent as his face filled with concern. “But, Mr. President-“

Coriolanus gave him a glare so withering that Hera felt second-hand embarrassment. “R-right away, sir,” the assistant squawked, scurrying away. Coriolanus then clasped his hands, looking his daughter over. “What happened?”

Hera bit her lip, willing the tears to stay at bay. “I am pregnant.”

Coriolanus went deathly still. Hera had no idea what he was thinking, but she imagined a boatload of conflicted emotions must be warring in her head right now. “Do you know who the father is?” he asked in a voice of forced calm. Too calm, hiding the torment beneath. Hera squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, reining in her emotions. “Yes.”

Coriolanus said flatly, “Then marry him.”

Hera’s eyes watered again, her control on the brink of slipping. “I cannot.”

“Why not.” Her father’s voice was cold, demanding. He rarely took this tone with her, reserving it for political rivals and district people and other such scum.

Coriolanus was going to find the man who impregnated his daughter and do one of two things: kill him or force him to marry his daughter. He hadn’t decided yet.

“Because he’s dead.” Her voice broke, and that word rung in Coriolanus’s head.

Dead. Dead. Dead.

Not again.

“What happened to him?” Coriolanus asked. “Who was he?”

Deep breaths, Hera told herself. She forced herself to meet her father’s eyes and tell the story. “He was a victor from District 1- one of the victors you’d forced into prostitution.” Once, Hera would’ve been furious at her father for causing such a thing. Now, she was only broken and alone, seeking comfort in the only person she had left: her father. “So naturally, he had been living in the Capitol. I met him when he was serving that citadel brat, Leia Breen. She was making him highly uncomfortable; I could see his face contorting in pain. So I pulled him away from her and slapped her.” Hera shrugged, a triumphant smirk forming on her face. Regardless of how she felt about her district lover, it had been satisfying to put Leia in her place.

“I asked him if he was alright, and we escaped the party just to talk. He was so very handsome, with charm for days. He told me his family sold jewelry, and he showed me some of the pieces he’d made. So stunning, with glittering diamonds on silver chains to stunning rubies and emeralds encased in gold hanging from ears. He told me that he had been trained to be a tribute his whole life, but he had never enjoyed fighting and hated that his parents had pressured him to volunteer. His parents didn’t care if he lived; they’d already named his little brother the heir of their jewelry empire. So he volunteered, determined to win and separate himself from them by making a living in the Capitol. Indeed, not only did he win, but he was a fan favorite because of his charms and good looks. Unfortunately, Capitol life was not as charming as he’d like because he had been sold off like cattle the moment his victory tour had completed.” Hera shook her head at this, fisting her hands so as not to tremble.

“How could I not love him, when he was so gentle with me? When he said I could be more than just the president’s daughter? When he flashed me smiles that made me weak to my knees?” It sounded foolish now, so foolish of her to have believed such nonsense. “I promised him he would not have to do such things when we were wed. He would be safe and free to do whatever he wished with me.

But he was a liar. A cunning liar who was not gentle by any means. No, I caught him with the lover he’d brought with him after winning the games, a pale and sickly man smaller than me, if you can believe it.” Hera, having had good nutrition unlike her father, was quite tall and struck an elegant figure, a far cry from the boy she’d found her lover with. “He never loved me. He had planned on using me to escape prostitution, fully intending on cheating on me for the rest of his life. The bastard truly thought he could get away with it.” Hera clenched her teeth. Her father’s face was still a mask of calm. “But I caught him. And I lost all control, just like you said. I grabbed his lover’s prosthetic arm, which had been abandoned on the floor, and bashed his head in with it. I lost count of how many times I hit him, the rage consuming me. He had no time to react. Before I realized what I was doing, he was gone.”

It had happened just as Coriolanus had feared. Her story struck a chord with him, and he gripped the chair legs underneath the table top. She had killed him just as he had killed that District 8 tribute. It seemed that the Snows had a singular taste for Hunger Games victors destined to destroy their belief in love. He only hoped his grandchild would not succumb to the same fate. He only hoped his daughter would be able to properly warn her kid, as he had been unable to.

The president’s face was still a mask of icy calm. Hera waited for the lecture, the shouting, anything really. But there was only the scrape of a chair as Coriolanus moved away from the table, standing up. “Do you need me to clean things up?”

To clean up the murder scene. Her throat closed up, and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

“Tell me where it is, and consider that boy erased from existence.”

“What about Creed?” Hera croaked. Her father waved her off. “A marriage date will be set as well. Don’t worry about anything, Hera. Snow always lands on top.”

[hereforthefunnyguys]

Can you tell me what your favorite rare pair is as well as a few head canons for them? I'm starving for rare pair content of any kind.

On it boss

I did Irateshipping Fragileshipping and a pinch of Klepto/Boardshipping :>

Irateshipping (because its me):

-In a domestic situation they are that one couple that can never agree on what to have for a meal. Joey loves meat, Marik hates meat. Joey hates super spicy stuff, Marik likes it (the masochistic Yami Marik instinct pulled through lmao). Joey loves fatty foods like red meat and heavy cream, Marik can't stomach them due to being raised with a Delicate Constitution (tm). You could not pay Joey to eat most vegetables and Marik will literally just eat raw spinach out of the bag like some kind of gazelle creature. They literally can't even agree over how to make eggs. Horrible couple to ever visit for dinner btw

-That said I don't think Marik could survive in a domestic situation for very long because he'd go Insane. Like those exotic macaws people keep in cages meant for like parakeets that start biting fingers off. Even with the power of Twue Wuv marik simply couldn't survive without a massive amount of stimulation which either means A) hes going to be starting another gang or B) he is going to be bothering joey 24/7

-They have a pitbull named Brutus :)

-Joey is constantly undergoing the Walter White "Noooo I refuse to take your Pity Money ill pay back all my debts on my own like a Real Man!" and marik is just paying everyone off behind the scenes to keep joey from getting kicked out of their apartment

-Marik cannot be casual about Joey in any situation he will rant about him for the rest of existence and all time to anyone who will listen or someone he has forced to listen and whether thats a good or bad rant depends on the state of their relationship at the time

Fragileshipping:

-Most sickly sweet couple you have ever met in all of your life in private. In public? You would be lucky to even know they're dating. They hold hands and thats like It

-Yugi kept on setting them up on dates meetings when Atem was still in the puzzle and it didn't work so great because Atem has negative rizz and sits on the couch like hes fucking paralyzed. Luckily Ryou can be easily entertained if you are willing to listen to him infodump about some shoestring-budget horror film thats been banned in Bolivia for grossly indecent content.

-Ryou is Atems beautiful darling boyfriend who is the light of his life and Atem is Ryou's pet little card game nerd

-Atem has an insane obligation to make sure Ryou is taken care of whenever anything bad happens to him ever because in the back of his mind hes always worried about him turning into modern-day TKB

Kleptoshipping/Boundshipping:

-Fundamentally the basis of this relationship should technically be Yugi engaging in his baser "I could fix him" instinct but also he does kind of think YB/TKB is really funny as just his usual evil bastard self. hes permanently trying not to go Wow he's kind of hot when he's evil while Bakura frantically details doomsday plan #23 to the gang

-Bakura looking at Yugi: this thing is so stupid and obsessed with friendship and its friends with the Pharoah (ew!) and its sickeningly adorable and yeah im in love with it now. fuck

-Everyone in the world must die EXCEPT for my darling boyfriend :)

-They can mutually devour a hamburger in a matter of seconds. Absolute meat destroyers (NOT double entendre (they have put multiple shops out of business via resource consumption esp because TKB will often dine and ditch especially at chains))

-Bakura is eternally frustrated because Yugi keeps on ruining his plans for world domination but hes so cute while doing it :(

-Yugi has the same fundamental beliefs as TKB but is a lot quieter about it which both makes TKB really mad and on the other hand it is very very satisfying to hear someone say "no no i get where you're coming from" after 3000 years of eternal torment

-They are Thee scary cool goth couple

-Bakura owns snakes and they like to nest in Yugi's hair because he generates Warmth. They are currently competing with their owner for who gets maximum yugi time and unfortunately bakura is kind of losing

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Kathleen Stock

Published: Apr 14, 2024

It is a cliché that when the US sneezes, the world catches a cold. Thankfully, when it comes to the phenomenon of wokeness — loosely understood as a box set of holier-than-thou attitudes about race, gender identity and sexual minorities, with accompanying punishment beatings for dissenters — many now appear to be reaching for the antivirals.

A friend of mine who teaches in a famous North American liberal arts college, full of achingly cool rich kids, tells me her undergrads are “so over” pronoun rounds, eye-rolling whenever staff try to introduce them in the classroom. Taste-making East Coast broadsheets are dipping nervous toes in the water on subjects such as unfair male advantage in women’s sport and the experimental status of medicalised child transition, having avoided or spiked such stories for years. The once ubiquitous hashtag #BlackLivesMatter has fallen out of favour with many, after accusations that the founders of the namesake organisation misused donations and enriched themselves.

Meanwhile in Britain, football players taking the knee are an increasingly rare sight. Organisations such as Sports England and the Arts Council are quietly exiting Stonewall’s Diversity Champions scheme, and the once-ebullient charity no longer feels confident enough to advertise the list of members on its own website. Free speech societies are forming with renewed vitality in British universities; and last week even saw those bellwethers of middle-class humour, the blokes on Have I Got News For You, pluck up courage to make a tentative joke about gender identity flags in NHS hospitals.

So can the rest of us — the ones who knew all along that wokeness was a pseudo-progressive hobby for guilty rich people, role-playing as meaningful political action — relax? Unfortunately not yet. For I’m afraid the demise of woke won’t be like the end of toothbrush moustaches, indie folk music or any other temporary behaviour supercharged by the whims of the young and the hip, then dropped without consequence. Wokeness, in contrast, is a bit like a hulking great boulder launched into the middle of a calm lake: waves will be crashing on the shoreline long after the epicentre bears no trace.

The most obvious difference between wokeness and other passing fashions is that nobody working in HR ever decreed that moustache-wearers or indie folk-listeners be considered uniquely oppressed minority groups. In contrast, thanks to wild and unevidenced claims made at the height of wokemania by lobbying groups, thousands of organisations have been left with unfair, illiberal and sometimes even illegal policies that blatantly cater to the special interests of a few: rules about how social spaces can be accessed and by whom; what data can and cannot be collected; what conversations are allowed and which are not. Policies tend to dictate organisational behaviour long after those who first championed them move on ideologically; and especially when propped up by a raft of specially created career positions, whose occupants have a financial interest in maintaining the momentum.

And alongside such policies, superficially moralised gestures have become embedded in many workplaces, embraced by senior figures for no better reason than they think everyone else is doing it too and by junior figures because the boss is doing it. Students at liberal arts colleges may no longer be listing their pronouns but the head of MI6 currently has his in his Twitter/X bio. Activist-sanctioned holy weeks and days are carefully observed by blue-chip managers. Hospitals, construction sites, police stations, council buildings, banks and hotels are festooned with the visual monstrosity that is the Progress flag. None of this happened with the craze for platform shoes or Agas.

In effect, the storm-surge of wokeness throughout British institutions from 2020 onwards was what the political scientist Cass Sunstein has called a “reputational cascade”: a relatively small number of people started acting in a certain way, each for roughly independent reasons; then at a certain point, a wider group of people started observing the behaviour of the smaller group and copying them, each privately assuming their reputations would be damaged if they did not. Before long, this pattern expanded exponentially, helped by the odd bit of public witch-burning.

Here again is a difference with more benign aesthetic crazes: if you don’t keep up with the moral version, you risk losing your social circle or even your job. But the reputational cascade that was wokeness didn’t just deter dissent from those frightened to swim against the perceived tide. It also incentivised opportunists, who actively used the surging tide to swim further ahead than their competitors. Many organisations latched on to it as a positive marketing strategy, thereby creating workplace structures and habits that, from the inside, now seem very difficult to unpick.

Perhaps, though, we shouldn’t be too gloomy. For of course, the existence of a reputational cascade doesn’t require sincere belief in the rectitude or wisdom of whatever behaviours you are copying, only the sincere belief that nearly everybody else thinks such behaviours are good ones. And, while no doubt depressing as a fact about human nature, this also has an upside: it only takes widespread realisation that other people don’t actually believe what you thought they believed for a reputational cascade to collapse. As organisations start to cotton on properly to the fact the tides of fashion are turning, it will be interesting to see what happens next.

[ Via: https://archive.today/z6ilh ]

==

This feels like it belongs with my "decline of religion" tag.

We're going to see a lot of historical revisionism, lying, ass-covering and gaslighting as the hold of "woke" falls apart, first gradually, then very, very quickly.

The Salem Witch Trials ended almost as quickly as they began once people in charge stopped pretending that they believed the crazy little girls and their theatrics.

The fallout and damage is going to be with us for a long time to come, though.