#i don't like to give characters free passes on their faults tho

[ardenrabbit]

I love your fic - A Long and Slow Recovery. It’s so beautifully written and the emotions felt are so palpable. Just wanted to pass along my thanks for writing it!

Completely separate from the fic though- What are your thoughts on the Xianle trio - their break up and slow rebuilding of friendship in the novel. 😁

Thank you so much!!! ;-; I'm really glad you're enjoying alasr! I'm really proud and excited about it!

Ah I think about this a lot! As in, I think about it a lot to try and decide my thoughts lol. I'm actually rereading the whole novel rn to try and get a feel for everyone, especially the trio. I've been REALLY excited to write them.

Summary: I love them, I'm sad for them, and I wish them well. Rambling to follow:

So my opinion right now is I love them. I think Feng Xin and Mu Qing are really interesting as foils as well as just completely independent characters, and I love that Xie Lian can see them in both of those lights too. Neither Feng Xin nor Mu Qing are really understood or given enough credit by anyone except Xie Lian, and I don't know if any of them know what to do with that. The impression that I've gotten is that Feng Xin and Mu Qing don't even really want to understand each other, and that's really sad, but understandable. Feng Xin's straightforward form of loyalty doesn't translate to Mu Qing, and Mu Qing's fear that no one will ever care to see the best in him makes him preemptively prickly and eager to beat them to the punch, and that does not play well with Feng Xin's earnestness.

(I'm trying to figure out Mu Qing, especially. I like him as a character and want to do him unbiased justice while writing him, but he's such a unique, self-contradictory case lol. I've met people with his kind of defensive cynicism before--the "stop pretending to be a good person" mindset in the face of altruism--and I've always been annoyed with them as much as I pity them, but I like that he's such a realistic character in that way. I'm intimidated by the prospect of writing him but I'm looking forward to it.)

The Xianle trio breakup, to me, just shows exactly the differences in FXMQ's approaches to conflict. Feng Xin stays with Xie Lian as long as he does because it's a simple answer to him: he's Xie Lian's bodyguard and Xie Lian is his friend, so Feng Xin will stay because that's what is both honorable and personally loyal. It's the right thing to do, and it looks and feels right. Mu Qing leaves before Feng Xin does because 1) his mother needs him more and 2) he hopes he can help more by gaining power and resources elsewhere, because what they're already doing isn't working. It's the right thing to do, even when it doesn't look and feel right.

So at that point, Feng Xin displays the kind of loyalty that traditionally gets praised because it's shown in no uncertain terms, even when it's not performed in the most enterprising way. By the more cynical, Feng Xin's approach can be seen as short-sighted, naive, or even pretentious, when he's really just honest and incredibly steadfast. "Loyal to a fault" is canonically used to describe him somewhere. Mu Qing's integrity is easier to doubt by most people because 1) his reasoning can be interpreted as selfish, even when he's sincere and 2) his intentions aren't always purely good! He's a flawed person and his reasons for doing things can include pettiness and selfishness within the greater good intentions, but that doesn't discount the good in them, at least to Xie Lian. Even when Mu Qing is looking at the bigger picture, people can interpret that as him being cold and uncaring about the immediate problem, and he gets angry that he's the only person acknowledging the complexity or futility of the situation. Anyway, they both try their best to help Xie Lian Back Then and refuse to see the merit in what the other is doing. I forget exactly how much Xie Lian acknowledges that they're both trying to help, so, rereading lol. But Xie Lian is definitely Not in a good place and is definitely lashing out at everyone by the end, which I'm sure he feels ashamed of later.

And reconnecting and rebuilding the friendship!! When Xie Lian ascends again, "Fu Yao" and "Nan Feng" are sent to help him and of course their generals don't know about it. And Xie Lian sees through them pretty early and just doesn't mention it because he's a little shit (extremely affectionate), but he knows what they're doing and appreciates it. But FXMQ both feel like they've failed Xie Lian and want to make it up to him, whether he knows about it or not. And they have to work together to do it, as much as they hate it, but at least they recognize that they share that much in their priorities. I think that while it's ultimately hopeful and sweet, there's a lot about their reconnecting that's just straight up tragic. I'm assuming that FXMQ both feel so much shame and regret about what happened and how they left him, and now that they have another chance to help, the literal devil (extremely affectionate) walks in and takes their spot as Xie Lian's protector and right hand. I think Xie Lian still feels awkward around them, too, as much as he still loves them. I am really proud of them for talking it out as much as they do in the end, though. I need to reread some stuff to see how much they reconcile by the end and in the extras, but I remember it being a good prognosis.

I guess also, I think Feng Xin sees Xie Lian as someone he's been proud to serve and call his friend, because he believes in Xie Lian's ideals and good heart. Mu Qing, though, doesn't know what to do with this mixture of gratitude and the resentment that comes with being indebted to someone, especially because Xie Lian is the only person who's really shown that he believes in Mu Qing's potential, good intentions, and worth as a person. The classic "stop trying to be a good person, altruist" thing doesn't work on Xie Lian, because he really just IS that good, and I think that makes Mu Qing want to tear his own hair out as much as it makes him love Xie Lian. MQ and FX's opinions of each other, though, wow?? They're so convinced that the other's intentions are insincere (mq saying fx is holier-than-thou, fx saying mx is selfish), up until they're tested and they have to act together. They're competitive against one another, but they also know that they act well as a united front, so there has to be some grudging respect and extremely grudging trust there. It's funny how the breakup has FXMQ as divided, conflicting forces where in present day in the reunion, they're much more cooperative. Despite their issues, they've grown to speak the same language on some level.

Might have some serious errors in here lol, but I don't really think I have any particularly hot takes on the Xianle3. Again, I'm rereading the novel so I can get this stuff right, but pls forgive me if I'm off-base on something.

[lloydfrontera]

what do you think llojavi's child will be? I love reading your hc.

mmhhh i never really stopped to think about it tbh! kid fics aren't really my go-to and i'm terrified of having children myself so it's not something i tend to explore with my ships

but if i had to have a hc for them... i think they'd have a lot of children. all of them adopted.

it just makes sense for them as characters imo! they are both deeply compassionate individuals who know what it's like to lose both parents and know how much it means to be brought in to a loving family. they know.

they wouldn't be able to come across a child who needs what they received at one point and look away.

that plus lloyd is an only child, he always wanted a little sibling and was absolutely delighted to get julian, i think once he gets over the instinctual fear of "oh god what the fuck am i doing i don't know how to be a father" and is more comfortable in his role as parent he wouldn't be able to resist the idea of having a bunch of kids running around their home. i'm thinking maybe four. probably six. no more than eight.

but. i do think the first kid would be javier's fault.

in one of those rare occasions he's not glued to lloyd's side, he'd go out to run some errands or something and then come back with a semi-terrified look on his face and a far-too-small-for-their-age kid in his arms.

lloyd just,,, stares at them for a little bit before taking the kid and charge of the situation. he's never really had any experience with kids but they're just,,, people. in tiny. he knows people, he can work with that. his friendly and straightforward demeanor immediately wins over the child, making him relax and open up in a way that javier's warm but stilted demeanor weren't quite able to.

i'm thinking a four or five year old, just to really hammer down the parallels between javier and him. very tiny. with dark hair and dark eyes. the kind of features that don't really stand out in a crowd.

i think the two of them would think it's just something temporary, just until they find someone more suitable to raise a kid, a good family that could take him in.

neither of them really mentions the idea of keeping the child, at first because it's not even a possibility but then as the weeks pass by because they're just too wary of disrupting the routine they unconscionably created and actually having to take a decision about it.

but then one morning javier looks over during breakfast and there's lloyd pilling all sorts of food into the kid's plate, chatting him up the entire time, playfully teasing him into eating everything he can, the two of them very solemnly haggling and bargaining over just how many vegetables he has to eat in every meal and a wave of pure love and affection rushes through him and he realizes that. oh. he wants this to last forever.

he doesn't mention it tho. he knows lloyd has always talked about having an easy, relaxed life, free of any concerns and burdens. and raising a child is not an easy responsibility. spending the rest of his life at lloyd's side already feels like more than he deserves, he won't selfishly asks for more than lloyd is willing to give.

he will just enjoy however long this lasts and hope the separation won't hurt as much as he's bracing himself for.

meanwhile lloyd caught javier with the kid on top of him napping on a sunbeam like two weeks ago, both of them completely sprawled out and dead to the world, except when they unconsciously moved to chase the moving sunlight and then he immediately decided he was gonna keep this. them. all of it.

he already reached his limit on how many times he can lose his family. he's no longer letting anything else keep him from hoarding his loved ones like a dragon with their treasure.

and he's terrified to admit it but the pipsqueak has already burrowed his way into his heart and now heaven help the soul that tries to take him away from lloyd. he's not above biting.

that's precisely why he doesn't bring it up with javier because,,, he really doesn't know what would happen if javier isn't on board with the plan. he's not selfish enough to make a decision like this for the both of them but he really doesn't think he can give the kid up anymore.

so he just. doesn't say anything. he continues with the routine they've made and hopes time will be enough to make javier fall for the child the same way lloyd did already.

and then this goes on for a couple weeks because these two are terrible and i love them for it. but this is like. not great. it actually kind of really sucks for them but also for the child

it all comes crashing down when the poor kid breaks down on them at some point because someone told him they were giving him away and, hey, turns out, not telling a child who's been left on the streets to survive by himself what's the plan for them because you're too busy worrying your partner won't be on board with keeping him is not a great idea! because he's gonna be lowkey fretting about what will happen to him and ultimately freak out at the slightest suggestion that he's being abandoned again! who would've thought!

they both immediately try to comfort him but they can't get to the bottom of his fears and actually give him reassurance because they don't know if they can promise him anything because they don't know what the other is thinking.

that is until they make eye contact in the middle of comforting him and it's one of those perfect moments where they're in total sync and can have entire conversations with just one look. and they realize how stupid they've been. because of course the other also wanted the same thing. of course they would want to give this child the very same thing they've received from their loved ones. how could've they ever doubted that.

after that is just really a matter of convincing the kid that of course they're not giving him away, he's staying right there with them, they can be his family now if that's what he wants. which isn't really hard because apart from this one communication issue they have actually been pretty good improvised parents to the squirt. and now that they know for sure they will be his parents forever, they try even harder to be better.

so that's how they adopt their first child.

i could go into detail about the rest of the kids are adopted but. that would make for an even longer post and this is already way more than i wanted to write askjhdkss

this is,,, really not what you asked for but it's what came out when i sat down to answer this ask, so like. i hope you still like it nonnie and i'm really sorry 〒▽〒

[ananonymousguy20]

A DOUBLE WARNING TO EVERYONE IN THE TROLLS DREAMWORKS FANDOM.

⚠️⚠️Do not interact with they. For your safety block and make others aware.⚠️⚠️

TW: Grooming, approval, justification and defense for abuse (incest and pedophilia).

1 Stay away from jade-green-butterfly also known as HealerCharm and Jussy (Justine Louise Heverm. She is from Colchester, United Kingdom). She’s on Tumblr, DeviantArt, Skype, Furaffinity and Discord. In the last few years she has been active and gaining recognition in the Trolls Fandom as if what she did to so many minors never happened so I want to spread awareness on what being a pedo really looks like and if anyone (especially minors) is friend with her they will know what kind of horrible person she is.

She was already exposed before with proofs, a lot of screenshots and testimonies of minors and Discord Mods that we can't invalidate or deny it really happened. She groomed minors on Discord: she sent them porn drawings to the chat, wanted to play a “sexy” RolePlay with minors and with a character that represents a little toddler girl. Her tastes are very clear. She is a very manipulative person and always plays the innocent victim card who made a simple mistake, but she knows what she is doing because she spread a victim blaming discurse, gaslighting and ignores all the screenshots and testimonies against her, she says they are not evidence and they are taken out of context, she is no fool.

These are not "slips" (as she wants to make them out to be), she does it on purpose, that is her true nature: an abuser.

I see, it happens tho, but why Kaitlin practically dissapeared after being accused of grooming 14* years old kids in discord chats? (*It was 13).

Jussy: “It was THEIR FAULT. They were in wrong for doing NSFW too”.💀 By the way, I think I was told that this person is or was a caregiver.

2 KaitlinEXE (Maria Romina Auxiliadora Fernandez). She is from Cadiz, Spain. Is her friend, best friend, like a sister to Jussy. She also groomed minors and therefore deleted her entire existence from the internet in 2021.

Let's be honest, an adult or even a teenager is not interested in spending their leisure time with minors, no matter how much of a “babysitter” she is. If you like spending time with children as an adult, you become a teacher or nanny, and so on. Seeking to spend time alone with minors, giving them gifts, "friendship", flattery, adults "feeling" like children or liking children's things (drawing, watching cartoons, RP, toys) are all -together- characteristics of grooming.

Although she is a TEACHER over 35 years old, yet she is looking to spend time alone with minors. It seemed normal and right for her to accept the invitation to join a Discord group with its own NSFW section where she was the only adult there and they were all minors, as she gained the trust of those minors by being nice, giving them drawings, and "befriending" them. Wanted to RolePlay being a couple, kissing, dating on Valentine's Day and then she was planning to get married. Since they had a NSFW section I think you know where this is all going: to the "honeymoon". Interacting NSFW without her putting any kind of limits on them, she even encouraged them when they drew her porn drawings.

She is a fan of porn material that mimics the sexual exploitation of minors (mangas porn loli/shota), shipping a Gohan kid with and adult Piccolo (who is like his father), drew her own manga porn with her OC Kaitlin Classic with an Elecman Classic (who is his brother and they are both children), and was a big fan of a kindergarten little girls porn comic “Irina’s World” (El Mundo de Irina, Irina Isekai) all this while she was studying to be a kindergarten teacher because being with children has always been her dream.

People, don't be fooled. Be more critical of people. Just because they're “nice” doesn't mean you should overlook the nastier things they do because then you give them a free pass to continue being this way. Jussy and KaitlinEXE are old enough to know what they’re doing is wrong. For they the internet is some fantasy world to do whatever it feels like and It's not right. The people here are PEOPLE and are not here just for your entertainment and twisted fun.

[pinkyjulien]

I hope y'all know that most modders are chills (emphasize on most )

I personally won't attack you for using / modding the same vanilla assets available from the game files, that'd be insane

With that said Its totally normal to feel frustrated or annoyed when someone releases something that you planed to do or close to an idea you had or even just the same thing, it's normal to feel that way; doesn't give you a free pass to be an asshole about it, just vent it out in private and carry on releasing your own version/your mod

There's seems to be a misunderstanding when it comes to Private Mods tho; when I say that one of my mod is "private" this doesn't mean "I own that asset don't you dare use it" it just mean "I modded it for my character and don't plan on making a public version"

Modding is a creative hobby, just like writing, drawing; we create stuff out of love for a media we love. We don't owe you anything; when I mod an outfit for Valentin, I don't HAVE to make it public simply because "I have the files already"

When someone mod a vanilla asset that nobody had the idea to mod yet on their character, they don't magically become the sole owner of that asset; if you don't want to use that asset for any reason, be it because you're afraid that modder might attack you or because for you its a sign of respect to not use the same asset, either way this isn't the modder's fault; unless the modder clearly stated their stance on the matter, any and all What-May-Happen-If scenarios you create in your brain isn't the modder's responsibility

Nobody own vanilla assets / game files and unless the modder is known to be aggressive over such things, don't assume we all bark and attack others for modding stuff hfjdjjgjdfh 🤏

[natelia-aldelliz]

Okay, I slept less than 4 hours last night and none this night, so I'm getting kinda sleep deprived, so I decided I'm gonna share some personal headcanons about the birth dates of the boys!

It's a bit long but not that long, I just put it behind a read more so people who don't care can pass it more quickly 😊

I'm going only by feeling, it's also got nothing to do with the horoscope bc I have personal beef with it but anyway feel free to tell me if something makes sense anyway, I'm still really curious despite my grievances (I'm being dramatic for fun btw, my beef with the zodiac is not that bad)

Anyway, I feel like Soap is a June 1996 baby, because he's sunny, so a warmer month, not overbearing tho because he's soft, so not summer, so that leaves either early June or late September and I feel like June is hope and September is not, so June it is.

Gaz I feel like is a winter child, but not a cold one, so either December 1995 or March 1996, the years are because I think he's older than Soap but not by more than 6 months, which he still lords over his head.

Ghost is harder because he is shaped by his trauma and it does not represent who he might have been if he hadn't gone through all that. But I think he's a softer month, so no winter or summer, March and November are too cold still, but September and June are too warm so I think either October or April or May 1991.

I have no idea for Price tho, I feel like he could fit any month, cause he's protective and possessive enough for winter, hot headed and brave like summer, warm and nice like spring and headstrong and cold blooded enough for autumn... The only months I can't see for him are January, April, July and October but the rest are fair game...

I dunno the year, I think he's between 38 and 45 years old tho.

Alejandro strikes me as either August or September... It's this late summer nostalgy vibe of looking at the stars at 22:00, being sad that it's been night since 21:00 when just a few weeks ago the sun was still out, but the weather is still comforting and you can hear the ocean.

Rudy I think gives off soft but sad, so I'm gonna go with maybe late winter early spring? Or February, maybe... Mmh no maybe not... Oooh maybe late March or early April actually, he gives sudden harsh rains that stop immediately, with hot chocolate and cookies and flowers and puddles outside, and hugs.

I think both Ale and Rudy are around Ghost's age, like early thirties, they're the same year but Rudy is older.

I think Graves is a January if anyone wants to know, because he's a bitch and I don't like him (sorry for anyone reading this who was born in January, I'm sure it's not your fault /j) I also think he's late thirties, but maybe he just looks old because he's a terrible person.

I think Roach is either May, July or November because he gives "nothing can kill me until it does" and I think it applies best to those months. I think he's either 1992, 1993 or 1994, not younger not older.

If you want to put anyone else through my compleeeetely unbiased and true feelings (lmao) don't hesitate to tell me, be aware tho that I don't know the multiplayer characters beyond the few tiktoks I see.

If you agree or disagree please go ahead I love when people do tho I fear my only arguments is 'my brain associates feelings with months based on my personal experiences and memories and feelings, which wouldn't apply to another part of France, let alone another country, so I completely understand that you have completely different feelings' which honestly wouldn't make me win a debate, sadly, but thankfully I'm not competitive.

[thedragonofbadasstemple]

A little late but was tagged by @klutenpetter to do a thing! It supposed to be 9 each of like games, TV, movies, etc that you enjoyed for the first time in 2023, but like him I'm just gonna do nine piece of media overall. I'll do my layout of pictures, showcasing each one via the character(s) that were my favorite from each piece of media, and in the order in which I saw them (approximately).

Buddy Daddies, Jan 2023. Super cute original anime. Really enjoyed the QPR thing the MCs had going on. You don't get a lot of found family media like that.

Golden Kamuy, March 2023. I was sick with the flu and binge read the entire series in like a week. LOVED IN. Filled with beefy studs and its a fun ride from start to end!

Psycho Pass, May 2023. I got into cyberpunk recently and gave this a whirl. Really enjoyed the first season, not so much everything that came after tho LOL.

Komi-San, June 2023. I'll be real, I never would have picked this for myself to watch, be me and boys have been watching stuff together and this was a pick from one of them. My first impression was this was just another dumb waifu bait show, but honestly its super cute and super funny. I enjoyed it a lot and can't wait for season 3!

Yakuza Kiwami, June 2023. I started Yakuza Zero, got halfway through and then stopped in 2022, and finally finshed Zero and got through Kiwami last year. I enjoyed it way more than Zero. I really enjoy Kiryu as a character and hope to start the next game soon!

Undead Girl Murder Farce, July 2023. A seasonal anime I picked up and enjoyed greatly. I think its a fun use of public domain characters and the OCs were delightful. I hope we get another season! It was a real sleeper hit for the season I think.

Columbo, August 2023. Yeah, I watched my first episode of Columbo because of a mystery kick UGMF put me on. The first episode I watched naturally was the first episode. I watched another episode on Christmas. I really enjoy this character, I wish I had more free time for this.

Slay the Princess, November 2023. An indie game I've had my eye on for a while because of ManlyBadassHero. The full thing came out and I really enjoyed it! I highly recommend it if you like spooky and romantic things.

Good Will Hunting, December 2023. Its a classic movie, and its been meme'd to death, and yet I've never watched it before now (Its not [my] fault). On my flight to Spain the plane had tablets built in for every seat where we could watch movies and stuff so I took that opportunity to watch a bunch of films I had never seen before (others were Top Gun, John Wick, and Elemental (which I saw in 2024 but otherwise I enjoyed it the most, a morbid curiosity/hate-watch that I loved unironically). I also got halfway through Mission: Impossible but ran out of time.) I'd recommend giving this a go if you haven't seen it. Its a classic for a reason and might give you dark academia peeps a good time LOL.

For this I'm tagging @solanum-iycopersicum, @netnettart, @shinladyanarki, and @the-jar-of-dirt.

[florallylly]

I don't agree that Nancy hated Robin at the beginning of s4. She was extremely stressed at the library after finding out her friend died, and then this girl she doesn't know wouldn't shut up. She was more irrated by Robin than hating her. Tho, she should have clarified and communicated with her after Robin told her about her struggles. Or at least Nancy should have apologized after the library. Idk if it's on the show or if it's Nancy characterisation at this point, but she has a pattern for not apologizing properly. If you compare her to Steve, who immediately clocked that he went too far when he insulted Dustin in the car and apologized right after, it's quite the difference. Tho Steve always has to atone for his character from s1, the show never lets us forget he was an ass in hs. Meanwhile, Nancy gets a free pass for everything. People still love her despite her treating them like shit

Anyway, s4 Robin was so ooc. If Steve would have had this attitude towards her in s3 (even in s4), she wouldn't have let it slide, let alone still wanting to talk to him or trying to befriend him. They butchered her character in order to avoid conflict.

What's also annoying to me about every Nancy ship is that she's the important part. It's always the question of who is the best for her, esp in the fandom. R//nance is the best for her because she's finally free from men, and Robin is the only person who gets her. J//ncy is the only real ship because Jonathan gets her as they are trauma bonded, or St//ncy is the best ship because Steve loves so much, more than Jonathan. Her romantic partners are always reduced to options. There are no questions about Nancy being the right one for Robin, Steve, or Jonathan. It's partly the shows fault because nobody has any negative feelings towards her and they all seem to be obsessed with her but ugh I wish at least in fandom they would also look at her potential partners as actual characters for once. Like no she wouldn't be right for Robin because Robin needs someone who can communicate clearly and who would understand her quirks. And no Nancy wouldn't be the right one for Steve because Steve wants to be loved unconditionally, that's something Nancy can't give him because there is still Jonathan and the trauma of losing Barb. And Nancy isn't even that great for Jonathan either because she can't understand his financial struggles and trauma from being parentified at a young age, which was shown in s3 after her nonpology. (Tho I'm also not a J//ncy fan because Jonathan isn't a catch either for Nancy.) It's like the post you reblogged, we need more episodes in the show so that the characters can develop and we see actual personal conflicts. But because there is no time, everyone has to be best buddies to be united against the main villain.

YES you word it so well. nancy is always put first in fics AND in canon, and all her love interests are just options. they've definitely become more like set pieces or props in her story, which is such a shame. what i hate about fandom spaces and interpretations of canon is that it can be so hard to try and introduce nuance to a character that is beloved to fans. which!!! makes no sense to me bc the duffers wrote a multifaceted flawed character, but nancy is often reduced to the perception that she's the Good Girl.

and yes, i admit i was pretty hyperbolic in saying that nancy HATED robin, but i also think that what with the st/ancy flirting, there was also a hint of jealousy. i think nancy thought in the back of her mind that steve would always be her fallback.

AND YES to robin being so ooc in s4 bc she's literally a jackass (affectionately) and so snarky and a BITCH. like she's steve and steve is her and they are both mean girls at their cores. your entire analysis about the different nancy ships is just MWAH <3

[interwovenrhapsody]

A hand on Melanie's shoulder, with Ruby even giving it a gentle squeeze. "With all thos shapeshifting or whatever ya call it, I wanna know. What or who is the real you?"

What or who is the real her? For a moment, she paused before letting whatever form she had drop and revealing... a plain-looking half-japanese girl with black hair and blue eyes.

The only real notable thing about her was that she was.. shapely. Other than that? She looked like a background character with nothing to her.

A sigh left her lips. "We met once when I looked like this. And I don't fault you for not remembering. Look at me, I'm plain as fuck and could be forgotten in an instant. Do you blame me for changing my looks?"

There's a slight pause as she says that, before she shrugged. "But in all honesty, I don't change what I look like on my own. I think I have a picture of one of them."

Pulling out a photo, she held it up.

"This was in Eorzea. Someone decided it'd be cool if I had an action shot for one of their future ideas? It never came to pass but I got a free copy of the drawing. Magitek."

[esta-elavaris]

I would like to say something eloquent re: your insanely kind tags but unfortunately this is all my brain gives me when I'm complimented so. No fr tho, my inbox is open all day every day feel free whenever you want! I'm bad at starting conversations with folk generally but nobody should ever take that as a lack of interest in those conversations on my part.

But yeaaah in hindsight I should've known better than to apologise for ranting about fictional characters on tumblr.com huh. That's just it though, his human-ness is what makes him so compelling. I don't think I'd have paid him more attention than a passing "huh he's attractive" if he wasn't tempted by the Ring, didn't go through what he went through, and was basically some infallible warrior who had no doubts or flaws. The same way Norrington wouldn't be half so interesting if he didn't have his crisis.

I'd much rather live in a bubble where characters like Boromir are interesting and tragic and folk love them than one where people despise him for his handling of a terrible situation which, for whatever faults it did have, came from a place of love and trying to do what he thought to be right, even if that was ultimately misguided. (God, the Norrington parallels. One day I'll really dust off my essay-writing skills and tackle that subject.)

I think the funniest thing so far that has come out of me rewatching and reading LOTR for your fic is that I’m finally starting to wrap my head around it all. There are still a lot of things that still confuse me but I’m like, starting to get it. Feel like I’m a 5th grader shoved into 11th grade history sometimes but yknow what I’m gonna get through it

Also indeed Boromir CAN get it. I totally forgot everything about him with the ring and it makes me excited to see what you do with him hehe

You've caught me, the fic isn't a fic but actually some subtle pro-Boromir propaganda to save folk from falling into the trap of viewing him as a villain in the early stages of becoming So Normal about this series.

But NO, honestly, confession time? I did not like the movies the first time around (I hadn't read the books) when I was 13. Like, I thought they were crap. I think because I watched them with friends so it's never the same as fully immersing yourself into something? Then I couldn't get them out of my head and watched them again a week later on my own and uhhhh now I am like this. So I'm honoured to be dragging you back into them! It's how I make my amends for being so woefully wrong all those years ago.

I think what's nice about how much it can be to take in, especially with the books, is that after you just roll with it and stop being stressed out about not understanding some parts, it adds so much repeat value for later? Like each time you watch/read you pick up something new or understand new bits that you just had to gloss over last time, it's lovely.

God, the whole thing with him being affected by the Ring is going to be rough, though. Like things aren't exactly sunny now, but it's going to be so sad - like at least with Norrington, when things started getting grim and dark he had his faculties about him and could think somewhat clearly 90% of the time? Whereas this is just sad.

[familyagrestefanblog]

Oh screw it, I’ll risk it: About the fan reactions to Gabriel not having known that wearing several Miraculous’ is fatally dangerous

I honestly don't vibe at all with the current attitude going around that in "Evolution" Ladybug did a 'not required act of mercy' when she informed Monarque about the dangers of wearing 15 miraculous at the same time (clarification tho: Marinette saying it IS worthy of due credit, she is upholding a moral responsibility of her hero job and its something noone else has done. It's the Fandom reaction I see over and over again I absolutely don't fuck with).

It just really doesn't sit right with me that seemingly so many people legitimately think that any of our HEROS are entitled to withhold such a crucial information from the villain when it literally regards a human beings sanity, humanity and LIFE. No matter how god damn awful he is and that he was the one starting this war. He’s the villain, HIM acting like one isnt the moral standart, that should be the HEROS.

But just to clarify first: Its not the takes of people who just enjoy to see Gabe (the fictional character) get fucked up for an episode, but still treat the situation with at least SOME of the appropriate gravity, that I’m criticizing here. Its the ones who legitimately think this is rightful and moral justice our heros are entitled to, and that even so much as having mentioned it towards him was a saint-like deed that didnt needed to be done- THATS where all my alarm bells go off (AGAIN).

Because that's just morally despicable to me and in my opinion it's not only VERY MUCH an automatically obligated responsibility of a hero (so not just Ladybug, this regards ALL the heros. Chat Noir, Rena Rouge and everyone else) but truth be told.. in my eyes, this information being mentioned to Hawkmoth from our heros side is already loooooooooooong overdue since the beginning of s4.

In my opinion, the moment our heros found out at the beginning of season 4 that Hawkmoth has been starting to wear the Peacock miraculous himself it automatically became a moral obligation for any of them to make sure that ShadowMoth to 100% KNOWS that even wearing TWO miraculous fucks badly with your mind. For me this is not up for debate. Villains being fuck awful doesn't give heros a free pass for acting amoral themselves. This is also not a situation where “but they assumed” is excusing anything since the consequences are too fatal for that and too many people (besides Gabriel himself) end up in the crossfire.

Look, I'm not going to hold a speech now on ✨seeing the best 🤩 in everyone! ✨giving second chances 🤗 ✨out of the purness of our hearts 💖✨ because that's the right ✔️ and good💁🏼‍♀️✨ thing to do! 💪✨

And I'm also not going to tell you that I think that our teenage heros are obligated to ✨save✨ this toxic garbage can of a grown ass man. No of course fucking not.

Our teenage heros are NOT horrible people because of this - in fact, in my eyes the context of s1-s3 may have had our heros unfortunately assume too much that Hawkmoth KNOWS about the danger. Because of Mayuras involvement, and the heros not knowing that there was a DIFFERENT reason for why Hawkmoth hasn't worn the Peacock for so long himself - but this simply highlights one factor in the narrative that “Multiplication” interestingly enough even brought up:

The question of why tf children are fighting this war against the grown ass man. Because of course are children more likely to look at the way the evil side used their miraculouses and think “Well, apparently Hawkmoth knows about the danger and is now just risking it”, whereas an adult would perhaps have approached this like: “ ...IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII am just gonna mention it just to be sure or just throw it in his face that he isnt as invincible as he thinks he is when he continues like that. I’m gonna clarify this at least for the record so whatever happens afterwards is that asshats own fault, my responsibility is done”

So when Marinette asks Monarque in “Evolution”: Didn’t you know that it was dangerous to use a bunch of Miraculous at once?” (and I hope this line also is a question in the french original) this is not one of our heros “being boundlessly merciful, doing a good deed she didnt HAD to do”, this question hightlights one seriously neglected moral aspect that just wasnt taken care of because children are made to fight this war against an adult, so its no wonder they’d never concidered needing to tell Hawkmoth. Doesnt mean its something positive now that he never knew! That’s not comeuppance, thats just sadistic in the way people celebrate and glorify this (as per usual).

The villain was stripped off his choice and agency regarding if he really wants to risk turning himself into a full blown monster with no way to return. Gabriel was stripped of his agency and choice to do the right thing, something “Evolution” ALSO brought up again from the Heros Day:

Thats NOT good! He and Nathalie were at another crossroad of destiny but couldnt make the choice if risking him possibly ending up becoming so unhinged by the miraculouses influence, his plans crossing lines he previously hesitated or refused to cross, or him ending up taking it out in his civilian life which doesnt have a miraculous ladybug cure, is actually still worth their mission (all things that btw happened with s4). Because I would definitely make the argument that, if they had known, NATHALIE at least would have had insisted on him not wearing it all the time to take care of himself.

There were absolutely a couple of choices here these two could have made in this regard and while it isn't our teenage heros fault per se that this agency was taken away from the villains, it still doesn't change the fact that the villains HAVING this information could have very much have been a game changer. Gabriel and Nathalie are humans, that can't just be disregarded from the moral question. Especially not when disregarding that puts other INNOCENT people in even MORE danger!

No, villains aren't owed jackshit, but if the danger situation they create can be solved more peacefully and civil then in my opinion it is anything but "rightfully justified" for the good guys to instead rather insist on sending them to hell consumed by madness.

At the Heros day Ladybug gave illusion Hawkmoth the choice to redeem himself but it wasn't actually Gabriel it's was an akumatized LILA (once again, a CHILD) and now the villains never had the needed information to make the proper choice if they wanna continue their path, under these VERY DIFFERENT circumstances. Yes, they're fuck awful people but this ain't right either.Not even in the slightest. Nathalie at least made the choice of wearing the Peacock while KNOWING that it would harm her, and the show properly acknowledges that accountability:

And yes, Gabriel decided against his mission in “Evolution” and AFTER Ladybug told him of the dangers. And by all means, for that he can be dunked on however this fandom likes since then he DID have the information and could at least still somewhat properly put that in perspective. That's fine by me, roast away.

But there’s also a hook in the situation now isn't there? Cause Gabriel has already worn TWO Miraculous for an entire season without knowing thats harmful AND he is already wearing 15 (!) Miraculous for a bit when he is finally told.

So for all it is (and tbh, thats ALOT), this information is simply, already too late to not have affected Gabriels decision in "Evolution".

One entire season too late that sealed this man’s and his FAMILY’S fate.

Yes, he did it himself and noone put a gun on his head, but that isnt the moral aspect in this im talking about. If Gabriel hadnt crossed that line without this excessive Miraculous mind influence he wasnt aware of, then I’m sorry, I can hate this man however the fuck I want, in my book this influence nooone warned him about in an entire season is to be taken into concideration. Yes, I would also be saying this about any other villain because I’m not demanding for them to be saved, I merely want the unfortunate morality factors in their fates to be acknowledge (Like, if you think Azula from Avatar the last Airbender is merely a one-note evil and NOT a tragic villain, or Catra and Hordak from She-Ra deserve no ending towards redemption, I can give you a solid piece of my mind)

Immense harm upon a human being out of control has already been done through this assumtion of him having known. This has made him even worse and now he’s walking right into his damnattion, lost in his madness and willing to drag the world with him. I see nothing good or morally RIGHT in this:

Gabriel is done for in the most dehumanizing, painful and awful way; and no matter how much I agree that this man is a toxic, abusive scumbag and deserves to be locked up in a prison cell for the rest of his life, the punishments people are talking about are STILL no fate to be celebrated with such... genuine entitlement for self-proclaimed “rightful” vengeance/ comeuppance in the form of just letting him spiral down even further, ending up a broken and deranged shadow of a person and all alone with nothing and noone left. 

So yeah, I don't fuck at all with the continously returning take that Ladybug, Chat Noir (aka any hero) apparently held the RIGHT to act as moralities harsh fist of justice/vengeance and let it happen that this other human being maybe even unknowningly screws his own mind up, turning himself into a monster to a degree not even HE might ever wanted to become. This is NOT a suitable punishment and its very clearly reveange porn on an extreme level that is just more tolerated fandom-wise after s4 because its the white, male, adult villain, even though the initial GOAL in the show is to defeat Hawkmoth so Paris is safe once more.

Taking the man who has become a monster and taking joy in letting this human being fall into the darkest pits of his madness while undoing his personhood as “deserved punishment thats supposed to LAST” is disgusting. Just put a bullet between his eyes, empty 10 more rounds of ammo in his corpse and let his fashion empire vanish into the lost pages of history, that would be more merciful and heroric then the former.

Its beyond unethical. Heros are not supposed to be executioners or torturers and the way some people are genuinely straight-up serious about that is just.. something to behold (And I purposfully didnt even touch upon the morality behind what people are making ADRIEN do. Of course, once AGAIN without Adrien even being allowed to know that Monarque is his FATHER). Heros aren't justified or entitled to let their villain destroy themselves in such a long-term, painful and dehumanizing process of undoing their sanity. Heros are supposed to be good people and BETTER than the villain they have defeated.

[under-sedationnn]

the arcana: main six reacting to injured! reader

anonymous: Could u do m6 reacting to mc coming home injured? I want some hurt/comfort >:))

Warnings: talk of being injured, blood. if that bothers you or tiggers you in anyway, please scroll away! i want this to be a safe place, only :)

thanks for the request anon!! i hope you enjoy!! <3 requests for the kissing prompts and physical affection prompts are STILL OPEN. please send them in with the character of your choice (which could be any character from any series i write for) and i will create an imagine!! thanks and happy reading!!

- tries his very very best to stay calm

- you can see panic bubbling under the surface

- faust is on high alert

- slithers around your shoulders and squeezes you for a hug

- "friend! hurt!"

- doesn't immediately ask what happened, just gets you to a comfortable place to be cleaned up

- then, and only then, will he brave to ask what happened to you

- or who did this to you

- wipes the blood from your skin with very gentle swipes

- winces when you wince, and apologizes profoundly

- "Y/n, how did this happen? i thought you were just taking a quick trip to the market."

- "i fell in the market, tripped over a stone"

- "and nobody helped you?"

- in this case he's disappointed with the bystanders, but does not become angry

- in a situation where someone hurt you?

- oh god

- "Y/n, how did this happen? i thought you were just taking a quick trip to the market."

- "yeah, well, somebody had their eye on the same apple i picked up. somehow, though, they managed to push me to the ground and steal it from my hands."

- i don't even think he would know what to say

- and asra is not really the type to march out into the streets of vesuvia and seek to challenge the one who hurt you

- but he would certainly hold a grudge against whoever it was if he did find out

- and would feel absolutely awful about letting you get hurt

- his mind would race about the possibility of losing you again

- because he simply can't handle it

- and what if that person had been particularly violent or malicious? what if you had been taken??

- you'd have to comfort the hell out of him to make sure he knows that you're okay

- "asra, hey, i'm fine! i can handle myself, you know that"

- "you're right, and i know you're right. it's just hard"

- "it's still hard for me, too. the market still makes me a little nervous and i got caught a little off guard, is all"

- that would make him feel better

- would finish patching up your wounds and would make sure to bring you to julian the next day if they were too bad for him to fix or needed stitches

- would also create a special brew to help with the pain and ease you to sleep

- "why don't i go down to the market tomorrow?"

- "why? so when you pick a fight over apples, i can pay you back for all of this high quality medical treatment?"

- "well of course, surely you didn't expect all this tender love and care to be free" *wink*

- panicked doctor mode enabled

- immediately begins checking you over, asking questions

- something tells me it would be a head injury of some sort

- "oh darling, what happe- you're bleeding!"

- "julian, i'm okay! it's just a little scratch"

- "no no no you might need stitches, come sit down. i'll go get my kit!"

- there's really no use in arguing

- he has cold ass hands, so he tries to warm them up before he begins suturing the wound

- tries to be gentle, and his expert hands move quickly without any snagging

- "so, how did this happen?"

- his voice is literally trembling

- "well, i was in the clinic grabbing the list of ingredients we need for our next grocery trip and there was a puddle of... something on the floor. i slipped and hit my head on the corner of your desk"

- immediately thinks it's his fault

- like "oh shit i should have cleaned better that could have killed y/n and then what would i have done-"

- doesn't necessarily voice this, but you can tell by the silence that follows that he's feeling really guilty

- would kneel for you, head on your knees

- "y/n, i am so sorry"

- "juli, it's really okay, i should have watched where i was going"

- "i'll make sure to clean better from now on, okay?"

- would guard you throughout the night in case of concussion

- nurse juli <3

- but let's say someone had put their hands on you

- would patch you up the same way, and apologize profusely for not being there with you

- tuck you into bed and fetch mazelinka to keep an eye on you throughout the night incase of a concussion

- would most definitely be self destructive and seek that mf out

- maybe not successfully, but would try his hardest

- "i'll be back in the morning, get some rest"

- "I can find them myself if I want to, you know"

- embarrassed blush

- because he KNOWS you can take care of yourself

- "of course, but right now you're hurt. as your partner, i will do what must be done on your behalf darling"

- probably shows up the following morning with battle scars of his own

- the guards found you in the garden, passed out in the maze

- blood trickled down your arm, a large gash marking your bicep

- ran you up to the palace and immediately to the medical wing

- them]n nadia gets word

- the calm, collected queen act disappears

- abandons anything she's doing, anybody she's talking to

- "we will finish this at a different time, i have more important matters to attend to"

- she is so worried and it's honestly adorable

- very much giving "where tf are they?" energy

- god i love her so much

- anyways um

- asks the nurses over and over what happened, if you're okay, etc.

- watches the physicians and nurses like a hawk as they clean the wound and suture the cut

- and they're so intimidated lmao they never come face to face with her literally ever

- brushes your hair back from your face as they do so

- holds your hands

- would demand that you be brought to her sleeping chamber

- so that's where you wake up! how cute

- she's laying beside you, her brows furrowed

- maybe even her eyes are a little hazy

- "y/n, sweetheart, do you remember what happened?"

- patiently waits for your answer, you're still a little groggy

- you were either attacked by an animal and passed out from the fright

- or you were attacked by an armed person and was knocked out

- either way, the guards are on it

- nadia isn't letting whoever or whatever did this get away without a fight

- the palace is meant to be a safe haven for you

- for the both of you

- "well, don't you worry, we'll take care of that"

- you try to sit up but she won't let you

- "oh no, you must stay down, y/n. you are possibly concussed from the fall"

- "oh okay, sorry"

- "is there anything i can get you?"

- the countess of vesuvia, serving you in your time of need

- "just some water would be nice"

- "of course, i'll have some brought up right away"

- i literally feel like he would just start crying straight up

- cause like he has some problems anyway

- he big sad boi

- and you coming home to the hut bleeding from a gash in the arch of your foot is not helping

- picks you and carries you to the bed without a word

- just starts examining the cut

- inanna is also very concerned

- she licks the blood from the cut, she's trying to be helpful

- meanwhile muriel is stumbling around the hut looking for anything to stop the bleeding, disinfect it, bandage it, anything

- but he's not the best about keeping that stuff in stock

- keeps looking back at you with worry in his eyes

- he doesn't know what to do

- "muriel, let me see if i can contact asra. maybe he or julian can bring me a salve. i'm pretty sure i'm gonna need stitches"

- low-key makes him feel worse

- cause he feels like he's unable to care for you and keep your safe

- even tho this was just an accident

- he's breathing really fast, his anxiety creeping

- agrees anyway, but goes to get them himself

- "i'll be back soon, just keep this piece of cloth pressed against it"

- cause you're bleeding like a lot

- inanna stays behind

- he returns very quickly with julian in tow, though he doesn't look happy about it

- leaves the hut without another word

- julian gets to work immediately

- "so, you cut your foot i see"

- smartass.

- "yeah, muriel always tells me to put on shoes when i walk in the woods but i love to feel the grass beneath my feet"

- julian chuckled at this

- "and i'm assuming you, what, stepped on a rock?"

- "...yeah, sliced it right open"

- after julian is done cleaning up the cut, he tells you to just stay off of it for a while and make sure it doesn't get infected

- once he's gone, muriel trudges back into the hut

- "muriel, baby, it was just a cut it's not a big deal"

- but his eyes look hurt, and you beckon him toward the bed

- "hey," your hands on his cheeks, "i'm okay, really"

- "sorry, i just got scared. blood is still a trigger for me and since you got hurt in my woods, i felt like it was my fault"

- "muriel, of course it wasn't your fault"

- he really needed a hug

- after this instance, he made sure to keep medical supplies in the hut and you promised to try and wear shoes in the woods more often than not

- "i'll try my best to be more careful. deal?"

- sweet lil smile

- "deal."

- "oh my god, y/n, what the hell happened??"

- you were tending the garden

- without her supervision

- and the garden sheers might have sliced into the palm of your hand

- deep

- brings you over to the sink and runs water over the cut, covering it with a towel when the dripping blood had been washed away

- girl is on the move

- cause she knows what to do! love that

- low-key a main reason why julian managed to live as long as he has

- pepi is curiously perched atop one of the counters, peering down

- finds her personal first aid kit she had stashed in the bathroom

- guides you over to sit on the counter while she tries to figure out what to do

- "damn, you really cut yourself, y/n"

- "sorry! i think i just got a little carried away"

- she giggles at that, though she is still worried about the fact that it won't stop bleeding

- gently wraps the cut in gauze and adheres it together

- places a kiss to your fingertips

- "all done! no more gardening for you!"

- "hey, why not?"

- "well you don't want that cut to open back up again and again, do you?"

- "no"

- "alright then," she smiled, moving to put away the first aid kit again, "and we're going up to the palace medical wing first thing tomorrow morning to make sure it's not infected"

- eye roll

- "yes ma'am" you mocked

- even though you know it's just because she loves you

- "but since you got hurt, you want me to bake you some cookies?"

- "only if you let me eat the dough!"

- good god do i love this man

- but he is so self-absorbed it's actually insane

- and I feel like he wouldn't even notice at first

- cause he's too focused on himself

- gazing into the mirror without a care in the world when you walked in

- "y/n, thank goodness you're home, how do you feel about these pants?"

- you just hobbled to the nearest seat, hand resting over the gash on your knee

- mercedes and melchior were lazing across a rug at the base of his mirror, their attention set on you

- "u-um, yeah, they look good"

- literally just trying not to bleed out, over here

- "good? oh really, now, y/n don't they look amazing?"

- "yes, they look ama- ow, damnit"

- then he turned around

- immediate shock and worry! oh no oh no y/n is hurt!

- mercedes and melchior walked over first, whining as they took in the cut, brushing around the edges

- lucio raced over, squatting down in front of you, and began examining the cut

- "hey, hey, what happened?"

- "i accidentally tripped on my walk in the garden and scraped my knee on the cobblestone"

- he was lightly touching around the cut, gauging how sensitive it was

- when you flinched he stopped, looking into your eyes with a soft "sorry"

- "i think i need to go to the palace infirmary"

- "oh there's no need, i can take care of you!"

- you were not convinced he could take care of you, at least not well

- "uh, lucio, are you sure?"

- he looked slightly offended, at that

- "you know, y/n, i did fight in battles at one point. i have not only tended to my own wounds, but the wounds of others, as well"

- you giggled at the thought

- "much to your protest, though, i'm sure"

- he moved to the small cabinet of medical supplies in the ensuite to your bedroom, returning to your side with it in hand

- "at points, but i don't mind helping you in the slightest"

- for all of his antics, his soft side was enough to make you fall in love all over again

- and although i know he would take care of you in literally any situation, i can't say for certainty that he would stick around and place nurse lucio for long if a person had hurt you

- attacked you

- much like nadia, the guards would be sent out without a second thought, lucio leading the pack in the search for you aggressor

[jonroxton]

can you talk about chlark beyond chloe? personally i think it's weird that the writers kept adding kisses and weird romantic moments without any pay off. i don't know much about the fandom back then but i think the writers were baiting fans since clark/chloe seems to be the second most popular ship after clex. second i personally think chloe would never be happy with clark or anyone tbh and she doesn't seem like the type of person who would have kids so the finale was weird to me.

this got looooong :)

0. it WAS weird, and the choice to never not once go for it with them was to the story's detriment. I'll get into it a little later on in this post.

Re: shipping in sv fandom. there was definitely drama (clana was HUGE when the show was airing and every ship was basically derailed by it lol) but I stayed in my clois lane with a small circle of fandom friends much like I do now. a good measure of clois fans were fans of lois and clark from other mediums, come to sv just for lois and clark, myself included. we were pretty insulated as a fandom even back then. I do remember seeing more Chlark after the S5 finale (when Chloe kisses him goodbye), but those dropped off after Jimmy was introduced right away in S6. The most drama I encountered was with Chloisers: Chloe fans who believed wholeheartedly that Chloe was Lois. They hated SV!Lois and were convinced she would die so Chloe could take her name and job and place by Clark's side, thus a Chlark endgame. this was a popular theory amongst that fandom even into s9, when the clois ball started to roll for true.

bait and switch

a lot of Chlark is rooted in this notion that chloe WOULD be the best thing for Clark, the ideal Lois, the true best friend, the human hand guiding him through Earth's troubles. she would be could be the BEST possible lois archetype for Clark. it's not a wrong interpretation. she was specifically written as a lois-and-lana-proxy (teenage lana is a reporter in some AUs and even some as an adult as a tv correspondent) and she's given many lois-ish traits (tenacious, secretly crushing on clark and in denial), but this interpretation is deeply flawed. first, because lois does eventually enter into the picture and she has her own defining traits that, when compared to chloe, make chloe seem much shallower than realized. secondly, within the complete context of the story, her position in the greater narrative is not as ~the one who got away, the way it did very early on in S1-S4, but one who clark tolerates.

they're friends because clark is forgiving and chloe has staying power. their friendship is riddled with insecurities and unknowns the characters create for themselves. their dynamic is defined by conflict, not resolutions. this is not made easy by the fact that chloe is such a strangely written character, but ultimately she is positioned as a counter to clark achieving his happiness. not a thematic narrative foil but an obstacle clark eventually relents to.

2. and it has been so from the get-go

S1 is the best season for them and the single season which actually considers Clark's side in this dynamic. everything about them later on can be explained with how they are in this season. and that's the problem. when they're 14 it's nice teen angst drama and works perfectly to establish the dynamic. when they're 24 it's at best a pattern, at worst regression. we expect certain behaviors, dismiss them too, when it's children, at least I do. clark and chloe never move beyond the dynamic they establish in s1 and early s2. in essence, clark and chloe remain children around each other. they have many discussions in the later seasons that make at least one appear petulant.

so S1 clark has just been told the greatest secret of his existence and he imprints on lana hard that same night (right AFTER jonathan tells him, he meets lana at the graveyard and talks to her for the first time EVER, a lot of childhood imprinting going on in SV). all of s1 follows clark's heartache over lana, watching her from afar and figuring out a way to be near her. this pain is exacerbated by the fact that he believes he caused her her greatest grief: the death of her parents via the meteor shower which he arrived in.

here the first beat of the chlark dynamic is established: chloe's job and passion – the wall of weird and her pursuing the meteor infected oddities of SV - directly affects clark in a negative way (he's suicidal for much of s1-s3). so her crush on him is countered with her unknowingly causing him great grief. om top of that: clark becomes part of this passion of hers and she eventually begins to pursue him as a story to be uncovered, very superman yes. here tho, it causes nothing but strife for them and paints chloe in an awful light (and clark too, highlighting his refusal to open up). I personally enjoy this aspect of them in s1. bc they're so young I give em a free pass and it's a good conflict playing around with old superman tropes, but it makes for a fraught friendship.

3. the second beat

is that neither chloe's crush on clark, nor his asking her to stop pursuing his truth, do anything to stay her. her tenaciousness becomes intrusiveness and inconsideration (many of her accomplishments irt the daily planet are directly bc she betrays clark). she simply will not listen to her friend and does not believe his livelihood and autonomy is worth losing a story over. this is literally the opposite of comics/live action lois lane, who in various versions drops the clark reveal story to protect him. this passion turns vindictive pretty early for chloe, who eventually pursues stories about clark out of jealousy and entitlement (against lana also).

4. the third beat

is that clark doesn't ever see chloe as romantic prospect except this time in s1. the tornado trapping lana pulls him away from any solidifying of the clark/chloe dynamic, and that's that. but we know clark was willing to go for it in early s2 when he apologizes to chloe about running off on her. it's chloe who decides not to go on with the relationship. clark is visibly confused, but also 15 so he can't see that chloe is putting on a brave front to protect herself from clark running off again. I liked this too as it's another play on superman tropes, but my sympathy for them stops here.

5. and stays here

these beats are the entirety of this dynamic. everything about chlark can be distilled down to their childhood. it's why I don't hate them completely, bc I have a lot of love for kids who hurt in such a way and that time is never easy. in s8 (I think its s8) when we get a flashback to when they meet as kids (more imprinting!). little tenacious cute chloe kisses insecure clark bc of the funny awkward tension, acknowledging it, and then immediately takes it back because they're better as friends. (also they’re like 11 lol)

every single romantic moment with them is undercut either by chloe herself, or by the presence of other storylines/romances the writers wanted to pursue. the lack of integrity in chloe and the lack of interest in clark, regardless of how sincere their connection or how messed up, is a central part of their dynamic that needs to be reconciled with their friendship. and its exhausting bc there is never a point they are ever truly comfortable around each other.

6. to a fault

knowing the secret doesn't change chloe's methods. it doesn't make chloe clark's great confidante. if anything, it complicates matters for both because their relationship then becomes about the greater good and clark's great destiny. everything chloe does becomes about that, which in theory sounds awesome, but is executed much the same way as s1!chlark: by reiterating behaviors that highlight the negative aspects of that loyalty and the negative aspects of their characters.

the single time they do actively examine what this loyalty means and how chloe's hero complex complicates things for chlark is with s8 and davis. she protects davis with the skills of subterfuge and secrecy she developed as clark's friend. and it costs her jimmy and a lot of her personal integrity as a character. tho ironically it makes chloe the strongest she's been as a character. this is the first time clark is forced to view chloe as an enemy and he never quite recovers from discovering the dark depths she’s willing to go to. 

it's an arc dealing with the established beats: how far chloe is willing to go for a kryptonian (very far), how much she's willing to do for him (A LOT and all of it illegal), and what it costs her (jimmy). it deals with her jealousy (always second choice) and her motivations (uncovering the truth). this great want that she struggled with for years is turned on its head and examined, revealing just how weird and dark her hero complex is because obviously davis is not clark. davis/chloe served to highlight more than any other arc how it's really too bad that clark never saw her that way, because she has so much love to give and when channeled, it's a great force. only it's a great force for evil. clark has to confront that it’s not just lex but his other closest friend who is willing to go so far. they backtrack hard in s9 and s10 but they keep this underlying wariness in clark towards Chloe throughout. it’s not anything new, but it’s no longer subtext that clark doesn’t fully trust chloe.

7. And that's the rub

in the end. chloe and clark have many storylines they're in together and chloe's important.... to develop clark and as a counter to clark. clark never instigates anything, not once, for 9 years! when the show did give us Moments TM, clark is reacting, not actively making choices to connect to her. if anything, clark is incredibly awkward about chloe when they become intimate. he doesn't seem to know what to do with her crushing on him (the elevator scene is a great one to show just how awkward chloe makes him feel). more than that. clark never tells her his secret. and later on, chloe doesn't tell him half the crazy wild shit she does to protect him bc she knows he would disapprove. I still hold that the only reason they work is bc clark is a forgiving character and would give her chance after chance after chance. that's the watsonian explanation, but the doylist explanation is that the writers just never cared to explore them beyond this point.

8. and what was beyond that point?

they would've been a great counter to lexana in S6 and early clana (clark finally having a gf who knows). it’s playing the clark/Chloe as a straight lois/clark proxy before actually pursuing lois and clark. it could’ve been the precursor to davis and caused an even more personal conflict! the kiss at the end of s5 was their chance. they could've written chlark devolving much the same way lexana did in s6 (or not). but again. the writers never went that far and clearly never wanted to. it kept chlark forever in this stage of childhood friendship always on the brink of collapsing, tittering either way. it's also tough to speculate bc clark's just not into her. in fact he becomes more and more wary of her, to the point where he believes she can do horrible things, and he's right. the stories continually make their methods complete opposite.

they go out of their way to show chloe realizing how happy clark is with lois. and even play a joke on the fandom by literally turning her into lois and seeing the sparks between her friends. it's almost... cruel but it does serve to show how clark is when he's smitten and he's never looked at chloe that way except during the dance when they were kids. other unrequited dynamics have at least some spark from the desired, but nil from clark. clark is into chloe in late s1, but she shuts him down, and when he seems to be into her again (damn that s5 kiss was a good one lol), she shuts him down again. it's just a weird writing choice all around, and that they kept nuggets of it throughout the show is the thing I cringe at most whenever I rewatch.

9. bait and switch 2

with hindsight it is definitely ship baiting and that sucks for that dynamic bc without it their friendship would’ve been the stronger, or at least not full of so much negativity. all it did was remind everyone that chloe’s been duped since she was a kid and that clark is both stupid and strange for never noticing and letting her get away with shit just bc she’s the most loyal. I don’t ship them and even I get frustrated lol

[terubakudan]

@withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus Only in fanfics/fiction can you make characters of them xD

First off, thank you very much for taking time out of your day to reply. Even when you're busy with other things, I really do appreciate that! Of course, please, please focus on your things first. And always take your time. And a heads-up, I go into a long tirade about Taiwan's English education below, but I felt I needed to get that out. You can skip over that and feel free not to reply to it. I feel that in the end, it's always better to talk about some more lighthearted stuff ^^

Right! In Asia, this is totally common and normal, for children to still live with their parents until adulthood. Compare with America, where children are expected to move out of the house when they finish high school or start college, but otherwise are totally 'on their own' with everything, tuition, rent, etc. Because of this, many children don't feel obligated to take care of their parents when they grow old. Whereas in Asia, many cultures are family-oriented, there isn't much of a stigma when it comes to living with your parents, aside from saving on living costs too. I wonder if it's normal too in Greek and Latino communities as they also seem to be very family-oriented. I've only seen the movie 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding', and maybe it's a stereotype but it was written by a Greek writer, so that may be true? And then there's the movie Coco, in that movie Miguel crosses the bridge to the other side where the spirits live and we have that kind of belief too about the afterlife in Chinese culture. And they have the ofrenda, which is similar to how we East Asians may also have an altar at home for a passed ancestor/family member.

But I totally relate to what you said, many times I seriously wish I had my own room, and sometimes I feel Mom still treats me as a child, and yes to the chores!! That's exactly it, 'when will you learn to get it right' xD

Right, and I feel nowadays you really can't control the curiosity of kids anymore xD I know I said I'm against giving young kids smartphones, but nowadays it's quite literally a necessity that if ever I have kids, I may have no choice. I agree with you that it's the fault of the minor. I think most of us on this site are adults or young adults, and I myself don't want to censor my thoughts just for the sake of very young kids. I value freedom of speech and expression very much. I agree with you about nudity in art, if it's nsfw art then yes it may warrant censorship or a warning but if they're not really 'doing' anything, it's relatively harmless. And same here! I find barely dressed/being dressed much more sexy because it leaves a lot to the imagination xD And you're right, no one is going to blame the kiddies xD Right?! Our generation can't even control our own curiosity xD We just have so much more things to discover and do now compared to what our parents had.

I want to say you did the right thing for your classmate and I admire that, in Taiwan I doubt anyone would have been brave to do that given how hush-hush the culture can be and they'd rather not find inconveniences even if it's the right thing to do. Also they treat teachers/professors like rockstars here ._. (more on that below) Shame on that teacher and I wished he got sacked from his job or punished but thank goodness he stopped what he was doing. He seems like a real creep tho and I would suggesting avoiding him altogether. I know right? I loved playing fighting games so much as a kid but I didn't grow up to be someone who beats people up and also I don't have the self-defense skills xD The 4Kids Dub of Yu-Gi-Oh became so notorious that it inspired the Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged Series, and that's hilarious xD I was way too young too when I watched Sailor Moon, but gah! HaruMichi is really a cute ship. I agree. Cartoons like Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes I think weren't even meant for kids in the first place. And it's the responsibility of the parents to teach the kids.

When I was younger, I also played a lot of those HOG (Hidden Object Games) or the Nancy Drew ones by Her Interactive, but usually those type of games are bound to have some sort of horror element to them. One of the Nancy Drew games featured Nancy going to a ryokan in Japan, and I love how the game was rated 'Everyone 10+' for "mild peril", when I think even adults would have been scared shit of that ghost xD I kept looking at our bathroom mirror and couldn't sleep unless the lights were on xD I look back upon this as a funny memory though. I can't remember when I accidentally stumbled upon porn but I think it was the same experience as you, on TV late at night. I'd like to think with the porn director, while it's not the same, some aspects are bound to be similar with a music video director, so no harm there in my opinion xD (making sure the talent are comfortable, a huge crew, someone taking care of lighting etc.) Same here, smartphones only became more prevalent when high school started for me, in the sense that everyone had one compared to a few before.

That's true that it gets tiring teaching the same things again and again to a new batch of students every year, but I guess because I've also had some teachers who really had a passion for teaching and a genuine desire to see their students learn/improve, I can't help but compare xD Yes there are lazy teachers, but then there are really good ones too. And it's really different depending on your age group, for example it takes a lot of energy with preschool/elementary kids because to some extent you also have to play with them. Whereas with high school kids and college students, the teacher can interact with them on a more intellectual level. I think that almost any job is bound to become routine, but to some extent we ourselves have to maintain that passion for it or find the joy in it. Although yes there are still those jobs I wouldn't want to do unless I really had no choice, like I wouldn't want to do sales because I absolutely suck when it comes to selling stuff, plus I'm super introverted. I may have majored in Accounting, but I absolutely loved my Foreign Language teachers, who I felt despite teaching the same stuff every year (for example the Fall semester at my uni would open Japanese I - III - and V classes), were really happy whenever the class showed genuine progress.

~Tirade starts here~

However, I agree with you when it comes to the students, who shouldn't have to bear the brunt of lazy teaching. Taiwan especially has a huge problem when it comes to English education, my Mom for instance has been looking for a job here in Taiwan just so that she may be able to stay and apply for a residency card (because of a stupid technicality in the law here that doesn't allow my own biological mother to stay because she's my mom). And the annoying part is that for foreign nationals who want to work here, it can't just be any job, the company has to be big enough and there's a certain salary limit (twice the minimum salary, which even locals have a hard time getting). A lot of foreign nationals who come to Taiwan thus end up becoming English teachers as even locals have a hard time getting that kind of required salary, and what happens is that even the Ministry of Education here would rather hire unqualified Americans just because they're white over say, my mom who I feel is very much more qualified and even say, locals or other Asians who do have the qualifications.

The people in charge of the English education here care more about the illusion of teaching English rather than the actual quality, and what happens is a lot of those foreign nationals don't stay long-term and leave after one or two years. So teachers get changed a lot, the students are the ones who suffer because they always have to start with a new curriculum and 're-learn English from scratch'. So the English level here is stuck at a very basic level, but Taiwan is a lot like Japan in that god forbid you give them criticism, even if it's constructive criticism. It's crazy but the people here have a serious inferiority complex, and they're always scared of people who are 'better' than them. I have a theory it has something to do with psychology, they don't want fellow Asians because they project themselves on say people like me and my mom who are quite good at English and can otherwise get by on passable Chinese, unlike their English which isn't really good ^^" They always want to hire foreigners, especially those who don't know Chinese so they can keep their own ego in check xD

I'm sorry, but this has to be said, because to tell you the truth, from my mom's job hunting, it really taught us a lot of things, that Taiwan portrays itself to be more foreigner-friendly than it actually is. That's the truth. But that's life! There will always be someone better than ourselves, and if anything, we should take it as an opportunity to learn and improve. My mom for instance is not here to snatch the job of the locals, she has to get a job in order to stay. I for one think that your English is really, really good and much better than a lot of Americans. Sorry, but even Americans don't necessarily have a good command of the English language. And it annoys me that Taiwan is still 'stuck' too in that sense, because they base a lot of things on Japan or America, but sad to say neither Japan nor America isn't exactly growing much as a country unlike before. If you ask me, Taiwan should be using Korea as the model for English education.

I'm sorry but, this is exactly the example of what you said about the education system not punishing anyone that deserves it. What really annoys me about Taiwan here is that it's a country known for supposedly very 'educated' people, and yet you still have a lot of 'idiots with a master's degree' as someone once said in a forum. A lot of the students here are only 'study machines', they're just very good at taking exams. For example, a TOEIC score is often used as a credential here for school or finding a job, but believe me when I say a high TOEIC score is rarely a good indicator of one's actual English ability, talk to a Taiwanese in English here and I guarantee most of the time they don't even dare to speak or flub at it. Like they already balk at trying to use English. How can one improve if you don't even try? And that includes Taiwanese who even went abroad to the US to study. My mom, brother and I have never even set foot in the US but our English is even better than the Taiwanese who did. Teachers/professors here are much too respected, they're treated as these all-knowing people but if you ask me some of them are just plain stupid, ignorant, arrogant, and very much lacking in actual social and work experience.

And I know I sound very arrogant here too, but admittedly our family's English is quite good and that's my honest observation of the English education here. And I'm someone who is willing to acknowledge my flaws, there are still lots of things I don't know how to do, like riding a motorbike, swimming, baking, etc. But when it comes to English, I'm very particular about it xD I really cringe at bad English. Because honestly from living in both Taiwan and the Philippines, it has really made me sensitive to that and a stickler for grammar ^^" Taiwan is terrible at practical English use, they're only good when it's on an exam paper. Whereas in the Philippines, despite having English as an official language, its own English standard has really gotten worse over the years, and a lot of people still think they're good at it when in reality they're really not ^^" They make very basic mistakes like 'did tried', improper capitalization, lack of punctuation, etc. And yet the educators here in Taiwan would rather hire unqualified people like those, due to their own refusal to acknowledge their flaws and well, ego. That, and they probably can't tell good English from bad English.

~and ends here~

I hope so too. Covid has really thrown everyone's lives out of whack. Hopefully you too! Honestly, it's really never going to be the same again but I'm still hoping we all can get our old lives back.

Right! I'm hoping I don't come off as 'super ambitious' because I'm really not. I just want a nice stable job, enough time to do hobbies, and my family by me and I'm ok already. I've never been comfortable with being a 'senpai' or being looked up to by other people, I'd much rather be the 'kouhai' xD Or talk with people on a equal level. I recall that even Kyo of Dir en grey would get flak just for 'being negative', and I'm like 'really?' ^^" Kyo doesn't deserve criticism for being a human being, or how he has always been. And to me, his mood as a whole improved a lot compared to before.

Oh god politics is really almost the same everywhere ^^" It's just a matter of how bad it is relative to other places. And it's exactly the same in the Philippines! The political parties are all controlled by families, hence 'political dynasties'. And it's always the same. *sigh* Thank you. I hope you guys too! No matter how bleak the situation may be, I think the only thing we could do is still try to live our own lives the best we could. Though we may not be able to change some things, we can still control how we want our lives to go. Thanks ^^

Thank you. A lot of Taiwanese are 'anti-China' but sometimes only 'just because', they become very complacent and fail to realize their own problems sometimes.

I'm really just ok ^^" I actually do the same when shopping and calculating how much I need to pay too! Mental math isn't exactly my strong point. xD 'Enthusiast' is a good term too! I guess so...but something about artists (including musicians) is just infinitely more cool and awesome to me ^^ It's alright, what you said is true! Selling/marketing is a whole other thing. With marketing though, I think to a certain extent one has to have no shame xD You really have to make an effort to put your work out there and can't be shy about it if you want it to get noticed. I'm really not used to this either but I'm pushing myself to publish what I create online. I've seen some smaller artists who draw really well and dare I say even better than some more 'popular artists' but yeah...they only have a small following. I follow this channel called Chroma Moma on YouTube and I really enjoy it whenever he puts up a new video, he does his videos in such a way that it inspires smaller artists like me. And Echo Gillette! God I would kill to have a desk like that xD She makes a lot of interesting, neat videos as well ^^

That's true, I feel though the nice part with art school is you're forcing yourself to constantly create or draw compared to being on your own. But yes you can still get good at art even without art school. That's true about college degrees, a lot of places still place a lot of importance on it but because it's taken to an extreme in Taiwan, I make it a point to not discriminate on one's educational background. Admittedly I still do, like I wouldn't want to interact with people whose language is only limited to 'omg' or they talk like valley girls ^^" But I don't necessarily respect a person more just because he/she graduated from so and so school and degree in blah blah etc. A lot of Taiwanese end up becoming very 'book-smart' but not 'street-smart'. My dad for instance didn't graduate from a very good school but that doesn't make him any less of a person, unlike pretentious people here with Master's degrees and PhDs. My brother got into college, got kicked out, but is trying to get into college again. At his age, he'll be older than most other first-years but I tell him not to mind that. He's a late bloomer and there's nothing wrong with that.

Art is super competitive so each person has to find a way to stand out. I'm sorry, that must be really tough :( But yes don't blame yourself for it! You'll get there. You mentioned that you're from Crete and while it's the largest island in Greece, maybe the opportunities are elsewhere, like in the capital. Maybe you have to move, but that's all your choice. I really don't know what it's like there, but over here in Taiwan people from Yilan, Hualien (as those places are considered kind of 'countryside' here) move to Taipei to seek better opportunities. I live in Kaohsiung, and despite it being a bustling city, Mom says it's much harder to find a job here compared to Taipei. Sometimes it is and it's really one of the more unfair things in life, but I still think effort can get you there, of course not 100% effort, luck too! Honestly I really wish you the best of luck with what you're pursuing. And your book too! If you can publish, go for it.

About Ruki, that's true and sadly yes because he's a guy, and we women often have it harder with a lot of things ._. I think Ruki was a risk taker because after being disowned by his own father...he felt that he had nothing to lose anymore. It might help to invest in a laptop, I find that is a necessity especially with artists as artists almost always have to travel around and it's a good tool for keeping and presenting one's portfolio. Right, networking is a necessity in almost any job/profession. And it sucks for people like me too because I really take a while trusting/warming up to people xD But I think we're ok in that at least we try and are making an honest effort. And don't worry, I'm an extremely difficult person too and in my 6 years here in Taiwan, I can say I have only made one Taiwanese friend xD My overly blunt attitude and outspokenness isn't really a hit with the locals here ^^" I think that's because in any culture/country, people are too comfortable with familiarity, the moment they meet someone 'different' their CPU crashes and they don't know how to treat that person xD

That's what I love about the peeps I've met online, I too felt they were much more respectful of my differences and I really do cherish and appreciate that. That's true and we can't let something like that get to us as we really won't be able to please everybody. And in the end, how you think of yourself should be the most important, because only you can understand yourself the best. And true, you have to be careful of people who want to use you, we're bound to meet people like that in life but it also becomes a learning experience for us on how to deal with them. I had a classmate who was overly practical and would only find me when she needed something, I decided to be honest with her and ended up hurting her feelings ^^" But I think it was better in the end, because what she was doing really bothered me. Human beings are really very complicated. And we really shouldn't beat ourselves up for how we deal with them sometimes, I do think that the both of us and some people I've had the pleasure of meeting are doing the best they can when it comes to this. My point is, it's really not a bad thing putting yourself and your well-being first, as we shouldn't have to live our lives according to others' wishes.

But at least you're trying! And that's what counts in my opinion. Your parents may not understand you, but don't let that get to you. I think that in order to get ahead, you really have to steel yourself and not care about other's opinions so much. I'm still working on this too. Yes to that! I'd be super crushed too if I made it and then lost it all in the blink of an eye. But to be honest, I feel that the worst thing has already happened to me, when my father died. That was really a crazy time in my life, but if anything, it made me much braver, and less afraid of things that are now otherwise trivial to me, minor embarrassments and whatnot for example.

And I have to really admire those bands too for having that willpower to start from scratch, and I think because it's their way of thinking too, I think all bands know very well there's always the risk of disbandment, but they go for broke anyway, when they decided to start a band, they already knew there's no turning back. And sad to say, I'm pretty sure most of them only graduated from high school, if they were to return back to regular non-bandman life, their work options would be very limited to more menial jobs. So it's literally a ride-or-die situation as you said, which I really could never imagine myself doing, but when I see my favorite bands make it, I really immensely admire them xD That's guts. I would absolutely go see them in concert given the chance. Guys like those deserve my respect and support. I even saw this video where Kai flubbed the opening drums of Ugly, and he beat himself up so much for it, that broke my heart and it made me feel so bad for him. I really admire them, but I agree, I'd want to remind them too to please take care of their bodies and health.

In your case, I hope that you don't beat yourself up so much too! I really don't have any right to be telling you what to do, but if you want to be an artist or a music video director as you said, then you really have to go for it, regardless of what other people think. If you want to pursue it in another country, then you have to make steps and prepare well for that. Future you will thank present you for the time and effort you invested in pursuing your dream career. If it's something art-related, I feel you don't have to understand accounting but marketing you have to. It's annoying and it goes against my principle too of not monetizing hobbies, but an artist still has to make a living after all, and marketing does play a key part. For sure, even big bands like the Dir and the GazettE, while being very talented, do owe part of their success to their savvy management. Successful Youtubers also operate on the same concept, they knew how to market themselves well and a lot of them shamelessly promote their merch too xD I really don't know how to say this well, but I feel this video here helps.

Thank you ^^ *sigh* It always hurts when people leave us, but it's something I feel is a part of life, and it's better for ourselves if we learn how to move on. That is also why I don't really bother staying on Twitter anymore, for some reason I find it's much harder to promote my art there and I've heard from some other peeps too that it's an opinion mine waiting to explode any minute xD It's alright, in the end, we make with what we can do and with what life decides to throw at us xD

I think it comes with age too xD At a certain point, we also become really comfortable with what we're already used to. Like yeah, as we talked about, it's harder to get into new bands now unlike before xD I can vouch for you too about human relationships being difficult and scary ^^" I've been hurt so many times too and admittedly I've also hurt, but as mentioned, I think we all are doing ourselves a favor when we learn how to move on.

If Oguri Shun still works like that, then we can't blame him either. Japan has always been very hierarchical, and I'd like to think that he's doing the best with what he can do. And I understand, those vertical relationships annoy me too ^^" I mentioned I don't like being someone's 'senpai', I'd rather be the 'kouhai' but even better would be to be treated as someone equal. 'Age has nothing to do with experience' <- this! I wholeheartedly agree. I'm 23 and I often see a lot of people who draw extremely well and when I find out they're younger than me, my confidence takes a hit xD but I'm working on not being bothered by that. You're right about work experience not = psychological experience. I think it all boils down to letting out negative emotions when they need to, at the same time not letting them weigh you down, and of course, when you feel happy, then by all means embrace that happiness!

Hiyori is that cute boyfriend who is into some pretty hardcore stuff xD People like those are often considered 'weirdos', but oftentimes very interesting people to talk to ^^ I think you're right about the nostalgic factor of ABBA to me, but I genuinely admire them too because hey, at least they write most of their songs xD I really do mind that a lot. Pop artists nowadays have waaayy too many co-writers for songs that no offense, don't really deserve all that praise nor credit. Bezos is exactly that kind of 'jackass boss' xD

I always felt with Jupiter that it was more on the speed metal or power metal type, compare to yes, Versailles being symphonic metal. And don't sweat it, I don't have the musical knowledge either to make a proper comparison for them, but I can honestly say that I prefer Versailles waaay more. Just with a gut feeling. Their music has more appeal to me than Jupiter's.

People who say adulting isn't hard are liars xD I don't like first person horror games because they're ten times scarier xD And that's true about having to turn the camera 360 in a span of less than a minute and multiple times too xD Same here! When I watch others play, it really lessens the scare factor. I know right xD Somebody at Capcom really made that part with the baby a sure scare xD I've seen a Youtube review of Resident Evil: Village and he said the same thing about Ethan being kind of naive and not really being memorable compared to the other protagonists. Shame because I would be interested to give Village a try but I'd probably not be able to get past House Beneviento either because of that darn baby xD Exactly, in Devotion's case, it was fitting to have first person POV. Ah I meant Courage the Cowardly Dog xD Making a big deal of horror I feel is a result of some places/people becoming overly fixated on censorship and being politically correct. You do have to admire though those creators who make horror for kids, when horror is not exactly a kid-friendly genre to begin with. That's creativity too. Ah god xD The only cannibalism I'm ok with is that of Hannibal Lecter, I love the TV series by Bryan Fuller very much because he made it so aesthetic and a lot of love was really put into that show. For me, even photos can be creepy xD

Oh for Lara Croft though, I have to disagree. I don't really follow the Tomb Raider series so what I say should really be taken with a grain of salt, but I think that 'strong women characters' don't always have to be these super badass women, say for example the new Charlie's Angels movie by Elizabeth Banks, I didn't watch it but after watching a Youtube review and I could pretty much see the problems xD The thing is, I feel that women don't have to be these gun-toting gals who can fight, and for some reason, are able to deal with huge groups of men attacking them. I'm sorry, but that's not realistic, a woman can train and become very strong but we're just not as strong as men. However, women can use looks and smarts to their advantage. I know the looks part is a whole other discussion about sexism and that, but that's exactly what makes Black Widow (the Marvel character) Black Widow, she uses her looks to her advantage and this actually makes her a lot more smart. Same for women who are more in touch with their emotions, as a kid I loved FF7 and I loved Tifa more than Aerith xD I couldn't understand the appeal of Aerith so much then. Aerith may not be a badass at fighting like Tifa but Aerith is much more emotionally healthy and emotionally strong, Tifa is the type to hide her emotions and literally 'lock' them in her heart, but we all know that often doesn't end well. So Aerith really acts as a good foil to Tifa, if anything she brings out something better in Tifa. And this in my opinion, makes Aerith a 'strong female character' as well.

Something that Taiwan should get proper praise for is that the police and government officials still have their integrity. Ah I'm sorry to hear about that, but I guess we really can't convince everyone to go 'gun-free'. Oh yes, in Japan, god forbid you be outspoken about your opinion, if you do, you really won't be treated as well there. And well, though Taiwan has less of it, it still exists. I mentioned that I'm that type and it didn't go well with the locals here, and especially the women too! xD 'Many women are against women who speak up, as well, which is sad.' <- this I felt in my soul xD Like, Taiwanese women..I would describe them as very independent and headstrong..which is good but a little too headstrong to the point that they don't want to help other women. It's a pride thing they aren't willing to swallow. They have a tendency to get jealous and like I mentioned that 'inferiority complex' makes it even worse. Like me and my mom, the women here feel threatened by us but we really don't want to fight ^^" Mom and I aren't like the women here who have enough physical strength to lift their motorbikes when it tumbles to the side, but they don't see that. I agree, sexism will always exist I feel but we must not shut up about it. With the Philippines..*sigh* long story xD So I won't get into that. xD

With being on your phone, I find it's super rude xD With the exception that you're close enough to that person so you give him/her a pass. And no offense when I tag people on Tumblr here but they don't acknowledge, wow I find that super rude xD I simply want to get to know them better. I mean..I get that people aren't obligated to talk to you, and it's true I'm not really close to those people so I'm at fault here..but close or not, even in a face-to-face conversation, I feel that you still have to acknowledge that person, unless you hate their guts. And I feel that social media shouldn't be exempt from that, it's called 'social' media for a reason and if people here can't do that and still complain how they're so socially awkward, then no they don't have my sympathy. Being antisocial even on a medium where we have some more level of comfort with anonymity (people not knowing us irl) and the ability to reply whenever we want to, well, it defeats the whole purpose. Introvert or not, we all have to learn how to be social because we have to interact with people in life. Basic human decency goes a long way.

Ack in Taiwan it's more like 80-100% xD To the extreme really. It's why you have so many people here who are high in IQ but sometimes really terrible with EQ ^^" With your sister's class having more top students, I think the advancement of technology plays a part too. With smartphones, you have a lot of information that can be quickly searched at your fingertips. It's absolutely crazy in Taiwan to the point that cram schools (here called buxiban) are businesses. They are making a business out of something that should be accessible to everyone (education) and for that they sicken me xD I admit I had to consult one too for the CPA exam here, but to tell you the truth I haven't really been studying xD I will study...eventually xD Kids need time to play, if I ever have kids I will make it a point to have them not overly focused on studies, and get some darn hobbies xD

Hyde's voice is heaven-sent :D It's like nicely brewed coffee with a very rich taste xD

It now is the Olympics (or after depending on when I post this) and now I see, it does/can work without the crowd/audience.

Most likely xD I live for puns and corny jokes! xD It was Gackt! As mentioned I was really into FF7 as a kid and Gackt provided the theme songs for Dirge of Cerberus and played the character Genesis, right? I got interested in his solo career music, and then Googled his history, boom. Malice Mizer. And the rest is history..xD I got into MM when I was just starting high school, Dir only in my second year of college, which was about 3 years ago. And the GazettE just around the end of last year I think. But Dir and the GazettE have more or less become my favorites and the ones I listen to on a regular basis.

That's a good way of thinking about our bodies ^^ With anime, there is! I just used One Piece as an extreme example xD Oh dear god..I avoid TikTok because yes what your sister showed you, have no doubt, that's not natural. There are literally filters which can alter a person's appearance and there have been cases of the filter accidentally going off during the livestream and what you see is a totally different person ^^" That's true, Black women are naturally well-endowed in those parts but a White woman..how indeed xD Exercise is one way..but I suggest avoiding TikTok altogether, it's kind of a crazy app that promotes some very unhealthy things and toxic beauty standards. Full hourglass there's Marilyn Munroe and a modern example is Christina Hendricks, I was like 'wow' at the latter xD But her body is apparently natural from what I read, and I think that's good, I admire women who don't go through breast implants or cosmetic surgery, that's real confidence right there. Ah I meant that I find the proportions in One Piece really exaggerated with the super pinched waist and huge balloons (it's more of the waist really, that's not possible) and of course erm-hentai ^^" They always draw insanely huuge boobs that aren't possible existing on a human xD Or really circular when we know very well that boobs sag and are teardrop-shaped. I know they're cartoons but still, stuff like that really makes me facepalm xD I'm bisexual, and I find that women look great with big boobs *Reita thumbs up photo* it's just that if it's super huuuge boobs and a paper-thin waist, I cannot fathom how people find that attractive. Like to me, a woman looks best when aside from big boobs, the weight is more or less distributed towards other parts of the body. For example, she has a wider waist and that's accented by full hips and thighs. Now that's sexy. Sorry for being a creep xD But you know East Asia is obsessed with thinness, and a sore lack of appreciation for more full-bodied women.

With men who idolize such characters and thus develop unhealthy standards, I agree with you. My friend is super cautious of male otaku, so much that she tells me if you see a guy online with his anime waifu as a profile pic, run xD Ah thanks, you are right for pointing that out, Gackt's expressions are indeed quite gentle. And that's true that Japanese people choose to express mostly through their language. Dir's Shinya is also the same, he speaks in a very monotone tone of voice, so as someone said perfectly, 'he can sound confident saying bullshit'. xD I think with jrockers they just want to keep it professional, and as you said Japanese aren't known to be very expressive, all the more reason to treasure it when they do! Like Aoi crying *cough*

And of course this :D This man's dimples are so adorable.

Thank you! Silly me, I knew about My Dragon and it never occurred to me to look for that xD So I was looking for stuff under 'Kiryu' and of course I found nothing xD That is a good point, they're muscular in the comics so it makes sense they're muscular in the movie. But I really do feel that the obsession with being buff is overly pronounced now, like back then 'buff' meant having some muscle and 'maybe' a six pack. Now 'buff' means having lots of muscle and you have to have a six pack. It's an unpopular opinion of mine but men shouldn't have to be subject to such standards either, but of course women have it waayyy harder ^^" I can say Hollywood is super obsessed with buffness even if it isn't a superhero movie. 'It’s not uncommon to find average guys dating goddesses for example' <- Pssst. It's the same in Taiwan! I can vouch that the women here are infinitely more attractive and way out of their league xD And yup for the same reasons like in Greece. Sad to say, I think that women are forced to lower their standards when erm-the market is like that ^^" There's also a huge double standard here in Taiwan where if guys date foreign girls it's considered 'wow amazing' but for girls dating foreign guys...'oh she's so picky', 'a slut', etc. No offense but..the guys here aren't really much of lookers to begin with so they don't have any right to go 'woe is me' when they see a pretty girl with a foreign guy ^^" I mean the average people (excluding celebrities), though there's that occasional naturally handsome guy.

That's good for you, I'm admittedly much more shallow on appearance xD I was hit on by two male classmates of mine in college, I never politely refused them but at the same time never acknowledged their advances. I know what I said about acknowledging people in an earlier paragraph but to me, this is different. Plus there's this really inconvenient thing of 'saving face' in East Asian culture, means it's impolite to be direct and honest with them and tell them off the bat 'I'm sorry but you're not my type'. Thankfully, they got the idea without me needing to tell them xD The first guy was our class president, responsible guy with a nice personality but alas I'm just not attracted to him, he was nerdy-looking but not in a cute way. ^^" The second guy...*sigh* a creep xD Again, I wasn't attracted to him and he was a dork, and not even in the 'adorkable' way. A creep because though this was hearsay, he hugged one of my female classmates from the back, and while it wasn't sexual, it was very inappropriate because we were all freshmen and just got to know each other. And he sent me weird messages which clearly showed he was trying to flirt (when you get them, you just know xD), but I really wasn't interested. And when someone is weird, but not in a fun way..you also just know. ^^" I'm at fault in the sense that I would talk with them but that's out of courtesy and I usually try to be friendly with people and make small talk, I don't know if they misunderstood that as something else xD

What I'm saying is, I feel it's ok to take appearance into account when erm-selecting mates xD Especially for us women, and as a auntie (not my relative but that's how we address older women here) told me before, 'either you get chosen' or 'you get to choose'. So..there. I think we have that right to be picky. Of course, personality is still the most important and if that person vibes with you and really cares for you, then he/she may be the one. And while I'm not supermodel pretty, I feel I deserve better xD Ok, huge ego here but I like to think I'm pretty enough, I want to choose who I want to be with, and as Mom says, 'ahhh your standards are too high' xD I'm willing to date someone who isn't that metrosexual, but damnit I better find him cute. What relationship has started because you 'weren't' attracted to that person xD Extremely shallow I know, but this is my honest opinion.

I agree with your take though on confidence. Worst case scenario is that guy is an asshole, because he doesn't know how to care about others and has a huge ego. A guy who understands insecurity can also be a good guy, and while those downsides exist, a really nice part of the latter is a guy who is ok with admitting that he has a 'strong girlfriend/wife', a guy who isn't afraid to admit that 'my gf/wife is awesome', and if you ask me, that guy can be kind of rare. Mom said Dad was that type, and I wholeheartedly agree with her. My dad really had a good heart.

An MV would be pretty rad too! I have some ideas here xD Not MV ideas per se, but if they were to collaborate somehow with Capcom on a newer Resident Evil (I haven't played any of them xD but this and VIII got me interested), what would their roles be. So Suicide Circus is that special song for you ^^ Glad to hear! My first song by them was Shiver from watching Black Butler, but I didn't appreciate them then. Then I decided to give them a chance again with Ugly years later and god that song and MV is heavenly xD Well, satanic maybe but you get the point xD

Heresiarchy puts out a lot of translations and what I like about translators like her is that she doesn't just translate only the lyrics, she'd try to explain an interpretation of some parts or explain what something could mean culturally in Japan through the notes. I love translators like that, they go the extra mile. I'm super glad that Ruki became a vocalist in the end! What a waste that would have been had he not. Yes, I'm grateful that they do upload their songs now on their official Youtube channel, and I'd like to support them even more if possible. So far I own a copy of NIL and Stacked Rubbish which I found at a local CD store, the newer stuff though I'd definitely have to purchase online. DECADE is definitely that concert more special than the others, since it symbolizes their ten years together, and to think soon they'll almost be 20! It is xD In East Asia, your parents and elders are paramount, it's very hierarchical too in that sense ^^" That thing about respecting your elders comes from Confucian values, which are still practiced heavily in East Asia. In the worse case scenario, it ends in murder ^^" Because the child can no longer cope with the pressure and those negative feelings they've repressed for years, so in very few cases it suddenly comes out all in one go and that never ends well. Which is why I think that mental health should have more importance put on it, especially here. There's that stereotype that Asians suck at talking about their feelings, but I can vouch that's true xD

I agree with forgiveness as a form of closure, but never wanting to speak again. Ruki's dad is just awful and *sigh* not willing to swallow his pride. Not just in Japan, we Asians can be super big on pride and this goes back to that concept of 'face' or 面子 (miànzi), something associated with the Chinese, but Japanese and Koreans have this too, they just call it differently (mentsu and chemyon). That's true, I think you're right in that since Ruki didn't receive much love as a child, growing up it might have twisted his view on it or as you said his bad characteristics stemmed from that. 'he seems to care about improvement I just don’t know whether he does it due to his profession and not because he really considers his actions a problem.'<- this we'll never really know for sure xD So in a way, I try not to idolize my favorites either. I mean, they're rockstars so I don't expect them to be saints in the sense that erm-they don't drink, they don't smoke, they don't sleep around...xD There was this website/forum called Tanuki before?? It was supposed to have all sorts of *yikes* gossip about the bandmen, thankfully I didn't fall into that pitfall. What I mean is, while I don't expect them to be saints, I do give them the benefit of the doubt as well. This is also what I like about rockstars, I don't expect them to be saints so if they do bad things, I won't be disappointed (unless it's something downright awful). Unlike say those K-pop groups, who are portrayed as extremely squeaky-clean, that image just bothers me xD But the artists are also under extreme pressure, so it's not their problem, it's really the corporations behind who are. A big reason I hate K-pop is that the whole business model just reeks of capitalism and pandering to the masses, which I've never been a fan of xD

Oh my god, when you go to Japan and see your favorite bands, you have to share what 'chin chin' means to them in Greek xD That's interesting xD No problem ^^ Do your best, and believe in yourself. *sigh*...sometimes we all just need a good cry xD No harm there. I'm for not using abbreviations so much though xD Even when texting, I never use 'u' for you and other shorthand, I'm just not used to it xD I have this Filipino friend though who calls me 'dude' and types in all caps, but I give her a pass xD You're not the only one though, some of the blogs I follow on this site are also quite interested in astrology. And while I really don't get it xD it's good to know that people here are quite invested in their hobbies. I saw someone who does GazettE-style embroidery even! How cool is that?! Eh?! But, but..Kai's such a sweetheart xD

A real sweetheart xD

I have so many stupid saved pictures you have no idea xD

I agree though that aside from cooking, husband material still includes a lot more xD Kaoru is that guy I feel who gives me a very 'down-to-earth' vibe ^^

It's not just music either, sometimes just trying something new xD Like I wouldn't go watch a certain TV show sometimes unless it was recommended by someone close to me or someone's opinion I respect. Oohhh I don't like the MV for Obscure either xD It's a super unpopular opinion in the Dir community but I just don't like it and to me there are so many other better Dir songs. That's it! Because Mahiro is quite influenced by the enka style so it would indeed throw some unfamiliar people off. I haven't really followed Kiryu in a while but I'm quite proud to see how far they've grown ^^ Mahiro especially has improved a lot too especially when you hear some of their newer songs.

They do say that when you meet them in person it's truly something surreal xD Like you'd prepare the night before, and when it's your turn in the meet-and-greet, you come ahead, all ready to speak to them..and then your mind just goes blank. xD I read a fan's experience at a meet-and-greet with Toshiya for his birthday event, and it was so cute, an amiable conversation, but she forgot to say happy birthday to him xD I do the same too, but only online and with people I'm comfortable with. About Shinya..good point too..but he still gives me a different vibe xD With Die I agree, Toshiya's growth is also similar, back then he was this happy-go-lucky kid and he would smile with his bad teeth xD (he made it adorable) but now he's like, wow so majestic too. xD

Oh I don't click with a lot of people either, same with homophobic people, overly-religious people (because they are often quite homophobic and erm-very adamant on spreading their religion), prudish people (this though, super subjective xD but I generally don't like hanging out with super conservative people but at the same time I draw the line when it comes to certain things: I'm not a fan of recreational drugs, smoking/alcoholism, hookup culture). I'm glad that you at least called her out on it, hopefully because of that she has at least learned to respect more. 'I believe that once two people of opposing views are willing to accept that people do have an opposite opinion to theirs and way of life, can get along without fighting but in most cases, opinions on morality and sensitive subjects will inevitably end up in an argument.' <- I agree. You're not going to like me for this but, I got into some fights with my otaku friend over feminism ^^" you see..she's the more extreme type who thinks that women have to be above men, that all men are bad blah blah. I don't think so, yes sexism pisses me off but thinking that men have to be treated with the exact same methods used to maltreat women doesn't make us women any better, it just makes us just as low as them. It's surprising, but..from what I've learned from her (she frequents Weibo a lot, the Chinese version of Twitter), feminism in China is quite alive there xD Chinese people can be quite blunt, unlike Taiwanese and Japanese who are much more soft-spoken.

However I do agree with you that women who think they are always meant to serve men and give up everything for them seriously need therapy xD Women like those need to learn self-respect more.

No problem and waaahh I want a collab so bad xD Aoi would be so perfect for it, really. He does give off that 'big brother' vibe about him ^^

It can be quite a huge cultural gap between East and West sometimes. Like I'm considered much more outspoken than the average Asian, but at heart I'm still one, I'm not a fan of hedonism, or airing one's dirty laundry in public. I'd like to think that Europeans and Canadians too are more polite actually (in general) ^^" I could be wrong, so please let me know. I've observed that a lot of movies actually cast British or Australian actors instead, because they can do American accents very well and they don't demand as much special treatment as Americans. The thing I don't like about America is how they value personal freedom a bit way too much, to the extent of being very selfish and not caring for others. For example, Taiwan did a great job with fighting Covid when it was just starting, something like 500 cases in one day is already considered high for us. But that rigid prevention system wouldn't have worked in America, because a lot of people there don't like wearing masks and can't be bothered to for the sake of others. I don't like wearing a mask either, and yes I complain about it too, but I still put it on anyway where it's required.

Another example, bands xD What I admire greatly about Japanese bands is that they seem to be much more close-knit than the American ones. Not to say they don't switch members and for sure the members have fought at some points, but they often stick together because they know what's good for the band as a whole. American bands often switch members a lot, and part of the reason I believe is that 'special treatment' mentality they have, many of them can be so darn selfish and to be honest that really alienates me from America a lot xD

America itself is a huge melting pot of cultures, but if you ask me they really should stop calling themselves 'the greatest country in the world'. Hmmm, admittedly I really don't know a lot about Africa and South America. With Africa, they have a rich biodiversity. With South America, I think that Latinos seem to be quite big on family too like Asians. Mythology is a good reference for writing stories and designing characters if you ask me ^^ Thanks ^^ *high fives + Reita thumbs up* That otaku friend of mine, sometimes she can be difficult but I really like her to the point I give her a pass on a lot of things xD Also she's a lot like my brother xD Honestly that is how I deal with people, if I'm willing to give you a pass on things I wouldn't otherwise like, I hope that person realizes that he/she is special to me without me needing to tell them xD That Filipino friend who calls me 'dude'...she's a huge BTS fan and I'm like 'meh' with BTS but same she gets a pass xD I agree about picky people xD Though I don't think people being picky is automatically a bad thing. I'm pretty picky myself when it comes to choosing who I want to hang out with. So to me, that's ok.

Thank you, that's a kind thought! ^^ And *sigh* the dance club might as well rename itself 'fXXX club' xD And that's true! They're too dead drunk to have a proper conversation with xD Ah it's ok. I do say I'm proud to be Taiwanese/Filipino but you bet I won't hesitate to share the problematic parts of my culture xD And yup, to correct people too on any untrue misconceptions they have about Taiwan and the Philippines.

Ah no we do it too in the morning ^^" Sorry about that, I didn't say it clearly. In the morning we still have those wet markets that sell meat, fish, fruits, vegetables etc. Night markets here in Taiwan are the recreational kind, where you mainly go to eat (try the different stalls' food) and shop, you can get some cheaper clothes/shoes there but I personally have never bought from them so I can't vouch for the quality xD Oh?! Night markets here usually open up to late at night. I would describe Taiwan as a "budget/mini Japan with a very Chinese culture" xD I would say though, if you save enough money to go to East Asia, go to Japan instead xD It's more bang for your buck in my opinion. It's not that Taiwan is bad, but it is how I describe it, "budget/mini Japan", there's much more things to do and see in Japan. I used to idolize Taiwan so much that I wanted to show it to the world, but as mentioned there are some parts I'm really not super proud of ^^" The thing about Taiwan is that it still wants to be a 'superstar' country, but honestly that's not quite possible. It's a good country, but it will be like Sweden, Finland, the lesser-known good countries, and to me that's something we should be satisfied with already. So I feel if you saved for a hard-earned trip to Asia, then go to Japan instead. Unless you have one of those flights that has a layover at Taiwan, then do let me know ^^ Yes! Paying your bills at the convenience store is an option and don't worry I love puns xD

I will admit that's something I proud of as an Asian, we do get things done xD But believe me when I say that even we have our lazy moments too, for instance I should be studying but at the moment my mind says 'screw it' xD We also have those days where we just want to sleep in until noon, play some games, etc.

The kawaii culture in Taiwan is more or less like Japan xD Only in East Asia (and especially Taiwan and Japan) do you not get shamed for liking cute things xD Adults can have cute cards like those and nobody will give a fuck xD The other day Mom and I saw this auntie with a Dale (Chip and Dale) umbrella, it even had ears on top xD A granny can also have a Hello Kitty helmet and same, no one will give a fuck xD The post office here, banks, and other institutions often have some sort of mascot, similar to Japan having one for each prefecture.

I'm 23 and no shame for having plushies xD We also have an Uruha at home xDD

Yes, it really is in many ways similar to Japan, but yeah..Taiwan got Japan's bad parts too xD That's true, it can be quite difficult for the bands who have to adjust to the different culture. But the last time Dir was in Taiwan was 5 years ago and the GazettE 3 years ago, alas I wasn't a fan of either yet at the right time xD Oof with Kiryu xD I'll still be on the lookout for that in case xD

Ooof, that's me right there xD And I admit I'm kind of shallow because of that. But I agree with you that huge pressure on looks isn't good, especially women who are much more subject to it. Taiwan has more freedom than Japan in that aspect but women otherwise are still expected to be quite particular about appearance. Taiwan is a mix of both Greece and Japan in that aspect then xD The good part is that construction also goes really fast like in Japan, the bad part is that sometimes people here still cut corners, the building across from us has pillars made of wood and it's scary people are still using it. In the Philippines though, it's worse, projects like those always take ages to complete and not necessarily a good job either.

About guys here, majority are also of the 1st type, they slap on shirts and shorts. xD Sometimes jeans too, though. Whereas the second type, when they're very metrosexual, they're usually gay xD I'm not joking with this. A huge aspect of the lack of fashion sense here too though is the very hot weather. Whereas in Japan and Korea, it can get very cold so they get to wear these really stylish coats often xD I also usually just mix and match top clothes with bottom ones, but I have gotten stares for wearing tights with shorts and boots xD But I really don't dress super sexy, the skirts I have for instance all reach past my knees. I think that unless people openly shame you for how you dress, most people don't really care, so we shouldn't let it get to us. In Japan, I think so too since they're pretty embracing of different kinds of fashion. I also think there will be stares from time to time but ah what can we do xD

Power always goes to the wrong people xD That's something I feel Filipinos should be really proud of, to still be really friendly and kind despite going through things like that. Thank you! ^^ I will keep on practicing and I'll do my best. I've seen some artists though who are still super harsh on themselves, like they feel their art is only beautiful to others but never to themselves xD 2 hours may be hell, but considering what we've been through in the Philippines, Taiwanese to me just seem like complainers xD Like a lot of Taiwanese really don't know how good they have it here, due to a lack of understanding what it's like around the world too. Power outages like that are still pretty annoying though. Ahahaha xD we'd be considered creeps then elsewhere xD I do the same with kids and animals too ^^ I once saw a lady walking with her pet..turtle xD Cute xD The turtle even had a leash and idk that's something you don't see everyday.

I agree. I always believe that we should listen to a person's opinion even if we greatly dislike it, as opinions often have some truth to them too and of course it widens our perspective on things. Depending on the situation I guess, sometimes words speak louder, sometimes only actions may be the answer. I totally agree with you on this. Thanks ^^

Hoohoo I have some opinions on this too xD 'The fact a race has been treated badly for centuries on end doesn’t mean you get a pass to talk shit on every person of the race that hurt you that comes your way' <- I agree. Treating them like shit too isn't the answer, as I said if you use the same methods, it doesn't solve anything nor make you a better person. The thing with Black people, African-Americans especially, is that again, there's that sense of entitlement and 'special treatment' mentality. I'm not saying all, but if a person thinks that this mentality doesn't exist, then he/she really has no idea. America especially has become overly fixated on political correctness, to the point that it shuts down discussion. I don't think it's a bad thing for Blacks to be portrayed as 'vulnerable'. Somebody said it on Youtube perfectly: (and this also applies to what I feel about 'strong female chacracters')

At the same time, Blacks also have to look towards themselves and not always shift the blame to others. Again, from what I observed, Asian hate crimes in the US, some of them were Black perpetrators, if anything, they should ally with the Asians who are also a minority in the US, making enemies with them just worsens your case. Another thing I've observed is crab mentality, which I know all too well because that's also quite prevalent in the Philippines, essentially means "if I can't have it, then neither can you". Taiwan also has this in the form of Kiasu. People who do better than others end up being dragged down by them instead of being supported, which results in a real lack of progress. That and "smart-shaming", people who are perceived as more intelligent also often don't fare well in the Philippines nor in Black communities and honestly this really results in a lack of progress. I for one believe intelligence and talent should be rewarded, as it's these people who are often the ones who could really contribute to the community and fight for better rights. I'm sorry but, no one should be proud of celebrating mediocrity. If you're content with only that, you really won't grow as a person. If you want to do that, then you do you, but you don't have any right to go 'oh woe is me' in this case.

Asians have also been mistreated by Whites too, but does anyone really see us complaining?

I will say that White people do indeed play a big part in the oppression of other races though. As mentioned, my Mom for instance is much more qualified than the white Americans Taiwan's educators are hiring for their schools, yet they'd rather hire those Whites on the basis of their skin color, regardless of their actual qualifications. A lot of them are super unqualified and really have no right to be teaching.

Thanks, and I will ^^ Erm-lots of opinions on this piece that honestly won't sit well with lots of people but I felt it has to be said ^^" 'We can’t learn from each other as cultures and races unless we let the other person know our limits and standards' <- true this. very much. I agree, whatever we need we can Google, and we're being much more understanding of them when we follow them as individuals too, Eddie Murphy for example was a huge influence in many comedians' careers. Glad to know, I worry I may have set some fires here xD But yup, has to be said.

*high fives you* and *Reita thumbs up*

There! This got suuper long again xD I'm fast because I still have the time, when work starts I'd probably be barely on this website xD And I take a long time to reply too, I also do it in spurts, and sometimes I would spend a certain time of the day to reply. Again, you can and please be totally selective with when, how, and which to reply too. I totally take back what I said before, that Tumblr should be more accessible to chatting when in the first place it kind of wasn't meant for that ^^" The whole interface really isn't conducive to chatting xD But it's great that we can have these back-and-forth conversations like this. ^^

Again, best of luck to your projects and finding a job! And yeah, I say it way too much, but remember to take a nice, well-deserved break once in a while.

I remember joining tumblr for visual kei pics and all and all I am getting nowadays is the Gazette and Dir en Grey. It’s sad. Not because those bands aren’t cool or anything, they’re amazing, but out of 100+ bands out there, 99% of visual kei blogs are all about these 2 bands now. Like the rest no longer make music or sth. *shrugs* I guess I have to clear out my list a bit. Tumblr has become so….normal. And very political too. Which is a good thing on one hand but on the other…it varies depending on the person. Honestly I am here to escape from normal life not have it in my face, here, too. I will try to find more artists to follow, since I love art too, I am always on the lookout for writers…I’ll see.