#i feel intensely validated

[omens-for-ophelia]

yesssssss i am literally so happy you noticed this 🥹🥹🥹 🩷🩷🩷 @zeldahime !

the arrangement is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules...

part 4 of my ineffable kisses series - imagining some kisses throughout time that went decidedly better than That Kiss did...

<< start || part 2 || part 3 || part 4 - golden age of piracy || part 5 - ??

i personally don't believe aziraphale would be a naval officer in the golden age of piracy, but would instead adopt a kind of 'stede bonnet' approach to piracy that results in him being invariably captured and needing to be rescued several times over - that is, until crowley can physically pick him up and place him on land, under strict instructions never to board a ship ever again 🩷

[vaguely-concerned]

My two cents on how much of Mind!Varric is Rook’s mind trying to fill the blank space and how much is Solas actively talking through a convenient blood magic paper doll of the mind: I think it's a mix of both, a truly collaborative psychosocial horrorshow if you would, but waaaay more towards the second. It feels too directed and tactical at times to be anything else. Rook's mind is willing to go along with the denial phase as far as it can fucking carry them to not have to face the grief and regret and does its part in papering over details that don’t make any sense, the way brains will strive to create coherent meaning even out of deeply confusing input, but to my understanding it's a collaborateur in how that plays out, not the instigator or control center. Solas is using it as a path to agency and to gather insight into Rook as a person unguarded as he can't count on in his own guise. (That stoic option that leads to him being like 'oh I see you're cautiously denying me access to your inner life. well. at least you still have Varric to talk to. y'know as an outlet :)'. You absolute BITCH Solas! That alone convinced me that he HAS to have an active hand in it on some level.)

My guess is that it takes considerable effort on Solas’ part to make Mind!Varric do anything more involved or complicated than seeming to sit up in bed and give casual commentary, and that’s why he keeps having eerie five minute shallow pep talks with you before he announces he conveniently needs a nap aaanyway good luck kid you got this haha. When he’s just spouting NPC lines from his bedrest, I’m ready to believe that could be Rook’s mind being allowed to improv lines for him more freely because it’s less about Solas trying to get something out of them or working an angle and more ‘Still here! Still totally alive and fine and the mentor figure you know and love and trust :) don’t even worry about it! Thankfully there is no war in Ba Sing Sei, as we all know’ upkeep work lol. Rook’s mind is allowed to set the tone of Varric, the outlines, but not always the content. 

AND, on a (beautifully fucked up) character psychology level, I feel like Solas is indulging in actually getting to be the good supportive mentor figure to Rook with one hand to assuage the guilt he feels about what he's done -- and what he's going to do -- to them with the other. Same internal logic as he uses in Trespasser about the Qun. ‘Almost everyone is going to die from the course of action I’m doggedly pursuing eventually. But at least I can make their last years happier and freer and kinder than they would have been otherwise. and that kind of makes up for it right. a little bit. doesn't it. doesn't that make it better at least. I need that to make it better)'. Did I really take your beloved mentor and friend from you if you don’t know yet that I did? Some philosophers would argue not really! So it’s probably almost ok actually. Isn’t it even a little noble that I’m taking all this grief and guilt on myself and shielding you for now. With undertones that I’m not sure he would realize himself (and might be mortified by if he did) that he is so incredibly lonely, and even a dishonest and indirect emotional connection is more than nothing when you’re that desperate. In this setup he gets idk. Both the control he craves so incredibly badly in relationships and over himself, and the scraps, the fading afterimages, of intimacy and warmth and companionship, even second hand. The one thing Solas and Rook agree on deep deep down is that they really wish Varric weren't gone. They're handshake memeing this in the saddest and most creepy way possible.

I think an important element too is that Solas needs Rook and their team to *succeed* —  up to a certain point. He needs someone to hold the two other elven mean girls off until he can get out of here. Ideally, in a perfect world, even do all the hard work of killing them so he can swoop in at the end and do his thing when both sides are exhausted and out of resources to stop him, and then Bob’s your uncle! Same logic as he was using with Corypheus, and after that worked out so well, too! King of choosing to never learn from a single solitary mistake he’s ever made even though i fully believe he could have the capacity to Fen’Harel <3 The underlying idea isn’t flawed, you see, it was just unforeseen circumstances getting in the way. This time for sure it’ll all work out the way I cleverly imagined it in my head beforehand. Cue By Talos this can’t be happening etc. in the form of a statue almost crushing him like a bug. 

So he's providing guidance and forging Rook into a leader from two angles: one Rook might not trust, and one they probably will. Shaping them into what he needs slowly and carefully. He’s helping you hone your team into their most effective state, as he might have done with his own agents back in the day, setting up his chess pieces even if he has to squint through two glimpsed realities to do it haha. Pincer maneuver of an insidious stealth mentor you never asked for. Also… at one point mind Varric gives you a whole little monologue about how Solas' problem is that he’s always seen his interpersonal connections as flaws and see where it’s landed him, all alone and the worst part? it hasn’t even worked. it’s all been for nothing he’s back where he began with nothing to show for it but his mistakes. Like...that has such strong 'uh okay happy to play your therapist from two rooms away here what the fuck kind of traumadump is this' energy to me, I’m not sure Rook like. Thinks that much about Solas as a private person. So much of Solas' self-loathing and futile insights into his own flaws seem to shine through in Mind!Varric's dialogue all the time — I just can't believe that there's no guiding hand behind it as it were. 

Most of all. I feel like people underestimate the degree to which Solas is incredibly funny. As in, he has a very consistent and recognizable sense of humour. It’s one of my very favourite things about him. We must remember — it is crucial that we always keep in mind — Orlesian accent and wig Solas from May The Dread Wolf Take You (my beloved, the explanation for why I love this dude even with the. All of the everything else. No one does it quite like him). He is not at all above doing things or adding little flourishes for his own obscure amusement, in fact that seems to me to be one of his most consistent traits. The Randy Dowager Quarterly comment Varric has? The ‘Maybe this is the Dread Wolf’s revenge. Forcing us to house sit for him’ thing? To Me this is 100% Solas amusing himself in his boring Fade jail surrounded by the screaming hellscape of all his regrets. Source: it came to me as divine revelation through pure vibes trust me bro 

If nothing else I find it much more narratively interesting personally if the connection between Rook and Solas really is that defenselessly intimate and entwined (and so unbalanced!), and the sense of violation and invasion and betrayal afterwards consequently all the more nauseatingly intense. Even if you kept him at arm’s length in the open, he’s been under your skin the whole time, looking around, gathering what he needs to destroy you, wearing the face of a friend. Regretfully, probably, but choosing to do it every step of the way anyway. (Sound familiar, Inquisitor? Solas doesn’t have that many tricks when you actually look at it, he keeps returning to old tried and true ones like a dog with a bone haha.) Maybe he even genuinely meant some of it as mercy, which only makes it so much worse. It makes his sin against his own core principles of autonomy and the freedom of all beings in mind, spirit and body so much more juicily grave if it’s something he pursues actively and consistently, rather than it half-falling into his lap as a happy accident mainly orchestrated by Rook’s own subconscious. Solas, too, is at his very lowest point, the closest to giving in and becoming his own antithesis fully that he’s ever been, and it makes the choice of whether you still reach out your hand to him one last time or not all the more impactful and difficult.

[sublimati0ns]

daily koss #15: TOXIC OLD MAN YAOI 🤤

SAVE ME YOU, SOMEBODY SAVE ME YOU — I’M YOU’RE SCREAMING FOR A LIFE THAT I YOU CANNOT HAVE

I really wanted to redraw the part of s01e14 where Starscream grabs Knock Out’s face but in reverse… And since I posted fluff for day 13, I thought an edgier illust would be a fun contrast! I think they do love and care for each other despite being bad (SS) or weird (KO) at showing it, but both of them are still Horrible people with Problems so there’s also a lot of uncertainty and resentment between them.

Given their interactions in canon I feel like Knock Out has more to seethe about than Starscream (who rarely got mad at KO directly and more just doesn’t know how to not take his stress out on other people), but I don’t think all of KO’s grievances are valid LMAO It felt to me that he caught feelings (platonic and/or romantic), and when that energy wasn’t clearly reciprocated, his petty and narcissistic ass took it very personally.

[strangesmallbard]

please reblog to increase sample size!

EDIT: i definitely should have included some sort of “multiple of these” option, so if that applies, you can click “yes and [something else]”!

EDIT 2: feel free to also include your location!

[sainteclectic]

+ since it's aro awareness week, I'll finally unleash that rant on why the state of shipping discourse in this fandom bothers me

disclaimer that i am not saying you can't be uncomfortable with jashshipping!! I don't really like romantic shipping in this fandom either. this is just a commentary on the culture surrounding this discourse and fandom shipping in general. OK LET'S GO.

I've noticed this weird distinction people make between platonic and romantic art in regards to what gets the "jashshipping" tag added. it's also incredibly arbitrary what kinds of posts are considered "jashshipping" - is a qpr jashshipping? why not? they're in a relationship. why does it matter if it's romantic or not? why is romance the only kind of shipping seen as valid, either positively or negatively?

on a personal level, I feel this pressure to always clarify that I'm not talking about romantic pairings. qprs, close friendships and relationship anarchy in general aren't seen as jashshipping, and it feels like I need to preemptively devalue my queerplatonic ships by saying they "don't really count." I need to be careful about my work not being "too romantic" or people assume I'm "jashshipping." i just find it demeaning as a partnering aromantic person.

and this culture is why people who enjoy non-romantic pairings don't want them to be tagged as ship - because there's this implication that a ship HAS to mean romance. it shouldn't, but it still does. it would be great if we lived in a world where shipping meant any kind of relationship between two characters instead of just referring to romance, but we don't.

this is why I tag ship names without tagging it as jashshipping. because the nature of "shipping" in this fandom is always implied to be romantic in nature, which is what makes it the most taboo to discuss. so I don't tag it as jashship because that's only used for romance {or for what the fandom perceives as inherently romantic actions, which is another can of worms entirely}. but elevating a romantic ship to a higher negative standard is still placing romance above any other form of relationship. there's still a hierarchy in place.

I don't think ships as a whole {hah} need to be defined by romantic attraction. it's short for relationship, after all. to designate ships as ONLY romantic implies that romance is the only valid type of relationship. and to designate romantic ships as uniquely bad still implies romance is a unique type of bond.

{I also have an issue with the implication that dating what is essentially your headmate is selfcest by default, but that's another discussion}

TL;DR - I think the culture around what designates something as "jashshipping" should be viewed with more scrutiny. it's very amatonormative to assume pairings with any level of closeness is "jashshipping," and it implies a hierarchy of relationships even if that hierarchy is negative. jashship works as a content tag for anyone uncomfortable with romantic pairings, but to imply it's an objective judgment on what's considered romance is reductive.

[tadpoles-and-daydreams]

In case anyone needs to hear it, sometimes spellwork looks like this and that's okay.

Like seriously the whole spell I recently did I was sat with Loki, wrapped up in a blankie cocoon, sipping my coffee (which is a glorified caffeinated chocolate milkshake.)

Loki was SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS SPELL y'all. Was insistent that I didn't even have to do "part two" bc "part one" was powerful enough. They told me it was a really big spell, and I honestly felt it- this was some intense work.

Part one was typing with intent and channeling Loki's energy into my intent since Loki wanted to be the main energy source. Literally I looked like that^ the whole time. Spellwork can look cozy if you want it too.

[shannonsketches]

he's so important to me

[askblueandviolet]

Hey blue or mayor- I got a question.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Mine is chocolate.

Also here have this *put flower crown on his head*

MASTER POST

Asks Start 💙💜

Previous 💙💜

Next 💙💜

[suga-kookiemonster]

i watched the original x-men movies when they first came out, but never bothered to watch the prequel/reboot movies. just randomly decided to watch first class and was reminded what i've always felt my whole life: *whispers* magneto was right

[wings-of-angels]

also another thing. idk if uve read batman year one (which incidentally is also written by frank miller. this man gets around i tell ya) but it's really good. and like. first time we see bruce in the batsuit he fucks up and gets his ass beat. he consistently is portrayed as uniquely fallible and needs to snatch victory out of the jaws on defeat with tricks and cunning. in absolute batman (where he is supposedly operating with LESS RESOURCES) he just. he just wins. this is not young bruce who is incredibly smart and quick on his feet but lacks experience with his back against the wall and escaping by the skin of his teeth and winning back ground with well planned theatrical illusions this is. idk. it's something else

(READ BATMAN YEAR ONE ITS REALLY GOOD. IF UVE ALREADY READ IT READ IT AGAIN. (also we don't hate absolute batman by any means we just go insane sometimes)

HEHEHEHEHOHOHOHOHO >:333

[nightcrawlerblood]

coming down with terminal post-fic disease (refreshing ao3 inbox page every five minutes) (i need to be put down like a dog)

[mejomonster]

Back to looking through 光渊 on weibo. I'm gonna be insufferable when it airs again <3

[moe-broey]

My therapist hasn't killed me yet 👍

[nightmarearian]

asexual/gray sexual Dick Grayson is very important to me. yk?

[stellarcobweb]

if anyone is willing to talk to me abt possible system stuff that would b great btw i have zero ppl to talk to abt it lol

(or if i can be guided to like. idk. server that helps w figuring this shit out)

[fruitisthenewvegitable]

Cw: mention of sexual assault (not stuff thats actually happened, but just me worrying about it), mention of homophobia & transphobia, mention of bullying. I also get very passionate and intense during this long rant. (None of this goes into too much detail but it’s still worth noting. If I’ve missed anything please tell me and I’ll add it).

A couple of random-ish interconnected thoughts about going back to school as an openly queer girl.

Y’know what sucks? I’m worried about going back to school soon.

While I have never been sexually assaulted, I have heard enough stories from people I know irl or from random women online, that I’ve started debating packing an extra bra in my bag for school just in case a boy cuts my bra strap.

The fact that I even have this thought in the first place feels so fucking icky to me. The fact that I have to worry.

And I’m actually not that worried about it! Other than my elective classes, I’m going into all honors classes, and one of the requirements for getting into honors classes is being well-behaved. So I know that the peers I’m going to be interacting with the most (that aren’t my friends) are going to be at least a little well behaved.

But. There’s still this worry. That I will be assaulted in a place that is meant to be safe.

And it’s not just bra-cutting I’m worried about.

I’m very openly queer and I’ve already experienced a lot of homophobia from several of my classmates the last couple of years I’ve been in public school (because covid is a bitch).

And I’m lucky! A lot of my friends a trans, very openly so, and they get misgendered a LOT, even by family. But I’ve got a very open and supportive family, several of which are queer themselves! But that doesn’t mean that I still haven’t experienced homophobia in an environment that’s meant to educate.

I’m going to school to learn fucking math problems, not to get told to kill myself because I had my lesbian flag out in the lunch room.

I’m going to school to learn historical events, not to have to worry if a boy will try and cut my bra strap in front of the entire class.

I’m going to school to learn how to write an essay, not to have to worry if a kid will attack or belittle me because I like girls. Because I am a girl. Because I act a bit differently than them. Because I use She/They pronouns. Because. Because. Because. Because.

I’m nervous to go back to school because I know the mindset of ‘boys will be boys’ is so normalized. Because I don’t actively fear men and boys right now, but I might by the time I graduate. Because I love school and I love my friends and I love my teachers.

But when I was in 7th grade a boy told me to kill myself because I had a pride flag out. And to my knowledge all that happened was he was told off and had to ‘apologize’ to me.

The more I think about how my peers might treat me when I go back to school I just get Kris nervous and more angry thinking back on the things that I’ve already experienced.

Our society has to change.

Because I can’t go on living my life being wary of everyone around me because they might want to see me dead for something I can’t control.

And because I don’t want my identity to be questioned by my peers and politicians because ‘are you sure you just haven’t met the right boy yet?’.

I’m angry and nervous and the fact that I have to worry about packing an extra bra in my school bag will always be a testament to the fact that society (and the school system) has failed everyone. Especially young afab’s.