#i really don't have anything else to say. it's unfortunate but it's unfair to write halfheartedly towards people if i'm not entirely

[brokenpieces-72]

COD x Transformers

Fair warning: heavier language than what I usually write.

Not gonna lie I’m gonna need help with this if y’all want a series. I’m letting requests and comments to push this series forward, because honestly I don’t know what else to do with this.

School was so stupid, why were you even here? You see some value in the lessons, math is useful, science is good to have, understanding history is helpful, and English has you reading in a different way. Why you had to come to classes though you really don't understand. But Price suggested it, and offered to pay for it, so here you are. Of course when people know where you grow up, or rather think they know where you grow up, that means dealing with people who are either afraid of you or think they are superior to you.

At least the guys in your shop class were chill. When you first came to the class, you got some looks, but after a week they were asking questions about your life. You kept a lot of it to yourself but it was nice having people not treat you like a delinquent.

You didn't have shop though, unfortunately there had been an accident recently involving some of the power tools being damaged, with yellow tape over the doors. It meant going home early sure, but you had one more class. Some girl took a piece of gum acting like she was better than you when you told her no. There was a kid who whipped around to hand you a work sheet, and then whipped back forward as soon as you got it, despite you not doing anything to him all year. Another handful of students tagged your locker with 'gang' signs and adult photos, and you were blamed for it. If it weren't for being in school you and the principal could be on a first name basis. Half the time she'd just go straight to security footage to see what had actually happened and shut down whatever group was trying to get you in trouble.

The bell rings and you stay seated, waiting for the teacher to finish talking and others to leave before you get up, slowly inserting your books and papers into your bag, before hoisting it over your shoulder. Of course it couldn't be that easy as you're met with a small group around your desk, close enough to break your personal bubble and making it very hard to stand up without bumping one of them, you just stare at the ground off to the side.

“Pay up.” The rich boy says. For what? God knows this time. He’ll demand money for a number of things. Tiny scratch on his car, losing an “unfair” bet, or for wasting his time getting called by the principal for his own actions.

“I’m not paying for the hairline damages on your daddy’s borrowed ride, for me crushing you in whatever you considered our most recent bet, or for making you late for your work shift at kissing mommy and daddy’s ass for getting caught.” You say before sliding back in your seat away from them, and heading for the door. You turn back to push in your chair, and that’s when the rich boy’s richer girlfriend pipes up.

“Probably wouldn’t want to touch any of their bills, who knows where they stuffed them last night at the club.” She sneers leaning in. You lean in to meet her.

“Sorry you couldn’t get me for your lap dance, I had respectable company to entertain last night.” You say smugly. God that shock and disgust on her face was a thing of natural beauty. You start walking out but before you can reach the door one of the rich couple’s cronies decides to make another remark.

“Bet your mama sucked dick to get you here.” You stop dead in your tracks when you hear this. When you were younger a comment like this made you see red and it made life difficult on your mother with the amount of fights you’d get into. You see red now. You turn to them.

“Even if she was straight, your fat ass hogs all the space under the desk in the office.” With that you leave, shoving your earbuds in. As you go, you take a photo of the shop class door with the yellow caution tape over it and send it to the guys. You text them, asking if you can hang out at the junkyard.

House rule: no skipping class to come see them. If you got off early that was another story. As you leave the building, you get a text from your mom. You didn’t tell her about shop class but she asks if you’re going to the junkyard. Which means she knows even without you telling her.

Y/N: yeah, shop is cancelled.

Mom: homework?

Y/N: was going to do it there.

Mom: Sleepover?

Y/N: maybe.

Mom: stay safe.

Y/N: I will.

You sigh and finally get a reply from the guys. They’re out but they’ll see you at the junkyard. Which meant you’d be able to do some homework by yourself.

There’s one of those giant storm shelters at the yard. It used to be for sorting junk like appliances, propane tanks, electronics, car parts, etc. Any equipment or machinery in there had either been removed or was completely broken down. Now it was your gang’s pad, complete with old beat up couches, a small fridge, a few tables and chairs, and whatever project was being worked on. There was a small loft area for you as well, filled with slapping bags, blankets that rivalled Swiss cheese and ratty cushions.

When you get to the junkyard you find the hole in the fence you use to sneak in and make your way down the dirt path. As you walk you notice some of the piles had been sifted through. Odd. The guys usually waited for you before sifting through the piles. Maybe they wanted an early start before going off to do whatever they were doing now. You reach the building and plop down on one of the couches, enjoying the silence and what sounds like some more trucks dropping off junk.

Kyle reclined on the couch leaning against your shoulder to bug you. They’d brought dinner for you, and Price was supposed to arrive later tonight. Johnny and Simon were working on a car they’d been trying to fix for some time. They got a new part for it and were doing some more work. Kyle was stepping back to bug you for a bit. He sees you more focused on your text book and not saying too much.

“What is the square root of Canada?” He asks. You don’t reply, so he replies for you, taking your jaw in his hand and poorly imitating your voice. “35 to the power of-“

“Fuck off.” You mutter shoving his hand away. Kyle sits up and looks at you. Something happened today, hell something happens everyday but something has you ticked off. Kyle gets up and grabs two flashlights, before swiping the textbook out of your hands. Your shoulders slump as you take it and pull the hood up on your sweater, zipping up your coat. Kyle takes his off the couch.

“Going out!” He calls, and gets a wave from Simon.

Outside you turn on the flashlight, walking with him along the dirt trail, keeping your flashlight low. You have your hands in your pockets and you feel a pat on your bicep. Kyle hands you work gloves. You take them, and continue walking.

“What happened this time?” He asks. You bump him gently, showing silently your appreciation for his company.

“Same old.” You say. Gaz sighs.

“You can’t let it get to you.” Gaz says. “They don’t know you, so why should you let them judge you?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong, they treat me like I have, and won’t stop!” You argue.

“I know I know.” Kyle says, nodding. “Nothing wrong with a few comebacks. You have to remember though you are a beast among lions.”

“What kind of a metaphor is that?” You ask, half amused, half frustrated.

“They are testing you, trying to get you to act up so they have a reason to get you into more trouble. But you’re a much more powerful being, because you are more mature. You’ve grown up faster than them and they don’t like it.”

“So this is some initiation?” You ask, as you both start going off the trail to start checking for new loads.

“Nah. They’re egging you on to see if you’ll break or try to be one of them. You refuse to be one of them, and they can see that. So they go with the former.” He explains.

“…they insulted mom.” You mutter and he stops.

“You know the truth.”

“They don’t and then they go around talking about her like she’s some whore!” You argue, getting a little upset.

“She’s not. You know that.” He says. “And that’s all that matters.”

You nod. Then you both hear something. The two of you look in the direction of the sound, towards a pile that was deflating. Animal weren’t uncommon in the junk yard. However you’ve never heard this sort of metallic animal noise. It sounds like a raptor. Kyle puts an arm out, keeping you back, and shining a light at the pile. You’re frozen in place while Kyle moves closer. He only gets a couple steps before a head pokes out and you both are still as possible.

A metallic raptor looks at the two of you tilting its head curiously.

“Please don’t quote Jurassic Park.” You say quietly. Before Kyle could respond the raptor stalks out, keeping its focus on you. You’d heard about robotic aliens online but you’d taken it in as conspiracy. Guess this is how believers are made.

The creature makes another metallic growl, sniffing at Kyle. You’re impressed he can stay so still. The raptor’s claws are razors, with its spine and head looking like it was decorated with feathers from various fan blades. It’s around your size, so Kyle is taller but he’s also unarmed. Except for the flashlight. The eyes glow as they stare at the two of you, they’re a golden yellow.

It makes another small cry before walking away, and then looking back at you.

Without thinking you slowly move towards it. Kyle tries to stop you but the raptor approaches you both again. It comes closer, until you’re eye to eye with it. Your heart is pounding, and you wonder if it can hear it. It makes an odd sound, almost like a coo. You catch a glimpse at its teeth, and they’re sharper than any nail you’ve seen.

It walks away from you, before turning back at a short distance from you both. It’s waiting.

Kyle exchanges a look with you.

“We should follow it.” You say, seeing the creature shift from foot to foot anxious. Kyle opens his mouth to argue but honestly, he doesn’t know what to make of it.

“We have to tell Soap and Ghost.” He says.

“I’ll follow it, you go get them.” You say, and start following it before Kyle can protest. Kyle texts them, instead not about to ditch you. Your mother would kill him, and she could out run him.

The critter runs up ahead and you hug after it. It waits for you to catch up before hurrying off again. In between its movements it picks around the trash looking for something. It seems to find whatever it’s looking for but you can’t make out what it is.

It keeps going and eventually rounds the bend behind a much larger pile of junk. You’re not unfamiliar with these mountains, too dangerous to scale and picking through it could cause a collapse. You hesitate now, unsure about what could be on the other side. Kyle is nervous too.

“We should wait for the others.” Kyle suggests. You don’t mind waiting. Following the creature was a complete whim. For all they knew behind the mountain was a whole flock. You look around and find a long pipe. Not perfect, but it will do. Hopefully.

You wait a while and you can hear footsteps, from two large men and the raptor. It pokes its head out and then its whole body when Ghost and Soap see it eyes wide. If Ghost is scared he doesn’t show it, Soap just tenses.

“The bloody ‘ell is that.” He asks. It comes out from its hiding place and approaches you. You approach it, meeting halfway. It claws the ground restless.

“It needs help I think.” You say looking at it. It take off yet again, and you follow it behind the mountain where you freeze up. There’s a huge dinobot before you. It’s breathing heavily, sounding like the brakes of a bus. It’s another dinosaur, but this one is huge it looks like a triceratops. It’s weak too. When you look at the raptor you see it nudging something closer to it. Mustering your courage you move closer, while the other three hold back. You find at the raptors feet are batteries.

So many questions run through your mind, but the raptor gives you this almost pleading look. You look back at the guys who look tense, but keep their lights on.

“What do we do now?”

Taglist: @yourlovely-moon @kaoyamamegami @h0n3y-l3m0n05 @sans-chara @1mommyrose4ever29 @smitten-haematite-quartz @tai-the-gemini @yuki2129 @whitetiger846 @graystorm444 @chibiduck @reaperxxxxzz @danielle143 @sobbingnshtting @cringeycookies @cryingpages @dcnocap207 @reaper-chan666

[theerurishipper]

What do you think of the take that despite the show telling us that Marinette is against injustice and unfair systems, the show's execution of her character pretty much just made her a person who primarily doesn't like not being on top of the food chain. You know, since the show/ Marinette never undoes unfair systems, she's just put in charge of it to be the one benefiting from them.

I don't remember anymore if the post I saw this in had alot of likes and reblogs and if this is a more widespread opinion, but I remember thinking that it was harsh but unfortunately not exactly inaccurate either.

I mean we all know what treatment Cat Noir gets/ got under Ladybug's leadership and guardianship (in comparison to Alya getting the deluxe partnership) to the point where saying it stands in ugly hypocrisy against how big of a deal the show makes about Marinette's past as a victim of bullying and systematical power abuse is an understatement.

By all means, she's been doing all of that to Cat Noir on a daily just without malicious intentions. But the only actual difference is taht she is benefiting from it and therefore the show supports Marinette's hypocritical treatment of Cat Noir and even calls it "good leadership and friendship he had to learn to be grateful for"

And Marinette's guardianship didn't exactly paint her as being much above Su-Han's level either, of yelling and stomping her foot regarding everything until she gets his way and her way only. She answers to no one and she does whatever she wants or else she can't function as a leader and you must learn your lesson.

Not to mention the show just... dropping Felix' excellent point from Emotion where he called out that Ladybug is one of the people in power who decide subjectively who gets to have powers and a voice and who doesn't. The end of season 5 wants to pretend as if her giving out the miraculous somehow disproves that but no? Shes still basically the magical monopol of the Miraculous? She's still deciding everything subjectively, even if it's just her giving her okay for Félix to keep the peacock. That's still her having given permission and she could take it away on a whim too because nothing about his correct point was done, he just dropped it and the show called it a day.

The show's writing just does her no favor in anything of this. Because I guess yes, in canon Marinette doesn't actually mind social hierarchies, she just doesn't like not being the one on top because her leadership style fundamentally requires for a hierarchy to exist since Marinette is now less and less tolerating not getting her way ever since season 4.

So Marinette as a character doesn't really mind systemic injustice and will absolutely uphold them to her benefit, we're just supposed to think it's fine for her to do it since Marinette isn't maliciously intentioned and will try to help if she notices injustice against others she's bothered by.

Which raises the question though how Marinette will react in future to any civilian person who Lila will work up against Ladybug? Her writing has by now painted a clear picture that Marinette doesn't tolerate not being treated well anymore, so how will Ladybug react when civilians will "bully" her?

If it's a person like the racist guy who arrested her mom in season 4? Will they continue the bully-logic despite Ladybug being the all mighty power monopol in Paris and on top of the city's food chain? Cause Ladynette defending herself can easily overstep the line to tyrannical behavior since SHE'S the superpowered monopol in charge of everything while THEY are regular civilians who get to have no saying or power in anything.

I don't know how to end this ask, this already went to places I initially didn't wanted to bring up. I just would love to read your opinion since I enjoy your takes alot ^^

Honestly? I think it makes sense that it might come off that way, even if I don't think it's right. I don't think Marinette is not someone who likes being on top, but she is someone who likes being in control of a situation, which can manifest in ways that seem like she does. And since the writing never portrayed her as in the wrong and only doubled down on her actions, I can see why it would seem that way after 5 seasons of it.

Thank you for your ask!

[dancingundermoonlight101]

"it shouldn't be so hard to believe it was some sort of ruse," he says as he stares into the reflective surface. a mirror, the earthlings call it — it just looks like a big sheet of glass, to him.

"well, of course it isn't easy. it is not as if we were always cruel with each other before everything," he continues as he peels away old paint, "but it would hurt far less if i believed what everyone else keeps telling me, even if they do not know what they are saying."

"it is most unfortunate that our paths must keep crossing like this."

"i cannot get enough of your optics no matter our circumstances."

sorry i got carried away i am horrid at requesting things..Decided id just thrust this into ur inbox Lawl. but also a combo of your and my posts has moved me from my slumber. sorry again

I'M SORRY IF I TAKE THIS AND RUN WITH IT IN A DIRECTION YOU DIDN'T MEANNN I'm just ITCHING to write thisss!!! Also, don't apologize!!! YOU'RE JUST EVIL FOR ASKING ANON!! Now I can't stalk your page and read what you have written qwq (if you post.)

--------------

Optimus stared at Megatron through what should have been one-way window. Yet knowing full well Megatron could see him.

The Prime was at first surprised to learn that Megatron had been captured by MECH. Embarrassingly enough, he had already thought up of countless arguments and counterarguments on why it would be a good idea for him to rush in to save — prevent MECH from dismantling Megatron and using him to create weapons or other devices that could be of equal danger, if not more so to the Autobots.

Things are a blur now to Optimus as he stands alone before his enemy. Ratchet, the only other bot to join him, standing outside to guard and warn Optimus for any ambush or trap.

"Optimus," Megatron purrs. "Rushing to save me after getting my distress signal? Please," His small movements somehow emphasized the red splotches on the ground. Dead humans. "You really shouldn't have."

"Megatron." Optimus glares. "Why are you still here? You could have blasted these walls and escaped long before I arrived. Is this a trap?" He decides to cut to the chace.

Megatron, for once. Remained eerily silent. Staring at Optimus's optics with a serious, pondering look. "Well, something seems different about you, Prime. Can't quite put my digit on it.."

"Don't change the topic, Megatron! Answer me." The Prime stepped closer to the glass. Wondering if he should just break it to get to Megatron.

"Ah, yes. I recall now.. I think it has something to do with these late night outings of yours?" Megatron grinned widely once he saw Optimus very visibly still.

"How much do you know."

"Enough." Megatron purred, walking to the flimsy excuse of a glass wall that is keeping him from Optimus.

"What are you planning?" Optimus asked again, clenching his weapon. His fighting spirit still strong. It doesn't matter what Megatron knows. Just what Optimus will do.

Megatron grinned wider, and before he could say anything, a bright explosion made Optimus unable to see for a few seconds.

Chaos ensued.

-TO BE CONTINUED-

(IM NEVER GOING TO FINISH THIS AND IM SORRYYYY BUT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME SO MANY IDEAS FOR FUTURE POSTS BUT IT FELT UNFAIR TO POST THEM WITHOUT FIRST POSTING THIS ONE) I will post stuff inspired by what you suggested though!! I ACTUALLY HAVE STUFF WRITEN DOWN ON A JOURNAL!! Idk how to give you credit, but if you see something that seems like it was inspired by your ask. Then it was ✨️

[laurasbailey]

if i may add re: one of the women pulling something like that, i always find that such a funny argument in any fandom because, you know. we do #Live In A Society. so them being women Is actually a pretty crucial difference lmao and yes i might very well have liked it if it had been one of them because of it?

(prefacing the rest of this by asking everyone to bear with me and read this in good faith, i’m talking about a character and not trying to say or imply anything about any players)

which kind of tangentially ties into my biggest beef with ashton (and i understand that this is probably harsh and unfair), but between the acting like they always know better than everyone else, the arrogance and massive ego, the martyr/hero complex combo, the dismissiveness of others' feelings, the anger issues and propensity to violent outbursts etc, this is a character that acts and speaks in ways that are virtually indistinguishable from your average misogynist. i don’t think that this is intentional or even conscious (and definitely not malicious) on tal’s part, I think it’s more likely an unfortunate confluence of circumstances with this particular story (ie the campaign being heavily focused on women, so they’re in a position within the story where they're the natural point one would turn to with disagreements and stuff); but it’s like, no amount of dissecting motivations changes the objective fact of how they behave. and to me that makes for a character who’s about as interesting as idk, an asshole coworker. obviously this is all very subjective, and i know a lot of people find him compelling and write very good analysis, and love and light to them, but i personally cannot get past this and bring myself to give a shit you know.

absolutely get where you're coming from, and it's super interesting because as someone who doesn't see a lot of fandom opinion anymore, i wonder how many people also see this? or do most people just adore ashton and this is the minority opinion?

i usually find taliesin to be very self aware about the flaws of his characters, but i think you're right, without context it could very well come across as misogynistic due to the circumstances of the campaign being very female-centric. personally i think he's just being an asshole and by process of elimination, the women end up in the firing line because they're in the spotlight story-wise and are, let's be real, the leaders of the group. fcg is typically agreeable, nobody butts heads with orym, and chetney generally sits back during any verbal conflict. ashton just seems to have a general lack of respect for everyone and just uses the 'i don't know how to show it' excuse.

i think ashton wants to be a leader (whether they know it or not) but right now they just don't have the qualities to be one. in many situations they're like 'i don't like this', 'we shouldn't do this', but offers no alternatives. and sometimes he'll try to take charge in situations where he should really be taking a backseat (i.e. when they were trying to resurrect laudna) and he'll speak way out of turn on things he knows nothing about (again, that time he said he knows loneliness in a way laudna doesn't ??? lmao). it's like he has a compulsive need to always share his opinion and somehow prove he's suffering more than you, and nobody likes that guy at the party.

it's obvious taliesin is playing a lot of these flaws as a character who was raised by, well, no one, which makes sense! but there's been so little character development for 70+ episodes and very little effort made on ashton's part (up until now where he's supposedly going to change) that i just don't have an interest in it. it just bothers me now because characters i do really love will be caught up in the consequences.

[these-written-reveries]

➡ Mutuals, followers, and anyone else with a sense of humanity, please read this! Especially if you've been avoiding what's been happening in Palestine! This is partially me expressing my thoughts/feelings, but I do have a good point and helpful links at the end!

I have to say I am so heartbroken and disappointed to see people here actively choosing to engage in their own privilege and turning a blind eye to this tragedy. Apparently even boosting posts by reblogging is too much?

And of course, many of these people are white and have never experienced the world outside of their own white privilege and individualistic mindset (which stems directly from white supremacy/capitalism), so the thought of having to break out of that and feel uncomfortable for the sake of trying to help other people that aren't like them is like asking them to cut off their fucking arm. Meanwhile, people of color across the world have been doing so much to try to push for change, even though it was the white powers of the world who started this mess and are continuing to support it. If anything, as white people, we have an even stronger responsibility to clean up the mess our ancestors started. ESPECIALLY when our corrupt white leaders refuse to stand up and do the right thing. It is unfortunate and unfair that the responsibility lands on us everyday people to try to stop a literal genocide, but it is the reality of our present times. And we must do the right thing!

Because what happens if we all don't contribute to this? What happens if this movement for change fizzles out bc people decide to turn away from it bc it's hard/uncomfortable/scary? Well, not only will Palestinians be potentially wiped out of existence, but our world as we know it will stand no chance at ever changing. If we don't come together as humans and form community (locally & internationally), if we don't stand by our fellow siblings from other parts of the world and fight for their lives/freedom, change will never happen. And we need change, on so many levels. Do you guys really think this doesn't affect you? It affects ALL OF US. If not now, then it will later. If we can't even come together against a genocide of people, how are we ever gonna be able to stand together for any other movement of change?

This is OUR responsibility, as humans, as people. Many of our world leaders and people in power lack humanity, but that doesn't mean we don't. Right? Please prove me right here. Because seeing some of my mutuals agreeing with posts about people saying "you don't have to engage in what's going on or try to help if it makes you uncomfy, guys 🥺" is so disheartening. And let me be clear, I am not encouraging you to doomscroll all day and throw away your personal lives and cause yourselves to mentally spiral and burn yourselves out (possibly even more than you already are). What each of us is capable of doing to help this movement is gonna look different, depending on the person. But doing something is better than nothing at all. And yes, if you have any empathy in your hearts, you are going to feel pain and heartache and rage over what is happening in Palestine. Good! Use those feelings to continue to push for change! Let's actually make good use of our humanity and our privilege!

Here are some small, but impactful ways to help:

BOOST POSTS (don't just like them, reblog! This helps more than you think it does, even if you don't have many followers! It's about making noise and not allowing social media to suppress our voices!) Tag them with things such as #palestine #free palestine #gaza #free gaza

Contact your representatives/government! (The US and Europe sites provided will write an automatic script for you, but you can also find a pre-written script for your country here if you don't know where to begin with writing your own!)

United States (At the end of the script, you should add something along the lines of "If you do not stand with Palestine and vote to stop funding Israel, I will not be voting for you next election.")

Europe (click on your country at the top of the page and it'll tell you who your representatives are, how to reach them, and provide a script that you can copy and paste!)

Australia

Canada

3. Take part in the BDS movement by choosing not to support as many brands on this list as you can!

4. Donate (free option included!)

Click the button on this site (can be done once every 24 hours) and you will be helping to donate to Palestinians for free! Every click takes money from the sponsors who support this cause and gives it to Palestinians. (I plan on setting an alarm every day to remind me to press this button, and I suggest you do too!)

If you have money to spare for this cause, donate to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund!

5. Finally, learn what you can, even in small doses! This guide gives great info on the past/present regarding Palestine and provides lots of sources! This is perfect if you're interested in learning more, but don't know where to begin.

Bottom line: it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to take action and contribute to this movement. Small action is still action and -with enough of it- can lead to big change! The hardest part is working to unwind/unlearn/recognize our individualistic mindsets and our privilege and choosing to do and be better! Change is only possible if we all do our part to make it happen. So let's make it happen! ❤️

[lexsnotdead]

I absolutely loved BG1 and 2, Neverwinter Nights Hordes of the Underdark and Neverwinter Nights 2 too are among my most favourite RPGs. But Larians writing, particularly in D:OS2 turned me off so much :( How different is BG3?

big wall of text under the cut and before anything else i want to say that criticizing a game does not equal not liking it

i thought a lot about my response to this ask, since i must admit i have never played bg&bg2 and jumped straight into the hype train of bg3. and i'm genuinely curious what exactly about dos2 turned you off that much. here's what i personally think:

i played d:os1 and d:os2 and while i'm a big fan of the latter… dos1 couldn't keep me entertained even when playing with a friend in coop, which shows just how exhaustively boring and unmemorable it was. i really love dos2 and despite what i will say next, nothing is gonna change my love for this game. but. imma be honest, it was 3 and a half characters that kept me playing. i love sebille and lohse, i love malady — the mystery around her has its own appeal, but it's still a huge miss not to expand on such intriguing character as herself. i slightly care about ifan and fane, i couldn't give a lesser fuck about beast, i fucking hate the red prince and his writing is one of most unlikable from any rpg game i ever played (i can elaborate. but that's a post for another time). in short: lack of memorable characters, and those who are there have to make up in quality rather than quantity.

and larian is still... larian. their ambition makes them bite more than they can chew, you don't need to be nitpicking on purpose to notice just now empty act 3 of d:os2 was compared to fort joy or driftwood. in similar-ish way act 3 of bg3 feels less polished in terms of performance and content. like they even had to add an alternative ending to karlach's quest only after the game's release lol. there are quite a lot of bugs and players who are doing an "evil" playthrough like me found themselves deprived of content — sometimes you're just locking yourself out of quests, encounters, characters entirely because of decisions you made, quite literally making the game harder for yourself.

another important thing that i'd point out that dos2 felt kinda lacking in terms of the character creation because ocs always felt less immersive and shallow compared to the playable origins (i had the time of my life playing as lohse, tho). i know people who managed to have fun filling the blank spaces with their imagination, but i'm not one of those people, unfortunately. when i tried creating a drow character in bg3, however, every third npcs made sure to glare at me distrustfully and be fantasy racist towards the drow. like really? thanks for noticing! this might sound weird, but i liked that. it enhanced my feeling of immersion thus making it more satisfying to play. like yeees... yes... i indeed am a drow!

i'd rather stop focusing on its shortcomings because it feels unfair to larian when they are listening to the playerbase and trying their best to deliver patches as quick as possible. after all, what makes a good dnd adventure for me is always the story and characters — banal it may be, as long as it is fun, it is a good dnd game. and bg3 is very fun and addictive. there's this unique feeling when you're planning your next playthrough and considering what you would've done differently when still doing your first. i like it more compared to dos2, because... i'm not sure why myself? interpersonal interactions just feel a bit deeper, and i actually care about almost every companion, even the ones i did not expect to care about (like gale, astarion, shadowheart). and variety of the character creation, of course. and i can bet on bg3 being next the goty haha

to sum this all up:

if you like dos:2, you will like this game

if you like dnd e5, you will also like this game

if you like bg1 and bg2 then i genuinely don't know i'm sorry

[septembersghost]

I really appreciate your writings about Elvis, because they cheer me up when things are bad. You’re such a great writer and make so many great points that most people don’t want to hear. I haven’t been productive this year unfortunately so I’ve been online a lot and I fear being into Elvis has been very damaging for my mental health. It’s been more than a year of reading comments about what an abusive groomer racist appropriator he was and I don’t think I can take it anymore. I’ll never deny the joy his work has brought me but sometimes I wonder if its better to take a step back from all things Elvis :/

*hugs hugs hugs* thank you so much, this means a lot to me and i'm happy if anything i've shared has helped through everything.

here's what i can advise, as someone who VERY much understands being less productive and online a lot and maybe then relying a little too much on fandom - you never have to justify the things you love that are enriching your life and bringing you joy, but you are also always entitled to step back from them if that begins to hurt you. fandom is supposed to be fun! it's NOT supposed to take a toll on your mental health. the fandom i initially came back to tumblr to participate in was doing that to me, just wrecking my mental state and stressing me out on a loop, constantly putting horrible posts in my face (and this is a fictional case, but seeing someone you love, character or artist, wrongfully called an abuser and a monster and vilified to an insane degree when it isn't at all a true depiction is intensely difficult to read and to navigate). and my solution was to loosen my attachment to it and get some distance, it was the only way to alleviate it. you have to take care of and prioritize yourself. i promise you that if he could give you guidance here, E would say the same thing. he wouldn't want you being hurt on his behalf, that's not what he was here to do!

i don't know where you're seeing this stuff (idk where any of y'all read this garbage 😭 i'd say stay away from forums or threads or comment sections where you know it's likely to happen). also be confident in the truth and the reality and facts we have, because they DO outweigh those hateful comments and hearsay. it's like the accusations of racism make my blood boil because it's horribly untrue, but it's also so easy to research and learn about and refute that i know the people who say that are uninformed and don't care. i've shared a lot debunking that specifically because of that wealth of information and testimony about his character. the nastier comments about priscilla and his romantic relationships, it's just...it's salacious and invasive, *not* to discuss it in general because it affected him and was a part of his life, but the way in which it's handled tends to cross lines. and while i may disagree with aspects of decisions he made myself, it is not my business and not my right to demonize their private life. i don't understand the obsession with this, if i'm being honest. how is THIS a focal point of how someone is defined? i see iconic male musicians with a ton of stans online who really WERE documented racists, abusers, misogynists, pursued groupies (elvis did not), and they NEVER get this kind of villification. i'm not saying it's wrong to enjoy their music either, but it's crazy how this discussion dominates him in such an unfair way. ask yourself why this takes such a hold of people with elvis where it doesn't with others, because there are societal factors at work, along with decades of misperception and intentional detraction. then take whatever matters most and touches and resonates with you, from him, from his music, and let yourself carry that with you. nobody else is owed that. it's sacred to you alone.

if you can, redirect your attention to something new, whatever that may be, and rest and refresh your mind. you don't deserve to be stressed or suffering over this. sometimes, getting distance can help you hold onto that joy in a more centered and healthier way. sending you love, and please remember my askbox is always open if you want to talk or if you need a little light 💖

[askinkiskarma]

Hey! I’m so sorry if this is weird and overly personal, (which it totally is lol) and please feel free to ignore this if it’s too much! I’ve been following you for awhile and I love your work; I saw one of your responses to another ask where you talked about dealing with a tough childhood and I just wanted to ask if you had any advice for someone in the same boat? I grew up in an abusive home and I have a trauma therapist which has helped a lot, but I’ve never met anyone else who can relate, so it can feel really lonely when everyone else has a family except for you. I feel so badly about myself that I’ve never achieved anything great, but I’m trying hard to build some self-esteem so I can make something of myself. It seems like you’ve achieved so much, and I really admire how ambitious you are, so I wanted to see if you had any snippets of advice ❤️ I’m sorry this is so long and if you’re uncomfortable with answering then no problem! Lots of love 💕❤️

omg baby i'm going to cry! this means so much to me that you felt like you could come here and tell me this, don't ever feel like you're bothering me or it makes me uncomfortable, the way I'm trying to run this blog as much as I can is outside of the blue alien brainrot, i want this to be a safe space for you to be able to talk to me and to maybe get to escape the daily realities of this fucked up work, and if i can help in anyway, it is genuinely my honour!

i'm so so sorry to hear about everything you have been through, that sounds incredibly hard. unfortunately, my trauma does not come from necessarily my family, so I cannot even begin to understand how hard it must have been on you growing up in such tough conditions, and I am so sorry. I hope the therapist is understanding and helpful and is able to guide you in the best way possible.

don't ever say that you've never achieved anything great. baby, what i've learnt is that being alive, in today's day and age, in the horrible world we live in, finding the courage and strength to get up in the morning is an achievement in itself. i know it's hard to look internally and judge ourselves fairly. we will always be our harshest critics and our biggest enemies. i find myself in the same boat, and I always think I have not achieved enough, that there are better people than me who are more successful and much younger, but I try to remember that we all have our journey, and although our journey may not look like other people's, it doesn't make it less meaningful or less impactful.

it takes a while to find your footing in this world, and to find the people to help you along the way, and I think my advice is as simple as... just keep going. (tw for depression, suicidal thoughts). I have dealt with depression and suicidal tendencies since I was 13. I wanted to end my life many times, and there have been so many times where life seemed too harsh, too unfair, too difficult to see any light in it, but I promise that there is! And this world, as horrible as it is, is also beautiful, and this life worth living.

I think the best thing you could do for yourself is continue going to therapy, try to find healthy coping mechanisms (mine was/is again writing, dancing, hyperfixating on silly little shows or movies or games, drawing, i knit for a while, i swim now, i am basically learning how to take my childhood back after it was taken from me and enjoying things I would have back then, it's extremely satisfying and therapeutic, i promise!), and talk to people, let it all out. Learn to own what happened and not let it have power over you or consume you. I did that for a long time - i was embarrassed about my past, and what i went through, i was scared to talk about it and afraid that i would be judged. i am not anymore. my past is my past, and it shaped me, but it doesn't define me anymore. I get to choose who I am and who I want to be moving forward, and once I realised that, everything got a lot better.

Again, I am always here, and feel free to drop me an ask/dm anytime you want to talk or vent. I love you and I am so proud of you and you are amazing <3 xoxoxoxo

[mchiti]

ohh how many white players have done and said questionable things and no one remembers. or they do remember and they cancel it out because they see his humanity. which is fine but at least afford non-white players the same humanity. lmao mudryk got more flak for filming a stranger at the gym than his pro-isr*eli and anti-arab comments and likes, that really tells you all you need to know.

i saw that comment you got about 'the arab world' and it made me laugh because the same person said 'you don't know anything about eastern europe' ... just imagine if we viewed eastern europe with as much ignorance and lack of nuance as they have when they view 'the arab world'? at least we can name more than 3 countries in eastern europe lol, don't know if they can say the same for 'the arab world'.

you're so right, unfortunately most discussions on football tumblr are done through a western lens. you simply cannot apply this lens when discussing footballers from the rest of the world but. the tragedy is that these people think they are so big-brained and liberal but in reality they are small-minded. like 'I truly don’t see how anyone who’s not Russian can just go to russia with a clean conscience' they need to ask themselves if they would feel the same way if r*ssia was at war with a middle eastern country rather than white ukraine? would they even care? if they would feel the same way if a footballer was seen visiting isr*el? or any other western country that has ravaged the ME and murdered and tortured its people? no, because when footballers are seen visiting those places, no one says anything.

anyway sorry and i love you and thank you for talking to me about this ❤️

It's just so disappointing isn't it anon. Like we can't even fathom saying this out loud because that's not something you can even put into words without people laughing at you for being ridiculous, but how is usa any different from russia in that sense. How is israel different. I saw the pics of another little Palestinian kid murdered in the streets, a 2 year old kid, only yesterday. It drives me mad if I think nobody - nobody - on here went to discuss mudryk clean conscience for supporting an apartheid state. Or him replying "FACTS" to someone saying 'why would he support your arabian shit?" like how? where is his clean conscience there. Where is everyone's conscience. If we wanna be real than let's admit players are just players, a lot of them are not necessarily educated on stuff but if you accept that you have to grant this privilege to anyone. Because if one moroccan player visiting russia for reasons that are not even political in the first place makes you writing posts about it (i've seen that on his tag) then do it for everyone else. or is that the only conflict worth mentioning cause as you said it's against a white, christian country. if you use that measure anyone who plays in MLS has no clean conscience then lmao. or are the half million and counting of iraqis murdered not worth mentioning, just to say one of the million examples of occupations, bombings on civilians, murders and torture from the west.

it's an unjust world we live in. but precisely because it is unjust, targeting a single player for political reasons that are completely unrelated to him, questioning his level of conscience while the whole western world never question their own level of conscience is unfair and it will never, ever sit right with me. That he probably underestimated the implications I said it myself, but this is another level of hypocrisy.

oh no don't apologise!! i mean this is exactly the stuff that you type it down and you can get canceled forever but yeah. I think of mudryk "arabian shit - facts" comments before I sleep and I get motivated into not falling for this shit ever. I think of my baba then, my mama, all the migrants and diaspora kids I know. I think of all the "arabian shit" that are part of my life. And I will never sit down or stay quiet. Have a great day/night ❤️

[cbncb0280]

Inequality Between Different Generations

A/N: This is based on something that happened irl to me and my cousin, going against traditional views of the older generation for good reasons...

All Rights Reserved - only copied onto a writing contest with my permission.

I was having dinner at the table while not being interrupted by anyone since they were all planning to go out somewhere. Sure yes, I'm not the greatest fan of art museums or historical houses, but I didn't want to ruin the fun of my family.

I prefer water activities and things which help me released dopamine and serotonin. So this is why I decided to write some funny quotes me and my cousins shared of our parents and other family members.

Unfortunately, my father saw.

"Essiana, you don't write in your notebook at the table as it's impolite. Put it down please." He spoke.

"But Dad, no one is talking to me and I'm only writing my own personal notebook, so what's the point?"

"Essiana, I won't tell you again."

"Dad, I will not let you boss me around like this as you and Mum always do! It's my book and I'm not harming anyone."

"Essiana, do I have to get up and take it away?"

"No, I won't let you!" I began to shout rudely since I was getting angry. "Why is it so impolite when no one is speaking to me?"

My cousin, Catherine, seemed to go against my father's wishes.

"Essiana, this is your final warning." He got up and stood by me, as though he was taking control of the situation. Everyone across the table heard me shout.

"What's the point? Your views are just irrational and unfair! I never did anything immoral or cruel to anyone!"

"Give it to me."

"What's going on?" My aunty Patricia asked.

I refused and became silent. I told him to go away and had just as much power over the situation as he did. We are two very stubborn people with different views on the world.

He was just like Mr. Birling ('An Inspector Calls' character) in that way by promoting ridiculous traditional views. He told me not to do it again then he went away.

I was really mad and looked stupid to everyone else. My grandparents supported my father's views along with my aunt and uncle.

My uncle was like a practical man of business orientation, who seemed to worry a lot about money and reputation. Just like Mr. Birling, except he's not as bad and uncaring as the character.

As for myself, I deeply oppose money and even question whether it should even exist or not due to all the problems it can cause to several people around the world. "Money is the root to all kinds of evil." This is a Bible quote I strongly agree with.

Later on once me and my cousin were nicknaming my mum just for a bit of a laugh, my mum stated that we should show her more respect despite being mostly soft-spoken and not really taking it as an offense.

"Honestly Catherine. I should expect more respect from you. Same for you Essiana. I am your mother."

"But Mum, I'd tease anyone like this unless they seriously didn't like it," I commented.

"Goodness me, we'd never speak to our relatives like that. It's just not something we'd do and you should feel the same way."

"But Mum, you're a human being like the rest of us. Your parents and relatives are humans beings too. Is there anything wrong in having a little laugh?"

"I am your mother though. The Bible says to respect your parents."

"Only if they give you the right sort of wisdom, e.g. not to murder or steal."

"Essiana!" My mum said in shock.

"But why should I respect silly rules such as answering you whether I've brushed my teeth or been to the toilet? You ask me this constantly and I can't answer such silly questions."

"But I don't trust you. You wouldn't get on with it if I didn't ask you to. I know that."

"That's not fair or true. Just cus I leave things 'til the last minute..."

My cousin then started to agree to what I was saying. She had witnessed the ways my mother constantly bossed me around.

Without stopping, I carried on speaking out and challenging the traditional views. No one would stop me.

"Mum, I watched a film called 'Ariel's Beginning' once. In the film, Ariel's father Triton had banned music because he was upset about the death of his wife. Then once he spotted people listening to it, he got really angry and especially when Ariel spoke out against it."

"Yes, but we never banned music. This is different."

"She's just giving an example, Rayla," Catherine commented.

"Yes, but we don't give rules like that."

With this quote stated, I started to cry.

"See why I don't respect what you say at times? It's because I'm constantly bossed around with the most basic things. I'm not usually being taught the right kind of wisdom."

My father mimicked me.

"Progesterone and oestrogen..." he laughed.

That's it. He had really pushed the limit. Everyone else except myself and my two cousins seemed to agree with my parents' words. I cried even more and Catherine stormed off out of the dining room and into the garden.

I had no idea that she was crying. Our relatives were wondering where she had got to and my Aunty Patricia believed that I had upset her.

My mother explained the situation as I left the room in my anger. Then I heard them discussing the situation.

"Essiana just doesn't think, does she?" My grandfather stated as though it was a matter of fact.

"She'll find out the truth when she's older." My father had a good laugh at my words.

"Typical teenager!" Aunty Patricia stated boastfully.

What pure ignorance! How dare they say that! With courage, I went out of the house into the garden too, whether I had permission or not. Seriously, it's just the garden and neither myself or Catherine would travel anywhere else. Neither would we mess up the garden and trample all over the plants especially, as if!

Without surprise, I found Catherine crying. She was moaning to herself about everything that had happened in the dining room while wandering around a small sort of hut in circles. Immediately, I walked over to her and asked her if she was upset because of what had just happened.

"They just weren't listening to you!" She commented while sulking.

"I know," I replied calmly, "they don't seem to understand us as the Younger Generation. They tend to view us as stupid and naive with our words and quotes."

"If only I could get Inspector Goole involved! He would not be happy with them at all!"

"So true!"

We shared a good laugh. Inspector Goole (from 'An Inspector Calls') would more than likely not have been happy with the Older Generation's views at all. I was only speaking out for myself and not trying to make fun of my mother in really bad ways.

"Essiana, your mum just never listened to you and took on board the example you said about Triton and Ariel. Everyone looked at you as though you were stupid and ignorant."

"They were the ones who were being ignorant. It's like putting younger people down and treating them like inferiors when such people state to 'respect the wisdom of your elders', unless it's about true morality or something absolutely essential. As if!"

"I totally agree. People in the Older Generation are promoting old-fashioned views and that we need to get money and a job as an almost every day life task to survive off. They've made money become everything and think we'll need to survive with a lack of free time off!"

"Exactly! Unless someone personally enjoys their job, why can't people have more than just 5-6 weeks of time off a year? It's extremely unfair and makes no true purpose in life. To be honest, I will sound very dark here, but unless I get the free plus self-employed job I want, I may even consider committing suicplus since there would be no point living just for money!"

"I understand where you're coming from. Our parents and grandparents believe that a 9-5 job is the only way to survive."

"However, we as the Younger Generation can help to change things one day. Such as fighting for more freedom and equality between all people."

"Yes but the world won't listen."

"Not unless we keep fighting for what is right. To be fair, I actually question what are true morals. I mean like... universal morals. What three things would you consider to be true morals?"

"Hmmm... perhaps not to kill, steal and cause harm and violence to others?"

"So true! Do you really think that getting a 9-5 job and not having enough freedom while being miserable is a true moral?"

"No. Not at all. That's the complete opposite of one since the world would be making someone feel miserable."

"This is probably the case with our parents. Deep down, they controlled while they want their freedom. Since rules are generally more strict for adults, it's highly possible that they feel used and helpless somewhere underneath them. So they pass their 'wisdom' onto the Younger Generation. Having said that, history does not have to repeat itself. Truly, if we work together and never give up, we can change it."

"True. I absolutely agree with you."

Suddenly, my mum came walking out to find us then we both walked in front of her.

"Hello, you two. We were worried about you. Why don't you come in?" She asked.

"Rayla," Catherine began to speak, "we just needed some space."

Eventually, we all walked in and Aunty Patricia was very cross with Catherine.

"Cathy, why didn't you let us know where you had been?" She sounded really annoyed.

"Mum, I just needed some space," Catherine answered glumly.

"Next time, please tell us where you're going in future."

"But Patricia," I began, "I also went outside."

"I don't need to tell you off. I'm not your mother. Catherine is my daughter." She replied.

How dare she say that!

"That is so immoral!" I courageously spoke out.

"Essiana!" My mother started to speak. "You must never say that to your aunt! You should apologise!"

"But she's a human and has the right to understand actual morals," I protested angrily.

I was now exploding. I stormed off and cried while my poor cousin was unfairly told off. For crying out loud, not even my parents would do this to me. How mean!

Needing space, I went onto my tablet and released all my emotions onto my activity on Quotev. My friend, Anci felt rather sorry for me. She related to the situation too since she had been through a somewhat similar experience from what she implied.

With all this, I decided to post it as a story onto Quotev and spread my word of inequality between different generations. Here is an example of one I have just explained.

A/N: This is copied from my Quotev. But thanks for reading dis anyway and feel free to tell me whatcha think. :)

[spaceorphan18]

This interview made me want to read a tell all book even more. What is your opinion about the idea of a tell all book or docu series with a lot of tea? Would you like to read it, or you don't want more drama

Meh.

The only thing I would probably read would be something that Chris wrote. And he's not going to be the one to write a tell all book. I think Naya wrote the closest thing to one, and I think Kevin and Jenna's new podcast (which I'll probably listen to) will shed some light any kind of drama going on. Their old podcast did a little, too, but it wasn't as scandalous some might think.

But I honestly doubt there's anything hugely shocking yet to be revealed. My hot take is that these kids were in their early twenties and did what most kids in their early twenties do -- have a lot of sex, consume pot gummies, and drink a lot of alcohol. Unfortunately a few of them were doing hard drugs (Cory, probably Mark) but I don't think that was the norm. The only difference between them and most college students is that they had way more money -- but also had a spotlight on them as well.

I think the first three years of the show were a bit hardcore, because they were working /a lot/ and being all thrust in it together for nearly three years straight made everyone really tired. And like any group of people thrown together for a long period of time -- especially at that age, they're going to be fights and annoyances.

The last three years, the original cast was somewhat burnt out and I'm pretty sure (as Kevin did say) all of them went through just being over the show, especially after Cory died. But other than Lea being difficult, I don't think there was much drama coming out of the last few seasons.

The who hooked up with who question is only a curiosity (to me) cause I can't quite work out the meshing of - everyone was hooking up with everyone - with all the info I've gathered over the years - so it's more like a puzzle I'm trying to solve more than any interest in anyone's actual life.

As for everything else, I don't really care. Everyone else got along like a family, and I think we've proved again and again that Lea was a shit person. I guess what else is there to know?

I guess I keep mentioning Chris stuff - only because people were so hard on him during season 5 - and a) I think it's unfair since everyone was kind over it at that point, b) some of it was intentional acting, and c) he was thrust into the middle of the drama with Lea for those last three years - I don't blame him for not wanting to be a part of it.

But honestly, at this point -- the actors are so far from the show, I prefer it that way? I still love the show and the fictional characters, and I don't really care what what was going on behind the scenes.

[breaniebree]

Dear Brea,

I've been struggling with the site to let me comment to no avail🙄

So anyway here is a long rant:

First and foremost, I just wanted to say thank you, thank you for all that you do for all of your readers, for posting on this blog, answering questions, for giving us an idea of what each character looks like in your prospective, for giving us an idea of what thier lives is like with your pictures. Thank you for updating On ao3 and ff.net . Thank you for the Beautiful moments and for not giving up on this story despite whatever you might have going on in your private life outside of the world of Harry Potter.

I just dont think we/I say thank you enough.

No my thoughts on the latest chapter:

At long last we gave our fav Wizarding family together again 🤗woooohoooo🎉🎊

I love me some Weasley family fluff❤

Thank you for dedicating most of the Chapter to the family and not bringing anyone else into it . I truely missed all the Wealeys together.

Can we have more of that please?

Now Brea i beg of you CAN WE PLEASE MOVE ONE FROM RON'S ARSE?🍑🤭 🙏🙏🙏 i just don't see Ron to be THAT narcissistic about it and the storyline is getting repetitive.

One more thing : i understand hiny is the main focus of this story but considering the amount of time and chapters you've dedicated to other couples I am very peeved with you why haven't you given more attention to Bill and Fleur?

Bill is my favourite Weasley brother & he is so much more interesting to me then Charlie and given the fact that niether the books or movies gave us anything , i thought you might be diffrent sadly i have yet to satisfy my thirst for Bill and Fleur content. Unfortunately there is not enough FanFiction out there about them and few that there are , aren't finished or are unreadable.

You might disagree and you have every right to to but I love Fleur and i feel like she is over looked by her in laws and we havent seen much of her in ASC either. Which is sad because she is so interesting. I mean she is a champion in her own right, she fell in llove with someone so diffrent from her and choose to live in a diffrent country with a diffrent culture, she choose to stay and fight a battle which had nothing to do with her as it was in Britian ,for love and i just dont think the Weasleys appreciate her enough. She's more than just one dimensional ,and i feel like there is more to her and same to Bill. Its unfair have she get treated by the fandom 😤😭

Sincerely

New Fan

Hi, New Fan,

Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement!

I am sorry you feel the story involving Ron is too repetitive. I will continue to write what I like there and I rather enjoy Ron and his fantastic bottom.

Bill and Fleur are not essential characters to this story. I like to drop in and check on them from time to time, but we will not really be seeing a lot more of them than you already do. This is not a Bill and Fleur story. I do agree that Fleur is a great character and it's fun to show her and Bill and how they are doing from time to time. But that will be it.

If you are looking for a Bill and Fleur story, I highly recommend More Than A Pretty Face by lilyevansjan30.

Thank you.

[mercyandmagic]

Hello! In Russia, they are interested in the regulation on the situation with MXTX, mainly based on your articles. Are there any news or promotions? According to rumors, it was supposed to be released in May, but since I don’t believe any version until I hear the news myself, I’m interested in your opinion.

Hello! Thank you for reaching out. <3

Yes, MXTX's original release was scheduled for May 2022, but she was released early on parole for 8 months according to court records released at the end of October 2021. She had a meeting about it sometime in December 4 2021, also according to the court records.

The next news was in February 2022, when TGCF was signed for a radio drama. Since MXTX is free, and there's no reason to think she didn't sign it. :)

Unfortunately, there is no news since. I don't know when she will return, though strictly in my opinion, I disagree with those who say she won't return, or will move onto a new name with no word. Much like Xie Lian, MXTX went through hell, but she's still her: the woman who said writing is one of her greatest passions. (Plus, Xiansheng Shenhai returned this spring after her own release in December 2021. She is now publishing her novels legally and was met with warm reception from fans).

Maybe MXTX is finishing TGCF edits. Maybe she's working on Grim Reapers Have No Days Off, or another work, or she's taking time for herself to heal from experience and (in my opinion) the unfairness of it all. But we just don't know.

What is not quite news, but worth mentioning: About ten days ago (June 20), one of her IRL friends did post a blunt and eloquent essay on Weibo. Mostly, it's about how exhausted they are with the private messages they keep receiving, from a deluge of those concerned to a tsunami of infuriating cruelty from antis.

A few lines stuck out to me:

"My friend wrote a few books, and even came out of cyber to her parents, even Xie Lian was not so unlucky!" (我的朋友写几本书，还给自己写出赛博爹妈来，谢怜都没有这么倒霉！Clearly, my translation of the second clause is not great but you get the gist; someone correct me if it is wrong).

"But she is a person. She has the right to privacy, can be autonomous, and can think. On social networks, she has the right to choose whether to live openly or share information, and she also has the right not to explain her choice. She will ask for help when she needs help, and she seriously considers the troubles she doesn't want to show. The rumors of catching the wind and catching the shadows do not prove that you are better than her." (但她是一个人啊，她有隐私权，能自主，会思考，社交网络上她有权选择是否公开生活是否分享信息，也有权不解释她的选择。她需要帮助的时候会求助，不想展示的烦恼也有她自己的考量，捕风捉影的谣言并不能证明你们比她高明。)

"At the beginning of this post, I mentioned the private message box. In addition to lying down with these things that give me ptsd to the present, there are also many restrained greetings and blessings. There is no chasing after, no self-righteousness, no holding the phone, as if holding a beating heart. That kind of indescribable emotion, that there are many people who are better than words, is the reason why I stayed tonight to edit this for a few hours. They made me always believe that terrycloth (T/N:???) is worth believing, and that readers who really love her know how to weave memories with the author and the book, and believe in 'respect before love.' People share the same heart and the same reason."

(这篇东西的开头我提到私信箱，除了躺着这些令我ptsd到现在的玩意，还有很多克制的问候和祝福，没有穷追不舍，没有自以为是，捧着手机，仿佛捧着一颗颗跳动的真心。那种无以言表的感动，还有许许多多行胜于言的人们，就是我留在今晚删删改改几个小时的原因， 他们让我始终相信毛圈值得相信，相信真心喜爱她的读者懂得以怎样的方式编织与作者和书的回忆，相信“在爱之前，是尊重��这件事，人同此心，心同此理).

End.

Basically, I'm cheered that MXTX has such good friends in her life, who respect her privacy and humanity before anything else and insist that others should do likewise. I think that all we can do right now is hope for the best, support her in any way we can, and root for her as a person first and foremost.

Selfishly, of course I hope she returns soon; she's a great writer! But more than that, I hope and expect that she will return when it's best for her, and to that time I solemnly toast.

[marshmallowprotection]

Being unrequitedly in love with your best friend is probs one if the worst things that can happen to you. Tomorrow, I'm going to watch her come down the aisle for someone else as her maid of honor. I already saw her in that wedding dress and I just burst into tears because of how beautiful she was and how much I longed to be the one, who she marries. I told her, that I cried because I'm so happy for her. I feel like such a shit person for lying so much to her. I loved her since high school, and... she and her boyfriend know each other for only two years. It's so unfair. And I feel like I'm a horrible person because of that. I have a very strained relationship with her fiance. I think he knows what's up. I just feel so bitter and angry around him, cause I feel like he took everything I ever I ever wanted in such a short amount of time. And yet... she loves him, not me. He makes her happy. My chest still hurts so much each time I see them kiss or look at each other like that. I thought the pain would go away as time goes by, but... I still love her, with all of my heart. I... don't know how I'll survive tomorrow. My heart breaks just thinking about it... Everybody around me already has a loved one, and even getting married while I... I never even kissed anybody. I just held hands, and it was with her. I feel like... it's my fault. Like nobody's going to love me that, and it's because I'm such an inadequate person. I know it's stupid... but I can't help it. It's so hard to resist the urge to just drown my sorrows in alcohol, until I can't feel anything at all... I'm getting therapy for this, but it's so hard when you're all alone. So far, I can control myself, but I'm so scared that I'll slip up. My parents were alcoholics, so I feel so disgusted with myself for having these thoughts...

Sorry for this... I'm just a huge mess right now, and I probs will get out of the wedding as soon as possible, cause I feel like I'll just burst into tears in front of her. It's her happiest day. I don't want to ruin that. My feelings are just a bother. I just... saw than one ask about another heartbroken anon with their best friend, and I decided to write to you for some reason. You don't have to answer that, if it makes you uncomfortable, really.

Unfortunately, I understand this feeling very well, Anon. First of all, I want you to know that it's not wrong to have feelings for anyone in your life like this. You cannot control your heart. It's going to do a lot of things that you can't control because the brain and heart aren't the same things, and they choose and feel from different perspectives.

We as humans cannot turn off our hearts, even if our brain wishes that we would be able to let go of things when it doesn't work out or when it winds up breaking your heart. I am sorry that you're feeling this pain right now. It's suffocating and isolating, I know.

You're not a bother. When you love someone, you want them to be as happy as they can be... even if that means that they are with another person. I know that hurts, but it means a lot that you want to ensure that she's happy. You aren't a monster. You're just going through a lot of pain right now. She loved you like a friend, and that's okay. That's a lot to have to accept in your life right now. Your love for each other is on different levels and that's okay. It may hurt right now but the hurt won't last forever.

Your love won't go away, but it will slowly shift over time so you can accept this fact and move on. I don't think we ever stop loving some people, and if that always sticks with you, that's okay. I promise. I'm aware that love is complicated. You love who you love. It's not wrong to love, and you're not doing the wrong thing. You're supporting your friend and stepping away somewhat because you're hurting. That's what you do when you're considerate... that's not what monsters or bad people do.

I think taking a break after this from her might help, not forever, just step back for a little bit and talk to her a little less. She'll be doing her thing anyway, and you can try to figure out how to get by in your own way. Talk to your therapist about the pain because they'll be able to get you some proper talk and resources unlike someone like me who can just empathize and say what I've done to cope before. You're not loveless, you're not going to be alone forever, but this heartbreak is going to take some time to work on, okay?

Don't give up on yourself.

[imaginejamesandsirius]

hello! can you write prongsfoot one where James is injured. Maybe after one of Snape's special hexes. Or maybe a potion which has bad influence on James and it takes a while to recognize it. He frays out day by day (hope i used the right word lol) and finally Sirius is the one who recognizes it more than anyone. so thanks in advance

If you don't that's cool too. and i hope you have a good day

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked, looking concerned. He didn't do that very often. He worried about James pretty damn often-- James knew that for a fact-- but he usually didn't show it. He nudged and teased, and he stared quite a bit, but that could be because they were dating, and not because he was worried. It was pretty even odds, he thought. Right now, Sirius looked out and out concerned for him, and that wasn't normal. It wasn't how they operated.

Even though James felt fine, Sirius looking at him like that made him feel as if there was something wrong with him. "I'm fine," he said, because he was.

"Are you sure?"

"Do I have a reason not to be?"

"You've seemed really tired, lately."

"Everyone's tired; it's last minute studying for NEWT's."

Sirius hesitated. Another uncharacteristic thing.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm worried about you," he said. Just like that, he said it. He didn't hide it behind false confidence or pretend that he was thinking about something else. "You've been off lately, and it's like you don't even know that something's going on with you."

"If you already think that something's wrong with me, then why'd you bother asking?"

"I was hoping you'd talk to me, but now I'm not convinced you noticed. I mean, really, studying? We're barely studying, and you're more exhausted than Moony the day after a full moon."

"That's not true," he replied, frowning. "We spend all our time outside of class getting ready."

"No, we spend all of our time thinking that we should be studying, but we end up fooling around and only working for like an hour."

James's frown deepened. What Sirius said was true, so why was he so tired? He knew that everyone was worried about exams, so he'd assumed that that's why he felt this way. But Sirius was right, and they weren't spending near as much time on that as everyone else was. "I dunno. Maybe I'm feeling stressed about it anyways. You know, Wormtail was talking about people can be effected by stress without realising it? That's gotta be what this is."

"Since when do you feel stressed?"

"It happens," James said defensively.

"When?"

"Sixth year comes to mind, a month before winter hols."

Sirius didn't flinch because he didn't do obvious tells like that, but he withdrew.

James chewed on the inside of his cheek, feeling guilty. It was a low blow to bring that up, and he knew it. Unfortunately, it was the only example he could think of for a time when he was stressed, because Sirius was right: he didn't get stressed. That time had been unique, a single spike in an otherwise straight line.

"Nothing like that has happened recently. But fine, you want to wear yourself out because you don't trust me, then that's your business," he said, turning his attention back to his textbook.

"Sirius," James said, pleading.

Sirius didn't so much as twitch an eyelid. He was a lot better at this ignoring thing than James had ever been.

"You know I trust you, but I don't think there's anything wrong. There's nothing for me to be stressing over, so maybe I'm just tired. Nothing else going on."

"People don't get tired for no reason," Sirius said in his usual bored tone. His usual for other people, not James.

But James deserved it, so he wasn't going to get mad about it. Also because it took a hell of a lot to get him mad at Sirius. This didn't even come close to doing it, a fact Sirius was well aware of. "You got tired last year."

"Yeah, and that wasn't for no reason."

"You told me it was for no reason."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did. I'd remember if you told me that something was wrong."

"It was implied."

"You can't imply things to me. We've been over this. You have to say it flat out to my face, in as many words, or I'm not going to get it."

"At the time, I didn't want you to get it. Don't worry, I moved past it by the time we started snogging."

"Dating," James corrected.

"Whatever," he said flippantly, but it was the sort of flippant he usually was, so James figured that they were fine.

*

He'd thought that would be the end of it. After all, Sirius hadn't said anything more about it that day. Evidently, Sirius was biding his time, because two days later, he brought it up again.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look a bit peaky."

"Wow thanks," James said flatly, but the truth was that he wasn't feeling great. Until Sirius had mentioned it initially, he hadn't noticed that anything was wrong. He'd felt tired, yes, but he hadn't noticed that it was every single day until it was brought to his attention. Once that happened though, he felt like he was getting worse. At first, he'd thought it was just a cold, but a cold had never hit him this hard.

Not to mention the nightmares. He hadn't connected them to his exhaustion before. It might seem obvious, but he didn't wake up in the middle of the night from them. Besides, they were less nightmares and more... odd dreams. They weren't frightening. They left him feeling uncomfortable, not necessarily scared. He didn't even remember them when he woke up. Honestly, if Sirius hadn't said that he noticed something was wrong, James wasn't sure he ever would have been aware of them. All the same, he didn't think they were related.

"I dunno. I think it's getting worse."

"What's getting worse?"

"Whatever's making me this tired. I barely got out of bed this morning."

"I noticed." Sirius looked at him, worry clear on his face. Evidently, he thought that if James was admitting something was wrong, it was horrible. Which was a little unfair, in his opinion. "I'll walk you to the Hospital Wing."

"I'm capable of walking there by myself."

"Please?" Sirius said, blinking over at him innocently.

He played so sodding dirty. He knew that James couldn't resist it when he did that.

"Fine, but you don't get to whinge if Madame Pomfrey tells you to leave without me."

"Request denied," he said, grabbing James's hand as they started to walk down the corridor. "I will most certainly whinge about it, and there's nothing you can do to stop me. Besides, maybe she'll just give you a Pepper-Up and then we can be on our way. Go for a quick fly about the pitch before we go to the library, yeah?"

"You're encouraging us going to the library?"

"Maybe I want to snog you in a dark corner," Sirius admitted with a grin.

"We could just snog in our room."

Sirius waved him off. "We always do that. We're graduating soon. Do you really want to look back on this time and realise that we didn't fool around in every possible place in this castle?"

"I don't think it would bother me as much as it bothers you," James teased.

Things continued in that vein as they walked. Teasing and shoving, then talking about what they'd do when they graduated. Most of the walk was spent arguing over what kind of couch they wanted in their flat. Sirius said they should have a yellow couch, James thought it should be red. They hadn't come to an agreement by the time they reached the Hospital Wing.

James explained his persistent exhaustion, and Madame Pomfrey said that it was probably nothing to worry about and blamed the same thing that he had: exams. All the same, she cast a diagnostic spell, "Just to be sure, dear."

Then she frowned.

And that was when James got worried. "What?"

"What is it? What's wrong?" Sirius asked. Since Madame Pomfrey thought it hadn't been anything, she'd let Sirius stay.

"It appears to be a curse, but it's not one that I've ever seen."

James's first thought was to blame Snape. Then he thought that might be unfair. After all, the two of them hadn't crossed wands in over a month; they both had better things to do with their time. Then he remembered that this had been going on for a while, long enough that Snape very well might be the cause.

"How long has this been effecting you?"

"I dunno," James said.

"Six weeks," Sirius answered.

James looked over at him, but he was still looking at Madame Pomfrey.

"You really should've come to me sooner," she said, bustling away to her potions cabinet.

"I was just a bit tired; I didn't think it meant anything," James protested. It's not like he was hopeless. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. If this had been a bigger problem, he would've noticed. It's not like he was bleeding from his eyes or summat; it was just a little sleep.

"Much longer of this, and you would've never woken up!"

He blinked at her, hand clenching around Sirius's reflexively.

"My word, you students throwing curses at each other without caring about the consequences! I swear," she said.

James thought it was probably for the best that he not correct her and say that they were thinking about the consequences, but they wouldn't be consequences she approved of them wanting. He kept it to himself, but he knew that Sirius was thinking along the same lines.

"Fortunately," Madame Pomfrey continued, "it seems fixable. Drink this." She pressed a white bottle into his hands. He'd never seen a potion in a white bottle, and he was suspicious to say the least. "Drink," she insisted.

James shot Sirius a look. "If this kills me, say something pleasant at my funeral, yeah?"

"Don't be so bloody dramatic," he said, which was rich, coming from him. "You'll be fine."

"Easy to say when you're not the one drinking a potion of questionable origin." Then, because he didn't want for Madame Pomfrey to glare at him or send Sirius out of the room, he drank it. It tasted like goat's milk. He hated it. "Am I fixed?" he asked her.

"I wouldn't count on it," she said. "That was to prevent it from getting worse. Come back and see me tomorrow after breakfast but before classes start. Curses aren't broken so easily by potions, a fact you should both be well aware of."

They were, but he'd been hopeful. Merlin, it's like she wanted to berate him for getting himself cursed. And, he wanted to add, this time hadn't even been his fault. He'd (mostly) behaved himself all this term, doing nothing to deserve this. Arguably, he deserved it as some sort of back payment for what he'd done over the years, but he'd rather thought that Snape was as tired of it as he was.

James promised to be back in the morning, and they left.

"I can't believe that tosser cursed you. Just wait until I get my hands on him. I'll-"

"You'll do absolutely nothing," James interrupted. "We're only in classes for two more weeks."

"It could've killed you!"

"Didn't, and then we'll never have to see him again. It's a pretty big country."

"Big country, small Wizarding World," Sirius argued. He was getting more upset the more time past, so James did what he usually did when he didn't know how to make him feel better: kissed him.

"I don't want revenge. Let's keep working on our final prank, our NEWT's, and enjoying the rest of our time at Hogwarts. That's all I want." He kissed him again for good measure.

"And getting into my pants doesn't factor into this at all?" Sirius asked, his mood already turning from bad to good.

"Hm? Me?" James said, feigning innocence. "I would never."

"Liar."

"Just be glad that I'm getting back to normal," James said with a grin. Already, he wasn't feeling as tired. He hadn't realised how much it was draining him until it started to alleviate.

"Yeah, you were so hard to deal with. Always lying around, not doing anything exccept looking at me adoringly. However did I survive?"

"It's a miracle, Padfoot, it really is."

[upthehillask]

"James, unlike others, comes from a rich, privileged, pureblooded family" and yet he protected Remus without question and was an activist protecting the right of existence for Muggles and Muggle-borns and went on to fight for their rights in a war. And did all of this and more before he even turned 21. Calling him "spoilt" and "entitled" seems completely unfair

We do know how much good James has done and how loving he was and yet we focus most on Snape’s memory of James. Snape who even years later saw James as nothing more than someone who stole the woman he felt entitled to

Ahh I asked you to not @ me but you still @ me 😠😰 hahaha

But yeah, you're right! James showed great compassion (actively so) from early years, so I agree, it's not really fair to him to just write him off as spoiled/entitled! He's done amazing things!

When you say "we," who do you mean? In my personal fandom bubble, I don't really see James "hate" or whatever, I feel like most people in my environment barely talk about James/Snape thing and do, indeed, adore James! :) And I assume you also don't focus on on the Snape thing? So are you referring to me specifically? In which case, idk.. Like I don't have an agenda against him, I always recognize that, at the end of the day, he was a good person who's, perhaps, made mistakes! I wouldn't say I focus on those mistakes all the time, I don't really think about it. But had those events impacted how I view his teenage self in a general sense? Yeah... :') Doesn't mean I ignore everything else, but when I take it all together into a big picture (and it's not a big one since, again, canon didn't really give him a chance to demonstrate that he learned from his mistakes), I don't feel like the bullying he has done meant nothing. Like, maybe it wasn't that big of a deal, idk, but I still struggle dismissing it and forgiving him (which I don't feel like I have to because he never apologized or acknowledged his wrong, but that again is the issue of very lacking info about him). It IS unfortunate that Snape's very biased memory of James is one of the few things that tell us anything about him, I understand it can be a bit of a misrepresentation in the bigger context.

How Snape viewed James is also a potentially debatable topic that's up to interpretation, but I think I still agree with you.