#i think it goes without saying that any answer will probably be related to those vampires that are being interviewed

[camellia-thea]

okay folks. i need to put my brain to something otherwise i think it might start melting.

that to say. please send asks. they can be questions. they can be writing prompts. they can be opinions. theories. you could ask me about my opinions and theories.

[transgenderpolls]

Submission Guidelines/Disclaimers

First, things to keep in mind when you submit:

there is a limit of 12 answers for polls, and on this blog one of those answers will always be 'show results,' to allow for people that the poll doesn't apply to to see without skewing data. so in reality you have a maximum of 11.

there's also an 80-character limit on the options

SO, if you go over those limits, know that I will take it into my own hands to decide which answers to omit and/or how to re-word it to fit the limit.

even otherwise, expect that the wording of your submission may be slightly altered in order to be more inclusive (when it doesn't affect the data), or because i think you missed an option that you probably meant to include, or just to make it sound less clunky. if you have an issue with any changes upon posting, i'm happy to hear you out.

tbh i may also alter it heavily if i cannot imagine for the life of me why your poll is worded/split up the way it is. like, sorry, i truly do not think that whether someone is transmasc or transneutral would affect their ability to take off a binder without taking off their shirt. if i can instantly think of a smarter way to split it up and collect more thorough data i'll do it.

depending on how many submissions i have it could be anywhere from a day to a week before you see it posted.

if your poll is addressing a very small group, don't be surprised or angry when the 'see results' poll is the biggest. that needs to be there to keep data from being skewed by anyone's curiosity.

Base Guidelines For Submitting:

poll must be related to being trans. it doesn't have to be exclusively directed at trans people, but if you want cis people to be allowed to answer, please make that clear in your submission. otherwise i'll default to it being a trans-only poll.

it CAN be directed at a specific type of trans person, such as trans men/women, non-binary people, trans lesbians, trans moc, etc - literally you can address any specific trans group you want, just make sure to say so.

it CAN relate to sex, just try to be tasteful about it.

What would make me NOT post a submission:

if it's an opinion poll about the validity of any particular type of trans person. "validity" is a moot topic and i'm not going to encourage it, and in any case i'd like the focus of this blog to be about recording experiences (real, undeniable, forever in stone) rather than opinions (always changing, meaningless)

if it's too niche and/or would just make a pointless poll. like, you guys, phalloplasty is expensive as fuck. if you wanna know info about it you're better off just finding someone who's had it and talking to them.

if it's something like "trans people: do you like pineapple on pizza?" or some other question that doesn't actually have anything to do with being trans. if you wanna send something like this, make your case for why it's relevant that the poll is directed at trans people.

if it's some other obviously offensive shit, obviously. no racism or whatnot here.

FAQ:

Who counts as trans?/Can I vote on a poll for trans people if I'm nonbinary?

We self-define here, so if you consider yourself trans, you're trans. Non-binary is definitionally under the trans umbrella - though you're not obligated to consider yourself trans if you don't relate to a trans experience.

Why isn't there an option for X?/You missed an option.

Sometimes I may genuinely miss an option, but 9 times out of 10 the lack of the option is either due to the poll limits on tumblr, or because it goes against the point of the poll. For example, if the question begins with "If you're on HRT," then "i'm not on HRT" isn't going to be an option. If the prerequisite of the poll doesn't apply to you, then what you click is "see results." If it's something a little less concrete, polls will always include some kind of "other" option anyway.

Can you make more polls for X type of trans person?

*I* make polls based off what I'm personally curious about. If you're curious about something, submit it!

Can you get rid of the 'see results' button? Or can you not include it on this particular poll? I only want X people to respond. This poll is ONLY for X people.

If a poll is on this blog, it's for everyone, questioning and simply curious people included. It's also not going to stop curious people from clicking if there's no 'see results' button. It ensures that the data doesn't get skewed, and gathering data is what polls are for. It doesn't hurt you to see a big see results bar. The data is still there. If the bar does wind up obscuring more significant data, that means the poll was addressing too small of a group to begin with. And that's NOT the end of the world. This blog is far from the only place where you can get information about other trans people's experiences.

[vaperarmand]

this is such a fucking stupid question but. do you have any advice for developing a good understanding of characters? like i wish i could put those guys into situations but it's like there's a mental block and my mind goes blank as if they're Unfathomable Real People Who I Cannot Possibly Hope To Ever Understand.

no not a stupid question! actually a really good question. it's such a good question in fact that i don't have a simple answer so i'm going to. word vomit onto the page and hope something sticks. i ramble like crazy so have a read more :)

precursor: i have to note that i feel like armand and daniel are the two characters i've like. Understood. more than any other characters in my life. i think that's because i relate to them both in very distinct but separate ways (we'll discuss that later) but i think it's also because. part of anne rice's writing and the show's adaptation is so determined to break these characters down to their fundamental parts. that's kind of the thesis statement of the books, even, that when you live forever you're no longer a "product of your time" but rather just you, yourself, and you kind of have to spend the rest of your eternal life figuring out who that is. so that to me gives both a flexibility and a set of basic building blocks for each character that you can play with.

that being said, here are a couple of ways i maybe go about building understanding:

option 1: the projectorrrrr (this is me most of the time)

if you like looking at your character and going "ha ha i do that" then that's awesome. do that! figure out what parts you relate to and think, okay, if the vampire armand was me, how would he react to my coworker saying this. alternatively, if i was the vampire armand, would would i do if i'd just broken a 500 year vow to myself?

this is where, like, critical thinking comes into play of course, because you are not the vampire armand and the vampire armand is not you. but 1) you're allowed to play around in the sandbox and have fun without constantly going "He Would Not Fucking Say That" because uhhh. this is fandom and we are doing this for fun and 2) once you to get to the point where you're kindly going "He Would Not Fucking Say That" you can then be like oh! well what would he say? because the contrasts are often as fun to explore as the comparisons

option 2: that's my friend

i also think you genuinely can view characters as Real People — but you can hope to understand them!!! or at least you can understand Your view of them, which doesn't have to perfectly match mine or anyone else's view.

this is going to sound crazy and part of the reason why i feel like i don't have a good answer to your question, but genuinely my best writing happens when i uhhh. hear them speaking. in my mind. this is literally a developed skill because like 4-5 years ago i was terrible at writing dialogue and it frustrated me + i never had good ideas for fics because i just wanted to write meta posts. so i was like. i'm going to get good at writing dialogue if it kills me. imagine you're talking to them or they're talking to someone else. look up writing prompt sentences (like on roleplay blogs if nothing else) and think about how they'd respond. i'm at the point where i'll decide on a situation and will sit in silence for a minute, imagine them like dolls in my head, and go "SPEAK!" and wait to hear what they'll say.

my final tip is to please please remember if nothing else that this is supposed to be fun and that at the end of the day it is just playing with dolls online with your friends. you're allowed to be wrong. in fact you probably will be. but that's okay! you can start small and be wrong and as long as you're having fun and enjoying putting your characters in scenarios it's all worth it

[xoxoalette]

Maybe its only me who noticed this but is Eddie the fan favorite on here? I feel sad for Diva so lets give her some love and attention too! Are there any interesting facts about her that you want to share with us? Leave Eddie at home today lol

This is more of a personal one but does it ever bother you (the creator) when fans ask about Eddie more than Diva? You don’t have to answer this part if its too personal

Eddie sure is a fan favorite yeah !! I wouldn’t say it bothers me— I do get a bit sad but Ik the community prefers yandere men over women, so it makes sense for everyone to levitate towards Eddie. Not to mention I haven’t really done Diva any justice with my writing ^^

There have been times where I considered changing Diva’s sex but eh, I like her how she is rn :3 I just gotta work on her character

But onto the facts !!

Diva actually owns a collection of guns, her grandfather enjoys them and she picked up that interest from him. He’s also where she gets her interest in cars from !! She also has pretty scary aim.

Diva also does cam services, and it’s how she makes a lot of her income— glucose benefactors, onlyfans. That being said— she does it just for fun and would have no problem quitting once she got a partner and they voiced their discomfort towards it. That being said— Diva would not do twitch streaming, idk she’s just not v into gaming streams, so she’d probably get a job related to fashion/marketing.

I think a lot of people missed this since I’ve only mentioned it a few times and waaaay back— but Diva has a large scar on her back due to conflict with Eddie in the past. While she holds no grudge against him, I don’t think she cares too much about how he’s still hung up over it. (Not in like ‘get over it’ kinda way but like, ‘it’s not my problem’)

Diva doesn’t live in the same town as Eddie, she moved after getting a scholarship to a university a few towns north, so she lives in a city that’s a few hours away. While Diva typically comes off as a bimbo and almost airheaded, she’s very smart and it comes more naturally unlike Eddie who has to actually study.

Cannot cook, can barely bake. It’s just not in her genes and she has a hard time following recipes because she can be pretty lazy geehee… so she typically eats out or someone she knows cooks for her.

And here’s some things I’ve been thinking of rewriting/adding to her character:

Under read more cause I’m typing on my phone and done know how long this post actually is 😋 keep in mind, the canons below might not be set in stone

Cw:

Diva is still very social and bubbly, and she’s extremely friendly. It’s her natural personality, but also— it sure helps draw people closer, and those she’s interested in even closer.

Not to mention when someone likes you, they’re more malleable. Diva’s thoughts not mine !!

Her toxic trait? Poking a bear with a stick. But not in the sense that she wants to get people mad at her— in fact, it goes the other way, she wants to see how far she can push someone when they’re into her.

Unlike Eddie who is repulsed by his violent tendencies, ever since Diva moved to the city, she’s had bad influences. But at least when she needs people to disappear she knows who to call. There’s no blood or dirt on her hands. Usually.

Maybe she isn’t a yandere after all, maybe she is. All that matters to her is how far you can prove how much you love her :)

She wouldn’t stalk MC babes actively, but she would so put an AirTag on one of their possessions without them knowing just so if she did want to check on them, she can check her phone.

Impulsive. Impulsive impulsive impulsive. You’d think because she’s smart she’d make better choices, but Diva is only human.

[kanzakurawrites]

Hi I really like your descendants fic and your posts, so I have a question. If descendants was a pg16 show that actually did it's worldbuilding what elements would you ADD, which elements would you remove and what would you expand on?

Oooh, this is an interesting question. I'm sorry it took so long to get this answered! (and apologizing in advance for any rambling that takes place)

First things first, I'd want the show to switch between the Isle and Auradon. I am PERFECTLY fine with the main cast staying the main characters from the first three films. So it would be eye-opening, and good for the characters, for the show to have switched between the Auradonians, the Core Four, and the Sea Three.

I'd also want at LEAST the entire first episode, preferably first two or three, to have the Core Four on the Isle. Working with THEIR gang. So we can see what it is like for them to live on the Isle, what its like for them to be around their parents, and how they interact with others, before going straight to Auradon.

Now, Isle-related things.

I definitely know I'd want to add more elements of abuse on the Isle. It's implied in the movies, but they also seem to backtrack at times. (Dizzy's "wicked step-grandmother" comment, and then suddenly portraying Lady Tremaine as caring - the Vk's running to the Isle to see their parents.) It would need to be shown that the Isle is a HORRIBLE place. Physical, emotional.... and other forms of abuse. These things HAPPEN, and they are going to happen on the Isle.

As much as I hate to say it, there is definitely teen pregnancy on the Isle. There's also a lot of death for ALL ages.

Remember Mal's comment about gang activity? Let's see it. Show us the gangs, the fights, the rules, the alliances. Show us the politics on the Isle, and how these are CHILDREN fighting for their lives. Which also means injuries and scars.

There are all sorts of HORRIBLE crimes that people get sent to jail for (I really don't want to type the words since it makes me sick to my stomach), and those people are ON. THE. ISLE. It's not just the villains from the fairy tales on the Isle, its all the criminals as well. There's a lot of reasons the VK's have gangs, and keeping each other safe is one of them.

With that said, not all the VK's are going to be good either. Some of them will end up bad in the end. Just like there are going to be bad people in Auradon.

And then with the barrier, are seasons a thing on the Isle or does the dome mean that the temperature stays relatively the same? Are the summers scorching and winters freezing and dirty, given the pollution over the Isle? Things can't even grow!

How DID the Isle get approved? Was it better in the beginning? Did they just not think that villains could have children? These are questions that need to be answered, because even without purposefully trying to make it dark, the things we know about the Isle are sickening to think about. Nothing can grow, food is always rotten, everything is crumbling, and there is horrible pollution.

What is illness like on the Isle? It can't be good, it would run rampant. I want to see how it's dealt with.

And finally, how does the Isle affect the magical people there? Witches could probably be okay being cut off from magic, but fairies? They are inherently magical. Magic is apart of them. Same goes with Ursula, Morgana, Hades (though he's probably not affected at all). Trolls, dwarves (there have to be some), goblins, pixies, etc. Any on the isle, and their children, how are they affected here? Does Uma feel a loss in her chest when she's near the sea? Does Mal mourn her horns and wings? (and will she ever get any?) Is it painful? Do they get sick when they're in Auradon and finally around all this magic? Because you can't just... get rid of magic. It's going to be there.

Auradon Things:

I would really want to expand on how Auradon came to be. Along with the, likely, war that happened when rounding up the villains cause there's no way that was peaceful.

Politics. I want the politics. How do all these kingdoms work? What political parties are there? How are views on the Isle handled?

Arranged-Marriages are a thing. Not everyone does it, but I feel like we can all agree that some people (*cough*Leah*cough*) believe that they are superior to "Falling in love." I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Audrey and Ben had an arranged marriage.

Abuse. It's not just a thing on the Isle, but it's in Auradon as well, just in a different way. While there's a lot more physical abuse on the Isle, there's verbal and emotional in Auradon. Leah and, though I hate saying it, Beast are perfect examples. Leah constantly puts Audrey down, she makes her feel inferior. Beast made his sixteen year old High King... I'm sure I could find more examples for him but I think that's a pretty big thing right there.

Another thing to expand on is the equality issue in Auradon. The "sidekicks" got the short end of the deal, even though Ben tried to make it better, as the dwarves and animals weren't being PAID. They just worked all the time for the Royals. Magical people have seemed to be pushed aside, like Beast wants them all gone. Jane couldn't even train her with her magic! And she's Fairy Godmother's daughter! The three good fairies and other fairies from Aurora's kingdom are actively having to not use magic. How do Kingdom's like Corona (Ruby has the 70ft hair, so some semblance of magic had to be passed down. Magic is also canonical in Tangled the Series, along with things like DRAGONS), Arendalle, Agrabah, etc. function?

How do things with the gods play out? What is there contract with Auradon, cause I am NOT convinced that they would just let these mortals walk all over them forever. It's one of my biggest issues with Hades on the Isle as well, and why I think there has to be some bigger reason he's on the Isle. (Whether its them waiting for Beast's term to be over, or perhaps something the Fates said)

I'd want to add in how religions play out in Auradon, because all these stories come from different places. There are characters who are canonically religious in their films, good and bad. It's not something you can just erase.

How did Auradon as a whole react when the VK's came over? Were there protests? Was Ben under a lot of heat, or was Beast for letting Ben do this? How were the VK's treated at first? Not everyone was going to be welcoming. Who stood beside Ben, who was neutral, and who went against him?

Then with relationships. Honestly, I really like Mal and Ben, but I'd want to see them develop a relationship. Maybe mention their dreams and hint to the true loves, have them work through the love spell issue, show them dealing with cultural differences. Give them a realistic relationship with more depth.

With Evie, show the expectations her mother would have put on her. Did she have flings? Was she pushed to try to be with any "higher up" Isle male?

Harry and Uma... yeah their together. With the rating up, there is no reason to pretend they aren't or only give small hints. We get to have this relationship and yeah, you know, they are just Harry and Uma.

And when the VKs do come to Auradon, who are their foster parents? Because they have to have someone, right? How is that handled? How are they taken care of?

Then with the abuse they went through, show us the hints. Flinching when there are yells, or when someone goes to touch them. Maybe blank looks, disassociation, just not knowing how to handle relationships! Friendship or with adults! How they see themselves. That stuff does a number on you, even after years. And I understand why Disney didn't go deeply into this, but it also shouldn't just be brushed away. Acknowledging it could have helped just explain some of the VK's actions. (Such as Mal in the third movie, wanting to please the ultimately parental figures around her.)

I really don't think there's much about Descendants that I'd remove, I'd just want to expand on the world and make it... darker, I guess. More realistic vs. sunshine and roses.

(Also. Adding seasons. Seasons EXIST Disney.)

[yvesdot]

@zennialemo said in the tags of this post: #I get this #But I have a genuine question... do the people with this take support for profit art? #if you do support for profit art then what do you think the solutions are to taking and selling someone else's art as your own? #I keep seeing and UNDERSTANDING these arguments but it feels out of touch with the capitalist world we live in #genuinely asking

Good question!

To put it briefly, I don't see a way to prevent "plagiarism" in the legal sense without making everything worse for everyone forever. I would certainly be sad if, e.g., Disney took my unknown-person-art and somehow turned it into a film and made infinite money from it, but it seems simultaneously unlikely to happen (likelihood of being plagiarized increases with one's influence in the world) and, more importantly, impossible to stop without making things worse for everyone else.

For example, say the law is as simple as "no making money off of the full and complete text of an author's book without their prior authorization." To be clear, this isn't what copyright is; I'm just taking a much more specific view to hopefully better answer your question about why I don't support even limiting copyright to such specific cases as "making money off of someone else's full and complete work when they explicitly don't want you to."

Then someone uploads Something's Not Right to some book-piracy site without my consent—perhaps I wouldn't have consented if they had asked, or perhaps I would have, but I am unreachable for any number of reasons, from hypothetically not having a public email address to simply being busy. Perhaps I did consent, but to another pirate site, which this reader cannot use for an accessibility or location-related reason. Perhaps I was unable to consent, because I was concerned about doing so informally, outside of the bounds of a legal contract, or because I was concerned allowing one site but not another would be seen as frivolous and unenforcable. Perhaps I was simply afraid of what this personal stance would imply for my general political opinions, which could get me dogpiled on Twitter. (What if the pirate site is run by people with horrible opinions? What if it runs suspicious ads? Do I even have time to check?) Whatever the reason, they don't get my permission.

Now, the piracy site needs to pay for servers. Should they run ads? Offer premium accounts? Take donations? If they do any of these, I can sue, because they are making money off of a project that includes the full text of my work, and it doesn't matter what they use the money for, even if it only ever goes to server costs—and should the people maintaining the website not be paid for their labor? why should I be paid for my labor and not them?��I can sue, and get the website taken down.

This is almost exactly what happened to Club Penguin Rewritten. They reused the assets of the original, and Disney owned the copyright, so when the CPR team added optional ads for in-game rewards (in addition to their Patreon), Disney shut them down. And I lost my puffle Xx_nootkin_xX, which is probably the worst thing to ever happen to anyone, ever, and on its own merits not only abolishing copyright but also burning down the earth.

There's just no way to have copyright law for me but not for thee (in this case, Disney). Even excising corporations and only allowing individuals to stake their copyright claims leaves room for the many, many Anne Rices of the world. The law will always favor those with more power, influence, and money.

So, while I do support the seemingly impossible goal of UBI alongside the seemingly impossible goal of copyright abolition, I think a much more important answer to your direct question of why abolish copyright even without everyone's financial safety and security already assured is: I think copyright is an active harm, not a good, and I do not see a way to stop people from doing things I don't want them to do with my writing that doesn't also make things worse for everyone, everywhere—myself included.

(Or, put another way: I don't support people whitewashing my characters in fanfiction, but I have no way of stopping it legally without creating the framework for people to stop me writing whatever they deem objectionable with their work. The question is not one of ethics alone, but practicality.)

Also, thanks so much for asking, and for being open about your disagreement and not running away into the distance! Hopefully this hour-long spiel was helpful to you. I really do appreciate your respecting me, and my opinion, enough to stick around and ask.

[worklesslady]

I got laid off

Two months ago, I got a promotion at my job. Higher salary and, above all, a boost to my self-esteem. I was performing well; feedback from everywhere was amazing. Everyone I worked with loved me, and the company recognized my dedication and rewarded me with a promotion!

I was happy and satisfied. I enjoyed a nice trip with my girlfriend to Venice (we live in the Netherlands, and I'm Italian).

My career was going well. I had found a job that I loved and excelled at.

One month ago, I got laid off. Apparently, my company has two heads that don't communicate with each other. One head is the managers who actually do the job and work with people; the other head is the stakeholder-pleasers who don't care at all about people, but just about numbers.

The US didn't reach the quota this year, so let's cut all the EU market. It doesn't matter how well they're doing; they are too small in comparison.

And the people who work there?

Probably the answer to this question was: Who?

We got laid off—me, my team, other European teams. All our work, planning, and energy didn't mean enough.

It happened in a few hours. One minute I was enjoying my first salary after the promotion, and the next minute I was crying because I would soon be kicked out of the system.

I feel like I fell from the top of a building.

Everybody around me is saying not to worry, that I'll find another job, that I'm qualified, and everything will be good.

The truth is, nothing is good. I feel like shit. I have Rejection Sensitivity, so you can imagine how fun it is to receive tons of rejection emails for your applications.

And what about the tips about CVs, cover letters, and all the different application methods that exist? One goes against the other, and you're left more confused than ever.

People are telling me to take it easy, that I have time and I just started my application process, but I'm not good, I'm not feeling good. Then I think: what the fuck has this world made us become? Why do I feel so worthless when I didn't even get fired? I was a good worker, but still, it wasn't enough. Why can't I help but think that without a job, I'm nobody?

The absurd thing is that I would never think this of any of the people I know. People I love, including my girlfriend, have gone through periods when they didn't have a job and needed to find a new one. During those times, never, even for a second, did it occur to me to judge them or think less of them because they didn't have a job. So, why am I so hard on myself? Why can't I take all of this with more serenity? What's wrong with me?

I've opened this blog just to vent and let my thoughts out. I wanted to come across as a bit more funny, but today is not a very good day. Hopefully, I'll soon sharpen my "virtual pen."

Can anybody relate? Have you gone through it? Any suggestions? Anybody else need support?

[catchyhuh]

O wise angry Lupin circle on my monitor, grace us with your answer: Who is your favorite?

i used to joke that regardless of if i wanted it to be obvious it was obvious until one of my friends sincerely thought i hated him for like three months because of how i talked about him. so maybe it really isn’t that obvious!! on a completely unrelated note here’s a list of zenigata fun facts off the top of my head!

as far as i know he’s the only one with an exact age. you do the math of when byebye lady liberty came out and the birthdate on his id, you get 51. damn.

canonical shoujo fan (read rose of versailles) but also has seen dirty harry 40 times so. varied tastes. he’s a complicated person.

local police departments fucking hate him not because of his weirdo methods or just how eccentric he is in general (tbh its more funny to them than anything, and he DOES end up putting other, worse criminals in jail during the process of the lupin escapades) but because he racks up HUGE fucking debts like everywhere he goes and like maybe 10% of it is actually related to lupin. he picks out nice hotels and restaurants and shit (or he did before they finally started cracking down on that shit). but i say we let him. waste that cop budget and live that high life my man!!

has survived multiple building-leveling explosions, has survived falling dozens of feet with nothing but a looney tunes sound effect indicating there was any impact at all, being shot in the heart twice, one time being legally pronounced DEAD but going “jk did you say lupin” and shooting out of bed, he got hit with enough tranquilizer to keep an elephant down for 3 hours i think (he woke up in 10 minutes) and he’s also bitten through steel bars with his teeth. no i don’t mean the handcuffs, although he does do that a lot too, i mean actual like jail cell bars. he’s a medical miracle

honestly i think if he just committed to only using bikes and motorcycles he’d be able to keep up in car chases more effectively because not only has he just outright tackled someone with a motorbike before but he’s fast as fucking hell on those things!! 

sorry made it this far without mentioning lupin but he’s also had lupin’s phone number a few times. he texts him. i mean lupin texts zenigata. probably noWell maybe the other way around but he knows better than to even try to trace the number at this point. he also used to hate cell phones but got over it and now has a live wallpaper. don’t tell him those things drain your battery he’d be so disappointed

uh apparently he worked construction at one point in his life. kinda terrifying to imagine a pre-thief-busting era zeni

has had THREE different first names because they couldn’t be fucked to keep track. koichi apparently came from a misspelling of his SECOND name (which i can’t be bothered to look up again i’m lazy i told you this was all off the top of my head) and they just went “no i kinda dig that. keep that one” and so that’s what they’ve used since. i cannot stress enough how unserious this series is

here's a small collection of images of him eating shit!

[lawlietscaramels]

self intro, interaction guidelines & dni, asks rules, REQUESTS OPEN FOR RIE, RIELIET OR CODING ONLY, masterlist, copyright and related policies

my commissions !!!

if you are from Palestine, I am only able to share your post/ask if you have been vouched for. I'm so sorry to say this. I know you all have gone through so much already. Unfortunately, there are still horrible people trying to use this as an opportunity to scam others. I don't feel comfortable sharing a link with my followers if I can't be sure it's going to the right people. I hope for everyone's safety.

╾ SELF INTRO

hi, welcome to my bLog! I'm lei (lay), they/them. I'm aroace and autistic. I use tone tags, specify, and speak really "!! :)" positively. I'm an artist and writer and I'm obsessed with Death Note! especially L he's so cute.

I have an OC for the fandom and if people will listen I will not shut up about her/hj . She stars in two multichapters, proLogue: 1429 and fish and seagulls and chips and murder. her tag is #desunorie (Rie of Death (Note)) and sometimes #desunorehn.

my stance on rivals to lovers vs enemies to lovers (I'm the anon) and don't take my OC Rie as a self or reader insert and on AI

╾ INTERACTION GUIDELINES

followers can tag me on anything SFW :) fanart and the like, things you think I'd be interested in.. yep!

I really really appreciate reblogs!! They help other people see my stuff 💕

DNI is general stuff, homo/transphobe, ableist, racist, sexist, zoo- or pedophile, general hate, pro/neutral on the genocide, solely/mainly NSFW blog, all that. probably forgot something but in general, nothing illegal, discriminatory, or hateful.

Change your name and pfp from default before following or you'll be blocked as a bot!

╾ ASKS

Asks are OPEN for Rie (my OC) only. Chat or request at any time and feel free to give yourself an emoji/name and pronouns :D no NSFW asks please. but I'll do my best to answer everything I'm comfortable with!

I want my fics to be as inclusive as possible so the reader will never have distinct characteristics unless the headcanons/story revolves around or heavily features those characteristics (eg "reactions to a reader who does x hobby", "comforting reader who's insecure about y trait"). DO NOT ASK for f!reader unless the reader being female somehow changes the plot completely. Same goes for other genders/traits.

Named anons:

🌜 anon; 🍪 anon; 🍰 anon; 🎲 anon; 🗯️ anon; 🎤 anon.

are they in colour order? nooooo....

Asks and my rambles tag is #lei chats. anons are tagged #anons and #(emoji) anon. Requests don't have a specific tag.

╾ MASTERLIST

All of my writing is my own original work. Do not repost (reblogs are fine, no posting on other sites without explicit permission), claim as your own work, edit or rewrite, “fix,” or use unethically. All the below works are ©lawlietscaramels 2023—2024

key:

╾ is a theory or analysis. Anything without is headcanons, x readers, and stories.

‼️ is content with potentially adult/somewhat mature/triggering themes. Specific warnings will be in posts, and in cases like Alcohol, in the title.

⏱ is for older posts in which I no longer agree with my headcanons, theories or how I write the characters. outdated opinions, you could say.

I'll organise it further later ☆

AUs:

Royal/Mediaeval AU

Introduction / L, Matsuda, Matt

Mello

Near

Cast:

tag: #lei's death note (heads up, I'll also use this tag for my AUs and how I interpret the series and characters in general)

Assorted Box of Headcanons (Task Force)

╾ ⏱ Colours (Task Force + OC)

Incorrect Quotes (Task Force)

Laugh a Little Louder

Pokémon! (Task Force + OC)

What's Your Goal? (Task Force)

Events:

Event posts are linked in the master posts for their event. The links here are to the master posts for each event.

Rebirth (#death note reborn) / closed

Death Note Ship & MCR / closed, working on answers

L:

tag: #lei's lawliet

2am

‼️Alcohol (author's pick)

Cake

Cold Pink Cheeks (author's pick)

Detective S/O

Embarrassing Moments

Hair

╾ “L” is his middle name

Lei's L and Matsu Thoughts

Let's Try a Massage

Little Kitten

Platypus Part I and Part II

Reader with Chronic Motor Tics

Rubbing Noses (author's pick)

Stupid

That's My Voice!

To Hold Your Hand

Trickshots

⏱ Watch Over Me (author's pick)

╾‼️⏱ Yandere

You're Pretty (author's pick)

Light:

2am

Thrifting

To Hold Your Hand

⏱ Watch Over Me (author's pick)

Misa:

2am

Happy Birthday

Little Kitten

╾ ⏱ (kinda) Misa's Character Had So Much Potential

To Hold Your Hand

Matsuda:

Matsuda does interviews! find them under #matsuda interview special or in this list marked with a ⁀➷

Lei's L and Matsu Thoughts

What is My Worth? (author's pick - MATSUDA SONG FOR DN MUSICAL!!)

⁀➷What's Your Goal?

Naomi

Martial Arts

Near:

Embarrassing Moments

Reaction to Trans Male Reader

Reader with Tics

Mello:

Embarrassing Moments

Reaction to Trans Male Reader

Reader with Tics

Matt:

Embarrassing Moments

Headcanons

Beyond Birthday:

Embarrassing Moments

Eyes

‼️of α and β (author's pick) / also on ao3

A:

‼️of α and β (author's pick) / also on ao3

Rie (OC):

Rie is my original character and though she has been inserted into Ohba Tsugumi's Death Note universe, her design, character, and non canon related storyline are all my own original work. Do not steal her design, claim her as your own, or use her for “inspiration” — it's flattering but it often ends up a copy. However, sfw fanart and story cameos of her are always appreciated! character ©lawlietscaramels , ©dailyreine , ©riexliet 2023—2024.

tag: #desunorie

Aliases

⏱⏱ First Draft

Interview

⏱ Introduction

Real Name

Terrible & Terrifying

Thoughts (Rie & Light)

Extra (small) stuff on @dailyreine 🩷

my writing tag is #lei writes. Comment or DM to be added to a taglist (character/s, headcanon format, anything).

╾ ART

All of my art is my own original work. Do not repost (reblogs are fine, no posting on other sites without explicit permission), claim as your own work, edit or trace, copy, use for ai, “fix,” or use unethically. All the below works are ©lawlietscaramels , ©dailyreine , ©riexliet 2023—2024

surprise! bonus section! I also do art (mostly of Rie but maybe I'll do canon characters, you can send requests for art too but they'll take longer). Without anything in ()s, it's just Rie. tag is #lei draws.

A + B

assorted sketches (L, B + Rie)

badges (Main Trio + Rie)

just an eye

hands trend

m&ms (Wammy's kids, edit, not my art)

‼️ mcr (L + Rie - BLOOD)

scarf in the snow (L + Rie)

valentines (L + Rie, bonus Mello and Matt)

　★━━─・‥…━━━☆

I'll organise further sometime in the future :)

[just-sp-in-inginthevoid]

So I was thinking how so many girls in the fandom love and fawn over Shinichiro but in the Tokyorev universe it’s the complete opposite. Even with basically everyone saying how a perfect old brother and leader he is, he still got rejected 20 times.

This also goes on why Shin wants to be in a romantic relationship so bad? It is him just a romantic at hear or is this somehow related to his parents relationship and he just wants to prove himself that he can be different than them (more in how he can be different than his father and by that proving that it is possible to have a fulling relationship without cheating).

Ah, the infinite amount of answers to those questions... I mean, for why he is so unpopular it's probably cuz he sucks at flirting and since we as the audience never saw that part of him, we focus on what we know of him which.. for the most part is far more noble and cool (even if some questionable actions of his remain - but we love him and his flaws anyway). The girls he was after probably never saw these other sides of him (if they did, he'd have had experienced smth similar to Takemichi (w/ Hinata, Yuzuha & Senju). Altho I guess we know so little about him back in BD that we can't say for certain if that didn't happen)

The 'why Shinichiro wanted a relationship so bad'-question is even more difficult to figure out. I've got my own headcanon about it, but that's only speculations ofc and pretty much baseless.

Shinichiro wants a relationship very very much. But he doesn't actually catch the concept of falling in love and being interested in someone beforehand. He'd 'fall' for girls but he'd actually not know much about them. Being rejected hurt still, because his intents were genuine and not deceitful but even if his heart gets hurt, he recovers pretty quickly and steadily: because he's craving the relationship, not the girl. He only knows them on surface level, and god knows if they are even aware of his existence

He's raising Mikey and Emma, right? He's their father figure, but they've got no mother figure. they need one. and we know how japan works, nuclear 'traditional' family all the way, how else do you want the kids to grow up 'normally'? and he has to raise them good. thats his job

Shinichiro also looks up to his father (not for the cheating part, let's hope really hard--) so he probably tried to (consciously or not) act like him when he tries to flirt. except he's likely awfully bad at it. And Shinichiro is a momma boy to me so ain't no way he's in favor of hurting women emotionally (and physically ofc ofc), he's far to attached to his mom for that (I will not. have any thoughts about how Shinichiro may feel about his father. I do not have the time for that. No. Nope. nopety nopes.... Heloveshimlotsbutthere'sstillthebitterresentmentanddisappointmentthatlotsofpplfeeltowardstheirparentsforfairjustifiedreasons)

Once he manages to - actually, fully - fall in love he's 100% head over heels, hopeless romantic all the way. He's corny. He's pathetic. He's a loser. We love that for him. But I don't think he falls that easily, I think he tries (as a teen at least) to trigger his falls (and fails. which girls may have picked up on, too). He has a very specific idea of romantic relationships, too so if it doesn't look like what he imagines, he may be a bit lost

[laura1633]

I'm not a huge Lando fan or hater, but tbh I'm pretty shocked by all the vitriol directed at him since the race. Like I don't think landos comments in the interview were great, he could have been calmer, more diplomatic and eloquent. But... he isn't those things? From all the interviews of him I've seen since 2019, the constant traits he shows are that he's anxious, emotional, and not great at stringing a sentence together on his best day (which is probably at least partially related to his dyslexia, a learning disorder that can absolutely impact someone's ability to find the right words and express themselves verbally).

And so this guy, who skews very emotional, who has just experienced a crash and DNFd from the race, is put in front of a bunch of cameras and asked a bunch of questions while hes still full of adrenaline, and is now being absolutely devoured because he was mad and reactive and didn't offer a carefully nuanced perspective in that moment?

I just think people are holding lando to an impossibly high standard.

Response is below the cut again so that people can scroll past but given this ask was a different perspective I thought it only fair to share and respond.

I honestly don't know what type of reaction Lando is getting on social media or in any other space. I had to switch off from everywhere except here when I started to read people talking about Max deserving another crash like Silverstone 2021 which I thought was an absolutely vile thing to say and the sport would be better off without "fans" like that.

The reason I said that I give Lando a lot of leeway is because I have always found him to be awkward in interviews . I don't actually mean for that to come across as rude, as someone who has anxiety and adhd I also struggle a lot with expressing my thoughts, especially verbally. So I suppose awkward isn't the correct word, perhaps a better word is uncomfortable.

I also interpret things differently from some others so when Lando has said in the past "I should have won", I interpret it as him being hard on himself rather than self entitled. I also noticed that when he was talking about the effects of the safety car in Canada and saying he would have won without it a lot of the quotes cut off there whereas I know Lando went on to say something along the lines of "but the safety car helped me in Miami". It's clickbait reporting and I have also seen it happen to other drivers such as Max and Lewis. A lot of the blame can lie with the way things are reported and sensationalised.

To me personally the comments Lando made yesterday went beyond 'not giving a nuanced answer' but that is just my opinion. I should also say that its my opinion as a Max fan and I will always be honest and upfront about the fact that I am biased when it comes to anything to do with Max.

What I will say is that I don't think there was any need for the media to ask about their friendship. They could have just asked about the incident itself. I think the media have been building up and waiting for this moment and that is why we have heard so much about their friendship over the last few months. The media will be loving this as they really seem to enjoy making a soap opera out of a sport.

I make no attempt to say I see this through neutral eyes, I see this as a Max supporter. At the same time I don't think there is any need for people to be targeted and attacked on social media, I wouldn't want that for Lando in the same way as I wouldn't want that for Max. These are real people at the end of the day.

We have seen worse contact between other drivers and worse comments and reactions and people have made up and got on with things so lets see how it goes.

[junkh3ad]

After giving it some thought, I’m convinced that all of Dethklok including Charles might be neurodivergent. I headcanon Nathan, Toki and maybe Charles on the autism spectrum. Nathan is more obvious cuz he was nonverbal until he was five, has special interests like metal or anything brutal. Toki does have special interests too like cutesy stuff and animals or plushies and gets overstimulated by loud noises. I have autism myself so I can kinda relate.

Skwisgaar is obvious, it’s canon that he has music dyslexia. Murderface might be dyslexic too since he can’t spell too good and I think he might have adhd too probably. As for Pickles, I’m not sure. Some headcanons say that he has adhd too so probably.

i love a good HC. i really do, and as someone with autism it’s been my favorite thing to look at a character and be like mmm…autism radiates from you.

Nathan, Toki and Skwisgaar do that for me. Nathan is really obvious i feel, like it feels almost wrong for it to not be cannon. This goes into play with the ask i answered yesterday about Nathan not liking showers for sensory issues.

Tokis got the childhood neglect/abuse plus autism combo. I know he’s use to the cold because of his upbringing but it also could be related to how people with autism deal with some things differently (hot/cold tolerance.) The toy models are definitely one of his Interests, and Deddy bear being his Comfort item is just. i relate to that.

Skwisgaar. my beloved tall man. This man has such a complicated relationship with emotion. You know he cares about Toki, you can tell he does. But he absolutely hates showing emotion, it’s weird to him and he doesn’t understand why people need to explicitly be told he cares about them. Guitar is his Special Interest, and that’s one of the reasons why he’s a God at it. The music dyslexia also adds in here, the fact that he figures out a way to play music without ever reading it is really amazing to me.

Murderface i think definitely has ADHD, he’s got the same vibe as a younger sibling with ADHD up the ass. Constantly trying to get your attention and when you get overwhelmed he thinks you hate him (you really just need a moment of silence.)

Pickles! my beloved!! i think he’s got audhd. He’s got the good ol double whammy autism and adhd but never diagnosed. His drinking/drug use is a coping mechanism, he hates how his mind races and how he can’t get it to shut up unless he’s stoned or drunk. He’s got rituals, he does things a certain way and when those rituals get messed up it freaks him out. The one extra where he makes the rest of the band go into the closet for a little so he can have alone time. do i need to explain any more?? lmfao.

i love these men. i love projecting onto them.

[jacksonscouts]

Gather round, Scouts!

Let's meet @roselees, our Scout Spotlight winner! Feel free to say hello or give reactions in the comments. Now without further ado...😊

1. What was your first introduction to TLOU?

Is this when I confess I'm a relatively new fan? 🙈 I first played the game in about 2021 when I was looking on the PS Plus catalogue for something to play, and I've been hooked ever since!

Finding out there was a show was just an added bonus, even if streaming it here isn't super accessible. I wasn't necessarily the biggest fan of games in this genre so it was an accident I stumbled across it, but I'm very glad I did.

2. What would Joel's favorite girl scout cookie be?

3. What TLOU moment lives rent-free in your head?

None.. he's on Atkins ✋️.. my terrible show reference aside, in terms of an actual answer, I'm not from the States so my knowledge of girl-scout cookies is limited to pop culture but after a bit of googling:

I think he'd be kinda basic.. he's probably a thin-mints kind of guy. Whatever Sarah would buy, he'd probably sneak one when she went to bed, in typical dad fashion.

4. Any special talents?

Tess' goodbye in the game was an especially poignant moment because I went into it completely blind - I hadn't had any spoilers and had no idea what was coming. I'm a big fan of exploring different types of relationship and connections within media and so I really loved how they managed to essentially canonize how important Tess and Joel were to one another in that final scene without having either of them out and out /say/ it.

Something about the way in which their relationship is so clearly this unspoken bond built up over the years was really beautifully done and it really does occupy so much space it should be paying rent

And for the show - I'll keep it quick here because I've rambled enough - but definitely the scene where they first arrive in Jackson. I'm also a sucker for found family and I adore how it leans into that trope as well as showing the first instance of Ellie struggling with that new dynamic; it's the first real moment in canon where she goes from being a FEDRA orphanage kid to realising she could have a real home somewhere and all that entails.

I love how you can see that on her face when they get there and she's clearly awestruck by the most mundane things, yet is obviously also struggling with Tommy being effectively this newfound obstacle because she has no idea how his presence is going to shake up the - already turbulent - dynamic she's developing with Joel. Safe to say I have an awful lot of thoughts about those two scenes LMAO

I wouldn't say I'm a super talented person all things considered but I am quite proud of my writing! I've been in fandom spaces for a long time but it's only in recent years I've really been happy with the quality of the work I'm putting out there; it's just for fun, but - as most fic authors on here can vouch for - I put a lot of time and energy into making the plot and the characters tick ❤️ I'm also a historian, which isn't necessarily a talent but something I'm equally passionate about!

5. Would you like to promote anything?

I wouldn't mind promoting my ao3 to anyone whose interested in reading some more TLOU fics - I'm roselees over there too. I currently have an ongoing canon-divergence AU where Tess, Joel and Tommy raise baby Ellie (who they discover at the same time as the Fireflies is in fact still immune in this timeline) and I have several others in the works: a Sarah!lives AU, a part one rewrite following the original idea for the game wherein Tess is the antagonist, and some Jackson!Joel and Ellie shenanigans.

I'd also 100% recommend that if you're a part of the LGBT community or just otherwise an enthusiastic ally, if you want to check out the @tloupride blog run by me and @consultingzoologist, for the whole of pride month we've been reblogging posts that relate to the queer community and TLOU, as well as providing prompts for people to submit their own fanart and fics! We're hoping to keep the blog up as an archive of LGBT pride within the fandom so if you're interested, be sure to check it out ❤️

[knownangels]

inconsequential

wc: 2.7k

The first time is inconsequential — that’s the word Saha uses on the phone once he explains it all, anyway.

And it’s Saha because…well. He isn’t sure who else to go to about it. Benji’s too deep in his own post-breakup angst

“And then what?”

“Then she asked if I wanted to sneak off and have a smoke.” Maran says. His brow wrinkles as he relates this information. He’s got the phone set on his dresser; he needs his hands to sort through all his (dirty? clean?) clothes, figure out what he ought to wear tomorrow. Even though its a cheap brick of a phone and probably water damaged, even though Saha’s voice comes out the crackly speaker all wrong, he still feels a wash of relief as she walks him through the day’s events.

Well, event. Just one astoundingly fucking life altering event.

“And…?”

Maran pauses, his confused expression deepening. “I said no?”

“Maran.”

“Well, I don’t smoke!”

Saha’s laugh cuts in the middle, volume distorting over the poor connectivity. She’s in London these days, in the middle of her studies — nothing is more indicative of the distance to him than those occasional dropped calls.

“She didn’t care about all that, though. She was just trying to get you alone and suck face more.”

His cheeks heat. Maran drops the trousers clutched in his clammy hand and presses a palm over the warmth. “It wasn’t suckin’ face, Saha, c’mon.”

“Well now it really won’t be! You turned her down.” She laughs. “So it’s inconsequential, right?”

“Is that the rules?” He wonders, edging for humor because the unfamiliar depth of that word makes him anxious. He fumbled, so… — he imagines Raquel dusting her hands, shrugging, flouncing off —

So that’s it?

“S’no rules to it, Maran.” Saha laughs. He can hear her set down her own phone, and the noises of a gas stove switching on. Saha was a shit cook, never had need to learn, so he wonders what’s prompted her to learn now. A girl, maybe. Probably.

Maran sighs and goes back to scrounging in his basket, searching for a nicer shirt. He’d learn to cook for Raquel, if she wanted to kiss again. He could make noodles. Probably.

“‘Sides, why would you want to hang about with somebody who does that and then laughs after? She told you it was a dare.”

“But you just said she was trying to—“

“Yeah, think about it.” Saha insists. Maran snaps his mouth shut and tries to, but whatsoever answer she expects him to formulate must not come quick enough. He hears her shuffle around and then pull out a chair, fall into it with a huff, and then—

Then she goes absolutely off about the whole thing with a clarity that he had never considered. That point she was trying to get him to think of himself, maybe. How Raquel might like him fine enough, might even want to kiss more after all but stealing his first proper one for a laugh. But how she also didn’t have the respect to let other people see her attraction without covering it up under humor. How he deserved better than that.

Maran listens the whole way through, of course. He’s fourteen and a bit lost; he’s been eleven and lost; six and lost. Saha has always been one of the people he felt comfortable slipping his hand into so he could be guided back onto the path. So he listens, and he really does try to think about it—

But the more he thinks about it, the more he thinks about how nice Raquel’s hair had smelled (lavender and coconut) and how soft her lips had been, and any sort of wisdom about worthiness or equity in partnership or whatever else Saha’s prattling on about kinda go in one ear and out the other.

“But what if I go apologize to her—“

“Maran!” Saha laughs incredulously, cut from her sentence midway. “Have you listened to a single word? Oh, bastard — you’re hopeless!”

*

The kisses after that are nice. He’s got a girlfriend (of sorts, loosely, no labels) and then another, another — and then a string of girls because Americans are pretty poor at differentiating accents. Unlike back home, nobody seems to get on him about sounding low-class or rough.

“I really ought to think the One Direction lads should be knighted.” Maran notes to Benji. They’re stood outside a loud house party, watching Maran’s latest girlfriend flounce off with a few of her friends in tow towards a ride share. He waves, but she ducks in without looking over her shoulder. “I mean, what they’ve done for UK-US relations alone—“

Benji’s eyes flick up at him, darkly humored even in the near-pitch black of night. “Knighthood’s a scam, mate. Upholds the empire. Whole thing should be binned.”

“You should be binned.”

“Naw, you.” Benji snorts back. The hand holding his cigarette flicks towards the retreating car, then snubs out the ember on the patio railing. “Fuckin’ dog, you are.”

Maran flattens a hand over his chest. “I’m very respectful.”

“Y’think you’re invisible ‘cuz you’ve got yourself tucked in the corner? Mate, everybody might as well seen your tongue touch ‘er tonsils.”

Maran purses his lips to fight a grin. “A’right, mostly respectful. Most of the time.”

“Hasn’t she got the same name as the last girl?”

He opens his mouth to argue, and then smartly snaps it shut.

*

The truth of it is that Maran hasn’t had a proper committed relationship since before he’d followed Benji stateside. Meeting Fiadh is a fluke and a blessing and, later…

Later, Fiadh’s something worse. Something he feels too guilty to name. He tells himself for a time that it wasn’t her; they just weren’t a proper fit; it was the relationship itself; it was Maran himself. When they meet, everything is washed in a honey-sweet tinge of familiarity and excitement. But when they part, it’s a nastiness — one that he would prefer not to attribute to her.

It just seems impossible. It’s Fiadh, after all.

At first, being with her reminds him of water after mint. She’s sweet and fun and invigorating. She keeps that coiled ball of new relationship excitement high in his chest, tucked just beneath a pounding heart and clammy hands. Being with Fiadh feels like standing out on the school grounds, watching Raquel march up to him with a determined glint in her eye. She feels like a first kiss a thousand times over.

And then she feels like: eugh, told you I could, easiest dare of m’life!

It isn’t Fiadh. Not really. He reasons it out to keep her as far from the blame as possible. Maran knows he has a few hang ups — he knows what projection is, he knows that he —

Well. He hasn’t had a proper committed relationship since he followed Benji stateside. And he knows that might leave a bit of grit, a bit of friction, in any future thing he jumps into.

(Maran thinks he might always, always jump without looking. Hesitating is unfair, isn’t it? Hesitating means he isn’t being trustworthy.)

“Really?” Fiadh exclaims when he tells her.

How funny is it, first girl I’ve properly, seriously dated over here isn’t even American?

“Oi!” He leans over her until she flattens to the grass, his shadow slipping over her to block the afternoon sun. Fiadh looks good in the afternoon sun — she spills all pretty and golden, orange caught in the wispy white edges of her blonde hair.

Maran tucks fingers into her waist, squeezing impishly to tickle. She offers a single reserved laugh (a huff, really, and maybe he hears more amusement in it than really exists) before batting his hands away.

“S’that supposed to mean?” He asks, intensely afraid the second the words slip out of him.

“Ach.” Fiadh dismisses, a flap of her hand and that throaty little vocal filler he loved so much. “Y’know what I mean. It’s just…well, girls talk, don’t they.”

Girls talk.

Fiadh reaches up to tuck the collar of his shirt crisp and neat against his shoulder again, smoothing her hand over it primly before pressing a kiss to his jaw and urging him back on his patch of grass.

Later, once they’ve broken up, he’ll reflect on those sorts of moments. When she’d freshen him up, or recommend a different pair of nicer trousers, or ask when he’d grow out of the dye, or twist her beautiful face into something almost offended when he’d attribute an outfit to the thrift shop.

Like I was a doll, or something, he’d thought exactly once, fresh post breakup phone call with Saha, red-eyed and crying so hard he’d given himself a headache. And then he’d never thought it again. Because the insinuation was cruel, wasn’t it? Too cruel for Fiadh.

As cruel as a dare.

*

The door to the flat swings open. Just in time, too — Maran’s been pacing so hard he had started to fear leaving a sad little track in the hall carpet.

“Hey, dude.” Lark squeezes one sleepy eye shut with a yawn. “You good? It’s like…holy shit. Three am.”

His acknowledgement of the hour seems to wake him up a bit more. Maran watches guiltily as awareness plucks at the sleepy veil making Lark’s under eyes puffy, his shoulders rounded.

“M’sosososososo sorry, mate.” Maran spitfires. He lifts his empty hands from his pockets for just a split second, then shoves them back inside. They’re shaking. “I’m just — I forgot to give— uh. Is Ben asleep?”

Lark tosses a look over his shoulder. “I hear his TV going.”

Maran’s face starts to split into a grin. “So fifty-fifty.” He imagines Benny up at his desk, shoulders hunched with awful posture Maran wants to correct with a soft touch. Or passed out, arm over his eyes, as X-Files reruns blare on as background noise.

Instead of responding, Lark shuffles blearily to the side to make room.

Maran can count on one hand how many times he’s paused outside Benny’s door. Even fewer, when he’d knocked. He should. Everybody’s entitled to their privacy. But that had never felt like a necessity with the two of them. Even before—

Maran lifts a hand, palm wiping over his smiling mouth. It hasn’t even been two hours since their dunk at the pool.

Even before they were together.

His knuckles are about to make contact with the door. But he drops his fist, still trembling, to wiggle the handle instead.

On his bed, Ben’s spread out exactly how he’d get situated right before a nap. Or, considering the time, a proper sleep.

But his eyes are open. Maybe too open, as they land on Maran. He doesn’t seem shocked though, just — they’re awful wide. A pulsing anxiety lodges in Maran’s chest, but it isn’t that new-relationship feeling, the tightly coiled knot, the anticipation of approach.

He takes a step into the room. “I’m sorry.”

“Mar?” Ben asks, brows briefly dropping before he grins. Clearly confused, but — Maran smiles too, feeling it stretch stupid and full across his face.

“Sorry,” he says again, making himself laugh. “Not for anything — well for barging in. But I can’t…you dropped me off and I just can’t—“

Ben stands from the bed, bare legs swung over the side. Maran had spent the better portion of the evening looking at him (and touching and tasting), but he finds it hard to fight the stray of his eyes across black ink. There’s the faint smell of chlorine clinging to him. Or to Maran. Or to both of them.

He stands in place, letting Ben close the distance.

“Couldn’t s-sleep?”

Maran swallows, teeth sinking into his lip. He can’t do anything but stare at Ben; the soft texture of his hair where it hangs in front of an icy stare, the gentle smile lines around his mouth, the pitchfork crinkle spread out from the corners of his eyes.

Ben doesn’t feel golden like sunlight or guilty when they press together, chest to chest and hips bumping. An arm slings around Maran’s back, notched right where his spine ends. He shivers.

“Me either. Wanna stay here?”

Maran does his best to make sure the kiss he plants on Ben’s shy, smiling mouth leaves nothing up to a delayed interpretation. It’s everything but inconsequential.

*

They don’t really announce it. Not right away, anyhow.

The next evening, at an illegal bonfire on some rich somebody’s lawn, Maran drops himself into Ben’s lap.

Chatter lifts and ebbs around them, akin to the buzz of beach flies and summer lightning. In his immediate vicinity, Matilda and Benji’s conversation silences.

Maran is quiet, too. He hadn’t been anticipating the feeling that came with doing this. He’s plenty affectionate with everyone. He’s used to an arm slung around his shoulders or Xavier lifting him around the waist, creating a space-reaching beast when Maran scrabbles up around his shoulders.

But Ben’s thigh beneath his is a different sensation entirely. A different sort of kind, gentle warmth. He wraps an arm around Maran, fingers digging into the ticklish spot along his flank. He knows it’s there. But he squeezes anyway, maybe just to make Maran yelp and laugh — and then the arm gets tighter.

He laughs until it comes out a bit too breathy. Then Maran quiets.

It doesn’t feel like a laughing matter. It feels like— he can’t —

He’s held.

*

The next morning, he catches a bus to campus and sprints across with only moments to spare, only to realize: there’s someone in Ben’s lab.

Maran lifts his face away from the glass with a pout. He leans back to double check the label next to the door — yes, right number — and then peers inside once more.

And then, like he’d heard Maran’s desperate little thoughts, Ben appears from the blind spot in the corner of the room. The other person (his lab partner?) tosses their head back and laughs at something he says.

Maran wrenches the door open.

Both students whirl around to stare as he dances into the room, bag of take-out held aloft and balanced on his head. He’s causing a commotion, he knows. Probably interrupting something important. Maran thinks of a constant needle from Fiadh — childish — but only for a brief moment. He forces the grin bright once more and slips over to a desk.

It’s strewn with papers and diagrams, but nothing that looks important — or breakable. Ben’s bag, simple black canvas with several patches and hand-sewn designs, rests atop another he doesn’t recognize.

Maran sets the take-out down and taps the shiny silver strap.

“I like this color,” he lies, smiling big and charming at Ben’s lab partner.

They don’t speak. He frowns, glances at Ben.

“Is th-that from the pho place?”

The smile returns. “You forgot your lunch in the fridge.”

Ben pushes his safety goggles up, making blond hair spring everywhere, as Maran approaches in a zig-zag. His blue eyes follow the movements, clearly humored by the display. And the amusement makes him look less tired. Less stressed.

“You c-c-could have just brought it to me?”

Maran shrugs. “Yeah, I guess. But you like this stuff.”

Ben’s lab partner interjects with a short laugh, but when both their heads turn they look deadly serious.

“Something funny, Gee?”

They flap a hand in the air, lips parted as if they plan to respond to Benny’s needling. But — then their eyes stray towards Maran and go a bit wider.

They don’t know?

Maran thinks of sunlight in hair, of plain chapstick briefly touching his mouth, a body against his at a party who he can never name, a string of girls he probably didn’t treat as well as he could have, and —

He thinks of Raquel, her laugh; he thinks of her offer for a smoke. In private. The back of a girl’s head as she ducks into a car.

“Gigi,” Ben says, startling Maran a bit with how close his voice is. “This is M-Maran.” He tucks a strong arm around Maran’s waist (held, smaller, vulnerable, held) and shuffles him closer. “Mar, this is Eugene. We’re carrying each other this s-s-semester with a hope and a fuckin’ dream.”

Maran and Gigi blink at each other. Then Gigi offers a curling, hesitant smile.

“And science.” Gigi adds.

Ben snorts, puts the fist not squeezing unapologetically at Maran’s hip into the air. “And science.”

“I thought Benson was making you up.” They say. Their voice isn’t soft or waifish, just quiet. Maran likes that he’d got to lean closer to hear. “At some point you’re just like — wow, nobody has that many stories and is telling the truth.”

“Fucker.” Benny sneers fondly, although there’s a suspicious flush to his cheeks when he looks down at Maran.

You talked about me, Maran thinks, head fuzzy. How funny.

[ladysophiebeckett]

If Michel had never shown up at Ecomoda,how do you think Armando and Betty would have reconciled? Tbh I find it hard to imagine that she would give him another chance while still in Ecomoda and with Marcela around. We know that Marcela and Margarita only resorted to telling Betty the truth to keep Armando from leaving, but they would have probably never done so without that threat looming over them. At this point she also believes he is after Alejandra, turns out his over the top flirting drove her even further away from him. Would the Cuartel tell her that he didn’t do anything with her and that she was gone already without Michel’s presence? With Ecomoda out of debt and Betty refusing to remain the president, would Armando be given another chance by the board committee? I think that in this situation the only way I can see them working out is with Betty out of Ecomoda because it would give them the opportunity to rekindle their romance in a different setting away from the toxicity of the workplace and his family and Marcela (who still had hopes of getting back together with Armando), but curious to know how you think it would have played out.

I'm answering this but I fear I am not answering this, perhaps the way it was expected of me. And I wanna apologize to you, anon, in advance. So. Beware of that.

Before I continue, I want to state that i am using this as an excuse to talk about why canon events are needed and why fics that undo Important Canon Actions fall flat.

Sometimes we as viewers will ask ourselves 'why didnt X character just do (rational action)?' And its because the story needs irrational action\irrational thinking that actually moves the plot forward. We're not looking to solve the plot quickly because that isn't entertaining.

You go into any tiktok comment section that's ysblf related and you will almost immediately see someone call Betty the villain because she chose to have an affair with Armando. But if she doesn't decide to do that, then there's no story. If Betty wasn't naive, if she wasn't so loyal, if she had a reason to be suspicious of Armando--she would quickly put together that he was trying to start an affair with her right after the embargo happened. And if it played out like that, then there would be no room for Betty to grow as a person. If Betty doesn't make this decision then she doesn't change and neither does Armando.

Another example, one that I see in fics a lot is the Cartagena Arc where Armando doesn't get back together with Marcela. Viewers hate that and I get it. So they have him not do it, but they don't take into account why he needs to do that. Armando is a mess and he hasn't put himself together yet, so he goes back to what's easy and familiar. He can't not go back to Marcela just because he's in love with another woman. He needs to end his relationship with Marcela for himself. And that why those kinds of fics fail. Because they're trying to skip a hundred steps of character development.

Now that I've established that, let's get into it:

You asked:

If Michel had never shown up at Ecomoda,how do you think Armando and Betty would have reconciled? Tbh I find it hard to imagine that she would give him another chance while still in Ecomoda and with Marcela around.

I am first and foremost a romantic and I have to believe that they get together no matter what. But, we're exploring the removal of plot points that push characters into doing things....

We know from canon, before Armando knows of the significance of Michel, that he has a conversation with Mario about getting Betty back. He himself says that he knows it's going to take a long time, and a lot of patience, he knows she's still hurt but that he's going to take the time to show her that he's changed.

Armando here is trying to make a rational choice. He's trying to be normal. He's attempting to give Betty the space she's asked for multiple times.

Again, Michel is not arriving in this situation.

Now we have Betty, who's being tortured by the cuartel, who will not get off her ass about what Armando could be doing and with who. On top of that, she's confused about Armando's actions towards her. His behavior towards her at her lanzamiento disarms her. She wants very badly to believe that his affection is real but she doesn't trust it.

The reason the cuartel is so damn annoying in the last ten episodes or so, is because they need to motivate Betty's desire to leave. Michel showing up with a job offer (plus romantic interest) is Betty's getaway car. If we eliminate Michel's appearance, we are left with an annoyed, unhappy and dissatisfied Betty who's being told by said cuartel--specifically Mariana--that she needs to make a decision. But she's still under the impression that Armando is moving on with his life.

If Michel doesn't show up, Betty and Armando are in limbo. They won't do anything. He's going to leave her alone and she's going stew unhappily in her office. Marcela is still going to be there and the promise Betty made to her will still be in motion. Even if was only Betty using Marcela to keep Armando away from her. (Personally I think that promise is void if Armando dumped her. But I digress.)

All three of them are stuck in Ecomoda Limbo\Hell.

We know that Marcela and Margarita only resorted to telling Betty the truth to keep Armando from leaving, but they would have probably never done so without that threat looming over them.

Yeah, this wouldn't happen at all unless Armando had the motivation to leave. However---I believe in the cuartel. The cuartel saw him show up everyday looking like shit. They don't mention it to Betty when she comes back bc it wasn't a priority. But if they see Betty and Armando in some kind limbo-slow burn hell where Betty is left indecisive....Let's table this for a second, bc I wanna talk about this:

At this point she also believes he is after Alejandra, turns out his over the top flirting drove her even further away from him.

Yes, she does. But he wasn't 'over the top flirting' with her. All he really did (which is the same thing that Betty did with Michel) was walk around Ecomoda with Alejandra. He was seen with her, yes, but he was truly just being friendly and giving her a tour. Was she interested in something more? Yes (So was Michel). Could he have started something with her? Yes (So could Betty with Michel). Does he? (No). Because he's in love with Betty. The Alejandra situation is what motivates Armando to choose Betty. He could try and move on with a clean slate with someone else that doesn't know him or what he did, but he can't and he doesn't want to.

But unfortunately, Betty doesn't know this and it doesn't matter because all she needed was to see them together to make her own hurtful conclusions.

Would the Cuartel tell her that he didn’t do anything with her and that she was gone already without Michel’s presence?

Okay, going back to the cuartel---YES, they would. I believe this in my heart. If they see Betty and Armando in Limbo-Slow Burn Hell and it's been going on for weeks?? Yes, they would tell her the Alejandra thing never happened. Betty wouldn't care, bc she'll say 'if its not her, it'll be someone else'. I think that eventually one of them would mention what Ecomoda was like when she was away but this hinges on someone making a mention of Armando and that would have to motivate Betty's curiosity to know.

Remember that outside the bar when Armando seeks her out, he says 'and all the harm I did to myself'. So Betty would have to be motivated to remember that and wonder it meant. But yes, I think the cuartel would use this information it would just take them awhile.

(Nunca se ponen las pilas a tiempo)

With Ecomoda out of debt and Betty refusing to remain the president, would Armando be given another chance by the board committee?

If Michel never arrived, and Betty and Armando are in Limbo-Slow Burn Hell AND they manage to get Ecomoda out of debt---Armando would still not want the presidency back. Armando's stays on to help Ecomoda bc not only was it his fault, but he couldn't let it all fall on Betty. He even says he had stayed to regain some honor and to support Betty during her presidency. Michel's absence doesn't hinge on that.

Now would the board give him another chance? No. Marcela would be advocating for him and he would refuse it.

If Betty refused it, Armando would ask her to stay. He would talk to her like he talked to her the night of her lanzamiento. And this is where I'm a romantic and can't picture them not ending up together. I think that in this Limbo-Slow Burn Hell scenario, Armando would still offer to leave so that she could stay. If he tried his hardest to show her that he's changed and it still wasn't enough, he would still do what he did in canon except he wouldn't be so dramatic about it.

I think that in this situation the only way I can see them working out is with Betty out of Ecomoda because it would give them the opportunity to rekindle their romance in a different setting away from the toxicity of the workplace and his family and Marcela

Ecomoda is so important. It's like their child.

(They have 3 kids, Ecomoda, the Furby, and Camila).

Okay, jokes aside. Ecomoda is where they fell in love. It's where they met. It's where some of the best and worst things happened to them. It's what keeps them together by force when Betty comes back from Cartagena. Ecomoda is what blurs the lines between them. It's so fundamental to the origins of their romance. I can't see them, in this non Michel arrival scenario, being able to rekindle their relationship without it. If they fell in love during a terrible time for Ecomoda, they can rekindle Limbo-Slow Burn style while getting Ecomoda out of debt.

Marcela being there is not a deterrent because Armando broke up with her and she wouldn't be able to manipulate him. (A visible sign to Betty that he has changed). Yeah, she would beg him to stay as president if Betty were to leave once the company was out of debt and once again he would be like 'Girl, no. It's over.'

If that would be motivation enough for Marcela to tell Betty supporting evidence about his bar time suicide attempts, that's up in the air. We need Margarita's interference for that to happen and I dont think that exists in this Limbo-Slow Burn scenario. I think Betty would have listen to what the curatel saw day to day and then think about what Armando said to her and be brave enough to make a decision on her own. To ask Armando about it and trust that he's telling her the truth.

For Betty it would be a leap of faith.

Unfortunately, in this this Michel-less scenario the diary scene doesn't exist bc Armando doesn't have the motivation to go into her office and look for the photo of them. So there is no him finding out that Betty was in love with him way before the plan. Also, there is no scene where Armando and Mario have their break up friendship fight.

We take Michel's arrival out and the last 9 (long form) episodes fall apart. The plot needs him to motivate certain actions to fall into place. Betty needs a getaway car and Armando needs the motivation to run after her.

So yes, I believe they can still rekindle their relationship (BECAUSE I AM A ROMANTIC) but it would take longer because of inaction.

Again, I apologize if I didn't answer this the way you wanted me to. But this is what came out.

[ambrossart]

My question is about Patricio, the one who has been with so many girls. Has he always been casual and momentary? There has never been a girl who is something serious even though he doesn't really love her but at least pretends to love her. Something like this girl is my girlfriend as an official thing? (Honestly, I don't even see Patrick having a girlfriend like that, poor girl... I'm sure she would be an incredible cheater) I mean Patrick goes from girl to girl without establishing any stable relationship, they are all momentary? Furthermore, even some girls know what Patricio is, of course, Steph, for example, and they continue to beg for his attention. As far as I know, Steph is not his girlfriend... but she somehow has a relationship with him, I really don't know what to call him, just like her. girl that Patricio was with in the bathroom, the bastard didn't even answer the girl when she said "will I see you?" In the end I feel that the only thing Patricio can love in this world is himself, for everything revolves around himself, even when it comes to relating to others, he always ends up turning the situation around by manipulating the person to achieve exactly what What he wanted from the beginning is always him and him, the only person for whom he can show acts of love and concern (if anything in this life can worry him) and that is why Patricio is my favorite character. I love reading him. Analyze everything he says and does, some people are shocked when you say you like a character like Henry, Patricio or it also applies to secondary characters with Steph, Manda, Gretta etc. I think you have to separate whether you like the character and something else. . It's that you like him as a person.

Sorry, I turned my question into a long theory about Patricio 😅❤️but the initial question was if Patricio can have a relationship that stands out from others that is meaningful to him in some way because calling him a girlfriend is practically ridiculous for me 🤣 by the way, very lucky Writing chapter 31, I'm looking forward to reading it because there's also a dose of Patricio coming.

Okay, before diving in, I wanna make one thing very clear:

Patrick Hockstetter does not date and he does not have girlfriends.

This boy has three kinds of relationships: flings, fascinations, and fixations.

I like to think of Patrick’s relationships with women (I say women because most of his encounters are with women, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there's been a guy or two in the mix as well, just for the record) as a sort of tier system.

In the first tier, you have Patrick’s meaningless flings. These are girls that Patrick has little to no interest in. He doesn’t pursue them. They come to him, usually wanting sex, and Patrick sees no reason to refuse them. It’s just sex, after all. He’ll give that to anyone who wants it. Steph Price exists in this tier. The girl that Patrick hooked up with in the bathroom exists in this tier. So does Miranda Flett, who had Patrick take her virginity while her parents were at church. Compared to those in the next tier, these girls have it the easiest. They only see Patrick’s flirty, sexual side. They’re not experiencing any of the stalking or other bizarre behavior. But they also end up doing most of the work. That’s why Steph comes off so desperate. She’s constantly fighting to reclaim Patrick’s attention. She takes him to movies. Takes him to parties. Probably buys him food occasionally. In return, Patrick has sex with her. It’s satisfying enough for Steph, but for Patrick, it’s probably more of a job than anything. He doesn’t get much pleasure out of it himself.

But these girls do serve a purpose for him:

They give him some entertainment during school.

They'll often give him free shit.

They act as a sort of smokescreen while Patrick quietly pursues his other interests.

Most girls never get past this first tier, so they never see his darker side. That's why Patrick doesn't have a horrible reputation at school.

In the second tier, you have Patrick’s fascinations, and this is a much smaller group. These are the girls that Liz Mueller gathered at her house. This is where Evelyn currently is. These girls, for whatever reason, have caught Patrick’s attention. Some may have begun as flings, but most are singled out seemingly at random and through little effort of their own. One day, Patrick just kind of shows up. Steph might think she wants to be in this tier, but honestly, she’s better off where she is. This is the tier where things start to get a little weird. These girls are likely to experience stalking and unwanted sexual advances. Patrick might unexpectedly show up at their house or where they work or hang out. His behavior changes depending on which girl he's pursuing, so no two girls will have the exact same experience. Some might not experience any stalking. Some might welcome all of his sexual advances. It varies greatly from person to person. There's no real violence or danger in this tier, but something definitely feels off. Luckily, these fascinations are short-lived and painless. One day, Patrick simply moves on... unless, of course, you're unfortunate enough to be promoted to the next tier.

The third tier is the place no girl wants to be. These are the girls that Patrick becomes absolutely obsessed with, and so far, only two girls (that we know of) have made it to this tier: Sasha Gunt and Marci Espinoza. This is where things go from a little creepy to absolutely terrifying. This is where things usually turn violent. It doesn't always turn violent, but it often does in some way. There's a lot of manipulation and abusive behavior: physical, emotional, sexual, or any combination of the three. Marci essentially compares it to torture. It's a very isolating and traumatizing experience that stays with you forever. Marci quit running track because of it. Sasha, apparently, still believes that Patrick was in love with her, but we'll learn more about Sasha and Marci later. I'm not gonna go too far into that. Basically, the third tier is where every girl thinks they wanna be, but once they're in it, they desperately want out. Unfortunately, there is no way out. They're stuck in this hell until Patrick gets bored or finds someone else to play with.

So I guess the girl before Evelyn just dodged a massive bullet. 😂

Anyway, regardless of what tier you're in, there's no assumption of monogamy with Patrick. Period. Even if you're in the third tier, even if Patrick seems absolutely infatuated with you, it's pretty safe to assume he's still messing around with other girls.

Because he definitely is.