#i’m also not a legitimate source of information!!

[meliwyn]

standing with us gives us hope in life we ​​ask you to help us and look at us with a humane eye and you have all our love and respect

don’t worry, i support you and all others in a similar situation fully🩷

[kyra45]

Keys guide to scam spotting (v2)

Hi! I’m Key (Or Jess depending on which blog you know me from) and I’ll be telling you some better information and detail on how to spot a scam account be it a pet scam or a donation scam. All information is based on my own experiences and I’ll try to keep this post accessible so the only big text is the title. This information should help in understanding how these scams work and how to spot them without having to do too much work. As always, if you appreciate what I do and want to show it, sharing these info posts helps other users see it and learn about blogs that might send them asks.

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What is a donation scam? - A donation scam is when someone is being deceptive to get money by claiming they need mutual aid or support. For example, they are using the story from someone else’s fundraising post in order to get donations and won’t tell anyone their lying. This is called a donation scam. While the story may be legitimate, it is a story stolen off someone else and means the real person isn’t getting the support they asked for because someone else is using it. These stories are often stolen off Facebook/GoFundMe or even Instagram and could come from a private account or group so searching wouldn’t come up with a source. The images may also be stolen from somewhere else too.

How do you spot a donation scam? - Donation scams are usually easily spotted if you take a closer look at the information being given. Stolen stories will often have certain parts removed and replaced with the information the scammer added themselves. Sometimes the post may be composed of two different parts and won’t sound right if you pay close attention. For example, part of the story sounds fine but then the second part of the story seems out of place and doesn’t match up with the beginning. Another thing to check is how old the account is and if you have timestamps on you can see if an older post is backdated. You can also check to see if the account has tagged certain blogs in their post though this isn’t always a sign of a scam.

What is post backdating? - Post backdating is changing the dates of a reblogged post to look older then it really is. While this can be used with good intentions, scammers often use this to trick people into thinking their account is years old or even a few months old. The one way to find this is by turning on timestamps in dashboard settings and checking ‘other notes’ in reblogs. This is the only way to see the true date something was shared. Accounts who backdate posts will often claim someone told them to do it or they’ll say they didn’t know it was bad. However, you can not accidentally backdate a post.

Did the account contact you first? - A common occurrence is that you will get scam asks if you share a popular or trending post. Usually these accounts send asks to anyone they find without care of who it is and might lie as well if you ask them how they found you. In general, a brand new account shouldn’t easily find you unless they were watching the notes of popular posts. Occasionally these new accounts will even send asks to certain accounts they shouldn’t know about unless they have seen the account before. If your DMs are closed, the ask may ask you to message them because it’s urgent but all they will do is ask for money or ask you to loan them some money.

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What is a pet donation scam? - A pet donation scam is where someone has went and looked around for vet fundraisers online and then took it for themselves by saving the images and story while erasing any links that would lead to the real pet getting support. They will then repost it to tumblr and say it’s actually their pet needing urgent care with the post title being very large and in red text for a sense of urgency. Sometimes they’ll say they can’t use GoFundMe because it has a fee or something else. This is a scam because they are not the owner of the pet and have stolen everything meaning no funds sent will be towards the actual pets care.

How do you spot a pet donation scam? - A common way of a pet donation scam is by how old the pinned post is and how many posts are reblogged on the account. Usually there is only a few posts shared and always shared around the same time and then no more. These posts all come from a trending topic, a fandom, or are popular posts. Another thing is checking the bio in Google search and seeing if it’s been took from someone else as the scammer never makes their own bio. Reverse image search their pfp to see who it really belongs to in case they stole it. Another important thing is to check their link and see if it matches up with the vet bill. Since most pictures are stolen off a private group, reverse image search won’t find them. The name they may have is likely not their real name and is stolen.

Did the account send you an ask? - Regardless of what the ask says, it usually requests you to answer it privately or message them so they can tell you thanks. These asks may have several emojis in them as well but their always just copy/pasted and sent to multiple users all at once on a daily basis. The private answer is so the ask won’t show up if someone is looking it up. If their post is public, there shouldn’t be a reason to need a private response to an ask you have sent to many people unless you are trying to hide it. Messaging these accounts is useless because they’ll lie to you when you ask them questions back or just ignore you.

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What is a fake check scam? - A fake check scam is when a generally blank account with no pfp will message you after you used certain tags and ask you if you still need help. Even if you have links to send support, these accounts will ignore that in order to ask for your personal information such as phone number or banking details. They will then offer to send you a check. This is a fake check and cashing it won’t be scamming the scammer. You will lose money instead and the scammer will already move on to someone else. Never give them your private information.

Are there any other scam types? - When you tag posts, you’ll often get messages from accounts claiming they can help you get more attention on your campaign but you have to pay them money or go off-site to contact them. These are fake support accounts and they always use stock images while pretending to be officially affiliated and act like their Digital Marketing title means their not trying to scam you. They get defensive when called out and may start insulting you when they figure out you are already aware they aren’t legitimate.

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What is a funeral donation scam? - A funeral donation scam is when an account posts saying someone has passed away but the images they used are actually took from someone else and may be photoshopped. Bills may be edited to suit their story and names may be changed to someone else’s. This isn’t a real common scam! But it’s happened a lot lately but the basics are the account will steal someone’s pictures and pass them off as theirs and when caught will say they were forced to or know it’s wrong but did it anyway.

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In closing, this is information regarding common scam types you’ll find on tumblr. It’s always suggested to pay close attention to asks you get it they fit the criteria of being sent from a scammer. Answer the asks publicly and call out the blog. The scammer may block you as a result, but it’ll help your ask be seen it someone has looked it up. I suggest never spamming asks to share your pinned aid post because unfortunately scammers do this and you shouldn’t ignore people saying to please stop spamming. Always check to see if someone is comfortable getting these kinds of asks too because it won’t look too good if you have sent them an ask when they say please don’t.

As always, not everyone asking for support is a scammer! Legitimate people are out there. It’s just unfortunate scammers have made it harder for them to get help. You can always do your own research and compare it to what others have given and come to your own conclusion.

[puckpocketed]

hi!!!!! im maybe perhaps a little interested in following th la kings...what th vibes are who th characters are etc n was wondering if u knew of any good primers at all ? :3 !

there are no primers here please return to your seat

serious answer: i am currently occupied with another big beaugtiful baby of a primer ! but. i will commit to a short slideshow that’s funnier + with more pictures at some nebulous point in the future!! deepest apologies 😭👍 i am NOT your kings source. idk who the kings source would even be, but it aint me!!! below is a cross section of my posts so u can vibe check us - click the non-news articles for funnies :)

here’s a tiny one i did for one of our prospects . eurotrap weed dj. just a little guy

Our kids have a history of getting injured right as they’re set to make their big step up. UNLUCKIEST GIRLS IN THE WORLD. btw <3

articles + archive links: x / y - x / y - x / y - x / y

Most recently: Arthur Kaliyev - who wanted to be traded somewhere he would have more opportunities - is freshly, guess what.,... INJURED and just as he made his peace with no trade + turning a new leaf with LA !!!!

the vibes are. LA Kings Youth Movement (soon) (SOON) (<- lie!!!) (PLAY THE KIDS. PLEASE... GOD...) (take my hand. let’s slash rob blake’s tires together <3)

Two Staches

Jordan Spence and QB by @korshrimpski

^ Phillip Danault and his two sons

Raccoon Jesus who does not understand rizz + is having a brat summer !

The vibes at practice + HQ Juice unicorn pic (same day)

[ID: The 2023-24 L.A. Kings celebrating their post practice mini-scrimmage. The forwards, having just scored, celebrate in a puppy pile against the glass. To the far right, Adrian Kempe (#9) also known as Juice, skates into the scrum. He holds his stick to his forehead as though it is a unicorn horn. /. End ID]

The Ghost Of Pierre-Luc Dubois (to ME). a lot of prospects were traded away to acquire him and he um. did not do very well here.

many lak fans in other spaces have strong negative feelings towards PLD (as is their right!) but he’s my failgirlhorsewife and he’s our very best friend and he got traded for Darcy Kuemper over the summer, and i WILL be haunting the cap.s lb because of that. no one on kingstwt will shut up about him so i think they're taking the breakup well 👍

on the topic of Kuemper. sorry i keep linking my own posts but Darcy and Dave. big. natural. <3 our gonjeous double d's...!

these posts aren’t super informative and its a lot of Me... i’m so sorry </3 i just shuffled through my lak tag and tried to remember what was funniest. legitimately cannot find old Kings blogs that are still regularly Posting and Participating so theyre all very new things... we are building these train tracks as we ride HELP.... (I genuinely have no idea what happened to nuke the community on here since i just arrived myself. lak secret community if you’re out there please speak to us … god… it’s so dark in here…....)

it’s been a mini goal of mine to breathe a little life into the tag. this isn't my primary team but i am very fond of them!! i can count on my hands every kings blog ive met here, i legitimately think i know them all?? we are so small i don't even know if we can be counted as a community. but i hope to help make the tag a warm and fun place where we can yell about our failteam <3

2024-25 LAK RENAISSANCE RAAHHHHHHH

[freesia-writes]

Ch 10: Storm on the Shore Pt. 2

~ Master List ~ Previous Chapter ~ WC: 2k

WELL THIS IS THE MOST ACCURATE BACKGROUND NOISE YOU COULD HAVE, LOL: 24Hr | Seaside Storm in a Cave / Ocean Waves, Distant Thunder,Fire and Rain Sounds for Sleeping (youtube.com)

And LOOK AT THIS FANART BY @perfectlywingedcrusade!!

As the fire grew into a satisfying source of warmth near the opening of the cave, just far enough inside to let the smoke out but still sheltered from the wind and rain, Hunter and Lyra huddled around it, shadows dancing across their faces as the contented crackling faded into the sound of the storm outside. He had removed his jacket, spreading it out nearby to dry as much as possible, and with quite a bit of protest from her, had also ventured quickly into the rain to fetch her own jacket, which he had to wring out at the mouth of the cave before bringing it in to lay it next to his. His thick flannel shirt stretched across his back as he hunched, rubbing his hands absently near the dancing flames. 

“I’m sorry we’re stuck here,” Lyra said, eyes darting to his for a split second before returning to the fire. 

“Eh,” Hunter shrugged, “It could be worse.”

“The office ladies are going to be heartbroken that you’re not in your shop for their ‘morning sausage run’ before school starts…”

Fixing her with a mockingly stern look that led them both to chuckle quietly, Hunter noticed her heartbeat speeding up again, and subtly watched her body language to see if she were in pain from the ruthless pinching her leg had received from the spiteful crablike creature she’d thought was just a shell. He was unable to discern other signs of distress, leaving him mildly confused as to the random chemical changes he could just barely pick up during many of their times together. 

“I’ll just tell them it was your fault,” he added, smiling as she quickly looked back up at him in horror. Her long brown hair still hung fairly damp, save for a little crown of frizz that danced on the very top of her head, and her dark eyes sent an unexpected jolt of electricity through his body with their simultaneous vulnerability and intensity. It threw him off for a moment, causing his grin to drop into momentary seriousness.

“What?” Lyra asked, anxious at his sudden change in composure. She glanced around the cave and toward the opening as though searching for a threat, giving Hunter time to recover.

“Nothing,” he said, following her gaze. “I… uh… Did you feel that breeze?”

“...No?”

“It felt like it came from the back,” he continued, legitimately (and gratefully) distracted by the slight sense of cool air on the side of his cheek that faced away from the entrance.

“Are you hoping to blow dry your luxurious hair?” she attempted, cringing inwardly as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

“Luxurious, eh?” Hunter echoed, tilting his head back toward her with a look that concealed the slight sense of flattery he didn’t want to admit he felt.

“Oh, I felt a little wind!” she exclaimed instead, and he laughed out loud at her thinly-veiled effort to change the subject. He hadn’t felt anything that time, but he let it slide. They’d had a few moments over the last number of weeks of innocent questions that seemed to touch a nerve or pry too far, resulting in withdrawal and awkward silence, so in response, they had both settled into a comfortable understanding that information was to be taken as it was offered instead of pursued through inquiry. He rose to his feet in one lithe movement, stretching out the stiffness that had formed in his time crouched by the fire. 

“I’m gonna check it out.”

“Why?” Lyra asked, so bluntly that he was momentarily taken aback. But her tone was one of apprehension, not challenge.

“Might be a way out of here.”

“But what if there’s… stuff back there?”

“That’s the point,” he said, smiling faintly. 

“Maybe the crab had friends,” she added, a breezy smile failing to conceal her trepidation. “Bigger ones.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time…”

He could sense her anxiety as she followed suit, rubbing her hands over the fire one last time before getting up and hobbling to his side. She was torn in a way that surprised her – the logical choice would be to continue her enjoyment of the toasty little space he’d created, but she also felt nervous about him going alone. Not that she would be of any help in a crisis situation… obviously. Yet she was inexplicably compelled to join him. 

“Lead the way.”

“I can scout it out and come back to get you if there’s an exit,” he offered, unsure about her participation.

“That’ll take twice as long,” she pointed out, grabbing their clothing from the ground and shaking them out. “Besides, I think I can hear my fireplace calling to me…” Her jacket was still fairly damp, but Hunter had wrung out most of the water and its time by the fire had made it a good amount lighter. She tied it around her waist, passed his own to him, and nodded decisively. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, and he pulled his coat on snugly. 

He offered an arm to her, noting just how taken aback she appeared at the gesture. After a moment of internal struggle, she gingerly took it, laying her fingers across his forearm but carefully keeping a distance between their bodies. Again, his heart warmed slightly at seemingly nothing in particular, and they headed toward the back of the cave. 

It was a cavernous opening initially, with the dancing glow from the dying fire just barely illuminating the rocks that jutted at them from ground and ceiling alike. They walked wordlessly, arm in arm, with only the sounds of their steps, droplets falling from above, and the waves and rain outside. As the cave twisted and turned its way into the cliff, Hunter could feel Lyra growing more tense, her heart rate increasing and a light sweat breaking out across her body. Her eyes darted to and fro, and her hand tightened around his bicep as she slipped on a step. 

“You okay?” he said, the softness of his voice contrasted by a slight husk from not speaking for a while; it quickly captured her attention from all of the “threats” she’d been vigilant to scan for, and she nodded silently. “Are you nervous?” he finally asked, watching her expressions flicker from conviction to sheepishness. 

“Yes,” she whispered, lowering her head. 

“It’s alright. I promise. We’ll be fine,” Hunter said gently, his chest swelling with some feeling as he could see a grateful smile barely peeking out beneath the curtain of hair that concealed her face. He reached into his bag and pulled out the small light again, clicking it on and shocking their eyes with a bright little beam that illuminated the next few steps. As they began moving again, he noticed she had shuffled a hair closer to him.

“You’ve spent a lot of time in caves?” she asked, still tense with apprehension. 

“Some,” he answered, still not having shared many specifics about his past in the GAR. He’d focused mostly on their independent chapter of life, painting the picture of him and his family wandering the galaxy and taking various jobs to support themselves, which resulted in his wide skill set. “I’ve been in a lot of dangerous situations.” It could have come across as prideful or boasting, but he’d said it so factually and humbly that it seemed to drive the point home, and he noticed Lyra’s shoulders relax the tiniest bit. 

“Sounds stressful.”

“Yeah… You get used to it.”

“I don’t know that I could,” she chuckled, looking up as he came to a sudden halt. 

“Hm,” he said, casting the light all around in front of them. It appeared that they’d reached a dead end as all sides of the cave had closed in on them, and yet he could swear he sensed a large hollowness behind it. He felt around the edges, wondering if it was a large rock that had broken off from the rest to block the pathway, but despite his strategically-located pushes and shoves, there was no movement to be had. 

“Time to go back!” Lyra announced, proactively taking his arm again. They could barely hear the storm anymore; they may have been too deep in the cave or it could have stopped. Hunter furrowed his brow, taking a few last one-handed pokes around the wall in front of them, then nodded. 

“I guess that’s our only option.”

Upon their return to the mouth of the cave, they were pleased to find that the storm had indeed blown over, and the dark skies had lightened a bit to a morose gray canvas full of swirling clouds. They ventured out onto the beach, grateful for the slowness of the tide’s changes that meant it was still quite low, which allowed them to skirt around one of the rocky walls that formed the sandy inlet onto the next beach past it. This one had a much more gradual slope up to the cliffs above, and the pain in Lyra’s leg had receded enough for her to walk unassisted. 

It felt like a longer walk than usual back to their homes; Hunter couldn’t quite tell why. Nothing significant had happened and yet he felt a deepening bond between them, whether it was a sense of protectiveness, increased vulnerability, or something else. Lyra’s house was at a lower elevation, perched on a flat chunk of land near the edge of The Forest with a decent view of the seas below, while Hunter’s was farther up and deeper into the woods. He didn’t realize they’d taken the path toward her home, lost in conversation as they’d been, until she drew to a halt at the gate of a rickety fence made of random pieces of driftwood and tree branches. The property beyond the fence was lush, with plants and trees of every shape and size, and Hunter could see a white cottage tucked into it, the sea lying below the cliffs a ways past it. 

“This is me,” she said, nodding toward the cozy home. “I’m gonna comm the school to let them know I’m alive… and I don’t think I’m going in today.” She chuckled, and he could almost hear the plotting in her head of a decadent day of relaxation by the fire and, if he knew anything from their many chats over the last few weeks, probably some baking of delicious savory treats. 

“I might not open the shop today either,” Hunter said. “Perks of being self-employed.”

“Mmm,” she agreed, lifting her eyes to his for a moment. Brown met brown with softness and depth, and he felt that queasiness in his stomach that had made the occasional appearance lately. “Um… Thank you again… For everything. And I’m sorry.”

“It was nothing,” Hunter said. “In fact, I think I owe you one for getting me to take a day off of work.”

“So I’m a clumsy burden and a bad influence? Great,” she deadpanned. 

“Neither,” he reassured.

Lyra hesitated, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, and untied her jacket from her waist to instead fold it over her arm and clutch it tightly. There was a pregnant pause in the air, as though there were some kind of decision to be made. But neither words nor invitations were forthcoming.

“I… uh… I’m sure I’ll see you soon,” she said quietly, dipping her head and opening the creaky gate, slowly and almost hesitantly admitting herself. She left it open, turning back to give him a small wave as he said his own goodbyes, then continued on the pebbled path toward the cottage. 

Hunter remained at the entrance for a minute, watching her disappear inside the small white house, then heaved a great sigh. The air was filled with scent – the flowers, fruits, and vegetables in her garden; the contented clucks of the local ground-dwelling birds; the salty breeze of the sea; and the musky scents of the cows and horse-like creatures that roamed where they pleased. He felt as though he could stand there forever, comforted by the quiet nature symphony and the tranquil surroundings. But, after a few moments, he took one last deep breath and continued on his way.

.

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Previous Chapter ~ Master List ~ Next Chapter

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[stardustthread]

USE YOUR VOICE GRETA VAN FLEET

If it hasn’t been abundantly clear how much I absolutely love the boys, I’m incredibly disappointed in how silent they have been. I’ve already voiced this before, but they do have impact. For the people saying that Greta not speaking about world issues shouldn’t be a big deal are just as complacent and dismissive of the actual pain going on in the world. We hear time and time again in their songs, messages of anti-war and the destruction that hate can bring and we have a duty to spread love, where is that love? Where is it? I’m a Grestie through and through, and I’m also an Arab Grestie. My grandparents and my extended family are Palestinian.

I was born and lived in the Middle East, more specifically Jordan, for long enough to know and feel the pain that my family and friends in Palestine are facing, seeing my heritage and traditions being wiped out right before my eyes. And I feel so guilty because I’m here now, a US citizen in the safety of my home watching it unfold. Imagine how people in Gaza are feeling? You absolutely can’t. The people in the West Bank are facing that fear of the inevitable if we don’t speak up and act. As for the hostages, captured both by the IOF and H*m*s, they’re not knowing any peace either.

For the people citing that the reason why they won’t speak on it is because of the mistreatment of LGBTQIA+ folks contradicts with Josh, that is not okay. Yes, we absolutely SHOULD and HAVE TO ensure safety of EVERYONE, no matter who they love or what they identify as, but repeating false rhetoric without any proof blatantly shows your Islamophobia and xenophobia. You regurgitate information being fed to you by bigoted sources with a reputation for falsifying experiences like it’s nothing. Not to mention, the US isn’t very safe right now for LGBTQ+ folk either. If we were under attack right now, would you stay silent too because Tennessee, Florida, and Texas are enacting hateful bills? Or are you staying silent now because they’re brown. Why don’t you actually ask a Queer Arab what it’s like over there? Talk to them? They exist, and they’re all over social media. And what about Queer Palestinians? Do they not deserve your advocacy?

I listened to and fell in LOVE with Greta Van Fleet because of their message. “They pass the torch and it still burns” gives me goosebumps everytime I listen to Age of Man, it serves as a reminder that through generations, we have a duty to fight and do better. “We do not fight for war, but to save the lives of those who do so” ARE YOU KIDDING? It is RIGHT THERE IN THEIR SONGS! If you still are dismissing the legitimate callout of the boys to speak on an issue WHO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF SPEAKING ON ISSUES LIKE THIS, or you’re dismissing the pain that people who do have legitimate connection to the land in Palestine, please listen to the songs again. Reflect. And if you still don’t get it, I don’t have any hope for you.

I am so heartbroken, upset, and I will absolutely NOT let someone guilt me into not calling the boys out because “we should leave politics out of it”. This isn’t about politics. This is about HUMAN LIFE. Have empathy and for god’s sake, SHOW IT. SPEAK UP AND CALL OUT.

[candycandy00]

The League of Villains Halloween Horror Anthology Sign Up

This is the sign up post for the first annual League of Villains Halloween Horror Anthology!

The deadline to sign up for this event is September 30th! Please keep that in mind!

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What it is:

The anthology will be various fanfics and fanart of League of Villains members reimagined as horror creatures/icons/characters, to be posted throughout October of this year. I thought it would be a fun way to get us all in the spooky Halloween mood.

This is an adults-only event! Please do not sign up unless you have your age listed in your bio or pinned post! Minors do not interact!

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Rules:

You can make fanfic or fanart, or both! But each piece must feature a League of Villains member (past or present, but only one per piece) as a horror creature/icon/character, such as a vampire or a masked killer. They have to be the source of the horror, so no zombie fics where the character is fighting zombies. If you pick zombie as your horror creature, the character you pick has to be a zombie.

Multiple people can claim each character, so if we get 30 Dabi fics, so be it. However, only one person can claim each horror icon for the medium you chose. So if someone already signed up for one of the characters as a vampire in a fic, you can’t sign up for a character (even a different one) as a vampire in a fic. You can sign up for a vampire in a fanart, provided no one else has. I will do these on a first come, first serve basis. So the first person to claim a given creature will get it. If a lot of people sign up and I feel like we’re legitimately running out of horror tropes, I might bend this rule a bit. Also! You can be specific to differentiate between creatures. Like an undead pirate is different from a regular zombie, and so on.

Fanfics can be X Reader or not. They can be NSFW/smut, or not. That’s up to you! If you choose Toga as your character, only write/draw SFW pieces for her, as she is a minor. It doesn’t matter if you age her up. You don’t have to make your piece horror, but it’s encouraged. This is a Halloween anthology after all. At the very least, a spooky vibe should be present, even if your piece is overall light hearted. Likewise, you don’t have to set the story on or around Halloween, but it would be nice to have some works that do so.

You can post your piece any time in October. From the first day of the month to the last. Ideally, the pieces will be spread out a bit throughout the month, but I’m not assigning anyone specific days. Just post it whenever you want in October.

If you sign up, but decide to drop out, that’s fine! This is a zero pressure event. You don’t even have to explain why. All I ask is that you send me a message or Ask letting me know so that I can remove you from the sign up list. Someone else might have wanted to write about the creature you chose, but couldn’t because you picked it.

When you post your piece, use the tag #lovhalloweenhorror. Feel free to use the tag before then! Use it to talk about the piece you’re working on, use it to post sketches or previews! Heck, use it even if you just plan to enjoy the fan works! Use it to talk about things you’d like to see/read as a viewer. Anything goes! Let’s build up some excitement!

As works begin to be posted in October, I’ll create a Masterlist post to list all of them in one convenient place. If you post your piece and you don’t see it added to the list within a day or so, send me a message to let me know in case I missed it.

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How to Sign up:

If you’d like to sign up to create a piece for this event, send me an Ask or a direct message with the following information:

Fanart or Fanfic?

Character?

Horror Creature?

That’s it! Please send a separate message for each piece you plan to make.

As people sign up, I’ll list them in this post so everyone can know what’s been claimed. Please be patient with me. I might be slow!

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The List:

Fanfiction:

@missrosegold - Dabi - Demon

@candycandy00 - Shigaraki - Scarecrow

@jabberwocky-92 - Shigaraki - God of Decay

@scary-grace - Shigaraki - Ghost/Wraith

@spicymeatball1992 - Shigaraki - Incubus

@jabberwocky-92 - Dabi - Grim Reaper

@gamergirlghost - Toga - Vampire

@doumadono - Dabi - Merman

@doumadono - Toga - Rusalka

@red-as-mars - Dabi - Charro Negro

@candycandy00 - Mr. Compress - Mad Scientist

Fanart:

@sammystep - Twice - Dr. Frankenstein

@fleetwoodmoth - Dabi - Fire Atronach

@selinearts - Toga - Demon

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Ideas/Inspiration:

If you’re having trouble deciding on a horror creature/icon/character, here’s a list of some to give you some ideas! Obviously, what you pick doesn’t have to come from this list, and in fact I’m looking forward to seeing all the different ideas I never thought of. You can even create your own creature! This is just a list of some possibilities.

Vampire | Werewolf | Demon | Witch/Warlock | Zombie | Ghost/Wraith | Banshee | Masked Killer | Mad Scientist | Scarecrow | Executioner | Butcher | Alien | Cyborg/Android | Witchfinder | Deep Sea Creature | Clown | Cannibal | Mummy

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

Feel free to reblog this! Let’s get as many people involved as possible!

[mostlymaudlin]

An Attempted Explanation of Andrew’s “Manic Pills”

One of the things that bothers me about AFTG is Andrew’s medicine. The way most of the characters talk about court-mandated psychiatry and sobriety and mania is a questionable and often harmful representation of what it’s like to experience mania/hypomania — which like, it’s fiction, that’s fine, but it’s also something that I take a lil personally. So I’ve decided to try to legitimize the whole thing for myself, just because I can!

Necessary to note: I’m not a medical professional, a lawyer, etc. I’m usually a pretty good fact-checker, but I could definitely be wrong abt stuff, and I’d love for you to tell me if I am. I ran a lot of this by the lovely @the-greater-grief, who does have a medical background and also inspired me with this analysis they did on Andrew’s mental health. They were really helpful in explaining a lot of the more technical drug information, so they’re largely responsible for most of the theory that makes sense lol. But, they are also not responsible for me saying things that are wrong, lol! Alsooooo, I’ve been in the fandom for less than a year so it’s possible I’m saying stuff people have said before. Idc. I’m having fun reinventing the wheel lmfao. Okay, onwards!

The post has two parts: 

Lovingly dismantling a lot of the bullshit Neil tells us in the books

Setting up a more realistic version of Andrew’s mental health situation

Apologies in advance, this got long-winded. Let’s do this! 

Dismissing Neil’s framing

AFTG is told from Neil’s perspective, so we as readers are limited to the things he knows and understands. We know that Neil is often unreliable, and as perceptive as he can be, he makes a lot of questionable assumptions that he internalizes as fact. 

This is what he tells us, rather crudely: 

Andrew tried to kill some guys, because he might be a psychopath/sociopath.

Rather than being sent to prison, he was court-mandated to take drugs that make him “manic”/less likely to kill other people. 

The manic pills make him crazy and also make him sick, to the point where the characters refer to him as “sober” when he is unmedicated.

The withdrawal is severe enough that his psych wants him to be hospitalized to come off them. 

We learn all this about Andrew’s treatment from three sources: Information Neil read before he even joined the Foxes, Nicky’s exposition dumps, and Andrew’s actual behavior. The bullshit mostly comes from the first two items on this list, because Andrew never cares to explain much of his situation to Neil. And we can actually brush all of it off pretty easily. 

Neil builds most of his perception of Andrew’s treatment on top of information from articles he read about Kevin’s transfer to Palmetto State. These articles were unkind — the Exy world was upset that Kevin was leaving the Ravens, and Andrew was painted in a cruel and probably inaccurate way. Neil mentions an article headlined “The Prince & the Pauper”... I personally would not take anything from that article seriously.

Some of this bullshit is corroborated by Nicky, a 20-something year old jock majoring in marketing. When Andrew was sentenced, we can guess that Nicky (still basically a teenager himself) was very scared that his cousin, who he is responsible for, was going to get sent to prison. Based on the way he talks about mental health in general, I wouldn’t consider him to be an expert on the nitty-gritty of psychiatry. He just saw the outcome of the trial, which was not prison, yay! and instead involved some kind of pills that made Andrew way more social. Also, as much as I think Nicky tries, he doesn’t really get Andrew — he thought Andrew was straight, and then he thought he was hate-fucking Neil. He’s not a reliable source when it comes to judging how Andrew’s brain works/how he is affected by his treatment. 

This leaves Andrew’s behavior, because he never talks about his mental health except to say that he’s “crazy” and that he is not a sociopath. When he’s on the medicine, his behavior includes an elevated mood, a short attention span, and trouble curbing his impulses. When he doesn’t take his medicine on time, he experiences withdrawal (nausea, fatigue, etc), and feeling ill seems to curb some of his mood elevation enough to let him think with more clarity. When he’s off it, he is able to shut down his emotional reactions to things, though he still exhibits flashes of the rage, depression, and zingy one-liners from his behavior in the first two books.

Also, the only people who actually seem to understand Andrew’s mental health treatment are Andrew himself, Bee, and probably Wymack. Aaron might also have a better handle on it all because he’s pre-med, and also he understands Andrew enough to clock that he is gaga for Neil lol. 

Okay. Bullshit? Gone. 

A proposed alternate story

Once upon a time, some homophobes started beating up Andrew’s cousin and the only legal guardian that didn’t treat him like utter shit, so he went feral on them. 

He gets arrested, and somewhere along the line the courts determine that his violence stems from mental illness. Rather than being sentenced to prison, he gets some kind of probation that mandates he engage in mental health treatment. The psychiatrist he sees at the time determines that he has depression — which, like, they’ve definitely seen his self-harm scars, so this is a fair assumption — and he is prescribed an antidepressant. 

Now’s a good time to mention that no one would ever intentionally prescribe something to induce mania in a patient. Mania is a supremely dangerous state. People get hospitalized to get out of a manic episode. Whenever I even inch toward it, my therapist and psych are like, “CALL ME!!!!” It also would do nothing to curb violence — the opposite, actually, if the manic person often has a hard time holding themselves back from hurting themselves and others. If you look at Andrew’s behavior in the first two books, I don’t think it would even qualify as full-blown mania. He sleeps, he fulfills his responsibilities, he doesn’t seem to have any delusions of grandeur. His symptoms align better with hypomania, which is less severe and accounts for the things we noted before (mood elevation, short attention span, irritability, impulsiveness). I also think a lot of the stuff Andrew does that is attributed to his medicine is probably just Andrew being Andrew — because as Aaron once said, “it wasn’t the drugs that made him crazy.” (I wrote more about this once in an Andrew character study I did.)

So, the antidepressants would’ve been prescribed to treat the depression, which hypothetically could’ve made Andrew so hopeless and full of rage that he was constantly on the verge of flipping his shit on people. There are plenty of antidepressants that will make you sick/be less effective if you fuck with your dosing schedule, and all the alcohol he drinks probably doesn’t help either. Still, the medicine would just treat depression. HOWEVER! If Andrew actually has bipolar disorder (:D!!!), then some antidepressants do have a risk of inducing mania/hypomania!  

It should’ve been obvious that Andrew’s antidepressant was not working as intended. But I doubt Nicky, Andrew, and Aaron had great health insurance before they enrolled at Palmetto, so Andrew’s court-mandated mental health provider was probably like, “cool, not trying to kill people anymore, we’re good.” A good provider like Bee would clock that Andrew had been misdiagnosed, and she’d want to adjust his medicine. But this leads to the final part of the theory — actually suggested by the brilliant Grimm — which also could explain how Andrew came to trust Bee.

If Bee diagnosed Andrew with bipolar, she would want to switch him over to lithium, which is the most common bipolar medicine. I’ve never actually been on lithium, and while I’ve heard it can be really effective, it definitely has a bad reputation — some people say it makes them feel like a “zombie.” Fatigue/dizziness/drowsiness are known potential side effects, especially when you’re adjusting to changed doses — and anyone who’s ever been on a psych med knows that it takes a while to get the dose right. I’m guessing (justified) control freak Andrew Minyard would not be down to risk feeling like a zombie.

(Sidenote: people with bipolar II also get put on lamotrigine, which specifically manages low moods, but from what I can tell it wouldn’t have been common in the mid-2000s. it was only approved for bipolar treatment in 2003.)

Maybe Bee made him a deal: He can stay on the antidepressant, which is not working but is also not the most dangerous thing, as long as he fully commits to their talk therapy sessions so that he can learn how to cope with his symptoms. This is similar to the deal Wymack struck with Andrew. He tends to trust the small handful of people who have given him agency. 

Alright, that’s the theory! Andrew has bipolar disorder. He’s not on the right meds. The courts are not doing silly illegal things (well, not in this case anyway), and the jocks of PSU are the real stereotypes here.

Because at the end of the day, this is a tale as old as time: People with mental illness are easily made out to be the villain.

[emotional-moss]

physical self care tips for folks who don’t have the emotional/physical capacity to do so

disclaimer: these are not going to work for everyone nor are they a cure-all. sometimes you need additional help or sometimes these just aren’t going to work for you. this is not me assuming that every single mentally or physically disabled person is able to do all these. at the lowest points in my life i wasn’t even to get out of bed for days on end and once didn’t brush my teeth for several months. but these help some folks, and that’s all i’m going for!

can’t brush/floss your teeth? mouthwash. mouthwash always. plus you can get it in fun flavors :)

- additionally: are physically capable of brushing/flossing but can’t find the emotional capacity to do so? put on a video/show you like in the background. it helps me !

- oh also you can get toothpaste in fun flavors too if that helps

- you only really need to wash your face like once a day with a fairly gentle soap. like even a bar soap or a diluted hand soap works.

- don’t wanna deal with acne and stuff? pimple patches are your best friend (but wash your face first)

- additionally, acne is normal and common. you don’t have to have “perfect skin” and it’s super rare that people do (and if they do, they most likely invest in a bunch of expensive skincare products and routines).

- don’t/can’t shower? deodorant on stinky/sweaty areas. your armpits, your neck and upper back (trust me on this one), your crotch area, all that stuff.

- or you can just use a washcloth. wet it, put some soap on it, and then rub it on stinky areas. make sure there’s more water on it than soap so that you can wipe it off with a dry washcloth after.

- if you don’t wanna take care of your hair and you don’t need/want to keep it long, buzz it. or just cut it short!

- alternately, if you want/need to keep your hair long but can’t take care of it:

- if you have a looser hair type, run through it every now and then with a brush or your fingers. if you’re able, run through it with your fingers at least a few times a day. running it under water for a little and then gently running through it with your fingers/a comb works as well. also, dry shampoo is your best friend if you’ve got oily hair. if you don’t want to brush/wash it often, keep it in easy to maintain styles like regular braids.

- for black/coiled hair types: i’m not black and have 2c/3a wavy/curly hair so i really don’t know much about this so please do not take this as if i have firsthand experience, this is all internet knowledge/from black peers. i always open to better information, please tell me if you have any! from what i’ve heard and learned black/coiled hair doesn’t need to be washed as much. keeping it short helps because it shrinks easily and means you don’t have to wash/clean it often. but if you want to keep it long, it can get dry easily. separating it into sections and then running through it with a detangling brush helps (a good option is the Spornette DeVille Cushion Paddle Boar Bristle 344). protective hairstyles mean you don’t have to wash it that often as well. 

- some foods may not be healthy but if they’re easy to prepare and leave you sustained for some time, fucking go for it. as long as you don’t have any dietary/medical restrictions regarding them.

- foods like omelettes, oatmeal, microwavable burritos/ramen/etc, peanut butter on toast, tuna sandwiches, frozen chicken nuggets, bag salads, and mixed nuts are all easy to make and/or good sources of vitamins and protein.

- fatness isn’t a bad thing. you don’t need to work out or eat specifically to “stay in shape.”

- but if you do want to work out: i am not a physical therapist, personal trainer, etc. nor do i have much gym experience. listen to your body and consult legitimate medical sources/medical professionals. i am also not physically disabled. i cannot judge what is right for your body; only you and medical professionals can do that.

- remember to warm up and cool down. wear comfortable clothes that make you feel good. drink plenty of water!!!! and listen to what your body is telling you !!! if you experience pain/nausea, it’s time to stop for a bit and there’s no shame in that.

- simple workouts! focus on one specific thing, like flexibility or strength or something. walking/pacing is an easy one if you’re able to do that. listening to music while doing it helps too. - stretches are awesome. yoga is awesome. simple things that increase flexibility and don’t require a lot of physical activity are awesome. just a simple stretch now and then is rad as fuck.

- as always, laziness is a myth. sometimes your mind or your body just doesn’t want to do something and that’s perfectly fine. 

- that’s all i can think of for now i might add more later

[whentherewerebicycles]

ugh I am really struggling with a thing with a former student/mentee of mine. in the week or two of the post-hamas attack aftermath I posted something on instagram that was basically like, i feel an obligation to be an informed global citizen and believe me I read/think about/despair over the news every day but I also think it’s ok to really viscerally hate “doing politics” on social media, where complex, centuries-old geopolitical and cultural conflicts get reduced to a sensationalized infographic some teenager designed on canva last night. at the time I was watching people spread rampant misinformation about the hospital explosion when we had zero conclusive information, and had also just heard jon favreau talking about research indicating that something like 80% of the images and videos people were sharing on social media weren’t actually FROM the current conflict or couldn’t be verified as real. and idk I also have some private thoughts about how american leftists in particular really glom onto this issue because we perceive israelis as ‘white people’ and palestinians as people of color and we get to feel like we are exorcising our own country’s racial demons by advocating for the expulsion of the israeli people from land that many of them actually have deep historical ties to and at least a semi-legitimate cultural and religious claim to inhabiting.

to be clear I think the current israeli government is pretty much your trump-inspired shitty/evil right-wing militaristic populist movement and I feel like their response has squandered every single ounce of empathy garnered by the hamas attacks!! but idk I guess what I want to carve out space for is like, the right to say I AM NOT AN EXPERT HERE. I DO NOT HAVE DEEP ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE ROOTS OF THIS CONFLICT. I WORRY ABOUT SPREADING DANGEROUS MISINFORMATION IN BOTH DIRECTIONS IF I SHARE UNVERIFIED SOURCES OR REDUCTIVE TAKES. ALSO I AM A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND I DO NOT HAVE A “PLATFORM” JUST BECAUSE I HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO BE CONFUSED, TO NOT PASS SNAP JUDGMENTS ON RAPIDLY EVOLVING INTERNATIONAL INCIDENTS, AND TO ENGAGE IN POLITICS BY MEANS OTHER THAN SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING. but idk this former student, who I had a really good relationship with for many years, has just come after me in my DMs and keeps sending me posts implying that anyone who is not furiously posting right now is pro-Palestinian genocide, etc etc, and meanwhile she is posting hundreds of unverified stories a day from Arabic-language sources that aren’t just like, anti-Zionist but are actively pro-Hamas, actively denying that the attacks on Israel happened, and actively calling for the immediate and violent expulsion of all Jews from the area. dude idk she’s not my student anymore so I think I’m just going to disengage/not respond and continue staying off insta because it sucks out there!! but it sucks!

I also just refuse to experience a war via unfiltered social media posts again. I did that for a month or two at the start of the ukraine invasion and I can’t unsee some of the stuff I saw on telegram. I don’t actually think any of us have a moral obligation to watch or share a 24/7 feed of graphic images of maimed corpses and crying children. I can’t make the violence STOP by watching that content and I also don’t believe that ravenously consuming the most terrible moments of people’s lives is a form of meaningful political solidarity. WHATEVER as you can see I still feel super conflicted about how to feel about all of this but I also have to remind myself that IT’S NOT NORMAL to click through my stories or scroll down my feed alternating between liking people’s cat photos and watching people dying half a world away. we were NOT BUILT to process world-historical events this way and it is OKAY to opt out of watching a livestream of human suffering you are personally powerless to do anything about.

[captivahte]

Hello all, I’m no longer going to be publishing posts related to any gofundme’s or pertaining to Politically motivated channels. With the rise of social engineering scams by predators preying on people’s vulnerability and using social media to target audiences on a large-scale platform, I think it’s extremely uncomfortable and irresponsible for people to “aid” people. There are A LOT of bots/people creating new Tumblr accounts just to spam these mass posts claiming a narrative based on being victimed and whether it’s true or not— a majority of them are not.

I don’t feel comfortable with people spamming my inbox pertaining to Gaza or any other socioeconomic issues that I honestly do not want to be complicit to, in any way.

Might I remind you: Phishing scams are easily traceable and can easily be disproven with minor investigations that can take from 1-5m based on somebody’s experience and knowledge of them.

Common issues: No legitimate source link, newly created blogs with ~10 posts on it, old accounts that haven’t been used, people claiming to send you money, asking for personal information, etc.

Example(s): if someone on the internet that doesn’t know you offers to hire you for a service and claims that they want to send you money for performing said service— it’s phishing.

If someone asks you for your name and where you’re from, they can easily gain access to you via public records and access other information if they are experienced at hacking/etc.

If a package is sent to your house and you know you haven’t ordered anything. Usually there are QR codes, etc. that you can scan with your phone’s camera. The second you scan it, it’ll steal private information from your phone by accessing accounts that are already logged in (eg. banking, email, etc).

Idk if the algorithm is just screwing with me and I’m suddenly being spammed with messages just because I published one but I will no longer be publishing anything with a gofundme link or pertaining to Gaza Strip.

I use my social media as an outlet and I don’t want to waste my time confirming legitimacy or stressing about things when I have too much stress to stress over, already. Call me careless/selfish/etc. I don’t really care. I think it’s extremely irresponsible for people to be publishing things that can have the slightest probability of exploiting anyone’s sense of vulnerability.

Also, if you suspect anyone of phishing you can easily report them.

[kyra45]

Introduction

Hi! I’m Key/Jess (aka @shadowfoxsilver ) and this is an account where I track and document scam posts and scam accounts. While the most common scam I show is pet donation scams, I may also occasionally show other kinds of scams here. This blogs purpose is to educate users on how to spot scam blogs and the proper method of dealing with them should you encounter one in the wild. This blogs posts are usually tagged properly and can generally be located easily when you search the information you may see or was given.

All the information I supply is done so free of charge and at no cost of my own though on occasion you may find me from a post I’ve blazed or an ask someone sent you that refers to me as I have many posts that may have relevant information. Any information supplied was located in public, though some vet bills I may show were in a private group and are edited to block any private information. I do not do this for financial gain, and simply do it to save users from getting scammed out of their money.

If you wish to support me, I have tips enabled! I also have a Ko-Fi here if you’d like to check it out as well. Otherwise, words of support and feedback is appreciated regardless.

Below I will compile links that you may find useful and as a faster way of accessing information that is usually buried in my blog. You are free to share this post! I don’t mind.

—

Quick Links

Active scam list | A poll | Legitimate fundraiser sources posted here | Blaze-enabled posts | Drama stuff | Anon ask stuff

Keys named scammers | What is a pet donation scam? | Quick guide to scam spotting | Quick tips | Bank phishing scam | Romance/Dating scam | Pet donation scam | Art scam | Disclaimer | Pet scam detail

Michelle Riggs

[blood-darkened-moon]

(1/2) TEW question: If Ruben hadn’t been burned but was still a serial killer, what is his motive for killing? Since there’s no need for revenge, what would happen? SKs IIRC develop a fractured identity hidden behind a wall of primitive defenses, so it’s a horrible way of coping, like self-medicating (we know there’s trauma and a predisposition).

Ok, anon, I love horror movies and games and also read about some serial killers out of interest, but I’m not an expert on this topic, especially not on the psychological aspects. And I refuse to diagnose fictional characters with mental illnesses. The headcanons I write are just for fun and should be seen as an attempt to write a horror AU rather than an analysis based on the mindset of real people. I don’t think that I can give you a qualified answer to your questions, but I’ll try my best. Here’s a more analytical approach to the topic.

I agree with you that there was a predisposition, but was there trauma involved before the fire? I don’t think so, or at least I think there is absolutely no evidence for this within the game. Even Jimenez wrote in Research Entry #31, “After surviving the incident and subsequent abuse from his parents, it’s a miracle Ruben can function at all.” We know very little about Ruben’s past before the incident. Some information originates from Ruben’s documents or his recordings after the fire. At that time, he is deeply traumatized, hallucinates, and is overall mentally unstable, which becomes even noticeable in his records. His state likely influences his perception in a heavily subjective way. Due to this and the ongoing abuse by his father, he may evaluate his childhood as worse than it actually was. However, since there are no more reliable sources, I have to take his words for granted.

While I don’t see anything that could have traumatized Ruben as a child, I still think that there were conflicts that could have worsened even if the fire never happened. There was tension in his family, specifically with his father. Ruben already seemed to have a somewhat strained relationship with him before the incident. Yet, he still respected him, as Ruben stated in one of the recordings, “Father was a stern man. Proud, and I thought intelligent.” He was calm while he recorded this. Therefore, I think this statement is valid, and their relationship wasn’t that bad at first. On the other hand, Ruben also wrote: “He’s trying to punish me again. He always resented our closeness. Thinks he can use it against me.” He wrote this while he was clearly enraged, likely not fully accountable. It still indicates a conflict between the two.

The latter statement is somewhat strange, though. Why should Ernesto mind if his children get along well with each other? Isn’t this a good thing? Jimenez describes Ruben’s love for Laura as “almost on an incestuous level”, and considering Ruben’s records, that seems to be a legitimate interpretation. But the records are from after the fire when he was already a teenager or young adult. Moreover, he was locked up in the basement for years without any human contact (except for his father and a doctor, maybe). This long-term isolation would excuse Ruben’s affection for his sister reaching an abnormal level. Even in case little Ruben had a crush on Laura at that age (10 or younger), I think this would hardly be a reason to be concerned. He could likely outgrow it easily if he grew up under normal circumstances. So, it is unlikely that this was Ernesto’s issue.

I think it is possible that the statement relates to Ruben’s experiments in some way. We know Ernesto cannot cope well with problems that would damage his family’s reputation. After all, he preferred to lock his traumatized son away after the fire instead of organizing real help for him. Well, dissecting pig heads is not a normal behavior for a child, and yet Ruben had the equipment and a room where he could do his experiments. Why did Ernesto tolerate this behavior, which is significantly more concerning than suffering from physical and mental trauma after barely surviving a fire? (In the sense of the latter is an understandable reaction.) And why did he show it to Jimenez in the first place? This isn’t something that you show proudly around in the neighborhood. I assume that maybe Laura protected her brother, acted as the voice of reason, and convinced Ernesto that instead of punishing Ruben for his experiments, he should deal with it differently. Jimenez was just about 20 at the time he met Ruben. He can’t have been a doctor then. He was likely only a student. (The model in the game is older, probably due to time or budget reasons.) Jimenez wasn’t working at Beacon yet either. In Research Entry #16, he stated that he started working there but also mentioned Ruben, so he already knew him before that. Perhaps at Laura’s request, the Victorianos looked for someone with the necessary expertise to deal with Ruben’s behavior but who would do so in secrecy. Therefore, they went with a student. In the end, it backfired, and instead of talking Ruben out of his experiments, Jimenez confirmed his beliefs. Ernesto could take this amiss and think strict punishment would have worked better. This is highly speculative, though. Ruben also mentioned punishment in the document, but it is unclear what kind of punishment it was and when it happened. It could be something (long) before the fire, or he could relate to his recent confinement in the basement.

Another issue Ruvik mentioned is his hatred for the church and his father always supporting them. He said, “Somehow he always supported the church, no matter what the newspapers said. He waved away the allegations as if they were infallible. The wretched, the vermin, the stern... All were taken in by that church.”, followed by “They were promised salvation and eternal life. But there’s nothing they could promise that I couldn’t take away.” Where his hatred for the church originates from is again not clear. We know the church was a shady place, but had it anything to do with child-Ruben? I think it is also possible that Ruben developed his hatred later during his time in the basement. He thought his father had taken Laura away from him, the one person he loved the most. Perhaps he then decided to take something away from his father that he cherished deeply.

This covers the conflicts at home we know of. None of them seem to be a major issue before the fire, though. I doubt that these alone had the potential to set up Ruben on the path of a serial killer unless drastic changes occur. However, there are still some other aspects.

Jimenez is one of them. He is not a good influence on Ruben at all. He could have tried to channel Ruben’s interests onto a healthier path. Instead, he affirmed that ethical and moral standards in science must be questioned if true greatness is to be achieved. Ruben knew very well that his experiments were unacceptable when they met for the first time. Jimenez probably had a chance of convincing Ruben to give up on them. Later, he continues to be a toxic influence. Despite his sympathy for Ruben, Jimenez often disregards his poor mental state and only tries to gain profit from Ruben’s results. Only after the experiments reached an extreme level of gruesomeness and the death toll went through the roof did Jimenez realize that he made a big mistake. “I had taught him from a young age that the end shall justify the means, but I could not have predicted things to be this extreme.” Not that it would stop Jimenez from leeching further on Ruben’s work.

Now, before I come to the possibility of Ruben still becoming a serial killer without the fire, I want to speculate a bit about his early experiments, because they could hint at a predisposition. We know that Ruben dissected pig heads, but I think this can’t be the only thing he has done. I assume the pig heads are slaughterhouse waste. (He can’t have killed and decapitated a large pig alone at the age of 9, right?) Little Ruben doesn’t seem to have the proper equipment to prevent the decomposition in his room. (How fresh were the heads when he got them?) As far as I know, brain matter decomposes rather quickly, though. How far can he get with a half-decomposed pig brain? He can develop and improve his surgery skills. However, Jimenez mentions Ruben’s studies, and he is really impressed by them (“… but Ruben... Comparatively insignificant, but even at his young age, his studies are remarkable.”). While it is not shown or otherwise described in the game, I think it is likely that Ruben also experimented on other smaller animals that were either still alive or killed shortly before he started. We don’t know what kind of studies he performed, but I think you likely need a fresh or well-preserved brain for most experiments. Ruben was also hesitant to show his experiments to Jimenez. He said they are gross and that Jimenez now thinks he is a monster. Ruben did not try to justify them. Would this be the case if he only used slaughterhouse waste? It would still be gross and off for a child but a little less disturbing than experimenting on animals he had killed first. At least assuming that Jimenez might think he was a monster for doing so seems like an exaggeration to me since the pigs were slaughtered beforehand anyway.

Edit: In the room where Ruben dissects the pig’s head, there is an eviscerated dog carcass (which I’ve apparently always overlooked). So he has definitely killed other animals and experimented on them. The cages in the room also point to this. Judging by the size of the cages, he probably mainly used cats and dogs.

So much to the background, now what could have happened without the fire? Firstly, Laura was 17 when the fire occurred; Ruben was only 10. Laura probably wouldn’t have stayed with her parents forever. Maybe she would have gone to college the following year. Ruben spent his teenage years in the 80s, so no internet, and telephones weren’t constantly available either. He still has to live almost without Laura for several years. As I said before, I assume that Laura protected Ruben in some way from Ernesto. After she leaves, Ruben has to deal with his father mostly on his own. Their relationship was already strained before and would certainly not improve over the years, rather the opposite. I can’t say how far Ernesto would ultimately go with his punishments if Laura isn’t on-site without further information, though. We should also bear in mind that Ruben is getting older and can probably hide his activities better from his father. Jimenez might also be able to help him with this. I think, it is unlikely that the situation would take on similarly traumatizing proportions as after the fire, but there is still a certain conflict potential.

The bigger problem is, in my opinion, Jimenez. Without Laura and with a tense atmosphere at home, Ruben would probably spend more time with him. At least initially, Jimenez seemed to understand and support him. He recognized Ruben’s talent and was his mentor, even if not entirely for selfless reasons. I think it’s possible that even without fire, he could lead Ruben down a similar path as in the game, but probably at a slower pace. Seeing Laura again would no longer be Ruben’s driving force, but she wasn’t his only motivation in the game anyway. Ruben took a lot of pride in his research. He became furious when Jimenez stole and published his results (“That cockroach, that sycophant; living off of me, feeding off of my work.“). Sure, Jimenez is an asshole, but he was somewhat correct when he said Ruvik couldn’t have published it in a reputable journal otherwise. If Laura was really all Ruben wanted, he shouldn’t have been so angry about what Jimenez was doing. So, Ruben’s own ambitions as a scientist may have played a role, albeit a subordinate one.

Jimenez has persuaded Ruben from the beginning that the end justifies the means, plus there is Ruben’s potential predisposition, now adding some overambition, nurtured by his mentor, on top. Ruben would probably not shy away from human experiments, as they would be more reliable than the ones with animals. Jimenez would certainly provide him with test subjects, and he might even urge him to take this step once Ruben’s abilities were sufficient. After all, Jimenez also wants to profit from his work.

I don’t think Ruben would become an ordinary serial killer, but, for instance, I could imagine him evolving in a similar direction to Josef Mengele. In the game, he no longer sees the people he experiments on as people. He describes them as vermin and microbes. Without fire and the years in the basement, he should feel less hatred towards others, but with Jimenez as a mentor, he may have come to the conclusion that the death of some people is justified in order to help others through scientific advancement. His test subjects may no longer be vermin to him but laboratory supplies. He still would use and kill them as he pleased.

Serial killers often have a traumatic past and use the killing as a coping mechanism, but not all of them. It is not impossible that someone could become a serial killer for different reasons. The scenario above is the best I could do with the little information we have. I guess my answer isn’t really what you wanted, but I cannot see a canon reason for Ruben to snap if the fire and the abuse afterward never happened. If we knew more about his past, perhaps this would change. (I left Mobius out for simplicity, by the way.)

[dailycharacteroption]

Geomancer (Occultist Archetype)

Fun fact. Did you know that it’s possible to power a light bulb by sinking a wire connected to a power source into the ground and another connected to the bulb a surprising distance away?

I suppose the point of that little tidbit is that the earth beneath our feet is capable of channeling very real power, so it’s only natural to think that it might also channel mystical power.

The word “geomancy” has taken on something of an altered meaning in this day and age of fantastical and over the top special effects and video game animation. I’m sure many of you think of geomancy and imagine a mage ripping stones from the ground to bury and bludgeon foes.

And there’s nothing wrong with that, but much like necromancy, geomancy originally was about gaining information and wisdom from the earth. Hell, Feng Sui is technically a form of geomancy, albeit one peppered with legitimately good advice for designing homes that don’t suck, as is the concept of ley lines and the like.

Today’s subject seeks to reconcile the two, being a bit of tapping into the wisdom and magic of the terrain, with a bit of drawing actual magical power from it as well, as well as a touch of manipulating it in dramatic ways.

The occultist class, with its focus on reading psychic and occult impressions in physical objects, is perfect for this, reflecting the more esoteric mysteries of geomancy both western and eastern, in addition to using them with the more dramatic geomancy we see in the modern era. Just look up geomantic tools and charts and tell me that you can’t imagine a fantasy geomancer using them to summon power from the terrain.

The result is an occultist whose magic varies a bit depending on what terrain they are in, and can be quite formidable. I imagine they are most common in regions where esoteric and occult lore is given a lot of credence and respect, perhaps alongside strong druidic traditions.

In addition to storing mental focus in their implements, these mystics can store some in the very terrain itself. As long as they maintain contact with the ground, they can draw upon this investment for various powers.

Additionally, they use some of the focus that they would use to learn magic associated with an implement to instead draw magic from their environment, these spells changing as they change what terrain they are in. Cold regions grant icy spells; deserts grant those of heat, dryness, and sand; forests let them manipulate and commune with plant life; jungle taps into the poisonous and verminous life found there; mountain calls upon deadly stone attacks and utility; plains call upon wind, agile quadrupeds, and the multitudes of unnoticed insects; other planes draw upon useful utility and survival spells for extraplanar realms; swamps offer mud, rot, and insect life; underground gifts earth manipulation, enhanced senses, stifled air, and formless allies; urban grants magical understanding, agility, and stealth; and finally, water grants survivability beneath the surface and direct control over water.

The level of investment these mystics put into the terrain enhances their awareness of it, making it easier to survive and thrive therein.

They can, however, expend some to bolster their speed, the terrain shifting to remove obstacles , give them boosts, and otherwise quicken them.

These geomancers can also expend some energy to bolster themselves and nearby landbound allies, the terrain empowering their strikes and defenses alike.

Their most dramatic abilyt allows them to reshape the terrain into a strong barrier with a hefty expenditure of energy.

At the cost of one implement school, these mystics gain what is essentially a different implement school with ever-changing spells useful for whatever environment they are in as well as survival buffs, mobility, buffs, and battlefield control. Of course, all of these abilities require mental focus to be invested beforehand, so you can pick when to use them each day depending on the situation, investing a lot or a little and reallocating as needed. The spells and powers are guaranteed to almost always be moderately useful as long as you and the party don’t do a lot of flying, so you’ll probably enjoy it a lot. I recommend a build centered on buffing and battlefield control, appropriately.

This archetype doesn’t reference real-world geomancy all that much in the end, but you can totally use such tools and symbology as part of your character’s arsenal and aesthetic. It mostly revolves around finding ways to randomly generate symbols and then interpreting them, though other forms exist as well.

For decades, the journal known as the Wanderman’s Cypher has eluded decryption, but new evidence points to the key being tied to mystical signifiers tied to the locations where they were originally written and encoded. Of course, the text is centuries old, so acquiring the answers will need strong retrocognitive magic tied to the memory of the land rather than the memories of mortals.

It is theorized that the gargoyles of Nakkor created the Nakkori Lines, great shapes carved into the badlands earth that are visible from the air, as a way to navigate while high in the air, and while it is true that they do use them for such now, other sources suggest they are much older.

There are plenty of mystics that claim domain of the sea, but the ocean giant tyrant Ogzal claims not only his domain, but the shore beyond as well, backing it up with mystical arts tied to his esoteric magics. Stripping him of that power will help those seeking to dethrone him stand a chance.

[maul-of-shame]

Pretty bold of you to accuse the survey op of lying when they've been in the community long enough and isn't known to shit-stir. Not to mention that other people have come out to confirm similar things. They didn't even say that the show is at risk of cancellation but were asked their feelings on that. People just assumed the worst and ran with it. It's not unusual for studios to ask people for feedback using test screenings so why would a survey be different.

Let me clarify something because it seems like you’re putting words in my mouth here.

I never said the survey poster was lying, nor did I accuse them of “stirring shit up.”

What I did say is that there’s no solid proof to back up the claim at this time, and without evidence, I don’t think it’s fair—or productive—for the fandom to spiral into panic.

That’s not me calling anyone dishonest; it’s me being cautious and asking for actual confirmation before jumping to conclusions.

[ Also, let’s talk about that “pretty bold of you” comment. You’re coming in here as an anonymous user while making claims about my supposed boldness and accusing me of things I didn't do. If we’re discussing boldness, maybe start with showing your name. I’m standing by my words publicly; you should consider doing the same if you’re going to throw accusations my way.]

Yes, I’m aware that studios conduct surveys. I never claimed otherwise.

What I said is that without proof or direct ties to the The Rings of Power team, I don’t see why this specific claim should be taken as gospel. Point blank period.

There’s a significant difference between saying “studios do surveys” (which they do) and using that as blanket justification to assume any alleged survey is legitimate. Unless the information is coming directly from the showrunners, Amazon, or someone with verified ties to production, I’m not going to treat it as confirmed fact.

And as for “someone’s history in a fandom” being a reason to trust them—let me be clear: that’s not how credibility works.

Just because someone has been around a fandom for a long time, has built a reputation, or even contributed to its growth doesn’t automatically make them more trustworthy when it comes to claims like this. Credibility, especially for something as significant as the potential cancellation of a show, is built on verifiable facts, evidence, and transparency—not on how long someone’s been part of the community.

Let me give you an example to make this clear: imagine someone who’s been an active and well-regarded figure in the Tolkien fandom for years comes forward and says, “I heard from a friend of a friend that Amazon is canceling The Rings of Power.” Now, this person might be beloved, known for writing great metas, or organizing fandom events, but unless they provide concrete proof—such as a link to the survey, screenshots of official communication, or even a source directly tied to Amazon—their claim is still just hearsay.

No matter how much we may want to believe them, we can’t treat their word as fact until there’s something solid to back it up. It’s the same principle as with journalism or research: your reputation might get people to listen, but it’s your evidence that earns their trust.

This is why I’m emphasizing caution here.

I’m not saying the survey didn’t happen. I’m not saying the person sharing it is lying.

But until we see actual proof—such as screenshots of the survey questions, confirmation from Amazon, or corroboration from a source directly tied to production—it’s perfectly reasonable and necessary to remain skeptical. That’s not being rude or dismissive; it’s just critical thinking.

Fandom veterans, like anyone else, can misinterpret information, share things in good faith that turn out to be false, or pass along rumors they believe to be true. This isn’t about accusing anyone of malicious intent, it’s about understanding that credibility isn’t built on reputation alone, especially when we’re dealing with claims that could cause widespread panic or harm.

This is exactly why fandoms need to approach such claims carefully—because jumping to conclusions based on unverified information doesn’t help anyone. It only adds fuel to an already anxious fire.

So, if proof emerges that confirms this survey and its implications, great—we can have a conversation about what it means and what might happen next. But until that happens, I’m standing by the idea that skepticism is not only valid but necessary. It’s not about shutting anyone down or dismissing their contributions to the fandom; it’s about ensuring that we don’t lose sight of the need for concrete evidence in the middle of what feels like a snowballing storm of assumptions and fear.

I know this topic has people on edge, but we all need to take a step back and breathe. Spreading unverified claims—regardless of the source—does nothing but fuel anxiety and speculation. Until we have something concrete, preferably from the The Rings of Power team or Amazon itself, I’m going to remain cautious, and I encourage others to do the same. That’s not being dismissive or accusatory—it’s just common sense.

I also want to point out that I’ve brought up actual evidence showing why the show has very little chance of being canceled—whether it’s Jeff Bezos’s personal investment in the project, the existing long-term production plans, or the financial backing Amazon has already poured into the series. These points are grounded in verifiable facts, not speculation.

Judging by the tone of your message, it seems you didn’t take the time to read my response fully or consider the points I raised.

Instead, it looks like you only glanced at the intro, made an assumption about my stance, and ran with it. That’s fine—we all skim things sometimes—but let’s be clear: my argument isn’t based on dismissing the survey’s existence outright or accusing anyone of lying. My point is that until concrete proof is provided, it’s perfectly reasonable to remain skeptical and weigh it against the overwhelming evidence that the show is very unlikely to be canceled anytime soon.

So, before putting words in my mouth, I’d recommend giving my full message a careful read. It’s not about disregarding anyone’s perspective or contributions to the fandom. It’s about grounding discussions in evidence and not letting fears spiral unchecked. This helps us all stay informed, calm, and focused on what we know to be true rather than feeding into unverified claims.

[candycandy00]

The League of Villains Halloween Horror Anthology Sign Up

This is the sign up post for the first annual League of Villains Halloween Horror Anthology!

The deadline to sign up for this event is September 30th! Please keep that in mind!

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What it is:

The anthology will be various fanfics and fanart of League of Villains members reimagined as horror creatures/icons/characters, to be posted throughout October of this year. I thought it would be a fun way to get us all in the spooky Halloween mood.

This is an adults-only event! Please do not sign up unless you have your age listed in your bio or pinned post! Minors do not interact!

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Rules:

You can make fanfic or fanart, or both! But each piece must feature a League of Villains member (past or present, but only one per piece) as a horror creature/icon/character, such as a vampire or a masked killer. They have to be the source of the horror, so no zombie fics where the character is fighting zombies. If you pick zombie as your horror creature, the character you pick has to be a zombie.

Multiple people can claim each character, so if we get 30 Dabi fics, so be it. However, only one person can claim each horror icon for the medium you chose. So if someone already signed up for one of the characters as a vampire in a fic, you can’t sign up for a character (even a different one) as a vampire in a fic. You can sign up for a vampire in a fanart, provided no one else has. I will do these on a first come, first serve basis. So the first person to claim a given creature will get it. If a lot of people sign up and I feel like we’re legitimately running out of horror tropes, I might bend this rule a bit. Also! You can be specific to differentiate between creatures. Like an undead pirate is different from a regular zombie, and so on.

Fanfics can be X Reader or not. They can be NSFW/smut, or not. That’s up to you! If you choose Toga as your character, only write/draw SFW pieces for her, as she is a minor. It doesn’t matter if you age her up. You don’t have to make your piece horror, but it’s encouraged. This is a Halloween anthology after all. At the very least, a spooky vibe should be present, even if your piece is overall light hearted. Likewise, you don’t have to set the story on or around Halloween, but it would be nice to have some works that do so.

You can post your piece any time in October. From the first day of the month to the last. Ideally, the pieces will be spread out a bit throughout the month, but I’m not assigning anyone specific days. Just post it whenever you want in October.

If you sign up, but decide to drop out, that’s fine! This is a zero pressure event. You don’t even have to explain why. All I ask is that you send me a message or Ask letting me know so that I can remove you from the sign up list. Someone else might have wanted to write about the creature you chose, but couldn’t because you picked it.

When you post your piece, use the tag #lovhalloweenhorror. Feel free to use the tag before then! Use it to talk about the piece you’re working on, use it to post sketches or previews! Heck, use it even if you just plan to enjoy the fan works! Use it to talk about things you’d like to see/read as a viewer. Anything goes! Let’s build up some excitement!

As works begin to be posted in October, I’ll create a Masterlist post to list all of them in one convenient place. If you post your piece and you don’t see it added to the list within a day or so, send me a message to let me know in case I missed it.

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How to Sign up:

If you’d like to sign up to create a piece for this event, send me an Ask or a direct message with the following information:

Fanart or Fanfic?

Character?

Horror Creature?

That’s it! Please send a separate message for each piece you plan to make.

As people sign up, I’ll list them in this post so everyone can know what’s been claimed. Please be patient with me. I might be slow!

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The List:

Fanfiction:

@missrosegold - Dabi - Demon

@candycandy00 - Shigaraki - Scarecrow

@jabberwocky-92 - Shigaraki - God of Decay

@scary-grace - Shigaraki - Ghost/Wraith

@spicymeatball1992 - Shigaraki - Incubus

@jabberwocky-92 - Dabi - Grim Reaper

@gamergirlghost - Toga - Vampire

@doumadono - Dabi - Merman

@doumadono - Toga - Rusalka

Fanart:

@sammystep - Twice - Dr. Frankenstein

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Ideas/Inspiration:

If you’re having trouble deciding on a horror creature/icon/character, here’s a list of some to give you some ideas! Obviously, what you pick doesn’t have to come from this list, and in fact I’m looking forward to seeing all the different ideas I never thought of. You can even create your own creature! This is just a list of some possibilities.

Vampire | Werewolf | Demon | Witch/Warlock | Zombie | Ghost/Wraith | Banshee | Masked Killer | Mad Scientist | Scarecrow | Executioner | Butcher | Alien | Cyborg/Android | Witchfinder | Deep Sea Creature | Clown | Cannibal | Mummy

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Feel free to reblog this! Let’s get as many people involved as possible!

[houseofbrat]

As a urologist this sounds like bladder cancer

There are several types of bladder cancer, so without knowing what the pathology is it’s hard to say what his prognosis is. About 70% of tumors can be managed without major surgery or chemotherapy. I am guessing by his “routine treatments” that he has a good prognosis

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Not in the traditional sense. Some bladder cancers can be managed by putting therapy directly into the bladder through a catheter. In the US we use something called BCG, but we can also use other types of chemotherapy. It’s very different than getting normal chemotherapy.

That statement is what makes me think he has bladder cancer and is likely undergoing a BCG regimen.

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My dad had / has bladder cancer. From what I understand, the specific type of bladder cancer determines whether it's aggressive or not. Again, "from what I understand", there are two factors that determine the severity: what tissues are affected (superficial tissue to muscle tissue to actually through the wall and into neighbouring organs / tissue) and the type of cancer. Some types spread more rapidly. Basically: an aggressive type that already penetrated the muscle tissue is extremely bad news, while a non-agressive type in the superficial tissue is very treatable.

u/gu_doc please correct me if I got it all wrong!

gu_doc: You are absolutely correct.

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Every BPH surgical treatment that I can think of will involve direct visualization or imaging of the bladder. It’s not too uncommon for us to look in the bladder when evaluating BPH and find a bladder tumor.

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It’s not uncommon to incidentally find bladder cancer when working up a prostate. Obviously there are many other possibilities, but this is my guess.

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I was wondering (because I legitimately don’t know) if BCG is used over there. Don’t they use BCG as their tuberculosis vaccine? I wonder if intravesical BCG is more or less effective in that case

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They almost might have thought something was like reactive tissue but turned out CIS or something. I don’t know. Maybe they put him up in stirrups and found a wart.

We don’t always scope before BPH procedure in my practice if we have a prostate volume from another source

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BCG reduces the risk of recurrence, so fewer times going to the OR potentially. We treat people in their 70s and 80s all the time for this

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Why do I jump to bladder primary? Because it fits the story to me.

The perception I got is that this other primary was found during a BPH surgery. Not during scans or evaluation, but during a surgery. Areas often overlooked that would be seen better during surgery would be something oral, maybe something of the lungs/airway (maybe he got bronched due to blood on ET tube placement?), penis, testicles, bladder, and anus.

Again, as a urologist, bladder fits the story to me. We are obviously missing a ton of information here as they’re being intentionally vague. I could be way, way wrong. I could just see it. This happens not infrequently in my practice.

And I don’t mean UCC metastatic to the prostate. I’m saying they saw it on cystoscopy and biopsied it separately.