#if no one uses it then its not a real term

[thenamesblurrito]

so. Transformers ONE was a good movie

i HIGHLY recommend going in blind, i do think it's incredibly effective with as few spoilers as possible beforehand! seeing it on the big screen is really really nice too, i encourage you to watch it in theaters without reading up on it first if you can!

long full-spoiler review and dissection of elements below (i reached the text block limit a couple times oops):

general stuff:

gorgeous. just genuinely visually gorgeous. so many details, colors, textures, everything was so beautiful. the stylization itself may not be my favorite but it was executed so well that i ended up loving it. their optics! their colors! their movement! the way the visuals serve the lore and the story is extremely well done too, i felt like everything i was seeing was deliberate, relevant, and a treat for the audience instead of just "ooo visual noise look at how powerful our cgi rendering is" (which is how i felt about the "live action" Lion King prequel(????) ad they showed before). all the little cameos and repaints and everything in the background? mwah. GORGEOUS MUSIC TOO AAAA THE WAY THAT TFP'S MOTIF IS IN THERE AAAA

the visual effects and action, the way they USED their roboticness/transformation sequences/vehicle modes in fighting and moving and emoting, it was VERY GOOD. Orion grabs a Death Tracker and RIPS THEM INTO PIECES BY TRANSFORMING AROUND THEM AND FORCING THEIR FRAME TO SHATTER. insanity

this is ABSOLUTELY the origin story movie the fandom has wanted. even if it wasn't your preferred origin story, this movie SHONE with love and respect for the franchise and drew on so many influences to craft a powerful version of the beginning we all wanted to see

in some ways i wish we had more, i think it would've been extremely effective to see things expanded upon, especially D-16's emotional descent and maybe some more Quints. actually looking at the content and pacing of the movie though, and the audience it's aimed at, i don't think there's anything they should've cut in favor of other stuff. i understand why it wasn't dwelt on more, but hooooo i would've liked to see Dee breaking apart a little more thru the middle of the film. apparently the novelization has more scenes of this and i would love to read it

i had so much fun watching this movie. it was a rollercoaster. it was a TREAT. i was sitting there enjoying every second both times i saw it because it was a good film that rewarded me greatly for being a Transformers fan, giving me so many easter eggs and injokes, while also being perfectly understandable and fun for a complete newbie. excellently balanced appeal to old and new fans alike

there was no wink to the audience about how stupid and childish a movie about robots is, there was no lampshading of how silly sci fi is, there was no betrayal of the emotional tone of the film. so many stories now kneecap themselves by mocking their very concept, and the audience watching them, in a very cinema sins-style irony poisoned way. this movie never does that. its humor is fitting, its drama is real, its emotion is all SINCERE and i love how i was never mocked by any part of the movie for engaging with it sincerely

this movie loved being a Transformers movie

anyways. specific stuff:

love how Wheeljack managed to explode everything despite not even being a scientist. he's just THAT good

THE INJOKES AND REFERENCES. "you don't have the touch OR the power." calling them Gobots. the corny More Than Meets The Eye bits. "don't be a glitch" is a headcanon swear i've been using for years now and they canonized it!! "High Guard, eject". "paging doctor Ratchet." the new take on "all are one". the really interesting way that the term Transformers is an actual significant in-universe name, and how Orion and Dee ARE NOT Transformers at first!

the sheer number of cameos is ASTOUNDING. what an excellent mix of masc/fem designs too, they really made it normal on this Cybertron which i appreciate! apparently Blurr exists here, his name was on the leaderboard!!!!!! good job Chromia i am so proud of you for winning. and the shots of the bots getting cogs at the end was aaAAA!!! <<33 my HEART! Jazz's little smile looking at his new doorwings!!

I GOT ALL MY SILLY OLD DEMIGOD FAVES I GOT THE THIRTEEN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM AAAAAA ALPHA TRION MY GRANDPA god i'm so sorry you're dead but i can't believe you showed up on the big screen <<333 you and your rockin rhino unicorn lion alt mode. and your superpowers. god you're so cool. "old timer" NUH UH HE'S STILL BETTER THAN YOU!!!!! using Zeta for the thirteenth was an interesting choice! i did think he was Overlord for a hot second. it's the lips. Solus wasn't fridged by virtue of everyone else died too yippee!! ALSO MEGATRONUS THE COOLEST ONE WOOOO HES NOT JUST A FIERY EVIL GUY!!!!

the way Dee himself was, in a way, the Fallen of this continuity.... 😭

the way Sentinel was handcrafting his downfall with each touch of the blowtorch. carving the sigil of the Decepticons into the one who will kill him. dooming Cybertron in a moment of petty mockery. AND HE DOESN'T EVEN DRAW IT WELL IT'S LIKE A MESSY CRAYON DRAWING CMON

planetformer Primus in a blockbuster movie? CANONICAL EXPLICITLY STATED PLANETARY ROBO MPREG BIRTH IN THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES???? THEY USE THE WORD BIRTH. BORN. we are never escaping the reproductive insanity in this franchise

Shockwave you whiny tantrum throwing wuss. let Elita beat him up more. it's good for him. also love how that could be construed as a ref to her G1 resistance force

CASUAL MIND READER SOUNDWAVE???????

Elita was perfect, no notes. i would not like her if i met her but i respect her so much. she really is better in every way and down to business. Best First indeed

so much cool implications and fascinating timeline confusion. 50 cycles since the Primes were slaughtered? the way Sentinel leveraged their reputation to make himself beloved, casting himself as their peer? the way he didn't choose to villainize them, the way he apparently openly admitted to the loss of the Matrix and how it impacted the planet? when did cog theft start, and how old is Orion since in the novelization it states his entire generation is cogless? who remembers the og Primes? who is in the know about it all?? hoooghhghhh fascinating.

the implication that the High Guard worked with the og Primes?? the possibility STARSCREAM was a loyal guard for Cybertron's DEMIGODS????

okay i was not expecting a backstory for STARSCREAM'S VOICE in this movie but holy. god. the shippers will be going insane over this one. hoogh holy fit. what is wrong with you. the utter contradiction of being both an instigator and a coward when he gets in over his head and immediately backpedals

also obviously this is the I Love Divorce movie and megop shippers will be having a field day but i DEEPLY appreciate just how solid a friendship Dee and Orion have and how badly they fall apart, even thru a strictly platonic lens. i also appreciate how there was no forced comphet attraction/romance!! i was dreading the possibility of it, i mean Oplita was RIGHT THERE but they didn't force it at all thank youuuuuu. i would rather have this dynamic with its zero intended romance than awkward, OOC attraction shoehorned in to detract from the plot

Bee was actually good! like yeah he's def the kid appeal character and i prefer it when he's in a younger gen and not OP's peer, but he was wayyyyy less annoying than i was expecting! i think he fit the movie and did his job in it well, and i absolutely laughed at him multiple times. "i get to work for the GOVERNMENT! :DDDD" bee. please. the fact that he's been going insane and desperate after isolation for so long really helps make his character work instead of being just irritating

Airachnid you are so cool. you are TOO COOL. PLEASE TONE DOWN YOUR COOLNESS. i adore how she is not good at facial expressions thank you evil autism moments. love how her signature move is stabbystabbystabbystabbystabbystabby

Sentinel. god. Sentinel. SENTINEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i need to draw him getting ripped in half. it's like they distilled the worst parts of every single iteration and combined them into a SuperBad version. horrifically realistic kind of guy. i love to hate him. real Metro Man from Megamind energy. and megachurch pastor energy. the IRONY that Orion and Dee were probably actually helping him, that he was probably being genuine in the medbay when he said he loved what they did by racing, that he may have been honest when he said he was gonna have them fixed up in his own facilities and had them tour the mines! because them racing increased energon production by 150% and Sentinel needed that!!! he needed that for the Quintessons!!! i think he was being genuine when he first met Dee and Orion and then Darkwing ruined everything!!!

Darkwing is the curly straw of this continuity

the Quintessons were hoooooooooooooooo. whoooooooooogh. hoohhhhhhhhhhhh. the biomechanical. the shapes. the textures. eugh. icky. creepy. excellent. the way their ships looked like the Nemesis. the way they're STILL a looming threat. i wanted to see more of them but i get why the movie wasn't about them. i hope we see more in the future

the way Orion is the kind of guy who, in an attempt to be selfless, keeps making selfish or thoughtless decisions was SO INTERESTING. it set up the dynamic of his and Dee's friendship very well, with Orion always wanting the best for his buddy but ultimately overwriting or ignoring what Dee says!! the way Dee clings to the social contract of protocol for safety because that's all he knows and his ANGER when it's broken, even when it's Orion breaking it, because that's not SAFE it's an UNKNOWN it has CONSEQUENCES WHEN YOU DEVIATE. and then it's revealed that the social norms have been a lie the whole time and Sentinel has "broken protocol" more than ever and Dee has no safety left because it was always broken. Orion wanted to be more, he could feel there was more. Dee just wanted security

Dee spent so much of the movie complaining and arguing and it was very funny and good characterization but it was also a hint at how much bitterness was under there the whole time. so much of his complaints were threats of violence. he always had Orion's back and then when he learns the truth he abruptly. stops. do you notice he doesn't really have Orion's back after this? he's no longer by his side? he's there, but he's not... there. he was the first to shoot an enemy and took joy in it. all of his emotions were so justified and then what he does with them is what makes it a tragedy. he didn't have to do this. augh

i really, really like the fact that they managed to pull off the ending without it fully turning into a "boohoo if we do anything violent we're as bad as the bad guys waaaa". the specific phrasing of "rebuilding cannot start with an execution" went HARD. and it's demonstrated in their actions too like, Dee was out for REVENGE and it was PERSONAL, Orion was fighting for JUSTICE and it was UNIVERSAL. Sentinel was beaten, everyone knew the truth. it was over. but Dee in his (very justified!) anger and broken trust was too overcome to back down. they were given the power to change their worlds, but Dee was thinking only of his world. Orion was thinking of everyone

ironic that as soon as Orion starts thinking of other people and considering what they need instead of forging ahead, Dee decides to center his own feelings and actions to the point of murder. even after Sentinel was dead, he just kept shooting, he did NOT AT ALL care that some of those shots were clearly hurting innocent civilians/going wide and shooting out into the city/damaging actual important infrastructure and not just Sentinel statues. i believe it's Bee who said "he's gonna kill everyone" and he proves it by attacking Elita and saying "I won't stop until every last one of his followers is dead". THE FACT THAT HE FELL SO FAR AS TO SEE ELITA, HIS PEER AND FELLOW FREEDOM FIGHTER WHO WAS THERE WORKING AGAINST SENTINEL WITH HIM FROM THE START OF THIS QUEST, AS ONE OF SENTINEL'S FOLLOWERS.... by the end of it, Dee really was nothing but blind anger

and the way kneeling was a common thread!!!!! aaaaaaa. Sentinel betrayed the world by kneeling to the enemy. Dee won respect by refusing to kneel. Orion gained followers by willingly kneeling to his peers. hooghh

Orion jumping and stumbling and falling this whole movie because he just THROWS himself into things because he BELIEVES in things, he's the one to take leaps of faith, to take that step out into the unknown! and Dee refusing to save him as one final nail in the coffin, so clearly feeling like Orion jumping in front of the blast was yet ANOTHER way Orion is forcing his hand, corralling him into doing something he thinks is best but did not consult him on, finally FINALLY saying NO and leaning in to the tragedy!! and in the exact same way Sentinel handcrafted his enemy in Dee, Dee has now handcrafted his enemy in Orion!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and now that Orion took that last leap of faith and fell, now is when he RISES. ONE SHALL FALL AND ONE SHALL RISE. god. it reminds me of Spiderverse, the way they use falling and rising

the way the tragedy is worse for how well everyone was working together.... for one shining moment, the miners and the High Guard, the rescue mission, it was going so well. they were doing it. they were winning. it didn't have to turn to slaughter. if there was to be an execution it should've been by trial, by the voice of the people, not Dee deciding for Cybertron as Sentinel decided what truth was. augh.

in an abruptly different note, the way they have characters move and fly is so cool. i love the jetpacks. i love how flight is not "flyer" exclusive. it's fascinating and i think really fitting for the general city of Iacon itself. all those towers going up and down

THE TRAINS!! THE MOVING ROADS!! HOW COOL IS THAT!! LOOK AT THAT WORLDBUILDING IM OBSESSED WITH THIS CYBERTRON HOOGH. this movie was VERY good at building a rich, functional world of detail and making it very alien in a way i want to chew on forever. the moving mountains and greebled energon mines. the living planet. the deer!!! ooghghh. PRIMUS LOOKS LIKE A STAR

i do like this Primus actually, yeah it was a deus ex machina but that's the POINT. Optimus himself is an act of god and his presence heralds miracles. Dee couldn't bring justice to Cybertron because justice is restoration. justice is healing what was hurt and doing right by the wronged. yes that often means consequences upon the perpetrator but that's NOT what Dee was doing, he wasn't even THINKING of anyone else!! would killing Sentinel get ppl out of the mines? would it restore their cogs? would it bring equality to a clearly oppressive society? like he LIVED this (cogless bots with limited options, the talk of tiers as if they are social castes you can be demoted from, lower city levels where ppl can be banished, etc) but it was Orion who ultimately addressed this. i'm sorry if it feels like insult to injury to rub his Primacy in your face, Megatron, but stealing a cog just like Sentinel and declaring the age of Primes over, when it was the age of Primes ending that made you cogless and oppressed in the first place, is only an extension of your trauma, anger, and violence, and is not solving the problem!

a cog stolen from him at birth! and then he steals it from Sentinel in symbolic revenge, stolen again, but even that wasn't Sentinel's, it was stolen too! the way he discards the cog from Onyx, willingly gifted to him, to continue the trend of desecrating the dead! man. MAN. the name he took, the cog he took, the symbol he took, all from his hero, the one he looked up to, the coolest Prime, and THEN DECLARED THE AGE OF PRIMES OVER

the gilded pompous showmanship of it all was so gross, the way Sentinel's face was everywhere, the way he had instant access to everyone in Iacon via announcements that took over the media. but this was clearly derived from the previous Primes!! we see their statues, we see their stately tower, and unless Sentinel had all that built in "mourning" (which is totally plausible imho) he was really just setting himself up as an inheritor of that hyperwealthy standard! we don't know anything about the rule of the og Primes beyond that they're favorably remembered and loved (possibly because of propaganda but i think it was also genuine) and that they may have been losing the Quint war (considering that info was from jerkwad supreme i find it suspect) but just by comparison to Sentinel i think they HAD to be better rulers. there weren't cogless bots forced to mine for 20 shifts in a row back then!!! Sentinel is stealing their aesthetic as if that gets him the same power and acclaim. he's trying to steal their legitimacy. he paints himself across the face of Iacon to hide the fact the planet itself went into a coma because of him. he has ALWAYS been rejected. i call him a megachurch pastor but really symbolically i could say he's a fallen angel, and his visual design really fits too

i'm coming back to the deus ex machina thing bc i know it may be considered weak in a plot construction sense but i want to engage with it as literal. like, there is a literal in-universe god in the machine. they know it. they worship it, at least a little bit. i would consider this story to be analogous to Prince of Egypt, in that the deific is a real and tangible character with impact on the plot, and not a meta excuse to save the day. Orion made his choice, and as a result Primus made HIS choice. it's not necessarily a happy ending but if even Megatron acknowledges that GOD mandated this guy to be a Prime and the planet itself responds by COMING BACK TO LIFE.... i keep thinking of it like a cityspeaker, how they're the ones who commune with Titans to know their needs and tell them what needs to be done. is a Prime just the cityspeaker of Cybertron, able to help it remain healthy and functional?

the divine right to rule is REAL on Cybertron. you can like it or not but you have to contend with that when discussing fair leadership, political accountability, and representation of the masses re: Cybertronian government and Primacy

god i'm still so obsessed with the Thirteen i need to see them better i need to look at them. i love them. insane. i really need to invest in a chewtoy

also i know it may be a throwaway line but i'm very curious why Primus had to transform and sacrifice himself to save the universe. Unicron, maybe???

also how did Alpha Trion narrate the archival stuff telling the fake story of how the Primes died and the Matrix was lost. did Sentinel get a deepfake of his voice?? is that part of how he made the transition to power?? AUGH THE DISRESPECT KEEPS COMPOUNDING

Alpha Trion. my blorbo. my old man. holding you so tight. like an ancient rescue dog. im gonna groom you and give you treats and buy the biggest plushest dog bed from costco for you

anyways

good movie, guys

[year2000electronics]

I absolutely LOVELOVELOVE your Reverse Falls HCs from what I've seen :). I would love to ask more about so much aspects haha.

What is Reverse Ford's main goal in this universe?

What is Ford' and Stanley's backstory?

Mind sharing some info about Reverse! Dipper and Reverse! Mabel?

HOKAY. i will use this ask to talk a little about the reverse stans' backstories because i have Some Ideas. as always full answer under cut bc its got images and rambles galore

in my mind, the gleeful family association with magic & the supernatural starts with caryn's phone psychic business, and ford having "The Gift" while stan ABSOLUTELY doesnt. but in real terms that means just having a really strong intuition and being able to guess well. (at least thats what filbrick and caryn thing. ford genuinely thinks he has some semblance of psychic ability and so does his mom, but they just havent properly honed it yet) and so ford is the preferred child for that, instead of his smarts really. ford is also obsessed with the supernatural still, but it's more focused on the magical aspect.

ford and stan's relationship ends up being close because stan is the only one who believes ford about magic. i mean there are other reasons but thats very important to ford

ford, seeing how stan has always had his back by believing what he says about magic, offers to try and "tutor" stan into having The Gift. drilling him for hours by holding up cards and making him guess, stuff like that. but yknow, since both of them are kinda clamoring to inherit their mom's business, stan kinda ends up relying on ford for everything, and theyre taking on almost a mentor-student relationship when theyre Literally Brothers.

instead of west coast tech, the scholarship ford is being offered is for a famous performing arts school after his teachers saw him take the leads in school plays year after year. they tell him a scout will be at their school's talent show, and ford decides he's going to put on a stage magic show (with stan as his assistant). this time, not only is stan worried about ford leaving, but also, since they've both been working towards a really similar thing (performing for a crowd), he's really worried he'll never get a chance to show off that HE has skill, too! ford brushes him off about this saying that he'll put a good word in for stan when he's at performing arts school and stan is like "ok." and agrees to be his assistant.

in the middle of ford's show, he goes rogue, trying to show the scouts that he can be just as skilled as ford is, and completely screws up the trick he ends up performing. ford doesnt get that internship, ford is furious, so is filbrick, stan gets kicked out, you know the rest.

ford goes to backupsmore and double-majors in both theatre and whatever he majors in in the show. he plans to move to gravity falls because of its high ratings of weirdness. after stan got kicked out, instead of becoming a traveling salesman, he becomes a street magician who doubles as a pickpocket. stealing peoples' watches and stuff. he runs around all over the place

ford digs up four mystic amulets once he gets to gravity falls and stays there for a while, and is like "oh man i can USE these". so how i imagine the amulets to work is that they're kinda like, a conduit through which you can learn legit magic? like casting spells and stuff. but he probably only needs one so he keeps the other three in his house (and that's how the kids eventually find the others)

and of course thats how he starts up the tent of telepathy!

but he wants more. he wants to make the world pay for ever calling him a six fingered freak. and he wants to prove to the world that his magic IS real. he can't just lie sequestered in gravity falls forever. so he goes hunting for more answers about gravity falls' weirdness, and how he might be able to get more POWER to make a show so good the entire world will see... and that's how he summons will cipher! will tells him about the portal, and how itll open up a dimension of weirdness into his own, and ford accepts on those terms, looking out just for himself. then he asks fidds to come help with the portal, fidds walks out on him, he shackles will to him in a deal, but they both realize they don't have the manpower to run the portal. reluctantly, ford calls stan up, telling him to come and that it's important.

...but of course that doesnt go well. stan initiates a physical fight and ford ends up getting sucked into the portal. will is left alone with stan, who tells him he can buzz off because HE certainly doesnt want him around. stan works for the next 30 years to get ford back because he wants ford to finally be the one who has to suck up to HIM and owe HIM something.

at some point, mason and mabel's parents become unable to take care of them and give them to stan. he reluctantly takes them in, but soon after, not only do they find the amulets but also journal 2, and they end up reactivating ford's deal with will, getting passed down to the "next of kin" after stan rejected it. AND THATS SORTA WHERE THE SHOW STARTS. THUMBS UP.

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

We are heading into a bit of a quieter period for QL corner, with two shows ending now and another next week. At least we still have a true banger airing to sustain us through the drought. Smells Like Green Spirit is also now airing in Japan but has not yet been picked up for international distribution (pray for it to get to us soon). These shows are available for weekly streaming on Gaga unless otherwise noted.

Happy of the End

CWs: Blood and gore, child abandonment, child molestation, childhood sexual slavery, death, family rejection, heavy scarring, human trafficking, rape, sexual coercion and exploitation, suicidal ideation, suicide mention

This week was relatively lighter compared to last week's very rough episodes, but still so laced with sadness even in its happy moments. Haoren mourned his mother, and finally admitted to himself, and to Chihiro, that she was never protecting him. The show dug deeper into how this bond between them is giving them both a reason to shake off their apathy about survival, though that is definitely touch and go for both of them. The way Haoren experienced a few moments of happiness and immediately jumped to the conclusion that he would like to die now because he'll never top this feeling was telling, as was Chihiro casually laying down in the street and not moving until Haoren dragged him away. They don't have any real hope for a better life, but they each seem more invested in the other's survival than their own, and that is giving them something to cling to. It was nice to see them have some moments of trust and connection between them, and for Haoren to finally feel safe enough to strip himself bare, physically and emotionally. I'm bracing for a rough final week, with Haoren's former enslaver coming after Chihiro in a bid to destroy the source of Haoren's new happiness. I don't really know what to hope for in terms of an ending for these characters; I just hope the show can leave us with the sense that their relationship mattered and gave them something they can each hold onto.

Love is Like a Poison

This episode had me screaming with laughter and delight. Haruto can read his Ryo-kun like a book, and Shiba can't seem to figure out which way is up. I don't even want to describe all the hilarious gags and sexy tension and extremely unsubtle metaphors in this episode; I don't want to ruin it for anyone. Go watch!

Chaser Game W 2

Of all the great JQL we've gotten in the last year, why this one got picked up for a second season I could not tell you. I was less than impressed with season 1, and I don't have high hopes this next go round will be any better. Especially after watching the first ep of this new season, in which they unceremoniously undid the ending of the last in a laughably silly way only to introduce a new, more annoying conflict. They could have made something of a story about Fuyu trying to work out a way to manage her family life to be with Itsuki, but they'd rather hand wave that away via gay penguins in favor of a new love triangle. Whatever, show. Here we go again, I guess! I’ll be watching this one mostly to support the ratings.

Tagging @bengiyo to do our last anime update for the next little while, as Twilight Out of Focus has officially ended its run and there is no new animated ql on the horizon.

[isitisitearlymichael]

I think there’s a mentality in the Stranger Things fandom, or certainly outside of Byler spaces, that Byler is just another m/m ship.

What do I mean by “just another” m/m ship?

We all know there’s a long history of shipping male characters together when the show they were in clearly had no intentional romantic subplot.

M/m shipping has existed since the days of Star Trek - and it’s existed for many different reasons. But over time, it’s developed a bad reputation because fans of those ships were reading into things way too much and had so much hope that something might happen to those characters, only for them to end up incredibly upset and frustrated by the end.

There has also been a lot of accusations of fetishisation.

Some of this is also because especially in the early 2000s/ 2010s, these shows used to play on those hopes and have a lot of fun exploring “bromances”, where the writing would be intentionally stirring the pot, but not crossing the line enough for there to be any real plan to take things further.

What’s really important here is that Byler are NOT that kind of ship.

There would never be this much animosity if Will was Mike’s female best friend from childhood.

Yes, there would be a Byler vs. Milkvan war. That would never change - but the excuses as to why Byler have no possible chance of being together would be entirely different. Because yes, their arguments can currently include that Mike’s in a long term relationship, or that the 1980s environment would make it difficult for them to be together, but that’s about as realistic as the arguments have been.

Compare the circumstances to other canonical unrequited love stories

Take away all of the analysis about why Mike might be gay or Bi or even interested in Will in the first place, and just look at the plot in its bare bones state.

Will is canonically in love with Will, and Mike is canonically unaware of this and in a relationship with El.

There are SO MANY examples of this sort of love triangle in fiction, and most importantly there are more scenarios than there aren’t of this love becoming requited. It’s so normal for an audience to see a scenario like this and wonder if this is going to be one of those stories.

What’s happening instead is a lot of heteronormativity.

And that’s either down to the environment that Stranger Things fans find themselves in (people still live very unexposed lives) or they are just generally ignorant about anything that isn’t really in their face or what they want to see.

So there’s a heck of a lot of fans who didn’t even recognise that Will is gay, or just disregarded their assumptions and played up the “slow to grow up” narrative because they were more comfortable with that kind of story, or could relate to it more.

And so from their point of view, because they didn’t see anything, it couldn’t possibly exist. Bylers were seeing things and making them up. Now, after the Duffers and Noah confirmed things, they’re finding a lot of comfort in instead taking some of this fandoms bigger reaches (don’t mean to offend here, sorry) and using them as ammunition instead, e.g. Finn glancing at Noah’s lips for a millisecond during a take.

But the main point I’m getting at is that people who are dismissing Byler are not recognising that this is a traditional love triangle premise.

Now compare the canonical story to previous m/m ships

So because there are some similar activities happening in this fandom to what has been seen in those previous famous m/m ship fandoms, many Stranger Things fans are dismissing Byler as an imagined ship.

But how many of those old ships were able to boast about actual confirmed feelings, albeit one sided, with time left to explore things further?

There is absolutely no reason why the Byler ship resembles any of those “bromances” or queer baiting storylines in previous franchises and fiction.

This isn’t me saying that Byler will 100% become a couple

What I’m saying is that if nothing happens between them in season 5, that doesn’t undo the fact that Byler are a legitimate ship. It doesn’t undo the fact that Will’s feelings for Mike are canonical and that their storyline follows the premise of a traditional love triangle story.

There are people out there who are already trying to make Bylers feel stupid or ashamed for even exploring the potential of the ship, and all they’re doing is showing us how incredibly ignorant they are.

But that’s not to say that lessons can’t be learned from those previous m/m ship disasters

The one thing you should take from them is that people did get really attached, and so being let down by the show really hurt. It’s fine to speculate about Byler, but please don’t set your heart on them and let it break.

If we start to get legit info or confirmation that the ship won’t be requited, please don’t let yourself fall down the rabbit hole of conspiracy and set yourself up for disappointment.

But we have no legitimate reason to rule out Byler right now

The set up is there, the filming looks positive and the Duffers haven’t said anything to dispute the ship’s potential. Speculation is more than allowed - it’s normal and an inevitable result of season 4. So let’s have as much fun as we can and know that we’re doing nothing “deluded” or wrong.

[davidchiemcore]

drdt werewolf hcs (can also be applied to mafia but i use werewolf terms)

implied spoilers? but mostly just to stop it from being so long

teruko: always villager. audibly sighs in relief whenever she gets a different card, revealing her immediately. she also accidentially makes too much noise when shes flipping cards and doing her role most rounds, and gets killed immediately whenever she does have a fun role to play. hates the game

xander: pretty good at the game, surprisingly. has a good poker face and trustable attitude, whenever he gets caught as werewolf its bc of a stupid verbal slip up. "seeing" someone was dead during the night when his alibi is supposed to be a non-active role and stuff like that

charles: overanalyzes everything, stays quiet most of the round unless he has something important to say. will suddenly interrupt conversations with realizations about who is suspicious. when hes the werewolf, his tell is becoming more talkative

ace: yells when he dies. when hes the werewolf, he will betray the other werewolves out of fear if pressured. really unreliable minion due to this. Doesn't like to share what he knows but easily pressured into it. Not very helpful, goes along with the majority decision during the voting phase

arei: often gets mistaken for a werewolf due to her attitude. doesnt like sharing information unless it benefits her, even when on the villager team. despite this, very good at being the werewolf. will manipulate emotions to stop people from suspecting her, ie. giving fake tells to throw people off

rose: similarly to charles, very quiet but very analytical and will pop into a conversation to call someone out. helpful asset to the vilager team, only good at werewolf when she has other wolves with her. actually falls asleep during the night phase and misses her role cues.

hu: leads the group discussion and encourages everyone to chip in. her tell as the werewolf is to become more pushy and talk over people. tells everyone "its just a game" when they get upset but actually becomes very heated when she gets accused

eden: not very good at the game... gets indecisive when shes the werewolf amd cant decide who to kill, same with voting for the werewolf. often holds up discussions trying to make everything absolutely clear. however, never suspected as the werewolf and has a really good time when she wins, teases everyone about it

levi: has a good poker face but contributes to discussions well. takes him a while to get used to the game, constantly consults the book for the rules on each role because he used to ask questions outloud and give himself away. once he gets more comfortable, shockingly good at the game, but doesnt enjoy it due to the high tensions

arturo: veronika forces him to play even though he has no real interest. walks away from the table after he dies. good at being the werewolf due to his disconnect from the emotions of the game and doesnt get heated when hes accused. not very helpful as a member of the villager team. gets bored during the night phase

min: gets really invested in the game, tries to appear disinterested. spends her free time reading up on the different roles and asks to try out new ones. very good conceptually and creates a lot of strategies, but often falls apart due to getting agitated and forgetting parts of the plan

david: surprisingly good at being the werewolf, laughs it off as just being a part of the game and really just pure luck, but he actually puts a lot of strategy in. very guiding during the day phase and openly shares what he knows, even when hes werewolf he creates a fake story to fit in. actually enjoys being the first death because it means he gets to watch everything unfold. tries to pick up on peoples tells

veronika: absolutely adores the game. most likely to force others to play with her. offers to be the moderator, has the entire script memorized. gets too into the game and psychoanalyzes everyone, can get fixated on one suspect though and unintentionally lead everyone the wrong way. has a great time whether she wins or loses

j: most likely to point out logical contraditions that other people miss. says she doesnt care about the game but actually gets really invested. gets frustrated when accused of being the werewolf when shes actually not, or when people wont listen to her points. rage quits but then comes back an hour later to see if theyre still playing

whit: claims to be the werewolf every round whether or not he actually is. likes adding silly things to veronikas script. actually really good at being the werewolf because he has no real tells, acts flippant no matter the situation. makes jokes as if hes actually in the game like pretending to snore at night. never spills what he knows until its important

nico: gets really nervous playing as the werewolf and much prefers to be on the villager team. doesnt like sharing what they know. overall uncomfortable with the game concept and prefers to watch instead. relieved when they get killed off

[lovezbrownies]

Nia with a really clumsy reader, like when reader gets left alone for 10 seconds theyve already set something on fire and caused the death of 5 families (im exaggerating for dramatic effect)

everytime i see a nia request it always gives me so much joyndkjfnds theyre always so fire oomf thank yeww for this one

Oopsie! (Yandere!Queen x GN!Reader.)

Nia's Masterlist - General Masterlist

Synopsis: Nia meets a very clumsy yet endearing individual.

Nia Bloodwen x GN!Reader.

Warnings: 'Countel' used as a gender neutral term of Count/Countess, Reader genuinely doesn't know how to walk or talk at all, Reader is a nervous wreck in this, Nia is having fun.

Your marriage to Queen Nia was supposed to be one of convenience—for you, at least. As the clumsy former Countel of the L/N house, your title had been thrust upon you when your fathers, tired of the burdens of leadership, handed over the reins to their 24-year-old heir. And though you were earnest, you were terrible at it. It wasn’t that you didn’t try—oh, you tried—but the documents you signed often had to be rewritten, your speeches were filled with stumbles, and you couldn’t navigate noble circles to save your life.

So, you kept to yourself at parties, avoiding the judgmental eyes of other nobles, desperately trying not to trip over your own feet. Soon, you became known as the “mysterious Countel,” a title whispered among the court’s gossipers. The irony wasn’t lost on you—your mystery was born out of your desire not to make a fool of yourself. Yet, somehow, it only made you more desirable to certain women, drawn to your quiet demeanor. You always declined their advances, though. “I’m flattered, but at the moment, I have no interest in courtship,” you’d say, voice cracking just enough to make them more intrigued, though that was never your intention.

Then, one day, everything changed. You found yourself in the Queen’s presence, not through any special favor but simply through the necessary duties of noble estates. Queen Nia, however, was known for her reclusive manner—meetings with her were conducted behind a curtain, her assistant passing documents back and forth between you. As you fumbled through the mountainous folder of estate paperwork, you were, naturally, a mess.

“Err, the estate papers… Uh, I think it’s this one!” you said, rising from your chair to hand over what you believed to be the correct document. But as you stood, the chair screeched loudly across the marble floor, and your foot—of course—caught on one of its legs. You stumbled forward with a yelp, only to be caught by the horrified assistant. “Stop! Please, sit down,” she hissed, gently guiding you back into your chair, prying the file from your sweaty hands.

“Oh, sorry!” you muttered, flushed with embarrassment, your ears burning.

Nia, behind her veil of privacy, heard the commotion and couldn’t suppress her curiosity. She knew of you—rumors had swirled around court about the elusive and awkward Countel, but this display? The nervousness in your voice, the shuffling of your steps? It wasn’t what she had imagined. In fact, she found herself oddly charmed by the entire affair.

The assistant passed the file to Nia, and when she opened it, her amusement grew tenfold. “Countel L/N, are you sure this is correct?” she asked, her voice laced with amusement that was difficult to hide.

You froze on the other side of the curtain. “Um, yes?” you responded, only for her to hum softly.

“These appear to be your drawings,” she said, her tone now openly teasing.

“Oh gosh! Uh—y-yes, I mean, no! That’s not the—wait!” Frantically, you shuffled through your papers, your heart pounding in your chest as you realized you’d handed over your sketchbook by mistake. You found the correct file, nearly shoving it into the assistant’s hands, mortified beyond words. “I-I’m so sorry! Here’s the real one, your Majesty!”

Nia, on the other side of the curtain, had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. It was… endearing, really—your clumsiness, your flustered apologies. And those drawings? They were beautiful. There was something raw and unpolished about them that made her linger on each page, tracing the delicate, clumsy lines of birds and flowers, the intricate details you poured into sketches of the estate’s landscape. She wasn’t just amused; she was fascinated.

Your meeting ended in what you hoped was a neutral tone, and as you nervously stood to leave, you cleared your throat. “Um, c-could I maybe… have the drawings back?” you asked, eyes wide with hope.

“No,” came the sharp, definitive reply.

“Ah…” You left, defeated and certain this would be the end of you. Surely, she’d have your head for this embarrassment! You returned home that evening, declaring to your family that your beheading was imminent. They laughed, of course, as they always did when you overreacted. You, however, were already trying to figure out which of your younger sisters would be fit to take over your title.

Meanwhile, Queen Nia sat in her chambers, unable to focus on her usual duties. She tried, of course, to turn her attention to her work, but her gaze kept drifting back to your sketches. She found herself flipping through them over and over, a faint scent of flowers—perhaps from your preferred drawing spot—clinging to the pages. Each stroke of your pen had a life of its own, and it wasn’t long before Nia found herself daydreaming. How strange it was to miss someone she had barely met! The way you had fumbled, the way you had nervously stammered—it was all so utterly… adorable.

Within days, she began inquiring about you discreetly. She invited one of your admirers to her court, listening patiently as the young noblewoman gushed about your endearing quirks. Nia learned that you preferred to keep to yourself at parties, that you were fiercely protective of your sisters, and that you spent most of your free time drawing under the trees in your estate’s garden. A week passed, then two. Nia found herself thinking of you more and more, until finally, she couldn’t resist.

After months of orchestrated meetings and quiet observation, Nia had finally managed to break through your social barriers. You were no longer simply the Countel you had been before—now, you saw her as a friend. And you valued that friendship, even if it made you impossibly nervous. But then, out of nowhere, Nia dropped a bombshell.

“I want you to marry me,” she said one afternoon, her voice so calm and assured that you nearly choked on your tea.

“What?!” you sputtered, coughing violently as water sprayed from both your mouth and nose. You could barely breathe as you struggled to process what she’d just said.

Nia stood, her silhouette suddenly imposing as she stepped out from behind the curtain for the first time. She wasn’t in her usual royal attire—today, she was dressed simply, her hair loose and flowing, her eyes locked onto yours with an intensity that made your heart pound. “You heard me, Countel. I want you to marry me.”

“B-but, I—Your Majesty—I—!” Words failed you as you sat frozen, your mind racing with a thousand different thoughts. This wasn’t just a proposal from any noblewoman—this was the Queen. You couldn’t possibly refuse her, yet marriage had always been something you dreaded, something you weren’t ready for.

Nia’s smile was dangerous, predatory almost, as she closed the distance between you with deliberate steps. “You’ve caught my eye, Countel L/N,” she purred, her voice sending a shiver down your spine. “You’re charming, in your own awkward way. You’re clumsy, shy, and you never seem to know what to say, but it’s exactly those qualities that make you… irresistible.”

Your throat went dry as she leaned down, her face now inches from yours. You could feel the heat radiating from her skin, smell the faint hint of roses in her hair. “I’ve decided you’re the one,” she whispered, her lips brushing against your ear as you sat, helpless and breathless. “And I always get what I want.”

“I-I don’t know if—”

“Doesn’t matter,” she cut you off with a gleam in her eyes, wrapping her arms around you with surprising gentleness. “You’re mine now, Countel. And you’re going to be the perfect spouse for a queen.”

Before you could protest further, Nia’s grip tightened, her hands trailing down your back. You weren’t sure if you should laugh, cry, or pass out. But one thing was for certain—you were no longer the clumsy, awkward Countel. You were now the Queen’s clumsy, award partner, and there was no escaping her embrace.

The grand, sunlit halls of the palace stretched endlessly before you, the polished marble floors shimmering beneath the cascading light that filtered through tall, stained-glass windows. And in the midst of this royal grandeur, your hand was clasped firmly within Queen Nia’s—a gesture that had become all too familiar, though not for its elegance. No, she held onto you not out of decorum but to prevent your inevitable stumbles. Today was no exception.

“Honestly, my love,” Nia’s voice, a melody of amusement, slipped past her lips, the sound echoing through the quiet halls. She tugged you closer as you narrowly avoided crashing into a priceless vase, your foot—somehow—tangling itself in the hem of your elaborate royal robes. “How do you manage to trip over absolutely nothing? Do you have some sort of talent for this?” She was laughing now, the sound warm but carrying an undertone of possessive affection, as though she were the only one allowed to witness your constant mishaps.

You flushed, cheeks burning beneath her teasing gaze, and muttered an apology that she waved off immediately, her grip tightening on your arm. “Don’t you dare apologize,” she purred, eyes glinting as she looked at you. “You wouldn’t be you without all this.” Her free hand gently brushed your cheek, her touch lingering in that possessive way she always had—as if claiming you as her own with every small gesture, reminding you with each caress that you belonged to her and her alone.

Months had passed since your marriage, and though you had settled into your role as her spouse, you still hadn’t quite gotten used to the way she looked at you sometimes—those predatory eyes, always watching, always following your every move as though you were something precious and fragile, something she’d fiercely protect but never let go. There were days when you wondered if she’d ever stop teasing you, but you knew the answer before you could even consider it.

Nia enjoyed your clumsiness far too much, her laughter a constant reminder of her amusement—and her obsession. Every trip, every stumble seemed to end with her holding you tighter, her arms around your waist, her lips brushing your ear as she whispered, “You’re mine, darling. Always.” And though her words made you feel safe, there was something more beneath them—a fierce protectiveness, a possessiveness that never quite left her tone.

And yet, as the months passed, you couldn’t help but notice someone else’s eyes lingering on you—eyes that were far less welcoming, far less comforting than Nia’s. Isadora, Nia’s ever-dutiful assistant, had become a shadow in your life, always hovering just out of reach, her gaze too intense, too calculating. At first, you thought nothing of it—surely she was simply doing her job, ensuring her Queen’s spouse was well taken care of. But there was something different about the way she spoke to you now, the way her hands would sometimes brush against yours as she passed you documents, or how her eyes lingered just a bit too long when you tripped and Nia wasn’t there to catch you.

One evening, as you sat alone in the palace gardens, sketching nervously under the fading sunlight, Isadora approached, her steps almost too quiet for comfort. “Countel,” she greeted, her voice smooth as silk but laced with something you couldn’t quite place. You glanced up, offering her a polite smile as she stood over you, her shadow casting a long, dark line over your sketchbook.

“Good evening, Isadora,” you replied, your voice wavering slightly. There was something unsettling about the way she was looking at you, as if she were studying you far too closely. She crouched beside you, and you stiffened as her fingers brushed your wrist—just a light touch, but it sent a shiver down your spine. You didn’t like how close she was, how her breath seemed to warm the air around you.

“I’ve noticed…” she began, her tone far too intimate for your comfort, “that the Queen seems rather… fond of you.” Her fingers traced along the back of your hand, and you flinched, pulling away awkwardly, nearly knocking your sketchbook into the dirt in your clumsy retreat.

“I—um—yes, of course she is,” you stammered, fumbling with your words as you struggled to maintain your composure. “I-I mean, that’s not surprising, right? I—uh—she's my wife, after all…”

Isadora’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re quite the catch, Countel L/N,” she whispered, her hand ghosting over your arm now. “Someone as kind and charming as you… well, it’s no wonder she’s obsessed.” There was a sharpness to her words, a hidden bitterness that sent your heart racing in the wrong direction. You tried to step back slowly, awkwardly adjusting your sketchbook under your arm as you stood—nonchalant, you told yourself, just another casual movement. But as you turned, your foot caught on a loose cobblestone, sending you careening sideways into a nearby flowerbed, your arms flailing wildly to catch yourself.

You hit the ground with a soft thud, face flushed, flowers and dirt mingling with your robes. “Oh no! I’m fine!” you exclaimed, cheeks burning. You scrambled back to your feet, brushing off the petals and soil as Isadora chuckled softly, the sound laced with a mix of amusement and something darker.

“See?” Isadora leaned closer, a teasing lilt in her voice, “You really do need someone to catch you.” She reached out, her hand grasping your elbow, but you jerked away, panic rising as you tried to regain your composure.

“I really appreciate it, but I should go—like, um, really go tell Nia something! Important! Very important!” You stammered, your words tumbling over each other in your rush to escape. “I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to talk, but…” You stumbled over your own thoughts, the franticness of the situation sending you spiraling.

Isadora smirked, clearly enjoying your flustered state. “I think we’d make a lovely pair,” she persisted, her gaze piercing as you stumbled backward toward the palace, nearly tripping over your own feet again. “You don’t have to tell her everything, do you?”

You shook your head violently, feeling the weight of her words crashing down around you. “I-I really don’t think that’s a good idea! I mean, why would I—um, ah!” Your foot caught on the hem of your robe, and you tumbled forward, the world tilting precariously as you collided with a nearby garden bench, nearly tipping it over as you flailed to steady yourself.

“I’m—going to go—tell Nia!” you blurted out, the words tumbling from your lips in a rush as you managed to slip through the doors, leaving Isadora behind. Your breath hitched in your throat, and you wiped your sweaty palms on your robes, desperately trying to find Nia, trying to shake off the unsettling feelings that lingered from the encounter.

When you finally found Nia in your shared chambers, lounging gracefully on the edge of the bed, her expression softened at the sight of you. You could feel the tension leaving your body just by being in her presence. Her eyes lit up with curiosity as you approached—trying to steady your voice, trying not to make it seem like anything was wrong.

“What’s happened, darling?” she asked, her voice laced with concern as she noticed your hesitation.

You fumbled for words, wringing your hands together as you paced the room, trying to make sense of the mess in your head without alarming her. “I… um, I don’t want to make a big deal of this, but… Isadora, she…” You trailed off, feeling the weight of Nia’s gaze on you, and then took a deep breath, forcing yourself to say it. “She… tried to, um… make some sort of… move? On me?”

The room seemed to still. Nia’s playful expression froze, her eyes narrowing as she processed what you’d said. The air around her darkened, a possessive storm gathering behind her eyes. “What?” Her voice, though soft, carried an edge so sharp it sent a chill down your spine. “She what?”

You swallowed hard, regretting immediately that you hadn’t just told her straight away. But now, there was no going back. “I-I told her no, obviously,” you added quickly, feeling the weight of her possessive gaze on you, “but… I thought you should know.”

Nia rose from the bed, her movements graceful yet terrifying in their deliberation. The playful Queen was gone, replaced by something far more dangerous, far more protective. “Where is she now?” she asked, her voice cold, calculated.

Before you could answer, she was already calling for the guards, her voice ringing with fury. Within moments, Isadora was dragged into the room, her confident demeanor slipping as she was forced to her knees before the Queen. Nia’s eyes burned with possessive wrath as she stood over the trembling assistant.

“You thought you could lay a hand on my spouse?” Nia’s voice was deadly, her gaze unwavering as she stared down at Isadora. “You dared to think you could steal what is mine?”

Isadora stammered out a weak apology, but Nia wasn’t having any of it. “Your ambition blinds you,” she said, her voice low and sharp, like the edge of a blade. “You’ve miscalculated your position here.” Her gaze flickered toward you, filled with a mixture of concern and fierce protectiveness that sent shivers racing down your spine.

You stood frozen, caught in a whirlwind of emotions as you watched Isadora falter under Nia's intensity. “I—I didn’t mean to…” Isadora protested, her composure cracking as she looked up at Nia, desperation creeping into her voice. “I thought—I just thought…”

“Thought what?” Nia interrupted, her tone cutting through the air like ice. “That you could charm your way into my life? That you could take what belongs to me?” She stepped closer, looming over Isadora, who now cowered beneath the Queen’s wrath, her earlier confidence shattered.

The atmosphere in the room shifted, thick with tension, as you felt a mix of dread and relief. Dread for Isadora, whose ambition had led her to this moment, and relief because Nia was defending you, fiercely and unabashedly. But even as you felt that protective warmth from your wife, a small flicker of concern tugged at your heart.

“Nia, please—” you started, your voice hesitant as you approached her, wanting to defuse the situation. “I-It’s okay. I told her no. I didn’t want any of this—”

“Stay back, darling,” Nia interjected, her voice firm as she turned to you, eyes softening just a fraction as she glanced your way. “This is between me and her now.”

You watched, heart racing, as Nia’s expression hardened again. “You will not threaten my spouse again,” she declared, her voice unwavering. “Consider this your final warning. I’ll not allow anyone to come between us, Isadora. You may leave, but understand this: any further attempts, and you will regret it.”

Isadora’s eyes widened with fear, and she nodded rapidly, scrambling to her feet as she backed away. “I didn’t mean any harm! I was just—” But her words fell flat as Nia stepped forward, every inch of her commanding, fierce, and utterly in control.

“Leave,” Nia repeated, her tone leaving no room for argument. Isadora stumbled back out of the room, muttering half-hearted apologies, clearly shaken, her earlier confidence extinguished in the face of Nia’s wrath. The door slammed shut behind her, the echo reverberating through the silence that followed.

You turned back to Nia, who was now visibly shaking with the force of her emotions. The anger had left her, but the protective intensity remained, her eyes dark and swirling with unbridled feelings. “Are you alright?” she asked, her voice suddenly soft, the fierce Queen giving way to the concerned wife.

“I—I think so,” you replied, your heart still racing, a mix of exhilaration and anxiety coursing through you. “I didn’t expect that to happen.”

Nia stepped closer, wrapping her arms around you, her warmth enveloping you like a shield. “You have to understand,” she murmured against your hair, “I can’t allow anyone to come near you. You’re too precious to me.” Her fingers tangled in your hair, holding you tightly as if she were afraid you might slip away.

“I know,” you whispered, burying your face in her shoulder, feeling the comfort of her presence wash over you. “I just didn’t want you to get hurt. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

Nia pulled back slightly, her gaze intense as she searched your eyes. “You’re never trouble, my love. You’re everything to me. I’ll protect you, always.” Her voice was low, fierce, filled with an earnestness that made your heart swell.

As she stepped back, her expression softened, and the playfulness returned to her gaze, but there was an underlying tension still lingering between you two. “But I won’t tolerate anyone trying to come between us again. Not even a whisper of it.” Her lips curved into a teasing smile, but the possessiveness in her eyes remained. “So, just promise me—if anyone else tries anything, you’ll tell me immediately. No more hiding.”

You nodded, feeling the weight of her gaze pressing down on you. “I promise,” you replied, your voice steady. “I won’t let anyone come between us. Especially not Isadora.” Oof, best not to cross Nia, that is for sure.

Nia smiled, satisfaction flickering across her features. “Good,” she said, pulling you back into her embrace, her warmth grounding you. “Now, let’s put this behind us, shall we?”

In that moment, surrounded by her fierce love, you knew that no matter the challenges that lay ahead, you would face them together. And in the heart of the storm, you felt an undeniable strength—a bond that was unbreakable, forged in the fires of love and loyalty.

[ethicaltreatmentofcowplants]

This is a small grumble about Lovestruck and I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, so cut for those who'd rather pass by it.

The more I learn about the gameplay/dating/relationship/whatever mechanics of Lovestruck, the less convinced I am that I'd ever want this pack. I love the cas, liked what comparatively little there was of build. But in terms of the main selling point? You could offer it to me free and I'd probably go "nah, I'm good."

Admittedly this is an issue I have with family dynamics in Growing Together, so not exclusive to Lovestruck. But why do people have to have a steamy or wholesome dynamic? Why not both? I know it's just the Sims and I've always been one that sees the game as existing in its own 'magical realism' style world rather than an exact replica of ours. Real world couples can have both and more of those dynamics though, in much the same way that two people in a family can be close and supportive and jokesters at the same time.

Also the romance styles or whatever they're called, none of them I can see being turn-offs, orrrr at least only being turn-offs in a certain context. Gift giving in moderation wouldn't be a turn-off for me, but if it reaches the point where it feels like someone is trying to buy my affection or using it in place of addressing actual relationship issues, then yeah.

And don't get me started on colours being turn offs. I'm sorry but I can't date you - you're wearing an orange shirt. Clearly you're going to be stuck with that for the rest of your life and it's a complete deal breaker etc...

[frogmood]

"a group of owls is called a parliament" no its not u corny ass mf owls dont even live in groups

[unsaltedtoast]

the absurd amount of ppl on tiktok who are participating in the whole 'whats the definition of lesbian' and 'are lesboys valid' discourse who are so anti-discussion that they comment 'cringe' when you tell them to read actual lesbian history is so funny like ??

[rivetgoth]

The r/goth subreddit kinda swinging to the opposite side of the Goth Gatekeeping Discourse pendulum and like getting into incredibly nitpicky detached arguments that don’t really mean anything within the context of like. Going outside and actually engaging with the irl scene about, like, whether Disintegration by The Cure is “actually goth” or not will never not be funny. Someone asked recently if The Birthday Massacre is goth and some guy replied super condescendingly with a comment like “I’ve never heard of them before but listening to them now, they have to be the least goth band I’ve LITERALLY ever heard.” Like…. Come on now. 😭

[spearxwind]

been thinking about for a long time how i really missing doing creative projects with others but at the same time its always blown up in my face so i think im not going to do it anymore

[noctualagenaria]

i might have a new fave archon

[kyliafanfiction]

I sometimes feel like characters who do truly monstrous things while also having been victims of some pretty insane shit themselves are sort of an exercise in empathy. Or at least, should be seen as such.

Like, in real life, if a person who has been horribly broken by their experiences and failed by society than proceeds to rape someone - it's hard to feel the justifiable sympathy/empathy for that person (without excusing their rape, never do that) because well, you can look at this actual human person they hurt, or worse, and it feels gross and disrespectful to the rape victim.

And this is understandable. (And applies to more than just rapists/rape victims of course, that's just the most visceral one and thus picked for that reason)

But a fictional rape victim is... fictional. You can't 'disrespect' their trauma, and while obviously rape/whatever else is real, and people may related to the rape victim and thus see your comments about the rapist also being a victim as somehow being about their experience...

Well, it's not.

Because the rapist here, didn't actually hurt a real person. Fictional characters are objects. They're objects that often grab us by the throat and refuse to leave our fucking heads, yes, but they're objects. They are tools used by writers to tell a story, and readers to tell a story.

And one of the things fictional characters are good for is allowing us to consider experiences we never had, and imagine ourselves in other circumstances and lives. (Also just fun and fascinating and interesting to watch their stories).

It's very easy to feel for the rape victim in fiction, and rightly so. That's Level 1 Empathy there. Granted, some people IRL fail that, but that's not really what we're talking about here.

Advanced Empathy, hard Empathy is feeling for the rapist. Not for the rape, of course, even if they feel guilt about it, but if someone really was failed on multiple levels and was broken and damaged and went through the sort of psychological wringer that would leave most of us here on tumblr catatonic - they do deserve the same Empathy any human (any person) who went through all that.

Even after they also do the bad thing, critically they still deserve Empathy. And that is fucking hard. I very often have a hard time feeling bad for truly awful people who also deserve empathy and sympathy, real and even fictional (despite all this, yeah, I'm not perfect on this) for what they (separately) went through.

It also becomes even harder when what they went through is utterly bound up with what they did. How what they went through and experiences is in part responsible for what they did - because they still made a choice. The circumstances may have left them not in their right mind, may have left them feeling without choice, may have driven them to things they normally might not think of or do, but they still chose to do that bad thing. And that's not okay. They still hurt someone.

And yet - one cannot remove the action from the circumstances. So you can still feel empathy, and elucidate all the factors and circumstances as to what led up to their choices and why, and it doesn't change that they did the horrible thing. The rape, or the murders, or whatever.

But circling back - with a fictional character... they didn't hurt a real person. There's no one who is real that suffered. The things the character did IRL are bad because they hurt real people.

So you're not being disrespectful to the victim by feeling that empathy, or sympathy. By exploring the things that they were a victim for. Even by wanting to focus on those things - fictional characters should be compelling in all their aspects, if they're written well.

And yet, of course, if you do that empathy and do talk about what the bad person went through and all that context, people come at you. They call you evil, just as bad as the (again, fictional) character, or they say that you're treading dangerously close to the arguments people use to defend the real people who do these things in real life. Or you're disrespecting all the victims of these crimes IRL. Especially of course, if the person coming at you has a reason this comes close to home.

But again - fictional.

In an ideal world, we'd all feel sympathy and empathy when it's called for, regardless of what the person did. Even the worst most monstrous people deserve human treatment in prison. And if you don't have empathy, that's hard. Even if you do have empathy, that's hard.

So if you look at a fictional character (who doesn't hurt a real person by virtue of being fictional) that does horrible, vile things, but went through so much, and you still can't empathize or sympathize with them... I mean, it doesn't make you a bad person, not even close, this is still fiction, and there's people I should empathize with in fiction that I don't, but...

It's still a failure of your ability to be empathetic. And we're all humans. We're all failing at that, among other things, all the time. But... it's good to be aware of that. at least?

At the very least, bear that in mind when other people are talking about that context, and that victimization. And please, for the love of god, don't fucking pretend that the victimization didn't happen, that this person who did do terrible things (in fiction) suddenly didn't also (in fiction) experience awful shit, as if doing a bad thing erases all the bad things done to you.

Again - it doesn't necessarily make you a bad person, but like... the horrible state of prisons in our society is a real, actual problem. The way we as a society dehumanize people who do bad things is a real actual problem for a lot of reasons (not least because it creates an incentive for authority that wants to dehumanize a person or a group to expand the definition of 'did bad things' to make their dehumanization now acceptable, among other things).

So yeah. Fictional character who suffers but than also makes others suffer - that's a useful exercise in Empathy. And doing that doesn't make you or anyone else a bad person, or actually defending the sorts of crimes, IRL or Fictional, that this character did. Contextualizing is not whitewashing, empathy is not erasing, and humanizing is not disrespecting the victim(s).

So yeah, they fictional character did bad things. But there's more to them than that. And you can say but and talk about what comes after but without disrespecting the fictional victim. Because the fictional victim... is just as fictional. Just as not real.

Is it possible for this to end up being taken too far? Yes. But that's a reason to be mindful of yourself when it comes to real people, not to never do it. And when it comes to fictional people - again, fictional. Nobody was actually, really hurt.

(I really do want to make clear, before people read the tags, that this applies to all crimes these sorts of characters do, rape was just picked as the one to use as the example.)

[kakusboyfriend]

I barely talked about this here bc I'm still shy *somehow* but u guys need to know I have a massive platonic crush on this fucker and it's starting to eat away at my brains (positive) (I really like him) (I would hunt him for sport)

[astralvoids]

Funny thing to explain that tends to fall on people's ears even with immense research is how versatile OCD is.

OCD simply refers to obsessive compulsive disorder. It's a disorder around an obsessive thought which distresses which then triggers an compulsion or urge that is done or is on the mind in order to sooth the obsessive thought.

Nowhere in this disorders description refers to cleaning or cleanliness so it does irk me that people still use the term "I'm so OCD" for referring to not standing mess. It's not only immesly rude but also further perpetuates the social myths of what OCD is vs the actual disorder.

I could elaborate further and have spent a long time researching the negative effects of disorders like OCD being buzz terms negatively effecting the people who struggle with OCD but that's another thought.

TLDR: OCD is not a cleanliness disorder or peak organization and schedules disorder. But an actual disorder that affects people in a variety of ways that's not silly goofy

[waywardsalt]

im thinking about possession aftereffects that linebeck experiences immediately after the events of phantom hourglass, so here are bullet points i have down for my own ideas

he’s out cold for roughly five days after the fight. he’s conscious for a bit after being freed, but it doesn’t take long for him to collapse once he’s transported back to the great sea. link finds him when he reaches his ship to see him again (he takes a lifeboat or w/e from tetras ship its a whole thing and not the point) and ends up having to take care of him for those five-ish days.

while he’s out cold, he develops a bad fever, and has a good few physical injures from being possessed; all of his wounds from being possessed manifest as burns, the worst wounds bring cauterized and mostly closed, while smaller ones are still open wounds. the largest wound is a large burn covering most of his back, which is cauterized by the time he passes out, and then there are smaller, still open burns on his upper arms and legs. (the smaller wounds are manageable by link when he follows some medical instructions, [there are some medical books on the ship] the larger one is also manageable, but takes a lot longer to properly heal).

(link asks tetra and her crew to stick around for a while to keep linebeck stabilized while he’s unconscious. when linebeck wakes up, tetra and her crew are good to leave because then linebeck can better report what’s going on, and knows how to handle injuries).

linebeck’s fever persists after he wakes up, and he experiences… pretty much every fever symptom, with especially bad chills and full-body aches. the aches are really bad for the first few days after he wakes up, he’s extremely physically weak and shaky for a while, too. that weakness and shakiness get better with time, but he doesnt go entirely back to normal without actually moving around and doing things to build that strength back up.

he’s delirious and struggles to stay awake for those first few conscious days, too, which makes that weakness and shakiness worse; he struggles to eat and drink water, and struggles to string together thoughts or words to talk to link, and both of them figure out pretty quickly that they’ll have to wait a bit longer before so much as an attempt to coax him out of bed can be made.

beyond existing problems with food, linebeck struggles to keep anything down while he recovers, and becomes ill pretty much every time after he eats anything, so a bucket is kept near his bed. with water, he obviously needs to drink a lot of it considering that he’s feverish, injured, and vomiting frequently, but while he’s sick he has a bit of an irrational fear of water (along with an irrational fear of air and the wind, which makes him hesitant to go outside while he’s sick).

he’s generally pretty irritable, which isn’t particularly new, but it makes him prone to refusing help with certain things. he’s less irritable when tired and just resting. he’s also especially nervous, and despite the overall fatigue, he struggles to sleep for very long while he’s sick, and as said before, is often delirious and even confused when things are bad.

along with the other difficulties eating, linebeck has a hard time swallowing for a bit, and salivates a lot more than normal while he’s sick. he is soooo fucking dehydrated the whole time and that really doesn’t help.

while the weakness and shakiness stays for the entire time he’s sick and even a bit afterwards, for the first few days after he wakes up he’s stiff and also experiences some muscle spasms and numbness in his limbs, and has a hard time keeping his balance the first few times he gets out of bed.

once the sickness clears up fully, linebeck has to still be careful with the scar on his back; it’s sensitive to touch for a while and hurts when exposed to the sun or air for too long and when he stretches his back too far, but eventually just reaches the point where it’s a bit sensitive but is otherwise just a large scar.

obviously he’s also going through the wringer in an emotional and mental illness sense too but those would require a whole new bullet point list.