#is this one person misspeaking..... i must know

[ivystoryweaver]

Day 29: Can't Breathe Without You (Anselm Vogelweide)

Angstember Prompt Post || Word Count: 603

Note: Despite this prompt falling near the end of the month, this is the first Angstember piece I wrote! Anselm is a silly little murder darling - it is hard to imagine angst for him. But I spun the wheel of characters and prompts and these two matched (Anselm + can’t breathe). I immediately thought of this gif and Anselm’s dramatic ass if he felt he might lose you. Nothing too heavy, not really even angst. Mentions of violence, a little sensuality.

“My mind is made up, Anselm.”

You stood amongst a sea of empty suitcases and clothes yanked off their hangers, in your shared bedroom.

He ambled forward in his uniquely awkward way, a stride so endearing to you, like so many of his quirks.

“My love, you must understand, I was conducting business - "

“I heard what you said,” you snapped, sucking the air out of the room with your defiant tone. Many had died for far less than a rude interruption.

Folding your arms over your chest, you pressed your lips together tightly, chomping on the inside of your mouth to prevent tears from forming. “You said you don’t trust me.” You threw his words back at him, simply to drive home your point.

Anselm was in weak form today, likely to appear dramatic for your sake. Or your undoing. His limp was more pronounced, his brace squeaking. Although dressed to the nines, as per usual, his oxygen tank was nearby.

“I said - " a long series of hacking coughs interrupted his protest. His personal assistant rushed to help him with his oxygen mask, but he shoved them away, shooing them out of the room. Grabbing the thing himself, he dragged in a dramatic inhale.

“See what you do to me, cherub? I cannot breathe without you.”

You rolled your eyes at his on-the-nose comment, but your feet ushered you forward without thinking. Anselm held onto the mask with trembling fingers, poised to take a second, dramatic drag should you wound him again.

Eyeing him sympathetically, you reached for the scruff of his beard. “I know this is hard for you. But I can’t stay here. Not if you don’t trust me.” And you were wounded by the way he seemed to exclude you from his affairs.

His gaze fixed on you, deadly serious. “I have many flaws, my love. Misspeaking is not one of them. You are mistaken.”

“I am not mistaken,” you defiantly hissed, stepping toe to toe with him, your lips a breath apart. “You said I’m not to be trusted with your business. You think I don’t understand what it is that you do?”

His jaw clenched at your obstinate mindset and bold choice of words. “Do you think I allow anyone besides my beloved to speak to me in such a tone? Especially so erroneously?” His oxygen mask clattered to the plush carpet as he cinched his arm behind you and crushed his mouth to yours.

Your knees buckled as his soft lips pulled at yours, before he licked his way inside. He kissed you hard and deep, hands winding you close to him, holding onto you possessively.

“You are my oxygen,” he murmured, peppering your lips, cheek, chin and nose with kisses as his hands roamed the curves of your hips and backside. “What you heard was me telling a business associate that you are not to be troubled with business,” he clarified. “Does your eavesdropping imply your interest in my affairs?” His voice dropped an octave as he breathed on your ear. “Or does it warrant suitable punishment?”

You swallowed thickly, easing back so you could see him better. You thought to question him - to be sure you misheard, but his warning glare let you know it would be unwise. Pressing a fierce kiss to his lips, you announced that you would accept your punishment.

“Very well then,” he half smiled. “Undress yourself and get on the bed. We’ll be ruining several of these garments you flung around the room during your tantrum, cherub.”

You’d never been so happy to be wrong.

Angstember Masterlist || Misc. Masterlist || Main Masterlist

[tommyssupercoolblog]

Pluralphobia as a response to plurality is so unserious to me. Not as discrimination like, that's serious and awful and has serious effects, I mean the emotional response of fear and distrust when faced with plurality. Like. What the fuck.

I'm sorry, you're scared of...multiple people living together and balancing their needs? How the fuck are you even alive in this economy if roommates and family units are SOOO scary because there's multiple people in one space who have to SHARE. Were you never a child in a household or orphanage. Were you spit out by a machine fully grown and independent.

"they could do ANYTHING when you're not there" yeah so could your mom at work. So could your pet when you leave the house. So could your friends when you're not around them. They could be doing anything right now and you WOULDN'T KNOW oh dear God the horror!!! They could be murderers or something and you would have NOOOO clueeeee omg. Apartment complexes must make you CRY huh, all those PEOPLE who could be ANYONE doing ANYTHING, all together in ONE SPACE oh NOOOO

"I'll miss things and not remember them" so you're not forgetful about anything ever? Interesting, well have you never taken a sick day before- skipped work or school, been bedridden or slept all day? Or like, done a phone detox. What about being hospitalized or going on vacation. What about SLEEPING IN GENERAL??? Oh NO you're going to be unconscious for eight hours, dear God what could possibly be happening out there?! What about being in a coma?

"it's different because my body is moving around without me and I could get hurt" okay, what about sleepwalking? And beyond that your body can get hurt anyway even when it's sitting still!! At any moment a meteorite could slam through the roof of your house and kill you while you sleep. You could be completely unaware of your upcoming death and lie asleep "honk shoo mimimi"-ng while a murder breaks into your house or your house catches on fire or something. Are you just not going to sleep anymore? Because you can't not sleep, you'll just literally actually die.

"what if they say something awful" sleepTALKING. And you've never insulted someone by accident or blurted something out without meaning to? You're in perfect control of your speech all of the time, never misspeaking or phrasing something wrong or saying something impulsive. Also, gee wizz, never go drinking!! You might say something bad!!! Don't talk to people when you're tired either!!!

"they all look the same" I sure hope nobody tells you about TWINS because that will defenitely fuck you up. Quadruplets are even worse. Just wait until someone tells you about celebrity douplegangers, you'll be INCONSOLABLE.

"what if an alter is mean or doesn't like me" that's not any more likely than a singlet being mean or not liking you; if you're not worried about every person you meet possibly being mean or hating you then you have no reason to worry about it with headmates. And if you ARE equally afraid of that with singlets then please, go get treated for social anxiety

"someone's alter could bully me and the other alters wouldn't even KNOW" Talk to them???

"what if they don't BELIEVE me?!!!" Then they wouldn't believe you about a singlet hurting you behind their back either and you should probably just. Stop hanging out with them

"they're replacing (original person)" what, because they look like them and live with them? That's not the same thing as replacing them. They still have separate thoughts and feelings and interests, it's not like they're "saving over the original file" or whatever. It's not any different then a family having a new kid, except they're guaranteed to live with each other forever. Again, don't talk to twins I guess. They might share a house or a friend group

"they're weird" Okay so I guess you'll have to live in a tiny model village where everyone is a perfect robotic simulation of the "ideal normal person" so you never have to encounter anything weird or different again, since you're so scared of things being "weird."

[optimismxmagicism]

“So,” Yuri begins without preamble, sitting themself by Ewan, “you really must tell me all about this meast. You've gotten me all curious about it; I can't just let it go now.” They don't really believe that it's more than just nonsense, but the beaming smile they direct at him betrays no indication of that. Head tilts, perfectly innocent. “Is it one of those monsters? A Magvel delicacy, perhaps?”

“A Meast? It’s…”

Oh boy, he thought that little mistake would haunt him. It really was just him misspeaking “most” but admitting that now would just be embarrassing. So instead? He deflected.

“You mean you don’t know?” He pressed his hand on his chest in faux surprise. “How could you not know? That… that’s practically blasphemous, you know.”

“You should say you’re sorry. Apologize to the Meast!” Now fake shock turned to fake indignation, as if he couldn’t even imagine someone not knowing what a Meast was. “Goodness, what a rude person you are.”

Considering the fact he was completely screwing around, it was hard to keep a straight face. It probably wasn’t hard for Yuri to see through him either. But he tried his hardest to look upset despite the giggles he could feel coming up.

“..ehe.”

[starrynightmuse]

In Defense of Public Speaking

Is it just me or do you think public speaking is so much easier than having conversations with people, one to one?

This may be an unpopular opinion because I often hear the reverse. As a college student, I'm always amazed when people who are quite talkative in class struggle when it comes to making a speech in front of everyone.

To me, public speaking gives you the element of control. Unless I am making an impromptu speech, everything I say is calculated, planned, and rehearsed. Every word is thought out in advance and the tone and tempo of the speech is something I can spend days perfecting before my presentation. Perhaps it is the perfectionist in me speaking, but I believe it's beautiful. Public speaking is more predictable than speaking one-on-one, which, to me, has numerous variables that can't be calculated in advance.

But whether I am delivering a rehearsed speech or making an impromptu one, there's a sense of peace in knowing that I have an allotted time to express myself and that I will be able to use it to its fullest. No one is going to interrupt me, at least not usually, and even if interruptions do occur, that's okay. As a speaker, I have control of the room and I can navigate the situation with poise to bring my audience's attention back to me. This is the "default"; etiquette commands people to be respectful, quiet, and to listen carefully during a speech. In normal conversations, it's less of a requirement and in my experience, most people are horrible listeners.

In public speaking, questions and comments won't be asked until the very end. During Q&A time, people are more likely to think twice about what they're going to say. This may be due to exercising careful listening skills or be a result of fearing that they'd misspeak or voice something unintelligent in front of the crowd.

Additionally, there's an appreciation for pauses when making public speeches. Rather than being perceived as awkward silences, they are seen as a public speaking strategy. When I pause during my speech, people won't see it as an opportunity to interrupt and shove their words down my throat. Instead, they'll think, "Oh. A dramatic pause. I wonder what she will say next."

On the other hand, when you converse with someone, you must repeatedly make quick decisions about how you're going to respond to the other. There's a back-and-forth. Now, don't get me wrong, I love dialogue and love listening to others share their thoughts and discussing with them! I would not want to talk to a brick wall.

But with many people, I try to plan carefully before I respond to them. There are a lot of steps involved in the "art of conversation", at least for me. First, I have to actively listen to the other person. Then, I have to interpret the information they're telling me. Sometimes, this means simply remembering what they said. Sometimes, it means analyzing, giving sympathy, getting rid of personal biases, and trying to understand the many nuances of their words and truly seeing them as a person. Lastly, I have to carefully choose the words that I think would be best for the person and the situation. With people I know and trust, the last step is easy. But with most people, they're not. It might take me a second to reply. I might pause as I talk.

Sometimes, this silence is seen as "Oh, she just doesn't have anything to say." But no. I'm simply thinking carefully. And then they move on to a new topic while I'm still over here, thinking about the old one. This is especially an issue with people who aren't patient or have very low attention spans.

I care deeply about how I communicate my ideas, and I like to choose and calculate my words before speaking. I also like to give my whole attention to a person when they are speaking. I won't start thinking about my reply until I know for sure that you are done saying what you wish to me. So please, do give me one second to collect my thoughts to form a reply. For this reason, I like to speak slowly when I am conversing and if you make me feel like I have to rush to get my words out, I will get frustrated and feel as if you are not giving my thoughts the respect and consideration that I am giving yours.

I listen more than I talk when I'm in conversations with people... but public speaking? My speeches tend to be longer than I originally planned. I love it.

[grumpygreenwitch]

Ah, I do so love trope-twisting.

“I wish for a violent, heroic death.”

“That is a foolish wish. That would have come to you anyway, in time.” “Yes,” the warrior agreed, and smiled at the genie. “But now, by the terms of your agreement, I am giving someone a humble, quiet life.” “They will hate you for it.” “Will they? Perhaps. When I was young, I did hate it. But then I became who I am, and I would give anything to have it back. I miss knowing every day would come quietly and go quietly. If they do not wish to be heroes, then they will know that a quiet, humble life is now theirs forever, and they will thank me for it. And if they did wish to be a hero, perhaps they will hate me, for a little while. But if they’re clever, they will wonder why I would make such a wish. Why a warrior of my caliber, a hero of my reputation, would ask for the obvious in exchange for the unimportant. And if they’re worth anything, they will find out why. And they will know they have me to thank for it.”

The warrior sighed deeply. “And so I do one good thing in the name of peace, instead of so many dubious things in the name of violence.

============

“I wish to be free of my greatest achievement.”

“You… want your magic gone?”

“Yes,” the wizard confirmed. “Take it all away. Make me a normal person.”

“That might well kill you, you know. You’re no spring chicken.” “Yes. But when you get to be as old as I am, as powerful as I am, when you get to know as much as I know, you find out that it’s all a hock. A scam. I needed that magic, that knowledge, when I was younger. When I could go traipsing around the world, righting wrongs and helping people. When my legs didn’t turn to jelly because I climbed the steps up to my observatory, when my eyes didn’t need three sets of glasses just to read my own spellbook. When I could sleep anywhere, eat anything, and my body would not make me regret it in the morning. And by the terms of your agreement, if I lose all my magic, if instead of the most powerful wizard on the land I become a normal, withered old crank of a man, then someone out there, young and vital, and perhaps less of a grumble, will gain all my knowledge, all my power. They will be in a position to use it to the fullest, where I no longer can.” “They might do great evil with it.” “They might. I certainly did my share of it, for the sake of selfishness, arrogance and power. But they might do great good as well. And you know, if it’s 50/50, I’ll take those odds.

============

“I wish for the lost name of a powerful Fairy.”

“I beg your pardon?!”

“Oh, did I misspeak, I’m so sorry. Is there some formula, some courtesy -” “I am not about to get involved with a Fairy!” “But you’re a genie. And you offered me the wish. Does that not mean you’re honor-bound to grant it?”

“Let me rephrase. You do not want to get involved with a Fairy whose name you’ve snatched.”

“But I didn’t ask to steal a Fairy’s name. I asked for a name that’s been lost to a powerful Fairy.”

The genie cocked its head and examined the slim, beautiful creature before it for a long time. “May I ask why?”

“Will you grant my wish?”

“I must. You’re quite right about that. But I would like to know what moves you to ask for such a deadly gift.”

“Because if you give me the name, I will have found something that could not be found in any other way. And by the terms you’ve offered, that Fairy, wherever they might be, whoever they might be, will know.” The cursed Princess tugged lightly on her long auburn braid. “They will know their name has been found, and they will know I have it. And when they come to get it back, as they must, I will ask for only one thing. I will ask them to lift the curse upon me. To free me.” She shrugged with princessly grace. “It doesn’t seem so very much to ask. I can’t ask you, you’d pass the curse to someone else. But for the price of their lost name? No, it doesn’t seem so very much to ask, don’t you think?”

“You realize that means, somewhere else, another Fairy must perforce misplace their name as well?” She made a very un-princessly face and looked at him very levelly. “And? I’m not the only cursed princess in the world. One can only hope they’re all clever enough to figure things out, if you should come visiting.”

“I will grant you a wish. BUT… your gain will be someone else’s loss. If you want riches, someone will be stripped of theirs. If you want health, someone will fall ill. If you want love, someone will get their heart broken. And whatever you choose, that someone will know your name.”

[bohemianwritings]

Story of a Trap Queen – What is a Trap House Queen

            This post is hard for me to write for some reason but fuck it. If you aren’t familiar with the blog welcome. I give unsolicited advice based on experiences. Let’s call it fiction though. It’s just a blog where I write FICTIONAL stories. ONLY.

             If you want to be a trap queen, you need to think about a few things first. Do you have any experience in that world? The underworld? The afterparties, backstage, after-hours, strip clubs, the drugs. If you don’t know what I am talking about stop reading now. Go back to whatever normal life you live and stay the fuck away from what I am about to share.

 I have been the “queen” of many traps. A trap for people who also don’t know would be a…. never mind. Here is the definition on Urban Dictionary. Do with that what you will even though I don’t think any of those definitions are correct. Being a trap queen isn’t easy. It’s actually super frustrating most of the time. Your schedule isn’t yours. It’s depending on him. And who needs what and when. Sometimes you might go on runs but I would emphasize I’m not a fucking runner. We pay people to do that.

            Traps are an intricate mix of individuals, so you have to be used to being around a lot of different types of people all the time. It’s tough late at night when you have already been up all weekend and just want to be left alone. Turn the music off and fucking go to sleep. Maybe fuck before that.

             Trap queens need to be savvy and know when to talk and when to shut up. I learned this the hard way. It’s important to talk to your person and make sure that your role is defined. This goes across the board. You can’t misspeak in this world. It could cost money. One wrong comment could kill a deal or put you in the spotlight. It’s important to stay quiet but vigilant.

             The mixture of people means you should have an open mind and always be nice. These people might be connected to others. They might be making other moves, so you never know. You can’t be judgmental about what they look like. This is a business just like any other.

             As a trap queen, it’s important to be VERY secure about yourself and your image. There will be other women around your man when you are not around. It’s inevitable. You must make sure that you know where you stand in your relationship. Communication and sharing locations are Band-Aids that help but you have to trust that they will come home to you. So make sure you aren’t bitching at them all night about where they are. That will NOT help anyone. It’s best to occupy yourself but not get fucked up. You are still maintaining a trap. Stay vigilant. But yes, it does require A LOT of patience.

             If you don’t know about a scale or how to weigh shit do some research on the metric system and how it compares to ours. The US system and metric are mixed in this world depending on the product. You need to memorize these conversions. See this clip from Neighbors 2 with Zac Efron describing what I am talking about (go to 43 seconds) . It’s also important to make sure you know the pricing that you are giving people. That way if you are asked you can give an answer and potentially make a sale. That being said, sometimes when you are out you will be responsible for holding the bag. Or watching it. Making sure that is it safe. It’s like another thing to keep track of.

 Speaking of going out. As a trap queen, you always are on point when you go out. But you also must partake in everything. So, it’s very important to be able to maintain in any situation at any time. You also must look like 10/10. Especially if you are moving any weight. They want to see their girl looking like a star and being absolutely unattainable.

            The fact is as a trap queen your nervous system gets used to chaos. Gets used to the life and then craves it over and over. It’s only when you distance yourself from that world that your CNS calms down and you can do normal shit again.

 Trap queens need to always look right and act right. You never know what could happen and what situation you might be put in. I’ve been put in some very tense situations, and I would not recommend it. Always look right, know the latest fashions and be able to pull off any look. Don’t even think about this, just buy the clothes and put them on your body. Even better make him buy them.

 There are some perks to being a trap queen though. Almost unlimited access to cash and drugs. Bottle service whenever you want it. Fancy dinners. Hotel stays. Pool days. Weekends of sex. Usually, it’s better to be available during the week. The weekend is mostly when they run errands, and you hold down the house. It can be lonely yes. There are super highs and then low low lows.

 Get used to loud noises and strange people. Staying up all night on the regular. Having to defend yourself against men hitting on you all the time. Staying classy never sloppy. Unfortunately, in the higher-up circles where we were serving - it was also important to never disclose. Everyone wants product but it’s important to keep those clients private. That means don’t talk about it. Not even here lol.

 As a trap queen, you need to remember these people too. You don’t want to seem like an idiot who can’t remember what they buy and how much. Also, never disclose what you have in stock and if it’s been re-rocked. If you are in the kitchen doing work - you are doing it wrong. That is their recipe and responsibility. Stay off the stove and in fact don’t even get close. Plausible deniability.

 Being in a trap house is just living somewhere that has a revolving door of people. It requires diligence, patience, and observance. It’s important to be noticeable but not loud. Don’t ever discuss business without talking to your man. Never invite people over without approval. You must always be ready to go. It should be effortless. If you don’t know how to do this and it takes hours to get ready you might be SOL. Car services will only wait for so long and I’m not talking about Uber. Get used to black SUVs. Your man might not always be available but his driver is waiting to pick you up and take you to him. Just be ready for that pick-up.

 They are looking for a queen who is going to be dependable. That means you can never be out of place, but you don’t have to be constantly available. Never share what they do. Make something up if you are asked. It’s important to keep him satisfied too at all times. I know this post sounds like you are a complete sub to this trap but it’s true. Because the payout is worth it. Do you want trips overseas? Unlimited cash? Clothes and gifts?

If it’s worth being in the spotlight and worth the risk of being caught (let’s not forget this is all nefarious activity) and dealing with darker individuals in the middle of the night. People who are gone. Fucked up. Girls that hit on your man. Guys that hit on you. Like I said above it’s very frustrating.

 It's a longer post, but it sums up what you should expect when entering a trap queen role with your person.

 Love & glitter,

BW

  P.S. Learn how to operate a firearm.

[lvndrfctn]

Got a trout on the line, hawk, this one’s a keeper;

I cared about you For a moment I knew when I saw a photo of you at a party-- Your eyes looked sad, projection or not; i felt the same, Wondering what you must have been feeling in that moment; if it had happened that night or if your mind was lingering somewhere distant, idle on a memory of yourself or someone you loved

I will always be disappointed when someone is disappointing, and will always value my understanding of the preciousness of someone letting you know them It makes me feel sad that men don’t care enough about themselves to have comfort; even in pillows, blankets, and things of sentimental value—as if to say, if I can walk alone in this world without any of these things, I can never be known, as if no emotion can be coerced out of you if there is no evidence You struck an egregious familiarity nerve My body is so much smarter than me It will always be disorienting when you’re pulled beneath the comfort and stature of your being in everyday life; to be placed beneath yourself without your consent. To have been a traumatized person, thinking.. this feels familiar, this isn’t for me, I know, and yet I am here, stifled by it. Made idle to a past you, because you were pulled there by someone else’s perception of themselves and how they feel they need to manipulate your being down into how they want you to know they view you.. or by doing so they have been saved from being or treating those around them better. But they aren’t loving themselves Any More. This is, of course, the threat of new people, instances, situations: to have been so hurt in the past, to have healed (or always being in the process of it) and standing in it—be it flailing, misspeaking, thinking of what to do after the fact. I can say I’ve done right by myself, despite how I feel I would have liked to act; how valiantly my friends would have acted had if it been them or their reactions to it for me. Unfortunately, or not, I might always feel these small variant experiences with people deeply. I won’t say more deeply than I should, because for all I knew—they could have been a deeply, delicious, mysterious gift and I may have fumbled it by playing cool—the one I’ve been asking for. Or in any case, someone new; a life long friend or group. You never know; so when people are disappointing and place me within their perceptions of themselves, I will be always disappointed, but not in myself for having been in the situation. That is what self trust is for. Nothing has to go on, and we cannot make people become more alive than they (are despite the trope of one girl making everything better for a man, even if the darkest of places in his life.) Real men close themselves off faster than a blink of an eye—the deception of will-power. Closing them off from themselves, too.

[touchmycoat]

Oooh kinktober prompts!! How about public sex with Tianliu? Maybe demon weddings, esp for the emperor, require public consummation. Or it's during the war and LQG gets captured and TLJ has to fuck him to show that they dominate their enemies (if he doesn't do it then his general gets to, and that guy is brutal).

FLSKJDF I WROTE UP TO HERE BUT NOW MUST GO TO THE GYM, SHALL FINISH LATER

tianliu/tiansuliu, Rated M (for now), 1.8k (CW: vaguely dubious consent?)

“Oh totally, yes, I took over,” Tianlang-jun lied. “I took over the human realm completely. Spilled blood, death everywhere, so on. It’s all mine now.”

“Finally,” the Head Demonic Elder sighed in relief, resting her second forehead on her palm. “We’ve kept the Grand Chaos waiting long enough. You’ll have an appropriate representative from the human realm ready for consummation and sacrifice then?”

“Right, right of course. What time is the Council available for that again?”

“Our agreement was for one shichen from now, I believe.”

“Brilliant. How masterfully efficient of the Council. And certainly, my human will be ready. In one shichen. And just to confirm, our agreement is that all realms under demonic dominion will be spared by the Grand Chaos That Swallows Everything, correct?”

“Spared?!” a Council Elder spat. “The Grand Chaos does no sparing, no realm will be spared—”

“Pardon my misspeak!” Tianlang-jun laughed very loudly. “Look at that, I’ve been mercilessly slaughtering so many humans that I’ve picked up their speaking habits, spare me spare me, ha! Haha! What I mean to say is, the Grand Chaos has accepted that the demonic dominions are our farmlands and pastures, so will not devour them in its wake, yes?”

“That is correct, yes,” the Head Demonic Elder confirmed, sounding about a thousand years older than her millennia.

“Farmlands and pastures and brothels,” another Council Elder leered to the hoots and nasty chortling of the rest.

“Yes, with the sex slaves,” Tianlang-jun said agreeably, pouring that Council Elder a fresh drink. “We sure love our sex slaves.”

“Great.” Standing up, the Head Demonic Elder snapped all of her knees straight in clear eagerness to get out of the tedious meeting. “Council adjourned then. Tianlang-jun, your personal claim to the human realm has been accepted pending clearance after the Assertions ritual. Council will reconvene in one shichen to oversee said ritual and bloodwork.”

“This Lord humbly thanks the Council for all your hard work! See you all very soon.”

//

“Bring your wife!”

“She’s pregnant,” Tianglang-jun gasped, affronted.

“I’m pregnant,” Su Xiyan confirmed, soothing a hand over her very flat stomach. “My doctor said that getting railed and bled on an altar isn’t good for the baby.”

“Come on Peak Lord Liu,” Tianlang-jun cajoled. “You’re the first human I thought of besides my wife.”

“And you’re the one most likely to survive,” Su Xiyan pointed out.

“I said no!”

“Fine,” Shen Qingqiu sighed, voice tight and exhausted. “I’ll do it.”

“Bro—”

“Do not—” He jabbed his fan into Shang Qinghua’s chest with a flash of teeth. “—talk to me right now, this is your fault.”

“He who understands me is Peak Lord Shen,” Tianlang-jun proclaimed with a serious hand over his heart. “For the sake of not only humanity but all its great works of literature, you can sacrifice your virginity to demonic cock in front of a group of perverted—”

The moment Cheng Luan’s edge bit into his neck, Tianlang-jun bit back a smile.

“Peak Lord Liu has something to say?” Su Xiyan murmured in the mild way she did whenever she was about to unleash her most creative hells upon people. If she weren’t really truly pregnant, Tianlang-jun would already be making love to her over the sacrificial altar right now.

“I,” Liu Qingge bit out, all gleaming glares and venom practically dripping off his chin, “will do it.”

Though Peak Lord Liu wasn’t a bad substitute at all.

“Hero,” Tianlang-jun nodded with feeling, “among humankind.”

//

“Peak Lord Liu, I know you have no reason to trust me but I would just like to say—”

“Save it,” Liu Qingge growled. He was shedding all the outer layers of his attire and leaving them in neat, martial piles. Tianlang-jun had the portal to the demon realm ready on the other side of the room whenever. “I already agreed. I’m not going to back out now.”

“Yes, Peak Lord Liu’s integrity is indisputable. Yet I would still like to assure—”

“Are you,” Liu Qingge demanded, “going to go back on your word, let the whatever Chaos thing come, and destroy the home of your wife and future child?”

The blunt question battered its way through Tianlang-jun’s amicable manners and hit upon something a lot more tender and urgent underneath. The polite smile disappeared from his face.

“Of course not.”

“Then we are in agreement.” That tone was probably the closest Liu Qingge got to petty sarcasm. Tianlang-jun examined him, pride a little pricked and interest more than a little piqued by his response.

“I can seriously hurt you once the ritual begins. I can ruin and destroy you.”

Liu Qingge grinned, fierce and lusting for battle, an expression which very many of Tianlang-jun’s organs responded viscerally to.

“You can damn well try.”

“I,” Tianlang-jun murmured faintly, turning to the door, “need to speak with my wife before we leave. Do pardon me, Peak Lord Liu, I’ll just be a moment.”

//

Su Xiyan’s expression was one of cold fury, and for the first time since this whole debacle began, Tianlang-jun felt wrong-footed.

“Furen?”

It was a beat before Su Xiyan could make herself open her mouth to speak, and by then, Tianlang-jun had already lined his tongue with apologies and promises to take her and their future child away to the demon realm, let the Grand Chaos swallow this one, what did he care?

“The sheer lack of consideration langjun has,” Su Xiyan said icily, “telling me this mere moments before leaving. Shall I lie alone in our cold marriage bed and wait for you to be done fucking?”

“No,” Tianlang-jun began, “no of course not, I won’t—”

Then Su Xiyan was shoving him behind a tree and pressing their mouths together. She kissed the same way she took over her sect, consummate, greedy, and sure—and clever with her resources. Tianlang-jun felt her take one of his hands to slip between her robes and when she press it up hard between her thighs he heard—

“Will you play the tyrant then?” The husk of her voice washed into his ear and drowned him instantly, it felt like. She was so turned on and he in turn wanted— “Wrestle the uppity human into submission the way he wants you to?”

He crooked his fingers and worked at her hard. She inhaled on a sharp smile and bit his neck until she drew blood.

“You,” she hissed as she ground down on his hand, “will tell me everything.”

“And bring him back to share,” Tianlang-jun promised in a gasp, because that was his wife’s heat around his fingers, his wife climaxing on his palm. What was the Grand Chaos when everything was so beautifully, lovingly in order here? The Demonic Council and its bunch of buffoons (except the Head Demon Elder, Tianlang-jun was alright with her) could go stick its head even further up its own ass after the ritual; Tianlang-jun would bring Liu Qingge and give them the show of the century.

They would not be touching his humans, not while he was on watch.

“Think of me,” Su Xiyan told him. “The three of us together. How we can have him.”

“How can I say no,” Tianlang-jun murmured, “to an order like that?”

//

“Peak Lord Liu. A word, if you please.”

Su Xiyan blinked back tears demurely, with dignity.

“My husband’s heart is larger than mine,” she announced. “He wants all of humanity saved while I just want my family. Cang Qiong does not need to worry about Huan Hua’s priorities, though surely you won’t deny me my resentment for taking this liberty of my husband.”

“I don’t—” Reeling, Liu Qingge unconsciously closed the collar of his inner robe tighter as he glared at Su Xiyan. “I’m not taking liberties, there are no other options.”

“There are no other options,” Su Xiyan glared right back, anguish swimming in her eyes, “for my husband either.”

Liu Qingge looked briefly stricken, like he hadn’t thought of that possibility.

“You will treat him right, and you will not abandon my husband to the Demonic Council.”

“Of course not!”

“And upon your return, we will talk.”

“Cang Qiong,” Shang Qinghua spoke up with a nervous look at the setting sun, “can prepare compensation.”

“We can,” Shen Qingqiu agreed once Shang Qinghua elbowed him in the side, shooting the increasingly bewildered Liu Qingge a solemn look. “Liu-shidi will personally see to it that Su-zhangmen’s wifely sacrifice is repaid in kind.”

“So will the two of you please kindly go save the world now?”

Liu Qingge was arguing but he wasn’t about to say no, not against all that. And Su Xiyan, in her infinite glory, got to slap Tianlang-jun’s ass on their way out.

//

“You don’t want this.”

They were waiting in the antechamber behind closed doors as the Demonic Council gathered, and Liu Qingge was squinting. Tianlang-jun almost asked how poor his vision was if he couldn’t even tell how eager Tianlang-jun was, but thought about it. On some level, he supposed it was true, that this wasn’t something he sought out. Had he had his way, he and Su Xiyan would be seducing the mean and handsome Cang Qiong Peak Lord together.

“Can we kill the Council?” Liu Qingge wanted to know, and Tianlang-jun laughed.

“As unsavory as their practices are, they are the only thing standing between humans and merciless entropy.”

“And you would truly do this much,” Liu Qingge said flatly, gaze boring into Tianlang-jun over tightly crossed arms, “for all the humans. You could just steal Su Xiyan away.”

“Then who will write and perform all your neat little dramas?” Tianlang-jun replied with a light smile.

Liu Qingge was quiet for a little while. A demonic minion scampered past into the Council Chamber with a cart full of leather and metal restraints, whips and crops and the like. Tianlang-jun held the door open for her.

Then:

“This can be a drama.”

Tianlang-jun stared at Liu Qingge, uncomprehending.

“I’m angry, and I’m no good at acting.” Liu Qingge’s fearsome growling was belied by an uncomfortable squirm as he, Tianlang-jun was realizing, tried to comfort Tianlang-jun about the whole situation. “So you will have to overpower me, but I…won’t make things too difficult for you.”

You can damn well try, Tianlang-jun wanted to badly to say. Instead, he had a warning.

“The Assertions ritual will require you climaxing.” Several times, he did not say. No need to frighten the human off for real.

“Then I’ll do my best to cooperate.” Liu Qingge looked like he wanted to chew the words up and spit them out in pieces rather than speak them, but speak them he did. And if Tianlang-jun knew anything about the Baizhan War God it was that he was a man of his word. “Do what you need to make that happen. And do what you need to finish yourself off as well.”

Though he hadn’t agreed at the time, Liu Qingge seemed to have taken Su Xiyan’s instruction to treat Tianlang-jun right to heart. Tianlang-jun had to stop himself from smiling like a flattered sap.

“I believe we,” Tianlang-jun murmured, holding out a hand just as the Council Chamber opened, “are in agreement.”

[absolutebl]

what's your opinion on homophobic actors ? for example the love by chance cast and their scandal with earth? there might be other homophobic ones idk about but I was just using that as a example I still want you're overall thoughts! would you still watch their stuff? or follow them? or another example actors admiting they used bl as a way for clout some people think thats okay and its justified would you agree?

BL Actor Homophobia 

Oh boy. I don't really follow actor drama. Or I try not to. And I kinda don’t want do this, but I guess I should do a sort of official statement thingy. Since this fun silly side blog of mine has sort of gotten bloated and out of my control. 

Like the giant peach. 

ALT

In general, I think it's difficult to understand any celebrity's actual feelings on anything. 

 Sometimes it may not be safe for them to express their true opinion, because of image, brand, business, studio, agency, management, or family concerns or constraints. They may be more supportive or less supportive than we will ever know. Anything that approaches bullying is going to be even more complex because there are so many elements, perspectives, and entities involved. (Although I will always side with the victim.) 

With regards to interview, vlog, or variety show missteps and misspeaks, a lot of BL actors are BABIES, like so young. Tell me you didn't make a stupid fucking idiot statement when you were in your late teens and early 20s. Well, you CAN tell me you didn't, but I won't believe you. I certainly did. I was a pretty lousy human for a while. Queer af but still lousy. 

And a bunch of queers from other countries jumping in and attacking is surely going to change baby boy’s tiny mind... right? Yeah, no. No, it’s not. Multiple studies have shown that attacking someone only drives them into a corner and hardens their sentiments. 

Honestly? I don't think it's ever a good idea to make a hero out of an actor... they are, after all, ACTORS. I mean, come on, you must have meet some of the breed? 

Make a hero of the BL character he portrayed, certainly! But not the actor for goodness sake. He’s only an actor, after all. 

Celebrity turns people... odd. Or maybe it's just that the type of personality that seeks celebrity is innately suspicious? At least to this curmudgeonly introvert. (The fact that I all too often end up dating the fuckers is my terrible judgement and wicked bad taste.)

Where was I?

In most of these cases netizens take everything out of context, or at the very least hugely exaggerate. People pick camps. Yes there are certainly bad apples, but I think about this with kpop a lot, sometimes it's all shades of grey and no celebrity is as evil, or as good, as we want them to be. They're mostly just gloriously shiny narcissistic pricks (affectionate).

Particularly with something like homophobia, the context of identity (or identity erasure or abuse) is very culture specific. With BL we are often talking about places where, until recently, they didn’t even have a word for gay. I don't like to get outraged in general, it's exhausting. But to get outraged about something that some pretty kid said or did, in a language I don't speak, born and raised in a culture I did not grow up in, to a family dynamic I cannot comprehend?

It seems like, considering all the grey areas, I am not really equip to judge.

It's not the same thing, but I'm a long time melody and I often think about what happened to Ilhoon. As an outsider what he went through seems absolutely insane. But I've never lived in South Korea. What the hell do I know? I can only make a judgement call from my safe little nest where (currently) weed is legal and has been for ages. I guess, at the very least being in Kpop should have taught Ilhoon how to be careful enough not to get caught? 

And I guess that's were I do judge.

If the actor is homophobic (by any standards), and acts in BLs, at the very least he shouldn't have gotten his tiny hypocritical arse caught out, now should he? Tut tut on the brand management, fella. Practice a little circumspection. 

Oof. My cynic is showing.

Look, I’m not that bad, I’m just an old tired queer. We’ve been fighting a long time. Can’t I pass the buck (or blunt or cock) along? 

Mostly when one of these stories crosses my radar I just feel sad. And I don't wanna feel that way around BL (or Kpop for that matter), so I try not to even register it's happening. 

Here, you wanna get outraged, get outraged about this: 

ALT

There are major cultural issues in play here, and when this kind of thing happens to an idol on the streets of Seoul, I’d venture to say, there’s society wide systemic problems at the root of of this kind of homophobia, that the homophobe’s are manifesting - like symptoms of a disease. Sure you can treat the pox (with a damp wet white towel, perhaps?), but darlings don’t you think it’s about time we developed a vaccine? (And maybe I think that’s kinda what BL and pop culture can do to culture, if it gets normalized enough.) 

But currently, with these homophobic incidents? We all lose, and we are all to be pitied because of it. 

I love BL because it leads with love, and that’s the best I can practice at this point in my life. Try to talk more about positive BL dramas and less about negative BL actor drama. Try to be a little more loving and a little less outraged. 

That’s it, I don’t have a solution, sorry. Just... perseverance, I guess? su su na and all that.  

(source)

[uwusenpaiuwu]

Baji A.K.A. The Worst (Best) Matchmaker Ever

Summary: Baji dares you to call Mikey a ‘piss boy.’ You’re an idiot, so of course you say you’ll do it. Things don’t go as planned...or do they?

Pairing: Sano Manjirou | Mikey x Male Reader

Warning(s): mentions of omorashi (pissing), but there’s no actual pissing involved

You’re gonna die. Oh, dear God, our holy Lord and savior, you’re gonna fucking die.

Baji may be an idiot, but you’re an even bigger idiot for letting him convince you to call Mikey a piss boy.

It’s a pretty damn good trade-off, you foolishly reasoned when you accepted his offer: $10 and a spin on his motorcycle, which is basically hitting the jackpot for a broke, motorcycle-less middle schooler like yourself.

Now, what you failed to take into consideration, is that you’d literally be risking your life. Had you taken a step back and used your brain for a second or two, you would’ve realized that calling Mikey, of all people, a ‘piss boy’ isn’t worth the measly $10 Baji is currently waving in the air from across the room.

You open your mouth to chicken out. Baji pulls out another $10.

“You wanna waste your allowance? Fuckin’ fine,” you grumble under your breath, making damn well sure your icy glare is received and, yeah, the irritating smirk that widens across Baji’s face when you continue on your path to your demise means your message is read, crystal clear. He just doesn’t give a shit.

Taking a deep breath, you square your shoulders and practically march towards where Mikey is casually munching on fresh taiyaki, legs crisscrossed as he sits atop an old crate.

Oh, man. What would’ve been worse: interrupting one of Mikey’s naps or interrupting him mid-snack?

(Un)Luckily, you get to experience one of them today!

When your footsteps lead you to where you don’t want to be, you stop to stand directly in front of your target, who doesn’t immediately look up in your presence. Simply keeps munch, munch, munching.

It gives you a chance to hesitate, a chance to rethink your reckless decision, a chance to back out and save yourself from a one-sided ass beating.

Alas, the chance to make that split-second decision vanishes when deep, dark eyes flicker up to meet yours, the owner’s expression reading that he’s not exactly bothered to see you there, rather, simply curious to know what you want.

It’s the perfect moment to get this bet over and done with, so, along with your prayers, you just go outright and say it.

“‘Sup, Piss Boy.”

Mikey stops chewing, and you already feel your heart about to burst out of your chest.

The room comes to a dead silence, making it all the more nerve-wracking when, following a dreadful minute of absolutely nothing, Toman’s leader speaks.

“What.”

It’s the only word he says, voice low, emotionless, and instead of it being a question, it’s a demand, a challenge even, to dare you to reaffirm what couldn’t have possibly come out of your mouth.

You remind yourself to breathe, while mentally preparing yourself to get decked in the face, ‘cause it’s way too late to backpedal now. One of your feet is already in the grave; it wouldn’t hurt to speed things up and launch your entire body in there.

“Nothing. I just- I wanted to know how my, uh...my little piss boy is...doing?”

Well, you lived a good life.

Mikey stares at you, unblinking.

One second passes. Two.

Then-

“Are you into that?”

“I- Huh?”

“Baji said you’re into some weird stuff, but that’s pretty fucking dirty, (Y/n). Even dirtier than Ken-chin’s tastes.”

(”Don’t fucking drag me into this shit.”)

Seeing the horrified confusion on your face, Mikey’s head tilts ever so slightly to the side.

“You want me to take a leak on you, right?” he asks, and that’s when your soul says its farewell, leaving behind a red-faced corpse on the verge of combusting. Bringing a hand to his chin, he adds, “Or, did you want to piss on me?”

You thought getting beat up by Mikey would be bad?

No, no, no.

You’d gladly take that over this humiliation.

“Hey, Baji! What did the couple in your porn mag do? Did they take turns or what?”

And Baji, the piece of shit, can’t hold it in anymore and breaks out in the most obnoxious laughter, the kind that’s loud, unrestrained, and has him doubling over, gasping for air.

“Oh, fuck, this is gold!” He’s wheezing at this point, triggering a few of the others to start laughing as well, including Mitsuya, who, to his credit, at least tries to stifle his laughter. “Ask (Y/n) what he prefers! Ask!”

At the other boy’s persistence, Mikey raises an eyebrow at you, giving you his full attention as though genuinely curious to know what your pissing preferences are. It causes the flush coloring your face to turn 10 shades darker and 10 degrees hotter.

You don’t know what’s worse: the fact that your friends now think you have a piss kink, or the fact that Mikey is open to exploring said kink with you.

“So, what’ll it be?”

“I...” What do you even say in this situation?

“Do you want me to pee on you?” Mikey asks again in a much softer voice, hoping it’ll reassure you into giving him a direct answer. He doesn’t want to scare you, no. Knowing how nervous you get around him, he’s been doing his best to show only the good sides of himself to you.

That must be why he takes your hand in his, giving it a little squeeze to encourage you to speak up. What he doesn’t know, is that as opposed to being comforted by the kind action, it makes you feel mortified, especially at the insinuation of you wanting him to release his bodily fluids on you.

So mortified, actually, that the first thing that comes out of your mouth is an unintentionally shy, “Please, don’t pee on me...”

You realize your mistake the second those words are said.

Ahh! No! That’s not what you were supposed to say!

Why didn’t you say you don’t want anything to do with piss in general?!

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

Your head is spinning, thoughts going haywire after misspeaking , but what really sends you over the edge is the, admittedly, cute little smile you catch on Mikey’s face. Now, not only is your head in disarray, so is your heart.

“Alright. Since it’s you, I’ll let you do it.”

Nope. That’s it for you. Time to clock out of consciousness.

Thump!

“Oh. He passed out.”

Abrupt as it is, your passing out is of no concern whatsoever to Mikey. Nah, he finds it endearing as hell and crouches down to admire your ‘sleeping’ face.

“He must’ve been super happy,” he fondly muses, completely ignoring Draken’s advice to make sure you’re still breathing in favor of stroking your head and pinching your cheeks. 

(”He might die, dumbass. I’m tellin’ ya.”

“He won’t. (Y/n)’s strong.”)

On the other side of the room, Baji has zero fuel left in him to bark out another laugh at Mikey and his gullibility when it comes to wooing the person he fancies, though he does have the energy to wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes.

“Best $20 I’ve ever spent,” he blissfully remarks to Chifuyu.

“Baji-san, this isn’t how you play matchmaker.”

“Dude, this is exactly how you play matchmaker.”

To prove his point, the long-haired teen points back to where Mikey is sitting beside you on the ground, carrying out a normal conversation with Draken, like there isn’t an unconscious person right beside them.

“Ken-chin, where should I take (Y/n) for our first date?”

“Huh? Date? I thought he was just gonna piss on you?”

“That means he likes me, Ken-chin,” Mikey explains, sounding, for all it’s worth, similar to a parent teaching their child a new life lesson. “And if the person I like likes me enough to want to piss on me, then, obviously, I should take him on a date.”

It makes no fucking sense, but if Mikey wants to believe that your love language is spilling less than desirable bodily fluids on each other, then so be it.

Because for him, anything goes as long as it’s you.

Not only are you $20 richer, you also scored yourself a date with someone that would let you take a piss on them and vice versa.

Aren’t you a lucky guy?

[sarahlevys]

my 5 favorite fics that i've written (for fic writer appreciation day)

thank you @lilythesilly for tagging me!

1. The Seven Husbands of Alexis Rose — schitt's creek; alexis/twyla (with art by @hagface, and podfic and additional art by Amanita_Fierce, @danieljradcliffe, HowOldAreWe, @hullomoon, @lilythesilly, @n0connections, @rhetoricalk, @roguebebe, @schittposting, @sunlightsymphony, @thesleepyskipper, wi22iou)

My name is Alexis Rose. But you knew that already, didn't you?

There's no need for shyness. You don't need to pretend that you didn't Google me before you read this article, or that you don't know who I am. I shouldn't misspeak, though: you think you know who I am. You have an idea of who Alexis Rose is.

Maybe you've never seen any of my movies. Maybe you think I'm washed up, someone only your parents care about. Maybe you think I'm irrelevant. Maybe you think I'm a whore.

Oh, don't duck your head. I guarantee you're not the first person to ever let that idea enter your mind, and you won't be the last.

In 2015, Alexis Rose pens a tell-all for Vogue, promising to finally tell the truth about all seven of those infamous husbands and then some...

2. heaven is a place not too far away — schitt's creek; alexis/twyla

"Oh, but soulmate marks are real." Her mother's expression softens. "Always one-sided, unfortunately. So difficult to know when you've truly met your soulmate without a matching indicator on the part of the other person, or other persons, if you're following." Her mother winks, and Alexis makes a face. "Your father was the exact same way. The poor little lamb couldn't carry a tune until he met me!"

"So you and Dad..." Alexis' head is spinning. "You guys are, like, actual soulmates."

"Very much so." Her mother appraises her carefully. "And you must have met yours, too."

"Yeah." Alexis blinks, stunned to find that she's short of breath. "I guess so."

OR: Alexis' soulmate mark – the ability to sing – triggers when she moves to Schitt's Creek.

3. salt air and the rust on your door — schitt's creek; alexis/twyla, stevie/ruth, stevie/alexis/twyla/ruth (with art by @schitthappens and podfic by Amanita_Fierce, @sunlightsymphony, @schittposting, @roguebebe)

At first, it seems too good to be true: four girls, all the same age, all on the shore for the same overlapping dates. Alexis has never known girls like this, has never wanted to spend as much time in their orbit as she does now.

She's drifting in the ocean, riding the waves next to her three friends, when the thought occurs to her as quickly as the tide changes: she could get used to this.

Alexis, Stevie, Twyla, and Ruth meet at fifteen, during one pivotal summer at the Jersey Shore. What happens during the eight summers that follow?

4. time—curious, wondrous, mystical time — schitt's creek; alexis/twyla

Alexis leans in, lowering her voice to a whisper. "I already lived today. Like, yesterday was August 20. My mom got back on Sunrise Bay, and I gave you all my clothes, and—"

"Alexis!" Twyla exclaims. "You did what?"

"Okay, I promise I will circle back to that, but." Alexis flattens her hands on the countertop. "Like, am I losing it, or is this something that maybe you've heard of happening before?"

Twyla purses her lips, thinking a little, before she turns her patient gaze back to Alexis. "I don't think that's ever happened to me, but nothing's impossible if you believe that it's true."

Alexis finds herself reliving Start Spreading the News... over and over again.

5. Choosing So Carefully — schitt's creek; stevie/ruth

Stevie can't remember looking at Ruth without wanting her, without aching for her company. She looks at her hands, turning them over in the air, and tries to remember a time that they didn't feel empty whenever she wasn't touching Ruth. Hasn't she been craving the sound of Ruth's voice for all of her life?

And then she fucks it up.

--

Plus my favorite (of a grand total of two, lol) fic that I've written for ALOTO!

1. it's okay to want things (i think) — a league of their own (2022); greta/carson

It's far from the first time that a married woman's ring has snagged Greta's clothing or left scratches on her skin. But it's the first time that she's cared this much—and she hates that the cool press of unfamiliar metal against her cheek is enough to make her eyes narrow and her breath catch.

AKA: The reason why Carson stops wearing her wedding ring.

--

i haven't been able to keep track of who's been tagged, so if you wanna do this, please do!

[knuckle]

Last thing I will say about John Mulaney Drama because I never thought people would be so heartless and obsessed I'd have to comment on someone whose humor I don't even like: talking about how messed up the unborn kid is going to be or how relapse is imminent is cruel for a number of reasons but they main things bothering me are people who are saying this because they believe:

1. An addict who didn't wait the perfect number of recommended days before a new relationship can't be a good father. An addict who didn't wait the perfect amount of time for love is doomed to relapse. How do you people view addicts who aren't rich, famous, and white? Do you believe that only sober people deserve families and love? Most people can't afford fancy rehab centers like Mulaney. Many people, especially poor people, have kids while addicted to something. They still deserve a chance to get better and be parents.

2. An addict who misspeaks at all during an interview and says his partner or kid are helping or "saving" him is definitely abusively pressuring both of them and will task them with the responsibility of his sobriety. It's not at all possible he's just excited about having a new partner and baby coming and feels like his life his different now.

3. Olivia Munn is not a real flawed woman who's entitled to raise her child without preemptive suspicion of child abuse. Because she picked the wrong man or something? This one is baffling and gross to me. You don't have to think she's a good person not to subject someone to this amount of scrutiny for daring to get pregnant. I've never seen this level of concern over other problematic celebs like Scarlet Johansson's pregnancy

4. Completely unfounded cheating accusations. Anna Marie Tendler and John Mulaney legally separated a year ago and had broken up before even that. I suspect some of you have never lived through a divorce (being old enough to understand your parents'), but legal separation is the same basic thing as far as your romantic life goes. I'm not saying he didn't cheat - he's a millionaire white man celebrity. But calling him a cheater based on nothing but your hurt feelings over when he fell in love again is really evil. And a lot of this is wrapped up in people implying he must have cheated because he's an impulsive addict who just can't control himself around seductive witch Olivia's hot body or something

5. That this "criticism" is helpful to the man or his new family. People in dire situations like addiction don't learn from negative reinforcement from strangers on the internet. They get traumatized. If you all are so worried about John Mulaney's sobriety, or his future child's wellbeing, you wouldn't bring decade old receipts up to show how Olivia Munn's a way worse person than Anna Marie Tendler, or talk about how this kid is doomed to suffer because he's not doing recovery the perfect way you think he should.

You're not helping by adding to a snowball of public criticism for the crime of moving on to a new relationship and family. If you have concerns, you have to know you can't figure them out for him. He's an adult celebrity, not someone you can actually advise or influence in a positive way. It's only going to come off as a stressful hate mob, and I can't believe "concerned" people don't see that.

[mrsjadecurtiss]

A different ask! What do you think Roose actually feels about Ramsay? Just before the Red Wedding he talks very dismissively about how Ramsay could be executed for his crimes, but obviously he knows Robb's never gonna get the chance so maybe he cares more than that. But Ramsay (probably) killed precious Domeric? What does he actually feel about him and potential Walda baby(-ies)?

Thank you for your question :) I have divided my answer into points regarding the different aspects of your ask.

What do you think Roose actually feels about Ramsay?

In regards to the Roose-Ramsay relationship, some facts are important:

Roose did not raise Ramsay, and as far as we know did not interact with him in his childhood beyond the two times the miller's wife came to him after his birth. ("She was never to tell the boy who had fathered him." - Reek III, aDwD) All he knew about Ramsay was that he was his son, had his grey eyes, and was "wild and unruly" (the reason Ramsay's mom demanded a servant).

"Lord Bolton has never acknowledged the boy, so far as I know," Ser Rodrik said. "I confess, I do not know him." - Bran II, aCoK

Ramsay only came to the Dreadfort in 297AC (after Domeric died). This is extremely recent - for context, we have Dany chapters in aGoT taking place as early as 297AC, and the War of the five Kings starts at the end of 298 AC according to this timeline.

As a consequence, since Roose leaves the Dreadfort for the War of the five Kings, he assumed a paternal role for Ramsay in between 297AC and at most very early 299AC (The timeline has the battle of the green fork in January 6 and he'd need to travel to the south before that in the first place). This is only between 1-2 years depending on how early or late that year Domeric died (Shoutout to @blueagia who made me realize this timeline years ago).

Ramsay is violent and cruel, but not stupid (Roose even says he is “cunning” in Catelyn VI, aSoS). He was able to present himself as an ally to Theon in aCoK, and it stands to reason he might have given a salvagable impression to Roose at the beginning while he was testing the waters. Ned Stark is a just man who tried to execute the remote-living Jorah Mormont for slave trade; Since he never went after Ramsay, we can assume whatever Ramsay did during his time with Roose was discreet enough that word did not get to Lord Eddard, and so at the beginning Roose must have had no reason to complain too much about Ramsay's conduct either.

Eddard Stark had never had any reason to complain of the Lord of the Dreadfort, so far as Jon knew. - Jon VII, aDwD

"No tales were ever told of me. Do you think I would be sitting here if it were otherwise? Your amusements are your own, I will not chide you on that count, but you must be more discreet. A peaceful land, a quiet people. That has always been my rule. Make it yours." - Reek III, aDwD

Roose gets a legitimization for Ramsay as part of his benefit from doing the Red Wedding, showing that back then he still had an intention of keeping him as his son and heir. However, returning from the war in the south shows Roose how bad Ramsay's political decisions are when left on his own, including:

Leaving Donella Hornwood for dead, horrifically abusing Theon who is a valuable hostage and a potential ally, being unable to keep good optics and alienating his allies ("Surely you misspeak. You never slew Lord Eddard's sons, those two sweet boys we loved so well. [...] How many of our grudging friends do you imagine we'd retain if the truth were known? Only Lady Barbrey, whom you would turn into a pair of boots … " - Reek III, aDwD), abusing his wife "Arya Stark" who is beloved by their Northern allies, and more...

We see in the aDwD Theon chapters that Roose is still giving Ramsay advice and counsel (see again the Reek III quote), however he also appears to be despairing of him:

"I know." Lord Bolton sighed. "His blood is bad. He needs to be leeched. The leeches suck away the bad blood, all the rage and pain. No man can think so full of anger. Ramsay, though … his tainted blood would poison even leeches, I fear." - Reek III, aDwD

We also see in later Theon chapters that he frequently holds meetings without Ramsay:

[Roose:] "The hall is not the place for such discussions, my lords. Let us adjourn to the solar whilst my son consummates his marriage. The rest of you, remain and enjoy the food and drink." - The Prince of Winterfell, aDwD

Lord Bolton was not alone. Lady Dustin sat with him, pale-faced and severe; an iron horsehead brooch clasped Roger Ryswell's cloak; Aenys Frey stood near the fire, pinched cheeks flushed with cold.  - A Ghost in Winterfell, aDwD

[Lady Dustin said] "Roose is not pleased. Tell your bastard that." - The Turncloak, aDwD

Implying he is losing faith in his son, or otherwise does not trust him or value his input when it comes to political situations; a bad omen considering heirs like Robb usually sit with their fathers in councils.

My impression is that Roose initially adopted Ramsay as an heir for the following reasons:

- Sentimentality, since Ramsay is a son of his own blood ("I should've had the mother whipped and thrown her child down a well … but the babe did have my eyes." [...] "Now [Domeric's] bones lie beneath the Dreadfort with the bones of his brothers, who died still in the cradle, and I am left with Ramsay. Tell me, my lord … if the kinslayer is accursed, what is a father to do when one son slays another?" - Reek III aDwD). As a member of a patriarchal society, Roose was raised with the expectation that he will continue his bloodline, and so likely has the wish to be succeeded by his son.

- Practicality, since Ramsay is already an adult, so he doesn't have to raise and invest in another child for years ("That's for the best. I will not live long enough to see new sons to manhood, and boy lords are the bane of any House." - Reek III, aDwD). [Speculation: For a new son, he would also have to remarry, and both his prior wives are implied to not have liked him ("The two before her never made a sound in bed" - Reek III, aDwD) while he also doesnt speak of them with fondness - so he might also prefer to be single and raise his bastard instead of having to deal with yet another unpassionate/unloving marriage (considering he's middle aged and uncharismatic, a young new wife wouldn't be thrilled about him), until he finds a marriage that provides him a good benefit (like the Frey money + alliance).]

- The belief that, despite Ramsay being raised a peasant and having violent tendencies, it is possible to "educate him" so that he becomes a functioning member of society (see again my point about Roose counseling him). Roose possibly initially projects some of his own personality on Ramsay (Compare this meta i wrote).

During aGoT-aSoS he must have still thought Ramsay viable, which is why he has him legitimized by the crown. He has not known Ramsay closely for long; This explains why he kept him around even though he is so unfit as an heir (it takes time to fully realize that), but also explains why he is so dismissive of him, as that short time of knowing him as an adult would not make him fond of Ramsay the same way one might be fond of a child they raised.

Roose then realizes after the war, as seen in a Dance with Dragons, that Ramsay is not a fitting heir. What this means for the later books is open for now... Will he abandon Ramsay? Use him as a scapegoat? Or still try to salvage him? I personally believe he is starting to see Ramsay as a danger, and is starting to think about how to best get rid of him.

Just before the Red Wedding he talks very dismissively about how Ramsay could be executed for his crimes, but obviously he knows Robb's never gonna get the chance so maybe he cares more than that.

My belief is that Roose is fundamentally selfish and worried about his own skin. While he has the goal to establish Ramsay as a capable heir, he prioritizes his own safety and reputation. By distancing himself from Ramsay's crimes in front of the other Northmen, he can't be blamed for them; by using Ramsay as a scapegoat for Bolton crimes, he himself can wash his hands from the involvement and won't be hurt if any crimes come to light. If he keeps pointing attention at how Ramsay is wild/cruel/treacherous, then the northmen are more likely to suspect/blame Ramsay than the "peaceful" Roose. Also, even if he cared for Ramsay, he would never openly admit it because it's something that could be used against him (same reason as to why he generally keeps his emotions under wraps).

If you compare this scene from aCoK (where Ramsay is believed dead) with the scene you mentioned from aSoS, you can see that to prioritize his own safety and reputation he will sacrifice Ramsay; but he will also defend Ramsay ("Yet he is a good fighter, as cunning as he is fearless.") as long as it serves his interests, of course while still keeping an emotional distance.

One important thing about Roose is that he does not always say the things he actually thinks; When looking at his quotes it is not only important to look at what he says, but which intentions he has with his words and what effect he wants them to have on the person listening. Compare this quote by grrm:

Lord Bolton may well have all sorts of things in mind. Whether or not he would act on any of those thoughts is another matter. Roose is the sort of fellow who keeps his thoughts to himself. - SSM

But Ramsay (probably) killed precious Domeric

"Ramsay killed him. A sickness of the bowels, Maester Uthor says, but I say poison." - Roose in Reek III, aDwD

This is speculative, but I personally believe that case is not as clear-cut as it is made to look. Poisoning Domeric does not necessarily seem like Ramsay's style; i often see people in fandom suspect that his mother is actually the culprit. I personally suspect the first Reek of killing Domeric - we know he once stole perfume, meaning he knows his way around the castle, and he also got looked at by a maester implying he might know the maester’s chamber where poisons could be kept. He has ample reason to hate Roose, who let him live with the pigs and had him whipped and later sent him to live with Ramsay, but also seems to have interest in improving Ramsay's status ("She made him, her and Reek, always whispering in his ear about his rights." - Reek III aDwD). He is also known to be inseperable from Ramsay, so if Ramsay went to meet Domeric, Reek would come with him.

Either way it could be that Roose just didnt initially believe Ramsay killed Domeric since it looked like he died from sickness, and only later changed his mind on this issue - note that Barbrey Dustin, whom he is implied to have regularly spent time with shortly before the quote about Ramsay killing Domeric, seems to be a believer that Ramsay was the murderer, so she might be the one who convinced Roose; And maybe Ramsay's bad conduct during the time of the war aided to make Roose believe her. Changing his mind on this could influence his decision on what to do with Ramsay come the Winds of Winter.

Or alternatively, if we’re keeping closer to the text, he just thought the positives of keeping Ramsay outweigh the negatives of him being a kinslayer; however it seems odd that Roose, who is so worried about his safety, would adopt a man if his first act he knows of was this treacherous and dangerous. Then again he frequently verbally states that he does not see Ramsay as a threat, which can be read in different ways depending on if you take it as a literal statement or as a tool to enact dominance over his dangerous son.

"All you have I gave you. You would do well to remember that, bastard.” [...]

“I know what he said. You're to spy on me and keep his secrets." Bolton chuckled. "As if he had secrets. Sour Alyn, Luton, Skinner, and the rest, where does he think they came from? Can he truly believe they are his men?"  - Reek III, aDwD

What does he actually feel about him and potential Walda baby(-ies)?

I think he would like to have a son that continues his values and manages to be a capable heir to continue the Bolton line. Domeric was the ideal son, talented and competent, and Roose invested a lot of time and money in giving him a great education. Now that Domeric died and all of this is down the drain, and Roose himself isn't getting any younger, he wants to have a new heir in a way that's the most convenient for him. It appears to me like he is currently weighing the positives of each option (Ramsay or new Baby), and it might even be that he has already come to a decision, considering how he is starting to grow frustrated with Ramsay.

"I have become oddly fond of my fat little wife. [...] Ramsay will kill [all the sons she bears me], of course. That's for the best. I will not live long enough to see new sons to manhood, and boy lords are the bane of any House." - Reek III, aDwD

In line with my earlier point about Roose’ words also being about the effect and not just the message, I believe the line about him being ok with Ramsay killing his sons might be very calculated towards the fact that Roose knows Theon is to report everything he hears back to Ramsay. If Ramsay hears this, he is placated, because it confirms that he is still the main Bolton heir - which means that he does not have to think about harming Lady Walda (because the sons are no threat to his position), and he does not have to think about harming Roose (because he just has to wait until he can succeed him).

Of course all of this post is based off the first five books, so the interpretation may change once the next book comes out or through a different reading of the lines.

[cielcius]

Hi! Can I request with Bakugou and fem!reader? In soulmate Au, they have words somewhere on their body. He has “I love you” words. The reader is an American exchange student and still learning how to speak Japanese. When they first meet, the reader accidently misspeaks “I love you” in Japanese when she actually tries to say “good morning”. 🤣

NOTHING ALIKE | BAKUGOU KATSUKI

pairings: Bakugou x fem!reader

summary: Let’s just say speaking another language isn’t exactly a piece of cake.

from the writer: hello doll! Lol rip Y/n but thank u for requesting and I hope u enjoy! Have a lovely day/evening!

genre: crack, fluff, soulmate au, pt.1 of Something Different

wc: 2.6k

notes & warnings: cursing, reader’s native language is English, reader is a transfer student, bakugou doesn’t hesitate to cuss anybody out first thing in the morning

I Love You.

Those were the only words that resided on the left side of Bakugou’s collarbone. As told to every child from the beginning of time, the imprinted words on your body, whatever they may be, would be the first words to be spoken to you by your soulmate.

Bakugou hated it. He hated every part of it, every minute he wasted having to hear how sweet or sentimental his soulmate must have been. They were all stupid. He would be meeting his soulmate for the first time, if he were to ever even come across them, so why would their first words to him be a phrase so meaningful and private?

No matter what the context, he didn’t want any part of it. All these stories of people searching for their other half as their hearts shatter like glass and get assembled together again with only a single piece of tape holding everything together. The process went on and on like clockwork as the hands ticked, taunting them with the little time they have left, the time they wasted, the time they could’ve put into loving themselves first.

And so Bakugou was determined to push the universal tale out of his mind in order to focus on becoming the world’s next number one hero. He would not waste his time on this earth rotting away, leaving a little piece of himself with strangers who had become infatuated with him as he tried to find the single person made for him in a world of eight billion people.

So no one, not even his damn soulmate, would distract him or get in his way. He was a hero in training. He had books to read, violations to stay behind, a life to keep him busy. Plus, he already had enough distractions hearing Kaminari brag about how he could read Bakugou’s soulmate mark as it was strangely in English.

“Fuck off, Dunce Face. Like I care if it’s in another language.” Bakugou stood up from the couch, pocketing his phone before Kaminari could make a move to lay on top of him again. Everybody, even Bakugou for All Might’s sake, definitely knew Kaminari had a death wish as he continued his teasing in the period of knowing each other.

Bakugou walked up to his room, ignoring the calls of his classmates as they shouted for him to stay in the common room a little longer. With the new exchange student coming tomorrow, Bakugou was going to need the extra sleep in order to deal with another extra.

He climbed into bed before pulling the thin covers over and up until his lower torso. He pondered what the new extra would be like. Boring probably. There was no way anyone could beat him when he had such a powerful quirk. And if they couldn’t beat him, they weren’t worthy of his time and thoughts. Yet Bakugou still couldn’t help but wonder.

—

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

Your soulmate had not been nice from the very moment you had even been born. To think that those would be the very first words you would hear out of your supposed other half was ridiculous. You already didn’t like the guy. Well, it was either that or you really fucked up.

You couldn’t help but think that maybe it would be in your soon-to-be new homeland. That, and the fact that the phrase was written in Japanese. Seeing as you were a foreign exchange student, you weren’t accustomed to the culture just yet. Even with the few books you had borrowed from the library, you couldn’t fully trust the information spewed onto the pages of how the Japanese norm was instituted.

The only thing you could do was hope that your future classmates were nice enough to be able to walk you through their customs while also being able to teach you new words that you had yet to pick up from your Japanese lessons. You zip up your suitcase as you thought back to your first day of language lessons. Your teacher had caught sight of your soulmate mark and had frozen on the spot as your lips wavered from trying to subdue your giggles.

It wasn’t the first time you had seen that expression as a select few had pulled you aside to ask if that really was your soulmate mark. So far, you couldn’t tell if it was hilariously great or depressingly terrible as the phrase was a bit aggressive. It was hard to imagine that someone with a seemingly harsh personality would be someone that you would love until your last breath.

You stand and look around your bedroom one last time. The barren walls felt cold and as empty as your closet and dressers. Your bed was devoid of any warmth and your floors were finally swept clean of the dust that had built up over time. You hoist your carry-on bag onto your shoulder before grabbing the handle of your suitcase to roll out to the car.

“Hey kiddo, ready to go?” You nod as your dad packs the last bag into the trunk. You take one last look at your home as the car rolls out of the driveway and into the busy streets of town. You arrive at the airport where your parents help you check the bags in before you stop just a few feet away from the security check line.

This would be the last time you saw your parents. Of course you promised to call everyday with updates on how school was going but you were going to miss the fun times when you had movie nights with the worst puns and laughing at people whenever they tripped on the same crack in the sidewalk as you sat on a bench with snacks in hand. Yes, you would definitely miss that part.

You said your goodbyes with lasting hugs, wishing you didn’t have to let go until you actually had to because you were going to miss your flight soon. You went through the security check before waving largely to the small figures that were your parents until you turned to walk to your gate. You were tempted to look back as you stood on the escalator up but you knew that the minuscule feeling of loneliness would only grow if you did.

You managed to board the plane safely as well as call to update your parents that you had arrived in Japan with no trouble. You pocketed your phone before looking around the airport. A sudden tap on your shoulder causes you to freeze until you recognize them as the pro-hero, Eraserhead, otherwise known as your new teacher.

“This way, L/n.” You smiled eagerly as you followed behind him, his gloomy exterior doing little to nothing to dampen your feelings of excitement. On the way to U.A., the man introduced himself as Mr. Aizawa and went on to explain how everything worked at U.A. as well as the scheduling and dorms. You learned that many of your classmates had been looking forward to meeting you ever since the announcement of your coming up.

You too, were also excited to not only meet them but to be able to work with a set of completely different people whose quirks you had yet to learn. You arrive at the gate of the school where Principal Nezu stood with two others on either side of him. You recognized the other figures as Cementoss and Midnight as they all took turns to help you adjust to the new setting.

Your final destination was the dorms where they had left you to unpack and get settled in. With the time difference, it would take a while for you to be able to adjust your sleep schedule as you felt like you were running on eight cups of coffee without getting any sleep for a week.

Your energy was drained completely as you had unpacked most of your things and decided to freshen up in the bathroom. ‘A little nap wouldn’t hurt. I’ll just set an alarm for thirty minutes.’ The last of your thoughts flew straight out of your head as the bed absorbed your body into its comforting arms, not leaving a single second for you to be able to set the alarm.

—

“Eh? I thought the new student would be here.” Mina pouted as Uraraka rubbed her back in comfort. “I’m sure they’re just resting. After all, the different time zones must be exhausting for them.” Everyone slowly filed into the dorms as they changed out of their uniforms into more casual wear. As it grew later into the night, more of the class had gotten anxious about meeting the new student as they had yet to show their face.

All except the pale-blond boy. The way Bakugou saw it, the student obviously was just a waste of time. He wasn’t going to sit around any longer waiting for this foreign exchange student to show their face so Bakugou decided to finally turn in for the night. “Wait, but what if you miss them? They might be coming right now!” His friends attempted to reason with him but Bakugou didn’t look back once.

“Ah shit, I overslept.” You mutter curses under your breath as you start to rub the sleep out of your eyes. The clock had read eight thirty-two as you stumbled into your bathroom, desperately trying to fix your appearance. Slowly, you stopped. Would anyone still be awake? Everyone here was in the hero course and you had heard how intense it can get.

‘What if they’re all sleeping already? Should I still go down?’ The anxiety did not do your stomach justice yet you still continued to freshen yourself up. You hadn’t eaten anything since you had arrived and your stomach was growling like a monster under a six year-old’s bed. You attempt to shake off the nerves and venture out of your room.

The lights in the hallway were bright as you walked along, reading the name plates by every dorm with a few empty. You ride the elevator down as your nerves only seem to grow more to your opposition. Finally, the steel grey doors slid open to reveal a hoard of colorful heads sitting all around the television set in the corner of the common room.

At the sound of the ding, Mina turned her head to look before jumping out of her seat. “Oh my gosh, you’re the new student! And you’re a girl! Yes!” You were slightly taken back by the outburst but managed to laugh it off. So far, your classmates seemed nice as they led you to sit with them.

You were able to communicate fairly well as they questioned you. With a few new words added to your vocabulary. You were lucky that one of the students, who you learned was named Kaminari, could speak English well enough to be able to translate the few phrases you couldn’t understand.

You also learned that you had yet to meet only one other classmate, although you didn’t let the hesitant looks go unnoticed. You decide to let it slide as you would eventually see for yourself, the cause of their behavior. A few of the girls decide to help you with your dinner after you share a laugh over your stomach growling mid-conversation, much to your embarrassment.

“I must say L/n, you speak so well that I would’ve thought you were born here if we weren’t told that you were a foreign exchange.” You give Yaoyorozu a smile as you thank her. “It does take a bit to get used to but thank you.” You felt your battery drain once again as you went through your late dinner while talking with your classmates before turning in for the night.

—

Even with only four hours of sleep, due to your nap in the late afternoon, you were ecstatic for your first day of school. You twisted your tie the way your mother had taught you before you gave up with a sigh. Your brain was lagging as your actions were barely processed. You had insisted on waking up early to prepare, even if you were extremely sleep-deprived.

You drudge out of your room and down to the common room for a cup of coffee. You noticed a few of your classmates already up and conversing lightly with each other before greeting you with energy you could only dream of having. “Hello, L/n. Did you sleep well?” The class president you recognized as Iida asked you and you nodded.

“Yeah, just need some coffee.” As you continued your way to the kitchen, you had yet to process the fact that you had responded in English. Kaminari happened to overhear and followed your figure as you gravitated towards the kitchen. As Kaminari watched, he started to feel around until he was smacking Kirishima in the shoulder. “Ow! What is it bro— Oh. Oh, no.” Both boys watched as you made your way to the coffee machine just as Bakugou had walked into the kitchen as well.

Bakugou, fully awake, took notice of the new face. You were just another ordinary person, just like Bakugou had expected. He reasoned with himself over this the night before but his thoughts were overbearing as his curiosity got the best of him. “Extra.” Bakugou had little regrets but this was one of them. Why did he even bother addressing you?

You hummed tiredly before facing the light blond. “I love you.” Wait what? Kaminari and Kirishima’s eyes were now bulging out of their heads at the words that had just tumbled out of your mouth. Bakugou’s expression was one of incredulous as he stared at you. At least this time, you had responded in Japanese.

As your previous words now process in your brain, your eyes too, now widen. “I-i’m so sorry! I was trying to say— shit. What is it? I-i swear I know how to say good morning but I-i just—” You had switched to English midway as you tried to explain until you cut yourself off before you could do anymore damage.

Bakugou stared, trying to figure out the mess of English words you had managed to get out with only being able to understand the word ‘good morning’ which is what he assumed you were trying to say in his native tongue. All of Bakugou’s friends now sat at a table together as they watched in shock before Bakugou finally lost it.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! THE WORDS ‘GOOD MORNING’ AND ‘I LOVE YOU’ SOUND NOTHING LIKE EACH OTHER DUMBASS!” You cringe backwards as the blond shouted at you. You could practically see the English subtitles in all caps as he roared profanities in your face.

“He just said ‘Are you fucking kidding me’. Isn’t that L/n’s soulmate mark?” Kaminari sputtered to the rest of the group and they came to the realization. With the fact that you had just accidentally said Bakugou’s soulmate mark and him saying yours, there was now no doubt that you were soulmates. It explained so much why they were both in different languages as it was in each of your native languages.

“Wait, so you mean, THEY’RE SOULMATES?!” Mina’s shouting went unheard by nobody in the dorms, not even Mr. Aizawa, as Bakugou’s shouting had disappeared into the silent air. You look at Mina, before slowly looking at the boy in front of you. You understood why your classmates were hesitant last night but now it was even more awkward with the addition of the fact that you were.....

“S-soulmates?”

part two

[comrade-meow]

Bad data generates bad research; bad research generates bad treatments; bad treatments generate bad outcomes. The physiological differences between males and females are vast, and stamp their mark on every organ of the human body, not just the genitals and gonads. Ignoring these differences will muddle our data, blur our understanding of physiology, and hinder the discovery of new treatments for diseases. Females are much more likely than males to have autoimmune disorders. Males are more likely than females to develop Parkinson’s disease. Males and females may present with different symptoms preceding a heart attack. Males and females metabolize drugs differently. Blatantly ignoring sex as a variable hobbles the process of scientific inquiry and limits the types of questions that researchers will ask, thereby limiting the answers they get.

About this story: last November I came across some anonymous tweets from a person claiming to be a medical student at an American university where professors were teaching that sex is a social construct. I decided to try to find out if these claims were real, and I contacted the Twitter user, striking up a conversation with “C”. We agreed to meet on a Zoom call, and that C would show me C’s student ID, with their name and the name of the school covered, and that we would then do a written interview. C’s desire for strict anonymity is well founded in my eyes, due to the damage that could be inflicted on C’s career prospects if they were caught speaking to a publication about the ideological lies being peddled and the culture of fear at their institution.

On our thirty minute Zoom call, I met a highly intelligent, critical-minded, and determined young person who was expressing deep concern over the ways that gender identity ideology is distorting the teaching of medicine and the repercussions this may lead to in our next generation of doctors.

C held up their ID so I could see their picture on what was clearly a medical school ID. C told me their school can be categorized as “top tier.”

The irony of using “they/them” pronouns for a single person is not lost on me. I find it interesting that due to the tyranny of gender ideology, I must adhere to one of their tenets and accept the use of the plural pronoun for a single person whose sex I know. But the fact that I have to do this is because any information about C could potentially be enough to raise suspicion (just read their words to understand the climate of intimidation they witness in class everyday), and the knowledge of an individual’s sex is still a crucial identifying feature, no matter what the gender ideologues want us to believe.

C and I agreed that I would offer people on Twitter an opportunity to pose their questions directly and that C would respond in written form. Out of the many responses, the medical student chose what they considered some of the most representative and important of the questions. These are their answers below, beginning with a short message they wanted me to share.

-Sasha White

Thank you, Sasha, for having offered me this valuable opportunity to answer these questions. Before we start, I would like to clarify my stance on basic issues regarding sex and gender identity, so that people can keep these in mind while reading.

Biological sex is not a social construct – male and female are distinct material realities which have significant implications for medical and surgical treatment of many different conditions. These physiological differences are relevant on the levels of clinical practice, research, and policy, and absolutely must be acknowledged in order for physicians to best treat their patients. All patients should be treated with compassion, respect, and high-quality medical care, regardless of their professed gender identity. I remain agnostic as to what it truly means to have a “gender identity”, but will respect the wishes of my future patients in regards to their social presentation and pronouns. I believe that dysphoric adults should be able to pursue transition. Physicians should be aware of relevant aspects of trans healthcare, including hormone therapy and surgery, so that they can better advise trans patients on how medical treatments may impact their gender-related care, or vice versa. It is possible and desirable for us to have a healthcare system which is inclusive and respectful of transgender patients, in a way which does not pretend that biology is arbitrary or merely a social construct. Despite my liberal beliefs, the loudest voices at my institution would falsely accuse me of blowing transphobic dog-whistles, hence my anonymity. This hostile climate is corrosive to an inquiry mindset and critical thinking, and will ultimately be a disservice to the scientific community and to future patients, trans and otherwise.

IDD64 @IDD64 asks: “What happened to “nobody’s saying sex isn’t real”?”

This is actually what compelled me to speak out about this practice in the first place. Well-intentioned non-medical people often assume that medical schools are teaching something like, “Gender identity can be fluid and varied, but biological sex is real, binary, and relevant in medical contexts.” This idea is around five years out of date in the most progressive of institutions. I have been told multiple times in several classes that biological sex is a social construct – not just gender. Granted, I can speak only for my institution, but this change has been frustrating and disturbing to witness.

Robert Woolley @RandomlyBob asks: “Do any of the required textbooks also avoid using those words? If not, might you ask those professors if they think the books are either inaccurate or offensive?”

Our curriculum is constantly subject to revision. Around two-thirds of our written materials have been updated with this new language. For the one-third that has remained out-of-date, our class has received multiple apologetic, itemized emails from course instructors in which they provide corrections, beg for forgiveness and patience, and avow to “do better”. In class, we have been given multiple histories in which the patient’s sex has been deleted, even for cases involving disorders which can manifest differently between the sexes. The words “female” and “male” are being erased and replaced.

Born a space baby @ggynoid asks: “What’s the dynamic like for class participation? Do people start with pronouns? Do people tend to agree, disagree? What’s the female-male ratio in the class typically on these sort[s] of classes?”

When school first began, we were heavily encouraged to include pronouns in our Zoom names and email signatures; around 70-80% of the class did so. Most students and professors would start off verbal introductions with their name and pronouns, though that has subsided since we all have grown to know each other.

A vocal minority of students are loudly in favor of the most extreme aspects of gender ideology, while the majority seem to be vaguely supportive in a nonspecific way. I think that this comes from a mixture of naive goodwill and fear – they are trying to be good allies, and this is the only way they know how. Additionally, it is heavily implied that to ask critical questions, even in a way which is ultimately patient-centered and supportive, is perpetuating bigotry, so they just nod along. A silent minority seems to be secretly skeptical. I have met four or five students who have disclosed to me in private conversation that they disagree with one or more aspects of this dogma but they are hesitant to come forward in group settings. I am sure that more exist, but they are hard to find. None of these people have been transphobic.

The female-male ratio is approximately equal, with slightly more females than males in my class.

David Poole @MrDPoole asks: “Do you think the people telling you these things actually believe it or are they being forced to do it?”

I think that a very small minority of our professors actually believe that male and female bodies are interchangeable with the exception of genitalia and gonads. There are definitely more woke students than woke professors, and the most radical of students are far more radical than the wokest professor. Most of these professors are very fearful of saying the wrong thing, so they delicately couch their language by referring to “XX and XY people” or other such euphemisms, even though that can lead to inaccuracies.

The social consequences for misspeaking are highly magnified, especially when most classes are delivered online (due to the pandemic). Our class has been quietly accused of having a mean streak in regards to social justice. We have had petitions circulated (drafted by few, signed by many) to name, shame, and “hold accountable” various lecturers who used the “wrong” language, to the point of humiliation. One professor broke down crying after a genetics lecture which relied heavily on the use of “male” and “female” by necessity. (Though the lecture also made ample space to talk about transgender and non-binary individuals, this was not enough to appease the critics.) Another professor referred to “pregnant women” rather than “pregnant people” and spent a very uncomfortable few minutes after class abjectly apologizing for having caused offense “by implying that only women can get pregnant”. It was incredibly disturbing to see, for multiple reasons. One, this is based on bad science and zealotry that has the potential to harm patients. Two, the magnitude of the “crime” pales in comparison to the magnitude of the outcry. Three, it is a total inversion of the expected social order to see these physicians —some of whom are literally leading scholars in their field— be reduced to fearful puddles if a student so much as looks at them askance. Keep in mind that these professors are extremely liberal, compassionate, and well-meaning, yet they are turned upon with such venom and verve by the people who they are trying to please.

Chopper @RodeoChopper asks: How are cases presented? Normally the first line is “This is a such and such year old (male/female) with a past medical history significant for…”

Here are some examples of formats I have seen in our coursework:

“This is a 43-year-old woman with ovaries, presenting with …”

“A 3-year-old child, assigned male at birth, not assigned gender as of yet by parents, presenting with …”

“This patient is a 7-year-old child, gendered as a boy by his parents, who …”

“57-year-old woman with testes, here with …”

“A 16-year-old patient (gender non-binary, pronouns they/them) …”

“A 32-year-old woman (she/her/hers) …”

“A 16-year-old patient presents with complaints of …”

Of the myriad problems with this structure, the most concerning is that most of these cases do not accurately identify the sex of the patient, which is crucial in being able to weigh the likelihood of potential diagnoses and treatments. A person’s pronouns are not relevant when deciding to prescribe a particular antibiotic, and at which dose. Additionally, I find it somewhat irritating to be expected to state the obvious for things that are the default of the human experience. We do not say, “This is a 42-year-old woman with both her arms and legs”, although there are certainly women in this world who are missing one or more of their limbs.

MaryWrath @WrathMary asks: “So how are reproductively different bodies described then? How are cardiac arrest and stroke symptoms described, explained and taught as we know now they present differently across the two sexes? There are clearly two bodies in our species so how are the professors acknowledging?”

Organs are referred to by their actual names – penis, testes, vagina, ovaries, breasts. However, referring to patients as male or female is strictly taboo. If there are relevant but subtle sex-specific differences, then they will often be downplayed or ignored altogether. As an example, we were told that the higher risk of heart attacks in men was due only to the presence of testosterone, and not for any other reason, which is patently false. When the differences are utterly impossible to ignore, “male” and “female” will simply be rebranded as “people with testes/ovaries”, “AMAB/AFAB”, or “people with/without Y chromosomes”. My personal favorite is “persons with [testosterone/estrogen] as their primary sex hormone.” Oddly, “man” and “woman” are still used, often with redundant qualifiers (“56-year-old man with testes”).

thames pilgrim @thames_pilgrim asks: “What are the most dangerous medical implications for turning a blind eye to someone’s sex due to a belief that talking about “male” and “female” might offend?”

This is a very important question which should be addressed at the following interrelated levels: clinical practice, research, and public policy.

Clinical practice: Transgender patients who do not disclose their birth sex might be at risk for improper medical treatment. (I have seen a natal female person who identified as a nonbinary man, be suspected of having testicular torsion; this person did not disclose their sex to the physician, which resulted in a delay in their care). Out of fear of being branded transphobic, physicians may not accurately and completely inform trans patients about their sex-specific risk for certain medical conditions. And for all patients, if a poorly-educated doctor is unaware as to how disorders manifest differently between the sexes, then patients can be harmed through the failure to rapidly and accurately diagnose and treat their medical conditions.

Research: Bad data generates bad research; bad research generates bad treatments; bad treatments generate bad outcomes. The physiological differences between males and females are vast, and stamp their mark on every organ of the human body, not just the genitals and gonads. Ignoring these differences will muddle our data, blur our understanding of physiology, and hinder the discovery of new treatments for diseases. Females are much more likely than males to have autoimmune disorders. Males are more likely than females to develop Parkinson’s disease. Males and females may present with different symptoms preceding a heart attack. Males and females metabolize drugs differently. Blatantly ignoring sex as a variable hobbles the process of scientific inquiry and limits the types of questions that researchers will ask, thereby limiting the answers they get.

Policy: Patients who are not transgender may be misled by “inclusive” educational materials and miss out on crucial preventative care. This is especially impactful in women’s health; whether due to language barrier, subpar sex education, or cultural taboo, not every woman will even know that she has a cervix, but she will know that she is female. Additionally, recommendations made by professional medical associations are widely used in clinical practice; if these guidelines are generated based on faulty data, this could negatively impact patients on a wider scale.

However, the most pernicious of possible harms is not the denial of sex; rather, the denial of sex is just one manifestation of a greater problem, which is the corrosion of critical thinking itself. Whatever you call it – this postmodern poison, the triumph of dogma over data – it is fundamentally incompatible with critical thinking, the most powerful all-purpose tool a physician has at his or her disposal. Starting with a conclusion and working backwards, all while twisting the data to fit a narrative, strikes me as more religious than scientific.

Marjorie Hutchins @leakylike asks: “Part of being a doctor is taking on ethical & safeguarding responsibilities[.] Why aren’t medical students challenging something which [could] have health implications for patients?”

Our positions as students are precarious, especially if one is labeled as being on the wrong side of history. Consequences for speaking out can include shunning, being anonymously reported to the school for “remediation”, being informally blacklisted from research and leadership opportunities, and potentially expulsion. Until I have earned my degree and have completed residency, I need to remain anonymous. To do otherwise would be to kill my career before it has even begun, which would also limit my ability to help many more patients in the future.

Although I am very biased, I think it should be on the onus of administration and our tenured professors to stand up against this madness, rather than on lone students to publicly put themselves at risk of debt and ruin. For now, I resist in the small ways that I can; I wish to do so more publicly when I am more secure.