#it doesn’t matter if you’re part of the demographic that’s being harmed and you have no problem with it you don’t speak for all of us

[samuraisharkie]

that virtualtoybox person literally told me they aren’t reading what I said and then tried to talk to me w about as much in their tags lol. i never understand people that go ‘I’m not reading all of that but you should read what I have to say” bc like. imagine how infuriated ur gonna get when that response is leveled right back at you? and judging by their tags they didn’t read past my very first line. bc they started comparing animals and animal rights to eugenics which is EXACTLY what I was saying is extremely dangerous to do. That’s exactly how people start calling things that happen to animals a ‘Holocaust’ and I’m positive such a statement is made in that book they told me to read. I’m disabled too. I know what I’m talking fucking about too. In the animal section, I for SURE know more than you do! Because if you knew and truly cared about animals and their welfare, you wouldn’t be talking like PETA. Here’s a trick to other disability activists: learn about animal welfare by volunteering on farms and educating yourself on breeders and the industry rather than getting involved in PETA! And another critical trick: NEVER compare animals to people! That’s exactly what the freaks that think any living thing with a deformity that should die are doing. These people would clutch their pearls the moment they hear farms cull undesirable animals bc they can’t afford to keep every single one and have to streamline their breeding and raising to what will help keep the farm running. That doesn’t mean these farmers want to do the same to people, because the animal is NOT a person and doesn’t live like one. Our lives are not even remotely comparable! People like OP are the people that keep a wild bird with an amputated wing alive bc in their mind it would be insinuating all amputees should die if the bird is put down, and next thing the bird is on the Dodo as inspiration porn. Duex Face is an exception to two headed animals, not the rule. Don’t tell me to do my research when you’re spouting talking points from people that have caused more problems for animals as a whole second only to the commercialization of animal industry. Maybe you need some research (field research) instead! They’re going to block me and I’m assuming that’s why I can’t rb the post anymore even if I wanted to (like I said I didn’t want to start a fight so like. I’m not going to be yelling and acting like an asshole. I swore a bit in the tags initially bc I feel very strongly about how animal rights activists have fucked up disability activism by acting like there’s equivalency in our existences, but that’s not targeted. Most was going to respond telling them that if they feel this strongly they need to be reading more about the animal industry rather than relying on people that are in no way experts on animals talking as an authority on them, and using that to tie with their human rights activism as if animals rights and humans rights are even remotely the same in any way. Whatever though at least the tags are there if anyone who cares enough actually reads them and thinks about them. Will most likely just attract militant vegans and ARAs like the op but whatever)

[atlas-nsfw]

I think these topics are worth serious academic studies. In traditional publishing, we can point out straight-white prominence as a symptom of the beliefs of the publishers (perhaps they think queer people and POC arent large enough markets or not wealthy enough markets, etc.) but in non-traditional publishing we still see a similar emphasis on white and straight dynamics (though there is admittedly more diversity than in traditional publishing). So this lends itself to the belief that white and straight authors are more common. This could be a language barrier, as English speaking spaces online tend to be white by majority (It could be worth comparing white vs POC demographics in the real world to the digital world to the indie monster publishing to free/fandom monster romance), but it is hard to say. On a similar note, it may be interesting to dissect what different audiences want from their romances.

The monster romance community on tumblr is highly varied. There are those who enjoy dub/non-con, those who want their monsters to be physically monstrous but moral paragons, those who like x reader content, those who want monster x monster. Just because someone voices an opinion doesn’t mean they are a significant portion of a population though. This especially applies when money is a factor (traditional publishing vs indie vs free/fandom).

A recent example is Baldur’s Gate 3 releasing that the most romanced character is Shadowheart (the most generically attractive white girl), followed by Karlach (who is just generically attractive but big), then Lae’zel (not generically attractive but woman). Which was a huge shock to fandom spaces where Astarion (white boy vampire who is a certified tumblr sexyman) is most popular. This is because the fandom space is not a 1:1 ration with the consumer base. The fandom space is made up of mostly women (admittedly white women) as fandom spaces often are, while the consumer base has a significantly larger population of straight men, who have traditionally made up a majority video game consumer bases as developers cater around them.

As just mentioned, the consumer base and creator are not independent. Any academic study would have to consider both if they wanted to be thorough.

Another interesting angle is that people can be trained to find certain things attractive, especially if they are allowed a degree of removal from the object of attraction (people who read non-con do not want to be actually violated in real life usually, consent being vital in bdsm spaces, tolerating toxicity in fictional relationships but not real ones, etc.). Beauty standards are perpetuated this way but so are concepts about what is hot vs not. Plenty of people internalize “harmful” tropes as hot because they have a history of being exposed to them in that context and haven’t received enough incentive to overcome challenge their attraction to the trope(in theory though this too warrants study).

In summary, I don’t have a lot of answers but I would be genuinely curious about quantitive and qualitative studies on the topics mentioned here! There is clearly a lot we can learn by asking these questions and I am glad OP brought it up!

I would be very interested in counterpoints or other angles that other people come up with on this topic! The more voices engaging with a topic, the more scope it has!

Some light reading:

^this one talks about formal segregation as a historic factor which I didn’t get to on my post but I definitely a factor to consider!

^ short article on some proposed reasons people gravitate towards monster romance

so I got some interest on this post where I tossed out that I wanted to talk more about monster romance and race and gender. it's been really nice to see a few folks are also wanting to hear/talk about it! I'm not prepared to say anything at length [eta: this turned out to be kind of a lie] with any certainty or research to back me up, but I thought I could post a rough outline of sorts of what I'd want to research and explore further, just as a starting point for myself but also a jumping off point if anyone else has any thoughts or resources.

I guess I'll start with gender first. I'm new to the romance genre generally, but I don't think it's a surprise that the genre has always been dominated by discourse around who reads romance and the kind of gender dynamics presented in a lot of conventional romance books (which are generally heterosexual/heteronormative in a lot of problematic ways). I'm thinking of the harlequin romances my mom and grandma used to read, but also of the discussions around colleen hoover's work and then the dark romance sub-genre too.

this means that there's the obvi discussion to be had about content vs. context. who is writing the romance, what informs their writing, what messaging comes through via choices made by the author, as well as by the context the author is writing in. I'm sure if you've been reading romance--even fanfic--for a while, you're well versed in some of these conversations, even if just in a casual way.

after considering romance on a macro level, I think you'd then have to look at some of those more micro sub-genres. where are gender norms accentuated and exaggerated, and to what end? why is dark romance a thing, why do (usually) straight white women want to fantasize about being in that kind of relationship? what's the purpose being met? (this is all asked non-judgmentally, btw, as I also enjoy dark romance.)

and maybe there are folks who would dislike my comparing of monster romance to dark romance, but I do think the two are related, especially based on a lot of posts I've seen since joining this corner of tumblr. I think there's a lot of interest in exploring ideas around control and dominance that dark romance and monster romance provide contained space for. if you watched my YouTube video, I touch on this a little bit more at the end as well.

I'm sure I'm missing a lot re: gender (like all the stories being told about lgbtq+ MCs), but this is just some initial thoughts at the fore of my brain.

as for race...........well. lol.

there's the very surface level question around what percentage of monster romance FMCs are white. I genuinely don't have this answer, and I know there are a lot of nonwhite FMCs too! but I'd be really curious to know the actual numbers here. why? well, bc diversity matters. but also because of the decades long narratives around white women as victims of men of color, and how that narrative has been used to weaponize whiteness and demonize blackness specifically, and non-whiteness more generally.

I am def not saying that all monster MMCs = depictions of non-whiteness, I'm just thinking about the connections between equating non-white people/bodies with monstrosity. I'm thinking of the historical framing of non-white people and communities as sub-human, as savages, as beastly. inhumane. monsters have kinda always been a metaphor for the other, including the non-white other, and I think it'd be naive of us to assume that vestiges of that brand of racism (which is still alive and well) never inform the ways creators engage with monster romance and monsterfucking, consciously AND unconsciously.

I'm also thinking about orientalism. I'm thinking of the exotification and classification of the east. the way westerners invaded the eastern world and began treating the people there like specimens. I'm thinking about how othering and abjecting and exotifying a culture or community or person can create a power-informed version of sexualizing that culture or community or person. like, othering/abjecting/exotifying can lead to creating a perverted sort of desiring. I have a special interest here because I'm arab, so this stuff feels particularly personal, but yeah. it makes my wheels turn.

there's also a dehumanizing element of turning an othered body into a piece of sexual meat. I'm thinking about the way monsters in these books are always excessive, the way their penises are always massive. we can't pretend that doesn't seem a little familiar to the degrading ways white people have also discussed black bodies, too. like. I'm not saying wanting our monsters to have big dicks is racist, I'm just saying there are some aspects of the genre that I think deserve to be ~unpacked~ and considered in a wider context that takes this kind of stuff into account. not as a confirmed given, but as an avenue worth approaching with curiosity, if only to point out the ways in which it's NOT a product of racism/anti-blackness.

obvi this post is not backed up at present with a single source because I'm just thinking out loud based on stuff I've read previously over the years that I definitely would need to revisit, so I totally get if you read this and think I'm being ridiculous. but if you saw my first post and were kinda wondering what I had in mind when making it, this is it.

[piccolina-mina]

Our girl is thriving this season, but what the fuck is this Wyatt plot? I need your thinks about this one. I just knew you'd be six posts in on this by now. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*sighs* For fk's sake, nonny. I don't even like talking about it because I get ranty.

What do you want me to say? Honestly, everything you can imagine I would feel about this, you're probably right. Because you know, I'm that b*tch always getting ranty about racism and stuff.

In short, I hate it. I think it's unnecessary, tone-deaf, random, pointless, lowkey offensive, and illogical. I legitimately find it triggering AF. And it doesn't make sense.

It's Unnecessary. There is a fraction of a chance that it will connect to something more significant, but even if that's the case, I'm confident that end result or connection could've taken place without this random reform racist Wyatt storyline. This series has struggled enough as it is properly utilizing all of its primary characters as well as providing them with decent screentime and arcs. It literally makes no sense to spend any of that time that could be used elsewhere on primary characters on a recurring guest star.

This isn't actually about Rosa, it's about Wyatt. Following up on the previous point, this specific arc caters to Wyatt. Revolves around Wyatt. Rosa is just a passive participant and vessel for this Wyatt storyline. So again, the arc itself is about a recurring character. At least when they did something similarly bringing back Cam to siphon time and arcs away from its main cast they found ways to implement it better and tied her to multiple main characters, so it wasn't a total waste.

The intended Wyatt/Rosa parallel is illogical. I know what they're intending to do with this storyline, drawing parallels between Rosa's experience coming back from the dead after ten years and trying to make sense of that and atone for things before and having this second chance to make things right and go down the right path and so forth and Wyatt losing his memory and his racist ways and having to reconcile with who he was to who he can be and all of that. I understand the concept they're trying to sell. It just doesn't work. Rosa's addiction is not equivalent to Wyatt's racism and violence. Her mental illness isn't either. It's dangerous to invite the comparasions with this storyline.

It's not successful redemption. True redemption is Wyatt knowing and remembering his actions and then trying to atone for them. It's not the convenience of amnesia wiping out his memory only giving him distance from his actions rather than really facing up to them. Because of the amnesia, to Wyatt, it's like he's hearing about another person. It's a cop out. He doesn't Actually have to do the work to redeem himself or atone or learn or grow. IF we're supposed to compare it to Rosa, she knew what she did and remembers and knows how she hurt her loved ones or whatever and she's actively trying to make amends for that as part of her program... a program that Wyatt isn't working or anything BTW.

They've contradicted themselves too much and are rewriting their own work and thus twisting everything up just to make this storyline work and it still doesn't. The timeline is all fkd up... what they established already all of it..The Longs were racist before Kate's death. Kate was racist. To suggest that a 10+ amnesiac blackout clean slates and erases all of Wyatt's racism is just wrong. As in it literally doesn't even make any sense. That is not how the amnesia works but they keep playing both sides of it trying to make it work. To sell us what they're claiming, he would have to have ALL of his memories wiped and have forgotten who he was completely.

Wyatt is behaving like he's shocked by racism in this town but they're also trying to argue that he was born into it. Wyatt was surrounded by racists and his friends come from racist families but he's acting like the very concept of him ever being ingratiated in it is some huge surprise. Wyatt looks affronted by things like Confederate flags. Wyatt being steeped in and surrounded by racism predates his amnesia period.

Kyle mentioned that line about Wyatt putting Whites Only on water fountains, and it sounded like a school prank. It also sounded like something Kyle was reminding Rosa of as if she was alive when that incident happened. Therefore, Wyatt was doing racist stuff before she died. Kyle would've been out of school by then so how else would he know that or why would he bother retaining it?

IF Wyatt and Rosa really were friends before (which holy retcon), then it makes no real sense that he would get psychopathically angry about his "friend" who does drugs getting into a car accident with his sister who does drugs. He would've mourned them both not jumped to severe racism and violence. But both he and Jasmine's family (who are MIA for all of this) did that... jumped to racism. So was Wyatt indoctrinated by his family or indoctrinated by message boards and shit? And if Wyatt and Rosa were friends than why was Kate such a racist bitch to Rosa?

They're backdrafting history JUST to make this storyline that we don't need with a character who isn't even a main one to work.

By not actually addressing that Wyatt has to unlearn racism and giving him an out through amnesia, there is the very realistic issue of that latent racism to come out at any given time. What happens when he's drunk? What happens when he's really angry at a POC?

Tying Wyatt's redemption with his clear affection for Rosa is again dangerous and irresponsible. I know we would all like to think that love is the way and through love it can heal racism, but that puts the responsibility on the disenfranchised person to be "lovable." Because if Wyatt WAS friends with Rosa once then that means the second Rosa did something unlovable she was just another *insert racist slur of choosing* right? It means that there's a possibility that if his feelings for Rosa dwindle or things go sideways in some way there's a chance that he could revert back to those racist ways. Loving Rosa(linda) and pinning all of his wanting to be better on her because of her makes his actively learning to be anti-racist conditional. Right now he's not doing this for him. He's doing it because of Rosa.

This entire storyline has placed the burden of forgiveness on Rosa, his victim. Without him ever having to actually make amends. It's this turn the other cheek BS that means there's nothing too big or harmful that can't result in forgiveness. It relies on Rosa and all that she represents to extend an inhumane level of mercy and grace to their tormentor and oppressor that was never once extended to them. It's such a consistent and problematic thing projected on disenfranchised parties that ONLY benefits the majority and makes them feel good. It's a narrative of meeting someone halfway when the playing field was uneven and the minorities are in actuality doing more work and making a longer trek. Halfway and meeting in the middle only works if both sides were even. They are not. It's the reaching across the aisle both sidesms when one side was clearly and actively more harmful than the other and than calling that peace and equity. It is not.

This storyline was meant to scintillate some viewers with this "what if" notion and teach others a meaningful lesson or be this poorly thought out gateway to exploring a complex storyline but it came at the expense of other demographics who actively have to deal with racist crap. And because of their problematic approach what is simply "just entertainment" to some who has the luxury of not having to think about it beyond that, is just gross and insanely triggering and uncomfortable to others. The others who deal with the reality of the subject at hand.

They wrote themselves into a corner with Wyatt so trying to dig him out of that no matter the cost or logic is absurd. This storyline could've worked better if Wyatt's racism didn't also include conscious, constant, extreme violence. But they spent all of this time making Wyatt the face of violent racism and now are trying to redeem him with no real effort. He wasn't just using slurs or making microaggressions. He wasn't some insensitive or aloof white person. He is a murderer. He has killed people. He technically murdered Liz in cold-blood. He knew she was in the crashdown when he shot up the place. The lights were still on. He beat up Arturo so badly he nearly killed him well after his friends even stopped. He attacked and intended to kill Rosa. And his handiwork was a constant thing, enough for Jenna to comment on it. And now we're supposed to ignore all of that because he has amnesia and has puppy dog eyes?

The fact that we can entertain (and for some succeed) Wyatt in all of his hot white dudeness' redemption after everything he has done slips into the inherent racism of society in the first place and is enraging. Because systemically and culturally and inherently society will bend over backwards to find a way to absolve a hot white guy no matter his actions. Flint and Noah couldn't get this type of redemption... So their intended storyline about evolving from racism STILL plays into the racist structures set up in society.

And because some people like it, there's this slippery territory of NO everyone who genuinely enjoys this aren't racist for enjoying it. But yes, this entire storyline and how it is playing out is at the very least racially insensitive.

In order for this storyline to work they would actually have to show Wyatt doing the work. They don't have enough time to dedicate to such a delicate storyline. It's been a C and D filler storyline with 45 second to a minute scenes. That's not enough time to explore this properly. We would've needed to see Wyatt returning home from the hospital. We would've needed to see Wyatt with his friends and it not feeling right and his discomfort. We would've needed to see Wyatt going through his yearbook and googling himself and the horror and disgust he felt. We would need to see this through his eyes. But we didn't have the time for that and we wouldn't have anyway because he's not a main character. We only get Wyatt through Rosa's eyes and they haven't even dedicated enough time to that for it to work. Rosa isn't conflicted at all. She didn't struggle to forgive him. She was reduced to a school girl with a crush and an insane level of grace and they just threw that at us with no buildup whatsoever. I don't know where Rosa's head is and how she got to this to place. Not really. And the only thing working about this is the chemistry between two actors who are allegedly dating so of course there's chemistry.

It literally feels like another instance of a favorite actor being shoehorned into a storyline just for the hell of it. Just because they didn't want to let Dylan go or something. Just to give him something else to do.

[defensefilms]

Defense Films Lists His Favorite TV Characters Of All Time

5. Chris Partlow- The Wire

The ending of The Wire paints Chris Partlow as something closer to a serial killer. 

He wasn’t. None of his hits were done out of pleasure, curiosity or even impulse. Every one of those bodies helped the Stanfield organization become what they became, even the one on Michael’s stepdad.

What Chris represents is reliability and capability. The ultimate “get shit done” guy. Out of all the characters on the show, none were more dependable or crucial to the success of the institution they served. 

Lester Freeman was capable but not a good politician and ultimately a nuisance to his superiors. Bill Rawls was incredibly capable at his job but he was power hungry and ambitious. In season 5, Gus Haynes is the most capable man in the news office but the problem was that Gus questioned authority and didn’t “go with the flow” when the office decided the paper needed a “refreshing” of how they cover the local news.

Chris didn’t have any of these handicaps impeding the people he served.

He recruits the foot soldiers for the Stanfield crew, even training them himself and Marlo had something akin to a small army at his disposal as a result. He organized his sub-ordinates, handled all surveillance when Marlo’s crew was under investigation at the start of season 5 and took care of incoming shipments after they established a direct line to the Greeks. 

When the task required finesse or subtlety, like the time he stole Sergey’s picture from the court office, he was more than capable of that too. When Marlo is questioning how to address the murder of one of his dealers, he listens to Chris and chooses to retaliate on the perpetrator directly rather than targeting everyone on his corner. 

Marlo truly comes to rely on Chris in matters concerning Omar Little. Every step of how Marlo wants to get back at the near mythical larcenist, is first passed by Chris. Chris takes this as his number one job throughout the show. Anything concerning Omar is handled with brutal efficiency, tact and an almost out ouf place  sense of professional pride. 

That’s Chris’ most endearing quality. Through all the blood, guts, scheming, lying, betrayal that comprises Baltimore’s underworld, all of which Chris is very much a part of, he has a pride in how he approaches the day to day business aspects of what he does. 

Stringer Bell is arguably the best second-in-command in the show’s run but he was dishonest, ultimately harming the survival of the institution he served and damn near going rogue. 

Chris doesn’t share such qualities as blind ambition or selfishness. He understands that trust is all he has in this game. When the indictments eventually come down and Chris is facing a life sentence he doesn’t complain or even raise the possibility of turning state witness. Instead he ends up on the yard along side Wee-Bay. Marlo in turn makes sure that Chris’ people are taken care of financially.

Many of the men that serve in the various institutions depicted in the show could learn a thing from Chris Partlow. When the time came, he fell on his sword and did so in full acknowledgement that this is where it all leads. There’s a kind of honor in that.

4. Tony Soprano- The Sopranos

One of the biggest misconceptions about The Sopranos was that it was a story about a gangster. It wasn’t, or at the very least, that would be an over-simplification of what the story actually contained.

What it was was a story about a man and his family, both biological and criminal. That’s the tie the binds all of the story’s narratives together.

Another way of looking at Tony’s story is one of leadership. Having ousted his Uncle Junior from the seat of power, season 2 and onwards, as far Tony’s criminal life is concerned, focuses on what happens once you get to the top. 

While the show’s creators gave you plenty of grizzly, violent scenes, what leads to those is the story of a man struggling and failing at leadership. 

In every season, Tony has to deal with a problematic figure, employee or subordinate. 

Season 1 was his Uncle and the idea of old fashioned leadership. Then in season 2 it was the ever-acerbic Richie Aprile, representing a generation older than Tony’s, that still feels entitled to something. Seasons 3 and 4 gave us Ralph Cifaretto, the only one among the men I’m mentioning that actually earns his status and then in season 5, it was his cousin Tony Blundetto.

Each of these problems is uniquely stressful for Tony because of how they pull at the threads of both his family and criminal life. With the exception of his Uncle Junior, he kills all of them.

By that metric, Tony is in fact a very poor leader. 

He doesn’t really deal with the Richie Aprile problem because his sister beats him to it. He doesn’t willingly promote Ralph Cifaretto even though Ralph earns it and is the only one among the candidates with any real intellect and business savvy. In both the cases of Christopher Moltisanti and cousin Tony Blundetto, Tony allows favoritism and nepotism to cloud his judgement and ironically both those men die at Tony Soprano’s hands.

This paints a picture of a tyrannical man, slowly devouring everything around him because he’s got to be in control. Worse yet, his need to be in control doesn’t actually lead to smarter long term decisions or better people management.

Tony’s relationship with Ralph in particular is built on professional envy. He feels entitled to Ralph’s race horse winnings because “why should his subordinate benefit more from anything than he does?”. He then proceeds to take ownership of the racehorse itself without assuming any of the costs of owning the animal. Then to top it off, he steals Ralph’s girlfriend purely because he has the status to do it, even digging in to Ralph’s personal life in order to justify doing so.

Textbook mismanagement. Every type of managerial violation you could imagine.

So how does Tony handle it when an employee is actually being a problem on a criminal/business level?

He rewards Tony Blundetto’s deception after the Joey Peeps killing by letting him run an already profitable gambling joint. He promotes Christopher to “made guy” even with his drug problems being well known, and he promotes Bobby Baccalieri, partly at his sister’s behest and partly out of spite.

 It was fun to watch on screen but you’d hate to work for Tony Soprano.

How does that translate to his family? What kind of leader is Tony at home?

Season 3 does well at examining Tony as a father/paternal figure starting with his relationship with Jackie Jr, which is built on concern at first. Then later it starts to make Tony anxious. Before Tony decides to push nature towards taking it’s course, when Jackie runs afoul of men in Tony’s charge.

His relationship with AJ is also a bigger part of the show as the seasons go and it’s not much better in as far as the leadership or guidance that Tony offers. We can waffle on about AJ’s failings as a spoilt teenager but the real problem is that Tony doesn’t see himself in AJ. 

That’s the first step to any failure of leadership. An inability to find common ground or identify with the people you’re leading.

We won’t go in to how hypocritical it is because the entire way that Tony entered the mob life is because he himself was a mob prince and his father’s status definitely paved the way for him. 

Hypocrisy. That’s the other key to failure in leadership. 

All these negatives added up to make the most fascinating television character in over 20 years. A constant stream of contradictions and watching a man say one thing but do another was it’s own experience and you didn’t realize what a horrible human being you were watching until you saw the show over and over again. A scary observation that implies people are either blind or really comfortable with evil and narcissistic behaviour.

3. Noah Solloway- The Affair

Out of all the characters on this list, this one was hurt most by writers hitting a ceiling in how much they could say about the character or how much they wanted to say.  Divorced men don’t really have that much representation, so if you’re writing a character that so strongly linked to that one particular event in his life, you may hit a ceiling if you don’t actually have real life examples to work with.

They had the right actor, the right story and it was the right time in human history to tell this story, it just felt like they didn’t follow through on really speaking on the plight or rise of guys in Noah’s situation.

Anytime I watched The Affair, and unlike most, I was pretty loyal to it despite what reviews told me, I identified with Noah. All those other characters didn’t make sense to me the way Noah did.

The story begins with my man being stuck in a rut, the kind of middle age funk  married men tend to fall in to, so he drives out to visit some folks and while he’s there he happens to meet a baddie. Story of every man’s life. Only he does what you’re not supposed to do and sacrifices everything he has so he can be with the bad-bad. 

Then my mans starts popping off with his book writing, gets a publishing deal and in his 40′s, he starts achieving his highest career peaks. See this is important because it shows that the writers understood the subject matter really well, as well as the demographic they were talking about.

Then the next season, they go in to some murder mystery plot, Noah ends up in jail somehow, almost as if the writers and producers didn’t feel confident that they could tell Noah’s story without the theatrics/murder mystery element. 

The other danger that the writers probably didn’t want to indulge was rewarding the character with any kind of happy ending or positive outcome. Noah’s infidelity serves as the jumping off point to all of the story’s unfolding plots, mostly depicting the impact on the lives of his immediate family, a handful of which play out in sad dramatic fashion. So the writers likely felt like Noah couldn’t win at the end. 

In the 1930′s when gangster films were first being made, they would commonly feature PSA messages at the start warning against criminal behaviour. 1931′s “Little Caesar” starring Edward G Robinson, features a warning at the end that makes it clear the film’s producers and writers needed the character to go down in flames at the end, to prove the moral point that “crime doesn’t pay”. 

A writer’s moral obligation and the times in which they live can lead some to write the ending that makes a moral point rather than writing the most dramatic or honest ending. I think Noah Solloway kind of suffered from this.

I don’t know. 

There was a chance to explore modern men in a way that most stories fail to. They had the foundation. They knew enough about who and what they’re talking about. However it didn’t manifest in the telling of the story. 

I’m not saying Noah needed a positive ending, it’s just that the one we got was not the most fitting nor did it wind up ending the story honestly or even dramatically.

Noah Solloway should have got the Tony Soprano treatment in as far as how much the writers explored his inner world but instead the show’s creators decided it didn’t matter. They didn’t answer the question of why this happens to modern men.

If nothing else Noah Solloway can be a blueprint or foundation for those telling this story in the future.

 2. Ciro Di Marizio- Gomorrah

About as slimy and as low down as a television character can possibly be. Ciro represents Machiavellian criminality pushed to it’s extremes. 

When writers plot a character’s trajectory, they often fill it with moments that make the character more endearing. Exploring the relationship the character may have with a child, friend or spouse that makes you see the character’s more genuine/compassionate/likeable side. The writers of Gomorrah did plenty of that with Ciro.

However, they didn’t hesitate to show you just how off-the-rails and downright evil Ciro could be. 

What’s funny is that Ciro is defined by loyalty and servitude when the story begins. He is a capable captain and rises to 2nd in command when the Savastano family needs him to. However the death of his close friend and mentor changes him for the worse and he goes ham. 

What follows is betrayal and Ciro basically masterminding a coup of the Savastano clan but the levels of paranoia that his new found power push him to, make him question whether it was all worth it. The world burns around him and a kind of justice is restored when Gennaro is able to take back power and restore the Savastano name. 

That’s one aspect of the show that Ciro truly exemplifies in that he rises to the top but the throne never truly feels like it’s his.

He is Iago-like in his ability to understand the weaknesses of people around him. He proves himself more cunning, capable, strategic, murderous and even business-minded than almost every other character. Every character except for Pietro Savastano (the man he betrays) and Gennaro Savastano. 

The show goes to great lengths to put forth the idea that crime families in Naples are on the same level as the pope. True modern day monarchies. Royal families that have the power to benefit or harm anyone around them. People bow their heads to them when they walk in public and use reverential terms when addressing them. They will often have salons, jewelers  or restaurants cleared out so they can enjoy the establishment in ostentatious privacy. 

When you look at it like that, Ciro was always an outsider. The difference between just sitting on the throne and being born of the throne. 

In that way maybe Ciro’s story is about redemption. 

He eventually sides with Gennaro Savastano again, helping him get his wife and daughter back after they’re kidnapped. He does this by essentially lying to/duping a crew of young dealers from Florence to fund this hostage rescue and then he offers himself as a sacrifice when the Florentines demand blood.

At his best Ciro served the clan and went to great lengths to restore what he had destroyed. 

1. Marlo Stanfield- The Wire

Is there any greater?

Sure there are characters like Tony Soprano whose world and whose inner thoughts the audience gets more familiar and intimate with. Within the same shared universe as Marlo is a character like Stringer Bell and the writers of the Wire go to great lengths to understand and convey his moral conflict as a drug kingpin turned wannabe real estate tycoon. 

Marlo is something purer though. 

You don’t need to know his inner-most thoughts like Tony because his utmost desire is simple, he wants to be the top kingpin of Baltimore. What more do you want?

He does not share Stringer’s moral complexity because unlike Stringer he is not conflicted at all. He’s not a drug dealer playing businessman, he’s just a drug dealer and that’s all he ever wanted to be.

From the start of season 3, it was fascinating watching this man move about on the screen with a confidence reserved for the richest and most talented. Indeed Marlo proves he has both in bundles. 

He outwits the older drug kingpin in Stringer Bell by maintaining independence from the Co-Op. He matches Avon Barksdale’s war effort step-for-step after Avon comes home from prison. He outsmarts the wily, Proposition Joe in order to learn how to launder his money and then get access to the Greeks.

It was fascinating watching Marlo avoid pitfalls, monopolize Baltimore, out-think his older counterparts and grow his empire to the scope that he did. 

There’s a youtube video that compiled all of Marlo’s scenes from his 3 seasons on The Wire and it pretty much plays like a feature film. Watch it here if you dig Marlo as much as I do.

You’re not watching a drug dealer become a kingpin, or at the very least that’s what I believe. It has more to do with watching the younger generation upset the order, and in a lot of ways that’s what Marlo represents. From the moment Marlo shows up, all old agreements are null and void. He does this over and over again throughout his story. Constantly upsetting the order and establishing his own. 

Indeed Marlo isn’t aware that this is what he’s doing. He’s acting on ambition, arrogance and naivety. 

It speaks volumes that most of the characters on this list have on-screen relationships that explore their personalities, like the aforementioned Ciro’s relationship with his daughter. Marlo has none of that.

Marlo’s most revealing relationship is his rivalry with Omar Little, a man he only ever encounters once. The continuation of their feud happens because Marlo refuses to let any perceived slight towards him slide. One way of looking at what this shows is that Marlo is both egoist and perfectionist, the latter of which is actually very prized personality traits in today’s business environment. The combination of the two is actually commonly seen among CEO’s and top executives.

Marlo shows every weakness and drawback of youth while exposing the follies of the more seasoned and experienced in his field. A walking contradiction in that way.

[exn0bisstudios]

hiya! if it isn't spoiler-y or you won't be making a separate post for it, could you tell us a bit about the work hunters and seers do? does being a member of the order as a hunter always guarantee that you'll have a seer for a partner, or do they have different kinds of work that don't require a partner, or maybe require a bigger group to work with?

I will be making a post about it. After that, you'll obviously get a more in-depth look during the game itself. Still, since I have some other things lined up first, I would be happy to give some cursory notes here in this ask!

Please be aware that this info might seem a bit jumbled since I'm just tossing out notes (also I’m running on two hours of sleep lmao). This also got really long, so I apologize for that! As I said, I'll eventually get a much more organized & concise post up for you guys!

About Seers of The Twilight Order

What is a Seer?

Seers are magically gifted individuals of strong mentality who have been soul-bound to a Nightmare, which allows them to use Void magic. Said magic is the only thing that can actually destroy a Nightmare - yes, they can be hurt by weapons. Still, they'll eventually reform from the damage unless a Seer comes along and wipes them out. Since the Void is essentially power in its most raw form, it is not meant to be used by mortals. So, the Order devised the binding to allow an adept enough mage to use a Nightmare as a proxy. It's a messy necessity since, without Seers, Yereth-Shai would have fallen to the Nightmares a long, long time ago.

Unfortunately, this proxy system is hugely flawed. Nightmares, by their very nature, are corrupted, as is the Void. The forcible melding of a mortal soul to this corrupted being will eventually erode the mortal, no matter how mentally resilient they are. The more they use the Void magic, the faster that corruption sets in. Not to mention that the binding ritual itself can be deadly outright.

In short, becoming a Seer is a death sentence. Most last for around 5 years before corruption kills them. Unfortunately, it's also common for Seers to go insane, either from corruption or just from having a primordial creature that hates them living in their head. The Order has a care facility set up for any non-violent Seers who have lost their minds, where they can live out what's left of their lives in peace and safety. Sadly most that go nuts are also violent, though, and are mercy-killed by The Order before they can cause civilian casualties.

If you're asking, "why would anyone want to be a Seer" the answer is, again, purely because it's necessary for the survival of mortal-kind. Many people who volunteer to become a Seer do so because they see it as a way to atone for past sins. Some do so to be a hero, however short-lived it might be. Some just see it as a civic duty. Regardless of why the Order won't turn away volunteers.

Who can become a Seer?

The only actual requirements are that the candidate must be willing, mentally resilient, and magically capable. Of course, it's always preferable for a candidate to be young and healthy. Such individuals typically prove more resilient to both the required training and the ritual itself. However, so long as they meet the core necessities and make it through Seer training, the Order won't turn anyone away.

A candidate will go through 5 to 8 years of relentless training to prepare for the binding ritual. The training is brutal and has been deadly but is necessary if the candidate hopes to survive the binding. In addition to physical and mental exercise, a Seer candidate is trained in advanced magic techniques. A particular focus on personal control is crucial, considering the Order has no desire to give someone prone to violence access to raw power.

What can a Seer do?

In addition to their ability to wield Void magic as a weapon, they can manipulate it in other ways that benefit the general public. Destroying Nightmares is always a Seers primary duty. Still, they are also often called in to clear an area of Void corruption. A little-understood phenomenon, Void corruption tends to occur in populated areas and acts as a beacon for Nightmares. A Seer can absorb and neutralize the corruption at their own expense. They can also 'see' Void energy, appearing as a kind of smokey aura, which helps them find problem areas or address concerns of corruption/possession.

Some Seer facts

The tell-tale sign of a Seer is the solid black sclera, resulting from their tie to a Nightmare. Black stripes/spots in the sclera are typical in corruption or possession cases, but only Seers have solid black.

Even though many Seers were previously criminals, they are almost always received with respect. Regardless of their past deeds, people recognize the altruistic sacrifice they've made by becoming a Seer and honor them for that. On the flip side, most Seers are understandably received with an equal amount of fear.

Seers cannot comprehend or cohesively communicate with their bound Nightmare while awake, getting at most snippets of violent imagery or projected emotions. They are also plagued by violent nightmares when they sleep due to their subconscious trying to process the foreign presence in their mind. The more a Seer's mental barriers deteriorate, the more the Nightmare can torture them inside their own head.

While they are given combat training, Seers are adamantly encouraged to stay out of active combat as much as possible. They are under strict orders to not use their Void magic unless against a Nightmare or Void-related emergency. They are too valuable to risk on the front line, and using their Void powers speeds up their corruption (and thus, demise) too much to just use them recklessly.

Regarding our dear MC...

Take everything you just read about Seers and throw it out the window.

MC is an entirely unique, never-before-seen case. To start, they never underwent a binding ritual. As far as the Order can tell, MC's Nightmare has been there at least in a cursory sense for their whole life because it has chosen to be there. MC's sclera went black when it finally bonded with them (age depends on MC's background but from 8-11 y/o). It was an entirely painless experience for MC.

MC is the only Seer who has been able to actively communicate with their Nightmare in any capacity. The fact their Nightmare introduced itself and keeps a running commentary on what MC is up to during their waking hours is seemingly inexplicable. MC doesn't suffer any nightmares due to The One's presence, either, and is instead able to interact with a dream manifestation of them.

The MC shows no signs of possession and seems to suffer no ill side effects from the One's presence or from using Void magic. They are also the most potent Void magic user the Order has ever had. This penalty-free relationship has allowed them to be the only Seer to hold the position for more than 8 years.

The general public is not aware of pretty much any of this, however. The official story is intentionally vague, saying that the MC is a prodigy and ends the conversation there. They're somewhere between a myth and a legend to the general public, and the majority would not recognize them in person. The MC is under strict orders not to reveal the truth of their situation unless they deem it absolutely necessary. This is mainly for their own safety. After all, just because the Order trusts them doesn't mean the rest of the world will.

In short, the MC is very special. You'll have to play the game to find out why.

About Hunters of The Twilight Order

What is a Hunter?

A Hunter is a specialized member of the Order's main military force, highly trained in martial and magical combat and tactics. Their primary function is to suppress Nightmare and Void-related violence to allow for a Seer to safely end the engagement, as well as to serve as a Seer's protector and right hand.

They put themselves in danger so that a Seer doesn't have to. However, they are not seen as expendable or as shock troops. Instead, they are provided years of highly specialized, rigorous training to ensure they survive the impossible odds they're frequently up against. As a result, hunters are, without exception, the most effective and impressive fighting force on Yereth-Shai.

Who can become a Hunter?

Anyone, so long as they are willing and survive the training. Hunter backgrounds are incredibly varied, from noble to urchin, but all of them give up their old lives for the sake of the Order. Most candidates are given over to the Order young and spend near their entire lives as members of the Twilight family.

It should be noted that orphans make up the largest demographic, as the Order provides food, lodging, education, and eventually a salary for life. For a child with nothing, it's often the most stable option they have.

What can a Hunter do?

In addition to killing virtually anything with appropriately nightmarish skill, Hunters are known for being brilliant - if unconventional - tacticians and skilled generals. Many a monarch has tried to buy themself a Hunter with a laughable pittance of a success rate.

Hunters are also gifted with a unique soul-bound weapon upon graduation. While these weapons are not strictly sentient, they have a sort of will of their own and are inextricably part of their owner. This bond gives a magical boost to the Hunter's natural prowess, in addition to acting as a powerful channel for their own magic. Soul-bound weapons cannot be used to harm their master. In fact, most cannot even be touched without their master's permission, causing grave injury to the individual attempting. These weapons cannot be broken and, if lost, will find their way back to their master. A Hunter also takes their weapon to their grave, as it will decay upon its master's death.

The forges of Twilight Order are the only place to create these weapons, and the technique has never been shared outside of Order smiths and enchanters.

Some Hunter facts

Hunters almost always outlive Seers simply because, as dangerous as their job is, their powers aren't slowly killing them. As such, there are a lot more Hunters in the Order than there are Seers.

The mass majority of Hunters will never be paired with a Seer. Bodyguard duty is reserved for the elite. The Order takes excellent care in choosing these pairs, and transfers to a different partner are rare. Once a Hunter is assigned to a Seer, they are expected to stay together until one of them dies.

Most Hunter-Seer pairings develop an unshakable bond, so much so that Hunters that lose their Seer struggle to function as well with a new partner. As such, a Hunter who has lost their Seer will return to regular troop duties, often as an officer. Their career as bodyguard is over.

That said, if a Seer needs to be neutralized, it is traditionally their paired Hunter's job to strike the killing blow. While being a Hunter is usually a lifetime career, those who have had to kill their Seer can retire from service. The Order is not unsympathetic to their trauma.

Regarding our dear Mira...

Mira is unique in their own way, though not to the same extent that the MC is.

In Mira's case, they genuinely are a prodigy. They've been with the Order since they were a child and took to the training like a fish to water. Their proficiency is precisely why they were paired with MC - who better to protect the Order's most precious Seer than their most skilled Hunter?

Mira is also special in that they have four soul-bound weapons. No touchy.

About The Twilight Order

The Twilight Order is a neutral faction that pays no homage to any nation but demands fealty from them all. It was formed for the sole purpose of defeating the Nightmare threat, and they have stayed true to that through the decades. Members of the Order are strictly forbidden from meddling with politics unless it furthers their mission. The faction itself takes no interest in the rise and fall of kingdoms outside of keeping their funding secure.

The Order is given a begrudging kind of respect on the global politics scale. Many people view the Order with suspicion, especially considering the number of secrets they keep and how they pointedly disregard whatever laws suit them. However, no one dares rise against them - not just because the Hunter army could decimate a country, but because they're the only ones who can tame the Void.

Though thankfully most governments are content to leave the Order alone, it is a delicate diplomatic balance, so long as they stay out of the political sphere.

Some relevant facts about the Order

Once you are initiated into the Order, you leave your old life behind. Each member takes on the surname 'Twilight' and is encouraged to completely sever ties to their old life. This rule is less strictly enforced with members who have been with the Order for a while. It's common for commanding officers to look the other way if their subordinates exchange letters with their original families. So long as the individual isn't compromised by these engagements, it's quietly allowed to happen.

The Order takes a similarly vague approach to romantic relationships involving its members. Physical relations & romance are not forbidden, nor is marriage or attempting to start a family. However, if such a relationship compromises the participants, it will be condemned, and those involved are punished. Duty above all, for the sake of all. No exceptions.

[dropintomanga]

The Evergreen Shonen Story

A short while ago, there were some online conversations about the popularity of shonen stories. Almost all of them are based around the experiences of youth and some adult fans wanted action-oriented stories based around their life experiences as adults. Reading stories centered on teens and kids as the main characters isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I’ll admit that. But sometimes, I think shonen stories are somewhat of a reflection on what adults have been telling kids for years and how some/most of their advice has failed youth.

Life begins in the womb. We come out to a world of many possibilities. As children, we’re immune to bias until adults decide to tell us about the many differences of various people out there. Some adults may not care and have trouble dealing with their own pain, They may resort to substances like drugs and alcohol to cope. Under the influence of drugs or alcohol, these adults may start to abuse children and/or neglect them entirely.

There’s a term that relates to the overwhelming negative experiences of children growing up. It’s called ACE - “adverse childhood experiences.” Examples of such experiences include physical/sexual abuse, parent separation, physical/emotional neglect, and living with an adult with substance addiction. I look at a bunch of shonen flashback stories and many of the traumatic ones revolve around physical and emotional neglect.

Why is this important to acknowledge? Because some adults do a bad job in raising their children or guiding kids to become responsible individuals. We’ve seen examples of bad parenting in anime and manga. There’s also the fact that adults have been full of dreams themselves when they were kids, but have been fed advice on how the “real world” works. They’ve been told that they can’t make their dreams come true and/or they need to behave a certain way to get by. It’s a vicious cycle. A colleague of mine told me that when she sees young people with vision and a desire to smash the status quo end up being a part of the status quo themselves, she wondered if that’s due to those individuals seeing how hard it is and how long it takes to generate the change they want to see.

One of my favorite shonen characters in recent memory is Satoro Gojo of Jujutsu Kaisen. He was a student of Jujutsu High and ends up becoming a teacher there. Gojo is considered to be a prodigy, but he remains humble. He’s also willing to speak up to authority as he has gotten into disputes with upper school management over the fates of cursed students (particularly Yuji Itadori and Yuta Okkutsu) whose potential have yet to be realized. Gojo has once said that he needs to remind himself not to be a bitter old adult as he ages.

A good number of shonen stories drive the point that adults shouldn’t be bitter old ones. Or maybe more importantly, don’t be dismissive about teen experiences. I listened to a podcast a while back about loneliness and how much it affects mental health. There was a discussion point about adults ignoring teens that feel lonely with regards to dating. Here’s a quote from that discussion.

“The number one way that we do this (being dismissive of loneliness) in America is every single 30-year-old up completely dismisses the loneliness that a teenager feels about not having a significant other. Because once we hit 30, we realize that your 16 year old significant other is nonsense. It’s just nonsense. You’re gonna be in love so much in your life. You’re gonna love everybody. You’re going to date a million people. It’s gonna be fine. You’re going to realize how insignificant this relationship is. 

The key word there is you’re gonna realize it. It’s a future thing for them. So when every 30, 40, 50, 60 year old looks at the 16, 17, 18 year old and says, oh, you just broke up with your boyfriend? Yeah, who cares? That’s a meaningless relationship. I don’t care. That exacerbates the loneliness. It exacerbates the disconnected feeling because it really, really, really, really matters to them.”

I honestly think adults being dismissive towards teens’ current experiences is one reason why shonen stories still resonate with many. We’ve all been through those times where adults just shut us down because ultimately, it doesn’t matter. Yes, there comes a point where we have to move forward. But a good amount of emotional pain stems from adolescence and it lingers. Most mental disorders begin to happen around those years. Unfortunately, most of us don’t know how to give back in ways that stop the cycle. I do think mangaka are trying their best to give back the way they know how. 

Yet I think the biggest reason for the enduring popularity of shonen stories is friendship. We all know the Shonen Jump tropes - friendship, hard work and victory. All three are important, but friends are what really keeps us alive. The harsh truths are that hard work doesn’t always get you where you want to go and victories do come at the cost of important relationships. Over the years, I noticed that in my neck of the woods, friendship is frowned upon. When you’re ranking important relationships in life, first is your mother, then maybe your father, then your romantic partner, followed by your children. Friends are last. There was a nice read I found that listed a good amount of studies on the importance of friends (especially for those who are LGBTQ+ and faced stigma from immediate family). 

We don’t live on an island, contrary to what neoliberalism says. Families aren’t enough. Friends are what keeps us alive and helps build our sense of identity. 

Maybe the fans who want more mature/adult-centered stories with shonen action just want to see more nuanced stories about friendships in adult settings. Friendships are so hard to make and maintain as adults. There’s some glimmers of hope for those kinds of stories - in video games. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a great example of an adult hero in a genre dominated by young protagonists, the Japanese RPG. The story is about a 42-year old ex-yakuza who gets exiled into a unfamiliar city and manages to make something of himself with the help of new friends he made there. It was refreshing because the whole cast were adults who were unemployed and/or stigmatized due to underworld ties. They managed to save Japan from a vicious political alliance with action elements that felt shonen at heart.

I’m all for more adult-centered mainstream shonen stories because seinen material can be a bit too blunt for some tastes, but there’s a lot of focus on the mindset of youth lately than in decades past since there’s concern on how they will manage in a world that continues to disappoint them.

I love shonen because I honestly don’t feel like I’m an adult due to my depression. My development felt stunted. I feel that I have more in common with 20+-year olds than people my age. I want to be around people who are youthful at heart. I wonder about those who still enjoy shonen past the target demographic - what still draws them to it? Is it due to them embracing their inner child more likely than most people? Or do they just like to follow simple action stories that have a lot of heart (something that some people don’t have)?

Looking at shonen’s enduring mainstream status does make me think about the the feedback loops between adults and teenagers. I’ll end this by talking about an incident that happened a couple years ago where a somewhat prominent Anitwitter figure (I am NOT going to mention their name here, but you may know who I’m referring to), who made a lot of friends with people in the anime/manga industry, was outed be a sexual predator who went after young naive anime fans at fan conventions. One of the reactions from someone that was once close with them was how can older anime fans better connect with younger anime fans when needed. I know from personal experience, I sigh on seeing the behavior of teens at conventions at times. But I learned that by saying things like “Kids are so dramatic,” “Boys will be boys,” “She’s being emotional.” gets harmful in a hurry where proper context is warranted. Maybe they are being so-and-so, but it doesn’t hurt to ask and give validation to their concerns. Teens are the lifeblood of anime conventions right now.

Shonen is a gateway introduction for youth on how to process pain in a way that helps themselves and other people with the help of said people. It’s an escape from the distress and trauma of reality. That reality, which has situations like the incident I mentioned, is controlled by adults who don’t always have it together, can’t admit their flaws, and sadly take it out on the world. That’s why shonen is still so powerful today despite all the criticism the genre gets. And that’s the evergreen truth.

[wordsnstuff]

20 Mistakes To Avoid in YA Fiction/Romance

* This is a re-upload due to the original being flagged a few months ago for having a gif of two teenagers...*GASP*... dancing. What, tumblr? What is “adult” about that? The post has been in appeal for 4 months, and I have a feeling it won’t leave, so I decided to finally repost it. 

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YA Fiction is an incredibly popular genre of literature, and most people have picked one up and devoured it in less than a day, but there is a trend in the genre where in certain instances, people forfeit quality for a cheesy dramatic plot. A lot of these stories are just regurgitated cliches with vaguely interesting characters and just enough drama, fluff, and mildly (or extremely) sexual content to keep the reader paying attention. (No shade to the authors, because obviously, any author who writes and publishes a book works hard, no matter the end product.)

There are a lot of aspects of YA Fiction that repeatedly rear their ugly heads and annoy readers or flat out scream dangerous messages to the young people that indulge in them. I thought I’d put the spotlight on a few in the hopes that it will help clean up the genre’s reputation as new and more awakened authors contribute content to it.

Below you will read about some common mistakes that YA Fiction/Romance writers make that either ruin the story, promote dangerous messages, or unrealistically portray teenagers.

Forgetting The Supporting Characters

The supporting characters are an important part of any story, even if the main plot revolves around two people. Supporting characters provide subplots, information to the reader, and more opportunities for your audience to connect and relate to your story. It’s always good to give your supporting characters love and attention when creating and writing them. Sometimes they end up carrying the story.

A mistake that a lot of authors make is that they give the reader a couple defining characteristics, a name, a relationship to the main character, and then just make that character pop into the reader’s view whenever the main plot needs them to. No backstory. No life of their own. Just support to the plot, and that’s a huge waste of potential. You don’t want your readers to put down your book and either forget the supporting characters existed at all, or believe that they were extra pieces of a puzzle.

Using Slang Badly

Writers should not feel the need to include current slang in order to make their story more relatable or popular amongst their targeted demographic. Slang is constantly changing, evolving, and most importantly, dying. Not to say that you should only write in traditional terms or put “thy” and “thee” everywhere, but using standard English and avoiding the trendy but temporary slang words is key.

If you must use slang, try to use the bare minimum and only in fitting circumstances. If your character is the type to say “OMG her dat boi memes are on fleek” then, by all means, go right ahead, but you probably cringed when you read that. That would have been totally normal 2 years ago, but every bit of that sentence has died over time, and no matter how much you think a slang word will stick, don’t risk it.

Sympathy and Envy Mongering

Two emotions that YA Fiction and Romance always try to invoke in their readers are sympathy and envy. The author either wants the reader to feel bad for one or many of the characters, or they want them to be jealous of the awesome (and usually unrealistic) lives the characters have. Don’t be one of these. It’s tired and boring and not original in the slightest.

Are sympathy and empathy both totally okay emotions?

Yes.

Are they all you need to write a good story?

Nope. Not at all.

The reader needs and wants to feel more than jealous of and sad for the characters in the story. The best stories are the ones that trigger a complex whirlwind of emotion. Sympathy and envy are the easy way out, and you get out of those emotions what you put into them.

Unrealistically Portraying Teenagers & Teenage Life

Teenagers look up to and compare themselves and their lives to the characters and lives of the characters in your story. Keeping in mind that your audience is young and impressionable is essential for authors of the genre.

Love At First Sight

Love-at-first-sight does not happen. Infatuation, maybe, but love is more complicated than that. Writing a plot based on “love at first sight” can leave a bad taste in your readers’ mouths from the start, and that is something you should avoid at all costs. On top of that, love-at-first-sight is a very easy-way-out move and if you’re dedicated to your characters and your story, there’s a good to fair chance that you can come up with a more satisfying build up.

Unrealistic Romantic Situations

If you’ve ever opened a YA Romance, chances are you’ve read a scene in which the protagonist and the love interest end up in a stunningly beautiful place and the love interest sweeps the protagonist off their feet prior to riding into the sunset. This, unfortunately, does not happen very often, especially in teenage relationships. The most romance you’re going to get (usually) is the love interest offering to pay for the protagonist’s bag of skittles with the leftover money from their paycheck they earned at McDonald’s.

Just because teenagers don’t really go to great lengths to rent an entire ice-skating rink in the middle of the night so they and their crush can skate to Ellie Goulding music doesn’t mean there can’t be cute and memorable moments. Great doesn’t always equal grand and that’s important to remember. A lot of the time, teenagers appreciate fantasizing about things that are actually possible.

Happy Endings

Not all stories have to end happily, and you’ve definitely been told this before, but nobody ever takes into account how stories about teenagers have so much potential when it comes to endings. Teenagers read books about teenagers and unfortunately, this means that a lot of them will take what you’re writing about and try to change their own lives to match. Be honest in your depiction about what actually happens when you leave high school.

The majority of the time, high school sweethearts won’t stay together. Long distance won’t work, they’ll find someone else, the spark will die out, their personalities will undergo drastic changes, and their goals and plans for the future will turn out differently than they expected. “And they lived happily ever after” is criticized harshly for a reason, especially in YA and YA Romance. Most stories don’t end happily, but there is more than one story in a person’s life and giving a person their happy ending as they graduate high school is a great injustice, to your character and your readers.

Avoiding The Dark Parts Of Teenage Life

Teenagers, despite what a lot of the media claims, go through some really serious and stressful and damaging things. Teenagers suffer from mental illness and deal with the intense pressure of the education system and hold their heads high in the face of stigma over every little detail about them. They suffer from eating disorders and body dysmorphia and self-harm tendencies, and that doesn’t even bring into account the bullying and family issues and the stress of constantly learning and feeling things for the very first time with little to no guidance or assurance or resources to ask for help. It is hard being a teenager. Do not forget that, and don’t leave the actual teenagers reading your story feeling underrepresented and/or abnormal because they aren’t as stress-free as the characters they look up to.

Exaggerating How Teenagers Interact With Each Other

A lot of teenage interactions are short, awkward, and uneventful. Teenagers aren’t super eloquent and socially apt, but YA Fiction seems to believe they are. It’s quite rare that a teenager will just walk up to someone they like, say “wanna go to dinner on Saturday?” and all will be fine and dandy. It’s quite rare that a teenager will saunter up to someone who talked about them behind their back, say something super clever and damaging to their enemy’s ego, and saunter off like the king/queen of the world. Those interactions look great in our heads, but they usually contain a few stuttered words and “um”s and blushing. Confidence is usually a trait that people develop later in life, so try not to push it if you’re trying to be realistic.

Maturity of Teenagers

Teenagers are underdeveloped human beings with minimal experience in most areas of life. They do not have it all figured out. A lot of YA books revolve around characters that are extremely intelligent, disciplined and ambitious at a level of maturity a 25-year-old be on. This is not accurate. Making characters “awkward” or “childish” does not have anything to do with how mature they seem to readers. There is a distinct difference between an awkward girl with childlike innocence and a girl who makes mistakes, does not have her life figured out, and is not yet comfortable with casual social interaction. The latter things I mentioned are pretty universal when it comes to teenagers.

Unfitting Aspirations

There are more than two paths in life. It seems that in YA you’re either going to graduate, get married, pop out a couple kids and live the rest of your life in the suburbs, or you’re going to leave home, go to college, travel for 20 years and settle in some random country in Europe writing poetry until the end of your days. There is no in between, which sucks. There are a lot of interesting things you can do in life, not to say that either of the two life paths I mentioned are uninteresting. You could take a gap year and travel the world, go to college, move back home for a couple years then maybe get a job that has you traveling and exploring new things for the rest of your life. You could meet the love of your life in college and have some kids but put them in online school so you could travel with them. You could live your whole life in an awesome cabin in the forest casting spells and adopting wild squirrels. There are so many ways life can be and restricting it to opposite extremes takes the imagination out of the future.

Not All Teenagers Think Their Relationships Will Last Forever

This one is pretty self explanatory, so long story short, not every relationship a teenager enters into is with the end goal of staying together forever, or even more than a few months. Most teenage relationships are pretty short and not very meaningful, and portraying every single couple in your stories as “we’ve been going strong for 2 years and plan on getting married right after graduation” is inaccurate and will probably cause your readers some disappointment in the future.

Relationships Aren’t A Teenager’s Only Concern

Most teenagers are more concerned about the F they got on a History test than they are about who they’re going to stare at next period. Everyone has more than just their crush to worry about. Some teenagers have to worry about where they’re going to get their next meal or how they’re going to get a ride home from school or even how they can apologize to a friend they’ve hurt. It’s not all about relationships for teenagers, in fact, relationships are a pretty small part of teenage life. If all your character has to think about is the hottie they sit next to in Biology, perhaps you should work a little more on character development.

Unnatural Appearances

Most teenagers are not model-level attractive. All teenagers have break-outs and leave the house late with greasy hair or with their shirt on inside out. No teenager shows up at school every day looking absolutely flawless, as if they’re about to walk down the runway. Please keep that in mind, because portraying teenagers accurately, especially when it comes to physical aspects such as weight, acne, etc. is super important. In YA and YA Romance, you must keep in mind that the teenagers you are trying to appeal to should not feel like a piece of trash because they aren’t as perfect as your characters. Yes, YA Fiction is Fiction, but just because you know that it’s unrealistic doesn’t mean your readers do. Readers of YA Fiction compare themselves to the characters in your books whether you like it or not. It is not hard to realistically portray physical appearances of teenagers.

Avoiding Dangerous Messages

A common problem found in YA Fiction is the lacing of dangerous messages found in the smaller details. You may miss them the first couple times you read a story, but if you go looking for them, you will find them, and perhaps you will find the source of a lot of mistakes you’ve made. YA has a bad habit of endorsing mindsets that lead to bad decisions. Some of them, however, can be avoided in your own writing.

The Need To Change The “Flawed” One

Nobody in this world is perfect. Expecting the person you supposedly love to be flawless all the time is not realistic. People make mistakes. People are not always happy and bubbly and confident about themselves. People do not always act the same one day as they did the day before. Human beings are flawed and should be portrayed as such, especially in the stage of their life which is the most confusing and scary. Teenagers are underdeveloped human beings, and for some reason, teenager girls in YA Romance expect teenage boys to be charming and loving and never ever make a mistake, which is ridiculous. Creating love interests that appear flawless and can make no mistakes is detrimental to your audience. It raises your readers’ expectations to an unattainable level which causes them disappointment and might cause their future partners unrepairable damage to their self-esteem because they’ll think that in order to find a partner, they cannot be flawed and cannot make mistakes.

Glorification Of Illegal Activity

It’s not “cool” or “edgy” to pump yourself full of deadly and mind-altering substances you know absolutely nothing about. It doesn’t make you “badass” and it isn’t a personality trait unless that trait is stupid. Whatever your position is on drugs or alcohol or whatever, there is no excuse for putting the idea in the heads of young readers that doing things that are illegal and addictive and that might even get you killed is ok. Not only because most of your readers are younger than 21, but because it will always be dangerous to take drugs, commit crimes, and drink. Your choices are your choices. Don’t impose your habits and excuses on kids who don’t know any better.

Slut Shaming

News flash: it’s 2017, people. Nobody cares who you’re kissing or dating or having sex with. People are finally getting used to the idea that maybe, just maybe, it’s not the end of the world if you do whatever you want, as long as you’re not hurting yourself or anyone else. This recurring theme of “I hate this person because they do what they want with their body” is getting old and annoying. Believe what you will regarding religion and morals and what is right or wrong or whatever you want to believe in, but the second you start turning your story into a commentary on the decisions and beliefs of other people, you’re in the wrong. There are other, more creative reasons to make your characters hate each other than their sexual activity.

Forgetting The First Times

One of the most exciting parts of being a teenager is that everything you’re experiencing, you’re experiencing for the first time. Everything is confusing and exciting and 10x more painful or memorable or enjoyable, and that’s neglected all the time in YA. I don’t mean the common trope of the first kiss or the losing of virginity. I mean love and infatuation and loss and heartbreak; it’s all happening to them for the first time in their lives, and these events make up their memories that they will carry with them forever. Teenage years are incredibly heavy times for people. It is, after all, the years in which they learn the most and the fastest and where the majority of their brain development takes place. These moments that you’re writing, the first kiss, the first time having sex, the first time your character loses someone they love, they’re all going to determine how your character will develop in the future. Treat them that way. Teach young readers that it’s normal and perfectly okay to be scared and inexperienced and lost. That’s the bitter-sweet part of youth and it’s beautiful.

Bad Boys And Boring Girls

Bad Boys are, in reality, bad news. The real “bad boys” in this world are slimy, manipulative jerks who trick girls (usually more than one at a time) into thinking they have feelings for them, using them for things like sex or money, and then either end up controlling their entire lives, introducing drugs and problems, or breaking their hearts. It’s sad, but it’s reality. Yes, there’s always a cause for this behavior, and sometimes these bad boys grow out of it, but that’s not always the case. Portraying these bad boys as “changeable” is not only dangerous for the female readers but also the men in their future. If you make girls think that they can change whomever they’re with to be the perfect prince charming, they will never be satisfied with someone who is flawed (spoiler alert: everyone is flawed) and they may destroy the self-esteem of whoever they’re with by making them think they need to change to be lovable.

Boring Girls are, sort of, connected to bad boys in this sense. They show up in every story, which makes sense financially because authors who make more relatable main characters sell more books. It’s just demographics. But at the same time, this stretch for a wider audience can end up influencing girls’ expectations of themselves and their love lives. If you make every protagonist completely boring, compliant, and devoid of strong, defining traits, girls will take that as advice. They will learn that all a girl has to do to make people fall in love with them is sit quietly and be pretty, which is horrible, in case you hadn’t noticed. Teach girls to look up to strong characters with rich personalities. Nowadays, that counts as an original idea.

Generalization

Portraying every aspect of teenage life and teenagers themselves as if you opened a book full of cliches, closed your eyes and pointed at something is not ok. High schools and families and personalities are different wherever you go, and making blind generalizations about aspects of teenage life can not only change how your reader interprets their own lives, but how adult readers assume teenage life is when they’re not around. It is important to not reinforce the assumption that there is always a popular clique and mean jocks and awkward nerds and dead-beat stoners because these stereotypes are a way for people to justify their snap-judgements, and not only does that say a lot about you as an author, but that will breed a whole new generation of judgmental, close-minded people.

Glorification Of Unhealthy Relationship Behaviors

I’m gonna say this once: It is not “hot” to have the love interest constantly putting restrictions on their supposed loved one. It’s not okay to borderline stalk someone and use “I love you” as an excuse, even if the person reciprocates your feelings. It is unhealthy to ignore someone when they say “no, no, not now” or “no, stop, not here” when you’re in the middle of initiating sex or even just kissing. It is disgusting when romance, especially YA Romance, which has mostly young, impressionable readers taking in your messages, promotes these behaviors like they’re something to strive for. Like it or not, your writing is going to alter the way they imagine a “perfect” relationship. If you aren’t willing to take that responsibility seriously, you should not be writing YA, and especially not YA Romance.

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[socialyawkdude]

A intro to manga, anime and light novels

Hello again, long and first time readers..

Its time for the long-awaited manga review section. Now before we get into the nitty gritty there a few things we need to cover first. Seeing that I will be coving light novels, mangas, and anime there are a few terms that we need to go over. Most of these terms will be covering the different genres and subgenres. Seeing that not everyone is literate in this word, it may be a good idea to cover this before we get into the good stuff.

What I'm about to go over are the genres of light novels, manga, and anime. Like many television shows and movies; manga and anime are broken up into different genres. Many of these are pretty self-explanatory, while others are more unique, as you are about to find out. I have included a few examples with of the sub-genres. I'm no expert, as I’m learning along with a few of you. Some of the examples I've given are some that I've read or heard of.

 List of Major Anime/Manga Genres

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Drama

Slice of Life

Fantasy

Magic

Supernatural

Horror

Mystery

Psychological

Romance

Sci-Fi

 Looking at this list you can see many familiar genres of movies and TV, that you may watch. I won't go into a detailed description of these, because everyone should know these. Now for the sub-genres, it's a bit of a different story. Many of these are unique to anime and manga. It is these that I will give a little description along with a popular anime or manga.

 List of Anime Subgenres

Cyberpunk= This type of anime is a subgenre of sci-fi. It usually displays a future where society has become more ingrained with technology at the expense of social order. The setting is typically a dystopian future where the technology may be doing more harm than good. 

Game= The game category encompasses shows revolving around the idea of gaming and playing. The anime can feature a card game, board game, puzzle game, or even a virtual online game. As long as it concerns any playable game of any kind, it belongs in this category. Sometimes, even video game-based shows can count in this selection.

Ecchi= The word ecchi comes from the sound of H in the word hentai, which in turn means pervert in Japanese. This sub-genre is generally accepted as being full of sexually provocative scenes (mild enough to be viewed by the general audience) and scenarios derived from innuendos and humorous situations. It’s a fact that ecchi shows are taking an upswing nowadays as more and more titles are produced every season. More often than not, ecchi is paired up with comedy as both genres compliment each other well. This, in turn, serves as a buffer that prevents the shows from crossing the line and delving into something less appropriate for general audiences. 

Demons= Originally just an infrequent theme, the rise of demonic characters and themes have given rise to this sub-genre. The term demon does not only encompass literal demon characters. It also extends to other entities such as monsters, beasts, ghosts, and other demon-type figures. The demons present can come from biblical backgrounds or come from Japanese culture. Believe it or not, this category doesn’t just come hand-in-hand with the horror genre; it surprisingly blends well with other genres as well. 

Harem= If you see a reluctant male character surrounded by multiple female characters who all adore him, then you’re probably watching an anime of the harem sub-genre. This type of show typically features more than two female characters go head-over-heels for a single male character. Anime in this category is typically within the comedy and romance genre. It's possible that a harem anime can have no romance and feature mostly slapstick comedy.

Josei= Josei is actually a demographic but is also considered a general category in anime. It specifically targets female viewers around the age range of 18-40. These shows depict life and romance in a more mature light, usually with more grounded realism and less idealistic fantasies. The sub-genre is fairly wide and doesn't necessarily have to focus on romance. It merely needs a narrative that caters to the mature woman. Josei originated from manga during the 80′s. Girls who grew up reading shoujo stories from previous decades wanted stories for adults.

Martial Arts= Martial arts play a big role in every anime that has fighting/battles in it. Whether it's hand-to-hand combat, swordplay, gun fighting, or armed combat, there’s some kind of martial art element that plays through them. But did you know that there are shows that are primarily focused on martial arts itself and their battle techniques? There’s a lot of them, and they mainly involve hand-to-hand combat and technician battles.  

Kids= A lot of people say that anime is just for kids, but that’s not really true. As a matter of fact, there are only a few numbers of anime that are precisely catered towards children. These shows are contained within the kids' sub-genre. These shows are mild, light, and insightful, which makes them perfect for children 12 and under. 

Historical= As the name suggests, historical anime revolves around events in history and moments of antiquity. Shows of this sub-genre are typically set in Ancient Japan and the feudal period. Other settings such as the Middle Ages and medieval period of Europe exist but they’re much more rare in anime. As long as the time or setting (or even elements) are old and ancient, then the series can be considered a historical anime. 

Hentai= Hentai literally translates to "pervert" in Japanese. This is the R-18 (mature) domain of the anime world. This sub-genre commonly depicts nudity and highly explicit content. Unlike ecchi, the focus here is on explicit sexual content rather than on storytelling and narrative progression. That is why the shows in this category are usually brief and lacking in substance.

Isekai= Isekai translates to "another world." This sub-genre typically has a     narrative where a protagonist somehow gets transported to a different     world. The new world is more often than not in a fantasy setting,     occasionally with traits pulled from JRPG games.

This category of anime exploded during the 2010′s and arguably dominated the decade. A good portion of isekai anime is adapted not from the manga but rather from light novels. The most popular series in this sub-genre maybe Sword Art Online. While the world featured there was just virtual reality, it did feature a fantasy setting that would be mimicked in other anime. 

 Military= As the name implies, this sub-genre involves the military in one way or another. War may also be a huge part of military anime. One thing to note about this category is that it is often coupled with the mecha and action genre.

Mecha= Mecha stands for mechanical (as in mechanical units or robots). You’ll never see a mecha anime without a robot or mechanical suit in it. That’s the most important element of it. And while this sub-genre is rising in fame as the days go by, it almost always uses a standard formula to carry the plot. As a general trend, mecha is often seen alongside the military, sci-fi, and action genre.

This may very well be the most iconic anime sub-genre as there is a multitude of memorable shows in this category. The mecha can be considered to be one of Japan's most popular exports. Some of the earlier iconic titles from the late 70s and 80′s include Mobile Suit Gundam, Mazinger Z, and Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered to be an iconic and dark deconstruction of the genre as it examined the psyche of young pilots. GurrenLagann was a massive hit that brought the genre back to its hot-blooded and idealistic roots. With a rabid fan-base that loves mecha designs, this genre is one that has been consistently popular over the years. 

Music= Anime shows in the music sub-genre aren’t that popular nowadays, but they do exist and they are very timely. These shows typically focus on singing, dancing, or playing musical instruments. These usually fit within the larger categories of comedy and drama.

Parody= A parody anime is one where countless numbers of other anime references are showcased throughout the plot. It might be a popular running gag, a famous symbol, a character reference, or any other attempt at bringing another show into its domain. One anime worthy to note is Gintama. They often use similar elements from other anime to showcase in their own show.

Police= The police sub-genre emphasizes the life and struggles of law enforcement in their line of duty. Police-based characters have shown up in numerous shows and     there are now anime that could be considered as police procedural. This genre isn't exclusive to police officers; detectives, investigators, and enforcers of any type are included as well. 

Post-Apocalyptic= Post-apocalyptic anime basically show that is set in a world that is in a dystopian state. This could mean the world is destroyed and/or humans are nearly extinct. Post-apocalyptic settings were merely a theme in the past, but an influx of titles bearing this backdrop over the years have made it become a sub-genre on its own. This type of anime has become more and more popular by the day. 

Reverse Harem= A reverse harem anime is typically a harem series where the gender roles are switched around. There is one female character surrounded by multiple male characters who are all potential love interests. Like the traditional harem genre, anime of this variety is usually within the comedy and romance genre.

School= There are countless anime that use the school as a setting. An anime can be considered a part of the school sub-genre if a school is the primary setting and the anime deals mostly with school and student life. This type of anime is usually seen within the comedy genre, though there are some entries in drama as well. 

Seinen= Seinen is actually a demographic but is also considered to be a category in anime. It’s a sub-genre that specifically targets male viewers around the age range of 18-40. The shows here are depicted in a more mature light and often include more explicit content such as gore, sex, and violence. More cerebral narratives are present as well.

Shoujo= Shoujo refers to the demographic of young girls. This sub-genre specifically targets female viewers around the age range of 10-18. Most of the time, shoujo anime works hand-in-hand with the romance and comedy genre, particularly with the former. The protagonist is traditionally female and the narrative focuses on romance as well as personal growth. The world in these shows is often very idealized.

Shoujo-ai= Shoujo-ai literally translates to "girls love." The typically young female characters in shojou-ai anime show love and affection for each other. The romance is usually milder in comparison to the more explicit yuri genre. Shows in this category portray blooming feelings of love and romance rather than intimate relationships. 

Shounen= Shounen refers to the demographic that this type of anime targets, which is male viewers around the age range of 10-18. These shows are usually a combination of action and adventure and are typically adapted from serial manga series. As such, these anime tend to have lengthy runs. One Piece currently has over 800 episodes and is still running. These shows are typically the most popular with mainstream audiences. They have done very well when exported to foreign markets thanks to their relatively simple plots and focus on action.

Shounen-ai= Shounen-ai literally translates to "boys love." The male characters (typically younger boys) in these shows display tender affection for each other. The romance in shounen-ai is generally milder when compared to the more explicit yaoi genre. There is usually more focus on developing romance than actual relationships.

Space= The setting of space has always been massively popular. With so much anime taking place there, it has become a sub-genre in itself. Any anime set in the cosmos can be labeled in this category. Space anime is often within the larger mecha and sci-fi genre. 

Sports= Pretty much self-explanatory, sports anime are shows that cover characters engaging in athletic competition. Popular choices in this category include basketball, tennis, baseball, and soccer. Other sports exist as well (including those that you wouldn’t expect showing up in anime). As time goes on, more and more of these series are produced. Just like real sports, shows in this sub-genre are action-packed!

Super Power= You know you're watching a superpower anime if you're seeing an array of explosive superpowers scrambling right on the screen. If you see bursts of energy balls, death-defying attacks, and opposing forces battling it out throughout the story, then that means you're probably witnessing a show in this sub-genre. These shows generally fit in the action category.

Tragedy= As the name implies, the tragedy sub-genre revolves around tragic events or phenomenon where the characters are deeply involved and affected. Tragedy comes in diverse varieties such as disasters, accidents, misfortunes, and deaths. These shows are often very dramatic and can pull the heartstrings of audiences.

Vampire= As vampires have become so popular throughout the world, it’s no shock that they’ve also infested the world of anime. There are lots of titles now featuring vampires and they’re not just exclusive to the horror category. They’ve also manifested themselves into other categories such as comedy, romance, and drama.

Yuri= Yuri is essentially the more mature and explicit version of shojou-ai. The female characters are typically older and the series examines their more mature relationships.

Yaoi= Yaoi is the much more sexually explicit counterpart of shounen-ai. This sub-genre covers male-to-male relationships (typically older boys) in a more mature light. There is more emphasis on serious relationships and intimacy.

 Well, there you go… a not so short overview of the genre and sub-genres of anime, manga, and light novels. Hopefully, this will help newcomers to this wonderful of books and tv. It is now time to reveal the first series in the socallyawkdude’s manga review….. Tales of Wedding Rings by Maybe.  The volume 1 review should be up soon, as i’m finishing up the art work for the post.

Till then this is your friendly neighborhood sociallyawkdude signing off.

[flying-elliska]

that said, of course calling David an abuser etc. is wrong. I agree with that, but saying that he didn't do anything wrong is, well, wrong. he's an adult, she is a child who had her almost entire fandom turn on her when she was worried about the actors. she later had her favourite actors call her disgusting and a piece of shit for said worry. also, everything they said was being said by the actors in those videos. it was not her/their fault that those videon weren't the entire story 2/idk

furthermore, I wanna reiterate that I mean no disrespect. but we are allowed to criticise the shows we watch. skam and the skam france fandoms do that more than any other fandoms out there due to the nature of the show. we’ve been doing it since 2016. we’re allowed to criticise shows who make ableist actions (basing this on what my followers who are how or deaf on twt have said). by doing that, that criticism often falls on the creators, because who else? 3/idk

anyway, I really hope u believe me when I say no hate hahhaha. your post just didn’t entirely sit well with me as a bipolar person who’s had to distance myself from skam france due to their handling of that storyline, and in fear of what they will do in the future. and as someone who saw a 14 year old girl get death threats. did u also know an account with 27k followers a circulating a “block list” of accounts to block on twt because they criticised a show? yeah, it feels 4/idk

like the skam fandom is turning into a cult and it’s very harmful and toxic for a lot of people’s mental health. adults (because 90% of the accounts I saw bullying them were women 25+) bullying children over a tv show that is specifically targeted towards teens is scary to see. not saying u can’t enjoy skam if you’re an adult, but they should realise that that’s not the target demographic. as a last thing, yeah, a creator can’t confront all criticism 5/idk

a creator must realise that if he or she is making a show targeted to teens handling high school plot lines, the first priority should be to make sure that part of your supporter base or followers are safe within your fandom. david could have adressed the bullying without addressing the criticism. that’s where I believe he was wrong. anyway, I really hope I didn’t come off as rude!! and I hope u read this all the way through hahaha. have a nice evening!! 6/idk(6)

Hey anon ! Don’t worry, you don’t come off as rude ! I’m not exactly sure of what your point is, though. Most of David’s posts lately were about discouraging the bullying, from what I’ve seen. From how I understood his posts, that was the main reason he spoke up. And I think he had a right to say that there is a tendency to overreact on social media, which we should all be more aware and mindful of.

Some fans’s behavior is really fucked up, especially when they are older, they should know better, I think we can agree on that. There is zero excuse for sending death threats or any sorts of threats. Also that this fandom should be better at both producing and tolerating constructive, nuanced criticism. I saw a lot of Deaf people say they really, really liked the representation this season, and that it was disappointing how people swept it under the rug because of the love drama. Maybe some other Deaf people disagree. There should be a space for a healthy discussion of that and for people to listen more. I’ve been pretty damn critical this whole season so I really believe it when I say criticism should have a space. But there is a difference between criticizing a fictional show and attacking people.

Everyone involved in setting up the rumors surrounding drama should have checked their facts before spreading them, because those accusations are extremely severe, truncated interviews or not (that said the person who edited the interview like that really should have known better). This is not like criticising a plotline, it’s about real people. Also being worried about someone doesn’t give you a pass to insult their friends on their behalf. A friend sent me this info when it first broke out and I waited to know more because it sounded super iffy and heavy and I believe that’s an attitude more people should cultivate instead of jumping into the fray and reacting right away. No matter their age - if they are too young to be held accountable, they’re too young to be on the Internet unsupervised - but nobody deserved a wave of hate either. In general there should be a lot more compassion in a fandom that prides itself on valuing love and understanding.

The thing is, in the end, I don’t believe David is responsible for what the fandom does. The fandom is an autonomous phenomenon separate from the show. His job and that of his team is to create a TV show. He’s not there to be the community manager, fandom police, or babysitter and constantly manage everyone’s expectations and emotions. I don’t think it’s possible for him to know everything that is going on in the fandom and it would be disturbing if he did. Jumping in to correct the fandom’s problems would feel very invasive. It’s not his place - it wouldn’t be doable anyway. He can’t be seen picking sides or telling off people, it would only create further drama and hate. This is another version of the security/privacy/freedom dilemma, and you can’t solve everything by just putting a big guy in the room that tells everyone else what to do. This is something that the fandom is going to have to solve on its own, if it ever does.

In the end could he have handled certain things better ? Sure, but there is honestly no easy way to adress these sorts of dynamics, it’s hella complicated, social media draws the worst out of everyone, and personally I really think the team is trying their best to juggle all the fandom’s contradictory expectations. Seriously the things I’ve seen go around on twitter are just really, really awful and I have no clue how I would personally react if it was adressed to me - maybe a lot less gracefully than they have done. Maybe they should set some clearer boundaries and should have spoken up earlier about the bullying but… idk. If you have any other specific ideas of what should be done…I’m all ears.

Of course like…I personally tend to keep to my own little corner of the fandom, on tumblr and with my friends in chats, and I blocked a loooooooot of people, so I don’t see everything that is going on and my view is limited. But it would be nice if we were a little less focused on slinging blame around.

[the-bjd-community-confess]

I don’t really get it when people have to make a “But what about” counter confession.

If someone does a confession/complaint about people making offensive/tasteless/stereotypical character portrayal of a group, through dolls, that doesn’t suddenly make it all perfectly fine, just because someone from that demographic created it.

People are often well aware that not every tasteless, or even harmful portrayal has been created by someone who is not part of the demographic, people are aware that even a gay guy can create a problematic portrayal of a gay character. Just like how someone from outside that demographic can create a good portrayal of a character from a different demographic. Eg: A straight male can create a good gay male character. This, in case people are seriously wondering, is because characters aren’t just one specific label. A gay character isn’t (or shouldn’t be) just “The gay character, who’s gay.” if the character is well written, then it’s more like “This is a character, with his own personality, and story, who’s also gay.” Not to mention that research exists.

Of course there’s also people being utterly ridiculous, where people will throw a fit because: “You created a 30 yo lesbian character, but you’re not a 30 yo lesbian? How dare you, that’s UNACCEPTABLE!” Who need to calm down. No matter if they’re not-part, or actually part of that demographic. Humans aren’t a hivemind, so obviously characters can vary widely, there’s no way in Hell or Heaven, that there’s only “One true character of demographic X”. So

But if a bunch of people tell you, separately, in their own words say: “Hey, I find this portrayal of demographic X to be stereotypical in a very harmful way, I don’t like that.”

Is it really needed to come out, white knight, and go “But some people from "demographic” create these characters!“

People know, especially people who deal with this stuff. It’s also a bad argument, it’s not gonna make the portrayal better in anyone’s view, insiders or outsiders, just because of who the creator is. It also gives a vibe of "I don’t care about the other people IN the demographic, who originally said they dislike the portrayal of their demographic in those ways.”

People can be annoyed, and maybe even disgusted by portrayals of sexuality/race/ethnicity by people, without needing to be reminded that people from that demographic create these characters.

The concepts of: live and let live, and being able to critique these portrayals, are not mutually exclusive. Someone can accept that these creations exist, and leave people alone about it, while also being able, and allowed to complain, critique, and even rant about these creations in their own space, or, as in this case, on public confession blogs. It’s obviously totally unacceptable when it gets personal, or to actually harassing specific people.

Yes, someone from that group can create these characters. Maybe some people are gonna be rude about it, and get personal, but that’s not all the people who’re against these portrayals.

And it’s not like this is gonna stop people from creating these characters, portrayals of the LGBTA, different ethnic groups, and races have always existed, both by people from these groups, and outsiders, and they’ll definitely continue to exist, because there are often people who’ll like, or find these characters interesting, or easier to “connect to”, for personal reasons.

Main reason I’m saying this, is because it feels like people are, in a way, belittling genuine concerns, and discomfort of people, by saying “But think about the other people!” as if the person’s criticism isn’t valid, or their feelings should be considered offensive because SOMEONE who likes these portrayals, or does the, could read them.

It also sounds like trying to push away people’s concerns, or the feelings of people, and pitting them against each other, instead of just accepting that there are people who are annoyed by these things.

Create what you want to, but don’t be surprised when people call out the perpetuating of harmful stereotypes. Like the “trans men aren’t real men”, they’re just “men-lite soft uwu baby boys.” Or “trans women are just men in drag, with super male bodies.” Homosexuals, both f and m, “One is the man, and one’s the female in the relationship” or “Lesbians really just wanna be men, Gays just wanna be women.” All bi’s being unfaithful, and abusive. Etc. I doubt I have to go on when it comes to races, ethnicities, etc.

To cut it down:

People ranting about stereotypical/fetishitic/objectifying/offensive portrayals of their demographic through dolls, don’t need to be told that people from their demographic also create these characters. They/We know.

These characters will still be created, but maybe it’s also important to understand that people of these demographics are gonna speak out, and distance themselves from these portrayals, because they can be genuinely harmful. Especially when people who’re anti-demographic, use it as fuel to push their anti-demographic agenda.

Also, just something I do, a cheap “trick” to this is honestly the “Nothing but the character” approach, Subjective-objective. View a few characters, without knowing the creator, and decide if the characters “acceptable” or “unacceptable” in your own personal view, and knowledge of what the character is supposed to represent. Because knowing who/what the creator is, can often skew your opinion in one way or the other. So you make your subjective opinion, if a character is actually a good, and thoughtful representation, or not. (The objective, in subjective-objective means that you get just the character, the object, without the author tagged onto it.) You’d be surprised about some results you can find when doing this with other people.

Sorry if I started rambling, but it seriously feels like I’ve seen these types of defenses a lot in the BJD community, and people acting as if people can’t have their own opinions, or views on things, or if they do, they get cancelled or called out. And if you show your genuine opinion, or find something uncomfortable, people are gonna find some way to try and make it sound like you’re the bad person, and in the wrong, for not liking something. Even if you didn’t attack anyone personally, just stated your opinion on something that happens in the community.

Also, I’m NOT a native english speaker. So some stuff might sound weird, or sound repetitive, weirdly jumbled, or lacking in proper structure. “But your English isn’t that bad!” That really doesn’t have much to do with how good I am at really explaining, or getting my point across. So if something sounds weird, that’s the reason. Because through my the lens of my languages-grammar it all seems fine.

~Anonymous

[bilbos]

To Capture A Heart || Tyson Jost

word count: 9.3k

requested: yes || no

author’s note: this was written as part of Hockey Trumps Hate by @hockeynetwork for @galchenyum <3

ao3 link

~ ~ ~

Magic isn’t the reason people return to Morning Glory, but it sure helps. Working at a popular café right after graduating university isn’t exactly what you expected. But when Jenna, the owner of the café, offered you to be the head baker for her, you couldn’t refuse. Knowing that you would be doing something that you love will make up for not using your degree.

Your parents were a bit hesitant when you said that you would be using your magic at work, but they eventually backed off when they saw how important it was to you. Besides, you never put anything harmful into the baked goods, just a bit of happiness and feelings of home. All you want to do is make people feel good before heading off to work or school. 

Six months later, and Morning Glory is doing better than you ever expected. Not like it was a terrible place before, but the energy here is different now. More people become regulars and they stay for longer when it’s not a rush. Jenna attributes it a lot to you, but you don’t really want to take any credit, not when she’s put so much of her life on the line for it.

Right after the morning rush one day, Maddy, one of the college students working part time here, pulls you off to the side. She looks a bit starstruck and you’re wondering what you missed. It’s rare for anyone famous to come here, so you’re curious has to how that would have gone completely over your head.

“Did you see who came in today?” she asks, in a hushed whisper.

“No?” you reply, confused.

“Tyson, Nathan, and J.T. from the Colorado Avalanche came in and ordered coffee today!” she said, excitedly.

“Oh, that’s…nice,” you comment. “I honestly know nothing about them. You know I don’t keep up with sports.”

Maddy just gives you a look. “Well, if they happen to become regulars, you should get to know them. Maybe you can start making something a bit healthier. They are pretty cute and around our age.”

“They’re breakfast pastries, Maddy. They aren’t supposed to be healthy,” you say. “Besides, I don’t know if there’s any regulations on them eating stuff with magic in it or not.”

“I mean, it’s just supposed to make them feel better right? No harm in that.”

“Okay, but I doubt whoever is in charge of illegal substances would agree with that. Anyway, they’re not regulars yet. Try and change my mind when that happens, okay?”

“God, why are you so practical? You’re only a year older than I am.”

“Consistently waking up at three in the morning takes a toll on any fun I want to have,” you say solemnly.

Maddy just makes a face and walks back to the cash register. You really enjoy having people your age, making it easier to create more solid friendships. Most of the people with whom you went to university had gone off somewhere else to start a new job. Considering your early shift, it usually means that you’re exhausted once most people are done with their workdays and you don’t have the energy to do much.  

A couple more days have passed before Maddy is freaking out again about the hockey players. She seems convinced that they’ll become regulars and insists that you come up with some type of breakfast protein bar.

“That’s going to take me ages to come up with one that other people will buy,” you groan.

“But you’re a food witch, y/n,” Maddy replies. “Doesn’t that make things easier?”

“God, I wish it did. But no, every witch has their own specialty and improvising with recipes is not mine. I just make people feel better.”

“That’s…not as exciting.”

“I don’t get this idea where every witch’s magic has to be exciting,” you sigh. “Actually, don’t answer that. I know where it comes from. But most magic is pretty mundane.”

Maddy snorts. “I know I said it wasn’t as exciting, but I wouldn’t call it mundane. I mean, it’s helping keep the café pretty popular.”

You shrug. “I mean, I disagree, but if it’s letting me keep this job, then I’m not complaining. But I’ll try to figure out some breakfast bars if they come in one more time in the next week. Third times a charm, as they say.”

Maddy laughs, as she walks back to the register as a group of college students come in.  

~ ~ ~

When Tyson and J.T. come in only four days later, Maddy just looks at you smugly. You sigh, knowing that you’ll be staying up later than you need to try to find a good recipe. There’s plenty of recipes that look good, but it’s hard figuring out which ones will be the easiest to make in large batches with your magic.  

Maddy and Jenna become your unofficial taste testers. Considering that you see them every day, it’s easier for you to note the impact of your magic on them. Some days, you barely notice a difference in their demeanor and other days…it’s a bit scary how upbeat and cheery they are.  

Two weeks later is when you perfect your recipe. You end up with a no-bake almond fudge protein bar. It’s healthy enough to actually be considered a protein bar, but nothing too off-putting where non-athletes wouldn’t eat it. Your magic settled into it nicely as well, considering the sweeter aspects of the recipe were there. Once you have the bars sitting out in the display case, Maddy seems all too happy about it.

“I think they’ll love it,” Maddy comments.

“You know, it doesn’t matter how much they love it,” you reply. “If our regular customers don’t buy it, I’m not going to keep making it just for them. There’s other things I could be working on and infusing with my magic.”

Maddy frowns a little bit. “That’s no fun, though.”

“Yes, but it’s an unfortunate downfall of deciding to be a baker. No point in making something that doesn’t sell. That’s money going to waste.”

“Ugh,” Maddy groans.  

“I still don’t see why you think a protein bar is going to change anything. I get making stuff to tailor to our customers, but I honestly don’t see how that’s going to make them like us any different.”

Maddy just shrugs. “I mean, it doesn’t hurt to try. You never know.”

“I think you’re just reading too many romance novels.”

“It’s fanfic, get it right,” Maddy jokes.

You just roll your eyes and go back into the kitchen to make some more muffins. It’s not like you don’t like the challenge of making something new, you just don’t know if it’s worth it to make something for a small target demographic. At least not athletes, anyways. They only come in twice a week on a good week, so you don’t see how they’ll ever remember the café, much less the people behind the register. It’s just a part of running a business.

Right before Maddy leaves at the end of her shift, she comes over to you, smiling smugly. You just sigh and motioned for her to start talking.

“They really liked the protein bars,” Maddy replies. “Said it was the best tasting thing that they’ve ever had.”

“You know, that doesn’t surprise me. A lot of protein bars are disgusting and they’re a couple of young guys. I doubt it’s crossed their mind to try making their own yet.”

“You’re no fun,” Maddy pouts. “Just let me have a little bit of fun with this.”

“Fine, I won’t make any smug remarks next time,” you reply. “Now, don’t you have to get to class?”

Maddy just rolls her eyes, smiling a little bit, as she leaves the kitchen. As happy as you are that they liked it, it really isn’t hard to make something that tastes better than the stuff you can buy in stores. Besides, you only really care if they actually sell, considering you only made them for a couple of customers.

~ ~ ~

A few days later, you’re working the cash register for a bit while Maddy takes her break right after the morning rush. Four guys come walking in, and Maddy has shoved their faces in your face enough to recognize them as hockey players. Unfortunately, Maddy hasn’t shown you them enough to actually remember their names.

“Uh, hey,” one of them says. “Is Maddy here?”

“Oh, she’s on break actually. She’ll come out of hiding in like fifteen minutes if you guys want to wait for her,” you reply.  

“It’s okay, actually,” he replies. “It’s just weird not seeing her here.”

You shrug. “Well, what can I get you guys? I have a fresh batch of protein bars and muffins out in the display case, but I promise everything was made this morning.”

“You’re the baker?” another one of them asks.

“Yeah, that’s why you never see me. I hide in the kitchen for most of my shift,” you answer.

They nod and place their orders. The coffees are about as sugary as you would expect them to be and they all order a protein bar and a muffin to go along with it. One of them hangs back after you ring up their orders and hand them their pastries.

“Maddy has actually mentioned you before,” he says.

“Uh, that’s nice?” you reply.  

“I’m Tyson, by the way.”

“Y/n, but I’m sure Maddy has told you that.”

He smiles. “Yeah, she was pretty excited to try and sell us on the protein bars. We were pretty hesitant since they tend to be pretty bland.”

You shrug. “I’m not going to put out anything that tastes gross. It’s the principle of the matter and it’s my job to make sure it all tastes good.”

“It must be fun,” he says.

“My 3am alarm clock would beg to differ, but I suppose it could be worse.”

His nose scrunches up a bit and before he can reply, one of the baristas calls out his coffee order. He waves at you a little bit before walking over to grab his coffee. You notice his friends look at him curiously, before looking over at you. Tyson just shrugs it off.

Maddy comes off of her break a couple minutes after they’ve left. She looks at you, wanting to know if anything interesting has happened.  

“Your hockey boys came in,” you remark.

She smiles widely. “Glad my timing was good.”

“You didn’t plan this, did you?”

“Why, I would never,” she replies, mocking being offended. “Okay, but I really didn’t plan this, considering I never know when they’re actually coming in. As much as I love them, I don’t stalk them that much.”

You snort. “That’s good to know. I was definitely getting worried there for a little bit.”

“Why are you literally the worst person ever?” Maddy groans. “I don’t see why I have to put up with you.”

“Put up with me?” you ask. “I hide in the kitchen for most of my shift. You’re the one who always comes to find me.”

Maddy just starts laughing. “God, I’m going to miss you when I graduate. Unless I decide to stay here in Denver.”

“Oh, please, you would never stay here. You complain about the snow every year.”

“I would suffer through it for you,” she replies, softly.

“Thanks, Maddy. That means a lot,” you say. “For what it’s worth, I’ll miss you too.”

“Okay, not to like…ruin the moment or anything, but why is that the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me?”

“I’ve said plenty of nice things to you,” you scoff.

“I would beg to differ.”

Any further reply is cut off by a group of college students coming in, looking like they’re ready to settle down for a long study session. Maddy just smiles at you before you go back to hide in the kitchen.

~ ~ ~

You don’t see Tyson and his friends for a couple more weeks, but Maddy always tells you that Tyson says hi and that everything tastes wonderful as usual. She tries to insist that this means he’s interested in you, but you know it probably doesn’t mean much. He’s only seen you once and good pastries that make you a bit happier than normal isn’t enough reasoning to start liking someone.

“I think you’re putting yourself down for no reason,” Maddy comments one day. “Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? He just wants to be friends? You need more of those.”

“Are you saying that you aren’t enough of a friend?” you joke.

“I mean, kind of,” Maddy says sadly. “We don’t really hang out outside of work and I never hear you talking about any other friends. Like, your weekend plans are always just you watching Netflix with your cat.”

“I guess you’re not wrong. But it’s just so exhausting trying to hang out with people in the early afternoon. I have the sleeping schedule of a grandma. And if my schedule is bad, then his is even worse. Like, aren’t they gone a lot for games?”

“But they still have other friends, I’m sure. It just takes time and effort.”

“Since when are you becoming the wise one?”

Maddy just smiles smugly. “I’m glad I’m becoming the smart one.”

“Good lord,” you sigh, rolling your eyes.

“Look, I can set you guys up and see what happens so that you aren’t the one taking a risk,” Maddy says.

“I’ve only talked to him once, Maddy. I would rather not go on a date with someone I’ve only had a brief conversation with.”

“Okay, by that logic, you’re never going to go on a date.”

“That’s fine by me,” you reply, shrugging. “If I don’t find anyone, I guess I can truly become the senile grandmother I’m growing into.”

“That is...the saddest thing I have ever heard and I’m a college student.”

“Please, it can’t be the worst thing you’ve ever heard.”

“I said saddest, not worst. There’s a big difference.”

You just give her a side eye, raising an eyebrow.

“Look, just come out here next time they come in and get a feel for it that way.”

“Fine. I’ll give it a shot.”

~ ~ ~

A week later, Tyson comes in with his usual group (which Maddy tells you when she pulls you from the kitchen). Tyson gives you a large smile when he spots you next to Maddy. You’re not totally sure how to react, but you give him a small smile.

“I was wondering if you were okay,” he says, as he walks up to the counter.

“I told you that I hide in the kitchen. It’s like spotting a cryptid when I come out here,” you reply.

Tyson snorts. “Maddy, you didn’t tell me she was funny.”

“She has her talents,” Maddy comments. “Is it the usual?”

All the guys nod and you notice that they’re trying to hide their smiles. You aren’t sure what that’s about, but you shrug it off. Guys your age are a mystery that you’ll never understand. Besides, Maddy has that thing covered way more than you need to.

“So, you making anything new?” Tyson asks.

“I’m experimenting with peppermint since December is almost upon us. It’ll be a good break from all of the apple and pumpkin spice.  Not that I don’t love them, it just gets boring constantly making the same thing over and over again,” you explain.

“Peppermint sounds wonderful,” Tyson comments. “I’ll be sure to try it when you put it out.”

“Wouldn’t that ruin your diet plan? That’s something that athletes have, right?” you ask.

“We get muffins every time we come in, so I don’t think I could ruin it any more than I already have,” he answers.

“Only muffins and the protein bars? I’m offended,” you joke. “We have plenty of other pastries that have just as much sugar in them.”

Tyson just laughs. “Muffins just seem healthier, I suppose.”

“Just promise me that you’ll try something else for once. I don’t get up at 3am to suffer over this just for you to have a muffin every time.”

“I still can’t believe you do that,” Tyson comments, scrunching his nose.  

“And I can’t believe that you work out as much as you do,” you reply. “We both suffer for our careers.”

Tyson smiles. “Well, it looks like the guys are ready to go. I’ll see you soon.”

“Bold of you to assume that I’ll leave the kitchen just for you.”

Tyson laughs and shakes his head as he walks off to his group, quickly grabbing his order before exiting with the rest of the group. Maddy smiles widely at you, a knowing look in her eye.  

“I think this deserves a movie night,” Maddy states.

“No, I really don’t think this deserves anything,” you retort. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“You had an actual conversation with him and I think we need to come up with a plan.”

“If I get to pick the movie and food, I guess I can find the time to talk about it.”

“Done deal. Tomorrow night? Since I know you don’t wake up until at least 5am on the weekends.”

You nod and head back into the kitchen. In reality, there’s nothing you can really talk about in relation to Tyson. He seems nice and easy to get along with, but that’s it. You just know Maddy gets excited about you having any new friends to add to your tiny group. Besides, Tyson seems like he would be a good candidate for taste testing your pastries.  

~ ~ ~

The following night, Maddy comes with a cheap bottle of wine and her copy of Pride and Prejudice. It’s one of the few movies both of you love, with the both of you knowing all the lines to it. You’ve already made pizza with some leftover dough from the bakery. Jenna never really minded you taken a couple of things here and there, as long as nothing was going to waste.

“So, what are your feelings about Tyson?” Maddy asks as soon as the movie is playing.

“He seems nice, I guess,” you answer. “I really don’t see the big deal about this, though. I’ve literally had two conversations with him, both relating to pastries.”

“Look, no guy would pay attention to that if there wasn’t some type of interest going on,” Maddy replies. “Even if it’s just friendly, it wouldn’t hurt to reach out to him a little bit.”

“Maddy, I really appreciate your enthusiasm about this, but I really don’t think this deserves a whole night dedicated to it,” you complain. “Just because I made protein bars for them doesn’t mean anything. I would have stopped making them if they weren’t such a big hit with our morning crowd. It’s just…not that personal.”

“I know, I just want you to have friends that actually live here,” Maddy says sadly. “As much as I want to stay here, I don’t know how practical it is. And I know you just live and breath the shop, so I know you don’t really put yourself out there.”

“God, you make it sound so sad,” you groan. “I promise I’m mostly fine with it. Like, yeah, it sucks a lot and it does make me sad sometimes, I’ve come to terms with it.”

“That is…so depressing.”

You snort. “It really is. And I’ve only been here for six months. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to figure things out.”

“I forget that sometimes. It feels like you’ve been there forever.”

“It really does.”

Things turn quiet for a little bit after that. It is really shitty that you haven’t really expanded your friend group since graduating, but you still feel like everything is settling in. There isn’t a need to really prove yourself to Jenna, but considering that this is your dream job, it scares you that it could be all taken away so easily.

Once the movie ends, Maddy takes the plates and wine glasses over to the sink. She comes and sits next to you again, looking at you expectantly. You sigh, knowing Maddy wants to continue the conversation from earlier.

“Maddy, once I start trying more with the peppermint pastries, feel free to give him one or two for free. I think it’s time for me to have more than you and Jenna as taste testers.”

“So he is moving up in the ranks of how much you like him.”

“Oh my god, shut up.”

~ ~ ~

A few days later, you’ve made a few new baked goods for the shop. There’s the classic peppermint brownie, and some various cookies. You’ve set them out in the break room for everyone to take, but you notice Maddy smuggle a couple to the front.  

“What? It’s just in case they come in today,” Maddy says defensively. “You did say Tyson could become a taste tester.”

“I was kind of hoping you wouldn’t remember that,” you say, jokingly.

“Neither of us were that drunk, which is how I know you really mean it.”

You roll your eyes. “Just let me know what he thinks of them, okay? If he says he doesn’t like them, I’m assuming it’s terrible.”

“Why do you think that? He hasn’t even tasted anything yet.”

“He’s a young male athlete. I’m sure anything will taste great to him.”

“That…is a good point. I’ll keep you updated.”

Maddy doesn’t come back to say anything until the end of her shift. But when she does, she’s smiling widely.

“We have the Tyson stamp of approval,” she announces. “He was very sad that you weren’t out there to give anything to him, though.”

“It’s almost the holidays, nobody can drag me out of here. Besides, did he tell you that he was sad about me not being out there?”

“No, he didn’t say anything specifically, but he looked sad.”

“I really doubt that.”

“Well, come out here next time. I’ll be sure to drag you out of your lair.”

“At this rate, I’m really not going to miss you when you graduate.”

~ ~ ~

Maddy doesn’t have to wait long to drag you out of the kitchen, as the next morning, she says Tyson is waiting for you. You sigh, knowing he probably didn’t actually ask to see you. Still, it would be good to hear his thoughts on what you made straight from him.

“Hey, y/n,” Tyson greets happily. “I’m glad I get to see you today.”

“Uh, thanks,” you reply, awkwardly. “It’s good to see you too.”

“The pastries were good yesterday. Are those for sure going on the menu?”

“Yeah, everyone seems to like it, which is nice. Especially the cookies, I was worried about those. I wasn’t sure how my magic would take to them,” you reply.

“Your…magic?” Tyson asks, confused.

“Yeah, I’m a witch,” you reply casually, despite freaking out on the inside. “Everything that’s made here has a bit of my magic in it.”

You forgot that this hasn’t come up in conversation yet and you aren’t sure how you feel about it. There’s no way to judge Tyson’s feelings on it all, so you just wait there as he processes what you just told him.

“I, um, I’m going to head out. I’ll see you later,” Tyson says, awkwardly.  

After he leaves, Maddy gives you a questioning look, not sure what just happened. You shake your head, knowing that she’ll just come bug you at the end of her shift. While it wasn’t a bad reaction, there’s still a knot sitting in your stomach. Whatever he’s thinking, it couldn’t have been amazing.

When Maddy comes to talk to you, you just tug her into the break room, not wanting to make any of this more public that it needs to be.

“So, I may have forgotten that Tyson doesn’t know about me being a witch,” you say.

“Oh, I didn’t even think about that,” Maddy replies. “Did he react badly?”

“Well, he didn’t even really react. He just said he would come back later,” you explain. “I hate not knowing what people think about me being a witch. It’s not even that exciting.”

Maddy purses her lips. “I suppose I can be a bit less nice to him until he figures out what’s going on.”

“I’m sure it’s not too big of a deal.”

“Even if it isn’t, I don’t want to be nice to someone who can hate you for who you are.”

“Thank you,” you whisper, as you pull her into a hug.

Most of the time, people really didn’t mind you being a witch, but you know it’s because they view your type of magic as harmless. Which it really can be, but the states of euphoria you’ve caused over the years is a bit disturbing. You’re mostly surprised at how much it hurt to have Tyson say that.

“I don’t even know why I’m taking it so hard,” you say.  

“He just seems like such a happy person and like things don’t really matter. But it is just a persona that he puts out.”

“God, you’re so right. I guess I should let you go instead of having you stick around while I mope over someone.”

“We’ll just have to have another movie night if it continues. I don’t want you moping alone.”

“I really am going to miss you, Maddy.”

She just hugs you tighter.

~ ~ ~

Neither of you see Tyson or his friends until a week and a half later. You notice Maddy being a bit less cheery with them and Tyson looks apologetic. He hands something to her, which looks like a letter. Maddy takes it, but she doesn’t look happy about it. Whatever it is, Maddy will come talk to you on her break about it.

When she finds you an hour later, she hands you the letter. You just look at her, questioning what it is.

“He said that he wanted to apologize, but didn’t want to make it a huge public thing. He wrote a letter apparently.”

You open it and there isn’t just a letter there. You notice two tickets to an Avalanche game for an afternoon game in a couple of weeks.

“Oh,” you whisper. “That’s…definitely a surprise.”

“Well, that’s definitely one way to apologize.”

You snort. “I’ll see what he has to say for himself after I get these cookies out of the oven. And don’t worry, you’ll get the chance to read the letter for yourself.”

As you grab the cookies, Maddy leans up against one of the walls.

“He seemed really sorry. But I’m still a bit hesitant, you know?” she remarks.

“Acting like he’s sorry is one thing,” you say.  

Once you put the cookies on a plate and the next batch in the oven, you open the letter.  

Dear y/n,

I’m sorry that I just kind of…left last week. I know that witches aren’t bad people and are harmless, but I’ve always been raised to be cautious. Especially being in the NHL, they warn us all the time about watching our backs. They don’t want us to be cursed or to be enhancing our play style at all.  

I guess this just took me by surprise and I didn’t know what else to do. I really am sorry and I know tickets can’t make up for it, but you also deserve to treat yourself. Hopefully you and Maddy can come to the game, but if it doesn’t work, please let me know and I can get you tickets to a different one. Maybe we can do dinner or something with the guys. Anything to make it better.

-Tyson

You hand the letter over to Maddy and she just skims through it.

“Do you think that he really means it?” you ask.

“I think so,” she answers. “I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to go to a game and grab dinner. Just show that you’re not any different from someone who isn’t a witch.”

“Yeah, that’s probably smart. When he comes back, tell him to wait for me and I’ll come out to talk to him.”

~ ~ ~

Tyson comes back the next day and he looks hopeful as you come out from the kitchen. You sit down at his table and he just looks at you expectantly.

“I’m still kind of hurt by what you did the other week, but I get why you did it,” you start off. “And I appreciate that you took the time to write the letter and give me tickets.”

“I really am sorry,” he whispers. “I know that you don’t have to forgive me for what I did, but I do want to make things better.”

“That’s the reason Maddy and I will take you up on the dinner offer. For after the game,” you reply. “I just want to know what everyone else thinks before I join you.”

“I didn’t tell them anything. I didn’t think it was my place to say,” Tyson says. “But I know it’ll all be okay. They’re a good group of guys, I promise.”

“That’s good to know,” you reply. “And my magic really isn’t that harmful, as long as I manage it right. All I can do is make you feel a bit happier from the different things I make.”

“Oh, that sounds amazing,” Tyson says. “But I don’t see how that can be dangerous.”

“Anything that makes people feel differently than they actually do can be dangerous. If I don’t control my magic, then it can make people experience nothing but happiness for days. It doesn’t sound bad, but the fact that they can’t feel differently is very off-putting.”

“That makes sense, I guess. But I didn’t notice that with anything I ate here.”

“And that’s the whole point. I don’t want anybody to feel drastically different. I just want to make sure that everyone starts their mornings off right. Just a little bit of happiness is enough for most people.”

Tyson nods as he listens, taking it all in. “Well, I guess that explains why Nathan stopped being so cranky at morning practices. We all just thought that he finally fixed his sleeping schedule or started getting laid more.”

You laugh. “It might still be those things; my food might just be helping that a little bit. But I need to get back to work, the muffins should be just about finished in the oven.”

“Can I give you my number before you go? So that I don’t have to keep tracking you down here?”

“Oh, yeah.”

The two of you quickly exchange numbers and you head back to the kitchen. As you head back, Maddy follows you, wanting to know what happened.

“So, you exchanged numbers, huh?” she asks.

“Yeah, to make it easier to plan for the game.”

“So we’re going to it now?”  

“Yep, and we’ll be getting dinner with some of them. I don’t know what all that entails specifically, but I think it’s happening.”

“Oh my god, when they first came in, I know I imagined this happening, but I didn’t actually think it would happen.”

“Here I was thinking that protein bars were a terrible idea.”

~ ~ ~

When it comes to the day of the game, you only stop into the bakery in the morning to cook up a few basics, leaving everything else to Jenna for the day. It’s weird not hanging out at the bakery, but she insisted that you only have to do what you have to and that she managed well before you came along.

You and Maddy both agreed to just meet at the arena since you both lived in different parts of Denver. This, however, did not stop the two of you from sending outfits back and forth to each other. Maddy was pretty quick to figure out what she’s wearing, seeing as she already has Avalanche gear. You’re stuck trying to find something that vaguely resembles their team colors. Thankfully, Maddy finds a hat that you can wear, so you end up just wearing a sweatshirt and some jeans.

When you arrive a few hours later, Maddy is ecstatic. Neither of you are able to really afford tickets on the regular, so this is a nice treat, especially for her, considering she actually keeps up with the team. The seats aren’t glass side, which you’re grateful for, but they’re still decently close.

“This is so exciting!” Maddy exclaims. “I’ve only ever been in the nosebleeds the couple of times I’ve been to games. I hope Tyson is ready for me thank him forever.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind,” you reply. “You know, I still don’t understand the game, so I feel like I’ll be asking you a lot of questions.”

“I only understand some of it,” she says. “Some things will never make sense, no matter how long you’ve been watching the game.”

You snort. “I feel like that’s true of every sport, though.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

About ten minutes later, some of the players come out on the ice for warm-ups. It’s interesting watching it all, and Maddy points out all of the players that have come into the shop previously. You’re more than likely not going to remember anything from it, but you’ll try since who knows who you’ll be getting dinner tonight with. The least you can do is try and remember something about the team.

Once the game starts, a whole new type of energy that only happens at sporting events takes over the arena. Even though you only are able to get a small part of what’s happening, you still have an amazing time. You love watching Tyson play whenever he’s on the ice and try to remember some of the good plays he made to bring up at dinner.

The Av’s scrape by with a 2-1 win and the arena slowly empties out. You text Tyson as you and Maddy head out to the car, asking him where they’re all headed for dinner. He doesn’t reply for almost 20 minutes, but he gives you the address of a burger place only a few miles away from the arena.

When you and Maddy arrive, the two of you wait until Tyson and some others arrive. The second Tyson spots you, he lights up, hugging you tightly. You can hear some of the guys snicker, but you just shrug it off to Tyson being overly affectionate. He gives Maddy a quick side hug, which just makes the guys hide their laughter.

“Hey guys, this is Maddy and y/n,” Tyson introduces. “They’re the ones that work at the bakery.”

“It’s good to officially meet you. I’m Nate,” a blond guy says. “I usually tag along with him.”

“Oh yeah, I recognize you,” you reply. “I actually recognize most of you. I’m the head baker.”

The rest of the guys say a quick ‘hi’ and do an awkward little wave.

“So, are we going to go in and eat or what?” J.T. asks.

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll head in,” Tyson jokes. “I made sure to make a reservation since there’s so many of us.”

All of you head in and there isn’t as much of a fuss over the guys as you were expecting. The table is in a back corner that is a bit more removed from the others, giving the illusion of privacy. You and Maddy end up sitting across from each other, with Tyson to your left.

As you’re scanning the menu, Tyson asks you, “So what did you think of the game?”

“It was a lot of fun,” you answer. “This was my first hockey game that I’ve watched all the way through so it was really cool.”

“I keep forgetting that you don’t really watch hockey,” Tyson replies, scrunching up his nose.

“Haven’t had a reason to until now.”

Tyson blushes a little and looks back to his menu. Maddy raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything. You know she’s going to tease you mercilessly on Monday. But you haven’t casually flirted in a long time, so you just want to have some fun tonight, even if you don’t have a hardcore crush on Tyson.

Conversation stays relatively laid back up until the food arrives. Nate is sitting diagonally from you, and he grabs your attention to ask, “So, you have a boyfriend or anything?”

“Uh, no, I don’t,” you reply, slightly taken off guard. “With the hours I work, I just don’t really have the energy to try and make new friends, much less try and date someone. It’s not too bad, though, I can live vicariously through Maddy.”

“Oh, but you’re open to the idea of dating?” he inquires further.

“I guess so,” you answer, hesitantly. “They would have to understand that most of the time, I don’t really want to do much. I spend most of my time at the bakery as well, so that isn’t really helpful to personal time, either.”

“That must suck,” he says.

“I mean, I imagine that it’s similar to you guys as well. I can only imagine how crazy your schedules are during the season.”

“It’s not too bad,” Tyson says. “It’s a lot at first, but it’s worth it.”

You nod, agreeing. The guys get swept away into a conversation about training schedules, complaining about their early morning practice the following morning. You just listen along, not really feeling the need to add anything to the conversation. When the waitress comes around to ask how the check was being split, Tyson immediately jumps in to pay for you and Maddy.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you say once she leaves.

He shrugs. “I wanted to. Besides, I invited the two of you out, it’s the least I can do. And it’s burgers, it’s not like it’s that expensive.”

“Y/n, he is the millionaire here, so I wouldn’t worry too much,” Maddy jokes.

You laugh and shake your head. Once everyone has paid, all of you head back out to your cars. As your unlocking your door, Tyson comes over to you, looking a little bit scared. You just wait, letting him process what he wants to say.

“So, um, I was wondering if you would maybe want to go on a date sometime?” he asks, quietly. “I had a really good time tonight and I would love to do this again.”

“Oh,” you reply, a little bit shocked. “That would be a lot of fun, actually.”

“Really?” he replies, surprised. “Um, I’m not sure when you would want to go since I know that you’re usually pretty tired after work. But I’m pretty flexible for the most part, aside from practices and games.”

“I think Maddy would kill me if I didn’t say yes,” you reply. “And I think you’re pretty decent as well. I could do worse.”

Tyson snorts. “That’s really flattering. But I’ll text you my schedule for the next couple of weeks and just let me know what works for you.”

“Sounds good,” you reply, smiling brightly.

~ ~ ~

It’s a week and a half later when the two of you finally go on your date. Tyson is taking you to a nicer restaurant in town, saying that he wants to treat you and get to know you more. You’re a little bit hesitant, but since he’s the one footing the bill this time, you won’t be complaining.

The two of you agree to meet there since you’re coming almost straight from work. The waitress guides you to a table towards the back that has a little bit more privacy than you were expecting, but you’re glad for it. Tyson smiles widely when he sees you and pulls out your chair when you approach.

“Good to see that you didn’t change your mind,” Tyson greets.

You shrug as you sit down. “If anything, I’m just excited to try the food here.”

When the waitress hands you the menu, you glance down at it, trying not to look at the prices. There’s nothing too out of the ordinary, thankfully, and you just decide to stick with a basic pasta dish, figuring that it’s a safe bet.

“So, how’s the holiday season at the bakery?” Tyson asks. “I feel bad about not coming as much, but things have been pretty intense at practice.”

“I mean, it’s what you can expect during the holiday rush. We take small orders of some of the baked goods and the orders always skyrocket this time of year,” you explain. “I’m grateful that people like to order our stuff, but it always takes a toll on my magic as well.”

“I’m still getting used to the idea of your food having magic in it,” Tyson whispers.

“Not everything has magic in it, just my baked goods. Every food witch has a different specialty and their magic doesn’t just take to everything. It’s kind of like positions in hockey. Just because you’re good at what you do doesn’t mean you can immediately jump into another position and be just as good,” you explain. “We all work hard with what we’re good at and it pays off. It’s just a misconception that we’re great at everything naturally.”

“So, it’s like…a muscle almost?” Tyson asks.

“Exactly! Even though all witches are born with their magic, it needs to be worked with as we grow older, otherwise it won’t fully develop. Magic is much more…alive than people expect.”

Tyson mulls over your answer as the waitress comes and takes your order. You can tell that it’s a lot to process for him and that there was a lot of new information that he wasn’t expecting to learn. As much as you want to be surprised, you really aren’t. People who aren’t familiar with magic are always a bit taken aback when you explain how it all works.

“When you say that it’s alive, is it like a separate entity?” he inquires.

“Not necessarily. It’s still very much tied to who we are as people and is greatly influenced by the people we become. Magic is also influenced by the people we get close to,” you answer.

Tyson raises an eyebrow at that, clearly waiting for you to explain. The waitress comes with your food then and you take a couple bites, thinking of how to best explain it all.

“Magic can form tight bonds with other witches, or anything that has a strong magical presence. It’s a bit rarer for magic to attach itself to something without magic, but it can happen depending on how strong the relationship is,” you explain. “It’s a great thing most of the time, but sometimes the bond can do more harm than good.

“One of my childhood friends is a witch who works with plants and she lives over in New York City. Her bond with someone recently broke and it’s hard watching her go through it. When a bond breaks, it’s like your magic shatters and has to completely reform. The whole process is pretty nasty.”

“That sounds horrific actually,” Tyson replies. “I just…wish I could have learned more about this growing up.”

You shrug. “We’re not secretive about our magic, but we also don’t go spreading everything around either. History shows us that usually isn’t a smart idea.”

“I’m sorry it has to be that way.”

“It’s been worse for us. I’m just happy that I’m living in a time where my magic is actually getting me jobs instead of turning me away. Granted, that still happens way more than it should, but things are slowly changing.”

Tyson just smiles. It’s silent for a bit as the two of you finish eating. He seems to be processing everything that he heard, and you want to give him the space to try and understand what he learned. You did give him a lot to think over just in one meal.

After Tyson has paid for the meal, he leads you out to your car. He keeps brushing your hand, so you grab it. This causes him to blush a little bit and smile. It’s a good look on him, if you do say so yourself.

“This was really fun tonight,” he says once the two of you get to your car.

“I’m glad you didn’t mind me info dumping on you,” you reply.

“I want to learn more,” he whispers. “I love being around you and since magic is such a big part of your life, I want to learn everything I can. That’s probably a lot to ask, but it’s the least I can do, you know?”

“I honestly don’t mind. It’s interesting trying to put it all into words, but it’s been a good time.”

“Text me when you get home, okay?”

You nod. “Of course. We’ll have to plan something again soon.”

~ ~ ~

Over the next month, the two of you don’t have any chances to go on a date again. As it gets closer to Christmas, your schedule only gets more hectic. It makes hard for dates, but the two of you start texting a lot more to make up for lost time. He has a lot more questions to ask about magic, and in turn, you ask more questions about hockey. All of it seems like a fair trade to learn more about what the other person is passionate about.

A week after New Year’s Day passes, both of you have a free day to go on a date together. It’s more laid back this time, as you insist on going to your favorite diner. The cook is a fellow food witch who focuses more on feelings of comfort and home. You figure that this is as good of an opportunity as any to show Tyson the diversity in magic, as some of the waiters there are also witches.

When Tyson sees you again, he hugs you tightly. “I missed seeing you out of the bakery.”

“You’ve only seen me out of the bakery once, Tyson.”

“My point still stands, though. I’m glad to see you again.”

“Well, that’s flattering. It’s good to see you, too.”

As you two of you walk into the diner, a couple of the waiters greet you warmly and seat the two of you in the back corner to give some privacy. It doesn’t take long for your order to be taken, leaving the two of you to talk.

“So, I take it that you come here often?” Tyson asks.

“Not that often, actually. I just know them because they’re fellow food witches. It’s why I wanted to come here; the food here always helps me destress. Jamie, the cook, specializes in comfort and feelings of home.”

“Oh, that’s…very fitting actually,” Tyson remarks. “Do you know a lot of witches in the area?”

“Not a whole lot, if I’m being honest. We don’t go around advertising our magic, so we’ll usually just meet by chance.”

Before Tyson has the chance to reply, your food comes out and you wait for Tyson to try some. He groans and sinks back into his seat. This brings a smile to your face, knowing the feeling of first trying Jamie’s food.

“This is so fucking good, even though I know it’s going to wreak havoc on my diet,” Tyson says happily.

“I don’t know why you insist on having a diet plan when you get something sweet every time you come into the bakery.”

“I’m just trying to support you and if that means eating more baked goods than I tell the trainers about, then so be it.”

It’s mostly silent as the two of you eat and you can see Tyson thinking through something. You let him think through whatever he wants to say, knowing that when it’s serious, he likes to take his time to phrase things.

“So, it’s the start of the new year,” Tyson comments. “And I really want to make sure that I start it off the way that I want to. Part of that includes me asking you to officially be my girlfriend. Only if you want to though.”

“Tyson, I wouldn’t be going on a date with you right now when I would rather be sleeping if I wasn’t interested in you,” you reply. “So, uh, yeah, I would really love to be your girlfriend.”

He smiles widely and grabs one of your hands to kiss the back of it, making you blush.

~ ~ ~

When you tell Maddy that the two of you are officially dating, she squeals.

“Oh my god, I knew my plan would work!” she exclaims.

“What plan? Did you help him come up with how to ask me out?” you ask, confused.

“No, remember me asking you to make the protein bars for them so that we could get to know them better?”

“This was seriously your plan all along?”

“I mean, not exactly, but I wasn’t not hoping for it, you know?”

“You’re literally the worst, Maddy.”

“I can’t be, because I’m the reason your boyfriend started talking to you.”

“That’s going a little bit far.”

“Okay, but is it? Who knows if they would have come back again without the protein bars. Just let me have a little bit of credit here.”

You snort. “I’ll be sure to thank you and the protein bars at our wedding.”

“You’re planning for a wedding? I didn’t realize it was so serious,” she teases.

“Oh my god, you’re actually the worst.”

She just laughs as she walks off to go help some customers that just walked in. You roll your eyes, but you really are grateful for Maddy pushing you to talk to Tyson more. Even though it’s a fairly new relationship, you’ve got a good feeling about it.

~ ~ ~

The next few years truly are better than you could have ever asked for. Maddy graduates and gets a nice office job in Denver. The two of you move in together that summer in a small apartment and it’s one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.

You and Tyson are stronger than ever and you’ve never felt so comfortable with a significant other before, which can be seen by the bond your magic has taken to him. It took him a while to get used to having your magic attached to him, as it often served as a way for the two of you to communicate your feelings easier when in close proximity to each other. Once Tyson settled into the bond, though, he did everything he could to strengthen it more.

One day, Jenna calls you into her back office to talk with you. She’s still an amazing boss and you feel truly lucky to still be working with her. You’re a bit confused as to why she’s calling you back, as normally she just talks to you in the kitchen about any updates. Any time someone gets called to the office, it’s a serious matter, as Jenna likes to keep things relatively casual when talking with employees.

“As you might know, I am getting a bit older,” Jenna says, once you sit down. “You’ve been an amazing asset to the shop and I wanted to let you know that I’m going to be retiring in a couple of years. I know that seems far off, but I want you to take over the shop when I do.”

“Wait, Jenna, really? I’m the head baker, but that doesn’t qualify me to run a business.”

“I know that, which is why I’m telling you in advance. I want this bakery to stay in good hands and I know that you truly care about keeping this place alive. I would help pay your tuition to get some training in business because I know that it’s daunting taking any business over. And I would obviously train you in specific aspects of the shop as well.”

“Jenna, this means so much to me that you trust me with this, it really does. I would have to look into online degrees so I can still work here, but I would love to take up your mantle one day. I can only hope to run this shop as good as you,” you reply, still in shock.

“You will, otherwise I would have never brought it up to you. I know you’ll do good. Now, I’ll let you get back to work and I’ll give you Saturday off so you can go celebrate.”

“I’ll probably just end up sleeping.”

“I’m sure Tyson will want to take you out to celebrate.”

You groan. “Ugh, you’re probably right.”

“As I always am.”

~ ~ ~

When you tell Maddy about it, she rolls her eyes. “Obviously Jenna is going to give you the shop. You’ve been there for six years now, nobody else has stuck around that long. Besides, it wouldn’t be the same if someone new took over the shop. Pretty sure all of Denver would riot.”

“That’s a little extreme.”

“Okay, but when you were gone last summer for only a week, the whole atmosphere changed and I swear to god, Tyson complained about it not being as cozy.”

“Tyson is dramatic, too, and you know it.”

“Is that why Jenna gave you Saturday off? Because I know he’s going to celebrate like crazy, even though you don’t officially have the job yet.”

“I’m really trying to not think about it. I just want to sleep.”

“If anything, I’m sure you can convince him to at least do a special dinner at home.”

“I sure hope so.”

~ ~ ~

It takes a while to convince Tyson to just have a casual dinner date at his house, but he finally relents when you tell him how tired you are. Maddy seems awfully excited to get you out the door, but you only assume that it’s because she’s going to have a wine night by herself.

When you arrive, you can smell the soup that Tyson has started on. Ever since the two of you started dating, you’ve been teaching him how to cook more and more. It’s what sparked the bond between the two of you, which isn’t too surprised. Through the bond, you can tell that he’s nervous, but you shrug it off, guessing that he’s trying a new recipe out.

Things are pretty laid back right up until the both of you finish washing the dishes. He takes you out to the living room and sits you down on the couch. You’re confused, but just going along with it.

“Um, sorry if this takes a little while, I practiced with Maddy a lot and I want to make sure that I get it perfect.”

“Is…everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything is amazing, actually,” Tyson replies. “So, the last five years with you have been probably the best five years of my life. You’ve taught me so much and it’s something I can never repay you for. I love you more than anything and I can’t imagine a life without you.”

Tyson goes to the floor, going onto one knee and pulling a ring from out of his pocket. You start tearing up and smiling.

“Oh my god, Tyson,” you whisper.

“I want to be able to spend the rest of my life with you, whatever that may mean. So, will you marry me?”

“Of course I will,” you exclaim, pulling him up to kiss you.

He kisses you briefly before pulling back to slip the ring onto your finger. It’s a gorgeous vintage ring and one that has some small magic ingrained into it.

“It’s so beautiful,” you say softly.

“Maddy helped me pick it out from that vintage shop you really like. I really wanted something that had magic in it, just something to make you feel as amazing as you make me feel.”

“You’re such a sap, Tyson.”

“Admit it, you love it.”

“Unfortunately, I do.”

Tyson just laughs and pulls you in for a deep kiss.

[ratfuck]

wow. so this is who drove a 19 y/o teenager to contemplating suicide, all with no proper evidence, just for five minutes of fame. How’s it feel? Did you really think deleting the post and ‘I flushed the fish’ out of your bio would make up for it? Get over yourself, you’re more NSFW than he is. You have no way of proving his main demographic are mostly minors. You’ve possibly ruined a TEENAGERS LIFE. You better pray to whatever god you may believe in that boy hasn’t harmed himself.

asfjfkgl he wasnt fuckin contemplating suicide and he's currently active on twitter

I dunno how the narrative is now that I did this all for fame and not because im a CSA victim with experiences of being manipulated by internet predators who exploited me for their sexual gratification and for money and being able to see this behavior miles away and trying to warn people of it, you people are totally unwilling to listen to anyone besides yourselves tho so im not surprised at all

my "evidence" not being enough for you schmucks comes down to you people cherry picking what you like from my, and other people's posts about shit he's done with no general consensus on whats real or not. One minute u people will ignore his MAP friends like Gaud (who he still actively follows!) and his discord mods who openly supported pedos, the next you say that he accidentally followed loli/shota/incest accounts, then you say that actually he did follow these accounts on purpose but actually its OK if he consumes and jerks off to "simulated" cp because "its not real" even though they are depictions of children being sexualized or in the case of that artist that draws kid icarus porn that fish was following, a child having sex with an adult. Which is it? Is he the "non-predatory" MAP or is he the adult minor who isnt responsible enough to have a large social media following of impressionable people?

It's pretty fucking obvious that the majority of his followers are fucking children because no other demographic enjoys or consumes his "uwu ur a smol pupper" shit and constant "YOU. ARE. AWESOMEILOVEYOUILOVEYOU" garbage, also doesnt help that the VAST amount of people openly sending me these asks have their age in their description and most of them being around 13-17 years old, same with these people making posts about how they love and support him no matter what he does!!

And in no possible way did I ruin this idiot's life. I didn't dox him and make this information public to potential employers, I didn't send photos of him to fucking online psychopaths or anybody, and I didn't even expose his real identity or anything. Fish is a fucking persona, a fake, its not his real identity and no fucking person on the planet would ever have the name "Goldie Gurston", you're all buying into this fake personality that makes performative posts that infantilize the people he's supposedly supporting, and whenever he gets called out for dumbass behavior like offending a group of people he isn't part of you all rush like fucking locusts to defend this foax person who doesn't give a shit for you outside of your expression of love and loyalty and monetary support to him. It really says something that, while he was gone, he was making posts on Patreon that only the people who pay him for his worthless "content" could view and not the thousands and thousands of other worried schmucks who were crying because they thought he killed himself

He was never going to kill himself either! The whooole fucking time I've been saying "he'll return around christmas to post more perfomative lovebombing crap, after he thinks the dust has cleared" and thats EXACTLY what happened. He played you schmucks like a fiddle and his "OHHH IM JUST AN INNOCENT FISH WHO WANTS TO SPREAD POSITIVITY :((((" sympathy schtick followed by him leaving for a month was SOLELY done to make you asshats starved for more love bombing and go after anybody who said anything mean about him, this isn't the first time this has happened. He's a manipulative fuck who's addicted to the attention of his bloated social media presense and he has been, for a long fucking while, using his fanbase to cover up shit he's done that doesnt paint him in this pure light or to go after those who dislike him.

Good god you fish stans or whatever you call yourselves are sooooooo fucking mindless and I have to CONSTANTLY repeat myself just to get the point into your thick skulls individually, like oooh big and bold of you to not use anon and act like im some pathetic nobody desperately doing this for attention, like I'm going to take this shit from some worthless cringe ass "multi-fandom" blogger

Why should I even bother typing this all out, though? Its not like any of you people actually read it. You come into my inbox, type out some tired "HOW DO YOU FEEL FOR HURTING THIS 19 YEAR OLD MINOR???" rhetoric, then quickly hit the back button thinking you owned me and that I'll be so overcome with grief that I'll delete, which I still havent done despite you cultists sending me rape threats, purposefully misgendering me or sending me transphobic and homophobic slurs, or straight up writing torture/murder fantasies involving me, that being the reason I deleted my posts. LGBT+ rights am i right!!!!

[carrieflsher]

To all my Illinois, Florida, and Arizona followers:

Today are the primaries. I know the coronavirus is messing up a lot of daily life, but if you're 18 or older, PLEASE VOTE! We're part of a demographic that is huge and can make a difference. Whether you're into politics and want a certain candidate to win or really don't care either way, PLEASE STILL VOTE!

I know cliché but you really do make a difference. Everyone is so concerned about changing others, but if every single person focused on changing themselves for the better and being the change they want, we would make a difference. If you think you don't count or what you do doesn't matter, think about all the multitudes of people your age who feel the same. Don't let older people make you feel like your voice doesn't count!

And even if you are disillusioned and disheartened, PLEASE STILL VOTE! Even if it doesn't matter to you, think about all the people who it will matter to. If you have people in your life where political decisions can harm them, go and vote for them!

Please vote!

[korrasera]

Do you think it’s really your place to determine whether or not a cop show is propaganda when you’re not part of the demographic that cops terrorize the most/who tend to be at the butt end of the propaganda? Also, I feel like any cop show that’s existing in this current climate is automatically propaganda if the show isn’t about how police should be abolished.

Do you really think it's your place to dictate who can or cannot have an opinion about this topic?

I guess disabled people and mentally ill people shouldn't talk about the portrayal of police in media because they're not really affected by it. Even though a lot of the people that get murdered by police officers in the US are disabled or mentally ill. Oh, and don't forget about the autistic people that cops harm too, you've got to silence their voice while you're at it as well.

What about all of the poor people that police steal from constantly? Did you know that police are the most successful thieves in the US? They actually steal more property than criminals do now, thanks the the widespread adoption of civil asset forfeiture laws, which allow police to target innocent people and steal from them simply for being under suspicion of a crime. Let's make sure that we ignore them too.

And finally, this is probably most important for your position, let's make sure we dismiss the opinions of anyone who doesn't already agree with you and validate your position. Like any black people who talk about how good it is to see real representation of the issues affecting them on a series like B99. You do realize the post that started off this argument had a post by a black person talking about how important it was to see an episode that had such a powerful message about the necessity of police to fight racism in the police force, presented in a way that had exactly nothing to do with any white feelings on the matter, right?

I suppose I should validate you and erase that person's opinion too.

You see, when you write something like this you betray your actual agenda, which is just to silence anyone that doesn't support your view. You don't want anyone to be able to talk if they aren't going to agree with you.

And that, frankly, isn't just childish, it's offensive. You're being kinda gross. Do better, stop being an asshole to people and maybe stop and realize you need to learn something about what words like propaganda mean. Don't jump on every internet bandwagon you think will give you a sense of belonging and validation if you parrot everything they say. It's better to think for yourself and compose your own arguments and work to not erase the voices of the people around you, instead of acting like a petty child who needs to win an argument.

Plus, if you can do that and actually construct a real argument, one that's respectful of other people, as to why B99 is problematic? I will be the first person to listen to you and validate your argument. If it holds up. But you need to build it well and you need to build it ethically. Otherwise it's just more divisive immature trash and deserves to be thrown out as such.

[exeggcute]

the way a lot of self-described “bookworms” seem to approach reading strikes me as more of an act of collection and physical/intellectual curation rather than something motivated by any innate enjoyment of reading (other than the inward-gazing spectacle of Look At Me, The Bookworm, Currently Reading A Book! Isn’t That A Sight To Behold!) and it’s obviously not, like, the worst phenomenon that’s ever existed but it is kind of weird and annoying. I don’t think it’s something necessarily unique to reading and there are probably equivalent subcultures for film, music, video games, what have you, but I’m less entrenched in those things than I am with bookworm types (or at least I used to be) and I think books hit the particular sweet spot of being cheap, easily-collectible physical objects while also being somewhat “intellectual.”

actually, I do see this bookworm phenomenon somewhat less than I used to, and I’m not sure if it’s because I just occupy different circles now or if the general population of book-obsessed people have shifted their attention towards something else (if I were being less generous, I’d say that it’s because nobody even pretends to read anymore, but I can’t throw stones in my own glass house here) but back in the 2011-ish internet era I felt like you couldn’t go more than five minutes without running into a picture of someone’s “reading nook” populated by half-drunk cups of tea and a near-untouched copy of whatever young adult novel was popular at the time, or like a coffee mug for sale that said “don’t even talk to me until I’ve eaten every single book on the goodreads top 100 list this year,” or even just some vague platitude about people being really into the mildewy smell of old books. and like, you know, do whatever makes you happy, nobody’s getting hurt, whatever. but it was kind of bizarre seeing so much aesthetic and intellectual value placed on the idea of Books and Reading but so few discussions about the nature or content of any of the things people were supposedly reading (and any rare discussions were almost certainly about a select few genres and titles, and very rarely in-depth or under any kind of critical or analytical lens).

a lot of it strikes me an obsessive worship of Books as a concept more than the information that they contain. like I clearly understand the sentimental value of a well-loved book, don’t get me wrong–I have some books that are so disgustingly old and thrashed and annotated that they’re essentially unreadable, but the emotion and memory associated with them far outweighs their usefulness as an object–but treating anything bound between two covers as a piece of faux-religious iconography is laughable. a copy of shakespeare’s first folio is as much a book as a paperback harlequin novel you buy at an airport bookstore, but they clearly hold different levels of value (both for the content they contain and as physical objects). a sentiment I saw expressed by a lot of people in the golden era of bookworms was how reprehensible it was to physically harm, alter, or modify a book in any way, regardless of the intention behind it. sure, I’d be a little miffed if I loaned someone a book and they dog-eared it without asking, and I’d never do anything to alter a book I borrowed from a library, but I do dog-ear my own books sometimes, especially ones that are old or cheap or not otherwise physically special. maybe a first-edition hardback gets the dignity of a bookmark, but my childhood copies of magic treehouse books didn’t bring me any less enjoyment just because I’d folded down the corners of pages. the same thing goes for annotations, or warped spines, or pretty much any other signs of wear and tear that are incurred by actually engaging with a book–at some point it’s almost impossible to even read the damn thing unless you rough it up a bit, and presumably your motivation for owning books is to read them and not just to put them on a bookshelf so you can take pictures of your collection. (right? right??) same goes for the people who still act like listening to an audiobook somehow doesn’t “count “or that ebooks are for lesser-minded fools (which is distinct from actual criticisms about the nature of DRM, or people who genuinely have an easier time reading something printed on a page, or even matters of pure preference). it’s even more encapsulated by people who decry historical acts of mass book-burning by lamenting the physical loss of libraries being burned, as if the charred pages could feel physical harm, rather than the loss of the ideas contained within those books and (more importantly) the social and political implications of destroying and suppressing information, and what it means to have singled out certain demographics and authors (ahem) to be destroyed.

I think a lot of what it comes down to is a physical fetishism of books (in the non-sexual definition of the word, people, don’t be weird) and an obsession with collection and curation and aesthetics that does extend to pretty much any other hobby on earth and is part of living in a capitalist and consumerist world where it feels good to Own Things, but it’s enhanced by the fact that there’s a supposed intellectual superiority in being a Person Who Reads in a way that extends beyond normal in-group snobbery. like, the guy on /mu/ who owns every radiohead album on vinyl is engaging in his own little dick-measuring contest with other /mu/ users and may decry normie music taste as inferior to his own enlightened collection, but for the most part his sentiment stays contained within niche circles. and even then, very few people would consider the blanket act of “listening to music” to be a hobby (cue the gabriel gundacker vine), let alone one that makes you better or smarter than other people.

even the idea of Reading as a hobby (as in, “oh, I love reading!”) feels kind of alien to me, because I do enjoy lots of genres and forms of writing, but I wouldn’t say I necessarily love reading as an act in itself. reading can be really fucking tedious! especially reading something that sucks, or trying to read when your brain is riddled full of holes like mine is, or reading when you’re just not in the mood. I like to read when it involves authors and works that tickle my fancy, and some may have even described my past reading habits as “voracious,” but it’s not that I’m motivated by the indiscriminate act of drawing my eyes across a sentence and processing those words in my temporal lobe any more than my reason for playing video games is that I enjoy the sensation of analog sticks beneath my thumbs. 

[silvokrent]

(Trans anon) Rep is good, important, and necessary for the progress of society. I’m glad you’re not complacent, neither am I, fight for rep and all that it entails, and I hope we can see that day that everyone doesn’t feel like a stranger that’s out of place. Just leave Doom and every other successful franchise alone if they continue to do their own thing. They’re unifying, despite the progat, as every race, gender, and sexuality I know love Doom despite its lack of rep.

For the sake of ending an argument before it begins, we clearly have different opinions regarding representation. I accept that. But I'm not going to stop demanding that franchises provide representation. I have no intention of leaving Doom and their ilk alone. That's my prerogative. If you don’t like it, that’s fine, then don’t engage. At the end of the day we can live-and-let-live.

But you don’t have the right to dictate to other members of our community to stop just because you feel it’s unnecessary. You don’t have the right to come into my space and demand that I “just leave [them] alone” and let them do their own thing just because they’re successful. If people like myself want to criticize media for being bereft of queer rep, we should be able to do so without fear of backlash. There are already enough detractors out there without having to contend with intra-community conflict. That’s simply not a discourse I want to engage in beyond establishing my stance on the matter. At the end of the day, me asking for representation doesn’t do any harm, and at best, carries the potential to do some good. I see criticism as a catalyst for change and progress. And right now, the forces driving those changes are feedback from consumers of media, be it videogames, cinema, literature — take your pick.

Large companies including representation is important for quite a few reasons. It’s a sign of allyship — that by featuring queer characters, you’re promoting human rights over lost profits from bigoted customers boycotting your game out of a sense of entitlement. At the end of the day, that’s the message that’s being sent: that a company values diversity more than profit. That normalizing queer existence is a more important endeavor than catering to the whiny queerphobic pissbabies out there that throw a tantrum whenever a franchise gets “taken over by the SJWs.” That making their communities safe for minorities is more important than permitting toxic people within those same spaces, at the expense of minorities feeling unwelcome.

We need rep in triple A titles and other big-name companies because this knee-jerk reflex is still a thing. Because whenever a company includes even one (1) character that’s POC, or disabled, or neurodivergent, or queer, there’s always an inevitable shitstorm on social media from alt-right, fascist, white supremacist, homophobic hate groups and their members. It’s gotten to the point where this is expected. This is normal.

That’s why we need representation from id Software and other industry veterans. Because it sends a message. If diversity doesn’t matter, then why are the protagonists of so many games the exact same cookie-cutter cishet white guy? Why is this template “default”? Why is the ratio for this archetype so disproportionate to reality? The world is not 50% generic white dude, 50% “other.”

I’m not gonna stop playing these games because I do, in fact, love them. But I can love something and still be critical of it. I can still enjoy the content I consume, while holding its creators to higher standards. I can still expect these franchises to represent the other demographics that make up their consumer base. To reiterate: there is nothing to lose in asking for diversity, and everything to gain. No one is harmed by a game featuring an asexual Muslim woman, or a nonbinary Deaf Korean person in their casts. But if you pitched this idea on Twitter, I’m sure you’d have thousands of people bitching about how their beloved franchise is being tainted by the “liberal agenda.”

Why is a Deaf person’s existence an agenda? Why is a queer person’s existence an agenda? Why is simply being a radical agenda?

It’s because people feel comfortable asking questions like these that we need representation, and we need to hold content creators accountable. Art is informed by our opinions just as much as the art we consume informs our opinions. We need to deconstruct the systems in place that make the existences of marginalized people controversial, when the act of existing shouldn’t be in the first place.

And I have a right to say something about it.

I doubt we’ll ever see eye-to-eye on this topic, and that’s fine. For the sake of parting amicably, please don’t continue to engage me further on the topic. I’d prefer to simply part ways and let the matter be done. Thanks.