#it's just saying that people act in certain ways because of reasons and we can have understanding for that even if

[boyfriendtodeathconfessional]

Something I don't see talked about nearly enough in discussions of media with dark themes is the willingness to call evil acts what they are. It's one of the reasons I really like this fandom. Everything is very clearly labeled when it comes to rape, manipulation, and abuse. Meanwhile I've noticed a trend in a lot of mainstream romance having rape scenes that are ignored, glossed over, and excused. I love media with abusive men in it, but when even the author themselves tries to explain away their actions, I see that as a massive red flag.

For example, although 50 Shades of Grey is a lot tamer than anything in TPOF or BTD, I find the relationship depicted in it to be a lot more disturbing. In it, Christian is consistently coercive, manipulative, verbally abusive, and constantly ignores Anastasia's boundaries. However, the author seems intent on constantly denying that anything he does is abusive. This dismissal of abuse is mirrored when it comes to real world relationships as well. When authors depict abusive relationships, then deny that they're abusive, it ends up spreading a really harmful message.

I see this in fanfiction too, where very explicit rape scenes are tagged as "dub-con". Most often because the victim "never said no" or "actually wanted it on some level". THESE ARE EXCUSES USED TO JUSTIFY REAL RAPE. The fact that people seem so eager to use these excuses to make their fanfic seem less objectionable makes me sick. Not only does it mean that people are going to be exposed to content that they're not interested in, it also redefines consent in people's minds, and by extension excuses real life cases of rape. This isn't just in fanfiction, but the tagging system makes it most obvious there.

By contrast, BTD and TPOF both have extensive trigger warnings upfront that don't downplay the explicit elements at all. And although we do receive insight on *why* the characters act like they do, their actions are never excused by the author. I see a lot of critiques of media around about how certain stories "romanticize abuse". As a dating sim where you pursue abusive murder rapists, these games seem like they would fit this description, but when you analyze them on a deeper level, I find that this couldn't be further from the truth. It leaves the romanticizing to the player, rather than trying to sugar coat the actions of the killers. The games aren't going to falsely label shit as "dub-con" just so they don't freak people out. They call it what it is. And I really respect them for that.

I think a lot of the reason for why we see so much mislabeling and excusing of abuse and rape in fiction is that a lot of people are scared of saying that they're into that shit. Rape is such a taboo kink, so people want to pretty it up and excuse it so they don't have to reckon with the fact that they're into it. However, they fail to see that this can cause real life harm. This is why I like this fandom. People are honest with themselves about what they're into. There's no conflation of what you're into in fiction with your real life morals. That's why I'll always respect BTD and TPOF way more than anything written by Colleen Hoover or E L James.

- 🔪🔪🔪

.

[wheucto]

an ii/su crossover would be fun just for the trichotomy of light-based beings. inorganic light/organic light/whatever the ii contestants are

[inthelittlewood]

Questions about Eyes And Ears AU

I had somebody ask for a brief interview regarding my storytelling for their university project and thought I'd lend a hand.

I thought those of you that follow the story might like the insight too, so here ya go:

When you first introduced the Listeners in Evo SMP, did you have a broader narrative or concept in mind, or were they more of an atmospheric element at that point?

The honest answer is that I didn't want to write too much about somebody else's character(s), that being Grian's Watchers. If I could write the conflict from the side of the Listeners then we could continue the narrative with a pre-designed opposing force but have them be relatively mute for the most part. Partly to build anticipation of when they might act or retaliate but it also worked for behind the scenes purposes too. If the series hadn't slowed/stopped as suddenly as it did, I definitely would have poked Grian to pick his brain about what story elements fit his original imagining of the Watchers. So it was mostly narrative reasoning but they also served a mechanical behind the scenes purpose of transporting us to a new area which was necessary due to bugs we'd encountered with world gen etc.

What inspired you to flesh out the Eyes and Ears AU more in recent years? Was that mostly a personal creative decision, or was it influenced by fan interest?

Honestly I hadn't premeditated too much their reintroduction into anything that I was working on. Sure I'd seen a little chattering here and there about the Watchers but I honestly just wanted to write an individual story beat (albeit a tropey one) of c!Martyn snapping and turning on Ren but that never came to fruition due to Scar taking us out. The plan was always to backstab Ren then say a cool line like "Red Winter is over, Red Spring has begun" or something else punny. Seeing the fevered reaction of the audience though gave me some confidence that I could try my hand at some layered or entirely post-production storytelling, so heading into Last Life I was all guns blazing.

The Eyes and Ears AU is quite open-ended — do you intentionally approach it with the idea of leaving narrative space for fan interpretation?

It really is right? Yes, it's a very mindful decision to leave it open-ended but not so much for the audience's benefit or interpretations, but to give myself creative freedom to take the story wherever I'd like to. Committing to too many power scale, multiverse or narrative shackles early can really strangle stories I've noticed (from reading comics and manga) meaning back pedalling or aggressive retcons are required to explore certain paths, which is rarely a good experience for the reader. I do enjoy their versatility and capability to be applied to any Minecraft or adjacent story too. Some might call it too broad, I call it malleable.

How do you feel about fans expanding the lore through headcanons and theories? Have any fan interpretations stood out or surprised you?

I think it's brilliant! People inundate my inbox on Tumblr seeking permission to write stories or create characters / AUs but I've literally no authority on that. I suppose it might be a different conversation if they were profiting off of those works, but 99% of people simply want to write for fun which I highly encourage!! I'll be honest that I haven't read a great deal of AUs or headcanons, my exposure to them is mostly via chat messages during lore talk streams or questions that come through regarding the Eyes And Ears AU. As a general rule I try to avoid reading too much of other people's works on the topic because I worry I'll accidentally regurgitate it in some way then stumble into plagiarism, you know? It's why I focus more on digesting stories outside the fandom whether it's manga, Sanderson books, reading old Japanese folk tales and the like. I can source inspiration from those on how to weave narrative and execute plot twists without having to glance in my front yard.

Has fan content (art, theories, animatics, etc.) ever influenced how you think about or approach the AU?

Oh for sure they have. It's literally why after every season we'll do a sit down stream and talk about the lore in detail. Figure out the puzzle and potential trip wires of plot points from the episodes and how we can neatly pack them into the pre-existing story. A lot of people wouldn't do that as they'd be precious about their work and believe their opinion is th only correct one, but I looooove soundboarding with the audience on it. I also take that mindset in game and sometimes think about the scenery of an impactful moment whenever I'm able to control / design it. I'll have little quips or quotes cooked in my mind for how I'd ideally deliver a blow or plot twist, buuuuut given the nature of the Life series you very rarely get to execute things how you'd like haha! I definitely wouldn't have done as many of the poems had their not been such a positive reaction to those. I often see individual lines or entire passages make their way into art pieces as typography or highlighted in animatics which is really gratifying. It's why I also put such an emphasis and priority on audio production in my editing. If I can craft something that feels atmospheric, driving and punctuating with music, staggering vocals or sound effects then the auditory portion is already done, they can focus solely on the visual aspect of things. I try and be as cinematic / TV like as my skillset allows for that reason.

You’ve mentioned trying not to fully canonise the AU, but still referencing it consistently — how do you balance telling your own story effectively, while trying not to involve other creators, particularly on the Life Series, when a lot of your time is spent in a group?

The easiest way to do this, is to not do it. For the most part the only storytelling done with the AU is done in post-production. I never name drop the Watchers or Listeners in world (believe me, I was as surprised as all of you when I saw that Secret Keeper statue in Secret Life!!) and in recent seasons they haven't even reared their head as an influence whatsoever. They're on holiday, they deserve it. But when they do whisper in my ear, they're motivated decisions that I would likely make as a player/character anyway because the win objective is always the thing I'm striving towards. I can just pepper angst around it to make things seem more manipulated rather than selfish ha. I think that's why the open ended nature of the Watchers has served me well because as much as they have a singular motive which is to feed on negative emotions, that can be achieved in so many ways ranging from bloodlust to deception, heartbreak to panic. It's versatile for storytelling. It can be in your face, or a slow burn.

What do the Watchers and Listeners represent to you, symbolically or narratively? Do they serve a specific function in the stories you tell?

The Watchers used to represent the audience when Grian first introduced them, but after departing EVO I've definitely breathed more of an egotistical and sinister air into them. They're very much a unique entity / faction now, they in some ways represent gluttony, selfishness and neglect in achieving their goals. The Listeners on the other hand, are a lot of the opposite traits, but I'm still wanting to explore how being the hard end of most conflicts can be dangerous. I want to explore that at some point, whether it be with infighting or failures. They shouldn't be seen as simply bad/good, they're just, different. It shouldn't be too hard navigating that nuance but I want it to reflect elements and motives that we find in our own lives.

[rotagnus]

your future darling | 🩷o .｡.:*☆

some information about your future spouse!! gender-neutral although i may mention masculine/feminine energies. my first future spouse reading guyss i'm excited. i usually never did these but here we are!! i'll be as blunt and honest as possible because i can't guarantee all of us a fairy-tale ending, but i truly believe that all of us get what we deserve.

this may deal with some heavy topics, so as always, use your discernment. i may not be the tarot reader for you!!!

p1.

they really lovee thriving in environments where everything is changing. they like blending in and not being noticed but like, being the noticer. the observer. so when you first raise a brow and look at them it makes them feel a lot of things. they'll definitely be a bit scared, because there's this INTENSITY about you. this grace that you carry, this genuineness, and it'll be like a shock to their system because you're truly a very unique spirit, a very unique energy that they haven't encountered. to you, this person will literally mimic the same exact thing. meeting the person will be the start of truly living for a lot of you, and things will get so chaotic from their, but not in a bad way, y'know what i mean? they let you act like you truly are, without being guarded. many of you suffer with blocking your actual nature out from others because you don't want to break. you hate being out of control, and so you meticulously portray yourself as someone else, but when you have a moment of losing control? they're not going to judge you for laughing a certain way, or saying something. and you'll be like '...no way'. and slowly but surely, you'll start opening up, and they'll think you're the most beautiful thing they've ever seen.

for a lot of you they'll have hair darker than their skin color to a noticeable degree (ex. light skin and dark hair) or hair much brighter than their skin color (ex. dark skin and light hair). they're definitely more guarded as well, as a result of suffering heavy losses in the past due to similar things that you have experienced. this'll be a bonding moment for you, but this conversation/realization will take place months after you know each other. a slipup, because deep down, both of you don't want the image you've been showing to each other to break and show that broken inner child you both nurse, only in the darkness. but once you doooo? goddamnn you guys are gonna have a BOND. because you both know that you value each other as deeply as the other does, while your whole life, you had imbalanced energy with other people. always givers. never takers.

they are extremely talented. they know how to do things even when they're not given all of the supplies, all of the materials, and their determination is so high it can make them a bit manic at times. they do enjoy life, and they have a good sense of the material world; they may like fashion, art, anything to do with humanity and what it creates. food too! they know that life is a one-time thing, at least this specific one, and they don't shy away from experiencing all those things. neither do you, but you're still much more reserved about it, and may be more reasonable surrounding things like that. you'll love seeing them coo and fawn over a cute puppy or a cute piece of clothing, and they'll love looking at you and seeing that you're looking at them with such a soft, lovesick expression on your face. you'll have them stammering and stuttering when normally they're very sharp and put-together.

with them you'll truly be able to settle into your feminine energy. a lot of you struggle with letting loose and not always taking care of things and settling into masculine energy (which has been a safety net for you, a lot of the time) but with them life will get so much better and you're going to be able to relax, truly. after meeting this person, oddly enough, days actually do get better; not just because of THEM, perse, but it'll be because you entered a new phase of your life after learning a lesson. i think a lot of you have THREE chapters in your life, and you'll meet them very early on in the second one. they'll baby you and take such good care of you and really show you a side of people that you never knew existed. they'll hold you and they'll notice you're tense, and still massage you and kiss your temple and make sure that you're fine. a very gentle person, in general, but ESPECIALLY with you.

they're probably an extroverted introvert for most of you. they love their friends and are genuinely a kind person, but they're SOOOO sweet to their friends, so endearing. they're easily likeable so for you, to have YOU be their favorite person, will be an absolute honor. you know how to melt them. i think that something about them is in fact very attractive and a lot of people may have tiny crushes on them, but they're LOYAL to the one who bagged them (you). they'll make sure that you have a deep trust in them and they wouldn't ever break it. a lot of you will get this person because you're very grateful, and deeply glad that you have an opportunity to LIVE and grow. this is your harvest, the one that was watered with rain and trauma prior to it blossoming.

p2.

this person has a STRONGG energy. extroverted and bright. they come off as...a lot, and to some people, too much, but for you, you'll be like OMG someone who can handle me!! and what's funny is they'll see you and think the same exact thing. they're very sure of themselves and because they hate being perceived as soft and weak, they're definitely going to seem brash and insensitive at times. you, however, are very good at reading people, and you'll understand where they're coming from. they may try very fervently to push you away, but you'll be like 'i ain't leaving'. it's giving beast boy and raven omgggg. this person will try to change their physical looks to be 'accepted' more, and fit the standards that the world gave them. deep inside, they're very insecure, so whenever you give them a compliment? they might deflect it. but deep down, DEEP DOWN, they have a heart of gold. they care immensely about the fact that you looked so WITHIN them to notice things. you'll get their coffee just right, or something, and they're gonna be STARSTRUCK.

as for how they treat you, they will take great care to notice you just as much. they never allow themselves to be tender with people unless it's individual-to-individual because once again, they don't really like being perceived as someone who cares, but they'll definitely be veryyy affectionate when it's just you guys. this can throw you guys off a little bit because you'll think they don't really like you. THEY DO. they just show it in a very...odd manner. this of course doesn't mean that you deserve this, so you guys will have a LOTTT of things to talk about, but at the end of the day, i think you both will fight hard for this relationship to work. a simple argument won't scare you guys, and you both will do your best to make it not sound like a confrontation. be careful with their temper, though.

something else i'd note is that they probably know struggle. they've gone through SOMETHING, in their life; poverty, depression, prejudice, etc. they're not one to judge very easily, although, compared to the other piles, their sense of humor may be a bit more crude (this generation's men 🙄🙄) but not to an outlandish level. if it was, i know that most of you would leave them immediately, so don't really worry about it being too cruel. they're very good with kids, is what i'm hearing. very tender and that'll probably be one of the moments that makes you realize that they're not as tough as they like to say they are. i think that they'll be particularly attracted to you because you don't hold their moments of softness against them. you, in fact, love it, when they feel comfortable enough to portray a different side to you than you are used to.

night is definitely going to be significant for you guys. idk why but you two are definitely opposites; yin and yang, the sun and the moon, day and...night. many of the times you see each other, will be in dark spaces, at first. there may be separation at times, and you both will yearn for each other but both have atrociously stubborn senses of pride, but i think, once again, you guys are both deeeeeeeply in love with each other. but it'll take a while for you guys to settle down. it won't be something that happens quickly, but it will still be dense of moments and times that'll make you feel as if it's truly special. you have had your fair share of heartbreaks before, so at first, you'll look at this person and be like '...they're not different than the rest of them lmaoo but at least i can value them for less than what i did with the others' and then you truly do realize that damn, this person IS different.

they can mess it up at times by not being gentle with you, but they'll learn early on that you're a veryy prompt person and you value security instead of stupid little flicks of insecurity on their side. they'll quickly learn that with you, it's way easier to talk things out rather than act passive aggressive. they also know that you would never settle for someone less than what you deserve, so they're going to try their DAMNDEST to be it. half of you guys will end up giving 'rich auntie' vibes with this person which is so CUTEEE. dogs are important, small white ones is what i'm hearing? not sure if that can be significant for anyone. this whole fs will be a new phase, a new beginning, a 'new kind of love' (that song started to play!!)

p3.

they will definitely balance you out. i think that for a lot of you they may look tired physically, or worn out in one way or another. it is possible that they work night shifts or have a longer workday than others, or that they're busy; the gym, late at night, for example. they're good at what they do, deeply passionate. those who are in research fields pour themselves into everything they do until they have no identity outside of their passion. many are former gifted kids and oldest siblings that had to be more mature early on, which can be a double-edged sword; they have this safe warmth about them that initially attracts you to them, but when you find out why they're so empathetic, you wonder if it was really worth it. some of you will see a certain person in your future spouse; this can be good or bad, depending on who it is.

for a lot of you, at the first moment you see them, they'll be emotionally unavailable, but then, the second time you meet them, they'll be a completely different person than the first. warmer, kinder. they are most definitely seen as a hero/protector. there's something magical about them, the way they look; most will have a darker complexion/features, and will prefer to dress in monochromatic colors. everything about this person will be extremely neat, and they can be a perfectionist at times. despite this, when you truly get them to open up, they're the brightest person you know.

they don't like rough humor. this person also has a deep resentment of anyone who's mean, and they wield their heroicness as a weapon. they may be a bit odd around women specifically (if you're not one, this doesn't apply to you) due to a lack of feminine energy growing up. they have difficulties opening up, and when they see a figure that THEY can find safety in, they cling to them very tightly. they have attachment issues and hate any instability that can happen, so when plans change? expect that person to be a bit panicky, although they might try to hide this side due to understanding that it can be overwhelming for another person, as well as a defect in their usually shiny and perfect self.

they seem quiet at first, which is why a lot of you probably won't anticipate THEM being the one, out of all people. they're rather reserved, so i think that for a lot of you, there'll be a push by the universe for you to meet. a group project, an accidental conversation. you'll both be drawn to one another and feel a deep...weird connection of sorts, and ultimately, you'll have late night calls that turn into late night sleepovers that turn into living with each other. it probably won't go fast, and for a lot of you, this'll reset your nervous system as you're always rushing. it'll definitely test your patience, but in the long scheme of things, it'll ease your anxiety. this person will be your rock, your pillar.

they're going to be on the smarter side of people, so expect you becoming a listener, but this will feel deeply special, as they're the listener for most people and it'll mean the world to them, to have someone who cares about what they're rambling on and on about. you might recognize that you're something special to them because of the way they look at you; puppy-dog eyed, fidgeting with their hands, and body language nervous, but their eyes will always be on YOU.

[dustandthought]

PINKERTON'S FAVORITE WHORE

He Paid to Be Betrayed

I can’t stop thinking about that girl. That shot from the credits — where the Pinkertons approach her with a casual smile, while she’s servicing another client. I’m absolutely sure Charles had been with her more than once, not just during that mission in the Valentine saloon. We’re not shown everything, right? We don’t see how the gang members spend their downtime, when they go into town, who they spend it with.

I’m almost certain Charles wasn’t the only one. Half the guys in the gang clearly had a thing for whores. And that woman — that prostitute — I’m sure she was one of the people who gave information to the Pinkertons. Maybe even about Charles himself, though he managed to leave Beecher’s Hope. In the end, she definitely helped lead them to John.

Working girls don’t care what they get paid for — whether it’s to spread their legs or spill someone’s secrets. Especially if they get paid twice as much. And her clients — even Charles — couldn’t really hide their identity from her. Sure, he’s the quiet type, but if you watch that saloon scene before the cutscene triggers, you can clearly see him talking nonstop to the girls — his mouth never stops moving. We don’t hear any of it, but his lips are constantly moving, like he’s deep in conversation. Javier, by comparison, barely moves his mouth.

Prostitutes aren’t stupid. They take mental notes on their clients — who they are, how much they’re worth, and whether there’s more to gain than just cash. So here’s what I’m thinking… I once read this crackpot theory that Charles was the real rat in the gang. Probably a joke, because the arguments were like: “He drinks coffee. Dutch drinks coffee. Boom — traitor.” Seriously.

But my theory? The girls — the prostitutes — were the real rats. Or at least, they played a way bigger role than anyone realizes. Maybe that sounds even more insane, because I’ve got no hard evidence — except for that one frame in the credits, where she’s clearly giving information to the agents. Maybe not directly about John, but about Charles and Javier? Very likely. And if so, all she did was pass along what the guys themselves told her — in drunken confidence, far too trusting of their smugly satisfied, rented companion for the night.

Where the Gang Fell Apart

We only see things through Arthur’s eyes, but we have no idea what the others are doing. Dutch told them to blend in, act like civilized workers, and find ways to make an honest living. But he didn’t tell them to get black-out drunk, hire whores, and start bar fights. And yet that’s exactly what they did — so recklessly it borders on stupidity. When you’re that drunk, you don’t care who’s listening or what you’re saying.

There’s even a line in a conversation between O’Driscoll members, where they say Colm ordered them not to mess with whores until their job was done. And honestly? He was right. A drunk man whose dick is doing the thinking is no friend to his own brain. And yes — scientific studies confirm that sexual hormones impair both cognitive and physical performance. Aroused men are less rational, more impulsive, and their coordination drops. (This is a bit of a tangent, but it fits.)

So, is it possible that one of the biggest reasons behind the gang’s constant failures wasn’t just Dutch’s madness or Micah’s betrayal — but the reckless, indulgent lifestyle of its men? I’m not blaming them for wanting to satisfy basic urges. But, seriously — showing up as a group of four (Arthur, Javier, Charles, Bill) at the saloon, all of them among the most wanted criminals in the country, openly using their real names, and then starting a fight?

That’s not just carelessness. That’s self-destruction.

[drchucktingle]

As an autistic person, did you struggle to make and keep friends? And have you found friends through the writing world? I ask because my mom always said i needed to find my people. I did finally find them (they are neurodiverse trans nerds, haha), but not until i was like 30. And i wonder if its true of other autistic people too. So i guess my question is: did you find your people, and when?

thank you this is good question. i have always had a LOT of CLOSE BUDS even from a very young age. i would actually say that i am unusually socially adept in my way and that it is partially BECAUSE of my autistic trot. LETS TALK ON THAT FOR A MOMENT

'BUT CHUCK YOU SAID YOU ARE ON THE SPECTRUM AND AUTISTIC BUCKAROOS CANNOT BE SOCIALLY ADEPT' some say. and sure it is UNUSUAL overall, technically speaking, but there is also an important reason we talk about this as a spectrum of buckaroos and not a monolith

when buckaroos ask me what it is like to be autistic i try to explain like this: there are certain cues and markers from the outside that serve as a sort of identification checklist but because of masking they are not always correct. instead i see it as question of WHAT IS IT LIKE INSIDE YOUR BRAIN?

internally my brain is different. its taking in way more information all the time, including the stuff that neurotypical buds block out, and that can become overwhelming. it is hard to navigate because i do not have that automatic neurotypical 'here is what is important here is what is not' function

so yes i can be easily distracted and zone out as i watch the patterns and fractals spin off. and yes i can miss certain things in social situations. in many autistic buckaroos this makes large groups overwhelming and the OUTPUT of behavior matches what we typically know as signs of autism

FOR ME however, same thing is going on inside, but i have managed to HARNESS that information. even from very young age i see that everyone is DOING THE HUMAN ACT but instead of rejecting that and shutting off i think 'well okay i am just going to do THIS because thats what they actually want'

in other words, most neurotypical buds say one thing that has a kind of spiraling social-cue-related OTHER MEETING (they do this ALL the time) and instead of rejecting that i have trained myself to be REALLY REALLY good at knowing the hidden meaning. it is EMPATHY but on a sort of LOGIC BASED level

and because i have always been pretty good at that, people like to trot around me and say 'wow this is a good friend they understand me'. now for ME that can be a little exhausting and there are things i need to do and stims and all that to release the effort, but overall it is worth it to me

OTHER THING is that i was a successful CREATOR AND ARTIST BUCKAROO from an early age which is socially seen as 'cool' especially when you are trotting around in your youth. it is not particularly FAIR but it is true that some level of fame makes buds treat you well even if you are 'weird'.

of course it can be a sort of FAKE 'treating you well' but as an autistic buckaroo it is still more of a chance than you might otherwise get. this timeline has sort of carved out a very special little sliver of social grace for the token odd artistic weirdo to have a seat at each cool kids table

ANYWAY that is the trot of my life. it is a unique trot that i dont get to talk on much but since you asked THERE YOU GO. every chance i get to say 'I LOVE BEING AUTISTIC' and talk on HOW MUCH IT HAS IMPROVED MY LIFE i try to take a moment and do that. when i was young i had few autistic heroes

and OF COURSE it can be difficult and overwhelming and we need to have space for those stories and voices, but i want young buckaroos who get this diagnosis to know there are ALL KINDS of stories and trots on the autism spectrum. MINE IS PRETTY DANG COOL and maybe yours will be too. LOVE IS REAL

[shaisubs]

✨ Your reality is 100% YOURS. ✨

Hey babes 🫶

👉 You can literally change any person or any situation in your reality. period. 👈

I know people love to throw around that whole “you can’t change a man,” “just let it go,” “it’s not meant for you,” blah blah blah — but all of that? yeah. It’s just someone else’s limiting belief system that you accidentally internalized. None of that is law. It’s just noise.

You don’t have to “let it go” if you don’t want to. You don’t have to walk away if you don’t feel like it. And no, it’s not toxic or desperate to want to change something. What’s toxic is telling people they’re powerless when they’re not.

So, if you want to change a person? cool. If you want to change a situation? amazing. If you want to walk away because it feels better for YOU? also valid. But just know that the only reason you can’t change someone is if you decide you can’t. That’s it.

And babes... can we talk about the self-concept rabbit hole for a sec?

People really out here thinking they need to become hot af, flawless, magnetic, glow-up royalty just to manifest a person to love them or money to flow in. No. like, pls stop making it complicated.

You don’t need to affirm “I’m a goddess” on repeat until your voice breaks just to get your SP to treat you right. You don’t need to morph into some aesthetic Pinterest queen to make $10k a month. (unless you want to for fun, then go off 🧚‍♀️✨)

What do you need? ✅ to change your assumption. ✅ to shift your concept of that person or situation. ✅ to STOP giving the 3D your power.

Neville said it best:

“To change a man, you must change your conception of him.”

He didn’t say “go to therapy for 6 years,” or “repeat ‘I am amazing’ 600 times while crying.” He said: Change your assumption. That’s it.

So let me hit you with a real example:

You’ve got a guy who’s a total player. Everyone says it. he’s never committed. He ghosts. you name it.

But one girl comes along and says, “No. He’s actually really loving and loyal. He’s emotionally available. He’s ready to settle down — with me.”

And guess what? Suddenly, he’s in a happy, committed relationship with her.

Was she prettier? no. Did she have some magical script? no. She just had a different conception of him. That’s literally it.

Same goes for money, career, friendships, and health. Your assumption decides how things show up.

Stop wasting time feeding old assumptions with inner conversations like:

“They’re probably ignoring me again.”

“They never commit.”

“It’s too hard to make that much money.”

Like… why are you affirming THAT when you could literally be saying:

“They’re obsessed with me.”

“They’re already acting how I want them to.”

“Money flows to me so easily it’s ridiculous.”

You already KNOW this works. You've seen success stories. hell, you've probably had one yourself. So, stop giving attention to the old story just because the 3D looks a certain way.

👑 You are the god of your reality. act like it.

[lemonypops]

Okay, but like unpopular opinion: WARNING, YOU MAY NOT LIKE THIS AND IF YOU TRY ME YOU WILL BE BLOCKED!! PERIOD⚠️

As a black Sinners fan sometimes I feel really torn about the whole Remmick discourse on here. Sometimes I agree with some points people make while other times I literally roll my eyes because are we being so serious? Like…some of yall are truly chronically online, wannabe social justice warriors and musty wannabe morally superior losers. Like I’m sorry I had to say it. Like the way some of yall be on here fucking with people because they like something that you don’t really BLOWS my mind.

How are yall mad because people walked out the theater and simp for Remmick more and fixate on him more than other characters??? Like, okay, yeah I get it. Sinners is a deep black story about oppression, colonization, culture vultures and stuff but like….yall act like people can’t understand that and like what they like. Not to mention it’s hella black people on here who like Remmick, not just white people and yall still be mad talking about some, “omg why is there so many Remmick fanfics under the sinners tag” well because people like him. He’s a likable character just like many of the other characters.

Then don’t even get me started on people harassing others for certain ships. Like okay yeah I don’t ship it either but is harassing them really the answer??? No!!! LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE!!! Bring back fandom etiquette!!! Yall be grown asf messing with people. Don’t yall have jobs? Girlfriends? Boyfriends? SHIT, FRIENDS?? Get off the internet and take a hike cause it’s never that serious. Yes, many of us despise the ship but that doesn’t give us the right to straight up harass them. Let them enjoy their little ships. There’s a reason why blocking exist. Not to mention you can deadass mute tags, god some of yall are lame asf!!

Anyways, if you take offense to this then honestly you’re probably young and dumb, or either just an insufferable grown ass adult who needs to grow up. And don’t hit me with that, “oh you like Sammie x Remmick” because no I don’t. But I do like Remmick a LOT and yall ain’t gonna shame my black ass for it tf!

okay, bye now thanks for joining me in my small little ted talk, peace out ✌🏾

[novy2sirius]

Astro Notes by Novy

— volume three

Aquarius placements get a rep for being emotionless but are often quite sensitive but just really good at hiding their emotions

It’s not as commonly talked about as Leo placements but Libra/7h placements make amazing actors as well — example: zendaya is a 7h sun in western astrology

Asteroids in astrology are important but your regular natal chart planets, houses, aspects, degrees, and signs will tell you the most about your life and self

8h Venus' have the deepest most unconditional love for people. It doesn’t matter what someone does to them they will still have care for them and want the best for them no matter how toxic. They genuinely can’t help it

People with their North Node in the 12th house may experience lots of periods of isolation throughout their life

If you dream of dating your celebrity crush and have a Libra/Leo Sun, 5h/7h Sun, 5h/10h Venus, Venus at 5°/17°/29° or Sun to Venus aspects there is a possibility it could happen. Don’t lose hope — example: hailey bieber’s venus at 29°

I personally haven’t seen many same sign couples last long term. Not sure why

I’ve never met someone with Chiron in the 4th/8th/12th house that’s had an easy life. These people tend to struggle a lot emotionally and be very misunderstood by society/people in general. Even people who have known them for years

Your North Node isn’t your purpose alone it’s your potential. You have the choice to fulfill it or not. If you don’t you will reincarnate over and over until you do

Having more square/oppositions than trines/sextiles doesn’t make you a bad person. I’ve seen some people say this and I find it odd. Squares show obstacles we endure and oppositions show tensions/confusions we face in our life but just like Mars and Saturn energy they’re not inherently “bad” as these challenges can help you grow and you can turn them into positive energy if you choose to work through them properly

You’ll often be more attracted to the energy of the opposite sign of your 7th house than the 7h sign itself — example: if your 7h is in the sign sagittarius you might actually be attracted to gemini energy more often

The house your Sun is in can show you where you’re meant to shine and be successful — example: Sun in the 7th house can mean being successful in the arts or having lots of romantic relationships and ending up in a happy marriage one day

Your 2nd house sign can tell you what’s most important for you to value in this life — example: if you have your 2h in the sign cancer then you should value your empathy/emotions and use it for good

Neptune is associated with nostalgia. People with placements like Neptune in the 1st house or 3rd house may struggle a lot with nostalgia and remembering certain memories better than they actually were

People with a water sun and libra moon are usually extremely musically talented in some way — examples: ariana grande, justin bieber, madison beer, olivia rodrigo

Most same (sun) sign couples never work out in the long run. Same moon sign couples (especially in sidereal) are more likely to last

The 12th house is associated with catfishing because it’s the house of illusion and impersonations. Lots of people who have gotten catfished (long term) before usually have Mercury or Uranus in the 12th house for this reason

Mars can tell how you are in the bedroom — example: a Virgo mars will please you a lot since the sign is associated with acts of service. They’re definitely the type to make you finish first

Someone with lots of Libra energy in their chart will often hold grudges because they seek harmony and when someone brings lots of negativity to their life it’s unlikely they’ll put up with it long term contrary to the popular “people pleaser” reputation

I’ve personally noticed Capricorn Venus’ always make the best love songs

Check Mercury/Uranus’ house for insight on what you should post on social media to become more famous — example: mercury/uranus in the 10h could mean you can pretty much become famous from any type of video, mercury/uranus in the 7h could mean becoming famous from fashion/beauty/dancing/art videos or from posting with your romantic partner online, etc

Leo’s usually always have 3 or more children unless they’re infertile

Everyone talks about how Capricorn/Aquarius placements can show delays but Taurus placements can as well as the sign is associated with slowness. example — a taurus ascendant may glow up later than most (i’ve noticed this seems to be more true in my sidereal chart than western though)

Aries Venus’ do fall for people quickly but they can also move on very fast if you hurt them a lot. They hold grudges

A lot of Cancer’s have toxic relationships with Leo’s. Not sure why

Saturn is actually a planet that can give insight our job as well but not many people talk about it. It is the planet of “work”. example — saturn in the 2nd house can indicate being a singer, accountant, chef/baker, model, fashion designer, etc

Venus at 2° can indicate gaining wealth slowly over time. Most of these people gain wealth sometime in their late 20’s - 40’s

People with Venus to Jupiter aspects often end up being wealthy in life. Especially when it’s trine or square I’ve noticed

The house the Moon or Neptune is in can show where you have the most influence over others. example — moon in 5th house can indicate being a very influential actor

Everyone talks about Saturn in the 7th house being a bad placement but I think it’s very beneficial in the long run. Pluto in the 7th house is the real challenge. They often experience more toxic relationships than any other placement I’ve noticed

Aquarius Midheaven’s do NOT like 9-5 jobs. They hate being bossed around and often are more successful in careers where they have freedom and can share their own ideas with the world rather than be an employee

Leo Venus’ (and Leo placements in general) love very hard. It’s why the body part Leo is associated with is the heart

Gemini Ascendant’s will NOT marry someone who isn’t making them consistently laugh their ass off or who is too serious

Pisces placements are often great friends and really good at understanding people

Leo placements are known for being loyal but I actually find that they’re only loyal to the people in their circle not people outside of it that they’re not super close with

Cancer Saturn’s are very likely to spiral into a depression if they can’t let go of their past

I’ve noticed a lot Taurus Mars will apologize and then continuously do the thing they apologized for without changing

Aries stelliums are the biggest daredevils. They often love amusement parks and will ride all the scariest rides

Libra/7h Moons can make a lot of money from acting in romance films — example: leonardo dicaprio in the titanic

Juno in the 7h/8h is a green flag. These people tend to be very loyal partners

Sagittarius/Pisces actually have the bigger egos since they’re ruled by Jupiter the planet of abundance and the Sun represents the ego. Abundance of ego

Your solar return charts can tell about annual themes/energy, your lunar return charts can tell about monthly themes/energy, and your transits can tell about daily themes/energy

Mars/Pluto can show the things people tend to envy about us — example: people with mars/pluto in the 5h/7h should make sure they pick a very loyal partner because they tend to attract home-wreckers that try to ruin their relationships more than anyone else

People with Mars in the 7th house are always fruity. Like I don’t think I’ve met someone with this placement that isn’t at least bi

Libra/7h moons will legit move to a different location to be with the person they’re in love with. They love very deeply

Aries moons got anger issues for days but they’re really good friends to have because they won’t be the type to stay quiet when someone says something mean about you. They’re ride or die for their friends

Leo Jupiter’s (especially in sidereal) tend to have such amazing acting talent that people forget they’re watching a film instead of a real life tape

Capricorn placements often have the reputation of being hard workers but let’s talk about Aries placements. When they want something they will have it. They never give up, their ambition is insane

[miamc]

it’s funny how when will says that el has a bunch of letters from mike he says “that’s because she’s my girlfriend will” not, “that’s because i care about her will” or “that’s because i miss her”. because we know mike misses and cares about will too so that couldn’t be why he didn’t write to him or call. the way he says it almost feels like he’s treating it as some kind of obligation. it’s like his mind categorizes el as “the girlfriend” first rather than just “el”. like there are certain things he must do because she is his girlfriend and he is her boyfriend and that’s the way it is. it all feels very mechanical.

then the “we’re friends, we’re friends!” it’s just?? nobody said you weren’t? it’s like he’s equating keeping in touch with romance. if he kept in touch with will like he did with el who is his girlfriend, will would be like his boyfriend. and we know he wanted to call but couldn’t because of joyce’s telemarketer job. so why didn’t mike just explain this then? it would’ve been really simple. “i wanted to call but i couldn’t because the line was always busy” maybe will would’ve thought it was an excuse but you would still think mike would have said it?? why did he create a situation where it would have been romantic if he tried to keep in touch instead?

i can only imagine how this was for will who is already so scared of what mike’s reacted to him being gay will be like. it must be so confusing. every time he confronts mike about a failing in their friendship, mike gives the conversation a gay undertone when there wasn’t even one in the first place 😭 will probably thinks he’s being too obvious or doing something wrong when in reality mike is the one making it weird.

while will didn’t call either, the entire situation is framed as mike ignoring will and acting weird, when will is the one supposed to be acting weird because he likes mike! mike doesn’t suspect that will likes him so why would he distance himself from will? literally all of this comes from mikes side not wills. if mike was really straight i think they would have written the scene differently. i mean there has to be some reason he got defensive rather than explaining himself.

they wanted us to know about joyce’s telemarketer job as they revealed it later on. they wanted us to connect the dots and realize that’s why mike couldn’t call. but why wouldn’t mike say this to will?? what about calling your best friend that’s moved away could be misconstrued at romantic?? i think too many people focus on will in this scene and the “what about us” that they comely forget to focus on mikes reaction. the way he says “what” is about a hundred times more incriminating than “what about us”. will meant that platonically. he wants to know what happened to their friendship. but mikes distraught face and vulnerable “what” immediately followed up by defensiveness? no sorry. that’s not how you would react to your best friend asking about your friendship.

something about being asked to examine his friendship with will scared him. if it was all really platonic he could have at least said what is an exasperated annoyed tone. no, instead he said it in such genuinely vulnerable tone like it’s impossible not to notice it on a rewatch. he was dreading that question for a long time.

[ncityprincess]

With All My Love, John💌

Another one for the long-term relationship— ultimate boyfriend—husband—partner—father Johnny cinematic universe 🙂‍↕️

This is basically porn w/ no plot. Happy Valentine’s Day! 💘💌❤️‍🔥

WC: <2K

Warnings: vibrator usage, squirting, dirty talk. Johnny and y/n are very comfortable with each other sexually.

*Feel free to read these but not mandatory:*

Nighttime routine

The one before the big three-oh

Forever home

Dad John™️ series (masterlist)

MDNI.

February 14th: the day of romance, chocolates, and dirty, sinful, nasty pleasure.

You’d think being with the same person for so many years would eventually get stale and mundane. Maybe that was the fate of some unfortunate couples, but it seemed as though you and Johnny were only growing more fond of each other as time passed.

The two of you had fostered a healthy and stable relationship built on trust, kindness, and authenticity. You had a partner who held your heart and vulnerabilities close to him like a chain wrapped around an anchor. He couldn’t bear to take your trust in him for granted, and he made that clear through his actions. Feeling the security of those many layers of trust is what made you let loose and expand your mind with him.

It’s not like you guys had a secret sex dungeon hidden in your basement or anything, (although something tells you that Johnny wouldn’t be completely opposed to that renovation project) but it never felt weird to request certain activities in the bedroom. Johnny would never turn his nose up at any of your suggestions, and you were always up to try almost anything once. Plus, being naturally creative people meant that you were pretty boundless.

It started with you asking him to be a little rougher with you sometimes, maybe pull your hair a little harder and wrap his hand around your throat a teeny bit more snugly. After seeing this new side of you, this unabashed pleasure, Johnny felt more comfortable letting out some fantasies of his own.

Ever the film and photography lover, he suggested you two make a movie of your own, right on his MacBook Pro webcam. “We can pretend we’re cam stars. Imagine a bunch of pathetic fucks tugging on their cocks watching the most beautiful woman in the world get absolutely wrecked. They’d fucking love you, baby. What do you think about that?”

There wasn’t much to think about because you were already taking your top off and laying back on the bed waiting for him to set up the perfect shot. That little rendezvous naturally led to more role-play scenarios, as well as fun little costumes, which was always a fun time.

Needless to say, you and Johnny were more than comfortable with one another. That’s how you found yourself in this predicament: wrists restrained to your California king bed in pink silky ties and your legs splayed open, stocking-covered toes clenching into the mattress looking for something, anything to ground you.

And that stupid fucking vibrator glued to your clit making you feel way too good.

“Ahhhhhhh fuck baby,” you threw your head back against the plush pillow and rode out your fourth orgasm of the evening. High-pitched sounds of ecstasy bounced off the walls, along with the steady hum of the mighty vibrator that was working between your legs, courtesy of your man’s strong hand.

Johnny leered over your shaking body, bottom lip tucked between his teeth. Hearing you come undone was easily his favorite sound in the world. He could listen to it on repeat for hours, which was why he was engaging in this act in the first place. He figured making you cry out in pleasure with a vibrator on your pretty little clit was the greatest cherry on top of a beautiful day like today. Or maybe he just wanted to see you like this for his own selfish reasons. Who knows.

He played it cool the whole day, starting with waking you up with a gorgeous flower arrangement and your favorite donuts. He placed a soft kiss on your forehead and wished you a happy Valentine’s Day.

Then, before giving you a few hours of peace and space to get ready for dinner, he left you a cute gift basket filled with two new perfumes you’d been dying to try, your favorite candies, a set of Sanrio-themed sheet masks, and the most darling lingerie set you’d ever laid eyes upon.

Baby pink, so soft that it could easily be mistaken for white. The bra top had intricate lace straps, and the bottoms had a flattering cut that would surely accentuate your hips and ass. The set was complete with a matching garter belt and knee-high stockings. You couldn’t wait to start your shower routine so that you could get ready and try this beauty on.

Tucked into the basket was a note from Johnny. It was simple, but still conveyed so much:

You're my everything. I want to spend a million Valentine's Days with you. I hope these treats put a smile on your face, sweetheart. Can’t wait to see that little number on you tonight. Happy Valentine’s Day.

With all my love,

John

Later in the evening during your romantic dinner at the swanky steakhouse downtown, Johnny slipped a signature blue jewelry box out of his pocket and presented the most gorgeous tennis bracelet to you. It was so beautiful that you started tearing up, mouth agape at the stunning jewelry and the romantic gesture. He placed the dazzling bracelet onto your wrist and you held it up into the light, completely mesmerized and giddy.

It was your reactions to his efforts that made him adore you even more. He would quite literally do anything for you, but to have you be so receptive and appreciative of him is an added incentive for him to keep making you react like this.

Which is why he was sat at the dinner table highly anticipating your reaction to his last little gift of the evening. One that you’d only see in the four walls of your bedroom, away from the rest of the world. You’d find out about that later though. For now, he hid his mischief behind a large gulp of wine…

Finally, you two were back at the house. Temptation and suspense lingered in the air. The culmination of this holiday finally led to this moment. The moment.

Johnny, calm and suave as always, guided you gently by the small of your back upstairs to your shared bedroom. Cabernet and lustful anticipation swirled in your chest, knowing that the night was just about to get started.

And now, as the fire in your belly reignites and your moans get more obscene, you were positive that sex with Johnny Suh would never ever be stale, nor mundane. Suddenly, you were getting sent over the edge by that pink death machine yet again.

“Good job sweetheart, that was your fifth one. Can you give me one more?” You nodded your head weakly, looking up at him through half-lidded eyes. You took a small sigh of relief when Johnny removed the vibrator for a few moments, thankful for the break from this delicious torture.

“You’re making such a mess,” he halfheartedly chastised, saying your name in a way that made you drip even more. You whined when he ran his large hand up your thigh, suddenly missing the buzzing sensation of the wand.

“So eager…even after all that,” Johnny chuckled. He was teasing you, yes, but he was also pretty impressed by your stamina. His little slut. He loved you so much.

You let out a soft moan when he placed the vibrator back onto you. At this point, your orgasms were happening in quick succession, so it was just a matter of time before you were on the brink of cumming again. This time, however, you felt an even stronger sensation in the depths of your belly.

Johnny palmed himself through his dress pants with his free hand, relishing in your sweet, soft pants. He liked the way your hands were periodically searching for something to cling onto despite being trapped by the confines of the ties. You were so close to the tipping point.

What he didn’t expect, though was delighted to see, was a large burst of liquid shoot out of you and onto the sheets. The scream that escaped your throat sounded foreign to your ears. That was the orgasm that sent you directly to another realm.

You didn’t even notice Johnny turning off the vibrator and setting it aside until you felt him untie your wrists with quick precision and capture your lips in a kiss full of love and gratitude. His sudden kiss was mostly for allowing him to have this side of you just for himself. And also because you are just so goddamn intoxicating.

“I think…you just killed me…and then brought me…back to life again… “ you babbled in between kisses. Johnny threw his head back in complete amusement and leaned back down toward you. He placed gentle kisses on your wrists, though you were in no pain at all thanks to the silky ties not being too tight. He took a moment to marvel at the tennis bracelet wrapped around your pretty little wrist. It look absolutely ravishing on you, he mused.

“Hands and knees, baby,” Johnny ordered softly.

However, the ask was useless because he was already maneuvering your body into the position he wanted you in most.

[vexwerewolf]

Should I read homestuck

tl;dr: no

actual answer: yes, but with some extremely important caveats.

Firstly, because Adobe shitcanned Flash, you can now no longer experience Homestuck in the form it was intended upon release... unless you download the Unofficial Homestuck Collection. This act of unbelievable, nay, saintly generosity by Homestuck's most dedicated fans allows you to experience Homestuck as it was intended - as close as is humanly possible.

"As close as is humanly possible" is the key phrase here. One indelible part of the original Homestuck experience was UPDATE! Homestuck would sometimes go weeks or even months (and later, years) between updates. I wasn't on Tumblr back in the day, but at the peak of Homestuck, even if you knew nothing else about it, you'd know when an update dropped because Tumblr's net traffic would increase something like three to fourfold. People would go apeshit bananas about whatever new revelations the Huss would drop on us.

You also need to realise that Homestuck is a product of its time and while its takes on sexuality and gender identity was pretty progressive (for its time), Huss did use the r-slur a bunch.

While we're on the subject of the author, Andrew Hussie (of whom my current understanding is that they have not changed name but go by they/them nowadays) is, in the most diplomatic possible terms, a very unique person. They are, at times, a visionary storyteller with genuinely fascinating ideas. At other times, they come off as kinda spiteful towards their readers.

Without meaning to dip into spoilers, some story beats seem (in my opinion) almost intentionally calculated to upset, irritate or mock certain fans. It never rises to the sheer vicious contempt that Steven Moffat had towards Sherlock's fanbase, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth whenever I go back.

Additionally, and this is where a sort of birds-eye-view spoiler is unavoidable, the story suffers from the Game of Thrones pitfall of repeatedly increasing its own complexity by adding new plot threads without resolving existing ones, eventually leading to fatigue on the part of both the reader and the author. The arcs of a lot of characters just straight up get abandoned, while a couple of characters take an unnecessarily large amount of screen time.

There's one character in particular that the author openly states within the narrative (the author exists within the world of the story. It's... a whole thing) that they favour, and whose behaviour the story is warped to accommodate. You'll know exactly who I'm talking about almost the moment they show up.

Another reason I say that it's not really possible to read Homestuck as it was originally intended is because a lot of the shit that happens in it fits into the zeitgeist of the internet at the time any individual update was written. There's a whole section in the late middle third that is inextricably and very specifically tied to how it was like to use Tumblr in 2012.

Additionally, a lot of things have soured with time. There was the whole Hiveswap debacle (it was first announced in 2012. We got the first act in 2017. We got the second act in 2020. We do not even know if the third act will ever come out.). There were the legal threats. There were the Epilogues and Homestuck 2, which were... how do I put this? Not universally liked. There's been nearly a decade of discourse since Homestuck ended, and a lot of things haven't grown better with age.

All of that being said.

You should read it.

I cannot express to you just how big an impact Homestuck has had on internet culture. Even people who claim to hate Homestuck unconsciously use slang that it invented. Its unique ideas on storytelling, character design and narrative chronology have, in both subtle and unsubtle ways, changed the way millennials and Gen Z tell stories.

A lot of people were inspired to tell stories because of Homestuck - one example I always give to Lancer players is that Kill Six Billion Demons started as a comic on the MSPA forums (before it was homestuck.com, it was MS Paint Adventures), so Homestuck is in an indirect but demonstrable way responsible for the existence of Lancer. The sunglasses that Gideon Nav from the Locked Tomb wears have been explicitly stated by Tamsyn Muir to be Dave Strider's. Toby Fox made music for Homestuck, and worked on large parts of Undertale while living in Andrew Hussie's basement.

We also know someone in the Bluey creative team is a Homestuck, because...

There are subtle but direct references in Bojack Horseman, Hazbin Hotel, Steven Universe, Adventure Time - and those are just the ones that it's easy to prove! In a more general sense, I think there's a lot of cartoon series, movies, games, etc. that would either be very different or wouldn't exist if Homestuck hadn't happened.

It's certainly influenced my work.

I think, being very cautious to manage your expectations, that you should read Homestuck. At the very least, a lot of things people say on Tumblr will start to make, if not sense, a different kind of nonsense.

[olderthannetfic]

https://olderthannetfic.tumblr.com/post/784181809513644032/in-fandom-racism-discussions-in-cases-where-an

Never mind that many, many of Hollywood’s most pernicious problems are in the cinematography, lighting, and editing.

I want to hear how the cinematography, lighting, and editing affect things! Can you explain or link some articles?

--

Sure!

The big thing to understand about film is that there is such a thing as "film grammar", and this is a lot of how we read meaning into film.

Think of it like when comic book ladies get drawn in the broken spine pose so you can see T&A at once and some defensive clown is like "Um, um, the comic said she was the main hero! She can't be objectified meat!" But the dudes are not drawn like that. It doesn't matter what the comic said. It matters what it showed.

We know how to read that art even if we aren't consciously aware of it.

We also know how to read film.

A character looks down. We see a shot of a book on a table. We know the book is what they're looking at. A character walks out of a door. We see them in another room. We know it's just a second later and a room away, not three years later on another continent. We see a soft dissolve and we know we've gone into a flashback. How do we know? Film grammar.

The problem is that because this has not been taught in a verbal and explicit way, we often have trouble articulating why film feels a certain way.

That makes it easy for a film (show, whatever) to undercut a character while pretending that isn't happening. It also makes it easy for somebody with a few one-liners to feel huge, and no, it's not just fans randomly picking for no reason.

--

The classic early concept everyone talks about is the Kuleshov Effect, a.k.a. the experiment that showed how/that montage works. Basically, if you take the same clip of a stoic-looking actor and pair it with three very different things, people will talk about the subtlety of the acting. He looks so sad when looking at the dead baby! So hungry when looking at the soup! etc.

Another important concept is that closeups of faces are where a lot of the film's story is told. It's often not the dialogue that's being spoken but some other character's reaction to that dialogue that matters.

Part of film grammar is that breaking the forth wall feels weird (i.e. looking directly into the camera and making eye contact with the audience), but looking very close to the camera is intimate, while being shown in profile is not. (Being shown from behind is POV-y though and makes us feel like we're with the character.)

Film has POV, or rather "narrative perspective". It's more complicated and more prone to changing than POV in a novel, but it's there. If you cut to a particular character's reaction to show which dialogue mattered or you cut to them having a thought and then end the scene, they're important. If you cut after they decide something or exit, they're "driving the cut" and we're "with" them. In effect, they're the POV character.

Cool, sexy action dudes with a lot of abs are hot. They punch things in wide shots. But for a single perfect tear woobie, we need a closeup. We need interiority.

This is often not granted to the characters of color or the female characters unless they are definitively the lead or are in an ensemble that primarily focuses on nonwhite characters/female characters/etc. Your MCUs and your ensemble cop shows might do a good job with everyone, or they might prioritize a particular white guy while paying lip service to the idea that the whole ensemble matters.

--

A lot of us were taught to analyze writing in school and/or we've just spent way more time doing that on our own. It is therefore tempting to look at a script and make too much of it. But the staging is incredibly important. Lindsay Ellis has a video about Transformers where she shows a scene where the girl is saying plot important stuff that makes it clear her character is interesting... while leaning over the engine and being ogled by the camera. Nobody remembers the dialogue. They remember her butt.

Characters can be standing behind others in group shots. Characters can be only in group shots.

If the script tells you that all five of your ensemble are important and they all have equal lines, but only White Guy McScenestealer gets a closeup, then he is the main character, and he is the only one who matters.

Specifically, he is the one whose feelings matter.

The reason it's all of cinematography, lighting, and editing is that the editor is the one actually putting those closeups in or juxtaposing the characters in a way that highlights them... but for them to do that, the correct shot needs to exist. That shot also needs to look good enough.

Not only do a lot of racist, sexist crews fail to get adequate coverage, but many of them were also taught by people who never had to light dark skin and thus they also do not know how to light it or shoot it. This doesn't apply to all POC, obviously, but it's the kind of thing that can fuck up a shoot with good intentions. If the dark-skinned black lead's closeups are lit like shit and their facial expressions are the least visible out of everyone's in the group shots, the audience won't be able to feel their emotions or connect with them. The editor might leave out a lot of their coverage simply because it looks less professional even if they'd originally wanted to highlight that character.

The director probably has final say on the cut in an indie film, producers for TV or a lot of big budget stuff, but you know what I mean: someone made this choice at the cutting stage, and it might be going against what the script was trying to do.

Prioritizing the character of color needs to happen during all phases of the filmmaking or they're going to get shafted. Ditto filming women like leads and not pointing the camera at their butts all the time, etc. etc. (Substitute whatever minority. I'm sure you'll find the same pattern with non-Han characters in Chinese media.)

It's not that hard. Leverage managed to light for the pastiest, most light-reflecting blown-out shot nightmare and someone with pretty dark skin. The key thing to understand is that lighting well for this scenario takes a little more time than lighting two people with the same skin tone, and time is money.

Other types of choice may not take more time, but they do require a director or cinematographer who's really on top of things to go "No, don't do the stereotypical shot. That's telling the wrong story."

The camera tells us what to think, and what it is usually saying is "Sidekick", "Love interest", "Person number three who is here to infodump and whose feelings do not matter".

I made a couple of little video essays to try to explain this stuff more clearly. They both use The Losers, one to show how POV/objectification works and the other to show how dialogue and even minutes on screen are much less important than how a character is presented.

Aisha is the Object; Clay is the Subject

Carlos "Cougar" Alvarez: Human Exclamation Point

--

In my experience, fandom actually does not elevate five-second randos all that often. Fandom likes the character who cried in a closeup.

Who that character is is neither random nor equitable.

[manixpixiefangirl]

Mel being an empath

(Okay i just got say arcane has sparked passion in me i haven’t felt for a show and fandom in yeeeears i haven’t written a meta in forever so bare with me.)

Anyway at first watching act 3 the reveal of Mel being empath felt crazy like that’s such a huge bomb that we didn’t get build up on or much follow through but i do think it explains so much about her character. Traditionally empaths are written to be overly emotional or sensitive sort of like telepaths and being smart but Mel wasn’t written like that she’s quite calm and collected her most emotional outbursts are with her mother and jayce and even with jayce it’s only because he’s hurling accusations at her and she still remains relatively calm in her responses. I think her knowing people’s emotions wether she was aware of this or not plays into this she knows Jayce is coming from a place of hurt and confusion where as her mother back in season one she knows she’s being disingenuous with the reasons of being in piltover.

First watch this just seems like a disgruntled daughter and her mother trying to get on her good side but knowing that Mel can read people’s emotions adds another layer she see right through her mother which not only from just being raised by her but through her her empath skills.

also wanted to bring this up someone pointed this out tiktok and someone else pointed out that this maybe because we’re seeing this scene through Mel’s POV and since she is empath she see that Maddie is secretly enjoying executing Caitlyn. This got me thinking about her career as council member/politician I’ve wondered how she got so high up while seemingly not only being the youngest member but being young period if she’s assumed to be Jayce’s and Victor’s age this makes her about 24-27 in s1 which is extremely young for council member which essentially this region’s governing body. Being able to sense people’s true intentions allowed her to know who to align herself who not to, knowing when people agreed and disagreed with her, or when people sympathize with your views, causes, or concerns on certain issues which all helped her advance quickly her career. I’m sure being from a high born house helped but we see other high born houses in council positions but they’re all older.

She also seems to be somewhat bored with politics and somewhat disillusioned when we meet her i mean giving a fellow council member a child’s toy almost like a practical joke doesn’t seem like someone who views politics and her colleagues with utmost seriousness it isn’t until she meets Jayce that we see the passion for change. I think being empath she saw that Jayce and Vicktor’s vision for hextech and Piltover and Zaun were pure and genuine which is why she supported them. I also hate the rhetoric that Mel never loved jayce and just manipulated for her own gain she does everything in her power to stay true to him and Vicktor’s vision she doesn’t push him to do anything that goes against their morals and goals. When Jayce is worried about Vicktor and his absence at the council may lead to she reassures she won’t let them corrupt their dream. Like i said early she isn’t written like a typical empath she also isn’t written like a typical manipulator(if you can call her that) she is genuine in what she’s says to Jayce she just also knows how people work and his feelings on the matter so she’s able to play on that.

Ambessa describes her to be too soft and she tells Jayce she didn’t Medarda standards i think the way she operates as empath is the cause of that I don’t think Mel is welling to corrupt herself or others when getting what she wants unlike her Mother and the rest of her family i think they operate much more cut through in their goals.

Whew anyway mind any typos i didn’t mean for this be as long as turned out just wanted to share revelation i had!:)

[biancasaidstfu]

to the anon asking why you don't buy nic and jake or luke and antonia:

i'm not as informed as bianca but I've been here quite some time. let me try to break it to you.

on the surface, it absolutely does look like they're dating these people, especially after the last months. luke and nic tried a bit harder to sell that narrative especially during BAFTA time.

but if you dig a little deeper, you realize some things don't make sense.

luke:

- you can tone up the PR during the world tour to promote your season, you can look at your costar like she hung the moon and stars during interviews to sell a real-life romance that doesn't exist. but doing that ALL THE TIME? there are so many videos where you can tell it's not played up for the cameras but the little moments where he looks utterly and completely in love with nic, and she had those moments as well. just rewatching the world tour clips is enough to realize what could be PR and what most likely is just them being themselves

- he was not happy seeing antonia during certain events like the premieres in new york and london. he avoided her multiple times there.

- during summer they went to events together but did not act like a couple. no affection whatsoever. he always looked like he'd rather be anywhere else than near her

- he never posted her on his account despite having always been quite open about his relationships in the past. it could be that he just wants to protect her, but then where is the affection? the loving looks he's always given his girlfriends in the past? even when he was holding her in the water in sorento, he did not look happy or particularly interested in her.

- there were articles out in the summer claiming he's single, most likely put out by his team. why would he do that and disrespect his partner if he's with her? not being public about your relationship is one thing, denying it is another level.

- from august till the end of january, they were not seen together at all anymore. someone was with him during his sexiest man alive shoot because he kept looking to the side when talking about polin, but he seemed so happy and at ease there that it rather fit how he always seemed around nic than how he seemed around antonia.

- they did not celebrate christmas or new year's together. we don't know for sure if they were together on his or her birthdays, but antonia has been teasing being with luke for over a year now and i believe she would've posted something hinting at spending her b-day with him if given the chance

- this time BOTH looked incredibly unhappy during BOSS event, like they didn't want to be around each other. luke tried to play it up for the cameras but there were shots where you could see him looking uncomfortable. but it rather looked like he was a man on a mission and dragged her there against her own will. there's literally a moment on video where it looks like even holding hands is annoying them

- they keep getting papped somewhere but he never looks very interested or affectionate. and why do they get papped so much when luke is not a huge celebrity? it looks really weird, like they're calling the paps on themselves. which only makes sense if they want the public to believe a certain narrative

- he played it up at the baftas but in the one shot where it looks like they're kissing, their lips aren't even touching. it looks really forced and not like the new year's eve photo from 2023 where they were kissing for real. luke managed to look way more comfortable around her this time but the photos we saw of them didn't look natural but over the top, as if they're again trying to convince people they're together.

in conclusion: i think two things became quite clear whenever we saw luke with nic last year and with antonia: he has feelings for nic because he can't really hide them (see SAGs) and he doesn't look happy and at ease next to antonia.

i'm not saying he has to be dating nic because there could be various reasons why they never got together, or did get together at some point but broke up again, but why would he stay so long with a girl he's not happy with? just look at him with sophie skelton or with jade, it's two different worlds how he was acting around them compared to how he is with antonia. he could have so many women, especially after season 3's success. surely one of them could make him as happy as his exes did? and if he's so happy with antonia that he stayed with her all this time, then i really wonder why it's not showing in their interactions when it was so easy for him to look happy and in-love next to nic.

nic:

- she was seen with jake a few times during the summer and then the festival photos deuxmoi shared sparked the rumors that they're dating, but nothing in those interactions looked romantic. it could very well just be friends hanging out together. and nic said multiple times she has lots of handsome gay friends

- controversy #1 in this fandom is stating that we think jake is gay, but one look at his insta the day i saw the festival photos made it clear to me he's not straight. he might still be into women, i have no idea about that, but what i do see for sure is that whenever he's with nic, he doesn't look at her like he's romantically or sexually interested. he looks about as disinterested as luke does with antonia. he's part of nic's gay actors friend group, was apparently on a gay beach with them. i just don't know why in his case people started assuming that he's dating nic when for me nothing ever indicated he's not just one of her friends? they were seen holding hands but there are so many pics of nic holding hands with male friends that this is also not a real sign for me.

- there were multiple posts, comments, stories etc. from jake's friends calling him names indicating his sexuality not being straight in the past months

- whenever deuxmoi would publish something hinting at nic and jake being a couple, for a while douglas would immediately post something to shut those rumors down. nic also deleted tags saying they were dating. so for a while at least neither jake nor nic seemed to want to play into the dating rumors

- he was also with her everywhere for a while but by now she's more and more promoting his work and championing for him. could really very well be because they're in a relationship but it looks more like a mentor thing because nic has always been rather private about her romantic partners. i think if they were really dating she'd be more subtly supporting his career instead of actively posting about it in her stories.

- again, they celebrated christmas and new year's separately

- something i noticed was that the person nic had dinner with on her birthday had their cutlery on the right side of the table while hers was on the left side. could be coincidence but it made me believe she was having dinner with a left-handed person, which JD is not

- the BAFTA pre-party was the first time where i thought nic was more leaning into selling the narrative she's with jake because of how she posed with him at the red carpet. but again, there was a certain stiffness between them you never had with her and luke. and to me it's really weird that both nic and luke look more happy, in-love and relaxed next to each other compared to the people they're supposed to be dating.

- jake just does not look attracted to her. i've seen him various times looking at men like he's very much interested, but i don't see that look with nic.

for me it really just looks like he's another one of her male friends, sexuality aside.

lukola:

- whenever they're together, you see sparks flying. you could excuse it last year with it being PR and them having to promote their show, but what was the SAGs then?

- why does it look like they're now trying to avoid being seen together, especially after the SAGs where everyone clocked them looking in-love again? why are there no polin selfies and why is the last one we got a one where they're not even touching anymore when they always used to hug?

- why were there no happy birthday posts this year when they've always wished each other a happy birthday before? it's one of the most natural things to congratulate your costar. luke even did it for claudia who has no instagram.

it could be that they don't want to fuel the shippers anymore but nic always gave the polin fans content to be happy over. but ever since the london premiere last year they've been acting overly distant on social media. it makes it look really suspicious when they could have just asked the fans to tone down the shipping because it bothers them. i think most people do try to be respectful and would have stopped it if nic and luke had asked.

in conclusion: nic and luke have given me plenty reasons to think they're secretly together, but it's not like i'm so sure that i will die on that hill. but what i am absolutely sure of is that they're not dating the people they're rumored to be dating. i've seen enough happy couples irl to know what people in love look like, and neither nic/jake nor antonia/luke are giving that.

ANON COOKED

[shanastoryteller]

Hi shana! Hope you have a great day!

Bit of a strange question ... So, the recent ao3 maintenance had me read through your mdzs fics again (I love lynchpin so much!) and it had me notice something: there are quite a few redemption fics for pretty much any chara out there, except for jin zixun. And tbh, I wouldn't even know how to start writing one for him, but I thought, shana's a really good author, maybe she would have an idea?

Obviously not asking for a fic, more like, if someone challenged you to write it, how would you go about it?

weeellllllllll

i don't think jin zixun really needs to be redeemed

what's he guilty of, really? he's an asshole, sure, but he's not evil. he doesn't betray anyone. he doesn't scheme. he doesn't lie. he's just a chess piece, manipulated and used and ultimately discarded. he hates wei wuxian because he's rude to jin zixuan, because the rumors of his relationship with jiang yanli sully jin zixuan's reputation in turn. hating wei wuxian doesn't make him evil. in both lynchpin and become tomorrow i try and write him as a jerk, but not a bad guy

however if we were to make him likeable, when it comes to tweaking characters enough to polish them up without making them unrecognizable, you gotta ask yourself three questions

what is his best quality?

what's his worst quality?

how can his best quality be used to soften his worst quality?

i'd say his best quality is his loyalty and his worst is his gullibility. you should also look at the inverse of this - his worst quality is his loyalty because it leads to him doing stupid shit and acting like an asshole when it's not necessary, and his best quality is his gullibility because phrased another way, he's unthinkingly trusting of certain people.

so you'd take the person he's loyal to - jin zixuan - and make him a good sympathetic character. you'd give jin zixun's overprotectiveness a reasoning - such as jin zixuan feeling constrained by the expectations of his station and father's reputation keeping him from acting as freely as he'd wish - and you'd use this to soften his gullibility by having him trust jin zixuan completely

looked at like this, jin zixun's foil is wei wuxian. he acts for jin zixuan as wei wuxian acts for jiang yanli, with similar reasoning, and similarly potentially disastrous results. we find wei wuxian good and compelling and sympathetic. why not jin zixun?

often i think the best thing to do is not necessarily adding or subtracting to a character, but taking the traits they already have and shifting them just enough to show a different angle, like holding a prism up to the window to make a rainbow. there's something good in there already. you just gotta look at it the right way