#man i really do feel like i'm in an echo chamber of some sort

[asbestos-11]

ok but fr real reason why i don't fuck with most fcllt ppl is bcs i just can't stand seeing my guy be made into some daddy dom stalker whatever tf. like dude is fr so polite and also sensitive, thoughtful and overall one of the nicest characters in game

like how do u go from point a to something completely different????? how??? how??!!!

did most of them not read thru the aq, his sq, his voice lines/ story????

[punkitt-is-here]

I make a point of not wading into Discourse on this site, because this whole… debacle is something that provides a pretty good example of how there are so, SO many real-world factors at play in how someone goes about their opinions and feelings, and how arguments online are more a collision of those feelings than any sort of... productive statements on the efficacy of the positions being argued from, but... yeah. The echo chamber effect and not having a varied social structure can really screw with your perceptions of the world- I know it did for me when things were bad. "Nobody is there for you" and "You can't trust x people" are definitely the sorts of things I thought then. I'm grateful for the friends I've got who cover a whole swath of life experiences, who I do trust implicitly no matter what despite those differences in our worlds, and it seems like you've got the same- that kind of friendship is one where trust is a given- hell, one might even call it "magical", and everyone deserves friends like that. Sad to see that someone can't believe that we're more alike than we are different as humans. I find we're better off when we come to the world from that point of understanding.

Three of my best friends in the world are a trans man, a genderqueer person, and the most cis man on the planet. Every one of those people have wildly varying experiences compared to me in class, gender, and upbringing, but I would literally trust any of them with my life. No matter the differences in our worlds, the bonds I feel with them transcend those differences and thinking that everyone that's unlike you is out to betray you in some way is far more a product of trauma than it is of every single person on the planet. I hope everyone can come across the camaraderie I feel with my friends, genuinely. If you feel like you'll never get those kinds of people in your life, I can guarantee they're out there and they're waiting to meet you.

[sunflowersandscreams]

finished the raven boys. exhale.

really good. holy shit what a downward spiral.

adam pressing charges and then slowly losing more and more control, which is one of the most important things to him and reflective of the nature of abuse (taking away someone's control). can't wait to read on to see what the consequences of him sacrificing himself are. also him living with his disability- I personally don't have hearing loss but i always love to read stories with disability elements, whether metaphorical or literal. also interested in if this is it with his family? because it feels like he has more to go through there. i also think there's a risk of him becoming more isolated at the church apartment(?). unsure. also him and blue are so sweet. i hope they don't crash and burn.

ronan- doesn't have the most massive part in this book. with his last line i suspect we'll go more in depth on his dream powers(?) later on. (wish the last scene and ronans line had been a bit more drawn out. it felt jarring and too much too fast). love him so far and hope there's more of his pov in the next book. what a piece of shit (affectionate).

noah- what the fuuuck. man. so I assume he just does not age? how will this relate to the others growing older and moving out and living their own lives? I assume at some point they'll kind of have to let him go? but very curious about who he was before he was a ghost/spirit.

whelk- holy moly. wish we'd gotten a little more on his background but i get that this book is kind of vague and ephemeral with details sometimes. his death felt very impactful because of how quickly his power was stripped away, i think. love the anti-gun sentiment through the book btw. truly nothing has ever been fixed with a gun.

neeve & maura- just a big question mark. especially with neeves ambitions and weird mask stuff. giving me the vibes of an evil mirror twin but I don't think that's the case. Maura i love you. she's sensible but a bit messy, much like blue. I have no idea where the dad plot point is going but eager to find out.

gansey- what's wrong with you fr. he's at his best when he's miserable <3 I love the flashes of him and blue. can't wait to see them fall in love and be star crossed lovers. hate his nickname as well as blue's. i don't see the appeal. fuck he's just so tragic. he falls in love with everyone he meets and he's very genuine but also naive in many ways bc of his privilege. him and ronan augvvh i can't wait to see more. him and Adam are soso bad for each other except when they're not. i can see why many people say polyamory for these people. (or maybe im just in an echo chamber.)

blue- my girl!! she has so much life and energy to her i really want to know why she doesn't have powers similar to her mother's and is only a magic amplifier. i wonder if she'll discover some? I like her interactions and her initial outsider sort of vibe but she's confident enough to fake it til she makes it and get in with the group. I wish they could be happy. love her attraction to everyone in the group, wanting to impress ronan, instant zing with Noah, sweetness with Adam, and banter with gansey. she's very brave but not in a way that feels hashtag badass in some 2010s YA lit. want to see her break down and lose her mind a bit though.

okay! those are my thoughts on characters. as for plot- something is very much starting. it feels like there are layers to this. with more books and gansey having searched in other countries for ley lines i hope we get some more settings outside of Henrietta, but keep a main focus on the town. cabeswater isn't done with them yet and there is something definitely sinister about it. i don't think it's a force for evil but definitely outside human morals and very very powerful.

I'm curious as to how the Latin fits in- to my knowledge this book has elements of Irish & Welsh folklore, and Latin reads more Roman to me? but maybe I'm uninformed & I might do more research into this after I've finished the whole series so i don't spoil myself.

okay. post done! again please don't spoil for future books.

[stevebabey]

i don’t have any useful advice and you might hate me for this but i was once the best friend that moved out of the country without warning. now i’m not saying that this is how your friend feels (and i don’t know you two but from what i’ve read im rooting for you sorry not sorry!!!!!) but it was easy for me to pull away because the friendship was just not the same anymore, i felt like we were outgrowing each other. if you’ve tried talking to her and it’s been unsuccessful i would say to let the drift happen. it was so hard and there were so many times i wanted to reach out and even though the last few months of our friendship were dull i missed her terribly. i was angry for a while because i felt like i was the only one putting any effort into the friendship but 3 years later and im not mad anymore. i appreciate her for the space she took up in my life but i know we’re better off now. best friends don’t treat each other that way my heart, 💌

no hate here!!! i'm always trying to get out of my own echo-chamber and hearing perspectives from the other side helps that. beware a big talk below but i'm just sort of using this message to talk through my things, not that it inspired this huge defense in me lol <3 i appreciate you sending me a message <3

it sounds like you guys might've been predisposed to that drift unfortunately, though this didn't come from that sort of place or if she was feeling that way, she didn't communicate it so i was blindsided (but given her initial reaction, i don't think so). for my situation it's important to know every individual thing was forgiveable - the birthday timing, the leaving within a month, the telling some but not others, i could rationalise them all with time and space. but she really decided to dig her heels in and die on the hill that i spoke too harshly, even when i was having to explain why her behaviour indicated huge apathy from someone who i considered to be my best friend and from then on, i was not allowed to continue to be hurt without it being unfair to her. i even tried gentle confrontation, explaining why i couldn't give the remorse she wanted at that time and how i was working to move towards that, as well as how i needed space for my own hurt and she basically shat on that olive branch and held fast that i 'didn't realise how unokay the way i spoke was' (like i hadn't addressed that). even now our last conversation, i asked about what else she needed from the letter only for her to ignore it completely, she only wants to move forward and she doesn't seem to care if i feel resolved in this. i asked very explicitly for reassurance that she's reflected on where her behaviour came from (as even with her valid critique of me, it's fairly obvious where my anger came from - vs. wtf man why did you do that) and she chose the avoidant route again, saying 'of course she's thought about it' & saying she's been 'more than apologetic' - despite from the start how i've said i don't want apologies, i want her to stop doing this to me. like i really tried dude but the only way forward with her is to roll over and ignore it forever and that's all to say, it took all that to realise the friendship isn't salvageable. and i want her to know its not mutual drift, it's her behaviour lol

[portrait-of-the-jaded-dawn]

I don't really like to post like this, since I feel like it comes off as performative and cringe, but I'm gonna do it anyways after reading something that bothered me this morning.

I am a cis white man. At the utmost height of privilege possible outside of class. I've learned that it's very important to educate ourselves of why we are privileged, but it's especially important to share that with those who might not understand. Look what's happening to Palestine. I read about the atrocities and heartbreaks every single day, while I'm at home in a comfortable enough position to just, turn this all off whenever I want. So many people close to me (family), still believe that the bombings on Palestine are completely justifiable. Yet it's not at all. A colonized people pushed into such extreme conditions must fight back, and they get treated like theyre the evil ones. I think it's important for folks like me to educate those around them about this whole situation. It's much harder to do that with some, but I'm really happy that, for example, my sister has been listening to what I've had to say.

Another reason that influenced this post, was the latest Ethel Cain posts. I saw a lot of TERFS shaming and misgendering her. I started to scroll through two of these TERF's blogs and not only do they share the literal same exact posts in their little echo chamber, but so many were filled with vile hatred towards transfolk. I don't believe those two are truly lost for good, but they're all on the wrong path. And also, I've tried to educate family members about why it's important to protect and support trans people, especially during the extremely vulnerable teenage years. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they don't. I usually can only make one or two comments. But sometimes, people start coming around.

This post is primarily dedicated to those who have some sort of privilege. I'm not saying you need to be this super active activist (I'm not!), but when people around you, that you know, start spout some nasty rhetoric. Speak up and try to educate them.

(And no I don't want any congratulations for being a good lil man. I treat my blog here to express my interests and thoughts, so don't give me some shit like I'm asking for praise)

[northwest-cryptid]

I get what you're saying and I don't mean to upset you by mentioning that you've gone and cherry picked a great example but might I request you broaden your scope slightly to perchance understand what the people saying tumblr is an echo chamber are actually talking about?

Because it goes beyond just "my mutuals have interests that I don't" and is closer to the fact that, yea no shit it's an echo chamber people are going to flock to people they agree with. This isn't actually the problem to be focusing on; the problem comes from the inaction that is taken when we never speak outside the echo chamber.

Alright listen sometimes I see a post that's like "hey signal boost this it's important" and I look at it, and it's basically a bunch of stuff like "hey trans people are people and deserve basic human respect" and I go "yea no shit dude, want me to show this to the 200 other people who agree with this so we can all agree with this and nothing will really come of it?"

Like that right there is "the problem" if there is one.

The idea of using "echo chamber" as a big scary buzzword is stupid.

Why do you follow the people you follow on this site? On a site with no visible follower counter, with no need for shit like "follow for follow" and bullshit like that.

You follow them because you likely agree with the bulk of what they're discussing; or because you enjoy the same shit they do; or because you found common ground.

Common ground is going to breed an "echo chamber" it's just that simple, you typically won't follow someone if they're spouting bullshit you don't personally believe in or agree with.

If I saw someone I was following being fucking racist or bigoted or whatever; I'm probably not gonna follow them for much longer. That does mean that if you ask any of my followers a question on a topic that matters, like the genocide in gaza, or anything about gender and sexuality, or even shit about race and racism. You're probably more than likely going to get the same if not very similar answers from all of them.

That's because we all agree on those sorts of important topics. However I follow people who blog exclusively about sentai shows from Japan, I follow people who blog exclusively about video games I don't personally play, I follow aesthetics blogs that show off a lot of aesthetics I may not care for among some that I do.

The idea is that I follow those people because they make their posts fun to see on my dash; it's something I may not be interested in but I do feel some of their interest rubbing off on me when they enthusiastically blog about the new episode of some Kamen Rider show I'll probably never see.

But if that same blog goes off saying some racist shit or something I'm just done man, that's it. There's a difference between having interests and shit that we don't agree on, and having important opinions on dare I use the words "social justice" and humanity as a whole that we disagree on.

I can handle someone I'm mutuals with blogging about shit I may not find as interesting myself, perhaps they're a friend, maybe I enjoy the aesthetic but not the thing; maybe I find some kind of weird amusement in seeing people talk about a certain tv show or something I don't care what it is, I can follow someone who likes something I do not.

Where the echo chamber comes in is when we start talking about bigger topics, more important topics; the sort of things that make you look at someone and go "...oh you think that?... like unironically? oh... okay..."

I don't think all my followers are into Mabinogi, Speedcore, and Ultrakill, but they likely have other things I blog about or enjoy that they also enjoy; or they might like me as a person. That's perfectly valid, but I assure you we more than likely have the same or similar views on racism, on gender, on sexuality, on trans rights, on cops, and laws, and the genocide.

THAT is what people mean when they say "tumblr is an echo chamber" we curate our own experience, we only really follow people we like and agree with and that's fine there's literally nothing wrong with that.

The biggest problem this causes if any, is that very often you're not getting the word out and convincing anyone who disagrees with you of anything you are trying to. There's times when mutual aid and signal boosting works because it's about raising awareness to help a cause most people agree with within a circle. That's fine, that's great!

However if you're trying to get word out to people who may not be aware, or who may not agree at first glance, if you're trying to convince someone of something; or show someone something new. It's unlikely to "breach containment" as they say. If the people who follow me have the same views on gender and sexuality that I do, then me reblogging a thing about gender and sexuality isn't going to bring a new perspective to someone who thinks differently, it's just going to reaffirm those beliefs for the people who agree with me. Again there's nothing inherently WRONG with that, but it's not like twitter where people who disagree are likely to see it and maybe be swayed by what it's saying.

This actually is a case where unless you're specifically going out of your way to follow and try to become mutuals with people who you specifically disagree with on important topics; yes the experience is universal; because the experience is human.

If you're not intentionally following people who disagree with you, then you are in some way shape or form participating in an echo chamber, congratulations it's not that deep.

It's ironic that this post has as many notes as it does, because it means that at least a couple thousand people have "not had this universal experience of being part of an echo chamber" and if you can't rationalize why that's ironic and funny for yourself I'm not going to be demeaning and rude about it; I'll just explain it.

This post in and of itself is trying to say "maybe you all participate in an echo chamber but some of the people I follow and am mutuals with like things I do not and therefore the experience is not universal" and yet thousands, THOUSANDS of people have reblogged this; they have felt that way; there are thousands of people who are saying the same thing and the same thing is about saying how different they are.

This is similar to when being hipster became so mainstream that hipsters didn't know how to be hipster because the idea of being hipster was about not being mainstream and being hipster had become the new fad.

People really view things as extremes, they think being part of an echo chamber is necessarily inherently bad, it's not. It's just part of being human. If you look at all my closest friends they'll all have a lot in common, one of the main things is that they're either trans or they support trans individuals; you'll notice most of them are gay or support gay individuals; you'll also notice that they all listen to different music, enjoy different games, enjoy different media and hobbies and have different interests; and yet if you sat the lot of us in a room together and go "Cops good?" we would all go "no cops bad actually" and suddenly that IS an echo chamber. BECAUSE THAT'S HOW HUMANS WORK, we flock together with those of similar mentality and beliefs.

“tumblr is an echo chamber where people only see opinions of other people they agree with” please be serious. i have longtime beloved mutuals who are swifties. your experience is not universal

[kariachi]

Current Shield Status: Four gyms down, team of Linoone, Corvisquire, Centiscorch, Dracozolt, Weezing, and Gastrodon.

Honestly at this point if there's a 'true' villain it play it's Oleana. Woman really went 'how can I make my supporting Rose everyone else's problem?' Like, she's already an asshole. You beat Nessa's gym and she stops you outside to go 'hurry up and get to lunch with the chairman don't you dare make him wait' like you don't have a team to take care of. Consistently when the man is talking to people pulls him aside because he's oh so busy he has no time for things like getting lunch with the people he scheduled lunch with.

But it's the fact she set Bede up that's getting me right now, cause I just finished that section. Boy goes off for a private talk with her and the next time we see him he's about to destroy a regional landmark because there's supposedly something Rose needs behind it? He's somehow gotten his hands on one of Rose's pokemon, when there's no reason he should have access to them? Oleana and Rose just so happen to be in Stow-On-Side despite how very very busy he is when it happens?

And like, at this point my only question is why. Because I'm fairly certain Rose wasn't involved in that little side plot. Bede is a talented psychic specialist, Rose should be pushing him to focus on battling because if he does become champion then that's an even better chance at managing the poison-type Eternatus. There's simply nothing for him to gain, nothing for Galar to gain, from pulling shit with this kid. Which means this is more than likely all on Oleana.

The best I can come up with right now, maybe something else will pop into my head later, is that she's fucking territorial or jealous or some shit? Like, I know her backstory is supposed to be something about Rose giving her a chance and helping her improve her life and her getting more than a little obsessed as a result, so maybe she's feeling some sort of way about him doing the same for somebody else? Certainly her actions would back it up, if her obsession includes wanting to essentially keep herself the top slot in his life. Her coldness towards people he shows an interest in, the way he can't so much as have lunch without a 'yeah yeah you've got stuff to do come on', the shit with Bede who's also at this point in the story devoted to Rose for having faith in him and giving him opportunities?

At this point, while I certainly wouldn't put the full blame on her for the shit that is going to happen, I'd say she at least gets half of it. For providing an echo chamber and seemingly trying to keep distance between Rose and other people, which would make him even less likely to see all the other, safer options available since who the fuck can talk to him about it when he can't have a five minute conversation without her dragging him off.

This is just not a healthy thing for any of those three, and they're making it Galar's problems. Rose with the best of intentions at least (though we've all seen the road to hell) but Oleana just because she decided not to get fucking therapy.

Like, woman, you ruined a kid's life goals and almost got a regional monument destroyed seemingly out of jealousy, plus you're gonna help your boss release a death kaiju on the single most heavily populated day of the year because he was nice to you back when, get a fucking shrink.

[awesome-rosier]

Thinking about people talking about redeemable vs not marauders charecters.

And like first off the whole point of fan fiction is... that it is not canon. But-

Dolores- nope. She's bad. She uses her authority to torture children, and later on those she sees as lower blood status (which is a stand in for race... so). No good sides. She keeps moodys eye. That's some messed up stuff there. Also- torturing. Children. I don't like ships with her because she sucks! She sucks

Barty- I'll say I do think he's mischarecterized a lot. I enjoy that mischarecterization- I like crazy barty who does crazy things. But it doesn't rlly match canon. However, I do see him as redeemable as a child- he grows up as a politicians kid. He's smart. He's quiet. You could argue that he was just a sleeper agent nazi the whole time. Or maybe he got into that stuff later. However, neither of those is canon! So if you are one of those oooo it's gotta be strictly canon folks... there's no way to know. So barty as a good kid? Sure.

Reg- people hate reg man. I don't get it. I mean, he takes the darkmark at 16. During a war. After his sibling ran away. Yes, it's never confirmed that his parents are physical abusive. However, from what we hear of #12 it's not fhe sort of place a kid should grow up. His parents were blood supremacists. Unless kids are exposed to other beliefs, it can be really hard to break away. Sirius got out because he was sorted into gryfindor. Reg wasn't. You can take that as a sign he was bad to begin with but really, it doomed him. Slytherins, especially during the war, seem to have been ostracized a bit by the other houses, which put him in an echo chamber of pure blood supremacy. As we can see from the recent Jan 6 pardons, the "maga granny" who rejected the pardon after attacking the capitol did so after *therapy* and *prison time* and realizing she was in a cult. It's hard to get out of these situations as a 16 year old. In a war. Placing full culpability on reg feels like throwing stones from glass houses to me. He changed in the end, he had a life long affection for kreature. To say he's at the same level as Bella or something in terms of badness is just to say you don't *want* people to get better or change. That's far to black and white I fear. People do change

Snape- see the big difference between reg and Snape is that Snape was friends with lily. She was a voice outside his echo chamber that he supposedly valued, and he gave into peer pressure or whatever and called her a slur. That's not the kind of thing you do when you love someone. Was the prank justified? Obviously not. Do I ship people with Snape? No not really, because he messed his relatio ship with lily up. Like he did that, yk? So I wouldn't ship snilly because that's just... or well maybe I would write that fic but it would be about what Snape did wrong, yk. Anyway. His motives aren't great. He gets adult James and lily killed. He only goes back to Dumbledore because of a crush he had, and one that didn't seem to value her personhood much. We have wayyyy more info on Snape than Dolores or reg, so it's harder to make a case that he was just... good. Shades of grey. I don't like his flavor of betrayal much either but one way or the other, idc. Oh and he was abused as a child! So there's that. But he was friends with lily after that abuse and didn't call her slurs until later. So I don't think it can be blamed for everything. But it does add another layer of grey

Voldy himself- for those of you that bash reg as being white and male... may I present Tom riddle. Hate his guts man, he sucked. Idk. Pretty much from the start.

I'm not gonna tag charecters or ships cause ik people block those and this is more just general discussion.

[mxtxkinfessions]

I had posted about this somewhere else but I have a sneaking suspicion it got eaten via tumblr, truly unfortunate. This won't be as heart.... soulful..... something or other, whatever, as it was when I wrote it half asleep a few days ago but I feel as though it needs to be said (again) because I keep missing them (again).

I miss you my disciples, I miss you Yingying, I miss you Ming Fan. It sort of broke my heart to come across a Ming Fan that had felt unwanted, y'know, as though the only one that mattered was Luo Binghe which might be true for some versions of me but that simply isn't the case for me personally. I dearly miss my disciples, I dearly miss the Peak Lords, some more than others as is the way feeling based memories go because I have such a difficult time with memories... it does make me a bit insecure but that's for another time.

I do miss you Liu Qingge, you were my best friend and I still deeply care for you (and greatly miss having you around to tease!). I do miss Yue Qingyuan, even if we weren't necessarily close, it's something that's difficult and ultimately I'll forever feel guilty we never really got to talk or that I was able to openly admit and apologize to you even if it wasn't my fault. It was just messy, but still, you are kind and I appreciate that deeply. I miss Mu Qingfan and Qi Qingqi (I just know we'd get on like a house on fire still!) even if I don't really have feelings or memories, I miss you and the others nonetheless.

Airplane, does it even really need to be said dude lol. I miss bullying you, you hamster fuck. 🙄 and yes this is my affection!!!!!

And Luo Binghe, does it even need to be said? My heart will always go out to every Binghe, Bingmei or Bingge. I've talked about this before but especially Bingge. I don't understand how anyone could possibly hate you, it will never cease to make me angry. To have to pick and choose, it breaks my heart, I can't stand it. So know that all Luo Binghe's out there are loved and cared for, forever. You will always have someone cheering you on quietly!

I miss all of you. Know there is a Shizun and a Shixiong / Shidi that does miss you all dearly to an EMBARRASSING DEGREE because I HAD to write this all out again for some fucking reason but hey it is what it is. I think of you all constantly at the cost of bittersweet longing but I have mastered the art of longing. This shit is nothing to me man!

Anyways. I needed to get this out AGAIN apparently. The alternative is sitting here and letting it rattle around in the fucking echo chamber of my mind. Which ordinarily I'm fine with doing but.... augh I don't know. But this has gone on long enough my rant essay is over now LOL.

─ Shen Qingqiu / Yuan. (here i'll give myself some goofy ass emoji because chances are I'll write here again like I did before so💚🥒)

💕

[americanredragger]

Honestly I've been thinking about Leftist Infighting vs Right Wing Infighting, at least as far as American examples go.

Leftist Infighting did SO MUCH to reduce voter turnout. Leftist Purity Culture did SO MUCH to reduce voter turnout. Yes, Kamala skewed towards a more centrist campaign and YES you definitely need to aim at your fucking target instead of that meadow over there, but Leftism is SO INACCESSIBLE to people who would otherwise be interested in helping the cause. If MAGA is like Doctor Who's Cybermen ("Convert, or be Deleted", and then operating in virtual lockstep at every point from then on with only surface level differences and functionally cosmetic disagreements), then the Left is more like... Daleks. Not in the omnicidal maniac way, it should be said, but in our provable hatred for the Unlike Us. "But I thought inclusiveness was our chief virtue?!" On paper, it is. But we are CONSTANTLY tearing ourselves and others apart for not EXACTLY aligning with our view of what is Good And Pure And Holy And Sacred. We have an OPENLY TRANS CONGRESSWOMAN. That is... not really precedented! Yet people threw her under the bus not twenty minutes later and acted like her election didn't matter and was utterly pointless because she did The Very American Thing and expressed solidarity with Israel rather than Palestine, which, from an objective viewpoint outside the American Internet Left's Echo Chamber, is neither strange nor controversial in America at large, and most of us were brought up this way, so it's unsurprising that many of our generation still think and believe this way. But rather than work around this thing we disagree on, rather than accept an imperfect comrade, rather than table our grievances so we could build a fucking network of resistance against the coming Trumpian Junta, or even open a dialog with her about why she believes what she believes and POSSIBLY try to convince her otherwise, y'all chose the puritan path of least resistance and threw a trans woman to the fucking wolves in an era where trans people are going to very likely rapidly lose fundamental rights. Men are routinely hated on for the simple act of Being Male, as though an expressed XY Chromosome is some sort of Original Sin that automatically damns half the population to Hell instead of a man's actions, and then you wonder why guys like Andrew Tate get such a huge fucking following. NOBODY IS PURE ENOUGH FOR ANYBODY ELSE. We will not accept allies with even the SLIGHTEST fucking flaws because we want to feel morally superior and holy. Well that's how revolutions of every stripe fail: when the revolutionaries are too busy shooting at each other to actually take the fight to an inherently unjust system. A Scottish comedian (pretty sure it's Larry Dean) summed it up well years ago:

"The right doesn't care if you don't hate exactly the way they do, they're just happy you turned up! "Are you pro Trump?" "Yeah I'm pro Trump!" "Are you pro gun?" "Yeah I'm pro gun!" "Are you anti-LGBTQ?" "Yeah I'm antil LGBTQ!" "Are you anti-Muslim?" "Eh, well... no?" "Ah, don't worry about it. You'll get there eventually." Meanwhile the Left is going "Are you anti-Trump?" "Yeah I'm anti-Trump!" "Are you Pro-LGBTQ?" "Yeah I'm pro-LGBTQ!" "Are you pro Universal Healthcare?" "Yeah I'm pro-Universal Healthcare!" "Are you anti-gun?" "Eh, well... no?" "THEN WHY DON'T YOU GO FUCKING SIT WITH THE REST OF THE FUCKING NAZIS WHY DON'T YA?!"

You guys wanna talk collectivism and socialist this and that but the simple fact is that you're utterly unwilling to do one of the most essential parts of any community: accepting that other people are not you and will never be. Just like the Daleks will wipe out whole populations of their own for being a few genes off from what they judge their own current standard of purity is, we do the same to literally anyone who might want to help out but certainly does not share all of our views. And I too have been swept up in this many, MANY times as well because puritanical righteousness feels so. fucking. good. It's a drug we need to learn to kick, and FAST.

Yes, Kamala Harris fundamentally aimed her campaign efforts somewhere other than where her target was, and that was on her. You gotta bring your efforts to where your actual voters and constituents are, obviously. But just as crucially, so many people on the left threw her under the bus for not sharing their views EXACTLY. That played a huge role in costing us the election, and that character flaw will continue to cost us. You can't have a revolution of any kind unless you're willing to work with other people, because if the only Leftist you're willing to work and ally with acts, talks, and believes exactly like you, I guarantee that you'll be working alone.

As much as we talk about how modern Conservative Christians would crucify Jesus a second time if he showed up now, and as correct as that assertion is, so would American Leftists. And I think we need to have a long reckoning with that.

💯💯💯

[rollercoasterwords]

ok! i'm actually gonna be grumpy for a second

this is gonna be me talking about the circular online discourse of "omg it SUCKS that mlm fics are so much more popular than wlw fics" specifically in the marauders fandom i do not know if it will be productive or insightful or if it will just be me being grumpy so. scroll if u want lol

anyway. i'm just! getting kinda frustrated at this point with the amount of people i see saying something like "guys...isn't it crazy how mlm fics are sooooo much more popular!! it's because of misyogyny!!" and then everyone just agreeing with them and like. that's it. internet echo chamber.

and it's like no okay i get it we need to have a conversation like it's important to start this conversation but we just. keep starting it. and starting it. and starting it. and it feels like it's not even a conversation at this point.

ok hang on i'm gonna try to organize my thoughts because i feel like there are...perhaps two main things that annoy me

there is no bad guy in this situation

one thing that frustrates me is this sort of weirdly....moralizing? ig? underlying tone to a lot of these posts. like, it sometimes feels like people are searching for someone to blame or get upset with, or some group of people to blame or get upset with. it's not just "oh misogyny is a reason behind this," it's "making a post about this issue and the way you respond to posts about this issue is an indicator of your personal moral fiber and also i now win good person points for saying this thing that many people have already said." maybe i'm being too harsh here because i DO think people deserve the benefit of the doubt and i'm sure that most of the people pointing out this issue have good intentions, i just...idk. sometimes it feels like virtue signaling more than anything.

and i think the reason it sometimes feels like virtue signaling to me is that there is no bad guy in this situation! there isn't anyone to "catch out" for the misogyny underlying this whole popularity disparity. if someone exclusively reads/writes mlm fic, that does not make them a bad person. is there perhaps some self-reflection to be done about why that is the only form of media content they consume? sure! but that's a call-in, not a call-out. y'know? idk maybe this is a whole other discussion but i already made a post about the reason i think mlm is so much more popular than wlw so i'm not gonna say it all again lol

2. the solution is actually right there. it's RIGHT there. this is a solvable thing

okay this is the thing that i think bothers me more and that contributes to those posts feeling like virtue-signaling more than anything. and that's that, at the end of the day, just saying "omg mlm fics are way more popular ugh misogyny" isn't!! that!! productive!!

like guys. this is fanfiction. this is literally fanfiction. if you truly view this as a really big issue, there are actually things you can do to fix it!! you can write wlw fics! you can read wlw fics! you can comment and kudos and recommend and send nice messages to people who write wlw fics! like this is actually a situation where you as an individual can actively do shit ??? and any of those things will be more productive than just saying over and over again that there's an issue.

like. imagine with me for a moment. picture me this. "oh man," internet user x says, "it really sucks that mlm fics are so much more popular than wlw fics! i want to see more wlw fics in this fandom space." internet user x wants to see wlw fics getting more attention, so internet user x goes and finds some wlw fics. internet user x reads them. internet user x recommends them to some friends. wow! internet user x has identified something they are unhappy with and has taken steps to change it! yay!

ok i know i'm getting sarcastic at this point i KNOW i told u guys i was gonna be grumpy. but like. the point stands (i think?). like first of all -- this is not a life or death issue; it's something that i would love to see actual conversations about, but at the end of the day this is all fanfiction and it's not that serious. but if it IS something that bothers you, actually reading and recommending wlw fics is just going to do so much more than making another post about how crazy it is that mlm fics get more attention. like. we get it. we have established that. let's either have an actual conversation about it or move on please.

"oh i would but i can't find any good wlw fics" dm me. i'll give u some. ok??? i have a whole post of recommendations. go look at that. jfc. if i could find them u can too!! it might take a little more work but again, if this is something you care so deeply about then like...work to find them. just!!! yeah. ok. i'm done now i think if i just keep going i'm gonna get mean which isn't fair bc like i said i think the people making these posts are well-intentioned. i am just! grumpy :)

[transenbyconfessions]

I heard an interesting thing online recently.

I'm very open about my issues with everyone, especially my friends. This means i "vent" if i feel treated unfairly and that is a rather common thing to do these days.

The thing is that friends will overwhelmingly tend to side with their friends, so this ends up creating a sort of echo chamber. Now, that's no news, really, what is interesting is that this gave me some rather serious dysphoria.

See, i'm AMAB and (currently) identify myself as "enbi" or non-binary. I am closeted though and none of my real-life contacts know, so to them i am a man and am treated as one, and i act like one as well, though a somewhat quirky one.

But, perhaps concerningly, when someone asks a question for or about men, such as on this blog, i am eager to offer a response... As a man. This isn't the case if the question deals with feminine topics because, naturally, i am not familiar with those.

So now i'm stuck with dysphoria trying to figure out whether my gender identity is really my gender identity. Sure, i hate the usual macho way men around my age talk with each other, and i despise how emotions are seen as weaknesses to be exploited rather than calls for help. But does the simple wish to be different from that already constitute a gender identity? What if i keep growing out my identity and find the promised nirvana of self-validation doesn't set in and i had been wrong all this time? What if i'll finish transitioning, maybe even take medicine some day, and end up realising that i want to go back?

[under-sedationnn]

the arcana: main 3 reacting to mc bringing them breakfast in bed

anonymous: Could you do main three (arcana) reacting to reader surprising them with breakfast? Feel free to ignore this!

thanks for the request!! i generally don't ignore requests unless i, for some reason, feel uncomfortable fulfilling them :) so i definitely wouldn't pass up something this cute!! i'm assuming you wanted a headcannon simply because you didn't specify otherwise, but if you would like for this to be converted into imagines for each of the characters, just let me know!!

requests for the kissing prompts and physical affection prompts are STILL OPEN. please send them in with the character of your choice (which could be any character from any series i write for) and i will create an imagine!! thanks and happy reading!!

- i feel like this would be a little new to him

- because he's usually the one who brings you breakfast in bed

- to the point where it's not really a surprise anymore, like it's low-key expected

- you look forward to it

- however

- he had a really long night last night

- new inventory for the shop had gotten a little out of hand and he spent quite a few hours stocking shelves, sweeping the floor, cleaning glass, etc.

- you helped as much as you could, but he sent you to bed after it got dark

- so waking up with him still in bed was a nice surprise, and allowed you to return the favor

- he stirred a little in his sleep at your movement, but dozed back off immediately

- you decided on a lighter breakfast, something that would be refreshing

- the oven salamander toasted some bread from the market

- and you laid out slices of fresh fruit on a cutting board, placing the bread along with it

- you decided on a bright, citrusy tea

- he was still asleep when you brought it into your shared bedroom

- "asra? hey, wake up"

- shaking his shoulder kinda did nothing, i feel like he's a heavy sleeper

- a small kiss on his forehead

- that's what woke him up, love that

- when he saw the breakfast waiting at the end of the bed, two cups of tea steaming, he smiled sleepily and kissed the inside of your wrist

- "are we feeling generous this morning?" he mumbled against your skin

- "why wouldn't i? i thought i should repay the favor at some point"

- "it's not a favor when i bring you breakfast, i enjoy doing it"

- "well so do i, we can start taking turns from now on"

- he laughed lightly at that, and shared his breakfast with you

- most certainly fed you, and you did the same for him

- he really appreciates it, and thinks it's sweet that you would want to take care of him

- the morning is filled with quiet conversation, soft touch, and the rustle of bed sheets against bare feet

- so one

- this man can't cook

- soooooo this is not like asra

- he's used to you making breakfast for the two of you because the other option isn't really worth it

- you don't usually bring him breakfast in bed though

- and he honestly usually barely touches the breakfasts you do make because he's always in a rush to get out the door

- he gets up hella early to get to the clinic

- but you had planned this

- once the sun began to creep through the windows, you were up and out of bed

- did he protest? 100%

- "trying to escape me so early in the day? really, y/n, that's just cruel"

- "i have a surprise for you, so you're gonna have to deal without me for just a little bit"

- a sleep smirk ensued

- "a surprise?"

- "oh really, julian, nothing like that"

- a peck on his chest

- "that's for later"

- with a groan, he rolled over the other way and was back to sleep by the time you slipped out of your bedroom

- when he does make time to eat, julian really enjoys hardy breakfasts

- eggs, black coffee, some sort of breakfast meat, and lots of toasted bread from the market

- fruit platters really have no place in this meal for him, much to your protest

- you got to work, the steam from the poultry causing a greasy film to line the air

- it smelled delicious

- when you brought it in to him on a small tray, he was getting dressed

- dropping a boot to the floor, he smiled and asked, "is this my surprise?"

- "yes, and you had better eat every bite, i worked hard on it"

- "oh, so demanding," he teased, "if my appetite is just as taxing, i'll try and eat you up, as well"

- "only after you've had your breakfast"

- agreeing to your terms, you sat down on the bed and ate the filling plate of food with him

- the morning was filled with the pungent scent of black coffee, the crack of market bread, and the sound of julian's soft laughter

- i don't really think nadia is used to breakfast in bed

- she is used to being served her food

- but more so in a formal dining room, with guests, and in proper clothing

- so when you executed your plan of bringing her such a meal in bed, her servants were as shocked as you knew she would be

- the chef literally didn't even know what to tell you

- "you want to what?"

- "i want to make her breakfast, and then bring it up to our bedroom"

- "oh okay, uh, do you want me to help?"

- "no, you can start preparing lunch if you'd like"

- while raiding the pantries, you realized just how much food you kept in the palace kitchens

- spices, herbs, oils, grains, poultry, fine cheese

- it was all a little much

- so you decided on something simple

- an omelet was easy enough to make, and adding leafy greens and strong cheeses to the center of it was enough to make it look fancier than it was

- plating it alongside a bowl of fruit, diced and fried potatoes, and a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade, you made way for her sleeping chambers

- "milady, your breakfast is served"

- you tried your best to sound like portia, though it came out a bit silly

- lifting the sleeping mask from her eyes, she took in the sight of you standing beside the bed with a large, silver tray

- "y/n, darling, what in the heavens are you doing?"

- "i made you breakfast!"

- bending down slightly, you showed her the platter full of food

- her cheeks blushed slightly, and her eyes gazed at you lovingly

- "i think this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me"

- although you knew that your cooking skills didn't even come close to that of her professional chefs in the kitchen below, she ate everything with a smile and thanked you many times over

- the morning was filled with your voices echoing off the marble of the sleeping chamber, the clink of glasses, and the scent of nadia's sleep ridden body wafting throughout the air

[xxkellsvixen19xx]

Sweet Blasphemy Andy Biersack X Reader

Word Count: 1,467

Warning: Discussion on self harm & depression, religion (God mentioned), swearing, suicidal thoughts

Lyrics Used: Sweet Blasphemy by Black Veil Brides

Scars.

She had an abundance.

Her wrists, her thighs, her hips, her sides.

A scar here, a newer cut there, look around you'll see them everywhere.

Some from a blade, some from shards of glass, some just purely accidents.

Should she cover them? Let them show? This is an answer she truly doesn't know.

She isn't ashamed, but certainly not proud.

Her cuts have now all healed and scars started to fade. 

She's ok.

*********************************************

The grass spreading across the plain

In one year withers, flourishes again

Burned by prairie fire doesn’t go to waste

By a spring wind blowing with new life is graced.

"My love for you is deeper than your cuts, deeper than everything else." He whispered softly pulling her close.

"Y/N?" She heard Andy's voice and looked up. She was about to wipe her tears away when he interrupted her pulling her into a hug. 

Andy grabbed her hand holding it under the table his thumb rubbing softly over the back of her hand. 

She looked straight up into his face and saw something she had never seen before…. acceptance. 

Just as she was about to cry she felt a pair of arms around her pulling her close. Looking up to see Andy's face she couldn't stop her tears from falling. She started sobbing softly and couldn't stop. She usually didn't show her weakness around others but something about him was different. He seemed trustworthy and she had this strange feeling in her stomach. 

"Y/N no matter what anyone says, I am here for you." Andy whispered lightly pulling out of the hug to stroke a strand of her hair behind her ear. 

𝖂𝖊 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖌 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖊 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖓𝖌

𝕿𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍 𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖌𝖙𝖍 𝖎𝖓 𝖘𝖊𝖑𝖋 𝖜𝖊 𝖇𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊

𝕾𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖞 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖇𝖊

𝕴 𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖊 𝖒𝖞 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖘𝖎𝖓𝖌

𝕿𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝕴 𝖜𝖔𝖓'𝖙 𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖛𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖑𝖎𝖊

𝕴 𝖐𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊'𝖘 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖎𝖓𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊

𝖂𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖉𝖆𝖗𝖐𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖎𝖘 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖊𝖊

𝕿𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖎𝖘 𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖘𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖕𝖍𝖊𝖒𝖞

She slowly shook her head, her beautiful eyes were full of pain and sadness. But not the physical kind, but more the kind of pain that gets caused by words and will never fully heal. This was the exact reason why Andy told himself to protect her at all costs, he was her guardian angel. 

Her Good Samaritan is black-haired, blue-eyed, and drop dead gorgeous, the complete embodiment of her perfect man, but he’s more than what he seems. The strange familiarity in his eyes, his touch. 

Her knight in shining armor had arrived after all. She'd never dreamed her prince charming would turn out to be a guardian angel, but life was full of surprises.

The moment Andy saved her human life for the first time, a moment also drowned by tears and agony. He found it ironic even then that he had been alive for thirty years as a human, he had never felt this peculiar and distinct connection. 

I remember when Andy first saw the cuts along my wrist it wasn't easy trying to explain it honestly. When he asked me why this was the only way I felt I could explain it….

The sting of a cut would push me into reality. It evaporated the numbness I felt inside and helped me feel real and alive. 

It helped me smile and pretend that I was okay. Over time though The more I cut, the more tol­erance I had for it, so I had to cut deeper and more often.

At that point, I had a collection of what I referred to as tools, each tool for a different cut. I had three, five, and single blades. The three and five were mostly for use at home, but the single was my travel blade. It was more discrete because it was small­er, and I could do a quick cut in the bathroom stall. If I were re­ally desperate, I would cut right in class. When you have an ad­diction like cutting, it becomes more than a coping method; it becomes a lifestyle, a skill. Cutting was my skill and I had it down to a science.

Andy's POV…..

It can be hard to understand why someone you love might injure himself or herself on purpose.

Some people turn to this behavior when they have problems or painful feelings and haven't found another way to cope or get relief.

Most of the time, people who cut themselves don't talk about it or let others know they’re doing it. But sometimes they confide in a someone. Sometimes someone might find out in another way.

Y/N looked so sad she didn't realize that the pain seemed obvious but it was way more to my eyes than she even realized.

Though she did her best to not show emotion in front of people once saying it was a sign of weakness. But when she started sobbing there was no way she could control it. It killed me to see her so upset, I pulled her tightly to me hugging her close.

It took a little bit but she started to calm down, "Your heartbeat is soothing, I don't understand why but for some reason it is." She admitted to me after a long silence. 

Y/N POV…..

I didn't know or understand how but being with Andy brought me peace. I never would have thought a single person could make the pain go away but somehow this f*cked up universe managed to prove me wrong. 

This small act was enough to let you know that someone actually truly cared and to be honest it was all you really wanted was to be at peace instead of your soul constantly at war. 

Before now….. before Andy it hurt. There's not much left to smile at, not much left inside you that knows how to smile. The once warm space behind your ribs was cold and dry – a wrinkled chamber where all traces of a heart have been scraped out – and you wondered why you still bothered to stay alive more often than you cared to admit. 

You can't die , a voice echoes in your head, you've been cursed beyond your time; you life.

There aren't many lucky days in your life, but today is one of them. 

A rarity – lonely, candid flower on a mountaintop; glowing gemstone encased in rough, dead dirt – and you cradle it so close and so tight with all the fear of losing one blissful little moment.

Andy is beautiful. He always is, whether you see him in sweaty, jogging clothes or in a pristine, carefully picked out outfit. He's beautiful like this – washed out jeans and black leather jacket draped over slender shoulders clad in a black t shirt. The light shines in his eyes, it illuminates everything that surrounds him, putting the Sun to shame. It shines over all the shadows, warms all the bones in your body.

"If I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, then you would realize how special you are to me." 

'Do you believe in God?" Your cousin asked one day what seemed ages ago. Given that she was a die hard religious holy roller her response was of no surprise to you. "I do I absolutely believe in God."

"I don't know exactly what I believe in but I believe there is something bigger than me out there." 

The depression seemed to just get worse one day Andy asked you "Do you want to talk about it?"

You shrugged "I don't see why talking about it would make it any better." 

"It won't make it better." He'd responded "but not everything is about making things better." He paused placing his hand over the top of yours. "Sometimes you need to get things off your chest, speak your truth into the universe. You won't get anything from it but sometimes some emotions are too much to keep inside. You carry a sort of a burden and it hurts you more in the long run." 

You feel two strong arms wrap themselves around you. The intoxicating smell of of deodorant or aftershave makes him smell so damn good. "I got you baby girl." His deep voice rumbles in your ear and a calmness washes over you. 

"I know your going through a lot and don't want to intrude I just want to tell you that I'm here for you." Andy twirled one of his fingers around a single strand of your hair that had fallen in front of your face. There were times where words weren't necessary to exchange and that was just fine the simple act of just simply being around one another was enough really and all that you really needed. 

[residentbunburyist]

for the askbox game: I know roughly where you stand on a good chunk of these I think but I like to pick brains anyway so I'm just gonna: ocelhira, bbkaz, snakemeryl (sn... sneryl??), vkaz, otasune (I just wanna know the answer to 3 in particular for this one eheeh) takes a bow

aw hell yeah. i'm gonna do ALL of them!!

but maybe under a cut because it'll go for a bit

OCELHIRA -

1. What made you ship it?

love it. one of my favorite trash ships. 10/10. hatefucking their way through a decade of warcrimes

i am a huge sucker for angry, twisted, mutually angry relationships, and this has everything that i want: they're forced to work together towards a mutual goal for the man they both love while he sleeps, and they're angry, and jealous, and both awful people in their own rights. i love it

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

i like seeing the multitude of ways that people fill the 9 years that bb was asleep with the two of them, and how they explore how they worked with each other and maybe started relying on each other more than they wanted to. but most importantly, i love the deceit and the knowledge that ocelot was still lying to him the entire time with the full intention of just dropping him like a rock for bb once he needs to, like ocelot always does.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

i've read a few fic where ocelot really does switch allegiances and falls truly in love with kaz, and betrays bb for kaz and v. i can't jive with that. i'm far too dedicated to ocelot's single-minded obsession with bb to let him ever fully change his allegiances. only work up some lovely lovely regret and conflicted feelings.

have my wonderful Ocelhira playlist

BBKAZ -

1. What made you ship it?

also love it. 100/10. 2 men, 1 braincell, 1000 war crimes.

what made me ship it is just all of their AMAZING interactions in peace walker. the relationship between the two of them just progressed in such a weird, but also weirdly natural way, and i can absolutely believe in their comradarie and affection

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

i love how these two get along together like an oil fire. they drive each other to new heights, and new ideas, but also enable each others' worst tendencies. in the peace walker tapes, you can really see how well they feed into each others' self-involved echo chambers, and convince each other that the things that they're doing are not only good, but GREAT ideas. i wholly believe that bb would not have become who he was without kaz egging him on, both feeding his grandiose view of himself and his world-view. plus of course i adore how it all falls apart in the end and the end their lives as bitter enemies. perfection

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

i always really really hate when people flatten kaz down to some sort of... battered housewife and bb into a manipulative, abusive husband. because bb was physically stronger and so came out on top of their fights, that must mean that kaz must be reduced to a quavering waif who doesn't understand that he's actually being abused and that's just... missing the mark on their relationship in so many different ways and i fucking hate it.

have my wonderful bbkaz playlist

SNAKEMERYL -

1. Why don’t you ship it?

I like thinking that they briefly got together after Shadow Moses, but obviously they didn't canonically work out. I'm going to say I don't ship it, just because I like working within those confines. i like thinking that they stayed together for a few months, but due to just... their mutual bad coping and disinterest in talking about their problems, Snake didn't have enough support to not fall back into his drinking and closing himself off, and Meryl got frustrated both with Snake not meeting any of her standards in a 'never meet your heroes' sort of way, and way too cooped up and lonely because she wasn't ready to wallow and write off her whole life.

2. What would have made you like it

i kind of like it just the way it is, honestly? like, i really like that they didn't work out, and that the spark that they had during Shadow Moses was based more on danger and adrenaline than actual compatibility. If anything i think i would have liked to just see a little bit more of what their time together in Alaska post MGS1 was like before Meryl left

3. Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

i really like all of the interactions between the two of them, both in mgs1 and mgs4. also i just adore Meryl in general. she's perfect.

VKAZ -

1. Why don’t you ship it?

this is a really hard one. like... I DO ship it, but... I'm going to say no, just because i only like it under VERY specific circumstances and i very rarely see it done in a way that i like. i'm incredibly picky when it comes to vkaz

2. What would have made you like it

it's one of those ships that i theoretically go ham for, and when it IS done right it hurts in the best possible way. i think... i can never get into it when it gets TOO tender, and they actually fall for each other, or become...healthy, in any way? Like, v and kaz don't communicate. basically at all. throughout all of mgsv, we only see kaz fluctuate wildly between codependently thinking that v is the only person he can trust, the one who can fix everything, the reason he's been putting himself through so much hell for the last decade... and then being vicious and vindictive when v doesn't meet the standards that he's worked up in his mind over that long period. and v, lacking any and all of the charisma that bb had, completely fails to meet kaz at any point. his reactions tend to be anywhere between confused, hurt, or upset but patient, but never... connecting. they have none of the spark, romantic or destructive, that bbkaz had. they are two husks of people who used to exist, but don't any longer (in v's case much more literally so), clinging to each other because of a sunken cost fallacy and because they're all that the other has. but there's no point in mgsv where they actually seem to connect in nearly the same capacity as just bb and kaz ranting excitedly about international politics and their plans for the future. it's tragic, it's empty, and when people explore it like that, i love it. basically... for having chosen to say i don't ship it, i sure do have a LOT to say about it

3. Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

i've seen a few fanworks that depict them in the absolute perfect way, and when it threads that needle, it becomes one of my favorite things. it's potentially the most poetic and painful pairing in the series and the people who can make it work KILL IT.

have my wonderful vkaz playlist

OTASUNE -

1. What made you ship it?

as opposed to all of the others, which i enjoy for their unhealthiness and tragedy, snake and otacon are perfect for each other and do an amazing job at learning and growing and healing together and it's absolutely one of my favorite pairings ever. the both of them had hard lives, and had made bad choices, and were having a lot of trouble connecting to other human beings in different ways. But they do such a good job of like... not perfectly, not without difficulties, but very realistically helping each other to become better and happier people

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

watching their relationship develop between mgs1, mgs2, and mgs4 is so good. watching them become more comfortable as partners, and then become the person that the other understands more than anyone else, is just so heartwarming to watch.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

the next person who depicts otacon as a perpetually sobbing but also tender and understanding uwu softboi who needs big strong david to hug him and solve every problem for him gets both a kick in the teeth and a full transcript of every time that otacon has been kind of a sarcastic or passive agressive dick

[megsironthrone]

Meg's Game of Tales: Tale 9

*Familiar characters are NOT mine! The original English version of the story "The Pied Piper" is traced back to Richard Verstegan and has also been adapted by many other authors, like The Brothers Grimm*

Warnings: Angst-ish. Violence Kidnapping????Of a sort I guess. "The Pied Piper" AU

Pairings: No pairings...no reader either, actually(And unintentionally), but I didn't think it was necessary for this.

Arya sat across from the village elder and his council. Breathing deeply, she crossed her legs and pretended to examine her nails as her gloves balanced on her lap. She was, for lack of a better word, bored. She'd been summoned to this little village and instead of getting right to the point, the council was skirting around the issue.

"Are you going to get to the point any time soon? There were a dozen other villages I passed on the way here that I'm certain would have problems that I can handle for them," Arya stated. She'd had enough of the small talk. The elder cleared his throat and nodded.

"Very well. We have a problem. Bandits come into our village every week. They steal whatever they can. Food, livestock, gold, jewelry. Anything even remotely of value. Our village is not the poorest in the kingdom, but we cannot continue accepting these loses. And those rats will probably come again tonight." Arya fought down a smile. Bandits she could handle. Bandits were fun.

"I can guarantee you that you will no longer have to suffer these bandits. After tonight, they will never come again." The council looked relieved, making Arya smirk as she continued, "For the price of 300 silver pieces, as agreed in our letters." A soft unanimous sound of disapproval echoed through the room. Clearly the elder hadn't informed his council of everything. Arya uncrossed her legs and sat forward a bit.

"This is no small task and it is dangerous. I will do what you ask, but I will be paid what I am owed. No matter what. But, as a show of good faith, I will rid you of your bandits first. I expect my payment tomorrow morning. 300 silver pieces." Arya stood, slipped her gloves back on, and left the room to find a place at the inn until nightfall. Did she feel bad? A little. But a girl's gotta eat and Arya traveled everywhere doing this sort of thing. Money didn't last long.

It didn't take long after nightfall for the sound of screams to reach Arya's ears. Grinning to herself, Arya grabbed up her weapons that included a long, thin blade (she'd named it Needle) gifted to her by her cousin and an ornate dagger that was a gift from her sister. She ran outside and was nearly run over by one of the villagers. She ushered them inside then came face-to-face with the expected group of bandits.

The first part was easy. Arya never had any problem getting men to underestimate her. She was a small young woman and didn't look like she'd be able to take on one grown man, let alone the six of them. She could, and did, easily get them to follow her outside the village to a nearby forest where a deep, thick swamp was. The next part was a little more difficult, but that was the part Arya loved best. Ridding the world of scum that took advantage of those weaker than them.

By the time the sun peaked over the horizon again, Arya was making her way back to the village. Her muscles ached and she was splattered with blood, but the job was done. No more bandits. When she reached the village, Arya made the decision to return to the inn and clean herself up and get some sleep before demanding her payment from the council.

Arya woke a couple of hours later and went to the council chambers. The members of the council all wore an expression of fear mixed with stubbornness. Arya didn't even bother sitting in the chair they had provided for her. Instead, she stood, hands clasped behind her back. "My payment?" The elder cleared his throat.

"You must understand…when we promised you that money, we didn't know what else to do. We had to stop the bandits. The bandits are gone and you can move on to a village that will be willing to pay you your hefty fee. We cannot and will not."

A dark cloud came over Arya's face. "Is that right?" The elder met her gaze and nodded, though she could still see the fear in his eyes. Arya's hand went into her pouch. The council instantly stiffened until Arya pulled out a small flute of sorts. It didn't look like much, but it seemed to give off an aura of pure evil. Arya sighed heavily.

"I hate doing this, but you've left me no choice. I told you that I would be paid what I am owed. Since you have you refused, you will still pay. Only you will not pay with money. No, you will pay with your village's children. Until I am paid what I am owed, I will return every year and take more children of the village with me. You will never know where they go or if they are even alive." Without another word, Arya left, the flute gripped in her fist.

Once outside, Arya put the flute to her lips and began playing a gentle tune. At first, people looked at her like she was mad. The council had followed her out and nearly began laughing at her. But then, as if under a magic spell, all the children came wandering away from their homes and parents. They crowded around the young woman before, much to the parents' dismay, the children followed Arya out of the village and into the nearby forest, never to be seen again.

The elder and the council didn't believe Arya's threat was genuine. They were certain that she would return the children by nightfall that evening. She didn't. Still, the village held up hope that the children would be returned. Year after year passed and they waited. Eventually, the villagers began to lose hope and pressured the council to pay the young woman. The council never listened.

Arya was never paid and, true to her word, every year, more children went missing. Year after year after year after year. The council died off. New council members were appointed from outside the village. They never paid Arya either. The same cycle continued on for nearly 20 years until one year, no children when missing.

Many people said Arya had disappeared. Some said she finally gave up. More people thought she'd died. No one knew what happened to her and no one asked. Her story became a legend. Then only a story. A fairytale the villagers told their children to get them to behave. Yet there are still some that believe the Bandit-Banishing Piper is still around and is simply biding her time.

(a/n: I am actually really pleased with this one, but let me know what you lovelies think! Also, we are half-way through our Game of Tales! Tag list for the celebration is still open!)