#obviously they don’t say this verbatim but

[astralarias]

Me, before appointments: yeah I very likely have selective mutism / cannot speak when triggered and am very nervous in general so as a heads up I likely wont be able to talk out loud during this.

Everyone in charge of anything ever, for some reason: ohh you’re gonna have to stop being a little baby or we won’t take you seriously :) obviously you’re just making your mother talk for you because you don’t *want* to :))

[scififettuccine]

Homelander x SupeTeen!Reader

Idk ya'll Homie has really been getting on my nerves recently. I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with this one at first, but I LOVE the way it turned out. It was a doozy but it was SO FUN to write! This isn’t proof read just yet so please don’t yell at me💀

Summary: You meet your biological father for the first time at Vought Tower after your adoptive mother's unexpected passing...he's not exactly what you expected.

Word Count: 1.8k

Warnings: Homelander (Obviously), death of a parental figure, mentions of death, manipulation tactics, awkward parental conversations???

Being a Supe had never been easy for you, though, luckily you had never been forced to live in a lab. Soon after you were born, one of the Vought scientists had taken you in as her own, -due to the fact that your biological mother had died during childbirth- directly going against Vought's policies. She was found out eventually, to no one's surprise...but this breach in policy gave headway to a new experiment. So, she was allowed to keep you and raise you as her own. You were raised as any other child would be, but you were treated with extra caution...and being the only Supe in school wasn't exactly a cake walk. But the worst thing you had experienced was a little bullying, but your doting, caring, adoptive mother put an end to that rather quickly by talking with the school board. The first 15 years of your life were...tolerable, if not ideal. It was supposed to stay that way...until your mother was found dead at her place of work.

It had only been two weeks since your mother died. In those two weeks, you had been relocated and told, verbatim, that your father was one of the most iconic Supes in the world...Homelander. Now? You were sitting in The Seven's meeting room at Vought Tower, anxiously toying with the handle of the swivel chair you were sitting in. Part of you was still just...numb. Everything you had ever known had been ripped away from you seemingly overnight. Any other child would be over the moon...but you? You were just...detached. You were pulled out of the endless depths of your own thoughts when a voice echoed off the walls of the room.

"Hey there, kiddo!"

You looked up from your anxious fiddling, and were met with the blindingly white smile of your biological father. You did your best to give a convincing smile back, sitting up a bit straighter in your seat. His presence wasn't exactly the most comforting. He tilted his head to the side a bit when you didn't respond.

"You're Y/N...Right? Hopefully we didn't get the wrong kid...that would be awkward, wouldn't it?" Homelander asked with a laugh. He sort of stopped in the center of the room, looking you up and down, like he was trying to evaluate you...to decide your worth. You nod sheepishly.

"Yeah...yeah. That's me." It honestly didn't help that you were the age that you were...it made it more awkward somehow. Homelander didn't say anything for a moment, almost like he was waiting for you to say something else. When you didn't, he sort of chuckled.

"You're not very talkative, are you?" He asked. You had opened your mouth to respond, but he cut you off. "I guess that's understandable. Meeting your old man for the first time is no small feat..." He paused for a moment as he evaluated your expression. "I'm sorry to hear about your mom...tough stuff there, kiddo." You took a breath when he mentioned your mother. It was all so fresh...and there were so many things you had recently learned that she had never told you. You didn't even know she wasn't your biological mother until after she died.

"Mmm...Don't be sorry...not your fault."

Oh, the unknown irony of that statement.

Homelander let out a small scoff and frowned. Admittedly, the frown looked incredibly fake...almost like he was mocking you.

"Still...I can't imagine what you must be feeling. I mean, to find out that she was keeping so much from you...after she died...? That must pack an even worse punch." You sort of stiffened in your seat. You weren't exactly stupid...you could read his tone. He was hiding his insults towards your mother with a cruel, mock sympathy.

"She only did it to protect me...I know she did. She wasn't a bad mom, she was amazing, actually." You respond, almost matter-of-factly, your eyes glowing red ever so slightly. "I know raising a Supe couldn't have been easy for her...she had her reasons." It was incredibly hard to talk about your mother in any way, considering she had only died two weeks ago. Homelander sensed your tone, and put his hands up as he noticed the flicker of light in your eyes. It suddenly became clear to him that you couldn't control your powers, which almost made him smirk.

"Hey now, of course she was...Absolutely no hard feelings towards your mom...But I know I would have never kept things from you like that. And registering you at a public school, knowing you're a Supe? That's just...cruel." You were going to continue defending your mother...until he mentioned school. That was something you couldn't exactly convince yourself was a great move on your mom's part.

"School was...a different story. It was rough." You said, pulling your legs up onto the swivel chair so you could hold your knees to your chest. Homelander nodded as he took a few steps closer to you, his hands now at rest behind his back.

"So I've heard...I spoke to your therapist." That comment turned your stomach a bit. Wasn't everything you spoke about with your therapist supposed to be confidential? Homelander noticed the slight change in your expression. "Don't worry, Y/N...I didn't dig into any of the gritty teenager things..." He chuckled, "I was just curious to learn about your school situation. You're a sophomore now, right?"

"Yeah...I will be. In the fall." You said quietly. Homelander smiled, where he now stood beside your chair at the point of the uniquely shaped table.

"Well that's fun, isn't it?" He asked as he pulled out one of the other swivel chairs and pulled it towards him. "One more year and then you're one of the big dogs." You nodded, watching his movements as he sat down, facing you. Everything about him just seemed so...strange. Even the way he moved. It looked almost calculated...and was mildly unsettling.

"I guess..." You said quietly. You sighed as you rested your chin on your knees, grabbing onto the table to reluctantly turn your chair to face his...it was only polite.

"You don't seem too thrilled..." He started, his blue eyes meeting the identical set that you possessed, "Was school really that bad?" That was more of a rhetorical question on his part, he knew everything about you.

"The teasing sucks...They call me 'Laser Eyes'..." Homelander stifled a laugh when you said that, to which you narrowed your eyes.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry!" He said with a chuckle, "That is the stupidest insult I've ever heard!" Homelander took a moment to stop laughing before he looked back to you. "Look. I'm not laughing at you, kiddo. I would never. But Laser Eyes...? Really? They couldn't come up with anything more original? I mean...Even I'd be hesitant to insult you considering you could just laser them in half." He said. His smile was almost manic looking.

"What?" You asked, almost dumbfounded. "I would never...I could never." You said. You pulled your chin off your knees, your eyes still narrowed.

"Why couldn't you? You're a Supe...aren't you? I mean...mommy swooping in and bribing administration to take disciplinary action against those little shit stains isn't exactly making you out to be the strongest person..." You almost immediately sat up correctly in your chair.

"She bribed the administration...?" You ask softly. Homelander gave a mock frown as he noticed your eyes become glossy.

"You didn't know? Gosh...How much was she keeping from you?" You swallowed as he spoke and tried your best not to cry. The last person you wanted to look pathetic in front of was Homelander...Especially considering his earlier comment about it not being a good look that your mom always had to swoop in and save you. "Awe..." He started, scooting his chair closer to yours. "Don't cry kiddo...It's not your fault that you're so lost...It's hers." Your eyes met his once again, a tear slipping down your cheek, which you quickly reached up to wipe away.

"Lost?" You ask. Homelander nodded.

"Well, most Supes your age, with your abilities usually already have a professional presence...Or at least know how to use their powers correctly." He said, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. "I mean, had I raised you? Had you not been wrongfully stolen from me after you were born? You'd already have a place in the Supe community, followers...maybe even a contract with Vought. You wouldn't just be floating in your own little bubble...You'd have a group. A family." Something in you broke when he spoke. Your mother had stolen you from your biological father? And had he raised you, you wouldn't be so...you? So lonely and misplaced? You couldn't help the tears that slid down your cheeks. It was as if your entire life had been flipped upsidedown.

"She...S-she really kept all that from me?" You asked. Homelander tutted softly, almost pitying you. He stood up and held out his arms.

"Come here, kiddo..." He said softly, with a tone of empty sympathy. You almost immediately stood up and buried your head in his chest. At this point....What else did you have? Who else did you have? He chuckled softly as he wrapped his arms around you, his hug firm, considering he was so much larger than you...yet comforting, despite the strange material of his suit.

'It's alright, Y/N...You're right where you need to be. We'll get you up and running with those powers of yours in no time..." He said softly, resting his chin on top of your blonde hair. He caught the reflection of the two of you in the large window that lit the room and his grip tightened, almost possessively. "You're not alone anymore...got it? You've got your dad to keep you company..." You nodded against his chest, sniffling.

"Got it." You responded softly, hugging him a bit tighter. Maybe this wasn't so bad. Maybe Homelander, no, your father was what was best for you. How could you have been living in the dark for so long without realizing it...? You were truly lost. But everything was okay now. You were finally safe, in your fathers embrace.

Homelander smiled wickedly at his own reflection in the window before he rested his cheek on your head. Finally...he had you. His own child that he had been trying to get his bloody hands on for years...Losing another Vought scientist was a necessary sacrifice in the bigger picture of his perfect narrative...and it all started right here. With you. His child. He smiled as he pulled away from the hug, his hands gently squeezing your shoulders.

"How does a milkshake sound, huh? I know Planet Vought has a double chocolate one that's yummers." You smiled and nodded as he moved his thumb to wipe the tears from your cheeks.

"I love chocolate." You said with a small laugh. Homelander chuckled as he turned you towards the door of the meeting room and started walking, his firm hand on your shoulder urging you forward.

"I know."

————————————————————————

I hope ya’ll enjoyed! I left it open for more parts so totally let me know if you’d be interested in reading more. Writing for Homes is always a questionable adventure 💀 Until next time, Adieu!

[bakuhatsufallinlove]

Does Izuku Think His Feelings For Katsuki Are Gross? (or, DvK2's Endless Emporium of Nuance)

This is a pretty common sentiment I see repeated, and we all know the source of it: Deku vs. Kacchan 2.

Original Japanese and official English translation.

Crunchyroll subtitles

In one translation, Izuku expresses discomfort over this topic; in the other, he outright declares it to be gross.

That is quite the difference. I gotta say, Crunchyroll’s direct “This is gross” kind of shocks me, because it functionally ignores the key adverb “sasuga ni” and translates the line the same as you would if he hadn’t said it at all. The official manga translator, on the other hand, clearly made a decision about what Izuku meant by that phrase and then dispersed that meaning across the line as a whole.

So I understand why people have this straight-forward interpretation.

I’m here to offer some linguistic nuance, because my main problem with “Izuku thinks his feelings are gross” is not that it is completely wrong. It’s that it isn’t the whole story.

There are two really important phrases to take into account: kimi ni wa ienai and sasuga ni.

To illustrate their meaning, let’s split the line into two sections:

Note: Grammatically, kara belongs in the first section. I’m lumping it into the second section for the sake of isolating the core ideas expressed in the first section and maintaining clarity in the second.

Now we’re going to break the sections down into their constituent parts. This looks like a verbatim nightmare of a translation, because it is, but trust me, it’s a useful exercise.

Kara links the two sections by showing that the first section directly causes the second. Something worth noting is that Izuku does not use past tense here—he uses present tense and indicates a continuous, unchanged state. He has not been able to before and still cannot tell this to Katsuki. I would argue this also suggests he thinks the circumstances will not change for the foreseeable future.

Important Phrase #1: kimi ni wa ienai

Ienai is the negative potential form of “to say,” which means it is not possible for him to say it. Iwanai, on the other hand, is the negative present tense, and if he had used iwanai instead, that might suggest that he has some choice in the matter. Examples in English might be, “That’s why I don’t tell you this,” “That’s why I’m not telling you this,” and “That’s why I haven’t told you this,” which all express intentional withholding despite opportunity. To use a form that specifically denies the possibility serves to center limitation, regardless of desire.

The combination of the two particles ni and wa are used to emphasize, compare, and contrast. This is extremely telling just on its own. Izuku is emphasizing the fact that, compared to everyone he could possibly tell, he cannot tell Katsuki this. He might be able to tell other people, but when it comes to Katsuki, he cannot. Ienai does not specify where the limitation stems from, but ni wa sure implies it.

Now let’s dig into the phrase that does the most heavy-lifting in the first section.

Important Phrase #2: sasuga ni

Sasuga ni is the adverb Izuku attaches to the adjective kimochi warui (gross or creepy). It is typically translated “as expected” because this kind of adverb sounds awkward in English. “This is expectedly gross” is not a sentence people say much. You might also see it translated “as I thought,” “naturally,” “obviously,” or “indeed.”

And there is something interesting here: Izuku uses a second word that means “as expected” on this page.

Yappari, which can also be translated as “in the end,” “sure enough,” or “after all is said and done.”

I researched the nuances of these two phrases, synthesizing definitions and examples from four different Japanese dictionaries/encyclopedias and two forum boards for language tutoring from native speakers. My conclusions as related to their usage here:

Yappari indicates:

an outcome that was expected (example: “I tried, but sure enough, I failed.”)

something that remains unchanged [in the state it was previously or in other circumstances]

a situation where, no matter how you think about it, you end up with the same result (example: “I was really torn over it, but in the end I gave up on going.”)

Sasuga ni indicates:

[you, the speaker] must acknowledge that this is the natural result of the situation up to this point (example: “they grew up in a big family, so naturally they are good with kids.”)

something exceeds the permissible range, or that it may be permissible under certain conditions, but not others (example: “no matter how nice a guy he is, if he was accused of something unfairly, he’s bound to get angry.”)

You can see the meanings overlap, but the sentiments are a bit different. I saw someone learning Japanese say that every time they used one of these phrases, native speakers told them they should have used the other one instead. Another learner responded that, from their observations, the distinction appeared to be that yappari is used when the speaker had personally thought about and expected this outcome, while sasuga ni suggests that everyone would agree with this statement.

I’m not sure this is true across the board; usage always varies, even among native speakers, so generalizations are only useful up to a point, but I have to admit, a bunch of little things I noticed in my research do support this line of thinking.

If yappari tends to be more reflective of the speaker’s personal thoughts and expectations, sasuga ni’s “acknowledgment of a natural result” could indeed imply external validation. This is true of the equivalent English words, at least: naturally and obviously both suggest that any reasonable person would accept it as fact.

In fact, permissible as an idea kind of hinges on social norms—what is reasonable for someone to put up with? What behaviors sit within the realms of welcome, allowable, or excusable based on your relationship?

In my opinion, Izuku feels like he cannot say this to Katsuki because it exceeds the bounds of what is permissible between them. If sasuga ni implies Izuku feels sure that anyone would agree with his assessment, Katsuki is absolutely included in that.

Izuku is not saying, “I alone think this is gross, so I can’t tell you.”

He is saying, “Considering everything that has happened between us up till now, you would obviously see this as gross, so I can’t tell you.” Its grossness is a natural result of the situation—their history, the way their relationship fell apart, the way Katsuki lashes out, how he can barely stand Izuku’s presence, let alone his emotional honesty.

Chapter 10, during Deku vs. Kacchan 1

But remember that this sentence is a fragment: the subject of Izuku’s sentence is revealed in the second half, and it is the fact that he runs his mouth when he wants to win more than he wants to save.

This is what is gross. Izuku acknowledges that the behavior itself is unpleasant, and that any reasonable person would agree with that. His whole identity as a hero is based on saving people, so he feels some real discomfort when he has to recognize that sometimes he just wants to win. In fact, he can want victory so much that it supersedes his desire to help people.

Izuku has intentionally emulated Katsuki’s practical tactics, but this is about instinctive response. He wasn’t standing there facing Muscular, thinking the winning move was definitely to scream, “shut up.” He was furious, so he wanted to win and make that guy shut up.

When the scale tips, he acts out. He talks shit. He screams at people and insults them, because that’s what Katsuki does. These are all unacceptable behaviors, socially-speaking. Katsuki constantly and intentionally acts the exact opposite of how he should to qualify as a Good Japanese Boy. Izuku, on the other hand, plays the part faithfully, at least until it demands he betray his core values.

Deku vs. Kacchan 2 showcases how neither Izuku nor Katsuki had fully accepted the heroism of their counterpart. Katsuki is uncomfortable with Izuku’s innate capacity to help others, to see their need and meet it without question. Izuku is uncomfortable with craving victory, with that indomitable drive to seek glory. They each admired All Might for the value they themselves embody, and they admired each other for the value they lacked, but that doesn’t mean their admiration was uncomplicated.

Katsuki is a loud-mouthed, aggressive jerk, but Izuku ends up acting just like him. He clearly feels conflicted about it. He’s annoyed and hurt that Katsuki pushed him away by being such a jerk in the first place. And, from his perspective, he fails every time he tries to wrangle their relationship into something less miserable. He might even be embarrassed over the simple fact that he has held on to these deep-seated emotions for years over someone who wants nothing to do with him. He wishes things were different. He doesn’t know how they could be, anymore. He wants to connect, but he can’t.

Izuku frames his inability to express this specific thought as natural and reasonable. Obviously, there’s no way I could do this. And honestly, he is probably right. After all, this is a very intimate, revealing thing to tell someone who seems to hate your guts and has for years.

At any other point in the story, Katsuki probably would have curled his lip in disgust and barked out Izuku’s exact words, “Gross.”

But in DvK2, Katsuki bears his heart to Izuku without restraint.

Katsuki confesses something painful and private to Izuku twice, at two separate moments.

Izuku has two confessions, too. Here's the first:

But the second he admits only to himself and the audience.

Maybe if Izuku had said his “image of victory” monologue out loud, Katsuki could have had his own moment of understanding:

Izuku’s reaction after Katsuki’s second confession.

Maybe Katsuki wasn’t ready to hear it, or maybe Izuku was too chicken to believe he was ready. Either way, he needed to voice both confessions, and he didn’t.

So the narrative punishes Izuku for failing to push past his own limitations.

In the battle of revealing their honne—their true feelings, their truest selves—Katsuki risked it all.

Izuku couldn’t do the same, and that’s why he loses.

Don’t forget that underestimating your opponent is one of the easiest ways to lose a fight in MHA.

But I want to reiterate, Izuku feels conflicted about this behavior and his own feelings, not ashamed.

Emotional conflict is borne from two or more simultaneous, contradictory feelings. Izuku admits that any reasonable person would see the way he unconsciously imitates even Katsuki’s bad habits as gross, but he also clearly tells us something else.

Izuku is directly expressing his own thoughts about it, and the most important phrase is nanoni, which according to online encyclopedia Kotobank, “indicates that the following is contradictory to the preceding matter” and specifically, “includes critical feelings about the contradiction between” those two things. The latter point is unique because other words often used for “but” (such as kedo, which he used earlier in the form of dakedo) do not necessarily do this.

In the final line, one little detail here is the orange highlighted nda. This is used to explain and correlate topics of discussion. The most obvious point of explanation is why he acts this way. But the use of nanoni to connect this thought to the previous one tells us that this line is also explaining why Izuku doesn’t hate it.

Katsuki is his image of victory, and that alone is the reason he does not find this part of himself unacceptable. Just like with sasuga ni, Izuku is telling us that he understands the way other people would see this situation, and he knows what he “should” feel, but then he tells us that he does not feel that way.

I know it is very easy to see “This is gross, so I can’t tell you” at the start of this monologue, skip right to “image of victory,” and walk away thinking that Izuku is ashamed of that specifically, but the details show that the opposite is true.

And let’s not forget the nuance of yappari, which implies that Izuku has personally thought about this fact over and over, but it has always been this way.

I have seen people say that Katsuki is the one letting Izuku set the pace of their new relationship and that Izuku holds back, with this presumed shame as the cause. But I don’t think that acknowledges Izuku’s perspective on their dynamic, nor the casual mutualism they build together.

Katsuki initiated DvK2: a unique, closed “event” wherein, for the first time, they each expressed their vulnerabilities as much as they were able. But immediately outside the confines of DvK2, Izuku is the one who reaches out, as a gesture of reciprocation towards Katsuki for having initiated this change.

He is asking Katsuki's opinion, but what this gesture means is, “I don’t want us being honest with each other to end there. I still want you in my life.”

And maybe for the first time in years, Katsuki actually understands what Izuku means, and reaches back.

Look at these fucking nerds.

Notice that Izuku responds to Katsuki twice. At the first response, Katsuki has offered his observations and given him valid criticism on his technique, which is a show of goodwill. But then, Katsuki continues even when the admission reflects a personal weakness, with Izuku's punch having caught him off guard. This is actual honesty, and it means that they didn't just resolve their aggression and reset to neutral peers, but that Katsuki wants to be close, too. And just like during their fight, understanding comes the second time around.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: from Izuku’s point of view, Katsuki’s shitty behavior was the only thing that stood between them, because Izuku’s core feelings for him never changed.

Izuku lets Katsuki decide what is permissible between them, because Katsuki is the one who pushed him away in the first place. He opens the door just enough to say, “Whatever you want to give of yourself, I will accept.”

After that, Katsuki is the one making the big gestures by taking time out of his own life to discuss OFA with Izuku and All Might and help Izuku by training with him, even inserting himself into situations when he isn't asked. At every point, we see Izuku receive Katsuki with warmth and then follow up with smaller gestures of his own.

Chapters 202, 209, 249, and 327.

The reason we see so much of Katsuki’s side of their relationship, especially after DvK2, is because his feelings are the ones that change the most: from dysfunctional to self-aware and accepting. He has struggled for years over Izuku’s place in his life. He didn’t understand Izuku or his own feelings, and he was wrapped up in denial. He tells himself again and again that Izuku is “beneath him,” when we know the truth is he always thought Izuku was better than him.

Comparatively, Izuku resolves his conflicted feelings about his admiration for Katsuki much quicker, because the source of his conflict was primarily external while Katsuki's was primarily internal.

Chapter 257

A little detail I love about the "I'm too blessed" moment is that Izuku thinks of his conversations with Katsuki as "normal(?)" with a literal question mark attached. Is this normal? He doesn't really know. But it's enough. Kacchan is Kacchan, explosive and outrageous and way too much, all the time. Maybe they'll never be what other people think of as "normal," but Izuku is happy just to have Kacchan as he is, and be there however Kacchan will have him.

Katsuki's ideal has always been Izuku; he tried to outrun that fact and failed every time. Meanwhile, Izuku’s image of victory has always been Kacchan, and he has just been waiting for Kacchan to want to hear that from him.

Everyone has been wondering if Izuku will ever tell him. Me, personally, I'm hoping their story will end with a mutual declaration of their shared truth.

"You have always been my hero."

[velvetvexations]

Again, to the genderneutral period products (first anon here).

I don’t think some transphobes on twitter making literally every single thing they see about trans women will give you the whole picture of what transphobes actually believe.

Like, in real life, transphobic cis women are very much fighting against genderneutral language surrounding periods and pregnancy specifically to exclude trans people who menstruate and can get pregnant—as in, they’re verbatim saying that. To punish trans people who "chose" to transition, even more so when they "chose" manhood over womanhood; to exclude them and cause them harm and force them to detransition to access services they need (or suffer for it or even die, in the worst case if they don’t detransition).

There’s a lot of things that are actually targeted towards trans women, and other parts of the period-pregnancy-discussion of transphobes clearly are, but the fight against genderneutral language is, like, very specifically and openly because of the reasons above. And erasing that is causing even more harm to the people who aren’t women who need menstrual products and care related to it as well as pregnancy care, you know?

We can talk about multiple things at the same time, too. Like, of course some transphobes will make everything about trans women, even in the most on-the-nose obviously-about-transmasc-people cases, and the people structurally harmed by this discussion are mainly not trans women! This is literally just another instance of hypervisibility vs. structural erasure. And by focussing on only trans women and the transphobes who make it about trans women in this discussion, the trans community itself is participating in that erasure and causing more harm!

(Hope the extremely emphasised only makes it clear that I don’t mean trans women have no space in this discussion.)

One might say that when trans women are accused of wanting period products, we're simply suffering splash damage from transandrophobia, which we aren't the true targets of. We're still Transandrophobia Exempt.

[literaila]

okay but like do you think gojo and oc would ever have a baby of their own, giving tsumiki and megumi a sibling, or are their adopted children enough?

sometimes i like to think oc would agree to become a teacher just to feel like all her students are also her babies.

i am personally of the belief that satoru wants a million children. and he says this, verbatim, when you get together.

“oh, just by the way we’re having ten kids, kay, love ya!”

but then there’s the fact that he doesn’t care where they come from. biological children, adopted children, curse wombs, mahito’s silly little transfigured humans… you got ‘em, he’ll take them.

you, on the other hand, have always been… wary about kids. i mean there’s no doubt that you adore them, think they’re precious little angels to be bestowed on only the best of beings—i mean, really, the reason satoru sought you out to help with megumi and tsumiki is because he knew you liked kids.

still… there’s that doubt, that worry that you could never be enough for a child. that you could never give them a childhood that you wanted and deserved.

teenage you is the gloomiest of them all, and if you asked her, she’d probably say no.

but then a stupid man brought home two children unannounced and swore he was going to help with them (he does… occasionally).

so, without warning, you gets the kids you’ve always (secretly) dreamed of. and who could ask for more than megumi and tsumiki, really? who even could?

(so obviously that fear is quickly washed away. i mean, there’s days, weeks, months of doubts where you’re sure that you’re doing everything wrong. sure that megumi is never going to be able to live in society as a normal human being, and that tsumiki is going to suffer from her soft, easygoing heart.

luckily satoru is also there to prove that if you think you’re doing anything wrong, he’s doing it ten times worse.

and sometimes he sweet talks you. but only for the rewards, of course.

you both learn that parenting is less about being perfect than adapting to the needs of the tiny beings, bending at their every will…)

still, even though you love megumi and tsumiki like they’ve crawled into your veins and strained all livelihood from you, having your own biological kids is a bit different.

satoru is all for it, no doubt, but he doesn’t push. he understands your hesitation—especially with how difficult everything’s become as the kids get older. the increase in curses, the rising fear that the world isn’t a safe place as is, and could never be a safe place for another baby.

(but don’t expect him not to stare at you when you’re helping a lost little girl across the street. or holding the baby of a friend. really, he’s just reminiscing… he’s not planning anything… probably…)

though, it doesn’t help either of you that satoru teaches the first years. in hindsight, you shouldn’t have let him make that decision, but it’s too late now.

satoru tries to bring every student home. even if they’ve got two healthy, loving parents—he’s calling a lawyer to draw up legal paperwork the moment yaga tells him there’s a new student about to come to jujutsu high.

what? the house is big enough for a guest, isn’t it? why do you think satoru was so pushy for all of those extra bedrooms?

(and you’ll scold him when there’s a another place set at the table. you’ll ask megumi to show the new student around the house, pointedly, and then you’ll make him recite the lengthy list of things he’s not supposed to do with every kid he meets (again)

but really, you don’t mind.

you’ve always thought that hearts were rather expandable things, and your son and daughter have only proven that fact.

and there’s a little part of you that can’t deny the admiration you have for satoru. his need to coddle every student of his, to comfort them endlessly, even if they don’t want it.

if you had to guess, you’d say that satoru’s heart is the stretchiest.

so you only tug on his hair a little. and then you’ll sit right next to him at dinner, letting him hold your hand under the table).

and there’s been a couple of times where you bring someone of your own home. just as a little payback, of course. no other reason….

[longing-for-rain]

Out of curiosity, what makes you feel drawn to Zutara as a lesbian. Is it still relatable to you?

It does feel relatable to me. Obviously it’s a heterosexual relationship, but given the lack of good and complete representation of lesbian relationships in the media, I still gravitate towards certain aspects of romances like this.

There are many reasons why, but before I get into it, I want to preface this by saying that the point of this is not to say that Zutara is “lesbian coded” or anything like that so please don’t construe it that way. It’s a heterosexual relationship, period. All I’m saying here is what I, personally, enjoy about it as a lesbian.

The biggest reason I like it is because it represents female desire to me. I know the BoyMom and Pick-Me brigade hates that I’ve described Zutara that way in the past—but it’s true and I stand by it. That is the reason why Zutara became so popular and why its fanon narrative is almost entirely driven by female fans. It directly reflects their desire in a romance and what Katara’s canon one was lacking.

I honestly didn’t have strong feelings about Zutara until I saw the backlash it received. The narrative and the fans both treat Katara as if getting with anyone besides Aang makes her selfish, or that she’s neglecting some kind of duty by doing so. Katara’s voice and desire is fundamentally unimportant to the writers, because they always focused on Aang’s feelings over hers, and even though fans try to pretend otherwise, the dominant narrative surrounding this relationship has always been about Aang. How he needs airbending children, how his heart would be broken if she left, how he needs her to rebuild, etc.

And from Katara’s side, even though she never shows that she shares Aang’s level of interest, fans insist on reading in signs that aren’t really there. They also focus on logical reasons why they’d work. Aang is nice, he’s fun, he’s a prodigy like Katara, both have suffered in the war, etc. At first glance, it seems like a good match…but we never actually see the writing demonstrate how they actually connect over any of these things.

Good in theory, but bland and passionless in reality.

That narrative resonated with me in a bad way, because it’s exactly how I’ve felt as a lesbian. It reflects the pressures I’ve felt to put aside my desire for love to date a man instead. I’ve been told to my face that it’s selfish for me to “choose” another woman—a person I actually desire—over a man.

“What about children?”

“This is going to make your life so much more difficult!”

“Think of your family!”

“Jakey is such a nice guy, can’t you just give him a chance?”

“You have so many interests in common with Jakey and he has a good job! Why won’t you go out with him? It makes so much sense!”

“You’re so shallow, being fixated on looks. What if your perfect match comes along, but he’s male? Would you really say no?”

“You only want that because you’re a pervert. You need to stop being so obsessed with sex and think about the person instead.”

It’s eerily familiar, that’s all I’m saying. A lot of these ideas are used to attack Zutara and its fans nearly verbatim.

Katara isn’t a lesbian, but like a lesbian, Katara in the context of Zutara commits the crime of marrying for love and desire over duty. Some people see that as an evil act of selfishness, but to me, it’s just love.

We can’t control who we love, and I like to see the narrative of a female character breaking free from the social expectations placed on her to pursue it. No; Zuko isn’t the “safe” option, their relationship would be heavily criticized, and it could even endanger them. But that relationship is one they both feel passion for, and together, they would draw power from one another and use it for good. Their love and connection is powerful, and they would have fought hard for it. Because love is worth fighting for.

That’s deeply admirable to me, and an empowering narrative when I think about how I’m inevitably going to have to fight hard for any love of mine. But it’s worth it to me—it’s always worth it.

[merakiui]

I made breakfast + Jade bc he'd be a teasing lil shit and I love him 👉👈

-🦈

Omg this prompt with Jade… 🦈 anon, you’re a genius!!!

(fwb dialogues)

Half-dead and horribly hungover, you wake to the smell of breakfast. It’s a delicious beacon amidst the crushing burden of morning exhaustion. Groaning lowly, you bury deeper beneath the duvet, your face pressed into the pillows.

Clad in sweatpants and a mushroom-print T-shirt, his hair a rightful mess, Jade pokes his head into the room minutes later. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”

Your response is a not-so-beautiful moan. “I look and feel like shit.”

“Then shall I amend my wording? Ah, but Sleeping Monstrosity doesn’t sound very pleasant now, does it?”

You turn over to greet him with a scowl. “I’m not in the mood.”

But it was my fault for calling him. I always do that. Why did I even decide to drink in the first place? I never make good decisions when I’m inebriated.

He beams, unbothered by the ice in your eyes. He presents the tray with minimal flourish, held at arm’s length. You stare at the contents—plates piled high with pancakes, accompanied with dozens of sides and toppings. It feels like a buffet despite the portion being meant for one person.

“I made breakfast.”

“No shit. Why?”

“Is it not common courtesy to feed your guests?”

“I wouldn’t know. I like to leave before breakfast.”

“So I’ve learned.” He moves in closer, lowering to sit on the edge of the bed, testing just how far he can go before you push him away. “Aren’t I fortunate to have you to myself just a little longer?”

You scoff when he gathers a bite of pancake on the fork and offers it to you. “Don’t get used to it.” Throwing your dignity aside, you close your mouth around the utensil. “Not bad.”

“Consider it a token of my gratitude.”

“For what?”

“For calling me. I do so enjoy our midnight mischief.”

Your brow furrows. “I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.”

“Are you sure you’re not mistaking accidental for intentional?”

You snatch the fork out of his hands. “I’ll block your number and never call again.”

A smirk curls on his lips. You think he almost wants you to go through with it, if only so he can laugh when you inevitably come crawling back.

“We’ll see.”

“Just you wait,” you threaten around another morsel of pancake.

Jade chuckles. “It’s difficult to take you seriously when you’re stuffing your face like a hamster.”

“Can’t help it. Food’s good.”

“I’m pleased it’s to your liking.” Jade’s gaze flickers from your face to your hand. “If I may ask, why were you drinking alone?”

“No reason.”

“That’s not what you said last night.”

You struggle to recall that, but from the way his eyes twinkle you suspect he remembers it well enough to recite it verbatim.

Intending to spare yourself the embarrassment, you heave a great sigh and force the words out. “My friend announced they’re getting married, and that makes me the last one.”

Jade blinks, stunned. You’re beginning to wonder what version you told him in the midst of your intoxication.

“The last one?”

“The last one left. I’m not married. Yet. Obviously. Otherwise I wouldn’t be…here.”

“Obviously not,” he echoes. “Well, if you’re so devastated, why not find someone to marry?”

“You say it like it’s easy. Where am I gonna find someone who wants that?”

Jade opens his mouth and immediately shuts it.

Neither of you says anything else regarding that matter. Maybe it’s for the best. The future is scary, but a future with Jade is even scarier. Because that would mean opening your heart to him. Because that would mean recognizing what he is to you.

Because you’re not here for the breakfast, and it’s not just drunken desire that leads you to his doorstep. It’s muscle memory, but you won’t acknowledge that. Neither will Jade. Not yet.

[princesssszzzz]

a lot of people were upset at character parallels being pointed out especially between Rhaena and Sansa since fandom has made Sansa à controversial character. They were mad and saying Sansa bullied Arya so Baela and Rhaena can’t be like them

I don’t know why people would get mad at that, that’s just how the characters were written. And that’s how they were portrayed on screen, even if fans choose to ignore that. It’s not verbatim they are copy and paste the same character with the exact same interactions with people. Sansa and Rhaena are still two different characters, they just happen to be written with parallels like Baela and Arya, and a multitude of other F&B characters. A good example of this is the Vale arc. Rhaena was not mistreated in the Vale and show!Rhaena I think will also have a great relationship with Jeyne Arryn, and that’s different than Lysa’s crazy behavior towards Sansa. So it’s two different relationships and experiences, but the parallel of them being in the Vale and separated from their family is still there. Also with the Hound and Corwyn Corbray. The Hound is TOTALLY different but it’s still a middle aged knight twice the age of the girls and they have some form of bonding.

Corwyn actually didn’t even need to exist, I think he was really just created for that parallel 😂 My favorite parallel is with Rhaena’s dragon and Lady. The fact that they died at a young age and then Rhaena and Sansa go on without their house sigil’s animal while the rest of their siblings still have them. Ned is also one of the better fathers in asoiaf universe but obviously we know Daemon is not. Rhaena also loses her mother alot sooner than Sansa loses hers, and Laena doesn’t come back like Lady Stoneheart but her dragon is still flying around 😭 Show sansa kinda touches on Jon being a bastard but Rhaena is in a situation where she can’t question the hair color or parentage of Jace or “tongues removed”

So there’s also lots of differences

[jedi-enthusiast]

@confusledqueer apologizes for not responding sooner, it’s been a busy couple days and—honestly—I forgot for a bit.

Moving on-

—————

Me equating some of the things that anti-Jedi people say to antisemitism and, sometimes, outright Nazi-esque rhetoric is not “wild” or “a stretch,” as you’re implying.

Justification of their genocide, denial that it actually was a genocide, a belief that the genocided party “caused” their own genocide, and a belief that they genocided party were wrong or “led astray” while one person was sent to make things right- (via either making them change their ways or outright destroying them/their culture) -are all things I’ve seen people say about the Jedi…

…but they’re also things that people have actually said about Jews.

Take the example I put in the post of someone denying that the Jedi Purge was actually a genocide, and how—by changing “Jedi” to “Judaism” and “Force-religions” to “Abrahamic Faiths”—it sounds verbatim to Holocaust denial.

Or, as another example, people claiming that the Jedi “kidnapped kids to brainwash them”…don’t you see how that sounds like Blood Libel?

So me pointing out that a lot of stuff anti-Jedi people say sounds like antisemitic rhetoric isn’t a stretch, not when a lot of it sounds verbatim to what people are saying with the rise of antisemitism and stuff they have said in the past.

—————

Now, I’m not Jewish, but it’s not just me, your neighborhood White Girl™️, who’s pointing this stuff out.

Actual Jewish people have pointed out the alarming similarities between anti-Jedi rhetoric and straight up antisemitism. So, if you wanna argue about- “you shouldn’t compare real world discrimination to fictional stuff” -then you should probably take that into account.

Go ahead and try telling Jewish Star Wars fans to stop calling out antisemitic rhetoric in the fandom, I’m sure that’ll go down real well.

I also find it hilarious that you’re telling me to be careful about the rhetoric I use in a thread about how I shouldn’t point out that some of the rhetoric other people spout is basically antisemitism rebranded.

And my point in that post wasn’t- “since this is based off of a real world culture/religion, you can’t criticize it.”

My point was- “since this is based off of a real world culture/religion then you need to be careful about how you criticize it, otherwise you might unconsciously be spouting bigoted beliefs and antisemitic rhetoric because you don’t recognize that that’s what it is because you’re saying it about a fictional culture.”

By all means, I get that some people just don’t like the Jedi, that’s their prerogative and we all have our own tastes.

Criticize them, if you feel like it, but don’t go around spouting rebranded antisemitism to do it. I’m sure you can come up with plenty of things to complain about them for without doing so.

—————

Now, I can understand why you might be worried about the slippery slope from this to shit like actual censorship—which, I think we can all agree, is a bad thing. Or how you might think criticizing this could lead to the whole “fandom purity” debate.

My thing is, it all comes down to does it actually harm people?

Perpetuating harmful stereotypes via saying stuff like the Jewish based characters “steal children,” or “lost their way,” or “they caused/deserved their genocide”—that does cause actual harm.

Think about why the “angry black man” stereotype or the “cheating bisexual” stereotype are bad and people- (rightly) -push back against them. It’s the same thing here.

Shipping a problematic ship, calling a fictional serial killer “babygirl,” writing about dark topics*, headcanoning characters as gay or trans…none of that is actively harming people.

(*obviously when writing about dark topics you should tag appropriately so people can avoid triggers, but that’s another topic for another day)

That’s the difference.

And, for the record, I think letting people spout bigotry just because they’re saying it about something fictional is the more dangerous mindset than calling it out.

[dadsbongos]

can you make a Itadori x reader where reader is gyaru please? :]

yuuji with a gyaru honey headcanons :) hehe

tried to keep as gender neutral as possible!! but reader is kinda feminine-coded, reader is implied to be like early 20s or laaate teens (18-19), didn’t place this anywhere in canon - just that at some point you two meet when he goes to tokyo

Knew of the subculture, obviously, but didn’t really know anybody who partook in it - especially since he grew up in a small town in the country where nobody was so bold (unlike in Tokyo, where you meet! omg)

Actually almost made you cry (dramatic) when you two first met because he referred to it as a trend 

Verbatim, his goofy ass said “Woah, I didn’t know people still followed that trend!” to your face

He likes how proud and confident you are though!! You don’t care if other people think it looks good because you think it looks good

The only reason you even cared what Yuuji had to say was because he implied your fashion was just another fad

He also likes how passionate you are, often pointing out your idols and collecting old magazines from the gyaru boom when you were little just to keep that early 2000s-ness thriving

“How do you have no idea who this is, Yuu?! That’s Na-chan!” and he thinks you’re so cute when you’re all flustered, giving him lil history lessons, “Helloooo? Suzuki, Nana! She was in Popteen!”

Whenever he has the extra cash, Yuuji also finds it fun to buy you accessories or clothes that fit your specific aesthetic of the gyaru umbrella

Even though he totally turns into a little mess when you end up loving what he gets and are grateful (which was the end goal btw lol, he just can’t handle it)

People who don’t know you two kinda assume that you made Yuuji dye his hair pink and just garner negative opinions about you corrupting some nice young man

Not that you care, and Yuuji knows that, but he still gets upset when people have poor impressions of his hottie partner

And you never tell Yuuji this, but you also assumed that he dabbled in a bit of hair bleaching when you both met - so you ask one day if he can help you with yours and he looks at you all “ :o ?”

“Me?” 🤨👈

As if bro doesn’t have bright pink hair

He does try to help if you decide to wear colored contacts though!! And by help I mean… he wants to be emotional support 

“You’re stronger than me, babe, I would’ve puked getting my finger that close to my eye.”

Hey he tries!!!!

He also likes sitting with you to do your makeup, he finds the process very hypnotizing

Like his own personal grwm video 🙂 wow

He can just blabber on and on and on about whatever while you hum and put your face on

Sometimes for no reason at all, he’ll go from staring at you to staring at the mirror and then back at you

Like if you asked he would actually have no answer as to WHY this mf does that, he just… does

Starts carrying special metal straws around for you so you don’t have to worry about ruining your lipstick if you get a drink in public that doesn’t have a straw (all WASHED and CLEAN and kept SECURELY, don’t worry babe✋ HE’S got you)

And just in case this dude’s green flags couldn’t be more apparent - he’s the type where if you wear thigh high, or generally long, socks/leg warmers then he makes sure they’re in place all day

He gets on a knee and fixes them up so you don’t have to sit or bend down <3

[kkrazy256]

Thoughts on the first three episodes of the live-action and all the hate it's getting [there will be spoilers for all 3] 

I know Kiryu wanting to be the Dragon of Dojima is THE biggest gripe that most of the audience has right now, but in terms of THIS adaptation, it kinda tracks? Even beyond this adaptation, I think the foundation of Kiryu’s character is still there, even if slightly different.

In Yakuza 0, there’s a flashback to the orphanage when Kiryu is a teenager. He was an orphan who had nothing. Kazama had everything he wanted - a cool car, confidence (verbatim on these two things), and respect. This is what he thought the yakuza life was about and he wanted that for himself. It was his dream. It was a punk kid’s fascination and excitement to join the yakuza to be respected. 

This obviously changes as the games progress and he realizes what being in the yakuza truly entails. The live-action 1995 Kiryu who says he wants to be the Dragon hasn’t reached that point yet.

The biggest change in the live-action is that the Kazama in this adaptation seems to have retired to take care of the orphanage full-time (I wonder if it's as further atonement for killing their parents or something else completely). He's still respected in the Dojima family by the grunts through rumor and infamy, but the higher-ups treat him like an outsider. 

Miho was surprised that Kazama was in the yakuza. I’m not sure if the others knew or if they also didn't know. But the fact is that this Kazama doesn’t have the power/status/confidence of game Kazama. 1995 Kiryu doesn’t respect Kazama in this adaptation because he sees an old man, who has harped on them about discipline all their life. He sees someone trying to shield them from the world and keep them at the orphanage rather than letting them do what they want (and Kiryu resents that a la teenage rebellion style). 

The things that Kiryu saw and idolized in game Kazama aren’t there. 

But what Kiryu did have was the Dragon of Dojima. 

In this adaptation, the Dragon of Dojima name is an existing alias. It’s the title of the champion underground fighter who worked as an enforcer for Dojima on his rise to the top of the Clan. I’m leaning towards Kazama being the old dragon of Dojima. If that is the case, Kiryu doesn't know the Dragon is the same man that he both idolizes and hates.

Kiryu idolized the Dragon as a kid. I don’t know if he was already an orphan when he first saw the Dragon fight. But if he was, this was his first taste of power, respect, and strength. These were the aspects of the yakuza life that drew game Kiryu into wanting to join. The same motivation is still present. Except the one he idolizes is the Dragon, not Kazama (or if it plays out like I think it will, it will have always been Kazama anyway). 

When they got caught at Dojima’s place, Kiryu said the robbery was just a ploy to gain Dojima’s attention. I think there was some truth to that. He had told Nishiki, Yumi, and Miho to go ahead of him with the money and that he would join them later. I really don’t see the reason why he would do that unless it really was just because he wanted to make sure morning prep was done one last time before they left. 

I think Kiryu had two trains of thought here. He had hoped the other three could get away and be able to live freely while he stayed a bit longer in case the Dojima family came by.  He stayed so he could throw the blame on himself and prevent the orphanage from getting attacked in retaliation if no culprit was there (not that he would know Kazama would’ve stopped it). He also wanted to make sure the other three would be long gone with no one chasing after them. And if he got an audience with Dojima, he could try his luck on joining the family. 

But deep down, I think there was a part of him that hoped he would be able to run away with them too (hence him sneaking away at the end). That was why he was extremely upset to the point of yelling and panicking when he saw that the other three stayed behind. I wonder if Yumi had clocked his intentions the night before (she was staring at him for a long moment there) and had everyone stay to make sure if they left, they left together. 

Kiryu couldn’t guarantee their safety anymore. So he went through with his plan to join the Dojima family in hopes of protecting the others from blame and harm. His plea to join the Dojima family was his version of the “do orphans not get to dream” plea to Kazama in the game. There was a figure in his life that he wanted to emulate, and he wanted to follow that dream. After this speech, both game Kazama and live-action Dojima let him join the yakuza.

It’s different but yet the same. Kiryu wanted to join the yakuza for reasons that he didn’t fully comprehend at a young age. And from the hints of 2005, you can see that he no longer feels that way. He’s tired and disillusioned. He was ready to wash his hands of it and not return to Kamurocho at all. It didn’t look like being the Dragon mattered to him anymore. But he came back anyway. Because his family was in trouble. That is what Date uses to get him to come back. That is what Nishiki uses to keep him here. Family is the core of  Kiryu Kazuma. Everything he does 0-8 is because of what he thinks is best for his family (whether it may seem hypocritical or not)

There are valid criticisms for the show (pacing/structure, unrecognizable casting of Shimano 💀, florist, etc) but I think the Dragon of Dojima line can be understood because it is still consistent with Kiryu’s characterization if people took a step back to think about it for a moment instead of the kneejerk reaction to shut it down before they even give it a chance. 

I really really enjoy them fleshing out Yumi’s character and incorporating her into the plot more than they did in the game. Miho’s role as someone who is young and optimistic and is somehow adapting better to the Kamurocho night than Yumi. But you can still see how it’s eating away at her health and cheerful demeanor. I worry about the things she’ll endure in the ten years leading up to 2005. The dynamic between the four of them is endearing and well-fleshed out, it makes you care about every one of them, not just Nishiki and Kiryu. Aiko and Haruka are a welcomed surprise and I am looking forward to seeing how they interact with Kiryu, Yumi, and Nishiki. The scene in the cafe bathroom between Haruka and Kiryu filled me with nostalgia. 

There was stuff in these first three episodes that is making me a little 🤨Majima and Saejima in particular (I don't enjoy them making him a killer from the start when it was such a big plot point in Zero. But I can go into that with a different post). There are still three episodes for them to elaborate so maybe my mind will be changed when I see it in full. I think a lot of people are so used to getting a full series to binge at once, that it’s easy to jump to conclusions before the whole story can be seen as a complete picture. There are still three more episodes to show what really happened at the end of 1995. To see how Kiryu’s mindset on being the Dragon changes and further evolves in 2005. And hey if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. At least I'll get to see that once all the episodes are out.

There are a lot of changes, but I still see these parallels. They literally have Kiryu performing heat actions, I was like 🫵🫵🫵!!! The framework is there, and they’re exploring different paths that are ultimately used to flesh out the characters that we recognize. The studio had said this was not going to be a 1:1 adaptation from the start. It is in the Japanese title - Like a Dragon: Beyond the Game. I think it’s a bit unfair to come into this show expecting it to be a 1:1 adaptation, scrutinizing every single difference, instead of watching it as an alternate telling of yakuza, which is what it was advertised as from the start. 

The substories and funny antics from the games, yes! They're fun! I love them, they make yakuza so enjoyable, I agree! But they have 6 episodes to tell a story. I'm sure it would be amazing to see all the little fun things, but it would make the pacing even more wonky than it already is. They still give us brief moments of levity in the 1995 portion where Kiryu, Nishiki, Yumi, and Miho are being carefree, laughing and getting into shenanigans. Yokoyama said he hopes this adaptation will make the Like a Dragon series more widely recognized and entice people to want to play the games. People can then have a different kind of experience from the TV series. They can enjoy the substories and funny antics in the actual game itself. Current fans have played or watched gameplay of the series before. Maybe it can be enjoyable to appreciate the games and see what a new take/fresh content can give us.

I’m having lots of fun watching the four of them banter and laugh in 1995. It was very fun to watch Kiryu and Majima’s first meeting. I think the Millenium Tower looking like the Valorant Championship Trophy is very fucking funny. I think you can have fun watching this show while also acknowledging the differences without shunting it as a lost cause that people shouldn’t bother with before they even watch it.

[evansbby]

OK so here is my dilemma

Basically everyone here knows that I’m really sad that I don’t have a boyfriend and have honestly never had a real true serious boyfriend.

And I always discuss this with my friends because I’m trying to figure out WHY like is there something wrong with me??? Am I seriously unattractive to men??

So I asked my friend and she obviously was like “no you’re hot” but she’s my friend so ofc she will say that. But then she asked two men she’s friends with, whilst I wasn’t there, and they said (about me) “No she’s hot but we’d be scared to ask her out because we know she’d say no.”

Which like… yeah OK I would say no to them because they’re lowkey not good looking BUTTTT WHAT THE FUCK??? And another one of my friends also told me this, she said men are not asking me out because hot girls are too unapproachable and men can’t stand being rejected and embarrassed in this day and age.

And another one of my friends HAS told me to be more open-minded and lower my standards but I just can’t you guys. Because unlike my friends, I grew up literally so IMMERSED in the world of fanfictions and the perfect man that I’m still just waiting for that to happen in real life 🥺

Anyways back to me being unapproachable. Maybe this is true because I remember once a guy told me verbatim: “you look like a total bitch and that’s hot” AND even that at the time lowkey hurt my feelings bc wdym BITCH?!? I am not a bitch!

But lately I’ve been thinking… I can’t help the character I am outwardly. Because I used to be so shy back in school and because of that people used to be so condescending to me. Fast forward now and I find that I’m super confident ON THE OUTSIDE bc we all know confidence is lowkey just an act. But anyways I’m acting confident to the point where people are intimidated by me 😭 not everyone, but a few people I can just tell they are.

Like once I remember back when I was a waitress, one of my coworkers was sat where I usually sit during lunch (but anyone can sit there) and she saw me coming and literally GASPED and apologised and moved 😭😭 LIKE??? Ofc I told her girl pls sit back down it’s not my seat!! But wtf!!! IS THIS HOW PEOPLE SEE ME!

Similarly recently in my current job, one of the girls was sitting where I usually sit and when she saw me coming she also apologised and moved 😭😭 despite the fact that anyone is allowed to sit anywhere 😂😭

ANYWAYS my point is… DO MEN THINK I AM STUCK UP?? I assure you I’m not but idk how to make THEM understand that???

And OK this is weird but my friend said to me “I’m not as pretty as you but guys go for me because I let them know I’m interested” and ok first of all she did not have to put herself down like that!!! I hate when people put themselves down but also… I AM SO SCARED OF REJECTION THAT I DONT KNOW HOW TO LET THEM KNOW I AM INTERESTED!

I feel like I’m rambling at this point but my point is… have I just built up this whole confidence around myself and now it’s come back to bite me in the ass because no man even tries to approach me now???

And before anyone accuses me of being vain, I am now trying out this thing where I don’t say anything self deprecating about my looks because it doesn’t do anyone any good to say those things. Also I work very hard on my appearance, I put in a lot of effort every day. And I’ve gone through my whole life thinking I wasn’t pretty, wanting to be white back in school because that was the beauty standard and the boys only seemed to find the white girls pretty. So yes now I will say that yes I do think I’m pretty because honestly realistically… yes I am.

BUT THE POINT IS THAT have I built up my confidence so much that now men are too intimidated or scared to ask me out??? If so what do I do??! I don’t want to change myself but how do I make myself more approachable??? I’ve already asked my friends but I need to ask more people. I wish I had guy friends to ask but I do not LMFAO. SO TELL ME WHAT IS THE SOLUTION

[luckytidbit]

Food for thought.

Ok so I've seen an anonymous ask on someone’s blog recently about people being rude in the unwind community, (which first of all, if you’re being rude, shame on you.) I've seen mention of, actually no I’ll take it verbatim. “I like scrolled by multiple of peoples posts and fics about like theories and stuff, and most of them have people getting mad over them or feeling the need to prove it wrong? Like I get it, but it's just an idea 😭”  This community is pretty small and I haven’t seen any other unwind theory posts lately (Unless this person is talking about ao3, I’m not on there.), so I’m left to assume this ask is about the “Connor’s brain coping after his unwinding theory.” And the reblog I left on it, so let’s break that down shall we?

Personally, I grew up on Film and Game Theory so I’ve never seen debunking a theory as something that’s rude, just a part of a community helping another have the correct facts. Which by the way, @korokeea, if I’ve upset you, I am deeply sorry, it was never my intention to do so. My reblog was supposed to be seen as playful banter. (Side note, dream endings are very amateur, don’t do them unless you know what you’re doing. Even I wouldn’t do them, (I think I’m amateur anyway <:D.))

Also wanted to add that I should be using tone indicators, and that also I’ve seen examples of people whose first language isn’t English not understanding Western satire, so my apologies if I’ve confused you.

Now that I’ve addressed the main point, there was also something else I wanted to bring up.

This is obviously a parody of LIVE SLUG REACTION I used to add to my reblogs of Conland content (Connor x Roland), I also might have confused people doing this. I don’t think Conland is anyone’s cup of tea, personally, I see it as a crack ship that lives rent-free in my head, but I can understand how I could’ve confused someone. I honestly do like A Dog With A Bird At Your Door A Lot, even if the notes say “I hate gay people.” (Like, C’mon now Kuromi.)

Honestly, I came here to create art and not be judged for it, I have one to two irl friends that I see almost daily. The rest of it are just classmates that will turn on me the moment I say something that doesn’t fit their dialogue. (If you get what I’m saying, I have to say the right thing or they’ll look at me funny.) I’m honestly super stressed and pretty prone to anxiety right now, graduation, prom, removal of wisdom teeth via going under (anaesthesia), you name it! So you can see why I find a great sense of escapism in Tumblr.

Lastly, I wanted to say that in this community it is almost impossible to create micro-communities because of our small size. You CANNOT be vague or make inside jokes because almost everyone follows each other. On the original ask post that I first talked about, the responder mentioned a “that one guy” and my poor mutual @bopeisdope thought they could be that one guy. (Which is completely wrong, she and @lazysailor are the sweetest people I have ever met here. Oof sorry side tangent.)

Anyway If you made it through this thing, thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

[banji-effect]

I know this was a few days ago now and so we've all moved on from it, but I've been sort of ruminating on Trump's racist attacks against Harris from that NABJ conference interview. Like, obviously, the Trump campaign was always going to dust off some old favorites from the racism archives, but this was just... like whatever? "I don't think she's really Black" man OK, lol. Next. A swing and a miss, as the sportswomen would have it.

But the thing that I've been stuck on with this, Trump saying (verbatim), "So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” is... this dude's running mate literally has a Desi family. His own children are half-Indian. Obviously, Trump doesn't think about the future outcomes of his statements as he's saying them, he just goes full stream-of-consciousness, but how is the Trump campaign going to square this angle with a happy smiling image of the Vance family at their next festival of cruelty?

Really, this is all to say, I feel terribly sorry for the poor children Vance brought into this world of sin and misery in an act of hubristic egotism. Gotta end this post before it turns into a full-on antinatalist polemic

[mothdapple]

Hi! I found you through Shaken Roots, and the rewrite is amazing! You are extremely talented to have written it! A few questions/theories I’ve developed: Is Stormfur going to end up joining the tribe, and will we still be seeing him in the second half of the rewrite? Brook has character now, and might end up choosing to go with Stormfur? Also, will you diverge much from the canon plot line, or will the series follow the original’s plot. Bonus question: WHY is there Suicide Attempt in the tags?!?

hi!! I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying Shaken Roots!

I’m going to be vague about the Stormfur and Brook questions since those are plot points that will be revealed in later chapters in Shaken Roots: Dawn, and I don’t want to spoil it! I will say that Stormfur will still appear in some capacity in the second half of the rewrite. :)

For your more general question about how much the rewrite will follow the plot in canon or diverge— the answer is sort of both. My main inspiration for Shaken Roots was to take the interesting concepts of characters and plot beats in TNP and try to bring out their full potential that I felt like canon stumbled with.

So looking at the first two books, you can see that in broad strokes, the plot is the same between canon and Shaken Roots, in Midnight and Moonrise. In short, the plot of Midnight is about the six chosen cats finding the sundrown-place, and the plot of Moonrise is about them aiding the Tribe with fighting Sharptooth. But I also added a lot that wasn’t in canon— in SR: Midnight Crowpaw’s spiritual journey of opening up to and bonding with the other chosen cats (and thus acting like a model for the clans later to follow) is just as important as the physical journey the group goes on to the sundown-place to get the news from Midnight. And in SR: Moonrise, Feathertail’s spiritual journey of healing from her trauma of TigerClan and learning to trust and forgive again is just as important to the plot of that fic as fighting Sharptooth. You can expect the remaining fics to fall along similar lines.

To use a metaphor, the skeleton of the story is the same between canon and Shaken Roots, but everything else from the connective tissue, to the skin color, to the eyes, may be different.

As for your final question, it’s a scene from Shaken Roots: Dawn, chapter 8, so I will put it below the cut just in case you aren’t there yet and don’t want spoilers. (And I’m also putting it under the cut because obviously CW here for mentions of suicide attempt.)

It’s when Crowpaw deliberately runs out in a road in front of monsters knowing that it may seriously injure or kill him. It’s based off of a scene in Dawn, albeit in canon what happens is that Crowpaw tries to run out in front of tree-destroying monsters in the forest, and Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw are the only ones there to stop him. So the scenes are different but both feature Crowpaw purposefully trying to hurt or kill himself. No one in canon or in Shaken Roots call it a “suicide attempt” in verbatim, but in my opinion, that is pretty obviously what it is, and with that being such an understandably sensitive subject, I tagged it as such.

[asksoldieron]

SO-27: The Blade of Grass...

If there's a lot of engagement on this, this post is liable to get real long, beware before you expand.

No art, but I am working on it and I will add it retroactively. I hope.

Welcome to the Engagement Lounge, for Papers, Please (256|27) an instalment! Short comments can go in the replies, but there's a 475 character limit. Longer ones will need a reblog. Remember to @asksoldieron if you're reblogging someone else's reblog, so I can see it too!

Uh-oh, something happened!

"It’s different on either side of the path. I don’t know what splits it in two and I’m through asking questions. I am certain it is something very small, I would have seen it otherwise. As little as a blade of grass. I can’t tell which blade of grass...” -Barnaby Graham, while dying, verbosely

He missed it. Now we're past it. But what happened? God willing, we'll get to it!

I've been waiting to write this one for years! I expected it to have less exposition. Heh. What a foole I was.

This is also the one where Ann has her little freakout and says one of my favourite lines, but she's obviously saying it FOR Milo, verbatim, as HE says it: “Don’t you ever talk about my kids that way again. Don’t you ever use the people I love as a bludgeon trying to break me. I’m already broken and I will cut you!”

You tell 'em, siblings. Every once in a while you get one of those, where they're both talking in unison. You can only hear one of them, but the General caught it. Mordecai did, too, in Shots! Shots! Shots!, but he was more of a dick about it.

I don't react well to people trying to break me, either. The, uh, discourse is getting pretty rough now, though. Getting into abusive territory. Having to block some folks I thought were basically OK. When this six is done, I'm probably going to go on hiatus until after the election, work on some art (hopefully), regroup and try to figure how to self-promote better.

It's gonna be a weird week, I got two doctors things in one day. One of 'em's with the eye doctor who did the surgery which gave me double vision in one eye and blurry vision in the other. I hope I hear something better than, "Well! You rolled the dice and you lost!" If I need more surgery, though, fuuuuuck. Fingers crossed for late-onset corneal clouding, that might get better.

End of the week is a brief vacation in an RV in the woods! It's very cheap. We keep going to places that are suicidally cheap. We wanted to go back to the duct-tape, death trap houseboat, but it wasn't available. At all. Seems to have vanished. We're on our way back to the same "resort," so I guess we'll see if it sank!

Still need to post those houseboat pics, but now may not be the time...

Oh! In other news, the .space site is finally gone. I knew the account it was hooked up to didn't exist anymore, so I let it die. End of a dumb era, wherein I had unending issues with the site refusing to load and no idea some ISPs block .space addresses. Could I have picked up more readers without that? No idea! Not doin so hot with a .com!

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