#of them being with other people. as part of a story especially

[inbabylontheywept]

How is your life so interesting

Normally, I just kind of laugh this question off, but I've been asked enough times I'm gonna take an honest stab at it.

So, the first thing worth considering is whether the story itself is all that interesting, or whether I am just a good storyteller. My most popular story is about cutting a lot of worms and half, and crying, and then being comforted by my mom. That's not a terribly uncommon or hard to imagine event. A lot of my stories more about the telling than the substance.

There are also some stories that are weird, but they're weird in ways that I also find, like, relateably weird? It might just be that I knew a lot of athletes in college, but I don't think eating raw eggs is that weird. Eating 15 in one go is, but I was roommates with a guy that ate like, three for breakfast, three in his in-class protein shake, and another three at dinner. That guy was attending ASU on a gymnast scholarship, but also, he genuinely ate 5 dozen eggs a week. That seems much more normal than eating 15 in one day.

To say nothing of eating raw onion. Tons of people eat raw onions. It baffles the non-onion eaters, but it's a super common thing. Especially in Mexico.

Some of the stories happen because I am better at noticing story-worthy events than most people. I can't tell you how many times I've been in public, and seen someone do some weirdass thing, and then had to nudge my wife and to get her to watch it too.

If I had to point to the parts of my life that are truly, genuinely, bafflingly weird, they would be my dating stories, and. I dunno. My general thermonuclear dumbass event posts. And I can break down why those two are interesting pretty simply:

I was unbelievably bad at dating. The majority of the time, that just meant that there was a few minutes of stilted small talk and never get a call back. But the thing is, Mormon culture strongly encourages dating as like, a social-practice thing, and I was very motivated to get good at it, so I just kept trying and trying and I think I went on at least 200 first dates before meeting my wife. I genuinely believe that if anyone went on 200 first dates, they would get some pretty incredible bad date stories too. Especially if they had autism. I know I write well, and I can sound very charming here, but it took me a very, very long to get decent social skills. I am just a disturbingly persistent learner.

I am very convincing. This is helpful when I am interacting with other people, because it can do things like, convince them to let me into their secret facility, or convince them to not vote Republican again, or to save at least put the company match into their retirement accounts. But when I'm just debating something with myself, my convincingness works against me: I am very good at tricking myself into believing that bad ideas are, somehow, actually good. This is part of why I have so much sympathy for the right wing lunatics that I work with. Every time I meet a crazy person I go, ah, but for the grace of God, go I. Anyway, this does an unfortunate thing where my excellent verbal skills drive my poor decisions, which results in the very odd combination of welll written, articulate stories about someone being A Fucking Idiot. Like the condom bomber story. I think this is also why most of the lawyers that I meet are insane in their personal lives.

Anyway, those are my theories! I'm gonna tag @lizardho because we mostly had the same childhood, but she has a better grasp on what normal people look like than me, and perhaps she'll have her own theories on the weirdness of our lives.

[pyrodolls]

MORTAL KOMBAT 1 BOYS JEALOUSY HCS

WARNINGS: almost every male character on the main mk1 roster is included, a little bit of angst here and there, established relationships, some mentions of harassment and assholes not taking no for an answer, gender neutral reader, lowercase intended, you can clearly tell havik is the author's favorite, reader condones havik's actions in his part but author doesn't it's just for story purposes, characters may be ooc idk, not proofread we die like sindel

A/N: i got this idea while i was in the shower this morning blasting what is love by twice cuz i finally got around to the khaos reigns dlc yesterday and my interest in mk1 has been revived. also this took me 10 hours to write for some odd reason. also i've never written this many characters before in one part... please like and reblog i really am proud of this and hope you guys like it too <3 also you can tell the more i was writing the longer the paragraphs were getting

doesn't get jealous (he trusts you):

LIU KANG has full faith in your loyalty. he doesn't take it personally when someone flirts with you. he'll gladly step in if the person flirting with you isn't taking a hint, but overall, he isn't bothered. in fact, he's more concerned about your well-being than his. he'll comfort you after the encounter and ask if there's anything he can do to put your mind at ease.

KUAI LIANG would silently watch the interaction from a distance, waiting for the person to leave you alone. similar to liu kang, he trusts you and gives you the chance to defend yourself before he does. he's confident that you wouldn't leave him, but he still stays nearby in case you need his help. in the event that you do need his assistance in getting rid of the person, he wouldn't hesitate to teach them a quick lesson then evacuate the scene with you.

GERAS couldn't care less. in fact, he isn't surprised you would be hit on. you're physically and socially attractive, it makes sense that other people would attempt to court you. he trusts that you won't let the interaction go any farther. if the person persists or is disrespectful, he'll walk up to you two and bluntly state that you're taken, then leave immediately. he won't waste his time with assholes and perverts.

RAIDEN would feel a little awkward. he trusts you, so it's not that he's unhappy with you, but he feels uncomfortable for you. he's a very calm and civil man, so he usually tries to avoid confrontation. but when it comes to you? especially when the person is making you uncomfortable? he has no problem politely telling that person off and walking away with you. he'll later reassure you by reminding you that assholes and creeps will always be around, but so will he.

doesn't get jealous (because he gives you scary dog privileges):

KENSHI TAKAHASHI wouldn't feel jealous at all if someone were to hit on you. he knows his partner is wonderful, so of course other people are going to approach you. besides, he knows he looks a bit intimidating with his tattoos, muscles, and confident aura. weirdos that flirt with you will back off when they see kenshi casually put his arm around you as you talk to the person, as if he's daring them to try something. his years involved with the yakuza have made him fearless. he has witnessed the wrath of man many times, so he has no issue teaching another one a lesson if he must.

BARAKA is like a guard dog. with his physique and face? yeah, nobody is messing with you or even approaching you. he usually feels very guilty about this, advising you to leave him due to the embarrassment of being associated with him. but sometimes, his curse can be a blessing to ward off perverts. it fills him with a very rare sense of pride, being able to protect you just by standing by you.

GENERAL SHAO definitely gives you scary dog privileges. he's well-respected in outworld, so everyone usually respects you, his partner, as well. this can be a double-edged sword, however. while outworlders often avoid you out of respect, it is also out of fear of the general's wrath. it's hard for you to walk around anywhere without stares or people trembling in fear, afraid to upset you. not because they're intimidated by you, but because the general has made it very clear that if anyone (especially his soldiers) were to treat you with anything but respect, they'll get an axe to the head.

he's instilled this fear into everyone's head, so you aren't harassed when you are alone. the general is often busy with his own endeavors, so he likely won't be there to defend you instantly. that's why he is very strict with his soldiers when it comes to you. you won't need his immediate protection as long as he makes sure everyone follows his rigid commands.

REIKO, similar to the general, has earned respect among outworlders for his strength and tenacity. while you aren't as feared as you would be with the general, reiko still has his ways of making sure you aren't bothered. because unlike the general, he has slightly more time on his hands to accompany you in your free time. when strolling around outworld, it is not uncommon to get a few stares, but reiko is brave enough to stare back at people with the fury of a true warrior. he has the scars on his back and calluses on his hands to prove his fighting spirit that nobody is reckless enough to challenge.

QUAN CHI is either hated, feared, or respected by everyone. nobody is going to mess with you as long as he is around. with his sorcery, he'll have no problem cleaning up the rodents that attempt to flirt with you. you won't even get the chance to reject anyone, since he's always ready to harm anyone that even dares to look at what is his.

BI-HAN, similar to the general, has already warned everyone in the lin kuei of the consequences that come with disrespecting you. he laid out many rules on how they should interact with you. if anyone among the clan dares to break these terms he drilled into their heads, they will be met with a harsh punishment. he won't tolerate rulebreakers.

and that's what he did on the day someone broke his rules and drunkenly flirted with you. the problem is, he would also be angry at you. bi-han firmly believes that you should be strong enough to protect yourself when he isn't there. if the person that was hitting on you starts to go a bit too far, and you are unable to stop them, bi-han ends up blaming you for their actions. despite having a myriad of punishment methods in his mind, he still wants you to fend for yourself anyway. he is upset for weeks after the incident. it is unclear whether bi-han is angry at himself and taking it out on you, or if he is truly delusional enough to blame you for an incident you never asked for.

gets jealous, but handles it rationally:

JOHNNY CAGE is used to people hitting on him. he's sexy, and an actor, which is a dangerous combo to date. he's made it very clear in private that he would never leave or cheat on you for someone else, and he ignores the numerous amounts of supermodels and fellow actors that attempt to date or sleep with him. you've gotten used to it overtime, as you already discussed your boundaries with him. but you two have never discussed what to do if you are the one being hit on.

if someone were to flirt with you in front of him, he'd butt into the conversation, putting his arm around you and saying: "yeah, my partner's smokin' hot, aren't they?"

he'd start to brag about you and the person would probably get annoyed and walk away. you can't tell if johnny was jealous and purposefully drove them away, or if he just wanted to use the opportunity to talk about you at length. perhaps it was both. you'll never know.

KUNG LAO is infamous for being cocky and prideful. some find his confidence charming, others dislike him and read his personality as arrogant rather than confident. so how could kung lao possibly be jealous? well, the answer is: he isn't. or at least that's how he appears.

he's the type of guy to love showing you off. he's protective, but proud. he'll walk around with his arm wrapped around your waist, with his head held high knowing you only belong to him and nobody else. which is why his ego is so hurt when someone has the audacity to hit on you. did they not clearly see that you're together? kung lao is more personally offended than possessive over you. he won't visibly get angry or anything, just mildly annoyed. he'll become touchier, giving you more kisses and compliments than usual. if you questioned his behavior, he'd respond with a playful: "what? am i not allowed to love my partner?" emphasizing the latter end of the sentence for everyone in the room to hear.

gets jealous, and does not handle it rationally:

SHANG TSUNG, similar to kung lao, is prideful enough to enjoy showing you off. but shang tsung tends to be sassier and hold grudges. while he lets you express yourself and wear/do whatever you want, he didn't expect it to backfire when someone ends up being attracted to you and attempting to court you. but he doesn't do anything about it. he stands from afar and waits for your conversation to be over.

you reject the person and go back to him, but shang tsung would spitefully ignore you. he even started responding to you with sassy quips after you were hit on. you could attempt to make amends with him by trying to initiate a conversation, until this little shit rolls his eyes and says something along the lines of: "why don't you go have fun with your partner?"

you'll never know if he's simply overdramatizing his jealousy to hide it, or if he's just being his usual petty self to get a reaction out of you.

TAKEDA TAKAHASHI is a young man focused on his endeavors. it's not that he doesn't care about you, but he (unfortunately) must keep his distance from you sometimes. your relationship is secret for the sake of your safety. nobody knows that you two are together, so it doesn't surprise him that you are flirted with every now and then. takeda does, in fact, feel jealous. he's not just jealous that they get to openly show their affection towards you, but he's also a bit insecure at times. he knows you won't leave him so easily, but there's still the nasty thought that creeps in the back of his head every now and then, telling him that you deserve better and he can't give you the love you deserve.

TOMAS VRBADA is usually a confident man. he may be kind and generous, but that doesn't make him weak. he's been a hardworking fighter since childhood. he's garnered an impressive amount of experience and intelligence regarding the battlefield over time. but romantically? he doesn't have as much experience. you're probably one of, if not the first relationship he's ever been in.

so, when you're hit on, he isn't quite sure what to do. he understands that the person flirting with you probably just doesn't know you're not single. tomas would speak up and calmly mention that you're already taken. the person that was flirting with you would scoff after seeing tomas, telling you something along the lines of: "him? really? you could do better." instead of causing a scene, tomas ignores the person and leaves with you.

but hours later, it still bothers him, even though he pretends it doesn't. he thinks about your relationship and wonders if you really could do better. he tries his best to be as loving as possible towards you, despite his inexperience in romantic relationships. but with his cluelessness, conflict with the lin kuei, and trying to build up the shirai ryu? he doesn't have a lot of time for you, so he understands if you wanted to leave him. it's a thought that will haunt him for days if you don't notice his behavior and ask him about it.

SYZOTH has always been secretly insecure during your relationship. he fears that you may leave him due to his zaterran blood. plus, after his family was killed by shang tsung, he has been afraid of losing you like he lost them. sometimes he fears he is too clingy, and other times he fears he isn't attentive enough. it makes him feel as if he isn't enough for you. these fears are only enabled by someone flirting with you. his mood would immediately turn sour after witnessing that interaction, until you reject that person and put them in their place. as appreciative as he is for your loyalty, (and flustered to hear how much you care about him) he still can't shake his anxieties away.

you'll likely have to comfort him and reassure him that you will always stay with him, not bothered by his struggles. you must be the one to bring it up though, because syzoth is too afraid to admit that he is jealous. he'll keep it bottled up until you notice his behavior.

ZEFFEERO's pride gets in the way of admitting his true feelings most of the time. you've helped make him more comfortable being vulnerable, but it's only natural that the high mage refuses to admit when he's jealous. it was hard enough to court you; even harder to watch as someone attempts to court you for themselves. it annoys him to watch someone think they can just flirt with you. it enrages him even more when they refuse to take no for an answer and persist in their catcalling. with his blood boiling, he struggles to contain his emotions and stop himself from resorting to violence.

after the incident is over and you dealt with it on your own, he refuses to leave your side in public ever again. whatever gathering or meeting you must attend, he'll be there too. that way, it'll ease his anxieties and make sure you are safe and comfortable. even though you've shown you're capable of taking care of yourself and staying loyal to him, his jealousy drives him to believe that you need him.

a secret fifth worse thing:

HAVIK... yeah you probably guessed he'd have an entire category to himself. it is very difficult to tell how havik feels when someone else flirts with you. is he angry at them for trying to take you? not quite. his beliefs are bent on freedom, so it isn't like you're tied down to him in any way. but at the same time, he can't help but feel a bit hurt, maybe even a bit betrayed at the thought of you leaving him. he doesn't have anyone else. he's been forced to fight for himself after a painful past in seido, then seeking retribution ever since. nobody has condoned his acts since drowning its capital. anyone that isn't on his side is considered his enemy. you're the last person he considers an ally.

you're also the only person that sees his vulnerable, traumatized side that he often disguises with anger. his wrath has tormented him for years, driving him to insanity and believing it is okay to kill anyone that opposes him. it was a miracle that you were able to see through his mask of anger and show love and support towards him, which are two things he isn't used to. that's why he can't help but feel irked by someone attempting to court you. you're the only person that has genuinely loved and cared for him, even after the things he has done. now that he's had a taste of what love and affection is like, he's not going to let you leave him that easily.

he tells himself that he doesn't need an ally, and he can help bless millions with anarchy and chaos by himself, but deep down, he still selfishly wants you for himself. he would feel more comfortable in his rebellion with you staying at his side rather than leaving him for someone else. so yes, he does feel jealousy, (and fear that you'll leave him) but he refuses to admit it and conjures up a lie that you need each other, convincing himself of a false idea rather than facing the truth that his strong desires of "freedom" magically go out the window when it comes to you.

[ooooo-mcyt]

Scar not Getting how he contributes to his own isolation is such a Thing for me.

Sure, in Last Life, he was lied to and scammed on a number of occasions, and absolutely, he was kept at arms length by a lot of the alliances he managed to actually form. It is valid, to a point, for Scar to feel used and alone during Last Life.

Sure, in Double Life, his soulmate did seek out someone else behind Scar's back, he was considered, by his only partner in the season, to be a bad partner, and he was kept at arms length. It is valid, to a point, for Scar to feel betrayed and frustrated during Double Life.

Sure, in Secret Life, Scar's tasks did, on a number of occasions, push him toward acts that would alienate people and push them away, even when Scar may have wanted to form alliances. It is valid, to a point, for Scar to feel like his isolation was forced by the game.

But that's not the whole story, is it?

Scar opened Last Life trying to scam and intimidate people from the start, and he was very flippant with any feelers people did put out for alliances. To his credit Scar did invite Joel in, but by episode two they were both willing to kill each other for Boogeyman kills, so I'd argue there wasn't much effort to forming a strong foundation there. By the time Scar did start feeling truly lonely and putting out feelers for alliances, everyone knew not to trust a word he says. Partially because of the previous season, and partially because of his attempts at continuing his legacy of scams in this season. Which could maybe be overcome, if Scar didn't treat alliances like business transactions. He'd form contracts of friendship, demand they be signed as part of a deal, personal bonds boiled down to a signature on a paper that was overtly framed to benefit Scar. Sure, Scar said they were "friendships" (just like he called it "friendship" in the previous season before betraying everyone who ever trusted him including his one main partner) but a contract is an inherently less personal bond than a real partnership, especially if you have a history of betrayal and deception.

Scar didn't care about soulmates in Double Life, for the entire first episode. He didn't look for his soulmate much, he actively brushed off conversations about soulmates, he often didn't think about his soulmate when taking damage, he repeatedly called animals (the allay and then the pandas) his 'real' soulmates, and when he found out he and Grian were soulmates his first response was "Do we have to live together?" in a way that very much implied he didn't want Grian. This alone would be enough to drive a wedge between them, but their argument in the next episode was the nail in the coffin, I think. Grian makes a "no animals in the house" rule (seemingly because he thinks they'll distract scar from helping him at all and take up all his time) and then repeatedly asks Scar to help him with the house. Eventually Grian gives Scar the single simple task of gathering some oak wood while Grian continues working on everything else. Scar, in retaliation, comes up with the idea of using powdered snow to "torture" ones soulmate and uses it to "punish" Grian for assigning him "chores". Grian was given ample reason by Scar to think Scar wasn't interested in being his soulmate or acting like a real partner to him.

Scar actively turned away companionship at every turn in Secret Life. He brushed off Tango and Skizz when they tried to get him on board, he ignored many attempts from Grian to connect with him, he set up alone and tried to sell stuff to the server, and when people came trying to bridge the gap with him, he waved them off. Even up to the finale, when Scar very much wasn't bound by any task to push people away. Sure, it was the finale, it was a bit late to form bonds, but Scar had multiple people trying to build a bridge out to him, trying to make a connection, and what Scar did was sit in the middle and keep both parties on the back burner until his allegiances were decided for him based on who he happened to be standing next to when the final confrontation began. It wasn't the tasks alone that made Scar isolate in Secret Life. The tasks may have exacerbated the issue by making him antagonize people, but Scar was alone because he built himself an outpost all alone and wouldn't commit to any particular attempt anyone made to build a bridge toward him, even though multiple people did try.

I'm not saying everything was Scar's fault. People have screwed Scar over, and the universe itself has handed him awful luck, on many occasions. And he obviously doesn't 'deserve' to be alone, Scar deserves human connection and loyalty as much as anyone else does, and he clearly wants it. But I'd almost always say Scar is the biggest reason for his own isolation, and he's blind to it.

Scar says "Everyone betrayed me in Last Life when we were supposed to be friends" or "My soulmate was a cheater in Double Life when all I did was build him a panda sanctuary" or "My tasks forced me to be the villain in Secret Life and made me push people away"

And I think that's a lie. Not an intentional lie, but one he tells himself.

Because if Scar had come to any team in Last Life and chose to be vulnerable, to express that he genuinely wanted companionship, with no deals or tricks, I don't think a single person would have turned him away.

Because if Scar had tried to come to Grian on his own terms at all in Double Life to make Grian feel more wanted or like Scar's interested in helping him as a partner instead of convincing himself he was already perfect and Grian was just a ungrateful, I think it would have done wonders.

Because if Scar had taken literally any of the many hands people extended to him- while he wasn't under any task making him push them away- instead of keeping people on the back burner, I don't think Scar would have been alone at all in Secret Life.

Scar's desire to believe his suffering is entirely inflicted upon him instead of being self imposed is a very natural human desire. But when you deflect any blame, you also blind yourself to all the ways you could make things better. Vulnerability is hard, changing your demeanor, how you operate, is hard, it's easier to keep going as you are and convince yourself it's everyone else's fault that you're struggling to form and keep bonds. But Scar clearly needs and craves human connection, and to find that in the way he wants, he needs to make an effort, compromise some things, and be more vulnerable than he seems to be comfortable being. He needs to accept the ways he's shooting himself in the foot, but he doesn't seem willing or able to do that. And it's just so sad to me how he forms a web of isolation and self imposed hopelessness around himself and can't even see it when he's the one who suffers most for it. I don't know I love this guy.

[strwberri-milk]

Hello! I'm curious if you have any general headcanons about Rafayel's full Lemurian form? I know we've only gotten glimpses in the main story but I was wondering if you had any sort of desires or expectations around what he would look like? Act like? Is he comfortable being in that form around reader? Would he ever be intimate in that form? If you don't have any strong thoughts or feelings about it that's fine! You have such good takes I'd love to see what you thought before we all hopefully get a reveal someday. Wish you well!

i want them to show us his lemurian form one day and talk more about him being a siren/murdering people :(

Rafayel wants to be comfortable in his Lemurian form around you, he just doesn't really know how to. He knows it can be a bit scary, especially if he lets the transformation go all the way, so he tries to sit in a happy medium and slowly acclimate you to what he can fully look like when underwater.

I'm of the idea that I want him to look a little more...anamalistic. Webbed hands, scales that climb up and down his torso and face, fin-like ears and eyes that are made to see well in the dark. He's also got sharp teeth, suited for a diet that makes it easier for him to cut through tough scales and enough bite force to bite through most shellfish should the need arise.

I like the idea as well that he can control how far he transforms. He'll make it a little more palatable at first, just showing you him with his tail and keeping his gills and other parts hidden away from you. Slowly he'll add more and more over time and if you ask him what it's for, he'll explain it to you if he knows what the part's function is.

He's also a little skittish around you. He's shy about showing you what he really looks like and is very afraid that he'll scare you off. He hides and swims around in the water as though he doesn't know what he's doing, eyes just barely poking out of the water's surface as you try to persuade him to loosen up. It'll take some time for him to be fully comfortable but he'll get there one day.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Blake Case Timeline: Unpacking the Taylor of it all

AKA Everything you never wanted to know about the media strategy of a celebrity scandal!

OK, I don’t actually know anything, but I am a girl with a keen interest in the media and how it’s used to cover a subject, and have a certain skill set that is appropriate for the task.

When I started drafting this post, I didn’t intend to do a deep dive at all. My interest was piqued over the link between the People article dropping about Blake Lively and Taylor’s mended friendship, Travis unfollowing Ryan Reynolds on Instagram, and the news of Taylor being subpoenaed in Blake and Justin Baldoni’s case. I was going to pick a few articles from the “trusted” outlets to show how each side covered the situation to show how easy it is to tell how stories are spun.

However, because I can’t be normal about anything, I ended up going down the rabbit hole of this case, and mainly about how Taylor has been used by both sides to tell it. Now, you get to go down the rabbit hole with me.

I'm putting the post under a cut because it's long as hell and I want to save your dashboards ✌️

First things first, this review is specifically about Taylor. I am not commenting on the actual case itself (although I do have thoughts, naturally, especially now). I’m not here to litigate Blake or Baldoni’s cases (mostly). I’m here to show how their respective PR teams use Taylor in their strategies, and how Taylor’s team itself responds to it. Consider this a crash course in media literacy or something, if you’ve never had the pleasure of doing your own kind of media review.

I’m mostly presenting the media itself here and keeping my commentary to a minimum, to keep the focus on similarities or differences between language and narratives used. I’ve obviously got my own thoughts about what is happening and each party’s strategies, especially after reading a large volume of articles not only about Taylor, but the case itself (as well as the non-case PR being used to promote the parties). But I don’t want to distract from this task at hand, and I don’t want to claim myself as an expert by any means.

That being said, while I don’t want to colour anyone’s perspective ahead of time, here are a couple of notes about the methodology as it were:

I focused mainly on the main outlets that are covering the case and evidently have ties to the actual parties: Entertainment Tonight (which is infamously and very clearly Taylor’s team’s go-to), PEOPLE (which is IMO very obviously Blake and Ryan's, after doing this analysis) and The Daily Mail (which is definitely Baldoni’s).

I’ve also included TMZ and Page Six, because— spoiler alert— they’re used by all three IMO. (Both also have known ties to Baldoni’s team… But Page Six in particular appears to be Blake-Ryan friendly now.)

THAT being said… ALL outlets are used by ALL parties in this, including by Taylor’s team. (Again, IMO, but it’s a very educated opinion.)

Now, a few disclaimers about these sources:

Many of these outlets these are tabloids. Ultimately, take everything with a grain of salt, for the most part. Some much larger than others.

Entertainment Tonight and People are, by and large, two of the most trusted outlets in entertainment journalism and have been for decades, because of their strong ties to celebrities’ own publicists. (In other words, most of the stories you’re going to read in these outlets writ large are directly sourced by the celebrities’ publicists. If either of them says “a source close to [the celebrity] tells us…” you can be pretty much guaranteed it came directly from their PR team.) And, as noted above, ET is currently Taylor’s team’s most trusted outlet (for Reasons).

I’d say the other outlets are far more in the “grain of salt” category. That being said, TMZ does have close ties to many celebrities and is used by their publicists (including Taylor), but because they are so salacious and at times even unethical, you have to keep your eyebrows raised. (And in this case, TMZ has an in with Baldoni’s team via their history with the Depp-Heard trial, and his lawyer speaking directly to TMZ.)

Normally, I’d personally filter source credibility by their title, e.g. “an exclusive source close to x/a close insider to x” is more reliable than “a source with knowledge of x” is more reliable than “this paper has learned” is more reliable than “a source tells us” is more reliable than “someone told us” is more reliable than no mention of sources at all.

However, given the nature of this lawsuits, and the nature of entertainment journalism as a whole, that is a lot muddier in this case.

For instance, Page Six and The Daily Mail run a lot of “exclusives,” but believe me, after reading many of those “exclusives,” they’re clearly full of shit. As an example, in an unrelated article in recent months, Page Six ran an “exclusive” with a source saying Taylor was making Nashville her home base now that tour was over so that she could be closer to Travis in Kansas City. Um, she is indeed closer to Travis, however it happens to be under the same roof in whatever city they happen to be living in this off-season if you catch my drift. If anyone has read the recent “exclusive” in The Daily Mail about, um, Taylor and Travis’ extracurricular activities, you can also glean that there’s no way they’d be privy to any of that information, especially not about an infamously private pop star. So “exclusive” does not necessarily mean “truthful.”

In other words, you still need to use your brain cells. However, when an “exclusive” contains or repeats language or information that tracks with what is said by other (reputable) sources, it gives it more legitimacy and points to it coming from the same provider. Because even professional publicists are not above using seedier tabloids in order to fight fire with fire. (Including Taylor’s.)

Finally, general disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, nor a publicist. I'm just a girl with a blog who likes words.

With all that out of the way, we're off to the races! This is long and dense and probably interesting to about three people, but here it is! (I've added more thoughts at the very end.)

***

Context: The Lawsuits

Initial New York Times publication of Blake's complaint - December 21, 2024

Original NYT link (view in your browser's Reader Mode to get past the paywall) or internet archive link.

Blake's initial suit filed in December 2024 addresses her allegations of sexual harassment and subsequent personal retaliation. The events detailed in her complaint mainly occurred during the actual production of the movie and the following publicity tour.

I highly encourage people to read the complaint. There's so much being spun about the case (from both sides tbh), but this spells out what the actual basis of it is. Yes, it's Blake's filing, so obviously it comes to her defence and is clearly her side of the story. But even at that, the collection of evidence is compelling in terms of her actual legal case regarding her sexual harassment and the resulting smear campaign in the media and online. Especially because, for these purposes, the collected communications outline the strategy Justin Baldoni's team designed in order to execute the campaign against Blake in retaliation for her actions, including the deliberate inclusion of Taylor in their tactics. The PR team claimed "we can bury anyone," and essentially have endless resources at their disposal to do so.

Of note, this is the first direct reference to Taylor in these communications in August 2024, calling back to her relationship with Blake and more importantly, the link between Taylor's fanbase and Blake's as a threat to JB's image:

So incredibly glad that the press went so well today and from what I know, Justin felt incredibly supported. He is lucky to have you all. We took the day today to do some research and get digital quotes in from the two teams we use that get the best results. As you are both aware, we are in a predicament that we just do not know the outcome of right now. Saying that, full transparency is key here, we have seen the most innocuous issues tum giant due to socials or the hugest crisis have no effects on social whatsoever- you just cannot tell at this stage. But, BL does have some of the TS fanbase so we will be taking it extremely seriously.

While the rest of this particular message doesn't reference Taylor directly, I'm including it as an example of how the team planned to use (and manipulate) social media influence to take down Blake, because it demonstrates how it's done for smear campaigns in general:

We also understand audience is not solely JB fanbase but, the studio so it is covering all bases time. Quote one: $175k - this will be for a 3-4 month period and includes: website (to discuss) full reddit, full social account take downs, full social crisis team on hand for anything - engage with audiences in the right way, start threads of theories (to discuss) this is the way to be fully 100%protected. Quote two $25k per month - min 3 months as it needs to seed same as above - this will be for creation of social fan engagement to go back and forth with any negative accounts, helping to change narrative and stay on track. All of this will be most importantly untraceable. There is a lot more to both of these quotes but, easier to discuss via phone in terms of capabilities and what I have personally experienced in and out of crisis scenarios. Either way, I do feel it is better to be safe but - I do realize costs are something I am sure you did not count on when you took on this project nor, this situation."

Taylor is also mentioned in one of the PR team's projected response scenarios following those conversations:

As part of this, our team can also explore planting stories about the weaponization of feminism and how people in BL's circle like Taylor Swift, have been accused of utilizing these tactics to "bully" into getting what they want.

(The PR team's texts and emails were obtained by a subpoena Blake filed in September in pre-discovery prior to filing her suit in December. The publicist's former employer also filed a suit of their own against them in December, for among other things, conspiring to steal clients to start their own agency. The publicist used her work devices to communicate about the case and draft the strategy, and the former employer had the devices forensically audited after she left, which is the content included in the subpoena. The majority stakeholder in the publicist's new PR agency representing JB, which was formed in summer 2024, is Scooter B.)

Justin Baldoni's countersuit - January 16, 2025

Link to complaint

This is his team's response to Blake's lawsuit. It contains his side of the story, namely the background info about the alleged evening he met Taylor in passing at Blake's home and which he claims was a pressure tactic by both Blake and Taylor so that he'd accept Blake's script changes. This includes the infamous text message exchange where Blake calls Taylor and Ryan her "dragons," which he takes to mean they'd fight him if needed.

According to the timestamps on these exchanges, this appears to have happened in or around April 2023, before shooting began on the movie. (Thus before the recorded instances of harassment happened on set referred to in Blake's lawsuit.)

According to JB's account, he let Blake take a pass at a scene in the script and was concerned over the changes she made that differed from the source material, so he "diplomatically" told her they'd see how it would be incorporated into the final scene. Also according to him, Blake was "seemingly stung" by his response, and did not speak to him for several days, until she responds to him in what would become the now-famous Khaleesi exchange. According to him:

Lively was referring to an earlier meeting where Lively summoned Baldoni to her New York penthouse where Baldoni was greeted by Ryan Reynolds, who launched into enthusiastic praise for Lively’s version of the scene. Hours later, as the meeting was ending, a famous, and famously close, friend of Reynolds and Lively, walked into the room and similarly began praising Lively’s script.

Presumably, the famous friend is Taylor. (It's unclear when the prior "meeting" took place, though it would have been before April 14, 2023, which is the night this text conversation took place according to the time stamps. There's no mention if the meeting was days or weeks or months before, although noting that it happened at Blake's home in NYC and that Taylor was training then rehearsing then on tour in 2023, presumably the public nature of her schedule narrows down the time frame.) JB alleges that that meeting combined with Taylor's praise and the text messages below amounted to a threat with which he needed to comply.

JB responds to Blake's text confirming that he's working on the scene they're discussing, allegedly coming to this decision after feeling pressured by Blake and Taylor:

Great! Also was working on rooftop scene today, I really love what you did. It really does help a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor) You really are a talent across the board. Really excited nd [sic] grateful to do this together.

Excerpt of Blake's long text that presumably refers to Taylor:

[...] As for [redacted] and Ryan (and [redacted] for that matter). I'm the luckiest motherfucker on the planet to have them as my "Dance Moms" level stage moms. They are embarrassingly effusive. That said, they're also my most trusted partners and the people I go to first with anything creative I touch. And I'm the person they each go to first. That reciprocal creativity and support has been one of my life's greatest and most fulfilling gifts. When they loved and signed off on the pages, I felt good to send them to you. They asked what you thought specifically after. They checked in so many times. I told them that you laughed a bunch and said it's probably a blend but you appreciate my passion so much. Which of course didn't feel great for me. Or them. To have my passion praised instead of any specific contribution. Or even just that you didn't like the pages. Which was fine also. So I think they wanted you and me to see how they felt about the work because they've been by my side for far too many experiences where I've been overlooked. I spoke to you about this when we first met. They've watched me hand write scripts bc the director is too afraid to send the FDX file yet he scans and has someone hand type all 120 pages of my pencil rewrites. They've watched me be hired as a writer and paid a significant fee for it but on the condition that I never ask for credit, which I could give a shit about, it's more the principle of the dynamics at play. They've watched the other side of it too where I'm told at signing on that I'm wanted as a true collaborator, but once we get to work, I'm really just wanted as a 'yes man' audience and actor. Both Ryan and [redacted] have established themselves as absolute titans as writers and storytellers outside of their primary gig- just singing or just acting or [redacted] just directing. I'm so lucky to have them as creative barometers. But also to have them as the people who prop me up and make sure I'm seen for all I can, and do, offer. Because they know firsthand all I contribute. They also know I'm not always as good at making sure I'm seen and utilized for fear of threatening egos, or fear of affecting the ease of the process. They don't give a shit about that. And because of that, everyone listens to them with immense respect and enthusiasm. So I guess I have to stop worrying about people liking me. If you ever get around to watching Game of Thrones, you'll appreciate that I'm Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have a few dragons. For better or for worse, but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. You will too, I can promise you.

Later, in May 2024, nearer to the release of the movie, a conversation between studio executives mentions Taylor re: Blake asking her to use My Tears Ricochet in the trailer. (Justin alleges in his suit that Blake was withholding obtaining Taylor's approval of the song until her editor had time to cut her own version of the trailer. Notably, the studio seemed to easily agree to Blake's request.)

Blake is calling Taylor to approve the song. She of course just reached out saying she is asking for time with [redacted] her editor. We know it was conditional on signing contract – but asking if you will reconsider – so [redacted] can release this trailer and Blake does not change her [mind] re calling Taylor Swift.

***

Fallout: Taylor in the Press

Daily Mail - January 17, 2025

link to article

WARNING: DM is generally less than trustworthy *in most cases* when it comes to Taylor (but does have relationships with other celebrities). This is not labelled an "exclusive" nor does it claim that "sources tell Daily Mail" or anything similar, so normally I would assume the chances are even lower that this is reputable. However, I am including it for now because it seems to be the first public discourse about Taylor's feelings on the matter -- whether or not it's true, it sets the scene for the rumours all parties are trying to address. It also shares language/context that gets repeated later, which does make me wonder if it doesn't actually have legitimacy after all. On the other hand, as will become clearer with other excerpts from DM, it's evident that DM has a source with JB's team. So, take it with a grain of salt, but it is the first "reaction" to JB's filing:

'Taylor is proud of the film because her music was featured in it, which gave her a sense of involvement, though she wasn’t fully aware of the extent of the project’s developments,' they said. 'She is confused by the claims in the suit, as her connection to Blake is purely a friendship, with no interest in influencing or controlling Blake’s projects.' The source insisted that Taylor did not purposely plan to be there during the meeting. Instead, they said she was simply coming over to hang out with her pal but arrived while the meeting - which was supposed to have been wrapped up - was still going. 'She finds Justin’s interpretation of the encounter perplexing, and those close to her suspect she’s being drawn into the situation as a means to target Blake,' the insider continued. 'This was the first time that Taylor ever met Justin. She had no idea who he was and Taylor was simply being polite. She was polite to him as she is to everyone she meets.'

Daily Mail - January 29, 2025

link to article

Usual disclaimer about DM. I am including it for now because it does label it as an "exclusive," although the sourcing is murky. So, take it with a grain of salt, but on the rumour that there is a rift brewing between the two friends:

Lively later appeared to threaten Baldoni by comparing herself to Game of Thrones character Khaleesi in a series of text messages in which she referred to Reynolds, 48, and her best friend as her 'dragons'. The ‘uncool and unnecessary’ description was reportedly the final straw for Swift who had never planned to be at the meeting, but arrived at Lively’s New York penthouse to find it was still ongoing. ‘For the time being she is taking a step back from Blake because she doesn’t want to get tangled in this more than she already has – which is far more than she ever needed to be,’ an insider told DailyMail.com. ‘Her friends also think that Blake’s "I’m Khaleesi, and like her, I happen to have dragons" text to Justin was uncool and unnecessary because she was essentially used as an intimidation tactic. She was referred to as some kind of pet or possession. ‘Taylor shouldn’t even be involved in this at all. She was only going over to visit Blake and Ryan with the understanding that the meeting would be over.' [...] A second source said: ‘Taylor has politely backed away from it all. She is conscious of her own image and hates that she was even mentioned.'

Page Six - January 29, 2025

link to article

This seems to be the first article with a "source" refuting the tension between Taylor and Blake:

Taylor Swift and Blake Lively remain good friends despite Justin Baldoni dragging the pop superstar into his ongoing legal drama with the actress, Page Six can confirm. A source tells us that reports that Swift, 35, is trying to distance herself from Lively, 37, given the public relations nightmare are “not true” and that the two women do not have a strained relationship. Swift has yet to speak out, however, on her close friend’s legal issues with Baldoni, 41. Page Six has reached out to her and Lively’s reps for comment.

(I'm using "source" because it's specifically highlighted in the article title so that's generally more "backed up." Also, it sounds very similar to the following statement in People...)

PEOPLE - January 30, 2025

Link to article

In contrast to the Daily Mail article a day prior claiming Taylor and Blake are cooling off, this sourced article in People alleges they are fine:

Taylor Swift and Blake Lively's friendship hasn't faltered amid Lively's legal drama with Justin Baldoni. There's been no rift between the singer and actress despite reports of a strained relationship between Swift, 35, and Lively, 37, sources confirm to PEOPLE.

(Reminder: "sources confirm to PEOPLE" = generally from the horse's mouth)

Entertainment Tonight - January 30, 2025

link the post

Consistent with the People article, ET's source claims there is no impact on their friendship:

It’s been a dramatic few months for Blake Lively, but she still has Taylor Swift by her side.⁠ ⁠ Amid the ongoing legal battle between Lively and her ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star-director, Justin Baldoni, ET has learned that the singer and actress remain close pals and nothing has changed in their friendship.⁠ Meanwhile, a source tells ET, "Taylor supports Blake as she does with all of her friends." ⁠ This comes after a report making the rounds claimed Swift was "taking a step back" from the friendship after the singer was seemingly referenced in Baldoni’s lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.⁠

I will note that it is curious to me that the direct quote states that Taylor supports Blake's case, but doesn't actually reference the rift allegations or her feelings. It makes me wonder if ET was extrapolating the friendship status from the "Taylor supports Blake" quote, or if they were given indication that that was the case and paraphrased it.

ET also published another post on the same day about Taylor supporting Travis at the Super Bowl. It doesn't reference the case at all, but IMO is consistent with many of the other statements her team made and would continue to make throughout the spring: that Taylor is focused on her personal life, and implicitly by focusing on that wants no association with a legal case that has nothing to do with her. (In other words, IMO they've tried to pivot the narrative away from the case repeatedly, until later in the spring when Taylor got dragged into it for real.)

TMZ - February 5, 2025

link to article

TMZ interviews JB's lawyer on his podcast, and this seems to be the first time the prospect of Taylor being subpoenaed and deposed comes up as a negotiation tactic for his case. (Again: given the obvious bias of the guest, take it all with a grain of salt.)

Harvey [Levin] hammers Bryan [Freedman] about potentially deposing Taylor … because she's central to the dispute by virtue of her involvement in an infamous meeting between Justin, Blake and Ryan. Taylor was there when Blake and Ryan met with Justin to discuss the rooftop scene in "It Ends With Us" ... it's the scene Blake rewrote and the meeting led to Justin's 2 AM voice note to Blake. Bryan is cagey about calling Taylor for a deposition, but watch the clip and read between the lines … a Taylor depo is on the table and Bryan can use it as a big bargaining chip to get a settlement. Yes, we're already talking settlement because as Harvey and Mark explain … there is no way this case is actually going to trial … for the very reason that none of these celebrities want to be subjected to depositions, courtroom testimony and especially cross-examinations. Taylor's the biggest star of them all though, and our read is that Blake and Ryan will do anything to keep their best friend from being grilled by Bryan … which could benefit Justin in the end.

In short: IMO JB's team seems to explicitly be using Taylor from the jump as a means to call Blake's bluff and get her to back down.

Entertainment Tonight - February 6, 2025

link to post

Given the reliability of the source (i.e. Tree's regular go-to), this feels like the "key message" Taylor's team is trying to issue about her stance on the case:

There’s no bad blood between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively – but a source tells ET that the singer is steering clear of the drama.⁠ ⁠ While Taylor’s name has come up amid Blake’s legal battle with her ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, the source says the singer “doesn’t want to be brought up at all or involved in any drama, especially since this isn’t related to her.”⁠ ⁠ The source adds of Taylor, “She wants to stay uninvolved."⁠ ⁠ That being said, the source notes, “Taylor is still close with Blake, but she is focused on her own life and everything she has going on. She is in a great place and wants to keep moving forward.”

(I bolded the "uninvolved" because this will come up again.)

US Weekly - February 6, 2025

link to article

US Weekly (as far as I know) does not typically have reliable/exclusive sourcing re: Taylor, so again: take this with a grain of salt. But it gets quoted in later Daily Mail articles and shares language with others, so it's here for recording purposes for its "exclusive":

Despite Taylor Swift’s name being mentioned in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s ongoing legal saga, multiple sources tell Us Weekly that the pop star was not involved in the production of It Ends With Us. “Taylor has always been Blake’s friend, but Taylor doesn’t have any involvement in the case. She wasn’t part of the movie,” the source says. “Taylor was not a producer on the film and had no creative involvement.” [...] While she and Blake are friends, this case is now a legal matter for the courts to resolve,” the insider adds. “Dragging Taylor into it is unnecessary and misrepresents what really happened.”

(Reminder: publicists aren't above using a wide range of outlets that reach different demographics to get a point across, sometimes even with different angles being addressed.)

TMZ - February 6, 2025

link to article

TMZ marks this as an exclusive. On a personal note, FULL DISCLOSURE: when this article first dropped at the time, I thought that this was shit-disturbing from JB's camp, given that it is well known TMZ has close ties to his PR team via the Heard-Depp trial. AND right in this article, they talk to JB's own lawyer in their podcast. So, I figured they were trying to drive a public wedge between Blake and Taylor. Given the context we have now, and the similarity in language to other articles about it, I think it isn't unlikely (and perhaps, pointedly, in fact very likely) that it could instead be from Taylor's team. So, choose your own adventure.

Taylor Swift feels she was used by Blake Lively in her war with Justin Baldoni, and she resents Blake calling her one of her "dragons" and leveraging her name. As we reported, there was a critical meeting at Blake and Ryan Reynolds' NYC penthouse with Justin to discuss a scene that Blake had rewritten for "It Ends with Us." Justin has said the meeting got super heated, and he felt ambushed because Ryan and Taylor showed up. But a well-connected source close to Taylor tells TMZ … Taylor came to Blake's apartment at the time Blake told her to, not knowing anyone else would be there. In other words, Taylor had no idea there was a meeting going on with Justin. The source goes on to say … Justin was about to leave after the 2-hour meeting as Taylor walked in, and she was introduced to him for the first and only time. We're told all Taylor said to Justin was how excited she was to see the movie because he was her friend's boss. Our source says Taylor believes Blake timed her meeting with Justin so Taylor would arrive before he left and is baffled by Blake later characterizing her as her "dragon." The source adds, "It's weird to say that about a friend." As Daily Mail reported, friends of Taylor's called the dragon remark, "Uncool and unnecessary." [...] And there's more … the source says Taylor is also learning Blake has been inappropriately leveraging her name for a long time, like telling a young actress that Taylor "cast her," which simply did not happen. [...] This is a huge falling out ... Taylor is godmother to one of Blake and Ryan's kids. But, one source close to Blake has a different take, telling TMZ ... Blake believes the relationship is "not strained" with the two still talking regularly. Another source close to the situation says Taylor was pissed about the extent to which she was involved, and specifically she was angry about the "dragons" remark … but Blake has since apologized, they had a good cry and hugged it out.

(The fact that there are three different sources cited, with differing narratives, is... interesting.)

Page Six - February 6, 2025

link to article

Another "exclusive" about Taylor's feelings about being involved in the case, sharing similar language about feeling "used" as TMZ:

Taylor Swift “can’t help but feel used” by her pal Blake Lively, a source exclusively tells Page Six. The insider says the pop superstar “doesn’t appreciate being referred to as one of Blake’s dragons” after Lively’s alleged texts were revealed in a countersuit filed by her “It Ends With Us” co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. The alleged texts don’t specify who the “Gossip Girl” alum’s “dragons” are, but it’s believed by many that the actress was referencing husband Ryan Reynolds — and the Grammy-winning singer. [...] According to the source, “Taylor really wishes Blake hadn’t dragged her into this whole situation.” Swift, 35, and Lively, 37, “have been friends for years and Taylor cherishes genuine friendships, but she can’t help but feel used at this point,” the source tells us. The “Fortnight” songstress “wants to keep out of this drama as much as possible,” the insider says. 

NOTE: given the consistency of how all of these Feb. 6 "exclusives" repeat the same key messages, namely wanting to be uninvolved in the "drama" and particularly Page Six and TMZ re: feeling used, this would lead me to believe they're likely coordinated and from the same source. (Source likely being: Taylor's team.)

Entertainment Tonight - February 7, 2025

link to post

This doesn't directly reference the case, but IMO is clearly a response to it, getting ahead of speculation as to why Blake is not attending the Super Bowl with Taylor after having been by her side at several games, including the big event, the previous year:

Blake Lively isn’t planning to join Taylor Swift at this year's Super Bowl. 🏈⁠ ⁠ Ahead of Super Bowl LIV, a source told ET that Blake had a blast with Taylor last year, but doesn't plan to join her in New Orleans as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles.⁠ ⁠ "Blake is not planning to join Taylor at the Super Bowl this year. They had a blast together last year, but this year Taylor is bringing others along," the source shared and did not specify what friends Taylor will be bringing.⁠

TMZ - February 7, 2025

link to article

This story is about Blake not appearing in Taylor's suite at the Super Bowl, although candidly, I don't think she was ever planning on being there given her retreat from the public eye even before the bombshells in JB's lawsuit. This mostly rehashes the previous article with a little different wording, following up on the assertion in the previous article that the friendship was fine:

We're told, despite what Blake thinks, their friendship is fractured after a text surfaced where Blake told Justin Baldoni she was Khaleesi (from 'GoT') and hubby Ryan Reynolds and Taylor were her "dragons." Taylor has not seen Blake in a while ... she's been spending lots of time with Travis and hasn't been in New York recently, but we're told the distance is more than geographic. TMZ broke the story ... Taylor was royally pissed off and, as a well-connected source close to Taylor told us, she was never her dragon. In fact, although Blake tried to make Justin believe Swift was siding with her over a script dispute, Taylor never had a dog in the fight. As we reported, Blake had invited Taylor over to her penthouse and Swift had no idea there was a meeting going on between Blake and Justin. Taylor walked in as Justin was leaving, and all she did was tell him she was excited to see his movie. To add insult to injury, we're told Taylor later learned Blake was name-dropping TS all over town. We also reported Blake believes her relationship with Taylor is not strained, although that's not what we're hearing from our sources regarding Taylor's feelings about the whole thing. Blake says they had a good cry and hugged it out. Even if that happened, there are unquestionably hard feelings on Taylor's side.

Entertainment Tonight - February 11, 2025

link to post

This doesn't reference Blake's case, but I'm including it here because... that's kind of the point. The message from Taylor's team is: Taylor and Travis want to be out of the headlines and take time off together to enjoy their private lives:

"Taylor and Travis are still going very strong," a source tells ET. "She has been supportive of him since his Super Bowl loss."⁠ ⁠ ⁠[...] So, what’s next? "They’re now focused on relaxing and taking time off," the source adds. And after an intense football season and Taylor wrapping up her record-breaking, two-year Eras Tour, that downtime is well deserved.

Page Six - February 18, 2025

link to article

This "exclusive" repeats a similar narrative found in the articles from earlier in the month.

Taylor Swift “needs space” from Blake Lively after her name was dragged into the ongoing lawsuits between the “Gossip Girl” alum and her “It Ends With Us” co-star and director Justin Baldoni. The pop superstar “is taking a break from their friendship right now,” a source exclusively tells Page Six. “Taylor is really hurt by this whole situation and feels like a pawn.” According to the insider, the Grammy winner, 35, “is keeping her distance” from Lively, 37, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, 48. “Taylor wants nothing to do with this whole ordeal,” our source tells Page Six. “She has always been a loyal friend to Blake and doesn’t appreciate being thrown into this at all.”

(Again: take with a grain of salt. They could have a source, or they could just be repeating what they've heard elsewhere.)

TMZ - February 20, 2025

link to article

A user on Twitter digs up clips from the press junket for It Ends With Us, in which JB claims that he showed an actress' audition tape to both Blake and Taylor who he says both loved her, and another clip in which Blake says Taylor supported her through every step of the film process. Presumably this is the same actress that an earlier article claims Blake told Taylor got her cast, and equally that Taylor was unaware of that statement, although admittedly that's not confirmed.

Daily Mail - March 1, 2025

link to article (will need reader mode to access)

WARNING: Usual warning about DM applies, heavily so here. However, I am including it for now because it does label it as an "exclusive," although the sourcing is murky, and I have added thoughts below. So, take it with a grain of salt, but it states:

Now, another source claims: 'Taylor appears to have distanced herself from her best friend, who has accused a man of sexual harassment, despite being the godmother of her [Blake's] children.' 'Taylor is a sexual assault victim and spent more than a year of her life fighting for a case that she knew she would win. She has donated money to sexual assault victims' funds,' the insider said, adding: 'If Taylor truly supported Blake, would she not want to publicly back her?' 'Some people feel [Taylor] should be offering comfort and using her platform to rally Swifties in support of what is right,' the source said. 'Instead, Taylor appears to have gone silent and is staying out of the public eye. This will likely play a role in Justin's defense.' But, our source now says, her apparent refusal to address any accusations levelled against her, and her failure to speak out in support of her long-time friend, could be a nail in the coffin for Lively. 'If Taylor does not believe Blake,' the insider claimed. 'She will be the smoking gun in this case.'

That last line leads me to believe it's not likely from someone in Blake or Taylor's camps. Blake's statements have all centred on the friendship being intact. Taylor's statements have reiterated that Taylor was not involved, therefore has nothing to contribute to the case, and wants to be removed from the narrative entirely, so it's unlikely she'd be considered a "smoking gun" imo. Also: JB's lawyer has already stated by this point that someone of Taylor's stature could be important to depose for the information they may hold, which will be repeated later on in other articles. Again, DM has sources in JB's camp, and from their very own strategy document one of their preferred tactics is to sow discord and use Blake's relationship with Taylor against them both, so make of that what you will.

Deadline - March 6, 2025

link to article

While this article doesn't have anything to do with Taylor directly, it's noteworthy to me because it addresses the conflict between Blake and JB's teams about what information should be protected in the case. According to the judge hearing it:

What’s going on between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is “a feud between PR firms.” [...] Building off the judge’s starting comment and obviously trying to avoid getting into the minutiae like much of this case has for better or worse, Lively and Reynolds’ attorney Meryl Conant Governski cut to the bottom line. “The parties in this case, on both sides, include people whose entire living is made off providing information to the press and content creators,” the Willkie Farr & Gallagher lawyer said in the hearing. “There are 100 million reasons for these parties to leak information because the PR value is greater than complying with the court’s orders.” Lead Baldoni lawyer Bryan Freeman rejected that premise today, as he has many times in previous filings and media appearances. “No one has any intent of harming Ms. Lively in any way” as to her allegations, the often-pugilistic litigator told the court. “My clients have a right to defend themselves … that is in no way abusing the victim.” In that vein, off the top of the hearing that lasted about 70 minutes, Judge Liman made it clear he was aware of how the Vision PR-represented Lively and the TAG- and RWA-represented Baldoni’s clash was playing out in the media, and accusations that parties on both sides were leaking to the press.

It does raise my eyebrows that, presumably in the interest of "fairness," Blake's own lawyers are implying that both sides have reason to want to leak to the press to win the PR war, thus justifying seeking what is essentially a gag order in the best interests of both parties.

Eventually the judge does partially grant Blake's request for certain disclosures that could "cause significant injury":

On Thursday, March 13, Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that while certain confidential materials will remain protected, an “Attorneys’ Eyes Only” designation can only be applied if their disclosure is "highly likely to cause a significant business, commercial, financial or privacy injury." The decision follows Lively’s request for stricter safeguards to prevent private details from leaking to the media or circulating within Hollywood. The judge acknowledged the risk of sensitive information spreading through industry gossip, writing in his ruling. "And where confidential information is not disclosed to the media, it may spread by gossip and innuendo to those in the tight artistic community in a position to do harm to one or the other of the parties but in a manner that might not be readily and immediately detected."

(Source: People, March 13)

Daily Mail - March 12, 2025

link to article

In an article about Hugh Jackman being subpoenaed in the case, Taylor is mentioned regarding how she promoted Deadpool on her Instagram account, as did Hugh. The cross-promotion is one of the things that is cited as being why he is being subpoenaed, alleging he had direct knowledge of what was happening (re: the "Nicepool" character):

The source also pointed out that Jackman 'helped promote It Ends with Us' and that Reynolds appeared to include 'several not-so-subtle disses about Baldoni' in Deadpool & Wolverine, adding: 'It's unlikely Hugh wasn't aware of this.' 'Not only this, but Hugh helped promote It Ends with Us in the same way that Taylor did when they did their group shot for the cross-promo with Deadpool,' they continued. 'The timing of the premieres is also no coincidence.'

Page Six - March 12, 2025

link to article

Again, a Page Six "exclusive" is reader beware. It shares the same sentiment as more legitimate sources, though:

Taylor Swift is “not afraid” after Justin Baldoni’s lawyer said there’s a chance the singer could be deposed in the actor’s ongoing legal battle with her friend Blake Lively. A source exclusively tells Page Six that the pop superstar “is a strong woman and she’s not hiding from anything.” “Taylor is simply enjoying some alone time with Travis [Kelce] and being under the radar for a little bit,” the insider says.

(I will note that in other articles about Blake specifically, unrelated to Taylor's involvement, the "strong woman"/not hiding language was used about her. Perhaps a coincidence. Or not.)

Page Six - April 7, 2025

link to article

This is the first time we hear about Blake's feelings about the alleged rift:

Blake Lively has apologized to Taylor Swift for dragging the pop star into her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni, a source exclusively tells Page Six. “It was important to Blake to be on good terms again with Taylor. It was never her intention to hurt Taylor or cause any harm to their friendship,” an insider explains. “Blake missed their friendship and she hopes they can put this whole thing behind them.” The source says that Swift “appreciated” Lively’s apology and “felt it was genuine and heartfelt.” “[Taylor] has no hard feelings and is ready to move forward,” the insider adds.

Daily Mail - April 23, 2025

link to article (note you'll need to use reader mode or other means to get past the paywall)

The Daily Mail breaks the news that Taylor is also expected to be subpoenaed for the case:

Now, a source has told the Daily Mail that Jackman and Swift – who has not been seen with her best pal Lively since being hauled into the mess – will most ‘definitely be served this week.’ [...] A source has claimed Jackman and Swift will most ‘definitely be served this week.’ ‘It could happen at any time,’ they told the Daily Mail

(Again: DM has direct sources in JB's camp.)

Entertainment Tonight - April 23, 2025

link to post

Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds’ 'Deadpool & Wolverine' co-star, are both likely to be subpoenaed in the 'It Ends With Us' dispute.⁠ ⁠ While neither star has been served yet, a source tells ET that "Taylor does not want to be involved in Blake’s legal battle with Justin. She and Travis have been laying low, traveling, and enjoying some time off and quiet time together."⁠

PEOPLE - April 24, 2025

Two articles pertaining to the case were published on this day.

The first article of the day speculated that Taylor and Hugh Jackman may be subpoenaed for the case:

link to first article

"Anyone that had any knowledge of this situation will be subpoenaed, no matter of their celebrity status," the source says. However, another insider says Swift and Jackman are "not privy to anything going on," adding that claims they will be subpoenaed are "smoke and mirrors and trying to distract from the allegations against Baldoni."

The second article published later in the day on April 24 delved into the impact of the case on Blake and Taylor's relationship in (personal) detail.

It's notable that PEOPLE highlights in the title that this is an "exclusive source," indicating that this is almost certainly sourced from someone close to one of the parties involved. (And most likely from Blake's team given the context):

link to article

Swift “was really hurt,” a source tells PEOPLE, after being implicated in Lively’s ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni over behind-the-scenes conflict on their movie It Ends with Us.  "Blake knew she and Taylor would come back from this at some point and that their friendship wasn’t done for good,” the insider says of the legal difficulties.  “Taylor was really hurt by this situation, so she’s relieved they were able to recover from this and put it all behind them because it wasn’t something she took lightly,” they add.

(It's also notable to me that an article the following day is also highlighted as "exclusive," featuring an "exclusive interview" with Ryan. I'm not saying that Ryan was the source of the previous article, to be clear, but rather that would lead me to believe, personally, that they're part of the same round of publicity strategy re: People given the timing. In other words, they're all from the same source in Blake's camp. Especially given the volume of "happy" fluffy PR stories -- without mention of the case -- that PEOPLE publishes at the same time about the couple and their projects.)

Page Six - April 28, 2025

link to article

After social media users figure out Travis unfollowed Ryan Reynolds on Instagram the previous weekend, Page Six gets this off-the-record exclusive:

Travis Kelce is intentionally trying to distance himself from Blake Lively’s ongoing drama with Justin Baldoni. Page Six has exclusively learned that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end unfollowed Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, on Instagram because of the “It Ends With Us” actress’s messy legal nightmare. [...] It is also unknown how Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, feels about the unfollowing. Her reps could not be immediately reached for comment. However, it has been widely reported that the pop superstar, 35, is not as close with Lively as she once was.

Daily Mail - May 3, 2025

link to article

This is almost assuredly sourced by JB's team, given the confirmation that Taylor was issued a subpoena in the case and will be interviewed by JB's lawyer. Ultimately, the article mainly rehashes the case, but it does also detail that Travis is expected to be subpoenaed as well, along with Hugh Jackman.

As the Mail can exclusively reveal, the actress's best friend Taylor Swift – almost certainly the most powerful woman in showbusiness – has been dropped, centre-stage, into the whole unsalutary mess, and served with a subpoena by Baldoni's lawyers. After weeks of rumours that it was coming, the subpoena has been issued compelling Swift to submit to an interview by Baldoni's 'streetfighter' lawyer Bryan Freedman under oath – never a pleasant experience for anyone. Freedman is one of the most powerful and feared litigators in the entertainment industry. He has represented actors and celebrities including Kevin Spacey, accused of assault; Kate Beckinsale; Julia Roberts and Bella Thorne. A source said: 'Taylor Swift has now been subpoenaed. Some subpoenas are being sent this week, some depositions are in the process now of being scheduled. People often push back and say that they can't for various reasons, but you really cannot get out of it.' And that's not all: I can further reveal that Swift's boyfriend, the American football star Travis Kelce, will soon receive a subpoena of his own, as will Lively and Reynolds' friend, Wolverine star Hugh Jackman. [...] A little over a week ago, US magazine People – apparently briefed by pro-Lively sources – published a piece saying that the two women's friendship was back on track, much to Lively's 'relief' after a difficult period. 'Blake knew she and Taylor would come back from this at some point and that their friendship wasn't done for good,' the insider said. 'Taylor was really hurt by this situation, so she's relieved they were able to recover from this and put it all behind them because it wasn't something she took lightly.' Yet, embarrassingly, days later there came another almighty bombshell when Kelce stopped following Reynolds on Instagram. In a world where a thumbs up or down on social media speaks more words than People magazine could fit in a whole article, everyone was left in no doubt as to the real state of Lively and Swift's friendship. Swift does not, herself, follow anyone on Instagram, but Kelce following Reynolds was one outward sign of the close relationship between the couples – and now that's gone. At around the same time, Swift was a guest at their mutual friend Gigi Hadid's 30th birthday party in New York – and Blake Lively was nowhere to be seen, adding to the impression that she is now being shunned by Swift and her friendship group. Gossip columnist Rob Shuter said that the model 'had to pick between Taylor and Blake... and, ultimately, she picked Taylor'.

***

The Rundown: A Tumblrina's Thoughts

I don't want to delve too deeply into it, because there are so many heightened emotions around this for a lot of reasons.

I've said this many times, but I think it bears repeating: the Taylor issue in the media is separate from Blake's very valid legal case. I see this as being three separate issues: Blake's case about sexual harassment, Baldoni's case about creative differences and extortion, and Taylor's reaction to being (unfairly) involved. They're all intertwined, of course, but the legal issues are very obviously separate from Taylor's.

What I'm trying to say is that you can have feelings about how Taylor is being used, while still having different feelings about the very real case at play. Unfortunately, going by public statements and actions, Taylor and Blake's friendship seems to be collateral in what is shaping up to be a nasty, messy legal fight.

(Call me a cupcake, but yes, I absolutely believe Taylor's version of events. One, because I'm her fan first and foremost, so I give her the benefit of the doubt. Two, because even though JB's team implied her presence pressured him, if he actually felt that she was involved, she would have been named in the lawsuit IMO. It's clear she's just a ploy to get at Blake. And three, not to fly too close to the sun, but if you look at the time frame of when the "meeting" happened... I think you can draw your own conclusions about what might have been going on. At the very least, Taylor had bigger fish to fry.)

My thoughts on it all aren't really important, but if I had to draw a conclusion around it, it's that Taylor is being used (perhaps both unintentionally and deliberately) by both Blake and JB's sides to defend themselves-- and that must feel really, really shitty for someone who doesn't have any involvement in the case. JB dragging her into the case is in zero way surprising as a media tactic, and is the best way he can keep his side of the story out there with assured headlines. (Again: it's from his publicist's own mouth via the planning document.) Blake's response seems innocuous at first glance, but when taking in the fulsome view of the media response, it does unfortunately feel like leaning on Taylor's image to defend her own. Everything is fine! Well, everything's not fine, but we worked it out. Well, we worked it out and Taylor is still sensitive about it. Actually, Taylor's still really upset.

The thing that is abundantly clear is that Taylor's team persistently tried to steer the narrative away from the case, underscoring her lack of involvement at all beyond being Blake's friend and pivoting repeatedly to what she wanted to convey: Taylor is on break, Taylor is leading a private life right now and focused on her family, Taylor doesn't want anyone using her, Taylor doesn't know anything. It was to be expected that JB's team would ignore that, but I presume it was particularly hurtful that Blake's team ignored it as well. That is just me speculating, but there are dots dotting throughout the evolution of the statements. Taylor's request for privacy seems to have fallen on deaf ears, particularly by people who should know better.

One thing that jumped out at me is that the narrative around Taylor's involvement mostly died out after the initial frenzy after JB's suit was filed in January, particularly after the February 6 blitz of, "Taylor feels used and she needs time to cool off, but they'll work it out." It seemed to have done the trick, beyond a few whispers here and there about subpoenas (again, mostly from Daily Mail, which comes from JB's camp). However, the stories appearing in April about the rift between Taylor and Blake over the case and how they mended their friendship and are fine now seem to have stirred the pot yet again, especially since, candidly, it seems like they came directly from Blake's team. (Not to be a conspiracy theorist... But that also coincided in an uptick in publicity for Blake's new movie, along with obviously JB's subpoenas.)

I'd imagine it must have been especially frustrating to have a friend bring it up again in the press, when you'd made it clear that your stance was to leave you out of it and worked so hard to stress that to the press and to mostly successful results. With that context, it's not surprising Taylor's team was quick to rebuke those statements, even through non-traditional methods.

This is me putting on yet another speculative hat, but having read press about the case in general throughout this period, and not just the Taylor articles, another thing that struck me is that once JB filed his suit and his lawyer started talking about deposing celebrities, and specifically Taylor, there wasn't a single statement that I can find by Blake's team denouncing that effort as a fishing expedition when the lawsuits were filed. To me, the most natural response to JB's claims by her PR and legal teams would have been, "This is a desperate attempt by Baldoni and his team to distract the public from the very serious allegations he is facing by Blake and the other women who worked with him on the movie, because he knows his own claims are baseless." Nothing of the sort came out until after the news of the subpoenas hit at the end of April.

It obviously wouldn't have stopped JB's team from doing whatever they wanted, but it would make Blake's team's position clear about where they stand regarding her friends and collaborators being dragged into the case, and shifted the narrative back to the alleged victims in the case. However, her team's silence on that front I think must feel especially worrisome to some of said friends and collaborators (like Taylor), who, I would wonder, might feel like they're being hung out to dry a little.

(Again, candidly: not to delve into the legal case, but having read both the filings and the press outside of the Taylor of it all, I suspect they didn't issue a blanket denouncement of the depositions because at the time, Blake's team was trying to subpoena Baldoni's phone records. Glass houses etc. I also have other Thoughts about the matter. But. Well. It diverges from the Taylor of it all and nobody here cares lol.)

This is a little outside of the Taylor of it all, but taking a macro look at everything between December and now, it seems like this is ultimately a battle of PR strategies. Which, duh. But what I mean by that is JB's team is waging modern social media warfare, using all means to muddy public opinion, and again, this is from his team's own words. Troll farms, fake or "influential" accounts to offer counter-narratives, podcasts, his team speaking directly to the press, etc. The goal is to blanket the field. On the other hand, Blake's team seems to be following a traditional PR effort, relying on reputable outlets like friendly magazines (PEOPLE) and talk shows, and putting out feel-good stories to counter the negative press. E.g., there are SO many follow-up stories to every It Ends With Us story about seeing Hugh's play (no mention of the case), cute stories she tells about her kids on talk shows, her and Ryan showing up at x event, press about their new movies, awards, etc. They're blanketing the field in another way.

Meanwhile, Taylor is caught in the middle, when all she wants to do is: be radio silent and live her life. So on the one hand, she's got the attack dogs on JB's side pulling her in to their narrative, and on the other she's got the positive PR blitz on Blake's low-key pulling her in too. And what's even worse, maybe even spreading an agenda that isn't truthful to her own experience, and banking on her silence as tacit support or approval.

From Taylor's PR standpoint, this is kind of a fascinating exercise to me too, because you can see the nuance in her own team's strategy. If I had to describe it, it's that it uses its most friendly outlet, ET, as the pulpit, and the others as the *whispers* to fill in the blanks. By that I mean, it uses their most trusted source (and again: we as fans all know why it is) to relay their high-level, top-line messages: Taylor does not want to be involved, Taylor is focused on her private life out of the spotlight, Taylor has no knowledge of the situation. Those are the key messages that get repeated nearly every time it makes a statement to ET. This is the party line, and what Taylor's unofficial official statement is.

But then, her team also fights fire with fire by dropping nuggets in all the other outlets, even the less-reputable ones, and IMO that is by design. Firstly, because it sends messages across different audiences (who aren't all consuming everything Taylor related like we are as fans), and secondly, and perhaps more pointedly, to address the other parties' publicists in their own preferred outlets. There's also perhaps an added layer of plausible deniability, because sources like TMZ or Daily Mail or Page Six aren't necessarily reliable when it comes to Taylor so you could in theory deny where the info is coming from, but all it takes is looking at the spirit and the wording of the statements to know where the likely origin is.

So while Taylor isn't going to give an exclusive to ET saying she felt manipulated by Blake and is taking a step back from her to process the hurt she feels, giving an even more off-the-record account to a place like TMZ, where there are already questions of bias and salaciousness, allows her to get her story out there and beat them at their own game. Sometimes you have to roll in the mud a little, which is why it seems like these seedier tabloids got some of the juiciest stuff to paint a broader picture of what was actually happening while Taylor was publicly silent. Maybe another analogy is, um, ET is Khaleesi and the other tabloids are the dragons?

And a note about Page Six: I know a lot of people may have found it strange that that tabloid, of all places, got the confirmation that Travis unfollowed Ryan on purpose, but in reading all this, it actually makes perfect sense. For one thing, confirming to a smaller outlet like this avoids the media storm it would have been if it had been an official statement or "sources tell" quote to ET or PEOPLE. But for another: Page Six is extremely Blake and Ryan-friendly these days. (Again, which surprises me, because of the outlet's connection to JB's publicist, but things may have changed idk.) Like, it seems like it's second only to PEOPLE in positive press for the couple. (Meaning: they are being fed stories by their PR team.) So, using B&R's own preferred source to confirm an action that indicates that their spin of the situation with Taylor is not accurate is kind of ballsy, and also very pointed. It's one step away from saying, "Actually, that's not true, Ellen Blake."

If I can make one more comment about it all, it's that I think Blake's team is worrying about and reacting to the short-term effects of JB's bad press (e.g. the depositions) instead of the long game of her and Ryan's broader reputations and the case itself. And if I could speculate, Taylor would be someone who knew better than anyone about the value of staying silent about a personal issue unless needed to play the long game of maintaining your reputation, and knowing what fights are worth fighting and what are just mud-slinging. (And perhaps that advice and experience might have fallen on deaf ears itself.) I have more thoughts about the Blake of it all and even the JB of it all, but it's a separate issue from this specific post about Taylor.

This was entirely too long, and there isn't much point to it, but like I said, I'm utterly fascinated by the ways in which PR is used in a professional capacity, and how many different factors are in play for a single issue, especially when it starts turning into crisis management. And to be clear, it isn't a crisis on Taylor's end, but Blake's crisis management is affecting Taylor's personal life, and it's a tangled web to weave.

And if you made it this far... Cheers, friend! 🥂

[thefrogman]

Been following for... well like over a decade. Love your wit and your masterly skills with photgraphy and how you explain it in ways we can understand.

But I wanted you to know that you being so open about your life with ME/CFS meant that when I got sick, I was able to recognize what was happening to me. Your blogging saved me from what could have been years and years of doctors and more testing with no answers. I was able to know what to talk with doctors about, some of what to expect, and that I wasn't alone. And I've never said thank you for that, so I wanted you to know- Thank you.

I remember you consistently being a long time supportive follower. Your name always sticks out when you like or reply or reblog. Like waving at an old friend you notice on the other side of the supermarket.

I've always tried to find the balance of openly talking about my chronic fatigue without making it my entire deal. I think that is a big mistake a lot of chronic illness sufferers can fall into. I had to figure out how to live a life despite my condition. And I hope if my story communicated anything to fellow spoonies, it was to do everything possible to find some quality of life. It may not meet your ambitions or what you imagined for yourself, but it's an important part of living with a chronic condition.

It is very fulfilling to hear that my story helped you. That was always my goal. When I started this health journey, there was so little information. They thought I had depression for years and even electroshocked my brain. I hoped I could spare others from a similar experience. And while I'm saddened so many others now have post viral fatigue, it does seem this influx of people has put a new spotlight on these conditions. Perhaps this will lead to new treatments.

I always live my life with the assumption I will not get better. Waiting for the next miracle cure got old very quick. My current strategy is to isolate aspects of my health that I can do something about. I'm going to fix my testosterone. I'm going to fix my diabetes. And I'm going to lose weight so it takes less energy to move around.

I had to make some huge health sacrifices to help my parents in their final years. I feel like I owe it to them to undo that damage and get back to living a life. I hope to also share that journey as I go.

It makes me sad to hear you have struggled with similar things. But stories like yours feel very validating. It can be hard opening up about these things publicly. Especially when faced with nonbelievers who think I want to lie around and watch movies all day. That idea sounds nice until it is your only choice and you cannot make another without terrible consequences.

I'm sorry it took so long to respond, but I appreciate you. I appreciate your long-time loyalty as a follower. And I appreciate all of the support and kindness you've shown me over the years.

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

My menstrual cycle is acting up and making my brain focus on weird things. So let's talk about...

Interspecies sex!

One of the fun things you get to explore when writing a fantasy story with a lot of non-human people, especially if they're also from different evolutionary roots and not related at all.

Like what does it even mean for a primate to be sexually attracted to an amphibian? How does that happen? How do all these different people species view sexuality? How do they feel about interspecies intercourse? It's a fascinating subject!

Especially if you're like me, asexual and autistic with a special interest in fantasy biology and culture and a detached scientific fascination for the concept of sex through the lens of fiction.

No images in this post. Just a hasty ramble, no time for new art, and frankly the rogue censorbots on tumblr are already marking perfectly normal images as potentially mature, so I don't need them jumping on me right now lol. But I'm still putting this post under a cut.

I have been writing many different relationship dynamics in my own project, including some interspecies relationships and a lot of queer characters.

Some of my people species are, by nature, somewhat asexual. Whether it's a seasonal thing or a full time thing.

Drow: the majority of drow, aside from the "males", are asexual by default! Those who become matriarchs may suddenly find themselves experiencing sexual attraction for the first time during their secondary puberty, which can be confusing and overwhelming, but they may also remain asexual and simply participate in sex because the duty of a matriarch is to bear children.

Quetzalin: for about half the year, all adult quetzalin are functionally asexual due to a natural hormone change. But during courting season, the majority of adult quetzalin do feel sexual attraction, and they feel it quite strongly! The flip from no sexual attraction and a low libido to high sexual attraction and a high libido can be overwhelming, so the qurtxalin have actually developed some fairly well advanced hormone treatments to make it easier.

Goblins: similar to quetzalin, goblins only feel sexual attraction for part of the year, but for them it's a rather spontaneous short-term burst of both attraction and libido that leads to a big group orgy at the nursery ponds, driving them to lay and fertilize thousands of eggs.

Pixies: since they are basically giant bees, the majority of pixies do not feel sexual attraction at all, ever. Sexual desire really only shows up in the hive mothers and their short-lived mates.

So with all these people who experience such a lack of attraction and/or a lack of libido, you might expect them to avoid sex, especially outside their own species groups. Perhaps you expect them to be a little more open to interspecies sex only when they're in a seasonal libido wave.

And yet, the least likely group, pixies, show an odd fascination for sex with people of other species. What could draw a sapient bee towards sex? They find it entertaining. They like to watch, and they like the way other people react to being touched. And much to their own surprise and delight, there are vertebrate people who will gladly have sex with pixies! There are all sorts of people; elves, orcs, even goblins, who think the idea of letting pixies crawl on their naked bodies is very sexy. It helps that pixies can vibrate their abdomens and that they're roughly the size of an elf's penis.

Goblins and quetzalin outside of their own courting/mating seasons may not feel attraction or a clear libido, but that doesn't stop them from having sex with people of other species all year round if they want it. And they both have bodies that are covered in unique textures; feathers on the quetzalin and mucus on the goblins. Even if the goblin mucus can carry toxins, depending on their diet, it's usually only going to create a tingling numb feeling, which some potential sex partners might find even more arousing.

And while the average cavern drow are almost invariably asexual, a lot of them will curiously explore sex while spending a few years living outside as young adults.

And the far more allosexual minstrel drow have been participating in interspecies sex and running diverse sex work establishments for hundreds of years.

Given the presence of real life humans who have the hots for increasing bizarre non human fictional characters and monstrous creatures, I'm sure I don't have to explain why it's possible for people to find themselves attracted to partners outside their own species, or why they might find sex with other people species to be enjoyable. The differences between their species may very well be the traits that draw them to each other and make the sex more fun and exciting.

Whether it is inherently kinky or not is up to the individual I suppose! But when the pixies organize mutual research exchanges with vertebrate people and ask for volunteers to let the pixies study vertebrate sexual pleasure, I'm sure they have to account for sample bias as the people who sign up are very likely to be into a variety of kinks and therefore have different tolerances and may show different reactions compared to someone who doesn't get involved in kink.

And then of course, on the flip side of all this, it must be considered that historically, and frankly even contemporarily, there have been and always will be people who view interspecies sex with a sour look on their face. It could be the product of bigotry, more often than not. Certainly if there are actual cultural and legal taboos agaisnt it, that can be attributed to interspecies bigotry.

But it's also possible that some people's sexuality simply does not extend to those outside their own species group. It may even be that interspecies attraction is considered more queer than simply being gay or attracted to multiple genders.

I think I'm running out of things to say.

Well! That's my incoherent ramble then! Brought to u by my brain on menstrual hormones and a silly thought train about pixies conducting sex studies.

Hope u enjoyed it. Have a nice day!

[shitpostingsapphic]

I do appreciate and encourage the discourse on this post, especially for y'all doing it in a respectful manner. But one thing I will add as far as the parts about portrayal being a negative influence, is I really don't think that applies for every piece of media. Not when the universe is completely different from ours. Not when the context is different. Not when the characters are making different choices and have different motivations than the standard cop from our world. Shows that are obvious copaganda like Blue Bloods are overt copaganda because it takes place in our world, functions under our culture and laws and history. It's a show that tries to paint a pretty picture of our policing system. Arcane not only doesn't paint that pretty picture, it also just doesn't function in the same universe and contexts.

My issue with modern leftism is the movement has abandoned practical strategies for change and has instead prioritized moral grandstanding. Spending this much time saying "actually, this fictional universe that doesn't remotely paint the cops as the good guys is still copaganda if you squint hard enough and that's bad for society bla bla bla" is such a waste. Modern leftism is too stuck on theory and neglects to interact with the people around them, fails to understand that the journey to a more progressive future can't happen under a strict and judgemental hand.

Because do you think the people taking part in protests across the country nonstop right now are all leftists? No. They're masses of people with different backgrounds but a common goal. And it's in finding that commonality amongst each other that brings about change, not making sure that every person contributing to a revolution believes in textbook guidelines of leftism.

There's a lot to be said and speculated about what did or could have happened regarding the outcome of the 2024 election. But what we know for sure is there were a shit ton of people who refused to contribute to revolution in a practical manner because it didn't suit every tenant of their leftist ideology. Voting 3rd party or not at all during a presidential election didn't do jack shit to help towards a more progressive future. It took us backward. Because that's not the system we live in. You have to look at our system for what it is, and know what you're able to do within it that will help change it. You can't make decisions rooted in theory if the outcome doesn't have any impact on the system you reside in. And I won't get into the nitty gritty of longterm voting strategy. That's for another post.

All that being said, let me reiterate that Arcane is not the show you should be spending so much time on debating whether it's "bad for leftism". It's a fucking fictional tv show. There's real world shit that needs to be focused on, and it might come as a shock to you, but there's lots of people, myself included, who can watch a show like Arcane, understand it isn't a part of our universe, take its story for what it is, and still hold some very left leaning beliefs and practice those in their daily lives. Because while life influences art, they are not direct mirrors 100% of the time. You can't treat all art as functioning within the laws of our world. That's why it's art. It's an escape. It's not always meant to be direct reflections on our world.

A reminder to the arcane critical people that in order for a show to be copaganda, you have to come out of it thinking "wow, the cops are the good guys, they're the heroes"

At no point does the show even remotely give you that feeling about the enforcers.

You root for Caitlyn not because she's an enforcer, but because she tries to make up for the sins that enforcers have committed, including herself.

The final battle, you don't think of the enforcers as saving the city. You see Zaunites fleeing the city, rejecting the plea for help, and think "well, Piltover had that coming". You think of the battle as a natural consequence of allying with Ambessa and Noxus. That final battle is Caitlyn's and Jayce's consequence, for their mistakes made thus far.

You don't root for the enforcers. You root for the people who are trying to be better than what the enforcers have been.

If you can't understand that nuance, that's on you.

[uzumaki-rebellion]

Y'all have to admit they mammified Annie, made Pearline look like a jezebel, and then literally had Mary looking like some holy woman who was just in love and made some misguided decisions. They had Annie with barely any makeup and her hair all over her head, and they had Pearline slinking all over the stage after freshly cheating on her husband (which they constantly referenced). With Mary, they made it seem like she had no choice in her marriage and wanted "freedom" and Stack. At the end they got what they wanted and while we're supposed to see Annie and Smoke as the winners or whatever the message that the freedom and happiness is in the afterlife is nothing new, especially in the black community.

I think people are projecting the mammy image onto Annie because of their own personal anti-Black programming (which every Black person globally is raised with under white supremacy), and mainly because they don't know what the mammy image/trope truly is. Lemme help you.

The mammy trope/mammification of Black women is a desexualized image that is set in a purely domesticated role. They tend to be darker-skinned, full-figured, stripped of agency, and are often at the service of whiteness. They are never viewed as the love interest or having an erotic bone in their body. The ONLY thing Annie has in common with that definition (care of Merriem-Webster and my own university education as a Social Science/Black & Native Studies graduate) is dark skin, and a full-figure. Dassit. Ain't no mammy nowhere in her. Is she nurturing? Yes? A pillar of her community and protecting it with Hoodoo (which I practice myself)? Yes. Does she care for her man and look out for other people? Yes. But all that comes from a love of her people in the service of Black people, not whiteness. Did you not see them back shots and Smoke clapping his wife's cheeks? Mammies don't do that because that is not their function in stories. Also, Annie wore her hair in the actual style women with that texture of hair did in 1932. It wasn't all over her head (I'm smelling self-hate vibes and anti-natural hair energy). And why for the love of god would she have make-up on doing her Hoodoo work in all that heat? She was gorgeous without make up. I don't think the plantation stores sold Maybelline cosmetics that Annie would need for her customers. Maybelline didn't accept wooden nickels or plantation script for money either, so...whatever. Lol.

People can call Pearline a Jezebel all they want, but that doesn't change the fact that Sammie loved her his entire life, named his club after her, and remembers her fondly for being part of the best day of his entire life. Plus, Christianity thinks any woman with agency is a jezebel spirit, so that holds no weight for me personally cuz I don't give a fuck what a woman does with her pussy, married or not. Most men are trash anyway, so a beauty like that stepping out to a juke, oh, her husband had to be a 1932 joy-killer. Also, do we even truly know Pearline was married? Many women traveling the chitlin circuit in those days as an entertainer often pretended to be married (even wore fake rings) to protect themselves in seedy environments around men and the judgmental Christians. Whether she was married or not doesn't matter because Sammie was smitten, and that's the love of his life in the movie. Period. She didn't rub up on nobody else but him, and stayed by his side until the very end.

Mary was hoeing, jezabelling, tragic-octorooning and what not. She was not a holy woman because she acted selfish, entitled, and just as colorist/anti-Black woman as Stack (her not saying anything against Stack calling darker Black women "field bitches" is a choice. She knew her place on the colored hierarchy). That's why a lot of Black folks are cracking jokes about her saying she would beat up every "bitch" in that place, knowing she would get curb stomped had she said that to another Black woman's face in that juke. Personally, I don't see Mary as a winner because she and Stack will forever have to stay in the shadows and are cut off from the ancestors. They are the lesson of all that glitters ain't gold & stop inviting everybody to the cookout. Their life is so unappealing that Sammie didn't even want to become like them because life hadn't really changed that much from 1932 (especially with the L.A. Rebellion happening in 1992 all because of white racism/white supremacy). So while you may think Annie and Smoke didn't have the happy ending we would've preferred (being alive together), it is a horror movie and folks die, so being with the ancestors and ALL your family for eternity is a win in my eyes, compared to being stuck with no connection to anyone except another bloodsucker who didn't give you a choice to become disconnected from your people.

But that's the beauty of art, we can all have our own takes and interpretations. However, Annie wasn't a mammy. That's a personal issue for people who believe that. People gotta unpack the self-hate projection onto a Black woman character that didn't present that way to many of us who appreciate what she represented culturally as a Hoodoo practioner in 1932 America. That was a warrior/healer/lover.

[the-colourful-witch]

Times are a-changing...

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well and that April has been good to you :) Today, I have some important updates.

First, let's talk about the elephant in the room. JKR and her bigotry. To be completely honest, I was unaware of how far her hatred towards the Trans (and in extension the LGBTQ+) community goes. I knew enough not to support her financially, but the extent of her evil was, until recently, something vague in the distance. By now, we're all aware of how much of her fortune she has been donating to this so-called feminist organisation 'For Women Schotland', and how they have succeeded in legally redefining the term woman to be the sex you've been assigned at birth. Meaning; if you have a vagina, you're a woman. What a load of shit.

Technically, transgender people are still protected by the discrimination laws in the UK. Still, now they can be denied access to certain 'women-only' places, like changing rooms, public toilets, domestic violence shelters, hospital wards and more. If that's what a government calls protection, then they need a good, firm shaking. How can you be so ignorant to believe that you're capable of keeping people safe if you're turning them into people who don't fit in, who are other? The consequences are enormous. I'm very scared for everyone affected by this new ruling. This is one more step towards our descent into far-right, fascist politics, and it is wrong...

There has been a lot of talk in the fandom community about what it means to still be in the Harry Potter fandom, whether that means you support J.K. Rowling or not, if you can still call yourself an ally, etc. It is... very difficult to make up my mind about the issue. I don't agree that not being able to let go of Harry Potter is immature or weak. There are things in life we can love, and that doesn't mean we're bad for enjoying them. It sparks the age-old debate of art v/s artist... something that has been on my mind for a long time now, especially because of JKR. I believe we can do both. We can hate the artist and still enjoy what they've created. However, we do not get to stick our fingers in our ears and sing lalala. We have to look the problems in the eye and speak up. It's good to feel uncomfortable. It is good to be torn and to feel guilty. It means you're human. It means you have a conscience. If the goals of this fandom is to take this made-up world and make it our own, more inclusive, more tolerant world, then we should do it with conviction. Wasn't that the point all along? Isn't that what fandom is? Filling in the gaps, changing the story for better or worse, but making it ours.

We live in a world that gets scarier by the day. Our phones try to numb us, and our leaders install fear in our hearts and make us feel inferior. But this is not true. We have more power than we are made to think. There will always be strength in community and in beliefs. I believe art has the power to change minds and thus the world. So, our art will be our weapon in the war against bigotry. Empathy is our biggest strength.

I want to use my art to make people happy, and yes, Harry Potter is a part of that, but it won't be forever. For me, Harry Potter has always been a story to fall back on when I needed a pick-me-up, and these past two years, I have been sharing that with you. It warms my heart whenever someone tells me my art makes them feel like a kid again, and that makes me feel truly privileged. It is important to me that everyone feels like they have a place in this little world, in this community. In our little space, you'll always be safe, you'll be accepted. Be yourself, I wouldn't want it any other way.

We get to spin the story to fit our modern beliefs, and to make sure everyone feels included and safe in this online space. I understand why people are stepping away from contributing to this fandom. I seriously considered the same thing, and I don't blame anyone for doing it. At first, I thought there were two options: step away or keep going. I've chosen to create a third option: Keep going, but doing it my way.

I have always been able to put my joy and passion into my art. It's imperfect, and I'm still learning every day, but it's mine. I hope, if you want, you can find a little joy in it as well. It would be my honour <3 There are a few things that are going to change:

My social media channels will still be called The Colourful Witch, but they will feature a wider range of art. This will include traditional, personal art, fan art from other stories, paintings, clay work, collage, etc. I won't limit myself to just the Wizarding World anymore; I want to share more of my own artistry here. Only my Tumblr will remain a WW blog, because I feel like this space suits that really well. It's a fandom platform, more than any other platform :) The core of my work has always been playfulness and exploration of different topics and styles. I still want to keep doing that, because I feel I've grown a lot while posting my character art online, and I'm amazed by the support and enthusiasm I've found here. Thank you for that, you're truly the best! <3

The Owl Post Club will be shut down. There is definitely a possibility of continuing the club in the future, but I can't promise that right now. I'm afraid I simply can't financially support the club, and thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has been a part of it. You're the best, most supportive people I have had the pleasure of sending mail to! If there are any postcards you'd still like to collect or get an extra copy of, you can find them in my shop. Or shoot me a message and I can help you with any questions or requests :)

I will be spending less time on social media, to focus on my art practice and health. I've gotten a little too addicted to scrolling, so it will be good for me to take a step back. Expect fewer updates for the foreseeable future.

If you've made it this far, hi! I hope we can all keep creating art and find a little bit of sunshine in the shadow of a big and scary world.

Sincerely, Fleur (a.k.a. The Colourful Witch)

[tryandbehappy]

What I realized after June and Nick’s scenes:

First of all I’m so relieved they didn’t turn Nick into a villain. Not even in June’s eyes.

Yes, she was shocked. Yes, she walked away. But he had a chance to speak, and he used it.

He told her:

— he didn’t know that Wharton would kill the handmaids,

— he saved Janine or at least he knew she was important to June and promised to find out where she is

— and he tried to do the best he could in an impossible situation

She knew it wasn’t for Gilead and his loyalty to it 🙏 like everyone around her thinks btw. She knew he did it to survive.

That doesn’t make him innocent but it does make him human.

And still the man who’s always been on her side.

Then came the hardest part:

He told her the truth. Because for too long, she saw him through rose-colored glasses.

She didn’t really want to think about what he had to do to save her.

Like when he led the raid on the farm. He couldn’t cancel the mission but he took control of it

so he could spare her, protect her as much as possible. (Because any other commander would get her killed, he had to control it)

And yes, people died there and he was in charge. Or he had to kill 2 guardians (one of them is 19! Nick is so deeply broken he did this). He did it to protect her and her husband even.

She also didn’t really consider what kind of situations she was putting him in (especially lately)

From the safety of Canada, it was easy to think of Nick as this strong, stoic soldier who would always figure it out, the one who’d just handle it.

But she forgot what Gilead really is.

She forgot what it’s like to live under constant danger, where every decision could get you killed.

She forgot how impossible the choices are, how no one gets to be clean.

That’s what he throws in her face now.

“But you love me. So what does that make you?”

And that hits her hard. she forgot what Gilead taught her:

There are no perfect heroes! Everyone breaks.Everyone does things they hate.

She knew this.

She’d already been through this transformation.

But now, in Canada surrounded by activists, by ideals, by pressure she started seeing the world in black and white again. And Nick just shattered that illusion.

And the most important thing?

She doesn’t hate him. She hates that she still loves him. It’s just so wrong for her (it’s like classic endgame btw 😂)

And that means:

This is not the end for them.

Because this isn’t new information. She always knew who he was. She just buried it deep.

And now she remembers.

My guess?

Something will happen: a betrayal, a moral dilemma, a war decision and June will be forced to make the same impossible choice Nick did (or someone around her)

And then she’ll understand him fully.

Because her story isn’t any cleaner than his. And war is not about being black and white. And she knows that. She just forgot.

And now she has to reclaim that truth and decide:

Can I love someone fully not in spite of the darkness,

but with it?

[lostcatinthedark]

I really don't think that they care too much about what's happening with another member, now each one of them has to look out for themselves. If they sense something weird that is happening to another member, they'll give him space to figure it out on their own.

This made me think about how apparently the members weren't involved with helping Jimin through his issues during the pandemic. He mentions in the Suchwita episode that when he was drinking a lot the members didn't say anything about it. Then in the first minimoni album exchange video he says that when he was making Face he told the members about how lost he had felt during the pandemic and they said that they already knew but just didn't say anything about it and let him figure things out on his own (they did the same with Namjoon too).

There's also a scene in one of the episodes of the Monuments documentary where after one of the PTD concerts Jungkook goes to Jimin's house and while they're eating Jimin tells Jungkook this story about another friend of his who noticed Jimin was acting differently and said he thought Jimin was depressed even though he pretended like he was fine. I don't know if this was actually the first time Jimin told Jungkook this story or if he already knew it and Jimin was just repeating it for the camera but regardless, the point is that neither Jungkook nor any of the other members were a part of the story. The first person to actually talk to Jimin about how there was clearly something going on with him and offer help was a friend we don't even know the name of. The other members supposedly also realized Jimin was going through something but unlike that friend they chose to not say anything and that's just weird to me. Like, what kind of help is saying nothing and letting your friend struggle alone? Because based on what we know it doesn't seem like that was the best course of action.

Jimin mentioned a few times how for a while he didn't realize there was something wrong with him and he thought he was fine and just having fun with all the drinking (that's what Like Crazy is about). From that story with the unnamed friend it seems like that friend telling Jimin he thought he was depressed might have been what made Jimin finally realize there was something wrong. So it seems like Jimin did need someone to say something but the members decided not to so another friend had to be the one to do it. That's what I mean when I say silence might not have been the best course of action in this situation.

Then there's all of Alone, especially those draft lyrics from his notebook that didn't make it into the final song ("I know that I have no one to trust and that I live alone in this world, so why am I so lonely? I just want to be happy and joyful. I want to run away somewhere"). Doesn't look like he was having a great time being alone with no one to help him.

So if he didn't want to be alone and found having someone to talk to helpful then you gotta wonder why the members seemed to think that not saying anything and letting him figure out his issues by himself was a good idea.

These are the type of things that make me question how well the members friendship actually works outside of the band context, especially when things get more complicated. And it's not just Jimin, other members have said similar things about relying on other people outside of the group during some of their most difficult times.

Honestly, I think armys have a wrong idea about how close the members actually are. They're all close of course, they have to be after so many years of being together 24/7, but after the hiatus they didn't have to be together all the time anymore and we started to see how the members have other people they're just as close, if not closer to than each other. There's also the fact that even if you're close friends with someone that doesn't mean that person is actually good at supporting and helping you with difficult situations. Some friend are mostly good for simple and lighthearted situations. There's some friends you love to hang out and have fun with but wouldn't got to if you needed help with something serious and difficult. And for all armys don't want to admit it, I think that this is the case for a lot of the relationships between the members.

Yeah, first of all the emotional intelligence just lacks in some of them seriously. But it's no surprising to me, because that is genuinely how a lot of men manage their friendships. I still will criticize it though, because I think they could step it up. I hate when armys disguise teasing or straight up bullying as jokes for example. And I'm glad that at least Jimin seems to have a support system outside of the group because he needs it, everyone needs it. Everything seemed fine when they were all together, but when the group stopped they all went their different way. And RM for example admitted that he distanced himself completely from the members. And that is ok! They don't have to be attached to the hip, because they are all different people and maybe some don't even get along that much on a personal level. That doesn't invalidate their bond as BTS, they've been through so much together, that is special. But outside of BTS, they all have people that see them for who they are and who are more compatible with, and can rescue them when they need help, even if they don't ask for it because they understand them.

[luna-azzurra]

So I really enjoy your content, and I first want to thank you for all the work you do and all the ideas you manage to get. You are really hardworking and great

I also have a question to have but how to write a character with survivor guilt especially if they survived a killing game and they are the only survivor.

Of course you can take your time,or not answer this question if you want to dw!

(Also, sorry if my English is bad, it isn't my first language)

Thank you so much for your kind words. Really. :)

Now, your question. How to write a character with survivor’s guilt, especially one who survived something as traumatic and isolating as a killing game? That’s such a deep, meaningful topic, and I’m honestly really glad you asked.

Survivor’s guilt isn’t just grief. It’s something heavier, more tangled. It’s the feeling of carrying other people’s deaths on your back, people you cared about, or maybe people you didn’t know well but still feel responsible for. And when someone is the only survivor of something that awful, that weight can feel unbearable. It’s not just “why did I live?” but “why didn’t I die with them?” or even “did I deserve to live more than they did?” It becomes deeply personal.

One important thing to remember is that this kind of guilt doesn’t always look loud or dramatic. Sometimes it shows up quietly, in the way a character avoids looking at their reflection. In how they pause before laughing at something, and then don’t. In the way they isolate themselves, maybe even believing they should be alone. Because how do you go back to normal life when everyone you knew is dead and you're not?

Maybe they avoid people entirely, because being around others feels like cheating. Or maybe they do the opposite, they surround themselves with noise and distraction just to avoid silence, because silence makes room for the memories to creep in.

You can also explore how they handle being remembered as “the one who made it.” Sometimes, other people will look at them like a hero, and that can make them feel sick inside. Because they know the truth: that they were terrified, that maybe they made mistakes, that maybe someone died saving them and now they don’t know how to live with that.

They might not even want to be alive, but the fact that they are becomes this strange obligation, like now they have to do something with their life, or be worthy of the people who didn’t make it. That pressure can drive them into obsession, burnout, numbness, or even self-destructive behavior.

One thing I’ve found powerful in stories like this is giving them some kind of tether to their past. Maybe they carry an item from someone who died. Maybe they write letters to the people they lost—letters they never send. Maybe they talk to them out loud, or imagine what they would say in moments of doubt. That kind of thing gives the loss shape. It makes it more than just “they’re gone.” It turns grief into something personal and alive.

And healing doesn’t have to be fast or clean. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Maybe your character never stops feeling guilty, but they learn to live with the guilt, instead of letting it eat them alive. Maybe they meet someone who helps them say the names of the dead without breaking. Maybe they start to write down what happened, not for anyone else, but just to get it out. Maybe they do something kind for a stranger and realize they still have something left to give.

The best part about writing a character like this is that every little sign of hope, every choice they make to keep going, feels earned. And that can be so powerful for readers, especially readers who are grieving something themselves.

And hey, just to say it—your English is honestly great. :)

[seltelm]

Wind breaker S2 rant because fuck I'm tired of ppl sometimes

Contains spoilers for the Manga, I try to keep it vague

Can we just talk about how stupid the arguments about Tsubaki are? Like jeez, if a guy likes feminine stuff then a guy likes feminine stuff, there's no big deal with it especially in this century or fuck, even in Japan! Like it's pretty normalized there to cross dress:/

And what if he likes Umemiya? Who gives a shit? Forced gayness in Anime? Dude, Anime's been queer for forever. Sailor Moon for example has been around since the 90s

And on the cross dressing note, that's a common trope in Anime and literally ouran high school host club which was released in 2006 (manga 2003) has a cross dresser in it. There's probably other examples too from older Anime, but I'm just naming more mainstream stuff. Also, in Naruto, Naruto literally has a jutsu to turn into a girl, like, cross dressing but on a whole other level.

Also I saw someone comment once on another platform about how Tsubaki "clearly made Sakura uncomfortable for"... idfk pushing his sexuality on him?? He literally just asked if he wanted to go on a date? And like... I... I'm so baffled because they just don't understand Sakura's character at all. He wasn't blushing because he was comfortable, he blushed because he's sensitive to affection, like literal moments prior he was blushing over Tsubaki affection for Umemiya.

And okay, I can't blame them for ignorance since episode 6 isn't out yet, but we literally find out that Sakura, first off agreed and second off was a little disappointed even that it wasn't just the two of them:_: this doesn't mean that I think Sakura's gay. Doesn't mean I think he's straight either. I just don't wanna speculate on it since, and I'll say it louder for the people in the back, THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. And people will do what they please with its characters. And you can't stop it. That's that.

Btw, I had to take a double take when I saw a person with a sailor moon pfp talk about how anime, in this case Wind breaker, has forced queernes... Like... What?? Also, it's not forced if the author literary puts it in... It's the author's choice, hence, they decided to add it, because it's their story... It's only forced if it's put in by someone other than the author themself, because, again, it's THEIR story. No, fan content and head canons don't count because ultimately they don't affect the canon story

Anyways. Also the 'fans' of the show that hate on Sakura for being emotionally weak baffle me. Like, can't they understand that he's a kid. Like 16. (his age confuses me sometimes tbh, but I'm guessing he's actually 16 since his b-day is on April first around when school usually starts in Japan[source shitty google search, don't quote me] and he was 15 when he came to the town a day or two before school started).

And he's been abused his entire life! Neglected, shunned, hated for everything he can't control! He doesn't trust people but he wants to. His character is so well written that it hurts to see people disregard it.

And like, what's so fun about a story without debth? Okay fine. I won't lie, mindless action can be a great way to unwind. But that's not what Wind breaker is about. Sure, there's a lot of action and I personally love that part of the story! But at its core, it's a story about finding a community and accepting yourself and healing and ahhh so much more than just the action. That's what made me so obsessed with the series. Not the action that I'd probably forget about in a few weeks, but the story, the characters, the world. How deep and real they feel. And yes, sometimes the story is a little unrealistic, like with how Keisei is run by a whole bunch of like 18 year olds, but the rest of the well thought out story makes up for it.

Anyways.

So, yeah. It's funny to see people crash out at Tsubaki. It just proves to me that they can't handle the zest fest named Yamato Endo and his other half of the wonderful toxic yaoi cake of Chika Takiishi✌️ seriously, Endo, you're so zesty for Takiishi all the time for a playboy who, mind you, pulls girls🤨

Much love to the real fans of the show🫶 I hope I wasn't too harsh with my rant too lol

[danitheforeverdm]

ok so with the reveal that Heinrich comes from the thought of his existence, i really wanna try going through the whole series and seeing if and how this kind of origin could apply to other phenomenon we've seen. Starting with this post, im going to try and go through all the reoccurring monsters and see what we can conclude. Bonzo (my beloved): this one is actually quite easy. He's already ugly as sin and then a guy commited a murder dressed as him. Enough people combined the thought of Bonzo and brutal murder, to create the Bonzo we all know and love. Interestingly this does not explain why Bonzo seems to want to kill the serial killer who created him. Strange.

Ink5oul: This one is a little shaky, cause we kinda got two things going on? First, the Oscar Jarret tattoos. Tattoos that look so real that they are exactly that, real. But then all the other magical effects dont really seem to line up. yes Ink5oul picks up supernatural qualities, being the creator of supernatural tattoos, and i suppose their tattoo process being especially brutal could just come from the fear of pain, but why can they turn any tattoo real? Ink5oul also expresses a desire for mystery, just like Heinrich does. Maybe this middle ground between being unknown and known is what makes reality malleable?

The Magnus Institute: Obviously the truth here is going to be VERY COMPLICATED and will need more reveals to explain, but we'll try with what we have. We have Sam's description of being there, being asked questions he doesnt really understand, and being made to feel like her answers them wrong. Potentially they treated all the kids like this, specifically to gain this association as judges or as *interviewers who can pull information out of you*. The institute using kids is also interesting, seeing as kids perception also seems to play in with Bonzo and Heinrich. Perhaps, as they simply dont understand the interconnection of the world yet, their understanding occupies that middle ground much stronger, like how kids are more inclined to worry Frankenstein is after them, after hearing a story about him. As for the guy doing magic in his office? I have no clue. Notably none of this theory interacts with the alchemy part of this magic system, so we're still pretty far from anything concrete. I will add as a final note, The Archivist is quite a bit more then just a person who gets your info, also being an eye covered monster (this never happened in Arhcives, eye avatars either staying in human shape, or becoming those one eyed things). I think the archivists form isn't just from the interviews, but spending years trapped in a creepy place people like exploring, was further warped by being feared and non-understood.

The Computer System: this is a firm "i have no clue". There is still the x-factor of the alchemy side of things. Alchemy probably being a way to intentionally create the horrors, so maybe that's the computer systems origin. Alternatively, maybe it is just about how programmers hate old systems and see them as endlessly complicated? Maybe that, combined with knowing the horrors exist (due to being in the OIAR), caused the system to mutate? Ironically if the Perception Effect is its origins, Gwen denying its dangerous would actually make it safer. Or maybe not. Part fof me does have a feeling once thought becomes fact, those facts become far more immutable. Also Lena still exists. Her thorough understanding of the system should be holding its shape firm.

from here i cant think of any more. I do think theres actually a lot to this theory maybe. If im straight up right, build me a statue

[greyskyflowers]

Thunderbolts discussion. Spoilers ~

First of all, I had forgotten how much fun it was to see Marvel movies in theater. I meant to go see the new Captain America no one ruin it for me I still need to watch it in theaters too, but I ended up not being able to. I regret it, though, because I had so much fun with Thunderbolts.

Second, I've seen so much stuff about the end of thunderbolts and SamBucky.

So, I'm going to ramble a bit about it because I can.

I feel like we don't have anywhere near enough info to really discuss the fight.

So it blows my mind that people are actually fighting over it?

Sam and Bucky are very good friends, and if anyone here has ever had a very good friend, then you'd know that fights happen. Sometimes nasty ones.

My concern is that most of you don't seem to actually have friends or go out in the real world. Because some of the stuff you guys say makes me think that you've never had a conversation with another person before. Stg it's embarrassing how proud some of you are about that. You have to learn to work with people in the real world. You don't always agree but you put on your big girl/boy/person pants and get over it.

Sam and Bucky disagree on some big stuff, but they always work it out.

That's how coworkers work. That's how friends work. What's how family works.

That being said,

I'm not shocked if they did have a fight.

A breakup? A divorce? Nah. I don't think that for a minute.

Steve and Bucky butted heads on stuff all the time, and of course him and Sam butt heads over stuff. It's practically Bucky's love language at this point.

In terms of working with/trusting/accepting people who have a messy and violent past, Bucky was the exception, not the standard.

Most people didn't trust Bucky. They thought he needed to be brought in, punished, etc. And that was with them knowing he had been brainwashed and tortured.

Even Sam thought that for a while. Steve only thought different because he knew Bucky.

If Natasha hadn't already been brought in by Shield and working with them for awhile, I'm not sure any of the original Avengers besides Clint obviously would have wanted/trusted her enough to give her a chance. I'm not sure if Sam would have.

And I can't blame them. Would I have given Bucky or Natasha that a chance if I had been in their shoes? I like to hope so, especially because they have both proven to be better/changed/trustworthy/etc but I don't really know. There's a lot of things that would have had me hesitate.

It's logical to be critical in situations like that though.

So, a group of people like the thunderbolts?

I can't imagine really anyone thinking that was a good idea or being 100% on board with it.

I personally think it's completely within Sam's character for him to say no nope not a good idea.

Because it's really not.

There are probably a lot of other things that would make way more sense and have a better chance of success.

I think if Bucky hadn't been directly involved in the thunderbolts, then he would have disagreed with it, too.

We even see that he didn't trust them when he caught them and was waiting to turn them in. He doesn't believe their story because why would he?

This is going to be a hard topic for Sam and Bucky because while rationally they both know a group made up entirely of people who could fit in the category of villian more easily than vigilante isn't a super smart idea, Bucky is a part of that group.

Expressing a distrust that they are capable of change or being better could be taken as not thinking Bucky was capable of those things either.

He only got a second chance because of Steve. What if Bucky is the only way this group gets another chance? Not to mention that he's got to be seeing a lot of himself in them.

From Sam's side though, what the fuck is Bucky doing?

Except Walker. Fuck Walker. He needs so much more character development before I'm trusting him with anything. I enjoyed his character in the movie and in TFATWS, but to me he has not shown himself as a redeemable character at this time.

Could also see Walker being involved as a huge reason Sam doesn't like support it.

He had a good thing going. He was in congress, he was on good grounds with the public, etc. And now he's running around with a group of criminals and calling themselves the new avengers?

Does that put Bucky's pardon at risk?

What if they drag Bucky back into a bunch of bad shit?

Sam cares about Bucky, he doesn't want him back into the dark side of things. He had to watch some of that in Madripoor in TFATWS and it wasn't pretty.

Not to mention just the hurt of not being told any of this. Even though it wasn't planned or intentional on Bucky's side.

It looks bad. It looks bad from both sides.

To Sam, Bucky is hanging out with the wrong people, potentially putting his pardon at risk, potentially disrespecting and not talking to Sam.

To Bucky, Sam is potentially showing that he doesn't think people like the thunderbolts can change/be trusted which is going to hurt because what about Bucky? Who's arguably done much worse than most of them? Doesn't understand why Bucky is doing this, and potentially feels like he's not listening to Bucky.

They're both hard headed and have a habit of talking over each other without listening. I imagine that the conversation was very similar to the conversations about the shield.

They're both coming from valid spots, but they've got to meet somewhere in the middle. They have to listen to each other.

This is also all speculation. We have literally no details about the conversation and trying to take sides based on a comment that it "didn't go well" just shows that you're probably a very frustrating person to work with in real life.

They'll be fine. They're not going to hate each other over something like this.

They'll figure it out.

**Please comment appropriately. Everything discussed is speculation and personal opinion.

Shit comments get deleted, and the user blocked ~