#posting liking commenting sharing helps stuff go viral

[disco-cola]

I have no ties whatsoever to South Africa but watching the lawyers (also featuring an Irish woman bc the Irish understand too due to their history) makes me tear up and be so proud and the fact videos are being shared that went viral, also of soldiers exposing themselves while committing atrocities, this is in part the work of all of us (re)posting, sharing, spreading! Don’t tell me sharing posts does nothing! I know it seemed so defeating at times when the follower count and the story views dropped RAPIDLY but every single voice did matter in the end when they all came together ✊ South Africa’s legal team did amazing work

[nessbunnie]

pro soccer player!rin x #1 rin fan!reader is such a fun concept !!

like on tiktok ur known as the itoshi rin girl. people tag u in rin edits & make edits dedicated to u ! 30 minutes after a pxg game ends ur seen on tiktok analyzing the entire match, people even ask u to analyze other teams or players ! u’ve posted countless tiktoks of you at actual pxg matches, cheering the loudest for rin.

but what no one knows is that rin’s biggest fan is also his girlfriend of 4 years !! rin can’t help but crack a smile when he sees ur newest tiktok fawning over him or ur reactions to edits of him ! people comment “petition to get this girl a meet and greet with rin 😭😭” not knowing that he sleeps in your arms every night <3

it gets even cuter when u film a tiktok finally “meeting” rin for the first time after a game ! tho he’s sure ur reaction is a little bit exaggerated for the views, he still thinks its so adorable <3 you shake his hand excitedly, asking for a picture with him, recording the entire interaction. 

he remains his usual calm self and agrees, putting on a small smile as the shutter goes off. u wave goodbye to him, yelling out a, “i love you!!” as u walk away. rin’s face gets hotter, though he doesn’t know if its because of u or the stuffy almost-autumn air. 

the clip of rin blushing profusely after ur profession of love goes viral almost immediately ! u find urself smiling at ur phone as edit after edit with the same intro plays, rin’s red face probably burnt into the pixels of ur phone. 

but after a couple days, the switch-up comes. some people start commenting on your tiktoks and edits with you in them that your “parasocial relationship” with rin is getting a little strange, and that maybe you should tone the obsession down. for every person defending u, the hate train only grows.

you complain about this to rin during breakfast, stating “how’s it a parasocial relationship if i’ve been dating you for years?” with sighs. rin says the obvious.

“just tell them that.”

you look at him with a mischevious glint in your eye. “should i actually?”

“go for it. i can take care of the PR stuff.” rin takes a bite out of his breakfast before continuing.  “been wanting to call you mine for a while, too.”

you giggle. “aye aye, as you say captain!”

rin is called into your shared bedroom minutes later, a ringlight set up with your phone in the middle. “c’mere rinnie, wanna make a tiktok with you!” rin sits down beside you. you scroll through a couple of examples of the trend, showing them to rin. it’s mostly of couples; one person applying lipstick or lipgloss before smudging it and the other person with kisses on their face wiping it off. 

it looks simple enough, so rin agrees. 

you press kisses onto rin’s face, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “you always like when i kiss you, rinnie,” you remark.

rin hums in response, melting into your touch. you kiss him one last time on his cheek before finishing. “i’m gonna record now, ‘kay?”

k. by cigarettes after sex plays as you film yourself applying lipgloss before smudging it. rin reaches towards you and wipes it off as you pan the camera towards his lovesick gaze. you lean into him and kiss him a last time before you stop the recording. 

you hand your phone to rin, showing him the end results. he approves of them, and you caption it with “🩷🩷🩷” before posting. 

safe to say the 1.5 million likes proved your parasocial relationship wrong.

this was supposed to be a little blurb why is it 621 words long oml. and ik the k. trend is old as hell but it’s so cute i luv it ! the pacing is so terrible i’m crying um probably ooc i’m sorry guys i love soft rin !!!! reblog comment and follow for more bangers guys ily all <3

[mariacallous]

Neo-Nazis and white supremacists are sharing Hitler-related propaganda and trying to recruit new members on TikTok, according to a new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) shared exclusively with WIRED. The TikTok algorithm is also promoting this content to new users, researchers found, as extremist communities are leveraging the huge popularity of TikTok among younger audiences to spread their message.

The report from ISD details how hundreds of extremist TikTok accounts are openly posting videos promoting Holocaust denial and the glorification of Hitler and Nazi-era Germany, and suggesting that Nazi ideology is a solution to modern-day issues such as the alleged migrant invasion of Western countries. The accounts also show support for white supremacist mass shooters and livestream-related footage or recreations of these massacres. Many of the accounts use Nazi symbols in their profile pictures or include white supremacist codes in their usernames.

Nathan Doctor, an ISD researcher who authored the report, says he began his investigation earlier this year when he came across one neo-Nazi account on TikTok while conducting research for another project.

He was quickly able to unmask a much broader network of accounts that appeared to be actively helping each other through liking, sharing, and commenting on each other’s accounts in order to increase their viewership and reach.

The groups promoting neo-Nazi narratives are typically siloed in more fringe platforms, like Telegram, the encrypted messaging app. But Telegram has become a place to discuss recruitment techniques for TikTok specifically: White supremacist groups there share videos, images, and audio tracks that members can use, explicitly telling other members to cross-post the content on TikTok.

“We posted stuff on our brand new tiktok account with 0 followers but had more views than you could ever have on bitchute or twitter,” one account in a Neo-Nazi group posted on Telegram about their outreach on TikTok. “It just reaches much more people.”

Others have followed suit. One prominent neo-Nazi has often asked his thousands of Telegram followers to “juice,” or algorithmically boost, his TikTok videos to increase their viral potential.

An extremist Telegram channel with 12,000 followers urged members to promote the neo-Nazi documentary Europa: The Last Battle by blanketing TikTok with reaction videos in an effort to make the film go viral. Researchers from ISD found dozens of videos on TikTok featuring clips from the film, some with over 100,000 views. “One account posting such snippets has received nearly 900k views on their videos, which include claims that the Rothschild family control the media and handpick presidents, as well as other false or antisemitic claims,” the researchers wrote.

This is far from the first time the role that TikTok’s algorithm plays in promoting extremist content has been exposed. Earlier this month, the Global Network on Extremism and Technology reported that TikTok’s algorithm was promoting the “adoration of minor fascist ideologues.” The same researchers found last year that it was boosting Eurocentric supremacist narratives in Southeast Asia. Earlier this month, WIRED reported how TikTok’s search suggestions were pushing young voters in Germany towards the far-right Alternative for Germany party ahead of last month’s EU elections.

“Hateful behavior, organizations and their ideologies have no place on TikTok, and we remove more than 98 percent of this content before it is reported to us,” Jamie Favazza, a TikTok spokesperson tells WIRED. “We work with experts to keep ahead of evolving trends and continually strengthen our safeguards against hateful ideologies and groups.”

Part of the reason platforms like TikTok have in the past been unable to effectively clamp down on extremist content is due to the use of code language, emojis, acronyms, and numbers by these groups. For example, many of the neo-Nazi accounts used a juice box emoji to refer to Jewish people.

“At present, self-identified Nazis are discussing TikTok as an amenable platform to spread their ideology, especially when employing a series of countermeasures to evade moderation and amplify content as a network,” the researchers write in the report.

But Doctor points out that even when viewing non-English-language content, spotting these patterns should be possible. “Despite seeing content in other languages, you can still pretty quickly recognize what it means,” says Doctor. “The coded nature of it isn't an excuse, because if it's pretty easily recognizable to someone in another language, it should be recognizable to TikTok as well.”

TikTok says it has more than “40,000 trust and safety professionals” working on moderation around the globe, and the company says its Trust and Safety Team has specialists in violent extremism who constantly monitor developments in these communities, including the use of new coded language.

While many of the identified accounts are based in the US, Doctor found that the network was also international.

“It's definitely global, it's not even just the English language,” Doctor tells WIRED. “We found stuff in French, Hungarian, German. Some of these are in countries where Naziism is illegal. Russian is a big one. But we even found things that were a bit surprising, like groups of Mexican Nazis, or across Latin America. So, yeah, definitely a global phenomenon.”

Doctor did not find any evidence that the international groups were actively coordinating with each other, but they were certainly aware of each others’ presence on TikTok: “These accounts are definitely engaging with each others' content. You can see, based on comment sections, European English-speaking pro-Nazi accounts reacting with praise toward Russian-language pro-Nazi content.”

The researchers also found that beyond individual accounts and groups promoting extremist content, some real-world fascist or far-right organizations were openly recruiting on the platform.

Accounts from these groups posted links in their TikTok videos to a website featuring antisemitic flyers and instructions on how to print and distribute them. They also boosted Telegram channels featuring more violent and explicitly extremist discourse.

In one example cited by ISD, an account whose username contains an antisemitic slur and whose bio calls for an armed revolution and the complete annihilation of Jewish people, has shared incomplete instructions to build improvised explosive devices, 3D-printed guns, and “napalm on a budget.”

To receive the complete instructions, the account holder urged followers to join a “secure groupchat” on encrypted messaging platforms Element and Tox. Doctor says that comments under the account holder’s videos indicate that a number of his followers had joined these chat groups.

ISD reported this account, along with 49 other accounts, in June for breaching TikTok’s policies on hate speech, encouragement of violence against protected groups, promoting hateful ideologies, celebrating violent extremists, and Holocaust denial. In all cases, TikTok found no violations, and all accounts were initially allowed to remain active.

A month later, 23 of the accounts had been banned by TikTok, indicating that the platform is at least removing some violative content and channels over time. Prior to being taken down, the 23 banned accounts had racked up at least 2 million views.

The researchers also created new TikTok accounts to understand how Nazi content is promoted to new users by TikTok’s powerful algorithm.

Using an account created at the end of May, researchers watched 10 videos from the network of pro-Nazi users, occasionally clicking on comment sections but stopping short of any form of real engagement such as liking, commenting, or bookmarking. The researchers also viewed 10 pro-Nazi accounts. When the researchers then flipped to the For You feed within the app, it took just three videos for the algorithm to suggest a video featuring a World War II-era Nazi soldier overlayed with a chart of US murder rates, with perpetrators broken down by race. Later, a video appeared of an AI-translated speech from Hitler overlaid with a recruitment poster for a white nationalist group.

Another account created by ISD researchers saw even more extremist content promoted in its main feed, with 70 percent of videos coming from self-identified Nazis or featuring Nazi propaganda. After the account followed a number of pro-Nazi accounts in order to access content on channels set to private, the TikTok algorithm also promoted other Nazi accounts to follow. All 10 of the first accounts recommended by TikTok to this account used Nazi symbology or keywords in their usernames or profile photos, or featured Nazi propaganda in their videos.

“In no way is this particularly surprising,” says Abbie Richards, a disinformation researcher specializing in TikTok. "These are things that we found time and time again. I have certainly found them in my research."

Richards wrote about white supremacist and militant accelerationist content on the platform in 2022, including the case of neo-Nazi Paul Miller, who, while serving a 41-month sentence for firearm charges, featured in a TikTok video that racked up more than 5 million views and 700,000 likes during the three months it was on the platform before being removed.

Marcus Bösch, a researcher based in Hamburg University who monitors TikTok, tells WIRED that the report’s findings “do not come as a big surprise,” and he’s not hopeful there is anything TikTok can do to fix the problem.

“I’m not sure exactly where the problem is,” Bösch says. “TikTok says it has around 40,000 content moderators, and it should be easy to understand such obvious policy violations. Yet due to the sheer volume [of content], and the ability by bad actors to quickly adapt, I am convinced that the entire disinformation problem cannot be finally solved, neither with AI nor with more moderators.”

TikTok says it has completed a mentorship program with Tech Against Terrorism, a group that seeks to disrupt terrorists’ online activity and helps TikTok identify online threats.

“Despite proactive steps taken, TikTok remains a target for exploitation by extremist groups as its popularity grows,” Adam Hadley, executive director of Tech Against Terrorism, tells WIRED. “The ISD study shows that a small number of violent extremists can wreak havoc on large platforms due to adversarial asymmetry. This report therefore underscores the need for cross-platform threat intelligence supported by improved AI-powered content moderation. The report also reminds us that Telegram should also be held accountable for its role in the online extremist ecosystem.”

As Hadley outlines, the report’s findings show that there are significant loopholes in the company’s current policies.

“I've always described TikTok, when it comes to far-right usage, as a messaging platform,” Richards said. “More than anything, it's just about repetition. It's about being exposed to the same hateful narrative over and over and over again, because at a certain point you start to believe things after you just see them enough, and they start to really influence your worldview.”

[chunkzdeluluwife]

hiyaaa Mina I loveee your stories and I was wondering if you could right a story about Sharky and y/n who are best friends that flirt so ppl on social media ship them and suspect they are dating aswell as their friends.

xoxo "Anonymous"

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨

Sharky and YN post pictures of them seeming like a couple but they say they are just “really good friends” but are they? 

Warnings: kissing ‼️

YN posted a picture on Instagram as part of a best friend appreciation post, but the pictures she chose were of her and Sharky cuddling.

As soon as this photo was shared, the Beta Squad's group chat blew up as they all noticed the picture of you and Sharky cuddling on the couch.

Niko was the first to speak up.

"Since when were you two a thing?"

"We're not, Niko. She's my best friend,"

Sharky replied.

"Then why are you two cuddling in the picture? You only cuddle like that when you're dating someone," AJ chimed in.

"We just do," Sharky responded.

The group chat fell silent for a moment until Chunkz spoke up.

"No way. You two don't just cuddle like that. That's some boyfriend-girlfriend stuff."

"Whatever, this group chat is going on mute," Sharky said.

A couple of days later, Sharky posted a picture of him and YN at a restaurant, captioning it, "Out with this cute girl." YN commented, "You're even cuter." The post went viral, and fans went crazy.

Fans started making their own videos compiling "evidence" of Sharky and YN dating.

The thing is, they were just really flirty friends.

Once the Beta Squad saw all the fan videos, they were convinced you two were dating.

Sharky kept watching the videos of fans "proving" the two of you were a couple, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the accusations.

YN walked into Sharky's home, as she usually did. "Hey Sharks, what are you watching?"

He looked up at you with a smirk as he placed his phone down on the couch next to him.

"Just a bunch of videos of us being 'couple goals.'"

"Oh, really?" she said, sitting down next to him with a grin.

He hummed in response and scooted closer to you until you were pressed against his side.

"Yup, they think we're secretly dating or something like that."

"Imagine," she said, resting her hand on his leg.

He chuckled at your response. As your hand found its way to his leg, his hand instinctively moved to your waist, pulling you even closer.

"I don't understand why they think we're dating. We're just good friends!" he said with a smirk, knowing full well that neither of you acted like just friends.

"Yeah, just really good friends!" she exclaimed, chuckling as she turned her body to face him more, her hand moving higher up his leg.

He let out a low chuckle as your hand moved higher. Once you were fully facing him, he moved his hand from your waist to your thigh, gently squeezing your skin.

"Yeah, really good friends... and nothing more," he said, smirking as his eyes flicked down to your lips for a second before returning to your eyes.

He slowly leaned in, your faces now extremely close, your breaths mingling.

His hand on your thigh moved up to your hip, gripping it as he pulled you into his lap. His eyes locked with yours.

"Really good friends..."

"Sharky?! What are you doing?" she laughed.

He continued to smirk as you sat in his lap, his hand firmly on your hip, keeping you in place. He leaned in, his lips brushing your ear as he spoke.

"Oh, I'm just being a really good friend, that's all," he said, his smirk widening as his fingers dug a little deeper into your hip.

"Do you sometimes wish you were more than just really good friends?" she whispered.

He pulled back slightly to look into your eyes, his heart rate picking up as he stared at you. For a moment, he didn't say anything, just taking in your words.

"Sometimes... I do," he finally whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Just sometimes?"

His smirk reappeared as he scanned your face. Tightening his grip on your hip, he leaned in a bit more, your noses almost touching.

"No, not just sometimes... all the time," he admitted in a low whisper.

"So, what can we do to fix that?"

He scotted, a smirk forming on his face again. His grip tightened as he pulled you closer into his lap, glancing down at your lips.

"We could always just... cross the line between really good friends and a couple."

"Really?"

He chuckled at your response, leaning in until your noses touched and your lips were just inches apart.

"Really. We could do it... right now," he said, his voice low and deep, eyes fixed on your lips.

"But couples are about love, not lust," she teased, pulling her face away slightly.

He groaned in frustration, his soft expression turning into a pout.

"Oh, come on, don't do me like that," he whined, his grip tightening a bit more as he squeezed your waist through your clothes.

He leaned forward, burying his head in the crook of your neck. His warm breath sent chills down your spine as his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you tightly against his chest.

"Stop being a tease," he mumbled against your neck.

"Then tell me how you feel about me," she whispered.

He buried his face deeper into your neck, letting out a huff. He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"I really, really like you. Like, really like you. I want more than just friendship... I want more from us," he finally admitted.

"There it is," she said, grabbing his face and kissing him

SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! 😭😭 I haven’t done a social media AU ever so I didn’t know if that was what you wanted so I just did my normal kind of fic. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT THOUGH!!

I’m so blessed to finally start getting requests in which means people like my fics🙏🙏thank you all. I really appreciate it 🤍🤍🤍🤍

[elliesngirl]

Get Your Girl

Reneé Rapp x Fem!Reader: 1.4k: Masterlist

————————————————————————————

You have been a huge fan of Reneé for the longest time, you have seen her on Broadway and ever since then you have been in love. You were so happy when you got tickets to her concert, you have been counting down the days to go and it has finally come, getting ready with your friend was the best feeling ever, you were so nervous knowing that you got VIP tickets, I mean, you were excited to meet her, but you were also very nervous. 

The thought of it still hasn't hit yet, but you have planed what you will say to her because you really don't want to stuff it up. Your friend was currently putting putting you on your eye make up and she wasn't a big of a fan as you, so she wasn't feeling as nervous as you are right now. "You okay?" She asks it sweetly. You breath heavily "Yeah I'm okay.." she smiles, continuing  your make up. 

The time had finally came, you were driving to the concert, It was quite early since you wanted a good place, that was close to the front, you lined up and saw a few others (mostly lesbians) that had already started lining up. You kept practcing what you would say to Reneé, your friend helped calm you down because she could sense your nervousness. 

Time passes quickly you were holding the barricade with a huge smile on your face, you were so excited you couldn't contain your energy.  Time passes and Reneé finally comes on stage, you lose your shit, you can't believe see is right there. As you're singing along will all the words, you're friend taps you on the shoulder to show that Reneé is currently looking at you, you look into her eyes and you scream, making her laugh. 

The show goes on quickly, but Reneé interacted with the audience a lot making sure that everyone had a good time. Its a Reneé Rapp concert, everyone will have a good time no matter what was the only thought on your mind. You were now waiting for the meet and greet you were feeling very nervous as you walked dup to her, "Hi.." you say shyly. She giggles, giving you a big hug.

You're friend is on the side, taking photos and a video of the moment, you pull out of the hug and start to talk. "I love your work so much, you inspire me with your songs and I really wish i could be as talented as you." You didn't even realise it but you were crying, Reneé noticed before you did and wiped your tears with her sleeve. "Oh my god.. I'm so sorry." you apologise for crying but she assures you that it's okay. "You're so sweet..How old are you?" 

"I'm 23." (But tomorrow I turn 23-) She smiles, nodding, the photographer takes the photo and you bid your goodbyes, this moment felt so surreal and you knew you would be sad once it is all over so you cherish every single second of it, and your friend is filming it, so every time you want to watch over it you can. As you left, you were walked away with a smile on your face. 

You spent the car ride back, looking over your videos and smiling at the run night you had, you posted the videos to social media, you don't have a huge platform, but you keep in public because you like to share your life with others, as soon as you posted it, you put your phone down and talked to your friend, who was happy for you. As soon as you got home, you went straight to bed.

You wake up with many notifications from Instagram, you look at it very confused, you check to see that not only did your post go viral but Reneé Rapp had commented, your hands were shaking as you read her comment. 

"Such as sweet girl."

 You were a happy she said girl rather then fan, it made you feel better. You liked the comment and got ready to think of a reply but that was when you got an even more shocking notification. Reneé Rapp had messaged you, at that point in time your friend was still asleep, you were to focussed on this to wake her up, you open the message and you can feel your jaw get wider as you read it. 

"Never in my life have I met a fan that was sweet and as caring as you, (or as pretty) the way you talked to me makes me want to get to know you more, we could start through texts or I could take you out, I don't really mind." - Reneé.

Was Reneé asking you out? Did Reneé just call you pretty? You had so much questions running through your head, the whole thing was to hard to think straight, so you texted back without thinking. 

"I'd prefer to go out :)"

Shit. What if she thinks you desperate? I mean she did ask you but what if this isn't her? your train of thoughts got cut off from the notification sound of her texting back. She said to meet at a certain location at 6pm. It was already 11am, you only had 7 hours to get ready. You hoped out of bed at the speed of light, hoping in the shower, making sure to wash your hair and shave your legs. 

An hour had already passed and you were out of the shower, drying your hair, once you finish you go back into the room and see that you friend is finally staring to wake up. "What are you rushing for?" You're friend askes you, her eyes adjusting to the light. "Oh.. I have a date.." You mumble. Her eyes went wide. "Really, with who?"

You look down, knowing she wouldn't believe you, looking back into her eyes you say, "Reneé..." She laughs, rolling her eyes, waiting for you to say who you are going on a date with, but it never came, she looks into your eyes, "You're serious," you nod, throwing your phone to her, she catches it and reads the chat and her eyes went wide and a big smile appaired on her face.

You got ready for the date, you didn't wear anything way to fancy because you weren't exactly sure if it was a date or not. You just wore a black mini dress with nude coloured heels, Your friend dropped you off and you waited for Reneé, you smiled when you saw her, she was wearing black pants and a cream coloured blouse. "Hi," She smiled. 

"Hi," You blushed, she smiled at you, giving you a small hug, looking at you up and down, "You look really pretty.." She smiles, "you do too." She smiles and you walk in to the place, she opens the door for you, and pulls out your chair. 

You get to know each other more, Reneé is a really good listener, you love the way she looks at you when you tell her about something. You also listen to her, you found out some things  that you would have never guessed about her. 

"My friend was so shocked when she found out we were going on a date with you.." You tell her, she gives you a confused look before saying, "Date?"  

You face goes read out of embarrassment, you try to think of some words to say, you just feel so embarrassed, "Y/n, it's okay, I was just kidding," She giggles, grabbing your hand, you take a deep breath and calm down, "Of course it's a date," You blush, she's so handsome. 

The date came to an end and Reneé told you that she would drive you home, so you told your friend that. As she pulled up into your drive way, as you were about to leave the car, she held your hand, "I had a good time tonight, I really want to go out again," 

You nod, you look into her eyes and see that see is staring at your lips, you look at hers, she puts her hand on your cheek and pulls you in for a kiss, the kiss is nothing big just a light kiss against the lips, perfect for the first kiss. 

You pulled away, she looked into your eyes and smiled. You said goodbye, and finally left, Reneé made sure that you were in the house before driving off. As soon as you got inside your friend was on the couch. "Tell me everything!" 

————————————————————————————

[deaderisbetter13]

I’m so bad at sending asks IM SORRY but I see you’re a soda/bull shipper (was totally not looking through your Ao3 for yummy fics)… tell me your hcs about them? :3

WAHOOO TALKIN ABT THEM AGAIN YEEEE

First hc post here

Bull is little spoon, at least most of the time

Bull does all the driving and handwriting in the relationship cause soda sucks ass at it

in return soda does a lot of the shopping and pap handling for bull

Bull and soda find it easier to express vulnerable emotions around each other- Soda can be overly positive and ignore his own sadness and bull tends to get angry when something upsets him rather than sad. When together, they feel more comfortable expressing sadness and especially cry.

^ THIS IS THEM SO MUCH- Bull doesn't do all 5 prayers in a day and Soda constantly has to remind him to do so if he's leaving in a rush.

They couldn't choose between a dog and a cat so now they have pet fish- both are very happy with this.

There is SO much coffee in their house. Not even just regular stuff either they have fancy coffee beans (Courtesy of Bull) for special days and vice versa w soda. Both are caffeine obsessed jkhjh

Soda generally goes to bed later than Bull but still wakes up earlier than him. He's usually the one waking bull up every morning to do shit.

Soda is a big baby so bull handles all the bugs in the relationship

They only share shoe size so no clothes sharing for them :(

Instead of alcohol the celebrate by drinikg fancy soda or occasionally tea

Bull's grown on the taste of soda quite a bit- his favorite brand is faygo

Both snore so loud it cancels out and becomes white noise to fall asleep to

Bull draws and paints in watercolor a lot- soda only doodles but Bull lets him draw on his watercolor paper and colors/paints in the doodles

Bull has been trying to make soda a fursona for like 5 years now with no sucess- soda has no clue about it

Soda is so good at science (Particularly chemistry) and tells bull cool facts all the time, Bull is a big history nerd and has a habit of telling him a historical event that happened on any given day

Occasionally watch alien documentaries together, their discussions about aliens are very civil and in-depth

Have a daily 'don't go on twitter' talk for each other

Soda occasionally writes essays/opinion pieces about things he finds neat, Bull proofreads these.

Soda and Bulls dates almost always consist of going on a walk somewhere quiet and private. Sitting down at restaurants is too normal for them and big loud places aren't bull's thing. Plus they can escape the paparazzi easier.

Soda has to aggressively force bull to wear sunscreen

Bull has to aggressively remind soda to drink water and brush his teeth more frequently

Soda and bull have a tiny courthouse wedding where only sodas mom and sister, and the rest of the world circuit, are invited

They do ice skating together in the winter! Bull is really good at it!

Soda would love mummy joe's (youtuber) stuff and show it off to bull whenever he gets a chance

soda broke one of bull's favorite glasses once and had to mission impossible his way to finding a new one

Bull tries to teach soda to swim and fails lol

Bull is the more restless one (But not that much really) and soda steals the blankest

Bull uses more pet names out of the two of them

I've mentioned before bull has a keyboard tuned up with fart noises he plays out of spite- soda joins him in this either using his mouth or armpits- it's a lot of childish fun for them

And finally: They help each other shave their heads :)

[elysianymph]

The Jegulily Band Au? 👀

hehehe the jegulily band au started on this post made by archie ( @aithusarosekiller ) and it hasn't left my mind since. go look through the reblogs bc it's a wild ride. pretty sure both of us have most of the posts related to it tagged as jegulily band au on our accounts so go look through it to see us losing our minds

it's shared project so nothing is set in stone but here are my current ideas for it :D

lily and regulus are high school sweethearts, they met bc they were both in the school band and hit it off from there. lots of teenage shenanigans ensue and lily and regulus end up forming a band with barty, peter and remus. it's nothing serious they just kinda get together once in a while to have some fun playing random songs. they continue this after high school as they're all going to college and everything is normal UNTIL sirius brings along his friends (james and marlene) to one of their band get togethers.

james (who is an amazing producer btw) immediately falls for regulus and lily despite them being already in a relationship and he's like so smitten it's adorable honestly. he starts talking to them and once he finds out they would love to make an album and try taking this band thing seriously he immediately offers himself up to help them make music. and he brings marlene (who is a social media manager) into it like "yeah she'll help you manage all of it" (she has no idea he's doing any of this)

idk how they would actually get together but it doesn't matter rn what does matter is that their silly little band debuts and they go viral bc their music is amazing ofc. they make more albums, their music videos get millions of views, they sell out stadiums, life is great.

everyone knows that regulily are dating bc they're so public about it, but no one knows that james even exists (apart from him being credited as their producer) let alone that he's dating both of them. james, being the rockstar gf he is, constantly posts pictures from their concerts, always with romantic captions or wtvr bc he's a lover like that. the comments on his posts are always split between "this guy is delusional" and "how tf does he manage to get the tickets for EVERY DAMN CONCERT??"

after lots of back and forth, regulus and lily finally get james to star in one of the music videos for a song that lily wrote specifically about their relationship. they tease the song for months, posting snippets and strange photos with captions that don't make sense unless you're following james and you can see that the captions are all connected. everyone just thinks james is delulu

a week before the music video drops, the band's official account posts like a 10 second teaser and it's of lily and regulus doing couple shit BUT there's another guy there with curly hair and round glasses and everyone is going insane bc WHY DOES THAT GUY LOOK LIKE JAMES POTTER THE CRAZY STALKER. jegulily are having the time of their lives watching the fans go crazy, meanwhile poor marlene has to deal with the aftermath

this au is just a bunch of crazy stuff honestly i had so many ideas for it but i didn't write any of them down so i'm stuck with what i can remember off the top of my head </3

oh and also peter/remus/sirius are all dating and sirius is a famous model and he just randomly appears in the band's music videos and all the comments scream "WHAT IS SIRIUS BLACK DOING HERE" like sirius doesn't regularly post selfies with both of his boyfriends 🙄

[benetnvsch]

ADDRESSING TWITTER'S TOS/POLICY IN REGARDS TO ARTISTS AND AI

Hi !! if you're an artist and have been on twitter, you've most likely seen these screen shots of twitters terms of service and privacy policy regarding AI and how twitter can use your content

I want to break down the information that's been going around as I noticed a lot of it is unintentionally misinformation/fearmongering that may be causing artists more harm than good by causing them to panic and leave the platform early

As someone who is an artist and makes a good amount of my income off of art, I understand the threat of AI art and know how scary it is and I hope to dispel some of this fear regarding twitter's TOS/Privacy policy at least. At a surface level yes, what's going on seems scary but there's far more to it and I'd like to explain it in more detail so people can properly make decisions!

This is a long post just as a warning and all screenshots should have an alt - ID with the text and general summary of the image

Terms of Service

Firstly, lets look at the viral post regarding twitter's terms of service and are shown below

I have seen these spread a lot and have seen so many people leave twitter/delete all their art/deactivate there when this is just industry standard to include in TOS

Below are other sites TOS I found real quick with the same/similar clauses! From instagram, tiktok, and even Tumblr itself respectively, with the bit worded similar highlighted

Even Bluesky, a sight viewed as a safe haven from AI content has this section

As you can see, all of them say essentially the same thing, as it is industry standard and it's necessary for sites that allow you to publish and others to interact with your content to prevent companies from getting into legal trouble.

Let me break down some of the most common terms and how these app do these things with your art/content:

storing data - > allowing you to keep content uploaded/stored on their servers (Ex. comments, info about user like pfp)

publishing -> allowing you to post content

redistributing -> allowing others to share content, sharing on other sites (Ex. a Tumblr post on twitter)

modifying -> automatic cropping, in app editing, dropping quality in order to post, etc.

creating derivative works -> reblogs with comments, quote retweets where people add stuff to your work, tiktok stitches/duets

While these terms may seems intimidating, they are basically just tech jargon for the specific terms we know used for legal purposes, once more, simply industry standard :)

Saying that Twitter "published stored modified and then created a derivative work of my data without compensating me" sounds way more horrible than saying "I posted my art to twitter which killed the quality and cropped it funny and my friend quote-tweeted it with 'haha L' " and yet they're the same !

Privacy Policy

This part is more messy than the first and may be more of a cause for concern for artists. It is in regards to this screenshot I've seen going around

Firstly, I want to say that that is the only section in twitter's privacy policy where AI /machine learning is mentioned and the section it is is regarding how twitter uses user information.

Secondly, I do want to want to acknowledge that Elon Musk does have an AI development company, xAI. This company works in the development of AI, however, they want to make a good AGI which stands for artificial general intelligence (chatgpt, for example, is another AGI) in order to "understand the universe" with a scientific focus. Elon has mentioned wanting it to be able to solve complex mathematics and technical problems. He also, ofc, wants it to be marketable. You can read more about that here: xAI's website

Elon Musk has claimed that xAI will use tweets to help train it/improve it. As far as I'm aware, this isn't happening yet. xAI also, despite the name, does NOT belong/isn't a service of Xcorp (aka twitter). Therefore, xAI is not an official X product or service like the privacy policy is covering. I believe that the TOS/the privacy policies would need to expand to disclaim that your information will be shared specifically with affiliates in the context of training artificial intelligence models for xAI to be able to use it but I'm no lawyer. (also,,,Elon Musk has said cis/cisgender is a slur and said he was going to remove the block feature which he legally couldn't do. I'd be weary about anything he says)

Anyway, back to the screenshot provided, I know at a glance the red underlined text where it says it uses information collected to train AI but let's look at that in context. Firstly, it starts by saying it uses data it collects to provide and operate X products and services and also uses this data to help improve products to improve user's experiences on X and that AI may be used for "the purposes outlined in this policy". This means essentially just that is uses data it collects on you not only as a basis for X products and services (ex. targeting ads) but also as a way for them to improve (ex. AI algorithms to improve targeting ads). Other services it lists are recommending topics, recommending people to follow, offering third-party services, allowing affiliates etc. I believe this is all the policy allows AI to be used for atm.

An example of this is if I were to post an image of a dog, an AI may see and recognize the dog in my image and then suggest me more dog content! It may also use this picture of a dog to add to its database of dogs, specific breeds, animals with fur, etc. to improve this recommendation feature.

This type of AI image, once more, is common in a lot of media sites such as Tumblr, insta, and tiktok, and is often used for content moderation as shown below once more

Again, as far as I'm aware, this type of machine learning is to improve/streamline twitter's recommendation algorithm and not to produce generative content as that would need to be disclaimed!!

Claiming that twitter is now using your art to train AI models therefore is somewhat misleading as yes, it is technically doing that, as it does scan the images you post including art. However, it is NOT doing it to learn how to draw/generate new content but to scan and recognize objects/settings/etc better so it can do what social media does best, push more products to you and earn more money.

(also as a small tangent/personal opinion, AI art cannot be copywritten and therefore selling it would be a very messy area, so I do not think a company driven by profit and greed would invest so much in such a legally grey area)

Machine learning is a vast field , encompassing WAY More than just art. Please don't jump to assume just because AI is mentioned in a privacy policy that that means twitter is training a generative AI when everything else points to it being used for content moderation and profit like every other site uses it

Given how untrustworthy and just plain horrible Elon Musk is, it is VERY likely that one day twitter and xAI will use user's content to develop/train a generative AI that may have an art aspect aside from the science focus but for now it is just scanning your images- all of them- art or not- for recognizable content to sell for you and to improve that algorithm to better recognize stuff, the same way Tumblr does that but to detect if there's any nsfw elements in images.

WHAT TO DO AS AN ARTIST?

Everyone has a right to their own opinion of course ! Even just knowing websites collect and store this type of data on you is a valid reason to leave and everyone has their own right to leave any website should they get uncomfortable !

However, when people lie about what the TOS/privacy policy actually says and means and actively spread fear and discourage artists from using twitter, they're unintentionally only making things worse for artists with no where to go.

Yes twitter sucks but the sad reality is that it's the only option a lot of artists have and forcing them away from that for something that isn't even happening yet can be incredibly harmful, especially since there's not really a good replacement site for it yet that isn't also using AI / has that same TOS clause (despite it being harmless)

I do believe that one day xAI will being using your data and while I don't think it'll ever focus solely on art generation as it's largely science based, it is still something to be weary of and it's very valid if artists leave twitter because of that! Yet it should be up to artists to decide when they want to leave/deactivate and I think they should know as much information as possibly before making that decision.

There's also many ways you can protect your art from AI such as glazing it, heavily watermarking it, posting links to external sites, etc. Elon has also stated he'll only be using public tweets which means privating your account/anything sent in DMS should be fine!!

Overall, I just think if we as artists want any chance of fighting back against AI we have to stay vocal and actively fight against those who are pushing it and abandon and scatter at the first sign of ANY machine learning on websites we use, whether it's producing generative art content or not.

Finally, want to end this by saying that this is all just what I've researched by myself and in some cases conclusions I've made based on what makes the most sense to me. In other words, A Lot Could Be Wrong ! so please take this with a grain of salt, especially that second part ! Im not at all any AI/twitter expert but I know that a lot of what people were saying wasn't entirely correct either and wanted to speak up ! If you have anything to add or correct please feel free !!

[sirensplayhouse]

Hey siren, i hope all is well with you 🩵, okay so I need a little help. I manifested sp back in may our relationship has been great every since we used to be toxic and argue like 3 times a month but we haven’t argued once yet and everything is different in a good way. so about 4 days ago idky but I lurked on his page and he posted something that rubbed me the wrong way, mind you I don’t use social all my pages to all my social medias have been disabled for a year, I go on facebook from time to time to lurk but not specifically for sp just in general .. so that really made me feel some type of way & I low key got depressed then a day after that I was scroll on my backup tiktok account and saw he posted a tiktok of him self over the weekend and it went viral and the comments set me off again honestly so I was even more depressed until I decided I wasn’t going to be and i’m not going to take that. he’s also been distant lately normally he’s busy so he doesn’t text back for a few hours but he texts me in between or right after he’s done with what he’s doing and he always tells me what he’s doing and where he’s going or where he was at and shows me pictures and stuff so he doesn’t lie. but recently he got a new job he goes in at like 2 - 4 pm and doesn’t get off until like 10 - 10:30 pm and he goes to practice at 7:30 am til 10:30 pm so I try to give him the benefit of the doubt but we barely talked and he hasn’t texted back since like 6 pm yesterday and it’s 4 pm today and he was active on facebook at 12:00 am yesterday, Ik all I have to do is decide that he’s the version of himself that I want him to be but it’s still a little hard because i’ve been spiraling every since sunday with doubts and negative thoughts and thoughts of a 3p im over it now but i’m still a little sad idk what to do about my emotions ik they don’t manifest but I hate feeling like this do you have any suggestions ? thank you in advance 😭🥰

take your focus off of it, whenever I’m in a bind or feeling a certain way I immediately do something to take my mind off of whatever and go to my happy place. if you don’t have a happy place MAKE ONE do something that bring a you joy and peace. also don’t keep all those negative thoughts and emotions inside you let them out (hence why I mentioned finding a happy place).

another thing you can do is talk to your sp communication and understanding is key to any relationship clearly there’s something bothering you so why not share it with him ? whenever my sps do something to piss me off I bring it up and it takes pressure off of me because it’s like “ok I bring it up now it’s not eating at me anymore” regardless of the response that they give because if they say something I don’t like I can always just ignore them LMFAOOOOO ignore this😭

but I hope I could help you love 🫶🏾come back and update me I’ll be waiting ❣️oh ! and I hope all is well with you too🥰

[crosspollytaupe]

Hmmm so this entirely completely accurate but my addition is that it reminds me of a point I often make in conversation about the flip point of view, citing this post

I cite this to explain "when I ask you for recommendations on knitting tutorials, I'm asking you for help to find the second kind. I know how to find the first kind." It kind of frustrates me that I even have to cite this, but it feels like most people just don't seem to understand "no I'm not looking for the most viral, slickest-marketed tutorial, I'm looking for the good one."

It reminds me of a conversation my cousin and I had after playing a social deduction game at the family reunion, and he noted that our uncle who was just reading everyone perfectly and giving accurate descriptions of the implications...thinks climate change is a hoax. (And the shared context we had is that this uncle is legitimately smart; it's not a case of him just happening to run this one thing.) That's how I feel on even having to explain the difference in the screenshotted post. That Why are there so many smart people who don't get this? feeling.

As a person wanting to learn to knit, to read books, to listen to music, rather than the person wanting to teach, to write, to sing; I hate being on the receiving end of this article as well. The frustration it cites from Bethany Consentino's TikTok

She’s hopeful that there’s a better way to set up the system. “A lot of stuff is broken,” she says, “And nothing’s going to fix itself. Everybody needs to be proactive and figure out a way forward. Of course, that’s challenging, but I don’t think the answer is to throw your arms up and go, ‘Well, it just is what it is.’ I’m not an ‘it is what it is’ person, I want to figure out how to make it better, or how to make it at least more fulfilling for me as a human being in my one God-given life.”

is the same frustration I feel looking for good art. (Insert the usual "whatever that phrase means to you" caveat to the phrase "good art.") I don't think the answer is 'It is what it is, just accept high-marketability, low-quality results like the rest of us do.' I want to figure out how to make it better.

And then on final notes: —I assume 'how to make it work' involves some sort of collaboration between people with my frustration and people with Bethany's frustration. (And tbh, everyone is both people to some degree, especially given the article's asides about LinkedIn.) —This is a rant that I've gone on before; I haven't pondered this thought in terms of classism, but given OP's comment in the context of the rant I made, I certainly will be. —It's quite possible there's some Vox-y explanation of the learner/reader/listener side too, but if there is, I haven't seen it. (And would appreciate being pointed to it.)

More than that, you’ve got to actually spend your time doing this stuff on the off chance that the algorithm picks it up and people care about what you have to say. You’ve got to spend your time doing this even though it’s corny and cringe and your friends from high school or college will probably laugh as you “try to become an influencer.” You’ve got to do it even when you feel like you have absolutely nothing to say, because the algorithm demands you post anyway. You have to do it even if you’re from a culture where doing any self-promotion is looked upon as inherently negative, or if you’re a woman for whom bragging carries an even greater social stigma than it already does. You’ve got to do it even though the coolest thing you can do is not have to. You’ve got to offer your content to the hellish, overstuffed, harassment-laden, uber-competitive attention economy because otherwise no one will know who you are. In a recent interview with the Guardian, the author Naomi Klein said the biggest change in the world since No Logo, her 1999 book on consumerism and inescapable branding, came out was that “neoliberalism has created so much precarity that the commodification of the self is now seen as the only route to any kind of economic security. Plus social media has given us the tools to market ourselves nonstop.”

Oh hell yes. An article that supports my half-joke that a corporate app's demand for constant self-promo is technically classist.

[kiwibirdlover87]

Vent acc on tiktok<<<vent accs on tumblr

HEAR ME OUT

On tiktok what are you gonna do? Write bleak "relatable" captions and probs get 100s of likes? People won't care or interact usually if it isn't like this format. Plus I've found it makes things worse, because it's all just other people venting, instead of the few people who spread awareness and share how they get over similar mental struggles.

On Tumblr how is anyone gonna find you? noone is looking for you!! Plus it includes actually long writing which will help you explore what's wrong and figure stuff out or just let everything out. The most you'll get is a comment. Plus the communities on here are more compact, so it's easier to find people to relate to using hashtags or if you really want to talk people always reply, because you'll usually be only one of a few or none comments.

If you hear this and prefer tiktok posts, you're probably more there for the viral aspect and the kind of almost aesthetics (?) of a vent account (images and songs to go along with the bleak captions), than actually letting things out or using venting to get better. I say this as in when you ask how to cope and they say to make a vent account yet it doesn't work.

[digitalrhetoricpune]

Boost Followers & Engagement with a Social Media Marketing Agency in Pune

Gaining followers and improving engagement on social media isn’t about going viral overnight—it’s about consistent strategy, valuable content, and knowing your audience. In this blog, Digital Rhetoric, a leading Social Media Marketing Agency in Pune, shares expert tips and actionable strategies to help your brand grow its social presence and community authentically.

Whether you're a startup, a growing brand, or an established business, building a loyal follower base is essential for long-term success. Our blog dives into proven techniques trusted by top-performing accounts and implemented daily by our in-house team at Digital Rhetoric, your go-to Social Media Marketing company in Pune.

1. Understand Your Audience First

Before posting anything, it’s essential to know who you’re talking to. What are their interests? What platforms do they use? What kind of content do they engage with? Our social media services in Pune include deep audience research and persona development to craft messages that resonate.

2. Post Consistently With a Purpose

One-off posts won’t build a community. Consistency in tone, design, and frequency is key. Digital Rhetoric helps you create a content calendar tailored to your brand’s voice and audience, ensuring every post serves a purpose—whether it’s to educate, entertain, or convert.

3. Use Reels, Stories & Trending Formats

In 2024 and beyond, visual content rules—especially short-form video like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Stories. As a forward-thinking Social Media Marketing company in Pune, we craft high-performing short videos that grab attention and keep your audience engaged.

4. Leverage Hashtags & Collaborations

Hashtags are your gateway to discoverability. Combine popular and niche hashtags for better reach. Collaborations with influencers or complementary brands can expose your profile to new, relevant audiences—one of the top services offered by our social media services in Pune.

5. Engage Back

Want more engagement? Give some first. Reply to comments, react to stories, and start conversations. At Digital Rhetoric, we don’t just post content—we build relationships. This kind of community management is crucial for boosting trust and follower retention.

6. Run Contests & Giveaways

Everyone loves free stuff. Well-planned giveaways can rapidly increase visibility, boost shares, and attract followers. We handle every aspect—from campaign ideation to promotion and analytics—as part of our complete social media services in Pune.

Why Choose Digital Rhetoric?

As a trusted Social Media Marketing Agency in Pune, Digital Rhetoric combines creativity, strategy, and technology to grow your social media presence. Our custom campaigns are tailored to your goals—whether it’s follower growth, lead generation, or brand awareness.

Ready to Grow? Don’t let your competitors dominate the digital space. Partner with Digital Rhetoric, the preferred Social Media Marketing company in Pune, to grow your followers and increase real engagement—organically and effectively.

[profounddreamlandobservation]

How to Get Instagram Followers: Proven Strategies for Growth

Introduction

In today’s digital age, Instagram has become one of the most powerful social media platforms for personal branding, business growth, and influencer marketing. Whether you're an aspiring influencer, a small business owner, or just looking to expand your online presence, learning how to get Instagram followers effectively is crucial. This guide will explore actionable strategies to help you grow your follower count organically and sustainably.

1. Optimize Your Instagram Profile

Your profile is the first thing potential followers see, so making a strong impression is key.

- Choose a Memorable Username & Profile Picture

Your username should be easy to remember and relevant to your niche. If you’re a brand, use your business name. For personal accounts, consider using your real name or a recognizable variation.

Your profile picture should be clear and recognizable—ideally, a high-quality headshot (for personal brands) or a logo (for businesses).

- Write a Compelling Bio

Your bio should clearly explain who you are and what you offer. Use keywords related to your niche and include a call-to-action (CTA), such as a link to your website or latest project.

- Add a Clickable Link

Instagram allows one clickable link in your bio. Use it wisely—link to your website, blog, or a Linktree page with multiple important links.

2. Post High-Quality Content Consistently

Content is king on Instagram. To get Instagram followers, you need to post engaging, visually appealing content regularly.

- Focus on Visual Appeal

Instagram is a visual platform, so high-quality photos and videos are essential. Use good lighting, editing tools (like Lightroom or VSCO), and maintain a consistent aesthetic.

- Find Your Niche & Stick to It

Whether it’s travel, fitness, fashion, or food, sticking to a specific niche helps attract a dedicated audience. Followers who are genuinely interested in your content are more likely to engage and stay.

- Post at the Right Times

Experiment with posting times to see when your audience is most active. Generally, early mornings, lunch hours, and evenings tend to perform well.

3. Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags help your content reach a wider audience.

- Mix Popular & Niche-Specific Hashtags

Using a combination of high-traffic hashtags (like #InstaGood) and niche-specific ones (like #VeganRecipes if you’re a food blogger) increases discoverability.

- Avoid Overused or Banned Hashtags

Some hashtags (like #LikeForLike) are spammy and can hurt your reach. Research trending hashtags in your industry instead.

- Create a Branded Hashtag

A unique hashtag for your brand encourages followers to engage with your content and share their own posts.

4. Engage with Your Audience & Community

Engagement is a two-way street—the more you interact, the more followers you’ll gain.

- Respond to Comments & DMs

Replying to comments and direct messages builds relationships and encourages more interactions.

- Like & Comment on Other Posts

Engage with accounts in your niche by leaving meaningful comments. This increases visibility and may lead to follow-backs.

- Collaborate with Others

Partner with influencers or brands in your industry for shoutouts, takeovers, or joint giveaways.

5. Leverage Instagram Stories & Reels

Instagram prioritizes Reels and Stories, making them great tools to get Instagram followers.

- Post Daily Stories

Use polls, Q&As, and behind-the-scenes content to keep your audience engaged.

- Create Viral-Worthy Reels

Short, entertaining, or informative Reels can quickly go viral, bringing in new followers. Use trending sounds and challenges to boost reach.

6. Run Giveaways & Contests

People love free stuff, and giveaways can rapidly increase your follower count.

- Set Clear Entry Rules

Ask participants to follow you, like the post, tag friends, or share the giveaway in their Stories.

- Partner with Brands

Collaborating with brands for giveaways can attract their audience to your profile.

7. Analyze & Adjust Your Strategy

Track your progress using Instagram Insights (for business accounts).

- Monitor Top-Performing Posts

See which content gets the most engagement and create more of it.

- Adjust Posting Frequency & Style

If certain types of posts (carousels, videos, etc.) perform better, focus on them.

Conclusion

Growing your Instagram following takes time and effort, but with the right strategies, you can get Instagram followers organically. Focus on high-quality content, engagement, and consistency—soon, you’ll see your follower count rise!

Would you like any specific tips tailored to your niche? Let me know how I can help!

[openkook]

Blood, Meth and Duterte

What you’re about to read isn’t your typical glossy, feel-good story. This is a story about meth, Duterte, and what happens when life throws you into a fight you didn’t sign up for. This piece started as a Facebook post—a raw, unfiltered rant that somehow struck a nerve. It went viral with over 1.4 million views and nearly 22,000 shares, proving that people are just as obsessed with chaos as I am. The Manila Times even picked it up, with veteran journalist Robert Tiglao featuring it in their publication. Honestly, I thought it was too dark and personal for the masses, but apparently, oversharing is a national pastime. If you’re expecting a moral high ground or a neatly tied bow at the end, you’re in the wrong place. But if you want an honest look at addiction, survival, and the razor-thin line between safety and fear, then you’re in for a ride. Don't forget to check the Facebook link if you're curious about the comment section—it's a battlefield all on its own. Here’s the piece that made waves. Read it, judge it, share it, or just let it sit with you. Like I said, it’s not pretty—but then again, neither is life.

Can you kill crime without spilling blood? And who the hell are we to judge when we’ve never had to make that call?

I ask these questions as someone born and raised in Davao City, a place that, for better or worse, is synonymous with one man: Rodrigo Duterte. Over the years, I’ve seen people debate his extrajudicial killings (EJKs), his war on drugs, and the looming shadow of an ICC investigation. I don’t know what it’s like to run a city—let alone a country—but I know what it’s like to run a household shattered by drugs. Meth, to be exact.

Talking about the drug war means talking about addiction, not as a statistic but as lived reality. I’ve lived it. And unlike the polished speeches from politicians or the filtered reports in the media, my experience couldn’t be spun into a neat narrative. It was raw, bruised, and bloody. It hurt like hell. If I were to paint those years, they’d be black and blue—literal bruises, figurative shadows.

Living with a meth addict is like inviting chaos into your living room. It seeps into the walls, turning your place into a war zone. I spent a decade as the punching bag for a man whose mind had been hijacked by meth. He wasn’t always like that—no one starts out that way. But once meth got its claws in, the kind man I knew turned into a ticking time bomb. I lost track of the nights I’d hide my face, clutching the kids, praying we’d make it to sunrise.

It’s Psych and, well, Meth 101: The stuff doesn’t just mess with your head—it wrecks everything. Addicts live like cornered animals, lashing out with paranoia and desperation. When I heard about cops killing addicts in the street, I wasn’t surprised. I knew how quickly things could escalate, go south. The crackhead in my house once chased me with a knife, eyes wild like a rabid dog. I was bruised inside and out. And yeah, I stuck around too long—call it hope or masochism.

I learned a bitter lesson: Meth turns people into monsters and leaves their families in constant danger. Seen like that, it’s no wonder Duterte went straight for the jugular.

People talk about rehabilitation, and I agree—it’s necessary. But the reality is some addicts, the ones deep in the spiral, are beyond therapy, at least in the immediate sense. They need help, sure, but they also need to be contained and restrained before they hurt others. So when someone like Duterte, a prosecutor who’s seen the dark side of humanity, decides to impose strict, brutal measures, is it really that surprising?

A Game of Numbers and Corpses

People love to talk numbers when it comes to Duterte. The media says 30,000 dead from extrajudicial killings. The government says 6,000. The truth? Probably somewhere in the middle. But here’s another stat: 1.2 million addicts surrendered, 345,000 arrested. That’s almost 1.5 million who got a second chance. I wonder how many of those are like the bastard who made my kids' life and mine a living hell. How many had wives or kids who spent nights in fear, praying the man they loved wouldn’t turn into a monster before morning?

It’s ironic—Duterte’s threats did what our begging couldn’t: they scared these guys straight, at least for a while. It’s messed up, sure. But when your desperate, ten-year-long pleas—“Tama na, please, maluoy ka, tama nq”—choked out between punches, go unheard, there’s a twisted relief in knowing that Digong’s roar finally got through.

Choices and consequences—that’s life, isn’t it? We love to pretend every decision is black and white. But what happens when it’s all shades of gray? When it’s picking the lesser of two evils?

The Davao I Knew: Safety on a Knife’s Edge

I’ve lived in Davao all my life. I’m about to hit 47 next month, with three kids in their 20s and a bunch of grandkids. Davao under Duterte was a safe bubble in a chaotic country. I was 11 when he first became mayor, and I watched the city change. It wasn’t just safe—it was dull in its calmness. You could leave your bag at a café, walk home alone at night. The only chaos I knew was inside my own head and, yes, my household. The outside world? Duterte took care of that.

It wasn’t until I spent time in Manila in my mid-20s that I realized how different Davao was. I remember staying on Adriatico Street while training to be an entertainer for Japan. One day, I walked to Robinsons with a fellow trainee from Cavite. I stuck to the sidewalk, as I always did. She, on the other hand, walked dangerously close to the speeding traffic. I scolded her, worried she might get hit by a car. "Hoy, pag ikaw na hagip ng rumaragasang sasakyan dyan, good luck sa'yo." She just laughed and shot back, “At pag ikaw hinatak ng mga sanggalo dyan sa tabi-tabi, good luck rin sayo.” I glanced around and saw the shifty eyes of young men she called “sanggalos”—street thieves who could pull you into an alley faster than you could blink.

A few days later, I came across three barefoot kids, sniffing solvent from plastic bags as they begged for coins. You don’t see that in Davao. Sure, there are beggars, but never kids openly using drugs while asking for money. Even children in Davao know what will happen if they get caught.

Not long after that, my best friend had her earrings yanked off her ears by a rookie thief. They weren’t even real gold—just cheap plastic. She told me she was "used for practice." It left me speechless. Days later, she was still rattled.

Could I ever feel that kind of fear in Davao? Not likely. In Davao, it felt like someone always had your back. That someone was Duterte. He wasn’t gentle to criminals.

The Crude Protector

A lot of Manileños, especially the congress crowd, love to trash Duterte. They clutch their pearls over his foul language and his disregard for politeness. Maybe he’s a rough, uncouth bastard. But I’ve known men like him—uncles and grandpas who cursed like sailors but would fight tooth and nail for you. They weren’t polished, but they were dependable in ways polite society never is.

Then there’s the circus in Congress. Newbie congressmen, barely out of their 30s, grilling Digong like he’s some clueless old fool. The arrogance, the self-righteousness—from people who’ve never run a city, let alone a country. It’s depressing.

You had this one guy who couldn’t shut up about being a zumma cum laude, like that matters when you’re facing the blood and chaos of the real world—like Davao’s streets in the ’80s and ’90s, or the country’s drug mess before Digong’s presidency. He didn’t live through that. None of them did.

Then there were the former CPP-NPAs turned Congresswomen/men grilling Duterte—the same people whose comrades were out killing soldiers and recruiting kids for their battles. It’s laughable. Do they really think their cause is nobler than Duterte’s crackdown? Both left young bodies in the ground. The difference? Duterte’s war left 6,000 dead addicts. They’re still sending teenagers off to die in the mountains.

The Same Old Question

So here we are, still arguing about Duterte’s drug war. The ICC might drag him into court, but we’re still stuck on the same question: Were his methods justified? Did the ends justify the means? Is it better to live in a city where you don’t worry about your earrings being snatched, even if it means lives were lost?

Maybe the real question isn’t whether his methods were right or wrong, but whether they were necessary. Can we demand safety without blood, or is a peaceful society built on violence we prefer not to see?

Do I have the answers? No. I’m just a woman who survived a violent home, raised three kids in a city that felt safe. I’m not here to make grand statements about morality. But here’s what I know: The man who used me as his punching bag for a decade is still alive. He never gave himself up. But Duterte’s crackdown got to him. I saw it once: He was trembling, locking every window, convinced the cops were on his tail. It was raw fear, the kind I’d never seen from a meth head before. Part of me wished he’d been that scared of me. In the end, he got his second chance, despite everything he put us through. And while I don't wish him harm, I can't help but think of all the people spared his fists because someone like Digong decided to take extreme action.

I’ve walked the streets of Davao without fear. That’s a luxury I didn’t have elsewhere. I don’t love violence, but I also don’t have the luxury of pretending the world is safe without it.

Is this the kind of safety we should cheer for or fear? Depends which side of the sidewalk you’re standing on, I guess.

—Kooks D., Open Journal, 14 Nov 2024

[archerinspace]

Hey! Generally reblogging and adding your own commentary either by adding to it or in the tags is going to be highly encouraged. Tag your stuff as neccessary, especially to help organize or get it in the right searches. Reach out to people in fandoms and don't be afraid to send an ask to say you appreciate someone's post! I've also noticed you have your replies off, your asks are off, and your messages are set to only blogs you follow(that one is good though imo). You can change these settings to what youre comfortable with at any time, you are entitled to your boundaries and personal space. Block anyone you do not like. If you are uncomfortable with them, block them. There is no penalty to this.

Im stealing this from THIS POST but I don't wanna just retype all the same info out so here's the basic rules:

to those of you who are moving here from tiktok, from someone whos used both tiktok and tumbr for years... 1. DO NOT censor your posts dont censor sex, abuse, suicide, dont censor it. we dont have censors like tiktok does, you wont be banned for talking about these things and tagging them properly helps people avoid them (also, we dont have shadowbanning here) 2. we dont really have an algorithm you follow who you follow, and you see posts from who you follow or what you search. the 'for you page' is basically useless here. this also brings me to my next two points 3. dont crosstag we get it, on tiktok you have to crosstag for reach, but thats not really a thing here. just tag your posts properly (also posters often leave more info about the post in the tags!! and when you reblog stuff you can leave your own notes in the tags, kind of like the old "repost comments" on tiktok) 4. dont expect to go viral/be famous "viral" isnt really a thing on here (at least not for the average blogger). your posts will probably get 2-10 likes and you wont get nearly as many followers than on tiktok. thats just how tumblr is 5. blocking is your best friend tiktok is VERY discussion based, and while tumblr is much more discussion based than other social medias, its still not a good place for ragebait/discourse. dont interact, itll make your experience worse in the end, just block and move on 6. you cant go into someone elses house and start rearranging their furniture this is tumblr, not tiktok. dont diss old tumblr users for how they use the site or try to change them, thats like going into someone elses house and trying to rearrange their furniture. we've been here longer and we're familiar with the site and its culture, either find your niche, adapt, or find a different app

And a point added on:

Another important point You need to actually reblog posts for this site to work as it should. Liking posts only saves them in a spot that no one checks except for the user who liked them. Most people have their liked posts hidden. Also, this site has a spam bot problem. One way we weed those out is to check the blog to see if it's actually being used to post legitimate content. If there is absolutely nothing on your blog you're getting blocked and some users may just straight up report you as spam as a precaution. Not to mention that the posts you reblog will only be seen by you and whoever follows you. Tagging it "fyp" does absolutely nothing.

Other than that, have fun! This place is for you to enjoy things so go do that. Share your art, write your stories, tell someone their AU is cool, reblog a funny cat picture. You'll learn and get the hang of lingo as you go.

I’m not from ‘round these parts of the internet and I dunno anyone irl that uses it. Tell me what is and isn’t cool to say and so on.

Help a newbie out?

[elodieunderglass]

I really like the idea that one of the weird lurkers of your blog (like me) just hangs around looking for inspiration to write papers about. Like I realize that's not how it probably actually went down, but 2017 to 2022 seems like a pretty reasonable lead time from reading your post to conducting the research to writing and publishing the paper.

In reference to this:

It’s amusing that the original post only got 22 notes (likes), but when I looked at it again it had 19, which I’m choosing to interpret as the authors sheepishly withdrawing their likes in order to preserve their anonymity.

I think they probably just googled the phrase “friends to lovers pathway” before using it as the title of their paper and pulled up my post, or the other alternative being that the post popped onto their timeline when they were in the early stages of manuscript prep, and it was a moment of academic serendipity. I definitely don’t think I inspired the work in any way - just the quote and title. But it’s funny to imagine being studied.

I should say that I don’t necessarily expect permission to be asked if people intend to prosper or advance their careers from my words or art. However, I do appreciate the courtesy of being told that it’s happened. So far I’ve been quoted in a published book, quoted to name an academic paper, a person is actively selling plushies and other merchandise based on a post of mine while claiming that it’s their intellectual property actually, and screenshots of my work are regularly considered hilarious enough to steal but not pay me for. (the cricket post in particular was screencapped, went viral on Twitter some years ago without reference to me, was shared around BBC journalist twitter, and hundreds of people in the media industry said things like ‘lol we should pay this person to write’ …. in the apparent ignorance of the fact that if they had asked I would probably be open to…. Being paid to write……… and all the other times my posts have broken containment to go viral on other platforms for other people, with comments about how I should be commissioned to write a book; obviously that’s a normal part of online journalism and media, and I’m not naive about it, but it’s a bit much to for these people to be enriching their platforms with screencapped content, without the OP’s knowledge let alone consent, and joking about how they should pay for it or would read a whole book about it, when they’re the only people who could actually do something about it in the nightmare media landscape.) And nobody told me about any of these examples, I always find out by trying to retrieve links to my own stuff, or by friends telling me that someone else has gone so viral with my recognisable work that it got around to them.

Anyway if you do use my stuff in your own stuff, do let me know! I’m not here to prosper, but I am here to connect, and I’m quite willing to link your paper (and write a lay summary for free), buy your book or art, make your acquaintance, promote your work, or just add it to my portfolio - because if I ever DID want to prosper from my work here, which I wouldn’t usually consider except that it is evidently peer-reviewed good-enough-for-others-to-prosper-from, all of that would be valuable and helpful for me to know.