#so I suppose I could make a new blog and link it here?

[madigoround]

Does everyone remember how I’ve mentioned that this blog is only accessible through the mobile app that it has me signed in on because I no longer have access to my old email and do not remember my old password and after many many attempts to contact @staff regarding being given the ability to change the email so I can log in if I need to rather than just hope the app keeps me logged in I have still not received any response. That being said for the last few years I just figured I would make another blog with my correct email when I am inevitably not able to access this blog anymore which is why my likes and following list is public so that if I had to make another blog I could still see those to reference but I’ve been thinking about it the last few months and I’m worried how many of my friends I would lose because I would be on another blog and even if I sent them a message maybe they wouldn’t see it or think it was legit or something? Also then it’s kind of begging people to follow you if you slide in their DM’s like hey we actually know each other and we’re friends I’m just on a different blog! So I was thinking maybe I should make another blog with my current email address that I won’t lose access to and then just list it in the bio and pinned post on this blog? So that my friends (you!) could stay with me if I lost access to this, what do you think?

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Netflix wants to chop down your family tree

Netflix has unveiled the details of its new anti-password-sharing policy, detailing a suite of complex gymnastics that customers will be expected to undergo if their living arrangements trigger Netflix’s automated enforcement mechanisms:

https://thestreamable.com/news/confirmed-netflix-unveils-first-details-of-new-anti-password-sharing-measures

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/02/nonbinary-families/#red-envelopes

Netflix says that its new policy allows members of the same “household” to share an account. This policy comes with an assumption: that there is a commonly understood, universal meaning of “household,” and that software can determine who is and is not a member of your household.

This is a very old corporate delusion in the world of technology. In the early 2000s, I spent years trying to bring some balance to an effort at DVB, whose digital television standards are used in most of the world (but not the USA) when they rolled out CPCM, a DRM system that was supposed to limit video-sharing to a single household.

Their term of art for this was the “authorized domain”: a software-defined family unit whose borders were privately negotiated by corporate executives from media companies, broadcasters, tech and consumer electronics companies in closed-door sessions all around the world, with no public minutes or proceedings.

https://onezero.medium.com/the-internet-heist-part-iii-8561f6d5a4dc

These guys (they were nearly all guys) were proud of how much “flexibility” they’d built into their definition of “household.” For example, if you owned a houseboat, or a luxury car with seatback displays, or a summer villa in another country, the Authorized Domain would be able to figure out how to get the video onto all those screens.

But what about other kinds of families? I suggested that one of our test cases should be a family based in Manila: where the dad travels to remote provinces to do agricultural labor; the daughter is a nanny in California; and the son is doing construction work in the UAE. This suggestion was roundly rejected as an “edge case.”

Of course, this isn’t an edge case. There are orders of magnitude more people whose family looks like this than there are people whose family owns a villa in another country. Owning a houseboat or a luxury car makes you an outlier. Having an itinerant agricultural breadwinner in your family does not.

But everyone who is in the room when a cartel draws up a standard definition of what constitutes a household is almost certainly drawn from a pool that is more likely to have a summer villa than a child doing domestic work or construction labor half a world away. These weirdos, so dissimilar from the global majority, get to define the boxes that computers will shove the rest of the world into. If your family doesn’t look like their family, that’s tough: “Computer says no.”

One day at a CPCM meeting, we got to talking about the problem of “content laundering” and how the way to prevent it would be to put limits on how often someone could leave a household and join another one. No one, they argued, would ever have to change households every week.

I put my hand up and said, “What about a child whose divorced parents share custody of her? She’s absolutely going to change households every week.” They thought about it for a moment, then the rep from a giant IT company that had recently been convicted of criminal antitrust violations said, “Oh, we can solve that: we’ll give her a toll-free number to call when she gets locked out of her account.”

That was the solution they went with. If you are a child coping with the dissolution of your parents’ marriage, you will have the obligation to call up a media company every month — or more often — and explain that Mummy and Daddy don’t love each other any more, but can I please have my TV back?

I never forgot that day. I even wrote a science fiction story about it called (what else?) “Authorized Domain”:

https://craphound.com/news/2011/10/31/authorised-domain/

I think everyone understood that this was an absurd “solution,” but they had already decided that they were going to complete the seemingly straightforward business of defining a category like “household” using software, and once that train left the station, nothing was going to stop it.

This is a recurring form of techno-hubris: the idea that baseline concepts like “family” have crisp definitions and that any exceptions are outliers that would never swallow the rule. It’s such a common misstep that there’s a whole enre* called “Falsehoods Programmers Believe About ______”:

https://github.com/kdeldycke/awesome-falsehood

In that list: names, time, currency, birthdays, timezones, email addresses, national borders, nations, biometrics, gender, language, alphabets, phone numbers, addresses, systems of measurement, and, of course, families. These categories are touchstones in our everyday life, and we think we know what they mean — but then we try to define them, and the list of exceptions spirals out into a hairy, fractal infinity.

Historically, these fuzzy categorical edges didn’t matter so much, because they were usually interpreted by humans using common sense. My grandfather was born “Avrom Doctorovitch” (or at least, that’s one way to transliterate his name, which was spelled in a different alphabet, but which was also transliterating his first name from yet another alphabet). When he came to Canada as a refugee, his surname was anglicized to “Doctorow.” Other cousins are “Doctorov,” “Doctoroff,” and “Doktorovitch.”

Naturally, his first name could have been “Abraham” or “Abe,” but his first employer (a fellow Eastern European emigre) decided that was too ethnic and in sincere effort to help him fit in, he called my grandfather “Bill.” When my grandfather attained citizenship, his papers read “Abraham William Doctorow.” He went by “Abe,” “Billy,” “Bill,” “William,” “Abraham” and “Avrom.”

Practically, it didn’t matter that variations on all of these appeared on various forms of ID, contracts, and paperwork. His reparations check from the German government had a different variation from the name on the papers he used to open his bank account, but the bank still let him deposit it.

All of my relatives from his generation have more than one name. Another grandfather of mine was born “Aleksander,” and called “Sasha” by friends, but had his name changed to “Seymour” when he got to Canada. His ID was also a mismatched grab-bag of variations on that theme.

None of this mattered to him, either. Airlines would sell him tickets and border guards would stamp his passport and rental agencies would let him drive away in cars despite the minor variations on all his ID.

But after 9/11, all that changed, for everyone who had blithely trundled along with semi-matching names across their official papers and database entries. Suddenly, it was “computer says no” everywhere you turned, unless everything matched perfectly. There was a global rush for legal name-changes after 9/11 — not because people changed their names, but because people needed to perform the bureaucratic ritual necessary to have the name they’d used all along be recognized in these new, brittle, ambiguity-incinerating machines.

For important categories, ambiguity is a feature, not a bug. The fact that you can write anything on an envelope (including a direction to deliver the letter to the granny flat over the garage, not the front door) means that we don’t have to define “address” — we can leave it usefully hairy around the edges.

Once the database schema is formalized, then “address” gets defined too — the number of lines it can have, the number of characters each line can have, the kinds of characters and even words (woe betide anyone who lives in Scunthorpe).

If you have a “real” address, a “real” name, a “real” date of birth, all of this might seem distant to you. These “edge” cases — seasonal agricultural workers, refugees with randomly assigned “English” names — are very far from your experience.

That’s true — for now (but not forever). The “Shitty Technology Adoption Curve” describes the process by which abusive technologies work their way up the privilege gradient. Every bad technological idea is first rolled out on poor people, refugees, prisoners, kids, mental patients and other people who can’t push back.

Their bodies are used to sand the rough edges and sharp corners off the technology, to normalize it so that it can climb up through the social ranks, imposed on people with more and more power and influence. 20 years ago, if you ate your dinner under an always-on #CCTV, it was because you were in a supermax prison. Today, it’s because you bought a premium home surveillance system from Google, Amazon or Apple.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/29/impunity-corrodes/#arise-ye-prisoners

The Netflix anti-sharing tools are designed for rich people. If you travel for business and stay in the kind of hotel where the TV has its own Netflix client that you can plug your username and password into, Netflix will give you a seven-day temporary code to use.

But for the most hardcore road-warriors, Netflix has thin gruel. Unless you connect to your home wifi network every 31 days and stream a show, Netflix will lock out your devices. Once blocked, you have to “contact Netflix” (laughs in Big Tech customer service).

Why is Netflix putting the screws to its customers? It’s part of the enshittification cycle, where platform companies first allocate surpluses to their customers, luring them in and using them as bait for business customers. Once they turn up, the companies reallocate surpluses to businesses, lavishing them with low commissions and lots of revenue opportunities. And once they’re locked in, the company starts to claw back the surpluses for itself.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

Remember when Netflix was in the business of mailing red envelopes full of DVDs around the country? That was allocating surpluses to users. The movie companies hated this, viewed it as theft — a proposition that was at least as valid as Netflix’s complaints about password sharing, but every pirate wants to be an admiral, and when Netflix did it to the studios, that was “progress,” but when you do it to Netflix, that’s theft.

Then, once Netflix had users locked in and migrated to the web (and later, apps), it shifted surpluses to studios, paying fat licensing fees to stream their movies and connect them to a huge audience.

Finally, once the studios were locked in, Netflix started to harvest the surplus for its shareholders: raising prices, lowering streaming rates, knocking off other studios’ best performing shows with in-house clones, etc. Users’ surpluses are also on the menu: the password “sharing” that let you define a household according to your family’s own idiosyncratic contours is unilaterally abolished in a quest to punish feckless Gen Z kids for buying avocado toast instead of their own Netflix subscriptions.

Netflix was able to ignore the studios’ outraged howls when it built a business by nonconsenually distributing their products in red envelopes. But now that Netflix has come for your family, don’t even think about giving Netfix some of what it gave to the MPAA.

As a technical matter, it’s not really that hard to modify Netflix’s app so that every stream you pull seems to come from your house, no matter where you are. But doing so would require reverse-engineering Netflix’s app, and that would violate Section 1201 of the DMCA, the CFAA, and eleventy-seven other horrible laws. Netflix’s lawyers would nuke you until the rubble bounced.

When Netflix was getting started, it could freely interoperate with the DVDs that the studios had put on the market. It could repurpose those DVDs in ways that the studios strenuously objected to. In other words, Netfix used adversarial interoperability (AKA Competitive Compatibility or ComCom) to launch its business:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

Today, Netflix is on the vanguard of the war to abolish adversarial interop. They helped lead the charge to pervert W3C web-standards, creating a DRM video standard called EME that made it a crime to build a full-featured browser without getting permission from media companies and restricting its functionality to their specifications:

https://blog.samuelmaddock.com/posts/the-end-of-indie-web-browsers/

When they used adversarial interoperability to build a multi-billion-dollar global company using the movie studios’ products in ways the studios hated, that was progress. When you define “family” in ways that makes Netflix less money, that’s felony contempt of business model.

[Image ID: A Victorian family tree template populated by tintypes of old-timey people. In the foreground stands a menacing, chainsaw-wielding figure, his face obscured by a hoodie. The blade of the chainsaw is poised to chop down the family tree. A Netflix 'N' logo has been superimposed over the man's face.]

[cheezitofthevalley]

Part 1

Hi! Sorry this took so long (new job). Let's get right to it.

Q: What are dividers?

A: Dividers are any graphic that is used to divide two things, usually bodies of text. They are useful for breaking up blog posts and signalling the end of a topic. You might not have noticed, but many websites feature dividers of some kind. Bloggers, however, tend to be a bit extra about their dividers. Here are some good examples:

Q: Ok, cool. It probably wasn't necessary for you to put that many examples, but it does make it clear that dividers can be pretty much anything. Still, I think there are more graphics that you've posted. What about those tiny thingys?

A: You mean favicons? Yeah, let's talk about those.

Favicons are tiny images that represent a website or company. Any easy example is probably right in front of you, if you're on a laptop. Look at the Tumblr tab you have open; do you see the little "t" icon? That's a favicon. Favicons were originally 16x16 pixels. They can be animated.

That being said, lots of people use the term to refer to any small pixel art. These can also be called pixels.

Q: Wait. Why call pixel art a pixel? Aren't pixels single points on a screen?

A: Well, yes. And favicons are supposed to have very specific dimensions and uses, but here we are. "Pixels" can sometimes refer to tiny pixel art, usually between 16x16 and 32x32 pixels (I know, confusing) large. These pixels are often animated. I use favicons and pixels to refer to the same thing.

Q: Ok, I think I get it. But what are pixels used for? Are they essentially icons, or trademarks, like favicons?

A: Sometimes, but usually not. They are often used like bullet points in website directories or lists. I've also seen them used as emoticons, buttons, and decorations. Some people like to simply collect them.

Here are some examples of pixels/favicons:

Q: oOoOO. I like those. Is there anything else people collect?

A: Yep! Pretty much all graphics are collectible. That being said, some lack any use except to be displayed. Fanlisting buttons, for example.

Q: What are fanlistings?

A: Fanlistings were a way for fans to connect online before social media really took off. They were basically online bulletins listing contact info of the fanbases members so that you could connect with like-minded people. They aren't much of a thing now, but they do exist. People who love Spacehey and Neocities are likely to use them. You can register for some and take a button to put on your blog to let others know you're part of that fandom. It also links to the fanlisting itself for others to join. Here are some fanlisting buttons (I haven't joined any):

They are usually 50x50, but don't have to be: they can even be other graphics, like 88x31 buttons! Some other common dimensions are 75x50, 100x35, and 100x50.

In part three, we'll finish up with a couple odd graphics, some interesting old websites, and useful posting tips.

[pastorfutureletthembe]

I actually started this blog for one post only. The theory is that the story we are following is currently the 5th timeline.

I would need to watch the donghua again to find hints in the show itself but for now this post is exclusively about the content we keep getting served as fanservice. Now, people nowadays see this word as negative but in this particular case, we are evidently caught in an ARG (Alternative Reality Game), which is AWESOME.

For those who aren't familiar with the concept, it is basically a treasure hunt outside of the original media. For example, if you gather enough clues during your playthroughs of OXENFREE, you'll find the coordinates of an actual place where a real object, a gift FOR FANS was hidden. In the context of Link Click, I believe the rules and answers regarding the worldbuilding are hidden in plainsight for us to discover!

I will make different posts on the clues in lyrics, but for now we're gonna have a talk about VISUALS only. And boy, do we have THINGS to talk about

First things first, let's start with

>>>>> Promotional posters.

I'm opening this analysis with this particular one because it is the most relevant to current events. Black circles are V and white ones are IV. The huge clock is the background isn't supposed to be oriented this way for starters. One V is where XII should be, which could mean our journey starts here. The other V is between Cheng Xiaoshi and Li Tianxi, on the light side, while both VI are on the dark side. Every other VI on this artwork is a broken piece taken out of a quadrant except for the one on the right near Qiao Ling which is still part of the biggest piece.

It is interesting that we don't see any clockhands here, only the quadrant, and the only whole number is 5, ONLY on CXS's introduction.

Not so subtil, the mirror or "painting" is labeled 'V'. Lu Guang is also looking directly at US, viewers.

Probably five lines of five x but we only see 3, of which only the first one got 5x. Four diformed shapes can be seen at LG's left, under V/VI, which could be the four previous failed timelines. You might notice that LINK CLICK is written 5times. The clock says 00:05. Oh, familiar, isnt it?

As you can see, the V is a light in the darkess at Lu Guang's feet. it is a broken piece, though. The fact it is the enlighted one could mean two things. 1) It marks the spot, where we're currently at. 2) Hope. I would argue that until then Cheng Xiaoshi always died and now, at the end of season 2, Lu Guang is in the dark because he never went that far.

VI is there too, in complete darkness, blocked from view by a ring. There is something to say about VII being completely obliterated but I honeslty don't know how meaningful that could be.

>>> It is my understanding that if a character change the past, it breaks the timeline. Past changed, present and future cannot be the same ever again. It doesn't create a new timeline like in MARVEL, there is actually no going back from a changing node, it unravels this world. Either it already happened, allegedly because of Lu Guang, or will happen in the next season, we can suppose that Timeline VI is the actual doomed one. The fact Cheng Xiaoshi is trapped is relevant too. Destroying Present and Future would trapped him in the Past, hence Come back from the dive back in time.

>>>>> Dive Back in Time

There are many things to say about this one, but I'll keep it simple since it's already a long post. Let's start with something a bit out of topic: colors. Why? It actually indicates that LG isn't from the same timeline than CXS and QL. And I swear it would be useful at the end of this post.

Blue and Red are on the same plan, no matter if we're talking about RGB or CMYK, but Green and Magenta are not. It's like CXS and QL are anchoring LG in this reality, but Magenta is not supposed to be part of the mix. Primary colors in photography are Red, Blue and Green; not Magenta. Since we're talking about photography and this is not the original timeline, I think it is intended.

I'll leave the count of squares to you (spoiler: either 5 or 3 (I'll explain this one in another post) :D).

>>>>> Overthink

I recommend you read this glorious meta about this ending. I'll just "correct" mimicha on one point:

The way the hands are "cutting a piece" of the clock; just like in the promotional poster for Train Trail. It indicates 5. I'll also add this one:

If you look carefully, you'll see two words: TIME PARADOX. As said above, a paradox should NOT be possible with the rules LC gave us so far, but it could be related to the possible 6th doomed timeline. The "dark side" could try and make it happen. Just food for thoughts.

If you want more meta on OPs/ENDs, I recommend you also watch this glorious analysis. That's all I have to say for this one regarding the number 5.

>>>>> VORTEX

Not much to say, except for this "blink and you'll miss it" screenshot. If I missed anything, feel free to share with the class!

THE TIDES has, sadly, nothing to offer on this current topic!

>>>>> 3rd Anniversary: Surprising Click

Oh boy, do I have THINGS to say. Don't be surprised when I'll make another post about this Link Click monument haha. Note: 5 PVs were prepared for this anniversary. Coincidence? (I think not).

N O W A N D F O R E V E R

The only 5 clue I found is what looks like a clock with one hand going backwards, from X to IV, it appears while the chorus is playing. That might be a bit farfetched but I'd mention it for archives purpose anyway.

B R E A K

I won't be a smartass by pointing out BREAK is a five letters word but- okay that's infuriating of them if it is on purpose.

Most of it is obvious, the same logic applies, except for the cogs and hourglasses, we see four of each falling. Since LG's shadow/light goes from IV to V, it's safe to assume that those symbolize the four failed/achieved timelines. The ones left behind. I'll probably post something about cogs and hourglasses one day.

A last one, for the road:

S U R P R I S I N G C L I C K

You should take a look at this fan's brain! They did a wonderful work. I already had this part prepared so I'm still gonna share the obvious. Five mics ("time is like music"), and five letters (with photographs inside I'm guessing). Magenta and Green are very flashy in this one.

Oh, here are LG's five magenta squares from Dive Back in Time ;D

Four failed timelines/tasks, and... loading the first out of three chances. (Again, I can't address everything in one post, this one will have a long meta on his own, don't worry :D)

T R A I N T R I A L

Two occurances worth mentionning. Once again, V is the only timeline enlighted.

B U R N I N G P A L A C E

Many things are happening in this one but only one regarding our current meta. If you pay attention, you'll see it several times, while the chorus is playing:

x x x x x

Now, if you remember correctly, green is the exact chromatic opposite, the complementary color of magenta. They aren't on the same plan (primary vs secondary)/from the same timeline. Usually, they color Lu Guang but here, there is no magenta and no Lu Guang. With this in mind, could it be the paradox OVERTHINK warned us about? We can only assume Vein is from the same original timeline as LG. Red and Green are primary colors so yeah, we'll see.

That's all for today folks!

I had this brainworm eating at my life for weeks so I'm very happy that it is finally out there.

| Part 2 |

[demaparbat-hp]

Hi Dema!! Your art is fantastic and even the lineart is awesome! Solid and confident in where it's thick and where thin. I really like how your style has characters look more realistic and they have specific consistent features. Your blog has a pleasant atmosphere, and you're skilled in weaving AUs! There's a lot of details and structure, and I'd like to ask if any of them have a full story arc? Could you do a list of all of the AUs? Is there a motif that you especially like that repeats in any of the AUs? And whenever you add comments to my stuff in the tags I literally smile, it makes me want to keep at my plan to create everything I have in mind. So I'd like to spread this joy! I hope you have a nice day! (from late-draft ^^)

Hello, Late-Draft! I wasn't expecting this ask at all but I'm so glad to have received it!

First of all—I'll try to hold myself back from giggling like a schoolgirl. I'm having a sempai noticed me moment over here and that's just embarrassing. So give me a second to compose myself, if that's alright?

Okay, I'm back.

Now, on to business.

Character design, especially when it comes to facial features and how they're unique to each person, has always been a passion of mine. I always try to have a solid design for each character. I choose which features feel like the character in question, which face feels natural to draw, and go along with it. I love drawing Katara as much as I love drawing Zuko. Meanwhile, I seem to be on a never-ending battle against Sokka's features. Woes of an artist, I suppose.

Character design is actually one of the reasons I love your work so much, in case you hadn't noticed. I'm currently experimenting a bit with a different style... Hopefully it won't be long before the artwork is done and I can share it over here. I'm so excited for everyone to see it!

Now it's time for the reason we're all here.

I have said it before and shall say it once more: AUs are my lifeblood.

I love them so much! Building them, daydreaming the scenes, thinking of the characters and how they differ from their canon versions. The arcs and the themes and the worldbuilding. Building AUs is my passion, and I have so many of them!

There are a lot of motifs and themes that tend to repeat themselves in several of my AUs, I believe.

You'll notice that most of my stories are Zuko-centric, with a heavy emphasis on grief and humanity. There's the question of what makes us human and how to move forward when the whole world seems to push you back. I put a lot of stock in metaphors and symbolism within the narrative itself. I'm especially interested in the nuance of war and how it affects people emotionally, physically, and psychologically

I also tend to reutilize some elements of the lore and/or worldbuilding! Such as the Painted Lady's backstory, or the existence of War Children within the ATLA universe.

Now, the list!

I think I'll start with my current project, if that's okay :)

For the Spirits (New Gods AU)

Zuko was a child when he met Agni. Then, the spirits started coming to him. Eyes hidden in the hallways, voices pleading for help, for recognition, for remembrance.

Zuko could see Agni. He could see the broken remains of a Great Spirit and the empty smiles of amnesiac ghosts.

And they could see him in return.

I've been working on this AU for a long time, but only now did I get the chance to start writing the fic (linked up there!). I'm extremely excited about FTS and where the story will lead us in the future, but I'll try not to spoil too much.

It's a Zuko-centric story, with a heavy emphasis on Spirits and humanity. I'd like to add a warning for depression/mental health issues.

To Hesitate (Lee & Kya AU)

As she watches Lee and Kya avoid each other's eyes from across the room, the phrase comes back to her, swift and silent:

"To hesitate is to lose."

.

As Song treats the victim of an unfortunate interaction with a rare poisonous flower, her day takes an unexpected turn when it becomes apparent that the old man's nephew and her assistant have history.

A vivid history.

The Lee & Kya AU is a vibe, a feeling. It's probably one of my oldest AUs out there as well as one of my dearest.

A classical Lee and Kya From The Tea Shop AU, full with wholesome fandom tropes such as: fake (but not really) dating, fake identities, Ba Sing Se shenanigans, vigilante stuff, White Lotus missions, Iroh is a great Uncle, Zuko is an awkward turtleduck, and, of course, the fluffiest fluff you'll ever see.

Other than that, Lee & Kya is probably one of the less plot-focused AUs I have. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't scenes I can't wait to write or a canon divergence or two where Zuko is concerned.

(I have another fic posted but I'll leave that one to the end. You asked for a full story arc and, oh boy, does Soundless deliver.)

Kintsugi AU

Closer to being canon-adjacent than canon-divergent, Kintsugi is yet another Zuko-centric AU (and are we not noticing a pattern over here?).

I'd love to explain it in depth, but I believe the caption of the artwork linked above does a better job at explaining than I ever will.

Kintsugi is the art of decorating your scars with pieces of Agni.

In the Fire Nation, the amount of golden marks are a sign of status. Only the Royal Family can afford to seal every single wound with Kintsugi. Such is the weight of this tradition that, among the ones with Agni's blood, it is the highest mark of dishonor to have a natural scar, for it proves you aren't worthy of the privilege.

After the Agni Kai, Ozai forbid Zuko's scar to be sealed with Kintsugi. The boy wasn't worth his title, his traditions or his pride. Zuko would be broken, but he wouldn't be beautiful. Not anymore.

(And sometimes it's easier to pretend he never was)

Kyoshi Warriors AU

One of my absolute favorites!

In this AU, Ursa took Zuko and Azula with her when she was banished, so they could start anew. With help from Iroh and the White Lotus, she managed to relocate her freshly burned eight-year-old child and her crying daughter to Kyoshi Island.

Years later, when Avatar Aang and his companions first arrive at Kyoshi Island, they're met by the Kyoshi Warriors and their leader, Noriko of pale skin and warm brown eyes.

The Gaang leave Kyoshi Island many weeks later with a new companion. And if Jian Li, with his war paint and his scar and his dual dao, gives the island that he has called home for so long one final, longing glance as they fly away on Appa, they pretend not to notice.

Hunters AU

We're starting to dwelve deep into dangerous waters!

This is a Katara Joins Zuko In His Quest To Find The Avatar AU, with a twist!

This AU was born as a writing experiment. What if we take Katara's character, and change one of her core characteristics? Katara, who looked up to the Avatar as a saviour figure, now blames him for leaving and allowing the Fire Nation to wage war on the world.

Then comes Zuko, a banished Prince with a crew full of traitors and his own agenda. Zuko wishes for nothing more than to dethrone his father and end the war. He is a White Lotus member, an honorable, driven young man, and he has a plan.

The catch? He needs to take the Avatar to his father if he wishes to regain his title and be able to rightfully take the throne. Oh, and he will deliver the Avatar to the Fire Lord—but nobody said it had to be in chains.

Halfblood AU

I watched Blue Eye Samurai a few months ago and it destroyed me. The idea of a half-blooded child dead set on getting revenge for their very existence stuck with me, and this AU was born.

Kanna made a life for herself in the Earth Kingdom after leaving the North. Katara was raised by her grandmother in a small village, being taught to hide her bending if she wanted to live peacefully in a place she was only half of. Her mother had died in childbirth. Her father, a nameless warrior from the Southern Water Tribe who had loved Kya and left her behind, didn't know of Katara's existence.

Katara took over Kanna's clinic after she passed away. Always taking care of others. Always suppressing her need to bend. Always wishing for more.

One day, he arrived. A half-child, just like her. But while she was of Water, he was a son of Agni. He was searching for the man who brought him to this world. The man who scarred him. The man whose face he couldn't recall, whose name he did not know. The man whose specter had chased his mother to her grave. The man who would die at his hand.

The answers were hidden in a small teashop deep within Ba Sing Se. Lee offered her a way out, and Katara took it.

Soundless (Uiscefhuaraithe)

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe has hands scarred by fire and great talent, though no teacher.

Zuko is a mute War Child, a herbalist and healer, and the Blue Spirit. He bears the mark of fire, and the scar of the blade that took away his voice.

The first time they met, the Blue Spirit had just saved her, tough not before her hands got burned. The second time they met, his name was Lee, and he was healing her.

They live in war and they will fight, if not for the world, then for themselves.

You asked for a full storyline, and I shall deliver!

Soundless is probably the only AU I have fully planned. Three-books, Azula redemption arc, role-reversals and all.

This AU has everything. From travelling through the Earth Kingdom together, to odd character team-ups that somehow manage to work, and a major goal/conflict to resolve.

Zuko and Katara must find their way to Omashu in an Earth Kingdom ravaged by war as they also grow to understand each other, themselves, and the world around them. They meet with new and old alliances, keep their ears open for rumors of the Avatar (They say he is an airbender, Lee. Do you truly belive that?), and do their best to always be two steps ahead of their pasts.

Meanwhile, both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes are searching for the runaway heiress, Aang must find his way alone on this new, hostile world, and Azula must face the revelation that, despite what her father has stated for the last two years (liar, he lied at her! Her! He lied he liedliedliedlied), her brother might just be alive.

I'm sorry for making this such a long answer! I just get very excited about these subjects and don't know when to stop. If you made it all the way down here: thank you again.

I hope you have a good day ❤️

[toournextadventure]

everyone but her pt.9

Summary: winter break is right around the corner and Wednesday needs to work through her own feelings while trying to overcome the sudden distance. Not that she cares, of course.

Word Count: 4.5k Warnings: swearing Pairing: Wednesday Addams x Reader (Masterlist) Tag List: @extinctspino @basichextechml @cfvgbhndun-new-blog @jinxscatbomb @awolfcsworld @n0p35 @suzhiman @gengen64 @eclipsesmoonshine14 @asters-abditory @alexkolax @thenextdawn @cacciatricediartemide @cozwaenot

“Are you guys ready for finals?”

Wednesday didn’t look up from her book when you sat down beside her. “Here you go,” you mumbled as you placed the coffee in front of her. The mug was one that she had seen in your room a few times - there was no guarantee it was even your mug to begin with - and matched the one you were currently drinking out of. Whatever you were drinking looked far too pale to be of any genuine use to you. Was there even any caffeine in it?

“Because I am most definitely fucked,” you said before anyone else had the chance to answer you.

“I believe I’m set,” Wednesday answered you; she still wasn’t going to look away from her book.

“Okay, smarty pants.” She couldn’t see you, but she could practically hear your eye roll. “How about you, Enid?”

“I think I’ll pass, but no promises,” Enid answered.

“Yoko?” You asked, turning your attention to the vampire.

“I’ll fail lit, but everything else should be fine,” Yoko said with a shrug.

The three of you started talking about finals, something that Wednesday thought was far too trivial. With everything else you all had going on, why were you so focused on finals? Everyone was going to be going home in a few days for the winter break, what did finals even matter? Pass, fail, you were all going to get a break at the end of it, and if you had all just studied like you were supposed to, none of you would even be worried.

Warmth was suddenly introduced to the side of Wednesday’s thigh, and she looked down just enough to see you had scooted ever so slightly closer. Had you meant to let your thigh touch hers? Had that been a conscious decision on your part, or had it been accidental? If it was on purpose then what could have possibly made you do that, someone was bound to see the closeness. A weakness, truthfully, to let anyone see you getting close to someone.

Wednesday would never dream of doing such a thing.

“I’m just too pretty to do math,” you said with a shrug.

Yoko and Enid laughed while you let a smile slowly form on your lips behind your coffee mug. The sight of you sent Wednesday’s heart racing, but the way Yoko and Enid laughed gave her a different feeling. A feeling that made her want to pull you away back to the dorm so it could just be the two of you. They didn’t need to laugh so hard at your joke, it was unnecessary.

The page of her book never changed as you continued to talk with everyone. The worst part? She wouldn’t have even noticed if you hadn’t looked over at her book with a raised brow. Her elbow connected with your side and you let out a hushed “oof” before going back to your conversation with Enid and Yoko. What she did or did not read was none of your business.

Her eyes drifted aimlessly across the page in a desperate attempt to not listen to your voice. Or notice the heat of your thigh transfering to her and leaving her uncomfortable in a way that wasn’t completely miserable. If you were so worried about failing your finals, why weren’t you out there studying-

-your pinky linked with hers under the table, and Wednesday felt icy fingers grip her heart.

You were still talking as if nothing was going on, as if you hadn’t just done something to make Wednesday’s stomach drop. The mug in your other hand moved effortlessly with your gestures, and yet you squeezed her finger just so slightly. Was it supposed to be comforting?

Because it was. And that was terrifying.

“If I fail this semester, I’m dropping out and becoming a trophy wife,” you said. “What do you think?”

Oh shit. Wednesday’s eyes shot up to surprisingly meet yours; why were you already looking at her? There was a little spark in your eyes, one that Wednesday had started to associate with your desire to fluster her. Because it was clear you knew it worked, otherwise you wouldn’t do it so often. Yet that small smile on your face that you reserved for her and her only…

“You would never survive the first week,” Wednesday answered. Your mouth fell open while Yoko and Enid burst into laughter on the other end of the table.

“Shut up,” you mumbled as you attempted to slap them without getting up from your spot. “You couldn’t do it either.”

Wednesday looked back down at her book; she could feel Enid’s eyes boring into the top of her head. She needed to mind her own business if she knew what was good for her. It was as if Enid could see through her guise of nonchalance, her indifference to you or anything to do with the conversations you were all having. She needed to mind her own business.

You let go of Wednesday’s pinky finger, and she missed the warmth and comfort. But then almost instantly you slid your hand under hers, interlocked your fingers, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Now Wednesday was on the verge of begging Enid not to pay attention, because she knew the heat on her cheeks would be visible soon. And from the look of it, your own skin was flushed. You were going to give the both of you away.

The conversation continued, but Wednesday couldn’t hear a single word of it. No, all she heard was the blood rushing in her ears, her heart pounding within her ribcage. Sweat coated her palm, but she couldn’t tell if it was from you or her. Surely it was you, right? You had a much higher body temperature than she did, there was no way Wednesday was the one with clammy hands. She didn’t even care enough to be nervous. Subconsciously, she squeezed your hand once in return; your nervous smile grew bigger.

“Shit, I gotta head out,” you said after who-knows how long; your eyes were stuck to your phone. “Weems will kill me if I miss another detention.”

“What did you get detention for this time?” Yoko asked in a teasing voice.

“Someone said I made a homophobic joke,” you huffed as you brought your mug up to your lips. With a frown, you realised it was empty.

“Aren’t you gay?” Enid asked with a barely contained grin.

“Yeah, and?” You reached over and shamelessly grabbed the mug in front of Wednesday, bringing it up to your lips to finish her coffee. Your nose scrunched up at how bitter it was. “Those two aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“Quit committing hate crimes and get to detention,” Yoko said as she tried to usher you away from the table.

Wednesday felt you squeeze her hand one more time before letting go and standing up. She gave you a side glance - Enid better not say a single word - and you gave her a toothy grin. Why did you have to get yourself in trouble? Could you not behave for a single week? Now you had to leave, which meant she couldn’t tolerate you holding her hand.

“See you guys later,” you said as you grabbed the two mugs to take back to your room. “Unless I commit another hate crime.”

“Get out!” Enid and Yoko shouted at you.

With hands - and mugs - held up in mock surrender and a stupid grin on your face, you left the group to head to your detention. If Yoko and Enid didn’t stop looking at Wednesday, she was going to pluck their eyes out and feed them to the birds in the woods. They need to mind their own business, she thought as she went back to her book.

She still never focused enough to turn the page.

—---

With finals coming to an end, Wednesday was suddenly faced with the realisation that you would be going home for the break. Of course she knew she would be heading home, but it had never actually occurred to her that you, too, would be leaving. Nearly a whole month of you being gone and no easy way to talk to you.

Not that she cared.

Clearly, though, you were also unaware you would be leaving if your rushed attempts to pack was anything to go by.

“Deconstructing this is an art, Wednesday,” you said as Wednesday gave yet another look of exasperation at your nest. “You can’t just move things, there’s a system.”

The sinewy muscles in your forearms flexed as you raked your lithe fingers through your hair and continued to look down at your nest. Wednesday’s eyes stayed glued to your arms as you moved around. Oh how she would love to dissect you and see what was underneath. To see what made you tick, what made you so very distinct from most others that she knew. 

Was your anatomy different from others? With your wings, surely you must be lighter than normal people; unless that meant the muscles near your wings were far stronger than she assumed. Then there were the muscles in your back, did you have extra to accommodate for the foreign limbs? They had to exist, it was only logical. The bones of your fingers were prominent as you picked up a-

“-am I going on this trip?” Wednesday asked.

You froze and stood up straight, turning your head to face her. The skin between your brows wrinkled - why did the word “cute” come to mind? - as you looked around, confusion clear in your eyes. But Wednesday’s eyes were still focused on your hands.

“No?” It came out as a question instead of a statement.

“Then why are my clothes going with you?”

Your eyes darted to the shirt in your hands before going wide. An awkward silence fell over the both of you until you attempted to clear your throat. It was just an attempt to fill the silence, Wednesday could tell, because you suddenly started finding other things around the room to be fascinatingly interested with.

“Are you all packed?” You asked, completely ignoring Wednesday’s question.

“Yes,” Wednesday said simply.

“When is your bunch picking you up?” You asked. “Is the tall man coming?”

Wednesday looked at you for a moment before realisation dawned on her. “You mean Lurch?”

“Yes, Lurch!” You shouted as you snapped your fingers. “I knew it was something cool like that.”

“Why do you care if Lurch is coming?” She walked over to your shelf and started looking at all of your stolen items. I think that scalpel was mine, she thought as she picked up the dull blade.

“I just think he’s neat,” you answered, followed quickly by a *thunk* as you dropped something into your bag. “Do you think I could take him in a fight?”

“He would fold you like a pretzel,” Wednesday answered. Where had you gotten that knife? It certainly hadn’t been hers. Who else did you know that had knives for you to take?

“I think I could take him,” you mumbled.

Wednesday continued facing away from you so you couldn’t see her smile. There was no logic behind your insistence that you could beat Lurch in a fight. What was even going on in that bird brain of yours to make you believe you could beat him? Your illusions of grandeur were endearing, but you would get hurt if you followed through.

“Oh, I wanted to give you this.”

She turned around to see you already holding something out toward her. Your smile remained as she reached out to take it from you. It looked to be a phone; slightly beat up, but functional nonetheless. The screen had a small crack across the top right corner, but the rest was completely intact.

“I know you don’t like technology,” you started, “but just in case there’s an emergency.”

In complete silence, she looked up at you.

“It’s not like Nicky needs it anymore anyway.” Your shrug was impassive but Wednesday could see something else in the way you suddenly avoided her gaze.

She kept her mouth shut as you awkwardly went back to packing your bag; it finally almost looked full. Her eyes scanned your room, finally landing on a piece of paper on your desk. With purpose in her stride, she made her way over to the desk and dug out a pen. The sounds of your movement halted, but she didn’t turn around, just continued writing. Even though she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

With a signature at the bottom of the page - why had she signed it? You would think she was an imbecile - she finally turned around and handed you the page. She was right; you had finished packing and had just been watching her the whole time. Her fingers grazed yours as she handed you the paper.

“Letters are more reliable,” she said, turning her eyes away from you before she started blushing.

Wait no, she wouldn’t blush, Wednesday Addams never blushed.

“How old school,” you teased. “Romantic, even.”

You needed to quit talking. The words coming out of your mouth needed to stop because everything you were saying was worse than the previous sentence. Writing letters was not romantic, they were practical. What part of it was romantic? Then again, there was something so very personal about someone’s handwriting, like getting to keep a part of them that most didn’t get to see-

-Stop it, Addams. You’re not your father.

“I should get going.” Wednesday hated the way your smile instantly dropped. You really needed to quit with all of this.

“I’ll write you.” You held up the piece of paper. “I… won’t expect a call though.” The audacity you had to tease her. Even though you were absolutely right.

Wednesday gave you one more look before turning around and walking to the door. But her feet moved too slow, they were practically dragging. Why was she not walking her normal pace? There was no logical reason, and she was not trying to get more time with you. It would be four weeks, it wasn’t the end of the world, she would see you again.

“Wait,” you called out, and her feet stuck to the floor. “I forgot to give you something.”

She could hear your bare feet padding across the wooden floor. There was no time for her to turn around before she felt something warm and soft against her cheek; your lips, to be exact. Her eyes went wide and she felt her heart physically freeze in her chest. It felt like an eternity before you removed your lips and stood back up.

Fire engulfed her entire body. You had kissed her cheek. You had walked over, leaned down, and kissed her cheek. No hesitation, no reason behind it, you had just done it. And now Wednesday was frozen in spot, and her whole body felt too hot, and her stomach was in knots, and she felt like she was going to vomit.

“As a goodbye present.” The smallest bit of relief filled her as your voice shook; maybe you were feeling the same way she was. She hoped you were.

“Write soon,” Wednesday said. Her own voice shook and matched yours.

Without giving you any chance to say - or do - another thing, Wednesday rushed out of your room. The door shut behind her with a deeply unsatisfying *click* and she just stood there. Her back fell against the door and she let out a shaky sigh as she looked up at the ceiling.

She was getting in way over her head.

—---

It had been four days since Wednesday had been home for the break, and she found herself missing something, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. There was just something missing from the house. Maybe it was less chaotic than when she had left; Pugsley was, after all, attempting to grow up. He was failing, but he was attempting it.

But when Lurch brought the mail in and Wednesday saw a letter with your name on it, she realised exactly what was pulling at her stiff heartstrings.

“Isn’t that your friend from Nevermore?” Pugsley asked as Wednesday tenderly held the letter in her hands.

Friend. That’s not exactly how Wednesday would put it, though she wasn’t quite sure what you were. You could be called a friend, yes; you both associated with each other in and out of school, and you often came over to her dorm to study or talk. That was what a friend was, was it not?

But sure you were also something more. She couldn’t claim Enid made her feel the same way. None of her other friends set up an autopsy for her, or asked her to the Rave’N, or even held her hand underneath the table. You were a friend, but could you be considered something else as well?

Wednesday didn’t answer Pugsley, instead opting to head to her room without a backward glance. Her fingers gingerly opened the letter, making sure not to tear any part of it. Your handwriting was horrendous; that was the first thing Wednesday noticed, and it was almost the only thing she could focus on as she tried to read it.

Hey Wednesday!

I really hope you got this because I lost the paper with your address on it, so I googled it. If this isn’t Wednesday then fuck off, this isn’t for you.

Hope you made it home safe! I got back the other day and I’m already exhausted. Love my family dearly, but there’s just too many of them. I always forget what it’s like to have to share a room. Does that make me spoiled?

All my siblings wanted to tell you hi, so they’re putting little notes at the bottom of the page. You don’t have to answer them, they just think it’s fun to say hi to people. I’m not even sure if they’ve ever written a letter before, so this whole thing is an adventure for them.

No rush to answer this letter, just hoped you made it home safe and sound. Try not to get into too much trouble over the break so you can come back to school. It’s your turn to plan our next outing.

P.S. Hope you can read my handwriting!

Wednesday’s eyes trailed to the bottom of the page where, yes, there were around half a dozen little notes and names. She had yet to know much about your personal life outside of Nevermore, but this was still a shock. How could you bear to have so many siblings in one house?

She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to write back.

It was nearly a week later that Wednesday got the next letter. Again, your chicken scratch was on the front, and she grabbed it from the pile and quickly made her way up to her room. She did her best to ignore the looks her mother gave her as she rushed off; it was none of her mother’s business what correspondence she was receiving.

It’s me again!

Your letter was very fancy, the black paper was a nice touch and Emily loved the wax seal. I think she cut it off and put it on her desk. You better be careful or they’re all going to start writing you letters too. Never seen them so excited to get mail, it was pretty cute. Don’t spoil them though or I’ll never hear the end of it.

Be nice to your family, they just missed you. Not Thing cause he sees you all the time, but no one else does. How’s Lurch? Is he training for our fight to the death? Cause I still think I can take him. He’s no match for me.

We all went snowboarding on the hill behind the house yesterday. You should’ve seen it, it was so cool, Alex finally landed his first jump. Nearly broke a fang in the process, but he’s fine, little vamps always bounce back. Would’ve been funnier if he turned into a snaggletooth though.

By the way, my abuelita and Auntie C want to know what your family is interested in. I don’t know what they have planned, but I would bet it’s nefarious. Which means you might like it, actually.

It should be getting cold up there soon, so stay safe!

P.S. Tell Pugsley I said hi!

Why would you want her to tell Pugsley hello? You had only met him once, what did it matter if she told him or not. Not to mention, why would your family want to know her family’s interests? You didn’t seem like the type of person to have an abuelita. And your little brother was a vampire?

Every new thing in your letter just increased Wednesday’s curiosity of you. You were certainly an oddity, and Wednesday had a fatal curiosity to know everything she could. Learning about your personal life was quickly turning into one of those things.

“Wednesday?”

Her mother’s voice forced Wednesday to hesitantly lift her head out of her book. It was quite good, she was learning a lot more about Outcast anatomy, but she supposed she could take a break. Her mother was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and an irritating smile on her lips.

“We all seem to have gotten packages from your friend.” There was a ridiculous lilt to her voice when she said the word “friend.” If she knew what was good for her, she wouldn’t pretend to know what you were. “Come into the living room and we can open them.”

Wednesday set her book down and followed her mother, her own thoughts racing. Packages, plural? It must have been part of the nefarious plan you had said your abuelita and Auntie were putting together. A part of her hoped it was a fatal plan; wouldn’t that be exciting? Another part felt like her insides were being dipped in ice cold water at the thought that they had gotten everyone something. What was their game?

The curiosity only grew when she saw that, yes, there was a package for everyone in her family; Lurch and Thing included. They were different sizes and each was wrapped in black paper with a black bow on top. Presents, Wednesday easily deduced, you sent presents.

Wednesday searched for the letter that no doubt accompanied the presents. Her grandmama handed the letter to her without a word, and she instantly opened it. There were more little signatures on the bottom, as well as more professional looking ones. It seemed everyone had signed this one. She started to read it as everyone else opened their presents.

Don’t be mad at me, I didn’t know what their plan was. I don’t even know what they got all of you, the assholes didn’t let me put my name on it. So whatever they got, if it sucks, it’s not my fault.

Anyway, they don’t want anything in return. Abuelita said it was the good thing to do, and Auntie C said if you send ANYTHING back she’s going to find you and make you pay. She’s not as scary as my Momma, but I would still listen to her.

Be careful when you open your package, I think some of the kids tossed stuff in the box too. I know Hailey definitely tossed a bone or two in there, and I think Emily gave you her favourite rock. Just be careful, everything probably shifted around in the mail.

Don’t laugh at me, but I’m kind of excited to get back to school. Weird, I know. I guess I just miss everyone. Not you though, you’re a pain in my ass. But I guess we could get coffee when we get back, you know, as a welcome back treat.

P.S. Check the phone, I sent you a few things.

Wednesday looked around to see what your family had gotten everyone else. Pugsley was holding some new fishing lures and looking at them with furrowed brows, but a smile nonetheless. Her father was marveling at a sword that looked… strikingly new. Dried black flowers in a shadowbox had been her mother’s gift, which she was smiling down at fondly. Then there was what looked to be a personal cookbook for her grandmama, a new black tie for Lurch, and some soap and lotion for Thing.

“Should we have gotten something for her in return?” Pugsley asked, looking around the room.

“No,” Wednesday said as her fingers wrapped around her own present. It stayed unopened. “Her family said there was no need.”

“Then we will at least send a thank you letter,” her mother chimed in. She was still holding the shadowbox close.

Wednesday just nodded once before heading off to her room, ignoring the way her whole family watched her go. It was none of their business what was in the letter or the package. Her fingers peeled the wrapping paper off, being careful not to tear it. It was wrapped beautifully, she would admit, and efficiently; only four pieces of tape were used. She folded the wrapping paper and set it off to the side before finally opening the box.

Her eyes were instantly drawn to the rock and bones that you had mentioned in your letter. The rock was painted black with a small smiley face drawn in white paint; they were accompanied by what appeared to be a finger, a shoulder blade, and what looked to be a fang. Then there was a book on medieval torture techniques, and a dagger with a black hilt and a startingly white blade tucked safely into a black scabbard.

Whatever your family’s play was, they were certainly kissing up for something.

She put everything in their own place in her room. There was a place for everything, even your sister’s favourite rock, although Wednesday had no idea why it had been included. Only once everything was where it should be did she finally dig out the phone you had given her.

It took a few minutes to figure out how to use it, but she quickly noticed that you had sent what looked to be some pictures. She flipped through them slowly, taking note of the amount of people in the pictures. There you were helping your sister - Wednesday would never know who was who - on some skis. Then playing a card game with a group of adults; the moonshine on the table was beyond evident. A family photo, candid photos, a few with you just in the background. And in all of the pictures, every single one, your wings were out and you had the biggest smile on your face.

In the privacy of Wednesday’s room, she looked at the pictures and smiled.

Maybe, just maybe, she was willing to admit to herself that she missed you.

[caroldantops]

indentation in the shape of you || valcarol

ship: valkyrie x carol danvers

summary/request: carol shows valkyrie her new suit. valkyrie doesn't like it.

word count: 1.2k

warnings: smut (18+ only), kinda pwp, the marvels spoilers, strap on use, jealous sex, daddy valkyrie, dom!val, sub!carol

a/n: if you're seeing this coming from a ship tag hello! i usually write reader insert so if you go to my blog looking for more of this ummm. sorry.

masterlist | ao3 link

“I’m glad that they seem to be adjusting well. Fury tells me that they’re working on restoring Tarnax’s atmosphere, so hopefully they won’t have to stay in New Asgard for too much longer,” Carol tightens her fists at her side, tension in her body clear as she stands in front of Valkyrie’s desk. 

“Oh, no worries. Having them is no bother at all. Though I’m sure they’re eager to get off Earth,” Valkyrie hums as she swirls her dagger.

Carol insisted on coming down after fixing Hala’s sun to check on things, something that didn’t surprise Valkyrie in the slightest. What did surprise her was her sudden costume change. Her suit was different. Less saturated, emblem bigger on her chest. Valkyrie didn’t like it. It didn’t feel like the Captain Marvel image that she’d grown used to. 

Plus, this one’s torn in places. Cheaply made. Not fitting for a hero who flies into suns. 

Carol is rambling on about something to do with one of the Skrull families as Valkyrie analyzes this new suit. It does hug her hips nicely. Form fitting around the waist that she’s grabbed and pulled against her many times before. 

“What’s with the new get-up?” 

“What?” Carol’s train of thought comes to a screeching halt. 

“This,” Valkyrie points her dagger at Carol. “Different suit.” 

Carol looks down at her suit. Valkyrie holds back a chuckle at how she almost looks surprised by what she’s wearing. “Oh! I got a new one.”

“Clearly,” Valkyrie laughs. “Come closer, I wanna see it.” 

Carol scrunches up her brows in confusion at Valkyrie’s sudden interest, but chalks it up to that warrior mentality. That woman loves some good battle armor. She walks around the desk to stand in front of Valkyrie, awkwardly holding still as she inspects the suit, running her hands over the material and poking a finger through one of the tears that ripped during the fight with Dar-Benn. 

“Seems cheap, doesn’t it?” Valkyrie sneers. “My armory could make you something ten times as sturdy. Where’d you get this shit suit from?” 

“It’s not shit,” Carol huffs. Valkyrie raises an eyebrow at her and pulls her finger down, making the rip bigger. “Hey!” 

“Why aren’t you answering me, hm?” Valkyrie knows damn well where this suit came from, she could tell from the moment she touched it. She just wants Carol to say it. 

“Aladna. Prince Yan--”

“Oh, a gift from your husband.” 

Before Carol knows it, she’s being tugged flush against Valkyrie. From her standing position, she towers over her even more than she usually does, but she gulps because she knows who’s in control here. 

Valkyrie knows that Prince Yan is no more than a friend to Carol, but both of them know just how much the idea of Carol being technically married makes Valkyrie’s jealousy blaze. 

Especially when she comes around with the gifts he’s given her. 

“Val--” 

“You know, I’m surprised it looks so dull, given that Aladna’s traditional clothing has more colors than a pride parade.” Valkyrie grips Carol’s waist, fingers digging into her sides. It would hurt if Carol didn’t have super endurance. But it’s enough to make the message clear. 

“It’s fine, I’ll probably go back to my old one anyway.” Carol refuses to make eye contact with her. She can’t let her know how much this is affecting her right now. 

But gods. 

It took Carol a long time to find someone who could make her feel this way. Someone who could make her feel safe rather than terrified of giving in to their control, their dominance. 

It just came so naturally to Valkyrie. Carol supposes that’s why she can’t stay away, comes running back when her thoughts get too much for her to bear and she just needs them shut off. 

Like now. 

“Don’t look away from me,” Valkyrie says firmly. Carol bites her lip and meets her gaze again. “Good girl. Bend over the desk.” 

Carol briefly considers asking why, but at the moment she can’t bring herself to fight Valkyrie’s little game. She moves some stuff out of the way and bends over the desk. She does her best to steady her breathing as she feels Valkyrie’s hands run up the back of her thighs. 

“You’d think that Prince Yan would give his princess a sturdier suit. You know, I bet I could just…” 

Riiiiiiiip.

 “Valkyrie!” 

Valkyrie laughs, giving Carol’s ass a slap as she admires what she’s done. Just as Valkyrie suspected, she was able to poke into one of the tears and fully rip a hole right through the crotch of Carol’s suit. Her cunt is exposed, the pale skin of her ass peeking through the top of the tears as well. Valkyrie steps forward, hips flush against Carol’s ass. 

“Feel that, princess?” Carol groans. “Use your words.” 

“Yes, sir.” Carol gasps as Valkyrie grinds the bulge of her strap into her exposed ass. She tries hiding her face to conceal how flustered she is, but Valkyrie won’t tolerate that. She’s tugged up by her hair, Valkyrie’s lips brushing against her cheek as she speaks lowly to her. 

“Does your husband ever do this for you?” Valkyrie doesn’t expect a response, just chuckling at Carol’s whines. “Does he know what a needy girl you are?” 

“No, sir.” Valkyrie unbuckles her belt, pulling out her strap and nudging the tip between Carol’s already damp folds. Carol shudders, pushing her hips back against the sensation. 

“Greedy, greedy thing. Already trying to fuck yourself on my cock.” Valkyrie stands up straighter, but doesn’t release her grip on Carol’s hair, knowing the stinging in her scalp makes Carol as compliant as can be. “You’re getting spoiled, princess. Gonna have to ask nicely for what you want.” 

“Please,” Carol asks softly, voice pitched high as Valkyrie rubs her clit with her strap. “Please, sir. Please fuck me.” 

“Hmm,” Valkyrie releases Carol’s hair and runs her hand down her back, feeling the strong muscles of her back quiver under her touch. “Dunno, that’s not very convincing if you ask me.” 

“Please, daddy, I need you to fuck me!” 

Valkyrie laughs and sinks her cock into Carol’s weeping pussy. Carol lets out a guttural moan, only overshadowed by the wet noises her cunt makes as Valkyrie pounds deep into her. She grips Carol’s hips, pulling her back against her to meet her rough thrusts. 

She loves having Carol like this. The all-powerful Captain Marvel, destroyer of armies and savior of the universe begging for her tight pussy to be ruined by her, shivering under her praise and degradation, weeping in her arms after she’s been thoroughly fucked. 

Carol must have been particularly pent up today, because it doesn’t take much longer for her to be on the edge, a few strokes of Valkyrie’s fingers over her clit and some whispered praises of “Good princess, let go for me. I’ve got you” send her into a shaking mess as she comes. 

She mumbles something incoherent as Valkyrie flips her over, pulling her up to curl against her chest. “What was that, baby? Can’t hear you when you’re mumbling.” 

“Thank you,” Carol sighs. 

Valkyrie smiles softly, kissing Carol on the tip of her nose and rubbing her back. “You that tired after one round?” 

“Not tired, just…tired.” 

“Ah, yeah. That really cleared things up.” 

“Shut up.” 

[sgiandubh]

Omg!!! Such great news!

Dear @herethereeverywhere22,

I saw her post almost as soon as she published it. Well, then: karma is a bitch, isn't she? Who would have thought, just six months ago, that such a thing was ever possible?

First and foremost thought: she is apparently not useful, anymore. Too loud. Too proud. And yes, ten years at the epicenter of the Narrative must take a heavy toll on your credibility. Especially since that Remarkable Week-end, and especially since everything you say from that particular moment in time is, IMHO, not even planted, but totally freelanced.

Second thought: it's not too early, it's even late. She's been here since Day One, the ever available Useful (but also Fearless) Idiot TPTB could count on to spread the Anti gospel. She was the main reason many people left this fandom in tears and dismay and frustration. She was the Ur-Troll, the Uber Bully and I find some poetic justice in the fact that the alleged health problem is about her eyes.

Third thought: she did nothing good for S. She durably dented his professional profile and credit, describing him as a piece of meat, a thirst trap and, ultimately, a bore. The amount of childish and parochial bullshit this woman has fed her gullible audience is industrial. It is also very easy to debunk - the Hotel Costes fanfic comes immediately to mind - and I tried my best, something that earned me a 'worst of the worst' mention, if I remember well. For ten long years, she drooled an ocean over his biceps, his Golden Dirk, his supposed sexual prowess. This had to end somehow, someday. Has it?

Fourth thought: with a cool head, I wouldn't be so sure. She is a narcissist and a narcissist always needs a scene, a spotlight and an enraptured crowd. Maybe she found another victim/fandom. Maybe she is just strategically lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to jump back in. Only time will tell. For the moment, her OL reign didn't end in a blaze of glory, but with a fizzle. And make no mistake: the real winner is Marple.

FWIW, I am leaving here two links for two posts about *urv @tpquill wrote quite a while ago. She knows *urv (or Margot, or Elaine Cha Ching or whoever the fuck else she was impersonating on Pufflander's Just Make It A Double) since her Twilight fandom days. Irrespective of anything else, this gives her opinion the required gravitas:

and

And *urv: yours is the second Tumblr blog I found after BIF and the contrast between sterile and filthy was brutal. Good riddance?

[yiichan]

lost fourteen - seungcheol ver.

[♫] 우리 멀어져요 그럼 잡음 돼요 멀어지지 않게 잡았으면 됐을 텐데 — don't listen in secret.࿐

ꔫ word count - 1.1k words

ꔫ pairings - idol!seungcheol x male!oc

ꔫ sypnosis - seungcheol receives a call from the hospital about gyuhan.

ꔫ genre - mature, heavy angst

ꔫ warnings - major character death

ꔫ author's notes - continuation from my blog @peachesyeo, link to the orignal fic is here.

It took the manager three tries to get the message across.

Seungcheol froze, the shattered glass slipping from his trembling hand. The words sank in slowly, each syllable carving into his heart. Black spots danced in his vision, and he staggered, struggling to stay upright. The manager's sigh felt like a distant echo in the chaos of his mind.

“I’m sorry, Seungcheol-nim.” Seungcheol swayed, gripping the counter for support. “We will try to... to secure the news about Gyuhan-nim’s death. But I need you to tell the other members…”

Seungcheol’s grip tightened on the counter until his knuckles turned white. His chest constricted, each breath growing shallower and more painful. How was he supposed to tell them? How could he possibly find the words?

“Gyuhan... he... he can’t be gone,” Seungcheol whispered, his voice barely audible, cracking under the weight of disbelief and sorrow. “It’s his birthday…”

Guilt cut through him, sharp like the broken shards of glass littered around Seungcheol. There was only silence on the other line, and Seungcheol steadied himself, putting his hand over his eyes. “If this is some kind of sick prank, Manager Lee…”

Because Gyuhan cannot be gone. Im Gyuhan cannot be gone. Seungcheol hadn’t apologised to him, the others hadn’t atoned to him. They were only getting used to this parallel universe of SEVENTEEN, and even if they spent years blaming it on Gyuhan—

Seungcheol choked out a broken sob as he fell to his knees. The pain of their unresolved conflicts and harsh words hung in the air like a noose tightening around his neck. Memories of how they had treated him flashed through his mind, the bitterness and frustration now seeming so trivial and petty.

“I’m sorry,” Manager Lee said after a long while. “I still have to settle some matters, Seungcheol-nim. Gyuhan-nim’s… body,” he took a deep breath, as tears streamed down Seungcheol’s cheeks. “Is still in the hospital… And Woozi-nim is here…”

“Jihoonie?” Seungcheol repeated, his mind clear for a second. “What is he doing there?”

The manager hesitated before speaking. “Woozi-nim was the first to discover Gyuhan-nim’s body… He has passed out since then.”

Seungcheol felt a fresh wave of agony wash over him. Jihoon had found Gyuhan... the shock and trauma of that moment must have been overwhelming. Seungcheol’s heart ached for Jihoon, imagining the horror and helplessness he must have felt.

“I need to get to him,” Seungcheol said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I need to be there for Jihoon and... and for Gyuhan.”

The manager’s voice softened. “I understand. Please, take care of yourself too, Seungcheol-nim. We’ll handle everything else here.”

Seungcheol nodded, even though Manager Lee couldn’t see him. He ended the call and forced himself to stand. His legs felt like lead, but he moved forward, driven by the need to be with his members, to somehow make sense of this tragedy.

Each step toward the hospital felt like walking through a nightmare. The weight of his guilt and sorrow bore down on him, but he knew he had to be strong. For Jihoon, for Gyuhan, and for the rest of SEVENTEEN.

As he entered the hospital, the sterile smell and harsh lights only heightened his sense of unreality. He found Jihoon’s room and hesitated at the door, gathering what little strength he had left before stepping inside.

Jihoon lay on the bed, pale and still, an IV drip attached to his arm. Seungcheol’s heart broke at the sight, and he moved to his side, gently taking Jihoon’s hand in his. Gently, he swept the younger’s hair out of his face.

Jihoon lay on the bed, pale and still, an IV drip attached to his arm. Seungcheol’s heart broke at the sight, and he moved to his side, gently taking Jihoon’s hand in his. Gently, he swept the younger’s hair out of his face.

His phone buzzed. As Seungcheol answered it, Jeonghan’s shaking voice travelled from the other line. “Cheol… What d-does the news mean?”

“News?” Seungcheol quickly opened his phone. Messages, DMs, and notifications flooded his screen, each one more frantic and heart-wrenching than the last. His hands trembled as he navigated to the news app, and there, staring back at him in stark black and white, was Gyuhan’s smiling face. Next to it, a big ‘BREAKING NEWS’ icon flashed ominously.

Seungcheol’s breath caught in his throat as he read the headline: "Tragic Loss: SEVENTEEN's Gyuhan Passes Away on His Birthday." The words blurred as tears filled his eyes, and a wave of nausea washed over him. He could barely process the shock and devastation radiating from the article, detailing Gyuhan's unexpected death.

“Han,” Seungcheol choked out, his voice raw with grief. “It’s true… Gyuhan is gone.”

There was a stunned silence on the other end, followed by a muffled sob. “How… How could this happen?” Jeonghan’s voice was filled with disbelief and sorrow. There was a sound of something breaking in his background, and then Joshua’s voice appeared.

“Where are you now?” Joshua sounded calmer.

“The hospital. Ji-Jihoon found him and he’s… passed out.”

“We’re coming,” Joshua said firmly. “We’ll be there soon. Stay with Jihoon.”

Hanging up the phone, Seungcheol stood up, swaying slightly as he did. He needed to see Gyuhan one last time, to confront the reality of his passing. With trembling steps, he made his way out of Jihoon’s room and down the sterile hospital corridor.

As he approached the morgue where Gyuhan’s body lay, Seungcheol hesitated at the door, his hand trembling on the handle. Taking a deep breath, he pushed it open and stepped inside.

Inside the morgue, a nurse was quietly organising paperwork. Seungcheol’s footsteps echoed in the sterile room as he approached. Overhearing her soft voice, he froze in place.

“It’s such a tragedy,” the nurse murmured, not noticing Seungcheol’s presence. “Such a young life lost…”

Seungcheol’s heart clenched at her words, the weight of guilt and grief crushing him. He stood there, silently listening, as tears streamed down his face.

Gyuhan lay motionless on a cold metal table, peaceful yet achingly still. Seungcheol’s throat tightened, and he knelt beside him, reaching out a trembling hand to gently brush Gyuhan’s hair back from his forehead.

He’s dead. Seungcheol tried to recall the last time he saw Gyuhan. Was it a week ago? Maybe two? When everyone was gathered in the practice room for their comeback stage? 

The scenes flashed past his eyes, bit by bit. Him approaching Gyuhan awkwardly to ask about his new house, Gyuhan turning down Mingyu’s offer to help him move, Seungkwan asking Gyuhan to join him for dinner…

“We’re really pieces of shits to you, aren’t we?” Seungcheol's words echoed in the quiet morgue, each syllable heavy with self-condemnation. He withdrew his hand from Gyuhan's forehead, feeling a profound sense of unworthiness settle over him. He bowed his head, tears streaming down his cheeks unchecked. Guilt, regret, and sorrow intertwined within him, a tumultuous storm of emotions. 

When an avalanche happens, not a single piece of snowflakes are innocent.

© yiichan, 2024

[minty-mumbles]

Linked Universe Survey 2023

The long awaited results of the survey. Sorry it took me forever, making graphs is hard.

There were 452 responses to the survey as a whole, which is almost double what we got last year, so thank you to everyone who participated!

If you want to see the raw data, you can find that here. I had thoughts about the data, but compiling that into another post would be too much of a hassle. Feel free to send me asks about it though!

The rest of the post will be under a read more as it it large

Demographics

Other: Demigirl (4), Transmasc (3), Grey genderfluid, Unlabeled, Demiboy, Demiagender

Other: Omnisexual (4), Poly (2), Trixic, Abroromantic or Bellusromantic, Demisexual

General Questions

Other: Quotev, Discord, their own google docs

Other: Discord, Variations of "I haven't posted yet, but I pan to" and "I haven't posted my fics in ages",

Other: Wattpad, Deviantart, Discord

Other: Crochet dolls, Custom dolls, Roleplay blogs (2), Fan translations, Headcanons (2), Piano music

The purple section in the “Warriors vs Warrior” chart is supposed to read “Warrior.” I made a typo.

Favorites and Least Favorites

Selected Free Response Answers

im sorry warriors i just can't play your game (it is very very hard. i am stuck very early on in the game)

I love cats meow meow meow

was extremely tempted to put twilight for least favorite. unfortunately he is my favorite to write from the perspective of (he has taken over most of my wips. help) and that probably counts for something. WILD on the other hand. hooo boy how the hell do i characterize this gargoyle. why is he Like That. least favorite it is

Twiddy

very good fandom to be in :) everybody is very nice

It's a straight up crime that Wars lost the aesthetics poll so quickly. He has such a peak Link design with the best colors. Ugh I'm getting wistful.

FROGS. FROGS. FROGS. ALSO HAPPY PRIDE MONTH. FROGS. FROGS. FROGS. FROGS. FROGS.

I will fight Hylia herself and the next person who implies Twi can't handle spice. If we're going to lean into him being southern/Midwestern, which is an alright stero type for our rancher, please keep in mind the culture you're basing him off. The south and midwest can handle their spice, I assure you. Have you ever had authentic Louisiana gumbo? It will melt you tongue off. Or some good old fashion spicy fried chicken? I promise the real stuff has quite a kick. (In all seriousness, though. It's more important that you're having fun. And even I can admit the idea of Twi being an Ordonian who can't handle his spice is more than a little funny.)

I am an OoT Link edgelord and have been since early 2017. So, in September of that year, when an artist by the name of jojo56830 puts out a lineup of nine different Links and the Hero of Time is there – the oldest, no eye, Hero’s Shade armor? I saw that one sketch and just thought “oh this is gonna be bad.” Yeah of course he has the coolest design. By the way, it’s only a matter of time until Fierce Deity shows up in the comic and I have reason to believe it could be this current Dawn arc. Dawn … Dawn of a New Day … and who brought about the Dawn of a New Day? Fierce Deity. Twilight is recovering but still injured and what will happen if he falls again? Fierce Deity is coming and we need to be prepared. In this essay I will—

Remember that time when someone put the whole script of the bee movie in here? I’m not that dedicated, and I don’t have that time, but let us remember and hope someone else does it again this time. Cause someone is bound too. We’re all crazy enough to do it. Alright, love you and stay hydrated pls!

Hi! I joined this fandom really recent but i’ve always seen LU stuff on pinterest and elsewhere. Only recently have i actually took the time to understand the fandom and get back into LOZ stuff and i adore the characters and story! The more and more fanart, fanfics, and comics i see about the different Links the more i love them all. It’s such a pain to pick just one i like or one i don’t like because they’re all so unique. I love this fandom and hope to get more involved!! Have a wonderful rest of your day :]

Epona is an underrated queen

your mom

I really don't get why Zelda is called Artemis. Athena makes more sense???? It perplexes me

Anyone seeing this should check out Breanna’s E!Wild AU

Something something queer every Link into oblivion!

[neriumxoleander]

If you could explain, I'm only learning this now! What's going on with Gato? I've only seen vague posts but I know all social media is gone (because by god fucking twitter apparently) I've seen from the fake gatobob account post about recent events and I'm soo confused. Could you please shed some more light on this? If you are as clueless as I am, you don't need to respond. - @your-very-own-anon (mod speaking)

Sorry for the late response, I've been trying to retag some things while I'm focused on this account for once. I'll try to be brief? please don't take me as the authority on this, I just happened to get into the tags while it was unfolding earlier today. still going under a read more though. i suppose a tw for mentions of racism and xenophobia are warranted. And please do not interact if you are a minor or have no age listed on your blog, I will block you.

Gato deleted her social media accounts this morning (tumblr, twitter, pillowfort) and explained on patreon it was for her mental health and safety (which... safety? hm) and someone here immediately claimed the gatobob url. which happens, it's tumblr. but this person is using it basically as a callout center.

the callout seems to be about an incident that happened in the patreon exclusive discord server before it got shut down a couple months ago. tldr according to this person, someone (a mod?) made a racist comment towards someone, and gato apparently handled the situation poorly and neither her or the mods apology were really that great. I was in the server as a lurker more than anything, but I don't remember being there when this happened.

other people sending in asks to this new gatobob account have also been calling her out for xenophobia, but I have a feeling that's looking a little bit too much into statements she's made about her games being redistributed in Russia and Spain specifically if i recall correctly.

this new blog is demanding gato and the aforementioned mod properly apologize for their behaviour, but in my opinion, this is a really weird and bad way to go about it. Smart to use her url as a way to boost the problem, but... I haven't seen any solid evidence besides some very vague screenshots, none of them including the racist remarks (the screenshots they've posted so far definitely aren't good responses or apologies if they ARE linked to this incident, and it should have been taken seriously) And the victim from the racism incident is NOT the person running the new gatobob account, so it feels very weird to me that this person is taking it upon themselves to stir everyone up and demand things from gato and the mod.

as far as I can tell, gato hasn't said anything about this on patreon, although she's likely taking her separation from social media very seriously. If she is aware (and I'm sure she's getting plenty of DMs about this on patreon), she'll likely make a post there addressing it in the next couple days, but that's just speculation.

I'm keeping a mostly neutral stance in this whole thing, but I'm encouraging people to not interact with this new gatobob account. There's nothing we can really do; they aren't impersonating her, posting anything against ToS as far as Im aware, and people have been hoarding urls for years. Just... listen and learn, I think is all I can suggest. Form your own opinions, but don't go on a witch hunt about it, if that makes any sense.

I'll try to answer other questions, but I'm just one guy on the internet who doesn't usually get tangled with things like this. Please be patient.

[allegras-sunflower]

RIP Ana Clara Benevides. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍💖

I have read alot of people posts how disappointed they were with the situation.

Like that one Reddit post on swiftlyneutral. I can't post the link. But the title says:

What are your thoughts on what happened at the Eras tour in Brazil? Do you even know about it?

The post is very recent.

And couldn't Taylor Swift do something before the show? Didn't she know the heat? That fans weren't allowed to bring water in it? What would she have risked if she cancelled the show? A fine? She can pay for it. Disappointed fans? Better than dead fans.

I remember watching a youtube video of Michael Jackson when he got his Hollywoodstar and he made an appearance. There was a huge crowd and people were pushing eachother, some got hurt. He left after a short time. One fan voiced his disappointment that he only shown up for like few seconds or minutes and left. But looking back it was good that he left that none of them got seriously injured. He also got parademics at his shows because people were passing out.

Or Madonna who had a concert just recently in front of like 1.6million people. I don't hear anybody dying. ? And for such a large amount of people at one spot. There sure had to be safety measurement taken before the show.

When a fan of Rihanna died. Not at her show. Rihanna paid for the funeral.

Does Taylor Swift really care about her fans? Or does she care more about how her fans view her? And as an artist isn't it her responsibility that her fans are save at her show? Of course she can't stop any inconvience. But extreme heat is literally something she could have known days before!

This whole thing felt like Taylor didn't really care about Ana. She can't be the music industry the biggest superstar in the whole world but be a helpless little girl who is used by her concert promoters and can't even decrease ticket prices.

And Taylor made this parasocial relationship with her fans. So she atleast should have cared more. Or showed that she cared. It seems like she only sees her fans as numbers.

There was another show, in Buenos Aires, right before the show were Ana Clara died, that TS had to cancel too because of a storm. Now, due to the subtropical climate, storms in Buenos Aires can be quite strong and dangerous. The fans, most of them underage girls, stood in line under the electrical storm up until the time the venue doors were supposed to open. Then and only then, TS announced (mind you, half an hour after the city government did) that the show would be rescheduled. So what happened in Río after was not an isolated incident, TS had a bit of a pattern endangering her fans.

Now, I talked extensively about Ana Clara's death in this blog, and I don't wanna repeat myself and become annoying for it. But for those of you who don't know, my family on my dad's side is Brazilian, my own grandmother has been badly hit by the floods going on in the south, my little sister went to the show after Ana Clara's death. That's why TS's mistreatment of Brazilian fans and fans of color in general hurts SO FUCKING MUCH. Because it's fucking personal. I did not only felt heartbroken because of what happened to Ana Clara, it was absolutely devastating. I know it was just a footnote on the international news, but not here. Here we read the declaration of the young nurse that kept on the CPR maneuvers for over an hour because they refused to let Ana Clara die. We read the statement of Ana Clara's family denying TS or her team had reached out to them when the news were starting to say TS was in talks with them. We KNOW TS's team didn't pay for ANYTHING and didn't reach out to them until over a week later. We saw it all go down on real time, my little sister was certain TS would make a moment of silence for Ana Clara only to be let down when she rushed the show so not even the people attending could do one.

So, let this be your confirmation. Taylor Swift does NOT care about her fans. At least not about her fans of color.

Please, never stop talking about Ana Clara Benevides Machado. Never stop sharing her picture. And never forget that, if you're a POC, TS doesn't care about you. Not even if you're a VIP ticket holder, like Ana Clara was.

[orpiknight]

OrpiKnight's FAQ FAQ

For the Neil Gaiman Tumblr FAQ

GO S3 was announced! Will you be updating the FAQ still? Yep! :)

--- Who? Vel (blog OrpiKnight)

Why? I'm excited about Good Omens 2, I was looking through the Asks on Neil Gaiman's blog anyway, and I like having a constructive outlet when I'm going through so much information. And there were a lot of repeat questions. I mainly made it for me and my friends for reference, but then decided to go ahead and throw it out into the Tumblr void, too.

*Are a lot of these questions really frequently asked? Well, this started out being called a "QnA" doc because I was compiling the Asks. Then everyone kept calling it a "FAQ". So I rolled with it. It keeps up with the current Asks as much as possible, though. (I have no way of knowing how many times he gets asked some questions. That's for his inbox to know.)

Will you be actively updating it with new questions/answers? Yes. I update in batches now, every month or so. For my sanity. *When I update things, I usually put the new questions at the bottom of their section, even if they might fit next to something else in it better. This is just to make new ones easier to find. Later on I might reorganize them.

Can you put it in a Tumblr post? No. It's too much information, it can hang out on docs (which is 30+ pages). I'm pretty sure I would hit a word limit if I put it on here. Or break my dash. Or accidentally delete it. *You don't need a Google account to access it. I have tested this signed out on non-Chrome browsers. (I use Firefox btw)

You missed some Asks. Yeah... there is no way I could get all of them. I had to draw the line somewhere.

Some of the questions are strange. Don't I know it. Edit: But I do like to put in all sorts of questions. Sometimes there are things that don't even occur to me to ask that Neil says he gets constant questions about (like the ice cream/ice lolly). Sometimes there are things that I don't realize need clarifying (like "two consenting bicycle repairmen"). One person can ask a creatively specific question that other people are quietly wondering about. I also like the funny ones.

I found an error (typo/link not going to where it's supposed to/accidentally wrong info/etc.)?

But seriously, it's okay to message me to let me know. It's very helpful.

Can I have shared editing access to your document? No.

About the fanfiction thing... Please end my suffering. (And Neil Gaiman's) Edit: I should probably clarify that I do like fanfiction.

I have personal opinions. Please be nice to me.

Can you add or change this, that, or whatever? I work irl, am usually tired, and don't have much time to constantly edit every little thing. Unless you're Neil Gaiman himself asking, it's likely I'm just going to leave it how I organized it. And I mean that in the politest way possible. Speaking of, if you would like to help me out at all with things like bills, medical costs, and food— here's my: Venmo: @ajgvel Ko-fi page (It says you're giving me ducks on there! :D)

It's not expected of course. Regardless, much love to everyone, and thanks for making a space where we can all have fun together about something we enjoy. ♡

Find me on Bluesky: OrpiKnight

[accio-victuuri]

“big name bxg c-fans earn a lot because cpf give their money to them instead of xz and wyb.” 💀

I wanted to address this comment i saw yesterday but I had to organize my thoughts first as best as i could. I also knew GRA events are gonna take up a lot of my time so i had push it back. However, i want to post about it here even if the topic associated to this didn’t blow up that much (thankfully) cause it irritated me. I’m very used to certain fans having a skewed view of bxgs. I understand that no matter what we say, the prejudice is too heavy to even see reason.

So this is more of to explain to bxgs how this statement is completely wrong and why it shouldn’t even be said in the first place.

Let’s start with the context.

On 11/2, when there was supposed to be an entertainment ban, a few hot search tags popped up. The boys’ name or even BXG was not on it but it sort of involved the fandom. The gist is this person is a former big name BXG account back in 2019 who is now a yxh. They earned a lot from that work and was able to buy “ 8 houses”. That was actually what got on HS, the idea that someone who is working as a yxh can be that rich.

I guess people missed the fact that this person earned the money from yxh “work” and not being a BXG account. Some just saw “bxg” so they made a connection and so the comment i posted above was a common statement. The fact that XZ and WYB are top stars too added to the conversation.

First of all, being a big name account that posts about XZ and WYB back in 2019 isn’t that hard. Untamed was at it’s peak that time and so were the active fans. The drama was airing. They had appearances and were practically everywhere. It would not take that much to get the likes, follows and engagement for 2 people that had a lot of content going on. After that, when 2020 rolled in, I understand how some people on the c-side of things will fall off. They probably had new interests and I think the same goes for that account. They were there at the height of it and learned how being a profitable blog works. So I wanna say that this fan was seasonal. To say that they “represent” all big name bxg blogs is totally unfair.

Next i wanna address the concept of profit and “cpfs giving money to big name accounts”.

The easiest way is engagement to a blogger’s post. It may not be me giving the money in my pocket to them literally but they get earnings from engagement & through ads/ affiliate links. This concept is not new to BXGs. It’s the same as any other influencers out there. So the accusation of spending money to big name accounts instead of supporting the boys — in this case is misleading.

You can argue that a regular person, even so/os fall in this trap when they engage with blatant anti accounts. When they comment and share those posts, they give them the engagement.

Now there are two other ways that bxgs give their actual money to these big name accounts.

1. Fansites. Those that share HQ photos and videos of them during events. How they make money aside from engagement is selling photo-books. What’s important to remember tho is there is an unspoken rule among these sites ( not just bxg ones ) that a huge part of the earnings will be spent on charity and buying endorsements by the boys. they post receipts. Not everyone of them is perfect and some have their own issues and closed down but that’s just how it goes.

2. Fan artists. The concept of fan art & merch have long been alive and is honestly one of the best things about fandom. It gives a chance to artists to make something and earn from it. I have to say that this is the more lucrative one cause the really popular ones have their products ( usually the dolls ) sell out so fast and have months of waiting list. The same fan sites, there is a rule for them to use the money for charity.

Here is a post I made before about some of those charities but that’s a very small list compared to the actual initiatives that were done for years.

As for supporting the boys, these accounts buy endorsements, magazines of them in the cover ( in bulk ), organize LED ads for their birthdays or fandom anniversaries, sponsor peripherals for bxg gatherings, host block screenings for movies etc.

Lastly, however someone spends the money they earned is none of anyone’s business. These people on the internet thinking it’s okay to gloat about how they are the “best fan” out there because of how much they spend on a celebrity is so crass. It’s like giving Yibo a gift and leaving all the tags on cause you want him to know exactly how much you spent on him.

I appreciate fans that do spend. I really do. It helps alot with their brand value and career. I personally buy merch and watch content on paid platforms. However it should not be a way to measure someone’s worth as a fan. There is no need to shame people who want to spend their money elsewhere and not XZ or WYB. This kind of toxic mindset is largely prevalent in c-ent fandoms that some international fans are adapting. If there is something that the CCP and I agree on, it’s that this practice shouldn’t be demanded of fans. The idea of “how dare you spend on something you like” ( whether it’s a product from a big name fan or whatever ) exposes whoever is saying it as that kind of brainwashed fan.

So anyway, participate in the fandom in a way that you are comfortable with. We all have different approaches on how we take part in it and there is really no need to keep receipts. ✌🏼

[anghraine]

Dealing with images on Dreamwidth

Okay, one more Dreamwidth post!

DW is geared around text posts and currently handles images rather awkwardly. But it does actually have image hosting capabilities, though the space isn't unlimited (I've never come near to maxing it out). I was thinking about that and figured I could make a post over here about how I back up images to Dreamwidth, and then post them using the Rich Text Editor.

I tried to explain what I do as clearly as I could, but the detail might make it sound more complex and difficult than it really is. I'm sorry if so! But here goes:

Step 1: Go to the main page at www.dreamwidth.org. It should look something like this:

Step 2: Click the red button in the upper-right to log in. Once you do, the main page should look something like this:

Step 3: If you look below the Dreamwidth logo, you'll see five categories of things you can do. You want the first category, "Create." Click on it and select "Upload Images" from the drop-down list. I've put a blue circle around it in the picture below:

Step 4: Upload your picture!

The picture above is the standard "Upload Images" screen. From here, you can click the link to "View all your images" to see everything you've uploaded, and I think "manage your images" lets you adjust titles and descriptions of the images and such. But what you want is the "Browse" button. It'll take you to your computer files and you can upload the picture or pictures you want.

Let's suppose I want to upload two pictures from Baldur's Gate 3:

and

Okay. So after I click "Browse", find the right folder on my computer, and use CTRL+click to select both of these pictures (you can also upload pictures one-by-one if you wish), the space below the "Browse" button will show the pictures you've uploaded. It should look something like this:

There they are! You can give the pictures names in the "Title" boxes, but if you want the file names saved, make sure you click the "Save descriptions" button below the pictures (circled in blue below):

At this point (much faster than it sounds like), you've uploaded the pictures to your account where you can look at every picture or file you've ever uploaded to Dreamwidth. That's cool, but they're not actually in a post yet.

Step 5: Make a new post.

In a new tab, open Dreamwidth (www.dreamwidth.org) again. It's important that this is in a different tab and you don't navigate away from the one your pictures are showing on.

You should see the "Post" button in the upper right of the main page, below your username. I've circled it in blue here:

Click on "Post."

That'll take you to the Create Post page where you actually put things on your blog.

I'm currently trying out the beta version of this page that's going to get applied pretty soon, so the style looks a little different here than in standard Dreamwidth. I figured I'd use the beta version because a) it's what people will see in the future, and b) we're going to use the old Rich Text Editor that is the same in both styles.

The Rich Text Editor has a blue rectangle around it and a blue arrow pointing at it in the picture above.

Let's narrow in on the Rich Text Editor. Like in any post, you can just start typing into the Rich Text Editor, if you want words at all. So here I typed a little explanation for the BG3 pictures and put the cursor where I want the pictures to show up.

You can see that there's a bar of options above what I've typed, with buttons that let you bold, italicize, underline, etc. We want a button further on—the square button with a yellow background that looks like a tiny landscape of mountains and sunshine. I've put a blue circle around it on the screenshot below:

Step 6: Add your pictures!

Clicking on the little landscape button will open a box where you can paste the URL of any image you want to put in your Dreamwidth post. The image doesn't have to be hosted on Dreamwidth—you could paste a link to a picture on Tumblr or whatever—but it'll be more stable if it is, so that's what we're doing.

It looks like this:

Since we already uploaded our pictures to Dreamwidth in the earlier steps, we just need the URLs for the pictures. There's a pretty easy way to see what it is.

Step 7: Copy-paste the URL.

Click back to the tab with your newly uploaded pictures. There will be a code at the bottom of each one. In our case, it looks like this:

It might look a bit intimidating if you're not used to code, but you can ignore the most of it. You just want that little part that begins with https and ends with .jpg.

Copy the URL (I've put a blue box around it above) and click back to the Create Post tab. The "Image Properties" box from Step 6 should still be up.

Paste the URL into the top box that says "URL." I've surrounded the correct box with a red rectangle in this picture:

Hit the "OK" button at the bottom and:

You'll see tiny boxes around the frame. Those will go away if you click anywhere other than the picture; they're for adjusting the size.

Step 8: Adjust the picture if you want

You know how Tumblr automatically stretches/shrinks pictures to make them fit? Dreamwidth just leaves them the way they are, so if your original picture is very big, it will look very big, and if it's small, it will look small. But you can adjust the picture yourself.

Maybe my picture of Shadowheart seems really big compared to the text and I want it smaller. I'll click on the tiny box in the upper-left corner of the picture (that one simply because it's the most convenient) and drag it inwards until the picture is the size I want.

And there she is!

BTW: No matter what size you make a picture look in your post, once it is posted, you can always right-click with your mouse and say "open image in new tab" to see it in its real size.

Here's a real post I made with a picture of Shadowheart I'd slightly shrunk in the Dreamwidth editor:

But if I right-click on the image and tell it to open in another tab, you can see that the saved picture is actually full-size:

So feel free to adjust your picture in the post however you want; it won't change the version you originally uploaded to Dreamwidth.

I'm sure there are other ways to do this, but that's how I get images uploaded to Dreamwidth and then embedded in Dreamwidth posts!

[soap-ify]

hi cutie! 💋 i’m new to the cod fandom and an aspiring writer >_< i came across your writing and i love love it sooo much, so i was wondering if you could give some advice on what keeps you motivated to write? and if it’s not too much, could you share some of your fave writing or writer recommendations?

reading your work has my heart doing laps! thank you for your hard work and for sharing it❣️

HI anon you are just so lovely. i hope you know that i've been smiling at this for like the past minute now. i'm so happy you enjoy my writing!

motivation for me mostly comes in random bursts (and goes just as quickly) and i suppose my true motivation is just the fact that i'm very hyperfixated on cod right now. though it's very important to enjoy what you're writing, since that's what helps me the most to keep going :3

and as for my writer recs, i wasn't going to tag because i get shy but i'm too exhausted to find the links SO here you go! please be mindful of all the warnings in their works.

@suimon the entirety of di's masterlist will leave you giggling and kicking your feet trust me!! all of her works are simply amazing, and the way di writes simon is simply chef's kiss.

@rowarn one of my most fav fics is written by ro you totally need to check their works out!! writes simon so beautifully. (little secret that i started this account only because i got inspired by one of their fics)

@stargirlrchive again one of my fav writers on here! anissa's writing makes me all red once i finish it it's just that good.

@comfortless syl has the type of works that'll leave you deep in thought for the next few hours once you finish reading them. they're always just so gorgeously written, makes me sob!

@loveindefinitely all of love's series are so good!! just so interesting and fun to read.

@dmitriene ALL OF JULY'S WORKS ARE SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN! literally has me reading some sentences over and over because they are just so good.

@crashandlivewrites begging and scratching at your walls to check out crash's pornstar!price series. while you're at that, check out all of her works >:3 literally has me biting my fist all the time.

@konigsblog orla's works make my mind literally go blank and i mean this in the best way possible! also one of my inspirations when i was first starting this blog >:3

@luvit elli's writing is literal perfection like. literally one of my fav gaz writers out there EVERY WORK IS JUST SO! undescribable.

anyways these are only the ones i can remember at the top of my head right now while being like. super sleepy. but honestly every writer i rb on this account is purely amazing so i recommend you to check all of them out!