#thank you for giving me the opportunity to rant anon....

[meownotgood]

This is so unrelated, but there's this discussion right now on tik tok about when fandom spaces became so mean, and someone mentioned that it's because people come into fandom spaces with "weird kids" and get surprised by them doing "weird kid things" and essentially lack fandom etiquette. Anyways that reminded me of that person that came in your asks screaming abt how you're disgusting for writing smutty fanfics😭 like bro this is an anime fandom that's just what goes on here and in fandoms in general. The fact that they got all heated abt this on TUMBLR of all places just made it even more unserious. Like fork found it kitchen man.

I saw that post too, and I completely agree with fandom spaces being so mean in the past few years.

honestly, I feel like A) younger people are just extremely rude in general, and B) many fandom spaces that were once seen as niche are now more popular, especially anime and fanfic.

the majority of time when I see someone being an ass, or when I get a rude comment, it's from a kid. like dude I know kids are mean but I swear it wasn't this bad when I was that age, but now all I see is children leaving the nastiest hate comments. also there's a lot more younger people in spaces made for adults (like anime and fanfic), especially after covid because they had nothing to do so they spent all their time on the internet. parents don't care about their kids internet usage so they just run rampant. the amount of children I've seen commenting on nsfw content these days is alarming

it's definitely not just younger people, and there's always going to be assholes. like I wouldn't say fandom has always been accepting it's just like... a new kind of asshole you know... like now people are so quick to make fun because someone is doing what they think is unacceptable. it isn't enough now to just say "yeah this sucks". I'm not a dark content writer but the comments ppl leave on that now are insufferable. it's also so easy to get bullied for being "cringe", it's acceptable now to just record people who are in public minding their own business and post it because you think they're weird... yeah I just can't

[goldenheartstudios]

Why is Rai your favourite? :D

  That’s an excellent question my dear anon and I can answer this in a rant of itself!

  Ok first of all, this all started because I watched the show when I was a kid and it really influenced my taste of media on a deep level. The combination between western and eastern culture is like, the ideal content for me and many of the things I enjoy are this because of my adoration for the show and it’s vibes

  And this is one of the reasons why Xiaolin Showdown is my favorite cartoon, because it reshaped my interests at a very young age and I genuinely think I would be a different person if I didn’t watch it

  And this thing applies to my favorite character as well, aka Raimundo. Many of my favorite characters have something that remind me of him in one way or another, and Rai’s characteristics are something that I find myself gravitating towards more often, all because of Rai being my favorite character

  But how did he become my favorite in the first place? Well, I will start with his introduction

  In the first episode, we see him simply described as someone who likes to mess with others and is not fond on being told what to do because he likes to chill and have fun. For short, he’s a laid-back rebel

  At this moment, you don’t know much about the main characters, only the basics. So you can get an attachment to one of them later on, or be attracted to their concept because you like their personality

  And well, I didn’t have a special interest to Rai at that time, but I did like him because he was funny, simple as that

  The second episode shows more of him, where you get to see that he likes to make remarks on stuff and can actually be the voice of reason on occasion (example being him reminding Kimiko & Omi about Clay)

  But the third episode is when I started to get interested in him, when he betted on Kimiko’s favor for the showdown

  Because this not only serves as a subversion of expectations, it’s also tied so well with the previous episode

  Raimundo didn’t have any faith in Clay winning in the second episode, making it very clear by the way he was impatient and commented during the showdown. But at the end, he got proven wrong and congratulated Clay for the win

  And now with Kimiko’s showdown, where she shows signs of not having a chance of winning? He not only believes in her, he makes a bet where he’s confident on being proven right

  He learned, but in a way that it’s not shoved in your face, that it’s not commented on. It’s a neat portrayal on the show’s continuity, where there are subtle elements that tie the episodes together if you get the chance to see them in order

  The third episode shows how there’s something more to him, that he’s not just the standard troublemaker, which piques my interest on the boy

  And the more episodes I see, the more my fascination on him grows. He can be reckless but also wise, an idiot but also smart, an asshole but also considerate of others (just look at how many episodes he was shown to make fun of someone but then genuinely showed support for them afterwards-)

  Throughout the show he just keeps getting layers of characterization while he’s also going through his own character arc. You learn more things about him while at the same time you see him change and grow and it’s fascinating

  What’s even more interesting is that you see him changing without necessarily feeling it. Unlike other characters (like Omi for example), his personality doesn’t really change, but his level of maturity does, and you get to notice the difference once you compare him from the beginning to what he became at the end

  Which this makes it a delight for rewatch, because even if I rewatched the show at least four times, there are still things about him I just notice, because this boy is so full of layers you can mistake him for an onion

  Seriously, I once made a psychological analysis on him for college of 9 pages and I still could have written more about him

  And what’s crazier is the fact that there are still things we don’t know about him, like his family and childhood. Only thing we got are hints which can be interpreted however you like and that’s great, because it encourages creativity and you can go by personal interest!

  Personality wise, aside from liking everything about Rai for reasons stated above, there’s one core characteristic of him that contributes to my attachment: his kindness

  It’s unconditional, loud, but also quiet. It’s honest, simple, but also complex, buried in layers of emotions and fear of showing his vulnerabilities. And when it’s about the people he cares about, he can go to an extent of sacrificing his safety or even his life, but it’s not because he doesn’t see value in himself, it’s because he sees more value in others which makes it worth it for him

  This kindness in him is so so beautiful and it has so much potential for how dangerous it can be for him. Like, this kid is a goldmine for writing and analyzing, it’s insane-

  He’s one of the most developed and complex characters from the show and it’s proven by how he breaks the trope he followed at the beginning: if we were to put the main cast in the main tropes we see in teams, he would be the “lancer” because he serves as a contrast to Omi who’s the “leader” (as we follow his perspective and has the most common characteristics of the trope) and has the main characteristics many lancer-type characters have (Raphael and Knuckles being better-known examples)

  But here’s the thing

  He becomes the leader at the end

  Which brings a whole new perspective on his character

  Honestly, I could go on a whole different rant on its own about this incredible choice the show made to make Rai the leader at the end, but what I’m gonna say here is that despite following the trope of a lancer, Raimundo also has the characteristics of a leader that makes it harder for him to be categorized to only one trait if you want to describe him properly

  You can use characteristics like “laid-back prick” or “piece of shit with a heart of gold” to introduce him to other people, but if you were to describe him deeper, then you have to go on so many directions to do him justice, which for me it’s amazing

  And this, is why Rai is my favorite

[presiding]

What is your favourite thing about Billie Lurk?

(Answers are obvious possibly but i love when people talk about her👍)

thanks for the ask!! YEAH ME TOO I love when people talk about Billie! I can't say I have a favourite thing specifically, but I can explain why she's my fav. apologies for not taking this qn literally, but -

short answer: she’s really cool

& you can stop reading there, or, for the maybe 2 mutuals who might have time to read this my thoughts on her as a character, her meta, and her character as raw potential...

long answer:

i considered making this entire thing a gush so you could read a gush about Billie. but, part of what draws me to her is that she’s not always well written, and in fandom she’s underrated for a literal protagonist.

since you ask...

billie is a cool character

when I played Dh2 (hadn't played Dh1), I was excited to see a black woman with disabilities who was captaining a massive ship by herself. wow.

then I discovered Billie’s backstory with Deirdre, the way she responded to that, then having to survive while living on the run, and her bisexuality. as well as her history with daud & delilah. fascinating!

she’s an outsider who has so much to lose, and knows what it's like to lose everything - having lost everything not once but three times - but nevertheless speaks truth to power. she's so brave! she went and helped Emily & Corvo and she must have known they might kill her! plus, she’s smart, she’s funny, she gets shit done, she’s gorgeous.

but... the meta

mild critique of fandom & arkane incoming.

skip this bit if you want - you've been warned twice now - jump to tired Hayao Miyazaki and read from there if you'd like my thoughts on writing her.

i thought Death of the Outsider was going to be amazing and then... well. *sad trombone* i've written about that before so i won't keep banging on. i figured others must be disappointed too, so I joined a few fandom spaces in hopes of finding camaraderie.

most people with complaints about DotO didn’t like how the Outsider and Daud were handled. which is valid & I agree. but it seemed like most paid no attention to Billie; when people talk about her it’s with respect to Daud, as opposed to in her own right. you could argue for fandom misogyny because people don’t talk about adult Emily Kaldwin that much either, but in Billie's case, it’s misogynoir (compare & contrast with the popularity of thomas, particularly the popularity of thomas portrayed as a white man for no particular reason that i've been able to discern - i keep asking around, is it in the books???).

i think this is a LOT better now than it used to be, which is fantastic. or perhaps i have found the correct echo-chamber? ha.

ultimately, The Fandom is a fraction of the entire picture, and not even the important bit since The Fandom is not who these games are made for. you can't make money relying on only your hardcore fans even if all of them spent a fortune on merch, this is true for any AAA game.

while it's true that Billie is underrated from a fandom perspective - but Billie as an underwritten protagonist is squarely Arkane’s fault.

it was reasonable when she was a side character - the lack of info in Dh2 makes perfect sense (if anything there was more lore in Dh2 which is kind of wild)-

- but as a protagonist in Death of the Outsider?

.... there’s lousy writing, and there’s whatever is going on with Billie Lurk, a black woman who mostly exists as a foil or saviour for light-skinned characters. In her own game there’s barely any of her own lore except where it's relevant to saving two dudes.

lore hints at, but barely touches on what race means in the Dh universe (xenophobia is stronger in Dh1; separate essay i guess), but Arkane has patted themselves on the back for portraying non-white characters, which feels like the same thing as the aesthetic of diversity we're seeing in advertising currently because it’s in marketing trend guides. it's self-congratulatory and it's a missed opportunity for deeper storytelling.

you can see an example of diversity at its most shallow in the way that Billie’s written: there’s little engagement with her as an entire person with history & wants & preferences, and the world she walks through in that game feels like it has nothing to do with her. you could make a case for alienation as a theme, but then, how do you handle the titular premise of 'Dishonored' without ever letting Billie make changes in an environment without a chaos system? it's disappointing from that angle too.

in my opinion, whatever it's worth, it was an accident Arkane created such an awesome character - they needed someone to betray daud. congrats billie.

all this said, it makes her an underdog as far as characters to enjoy & create art & stories for. it's nice to find so many like-minded, switched on people! <3

billie's character potential

she’s got a wealth of unexplored lore, being deeply intertwined with both Karnaca & Dunwall’s fates & criminal underbellies, as well as her connections to the witches & whalers, and three Empresses.

she’s lived a few distinct lifetimes and in the games we get to meet her at two peaks (KoD & DotO) & a low (Dh2 as Meagan).

her voice is very distinct, her dry & often dark humour is entertaining & fun to write. her perspective is really interesting - she’s had the widest variety of void-powers of anyone canonically, and she’s also lived through the highest highs and lowest lows.

she's got everything going for her :) i couldn't really pick a fav thing!

[iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid]

can we....can we hear a little bit more about Sig? 👀

CAN you! absolutely!

first of all, it has to be said, i was not thinking about the fact that loki's mythological wife's name is sigyn when i named this guy sig, i just did what i did for all of my asgardian OCs and looked through a list of norse names until i spotted one that felt like it fit. also my childhood crush on sig from the jak and daxter games may have had something to do with it shh

ANYWAY. sig is my obligatory "regular asgardian citizen" viewpoint that we don't really get if we're always focusing on thor, loki, val, or heimdall. any of the asgardians are many times stronger than the average human, but he doesn't have magic like thor and loki do, and he doesn't have centuries of training like val does. he DOES have centuries of smithing behind him, so like, he's not a twig, but until ragnarok he'd never really seen any serious battles, and he'd certainly never killed anyone - that marauder he killed with loki's sword was the first. he's gonna get through that with minimal angst though, because asgardians have different perspectives when it comes to killing in battle, and also because he's got his daughter to worry about, so there's bigger fish to fry. like, this man will try to 1-v-1 against the collector if given the opportunity and if his daughter's in danger. asgardians are brave idiots and he is no exception, and also, after ragnarok, runa is literally all he has left

so like, sig is a dad above all else. he's a nurturing kind of person, he's really good at talking to people and kind of coaxing them out of their shells (hence his first interaction with bruce) and he's sort of taken it upon himself to look after runa's friends, since their parents didn't make it through ragnarok. he's not the only person caring for runa's friends, since asgard has sort of by necessity become more of a communal situation where there's a lot of childless parents and parentless children, but he's always keeping an eye out for them (when he's not light-years away being dragged on an adventure to save his daughter from an infinity stone and a bunch of bounty hunters and a superpowerful megalomaniac, anyway)

as far as his relationship with the revengers: he sort of implicitly trusts thor, because that's asgard's golden boy and everyone is sort of in agreement that they'd all be dead if thor hadn't shown up in a blaze of lightning and fought hela off while they escaped. he VERY implicitly trusts heimdall, and honestly no one on that ship doesn't after he kept them all safe during hela's attacks. he's a little starstruck about val but manages to be cool about it, and he loves that there's an honest-to-god valkyrie on the ship with them, because it certainly makes their precarious situation feel a bit safer. bruce, he's immediately bonded with and now considers a friend. and loki... okay so it helps if you know that my headcanon is that all the asgardians knew or at least suspected that it was loki posing as odin that entire time, they just didn't care because there were no wars going on and he wasn't actually doing a bad job as odin, so they just sort of... let him get away with it?

so, you're sig. your planet's been destroyed, you're grieving your wife and your home and the rest of your family, you're trying to keep your daughter safe, but now she's been possessed(?) by an infinity stone and the only person who can probably help her is the guy you'd only heard stories about before, who was impersonating the king for a few years and also might have committed some treason at some point, you don't really know the details. but now he's teleporting you and your daughter across the cosmos, and he's definitely saved you and your daughter more than a few times even if he's being kind of standoffish about it, and also he might be suffering from a little infinity stone possession of his own, but shit, you don't know how any of this works, he's the magic guy, but also it's a little concerning that the guy who's supposed to be helping you with your daughter's infinity stone problem also kind of looks like he's got a foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, and his eyes and his veins keep glowing blue which, i mean, that can't be a good sign, can it?

fast forward way past the events of the revengers to avoid spoilers, but i like to imagine that eventually, the little mini-oneshot i posted on tumblr happens (you'll find it under my "revengers: the show" tag if you haven't already seen it) where runa seeks out loki years later and demands to learn magic because the whole infinity stone situation sparked an interest in it, and she wants to know how to do all that stuff he does, and THAT would be the "meticulously crafted 100K of slow burning build up" that i was referring to earlier, where loki's teaching her magic and sig's, like, VERY reluctantly allowing this to happen. because like, yeah, he and loki are cool now, but he's seen how out-of-control magic can get, he's seen how reckless loki in particular can be, and this is his daughter. loki is on thin ice forever as long as runa's involved.

but yeah, that's sig. and you may have seen me mention this before, but i've fancasted him as dev patel from the beginning. it just feels right, and that's who i'm picturing when i'm writing his scenes :)

[the-butch-of-blaviken]

what's Keira's favourite thing about Lambert and what's Lambert's favourite thing about Keira?

Oh! That’s an interesting question!!

I think their favorite thing about each other is how much they surprise each other.

I've talked about this in passing in the tags of another post but a headcanon of mine is that when they first met, they both took one look at each other and, with a lifetime’s experience of two people for whom being able to rapidly get a general impression of what kind of person they have in front of them was sometimes a matter of survival, thought they had the other figured out. Keira pegged Lambert as a macho man with something to prove, daddy issues and a problem with authority. Lambert saw Keira as a vain and shallow woman with little concern for anyone except herself and an irritating need to always get the last word.

I'm thinking about this in the context of pre-Wild Hunt attack Kaer Morhen: Keira just arrived after Geralt suggested she took refuge in the Wolves' bastion and Vesemir, Eskel and Lambert are here to welcome her. Lambert and Keira, each thinking the other one is a dumbass, keep bickering and everyone else is like 🙄 please either stop being in the same room together or fuck it out because this is getting ridiculous

Then something happens — I haven’t decided what exactly. Maybe Lambert chances upon Keira’s notes for the cure of the Catriona plague and the alchemist in him is both intrigued and compelled, but the thought that Keira might be embarked on a humanitarian mission just isn't adding up with his preconceived idea of her, and now he needs to find out more about her. Or maybe Keira stumbles upon Lambert and the other wolf bros that night when they're shitfaced and raiding Yennefer's closet: she takes one look at him and immediately knows this isn't his first time wearing a dress, but she can't reconcile that idea with what she thought she knew of him. They're both behaving like they're standing at a conspiracy string board and have just been presented with a contradictory element, telling themselves they need to be Right about the other one and not realizing they're already strangely obsessed.

Fighting side by side and the tragic event that followed the Wild Hunt's attack bring them closer together and eventually they realize how wrong they were about each other — about the big things, obviously, but also about the little ones, like the fact that Lambert likes to sew (helps him keep his mind calm and focused), or that time Keira got so angry at a guy she punched him in the face, or those evenings where they get pleasantly drunk and talk shit about other people behind their backs. It's the small details they love most about each other, and the little ways in which they keep surprising each other

[something-about-sunflowers]

The thing is, though... Izzy is meant to irredeemable and unlikable. He was written with zero sympathy for him in text, he was written as an asshole who is malicious, disloyal, and cruel. He is ABUSIVE. He is emotionally manipulative, he gaslights, he makes verbal threats and physical assaults. He deliberately and strategically isolates Ed from his crew. He deliberately disobeys a direct order (an act of mutiny) against Ed when he doesn't stand down and duels Stede. He turns around and betrays Ed when he doesn't get what he wants. VIco is an abuse apologist Izzy stan just like you. And they, just like the rest of the cast, know that you disgusting cultists only care about Izzy. You don't give a shit about Ed, or Stede, or anyone else. You literally just flick your clits to Izzy being unpleasant and abusive. He has no redeeming qualities that weren't stolen from other characters or completely made up by fandom. He's not a good person. He's not a nice guy. His motives are selfish and cruel. He's lazy and he's racist. So you can like him. Because you're a piece of shit abuse apologist. And you and all the other Izzy cultists can hold your breath until you turn blue about how he's not the character he is. But he is. Izzy is not secretly the third protagonist. He's not going to turn around and save the day. He doesn't have a decent, self-sacrificing, genuinely good bone in his body. If there is a Jim/Izzy kiss, then you are hoping for the dissolution of Jim/Oluwande (I guess an ample-bodied, dark-skinned black man isn't good enough for you? But then again, all Izzy stans are ultimately shallow and stupid), and you are disgusting. You would rather Jim be with a man who is racist and cruel than a man who adores them. And you know what, you stupid cunt? Even if it does happen, it WOULDN'T automatically mean good things for Izzy. If Jim kisses him to distract him while other people escape, he's still a piece of shit abuser. But he'll be that regardless. Because he abusive. And he is the villain. There is no redeeming him. The show has made that perfectly fucking clear. He betrayed Ed. He threatened to kill Ed if Ed didn't do what he wanted. He is the thing Ed will have to overcome to truly be happy.

And you're disgusting.

Ok, first of all: Big fan! I've heard so much about you Anon! Second: this made me laugh so fucking hard. I needed a good laugh so thanks Anon! ❤

(Read-more for the sake of my followers dashes, I'm writing essays again lmfao.)

So like. You must hate Mary then too, yeah? Since she's meant to be Izzy's parallel? What do you think of David Jenkins telling us that 'Izzy is the one to watch on a re-watch'? Do you think he's worried we missed him being 'irredeemable'? See, cause I took that as 'see that there's nuance to his character and he's got pretty reasonable motivations if you pay attention' but now, well, I'm just not sure, Anon 😰.

Tell me, where is he malicious outside of, like, regular piracy business? When someone else instigates? Yeah, sounds about right, so cruel of him to not worship at a rich man's feet when said rich man acts like he's the scum of the earth before knowing a single thing about him. How malicious of him to not be buddy-buddy with people his boss has taken prisoner, who are actively antagonizing him. How disloyal of him to *checks notes* uh. Hm. Well. There's just- there's nothing here? Oh! Oh do you mean the thing he did to get to Stede? The thing that Calico Jack (hi, I also love him, does that make me extra problématique?) and Spanish Jackie helped him do? The thing he did because he believed it was in Ed's best interest, since he was acting wildly out of character and incredibly irrationally considering their dangerous profession/lifestyle? That must be on a different list, I don't have that listed under 'disloyal', strange.

Izzy can't even manipulate his own emotions lmfao. Gaslighting? Anon, you must be misremembering, gosh you're so silly. Can't keep anything straight in that head of yours can you? He lies sometimes, I'll give you that, at least by omission, but that's not gaslighting. I'm sure you'll not like this but Ed's actions with regards to Izzy are closer to gaslighting than anything Izzy does to Ed. Or the crew, which I'm assuming you're including in this since you mention 'physical assault' and Izzy's never laid a hand on Ed?

The same crew that he, as far as he was aware (because Ed was *gasp* manipulating him by withholding information), was to treat as prisoners who, upon completing their task of 'repair the ship so we can take it from you, since we're pirates' would be given 'the uzsh' treatment of execution? The crew that he doesn't lay a hand on at all afterwards? Ooh, or do you mean when he grabbed Fang's beard? When Fang was openly questioning his captain's orders? Something that, if unchecked, can lead to a mutiny?

Funny thing about 'he disobeys a direct order' is that, well, Ed doesn't give him a direct order? 'We're not doing this' does not equal 'stand down'. He also doesn't try to stop it. Like, at all. He doesn't even tell Stede to stand down. He may not have wanted it to happen but he didn't do anything to actually prevent it when he's literally the only person on the ship with the power to prevent it. 'Izzy I no longer want him dead', all he needed to say since Izzy was operating on 'Izzy I want him dead but I can't do it myself because I'm conflicted about killing and especially killing things I'm attached to'. If Izzy had ignored that, then we could talk about 'disobeying direct orders'.

Also, he's first mate, its his job to push back on questionable orders from the captain. That's not mutiny that's how you prevent a mutiny.

'When he doesn't get what he wants', being. . . What? What he thought Ed wanted because he didn't communicate otherwise? What he thought was in Ed's best interest, because he's acting irrationally and out of character (which is confirmed by Fang and Ivan, by the way)? He's wrong* about what Ed's best interests are but that doesn't change the fact that he was trying to help rather than harm.

*Arguably. Ed indulging Stede was dangerous. Even without the threat of the navy on their backs (Stede's fault), there was no coasting on Blackbeard's reputation on the Revenge. They'd have to deal with every threat instead of just the one's who'd go after Blackbeard anyway.

So, wait, is Vico one of us or nah? Cause, like, I'll gladly join a cult if Vico is there. What do you think about David Jenkins though? Since his favorite character seems to be Izzy as well? Anyway I'll grant that Stede isn't my favorite character but that hardly means I don't give a shit about him. As for Ed. I love him so much, Anon. I love him so much that I don't infantilize him for the sake of demonizing another character so that I can use that to justify sending anon hate to people with differing opinions to me. I love Ed because he's unpleasant and- *ahem* well.

Some nice misogyny there, by the way. Gonna go out on a limb and say a bit transphobic as well, since I know you're presuming we're all women, some of us are men, some of us are neither or both. Has some notes of sexual harassment too. No, I'm not kidding. You're fantasizing about a group of people, sexually, and sending them messages about it. That's like, textbook sexual harassment. Not cool Anon.

Anon. They're pirates. None of them are good people. None of them are nice guys. All of their motivations are selfish and cruel.

Ed 'loves a good maim'. He's Blackbeard. He's not Robin Hood. He doesn't have secret (or explicit) good motivations for piracy and torture and murder. Stede is a deadbeat dad who chose piracy. Which includes stealing from people, even the poor (do we forget the plant so easily?), despite him. Y'know. Being rich? And like, selfish and cruel are Stede and Ed's middle names, Anon. Turtle vs crab? Setting a ship on fire with everyone still inside? Doesn't matter if the fire was the one who killed them if you're the one who set the fire, Anon. Swede losing teeth/fingernails? But I wanna go on a treasure hunt! And let's not even bring up Mary and the kids.

'Lazy and racist', where? I am legitimately asking, Anon, where? Is it where he makes the crew do their actual jobs? That's his job. Oh, how about where, instead of getting captured by the native people for being a colonizer, he does business with them? (You know, the people who explicitly call out Stede and Pete for being racist?) How about working under and with BIPOC? You think Blackbeard would keep him around if he was being racist? You think Jackie would have given him the time of day if he was racist? You don't think Fang and Ivan would have had some comment about it during the mutiny/planning scene?

I'll do you a solid, you don't have to point to any particular scene that doesn't exist. The writers themselves have said that they're not trying to tackle racism in the show the way that having Izzy be anything but 'white person who is, by virtue of being white, some level of racist' would be. If you don't want to call literally every other sympathetic white character on the show racist, you shouldn't be saying it of Izzy either. Izzy isn't the one who owns a fucking plantation.

Anon, I'm so glad you're giving me permission to keep liking Izzy! Thank you so much! I'm so grateful the fandom has you here to delegate what people are allowed to like and do! What would we do without you?

Nobody thinks Izzy is 'secretly the third protagonist'. Not anymore than people think that of Jim or Oluwande or Frenchie, since they all have side-plots going on as well. As for whether or not he's going to turn around and save the day? We'll see. Obviously he's not going to do everything because he's not the protagonist(s), but he has the potential to try and help just as much as everybody else on either crew. You're certainly entitled to your opinion/interpretation of his character but I can just as well say 'I think you're wrong', especially when you come into my house and throw a fit about it.

Did you forget that Jim and Lucius kissed as well? Are you forgetting 'we don't own each other'? Hell, Anon, I specifically said 'I don't ship Jim and Izzy', but well. Something something 'people on this website piss on the poor' etc. (Anon, you can just say 'fat', its not a bad word. I'm fat, Oluwande is fat, I fucking love that he's fat. I'm also not the best suited to speak on BIPOC representation but I'm also super happy that they're not shying away from including dark-skinned actors like Samson and Leslie. But that doesn't fit into your narrative so 🤷‍♂️.) You can call me all the sweet things you like but it doesn't change the fact that the show has, pretty explicitly, said 'yay polyamory' and Jim (and Oluwande) has two hands. Leave alone the fact that Jim can kiss Lucius and just be friends with him, same as they could with Izzy.

Gosh, Anon, you're really hurting my feelings here. You really think I'm a stupid cunt? That hurts. Genuinely, I'm gutted. I don't think I'll ever recover.

Given that you're literally talking hypotheticals, as we all are, since we don't know what is going to happen in season 2, I'm not going to argue if it would 'mean good things for Izzy' if Jim kissed him. Though I will say, if Jim needed him distracted for people to escape (I'm assuming you mean escaping him, rather than Ed who is the proper threat to anyone in need of escaping right now) they could find easier ways to do it than kissing him?

And the sky is green. And cats are witches. And women have crystals in their bodies. I can say stuff too, Anon. I think you fundamentally misunderstand what redemption means, if we're being entirely honest here. Redemption has less to do with your previous actions and more to do with what you choose to do going forward. Clearly we disagree on his capacity for doing better going forward, and that's fine, its alright to be wrong Anon I won't judge you for that, but him having done bad in the past* has no bearing on his redemption if he chooses to do good in the future.

*'Bad' here being used both generously and ungenerously. Generously towards your definition of bad and ungenerously in the face of his rationale. He had perfectly valid reasons for doing the things he did, regardless of whether or not he should have done them.

I love you too Anon! I hope you have a good day at school tomorrow- er. On Monday, sorry, adult schedules don't always follow the 'weekends off' rules that kid's schedules do, I forget sometimes. Bye bye!

[firstkanaphans]

I normally don’t like to talk at length about this cause I feel like idk actors first hand obviously but first is genuinely such a lovely and supportive person Khaotung is lucky to have him 🥹 such a nice boy

Oh, for sure! You sent this yesterday, but I feel like he was being even more doting today. Getting Khaotung water, referring to “Never Too Late” as his “favorite song by [his] favorite person,” and crying about how much he cares about him. (What else is new?)

But I actually want to take this opportunity to talk about how supportive Khaotung is because there was a troll in my inbox last week claiming First cares more about Khao than Khao cares about him and that is just so obviously not true. Khaotung is a much more private person than First, but he doesn’t care any less. He just doesn’t like getting emotional in public.

If you think back to Safe House, you might remember that at the end, when they write letters to everyone, First and Khaotung’s letters to each other were very short. I think one said “I love you” and the other said “Thank you.” And you could just tell, since both of them were like that, that they’d talked about it beforehand. I always imagined that was probably Khao’s doing and I feel like it says a lot about how he approaches fame. “There’s no reason for us to share those feelings with the rest of the world. Those feelings are ours.” He likes to keep his personal life separate from his professional one, which is something we allow Western actors, but deem Eastern actors rude for doing.

But even despite that separation, there’s still so much evidence of how much he cares. Literally that entire season of Safe House he was taking care of First physically—preparing his meals, feeding him, helping him with all the carnival games, even skipping swimming with the rest of the cast so that First wouldn’t be alone.

They’ve both talked about how much they help each other when they’re filming together, but Khao’s also talked about how he would call First and help him with his lines for Not Me for hours at a time. When the Shipper was airing, Khao watched the episodes at First’s house. They’ve always been partners, even before it was official, and if First heard someone accuse Khaotung of not being supportive enough, he would be the first to say that wasn’t true.

Sorry for the rant, Anon. I know you aren’t one of the people who believe that, but I’ve been thinking about it for like a week and your ask finally gave me an opportunity to address it without giving a troll a platform lol.

[normal-internet-user]

Hi, it's 🍰 anon with a request! Can I get the rise boys (separately) with a s/o who paces a lot. Like the reader is ranting on about something and they start walking to one side of the room to the other side or start walking in a circle subconsciously. Thanks, and have a great day! :)

OOOOOO GOOD IDEA 🍰 ANON!!

RISE BOYS WITH A READER WHO PACES

Leo:

Honestly he thinks it's kinda cute.

You'll pace back and forth waving your hands around and talking animatedly, whenever you're frustrated or excited,

And he thinks you look amazing and your pacing gives him the opportunity to admire you.

Plus he understands the need to constantly be in motion since he's the same way.

If he isn't admiring you,

He's teasing you about it.

Like he'll walk next to you with that little smirk on his face,

Waiting for you to notice the small tease.

"And then he was like- Leo what are you doing?"

"Hm? Oh no, I wasn't doing anything."

"You're teasing me again."

"Whaaaat, noooo."

Donnie:

He doesn't really mind the pacing,

He does something similar while talking so you doing it doesn't really bug him like it might some people.

He finds it a rather endearing quality in fact.

When you pace it shows him just how passionate you are about certain things,

And he can memeorize and file that away for later.

Donnie makes it a point to always listen to your ramblings, as you have never once failed to listen to his.

And he loves having discussions about the topic when you're done.

Mikey:

Just like Leo,

Mikey understands needing to constantly be in motion.

Sometimes he'll pace with you,

Not in the teasung way like Leo,

But just so he can look at you whike you're talking.

Mikey doesn't mind your pacing, and thinks it's great certain things make you so passionate.

If you pace as an old habit that you never really dropped,

He's perfectly fine with it,

He has old habits too, and he doesn't really mind your own.

So long as they aren't unhealthy or harmful habits.

(Like chewing or biting your lips, or picking at face/skin)

Raph:

Raph will never mind you pacing.

Wether you pace as an old habit or while ranting/rambling,

He won't mind.

He'll just sit there and watch you walk back and forth,

Making sure you don't bump into anything,

And even that you take a break if you've been at it for quite a while.

He started dating you for you after all,

Including your silly little habits.

Just so long as you stay healthy and safe darling <3

.........................................

There you go 🍰 Anon! I'm sorry it's kinda short, I was really sleepy when I wrote this lol! 💕💕

[mazzystar24]

What I don't get is why people think it's problematic to still wish for Buddie. Like isn't it worse to be happy just because he's with a dude now. Like so you didn't ship Buddie for their amazing chemistry and history, you just shipped them because they were two hot dudes.

(This is not directed at people who are enjoying Tevan for the ride, this is about people who jumped completely)

((obviously bi Buck is important, but I don't think seeing it as a step towards Buddie is bad. We've been waiting for something like this for so many years))

Sorry but this is all that’s in my head^^

But yes yay now I get to have my rant-

The fact that so many people genuinely just wanted buck to end up with a dude is just

Look there is wanting representation which I GET I am all for

Then there is not caring about anything to do with that representation as long as you see two hot guys kiss

Representation without substance, meaning and actually changing what we usually see on screen is just so surface level

and listen we are ALL guilty of that thing where we hear about a show with a queer couple and we instantly get excited and rush over there but some of these people don’t give a shit about the storylines as a whole, the characters as a whole, character development, etc all those things that make representation MATTER

Like we aren’t just happy that bi buck is canon because oh look here’s a bi man character

No we are happy because we got to see his development we got to see his insecurities, history, his personality and his bond with these other characters through the years. Now look I’m not saying oh look at this fictional character think about his feelings, I’m saying that characters and their complexities drive a story they are what make me invested whether it’s a book a movie or show, and to not care about any of that just for the sake of tokenism is insane to me

I also feel it bares mentioning that this is one of the RARE times that this representation in media isn’t a case of tokenism like they’ve taken a character and built him and built the show and built the dynamics outside of his sexuality and made it canon in season SEVEN like Tim and Oliver and the entire team did something we don’t see much or ANY of in media like the way they made it is like we have this journey with the character like it’s a double blind test ( sorry I’m revising for a psych exam rn and my brain can only use that analogy) and until the reveal seven years in we don’t know for sure even if there have been inklings and people are more focused on the fact that oh look some hot dude kisses another in this show

Like genuinely ship what you want to ship and enjoy the time but don’t disregard meaningful potential representation which would have 1. A character navigating sexuality in a situation as complex as Eddie’s 2. A gay couple which wasn’t planned and they actually listened to fans for 3. A well done queer slow burn with the same gravity and meaningfulness that straight slowburns get

Thank you for the opportunity to rant anon🫡

Sorry for the long ass reply😭😭

Edit: also wanna add that yes I’m in analysing media mode because I also have sociology revision on representation in media🤭🤭

[dootznbootz]

Hello. I honestly don't know how to prep this but uh, why do I feel like MM's Circe had so much potential? Like, MM did the lazy thing that is "making Circe's life a living shit show because that's the only way her actions would be justified" which... Is the annoying thing most modern interpretations do.

One good example would actually be EPIC: The musical. But in EPIC it only works because Circe isn't exactly a vocal point. And Circe having a motive plays into a pretty big theme of the show (Specifically in the song "Monster" where Odysseus is basically just... Contemplating everything)

But when you have 400 paged book, focusing around Circe, you have so much potential to focus more on the godly elements of these people. Someone else has said this before but ama say it too. The Greek gods had REASONS for acting the way they did. Zeus misused his power, that's what a king does. Artemis's wrath was unmatched when you wronged her, that's how nature is. Hades took a young girl from her mother, that's what death does.

And I'd like to add some of my own.

Aphrodite is a completely morally gray character, that's how love can be, it can go againts you sometimes. Dionysus was all over the place, sometimes good sometimes terrible, that's what madness is. Hermes is swift and a trickster because that's what people we deem 'messengers' can be like, via rumours.

When you notice these complexities to the characters, you start to realize. Circe misused her magic on innocent people for entertainment, that's what black/evil magic does. But at the same time, she helped Odysseus. Because even evil magic, or the 'worst possibilities' can be useful sometimes.

I think it is SUCH a missed opportunity MM didn't focus more on this aspect. Because that would've made for such an interesting story an unique story. Most of these modern retellings try to push modern ideologies on ancient works, which doesn't work. No retelling tries to tell these stories in a ancient Greek perspective (which is actually fairly easy you just have to do your research)

And with an author as skilled as MM is, I'm sure she could do it. But honestly, I don't think her writing is good in the perspective of Greek mythology. She could probably do a great modern story but let's face it, that wouldn't get as much money.

A story focusing around a goddess, and what it means to be a divine personification of nature and a concept, not to you but to the humans you exist for.You can really focus a lot on that and it could be such an interesting story.

All of these writers to me just seem like they're exploiting Greek mythology, which bugs me. If miller wanted to tell these stories, she would've told THE stories with her own twist. Not completely change them to the point they lose their charm.

If miller couldn't do that, if she wanted to write a complex feminist character she wouldn't have chosen Circe.

Something I really admire in your work is how you characterize these guys. It's obvious you're extremely passionate. I also love how you give Penelope clear flaws. You don't have to mortify everyone else to make her 'stand out' or to be 'more likable'. I really love your fic and I'm wishing you nothing but success in the future! :D

Anyways, enough about MM's book.

What do you think is one of Penelope's favorite little quirks od Odysseus', like something he does she finds really cute? :)

I hope you find pretty flowers today and get a sweet for free, dear anon. This ask made me so happy as it's like, perfect. As you gave a Circe rant that will be fun to dissect but also gave me a silly lil question for me to feast on and for the balance and the silly and I love it. You also sent it at the perfect time as I was getting a wee bit sad about how women from Greek Mythology get treated by retellings and fandoms. This really cheered me up 🩵

And thank you so much for the sweet compliment! It means so much to me that you love my silly lil guys as I love sharing them! And don't worry I am working on stuff! ;~; I know I'm taking a while but I am!

I'll do the cute stuff Penelope loves about Odysseus :P

(I do have them "mirror" each other a lot with "like-minded" so they often have SOME similar traits in some ways that both find endearing about the other. (both love watching the other brainstorm/think/swindle/winning/etc., both love (and are sometimes annoyed by) their stubbornness.) Stuff like that :D Also in general. Thank you, Anon. You've made me realize I've been going a wee bit too crazy with Penelope and kind of forgot about Odysseus.

1.) This is a past post that goes into it more but she just adores his freckles. She has counted them and memorized them. She's going to kiss every single one. He mostly has them on his face and shoulders but they are peppered a lil everywhere (he gets it from his mama). She uses the freckle pattern he has across his nose as "stars" for her tapestries.

Rando: Hey, that's not how the stars are mapped. Penelope: They're my stars, asshole >:(

She has to do a "recount" when he returns as some of his "stars" are covered by scars now :')

2.) She loves his hair and how well-groomed he usually is. He also is a bit like a cat in how he loves being pampered. (lil post about that) She loves scratching at his scalp and at the tiny hairs that are at the back of the neck. She loves the pretty grays he has when he returns as well :') She really loved how he looked without and with a beard. (It doesn't end up growing too long anyway)

3.) He's very warm. She's not really affected by temperature too much (she's used to freezing rivers and she herself is naturally cold. Her average temperature is colder than the average person. She only really has to worry about "drying up".) she loves his warmth. She wraps herself up in blankets while he's gone despite not really needing them sometimes as...she misses her furnace. (also his snoring) He also wraps himself in her blankets while away but sadly wakes up to them tossed about because he gets too hot. He needs his lil iceblock wife.

4.) She just adores his big laugh. The laughing so hard you cry one. Hearing it was kind of a "...Okay, I wanna hear that again." for her.

5.) He tends to bite his lip. Sometimes it's endearing and hot but he also will often rip at them. She tries to help him with this habit by distracting with kisses...Though with her teeth, it doesn't always help. Fun fact: For their first kiss on the lips, they were so stupid excited that he knicked himself on her teeth. She felt awful but he just kissed her again. It was bloody and bad but they were so happy. His bad habit returns when he's away because he's not getting his kisses 😔

6.) He whistles while he whittles often.

7.) So ancient Greece had yo-yos (probably in Odyssey but I'm getting silly with it)...and Odysseus is a nerd who WILL do tricks with them. (they can be made with wood and string so... odypen lol) He has fun trying to show other people how to do it too. It's a nice fidget. (modern day he would have definitely been that guy with that rubix cube lol)

8.) So Penelope is better at getting more for less, (lowering prices) and Odysseus is better at giving less for more. (selling shit for good things) They both can do it but they have their strengths.

9.) He got big eyebrows and with his weird "face shifting" thing he inherited from Autolycus, he can make a lot of silly faces.

10.) He tends to make sandcastles whenever he waits for her at the banks of rivers.

11.) He's a "heavy stepper" when he's not sneaking. It's not because of his scar. He just likes walking like that. :) Not so much "stompy" but she finds it cute that she knows it's him coming based on the footsteps she hears.

Some things that annoy her >:3

She's incredibly ticklish and he's not so much and he keeps doing it. STOP IT >:(

So she's smaller than him in mine and in general, he loves draping himself across her (he's like a cat remember?). Most of the time she loves that weight as she loves him and he's a warm weighted blanket. Though while she's strong, he'll sometimes be a brat and put so much of his weight on her just to mes with her. (mostly when they're young and dumb. not so much after he returns)

(Not this big of a size difference ofc but you know >:) )

Those are some and I have more rattling around in my head but I wanna finish this ask and I gotta do some shit :')

Thank you again, Anon. This made me happy <3

[agathah]

Hey!! Obviously I fucking love your work. I have so much of it queued up right now.

I just wanted to apologize on behalf of some of the IWTV fans who have been harassing you. I want to let you know you’re valid and you don’t need to answer to anyone about your work or how you present it. EVER.

Idk what’s up with our fandom, but there is so much unnecessary hatred and entitlement going around. Draw/paint whomever you want, however you want, and with whatever tags you want. Anyone who can’t handle your authentic self expression can LEAVE because they don’t deserve it. Fan art is for the artist and/or anyone PAYING you for custom commissions. If they’re not giving you money, they need to learn to cope with the extremely minor inconvenience of scrolling past content they don’t like.

Sorry if this turned into a rant. I’m defensive on your behalf because I appreciate your work so much, and it’s childish for the fandom to bully its own creators into submission. You are keeping us fed with content, and we get to view it for free on your blog. You are generous and prolific and seem genuinely kind. Not to mention, you put so much work into your craft. You don’t deserve this condescension, especially from people who don’t even have the balls to come off anon.

Whew. Sorry about that against lol I need sleep.

(Several fellow IWTV creators have had to give me this speech, and it helped me, so I hope it helps you too. Since the season ended, many people have gone feral in a bad way. It’s the loud minority of fans, and I hope you I hope you know your real fans will go to bat for you.)

oh this made me so emotional, thank you so much for your words. I appreciate them and you so much. I genuinely feel so seen by you, and by everyone who has been supporting me lately. It's truly something I could never thank you enough. And the fact you took your time to write me this beautiful message? Ah yes I'm soft haha. And you're right, I shouldn't even bother answering those harassing comments, I just feel so scared of being misunderstood, because I never, ever have bad intentions while posting my art, I post it because it makes me feel more like myself, and because I want people to express themselves through it just like I do. I feel a strong sense of community in the iwtv fandom, that's why I work hard to give you guys content, because I relate to you and I have the opportunity of showing you how I see and interpret this universe. Again, thank you so much for this, it was really important to me 🖤

[arknights-imagines]

That little girl that kissed executor’s cheek:

Me: okay my turn to kiss him! 😊☺️

(I'm back from my mini birthday break and will be getting back to work and being active!)

Hiya anon shsushs 🥺!! Tysm for your ask and please excuse me for replying to you late aaa 😭 I hope you've been well!

Anywho, when I saw your ask I cracked up in a li'l giggle lololsnjss 😭 I know exactly what and who you're talking about, and I've also been thinking about it lots!

For context svhshs Anon is talking about this scene in the Hortus de Escapismo event!

(slight spoilers for the story events of Hortus de Escapismo!!):

*kiss!*

The interactions between Liberi twins on the Sanctilaminium Ambrosii and Executor/'Rico were already v v sweet, such as him giving them his name, and him protecting them during the fire, and the twins thinking he was v scary at first but warming up to him so quickly 🥺!! But, this moment was the absolute cutest lololsnjss 😭😖💕 I was smiling v much after reading it in the story...!

Estara giving our angel a kiss on the cheek for his courtesy aaaa omg 🥺💞!!! And my heart completely melted at how you can see Executor's eyes soften after Estara goes off on her way 😭😖💕...!! (I can understand your wishing to be in Estara's place anon, lololsnjss 😭)

I couldn't help but think back to Executor's interaction with Vermeil and how different the two are svhssv, and how it's clear he's warmed a li'l more toward children 😭💞 his character development shown in the Hortus de Escapismo event is something I could rant about forever lololdbjde 😭😶

It's an especially funny call-back to his Operator Archives where its mentioned how Executor is canonically v v handsome and is always attracting lots of attention with his appearance 😭 the comment Gerald made after seeing the exchange made me snicker lololsnjss

Gerald is v v right in saying that lololsnjss 💕 (our handsome angel with a shotgun snskhsjs)

Anywho anon! Tysm for sending this ask in so I had an opportunity to talk about this on the blog 🥺 it also happens that I was thinking about writing an imagine based on this li'l bit in the story, where the reader sees this happen and reacts loksjsis 😭 but I'm not sure yet aaa

(And please dw about missing out on kissing Executor's cheek, he'll allow kisses at anytime from any of those who love him 🥺~)

Thank you for dropping by my inbox anon 🥰 please remember to take care of yourself and I hope you'll stick around! Please have a great day 💘!

Taglist for Executor Appreciation!:

@vesvic

@marahuyos

[rodolfoparras]

You post and your online anon children gather lol.

I come with amazing news (at the same time bittersweet). I stopped doing public around 6th grade and I have been homeschooled since then because I was always getting sick plus I was dealing with a bunch of mental problems. I'm currently doing an online private school that lets you set your own pace luckily because I, 18 year old, was supposed to graduate last year but I been sick so I slacked behind accidentally.

But now (might wanna get the tissues), I'm going to graduate mid October of this year and I currently have Texas A&M along with UMHB (University of Mary-Hardin Baylor) and a few other popular colleges reaching out for me to join them for college next year. I haven't been to public school since 6th grade, always been sick or my mental health in the gutter, but now I'm doing something that me, my family and my friends thought was impossible.

I'm giving you an update since I see you as an online father figure and the anons as my siblings (along with Gnome and their anons since I'm 🦆 there too). I might not be on as much because my life is doing a huge 180, I go from a sick, depressed and suicidal little kid to an almost 19 year old where everything is practically perfect and I'll be honest, you, Gnome, Emby and your mutuals have been a huge part of it since I love reading the other anons talk and I love hearing from y'all. Thank you, Alec, for being my first ever Tumblr blog and thank you for changing my life. Sorry for the long ass rant but I wanted to open so everyone reading this knows that anything is literally possible, you just have to open your doors.

I love y'all,

-🦆

Sugar bee that sounds absolutely wonderful!!!! Oh my god reading this made me so happy I’m so proud of you for pushing through and graduating doesn’t matter if you’re a wee bit late the fact that you reached the finish line is amazing not only are you graduating but you have wonderful opportunities awaiting you!! I’m so proud of you little love!! I can understand how it feels when all puzzle pieces are fitting in place and just know I’m here cheering for you you deserve it little angel!!

And please sugar bee😭😭 I am so honored to be seeen as a parental figure my one and only goal is to give yall comfort and security wether it be through my fics or through my other posts and it makes me happy I’ve managed to do so!! And do not worry about not being online you get your life together you deserve everything good and more little love!! Giving you the biggest warmest hug MWAH MWAH MWAH congrats little angel may nothing but good things follow you from now on 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[killiru]

what do you think about win and tonkla’s relationship? do you think tonkla is just using him?

seeing ep 3 and how different he is with win than with korn just justified (for me) that maybe he really has this one sided feelings for korn. i just don't like the miscommunication trope between them lol like a phone can be used for a lot of things like sending a message HELLO wished he just sent a message to korn abt his situation (would that make a difference? idk)

Ahhhh another ask, you make me happy!!! And about Tonkla and Win too! I am blessed, you give me an opportunity to rant about them, that's amazing. So how do I feel about them. The short answer would be "yes". But lemme think about it a bit more.

I think Tonkla is definitely using Win and on several levels. Win is a cop and Tonkla is all ‘acab’ but Win also has the structures he needs to find out who killed his brother (and by structure I don't just mean his physical structures, which - if we're honest - he needs a bit too. But oh well). He realised very quickly that Win was absolutely eating out of his hands. At least since he saw the bong and decided that he was just shrugging his shoulders about it. And I think that's made even more clear by how different their facial expressions were in the post-nc scene. Win has taken this photo of him and is probably already mentally writing ‘Ms Win Tonkla’ framed in hearts in his police records, while Tonkla seems so cold about it and so emotionless that you wonder how this can be the same person as the one from EP 1 with Korn. But I think that will change. Let's see when.

I'm very interested to see how Korn will react and I can't wait to see if he gets jealous or if he doesn't care or if we just drop the plot but after the tiktok to Deep Cleaning by Bas and Fuaiz I almost don't believe it anymore. Besides, Sammon would never let this drama slip away. And neither would Boc.

As for the miscommunication plot… Mhhhh I'm indifferent. I think the problem is not miscommunication but a lack of communication. Korn doesn't seem to care enough to answer him. I would be surprised at that point if he even knew about Dome's death or whoever Tonkla's brother is. So I think the lack of communication here shows very clearly how much it's a one-sided love. On the other hand, Korn did want to call him at the end of episode 3. And when he got up and before he was attacked by Tyme, he even smiled briefly? Of course, you can interpret that in different ways. But maybe he just wanted to go on a little date after the stress to get rid of the pressure, who knows…. Anyway, I am SO SO excited for Friday. I can't wait ahhh…. I'm suffering from some serious side-couple sickness here.

So thank you so much for the ask, anon!

[sotwk]

Hi someone I’m kind of in a long distance situationship with wants me to take a flight to meet him, and I communicated how it’d make me feel better about the situation if we were exclusive and he was like swrry we’re taking things too fast and how exclusivity makes him anxious, even though he said it’s mainly because of stuff not related to me, I don’t know if I should give him the benefit of the doubt or if I would be naive to do so, I’m not looking for you to give me an answer but why is dating so hard omg

I sympathize with you, Anon! Dating IS hard and awful. I hated it. I will always say that the fact that my husband managed to find me is a friggin' miracle, because I was so reluctant to go on dates, and did very little of it in my 20s. I just got lucky. That being said, I also believe this "luck" can happen to anyone, so keep going!

My husband and I did the long distance thing and had to travel back and forth to see each other. It was a choice of either a one-hour flight or a six-hour drive. In our case, we did this for a few months before we became exclusive, and then another year and a half before getting engaged.

In your case, I don't know how difficult a flight to see him would be. Cross state? Cross country? Cross continent? I personally think it's worth making the trip at least once to see someone you're in a "situationship" with, even without exclusivity established. It's hard to commit to someone whom you haven't spent any or enough physical face-to-face time with.

However. I would advise some wariness about guys who are commitment-phobic, if you are looking for a committed relationship. Be honest with yourself about what you want (are you willing to be casual for a while? for how long?), and then request that same honesty from him. Depending on how much you like and trust him, give him as much time and allowance as you feel comfortable doing, but please do guard your feelings and prioritize your needs, especially early in a relationship. Do not let him make excuses for delaying his commitment, if exclusivity is a must-have for you.

Best of luck, and please stay safe! I'm sure you're a grownup who doesn't need me to mother you, so I will skip the laundry list of safety reminders. But feel free to ask again if you want more advice or ranting opportunities. :)

Thank you for sharing this with me! Big hugs!

[bunny-atsunset]

hi hi, hellooooo!! noticed that you came back recently and that there is space for a request! so if you can and would like, could I request for Leona with an s/o that's afraid of being in a relationship with him because they are disabled? I have beta thalassemia for life and I'm constantly falling ill and afraid that my life will end because it's such a hassle to live with and I'm afraid that any partner I may have won't want anything long-term with me because sometimes I can't even function like a normal person. I'm sorry for the rant, but some comfort would be nice :) hope that you are doing well and taking care of yourself!

[Leona with a Disabled S/O GN] COMFORT

Content warning: NONE really, MOSTLY F L U F F, cursing, implied long-term relationship, mentions of illness

A/N: Your request touched my heart and I wanted to give you something nice! I tried my best and please let me know if you enjoyed it dear anon! I kept the details of the disability vague so I hope that is okay. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write something so heartfelt and special with Leona. I feel that contrary to popular belief...he would be an attentive S/O and that's why I created this blog in the first place!

I am wonderful and hope you are too! I wish the best for you and hope you are also taking care!💕 Enjoy~

Leona is very observant of your emotions and needs. He knows when you've got something on your mind and this day was no different. When you had gotten sick the last time he took you back home with him for a short break, enduring his overbearing family so you could have all the comfort you needed while you were recovering. He pulled out all the stops for you, as much as his privilege would allow.

He found you in the royal gardens. It was a balmy spring morning in the Sunset Savanna and you were kneeling on the cobbled ground, tending to some succulents you had planted the last time you visited Leona’s family. They were a bit overgrown and a few that had gotten lost in the shade were missed by the royal gardeners. That's when you heard the telltale footsteps behind you.

You sighed as you turned around, knowing that you were in big trouble with your mate. He stood with his arms crossed, his usual stern expression a bit wavering in the pink light of the greenhouse. “Think I wouldn’t notice my bun was missin’?” He said, tail whipping behind him in irritation.

 If you hadn’t known your lion so well it may have sounded a bit harsh to a stranger's ears. You swallowed the lump in your throat and shrugged him off, laughing and wrinkling your nose up at him. “Pfft. Go back to bed, Lion.” You ordered him casually. Bringing your attention back to your precious plants, you counted the various abandoned pots you had found all around the garden, making sure you had enough. You were planning on bringing a few back to your room so you could enjoy them there.

“Nope.” He yawned loudly, squinting into the sunlight. “Not unless you're comin’ back with me,” He said simply, his dark hair was extra messy from sleep and his golden robe hung crookedly from his slumped frame. “C’mon you can do this later, Bunny.” The timbre of his words held a subtle longing that made your chest ache. 

Your mind had been…heavy lately with a few unrelenting thoughts, but mostly you were worried about him. You knew your lion was more sensitive than even you about these sorts of things, even if he didn’t show it. “I’m fine,” You insisted, standing with a large repotted desert rose in your hands, reaching up to swipe a bit of sweat from your forehead.

Unfortunately, it was a bit heavier than you thought and one hand was not enough. It slipped from your fingers with a clatter, shattering dirt and glass on the ground. “Damn-!” You stumbled forward, almost going down with it when strong, warm hands caught you around your arm and your waist. “Oops.” You tried to laugh it off, feeling a bit lightheaded from the whole thing. You looked up to your partner who wasn’t amused at you overdoing it. “Bun...” He said a bit firmly, ears lowering to you.

Oh no. Leona couldn’t hide it. He was…worried for you. Your guilt bubbled up, and a few tears spilled over your eyes in shame. You blinked them away before he could see but, of course, he did. That was your lion after all. “I’m fine.” You repeated. “Just a little dizzy.” You whispered and he gently turned your body to face him, steadying you in his arms. “B-besides…” You continued clumsily. “...Gotta get used to not having me around sometimes.” You shrugged, keeping your eyes down.

Leona scoffed, using his clean robe sleeve to wipe away the tracks of your tears and the specks of dirt from your face. ”And why the hell would I do that?” He gave you one of his crooked smiles and he was holding himself together much better than you. “Because.” You continued. “You know-” You shrugged, thinking of your limitations, you knew it was a burden on him sometimes, even though he wouldn’t admit it or ever hold it against you. “What if…I won't be aro-”

Before you could finish your sentence he cupped your jaw with his hand, urging you to look at him, and squished your cheeks with his fingers affectionately soft. “Hm? What’s that? You wanna come back to bed with me, Bunny? Order some breakfast from the kitchens?” He mused, his eyes didn't quite match his cheeky grin, but he kept on teasing you.

He reached around your body, using his other free hand to pinch your sides where he knew you were ticklish. “Stop, Stop it!” You cackled and wiggled in his arms and he continued his one-sided conversation, reeling you closer to him. “Glad we’ve agreed.” He chuckled in your ear calmly.

“Lion, don’t you fucking dare!” You scolded him with a warning. “Hey! When I feel better I’m gonna-” You gasped when he picked you up with much care, interrupting your hollow threats as he put you over his shoulders, lifting you from the ground in a loose fireman’s carry. You were miffed, tugging on one of his braids to let you go, “Wait, wait, my desert rose!” You cried out, reaching back toward the mess you made of the broken pot and your poor, poor cactus.

”Eh, I’ll get someone else to come 'n rescue it.” He droned before carrying you away, you complaining the whole way, laughing through the halls of the sunny palace at his antics. The passing servants knew at this point you and your lion were just playing and these sorts of shenanigans between you two were so normal that none of them even reacted anymore.

You convinced Leona to let you try to make breakfast for the two of you. At least on days when you felt better, you preferred to cook your own meals or help out with the palace kitchen staff. Though…today wasn’t one of those days. On days like today, you accepted you were gonna be on the losing side of any argument with your overprotective partner.

However, a miracle did happen though, your lion actually took over kitchen duties for the first time you’d been together.  It was a…disaster but he was trying at least. Intently, he listened to your instructions on how to make a few fried eggs and ham for the two of you, one ear perched toward you. It was entertaining to see such a proud man out of his element, fumbling so hard. He was so apt at judging food, you thought he might be a little better at this.

You watched him with an amused and somewhat smug expression, sitting on the countertop behind him, snugly wrapped by him in his silk robe. You were still a little bit tired from your excursion earlier but you couldn’t help intervening. “Oh here, let me do it!” After having enough, you came up behind him and tried to show him how to crack an egg properly… without magic. “What would you do without me?” You snickered, judging him harshly as you flipped one of the crooked eggs, saving it from burning on the edge of the pan.

By the time it was over the two of you ended up switching positions and he stood behind you now, chest pressed against your back while you seasoned and finished grilling the meat. It was…a lot for you considering how tired you were, but whenever you got dizzy he would make sure to hold you up or steady your hand when you lifted the heavy pan. You saved breakfast but unfortunately for the sad eggs you couldn’t fix their form, deciding to make them scrambled as he rested his chin on your shoulder. Leona nuzzled into your neck, distracting you, all the while making soft sounds of contentment in your ear.

After breakfast, you promised to never let him live it down that he tried to use a spice grinder upside down.  He dusted the dirt from your knees and the two of you shared a bath for your sore body. Once dry, Leona insisted you wear one of his tunics instead, even dressing you despite your playful protests. You weren't in any condition to refuse.

Your lion made good on his promise to carry you gently back to his bed, drawing the curtains for you as it was now almost noon. He laid you over him and brought your sleepy face to his chest. He sighed as he hooked his arms behind you, occasionally tracing his fingers over your spine under your top. 

It turned out to be a good morning after all. You burrowed your face into his chest, his steady heartbeat beating against your ear. The strong, familiar scent of cinnamon, star anise, and orange comforted you. In this quiet time, you gathered your thoughts from earlier, finally coming down from your playful mood. “L-leona,” Your voice cracked a bit, playing with the end of his long hair. “Do you ever…regret us, you know…getting together…?” Was this really the future mate he imagined he’d have?

“Hm?” He seemed to have almost been asleep when he responded. “Ah,” You tsked. “Nevermind.” You shrugged, hiding your face behind his robe, realizing you shouldn’t have said that. He tugged down the fabric to look at your pouty expression, laying his head back on his pillow to see you better.

You were caught now, so you tried to explain your complicated thoughts. “It sucks…” You lamented. “Just feels like… we wasted so much time.” You swallowed the lump in your throat. “I… just don’t want you to have any regrets when it comes to…me…”

You could feel him tremble but he stayed brave, releasing a small, unsteady breath. “Awe, bun.” He started through a soft scoff, his green eyes never leaving yours as he spoke, “...If you think for one second I regret any of my time with you, you are even crazier than I thought.” His voice softened over his words, and then he tapped your temple for emphasis, ending with a small smirk. “Hey!” You puffed your cheeks at him, flicking his nose like he was a common cat, in a familiar gesture of yours.

“Tch.” A small laugh rumbled in his chest before he swallowed, and another shuddery breath left his mouth, wrapping you further into his robe. “C’mere.” You obliged this request to move even closer, chuckling as you looped your arms through his robe sleeves so that you both shared it. You laced your fingers with his after you popped your hands through.

“Mmm.” The man rubbed his pinky against yours. “Listen, none of that shit matters anyway, you're here now.” He muttered his words into your hair, inhaling softly before saying something in his native language. ”Tuliumbwa kuwa pamoja...” (We were created for each other…) You'll always be my Bunny. Alright…?” He chuckled again, hand settling on your lower back. “Long as you’ll have me, I…never wanna be apart from ya.”

You were at a loss so you laughed along with him, your chest squeezing. “Oh.” Your eyes burned, drawing a few circles in his palm. You couldn’t see his face now but maybe it was better that way. “Thought you didn’t believe in always.” You teased your logical mate through a whisper.  He only snorted in response and then pretended to be asleep, something he usually did when you outmatched him.

Oh well, neither one of you wanted to ruin another of your warm and lazy mornings. The two of you didn’t need to say it out loud. Both of you would take the good days…and the bad. And Leona didn’t mind acting as your own personal pillow on days you weren’t able to do much. You glanced at the rows of plants he had arranged for you by the windows, leaving a sliver of light for them at your request.

Closing your eyes, you soaked in the warmth of your lion beneath you, who was breathing in time with you. His tail fell across your back as you drifted off to sleep in his arms.