#there r literally so many valid options you could tag no need to mention the young ladies

[seconddoubt]

ppl already tagging this w women under 45, I don't wanna hear about anyone under 60 please.

we seriously need to balance out tumblrs sucking that old man silly movement with an equal ravenously eating that old woman out movement

[idk-my-aesthetic]

Ok the whole thing w/ clogging up ao3 tags is stupid for multiple reasons, like how it fucks with screen readers for one, but the MAJOR issue is that having too many tags isn’t actually a problem w/ ao3

Like seriously guys? There is a lot to criticize. And I say this as someone who heavily relied on fandom spaces to get me through some really really hard times and still loves ao3. I can say I love what it does for fandom while also acknowledging there’s some seriously fucked up shit going on both behind the scenes and with ppl who use the site. It’s literally like saying “I love tumblr but I acknowledge there are literal nazis on here and as a Jew/human with a working brain I hate them and that they’ve been here so long”

Like. I get u think ur sticking it to the man or whatever. And idk I partially agree bc. There’s so much nasty shit and some technically illegal shit that I don’t want to even mention! But ur not even wasting the moderators time or anything ur just being obnoxious and then everyone starts discoursing on tumblr and I’m legitimately tired of it. I don’t wanna see ppl defending gross stuff and I’m tired of talking about the ppl who do defend gross stuff bc I don’t wanna remember that they exist bc I have shit to do irl and not enough space in my brain for them

So. Idk ima propose at least a temporary solution before I have to hear one more argument for or against censorship bc y’all seriously don’t understand how to have a nuanced conversation

How about instead of asking AO3 to take down gross fics (which may or may not be morally correct but will 100% reopen a very over done conversation) instead we ask for some specific plausible things

1) when you use ao3 explicit and unrated fics are automatically filtered out. They do this on ff.net. Yes it may be like 2 extra clicks for ppl who wanna read explicit stuff but ppl who don’t are going to do that anyway, and it protects the people who don’t know to do that and don’t want to read graphic tags. Most importantly it requires consent to browse explicit fics. Yeah you need to give consent to read explicit stuff, but you can look through the incredibly graphic tags/summaries without consenting to anything. It’s literally the default. Which is both upsetting to ppl who don’t wanna see that and also maybe a bit of a legal loophole they should close up

2) a “suggest tags” feature. This would be moderated by authors not ao3 staff. Basically ppl can like..... idk entire a series of tags and you can choose if you want to add them or not. The person submitting them has an option to be anonymous or not. Obviously the author doesn’t have to add every random tag and it might be annoying but it would help with making sure triggers got tagged. It would be helpful if it didn’t let you suggest tags that were already suggested/on the fic but I’m not too picky. Like I said the point of this is to make sure ppl can block stuff properly, and it honestly might also help authors with visibility bc like. Obviously you know the tags you use but you don’t know what tags other ppl look for. Again maybe it may be obnoxious with ppl having a lot of tags but people already have a lot of tags

3) a dispute rating button. Now before someone bitches at me that the ao3 moderators don’t have time to go through disputes- I know I already took that into consideration. Basically the idea is when you dispute the rating the site will ask you what rating you think it should be and anonymously log it. So if someone rated something M but you think it should be an E the site will log that and send a message to the author. The author has a choice if they actually want to listen to ppl and change the rating or not. They don’t actually have to listen to the ppl disputing the rating. Unless they get a certain amount of disputes. I was thinking maybe like 50 or so?* So if 50 ppl say “hey this really needs to have a different rating” then and only then would the moderators take a look at the fic. And the moderators would then figure out what the rating should be.

(*idk if 50 is the right #. I was thinking it should maybe work on like a percentage of your hits in the fic?)

3.5) have a sexual content marker. This is marked as 3.5 bc i feel like this idea if implemented would be misused. But yeah in theory you could just have a sexual content marker that could be clicked by the OP and then automatically filtered. Again you could use the system from #3 but again I feel like ppl would missuse it.

Anyway yeah. I wanted to give some viable solutions ppl on both sides might actually agree with. Like I get not wanting to make concessions with gross ppl, but it’s a lot faster so I’m ok with doing it for now while the rest of y’all continue to debate or w/e

Final note- please for the love of g-d learn how ratings work. Ask someone else’s opinion if you have too. I have seen so many explicit fics marked as mature or teen it’s a legitimate problem. I’ll give a quick rundown of what each rating means but pls guys

General- g- basically go by what you’d see in a Disney cartoon

Teen- pg/pg 13 - there are swears there’s violence, sex may be mentioned, you might call someone sexy or smthn idc, but no one is shown having sex or or discussing/thinking about it in detail

Mature- R - injuries/gore may be described with more detail. Uhh there could be some heavy making out and the characters might talk about sex or feeling sexually attracted to someone. But actual sex is not shown!! If you have to mention or refer to someone’s genetalia in any sexual way you should probably move it up to an E. Even if ur characters are fully clothed the entire time. Also If you’re talking about kinks outside of a quick joke or reference you should probably move it up to an E.

Explicit- NC 17- sexually explicit content. (You can put non-sexual violent stuff under here but most ppl leave it under mature)

TLDR/oversimplification(for the ratings) -

General: nothing sexual

Teen: implied sex

Mature: refrenced sex

Explicit: shown sex

General tldr:

Some criticisms of Ao3 are valid and needed, and some are just stupid and infuriating (specifically talking about the tag thing stop it’s annoying and ableist). There is constant arguments and drama surrounding those criticisms, and I decided to offer some solutions that actually have a chance at getting implemented, even if I would prefer a different option.

[pharlooom]

my opinions on cullen rutherford

over the past few days, I’ve gotten a some anonymous asks requesting me to explain what I think of cullen rutherford, because if you’ve noticed, I’ve been posting a lot of cullen content right now. I feel this is a great time to share my feelings about him and the Discourse around him, also what I think about various opinions this toxic, toxic fanbase has about him.

feel free to add, praise, disagree, or completely obliterate me for this in reblogs or replies. these are my opinions, some gotten from others, some crafted from my own readings and personal views. hate cullen or like him, say what you will, but if you respect my opinions, I will respect yours.

short version: I like cullen. I like his character. I genuinely appreciate his character growth and development and his change. 

long version: from what I know and what I’ve read, this fandom likes to tear him to bits for a bunch of reasons, some of which are so vast and really heavy, I don’t know if I can go into them with enough knowledge of the lore. so it’s neat, I’ll state my opinion and then discuss it.

his abuse at the circle in dao explains his trauma, it doesn’t excuse his absolute shit treatment of mages

yep, I know the whole cullen “mages aren’t people” rutherford is only one of like 273 hearts of the #cullen critical community, but it’s the one people tend to address the most.

but his torture at ferelden’s circle doesn’t excuse his actions, it explains why he hates mages. I don’t know where cullen haters get the idea that the stans only use this as an excuse so their White Chantry Boy can be free to shit on mages wherever he pleases. no. he doesn’t have an excuse. he doesn’t have a get out of jail free card. in da2, his position of knight-captain and shitty treatment of mages is explained by the fact that he suffered a bad experience from them. you can’t just dismiss this. it’s an important part of his character as a whole and seeing haters say that “people use it as justification” is wrong.

and to stans who say that he’s free to hate mages because of this, stop that (though I haven’t seen this yet, I’m sure it’s happening somewhere).

he hates mages because he was traumatized by what happened in ferelden’s circle. that’s an explanation, not a justification. see? that isn’t the same as “it’s okay for him to hate mages because he was traumatized by what happened in ferelden’s circle.”

he was a shit person in da2

there is literally no saving him from this. I won’t come to his rescue or shield him from the criticism, he was terrible.

but, while I’m still on the subject, refer to the first opinion. I feel some people forget his abuse that happened in the prior game. so if you must hate him, hate him with his abuse in mind. hate him for the right reasons. hate that he was in a position to do something but didn’t, that “mages aren’t people” line. understand where he comes from, what he’s been through, then feel free to criticize him in the #cullen critical tag like a person with a clear and open mind.

he joined the templars because he wanted to help people

sometimes we forget that cullen joined the templars because he thought that at the age of thirteen, the templars were helping. this doesn’t excuse his actions later, but the very reason he joined the templars in the first place was because he wanted to help. he didn’t go into the order thinking “all mages r eveil.” when asked why he joined the order, he literally said: “I can think of no better calling than to protect those in need.”

and yes, I know that mages are coded (?) as oppressed people irl. but you have to understand that though they suffer the same oppression, mages and oppressed people irl are vastly different. irl, there’s less of a reason to stand with the oppressors because we’re all human beings with the same capabilities. in thedas, there really is a reason to be afraid of mages when they can literally raise the dead or summon fire at their fingertips. even if they can gain control of these abilities, they are dangerous. there’s a reason why circles had to be built. some circles are chill, and others are horribly abusive. still, you have to understand the validated fear behind thedas looking down on mages.

I don’t understand how him not acting on his affections on the warden or whatever is creepy???

I honest to goodness don’t get this. if you flirt with him too much, he even runs in the opposite direction. people have infatuations that can last for many years, sure, but it happens. people like people for a long time. and it’s not like hof is on his mind 24/7. all I can think of is when you ask him about how he knew her in dai, and that table banter with leliana where he asks about her, but that’s it??? that’s all I can think of??

I’m satisfied with his character development in dai

no, I don’t want him to apologize more than he already is. no, I don’t want the option to oust him from the inquisition. no, I don’t want the inquisitor to be given the option to shit on him, romance or not. no, I don’t want to give him all the ugly missions at the table because he’s an ugly adviser. no, I don’t want hawke or varric to call him out.  

he’s growing, he’s changing. he realizes he’s a shit person, remembers all of the horrible things he’s done, and wants to better himself. I don’t give a shit about “how fast and ooc” it is for a character to change, I am all for positive character development. (I know this argument can and will be used against me. I have longer opinions about this positive character development deal, but for now, know I’m all for it.)

go back to dai and talk to him. just really listen to him. he isn’t even justifying his actions. he constantly says that all the shit he did is bad, scolding himself when he felt like he could have done better. and even when he’s explaining the events, like what happened at ferelden’s circle, he uses it to explain why he was an awful person in kirkwall.

I also see the argument that he distrusts the mages in inquisition, but I don’t see that. and even if he “does,” it’s out of concern for both mages and non-mages. not to mention that he’s left the templars, which has basically been his life for more than a decade, so it isn’t easy for him to just let go of it and instantly say “I trust mages with my life” because you really see the worst of what magic can do in the circles, and he’s been living in them for most of his life. I mean, just look at how hard it was for him to conquer his addiction, the very thing that chained him to the templars and the chantry. he isn’t hostile to any of the mages there, you don’t even see him scolding them or berating them (this only happens once, when he breaks apart an argument between a mage and templar at haven, and even then he also takes the time to scold the templar as well and say that this isn’t the place to do that). he doesn’t seem to mind the presence of vivienne or solas. hell, he plays chess with dorian. still sound like cullen “mages aren’t people” rutherford to you?

there’s a number of times he also says that he left the order because innocent people were getting caught in the crossfires between mages and templars. it was the exact opposite thing he wanted to prevent going into the order. he wanted people to be safe, and because of the templars, people ended up dying. it isn’t hard to understand why he left.

and he left. that’s a thing, by the way. he could have stayed and just accepted the fact that he wanted this life as a child, but he left the templars knowing full well that at that point, it had been his whole life. also, he left with the knowledge that leaving the order can be straight-up insanity or death due to lyrium withdrawal. he even talks about how dangerous it is for a templar to leave and how he wants a safer way to leave the order. I really feel that was the highest point of his character: he knew leaving the order (which was a huge part of his life) was difficult, could risk death, and had to suffer major effects from withdrawal. despite that, he still did it. at the ending of trespasser, he even helps other templars conquer their addiction. you may not like his character, but you can’t deny that’s still considerably noble.

and this is where it gets personal: I’ve done shitty things in my life. I’ve said some terrible stuff to people that I can’t take back, no matter how hard I want to. mentally, I’ve shunned and hated a whole community because they were attacking me in ways that destroyed me and my mental health, and I’ve held onto that grudge for so long. I wanted to change, I wanted to be a better person, not one consumed by hatred.

when I first played dai and talked to cullen about his opinions on mages and how he wanted to break free from the order, I bawled like a baby. I cried the whole way through the lyrium addiction mission. I saw myself in his character: somebody who did a fuckton of awful things in his past and wanted to get out of it. he inspired me to be braver, to be a better version of myself, that getting out of a cycle of hating yourself and other people is possible. you can change and it’s worth it.

and that’s why whenever I read cullen hate bashing his character development and how he should “apologize more” and how he’ll never be enough or never be forgiven, no matter how hard he tries to atone for it, it always gets to me. every time people hate his character, I feel like they’ll hate people like me, people who are bad and will always be bad and can’t improve ever because they were awful before, they’ll be awful forever.

TL;DR: cullen is an amazing character. his growth and backstory speaks volumes to me. I respect and look up to him in ways that this entire thing can’t do justice. while he’s done some terrible things in the past, he isn’t good, but he isn’t bad either. I admire him for what he is now, and how he’ll continue to grow in the lore to come.

again, this is only my opinion. you are free to disagree and agree at your own leisure. hate him, don’t hate him, whatever, I respect your opinion. you’re coming from a different point of view and I absolutely love that. all I ask is that you respect my opinion in return.

[vuulpecula]

FAR CRY FIVE.

      Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, religion has always played a major part in Fox’s life. Her father, a devout member of the Russian Orthodox Church, believed that God had chosen him to change and shape the world. Forgiving his violence and allowing him to repent upon his own daughter. A creature he saw as a heavenly vessel in which he may confess and cleanse himself of all sins. To her, he changed and shaped religion into something far more sinister than it was ever meant to be. Leaving Fox wanting a holy being to exist and yet, believing that there could not be one for she saw the wretchedness of men and how they were not punished. This plays a big part later when it comes to the Project at Eden’s Gate, for it sounds like the God she has hoped for, though she is wary. Hope County, Montana could either change her views or solidify them. 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: violence, religion, abuse, child abuse, abuse against women, gun violence, gun use, alcohol, drugs, forced drug use, kidnapping, blood, scars, mutilation, rebellion, murder, forced killing, & death. ( if there are any more you’d like me to tag/that i’ve missed, please let me know! ).

WHY MONTANA.     Following Fox’s original storyline ( of which you can find HERE ), her mother again takes her away from Russia and her father. However, she’s older than in her canon, leaving her Saint Petersburg around the age of fourteen. Rather than returning to Ireland, Nessa Alkaev takes her daughter to the United States, specifically southern Louisiana, to live with distant extended family. Citizenship was obtained within the first few years and life went on in the sultry south, far from the snowy northern lands Fox knew and loved.        By eighteen, Fox had held three jobs, trying to save up money for a higher education -- something neither of her parents achieved. Unfortunately, hardship clung to the bloodline. After a semester, she was forced to drop out to use the money earned for her mother’s medical expenses instead. Nessa died before her daughter turned twenty-one. Fox continued to work hard, but the state only reminded her of all she loathed in life and she was never made for such a climate. Returning to Russia was not an option, so, she searched north. Scouring ads for any sort of affordable property in any state. Hope County, Montana just happened to have an opening. Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps it was again just bad luck.

BABY DOLL I RECOGNIZE YOUR HIDEOUS THING INSIDE; IF EVER THERE WERE A LUCKY KIND ITS YOU. ➝ x | v. baby doll I recognize your hideous thing inside; if ever there were a lucky kind it’s you ( FAR CRY 5 ONE. )

       After hours and hours, days and days, months and months, a property became available online in a place called Hope County, Montana. The home itself was small, hardly bigger than a trailer, but it would suit Fox fine. Once part of a much larger farm, the family had hit hardship and were looking to lease out the house and the small portion of land it resided on for an extremely reasonable price. Maybe it was too reasonable. Fox packed up her possessions and moved immediately. Her bank account aching and her heart yearning for the years first snow. Nestled in the eastern section of the Holland Valley, Fox immediately fell in love with the land. The people began to grow on her, though the presence of a strange religious movement kept her wary.        Religion has always found a way into her life, impacting negatively no matter how hard she tried to believe. It’s what made Joseph Seed’s surmons so believable and influencing. However, once the cult turned to violence, they lost all validity. Joining the Resistance was never a question, it was simply something that had to be done.        In this verse, Fox is just like most others in the Resistance. She can be found in various parts of the map depending on where threads are set. Her prefered method of harm is to not harm, however that is not an option when it comes to Eden’s Gate. For weapons, she relies more on long-range items due to her patience while behind a gun. This stems from skills taught as a child. Though she is also good with hand-to-hand combat, using her size and statue to her advantage. 

✖ AESTHETIC BOARD FOR THIS VERSE LOCATED H E R E. ( tba. )

2. MY HEARTS AFLAME MY BODYS STRAINED BUT GOD I LIKE IT. ➝ x | v. my hearts aflame my body’s strained but god I like it ( FAR CRY 5 TWO. ) 

      As mentioned above, Fox was unable to finish college when first applying. It wasn’t such a bad thing, as she was not sure of what she wanted to be when she grew up, per say. Seeing police officers at her door was never an oddity, but they became figures of the community she could trust, she could rely on, and after speaking with one who she came to know personally, Fox decided she would try to apply. To become a beacon of hope for other men, women, and children who needed one ( and to fight against the corruption she saw to restore faith in the badge where it was lost ). With a more steady income, she was able to achieve an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. Again, after her mother died, Louisiana and the small town she came to know as home only haunted her. Job hunting brought her to a Junior Deputy position at a place called Hope County. It was north enough and paid enough, so she applied.        Depending on the verse, Fox either becomes the Junior Deputy or she is simply part of Sheriff Whitehorse’s office by the time the next Junior Deputy arrives. Due to her past, she has a lot of anger when it comes to religion and it only fuels the fire when shit hits the fan. Although her heart tells her not to arrest Joseph Seed with the Marshal, she does anyway because it is what’s right. Everything she does after is to save as many innocent people as she can while taking down the cult. If it were up to her, she would not kill any of the Father’s Heralds if able. Refusing to play into his biblical prophecies. In the ending scene, she would choose neither of the options given, instead becoming devout. Begging for forgiveness and for her soul to remain with him in exchange for the others to go free. Their freedom and safety is her only concern, especially those within her own department.        When it comes to weapons, she can handle most anything, through prefers hand-to-hand to subdue opponents. Literally, she will arrest all cult members AND do all the paperwork if she has to. Don’t talk to me about Eli & Virgil btw bc I will vibrate with emotion. 

✖ AESTHETIC BOARD FOR THIS VERSE LOCATED H E R E. ( tba. )

3. WON’T YOU LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME; MIRROR MY MALADY; TRANSFER MY TRAGEDY.  ➝ x | v. won’t you lay your hands on me; mirror my malady; transfer my tragedy ( FAR CRY 5 THREE. ) 

      After moving to Hope County, it wasn’t long before Fox came into contact with the Project at Eden’s Gate. She attends one of the ‘tent revival surmons’ in which she is swayed. As someone who suffered an incredibly abusive past ( one in which her abuser used religion as a way to excuse what he did, twisting it around until God was nothing good ), listening to Joseph Seed speak felt as if he knew her. He knew the soul of her. So, she left her new home and joined the project.        As for the ‘siblings’, Fox identifies greatly with John. He is someone, especially after the violence erupts, that she could’ve seen herself becoming. A great fear of hers and a huge reason as to why when the violence does begin happening, she tries not to participate or leave. Faith is an uncertanty. Fox can’t tell when she’s lying and the Bliss terrifies her. As much as she wishes she could be someone else, someone with a different past, losing other emotions and feelings isn’t worth it. Jacob is distant, she can’t quite understand if he’s hurting or if something inside him is broken beyond repair. His methods and thoughts remind her of her father, which only aids in the fear ( and helps lessen the effects of conditioning ).        Depending on verse, Fox may be with anyone in any region. Despite being a part of the cult, she is willing to save anyone from harm and will try ( as long as it doesn’t put her life in as great a risk ). She questions Eden’s Gate softly and plays both sides. Literal angel. Literal pure creature of God. 

✖ AESTHETIC BOARD FOR THIS VERSE LOCATED H E R E. ( tba. )

**DISCLAIMER: Again, as always, the above verses are not set in stone. They can be changed and tweaked to better match certain rps. They can also be added to or new ones can form, these are simply the ones I have already fleshed out. If you have any questions about the above, or if you’re looking for something a little bit more, please don’t hesitate to reach out! xo.