#they really know how to trivialize a rape story don't they

[scrapyardboyfriends]

Did they really make a trailer for this whodunnit with the Pretty Little Liars theme song? Hahaha.

[thoseyoulove]

Reacting to The Vampire Lestat - Part II (with a bit of spoilers)

I found out my problem with the narration and description isn't with Anne, but Lestat. That dude sometimes focuses on the most useless stuff instead of telling what is happening or what he's feeling. I'm like, Lestat de Lioncourt, get your priorities (not) straight? But it's not much of a problem anymore now, because it gives me a better idea of who he is and how he thinks, so I appreciate that. I enjoy the immersion, even with someone as chaotic and as distracted as he is.

Turns out when Lestat FINALLY gives me a good picture of things, it's with the WORST event possible.

Remember what Louis said about the little drink? That's the whole experience from the moment Magnus kidnaps Lestat, turns him, kills himself before his eyes and leaves him completely alone. Multiply your worst case scenario by a trillion.

Not that I would want Magnus to stay, God forbid, but the next moment is still pretty bad. You might believe it gets better after his death, but it's not immediately.

Lestat goes from being too frozen to move, to fighting with every fiber of his being and then trying to take it as a positive thing? Which, well, it's a realistic reaction to it, but also heartbreaking.

It's not exactly "rape", but it has pretty much everything a rape can have without penetration? So it basically felt like the same thing to me.

It's quite a long chapter, it's considerably graphic (at least for me), took me over 2 hours to finish it (maybe it was even closer to 3 hours, I don't remember anymore, but I struggled a lot), I kept taking pauses, whenever I thought it was over it kept going and kept getting worse.

It is well-written in the way that makes sense, that moves the story, that narrates and describes what's happening with details, that you can really picture it in your head, that is extremely intense and emotional... But it's obviously not an exciting part.

I feel bad for the way Lestat immediately shifts afterwards and tries to make the most of it. Not that I wanted him to be miserable and feeling sorry for himself, but I'm like, something terrible happened to you and it's okay to take time to deal with it. I'm not even sure he understands how traumatic that was? If he does, he doesn't acknowledge it, let alone admit it. Not even to himself. And it's just frustrating.

Even after I read it, it stuck with me and took me more than a day to get over. I kept remembering it even when I was doing totally different stuff.

It's cool to navigate through things with him as Lestat finds more about how his body and powers operate.

When he went to the village and began to experiment with his powers was fun. Him jumping, cutting trees and whatever the other silly things he was doing and I can't fully remember... It was like an ADHD child high on sugar and sort of cute.

Is that presence... Armand?

You can take the man out of the church, but you can't take the church out of the man (or the vampire), apparently.

This probably isn't necessary, but I want that scene that he sees the house with the family and reads their thoughts? The idea of seeing the thoughts of babies is so sweet... It's not even for him, it's more of a me thing, I guess. I would just like to see it. I don't know. Maybe I'm being too sensitive and PMSing lol. Don't @ me.

Lestat has kissed so many people at this point and he hardly gives details, so I'm like, what are you kissing? A cheek? A hand? A mouth? Is it a friendly peck on the lips? Is it tongue-kissing? Elaborate? I mean, I don't care because the way he does it feels as trivial as a fart lmao. The only one he really has a deeper relationship with so far is Nicki, so I only kind of care about Lestat with him. It's not really a problem, but I just find the whole thing vague and ridiculous lol.

It's not even Lestat that has BPD, but BPD has Lestat at this point. The man is intense, has crazy mood swings, has extreme reactions to things, engages in dangerous behavior, is highly irresponsible with money, has a chronic fear of being alone... I know one when I see it. And vampirism didn't fix it, it only made it worse.

A bit off topic, but there's something about France that is so enchanting? I've always been obsessed with it in some ways, some places, the architecture, the language, the art... It's not like I'm a big nerd or anything, I can't barely name stuff to save my life, but just looking, hearing and thinking about it... There's just some charm to it. I've realized that the simple fact of stories being set in France makes me excited for some reason. I would love if they filmed there and in some of my favorite spots (cough Sainte-Chapelle and Carcassonne cough), for the mere reason it would look gorgeous and they should because I said so. Maybe in a past life I lived there or something, but I've always had that fascination, God knows why.

"Why the hell did Anne write and word it like that?" moment #1, I guess. At least it was fast and I can erase it from my memory.

The book has gotten quite faster and more eventful now, it's definitely better than when I first started it. I hate when it takes too long for things to happen, so this pace is good. And crucial moments happen pretty early on, which I appreciate. It's nice to know I've read some of the most important events by now, even as disturbing as they are. One of the downsides of being in this fandom is not having the full information, so already knowing part of the big events is satisfying.

P.S. Nothing is permanent, opinions might change and this is based on Lestat's narration, which can be unreliable. I'm reading the books so I can find out more about the characters, what potential events might happen in the show, what I can expect etc. This is my favorite show in the universe, so I want to be as informed as possible. I have no idea if I'll become a legit fan of the books or not, but so far I'm enjoying it. I'm posting these comments only for fun.

[theprismyyy]

Honestly, I read on several different platforms, both here on Tumblr, and on Wattpad, ao3 and others... and so, in general, they are all great apps with great stories to read, but there is one thing that bothers me about all of them, mainly and especially on Ao3, and the amount of disgusting content involving serious subjects like incest, rape and others that I won't bother mentioning here; What irritates me most about this is the lack of filter in the app.I'm only saying all this because the following happened, I was simply reading some stories about Gwen Stacy on the said app (ao3) when I came across atrocities like a fanfic whose plot was literally an incestuous relationship between Gwen and her father....man , I just wanted to read some fluffy fluff and not come across unnecessary and unsolicited material, I didn't bother opening this (obviously) and I didn't even want to, I was honestly disgusted... Also, I came across another whose plot idea was even more horrible... I don't know, it all just made me think that maybe these apps need more serious and firm rules and punishments in the face of these things; such serious and criminal topics being written in a sick manner to normalize and entertain more disgusting and sick people is still dark, it's even darker how little we talk about it and how little the developers seem to care, I imagine dealing with demands so big ones must be extremely difficult but we don't even see a movement to deal with these things...IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S JUST A CHARACTER, IT DOESN'T MATTER HE OR SHE DOESN'T EXIST, FUCK YOU AND YOUR SICK SHIT THAT USES THIS AS AN "ARGUMENT" TO WRITE CRIMINAL THINGS AND FEED YOUR FANTASIES DISGUSTING!!!! WHAT WE WRITE AND CONSUME SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WE ARE AND IF YOU CONSUME IT AND DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF CONTENT THEN PLEASE FUCK YOU

Anyway, this was just me venting because honestly I was extremely uncomfortable, I just wanted to read some nonsense and I had to come across something so sickening.

Edit: Apparently this is necessary as I may not have been as specific on some points and some people don't seem to understand (or don't want to understand)

It wasn't a personal "attack" on the Ao3 platform, I just used it as an example because that's usually where this type of work ends up appearing more.

2. Yes, I know and use the filtering system, Still, I think they are very often very flawed... besides, many of the people who write this type of content use tags that have nothing to do with the plot of the story to achieve greater visibility.

3. Yes... teenagers have sex 😱 wow what an incredible discovery!!! I know a lot of movies, shows, etc. portray this openly, I personally don't feel comfortable writing smut in general and everyone has their own opinion about it, but I understand there are a lot of writers who do this normalization and trivialization of a CRIME!

4. I know that many people use writing as a coping mechanism, but I think it is very unlikely that a person who has been through a situation, such as rape, for example, You'll write about it like it's something sexy or the best experience you've ever had in your life, like a lot of these types of writers do.

5. Yes, one of the joys of writing is that we can explore the deepest, most complex aspects of humanity without directly hurting anyone, and I love that, but we need to take responsibility for that.

6. There was a guy here who literally said that it's because of people like me that you can't have porn on Tumblr anymore...but why would there need to be porn here? Why just not open on an adult site like pornhub or xvideos?

7. I was indirectly called a facist through a Hashtag.... not supporting the normalization of rape, incest, etc. apparently makes me a facist😍

(I really am completely willing to hear opinions and comments, but I will not tolerate disrespect in the comments. That's it and thank you)

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

The story you are about to hear is not for the feint of heart. This is, without question, the darkest, most horrible thing that you can encounter in this game. If you don't want to hear it, I'm keeping this conversation contained to this post.

[cw: rape, mutilation, cannibalism. probably some other things.]

🎵 Martinaise, Terminal B

2. "It was on your colonel." (Give him the photo.)

SCAB LEADER - Wordless, he takes the photo and looks at it. Grey eyes dart back and forth on the glossy surface -- his face is unmoving.

COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - Hard as a stone. But beneath it...

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - You see dead flesh -- in colourful rivers of Polychrome -- melting skin and hair.

SCAB LEADER - After a while, he cranes his head side-to-side and sighs: "Fucking loincloths really did him in."

"Uhm... loin-cloths?"

"Can you tell me what the tattoo means?"

SCAB LEADER - "Yeah."

"Can you tell me what the tattoo means?"

SCAB LEADER - "What it *means*...." He points to one tiny star in the web of lines, away from the man's heart, almost on his stomach.

"I can tell you what this one means. Only one." He squints at it. It's so small. "You wanna hear what happened here?"

"Yes."

"Actually, no." (Take the photo back.)

SCAB LEADER - "Our colonel is *deep* in the bush here. Deep in the fucking bush, in Banaital, '41... Monsoon season. He's on a reconnaissance mission."

"He's spent a month behind enemy lines scouting kipt villages. Nothing but fucking bugs and snakes for fun. Men are getting restless… there's talk of switching *employers*…" He licks his lips, as if drunk suddenly.

PAIN THRESHOLD [Trivial: Success] - With some strange emotion. This is about to get really graphic. Last moment to back off.

Don't interrupt him. (Hear it.)

"Actually, no." (Take the photo back.) "You knew him, right?"

SCAB LEADER - "Our boy -- he's only a captain then -- but he knows how these men think. If they don't see action soon..." His voice gets strangely quiet. A long, long way from *right to work*. His gaze pierces the paper.

"At dawn he comes upon two kipts, breeding in the bushes by the river. Or maybe they weren't breeding -- maybe they were just making eyes at each other. I like to think they were breeding..."

"We shot the boy, he was useless, but the girl... she was nice. A little fat you know. But not too old."

Say nothing.

"Okay. This isn't useful." (Take the photo back.) "You knew him, right?"

SCAB LEADER - "She was quite the entertainment. For the week she lasted. Expired in the hands of Sarge Mason -- the kinda guy who'd make Chief there," he nods towards the man on the gates, "shit his pants and cry like a bitch."

"God…" He suddenly bursts out laughing. "Mason couldn't let go. Cut the tits off her cold body and fuckin' ate them. Said primitive spirits were watching over him now…"

Suddenly the laughter stops. "Drowned in a creek a week later. Spirits my ass."

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Easy: Success] - Something stirs in your stomach.

EMPATHY [Challeging: Success] - The story must have stirred up some conflicting emotions. The man looks tired for a second...

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - There's a word on the tip of your tongue. Colourless, odourless. It's...

"Evil."

"You were there?"

"You're not really a *scab leader*, are you?"

"You can have that." (Conclude.)

"Can I have that back?" (Conclude.)

SCAB LEADER - "You bet it was."

2. "What *is* evil?"

SCAB LEADER - "It's just... nature. This guy," he points at the picture, "he used to say evil is when nature and spirit meet in the wrong place."

3. "You were there?"

SCAB LEADER - "No -- I was in the Domain. In Jamrock. Being a bouncer."

4. "You're not really a *scab leader*, are you?"

SCAB LEADER - "Fucking mask is getting sweaty. I want take my mask off, but..." He shrugs.

AUTHORITY [Easy: Success] - He's under orders. And orders -- are orders.

5. "You can have that." (Conclude.)

SCAB LEADER - "Nah, you've earned it." He turns toward the gate, slowly, and yells: "All right now! FREE COMMERCE! KEEP THE GOODS FLOWING!"

VISUAL CALCULUS [Easy: Success] - On the photo in your hands -- the dead man's skin is studded with stars. Tens, hundreds of them, littering his dead skin.

Task complete: Ask Scab Leader about the tattoos

+10 XP

[welcome-to-oslov]

One thing that keeps me hooked is how Tilrey's growth/healing journey/setbacks/etc are woven throughout the saga, and central to it.

Unfortunately when something really traumatic & ongoing happens to you at such a young age, you definitely spend time re-facing it/re-facing yourself at every stage: in your 20s, your 30s, your 40s, in your friend/family/lover/colleague relationships, when you become a parent, as you build career, when you see yourself reflected in others, etc.

The recent ask about how Tilrey told himself at the beginning that "he'd made his choice" (which he implied no one but a worthless person would do, so he must be - devastating indeed, and you would subconsciously carry that with you) really struck a chord. And how you've said that in Oslov Unraveled one thing he must finally figure out (and overcome) why he's so uncomfortable claiming power.

What do you think are some of the most pivotal moments of growth/healing/self-knowledge Tilrey's had over the years - and some of the most pivotal setbacks to his healing/evolution? Or, if not most pivotal, what have been your favorites :)

I'm also dying to ask your thoughts of what you hope to see in Oslov Unraveled, but don't want to spoil it for ourselves - since you're the author 😅🙌

I have to think about this, because Tilrey has had such a long character arc across all the stories! I just started writing some “deleted scenes” from the very beginning, before the start of AtKoB, and I remembered something, which is that young Tilrey initially believes he’s “saving his sector” when he goes to Redda, because that’s what Supervisor Fernei told him to make him cooperate.

So that’s where his arc starts: naively believing that every trauma he experiences is for a good cause. When he starts suspecting that’s not the case, he also starts seeing his “choice” to cooperate as cowardly and bad.

I think this is a pattern he experiences over and over. Sometimes he thinks that everything he undergoes is in service of a higher cause, which gives him an incentive to be active, plan, scheme, fight. Then everything suddenly seems useless, and he feels powerless and falls into depression and self-hatred again.

He feels a sense of triumph every time he learns to exercise some control over a situation, even if it’s as bad as living with Malsha or Verán. But with Gersha, and then with the True Hearth, he finally starts to get some traction and find ways to have agency. He sees that he can do more than just survive.

The interrogation where Ranek Egil forces him to admit he was raped is a milestone, because he starts acknowledging that not everything was a “choice” as he once believed. He can realize he lacked agency in the past and still seek agency now. Reclaiming his sexuality and ability to feel love with Gersha is a milestone. Confronting Malsha and not being afraid of him anymore, same. After that, and reconciling with Gersha on his own terms, he’s ready to work with the rebellion and be a leader and not just a tool.

But throughout all these stages, he has moments of backsliding into self-hatred and feeling powerless. I think one problem is that he still doesn’t know how to express his anger except by turning it on himself. He does express some of it with Vera and Tollsha during the whole unexpected pregnancy debacle. But usually he uses sex, especially D/s, as a way to channel anger and aggression.

The character of Einara is sort of a shadow self who represents Tilrey’s anger and aggression to him. So when he asks her to hurt him, it’s therapeutic, but he’s still not fully facing those emotions.

I just reread the moment in Crosscurrents and Consequences where Tilrey says no to Besha for the first time. It may seem trivial, but it’s a big deal to him, the beginning of saying no more often. Years later, when Lindahl asks him for sex, he says no with zero apologies, and that one seemingly small no becomes a catalyst for the sequence of events leading to the revolution.

So: At the time of Unraveled, he has love and affection and support in his life, but he still struggles with forgiving himself, with expressing anger, with claiming the power he now has, with saying no. I don’t know if anyone ever entirely solves these problems, but he can still make progress.

One thing I want him to do is make peace with his angry, raging inner self, and I do have an idea for that. ☺️ Having sex with Einara helped him but didn’t really heal their conflict.

So anyway, I’m still thinking about these character arcs, but it’s great to have readers who understand how these issues recur cyclically throughout a person’s life and don’t just get “cured.” Thank you for the question! ❤️

[springtrappd]

Hey,

First of all. I hope you're okay, I'm a fan of SL but I know how batshit people can get. Evidenced by the fact you both are getting buried in shit for no reason other than opinions. Is very uncool, and u apologise that my fellow fans have done such a thing to you.

Secondly, I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of some good websites/search terms where I can read up on systems? I've found in the past that Google doesn't necessarily throw you in the right direction when you don't know where to start looking. (My poor friends put up with so much from me, i love them for it)

I recently stepped out of the Botw fandom and into the Fnaf one, by which I mean I started writing about the DCA. I'm not familiar with the concept of systems and such and want to make sure I'm doing the things right. When I started I never would've considered that I could upset someone, after not really spotting anything in SL it has made me wonder if I could be guilty of the same accidental stuff.

I understand if you don't have the time/energy left for this. Response or no, have a good day/night x

hey! sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. there's no need to apologise, but i accept it anyway -- thank you! and yes, i can absolutely do that! i do want to note, though, that the specific problem with b/amsara's portrayal of the dca is not necessarily in inaccuracies to the dissociative experience, but in continually 1) depicting the dca as dissociative and 2) portraying that as what makes them scary. and because this is taking place in the context of x reader content, it steps from the realm of bog-standard ableism into fetishisation. like any form of prejudice, it's only by understanding how ableism manifests that we can recognise it and, in turn, strive to do better. i feel a need to reiterate this because my Point got kinda lost in all the chaos and it's pretty important, so, uh

anyway, here's a list of resources:

DISSOCIATION Overview of Dissociative Disorders (MSD Manuals Consumer Version, 2021) Dissociation debates: everything you know is wrong (2018) Disintegrated Experience: The Dissociative Disorders Revisited (1991) Alter Functions (via DID Research) Dissociation, shame, complex PTSD, child maltreatment and intimate relationship self-concept in dissociative disorder, chronic PTSD and mixed psychiatric groups (2009)

ABLEISM Mental Health Conditions in Film & TV: Portrayals that Dehumanize and Trivialize Characters (pdf) Mental illness and violence: Debunking myths, addressing realities Understanding ableism and negative reactions to disability The Impact of Films on Viewer Attitudes towards People with Schizophrenia

OTHER FUN(?) STUFF Stages of memory - encoding storage and retrieval. The Nature of Women's Rape Fantasies: An Analysis of Prevalence, Frequency, and Contents What Is a Microaggression? Everyday Insults With Harmful Effects The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook (book)

thanks for reaching out, and i hope these help! (highly encourage anyone with any further recs/information to pitch in, also)

[crackinwise]

Hmmm. This is a timely story to tell (and a better written show should tell it, with input from girls/women & trans kids in sports also), but it's like they made what are serious issues into trivial, almost satire moments. Compared to how original Quantum Leap handled its stories of racism, homophobia, ableism, etc., it seems so Twitter-level shallow. (Altho they did fuck up their actual Women's Lib episode severely back then.)

Making the only girl on the basketball team that's slightly irked by a trans teammate be a white girl who's just bitter she's not as good and really being pushed by her stereotypical "Karen" mom, rubbed me the wrong way. Like, instead of delving into real worries, misconceptions and nuance that can be discussed, the ep only presents the problem as Evil Cis Women: The Meme. Again and again it was women in the wrong and men being progressive here. Whitewashing the main threat that men in positions of power and men killing trans women of color on the streets are to trans rights & safety.

For example: having the principle, who's a Black woman, be a hardass antagonist and use "ain't nobody got time for that"; the "mY mOm ThE FeMiNiSt" line just for stating the fact women have facial hair; the mom being the wrong one for protecting her daughter while Ben as the dad is the hero fighting for her visibility; Addison feeling guilty she personally didn't somehow save trans soldiers from a ban as if women in the military don't face their own problems of being routinely raped by fellow soldiers and officers; and having the "Karen" caricature be the one to mention women's Title IX fight as if we're supposed to find something wrong with that achievement. It all sounded so Derogatory. How do you lift trans kids by slapping down other women? The writers then seemed to keep writing angry outbursts for the trans girl, which... They know that's not a helpful image, right? Whose side are they playing on?

In the end, the cause is won because a Black teammate told the "Karen" all the girls would end up getting blood tests and body exams by the school if she didn't back down, referencing Black women mistreated in sports, both intersex and not. So...how is that a fix for anything when it's just using scare tactics at the expense of misogynoir to shut the Evil Woman up? "Haha they do it to Black women all the time," and that's just shrugged off?!? This whole thing about trans kids in sex segregated sports gets summed up as a 'weird women adults vs wise kids' issue as if irl girls in sports don't have their own questions and opinions that people keep talking over on both sides. It feels like this episode tried to say something but then stomped on its own foot.

[rpbetter]

"writes dubcon therefore is a freak who should be bullied off the site" ho boy i'm fed up with people acting as if consenting adults writing [insert "problematic" fictional thing here] is the worst thing in the world. seen way too many people justifying harrassment of REAL PEOPLE by "they write thing that triggers me". ok, and? mute the tags or don't follow! "it triggers someone" is not a valid reason to ban a topic. piano music triggers me yet i don't go around demanding everyone stop playing the piano.

Anon, not only is everything you said absolutely valid, but also, thank you for demonstrating that triggers are incredibly varied and as such, we cannot predict everyone's triggers. Making the entire "point" of banning for possible triggers invalidated as hell.

We should be aware of things like the most commonly occurring phobias (things like arachnophobia and coulrophobia that are, additionally, easily triggered by imagery) and tag them. We should be aware of very obvious triggers, that are, again, easily set off by imagery, like blood, eye trauma, and depictions of domestic violence. And we should always read and be aware of our writing partners' stated triggers so that we can tag them appropriately or even decide that it isn't going to work because our muse, canon story, or interests are going to present an unfair situation in this partnership.

But triggers can be highly unusual, as well as activated differently (even at different times) for everyone. I'm not triggered by seeing hotel rooms in pictures or movies, I'm not triggered by writing scenes that take place in them, but I'm triggered to some degree by being in one. It's outrageous oversimplification to act like all triggers are the same, they all display the same way, they're all going to trigger someone on the same basis, everyone's going to react the same to their triggers. There is absolutely no way to prevent 100% of possible triggers for 100% of the population, 100% of the time.

Add to this that way too many people trivialize triggers by throwing around that term to justify the banning of something that makes them uncomfortable or that they take a personal, moral issue with. "I don't like this" and "I'm grossed out by this" and "this makes me feel uncomfortable" is not being triggered. It's just a good way to weaponize the better nature of other people so that they comply.

Most people legitimately do not want to trigger someone, especially if they have triggers and know what it's like. Just like no one wants to be accused of cruelty towards trauma survivors in general, or be designated a pedo, rape apologist, or fascist. They're all things to weaponize in order to isolate, shame, and control. And that's really fucking gross. These are serious, real things that have no business being trivialized to police content, win internet arguments, or garner popularity.

The potential for someone to be triggered isn't a reason to ban anything; we have tags, we have blacklist.

While I'll be the first to say that tumblr's blacklisting can be as shitty as everything else on the site, the primary issue with running into content you don't want to see comes down to two factors: no one tagging/tagging correctly and actively exposing yourself to that content. Going through people's properly done tags and blog warnings about their content in order to "call it out" is actively exposing yourself by choice. You actual walnuts.

Calling people on on their "problematic" content is bringing those topics to the attention of other people. That's the whole point of this gross behavior: look at the freak pedo abuse apologist I found, they write dubcon!! Don't look if you'll be triggered uwu

Buddy, pal, my guy...you just put that on blast for anyone to run across. Maybe their blacklist catches those words in your callout post, maybe it doesn't. Maybe they think you're a safe space because you promote yourself that way, so they click it anyway. Point is, you just willfully and irresponsibly exposed people because it's more important to you to demonize a rando on tumblr RPing something you take issue with. Good job!

Furthermore, dubcon itself is such a hilarious issue to take. Do they realize that isn't always sexual, or? Not? I'm thinking not. Funnily enough, one of the oldest posts I've been working on for this blog is about exactly this topic, the myriad situations that are dubious consent. That doesn't have to be sexual, and neither does it have to be intentionally predatory. You can come up with some amazing character development with a lot of muses in the RPC with dubcon because almost everyone's muse has some manner of trauma that might negate their perception of their own consent...and what do you do then? Is it removing more agency from that muse to shut them down, or is that always the better option? Can you separate your opinion as the mun from your muse's natural reactions? How does this impact the muses involved not just that moment but the next year?

Point is, dubcon isn't always some rapey situation. Even if it was, even if someone is writing it that way, it's literally not your business or your problem.

There's one mutual-in-law on my RP blog that really bothers me. They write things that I find fetishizing, incredibly rapey, all around shit that bothers me. I don't want to see it, some of the things they write makes my damn skin crawl. This person doesn't know it, we certainly don't speak and I don't think they like me very much, but I've repeatedly defended their right, specifically their right as a person with some long-term callouts on them, to write what they want to. I have them blocked and their urls blacklisted so I never have to see my mutual reblogging their threads. It's not a problem because I don't click "show anyway." Why would I, if it genuinely bothers me so much?

That's how you handle things that bother you; you use the tools available to not interact even by accident. Not by launching a morality crusade.

If any of us want to write what we enjoy, we have to allow others that same freedom. It's always a matter of time before this policing grows to include more and more topics, it's been used multiple times to get well-meaning people who don't fall into the general demographics to police queer, BIPOC, and other marginalized groups off of platforms. We've been fortunate in most of the RPC that it implodes on itself before it gets all the way there, but even so, you can see it.

It starts with things that produce a visceral reaction in the great majority of people, positions this with a repeatedly condemned idea presented as solid fact that fiction is reality, and you've got the start of something awful. Today it's something you don't like, maybe even something that triggers you, so you either support it or you quietly allow it to happen. Who needs to write that "freak shit" anyway, can't they just be gross privately? Six months from now, it's something "problematic" that you enjoy like violence that's canon-typical for your muse, or your OTP because they're gay and that's fetishizing, they're cis male and female but one or both is bi and that's bad representation, or they canonically have a rocky relationship so that's romanticizing toxic/abusive relationships.

If you can't care for any other reason, you really should care about how it is going to impact you sooner or later. In an environment like this, you can stay in your space, put warnings on your blog, and tag properly and you're still going to get a callout if the wrong person finds your blog. Just takes a single person with more time, energy, and skewed ideas of justice than they have reading comprehension or common sense.

Again, I cannot encourage people enough to give warnings, but it's difficult to ignore why those warnings are slipping; they're a way to be found, designated as a Problem, and called out. Look, it's another reason why callouts actually make things worse, not better! People put that shit in their rules so you can avoid content, they're being responsible and interested in promoting a safe RPC. Let them do it, damn.

You can't tag everything, and if you've never experienced what a giant series of repetitive tags is like on a screenreader you probably should before you tag seven paragraphs of possible issues. You can tag for visuals, you can tag for the obvious things, and you can tag for what's in the rules you agreed to when you followed/followed back. But you should also warn people that you write "dark topics" on the tin, and expand on that in your rules for specific things like graphic violence, toxic relationships, dubon, and addiction.

That's how responsible adults, not over-aged children, make better decisions about their mental health and general comfort. Not by appointing themselves the watchdogs of the damn RPC, here to protect you whether you want to be or not, find that incredibly insulting or not when you're in one of their categories of people who must be protected, by forcibly banning Problematic Everything. Problematic, of course, being entirely in the eye of the content police.

It's fiction. No one and nothing real was harmed. It's great that you are so invested in the fictional world and people that make you happy, but take a fucking big step back into reality. The real people you're harming with your bullshit had every right to peaceably exist. If what they're writing is triggering to you, stay. away. from. it.

Without any coincidence whatsoever, that's how you get from the base-point of Problematic Material to Problematic Mun. Yeah, it's just fiction, it's just RP, but I also took something out of context OOC or was upset by their tone on their own blog or couldn't exercise the minimal adult logic to remove myself from their presence OOC as well. So, now, you've got OOC behavior being added to the callout, if it wasn't already. Everyone is now ableist, transphobic, racist, and a misogynist because it lends that visceral reaction to the callout and ups the game from just being "y'all so gross you aged up a cartoon character to ship" to "this is REAL and it won't be tolerated! OP is actually a pedophile, they told a sexual joke in a discord server with a minor present and I have the receipts!"

What are the most storied callouts in the entire RPC? I'm absolutely certain the same names came to mind no matter what fandoms you're in, and one of them was "Matt." Another was probably "Ares/Snow". They're all successful and keep being brought up out of the closet anytime people are bored enough because their primary punch is the mun themselves being a predatory threat to the community. The mun is verified to be a bad person. Well, of course, that's got to be repeated, it worked. (Even if it did not, at all, work and only made it harder for people to avoid any of these muns.)

Are there people in the RPC who are legitimately a problem? Absolutely, yes. We're all supposed to be adults, however. Part of being an adult is having and acting upon one's agency. If someone is coercing you into things you are not comfortable with, shut it down. If you have difficulties being certain of those situations, run it by a trusted, honest friend or available, impartial source in the RPC for a second opinion. If you can't handle any manner of confrontation, there really are situations in which it's perfectly alright to block someone without any discussion. It's just the internet, you're in control of your space. Own it.

Minors are a whole other can of fucked up worms I'm not even getting into right now except to say that because a minor exists in a space they were told to stay out of does not mean we ban all topics inappropriate for their consumption.

tl;dr: banning shit doesn't work anyway, the whole idea is predicated upon some incredibly problematic takes IRL, and no, there's no justification for it outside of intense personal problems with one's own importance. That energy would be infinitely better spent volunteering one's time to help real people in crisis or after surviving one, or even oneself in developing some healthier approaches and thought patterns.

[blanddcheadcanons]

I don't know how to articulate this. There is a very specific genre of headcanon in fandom where they describe something bigoted, hateful, or (I don't know how else to say it) rapey. And then announce that a superhero will beat up anyone who does that thing. The point of it seems to be to highlight how good that hero is. And how aggressively they fight injustice. Beating up rapists and pedophiles is a good thing (and consequence free in fiction). But like I just read a headcanon about a hero warning the JSA that no one should perv on the younger heroes or they'll beat them up. What I'm saying is that should go without saying but more importantly no pedophiles should be on the JSA y'know? Like that story would suck. Also it should go without saying that everyone would join in on beating the predator to a bloody pulp. They're heroes that solve things with superpowered violence. Saying it is redundant. And a bummer to think about. I already get flack for posting dark headcanons. I don't really wanna post a trend of headcanons like that. It just reminded me of how terrible Identity Crisis was. Having a tragic Justice League story about rape and mind wiping done in that way was in poor taste. It corrupted a lot of great characters in the comics and presenting rape in that way trivialized it. I'm not saying you can't talk about serious stuff in comics I'm saying if it was in poor taste when they did it in Identity Crisis, it's in poor taste here on this blog. I dunno I might be overreacting. But please if you want to show how good a hero is please show them doing good things. Don't imagine the most horrible thing you can think of and have that superhero beat them up.

[pillage-and-lute]

You know what, you're a fucking racist hypocrite. You hate Yennefer because she *may have* had a rape orgy (she didn't) but you love Jaskier? He wanted the countess to fall back in love with him! That's ALSO rape, but since he's white... I seriously don't see why people even listen to you. I'm glad you're fucking depressed. You're a horrible person and you should be depressed. I hope you off yourself.

Alright, so this is not the sort of thing I really needed in my inbox today, but let’s address all this. TW: RAPE, DATE RAPE, ABUSE, RACISM, DEPRESSION, SUICIDE, SELF HARM

Number One: I am white. I am not denying the fact that I have internalized biases by being white especially in a mostly white area, however, I have worked hard (and am still working) to educate myself and address those biases so that I am able to use the white privilege I have to help POC. It is in no way impossible that my biases and upbringing have influenced my feelings on the characters. I don’t actually believe this is the case here because.

Number Two: I DO NOT hate Yennefer. I really love her, and as a former abuse victim myself, I really wish to adopt a large part of her character in my own life. She allows herself to be angry at the mistreatment she has received. A large part of the rhetoric in abuse recovery is forgiving the other person, which I believe is fully bullshit. They deserve my anger and I deserve to be angry at being mistreated and being a part of a system that mistreats me. 

Number Three: I didn’t know until recently that the orgy scene was intended to be consensual. I have also been on the receiving end of date rape drugging and it just really hit too close to home. (PSA: Even if he’s your bf, it doesn’t always mean you should let him near your drink)

Number Four: It actually never ocurred to me that Jaskier was serious in his wishes. It seemed a very sudden way to introduce being murderous as a part of Jaskier’s personality (wanting Valdo Marx to die). We’ve seen that he’s a little pushy and overdramatic, but a murderer? Also, Jaskier is a story teller, and what are the rules all genies and djinns have in stories? No making others fall in love and no more wishes.

I truly just assumed that Jaskier was trying to show Geralt how stupid he looked, wishing for trivial things. I never actually considered that he believed the djinn would work. Obviously, Geralt knew djinns were real and the issue was real (and that they can apparently make people fall in love) but I really didn’t even think Jaskier was trying to wish those things for real. 

Number Five: The depression thing. I’ve addressed and am working through my past issues, so I think you should do me the same courtesy and not tell strangers on the internet to kill themselves. I’ve gone through years of therapy and, although I am definitely depressed, I am not a danger to myself. Other people may not be in such a situation. 

I mean this in no uncertain terms. You could cause someone’s death.

If you truly believe that this would be a good thing, that someone’s choices in who they choose to like or dislike within a fictional universe is something someone should die for, that is really and truly sad. There is also no helping you, at that point, because you lack empathy and the ability to see the bigger picture. So, I’ll talk to the selfish part of you that doesn’t care about anyone but yourself. Technically, you could be sued, if someone killed themselves and it was felt that you instigated it. That would be manslaughter, or historically may even be second degree murder. 

You think it’s unlikely. Perhaps you would never be convicted, but your name would be dragged through the mud, and it should be. It would also be permanent public record. Also, you may think you’re safe because you sent this on anon. I can also report you. And have.

To wrap it up: I understand and am learning about fandom racism, and, like you, wish for this fandom to be a kinder, safer place for fans of color, however, I feel you have gone about it in the wrong way. I did not mean to absolve Jaskier of any guilt because I had actually never considered that he was serious in his wishes, but thank you for bringing it to my attention. Or, I would thank you except you took the knowledge that I’m struggling with my mental help and still decided to tell me to kill myself, so actually. Fuck Off. 

[inessencedevided]

The Untamed, episode 45 - watching notes

I'm at this stage of fandom rn where it's really hard to concentrate on anything else 😅

Every song I listen to gets dissected for how it relates to wangxian

I need to concentrate on my thesis but instead I'm pondering how the untamed raises questions about collectivism vs individualism and how my western perception of that might differ greatly from a native chinese person or even the author's intention

Can't I just write my thesis about THAT?

Alas, I digress ...

Back to our regular programming :D

Last time one Sophie watches the untamed wwx went all Sherlock on us and used his formidable skills of deduction to expose Backpfeifengesicht's plan of killing everyone and blaming it on wwx

I've heard from several people that the next few episodes are their favourites, so no high expectations at all :D

Nobody wipes the blood on their chins away. Might be about the aesthetic

I adore detective-duo-wangxian so much!! Especially because wwx does 99% of the talking but then lwj will chime in with a single word and it's 100% devastating :D

If anyone knows any well written case-fics for these two, please, I need recs! (For after the show)

Backpfeifengesicht makes good one point and that is that jgy already is at the top of the cultivation world. So what does he gain from all this?

Or is it simply that he's afraid of wwx because he's a rebel and might act against him? (Don't answer that. I wanna find out through the show ;))

Wwx just casually revealed that he's been to cloud recess and that he handles went to the restricted section forbidden chamber. What will you do about, Lan Qiren? Huh? 😂

Oooh! Backpfeifengesicht is the ghosted faced man! I thought it was Jiggy himself!!! 😱

That makes way more sense though!

Lan Sizhui! Jin Ling! Oh you brave boys! 😭

Someone hold me 😭

But why does he not take zidian now? He's done so before!

"You little fool!" Is "I love you" in Jiang-Cheng-speak :D

"We're done for! What can we do??" - wwx *strips*

Sorry

Bahahaha 😂😂😂

I just burst out laughing waaay to loudly for the fact that I've got people sleeping in the room next to mine

But look at Lan Qiren when he sees wwx strop to reveal anat is probably his nephew's undershirt 😂😂😂

He's probably questioning every decision that's let him to this point :D

This is completely inconsequential,but I couldn't keep quiet about it anymore because I every time he makes this motion, it always sends a shiver down my spine!!! Notice that wwx (or rather Xiao Zhan) is one of these people whose fingers bend in the opposite direction??? I know it's just a normal thing some people can do, but I can't watch it!! It makes my fingers hurt just looking at it 🙈🙈🙈

Is he turning himself into a demon lure flag?? 😱

Lan Jingyi 🥺🥺🥺

Also does wwx now just transfer his self-sacrificing tendencies to lwj?

Nothing is as hot as these two together in a fight scene

Jiang Cheng doesn't want to leave them behind. He does care! :') he just never unlearned how to unravel his love from his anger

Sizhui running up to greet his dads :')

Look at them! I'm soft guys 💔

He called him Yuan!! 😭😭😭

So this is it. Any doubts I ever had about Sizhui's identity are gone

Will he finally recognize him??

Why don't you say anything lwj? This one time, I beg you!!

Sect Leader Yao still at his gossip shit even 16 years later 🙄

Lam sizhyi is seasick! Why is this so cute! 😭

Oh Wen Ning!! He recognized A-Yuan? Right?

I want to hug Lan Sizhui for his openness and kindness towards everyone he meets, no matter their status or what other people say about them! (Wen Ning now or who he thought was Mo Xuanyu the supposed mad-man) and I wanna hug lan Wangji right after for raising him to be like this :')

Oh Wen Ning! 😭

That's how I'd look at Sizhui, too, if I met him - poor unadulterated wonder :')

And just think about what that means for Wen Ning! He's not the last of the Wens! All their fight wasn't for nothing. This child, their legacy, survived 😭😭😭

"Can I call you A-Yuan" "Of Course." God I'm gonna burst into tears 😭

I'm actually bursting into tears!!

Isn't this the dream of anyone who has ever lost someone? :')

"He's like a brother and father to me" :')

And he raised him from when he was 4 or 5? So ... A-Yuan was about 2 when the Wens died? Right? Then 5 would fit with lwj's 3 year isolation

Ob god, it's the butterfly-toy!!! 😭😭😭

Wen Nings smiling through his tears! I can't! 😭💔And he's got the one from the market!

Aww, wax isn't wearing the white undergarment anymore. Too bad

Oh poor Jin Ling ...

So much grieve that he could probably never process. There so many lost kids in this story, hurt by things they had no control over 😔

I mean, I get it. That's the person who killed his parents (without being in control, but he doesnt know that) and everyone is just talking to him as if it's normal and that didn't happen. But he can't forget,but he doesnt really understand either and he has no outlet. Of course he'd just ... crash 😥

And who would have thought I'd ever try at a flashback of Jin Zixuan's death :(

For once, it'd be nice if the adults actually acted like the parent figures they're supposed to be and explain things to their children 🤦‍♀️

I'm so thankful though, that no one even thinks of scolding him for crying. Jismg Cheng only asked who it was that made him cry (and looks like he'll kick their ass). Generally, thus show has a very healthy attitude towards tears. Most characters cry when they are faced with tragedy, regardless of gender. Men being allowed to have appropriate reactions to grieve (instead of a single men tear or just punching things) is really nice to see

Oh Yao dude whose courtesy name I can't remember, shut up!

Thanks Ouyang Zizhen! You get me

I live for these children standing up to their elders

Meanwhile Nie Huaisang is just on the sidelines, enjoying the show :D never change!

The Lotus Pier theme song alone is making me cry rn 😢

Why can't wen Ning come in?

Oh Sizhui!

He many times do you want to make me cry happy tears today?? :')

Little turnip-baby ❤

But why doesn't lwj say anything ??? 😭

Lan Wangji raised A-Yuan smong a bunch of rabbits??? 😭

Now he's a turnip baby with a taste for carrots, how cute is that? :')

Holy shit, wwx and lwj are really joined at the hip these days of lwj won't enter the hall if wwx isn't allowed to :D

Lwj 😑 "no misbehaviour"

Someone. Knows. Their. Husband.

Okay sorry, but as painful as these cuts must have been and yes, while you do see scars on this prostitute's face, they in no way warrant these horrified gasps as of they had all seen a monster 🙄

Xue yang. Fancy seeing you here in this not at all disturbing sub-plot 😬

Okay that's creepy. That's really creepy

Shouldn't Jin Guangyao have a bit more compassion for these women?

On the other hand, he was born to menacingly stand behind a curtain 🤷‍♀️

W. T. F. ????

Jin Guangshan??? o___O

That's the most skin we've ever seen on this show and it's in a scene like THIS? 😬

THIS IS HOW JIN GUANGSHAN DIED? 😱😱😱

How?

How can you die from sex?

And then jgy made them keep going?

UGH

These poor women :/

So there's someone who set her free on purpose, right?

Bicao has really interesting eyes!

Oh wait, took me some time to catch up. This is about Quin Su and why she killed herself, right?

WHAT??

They were siblings o_O

They just went full game of thrones on this ...

Hey Jin Guangshan, screw you for raping that woman

Wait, is that why jgy had him die like THAT?

I'm so confused about how that happened btw

But why would Jin Guangyao merry quin su anyway? Was this some kind of political marriage that he couldn't call off?

This episode answered some of my questions but raised about a dozen more 😅

@sweetlittlevampire @fandom-glazed @elenirlachlagos @allhailthedramallama @luckymoony @kyrrahbird @i-love-him-on-purpose

5 episodes to go. I'm both happy because I can't wait to brows the untamed tag without looking for spoilers and extremely sad 🥺

Right now I'm planning to watch one episode each day until friday and then watch the last two on Saturday, hopefully quite early, so I can spend the rest of the day crying my eyes out over it, without having to worry about such trivial things as being a functioning adult or a responsible student 😅

[bigskydreaming]

I don't think you know what intrusive thoughts are because they're a lot more serious then your post about Dick Grayson makes them out to be. They are something that should be taken very seriously and you trying to talk about them the way you did was not only trivialising but also kinda insulting to read as someone who actually suffers from intrusive thoughts. Maybe don't bring up serious things like intrusive thoughts when you clearly don't have experience with them. There are plenty of ways to talk about how he's doing without bringing up an actual thing people suffer from.

Five years ago my psychiatrist switched me to a different medication, one I reacted very badly to. I have never actually been suicidal in my life, but after being on that medication for a few days, my depression grew and I started to have specific, visual thoughts of killing myself, how I would do it, etc. I called my psychiatrist to get me on different meds immediately and my boyfriend of the time had to help me through repeated panic attacks over the course of the days before that medication’s effects wore off and the new meds started to work......because I knew they were intrusive thoughts because I DID NOT WANT THEM. I was scared of these thoughts, these ideas and images of killing myself, because I knew I did not actually want to die, I was not suicidal, but these thoughts kept popping into my brain regardless, and I was afraid of what I might do if I failed to recognize one of these intrusive thoughts as being intrusive, and mistook it for something I really thought and wanted and thus saw it as something to actually act upon. 

It was a very shitty week. It is also not the only time I have dealt with intrusive thoughts, and ones that were of entirely different things and that I didn’t want in my head and I was very aware of this.

I wrote that post with full awareness of what intrusive thoughts are, and they were actually the focus of what I was projecting onto the character as something I wanted to see explored, delved into, and see how Dick was written reacting to them. I felt and still feel that while the origin of this scenario is a far-fetched comic book one and not remotely real world plausible, the end result, the part I was focusing on, is still parallel to my own experiences with intrusive thoughts and my views on them. I imagined the idea of Dick having a thought based on the memories the Joker implanted of Dick killing his parents....I felt this would be something he would see as an internal issue but one with an external source...a thought that wasn’t something he wanted, something he actively cultivated or wanted to act upon, but rather something he had no control over and was afraid of because of what it might imply about him or he might see it as something he’s afraid he really is capable of. 

Its not a perfect parallel, of course not! But that doesn’t mean I’m trivializing it by seeing an angle where this particular story about the human condition - which is ultimately what ALL storytelling is, whether its Tolstoy or a comic book - could be explored and built upon, as its something that I’ve never seen touched upon before.

I write a lot of posts about the elements of abuse and attitudes around rape that frequently appear in comics and in fanfics about those comics. I don’t feel this is trivializing the real life equivalents of those things, but rather, doing the opposite of that and trying to bring focus to the elements that appear in fiction that mirror actual reactions and attitudes people have in real life....so that potentially, the things examined and discussed about these issues as they appear in fiction, could some day be relevant to a person and thus provide them a wider view of the situation or a wider range of options for dealing with the situation, than they might have had if they just read take after take on abuse and rape and internalized it all without a second thought....but with those internalized views still now building a foundation for how that person might react to these situations in real life as well....but with that foundation being inherently flawed and unstable because of the shitty quality of the takes its built upon.

I don’t think implying the existence of very complicated issues in a comic book setting is trivializing that issue.....whether it ends up feeling trivialized or not, I feel depends entirely on the execution of the issue within the story. How its handled, treated, whether its kept framed as a matter requiring maturity to interact with or whether its just used as window dressing to make a fic more angsty.

I can see how abruptly that particular thought was placed at the end of that post, on its own, without my mental context for it actually being written out and expanded upon....like, I do see how it could come off as dismissive and just casually thrown in there even if that wasn’t my intention. I do apologize for that. You’re right, it is an important issue and one that deserves respect and maturing when delving into it, and I didn’t make that clear when bringing it into my post, meaning it could just as easily be taken the opposite way. I shouldn’t have ended with that but rather I should have expanded on that there and then. I’ll be more careful of that in the future, especially with intrusive thoughts. 

I do have to say though that I do however stand by my actual premise and thinking that its a valid parallel to explore something that rarely gets explored. I completely understand if this clashes with your own view of how this should be executed or whether it should be executed at all. I don’t actually have anything in mind at the moment, because it was early in the process of actually examining that parallel and so I haven’t fully decided on what direction I want to take there, but I am possibly going to touch on the idea of that parallel again in future posts. So I get it if this is something you’re just fundamentally opposed to and this doesn’t change your mind on it, and I will use the tag “intrusive thoughts tw” on all such posts going forward, so you can blacklist it and hopefully avoid seeing and being frustrated by the reminder I couldn’t or wouldn’t fully view the situation from your POV and change my stance accordingly. I get it. It sucks. And I know that’s not a totally effective solution and stuff might still leak through regardless, just as it sucks to have someone say they get where you’re coming from but still without coming around to your way of viewing it.

 It sucks that our views on the how and when of discussing this issue aren’t compatible, but for whatever its worth, if its worth anything at all, please know that I don’t treat any of the psychological or social effects and ramifications of anything ranging from abuse, rape, intrusive thoughts or neurodivergencies, as something I take lightly. These issues are all very important to me and I raise them and delve into them as much as I do because rather than trivialize them I hope it brings awareness and attention to the more subtle and thus often more harmful perceptions built into a lot of fandom takes on abuse, rape, and neurodivergent characters. It IS important, your upset at seeing something as weighty as intrusive thoughts just tacked onto the end of the post with no indication it’s being fully respected IS valid, and I’m sorry I can’t offer more to resolve that as it may just be that our views on this are simply incompatible for the time being.

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

🎵 Instrument of Surrender

5. "There's absolutely *nothing* wrong with tare-collecting. It's my side-thing too." (Proudly hold out the tare bag.)

GASTON MARTIN - "Oh, I didn't mean to imply there's something *wrong* with that," the jolly man says quickly. "I do it too. Everyone does it. It's an excellent side-thing."

RENÉ ARNOUX- "Yes, yes, yes," the carabineer utters angrily. "Can we conclude the topic of my guard booth now?"

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - He is not going to become an entrepreneur.

2. "I... saw a picture in there. You were in it. You looked... happy. Who's the girl?"

RENÉ ARNOUX- His features stiffen and he gets a cold look. "She... is nobody. This is none of your concern and I refuse to discuss my private affairs with the RCM."

GASTON MARTIN - "The lady is Jeanne-Marie Beaulieu." Gaston speaks with a soft voice. "And she sure as hell wasn't a nobody."

Task complete: Ask René about the photo

+10 XP

3. "Got it, thanks." (Conclude.)

RENÉ ARNOUX- "Yes, yes. Like I said," he brings it up again, "I would be up *anyway*, so might as well keep an eye out. It keeps my senses sharp."

6. [Composure - Legendary 14] What is it about this old soldier that makes him stand so proud?

-1 Threw the *boule* in the sea. +1 Know René's job-situation.

COMPOSURE [Legendary: Success] - As René turns from you to his partner and back, the medals on his chest rattle and glare. He keeps his spine straight and his ribcage lifted, displaying them proudly.

How many medals are there?

COMPOSURE - Two. The larger one is shaped like a cross, while the smaller medal resembles the sun.

Look at the cross.

Look at the sun.

COMPOSURE - A crowned head in front of two crossed rifles. The medal hangs from a blue striped triangle.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - It is the *Croix de Bravoure* -- Cross of Valour. The Cross was the highest battlefield decoration in the Suzerain's armed forces, awarded for exceptional bravery in the line of duty in service of King Frissel the First.

2. Look at the sun.

COMPOSURE - A small blue star inside an orange sun. It has the word *Vaillance* written below.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - *The Setting Sun* was a decoration used to distinguish seasoned combat veterans in service of King Frissel the First during the Revolution.

"*Croix de Bravoure* and The Setting Sun." (Point to his chest.) "Did you get them for..."

RENÉ ARNOUX- "For bravery," he interjects.

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - It's a conflicted topic for the old veteran. There must have been a number of controversial episodes in his service days.

"That's what I was going to say, bravery."

"Not for killing babies or…?"

"Not for raping women or...?"

"For bravery?"

RENÉ ARNOUX- "I'm sure. But I know this uniform's reputation: You were also wondering if I got these for raping women or killing babies."

"No, I really wasn't, I'm just asking."

"So, did you?"

"I don't know the reputation of… *anything*. Don't even recognize the war."

"Sounds controversial. Let's talk about something else."

RENÉ ARNOUX- "Son, we should never forget our past. Lots of mistakes were made back then, but they were also lessons." His voice takes on a tutor-like quality.

"Forgetting those times means the mistakes were for nothing. That all those people died for nothing."

RHETORIC [Trivial: Success] - Whoaa... sounds like you're about to open the gates of conversation -- this man will literally talk your ear off, if you let him wander off to Memory Lane.

"So what *did* you get the medals for?"

"Sounds like there's a story there, but I'd like to talk about something else right now."

RENÉ ARNOUX- "For doing my duty in the heat of battle, for looking my mortality in the eye, when men like Gaston here hid in the bushes and shat themselves..."

GASTON MARTIN - "He saved some *maudit* princeling who foolishly strolled into the front line in his gown of velvet and gold."

"Saved a princeling?"

"Listen, René, I might wanna hear that story later, but right now I have more important things to discuss."

RENÉ ARNOUX- "It was on the first months of the Revolution here in Revachol. Unrest was spreading like wildfire. Marauders had taken most of the Couron and were getting *really* ambitious."

"King Frissel thought he could end it all in one decisive strike." The old carabineer runs his fingers over the larger medal. "Sent his cousin, Drysant, to put an end to the unrest."

"Alas, the young Drysant was all piss and no vinegar, wearing a tunic of purple velvet and cockatoo feathers to battle." He spits. "Even his rifle was *gold-plated*. Shone from five klicks away. Can you imagine the asininity?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Purple velvet tunic," the lieutenant says thoughtfully. "That isn't exactly *camo*."

RENÉ ARNOUX - "To keep the long and bloody story short, Drysant marched us against the partisans in Couron. And when I say 'marched', I mean made us walk into captured enemy territory single-file, like toy soldiers, while he rode in front on his giant red stallion."

The rebels were smart. They let us come real close before opening fire. Suffice to say, it was carnage."

"Must have been a bloodbath."

"Pretty damn clever indeed."

"Bastards…" (Slowly shake your head.)

RENÉ ARNOUX - "I got shot in the left shoulder and went down. Just a flesh wound, but just as I turned over, the prince fell into the mud next to me. He was missing his lower jaw."

"Then his horse, driven mad by the noise and smell of gunpowder, stepped on my leg and shattered my knee." He pats his right thigh.

VOLITION [Easy: Success] - Hang on to the story -- veterans get sentimental after such *retellings* -- this might yield something useful.

"Okay... then what did you do?"

"Shattered knee… interesting. Actually, can we pick it up later and do questions now?"

RENÉ ARNOUX - "I grabbed my sidearm and shot the beast in the head. Then everything went black."

GASTON MARTIN - "*Capitaine Arnoux -- le fléau des chevaux*!"

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - The bane of horses.

RENÉ ARNOUX - "When I came to, it was all over," he continues, ignoring his companion. "It was just me and jawless Drysant, gurgling in the blood-soaked mud right next to me."

"The dink had taken numerous flesh wounds and lost a lot of blood, but despite missing his jaw he seemed hesitant to die. Tougher than he looked, that one."

"That's no dink, that's a fighter!"

"I'd give up. Can't imagine living without my jaw." (Touch your jaw.)

"This would never happen to Johnny Law-jaw." (Point to your jaw.) "My jaw is tight."

"I've been through worse."

RENÉ ARNOUX - "He didn't." A shadow of respect crosses his face. "I hoisted the prick on my back and started crawling. Kept going until the 59th Cavalry picked us up."

"Through some miracle we both survived. And the jawless freak convinced Frissel to give me a medal for not leaving him to die in his own blood, piss, and shit."

"He was the commanding officer and I was on duty. Just doing my job. Shouldn't hand out medals for that..." He shakes his head. "Thirteen months later I received 'The Sun'. For distinguished service. It's not worth mentioning."

+5 XP

COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - You sense he's downplaying it -- he did a lot more than his duty. More than anyone's duty. It's in his spine, in his billowing breast. An untarnished self worth.

"Sounds like you're being modest, René."

"Thanks for the story, René!" (Conclude.)

RENÉ ARNOUX - The old carabineer stands quietly like a statue, his features motionless.

GASTON MARTIN - "What *Monseigneur Modestie* is not telling you is that he crawled over seven kilometres before the cavalrymen found him and Drysant. Two days later that was."

"And that even whilst crawling with a mangled half-dead prince on his back, he still managed to murder three rebels on his way."

COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - Is that... pride in his voice? It's deep down, but -- maybe even unbeknownst to the man himself -- it's there.

"Hold on, you're just a *little bit* proud of René's heroics, aren't you?"

"Quite impressive. It's men like René who made Revachol great once."

"I'm not impressed. All those heroics and where is he now? No, you gotta play to win. Look after *you* first."

"This doesn't seem like a good moment to express an opinion." (Lean closer.) "I don't wanna risk it."

GASTON MARTIN - "Sorry, officer, but you're reading me all wrong." He chuckles. "I'm a man of peace and these kinds of bloody 'heroics' are only impressive to men like René himself. Certainly not to me."

"How did *you* find the story to be, officer?"

3. "This doesn't seem like a good moment to express an opinion." (Lean closer.) "I don't wanna risk it."

RENÉ ARNOUX - "*Bon dieu*," he mumbles, slowly shaking his head. "You and Gaston must be related. His blood runs yellow too."

GASTON MARTIN - "Maybe, maybe, but also bear in mind, officer..." He points to the sun-shaped medal on René's chest. "They don't hand these out for anyone with a service record."

"Oh no, you have to get shot." He nods eagerly. "Repeatedly. And you need to get your hands bloody too. Really *really* bloody."

RENÉ ARNOUX - "Do not speak of what you know nothing about, poltroon!" He slams the heel of his boot in the ground. "Duty is something you will never understand."

2. "Thanks for the story, René!" (Conclude.)

RENÉ ARNOUX - "Bah!" His gaze wanders over the bay. "There were many such stories in those days. Many such men too. True Revacholians, men with *backbone*."

GASTON MARTIN - "Oh yes, René, yes..." The jolly man nods meekly. "Men were bigger, girls were prettier, and everyone was a *fascha* -- Lord, please bring those days back, if you can!"

RENÉ ARNOUX - "I'm *not* getting into this with you again." He mumbles through clenched teeth and turns to you. "Officer, was there anything else?"

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Easy: Success] - You should try to come up with a heroic story of your own -- impress this old soldier.

As you can see, our chances of passing this red check are *far* too low right now.

7. "Thank you for your time!" [Leave.]

Let's get back to making sure those guys aren't trashing Kim's car.

PISSF****T - "The palm tree livery should be, like, pastel green. Fucking tropic shit..." He gazes dreamily at Lieutenant Kitsuragi's motor carriage.

FUCK THE WORLD - "I can see it, bright as day. Oh, if we were SKULLS right now..."

"Who are you?"

FUCK THE WORLD - "I can tell you who we're not, cop. We're *not* snitches, f****ts, or SKULLS."

PISSF****T - "Which is not to say that the SKULLS are bitches and f****ts. On the contrary..."

FUCK THE WORLD - "The part of this presentation you wanna take home with you, cop-man, is: We're not part of the SKULLS. Yet."

AUTHORITY [Medium: Success] - These *skull* people are more than an authority. They're deities.

"Who are the *SKULLS*?"

"Do you know anything about the murder that took place here?" (Point to the yard.)

"Do you guys know Cindy the SKULL?"

"What's with the jackets?"

"Well, talking with you has definitely been something." [Leave.]

FUCK THE WORLD - "You don't know? What kind of cop are you?"

"I'm so glad you asked!"

"Of course I do, I'm just testing you boys."

"No, I really don't."

PISSF****T - "The question was rhetorical," he replies, raising his open hand. "The SKULLS are *the* most vicious gang of the Besmertnyé."

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - Besmertnyé or the Besmertie -- the *immortals* -- are West Revacholian crime syndicates.

FUCK THE WORLD - "The nastiest bunch of psychos ever! Jacking carriages and getting into high-speed chases."

PISSF****T - "Possessing an infinite amount of fuck-all swagger, infamous for their non-verbal *modus operandi*."

"Non-verbal?"

Say nothing.

KIM KITSURAGI - "If a SKULL spots you, he will pull out his dagger and stab you without saying a word."

COMPOSURE [Easy: Success] - The lieutenant's voice is as calm as usual -- a testament to the violence and death he's witnessed through the sight of his firearm.

KIM KITSURAGI - "They usually occupy the Burnt-Out Quarter in Jamrock. Or you can find them loitering around their brightly-painted, bottom-lighted vehicles."

FUCK THE WORLD - "Oh, I can't wait to become a SKULL. Bottom-lights are *wretched* aggressive."

2. "Do you know anything about the murder that took place here?" (Point to the yard.)

FUCK THE WORLD - "Murder?"

"A man was hanged in the backyard of the Whirling-in-Rags."

"Never mind, this is useless."

FUCK THE WORLD - "Yeah, sure, we'll gladly tell you everything we know about it." He clears his throat. "It was a man."

PISSF****T - "Also, he was hanged."

"Anything else?"

"Don't fuck around. I am the law."

+1 Lawbringer

PISSF****T - "He was hanged from a tree."

FUCK THE WORLD - "Yeah, I mean... duh."

KIM KITSURAGI - "These punks don't know anything. Let's just move along."

FUCK THE WORLD - "Hey! Stop right there! How does one know anything?"

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - Ah -- this sounds like epistemology. A field so occupied by thought that it begins to question thought itself.

Level up!

"I know that you don't know shit."

"I'm not going to entertain you with this any longer."

FUCK THE WORLD - "Exactly! How can one know shit? For example: How can one be sure that there truly is a body hanging behind the hostel?"

PISSF****T - "What if it's art... or just a mere spectre?"

"Believe me, I'd know. I *know* spectres." (Rub your temple.)

"That could be the case, yes... a brilliant work of art!"

"It's not. A man is dead and we need answers."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant raises an eyebrow but does not comment.

3. "Do you guys know Cindy the SKULL?"

PISSF****T - "Oh yeah, Cindy's a right proper SKULL..." The young man's eyes glaze over, his voice filled with longing.

FUCK THE WORLD - "Yeah," the other guy lights up too. "A true artist of the future, just like Arno van Eyck."

PISSF****T - "By the way, if you see Cindy, give her our regards," he adds, returning from whatever void he was just visiting.

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - Odd. There isn't a hint of hate in them. It's like they're 'Pissf****t' and 'Fuck the World' out of some kind moral obligation.

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Trivial: Success] - The lieutenant, on your left, is unusually lenient toward them.

"I see you kids are into anodic dance music?"

"Why aren't there more SKULLS in Martinaise?"

"Your rhetoric is confusing. Are you a part of the SKULLS or not?"

"Enough about this *skullery* then." (Conclude.)

FUCK THE WORLD - "Oh, man, yeah!" he exclaims, then stops himself, processing the rest of your question. "We're not fucking kids, man!"

PISSF****T - "Be wary of the abyss," his blond friend adds ominously and points to his temple.

"Why?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Probably because of how *non-verbal* their mode of operation is going to be," the lieutenant answers for the two rebels. "It's a threat."

"A threat? Good. I like those."

"Don't fuck with me, boys. I'm one of the bad cops."

"I just wanted to talk about music and now there's a conflict all of the sudden... it's too much." (Nervously shake your head.)

PISSF****T - "Uh... that's right," the young man says, looking unsure of himself. "You... you should back off and let silence rule supreme."

AUTHORITY [Easy: Success] - What is wrong with you? Now you're just empowering these punks.

KIM KITSURAGI - "This is ridiculous." The lieutenant gives you an irritated glance. "Boys, do you know why the gang is called SKULLS?"

PISSF****T - "Yeah -- the skull symbolizes the embrace of death and nothingness, present in all of us, the vehicle of our future operations. Death and nothingness."

KIM KITSURAGI - "They're called SKULLS because when you're shot dead in the middle of the street, the skull is the only part the stray dogs won't eat."

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Trivial: Success] - Just trust me and follow my lead.

"Kim, maybe you shouldn't scare them like that?"

"So, boys, wanna feed the dogs?"

PISSF****T - No reply. The blond rebel scratches his chin, deliberately not focusing his gaze on anything. He looks very uncomfortable.

FUCK THE WORLD - The other one shuffles uncomfortably, nevertheless continuing to steal glances at the lieutenant's motor carriage.

"Why aren't there more SKULLS in Martinaise?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "The Union does their share of policing in Martinaise, at least where gangs are concerned," the lieutenant replies instead. "That's why there isn't much organized crime around here."

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] - Apart from the Union themselves of course.

FUCK THE WORLD - "Don't you worry about that. We're gonna make up for the deficit."

PISSF****T - "Yeah we are!" The young men exchange approving nods.

2. "Your rhetoric is confusing. Are you a part of the SKULLS or not?"

PISSF****T- "We're not *franchised* SKULLS -- well, not yet. Once we get our name out there, we'll have a chance to join them."

"And what makes you think that the organization would accept you?"

"I see."

PISSF****T- "Because we can be just as psycho and vicious. You'll see."

FUCK THE WORLD - "But in a non-threatening and definitely legal way," the other one quickly adds and whispers something to his friend.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Medium: Success] - "We'll fuck the system from the inside later, just be cool now. The damage will be tenfold."

PISSF****T- "Right on, Fuck," the blond agrees and provocatively spits on the pavement. "So what's happening now?"

2. "Enough about this *skullery* then." (Conclude.)

PISSF****T- "Mhm." He throws a longing glance at the Kineema.

3. "What's with the jackets?"

PISSF****T- "What about them?"

(Turn to the blond youth.) "Why does your jacket have 'PISSF****T' written on it?"

(Turn to the dark-haired youth.) "Why do you have 'FUCK THE WORLD' written on your jacket?"

"Actually -- forget about it."

PISSF****T- "Well, first off, it's a statement and not *necessarily* something that characterizes me as a person, even though the statement has character. And I *do* like piss..."

"The word PISSF****T epitomizes the struggle taking place in the world, things being defined as they seem, not as they are. And -- I guess -- it's also about communal spirit, the future, and *truly* appreciating our differences."

"Also, you've got to admit, it catches the eye. And since the grand piper is slowly but steadily moving towards basing the economy on it -- attention -- it is imperative that the medium itself convey the message."

"Ee... what?"

"Makes sense."

PISSF****T- "What I mean by this is -- we are *all* Pissf****ts. And that the world is inherently meaningless."

INLAND EMPIRE [Heroic: Success] - That much is true.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success]- It seems that the young man has a certain expertise in at least one field, even if it's rather narrow.

2. (Turn to the dark-haired youth.) "Why do you have 'FUCK THE WORLD' written on your jacket?"

FUCK THE WORLD - "I can answer that. Many men keep searching for *the one*. For so-called true love, which is actually just obsession masquerading as kinship. The thrill of the chase, the hollowness that fills your chest cavity after catching it."

DRAMA [Medium: Success] - I'm wondering if the poetics come with the jacket or are they derived from something else entirely?

FUCK THE WORLD - "To catch a fish you need to hurl the lure many times, and even then it isn't certain that you'll get anything. If you blow up the lake, though..."

"Blow it up!"

"That is a terrible metaphor."

FUCK THE WORLD - "...you get more fish in a shorter time. And, for time is of the essence and fleeting ever so quickly, one must think of a way to fuck the whole world -- and not get caught up in fucking some *one*."

"Because when one fucks everything, he fucks nothing. And that, to me, feels glorious -- sticking your dick into the void."

SAVOIR FAIRE [Trivial: Success] - Is it a *coincidence* that here we have two bad-ass jackets and two bad-ass cops?

"Hey, Kim…" (Lower your voice.)

Definitely a coincidence.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Yes?"

"Do you think it's a coincidence?"

"What do you think about their jackets?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Leather jackets adorned with immature writing? The 'ideology' they convey helps the boys justify poor choices in life and fashion." The lieutenant shrugs. "I'm not a fan."

"Why are you always so patronizing when cool *possibilities* cross our path?"

"Sure, the jackets are scaring you. That's cool."

KIM KITSURAGI - "What are you implying?" The lieutenant looks confused.

"Which one would *you* wear?"

"You know what I'm implying."

"We should get these jackets."

KIM KITSURAGI - "For what?"

"What do people do with jackets? They wear them."

KIM KITSURAGI - "The concept of getting dressed *is* familiar to me, but wearing jackets like these isn't appropriate for an RCM officer. Unless he's *deep* undercover," he adds.

"But in theory, Kim, if we were to confiscate these jackets, which one would *you* wear?"

"You're right of course. Never mind then."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Neither."

"C'mon Kim, it's just a mental exercise!"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Fine, if only to end this discussion: Theoretically, if I were a juvenile delinquent -- if I were to already be down that path -- I think 'PISSF****T' is the stronger of the two statements."

+5 XP

"No way! If anything, I'm the *PISSF****T* in this scenario."

"That works, I feel more like a 'FUCK THE WORLD' kind of a guy."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Seems about right," the lieutenant remarks. "Especially considering your... heroic exit attempts."

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - That's an origin story for a dynamic duo right there.

PISSF****T- "So are we done here or...?" one of the jacket owners asks impatiently. "You don't need us around for your secret whisper party, do you?"

5. [Half Light - Legendary 14] Ask for the jackets for yourself and the lieutenant.

+1 Demonstrated authority. +1 Kim showed good tactics. +2 They're just off-brand SKULLS.

HALF LIGHT [Legendary: Success] - No, no, no! Don't *ask* anything. Be subtle and scary. The boys dream about being SKULLS... use that!

Wait -- how?

"Boys, with *those* jackets, you're gonna be the SKULL-kings in no time!"

HALF LIGHT - Suggest they're massive SKULLS. C'mon!

"Boys, with *those* jackets, you're gonna be the SKULL-kings in no time!"

FUCK THE WORLD - "What... no!" He quickly looks around. "SKULLS don't have kings," he pauses. "I think, and we're not even *in* yet..."

PISSF****T - "Yeah, man, keep your voice down. SKULLS don't take it lightly, when folks pretend to be them. We're not even *prospects* yet."

(Raise your voice.) "Not even prospects and already aspiring to be kings?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Wow, you boys are ambitious," the lieutenant's voice rings over the plaza. "Only *prospects* and already planning a coup in the SKULLS? You're destined to go far!"

HALF LIGHT - He gets it. Passive-aggressive flattery.

FUCK THE WORLD - "Shut the fuck up," the youth presses through his clenched teeth, there's panic in his eyes. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

HALF LIGHT - Now bring it to the jackets and.... yes, start *shouting*!

"YES, WE WANNA BE COOL KILLER SKULLS TOO, LIKE YOU GUYS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE SKULL-JACKETS!!!"

"Wow. I didn't realize it's that serious. Let's forget about this." (Let it go.)

PISSF****T - "Please be quiet!" Not much is left of the nihilistic rebel at this point. The young man before you is scared out of his mind. "What... WHAT do you want?!! T-t-the jackets?"

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - You got it. No need for cruelty.

"SKULL KING! MAKE SHRUNKEN HEADS OUT OF US!"

"You OFFER us your jackets like that? It'd be impolite to refuse." (Reach out your hand.)

(Lower your voice.) "Yes -- the jackets."

FUCK THE WORLD - "Oh man..." His shoulders slump under the weight of sadness. "Okay," he says finally. "I get it. SKULLS don't really wear slogans anyway, this was stupid."

PISSF****T - "Fuck," the other one sighs deeply.

Item gained: Leather Jacket "Pissf****t"

Item gained: Leather Jacket "Fuck the World"

+5 XP

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Trivial: Success] - The lieutenant watches the boys take their jackets off -- with mild amusement.

(Turn to Kim.) "Since you said you're more of a 'Pissf****t' kinda guy, I'll take the other one."

(Turn to Kim.) "I know you said you're more of a 'Pissf****t' kinda guy, but I think I should have it for myself."

KIM KITSURAGI - "I'm absolutely okay with not having either one, thank you."

"Why not? They're a pair. We could really raise hell. Go undercover. Hard."

"But don't you want to express your individuality?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "This case doesn't requires us to go undercover. Or raise hell... In fact I don't think the jackets will be useful at all. I just wanted *them* to not have them anymore."

PISSF****T - "Cold-hearted cop..."

"Well, whatever. I'll take both of them then."

"Still -- it's good to know we have a pair. In case the need arises."

KIM KITSURAGI - "The need will not arise."

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Easy: Success] - Pity. The jackets are meant to complete each other. If a man were standing alone on a street corner with 'PISSF****T' written on his back, it'd just be an individual that has taken a liking to urine. And 'FUCK THE WORLD' all on its own is, frankly, generic.

FUCK THE WORLD - "I don't know, Eric. It's cold out..." The dark-haired young man just stands there, defeated. The wind blows.

PISSF****T - "Yeah," the blond man replies. "Let's get out of here. The cops fucked us."

LEATHER JACKET "PISSF****T"

+1 Drama: No fucks given -1 Authority: Wait, I'm a detective?

A leather jacket that quite recently belonged to a young man who possessed some intimate knowledge on the human condition. It has his *nom de guerre* written on the back. It's quite a statement.

LEATHER JACKET "FUCK THE WORLD"

+1 Half Light: Darkening world -1 Rhetoric: Inelegant statement

A leather jacket that quite recently belonged to a hoodlum who understood love for what it really is. It has the hoodlum's *nom de guerre* written on the back. It's quite a statement.

[thebluelemontree]

The show handled the Winterfell rape infinitely better than the books. Which made the brutal torture and rape of Jeyne all about Theon. And forced it on a character few readers actually cared about or identified with. And Sophie Turner did the best she could in interviews. You don't magically become capable of handling the topic because you turn 18. People aren't angry about rape being used as a trivial way to prop up a man they are angry the show refused to take that route.

Going to answer your points out of order.

1)  About ST being an adult and her ability to make public commentary on handling a sensitive, real world subject.  Here’s the thing…  if I admit I’m uninformed about a topic but I make public statements lecturing other people on that topic, I deserve to get called out on it.  That’s what being an adult is.  You have to own your words and actions, 18 or 88.  I would not have blamed her if she had decided to not speak on it, but she was a chief defender of that scene.  D&D, middle-aged men, certainly avoided speaking about it and it was shitty that they let a young adult run interference for their decisions.  It’s not that ST is responsible for not “automatically” obtaining wisdom and insight at 18.  It’s readily volunteering to publically criticize people who reasonably questioned why this “had to” take place when she stated her knowledge was limited.  She was chastising them for somehow taking away from talking about sexual assault in real life, as if how that is presented in media has no bearing on real life or has no place in the “real” conversation.  Look, I’m not saying she deserved to be crucified over it.  I’m saying it was a jackass, uninformed thing to say that no one forced her to make.  She’s a big girl and can take her lumps just like any other adult.     

2)  I have never heard one person say they were upset they didn’t make this more about Theon’s development.  I don’t know how you concluded this was why people were upset.  If you recall, the camera actually fixated quite a long time on Theon’s face, leading many people to think “Oh my God, they are making this about how it affects Theon.”  Actually that unintentional (and unfortunate) decision came when the director just liked how Alfie Allen was reacting in the background.  If they didn’t want to focus on Sophie’s face, they could have chose some object in the room to focus on instead or cut to black much earlier.  So yeah there was a level of thoughtlessness there to how it was shot and the final cut, which does not support the idea of the show handling it well.

3)  Exactly how did the show handle this better when no one can logically explain why Sansa “had to” be in Winterfell to begin with?  Littlefinger gives her a bizarre, vague pep talk about “avenging” her family through marrying Ramsey Bolton.  LF lso gives away his prize pawn for literally nothing in return for his character.  Sansa decides to go along with this without questioning how exactly she is supposed to “avenge” her family.  How does legitimizing through marriage the usurper’s claim to Winterfell supposed to give Sansa the advantage?  None of this made any sense.  It was a completely forced plot to get Sansa in the position to be raped by the big bad.  Did we need the scene for the audience to discover how monstrous Ramsey really is?  No.  We already knew he was a rapist and sadist through Theon well before this happened.  Oh btw, how does the show handle Theon’s trauma from being (implied) raped, tortured, and sexually mutilated?  Take every opportunity to make him a joke.  Yes, they handle it so much better.  I have interview quotes from D&D here in this post stating their thinking behind using “painful experience” to make Sansa badass, which is the core of the rape-revenge trope.  I would highly recommended the breakdown videos of @knightsinquisitor for all of D&D’s decisions compiled from interviews and dvd commentary.  Specifically:

If @knightsinquisitor has anything to add, please feel free.

4)  As for the book handling of Jeyne’s story and rape in general, there’s some criticisms I agree with and some I don’t.  One thing is for certain, I have a clear understanding of the logical chain of events that led to Jeyne being in Winterfell.  Theon may be the witness in his POV to Jeyne’s story, but I don’t find it makes her story all about him.  No more than telling Sandor’s story through Arya and Sansa’s POV makes it all about the girls.  I cannot speak for all readers in how much they care about Jeyne Poole, but I haven’t found anyone who wasn’t sympathetic to her story since the purging of the Stark men in KL.  Littlefinger is 100% responsible for her situation.  He assisted with the Stark downfall which killed her father, he sent her to a brothel, then he sent her to WF to impersonate Arya.  She’s a key component of the plot there.  We have the northern houses rallying for last stand against the Boltons and Freys “for Ned’s little girl.”  We have the rescue mission attempt by Mance Rayder and the spearwives.  Theon is agrees to help, but he’s not the major actor here.  So no, I don’t see how George is making it all about Theon.  Jeyne is still alive and many readers reasonably speculate that she could be the key witness that brings down LF permanently.  Learning Jeyne’s story may be the tipping point that motivates Sansa to execute LF, because as of now she still believes he saved her life.  She doesn’t know that he orchestrated everything.  Whatever happens, Jeyne is still alive and in play for a reason. So she may have started as relatively minor, but it does look like her story has major ripple effects.  People are coming to her aid and are bent on raining down justice on the Boltons.  

The show handling is a cheap imitation of all these plot intricacies.  How did Sansa’s rape affect the Northern plot in the show?  Did the North rally for her and seek justice?  Hell no.  It’s not like what Ramsay was doing was a secret.  Worse, Sansa had to go crawling back to LF to ask him to bring the KotV.  Lyanna Mormont mocks her for a forced marriage to Tyrion and her nightmare marriage to Ramsay.  I cannot see, for the life of me, how I am supposed to consider this better treatment.           

[nemuri-no-kid]

It's me, the fic request anon... I hope this doesn't sound rude, but are you going to answer it? It's completely fine if you don't!! I'm just super curious and I keep checking your profile but it never shows!! :) (Sorry I'm being pushy it's been a few weeks now...)

Wait, who’s rude here again? It’s rather me who’s seemingly ignored you. But it wasn’t like that, I swear! But I guess you’d prefer to see an actual answer (finally) instead of excuses, so here you go! (You have some incredible timing though, like I’d post it today anyway - the joy of having cold) I apparently can’t make a simple list and it got ridiculously long, so I’m putting it under Read more. Does tagging people even work under Read more btw? If not then well, I suppose I failed a bit. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway. You’re probably already aware of this, but I feel I should point out that Kaito is my dearest boy, and therefore pretty much everything what I’m going to mention here is more or less about him. Contrary to appearances it won’t be only KaiShin, but I admit there’s a lot of that. Also, you won’t find here too many long stories, as I rarely read fics with more than 50k words unless I’d started them before they got so long. I mean, I do have quite a few saved and waiting to be read and I’m sure they’re all amazing, but at the end of the day I usually prefer sleeping than night-reading and yeah. Ok, let’s start:

So, did someone say KaiShin? Because you know, Shinichi is my second dearest boy, and when both of my boys are happy together it’s just the best thing. One of first writers who shown and are keep showing me the joy of reading about these two is @rachello344. Many of Rachel’s fics are only prompts, so they are pretty short and that’s a real shame, but they’re still worth reading! I think my favourite stories are these two and honestly I could read them over and over again - asexual Kaito is good, the fake-but-not-really marriage of these two dorks was the best thing and please write more self-indulgent stuff

@lunarscaped (Luna Darkside)’s oneshots steadily get longer and longer but I definitely don’t mind~ Some of the most memorable to me are Penumbra (a.k.a. only Shinichi could write a romance by accident), Darling, So It Goes (undercover mission and more of oblivious Shinichi) and Ease (just. asfadsfgdga) but really, they’re all good

House of Cards is a beautiful story of Kaito taking care of Shin-chan the Dove written by V. Shalyr (how Ai managed to make that pill will forever remain a mystery though); my other faves are With Each Season (it’s beautifull too), Paper Trail (funny short piece in which Kaito is too good at being bad, somebody stop him), Countdown to Forever (good old taking BO down together) and On Wings of White (aww, these two)

Alaena F. Dragonstar’s Win Some, Lose Some and Shadow of a Smile followed by Echo of a Laugh are all good examples of A+ writing. Boys, it will be fine, you have each other. Check the profile for more good stuff~

All ToukoTai’s fics are good, but Life In Technicolor is good, and then there is this Flower shop AU KaiShin Give A Little which includes Shinichi convincing Kaito to become Kid, and if isn’t that ironic

This Little Thing I Have by teawithmochi is a really nice piece - Conan overthinks his situation, but what are annoying phantom thieves for?

solomonara’s Getting Off Track - did I say something about overthinking? This is real overthinking, boys, come on

Almost Magical by ObsidianAbyss got me by this one scene in the class - Shinichi, if you’re trying to deny you and Kid have a thing, you’re doing it wrong

I love the dialogues in dokidokidk’s The Guy Next Door, they will never be not funny for me, plus it’s a nice idea of AU

Good Soulmate AU KaiShin is not bad, and aceoftwos’s Apple Blossoms is good. Also there are locard’s exchange principle series for even more of these two

Beautiful Carvings written by RavenShira is another really nice Soulmate AU. Misunderstandings are strong in this one - lesson: multiple identities don’t help in finding your soulmate

No Ghosts Need Apply by Cursed Detective is a really nice supernatural story, and Shinichi and Kaito are always a big plus for me, obviously. Kaito is sort of dead - the title may suggest as much - but such trivial detail won’t stop him, haha. And then there is a really nice (Not) Supernatural story. It’s ongoing, Shinichi is not a vampire and honestly, I love this and I need more

purple_mangosteen’s Clair de Lune series mean more KaiShin goodness, and also I’m a sucker for Conan and Kid texting each other

joisbishmyoga - I loved Rolling Snake Eyes for a good application of Kidnichi. Will Conan ever stop being so reckless though? I don’t think so. Pluralverse is about minds of three teenage detectives somehow ending up in Kid’s head, and it’s tight in there. It’s interesting, it’s good, read it. Twist the Knife is really intense and the writing is amazing, but it may not be to everyone’s taste, as rape and trauma happen and well

@kawaiibeyotch (kaitothegreat) writes mainly AoKai fics and they’re wonderful, I simply adore Aoko in these. Some nice examples are Live Life in full Bloom and Hello Incognito - these two are good AUs and have I already mentioned Aoko? There are also few HeiKazu stories which I’ve yet to read but I’m sure they’re worth trying, too

Slip and Fall, Obligation, Pride Goeth Before, Philanthropy, Heavy Silences, Never Here, Never Far and Shades of Grey by blinkblink form sort of a series and I wouldn’t make a better summary to any of them than the author, but it’s Kid and the Kid task force dealing with some actual dangers and criminals, there is action and mystery, and it’s really good written and you totally should read it

Nerves of Steel by Ellen Brand is another must read - Robo-Kaito makes a comeback and things get serious

A Perfect Act, No Little Plans, Both Dark and Deep and Forgiveness and Reunion by Candyland - a set starting from sort of cornering Kid by the police and presenting him an offer he couldn’t refuse followed by good action

@backtodc‘s piece about the Kid task force being actually competent when it comes to other crimes is both funny and brilliant, try it

The Cranes by Acier Glace is just so sweet? No pairings here, it’s just Kid making lots of paper cranes to make you believe in magic and did I say it’s sweet? Because it is

miladyFeather wrote the ridiculous The Adventures of Kudou Shinichi, Fast Food Worker which is ridiculous and I have no regrets sharing this one, even if it’s ridiculous

Now a surprise, as Love-Love Daisakusen by neonquincy1217 is Makoko/Sonoko! Where’s the catch? Well, remember Doito Katsuki? *wink*

When I think of quality SaguKai, I think of @5160763 (OrphanText). There is good KaiShin, too, but both examples I’m putting here happen to be SaguKai, so. Anyway. The way Kaito and Saguru are written, I simply love it. And How we begin is so good? Also, In the language of the birds. I read it while it was being put on Tumblr in small fragments and boy, every new fragment was making me so happy

The Hattori-Kudo Files is a set of few cases solved by Heiji and Conan (who could’ve thought that?), written by MeridianGrimm - I believe the last one isn’t finished, but the others are really interesting! And then there are some nice SaguShin and SaguKai fics, too~

I picked five of Mikauzoran’s fics for different reasons but again, I recommend trying all others as well: The Fifth Detective (Kaito’s reasoning is funny and brilliant, he needs a hug though), The Pit: A Romance and Quietly Starving (SaguKai, these dorks), Healing Heartbreak for the Holidays (SaguKaiShin? That’s even more dorks), and Coming to Terms (KaiRan - usually I prefer it platonic but this one really got me, also interactions with Conan? It was a pleasure to read)

Dressed to Impress by Lisa Telramor is a really nicely written SaguKai oneshot, for all your SaguKai needs

Addy01’s When the travel bug bites is a sweet story about Shinichi travelling the world to find his way in life again and befriending some magician thieves along the way. You made me reread it and I don’t regret anything

In case of Operation: Gift Wrap by Boogum I’ll just copy the author’s summary as it’s explanatory enough: ‘Sera Masumi was used to being mistaken for a boy. She was not used to being mistaken for Kaitou Kid.’

Critique written by Eliryn is a short but really nice piece. “Looks just like the real thing, doesn’t it?”

AngelicSentinel’s the suffering of fools was already amazing as a oneshot, so when more chapters appeared one day I was overjoyed. It’s KaiShin and it’s good. Also, the author is one of the only two (look below) which I trust enough to blindly read their ShinRan fics. Like, I have nothing against ShinRan, and I kind of ship it while being in Canon Mode, but I don’t go and read fics about them at all, so this is quite an achievement. Read their other pieces, too, they’re really worth reading!

Cost of Freedom by @mintchocolateleaves? OMG, Cost of Freedom. Read Cost of Freedom. I love both the plot and the characterizations, it’s amazing, read it. It’s ongoing and you’ll suffer because of that, but read it. And while suffering, try other ongoing fics: The Innocence Game, Law Unto Themselves and various oneshots. Like, I can blindly recommend each and every fic Mint wrote, even ShinRan. Cost of Freedom though

Next, Taliya - I recommend all present and future fics. My faves are Without Fanfare (my heart though), Search and Recovery and Recompense (the kind of Kidnichi enactment I approve and aftermath), A Word of Caution (Ai and Kaito as the main characters? Yes, please) and TMPD Antics (it’s simply hilarious)

lucathia’s 4-6-4-9 is a oneshot about Conan getting disturbing encrypted message and trying to find the sender. Oh, and there was some murder, too

A Snowy Meeting (followed by ongoing Hidden Friendship) by angelwingsonline puts Kaito in DC movies, starting from Quarter of Silence, and lets him befriend and exchange messages with Conan. I love this concept

Ichthyophobia’s Mirror Mirror and Two-faced, Half-faced are really funny - the former has really nice interactions between Shinichi, Kaito and the bad guy, while the latter… Let’s say that Kid fixing Subaru’s face is my aesthetic. And then there is Shaking Hands about Kaito not being really able to do magic anymore but getting help and somehow overcoming it and it’s beautiful. And again, check other fics too~

I liked the idea of Shinichi with grapheme synesthesia working in forensics in Number the Stars by The Sand Assassin. Then there are sweet KaiShin fics: Kaitou the Snowman (Akako, stop) and Dakimakura (it’s just a shirt Conan, you’re making Kid sad)

Yannami’s A Criminal’s Fiasco is a good example of why taking Kaito hostage is a bad idea. Poor criminals

@kkrazy256 (kakashikrazy256) likes making Kaito suffer. A lot. In all possible ways. And I really mean that. If that’s your thing, then check it out. And if it is not, there are the mild ones I like coming back to: Early Snow (this was literally my first fic in this fandom, I’m sentimental ok - also Shinichi and Kaito, come on), Mr Barista (Mystery Train aftermath starring Bourbon and Kid) and Sympathy From the Devil (or how could OVA 10 end if the bad guys weren’t so dramatically bad at being bad). As for the rest, you were warned, haha

In Elirius’s Put on a Smile and Take me Apart Kaito definitely doesn’t cope well with his situation. Somebody help him *sobs*

Hostage situation and platonic KidRan anyone? In that case, Irreplaceable by LostInTheDreams is the thing you need. As for other stories, I can only vouch for these with Kaito, but my boy is suffering a lot. Again

Unfair by Frozen-Infinity, but only if you want your heart to break, my boy is dying and this is unfair

StoryWriter369’s Broken Record makes my heart ache every time because immortal Kaito is not what should ever happen, but I’m doing this to myself from time to time anyway *sobs more*

Hebiaczek’s The fox and hounds is an ongoing story and to be honest I’m not up to date, but what I’ve read was a really amazing writing, and exactly the kind of plot I like the best. Because. The plot.

I loved Externalities by 873.25 and I hope Internalities will be continued. Characters are written so well, and both concepts are really intriguing. Try it and you won’t regret it

And last but definitely not least: kittebasu’s A Study in Scarlette - it’s a must-read. There is a good plot, there is Kaishin and it’s truly amazing, and did I say something at the beginning about not reading long fics? So this one is very long and I still read it, so it really does say somehing

I 100% missed at least few people and I’m totally going to regret it later, but let’s say I’m finished. See you in few weeks Anon, haha

[solarbird]

The Armourer and the Living Weapon, Chapter 2: the emptied chamber

As before, CW: this story is going to get pretty fucked up. Archive tag: violence. Also note: I categorically do not write non-con/rape or underage. [AO3 link]

And then, one day, she was gone.

Emily howled like a banshee when she heard. A perfectly ordinary mission, a perfectly ordinary encounter with a decidedly, almost determinedly predictable opponent, and - gone? Just like that? No. Refusal, in purest, distilled form.

She spent an evening raging on the training grounds, injuring half a dozen opponents, all but killing one in her fury.

She spent a night barely sleeping, barely thinking, being apart so different now, so much worse because suspicions or not, she had no true idea where her lover might possibly be.

She spent a morning raging at Akande, demanding the right to follow, to retrieve, and was, again, refused.

She spent an evening demanding the same from the greater council, and was yet again, refused. "Impossible!" she shrieked, bursting out into the hallway. "I will not have it! I won't!"

Quietly, at the back of the table, one member of the council smiled, as the armourer stormed back to her workshop, ordering everyone out, and grabbed her rifle, enough standard rounds to kill an army, all the experimental rounds she'd made, every single one of them, and the chain grapple she'd made for herself, knowing that her unenhanced body would be wracked with pain, injured every time she used it.

She did not care, not at all. If they won't try to retrieve her - I will. And I'll make them stop me.

She made it further, far further, than she should've, then she could've rationally expected.

She made it past the therapist, and her security escort, roused to talk her down.

She made it past the security cordon, roused quickly to sedate and jail her.

She made it past the soldier ring, who weren't expecting anyone like her - certainly, not coming from the inside.

And, shoulder aching, exhaustion creeping up her spine, she made it 20 metres outside the base entirely - just short of her waiting flyer - when her neck suddenly stung, and her vision turned grey, and her skin turned numb, and her arms turned leaden, and the ground came up to meet her, fast, too fast, far too quickly for her even to say hello, before the world snapped hard to black.

-----

[Oasis]

She floated, freely, in the haze, slowly becoming aware of that, slowly becoming aware of her own existence. So calm. So still. So bright. So quiet. So unlike herself, and yet, so familiar, so like herself, so right.

Is this death? she thought. No... that can't be it. Death is... death is... peace, but not questions... and that was a question...

She didn't move. She didn't feel any urge to move, either. But if she listened, listened with her body, and not her ears, she could feel, she could feel motion, she could feel... what? She could feel her blood flowing. She could feel her heart slowly beating, she could feel everything in the little world that was her own.

What? What is... that?

A whisper. The faintest of whispers, a voice she knew, but not the one she wanted, a voice familiar, but not the one she loved, but... a voice. And words - "Ah, my lovely, do you feel it? Starting to rebuild in there, are we? Good."

She could feel so much, and yet, some things, she could not feel at all. With a beautiful clarity, she felt every strand of muscle, every shaft of bone, every length of tendon, every fibre of carbon and metal, every drop of blood, and oh, blood, there is so much of it, but so little past that, nothing outside...

Outside. There is a boundary? Yes. Of course. Skin. She has skin. Of course, she has skin, and she can feel it. So obvious, and yet, somehow, now, so novel, as though she'd never truly realised it before, not even before before, and she knew there was a before, even if she couldn't quite say what it must have been.

"There was so much," said the voice, "that we had to burn down, with Lacroix. So much to suppress, so much to rebuild, to form into your image - and ours." Fingertips, suddenly, along one arm, like electricity, like fire, and she felt as if she screamed, but didn't scream, and didn't even want to, but should have, all from the intensity of the touch.

"All that, when we already had *you*. We even knew it - well, I knew it - that's why you were the perfect template. You were already so completely, utterly prepared. And yet, we wasted so many months making a muted copy... but, well, you know that, or you will, again, in a few minutes. After all, you were there." A small laugh, and the touch vanished.

"And all you have to do is bring her back to us," the voice cooed. "Bring her back to me. Something you begged us to let you do. Then we can take all the things we've learned, making you, and give them to her, too, just like we've given them to you. And then you will both be together, and all - all will be forgiven."

I get to bring her back, she thought, and smiled, at least, inside. I have... I have a task. I have a mission. How... wonderful...

"Ah, almost there," said the voice. "Are you ready to be standing?" She realised the voice was louder now, and had been growing so, the entire time. She'd focused on it, so intently, so completely, and yet missed that most obvious point.

Moira, she knew, feeling herself take a long, slow breath. Moira O'Deorain. I know her. She found herself knowing many more things, many more things she'd already known, as if lights were turning on, one at a time, inside herself, her ability to conceptualise expanding, growing. The doctor. The one who...

"Ah, your first breath entirely on your own. How does it feel for you to be alive again, I wonder? It's been twelve weeks, you know - or, well, you know now."

Balance, she thought, feeling being poised, ready, in an effortlessly familiar way, and gravity, the pull of gravity, aware of it, at last. I'm not floating, I'm... standing.

"Are you ready to see?"

She was. She opened her eyes, spotted a running, ducking human target, and reflexively, without thinking, without needing to think, sighted that target with the metal and carbon extension of herself she held in her arms, and shot it down. She felt the bullets fly, so pure, so fast, so quick; blood spilled from the shattered skull as the body which had supported it slumped to the ground, heart still beating, at least, for a moment, spurting blood, and she admired the splatter, from her stance, not needing to move, watching the blood pool, so bright, so red, and felt it, through every cell of her body, through sinew and bone, through nerve and steel, through heart and soul, and it took what was left of her breath completely away.

"Beautiful," said the voice, by her side. "Superb."

She licked her cool, lavender lips, with a cool, violet tongue, shivered with pleasure, and turned to the good doctor beside her, appraising her anew through brilliantly silver eyes. "Delicious."

"Do you know your name?" asked the Talon doctor, the one who had given her everything she ever wanted, for a price she did not yet know. "Tell me who you are."

"Oilliphéist," she said, without thinking, just knowing, having never said or heard the word before, yet she knew, it was a great, ravening beast - as was she. "I am Oilliphéist."

"Perfect."

-----

[London]

Widowmaker lay next to a sleeping Tracer, gazing at the foolish girl's head, amused by the insanity of that hair despite the swirl of thoughts keeping her awake. This entire plan is falling apart, she thought.

What else could go wrong? she asked herself. It'd seemed so simple, at the time. So obvious. Pretend to fall in love with the irritating teleporter. Arrange a "defection," and get away from the abusive mess that is Talon. They'd finally accept Emily's petitions to upgrade, and send her out to bring her back. She'd help Emily break the conditioning, as she learned so well now how to do, and then Emily would have everything she ever wanted, they'd be together, and Widowmaker would be free. They could freelance. They could buy an island with a condominium on it. It would be wonderful.

Instead - nothing. Emily hurt, badly, trying some sort of mad run to retrieve her without upgrades, after being refused yet again. No concerted recall effort - just an "acquire if encountered" order, according to Sombra. And worst of all - worst of all - discovering she'd actually fallen for the hyperactive little idiot across from her in bed.

Disaster. Complete disaster.

Ah, well, she thought, at least it makes the acting easier. She smirked at herself. Acting is trivial if you don't actually have to act.

She rolled over, facing away from her new lover, and checked her dead-drop boxes again. Nothing... then, she blinked, and there was something, something new, appearing as she watched.

Hey, Chica, it's your best friend -

I'll keep this short. The official story? It was bogus. Most of the club haven't figured that out yet, but turns out Doc Two-Tone's been working on her out of town, and from what I hear, looks like she got your present after all.

But watch out, she's not a backup copy, she's a version two. Keep your eyes open. I don't know what new features have been bundled in, and you know what Two-Tone is like when she really gets going. She might not know either.

Good luck.

She'd signed it, "your favourite chupacabra" - one of Sombra's many running jokes the spider didn't understand.

"Mmmm?" she heard, from the woman next to her. Damn, she thought. The light from the screen woke her up.

The Overwatch agent rolled over and nuzzled the back of her neck. "G'morning, love. Whatcha lookin' at?"

The spider took a long, deep breath. I think... it is time to come clean.