#they would be traumatized... but they aren't

[creatingblackcharacters]

Something I've noticed in fandom is that when a Black person comes out to talk about the racism they've experienced or are experiencing, most of the time they're told to block and move on and keep creating to spite the haters. I don't necessarily disagree with this sentiment, I'm all for curating your online space, but I rarely, if ever, see people really call out the people being racist? They get some push back like a callout post or two, but a majority of the time it blows over and they're usually still active and, often, more popular than before.

I'm sure no one ever says to block and keep going to be malicious, and maybe this is me being a bit jaded, but having been on the receiving end of fandom racism and its particular brand of awfulness, being told to "just keep creating" felt so...dismissive? I felt traumatized and hurt and sad and angry, I didn't feel like going back to drawing fanart.

It felt unfair that I had to live with this experience and process it and go back to posting while they still get to be out there being racist with little to no repercussions. It feels unfair seeing other Black creators talk about their similar experiences and having that response be "so sorry that happened, but please keep making art/fics/etc for us!" from nonblack people.

And, again, I don't necessarily think it's coming from a bad place. I just wish nonblack people were more mindful of how this effects us and would put more of that energy into not only making a safer space for Black people, but making it an unwelcome place for racists. Do I think that'll happen? No, because as long as someone can draw or write something white people like, they can get away with anything. But I can hope.

You are not alone in this experience, and I'm sorry that you had to have it at all.

I feel the same way, fr. I'm jaded to it, but not enough for it to not cause resentment. It burns me deep inside that there are people who are or have been openly antiblack, to me and in general (fandom and non), and they get to continue on like shits okay and they're "so cool".

You'll see posts from "supportive allies" saying "oh don't stop creating, you're welcome here! I like Black people!" But they're nowhere in sight when it's time to actually defend you from the racism that makes you want to leave 😐. No one's willing to give up their comfort, to give up the shield of the status quo to actually be an ally. "Tumblr's for entertainment" yeah and apparently a lot of people are entertained by racism 😅

Like... 👀👀👀 So you were all talk lol. You want me to stay and feel valued because I create and you're entertained, not because you actually value me as a human. It's a avocado! Thaaaaaanks. I always say it's the thought that counts but the action that delivers. Nobody knows that you "aren't racist" in your head or through empty words. We make that judgment based off your actions.

And a lot of people's actions speak of complicity, unfortunately. It's easier to tell you as the victim to block and move on than it is to take that next step and say "damn, I guess I can't be such and such's friend anymore". It's easier to deny outright that something is racist (because if that thing is racist, and they like it, then- EGADS-) then to realize that "hey, I need to be more open to engaging with this in a more inclusive way". Fandoms not a vacuum, unfortunately.

It's an ongoing battle. What's the meme- "I'm doing my part!"

[creature-wizard]

How to persuade people more effectively

So my lovely Tumblr people, I think you can agree that we are facing dreadful times and that it would be wonderful if we could get out of them. As we all know, changing anything in society and politics requires changing a lot of of minds, which often feels like a Herculean task. Since I believe in trying to fight smarter rather than harder, here's my list of advice to make this work easier.

Ask yourself if you’re really up to the task.

If you’re really tired or not in a good mood, you might want to pass. If you’re looking at someone who’s really obnoxious and maybe likely to set you off in bad ways, you can pass. If OP has a username that signals an extreme viewpoint like retvrn1488, maga5ever, or wyldwombyn, consider that just blocking them may be your best choice. Also, you’re probably never going to get anywhere with someone who thinks you’re beneath them – if someone obviously holds you in contempt, just don’t bother. You are not required to try and educate or argue with everybody who’s wrong. Pick your battles.

Know your stuff.

I’ve made the mistake of trying to talk about things that I didn’t know nearly as much about as I should have a few times. Even though I wasn’t wrong, I just didn’t have enough information to demonstrate that my positions were justified. Each time I tried this, it basically blew up in my face. Please don’t repeat my mistakes.

Ask yourself: Can you explain and justify your position without repeating a soundbite like “X is a conspiracy theory” or “Y is racist”? Can you show why it’s a conspiracy theory? Can you show how it’s racist? If you can’t, you’re not ready yet. Go level up first!

Stay composed and be charismatic.

I know this is sometimes easier said than done, but coming off as calm and confident does wonders, especially in contrast with someone who just can’t hold it together. It also helps to have a big vocabulary and to be articulate, and to inject an energy into your message that makes people feel empowered and motivated.

Don't talk to people like they've been consciously choosing evil just because they want to.

People don't do that. People believe that what they've been doing is either good, neutral, or necessary to survive. Functionally telling people "you're evil and you know it" signals to most people that you're a bad faith actor. (The ones who will actually agree with you are probably deeply traumatized from abuse and/or suffering from moral OCD.)

Don’t show contempt.

Showing contempt signals that the person you’re arguing with isn’t worth taking seriously. This is can be useful for handling bad faith actors who come and try to make themselves your problem. You know you aren’t going to change their minds, but you can signal to anyone watching that this person is an utter fool, even a laughingstock while signaling to them that they aren't getting anywhere with you.

If you’re trying to actually change somebody’s mind, you do not want to show them that they aren’t worth taking seriously. You want them to feel respected, like you think they’re smart and have ideas and feelings worthy of attention. I know this can be easier said than done! But if you begin with the assumption that the person you’re talking to is capable of learning and probably has some insights, values, and opinions worthy of consideration, you’re going to give off a much better vibe for them.

Don’t attack people personally.

If you’re trying to persuade someone, don’t call them racist, sexist, bigoted, etc. Don’t call them ignorant, stupid, or whatever. This is basically just a form of showing contempt. Again, showing contempt has its uses, but persuading people isn’t one of them.

A lot of people assume that the people they want to persuade think very highly of themselves and if they just cut their ego down to size they’ll become receptive and listen. But most people are just going to see an attack and nope out. Besides that, teaching self-hatred is how capitalism manipulates people into making themselves more profitable and marketable, and it’s also one of the ways white patriarchy manipulates people into taking on its repressive and often oppressive roles. Self-hatred is the weapon of the enemy, we don’t need it.

Don’t play the victim.

Playing the victim isn’t the same as acknowledging that you have been abused or harmed, or acknowledging that you lived a life where everything was stacked against you. Talking about ways you’ve been victimized doesn’t equal playing the victim, contrary to what some bad faith actors out there say.

Playing the victim is about the role you take on in a social interaction, where you position yourself as fragile, put-upon, and vulnerable. It’s the kind of thing a lot of white women do when things don’t go their way. It’s also a habit that’s easy to pick up if you don’t have firm boundaries. People who haven’t realized they can just go, “I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to have this interaction, so I just won’t,” might start traumadumping, or try to shame the other person, or try to make a big guilt trip. “How dare you talk to me this way, you don’t know what I’ve been through! You’re so selfish, you don’t think about anyone but yourself! You’re forcing me to do all this work for you because you’re so entitled!”

I know, people can be really frustrating. Sometimes they can be incredibly upsetting. Sometimes they can send us spiraling into dangerous places. But the thing about playing the victim is that it not only doesn’t persuade people, but it’s also really unhealthy for you. It feeds a narrative that you are always disempowered, even when you’re not. On the Internet, you can usually just choose to not interact if things get overwhelming, and maybe use the block button. It can be harder to get away from people offline, but it’s important to do the best you can.

It’s also useful to recognize when you’re getting defensive and to know what you can do when that happens. Here’s a page that might help you with this.

Don't act like anyone you wouldn't listen to.

When's the last time you've listened to one of those street preachers screaming about everything they think is wrong with society and yelling at people to repent of their sins? Never, right? Don't act like the kind of people you would ignore.

Be a good listener.

Persuading people isn’t just about saying what you want them to hear, it’s also about listening to them so they feel like you’re engaging with them, rather than talking down to them. Plus, listening helps you assess what they actually know and believe, which helps you determine what you need to say to them. Here’s a page to help you improve your listening skills. (And I know stuff like maintaining eye contact and reading body language isn’t always easy or possible for people – just try to do the best you can!)

Validate people where you can.

Validation signals that you understand and care about people’s problems, which makes them more open and trusting. You don’t have to validate bigotry or anything like that, but you can validate how frustrating it is to deal with high grocery prices, politicians who don’t seem to care, and lots of everyday frustrations. This is also how you begin building solidarity, by the way – when people see how we all suffer the same way, they can begin to see that we’re all working toward a common goal.

Use anecdotes.

It would be wonderful if we could just show people scientific data and have them be persuaded by it all the time, but for many people data feels abstract and not really real. (It probably also doesn’t help that most people don’t understand how the data was collected.) However, anecdotes often feel more real to people, and have a lot more persuasion power. (Consider how many “this happened to a friend of a friend” stories get passed around like gospel!) Personal anecdotes are really great – telling someone about your awesome trans friend can do a lot do make them reconsider their prejudices about trans people.

But also, have scientific/scholarly resources.

Some people are going to be sharp enough that anecdotes won’t work on them – and good for them, honestly! Also, scientific and scholarly resources can lend further credence to anecdotes. So try to have them on hand, if you possibly can!

Give people reasons.

People don’t like doing things if they don’t feel like there’s any good reason for it. Also, be aware that different types of reasons will be more or less compelling to different people. Some people will find moral reasons compelling on their own, while some people will respond better to a “how this benefits you personally” reason. Someone might respond better to “we shouldn’t do X because it hurts the environment” than to “we shouldn’t do X because it’s cultural appropriation.” (And of course we want people to understand that cultural appropriation is bad, but that’s going to be a whole other thing you’re going to have to give reasons for!)

Adjust your rhetoric for the person you’re talking to.

Though we all share many common values, we also understand the world through many different lenses use different language to communicate what we see and feel. We also prioritize certain ideals over others.

If I were going to talk about the racism in the Republican party to a strongly Christian person or a New Agey person, I might say that all of this stuff they’re saying about immigrants is meant to stir up fear and divide people, then go on to talk about how the data just doesn’t support this idea that immigrants are as violent as they say.

If I were talking to the kind of person who strongly believes in the ideals of freedom and liberty, I might talk about how anti-queer legislation infringes on people’s freedom to live how they see fit. I might bring up that it violates their constitutional right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Offer alternatives.

The easiest way to end a bad habit or belief is to replace it with a good (or at least neutral) habit or belief. For example, if you’re trying to persuade people to stop using unsourced white sage (here's information on the problem with this, if you don't know), list alternatives such as rosemary and juniper.

Leave them with additional resources to explore.

Keeping a big list of resources on hand is the secret to activism bliss. Okay, maybe not, but it sure makes things a lot easier! If someone is really curious and engaged, they’ll often be willing to explore resources if you have them. Do try and make sure that not all of your resources are locked behind paywalls or require a deep understanding of specialized language. Curating resources accessible to any means and level of education will help you maximize your ability to persuade and educate.

[bewitched-hours]

hiiii agaaaainnn :D

i noticed a lot of people are requesting like. parental shedletsky stuff, so you can call me those folks step-parent because im here to request more shedletsky stuff hehehe :3c (one of these days ill ask for someone other than him)

could i request some hurt/comfort where shed dies during a round protecting the reader? he's fine and alive like 5 minutes later Because Thats How The Game Works, but the reader is still Highly Distressed about it. :,(

(also, i joined the server! i really like how its set up, i havent said anything in it yet because Talking Is Scary but ive changed my name in the server to 'maomao anon' teehee)

-maomao anon

(Honestly, that's so real, I get nervous talking myself even though IT'S MY OWN SERVER LMAO-) Anywho, I hope I'm understanding correctly with you wanting to romance the chicken man- (⸝⸝> ᴗ•⸝⸝)

Reader's pronouns shall be She/Her-

It would never get better... Would it?

You were already so used to the whole dying and respawning deal in this hellish realm, but it still made a pit form in your stomach whenever one of your fellow survivors died in front of you or you found their corpse.

The trauma was truly never ending. Especially after you got together with Shedletsky.

Seeing your loved one die so many times just added an extra layer of trauma that you already had trouble digesting.

And there were usually 6 or 7 rounds before you were all allowed to rest for a couple hours for which Builderman and Shed built a special clock hooked up to the TV to track how many rounds have gone by to indicate when it would technically be 'night' for everyone.

Statistically, it was unlikely for you and Shedletsky to be chosen for all rounds consecutively in a 'day' but here you were, having trouble sleeping.

This 'day' had been the worst so far. Not only were you and Shed in every single round, you also had to be the one to find his corpse or watch him die before you. Some of the deaths were more traumatizing than others...

And those deaths just kept repeating in your head, as if to remind you you were unable to protect your boyfriend. Were you even trying to be a good girlfriend?

Although, it seemed your sobbing had been a little louder than you'd hope.

"[Reader]? Are you alright..?" Shed's voice rang outside your door as he knocked, knowing you were up.

You didn't need to say anything, he just came in and made a show out of covering his eyes at first. "I'm not walking in on you changing, right?"

Somehow, his overdramatic act never failed to make you chuckle. "No, Shed... You're just walking in on me being a mess again..."

You sighed, trying to wipe your tears as you sat up to look at him and he wasted no time quietly dashing to your side to comfort you.

"Now why's my beautiful girlfriend crying?" The way his voice softened almost made you melt. You didn't even want to say it anymore but you know better than to hide things from a guy like Shedletsky.

With a heavy sigh, you tried not to let anymore tears out as you began explaining. "I just feel so useless right now... I couldn't protect you for 7 consecutive rounds and essentially had to watch you be killed right in front of me like it was nothing..." Your voice was shaky, as was your body at this point because you were fighting a flood of tears.

Shed spared no time getting on the bed and laying your head on top of his chest. "You aren't useless, baby... You did your best and the fact you're even here already feels like a shimmer of hope in this hell..."

You sighed, content with just listening to his breathing for a little bit before your body stopped shaking and you had unknowingly let out all your tears. "Sometimes I wonder how I deserve someone like you..."

"I should be the one telling you that, babe..." He calmly responded, sitting up and bringing you up with him before suddenly holding a class of water to your lips. Did he sneak that in and you didn't even notice?

Regardless, you drank until you felt less dizzy. He decided to lay back down and gave you those big puppy eyes that told you he really just wanted cuddled now. How truly lucky you must be...

But as you settled back into his arms, you moved up a bit and surprised Shedletsky by peppering his face with little kisses, eventually settling on finishing up with a deep and loving kiss before you moved back down.

You may be trapped in a purgatory... But at least you had each other...

Anything you'd like to request/ask? Check out my pinned post first and I'll be happy to write up whatever you want!

[sandgrassbagel]

i think a lot about 15x09 in general but esp about the flashes into the future and those related scenes. dean giving up and losing his will to fight because cas is buried in the mal'ak box... dean praying to cas even though he's buried... but also about sam arguing that future isn't real cuz the dean who raised him wouldn't give up. and that's the thing. he's right.

but the dean of s15 and the dean of that peak at the future aren't the dean who raised him.

the dean that raised sam would not give up even if it seemed hopeless. he would be exhausted and miserable and hanging on by a thread but he would keep going because he has a job to, he doesn't get to rest, and sam still needs him. he needs to look out for sam. as long as sam is around he wouldn't give up or rest. as long as there was a job to do he wouldn't give up or rest.

and that's not the dean of s15. dean of s15 is traumatized and exhausted. he has been through so many flavors of hell. he keeps fighting because he has to and he doesn't know how not to ("my first are fine, it's just my soul's a little bruised" is forever one of my fave dean coded song lyrics). and dean of s15 knows sam doesn't need him anymore. sam will be FINE without him. he doesn't need dean looking out for him. dean of s15's will to continue isn't the obligation/job to take care of sam that he's always carried, it's cas just as it has been since s7. just as we plainly see in 13x05.

and there's so much more i Can say and Want to say on it, but while yes the dean that raised sam wouldn't give up in that future, the dean of s15 isn't the same dean who raised sam. he has changed, his priorities and understanding of his role in sam's life has changed, and his drive to live has changed.

[moltensmusings]

Reread my "the way they wrote Qrow" is weird post and realized I didn't delve into the problem with his drunkeness as much as I should have.

I want to note something: I have been an anime fan since I was a teenager. Well over a decade at this point. I'm aware of the tropes that come with it and how often things are made silly that in normal contexts would be serious.

Adults beat up kids, people get black out drunk, characters break into other people's homes and invade privacy and space, etc. All these are jokes, little quirky moments that aren't meant to be taken as serious and add levity. And that's how the writers keep them.

When you have a character who is "the drunk" or known for loving booze and drinking amounts of alcohol that should kill someone, its never meant to be something the audience actually takes as a depressing part of their story they're eventually going to work through. And we can talk about the ways in which this could be troublesome in depictions of alcoholism. But at its core we understand that these things should never be considered upsetting or cause drama.

When Qrow is introduced that's exactly what he embodies. He's the drunken mentor. He's the cool older guy who flirts and drinks and is one of the most impressive fighters we meet. If they'd kept it that way he would've slotted in well with others like him. But they choose to make it important in canon. They choose to say "actually his alcoholism is traumatic and causes problems for others" which paints so much of his earlier content in a negative light and in fact makes his writing confusing if you actually think about it.

The man who had to save his nieces when their father's neglect nearly got them killed would also be the person irresponsible enough to get drunk enough to nearly fall over before meeting those same to nieces at their school? The man who taught Ruby everything he knows and is the person she looks up to most has somehow managed to become a full on alcoholic without Tai or anyone saying anything? This alcoholism that caused big problems for the group in volume 6 didn't ever nearly get Qrow or someone else killed on a job?

His recovery arc isn't the problem. The decision to write alcoholism as bad isn't the problem. It's the flip from Blaise to serious that is. And it's not the only time this show has done this with character writing.

[sunlitlemonade]

when ppl write bruce being a killjoy before jasons death...... oof. im not here to tell you what to write & how to write it but i think it would be nice for you to know that bruce was a traumatized young man, sure, but he smiled and talked and was a little emotionally stilted but he tried. it is after jasons death when he became stiff & prone to higher destructive tendencies. again, this isnt to say he was great & perfect before jasons murder. his inclinations to be in control & always presume himself to be correct is what pushed dick & jason away from him but the man before ethiopia & after it aren't the same.

[prapaiwife]

Yessss cause babe was very emotionally broken he was speaking purely out of his emotions that were definitely on a high after seeing charile for the first time in days after being worried sick. He was spilling out so much, so ppl saying he was gaslighting charile and manipulating him. Yeah, it wasn't great, but that's how i honestly expected it cause babe and charile already aren't transparent in their relationship they don't talk about their issues and or feelings as much as they shd! And it was really hard to hear, but babe clearly wasn't thinking he was just emoting. In that scene, in a specific moment, babe tells charile, "Have u thought about my feelings either?" He brings in the lab cause that has been bubbling since the first episode, his discomfort about the whole thing. And then watching charile being in that unconscious state for hrs all of that is traumatic for him. But babe saying that to him that it is actually relating to their current situation. Cause when chairke made that decision, he knew what that would do to babe how he was gonna be overly worried and understandbly so. But he still did it. The tests haven't stopped even now when charile is given the ultimatum who knows what he'll choose. So they, in a way, both do it to each other, Don't consider each other's feelings with the choice they make cuase the end goal for both of them is to protect each other even if those choices they don't agree with.

as much as Charlie and Babe’s argument at the garage was difficult to watch it felt so realistic to me.

I’ve seen arguments go that exact way between multiple couples so many times where one thing starts the fight and then after a while one person suddenly brings up something else and the other is just confused about how they got there because ‘that’s not what this is about’ but that really is part of it even if it shouldn’t necessarily be addressed in that specific moment and the actual thing that started the argument should have its place to be discussed first, but also shouldn’t everything be out in the open so they can talk about everything properly but the original point of discussion wasn’t even discussed so where is this going now and how do they rein it back

[lady-corrine]

Lol. Lmao even 😭

Interviewer: Why did DC ruin Nightwing and Starfire's wedding and broke them up?

Marv: it was a MISTAKE! a DISASTER even! 😭

[joyfulhottubfuntik]

While I don't mind it when Caryn is portrayed as a very affectionate and caring mother or when Shermie (if he's older) is portrayed as present in the twins' lives and trying to help them, I don't really like either of these interpretations.

Cause to me a huge part of the Stan twins' conflict, the thing that separates them a lot from Dipper and Mabel, is that they only had each other. It was just them against the world, defending each other and leaning on each other.

Like, not only were they not raised to be two separate people, they didn't even have an opportunity to escape that. And a part of why their fall out hurt both of the brothers so terribly is that it left them both completely alone, stripped of the only support system they had known

[lenodrysalad]

"Eddie said he's straight! Buck said Eddie was straight! Buck said he's not in love with his best friend! They shut down Buddie in the show it isn't happening ya'll are delusional! Queerbait! Queerbait! Blah blah blah"

I feel like I'm going insane. I'm sure we're all tired of people shouting "media literacy" every five seconds, but like... Yeah, develop some media literacy, please.

I'm saying this as someone who doesn't usually like romance, despite being subjected to it in basically every piece of media. As someone who doesn't generally look for love stories. As someone who loved Buddie but didn't consider any serious possibility of it becoming canon before season 7/8, who refused to believe Buddie was truly happening until I couldn't deny it anymore: this episode is loud.

Please understand how narrative arcs work. How character arcs work. How character development works. How serial broadcast television works. Understand how writing works. Consider context; take the whole episode, the whole season, and the whole series into account instead of treating things like they exist in isolation.

I'm too tired to go through the step-by-step details of the episode to prove why these, "they said it on screen, therefore..." takes are shortsighted and ignorant; plenty of people have done that already.

But that episode, even if we do take it in isolation, is textbook. Do people really take everything characters say at face value? Do people not watch other character's reactions? Listen to what else is being said? Watch what is being shown? Consider the implications? Themes? Narrative devices?

Consider that maybe, just maybe, characters can be unreliable narrators, or believe something to be true only for that belief to change later. These things don't happen in one episode. There's such a thing as set-up, foreshadowing, the starting point of a plot. 911 is a serial drama, therefore it is going to have A) long-form story and character arcs, and B) drama.

Characters are not going to move in straight lines, or talk in therapy speak, or solve every problem in an hour. They are not always going to be right, or self-aware, or truthful, or rational. Direct dialogue does not equate to honest dialogue.

Also, saying, "well in real life, people do this, I do that, their feelings would be this, yadda yadda yadda" means nothing. Your experiences are not universal, and more importantly, this is a work of fiction. Realism is whatever the story says it is; it's going to do whatever creates the most dramatic, interesting, developmentally beneficial, or emotionally satisfying story. Whether you like that story or not is irrelevant to the fact that stories are not going to cater to all your expectations or real-world experiences.

To people pointing to Tim or the actor's interviews as "proof" they're shutting down Buddie: again, please understand how broadcast television works. They are not going to tell us everything that's going to happen before it happens. They are going to play the neutral zone, the "wait and see," the "will they/won't they." They are going to lie. That is television production 101. You can compare what they've said in the past with canon and list all the contradictions, misdirection, and twists you didn't see coming because they didn't spoil it for you. Watch the show. That is the canon.

They're also not catering to fandom--people they already know are devoted to the show, familiar with Buddie, and consistently tuning in. They're introducing the idea of Buddie to the general audience, people who likely haven't considered the possibility before. The GA has to see that Buddie is an option, so the show needs to manifest it as if it's a brand new concept. This episode pulled the pin on that grenade in a very obvious way; the idea that Buck could be in love with Eddie and that Eddie could not be straight has been planted. The next seed will be Eddie's feelings. Now the show needs to water it and let it grow.

One last thing. Been seeing a fair amount of hand-wringing and condescension over people interpreting this episode differently. As if this is some sort of "gotcha" for bad writing, baiting, or people being stupid. Listen, genuine complaints about this show's writing aside, different interpretations or inferences are completely normal. This isn't unique. That is how people interact with stories, through personal biases, experiences, emotions, and expectations. That isn't inherently a bad thing. It's totally fine to have your own views; media is all about interpretation.

However, it is also true that just because you have an interpretation, that doesn't make it true. Not all interpretations are equal in their validity, evidence, or warrants. The show has an intention, it has a story in mind. If you don't see it, sure, that could be a failure of the writing, but it could also very well be a failure of your analysis, especially when the show hasn't finished telling the story. Looking at one thing in isolation and forming your whole conclusion based around that makes for poor critique.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see who's right.

[plinko-mori]

I personally think Mori isn't too «I will control everything» because he trusts the Port Mafia (at some point that I'm too lazy to explain right now) and he knows his people are responsible

But his view “end justifies the means” kinda helps the mafia to not get punished???? Lol

Fic I just read: Mori is overworking Chuuya!!!!! Because he’s evil!!!!!!!!

My brain: No no no, wrong! Chuuya is overworking himself and Mori is begging him to take a break. Mori is trying to trick Chuuya into taking it easy and Chuuya is ready to bite him for it

Mori is very laissez-faire in his leading role, sure he got his own agenda and plots stuff still and all that but most of the time when something happens we learn it was someone else's own doing and he just, did nothing to stop or punish it.

Akutagawa infiltrated the Mobi Dick, against orders, and Mori just shrugged it off because it worked out in the end. Ace captured Fyodor on his own and loudly announced he wanted to talk to him himself, Kouyou got instantly suspicious and Mori just let him be to see if Ace was any good. Kouyou tried to get Kyouka back on her own and ended up getting captured, conspiring with Dazai, and only coming back much later, but Mori shrugged it off too. We also have many instances of Dazai going off to do his own plan (against Verlaine, during the Dragon's Head Conflict, in Dead Apple) and Mori just following along like it's nothing. And just look at Verlaine being sad in his basement still being promoted to executive for, what, being a good teacher?

He is simply not that controlling. He probably just lists what needs done in meetings and lets his people pick their own assignments and lets them delegate those tasks (VERY important when in a leading position btw) too. He wants results and doesn't care much how it happens, or what his people do on their own time. He takes recommendations, he lets people do their own thing. This is what we were shown of their meetings!!

Anyway. Mori overworking anyone would be a sign that everyone is in big trouble and overworked. Gotta be efficient and optimal! Executives alert and healthy much more optimal.

[fanatic-freakshow]

I've realized the beauty of sign language.

We can communicate even like this.

I've never needed to hear you say you love me.

Everything you've done for me makes me know you love me deeply.

SEE YOUR LOVE

[rachandroll]

I can't stop thinking about just how emblematic everything in those conversations of Ashton being "a child" are of how, even at her most beaten down, triggered and traumatized, Laudna is not and will not be what Delilah wants her to be.

For Delilah, "they're still a child" is dismissive, a bit derisive, but doesn't even merit being truly hateful. She doesn't find Ashton worth the attention Laudna is giving them, not when there are such more interesting, important things to pull the attention of an adult. Children are only important when they are useful. She will indulge Laudna on the subject, because Laudna is useful, is her vehicle for action in the world, but she only cares about it in the context of getting Laudna to do what she wants. Calling someone a child is calling them unimportant. (Laudna is a child to her)

But for Laudna, who loves children and who understands intimately what it's like to have the helplessness of child, to be trapped under the authority of someone who will never treat you as a full person, even when they are being ostensibly kind, to be so confused and lost and powerless...a child deserves attention more than anyone else. Of course children lash out. Being a child IS in many ways quite awful because the world is so big around you and you don't know yet how to react to any of it, how to soothe yourself - and if you aren't given the attention, you never learn how. Ashton never learned how. Her instincts - instincts trained into her by manipulation and abuse from inside and the world around her - may say kill him, but she fights them the whole way because her heart is stronger and her heart says that the angriest, most volatile child needs care as much as any other. More, even.

Laudna hears Delilah call Ashton a child and agrees on the word, but they have diametrically opposed understandings of what that means, and diametrically opposed instincts on how to treat a child. Laudna doesn't want to hurt anyone, especially children. She loves children. She loves so much and so selflessly. And Delilah is so very very good at manipulating her but she has tried for 30 years to change the bedrock of Laudna's psyche, the truer thing that drives her beyond the base animal instincts of survival, and it hasn't worked.

[thisisntreaver]

Hello I have once again upset myself thinking about Logan an the effect Aurora had on him and his relationships.

Walter is a father figure to him and HOBW and their relationship is in TATTERS, and as far as canon shows, it's never mended.

Does Logan believe the man who raised his sibling and took care of him after Sparrows death died hating him? Does he believe Walter only saws the bad in him? Does it have any impact on his decision to go into his self-imposed exile? Does he regret not telling Walter about what happened to him in Aurora soonee??

Did he and Walter ever have a chance to reconcile, to speak of what happened to them on their respective trips to Aurora? Did he ever express regret for Logan feeling as if he couldn't speak of what happened to him?

Did Walter ever embrace Logan as one of his own again, or did they stay away because of their history?

[incomingalbatross]

This is an unpolished and untested thought but I think at this point the only way I'd be interested in "portal fantasy as child abuse" fiction is if you had TWO former protagonists of different portal fantasies in conversation, and one of them is traumatized and the other experienced growth and empowerment and is literally fine.

[iamumbra195]

I hate when people talk about Ashler like it’s inconceivable to ship them.

They’ll be like “Oh, they had so much beef, they’re barely even friends.” Genuinely asking here, have you even read the webtoon if you think that?

Tyler had issues with practically everyone at the beginning, hell, most of the kids didn’t even like each other. Ben, Aiden, Ashlyn, and Logan all thought he was a jerk and he was acting like one because he was trying to protect himself and Taylor and the whole situation was stressful as hell. That’s why his character development is so good. Even Ashlyn remarks that he’s being less of a jerk in one chapter and Taylor says that he's begun to see the others as real friends, maybe even family.

They all eventually became allies and then friends, including Ashlyn and Tyler. Sure, they like to throw some sarcastic remarks at each other but that’s just their sense of humour and part of the appeal of their friendship. Same with Aiden and Tyler, they insult each other all the time but the insults that were originally meant to hurt are now used affectionately.

He gave Ashlyn a nickname guys. He gave a jokey nickname to cheer her up because she felt terrible about the fact that she had to leave him behind while he got terribly hurt, while he died. She literally started crying out of guilt and being overwhelmed by the whole situation. She cares about him and he cares about her and the whole gang cares about each other, which is why there are so many ships in the fandom to begin with.

So stop acting like anyone who ships Ashler is stupid and stop saying ‘they’re like siblings’ on every post about them. We know it’s probably not gonna be canon, hell, Red herself said romance isn’t the focus of the webtoon at all.

I don’t even like shipping in general but the TikTok fandom keeps pissing me off. Stop acting like everyone has to ship the same things as you and stop commenting shit like ‘cute edit but I wish it was Aidlyn’ or ‘They’re just friends, they act like siblings’. Like yeah, they’re not canon but you’d have to be blind if you couldn’t see why some people ship it. Stop shitting on people’s ships and let them have their fun, we all know they’re not canon.

NONE OF THEM ARE.

Anyway, that’s the end of my rant. Sorry, I keep getting Ashler hate every time I search it up on TikTok. It’s so stupid and annoying, let people ship who they want in peace and stop undermining Ashlyn and Tyler's canon friendship and character development to shit on people’s ships. It’s an insult to the characters and your ability to read between the lines.

Live, Laugh, Love Ashler.