#this is not an opinion real people have in the real world

[tiredspacedragon]

Oh definitely. And one of the most interesting things about that, in my opinion, is that those simulators would probably work more or less the same way the battle system in the real world Pokémon games does, and would probably be classified as their own (e-)sport. So you'd have people who were expert sim battlers, incorporating all the strategies that make people master Pokémon players in the real world, and those people would view battles completely differently from Trainers who participated in live battles, which would probably have more in common with how they are depicted in the anime or manga series, where winning is much less dependent on picking the best Pokémon, and more on who can bring out the best in the Pokémon they have, and things like physics and physical space have to be taken into account.

Personally I think that battle sims like showdown would still be a thing in the pokemon world. Cuz like picture this: you are ten years old and the only Pokémon you have access to is the elderly family Sunflora. You love Sunny to death but also literally every media you consume involves Pokémon battles and champions and cool ass fights. Sunny is too old to fight and your neighbor’s Gothita is too young. One day on the playground your friend tells you about this cool website that lets you battle pokemon on the computer. Later that night you boot up the family computer and instantly realize that this website lets you play as GROUDON (!!!!). There’s no going back from there.

[drdemonprince]

what do u think about romance abolition? i recently discovered that i dont think romance actually exists as in i think every relationship every person has with anyone is unique and different. the concept of romance is rooted in a lof of our opressive systems and aphobia is inherently tied to it. i think these labels of being in a "romantic" relationship endanger everyone due to a percieved wrong clearness of what their relationship boundaries and expectations are and it also devalues "platonic" (and a lot other) relationships.

i also recommend the aromantic manifesto blog on here to kind of get part of the concept im talking abt

this comes from the mind of an audhd aroace trans person, if thats of any relevance!

thank u for ur blog an your opinions ⭐

I am fairly receptive to the idea that romance as we currently conceive of it is a recent cultural invention that is pretty ahistorical, and that is used to further the isolation of individuals from community. but also, I don't think we are going to get anywhere as a social or political movement in denying the feelings that a majority of people have, myself very much among them.

Even if it is all born of cultural conditioning, the cat is kind of out of the bag, and a great deal of us experience a romantic drive, romantic longings, close attachments that are romantic that we experience as distinct from non-romantic attachments, and view romance as a meaningful fount of inspiration in our art, sexualities, and even spiritualities.

I am all for a move away from amatonormativity and the primacy of the monogamous, legally committed relationship, but I do think there is something emotionally real going on there for those of us who experience it. I used to care a lot more about straightforward rationality, and after that about justice, but now I care a great deal about the emotionally felt reality of things, and the realms of life that are not easily categorized or known. I can't explain why the idea of romance is important to me, only that it is, and I personally have no desire in doing away with it.

perhaps I feel some of the resistance to the idea of romance abolition that some instantly feel when they first hear of family abolition-- The idea makes them uncomfortable because of what it sounds like, which is a threat to something that they are very bonded to.

I think on an institutional level it would be very beneficial to not tie social benefits or legal status to a person's romantic relationships. but in terms of my personal life? I draw very firm boundaries between relationships that are romantic in nature and those that are not, that is a distinction that is very important to me and I often feel really trampled upon by people who believe that no one should see a designation between those things. in most of the world writ large that's a very small problem, but I mostly run with polyamorous queer people who tend to see many of their relationships is a big mishmash of affection and commitment and friendship and that can get real fucking messy real fast in addition to being beautiful or revolutionary or what have you.

I think ultimately I'm a little bit more interested in providing the social supports and physical infrastructure that would make it more possible for individuals to form community in whatever ways that means for them. I think a lot of beneficial social changes and liberation would flow from that, rather than moving to abolish romantic relationships first.

and I really do get uncomfortable when a certain subcategory of relationally radical polyamorous queer people try to push against other people's romantic or sexual boundaries in the name of liberation; I understand if that sounds like a totally ridiculous complaint to you, the way a person complaining about veganism being forced on them almost always sounds like a overreacting cry baby, but I've been in enough toxic fucking communities since I was an 18-year-old to feel like I'm owed this grievance, and kind of want to give voice to it because I have seen people be abused in the name of otherwise really understandable ideals like these.

I think it is okay for a person to draw distinctions between their types of relationships, and to want certain forms of attachment with only certain people... there has to be a way to square this with a desire for greater community ties and interreliance. I need there to be, or it would not be a ideology I could really find myself safely within to be honest.

All that uncomfortable hand ringing aside, as a member of the asexual community and a person who does not form connections in a typical way, I have so much respect and care for my aromantic comrades and I do recognize how supremely excluded from basically every social practice and institution in the world you are, and how difficult it is for anyone to make family or build community for themselves in a world that prioritizes exclusive romantic relationships over everything. and I do really believe that fighting against that is a worthy and necessary project. I am perhaps just ultimately a bit less enlightened in terms of what I personally need and aspire to.

[richarlotte]

An opinion that you have about leveling up?

Honestly, once you have the information that you need, log off and step away. There’s only so much you can learn online, and what you are able to learn should be taken offline so you can see if it works or not. It gets to a point where you’re just doomscrolling, collecting too much information or information you’ll never use, and looking for excuses to not actually put yourself to work. 

I also have a lot of interesting opinions about Reddit now that I’ve stepped away from all the old subreddits I used to haunt and deleted the platforms that I used to keep in contact with the people I met from Reddit. If social media or forums are preventing you from starting your life, you don’t need to be on them. Get what information you can (or feel like you need to have) and then get out; all that stuff that you’re saving and reblogging is useless if you don’t go outside and don’t follow through with actually attempting to use it.

Not all of the advice you find online is going to be useful in your situation, and if you’re actively going out of your way to put what you’ve found to use, you’ll find out what doesn’t work sooner than you would if you were just sitting on information. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t taken it offline as soon as I did, and I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now had I not started packing up and moving on once the real world called.

[alittlegiraffe]

Title: Through My Eyes

The glow of your phone screen was the only thing illuminating the bedroom as you sat curled up against the headboard, scrolling through the endless comments.

"She’s so plain."

"What does he even see in her?"

"She looks sickly—someone get her a sandwich."

"Boring as hell. No wonder he’s always writing about heartbreak."

Your stomach twisted, fingers tightening around your phone as the words burned into your brain. You knew better than to read the comments. You’d told yourself a thousand times not to look. But curiosity always won out, and now, here you were, letting strangers pick apart every inch of you like you weren’t a real person—just an attachment to him.

You didn’t even hear Marshall come in until the bed dipped beside you.

"Y’good, baby?" His voice was rough with sleep, laced with concern.

You inhaled sharply, locking your phone and setting it face-down on your lap. "Yeah. Just… couldn’t sleep."

Marshall’s tired blue eyes flickered to your phone, then back to your face. He wasn’t stupid. He could see the way your body was curled in on itself, the way you wouldn’t quite meet his gaze.

He reached out, running a gentle hand down your arm. "What’d they say this time?"

Your throat tightened. "It’s nothing, really—"

"Bullshit," he cut in, his jaw ticking. "You only get like this when some dumbass on the internet gets in your head."

You exhaled, looking away. "It’s just the usual stuff. That I’m boring, too thin, too plain… That you could do better."

Silence.

Then, Marshall grabbed your phone, unlocking it easily—he knew your passcode—and scrolling through your notifications. His grip tightened as he scanned the comments.

"Fuckin’ ridiculous," he muttered, shaking his head. Then, before you could react, he tossed your phone across the room. It landed somewhere on the carpet with a soft thud.

"Marshall—"

"Nah," he cut you off, shifting to face you fully. His hands found your legs, tugging you forward until you were straddling his lap. His big, warm hands settled on your waist, holding you firm. "Look at me."

You hesitated, but his fingers curled under your chin, tilting your face up until your eyes met his.

"You really believe that shit?" he asked, voice low but intense. "That you’re not enough for me?"

You swallowed hard. "It’s not that I believe it, but—"

"But nothin’," he interrupted, shaking his head. His hands slid from your waist to your arms, then back again, like he needed to remind himself that you were real, that you were his. "Lemme tell you somethin’, baby. You think I want some overdone, plastic, attention-hungry chick who don’t know the first thing about me? You think I’d trade this—" He squeezed your hips, his eyes dark and serious. "You—for some Instagram model who don’t know how to hold a real conversation?"

You let out a shaky breath. "I just… I don’t want people thinking you deserve better."

Marshall’s face softened, but his grip on you didn’t. "Ain’t nobody in this world better than you, sweetheart." His fingers skimmed under the hem of your shirt, sliding along your bare skin. "You think I give a fuck if you’re ‘plain’? You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Inside and out. I don’t need flashy, or fake, or whatever the hell these people think I should have. I need this. I need you."

Tears pricked at your eyes, and Marshall sighed, pulling you into his chest, his arms wrapping around you completely. His lips pressed against your temple, lingering.

"They don’t see what I see," he murmured. "But they don’t fuckin’ matter."

You melted into him, breathing in his scent, his warmth, his love.

"Don’t let ‘em take up space in that pretty little head of yours, alright?" He pulled back just enough to press a soft, lingering kiss to your lips. "Only opinion that matters is mine. And I think you’re fuckin’ perfect."

A small smile finally found its way to your lips, and Marshall smirked, brushing a knuckle under your chin.

"There’s that smile," he murmured. "Now, c’mere, lemme remind you exactly how much I see you."

And as he pulled you back down to him, hands roaming, lips claiming, the noise of the outside world faded away. Because in his eyes, you were everything.

Marshall didn’t let you go. Not even for a second.

He held you like he was afraid you’d slip away, like he needed to erase every cruel word from your mind with his touch alone. His hands roamed your back, your sides, gripping, kneading—reminding you that you were his.

"You hear me?" he murmured against your lips, his breath warm, his voice rough. "Ain’t nobody’s opinion matter but mine. And I think you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid my fuckin’ eyes on."

You let out a shaky breath, fingers twisting into his hoodie. "Marshall—"

"Nah," he interrupted, shaking his head, his hands sliding under your shirt, palms warm against your skin. "You don’t get to brush this off. Not after I just watched you shrink in on yourself over some dumb shit some jealous motherfuckers said on the internet."

Your throat tightened, the vulnerability creeping in again, but Marshall wasn’t having it. He leaned in, brushing his lips across your jaw, trailing soft, lingering kisses down your neck.

"You’re mine," he murmured, his voice dark and full of promise. "Every inch of you. Ain’t nobody else’s opinion matter."

You let out a soft whimper as his teeth grazed your pulse point, your fingers clenching against his chest. He was overwhelming in the best way, drowning out every insecurity with the sheer force of his love, his need to make you understand.

His lips found your ear, his breath sending shivers down your spine. "You think you’re too thin? I love your body, baby. Every soft, sweet, perfect inch of it." His hands slid down, gripping your hips, pulling you flush against him. "You think you’re boring? Then why the fuck am I so addicted to you? Why can’t I go a day without wantin’ to hear your voice, see your face, touch you?"

Tears welled in your eyes, but this time, they weren’t from hurt. They were from the sheer weight of his love, of how fiercely he saw you.

Marshall pulled back just enough to look you in the eyes, his gaze burning into yours. "I’m in love with you," he said, voice firm, raw. "Not who people think I should be with. Not some fantasy. You. And I don’t ever wanna hear you doubt that again."

You swallowed thickly, nodding, unable to find words.

His expression softened, his hands cradling your face, thumbs brushing away the wetness on your cheeks. "C’mere," he whispered before pressing his lips to yours—slow, deep, reverent.

You melted into him, letting him pour every unspoken word, every reassurance, every ounce of love into you. And as he laid you down, taking his time, worshipping every part of you, you finally started to see yourself the way he did.

Perfect. Beautiful. His.

---

The morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the bedroom. You stirred slightly, feeling warm, safe—wrapped up in him.

Marshall’s arms were snug around you, one hand splayed across your lower back, the other lazily tangled in your hair. He was still asleep, his breathing slow and steady against the top of your head, but even in sleep, his grip on you was firm, possessive—like he wasn’t ready to let go.

You shifted just enough to look up at him, taking in the peaceful expression on his face. The hardened, world-weary man everyone else saw was nowhere to be found. Here, with you, he was just Marshall. Just the man who held you together when the world tried to tear you down.

Your heart clenched as the sting of last night’s comments threatened to creep back in, but then—his arms tightened around you, like he knew where your mind was headed, even in his sleep.

"You ain’t thinkin’ about that shit again, are you?"

His voice was rough with sleep, but there was still that edge to it—the same one he had when he was protecting something his.

You sighed, resting your chin on his chest. "No," you murmured.

His eyes cracked open just enough to scan your face. "Liar," he muttered before pulling you back against him, shifting so you were practically on him now.

You let out a soft laugh, but it quickly faded when he ran his hands up your back, slow and deliberate. "I meant what I said last night," he murmured, pressing a lazy kiss to your forehead. "Ain’t nobody’s opinion matter but mine."

You bit your lip, tucking your face into his neck. "I know."

Marshall hummed, not convinced. His fingers tilted your chin up, forcing you to meet his gaze. "Do you?"

You hesitated, and that was all the answer he needed.

He exhaled, shaking his head before flipping the two of you so he was hovering over you now, caging you in with his arms. "Then lemme say it again," he rasped. "You’re mine. Every part of you. I don’t give a fuck what people think, baby. I don’t want anybody else. I don’t even see anybody else."

His lips brushed against yours, barely there, but his eyes—intense, unwavering—told you he meant every word.

"I don’t wake up every day next to them," he murmured. "I wake up next to you. And that’s the only thing that fuckin’ matters."

You swallowed hard, nodding, because how could you not believe him when he looked at you like that? Like you were the only thing in the world that mattered.

He smirked at your silence, finally closing the gap and kissing you—slow, deep, reassuring. Like he was sealing his words into your skin.

When he pulled back, he brushed a strand of hair from your face, his fingers lingering on your cheek. "Now, what do you say we go get some breakfast, Mrs. Mathers? Maybe post a cute lil’ selfie so people know exactly who I’m wrapped up with every night?"

You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t fight the smile forming on your lips. "You’re impossible."

Marshall grinned, pressing another kiss to your forehead. "Yeah, yeah. But I’m your impossible."

And just like that, the noise of the outside world didn’t matter anymore.

---------

A/N: based on a real life conversation I overheard at a lil get together with my husband's friends last night. His best friend's sister is apparently very much not impressed by my husband's choice of wife.

[cripplecharacters]

Hi, I have two questions:

One is, do you think a family member like a sibling being the primary caregiver is a tricky thing for plot? Is this something that usually happens in real life or is it not a practical situation? I think it depends on the level of independence the person has regarding disability but I wanted to ask anyway because sometimes there can be situations an ordinary person may fall short such as emergencies; do family members undergo a certain training to be a primary caregiver, is there a formal process?

Second one is, do you think it would be ableist if a parent leaves their child due to an acquired disability because of the emotional turmoil it has on them, and the other parent kind of not knowing how to deal with the situation either, resenting the child for causing this separation between the parents but supporting the child from afar with occasional visits and monetary support?

I’m asking this because in my opinion this sometimes happens in real life too. However, I want to clarify whether you think it is a valid plot point, as I mean to emphasise that these people are not entirely good people and this is just how life is sometimes. Is there a problem in this case from the point of disabled readers?

Also I want to thank you for making this blog! Have a wonderful day.

Hello!

Question #1: Family Members as Caregivers

Please note: I will be using the term "professional caregiver" to refer to a third party caregiver, one who isn't related to the person/character either as a friend or family member. This isn't to say that caregivers cannot become friends with the person/character or that family members cannot become professional caregivers -- this is just the term I'm using for clarity.

In regards to your first question: This is absolutely something that happens, especially in places where professional caregivers aren't feasible.

There are some places in the world where government funding or private bursaries and grants exist to help cover the cost but this isn't universal. Caregivers are expensive, especially for long term care, and unfortunately not everyone who needs one will be able to get a professional caregiver.

That being said, having a family member as a caregiver also has some advantages over a professional caregiver. With family members, there's a pre-existing relationship and level of familiarity. Although a relationship between a caregiver and the person is different from a relationship between family members, having that familiarity can make things easier and more comfortable for both people.

With the questions about having to go through training or undergo a formal process, it really depends on the character's needs and the family member's pre-existing experience.

As an example, my boyfriend has several disabilities and his mother acts as his caregiver. Their situation was pretty fortuitous as his mother is a nurse who works from home so becoming his caregiver wasn't too difficult. The main needs that she fulfills are medical response based for things like his seizures. If she wasn't a nurse, she would have to go through some training for that -- though that can be anywhere from a weekend first aid course to a more intensive degree or diploma program.

On the other hand, a friend of mine has a more severe form of cerebral palsy and one of their caregivers is their mother. Most of that friend's needs involve help with daily activities such as dressing, cooking, bathing, etc. Because of this, their mother didn't need to undergo training. It all really depends.

It also depends on the legislation where your character lives. Some countries have stricter laws on the necessary qualifications to be a caregiver while others are more lax. There is also usually a difference between somebody who is paid for being a caregiver and somebody who isn't. I'm unsure about other countries but in Canada we have something called EI caregiving benefits [Link] which allows a family member (Or somebody that is like a family member such as a close friend) to be paid for providing care. There's more to it than that but if you're curious, the link above has some information.

Whether the caregiver has to live with the person also depends a lot on both their needs and their legislation. Somebody who needs help with medical response needs (If, like my boyfriend, they have severe seizures frequently, for example), it may be best for a caregiver to live with them. If their needs are more like my friend, they might be able to get away with a caregiver only coming during the day. It would be best for them to be there early in the morning and until the person goes to bed, however.

Another thing is that most people have multiple caregivers, whether they're officially recognized as caregivers or not. For my friend, they have three primary caretakers. In the morning and evening, their mother takes care of them. When she leaves for work, a hired caregiver helps them get ready and drives them to the abilities centre where they usually spend the day. While there, the staff at the centre take over. This is to say, just because a family member is a caregiver doesn't mean they have to be the person's only caregiver.

As a final note to keep in mind: Having a family member as a caregiver can also make things a bit more complicated, especially if the family member is being paid. Even if the two have the best relationship, an imbalance of power can complicate things. Although there can be arguments between the character and a professional caregiver, it's different when the caregiver is a family member.

A professional caregiver can be fired, investigated, or even arrested if they mistreat the person they're caring for. If the person can't report them themself, they may be able to reach out to a family member or friend for help. With a family member as their caregiver, this can be more difficult. Family members also have more history behind their relationship which can include past conflicts, family drama, generational trauma, etc. which can all make things more difficult.

Question #2: Parental Resentment Due to Disability

[CW: Discussions of ableism, abuse, murder, neglect]

With regards to your other question: The answer to this is more complicated.

Ethicists can argue all they want but in real life situations, things are rarely black and white. Most actions can't accurately be simplified into "good" or "bad" -- "ableist" or "not".

It would be very easy to say "this person left because of their child's disability so they're ableist" but the truth is that a situation like this is a lot more complicated than that.

There are so many other factors at play and sometimes leaving is the best thing to do in a situation. There have been countless cases of parents neglecting, abusing, and even killing their disabled children. Though it sounds cruel to say, in these situations leaving is a better alternative.

Although this is something that happens frequently in real life, it's a situation I'd urge you to be careful with. Your example specifies a child with an acquired disability but this can -- and does -- happen with all sorts of disabilities. When I was first diagnosed with autism, my family split up because my father didn't want to deal with it. It wasn't about my needs (They had been the same for years at this point), it was about the label that came with them.

Unfortunately, this is something that countless disabled people can relate to and, if handled improperly, the portrayal can come across as insensitive and really alienate your disabled readers.

On the other hand, it's important not to portray the parent as a villain or morally bad for taking these actions. It takes a lot to be able to admit when you can't handle a situation and to step back for the betterment of everyone. If you know that a staying in a situation will make it worse for the people involved (Yourself included), it isn't selfish to leave that situation.

Of course, that doesn't mean that it won't hurt people.

Human emotions are complicated and, even if somebody has done the right thing, it can still feel like a betrayal. A parent may leave for the betterment of a relationship but, by leaving, can also end it entirely -- whether intentionally or not.

With the situation you mentioned, it's important to keep in mind that the financial compensation and visits won't magically fix the relationship or even make it better at all. There will still be a lot of hurt there, even if it can be somewhat assuaged later on.

It's important to explore how this would affect all the characters -- not just the parent that leaves and the child:

How does it affect the remaining parent?

Does the character have siblings? How does it affect them?

What about extended family on the remaining parent's side? What about the other parent's side?

How does this affect the overall reputation of the character that left? Do their coworkers know? Their friends? How do they feel about it?

Although I'm always in favour of hiring a sensitivity reader, this is a situation where I'd VERY strongly encourage it. This is an important topic and one I'd like to see more of but it's also one that's so so easy to get wrong. Depending on how it's written, it can end up villainizing one party or otherwise coming across as insensitive.

Hopefully some of this is helpful.

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[mashtatosworld]

everything i wanted... with you

the sad one ;(

summary: in which they never made it

warnings: angst city

The wedding was beautiful - soft candlelight, the shimmer of crystal chandeliers, the kind of warmth that only comes from a room filled with love.

It was everything Youngbae and Min Hyo-rin deserved. Everything you once thought you'd have.

And maybe that was why your chest felt so tight.

You hadn’t seen Jiyong in years - not in person, at least. His face was unavoidable, still plastered across billboards, still lingering in the lyrics of songs you couldn’t bring yourself to skip. But standing in the same room again, breathing the same air?

It was different. It was suffocating.

And of course, he found you first.

"Didn’t think you’d come."

His voice was the same - low, smooth, laced with something unreadable.

You turned, meeting his gaze across the garden. The reception was in full swing, laughter and music weaving through the air, but for a moment, it felt like you were the only two people in the world.

"Would’ve been rude to miss it," you said, forcing a smile. "Not all of us are experts at avoiding things."

A ghost of a smirk touched his lips, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Good. He deserved that.

"How have you been?" he asked, stepping closer.

You took a slow breath, trying to ignore the way his cologne still made your stomach twist. "Good. Happy."

A lie. Or maybe just half of one.

His gaze flickered over you, studying, searching. "I’m glad."

The silence stretched, heavy with everything unsaid. The years apart, the things neither of you ever had the courage to admit.

And then, a quiet laugh. "You cut your hair."

You reached up instinctively, fingers brushing the shorter strands. "Yeah. It was time for a change."

"Looks good."

You swallowed. It shouldn’t matter. His opinion shouldn’t matter.

But fuck it, it did.

Later, after too much wine and too many stolen glances, you found yourself outside beneath the string lights, cold air biting at your skin.

Footsteps. You didn’t have to turn to know who it was.

"You still do that," Jiyong murmured, stopping beside you.

"Do what?"

"Disappear when things get too real."

You let out a dry laugh. "Maybe I learned it from you."

He exhaled, long and slow. "You know I never wanted it to end like that."

"Then maybe you should’ve fought for it," you murmured, voice barely above the wind.

He didn’t have an answer for that.

The silence stretched between you again, thick with memories, with regret. With the undeniable truth that you would always be right where you left off, yet never in the same place.

He ran a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. And that’s when you saw it, caught in the candle light.

The rings stacked on his fingers, sparkling and familiar, except for one - yours.

Your breath caught.

A memory surged forward, pushing its way past all other thoughts.

𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪

Three years ago, Paris:

It had only been eight months.

Not even a full year of whispered conversations between studio sessions, of jetlagged mornings tangled together in expensive hotel sheets, of running from cameras only to get caught up in each other instead.

Everything had been too much back then - too loud, too fast, too risky. And yet, when he looked at you, Jiyong never wavered.

The balcony overlooked the Seine, the city glowing golden beneath the night sky. It was just the two of you, wrapped in the quiet hum of the city, the distant sounds of life moving below as if the world outside this moment didn’t exist.

"Is this your way of asking me to marry you?" you had teased, staring down at the band of diamonds wrapped around your finger.

Jiyong ran his thumb over one of the gems before he forced himself to meet your gaze. "Everything I want... is with you."

It wasn’t some grand, dramatic proposal. It wasn’t a plea. It was a quiet truth. Everything in your lives felt so exposed. But this was a moment just for you.

You had known what it meant - that despite the chaos, the flashing lights, the pressure of it all, he was sure.

And, at the time, so were you.

"Everything I want," you had murmured in agreement, rolling the ring between your fingers.

Jiyong’s lips twitched into a small smile. "So?"

You had kissed him then.

But it certainty didn’t stop the world from spinning too fast. And eventually, the weight of it all crushed you before you even had the chance to wear it properly.

So you left it behind.

𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪

Now, here it was, on his hand.

Your throat tightened. "You kept it." He was wearing it.

His gaze flicked to his ring finger, and then you. "Guess I’m keeping it warm."

Your fingers curled into fists at your sides. "Jiyong- "

"I know," he cut in. "I know it doesn’t change anything. But if it means anything… I never -"

You shook your head, stepping back before he could finish. Because if he said it now, if he really meant it, you weren’t sure you’d be strong enough to leave again.

So you turned, the weight of unfinished love pressing into your ribs.

And this time, you were the first to walk away.

But neither of you could ignore the fact that he still let you go.

𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪

ahh unresolved endings...my bad 🤭

also thank you for all the love! i really appreciate it

(also also, the ring in the picture above is the one referenced)

[nerdy-chocomallow]

Honestly, I think that Season 5 bring the worst isn’t even an opinion anymore. It’s a fact.

I see a lot of people on the Brazilian fandom and especially on the YouTube speaking of how this season is action packed and full of twists.

But, honestly… it’s mostly the plot rushing through things that it should have developed earlier, retcons and bad writing.

I could rant for hours at how bad this season is…

To me, it how marinette is barely facing any consequences at all and I mean people not trusting her and mad at her for her actions and behavior. Instead, we get excuses for them and we’re supposed to be cool with it. And what gets me the most is how it doesn’t matter if she messes up, she still the best superhero in the world, even though she help ended the world completely.

It doesn’t matter if it was action packed and has many twists and turns, if it was written poorly and badly, it becomes more obnoxious than anything. Like, why do the alliance rings work and why did they need to do existence when Gabriel created akumas that had similar powers to the miraculous but just better than any of them, like did he really need the miraculous to do that? Why does marinette keep thinking love was the problem when it was her lack of trust in chat noir and not communicating with him at all. Why remove Su-Han from the story when they need him more now than ever?! Why make the statue scene be the moment when Adrien falls for marinette when there were other moments to choose from? Why excuse Felix and Marinette’s bad actions and behavior, then said Chloé has no excuse to act like a bitch? Why isn’t Felix helping in season finale when you said he cares about his cousin and girlfriend so much, I guess he doesn’t consider he doesn’t try to help break them out? Why blame love for everything when real problem was the lack of trust, not knowing each other’s identities, and just being completely assholes to each other especially ladybug towards chat noir?! And there so much more that I can think of, it frustrates me that I have to watch this season and act like this is okay.

[lovebitesandcrosses]

THIS OMG. A lot of people are like ‘booktok is giving women porn addictions’ and I get the point, I do think it’s weird to read smut out in public and/or only want to read something if it is based around explicit sex scenes, but that’s NOT the issue. At least in my opinion. I don’t think written pornography is the same as videos for hundreds of reasons that I’m sure most people understand.

The issue is it’s LAZY. The writing is lazy, often worse than a lot of fanfiction because they aren’t as passionate and their only real inspiration is from Colleen Hoover books they’ve absorbed and poorly written porn. It’s not about escaping into a new world or creating fascinating characters you truly connect to, I think it’s the modern day equivalent of self insert Wattpad fanfics. It’s about fulfilling a fantasy. I don’t think that’s bad inherently, and I think fantasies are normal, but it shouldn’t be an excuse to give up on any quality or personal style in your work. That’s just it though, like many romance novels, they make the characters completely empty shells with bare bone stereotyped personalities. So you can imagine it’s you and your friend and some celebrity or guy you’re into.

Again, if this is how people unwind go ahead. I think it’s the literature version of watching thirst trap slop videos or trashy reality TV, but I don’t think it’s inherently this terrible and morally corrupt thing. They’re just having lazy, brainless fun. I think it’s misogynistic to get up in arms about it as though it’s rotting women’s brains, I don’t want to sound like I’m trying to make that argument because it’s just stupid and overdramatic. It probably isn’t harmful to consume at all and I respect your right to read it. I am going to judge if you tell me you’re a huge bookworm and these are the only books you read. They are fundamentally different in intent to a majority of books from other genres. You can not give a fuck about that and I can be pretentious about it. This is the beauty of humanity. It ultimately is just watered down fanfiction without any of the characterising or charming details. That’s it. I wouldn’t be as irritated if it wasn’t the majority of new shit being advertised and published right now. Take it to AO3 where it belongs, most of y’all read on screens anyway. Damn.

Sorry it’s early but you really can’t use fanfiction terms in a non fanfiction context like if someone is trying to sell me a book to read and they tell me there’s an enemy to lovers I would be annoyed because why are you spoiling the story lol

[dearweirdme]

Sorry I'm sure you're tired of the airport head kiss asks. But my opinion is that if it were ANY other pairing from BTS everyone would most likely be agreeing it was a kiss. But since it's taekook ppl need to argue that it's anything but. It's exhausting being a tkkr sometimes... 🙄

Hi anon!

I think the issue is, that people think we’re claiming a definite romantic acts here.. and they’re partly right.. because within my believes about Tae and Jk I do think there’s things they do that are romantic. I don’t claim this moment as something inherently romantic though, but rather of their closeness and how they want to show that. That one anon’s ‘openly kissing in a public place’ is willfully turning our thoughts into something they are not. They wouldn’t say something like this about Tae kissing Jin on his head during a live.

Going to go a bit ranty here, because yesterday’s conversation has me thinking a lot…

None of the tkkrs I know are on here trying to figure out whether it’s Taekook or if it’s jikook. I’m sure there’s a subsection of fandom somewhere where that happens, but it’s very far from what we encounter here. It’s also not a mindset that I find agreeable, because it seems to originate from wanting to ship in general rather than actually seeing something special between two persons. What I am doing here and what most of us are doing here is looking at Tae and Jk and thinking about the extent of their relationship. Jkk is not a factor in that at all. For me Jm’s place in this is as both Jk and Tae’s friend and bandmember. Jkk as a fandom is spoken about because that fandom causes false narratives and hate, not because their ship ‘triggers me because deep inside I know it’s real’.

Talk about closeting comes with a lot of grey area imo. There’s a big deal of space between someone in a country where there’s a death penalty for being queer and who’s closeted and someone being closeted because their advisors tell them it’s bad for business. Both are horrible imo, and both can be extremely damaging on a personal level. It’s hard to speak about being privileged when it come to a closeted person, but at the same time I think such privilege does exist. It exists because aside from being queer.. there’s other factors that make up a person. Tae and Jk have the privilege of wealth and of having a great network of friends and family. I love knowing they have this privilege. I think it allows them some peace in a messed up situation that has harmed them immensely. I think they would have been out had it not been for their careers. Neither one of them is actually afraid of being seen as queer imo. What they’re afraid of is losing their careers and the effect it will have on BTS as a whole and the good they do through BTS. It’s also very much a question if their contract (which will have image clauses) allows them to be out at all. When I look at Tae especially, he’s not been afraid to show his queer self at all.. so I think there’s space that allows for signals.

I see their situation like this: there are things they definitely can’t do. Living together publicly, enlisting together, obviously romantic acts like kissing on the lips, telling the world they are queer, things that fall in that category in general.

There are also things Hybe hasn’t allowed, but that I feel would have been manageable. A taekook collab. Being portrayed as close friends throughout.

The grey area would be things that shows them as close, but not necessarily romantically involved. This is a huge area in my opinion and the reason why there’s so much discussion on ‘are they, aren’t they’. It’s why at times we see things that make us go 😳 (like hearing a person sleep next to Tae, and the sweetheart shirts, and the airport kiss, and Jk flying to Hawaii) but other times we have mentions of ‘why doesn’t Jk support Tae more’. It’s stuff that’s highly dependent on moments. Stuff that has temporary impact, but not much in the long run (like enlisting together will have).

This is what I apply to both Tkk and Jkk. There are things that I know can’t happen and there’s grey space.

Imagine for a bit being them. Being young, in one of the most popular bands in the world, still on a rise to more fame…. And you fall in love with each other. So deeply in love, it’s impossible not to be together, because you aren’t even able to stay away on a practical level. The company catches on.. what does your boss tell you? Does he tell you to hide and be professional or else you’re putting your (and your member’s) career at risk? Or does your boss go and allow you to publish footage of your romantic getaway to Tokyo for everyone to see? Does your boss give you boundaries to what you can do together or does he put a spotlight on the two of you as a duo?

It is exhausting to be a tkkr at times. I know I have gone through periods of huge fandom fatigue (honestly have only found pleasure in blogging back only recently) because of it. The exhaustion that comes from people trying to place what we say in black and whites, people willfully bending our words or only pointing out one specific sentence without looking at what we say as a whole. Tkk is a very sensitive topic for many. I try to balance my own peace and allowing for interesting conversations and different opinions, but it is hard at times. I’m at times too trusting, at times too reactive, at times I do get triggered. What’s helped me a lot though is just keeping my focus on Tae and Jk. Them together, but also them as individuals just give me such joy.. that truly trumps fandom shenanigans for me every time.

[utilitycaster]

This is related to last reblog but can I just say that I think Matt, while good at most other aspects of storytelling, just isn’t that good at writing compelling villains? And before you go point at the Briarwoods or Trent, remember these villains were co-written by the players who created them as part of their PC’s backstories, as were Lucien and Uk’otoa. Matt’s track record with villains is otherwise pretty lackluster, with Raishan being his only real standout example.

I actually completely disagree. I think first and most of all, the idea that co-writing doesn't count is a complete misunderstanding of the process of collaboration. Writing a compelling villain with someone else's initial concept is simply taking a writing prompt, and doing so as a DM, where the entire point is to create a world your characters care about is in fact precisely the assignment. Really, part of the problem with C3 is that I feel the characters' backstories weren't built upon, in favor of focusing on the moon plot. I'd add that also, Trent and the Briarwoods were from what I understand fairly loosely sketched out in Liam and Taliesin's backstories for Caleb and Percy; and Taliesin and Travis have both repeatedly stated they didn't create Lucien nor Uk'otoa - they said "I woke up in my own grave with no memory" or "I woke up washed up on the beach with a sword and a warlock pact". I also, for what it's worth, think that a great number of other villains (Thordak, Ripley, Vecna (who is not an original villain to be fair but his integration into Exandria is well-done), Lorenzo, Avantika, Ludinus - dumb ending aside the concept was good until it was strung out endlessly) were quite good. It really is a case of "you need to realize that bringing them back endlessly stops being fun or interesting and has greatly diminishing returns after a while." And also ngl as someone who is not per se devastated nor mad about Vaxleth so much as disappointed and scornful, it does kind of suck to hear the statement of "we did this to have a happy ending during a rough time!" when we are currently living through "unrepentant bigot who was semi-defeated came back."

Not directed specifically at you but I do want to note: whenever I express frustration/dislike of something I tend to get a spate of asks that are like, also about that thing but a totally different complaint, and sometimes I agree but a lot of the time I don't. This happened (for example) when I didn't like early FCG in which a lot of people were frankly really weird about Sam overall in my inbox and I want to encourage people to express this kind of complaint on their own blogs rather than through my inbox. If you want to ask me "how do you feel about Matt's other villains?" that's fine, but if you want to express your own opinion, that is a personal post to make.

[slfcare]

🔊 I’m looking for people with disabilities!

My university has approved my graduation plan: to develop an interactive 3D website for people with physical disabilities (as I have cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy myself and am graduating as a frontend engineer) 🎉

Since there’s a lot of research to do beforehand, I wanted to ask if there are people with (physical) disabilities who’d like to join my Discord server to be involved in the process by representing my target audience? This means:

You’ll be helping me out so much by providing your feedback and opinions as a disability expert through the development process;

I can do an individual interview with you (text-based / in a chat, we won’t have to call) about your disability and you as a person for valuable insights on how to make my website as fun and accessible as possible for you;

You’ll be part of two other short exercises:

💬 Conversation Starters, where we’ll discuss (and fantasize about) what a perfectly accessible world and web would look like so that I can use this as inspiration;

and (in a few weeks for those interested) a Focus Group 🏘️, where we’ll discuss my concept for this website/product and ways you either absolutely hate or love it (and why).

All of this will take place in our own little Discord server and will be strictly confidential. We also won’t be calling with voice as I know not everyone is comfortable with that, and so that I won’t have to record you. Outside of this project, the Discord is also available for us to just be friends and get to know each other for fun. 💌

💛 If you're a part of this in any way, you will be thanked and credited in the site itself (unless you’d rather not be), as well as stay completely anonymous in my documentation. Nobody aside from us has access to the Discord server and the only people who have access to your input via my documentation are my two professors and myself.

I came up with this graduation plan because of all of you in this Tumblr community, so I’d love to involve you in making you a real, tangible thing (that I'm also making for you). Please send me a message if you’re interested in joining, just letting me interview you, or if you want to know more!

[scam-alerts]

🚨Scammer Alert🚨 + 🔎Scam Exam(ination)🔍

Seen as: Recruitment to join the Illuminati Scam Type: Identity Theft / Fraud

Post updated: 2/12/25

Accounts running this scam: templeoflight66 symbolsand-shadow mysticmason googlescholarsecretsandsybmols illuminatiinsights

-----

Before we dive into this scam, please note that this scam is very dangerous as it reportedly deals with identity theft and concludes with the theft and use of your stolen information for nefarious purposes.

As it should go with any stranger you talk to on the internet, you should never willingly give out any of your personal information such as: real name, date of birth, address, phone number, credit card/bank information, photos of yourself or your bank, credit, social security card, ect, to a stranger on the internet who promises you money.

1 - How it starts.

This scam typically starts by someone receiving an email, or in the images we will be examining today, a tumblr user receiving a DM- or, well, several DM's, from users who were trying to 'bless them with good tidings of the universe' and that it was 'a sign from the almighty' and 'it was fate' and all that nonsense... to try and then recruit them to join the Illuminati.

The following images were provided by an anonymous user of their conversation with googlescholarsecretsandsybmols:

Here is anonymous's contact with mysticmason:

🚩Notable red flags🚩

Their blogs are full of generic AI generated images, philosophical scripture/nonsense, links to Illuminati websites/content that seem suspicious.

The offer of the impossible.

Wealth (of an undisclosed amount) to help the homeless with food and resources. Some 'means' of aiding your business and/or helping you attain any job position you desire in your work place. Some ✨magical✨ means of granting you recognition in your community. (As if they can suddenly make people change their opinions of you...)

Then instant request/demand that they need you to use Telegram for communication.

Telegram is a service that a lot of scammers use, and they use it because they can easily communicate with other scammers (and victims) there, and run their scams through it without it usually being able to be used as evidence should something like Identity Theft occur.

2 - How this scam works.

This scam works by... well, what I find to be the most obvious tactic that a lot of scammers use:

The life changing offer of a lot money... You just need to do a little something in return... ;)

From here I will be pulling information from this article from Bitdefender, one of the most well known and well trusted Antivirus brands on the market today. (That I use in fact! :D)

In regards to the emails- the original method this scam was spread:

The spam emails were traced to IP addresses in Nigeria (40%), South Africa (16%), the US (14%), the Netherlands (13%), and Argentina and Brazil (with 5% each).

Here are a list of benefits the Illuminati claims they can offer you if you join, taken from the Bitdefender article as well:

A new house bought in any country of your choice.

A monthly salary of $200,000

A blessing for joining which includes 10 million dollars.

A "magic talisman" that can cure any kind of illness or infection.

The power to prosper and improve.

Free access to Bohemians grove.

First class/VIP treatment at any airport in the world.

One-year appointment approval with the top 10 world leaders.

Appointments with world celebrities of your choice.

A personal car with your name customized on it.

The seven-book of Moses to learn the language of ORIS for "powers".

And a lot more!...

You just have to buy the required items for you to become an initiate member into the 'brotherhood.'

Which is when they'll have you fill out a sheet with all of your personal information, work occupation, wage earnings, as well as request a photograph of you and/or your license for 'verification'.

If you do, they will steal your identity, use it to register for things like loans, ruin your credit, and your life is practically ruined. :(

Final Thoughts:

As I mentioned prior, you should never send this kind of information to anyone on the internet for any kind of reason if you do not know who you are speaking to on the other end, aka they're a stranger.

All these kinds of scams go off of are words, as that's all they are.

A promise made of just words.

No different than the free money or sugar baby/daddy scam where they promise you $3000 a month, all you have to do is 'send me $100+ to verify you want to do this.'

I know how life changing a lot of money can be, but do try to be logical and think about these things, for your sake and others!

Take care everyone.

[navree]

"if a white character from a property is played by a poc in an adaptation/remake they're no longer white and if you do anything with the original character now you're racist" this country needs to enter another war or financial crisis or something so that children have something real to whine about instead of whatever the hell this is

[evilsoup]

nobody is required to take karl marx as an authority of course, but fwiw here's an extract from a letter where he tells a socialist novelist to improve her craft by reading the reactionary, Balzac:

I am far from finding fault with your not having written a point-blank socialist novel, a “Tendenzroman” [social-problem novel. DM], as we Germans call it, to glorify the social and political views of the authors. This is not at all what I mean. The more the opinions of the author remain hidden, the better for the work of art. The realism I allude to may crop out even in spite of the author’s opinions. Let me refer to an example. Balzac, whom I consider a far greater master of realism than all the Zolas passés, présents et a venir [past, present and future], in “La Comédie humaine” gives us a most wonderfully realistic history of French ‘Society’, especially of le monde parisien [the Parisian social world], describing, chronicle-fashion, almost year by year from 1816 to 1848 the progressive inroads of the rising bourgeoisie upon the society of nobles, that reconstituted itself after 1815 and that set up again, as far as it could, the standard of la viellie politesse française [French refinement]. He describes how the last remnants of this, to him, model society gradually succumbed before the intrusion of the vulgar monied upstart, or were corrupted by him; how the grand dame whose conjugal infidelities were but a mode of asserting herself in perfect accordance with the way she had been disposed of in marriage, gave way to the bourgeoisie, who horned her husband for cash or cashmere; and around this central picture he groups a complete history of French Society from which, even in economic details (for instance the rearrangement of real and personal property after the Revolution) I have learned more than from all the professed historians, economists, and statisticians of the period together. Well, Balzac was politically a Legitimist; his great work is a constant elegy on the inevitable decay of good society, his sympathies are all with the class doomed to extinction. But for all that his satire is never keener, his irony never bitterer, than when he sets in motion the very men and women with whom he sympathizes most deeply - the nobles. And the only men of whom he always speaks with undisguised admiration, are his bitterest political antagonists, the republican heroes of the Cloître Saint-Méry, the men, who at that time (1830-6) were indeed the representatives of the popular masses. That Balzac thus was compelled to go against his own class sympathies and political prejudices, that he saw the necessity of the downfall of his favourite nobles, and described them as people deserving no better fate; and that he saw the real men of the future where, for the time being, they alone were to be found - that I consider one of the greatest triumphs of Realism, and one of the grandest features in old Balzac.

as a communist i think that that "conservatives can't make good art" is pure cope whether coming from liberals or other commies but "republicans aren't funny" is just kinda true

[crispycreambacon]

I'll forever be upset about how Elemental (2023 Pixar movie) flopped so hard, and it's not even its fault.

Let's be real, going against Across the Spiderverse would be a deathblow for any animated movie, but the marketing team REALLY didn't help matters. Not only did the trailers barely show up (to the point my friends DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTED), the trailers also did such a poor job representing its actual story.

A lot of people were turned off by the "unoriginal premise" as well as the "forbidden romance", and I can't even blame them but no!!! The story is so much more than just "ooo they can't fall in love because they're (gasp) FIRE AND WATER?!?!?!?" and "what if (insert concept) has emotions but elements this time"!!!!!

At the heart of it all is a personal immigrant story. A story about two fire people moving to another place in order to start a new and hopefully better life (aka literally immigrants). A story about their daughter who feels in debt to them for making the sacrificd to leave their home. A story about her feeling like she'll have to sacrifice her whole life and her dreams in order to repay them and make them happy.

Not to mention how Asian-coded it is!!! The director, Peter Sohn, is clearly writing from his perspective as a Korean-American immigrant, and as an Asian immigrant, I resonated so unbelievably hard with Ember's story. It really felt like the movie held up a mirror in front of me. I've never felt this seen in a movie before this one.

And it feels so good!!! I'm so sad that a lot of people will be missing it out because the marketing team did such a terrible job at their literal jobs. If more people gave it a chance, they'll likely find a story that truly made them feel heard.

Also the romance is really cute. Like I don't typically seek out romance stories, but damn that was good food, that was good fluff. I think it's also a great allegory for interracial couples, but I'm not in an interracial relationship, so I won't overstep too much!

Long story short, if you're unsure on whether you really want to see this movie or not, hear it from me who saw it twice:

Go Watch Elemental!!! You will not regret it!!!

[gideonisms]

I become 300% more of both a lover and a hater when I'm on my period. just a time of the month when I have strong opinions I would say