#this whole thing really doesn't agree with me

[tornad001]

working with the cherokees in Qualla, the first thing that struck me is that a LOT of the people live in trailer homes that realistically haven't met a safety code in at least a few decades. granted, a lot of ppl in the mountain regions i was in who aren't native were ALSO living in unsafe ramshackle huts. mountain people are disproportionately under-housed, but even among that group, native people are disproportionately represented.

the second thing that struck me is the almost hilariously apparent degradation of their city. a massive, elaborate casino resort, this grandiose and palatial altar to gambling looms over the otherwise decrepit and under-maintained town. they get to have their "gaming industry", and it only cost them everything. and what do they get in return for their sacrifice? $10k every 6 months. oh and btw prices are higher in the mountains and even higher on the reservation, meanwhile wages are at or below average. sooo... basically the $20k/year barely covers the increased cost of living. and looking around you can tell just how useless this money is for their quality of life. and the sick irony is that regardless of the Walmart-esque effect on the surrounding community, its also true that without it they'd be even more economically deprived. gambling, weed, and knickknacks for tourists are basically all they've got.

the third thing that struck me is that they are a deeply conservative people. not holistically, but when it comes to politics it doesn't really matter if u agree with everything the republicans stand for, if you vote for them, you're voting for their whole platform. including the part where trump wants to remove federal recognition status for native groups and sell off their land to the corporation with the highest bid. including the part where the state legislature wants to crack down on weed being transported across boundary lines, open up areas for gambling outside the reserve, and loosen environmental protections for the mountains in general but native land in particular.

their sense that neither the democrats nor the republicans truly care about them, while correct to some degree, also seems to have rotted their brains into thinking that there is therefore no difference between the 2 groups. which, when u look at the issues that they actually care about, is absolutely not the case. whether its tribal sovereignty, protecting their weed and "gaming" industries, raising environmental standards, investing in their communities, literally anything. like the dems don't do enough, but its again a game where there's only 2 choices: one group is at least nominally progressive enough that they pay lip-service to and half-ass positive change, while the other side is a full-throttle gung-ho neocon to fascist party who still not-so-secretly thinks that native people aren't really american.

its the second party they vote for. and when you look closer you realize that the people put A LOT of faith in their tribal leadership, which is obviously disproportionately in control, disproportionately wealthy, and therefore disproportionately incentivized towards right-wing politics. and i have 0 clue what to do about it, but that seems to be the state in at least this one reservation i saw, but i'd be surprised if the pattern wasn't reproduced in a lot of native areas.

[wis-art]

Yeah guys, i stole this guy's name and my whjole online presence is posting about his wrongs and accusing him of being friends with rapist!!!!!!!

the source: it's from a callout on a popular trans woman by her EX where they both were stoned out of our mind and i didn't fucking talk about any of this out of respect for both of them, but if you wanna fucking go there. The whole shit that they are bringing up is a callout campaign against a trans woman who has been basically threatened into harassing me and salem for months because the person who wolfertinger blog is pals with had all the vulnerable moments she ever said when they were dating, and basically held it against her entire time, and when they broke up the tgirl came to my fuckin dms really stressed out talking to me about it, hysterical and angry because nobody else was willing to talk to her, because when they broke up with wolfertinger's pals they were immediately accused of being an evil rapist and had a massive fucking blackmailing campaign and emotional abuse from her ex. Now i don't really know the details of what happened that night, as nobody really does because according to the tgirl's testimony she and my little stalker were both stoned out of their fucking mind, like she does not remember anything so i dont know what the fuck really happened. Anyways, fast forward the next month, helping that girl not to kill herself and to stay alive despite the abuse and threats and social murder that she faced, she had multiple suicide attempts, which these ghouls call "suibaiting" and it was VERY traumatizing for everybody involved. She did nothing more than say sorry over and over and over and when this didnt work she was so distressed with the idea of being a rapist that she wanted to take her own life MULTIPLE times, so yeah she was NOT exaggerating. When things cooled down a little bit, I asked the person accusing the tgirl of rape what happened, since the tgirl did not remember anything, because of the substance they both took, she told me her side and i agreed, that i can see why you think this is not okay and said "i wish she didnt do this to you but she did and i'm sorry" and essentially after this the tgirl got told we support her accuser's side or whatever and went off on me and left me alone, which is fine, she can be upset at me for this conversation, after everything she has been through. We have not talked since, but to say we are friends with a rapist is just fucking insane and dishonest, as usual and fact of the matter is, that the accusing person has been doing this kind of callout smear campaign to all of their exes which includes salem, telling everybody how abusive and how all their (almost entirely) trans partners were rapists and sexual predators, stirring shit up online. I don't know what to think, i wasn't there in the room, the testimonies are not clear, i don't understand either and i have been harassed by both parties for like 8 months at that point, so i wasn't entirely happy about all of this. And we weren't really friends prior. You make up your own conclusions, but i have no fucking idea. fact of the matter is, this suicidal trans girl has came into my life super suddenly, she has spent many nights crying to me and asking me to comfort her, and i wasn't aware of anything initially other than "oh my god another fucking callout on a trans woman by their TME ex" So i just fucking helped her, i was very traumatized by the whole situation and i would never really want to talk about any of this because the situation is traumatic and scary and real, and people were hurt and suffering. The trans girl has been getting messages like "kill yourself dumb tranny retard rapist" from her ex's cousin or nephew or something, she has been harassed in a very transmisogynist way, and i do hold a grudge over that, like even if the allegations are true, it doesn't make it any less transphobic to say that to someone. Either way, the whole situation was something i wanted to move away from and just move past because i do not want to think about any of it any more than i should, and these people are using just to fucking harass me for helping their victim and standing up for them.

Also the conversation i had with the tgirl's ex about what happened where i tried to be as respectful as it gets and tell them it's okay, you don't have to talk about it, i understand, they fuckin gave me everything and later used it in a callout to tell me how wrong and evil i am for doing this, and that just strikes me as a little odd. Like are you upset i asked about what happened from the alleged victim??? And you're calling me evil and spin out of context because i wrote a lot in those messages about how i feel and asking you to clarify? It's just very dishonest.

Now let's say he is the real stalker here, i am way smarter than all of you. Like shut up, own up to it instead of sending yourself anonymous messages to play it off as you not saying it. Threatening suicide as a fucking mentally ill 19 year old we are still on the fucking 4 year old tweets!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is fucking craazyy. You guys are doing nothing but sending anonymous messages to my mutuals and followers and call us followers despite you running a blog with a stolen name, so people get to see it first when they type in salem's blog name and doing nothing but harassing us and trying to spin these traumatic events that happened to everybody involved public. Like fuck off! Always looking what im saying having notifications on my post, and when i respond and peep what kind of crazy dogshit you guys served up tonight i am the real stalker, i am the real obsessed person, this isn't DARVO and gaslighting or anything... right!? Fuck off.

[pachu09]

Shifter AU

The Panther had just shown up a week before out of nowhere. Tobirama who was perched on the Gingko tree his Brother had grown in the middle of the Senju Main House Garden hissed in displeasure.

The panther had been trying for a week to make Tobirama’s cat instinct activate to...play. He sniff haughtily. Just because his animal form is that of a house cat it doesn't mean he doesn't retain his Human logical side. He's not an idiot to let an unknown shifter play with him. Besides, he's not really the type to play in his animal form.

( He ignored the thing where he literally make weekly plays with his student Kagami and the little Uchiha in his panther cub form delighted in pinning him down whenever he can. )

He stood up, stretched and circled the spot he was lying on again. Great, his nap time was interrupted again. He narrowed his eyes at the Panther that was still looking up at him. It's deep purrs...only made him more annoyed. He turn his back on the other shifter and laid down again. He'll ignore the idiot for now. The next time it visited he'll chase it out with his Human form. Hashirama crying about Countrymen Brotherhood? Sisterhood?..be damned...

The sound of claws being dragged across the concrete made Tobirama jumped up in alarmed from his place. He hissed in anger as he saw the culprit behind the sound. The damn Panther was scratching it's massive paws on the Senju Compound concrete fence. He spat and made his fur stand on end...

" Be gone you damn beast!. " he meowed in severe displeasure.

" Let's play, little kitten. " Tobirama nearly slip off the tree branch he was perching on. He wasn't expecting to hear let alone understand the damn Panther's words. Only shifters with familiarity with each other can understand each other's Languange. He scrunch his face in confusion. Who?. The only shifters he had understood when they talked in their animal forms are his Brothers, his Mother, Touka and Kagami....

He hissed loudly making his fur puffed up, indication of his severe animosity at the Shifter.

The Panther stood up from it sat. It growled, it looked like it's patience had finally run out. " You don't want me dragging you down there, Tobirama. "

Tobirama recoiled at the tone of the Panther's voice. He knew that tone...or rather the owner of it...

" Madara?. What the fuck? " He yowled in sheer surprise. The Panther merely wave his long tail and lick it's paws.

" Hn. Come down, Tobirama. It's not fun to know you let Kagami play with you and not with me. "

Tobirama glowered down at the other Shifter. " You do know Kagami is my student, no? "

The Panther look up at him with a confused look on his face. " So?. I don't care about that. I just want to play with you. "

Tobirama look up towards the sky and pray for the mental strength to tolerate the other's bullshit.

" Madara. Did you forgot, you actually hate me? You'd probably eat me whole if I ever dared to come near you in my Shifter form. "

Madara's Panther face miraculously managed to convey to look pissed enough that Tobirama felt he'd bolt for a second if the Uchiha becomes suddenly violent.

" Who the fuck told you, I hate you?. Sure, I held a grudge a few months after Konoha was built but I don't hate you now Tobirama. "

Tobirama gape uncharacteristically. Madara doesn't hate him?. Since when? And why didn’t he even noticed it?...

Madara yawn and licked his lips. " Let's play Tobirama. I promised I'll give you some of my personal stocked fish after. "

Tobirama perked up. He heard from Kagami that Uchiha's had some of the most delicious fish delicacies. Maybe just this once he could indulge the Uchiha. Afterall, its a once in a lifetime to have the chance to eat such expensive foods. He deliberately made the Panther wait for a few more seconds before he agreed to his demands...in return Tobirama made Madara promised he'll give him at least two crates of his fish stocks.

Later in the day, Tobirama grumbled internally that playing with Madara in their Shifter forms is quite disadvantageous for him. Being a house cat while being chase by a damn big Predator is like a Civilian running away from a blood thirsty Shinobi. There's just no chance in winning in a game of hide and seek. Madara can easily find him no matter how much Tobirama finds a perfect spot to hide in. And when he refuses to come out. The damn Panther would literally tear apart whatever hiding spot he had stuck himself in.

He yowled in displeasure as Madara licked his whole damn face. He spat and batted away the snout that keeps trying to clean him up.

" Goddammit, Madara. Get the fuck away from me. I don't need you cleaning me up!. " the Panther wasn't faze at the white cat's protestations.

Tobirama froze as Madara's large tongue licked a path across his fluffy belly and happily down near his genitals. He yowled more loudly and in a blind panic managed to scramble out of the Panther's arms, ran down the Uchiha Main House Hallways and burst out of the Compound Gates as if Death himself was nipping at his heels. The Uchiha that witnessed a white cat streaking in a panic across their Compound could only blink in confusion. But when they saw their Clan Head practically running after the small cat they assumed Madara must have found a new playmate...one who hopefully would be a permanent one...

Izuna blankly stared at the place where his Brother and Senju Tobirama once laid down. He massages his eyelids. " Fuck you, Aniki. I so did not want to see you licking Tobirama’s balls in his cat form you fucker. "

[alacants]

The source of those rumors is a guy from Carlos's family's tennis club who is close to Kiko Navarro & knows some members of Carlos's team & is a regular collaborator with Punto de Break. According to him (he's said this before) Carlos & Juanki had a significant fight towards the end of 2023. But the claim that they nearly split up back then came from someone else who's less reliable.

As for 2025, the first guy says Carlos's dad has apparently not been happy with what Juanki is doing for a while... but it seems like Carlos doesn't agree. If things don't turn around after clay season his family might push for changes to the team.

From my perspective it's hard to understand the coaching strategy sometimes. Like you said Juanki's strength is not tactics but it seems like that's what Carlos really needs. This is just one example but I think it's crazy that he sat on court in silence for three sets without suggesting Carlos change his return position v Djokovic - Carlos eventually figured it out... in the last game of the match. And that was honestly the main factor in him losing. You could argue Juanki wanted him to figure it out himself but why on earth did they not discuss that beforehand when it also cost him massively at the Olympics (which Carlos said he didn't even think about before the match?)

I know Juanki's whole thing is treating team like family but there are a lot top coaches who say that after 5ish years a coach has nothing to give a player anymore & I wonder if their partnership has run its natural course. Carlos doesn't seem any more tactically equipped than he was two years ago & his technicals have mostly not improved either (return... backhand...).

thanks for this background - after replying to some earlier asks i dug around and saw some folks citing punto de break but not any specifics so this is appreciated. this does immediately increase the credibility to me bc i know pdb values their access and would not jeopardize it for nothing lmao. tho if it's like, a guy who sometimes writes for them and is mostly posting on his own time... i guess that's somewhere in the middle. (btw i still haven't seen anything other than reports of reports of reports? if you've got links i would very much appreciate them!)

as usual i think we're looking at two questions here: could carlos benefit from a different coach, and does carlos want a different coach.

i think we are all in agreement that for carlos to continue to develop as a player he needs something he's not getting at the moment, whether we're thinking in terms of incorporating a new addition to the team or making a wholesale switch. and i don't disagree with you at all about the natural lifespan of a coaching relationship. i've cited this before in discussions of juanki's own career (stuck with one guy; was it a mistake?) and of ferru's (split but waited too long; chalked the delay up to personal feelings).

but as long as it's presented to carlos as an all-or-nothing choice i don't think he's there yet and i would not be surprised to find out that his recent post-match declarations were a message. (tbc it very much MIGHT be an all-or-nothing choice, regulars here know i have plenty of thoughts about the academy lmao.)

the thing is that at this point the unknowns are still really, really risky. if you've had the same coach for most of your teen/adult years and you're ready to strike out and try something new, then that's exciting and stimulating and you're in a good place to make the best of it. but if you're dragging your feet? if you feel like you've been pushed? maybe someone else could give you more, but you have to be ready to receive it, you know? if you're an environment that you know enables you overall to perform at a high level (4 grand slams), where you feel overall confident and supported even if you're lacking direction in some big matches, where you get value from your coach's presence above and beyond the specifics of tennis--it is inherently going to be a risk to make a big change and if you're not all in on doing so the risks will be even more likely to find you.

that's why i keep saying is that i don't see it happening unless carlos' results gets much worse than this--or, potentially, unless a voice that holds as much weight with him as juanki's (so, his dad) gets strong enough that he listens to it. that might be where we're headed!

(incidentally i have feinted at this without saying so explicitly, but there is an unbelievable amount of money riding on carlos' success or lack thereof--i don't mean prize money, i mean his brand as a star--and it would be naive to pretend that's not a factor in decision-making. that's one of the reasons i've pointed to a sustained slump, rather than one or two disappointing slams. when the results start to affect the brand.)

just talked this over with friend who compared the ideal set-up to darren/simone for jannik--supervisory coach + tactical/court coach. if so, then the question is whether they come to that same conclusion and get the set-up in place before the decision is out of their hands, so to speak.

[justallihere]

something that stuck out to me was Xaden pitching the idea of taking Violet’s last name. That name belongs to the person who executed his father and put 107 scars in his back and has brought him nothing but pain. He’s the Duke of Tyrrendor, he’s older than her and is higher in rank than she is so there is absolutely no strategic/logical reason for wanting to take her name other than wanting to be hers, legally, and I think that’s so beautiful.

I’m sure Violet would never expect him to take her name but just the fact that it was his idea really took me out at the knees and actually made me cry. He gave up a piece of his soul for her so this shouldn’t be a big deal but it’s such a moment and the way he loves her wholeheartedly and out loud is my favourite thing about onyx storm.

Agreed!!! I loved how ride or die they were for each other throughout the whole book

Along with everything you said, it also spoke to me of how he doesn't really care for his title. He'd give it up in a heartbeat if she asked (she never would) just to make her happy. "I love you more than this city. Don't die for it." hit me RIGHT in the fucking feels, and I think he was saying the same thing with that as he did when he offered to take her name

[i-am-a-bad-influence-writes]

What car would they drive?

Masterlist

Author's note: I saw someone on TikTok do this and it was Sylus with a red Lambo, Rafayel with a Masserati, Zayne with a Mercedes, Caleb with some kind of off roading car, and Xavier with a Fiat Panda. I slightly disagree. Here's what I think as someone who loves classic cars. These are also just my opinions, they're not canon at all.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘

Zayne

2019 Volvo S60 T6 4-door 4wd, no questions asked.

Why? It is widely considered one of the savest cars on the market while still looking cool as hell. If there's anything I think Zayne would want in his car, it's safety and quality. Volvo has both. It is also a semi-automatic, so he can use it as an automatic but I feel like Zayne would like the extra control of changing gears at certain times.

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Xavier

Okay, so I get why this person said he would drive a Fiat Panda. He's sweet and all that, but we all know he's a lot darker behind closed doors. Which is why I feel like he would drive a very nice, very unique car.

This is a Maserati Ghibli 4.7. For this one I'd really like to hear if others agree with me, but I do think he would be part of some classic car club. Other than Sylus and Rafayel, he would actually like the quirks that come with owning a classic car. I feel like he would like tinkering with it.

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Rafayel

See, there's two ways this could go. We all know Rafayel is a drama queen, so I think he would drive at least two cars. One for drama and one for convenience.

The drama car, in my opinion, is definitely a Chevrolet Bel Air 1957, specifically in the pink as on the picture below. This is a car that screams drama. It's a classic and pretty old, so he would probably have it upgraded cause he can't deal with the engine problems that come with owning classic cars but he likes the look.

For day to day he drives an Opel Mocca. Why an Opel Mocca? Well, I am learning how to drive in an Opel Mocca and that thing is smooth as butter, very forgiving, and a very nice car with very simple luxuries that make driving very fun. Yes, I added in that it's forgiving because I doubt that Rafayel is a good driver. Also, don't ask me why, but I think he wouldn't drive the electric version. I feel he would just drive a diesel, which also gives a lil more drama cause it has 6 gears.

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Sylus

Lamborghini Espada Series 3

A beautiful classic car from 1973, the last of the espada series. Luxurious leather seats, luxurious Italian design, the most Bond-esque car there is. I will die on this hill. I mean it. He would, however, probably upgrade it insanely well. Bulletproof windows, upgraded engine, etc. This car is already insane as is, but you best believe this man has it in mint condition. Maybe even has a backup. Tell me you can't imagine Sylus driving this. That's right, you can't.

Also drives a Fiat Dino Coupé 2400 when he's in Linkon. Not to blend in or anything, the Espada is just fucking huge and the Dino is a little smaller. Why not to blend in? The Dino is a lovechild of Fiat and Ferrari. It has a Ferrari engine and you can hear it.

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Caleb

Listen. Me personally. I think Caleb is probably a great pilot. Maybe even on of the best. He has many great qualities, but...

He can't drive.

Doesn't have a license. Also, as a colonel, he gets driven around everywhere so it doesn't matter at all.

If he could drive, I have two options. First, as our childhood friend he would drive a beat up Peugeot 205. You cannot tell me this silly little car doesn't fit him perfectly.

Then, after the whole ordeal, he would drive a BMW e32. Why? It is practically the perfect mob car. It has an outline for a gun in a hidden compartment by the driver's side, bulletproof glass, and another hidden compartment between the two backseats that is controlled with a switch. Oh, and it has a screen where you can watch movies in the back. I think they used to be used as presidential cars or something because some of them still have attachments on the side for flagpoles so it would fit his whole vibe.

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[wellofdean]

got these tags today from prev: #i think it's beautiful bc it didn't set out to be queer#life uh finds a way#it's not the best television ever#like not legit among the greats#but it had some incredible moments

And like... I have made a LOT of posts, at great length saying why I think Dean was always imagined as a queer character, and where the queerness was baked into the DNA of the show from episode one, and which I will not reprise here, but as much as I disagree that the queer glory of Supernatural is something it tripped and fell into by accident somehow, and without everyone involved knowing that queerness was part of what they were making, I do agree with something here: it's beautiful because it was a fucking journey.

Supernatural was not like today's prestige television with a tight 8-10 episodes and a fully planned narrative from day one, it was old-timey TV that arose out of things like Twin Peaks and The X-Files, falling somewhere between a weekly procedural and a serial. It had broad plot arcs sketched out, but the day-to-day grind of writing and making it was driven by characters that took on depth and meaning as it went along; network television long seasons with lots of filler that did nothing to further the serial plot, but let us get to know the characters, who became more and more lovable and real the more time we spent with them, in an organic way.

Maybe my Gen-X is showing here, but there's something beautiful about something that feels open-ended, isn't there? I mean, Supernatural STILL feels open-ended. Like, any moment now patient zero Jensen is going to suit up and tell us more of Dean's story, and we won't know where it's going and it will be fucking GREAT just to spend any time whatsoever with Dean? Television nowadays feels so PLANNED and yeah, there's some great stuff out there, but Supernatural had something special and fucking great that doesn't really exist anymore.

Like, what does it mean "one of the best" or "legit among the greats"? Supernatural was 15 years of storytelling, and for all the fucking kvetching on this, the Supernatural website, about its vagaries, it was pretty consistently well written. Jensen Ackles is a legit great actor who is seriously underrated for his sheer fucking craft, and as much as it is undeniable that Supernatural has some genuinely silly episodes, taken as a whole, when all of it is in your mind, the themes and threads in it are unironically epic in scope, and it has legitimately interesting things to say about those themes. AND it has incredible moments. AND the most devastaingly romantic love story I can think of.

Like, fellas, it's one of the best TO ME. It's legit among MY greats, and I would argue it deserves a place up there.

I got this one hobby horse, and god knows I'm gonna saddle up and ride it: Supernatural was a legitimately good show and it was queer as hell in its very bones.

[every1sno1fangirl]

Happy Hifuumo Friday everyone!

My week was actually pretty bleh again, though this time it wasn't really because of my health acting up until just now as I'm writing this because I made the horrible mistake of trying to eat pizza again.

I feel kind of weird about it. I'm not sure how common of an experience it really is to fall out of love of something you ate all the time as a kid and sit there wondering whether or not you even truly liked it or if you just did because you were expected to.

Either way I don't anymore, and I'm tired of testing "Well, maybe I just didn't like THIS pizza..." and getting the same results, even ignoring how my stomach very much doesn't agree with any of it anymore.

That's a pretty minor thing overall, I'll admit that...

But I'd honestly rather not delve into the deeper, more worrying political stuff or even just my general life situation. Doomposting doesn't really do anything to make me feel better; I have to prioritize my time and energy better than that.

I go out and I take these pictures and write what are essentially diary entries—these posts—and I do that to put a smile on my face and have a good time doing something I really enjoy.

Ruining that wouldn't make me feel better about any of it. Just worse. So I won't!

Instead I'll ruminate on and introspect about changing myself and getting out more again since I'm no longer completely incapacitated by my Crohn's disease.

A good first step will be setting an actual schedule for the whole week.

It should help me be more productive and get more enjoyment out of my life, if I stick to it.

Especially when it comes to the fun things—you can expect a bunch of Civilization VII posts from me soon!

Anyway, as always, I love you all, have a great day/night!

[meear]

umineko fans are the original "if you don't like it you just didn't understand it" people. I genuinely cannot think of anyone more annoying and obnoxious, except SNK fans, except not even them, because in Umineko's case that behavior is enabled by the author himself. It's crazy how a story that spent hundreds of hours discussing the value in several coexisting interpetations will have both characters and fans turning around and tell you that actually you're completely wrong for thinking a certain way

The crazy part is they don't even realise how their smug attitude about being part of R07's very special club of people who "have love" and the superior way they act about holding the true answer are EXACTLY the Erika traits they criticise in readers who don't think like them. "He spells it out but you still cannot see it? Lol" "are there still people who can't accept the literal canon answer? lmfao" "you know you're exactly the goats r07 wrote about right?" (Because r07 is a god who cannot possibly be contradicted, this is supposed to be the worst insult somehow) (these fans cannot seem to decide who the goats are an analogy for, considering they'll scramble to say they only represent the story's witch hunters as a criticism of true crime fans when you call out r07's arrogance, yet they'll smugly tell you you're just a goat when you question the story itself. Thank you, it's nice to know that Ryukishi wrote about me, but that doesn't answer the fucking question, Brian)

It's incredibly ironic. How did a story like Umineko create and encourage so many people to sanctify one "official answer" and taking any other attempt as an insult?? Like is anyone feeling how ryu07 completely fucked up at what he was trying to do?

"So I won't open the catbox and reveal what actually happened on the island." oh, that's cool, I actually really like that! I agree that ultimately the true events of that day are a pretty trivial part of the story, and it's way more interesting not to know - "anyway it's Rudolf and Kyrie and it happened exactly like so and so, and Shkanontrice did this and that".

... Okay, well I really wish that had remained a mystery forever, since the point was that any truth would've been anticlimatic, and the choice to reveal that genuinely kills a lot of what made Umineko's appeal to me, but I guess we can still have fun with EP1-4 and try several alternative theories for the sequence of events- "here's the manga explaining everything in detail and if you didn't get it have you tried maybe having some more love? It would be sooo clear if you had love lmfao. you literally cannot comprehend my work unless you have"

... I really wish that guy would stop making assumptions about the inner mind of complete strangers who read his work, but I do enjoy getting to choose an ending! it really fits in with Umineko's theme of choosing the truth for yourself and making your own path that you can be happy with, as long as you keep thinking- "the Magic ending is meant to be the true end btw. if you prefer the other one you pretty much have no heart lol, it's obviously framed like a bad ending and there's only one acceptable choice and one way ange can find happiness"

... man, I'm so bored. Why write a game like that and then make it so that some choices are better than others instead of letting people think for themselves? Why would you force an interpretation on people/Ange when I've been led to believe that the narrative was against that sort of things? You want to highlight the value in your vision of "magic", fine, but why am I the heartless bitch for disliking that perspective and even trying to see things differently?

Why would you write a whole game around the really fun concept of several tales happening at the same time and the existence of endless truths inside the same catbox only to open the catbox and tell me "NO, you need to think a certain way, and if you don't like my answer FUCK YOU"

I understand that maybe he just had a specific answer in mind but I'm sorry the way he write the ending simply does not match the vision he seemed to have in the earlier chapters.

I genuinely respect Umineko as a work, I think it's one of the most ambitious stories I've seen and there is some amazing writing in there, but if Ryukishi wanted to allow for people to keep thinking and discussing what it means, he has failed miserably and I'm not talking about confession of the golden witch, I'm talking about the way he and his minions have shut down any possible discussion under the guise of "you just don't get it" (rephrased to "you don't have love" to make it sound more enlightened) and it's soured my enjoyment of something that should've been an amazing story. What is even left to discuss here when everyone has pretty much already made up their mind?

[blitzwhore]

Hello! I'd like to ask if you've seen the post with the screenshots that says Stolas inflicts his own torment by going with Stella's whims despite having more power and prestige than her. There is a rebuttal, of course, but someone else also added that the reason people think as the screenshot says is because the writers didn't put enough emphasis and reason on the hold Stella has over Stolas and his fear of her, as well as the fact that her apparent uninvolvement with Octavia makes his reason to stick with her seems very weak. They do put an intriguing essay on how the fear of Stella for Stolas could have stand out more.

Personally I think that he's probably desensitised and numb to her after with Paimon as well and the image of a nuclear family is a must for both society and daughter. Perhaps we'll have more answers in s3. What do you think?

Drink water regularly, may a good week come to you.

Hi! I haven't seen that post, no.

When I see posts arguing about the quality of the show's writing I almost always ignore them, because I'm not interested in discourse and I want my blog to be a place that's fun for me and others to scroll through. I don't want fandom wank and 'criticism of the show' on my blog because I go into fandom spaces to have fun, not to get angry. So if I'd seen that post, I probably would've just sighed really hard and kept scrolling.

That being said, because this ask touches on a subject matter that is extremely personal to me, I'll bite and share my personal opinion, which is that the writing is perfectly executed exactly as it is. Helluva Boss is a show for a mature audience—it says so at the beginning of every episode. That doesn't just mean "hey, there's sex and drugs in these episodes". It also means, "hey, some heavy themes are going to be handled in this show, and we're not going to hold your hand and walk you through them. It's up to you to use your media literacy and critical thinking skills to pick up on the things we're going to show you".

And maybe it's because I'm an abuse survivor myself and I know exactly what it feels like to go through decades of abuse, and maybe other viewers' interpretation of Stolas' character is completely different, but... I personally had zero trouble picking up on Stolas' motivations, fears, and emotions, or on why he made each decision at each turn throughout the show.

I'll put the rest of my answer under a cut, because it's personal and rambly. But in short: yeah, I do agree with what you said at the end of your ask.

1. "He's more powerful and has a higher status than Stella, so he's inflicting his pain on himself by not standing up to her"

So there's this thing called learned helplessness, and, fun fact, it is heavily linked with PTSD and depression.

"(...) Learned helplessness occurs when someone repeatedly faces uncontrollable, stressful situations and does not exercise control when it becomes available. They have “learned” that they are helpless in that situation and no longer try to change it, even when change is possible." (source)

It's not about the power and capability to control the situation Stolas actually has. It's about the power and control he feels he has—which is none. Zero. He says this to us constantly. "Owl in a cage", "you have no choice", "my entire life's been written in stone, he taught me that I could choose".

He was told since he was a kid that his duties, his marriage, his life trajectory were non-negotiable. He never knew a life outside of his palace—his gilded jail. He doesn't know what we as the audience know—that there's a whole world out there where he can build a better life for himself with people who actually love him—because he's been raised to be a pawn in a game much bigger than himself, and he knows it. I don't need (and don't want) the show to spoonfeed me this fact. It's spelled all over his character if you know how to see it.

2. "Stella's hold of Stolas and his fear of her aren't emphasised enough in the show"

Stella literally tries to hit him at the end of The Circus and looks shocked and taken aback when he grabs her wrist to stop her. I don't need them to show me Stella hitting Stolas 15 times in order to know she's been doing it.

He hugs himself and makes himself small, walking away to remove himself from the situation as quickly and quietly as possible, when Blitz starts yelling at him in The Full Moon. I don't need them to show me Stella yelling at Stolas 20 times to know she's been yelling at him for years. We've seen her yelling at him in Loo Loo Land, in The Circus and in Seeing Stars. We know it happens. We know it always has.

I also don't need them to tell me that repeated physical and verbal abuse causes a victim to become extremely afraid of their abuser and causes them to be triggered by anything and anyone that makes them feel unsafe, because I've lived it in my skin. And I know plenty of people who watch the show who are not abuse survivors, and they're also able to see that Stolas is behaving like any abuse victim exactly with zero support would act.

In the moment, he freezes and flees. He makes himself smaller. He gets away from the situation in any way he can. He "keeps the peace" to keep the abuse to a minimum, doing anything and everything to please the people around him because that's the only way he can feel some semblance of control. ("Yes, if that's what Blitzy wants" / "Do you like it when I talk to you dirty?" / just him sheltering Octavia from his suffering to be the perfect parent for her, and give her everything she could ever want and need, going as far as making promises he couldn't keep).

In the long run, he becomes hopeless and drowns in guilt. He assumes he probably deserves what's happening to him, and thinks it's his own fault that he's so affected by the abuse for being too weak to stand up for himself. He blames himself for not being good enough for the people around him ("I'll believe him, and not the voice that says I'm not enough"), and mentally berates himself for being a coward and a failure, and for not knowing how to put an end to his suffering. He turns to passive (sometimes active) suicidality because that's genuinely the only way he can see of getting back control over his own body and life. ("When I'm gone you'll be okay" / "I'll give my life to clean your slate" / "I don't care what they fucking do, I'm seeing Octavia" / "do it, pussy").

3. Stella's uninvolvement with Octavia makes Stolas' reason to stay with Stella seem very weak

I... Look. I can't be the only one who grew up in a broken family, and surrounded by plenty other broken families. Kids, especially small kids, can't rationalise that family relationships don't always work out and sometimes divorce is the best option for everyone involved. Especially not in this society we live in, where divorce/separation are seen as a failure, and children are (at least passively) taught that divorce is their fault.

Stolas knows all this. He doesn't want Via to feel like she's growing up in a broken house, which is what separating from Stella would accomplish. We also don't know if Stolas would've kept custody of Octavia had he divorced Stella when Via was little. But it's very likely he didn't want to risk leaving Via alone with Stella, even just half the time. Especially not when Octavia has been having nightmares and crying over the mere thought of being abandoned by Stolas. Divorcing Stella would very likely result in Octavia feeling abandoned by him.

I don't know, man. I feel like I don't even have the right words to reply to this point. I still remember being 8 and sensing that something was very wrong with my parents and feeling like it was my responsibility to fix it, or else my world would end. Stolas tried his best to protect Octavia from feeling this way, from feeling responsible for anything that happened between her parents. He just wanted her to be happy. The only way he could do that was by playing 'happy family' in front of her so she could grow up carefree. He tried his best to give her enough love that she wouldn't feel the absence of her mother's love. I really don't know what else to say to this.

If you want media to spoon-feed you its themes and hold your hand as it shows you what each character is going through, then... I don't know, man. Stick to media that does that. There's media out there that genuinely does this really well. Heartstopper, for example. The Hunger Games, in a way. But maybe think twice before diving into adult media meant for mature audiences and criticising it for wanting you to be a mature viewer. Maybe it's just not for you.

Anyway. I'm gonna drink water now, please drink some water too if you're reading this (included, but not limited to, the asker). Hope you all have a nice day ❤️

[frightenedcricket]

Folio didn't want to worry anyone, specially you...

But you are quick catching him.

"Hey, is your neck okay?"

As soon as he is off the stage you can see how he keeps pressing his hand to the tattooed side of his neck. Then, instead of turning his head to talk to people, he moves his whole body. He is stiff and sudden moves made him frown. But he doesn't say a thing until you talk to him.

"Yes" He smiles at you, he doesn't want to worry anyone.

"Folio"

With a big sigh he touches it, pinching a point with his fingers.

"I think I slept a bit awkward on the plane. But don't worry"

You do. Your job is worrying about them.

"Nah, doesn't work on me" You smile and he rolls his eyes playfully.

Folio never said anything, but he has a huge crush on you

"I'll bring you something, okay?"

"Hey, no"

But it's too late and he can't really fight you, can he?

You are back with pain killers and some ice.

"No ice please... They will worry"

With a sympathetic smile, you agree.

"Okay"

It's a surprise when you knock at his door later. You are shy and hugging something close to your chest. He looks awfully comfy with his hoodie and shorts.

"Hey, all good?"

"Yes. I have this, it's a pad full of sheeds. It's good for muscular pain, period cramps, when the central heating breaks and you are awefully cold in bed... I thought you could use it for your neck"

He smiles softly. He was trying to sleep but the pain is getting worst.

"I also grabbed some lotion. Australia is weird, they don't have the one I usually get"

"Sweetheart... You didn't have to"

"I do, I want to" You smile. "Plus, you have to tell me what is going on with your neck because we can't have you injured now that we are back"

With a sigh he let's you in. He doesn't mean to scare you or anything, but he takes his hoodie off. You get flustered but then he groans a bit and you remember you are here to help him.

"Does it hurt that much?"

"Yeah"

"I'm not a physio so I'm not giving you a massage, but they said this would soothe the pain and you should use it before the shows to help with the tension"

Nick sits coss-legged while you put the lotion on his neck. The silence is comfortable, you enjoy eachother company. You try to not invade him much but it's hard when he points at the places that hurt. It's the side of his neck and shoulder, but also a bit of his back. His tattoos are awesome and you give yourself a minute to admire them.

"Was it really the plane?" You speak soft and so does he.

"Yes. But it got worst rehearsing yesterday"

"How bad?"

"Uh... It got pretty bad during the show"

"Folio... You have to tell us this stuff."

"I don't want to worry anyone or miss a show."

"You will if this gets worst"

"You are here helping me, it won't" He adds with a cheeky smile.

"Shut up, flirt"

He laughs loudly.

"Thank you, though"

You smile. "Now the bag"

"Can't I just sleep? I'm exhausted and I don't know if I'll be able to keep it in place? I'm falling asleep right know"

You laugh a bit and shake your head. Folio thinks you are unbelievable pretty.

"Five minutes?"

You sit together to watch something on the TV, your excuse is that you don't trust him and have to keep an eye on him. But after five minutes, he is truly falling asleep and the bag keeps falling from his neck.

It's organic, he doest resist and you know exactly what to do, as if you had done this a thousand times before. But you haven't. It's knew and your heart flutters. Your gentle hands pull him close and Nick lays his head on your chest. Your frap your arms around him and he hugs your waist. One of your hands plays with his soft hair, falling everywhere as he has just showered and is not slicked back as usually. Nick sighs when your keep the bag on his tense neck and closes his eyes.

"Don't leave tonight, okay?"

You smile and butterflies explode in your chest. He is warm and close and you like him so much.

"I promise"

[wisedawn13]

#lanuary2025 day 23: Lan Wangji's Birthday

Lan Zhan had never been one to celebrate his birthday. The idea of multiple people having their attention focused on him for a day makes his skin crawl. Don't even get him started on the whole 'singing Happy Birthday' thing.

So, suffice it to say, Lan Zhan has managed to avoid having birthday parties for the vast majority of his life. He takes time to himself and goes to a museum or aquarium or concert hall. Blessedly alone.

His brother, thankfully, respects his wishes to be alone on his birthday.

Then, Lan Zhan met Wei Ying and he knew things were bound to change. Wei Ying is a force of nature, all things beautiful and terrifying. He knew he was done for early on and resigned himself to that fact. Whatever way their relationship goes, he knows Wei Ying is here to stay.

Wei Ying is lounging on his bed one day, head hanging off the edge, ponytail brushing the ground, when he suddenly sits up and stares at Lan Zhan with a burning intensity.

"Lan Zhan," he begins, his tone making Lan Zhan shift in his desk chair. "How long have we been friends?"

"Almost two years," he supplies, uncertain.

Wei Ying nods. "That's what I thought. And I'm your best friend, correct?"

Lan Zhan blinks. "Yes, Wei Ying."

"Good. You're mine too, by the way," he adds quickly. "But seeing as we're best friends, we ought to know each other."

"We know each other, Wei Ying."

"Ah! But do we? I just realized I have no idea when your birthday is! Almost two years we've been friends and we never celebrated it once? Are you a monster pretending to be Lan Zhan and therefore have no need for these silly human conventions?"

Lan Zhan huffs a quiet laugh at that. "Perchance."

"You can't just say perchance," Wei Ying replies automatically. "And don't distract me with internet references I taught you! Why don't I know your birthday?"

"You never asked, I suppose?" He cringes at how that sounds.

Wei Ying pouts. "So, does that make me a bad friend?"

"No!"

"Hm... Well, I'm asking now then. When's your birthday?"

Something uncomfortable squirms within him at the prospect of telling Wei Ying. Wei Ying is loud and bright and loves parties. It's dangerous.

"January 23."

Wei Ying gasps. "That's in three days!"

Lan Zhan nods.

"Well, I'm going to sincerely hope that you don't have any sort of party planned otherwise I will be very hurt that I wasn't invited," Wei Ying responds, tone light but Lan Zhan hears an undercurrent of hurt.

Lan Zhan's eyes widen ever so slightly in alarm. "Wei Ying, no. Of course not. I... I do not like to celebrate my birthday, the attention is overwhelming."

He watches as Wei Ying settles at that. "Good. Okay. That makes sense. I mean, I kinda figured but, well... You know."

"Mn," Lan Zhan agrees.

"So. Um. You can say no, that's totally fine, but did you uh... Maybe want to do something? With me? Doesn't have to be on the day, but like... Something a little special to celebrate you, just a little. Because I mean, you're special and I would like—"

"Okay," Lan Zhan interrupts. "What did you have in mind?"

"You—oh! Really? Okay, well I mean, I heard there's a new exhibit on musical instruments at the museum going on. So we could check that out and then maybe we could go get dinner somewhere?"

Lan Zhan's chest blooms with warmth at Wei Ying's thoughtfulness. He shouldn't have worried, he knows and trusts Wei Ying. Lan Zhan feels a small smile pull at his lips. "See, you do know me."

Wei Ying blushes, wide-eyed. "Uh, so is that a yes, or...?"

"Yes," Lan Zhan replies.

He's graced with the sight of Wei Ying's full smile, warm and bright.

Perhaps celebrating his birthday with someone else won't be so bad.

----------

Link to thread

[idliketobeatree]

@dont-offend-the-bees okay my darling first of all

AND SECOND OF ALL. i am gobsmacked by your commentary, thank you for taking the time to write these tags despite the cold sickly weather day!! you picked up on so many things i usually only hope people will find, and it feels like the biggest prize that you scored so many!!

(we both agree on charles in the middle supremacy <3)

and the way you described their individual voices!! excuse me! plucked them out of my brain but better! absolutely brills detail cought that you can technically read them as separate and they will make sense, but you feel there's something lacking all the same, waiting on the sidelines, and that only when they're together there is true harmony.

i hope you don't mind me turning this reblog for the director's cut for the poem!!

so here are my scattered thoughts:

starting out, i had to think about how each character would feel about their developed relationship. how it makes their life more rich? what would change about their self-perception? what can they take for themselves?

trying to breach the gap between magical and time-suspended in centuries cat king, and quite young in terms of their afterlife edwin and charles. especially charles.

charles in the middle, because this is an equilateral triangle, not a love corner around edwin; not payneland + ck, not catwin + charles. nothing wrong with those! just not the vibes i wanted

the most challenging part is not even the melding, but balancing between (what i imagine to be) their inner voice and actual poetic phrases. i don't want to feel restrained by their vocabulary, but sometimes finding the sweet middleground means you need to take down a notch of poetics for their voices to be still believable.

charles finding the strength within himself to heal-- with their combined power and support. he always includes himself in the picture. "six arms to form / all the goo inside of me" or "three dimensional beings": he recognises himself as part of the trio and he knows he doesn't have to do this alone

there's a wondrous, analysing part of edwin's brain that's somehow pleasantly surprised by this situation; he can't help but wonder what he'd be missing out on.

this poem is basically a playground. i've shown you four games these kids like to play, and they're bound by rules, but there are about ten more hidden mini-games in there. for example:

hurray! you can pick and pluck the lines from each individual poem to make new meanings! i underlined just four options.

charles' poem makes similar sense, but takes on different personal priorities if you read it from the bottom to the top

AND technically you CAN pair them up, the poems. edwin's and charles' work together well. so do charles' and tck's. it's vital for them to have a dialogue, the partnership wouldn't last otherwise.

edwin's and tck strong connection is implied, but they're on opposite sides for a reason. tck already feels a bit on cloud nine about the whole arrangement and i feel like. charles grounds him? keeps him from seeing god in edwin's eyes, you know?

THE STRUCTURE: a bit silly, but it does looks like charles is reaching out to both of them. i'm emotional about it.

AND ALSO. the closest they ever get during the line "the moment of crowning / clarity on where you stand, double-adored / a chance i never stood", because it's REALLY something that brings them together. you can't argue with that. ghostcat to me only works if all puzzle pieces fall into place, there is clear communication, there is love from all sides, the humbling and mortifying realisation that you can't be loved and protect yourself at the same time-- and in order to do that, you must get uncomfortably close.

i think that's it! thanks for reading to the end, and see you in the next poems <3

dead boy detectives contrapuntal poems — 4 — (1) (2) (3) for @dont-offend-the-bees, @dear-monday and @tw0-ravens <3

(click for better quality ✳️)

[baronessblixen]

https://www.tumblr.com/baronessblixen/715686074901528576/a-lot-of-people-actually-criticize-her-new-gspot She worked with a drinks expert who has spent 40 years in the business so it's not like she hasn't done this legitimately. And tbh a huge amount of celebrities these days are into creating their own products, whether it be perfumes, face creams, make-up, or a wine range, or clothing line. It's more common than not. And if it doesn't interest you, just scroll by. No one, literally no one, is forcing you to care.

Yes, I know many celebrities are doing it. Look at Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop. That doesn't mean I have to like it. In fact, if I remember correctly, I recently mentioned how much I disliked this in reply to another anon.

Anon, I did scroll by. I reblogged exactly one post because what Gillian said was relatable. Other than that I haven't posted anything about it. I answered an ask about it - on my blog - where I expressed my opinion on the matter. Again, on my blog.

[vaguely-concerned]

Origins is of course the DA game most closely in conversation with and playing around with Tolkien (right down to the walking talking poetree haha) -- and even more so than most works in the larger western fantasy tradition derived from Tolkien's work that DA:O also hails from and owes a lot of its Stuff to, what makes the game so great to me is that it's doing so very deliberately, and is subverting and deconstructing those tropes and entrenched ideas in some very interesting ways without at all denigrating what it's commenting on. (it doesn't have the almost disdainful undertones of the vein of fantasy that seeks to make the world more 'realistic' ala the more tedious reactions to G.R.R.Martin's work, for example, despite having the darker fantasy bent to it.) among other elements it adopts, what I find the most fascinating is the choice to use the same literary device/conceit Tolkien did in ostensibly only having in-universe biased sources and works to deliver the world through (which I feel is an underappreciated thing about his approach but is part of what makes his world so enduringly compelling and real-feeling -- the feeling of real scholarship devoted/applied to a made-up world. the grounding effect of a good diegetic footnote about source criticism, truly).

many things to be said there, and I'm glad each following game has taken on different perspectives and lenses and traditions to view the world of Thedas through because if you stick with that one too closely for too long I fear we could teeter precariously close to Pratchett's famous and bitingly accurate accusation of most modern fantasy of that era just being about rearranging the furniture in Tolkien's attic lol. and while you could accuse DA2 (my perfect wife who has never done anything wrong in her life to be clear) of many things, that's not one of them, they are pulling on some completely different strings for that one and both the game and DA overall is better for it, to my mind. as so many things in this series: worth staying with and exploring for an installment even if it might get stale if all of it was like this! people are understandably sad about the elements from previous games that they liked which were lost along the way, but that capacity for reinvention is to my mind a huge strength of dragon age as a whole.

(I think Veilguard is coming in as a close second in Tolkien conversation-ness if only in outlining/revealing the worldbuilding that indeed may have been planned since DA:O around the animosity that SHOULD by all rights exist between dwarves and elves in this universe (as per Tolkienesque tradition standards). but doesn't really because you see: politics and the many pitfalls of conservation of knowledge over the ages. our ancestral enmity got semi-intentionally lost between the floorboards of history and you know what. maybe for the best. the humans are already up to so much shit you gotta keep your eyes on them at all times you can't be brawling with each other in the deep roads while they're still around getting up to their nonsense or they'll just pile up even more of it)

[whenfatecollides]

Xena Warrior Princess 5.05 Them Bones, Them Bones