#this is why i say watch what ppl do with those they disagree with

[ginalinettiofficial]

this little girl i’m babysitting got up from her bed, grabbed three headbands off her hook, put them all on, and then laid back down to sleep. QUEEN of fashion i can only hope to one day get on her level

[seireitonin]

Hi I'm kinda new to creepypasta n stuff and I was wondering if you have any advice or whatnot on how to get into it and like where to go and what characters? Cause like on ticktock I watched you and it was kinda how I started so I thought I'd ask :)

Where to find canon Creepypasta stuff and how to get into it :3

I find getting information directly from the source is best! So go to the deviant art of the creator of whatever Creepypasta character you wanna know more about and scroll through looking for info! That’s how ik sm about Toby, Nina and LJ. Read the OG stories. Usually they’re on the creators DA or the Creepypasta website. There’s re uploads of them everywhere if you type in what character you’re interested in followed by original story or creepypasta. There’s also readings of them on YouTube. Go on website archive pages as well :3 for extra info that’s been lost or deleted. For characters I’d say all the ones that I call the “Creepypasta mansion genre/ hot slasher genre ” are good. So think Jeff the killer, Ticci Toby, BEN Drowned (he’s not hot but he’s in the mansion and his story is fire. Also PLEASE! Watch the whole ARG for BEN Drowned it’s so fun) Jane Richardson(the one w the gf she’s so cool) Eyeless Jack(he has no” canon” backstory but one one where he’s in college with the cult is the one that’s used the most) Laughing Jack, Nina the Killer, Jason the Toymaker, Candy Pop, Puppeteer, Clockwork, Bloody Painter etc. You can obviously choose what characters you like and explore on from there :3 but those are a good place to start. Also a lot of the creators still have social media! So you can look on their social media for even more info on characters like I do. I would NOT suggest using the Creepypasta fan wiki because there’s sm misinformation and literally anyone could edit it. (It’s why ppl think Nina is 11 and Jeff’s fangirl and is in love with Jeff and Toby is 17 etc and much more misinformation) Also some ppl might disagree but I think fanfictions/ fan projects are a fun way to get deeper into it as well. Hell even content on here is fun to read!! Fan art and comics as well!!! I hope this helps! :3

[mylove-thresher]

You should totally ramble to me about ships you like :3 However many you like I’m just curious uwu

(I didn’t answer this as soon as I got it bc I was thinking about what to say lolz 😭)

tbh I like most ships as long as it’s not problematic or I find them weird/that they don’t have much chemistry. I also don’t mind poly or platonic ships (duh). I’d be sitting here all day yapping ab the ships I like/am okay w bc frankly it doesn’t have to strictly be character A X character B, I think it could also be character A X character C, etc. as long as it’s not any wrong. I won’t be going apeshit(/neg) over ships that I don’t like as much or have like a 2 year age gap. I mean, I think it starts to get weird when there’s 4 years of difference. I think people do too much when they hate on less popular ships smh if it’s nothing weird then let ppl have fun w their little kitty witties smh 😞

Huge yapping starts here vvv

Some ships I like tho r a lot of Ghibli movie couples in general bc they’re just super cute and I love the writing Ghibli does for its characters (I want what they have.). I also like Yukito/Yue X Touya and Syaoran X Sakura from CCS but that doesn’t mean I don’t also like Tomoko X Sakura (pretty sure Tomoko implied to like her anyway). I also like some other side ships from CCS but I barely remember their names bc it’s been so long since I’ve watched it and Netflix took it down 💔. CCS ships r cute in general I think, I’ve never seen any problematic ship (except that one girl X her fucking teacher. Pookie. You’re like 13. Don’t date ur teacher. And she was so pretty too bro why did they make her a questionable character 😭). And now. Getting to jjba my beloved. Since I unfortunately focus so so so much on p5 those are the only ships I’ll yap ab 😢. Huge honorable mention to Jonathan X Erina (jonaeri) tho they’re super cute together even if a lot of ppl said they barely have screen time and stuff :3. Anyway. Part 5. I honestly don’t care much about ships in la squadra as long as they had some form of interaction y’know (I don’t pay too much attention to La squadra anyway 💔). Usually ppl get really divided when it comes to Bucci gang ships tho. Honestly I’d rather see them all as a friend group that see each other as siblings to avoid all that shipping, but I admit I really like some pairings, like fugonara, bruabba, giotrish, futrish, naratrish, etc. I really don’t mind it that much (I don’t rlly ship mista w anyone bc I just don’t think there’s anybody matching his freak 😭). I mainly ship fugonara as you can see just bc to me it makes a lot of sense even if I also see them under platonic light. If there’s fugo, there’s narancia, and if there’s narancia, there’s fugo. I just find that rlly cute :3. I also like their backstories and how they tie together and the narancia death scene ripped my heart out in the anime so (IM CRYING AGAIN JUST FROM THINKING AB IT STOP 💔). Again that doesn’t mean I dislike the other ships, I just don’t pay much attention to them or think they had as much chemistry or time together. I love seeing my fave characters tho, so it’s not like I won’t like the content if there’s like gionara or something. Honestly I like seeing ppl have fun w their cutie patooties as long as it’s not too controversial, once again. It’s rlly a shame that ppl can jump at each others throat bc they disagree on a mere ship. It’s literally not gonna alter your life. Also, bc I say a ship some bucci gang characters doesn’t mean I don’t also ship them platonically. (I’ll type it like it’s ao3 tags lolz. Pretty sure & instead of / is for platonic, right?) I rlly like Narancia&Mista&Fugo (torture dance trio is literally the best friendship ever to me bc wdym you did a coordinated dance w ur homies to torture someone that’s so cool). There are also a few others, but they don’t come to mind rn (and there’s a f,y in my room annoying me.) You know what I think I gave jjba way too much attention. I also like Mimi X Sheshe (my fav lesbians fr 😍) from mermaid melody pichi pichi pitch. They tried censoring them by making them “sisters”, but they were blatantly and very obviously lesbians. Like vro. They are touching each other so homoerotically and have complimenting colours. And I think that’s most of it…

I don’t wanna make this any longer than it is so um. Yeah. This was a ramble. I didn’t realize it was so long lolz. But yeah it’s basically that :3

[windvexer]

Hi my fav chicken! I have some hard time researching transmutation magick.

On YouTube I’ve watched videos but they do not explain that very well, they just post their own weird spells:/

On tumblr it’s also hard.

I’ve saw ppl saying that 1. When someone random is talking bad about them they r transmuting that energy into free energy for their spells/manifestations etc 2. When they r depressed they r transmuting energy into manifestations etc. 3. They have as well transmuting wards.

And I’d really want to have all of these 3 points though I cannot find good resources. That’s why I’m asking u, would u mind maybe explaining all of those 3 points and maybe giving a lil tutorials and perhaps spells? Thank u for all of u are doing, u are my #1 profile on tumblr and witchystuff xx

Hi!

I'm afraid I will not be your #1 profile on this one.

These beliefs do not fit into my practice of sorcery. This is more or less the opposite of how sorcery works for me.

I don't mean to say that I am practicing the ultimate best form of sorcery and other people are doing it wrong. It's just that the idea does not fit into the school of sorcery I practice.

The idea that all energies can be reduced down to a "free energy" that can be used for any purpose might be true. I don't know if it is.

Here are my thoughts on it:

If you have to transmute energy before you can use it, that means it is not suitable for what you want to use it for.

Finding energies suitable for the task you need, and learning how to gather and store them, is beginner-level witchcraft.

The world is freeflowing with abundant magical energies. If a person has sorcerous abilities, they do not need random people to say bad things about them in order to power their spells.

They could just more or less permanently attach their spells to beneficial energies that power them perpetually.

And then they could cast a spell to get random people to stop saying bad things about them, which to me seems like the preferable option.

Mental illness may or may not be generating its own energies in any particular situation. An exercise that attempts to drain away these energies may be a helpful (if temporary) treatment for symptoms.

But that energy does not need to be used to power spells. It can just be sent away.

I have heard arguments that witches have a responsibility to transmute energies they don't like, which I disagree with. I may not like a cold wetland, but I don't have to reduce it to Formless Biome. I can send it to an alligator, who will like it just fine.

Transmuting wards I have more direct experience with. I understand the point; transform the energy encroaching upon you into something else, and it can't accumulate and come back to haunt you.

This is a decent idea. I wrote up a banishing thing which functionally does this. Take a look at the banishing portion; the invocation seeks to transform the nature of unwanted energies so that they fade back into the universe like droplets of water fading into a biome.

But transforming energy isn't the same thing as keeping it around to work over it so it is possible to use it in a helpful way.

All this being said: I imagine those things you mention are possible. I bet they could be done. It's just that I don't have anything useful to say about accomplishing them, because I don't personally see it as a useful thing to do.

I was just chatting with some friends about this topic. Perhaps @rosecoloredtarot and @elminx might have different thoughts about this?

[nothorses]

(anon u linked all those videos for) thank you so much! ill definitely check kut those videos but just reading ur posts and personal opinions/analysis on it has helped me feel a lot better. i just saw a dem politician on fox news (my dad watches it) saying basically the same thing, that hes happy he stepped down and they have a chance now. im glad to know that the stuff that ppl are sharing that has scared me are probably just blackpilled "trump is inevitable at this point" ppl ive been trying to get off my dash every time they pop up. again thank you so much for patiently explaining things so well and all the videos!!! hope u find a dollar in ur pocket today 🙂

That's awesome, I'm glad to hear I could be a little encouraging!

I would hesitate to say that everyone who's afraid about it is "blackpilled" mostly because I think a lot of folks just aren't very aware of why he chose to step down, and draw the pretty reasonable conclusion that stepping down this late in the game will mean a scramble to replace him and shift voter support to a new candidate- which could jeopardize the election for Democrats.

And I do think that's a reasonable conclusion to draw, because it's what I saw people saying about the possibility of Trump being disqualified over the criminal charges he's been facing, like, a year ago: that the best possible outcome of that would have been that he'd be disqualified too close to the election for Republicans to get any energy behind a new candidate.

The difference in context is that most of the support for Biden in this race was just support for the Democratic party; or in a lot of cases, support for anyone but Trump. The support for Trump, on the other hand, is support for Trump specifically. Trump brings a lot of voters in who wouldn't otherwise vote at all, which is, to my understanding, why so many Republicans who disagree with him still throw support behind him as a candidate.

If Trump dropped out (or was disqualified somehow), Republicans lose a lot of voters who were only showing up to elect Their Guy. Biden dropping out means that the voters who were only gonna vote for Biden because he was the Democratic nominee (which was where most of his support was coming from) will vote for whoever the next nominee is anyway, and Dems now have a chance to pick someone who will draw in more voters who weren't feeling motivated to vote for Biden, but who would be willing to vote for a Democrat that inspires a little more confidence (and there are several candidates to choose from that fit this bill!)

Which is just to say that I think it's understandable that folks just are not aware of this context, and are just using the information they do have to make what would otherwise be pretty reasonable guesses. I'm definitely surprised by how common that seems to be, just because I guess I don't notice the water I'm swimming in, but I really hope the narrative will shift as more folks get curious about what this means and start to learn/educate each other.

I hope you find five dollars!!

[utilitycaster]

Pls ignore if the spectre of ruminating on old god-diskhorse is far too obnoxious but it's rather a jump-off point for a more general question; an issue brought up pushing back against the most obnoxious "vanguard is right eradicate those tyrant gods rq stole vax hate that bitch" ppl, aside from other things like just being deeply myopic even just from an in-universe perspective, but on a wholler narrative level requires completely ignoring or discarding campaign 1 and 2's theses and genuine connections. Largely i think these ppl's takes are more interested in self-validation than concerned with what they're actually saying when they want these things to be true (which they aren't, Matt and cast and plot progression from the peak of those discourses have made that clear), but now here's my wondering: what would it say if c3 were to be these things? By what metrics do you judge a sequel installment should it, in the pursuit of its own story, undermine or contradict the earnest, complete, already told story that preceded it and was built upon?

Hi anon,

This is a good question, and necessarily one with a subjective answer, so I hope I at least explain my thought process below! Also: this does have some spoilers for a Midst episode in Season 3 (which aired a few weeks ago). I mention this because it's a really useful example for me but this wasn't a question about Midst so you might not be expecting me to talk about it.

Firstly, I agree with you that a lot of the people who want this want the story to validate their personal beliefs. Some want it to validate political/philosophical beliefs, which is a complicated thing: on the one hand, I very much don’t want to watch a show that’s like “hey slavery is neat-o!” and doubt such a show would have much merit. On the other hand, when we’re dealing with much more complicated issues like religion, which simultaneously exists as a tool of oppression; an aspect of identity that makes one a target of oppression; a source of meaning and comfort; and a source of justification of terrible practices all in one; I think it’s extremely valuable to be exposed to a multitude of perspectives and to not just endlessly look for those that validate one’s own experiences.

Others just want the story to validate their feelings about the happenings within the narrative, which is on the one hand usually less close-minded, but on the other hand, kind of stupid. You are permitted to dislike that Vax died. I disagree, but you can feel however you want (indeed, you don’t need my, or anyone’s permission to dislike that Vax died). The story saying “The Raven Queen isn’t perfect” or even “The Raven Queen is Bad” isn’t necessary for you to have those feelings; and the Raven Queen being slaughtered isn’t per se necessary for Vax to come back (which I think would be cheap and stupid, but like, if that’s what you want you could just have him come back.) You don’t need to story to tell you that your response to the story is good, so this is ultimately a case of “why are you even doing this."

I also suspect there’s just some degree of subversion for subversion’s sake (or change for change's sake) people who were into the idea of killing the gods just to flip C1 and C2 on their respective heads. The thing is, subversion for the sole purpose of subversion has always been the province of the dull. There’s a reason why culturally we treat M. Night Shyamalan as a joke and it’s because “THERE’S A TWIST” without a strong and compelling build-up to said twist nearly always is, as the post I recently reblogged said, something that only hits hard if you’re stupid.

What I need from a story to be good is internal consistency and a strong execution. I am frequently surprised, in a very positive way, by stories that are so well-executed that they sell me on a premise with which I was less than enamored. If you’d told me that I’d feel sad about FCG’s sacrifice or extremely in favor of Phineas and Jonas’s romantic relationship during early C3 or, frankly, even the minute before I listened to Trustfall, respectively, I would have said “huh, really?” But both of these events were thoughtfully built to a point where they felt like meaningful and interesting choices for the story to take, even if that was not apparent to me earlier on.

So: the metric I’d use to judge a god-killing C3 is the same as that of any long-running story. I think there is a universe in which Campaign 3 could have made the demise of the gods a good and compelling story. But that work simply has not been done. The atrocities of the Vanguard, Weave Mind, and the Dwendalian Empire under Ludinus Da’leth; the callousness shown towards all Exandrians and Ruidians by the Vanguard and Kreviris Imperium; and most importantly the fact that there haven’t been new reveals of terrible things done by the gods and the story has instead striven to paint them as more fragile and complicated than what we’ve seen in past means that a sudden twist would, well, be cheap and only hit hard if you’re stupid. You can contradict a past story in an installment (or the earlier work in a long-running series) in a way that is not undermining if you are able to tie it together and show new information that was not available earlier! But that’s the key: it needs to be clear that the earlier works were showing a specific perspective (already a very tall order given the protagonist-only POV of D&D campaigns) or that the situation has drastically changed. If you fail to do this, then as you said, it’s undermining and it’s poorly done and a bad story.

I think that last point is also really important in thinking through the fandom response. I mentioned that I can be sold on a premise that didn’t win me over initially if the execution is strong. I think some people, and especially those gunning for a “The Gods are All Bad” story are so terrified of not being validated or of being wrong in their predictions or of criticism from other fans that they can no longer enjoy a story or comment meaningfully upon it. To which I say skill issue. I am thrilled and even grateful that, as previously mentioned, FCG had an arc that deepened their character and addressed my earlier criticism such that I could enjoy episode 91 as much as I did. I was mildly spoiled on the potential of Jonas and Phineas getting together and was, to be honest, slightly dreading it as I’d always preferred a platonic interpretation of their relationship, and then the scene in which it happened (and everything since) has been so deftly handled that I’m fully on board.

I am a far better analyst and critic of fiction than a creator of it, and I’m open about this. I am constantly surprised in ways both positive and negative by how other people tell stories, and that’s why I come back to them. I want the story to be so good that it expands my horizons and comfort zone and shows me something new. I find little joy in a story validating who I already am and what I already think. I want the story to make a better argument for what it has to say than I can make against it. If this is a competition between the story and me, I am rooting for the story to win over me and in doing so, win me over; and I am disappointed when it doesn’t.

I am also a physicist, and, famously within our understanding of physics, pretty much anything can happen; it’s all just a matter of probabilities. And so it’s hard for me to say “there’s no way this could ever be done well.” It’s very easy, however, for me to say “the eye of the needle one must thread to do this well is a micron in diameter and constantly moving.” I think it’s possible to turn the concept of a god-slaying Campaign 3 into a story that, rather than clumsily ignoring or discarding C1 and C2’s theses, transforms them and puts them in a new and unexpected light. But the narrative dexterity check required for that has always been high, and only gets higher as the actual Campaign 3 story continues along its current path.

[weaselbeaselpants]

I'm not surprised. Just sick. cw: involves current politics

--Referring to Lorch's old comments abt how Palestine and Israel should 'fight to the death' and how she doesn't care about the conflict because it's been 'going on for a decade now'. ---

Everyone on the planet has been watching it unfold for (WELL MORE THAN) a decade. A great deal of us are only just now learning why it's as serious as it is which is also why people are horrified and trying to combat it now in the only ways we can. Why many of us are trying are very hardest to make sure we say and do the right things. Some of us don't like being called antisemitic for calling what Israel is doing wrong, espec not those of us who are Jewish themselves >> some of us aren't comfortable saying ''yeah literally every Israeli person ever is inherently evil and should leave the place they were born in it's easy :D'' and then get told we don't care about Palestine at all or enough. Some of us are making mistakes; like Susan Sarandon saying 'Jewish people don't know what it's like to suffer' to thinking Andrew Tate is an ally for saying he hates Israel (yes rlly). It's bad. It's not fun. Not 'being a victim of an active genocide and told you and your family are inherent scammer bots'-bad; not 'being called just evil as the group in history who genocided your grandparents'-bad, but bad.

I bring it up so much because I think it's so relevant to this conversation: the first thing I saw that outright said "Israel's not all it cracks up to be; they're committing a genocide" was Waltz with Bashir, an Israeli movie. I don't think Ari Foleman is even as critical as Eli Valley ftr, but that he and the soldiers he interviewed were willing to say that at all is what got me invested in this cause. Then it was little things one after another, like how I seriously didn't know 1980s Iran even had cars because, despite disagreeing with Bush all these years, I still believed his and modern American propaganda about how backwards the middle east is.

I wasn't even trying. I just googled and watched a movie and did some thinking on myself. I don't think I really started trying until 2023 when I joined the boycott.

How hard is it to care? How hard is it to have even the slightest bit of empathy?

And once again, Lorch, I'd rather you of ALL PEOPLE not do this while lecturing us Americans on how we should have voted and how that means we care or not about Gaza. One of the pro-Palestinian bloggers I follow hates Harris and I know def didn't vote for the dems. They're as passionate about Palestine as they are because they are an anti-colonization blog. Very VERY nice of you to assert this person, who's done more for this cause than you ever have, is a 'loafer' and 'lazy'. Very nice.

I guess that makes sense when just a couple years ago, I caught you [Lily] reblogging said person's post about blood-quantum. Their post was about the way blood-quantum is colonizer's standard for how native/non-native ppl judge each other. How it shouldn't matter compared to doing things for your community. I know the reason you reblogged this person's post, Lily. Must have been good to reblog that to affirm you're legit and then do nothing else for anyone ever.

I'm sure someone already knows the blogger I'm talking about and the post of theirs Lily's appropriated reblogged. (It's NOT Heritageposts) I GENUINELY don't want to @ them anything about Lily Orchard because they have been unfairly banned AND are dealing with chronic illness on top of all their protesting. They don't need more pain. They're the person who got me really into 'this' and is why my eyes are opened now and can never look back. They're the person who introduced me to the world of antizionists (and so also Jewish antizionists who are truly having to shift through the most asinine shit said abt their religion and their cause rn). The person who told me to make my own decisions for me and that taking a job with a company with opposing views did not make me any less of an ally to Palestine or indigenous rights.

They're the person you're saying 'didn't care', Lily.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hey. I originally sent this ask to virginia bc a lot of what i see usually comes from her asks, but it is also relevant to your s2 rant so wanted to ask you this too. I don’t understand what you mean by the show people are “making up in their heads”. I watched the show and then went online which was a mistake since a lot of book content was being revealed to me, so I read a couple of the books for context. Still I disagree with a lot of the takes I have seen. How is lestat being “big bad patriarchal” something that people are making up in their heads? Why is it that when the vamps are having good moments we can agree “that they are married!” and “that’s their daughter!” but when it’s bad moments all of a sudden it’s “they’re vampires so it’s not domestic abuse and lestat is not big bad patriarchal”? I understand that a lot will be revisited in s2, but s1 is Louis’ account of things and what he is showing us is very much big bad lestat so idk how that can be something people are making up in their heads. I’ve noticed that while a lot of the speculation for s2 draws from the books (obvi), they don’t take into consideration that some things just don’t work anymore because of the change in the level of violence shown, and bc these characters are Black! Like Louis or Claudia lying about their abuse would be incredibly problematic, so would a revisit of Lily showing that she’s shady/a villain. (And i feel like you agree with this so idk why you say you’ll block ppl who say this). I understand where the theories are coming from, but having these things play out would actually be racist and calling it bad writing if it happened would be very valid criticism! It’s very important to be critical of these things even if it comes from an otherwise very good show!

I’ve also seen stuff about making fun of people complaining that Assad and Jacob are not being paired together, when that is also a valid complaint/want (and I’m positive they’ll be paired together more as they keep promoting s2). I’m excited for loumand even after reading some of the books and knowing that Loustat (or just lestat) is the center of the VC, but the second half of book iwtv definitely centers Loumand, and even before reading the books my expectation was still a centering of those two characters. Don’t get me wrong I am a huge jam reiderson fanatic (literally started watching the show bc I saw that trivia with jam reiderson video) but I am also excited to see Jassad!!! Another incredibly important reason that people are excited for this pairing is of course that they are a queer interracial poc couple!! In fantasy no less!! So it’s understandable that people (myself included if you couldn’t tell lol) would be excited to see them together outside the show as well!! And making fun of them looking forward to it is like not great. So far the stuff ive seen ab press pairing is ppl being eager to see Jassad, but over here it reads as “haha no jassad we told you so” which is so incredibly weird. Again, I’m trying not to come off as like aggressive, and I get that being accused of being racist is obviously not a great thing to receive, but I do think that a refusal to examine or question why people think certain decisions would be racist is also not great.

I feel like a lot of the times when fans are pointing out the racism in the fandom and stuff, it gets taken as them being hateful and aggressive etc etc, but like idk it’s hard to be nice when you see things that are clearly so problematic and it gets glossed over in the fandom. Idk if you’ll answer this but I just thought it was important to share.

Okay, you know, I'll bite. Once.

"Making fun of people is not great". "being accused of being racist is obviously not a great thing to receive, but I do think that a refusal to examine or question why people think certain decisions would be racist is also not great"

"I’ve noticed that while a lot of the speculation for s2 draws from the books (obvi), they don’t take into consideration that some things just don’t work anymore because of the change in the level of violence shown, and bc these characters are Black! Like Louis or Claudia lying about their abuse would be incredibly problematic, so would a revisit of Lily showing that she’s shady/a villain."

Let's examine these, shall we.

Just because Louis and Claudia are black now, they are NOT different characters. If you had read my rant, and listened to the sources, read the interviews, then you would KNOW that. You would know that JACOB (and Bailey) have said that. LITERALLY.

A certain part of the fandom keeps saying this, but that is just... not it. And I get where it's coming from! But they already confirmed that the characters are still the book characters. And the people (including you?) who keep worrying that point just don't want to acknowledge their stance being wrong.

But that is not something that >I< am making up.

Which, in turn, negates your argument.

Also, everything shown in s1 will be put into context in s2, as already said - also something I more than laid out in the rant. That includes the "violence". Again, that's been said.

When the racial changes became clear for Louis and Armand (and Claudia) some of the book fans winced, NOT BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE ITSELF, but because you know, we KNOW what's coming.

All the show fans now claiming Lestat was sooo bad for Louis... oh you haven't seen Armand. Armand will literally gaslight Louis, make him do things against his will (things that will have Louis say he lost the last of his humanity!), isolate him by KILLING CLAUDIA and the coven (intentionally! so he can have him to himself!), and spell-bind him, repeatedly. Armand will chop off Claudia's head and sew it onto another's body to see what happens. And then send her into the sun, to burn.

He will also, as has already been made clear now, "tinker" with Louis' memories.

You think that's cute?! Wholesome? Because they're POC now? Oh sweetie. This show will pull the rug out from under you. And that is not meant as belittling. These things will happen. They dialed up the (absolutely existing) themes to 10 in s1, they will do so once more in s2.

And lastly, re the fun, and being accused of things.

Go and read through the comments of "Laden as the sea". Read what I wrote in the notes, and why, and then what people threw at me. Come on, go ahead. It's a ride. I did not delete ONE comment. None. They're all there. Some of the commenters have edited their comments, so the still-up one is not the one they initially wrote, but I get mails for all comments, so... I've read them.

And I'm not even talking about the shit here.

Oh, and I didn't say that the patriarchal and abuse themes were made up. Which you would also know if you had actually read my rant.

And, again, if you had really read what I've written, you would know that I wrote this: if I‘m going to see anyone scream “bad writing“ or “Louis being made a liar or the memories revisited/changed is racism“ when the changes will hit I‘m just gonna block you.

And that... has nothing to do with the problematic things that might arise from the revisits, because of course there are many traps there to consider, because of the racial change. That I agree with.

But it's not bad writing, or racism, if and when these things happen.

It's just not what some people want to happen. And that is what I mean with the "story made up in their heads".

If you really read the books, then you would know what's coming.

Because this show is made by book fans. It might be good to remember that.

[lunar-years]

Ngl when I see ppl shipping Jamie and Dr. O'Sullivan I think they're at least a little homophobic and very straight.

well, i disagree with a blanket accusation of homophobia, but I do think it's an opinion that holds a very ~straight appeal~, definitely, lol.

there are honestly a boat load of reasons i hate it but they boil down to:

i kind of get why people (esp. a segment of the general audience) might be attracted to it because it's soooo something (bad) shows/sitcoms would do. Like, my god is it TRITE. Predictable, formulaic...boring as all hell! Of course he's going to get with the nameless sister who has less than five minutes total of screen time, just for a little added spice and drama, sure. That's what happens in (bad) shows. But luckily for the rest of us, Ted Lasso even at its worst is not that brand of bad, lol.

it's completely baseless? Nothing wrong with a baseless ship i guess, but at the same time...literally why this one? lol. Like, Jamie and Roy's sister share one scene together in which I don't believe they even say anything to one another directly? There is no chemistry, no...anything? The entire premise for the ship seems to be Jamie telling Roy his sister is hot. Which was very clearly intended as a way for Jamie to get under Roy's skin. Nothing about the scene makes me want to see those two dating.

the big proponents of it i've seen (often, definitely not always) seem to fit into one of two categories 1) people who don't really like Jamie and/or are upset Jamie "got in the way" of their ship, and thus want him to be written into a corner that pulls him away from their preferred couple/inherently shuffles up their dynamic. they don't actually care to watch a plot between Jamie & Roy's sister, they just want Jamie firmly categorized as Taken and thus Not Interested in Roy and/or Keeley, and this is a convenient and predictable(y stupid) way to do it. lol.

OR 2) people who DO really like Jamie and in fact really like Roy & Jamie, but in a very "no homo" way, who want to see more of their dynamic and have a way to define/further explore their closeness, whilst also justifying their own enjoyment of it, that's well set apart from "they have homoerotic tension." Jamie & Roy's sister dating holds an appeal because it more explicitly puts their relationship into firm "brotherly" territory. And I unabashedly loathe that for the same reason i loathe "Roy is Jamie's father figure!" ...foremost because no really, they can just be best friends!! Even if you do not want to ship roy-jamie romantically, you do not need to slap different familial labels on them (or put them into random other pairings) to make their relationship "more." Their relationship is already "more"...they are canonically best friends!! idk if I'm explaining this in the best way but the mindset behind it often feels very rooted in ~the nuclear family is the most important relationship a person can achieve~ and thus a need to fit everyone into traditional family roles (and in some cases that PLUS blatant homophobia) and it gives me a personal ick. Ew.

If you want to see quirky jamie & phoebe antics or roy and jamie bickering, Jamie x Roy's sister getting it on is in fact not actually necessary for any of that? (and imo doesn't add anything to anyone's arc) Going back to point one...using that pairing to get there feels TO ME very boring and sitcom cartoony.

(i also obviously dislike it for my personal shippy reasons and must acknowledge my bias. 🫡 Jamie dating his best friend's sister when he clearly has a crush on said best friend is a relationship-based mental low point/cry for help i do not actually want him to go through as my fav character, LOL.)

(disclaimer: people can of course feel differently and are entitled to ship whoever they want without even needing a clear reason or explanation! that's totally valid! i want to reiterate I don't think it's inherently problematic as a ship. I just personally think it's a rotten tomato of a plot point and i'm so beyond glad the show didn't waste time entertaining it.)

[sushisocks]

bro it makes me so mad how ppl say sean didn’t need a break after getting recused by the bounty hunters becuz he got a party but whats ur opinions on it???

Obviously, I think way too much about Sean, and read very much into a lot of smaller things when it comes to him. I imagine the people who say Sean didn't need a break after his rescue would think I read too much into his character, and I may perhaps even be hit with a 'its not that deep bro', but that has never really stopped me, lol.

And I will wholeheartedly disagree with those who say he did not need a break. I think believing that, taking this aspect at face value, is disregarding one of the game's strongest points; environmental storytelling. A lot of what we learn about the gang members in this game, is through just hanging out at camp. Not only do you get to be privy to scenes and interactions that tell us about the interpersonal dynamics, but the characters also have daily routines and habits that tell you things about them!

And see, in Horseshoe, sometimes Sean walks funny at camp even without having had anything to drink ahead of time. You could read this as a bug but I personally think there's a more obvious reason behind it. He's quick to sit down or lean against things, during his shifts on watch AND otherwise. Other people here on tumblr have pointed out how he barely eats, or clearly struggles to.

Now consider what Sean actually TELLS us, in his rescue mission. He had his teeth pulled, his feet burned. And I don't know about you, but that sure does sound like things that would leave a mark - not necessarily a visible one, but one that would affect behavior, because pain does.

When I had my wisdom teeth pulled, I was on painkillers for days after. I also had one done at a time, so that I could use the opposite side of my mouth to chew my food while one side healed, and I still struggled to eat.

Do you think Sean was shown the same courtesy?

He has a front tooth missing - in what world is eating comfortable? Do you think he has the strength, then, to be up on his feet all the time? Feet which, most likely, are still healing from being burned??? Like, what is the logic in taking Sean being fine at face value, here?? Do we actually believe Dutch is a good and competent leader, now?!?

And like, I'll say it, Sean 100% played down what he'd been through. I could go on at length about my thoughts about the reasons why, as pertaining to the role he performs in the gang, excitement and relief and adrenaline about being free again, not wanting to appear weak, etc etc. But I also do think, then, that it's almost a little bit silly to not extend him the same courtesy as we do many of the other characters of this game, and consider what this experience might actually have been like for him.

Sean, Arthur, and Javier were all kidnapped and tortured. All three of them. And they all had it real fucking bad. Can we, like, let ourselves sit with that for a moment? And acknowledge that Sean had it just as bad as the other two??

He was also stuck in that situation for the longest!!! At least two fucking weeks, minimum, while Javier and Arthur's experiences were for -- two to four days?

The difference is of course that Arthur and Javier both had their experiences shown on screen, and they both got to rest afterwards.

Sorry, that was a bit of a tangent, back to the party thing.

Ultimately, Sean is given a party because the gang needs a party. They are still recovering after Blackwater and Colter; they are in dire need of levity and fun, which is given through something to celebrate. They need a distraction. These are the things which Sean performs and gives the gang; the party isn't even really for him; it's for what he represents, and what his return represents. The party isn't what he needs, and he sure as hell was not well enough to just jump back into action.

What he needs, what he should have had, is a break after the shit he went through. He wasn't given permission for that though, not from their leader and not socially from anyone else, and furthermore he didn't really give himself permission for it. You have to do his rescue mission before pouring forth oil, because the second Sean is back, he's looking for jobs, and he wants in on the train robbery.

He's working, immediately.

(The fact that people actually believe him lazy just because he doesn't do as much as Arthur, the gang's workhorse, after returning from being held and tortured by bounty hunters, is insane to me. Yall are gonna believe Arthur about that?? According to him, all the guys in camp save Charles are lazy!)

Idk, what I find the strangest about takes like these is like... Most of the other characters are worthy of discussion, analysis, and discourse. But - not even the game, but characters in the game, who show themselves to have their own faults and prejudices as well - tell us Sean is lazy and easy-going and fun and that's all he is, and we believe it? Where did the critical thinking go??

[spookybokchoy]

I got inspired from other ppl doing redesigns of Hazbin characters and wanted to give a go at it. I don't watch the show but I know info about it from the internet because it's kinda hard to avoid it with it being everywhere. Like most ppl I like the fun idea of their designs but there is much left desired when taking account animation and how they stand out from one another in the background. I focused on character design in college so I'm looking at it through a designer's pov. I feel I know enough about the show to give design feedback. Even so you can still disagree with me/challenge me and be valid. Critique is how we grow as artists! We need to know how to give good criticism and how to take it ourselves :) I'll say the strengths and weaknesses of each original design and go over the changes/why

Charlie- Her original design in the show's cute but I thought she was a clown, not a demon at first. Already has a "demon form" with horns+ tail so I added those built in already. Wanted her to feel optimistic but unsure of herself. Lucifer- Original suit tells he's an over the top king, added gold shoulder pads matching the crown piece and exaggerated his shortness so now he has a Napoleon complex and takes pride from being short. Him and Charlie keep the mostly red yellow white color scheme to signify their royalty. Vaggie Vega- Unique hair shape, good for recognition. Changed name to Vega/Vegatha, sounds strong willed, better fitting for her. "X" over hair distracts from her face, put it underneath. I also made her a bit darker in value to subtly show she's a fallen angel Husker- Eyebrow game is strong, got a unique face from your typical toothy big-eyed citizens. Too many symbols that look pretty but don't make sense in his character. He's a sulky hard ass who doesn't want attention but he's got a design that's very eye-catching. I made him look lower class since he used to be an overlord and is fighting a gambling addiction. 180 color change too so you know he's a cat with owl features.

Angel Dust- Iconic floofy hair swoop. Darker suit to bring out face with a heart choker bc he's a feminine fellow after all. On that note, more pink leaning color scheme. Added abdomen for more spider theming. Dr. Pentious- His Victorian steam punk theme is fun & quirky though you can't quite see it in his design. You can't really see it in my design either cuz I was more focused on filtering out all the eyes and extra details. I would want to take this back to the board and do it over. His original top hat face distracts from his actual one so that had to go. 2 front fangs to appear more snakey. Alastor- His design works for the 1930s the decade he passed. I don't get the correlation to radio and voodoo though. The whole discourse with him being creole is messy so I scrapped it and made him a white American broadcaster to not deal with that. I made him blind with supernatural hearing abilities leaning into the sound aspect. It feels chilling knowing he hears your every move, emotion and heartbeat like the warden from Minecraft. Deer and orange fox themed for a dual nature. Vox- This idea of a tech savvy con man is super fun. Made his persona charming and eccentric, being able to appear friendly while being sketchy as f. His body is made of wires too with his teeth resembling the shock waves on his hat. Kept the pinstripes for a wirey feel.

I also did some Helluva Boss redesigns too! I think Helluva designs deliver pretty well (besides Queen Bee) so I more or so redesigned them based off my own head cannons. I used to watch the show but fell off around halfway of S2 bc I wasn't vibing with the direction of the story. Octavia- Young entrepreneur, takes after her father and mother being snobby and looks down at lower classes who she sees as less intelligent than high class. Very creative in problem solving. Millie- I like her og clothes alot. Those overalls are chic. This outfit is what she'd wear out in the field when she's working for IMP or at the farm. She and Loona fight alot about who works harder and Loona having an attitude problem towards everyone. Sallie Mae- Not much change other than white hair and removed eyelashes. I might want to make her shirt dark muted blue instead. I gave her a backstory how she ran away from toxic masculinity parents and eventually gets hired at IMP as a spy.

Loona- Emo to the extremo. She's originally goth but I got emo from her I'm sorry she just doesn't look goth. She's very lax when it comes to her job and slacks off constantly. She still does it well despite not working as hard as Millie, Moxxie or Blitz. She's strict but means well and cares for ppl around her. She also gets adopted at age 14 in my head cannon.

Bee- 180 change completely. She's a thick queen! Made her black coded with more stripes cuz she's a BEE. I don't get why Vivienne didn't give her stripes bc that's a design thing she uses so much and she doesn't use it in a character whose name is BEE? What??? anyway her design is still complex but simplified and uncluttered for animation so the animators can have pleasant dreams. She's the child of Beelzebub and a hell hound. So that's my take on Hazbin/Helluva character design! This was fun re imagining not only the characters but the story itself. I may write a fan fiction but i dunno right now. I respect the original source material which is something I feel everyone needs to acknowledge when they do a redesign of anything. There are things I don't like about the original and that's ok! That's part of why I did the redesigns. That being said I don’t support Vivziepop :)

[hoziersong]

hey, you were saying that you don't think izzy should've died and that you didn't agree with his character arc for reflected upon reasons. is it okay to ask what those reasons are? you just always have interesting opinions about tv and i'd love to know about this one

oh hi! well i'm happy to share my thoughts since you asked so politely lol i just didn't share them earlier bc when there's discourse ppl act so vile sometimes

anyways. izzy hands huh. multi-faceted, complicated, very intense character. let me begin by saying the fact that david jenkins and con o'neill managed to do a total 180 on izzy in terms of how the audience reacted to him between s1 and s2 without fundamentally ruining his character is astounding!! i think the whole point of izzy has always been the fact that he's a man who tends to hold on too tight to the stuff that gives him a semblance of safety (even though that stuff is usually pretty traumatic lol) and across s2 we see him slowly loosening his grip on blackbeard. the fact that it was precisely blackbeard's brutal return that made izzy realize both him and ed were in too deep really just adds to how awesome the writing was this season.

and now, just to clarify: i didn't say i disagreed with his character arc, but with the way it was executed. as in, i think izzy's journey was perfectly well written and acted out by con (please give that man an award), and up until the finale it was actually very well executed!! it's the last plot device that i disagree with.

killing off izzy was a bold choice, and a very common way in which writers both show redemption and pull poignant reactions from the audience, which is ultimately what any show strives for!! for the audience to feel deeply about certain characters or stories. i think ppl have forgotten that and focused so much on wanting everything to be emotionally "clean" and lacking of controversy. guys!! the whole of fiction isn't supposed to cater to everyone!! that's why it's fiction!! it can be manipulated by creators and audience alike and each individual piece is supposed to be different. if you don't like emotional ups and downs in the media you consume that's understandable, but don't condemn the pieces of media that do have it. simply don't watch if you don't like it. i personally like these feelings, the ugly, and the dirty, and the unfair, and the painful, the human!!! it's part of the experience and they did it well this season.

even with that in mind though, i think death was only one of the many options through which they could've symbolized izzy finally letting go of blackbeard and the toxicity that name represented for all of them. i get how 'i wanna go' as a show of the deliberate decision izzy is making to escape from the emotional turmoil of ruthless piracy is trying to make his death seem like a way for him to rest, but. it's a pretty definitive rest and i think it wouldn't have been necessary, considering that one of the main things izzy learns this season is that you can spend years in a terrible environment but it's still never too late to pursue something softer for yourself and for the people you love. he says it, too: 'it's about belonging'.

as much as it is understandable to have wanted to take the way of the tragic and unexpected, for the sake of impact and to heighten the significance of what izzy has become this season, it would've been nice to see him stare at a long, happy future with the new family he's acquired aboard the revenge. ed let go of blackbeard without it meaning he had to renounce to the rest of his life for it, why couldn't izzy? it would've been wonderful to see all those years of life experience as a pirate reconcile with the reality that they're not dependent on isolating yourself from others. for izzy to have become captain, or even frenchie's first mate, would've been an excellent seal to his story, even leaving a future full of possibility to further explore how his character gets acquainted with his new way of looking at the world.

izzy put it that way: it is about letting go of ego for something larger. and his death can mean many things simultaneously, but it can also mean that without his ego he couldn't live. which. i do disagree with, so.

i don't know!!! i just think about it many different ways!! like in this post specifically i chose to see it under a different light than what i'm currently writing, and neither of those opinions cancel each other out; they can coexist!! that's the fun thing about fictional media interpretation!! it's also why we have devices like fanfiction and fanart and meta!! the fact that something played out in a specific way on screen doesn't mean it's set in stone as something good or bad, there are always shades of grey.

[noahtally-famous]

some Dave family & childhood/adolescence headcanons:

bc I wanna dissect this guy and his mind fr-

(fyi I'm desi (a person of South Asian descent born in another country), and I'm like 99% sure Dave is desi as well, so this is just a note for ppl so y'all are aware that I'm an Indian too! however, if anything at all mentioned below doesn't sound right (and not opinions, though I'd love to hear those too, I mean like actual info) pls lmk!)

uh, also mentions of homophobia, internalized homophobia, and trauma relating to mysophobia

some of these might be subject to change or tweak here and there, but overall, I'm satisfied with what I have!

- his father is a prestigious businessman who was born in Canada—he worked his way from the ground up as his parents (Dave’s grandparents) were immigrants from India; his reputation is everything to him, and he sees his family as a way to enhance said reputation so that he doesn’t lose face.

- his mother is descended from a wealthy family—she likes to say her great-grandfather was a Baron who’d resided on the India-Nepal border—and she was born in London. It was her grandparents (Dave’s great-grandparents) who emigrated from India to the UK. She’s artistic and the lower level of their house is her own studio.

- Dave’s parents marriage was more of an ‘alliance’ than anything. It’s little details that are also glaringly obvious that signified to him that his parents really didn’t love each other in that way—and if they did, it isn’t a priority; things like his mother hyphenating her last name and not fully taking his fathers, the distance in the way they interact, just slight emotional ticks that let him know their love was more of a facade.

- since then, Dave vowed that if he ever found someone, the love they’d share would be real and genuine—ironically, he became a bit of a romantic (okay, a huge romantic). Obv his parents weren’t good role models in the romance department but all those movies he’d watched are!

- anyway back to the family; Dave’s father spent long hours either at the office or traveling for business. Whenever he’s away, their house feels a bit more like a home—his mother unfurls like a flower and her already overprotective nature due to his weak immune system heightens, and Dave let’s himself believe he’s a normal guy in a normal family when this happens.

- but eventually his father returns and the emotional distance ensues, the high expectations, his mother retreating back into her shell, and the reality hits that he just can’t ever be ordinary.

- only one person has brought up the topic of a divorce and it’s his older brother; it’s mentioned half-heartedly too as though he knew she’ll disagree. It’s a funny thing; Dave’s mother does love his father and maybe that feeling is returned, but there’s so much weight and expectations and pressure they’d placed upon themselves that whatever affection is straining.

- his father reacts to this by overworking himself; his mother by retreating.

- (Dave also vowed that him and his lover won’t have a relationship this complicated. It’ll be simple, cliche, normal, and perfect.)

- Dave has Middle Child Syndrome. He has three other siblings and he’s not just the middle kid, but also the kid who doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing (in other words, who doesn’t seem to be able to ‘enhance the family name rep’. He’s just…There.)

- perhaps that’s why he and his father are so distant—more than his siblings are. No matter how hard he tries to impress his father with anything, it goes awry and/or his father never seems to give him more than a curt nod.

- there’s his older sister: she’s graduated from law school, is 25, and is currently an attorney for their fathers business. She goes with him on his business trips, and Dave is so not jealous. She’s strong, bold, and isn’t afraid to look assholes, sexism, and racism in the eye and shoot them down with her words and expressions. She’s like the shield, a mature presence in the siblings’ lives.

- his older brother is second. A double-major in history and business, and 22 years old. At first, he was meant to take on the mantle of their fathers business when the time was right. However, that took a drastic turn when news got out that his brother was fully and utterly homosexual. Naturally the equation in his fathers head was: ‘homosexuality = hate = losing precious reputation’ and the following arguments that spawned between the two of them from this were some of the nastiest. That’s when Dave, listening in keyholes, over banisters, and in other random locations, found out one huge thing: his father is a homophobe.

- (not that that mattered to him. He’s straight, he liked only girls. Right?)

- anyway, their father told his brother to ‘hide his gayness’ and pretend he’s straight. His brother said that’s bullshit and that everything rich ppl do is ‘pretend’. Long story short, his brother moved out. Currently, he lives in Europe and owns an art gallery that his mother sends her artwork to (his father found out abt that once, and that resulting fight was a mess too--but dw she still does it and he can't stop her).

- Dave hates him. He wants to hate him so fucking badly for leaving him behind, for not listening to their dad and pretending to be straight, for being gay in the first place! Bc he and his brother were tight; they were super close and he’s the one guy Dave felt he could rely on and now?? He’s in another damn continent and Dave’s stuck in this suffocating atmosphere and ugh, goddammit he wants to hate him but he can’t bc he’s his brother and he loves him. So yeah. He def has mixed feelings lmao

- (this is also when his internalized homophobia started. He doesn’t care who other ppl love, he just cares who he loves. He’s not making the same mistake his brother did.)

- his younger sister, 14-15 years old, going into high school. Unlike the rest of their siblings, she doesn't want to be bogged down by office work or business drags. With a foot in every sport imaginable and an expert breakdancer, she's already got her sights set on making it professional in the sports category or becoming a famous dancer (maybe both, depending on how good she is, and she is good). She may only be in 9th grade, but words already spread that she's been scouted to go pro. She takes self-defense classes, helps coach soccer and softball for the younger kids during summers, and basically whatever her siblings didn't do in the athletic field, she's making do with flying colors.

- so yeah. After all this, you can see why Dave feels as lost as he does. Whichever way he turns, there's one or more of his siblings achieving great things, and he's just there...doing nothing...not being recognized because he's good at nothing. Just average. At every goddamn thing.

- normally he'd be fine with that, considering that's what ordinary ppl feel and that's what he wants to be, but it goes at odds with the side of him who wants to impress his father, make his mother proud, also stay at the same level as his siblings are.

- he's just so confused, he doesn't know what to do, and he's too scared to take a step forward. He's just some sheltered rich kid who doesn't understand/know cues in society, what good is that?

- onto his childhood/adolescence; boarding schools. That's basically all he's known. And ofc it has to be fancy boarding schools that the parents of other rich kids send them bc despite Dave being so average, his father will be damned if he sends him off to some middle-grade school.

- boarding schools left their own respective impressions on him as well. He used to be made fun of, teased, and even bullied bc rich ppl are nasty and they don't hold back—even to one of their own (especially to one of their own). One stark incident that left a huge mark on him was when he was eleven and his bullies took things a bit too far--you can't put a bunch of kids whose parents are competitive maniacs in a harsh cooperative and/or political world together and expect nothing crazy to happen; this was one of those crazy incidents. Long story short: some older kids took advantage of the fact that Dave has a weak immune system, lots of dirt was involved, a near burying-alive incident, lots of name-calling and taunting, and, as a result, on top of his immune system problems, he developed mysophobia too—which added more to his germaphobic tendencies.

- Whenever he's in a situation similar to the one that triggered this phobia, he falls into a panic. Those first few weeks, months, couple of years, it was horrible; only his siblings (mainly his younger sister and older brother bc his older sister was away a lot) and his best friend at the time would make any headway pulling him out of that trauma. Overtime (and the only time Dave was actively determined to do smth) he forced himself, his mind, his body reactions, to tune in with his thoughts so that if he ever got into a panic, he'd have a greater chance of pulling himself out instead of relying on someone else.

- but yeah. He has mysophobia, is a germaphobe, and has a weak immune system (smth his father considered a weakness) so him asking if smth is unhealthy or dangerous or "of questionable origin" isn't just him being a hypochondriac.

- that wasn't the only thing he went through in boarding schools. But, before we get to that, imma just say after that incident, he learned his lesson—he learned that rich kids are nasty pieces of shit and he's not gonna get anywhere the way he's being right now. So he excels in the art of people-watching, of careful observation that over time just becomes a habit/instinct—scoping out the opposition. He knows who's the assholes, who're worth interacting with, what to do to stay under the radar. Like magic, the lack of bullies dwindles once he starts doing that, and he finds out that everyone rlly does have something to hide—but he's not a blackmailer, he just observes, gives a mental nod, and moves on with his life.

- he often fluctuates with what his father would expect of him, and what he expects from himself; one of them is the lengths to go to stay on top. For example, despite knowing he's not a blackmailer, he'll still hesitate bc it's "what his father would've wanted".

- anyway, he's switched boarding schools twice—the first bc of the dirt incident, the second bc that's when he got his sexual awakening:

- his best friend in that boarding school—the only person he lets loose around—ends up also being someone he, to his horror, gets a crush on. Why horror, you might ask? Simple: his best friend is a guy.

- see: Dave's internalized homophobia. My dude already has fluctuating feelings abt impressing his dad, if he comes out as liking guys, he just knows that's not gonna be well-received. Literally, the one thing he thought wouldn't ever happen does. So he reacts in typical Dave-fashion: he panics, and does what his mum would do: retreat. He basically runs away from the problem lmfao, he ignores his best friend—which he still feels guilty for to a degree bc the one person who accepted him for who he was and supported him, and he just...stomped on him bc of a sexuality crisis lmao. And that's not the worst of it: he actually nails the head in the coffin by asking his dad to switch him to another boarding school bc his roommate is gay. (And yeah, ofc, they were roommates lmao).

- not his best moment, everyone's well aware.

- (and try as he might, his bisexuality (though he doesn't know that he's bisexual yet) isn't "gone" like he hoped it was; it's more so repressed, buried, deep within him, but in a manner that one tilt off-axis will send him spiraling into another sexuality crisis)

- anyway, he's in his third boarding school when he comes across the Total Drama audition flyer online, and decides why the heck not lmao.

- before his younger sister was born, Dave spent most of his early childhood at his aunts place—his mother's younger sister. The utter normalcy of the place compared to what he’s used to astounds little him, and his visits there leave a great impact on him. His aunt, an art teacher at a local school, had a small, modest house filled with sketches, paintings, murals, and the various designs and bright colors were mesmerizing to him. They took him to a world where only colors mattered and nothing else. His aunt doted on him too, and Dave loved spending his days in that house more than his own place.

- Unfortunately, when he was seven, his aunt died—a mundane way to die for a mundane young lady, he couldn’t help thinking; (I'm thinking either getting hit by a car while crossing the street or what is a 'simple viral infection' which turned out to actually be a tumor). As mentioned though, those times left a great impact on him. Made him realize that it is possible to an extent to lead an ordinary life even while connected to such extraordinary. It also made him harbor a love for art—any and all kind of it (except maybe pottery bc it’s messy, as well as the unconventional types like using dirt and the outdoors as tools).

- her death, if I wanna go the tumor route, will emphasize his germaphobic tendencies and his mysophobia. Depending on which road I wanna take, if I do this, the dirt incident at the boarding school won’t have happened, maybe?? not quite sure 🤔

- given all this, it's no wonder he has attachment issues. Usually, he's standoffish, he keeps to himself, he still interacts with ppl but he doesn't trust or get close to ppl easily. But when he does, when he finds someone who he actually vibes with, he sorta just...latches to them bc of this worry that they might leave him, or the other shoe will drop, or smth bad will happen to them. Basically, it's hard for him to let go. He's capable of it, but it's difficult for him to process—heightened depending on how strong the bond is with the other person.

- being ordinary is the center point of this guy's persona—his core existence. it's why when he auditioned for Total Drama, he's labeled as "A Normal Guy". He didn't mention anything abt his family and if he had to, it was the bare minimum; no one knows who his parents are, who he's connected to, they just know him as a germaphobic average joe.

bonus stuff:

- for his last name, I'm thinking Jha??? idk I rlly like it and I think it suits him.

- vegetarian, due to his cultural background.

- hates horror movies, he's the guy to cling onto your hand or arm if you're watching one with him, and def the type to scream at the jump scares and then curse up a storm.

- gore is a no. it's too messy and makes his stomach twist; same with zombies bc uh...the effects are basically overkill for him. (Shawn dared him during one of their scavengings that if he won the show, Dave would watch a bit of The Walking Dead with him. Rip Dave lmao.)

- he can tolerate horror and gory movies, btw, he just doesn't prefer it.

- I've this standing silly hc that he and Noah are family friends; as a desi, let me tell you, we've a lot of family friends lmao. The opposites of his and Noah's home lives only serve to prove that it is possible to lead a normal life where your emotions aren't secondary to the public.

- despite leading a variety of lives, Dave and his siblings are pretty close! When they were little, they used to have tree-climbing contests, which is why, even if his arms might look chickeny, his legs are pretty strong stamina-wise. They might be more distant now with a lot more differences between them, but they're capable of standing together when need be.

- speaks English and Hindi; due to his upbringing, he's fluent in several other languages too.

- obv closet disaster bi; his main fear is someone will find out and his sexuality will be exposed on international television

- likes to garden, but only if he's wearing gardening gloves; he also feels productive when doing so bc it makes him feel strong tackling the dirt to let beautiful plants grow—like facing his fears to let smth else grow there instead. He has several potted plants in his house.

- while he seems standoffish and 'colder' at first, ironically, he also has the tendency to get emotional easily. Especially when it comes to rejection—he's not very good at handling that. Basically he's a mix of nervousness and distant—he can be quick to judge, especially when it comes to ppl who have different quirks like Beardo and Leonard.

- he learned coding bc that’s what his dad wanted him to do. All he got from his father was the usual ‘curt nods’ so he thinks he’s just average at it. Whenever his dad gives him one of those nods, Dave just assumes that means he’s not particularly exceptional at whatever it is he’s currently doing—even if that may not be the case.

- the attachment issues and emotional detachment of his family are one of the main reasons for his snarky self-aware yet also lack of self-awareness (and, at times, rude) personality; I want to say it's like a shield--the snarkiness, I mean--but it's also basically an ingrained habit.

- doesn't like being called David. his father (and his mother, oftentimes) tend to call him that, and hearing the name reminds him of them and the expectations and pressure and everything he cannot be. He much prefers Dave.

[golbrocklovely]

I’m gonna say that it scares me how bullying other people has been normalized on the Internet to the point that people with morals and brains who do not really even like the person that is being harrased are made fun of for simply trying to stop the hate.

I am not even here talking about the whole sam and katelyn situation. I am talking in general. I’ve noticed that in many fandoms harrasing people online that we do not like, making fun of them in every possible way has been so normalized that a person who praises them will appear as a “silly” for a bigger audience of fans. Like what? Like f.e this has been a thing rn in yr fandom (idk if you watched the show). People have been targeting E and hating on him for having a gf (literally… same thing as snc lol) and making fun of people who are being just supportive and lovely.

I, like everyone else also have people i dislike. But what the heck is the point of bringing it to the Internet and basically sending those people hate? And that applies to everyfuckinhone. Sam, Colby, Edwin, idk Katelyn, Malia, Katrina etc etc. If you do not like someone… just shut up and rant to your bestie about it on private. Why bring it into public space when everyone can see it ? INCLUDING the person you are making fun of /hating on. There has been sooo many cases of people trying to commit s*icide or committing it only due to online hate they received and i wonder how many more of it will take for people to finally reflect that what you put on the Internet and how you treat others can have very big influence on how they are feeling and things can turn really really bad turn. Or are we are just gonna stay as immature wannabe “cool and savage” mfs, who are just mean and sad and one by one gonna all k*ll eo either is literally or metaphorically (like kill eo happiness and personalities)

i agree with you so much, anon.

it's so odd to me how easy it is for certain ppl to hate someone they truly don't know.

and look, i won't pretend to be a saint. plenty of ppl know who i don't like bc i've talked about it. however, i have never in all my years of being on the internet (both in this fandom and not) have went to someone's page and hated on them directly or dmed them. i don't wish harm on those i don't like or disagree with. but so many ppl do and it's truly upsetting.

do i complain on here about ppl that aren't on here? yes. but i'm not gonna go to a site they are on and @ them and say "hey here's why i don't like you" bc that type of behavior to me is hella weird.

truly i think more ppl would benefit from just buying a journal and writing shit out there. bc too many ppl feel embolden to be as rude as possible, as if there isn't someone else on the other side of the screen.

bullying online never makes sense to me bc… what exactly do you want the end result to be? for them to hurt themselves? deactivate? never come back online? i just don't understand what thought process you have to think that harassing someone is gonna make them bend to your will, whatever that might be.

and no, i don't watch the show you're referring to, but i can believe that 100%. that happens so often to any male figures in literally every form of media. it's so odd. hell, i know i used to act that way when i was younger and in the jonas brothers fandom. but even back then i didn't @ miley cyrus and say she didn't deserve nick jonas lol

this is the first time in a long time i've ever actually considered leaving the fandom. not only has this harassment of katelyn really been eye opening to me, but also just the way sam went about all of this too. it all has left a sour taste in my mouth. but i'm trying to just remember that surrounding myself with nice ppl in the fandom (or those that are reasonable enough to not harass another person) is the better option than just up and leaving. bc i do love snc, even if rn i'm disappointed by them.

i just wish ppl would be nicer. maybe it's bc of my depression or past issues with bullying, but it's so disheartening to see all of this play out the way it has. and while i know i haven't always been kind, i at least try to be. but i feel like so many don't even do that. and that's a real shame.

[starfxkrinc]

just on the topic of rudy/madison/jj/kiara

those shippers are delulu. Someone tweeted “rudison is so back” because madison posted a throwback picture and rudy was in it?? It was a group picture 😭😭😭 and besides, she’s always done that, and she’s always tagged him, they’re also overanalysing the shit out of any small glance because apparently they usually avoid looking at each other. Theyre starting to do the thing again where they let jiara infiltrate their minds and they’re psychoanalysing every single thing just because the characters are together, before the friendship split, they did it in reverse and projected “rudison” onto jiara, now they’re projecting jiara onto rudy and madison. I haven’t been on twitter in a while but i think it’s hilarious that rudy said that about jj not planning official dates because i watched them theorise for months on jiara dates because of the advice to pope so i know they lost their minds over his analysis.

also the scene where shoupe shows up at the house and kiara wants to be honest with him about whats going on but jj is like “its shoupe he’ll never believe us” why did i see a tweet saying “see how even when they’re disagreeing he doesn’t yell at her and is gentle” ——- shoupe is right outside why the hell would he have yelled?? 😭😭😭😭

sorry my mind is just all over because just the mayhem them actually getting jiara has brought?? That side of twitter is a mess, from complaining about the lack of season 1 - esque moments between them (which theyll never get cz a lot of that was real rudison moments that the producers kept or improv which they’re clearly no longer comfortable to do with each other), to not enough jiara kisses/moments , to the no “i love you too” from jj, they got what they wanted and they’re still not happy which GOOD, i hope part 2 is even worse for them (is that evil) 😭😭😭😭

one day they gotta accept that them no longer fw each other is kinda the funniest outcome.

but no yeah i only go on obx twt when it ends up on my tl and yeah these ppl are insaneeee like omg? lots of cope happening on the jiara front like yea hes said i love you to pope with ease multiple times and is still super affectionate w everyone else but her like they just dont fw each other 😭 but they wanted it so bad and now they got it!

[dearweirdme]

taehyung is using taekook as a cover for taennie, and i'm not trying to say that he's using a gay relationship to hide a straight one, cause that's just stupid.

but let me walk you through this, over years tae's core fanbase has grown to be full of taekookers, and young y/n wannabes who think they have a shot with him one day, and those ones don't think he's gay and dating any member (not even jungkook) but they're comforted by the idea that ppl believe that tae might be dating a bts member because it means he's not dating a woman.

ok, so that's tae's fans. or at least most of them cause there's still normal ones who aren't avid believers that tae is romantically involved with any member, nor are they expecting themselves to date him one day, and are just kinda going with the flow and if he announces a partner one day (man or woman) they'll be happy for him.

tae starts dating jennie, and he's mostly keeping their relationship under wraps, until their photos gets leaked online by a supposed hacker(?) who got into jennie's phone. it blows up all over the internet and tae probably freaks out because his privacy was invaded. but as he watched the reactions and he sees that his fans denied it all and said that those were edits, he realizes that his fans got his back, and no matter what he does, they'll never believe him and jennie are actually dating. he won't lose his fans for dating after all!! cause they don't even believe it!!

taennie keep their relationship under wraps for a few more months but still wear cute couple necklaces that (again) tae's fans debunk as just mere accessories that don't have any deeper meaning. even though both jennie and tae have been wearing those necklaces for weeks, so it obviously means something to both of them individually. and seeing they're already rumored to be dating each other... it's not hard to put 2 + 2 together.

people start catching up on the couple necklaces and tae notices but he knows that if he distracts his fans with something he knows they'd like to hear about (aka jungkook) he has nothing to worry about. he does this for months, knowing very that his and jennie's rs isn't taken seriously because his fans think he's dating jungkook and are doing all the debunking for him.

so what do we have here? a taehyung who knows he can live his life with his gf in peace knowing his fans have his back and will deny anything sus him and jennie ever do, so he gets to have the best of both worlds.

until they get caught in paris, and the reactions are fucking crazy. taehyung's fans are doing absolutely everything in their power to debunk it, from cosplayer to PR narratives they tried it all, and it worked for the most part, in keeping his core fans still skeptical, and those are the ones whose reactions matter to taehyung, cause if those ones are disappointed in him and they leave he loses their support, and he doesn't want that.

so he comes back to korea to reward his fans by giving them another bone that keeps their faith in him going strong and they themselves know that their reward is coming, it's why they don't care about any taennie rumors, because they know taehyung will come to "prove everyone wrong".

taehyung can't be using taennie as a cover for taekook when taekookers were so sure that him and jk made their relationship official on the movie premiere day. he can't be using taennie as a cover while still being loud as hell about jungkook, and it's even more suspicious that jungkook isn't reciprocating the loud gestures. jungkook's latest live is the happiest we've seen him in a while, he can't be that happy while knowing his boyfriend is publicly dating someone else. he looked sad for months when him and tae were still "free" to do whatever they wanted without a third party in the picture, but as soon as he's publicly shoved in the closet again he's... happy?? weird.

i know you might not even reply to this, and if you do you'll most likely still disagree with me cause i know it's not that easy to change a shipper's mind on something they believed in for years. but i still felt like i should at least try to make you see things from a different angle, especially because none of us knows anything for sure and my explanation seems the most plausible, at least to me. taekook don't have to kiss in front of everyone to give tkkrs reasons to ship them, tkkrs already ship them based on things that are very much platonic but are seen from a romantic lens. taehyung knows that just a mere mention of jungkook online is enough to keep his fans happy and loyal to him, he's not queer-baiting, he's giving his fans what they want, and he knows that as long as he does this they'll keep believing he's not really dating jennie and will do all the hiding on his behalf. tae can go skinnydip with jennie right now in jeju island, and his fans will still debunk it because he mentioned jungkook on weverse yesterday, so it's obvious to them where his heart really lies.

Oh anon, your version of Taehyung is so different from my version of Taehyung. My Tae is strong and self assured, while yours is weak and cowering. No wonder we won't agree.

taehyung is using taekook as a cover for taennie, and i'm not trying to say that he's using a gay relationship to hide a straight one, cause that's just stupid.

Oh, I know you don't want to say that, because you do know it's stupid. You are trying very hard to say that Tae is mentioning Jk as much as he does, because he knows Army loves to see members interact, and if you'd just left it at that.. I might've agreed to some point, but you didn't... so let me walk trough your message with you.

but let me walk you through this, over years tae's core fanbase has grown to be full of taekookers, and young y/n wannabes who think they have a shot with him one day, and those ones don't think he's gay and dating any member (not even jungkook) but they're comforted by the idea that ppl believe that tae might be dating a bts member because it means he's not dating a woman.

This is you specifically pointing out that a huge part (according to you most, but I'm not sure that's correct) of Tae's fandom believes he is with Jk, or wants people to believe he is with Jk. This part believes Tae is queer.

tae starts dating jennie, and he's mostly keeping their relationship under wraps, until their photos gets leaked online by a supposed hacker(?) who got into jennie's phone. it blows up all over the internet and tae probably freaks out because his privacy was invaded. but as he watched the reactions and he sees that his fans denied it all and said that those were edits, he realizes that his fans got his back, and no matter what he does, they'll never believe him and jennie are actually dating. he won't lose his fans for dating after all!! cause they don't even believe it!!

How is 'fans not believing what he does' them having his back? Why would Tae be happy and relieved because of that? Is Tae really that weak in your eyes? Does Tae not call out people if he doesn't like what he sees? And you are actually stating (although not directly) that Tae sees it as a positive that the part of his fandom that believes he is with Jk (who believe he is queer) debunks his relationship with Jennie. Taekook against Taennie. "And no matter what he does, they'll never believe him and Jennie are actually dating" I cannot believe Tae would think that a good thing. Tae is proud, if he is in a relationship... he will be proud and behavior like that would hurt him. What you are still implying, even though you don't want to, is that Tae is relieved that people believe in Taekook and therefore don't believe in Taennie.

taennie keep their relationship under wraps for a few more months but still wear cute couple necklaces that (again) tae's fans debunk as just mere accessories that don't have any deeper meaning. even though both jennie and tae have been wearing those necklaces for weeks, so it obviously means something to both of them individually. and seeing they're already rumored to be dating each other... it's not hard to put 2 + 2 together.

Yeah, yeah...

people start catching up on the couple necklaces and tae notices but he knows that if he distracts his fans with something he knows they'd like to hear about (aka jungkook) he has nothing to worry about. he does this for months, knowing very that his and jennie's rs isn't taken seriously because his fans think he's dating jungkook and are doing all the debunking for him.

You know what would be a real simple and effective way to shut down those rumors that apparently give them anxiety... stop wearing the jewelry! Way more effective than using a rumored queer in-band relationship. Which again you are pointing out while not wanting to do so: "knowing very that his and jennie's rs isn't taken seriously because his fans think he's dating jungkook and are doing all the debunking for him." I don't know what to tell you anon, you are saying that Tae is knowingly using Taekook (the queer relationship, not the friend kind) to cover up Taennie.

so what do we have here? a taehyung who knows he can live his life with his gf in peace knowing his fans have his back and will deny anything sus him and jennie ever do, so he gets to have the best of both worlds.

Sigh, I'm quite sure at this point that you are not a Tae fan and you haven't even looked into him much. Something about this makes you feel comforted I'm sure... I can't really pinpoint what it must be, but it is far off from how I see things.

until they get caught in paris, and the reactions are fucking crazy. taehyung's fans are doing absolutely everything in their power to debunk it, from cosplayer to PR narratives they tried it all, and it worked for the most part, in keeping his core fans still skeptical, and those are the ones whose reactions matter to taehyung, cause if those ones are disappointed in him and they leave he loses their support, and he doesn't want that.

So, he doesn't actually care about a real connection with Army... he's only needs them to stay? Everything for fame and fortune? Not caring about people connecting Jk to queer rumors as well, not caring about Jimin getting shit, not caring about Jennie getting dragged? Only wanting to feel safe in his straight relationship, while being saved from discovery by fans believing in his queer one?

so he comes back to korea to reward his fans by giving them another bone that keeps their faith in him going strong and they themselves know that their reward is coming, it's why they don't care about any taennie rumors, because they know taehyung will come to "prove everyone wrong".

Again you pointing out Tae feeling safe because fans believe in his queer rumored relationship, Taekook.

taehyung can't be using taennie as a cover for taekook when taekookers were so sure that him and jk made their relationship official on the movie premiere day.

Not me!

he can't be using taennie as a cover while still being loud as hell about jungkook, and it's even more suspicious that jungkook isn't reciprocating the loud gestures.

Also not me!

jungkook's latest live is the happiest we've seen him in a while, he can't be that happy while knowing his boyfriend is publicly dating someone else. he looked sad for months when him and tae were still "free" to do whatever they wanted without a third party in the picture, but as soon as he's publicly shoved in the closet again he's... happy?? weird.

I don't think Jk looked sad for months. Some instances perhaps, but this is a very unsure time for BTS as a whole. They have to say goodbye to each other for a long period of time, going solo is very different from what they are used to... Jk might be worried, but there's plenty of reasons for him to be... it doesn't have to be his relationship with Tae (why am I explaining this... you don't even think it's real... why are you pointing this out? You are connecting Jk being sad to Tae.. that's not me.) Tae was almost on his way back when Jk did his live... seems a great reason for him to be happy to me.

cause i know it's not that easy to change a shipper's mind on something they believed in for years. but i still felt like i should at least try to make you see things from a different angle, especially because none of us knows anything for sure and my explanation seems the most plausible, at least to me.

I don't need a savior anon. If you've followed my blog you would have noticed that I do leave room for discussion and I do change my mind when a solid reason is presented to me. I need sound reasoning though and your reasoning is faulty. It took me no time to shoot holes in it. I'm fine with people disagreeing. I like having conversations with people from all sides of fandom. What I do have trouble with is people blaming Tae and people misconstruing his character when he has fought so hard to get where he is now.

To summarize, You admit that Tae knows a huge part of his fandom blieves in Taekook. You admit that he utilizes that to divert attention from him and Jennie. You admit that it the outcome he wants. "he's giving his fans what they want, and he knows that as long as he does this they'll keep believing he's not really dating jennie and will do all the hiding on his behalf. tae can go skinnydip with jennie right now in jeju island, and his fans will still debunk it because he mentioned jungkook on weverse yesterday, so it's obvious to them where his heart really lies." You might not want to say that he's using a queer ship to cover up a straight one, but you defintely are.