#those are wrong and incorrect

[lionheartedmusings]

as we prepare for today, i slither into my slumber cave like your friendly neighbourhood cryptid knowing that when (not if, when) we get new egg(s) today, the people who run around talking about """the end of the egg event""" are going to have to bend over backwards to explain their multiple incorrect points! it will be a glorious day! :D

[lilliejareau]

Henry: what happens if you wait for Santa on Christmas and he sees you?

Emily: where do you think he gets the elves?

Henry:

Henry: *cries*

JJ: Seriously???

[if-you-like-pina-colada-s]

Clark: D, please, it's no big deal really!

Bruce: Diana, I assure you, it's fine-

Diana, hands on hips in front of the cashier: AHEM!! EXCUSE YOU SIR, BUT THEY VERY KINDLY ASKED FOR NO PICKLES!! >:(

[brainrot-jikan]

im not the biggest alhaitham/kaveh shipper (because im a rare pair ho) but it seems to me that in alhaitham/kaveh getting-together fics tend to be... unequal.

the beautiful thing about alhaitham and kaveh is that they're both equally right and equally wrong and equally dicks about it. but the writers for alhaitham/kaveh much more frequently seem to give alhaitham the burden change (the burden of the character flaw) instead of kaveh.

in any good character arc, the main character has a fatal flaw or misconception, and by the end of that arc they have addressed that flaw in some definitive way. scrooge was a scrooge and learned that being that way was detrimental; merlin from finding nemo was overprotective to a fault and had to learn that he couldn't (and shouldn't) control everything and to let go; the wolf from little red riding hood learns that you should stop while you're ahead.

stories centering around romance tend to lean heavily on character arcs, which makes sense. and since romance generally requires two individuals to be vulnerable and open and emotional with each other, it makes double sense that alhaitham/kaveh authors zoom straight into alhaitham's lack of emotional vulnerability.

this bothers me.

in society, individuals are expected to experience and present emotions in a specific way. if someone dies, you cry. if someone smiles at you, you smile back. if you're at a party, you're supposed to be having fun. if you don't do these things, you're seen as impolite at best and a inhuman freak at worst. when these behaviors are frequent it's often viewed as emotional immaturity, or a lack of ability to feel at all. the inability or lack of willingness to conform to societies emotional expectations of you is seen as a flaw and a reason for exclusion.

alhaitham is canonically disliked and avoided for being the way he is. he prefers it this way, but that doesn't mean the people perpetuating this avoidance are in the right. they are the societal pressure to conform that alhaitham blows off. alhaitham could be the way he is for a lot of reasons: avoidant attachment style, trauma, following someone else's example (eg. his grandmother), or just his base personality. it doesn't MATTER. he is the way he is. kaveh having to accept that should be part of the story.

putting the burden of the fatal flaw on alhaitham, making the way alhaitham treats kaveh and the people around him the problem, feels invalidating. it implies heavily that alhaitham's way of interfacing with the world, alhaitham's very SELF, is incorrect. my suggestion is to flip a larger portion of that burden onto kaveh. kaveh 👏 character 👏 arcs 👏

some examples/recommendations:

- make kaveh project his insecurities onto other people but especially onto alhaitham; he's overly reliant on other people for his own self worth, and he perceives alhaitham's lack of positive feedback as a direct reflection of how alhaitham feels about him. but learns along the way that alhaitham doesn't hate him, kaveh's actual struggle is with hating himself and being unable to his own self as worthy of love. maybe throw in how you are responsible for your own recovery, other people can help but you can't rely on them to carry you through self actualization.

- or, kaveh tries to make alhaitham behave more like a "normal" person, to be more pleasant and emotive and forthcoming, and then realizes he's in the wrong for trying to make alhaitham into something he's not, possibly for all the wrong reasons (not because he likes alhaitham better like that, but bc society says that's healthier and a better/more conforming way to be)

- or you could go ahead make alhaitham's issues the main problem but they're too complicated to overcome in a short period of time, so kaveh has to accept alhaitham is doing his best in his own way and not push for unrealistic and unhealthy changes. he could alter his own behavior to give alhaitham space and time and a safe place to land.

that got sappy so it's past time for me to dip out. go forth and ship things; but maybe consider letting alhaitham be a rude stone-faced bastard if he wants to be.

[turtleblogatlast]

Man I wish we got more of the turtle tots especially their “slightly older turtle tots” designs, because they are so cute

[toki-toro]

Jesus christ

[emry-stars-art]

Whumptober day 10: branding/scarring/collar (full under the cut - I might say this one’s slightly more intense)

Did I mention this prompt list fits our Evemore Kingdom needs like almost too well? :,)

Find the royal au masterpost here

(Hey does anyone have any comfort/fluff drawing ideas I can pick from TT)

[chill-vibes-but-rainbow-panic]

You guys have names, you do know that right?

[thatswhatsushesaid]

i do understand and acknowledge that most people who pick up mdzs and get really into it walk away from the experience with wangx!an brainrot that brings them joy and suffering (affectionate) in equal measure, and--unless they're assholish at me or my pals--i wish all of those people well and hope that the veritable cornucopia of wangx!an content on this webbed site and AO3 is everything they've ever wanted out of their fandom experience. wwx is the protagonist, lwj is his court-appointed soulmate, their happily ever after is what most people pick up the books wanting to experience, and that's, you know, fine. live your bliss etc.

i just hope that one day it won't be such a hot and controversial take for fans who didn't develop wangx!an brainrot, and who found something and/or someone else more compelling and engaging about the text, to be able to say as much, and talk about it as much as we want to, without generating a bunch of passive-aggressive--or aggressive-aggressive--commentary from hardcore wangx!an stans who seem to take our disinterest in the central romance personally for whatever reason. like genuinely i would probably not dislike wangx!an as much as i have come to dislike them if i hadn't been inundated with very rude reblog commentary or anon asks early on in my fandom experience just for saying /checks my notes, "maybe jin guangyao isn't evil, actually. maybe wei wuxian did some things wrong."

dgmw, i'm glad that lots of people here are able to like jgy, for example, and still enjoy wwx and wangx!an specifically. but for those of us who don't, or who are struggling to rediscover some affection for the main pair, this attitude.... did not develop in a vacuum lol. i would just like for people to bear that in mind, i guess.

[supermaks]

Kit do you not rep Charles anymore 😭

Of course I do he’s prime I just need a break from his team and that fucking dog

[lucienne-thee-librarian]

I really need to stay humble lol

Me: I DON'T get the Dream x reader crowd I mean you do you, I'm obsessed with him but in a I Want To Study Him way. I don't get it. I mean he's such an emotional disaster, big divorced dad energy. Like what's attractive about a walking red flag -

Also me, a known dumbass, sees them:

Me omg hiiiiii <3333 #steponme2k24

[judasisgayriot]

sorry but I bravely refuse to pick a side in the worlds dumbest rpf slapfight, i am a top patrick AND bottom patrick enjoyer and i won't be swayed

[guidonian-hand]

I can't believe only one work of fiction understands the Lizzie/Darcy dynamic beyond Pride and Prejudice (1813 novel) and it's Twisters (2024 film)

[aaandbackstabbed]

Louie: we have a problem

Goldie: hang on I’m not drunk enough to listen to this yet

[razberrypuck]

every time someone even vaguely mischaracterizes qcharlie i lose a year of my life (this is abt a tiktok comment not anyone here)

[laz-kay]

Bob: So… who broke it?

Bob: I’m not mad, I just wanna know.

Rudy: I did. I broke the soft serve machine-

Bob: No. No you didn’t. Louise?

Louise: Don’t look at me. Look at Darryl.

Darryl: What? I didn’t break it.

Louise: Huh. That’s weird. How did you even know it was broken?

Darryl: Because it’s sitting right in front of us and it’s broken.

Louise: Suspicious.

Darryl: No, it’s not.

Gene: If it matters - probably not - but Courtney was the last one to use it.

Courtney: *gasps* Liar! I don’t even eat that crap!

Gene: Oh, really? Then what were you doing by the machine earlier?

Courtney: I use the soft serve tubs to make tiny hats for my cat Susan. Everyone knows that, Gene!

Rudy: Okay, let’s not fight. I broke it, let me pay for it, run.

Bob: No! Who broke it?

Tina: … Dad… Peter’s been awfully quiet.

Peter: REALLY?!