#tw for mentions of suicide and death

[martyr-inthedark]

Make your Whumpee tired.

Whumpees that have been deprived of sleep by Whumper, so much so that they don't remember how to walk in a straight line and can't figure out whether the recent appearance of little black bugs in their cell are real or a hallucination.

Whumpees that can't get a full night's rest. They doze off, only to be jolted awake by their own anxiety of not knowing when Whumper would come back. Perhaps they are awakened by phlegm-coated coughs induced by their illness. They are awakened by nightmares, or by Caregiver who is worried they may succumb to hypothermia, or by a thunderstorm, or the rough blanket scratching their open wounds, or so on.

Whumpees who pull all nighters to protect their friends or lovers.

Whumpees whose eyes burn when they finally can close their eyes. Whumpees whose muscles twitch, who can't stop yawning no matter how hard they try to stifle it. Whumpees with dark, glassy eyes. Whumpees who are slow to react or have a hard time keeping up with the conversation. Whumpees with throbbing headaches. Whumpees with brain fog and memory loss.

Whumpees who have been on the run and have over exhausted their bodies. Their muscles and joints continue to scream long after its over. Whumpees with extensive blood loss. Whumpees who are malnourished.

Whumpees whose survivor's guilt keeps them awake, wondering what they might have done differently, whether it was all their fault, or why they were the ones to live.

Whumpees whose bodies are in chronic pain or illness and who have to hide it, causing muscle and mental fatigue. They keep going with a smile until they collapse or pass out.

Whumpees who break down in tears, begging to be left alone so they can rest. Whumpees who sob when they are told that the bed in front of them is theirs to use whenever they want.

[genderqueerdykes]

queer communities: please take a moment to read this ask sent by a nonbinary parent discussing their 11 year old transmasc child's experience if you don't believe that transandrophobia is real or that you don't think man hating hurts queer people.

i recently received an ask from a nonbinary parent whose 11 year old transmasc son is dealing with suicidal thoughts and regret because of these behaviors being so common in queer spaces now. he can't escape it, even his friends are awful to him about it and he has to apologize for being transmasc often. he is being robbed of his childhood because people are already forcing him to adopt the "man" role and take heat for it even though he is literally 11 years old.

please take the time to read his story. this is real. it hits hard. this is not just petty fighting online. it gets carried into the real world. those people don't stop believing those things just because they logged off. they're real people. all of these things affect real people because the people behind the posts are real and what they say stems from how they behave.

would you rather see dead trans boys instead of living trans men?

you know the rush you get when you fuck with someone? its temporary, and it creates a howling void. the way you treat that other person? Can stick with them for life. you getting your kicks out of abusing and bullying children has real world consequences. how would you feel if a trans boy actually ended their life because of what you said to them online? you'd say you'd feel proud, but you wouldn't. you won't feel good if it actually happens.

do boys not exist or do they get a special pass and are only killed once they're men? saying things like "kill all men" and pressuring trans men and boys to stop being trans or become more feminine or leave trans spaces altogether is hurting people in the real world. it's not just a funny haha thing you say online, it's happening. and the worst part is that it's the norm. not all transmascs have the ability to have any power over you at all. some transmasculine people are boys, not men. some are children you are not justified in mocking young transmasculine people because they're boys. they're not even men yet. trans boys aren't getting the chance to even become men, let alone be persecuted for it.

please stop. it's making children consider suicide. and don't you dare say "good". like how could a child dying because they were tortured mentally by adults and kids older than them dying ever be a good thing? they're vulnerable. trans boys are vulnerable. you're picking on vulnerable children. you're picking on adults who have already gone through this a million times before. enough. please stop bullying transmasc children. stop doing it to transmasc adults, too, stop doing it to all transmascs. but please stop making kids feel this way. that "petty teenage discourse" is a thing that carries over into the real world and hurts kids. teenagers are kids. preteens are kids. this is hurting the younger generation. why do we see this as okay?

this in and of itself is an example of transandrophobia. please stop. let trans boys grow up to be happy trans men who live long lives. they deserve it. protect trans kids includes transmasc kids and kids who are trans boys. we're shutting down these conversations. you can't keep doing this to other trans people and act like it's funny and cool and whatever.

like seriously, stop. dead children aren't funny.

we're done.

thank you.

[dcxdpdabbles]

What if Skulker was Willis Todd all along? (Prompt)

Skulker is one of many ghosts who do not remember his time alive. In fact, it was odder for those formed from deceased beings to have memories, as their final moments shaped their ghost. Ember burned in a fire, but she could not remember where, when, or how that fire happened. Johnny 13 and Kitty were on a motorbike when they died, but they do not know where they had been heading or what had caused their accident.

Spectra feeds on human misery, but why that made her young and beautiful is a mystery to her. All Box Ghost could recall was the call of the cube-shaped spaces and the flashing word "Beware" before he popped up in the Realms.

Most ghosts hated not knowing, like Johnny 13, Young Blood, and Ember. This fueled their urge to run to the human world and find answers. While there, they desperately attempted to win the humans' acknowledgment.

Maybe they thought that if the living paid attention to them, they wouldn't fade away, even if none of them knew their names.

It was something Skulker never understood. He was dead. There was no changing that fact. Why would he pine for a life he could not remember and never hold? Why would he allow his eternal existence to be wasted chasing a light in an unknown darkness?

For the first few days, months, and years, time was strange in the Realms; it was aimless and meaningless. Skulker had formed as an unfinished ghost, barely avoiding being a blob ghost. He isn't sure why, and none of the very few medical specialists in the Realms understood either.

Millions of locations had doctors and medical knowledge, but most citizens of the Infinite Realms were not the kindest to outsiders. Skulker learned early on that one didn't just approach a territory for aid. Not unless you were the Ghost Child.

The only tribe that had a theory was the Far Frozen. They had allowed Skulker to consult them, but the Yetis were not exactly welcoming to Outsiders. They only spoke and aided ice-core ghosts, so even though they might have figured out what was wrong with him, the yetis had refused to conduct any treatment past some basic testing.

"You sent your Core Ectoplasm away." The large Yeti told him. They had refused to grant Skulker the honor of learning their names. He wasn't worthy enough with his barren core.

"What do you mean I sent it away?"

"Exactly that. You sent what should have helped take shape somewhere else when you were forming." The Yeti considers the charts with narrow eyes. "It looks like it was a last thought before you died. Pity, but this is what was left, and that's why you will look like this forever. You might have been powerful, but Fate had different plans."

Skulker had been trying to process that while the Yeti hummed. "Well, if anything else, we can put you to good use."

That caused his head to snap up. "What do you mean?"

"Our young need to practice hunting, and you will be the perfect target for the smallest ones." The Yeti's sharp smile was as cold as the land which it held from. "Do make the chase a good one for a being as little as you."

Skulker had barely escaped that hell hole with his Core intact. As the yeti's children howled and sneered behind him, he was suddenly hit with the thought.

The little guy is always the prey in this hellish existence. No matter how hard you try, how much you drink, gamble, or swindle, you can not rise above your station.

The words feel like a distant dream but are as real as fact.

It filled him with rage. He doesn't know where the resentment came from, but when Skulker reached the edge of the Far Frozen territory, he vowed to never be anyone else's prey again.

Skulker would be the Realm's greatest hunter, and no one would know his proper form. They would cower when they saw him, not snicker and dismiss. It took him years to build the perfect body, but he had plenty of time in the Realms.

He never allowed where his Core Ectoplasm went to cross his mind again as years passed and his prey grew more immense, dangerous, and fun to chase. Even the Ghost Child's insufferable ability to evade him did not make him think about it.

That was until the Welp ran off to another human city, and when Skulker had rightfully gone to claim his pelt, he found himself staring at a young man who held his Core Ectoplasm. There he was, walking on the street like the other humans, staring right back at the battling ghosts with an open jaw.

He was at the most in his mid-twenties, built similarly to Skulker's battle suit, but had soft blue eyes and the strangest white streak of white in his hair. He had no idea who the human was, as there was no way he was worth anything for a good hunt, but Skulker could feel his Core Ectoplasm holding the man together.

That was his existence, and that should have given him a proper ghost body being used as glue to a random human who wasn't even a Halfa!

Why had he sent it to him when he had died?

Skulker was so shocked that he hadn't even thought to dodge when the Ghost child threw back his mini-missiles at him. The explosion had sent him flying in the opposite direction of the man, which was just about the time the humans finally started to panic and run amok.

Skulker lost the stranger in the crowd, but now that he knew he was out there, he would stop at nothing to find answers.

(Willis Todd was not a kind man. He had been horrible to the mother of his child, to his son, and to his wife. He had been born at the rotten bottom of Gotham's social ladders, where the little guys were used and discarded like toilet paper. He tried to get himself out of it by any means but something always beat him back into place.

He grew bitter.

He loved his son and wife, but his anger could not be controlled. It was louder than his love ever could be. It always guided his hand and hurt everything around him until his son flinched whenever he entered his room, and his wife lost herself to the needles.

Still, Willis could not bring himself to let the anger go. He hated himself even more as days passed, and his rage grew bigger and bigger until he could no longer think without snapping.

He was arrested, slipped through the cracks in the system, and wrongfully marked for dead among the cells. He knew no more of his wife or son until years later when Jason's bright-eyed face appeared in the newspaper. Willis had been shocked to find out Catherine had died while he was aware and Jason had lived on the streets. Now, he was one of the sons of one of the wealthiest men alive.

Willis's anger was still there, but so was his heartbreak. There was something wrong with him. Something that would have choked and slaughtered Jason if he stuck around. So he folded the newspaper, put it back on the tabletop for another inmate to read, and swore to himself that he would never go near Jason again, even if one day he was released.

Years later, he reads a week-old paper to find out Jason had been killed in an explosion while overseas. His body was so severely damaged that Bruce Wayne had buried him in a fast funeral, and Willis hadn't even known his son was dead.

The rage had snapped.

It clouded his mind as he slammed his head over and over again on the wall until nasty cracks were heard. The blood dripping down his face and over his tongue drowned out the taste of his tears.

The guards tried to stop him, but it was too late.

His last thought before death took him was, "I would give anything to take Jason's place; if any Todd deserves to breathe again, it should be him. If I could just give him what he needed to live."

The second Willis' eyes closed miles away, Jason's snapped open within a coffin, and the gentle green glow of his skin brought the problems of a man who loved him but only as much as he could)

[ghosts-and-glory]

I desperately wanna know what it was like for each of the bishops to gain their crowns. Like they were all children, Shamura was the first. They were alone for a long time until Kallamar came along.

I feel like every time I answer an ask I just leave y’all with more questions. But Shamura, dispute being the first of the bishops, was not alone. They are about 12 here.

I have a headcannon that a lot of Shamura’s game dialogue are phrases that they have said or heard before their injury. Left over fragments from their past that they can’t quite remember yet are still haunted by.

Don’t ask me what happened with the visual style here, it’s out of my control. This is barely even cult of the lamb anymore, I’ve gone rouge.

Comic about Narinder getting his crown here.

Also extra unused panel of Shamura.

[ossiethegreat]

kimya dawson and color spectrum duo … grrr….

@howlsofbloodhounds

Color belongs to superyoumna

Killer belongs to rahafwabas

Song - Anthrax by Kimya Dawson

there’s so much fanart of killer sinking in water or something and honestly it’s kinda funny

[charminglyantiquated]

🗡️❄️ 🌊 Happy Ides of March! May I offer you some dead kings in these trying times? 🔥💀🗡️

You can see more dead kings in gold, silver, dreamlike full color, and elegant black and white by checking out the Normal Tarot campaign, which is reprinting every version of the deck with foil, revamped guidebooks, beautiful boxes, and all!

[incognitopolls]

Content warning: discussion of suicide.

–

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[asgardian--angels]

Izzy Discourse Masterpost

Hey all, given the amount of awful splintering and wank happening in ofmd fandom rn regarding Izzy's death, including the flat-out immature and unacceptable harassment of David Jenkins and Co, I wanted to just make this one all-encompassing post to address the various grievances and complaints I've seen (almost entirely on Twitter). If I've missed anything, please feel free to add on. I'm putting most of this under a read-more for length.

Please be aware, I say all of this as an Izzy fan. I've loved his character since season 1, and while I was sad to see him go, I completely understand and support David & Co's reasons for concluding his arc, and I think it was done respectfully in a way fitting to his character. So let's break down some of the takes I've seen. I am not referencing specific posts or people here, I just want to address the general themes that I keep seeing about why some people are upset.

Izzy's death served no narrative purpose.

Look, this is one that I'm sure fans will debate for the rest of the hiatus. It's completely within your right to disagree with this writing choice, but Izzy's death did serve a narrative purpose in the story that David Jenkins is telling - and he has spoken to this end in several interviews already. I can only summarize here, and fans may find other perspectives in time as well. What we need to remember is that Our Flag Means Death is, at the end of the day, Ed and Stede's love story. That has been made abundantly, explicitly clear. The show has been fantastic at fleshing out the other supporting characters, but that's what they are - supporting characters. They often have their own subplots but ultimately the narrative seeks to move Ed and Stede's story forward and they are tools to spur Ed and Stede's growth or mirror their struggles. Izzy has been a wonderfully complex, multifaceted character but we must remember that all characters are vessels through which stories are told, lessons are imparted, and metaphors are established. He's not a real person who 'deserves' any particular fate. David said he's always intended for Izzy to die at the end of his arc.

Firstly, Izzy (now canonically, through his own dying words) represents part of Blackbeard. He enabled and encouraged Ed's darker side, they were mutually toxic forces to each other. Ed is attempting to cope with and move on from this phase of his life, and like Stede in season 1, set out a free man, unshackled by expectations and loose ends of those he's hurt and been hurt by (though we realize this is an ongoing process that takes time). This lovely gifset sums it up nicely, with Izzy being the Mary parallel, and making s2 mirror s1. Blackbeard is both Ed and Izzy; Ed cannot be free of Blackbeard while Izzy is in his life, and when Izzy is gone he will never truly be Blackbeard again. They are each other's rotting leg!! Yet, they love each other - and David has said that for Ed, this has developed into a mentor and father relationship, and where Ed has previously despised his father figures (his actual father, Hornigold) he does not want to lose Izzy. This time, Izzy brings out Ed, not Blackbeard - and that's where we get the callback to 'there he is', bringing their impact on each other full circle, freeing Ed, getting approval of sorts that he never had, to be soft, to be loved (and there are parallels to Zheng and Auntie here as well that others have made) from that force that drove him to stay in line all this time. David has said in multiple interviews now that he was going for the idea of the mentor/father figure dying and the hero living on and trying to do justice to them.

From Izzy's side, Izzy cannot be free while Edward remains either (Mary cannot find peace while Stede remains). The scar never truly healed, the leg will always be a reminder. At this point the argument becomes 'yes, but why did he have to die? Why not just sail off with the crew of the Revenge?' David has stated that he feels they've done everything they can with, and for, Izzy; he's come leagues from season 1, he's found community, he's found hope, he's found new parts of himself, and he's made good memories. He's found worth outside of what he can be to others. That's more than most pirates could hope for. Where would his character go from there, when the Golden Age of Piracy he belongs to has burned to the ground? Would he stay around and whittle on the Revenge? If he were a real person, yes, that would be lovely, and he'd deserve all the quiet peaceful happiness in the world. But as I explain several points below, he's not interested in being a captain. He's not up for the hard physical labor of regular crew, and he's extremely overqualified for that besides. He has served his narrative purpose, and symbolically, to enter a new age, everything must go. He's connected to the old age of piracy, to the Republic of Pirates, that is now demolished. To him, fighting for what he believes in, for the family he's found, bringing down an army of British twats in the process, is how he should go. It's a pirate's death, and as Izzy's said, he's a pirate - unlike Blackbeard who's succeeding in breaking away from piracy, Izzy never wanted to stop being a pirate, throughout his arc. To me, that's why Izzy remains trapped in the narrative, trapped in history, whereas Ed and Stede will escape history. They leave piracy, and canon, behind, while Izzy was content to remain a pirate and face a pirate's fate.

Burying him on land, right next to Ed and Stede's beach house, shows that his sacrifice was not in vain - they start this new life together, thanks to Izzy's mentorship, his role in their lives that sometimes for worse, sometimes for better, made their love what it was and made their breakaway possible. The new age is built on the foundations of the old age, and is stronger for it.

As we're well aware by now, David tweeted that there's no version of ofmd without Izzy. Whether that's literal or not, symbolically it's true. Izzy's arc of growth affected everyone on the Revenge. Jim fondly remembered fighting for a time when life meant something on that ship; the crew helped give Izzy new meaning in life, and he helped them in return. When he dies, they mourn and have a funeral; that wouldn't have happened under Blackbeard's watch in episode 2. His life meant something to them. He influenced Ed and Stede immensely, and they will take that with them. As David's said, they're all a family, and Izzy was a part of that family, and his loss unites them and brings them closer to continue to fight for that family they've built. It's a tragic, sudden death of someone they've all grown to care for, and that steels their reserve to keep the torch lit. They literally sail off into the sunset to hunt down Ricky to avenge Izzy; he will always be a part of this show. And, of course, with the brief appearance of seagull Buttons, the door is left open for anything.

If this was The Izzy Show, then sure, we'd be content to see him simply engaged in shenanigans every episode. But the plot, and therefore the characters, need to keep moving forward, and Izzy got his growth and development. He got what he needed for his character to have closure, and he served his symbolic narrative purpose in Ed's (and Stede's) story. You may have your own ideas and perspectives, and that's great - that's what fandom is for. But we cannot say his death was pointless when David Jenkins and the writers clearly had a well-defined motive for pushing the narrative in this direction. I actually think the narrative around Ed and Izzy is the most well-developed in the entire show. I for one am so happy we got such an interesting and complex character, and had the brilliant Con O'Neill to portray him.

Izzy's growth & healing arc was rendered pointless by his death.

As this post so eloquently puts it, it's pretty bleak to have the outlook that taking steps to heal and find meaning in life is worthless if it's later lost. Seeking happiness and self-actualization is worthwhile for its own sake; no one knows what's down the road, and we all die eventually. Find meaning in life now. Would you rather have had Izzy not miss with his bullet in ep2? He was given the chance to experience joy, freedom, and hope for the first time in potentially a long time, and when he died he did so with those happy memories. As mentioned, Izzy's death was decided long beforehand given the narrative, and the point of storytelling is to make you feel emotions. We were given impetus to connect and relate to Izzy's character through his process of healing, so when he did die, we felt it keenly. That's how stories work actually! We felt what Ed felt. It moved us. It's not a bad thing that Izzy's arc made him more likeable to fans before his death. It's not a bad thing to lose a beloved character - guess what, it happens constantly in stories - and it's not bad to grieve over it either, but to say that it made his journey pointless is just not true. People saying that Con must be upset that they snatched his character away from him after getting to develop him so much - again I say, would you rather him have died in ep 2 before he had the chance to grow? Or how about in s1, when the crew tried to mutiny? How'd you feel when Stede killed him in his dream, in the very first scene of the season? I think Con's probably glad for the opportunity to have explored this character so much in season 2. Ask him if he thinks it was pointless.

Killing off Izzy was bad for queer rep/burying your gays/"Izzy was the queer heart of the show"

I'm putting 'bury your gays' on the top shelf so people can't use it when it doesn't actually apply. Most of the main cast of characters in this show are queer, and it's a show about pirates with a good amount of violence. Ergo, chances are a queer character will die in the course of Things Happening In Stories. Izzy didn't die because he was queer, and he wasn't the token queer rep. Please turn your attention to the boatloads (literally) of queer characters that are happy and thriving (how about the LuPete wedding immediately afterwards??). As for Izzy being the "queer heart of the show," this is literally the Ed and Stede show. You know, the two queer leads whose queer love the show revolves around, per David Jenkins himself. I'm glad folks connected with and derived joy from Izzy's growth and especially his performance in Calypso's birthday, but he is not the main character of the show. The queer heart of the show is in fact, the entire show, all of their characters and the community & found family they create aboard the Revenge. Not to mention the fan community as well. Izzy was never carrying the show's representation on his back, and frankly that's an absurdly wild take to have (esp when he spent most of s1 actively working against the main queer relationships in the show, attempting to maintain the oppressive status quo of pirate society).

It was bad and irresponsible to have a suicidal character die

Are we forgetting the entire first half of the season where Ed, who was suicidal, kept trying to passively kill himself because he felt he was an unlovable monster, only to be shown that he is in fact loved unconditionally and it gives him the strength to fight for life and triumph against his own self-doubt? The show has spent quite a lot of effort telling viewers that despite feeling damaged or broken you are worthy of love and that you are loved even if it may be hard to see it when you're in a bad place. That you don't need to be fully healed to deserve love and care, and that love and support will help you along your journey. It's incredibly wild to disregard this major plot point and fundamental message of s2 to try and spin this the opposite way for Izzy's character.

Secondly, where are people getting 'Izzy is suicidal' from? Are we going back all the way to episode 2, when he's at his lowest point and fails at his suicide attempt, only to be figuratively reborn after removing the metaphorical rotten leg? By the time of the finale he's shown to be in a good place, thanks to the arc of healing and growth he's gotten, through the support of the Revenge crew and his 'breakup' with Blackbeard allowing him to find his own way in life, realizing he doesn't need a purpose to have value and enjoying his time on the Revenge and the bonds he's made with Stede and the crew. He is, in the words of Ivan, "the most open and available I've ever seen him" by the finale. To take episode 2 as evidence he's suicidal is to erase his whole season of growth, which is an ironic thing to do in the context of these arguments. There's no canon evidence Izzy Hands was suicidal post-'Fun and Games'.

As for 'irresponsible,' once again I say, David Jenkins is not your therapist, he's not 'Dad,' and has no responsibility to tell his story any other way than he intended to tell it. Please find media that gives you what you want or need, and if the death of a fictional character causes you this much distress please seek help. I mean this kindly but seriously.

Killing off Izzy was ableist/bad for disability rep.

I point once again to the rest of the characters, several of which are disabled in varied ways. There are literally multiple other amputee characters specifically. It's not good storytelling to wholly avoid killing off any character that is disabled/queer/poc/female or [insert marginalized group here], especially when a) it makes sense narratively, and b) there's plenty of representation of these groups in the media in question. The answer isn't making such characters invincible and immortal, it's increasing the number of these characters in shows so it's not devastating when some do die in the course of natural storytelling.

OFMD was my comfort show/safe space show, now it's ruined for me

I am not trying to be insensitive here when I say that's a problem that is yours and nobody else's. David Jenkins created this show with a three-season vision and a story in mind, and he is telling that story to the best of his ability the way he wants to. It's already been said that he and the crew did not anticipate the fandom becoming as large and passionate as it has. The plot of the show was never intended to be 'fan service,' and it's ironic that there were people complaining this season that there's been too many fanservice tropes, up until David and the rest of the writers room made a narrative decision they did not like, then the complaints changed to not coddling the fans enough.

We as viewers can derive joy from this show, it can be a comfort to us, it can be important to us. But it was not designed specifically for that purpose, therefore it cannot fail in that respect. We do not have the right to harass writers for not steering the ship in the direction we want - it's their work of art, and we can choose to either come along for the ride or not. It's rare to see creators actually given the chance to tell their story the way they intend (budget cuts aside), so let him do that. He should not cater to fans, or cave and change the story to appease us. Respect his right to create his art, and remember you have the right to create your own. That's what fanfiction is for - write fix-its to your heart's content, but keep these realms separate. David Jenkins and Co hold zero, and I mean zero, responsibility to you. He could not please everyone no matter what he did, it would be fruitless to try, and it would certainly compromise the quality of the story he set out to tell.

You are absolutely allowed to dislike choices made in any show. Curate your media experience. If this show no longer brings you joy, stop watching. But it was never David's purpose nor responsibility to juggle the mental health of millions of fans. Trying to put that on him will only make him less enthusiastic about interacting with fans or continuing to make this show. This isn't rocket science. You're responsible for yourself, not this guy you call 'Dad' that you've developed a parasocial-therapist relationship with.

Izzy should have become captain of the Revenge.

Really?? Firstly, we did actually get that already in s1. He was tyrannical and the crew mutinied. But even if you think 'well after his character arc he'd be better suited to it,' it goes against the point of this arc. He's found value in not having a distinct role or purpose on the ship, decoupling his worth from the job he's expected to perform. He's found his place amongst the crew, not commanding it. There's no narrative reason to put him in charge when he's expressed no further interest in slotting himself back into a role full of pressure and expectations.

Con O'Neill was only told halfway through filming, it's cruel to just kill off the character he loves so much.

Guys, he's an actor. More than that, an actor with a theater background. I think he's used to characters dying. You don't need to look out for him. Con and David spoke one on one about it at length so they were on the same page, and David even said that Con took it well. I'm sure Con had input, just as other members of the cast have influenced their characters' stories, costumes, backstories, etc. Do you really think David Jenkins hurt Con's feelings or something? The writers (remember, it's not just David, it's a whole team of hard-working people coming up with these ideas) gave Con such a chance to shine this season, really developing Izzy beyond what he was given in s1 and letting Con show off his full acting range. Why are you only focusing on the destination rather than the journey? Sure, Con's probably sad to see Izzy go, but please do not project your distress onto him or try and accuse David & Co of being 'cruel' to their cast. That's really ridiculous. It's constantly evident how close they all are.

More importantly, do you actually, seriously think that Con O'Neill would want fans to harass each other or the writers over his character? The man who preaches being kind above all? There is no better way to make an actor uncomfortable about a show and its fanbase than to start treating fictional characters like they're more important than real people. He would not want you to bully people over Izzy Hands, and it's mind-boggling that some of you have convinced yourself otherwise.

Lastly, I just want to talk about the fact that some people are holding OFMD to absurdly high expectations.

Our Flag Means Death has been a pioneer series for its diverse representation, earnest storytelling, and themes of hope, community, and love. It's fine to discuss aspects of the show with a critical eye, but so much of the discourse has truly felt like folks are trying to find fault in a show that is leagues ahead of the average tv series that we still enjoy. How many fan favorites are killed off all the time? How many plotlines are scrapped, or drawn out without closure, or contradicted the very next season? How many shows are indifferent or actively hostile towards their fanbase? How many have any queer characters, or actually do bury them? The bar's so low, and OFMD has risen above to give us so much. Some are holding the show to astronomical expectations, waiting for it to fall from the pedestal it's been placed on. If something you don't like happens in the show, it's not suddenly ruined or demoted to being ~just as bad as those other shows~. Give them some breathing room, have some perspective on how progressive the show is, and that perfection is impossible, especially meeting every single viewer's idea of it. This is basically a repeat of the recent Good Omens drama, with an absurd number of people harassing Neil Gaiman for breaking up Aziraphale and Crowley and leaving the second of three acts on a very predictable cliffhanger. Let stories be told, let them unfold as they may, and you are free to leave anytime. It's so wonderful that more queer love stories are becoming popular and even mainstream, but let's not shoot ourselves in the foot by tearing them down when they don't go exactly the way you want it, which often seems to mean no drama, no character deaths, and therefore no conflict or even plot!

Just, please be civil human beings, and while this seems to be a difficult thing for so many fandoms to do, just keep your fan opinions in the fan space. Never bring your grievances to the writers, never bully them and persecute them for telling a story that you opted into viewing. That's something that goes entirely against everything this show, and this cast and crew, have imparted onto us - the importance of kindness, support, community, and love. I'll say it again because it bears repeating: the fate of a fictional character is never more important than how you treat real people. Just be kind in real life, which includes the internet. Thanks.

Now please, let's work together to ensure we get a season 3. There's so much more story to be told, and if you want to see Izzy back, whether that's as flashbacks, as a ghost haunting the inn, or in the gravy basket, we'll need more episodes! #RenewAsACrew

[poisonousquinzel]

they deserved better idc 😐

[torchflies]

Okay guys, I'm still drowning at work but here’s something good that's been keeping my head above water 🤣: retired rockstar Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. 

Ice is born to a pair of early hippies in VW Kombi bus painted with all the colors of the rainbow. He gets his first modeling gig after he's scouted at a Janis Joplin show on his Daddy’s shoulders, before or after Big Brother and the Holding Company. 

Anyway, fact is that baby Ice ends up with his face plastered all over everything from Camels ads to diapers. He eventually ends up doing commercials and then bit parts on TV shows and movies. He does Disney for a good long while, with Bobby Driscoll levels of success. But by the time the mid-70s roll around — teenage Ice is the frontman of a heavier crossed with glam rock sorta band: think Def Leppard, Kiss or even Mötley Crüe (way before their time on the Sunset Strip). 

Ice can sing just about anything the band needs him to — think Adam Lambert's levels of range, just straight-up incredible. He's tatted up from dick to tits and has tried just about every drug known to man by the time he's nineteen, starved himself for years, and spends every hour of his life pandering to people who don't give a shit about him.

At twenty-two he realizes that he doesn't even like himself anymore. He doesn't know who he is without being Kairo Jett (his stage name). 

Then, his friends start dying. 

It’s 1981, and sure they were occasionally dying before — booze, drugs or taking their own lives — but now they're all dying of something that doesn't have a name and he's terrified. 

So, he quits and runs away to a life of structure that he's never had. He runs to the USNA, dyes his hair bleach blond, stops wearing heavy makeup, starts eating again and just becomes Thomas Kazansky — then the Iceman, a new kind of stage name.

The Iceman, who has shared the stage with all the greats of rock music, watches Maverick serenade their instructor in the O Club with one of his old songs and has never been more enamored with anyone in his whole life. 

He falls ass over tea kettle the minute Maverick asks him if he's ever heard of the band Tommy Eats the Drum Kit.

Ice doesn't stop laughing for hours. 

[lapdogged]

Hi.

I'm not really sure what to say in this. I've never been good with words, especially serious ones.

If you're reading this. I'm probably dead. Or dying. Or something. I might queue this early so that I can reread it? Like 1am something. But, like, if it's Monday my time it's just too late for anything. I took a bunch of pills, got comfy, slept, and didn't wake up.

Hi. My name is Namida, I use he/they/star/prin/royal. At the time of posting this, Luminescence (he/heart/blood/bone/gum), Katerina (ask pronouns), Scotty (he/him), and Martyr (he/him) are also here. Technically others (Damian he/she, Maren she/her, Charles he/him) but, like, we're the ones taking the leap.

Collectively. Our name is Francis Noele Mae, or Saint, or the Church of Strabismus, or Bishops of Divinity, or Seraphim System, blah blah blah. They/He/Se/Shi. Masc, nonhuman, femmasc terms, blah blah.. we're a system, we're B/H/OCPD, AuDHD, c-ptsd, gad, mdd, spd, a few other things? We're physically/mentally disabled and going blind.

I like to think we're creative. I think I can be sweet, I think I'm caring. I think I'm pretty smart. I'm not very strong, or pretty, but I think my body's nice. I think I'm handsome. I think my friends like (liked?) me. I think I was a good artist and a good flag maker and a good comfort. I hope I did okay.

I like needy streamer overload, Undertale, Stardew valley, animal crossing, Minecraft, sanrio, cult of the lamb, FNAF, FNF, ciel fledge, collecting, cutecore, designing, decorating, and sweatpants. My very favorite scent is vanilla almond, my favorite food is zuppa toscana, and my favorite outfits include either hello kitty or a unicorn onesie.

i was born on July 28th, 2009, a week later than my due date. As soon as I was born, I was already loud and babbling. My mama says she cried when she saw me, because I was a girl (oops, she was wrong)! When I was a toddler I'd throw all the toys into my brother's crib and crawl in to play with him.

I was a very sensitive kid, cried everyday of elementary. Old teachers will tell you that, but then they 'forget' to point out how badly I was bullied. I was obsessed with hugs, art, and math, and was baby Jesus in my 3rd grade Mardi Gras parade. I have a scar on my forehead from cracking it open, and I still hate recalling my eye surgery.

Middle school was hard as fuck. I spent a lot of those days at home hiding from the world, my mom annoyed as I cried and pleaded to skip yet again. I finally cut off a horrible best friend, as well as a lot of online abusers. It was around this time that I was diagnosed with GAD/depression, and the time that AuDHD started to be suspected.

I'm in high school now. Barely survived 9th, and sorry to say I'm only half through 10th. I can't do it. Everything's too big. I couldn't even do my work, and now I failed 5 classes, and everyone is busy with babies or medicals or wills or money or all of it, and there's just no room left for us. No more room for their "Ophi" and definitely none for "Francis."

I love you all. So, so, so much. This is not your fault. It was never your fault and never, ever will be your fault. I just couldn't be strong anymore.

Goredad, I love you. You helped me on my worst days, you helped me figure myself out, you made me feel like things could get better..even if they didn't.

Momdad, I love you. I'm sorry I'm breaking my promise, but I'm just too tired. I can't breathe anymore. I can't see anywhere else to go. That's not your fault, okay?

Ivy, I love you. You made me smile, you made me forget the worst of it for a while. I wouldn't have, couldn't have made it this far without you. You are so, so special.

Alex, god, I love you. You're my brother. You're my puddle. You're my best friend. You made me so, so happy. You make me so happy now. You're so, so good, you are such a good person.

Nalu, I love you. You're my twin, you're my friend, you mean so much to me. I'm so sorry I stopped texting, I just got too scared and too tired.

To everyone I've loved, to everyone I've ever helped or been helped by or spoken to,

Please survive. Please don't come after me. I know this is not the right decision for me to make but it's the only one I have. You have options, I promise. You can grow older and be happy and forget about me. You'll move on one day and you'll forget about me and you'll never even remember the name Francis.

This is me and my teddy. His name is Theodore but he only goes by Teddy. He's my favorite thing in the whole world. I got him when I was four and I've had him ever since.

I may be dying in my body. But I don't want us to die in spirit. Please, just love the memory of me for a little while. Share a picture of me or a video of my voice or anything. I have a few posts queued, too, so don't freak out if you see my blog ghost post, lol.

some pictures of cats I like

I won't be coming back. I'm not going to be alive to come back. I've already decided what I'm doing, I'm taking as many pills as I can. I'm going to wear my favorite outfit (my hello kitty and my onesie), I'm going to be holding my teddy and wrapped up in my weighted blanket, and I'm going to be listening to my favorite playlist, the one he made me.

And then I am going to shut my eyes.

And then I am not going to wake up.

I'm sorry.

[batwynn]

Ok well. It’s time to be honest, I guess.

My last ditch attempt has failed. My new primary dr won’t take over the Humira script even though he’s a proper DO, and I no longer have a dermatologist. I’ve discussed my future without the immunosuppressant with my Pyoderma group and it looks like it will be Very Fucking Bad when I run out of the med in March. I’m already in Pretty Fucking Bad health, so the ‘living conditions’ in this future are not going to be exactly… survivable for me. I thought it would be a more mild transition back to where I was before the Humira due to how I take it, but according to folks who had to go off of it with this condition… it completely immobilized them in a lot of ways. Like I said, I already struggle with constant, screaming pain, illness, etc. and can barely force my way through shit as it already is. I will not be ok.

As I’ve said before, I’ve contacted everyone I can, so please believe me when I say I fucking tried. I’ve tried every dermatologist in the state. I’ve asked every doctor and specialist that I had. I’ve tried to find someone out of state who I could beg my insurance to cover. I even tried to figure out how to cover the cost of someone outside of my highly limited insurance but it’s too expensive and most of them need to meet in person, thousands of miles away. I’ve spent two fucking years trying. Turns out, it’s impossible. Wild, I know.

So, yeah. I tried. But it looks like after March I’m not going to do well at all. If I’m lucky, I’ll eventually qualify for the Death with Dignity program. But I’m never fucking lucky, so it’s more likely that I will suffer even more horribly until one of these fucking illnesses finally kills me. In addition, it looks like the big fucking looser who is the US president will be cutting every other program (SNAP, MEDICARE/MEDICADE, SSI, LIHEAP, etc) that my family uses to survive because we are both extremely poor and unwell, so. Yeah. There are no more options.

What this means for you all:

I’ll be working very hard to wrap up the Accidental MerDer comic in a somewhat satisfying way before March. All the other comics are too new to wrap up, so they’ll just have to be what they are. I will continue with my Patreon until the end of March, then close it down because I will very likely be unable to keep up with creating for everyone. I’ll try to make these last few months fun, but in reality I won’t be as available to chat and such as before.

I want to spend some time being selfish, and doing things like going outside for walks and hanging out with the cats. I’d like to try to enjoy some of my shitty life while it lasts.

One last note: I don’t want any advice. I tried every possible option that I can actually do. I am also not suicidal, I tried every possible way to survive but I will eventually become too ill to do so. I feel that I have made it extremely clear, and if you send the nazi police to my door for a ‘wellness check’ as a vulnerable trans person in a rural area I will fucking find out who you are and doxx you to let everyone know what a nice little goose stepping bitch you are.

Sorry if this is upsetting, but I guess this is just the reality of being disabled and piss poor in the magnificent country called the USA. 👍

Thank you for all the years of support and friendship. I wouldn’t have made it as long as I did without your kindness.

See you around.

[myfandomrealitea]

I know this topic is extremely controversial and extremely nuanced and blah blah blah and I'm lighting a rock on fire and bashing my own skull in with it, but....

Sometimes. People are just ready to die.

That's it. I firmly believe assisted suicide, at absolute minimum for the terminally ill, should be a universal concept. People want to die with dignity. People want to die with comfort. People want to die feeling like themselves.

When someone is ready to die, peacefully, we should let them.

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I realised too late that my brother and his girlfriend were working for Sweet Tooth and they basically went on a suicide mission where my dad crashed into their car and then Sweet Tooth crashed into my dad’s car and fed him poison sweets which made him laugh a lot and then he died.

[djarin]

you know what was so important to me about seeing ed spiral from his mental health in this season? his mental illnesses weren’t used for comedic purposes. they weren’t the butt of a joke, they weren’t there to “lighten the mood” by being ridiculed, and we didn’t see a demonization of mental illness. instead, what we got was edward being raw and vulnerable and lost in a way that was purely authentic and true to what he was going through.

all of that, along with the “let’s list the pros and cons of staying alive” is something that is so important to so many of us who have struggled with depression, anxiety, suicide, etc in our own lives. i know for a fact that i’m not the only one who’s had to sit down to think, “what are the good and bad things about staying alive right now?”

ed lists warmth, good food, and orgasms as his pros. “orgasms” is there to give us a good laugh, sure, but guess what? it’s also there because ed, unfiltered and desperate, is blurting out what makes him feel good, and therefore, want to stay alive.

it doesn’t have to be a massive list of pros and cons. sometimes, it’s the simple things that keep us going, and that’s more than enough.

[messiahzzz]

going through the files once more and...

player: if this is truly what you want... gale: what i want is a life i could share with you, but alas... knowing you're still out there will suffice for now.

player: it's a heavy burden, yes - but one you're able for. think of the good your sacrifice will do. gale: i am trying. believe me, i am. the path is set and i will not stray from it - even as my heart quakes. gale: i am terrified - i will not claim otherwise. my face could scarcely conceal it even if my words sought to deny it.

gale: yes... but there is so much to live for, and so few moments in which to house it all. gale: damn you. damn you, for giving me so much to care about. our friends, our adventures... this would've been so much easier if it was just me. but it isn't. gale: if there is a way - any way - to save all that's grown dear to me, i want to seize it. i just cannot fathom what that might be, other than to fail mystra and condemn the world.

gale: i fear mine is a dream for another life. but a fine one nonetheless.

gale: i thought i made my feelings plain - i do not want to take that step. not anymore. player: you're certain you won't reconsider? gale: you make it sound like such a small thing. no - i do not wish to die.

player: you would rather end your own life than trust the emperor with the stones? gale: do not mistake me - i want to live. but i've been careless enough with my life in the past. i can hardly stand by and watch you sacrifice yours.

withers: who flickers there 'twixt the shadows? gale, who didst surrender his very self for the salvation of faerun. withers: tell me, gale, how doth thee weigh thy sacrifice, now it hath been made? player[gale]: i didn't want to die, but i couldn't see any other way... player[gale]: one wizard for the whole of faerun seems like a fair trade to me. withers: it is time thou learnest to value thyself truly. thy sacrifice weighs greatly on those thou left behind, as it doth in this place.

i can’t help but once again be reminded of the ign interview they published at the end of last year. that contained the devs proudly claiming that pushing gale to sacrifice himself is “the right ending in many ways”