#yes it's good to not need outside validation and i think more people should work on building up their own internal validation. HOWEVER.

[newtkive]

shift shenanigans - s1 social media au

note: jus for fun ! may or may not do more parts.

warnings: crude humor, slightly offensive jokes from richie sry

part two

liked by syd_adamu, marcus.brooks11 and 30 others

chefboyardee: my friends! i love my friends! the two on the right more than the left (i’m joking i promise) 😁😁😁😁

see all 8 comments

syd_adamu: brave of you to call him your friend y/n

↳ chefboyardee: boss man carmy save me

↳ syd_adamu: oh.. :///

marcus.brooks11: you did me so dirty, friend.

↳ chefboyardee: love you marcus you look spectacular

↳ marcus.brooks11: don’t start

richietheking: Where am I?

↳ chefboyardee: ya motha

liked by syd_adamu, chefboyardee and 10 others

richietheking: Getting sh$!t done.

see all 8 comments

marcus.brooks11: This is coolllddd.

↳ richietheking: You already know it man.

syd_adamu: this is actually crazy

carmyberzatto: can you show this on instagram? i think you should delete this.

↳ richietheking: Delete your life.

chefboyardee: come down to the beef for a number 6 the occy way 💯 the safest joint on the block 🤑💯we are 🔛🔝

↳ richietheking: Eyyy I know that’s right.

↳ carmyberzatto: please don’t advertise this.

WE HAVE THE BEEF 🥩

[ 8:25 am ]

y/n:

bruh im about to lose it. heads up when you guys get to work.

marcus: that catering order is about to be crazy

DO NOT REPLY: These white boards are stressing me out.

syd: we know, probably giving you ptsd from not finishing high school

DO NOT REPLY: Fuck you I did finish it.

y/n: oh i gotta change ur contact name richie

richie poo: ????? What

y/n: it was ‘DO NOT REPLY’ lols

marcus: valid

syd: real

richie poo: What? Why?! That’s so rude

y/n: cuz you piss me off

and you kept blowing up my phone yesterday

richie poo: You weren’t answering, and we needed help at the cook out.

syd: the one where you poisoned everyone?

richie poo: Fuck off.

y/n: when i’m off work, i’m off work.

marcus: don’t let carmy hear that, y/n

y/n: don’t remind me

syd: he’s trying at least, go easy on him. he really has great ideas

richie poo: You mean you have great ideas in that little notebook

tina: Never trust a broad with a notebook.

syd: hey! i’m just being helpful

y/n: do you guys think my ig post will hurt carmys feelings

marcus: it would make me a little sad if i were him, but i don’t think he cares

y/n: great i’m gonna cry now

syd: i doubt he even saw it y/n it’s fine

richie poo: Check the work chat. Cousin is in a mood.

y/n: oh great

tina: Help us all.

syd: be nice you guys

WORK

[ 9:15 am ]

carmy: Everyone, we have huge catering orders tomorrow to prep for today. Please get here as soon as you can, the earlier you clock in the better. Additionally, please be careful what you post on social media. I don’t want people to get the wrong impression

y/n: yes chef 👨‍🍳

syd: ok sounds good

richie poo: Cool it, Cousin. What’s the issue with the social media

tina: I use FaceBook. That not allowed now??

carmy: Tina, you’re fine. I’m talking about those who post work things on public accounts

marcus: facebook is crazy

richie poo: I can’t go private

y/n: he needs the likes

richie poo: No I’m disabled from doing so. Not sure why

y/n: liar

richie poo: 😑I don’t like you

carmy: Then please don’t post pics of yourself posting up with a gun and an air horn outside of my shop anymore.

marcus: that pic was fire can’t lie

carmy: Well, it’s bad for business.

richie poo: Fine, whatever

y/n: carmy

carmy: What, Y/n?

y/n: is this because of my caption on my post i’m sorry i promise i wasn’t being for real

carmy: I don’t care Y/n.

y/n: is that code for ‘i care a lot and i’m crying in the office right now and that’s why the door is closed’

oh

syd: ? why the oh

y/n: he opened the door and yelled no 🤨 but i think i saw red eyes

carmy: Please get back to work and I’ll comp a meal for you later

y/n: OMG yes chef 😍

richie poo: Inappropriate emojis and you shouldn’t have to incentivize her to work

y/n: shut up acting like HR i’m gonna beat your ass

jealousy is ugly which is why you have that mug on your face

carmy: Stop

y/n: yes chef 👨‍🍳

i heard your giggle tho

richie poo: Again with the schizo episode

syd: you can’t say that richie

richie poo: Oh sorry

[theambitiouswoman]

I have been celibate for 3+ years & I wanted to share how this has helped shaped who I am.

Disclaimer: This is not me telling you what to do with your life and your bodies. It comes with zero judgement. I am of the belief that there is a season for everything, and we evolve into many different people in our life. I would be remiss if I didn't say that I definitely think it's a good idea to practice it. I do believe that psychologically, spiritually & emotionally having casual sex has a lot of negative implications for both men and women. However your beliefs around intimacy are purely up to you. Sex isn't bad, that's not what I am saying, but when you are having sex with someone you are absorbing their energy, and the energy of their past lovers too, so having sex with the wrong person can really ruin you.

Honestly the idea of anyone touching me if they do not meet my needs emotionally, mentally, physically etc absolutely disgusts me. I have never been of the type of let anyone "have me" but even more so now. Remember that when you start treating yourself differently, your perspectives and the things you are attracted to also start to change.

Maybe some girls don't understand this so I am going to say it. You do not have to sleep with a man for him to like you, love you, treat you well, or buy you things. If you haven't experienced this, you may not agree. But this is my reality and the reality of so many others, so yes it is actually totally possible.

I will say that the first year can be difficult but after that it gets much easier cause your mindset changes. I recommend taking that first year to really dive in and analyze your relationships, work on your wounds etc. Feeling lonely is something I see come up a lot, and while human beings are not designed to be alone, you should not feel lonely and that is probably a good starting point to work on with yourself if that is the case.

Anyway, these are some of the changes I have experienced:

1. Greater mental clarity and can focus more on personal goals, career & self development.

2. Reduced emotional turbulence. Creating better emotional balance and inner peace.

3. Realizing self love and self worth come from you, rather than seeking external validation. It reduces stress, increases self awareness & provides identity outside of others.

4. Higher standards, better boundaries. Intimacy is a choice, not a necessity. Being unable to control your lust is a weakness. Understand that falling in love purely through sex is lust, wounds and attachment / abandonment issues, need for validation, insecurity etc.

5. Insane increase to intuition.

6. Gives you control over your body and life. It allows you to be more selective about who you let into their personal space.

7. Increased creativity & passion to channel into art, projects, or other personal endeavors.

8. For those recovering from past trauma or heartbreak, celibacy can be a time for healing and self reflection. It offers the space to process emotions, heal old wounds and rediscover yourself.

9. No energetic enmeshments with toxic souls, which btw you are absorbing all of it. Grosses me out any time I think about it.

10. Even prettier than before (but i'm sure not entertaining toxic men and drama contributes to that as well)

11. People are even more drawn to be because of my strong sexual energy & pure aura.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

okay i have THOUGHTS about this line

he didn’t have to say that to make his plan work. i mean yeah, being nice to the player definitely earns their favor and future assistance, but he could have just as easily gone the route of gaslighting them into feeling bad and like they caused the problem, eliciting a more shame-based and desperate and less uplifting and righteous kind of reliance. like if volo really hated the player, and was truly cruel, that’s what he would have done. the player would have still gotten the chain and felt indebted to him for the plate hunt, but they also would be miserable and feel lonely and hurt and confused. but volo doesn’t do that, he grounds the player and validates their feelings, which were hurt by the cruel townspeople more than the event volo caused to prompt that cruelty. like truly, it’s only volo’s fault that the player gets banished through the most like simple calculated logic—yes, if he hadn’t caused the rift, they wouldn’t have been banished, or brought here at all. but kamado CHOSE to banish them based on his own paranoia and disdain for outsiders, and the others enabled it by choice. volo didn’t make that happen, just how he didn’t make or even want arceus to get the player involved in the first place.

i don’t think volo hates the player, personally, at all. or at least, i think that he hates them and cares for them just as much as he hates and cares for himself. i know this isn’t groundbreaking volo theorizing material, but he’s absolutely projecting his disdain for society based on his vague past experiences here. he dislikes the outsider because his plan demands it, but he dislikes everyone else because he personally thinks they’re terrible. it’s kinda neat how he “fake” compliments the player’s loyalty to him as a merchant so often, bc i think loyalty is something he actually takes very seriously. and he probably saw how loyal the player was to the galaxy team, and then the way they kicked them out, and was genuinely pissed and hurt on the player’s behalf.

the things he says at the end of the game are said in extreme distress and defeat, and while they are not NOT reflective of his character and motives, i’m shocked by how many pokemon fans regard volo like he’s a nihilistic and amoral sociopath. passion and compassion are behind nearly everything volo does, for better or for worse. they’re behind moments like this, and moments like his ranting at spear pillar. he is a person who constantly grapples to align his personal moral code and lofty ideals, which live in this weird space between the manmade and divine, with the flawed reality of existence. his entire mentality is full of contradictions, because he is a man who thinks he should be god, but in reality could never be a good god, because he is still very much a man. it’s the emotion, idealism, and intellectual curiosity of humanity that drive him, not the impartiality, absolutism, and complacency of an omnipotent all-knowing deity.

so like, with this line. he specifically mentions that the galaxy team has treated the player poorly. not that the galaxy team’s choice was illogical, not that the player just needs to try harder to get them to accept him. he is emphatically rejecting the premise that the player did anything to deserve blame, even though he has no intention to actually explain why this really happened or volunteer himself to take the blame. because ultimately, volo is not the person to blame for the galaxy team’s cruelty, and he knows it. and he also knows that it’s the cruelty that has hurt the player, more than the sky problem itself, because he has been treated like an outsider too. and he can’t DO anything about that. even if he told the truth, the damage has already been done. the player knows how their supposed allies would react in this situation, regardless of the logic or truth. and volo can’t fix that. he does not believe he can make people kinder or the world a better place, which is exactly why he wants so badly to remake it. for himself, bc clearly he’s been through some shit too, for people like the outsider, and for anyone else whose loyalty and dedication have been met with rejection and apathy. which is so deeply tragic and ironic, because by being the only person to care for the player in this moment, he is making the world a better place for them.

volo is, at his core, a hypocrite. he’s like if you put the ingredients for a hero into a blender, but accidentally used the “tragic hypocrite” setting so he came out a janky villain instead. to volo, concepts like loyalty and self-righteousness are driving forces, much moreso than simple black and white morality or consequentialism. this makes him a hypocrite because he believes a perfect world is possible as long as his moral code is strictly followed, and his evil plan is to prove it. but in his efforts to do so, he proves over and over again that a perfect world isn’t possible, and certainly would not be possible under his control.

like, okay—if someone suggested that the means of pain and suffering in the world justified the ends (the world), volo would disagree and claim that arceus is responsible for the pain and suffering, and therefore does not deserve the power to create/rule worlds. but then, following that very same logic, if volo needed to get a random person banished and betrayed in order to create his better world, then those means wouldn’t justify his ends either. which is WHY we see him subconsciously draw a line here, between the things he’s not responsible for (other people being cruel, arceus transporting the player) and the things he is directly responsible for (the way he treats the player in these circumstances, either with derision or support). and wouldn’t you know, in this instance where it truly is up to him what the means are to his ends, he chooses kindness where he could have been cruel. because while arceus sending the hero and the town banishing them weren’t really Volo’s means to Volo’s ends, this conversation sure as hell could be. And he doesn’t want his better world built on a foundation of suffering and pain.

by saying this one line and treating the player as he does here, i think volo accidentally exposes something deeply true and good about himself. this man could say “i’m a villain and i don’t care about the player” and fully believe it, but at the same time demonstrably possess the morals and compassion of a hero, which he uses to actively care for the player. he is a delusional hypocrite, but he’s definitely not heartless. and i just think that’s neat.

alternatively, volo is completely heartless, knows that people are endeared to people who want to protect them, and methodically uses that knowledge here for his convenience. that very well could have been the intention, and it makes sense too—but i personally enjoy entertaining the notion of depth where i see potential for it. so yeah.

[olderthannetfic]

I'm so glad that nobody in my native language pulls the "write for yourself! don't want comments, feedback, hits, bookmarks, or interaction!" thing. In English language fandoms it's apparently a big character flaw or a sign of immaturity to want someone to read what you wrote. Meanwhile in my fandoms we're all completely honest about the fact that... yeah. If you post it, you would like someone to read it. Otherwise, you wouldn't post it in the first place. And there's never this competition to be the least interested in what other people think that USAmericans feel the need to do. Irony poisoning isn't much of a problem in our country so you can outright say, "It makes me happy when someone comments." You're allowed to be proud of your work and think it's worthy of being looked at.

Idk, I'm sure it's cultural. Pride is a sin in Christianity and the US is very Christian. But it sounds rough. I don't think I'd enjoy having to constantly tell people how much I don't care what others think and how I don't care if anyone reads my work. It sounds so insincere to me. I doubt it's much fun to constantly have to act unenthused in order to seem cool. And it's definitely an act. People who actually believe something don't have to chant it like a mantra at every opportunity.

A part of me is honestly really sad for people who get this angry backlash whenever they want interaction with their works. Fandom may not be a social hobby in the US. It's more mainstream, so it's not the same as it is here. But I love gushing about comments. I love replying to comments. I smile when I see something of mine that I worked hard on has been thoroughly bookmarked and loved. My friends feel the same. We gush at each other about comments and responses. We don't have to act indifferent and uninterested and go, "I don't care if I get comments, I write for myself" at others so they know we're indifferent and uninterested and write for the 'right' reason. I feel sorry for writers in the US. Imagine being sad no one likes what you've made and the response is that not only are your feelings wrong, your very intentions as the writer must secretly have been to seek validation and praise and fame, otherwise you wouldn't admit to liking comments.

Whenever I see a post going "I write for myself but I wish people commented" it kind of reminds me of US cosplayers. They slather their pictures over every social media platform on Earth. They clearly would like recognition for their work. But they have to start any complaints with the disclaimer, "I cosplay because I love the character, but-" so everyone knows their intentions are pure and so are their actions. There's a level of nervousness, of 'what will people think that I think if I don't use a disclaimer?' that looks miserable to live with.

--

You know, I'm getting awfully tired of you puling infants repeatedly misinterpreting "write for yourself".

As I said here quite recently, it's standard writing advice from outside of fandom. It means that you should make aesthetic decisions based on what you like rather than on a hypothetical audience.

The observation underlying this stock advice is that writers who write what they themselves think is good produce art that is more likely to hook an audience. Writers who are chasing after some audience whose taste they don't even share usually produce limp, uninspiring work.

Yes, there are some wackadoos who are like "I have no feelings! Community is a lie!" and think that makes them sound grown up. This isn't an American problem but an edgy (wish-they-still-were-a) teenager problem.

I dislike stats-chasing nonsense because it's a hallmark of the people who want to turn fandom into influencer garbage. I suggest people obsess less over stats because caring too much about the numbers tends to make people sad when they look at some juggernaut ship from the first peak in some fandom and then have unrealistic expectations. But finding community through fandom and liking to know other people enjoyed your work is commonplace everywhere.

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

Taylor Swift is Derivative nonsense, not intellectually placed allusions. I'll die on this hill, and I have many more examples beyond just the one listed below.

Let’s talk about the difference between being derivative and utilizing allusion in text. :) 

I’ve seen a lot of defenses for Taylor Swift’s work that hinges on the theoretical concept of intertextuality. People don’t often know that they are arguing over the validity (or emotional impact) of intertextual cessions in Swift’s writing, but they are.

Intertextuality, if you don’t already know, is a set of determinable interwoven texts that all correspond on a particular thematic point. This encompasses, but is not limited to, the literary device of allusion.  

There are many examples of intertextual works, since it is intrinsically post-modern. Yet, I want to talk about how Taylor Swift attempts allusions that only ever fall into flat-facing derivative blandness. I want to talk about how, yes, Swift is in the spirit of the age; yet her work devolves into derivative insincerity simply because she is not an artistic writer.  

Now, for an egregiously bad allusion. (I think it’s worse because Romeo and Juliet is my favorite Shakespeare play). In “The Albatross” Swift writes, “A rose by any other name is a scandal” in which the obvious allusion is to Shakespeare's, “A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet” from the play Romeo and Juliet. The line in the play is often misquoted, so perhaps Swift is just ignorant, however the line means to draw attention to the fact that names are just words the that do not actually dictate the internal nature of someone.  

The full line, from Shakespeare, reads “O be some other name/ What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/ by any other name would smell as sweet;/ So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d” (Romeo and Juliet). Thus, Juliet is lamenting the full divisive way in which her family is at odds with Romeo’s family; upon deeper consideration too, Juliet is modulating how social pressures, often outside our control particularly in youth, can impact and modify the discourse between reality, doing what is proper in accordance with the majority, and intrinsic human desire to fulfill our own needs. So, the line is not only explaining how Romeo and Juliet cannot be together overtly due to familial dispute, but in the same words it explains the full breadth of social dissertation for the pursuit of individual need. Afterall, he would still be Romeo "were he not Romeo call'd." Juliet is admitting that she would still love him with or without the constraint of social obligation due the environment, or family, in which we are born; thus, we can see how individually human desire can be placed at odds with the demands of mainstream society.

This is a nuanced conversation when considering it through moral theory. For instance, we often talk about how people should not go against the mainstream for immoral pursuit of individual desire and that is reasonable; yet herein Shakespeare's work the thematic point is on the morality of love and desire to go against social convention. Shakespeare is saying, "Love is a greater moral good than that of social obligation to follow tradition and to hate who you are trained to hate based on parental teaching." It's a genius fucking line, in a genius fucking play. Now, we all know how the play ends, the lovers run off together, they have a brief day in the sun. However, social pressure and adult obligation catch up to them again and thus they die for it. They die for their courage to love and to go against the mainstream.  

Let’s return to Taylor Swift, the human embodiment of mainstream social pressure, as she writes that "a rose by any name is a scandal." As such, she is saying that all roses everywhere are just a scandal waiting to happen. If everything is a scandal, rather than speaking to any nuance grief to the pervasiveness' of social pressure to adhere to mainstream. Swift is simply throwing petulance to the world, by saying “Rose by any other name is a scandal” she limits what a rose could be, or become in using the verb “is” to fully solidify a rose as a scandal; which is a message that is diametrically opposed to the thematic point Shakespeare is making with his line. For Swift, there is no redemption, no nuance, and there is no subtext in which implicit messaging lay to tell people that going against the mainstream might just be the last thing you ever do but God is it worth it. To live with that brief day in the sun. And die for courage. Swift is just saying the opposite and stating that the mainstream is inevitable- there is no use in fighting it. A name is a name. It remains to tell the rose exactly what it is. Swift lacks imagination.

I would argue that Swift does make obvious attempts at allusion in her work, yet it is so poorly done because she does not actually see or use the thematic point of the source material from which she pulls her allusions. For allusions, to be done in an artistic impactful manner, we must keep to the thematic point of the source material. When the allusion is done correctly there is a “layering” effect in literature that redoubles the overarching themes of human experience in a way that calls us from the past, Shakespeare, to the present. Thus, is the theory of intertextuality in literary works.

(I made that bold because it's the main point of this, and I don't want anyone to miss it).

Taylor Swift’s work here simply does not measure up to anything artistic, thoughtful, or well-done.  It is simply derivative of Shakespeare, but I don't think it qualifies as a true allusion.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hi,

I am very much not american so I must admit that my first impulse when seeing all the rap/racism discourse was something like "do I really need to consume more american culture, it's fucking everywhere already". Idk but to me it feels like american/english-speaking culture absolutely dominates a lot of the world, sometimes at the cost of out own cultures and languages, if something is in English it is "good", if it is in own own languages it is "bad". Musicians often start singing in English and more american-like after a while to get bigger. We value American culture and music, they mock our accents (and languages sometimes) and best case scenario see us as funny and silly.

Then I started thinking. Do you think that americans kind of see rap kind of like foreign music still? Like low-brow unexotic foreign music.

I don't know this is a really fresh thought and I'm not sure if I am explaining it very well.

hey first off I just want to say -

you are entirely correct in your reaction that people outside of America/the English-speaking world do not need more American culture thrust upon them! this discussion is extremely centered on Americans, the reception and reaction to rap within America, and excuses that white American use to avoid interacting meaningfully with Black culture, art, and ideas. while anti-Blackness as an issue obviously extends far outside of America, this particular conversation is deeply tied to American culture. I appreciate you pointing that out!

I also think you're point about rap, and by extension other Black artforms, being Othered in American pop culture. certainly in terms of language, African American Vernacular English (AAVE), which is utilized by many rappers, is still heavily disputed in its validity as a "real" language, with many dismissing it as a bastardized version of "proper" English and associating it heavily with those who are lower-class and uneducated. in a similar way to many international artists having to work in English to gain wider recognition and validation, many Black Americans are proficient in "code switching," the practice of switching between AAVE that they likely grew up speaking and an English dialect that is considered more "professional."

similarly, I think your use of the term "low-brow" is very apt. Black music has always been met with distrust and disdain by white audiences. there's a reason that so many people feel the need to bring up sex, drugs, and violence when they talk about rap; to many white cultural gatekeepers that was all rap was. (and, like, we should very much talk about why that is in and of itself a bad thing, when white crime is so often glorified in pop culture. why is the Godfather a classic masterpiece but Black men making art about their own experiences with racism, violence, poverty, and survival don't deserve serious consideration?) and that didn't start with rap! in the early 20th century jazz, also a Black creation, was seen as dangerous for promoting promiscuity among nice white teens. no matter what Black people make, white cultural gatekeepers will find a way to start a moral panic about it.

the reverse also happens as well, with Black people being treated as foreigners even in music genres that they helped pioneer. Black Americans were hugely formative in the early days of country, but are met with hostility in the contemporary country scene. Lil Nas X's Old Town Road was one of the biggest songs of the year it was released and undeniably country but was largely snubbed by country music community, and Beyoncé's new country album, Cowboy Carter, is a direct response to her hostile reception at the Country Music Awards in 2016.

the point being, yes, I don't think it's off-base to say that, to many Americans, rap and Black music and art generally are like... very optional and avoidable parts of pop culture in the way that more white-dominated genres are not, similarly to a lot of international and especially non-English art.

[darcytaylor]

There has been something that has bothered me lately after reading some of the stuff out here on Tumblr and then watching some of the WT press. I 100% get the notion of choosing to only believe and give value to the things we’ve heard Nic or Luke say, but, I have to wonder if that’s truly the best approach considering the context. There are a lot of things in the WT that really seem to be played up or exaggerated or even just very influenced by the circumstances of the tour. The talk of being “best friends” and such really seemed to be something that they played up or even was just something they were feeling in the moment of the experience of filming and touring. They’ve never actually seemed to overlap socially, the family follows don’t happen between them like they have with others, and we know that in terms of interests/hobbies they don’t seem to really align.

Obviously these are all superficial things that don’t have to mean anything, but I guess my point is that in a lot of ways we really should be considering how much of an unreliable narrator the situation of promoting a tv show that relies on them convincing an audience to believe they are playing two people who are friends to lovers might have made them. I’m not trying to call them out as liars, but I just think there has to be a bit more skepticism when it comes to what they said.

This is an interesting perspective, but I think it leans too heavily on external observations rather than acknowledging the complexities of relationships/friendships - especially in a work setting. Yes, the press tour was part of their job, and naturally, there will always be an element of performance involved. But that doesn’t invalidate the connection they’ve spoken about or the bond they’ve shown during the press tour.

Coworker relationships are unique, and I’ve talked about this before on my blog. In many ways, they can be just as deep, if not deeper, than "normal" friendships. Coworkers often see us in ways our family or outside friends don’t. They’re there on your bad days and good days because, well, you have to be at work. There’s something about sharing long hours, challenging projects, and high-stress environments that can create incredibly meaningful bonds. I'm saying this from personal knowledge.

Friendships like this don’t need to fit into the neat, public boxes that some people seem to expect. The absence of visible "evidence" like family follows or shared hobbies doesn’t negate the type of relationship they do have or could have. Private interactions exist, and just because we don’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Social media, especially for celebrities, is performative. It’s a tool of their job, not a definitive reflection of their personal lives.

Ultimately, we’ll never know the full story because we’re not in their lives. Speculating too much based on limited public information leads to oversimplified, black-and-white conclusions. Relationships - whether between coworkers, friends, or a mix of both - are nuanced and multifaceted, and they don’t need to follow any specific mold to be valid or real.

[shewhotellsstories]

People say Eloise is a self centered white feminist who enjoys the privileges that come with being a Bridgerton and although that's true, she is also a sheltered teenage girl who needs to learn about the world.

Her feelings of marriage are valid and while she needs to learn that desiring motherhood and marriage doesn't make a woman lesser, it's part of growing up and learning true feminism. She's a baby feminist but viewers don't want her to grow. How many teenage girls in today's day and age are all-knowing about feminism theory? Her friendship with Theo taught her about the working class and that connection to the outside world could have been a great learning experience for Eloise. Yes she has the privilege of being a Bridgerton but that safety net is exactly why she should be allowed to advocate for things the way she wanted Whistledown to(not a critique of the character but rather the writing and the fandom)

Penelope did some selfish things as Whistledown, abusing her power (cause it wasn't just about being gossip girl for the bag) and rather than acknowledge that we're expected to sweep it under the rug. I LOVE flawed characters because the writing acknowledges their wrong doings and yet certain characters get away with murder.

Eg s1 Blair was awful to Serena and while she had her reasons for doing so, revenge and her own self worth and abandonment issues, the show acknowledged this and we wanted good things for Blair. Serena slept with her best friend's boyfriend and covered up a mans overdose but we still root for her because she is a good person and is trying to grow.

If Penelope doesn't acknowledge her wrongdoings how can she grow as a character.

"Okay publishing a burn book is wrong but I love writing and I'm good at it, maybe I should become Jane Austin or something."

(throwing in how Edwina was raked over the coals for being angry with Kate and while the half sister comment was uncalled for, she wasnt given the same grace Penelope has been given)

I'm sorry for how long and all over the place this is.

No, I get it. The issue is that some characters are given grace while others are crucified. Some characters have their circumstances considered when examining their behavior while others don't. I hate it that some characters get novellas dedicated to defending their bad behavior while others should've just known better.

And that's totally the way I see Eloise Bridgerton. She's a baby feminist! She is in her just watched Ironed Jawed Angels and has maybe read a few zines era of feminism. When I was 17, I remember saying in class that I didn't think it was possible to be a SAHM and be happy and now my opinions have radically shifted because I'm not a kid anymore. Now, if you'd ask me I'd say it's a vulnerable position to be in economically because your security is tied up in your marriage working out and or your husband never dying, but it's your choice ultimately. What a difference a fully developed brain and college professors who require you to read bell hooks and Audre Lorde can make.

But seriously, the sad irony of Eloise being raked over the coals for "doing nothing" is that she was trying to become more informed and it blew up in her face. Spending time with Theo and other members of the working class was really good for her. Sadly, Penelope should've known better than most that she was genuinely trying to expand her worldview, but Eloise is the only person getting the bad friend allegations.

And yeah, as much as I love Kate and Anthony, people were way too hard on Edwina in season two. No one wanted to hurt her, but who in her position would toss confetti?

Plus, I'm really glad someone else is seeing the endless Gossip Girl comparisons that can be made here!

P.S. If you're interested one of my favorite Kanthony fics ends in Anthony and Kate encouraging Eloise to become a fiction/social commentary writer.

[jesuistrestriste]

I love when ppl bring this up bc I feel this to MY CORE!! and it’s so serious for me as a fanfictiom and tumblr enthusiast!! i’m not judging anyone when i say this either! but I will never be completely okay or comfortable w the fact that there is so much like SO MUCH real and scary sexual violence towards women in the world(to the point where it’s a known and big a problem) and i’m expected to like being sexually degraded?? like ofc there’s nothing wrong w it if you feel ok w it and are fine but like why is it suddenly vanilla to not what to feel inferior to A MAN?

there have been unfortunate times where i’ve stumbled across a smut fic that looks good and i’ve ended up crying and blocking the user bc they didn’t properly put the content warnings and I feel genuinely disgusting and gross. it’s kinda embarrassing to admit bc i’m grown but like- sorry it scares me.

and it’s so normalized I feel like it’s wrong for me to not want to be treated like a sex slave or smth. idk i’m just ranting nobody needs to agree lol <333

anyway byeee i love ur content keep it up babes 💋

i totally understand what you’re saying and your feelings are also valid !!

tagging fics properly should always be a high priority for smut/fic writers. while yes, we can’t always predict what’s going to trigger someone, it never hurts to be careful and sensitive when writing about a scenario that involves violence or gore or trauma etc. etc. im sorry that happened to you, anon :(

+ i would never kink shame anyone for what they’re into, but i def have found myself becoming more and more disinterested in writing about femme!reader(s) being subjected to aggressive male dominance in my work bc it’s just not what im super into these days. and i’d be lying if i said the current political climate and state of our society/uprise in femicide right now wasn’t affecting that.

i do find it hot from time to time though, and i also find myself feeling that it’s an interesting trope/theme to write about. a lot of people also find it cathartic sometimes to engage in/produce this sort of content because it can allow you to fictionally take control of a type of situation (by controlling what happens in the fic) that you maybe didn’t have control of irl in the past. those who know, will know.

that being said, obviously people who enjoy and/or write about male!dom!character x sub!reader fics are not inherently misogynistic or enjoy being treated with disrespect by men (or others) outside of the bedroom. it’s all fantasy and fiction at the end of the day ! and we’re all just trying to have fun and indulge:)

anon i think ur totally valid in not wanting to be degraded/dominated in the bedroom. you’re 100% allowed to like what you like, and dislike what you dislike. everyone gets that right, and ur not weird for feeling that way ! im glad that ur staying true to urself— never let anyone make you feel odd for following what feels right to you !

[multi-fandom-friend]

🌑Creepypastas Personalities and things they do in my eyes🌑

🫀 Eyeless Jack is very stoic, not showing much emotion ever. If he has to, for example if he helps to calm down Sally he’ll show concern. But outside of the mansion he never shows emotion. He’s kind when he wants to be, and isn’t completely heartless. If a pasta that he particularly likes is sick than he’ll go out of his way to check on them and grabbing something they need and once his sees that they’re okay he’s gone. If one of the proxies gets hurt in the field? He’s actually throwing a fit that they should be more careful. He’s one of those types of people where he gets mad when someone’s hurt because he couldn’t stop them from it, but he’ll never admit it.

🌲 Slenderman I see as a father figure for everyone. He’s is like a single dad. With the help of two out of his 3 brothers (offenderman is seen as a disgrace to his family’s name and unfit to be around children, especially Sally) He lets the kids (the grown adults that most of them are) rant if they want and tries to have fun with them. He understands that almost all of them didn’t have good childhoods and he feels bad. That’s why he keeps taking them in, having them promise to work for him. Once they say yes, he takes them in and the mansion grows another room (or tombs as I like to call them) 🎮 Ben is pretty nice. Sure, he’s snarky sometimes but he’s a kid. What do you expect? Plus he stays in his room most of the time or he’s hanging out with Jeff. He sees some of the other proxies as his siblings, but he’ll never admit it. Never in a billion years. He’d rather go swimming. Slender does have to trick him into showering because of how scared of water he is. Don’t ask me how bc I dunno. Personally, I would just spray him with a hose. But I digress

🧸 Sally is the average little girl, but she gets angry easily. I’m not sure where people got the notion that she wouldn’t be an angry restless spirit but that’s their opinion and it’s valid too. I feel like she’s usually nice and kind like everyone says but if she sees offenderman or anyone she deems a threat she can and will throw one of her “fits” where she makes the house rumble and she throws things towards the threat. She’s done it because she saw a spider. 🔪 Jeff is an ass. Period. But he does see the creepypastas as some sort of family. He’ll never admit it either. He makes fun of everyone because that’s how he shows affection. The only person who recognizes that is liu, his brother, who says nothing. Slender tries his best to just leave the kid alone, if he’s behind honest he’s kinda worried about him, but he says nothing. Jeff also is really smart he just never uses his brain so no one knows that.

🐍 liu is shy and quiet. Doesn’t really like talking to many of the proxies so he just keeps to himself. He only ever talks to slenderman and masky really. Sometimes he’ll have a chat with his brother, but he and his brother don’t have a very good relationship. He’s very cuddly when he wants to be and only when he wants to be. He loves a good book. Usually true crime books or something with a good plot. He doesn’t like romance novels because it reminds him too much of who he lost. He tries to be as optimistic as possible, but sometimes it’s hard for him.

🍬 LJ is giddy and goofy, always cracking weird jokes. He has learned over time what everyone’s sense of humor is so he’ll make jokes based off of that. Have dark humor? Dark jokes. Have dad humor? He’ll crack a good dad joke. Deep down he likes making people laugh still, he just doesn’t wanna be laughed at. He’s the one who hangs out with Sally the most when slenderman isn’t around because 1. He has the same childlike wonder and 2. Slenderman thinks he’s funny enough to keep that little ball of energy occupied long enough to not run off into the woods and find some poor hiker and scare the soul outta them.

🪓 Toby is kinda a mix of quiet and a fuck. He likes being nice to some people when he wants and then he’ll be a dick to others. I have a headcanon that he has BPD so that’s why he constantly switches between being nice and acting like you murdered his cat in cold blood. Usually he’s pretty nice and knows how to control it most of the time but it gets the better of him. He is also very good friends with Ben and Jeff, being nicer to Ben and meaner to Jeff. I don’t think he’d hang out with Masky and hoodie too often, but that’s just my opinion.

🚬 Masky’s just plain “I don’t want to talk to you leave me alone.” Never has liked talking never will like it. He has exceptions for certain people like Hoodie and Slenderman. Sometimes he’ll talk to liu because he’s actually one of the more chill proxies and leaves people alone unless they want to talk to him. You could also probably find him smoking outside or sitting outside Slenderman’s office because he feels important when he’s near him. 🍁 Hoodie is the opposite of Masky. Wanna talk? He’s so down. Loves talking about everything and anything. If there’s a mission, though? He stays quiet. Doesn’t talk. He’s laser focused. it’s like he has 2 different personalities.

⚕️ nurse Ann seems like the type that likes taking care of people. She is a nurse after all. She just doesn’t like men very much, considering what happened to her. She trusts most of the proxy boys not to do anything, but if they do then she doesn’t let them near her again. She gives off lesbian vibes and I kinda headcanon that she is dating or best friends with Jane. After missions she’ll patch up the people that need it and I think she’d have her own little infirmary tucked in the corner of the mansion with everything she could possibly need.

🖤 Nina is the perfect example of an extrovert. She’s so hyped up and excited that she gives Sally a run for her money. Contrary to popular belief I think she’d be pretty good friends with Jane. They both got their heart broken by Jeff but Nina continues to try and get him to love her. She likes baking and playing games with all the proxies. Sure she’s seen as annoying but she’s really one of the only extroverted people in the manor.

🕷️ Jane is quiet and kind. She likes to help where she can. I see her as religious to some extent? Not a woman of god per say but a different religion. I feel like she would be pagan and have an altar of some sort to some kind of deity. She is usually in the library reading some sort of book or bringing a book from there to the infirmary to read to Ann.

A/N: this took me a few hours to write because I had to think and plan the ones I wanted to do. Likes and reposts are highly appreciated!

[cheapshrimpysheep]

Hiiiii, congrats on the milestone!! I REALLY like your writing and I've been going through your works for some time, but it's my first time actually requesting SKSNKXAK I'm sorry if this sounds pushy or smth. If it's alright with you, can I request a platonic scenario with reader and Malleus where reader is aromantic/aroace and trying to explain to Malleus that just cuz they don't like him romantically doesn't mean they like him less. Like yk something like "I don't wanna kiss you or get married and have kids and live happily ever after, but that doesn't mean you're not the most important person in my life and I wouldn't do anything for you". This probably implies unrequited crush on Mal's side, but he gotta get over it yk yk. Once again CONGRATULATIONS you'll be celebrating 1000 followers before you know it!❤

🚫 NO Angst UNLESS it ends with fluff/comfort 

Unrequited crush falls under the category of angst, since one of the sides gets emotionally hurt. And I feel bad writing about Malleus getting hurt/sad by us (MC/Reader).

However, you didn't specifically ask for the unrequited crush. You asked for an aromantic/aroace reader. I happen to be on the asexual spectrum myself, but I'm not aromantic. So, I wondered in what scenario he would like you but not be hurt/sad by the news. And the idea that crossed my mind was: "What if he found himself also aromantic/aroace with your explanation?" So this is what I wrote. I hope I portrayed it well.

And thank you so much! 😊 I'm glad you like my writing, and I hope you keep enjoying it.

I hope you and all enjoy this one

CHARACTERS: Malleus Draconia

TAGS: GN Reader; Aromantic Reader

WORD COUNT: 560 words

You and Malleus are getting closer. And that starts to worry you. You need to tell him as soon as possible, before his feelings get too strong. You don't want to hurt him.

It's not you who finds him. It's never you who finds him. He is the one who comes to you, always. And that is what happens. You see him in front of the Ramshackle Dorm through your window. And he is smiling at you. You just hope you don't turn that smile on your sad face.

You get outside, and head over to him. He greets you with "Good night, Child of Man" and a smile. You greet him back and ask him what is he doing there? Another one of his nocturnal walks?

He confirms, and starts talking about the stars and how beautiful they are that night, making you look at them too.

You decide to start by checking if he likes you that way. “Tsunotarou, do you like me? You know... more than... a mere friend?”

He chuckles “Do you genuinely believe that I would aloud anyone call me by a name like Tsunotarou, if I dislike them? Everyone but you would suffer serious consequences if they ever addressed me in such a way. I hope this is enough to show how special you are.”

You take a deep breath “I need to tell you something.” And you explain in your own way that you really like him too. Just as you are special to him, he is special to you. But you won't be able to express it the same way as others express it. But that doesn't mean that your feelings for him are less strong than the feelings of others. You try to explain it to him as best you can.

Malleus looks pensive, hand on chin and staring at nothing. You worry about his silence. “I don't understand. I mean, I understand the concept you explained to me, but I don't understand why you felt the need to tell me this.”

You explain to him that these kinds of things should be said before the other person's feelings get too strong to hurt them. And the last thing you want is to hurt him.

He smiles. “I certainly appreciate it. But you have no need to worry about that. The truth is that what you just described is the same as I feel for you. I understand that others can show their affection in different ways. But I also don't feel the desire to demonstrate mine in the same way as others. Do people think that that makes our feelings less... valid, perhaps?”

You tell him yes, and try to explain that because most other people feel the need for these types of displays of affection, they come to believe that if you don't show them, then you don't really love them.

He goes back to looking pensive, and a little sad. He sighs “How troublesome. But fascinating. Looks like I truly still have a lot to learn. Perhaps even about myself.” he looks at you, smiling “Worry not, Child of Man. My deepest feelings are the same as yours. And if any being dares to insinuate that they are not strong enough” he raises his hand in that menacing way. “I'll show them how strong pain can feel.”

If you dropped in here out of the blue and want to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX

[hcfiles]

Let's see if you have the guts to answer me. Why? I just wanna know "why" are you doing all this? What motivates you to open 3 accounts to shit talk a celebrity you never met? Did he do something to you on a personal level? If not why do you care about his personal Life so much? You call him all kind of ugly things from weak/insecure/immature to idiot/emotionally damaged while stalking/harassing him and his gf for what? 3 years? You call them bullies but the only bully I see is you. You are insecure about your "opinion/assumptions"...that's why you open a new account every time your last got reported, you obviously need validation from other people. You need them to agree with your crazy little rants. So who is the insecure one? Your entire page screams "I have too much time on my hands....Im going to create a hate page for a celebrity because I lack self confidence and a social life myself"! And btw Im not saying you cant have your opinion on him, hes a public figure but some people go way too far and you are one of them. We live in turbulent times, why arent you putting your focus on more important things? If you hate Henry now, cool let him go and move on. There are way bigger issues in the world than Henry's dating life...let the man do whatever he wants, its really not your business. And when people want to support him, let them. We dont care about bs rumors with zero proof, what we care about is his work.

Henry himself admitted he has issues showing his feelings btw, he is a introverted Person! He doesnt hide it. And yes I believe he has anxiety just like many many other people and you shaming and belittling him for it is disgusting. Idk why you do this but maybe start looking at your own behavior before you point fingers at Henry and Natalie. I would suggest you to find happiness for yourself, get a hobby, go outside...let things go that no longer make you happy. There are so many celebrities, go find a new one to obsess over. But you know Hollywood is a toxic business dont you? With the Diddy files coming out and many celebrities getting exposed...there wont be many celebrities left to stan. Henry is a saint compared to them. But why arent you exposing them? the real criminals, s3x trafficking, child abusing satanists/p3dos...doesnt matter to you I guess. Get your priorities straight Girl because even if you are right in some ways what does it matter? Henry is the one who has to live with it not you, not me or anyone...him. There are many PR relationships in Hollywood, nobody in the Business cares if his relationship is real or fake because Hollywood is fake as a whole, its run by p3dos and criminals. The fact that Hollywood doesnt like Henry much should tell you everything you need to know.. he's not one of them. He didnt sell his soul, didnt lose his values ( according to someone who knows him) He stays out of there as much as he can. Im not saying hes perfect but people who actually know him, people who work or have worked with him only have good things to say about him. He has done so many good deeds.. He donated 1 million to earthquake victims, secretly paid for an actor and his friends meal, he saved a co-stars life from drowning, he sends wrap gifts to everyone on every single project he works on and much more and he never brags about these things. You obviously dont see other celebrities do you? because many of them brag about everything they do on social media. And last but not least, you dont work in a toxic business like Hollywood, you dont know what its like and what he's been through. I have seen the Witcher smear campaign thrown at him but nothing with substance or actual proof, the sources are always anonym. The cast and crew came out praising Henry debunking most of it. There are higher up people who would love to see Henry getting cancelled in order to save their own a#$es. They have been trying but obviously cant find anything on him so why do you think you can? When even Hollywood insiders cant? Have you ever seen someone directly accuse him of something? Mistreatment? Abuse? Ever? And im talking about a legit source not the anonym bs....! Gina recently spoke about him and she only confirmed what we know since years.. that he is a real Gentleman, a beautiful, passionate, kind Man. Go ask anyone he worked with, ask them what hes actually like and they will tell you he's a great Guy!

Wow! I see I touched a nerve. Apparently, I'm in the right direction to have you write a manifest. Well, to answer some of your questions, so it's OK to do what I do, as long as it is with another celeb? And, Henry is untouchable? Hum. Interesting. You suggest us to find something else to entertain us. Well, this shenanigan entertains me. This is how I chose to spend my free time, entertaining with the circus Henry is performing. But, you seem hurt to have people disagreeing with you. Different opinions threaten your beliefs. So much, you wrote a manifest. Who is the insecure? If all I write is bullshit on a personal blog, that won't make any difference in Henry's life, minion.

[theambitiouswoman]

How do I stop feeling so ugly? I feel like my looks hold me back so much and then I just get depressed, so I look worse … it’s a never ending cycle. My lack of self esteem is ruining my life but I just don’t know how to stop.

I'm sorry you're struggling with low self-esteem. Please remember that your worth isn’t tied to your physical appearance!

I want to completely start off by saying that you’re not ugly. None of you reading this are ugly. You may feel ugly, and that’s what shows in your appearance. The universe responds to how you treat yourself. How you treat yourself is how others will perceive and treat you.

You can work on yourself from the inside out or the outside in. Let’s discuss outside in, first.

Make a list and write down what you don’t like, and what you need to do to improve or how would your ideal self look. Don’t compare yourself to other girls. Focus on just YOU. Becoming your favorite version of you and not anyone else.

The first thing I recommend is for you to start working out and eating healthy foods. This is not me saying that your body needs to look a certain way. But feeling healthy contributes to a better self esteem. Working out releases endorphins, will help you feel better about yourself internally. And if body is a goal for you, then this is something you should focus on anyway.

Proper grooming and hygiene, changing your wardrobe and figuring out which compliments your body will quickly easily make you feel prettier and look more attractive. Yes, it’s true. Looking clean and polished shows people that you care about yourself and your appearance. It also makes you look more welcoming by just those little tweaks.

I strongly recommend you start by putting in the effort with that. People will notice, and you will notice people noticing- and it will help you feel better. Your confidence shouldn’t be based on external validation- but I do think it’s a great motivator.

Remember that hating yourself is not going to make you feel better or change the way you look for the better. You have to take the initiative. You have to be tired of feeling how you feel and start making changes for YOU. You are in control. And you deserve to feel good about yourself. Don’t throw yourself a pity party. You are a strong girl. You are a brave girl. You are a capable girl. You are a beautiful girl. And you are not going to get in the way of what feels good to you or your goals because you deserve those things too!

When it comes to doing the work from the inside out.. “if you feel pretty you look pretty” start by focusing on your positive qualities: Instead of fixating on your perceived flaws, try to focus on your positive qualities. Think about your strengths, talents, and accomplishments. Make a list of all the things you like about yourself that have nothing to do with your appearance.

Take care of yourself physically and emotionally. Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. Treat yourself to things that make you feel good, like a bubble bath, a good book, or a movie night.

When negative thoughts about your appearance arise, try to challenge them. Ask yourself if they are based in reality or if they are just your own negative self-talk. Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations.

I love you! I hope you realize how beautiful and deserving you are soon 🫶

[pixie-mask]

I keep thinking about the Idols and mortals. I think about Pan saying in regards to the Idols that Medusa "loathes us as much as she needs us" and it's kind of like that with the Idols in regards to mortals.

I mean like after The War it's made perfectly clear how scared and uncomfortable the Idols are with mortals, which is valid, but at the same time I admire the story for never acting like the Idols where ever necessarily good people. Apollo and Pan ( and Eros in the flc) bring attention to the fact that in the old days that the Idols were petty, cruel and did as they pleased because they had the power too. That they were better and untouchable and how The War changed their point of view.

Now the Idols hold a different kind of contempt for mortals, but like they also need mortals. Cause without us they literally die. It's said in game that the Idols seek out mortals that they can relate too (namely in terms of appearance though the Muses gave their Eidolon's to whoever). And outside of the uncommon moments not only do the Idols find someone they'd like to transfer to, but they also have to open up to the chosen person who and what they are and hope that the mortal agrees. Aphrodite especially "needs" mortals. Despite what she was put through doing The War we're told in the epilogue that two months after everything she immediately started a "retreat" in which she is worshipped once more. Like she lives for it, hence why there's such a presentation to her "passing on" ritual, at least when Grace comes. It puts into a big persepctuve why Aphrodite actually wanted Calliope to be present. Even if she only finds people that love and worship her the fact that Aphrodite is so easily ready to go back to people so long as it means she'll have followers again.

I'm also just astonished at how Grace is immediately an Idol. Outside of the necessary plot point. Yes Pan pushes her into her power cause he wants answers to what happened to Calliope, but like everyone acts like she should be so immediately different. This happens in some works of fiction, but for all intense and purposes Grace could still be considered mortal. Why would she suddenly do an overhaul on her viewpoint on things after becoming an Idol. The fact that Persephone and Pan are so surprised that Grace would give up her eidolon have such interesting follow up conversations.

Talking to Persephone if giving it up she asks if it was a difficult decision and if it's gotten even easier or difficult living in the mortal world. It gives even more of an insight on how much the Idols withdraw into their own worlds, I guess.

Then you have Pan saying that the eidolon is the only thing worth having, but like...is it? I know that if you save Freddie that Grace can call Pan out on this, but like what's so great about being an Idol. If anything the game shows most of the Idols we meet are miserable and forever locked into the worst moments of their lives. They all can't (rather couldn't) practically stand one another. Not to mention they are diminishing fast with other qualities of being Idols slowly fading. There's also the absolute nightmare fuel of eventually loosing who you currently are and becoming who the Idol is/was.

I supposed the one person you could compare Grace two in terms of new Idol hood would be Hermes, but...and I don't mean for this to sound wrong but Hermes didn't have a lot going on with their life. When talking we know that they didn't have a great home life and was homeless for quite a bit of time before being taken in by the previous Hermes. From what we gather they didn't have much of a life going on so why not become an Idol.

Grace is going through a rough patch in her life but I wouldn't say that she'd didn't have anything going on that would longtime restrict her going forward. I was so surprised that that was slightly touched upon in the dlc.

But honestly speaking of the dlc we can meet Eros just seem to be no different really or just going with his lot in life. (I know we can meet Medusa too but we’re sticking to the Idols). Eros still has a negative insight of mortals as he talks about our lack of interest in discovery. In some ways he’s right but he’s also wrong. So many things have changed or been discovered. But now we Hague different fields of thing lol s being discovered in all sorts of interest. Not to mention people being off born and learning about these things and more as well. Or how we can find ourselves wrapped up in the intrigue of what others like or suddenly develop a new hobby that we dive deep into. It’s a shallow judgement for someone whose world essentially shrunk and has barely grown again.

Hell in the dlc they almost seem…disappointed that nothing much is going on with them. The interest in them came and went if anything though the reveal was more impactful for Pan, Medusa, (and Asterion) so they could go without a glamour in public. They’re trying figure what the hell to even do with their lives. Apollo and Persephone at least seem to have an idea of what to do and hell in one (two?) of the endings Athena is provided a purpose by Apollo.

By all means it means it's like they barely knew how to get by and not they don't have to hide and they don't even know what to do know.

[fellthemarvelous]

Guardian of humanity

I love this image. Take a good look at it.

This is exactly who Aziraphale is.

And this is why the Aziraphale hate annoys me so much. Look at him. The instant he realized just how much danger everyone was in, Aziraphale's first and immediate instinct is to protect the humans by acting as a shield between them and the demons outside.

Aziraphale was involved in the creation of humanity. We learn this when Aziraphale is talking to angel Crowley before the beginning of time.

Aziraphale just witnessed Crowley create something beautiful, but when Aziraphale spoke of God's plan for the people, Crowley told him the plan was idiocy.

(And I'm in no way saying Crowley's disappointment and irritation wasn't valid because I would have been pissed too; the point is that this is the first time Crowley basically referred to Aziraphale as an idiot. I find it interesting that no one ever questions how Aziraphale feels every time Crowley insults his intelligence.)

Y'all, Aziraphale is like five seconds away from demanding an audience with God by the time we reach present day.

In season one, he wanted to try and speak to God about the Armageddon but could only get through to the Metatron because he is the Voice of God. The trouble is that Aziraphale is only going to trust the information if it comes directly from the source.

This is what Crowley said to Aziraphale when he told Crowley what he was going to try and do.

And then imagine how he felt when his plan to reach God failed.

(Yes, I am aware that Crowley is reacting out of fear and desperation and wants to keep Aziraphale safe. Crowley loves Aziraphale, and he doesn't want to see anything bad ever happen to Aziraphale. Protecting Aziraphale is what Crowley does.)

Aziraphale and Crowley worked together to help save the world, which has put them in even more danger. They have a temporary solution, but as Beelzebub told Crowley, they could have put a price on his head any time they wanted to.

Aziraphale, who is an angel and a guardian, agrees to protect Jim (short for James, just forget about Gabriel) once he's able to compartmentalize and separate Jim from Gabriel.

He's scared of Gabriel too. He's agreeing to protect someone he knows tried to kill him because whatever has Gabriel (Jim) scared is suddenly more important than the fact that Gabriel hates him because Jim can't remember any of that. Jim is like a baby. New to the world and learning as he goes. Aziraphale has to separate Jim from Gabriel so he can cope with it.

Aziraphale has every reason in the universe to turn Gabriel away, but he doesn't. He is a protector. A guardian. It's why he's on Earth. If anyone would help protect Gabriel, it would be Aziraphale.

It's what he does.

The freedom Crowley and Aziraphale gained was all an illusion.

And when the entire Illusion shattered, Aziraphale acted on instinct.

He is protecting the very thing he took part in helping to create.

And like a protective mother bird, his wings arms are spread out wide.

People keep forgetting that Aziraphale loves humans. He loves the Earth. He loves all of God's creations. He is the protector. He is the guardian.

(And before someone points out, yet again, that he isn't protecting Crowley, just the humans, Aziraphale's a literal guardian angel. He's doing what he was put on Earth to do. Crowley is a demon, so if anyone can deal with the other demons easily enough, it's Crowley. He doesn't need Aziraphale to protect him. At this point, the demons can't even get into the shop.)

(And also, yeah, Crowley saves the humans. It's one of the millions of reasons Aziraphale believes that Crowley's fall was a mistake. He doesn't see how someone like Crowley could ever be considered evil in the first place.)

When all is said and done, he realizes his time is up when The Metatron has a talk with him.

He went from "I don't think it's our place to be suggesting that there should be a suggestion box" to "If I'm in charge, I can make a difference."

He wants to fix things. He wants to find God and figure out what the hell is going on.

Aziraphale just had to let go of the dream world he and Crowley had been living in. The one where he had been so close to finally confessing his love for Crowley.

But Heaven is fucked up beyond reason, Aziraphale really doesn't want to go, but he and Crowley are still in danger. And so are the humans.

If Gabriel and Beelzebub can find love, then so can everyone else. There doesn't need to be all this talk of war when it is clear that angels and demons are able to find happiness with each other. And humans. They can live for things other than destroying each other.

Aziraphale is trying to do good, but he doesn't realize that what he is telling Crowley is NOT what Crowley is hearing. They both want the same thing, but they aren't approaching it the same way.

Crowley calls him an idiot.

And then kisses him immediately after.

And Aziraphale is even more confused now. Because Crowley is mad at him. And he doesn't know why.

He doesn't have all the information.

And neither does Crowley.

He just knows that he still has to go to Heaven even though Crowley called him an idiot and kissed him and walked away from him.

Aziraphale is still a guardian and still has a job to do.

He wants to run away with Crowley, but they'll always have to hide, and it's unsustainable since Heaven is still trying to destroy everything.

He wants Crowley to go with him because he wants to keep him safe, but it's the one place Crowley will never follow Aziraphale.

Aziraphale is walking into the jaws of a monster. He knows it.

He's heartbroken. He's angry. He's leaving the love of his life to go back to a place he doesn't want to be. He doesn't want to go. Crowley's offer is so tempting, but Aziraphale has to look at the bigger picture. He has to be the one in Heaven to stand up for Earth because no one else will. He was there when they were created, and he will fight to keep them safe. Even from Heaven.

Because this is who Aziraphale is.

He's got shit to work out, but so does Crowley. It's not one-sided. Aziraphale is not the villain in this story. He risks his own life to protect someone who hates him. The desire to make him the bad guy is so baffling. He's doing what he believes is right, and it's costing him everything.

[too-many-tokens-system]

you know what i hate more than singlets demonizing persecutors?

OTHER SYSTEMS DEMONIZING PERSECUTORS

Ive fucking seen that shit before and it HURTS. saw a post that was like uhhh hold onn...

"i may be hypersexual but at least im not our persecutor who forces themselves onto others"

Dont get me wrong, im not trying to say that forcing urself onto someone isnt bad and just completely dismissing that, but.. just.. TALK WITH THE BLOODY ALTER?? (Especially if you CAN!!!)

and if talking with them through their behaviors doesnt work, try something else, like another method or something.

im a persecutor. am i an asshole? yes. am I a bad person? no.

everyone always has this dumb idea that 'oooo persecutors r sooooo evil n scary waaa theyre gonna kill me'

that is not true. while yes, there can be alters that harm the system (and sometimes even other people on the outside), but that doesn't mean they are inherently BAD. they need to be teached. reverse their idea of 'good' protection (aka self-harming behaviors).

Be gentle with persecutors. they are often traumatized parts.

For me, im angry. Im upset. What happened to us shouldn't have happened. No one should have died. Ever. But guess what. People did die, and I am here. i still do some assholery behaviors but i am NOT and was NEVER irredeemable.

But i think that it should be known that you cant just automatically 'fix' alters, and their behaviors. It takes TIME. It takes PATIENCE. It took so many goddamn years (at least 6-7 years) for me to be a 'tolerable' person, to say the least.

i have been here for roughly 10 whole years. I will not be silenced. Let me stand my ground.

Do not look down on persecutors. Do not shame them. Do not berate them. Teach them. Be gentle. Kind. Understanding. BE PATIENT.

Have patience. Have time.

Persecutors are just as valid as any other alter in a system. They deserved to be heard, not silenced. They deserved to be seen as alters, not demonized, not ostracized, not alienated.

Persecutors. I love you. I hope you're all doing okay.