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itspyon · 7 months

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how to adapt into dtblr culture for twitter refugees

so you've decided to move here from twitter. welcome and congratulations. this post is basically a big warning that goes THIS ISN'T TWITTER, DON'T BEHAVE LIKE IT IS, LEAVE THAT AT THE DOOR

i'll be teaching you two things, how the site works, and how to adapt your behavior to tumblr ( and really, normal human being ) culture. believe me, it's not that hard and it will actually feel very productive

let's start with the basics and frequent questions

your username can be anything, don't stress about it

your picture can be anything. a lot of us don't even have dteam related stuff up on our profile

your display name doesn't have to be your name. nobody is going to see it when you post, only usernames are visible

check your settings. do it. get familiar with them. turning on and off asks, turning anon off, turning submissions off. click on your blog, go to blog settings, check things there, go to account, your muted things will be there, go to dashboard and customize that. use your settings !!!

yes, pinned posts are fairly important and they tend to be pretty extensive. name age what you post about ( a lot of people here are multifandom !), just don't overshare ( no locations no trigger lists i beg you ). they also usually have a breakdown of your tags at the end

tags

it's a whole thing. some are actually useful. some are just passive commentary

the tags you put on posts ( both when you made the post and when you're reblogging something ) are both global and hosted on your profile. it's why you'll see things like "nameofperson art" rather than just "art". using just "art" will put you in the promoted tag, in this case

you can use spaces on your tags

usually you will tag what type of post you're making ( art, text post, ask post ), and then the contents keep in mind this is how people often mute things, some people tag the current situation, people use and mute ship tags. but this is also how people find things, like the specific asks from one person to another, so "username ask" is commonly used, "irl person ( dream, dnf, etc )" is also seen a lot just watch how others tag things and copy them. nobody will get offended you took their tag formatting, most of us will appreciate properly tagged posts

you do tag when you reblog people. you use tags to comment on things. don't really use replies unless you're, saying thank you to someone or pointing out a spell mistake or asking to add an option to a poll, etc. we don't do replies, just rb your reply

quick reblog and like deets

post popularity is measured in "notes" which is the sum of replies, reblogs and likes. we don't really care much about numbers here and if you start getting crazy about it people will not like it. this is more of a talking and showing site

you can reblog without tags, feel free to

you can hide your likes. you can and should like as many things as you want. they don't alter any algorithm, since there's none. a like is a "i saw this post" notification to the poster

actually posting

people talk a lot. a fucking lot, and it's something you will have to get used to, because it's very different from twitter

there are no qrts. callouts are looked down upon. breathe. if you don't like something MUTE IT DON'T POST ABOUT IT, because no one is going to listen to any callouts. you will have to learn to live with the fact people like things you don't. this will, with time, make you feel very free

the bulk of posting here is asks, as you might notice soon. asks are fun and encouraged. just don't name drop if you're talking about drama please ?

don't be scared to send asks off anon, this is how people will find you and get to know you really. people are also more likely to reply to you

block bait anons. yes you can block anons. yes it will block every blog they make

culture time

i've said this. tumblr is unserious. drama here is approached very differently and with several less layers of panic. you will see death threats. you will see slurs ( said in non derogatory ways ). you will see jokes about serious topics. you will see people say "i didn't like this" and nobody will care

tumblr is a community of individualism. you will like your own things within the thing we share we like. you might not like dream's music, you might not find irl streams entertaining, as long as you're fucking normal about it ? nobody will care and you're free to express your opinions. people will even come ask you about it and just have a chat. we're here for the same content to some degree

tumblr is also a bunch of people who understand they like another bunch of people. that none of the streamers have stopped being human. so you might see people defend things that, maybe, you'd not have thought to defend before. maybe you're even uncomfortable seeing them defending it. this is something you will experience a lot, and you'll learn to properly deal with it as time passes

because again. no one does callouts here unless it is extremely bad. no one cares if you don't really like them. and they also accept people might and will not like them. and that is fine. and that doesn't make either person horrible. you're just different people. and you don't even have to interact

you want to make friends ? ask people things, compliment people's work, genuinely attempt to make conversation. this is not an impersonal website the way twitter is. people don't care about your opinions because they care about you, and you are more than what you don't like

the more positive and jokey and interactive you are the more people will talk to you. there's no "hitting the algorithm", there's no "engagement", it's just people talking to people. so don't be a neg posting bot, and be a person

you will learn to be less miserable. you learn to stop giving a shit and just do what makes you happy. they cannot get you here. there's no qrts. the few antis you'll find can be blocked and you'll never have to directly interact with one. don't be mean to the people in your own community, even if you disagree

again, you are more than what you don't like. learn to be what you like instead. and leave the dooming at the door

#pyon long post #if you have any questions feel free to ask #i will be happy to attach them with a reblog

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ssavaart · 5 months

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Oh my goodness hi!!!

I’m terribly awkward and I’ve never sent anyone I really look up to an ama usually it’s just little goofy stuff lol. I am also an autistic artist and seeing you were also one was an amazing experience! You’re so influential to me and though our styles could not be further from each other you’ve been a huge influence on the way I create!

Now here comes the question, how do you have such a relaxed approach to your art? It seems like you let the piece take you where it needs to go and I always seem to manhandle it into submission instead of letting it take me where it needs to go.

Thank you so much!!!

Hi. It's SO very nice to meet you. ♥

The "relaxed approach" is not how it feels to ME, honestly.

I am nervous with every piece of art I do. I have nagging feelings of imposter syndrome and I generally dislike my art... all the time.

What you are seeing is the OTHER part of my brain saying "STOP IT! It's just a piece of paper. You've made THOUSANDS of bad pieces of art and nothing BAD happened. Nothing. So... STOP IT!"

That voice. That part of my brain... I had to grow. I had to force that voice into being.

And the "letting the piece take me where I need it to" is a little bit of that inner voice saying "Trust the process. You've been here before and it'll work itself out. AND... if it DOESN'T... it's not the end of the world. It's just a piece of paper and some paint"

and the rest is just me kind of hoping for the best and seeing what happens.

I never know how a piece is going to turn out. I could love it. I could hate it. I could be indifferent.

BUT... regardless... I didn't let my fears stop me from making something.

And that's the most important thing. Don't let your fears stop you from making art.

The world needs your art, my friend.

Sending Big Hugs from the Hobbit Hole. ♥♥♥

Scott

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incorrect-spideytorch · 1 month

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So, I’ve been thinking a lot about spideytorch lately (as I am one to do) and a question popped into my head:

What is the most important spideytorch comic panel?

There’s a ton of great options in my opinion, but I think there also is an answer (at least for me) so now I am going to subject all of you to my thought process. Get ready for a way to long post breaking this down.

The most obvious starting point has to be this classic

Johnny Storm is going full house husband for Peter Parker, I mean c’mon! add in the fact that he’s in his undies and the way that he’s leaning over peter… yeah this is a classic. This might be the most famous spideytorch panel out there, but I don’t think it’s the most important one.

Another classic (but more antagonistic?) one takes place, of course, at the usual place.

To me this is peak identity shenanigans and the stuff that fanfics are made of. The betrayal, the heartbreak, the complications that go into the conflicting way these two view identity, oh boy I could talk about that shit for hours, but as an individual moment, it doesn’t really crack most important for me, it needs a bit more affection (they’re very bad at affection sometimes).

Another panel that came to mind very quickly for me is this set.

Johnny literally only had to say his name and Peter knew exactly what he meant and what he needed. This is top tier levels of communication, both between them and from the creators to us. I think this is another one that I could talk about for hours. That being said, it doesn’t feel important enough to me.

A friend in the spideytorch discord server posed this panel as the most important spideytorch moment in the comics.

I’m just gonna put their quote in cause it’s great. “I think this is one of my favorite panels cause Johnny was just speaking generally and Peter was like ‘oh my god! Actual wise words form johnny’ but also, I love that this was a more important moment for Peter than Johnny.” I must say, this entry is extremely important to spideytorch and gave my choice a run for its money. I don’t have a huge reason for not making this one the most important, other than personal taste. For their relationship, this is a key moment and sets them on the path to actually being friends (at least on Peter’s end), but idk it just wasn’t doing it for me.

Another panel I was reminded of thanks to this submission was this moment.

It’s not quite as impactful as the past one by a long shot but I do think it’s important. After being rivals for so long, to see Johnny give a genuine heartfelt compliment to Peter is fantastic (haha). This feels like the other half of the previous set of panels. There we had Johnny encouraging a stranger and here he’s encouraging his friend.

Some other friends in the discord server suggested the moment that Johnny invites Peter over to watch his sex tape (yes this is canon).

(Not pictured, Peter swinging away and saying he needs to take a cold shower). Now I’m not saying that the most important spideytorch moment needs to be serious, but I think this moment might be too unserious to claim that title. This moment was huge for the fanbase because holy shit did, he actually say that, but for their relationship, I just don’t think it was as important as it was to us.

Now I do want to knock out a few honorable mentions that I would hate to miss.

First, this look given to Spidey by Johnny, I mean yeah, he’s in love.

And to balance the lovesick flirty scales I must expose Peter as well.

Next, this heartbreaking moment that basically admits to the audience that Peter’s world becomes chaos when he loses Johnny. That shit hits.

Of course, the moment that gave us the ship name.

A panel that lives in my head rent-free because honestly marvel what were you attempting to convey here other than the fact that Peter really wants to have hate sex with Johnny Storm?

To take us outside of our duo, this quote from Ben Grimm (EDIT: it’s was Peter’s clone Ben Reilly, which honestly only adds more drama), because honestly same.

And of course, I have to include the panel which showed us the first time (on page) that Peter told Johnny he loved him AND gave us canon proof that these two have “date night,” many a fic writer was fed well.

And how could we forget! THE USUAL PLACE! Literally any panel mentioning this is top tier because its so good, like the core of the fandom honestly.

Lastly, before moving on to my own more serious contenders I have to share this parallel that @sciderman shared because I love it.

Now to my serious contenders for the title of most important spideytorch panel (please remember this is all my opinion and I mean no shade). This will be a top 5, but just know some of these rankings are pretty flexible (even flexible with some panels from the beginning), and this question should not be taken as seriously as I am taking it, I am fully aware of that.

Number 5!

So, I know that I discounted the sex tape scene earlier because I didn’t think it was serious enough and it didn’t do enough for their actual relationship, but I had to include this one I’m sorry. A lot of this is personal taste but the implications here are *chefs kiss* The first time I saw this panel was actually on Pinterest with the caption “wait a second, did spider-man and the human torch have sex?” which says it all for me.

Beyond that, this moment also shows how they reach out to each other when they have problems. Strange children show up in Peter’s life and the first person he calls about it is Johnny. Again, this is not the most serious, but I love it. This moment shows the banter of their relationship, how they care about and rely on each other, and also potentially reveals that they’ve had sex. There’s a lot to take in.

Number 4!

I will be honest with you all, this moment is here almost entirely because Ben’s quote lives in my head rent-free. Everyone around them sees how they feel about each other besides them. When they were rivals others could tell they actually liked each other and when they became friends others could tell that it was deeper than that. I think I especially love this panel because it conforms that we’re not crazy for thinking there’s something there but also because Ben specifically cites the way Johnny looks at peter. That is very specific and says a lot. I can’t imagine Ben would say this if the looks Johnny gave Peter were purely platonic, and just ahhhh, there’s so much said here just in one line from Ben. There was of course the Ben moment earlier, which I also love, but something about this one, the more specific phrasing of it I think just shoots it up my rankings a lot.

Number 3!

If you’ve been following me for a while I don’t think this is a surprise at all, I have already done a very in depth post about this panel so I’ll keep my thoughts brief. Red Skull knows that hurting Johnny will hurt Peter, Peter’s Spidey senses go off FOR JOHNNY, and we are given so much angst potential, I love it.

Number 2!

This one is probably a more popular choice than my number one, and I totally get it. The excitement and joy bursting out of Peter when he finally realizes that Johnny is here, he’s real, and he’s alive really gets me. Plus, the added context to the uniform comment being that Johnny literally left Peter his family and his spot on the team in his will. The amount of pure love in this moment and its larger context is abundant, platonic or romantic, it’s there. I feel like everything I could say about this panel has probably been said before, but it is definitely worthy of being the most important spideytorch moment, even if I have one that beats it for me.

Number 1!

For those of you who don’t know, this panel comes from Peter visiting Gwen’s grave and talking to her. That fact alone breaks me in half but then the things he says to her shatter me. Every spider-man fan knows how much Gwen’s death broke Peter, it destroyed him to lose her. Just the fact that Peter admits Johnny brings part of him back is amazing (haha) because that is a hug feat. But then he shatters me even more with his final sentences. After Gwen’s death, we often get a peter who spends too much time as Spidey in order to avoid having to cope with Gwen’s death as Peter, but also as a way to cope with the loss (he’s a complicate man). Spideypool also gets a lot from that arc because of Wade’s reaction to Spider-Man not holding back as much and becoming less of a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and that’s true. The fact that Peter feels like he’s becoming who Spidey is supposed to be again when he’s around johnny is huge! But then! He corrects himself. He’s not Spidey again, he’s Peter. The real person, the man behind the mask, comes back. And then you get the final correction. He’s not just peter again, he’s *Gwen’s* peter again. He is the him that existed with Gwen when he’s with Johnny. That speaks volumes and breaks whatever parts of me are left. How am I expected to read this and not think that Johnny and Peter are soulmates?

Now, I will acknowledge that this is much more of a peter moment than a joint spideytorch moment, much like the moment suggested by discord friend earlier. If that disqualifies it for you as the most important spideytorch panel, I get it. However, for me that doesn’t matter mainly for one key reason. So many classic spideytorch moments show a lot of Johnny having feelings for Peter or making a move on Peter. There have been a lot of times when I’m trying to get a friend into spideytorch, and I feel like I have to clarify that its not as one sided as it seems. Johnny is much more out there with who he is and doesn’t hide his feelings very well (except maybe from himself). So, when we get any spideytorch moment that hones in on peter’s feelings and love for Johnny, that feels so huge to me. This moment alone proves that it isn’t one sided, Peter has deep feelings for Johnny, even if he’s not sure what they are yet, he knows that what they have is special, he wouldn’t be telling Gwen about it otherwise. While it may not be as famous of a spideytorch moment, its an important one, and for me it’s probably the most important one.

Anyway, this has been a way too long post about this topic but if you made it to the end thank you so much! I would love to hear other people’s thoughts on this topic so feel free to share those. Also, just a reminder that these are my opinions, and I am not in charge at all so don’t take it too seriously (unless you want to).

If you’re interested in hearing me, go more in depth on any of these panels (or any other spideytorch panels) shoot me an ask because I could honestly talk in depth for a while about most of these panels and I would love to do so. Thank you again for reading this way to long post and good night spideytorch nation.

#spideytorch #alt descriptions coming soon!#peter parker #johnny storm #peter x johnny #peter parker x johnny storm #mine :)#fantastic four #spider-man #marvel #comics #spideytorch meta #marvel meta #enjoy my chaos

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found-family-tournament · 1 year

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Found Family Tournament Round 1 Part 10 Group 50

Propaganda and further pictures under the cut

The Bad Kids: Riz "The Ball" Gukgak, Adaine Abernant, Fabian Aramaris Seacaster, Gorgug Thistlespring, Figueroth "Fig" Faeth, Kristen Applebees (& Ragh Barkrock)

Drawtectives: Gyorik "York" Rogdul, Grendan "Grandma" Highforge, Rosé, Jancy True, Eugene Finch

Submissions are still open!

The Bad Kids:

before i start the pictures below are by isawiitch (https://www.tumblr.com/isawiitch), victor rosas (https://twitter.com/SirVictorThe2nd), and m0nomercy (https://www.tumblr.com/m0nomercy) respectively check them out they're very cool and also that middle guy did the official art for fantasy high its very cool

Mods note: said middle picture is a .webp. And I sadly can't add those. But the others are below

anyways all of these dumb teens are just god they complete each other they're the most important people in the world to each other like fabian and gorgug meeting with a punch to the stomach and going on to share a hug in an evil forest and "DO YOU WANT ME TO BITE IT OUT FOR YOU" "the ball, wait" -riz and fabian and kristen's really bad inspiring speech (they're gonna get inspiring real soon) but they are inspiring because they're from the best and sweetest friend in the whole world and gorgug getting razzed a little for thinking random people are his dad and the sheer joy everyone felt for him when he met his real parents and RIZ THE BALL GUKGAK AND FABIAN SEACASTER THE DUO OF ALL TIME and adaine learning to be a normal teen and fig swearing she's not an open person when she pours her heart out to her friends every chance she gets and riz and adaine being the only two non-horny members of the team and bonding over that and being smart but terrible in social interactions together and "its called being gay, when you're here you're family" -kristen applebees, 2019 and fig starting a band with gorgug, one of the more socially awkward members of the party and "what would riz do" "you bite down hard on a piece of glass" and adaine's actual worst fear being what she would become after her friends passed and the KILL YOUR DAD chant and its gorgug keep going and all of them feeling each others' overcoming of fear in the forest of the nightmare king no matter how far apart they are and riz shooting off an incel's fingers for being weird about adaine (there was other stuff going on but you can't convince me that it wasn't at least partially because of that) and the gang not really letting gorgug and kristen forget that one time they died (they got better and were psychologically okay with it after a bit so this was lighthearted jabs and not straight-up reminding them of a big traumatic moment) and "my friends were warmer to me on the first day that we met than you were to me in my whole life" -adaine abernant, 2020

AND that doesn't even include all the crazy stuff with bad kids-adjacent found family members like gilear faeth getting his life back together thanks to these teens and jawbone o'shaughnessy being the dad of all time to the point where he actually adopts adaine at the end of sophomore year and aelwyn abernant holy shit (she's harder to justify here because her main important interactions are with her sister, unlike gilear who is technically fig's stepdad but is a core part of the found family in all directions) aelwyn abernant is trying so desperately hard to be better and ayda aguefort and adaine swapping homemade spells named after each other (adaine kills her dad with hers its a good time) and ragh barkrock getting over his internalized homophobia

SO IN CONCLUSION these guys have changed each other so much and every single combination of them, be it a duo or a trio or whatever has a distinct dynamic thats so so important to me. they're all family to each other, some of them more than even their real families. they are the guys of all time and my blorbos even and are a wicked good found family

Sometimes a family is the kids who all got detention together on the first day of school at adventuring academy.

And sometimes that family is:

A Half-elf-Half-Pirate rich boy who killed toxic masculinity by learning how to dance, and mercy-killed his father by stabbing him with a sword.

"The Greatest Wizard of this Age" (actually a Barbarian who took a level in artificer to boost his cellphone-reception to call and apologize to his satyr girlfriend) Half-Orc drummer who was adopted by Gnomes;

A bisexual Punk-rocker Tiefling who thought she was a wood-elf until her horns came-in & caused her and her adoptive father to discover that her biological father is actually an Archdevil;

The Elven Oracle (later just "The Oracle"/"Everybody's Oracle") who was adopted by the school's Werewolf Guidance Councilor after her evil parents disowned her (she later punched her evil bio-dad to death in a single round of combat, despite being a magic caster);

An aro-ace (un)licensed Private Investigator Goblin who carries a briefcase and ate the face of the dragon that ate his father;

And a lesbian ex-fundie human who met the corn-god her family worships, found out he sucks & left the church and her family, CREATED HER OWN GOD (of Buzzfeed listical symbols, known first as "YES!" then later "YES?"), only to then abandon that god to become the Saint of the long forgotten Goddex/Goddess of Mystery, Night and Magic.

(Optionally, add in the Half-Orc repressed-gay bully they befriended and helped come out)

And sometimes, that found family becomes a literal family, because over the course of the series:

Fig's mom starts dating Adaine's adoptive dad,

Fig's adoptive dad gets engaged to Fabian's mom,

Fig's biological dad starts dating Riz's mom,

Kirsten starts dating the niece of Adaine's adoptive dad/Fig's mom' boyfriend.

(Gorgug is the only one who still isn't related to the others, but he did find his biological parents. And although he still lives with his adoptive parents, he is now in the famous band "Fig and the Cig Figs" along-side his bio-parents, Fig, and Fig's bio-dad)

Currently, Fig, Adaine, Kirsten, Fig's mom, Adaine's adopted dad, Kirsten's GF, Adaine's biological older sister, Adaine's sister's ghost fiancé, Ragh, Ragh's mom, and Fig's Half-Phoenix librarian/pirate GF all live in one giant haunted old Victorian-style Manor.

Drawtectives:

They are so silly and cute <3 Three strangers bond over solving a murder mystery as interns to a tired detective/mom figure. In s2 they pick up an amnesiac guy and adopt him as a son (despite one of them being younger than him). Everyone pls watch Drawtectives it's so fun and there's lots of wacky drawing shenanigans involved

they are SILLY they are BESTIES they are in a POLYCULE they LOVE EACHOTHER 🥺🥺 (eugene is their son who is also their age and jancy is their mom. dw its not weird) (art included is all by karina @dilfosaur of drawfee)

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rationed-passion · 5 days

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Another willing recruit submitted themselves to the Rationed Passion interview process. Remember you are unlikely to suffer any lasting psychological damage and you really are helping your fellow subscribers out, so do come forward.

Welcome to Rationed Passion. Since you are new here tell us a little about yourself:

I'm a regular guy, about 30ish, and I just love to goon and edge.

Oh the G word. How we love that one! But we understand it's started to get a bit out of hand, hasn't it?

Yeah. I found myself drawn to more and more extreme stuff. Not respectful either.

Oh that is not good. So you sought us out then?

More sort of stumbled across it, through some of your followers.

This is why it's so important to reblog us. Spread the word. Spread the love! But do you have any feelings of shame from your interest in Fully Clothed Denial?

A little bit of shame at the idea of not being able to enjoy nudity the same way as other guys can. Like, it's denial, isn't it? Like I'm literally not allowed.

No, you are not. And you're going to have to deal with that. Which is a lot to take in. How long have you been in fully clothed denial?

Experience in this area? None yet. I've only just found these pages.

Oh bless. An FCD virgin! That really is so sweet. We're absolutely delighted you've chosen to pop your fully clothed denial cherry with us. Now how long since you last indulged your little habit?

12 hours

Definitely time for another little fumble. It hardly needs asking but it's in the script: "longest period of continuous Fully Clothed Denial"?

1 day so far.

Well it has to start somewhere. What are the reasons you should remain in denial, do you think?

I am very submissive and don't think I deserve to see naked women. Especially my favourite kink: ladies and their fine asses.

Oh bless, you probably don't deserve that, no. But it's hard admitting it, isn't it?

Yes Miss

Well thank you. We wish you a happy and fulfilling time in long-term, fully clothed denial.

#fully clothed denial #fully clothed #behavior modification #ask me anything #denied

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amerricanartwork · 4 months

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More Love for Lilypad

Hi! To be honest, I don’t know why I’m writing this, I guess because reading everything has moved me more than I probably thought.

I don’t know how much text he let me put

I have read the current Lilypad publication and I honestly loved it, otherwise I would be here writing like an excited silly girl.

How do you connect the story of Luna and No Harassment with Sleeping Beauty (From the Disney movie because the original story is horrible, believe me, you wouldn’t want to use it if it were the original), it’s so beautiful that it moved me and connected me more with the ships. how much I love them and lilypad mainly sadly for my part I don’t see much art from them (I think it happens to me with ships that generally are not so popular or so loved, it happens to me with the message of love from SpearmasterXHunter, Godmode SaintXEnot, lilypad and PebblesXSun )

The topic, I loved reading these ideas that come from your ingenious and beautiful imagination, I want to read more of this and that would be all! Nice day/night :3!

PD: As a warning, I don’t know where I had to send this and I’m sorry if I didn’t have to send it here, and I take this opportunity to say that your ArtiXGourmand is simply beautiful and I adore it!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Oh my, @amaerumeru, thank you so much for this submission!!

I’m so glad to see someone enjoy those ideas so much, and to hear my essay has inspired some more love for these two sweethearts! Seeing people sympathize at least with the fairytale stuff is a very pleasant surprise!

Regarding the lack of content, I feel you, I’ve had my fair share of rarepairs across my fandoms too (heck, I’m even considering adopting a super rare RW ship right now...), and not being able to find content of them is always pretty rough! Although for me, the struggle doesn’t always come from lacking any content of the ship, but lacking the specific kind of content I want for it.

Part of the reason why I began that extension of the Lilypad essay by listing the ship tropes I love and particularly explaining the main two was because, to me, how a ship is depicted is just as important as which ship is depicted. It’s so much so I actually won’t like content of a ship I normally love if I don’t like the way the characters are and act within it, or if I don’t like the ideas being shown through the characters enough.

Both situations exist with Lilypad, and although I can excuse the lack of content as Rain World generally not having much canon ship potential, the portrayal struggle is one I have faced in basically every fandom I’ve been in, where no one seems to really appreciate those traditional dynamics I love with the ships I enjoy the most. Most of the time I still enjoy the content because it’s pretty cute and romantic, and I don’t dislike anything about it enough to cancel out that cuteness/romance factor, but it’s still not what I love most, tailored to what I identify with the greatest; I’ll eat it, but it’s not my favorite flavor. And with the New Year and self-improvement being a common focus this time of year, I figured I’d finally get the courage to take my classic art approach with these themes now; if I can’t find someone else who’s made the content I want, I’ll make it myself (like this sketch I drew up for this post), and just maybe they’ll find me!

And find someone I have! Once again, I’m so glad someone appreciates these older fairytale tropes, and I really do feel inspired to openly make more content including these ideas! I’ve always had a habit of thinking about not just ships, but fiction in general through the lens of the poetic significance characters, scenes, and plot points do or can have, and recently I’ve developed a habit of linking characters and ships back to songs and previous characters from other cartoons (like I did with Sleeping Beauty here), and trust me, if you want more content of this sort, I could both write similar essays deriving these themes within other ships AND make a lot more Lilypad content like this! I mean, after posting that addition I realized somehow forgot to talk about “Once Upon a Dream” specifically and how it so perfectly fits this ship, so I’m already probably gonna do a post and drawing on that sometime soon — !

And one last thing, thanks for liking the Artimand stuff too! Artimand is probably a better example of my “I like this ship in general, but I really wanna see more of these traditional themes in content for it“ attitude, so it’s nice to see that’s enjoyable to other people on some level too!

Big thanks for the submission, a reason to ramble even more about Lilypad and my favorite ship tropes, and inspiration to make that drawing, Meru! And hey, I love hearing the deeper reasons why other people ship what they do too, so if you ever wanna ramble about your own ships, I’m all ears!

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eschergirls · 4 months

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February 2024 Update & Patron Thank You!

Hi everybody!

It's a new month, so it's time for an update and, of course, thank all our wonderful Patreon subscribers. :3

For I fixed up a LOT of posts across the DC Comics tag, though because it's so big, I still have a lot that aren't formatted correctly or have images without alt-text, but I'm slowly working my way through it. Many of the broken or lost images or images deleted by Tumblr due to mistaken algorithmic flagging should be fixed though.

One of the big restoration projects was fixing up the posts that stemmed from that infamous Catwoman vol. 4 #0 cover image that led to a ton of redraws and also to DC actually changing the cover before it came out. A lot of the redraws didn't get imported when we moved the site from Tumblr, but I've managed to find them again and restore the posts (as well as adding alt-text and fixing formatting, etc).

Here's a list of the redraws, some serious, some humorous:

Catwoman as an assemblage boobs and butt by Josh Rodgers

Catwoman in a true cat pose by @rosalarian

What Catwoman would look like from the side by Cameron Stewart

Catwoman before and after animated gif redraw by @miracleisyou

As well as that post, I've also restored this post featuring Pagan from Batman #479 looking terrifying in two different poses, and a pretty good redraw of the cover by Glitchy.

There's also another Catwoman picture (from Batman: Arkham Unhinged) inspired people to do a lot of humorous takes on it, such as Kainu's take on how she looks from various angles and this animated gif joke by le-mec which is very good. I fixed up all 3 posts, found the broken pictures, and added alt-text to everything.

And finally, two other DC posts that I found images for when they broke and reformatted & added full transcription for screen readers:

this page of Artemis from Artemis: Requiem #3 offering some... interesting ideas of gender & what Y chromosomes do

this post about All-Star Batman & Robin & it's depiction of Vicki Vale as well as the infamous script notes from Frank Miller to Jim Lee (the script notes are fully transcribed by me for screen readers too)

I've restored a lot of other posts too, but those are the main ones I wanted to highlight for those who haven't seen them before (or weren't able to see them before) and would be interested in!

And as usual, I've been working my way through the Tumblr inbox backlog (which means that like very old submissions might start to show up too... I developed a huge backlog over the years and because Tumblr's inbox works from most recent to least, it means that older stuff becomes more difficult to reach as I get more submissions). I've also been working my way through contesting all the mistaken flagging Tumblr's algorithm keeps doing (such as flagging any solid colour piece of clothing as nudity).

For those who want to follow us without using Tumblr, we have an RSS feed. (For newbies, RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is basically a feed you can read using an RSS reader. Simply copy and paste https://eschergirls.com/rss.xml into an RSS reader and it will keep you up to date on Escher Girls!)

Tumblr's occasional changes of policies and its random algorithmic flagging of posts and sudden removal of posts are reasons why I decided to self-host and why I am so appreciative of people helping me to keep the site up and pay for hosting, domain registration, and general site upkeep and improvements. :)

Anyway, now I want to thank everybody who supported Escher Girls on Patreon in January!

Thank you so so much to:

Cat Mara CheerfulOptimistic Chris McKenzie Em Bardon First Time Trek Greg Sepelak Ian Cameron Ken Trosaurus Kevin Carson Kim Wincen Kristoffer Illern Holmén Leak Manuel Dalton Mary Kuhner Max Schwarz Michael Mazur Miriam Pody Morgan McEvoy randomisedmongoose Rebecca Breu Ringoko Ryan Gerber Sam Mikes Sean Sea SpecialRandomCast Thomas

And thank you to everybody for reading, submitting, and just generally commenting and engaging with Escher Girls. It makes running the site so worth it, and your comments always make me smile.

Thank you all so much,

Ami

If you have any issues with the site or suggestions to improve it, please do not hesitate to contact me and let me know!

If you wish to support Escher Girls, you can subscribe to our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/ami_angelwings or donate through Ko-Fi at: https://ko-fi.com/amiangelwings.

#patreon #update #note

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celticbotanart · 29 days

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Shuffle your favorite playlist and post the first five songs that come up. Then copy/paste this ask to some of your favorite mutuals 💌

I was tagged by @sideadde, thank you so much!! Sid tagged me on my personal blog but I'll just go ahead post this here since it's a music post - this blog has been pretty dead too as I mentioned on my previous post, so this is a good way of posting SOMETHING here, at least. SO, I dont have a favorite-FAVORITE playlist, so I'll just use this opportunity to activate my Brazilian music playlist - accurately named "Tropical Gothic" bc our music is very fun and lively but also a lot of them is more melancholic than y'all from outside might think kkkkkk

Let's do this!

Milton Nascimento - Peixinhos do Mar ("Little Fishes in the Sea")

youtube

Starting strong! The song seems to be an adaptation from folk music and it shows - he says "Who taught me how to swim / It was, oh sailor, it was the little fishes in the sea", which is very whimsical. Then, it goes on and it also mentions how Portuguese came from overseas to Brazil, "bringing gunpowder, lead and bullets, we want to fight wars". You see what they did here, lol

2. Zé Ramalho ft Belchior - Garoto de Aluguel ("Rentboy")

youtube

This one is a huge favorite of mine djkfhdjhgf It goes HARD on the tango, accordion and all, it's just SO good. Zé Ramalho and Belchior (and Milton from the previous track) are like... legends, they are incredibly important figures to the brazilian music history, especially Milton and Belchior, really. I highly recommend going for their stuff if you're interested in more MPB ("Brazilian Popular Music" in Eng)! The song itself, it's literally what it says on the tin lol. It's about this prostitute guy and how he goes on with his life. This one might or might not be in my OC Cassie's playlist kdjfhkdf

3. Nana Caymmi - Flor da Noite ("Night Flower")

youtube

Jfc, this one. So atmospheric, and Nana's voice is very deep and smooth. And the fucking strings in this arrangement???? Iconic and gorgeous AF. It talks about someone reminiscing far into the night about past events, especially about a love that ended long ago. She keeps saying that if the person she loves meets someone else, than her former lover shouldn't talk to this new person about the past, and what's gone. It's such a beautiful song ahhh <3 3. Casa de Caba - Cílio ("Eyelash")

youtube

Oh dang, it's another Brazilian Sea Shanty time! Or at least, that's how I see this one, with all the instruments they use and the vibes. He starts mentioning a bunch of imagery to tell us the character singing is tough and is here to fuck with people in ways they WILL dislike, lol, such as "I'm the eyelash falling in your eye, an eye that cannot see", "An ugly, poorly-made ceramic pot that never breaks"; at the same time he's also "the word that guides you, the caress that comforts you, the delivery food you order and always arrives quickly", haha. Then the chorus, he's pleading: "Janaína, Janaína, Mother of my February, take me back, to the seashore" - Janaína is another name for Iemanjá, or Yemoja, the mother of seas and deity of oceans in many afro-brazilian religions, who came from the Yoruba culture. He mentions February there in the lyrics because Iemanjá is celebrated here on Feb 2nd! :)

5. Margareth Menezes - Faraó ("Pharaoh")

youtube

OH GOD YESSS! Probably the most creative track in here - the music genre is called "Axé" and very based on African / Afro-Brazilian instruments as you'll hear. Here, POWERHOUSE DIVA Margareth Menezes will fucking give you a fast course on literal Egyptian Mythology/History ("The ascension, not even Osiris knew how that happened /The order or submission of His Eye was transformed into true humanity"; "The Epic of Geb's Code, and Nut who gave birth to the stars"; "Osíris asked Isis in marriage / And the evil Seth, full of wrath, assassinated him"); then, she uses that as a way of saying we should look at our African roots in awe and joy, and how the black people is still fighting to this day for basic respect and equality, even originating from the land of legendary kings and queens and golden gods. It's SUCH a powerful song, and it's catchy af. Depending where you are, if you just scream "EU FALEI: FARAÓ!" (I said: Pharaoh!), people WILL answer to you with EEEEE, FARAÓ back lol that's how fucking iconic this one is and I love it so much

Hope you like the songs on this one! <3 Tagging @dravenxivuk @feykiller !

#music posts #brazilian music

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carryon-countdown · 7 months

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🍂Meet Our Admins!❄️

Hello friends! We are officially only 10 days away from the beginning of this year's Carry On Countdown. How's everyone doing? The admins are very excited for Nov 25th, and we hope the fandom is prepared for all of the fabulous content coming its way. As mentioned in our prompt post, we wanted to give our lovely admins the chance to introduce themselves. Here they are:

Raegan: Hello darlings, I’m Raegan from @carryonmylovelies and I can’t wait to feast on all of your submissions for this year. A few fun facts about myself are that I work in the fire protections industry as a fire alarm inspector, I adore all things queer and gory, and I make a mean pumpkin pie. This is actually my 4th year as an admin for the carry on countdown, and honestly, my year would be so incomplete without all of the preparation every autumn 🫶. Carry On was unleashed upon me almost 7 years ago and I feel that it’s an utter privilege to be able to return to this beloved event year after year. The countdown is a cherished and important queer tradition that clings to my heart, and I deeply treasure every bit of content that it inspires. I’m thrilled to see what you all have in store for us. Good luck! <3

Froggy: ‘Ello, ‘Ello, ‘Ello! My name’s Froggy or @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists and I’m so pumped to see what we’ve got going on this year for COC! It is my second year as an admin and second year participating, but I’ve seen stuff from the event for a lot longer. Every year, I always see some crazy good stuff from y’all! I’ve quite literally been looking forward to this all year :D Some fun facts about me; I’m a lover of all things paranormal and cryptozoological, I love to cross-stitch, and I love a good grilled cheese :) Looking forward to see what y’all get up to! Good luck and have fun ;D

Cora: Hi everyone! I’m Cora or @otherpeoplesheartachept-2, I am extremely excited to see what everyone creates this year for the countdown!!! My first time participating in the countdown was in 2017 and being an admin just makes the event even more special to me. It's one of my favorite parts of the year :) Fun facts about me: I love vampires, I eat soup genuinely at least once a week, and I like to embroider.

Lola: Hi!! I’m Lola, @dragoneggos, and I’m super excited to be an admin for COC again this year! Countdown for me has always been the most special event, and is what really helped me develop as a writer, both of Snowbaz and everything else! I participated in both 2021 and 2022 with full fics covering every prompt, and while I’m sad I won’t be able to participate this year (uni is leaving me little time for writing!), I cannot wait to see what everyone comes up with! Have fun!! <333

Thanks for reading! See you all on November 25th. Happy creating, folks!

Sincerely,

The admins of the 2023 Carry On Countdown ❤️

#carry on countdown #coc 2023 #meet the admins #simon snow #baz pitch #snowbaz #rainbow rowell #the simon snow trilogy

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mykinkyyandere · 2 years

Note

what does five mean by “more strict rules” in weak princess? I LOVED THE FIC BTW YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB

Stricter Rules

AO3

Pairings: Yandere/Dark! Daddy! Five Hargreeves X Age Regressed! Naive! f!Reader

Warnings: Yandere, smut, non-con/dub-con, daddy kink, (forced) age regression, kidnapped reader, taking away freedom, constant watch, locked reader

A/N: Thank you 🖤🖤 I would like to answer this in detail, as it is relevant to Weak Princess. Five's a grown-up & didn't stuck in the future.

He knows you can't escape from him, so he sets up rules that will break your pitiful belief that you can escape from him. Rules that will make you utterly hopeless and thankful for your life. Depending on your behavior, he'll stretch or remove his rules over time. These rules can also be counted as a kind of punishment. Basically some restrictions that put you in your place.

Five's 10 stricter rules besides his general rules:

No playroom. (He takes away the only freedom you have and locks you in the bedroom. Cry in the room all day and realize how much he really cares for you. Giving you the playroom just shows what an understanding and generous daddy he is.)

No playroom means no fun. (He doesn't even give you a doll to pass the time with. No toys/drawing/watching TV/... anything. You just sit there and learn to be grateful to him. You have no choice but to play with him when he's with you.)

No powers. (If you have, he takes away your sweet little powers mentioned here. No matter how much he loves to watch your cute powers, you must be grateful for him letting you keep your powers. Can you see now how generous he's been all this time?)

No outside. (The times he takes you out are the times he trusts you the most. You won't be able to gain his trust for a very, very long time.)

24/7 surveillance. (There are cameras in every corner of the house. He doesn't need cameras, but you do. Perhaps the best way to break your confidence and belief. See that he no longer trusts you and feel guilty.)

Rough sex. (It's not actually a rule, but you can be sure that he's going to fuck you hard until his anger subsides and until he trusts you again. He'll fuck you a lot more often and won't give you the rest times he used to. He also doesn't let you cum. God, you're such a brat, aren't you? Aftercare is still very important to him though.)

No new stuffs. (Taking your playroom and fun away from you also means that there are no new stuffs. He doesn't buy you new anything. Including your favorite snacks. Normally he wants you to tell him even the smallest thing you want, but bad girls don't deserve anything. He doesn't even buy you new outfits to dress you up as his cute little doll, which is something he loves a lot.)

No stepping out of bed. (It's something he doesn't want to do unless he's really mad. But if he is, he chains you to the bed and uses a chain only long enough for you to take two steps, so you can stretch your legs. You're so lucky that he loves you, he doesn't follow this rule for very long. He was actually supposed to chain you in such a way that you couldn't even get up.)

No begging. (You seemed quite reckless when you were trying to escape from him, until he caught you. Don't beg him to forgive you. Don't promise you won't do it again. This pisses him off even more. You'll bear the consequences of your actions, and you'll take whatever he gives you. You can cry all you want, but he doesn't want to hear "forgive me" or "I won't do it again".)

Show full submission. (This is the last thing he expects from you as you're going through a process of heavy rules for you. But if you fully trust him and try to understand why he's doing these things, you'll make your situation much easier. Still, he knows you can't do it without crying and whining.)

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codename-adler · 7 months

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My 2 niche aftg takes are that I love and accept Nora’s extra content, just because they don’t get married or say I love u or any of that stuff, doesn’t mean they are not healing and that they can never truly be healed without those things, it’s just that those are not important to them and that’s valid, their happy ending doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s (I also love and accept Nora’s writing, not a fan of when everyone jokingly bashes her books as if she didn’t capture all our hearts, art is meant to make you feel, and she succeeded in that a lot more than a lot of other ‘good’ writing)

Number two is that I’m not a fan of a lot of the fanon characterisation of Andrew and Neil, I know it’s par for the course in queer media that a fandom will feminise one character and masculinise the other (and make one the ‘bottom’ and one the ‘top’ respectively) , and I even expected it, obviously that’s weird in itself but that’s not even the part that bothers me that much since I knew it would happen, the part that does is that they clearly have done it the wrong way round, because like, if any one of those boys is going to wear a skirt, it’s Andrew, he’s the one that likes fashion and might decide to experiment, not Neil. If anyone is a ‘submissive’ it’s Andrew, the way he acts in the books, he literally does anything neil wants to make him happy, and if anyone gives top energy, it’s Neil josten, and I know this is silly but I guess it made the whole thing a lot more jarring for me when I went on to read fanfic and it felt even more ooc than it usually would. Anyway that’s all.

that damn extra content... Okay. i have barely read any of it.

i've read Wymack's story / Dan's recruitment; me likes. i just love that man. nora knows how to build her men.

i've read Jean's drafts and his abuse at the Nest; me hates. the SA just thrown in there for what? Riko's already dead, it's pointless to further villainize him when the series is over. i hate SA as an afterthought, something that gives character, something being used as a plot device. with the announcement of TSC however? we'll see...

i've read Allison's future; me irks. see previous ask.

andreil stuff, i've read about here and there but not directly from the source; some me laughs, some me don't care. that's literally it. i don't give it much, if any, thought at all.

i've heard of Renee's future in the peace corps and marrying a man; me ew ew ew. she is so queer-coded it's baffling how that was achieved with Renee/Jean in mind. and the peace corps?? that toxic american white savior bullshit?? baby no. there are much better religious orgs and rep out there.

the rest is mystery to me. i'm cumulating more and more reasons to thoroughly read through the EC, but it's not like... an urge. i'll get to it when i get to it. i appreciate nora sakavic for writing it, but also for not pushing it everywhere. she doesn't mind whether one considers it canon or not. i really, really appreciate that of her. SO DO NOT COME FOR HER AND HER WRITING. aftg is GOOD. it was never badly written. it's just so out of left field that it is difficult not to be made to feel ashamed for liking the series by mainstream lit and lit. corps. honestly give me a work of literature that has had a stronger grip on its readers than aftg and that you consider being 'well-written' in comparison. i will never, ever say it's bad. because it isn't. i will not be taking any question.

as for the second part of this ask... i am uncomfortable discussing sexual fanon content, and i simply do not read that kind of stuff very often, again because it's not for me, so i won't be able to add to this. perhaps other mutuals can reach out to you on this?

thank you for your contribution @doctorwhomybae and sorry for the tardiness!

#aftg ask #aftg #all for the game #the foxhole court #tfc #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #renee walker #allison reynolds #dan wilds #david wymack #aftg extra content #jean moreau #nora sakavic

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ao719 · 2 years

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The Pact (Part 3)

This is a submission for @choicesflashfics, using prompts #2, “Look at me and tell me I’m wrong.” and prompt #3, “I’m just ... I’m a little bit confused.”

Song inspo: Tempt My Trouble - Bishop Briggs

A/N: This is an au mini series to my Hopeless Hearts story. Thank you to @burnsoslow for prereading! Please excuse any errors.

Pairing: Liam x OC (Aria)

Rating: M • Warnings: None but some mild language and innuendos.

Word count: 2496

Catch up here

Stepping out of a shop down in the heart of Cordonia, Aria, Lea, Maia, and Korinna made their way down the sidewalk. “Where are we meeting them?” Aria asked.

“The beer garden,” Lea answered.

The girls were visiting for a long weekend after being invited to come for a festival that had taken place the day before. After a late morning of shopping that the guys wanted no part of, they were now heading to meet them for lunch.

As they approached the beer garden, they spotted Drake, Maxwell, and Rashad lingering outside, waiting for them. “Jesus, what did you buy?” Drake asked, looking at the bags clutched in Lea’s hands as she approached him.

Lea giggled. “Just some stuff. Not too much. I may have gotten you a present or two.”

“Oh?” Drake playfully questioned as he slid an arm around her waist.

“Ok, let’s eat,” Maxwell said. “I’m starving.” Korinna nodded in agreement and the two headed inside.

Aria subtly glanced around. “The little prince decided not to join us?” she quipped.

Drake shook his head with a laugh. “He had a lunch date with one of the girls from court.”

“Hm,” Aria hummed, fighting back a smile. “Interesting. And I suppose the beer garden was too peasant-like for a date with His Highness?”

“Yeah,” Rashad chuckled. “He took her to Neró Tavérna near the pier.”

Thank you, Aria thought triumphantly. She was glad their friends didn’t know their secret; they wouldn’t give up information quite so easily if they did.

“Shall we head inside?” Rashad gestured towards the door. “If we don’t, Maxwell is going to order for all of us.”

As they started to walk inside, Aria lingered behind. Lea glanced over her shoulder, holding the door open for her. “You coming?”

“Uh, actually, I’m still full from breakfast. I think I’m going to walk around and explore a little bit more.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, go eat. I’ll meet back up with you guys later.”

“Ok,” Lea smiled before disappearing inside.

Aria turned around and started down the sidewalk in the direction of Neró Tavérna. A lunch date, she thought, shaking her head with a quiet laugh. He thinks he’s being slick. Liam taking this woman to lunch instead of dinner was his way of trying to throw Aria off and make it seem less important to him.

Ever since Liam’s little stunt with that singing telegram two years ago, this had become their thing. They’d gotten smarter and more strategic regarding dates over time, but not smart enough. If the other was around, they always managed to find out one way or another, and the game would ensue. Some were easily run off, others took a bit more convincing, but in the end, they always won.

And in the end, Liam and Aria always ended up in bed together; it seemed like an unspoken way for the sabotager to claim their victory.

Aria couldn’t stand Liam — at least that’s what she told herself — so why play this game at all? Because it was just … what they did. She refused to admit that in the back of her mind lingered those words Liam uttered two years ago. “Let’s say … if at 25, if we’re both single … I’ll skip my season and you and I will get married. Settle down with each other.” They were 23 now, and the mere thought that there was any possibility of that stupid drunken pact between them coming to be was ludicrous. Laughable. Ridiculous.

Aria refused to admit that the reason she sabotaged his dates was because she wanted Liam for herself. And she refused to acknowledge the possibility of that being the very same reason he sabotaged hers. She told herself she didn’t want Liam in that way and convinced herself he felt the same. What they wanted from each other they got, more than willingly and often. Things would never go beyond what happened between them behind closed doors, however.

That was just the reality of how it was between them, and to think otherwise would be foolish.

The upside was that neither really seemed to care that for the past two years their dating lives had been all but nonexistent. Would there eventually come a time when one of them was actually ready to end the game in hopes of finding someone to be serious with? Sure.

Now was not that time, however.

After walking a few blocks, Aria stepped inside the restaurant that was nestled on the cliffside near the pier. She scanned the inside dining area, but it wasn’t until she glanced out through the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the back wall that she spotted the back of his head. He was at a small table on the terrace near the balustrade, overlooking the bay, seated across from a beautiful strawberry blonde. When it came to dating, Liam seemed to like as much normalcy as possible, so he never went too far out of his way for privacy.

The lunch hour didn’t seem too busy, but there were still plenty of diners to help her blend in. And lucky for her, there was an open table away from his that looked like it would offer her a good enough view.

“May I help you?” a woman asked.

Aria glanced over and smiled. “That table out there on the terrace—” she pointed to it “—wouldn’t happen to be available, would it? I’m visiting and would love a view to take some pictures.”

“It is,” the woman nodded with a smile. “You can go on out. Can I bring you a drink?”

“A cucumber collins with some hard seltzer would be perfect,” Aria smiled. The woman nodded and gestured for her to go ahead, telling her she’d send someone right out.

Aria made her way out to the terrace and to her table. When she sat, she smiled as she slung her bag over the back of the chair; as she suspected, the seat offered her a perfect view while keeping her slightly hidden from view.

After her drink was delivered, Aria kept her eyes on Liam while she drummed her fingers against the table in thought. The downfall of learning about the dates when they were already on them was coming up with something on the fly.

Suddenly, a young girl approached Aria; she glanced over and smiled at her, seeing her holding a box of various chocolate bars. “Would you like to buy a chocolate?” she asked in a sweet voice.

Before Aria could answer, the waiter rushed over. “I am so sorry, miss. She asked to leave the box at the front with the hostess, and when she came back to get some information, she was gone.”

Aria smiled as an idea struck. “No worries,” she waved him off. “She’s not bothering me. I’ll send her back inside once I get some chocolate.”

The man nodded hesitantly before he turned and disappeared back inside. Aria glanced back at the girl. “How much are the chocolates?”

“One dollar a bar,” she smiled.

“How many bars do you have?”

“Seventy-five.”

“I’ll tell you what …” Aria reached back, dipping her hand inside her purse and pulling out her wallet. “If you help me play a little joke on my friend, I’ll buy that whole box.”

The girl’s eyes lit up with a grin. “Ok!”

Aria smiled. “Awesome. So, tell me … how good are you at fake crying?”

****

Liam sat across from Lady Vivian, listening as she spoke animatedly about a recent trip to Dubai she had just returned from. She was from a smaller duchy and had only recently started to become a more prominent fixture at court. She seemed nice … nice enough. And she certainly wasn’t bad on the eyes. So when Liam saw her at Regina’s garden tea party last week, he asked her out.

When he saw his date’s eyes shift just to his left and abruptly pause her story, Liam glanced over as he sipped his drink. Standing beside him was a young girl, staring up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Daddy!” the girl wailed before flinging her arms around him.

Liam’s eyes widened as he choked on the sip of the drink he had just taken. “I … excuse me?” he coughed.

“I miss you so much!” the young girl sniffled as she stepped back, wiping the tears from her cheeks only for them to be replaced by more.

“I—” Liam let out a nervous laugh. “I have no idea who you are. Where are your parents?”

“Mommy misses you,” she sniveled. “Why did you and Papa Connie send us away?”

Liam’s eyes went wide. “Send you — PAPA? WHAT?”

“Mommy is sad all the time. She cries for you every night,” her voice cracked.

Liam’s eyes shifted up to the tables nearby, watching as diners gave him odd looks and whispered to one another. Then, they darted over to the face of his date; her eyes were wide, flickering between Liam and the young girl. “I’m so sorry,” he said nervously before looking back at the girl. “You have me mistaken for someone else.”

“You never call anymore,” she cried. “And you haven’t seen me in so long. It was my wish when I blew out my candles on my birthday,” her breath hitched, “for my daddy to show up, but you never came,” she wept loudly.

Suddenly, once the panic and embarrassment had slightly faded, Liam’s jaw tensed. Aria.

Across the terrace, Aria shook with laughter, holding her phone discreetly as she videoed the exchange between Liam and her little paid actress. This girl is good, she thought to herself. She dropped her phone with a loud snort when the girl flung her arms back around Liam, clinging to him as he stiffened uncomfortably; the look on his face was priceless. She could tell he had no idea how to handle the situation, watching him frantically look around for what she assumed to be this random child’s parents as he tried to calm her down so she stopped creating a scene. She had figured Liam’s extensive princely training never quite prepared him for something like this.

Liam’s mind churned with some way to diffuse this situation, but he was at a loss. Suddenly, Vivian stood, and Liam snapped his gaze up to her. “I’m going to let you take care of this,” she said.

“Vivian, please!” Liam looked at her pleadingly. “I can explain if you just wait a moment.”

“I don’t want to be a part of whatever this is,” Vivian said quietly as her eyes darted to the on-lookers. “I have a reputation I need to keep intact …” She offered Liam a strange look before she walked away.

And the moment she was out of view, the little girl’s tears instantly stopped. She smiled at Liam as she wiped her cheeks, and without another word she turned, skipping merrily across the terrace. Liam’s gaze followed her, and his eyes met a laughing Aria as the girl approached her. He watched as Aria handed the girl a wad of cash before she disappeared inside.

Aria rested her chin on her hand, scrunching her nose up with a smile as she offered him a dainty wave.

Liam turned back around in his seat and nodded to himself; he pulled out his wallet and laid some cash on the table before standing. His eyes met the curious stares of a group of women at the table next to him before walking away. His hands dipped into his pockets as he slowly approached Aria; she was peeling open a candy bar. “We’re paying children to do our dirty work for us now?” he sneered. “That’s low, even for you.”

“You’re just mad you didn’t think of it first,” Aria laughed before biting into a piece of chocolate. She glanced up at him with a smug grin. “Look at me and tell me I’m wrong.”

It was good, Liam thought, but he’d never admit that. “That was humiliating!” he hissed. “And the ‘Papa Connie’ addition? Come on!”

Aria slapped the table with a laugh. “That was a nice touch, right?” She stood from her seat, grabbing her bag and box of chocolate. “Anyway, you’re welcome,” she said as she started toward the exit.

Liam followed behind her. “For what?”

“She didn’t appear quite prissy enough for you,” Aria chuckled as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

“Prissy enough?” Liam questioned. “You think I need someone prissy … so, someone like you then, Princess?”

Aria cut her eyes over to him. “Don’t call me that.”

“Well, if you want me with someone more prissy, I think you fit that bill rather well,” Liam smirked. She didn’t fit it; she wasn’t prissy at all, but he knew it would annoy her.

“I am not prissy.”

“Sure, Princess. Whatever you say.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Princess, Princess, Princess,” Liam taunted as he followed her.

*******

Aria walked along the cobblestone streets in the heart of Peliene. She pulled open the door of a shop and stepped inside, glancing around at all the glittering pieces of jewelry. She heard a familiar voice say her name and she glanced over, eyes narrowing. “What are you doing here?”

Liam smirked. “It’s lovely to see you too, Princess. It’s been a while.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “It’s only been a month.”

“Yeah, and do you want to know what I’ve spent the last month doing? Dispelling rumors that I had a child out of wedlock and sent them away in order to keep it hidden!” Liam spat. “Between Lady Vivian, who I now know is a gossipmonger, and the on-lookers at the restaurant that day, that rumor spread like a goddamn wildfire!”

Aria threw her head back, unable to stop her laughter. “That’s beautiful,” she snorted.

Liam narrowed his gaze, but before he could respond, the bell above the door rang; they both glanced over to see Drake step inside. “Hey,” he smiled as he approached them. “Thanks for meeting me.”

“Sure, but … why did you ask us to meet here?” Aria asked.

“Yeah,” Liam said. “I’m just … I’m a little bit confused as to why you need both of us, and at a jeweler …”

“Oh my god,” Aria gasped. “Are you …” she trailed off.

Liam’s eyes went wide when he finally realized. “Holy shit! You’re gonna propose?”

“Yeah,” Drake grinned, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at Liam. “Not for a while, but I wanted to get a head start. And I needed you both because you know what to look for with this kind of stuff, and you—” he glanced at Aria “—are her best friend and know what she would like. So, can you two please play nice just for a little bit and help me out?”

Liam and Aria looked at each other, something else flashing in each of their gazes before they glanced back at Drake and nodded.

***************************************

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observers-journal · 10 months

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Do you think that the whole controversy with Tenoch has caused ER to either be more popular among social media and the public or just less as if people are turning away from her? Especially since the 'so-called' evidence that she posted was used against her to call her out on her lies as well as her crimes and history. Also, I wonder if politicians who have tried to be associated with her, such as that one deputy who schemed with her to try to pass the stealthing law by dragging Tenoch, are avoiding and turning away from her due to probably realizing how toxic and criminal she really is. Because it's amazing how they are all silent instead of supporting her, even with the access to the media power that they have that they could use to promote her such as they did with her case as there is not much news going on except for what she posts on Twitter, even with her acid case. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that no one prominent is really on her side publicly, except her lawyer and followers, which makes her really all alone. She probably does these horrible things as a way to feel good about herself and have some self-importance, which would have been sad, if it wasn't for the fact that she tramples and hurts others with her family to do so. If there is one important thing that I have learned in my two and a half decades of life on Earth that is very true, it's that the bill always comes due, and I feel that her bill for all that she has done might be on its way.

Thank you for the submission, anon! You pose a very interesting theory, which I agree can be true.

I'm gonna be a bit more cautious here about my answer, mostly because everything is so chaotic, nuanced and layered it's hard to tease out a specific reason for this. Whatever I say is purely my opinion, so please take it with a pinch of salt.

She could be the case of "bad publicity is still publicity". If she truly is trying for a political career, this might bring her some exposure. Politics is usually dirty and messy, and any kind of exposure helps. I have a feeling she's not very big on her own, but tries to show herself by using the few contacts she has gained, and the nexus she has from her own family. She cares a lot about her carefully constructed image, coz that's what she has going for her. That public sympathy and an activist image.

On the other hand, an equally valid argument is the one you raise. And that I suspect too: this is gonna come back to bite her. Everyone acts to preserve their self-interests, and so we have seen people distancing themselves from her. The amount of stuff she and her family has going on is a biggg problem for her. It's not like other politicians are not toxic or criminal, they just hide it better.

She definitely created a big ruckus and then nothing came of it. So to some extent, I think her temporary social media popularity is down. Will it continue to be that way? I can't say. Does it reflect the ground reality? I don't know.

I don't want to pass any personal comments on her as a person, and keep myself limited to her case with Tenoch. I feel bad for her acid attack, but what she did to him was nasty. Terrible.

Here's what I suspect. All of our conclusions are based on publicly available info. Behind the scenes? She could have quieted down and shifted her focus elsewhere (other cases that are more important). She might have found solace in the fact that she was able to successfully deliver a blow to Tenoch's career. She might be covering up her criminal traces. She might be working on her network politically. Or she might be quietly planning another attack on Tenoch (I actually doubt that).

But boy do I hope he sues the hell out of her.

Sorry for such a long post! I had thoughts. I hope you keep the world bright through your goodness and optimism! 🫶

#tenoch huerta #tenoch huerta mejia #jose tenoch huerta mejia #maria elena rios #elena rios #long answer #i had thoughts #anon asks #answered

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dipplinduo · 3 months

Text

Blog Interaction Guidelines

So in the early stages of making this blog, I was once asked about "rules" for interacting, and pretty much responded with something to the effect of "I really don't have much to say outside of please be respectful and know that there's no place for hate/discrimination here". I have never ran a public blog before this and I felt a little weird telling people how they "should" conduct themselves. In fact, I still kinda do feel this way and prefer to deal with potential problems quietly. However, I've decided to revisit this idea now that this blog is nearing 800 followers. These guidelines are more specifically about things that have been happening repeatedly that I honestly just want to set some boundaries about:

- This is a dipplinshipping account, so the content posted/reblogged here has and will continue to be about dipplinshipping and pokemon. No hate to other fandoms or even other ships - I'm just not necessarily going to interact with unrelated content because it's outside of the scope of this blog. (Referencing other medias in asks about dipplinshipping/pokemon is totally fine, though!)

- I do not take headcanon/writing requests for OCs. Again, no hate, this is just not a self ship blog. I do take headcanon submissions related to dipplinshipping (and react/add onto them). I don't mind headcanon requests about the ship either because it's related.

- Please do not spam my inbox with repetitive messages. And by this I quite literally mean verbatim, word-for-word messages. (They're often unrelated to anything, too). I consider this harassment at a point.

- Please do not submit underaged/graphic/horror content, and/or ship content about minors and adults. Yes I've gotten these, yes they're highly inappropriate.

- Everything in this post (TLDR - please don't send "demanding" asks about my writing, e.g., repetitive, insistent questioning regarding updates, not-so-politely worded “requests” to either abandon certain storylines or add something into a storyline, or expressions of high dissatisfaction/disapproval for when I’m choosing to write for something other than Sweet & Sour Dipplins, which is my most popular work.)

- If you don't like a character I like, that's fine. You do not need to interact with me about it. I do not interact with you about what you should like or dislike.

- If you don't like a fic I write, or the direction of my writing, that's fine. You do not need to interact with me about it. I do not interact with you about what you should write or not write.

- Don't call me an excessive amount of pet names on anon (it seems to occur here almost exclusively). I appreciate kind messages, but this kind of behavior comes off a bit creepy in excess considering I don't know who you are.

- The same honestly applies off anon too, and includes comments that are borderline offensive toward me or others when being "playful". I want to interact with you and have fun! But please remember that if you don't know me personally, we are still very much strangers/good acquaintance mutuals, not close friends who are bantering. (You're more than welcome to call me out if I ever cross your boundaries with stuff like that, too; your comfort is equally important to me.)

- In general, I want to keep the anon feature on if possible because I know it helps some people express themselves with more ease. I've had to turn it off at times because people seemed to a little too comfortable with the feature. Right now it's on again; please don't ruin it for others. I don't want to have to do this since I consider it a very last resort, but I might just start blocking users who are being inappropriate on anon if necessary, as I can't identify who you are and have a conversation with you.

- Don't bash other people's ideas or say x is better than what they're saying, or whatever. Creative spaces are not a competition, but an opportunity to share and collaborate? And frankly, I'm very thankful to anyone who sends me ideas or reactions or whatever. I do not want anyone to feel discouraged from sharing. I will delete your comments or asks if you don't have nice things to say about others and their ideas. Be respectful.

- People seem to have the impression that I own servers on discord. I do not own any servers nor am I looking to continuously advertise servers that are not mine. Please go to the appropriate people if you are interested in joining a server.

- I try my best to keep this blog more on the PG side since this audience is more generalized/might have more variety in age. Many of you may follow me because I'm the author of Sweet & Sour Dipplins, where there's a time skip that ages the characters and has a suggested audience of mid to late teens and up (and in general is meant to be more in this YA genre). It's more than okay to send me stuff that references some of the themes depicted in there and in other works I may write for audiences that go beyond a general audience. I often get really funny and iconic asks in this direction, actually. But! Know that because I'm aware of the general audience on here, I might not be able to post and interact with you publicly about it (especially as people who don't read the fic don't have the context). I can interact with you more directly on spaces like AO3 comments! Otherwise, I'll try to message you to let you know you're hilarious. :)

- Regarding fics that are not by me & playlist recommendations: I actually would love to promote them provided it's related to dipplinshipping and they're appropriate! I just might need a little time to be able to sit down and screen through it myself because I want to be conscious of what I'm promoting, is all. So keep sending 'em!

I think this about covers it. If reallllyyyy necessary I might comment on this again? But I'm hoping not to, because at the end of the day I'm really just here to vibe and have a good time and I hope you are too. Please rest assured that if you aren't sure if you've done some of the things I listed here, that means you're probably fine. If you have, it's no biggie so long as the behavior stops (with the exception of the underaged/graphic/horror stuff; those I've just straight up handled so it doesn't apply to anyone as of now).

Thanks for reading, and feel free to let me know if something I listed here is unclear so we can have a better understanding of each other. And as always, thanks for your support and engagement! 💕

Lots of love,

dipplinduo

#annoucement #my fics #asks

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youhideastar · 6 months

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I know you don’t write hockey fics anymore and I totally get why!! Buuutttt if you’re willing, I LOVE the scene in To Be Seen As All Right we’re Sid overhears his As giving a speech to the new guy. Seriously, fav scene ever. Would you be willing to do a directors cut of that?

Awww, thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed that scene from To Be Seen Aright, and sure, I'd be happy to do a director's commentary for it. 💛

So the whole point of this scene is for Sid to overhear the guys saying that he's "hardcore" and describing the kind of submissive that he thinks he is. Everything else is just frosting on the cake.

Eavesdropping scenes are tough, because when you write in limited 3d person, like I pretty much always do, the temptation is to do them ALL THE TIME, because they're the only way your POV character is going to find out what other characters say about them when they're "not there." But if you do it too often, it becomes implausible - in real life, most of us rarely overhear other people talking about us. This is... maybe? the only eavesdropping scene in the whole fic (I can't think of any others but it's been a while since I wrote this!), for that reason. But it needs to exist, because the whole fic is about how Sid is perceived by others--it's in the title!--and he needs to know how he is perceived.

Every year, Sid holds his breath at the trade deadline, but this year, the team stays pretty much intact. They’re headed for the playoffs, which means additions rather than subtractions; in Pittsburgh’s case, a new defender from the Panthers.

Like I said, the purpose of the scene is the overhearing... but this also allowed me to cover a question readers might have (how does Sid handle traded players?) and cover an important real-life event in this season.

Sid’s not planning to lecture any new players about how to treat subs; it’s easier on them if they can just pick it up from the rest of the team, and if he does have to drop the hammer, it’s useful for the rest of the team to get a teachable moment out of it. He discovers, though, with Leopold, that the rest of the Pens’ leadership group has its own ideas.

The day after Leopold joins the team, Sid steps out of equipment room to hear his own name, coming from around the corner. He stops and tries to decide whether or not to walk away—in the end, his curiosity overcomes his good manners.

Damn, just noticed the missing "the" in the first sentence of that paragraph.

He hears Tanger speak first. “So, Sid is a sub.”

It’s a little harder for Sid to identify the second voice, but the very fact that it’s new to him tells him it must be Leopold who replies, dry as a bone, “I’ve heard that, yeah.”

“Right.” That’s Duper’s voice, softer than Tanger’s. “But there’s some stuff you should know, related to that.”

“Okay, shoot.” Leopold sounds a little nervous.

Ugh, so, eavesdropping scenes are like telephone conversation scenes - you're stuck describing things with only one sense: hearing. It means you spend a lot of time trying to describe people's tone of voice in a way that's not repetitive. It's a pain.

“First, you don’t give him any shit for it,” Tanger says fiercely. “You don’t call him a brat, you don’t expect him to look down when he talks to you: none of that shit. Or you will be killed. Probably by me.”

Doing a little drive-by worldbuilding here, establishing the kind of stuff that Sid has probably had to put up with on past teams.

Evenly, Leopold says, “Not a problem.”

“Good,” says Tanger. “Okay, second thing is, even if you’re not giving him shit, you don’t treat Sid like a sub. Ever. Not even in a nice way. It’s not that I’ll kill you if you do. It’s that Sid will bite your head off. Or worse, he’ll get all miserable and flinchy, in that way that, if someone made your sub look like that, you’d punch them, but Sid doesn’t have a dom to punch people for making him sad, so you’ll just end up wanting to punch yourself in the face. So don’t do it.”

This is a WALL of dialogue. It's not best practice to do this, imo: in real life, people don't usually make speeches. On the other hand, this is clearly a circumstance where the whole reason Tanger is talking to Leopold is to deliver a speech, so I think it works. But the problem is heightened by the fact that this is an eavesdropping scene: again, Sid can't see the speakers, so there's no opportunity to interrupt the dialogue with descriptions of, e.g., Tanger's facial expression or posture, so yeah. Just a wall of Tanger talking.

I can, however, show Sid's reactions:

That’s… pretty vivid. Probably too vivid not to come from personal experience, Sid thinks, somewhere between amused and appalled. He can’t argue with the “miserable and flinchy” description, although he hadn’t realized his reaction was that obvious.

“I’m not…” Leopold sounds confused. “I should pretend he’s a dom?”

This is the second "Leopold sounds [adjective]." in this scene. Eavesdropping scenes are the worrrrrrrst to write.

“No,” Duper says immediately, “it’s not—you can acknowledge that he’s a sub, you just can’t… get possessive over him, or hold his wrist, stuff like that. Or fight people on the ice for him – he will chew you out right there on the bench, it’s not pretty. And you cannot offer to dom him,” Duper adds, sounding dead serious. “Even if you really want to. And you will really want to, because Sid gets wound pretty tight sometimes, and also he’s a sweetheart. It’s a dangerous combination.”

Another speech, alas. But again: the whole reason Tanger and Duper are talking to Leopold is to deliver a speech to him, so it's okay. As for the content of what Duper is saying - if only they had stopped the conversation right here, I think that would actually have been really good for Sid, because, as I'm about to show, he's pleasantly surprised to hear what doms think of him. He's pretty much always thought that doms want to dom him for shitty reasons: to shut him up, to feel superior to him, or because they think he can't function without it. Here, he learns that they want to dom him because (a) he's sweet and (b) they think they can help with his stress. Not so bad!

A sweetheart? Sid thinks, turning pink. He’s not sure he likes that – but Duper didn’t say it in a condescending or belittling way. His tone was matter-of fact, like obviously Sid is a sweetheart and we know this and you will, too, once you get to know him. He’s still not sure he likes it—couldn’t Duper have said I was a badass? he thinks, crossly—but he supposes that if the team thinks that he’s kind and thoughtful, well… there are worse things.

Sid wishing Duper said he was a badass is so funny to me. I can just picture the little pissy face he'd be making while he thinks it. Awwww.

Leopold says slowly, “I could see that.”

Duper responds, “Right. But Sid does not need a dom – he can handle his shit just fine without one. Okay?”

“Sure. I got it. Is that it?”

And here's where the car crash happens. It was a struggle, actually, figuring out how to get Tanger to say this next thing, even though it's the whole point of this scene - like, how do I get one of Sid's teammates to tell someone else what they think about Sid's supposed sex life? In what context would that be relevant instead of shitty and disrespectful? This is what I finally settled on - that he'd be warning the new guy not to be shitty about Sid subbing for people outside the team. To be frank, I don't think that's totally convincing, and he doesn't actually need to talk about what Sid supposedly does in bed to get that larger point across to Leopold. But I really, really needed Sid to overhear a teammate saying he was hardcore and sounding admiring about him looking beat to hell. Sometimes you just do your best and hope that you can sell something with the strength of your writing even if you actually kind of think it's BS.

“Last thing,” Tanger says. “Sid does not need a dom. But every now and then, he’ll go find one anyway, and he’ll come back looking beat to hell or like he’s gone three rounds with a grizzly bear. That’s just how Sid rolls; he’s pretty hardcore,” Tanger adds in an admiring tone, before his voice goes sharp again. “Don’t be the shithead who takes it personally, talking like Sid should get it from us. It’s none of our business where Sid gets his fun. Got it?”

“Got it, yeah.”

Sid hurriedly takes off in the opposite direction as the conversation breaks up.

It's amazing how, in eavesdropping scenes, the eavesdropper can always tell when the conversation is about to break up, in time to absent themself. 😝 Unless you want the eavesdropper to get caught, but that's a different kind of scene, with a different purpose.

As he drives home, Sid tries to decide how to feel about what he just heard. At first, he thought it was a “this is how we treat subs” talk, of the kind that Sid gives when he has to… but it wasn’t that, not really. Tanger and Duper didn’t say anything about how to treat subs in general. This was specifically a “care and feeding of Sidney Crosby” talk, even though much of the advice—can you call it “advice” when it’s followed up by threats of bodily harm?—would apply to subs or switches on the team in general. But maybe Tanger and Duper think giving the “subs in general” speech is Sid’s area of expertise. Or maybe, he thinks cynically, they just don’t care. God knows there are plenty of doms who are happy to treat most subs like shit, but if someone looks funny at their sub, or their sibling, or their captain…

"Care and feeding of Sidney Crosby" still makes me laugh, as does the bit about whether it counts as advice when it's accompanied by threats.

Anyway, Sid’s not sure he loves the implication that he’s so weird or difficult that his teammates need to be specifically warned about him… but it’s not like Duper or Tanger said anything that wasn’t true. And the stuff that they’d warned Leopold not to do is stuff that would make Sid miserable. If Leopold takes their warnings to heart, Sid will be a happier person.

It also probably works better coming from other doms than it would from him, especially since some of the stuff they’d talked about is stuff that would never have occurred to him. Are there seriously doms on the Penguins roster who are miffed that he’s been hooking up with doms outside the team? How does that even make sense? he asks himself, baffled. And he had no idea, before, that there was something specific about his personality that was making his teammates want to dom him. Apparently, nice but stressed is especially attractive? I do not understand doms at all, he thinks ruefully.

Watch me hang a lampshade on the fact that it doesn't necessarily make sense for his teammates to be upset that he's been hooking up with non-teammates.

Still, it’s nice to know that some of his lessons have finally sunk in, even if it took years of metaphorically beating his teammates over the head with a stick. Sid doesn’t need a dom, Tanger and Duper had said, and He can handle his shit just fine without one. You can’t offer to dom Sid, they’d warned, and also, It’s none of our business where Sid gets his fun.

Sid laughs to himself and says, under his breath, “They can be taught!”

I don't know whether "they can be taught!" is something that normal people actually say as, like... a thing. In my family, we say it with big vaudeville, Barnum-and-Bailey ringleader energy: "They CANNNN be TAUGHT!"

There’s another part of the conversation, though, that gives him a little thrill in the center of his chest when he thinks about it. Sid’s pretty hardcore, Tanger had said, and he’d sounded… approving. Maybe even impressed. Interrupting here to note: Sid rehashing this memory allows me to actually build it up more than I could get away with in the moment: it would have been weird for me to pile on all these adjectives while Sid was overhearing Tanger (like, how many adjectives in a row can you use for someone's tone of voice?), but I've now gotten "admiring," "approving," and "impressed." The reader will notice this. They have to, or the whole point of the scene will fail to land. It had felt really good… but more importantly, it had confirmed that Sid was right about what kind of submission makes a good sub, a sub that doms will respect. And it confirmed that, as far as his teammates are concerned, Sid is living up to that standard – that he’s proved himself.

That is sooo sad. Sid! No! But this is how it works: sometimes it's praise that hurts us more than criticism, by laying out the standard for what others think is "good," which we then hurt ourselves trying to meet. Think of all the people who say, "Have you lost weight? You look great!" Ouch.

All I have to do is not fuck it up, he concludes, ignoring a queasy little turn in the pit of his stomach at the thought. All I have to do is make sure that, if I scene with a dom again, they leave a lot of nasty-looking marks. Easy.

And if Sid doesn’t always like the process of getting those marks—if he still flinches sometimes at the sound of a belt buckle—that doesn’t matter. This is what’s expected of him. And Sid is all about exceeding expectations.

Double ouch.

That's the end - hope you enjoyed!

#asks #fic asks #dvd commentary #director's commentary #hockey rpf #to be seen aright

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