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constesplanetarium · 7 months

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Watch the show.

☼⚠︎ Male! Yandere Circus Ringleader/Magician x GN! AFAB! Reader

Darkness rating ) 7/10: “Getting a little shocking now.”

✧─── ･｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

this is inspired off what im dressing up as for halloween, literally a circus ringleader :)

i hope u guys like him <3

✧─── ･｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

TW! General Yandere shenanigans (possessiveness, jealousy, aggression towards other guys, etc.), light sexual activity, violence, blood, murder, choking, dacryphilia, implied kidnapping.

Word count: Around 4k.

⋆♱✮☽🦇☽✮♰⋆

The acrobats swing too and fro above you, lighting up the crowd's eyes with excitement and anticipation for what's next. Will one of them fall? Will they pull off the trick? You gasp as the acrobat flings himself across the stage, almost covering your eyes in case he misses and falls…

But as always, he lands the trick, the acrobat clinging onto the other one's arms as the crowd erupts in cheers and laughter. Your nerves ease as you smile softly at the acrobats on the stage, still swinging as they revel in the excitement.

This is your… What, fifteenth show by now? But you never get sick of any of the tricks they do. The circus always comes over for the fall, and a friend of yours won tickets from a raffle for the first show when this whole festival started, about a week ago. The show ended up being so good, that you went to the next one on your own accord. And then the next one. And the next one after that. And the next one…

They have shows pretty often, huh? It’s surprising how they never run out of energy.

You had never been interested in the circus before this, but the jaw-dropping tricks, alongside the good-looking members of the cast, made you stay and come back for every single show. It looks like many shared your sentiment, since it seemed that the crowd grew more and more ever since the first show of the season.

Ah, those acrobats are really cute. Maybe you can get lucky and get to meet both of them after the show. Maybe you’ll even get to meet the ringleader, he’s so handsome…

You don’t rip your eyes away from the rest of the show, cheering alongside the crowd at every little trick and flip the cast does; you cheer the loudest in your row once the ringleader bows in the center of the stage with his members, concluding the show.

“Make sure to come see us for our next show in two hours! You won’t want to miss it.” The ringleader does a simple wink, sending every fan of his into a frenzy. You still aren’t sure why people like him so much. People don’t even know his last name, let alone his first one. He’s just referred to as ‘the ringleader’ or ‘the mysterious master of the circus’ by eccentric journalists who are trying so desperately to keep the reader’s attention. A bunch of celebrities, along with reported billionaires and people from big spots in large companies have come here to watch his tricks, and maybe even strike business, but reportedly he’s always turned down these people, no matter how much money they offer him.

Strange. If they offered him a billion dollars to buy out his circus, would he take the offer? Ah, you know you would. Maybe he already has a private sponsor?

Once you gather your things, you step back out into the festive atmosphere of today's holiday; halloween. Jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows line the pathway back to the main center of the festival, and you can hear the screams of fear coming from the haunted house they all set up. The orange and red lights from the ferris wheel look so pretty from here…

You find yourself wandering around the festival for around 10 minutes, noticing every little detail the festival coordinators setup. There’s even cute little artwork for the signs pointing you in the events you might want to check out later. Looking at everyones costumes and the decorations makes you feel all giddy.

Oh wow, look at that huge skeleton! Your hand digs into your pocket quickly to-

Wait.

Your phone?

Where’s your phone?

You pat down your pockets, and the moment you realize it’s not with you, you run back over to the building, swinging open the door and bound for your seat. Holy shit, lady luck must be on your side today. Thank god no one had closed the entrance yet.

You bend down, trying to dig around for your phone on the floor. It’s so hard to see, since they already shut most of the lights off, damn it…

Where the hell is it?!

“Hello.”

Oh my gosh!

You jump up, almost stumbling right back down, yet a hand grabs your arm before you can fall, and you see who it is instantly once you look up.

“Looking for this?” The ringleader smiles cheekily, waving your phone around as the screen lights up your surroundings a bit. “I’m sorry, I should’ve waited by the door to see if the owner would pop up.” The shock of seeing him this up close is so bad, you don’t even reach for your phone. He takes your hand in his and sets your phone down, right in your palm.

You slowly hold your phone close to your chest, and thank him for returning it.

“It’s not a problem.” Should you ask him for a picture? Maybe an autograph? “I’m glad you came back for it, instead of giving up, and assuming that someone already stole it.” You don’t even have paper for him to sign. Maybe he’ll sign your clothes or something?

Oh my gosh, he’s so much better up close…

“Are you alright?” He chuckles, brushing his hand across your cheek, and your body flinches in response. “You were zoning out there. Oh! I see,” He chuckles. “You’re surprised to see me up close.”

Right on the money.

Warmth spreads all the way up to your face, and all you can do is giggle nervously. God, it’s like you’re a schoolgirl asking out her crush.

“It’s alright. I find it flattering.” He glances between you and your phone for a moment. What’s up? “Would you like a picture?”

On my god.

He brushes up next to you, pressing your hips together as you open up your camera app quickly, setting it in selfie mode. “Is this okay?”

Yes.

“Good. Smile.” You would find it amusing how he’s holding up a peace sign for the picture, but you're more nervous about the hand he’s set on your hip, digging into your body.

“Oh, you aren’t going to take the picture?” Oh my god, the picture. “Or are you distracted by something else?” You glance up, seeing his guilty smile as his gloved hand rubs your hip slowly.

These pictures need to be taken before something else happens right here, right now.

You signal him to look over and smile, snapping a couple random pictures. You don't even know if they turned out good or not. Is it hot in here? You should probably get out.

You thank him quickly, and turn your heel-

“Leaving so soon?” You turn back to see a clear frown on his face, the dimmed lighting shining right on him. “You can stay a bit longer, if you’d like. I’m not in a hurry.”

But what about his next show? Doesn’t he have to prepare?

“The break is more for my members than for me.” He sits down in an empty seat, patting the spot next to him. “Come, sit. I would love to have your company for longer.”

You walk back up and sit down next to him, shuffling in your seat as he takes his hat off, setting it down in the empty seat adjacent from him.

“Thank you for staying with me.” He clears his throat and starts to take his gloves off, flexing his fingers in and out as he tosses the gloves in his empty seat too. “Meeting all types of people when they come to my shows is wonderful, but not being able to talk to them personally makes me a bit sad.”

You smile empathically, and he returns your smile.

“Oh!” He snaps his fingers, his smile widening at the thought of his sudden new idea. “How about I save you a seat for my next show? Please, tell me where you’d like to sit!” Woah, really? “I mean, you are coming to my next show, right?”

Uh. You were planning to go to the ferris wheel with a friend of yours, actually…

His mood shifts from happy, to immediate disappointment. “Well, you can just visit the ferris wheel after my show, can’t you?” Well, you COULD, but-

“Oh please, I would really like you to be at my next show…” He takes your hands in his, rubbing his thumb over your palm. “Please?”

Urgh.

“Oh, just amazing!” He laughs and stands up, pointing to a seat around the front row. “How about there? Perhaps I can even perform a trick for you once I’m on stage! How does that sound?”

Wow, this man’s pulling out all the stops, huh? You can’t help but thank him again, from saving your phone to getting you a free seat. This ringleader’s so nice…

“Oh? ‘Thank you, Mr. Ringleader?’” He laughs and grabs your shoulder, rubbing it affectionately like you two are good old friends sharing a joke. “You don’t have to call me that! Loosen up a little, will you?” Even with his encouragement, your whole body is still tense with nervousness. “Please, call me Mr. Vidales.” So that’s his last name! Ah, how pretty…

“Now, now, don’t be all fidgety with me.” Mr. Vidales grins, clasping your hands with his again. Oh my god, what if your hands are clammy now? But the way his thumb is caressing your hand is strangely putting you at ease. “You’ve been looking all over the place.” He tilts his head while peeking at you, seemingly lost in thought, until his face lights up. “Ah, how about this? Watch me.” He pulls out a small deck of cards from a coat pocket around his right thigh, pouring the cards out into his hand. It doesn’t take long to see he’s performing a small card trick for you, yet you don’t tear your eyes away from him.

“Pick a card, any card.” He murmurs, the enthusiasm still there behind his voice, but it also sounds like he’s sweet talking to you, enticing you further. You pick a card on the far left, looking at it discreetly.

The 2 of hearts.

“Back in the deck now.” He shuts his eyes as you slip the card back in, and he shuffles it all with his eyes still closed. “Now,” he starts, picking a card from the deck. “Is this what you chose?”

NAH.

Hah! He failed the trick! You grin and shake your head, the king of hearts in his hand instead as his smile drops to a frown. “Oh.” He stuffs the deck into his left hand, placing the card face up on top. But strangely enough, he starts to smile, and reaches behind your head, leaning closer to you. “Now let’s see.”

Oh. He smells really, really nice…

Why is your heart racing?

You peek up at the ringleader’s face, your body warming up as he looks down at you, a mixture of amusement and something else in his eyes. “Ah, now what do we have here…” He whispers, and his hand drags down your back slowly as he shows the king of spades in the deck on his left hand. Is he still trying to prove he’s not cheating? You sigh at the shivers flowing up your spine, pressing your thighs together once you feel the heat between your thighs get more intense. Lord, he’s good at this. Does he do this often or something?

“How cute.” He says adoringly, like he’s talking to a small puppy. “Look at you, how cute.” He repeats, his hand pressing itself against your waist, tugging you closer to him. “Ah, I’m sorry, I’m supposed to be showing you a trick…” He can show you something else in just a few seconds if he keeps this up. Mr. Vidales groans loudly once you palm his bulge, followed by a small laugh once you tease him for reaction. “Please, let me finish my trick. Unless you want to do something else right now…?” He begs quietly, and you sigh with a smile as you move your hand.

A bit disappointing, but you do want to see the end of this trick.

“Ahem.” He clears his throat, clearly still a bit riled up, but fine. “Now, watch me.” His warmth vanishes from your waist, and you see his hand come back into view with…

The 2 of hearts in his right!?

You stare at his right hand in awe, as he waggles the card around a bit, grinning sheepishly at your dumbfounded expression. “Good, huh?” Even after all of that, you never saw the deck vanish from view! How did he…?

“I’m not just a ringleader,” he says. “I dabble in some magic here and there too.” He shuffles the cards again, stuffing them back into the box, then back into his coat pocket. A light clap of your hands at his trick and his mood shifts from proud to flustered, fidgeting with the buttons on his outfit as you praise him for the trick.

“Thank you, thank you.” Mr. Vidales bows a bit and laughs quietly. “Your praise is very appreciated.”

… He looks scared. Ah, no.

Shy?

“There must be something on my face, with the way you’re looking at me, it’s…” Mr. Vidales stops talking, staring into your eyes for a moment. “Oh…”

Is he okay? You frown, tugging on his sleeve in concern for his well being. He seems to snap out of his trance, blinking repeatedly.

“Oh! Erm, yes,” he says. “Yes, I’m fine.” A smile spreads in his face quickly, but you can’t help but think that it’s all insincere.

“It’s nothing, I promise.” He sighs. “It’s just some fatigue.” There’s a voice in the back of your head, telling you repeat that he’s lying, but you ignore it in favor of his charming voice and attitude.

Maybe he just needs some time alone?

And, to be completely honest, the hunger’s kind of getting to you too; maybe you can grab a bite to eat and bring something back for him?

“Oh, please.” He nods quickly. “That would be wonderful, thank you. Perhaps you can get me those cinnamon bites with the glaze? They’re delicious.”

You fidget with your wallet as you run out the tent, waving him goodbye as you run for the food stalls.

Hopefully the lines aren’t too long…

The line was pretty damn long. You glance down at your phone to check the time, and decide to jog back over to the tent once you notice it’s already been 25 minutes. And it’ll probably take you another 5 minutes to get there, ugh, the ringleader probably thinks you left to go on a couple rides or something, and forgot about the food entirely.

You slow down once you notice the door’s closed, and look around for a sign of him, but there’s nothing around. Maybe there’s another entrance in the back?

Clutching a drink in one hand and a bag, witn a box of sweets at the bottom in your other, you make your way to the back of the building to find the door slightly ajar, and you use your foot to kick it open the rest of the way, walking through.

There are several doors on both side of you, and by just reading the names on the doors, you can tell these are the member’s dressing rooms! Ah, no way…

It’s so tempting to go up and knock on one of their doors, but you have to shake your head a little to get those thoughts out. Mr. Vidales. That’s who you’re looking for.

You wander around for a bit until you come up to his dressing room, about to bang on the door, but as soon as you try to, the door slowly opens up, and you-

You…

What.

What?

The smell of iron and the sight of crimson fill your vision as you stare at the ringleader, tugging and shoving a man's body into a small closet. It looks like the man was stabbed repeatedly in the chest, along with the broken teeth in the pool of blood in front of you, and a spot of blood on his head.

Isn’t that… Isn’t that one of the employees here? He literally gave you free shit, what the hell…

Mr. Vidales’s face is splattered with blood, alongside his chest, and his outfit has puke on the lower side of his coat. A fallen, bloody knife lies on the ground, surrounded by his victims blood.

“Bastard. Must’ve wanted to give me a goodbye gift before his passing…” He scoffs, staring at the stain with disgust.

The police.

You need to call the police.

Mr. Vidales looks up at the sudden stream of light, and a couple beats pass as neither of you move from the sheer shock.

“Oh.”

Run.

You turn your heel, but trip once someone grabs onto your arm and pushes you down, spilling your drink all over the floor. You try to scream, but a hand covers your mouth instantly, and you feel the tears start to flow.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He frantically whispers and he climbs on top of you, his hands shaking and bloodied as he struggles to keep you quiet. There’s blood all over him, and he’s spreading it onto you. All over your mouth. Your body.

It’s sickening. You have to fight back the urge to throw up once he turns you over and you see his face. Why does he look so excited to see you?

“Stay quiet. Quiet.” He hushes you, keeping your mouth covered as he helps you up. "It's okay darling, see?" As soon as you get up, you’re going to run. That’s what-

“Quiet, or I’ll kill you.” A sharp knife is suddenly pointed at your throat, and you let out a choked-up sob. “Oh, I’m so sorry darling…” He whispers, as he slowly lets the hand from your mouth go.

You don’t dare scream.

“Come on, come.” He pushes his arm against your waist, slowly pushing you back as he steps into the room, shutting the door. “I’m not going to hurt you, or kill you. I promise.”

You shut your eyes as soon as you step in, shaking as you hear the door lock. The bag you’re holding is slowly taken from your grasp, and set down with a thud on his desk, along with the knife. All you can do is listen to what he says.

“Oh, you did get my favorite! Thank you.” Mr. Vidales cooes, pushing you closer as you wince at the gesture. You can feel the blood seeping through your clothes. “Shame about the drink. I’m sorry for grabbing you so tight.” He sighs. “Now, let me just…”

He slips his coat off, revealing that the blood stain on him went deeper than expected, staining his grey undershirt with a dark crimson. You stare at the blood on your own body and almost feel like puking yourself.

“There’s no point in running,” his face is full of pity, yet he smiles at you all the same. “My acrobats are already outside, waiting to catch you if you try to run. Not that I’d let you get that far anyway.” He wipes the blood on his hands away with a loose rag, the white of said rag being stained with that sickening red. “Weren’t their tricks just wonderful? I worked hard to teach them, you know.” You immediately catch that he’s stepping closer to you, and you back away in response, glancing around the room for another exit point. “I know a thing or two about flipping around myself. Maybe I can perform some tricks for you?”

There isn’t any. Not even a window.

“Why do you keep looking around? Why can’t you be happy with me?” Mr. Vidales whines, throwing the rag aside in frustration, with a small splat. “I did all of this for you! You like me, don’t you?” But… Why?

“Oh, you’re so sweet,” he murmurs, almost as if he’s afraid that someone else will hear him. “When I first saw you in the crowd, I saw your excited face and couldn't stop thinking about how adorable it was. But then,” He takes a step. “You came back. Again.” And he takes another few steps closer, suddenly feeling yourself bump into a wall behind you, frantically glancing around for a way out. “And again,” His breathing becomes shaky as he lunges forward, grabbing your arm as you try to escape from his right side, your left. You cry out in fear as he pins you up against the wall, grasping your neck tightly. “And again. And again, you came back every time. You must’ve loved seeing me so much…” The grip on your neck tightens. “Next performance, I’ll be up on stage with all of them. Performing just for you.” Your breathing becomes ragged and hazy from the lack of oxygen, but he acts as though nothing is wrong, kissing your cheek. “Tell me what you want me to do. I’ll do anything.” It’s getting hard to see. Tears prick the corners of your eyes, and run down your cheeks as he kisses them away, licking them up before they drip down to your shirt.

“You’re adorable, even when you cry…” His soft lips press against your cheeks repeatedly, his chuckles making you feel sick to your stomach. “You’ll be all mine, ah,” Mr. Vidales lets go of your neck, and as you take those much-needed gasps of air, he hugs your body close to his, and you wince once you feel his hard cock press against your thigh. “There’s nothing better than that…” His hand wraps around the back of your neck, applying some pressure, but jot enough to cut off your oxygen

What the fuck…

You try to turn your head, trying to get a glimpse of the corpse so you can identify who it is, yet he’s already shut the door to the closet, so you can’t.

“Are you trying to peek?” He frowns. “You don’t need to look at him. He isn’t your concern.” It looks like he’s trying to avoid the topic of the dead body altogether. He reaches over and pinches your cheeks, chuckling at your displeased expression. “Ah, I hope you understand how angry I get when you get so starry-eyed by looking at my member’s performances.” Mr. Vidales sighs, pushing you over to his desk by your waist. “I wish it were only me that you show that adorable expression to.” Why the hell is he acting so casual? He just killed someone. Your eyes keep on glancing towards the door, since you don’t see any other escape route.

Oh, when will you get your chance?

“But, I guess we all can’t have what we want.” He stops. “Well, maybe I can.” He shoves you up against the desk, patting his hand on top. “Sit.”

Oh.

You shakily hop up to sit on his desk, and he slides himself in between your legs, both of your faces mere centimeters apart. You have to hold your breath with the way you can see every drop of blood slide down his face,

“Now you’re with me! Isn’t that wonderful?” He presses a small kiss on your lips, grinning. “You’ll get to be with me everyday!” What? He tugs you closer, pressing your back against his chest once he pulls you into a big bear hug.

“Yes! With me.” he says plainly. “Forever.” No way. You glare at him in horror, but his smile never falters for even a moment. The blood splattered all over himself and his clothing, along with his declarations of love towards you…

It’s so sickening.

“What a dream come true.”

ミ★ 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴. ★彡

happy halloween! ik i said i was gonna do the ghost boys for halloween, but i couldnt help myself </3

plus im gonna just extend the ghost boys into november bc i got hit w/ a mean writers block halfway thru….

hopefully this little fic can get me thru it

BUT IM WORKING ON OLIVERS DAY AGAIN SO YAY!!!!

yall gonna see the fnaf movie??? i am <3

#yandere #yandere x reader #male yandere #x gn reader #yandere oc #yandere oc x reader #male yandere x reader #dead dove do not eat #not proofread #circus

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inphront · 2 months

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y’know i’m writing this fic and it’s making me think that maybe we don’t recognize enough as a fandom that a lot of harrow’s guilt and shame, which make her light years more sympathetic as a character, are a.) not actually that moral, b.) directly caused by the ninth, and c.) probably shared with her parents, the only characters in the whole series that i’ve never seen a single post trying to humanize/analyze as complex. like. harrow hates herself for what her parents did and honestly? the most likely reason for this is just that kids subconsciously recognize themselves as extensions of their parents, and *her parents probably hated themselves for what they did.* regularly explaining your crimes against humanity to your five-year-old but only being willing to discuss it in the terms of it being a horrible sin and having to take a ritual cleansing bath every single time is the action of a very guilty person. i have to imagine that those saltwater baths probably included some really intense self-flagellation on the part of harrow’s parents that she internalized. i’d venture so far as to say that their suicides were motivated by guilt over the massacre just as much as by shame over the opening of the tomb.

harrow’s sense of constant guilt is so often seen as proof of her having overcome the imperial morality pushed by the houses, and that makes sense given the fact that she *has* taken a viewpoint by the end of the series that opposes imperial morality, but also, guilt is like the main export of the ninth house. harrow’s relationship to it, even once it stops being something she projects onto gideon or otherwise externalizes, is fundamentally ninth and ties her to what she herself acknowledges as “the worst flaws of her house.” ultimately it is something she inherited just as much as the 200, which to me provokes a lot of questions about how her parents actually coped with the consequences of their own fucked-up actions. gideon experienced that coping as just straight cruelty, but we know that harrow got a much more complex window into their feelings and behaviors, and my guess is those behaviors bore distinct resemblance to hers.

i have to wonder what sorts of systemic pressures were falling on them and their house that led to them killing off a whole generation, and what sort of transformations they underwent. how *do* you live with yourself knowing that the blood of so many innocent people, people you were responsible for *protecting,* is on your hands? how could you possibly raise a well-adjusted child when she’s basically a mirror into an atrocity you could’ve hardly fathomed up till the day you committed it? do you think they tried to? i think they probably tried to, but ultimately being a good parent doesn’t change being a mass murderer, and it’s impossible to pull off at all when the mass murder is so directly tied to your hopes for your child. the ninth’s entire purpose within the empire is to carry the weight and memory of one of the most horrible things john ever did, to *inherit the mass death and necromantic subjugation of the earth.* in this capacity, harrow’s parents are *victims* of the empire and its doctrine around death who proceeded to perpetuate both the mass death and necromantic subjugation AND the task of bearing the burden of shame onto their next generation. i don’t really know where i’m going with this aside from “the ninth’s cycle of violence is based in shame and is an extension of john’s disbelief in forgiveness, which means harrow can’t break it without forgiving something unforgivable; it’ll be interesting to see how she manages such a difficult task,” and “i think we oughtta talk about the politics of guilt as it applies to the entire reverend family dynamic”

#tlt #harrowhark nonagesimus #priamhark noniusvianus #pelleamena novenarius #phron’s locked tomb essays

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foxyyaoguai · 11 months

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The antis have been all over my posts in the last few days, so I wanted to share my experiences and write a guide on how to deal with them.

First off: Our ships and character preferences are valid, no matter how hard some people try to demonize them. We are part of fandom and allowed to post about the things we enjoy, just like everyone else. Our fanfics, fanart, video edits, photo edits, etc. are all works of love and they deserve to exist and be explored by others.

✨ Strategies for dealing with antis ✨

Don’t engage. I have checked the bios of all the antis that left comments under my posts, and the majority of them are minors. You don’t want to talk to minors in fandom spaces!! And a conversation based on logic or reason won’t be possible either.

Delete their comments. Tumblr, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube allow you to delete comments, DO IT!! You created something with love and hateful comments have no place underneath it. Even if the comment just makes you uncomfortable and isn’t outright hateful, it is perfectly reasonable to delete it for your own sanity.

Block generously. Not only the people who target you specifically but also anyone who engages in character- or ship-bashing. People who do that for one ship will do it for other ships too and it’s extremely bad fandom etiquette. When you see a character or ship-bashing post, block everyone who liked it and then the poster.

Report people for harassment. The rules vary by site, but especially threats of violence should be reported. Also, if someone follows you to another social media site after you’ve blocked them, that is called block evading and you should report that too.

When you see other people getting hateful comments underneath their posts, leave a nice comment to offset some of the negativity. Your being supportive can make the difference between this person never posting again and them being motivated to keep going. People are always welcome to send me links to a post that is getting targeted by antis and I’ll like it and leave a nice comment. 🥰

Don’t let the bad comments outshine the positive ones! Every time my post gets enough traction for antis to find it, it also gets lots of lovely reactions. Many people have told me that my content and recommendations made them ship my OTP, and that is the single thing that makes me happier than anything else. Take a screenshot and look at these kinds of comments when you feel down. This is the real reason you should keep posting.

Most hate comments are exceptionally uncreative. It helps to laugh about it, preferably with a friend. ✨ Remember, you used your energy to create something and you should be proud of it!

When you see a creator you like, but they also display obnoxious behavior towards people who like other ships, characters, or dynamics, at the very least don’t give them a platform by sharing their posts.

Stay safe. Don’t post personal information online.

It’s completely valid to step away from social media for some time. Private your accounts, turn off notifications, do a canon reread, read some fanfics in peace. Whatever it takes to remind you why you love the things you love.

Bonus Tip: Watch videos of cute animals to destress. Bunnies nose-booping each other can (and will) cure anti-induced anxiety. :)

✨ Platforms sorted by least to most toxic and my advice for using them ✨

1. Discord

Discord is great because you can join servers specifically for your favorite characters and ships. If a server doesn’t already exist, consider setting one up! Pro tip: only invite people that have positively interacted with you in the past. A small server consisting of nice people is a lot more fun than a large server consisting of members that can’t get along or are only marginally interested in the topic.

Fandom Discord servers have clear guidelines on what you can post. As long as you follow the rules, people have no grounds for calling you out. In my experience, moderators are quick to respond to harassment.

When you join a server and you see they heavily restrict certain types of content, it is a red flag. Proceed with caution, even if you plan to only talk about “safe” characters and ships.

2. Tumblr

I have rarely gotten hateful comments on Tumblr, and the few times I did they were easy to delete.

A lot of the older fandom generations use Tumblr and they are more mature and accepting of all kinds of content.

3. Twitter

Twitter makes it easy to curate your own fandom experience. You can mute words you don’t like to see on your timeline, mute and block users, and most people have their ship preferences in their bio.

4. Instagram

My Instagram posts about Jadecest get a lot of positive interaction, even more than on Twitter. There are unpleasant comments once in a while, but they are easy to delete.

Blocking a user will delete all their comments from your posts.

5. YouTube

People who don’t like your ship will downvote your videos and downvotes lead to the algorithm not recommending your videos.

I have gotten a few negative comments, but they are easy to delete.

6. Reddit

When you post in a fandom subreddit, everyone will see the post, independent of their ship preferences.

There are a lot of minors on Reddit.

You can’t delete comments.

Most fandom subreddits are poorly moderated.

7. TikTok

I have gotten the most hate comments on TikTok. They can be filtered or deleted, but antis interacting with your video by leaving hate comments will lead to the algorithm recommending your content to even more antis. It can get very ugly.

If you post on TikTok consider turning off comments, stitches, and video replies. You can also mark your content as 18+, so it won’t get recommended to minors. (Again, antis tend to be underage.)

Platforms are more toxic the more they show your content to people outside your bubble. Discord, Tumblr, and Twitter keep your content relatively well contained to your circle of friends. Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram heavily promote your content outside your bubble, which is good, because more people are going to see it, but also bad, because it reaches more antis.

~~~

Antis are loud and obnoxious, but it’s important to remember that they are a minority. Ship and let ship still exists, especially among the people who have been in fandom spaces for more than just a few years. Don’t be afraid to post your content and express your love for your favorite characters and ships! I, for one, would love to see your creations, and many other people would love to see them too.

What are your experiences and strategies for dealing with antis?

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onlycosmere · 1 year

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I wasn’t going to say anything about it because, frankly, I regularly read much better criticism of Brandon Sanderson on tumblr.

However, Brandon responded to that Wired article, so I’ll share his response with you all.

Brandon Sanderson:

All,

I appreciate the kind words and support.

Not sure how, or if, I should respond to the Wired article. I get that Jason, in writing it, felt incredibly conflicted about the fact that he finds me lame and boring. I’m baffled how he seemed to find every single person on his trip--my friends, my family, my fans--to be worthy of derision.

But he also feels sincere in his attempt to try to understand. While he legitimately seems to dislike me and my writing, I don't think that's why he came to see me. He wasn't looking for a hit piece--he was looking to explore the world through his writing. In that, he and I are the same, and I respect him for it, even if much of his tone seems quite dismissive of many people and ideas I care deeply about.

The strangest part for me is how Jason says he had trouble finding the real me. He says he wants something true or genuine. But he had the genuine me all that time. He really did. What I said, apparently, wasn't anything he found useful for writing an article. That doesn't make it not genuine or true.

I am not offended that the true me bores him. Honestly, I'm a guy who enjoys his job, loves his family, and is a little obsessive about his stories. There's no hidden trauma. No skeletons in my closet. Just a guy trying to understand the world through story. That IS kind of boring, from an outsider's perspective. I can see how it is difficult to write an article about me for that reason.

But at the same time, I’m worried about the way he treats our entire community. I understand that he didn’t just talk about me, but about you. As has been happening to fantasy fans for years, the general attitude of anyone writing about us is that we should be ashamed for enjoying what we enjoy. In that, the tone feels like it was written during the 80s. “Look at these silly nerds, liking things! How dare they like things! Don’t they know the thing they like is dumb?”

As a community, let’s take a deep breath. It’s all right. I appreciate you standing up for me, but please leave Jason alone. This might feel like an attack on us, on you, but it’s not. Jason wrote what he felt he needed--and as a writer, he is my colleague. Please show him respect. He should not be attacked for sharing his feelings. If we attack people for doing so, we make the world a worse place, because fewer people will be willing to be their authentic selves.

That said, let me say one thing. You, my friends, are not boring or lame. In Going Postal, one of my favorite novels, Sir Terry Pratchett has a character fascinated by collecting pins. Not pins like you might think--they aren't like Disney pins, or character pins. They are pins like tacks used to pin things to walls. Outsiders find it difficult to understand why he loves them so much. But he does.

In the book, pins are a stand-in for collecting stamps, but also a commentary on the way we as human beings are constantly finding wonder in the world around us. That is part of what makes us special. The man who collects those pins--Stanley Howler--IS special. In part BECAUSE of his passion. And the more you get to know him, or anyone, the more interesting you find them. This is a truism in life. People are interesting, every one of them--and being a writer is about finding out why.

In that way, the ability to make Stanley interesting is part of what makes Pratchett a genius, in my opinion. That's WRITING. Not merely using words. It’s what I aspire to be able to do. People are wonderful, fascinating, brilliant balls of walking contradiction, passion, and beauty. I find it an exciting challenge to make certain that the perspective of the washwoman or the monk sitting and reading a book is as interesting in a story as that of the king or the tech-mogul.

And I find value in you. Your passion for my work is a big part of why I write. You make my life special. Thank you.

(NOTE: I do want to make it clear, again that I bear Jason no ill will. I like him. Please leave him alone. He seems to be a sincere man who tried very hard to find a story, discovered that there wasn't one that interested him, then floundered in trying to figure out what he could say to make deadline. I respect him for trying his best to write what he obviously found a difficult article.

He’s a person, remember, just like each of us.)

#brandon sanderson #cosmere #branderson #root #cfsbf #wob #kind of #long post

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accio-victuuri · 3 months

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XZ’s GQ February issue candies 🍬

now that we all had the time to appreciate the lovely photos and videos from that cover & collab — which is honestly a whole meal on it’s own, now is the time for some sweets. 🫶🏼 nothing too extravagant, a few similarities and clues we have connected only. i think the best candy still is the fact that it’s now confirmed that zz & wyb both have a good relationship with gq. even rocco going as far as choosing xz to start having simultaneous cover releases with other countries. sit tight and wait for all the toxic narratives to be proven wrong. don’t sweat it. the road ahead is long. let’s enjoy life and support the boys! 🫶🏼

One thing i noticed, and was actually surprised about was WYB posting an ad for Super X as early as 8:00 AM. Tho he may post at 8:05, which is rare, he usually does ad posts at 10:00. The 8:05 is mostly done by the brands. We have talked about them trying their best not have work overlap, this is a minor one, but as soon as GQ posted at 9:30 i feel like i know what’s happening. Then it didn’t stop till 12:00 nn. It doesn’t help cause i’m clowning that the short film feature for this cover was assigned Chapter 8. WYB posted at 8, the full short film is 8. What a nice coincidence!

Knowing WYB is not a stranger to doing short films with GQ and their love for movies! It wouldn’t really surprise me now if GG does a full feature about LOCH with them. These two really chose the same publication to do exclusive for their projects 😌😌

the similarity that i love is them in the bathroom and then looking at the mirror. tho wyb’s are scenes from HB, these stills were first seen @ GQ.

there is a story here 👀👀

it’s nice too how GQ used ZZ’s photos and put them in the frames. what a nice touch! since this is essentially his dream 💭

+ peter pan pop up art book on the bed too!

overall, there is really not that much we can clown about when it comes to photos alone. tho what gg is wearing has an interesting story as shared by @rainbowsky here. some may say it’s the stylist and magazine’s choice but we still love seeing the association. In addition, the clothes were inspired by Nicole Kidman’s clothes in a Chanel perfume ad. i love the unconventional wedding dress choice here, it fits them! <3

moving on to the biggest way we can cpn tho is the interview & cover story.

i especially liked the questions, it wasn’t cutesy. it asked what needed to be asked.

here are some of the similarities i found with them and their outlook in life and career. 🤍

First of all, being professional is an unavoidable topic. You can have a non-major background, but you must have excellent professional skills. This is what I want to do, this is who I am. I feel that I am not enough, and i’m too far behind.

I think (improving acting skills) is a cumulative process. You can’t make a big step forward with just one movie. This is difficult for me to happen. So you have to keep filming, but you have to keep filming good films and don't consume yourself.

It’s the intent to be a better actor and the self awareness of not having that “background” people expect them to have. However, they can compensate by being professional. by being the hardest working person in the room. Sometimes I feel like it’s okay for them to praise themselves and not always be this critical, but i guess that’s what make them the best too cause they have high standards for themselves.

At present, I want to be an actor who makes the audience like you. Maybe everyone is not your fan, or even not particularly interested in you, but you know that he has a drama, Do you want to watch it? His dramas are all good. I want to do this. This is my current goal. Is it possible to become the actor I like? This is a rule.

THIS. This!!!!!! I feel like they both have this outlook. They don’t need every single person to be their “fan” but the goal is to become known and liked by the general public. That people are familiar with them as good actors with excellent works. It’s why there is absolutely no need to beat yourself up on who is the better fan. It doesn’t keep the boys up at night. Lol.

There are many. For example, Zhou Xun has always been my favorite actor.

Zhou Xun! Who has worked with WYB in various projects, primarily with Chanel! I hope ZZ gets to work with her too.

I used to take the subway every day. for me there’s nothing I can't do. What do you think I can do? Say hello and leave. It’s just that I don’t want to cause confusion and trouble for everyone or cause a bad reaction.

The two of them have the same intention of not wanting to cause trouble to the people. That means making sure their fans do not cause unnecessary public issues like gathering in certain places.

Everyone has their own boundaries, and some people have no sense of propriety. I stay away from such people, but when the boundaries are broken again and again and the bottom line is touched, I will get very angry.

Chongqing pepper is here! lol. I see them being very patient and understanding cause they know what people expect of celebrities. But they won’t also take things lying down. They will fight if need be.

In principle, I am a very rigid person. If I insist on something and I think it is right, it will be difficult to be convinced. For example, if I want to be an actor, I don’t want to do anything other than being an actor.

I just want to do it well, just try my best right now. Maybe the result is not good, but what should I do? This is all I can do.

Sounds familiar? Especially the part that says I want to do it well? They have the same braincell 🙃

Now let’s look at the cover story. First, i wanna point out the comment of the interviewer about ZZ: “Before meeting, I thought Xiao Zhan would be very cautious about interviews. To my surprise, Xiao Zhan had a rare sense of relaxation, answered all questions, and even had some humor.”

Which is actually a common misconception about XZ or — you know what? he was kind cautious before but as time goes by, he became more relaxed and candid with his answers. It’s still insightful, but not as practiced. In the Q&A, he mentioned that there are things that cannot be said. Setting boundaries like that. Similarly, WYB is the same. We’ve heard stuff saying that he is in a more relaxed state now. I love that for them!

I still sneak out to ride a bicycle, take a walk, and do a CityWalk. Only once, just now in after walking in the alley for 5 minutes, I was recognized. I also sneaked into the cinema to watch a movie. No one will care about you, really. after leaving the Internet, many things will be solved easily. Sometimes the world is right in front of us.

This goes out to everyone that says how can they go out? How are the CPNs of them spending time together be true? Well this is the answer. Sneaked into a cinema to watch a movie? I hope they do that together too ^^

When he goes to different cities, Xiao Zhan will bring the same type of pillows and quilts. "I will bring everything that can help me sleep well." He has also tried aromatherapy lamps, lavender essential oil, and various other products that make him fall asleep when applied on his body.

This is such an easy cpn for us. Remember that time DLS clowned WYB about the aromatherapy candles? HAHAHAHAHAHA!

-END.

#yizhan #bjyx #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do #sorry this is so late i was so exhausted lol

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femmedefandom · 9 months

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so aside from Bill and Charlie, I don’t actually like any of the Weasleys (talking book canon, not fanon or movies). most share a naive binary « you’re with me or against me » mentality in which they are always in the right/have the moral high ground and can be prejudiced or outright cruel to those who oppose it. from major ideological disputes to differing opinions and interests, if you don’t agree, then you’re not worth their time or affection. or they’re just not wonderful people.

Arthur: this is a man who is so grossly incompetent that after years working in an office specializing in muggle artifacts, he still has no idea how muggle life works or even how to pronounce basic words. treats muggles like fascinating creatures to be studied, not humans, despite having vague ideologies about supporting their existence. operates as a supporting act to his wife, not as a united front. had more children than he can afford to support on his salary. raised those children to believe all Slytherin are evil.

Molly: majorly judgmental and passive aggressive woman who wields her love and approval like a bait and switch for her children. so smothering that every single one of her adult children got out ASAP. claimed a literal 14/15 year girl was a harlot based off rumors and completely discarding years of friendly relations. despised her first son’s fiancée for having the audacity to be beautiful, French, and disagree with her opinions. cut all contact with Percy when he joined the ranks of the ministry/not wanting to die for Dumbledore’s cause that seemed under manned and outmatched, despite him giving no indication that he was involved with DE. had too many children to give appropriate attention, care, and support to, leaving them to feel neglected and not worthy.

Percy: stuck up snob yes, but I don’t think his ambition is necessarily a bad thing considering he grew up without a lot and wants différent for himself. What he is is sort of tunnel minded in thinking that just because he doesn’t outright support DE, that his work in the clearly corrupt ministry was doing any good. Following the law is right in theory but not all laws are fair. He swung too far in the other direction when he could have used his position to warn people about policies set up to hurt them.

Fred & George: for those who like them, they’re wonderful and brilliant pranksters down for a good time any time. But they turned their brother’s teddy bear into a spider in his arms giving him lifelong trauma. Relentlessly terrorized Percy in the name of a joke (that he was the butt of and never enjoyed). stuck that Slytherin kid Montague in such a life threatening situation that he had to risk untested apparition to get out and survive and laughed about it. Boo-d literal children who got sorted into Slytherin and set the tone that a sorting out of their control was enough reason to be mocked and degraded.

Ron: wants everything but doesn’t work to get it. He complains when he’s not the best but you don’t see his efforts to improve. Loves being Harry’s friend but hates being « Harry Potter’s » friend and takes that frustration out on him. Always willing to assign everyone the worst motivations from outsiders like Viktor to any Slytherin to his best friends Harry and Hermione. He’s just really petty.

Ginny: has a celebrity crush on a kid at age 10 and holds onto that for years despite very limited interaction with the person in question, which is super creepy. like her mother, she hates on Fleur for having the audacity to be beautiful, French, and receive Bill’s love (apparently it is also her fault that guys in general are smitten with her). we’re told she received support and advice from Hermione about Harry and then when Hermione expressed concern that Harry didn’t agree with, Ginny immediately cut her down and invalidated that. not too much to go off with Ginny but with the little I read it’s not good.

#the weasleys #anti molly weasley #anti arthur weasley #anti fred weasley #anti george weasley #anti percy weasley #anti ron weasley #anti ginny weasley #look I’m not saying they’re all evil or anything #I just can’t stand when so called good characters don’t have their flaws acknowledged #you can still like them #but if you ignore the worst parts of them do you actually like the character?#or just your idea of them?#a well written character has reasons for crappy behavior #as all the weasley do…for the most part #but that doesn’t mean it’s okay

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dailyadventureprompts · 1 year

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what do you think of a campaign in the style of games like Left 4 Dead and Vermintide(fighting through hordes of enemies while completing a series of objectives)?

DM Tip: Against the Horde

Friend, let me tell you the tale of the time I was playing in a game where the DM decided it would be a great idea for us to fight 200 zombies. This wasn't because we were the appropriate level, that many zombies amounted to a challenging encounter for a party twice our strength, 200 just felt like a nice round number that would appropriately communicate the idea of a horde.

That fight (and the five hours it took) was one of the most valuable lessons in dungeonmastering I ever received, because it showed me nearly every problem that emerges from d&d's combat system when you put it under stress.

To set up the stakes, it saddens me to say that there were none: the zombies emerged in a village we had never heard of and would never go to again for no reason what so ever. This was in no way part of or relevant to any plots, before or after. It was purely an excuse for the dm to have us fight 200 zombies and that fight had no bearing on anything. We didn't even get XP for it.

Now let me share what I've learned:

Like all of its other systems, D&D combat is not fundamentally fun or meaningful, it becomes fun and meaningful when the combat is used to tell stories the party already has stakes in. Sure, it's enjoyable to throw some dice around and roll big numbers but if you're going to do that without a story attached you might as well be playing a boardgame with more refined mechanics like Heroquest or Gloomhaven

The base combat system of d&d is fundamentally clumsy, which makes sense given that it's a bastardization of wargame rules from before they invented fun. "roll to hit vs ac, roll damage vs hp" might've been snappy back when creatures and characters tracked hp and damage in 1s and 2s, but as the numbers bloated combat slowed to a crawl. Not only does a player now need to wait 10-40 minutes between their chances to do anything, that chance can be entirely wasted by a bad to-hit or damage roll, especially when you don’t have an ability to buff your damage. Because d&d operates on the concept of attrition and we were forced to fight so many zombies, our entire party was down to making basic attacks after the first few rounds. Our turns became almost meaningless by the end: whether or not we hit, it generally took 2-4 swings to down a single zombie, and then another shambling corpse would take its place. This is to say nothing of the damage they were doing on us, or the healers desperately trying to keep everyone up when it became inevitable that they’d be downed again before their turn came around.

People who complain about players steamrolling encounters or that modern classes feel like “superheroes” have failed to recognize that cool and borderline overpowered abilities are what save the game from being a slog. Combat lasts about three rounds because that’s about how long it takes for the players to burn through their reserves of cool shit and start having to throw rocks at their opponents. Fighting on an empty tank can be poignant once or twice a campaign, but if it happens every time you roll initiative people are going to start tuning out. This is why the professional games have big fights sparingly and generally reserve entire episodes for them.

It is likewise the DM’s job to set up cool and borderline overpowered opportunities within the combat space to supplement the party’s own, just like it’s their job to come up with interesting challenges for the party to overcome. That’s just a standard of good combat design, and while smaller fights can be simpler, it should be equally mandatory for big fights to have just as much thought put into the party’s options as the enemy team’s composition.

My most important lesson that campaign taught me is this: No d&d is better than bad d&d. I could have skipped that session and spent five hours doing anything else and i’d have been better off... I likewise could have skipped that campaign and have been spared the grand finale where the DM pulled that sort of shit again, running an “epic” multi-unit fantasy LOTR style battle where we got to watch as they spent 95% of the time smashing different armies together like single player warhammer.

I want to say sorry to the Asker for stumbling into one of my old war stories. Figured it’d be a good baseline to have while I circle back to the more specific advice: It’s fine to have a setting where enemies are everywhere, but prolonged combat vs overwhelming numbers of foes simply breaks the game. L4D and Vermintide are game systems that are mechanically built to feel good engaging with that many foes (and have the benefit of computer processing powers) where as D&D works best on small scale skirmishes.

Art

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #d&d #5e #pathfinder #ttprg #dm advice #dm tip #dm tips #dm tools #writing advice #combat

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spottyissleepwalking · 1 year

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So, as an adult within the Warriors community who has experience being groomed and taken advantage of by someone I trusted, I wanted to step up and talk about the Sagutoyas situation.

My platform isn’t exactly big or important, but it’s important to come forward with it regardless.

TW: Sagutoyas, grooming, very serious and heavy themes discussed

The Warriors community, while generally geared towards younger folk, is composed of viewers of all ages, backgrounds, interests and viewpoints. But as the content is intended for a more preteen demographic, it is paramount to remember: minors are everywhere here. And it is absolutely disgusting for someone to utilize their fame and platform in order to harm others, especially children, who usually don’t understand what’s happening until it’s far too late.

To every member of this community, though mostly to the younger demographic that follows me, please. Be cautious.

I understand the urge to be sociable and share your passion with others, but remember that for the most part, many of us are strangers with one another. Be careful about who you interact with, and how they interact with you in turn. Try to stay public when conversing with someone; try not to isolate yourself. Never disclose any personal information about yourself, whether that be your name, location, age, etc; it could be used to harm, find, or manipulate you. Never put your full trust in someone you do not know and maintain a safe distance from strangers on the internet, especially if you are a minor and they are an adult. And if anyone makes you uncomfortable, uneasy, or even just gives you a bad gut feeling at any point? Do not engage with them. The hurt feelings of a potential predator are not worth your trust being shattered for possibly the rest of your life.

Always. Prioritize. Your own. Safety.

You do not owe anyone anything. Ever. No matter their skill level, no matter their ideas on your favorite content, no matter how much you look up to them.

This goes for myself as well! I am an adult with a large following mostly of minors; I have made this space, cultivated it as my own, and thus I am responsible for it. Please know that those of my community are ALWAYS safe with me, no matter your age, and if you feel unsafe, I beg you to talk to someone you trust. If you feel unsafe within my community, there is no pressure to stay, and if it persists, or if someone specifically is harassing you under my name, tell me about it immediately. I will deal with it.

Adult fans should be held to a pointed standard. Red flags should always be pointed out and alerted to others. Discussions should be held. The more people are held accountable, the more likely their victims will feel comfortable enough speaking up.

Predators are pests and are to be eradicated immediately. I have no patience dealing with the likes of them. The safety and happiness of those I am responsible for, as a “senior” member of a community, is my first priority.

Warriors should be for everyone. We as a community have failed that and it needs to change. We can’t prevent every single instance, but we can still step up to help those who are vulnerable.

Something must be done.

Predators are not welcome here.

#spotty speaks #warriors #warrior cats #tw grooming #grooming tw #grooming mention #sagutoyas

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sofyreneko · 4 months

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I’ve had this Percy Jackson OC story in my head since I was 12 years old and, even though I stopped writing about her in Wattpad years ago, she keeps coming back to my mind with such interesting storylines I keep exploring more only in my head and I do think they could still kind of work with other actual characters so I wanted to share a little bit of what I’m thinking.

Think of the Stoll brothers being co-captains of the everybody-cabin just after their own brother’s betrayal. The ones who are in charge of introducing every new demigod coming to camp in the beginnings of war time, the ones in charge of the cabin of the left-behind demigods– the unclaimed, the children of minor gods, the forgotten; the cabin with the most kids switching sides. Think of them having to greet every single demigod and give them hope when they ask who their parent is, how long they will have to sleep in the floor, and think of them watching them get let down by their parents.

Think of them seeing their own sibilings, people they eat and sleep next to, probably looked up to, too, people they have known and lived with for years, slowly begin dissapearing and not knowing if they are now dead or enemies. Will they have to make a shroud or be prepared to see them across the battlefield?

Think of them seeing their own brother go insane trying follow Luke’s leadership, knowing that maybe if they had been closer to Chris he wouldn’t have gone through that, knowing they could have been him instead. Think of them watching everyone call the brother who raised them, who took them in, probably the brother who made them feel at home, a traitor; think of them seeing everyone call the brother who betrayed them, who poisoned their home and killed their friends, a hero.

Think of all of the demigods, specially all-year campers, specially before the public reveal of Luke’s betrayal, getting dreams of powerful forces inciting revenge against the gods’ negligence, promising power to change their own story, tempting them to go against their own families. Think of not knowing who to trust, who else had had a dream, which of the people seating around them had been interested and which one you could trust.

Think of them knowing for sure there is a traitor in the camp, someone they know who is willing to lie to their face while giving away information with the intent to get them killed. Think of the ones that grow resentful, screaming in their head at all of the defectors: “I didn't betray camp, I didn’t betray home, so how could you?”, and think of the ones that grew compassionate, that understand because it could have easily been them if they had been persuaded a little more, because gods are unfair and a change was needed but not like that.

Think of the friends and sibilings of Silena Beauregard, who probably were there for her when Beckendorf died, having to come to terms with the fact that she was the one that told Kronos the plan that got him killed. The hero of the Battle of Manhattan, the spy. Knowing they were alive because of her help, but that their friend, their brother, wasn’t because of her betrayal.

Think of the comment, I can’t remember where it’s from actually so don’t quote me on this but maybe it was implied, that Luke was one of the last people to return a his quest, even if he failed, before Percy. Where there other demigod quests between Luke and Percy? Who where they, and why didn’t they return? Does anyone still remember them?

Think of the right after the war, when everything still raw and the wounds are still fresh, when they couldn’t sleep without thinking of what was lost; right when a lot of new campers began joining. Lots of wide-eyed children, who probably have never been in war but may know a thing or two about being in danger, of tiny-Nico-Di-Angelos asking all the wrong questions at the worst possible moments. Think of the cabin conselours overall, who had to become war generals last week and now have to keep stepping up to introduce to every single new demigod about who they are and also, what everyone else had just gone through. We got a taste of what that would be like with Piper and Leo, but they were a bit older than most and came a bit after everyone else.

Also think of the silly stuff. The Hermes’ cabin jokes, whatever the fuck happened the summer of the centaur with the prom dress, the other couples that also suffered the “cooling of” in the lake treatment, the every day of the year-round camper in a camp full of teens. The interesting concepts: What-if roman scenarios before the greek found out about Camp Jupiter? My personal favorite is someone that knows they are demigod and ends up in Camp Half-Blood, only to later realize they belong to Camp Jupiter, so when they disappear Camp Half-Blood thinks they died. What other famous demigods were there in camp before Percy got there? How long ago had the Hunters of Artemis visited camp before The Titan’s Curse? What more did Percy miss?

There’s so many scenarios to explore in those first few years, when Percy was away from Camp in school. I want to give a name to the “fallen Apollo kid in battlefield” or to the “demigod standing behind Luke”, and I want to give a story to those who ended up a footnote in Percy Jackson’s life story.

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harfblarf · 1 year

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“Help my Cat” Scam Going Around

Have you received an ask in your inbox from an account that previously wasn’t following you, pleading for a signal boost on their vet-related post? I got one today, but something felt fishy. Or perhaps “phishy” is more accurate?

Here’s the ask:

Now a couple odd things right off the bat. This is a blog I’ve never seen or interacted with, who wasn’t following me prior to sending the ask, so I immediately wondered how they pulled my name to ask for help. And while the world in general is a shitshow, so I can sort of see why a person would default to saying it “isn’t the best time to ask for help”, they say it with such confidence without knowing me at all.

Odder still, from their posts-- which at least do look extremely normal and human-like, down to the mishapocalypse profile picture-- we don’t share any interests aside from... well. Cats.

The other odd thing is them specifically requesting I reply privately, through DM or a private answer. I wouldn’t think much of it except they’re already asking me to publicly share something on my blog; if I’m going to answer the ask, why can’t I do so publicly?

I scroll through their blog some more. Their pinned post is, indeed, asking for help with their cat:

Weirdly, though, an earlier version of this post uses a completely different name for the cat??

This is bizarre to me and my red flags are pinging louder. Maybe it’s innocuous, though, I mean, it could just be a nickname or something? Why would you change it though?

Also, the post’s ratio is weird-- 101 reblogs to 44 likes. I suppose not too shocking if they’re doing this use-an-ask-to-get-a-boost tactic widely, but the ratio is pretty extreme. I check the notes. Every single reblog with tags has some variation on ‘boost’ or ‘signal boost’; there are no comments. No one has mentioned knowing this person, no one has vouched for the legitimacy of the post... but two mention that they were asked to boost the post.

*EDIT: Per a polite anon, I will clarify that signal boost/boost tags themselves aren't a red flag; what bothered me was that the post's ONLY interaction history came from boosts from seeming strangers. An active fandom blog, active enough to think posting a plea for financial help might get traction, SHOULD have at least one or two mutuals or friends who are willing to push the post and vouch for its legitimacy. Because the only engagement was from people who had clearly been approached via ask, like me, I got the heebie jeebies.

Okay, I’m doubtful enough that I’m not comfortable boosting this post myself. But let me check one more thing.

I search google for the exact phrasing of the help-requested post.

Ah.

There’s well over a dozen blogs pulled up with this exact phrasing. Most of them use the name “Koppi” instead of either “Ashel” or “Biscuit”, but a few use “Ashel”. The oldest result, from 2016, uses “Ashel”; more commonly, these results are from 2022 or earlier this year and again, most say “Koppi”. Also interesting: basically none of these posts exist anymore. Google can identify the exact wording even beyond what I included in my search query using whatever demonic powers allow it to reference removed content, but they’ve clearly been deleted.

Additionally, which I clarify for those like me who attribute Google’s quirks to demonic powers rather than an actual understanding of how it works: if the dates didn’t make it clear, these aren’t the blogs in the notes of falesyorac’s post. I cross-referenced the names. It’s not pulling up those reblogs, so presumably the majority of these results at one time came from someone who drafted and posted the wording to their blog, not from reblogs.

Maybe it was once a real post, maybe it’s always been a scam, but evidently the content of the post has been stolen and recirculated at this point. Along the way I found this as well, an anon warning someone who must have reblogged a version of the scam post:

So this is at least partly confirmed as a scam from another source.

Please be wary, do your due diligence before you put your money anywhere, and block & report falseyorac. I’m not sure the nature of the falseyorac blog originally; it may have been a real account that got hijacked, it may be a very convincing fake, it may be a real person’s blog who is trying to to leverage their innocuous appearance to pull quick money with a beggar scheme. Regardless, it is evident there is not a genuine Ashel/Biscuit needing help today and that whoever holds the falseyorac account right now is trying to pull a scam.

One more thing-- one of those reblog’s tags I showed earlier.

I also have a tag for reblogs of cats. (It’s “cats”.) I suspect this is where this particular iteration of the scam is pulling its targets from-- after all, people who reblog cats enough to tag them must care about them, right?

Finally, I am tagging the people who reblogged falseyorac’s post with tags (there’s too many for me to do everyone who reblogged it at all) below the readmore-- if I messed up and tagged the wrong person and/or you want your name removed, please just contact me and ask. I want to make sure you can see this warning, but I’m happy to untag you if it bothers you for any reason.

@thislilfecker / @koreanbibliophilegirl / @kingminyard / @sss-shyshy / @shoutmonishere / @cleocatrablossy / @mothmansass / @aroanehring / @valkyrie-ellis / @jae-writes-fanfiction / @ninja-chibi / @iambecomeahamburger

(A few people’s names didn’t come up when I tried to tag them, so I wasn’t able to include them here, rip.)

#cats #scams #scam #cat #signal boost #warning #boost #mutual aid #community aid #community support #pet scam #donation scam #harf blarf blib blab #i spent too much time on this

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mitziholder · 6 months

Note

do you feel as negatively about lesbians writing F/F fanfic as you do about the state of fanfic / how women engage with fanfic overall?

that is a fair question. fujos and (het) self-inserters are an easy target because they’re the majority of fic writers, and since most of everything is bad, there is naturally going to be a lot of really really bad man-centric fic. it’s easy to complain about them because of that. I’m sure there is also a lot of really terribly written f/f content too, very little of which touches on anything I’m actually interested in reading about. do I believe it’s literally impossible to write anything of value if you’re using other people’s characters? no, that would be absurd. but I’ll quote myself from an older, deleted blog:

“I just find it weird how fanfic, generally speaking, has homogenized to the point that in nearly every single fandom for every single book, movie, show, every genre and every medium, all have basically the same stories with the same plots and tropes no matter where you look. if you check every fandom it will be heavily weighted toward m/m, slash, yaoi, whatever the term is nowadays… and for the most part, even if explicit fic is a minority within the fandom itself, the most popular fic will always be porn or long fic that includes porn.”

“…it seems to always, in my experience, utilize a terribly pedestrian narrative style. combine that with shared tropes and source materials and the majority of fanfic has you reading the same things over and over with little variation other than maybe a different perspective. I can count on one hand the number of fics that have impressed me with experimentation! the vast majority are just… blah. blah blah. these two characters have sex. these two characters pine for each other for a really long time and then have sex.”

those posts were written a few years ago, but they’re still true. and the reasons for that are fairly simple: fanfic is, by its very nature, derivative, and the barrier to entry (publishing) is extremely low, making it easy for children + less skilled writers to throw their hats in. in addition, there is a strong, decades-old taboo against “unsolicited concrit,” which is expressed as “don’t like, don’t read.”

when you put all of these things together, what you get is a community that is A) very repetitive and B) very averse to challenging itself. that is not the recipe for genuine and raw artistic expression. it’s mass-produced unedited shit from people chasing the high of their favorite tropes. they are not interested in improving.

you have people who will admit to reading nothing but fanfic! and the people who read nothing but fanfic will go on to write more fanfic, at which point the cycle of degradation is unavoidable, because all they want is more of what fanfic offers: predictable, clearly labeled content made according to a formula that has been perfected for the broadest appeal + max kudos.

fanfic readers love tropes. they live for tropes. their “plotting” (lol), their dialogue, their characters and character dynamics are saturated with tropes. that’s why YA literature is starting to market itself on the basis of tropes - they sell! little soundbites. easy money. because fanfic readers are generally not interested in anything that might surprise them. they don’t like risk. that’s why they’re reading the same shit about the same characters over and over and over again. and these tropes, which are picked from and regurgitated into fic after fic after fic, become further and further removed from any genuine expression of human emotion. they become abstract. nonsensical. for the most part, fetish fodder. and if that is the only thing you’re reading……. It’s literally over🙁

because most fanfic is about sex or romance, because most fanfic is written by women, and because most women are heterosexual, f/f content is considerably rarer than the alternatives. writing about women does marginally broaden the scope of what fanfic is interested in/capable of exploring, but it doesn’t solve the main, underlying problem of what fanfic is and how people (mostly women) engage with it.

are there some good lesbian fanfics out there? probably! but that isn’t the norm. is it the end of the world if you read fanfic? no! but also read real books and write something original please.

#ask

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mister-eames · 9 months

Note

1/? If you wrote a thesis on Arthur and Eames I would literally carry it around in my pocket & read it daily, so I’m begging you!! Please don’t spare your 5k essay on why you think Arthur thinks he doesn’t have a chance with Eames!! I Wanna know your thoughts on this!! Because I think it’s a combination of elements. Firstly I think initially Arthur truly believes Eames doesn’t like him. They’re too different. Arthur is everything Eames isn’t & vice versa. & even tho the saying goes “opposites

2/? attract”.. sometimes you just clash & that’s that.. I think at first he also mistakes Eames playfulness, his snark, quips & attempts at riling Arthur up as genuine condescension & disdain. I also read once in a fic where Arthur made a comment about how nobody likes the pointman cos at the end of the day it’s his job to pick apart everybody else’s work & point out the weaknesses. So the idea that a guy like Eames, who as a forger has one of the most creative/artistic roles in dreamshare. --- 3/3 would be interested in a guy whose role often involves probably telling people to tone it down... yeah. Not gonna happen. & then I think there’s that fear of mixing business with pleasure. The idea of ruining such a great working partnership by bringing something as messy as FEELINGS into it? I think that’s something that would make Arthur not even entertain the idea of ever having anything more with Eames because how could he ever risk losing Eames as a work partner?

---

Aha, are you ready? Obvs these are all just my headcanons, and that the beauty of inception is that the characters can be who we want them to be, all interpretations are valid, etc etc...

So, with Arthur and why I think he thinks doesn't have a chance with Eames. You're right that it's a combination of elements:

I think, at his core, Arthur like, all of us, carries some kind of emotional bruising when it comes to loving and being loved. And like, all of us, Arthur does not think he's perfect. He has self-perceived flaws. Every single one of us, as human beings, has insecurities - even Arthur. I think he uses all of the surface, logical, 'rational' arguments like not wanting to mix business and pleasure to justify not actually addressing these hurts and insecurities.

You know my personal headcanon for Arthur, generally speaking canonically, is that he did not come from money. He grew up poor with a parent that wasn't, say, well enough to be there for him the way a child would need. That he was the caretaker in the household most of the time.

And, bear with me here, on Arthur caring about his looks - Arthur is buttoned up to all hell not because of vanity, but because of how he will be perceived--- he wears his suits less like armour and more like a weapon. Arthur, to me, is scrappy, not defensive.

But despite how he presents himself, deep down Arthur still is that fourteen year old version of himself, the one that lashed out everyone Eventually, he learned to control that anger, the one that showed everyone else where he was wounded -- but he never addressed the ways he was hurt, or the parts of him that has always been deeply lonely. As an adult he isn't keen on loving anyone else because it's always been a one-way transaction. He does not know how to interpret loving someone and being loved in return. For him, what does that even look like? Arthur doesn't want to love anyone because he's never received the same output of love he gives out. And maybe he thinks something is wrong with him, for feeling affection the way he does and never truly getting it back in kind - platonic, familial or romantic.

So he wears his weaponry to keep people from getting too close to touch, figuratively speaking. And maybe Eames takes him on face value for a beat too long.

While I don't really consider Arthur and Eames to be opposites, I do think they are flip sides of the same coin. They share a basic foundation, beliefs, ethics - but can also clash where they combine. It's like when you just... get someone on a basic level, like you share a frequency without needing years of getting to know them. Like when you meet someone and you just know you must have known each other in a past life. Arthur thinks that this weird, antagonistic thing he has with Eames is something different, isn't it? Except, it isn't. It's just love, baby.

Arthur feels it, with Eames. That 'something'. Over time it develops into a feeling that is both thrum and quiet. Like his whole body is vibrating but also completely still just by being near him, thinking about him.

But, at least initially, Arthur is just too... wary to place his money on it, that feeling. It's never provided dividends before.

Which isn't to say that Eames is the one to show Arthur he is 'worth loving', or anything like that. I believe that Arthur comes to that realisation all by himself - realistically, they're both still young and young enough to be insecure at the time of the film. Late 20's, 30s? Babies, in the grand scheme of adulthood. They are only just consolidating out who they are, really. But Arthur, at some point, realizes its okay to put his sword down and be loved in a different way from those who'd said they'd loved him before. To have someone take care of him, to run point for him. He gets better at reading love languages.

And I think, to address Arthurs own insecurities -- we all also have that kind of rose-tinted view of the ones we love while thinking we are plain and unremarkable - we look at them and go fuck, you are amazing, you are incredible, you can do anything and you don't even know it, how do you not know how powerful you are?? --- that's part of it too. Maybe he looks at Eames, Cobb and Mal and thinks just that. Maybe he wonders in what world would Eames ever look at him the same way? Maybe he does underestimate his own power and he takes it all too seriously and to heart when he's not perfect. Maybe he can't look past his own fuck ups in life and in work that it truly clouds his perception of himself and his compatibility with others.

That, I think, are the basic fears Arthur has. It's like inception, right, these 'simplest version of ideas' manifest in more convoluted ones. Those fears get translated and articulated into very simple 'reasonable' arguments he hoodwinks himself with so he never has to face his own vulnerability: it would never work out. I don't like the way he does x, y, z. He is so annoying. He doesn't even like me like that. It'd be bad for business. It's not worth the risk. We're here to work.

So I think Arthur leaves his attraction to Eames like a mailbox slowly accumulating with more and more junk mail. He'll clean it out some day, pushed aside in his own mind, left unattended by him for a long time without realizing the pile is growing. On this, some of my fave fics are the ones where Arthur has this sort of... comically misbehaving subconscious because of his ignored affection for Eames. The ones where there are errant projections who fawn over Eames, or the ones where his subconscious is literally incapable of hurting him. I think Arthur is not.. repressed... as an individual, but the feelings he has for Eames are so large and encompassing and that he's tried to fit it into too small of a box, and that box is spilling out at the sides. What he feels cannot be contained or disposed of. He would be that kind of hot mess.

But, Arthur, you darling fool. The feeling is mutual.

#10000% pure self indulgence #like actually #but i don't even care #thank you so much nonnie for letting me indulge so much on Arthur and maybe go overboard on him idk cant stop wont stop it makes me happy #there's something just so remarkably human in these two #these blink-and-you'll-miss moments of vulnerability in the film #my brain can't stop latching onto reasons why arthur is a fucking disaster sweetheart of a human bean #anyway #love these two idiots forever!#arthur x eames #dreamhusbands #inception

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starsinkpop · 7 months

Text

ATEEZ Park Seonghwa Tarot Reading - Future Spouse

Disclaimer: I do tarot readings for fun, so please read them with a grain of salt. Don’t take my words too seriously and just keep an open mind. Tarot is a divination tool that can’t predict the future, as every single individual has their own will and makes their own decisions. Tarot should be seen as a guidance and a good friend that just has your best interest and gives you advice when needed. I’m not putting anyone in my readings on a pedestal nor am I trying to harm anyone. One last side note, I’m not a native speaker, so please excuse any wrong spellings or poor grammar.

Date of Reading: October 9th 2023

Decks: Ethereal Visions Tarot, Wild Mystic Oracle, Dreamscape Oracle, Romance Angel Oracle, Love Oracle, island time wellness love Oracle, Angel Answers Oracle Cards

Three of Cups, Eight of Swords, XIX The Sun, Seven of Pentacles, Two of Cups, Ace of Pentacles, Knight of Wands, Six of Swords

I see someone who’s friends with Seonghwa first - friends to lovers trope saying hi

someone who’s pretty social and very warm and open to others

a very patient soul, who’s nurturing

they help others heal in some kinda way

and want to protect and defend the ones in need

they have a heart of gold and keep secrets very well

his fs is someone very positive and charismatic

could be “too good” for this cruel world

like they’re sometimes too blind to see when people mean to harm them because they always want to see the good in others and they end up getting hurt

I don’t see them ever doing something about that tho because they’re someone who’s generally pretty often misunderstood and they don’t want to make anyone else feel misunderstood

so, they’d rather get hurt and be wrong afterwards than to potentially hurt someone’s feelings by misunderstanding their actions or behavior

however, they have to go through those karmic relationships and lessons to become the person they’re supposed to be

people easily fall in love with them

because they’re beautiful on the inside and outside as well

I don’t really get anything specific about their look except that they’re stunning and gorgeous

they’re extremely charming and won’t hesitate to take action and go for what they want

and they’re the life of any party and could be a night owl

they focus on communities, a social butterfly

but they tend to get lost in their heads

they have a racing mind and tend to overthink at times

but they never lose their playful and happy side

they’re the ray of sunshine you miss after days of rain, no matter how down they are themself, they make sure to always make their loved ones happy and give them warmth and comfort. Kinda sacrificing themself at times

people really feel uplifted after being around them

they are very devoted in relationships and could be younger than him

overall very loving and caring, just very a sweet person that almost everyone would really like to have around

big daydreamer

could dream more about the love with Seonghwa than actually being physically a part of the relationship in a way?

but Seonghwa doesn’t necessarily seem to mind that, they’re this natural pull towards one another

and they will always make the effort for each other, no matter what

but all this daydreaming could also lead to them often not seeing the bigger picture and missing important points

they’re physically very healthy and love the materialistic things in life just as much as they love people

Seonghwa seems to be looking for someone successful and finds that in his fs

but his fs will always be kinda harsh on themself

they work a lot and hard but it’s never enough for them

but they work hard to get all the nice and fine things they want in life

however, they always stay grounded. You’ll never catch them bragging or flexing

instead, they kinda want to share their bits with the world as well

they’re very generous towards others

they’re hard to break down, and if they’re on the ground, they will move on with grace like nothing happened

could work in the entertainment industry as well, potentially works in front of a camera

they’re very good with their words, they know how to properly articulate themself

they’re very busy, always working on something and sometimes struggle taking time for themself

extremely seductive, and have like a dark mysterious vibe

I’m getting quite a lot of sexual energy as well

like they have two sides - a joyful light and happy one but also a dark one that only Seonghwa will truly see

because they will truly love each other

Love,

~Nicky 🫧

Masterlist

#ateez #ateez tarot #seonghwa #seonghwa tarot #kpop tarot #park seonghwa #seonghwa tarot reading #ateez tarot reading #kpop #kpop tarot reading #tarot #tarot reading

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kaes-wonderland · 1 year

Text

𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒌𝒚𝒖𝒖 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

↳ ☆ pt.1 ☆ pt.2 ☆ … ☆

❥ Genre: Fluff

❥ Synopsis: Just some sweet, little random “x reader” headcanons, featuring multiple precious babies…romantic intentions, but some can be platonic!

❥ Published: April 20, 2023

❥ Kae's Notes: I love seeing and making random character(s) x reader headcanons, cause you never know what you’re gonna get!! If you have a specific character(s) you would like to see, feel free to comment them, or submit a character to my submission and and I’ll to a good handful of just them. Please, I need requests- GN!Reader. See my navi for more

WHILE CUDDLING or just anywhere, Kuroo will rub up and down you arm (if it’s okay) to comfort you, but it truthfully relaxes himself as well.

SUNA WILL text you “good morning pretty” then proceed to immediately send you a weird photo of yourself following the sweet message. Very bitter sweet, but he still finds you lovely.

YOU THINK YOU STEAL ALL OF HUS HOODIES No-no, Bokuto insists that you have all of them…until he gets cold, then he’ll give you puppy-dog eyes for one back. But one he’s done using it, he’ll immediately give it right back.

TENDŌ HAS A HABIT of using your head as his personal arm rest. Honestly, you are just his personal resting post in general.

THE HIGHLIGHT of Yamaguchi’s day is when you either trace or kiss his freckles. It makes him all blushy, but it gives him the biggest confidence boost in the world.

YOU AND Tanaka/Noya/Kogane/Atsumu (depending on who you like) have this weird handshake no one else can comprehend, and it ends with you two sharing a quick peck

KENMA LOVES YOU more than his games. There, I said it. That doesn’t mean he won’t stop playing them, as it takes him away from reality, but will for a brief moment if you ask nicely.

SEMI HAS A TRADITION of giving you a kiss on your head every time he sees you. The little things matter to him, and you are a big thing that matters to him.

KYŌTANI KEEPS little trinkets in his gym bag/his room because they remind him of you.

AKAASHI ALWAYS walks on the outside of the road when you guys are walking; just in case cause he worries, and to be a gentleman.

EVERY MORNING right after his coffee, Sugawara will write 3 things he loves about you and slip them into your bag or puts them somewhere where you’ll see.

IF YOU GUYS HAVE TO WALK through mud or a deep puddle, Iwaizumi will pick you up so you don’t get wet/your shoes get dirty

KITA WILL kiss your hand, and sometimes all over your knuckles, every time he sees you. Just to let you know he loves and cares about you dearly.

ANYTIME YOU have something, even a subtle interest in, Kageyama will immediately write it down in his phone/a personal notebook so he remembers it

MIDNIGHT DRIVES WITH ENNOSHITA are absolutely magical. No matter what the time is, or how tired he is, he’ll drive you anywhere you need to go. He gets to spend time with you, and supervise, it’s a win-win!!

FUKUNAGA DOES THAT “they love me; they love me not” thing on daisies and any other flowers he can get his hands on. You have you give him a kiss on the cheek, regardless of what he lands on.

SAKUSA GETS hypnotized every single time he sees you doing something you love. The way your lip curls or how your brows knit together…to him, your face when you are concentrating on something is adorable.

ON TRAMS, Tsukishima will hold you close to his chest so you don’t get bombarded, and so he doesn’t lose you in the crowd of people.

#seaofstrayedthoughts;3 #random haikyuu headcanons #Kae’s Headcanons #miya atsumu #yamaguchi tadashi #bokuto koutaro

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velvet4510 · 2 months

Text

The Gaffer is an interesting character to me. His few scenes definitely show us that he is a gruff kind of guy who never shies away from making his opinion known among the gossips. Though he’s illiterate, he’s not stupid at all, and is actually very intelligent when it comes to all things gardening. But he also has very polite manners toward the gentry and is more than humble enough to “know his place” and be content with the simple working class life. He doesn’t share Sam’s passion for Elves and for learning in general. He’s perfectly fine with his lot in life and has no aspirations. It’s clear that Sam’s modesty, resourcefulness, and grounded sense are all inherited from the Gaffer.

Yet I’ve seen the Gaffer get a bit of hate amongst the fandom. Some dislike how he apparently calls Sam names like “ninnyhammer,” and some fanfics have taken this and ran with it to the point of depicting the Gaffer as a straight-up abusive father. Which…absolutely does not gel with Tolkien’s portrait of him at all.

It seems to me that the Gaffer is actually similar to Gandalf in his demeanor. When frustrated or exasperated, he calls people names, but in an affectionate way. And Sam obviously adores his dad, constantly worrying about his wellbeing back home. It’s clear they have a close and good relationship. Sam just does not seem or feel like an abused child. Maybe overly humbled, yes - the Quest does give him a much-needed boost in self-esteem - but not abused. Sam doesn’t have an abusive or unkind bone in his body; I really don’t think he would be as benign as he is, if he grew up with as cruel a role model as many seem to assume the Gaffer is.

Especially since Sam’s mom is clearly no longer around, and his older siblings seem to have all moved out, since Sam and his dad are the only ones who live in 3 Bagshot Row. So they seem similar to Bilbo and Frodo in that it’s been the 2 of them for a while, they have their own little lifestyle system that works for them, and they look after each other.

Notice in particular how the Gaffer often calls his son “my Sam,” which to me indicates he has great affection and pride for Sam. He even seems like he has that parental mindset of remembering and always seeing his son as his little boy, even when his son is all grown up.

The Gaffer also gives off the vibe of somebody who is actually much more open-minded than he claims to be. Yes, he’s a traditionalist and doesn’t like the idea of leaving home for anything. But notice how he fervently defends Bilbo and Frodo in front of the gossips. He’s not among those who disapprove of the Bagginses or call them “mad.” He’s very fond of them and will not speak ill of them. He appreciates how kind they are to him, and doesn’t see any harm in their unusual interests. And while he does drill an absolute sense of humbleness into Sam by saying things like “don’t get mixed up with your betters,” he actually doesn’t seem to mind that Bilbo taught Sam to read and write, even though Sam wasn’t “supposed” to be literate given his place in society. I feel like while he is set in his ways, he is also able to notice and acknowledge when something unusual has its benefits.

And let’s never forget that the Gaffer is also brave! He literally lies to a Nazgûl’s face to protect Frodo, claiming Frodo had already left when he hadn’t. Even if he didn’t know Frodo hadn’t left yet, it’s still clear he has no intention of selling Frodo out to this creepy guy. When push comes to shove, the Gaffer has some admirable courage inside him…another quality of his that Sam inherited.

I also feel great sympathy for him when I consider what that year must’ve been like for him. Imagine your son disappearing without a trace for 14 straight months, right after some creepy cloaked guy comes asking for your son’s boss. How terrified must that poor guy have been! It’s not much of a stretch to assume he was worried about Sam every single day, wondering if he was safe, if he’d ever see him again. How much sleep must he have lost because of his fears.

And of course, Sam names his fourth son after him. Another indicator that they had a genuinely good and loving relationship.

I really like the Gaffer and will always defend him. Let’s give him some credit. He’s a good guy. We primarily have him to thank, anyway, for raising Sam to be the amazing person he is.

#lotr #jrr tolkien #lotr books #lord of the rings #gaffer #gaffer gamgee #hamfast gamgee #samwise gamgee #hobbits #the shire #lotr analysis #nazgul #ringwraiths #black rider

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