#people probably don't know they can support you!

[ghostlyferrettarot]

◆Pick a Picture: 🛸💜What compliments people give you behind your back?💜🛸

•Pile 1 •Pile 2 •Pile 3

❗️This is a collective reading, take what resonates and leave the rest❗️

✨️Paid Services ✨️ (Natal charts and tarot readings) Open!

💜If you like my work you can support me through Ko-fi. Thank You!💜

🛸Masterlist🛸

★Pile 1: The Empress, 6 of Wands, Queen of Swords.

Hi pile 1! I keep getting Boss energy for you. I feel like you've been focusing all aspects of yourself, really getting to know yourself and most of all, creating your dream life. I feel that people see you as a such a dominant energy, i keep hearing "boss"; they truly feel compliment how well you manage yourself.

There something about your style too, if you have been trying a new style recently, poeple LOVE IT, they think it suits you so well. Also if you did something to your hair people like it a lot!

I feel like you are intimidating in a good way, other's look up to you even if you don't notice. I heard "You are the standard" 👀, so there's people that probably have you as their "standard", i also think there's many other's looking thrugh your social media, maybe some people from your past. I see that many see you as someone "elegant" and "put together ", other's use the word "sophisticated " to refer to you.

🛸Song:

★Pile 2: The Moon, the 3 of cups, Queen of cups.

Hi pile 2! You have such a sweet energy to you pile 2! There's a lot of femenine energy in this pile. I keep getting the picture of beautiful eyes, people may love yours; i also see that the way you do your makeup really suits you and people adore this. I sense a youthful energy, so many may say that you look younger than you look; many called you "sweet" or "cute".

There's a fairy like energy to you, i believe there's something really enchanting about your aure that brings a lot of eyes towards you; i see that you are someone who is easy to love, other's find you really loveable and see a light in you. I believe you are the "safe space" of many, you are non judgemental which make you someone who other's really value and trust. You may be the one friends that others come to ask for some advices. You are really loved by many pile 2, in the 3D and also in the 5D, i sense a lot of deep lovely connection between you and your guides/higher self; you are divinely protected Pile 2!

🛸Song:

★Pile 3: The Star, 10 of cups, The hanged Man.

Hi pile 3! I sense alien-like energy from you. Others may find you unique and artistic; i sense a lot of artistic energy also. People truly compliment how talented you are and how unique is your approach to life.

You bring a lot of new ideas and perspectives to people's lives, their life "is not the same" after you, i heard that. I feel that you an expansive energy, you may be an old soul; other's notice this and find you so Excentric and interesting; people want to talk with you for hours, you are mysterious presence and yet they can't stop looking at you. I see that many people compliments your style and your face structure, they find you beautiful.

Other's describe you as "unstoppable" too, many look up to you, they see you as someone succesful and capable pf anything. Your unique ideas are also admire by others, you are a natural born leader pile 3!

🛸Song:

🛸💜Thanks for reading and tell

me if it resonated 💜🛸

#astrology placements #zodiac #astro community #astrology #astro blog #astro notes #astro news #astro observations #tarot reading #tarot cards #tarot and astrology #tarot witch #tarot spread #tarotblr #tarotcommunity #tarot tumblr #tarot #pick a picture #pick a photo #pick a pile #pick a card #pick an image #pac readings #pac tarot #paid tarot readings #paid services #tarot tips #pic a card reading #pick one #channeled messages

[erwinsvow]

Please write best friend!rafe, rafe and reader are on toppers boat, readers sitting drunkenly on rafes lap while talking to topper, rafe starts giving her neck light kisses but she doesn’t pay any mind to it until toppers leaves, then rafe starts taking it far and then that’s when the smut goes on :)

this is kook trio reader to me!! hope u like <33

you had been sitting besides rafe at first, sipping a beer and talking with a few people on the seat next to you. topper wanted to christen his new boat with a party, so there were hordes of slightly familiar faces joining you and your friends today.

the beer in your hand splashes onto the floor, drenching a portion of the hem of your skirt. the two people next to you had lurched over to make room for a third, hitting you and rafe in the process.

"watch it! jesus," you mutter, though not with any real bite behind it. you're pissy, but mostly just about your skirt than anything else. you're too tipsy to really get mad. you rely on rafe for that—he'll always cuss people out on your behalf. that's the stuff best friends are for.

you look up at rafe, now squeezed next to you on the seat by the railing, and though he's glaring at the boy who pushed you with a death stare, he doesn't say anything, which is surprising.

he must be drunker than you thought.

"there's another bench inside," topper says. "we can go sit there instead."

kelce almost follows him, when you feel two familiar hands on your waist, hoisting you up and into your best friend's lap.

"s'fine," rafe says, still leaving a hand on your hip even though you're completely supported on top of him now. "there we go. plenty of room, right kid?"

a little dumbly, maybe drunker than you had thought, you nod. it's not that weird, is it? you and rafe are always touchy, and sitting on his lap isn't much different than sleeping next to him in bed or how he puts his head on your lap on the couch at tannyhill.

top and kelce exchange a look—you don't realize. the people next to you adjust, sliding in and not leaving any room for you even if you wanted to get off. your beer is replaced by kelce when his gets empty, and though you probably shouldn't, you drink that one too.

eventually the night gets to that point where everyone is a little too drunk, conversation a little too serious.

topper's taken the place of the strangers beside you and rafe, nursing another drink and lamenting his past relationship. kelce is trying to offer advice but too distracted with the pretty brunette he's got his arm around, and rafe...

well, rafe is looking at you. despite the newfound space on the seat, you're still in his lap. head turned to look at topper, you don't realize how intently rafe's staring, not until he brushes some of your hair aside.

"topper, don't cry. it'll all work out," you repeat for what must be the hundredth time. "it's gonna be fi-" you stop talking, feeling rafe's fingers on your hair and what can only be the press of his lips on your exposed shoulder. you look down at him immediately, eyes wide, heart racing, all the alcohol rushing to your head.

"what're you doin?" you ask quietly. rafe's fingers pick up the fallen strap that's resting on your arm, guiding it up and back to its proper place on your shoulder.

"nothin'." ignoring him, trying to remember how many drinks he's had and then how many drinks you've had, you turn back to topper. but you don't even get a sentence out, feeling rafe's mouth on above your pulse on your neck, wet with another kiss. you whole body squirms, and though you think the sight should make you laugh—rafe, kissing you—it makes you shiver instead.

when you lock eyes, the two of you speak without any words at all. it carries on, blinking slowly watching him and not understanding what's going on but knowing, somehow mutually agreeing, that you don't want him to stop.

he leans in to give you another one. your eyes flutter shut, expecting it, but it doesn't come. instead, kelce shouting out.

"oh no, top's gonna puke-"

#haha im so sorry not smut #i love ending stuff like this leave us all hanging #even me im like whats gonna happen next! #rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #kook trio reader

[gglitch1dd]

Love is Blind

Midoriya Izuku x Fem!Reader

Original Idea from @koreluvsspring thank you so much love for letting me do this for Izuku.

Midoriya wasn't even sure how on earth he found himself on the reality dating show but at this point he wasn't even surprised. When your mother is nagging you to get married, you end up doing anything to please her (and maybe even prove to yourself that you can do it). So on a whim here he was.

When he had decided to put himself up as a contestant, it was no surprise that the show took him. When the new Number One hero of Japan says he wants to be part of your show, one does not just simply refuse.

However he had a few criterias when it came to his participation.

In no way shape or form are any of the female contestants going to know who he really is, his real name or hero name. He was fine with them advertising that a hero would be part of the show but nothing more.

No special treatment. He wanted to be treated like every other person on the show. Same amount of screen time, same opportunities, same punishments if need be.

So when Midoriya found himself in the mens section of the facility that was being filmed, he was nervous. The guys were great, some were great fans and others were overall standard people and it was nice getting to know them.

"I really don't know what to expect." Midoriya said as he sat on a chair speaking to the camera in one of his side interviews. "I wholeheartedly just came here with an open mind. If I find her, I find her and if I don't, I don't." He shrugged.

Admittedly he hoped this wouldn't be a waste of time. As much as he loved his job, loved his friends and loved how busy he was as the Number One hero and all the new perks it came with, he was also lonely.

It was a prospect he didn't like to think about since choosing to focus on his career but here he was.

Once the pods were open, Midoriya quickly gave himself the pseudonym Mighty (sorry All Might). He became a fan with some of the ladies but mostly because he could shut up and listen, the moment he started rambling however... then he didn't have many supporters.

But then he met you.

"What is your favourite dinosaur?"

Midoriya paused before chuckling at the question. He leaned back in his couch as he opened to a new section in his notebook. This was a voice he had never heard before. "That's a tough question." He told you honestly.

"You can tell a lot about a person by the type of dinosaur they like."

"Hm..." Midoriya had to think about this question long and hard. "I think Velociraptors."

"Ah so you're a Jurassic park fan."

He couldn't help but laugh. "I can't deny that I haven't watched the movies a couple times, but the movies depict them all wrong. Velociraptors were typically not higher than one and a half meters and had feathers too. They were less than 20kg in weight. Although they were bipedal predators and are said to have run at fast speeds due to their light weight and short stature, they really were not as vicious as they seemed in the movies, unless you were a prey animal of course. That would be pretty unfortunate. But I think an animal like a brachiosaurus could easily survive against small velociraptors. They'd have to be hundreds of them to take down those big guys and-" Midoriya stopped talking when he realised he had once again started rambling. He had probably scared you off. "Sorry I-"

"I agree. The movies do depict them wrong, but then again I don't think we can truly know the truth. Although you did mention my favourite leaf eating tall necks, the brachiosaurus so you get points for that." You spoke up chirply, having followed along with his words. "I'm L/N Y/N! It's nice to meet you!"

Midoriya paused and smiled, genuinely. "I'm Mid- Mighty." He caught himself there. He almost slipped up and gave you his real name. That was a close one. In due time. He let out a breath. "I'm Mighty."

"Hello Mighty." Midoriya could hear the smile on your face.

Since then, he couldn't stop thinking about you, nor could he stop talking to you. You were the first and only person he ever wanted to talk to while in the pods. He felt like a high schooler again, laughing with a soft blush on his face and having serious conversations with you almost as if he had known you for years.

"I mean yah, I try be as close to my parents a possible but sometimes it just... doesn't work out." He heard you say from the other side of the wall. "I'm pretty close to my younger sibling though. We have a lot of fun together, I miss them. What about you?"

Midoriya lay on his back on the couch, his hand stopped writing notes as he moved to look up. He took a moment. "Well it's always just been my mom and I. My dad was..." In jail as a mass terrorist and genocidal maniac who tried to kill him upon seeing him for the first time in 16 years. "Never really in the picture." He decided to say. "But my step dad and I are real close. He's a real nice guy."

"I'm glad you've got him in your life. You talk very highly about him."

"He's... he's given me more than I can ever express." He spoke softly.

"You're a hero right?"

He nodded his head with a hum. "Yep."

"Well... I think its mighty special that a hero is able to still appreciate the ones that brought him to where he is. I think that's mighty sweet." You said, making him smile at your words. Then he heard you giggle. "Hehe, see what I did there? 'Mighty'?"

Midoriya snorted.

He could talk to you about absolutely anything and the both of you seemed just so compatible. You both wanted the same future and had the same goals in life. When he thought of his future, now he saw you. It had just been a little under a week in the pods and he was sure.

It was a weird thing watching other guys come back and say how they proposed to the girl of their dreams they had never seen. But Midoriya could say that he understood.

He understood as he entered the pod in a button down and dress pants despite you not being able to see him. He understood when he crouched down on one knee and took a breath and said. "If there is one sure thing I know about this whole experience, it's you. I've... I've never felt so calm and so happy than when I'm with you. You gave me happiness and... and well... I wanted to ask you if you would marry me?"

You didn't answer immediately which had Midoriya a bit nervous (he was sweating through his shirt) but then he heard sniffs. You were crying. "Yes. Yes I will marry you."

Next thing he knew, he was standing behind the impending glowing doors that would lead to you. The woman he loved. He couldn't care how you looked. Honestly if you were a troll that lived under a bridge, he would follow you there too.

And when the doors opened and standing at the very end of the pathway, your doors opened to and he saw you. Midoriya's pupils blew out as he saw you.

Dear God, you were gorgeous.

Love truly was blind.

-Glitch1d

#bnha midoriya #izuku midoriya #midoriya izuku #izuku midoriya x reader #izuku x reader #midoriya x reader #deku x reader #izuku fluff #midoriya izuku fluff #midoriya x you

[yannaryartside]

CARMY NEVER WANTED TO CREATE A MENU WITH SYD.

AND WHY THAT IS THE CORE THEME OF THE SHOW

PART 1: THE LIE THAT CARMY BELIEVES

So, one of the bases of creating an efficient character arc is to give the character something they want, and something they need. In the pursuit of getting what they want, the theme of the show and obstacles will show them what they need. Most of the time, they need healing from an emotional wound that prevents them from growing into the ultimate version of themselves, capable of winning the challenges of the story. I will try to explore Carmy's wound and, more importantly, the lie that created that wound.

In 'The negative trait thesaurus" by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, it reads:

"Wounds are often kept secret from others because embedded within them is the lie-an untruth that the character believes about himself."

When I started therapy (disclaimer: this is not professional advice; I am just talking from how I interpreted all of this), I was introduced to the concept of "limiting beliefs:" lies we have told ourselves about our own nature or the nature of the world. The most difficult beliefs to leave behind are those established in our early childhoods, and we told ourselves those lies to make sense of the world, to make peace with realities we were not equipped to comprehend yet. 

Some examples of lies people belive:

"I am too stupid to learn anything; my teacher said so" "It was my fault that I was molested." "I am a bad person for wanting a different life."

When people believe these lies, they will act accordingly, maybe attracting situations that hurt them but keeping the lie active in their lives. They may self-sabotage or create bonds with people who also believe the lie, even if it doesn't seem this way. 

In some cases, people may develop complete personalities or behaviors to prove the lie wrong, but deep down, they still believe in the lie. Carmy falls into this last category. This is where we find the most contradictory parts of his personality, how he can act shy and insecure in some instances and appear confident and even aggressive in others. 

Long post underneath.

THE RESENT OF A MOTHER:

We can only assume here because I think Storer is gonna let us know more about this soon, but I think I got an idea of this wound when I saw the only moment Carmy was alone with Donna on "Fishes."

I have a lot of things to say about Donna herself, but let's begin with the obvious: the conversation in this scene had little to do with the dinner itself. This was a woman stating that she felt alone and not valued, probably due to being abandoned by her husband and having to overwork herself at the beef to support her 3 kids, all while being a single mother. We don't know if this feeling of abandonment is something she has carried since childhood, but in the state of current womanhood, it wouldn't be uncommon. The work of women (especially mothers), particularly the emotional labor, is rather invisible and not valued at all.

But again, this is something she has used as fuel to resent her kids, who, at the end of the day, didn't ask to be here. Her anger has to go somewhere since she cannot direct it toward the people that ctually caused it. To get to the point:

THE BEARZATTO SYBLING DYNAMIC

Carmy said, "You are not alone; I am here with you." (This kind of comes back to telling Syd she was not alone at the end of the season.) This scene is about a kid trying to communicate to his mother that he loves her and trying desperately to connect with her, to get her to express her affection for him as well.

It tells me that growing up, he felt like he had to "earn" her affection. Donna likes to make her kids feel guilty about her unhappiness, so the kids feel that they are constantly walking on shells because they think their mother hates them, or at least that she resents them and that it is their responsibility to fix it.

In the scene, Carmy asked,

"What is so hard, Mom?"

I think what he was actually asking is, "What is so hard about being with us, to love us? What did we do to you that made you resent us this way?" He is asking because he wants to know, to finally understand. Why do you drink, Mom? Why do you yell? Why do you say such hurtful things?

When she answers, "Nobody makes things beautiful for me," you can see in his face the disconnection. He knows he can't do anything about that.

Then, a crucial part in the scene occurs when Donna calls him "Michael, " which indicates that the only one of her children who could make her feel happy was Michael, or at least that is how the other two kids felt. You can see the hurt in Carmy's eyes in the scene because this answer dismisses his effort to connect to his mother in his own right. She asks him to just leave. He offers to wait to connect with her. Then, it comes to the most chilling moment on the scene, the "we have a problem" using his full name, with resentment in every word. She hugs him while crying, kisses him, and then slaps him.

This is rejection. There is a book called "The Five Wounds of the Soul": wich are Rejection, Abandonment, Humiliation, Betrayal, and Injustice. I think Carmy's wound is rejection, for never earning his mother's love, particularly comparing himself to Michael.

Michael took responsibility for the Beef, finally giving their mom a break. It was Michael's job to make sure everyone was having a good time, to compensate for the discomfort that caused being in Donna's presence, to make sure all of them stayed as a family, which was Donna's intention, so Michael thought he had to make that happen for her. Therefore, Michael is the only one of her kids who succeeds and makes her happy. We know Donna rejects Natalie and Carmy. About Natalie, we can write another whole essay.

THE LIE THAT CARMY BELIVES

According to this scene, I think Carmy thinks that her mother didn't love him because he is not Michael; in fact, he is the most "not like Michael" someone could be. He was shy and stuttered and didn't have friends or girlfriends, comparable to Michael's ability to control every room he was in. Carmy was sensible and no macho alfa as Michael presented himself to be. Carmy left home and the family business, and both Michael and Donna expressed that they feel like he thinks he is better than them. Michael admitted later to admiring Carmy's work in Copenhagen, but Donna never did. carmy grew up having to live with the crumbles of Donna's attention that Michael left behind, wondering every day what was so wrong with him that made her reject him, and wondering what he could do to change that.

The lie that Carmy belives, could be sumarize this way:

I need to earn people's love. I need to always go the extra mile, doing the most possible at all times to earn people's love.

This all goes back to his trauma with Michael. It goes back to his career as a chef and how he became the best. He didn't need to succeed on a larger scale in the culinary industry to earn Michael's respect and love; he needed to be the best in the world, so he did that. He judges his own social abilities, comparing them to Miachae's. He left that promising career only because of Michae's death. He got the girlfriend Michael wanted for him (not saying it was the only reason, but it was there).

PART 2: WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS HAD TO DO WITH SYDNEY?

Well, what does a person who feels they always need to do the most? They do the most. I want to bring you back to the moments Carmy had to develop menu ideas with Syd on s1 and s2.

When Syd suggested items for the menu in s1, he gave her an inconclusive, not enthusiastic "maybe."

When she had to actually cook the thing for him to approve, he tried to make her feel small about it. He felt the need to remind her that she was "impatient and green," according to her previous bosses. He commented about her possibly ruining the flow by using time to cook her recipe. Yikes all around, but the core here is that he was treating her like an enemy, like competition, while she was trying to save the restaurant with what they had on hand to use the most efficient solution.

Then, when Carmy tries the dish and feels stunned by it, he has to make an ambiguous excuse on the fly and just finishes every chance of them using the recipe by saying, "is not ready yet"

And what does he do next? He goes to show the crew a recipe that is extremely complicated for the level they are operating at currently—they said so themselves. I think the recipe is a variation of Donna's butter chicken recipe. To put a nail on that coffin of his intentions to earn her love and approval at the end of it all.

But why does he do all this? Because he needs to be the hero, subconsciously, he is still that small kid begging for acceptance and love; he must go the extra mile. He cannot accept Sydney's help and partnership, because that will take away from him earning what he wants on his own merit.

In S2, he seems unenthusiastic about starting the menu in the first place. Then Claire comes along, and he tries to make it work with Syd and the menu, but I think he subconsciously thanks the universe for not having to go to his core wound. That is what self-sabotage is. That is why he bailed on the food tour with Syd, using such a stupid excuse as helping somebody else move out and never mentioning it again. He never asked her what she liked or what ideas she thought of. For most of the creative process, Syd is alone, working on her own creative crisis. The menu ends up being like two recipes they made in collaboration and then all of his family's traditional recipes. It is two of Syd's recipes and the rest of Carmy's. Then, desserts Marcus did on his own. The collaboration was superficial at best.

All of this creates the core theme of the show. The Bear was once a chaotic place (like their childhood home) that needs to evolve into an efficient, peaceful place built on love, support, and mutual collaboration like a functional family should be. Sydney is the member of this found family that forces Carmy to confront his core wound and learn he can actually be good enough while still accepting help. Therapy probably will play an important part in this theme, alongside with Carmy learning there was nothing wrong with him in the first place, that earning your parent's love is not something a kid can do.

Thankyou for reading. Gif and images are not mine.

#sydcarmy #the bear meta #sydney adamu #carmy berzatto #carmen berzatto #the bear fx #the bear #sydney x carmy #carmy the bear #carmy x sydney #the bear hulu #donna berzatto #michael berzatto #natalie berzatto

[faelapis]

Don't Vote in Eurovision.

i want to start by acknowledging something: i hope my fellow eurovision boycotters, protesters and general #BanIsraelfromEurovision people know it's not like. impossible for israel to win this year.

at eurovision, you only need a minority of televote to "win" televote, when there are 26 entries in the final. nobody wins with outright majority, they win by being the biggest minority.

if there's 10% dedicated zionist viewers who will vote for israel just because it's israel, that probably outweighs the points that a lot of other countries will get. if you divide 100/26, you get an average of 3.8%. if there's 10% dedicated zionists, i hope you see how that's suddenly a HUGE percentage. (of course, eurovision votes are not even. some songs get 0.2% of a country's vote, some songs get 20%. but the point stands. you don't need majority support to win.)

yes, this means that, theoretically, a country that supports palestine 90% could still give israel televote points - because of the united 10% voting for israel, while the 90% votes divided among the other entries. and you can't vote against songs in televote.

i side with the bookies that it's not LIKELY. we are very unlikely to see "ukraine 2022" level televote numbers for israel. europeans are much more divided on the apartheid colonial state. and many will vote just for "whichever song they like best."

i'm only saying that, IF israel were to get a huge televote score, it doesn't mean the "majority" of europe supports them. quite the opposite. it just means you can't vote against entries. you can be deeply unpopular and win.

i'm also saying this because, in the likely event that israel gets at least top 10, please dont let the zionists spread it as "proof" that europe is behind them. their apartheid colonial regime is bleeding support every day. most pro-palestine folks are boycotting.

this is a silly song contest. do not feel hopeless because of it.

instead, focus your attention on helping palestine and boycotting the contest. do NOT vote. that's giving the EBU money, which is a zionist organization willing to disgrace the contest to let israel use it as a propaganda platform. they don't deserve your money.

boycott eurovision. no watching, no voting.

donate to the world central kitchen, whose aid workers were murdered by israel while attempting to help palestinians.

#boycott eurovision #boycott esc #eurovison song contest #esc #eurovision #ban israel from eurovision

[anothermansjeans]

never give you peace

s.r x youtuber!reader

summary: during their first date, youtuber!reader feels the sudden anxiety that they can never give spencer peace

cw: little angst; hurt/comfort?? mentions of going to a restaurant, strangers coming up to reader, reader is in their head :( the smallest mention of the foyet/haley plot

wc: 855

a/n: hi!!!!!! i would LOVE to take requests for youtuber!reader and spencer!! PLEASE send them in! i love these two sm. inspired by peace by taylor swift!

++

You didn't know when it started happening– the random people walking up to you asking for photos– you just gradually started to get used to it after twenty or so times. Normally, it wouldn't bother you. The people who support you and the reason you make YouTube videos deserve the world in your eyes, but now that you're here, walking down the streets of D.C with Spencer on your first date… it was bothering you… just the tiniest bit!

It took a while for you and Spencer to get to this point. A lot of phone tag (you were both very busy people), you being out of town, and Spencer being out of town really put the two of you through the ringer. To say you deserved this moment of having a proper first date would be an understatement, which is why these two sweet girls walking up to you with shy smiles put you on edge.

“Hi! You're Y/N, right?”

You and Spencer were supposed to be at the small bistro not even a hundred feet away at this point. If you were by yourself, you would be ecstatic to talk to them. Maybe you're a shitty person (you're not. Spencer would later make sure to explain that you're allowed to have boundaries and that talking to strangers normally puts people on edge). Maybe for once, you wanted to not talk to the people who made your career possible. Maybe you feel too bad even thinking this way that the people pleaser is screaming to come out. “Uh… hi.”

“Do you mind taking a picture with us? We’re obsessed with your videos.”

You've been hyper aware of Spencer by your side the entire time. He’s never seen you in your element with followers. You have no clue if he's ever been through something like this with anyone he’s previously dated, but you want to assume this is all new to him and you're probably scaring him away as the seconds tick by.

You're only brought out of your thoughts when you hear Spencer speak up next to you. “Go ahead.”

“Okay…” The process was relatively quick. Spencer offered to take the photo, the girls thanked him profusely, and about five photos total were taken. When Spencer returns the phone the two turn back towards you with wide smiles plastered on their faces.

“Thank you so much! Have a nice night!”

And that was that. Except, it didn't feel like it was done. There was an awkward feeling settling over the two of you, but nothing was said as Spencer linked your arms back together and continued to walk to the bistro.

It was eating at you the entire time you've been in the restaurant. He never brought it up though, always steering the conversation to your shared interests and throwing in a fun fact now and then. It was right before the check came that you finally had enough with the all-consuming thoughts and blurted out the only thing you could truly focus on.

“I could never give you peace.”

“What…?” His wrinkled eyebrows did all of the talking.

“My… job. More people have been doing what those two girls did– asking for pictures. And I know how serious your job is, if people start asking for pictures of you too… I don't want to put you in that position.”

It was quiet for a moment. Although he was a genius, Spencer needed a moment to take in what you said. “Ditto.”

What? “What?” You slapped your hand over your mouth. You did not mean to say that out loud.

He didn't flinch, going straight into explanation. “My job is serious. Serial killer serious. My boss lost his wife because of this job. If you're worried about me in regards to your job, I’m worried out of my wits for you.”

“So… if we both can't provide peace?”

“It's a good thing I enjoy a little chaos.”

A small smile was shared between the two of you, and after the waiter dropped off the bill, you took another look at him. “Well, Dr. Reid, you really are a genius. You solved a majority of my fears with one small conversation.”

“It doesn't take a genius to see what he has in front of him has great

potential to be one of the best things in his life.”

A smirk appeared on your face when he shyly looked at you. “That good, huh? Does that mean I scored a second date?”

“Of course!” Spencer perked up, eyes immediately widening. “Did you know that the typical success rate for getting a second date is 13.7%, which gives a match an opportune time to learn the real chemistry between them and their match, including their values, passions, and family? First dates are actually–”

Sitting there, listening to him changed the smirk to a genuine smile. Maybe the two of you couldn't provide peace on the outside, but as he continues to speak passionately, you feel nothing warmth spread throughout you. The same type of warmth you feel at home; the same type of peace.

#SEND ME REQUESTS FOR MY LOVES!! #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #criminal minds #dr spencer reid #dr spencer reid x reader #youtuber!reader #anne marie shut up pls :) #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fic

[prof-peach]

It's me again, I'm throwing my two cents in and asking. What are your thoughts on the competitive side of Pokémon caring. or more accurately, Pokémon battles? Especially the gym challenge and the champions themselves? Have you ever tried the gym challange before prof?

While in my youth I did the gym challenges, it all seemed rather staged for me, and i quickly figured out that the gym circuit is built for children, by adults to instil some form of confidence and independance in the youngsters who partake. I swiftly lost interest before completing any of them, but I think my old badges are somewhere, probably rusty by now. The whole organised gym system region to region is a well funded training scheme. Youngsters travel around with pokemon to get to grips with their teams, their independence, and their skills. Gyms offer a challenge to those who never much dipped their toes into the battling world, and many don't partake or bother with it for a whole host of reasons that are all equally valid. It is not a necessity to be a great trainer, nor is it required if you simply dont wish to do it. For most, its a fun challenge, but it does hold relative weight when applying for some job types as an adult, as it proves you can independently shift around and complete a set of tasks of your own volition, using critical problem solving skills on the fly. It has a whole host of benefits, and if you enjoy it and your pokemon enjoy it, then its a great way to earn some cash and blow off some steam!

BUT, that being said, the gym circuit is a tame version of reality. It is a low level set of tasks built to help those not as confident or well versed in battles. Even the more difficult leaders and gyms are playing a role, and while they may have their pokemon trained to a skilled, practiced adults capacity, for the most part they dumb down the fights and make sure they arent impossible for opponents to face. It is meant to be a challenge, not a slaughter, so to speak.

In the real world, people dont always get this safe space to learn how to handle a battle, there is blood, there are injuries, there can be deaths, but in a gym trial, that is harshly reduced, and fatalities are rarely encountered thankfully. With this in mind, I do believe the gym trials are a vital part of some peoples journey, but once you get past them and interact with the real world, where bad guys arent pulling punches like gym leaders do, you realise that you partook in a system that was all soft edges.

the champions and various elietes you encounter are HEAVILY trained guides for peoples journeys, and while some have been dubious, perhaps they slipped through the net, or paid their way into the position, most do the job of training new generations well, and with great precision. It takes a lot to train pokemon to the level they do, and teach with every move. It's a good job, much like any educator, and provides ample reward to see trainers come and go all the more confident and prepared for the real world. The skills it takes to be a gym leader are quite high, as your pokemon have to know when to stop, and how to hit hard, but not TOO hard that you injure opponents. Its a fine line and they walk it well for the most part.

As for the higher tiers of the gym circuits, well, they prove somewhat challenging to anyone on this path, but they too are simply adults hired to do a job, should they show the right aptitude. they get paid, they go home, and most of the time it is simply another form of the education sector.

I personally dont care for it much, but i have a bias others do not, and if i step away from it, its very clear to see that the gyms and the challenges they pose have great benefits for many people and pokemon, and often they offer help and support during times of disaster, such as fires or influx of pests on crops, and the likes. It goes to show they teach people more than how to fight, Alola in particular has a very harmonious balance within its practices, encouraging trainers to do what they can to help the community, without harming too many mons in the process, and to think outside the box when problem solving. Some of the finest trainers come from alola, thanks to their highly adaptive teaching methods.

overall i'd say if you want to partake, go for it! its certainly a safe way to train, but it does not mean you wont be great with pokemon or in a battle if you dont. I certainly never finished them, i know many who never did a single one, and are fantastic trainers. It's a great aid, but not the only way to succeed. So long as you treat your team with care, you research before you get new partners, and you take into consideration their wants FIRST, as their guardians, then youre on the right track. I could go on, but overall everythin gi ever preach comes back to mutual consent and being honest and open with pokemon. They put their faith in us to help them and be their trainers, so we can only try to do our best. If they dont want to fight, pushing them is immoral.

#prof.peach #pokemon #peach talks

[bethanydelleman]

Of all the marriages that were "meant" to happen or seemed to be going that way in Jane Austen but didn't (eg Darcy and Caroline, Darcy and Anne de Bourgh, Elizabeth and Mr. Collins, Elizabeth and Wickham, Edward and Lucy Steele, Marianne and Willoughby, Emma and Frank Churchill etc) how do you see them working out? Could any of them be happy?

Mr. Darcy & Anne de Bourgh - I can never see this one happening, but my money is on Anne dying either in childbirth or because pregnancy overtaxes her already poor health.

Mr. Darcy & Caroline Bingley - wrote that. Caroline would be a perfectly acceptable mistress of Pemberley, but her propensity to mirror Darcy and express his own opinions would make him worse.

Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Collins - a disaster: the elder Bennet's marriage but gender-reversed. Lady Catherine would also hate her and that would make Mr. Collins anxious.

Elizabeth Bennet & George Wickham - I don't see how exactly this would come about because Elizabeth has no fortune and Wickham needs a fortune, but it would also be a disaster because Elizabeth would realize who Wickham really was and she would be horrified. Without support, they would be broke.

Edward Ferrars & Lucy Steele - This would be such a mess, Lucy would be sucking up to Mrs. Ferrars for money and trying to push Edward into multiple livings and promotions, which he would hate. Lucy is so much like Edward's mother that he would just be dying inside 24/7. He's not a pushover, but it would be really exhausting for him to fight Lucy on everything and he's trapped in this marriage, so he'd probably give in eventually.

Edward Ferrars & The Honourable Miss Morton - Not enough info.

Marianne Dashwood & Willoughby - wrote that. I don't think there is any way it would end well. Marianne will quickly discover what Willoughby did to Eliza and that he is far in debt. She's not responsible enough to get him out of debt and her view of him would be shattered. It's a tragedy.

Emma Woodhouse & Frank Churchill - the logistics just don't make sense, since Emma cannot leave her father and Frank has Mrs. Churchill, but I guess they could wait for the old lady to kick it and Frank could live at Hartfield... though he's not good with Mr. Woodhouse but I think he could learn. I think this marriage would be fairly successful, but Frank brings out the worst in Emma and that wouldn't be great.

Isabella Thorpe & James Morland - I don't think Isabella would cheat, I see that opinion a lot, but I think Isabella is sensible enough not to try that within a marriage. You can't "trade up" anymore once you're married. However, it would be bad. Isabella would waste money and James wouldn't know what to do with her. They'd probably have like 6 kids though because she's hot.

Isabella Thorpe & Captain Frederick Tilney - this would piss off General Tilney so much that I almost want it to happen. Almost. But honestly, I don't think Frederick would treat her very well if he was forced in some manner to marry Isabella and I don't want her stuck in a cruel marriage.

Mary Crawford & Edmund Bertram - I've written this a few times, I've gone both ways. In one story Mary is cheating on Edmund and he remains oblivious, in my novel Unfairly Caught, they are happy and both of them compromise a bit. Jane Austen herself has an opinion:

Experience might have hoped more for any young people so circumstanced, and impartiality would not have denied to Miss Crawford’s nature that participation of the general nature of women which would lead her to adopt the opinions of the man she loved and respected as her own.

Henry Crawford & Fanny Price - I personally ship this, but of course Henry has to change and without Fanny's help for it to be viable. Again, Austen wrote about it's possibility, so I trust they could have been happy if he wasn't such an idiot.

Colonel Brandon & Eliza #1 - with Eliza's fortune they would have likely been able to live comfortably. I imagine they would have been happy together despite the family rift. If everything happens as before, they would eventually inherit the family estate and live happily ever after.

Anne Elliot & Charles Musgrove - I think this could have gone really well, and honestly if I was Anne I would have gone for it. Charles is kind and smart enough, he'd have been much happier if Anne was his wife. Also, best in-laws ever!

Captain Wentworth & Louisa Musgrove - Louisa would try to be a great wife, but I think Wentworth would be too focused on losing Anne to be a good husband. He'd probably be very affectionate when on leave because he felt bad and then go off to sea to wallow in tragedy. Fortunately, Louisa's family would support her when she was alone.

Anne Elliot & Captain Benwick - I ship it. Captian Benwick would be devoted and he's a reader like Anne. They would spend time reading poetry together.

Sir Walter & Mrs. Clay - lol, I almost wish this one had happened. It would have been fun. Elizabeth Elliot would HATE IT and would probably marry to get away. It'd be fine, Sir Walter would be nice because his choices must be correct and Mrs. Clay would keep smiling and flattering forever.

Mr. Elliot & Elizabeth Elliot - he hates her, so it wouldn't happen, but if it did, it would be bad.

Mr. Elliot & Anne Elliot - This one is tricky. I do agree with Mrs. Smith that Mr. Elliot would respect Anne more and therefore wouldn't be cruel as he was with his first wife, but he's not a good person. I have trouble seeing this one happening because Anne does not want to marry him, but I don't think it would be happy if it somehow did occur.

Mr. Elton & Harriet Smith - he is a petty jerk, it's not a good match because Harriet cannot hold her own against him and he wouldn't admire her like he does Augusta. Bad times for Harriet.

Emma Woodhouse & Mr. Elton - Emma would rather enter a convent.

Mr. Knightley & Jane Fairfax - I don't know how or why this would happen, but given her intelligence and his kindness, this marriage would be successful.

That's all I can think of!

#question response #that was fun! #I've written a few of these #jane austen #possible marriages #mansfield park #pride and prejudice #sense and sensibility #northanger abbey #emma #persuasion

[crazyyluvr]

hi. same anon from the mreader appreciation thing. if ur comfy with doing it, a part 2 for the james fic? or anything more with gn and mreader honestly,,, only if ur inspired to do it though, i know pt2's can be boring to do sometimes 😥 anyways you dont have to lol. i just like ur writing

I Think James Likes Beaters!

pairing: james potter x male!ravenclaw!reader

summary: James can’t get over his new crush when he has a Quidditch game against Ravenclaw — with you as their new Beater.

genre: fluff fluff

wc: 2.1k

content: reader is a Beater (sorry I'm a sucker for Beaters), quidditch game, he/him reader, James is down bad and very gay, flirting

note: thank you for requesting anon, and i'm glad you like my writing!! i hope you enjoy this oneshot <33

oneshot under the cut :: not edited

Life in Hogwarts is always full of unexpected twists and turns, both in academic and social life. They tend to make the students feel stressed and demotivated, feelings that are much more common in the older students as their requirements and tests fire one after the other.

But what can distract them from the stress and schoolwork better than Quidditch?

Whether the students of Hogwarts play Quidditch or are just familiar with the sport, most of them use the inter-house Quidditch matches to scream their hearts out, pouring all the academic frustration out with it.

And besides, it was also the perfect opportunity for both girls and boys alike to find new people to crush on.

This was one of the things James Potter lived for. He lived for the cheers of his house as he scored a point as one of their Chasers, the swooning of the ladies when he'd smirk at them as he flew by.

Now, one more thing slithered into the list.

You.

Today was the day of his match against Ravenclaw, and he was anxious to see you in the stands. Although you would most probably be cheering for your own house, he knew that you just being there would motivate him to do better in the game and hopefully impress you (perks of having a crush I suppose).

If only you would just support him...

"Prongs, you're staring again," Remus prompted, James's gaze turning away from you to look at his friend. He hadn't even realized that he spaced out while looking at you, not that you noticed anyway. You were too busy laughing with your friends.

You looked even more handsome when you laughed.

Sirius sighed, shaking his head with a teasing grin. "With how obvious you're being, you might as well be carrying a big 'I LIKE YOU!' sign over your head."

"Oh piss off Pads," James rolled his eyes, stealing one more glance at you before focusing back on his plate of toast and bacon.

"Do you think he'll watch the match?" James asked his friends. You most probably would, but he didn't know enough about you to be sure. Did you like Quidditch? Did you play? Were you interested enough in the sport or supportive enough of your team to want to watch the match?"

Peter Pettigrew shrugged, swallowing his toast before sharing his thoughts. "I never really noticed him in our other matches against Ravenclaw, but I think he will."

"Whether or not he'll focus on you is the real question," Sirius said, making his voice lower to make himself sound more "mysterious."

Remus flicked the back of Sirius's hand, making the boy overdramatically whine in pain, before turning to the messy-haired boy. "Don't overthink it, James. I'm sure he'll be there, and I'm sure that he'll look at you during the match."

"How can you be so sure?" James asked, his voice sounding desperate.

Remus looked beyond James and smiled before looking back at him. "Because he's looking at you right now."

James immediately twisted his body despite the flare of pain at the sudden movement, hopeful to catch your eye, and he did. You smiled and gave him a small wave. It was a simple gesture, but enough to make James grin giddily and return the wave enthusiastically.

He turned back to hide his pink cheeks, the smile still plastered on his face. His friends snorted at his lovesick expression.

"What?" He demanded, the smile fading but the tinted cheeks remaining.

"You're bad down, mate," Sirius sniggered, clapping him behind the back harshly as if congratulating him. "You better not play bad later."

James scoffed at the mere suggestion that he would have a bad performance, especially with you in the crowd. "Like hell I will."

He was too busy messing around with his friends to notice your lingering gaze at the back of his head.

—————

After giving his team his motivating speech as Quidditch Captain ("Beaters, hit hard. Chasers, score and don't fall off brooms. Keeper, whack the Quaffle away. Seeker, try not to die. Ready? Ready."), James led his team out of their tent, squinting a little at the bright sun glaring down at them.

At least this Saturday's a sunny one, James thought. I can see him better now... I hope...

Ravenclaw took their time in leaving their tent. The Gryffindors were already in a line when they finally showed up, all of them walking with surety in their steps. In the previous matches that James would have against their team, they never looked that confident.

"What's got your head held high, Harlow?" James asked the Ravenclaw Captain Eliah Harlow. "Your replacement Beater any good?"

Their old Beater got into an accident during practice (he forgot to swing when the Bludger was coming right at him), and he was still in recovery at the school's hospital wing. From what James heard, they found a last-minute replacement just this morning.

The captain grinned. "Indeed he is. Best we've ever had."

James raised an eyebrow at that, intrigued. Who was this new Beater, and how good is he to be able to pick up a team's morale?

He looked through the lineup, but he couldn't see any new face. Some Ravenclaw players were freakishly tall, so maybe he was hidden behind them.

"Captains, shake hands," Madame Hooch said, the two boys slapping their hands together and having a short grip contest before they both pulled away at the same time.

“Players, mount your brooms,” The referee said, making the players swing their legs over their rides. “Kick off on my whistle.”

Tweet!

James kicked himself off the ground as hard as he could, sending a few specks of dirt away as he flew up in the air.

His team worked like clockwork; their Seeker getting out of the playing field to survey the place from sides; Sirius whacking the Bludger with his signature intensity; and of course, his fellow Chasers following him as they met the opposing team's defense.

He caught the Quaffle from one of his teammates and zoomed towards one of Ravenclaw’s rings to score.

He heard the whistle of the air and turned to his left to look at the source. His eyes widened when he saw the Bludger coming right after him at an alarming rate.

It’s the damn new Ravenclaw Beater, isn’t it?

James dove, narrowly avoiding the Bludger and throwing the ball in his hands into the middle ring, causing Gryffindor to erupt in cheers at the gained point. He looked around for the new Beater that seemed to have taken a liking to him as their new target. He saw no new face around him.

Until he heard a faint laugh from behind him and a faint thwack.

Shit.

James threw once glance behind him to confirm his thoughts, and sure enough, a Bludger was barreling towards him — again.

He also saw the face of the new Beater.

You.

The only thought coursing through his brain as he sped up on his broom was that you had a hell of a swing.

He made a sharp right turn, making the Bludger almost hit the bystanders on the stands. This gave him the opportunity to make eye contact with you. You had a big grin on your face, one hand on the bat leaning on your shoulder, and the other one on the sleek handle of your broom.

Holy shit he looks so hot.

“Watch yourself, James!” You called, your voice gleeful. “You might just get knocked off your broom if you aren’t careful!”

James couldn’t help but laugh in response, veering away from you to play defense with his teammates — and to hide his flaming cheeks from your view.

“Seeker, find the damn Snitch!” He roared at his Seeker, who was barely flying around. He immediately started moving again after getting shouted at by his Captain.

And then, he spotted it and made a great dive. The Ravenclaw Seeker followed suit, tailing Gryffindor.

“It seems both Seekers have caught sight of the Snitch!” the commentator said. “But who will get to it first?!”

James maneuvered around the Chasers, passing by Sirius who cheered him on as he batted the Bludger away from him again.

“Gryffindor gets close to the Snitch!”

James focused on his own part of the game, Quaffle in his hand again as he swerved around the Ravenclaw Chasers as gracefully as he could.

Thwack!

He looked around, his previous encounters with you making him antsy about the big black ball that you always seem to hit towards him.

But the Bludger wasn’t aimed at him this time. It was barreling straight towards their Seeker, just grazing the space between their outstretched fingers and the small golden ball.

Instinctively, the Seeker pulled his broom up to avoid the collision with the Bludger that was never really going to happen. Ravenclaw took the opportunity to surge forward and secure the Snitch in their grasp.

“Ravenclaw has the Snitch! The game is over with them as our winner!”

The blue side of the stands erupted with cheers. The Ravenclaw team flew towards each other, congratulating their Seeker and shouting victoriously.

James sighed. Although normally after a lost Quidditch match, he’d be in fumes, but he couldn’t bring himself to act upon anger that wasn’t present in the first place. He felt strangely satisfied with the match — they didn’t lose by that many points, and you looking so beautiful during the game was enough to satisfy him.

Sirius flew towards him, Beater’s bat limp in his hand. He used his free one to pat James in the back consolingly. “We’ll get 'em next time Prongs.”

"Yeah..." He looked over to the celebrating Ravenclaw team, catching a glimpse of your victorious grin as you praised your teammates for their performance. "We will."

—————

James stepped out of the shower, a towel around his neck as he rubbed the excess water out of his hair. He was on his own, since Sirius normally went straight to the Great Hall after matches to eat, and James liked to take his time with his shower.

So he was fine with being alone.

Until he saw that he wasn't alone.

James stopped in his tracks when he saw your bare back facing him as you busied yourself with the contents of a locker.

You must have heard him, since you turned around and smiled slightly. "Hey. Good game today."

Shirtless. Shirtless man. What the fuck, how is he able to hide that FIGURE??????

James cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh — you too. I didn't expect you to be a Beater."

You chuckled, turning back to your locker to fix the stuff inside. "I wasn't a Beater until today, actually. Just filling in as a favor to Carter. He said he doesn't trust anyone else with his empty position."

"You did good for a new Beater, though. Really good." James nodded as he spoke despite you not seeing him.

Thank goodness. He felt like his face was going to implode with how warm it felt.

If you didn't put on a shirt any time soon, he might actually faint.

It was as if you heard his prayers. You took out a big shirt and put it on, hiding your body underneath cloth once more. Now James didn't know if he really wanted that to happen.

You turned around, your other clothes gathered in your hands. "You would have won, you know."

James tilted his head, confusion overpowering his flusteredness a little bit. "Sorry?"

"You would have won the game," you repeated. "You gathered a lot of points for your team through the Quaffle. If you went on any longer, us catching the Snitch wouldn't have gathered enough points to win."

You smiled, eyes softening as you continued to hold James's gaze. "You did really well today. I'm proud of you."

James felt his heart stutter in his chest.

You let out an amused huff at his shocked reaction. You walked past him, not without patting his shoulder. It was a gesture that was normally a small one, but the gentleness and the honesty it had was enough to pause the rotation of James's world for a splitsecond.

"Eat up tonight. You deserve it." You gave him another smile, one as soft as your gaze.

You let go of his shoulder, continuing your trek out of the tent, but you called over your shoulder before you left. "Go to Hogsmeade with me next week. My treat."

You disappeared without waiting for his reply.

James turned, staring at where you were moments before. Your words just processed in his head, enabling a giddy grin to form on his face.

"Was that... a date? Did he just ask me out on a date??????"

He was lucky he was alone in the lockers. No one had to go deaf from his cheers as he won his own personal victory that day.

A date with you.

And boy did that end well.

#james potter #james potter x reader #james potter x male reader #marauders #marauders x reader #marauders x male reader #marauders era #prongs #prongs x reader

[lucybellwood]

A note for you, if you're feeling overwhelmed.

Your brain may not work like my brain, but the thing that enabled me to make donations to families fleeing Rafa and support a new community garden in my neighborhood and call my senators and representatives about vaccine access and Long COVID research funding this morning wasn't scrolling frantically across the internet. It was

sitting quietly with a cup of tea and taking deep breaths for five minutes.

That's it.

I often tell myself that urgency is the fuel of action, but the truth (for me) is that it's usually the fuel of panic. Panic rarely leads to action that's aligned with my values. I spin out and procrastinate and try doing things that feel "good" while knowing they don't actually feed the part of me that knows what's right.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by urgency today,

stop.

I know it is energizing and sparkly to be here and your brain is fizzing and there's so much to take in and there's a funny photo of a cat and people are dying and you want to help everyone and also post about something weird your friend said.

Give yourself a moment to step away from the computer or your phone. See if you can write down (with your hands! on paper! messily!) the thoughts and causes that are swirling around you. Make them physical. Look over your collection of Things and consider how they align with what you care about. Acknowledge that some of them are scarier than others, but that the scary, charged ones are the ones that will probably bring you the most relief.

Allow yourself to do one (1) thing.

If you feel the urge to keep going, pick another, but remember that just making time and space to focus on one action, from beginning to completion, is a huge accomplishment and a gift to the people you care about (including yourself).

You can do it.

[heavenlymorals]

In Defense of Bill Williamson: A Curious Case Of Hear Me OUT-

Warning: this post contains mentions of rape, homophobia, and period typical attitudes.

The first time I played RDR2, I was very curious and went into Sonny's cabin. If you know, you know.

I was horrified over learning what happened to Arthur and the shock of it all was impalpable. The fact that Rockstar put in such an encounter was diabolical, but either way, it happened, and I was pissed and heartbroken for Arthur. Out of all the encounters that happened in this game, all the awful encounters, this is the only one that did not get a journal entry- mostly likely due to the trauma of getting raped and the shame of it as well- let us not forget that Arthur is a man, a very tough and burly man, living in 1899 America. The likelihood that there would be any support for him is nigh on none.

I fed Sonny to the alligators (obviously) later and more or less forgot about it because I avenged my Arthur.

Then Bill came along.

"I met a guy at the swamp who seemed to know a lot about you. I mean A LOT about you…"

I was pissed and it was the first time in the game that I heard pure, unadulterated hatred in Arthur's voice as he more or less growled at Bill to go away. From then on, I always antagonized Bill for seemingly mocking Arthur like that for getting raped.

But then I played again and again and played Red Dead 1 too and learned that Bill is gay. Even though it isn't said outright, it is implied so heavily that it would be laughable to suggest that he liked women.

So after a while, my reaction to Bill's words changed. I pity him now.

Now I know what you are thinking- Heytham, how the hell can you pity a man who mocked a fucking rape victim?

Because I don't think Bill thought Arthur was raped.

Here is how I came to this conclusion (feel free to disagree with me, but here is how I came to this conclusion):

Being a homosexual in the 1800s was a very isolating and daunting experience, with the threat of jail time and even death. Society was super judgemental and cruel to people who did not fit into what was expected of them, so being a homosexual would feel like hell on Earth because there wasn't a real way to express this attraction beyond longing and secrecy, which would make finding other gay people hard to do.

Beyond just isolation, homosexual actions can ruin careers, which we can assume is one of the reasons that Bill got dishonorably discharged ("deviancy") alongside attempted murder. Crazy to think that "deviancy" is on the same level of attempted murder and was probably shamed more, but that is neither here nor there.

Even the gang wasn't really accepting of Bill's sexuality, which speaks a lot about the gang's supposedly "progressive politics", as they aren't really politically progressive and more so idealistic in the romantic standards of 1800s America. In terms of Bill's sexuality, it felt more like a outta sight, outta mind sort of deal. Bill is the butt of jokes and his sexuality is too ("Is he gonna kiss that guy or punch him", "Bill and Phil", "He likes to do a lot of things with men on their knees (RDR1- John says it to purposely shame Bill more to the people he works with)")).

When his sexuality seems to be a bit more upfront, there is agression and disgust. The biggest example of this is Arthur's reaction to Bill wanting hair pomade. He sounds disgusted and mean and the sneer in his "Yeah, I'll get you your hair pomade…" is very telling that Arthur thinks that Bill is asking him for pomade for gay sex because of the way he reacts to it- he already has a disposition to thinking this is why Bill wants the pomade and it disgusts him, even though he does it anyways.

To give Arthur the benefit of the doubt, I'd be pretty weirded out if someone asked me for lube, but Arthur didn't know if that is what Bill actually wants. He could very well just need it for a job that requires him to look nice, which happens in the ball mission. The point is that he had a disposition and that disposition made him react in not only a bewildered way but a disgusted way. Im serious, just listen to that interaction- I don't think I am reaching.

In any case, it is quite obvious that Bill feels isolated and that isolation makes him awkward and aggressive around men that he does like (Kieran) and overall just angry at the world because of it, amongst other things. He has no one to talk to, no one to relate to, and he is shunned and despaired over something he cannot control.

So then Bill meets Sonny and whatever the hell they did together, Sonny talks about Arthur, and let us be real, what is the likelihood that he would flat out tell Bill that he raped Arthur? Low, I'd think. Most likely, he would just say that the two of them had sex.

Now think about this- Bill has mostly likely lived his entire life hiding his sexuality and only expressing it in secret because if he does otherwise, he will be punished in some form or another. But now he learns that another man in camp, the fucking enforcer of all people, has apparently went to this man for sex.

Do you realize what this means for a gay person? Especially a gay person who lives in a society that actively discourages and punishes same-sex relations? It doesn't necessarily mean that that person would try to drum up a relationship, but there is comfort in the fact that now you know another person who is experiencing the same thing you are- the solidarity in that is priceless. I would know, I come from a culture that still kills gay people.

When Bill comes up to Athur, he genuinely sound giddy, like he found a big secret. There wasn't really any malice in his voice, other than a "haha, guess what I just found out" sort of tone.

When Arthur tells him to get out of there, he didn't seem offended. He didn't seem annoyed or aggressive, which is unusual for Bill. He just puts his hands up in surrender and goes off, almost as if he was saying "hey, I get it man," in the sense that a man during this time period, especially a man like Arthur, wouldn't want to be found out as gay. Internalized homophobia was definietly rampant.

He genuinely doesn't seem to have malice in that tone- Bill only talks like that when he is either excited or happy or acting like a human being. And at this point in the game, Bill still respected Arthur, so I doubt he would want to step on his toes, especially in a way like that.

If I am not talking out of my ass, this could be such a great moment of character development for Bill- sympathy for another man supposedly like him in the world that they lived in. Fucking Bill having sympathy and empathy- who would've thought.

Or he could be mocking Arthur for being a rape victim because Bill is genuinely a piece of shit.

But on the off chance that he does not? What an interesting microcosm of LGBTQ+ dynamics in 1899 America.

In any case, FUCK SONNY AND DONT GET INVITED INTO HOUSES IN THE SWAMPS-

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #bill williamson #character analysis #story analysis #is this a reach? #idk #maybe I'm just projecting cuz of the culture i grew up in #but in any case #poor arthur man

[aidenlydia]

hey ho!! the 09 simon sh anon here (what a weird title. anyways) first of all, thank you for replying! didn't know you hc simon as autistic, which makes him, in a way, even more relatable to me <33

i have another question, this time about simons and johnnys relationship. you mentioned that johnny helps simon cope, especially with his aggression / sh. do you have any specific headcanons how simon does that? do they have any specific rituals for when simon starts struggling? and also, the other way around, when johnny starts struggling with his OCD and depression?

cw: self-harm

Oh boy do I have a lot of thoughts about this. But first some definitions for those who are unfamiliar:

Autistic Meltdown - a intense response to overwhelming stress or dysregulation, leading to loss of control over behavior and difficulty calming down. Common signs include crying, yelling, rocking, pacing, dissociating, intense stimming and aggressive or self-injurious behavior (hitting, biting, kicking).

Shutdown - a form of meltdown where a person becomes extremely still, silent and withdrawn rather than outwardly aggressive.

Stimming - repetition of certain physical movements or vocalizations that autistic people use to calm themselves down or express their feelings.

Intrusive thoughts - unwanted thoughts that pop into one's mind without warning, at any time. They're often repetitive and can be disturbing or distressing.

Obsessions - intrusive thoughts that are hard to manage, get stuck in one's head and have a negative impact on daily life.

Compulsions - repetitive things one feels they have to do (mentally or physically) in order to reduce distress and anxiety caused by obsessions (to make things feel right again). One might know that it doesn't make sense to carry out a compulsion, but is unable to resist doing it.

I think the first step is being patient and not judging each other.

The way Ghost feels during and after a meltdown is complete loss of control, accompanied by shame. That's why SH is so easy to fall back to. It re-establishes some sense of control, which can be both a relief and a punishment at the same time.

Similarly with MacTavish, when his intrusive thoughts get the better of him and he starts spinning his wheels (getting stuck in compulsions and increasingly agitated) he knows he's both out of control and unable to stop it while probably being judged if witnessed.

It boils down to not being understood and feeling like everyone thinks you're crazy. Your self-esteem and sense of belonging take a massive hit. But having someone witness you at such a low point and support you through it, without thinking less of you afterwards, already makes a huge difference.

I don't think MacTavish knows he has OCD, he's probably only aware of the stereotype (obsession with being clean and organized) and thinks of his own symptoms as "a weakness" he needs to hide and overcome by sheer willpower to be able to keep his job and the respect of his colleagues.

Ghost isn't blind to it, he notices a lot of MacTavish's quirks and insecurities that others don't. He takes them seriously, wants to understand and help.

Part of MacTavish's depression is connected to his OCD - it makes him very anxious and tired. If anything goes wrong his depressed mind will find a way to blame himself and his compulsions get worse in response to his new intrusive thoughts/obsessions. Anything can become an obsession and the excessive misery caused by it makes him feel even more depressed. And on it goes.

At first Ghost falls into the trap of wanting to help and relieve MacTavish of some of his distress by accommodating one or more of his compulsions - it seems to make him feel better. However the more you give into compulsions, the stronger they get and end up making the symptoms worse in the long run.

The key to truly support MacTavish is to help him resist his compulsions. Ghost learns firsthand that endorsing the behaviors does more harm than good, including giving reassurance, which is a common symptom of OCD (and the most heartbreaking for both parties. It feels like a rejection to MacTavish and Ghost feels so mean for doing it, but it is for MacTavish's own good).

You can read more about it here: If You Love Someone With OCD, You May Need to Stop Reassuring Them That Everything Is OK

Of course Ghost can still validate his feelings, recognizing how upset it makes MacTavish and remind him to be patient and compassionate with himself while also staying consistent in his encouragement to keep resisting. Instead of trying to make the distress go away, Ghost helps him to accept it and ride it out together. Sometimes while in the thick of it they resort to distraction (doing something else to take his mind off it, which isn't exactly the best go-to coping skill) and physical affection (for emotional support). During a crisis situation Ghost will usually fold and let him give into a compulsion, he still has to learn how to deal with those.

Another thing that helps MacTavish a lot is when Ghost starts telling him about some of his own intrusive thoughts (everyone can have them). It makes him feel less alone/more normal, helps him open up more about his worries and reaffirms his belief that Ghost doesn't think he's crazy or a bad person. Remember, he doesn't know he has OCD yet.

I'm not sure Ghost would know or even suspect he has Autism either, autistic afab kids don't fit the "typical" stereotype and are often overlooked. He probably got called weird and off-putting his entire life, as well as being bullied without even realizing it. He only knows he isn't like the others and prefers to be alone because everyone understands the world and communication in a way he just doesn't.

He embraces his weirdness instead of hiding it, doesn't care if people think his mask is corny or that they should keep their distance from a freak like him. He's tired of not being understood, so he isolates himself and doesn't try to change anyone's mind anymore.

Nobody really gets him until MacTavish. He tends to leave a negative first impression; being perceived as rude, aggressive and disrespectful because of missed social cues. His meltdowns are mistaken for childish tantrums or manipulation. MacTavish can tell he's definitely odd, but he appreciates Ghost's straightforwardness and blunt honesty instead of being offended by it. Ghost responds well to MacTavish because he needs very clear and direct communication without it being condescending and patronizing, which MacTavish is naturally very good at. No mind games, no reading between the lines.

It's also why Ghost doesn't mind taking his mask off in front of him, not only does he trust MacTavish enough to be vulnerable, but he doesn't fear being off-putting or having his facial expressions (or lack thereof) misunderstood. They are similar in that regard, MacTavish has resting angry face and is often mistaken as aggressive, intimidating or confrontational because of it. Ghost sees there's a much more sensitive and thoughtful man underneath the hard exterior.

MacTavish doesn't have much experience with meltdowns, but can tell Ghost isn't escalating on purpose. It starts with Ghost showing signs of anxiety - pacing, rocking or becoming very still and quiet. He tries to calm himself down by fidgeting/stimming, bouncing his leg, grinding his teeth or biting at his lip. Sometimes he will ask repetitive questions, seeking reassurance, or become increasingly nonverbal. He is easily frustrated and has difficulty communicating or expressing himself clearly.

Meltdowns can be triggered by many things at once, a mix of distress intolerance, emotional regulation issues and sensory overloads. Meaning lack of sleep, stress, too many unexpressed emotions, change in routine/big life changes, too much noise, being touched too much, bright lights (that's why he wears sunglasses), too much smell, not getting enough air, ect. It can be completely overwhelming.

MacTavish responds by staying calm and quiet, not talking over Ghost and moving slowly. Any additional stimulus makes the overload worse. He gives Ghost space, doesn't touch him without permission and never punishes him for "losing it" during his meltdown or afterwards. He gets Ghost into a safe, quiet room or place until it's over. Things that help Ghost calm down is silence, a cold compress on his forehead, noise canceling headphones, laying down with the lights out and MacTavish's entire weight laid on top of him or something cold to drink.

After meltdowns Ghost feels exhausted and either needs some time alone to recharge or becomes very clingy for a while. He often doesn't remember what exactly happened and is very self-critical, but MacTavish won't allow him to be ashamed of himself or engage in his typical SH behavior, opting for calming affection and distraction instead.

If Ghost's urge to SH is coming from a place of anger they tear paper in little pieces together, go for a run or exercise. If it's from sadness they hold each other, listen to music, let MacTavish massage him or get out into nature. If it's from feeling numb, he's allowed to flick an elastic band on his wrists or hold ice cubes.

To prevent a meltdown or SH the trigger needs to be recognized early enough to be either removed in time or given a coping strategy. They develop a code sign for Ghost to use when he feels unstable, so MacTavish can help him regulate or get him away to somewhere quiet where they can properly communicate. The more Ghost trusts him, the easier it is for Ghost to communicate and disclose his distress. When Ghost becomes nonverbal they either write or speak in sign language to navigate the situation.

After leaving the military they struggle more with their relationship and gain a deeper understanding of each other by finally getting diagnosed. They end up going to therapy together where they learn how to properly manage MacTavish's compulsions and get him treatment for depression. They develop relationship strategies and identify Ghost's meltdown and SH triggers as well.

I think this is a good place to stop for now. Perhaps one day I'll get into my DID Ghost headcanon/ideas, but my fingers hurt from typing so it will have to wait lmao

This is a continuation from a previous post

#cw sh #09 soapghost #09 ghost #captain mactavish #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #headcanon

[cerise-on-top]

WOOO YOUR REQUESTS ARE BACK OPEN !! first of all, HII welcome back, how are you doing? are you doing alright? i hope you are !!! >> p.s, this is the same anon who requested tall husband!reader nd 141 <33 i'll be 🦗 anon from now on!!

i've come back with another (awfully long 😔) rq !! if that's fine....,,!!

okay so i absolutely adore m!readers, and i have another one for that, so the idea is kind of like,, reader is a bit older/the same age as [char], and he's transmasc! though, he didn't have time to transition in his earlier years- he's just recently started t. what do you think price, nikolai, alejandro, nd rudy's initial reactions are to him like being so giddy to start transitioning and just reactions to him changing his body in general? :)

sorry this is disgustingly long again, & feel free to delete this ask if you feel pressured at all <3

— sincerely, 🦗

Hey there! I'm actually doing better than I did yesterday, thank you :D And don't worry about sending in long requests, I don't mind it one bit! In fact, it helps me get a better feeling for what to write :> And don't worry, I was looking forward to writing this! This was probably my most anticipated request in a long time!

Price, Alejandro, Rodolfo and Nikolai with a Transmasc!S/O

Price: He knows that trans people exist. He’s supportive of them, but that doesn’t mean he understands what they’re going through. He’s never really had a phase where he explored his gender, he’s always felt comfortable being a man. However, he’s very understanding. As soon as you come up to him and tell him you’re finally getting your shots or your gel, he’s overjoyed. Yes, you’ve always been his boyfriend, ever since you came out to him, but you’re finally getting to go on the journey of getting HRT? He smiles along with you and gives you a big hug when you can barely sit still from glee. However, that joy doesn’t compare to actually watching you transition. You’re slowly growing a beard, your voice is getting deeper, your fat distribution is changing. He’s there to celebrate every step of it with you. If you’re alright with it, then he’d like to take a picture of you every once in a while so you can watch how far you’ve come yourself. However, he will sometimes make you go on a jog with him. Might force you to go to the gym with him as well since he can imagine working out could make you feel even manlier. Since he’s on deployment for months at a time, he always finds it to be a treat whenever he gets home. After all, he gets to see you transition so much in all this time. In order to celebrate all these milestones he will take you out on a lot of dates, with him paying, of course. You’re his most ideal man, you need to know just how loved you are. Lots of praise too, you’ve come so far, you’ve gone through so much, you’re so very strong. You’ve gone through things Price can’t even imagine. He’s definitely extremely supportive of you.

Alejandro: He’s never considered himself anything but a man either, but he loves trans people. In fact, I like to imagine that he’d actively stand up for them if someone is being a dick towards them. Alejandro is a well respected man who can make just about anyone shut up, he will not tolerate any bigotry. So, as soon as you come out to him, he gets a big smile on his face and immediately starts calling you his boyfriend. And, once you go on T, he’s just as happy as you are. You’ve had to live in such an uncomfortable body all this time, finally you get to feel like yourself. He’ll help you with your testosterone as well, if you let him, of course. Every time he delivers your shot to you or rubs the gel in he gives you a hug afterwards, shaking a bit with excitement, always raving about how happy he is for you. Sometimes he jokes about how hormones can also be exchanged through making out, but you don’t have to kiss him if you don’t want to. Again, it’s just a joke. You’re his handsome man and if anyone ever dared to disrespect or misgender you then they’ll end up with a black eye. As mentioned above, he does not tolerate bigotry in the slightest. Sometimes he’ll run his thumb over your beard and tell you just how gorgeous of a man you are, and how happy he is to have you with him. On your dysphoric days he’ll remind you that you’re the most wonderful man to have ever existed. Trans is just an adjective, you are a man, you’ve always been one. Sits you on his lap, wraps a blanket around you and lists all the traits that make you a man. And even if he can’t make the dysphoria go away, he’ll still stay with you and cuddle you until you feel better.

Rodolfo: I think there was a time in Rodolfo’s life where he thought he was better off as a woman, but that phase didn’t last too long, a year at most. He didn’t go through with anything either, but he knows what dysphoria feels like to some degree. Ergo he’ll never be a bigot towards trans people. He respects them quite a lot, being misgendered and referred to by the wrong name feels so disheartening, having to go through all of that for such a long time is horrible. So he feels a bit bad when you come out to him, thinking that he’s referred to you by the wrong name and pronouns for such a long time. He apologizes for that as well. Of course, he wishes you all the best and will support you through whatever you wanna do. In fact, if you wanna get surgery then he offers to split the costs with you, he just loves you that much. Once you tell him you’ve finally gotten the prescription for testosterone he’s ecstatic. On the outside he may seem calm, but on the inside he’s a bit disarrayed from the happiness he feels for you. He picks you up and spins you around because he’s just that giddy. Will also help you administer your shots or help you apply your gel, if you’re comfortable with that. He’s very observant, so after a few weeks he’ll tell you how you’re slowly starting to change. Like Price, he’ll invite you to do workouts with him so you can become stronger. However, he also offers to learn about other things with you. Is not above teaching you how to ride a motorcycle either, if you don’t already know. Riding one always makes him feel very masculine. As soon as you grow your first stubble, he’ll cradle your face in his hands before squeezing you so tight, you’d think he wanted to break a rib or two. Praises you so much when he sees you slowly change, he just loves you so so dearly.

Nikolai: Not trans himself, has never had a phase either, but if he likes you then he’ll actually pay for your surgery. He actually paid for Gaz’ top surgery because he’s like a son to him and wanted him to be well. You’re Nikolai’s boyfriend, so naturally he’ll pay for anything you might need. Top surgery, bottom surgery, testosterone, doesn’t matter, you’ll get it from him because he wants to be a supportive boyfriend. He’s a very observant man, so he likely had a hunch you were a trans man before you even told him. While he may not have said anything, he wasn’t particularly surprised when you told him. Asked you for your preferred name and pronouns and hasn’t referred to you as anything else since. He didn’t make a big deal out of it. Has threatened bigots before, though. When you told him you finally got to be on T, after all those years, he was happy. Again, he didn’t make too big of a deal out of it, but he told you how proud he was of you. Like Alejandro, he also joked about making out with you, though. Nothing serious, if you didn’t want it to be, however. Will also point out the small differences as soon as he notices them. As you change more and more, he subconsciously becomes more touchy with you. You’re just such a sweet man, he can’t help it. No real reason, just watching you become more and more content with yourself makes his heart flutter too, so he falls in love with you even more than he did before. If you want to, you’re more than welcome to wear his clothes too, regardless of whether they’re too big on you or not. Nikolai is a very tall guy, so there’s a good chance they are. As a joke, he teaches you the sacred art of grilling in summer. You’ll be able to make the meanest burgers around.

#cod #cod x reader #john price #john price x reader #price x reader #alejandro vargas #alejandro vargas x reader #rodolfo parra #rodolfo parra x reader #cod nikolai #nikolai x reader #transmasc!reader #male!reader #writing this gave me such gender euphoria you have no idea #One of these days I'm gonna go on T and become the most handsome man out there #Just thinking about how I'm gonna change makes me so euphoric I wish I was on T already #nothing makes me happier than writing transmasc readers #thank you so much for sending in this request!!! it made me so very happy! #my mind is kind of disarrayed right now because I'm just that giddy which means I can't think properly #so sorry if these tags are kind of jumbled haha! #I need more people as supportive as these guys in my life! #I am thinking about my future where I will transition and it makes me so happy. Thank you so much for that! #shaking with excitement right now! I hope you're doing well anon! I'm going to knit you a nice scarf to show my gratitude!!!

[where-are-the-spooky-gays-2]

I literally get so mad about the pole dancing pictures. He used his USUALLY SUGGESTIVE AND MATURE CHARACTER to do a prompt that is ASSOCIATED with maturity and WASN'T EVEN SHOWING HIMSELF OFF and it was apparently so bad he had to delete them?

Pole dancing is a sport for a lot of people? People use it to work out and train themselves and their strength. Just because you (vague you, not a specific you) see it sexually, doesn't mean everyone else does! AND HE HAD CLOTHES ON.

They were up for such a short amount of time I straight up forgot they existed to be so real with you.

Plus. Is this man never allowed to be mature? He's a grown ass man. He's in his thirties. Why is this a "Mmm maybe not, Thomas" moment? Why does the fandom ever get to do that? People also bullied him over Virgil's fuckin skirt outfit. And the belt not "sitting on the hip"

Maybe he did that because the character is emo and that was a major part of emo style! May-fuckin-be!

Sorry I get so heated over this. Ugh. He's an adult. He was a young adult during the prime time emo era. He's an adult. He can do what he wants. If he wants to do pole dancing pictures (IN CHARACTER) he should be allowed to. Ugh.

What a way to start my morning (it's 6:30 LMAO)

Anyway pole dancer Remus and Virgil live in my heart and give me so many ideas I love them.

Have a good day y'all

— 👑

Fucking T H I S!!! Literally Pole dancing (very much like belly dancing) is N O T fucking sexual unless the person is doing it with that intent!!! It's an art that takes S O much fucking upper body strength and skill and the fact that people were harassing Thomas for probably the most tame pics of him in Ree costume of all things baffles me!!! (They hear pole dancing and immediately equate it to strippers just wait till they find out what's also that long metal pole at parks and Firefighters HQs /sarcasm) What's even more wild is that these are the exact same people saying "Stop babying Thomas he's a grown man >:}(" whenever this man gets harassed for swearing and immediately become hypocrites when he does shit to express himself and be more comfortable with his body (Majority of it being him shirtless at most and fucking clothed) I was so pissed about the Vee skirt look harassment too especially knowing the exact context on why it happened in the first place and I'm so fucking glad he didn't delete those... As someone who's been in this fandom since 2017 people just want a reason to hate him because I will never get over the time he got harassed for supporting Ace people if you don't like him just do yourself a favor and fucking leave it's as simple as that (Also R E A L 👑 Anon pole dancer!Ree and Vee S H O U L D live in your heart they're so beloved and you too <3)

#i'm literally so fucking glad i can talk about this shit with y'all because i have been biting my tongue about it for years #remus sanders #virgil sanders #ts remus #ts virgil #sanders sides #thomas sanders #asks #answers #👑 anon #not a countdown

[bloggingboutburgers]

Hi, I know it's been a while but it's allo (autistic? unsure what tag to use) anon here again. I just wanted to say congratulations on the project! I showed it to my girlfriend and she was really happy, when it comes out we will definitely read it together. I am proud to see you doing new and exciting things, and I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors! You're doing amazing already and I look forward to seeing you continue on whatever path you want to take with your creative work :)

Sorry I didn't message again sooner, things in real life have been... a lot. I still try to check this blog when I can. Your art is still adorable, and I also wanted to say thank you for your comics about fandom and the stuff that people say to aro/ace people. As someone who is very invested in media analysis(TM) and fandoms, I have noticed some behaviour that is really weird and uncomfortable, and it's good to see other people speaking out about it.

Also, not to decenter your experience, but the comic about labels really hit home for me. When I first got diagnosed it explained so much about my struggles and why I felt the way I did. It was groundbreaking to understand that I wasn't just a broken person or full of character flaws, but that things like sensory issues were just part of being who I am. I don't know if you meant it this way, but I really love the yellow colour of the thought bubbles and the little flowers. I know some people say it's pathologizing or too restrictive to cling to labels so much, but it really is a relief to be given something that helps you understand yourself and feel so much less alone. I am glad you were able to find your identity and community. It's so cool that now you get to make those posts, and probably reach others!

I just wanted to pop in again and say I love your stuff, and it's so cool to see other people loving and engaging with it too. I hope you have a wonderful day/night, passe une bonne journée/nuit <3

P. S. I hope that's how you say it, I'm using google translate.

Heyyyy!!^^ Thank you so much for reaching out again and for all the encouragement and support! I hope you and your girlfriend are doing OK^^ And please don't apologize for not reaching out for a while, I'm happy whenever you do at all but it's very fair to have a lot going on otherwise! If anything I hope things are a bit easier now, so to speak.

Also don't worry about decentering my experience by sharing yours when you relate! I'm a big believer in intersectional discussion, I think people from marginalised groups could benefit a great deal from standing together to defend common interests, and if we can relate to each other's experiences in some way even just a little, although we know and acknowledge they're all different, I'm sure we can go a long way. So I sincerely appreciate you sharing, honestly!! (I'm also really grateful you liked the way I graphically conveyed it, that is a challenge in and of itself^^)

Again, thank you so much for all the positive feedback and support, and thanks for taking the time to add some French in as well, very kind of you^^

Hope you have a great day ahead!

#allo anon #asexuality #autism #intersectional #thank you so much

[the-east-art]

Easts Supernatural Rant

Just been thinking a lot about how bad Supernatural is lately because I've been going through the weeds reading old fics I've bookmarked and there's some good SPN ones. Background info: I watched SPN nonstop in middle school (roughly ten years ago) and if you go back in time you'll see that it was the fandom I was in way back when I first made my tumblr. I watched until about... season 10? When I realized it was never going to actually get good. So I was really obsessed with it for a good while but also it has been quite a while since I actually watched it.

rant under the cut o7

Okay so anyone who has watched Supernatural knows that it didn't start out actually so... bad. Supernatural starts out decent and builds up momentum fine in my memory clear through the final of season 5. I feel like among the fandom most people know that this should have been the ending of the series. For those reading who don't know, Swan Song ends with a really beautiful monologue about endings and in a tragedy with just enough of a glimmer of hope. Like it's a good ending. And then the series just kept going. do not get me wrong - there's a lot of fun episodes and concepts explored in the *checks notes* holy shit 10 FUTURE SEASONS, but it's also where a lot of the cracks really get bad.

However, in my opinion the biggest issue with Supernatural as the seasons progress is how whittled down the cast becomes. In the first few seasons there are a lot of supporting cast that you really get attached to - there's a bar for hunters, Bobby's place, a whole network of people connected to the principle cast.

While naturally the core of the series is Dean and Sam (and eventually Castiel) almost all of the supporting cast dies. And while I think the death is good in several ways, it really pushes the stakes of the series, especially in the earlier seasons where death truly was final and wasn't a joke. However you can only kill the supporting cast for so long until the show becomes... lonely. Messy. You start to not want to get attached to new characters because of how you know they'll probably die and then not get mentioned again. Many characters after their death just kind of... fade into the background never to be seen. While I don't believe that characters need to be mourned forever, you can't help but to feel that they are dropped for convenience of the show.

This has been on my mind because, as I've been poking around the annals of ao3 looking for diamonds in the rough, I've realized that really any fics that take place in any of the later seasons (let's say 8-15) to me might as well be a different show. It's a show heralded by characters I either don't know (Griffin Mcelroy meme of 'I don't know who Jack Kline is and at this point I'm too afraid to ask) or are character so completely reshaped by the narrative that I no longer recognize them (Castiel the character that just kind of does whatever will make the story interesting I'm looking at you).

What previously is a respectable narrative becomes blown out of proportion. I was reading a fic that dealt a lot with the themes of 'free will' and what that means and how do we try and exercise it, and I realize that I forgotten that, at one point, free will had been the theme of the series. The principle trio in the fandom is called Team Free Will because of that, but pretty much after season 5 all of that is thrown out the window. The first third of the series the boys are fighting against fate, and prophecy, and roles that they have been assigned to. But in the latter part of the series, as the narrative web spins further out of control, you lose that theming.

I mostly talk about this because I kind of find it interesting to look at. About what is engaging to me as a person, and what is a red flag. What I like in a story and what I don't. And I am chiefly reminded of moments where the series drops plot point, or muddies messaging (I have been reminded what The Voicemail is and how it is never addressed). And It's sad. Because I really REALLY loved the show once, and cared for the characters. And now I take refuge in fanfiction, because a lot of the aspects of the story and settings and characters hold SO MUCH potential, that is ruined in the source material.

Uhhhh yeah. Let me know what you think and let me know if have any questions about my opinions on stuff cuz I LOVE talking about art and narrative and stories. Or let me know if you want Fanfic recs because hell yeah I do.

#spn #supernatural #rant #the east rants #I mean #I also don't give a shit about romance plots pretty much ever #so that may have affected things #*holding Garth and Kevin Tran in my hands* #I would have treated you boys better I promise