#If I didn't tag an anti let me know of course | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

matan4il · 3 months

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Most of the time, I don't bother talking about the hate and harassment I get, because I don't think haters deserve the attention. The person I'm gonna write about definitely doesn't deserve any, but they've started harassing others that I know of, not just me.

So this is basically a warning post for Jewish bloggers and bloggers who are allies to Jews, and a request for anyone who can, to report and block this person (if you want to warn other bloggers, then please consider a reblog, too). @staff, This is also for you, proof of a pattern of harassment and abuse. Please do something and protect your Jewish users and their allies.

They first commented here, denying the antisemitism of Hamas, with the url @grizzlyismyspiritanimal and they seem to change their url quite frequently. For now it's @fancowboy but expect that to change again. Since IDK if Tumblr will let the mention (@'ing their url) hyperlink to their blog, here's how you can check out what their current url is, so you can report and block them. Go to this post where they're tagged as @grizzlyismyspiritanimal and hover your mouse over their url, you'll see their blog pop up no matter what new url they changed to. Here's a screenshot of what that looks like:

Here's their first comment on my post, along with my reply. Tumblr arranges these comments with the oldest at the bottom, click to see the image better:

Of course they never provided a link sourcing their claim, instead they provided a link to an op ed, which was not written by anyone affiliated with Hamas. This link did not support their claim that "Hamas specifically stated," but that didn't stop them from ignoring the fact that they couldn't prove their claim. Next, they repeated an already refuted antisemitic conspiracy theory (and I linked them to a refuting source, which they just ignored), while using strawmen arguments (attacking statements I didn't make). Obviously, none of this addresses the point actually made in the post they were commenting on.

When I called them out on the antisemitism of their whole narrative, they pulled the "I can't be antisemitic, because I'm Jewish" line of defense, while also bragging in the same comment about not going the easy route by doing that:

I no longer believe people who say antisemitic things, and then use this defense, after several have been proven to have lied about being Jewish, but more importantly, and this is the point I made to @fancowboy, Jews are not immune to internalizing antisemitism, and repeating antisemitic narratives. But I was curious whether there was any sign of this person having any sense of a significant Jewish identity on their blog. When I went on there, one of the first posts I came acorss was an antisemitic one, claiming that Jews have stolen the Star of David from the Muslims... I know there are a lot of anti-Zionist Jews out there, and that many of them are very capable of saying antisemitic things, but I don't think even they would endorse this false claim.

What's ironic is that the post shares a screenshot from Wikipedia, which explicitly mentions that this Muslim kingdom that existed in the 13th century AD (roughly 700 years ago), adopted the six-pointed star, due to the Muslim belief that it was a symbol on the ring ("seal") of King Solomon, a Jewish king who lived about 3,000 years ago. In other words, this post literally points out that Muslims borrowed this symbol from Jews, not the other way around. And just for historical interest, the first archeological find of Jews using the Star of David is dated to the 6th century BC (around 2,600 years ago).

I pointed out to @grizzlyismyspiritanimal / @fancowboy that I no longer believe they're Jewish, because I don't believe any Jew would reblog this antisemitic lie. In response, not long after, this "I'm not a coward" and "you would've blocked me (aka fanatic)" person blocked me. Instead of addressing what I said, or taking responsibility for their wrongdoing, and deleting this antisemitic post. Our exchange started on Jan 5 IIRC, this post was reblogged by them on Jan 4, and as of Jan 25 it is still on their blog, as you can see here (post and current date highlighted in this screenshot):

A minute after they blocked me from the above blog, they commented on my pinned post with links to my fandom content from another blog, @verygardenerland and this comment made it clear that it was the same person. I made a mistake, I wanted my fandom space free from antisemitic harassment, so I deleted that comment, which means I don't have that piece of evidence that it's the same person, but I do have another bit of proof. Remember how this person claimed to be Jewish? This is how they presented it:

(again, using a strawmen, I never said all Muslims are terrorists, and never would, because it's simply not true, and if anyone made that claim to me, I would be correcting them)

Well, this is the VERY similar way @verygardenerland talked about their supposed Jewish identity, in a post they made solely to harass and DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) me:

Jews were almost completely ethnically cleansed from Muslim majority countries, so the likelihood of a random online stranger being a Jew from a Muslim country is generally incredibly low to almost non-existent, and two who just so happen to both harass me on my blog one minute apart is probably less statistically likely than winning the lottery.

It's poetic irony that the one comment the above post got from another blogger, is someone else also calling this person out on the antisemitism of what they're saying:

Gotta love the bonus misogyny with "bitch."

I'm also going to offer you this following antisemitic comment (which distorts the Holocaust, and refers to Jews insultingly as "the chosen ones"), which I also don't believe any person with an actual Jewish identity would make:

And here's also one of the last comments this person made from @fancowboy before blocking me on that blog and continuing from @verygardenerland. Just notice how we have the same antisemitic abuse themes from both of these blogs:

Once more, extra touch of misogyny with "that much of a pussy."

(I have to address the white phosphorus claim. There are 2 ways of using it in battle, one legal, the other's not. Israel stated that when using it, that's only in the legal way. There is no record to show the contrary. People just exploit the fact it's used, to pretend it's automatically illegal. But I accept this is an antisemitic libel against the Jewish state, that sadly some Jews might repeat. The rest is what makes me think this person isn't Jewish)

@verygardenerland noticed I write fandom meta, and harassed me on these posts. Here's one example:

Then they searched related tag/s, and proceeded to harass me by calling me names in comments they left on random posts from other fandom members. These are posts that had nothing to do with me. One of the people on whose post they were calling me a Nazi is someone I have never even spoken to. The OP deleted the harassing comment, but this time I did get a screenshot before that, so here it is, as an example:

Now, on top of all of the above, @verygardenerland also started stalking my main blog at the same time they made their first comment from this url, as well as my two back up blogs. One's last post was on Mar 2022, the other's on Apr 2021, so it's completely pointless to follow them, other than as an intimidation tactic:

And they sent me anon hate. The thing is, they made it explicitly clear through what they said and the language they used, that it's them. They sent more than one message, but the one I'll attach here was obviously meant to freak me out the most, because it falsely starts out as a fandom ask, and then transitions into abusive language, as well as telling me there's more blogs they're stalking me from, basically making it clear that even if I block this url, I'll still not be safe from their stalking and abuse:

From a certain point on, I told them that whenever they make a comment to me, all I'll do is just remind them repeatedly that they're an antisemite, which is exactly what I've kept to. That's when I even bothered to respond. I postponed blocking their second blog, 'coz I wanted to put this post together first. Now I'm done with them.

To wrap this up, here are some final screenshots of their antisemitic abuse, how they obsessively comment on my posts, or posts that in their mind are related to me, and how they have started directly addressing random people who are commenting on my posts, telling them not to talk to "it," meaning they're also using de-humanizing language when referring to me, and of course once more employing the DARVO tactic by accusing me of that which they're guilty of:

My activity feed yesterday:

And not just yesterday. Love the bonus hateful language towards those who are disabled...

And this is just one of their comments on a post simply mourning the death of Israeli soldiers, and putting it in the context of multi-generational Jewish trauma:

To summarize again, please:

report and block this person

reblog this post if you feel comfortable to, in order to warn others

@staff please do something to stop the abuse. Thank you in advance!

#israel #antisemitism #israeli #israel news #israel under attack #israel under fire #terrorism #anti terrorism #hamas #antisemitic #antisemites #jews #jew #judaism #jumblr #frumblr #jewish #israelunderattack

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titlemewickedwonderland · 10 months

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Quiet Time (Nameless Ghouls)

Summary: Concerts are fun. But they can be mentally as well as physically draining; especially for the ghouls. After one particular concert, Y/n finds herself needing a little TLC but she wasn't alone and she finds a new connection with her ghoul pack.

Pairing: Mainly Rain x Mountain x Ghoul!Reader with a sprinkle of Swiss, Dew, and Phantom at the end.

Triggers: Fluff

Prompt: A request by anon! I hope you see this and enjoy it! <3 Thank you for the request! Sorry it took so long to write out!

Follow My Workshop!

The door to the tour bus clicked closed behind her; drowning out the sounds of loud voices beyond and she sagged in relief against it. The last concert of their tour was epic; as it normally was. The rush of being on stage in front of thousands of people and doing what you love never got old. It was always so much fun for her especially when she got to watch the fanatical antics of the front ghouls like Dew, Rain, and Phantom.

While Y/n was a Multi-ghoul like Swiss and didn't often go to the front of the stage she still enjoyed herself on her little stage while playing little games with the cheeky Swiss. But it was draining. Oh, so very draining in the end after the adrenaline rush wore off.

Unlike most of her ghoul packmates, Y/n enjoyed the more quiet side of things. After the guests had left and the stage taken down, packed up, and free time on their hands; she was always the first to go straight back to the tour bus for some peace.

It wasn't that Y/n was anti-social. That was absolutely impossible to be in her line of work. But concert after concert really did a number on her mind as much as it did physically and unlike Swiss, Dew, and Phantom who were out having fun and partying at a local club or whatever with the Ghoulettes, the female Multi-ghoul found her time better spent recuperating on the bus.

The soft click of her mask hit the countertop as she placed it down with a tired sigh and shook out her hair - allowing it to be all crazy-like in her face. But the sigh of relief she let out was more of letting her ears, tail, and horns breath than anything else now that she was in the comfort and privacy of the tour bus. It was silent besides the soft thrum of the air conditioning onboard so she shucked off her suspenders, her boots, and her shirt - leaving her in the semi-comfort of her tight pants and tanktop she wore beneath as she flopped herself back first onto the sofa and threw her arm over her eyes.

But her peace was soon coming to a close when she heard the door to the bus open. She lifted her arm slightly to peer over to see the towering figure of Mountain coming down the isle towards her trailed behind by Rain. Her lips quirked slightly as she rested her arm over her eyes again.

"I thought you guys would have tagged along with the others." she mumbled; not looking up as her legs were lifted up off the couch only to be replaced on someone's lap.

"They're too loud. I don't have the energy to match them." Rain grumbled slumping back against the couch as he idly rubbed her calves.

Y/n snorted and dropped her arm to look at him with a slight smile. "Oh trust me, I get it." she replied.

"We aren't disturbing you are we, blossom?" Mountain as her as he took of his helmet and boots to dump on the floor by the couch.

"Of course not." she shook her head. "I know you guys aren't exactly social when it comes to the end of tour." she replied while giving a single shoulder shrug.

"Hmm." the gentle giant headed for the kitchenette and began rummaging through the cubbards. "Tea?"

"Oh my god that'd sound great!"

"So does a shower." Rain grumbled to himself as he chucked his helmet and glamor.

But instead of going to shower he tipped sideways to lay across Y/n's side while hugging her legs in his position. The ghoulette purred and sank her fingers into his thick dark hair; scratching gently at his scalp eliciting a purr in return from the Water ghoul as his tail curled around hers.

When the tea was finally done Mountain walked over to set the cups down before slipping beneath the female so that she rested halfway into his lap. The mug was warm on her palms as she wrapped her hands around the offered cup and she sighed contently.

See this was more of the life; the downtime to just be present and enjoy a warm cup of tea in the quiet time. It wasn't as if she wouldn't get the time when back at the Abbey but it just hit a little different being able to do this after a long tour.

"I swear if Dewdrop or Swiss comes back on this bus with a girl I'm sleeping on the top of the bus tonight. I will not be kept awake all night listening to them fuck." Rain commented breaking the silence and his cheek vibrated with laughter as it left Y/n

"I second that motion. Hell, we might as well get our camp ready because when does Dew ever not come back with some ass?" she added taking a sip of her tea.

"Sometimes I wonder if he and Swiss have a bet going on to see who could bring in the most girls." Mountain added as he idly rested his cheek against Y/n head.

Finally, Rain moved from the pile and stretched as he sat up. "I don't know about you but I'm grabbing a shower before Phantom steals it and hogs it for an hour!" he said as he finished off his mug of tea.

"Shit, you're right. Damn, only if the shower here was bigger for more than one person." Y/n grumbled adjusting herself against Mountain as Rain stood up.

The water ghoul smiled slightly and bopped her on the nose. "I promise you can shower with me anytime when we get back home."

"Of course! You have the biggest shower in the whole Abbey." Y/n snickered and ducked her head against Mountain's shoulder when the Water ghoul swiped at her playfully before going down the bus towards the bunks to grab a change of clothes.

"I can't wait to get home. I miss my garden." Mountain mumbled closing his eyes as he leaned his head against the back.

"Aw, well I'm sure Sister Maddie is taking good care of it for you in your absence." Y/n gave his waist a squeeze before narrowing her eyes playfully at him. "Speaking of. What's going on with you and Sister Maddie?" her brows jumped on her forehead playfully.

"Nothing is going on." Mountain's cheeks flushed a bit even when he defiantly stared down at her.

"He's going to ask her out when we get back!" Rain called with a grin before he disappeared into the shower; narrowly missing the flying boot Mountain chucked at him.

"Aw, well that's sweet!" Y/n grinned turning her attention to the Earth ghoul.

"Whatever." he muttered with a huff and turned his head away.

The gentle banter came to a screeching halt when the doors to the tour bus banged open and the loudness of voices echoed into the interior as 3 rather loud and probably drunk ghouls came stumbling in bickering with each other.

Y/n and Mountain shared an exasperated look between each other before a weight dropped ontop of the girl getting the air knocked out of her.

"Y/n!!!! Tell Dew to stop being such a dick!" Phantom whined as he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face into her stomach.

She sagged with a groan and shot her gaze across the room at Swiss and Dew. "What the hell did you guys do?"

"Hey! Don't take sides before you hear the story!" Swiss held his hands up in defense.

"I'm not. You know what? I don't give a fuck. You disturbed our peace." she stuck her nose in the air with a sniff.

"Aw, you telling us you don't want us around no more?" Dew cocked his head and leaned against the countertop before suddenly launching himself across the room and jumping ontop of Phantom who screeched like bloody murder and began struggling indigently with Dewdrop.

"Oi!" Y/n wiggled her way from beneath the wrestling males and stood up with a huff.

"God you guys are impossible sometimes." she crossed her arms before looking over towards Swiss. "Ya'll want some tea?"

"Fuck no! I don't know how you drink that shit." Dew stopped attacking Phantom long enough to bark at her.

"I was thinking something stronger like...whiskey?" Swiss looked hopeful and Y/n rolled her eyes.

"Hot cocoa it is then. Go sit down you annoying idiots and stop using Mountain as a wrestling mat." she pointed a finger at them all and then headed for the kitchen.

Mountain noped out of there real quick as he stood from the couch and began grabbing the empty mugs he, Y/n, and Rain had been using earlier to wash them out while Y/n made the other three some cocoa.

While the other three were preoccupied Mountain reached into the cupboard above Y/n head and pulled out a little glass bottle with some kind of green powder in it and gave her a wink. She eyed it a moment before snickering under her breath.

Once the hot cocoa was done she gave a small scoop of the powder into each cup and stirred. It was a herb Mountain had dried and ground into a powder that would aid in calming them down. Not so much as a sleep aid but it worked wonders when they got so excited; certainly helped calm them down a bit.

With Mountain's help, she handed out the mugs, making sure the goofballs wouldn't spill it before taking her seat in between Phantom and Dew on the couch while Mountain took sit spot on the opposite couch. Rain came out to join them once he was done with the shower and paused in the doorway with a smirk on his face as he noticed Phantom snoozing on Y/n's shoulder, Dew full out draped across her lap like a cat with an empty mug hanging from his fingertips nearly touching the floor, and a Swiss who was barely managing to keep his eyes open but his head was bobbing as he fought off sleep.

The water ghoul gave Mountain a thumbs up before plopping himself down beside the large ghoul to curl up against his side while he scrolled through his phone. A little while later the door opened again and Copia came stumbling in looking haggard; pausing on the threshold to stare at the pile of ghouls on the couches and smiling slightly at the sight.

Y/n who was half asleep herself peeked an eye open and returned his smile with a sleepy one of her own. Shrugging the singer shucked off his shoes and his sparkly jacket before dumping his ass onto the couch with Mountain and Rain; eliciting a purr from the sleepy Rain as he readjusted himself to cuddle against Copia.

Y/n looked around at the piles of bodies and smiled to herself as she rested her cheek on top of Phantom's head and nuzzled into his hair a bit as she sighed. Content to let the silence of the room and the warmth of the bodies around her lull her into a comfortable sleep; this was what she looked forward to most on tour - the quiet time after a long tour to just bask in the presence of her favorite people.

#ghost #ghost ghouls #ghost band #nameless ghouls #ghost fandom #the band ghost #ghost the band #rain ghoul x reader #mountain x reader #ghouls #fluff

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 5 months

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this was quite a while ago so my memory is hazy but it still sort of bothers me, so

AITA for making a quick comment about a ship dynamic(???) i didn't like in the ship tag?

before you jump on my ass, this isn't pro/anti stuff. literally just a matter of preference.

not going to mention the specific characters or media in question for pure anonymity's sake. i'm just going to assign arbitrary names to the characters in question for readability. let's say Albert and Bartholomew, or something. and the ship name can be Fucking BartBert I Guess.

"Bartholomew" had a traumatic experience in his childhood that had a very large impact on his mental state, let's say. as a fan of. um. "bartbert". i had noticed a trend in fan works of this ship depicting an AU version of Bartholomew that had never had this traumatic event happen to him. not that there's anything wrong with that, really. i just found it sort of strange and i was more interested in the canon character, additionally i found it sort of comforting to think that Bartholomew was worthy of love scars and all, so to speak. so i made a short post in the tag expressing pretty much that. along the lines of "why is there so much fanart like this? can't he be loved the way he is?" or something like that, and tagged it as bartbert because i wanted to see other people's thoughts on it. in retrospect it could've been read as dismissive or inflammatory i suppose but i really didn't mean it like that. i was just a little bit annoyed and confused by it.

fast forward a little while and this person comes into my notes saying something along the lines of "for some reason i can't reblog this on my main, but it's because people have been nice enough to make fanart of the AU that i made." i didn't think i knew this person at all, so i essentially just responded trying to assure them that i don't know them and wasn't trying to attack their art or them personally or anything.

i'm not sure exactly what happened after that because it's been like 2 years but in essence, i had actually blocked their main a few months before, because they had been posting about that AU and i didn't like it, so i just blocked and moved on like i usually do with stuff like that because i didn't want to see it in the tags. i probably didn't even realize at the time that they were the creator of the AU. but this person pointed out that i had their main blocked as like, evidence that that post i had made was a personal attack against them, or something like that?? of course i didn't mean it in that way, i had just blocked their main months ago and forgotten about it, and i wasn't even really trying to be rude but they blocked me before i could try to explain myself.

i remember this whole thing pretty vividly because i was at the zoo with my family that day and feeling like i was being accused of something i didn't do, or being called mean or being picked on by someone with a much larger following than me presumably, just for making a single post the night before was really stressing me out on what was supposed to be a fun day. in addition i ended up leaving the fanbase for the work in question entirely pretty soon after because i didn't want people to think i was weird or mean. it's sort of colored my recollection of the work in general, which sucks because i do still really like it.

in retrospect i'm honestly not sure if what i did was wrong or not. i suppose i shouldn't have put negativity in the tag but also i feel like you should be allowed to express negative opinions the same as positive ones, right? as long as you aren't being a jackass about it. although at the same time i can sort of see their perspective because i think if i saw a post like that about something i had made i might've jumped straight to being defensive about it, too...

but anyways it's one of those memories that creeps up on me while i'm trying to go to sleep, so,

was i the asshole?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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sophieinwonderland · 8 months

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A new hate blog is on the scene: Meet @no-context-endogenics

The DNI is rich when your whole blog is dedicated to witch-hunting and calling out endogenic systems by name. But let's see if this blog is even living up to its own name.

Here's the first post on their blog:

First... literally have no idea what's wrong with this. But second... Let's take a quick look at the pinned of this system they targeted.

Literally a traumagenic system.

IN THE FIRST POST OF THIS BLOG!

To be fair, they did post to the endogenic tags, but a lot of pro-endo traumagenic systems do when users like this make them feel unsafe in traumagenic spaces.

Right... which is why you posted the previous traumagenic system on your no-context-endogenics blog that claims to be about posting endos! 🙄

Also, I can't tell... are you lumping in mixed origin systems with "endos" here? It seems like you are, because the blog has a tendency of posting mixed origin systems too when it claims to be posting endos, as well as ones that just don't state their origins. Because many mixed origin systems do, in fact, have a disorder and are very public about it.

For example...

Mixed origin, polyfragmented DID system.

(Also, runs some of the coolest and most important plural blogs on Tumblr.)

Another post on this blog, which I'm not including here, was from a 14-year-old polyfragmented c-DID system. That system didn't say if they were endogenic or traumagenic, but I think it's safe to assume that they were most likely at least partially traumagenic.

And no, I think systems that harm the community definitely deserve hate. People who are out there calling out systems, fakeclaiming them, implicitly fakeclaiming trauma, bullying, etc.

But systems who are just existing as endogenic... sorry... we aren't your scapegoat.

I generally try to be nice with these. At least relatively.

But I'm going to fail this time.

You. Are. Pathetic.

All of you.

Endogenic systems have NOTHING to do with why systems are fakeclaimed. Do you want to know why systems are fakeclaimed? It's because systems... are weird. We are. We're a step too far from the norm and the average neurotypical singlet can't comprehend multiple existing in the same body together.

That makes us easy targets. And we should be standing together. We should be supporting each other.

But people like you are only interested in tearing us down because you're too cowardly to put the blame for your fakeclaiming on the actual fakeclaimers.

You want to talk about ruining the community, but you fakeclaim other systems. You hurt other systems. Including traumagenic DID systems. Because you're miserable and you have to inflict your misery on others to make yourselves feel better.

Have you ever been to Fakedisordercringe?

Because let me tell you, the people who get fakeclaimed there aren't usually fakeclaimed for being endogenic. Yes, of course they're anti-endo. But many who are targeted are traumagenic DID systems and it has nothing to do with endogenics at all.

Although... I guess that also applies to the @no-context-endogenics too, doesn't it? I mean, out of every post there, I think this might be the only one that's actually purely endogenic. (Not mixed origins, unknown or explicitly traumagenic.) Most of the blog is just Fakedisordercringe-style posts targeted at trauamagenic DID systems.

Minor bodied? Minor bodied with over 200 headmates? Using the word "headmates?" OSDD-1b? Fictive heavy? Undertale fictives?

The cringe subreddits would gobble you all up in a heartbeat.

And you know what the most incredible part of this is???

You're supporting them!

You give them the moral justification they need. You support this ridiculous narrative that there are these groups who are causing DID to not be taken seriously by... existing... often, in the case of most endogenic systems, not even claiming to have a disorder in the first place. Just... being plural.

And you give the okay for these singlets to feel morally justified in attacking and fakeclaiming systems just like your own.

You are EVERYTHING wrong with the system community.

You're the reason systems fear expressing themselves online or in public. The reason fakeclaiming is so rampant. You contribute to this toxic environment of fear and paranoia in system spaces.

You're not defending the system community.

YOU ARE THE ONES RUINING THIS COMMUNITY!

You're just a bunch of cyberbullies.

And the same goes for anybody supporting you too.

(And before anybody takes issue with me posting this when two of the bullies acting as admins for the blog are minor-bodied, I'm just going to remind you again that another one of their posts which I didn't share here targeted a 14-year-old polyfragmented DID system, so I really don't care about the ages of the bullies in the slightest.)

#syscourse #pro endo #pro endogenic #system discourse #bullying #ableism #cyber bullying #endogenic #fakeclaiming #systems #system #sysblr

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jasntodds · 7 months

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Petrichor Chapter 10 Teaser - Full Chapter coming 09/27

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!Powered!Reader (little bit of fwb) Teaser Words: 2,049 Chapter Warnings: Swearing, angst, canon character death, canon drug use, drug use, blood, bruises, injuries, look the anti-fear drug turns perfectly innocent people into raging murderers and makes them do things they would never do and that's all I'm gonna say for that one, canon violence, violence Summary: ❝Pylades: I’ll take care of you. Orestes: It’s rotten work. Pylades: Not to me. Not if it’s you.❞ Gotham is home, not just for Jason but for you, too. And now that you’re both finally back home, together, you’re ready to see where this next chapter brings the two of you. He’s your best friend and you’re his. And you both might want a little something more with being back home, the place you both feel most comfortable. Surely, nothing could possibly go wrong now. A/N: My life blew up last week so I've done nothing besides rewatch CSI so here's a teaser lol You can add yourself to the tag list below, ask me to be tagged, or you can follow my library blog @jasntoddslibrary and turn on notifications if you prefer that!! I love feedback, I swear it keeps me posting on a weekly basis 😭

Jason, on the other hand, he knows you. He knows you want to meet up to check on him, yes. You’ll always want to check on him after any sort of fight with anyone. It’s what you do. But, he also knows you're going to have questions about him attacking Dick and the other Titans. You tipped him off, sure, but maybe you didn’t think he was going to actually attack them. He knows you're going to question him about it, probably lecture him. He doesn’t want to listen to it. He can’t listen to it. A part of him will want to break if he does and he knows it. He knows he will if he goes there clean. So, he doesn’t. He hits the inhaler and pockets it before heading to the alley.

Jason gets there first, hiding in the shadows until you show up. You're on your bike, completely suited up. You don’t want anyone seeing you with him. Not the real you. Red Hood is pissing off a lot of people and you already have enough shit you're dealing with. The last thing you want is a target painted on your civilian self for being seen with him.

You dismount the bike, popping the helmet on the handlebar as you look around. Jason walks out from the shadows, wearing the suit and the helmet. Of course, he is.

“I’m fine.” Jason states. You don’t like how the helmet makes him sound.

“Yeah, well, had to see for myself.” You let out a breath as you close the rest of the distance between you.

“You don’t have to worry about me anymore.” Jason takes the helmet off and he isn’t smiling or grinning. His expression is flat and your heart starts to sink.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Jay?” You shake your head, Jason getting a hint of annoyance in your voice.

“I mean I’m fine.” He rolls his shoulders, his voice flat.

Your eyes are scanning over him and it's dark but you're pretty sure he doesn't have any bruises. It seems either the helmet and suit did a good job of protecting him tonight or Dick didn't get a hit in. That's at the very least a small relief but Jason Todd has never been fine. You're starting to think he doesn't actually know the definition of the word.

“Right. You have said you’re fine a hundred times and not once have you actually been fine.” You cross your arms over your chest.

Jason's teeth grit for just a split second. “Don’t fucking worry. I told you. I got this handled.” Jason holds the helmet on his hip, his stance strong and sturdy.

He’s different than he was yesterday. He was grinning and smirking because it’s him. Whenever he claims to be fine, he gives you a grin as if that’s going to melt your worry away. But, not tonight and he seems bored and defensive.

“Why are you being so…weird?” You raise a brow at him.

Jason brushes you off, thankful for the drug coursing through his system. He’d never be able to deal with this without it.

“I’m not weird.” Jason defends.

“Yeah, you are. You’re acting weird.” You argue.

You don’t get it and maybe you won’t ever. But, this is him now. He’s not acting weird because this is the new him. Red Hood, fearless. He has no worries or fears anymore, just a mission. Jason swears he’s not acting weird, you're just expecting the old him.

“This is just the new me.” He lets out this sort of chuckle that doesn’t sit well in your stomach.

“Uh-huh. Right. You seemed…kind of normal last time but now you seem…off.” Your eyes scan over his face and your heart is in your throat, the formula running through your mind.

“Just glad to be doing what Bruce couldn’t.” Jason holds his head up high with ease.

“This conversation is going fucking nowhere.” You let out a sigh as you look to the ground.

You came here with the intent to be sure he's fine. It was to get some sort of answer. A real, solid reason not to tell Dick anything. Dick is going to have so many questions when you get back tonight. All of them will be about Jason and what his new plan is now that he's alive. You need a reason to keep what you do know to yourself and Jason is giving you every reason to be worried enough to talk to Dick.

“So, go home.” Jason scoffs but he’s not even offended or upset. It’s like he doesn’t even care.

Your attention snaps back to him. “What the fuck? I’m worried about you and you don’t even care?”

It's not that he doesn’t care. The drug numbs part of that but not entirely. It can’t otherwise they wouldn’t be able to have a plan in the first place. Jason has to be able to care about the city and the people he’s trying to protect otherwise there is no plan. It’s not that he does not care, it’s that he doesn’t care to go through the arguing in circles game while you dig for information.

“What else did you want? I know you want something else.” Jason dodges the question on purpose, knowing he won’t even feel guilty about it.

A lump forms in your throat as he dodges the question. He comes back to life and is, generally, normal but now he’s not? How is that even possible?

“Dick knows you’re alive.” You swallow the lump and if he’s going to pretend like this doesn’t hurt him, fine, you’ll do the same.

“Yeah, broke my other helmet, had a backup though.” Jason looks down to the helmet on his hip and then back to you with ease, the very corners of his mouth twitching into a grin.

“Oh, I’m so glad you have a spare helmet, Jason.” You snark through a scoff. “Unbelievable.” You look down and this is not how you wanted this to go. “Why did you try to shoot him?”

“He was in the way.” Jason answers casually.

The Titans are going to get in the way and Dick is the leader. Without him, the Titans will fall apart. Crane is right about Dick. He thinks he’s better than Jason. He thinks he’s the golden child, and he always was to Bruce. Bruce couldn’t even be bothered to kill the Joker for Jason but he would have for Dick. Dick dropped him from a skyscraper. Dick got him kidnapped and tortured. This all comes back to him and Bruce.

Your eyes nearly bulge out of your head and you're sick of the games with him right now. “Are fucking joking!?” You finally yell. This isn’t funny. Dick is his brother, he’s your friend. He could have killed him. What the fuck is wrong with him?

“Nope.” Jason gives you a grin. The drug loves confrontation.

This is not the Jason you once knew.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” You glare up at him. “He’s in your way? Well, damn Jason, maybe don’t attack the fucking Titans.” You gesture your hands out as you shrug your shoulders.

Jason’s blood starts to boil as you yell. You swore you weren’t working with them but from where he’s standing, it sure as shit seems like you are. Crane said you would. Crane said you’d start working with them the second you found out what he was doing. Maybe he was right and it’s pissing Jason off. You're supposed to be on his side.

“I thought you weren't fucking working with them.” Jason seethes. You lied. You lied to him. Of course, you're working with them. Maybe Crane was right about you, too.

But you tipped him off.

“I’m fucking not! But I give a shit about them. In case you forgot, Dick saved my life twice. Gar is our best friend. Conner saved your life. Kory fucking tried to save our lives. I know you care about them. Why the hell would you go after them?”

“Dick treats me like shit. I’m fucking no one to him. He thinks he’s so much better than me.” Jason scoffs. “You said Rachel was his lap dog, but look at you now.” Jason laughs cruelly as he closes some of the distance between you. “You're the one screaming at me and defending him.” Jason shakes his head, looking down at you.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he were trying to intimidate you.

Maybe you don’t know better.

“You tried to kill him! He pisses me off sometimes, too but I don’t want him dead! I’m not his damn lap dog, either. I just don’t know what the hell is going on. And you won’t fucking tell me.” You grit your teeth, standing toe-to-toe with him.

“That’s because it’s none of your fucking business, but don’t worry, babe, you’ll see soon enough.” Jason offers this grin that you can’t tell is him taunting you or threatening you. And from here, with him nearly standing on top of you, can see his eyes better.

His pupils are dilated and your heart is suddenly in your throat. On the one hand, making a drug and selling it to innocent people is really bad and you were hoping that was not it. But, on the other hand, a part of you thinks him taking something is worse in a way. The formula screams from the back of your head and Dick's general concern about it, Jason's weird and erratic behavior before he died. Him going after the Joker. He's definitely high and you have no fucking idea how you missed that either or what even lead him here.

“Literally, are you high right now?” You question him, hoping against all odds whatever he's on will make him tell you, like an overconfidence thing. “Because the Jason I know wouldn’t be laughing and trying to kill the Titans. The Jason I know wouldn’t be being such a fucking dick to me right now.”

Jason lets out a laugh, ignoring your question because he's not playing into your hand. “So, go home.” There's a wicked look in his eyes as he looks down at you. And it hurts. “This is me, new and improved.” There's almost something threatening in the way his eyes darken to the deepest shade of evergreen you've ever seen.

“If you think this an improvement, I have news for you. The new you sucks.” You spit back.

It’s like the drug loves confrontation. It’s as if confrontation triggers something. The drug is supposed to suppress fear. That’s the point of it. But it seems to do a few other things. If confrontation starts, it’s like Jason gets an adrenaline boost but not in self-defense, instead, it’s more like skydiving. It’s actually fun, it doesn’t matter who the confrontation is with. It’s fun. Thrilling. Jason doesn’t realize that maybe that was Craen’s plan. He’s a mad scientist. Maybe the drug is meant to suppress his fear but maybe it’s meant to control other parts of him in just the right way to do his bidding. Like using confrontation as another drug. Jason doesn’t see it. He can’t see it because the drug, at the end of the day, is Crane’s creation. Because Crane is the one pulling the strings behind the curtain.

And unfortunately for you, you're kicking up the confrontation.

Jason’s smile falls as he shakes his head. There’s an anger that sparks across his eyes, something you've never directed at you. “Really? Not what you fucking said yesterday. Not what you said earlier today when you tipped me off.”

“You weren’t like this yesterday or earlier.” You argue, holding your ground.

Jason steps forward, making you take steps back until your back hits the alley wall behind you and your heart spikes. Your head isn’t throbbing but a very small part of you, is a little bit scared. This isn’t him. Jason wouldn’t try to kill Dick. Jason does not threaten you. But there's a look in his eyes and if he's willing to kill Dick and attack his friends, what's he willing to do to you?

“Go. Home.” Jason warns.

prev. chapter

series masterlist | masterlist | tag list

Tag list: @fairyofshampoo // @italiana-20 // @jasontoddsmentaldisorders // @purplerose291 // @lovelessamai // @makaelaseresin // @lenidaslenchen // @mayfieldss // @ghostkingblake // @im-done-with-this-im-out // @velvetskies // @lilylovelyxo // @cryinghotmess // @yesimwriting // @vivian-555 // @stainedstardom // @baebeepeach // @legend-o-zelda // @harleycao // @somehow-lovable-trash // @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx // @deyja-the-duck // @jasontoddslover // @captainmarvels-blog // @totallynotkaibiased // @scarlovesyou // @whydoyoucare866 // @littlemeowmeow1000 // @ginger24880 // @septixtrash // @kplatzman

#jason todd x reader #jason todd x you #red hood x reader #red hood x you #jason todd fanfic #jason todd fanfiction #titans fanfic #titans fanfiction #dc fanfic #dc fanfiction #petrichor #tw: blood

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burst-of-iridescent · 11 months

Note

so i just went through your entire anti-lok tag and everything you said in it was SO WELL WRITTEN. i wanted to ask if you might have any analyses or anything (or just good old rants! we love being bryke haters) - about something that i noticed, which is this sort of... ATLA/TLOK dichotomy between how all aang's villains seem to be focused on gaining power/dominating the world or whatever, but the villains in TLOK seem to revolve around very pointed targeting of korra and specifically stripping her of her agency/bodily autonomy, but i don't know how to expand on that point.

(idk just. TLOK has a whole list of scenes that make me VIOLENTLY uncomfortable in a way even the worst of ATLA doesn't? and i thought you might have some input to share about it, if you don't mind me asking)

thank you sm!! i'm glad you enjoy my lok and bryke salt <33

i know what you mean, because it's something that struck me when i was watching lok as well. korra's villains are far more personal to her (particularly in what they do to her, or want from her) than azula or ozai or even zhao ever were to aang, and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing (in fact it can often be good to have a personal relationship between your hero and villain; just look at how much more impactful and meaningful zuko and azula's arc was compared to aang and ozai's), there is a way to do it right and that was... not what bryke did.

we didn't need to see korra brutally bloodbent and stripped of her bending, or brutally attacked by unalaq, or brutally tortured by the red lotus or - you got it - brutally beaten up by kuvira (over and over again, might i add). i'm not saying that violence never has its place in storytelling, but it needs to have an actual purpose that's not just shock value. atla, for instance, knew when and how to utilise violence: the sight of gyatso's skeleton in the southern air temple, aang's murder by azula, even katara bloodbending... the violence in all of those scenes was necessary either to communicate vital information to the audience, or drive home the emotive and narrative significance of the moment, or both.

in lok though, bryke hardly, if ever, achieved either of these objectives - especially because it was mainly only ever korra who got the brunt of the violence. no other character is repeatedly targeted and assaulted and violated even half as much as korra is, even when they're facing the same antagonists. tenzin's fight against the red lotus in book 3 gets a tasteful pan to black (one of the few times i think bryke did use violence purposefully; knowing what not to show is just as important as knowing what to show, and leaving the audience with the dread of tenzin's fate was actually sadder and more terrifying than letting us see what happened to him) but korra's agonizing torture at the hands of the red lotus is so long and drawn-out that it begins to veer into torture porn.

imo, this can probably be attributed to two things: 1) bry.ke thinking trauma = character development because they don't know how else to write a good character arc (and they still somehow fucked it up - i will never forgive them for making korra thank zaheer, of all people, for helping her overcome her trauma, like what the absolute fuck bry.ke), and 2) they wanted lok to be "more mature" than atla, which shows both that they fundamentally didn't understand atla, or what constitutes good storytelling, and also that someone desperately needs to tell them that simply upping the violence and hamfistedly handling "complex" topics does not maturity make.

(given the way bryke has written women, i also have to side-eye the fact that the strong-willed, independent, brown female protagonist is beaten and battered and torn down far more than the peaceful, affable light-skinned male protagonist ever is, even during an actual war.)

and of course, contrary to what our dear bryke probably expected, simply brutalizing korra season after season in the name of shock value and development did not, to anyone else's surprise, make lok the better show in the end.

#anti lok #anti bryke #apologies for how long it took me to get to this ask! thank you for being so patient <3 #as an aside i see your tags and comments on my posts a lot and i always love reading them #please feel free to let me know more of your thoughts anytime! <3

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ovaruling · 9 months

Note

Hey! Sorry if you get this a lot, but you mentioned in your one really long post that you'd maybe talk about the "non-invasive" procedures one day. I have a friend considering a few (notably that ice fat removal one, cryo something) and I was hoping you could tell a bit more about your experiences with them. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

hi! i’m happy to discuss, definitely. i hope you don't mind my publishing this, because i haven't yet had a chance to publicly talk about CoolSculpt (similar if not identical in fashion to cryo- methods of "fat removal") or other med spa procedures, and i'd like to add this to my anti-cosmetic surgery tag. if you're not comfortable with this ask being published, please let me know asap and i will remove it without issue!

if your friend is indeed interested in CoolSculpt, my caution there is firstly going to revolve around Linda Evangelista, the 90s supermodel.

her story about PAH (paradoxical adipose hyperplasia) that she experienced because of CoolSculpt is harrowing. here’s an article about it.

this happens a lot more with CoolSculpt than most people realize. i didn't experience PAH necessarily, but i will say that when i got CoolSculpt on my inner thighs, it left them extremely, extremely lumpy, and hardened. i already had one spot--about the size of a prune--on one of my inner thighs from when i got actual liposuction. i figured it wasn't the end of the world, and ignored it as best i could.

but when i went in and got CoolSculpt, i noticed in the weeks afterward that my thighs looked... bumpy. lumpy. like there were small, hard avocado pits underneath my skin. of course, i freaked out. i didn't know why it looked like that--the technician and the ads had all said it would be left smooth, fat-free, no trace of a procedure left behind.

before my last session (CoolSculpt takes multiple sessions), i asked the technician to take a look. she said, "oh, that'll go away in a few weeks. your body just has to detox it."

i was skeptical, but i wanted so much to believe she was right.

i waited, and i waited. i waited some more. weeks and weeks and weeks passed. not a single change.

i still don't rightly know what happened. i haven't quite had the time to get it checked out, because, depressingly, this disfigurement is very low on my list compared to my more pressing issues atm.

i also want to mention that i got CoolSculpt on my arms (they offered me a free "area" with my purchase of the inner thighs) and so i figured i'd try to get rid of some of my the fat under my biceps and triceps. all that happened was that the skin began to droop and sag. CoolSculpt did not transform my arms into firm, smooth limbs, not by any stretch. (there was no muscle there, so obv this was gonna happen!)

so, the inner thighs remain a mystery to me. the hardened lumps are still there, and seem benign, but they are extremely annoying. and i no longer care what they look like, but back when i did, the extremely firm lumpiness really, really bothered me. it was like huge ocean waves, frozen. Linda described her aftermath as "protrusions," and i kind of relate, honestly. i don't have it nearly as intensely as she does, but protrusions is a perfect way to describe the behavior of the flesh post-CoolSculpt.

as i've built more muscle in my legs over time, the lumps are less visible, but i still feel them there. it's really unsettling. makes me think of having parasites under my skin, which then makes me really queasy and panicked. but i can't do anything about them.

i got one suggestion to try to massage them, because they may just be gnarled tissue of some kind that could be broken up and metabolized if given proper stimulation and circulation. but no such luck--they're still there.

so, again, not totally sure what happened to me--not quite what happened to Linda Evangelista, but. i still had an adverse affect, which is frightening.

the people at the med spa i went to, btw, refused to acknowledge this as an issue. they told me i must just "metabolize fat poorly." not their fault, evidently. and i was powerless to challenge them, because i had signed a lot of waivers.

so, here i am. CoolSculpt just gave me another in a long line of apparently permanent side effects, even though it was noninvasive.

i wish so much i had just... fucking stopped, honestly. i should've begun my fitness journey then, if i wanted "toned thighs" so much, instead of spending a ridiculous amount of money (that i didn't have, btw) on this completely unregulated procedure that remains wildly popular. it is 100% a scam.

at least with working out, i gained confidence and strength and stopped caring so much about how i look once i realized that how i feel is so much more important. having done both, i can firmly say that i would choose my strong, big, muscular thighs over the trim, slim CoolSculpted ones any day.

and to drive the point home, i do still have the lumps in my thighs.

CoolSculpt is a waste of time, money, and health.

please do encourage your friend to look up the side effects reported from CoolSculpt, and keep in mind that most women who get CoolSculpt do NOT follow back up with the med spas they received treatment at. so when you see "over 95% of patients reported satisfaction with their treatment," know that they are NOT returning the calls of those who received adverse effects.

as i do with all cosmetic procedures, both invasive and noninvasive, i believe the percentage of those who have been "botched" is way, way, way, WAY under-reported, underrepresented, and vastly, vastly underestimated.

technically, because my surgeons never returned my communication, and because i never participated in an official survey (usually provided by the place that gives you the surgery, lmfao), i would not be included in the data collected for "botched procedures."

so please, please keep that in mind. most of us who have received life-altering results from any manner of cosmetic procedures either A) are not being communicated with by the providers of the procedure afterward, or B) are not even thinking about communicating with the provider of the procedure because they are now at their doctor or a hospital, trying to find answers to what went wrong.

or simply C) are too embarrassed to come forward and admit that we were “botched.”

or even D) have accepted it in numb silence or deeply flat denial because it would be too painful or too much effort to acknowledge that we most certainly didn’t get the results we were promised.

like, trust me, no one is calling me or knocking at me door asking me if i’m happy with my surgeries or my noninvasive procedures. not a single one. as far as the world was concerned, until i spoke up this year, i was a happy customer. so idk WHERE the fuck they get all these surveyed patients from. but sure as hell, no one ever asked me.

my point is, i don't believe the data collected on procedure satisfaction is AT ALL trustworthy, let alone accurate.

if there's another procedure you have a question about, i'd be happy to answer it to the best of my ability.

#save #anti cosmetic surgery

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hexonthepeach · 7 months

Text

a gentle tongue breaketh the bone | 17: chivalry

pairing: fem hybrid fox omega!reader/hybrid Alpha!nct 127

tags: reverse harem, non-traditional omegaverse hybrid! cyberpunk au, pack dynamics, polyamory, slowburn/slowbuild, angst & hurt/comfort, heavy content warnings inc. torture, graphic violence, suicidal ideation, explicit sexual content

summary: the year is 2127. decades of eugenics and warfare have led to the rise of designated populations: the ruler Alphas and their rare, prized omegas sequestered from the Beta population. in the aftermath of the War of the Two Tigers, New Goryeo ushers in an Imperial dynasty determined not by birthright but by the alliance of the Syndicate’s clancorps to choose the best pack of your generation. you are destined to take your place within the Imperial harem as a queen, and–perhaps–Imperatrix herself

but you have a secret, written into your skin and bones–one that could easily kill you, depending on who finds it out

ten years ago you chose your Alpha and their pack in a fateful meeting

now, you must make them choose you

[masterlist & glossary] [read on AO3] [0: prologue] [1: escape, again] [2: lost and found] [3: returned] [4: bound] [5: home] [6: gift] [7: reunion] [8: security] [9: secret] [10: prisoner] [11: gambit] [12: haze] [13: shock] [14: feral] [15: release] [16: acceptance]

wc: 5k

chapter warnings: none except mild xenophobia, racism (one use of an anti-japanese slur)

recommended listening: STREAM FACT CHECK BY 127 (in all seriousness, though, Misty is my favorite of the new b-sides and works well for this)

Doyoung's insistence that you move into his shared executive suite with Taeyong proves to be a challenge. For one, Taeyong’s nest horrifies you–a sentiment seemed to be shared by his mate.

"He spent most of his childhood in a bunker," Doyoung explains. "You don't have to stay in the foxhole."

Taeyong had created the darkest, strangest abode possible: a closed space built into his half of the apartment that you have to almost crawl into. Deep inside it’s lit by a variety of warm lights set off by graffitied walls and a maximalist approach to bedding and adornments. You peer only for a few seconds into the abyss through the smaller entrance, sniffing at the faded musk scents before ducking back up and shaking your head.

"It feels . . . Wrong to intrude," you state quietly. "Doesn't he need it right now?"

Doyoung's sigh is palpable. "He’ll survive. Until you're ready he'll stay with the person who most closely matches your profile."

Of course, you think. Johnny.

"I can be ready," you say. It's not a statement that extends to your heart, not after everything, but you'd been raised to duty.

Doyoung drops your luggage to place his hands against your upper arms, touch featherlight to keep you from feeling caged.

"Absolutely not. Not until Taeil clears you. Until then you are still in recovery. From here on you are not doing anything that isn't your heart's design and by your own will."

You blink up at him, eyes blurring with tears. "I didn't know you were so nice."

"Don't tell my enemies." He laughs softly, gaze a little sad. "It does seem you've been shown a woeful lack of hospitality, in addition to . . . everything else."

You shake your head. "Let's not."

"Right, you need to eat first. And then we'll talk about what comes next."

You expect to be able to help him–almost want to serve him to see how he would respond–but Doyoung forbids you from the huge, open kitchen. He has a bit of an addled and untrained approach to his work that has you feeling a little lighter as you gently offer suggestions with suppressed laughter in your voice.

"Taeyong usually does this," he says, unfazed by your amusement or the way you gently correct him before he can add sugar in place of salt.

"It means a lot to me to have a home-cooked meal," you counter. "No matter what, I'm sure it will taste delicious."

You watch him grow a few inches, long back straightening as he preens under your attention. For a moment you are transported to a different life entirely–one in which you feel like the vagaries of your kind can be ignored.

"Here," he says, pouring you something milky white into a bowl from a bottle. "Just something to dull the day."

"Rice wine?" You ask after taking a sniff.

"We have a building resident who brews with a traditional process. It's not too heady, but take it slow."

"Thank you," you murmur, sipping. The taste is slightly chalky but sparkling with ferment, light and sweet on your tongue. "For everything."

Doyoung relaxes a little, as if already dancing on the same wavelength of your emotion.

"I wanted to spend time with you tonight, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind." You shake your head, drinking deeper.

Doyoung's dark eyes dart away, cheek pulled between his teeth as he thinks.

"I will, of course, let you sleep here on your own–"

"Oh no. Please," you look up at him, frantically. "Please don't leave me alone."

You quell your anxiety attack, rambling a bit. "Even just to sleep, I need someone. You smell . . . You smell very nice to me."

Doyoung's eyes grow wide, frozen in the act of capping the bottle. Remembering your first conversation at the dinner table has you second-guessing your words.

"Not that way. I mean, I won't bite you, I promise. I just appreciate having you here."

He's just as startled by your response as you are to having it, diffusing the awkwardness by pouring you more makgeolli, a smile tugging at the corner of his prim mouth.

"You're very kind to worry," he says. "But I can manage myself. I'm honored by your trust and your willingness to keep me company."

You flush, face heating. "I'm not causing you any problems with Taeyong?"

Although your litany of failures was impressive, coming between a pairbond match was not something you could forgive yourself for. He smells deeply of your new mate, more fox than anyone here for the clinging of musk on his skin.

"Our arrangement is less than conventional," he says, clearing his throat. "In some ways we're lucky to have each other, in others . . . well. Like most partnerships outside the Dome's ours is driven by necessity. And . . ."

You glance up, catching the bob in his throat as he finishes swallowing whatever he was about to say. "Let's eat, shall we? Hopefully this is edible."

Thankfully, the tofu stew is perfect, otherwise the drink would easily go to your head. He keeps an eye on your indulgence but your cup is filled consistently. Doyoung sits beside you at the table rather than across, an arrangement that makes you feel safer eating without reservation, nose in your bowl.

The conversation melts away the tension and the occasional splinter of pain in your body, muscles easing with the wine and his company. He seems to have a boundless knowledge of court gossip, even details the years should have swept away, and you find yourself more you–more the person you remembered even if that had been its own kind of artifice.

You avoid talking about anything personal until it can no longer wait, once he's finished with the dishes and brings your things to his beautifully clean and open bedroom. It's clear his aesthetic sensibilities are more aligned with your own–white and gray surfaces broken up only by the occasional houseplant or art piece.

Much more comfortingly, you are saturated in Alpha scent–a marine quality to it that shines through the wafting sweetness of his prey genome.

"I have a favor to ask," you say, sitting on the edge of the oversized bed, holding yourself to keep the tremors fixed inside you.

"Anything," he says, remaining at a distance.

"I would like . . . " you begin, faltering. "If I'm chosen, I need your help. Integrating into this life. As this pack's omega."

The heaviness returns. You're tired, of course, satisfyingly full. But you feel better than you have in days. His response is a counterweight to that feeling.

"Can I ask you something that may be too personal for you to answer?" Doyoung asks.

Your heart sinks, recognizing the beginning of a difficult conversation. You had known there wasn't enough time to protest your inclusion–your acceptance of them did not mean they accepted you. No, that would be up for vote at the tribunal, if the pack even remained.

"As it pleases you," you nod.

Doyoung kneels down in front of you, the wide cant of his shoulders dipping as he takes your hand. Your heartbeat is racing, but not from fear. You fixate on the veins leading to the back of his wrists, and the tenderness of his thumb over your trembling fingers.

"I feel like I know everything about you, but we really haven't had time to talk without pretense," he says softly. "I want you to know that you're safe with me."

"I know," you say, not sure of it even as you speak it.

"Please be honest with yourself, if not for me," he says.

Fear paces up and down your spine but you will your fox to relax, held still.

"___," he says. "If, in another world, another life, we'd been allowed to be the pack you chose instead of the one forced upon you. Do you believe we could have ever been worthy of you?"

Worthy? Your ears flatten back, chin ducking autonomically in half-hearted submission. "I don't know what you mean."

"Imagine there wasn't a disparity between our numbers. You were free to choose any mate you desired. No designation even. Have you ever considered what you would look for in a potential partner? Or partners?"

You remember being a child, told you were something special. One worthy of being selected, and courted long before the ceremonies that preceded mating. Not a person or an equal, perhaps, but a prize to be treasured.

The word worthy continues to prick at you, making you feel cold and more hollow.

"I hadn't considered it." You admit, peering up just far enough to take in his serious expression. "I think even if I had I would accept that whoever chose me would never know if it was . . ."

Just biology. Compulsion. Determined fate.

"What would be the point?" you say, airily. "It's not like any of us have a real choice in this world who we're drawn to."

Or what would tear you apart.

"Right," he says with a sigh. "But what about being loved?"

Love.

That word breaks you in its own way, hearing it spoken aloud. It almost makes you sick.

You'd never imagined being loved. Desired, yes–for what you represented or could offer. A conditional transaction, upheld through mutual courtesy if not mutual respect.

No, being loved–loving someone–is an ugly and messy thing, you think.

"Why imagine something impossible," you say, finally meeting his gaze. His eyes are so dark you'd never noticed the lovely amber quality to them on the edges, the hare bleeding through.

"May I explain?" he asks.

You nod to indicate you're fine with whatever persuasion he's been mulling over, but inside you feel bolstered to defend your position.

"Wouldn't you look for someone who treats you with loving-kindness? Someone who prioritizes your needs over their own?" he asks, tentatively.

You shake your head, lip trembling. "It sounds like a child's fantasy."

"It goes back to the ancient code of chivalry. Even Alphas are taught to protect those perceived as weaker–to give them aid without questioning it, to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

Of course, you think, fighting the urge to roll your eyes. He's a Romantic. Chivalric dury was something you'd been immersed in since your first education in the Academy, but you'd yet to see it in action outside of protecting kin and country. No Alpha was capable of true sacrifice, to you it's just a mask to better humanize the ugly truth of a dominating and self-serving nature.

"You find this droll," he says, understanding your disinterest. "I admit it's just a code of honor that no one really believes in, anymore."

"No," you say, shaking off your prejudices. "I think it has value. But I would rather have honesty."

Doyoung is surprisingly quiet, waiting for you to continue.

"If someone considers me less powerful or something to be helped," you shudder at your own choice of terminology, "I would rather them be honest with their intent than to deign to show me mercy."

"Easier to judge the motivations of those who would do you harm, right?" Doyoung's smile takes on a wry edge. "I was raised in the Palace, too, you know."

"Oh, I know," you say. "I think I was a few years behind yours on instruction but Master Park Jinyoung did a number on us both, didn't he?"

You don't call upon your teaching in ancient history but rather etiquette, no class before yours or after insusceptible to a lesson delivered by a handsome Alpha who looked each of his subjects in the eye when delivering instructions. He’d drilled a great deal into you, much of it related to proper behavior. But especially that of courtship.

He squeezes your fingers, rolling his head to hide his embarrassment.

"Pardon me for preaching to the choir, I think it's easy to lose my point when you . . . well, you smell very nice to me, too."

Honesty, again. You feel a tingling sense of delight, seeing him with his guard down. For some reason you’d assumed he wouldn’t be interested in you, but this is an admission of sorts–an invitation. It’s a shame he immediately reverts to logician.

"But you're operating on a false assumption. The feeling is genuine. Whether it's biological or conditional is a metaphysical argument no one should entertain. What matters is here."

He brings your hand to his chest, but doesn't make you touch him, hands enclosing your own.

"You don't have to accept a match you are forced into by a scarcity of options. You deserve to be loved."

You’re not sure whether to laugh, or cry. For how similar your worlds should be he appears to not even be on the same planet as you are.

"So Alphas think about these kinds of things, too?"

"Human or animal makes no difference. We both die little-by-little, day-by-day, when we're forced into a life we haven't chosen for ourselves."

"I was making a choice when I left for Strictland," you say, voice wry.

"Yes," he exhales. You feel those walls coming back up, watching the gears turn behind those narrow features as he decides how to dispute you.

"If it wasn't Nyctos retrieving you, it would have been another. You don't know the level of attrition the Syndicate would be willing to subject you, or anyone who protected you to, to insure you weren't in the hands of one of the Free packs."

Suspicion makes you wary; this is much too close to an understanding yet unspoken between you. Had they made the contract with you, knowing this?

“Including Nyctos?" you ask, hoping he reads the double meaning in your words.

“We may be exiles, but we’re not Free,” he says, letting it sink in before he continues. “The Syndicate has allowed us to exist because Taeyong has never openly disagreed with the ideology his father enforced, and died for.”

“He’s not like him,” you agree, shuddering.

Such a horrible lineage, millions dying just for one man to prove he could be king over the ruins. Even if the Second Prince had died uncrowned, he'd been the major force behind the worst of the burgeoning efforts of the Syndicate, to make sure the war was won in their favor.

“No. Not at all,” Doyoung agrees, affection transparent in his voice. “Much like you, we are held hostage to our family’s sins.”

“So even if I weren’t bonded to any of you, you think this is the safest place I could be?” you ask. “Didn’t they try to kill you, too?”

Doyoung sits up, waiting for your permission to sit down beside you. Your hand is still captured in his, but you nod, sinking into his warm presence, his thigh pressed to your own.

“There’s something we wanted to talk to you about–there’s a lot really–but something I think you might not know, yet,” he begins, warily. “The reason why there was never any question that you’d enter the Imperial harem. Even with . . . your genetics.”

You swallow, mouth dry.

“Please,” you urge him to continue.

"Whether you like it or not, your existence is a potential spark for change. Your genetics aren't an anomaly, I believe they were deliberately developed and implanted within the Imperial bloodline to change the outcome of designated rule."

The words are a shock to you, the room suddenly frigid as your mind races to understand the implications beneath the rush of panic. "What?"

"If you followed in the footsteps of your grandmother and produced the next generation of heirs, you would be doing so with the ability to introduce the Nostradomina strain as a baseline for any future offspring,” he explains. “Your mother understood that if the elders found this out, you would be summarily executed.”

"If you go back, you die. No matter what happens, you run."

You nod rather than speak, afraid your voice will betray you.

“It seems that where many are trying to kill you or use you, there are also forces still protecting you."

"My brother?" Your voice is tiny, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

"More likely someone within the palace itself," Doyoung says. He holds, but only long enough to clock that you’re not refuting it. "Do you have any idea who that could be?"

You clench your jaw, remembering the feeling of being shocked over and over again through the last line of interrogation. It keeps you from breaking, so tired of hiding but emboldened to shut this down before you can reveal anything outside the bonds of complete security.

“No,” you say.

Doyoung recognizes your discomfort, if not your lie, stroking your hand.

"It's not important, right now. I'm sorry to overwhelm you."

"So that's what you really care about." You pull your hand back. "If you think I have anything to share that I haven't under torture than no, you are right. I do not think this pack is capable of being worthy of me."

Whatever tears you've shed run dry, again. Best not to spend another moment being seduced into complacency by a man with a pretty voice and careful words.

"I think we need each other for survival," you say. "I am grateful that we can align on mutual interests. But please don't mistake me for someone who believes you would ever put my needs over those of this pack's or Taeyong’s. As long as we understand that, we don't need to pretend.”

It takes him a long time to respond, standing silently by the bed as you crawl into it, tucking your tail around you.

"I'm truly sorry, ___."

You clutch the pillow beneath your head, smelling the melange of the other two who've shared it, a distant third scent making your heart stone. You know you're on your own tonight–you won't beg him to stay beside you. His hesitation is only as good as his retreat, watching you from the doorway.

"I'm ready," you say. "For the tribunal . . . and everything else. Are my terms acceptable?”

You’d had to write it out, unable to make your demands heard if they were in any voice but the one written in your own hand, words preserved with intent and simplicity.

“As you wish,” he says. “I’ll make the preparations.”

Yuta Nakamoto [puma concolor α] - assistant inspector second rank, Neo Seoul Police Response, formerly warrant officer rank junwi, Neo Seoul Military Response

There was a time back in the 2110's when Suh Youngho was just a reserve in the NG Foreign Legion, on the same misfit detail he'd been assigned to. A skinny NUSA kid with a tendency to smile and talk more than anyone was used to.

A tall poppy just waiting to get domed, they'd said. No one who'd been in this shitass war more than five days would have cracked a joke about it–not after watching the newly-formed Syndicate's tendency to put fresh bodies into beachfront graves.

Graves in this conflict were euphemistic: when you died there was no one to write home for you or carry your dogtags back, you were just a number on a screen for some scum who paid enough for the Millitech commission and maybe gave you a meal if they shot enough promotional footage to pay for it.

No, the war was already over and the remnants of it had taken them both as far as they could before armistice. Yuta remembers leaving the mess hall as the screens flashed white and the surrender was played, pretending he hadn't seen or understood the message as he carried two rations back to shared quarters.

It would be the first and last blissful journey he made back without having a tray upended, without hearing the spitting invective of another upjumped commissioned officer.

Or so he thought.

"Hey, jjokbari." Lieutenant Choi calls from behind him, a laugh and a whistle accompanying the slur. "That for your Yankee boyfriend? He think he can sleep in today of all days?"

Yuta resists the urge to flip him off, nodding politely in their direction as if he hadn't heard a word. It's not enough–has never been enough–but he continues on with ears pricked towards the sound of movement, hoping they choose the day's flavor of nationalism in the anthem blaring down the hallway instead of tormenting the foreigners risking their lives for them.

"Not gonna celebrate with us, Na?" His second-in-command, Ji taunts. "Enough omega girls to fuck waiting back home?"

Yuta can count the doors back to safety on one hand. Maybe it's a mistake he keeps going.

Maybe.

There's the pounding of footsteps–someone much heavier and less graceful than the commissioned officer. He waits until they try to swing–too wide, too flailing–to duck under it and move back. Whatever response Private Bootlicker was hoping for it's not the subtle step-away that leaves him lurching into the metal deck.

"Did he even touch him?" Another grunt asks, forever denied a response by the voice that speaks next.

"Attention."

Instinct has Yuta turning, saluting, tray balanced in his rest hand.

"At ease, gentlemen."

The man stepping into the corridor is dressed in bright red military regalia fitting only the finest, upjumped officer. At least with this one he can count on some of the medals being earned rather than on account of being Daddy General Lee II's favorite.

Despite the contradictory image of a bioengineered ears and tail and a teenager’s lanky frame, Crown Prince and Captain Lee Taeyong is well-respected within the ranks and twice as deadly as any of the assholes on the carrier. The stories that had come out of his Academy days painted him as unforgiving in hand-to-hand combat, enacting punishments on Alphas who tested him based on his smaller size.

Something is different today; Yuta has never seen him without a full retinue, has barely seen him at all outside of mission briefs. But here he is below deck–accompanied by an Imperial attache in an officer’s field uniform.

"Lieutenant Choi, you're needed for requisition of materiel in Zone 3. Report to Chief Petty Officer Ahn immediately."

"Aye, aye, Captain." The gang recedes, laughter booming off the ceiling even this far away.

"Private, you can either apologize for attempting to hit a superior officer or be gang-planked well before we reach port." The Captain addresses the man currently skulking away, before he can leave sight.

Yuta watches his would-be bully grovel, unable to respond for fear he'll be reported back on to Choi and his like. Even with the war over there would always be the clancorps to rely on for another boot upon his neck.

"Private Kim," Taeyong's attendant says, coughing.

"You're officially free to go back to–" the small man reads through a specific address and name. "Busan. Placed your name on the first transport flight out as crew."

"I will throw you off this ship personally if I see your face or those of your compatriots, do you understand me?"

Taeyong doesn't have to bare his teeth for the threat to be made and understood. Soon they're alone, again, just two breakfasts and the most Yuta has seen of command since joining as a warrant officer.

"Fuck." The Captain says, bending over to the floor. He's shivering all over, scent blockers doing little to hide the cloying cinnamon and musk roiling off of him. Yuta thinks he’s lucky the majority of the remaining crew are Beta recruits or young enough not to know the difference in scents, true designated like themselves having been run through within the first years of the war.

"You didn't see this." The other officer on deck says, bent over a touchpad. Yuta finally notices the universal red cross of a medic along with the hangeul name badge: Moon. "Which way is 119?”

"That's my bunk, sir."

Both of them look up, the Captain’s squinting eyes opened wide.

"Nakamoto Yuta, is your roommate Suh Youngho?"

"Correct, sir."

"Take me to your quarters and you'll never have to call me sir again," the Crown Prince says, on the floor, tail batting to and fro.

"Discreetly, please," Moon adds.

Yuta hadn't given a second thought to the command, still wouldn't years later. If anything they'd saved him the sole duty of escorting Suh in his first rut, 100 leagues from the nearest proxy hotel. No one else had their back until then. A stroke of luck, or fate–it didn't matter.

He’d chosen Nyctos, and the others, for life.

Now he's in another foreign prison under the guise of conscription, resident of cell block C in what should have been his own home, receiving updates in morse code from Jungwoo tapping impatiently on the other side of the wall.

Taeyong is the first to visit, posture bent by almost a week in recovery from whatever you have put him through, sweating through his suit. He waits for the others before speaking his piece over the door comms. Yuta has seen his commander in this state many times since that first encounter, but he can’t help but find it funny–the solution to his problem had been there from the start.

"I take responsibility for everything that happened," Taeyong announces, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence and no sign of being joined by the others.

Jungwoo's laugh can't be heard through the thick walls but Yuta echoes it, slumping into his cot. They’d made a bet that Taeyong would issue a formal apology on behalf of his mate, a fact that Yuta relied on enough he’d just won. He expects admonishment from Taeyong but instead the pack's omega reads something scrawled on ancient copy paper.

". . . Including my own death."

It's carbon-scored and dotted black with what looks like blood or water-staining, script tight and messy.

"I am a political refugee who sought asylum. I end my journey here. If this message reaches any of those who care for me, I am leaving as a final act of mercy. Please do not punish anyone involved, they did not know who or what I was when they took me in."

Taeyong's voice chokes on that line in his reading. Yuta watches him sit cross-legged on the floor between cells, gripped by bodily torment or emotion–he cannot say.

"Signed Lee ____, last child of Lee Eunji."

The silence hangs over them through the static of the comm, until Yuta laughs again, much more darkly.

"Mercy?" Yuta says. "That suicide note is a writ of execution to be carried out by whoever sent her here."

“She wrote this before we even brought her back,” Taeyong growls, low, standing up to stare him down. "She's not operating against us. Or at least she wasn't until you two began terrorizing her."

The gravity of that statement is wasted on him.

“Pretty clear she was expecting someone to find it, then,” Yuta says. “Smart girl.”

The window slams with Taeyong’s fist, just a streak of red tail visible through the haze of dust. Yuta stands up to join him at the window, stretching against the day spent in solitary and yawning as if he’s more comfortable than stiff.

"Do you have any compassion?" Taeyong asks once he’s done, brows lowered as he looks at him through the barrier. "You took initiative to torture her without a directive or a lead. Left her unsupervised and unsearched. We could have had a dead omega on our hands."

An expensive mistake, Yuta thinks, but he knows better than to provoke the captain by saying it aloud. He shrugs.

"Johnny gave the order to investigate her," Yuta says, too defensively for his own comfort. "It's not my fault he didn't specify a methodology."

"Just how they do things in NSMP, right?" Taeyong asks, crumpling the paper in his anger. "Any means necessary, is it?"

He doesn't speak, denying him an emotional response.

"You haven't asked us what we found," Jungwoo says, his lilting voice distorted by the speaker.

Taeyong's firm expression falters. Got him. As much as he enjoys seeing Taeyong’s attempts to interrogate them via emotional manipulation, it's better to use this opportunity to pluck out whatever card is hidden up the Vulpine’s sleeve. There’s been a woeful lack of transparency within the pack of late, compartmentalization of intelligence constantly invoked where the four in charge were concerned.

If he’s going to be exiled over something as banal as a feral omega with a deathwish, it would be nice to understand why you’re considered more important than the pack itself.

"You already know who’s behind this, don't you?" Yuta says.

He doesn’t mean the events, those were already reported. Taeyong knows exactly what he’s implied, his own slit-eyes breaking away to look at the floor. He’s quiet, smoothing the letter–which Yuta notes is much longer than what was read, text impossible to work out from this vantage.

“It’s need to know,” Taeyong says, “until we have more information.”

Yuta smirks at him. “And why would that be? Someone worth protecting? Family perhaps?”

“The pack,” Taeyong snaps immediately. There’s an ancestral quality to his posture, head stooped and ears flattened, sharp little canines bared. Yuta registers the promised threat in that he finds it intriguing, but his cat ignores it entirely.

Thankfully Doyoung interrupts before the Captain can embarrass himself further with the jimseung-like lack of control, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"We have a suspicion of who it might be after performing the decrypt. Yet another reminder that your little routine was completely unnecessary." Doyoung glances down at his agent with a bored expression. "You can't possibly think we'd share that information with you when you're threatening to leave."

Yuta nods in agreement, keeping his mouth shut.

"The tribunal will be held the day after tomorrow. I hope you reflect on your actions and get your affairs in order before then."

He unlocks the doors to their cells, not waiting for them to join as he leads Taeyong away.

The strategist looks over his shoulder as he escorts the Captain out. “Oh, and if I were you, I’d avoid Suh tonight. No telling what he’ll do in his state.”

Yuta waits until they’re gone to tap a message back to Jungwoo, who he can’t help but notice hasn’t left his cell, either. Knowing the Canid he’s probably already locked the door again, from the inside.

Tap tap tap. Thunk thunk thunk. Tap tap tap.

This time, he can hear the other Alpha laugh quietly at the joke.

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#agtbtb #nct x reader #nct 127 x reader #nct 127 fic #nct fic #nct 127 fanfic #nct 127 smut #nct 127 cyberpunk au #nct imagines #nct smut #nct 127 omegaverse #nct fanfic

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loquaciousquark · 8 months

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Final Thoughts

Okay! I went back and replayed the final sequence again and was much, much happier with both how everyone looked sans helmets and with some randomly varied flavor text in the background. I remain really, really happy overall with how this game ended both generally and for my particular runthrough.

The run-up to the Morphic Pool was really, REALLY creepy, and I liked the ways they threw all the li'l brainies at you to start wearing down the group resources. It does remain hilarious that the noodle-armed rogue was rowing the boat, though maybe that's why we couldn't get out of the way of the stalactite in time. The brain was fun gross and I couldn't quite tell--was the voice the same as the narrator? That would have been a nice touch! I did absolutely roll a natural 20 on that DC 99 check to Dominate the Brain (loved that setup in the dialogue window), but alas, the brain took off to destroy everything anyway. The biggest issue I had here was figuring out how to get past that dumb pile of rocks for that very mediocre chest.

In the Astral Plane, I managed to get enough brains to craft several potions of psychic resistance that I never used, but which made me feel better to have. There was never a chance my Tav was going to let Orpheus stay bound (I'm still working on her backstory, but I know she comes into the game feeling strongly anti-authoritarian and only gets moreso over the course of the events), so the only question I had was what was going to happen to the Emperor when I made that choice.

Sidebar--the Ansur fight & environ was one of my absolute favorite locales of the entire game. I loved the set design, the puzzles, the music, the reveals, and the final fight--I thought it was a fantastic setpiece altogether, and the reveal that the Dream Guardian was not only an illithid, but Balduran, made me actually gasp. Getting a conclusion to that questline as narratively satisfying as this one made me really happy, and Wyll's response to its conclusion with his dad--becoming the Blade of Avernus--I also thought was incredibly fitting for both that character and the choices he made within this world.

Anyway, I played through becoming an illithid just to see what happened (Astarion's comment about preferring any option that doesn't change your beautiful face--I felt that, bro), and as soon as I saw that grey triangle torso I was like, nope, sorry Prince, tagging you right back in on this one. Just can't do it, even when the fate of the city's on the line. I've spent too many hours looking at her janky eyes and her scarred lip to turn them all into tentacles now. I wasn't surprised the Emperor turned on me, but I didn't expect him to just full-on go Netherbrain and leave us in his rainbow skull.

I loved, loved, love the rally scene in the High Hall. What an awesome way to remind you of how many ways you've made a difference in some of these quests. The owlbear & Dannon along with the Strange Ox were my favorites, but seeing Barcus, Zevlor, and even Isobel & Dame Aylin was just wonderful. Really loved this entire sequence.

This is the first time I've ever really both utilized summoned allies in a big fight like this and also felt how much they turned the tide! A fantastic balanced encounter in the courtyard, and I called down so many Harpers & Fists & the owlbear & the dragonfire (so COOL) and Yurgir (got stuck in a building and did poke damage for the rest of the fight) and Rolan's tower (absolutely LOVED that you could save his fam & they could come live with him). It truly took an encounter that was really, really difficult into something absolutely manageable and in some ways quite easy. They told you to gather allies and by GOD I GATHERED ALLIES. I feel rewarded for my exploration!!

Of course, it then became utterly paramount to keep all summoned allies alive, but thankfully that wasn't much of an issue. My rogue by the end of this had Celestial Haste, two cunning action dashes, extra movement from momentum, and could easily clear 120+ ft a round and still have actions at the end of her movement. Plus she had a longbow that gave Guiding Bolt on a hit (GOD it's such a good longbow, I want to go back and play more combat just to play with it again), so even the few times the mindflayers were able to Dominate some Harpers I was able to get over there with either her or Lae'zel jumping rampart to rampart across the entire map & break their concentration. A super fun, exciting fight with a lot of variety. Orpheus is powerful as a mindflayer! The power is not small! He just doesn't have a horizontal mouth or a nose anymore & I can't do that to Tav!

Still never figured out how to get into that blocked-off area at the south of that map. Found a random forum post that suggested there was a chasm you could jump into to access the "Upper City Sewers," but the only things I found in the chasms was death, womp womp.

Anyway, got up to the brain (very cool cutscene! Not a snowball's chance my Tav was actually able to haul herself up that stem!) and REALLY liked the brain fight. I didn't have any issues navigating it (though a timer on the battle is always cool!) and only got Lae'zel & Orpheus killed once on the first run when I didn't understand how the Marked for Negation electric balls worked. The final cutscene where the brain fell in the water was beautifully animated; I loved seeing those NPCs keep cropping up in this sequence. I liked the image of everyone hauling themselves out of the bay onto the dock & Astarion complaining bitterly about how often he's having to swim on this trip.

My first run-through of the final dock conversation made me very sad. I didn't like Minsc's pithy comment about sunflowers for Astarion at all, and I hated watching Karlach's heart break behind that hideous helmet. (The stats were so good, and the aesthetics were so awful...she was in my party 99% of the time so Hide Helmet worked almost always...except when it mattered the most, ugh.) The second time, being able to see her face & Wyll's really helped that scene land and it really, really worked for me. I still don't think there's a fantastic in-universe Watsonian explanation for why we can't fix her engine for good with all these acres of infernal iron we've been collecting, but ACCEPTING THAT ON FACE VALUE FOR THE MOMENT I thought the writing and acting in that entire sequence were beautiful. Karlach's voice actress in particular just wrecked me. Beautiful, beautiful writing at the end; just wish the structural tentpoles were a little stronger to justify the moment.

On my second, helmet-less runthrough, when Astarion started to burn, Halsin made a much more sober comment along the lines of "he will miss that freedom; it may be some time before we see him again," and I much preferred that. It felt right in line with how my Tav felt about the situation, and she was very grateful for his empathy there. I still wish we'd figured out a way to have a celebration or something together, though I appreciate Wyll & Karlach's absence would have put a serious damper on things.

I am glad, I think, that I waited to see Karlach's ending after the patch. This read so determinedly hopeful, even with the very bittersweet sting, that I think to have anything less would have really undercut her journey even more than the options we currently have. All in all, I was very satisfied with sending her and Wyll to Avernus while we figure out how to fix her. Their final cutscene charging into the credits was the bomb.

The Astarion wrap-up scene was almost, ALMOST perfect. The choice to tell him we'd find a way to get him back in the sun was EXACTLY what I wanted to say (which was a theme in this game--there were only a handful of places in the entire game where I was frustrated by not being able to react the way I wanted--so impressive, Larian!). I just wish they'd been able to have one kiss in a room with walls and a ceiling, weh.

Anyway! The game is over, I'm immensely satisfied with all outcomes and party storylines with a few minor asterisks here and there, and I'm already plotting out several pieces to flesh out the places I want to explore. The characters are so rich and dynamic and reactive, the world feels so very real and robust, and I'm eager to live in it a little longer. I don't think I'm going to start another playthrough anytime soon--for me my first run is usually "canon", and I want to sit and marinate in this version of the world a little longer--but eventually I'll probably try a Durge just to see what the deal is. It'll honestly be incredibly hard not to romance Astarion, but we'll see! Maybe I'll just make Tavish again with a tweaked backstory. I don't know much about the Durge at all, so it'd be pretty blind!

What a good game. What a good time! I probably will go back and see what achievements I can pull easily--I was delighted to get one for "saving every tiefling possible through the end of the game," yeah boiiiii. Now to unblacklist everyone and see what the heck I've missed out on while spending every waking moment smooching an insufferable elf!

#quark plays bg3 #bg3 spoilers #baldur's gate 3 #tavish gale

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galacticbaseballbatter · 7 months

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“What kind of a life would I have lived if I didn't choose to board the Express... No, there is no such possibility.”

(‼️Warning from Mun‼️- You CANNOT imagine how long this shit is, so only if you are ready for your fingers to hurt from scrolling…press ‘keep reading’, brave one. I’ll meet you at the end.)

↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺ 1:35 ───ㅇ─────3:47

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🔆ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Rules are made to be broken! 🔆 What you can expect/rules (that are NOT made to be broken):- ✩ Shipping Friendly as long as it’s not an illegal one and I’m comfortable with it. Example for illegal ships include pedophilloic ships etc etc.

✩ mostly one liners/semi lit rp

✩ May add my own personal head cannons of Stelle. But still the same old in-game trash can loving raccoon-like stelle we all know.

✩ DNI if you’re: racist, lgbtqia+phobic: including transmeds, exclusionists, terfs and illegitimate sexualities/pronouns, anti-semitic, xenophobic/Islamophobic, ableist, pedophilloic, sexist/misogynistic and all basic DNI criteria.

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✩ If I want the RP to end, I will say so and the same goes for you! If you also want to conclude the RP, just say so and I will gladly stop.

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✩ Also, I don’t want to be the only one carrying the plot of the story and the role play. Please don’t respond me with anything that I don’t have an answer to as the RP will die sooner rather than later. I would request you to be more engaging with the RP conversation.

✩ Please remember mun =/= muse.

✩ Mun messages will be shown with Mun-

✩ Anons are more than welcome! You can make yourself known on this blog with your own tag! But, I will only reply if I’m comfortable with your message.

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✩ WIP account

🔆This account is NOT affiliated with Hoyoverse.

🔆Current anons:- We got more anons, trailblazers, visitors on the express, let’s go! -🕳️ anon

-🪡 anon

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*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊ 🔆Of course behind the scenes is any ordinary person Valerie; She/her, 18+ and currently existing. I also go by Xyn (pronounced as shin) or Zenny.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊

•.,¸¸,.•´¯“𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗏𝗈𝗒𝖺𝗀𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝗀𝗎𝗇.”¯•.,¸¸,.•´

💫Tags💫

#Trailblazing beyond🌟: General Tag

#The Golden Trash🌟: Self

#Precious trash!🦝: Reblogs

#Queue-ing for…Trash?🦝: Queued

#The main character appears!‼️: Anon asks

#Crippling anxiety 😟: Other in-character asks

#Akivili, the coolest aeon💫: Roleplaying with Astral Express Members

#Cold Dragon Young 🐉 : Roleplaying with Dan Heng/ Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae. #March 8th ❄️ :Roleplaying with March 7th

#Miss Himeko 🚂: Roleplaying with Himeko

#Mr. Yang 👓: Roleplaying with Welt Yang.

#Not the Simulated Universe…🗿: Roleplaying with Herta’s Space Station Characters/characters met in Herta’s Space Station

#This is wild(fire)🤨: Roleplaying with Belobog Characters/characters met in Belobog

#No Trash Cans… 😭: Roleplaying with the Xianzhou Loufu characters/characters met in the Xianzhou Loufu

#Dreamscapes or Nightmares?🌌: Roleplaying with Penacony characters/characters met in Penacony

#”Destined” to encounter❓:Roleplaying with the Stellaron Hunters

#M-mother..? 🕷️🕸️ : Roleplaying with Kafka

#Video-game lover 👾🎮: Roleplaying with Silver Wolf

#Baldie 🗡️🥀 : Roleplaying with Blade

🌟-Ask box is always open because I don’t have anything better to do, well most of the time anyway. Even Trailblazing gets tiring sometimes.

(Mun- This is a role play account for Stelle, the female trailblazer. I love raccoons and trash cans if you know what I’m referring to. Happy trailblazing! Also, I hope your fingers don’t hurt.) *ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊

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chuuya-fan-page · 4 months

Note

Regarding E’s post about Taylor Swift...

No offense, but who are you to say that? Like, let people have their fun. Who are they hurting by adding Taylor Swift to their soukoku playlists and posting about her songs/lyrics in relation to them? If it annoys you—don’t interact with it. Scroll past, press not interested/dismiss depending on the platform you’re on, filter tags/key words, block people (Blocking was made to allow people to curate their timelines and not see content they don’t want, it doesn’t mean the blocker has some sort of agenda against the person they blocked, like many people love to pretend). All these alternatives are a million times better than being mean about it. As a placeholder for blocking, you can also filter out someone’s username on Tumblr and it’ll hide all their posts from your dash the same way filtering a tag would. There are so many ways to avoid this without posting about it and spreading negativity.

If you disagree with someone in regard to a song fitting a ship (or anything fandom related, really), that’s completely okay. That’s your opinion, and you are entitled to it. What you’re not entitled to is shaming the person for it and telling them what they are and aren’t allowed to do.

Some Taylor songs genuinely fit them very well, in my opinion. Yes, also in my opinion, not all the songs people claim do actually fit them. But in their opinion the songs do, and who am I to tell them they’re wrong? My opinion isn’t in any way superior to theirs. And I’m not about to tell people what to think, or how they can interpret relationships, or what songs they’re allowed/not allowed to have in their relationship playlists. It’s not my place to. It’s not anybody’s place to.

It’s the same way the problem with the Chuuya hate page isn’t that they hate Chuuya, but instead that they’re unnecessarily loud and mean about it. Of course, I’m not trying to say that you’re “the same” or anything, because what the Chuuya hate page is doing is a thousand times worse than this, but this is the beginning of what evolves to be posts like theirs.

Not to mention that this whole mindset of “Stop making everything about X”/“Stop throwing X at everything” is rooted in ableism. What if an autistic person has Taylor as their special interest and they can’t help make everything about her? Heck, what if they have soukoku and Taylor Swift as special interests simultaneously and combining the two brings them unrestrained joy? Why should that bother you?

As an autistic person, I’m really tired of people telling me to stop making everything about my special interests. It’s genuinely out of my control, and I don’t understand why my happiness annoys them so much.

Please don’t take this as hate. The whole reason I sent this is because I like this blog, and I like to believe you’re mature enough to understand what I’m saying and where I’m coming from. Thank you for taking the time to read this <3

Hey I'm sorry that my post was read as being mean, I didn't mean for it to come across as anti-Taylor Swift. I do have my own issues with her but her music is good and I don't have a problem with people thinking a few of her songs fit whoever.

And also I'm not talking about actually explaining why you think a song fits them, that's cool as fuck. Analysis is great I love character analysis, especially if you talk about songs that represent the character and why.

Now respectfully, I think you are reading into a post too much but you did send me a well formatted ask so i'll by paragraph.

Who am I to say that? It's a take, I can have those and I wasn't shaming anyone. I said Taylor Swift makes good music but it doesn't fit everything. Which is true.

Please do not compare me to the Chuuya Hate Page as what she does is entirely different and my saying not everything works with Taylor Swift is so far away from being a bigoted shithead.

I'm not going to say much on the ablism but do know that I am also autistic. I understand where you are coming from but you also have to understand that sometimes special interests can clash. I said what I did because most of the "this Taylor Swift song fits them so well!!" is full of mischaracterization and it pisses me off because bsd is my special interest.

So, I'm not telling anyone specifically to stop doing what makes them happy, I made a very short post where I didn't even say anyone was doing anything bad. I said Taylor Swift doesn't need to be for everything.

Having said all that I do appreciate that you took the time to explain why exactly that post upset you and that's valid, however I am allowed to post whatever takes I want and you don't have to agree with me.

-E

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pleasestaywithmedarling · 7 months

Text

Author Ask Game

Thanks for the tag @starlit-hopes-and-dreams!

I'll gently tag @verkja, if you'd like, cause I am SO excited that I should finally have time soon to start reading your work, and I'd love to hear more about it if you're down! And of course, anyone is welcome to jump in; please tag me if you do!

I only have one fic on this side of the internet, so this will all be about my WIP Sin of Purity, Purity of Sin.

What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

I personally don't vibe with the idea of writing "lessons." I guess the ideas that have been sticking out to me the most have probably been guilt and innocence, and the way the past can recontextualize the present and vice versa. But that's just me; I'm sure anyone could read this and see something completely different.

Or maybe we're all just here for the whump :)

What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)?

Disclaimer: I have nothing at all against any religion that is not causing anyone harm; there are obviously a lot of wonderful religions and religious people in the world, and I 100% support that.

That being said, the key feature of the worldbuilding in this fic is the official religion of the kingdom, and that was very much inspired by my own wildly toxic religious upbringing. Before I started writing, I didn't really bother to plan out what most writers would consider the basic features of a fantasy world--I don't think I even got around to naming the kingdom the story takes place in until maybe a half-dozen chapters in. But I had worked out a lot about the fundamental theology and practices of the worship of Vato, the way the temple system is organized, the relationship between the temple and the culture and subcultures of the kingdom, the doctrines and practices that are basically arbitrary or just make no sense, etc. And all of it draws pretty heavily from my own experiences with the type of churches that I grew up in.

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

Okay so the obvious answer is that Anden and Kiri are both trying to gain their freedom. But Anden would prefer to achieve that by his own strength--he doesn't like feeling weak, and to him being forced to rely on others can sometimes feel like weakness. And Kiri...I think Kiri would prefer the temple simply have a change of heart and let them go lol

If there's anything that I'm trying to achieve with them, I guess it's just the catharsis that I personally get from watching them suffer together the different ways that they're growing, both individually and together.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

No idea! The events of the story are all mapped out, but I'm letting myself just experiment and have fun with this fic, and I'm really trying to embrace serialization rather than try to match the pacing of a typical novel. I would say that the chapter I'm currently working on is right at the midpoint of the narrative arc--if that term even applies to my unstructured mess of a plot--but that may or may not mean I'm at the halfway point in terms of the chapter count. The back half of the second act could end up stretching out a good half dozen chapters, or for all I know it'll only take, like, two. And how long will the third act be? Who knows? Not me!

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Unusually for me, this is an original. I will probably just keep in here on tumblr; idk if I'd want it on my AO3 account with my fanfiction--it feels odd to me to mix the two.

When and why did you start writing?

I started this one I think about a month and a half ago--it has not been long! Tbh I'd had a pretty awful summer, and I'd been getting back into reading whump as a form of escapism. Had the idea for this one, and I realized it would do me a lot of good to have an outlet just making something I want to make, just cause I want to make it, and not worry about how good it is or what other people think about it. This is easily the most self-indulgent work I've ever written, and it makes me so happy to hear that anyone else is enjoying it too!

Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers of Tumblr do you follow?

Idk, you do you!

Oh gosh I hate doing these because I am SO forgetful and I feel like I always leave off a favorite blog! But here's a sampling of writers whose works I've been really enjoying this past year: @i-can-even-burn-salad, @little-peril-stories, @clairelsonao3, @dont-touch-my-soup, @whumpcereal, and of course @starlit-hopes-and-dreams who I guess I'm tagging twice in one post!

Blank questions below:

What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)?

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

How many chapters is your story going to have?

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

When and why did you start writing?

Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers of Tumblr do you follow?

#tag game

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itsclydebitches · 1 year

Note

Ted lasso ask: Was Isaac avoiding Colin because of internalized homophobia, or bc he was upset he never told him, or was it a bit of both? Did Isaac attack the fan bc he was offended by what he said or to 'defend colin's honor'?

Ted Lasso ask woo!

Personally, I think it's an "All of the above" situation. In one of my previous posts I remember catching a tag arguing that Isaac isn't experiencing internalized homophobia, presumably because he himself is not gay and yeah, that's an understandable push-back considering that a) he's not out in the show and b) I never bothered to explain there my own thoughts on the possibility. The tl;dr of that is, "I think you can make a case for Isaac being queer based on his relationship with Colin, his intense reaction to realizing a teammate is gay, the potentially defensive nature of the anti-gay/'I'm totally straight, bro' jokes he makes - which, remember, Colin himself participated in as a kind of cover, raising the possibility that others are doing the same - and the reminder from Beard that more people in the locker room are queer than the three the audience knows about: Colin, Trent, and Will."

But to keep things simple here, let's just settle on, "Isaac has been homophobic." Whether it's internalized as he grapples with his own sexuality or not, Isaac has exhibited homophobic behavior in the past and, of course, after Colin's outing. It's not "Your conservative uncle spewing slurs and issuing death threats" homophobic, but just because there's a range in how homophobia presents doesn't mean it's not, you know, still homophobia. So that's something Isaac needed to deal with last episode. He's spent years making comments based in homophobia ("It's a little gay, isn't it?") and making assumptions about others presumed straightness (why in the world would Colin want privacy to delete those photos?), so when he's suddenly faced with the fact that someone he cares about is gay... he needs time to process that. Trent hit the nail on the head with his "give him a minute" line because not only do people need time when their worldview suddenly shifts like that, but it's a rare and joyous case where they react to that change solely with open-minded positivity. In Isaac's case, he used avoidance and anger as shields until he could come to terms with that change, significantly with Roy's help.

When Isaac says that he's upset that Colin didn't tell him I don't think he's lying... but I also don't think that's the entire truth. If this was only about Colin's trust in him then Isaac would have led with that from the get-go: seconds after he's taken Colin's phone it's, 'You're gay? Awesome! But man, why didn't you tell me? :( ' That obviously didn't happen. Trust is undoubtedly a part of Isaac's complicated feelings, but I think that only occurred to him after he'd come to terms with Colin being gay in the first place. Isaac had to accept that change in his worldview as well as this change in his perception of Colin and then, once he was in a place of, 'Yeah, yeah, Colin is my friend and teammate, of COURSE I accept him' he's able to go, ]Wait... why didn't he tell me??' and that anger becomes the next shield. By and large, people struggle to admit to their mistakes and they really struggle to admit to something as hurtful as, 'My homophobia was so deeply ingrained that unfortunately there was a moment where I wasn't sure I could get past that.' Once Isaac DOES get past it and it becomes unthinkable to him that he would have ever rejected Colin over something like who he's attracted to... it becomes that much harder to remember/acknowledge that, for an undetermined length of time, Isaac did exactly that. Don't talk to me (ignoring direct peace offerings). Don't touch me (removing his hand from under Colin's in the team pile-up). You're an easy target for my frustrations now that I know how freakish you are (screaming at Colin during the match). Isaac's homophobia was deep enough that it made him incredibly cruel for a time, so when he grows out of that of course he's going to struggle to admit precisely how cruel he was. So he doesn't. Isaac apologizes, but it's still deflected with this not-entirely-accurate justification of, 'I was mad you never told me.' Which doesn't make Isaac a bad person, it just makes him a person, period, with flaws and contradictions and the chance to improve.

All of which I think applies to the attack on the fan. Why does Isaac lash out like that?

Because he's still overcoming all the homophobia he's learned and he sees an accusation of being gay as the ultimate insult to his team

Because he may be struggling with his sexuality himself, so an accusation directed at him is even worse. It's not just that it may touch a nerve, but that anger is the only way to protect himself here: become enraged so that everyone watching - teammates, coaches, fans, the press, the world - knows that you're DEFINITELY not gay. That's unthinkable. That's impossible. That's worthy of an attack because to brush it off would be to implicitly suggest that being gay is okay and that's just one step from admitting that maybe you ARE gay. The fact that Isaac's dialogue is centered around, "What did you call me?" is one of the reasons why I personally read him as closeted/potentially not having questioned his own sexuality yet.

Because it wasn't actually a 'You're gay' accusation but a slur hurled by someone who is (presumably) not a part of the community and therefore has no right to reclaim it.

Because even while he struggles to accept Colin, Isaac still loves Colin so yes, there's that element of defending his honor.

Because his anger is reaching a tipping point and this attack - perfectly tailored to push the very buttons he's trying and failing to ignore - is what causes it to boil over.

So Isaac is complicated (because he's a well-written character!) and thus for me it's "All of the above." Personally, I LOVE that the episode's final scene didn't have Isaac suddenly being a Perfect Ally now. Not only is he asking a ton of questions that, while understandable, would make a lot of queer people uncomfortable af, especially given that they highlight Isaac's continuing biases (Colin is a very good friend for giving him the nonjudgmental space to ask all that), but he's also unable to say "I love you." What exactly does that mean? Perhaps that Isaac's residual homophobia won't let him say that to a man, especially a man he now knows is gay. Perhaps that the toxic masculinity he's grown up around - which is intimately tied to the homophobia - won't let him say it as a man, a black man, a man in a position of authority (note that Isaac is not there when the others scream Sam's, "I love you guys so very much!"). Perhaps it means that there is an element of internalized homophobia and Isaac can't say that to any man yet, let alone one he might be attracted to. Perhaps it's, again, all of the above. It's up to interpretation, but the takeaways is that of course Isaac loves Colin - he's eager to ensure Colin knows that in his own way - but the environment he's grown up in and his own personal struggles won't let him say the words yet. That's okay. Colin recognizes that it's okay, just gently pointing out that Isaac can't say it and silently encouraging him to continue working on that, regardless of what reason - or reasons - it's difficult in the first place.

#Ted Lasso #Isaac MacAdoo #Colin Hughes #homophobia tw #mymetas

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arceespinkgun · 1 year

Note

You reblogged a post saying Earthspark has addressed things effectively, so what's your stance regarding the recent discussions about its anti-immigration message?/genq

I'm not sure how I feel about being asked to give an opinion on things people haven't said to me. If somebody sent me an ask being like, "I think Earthspark is anti-immigration, here's why, what do you think?" then I'd have no problem with responding and giving an opinion! But this is like, tagging me into a discussion that I don't really feel like I was involved in/should butt into? On the other hand, you're asking for my opinion directly, and I have seen people publicly saying they think it's anti-immigration in the show's tag, so I guess maybe it's okay if it's like, a public discussion. Plus, I'm a non-binary, disabled, mixed-race person, meaning the show addresses people who share experiences like mine, and one of my parents is an immigrant...

I wouldn't have reblogged any posts saying Earthspark's handled issues of marginalization successfully if I didn't agree! I think believing that the show is anti-immigration is like… a bizarre reading because it ignores an incredible amount of context and blatant messaging to the audience. The sense I got from when I saw people saying this in the tag is that the reasoning is something like: "It's unintentionally anti-immigration because the transformers brought their war to Earth, resulting in human death, and at least some of the Decepticons intended to colonize the planet. So when the show suggests it's wrong to discriminate against transformers, it falls flat because the immigrants WERE dangerous colonizers all along."

But that's not true. First of all, while yes, the Cybertronians are technically immigrants, when most people talk about immigrants they mean people who intentionally wanted to be in another place, you know? Not people who were stranded. And let's think about why they were stranded. The Autobots destroyed the Space Bridge to sever the link between the two worlds as a last-ditch attempt to prevent further destruction to the Earth and its people. They did this because they KNOW it was a terrible thing to have brought the war to Earth—the Autobots, as far as we know, always knew it was their duty to protect humanity and the planet. They stranded themselves on Earth and potentially destroyed their homeworld for the sake of the Earth. So while of course people might be right to fear Decepticons specifically, transformers in general DON'T deserve to be hated. To hate all transformers is to hate someone for their species, isn't it? Plus, the Autobots since the 80s have been refugees of a war, which they are in this series, too… you know, like many immigrants are in real-life? It's also important to see that Autobots doing morally dubious things in Earthspark—like working with GHOST—have been doing it because they're so desperate to protect humans and have their trust that they have become self-destructive.

I've also seen people complaining about how people find the Decepticons very sympathetic. But… how is that the show's fault? The show extends sympathy to the Decepticons 1) who have chosen to become better people, or 2) are being tortured by GHOST/other humans. Okay? I see no problem with this? Dot drove her car into Swindle's face, everybody. It's not saying self-defense or suspicion is always bad, just exploitation/abuse of POWs. Why are we not celebrating finally having a TF show that is extremely anti-military? The show has blatantly said over and over that it is people's actions that should be judged. The actions of people like Mandroid are not reasonable... it is impossible to justify in any way things like his hatred of the Terrans (who were born on Earth and have never hurt anyone, by the way).

I also want to say that it would be one thing if the show never explored ACTUAL real-world racism or if (shudder) we had some white family as the main characters instead. But this isn't the case. The show has successfully and clearly explored actual, non-fantasy racism multiple times. We saw the microaggressions against Mo and Robby from their teacher at school. We saw Agent Schloder making Alex be his driver and do errands for him. We saw Dot and Alex, fearful at the racetrack, as they're first held in suspicion by the military, then later have to pretend to be grateful. Also, I get the sense that people who think the show is anti-immigration think the show villainizes humans, but like. Half the main heroes of this show are human. Kids watching have great role models in the Maltos... judge people for their actions, not their identity. People deserve a second chance, but might not take it. Advocate for yourself, and when something feels wrong, speak up. I see nothing wrong with the philosophies of the human Maltos, and the experiences of mixed-race human characters are centered and explored excellently? The show presents a range of humans, some heroic and some villainous.

Finally, I think the most important thing I can say here is that when you want to examine the media you consume with a critical eye, that is good. But a critical eye doesn't mean "only focusing on bad things," and it DEFINITELY doesn't mean, "only focusing on tearing down representation of marginalized people as worked on by other marginalized people." What I mean is this: maybe you disagree with me and think Earthspark is bad representation. I don't get how, but you're entitled to your opinion and to share it. But I would implore you and everyone to also consider how much better it is than everything that has come before. I know it's the show that just came out, but if you're going to be this critical of it, remember how much worse everything else is, too: Carbomya in G1. Everything about Cab in Masterforce (extra relevant here since he's from a fictional place in the Philippines)! The really uncomfortable portrayal of (sigh) Una and Chak in BW. Everything involving the Sumdacs in TFA. TFP's main Black character being tortured and the aftereffects being portrayed as a funny joke in the premiere. The Combaticons working for a fictional son of Kim Jong-il in IDW. I could go on and on. I don't mean to say that we should settle for lackluster representation (though I see no issues with Earthspark's representation), but just that, well... it's weird to focus so heavily on the least problematic of all representation in the franchise IMO. And I think that to publicly argue that you are on the side of the people writing things like, "Transformers go home" may not ultimately be serving your communities.

#I think this is part of a trend of marginalized people being overly critical of the work of other marginalized people #while letting works that don't try/are FAR more deserving of criticism off easy. I get why this happens and it's sad every time #I could say a lot more. Point to many more details that show why I don't agree #like reminding people that the show went out of its way to mention that Optimus Prime made Megatron take an Earth vehicle mode #or talk about how the Terrans' mixed ancestry relates to their siblings' mixed-race experience #transformers earthspark #earthspark spoilers #long post #my analysis #...Also... we haven't even seen one full season of this show yet!!! lol

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