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ottogatto · 9 months

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I would like to submit two ideas because I think I'm poking something but not going in fully, so I would very much like your opinions and additions about it (of course, as long as they remain in good faith *side eyes possible antis viewing my post*).

Marauders and surface-level rebellion

I've finally put to words something that really bothered me with the Marauders, though I don't know the name for it.

It started when I read a reblog that said:

I remember Brennan saying “laws are just structured threats made by the ruling socioeconomic class” during an episode of D20 and we truly just had to stan immediately

This is something dear privileged white woman Rowling didn't realize/understand well, since she held a high socioeconomical status even during her """poverty""" stage. It's known that, despite seeming to be defending ideas of fighting against fascism and "pureblood" supremacy in favor of acceptance of the other, her books reek of colonialism/imperalism. The story of the Marauders, a gang of privileged boys like her, is an in-world replica of that problem where Rowling betrays yet again her actual mindset.

The Marauders adopt the "bad boys who break rules" to get style, while completely losing/staining the moral sense in it.

Let's take piracy.

Some people pirate stuff because they consider that the stuff they'd like to get comes from unethical companies that abuse their employees or use modern slavery, or people who spread harm against certain minorities (like Rowling against trans people and thus the LGBT+ community), so while they may want to access the content, they don't want to give them money and might even encourage pirating their stuff to make them lose money.

Some pirate stuff because otherwise it's lost due to unfortunate "terms of use" -- see video games companies like Ubisoft (deletes gaming account after a while), Nintendo (does not bring back old games), etc.

Others pirate stuff because they just don't have the money but they still want to try the stuff that might make them happy and forget that they're poor -- reasoning that the company isn't losing any money anyway, or not much, since they wouldn't have been able to pay for it in any case.

Others pirate stuff because they consider the price ridiculously high or they consider it shouldn't be something to pay for at all. (Like education stuff -- isn't education supposed to be free for all, so that it can actually uphold everyone's fundamental and unconditional ( = not conditioned by wealth...) right to have an education? Oh and before anyone asks: I've DEFINITELY bought the ~15 expensive books that's roughly worth 500€ in total and that my uni asked I buy to study and get my degree...)

Rowling's Marauders is a group that would pirate stuff just because they'd think it would give them an edge, because they'd think it would make them cool to be seen as "talented" hackers who "defy" companies. Companies... that their own friends and families would own, and as such, would find that kind of behavior funny and entertaining (while they would trash other people around for considering it).

Another example. In society, in history, it's been proven time and again that breaking rules -- going against the law -- is an eventuality that's important for everyone to consider, if they want to defend their rights. Anti-racism, feminism, LGBT Pride, etc, advanced because people broke rules. In USA states where abortion is currently being banned, women and minors (+ their close ones) must now consider breaking the rules to get an abortion. (Privileged people don't give a fuck about those people, and if they suddenly decide that (moral) rules don't apply to them and they will get an abortion, they will just take a plane ticket to a country where abortion is legal, fiddling with legal stuff if necessary thanks to the lawyers their fortunes can afford and the lobbies that they're instituting.)

Revolutions happened because people broke rules too. I particularly like the 1793 Constitution in France Because it asserts that the people have the right to break rules and riot if the power in place threatens their fundamental rights:

Article 35. - Quand le gouvernement viole les droits du peuple, l'insurrection est, pour le peuple et pour chaque portion du peuple, le plus sacré des droits et le plus indispensable des devoirs. Article 35. - When the government violates the people's rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of rights and the most essential of duties.

(Of course the power in place would state and enforce and make use of propaganda to say that it's completely illegal and illegetimate and that those who riot for legitimate rights are terrorists!)

Breaking rules is at the core of anti-fascism, anti-dictatorship, anti-totalitarianism. Breaking rules is essential when those rules are abusive. Too often, those who put those rules in place really are only setting their rules of the game to establish their power over the others. Or as the reblog says: "laws are just structured threats made by the ruling socioeconomic class".

Rowling's Marauders break rules because they are the socioeconomical class in power. As such, no one can do anything about it, no one will really tell them down for it. They get excused and justified and romanticized by their peers, just like billionaires & politicians are excused by their peers and notably mainstream media (which is owned... by other billionaires). They break rules -- not because they think it's necessary and the morally right thing to do despite the dangers it puts them in -- but because it makes them feel powerful, important, invincible, which for them is very fun. As Snape says: James and his cronies broke rules because they thought themselves above them:

“Your father didn’t set much store by rules either,” Snape went on, pressing his advantage, his thin face full of malice. “Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup-winners. [...]”

They break rules because they're allowed to.

Which is why, in reality, the Marauders aren't really breaking rules or defying anything or opposing an actual big threat. They're a bunch of jocks who are having fun in the playground that's been attributed to them thanks to their status and family heritage (others wouldn't get the same indulgence because they don't get that privilege).

They break rules because they want to look cool, to be the "bad boys". The message has been compleyely botched. Especially with Lily actually finding this hot.

Because Rowling finds this hot:

[...] I shook hands with a woman who leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, 'Sirius Black is sexy, right?' And yes, of course she was right, as the Immeritus club know. The best-looking, most rebellious, most dangerous of the four marauders... and to answer one burning question on the discussion boards, his eyes are grey.

(Anyone has an eyes washing station?)

Another quote:

"Sirius was too busy being a big rebel to get married."

(Nevermind the eyes washing, anyone's got some bleach instead?)

Stanning James Potter for being the leader of a gang that prides itself on breaking rules and always getting away with it -- it feels like stanning Elon Musk for being "innovative" and "a daring entrepreneur" despite being a manchild who exploits workers and modern-world slavery to play with his billions while always getting away with it.

They're not being "rebels" -- they're being bullies and flexing the fact they can get away with it thanks to abundance of privilege. Those are the tastes of a posh British white woman. She wanted the facade -- not the substance (that is, if she ever understood it).

You might say that they did oppose a big threat, the Death Eaters, but again, it's botched because:

they target a lonely, unpopular boy who's best friends with a Muggleborn Gryffindor, rather than baby Death Eaters like Mulciber, Lucius, Rosier, Avery, Regulus, etc.

The leader sexually harasses the Muggleborn Gryffindor because he's sexually jealous of the unpopular boy who dared not take the insult about his chosen House and shut up. Lily is treated as an object, they don't listen to her, and they barely speak about her later. (Lots to say to show that, which I won't do here because this is not the main subject.)

When the Marauders do join the Order, they do it... because they primarily want to adopt a rock-n-roll style and play the "bad boys" again. Or at least that's the message that's given to the reader:

They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had been driving had long black hair; his insolent good looks reminded Fisher unpleasantly of his daughter's guitar-playing, layabout boyfriend. The second boy also had black hair, though his was short and stuck up in all directions; he wore glasses and a broad grin. Both were dressed in T-shirts emblazoned with a large golden bird; the emblem, no doubt, of some deafening, tuneless rock band.

(God, the Prequel is so cringy.)

They don't choose Dumbledore as the Secret Keeper, they don't tell him they changed to Pettigrew -- even though he literally was their war leader -- James uses the Cape to fuck around even though he was supposed to be hiding with Lily and then Harry (until Dumbledore takes the Cape from him)... and eventually, their group exploded, with James killed off, Sirius thrown to Azkaban, Peter (the traitor) hiding as a rat and Lupin going off to find jobs to survive.

Why did that happen? Because they thought of playing their part in the Order like going on a teenage adventure rather than engaging in a resistance organization. It was, first and foremost, about playing "the bad boys" and having fun.

(Harry half-inherits this. While he doesn't break rules just to look cool, and actually has several moments where he does break rules because it's the right thing to do -- like under Umbridge or, of course, when Voldemort takes power -- he does often get pampered when he breaks them in his earlier years. By Dumbledore, but also McGonagall, however much Rowling tries to sell her as a "strict but fair" teacher. Or by Slughorn, now that I think about it. That's something that enraged Snape, as it brought up memories of Harry's father -- Snape's own bully -- getting the same treatment.)

It's not a coincidence that Rowling not only failed to properly convey through the Marauders the true value of breaking rules, but also lusted over them for adopting that "bad boys" trope. It speaks to her own privilege -- she who never had to put herself in danger and go against the law in a risky attempt to protect herself or other less privileged people.

(Here's a useful read to expand on those worldbuilding issues.)

2. Dark Magic, obscurantism and conservatism

For context: Opinion: The Dark Magic/Light Magic Dichotomy is Nonsense (by pet_genius).

The idea of "Dark Magic" as something that's repeatedly told to be "evil" magic and where you cross the line of the forbidden, while hardly putting in question that notion that was (for some reason) enforced by wizard society, is another blatant example of Rowling betraying her mindset of privileged British white woman.

Rowling couldn't put herself in the minds of a society of "outcasts (witches & wizards) deeply enough to consider they would not see any magic as "Dark" at all (being a ""Muggle"" concept), or that Dark magic is only magic that requires something unvaluable to be traded off -- like one's soul or health or life or sanity. Instead, she has Dark Magic defined as "evil" magic, even though her own books show that you can do evil stuff with normal magic, and that you can do morally good stuff with Dark magic. This thing happened because Rowling could not think past her own little world and instead she poured a conservatist mentality (+ typical "Muggle", anti-witch prejudice) into the HP (wizard society) worldbuilding without considering that there could, in fact, be fundamental differences between the two worlds that include thinking of magic differently. (This has a lot to do with Rowling's wizard world being a pro-imperalism fest.)

"Dark Magic" feels like a lazy, badly-executed plot device to tell the reader who's a good guy and who is not. Because of course, that's how things work in real-life, huh… (Did she ever hear of "don't tell, show"?) It's used as an excuse to define who's evil (teen Severus) or not (James), who's worthy or not -- not how their magic was used. Which is a BIG problem:

“I’m just trying to show you they’re not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are.” The intensity of his gaze made her blush. “They don’t use Dark Magic, though.” / “Scourgify!” Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape’s mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him —

Even worse, Rowling doesn't follow her own in-world moral framework. Dark magic is acceptable for some people (Rowling's partial self-inserts: Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione to Marietta...) but not for those that Rowling hates (Snape, who ironically represents the closest thing to rebelling by unapologetically obsessing over the Dark Arts). Again, this is at best unadressed in-world hypocrisy, at worst an expression of in-world and out-universe privilege (I get to do this and stay a good guy, but you don't).

There could have easily been rightful criticism of whatever could be defined as "Dark Magic". What if Dark magic was just something defined as "Dark" usually because the power in place doesn't want the people to touch it? Is abortion or contraception or a sex-altering or a goverment-threatening spell, Dark Magic? Is foreign or ethnicity-specific or female-centered or queer-centered magic, "Dark"? How about showing why (Muggle-raised but also neurodivergent) Severus thought Dark magic was so great, showing his point of view, while also establishing where the true limits are? If Lily can't be the one who sees past the "fear-mongering anti-intellectualism/propaganda", how about Harry being the one who does, thanks to him relating to Snape on a personal level? How about making Hermione go from someone who condems Dark Magic, to someone who entirely changes her point of view and understands that this is all bullshit -- effectively showing the dangers of only following what the books say, without putting them into question or thinking by yourself? How about a nuanced view of Dark magic as something that requires a significant sacrifice, which is conceivable for something they see as equally or even more important [Lily's life for Harry; Snape's soul integrity for Dumbledore]? How about making the Death Eaters, people who deviate that legitimate interest, rather than just evil guys who thrive in Dark magic for its supposed added evilness? How about showing that Dark magic was just a notion invented by Muggles to throw "witches" (real or not) to the burning stakes -- later taken by the witches and wizards in power to define, in the magical community, what was okay or definitely forbidden because it's the trademark of those who represent a threat to the magical community (understand: people who riot or strike or protest against the ruling socioeconomical class' politics)?

But there was none of that.

"Dark" magic in HP merely seems to be a weird concept that at best accidentally takes the form of an in-world obscurantism, at worst is just the trademark of someone who cannot imagine a "hunted, ostracized" community with a different culture and mindset than her own. Aggravating is the fact that she used "Dark magic" as a plot device to magically cast some people as good and others as never bad – again, probably reflecting her own questionable mentality.

The fact Rowlnig invented the notion of Dark Magic and had her world consider it seriously as an evil thing instead of being open-minded seems to be less telling of her wishes to show a wizard society that can be as prejudiced as the muggle one, and more of her own bizarre world where you must be evil if you are knowledgeable in or interested in certain "taboo" things (RIP neurodivergents).

Rowling glorifies the Trio and the Marauders for breaking rules. Yet when it comes to actually breaking expectations and norms, notably in the wizarding society -- like the use of another magical species as slaves, or the blatant anti-Muggle prejudice held by everyone including "good guys" (or anti-centaur while we're at it), or stupid anti-knowledge prejudice like "Dark magic is evil" -- there is none of that. At best, it's surface-level opposition that comes out as white savior syndrome. At worst, the protagonists make it their noble code to enforce those norms, and "sinful" characters (Snape, for one) are punished for not conforming. Too often, those sinful characters are punished by the "good guys" with the very thing that they apparently oppose so fervently.

Without ever adressing the fact that those characters were ("morally") allowed to do that because it was just, in the end, a matter of who gets the privilege to do that, and who does not.

There.

Do you have anything to say to develop on those ideas? I feel like I'm reaching my knowledge limit and I'd like to see if those ideas can be expanded.

#pro snape #severus snape #harry potter #dark magic #sectumsempra #anti marauders #anti jkr #fuck jkr #classism #imperalism #colonialism #hp #hp books #hp prequel #obscurantism #bad boys #piracy #virtue signaling

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theerurishipper · 6 months

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https://www.tumblr.com/jacquesthepigeon/731353272698486784/you-know-it-must-be-said-as-someone-whos-only?source=share

Of course this is said from someone who has never seen the show. God forbid folks favorite character, is THE SECOND MAIN CHARACTER AND IN THE TITLE OF THE SHOW.

God forbid abuse survivors find Adrichat’s story relatable and react negatively to people who salt on him for, checks notes, being a rich white boy? Because being rich and white protects you from abuse lol okay

Someone go tell Kesha that the horrific abuse she endured for years doesn’t count because she’s rich and white.

Someone go tell Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes that they deserve their conservatorships because they’re too volitile and emotional and need someone else to control their entire lives. Also they’re rich and white so they should be thankful for their privilege.

Also as a fandom veteran, I’m also baffled that this anon says they’ve never seen fandom go this feral over a white boy so I guess the whole Superwholock thing doesn’t exist in this person’s universe. I’m getting war flashbacks��

I really hope this doesn't come off as rude, but I just have a small request for any anons in the future: if y'all want me to comment on someone else's post, please send it in a separate ask. I just don't want to post someone else's post and start an argument or something.

That being said, I do agree. My detailed thoughts under the cut.

"Adrien stans are white people who get unhinged over a white boy," say the Marinette stans and Marinette stan observers, not realizing that they espouse disgusting abuse apologism on a daily basis and victim blame a character who is a victim of abuse for being traumatized all because he made a few decisions that weren't about Marinette and her well-being alone.

This is ridiculous on so many levels. First the assumption that all Adrien stans are white people. Second, the assumption that we must be Adrien stans because he's a white boy and we don't care about POC characters as much as we do the white ones. Which is actually quite insulting to me.

Maybe these people should actually read what Adrien stans have to say. Maybe they should actually understand why we love Adrien so much. Maybe they should understand why we get so heated over him.

Know what? I'll tell you why. It's because Adrien is despite the writers' best efforts to undermine him an interesting and likeable character. He is a canonical abuse victim, and he struggles with his self-worth and his identity, which is a relatable story to many people. He's an entertaining and interesting character. He's the deuteragonist of the damn show. People are bound to love him. There's more to him than being a white boy and it's very insulting to imply that people obsess over him because he's white or because his fans are white.

And about how Adrien stans get "unhinged" about Adrien and not about other characters... we're literally Adrien stans. Which means Adrien is our favorite character. Naturally, we're going to talk more about him. This is basic common sense. I don't understand the problem here with liking Adrien more than other characters. Are we not allowed to have faves anymore?

And you know why Adrien stans get "unhinged" over him? Because the show treats him badly! Why shouldn't we get mad that a character whom we love is being treated poorly by the writers? Why can't we get heated about that? Marinette stans get heated about their fave being victimized by the narrative all the time, so why is it a crime if Adrien stans get upset if Adrien gets the same treatment? Adrien's story in the show ended with him being reduced to an object and a prop for his girlfriend so that she could side with his abuser and start controlling him instead. Why can't we get angry at that?

Marinette stans will talk about how both Adrien and Marinette are written badly but only Marinette gets criticized and how that's racist and shit, and will ignore the fact that our criticism has nothing to do with race and everything to do with Marinette siding with Gabriel to lie to an abuse victim, and how the show frames this as correct. We criticize Marinette because she's making an awful mistake and doing bad things! This is like, the worst strawman I have ever seen. At some point, it really feels like they are being willfully ignorant.

And about how Adrien stans treat other characters, riddle me this. Who has a proper tag dedicated to bashing them on AO3? Who was the character who was salted on so much when Syren aired? Who was the character being raked over the coals when Chameleon aired? Who was the character who was salted on in Season 4 for breaking a damn fucking chimney? Who was the character whose struggles in Season 4 were overlooked by Marinette stans who criticized him for "being entitled to Ladybug?" Who was the character who was relentlessly salted on whenever he did anything that didn't completely attend to Marinette's needs? Who is the character who was labelled a "sexual harasser?" Who is the character on whom these "fans" rain down their victim blaming and abuse apologia? Who is the character who has the longest history of being salted and bashed by the Marinette stans?

And I will laugh at the audacity of Marinette stans to argue in favor of POC characters and blame Adrien stans for "obsessing over a white boy while not giving the same treatment to characters of color" while their legacy includes salting Alya for not being Marinette's perfect emotional support BFF. Who has their own salt tag apart from Adrien on AO3? Alya does. It's laughable to me that Marinette stans harp on about how Adrien stans prefer the white boy over the POC characters when they spent the better part of the last few years bashing Alya and even devolved into outright racism against her. To say nothing of how they treated Kagami after Frozer dropped.

And these people accuse Adrien stans of showing preferential treatment to white characters? Marinette stans have no leg to stand on when it comes to calling out other people's treatment of POC characters. And I'm not saying that the anon or OP of the post are racist or that they personally contributed to this. But if they are going to make sweeping statements about Adrien stans accusing all of us of going unhinged over a white boy and treating POC characters unfairly, they should maybe take a look inwards at their own community.

Marinette stans have spent years bashing every other character for the smallest perceived slight. Marinette stans created a whole new genre of Miraculous fanfiction dedicated to propping up Marinette like their personal goddess and punishing other characters for not being her devoted slaves. Marinette stans have contributed greatly to the racism in this fandom. Look at all this and tell me: who really seems unhinged here?

So yeah. Ice cold take imo. Also, obligatory disclaimer: Not all Marinette stans are like this! Most of them are nice and sweet, but there are also plenty of bad apples who have been responsible for a lot of toxicity in this fandom.

Thank you for your ask!

#MLB #Adrien Agreste #Chat Noir #Adrien Sugar #Marinette Salt #ML Salt #ML Fandom Salt #ML Writing Salt #ML Writers Salt #Meta #My meta #Asks #Ladybug Salt #Seriously Marinette stans do not look at this post

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padfootagain · 8 months

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The Moustache

Hello! Today, we’re answering an anonymous request: “Helloooo! You see I woke up from my nap thinking about this… You see how Ben had a mustache in the cabinet of curiosities when he played old william? I don’t really know if it was fake or he had to grow it, but for the shake of this idea lets gonna pretend he had to grow it. I remember years ago reading a Sebastian Stan fic where he also had to grow the mustache for the I, Tonya film and reader be like “I’m not kissing you until you shave that thing off your face” and I thought it would be fun reading something like that Ben? If you’re down for it. Reader being playful and turning her face when he tries to kiss her or something like that🙈 I’m not really fan of guy’s with mustaches but I guess we always can make exceptions….”

I have no idea what the fanfic the anon is referring to, but the idea is absolutely adorable, so let’s goooo!

Thank you for your request, anon! I hope you enjoy your fic!

I hope you all like this cute little fic! Tell me what you think of it!

****

Pairing: Ben Barnes x reader

Warnings: absolute fluffiness that will leave your teeth rotten

Summary: Ben needs to grow a moustache for his role in Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosity. You’re not a fan, although… perhaps you don’t hate it as much as pretend you do.

Word count: 1611

Ben Barnes’s Masterlist – Main Masterlist

You’ve never liked moustaches.

It’s simply not your thing. You don’t find it aesthetically pleasing, it tickles when you kiss…

Still, as Ben is getting ready to work for his next Netflix show and he has to grow a moustache… you don’t mind it that much.

You would be lying if you claimed that you didn’t prefer him with a full beard or a clean-shaven face, still… it must be Ben’s magic playing with your head cause you still find him dashing this morning, as you see him shaving his cheeks, shaping his moustache with care.

It’s rather late in the morning, but it’s Sunday and you both enjoy these days slow-paced and lazy, filled with blankets, cuddles and cups of tea.

You have lingered in bed for a long while with Ben this morning, taking your time to wake up under his kisses, holding onto him tight as he whispered sweet nothings in your ear. The sun was fully risen when you summoned enough strength to get up and prepare a breakfast for two, Ben making his famous pancakes and you cutting fruits and preparing your favourite beverages and stealing touches as you walked by him.

Now, you’re coming out of the shower that you shared with Ben. The habit domestic and loving, of hands running through hair, and palms massaging tired shoulders, and fingers rubbing soft caresses as well as soap on the other’s skin.

Ben’s hair is still a wet mess, dark strands falling before his eyes. He’s wearing nothing but a towel hanging low on his hips, and you can’t help but stare at him as he gets ready.

You put on your underwear while stealing glances, but Ben is too focused to notice the way you gawk at him, admiring the few droplets lingering over the small of his back and along his spine.

He frowns after a while though, staring at his own reflection scrunching his nose in focus.

He turns to you, a slight tilt of the head as he asks you a question.

“Did I make my moustache even? I can’t tell anymore, I’ve been staring at it for too long…”

You chuckle at that, but examine his work all the same, taking the scissors he offers to make the shape perfect.

“Will no one make sure you’ve done a good job on set anyway?”

“At make-up? Of course. But I still have to live for a whole week without any professional help and still try my best to not look ridiculous.”

“But you have my help!” you chime.

“Yeah… that’s what I’m saying.”

You swat his upper arm playfully as you protest, making him laugh.

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding!”

“You shouldn’t play that game with me when I’m holding the scissors. The fate of your facial hair is in my hands, after all.”

He fakes fear, in a not-so-convincing way, especially for a talented actor…

“Please, have mercy, don’t take it out on the moustache!”

“Stop talking, you’re moving your lips.”

“Sorry.”

It’s quiet for a few minutes while you shape his moustache the best you can, and you have a proud smile as you put down the scissors.

“Done! Look! What do you think?”

He smiles as he looks at his reflection once more.

“Quite good! Well done!” Ben leans to give you a kiss, but he frowns hard when you scrunch your nose as you pull away.

“This thing tickles. When are you getting rid of it?”

He laughs at that.

“In a couple of months, I would say.”

“Two months?! Wow… that’s a lot…”

“You hate it that much?”

His tone is playful still, and yet you don’t fail to recognize the hesitation in his gaze.

You roll your eyes.

“You’re always gorgeous, baby,” you reassure him, and it earns you a bright grin.

“But?” he adds, raising a brow.

“But… I’m not a fan of the moustache.”

“Really?” he asks, touching the hair above his lip. “I thought it gave me some… mature charm.”

“You don’t need a moustache to look mature.”

“Are you implying that I’m old?”

“Of course!”

“Hey!”

You can’t refrain your laughter this time, shaking your head at the outrage in his eyes.

“No, you’re not old! Besides, you’re aging gracefully.”

“Getting better, like a fine wine?” he teases, and you nod.

“Absolutely.”

“So, if I wanted to keep my moustache after the movie was done…?”

“Well, you’re free to do whatever you want with your facial hair,” you answer cautiously.

“But you won’t like it.”

You know he’s teasing, not being truly serious.

“I might refuse to kiss you as often as I do now.”

He looks at you with shock, a hand on his heart.

“That would be awfully cruel of you, love!”

“But it tickles! And it’s…”

You merely shake your head.

“Actually, I’m not sure I want to kiss you anymore, now that you have that thing on your face,” you tease him, and Ben knows what you’re doing. He still plays along, gasping.

“No kisses! That would be too cruel. Besides, we both know you wouldn’t hold for more than five minutes! You love my kisses too much for that.”

As if to prove a point, he drops a couple of pecks on your shoulder, wrapping his arms around you to pull you close. When you feel him tugging at the clasp of your bra, you pull away though.

“Is that a challenge? Cause I can totally resist the urge of kissing you for a whole day. Especially when you’re sporting that thing.”

“Thing? It’s not alive, you know?”

“Are you sure?”

You both laugh at that while you put on a shirt and some jeans, and Ben gets dressed as well.

“I bet you can last an hour, and then you’ll give up and come cuddle and steal kisses,” he challenges you, and you raise an eyebrow, meeting his confident gaze.

“You think you’re this charming, huh?”

“I am. To you, at least.”

“Cocky!”

He rolls his eyes, but when he answers, the words are more genuine, less playful.

“I simply assume that you’re as obsessed with me as I am with you.”

You grin at that, and you lean to kiss him, before you remember his challenge. You shake yourself out of your urge, and narrow your eyes at him.

“Hmmm… Almost fell for this one,” you admit, making him laugh.

“You would have held on for a grand thirty seconds, then. That would have been a record, you’re all over me all the time when we’re alone.”

“That’s not true!”

“Yes, it is. And I’m all over you as well, and I like it that way.”

It’s his time to lean closer, but you turn your head away, his lips landing on your cheek instead of your lips, making you giggle as he gives you a big smooch anyway.

“No! No kisses!”

You both laugh at that as you walk out of the bathroom.

It turns out it’s easy to last for an hour without kissing him, because Ben spends some time working and you spend some time reading. Even if you’ve both settled in the living room, you’re both busy with your own tasks, and merely hold hands from time to time.

The real struggle comes after this quiet time, when Ben starts seriously losing focus and sets himself on a cuddling mission, lying down and resting his head on your laps so you can run your fingers through his dark hair. He heaves a content sigh at the feeling.

But the moment lasts just a few minutes as Ben grows restless and is soon playing with your hand, then lifting the hem of your shirt to kiss your stomach.

“Stop! It tickles!” you complain in a laughter you can’t hold back, pushing him off of you and almost making him fall off the couch.

He rolls his eyes.

“I usually have a beard and you’re perfectly fine with that!”

“But it doesn’t feel the same.”

He gives you a look and scoffs.

“You’re being dramatic.”

“And you’re irritating.”

He scrunches his nose, moving his moustache in the process, and you can’t help but laugh at him for it. It earns you another dramatic eye-roll.

“Come on, I want kisses,” he complains, leaning closer, but you turn away, laughing.

“No! No kisses while you have that moustache!”

“I’ll have it for two months, you can’t hold that promise, love.”

“I can! I will!”

But Ben grows annoyed now, because, after all, he does want his kisses. His tone is less humorous when he speaks again.

“Love, please. Darling, I want to kiss you. I’m not joking now.”

You pout.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

You nod, and he smiles again as he leans closer…

…for his lips to meet the cover of your book.

You explode in laughter, and if he didn’t love this sound so much, he would be mad at you right now.

“You’re so cruel…”

But you take his face in your hands in a tender hold, and he can’t keep scowling.

“Sorry, baby. That’s enough teasing. And I need more than you having a stupid moustache to not want to kiss you anymore.”

“Good to know.”

And you yield. You kiss him, forgetting about this challenge of his, and it’s worth it. Despite the moustache, you adore his kisses more than anything in this world.

He chuckles against your lips as you melt into his arms.

“So much for holding on for a whole day…”

“You were getting too needy and moody.”

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

“Let me kiss you again…”

You smile, nodding, bumping your nose into his in the process.

“Please, do.”

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

Taglist : @sergeantbuckybarnes @wolfmoonmusic @reg-arcturus-black

#ben barnes #ben barnes x reader #ben barnes x y/n #ben barnes x you #ben barnes fanfiction #ben barnes imagine #ben barnes fanfic #ben barnes oneshot #fanfiction #fanfic #writing #oneshot

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dialovers-translations · 1 year

Text

DIABOLIK LOVERS VERSUS SONG Bloody Night Vol.Ⅲ Mini Drama “Carla VS Shin”

Original title: 録り下ろしミニドラマ「カルラＶＳシン」

Source: Diabolik Lovers VERSUS SONG Bloody Night Vol. III Mini Drama

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Morikawa Toshiyuki & Morikubo Shoutaro

Translator’s note: The Tsukinami brothers aren’t my go-to, so I wasn’t crazy about this CD, but I’m sure that all of you T bro stans will enjoy it. It takes place in the Dark Fate timeline, so the two of them are still keen on trying to ‘cleanse’ the MC. No cute fluffy moments in this one, just a lot of blood-sucking and Carla + Shin ganging up on you. :p

You try to head out of the manor.

*Thud*

Carla: …You, where are you going?

Carla approaches you as you try to explain.

Carla: For a walk, you say? Such a blatant lie. You are not allowed to leave the manor without my permission.

You ask Carla if there is a reason why he needs you here.

Carla: If I need you for anything? Is that not obvious? Your cleansing. There is nothing else I could need from you.

You try to escape.

*Rustle rustle*

Carla: …You sure have some nerve to try to make a run for it when I am standing right in front of you. I thought I had taught you plenty of times that there is no way for you to escape this place, but I suppose I have not made myself clear enough just yet. Very well. I shall continue to do so until it finally sinks in. Come with me.

Carla drags you away.

*Thud*

Carla: Why are you looking at me like that? Are you frightened? ーー Now keep still. If you move, I will kill you.

You flinch.

Carla: Heh. Perfect.

*Rustle*

Carla: Did you not hear me when I told you to keep still? …Do not make a sound over every single little thing.

*Rustle*

Carla: Is it a little easier for me to sink my fangs in your neck this way? I shall give to you momentarily.

Carla bites you.

*Gulp gulp*

Carla: Hah…Per usual…

*Sluuuurp*

Carla: …Your blood is still tainted…I must cleanse it sooner rather than later, or else we could be in trouble. …Ugh.

*Rustle*

Carla: Oi, woman. I did not give you permission to fight back. Do you not understand what will happen to you if you do?

*Rustle*

Carla: You should always remember how easy it is for me to snap that slender neck of yours in two.

He continues sucking your blood.

*Sluuuurp*

Carla: …Hah. Hmph. So you have finally stopped resisting? You should have done so from the very beginning. Good grief, you are such a handful.

*Sluuuurp*

*Gulp gulp gulp*

Carla: Mmh…Hah…

*Rustle*

Carla: Stand. I did not give you permission to rest either.

You remain on the floor.

Carla: ーー You should offer yourself to me exactly as I tell you to. I shall not take no as an answer. Hah…

*Rustle*

Carla: …Hm.

*Thud*

Carla: Che…So she has lost consciousness? Humans are even more weak and fragile and I thought, getting knocked out over such a short cleansing session. Hah. Ridiculous.

Carla walks away as Shin walks by shortly after, noticing you on the floor.

Shin: Huh? That is…

*TIMESKIP*

*Thud*

Shin: Che…She still won’t wake up after carrying her all the way over here, huh? God. Just how much of her blood did Nii-san drink?

Oh well…If she refuses to wake up, there’s only way one to do so, right? …Hah!

Shin throws you into the bath tub.

*SPLASH*

*Splash splash*

Shin: Oh? How boring. You woke up right away. ーーOr rather, no need to panic that much, I only gave you a bath.

*Splash*

Shin: Hm? This place? It’s the bathroom. Nii-san sucked your blood earlier, didn’t he? You were laying on the floor in the hallway, so I carried you here.

You nod in understanding.

Shin: Anyway, I didn’t think I’d find myself alone with you in the bathroom a second time. But you know…the walls here are the most soundproof…and I can cover up your scent as well, so it’s the perfect place.

You frown.

Shin: I fail to see how I’m being ‘horrible’. I’m cleaning you, so you should be thankful instead. ーー Or rather, I don’t like how your entire body smells of Nii-san right now. Hah. He even left marks on your skin…Ahー It pisses me off. Say, why don’t you strip down for a second?

You blink in surprise.

Shin: Did you not hear me? I told you to take off your clothes, right here, right now.

You ask him why.

Shin: Haah!? Because they’d get in the way while I’m trying to cleanse you, duh!? Che…If you refuse to take them off yourself…I’ll strip you down instead!

You try to make a run for it.

*Splash splash*

Shin: Oi! Why are you trying to get away!? …Che, you sure have some nerve to try and escape me! ーー Seems like you’re in need of a punishment, rather than a cleansing.

He corners you.

*Thud*

*SPLASH*

Shin: Hah! You look like a hot mess! If you had just listened to me, you wouldn’t have ended up soaked wet. See!?

*SPLASH*

Shin: Ugh…

*Splash*

Shin: So, how is it to have someone force your face down the water? Hard to breathe? Look at you coughing, poor thing.

You shiver.

Shin: …Haah? What’s the problem? You’ve been shaking like a leaf this whole time. Are you cold? I mean, I guess you’re drenched in cold water. Or are you perhaps shivering in fear? Either way, I’m not letting you go just yet, remember that very well.

He takes in your scent.

Shin: …I guess a little water isn’t enough to get rid of the scent. In that case, I suppose I have no other choice but to do it myself. …Say, show me…where Nii-san bit you.

You refuse.

Shin: Don’t fight back…! Ugh…

*Splash splash*

Shin: Che…I was going to actually have some mercy on you, but if you want to get the rough treatment that badly, your wish is my command. …Come on, get up on your feet! How long are you going to stay here crouched down!? Ughーー!

*SPLASH*

Shin: Ughー!

*RIIIIIIP*

Shin: Making me go through all this extra trouble…

Shin bites you.

*Sluuuurp*

Shin: ーー Hah! What are you screaming for? Did it really hurt that much just now? I guess it did. I’m making it painful on purpose after all.

*Sluuuurp*

Shin: Nnh…Nn…Che…Your blood is as disgusting as ever…On top of that, your neck is covered in Nii-san’s mark, it’s making me gag. …Tsk. I’m more than capable of cleansing you myself without having to rely on Nii-san’s help! ーー Say, turn your back my way. I’ll suck from there next.

You turn around.

Shin: Heh. Seems like Nii-san didn’t get to this place, as expected. I couldn’t have asked for more.

Shin bites your back.

*Sluuuurp*

Shin: Nn…Mmh…For the millionth time…Stop making a fuss. I need to make some progress here before Nii-san catches oーー

Carla approaches them.

Carla: You are making quite the fuss, Shin.

Shin: …! Nii-san…!

Carla: What are you doing over there?

Shin: Haha~ What do you mean? I’m cleansing her. I figured I’d lend you a hand.

Carla: Hooh. And you needed to put her in the bath for that?

Shin: Yeah. I figured that the water would help rinse off all dirt and speed up the cleansing procedure.

Carla: Speed up the cleansing, you say? Heh. Sounds exactly like an excuse you would come up with. That being said, you appear to be quite flustered?

Shin: …Good grief. Like you’re in any position to talk. You’re asking me all these questions, even though you’ve already got me figured out. It’s true that I want to aid in her cleansing…but you’re the last person I want to leave in charge of it.

Carla: Heh. Seems like you are no longer hiding your true intentions either. Cleansing her is my duty as the King of Founders. However…I suppose it is fine. I shall give you special permission to cleanse her alongside me tonight.

Shin: Hah. ‘Permission’, huh? Oh well, I guess I can roll with that for now. I understand, Nii-san. As you wish.

Carla: Hmph.

Shin: You should rejoice. Nii-san and I will cleanse you together today. ーー Ah, don’t go fainting on us halfway through, okay? That’d be awfully dull.

You frown.

Shin: Oh, also, don’t be having reckless thoughts about running away either. So, Nii-san, what should I do?

Carla: Keep her restrained.

Shin: Eeh? So I have to get inside the tub as well?

Carla: Do you have an issue with that?

Shin: Nah, not really. Yeah, yeah, just gotta get in, right? …There we go.

*Splash*

Shin: Ahー! Cold! …I get why you are shivering now. …Haha!

He approaches you.

Shin: Gotcha. …Better behave, okay? …Nii-san, this should do, right?

Carla: Yes. That will work just fine. ーー Oi, woman. Look over here.

*Rustle*

Heh. You look rather pathetic right now. Now then, surrender your body to me. We are continuing your cleansing. I sunk my fangs into your neck earlier, did I not? In that case…Let me move a bit lower this time.

*Rustle*

Carla: Your heart is beating rather quickly. Almost as if it is begging for my fangs.

*Splash splash*

Carla: Very well. I shall bite you over here.

Carla bites you.

*Sluuuurp*

*Gulp*

Carla: Hah…

*Splash*

Shin: ーー Woah there. Keep still. …Or rather, it’s up to you whether you want to move or not, but who knows what will happen if you make a bad move and Nii-san’s fangs stab you in the heart?

Your face goes pale.

Shin: Ah…That’s not a bad expression you’re making right now. I can’t get enough of seeing your face twist in fear.

Carla: Nn…Hah…Oi, Shin. If you have the time to spout nonsense, at least make sure you are keeping her properly restrained.

Shin: Yeah, yeah, I know.

Carla continues to suck your blood.

*Sluuuurp*

*Gulp gulp*

Shin: Hehe. I mean, watching your face scrunch up in pain isn’t bad, but boredom’s starting to kick in.

Shin bites you as well.

*Sluuuurp*

Shin: Nn…

Carla: Mm…Oi, Shin, what are you doing? I believe I told you to keep her pinned down?

Shin: …Nnh, yeah, I know. I’m doing that, aren’t I? …But you know, I’m pretty sure that if both of us suck her blood, it’ll speed up the cleansing, so let me join in on the fun. Nn…

*Sluuuurp*

Carla: …Do as you please. However, do not make her faint.

*Sluuuurp*

Shin: …Hah. Of course, I know that, Nii-san.

*Sluuuurp*

Shin: Ah…Hah…

Carla: Hmph. ーー Oi, woman. Look at me. Hahn…

*Sluuuurp*

Carla: Hah…Who is the one bestowing pain upon you right now?

You answer.

Carla: Exactly. So do not dare react to anyone else’s fangs.

Shin: Excuse me, Nii-san? You don’t have to go that far, do you? I’m right here as well, remember?

You whimper.

Shin: What are you moaning for? Are you feeling good from both of us biting you?

You shake your head.

Shin: You don’t sound very convincing while making an expression like that. I can’t believe you’re getting off from the pain…You might actually be insane. Hahaha!

Carla: Shin. Enough nonsense. Focus on the cleansing.

Shin: Mmh. You’re right. Well then…Where to bite you next? Hah? This arm over here seems ideal.

*Rustle*

Shin: Ah, godー Why are wet clothes so difficult to take off? What a pain!

*RIIIIP*

Shin: Aah, my bad! I accidentally clawed at it, tearing it apart. Although now it’s much easier to bite you.

*Sluuuurp*

Carla: I doubt switching up the place will alter the taste in any way. It will taste just as foul as always.

*Sluuuurp*

Shin: …Hah. You’re right.

*Splash*

Shin: Hey, you. Why are you trying to take a break?

Carla: Woman. Your cleansing has not ended yet. It is too early to rest.

Shin: Ahーah, it’s no use. She has fainted again. How many times has this happened today?

Carla: I suppose she did not last after all. Although that was to be expected

Shin: However, who knows when we’ll be done at this rate.

Carla: I do not mind. We simply have to keep on going until she is fully cleansed.

Shin: Heh. I suppose you are right.

Carla: Shin. Carry her to her bedroom. We will continue afterwards.

Shin: Gotcha, Nii-san.

*Splash splash*

Carla: Better brace yourself…for when you wake up again.

Shin: Try to at least enjoy your dreams while they last. Hehe…Hahaha…Ahahaha!

ーー THE END ーー

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #carla tsukinami #shin tsukinami #diabolik lovers translation #diabolik lovers drama cd #drama cd

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lives4lovesworld · 4 months

Text

Dragons, their unique and extraordinary bond and why the binder is a red herald.

“If you read Fire and Blood, you’ll know there’s definitely a bond between the dragons and their riders and the dragons will not accept just any rider,” says Martin. “Some people try to take a dragon wind up being eaten or burned to death instead, so the dragons are terribly fussy about who rides them.” - Grrm November 2018

We shall not pretend to any understanding of the bond between dragon and dragonrider; wiser heads have pondered that mystery for centuries. We do know however, that dragons are not horses, to be ridden by any man who throws a saddle on their back. - writings of Gyldayn

Most speculations around dragons, the dragonbinder and any potential riders are blatantly rooted in nonsensical delusion and pure envy of House Targaryen and the power it derived of their dragons, and the deranged need to see the dragons fight and wreak havoc to finally villainize them all once and for all the eyes of the realm as the clowns of this fandom all do in their posts, so their excessive hatred is finally validated by canon. Nowhere is all this more apparent than in the ridiculous popularity of the theories that have Stannis Baratheon, Young Griff, Victarion and Euron Greyjoy become dragon riders, and more specifically all in context as enemies to Daenaerys.

It's truly astonishing what loops people jump through to make these theories appear even the slightest bit feasible;

Even if Stannis Baratheon would survive long enough to set eyes on Dany's dragons and even if the theory in and of itself wouldn't be a pathetic attempt by his delusional stans to still present him as a viable candidate for Azor Ahai Reborn. There was not one recorded incident of a Baratheon riding a dragon, and mind you Orys Baratheon was likely Aegon’s bastard brother yet neither he nor any of his closest descendants have been dragon riders, and each of them had more blood of the dragon than Stannis. The prerequisite of even being one.

Young Griff [or FAegon or Aegon VI] tho the most feasible of all the "candidates" it is ridiculous which lengths the proponents go to, to craft scenarios, where he, always a political enemy of Dany, somehow obtains one of her sons. It's often argue that, regardless of who Young Griff truly is, Targaryen or Blackfyre, due to his blood he must be a dragon rider! An equally bold as unfounded hypothesis: i) the concept that House Blackfyre would have been dragonlords as well had the dragons not be extinct by the time the cadet branch of House Targaryen was founded is purely speculative! Neither House Celtigar nor House Velaryon, two ancient Valyrian House, had been dragonslords. Hell, not even all members of House Targaryen had been. ii) Young Griff surviving long enough to set eyes onto Daenerys's dragons is as hypothetical as Stannis's prior, and given how he is currently risking an all-open war with only 5000 sellswords at his disposal with no prior war experience against the current reign is just as unlikely. iii) However, let's assume Young Griff indeed survives long enough to do so and ends up fighting Daenerys; as already stated dragons aren't mere mounts, they choose their riders and need to bond and for that, they need a considerable amount of time, training is time-consuming as well. So how exactly would Young Griff even get the chance to bond with either Rhaegal or Viserion? In addition, Daenerys's dragons are unique to their ancestors all of them having bonds to her as their cherished mother. Despite what the fandom argues, dragons are not nuclear bombs, they would never bond with someone who would want to severely harm or even kill their mother. Lastly iv) which is purely theoretical but IMO a very solid theory: @luchibelle theorized that Magister Illyiro Mopatis put the eggs into his son's cradle after the Targaryen fashion and hoped they would hatch. The man likely attempted several times to hatch them. In vain, he gifted them to Daenerys as bride's gifts. In all likelihood to make the marriage with Daenerys for Khal Drogo more desirable, for Dany's bride's gifts are his property, which the Magister needed for his scheme of Viserys as the evil invader with his foreign army of savages for his son to defeat as the gallant Aegon VI Targaryen. However, it does further contradict the speculation of Young Griff's potential being able to bond & ride a dragon.

So far Euron and Victarion Greyjoy are the only ones actively perusing Daenerys for her dragons, name and beauty, something none of the other "candidates" do which should at least be the bare basis on these speculations if you want to call them that way. However, the unquestionable fact that the iron borns do not possess a drop of the blood of the dragon should end all speculations then and there. The unfounded idea that Euron possesses unnatural power and/or uses the horn he proclaims is a tool that can subjugate dragons should serve as a substitute for the lack of valyrian is a jump through a loop unparalleled: i) While GRRM can stress as much as he wants that Euron is much more than what he appears to be; a megalomaniac sadistic busy-body. The Forsaken shows that Euron sacrifices humans and uses tortured captive priests to perform their magic FOR him. The power does not come from him, unlike Daenerys and some of the Starks. ii) the unwillingness of this fandom to see Euron's tale of him traveling to Valyria as a lie is on the same level as its unwillingness to see Petyr Baelish's one. Valyria after the doom is hell on earth. GRRM emphasized this more than once in his lore; Princess Aerea Targaryen, Garin the Great. Hell, he even wrote this scene. Yet because some really want to see their super specific unfeasible(!) fever dreams to validate their need to punish Daenerys and House Targaryen and their dragon for being perceived as obstacles to their favorite character's rise to power, Euron Greyjoy, a minor character introduced to us in ADwD, is the first to set foot onto Valyria after more than 400 years. iii) Since we have established the truthfulness of Euron's tale, let's extend the same skepticism to the "Dragonbinder" as well; true dragonbinders were used by pure-blooded Valyrians to tamp even the ill-willed and oldest dragons. In the millennia of wars between the dragonlords of the Freehold and the rest of Essos dozen of such horns must have been lost by riders and found by other folk. If the possession of one paired with enough magical expertise and lust for dragons would been sufficient to make anyone a dragon rider, the Freehold of Valyria would not have been the only civilization to tamp dragons. So why would two Greyjoys make the exception? On top of that, why would Euron let the horn out of his sight and more importantly give it into the custody of his brother he knows has wronged and slighted more than once? And if Euron is indeed an agent of the Others, of Ice GRRM won't have him subjugate one of the embodiments of Fire, which shall be triumphant at the end of the series. Lastly, the speculation of Victarion Greyjoy as a dragon rider is a misunderstanding, likely deliberate, of Moqorro and the dialog between him and Victarion; Moqorro is a red priest sent to Daenerys so she might know she has been identified as Azor Ahai Reborn by his temple. If he is even half as frantically loyal as Melisandre is to Stannis, Moqorro would never actively try to sabotage his Chosen One by helping someone, a non-believer at that, to rob her of her dragons. Creatures that are sacred to the religion of R'hllor. Not to mention who is Victarion to Moqorro? A pillaring slave catcher who worships an agent of the Others for everything that isn't R'hllor.

If speculations around potential dragon riders do not serve to despite Dany, then they are handed out as rewards to favorites. Nevertheless, GRRM has written to many hints for the other characters to become riders, likely Tyrion and Jon Snow, despite it being incredibly repugnant to me for numerous reasons; it has been Daenerys who has to do all the hard work, who figured out how to birth them, how to raise and feed them, how to train them and deal with all the moral dilemmas. No matter what it will always be cheap, offensive and lazy to me that two characters will swoop in, become legendary as as the first dragon riders woth Danya and reap all the glory, and given of which descent they will be, a violation of GRRM own lore and rules of physic. The excuse of 'its the ending of the world' is beneath his talent.

To conclude its despicable how something as unique as the bond between dragons and their riders and the otherworldliness being of the blood grants is cheapened by all these speculations, which are almost exclusively petty fantasies that should be impossible to happen.

#asoiaf #asoiaf meta #dragons #Old Valyria #dragonbinder #FAegon #Young Griff #Aegon VI Targaryen #Euron Greyjoy #debunking popular speculations #✨vent time✨#stannis baratheon #victarion greyjoy

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beautifulpersonpeach · 3 months

Note

sometimes I think anons here complaining about Hybe/scooter must not have jobs. Like it would be great if everyone could work for perfect companies run by perfect people. But most of us are out here trying to support ourselves and hopefully feel good about the work we do. It’s so weird to me that some people expect BTS to do things differently and personally research every single person they work with and decide if their ethics line up. They’re trying to get the best deal they can for themselves and their art. And clearly Hybe does that for them for now. I feel like most of us would make the same choices if we were them? Even the anons? Like maybe some of the members love scooter. Some might tolerate him. Some might think nothing about him at all and he just appears in front of them occasionally and they say hi. But they’re all just going to work and dealing with co-workers like us. With the added pressure of millions of people commenting on their choices.

***

It really does make you wonder, doesn't it?

But at the same time, I hardly blame the people complaining about the HYBE-Scooter connection, and honestly, a big part of me feels the same way. Even before the Zionist allegations, I’ve felt he’s been a poor investment with limited utility for BTS, Bang PD and HYBE. The loss of Ariana Grande and the rest of his American clientele, just confirmed more of the same for me. And then there’s the horrific global events the last few months… The scale of maddening, senseless violence and destruction is ridiculous, and at the same time it's tied to a conflict that's actually complicated and grotesque, given the nasty cocktail of tensions at the heart of religious, ethnic, and nationalistic identity. A real perversion of all the -isms there is.

On the flip side, the reality is that the entertainment industry as well as most other industries globally have very involved participation from companies tied to Jewish and/or Zionist individuals. Just by virtue of how long those people have been in those industries, and how directly involved and prominent several of them are. It’s just not realistic to not do business with key entities linked directly to those interests if you’re in American music and European/American film. I think. And business is business at some point. That’s something I believe in absolutely given the reality of what I do for a living.

For Scooter, if I were to give him the highest benefit of doubt, I’d say I struggle to understand his position, but believe he has no ill will. I doubt HYBE will divest from him or whatever, because they’ve got to recoup that US$1 billion at the very least. He has to prove his worth and there are key performance milestones coming up for him. I’m watching to see how he’ll do with Katseye, and a few other acts etc if he’s kept with HYBE cause there’s always the possibility he's dropped.

I’m also not going to totally fault the people protesting for better from HYBE. It’s the right thing that HYBE should divest, in an ideal scenario. But I feel a lot of people campaigning for it are either bandwagoning or being crazy impulsive about this issue. Some people passionately care, some people are traumatized and radicalized beyond belief, and some people are just exhausted. But ultimately, the relationship between BTS, HYBE, and Scooter is purely a corporate one and many of the stans getting hysterical over it generally come across as children who have no understanding of how business relationships work.

Anyway, I mostly agree with you is what I want to say.

#BTS #bts chapter 2 #scooter braun

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valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn · 1 year

Note

I wish current MCU stans would realize that so many of us "haters" are- or were- dedicated fans who are critical because we cared a lot about characters and stories. As a long time Loki fan, I was heartbroken and angry seeing him belittled, hurt, and tortured, sidelined into a shell of his former self and told he deserves it while characters who committed far worse crimes were hailed as heroes. The negativity comes from a place of love for Loki and being let down at how he was treated.

You nailed it 👏👏

It's this meme:

We wouldn't have entire blogs dedicated to the studio or its characters if we didn't care. It is because we care that we're so disappointed, otherwise we would have stopped thinking about them a long time ago.

That's why I hate the word "anti": we're not "anti MCU", we're against canon! We disagree with it, we don't like it or has characters acting completely ooc. There are people out there who hate the MCU... but those of us who blog about them just want better products!

We don't want Marvel to stop, we want them to realize characterization is all over the place these days, we want them to stop justifying evil characters, we want them to stop blaming Bucky and praising Mobius, we want the new movies and series to address something other than multiverse this and Kang that, we want the non-romantic relationships to matter and not be tossed aside as irrelevant unless they're the romantic kind, we don't want the new characters to ridicule the old ones, we want complex characters, if we must put up with variants we want them to be different than the OG ones otherwise it makes no freaking sense, we want Waldron to leave for good, we want Scott's friends and Maggie and Paxton back, I want Thor out of Taika's hands and for someone to treat him kindly for a freaking change, I want Sam as Cap! Where is Sam?!, etc.

And all this is not mentioning Loki. They can call it 'therapy' and 'taking responsibility' or 'being held accountable'... none of that is true. He was abused in that series. And we were told he deserved it. Why the hell would a fan enjoy that?

I couldn't agree more with you when you say we don't come from a place of hate, we come from a place of love for a story and its characters, because we can see the potential but time and time again (especially the last couple years) the quality has gone down dramatically... and the studio is doing all they can to ignore the criticism -- or worse, they call us haters or bigots just so that our opinions won't be taken seriously.

We just want a better Marvel and we will never get it if the criticism is inherently labelled as hate, bigotry or "fangirls acting crazy". If the stans only allow positive feedback the MCU will die sooner than they think.

#mcu critical #mcu salt

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shewhotellsstories · 9 months

Note

It’s crazy ironic how you go on and on about how “Penelope stans call Eloise a white feminist/criticise her/etc to bring up their fav (Penelope)” when literally all u do is criticise Penelope as a half baked attempt at defending Eloise.

Let me be clear - I am not a Penelope fan. I do not like her, and I fully agree with your criticisms of her. That said, it’s ridiculous how pretty much ur only method of responding to Eloise crit is by bringing up things Penelope has done. Like, they are two different people. Penelope’s bad behaviour does not in fact have any bearing on how Eloise should be examined.

And all this while constantly complaining about the same damn thing u urself are doing ??? Insane levels of hypocrisy honestly

You know, I went a good chunk of the summer without getting any obnoxious anon messages. But all good things must come to an end, and of course, the peace would end over Regency Era Perez Hilton. So let's get into this anon.

If you've read my blog you'll see that my issues with Penelope Featherington pre-date her falling out with Eloise. I've said I think she punches down quite a lot. I've said I find it wildly unethical that her stans call what she does "reporting" because reporters have ethics, editors, a responsibility to fact-check, and ways of being held accountable if/when we get something wrong. When you're hiding behind a pseudonym and printing whispers and rumors as fact, with no way of verifying if it's truth that's just not happening. Additionally, at the end of season one after the reveal I posted that I didn't think Penelope's hurt feelings over an unrequited crush were as serious as the threat facing Marina as an unmarried pregnant girl (google fallen women, they tend not to live long). I don't think that Colin deserved to be tricked, but given the alternatives of a lifetime of poverty or being married off to a creep twice your age who approaches an engagement the same way a person purchases a horse, I understand why the desperate 17-year-old pursued the boy her own age who she knew would at least treat her well. Not only that, but I said I found it gross that she was smiling in Marina's face while having exposed her secret in the cruelest way possible.

Here's another Eloise-free critique of Penelope, she's the worst kind of mean girl, the kind with a victim complex who wants to do nasty things while still being seen as an angel who can do no wrong. Do you want another criticism of Penelope that has nothing to do with Eloise? I think it's icky that she mocked Kate for being a spinster and called one of the few Indian women on this show a beast. I heard that was in the books too, but fun fact, Black and brown people being compared to or flat-out called animals has a racist history and present. Despite the "Penelope woman of the working class people" song and dance, I pointed out that she's trying to stay in Madame Delacroix’s good graces because she can blow the whistle on her.

I've said, it annoys me that people behave as if Penelope's crush being unrequited is a terrible hardship that justifies all her misdeeds, when Colin has never been cruel to her about romantic feelings he doesn't know are there. Contrary to Penelope stans version of history he hasn't tried to lead her on or hurt her, he treats her like a friend and nothing more. In Queen Charlotte, I said it was a dick move to needle the Queen about her lack of heirs during her granddaughter's funeral.

Now, you're saying that I only use Eloise to criticize Penelope, but not only is that untrue it's devoid of context. I only started comparing Eloise and Penelope because after their falling out Penelope's stans started saying that Eloise was a privileged white feminist as a reason that Penelope's actions weren't wrong and why she had no right to feel betrayed. Eloise's feminism is flawed, there's a lot she hasn't considered because she's been sheltered. ICYMI, I pointed out that she failed to understand that due to their class differences, Theo was in more danger than she was because he didn't have a rich family nor the protection that comes with her surname. I even agreed with Theo getting frustrated with her because due to class he is vulnerable in a way she is not. Furthermore, when Penelope stans say Eloise is an entitled white feminist it's not really about what Eloise has done, it's said in service of absolving Penelope of any wrongdoing. I've pointed out that it's said as if in comparison Penelope is Audre Lorde and hasn't been almost as privileged as Eloise up until her father died.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Who acts like more of an entitled white feminist. The girl who is ignorant or the girl slut shaming other women and notably hurting women of color for her own selfish gain? Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony would be proud. Sure, it's despicable that they used racism to gain support for women's suffrage and threw Fredrick Douglas under the bus, still wanting voting rights is less selfish than wanting the high and financial gain that comes with running an anonymous burn book.

Call me a hypocrite if you want but I've got the receipts to show I started criticizing Penelope way before she fell out with Eloise. And frankly, it's hypocritical of you not to realize that my Eloise and Penelope comparisons are a response to the "Eloise crit" that are just thinly layered Penelope apologism and revisionist history.

Have the day you deserve anon.

#asked and answered #anonymous #anti penelope featherington #bridgerton #eloise bridgerton #white feminism

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reflections-in-a-critical-eye · 8 months

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https://x.com/vmin_951210/status/1697584122687066286?s=46

Do you have any thoughts about this?

The amount of Korean and Japanese fans around this post makes me think what he said here is a big deal for them but I don’t really undestand

Why can’t I speak korean or Japanese😭

Anon, the wlive has subtitles now, it's pretty accurate to what is written here in the post.

Overall, Jimin is doing some self criticism, mostly in regard to his March promotions. I'm not surprised because he's a perfectionist, but I also think he's being way too hard on himself.

Of course there are no specific details mentioned, but it looks like he's choosing a different approach for his next project, like starting from scratch?

Jimin doesn't seem satisfied with his performance during Face and I wonder exactly what he means by that. I'm not saying this must be it, but could be in part about that time when he sounded a bit bad during a music show encore? At that time, I suspected it would get to him because he seems like the type of person to obsess over every little detail. Again, a perfectionist.

All I want to say is that I found the entire thing ridiculous. So what if he sounded bad at that exact time? It doesn't make him a bad singer and it doesn't erase all the other many times in which he's doing a damn good job. But this is kpop and kpop stans must act horribly and that's the way it is.

I'd also like to point out that BH is primarily at fault here for not providing professional singing lessons to the idols. It's unheard of and outrageous. It should be really high up on the list of priorities. I can only assume Jimin practiced all on his own. Just as they have choregraphers, singing teachers should be there as well. We've seen how Jimin had to ask to listen in to JK and Tae practicing and even years later, getting help from Jungkook. That's not right. It's cool that they are helping each other, but they should also have a professional on standby.

Anyway, it's fine that he has a desire for professional self improvement. It seems that he found a better formula and I can't wait to see what he comes up with. It looks like team Jimin is back in the practice room so maybe we don't have to wait too long 👀

#m thoughts #jimin #jimin live

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dearweirdme · 6 months

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I need to know why it’s always Tae who gets accused of being a liar or doing fan service when he mentions wanting to do something with another member or posting a pic or video with someone but everyone else can do the same thing and it’s a sign of friendship and sincerity not lying and fan service?

Tae was at a fan meeting with Jimin so if he was doing fan service that would be the place to do it but the example of that is not him saying they should do another song together and like a previous anon pointed out he didn’t even say they would he said he wanted to do another song with Jimin why is that a bad thing and why does it need to be analyzed to the point where it’s used as a negative against him?

I find the whole Gof discourse completely ridiculous and the idea that Tae is so deep into stan twitter that he knows a very small group of fans ship them together is silly imo. Idk how long Tae and Gof have been friends but I think it’s been a while but this year is when Gof became one of his dancers and they’ve been spending a lot of time together so why is it weird that Tae highlighted a moment from his fan meeting that he got from a fan? Let’s be honest this is really about some insecure tkkers who have let the narrative the Gof is a jk replacement go to their heads so now you’re projecting onto thinking he must feel the same way when in reality Gof is just his friend and the seem to enjoy performing together jk has had a similar relationship with one of his backups dancers where he’s commented on pics and is seen being very friendly and nobody thinks that’s fan service so why is one ok and the other not?

Hi @poisonousjk !

Jepjep! People either really don’t understand Tae or they really don’t want to understand Tae.

#taekook #tae

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jedimasterbailey · 7 months

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filoni stans just don't quit huh?

"people are mad sabine has force powers because it's badly hidden misogyny-"

oh here we go again as if many people haven't already explained in depth how she's been character assassinated.

heads up everyone, if we don't like filoni's stupid ass decisions and contrived writing it must always be because of sexism, racism and whichever excuse stans use to deflect criticism. this is what happens when we spoil their fun. some of them are sounding like last jedi stans who screamed misogyny and racism when fans rightfully pointed out the badly written script, the way kylo almost took over rey's story and the way poc were mistreated. love how they yell sexism while glossing over how filoni made ahsoka's importance all about a man in this show.

sabine was already a good character in rebels without needing to be force sensitive. she had her own cultural identity as a mandalorian. guess none of that matters now, she gets to follow a rote padawan story that makes no sense for her and wasn't even properly developed. all because filoni is far up his own ass about his special mando jedi ocs while disrespecting established jedi characters. good lord, i'm glad this season is over.

NO THEY DO NOT ANON!!!! And that’s the thing that drives me crazy about Feloni Stan’s is I think his project promote bad behavior. There is so much racism and sexism in these projects that everyone is more than happy to turn a blind eye too. I, on the other hand, cannot condone any of it and I refuse to make excuses for it and I will say exactly what’s on my mind even if others are afraid to because this is ridiculous. There are so many talented writers and minds out there who can continue the Star Wars legacy without going low and create inspiring content that can generate hope in future generations to come but nope we’re still gonna keep ignorant people in high places and produce more crap.

And yes Sabine should have stayed true to who she was. There was no need for this Jedi nonsense.

#enough is enough #darth felonious #star wars hot take #star wars #sabine wren #thanks for the ask! 💚💙

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heeseung-min · 2 years

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Pairing: tsundere reader x yandere jake but soft to yn

[03:09]

"Hehehehe"

"What Jake?"

"Nothing."

"Did you secretly take my picture again?"

Jake gasped. He shook his head few times while trying to hide his phone by putting it in his sleeve. The girl scoffed at his lame tactic to avoid from getting caught.

"You already have many pictures of me. Why would you need more?"

She asked as both of them were walking together however Jake walked backwards because he would love to talk while staring at your face. The man blushed a bit when he get caught by his girlfriend.

"I can't help but to capture every part of you,baby."

"You are ridiculous. Thank god, I still love you."

Jake giggled then proceed to hug you and left some kisses. It made both of you chuckled at how he had accidentally messed your hair. The man suddenly become protective when he saw a younger guy walked closer to them.

"Y/n sunbae?"

"Oh yes, hi Jungwon." You looked at the junior who was looking nervous when having an eye contact with you meanwhile your boyfriend was annoyed at the sight.

“Are you free today? Because I want to ask you to tutor me on Biology.”

Before you get to answer, your cute boyfriend interrupted,

“Just ask someone else. Don't you see she is busy with me right now or are you blind?”

“Oh-I- I’m sorry. I just want to-”

“It’s okay, Jungwon. I can teach you tomorrow. I just have a date with my boyfriend after school. I will text you about it, don’t worry.”

“R-right, thank you sunbae.” said the boy before running from the place.

You turned to Jake with annoyed showing on your face. You really loves your boyfriend but sometimes he is just being too protective. Jake glared to you even though he lowkey scared of what will you do to him.

“The poor boy just want a tutor.”

“Well, he can ask other people. Why would he goes to you? It must be one of his tactics to get you and then-”

You kissed him before he can finish his ridiculous thoughts. That’s only the way to stop him from nagging on how the guys will take you away from him. The man literally became speechless after the sudden act. He put his finger on his lips and taste your lipbalm to make sure it is not a dream.

“Come on,baby. We are late for our class.”

“Can I get one more?”

-----

“Have you heard about the junior went missing?”

“You meant Jungwon? My mom also knew about that and there is rumor saying he actually got killed.”

“Shit, that gives me goosebumps. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”

You went inside your house and saw Jake already serve the meals for the lunch. He went giddy when saw you and quickly helped you to change to a comfortable clothes before eat.

“You look happy.”

“I’m always happy when I’m with you.”

“You killed Jungwon, didn’t you?

Jake put his spoon down when those words coming from you. You sighed when he keep silent because it shows that your speculation is true. Jake mad at the thought that Jungwon and you spent time together when both of you could cuddle together at home. The night after the tutoring, he abducted Jungwon and killed him before threw the poor boy at some lake that rarely people visit.

“It’s his fault for coming to you first.”

“Well, at least you hide his body really well.”

Your boyfriend giggled and went closer to you to leave some kisses. As long he get to be with you alone without any disturbance, he will do anything to achieve that.

This is the second time I make Jungwon died💀💀 I'm so sorry Jungwon stan. Hopefully yall enjoy this😭🥺😌

taglist: @stacey-stonem @duolingofanaccount

#yandere #yandere enhypen #yandere kpop #yandere enha #kpop yandere #lee heeseung #yang jungwon #park jongseong #park sunghoon #sim jaeyun #kim sunoo #nishimura riki #yandere jaeyun #yandere jake #enha x reader #enha imagines

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sneezemonster15 · 2 years

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Do Sasuke stans who also hate Naruto realize that they are undermining their own favourite character by hating on Naruto? Because Naruto is the only person Sasuke truly values, likes and respects outside of his family. And for several reasons. Naruto is unlike anyone he has ever met or known. Naruto gives him the emotional security and serenity that absolutely no one else is able to give him, perhaps not even his own family, not his brother at least. Sasuke is all shades of a mentally and emotionally thriving person when in Naruto's company. He laughs, he smiles, he becomes annoyed, and naughty, and flirtatious and sensual and affectionate and possessive and protective and devotional and self sacrificing. He shares an intimacy with him that he doesn't share with anyone else. He tells him out loud he is his closest friend, his one and only. Itachi had to literally come back from the dead for Sasuke to tell him how much he hated it when Itachi tapped his forehead and ignored him, lol. But with Naruto, he is so clearly vulnerable.

The very perceptive Oro specifically says that being with Naruto is 'changing Sasuke'. What he means by it is that being with Naruto is HEALING Sasuke. And if that happens enough, he would be of no use to Oro so he needs to separate Sasuke from Naruto. Sasuke loves Naruto. He wouldn't listen to Itachi or Kakashi or any of the kages or Oro or anyone else, but bring out Naruto and he would have Sasuke's undivided attention. Sasuke calls Naruto by his specially given pet name, he is so extra protective of him, dare you to pluck even a single hair on Naruto's head around Sasuke and see if he doesn't deck you in the head with almighty force.

Like yes, I have talked about this before but my point is Naruto is so important to Sasuke, for reasons that are part of Sasuke's own characterisation. Even if you discount the ending which I agree was affected where Sasuke was written to give up entirely on his goals for Naruto's vision, Sasuke shows such fondness and respect for Naruto throughout the manga regardless. If you really 'know' your favourite character, you must have been able to tell, no?

Like hate Naruto how much ever you want, for whatever ridiculous, highly biased and quite colored non reasons you want but you simply can't ignore the FACT that Sasuke thinks very highly of him.

So I reiterate. What does that say about your understanding of your favourite character? And your reasons to stan Sasuke?

It's a rhetorical question fyi. So either Sasuke is a brainless drooling idiot to like Naruto if you think Naruto is such a sucky dude, or maybe something is wrong with your understanding of Sasuke. Either way, you need to rethink your stuff, no?

But you should know one thing, whatever shit you think and say about Naruto, your fav Sasuke would not only disagree with you, but also get annoyed with you (like he did with Sakura) and probably genjutsu your ass for it. Like he did to Sai. You know I am right. Heh.

#sns #sasunaru #narusasu #naruto #uzumaki naruto #sasuke #uchiha sasuke #anti sns fandom is just ridiculous man

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hopepaigeturner · 1 year

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An Offer from an Avid Reader: Benedict, Women and the Mistress Question...

Post dedicated to @polarmarie's ask! I hope you find it interesting!

*~*~*~*~*

Something I’ve noticed while engaging within the Bridgerton fandom is the question about whether Benedict should ask the mistress question. Or how the show is going to reconcile ShowBenedict and BookBenedict’s character arcs due to their differences.

So, let’s have a look shall we?

This post is primarily about Benedict’s relationships with woman in the show and how this might mean a couple tweaks to how the plot of AOFAG is adapted. (Other aspects of his arc/journey will be addressed in another post).

The necessity for these tweaks? It is because the show has portrayed Benedict as a man who respect women regardless of their gender or station, and delights when they rebel against societal expectations rather than being intimidated or offended. Most significantly—Benedict handles rejection well.

Let’s start with women Benedict does not engage romantically with:

Eloise:

We consistently see Benedict supporting Eloise and her pursuits.

In S1 at the swings he states that she will have his “nothing but my full support and adoration” if she was Lady Whistledown. Throughout their ‘swing talks’ he does not ridicule her aspirations but listens and empathises—even in S2E8.

Then is S2 E6 when Eloise says she is attending a lecture on flower arranging and we have this lovely exchange.

Benedict 100% knows she is lying through her teeth. But does he rat her out? No, because Benedict understands that Eloise needs the space to explore herself.

Kate.

I think this is highly underappreciated within the fandom--Benedict adores Kate’s fiery nature.

Exhibit 1: Pall Mall.

Exhibit 2: Hunting scene.

Look at that glee!

This does not include his impressed expression when told that Kate shoots.

And maybe one could argue that he is delighted because Kate is dragging Anthony, but then later in the hunting scene Kate drags all the men and he is still delighted.

I want—no need—to see these two interact in S3.

Anyway. As seen with Kate and Eloise, Benedict is shown to appreciate and stan women who speak their mind and wish to be more than the societal expectations of the time.

And that does not even cover Benedict’s treatment of his previous love interests…

Madame Delacroix

Already in S1 we see how Benedict sees Madame Delacroix as more than her societal status and showing her respect and worth. When Eloise raises her suspicions about Madame Delacroix, Benedict is very quick to defend her.

“Do you think just because she [MD] has a paid occupation… that she is different, or somehow less worthy of my attention because she is not what society deems appropriate”

His obvious disappointment that Eloise would view Madame Delacroix as lesser due to her status, reflects how he values her beyond that status as well. His affection would be unwavering whether she be a Lady or a working-class woman, he sees her as more than the restrictive denominations that society has put upon her.

S1 also introduces us to a little detail—Benedict likes being bossed around. At Granville’s party he is more than happy to be led like a puppy with Madame Delacroix to Lucy Granville.

Tessa:

(a couple points overlaps with my Benedict Bridgerton emotional support animal post)

Initially, Benedict seems to be attracted to Tessa’s beauty, but upon their first meeting his first comment is about her talent not her appearance; “I must say that [her sketch] is rather good”. And when Tessa highlights his tone—“I am skilled at more than just posing naked”—he quickly restates his sincerity, (“I do not doubt it”) then continues to find out more about her not her body. (“So you work as a model to listen in on the lectures…ingenious”). As I have said before, this highlights how Benedict is empathising with Tessa, taking the time to understand her viewpoint. Thus, he views Tessa’s view as being worthy of consideration rather than dismissal. He views Tessa not as a woman, or a common worker, but as an artist just like him.

Even more so, we see Benedict respecting Tessa’s boundaries. As @ladyjenevia pointed out in her “Benedict Bridgerton is the BEST Bridgerton” video, Benedict takes his shirt off then pauses before undoing his breeches. It is not until Tessa nods, (showing her assent), that he starts unbuttoning his breeches. Benedict respects Tessa as an individual and respects her boundaries.

And as with Madame Delacroix, Benedict does not mind being controlled by Tessa. In their sex scene, Tessa pushes Benedict onto the bed and he seems utterly eager as she climbs on top of him.

So, overall, Benedict respects women, supports and even enjoys when they break societal expectation. Further, he treats/views women from a different class with equal respect and empathy, regardless of their status. And to top it off he respects a woman's consent.

FURTHERMORE, HE ACCEPTS REJECTION.

In S2 we see the little dalliance between Madame Delacroix and Benedict cease. Benedict offers, lounging against a doorframe with a devilish smirk, to continue their dalliance. But as soon as Madame Delacroix politely rejects him, he straightens up into a more respectable position, as if they were not lovers but merely passers-by. He nods and leaves her be.

Yes, he is a little stung so snaps at Anthony, (speaking the truth all viewers are thinking), but overall, we do not see ugly words, a temper tantrum or vocal denial that is seen so often in media. And why would we? The writers have written Benedict as respecting working-class women, therefore if he respects women, he must respect their decisions.

So, is it any wonder why we have all fallen in love with him? And is this not great character building for when Benedict meets a certain woman from the working class, who goes toe to toe with him and challenges him?

BOOK 3 SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

The Mistress Question:

And this is where a slight conundrum is happening. Because if Benedict is a man who respects women’s boundaries and can swallow rejection—what happens to the character development shown in the book? How does one reconcile showBenedict with BookBenedict who literally grabs Sophie’s ankle when she wishes to exit the conversation; who is spiteful when she rejects his mistress offer; who continually approaches and harasses Sophie even though she asks him to respect her space?

Personally, I detest a man who does not respect a woman’s boundaries. And due to #MeToo, I am sure a lot of others might share the sentiment.

Perhaps then, we should get rid of the mistress plot completely?

I’m not so sure…

One could argue that unlike Tessa and Madame Delacroix, his relationship with Sophie is deeper, richer and therefore he would not let it go so easily when rejected.

And perhaps we can see a theme throughout his interactions with women--Benedict is very passive. Unlike Eloise who seeks out new experiences or knowledge, stuff happens to Benedict. Madame Delacroix approaches him. While obviously interested, it is Tessa who suggests he get naked, thus taking the next step in their dalliance. He enjoys Kate fiery temper but does not actively encourage it, and yes, he supports Eloise, but he does not necessarily encourage her.

And this is what Benedict needs to learn. He needs to understand that what he has with Sophie is greater than that between previous women. He must fight for their relationship rather than coasting along as he always has done. (More on that in my next post)

So what now?

I do not think the whole ‘mistress’ plot should be scrapped but it should be changed to fit in with the portrayal of Benedict on the show.

A couple things need to go, like Benedict pulling Sophie;s ankle, the blackmail, how condescending Benedict. But also…

Benedict asks Sophie to be his mistress once. This would be at the lake scene (one I shall detail more about in another post).

Sophie rejects him and he does fight for her but focuses on the emotional connection between them. The writers need to establish that this is not just a physical attraction—this will be helped with the fact that the period at My Cottage has gone on for weeks rather than days. (More details in another post). While not ideal, I think this would make the viewer feel a little more charitable because it is not all about sex.

(What could help this is if, according to viewers, we do not know Sophie’s past yet, so we do not know why she is so vehemently opposed to the offer).

Then after that initial rejection scene by the lake—Benedict stops asking her to be his mistress.

More importantly every decision eh makes about Sophie is because he wants to keep her safe—not because he is plotting to make her his mistress. Therefore he is repsecting her decision.

AKA: Ok, so you don’t want to be my mistress but I care about you, and I want you to be safe so why not work for my mother? So, you do not wish to work in London why not work in the country at Aubrey Hall?

Then to fix the whole harrassing thing that goes on, in London, Benedict seeks Sophie out at No.5 not to convince her to become his mistress, but because he wants to support her. For example, Queen Bee Helene being a nightmare? Benedict slips a little note that makes Sophie smile. These little or big moments that show that Benedict cares more fr Sophie’s wellbeing than his comfort by having her as a mistress.

So to suit the views of 2020s, and honour the character work already built—Benedict should only ask Sophie to be his mistress once. Then he respects her decision, shifting his focus to ensuring Sophie’s wellbeing even if that thwarts his plans for her to become his mistress.

Because we modern viewers deserve a man who repsects women, their boundaries AND speaks beautiful poetry off the cuff. Why not? This is Bridgerton after all.

*~*~*~*~*

What do you guys think? I’d love to hear your opinions/suggestions.

In my next post about Benedict’s character growth/arc I build on the idea that Benedict needs to shift from passivity to engagement, the catalyst for this being his love for Sophie.

*~*~*~*~*

There are other posts I’ve posted/have ideas for S4 check them out:

To see a list of them--click here.

To see a summary of the main plot points of my prospective S4 --click here.

#an offer from an avid reader #an offer from a gentleman #bridgerton #benedict bridgerton #respecting women #that some leading man material #s4 speculation #book 3 spoilers in 2nd half of post #ngl spent an hour trying to find the GIFS

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