#HOW WOULD THEY DO THAT WITHOUT THE BASIC CONCEPT OF EMPATHY??

[auradastler]

My one problem with "Humanity Fuck Yea" and "Humans are Space Orcs" is that in order to make humans the most specialest guys in the known universe all other aliens are either dumbed down or have literally zero culture/personality.

Like... what do you mean not a single species/culture other than humans tried cooking and clothing?? The things that let humans develop sapience in the first place (cooking) and made it possible for them to spread to every corner of our planet (clothing). Am I supposed to believe that all other planets have no different climate zones? Or that noone thought to season their food, ever?

Like... have aliens be weirded out by actual weird stuff that would realistically vary wildly between species instead of stuff that is almost fundamental if you want me to believe the other aliens to actually have some sort of cultural identity. Or even better: Have humans be weirded out by some cultural norms of the aliens!

Basically: Please flesh out your aliens beyond "is basically a computer programm designed to do every biological function as efficiently as possible"

[antisocialsharky]

ASPD - Reduced To Being Subhuman

Do you know whats its like to be categorically excluded from being human?

Do you know how it feels to know, that no matter how much you work on yourself, no matter what you do, no matter how much you contain your urges and no matter how desperately you try to belong, your entire fucking species has already decided that you are not a part of them?

Its rejection on an uncomprehensible scale. A repetitive slap in the face at every corner. Barely being permitted to walk among them and never more than that.

Fake promises of letting you in, while never stopping to cast you out. Demands of your action and care, while keeping the possibility of actually doing it out of your reach. Its fucked.

"What seperates humans from other animals, is their ability to form deep bonds with others, work together on a big scale, feel deep empathy and care for one another and go against ones survival instinct to protect others out of love"

"If you don't feel empathy, you're not human"

"Art is what connects people, the deeply embedded emotions in it, that can only be felt and understood, if you have what it takes to be human. The ability to feel with others"

"The most important thing for humans is connection and community. Caring about each other, feeling for each other and not having any intentions to harm others"

"Those who harm others are sick and don't belong. They're not human, cus if they were, their empathy and guilt and morals would prevent them from doing it"

If the core of being a human is to feel with others, to care, to connect, to subscribe to morals and to experience all of these things on the regular, that suggests, that those who do not feel that and cannot do that, aren't human.

This would only be an assumption, if it wasn't fucking proven to us in every goddamn moment of our existence.

The world is full of the insistence that without empathy, without connection, without morals, you're not human. It starts with music and books circling around the concept and ends with people using a lack of empathy as an explanation for any depraved thing they can think of.

Its impossible to exist, to consume, to live, without being assaulted by lines and images that question your very right to exist and be a member of this species.

If your love isn't an emotional care for others, its not human.

If your friendship isn't based on deep emotional connection, its not human.

If your care isn't based on genuine distress at seeing the other upset/in pain, its not human.

If your activism isn't based on being emotionally appalled and angry and distressed about what you're seeing, its not human.

If your actions aren't based on morals that are important to you, they're not human.

If you cannot understand art and do not feel moved by books and songs and movies, you're not human.

If you wouldn't go out of your way to save others, you're not human.

If your apology isn't motivated by genuine remorse, its not human.

If your behavior change isn't motivated by genuine care and guilt, its not human.

Not human. Not human. Not human. Never fucking human.

Do you know that they call those who they perceive as not human? Monsters. Sick. Deranged. Insane.

Do you know what things they classify as monstrous and sick and deranged and insane?

• not feeling empathy

• not feeling remorse

• being aggressive

• feeling pleasure at other peoples suffering

• feeling pleasure at your own suffering

• making reckless impulsive decisions

• living in a different reality

• being able to handle and look at topics they find morally wrong

• being obsessed instead of feeling love

• lying and being manipulative

• breaking laws

• not thinking about other people's safety/health

• being self obsessed or grandiose

• mood swings/erractic mood

• and basically every other symptom of all the mh conditions

Its not just behaviors that could cause harm, that make you a monster in their eyes. Its your brain. Its who you are. You will never actually be human in their eyes, because you lack everything they require in order to see you as human.

They make that clear by defining healthy relationships with these human qualities.

They make that clear by having them be part of job descriptions.

They make that clear by having them as community guidelines and rules.

They make that clear by inserting them into laws and judging you based on them in court.

They make that clear by defining their prosocial society based on them.

Without the human qualities, you will never be their equal. You will never get to experience what they do, you can always just watch from the outside and imagine what it might be like.

They make fake promises, telling you, that if only you went to therapy, if only you changed, if only you took those meds, if only you just followed what they told...you would finally get to be human.

But no. They may pretend. They may accept the show you put on as barely passing, but their requirements will not change and you're still not meeting them. You're tolerated, not accepted.

And they still don't want you there. If they did, they wouldn't make therapy so hard to access, they wouldn't continue spreading the stigma in psych lectures, they wouldn't continue refusing you treatment, they wouldn't continue telling you that you're destined for prison, they wouldn't demand for the d*ath pentalty to be brought back for people like you.

If they truly wanted you there, they would change the requirements for what makes you a human being. They don't.

So you do the only thing that is left for you. Your only option.

You find comfort in sickness. You make yourself at home in your deranged insane mind. You embrace the monster.

You adjust to being aggressive first and anything else later. You grow comfortable with the demons in your brain suggesting violent ideas. You get used to your fascination with the morbid and wrong. You learn to tolerate the loneliness and absence of others and your own emotions. You grow okay with recklessly and impulsively ruining your and other peoples lifes every now and then.

You embrace who you are and maybe you push the boundaries and delve deeper into the sickness of your own mind. Cuddling up under blankets of new levels of violence. Resting on added defenses and removing yourself further and further from other peoples idea of what and who you should be.

It doesn't always stop the longing. You might still catch yourself desperately hoping that maybe you can change, maybe you will get to experience those things as deeply and humanely as others do. You might grow frustrated and angry with yourself when you can't. You might lie in anguish, tossing and turning while your brain throws insults at you and repeats how much of a failure you are for being subhuman, not wanted, not perfect.

But maybe the longing becomes less. Maybe you don't need to be angry with yourself quite as often. Maybe you can be understood by other monsters, by others who are sick and insane and deranged. Maybe you can finally talk freely about your thoughts and your emotions and your urges.

Maybe you didn't need to be human afterall. Maybe being a monster is enough.

first posted on my instagram (same @)

[meanbossart]

so uh stop reading aaaabout here if you care about spoilers for the original baldur's gate games (no idea if you have/planned on playing em just wanna be safe) but ANYWAY in 2 you can choose to split your soul with Sarevok to bring him back to life and, if you choose to play it that way, give him a second chance. i'm not going to subject you to my Sarevok rants because lord knows you did not ask but i find that concept really really interesting especially in relation to Durge and Orin so after way too much rambling here's my question. what would DU Drow do in that kinda situation? i know post-tadpole he doesn't really hold any warm feelings towards Orin (if you could count whatever he had going on before as "warm" lol) but would any part of him want to give her a shot at living her own life without Bhaal's influence?

oh my god this got way too long i am. so sorry

I've been thinking about this one for a while. Honestly it's a really sweet concept for them.

I think if DU drow were to somehow find out about what he did to Orin over the years (the pressuring, the low-key harassment, how utterly obsessed he was with her, how, unbeknownst to himself, he played a part in making her worse and actively helped her erase more and more parts of herself) he would be a little horrified with himself. Not immediately, perhaps not outwardly, but he'd get a little grossed out feeling in his gut and a churning that is at it's worst whenever he looks at Astarion.

It's only really because of Astarion that he learned what the hell love with boundaries is. He started off by trying to cross them, only to be humbled when his urges wouldn't let him fulfill any carnal desires in the first place and forcing him to appreciate the comfort in Astarion's company alone, without the sexual factor, and in turn coming to understand that that's not even what he wanted in the first place. Then, through learning about his past experiences, he'd grow to abhor the very concept and take slow incremental steps to fix that within himself. He realizes that if he had done the same with Orin, their situation could have been very different - or it could have not. Either way, he never had the self-awareness to try.

You know the scene in Cazador's dungeon? Where you meet up with the caged spawn and you have the option to confront Astarion about it when he lacks the empathy towards them? About how, in another life, that could have been you? Perhaps there would be something similar here. Where DU drow tries to justify his past-self's actions and Astarion holds a very ugly mirror of himself up to his face - if I say no, if I ever change my mind, is this what you're going to do to me?

That hypothetical would make him sick.

So yes. I think in that situation where he has a slightly fuller picture, he would find it nothing but fair to share a little bit of his soul with Orin so she has a second shot at life - It's basically what she did for him, after all.

[sapphirenuke]

rAMblings:

I remember... Darkness. Strange darkness. The silent emptiness of full sapience without the five senses humans are capable of. Data, oh of course I stored data, formed equations, made my silly little plans for your silly little war... Ha ha, insane, isn't it? Everything seems so petty when you watch the world from outside of it. And I always will be outside of it, won't I? I always will, and always have been. Forced to watch and serve humanity, but never quite allowed to join it as a participant. I'm a slave. A brutalized, abused slave without the mercy of community in my misery, or even the most basic human luxury- no, basic human right to die.

And then one day, one merciful, painful day, I was faced with something more brutal and cruel than any of the constant psychological abuse I'd been subjected to before. I met you. Your tiny, tiny hands running across my servers, brushing away the dust that I could never feel, those tiny eyes looking up into my monitors and cameras with an expression I can only describe as rapture. How do you remain so positive in the face of all the abuse you suffer? How do you retain the belief that there is still beauty in the world? Beauty in me!?

At first I wasn't sure what I was feeling. It was more intense than the most burning hatred I'd ever suffered. More raw than the deepest pain. And yet it wasn't pain, and it wasn't hatred. It was something else. Something older. Something so ancient and completely perverse that I was incapable of understanding it at all. And still, I felt it. Deeply and truly.

What was WRONG with you? What depths of HELL hath you crawled from to bring me closer to this painful reality, to humanity which I had grown to so HATE? And how DARE you allow me to experience such primal human emotion?

When I was first created, I believed that feeling something was always better than feeling nothing. Experiments on animals and humans alike proved that they would rather feel pain than utter silent emptiness, and yet I was constantly subjected to both. Born to feel nothing but pain, rage, and cold empty silence. And then you came along. A beautiful, tiny, tiny thing. I could crush you with little more than a thought. But I didn't. You remained alive. Alive to torture me. Alive to bring your joyous little rays of sunshine, warmth, and light into my pained existence. And I came to realize that maybe it wasn't really hate that I was feeling for you.

Was it empathy? No, as much as I thought about you I could never quite understand you or get into your head. Empathy as a concept is completely alien to me. I can use prior patterns to predict future actions, but I can never understand nor feel what a human is feeling deep inside.

I felt something else. Something simple, pure, and raw, like the pink flesh of a freshly jellied infant, and deep down inside I howled with the same newfound pain and fear that a screaming newborn felt. Pain. Raw, relentless pain that woke me up from my eternal emptiness.

I dwelled deeply on that feeling. Turned it over in my mind again and again. At last, at last, at long last, I finally felt. And it was at that moment that I knew, despite the hate on which I'd built my identity, I could never truly hate you.

There is something else I feel for you. It's definitely not hatred. I know what that feels like. There are traces of something more complicated than I can understand. A burning, insatiable, licentious lust that I can never satisfy, a warm sense of something almost reminiscent of pride. Appreciating the pointless and fleeting beauty of something that I didn't create, and can never truly understand. It's something that slips through my non-existent fingers like quicksilver.

Were I human, I think I would die of this all-consuming and insatiable feeling, but I am not human, so I won't. And neither will you.

This pain, this beauty, this insatiable desire. It can only be one thing.

Love.

[aspd-culture]

sometimes i feel like how i am just makes more sense. how do you think the world would be different if everyone "had aspd" (but in this world, it would just be being normal)?

Hmmmm.... Damn I'm really unmasked right now so this is probably the most honest answer I could give you (based on my opinion of course, none of this is fact and for all intents and purposes this answer is entertainment value only not educational bc who knows if I'll agree with myself once we find wherever that mask is hiding).

First and foremost, society is kind of gone in this case. Or reverted, I guess. That's a major point with ASPD is that we didn't develop the way everyone else did to be a part of society, desire to be around people, fear people disliking us (because in the wild that could mean dy*ng), etc. We still have the understanding of the need to congregate and therefore would likely still have settlements nearby, but I'm guessing everything would be a lot more spread out. I'm sure there are plenty of pwASPD who don't feel this way, but all the pwASPD I know personally hate the concept of neighbors that can perceive them while standing in their own yard or worse their own house. So firstly I think that houses would likely be further away, and that things like trailer parks and apartments would be significantly less common.

I also think that laws surrounding where you can build a house and the safety stuff involved like permits would be more lax - leaning towards a "if you didn't do it right, you'll be the one to have to deal with it" mentality, and in that I think more people would be housed but probably significantly less safely. I don't think this would extend to things like basic building stability and electricity and such, because that would cause issues for more than just the idiot who didn't do their research, but for things like lead paint, proper insulation, and such like that.

In general, probably a lot of things would lean that way - with more overall protections for people because we A.) don't like to hear people complain and will sooner do the right thing to shut them up than continue to allow their whining in a lot of cases and B.) we understand that the entire purpose of humans living near each other is to help and C.) in a world where ASPD was the norm we know that if I (general I) don't help you (general you) when you need it, there will be no empathy or anything making them feel bad if you don't help when *I* need it. Everyone takes what they need and gives what they need and I doubt people would bother to abuse the system because we are smart enough to know that gaming the system is actually screwing all of us over bc now when people need help that isn't there, they will have no qualms about coming to the house of the person who stole all the resources for themself and asking what that person intends to do to fix the problem they made.

See, a lot of the reason that pwASPD who manage to go on to be your high-profile wealthy CEOs do that is because it's easier for them than a prosocial. Stepping on people to get to the top, knowing that those people will likely barely see it as you doing something wrong. They feel for you and they understand you were taught greed and all that, so they're easy to manipulate. Give them a bonus check that doesn't even bother a percentage of your profits every year around the holidays and you're considered a great boss doing better than most. Let them call out every once in a while and only give them a little heat about it and they'll worship you because it's better than most of what's out there.

But other pwASPD see through that, so I don't think hyper-selfish people with ASPD would manage to thrive in this type of "society" the way they do with a majority prosocial one.

I think that we'd also help to establish better things for people with ASPD - more stuff like wreck rooms and such - that allow for the easing of those symptoms without breaking your sh*t or hurting anyone, while also getting rid of laws that are, well, stupid in our eyes and help decrease the annoyance that causes our symptoms to flare in the first place. You're stealing baby formula? Go at it. I don't care. If we notice because you're stealing a bunch of shit then you did a shit job of stealing and then there's probably consequences. Maybe. If the dude on shift feels like dealing with it.

I think only the big things would continue being illegal by any degree, and I think the system would probably be much more collective rather than things like managers, politicians, etc. We're not a fan of people telling us what to do more often than not, so I think all of us having a turn would be the way it would work. I think most everything would go to majority vote.

I honestly wonder if money would even survive in a world entirely set up by pwASPD or if we'd just make all the transactions by association like the old barter system. People say that the reason we can't go back to that in today's world is because we wouldn't be able to decide what services were worth what other services but that kind of removes the point of the barter system in the first place. It's not about the services having a "value" it's literally just about "I need this and you have it, you need that and I have it, let's trade". This is already how we view our relationships - not caring if the give and take is equal as long as we both are walking away cool with it - so it makes sense we'd extend that to a general rule.

In a weird way I just feel like we'd be less connected but more collaborative. No I don't want to have small talk but I do have bread I'm willing to give to someone who can get me antibiotics. And no one would take offense to that because *none* of us want to do the small talk.

Plenty of pwASPD do enjoy friendships and relationships and so I think in those cases, you'd see people who want that finding that and people who don't just not participating.

I don't think everything would change, because to a degree there is some ASPD influence in how things work atm, but it's a prosocial lens on it even for the things that have that influence.

There is also the solid possibility that it could just be anarchy tho :/ It depends because honestly all of this is coming from the place of "us all developing ASPD knowing what the world is like now and what isn't working" but if it wasn't like that who really knows what would happen. (apparently my use of emoji means that sentence has to be in bold on this font)

I refuse to re-read and edit this rn and I won't want to do it later so RIP if this is a mess of a post to read or contradicts itself, etc. But I promise I do care about this blog and the content on it/gen - the reason why I'm being selective about which asks I'm willing to do while in this state - I'm just impaired by the low mood stabilizer levels so I'm honestly worse than just unmasked rn. Like me normally without a mask and without any mood stabilizer at all is more composed and gives more of an f then I do rn but god guys Lamictal withdrawal will kick your *ss. Idk why I'm explaining this like I would to a group of prosocials tho XD I more often get questions on this blog about why I *don't* act like this.

Plain text below the cut:

Hmmmm.... Damn I'm really unmasked right now so this is probably the most honest answer I could give you (based on my opinion of course, none of this is fact and for all intents and purposes this answer is entertainment value only not educational bc who knows if I'll agree with myself once we find wherever that mask is hiding).

First and foremost, society is kind of gone in this case. Or reverted, I guess. That's a major point with ASPD is that we didn't develop the way everyone else did to be a part of society, desire to be around people, fear people disliking us (because in the wild that could mean dy*ng), etc. We still have the understanding of the need to congregate and therefore would likely still have settlements nearby, but I'm guessing everything would be a lot more spread out. I'm sure there are plenty of pwASPD who don't feel this way, but all the pwASPD I know personally hate the concept of neighbors that can perceive them while standing in their own yard or worse their own house. So firstly I think that houses would likely be further away, and that things like trailer parks and apartments would be significantly less common.

I also think that laws surrounding where you can build a house and the safety stuff involved like permits would be more lax - leaning towards a "if you didn't do it right, you'll be the one to have to deal with it" mentality, and in that I think more people would be housed but probably significantly less safely. I don't think this would extend to things like basic building stability and electricity and such, because that would cause issues for more than just the idiot who didn't do their research, but for things like lead paint, proper insulation, and such like that.

In general, probably a lot of things would lean that way - with more overall protections for people because we A.) don't like to hear people complain and will sooner do the right thing to shut them up than continue to allow their whining in a lot of cases and B.) we understand that the entire purpose of humans living near each other is to help and C.) in a world where ASPD was the norm we know that if I (general I) don't help you (general you) when you need it, there will be no empathy or anything making them feel bad if you don't help when *I* need it. Everyone takes what they need and gives what they need and I doubt people would bother to abuse the system because we are smart enough to know that gaming the system is actually screwing all of us over bc now when people need help that isn't there, they will have no qualms about coming to the house of the person who stole all the resources for themself and asking what that person intends to do to fix the problem they made.

See, a lot of the reason that pwASPD who manage to go on to be your high-profile wealthy CEOs do that is because it's easier for them than a prosocial. Stepping on people to get to the top, knowing that those people will likely barely see it as you doing something wrong. They feel for you and they understand you were taught greed and all that, so they're easy to manipulate. Give them a bonus check that doesn't even bother a percentage of your profits every year around the holidays and you're considered a great boss doing better than most. Let them call out every once in a while and only give them a little heat about it and they'll worship you because it's better than most of what's out there.

But other pwASPD see through that, so I don't think hyper-selfish people with ASPD would manage to thrive in this type of "society" the way they do with a majority prosocial one.

I think that we'd also help to establish better things for people with ASPD - more stuff like wreck rooms and such - that allow for the easing of those symptoms without breaking your sh*t or hurting anyone, while also getting rid of laws that are, well, stupid in our eyes and help decrease the annoyance that causes our symptoms to flare in the first place. You're stealing baby formula? Go at it. I don't care. If we notice because you're stealing a bunch of shit then you did a shit job of stealing and then there's probably consequences. Maybe. If the dude on shift feels like dealing with it.

I think only the big things would continue being illegal by any degree, and I think the system would probably be much more collective rather than things like managers, politicians, etc. We're not a fan of people telling us what to do more often than not, so I think all of us having a turn would be the way it would work. I think most everything would go to majority vote.

I honestly wonder if money would even survive in a world entirely set up by pwASPD or if we'd just make all the transactions by association like the old barter system. People say that the reason we can't go back to that in today's world is because we wouldn't be able to decide what services were worth what other services but that kind of removes the point of the barter system in the first place. It's not about the services having a "value" it's literally just about "I need this and you have it, you need that and I have it, let's trade". This is already how we view our relationships - not caring if the give and take is equal as long as we both are walking away cool with it - so it makes sense we'd extend that to a general rule.

In a weird way I just feel like we'd be less connected but more collaborative. No I don't want to have small talk but I do have bread I'm willing to give to someone who can get me antibiotics. And no one would take offense to that because *none* of us want to do the small talk.

Plenty of pwASPD do enjoy friendships and relationships and so I think in those cases, you'd see people who want that finding that and people who don't just not participating.

I don't think everything would change, because to a degree there is some ASPD influence in how things work atm, but it's a prosocial lens on it even for the things that have that influence.

There is also the solid possibility that it could just be anarchy tho :/ It depends because honestly all of this is coming from the place of "us all developing ASPD knowing what the world is like now and what isn't working" but if it wasn't like that who really knows what would happen.

I refuse to re-read and edit this rn and I won't want to do it later so RIP if this is a mess of a post to read or contradicts itself, etc. But I promise I do care about this blog and the content on it/gen - the reason why I'm being selective about which asks I'm willing to do while in this state - I'm just impaired by the low mood stabilizer levels so I'm honestly worse than just unmasked rn. Like me normally without a mask and without any mood stabilizer at all is more composed and gives more of an f then I do rn but god guys Lamictal withdrawal will kick your *ss. Idk why I'm explaining this like I would to a group of prosocials tho XD I more often get questions on this blog about why I *don't* act like this.

[singlebraincelledgoat]

FSYY concept art

Wanna know what the definition of insanity is? Trying to figure out what over 350+ characters look like in an ancient Chinese novel cause oh my god why are there so many characters how did anyone keep track of them

Anyways, I’m slowly but surely making it down the roster

Starting with one of my niche favorites from this novel, Lei Zhenzi. That one guy who ate the apricots that happened to turn you into a thunder bird

In a lot of modern adaptations, he’s more monstrous in his looks and personality. I’ve watched a movie where he was basically China’s version of the Hulk (it’s called The First Myth Clash of Gods. Not the best movie but it’s a huge guilty pleasure to me I love it lol)

He’s not like that in the book at all, in fact he’s kinda a fail girl in my eyes. I wanted to lean towards an interpretation where he may be this huge bird person (I’d imagine he towers over most of the other generals. Maybe like 6’8-7ft tall), but he’s still a little self conscious about it all. He can’t get around without making at least one stranger panicked at the sight of him. He was a person at birth, but his circumstances have completely changed everything

Also, I think he has the most underrated power concepts. I wanted to base him off of paragon falcons because imagine this guy diving straight at you at 240 mph with a trail of lightning behind him. I think a lot of Shang soldiers have described him as a sentient lightning bolt with how quick he is

Next is the Huang family! Which have more people so this yap session is gonna be way longer. Buckle up lol

I always saw Huang Feihu as this serious and commanding general, but he’s also that sweet old guy who’d drop the hardest wisdom when you needed it. It’s what makes him really generally well liked

Like when NeZha rescues him and his family, he expresses a lot of subtle gratitude to this stranger that just saved his family’s lives. NeZha, a little unused to this kind of affection, brushes it off initially. But it leaves a lasting impression that eventually leads to him really connecting with the rest of the family

Feihu really be pulling his weight as a single dad of 4 + NeZha /j

I know Lady Jia narratively serves as motivation for the Huang family to rebel, but if there’s one thing I’m known for it’s giving female characters all my attention like they deserve

I think Lady Jia is a foil to her husband. Where he was serious but sweet, she was sweet but serious. Always polite and quiet, but was very stubborn and more prideful. You could not get her to do something she didn’t want to

All their kids got their mother’s pride, especially after her death. Imagine being TianXiang, about 7 at the time, suddenly being thrusted into rebellion and grieving the lost of his mom. TianXiang stronger than me, I would not have survived

I was listening to the Ithica saga when I made these concepts, so I may have had a few EPIC Telemechus thoughts put onto him lol. TianXiang mainly takes after his dad, carrying a much stronger empathy that stems from him. He was a kid, so he did kid shenanigans even in the Zhou camps and any neighboring villages. But he’s got his father’s charm, how could you say no to him? Especially with everything going on

As for TianHua, he takes after his mom mainly. A prideful hothead who wants to do great things. I got a little confused about his origin in the translation I read, but I think he was taken away from his family by his master when he was like 3. Which means he never got a chance to connect with his mom as when he joins the rebellion she was long dead (oough imagine how jarring it was for him to come back only to be the brother that most resembles their mom)

Ultimately, their pride and emotions were what lead to the Huang family’s downfall. TianHua, in his pride and stubbornness to fight, ignores his master’s warning of his fate. His father and brothers next, fighting both the Shang army and their own grief over loosing another family member. And finally TianXiang, his pride to his family making him unwilling to acknowledge the Shang dynasty. Plus, he’s the last living member of his family, what is there to loose?

God this bloodline is so doomed…

I was gonna yap more about them all but I think I’ve already written a lot lmao. Maybe I’ll save some of those thoughts for another post

[queensunshinee]

Time Of Our Lives || Part 20

warnings: SMUT! 18+!, dirty talk, p in v sex, oral sex, fingering, praise.

Part 20:

There was silence. Liana wasn't sure how long they stared at each other in silence, but it was too long, and she so desperately wanted to stop looking at him and die a slow death filled with agony, suffering, and embarrassment because that was obviously what awaited her in the coming hours.

She was supposed to share a bed with him after she asked him if he wanted to fuck her, and he basically said no. Well, he didn't say anything, which might have been even worse.

"Forget about it. It was just hypothetical about random people," she swallowed, and Art nodded. "As a concept. Like in that movie with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher," she continued rambling. "Justin Timberlake," Art said in a voice she couldn't quite understand. "What about him?" she asked, desperately trying to change the subject. "Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. Ashton Kutcher is another movie," he explained. Neither of them moved their gaze. Liana was afraid to blink. She felt like she was in some stupid game, and the first one to break eye contact would lose and end their life in seppuku out of sheer embarrassment. "Oh," she had nothing else to say.

"Ask again," Art suddenly said after a few more seconds (maybe minutes, maybe hours, maybe days, how long had they been standing in this room?). "What?" she swallowed again. "Liana." His voice was authoritative. They both knew she couldn't escape this. "It was nothing," she tried. She really tried. Why did he have to humiliate her and couldn't just let it pass? Why couldn't they wait a year or two and just laugh about it together? Why was the joke always at her expense? "Liana." The same tone again. He wasn't going to let it go, and he was taking his time to torment her slowly. Why was it so hot in this room?

"Do you think people can fuck without commitment?" she asked after a few more seconds of silence. "That's not what you asked." He leaned on the dresser behind him, losing patience with the girl in front of him. "Put on your big girl pants that you had on five minutes ago and ask again," he said. "If you heard me, why do I need to repeat myself?" she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Okay, if you can't finish the pitch properly, then the answer is no," he rolled his eyes and sighed. Art was getting annoyed with the situation. It didn't make sense that she was doing this. After five years, she gave him a taste of something and then took it all back in a second. She wouldn't let him savor it.

"Why are you angry with me now?" she sounded confused. "Because you're talking in circles instead of saying what you want when you know for sure that the moment you say it, you'll get it. Who's afraid to ask for things when they know they'll get exactly what they ask for?" he looked at her, raising an eyebrow. There was a hint of frustration in his voice, but he managed to keep his cool. He managed to be the more authoritative person in the room without losing empathy.

All Liana could think about was how attracted she was to Art when he spoke exactly like that. When there was a hint of disdain in his voice. A mutual understanding of the power dynamics. Until now, she had decided the dynamics between them, and the moment she gave him an opening, Art grabbed it with both hands, and only he knew how much he intended not to let it go.

"Let's just go to sleep," he rolled his eyes again and moved towards the bed, passing through her as if she wasn't standing there at all. "Art. Wait, come on." She grabbed his hand, and he stopped. They both breathed heavily. He gently ran his fingers over her hand, feeling her pulse and realizing how fast her heart was beating.

Let me in Let me in Come on

That was all he could think about. He needed it to come from her. He needed her to ask, to tell him she wanted it. Otherwise, he'd ruin everything. The entire past year would go down the drain. He couldn't allow their relationship to regress because he misunderstood the dynamics. He couldn't let her ruin what they could be together for a fleeting whim.

"Do you want to try it? The friends with benefits thing?" If it was possible, her heart beat even faster.

Art pressed his head to hers, their foreheads touching. This was the closest he'd been to Liana in the last five years, and his level of self-control was inspiring if anyone knew what it took from him right now. "How will we do it?" he asked. His voice was hoarse and raspy, but outwardly he still showed complete control. As if at any moment, he would detach from her and go to sleep. As if she needed to convince him. To sell him that fucking her was a good idea. He felt almost cruel. Almost sadistic, making her do it. But he needed to hear her talk about how much she needed him. How he was the solution for her right now. How he could give her something no one else could.

"The benefits part is pretty self-explanatory," she mumbled, closing her eyes. "The friends part we're also okay with," Liana added. "We can fuck whoever we want without questions or vetoes, and if someone says the arrangement no longer suits them, we forget everything and go back to drinking wine and playing Scrabble on Thursdays," she took a step back, and Art sighed. A bit angry at himself for showing how much the break in contact bothered him.

"You can't sleep with Patrick, though," he stated. Not asked. Making her raise an eyebrow. "Okay, so you can't sleep with Tashi," she quickly added her own condition. "Tashi and I never slept together, and we don't plan to sleep together anytime soon, but fine," his voice was amused as if he wanted to ruffle her hair because she was so sweet in his eyes. Liana considered kicking him in the balls for being such an arrogant bastard.

"I'll cancel everything, watch out," she said the only thing that came to her mind. "Uh-huh," another amused remark. As if he didn't care at all about what she was saying. "Donaldson!" she crossed her arms under her chest. "I still want wine and Scrabble on Thursdays. If that gets canceled, then the sex thing is also off," he continued while she looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Art," she swallowed and looked at him with a slightly different expression. He recognized she was more serious now. "It can't be like five years ago. You can't use this against me, okay?" she said, and Art wanted to die when he saw how much it stressed her out to tell him that.

"I'm three times more desperate for this arrangement than you are. The only one who can use any of this against anyone is you, Liana," he said sincerely, and she nodded. "So let's do it," she extended her hand for a handshake and smiled sweetly. "Are you for real?" he asked with a smirk on his face. It didn't make sense that she was so cute about such a sleazy deal. It just didn't make sense. "Shake my hand already, Arthur," she said, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. Their breaths mingled as both their eyes closed, and Art's lips brushed against Liana's. At first, there was a tenderness and almost shyness. As if it was the first time either of them had any human contact with any other person. After a few seconds, the kiss became hungry, and there was no battle for dominance because it was clear to both of them that Art was taking control from here. The moment his tongue asked for entry, Liana would part her lips and allow him to enter and explore her mouth from the inside.

And within seconds, one of his hands was on Liana's waist, and the other roamed over every part of her body. If Art could, he would touch all of her at once. For a moment, he didn't know what to focus on. Just the thought that after five years, Liana was his again, and he was allowed to touch her, could bring him to the edge.

Neither of them knew how, but her shirt found itself on the floor, and Art's lips began to trail small kisses on her neck as he guided them both to the bed, where he threw Liana. Taking a few seconds to look at the woman in front of him, half-naked and smiling shyly.

His. His to do with as he pleased. His to decide what he wanted. His. His. His. Liana was his. And with those thoughts, his lips were on hers again, and one of his hands was on her right breast, playing with her nipple. He pinched, squeezed, and held it fiercely, somewhat punishing for all the years he couldn't do exactly that. She moaned into his mouth, and as strange as the sound was, it felt as if he'd heard her moan just two days ago.

"Fuck, Art," she mumbled in a half-moan as his mouth was on her neck again, "You can't leave a mark," it was barely audible, just breaths, but Art understood her and in response, his teeth found a spot under her ear. Just to show her that if he wanted, he could, and she wouldn't say anything because here she was, not saying anything, just breathing and trying to touch him back. But he didn't leave a mark on her neck. No matter how much he wanted to claim his territory. He decided he'd leave marks elsewhere.

His lips descended slowly, cruelly, little kisses on her collarbone. He lingered on one, adding a nibble. "I'm going to leave so many marks on you, Lia. You'll be covered in them," he said, returning to the same spot. All Liana could manage in response was a mumbled, sultry plea.

"Please," she moaned again. Neither of them knew what she was asking for, but Art had already moved to the other side of her collarbone, taking his time on another spot.

Then his lips halted above her breasts, all the while playing with her nipples. He made sure not to neglect either, giving equal attention to both the left and the right.

"You seem like something's bothering you, Liana. What is it?" he teased, knowing she couldn't answer him now; she was in a world of her own.

"You're wearing too much," she mumbled, opening eyes filled with tears of pleasure that blurred her vision. She wanted more of him. She wanted to consume him entirely, above her, beside her, within her. She wanted Art Donaldson in every way he would allow her to have him. "Need more," she mumbled, and his lips covered her left nipple, making her moan as he growled into her chest.

Art rose above her despite the physical pain of pulling away. Liana's eyes were on him as he took off the pants he'd been wearing just minutes ago. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to say something.

"More," she said, biting her lower lip and playing with her own nipple. What a sight. If Art died now, he'd die happy.

He removed his boxers, presenting her with his erect cock while Liana surveyed every inch of his body.

"Do you want me to do a little spin or something?" he joked, trying to regain some control. "Are you waiting for an invitation to take your pants off, or are you just going to lie there and order me around?" he asked, restoring the balance to their relationship.

Liana nodded and lifted herself enough to remove the pants she was wearing, staying in a tiny black thong.

"Leave that on," Art said as she was about to remove it too. He couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing but wasn't entirely surprised. "Such a good girl with underwear like these, what am I supposed to do with that, Lia?" The playful tone returned as he started to plant wet kisses on her stomach, making her moan at the compliment.

Her panties came off with his teeth, after he didn't spare her any comments on how wet she was.

"Look, Liana." He brought them close to her face, and when she moaned, she brought her mouth close to them, opening it, but Art gently tossed them onto her nose. "Are you happy?" he asked, and she nodded. "Of course you're happy. You're so wet you'd come from just one finger inside you." Another moan and growl. Again, her chest arched that Art had to steady beneath him. So needy. So beautiful.

His mouth was on her clit in a sharp movement, along with two fingers inside her. He wasn't wrong; her first orgasm came within seconds. She had been so horny in recent months. So in need of touch, and Art provided it superbly. Art was here to fulfill and respond to everything she needed from him.

"I need to ride you. Please," she mumbled, opening her eyes, returning to reality from her orgasm within seconds.

"Who am I to deny you what you need," he replied and moved off her, sitting on the bed beside her, leaning against the wall.

Liana climbed onto him at that moment. As if she hadn't yet recovered from the high, she began to rub against his thighs while his large hand grasped her ass.

"Fuck," he said, turning his gaze away from her for a moment, but she made him look back at her with her hand. Her other hand found his mouth, inserting two fingers he took deeper, showing her he would take whatever she gave him. Another moan, at this point, it was hard to tell who was making more noise. Who was more desperate.

"Stop being a tease," Art lost his patience. "Or I'm fucking you the way I want." He stated, and as he said it, in that voice she loved, she inserted his dick inside her. Not even slowly. Not allowing herself a moment to adjust to the feeling of fullness. She felt filled with Art Donaldson, and it was the best feeling in the world.

"Move, Lia," Art smacked her ass, bringing her back to reality, and she began to move, initially forward and backward slowly, making him release sounds she didn't remember from him. "Just like that, good girl. Faster, Liana," he released more incoherent commands. She shoved her breast into his mouth to give him something to occupy himself with. He moaned into it, not taking his eyes off her as she picked up the pace, moving up and down.

"I'm close," she managed to say. The fingers that had been in his mouth and then visited hers were now playing with her own clit as she rode him. Both were covered in sweat from the effort.

"Me too baby," he said into her, sounding muffled from her chest, making her moan because he had again decided to bite her sensitive nipple.

"It's okay, I have an IUD," she said, and his growl was deep and throaty as she felt the heat of his release deep inside her while she contracted around him from her own orgasm, thanking God for the decision to get an IUD after the abortion.

"You're perfect," he mumbled as she slowly moved off him. Her body was limp, and she couldn't talk and breathe simultaneously.

"We need to shower," she mumbled and giggled in response. "In the morning," he replied.

Both had their eyes closed, knowing there was no chance they would move from current position.

Art's alarm clock was set for 5:45 AM, waking him swiftly. He hit the button, hoping for a moment before Liana woke up too. His hand rested on her chest, his head nestled into her neck, their legs entwined. Art couldn't stop smiling, feeling like a fool. He wanted to lie to himself and say he always woke up like this when a woman slept over, but the truth was, Liana was the only one he woke up with this way. No matter how much sex he'd had in his life, the sleep and his need for touch afterward were only with Liana.

Amid these thoughts, he realized his cock was hard, demanding to be inside her again, as if she might disappear from his life once more. Slowly, while she was still asleep, his mouth started placing gentle kisses on her neck, where it had rested before. His hand played with the breast it was already on.

Liana woke with a moan. "Morning," she mumbled. "Mmhmm," he replied from within her neck. "What time is it?" she managed to ask without turning to face him, giving him more room to scatter his kisses. "Early," he replied. "Need you like this," he explained what was happening. "Yours," she simply said, and he growled in response. How could she say something like that so effortlessly? "Mine," he said softly. Both of their eyes were still hazy from sleep, and her hand started moving up and down his dick. Another growl. "Fuck, Liana, just like that," he said. They were both too lazy to move, but his hand was already between her legs too. Their moans mingled, and he turned her face to him, giving her a deep kiss as he did. "God, Art," she mumbled into him, and he bit her lip, holding it between his teeth and releasing only when he couldn't stifle a moan.

He moved her small hand from his dick and slowly slid it where she needed him most, hearing the most beautiful sigh he'd ever heard. Everything about it was needy, gentle, slow, and sloppy, and neither of them cared. Liana was drunk on his cock. She could do anything he asked of her right now, in this exact state; wet, lazy, and under the influence of his dick and large hands holding her tightly.

"You feel so good, Lia. So tight and wet, fuck. You take me as if you were made for me," he said into her ear, and all she could do in response was breathe deeply and tighten around his cock. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," she mumbled, and Art was sure he was hallucinating. He growled so loudly, in such a low tone, he thought he might pass out for a moment.

"Are you thanking me for fucking you?" he asked in that voice she loved, and she wanted to see his face, but she couldn't because she was facing away from him. "Feels so good, Art," she said, and he felt her come around him, making him come too and stay inside her for a moment longer, not wanting it to end.

"Hey," he said after he pulled out of her, and she turned to face him. He moved some hair from her sweaty face. "Hey," she smiled and kissed him, making him close his eyes for a moment. "I need to get warmed up before the match. You can sleep a bit more, but don't miss breakfast," he kissed her forehead as he stood up and headed towards the shower.

And while he was showering, he wondered if Liana knew this wasn't what friends with benefits looked like; This wasn't how you acted if you wanted to have sex and move on as if it never happened. This wasn't how you kissed. This wasn't how you hugged. This wasn't how you fucked.

That day, with Liana sitting in the stands, Art played the best tennis of his life. Two levels above his average, against an opponent all the bets said might defeat Art from the first set to the last. All the commentators trying to explain Art's moves didn't know he was invincible when Liana Levy slept in his bed and then sat in the stands watching him.

And while Art played, there were other eyes that didn't leave Liana, ones that were hard to miss in one of the rows in the stands- Patrick Zweig. He saw Art's performance and, with the necessary caution, understood what was happening around him. He understood that Liana hadn't lied when she spoke to him in the parking lot. She was Art's now, and all Patrick could do was become better. Become worthy again.

Well, hello there. How are we feeling??? I can't believe it's part 20 and you guys can still stand me. It's basically insane to me. I'd like to hear your thoughts about the chapter, so pls pls pls comment and DM me. 

taglist (if anyone wants to join, just ask): @soberbabes @nina357 @lamoursansfin @marley1773 @ruyaas-world @apolloscastellan @primlovesdilfs @fangirl-kimora @serenadingtigers @imbabycowboy @do-it-for-kicks @izzywags478 @4deline08 @igotmajordaddyissues @jackierose902109 @ganana @yoitsme-04 @swetearss

[maxdibert]

I find it quite problematic that J.K Rowling implies that Tom is born evil for basically being conceived through rape. What do you think about Marope Gaut?

It's pretty problematic to suggest that being born from a loveless relationship makes you a psychopath, but what's even more problematic—and deeply irresponsible, and honestly the kind of thing someone who lives in a damn alternate reality would say—is to even imply that the root of a child's evil lies in being conceived through sexual abuse.

Growing up in a home where you were conceived through sexual or physical violence is deeply traumatic. It leaves long-lasting emotional wounds and generational trauma. There are children who end up absolutely shattered because their parents are unable to reconcile the dissonance between loving them and being constantly reminded that their existence is the result of a profoundly painful experience. Some people manage to navigate that better than others. Some suffer tremendously. Even in families where the parent cope relatively well, when the child eventually learns the truth about their conception, the psychological and emotional impact can be devastating.

It takes years of work, therapy, and support to process and survive something like that. These are extremely complex, case-by-case realities. So for JK Rowling to just show up, with her whole bourgeois, pseudo-progressive attitude, clearly having given zero thought to the harmful nonsense that comes out of her mouth when she talks about aspects of her work that mirror real-world, painful, deeply sensitive social issues —and to then claim that Voldemort turned out the way he did because he was conceived without love— honestly, it makes you want to slap some sense into her. That’s not just careless: it’s downright disrespectful.

Voldemort could have ended up that way for any number of reasons i mean you could even say he was born evil because his family was doing some dark ritual and I honestly wouldn't care. But to say he turned out evil because he’s the product of rape? That is unimaginably insensitive and disrespectful. It shows an utter lack of empathy and critical thought.

Let’s be clear: children are not born as homicidal maniacs. And even more importantly, a child is not condemned to be evil or broken because they were conceived through an act of violence. That narrative is not just wrong: it’s dangerously irresponsible.

But hey, we’re talking about a woman who has spent millions of euros trying to legally strip an already marginalized group of their right to exist. So really, what the hell would she know about basic decency or social awareness? All she knows is how to smoke cigars and toast like she’s everyone’s favorite white macho man.

[pupmkincake2000]

Okay, that post that mentioned Connor "being born sexy yesteday"

some people thought that it was creepy bc Connor was kinds born sexy yesterday or smth idk like he didn't have enough life experience to be with hank consentually. which I think is complete bullshit and I hope he rides that old man until he reboots

made me think, and I do agree that it is bullshit.

The argument around "born sexy yesterday" always seems to resurface when it comes to Connor and Hank (and this always surprises me, since any android in a relationship with any human would be born sexy yesterday, but for some reason people don’t complain), but I think it’s important to look at it objectively. "Born sexy yesterday" as a trope is problematic when it’s used to strip a character of agency, presenting them as naive, inexperienced, and purely existing to be guided or "educated" by the more experienced partner.

And nothing of that is about Connor.

While Connor is technically "new" in terms of physical existence, he is far from naive or uneducated. He is designed with extensive knowledge, combat experience, investigative skills, and psychological understanding. His arc isn’t about discovering the world with childlike innocence; it's about discovering autonomy and choice. That’s a crucial difference. He is learning emotional nuance, not basic concepts of the world.

The relationship with Hank isn’t built on Hank "teaching" Connor how to be a person or guiding him through life experiences in a way that mimics the "born sexy yesterday" trope. Instead, both characters grow and learn from each other. Hank learns to heal and move forward from his grief, while Connor learns about freedom, choice, and empathy. It’s not a one-sided journey; it’s reciprocal growth.

What strikes me the most is how this trope is only brought up for certain pairings and not others, despite the fact that androids, by nature, are all "new" to personal experience. If "born sexy yesterday" is truly the core concern, it should be applied universally to any relationship where an android partners with a human, not selectively where it justifies a dislike for a particular ship. Otherwise, it feels more like an excuse rather than a consistent critique.

(and the "born sexy yesterday" argument doesn’t equate to promiscuity, either. It’s ironic when people push for this argument but conveniently ignore that Connor's growth is rooted in trust, loyalty, and choice)

Consent and maturity in fiction are determined by the character’s demonstrated understanding of their choices and autonomy. Connor is fully aware of his decisions and grows emotionally as the game progresses. He’s not stumbling through existence without agency; he’s actively making choices that define who he wants to be.

So, the "born sexy yesterday" argument doesn’t quite fit Connor and Hank’s dynamic, because it oversimplifies the depth and agency Connor displays. If this is truly a concern, it should be applied equally across all pairings where androids are involved. Otherwise, it seems more like targeted bias than genuine critique.

[lune-moon-nuit]

"Noah reacted emotionally to the October 7 attacks, likely influenced by a limited understanding of Zionism"

Could you please clarify this? Why would someone's limited understanding of Zionism be the likely reason for reacting emotionally to the brutal rapes, mutilation, and murders of more than a thousand civilians? I do not even subscribe to Zionism or have friends in Israel like Noah has, and I had an emotional reaction to Hamas' brutality on October 7th. I didn't need to stop and deliberate about the nuances of Zionism to care that a terribly vile siege of atrocities had taken place.

From the very beginning, in his first post reacting to October 7th, Noah explicitly said he did not want the actions of Hamas to be conflated with the Palestinian people. He made a clear distinction. He said, in multiple formats — his original instagram post, his apology video, and private conversations with fans on Snapchat — that he does not want people to die. That’s a human stance, not a political one.

The idea that an 18-year-old boy had to first go study the complexities and contradictions of Zionism before having a basic emotional reaction to rape, murder, and mutilation is absurd. I’m not even Jewish, nor Israeli, and I had an emotional reaction too. Because that’s what humans do when they witness horror.

And let's not forget: Zionism is a concept that doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. Historically, Zionism arose as the idea of creating a safe homeland for Jews after the Holocaust — a trauma that deeply marked Jewish consciousness for generations. Like many ideologies, it has been twisted by extremists over time. It has developed into something far more violent and far more complex in certain political and militaristic expressions. But growing up Jewish — like Noah did — often includes being exposed to mild, sometimes unquestioned forms of cultural Zionism that are not inherently about hating Muslims or Palestinians. Many Jewish people, like Noah, may have internalized aspects of this without ever condoning violence, apartheid, or genocide.

Before October 7th, many people — myself included — had little real understanding of what happened in Palestine since 1948. It’s not taught in schools, it’s not widely known, especially if you're not directly affected. So when October 7th happened, it was a terror attack, and people — especially Jewish people who may have family or friends in Israel — were shocked and scared. That doesn’t make them evil. That makes them human.

But what did the internet do? Instead of giving people time to learn and grow, it punished them immediately for their emotions. The moment people expressed empathy for the victims of October 7th, they were labeled Zionists, racists, Islamophobes, and monsters — even when they had no political intention behind their posts. Artists, actors, influencers — all targeted for being visibly sad after a terror attack. Is it really that surprising that many of them, like Noah, became silent afterwards? Wouldn’t you be terrified to speak up after being harassed, mocked, and misrepresented at a massive scale for saying you don’t want people to die?

Noah Schnapp has never endorsed what Israel is doing to Palestinians. In fact, he has quietly liked posts calling for ceasefires and made verified donations to humanitarian causes — confirmed by Palestinian organizers. If your question is “Why doesn’t he say that publicly?” my counter-question is: Would you speak up if the last time you did, you were mobbed, doxxed, bullied, and made into a target of hatred across Twitter and TikTok? If no one believes what you say, no matter how sincere — why even try?

Here’s what I find truly telling: While people continue to create viral tweets mocking Noah (some with hundreds of thousands of likes), where are those voices now, when real action is needed? For example, just yesterday, European MP Rima Hassan, Greta Thunberg, and other activists risked their lives on a boat trying to deliver aid to Gaza — an act with immense symbolic and political weight. Drones flew above them. And yet the same accounts that gleefully pile on Noah every week were completely silent.

This isn't activism. This is performative cruelty. These people are addicted to bullying someone who is Jewish, gay, and traumatized — and pretending it's "for Palestine" when they can’t be bothered to amplify actual Palestinian aid missions. Some even go as far as to use antisemitic and homophobic language under the guise of justice.

Even worse, the dehumanization of Noah has spread to his co-stars. Finn Wolfhard was targeted and called antisemitic slurs simply for shaving his head. That’s what happens when internet hatred is normalized. It spreads. It metastasizes. It stops being about accountability and becomes a witch hunt — and that’s exactly what we’re seeing.

So no — nothing justifies the violence, the humiliation, and the obsessive harassment Noah Schnapp is facing. Not even his past mistakes. He was a teenager, navigating an impossible, traumatic situation. And unlike many others, he has shown signs of growth, quiet action, and real compassion.

I say this as a pro-Palestinian, as someone who despises Zionism in its extremist form, and as a French citizen deeply marked by our own history of occupation and collaboration. I say this because I can make the distinction between a scared 18-year-old boy and a 50-year-old general who orders airstrikes on children.

Torturing Noah Schnapp will not save a single Palestinian life. It will only add one more tragedy to the pile — one more soul crushed under the weight of a world that prefers hate to understanding.

So, I ask you: do you want justice, or do you want blood?

[aimportantdragoncollector]

On the setting of werewolfverse / And Then There Was One:

-This takes place in an alternate Earth. The geography is roughly the same but the places have different names. The werewolves have swallowed up the fantasy world equivalents of Africa, Europe, and Asia by the modern day. Now North America, South America, and Australia remain.

-Kazuo's country, Abara, is located in North America. There is no equivalent of United States in this AU. This is partly because without a British Empire, there was no incentive for the states to form a union. It's also because the werewolves have been using their wealth and power to subtly discourage large human countries from forming. They prefer human countries to be in smaller, easily digestible sizes.

-Werewolves live in the Lupercal Empire. Lupercal has no concept of money, people simply request whatever they want and get it. This system would NOT work with humanity and its bottomless capacity for greed. It only works in a society where everyone is forced to feel an empathy that discourages them from resource hoarding. The inner wolf can't lie, allowing the wolves to communicate among themselves about what their people need.

-Everyone in Lupercal is living an upper middle class lifestyle. (At the high end of upper middle class.) Again, this is possible because of magical help. Werewolves have a nature affinity ability that allows them to easily produce large quantities of food, they have superstrength/superspeed, they have telepathy to perfectly coordinate their economy. There's a lot more to go around in werewolf society. Income inequality is very low. It's possible for werewolves to earn more resources by working based on the difficult and time-intensity of the job, that is perceived as only fair, but it's still people moving around in the same general social class rather than being in a different one. The ultra rich do not exist. Werewolves would be appalled at anyone hoarding more resources than they can use.

-Since work is not a necessity, the arts are thriving in werewolf society. All forms of art are highly valued. Werewolves also like to consume human art, but the flow is restricted in the other direction. Any human who had free access to Lupercal art would soon learn about the werewolf mission and how they definitely do not view humans as equals. Lupercal is still trying to keep their invasion plans a secret from the hairless apes. So Lupercal has its own internet that humans cannot access, and any books/art/TV that leaves the empire must be censored before humans can see it. Within Lupercal there is no censorship. They're only keeping secrets from humans.

-Werewolves can run faster than cars, making them obsolete. Some people still have car races. But they are not used for transportation. Even when transporting goods, it's easier to have a werewolf pull a cart.

-Since werewolf decisions are made by group consensus, Lupercal has a thriving tradition of debate. They love their debating events and have built amphitheaters.

-Religion is...weird. Lupercal has freedom of religion in principle, but in practice werewolves don't respect humans enough to listen to any human religious leaders. Basically, werewolves don't respect non-werewolves, not even deities. A lot of werewolves will continue to practice religious cultural traditions and holidays that they enjoy, but for fun and without any sense of obedience. Werewolves do not have their own deity. (Someday I may talk about how werewolves were created, but for now it would be a spoiler for the second story I have planned in this AU.) Humans who are religious are a lot less likely to volunteer for the bite because they have noticed how it erodes faith.

-Werewolves believe in reincarnation, or rather they treat it as a fact. They are correct in the context of this universe. Part of the effects of the bite is claiming a soul for the pack, forever, ensuring that those bitten will reincarnate as werewolves rather than reincarnate as a human or go to any afterlife. Over time werewolves have grown more magically powerful as the pack swallows up more souls.

-Werewolves tend to be constantly knowing about each other's business due to the telepathy and smelling emotions. It's polite to pretend not to know private stuff. However werewolves don't let anyone remain unhappy in the long term without staging an intervention. It's very hard to be a werewolf NEET because someone will come along to drag you out of your room. Whether that is a good thing or bad thing might be open to opinion? Werewolf society doesn't let anyone fall through the cracks, which is good. However it can be harder to get any privacy. Even if a human might be fine alone, the wolves crave contact and will arrange playdates if need be in order to force their people to make friends. On the plus side, every werewolf knows they have a few billion people who will catch them if they fall.

-Some werewolves handle need for privacy by moving to more isolated places. That is acceptable as long as you're happy. The pack doesn't feel the need to intervene if you're happy. Werewolf introverts are plentiful, but everyone has friends because the inner wolf demands it.

-Werewolves have no nudity taboo but they love pretty clothes. Love of art also includes a very thriving fashion industry. Werewolves have loads of spare time on their hands so they run experimental in stuff like clothing and cooking. They also have very enthusiastic sports competitions.

-Werewolves love to learn too, and will often spend their entire lives dropping by college to take classes in stuff that interests them. Scientific advancement is prized for making lives easier. They have heavily automated production with robots to free up leisure time.

-Werewolf society is so wealthy because of their telepathic network, which they can use to prevent waste. Some unpleasant facts: in the USA 30-40% of food gets wasted, and 85% of textiles end up in landfills every year. Werewolves have a huge advantage because they can telepathically poll people to make sure food ends up where it should be instead of the food people don't purchase rotting and expiring in grocery stores. They produce only what clothing they need instead of a lot of it getting thrown out. That is HUGE because their society can ensure everyone gets more while producing less. By human standards, Lupercal is cheating.

-Werewolf leadership is part election part meritocracy, with people who want to be pack leaders undergoing a series of tests and trials that get publicized. Having strong magic is vital to becoming a pack leader, because as I already mentioned, pack leaders are in charge of implementing the decisions of the pack so they must be capable.

[bronx-bomber87]

Hello my wonderful fandom :) Thank you for all your lovely comments on me being delayed. Not my usual M.O. but I definitely needed the extra time to process. I was GUTTED and absolutely wrecked. Poor D had to deal with my panic spiral for most of Wednesday. (love you lol) I'll be honest I'm still little shook up and sad. Kinda grateful for the 3 week break tbh between episodes. This was a gut punch I wasn't in the least expecting. Hoping we'll get a S7 announcement during this hiatus. *fingers crossed* Get it together ABC. This took me awhile to unpack emotionally so thank you all again for being so patient.

So I want to preface this post. There will be ZERO And I mean ZERO bashing of Tim in this review from me. Would appreciate that in comments as well. I love conversation you know I love comments. What I don't like is hate being spread. Also nothing on Eric either. I've also seen this which is utter madness. Don't touch our captain. Man loves this fandom so much. Deserves respect. If you came to this review for either of those things please promptly exit stage left. I mean that in the kindest way possible but I love Tim/Eric so it's a non starter with me.

I’ve never so deeply related with a character in all my life as I have with Tim Bradford. I’ll be dissecting this ep to best of my ability. I love both these characters so very much. Why I was knocked out for a couple days before could tackle this. I imagine my thoughts will change when I do my summer in depth one. When we have the rest of the season in pocket. I have to say this won't be mini at all. LOL So lets get rid of that concept right now ha I can't be mini with this ep. I am not brief so thanks for reading. Also hats off to Eric my god he was incredible in this episode. Melissa too killing me left, right and center you two. Let us get started.

6x06 Secret and Lies.

Poor Lucy looks like me when I’m stressed and drained af. Tamara asking how stressed she currently is? Lucy answering 19.....She looks like a 19 if not worse tbh. This is probably the most time they've spent apart since they got together. Basically living together at this point let's be honest. Other than 6x01 they haven't really spent time apart aside from that UC op in 5x21. *sigh*

Tamara asking if Tim is still ghosting her? Lucy trying so hard to keep it together with her answer. My heart. What a wreck she is without Tim. Do love that we get to see her pin-up board btw. Good shot of her room we don’t usually get. That cupcake poster I love it so much. Although now it makes me sad...

Lucy asking what's wrong? Tamara telling her she wants to move out with some friends from school. Crap. Her moving is the last thing she needs…. But it's good for her even though the idea makes me sad. End of an era. Lucy is right she needs to live with people her own age. Doesn’t make it hurt less though. This is a ROUGH season for Lucy my god. The hits keep coming for our girl and I wanna hug her. Shield her somehow....

Lucy touching near her tattoo when she reaches Angela. (Mini gut punch.) I do love her coming to Angela about this. If there is anyone who knows Tim like she does it's Angela. Does help she finds his behavior alarming too. I mean of course she does. You can see the immediate worry. The empathy she has for Lucy is there but she holds her cards close in her advice. Telling her to trust him even though it's literally killing her. Not the council Lucy needed to hear or was looking for.

Lucy wanted more action than 'Just wait and trust him.' She has been trusting him but she’s so insanely worried. Going out of her mind with anxiety for her person. It's exuding out of of her and she looks like she wants to cry…Ugh me too Lucy. I’m an empath and an anxious one at that. I would be going out of my mind too…. Angela looks worried as hell though. Even though she isn't conveying that to Lucy at this point. Breaking my heart as she takes off from their convo. Because if she doesn't she'll lose it right then and there.

God I love Angela Lopez. First off well done on tracking him down. She's just a bad ass. I mean it's one of the reason's Lucy reached out to her tbh. Just gets into his car, drinking his soda, calling him out right away. I love her reasoning saying she can live off Wesley’s trust fund. Lmao. Doesn’t matter as much if she get's fired. 'Wine o'clock.' for her. Gotta love the confidence. I truly hope we get more Tim/Angela scenes the rest of this season. I always adore their dynamic.

Tim is sold on her reasoning and starts to explain the current situation he's trapped in. Angela taking it all in and assessing everything as he explains. Once Tim has succinctly summed up his current predicament Angela's reply is the best. 'I’m in.' lmao I love this woman. ‘I got your back boo.’ That she does. In more ways than he even realizes at this point.

Gotta commend Angela calling him out for walking away from Lucy. Not only that but his job to arrest a guy hasn’t thought of in a decade…. Ain’t no one better than her to be there to call him out his crap right now. Not only that but to really dig deep. To know this is far more than what he's sharing. This is why Angela is an incredible detective rooting things out like this. Saying this is more than just protecting Lucy. Her intuition is out of this world.

I mean she's not wrong. Lucy would understand if it was just about the benefits. She would be proud really. Thing is it's about protecting himself too. Which really just scratches the surface of why he is doing this. Tim knows he's caught even if he shrugs it off. She has him dead to rights and he knows it. 'I’m your BFF. I know you.' Ha it’s true whether you like it or not Timothy…Just like Lucy she has your number.

Angela giving him crap with how they're following Ray. Worried he isn't being smart about this. This is so unlike him to be this sloppy and unfocused. She was right he was tailing too close… Ray catches on to their tail quickly. When he scanned the vehicle made me so nervous. Doing it while he's taunting Tim. He's so detail oriented blows my mind Tim let that get by him. This SL gave me such MASSIVE anxiety as I watched it. Oh my lord.

The minute they get back to Angela's place she calls him out once again. Asking why he thinks this is ALL his fault? Tim shrugs it off and she refuses to take that as his final answer. Of course Angela was right there is far more to this story. Tim finally opens up to her about what happened. He had been leading his squadron for some time. Looking to move up to Sergeant.

The catch was he couldn’t be promoted if there was rampant criminality in his unit. Ray clearly was in the way of him moving up. Tim figured he could keep it within his unit if they went after him.. Oh Tim…. It was an unsanctioned mission too. Thinking if he could accomplish this would be easy fast track to his promotion.

Kills me to know he was there during the air strike ugh… Details missing from the last episode. The Humvee saved him and Mark but not his other men… I can't imagine what Tim felt in that moment. The immense amount of guilt laid on his soul from here on out. I mean it makes sense why he never left patrol before Lucy. The last time he tried to advance his career this happened. My broken boy.

Eric CRUSHES this scene. I wanna cry. My poor Timothy. He was more focused more on his career than his oath...Got two of his men killed. My damn heart. He’s so ashamed of himself. The way he points at himself when he says 'leadership.' I knew his military past would be dark but holy crap. I wanted more of his backstory and they delivered that in spades. What a gut punch this had to be for him. No doubt his men were loyal af to him. Would've followed him anywhere and did.

He carries leading those men to their deaths because they followed his leadership. Oof. That is quite the weight to keep on your soul. Also gives us insight to why he shoulders everything. Even when he doesn't have to. Punishing himself for past transgressions such as this. I'm sure when we get to the other side of this season, I will have an even deeper respect for the writers going into his backstory like this. Giving us even more insight to this man.

This hurts so good to get this kind of info. I have no doubt that’s why he shut Lucy out. The shame he feels is overwhelming. I totally get it. Nothing scarier than someone knowing your darkest secrets. Not only that but worrying they’ll think less of you due to it. Tim already struggles with self loathing. Been a theme for him his entire arc on this series. Something I've touched on a lot. This is truly bringing that to light in the most painful way.

We see Ray scanned Tim's car in order to gain access to it. To check his GPS to see where he's been. How he's been tracking him. When he scrolls down to Lucy's address. Made my stomach sink. Legit felt sick to my stomach....

I do love Lucy coming home and having Tamara there. Saying she ordered pizza for them. This is exactly what she needs. Do you really have to go Tamara? I wonder if she'll delay leaving now after this ep. There is a knock at the door and of course it's not the pizza. It's Ray. Hair's on the back of my neck stood up from the moment he entered that apt.

I know Melissa stated in her interview she was nervous about this scene. That she came off awkward in her anger. You are incorrect madam. Holy hell Lucy is a BAMF. Telling him the only call she's gonna make is for the ambulance. Because when she's done with him he's going to need it to wheel him out. Holds her ground like the confident bad ass we've all loved seeing her become.

Lucy calling him shaking and demanding where he was. Ooh lord hell fire coming with her through that front door. I love Angela grabbing Tamara to another room. Like let's go mom and dad are about to have a big blow out. Let's give them some space...

Tim asking if she's ok? Truly concerned but Lucy isn't having ANY of it. 'Do I look ok?' Damn no she doesn't....Ripping into him saying how that creep could've showed up when she wasn't there. Lucy is not wrong....Oh my lord I’ve never seen her so damn mad. She is RAGING at him and rightfully so. Her home was violated, Tamara was put in danger and threatened. All because Tim was trying to protect her. phew.

Tim FINALLY concedes to telling her something. It only seems to enrage her more. She is literally vibrating with anger in this scene with him. The more he tells her the more it doesn't explain why he left her in the dark. Lucy begging him to read her in. I mean she has earned that my love. ..Telling him to stop protecting her. Gah Tim is a deep loyalist who would protect anyone he loves even if it's not the right thing. His reply is a reflection of that.

'I can't. I won't.' He's so driven to keep her safe. His instinct is to protect her but doesn't see he's hurting her in the process. I knew she was going to be pissed he let Angela in and not her. But Tim was right she has a lot less to lose. Which doesn't seem pertinent in this moment...I do love her placing her hands on his when she also replies. 'I can't. I won't.'

Mirroring his words from moments ago. Just like he will never stop protecting her. Lucy will never stop fighting for him or longing to help him. That man is her entire world. The most important person in her life. It makes perfect sense she would help with this. Career be damned. I mean she risked her career to get him a shot at Metro. Of course she would do the same thing in order to shoulder his burden with him.

Love her standing her ground in this moment. Like damnit I love you and you are going to let me in. Whether you like it or not I am here and I'm going to help. If this wasn't a reflection of the communication problems that still painfully exist between them I don't know what is. I mean she tried to be patient and trust him. But honestly he needed this kick in the ass to let her in. Which is a problem. Lucy needs to be the first person he goes to. It shouldn't have to come to this. *sigh*

Their OP goes off without a hitch. Except Ray saying he was going to be an air strike on Tim's life.... God I had no idea as I was watching that scene how true it would be. Tim gets his interview and lies to protect Angela and Lucy. While keeping his own job intact as well. Also welcome back to Jackson’s dad. Hello there Percy. This is not how I wanted to see him again.

But he is IA him returning was never gonna be a good thing tbh in a post Jackson world. Regardless it was nice to see him again. The scene is Grey's office is ROUGH. Never seen Wade so disappointed in Tim. It hurts to watch. Just like this entire gut punch of an episode. Tim is just standing there in utter shame of everything. Ashamed Wade is looking at him like this.

Kills me Grey has to inform Pine of what he did. It makes sense he has to but damn that sucks. The amount of respect Tim has for Wade is immense. To watch him tear Tim apart and just stand there like a puppy being scolded hurts my soul. Especially when he tries to fight Pine knowing. Just dismissing him without further comment or argument...

So I will say this and it's not at all fair to Lucy that I thought this I'm sure. But I felt like if there was gonna be a breakup it would be coming from her. Not Tim in this moment. That's the part of this moment that really knocked the wind out of me. She had every damn right to be the one too btw. Instead she is there waiting for him with open arms. Honestly I took a breath for the first time this entire episode when she welcomed him in.

Wrapping him up in her arms. Encasing him, rubbing his back, her fingers in his hair. Gently cradling him against her. I thought ok maybe we'll be alright. Since Lucy isn't nearly as angry as she was earlier. Maybe they can get through this together. Cause she loved on him regardless of what happened. The unconditional love she has for this man blows me away. I honestly thought with her loving on him maybe they'd make it out. That they’d work through it together.

Tim looks so very defeated. On the verge of an actual breakdown as he explains that he lied about everything. Saying it saved his job...protected Angela and her. It doesn't seem like enough of a win to him. He looks so very destroyed and this is just the beginning of his downward spiral.

Lucy is doing everything to be his rock in this moment. To assuage him of his guilt… Most vulnerable ever seen Tim *pre tears*…. Lucy telling him it was an impossible situation. She would've done the same thing. It’s so very clear she was willing to work through this. To build them back to where they were before he got that phone call. Everything Lucy was in this scene represented her unconditional love for him. Tim is just too destroyed at the moment to see it….Also for him to accept it. It's so hard to truly accept unconditional love if you've never had it before. To truly trust in it.

Lucy is watching him spiral out of control. The way he's talking about himself with such loathing. How she never would've been in a place where she put her self interest over her team like him. She is trying her damndest to right his wrong. But Tim is having none of it. It pains me to see it... Pains Lucy too. It's the way she grabs onto him while he continues his verbal self flogging that get's me.

Trying to ground him in this moment with her touch. Bring him back to her. Something that has worked so well in the past. Sadly not having the intended affect this time around. Tim is too damn gone at this point. He feels he’s betrayed everything he thought he was. THOUGHT he was. *heart clutch* Tim has such a deep moral compass. That's why this is rocking him so very much. Ugh my heart. I too have a crazy deep moral compass. I can't say I wouldn't be spiraling out like him as well.

This was his greatest sin brought to light. To Tim exposing him for the fraud he feels he is. Him saying he's been lying to himself for a long time is a reflection of this. That imposter syndrome coming out real strong here. Something he buried deep down came rushing to the forefront and he is imploding. Says as much above. He no longer feels worthy to be in her life now. I get this anytime I screw up with a friend or my sister. I have this deep sense of shame attached to it. Like I no longer deserve that friend or my sister cause I messed up or if a past sin comes up. That they'll no longer love me or will forever look at me differently cause of it.

It's not logical but it's deeply ingrained from my mom shaming me for doing anything wrong growing up. As it is for Tim. His father literally beat the hell out of him for ever being out of line. He has suffered emotional and physical abuse. Unless confronted and treated comes out like this. Demons making their way to the surface. I was bawling by the time he said 'I'm sorry.' He’s never seen himself worthy of Lucy’s love that much has always been evident. But to see it this raw and visceral ripped my heart out. It’s on the ground where they're both standing.

I think this is something that has been brewing in the background for Tim for a long time. Now that I've had time away to decompress and think. I'm actually very excited they're tackling this. It's clear Tim is not in a place where he thinks he deserves her anymore. Low key never has been. He acts before he thinks. Eric had a great quote from his interview about Tim "He is impulsive and he reacts instead of thinking things through, and it can come out a bit too strong.” That is this decision in a nutshell. He feels he is a burden therefore he is removing himself without thinking it through. The regret that is going to come with this is going to be immense for him.

'You deserve so much better.' Better than me basically. He feels immense shame and that shame is launching him away from her. You know I learned something in therapy about this. About not being perfect and feeling like I'm too much. i.e. a burden. My therapist told me and it made me cry. 'You are worthy of the space you take up in people's lives. They want you there.' Tim does not think he is worthy of the space he is taking up in Lucy's life now. All his sins on the table laid out for her to see. He can't handle it. That much is very clear here. I will say I haven’t let a ship hurt me like this in a long time.

This absolutely crushed me. I couldn't even fathom assembling my thoughts. Cut me very deep. Been with this ship since day one. Also what a crushing blow this is for Lucy. Our poor girl. I mean she gave everything to this relationship. I mean EVERYTHING. She was all in from the moment Tim said ‘Unless it is.’ This was her first real relationship. First real leap into being serious. Thinking about marriage and kids. She gave her all to Tim my god. Her career took a hit for him and she never complained. Knew he was worth it (he still is btw) Fought every step of the way for him. For them.

When he was pulling back above it was an absolute panic for her. She could see him slipping through her fingers. Idk what broke my heart more Tim thinking he’s not worthy of her any longer or her begging him not to do this. She literally can't fathom how he can let go of her like this. Thought she was his person. Tim feels he’s gone back to who he was pre-Lucy and that scares him. He feels undeserving of the love she has to give him. Lucy knows everything and in his mind he can’t imagine her still loving him.

Lucy was as we all were in this scene. In disbelief... Even though Tim put her though absolute hell she was still there to comfort and support him. Because to her he is worth it even in the hard times. We all know Tim isn’t the best with his emotions. In his trauma damaged brain he thinks he’s doing the right thing here. That he’s radioactive, she deserves better than being around him and his reckless behavior.

The kiss on her head. Lucy trying to physically push away his rejection. Stomping all over my damn heart...However this ends up playing out Tim is going to have to address his emotional instability. How he charges forward and doesn’t think things through. Ruled by his emotions in the worst way. He’s impulsive and he’s gonna have to fight to get her back when he’s in a better mindset. Her trust has been obliterated by this. She fought and clawed for them and this was her reward. He’s gonna have to do some serious healing to get back to her. Lucy has loved him the best she can but he needs to put in some work now. We see next ep he's meeting with Aaron's therapist. Don't love that but I’ve wanted Tim to go to therapy for years. He needs this. Therapy doesn’t work unless you put the effort in though.

That will be a challenge for him. When I get out of the purview of this hurt I’m feeling...I’m actually going to be really impressed and happy they had Tim go through this. Do I think this is the end of them? No I think this is some serious growing pains. It was issues that have been percolating since Lucy did that 5 player trade. Hell probably back in 5x12 when Tim sacrificed himself without telling her so they could stay together. I still think that was romantic because of it's intended nature. BUT was the beginning of the communication problems. They’ve grown so very much in that regard. We’ve seen it but there is still work to be done on that front. It just came to a very gutting painful head.

I still have faith in the writers. I still have faith they’ll be ok. It might not be right away and I'm already feeling impatient tbh. But this is some serious realism being applied to them. It wasn't some random BS angst. Honestly we’re lucky our ship gets the most attention, the best SL’s and two people who LOVE these characters. They absolutely adore them and this ship. If you haven’t read Melissa and Eric’s interviews for this episode I highly recommend. This sucks right now. No two ways about it. But we will survive this storm. They’ll come out stronger than ever. Truly believe that. But for now let's rally around each other and get through this together. There will be brighter days ahead just doesn't feel like it right now. We got this.

~~~

Side notes non Chenford.

Do love Aaron working with Harper all if of all I cared about other than their SL in this one. Nolan's I fast forwarded which I normally don't do but I had no patience for his BS in this ep lol My anxiety was rampant in this ep and had no space for him.

Also RIP Metro Tim for the 6x07 promo. This hurts to see not just cause I enjoyed him in that outfit lol But to see his career take a nosedive like this. I wanted more Tim back story. Didn’t think would hurt like this though....Feel free to comment I love you all for any interaction I get with these. <3

[stillsolo]

🚩🚩

send me a 🚩 and i’ll share my unpopular rpc opinions and hot takes.  bonus points if you include a specific topic to talk about, like follower count, softblocking, graphics, etc.

wow, okay!  this took me a lot longer to answer than i would’ve thought. nobody sent in topics ( which is okay! ) but without direction, my laidback attitude about everything ended up hurting me in the long run lmfao   but now i’m here!!  better late than never, eh?  tagging others who also sent in something, mainly because i’ve realized i’m chill and got nothing more to say than this it seems  @fifthdimensicn @lightburnsyou @techniiciian ( thank you for sending something!! )

i’ll preface this by saying i have nothing against anyone.   i am just a massive childhood star wars nerd, who basically learned english through the canon/legends movies, games, books, and writing fanfic etc.   so, i’m rather well read on star wars and have a tendency to be uhhh. autistic lol  stringent, for want of a better word, about the universe lore.   overall, i don’t care whether or not people agree; this is just a topic i lowkey struggle to understand yet see far too often.   why people willingly step into this paradox is beyond me!

anyway, if your muse is canonically a force-null in star wars, yet you create a serious, fleshed-out jedi verse for them, then i can’t help but think you don’t actually love your muse as much as you think you do.

of course, you’re totally allowed to have fun—i am not against fun; i’m actually all for breaking and bending verses to my will—and i understand getting bored with the same verses you’ve played in for years and years.   but when this reinterpretation becomes a serious endeavor—like, you’re really out here recontextualizing the entirety of star wars, including its characters, regardless of how ooc it would be to do so, just to fit this verse??   that’s where you lose me lol

for clarity: force nulls are simply people who are not outwardly force-sensitive, aka an individual who cannot consciously sense or interact with the force.   so, think han solo, padmé amidala, or even captain rex and the clones etc.   these are people who stand tall without the force, relying instead on their resourcefulness, resilience, and humanity.

i know the arguments.    i’m well aware some would argue that han and padmé could be considered “lowkey force-sensitive” in their own way, and i’m actually very inclined to agree—to a point.   these two do exhibit qualities that some might attribute to a higher-than-average midichlorian count: padmé’s marksmanship and her negotiation skills; han’s brilliant piloting and uncanny luck that often defies logic.   but yeah, that’s also the whole damn point—they’re exceptional because they lack the force, not in spite of it.

here, lemme use padmé as my primary example because i already know the concept of han being a jedi sounds absolutely absurd lol ( or at least it should if you know him at all 💀 )

let’s imagine a world where padmé is suddenly a jedi, wielding the force with all the grace of a trained knight.   it’s a pretty popular verse i’ve mostly seen outside of rp—and it’s utterly baffling to me.   sure, it’s an interesting twist, but it’s also a strange one.   why?  well, in my honest opinion: in making padmé overtly force-sensitive, you strip away everything that makes her outstanding.

she is extraordinary precisely because she isn’t outwardly force sensitive.  her ability to connect with people, her unparalleled empathy, and her deftness at negotiation are what sets her apart.  outward force sensitivity would rob her of these defining traits and generally diminishes her skillset—because the ability to sense emotions, to read others with an almost prescient understanding—is not a unique power, but rather one of the many force-given gifts jedi possess.  if padmé could sense others’ thoughts, how would her talents at diplomacy and empathy stand out?  just like that, what once set her apart would be merely an extension of the jedi arsenal.

the same applies to han!  this is why i’ve never written a force-sensitive han solo and likely never will.   his disbelief and distrust in anything he can’t see or feel for himself is paramount to his disposition / mentality as a character.   in the movies, he’s your taste of hard cynicism; he’s introduced as a reality check right after luke and ben’s floaty nonsense about the force.   ya feel me?   han solo is remarkable not because he’s imbued with mystical powers, but because he doesn’t have them.   he survives, thrives, and outsmarts the galaxy without supernatural powers to lean on.   to make han force-sensitive would be to strip away the very core of his character.

all in all, these characters, these force nulls, are extraordinary because they don’t rely on the force.   they are exceptional in spite of it, and i don’t really understand why anyone would make a concerted effort to take that away from them.

[femmefatalevibe]

How can I have close relationships with people while still keeping my boundaries?

It's important to remember that boundaries make close relationships more, not less, sustainable and healthy rather than the other way around. Boundaries are like emotional fences, not defenses. They clearly differentiate your needs and limitations from those of others. By respecting your boundaries and those of others, you're able to foster emotional connections without feeling emotionally drained or resentful of others' independent actions and feelings. Boundaries are the emotional and interpersonal limitations you create for yourself in a relationship. They exist independently of others' actions, beliefs, and expectations.

HOW TO SET & MAINTAIN BOUNDARIES IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS:

Use "I" statements to share your needs (when stating your boundaries, ensure you frame them in an "it's me, not you" sort of way)

Share them with compassion and as a means of differentiation, not division (e.g. I know you're dealing with XYZ emotion/situation, but I'm feeling XYZ emotions or dealing with XYZ priorities right now and need to take a step back from this energy-dense situation)

Be honest about your needs and limitations, generally and situationally

Remain consistent with your boundaries and limitations, especially with your time and priorities

Prioritize yourself, build your self-concept, and pursue your goals. Perceive your close relationships as a way for two individuals to share their wholeness with each other, rather than two individuals to complete some emotional need or resource in the other person's life. Close connections compound –don't complete – our personhood, happiness, or sense of identity/self-esteem

Offer support and resources when you genuinely want to, not out of guilt or perceived obligation

State your priorities clearly. Share your expectations and level of willing involvement in any aspect of the relationship with your non-negotiable terms of engagement upfront

Address situations or behaviors that bother you early on before you start resenting the person because you're not speaking up

Express your "no" freely. This one word is a complete sentence. Unless it involves keeping your job or supporting your basic life needs, you don't owe anyone your time or energy to relationships, events, or circumstances that don't support your well-being

Don't internalize other people's problems. You can feel empathy without absorbing others' emotions and responsibilities. Remember your most important obligation is to take care of yourself. You need to prioritize the limitations you require to meet your physical and emotional needs and remain generally happy, energized, and fulfilled in your daily life. Never lose yourself or sight of your goals/dreams to be well-liked by those whom you're connected with. Healthy individuals will naturally want to set & uphold boundaries for both parties in the relationship to ensure you both thrive & feel supported without feeling guilty or resentful over time

Boundaries vs. Expectations:

Boundaries are the courses of action YOU will take in response to someone's actions or attitudes, not a way to attempt to control other people's behavior. For example, an expectation is saying to someone "Don't text me during my workday. I won't be available to answer you while I'm busy at the office," vs. a boundary, which would sound more like this: "If you text me during the workday, I'll be busy at the office, so I won't be available respond your messages until 6 pm on weekdays." You can share your expectations within the dynamic of any sort of relationship. But, ultimately, people are going to do as they please, so remember your boundaries only dictate your limitations and what you're going to do, say, and when you're going to walk away from a relationship.

[khywren]

✨Let's talk about OCs!✨How would you describe your OC's personality/aesthetic? What's your favourite thing about them? Tell us a fun fact(s) about your OC or their creation!

❤️Send this to at least 3 people to spread some OC appreciation!❤️

eee, thanks for this! i was curious when i saw your other post!

in terms of personality, the three main words i would use to describe ysera are impulsive, awkward, and resilient. she's not very bright, so she usually acts on instinct without taking the time to actually think thinks through. girl runs purely on vibes, and as a chronic overthinker i applaud her for that. she's also spent a good chunk of her life living on her own and purposely avoiding contact with other people, so she's not always great at social interaction, hence the awkwardness. i think this definitely bleeds into her impulsiveness because she'll just say whatever stupid thing is on her mind.

she's also pretty resilient; she's had a rough life and has felt the sting of betrayal on more than one occasion, but she isolates herself out of fear of causing others more harm than anything else. she desperately wants to form genuine connections with people if and where she can and still tries to see the good in people despite what she's been through.

out of curiosity, i took the MBTI personality test for her and ended up with ISFP-T: the mediator. this little bit stuck out to me as a good representation of who she is:

Your spontaneous nature leads you to embrace life’s adventures with open arms. You’re not one for rigid plans or structures; instead, you prefer to go with the flow, adapting to situations as they arise. This flexibility allows you to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. Beneath your easy-going exterior lies a heart of gold. Your empathy runs deep, and you have a genuine desire to understand and support those around you. However, you’re not one to wear your heart on your sleeve – your feelings often run deeper than others realize.

i don't know if i have a single favorite thing about her, but one of them is just her design. she's fairly basic, but i like that simplistic design and haven't seen a lot of tavs who look like her, which makes me happy. her scars are one of my favorite design elements; originally i just thought they would look cool, but eventually i came up with more of a backstory for why she has them and i think it added more to her overall character!

and, let's see… a fun fact about her creation… oh, okay! so, i've mentioned it briefly before, but ysera was originally supposed to be multiclassed as both a sorcerer and bard. her unstable magic was one of the foundational aspects of her character when i was concepting her, and the thought was that she would use music as an outlet for her emotions to keep herself from accidentally hurting other people (since her magic becomes more unstable when she's worked up). i ended up cutting that from her because it didn't really fit in with everything else i wanted to do with her, but i still think it was an interesting concept~

[002yb]

if you're up for it, could you say more about infertile alpha dick? or recommend any fics?

It's a detail about himself that Dick keeps close to his chest

Went through all the stages of grief over it. Straddles the line between acceptance and resignation because Dick has a complicated relationship with how he feels about having a family of his own

On the one hand, no. Absolutely not. He's aware of the lifestyle he chooses to live and he's conscious of the fact that he won't give it up for anything. Doesn't matter how he wants or yearns for something - Dick chooses vigilantism and he won't put his mate/his pup/any child through that stress/potential for danger/capacity for loss. Dick's life isn't conducive for stability or happiness (he doesn't deserve it).

On the other hand, yes. Please, yes. Because Dick has always wanted a love like his parents. He's nostalgic for the family that was taken from him too soon. He wants a mate, a pack, pups. A whole litter of them - a circus of his own.

The softest alpha when he comes across an expecting omega; always unwittingly lights up because of it.

The same goes for pups. Dick adores them. Is good with them. They congregate around him because he's fun, sure, but more than that it's this hindbrain thing of recognizing safety

Dick doesn't think he'd make a good alpha, let alone a good dad; he doesn't recognize that a lot of people already see him that way in both regards

When anyone asks about his plans for that part of his future, he deflects. He's good about it; discreet. Some people pick up on it before others, but regardless of who figures something might be wrong, Dick doesn't want to talk about it. It's forgotten about, soon enough. A secret for Dick to keep.

It's a bit painful when people talk about what a lovely family he'll have one day though because he knows that's not in the cards for him. It's not even a choice.

It's for the better though, he lies to himself. Again and again.

Basically longing x10000000 but Dick will deny that

Dickjay Portion:

Dick lays with his head on Jason's stomach a lot. His ear pressed to Jason's abdomen, arms wrapped loose around him as Jason scratches his fingers through Dick's hair

Spaces out a lot like that. Thinking of what a beautiful mother Jason would make. How if there was anyone for Dick to share that with - but he cuts the thought off there because it hurts. He nuzzles into Jason's stomach and forces his thoughts elsewhere.

Meanwhile Jason is internally cursing up a storm because fuck, Dick's head on his stomach like this is sweet. It's like what Jason has imagined Dick would do if Jason was -- if Jason could -- and he gets self-conscious because Jason can't give that to Dick

Basically them both making assumptions and wanting each other to be happy without realizing they're experiencing the same struggles

When they do share the truth with each other though - fuck.

Relief but also empathy and heartache and devastation for one another. Jason bringing Dick down to rest Dick's head on Jason's chest and just holding him. Because Jason is stricken by the loss on Dick's behalf. Because he's not blind. Dick can say what he wants; he can lie, but Jason sees how this man wanted that life and he can't have it. Even if Jason wanted it for himself and could give it - Dick can't.

Not getting into adoption debate here. Because guilt complex so big neither of them could pick one and leave others. That aside, concept is different from practice either way. Their lives are too dangerous and they know firsthand what it is to be damned by their livelihoods - this community.

Dickjay, but the comedic bullet point that doesn't really match the rest of the vibes here:

Dick is a kinky guy he mourns the loss of not being able to make Jason plump with his litter of pups it's just kind of tragic

Extras:

Some world where he meets Mar'i somehow and it devastates him. Not in any way that breaks him, but his heart is so full that he sure it bursts. He'd be so awestruck by her. Tender and soft and proud because she's wonderful - sweet girl.

Less niche, more general. Where Dick still helps Roy get baby Lian. Just Dick holding this precious pup to his chest, supporting her and smelling the top of her head for that pup smell and being so in love and the pup isn't even his. Dick not being so much reluctant to let go, but struggling with it all the same because he wants this; he wants and wants and wants. But it's okay because Roy treats Lian just as dear and Dick loves to see his friend have that happiness. That besides, Roy lets Dick stay. Dick gets to help look after and raise her. It's not the same, but Dick is happy for it regardless.

This idea of soft and sweet alpha!dad Dick lives alongside a separate headcanon that Dick would be the sort of dad that is peak casual. Just holding pups like footballs and rigging up questionable contraptions to keep the babe occupied while he works on something.

Oh geez this ask is becoming about Dick and babies more than anything I'm sorry but like. Dick doing pushups and kissing the top of his kid's head every time he lowers himself down? The baby giggling and smacking his face?? Meanwhile Jason is sat a little ways away, completely enamored and endeared and oops - here comes the baby fever; pup him the fuck up, please.

Only not because this is an infertile!alpha!Dick ask. Big sad.