#However I also don't want people to think that I'm... ignoring?? the situation entirely (because gettin doxxed is a very endangering thing)

[14dayswithyou]

💖 Day 3.5 is now available! 💖

For the last couple of months, only Server Boosters had access to the 3.5 update... Buuuuut now it's available for everyone to play in the 14DWY Discord — and soon itch.io once I'm happy with the QA and state of the game — so please don't feel pressured to join unless you want to!!

The full devlog + even more screenshots are under the cut ^^

What's been added to the 3.5 version?

📺 Streamer Mode!

I've been told that it's difficult to stream and monetise age-restricted videos on YouTube and Twitch, so I added an option to remove the sexual content and strong language used in the demo.

Now y'all can invite Ren into your bed for cuddles without putting your streamer career on the line /silly /lh

This won't affect the 18+ rating or dark themes/elements of the game, however! Although Streamer Mode will prevent you from seeing any "gruesome" CGs in the future, most of the core elements of the game will still be tied to the choices and decisions you make. So you won't miss out on the overall experience by using streamer mode!!

⚙️ Custom Pronouns!

It only took me one entire year to get around to it, but you can finally choose your own preferred pronouns (or use a set of pronouns instead)... At the cost of being able to change them mid-game ^^;

Since the original pronoun screen wouldn't update until a new scene was displayed, I temporarily disabled the feature. But once I find a workaround, I'll bring it back!

💗 Choose how others perceive you!

You can now choose how the cast and narration perceive you! Originally, the narration was kept strictly gender-neutral (outside of pronouns and genitalia picked by the player), but this will soon change in future updates.

For more clarity: you don't get to choose the words specifically, but you can choose between masculine, feminine, and androgynous terms!

📋 Separate top and bottom genitalia!

You can now choose your tatas and pps separately! >:3

Alongside that, you can also choose your preferred body type!

I removed the "both" genitalia option because a few players still assumed it was an obscure version of "intersex". That wasn't my intention and I don't want to mislead anyone, so I took it out for now ^^;

I also didn't want to include a screenshot of the new genitalia choices in action (because it's NSFW), so y'all get the same character menu screen for the nth time instead lmao

📱 Relationship Screen Overhaul!

You can now change your own status for more immersion, and long-term Server Boosters will eventually be able to submit and use their own icon within the game as well!

Stalking finding your friends has now become easier by using "Buddy Maps"; a new app that allows you to see the location of all the cast members!

I want to offer players more incentive to check the relationship screen since they tend to miss the status updates, so hopefully this might help ;v;

It also says it "updates every few hours" so folks don't go overboard and check every 5 seconds to see where Ren is gdsghf (also keep in mind that he's a hacker lol)

🖤 Additional Scenes Update!

Day 2 received a brand new CG!!!!! Originally, I planned on only adding a few CGs sporadically throughout the game, but it didn't feel right to leave Day 2 so... empty... so I added a brand new CG to (hopefully) make things feel more balanced and natural!

If you decline Teo's offer on Day 3, Leon will now call and try to convince you to reconsider. However, players are still allowed to decline, and if they do, they'll reach a dead end.

After listening to feedback on itch, I changed some of the dialogue during Days 1-3 to make it seem more consistent! They're only small changes though, so it's honestly not worth looking for sdgjssga

🎶 Updated BGM and SFX!

I wanted to try out a different style of music to see if it fits the vibe of 14DWY more! The BGM features more acoustics to suit the "beachy" theme of Corland Bay, though I made a conscious effort to include piano elements as well to stay true to the original!!

I figured it'd be better to give players a live example before I make a poll (to see if they prefer the change or not) and publish it to Itch.

Some new SFX have also been added, though it's very minimal and honestly not that noticeable.

How to download and play the update?

(warning: clicking on the following links will open Discord!!) To download the Day 3.5 update, simply join the 14DWY Discord server, verify your age, and visit the "14dwy-updates" channel!

Alternatively, you can also wait until the update is publicly released on Itch to play it as well!! (It normally gets released shortly after a round of QA testing/getting feedback from the server, though I may release it earlier if I feel like it hehe ^^)

Enjoy!!

[writingwisterias]

hewwo hewwo

in case it hasn't been asked yet, id love to see your take on each leon era reacting to their partner who's also a fellow agent and also his pseudo captain on the field since they have a little bit more experience and level head compared to him

all your hcs are such joys to read <3333

HIII, This was so interesting to think about! I'm glad you enjoy my hc I'm sorry I took so long its been a really busy couple of months <3

Warnings: None

RE2: I think Re2 Leon would prefer someone with more experience in this Era. He has to sort of make a lot of choices himself and perhaps he could lean on someone to make more of them. It might ease the pressure he probably felt during the entire time. You can see how he reacts to Ada, he follows her instructions because there little else to do, so maybe it would have turned out slightly differently with someone else to talk in those situations.

RE4R: He seems a lot independent in this game so perhaps he would prefer if despite your increased experience it was more of a joint effort, maybe prompting an open discussion. With his head space and he's very protective I think he would also take control or make brash choices before he's really thought them through/ spoken to you about it. Infinite Darkness: Again I think he would accidentally ignore you advice as he gains more experience himself. I feel like Leon's battle strategy is to ensure people remain as safe as they can be. Which could result in him arguing with you about certain situations, mostly follows your lead though in terms of conversations and the general approach to a scenario but will overtake during an actual fight. Damnation: There no point in trying with him. He not going to listen to anything you say that could be a logical response to a situation. The mission requires really fast paced decision making and I feel like he would just take control. If you confront him about it there's no point he'll ignore you and pulling rank doesn't matter or affect him because as far as he concerned it doesn't matter in battle. I think maybe towards the end where he's sort of running on fumes and spite he might listen to you a little bit more, stopping his charging horse approach. RE6: The situation in the game is an interesting one tbh, I think at the start in Tall Oaks he might lean back and encourage you to deal with Helena and just work on being your support during the situation. However, in China I think his behaviour would switch to listening to you and himself depending on what point you are at in the game. I think he would ignore you the most when Ada is involved and he has the opportunity to prevent anything from happening to her. Maybe the encounter with Chris n Piers could strike up some arguments or angst between the two of you. Since he is laying his feelings on the table in the moments, depending on your relationship with him that could hurt. Vendetta: With how he interacts with Chris, I think he would prefer to take orders from you. Towards the start of the film he doesn't really seem interested in listening so it could be interesting if Chris used you as a way to get Leon to listen. Maybe he ran off instead of talking to you or something (Most likely)… I think he would just prefer to take the heat of decision making away for a change since he lost an entire team under his watch. Depending on if you were helping Chris for a while or not then I think he would also play it off as you having more knowledge on a situation. You can defiantly guarantee some stupid joke about listening to what the wife wants or some bs Death Island: I feel like he would prefer a shared opinion on the situation, talking out strategy's etc but I don't think he would argue if you took the lead, make some half-assed Whitty joke about it. instead? The entire mission is weird and there's a lot of opportunity's for you and him to get separated etc so I think it would just be a mutual if you make a call I follow it instead of actual argument's.

[yusume-the-writer]

If you wouldn’t mind, can we get a bf!Orter Mádl x F reader.

Where Orter is being jealous and over protective bf, that whenever men come near or talk with reader that he just scares them off in a way. And when confronted about his jealousy he denies (as expected).

Sweet and happy ending! (take your time!)

It's not jealousy if it's just to protect your loved one

Orter Máld x Fem Reader

Request made by Anon, thank you very much for this idea

I'm sorry for the delay. I was kind of having a problem creating a scenario, but I hope you like it

We have to agree that Orter seems to be really overprotective, as he is a Divine Visionary who follows the rules to an extreme and has probably made a lot of enemies.

Gender: Fluff

Summary: During a meeting between Orter and his girlfriend, someone appears to interrupt the couple's moment

Today was a great morning

 Orter had missed a day off to spend with his lovely boyfriend (Name) as he was away because of work

So they spent half the morning in bed because of (Name)'s neediness (and also because Orter was hungry for her affection), and then they had breakfast and got ready to go out in the afternoon.

Now it was nighttime, and (Name) had mentioned a restaurant she wanted to try because of a friend's opinion.

And here they are both, in the restaurant while waiting for their orders to arrive

"A friend of mine said the sweets here are amazing! I can't wait to try them~" (Name) says in a childish tone similar to a child entering a candy store

"Okay, but be careful not to eat too much and get sick later" Orter says

"Okay dad, I'll be careful" She says while looking at him with a pout

"(Name) and you?!?" Suddenly an unknown male voice says

Then a guy appears that Orter has never seen in his entire life.

But it seems like (Name) does...

"Oh and you Kevin..." (Name) says while facing the stranger

 However... she didn't seem happy about this sudden encounter

"Yes! It seems like yesterday that we met" The man known as Kevin says, seeming ignorant about the presence of the Divine Visionary

 "Yes... because we work in the same office" (Name) says while looking at him as if he had asked a question that didn't even need to be asked because the answer was too obvious

Which was true, but Kevin thought he was a comedian

'There's the annoying colleague' Orter thinks as he remembers (Name) venting about how annoying and insufferable a colleague was and that he thought he was the guy for making uncle jokes

He wouldn't say it out loud, but he wants Kevin out of their sight now.

He just wouldn't say it out loud because (Name) would tease him about being jealous.

 "Yeah... anyway -" (Name) tries to tell Kevin to go away

"Me and the guys from work are gathered here, don't you want to come? It'll be fun." Kevin cuts (Name), and it seems like he doesn't want her to deny the invitation

"She's on a date at the moment," Suddenly Orter says, catching the attention of Kevin and (Name)

"... And who would you be, man?" Kevin says it in a confused and disgusted tone of voice.

And, of course, he would be disgusted. There is a man who seems to be a thousand times better than him in front of him

"Her boyfriend, now that you're on leave, could you get out of our sight" Orter says while facing Kevin

 Orter didn't look like it, but he was very angry

Kevin looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't say anything

He wouldn't admit how threatening Orter looked or how he stared at Kevin like he was nothing more than prey, not an insect.

No, it didn't even seem like that Orter considered him, but rather just unbearable dirt on a clean floor

And like any dirt, it could disappear and no one would care

... An awkward silence filled the room around Kevin

Then he left without saying anything and went towards a table with people who saw the situation.

As soon as they saw that Orter was also looking at them, they quickly turned around.

 "Heh~" A laugh echoes in front of Orter

As he faced the source of the sound, he found (Name) staring at him with a knowing smile.

"It looks like someone is jealous~"(Name) says while still staring at Orter

"...The food has arrived" Orter says as he changes the subject and faces the waiter who brought the orders

"Hey!!! Don't change the subject!"

"If you don't mention that, I'll buy all the desserts you want"

 ".....Closed"

𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒖𝒔

 Orter was in bed reading a book while waiting for (Name) to finish her skin treatment.

"Don't you think it's better not to read so much?" (Name) says while lying down next to Orter

Confused, Orter stares and raises an eyebrow for her to continue

"If you keep reading so much, your vision will get worse" (Name) begins. "And if you continue, every time you take off your glasses, instead of your eyes looking like 3 they will turn into 4" (Name) ends

Suddenly a pillow is thrown in her face

[daytaker]

The Gang React to You Saying You Hate Them

As a disclaimer, I'm going to say that these are reactions to you saying it and meaning it, not just being silly or dramatic. However, I'm also kind of assuming in most cases that this is NOT you saying "I am terminating our relationship entirely and this hate thing is a permanent situation."

The rest of the characters are below the cut.

Lucifer

"Very well. You're entitled to your opinion."

Depending on the situation, he might just shrug it off. It isn't like he hasn't dealt with his fair share of unfair whining from people who are upset with him. It would probably take a pretty emotionally charged situation for him to actually take you seriously.

In that case, he probably wouldn't quite know what would be best to do. He'd give you your space, but generally speaking, his demeanor wouldn't be significantly different. If things remain tense for more than a few days, he'll probably attempt to do the mature thing and sit down with you for a conversation to talk through your differences.

Mammon

"Pfft! No ya don't!"

Stage 1. Denial. You're so full of it. You couldn't possibly hate him, the Great Mammon, the first demon you ever made a pact with. You're just blowing off some steam. You'll get over it in a minute or two.

Stage 2. Anger. It's been a minute or two. You aren't backing down. Well, whatever! He isn't gonna sit around and let some whiny human talk shit about him! So he's going to maturely stomp to his room and maturely slam the door and maturely turn up some music obnoxiously loud.

Stage 3. Bargaining. Brooding has done whatever good it might have done, so he'll start to think of ways to change your mind about hating him. He's really an awesome guy, so it shouldn't be that hard. Obviously, the best way to let someone know you care is by spending money on them. So he'll go out on the town with a credit card and max it out on objects that are very pretty and shiny but really aren't your taste. (The fact that Mammon's taste is not the same as everyone else's taste mystifies him.)

Stage 4. Depression. The shopping trip having earned him nothing but abuse from Lucifer, he'll spend some time cooped up in his room and mope and sulk but definitely not cry, because how pathetic do you think he is? He ain't cryin' over one puny human!

Stage 5. Acceptance? Wait just a minute. You're so full of it. You couldn't possibly hate him, the Great Mammon, the first demon you ever made a pact with. He should stop sulking and go talk to you. Definitely not to beg you to forgive him or anything, but maybe if you squinted, it might look like that. Please don't hate him. Please?

Leviathan

"...I guess I should have known."

This is one of the choices that leads you straight to a bad ending. Ignoring him is one thing. Teasing him is another thing. Snapping at him when you're annoyed hurts, but he can justify it. But if you tell Levi you hate him, it will take a monumental amount of effort to undo that damage.

He'll probably assume you've always hated him, and that your friendliness was all an act. He won't be willing to take you at your word if you if you try and tell him that you didn't mean it, because how is he supposed to know that you aren't lying this time?

Satan

If he's (relatively) calm:

"You don't actually mean that. You sound like a child."

His reaction is a little bit like Lucifer's in this case; he'll leave you alone for awhile and not try to keep up the conversation. He won't really believe you actually hate him either. But he is a lot more insecure than Lucifer, so there's a part of him that nags at him... What if they actually hate you? He'll probably be irritable and difficult to approach when those thoughts are especially prevalent. Unfortunately, this is the sort of situation where Satan is immobilized by conflicting thoughts on what's going on, so it will probably be up to you to start a conversation and talk about whatever happened.

If he's very angry:

"Get out of here if you don't want to get hurt."

Whether that's a threat or a warning can be up to interpretation. I imagine that, as the Avatar of Wrath, there's a part of him that feeds on hate, so if Satan was a different sort of character, he'd say something like 'You fool! You're only increasing my power level!' But Satan being Satan, he'll spend some time in whatever room you've left him in and trash it before he calms down, feels extremely ashamed, sulks and/or broods for awhile at a complete loss for how to fix things without rolling over and looking completely pathetic, and, quite possibly, works himself up into another burst of rage from sheer frustration.

Ultimately, he'll probably be more comfortable talking things out through texts than in person (or starting the conversation with a text, then speaking face to face).

Asmodeus

"Hahaha... What...?"

He won't believe you for a second! Partly because, silly, of course you don't hate him, but also because his worldview does not allow for the possibility that someone he cares about might hate him. If he even considers the possibility that you might possibly, hypothetically mean it, he's in for an entire, earth-shattering identity crisis.

If you don't apologize pretty quickly or at least amend the statement to something he can accept, Asmo will head up to his room and hole up in there for awhile, obsessively tracking his social media accounts and pampering himself in the bathroom. You're lying, though. Look at this face! It's impossible to truly hate a face as beautiful as his.

Beelzebub

"Oh... Sorry..."

First he'll look like a deer in the headlights, and then he'll look like a kicked puppy. If he understands what led you to say this, he'll try and fix it, but if he doesn't, he will... (Select an answer below.)

A) Play video games with Levi. B) Go clubbing with Asmo. C) Eat. D) Learn to break dance.

If you guessed C) Eat, then you've been paying attention during your Obey Me! lessons.

And honestly. Honestly! Why would you say something like that? Maybe he's not your favorite brother, but we all know it's simply not possible to actually hate Beel. We all know you're full of it. So knock it off.

Belphie

"...Beel, did you hear something?"

Yep, Belphie is going to pull out all the pettiness he can scrounge up. He believes that the best defense is a good offense, and he's a pro. He'll act haughty and unbothered, ignoring you and looking entirely unbothered between sulking sessions under the covers.

Pettiness aside, you have, knowingly or otherwise, tapped into a source of deep anxiety in your relationship with Belphie. He has not forgotten the whole...incident that took place when you freed him from the attic. He knows that, reasonably, you probably should hate him, and it's amazing to him that you don't seem like you do.

Once tempers have cooled, it might be worthwhile to talk over what happened back then, just the two of you. It was pushed aside too quickly, and you both probably have things you wish you'd said.

Diavolo

"It seems I've upset you. Please know that I never meant to offend you."

He'll see that you're angry with him and give you your space, but he won't be as torn up about this as some of the others. Why? He simply won't believe you.

He has seen your soul, and it is not the soul of a hater.

Barbatos

"Oh?"

Yeah, get in line. Considering the amount of time travel shenanigans this guy has probably pulled, I have no doubt he has amassed more than his fair share of enemies. More than that, he already knows this is just you blowing off steam. Like Diavolo and Lucifer, this is just water off a duck's back.

Although, depending on how irritated he's feeling at the time of the incident, he may or may not wear a smirk as he gives his noncommittal response. Barbatos might be the man with the multiverse in the palm of his hand, but he is not above being petty. Watch your back for a few days.

Solomon

"Ah... It seems I've hit a nerve! I think I'll give you some time to cool down."

He'll back off and leave you to manage your anger in peace. Then he'll settle in to focus on some project or another that requires his undivided attention. He doesn't want to deal with all the unpleasantness that your words stirred up. Honestly, didn't he get past this sort of thing a few centuries ago? What's a little spat between friends? You don't actually hate him; not after all he's done for you. He can't possibly be feeling insecure...?

Nope, all he's feeling is itchy because of the toxic gas that's starting to pour out of his cauldron. He should open a window.

The Angels

I can't even do Simeon and Luke, because they'd both just be so confused and sad that I'm not sure where I'd go with it besides scolding you for being a bully. You don't just say "I hate you" to angels who are either extremely sweet and attractive or actual children.

[a-most-beloved-fool]

And here's the explanation for the anon messages that have been getting sent to ds9 bloggers! 🎉

Kudos to you, anon - I genuinely didn't think I'd hear from you again. I'm glad you messaged, though, and I hope you take the time to read this and understand where I'm coming from, because you're right that I have been telling people to ignore your messages, and I do stand by that.

The person you accused is not a pedophile, and the fic you mention does not depict Julian Bashir as a pedophile.

(also, to everyone Else - I understand that the information available in the post makes it comically easy to figure out who was getting accused, even with my little redaction, but if you are NOT already aware of who that person is, I'm going to ask that you don't try to seek the information out, please. I'm certain that this situation has been particularly harrowing for them, and I doubt they'd appreciate the extra attention.)

general content warnings for everything below for discussion of CSA, trauma, and some quotes from the fic described above where Julian is describing his assault and the emotions involved

Anon - there are a few facets to all of this. The first is the fic. I've read that fic, too, and I can tell you right now that your analysis of it is incorrect. Within the fic, Kukalaka is not a stand-in for children. Julian Bashir is not attracted to children. He's not even sexually attracted to Kukalaka. The fic deals with a Julian Bashir who experienced sexual trauma as a child - aka he was raped, repeatedly - and, during the assaults, Kukalaka was the one thing that made him feel more comfortable. It helped him to not focus on his abuse. Julian has trauma from his assaults, and Kukalaka is a coping mechanism for that trauma. The idea is that Julian cannot experience arousal without remembering his abuse, even subconsciously. He can't orgasm without feeling a great deal of fear, and Kukalaka is the one thing that makes him feel safe and that stops him from getting overwhelmed by memories of his abuse.

“It… it was uncomfortable, I… I felt sick, and… I didn’t… I didn’t like it, I didn’t… I wanted her to stop, it felt… it always felt wrong, I just… I didn’t understand why, but… it was like… it was like it gave me a stomach ache, every time, and…” Julian’s voice broke a little, wet warmth trailing down his cheeks, eyes clamped shut so tight that they almost hurt.

“I… I used to look at Kukalaka, to… he kept me calm, I guess…? I felt like… I needed to be brave for him, and… as long as I was looking at him, I could almost… It was almost bearable, you know?” Julian laughed a little, devoid of any warmth or humour in the sound, his gaze fixed on the carpet beneath their feet.

“I needed to look at Kukalaka to relax and make the sick feeling go away..."

Here are some quotes of Julian explaining it in his own words within the fic, to illustrate my point and for those who haven't read it. But, I hope it's apparent that this is not "attraction to children". It's just a trauma coping mechanism. The fic, in fact, unequivocally shows pedophilia in a very bad light. (Now, iirc Julian does fear, within the fic, that his reliance on Kukalaka IS tantamount to pedophilia - but that's just an irrational fear, and is depicted as such. That type of fear isn't entirely uncommon within people with CSA histories and OCD - they overanalyze their behavior and think, "what if liking this animated show means I'm a pedophile? what if enjoying this game that is popular among kids makes me a pedophile?", but it's not true. It's just an irrational fear. The only thing that is pedophilia is sexual attraction to and behavior with real children.)

You're certainly allowed to find the premise of the fic disturbing. In fact, you're supposed to! However, it's just incorrect to say that it depicts Julian as attracted to children. It depicts Julian as a victim of sexual trauma, and that's all. Sometimes sexual trauma manifests itself in ways that seem strange to outside observers. This is just an example of a fic which depicts that occurring for a character.

I'll also say, as an aside, that even writing fics where the main character is a pedophile does not make the author a pedophile any more than writing about a murderer makes one a murderer. There is a difference between harming an actual, living person, and writing about those things happening. Fiction is fiction; it is not and should not be beholden to the same rules as real life. Additionally, it is wildly dangerous to suggest that stories containing this sort of content shouldn't exist, for two reasons. First, like it or not, terrible things do happen to people in real life, and victims deserve to be able to see their experiences reflected in fiction and they deserve the right to write about their own experiences if they so choose, and second, by saying that, you are saying that you believe people should have the power to erase things that they disapprove of, which is, in my opinion, a horrifying idea. There is no one I trust to make decisions about what art is and isn't allowed to exist. (And I'm sure I don't need to tell you that conservatives often use laws about "what is acceptable" in art to lash out against queer people and queer art! Nor, I'm sure, do I need to tell you that in many places conservatives are campaigning to get queerness as a whole, and especially transness, classified as sexual in order to claim that all queer people who dare exist in public are pedophiles.)

The second facet of this is the "underage girls in short skirts." Anon, it's just anime. It's not even mature anime, to my knowledge. The pictures you're talking about are mostly from magical girl anime. Short skirts are something of a staple of the genre, and the person you accused happens to like both the genre and the fashion. Liking anime does not make one a pedophile. Liking anime with "cute" art styles does not make one a pedophile. Liking fashion with bows and ruffles and short skirts doesn't make one a pedophile. Even enjoying sexual content featuring characters from these anime doesn't make one a pedophile. Yes, even if the characters are underage. It just doesn't. As I said earlier, the ONLY thing that is pedophilia is sexual attraction to and behavior with actual children. Accusing people who like anime of being pedophiles for liking the "wrong" anime is dangerous (for example, Many of the people who have been accused of being pedophiles for watching the "wrong" anime have been trans women, who have then been harassed and become victims of transphobic attacks), and is also just. muddying the waters and making it harder for people to recognize what actual pedophilia looks like.

The third facet is just the messages themselves. Anon, I appreciate that you seem to have been coming from a genuine place when you sent those messages out. I understand that you truly believed that the person you accused WAS guilty. But I also need you to understand that public call-outs like that are dangerous. They can cause actual, material harm in the form of harassment and ostracization - and often, the people doing the harassing are people who have never been involved with the accused in the first place. They're just people who have heard of a target who is "socially acceptable" to harass, and they have taken the opportunity to do so. And you might say, "well, if the person is a pedophile, it doesn't matter." The issue with that is that the person is not always a pedophile (as in this case), the people doing the harassing are unlikely to actually verify that the person in question is a pedophile, and that pedophilia, while truly awful, does not actually exempt a human from being a human, with rights that must be upheld. (After all, if it's okay to remove human rights from even The Worst Person In The World, then all that has to happen for people to remove rights from you is for someone to convince others that you're The Worst Person. You can't exempt anyone from humanity without opening the doors for anyone to get exempted from humanity.) The correct thing to do if you are under the impression that an individual is actually a pedophile (which is to say, actually abusing children or collecting/distributing images of CSA content of actual children) is not to make a call-out post. It is to make someone in authority aware of your concerns - and that is a step that should only be taken if you have actual, proper reason to believe that real children are being abused. Fictional scenarios do not count. Liking anime with certain character archetypes does not count. Those are not signs of being a pedophile. They are not real life.

Anon, I do hope you take the time to read this and think it over. I'll say again that you're allowed to find the fic disturbing. You're allowed to not enjoy discussion of child sexual assault or sexual trauma. I don't enjoy it. But that doesn't mean that fics like that are evil or shouldn't exist, and it certainly doesn't mean that the author is evil. To avoid any discussion of the very real darkness in the world is doing a disservice to everyone who has ever been affected - and avoiding talking about it makes it easier for it to occur. The very best way to prevent pedophilia is to be open about what pedophilia looks like and to be proactive about educating people.

[rasenko-tsudzu]

On Limits

CW for serious discussion! This isn't a teasy post, sorry! I'm still talking about hypnosis stuff, so keep that in mind!

I don't know what exactly prompted me to say this, but:

Any limits you have are entirely valid and nobody can take them away from you.

People fantasise about having their inhibitions taken away. And that's fine! You can fantasise about whatever you want! And as long as you and anyone else involved is ok with it, you can make that fantasy as close to reality as you want! But! There is a difference between "I want to be seduced/hypnotised/convinced/'forced' to break this inhibition" and someone genuinely breaking a limit.

Sometimes it's an accident, and that's ok! Misunderstandings happen, and most people get that. However! This is usually very easy to avoid! Check people's limits before you do things with them! But even that alone isn't the whole story. Sometimes, people just don't feel like things right now, or change their minds, and that's ok too! You can totally like something a lot one day and not find it appealing the next, that's a part of experimentation and the way we develop as people!

Hypnosis is fun for a lot of us precisely because of how open and malleable it makes us. It's fun to be helpless like that! But the reason we can afford that vulnerability is because of a fundamental level of trust. If someone breaks that trust, you don't owe them anything. Your mind is an important thing! It can be fun to pretend it isn't, but it is!

You might run into a situation where someone asks you to do something you aren't sure you want to do. You feel good, because you're hypnotised and you like that, but don't let that feeling good make you do things you ABSOLUTELY DO NOT WANT TO. This is especially for those who are new to this! Some people are, unfortunately, cruel and exploitative, and will try to use that good feeling in ways that are genuinely immoral. Here are some red flags to watch out for:

Someone who tries to put you into a trance whenever you disagree with them on liking something. I don't mean in the bratty way where you actually really want to give in but put up a resistant front, I mean in the genuinely "I'm going to change your mind regardless of how you feel" way as if they can bypass your desires entirely.

Someone who complains about how restrictive your limits are or says you're a bad person or a prude or anything like that because you won't try things you aren't comfortable with.

Someone who you don't know at all who thinks hypnotic triggers are like a magical spell they can use to do whatever they want to you or that one glance at something vaguely hypnotic will make you so mindless you'll ignore how creepy they are.

This may seem obvious, but it's sometimes hard to think clearly if you're entranced and blissful and overlook how manipulative some people are being.

Also, always remember that you can take things back! Consent only lasts as long as you want it to! You don't need to justify yourself. You can decide what you like and what you don't, and change it as your feelings change or situation changes, and a respectful partner will understand and accept it. You can have different limits for different people, or be largely open and have very specific limits even if they're uncommon ones, and that's fine. You don't have to let people call you things you don't like, even if it's just a gut reaction. You don't have to let people sexualise you in one way even if you enjoy it when they do another way.

Anyone who tries to tell you that your limits aren't important, or are dumb, or contradictory, or hypocritical, or anything like that shouldn't be listened to or trusted. It's all right to be confused by someone's limits and try to better understand them. It's ok to find that someone's limits aren't compatible with your wants. But never, ever let tell someone tell you that your limits don't matter.

[dr-zeddy]

Miquella is a deeply tragic character and saying he's a villain just because he used someone, who was probably way worse than him to create an order lead by kindness, makes you come off as pretty short-sighted imo Miq was as much of a victim as Mohg. He had good intentions, he truly believed he could make the he could make the world a better place.

*exhales deeply* Are you the person, I think you are? nonetheless....

I'm going to shed my opinion on Miquella now because I seriously can not tell if this is bait or not from things we see and know in the base game and DLC and want to clarify my thoughts on him and why I believe rendering him as a victim is extremely problematic, also outside of the entire Mohg situation.

Is it so hard to internalize that the things Miquella did were actually highly morally questionable? I got to admit, he is a way more interesting character to me after the DLC because of the things he did (and I enjoy villains, so yeah.) I guess the »villain« term is as much accurate as some of you folks justify brainwashing to be ethical , when it is done with good intentions and keeps the peace, with which I personally do not agree with at all.

I don't see Miquella as tragic because honestly we have nothing to suggest that this guy suffered in any way before he decided to rip himself off of his personality. And that is the point, he decided to do that himself. No one forced him to this. Miquella had a choice, unlike Mohg. Yeah sure, you could argue that he suffered through his immense »empathy« but honestly, Miquella's empathy for the weak and shunned always came off as superficial. Why does he not care for the Albinaurics being tortured in Castle Sol, which is clearly allied with him? Where are the Misbegotten and other creatures in Elphael? Where are the Albinaurics? And the Omens? The Nomads?? Miquella claims to want to create a perfect world where everyone is equal but honestly except for words we hear, we do not see any fucking action or effort to truly include them in his world order.

And that's the thing, Miquella reeks for me at best of naivity and at worst of white saviour complex. He grew up as a fucking empyrean, he had a good relationship with at least one of his parents, he was a golden child. From the things we see and hear in the base game, and now the DLC, it feels like Miquella does not seem to grasp the complexity of the situation when it comes to subjugation. If that is due to his child-like thinking, infused by his curse or actually just his personality, is up for debate. Can you truly care for the subjugated as someone more privileged? Absolutely. But only if you truly educate yourself on the matter and actually listen to the needs of the excluded and shunned.

What does Miquella do instead? He rips everyone off of their autonomy to make decisions themselves if they refuse or challenge his beliefs. That is textbook tyranny. You can not save someone, who refuses to be saved by someone like you. Doing so anyway is extremely ignorant. In the end, Miquella actually puts his needs & beliefs before that of those he claims to desire to save. He is so convinced of his own agenda that he loses track of the moral dilemma, his approach to worldpeace poses. That is not tragic. These are the thoughts of a megalomaniac. If Miquella's selflessness was truly genuine there would be no need of compelling affection. However, he bewitches people. Over and over.

Of course, there are his efforts of curing Malenia still. But even that is, in the big sight of things, not really a selfless act because Malenia is a.) close family and b.) he gets and actual use out of Malenia's talent as a skilled swordswoman. I do not think Miquella bewitched her, I truly believe Malenia followed him by his own will and I also do believe he really did want to help her! However true kindness lays in how you treat those who can do nothing for you. Bewitching those who can do nothing for you and refuse to follow you, is not exactly a very pretty picture of his character.

And in comes Mohg to this occasion. The game is so fucking obvious about the fact that Mohg was the exploited one and I seriously do not understand why people still insist he isn't and exploited Miquella?? He is the only demigod we know for certain of, who was brainwashed. With Radahn and Malenia we do not know for sure but with Mohg we do. The fact that Mohg was bewitched implies that Miquella could not be sure that Mohg would have agreed to a deal and that would have been a way safer route than to bewitch him and his closest consult. I mean, Miquella almost DIED because he underestimated Ansbach's knowledge on how Mohg behaves. Why the fuck risk that if you could have just openly made a deal with Mohg, if he was as power hungry and crazy as the game implied?

In contrast to Miquella, Mohg is actually one of the most tragic characters in the game. This motherfucker was told his mere existence is a crime, grew up in the sewers locked away for years, he had no one except this one Outer God who seemed to care for him and showed him maternal love, something he was deprived off his entire life. Not getting into the speculation on how the cult operated before Miquella took over but it's very clear that he ruined Mohg's life. Mohg just wanted to get away from the toxicity he grew up with and created his own haven, from which he too thought, was the right thing to do. However he never forced anyone to join him. He never mind controlled people. People followed him by their own accounts.

The cult in itself is probably morally questionable too but we also have no idea how the Mohgwyn Dynasty worked before Miquella essentially took over. But by that standard, everyone is in the Lands Between is a twisted bastard with their different agendas ….

The point is that Ansbach is still right though when he says that »Mohg deserved better«. NO ONE who is genuinely interested in helping the shunned and subjugated, would chose one of the most excluded and tormented souls as their pawn. NOBODY deserves to be treated like this but the fact that Mohg is a product of extreme racism and social exclusion makes it so much worse and makes Miquella look so much more hypocritical. It suits the stuff we see in Castle Sol and the Haligtree … Miquella wants to be seen as the world's saviour so badly but seems to have no understanding on what suffering actually means. Because he never experienced it. His empathy is superficial and short sighted. The fact he is convinced he is doing everyone a favour in bewitching them, and does everything in his power to achieve his dream, makes him a truly terrifying villain. And that is something I like Miquella for. Is that really so hard to accept for people like you?

Sure, you can still live out the fantasy in your head that the mindcontrolling intermitted in Mohg to "grape" Miquella (even tho the game also never confirmed this????) if that pleases you, but for the love of God stop acting like it is a fact that Miquella was used by Mohg because he wasn't. I guess a lot of personal feelings from my side bubble up regarding this topic and I'm sorry of if I come off as passive aggressive but as a survivor of abuse as a minor by someone "popular", and nobody believed me, and Mohg being one of my comfort characters, that shit hits different. Just not a fan of turning victim-abuser dynamics upside down, sorry.

[beifong-brainrot]

Hi hello, feel free to ignore this ask if you're sick of people bugging you about Su's relationship with Lin.

Why do you think Su said that shit that was like "No wonder why Tenzin left you... [you're just a sad old woman (or some shit I do not remember exactly what was said but girl!! shots fired!!)]"

Would love to hear your take on what was going on in Su's mind there if you're up for it.

Honestly? Because she probably knew it would hurt Lin's feelings. Look, I defend Suyin when I can, but this was mean as shit and it was intended as such.

I do think this is a boling point for Suyin as much as it is Lin. Although Lin has reason to be angry with Suyin, and I'm nor expecting her to be warm and friendly, we can't deny that she has been... well, a bit of an asshole throughout her stay in Zaofu.

(Side note- I do love Lin growling when she's upset because my dad also does that and now I find middle aged people -my dad is not middle aged but lets pretend so we don't hurt his feelings- growling in annoyance normal and endearing)

She's been consistently antagonising Suyin with small jabs, which, I believe, especially the one about Suyin's motherhood were absolutely out of line.

Lin: Five kids. What a nightmare. Suyin: No, no. My children are a blessing. Lin: Yeah, mom used to say that too, but she never meant it.

Like, m'am, in front of said kids. Like I can easily see this hurting Suyin's feelings, with how strongly she is attached to her family. And then Lin drives Suyin's daughter to tears, which probably didn't smooth the situation over.

Suyin: I know she has a problem with me, but she had no right to yell at Opal last night.

And, mind you, once again, before people flood my inbox again, Lin isn't entirely in the wrong here. But she's also being a dick, and Su has been mainly allowing her to rage.

This is not to say Su has been completely rolling over for Lin, but I think it's more that she's been allowing Lin to take her anger out on her, perhaps hoping that is what Lin needs. As that is also her perogative when Lin attacks her.

Suyin: You've got it out of your system? Lin: [Angrily.] Not quite yet!

Maybe this is a pattern of behaviour from when they were younger that they have fallen into (since it did kinda work in the end lol) . So, Suyin allows Lin to lash out at her, even if some comments could get under her skin.

I think Lin yelling at Opal changes the situation for Suyin a bit, since now her child, who was just trying to be nice, is collateral in this sisterly beef. Suyin's tone is also much more stern and angered when talking about Opal getting yelled at.

So, I think the stage is set for Su to lash back out at Lin. And so next time they speak, Su says what she says. Especially that it was a tense conversation, and Suyin truly does appear hurt by Lin's constant rejection of peace. She's hurt that Lin pushed her away for almost 30 years, which, while it was Lin's right to do so, doesn't negate the fact that Su is stated to have reached out multiple times and tried to work things out with Lin. However, Lin is still very weirdly obsessed with the idea that Suyin hasn't changed at all.

Lin: You think that just because you live in a big, fancy house, and have a chef who cooks you fancy food, that you're a different person? Maybe you could fool everyone else, but you can't fool me. I see right through you. Suyin : You know what, Lin? You're the one who hasn't changed. You're still a bitter loner who only cares about herself. No wonder Tenzin ended things with you years ago.

And this is the proverbial straw that broke the camels back, because say what you want about Su, but she has changed and grown since her and Lin last saw each other. And, honestly, I think Lin's constant assuredness that Su hasn't changed stems from Lin's crux character flaw of stagnating and rejecting change. It's not that Su hasn't changed, it's the fact that the way Lin perc8eves her has not changed, which is, of course, one and the same to Lin.

Suyin's words also call back to the same phrasing Korra used in Old Wounds, and it drives home the message the writers want us to see- about the fact that Lin's coping mechanisms arr not healthy for her or those around her.

I love the Zaofu arc for Lin, because it's one of the only times her stagnation and stubborness get challenged. Are the other characters being mean to her? Yes, but mainly because she was being mean too. It's the most aggressive intervention for one of the most stubborn characters of the show, and I love it. I wish that there was more development around Lin, because yeah, she is a loner (nothing wrong with being introverted, but Lin seems to actively isolate herself) ,yeah, she is bitter and she's taking it out on herself and on others, and it's not healthy.

Also, side note, we need to talk about Lin's weird paranoia thing around Su. Like the whole "Maybe you could fool everyone else, but you can't fool me." and being hell bent on the idea that Su is working with the Red Lotus. Like Lin is there in the corner with her tin hat on waiting for Suyin to be the show's next twist villain or something lol

[aceofenbies]

hii new moot!! scrolled through ur blog a bit and i love what u post! hope u have a great day :3

you've probably explained/answered this on your blog, but i wanna ask how you explain your gender and what your labels mean to you!! since your blog seems very focused on your nonbinary identity i figured i'd invite you to share about it :]

hi! i'm the person behind @themaveriqueagenda btw, which is why i followed from this account.

i'm maverique, nonbinary, transgender/transambiguous, other-aligned.

if i had to describe it without words, i'd also use a colour metaphor; if male is blue and female is pink, i am yellow. if male is in one corner of the room i'm in and female is in the other, i am somewhere in space with the stars. i am an equal distance away from both binary genders.

my gender is loud and usually impossible to ignore. the only way for me not to think about my gender is if something else is louder. it's loud because it's screaming at binary classification, because it's essentially the opposite of binary gender. my gender is like someone dressed flamboyantly and colourfully, standing out of the more quietly dressed crowd. it's so far from what is considered "normal" that it's impossible for me not to perceive it, even if just out of the corner of my eye. my gender is bright and loud also because of the constant reminders that it shouldn't exist. none of this is something i actively do, they feel like inherent qualities of my gender.

when these words are too much, i am neither. "neither" has been with me ever since i've come out, it gets the point across easily without getting into details that aren't relevant in many situations.

i didn't transition away from my AGAB to get closer to the other binary gender, i transitioned into a different direction entirely. if binary transition is going from A to B, i am not going to B, i am not even going in the general direction of B, i am not somewhere along the road towards B. i am probably going to Ü, a letter most people won't think about when they think about the alphabet, in the same way most people won't think of my gender when they hear "transgender".

my ideal gender expression would result in people being confused about my gender or at least being read as both binary genders in somewhat equal amounts, which is the "best" option i can expect in our current society. i want to be confiding in my way, not in a "blending both binary genders" way. they may or may not look the same to outsiders, but the difference matters to me as one misgenders me and the other does not. since my gender is unconventional, unrecognised and unknown, it's impossible for me to figure out a gender expression specifically for my gender. but at the end of the day, no matter how i present, my gender expression is always going to be my gender. i reclaim things from the gender binary and make them my own, sucking every last binary bit out of it. ultimately i present how i want to present, and people will perceive me however they will perceive me. this tends to be very dysphoria-inducing, always having to choose between at least somewhat being seen for who i am and compromising on my own self-expression, and presenting however i want and maybe decreasing the likelihood of being gendered correctly. either way, what gives me gender euphoria is reclaiming bits and pieces of what people think is binary expression and mixing it up with my own weirdness.

i am by no means "unaligned". i feel the most in community with people who have genders that are not related to the binary, and to an extent with those who don't have a gender.

[mysticalserenity-tarot]

💸 What sort of money flows comes to you naturally? 💸 (Pick a pile)

{How to pick a pile? First, take a deep breath with your eyes closed to clear your mind. When you open your eyes, don't hesitate – pick the image that immediately grabs your attention or stirs up a memory. Remember, you can pick more than one pile if you feel called to. If none of the images stand out for you, it means there's no message for you at this time. You can always come back to it later.}

✧○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ - ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ - ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ✧

Pile 1, Pile 2, Pile 3 (from left to right)

Hello and always a huge thank you to everyone for your incredible support, it means a lot to me!

In this collective pick a pile reading, we'll explore the ways in which money and financial abundance might come into your life effortlessly and harmoniously. Let's see where your energy takes us.

Disclaimer: This is a collective reading I picked up on multiple energies, so please only take what resonates and leave the rest. When something resonates you usually feel a light energy and in your heart you can feel it's your message, and the pic that attracts you is a clearly sign.

✧○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ - ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ - ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ○ꊞ✧

💵 PILE 1

(the longest lol)

The Sun, Ace of Swords, The Hermit

Hello Pile 1, and welcome to your reading. Let's dive in!

The vibes I'm getting from this collective are super energetic and moving. It's about not staying in the same environment and situations, because life should move for y'all. This tells me that the way money and financial abundance come to you is through experiences, trying different things. Mostly through traveling and freedom. Literally expanding your mind and soul. To attract prosperity, you have to feel free from any burden, which could be in the form of a thing, a person, or a situation. I see that you easily drain yourself, and you need to retreat for a certain period to come out stronger and empowered. People drain you, my pile 1, but you shouldn't feel bad about it. Indeed, you benefit more from alone time and focused on your goals.

You attract financial abundance, money the most when you're tuned into yourself - which is hilarious because in my spread I see no one but you. When you do what your heart suggests and ignore people's opinions trying to get into your business, you hate this, right? You don't look for help outside of you, but let me remind you that asking for help doesn't make you any lesser, but it's actually a strong act, and you should be proud of it.

So, the inspiration comes or should come from within you because you're the type that ventures in search of new, exciting experiences, and this is a great way to attract abundance into your life. But, your guides are warning here - be careful not to spend over 'useless' things that don't serve your higher good, and some of you do this a lot, and when you go broke, you regret it.I see your cup overflowing with water, and you know when you fill something with too much liquid, some of it falls. You have to learn how to control yourself, my dear, and stop yourself from falling into this trap of spending where there's no need. However, don’t deprive yourself entirely when you truly desire something. Always remember the saying, 'who wants too much, at the end nothing holds.' Be mindful of your own spending - and when you borrow money from someone, please don’t forget to give it back, or the divine may not be forgiving.

If we have to sum up your reading, we'd say keep seeking new experiences and don't forget to follow your heart/your intuition, and trust that money will find you. This doesn't mean immediately or magically, but for example, if you take new job opportunities or open your own business. Right off the bat, if someone here is thinking about open their own activity this is your sign, as I saw the Chariot before starting your reading, it's a sign that it will bring you success in the long run. I also see many 9, Aces, and numbers following – 9, 111, 789 may be significant, as well as enlightenment and the color yellow.

9: validation, completion, justification, intuition, success.

1: beginnings, core, inspiration.

Thank you for allowing me to read your energy, Pile 1.

Note: -If you enjoyed this and my other readings, and you'd like to support me further, you can do so on my ko-fi, I'd greatly appreciate it. It's not mandatory.

-For further guidance or a personalized reading, feel free to book a reading through my Tumblr DM or email [dvinecrystl@gmail.com]. I'm here to help you navigate life's challenges and find clarity. We can decide the price together. [I will be providing more details on my paid readings in the future. Keep an eye out for it]

💵 PILE 2

2 of Wands, Ace of Pentacles, 10 of Pentacles

Hello Pile 2, and welcome to your reading. Let's dive in!

When it comes to money flows, I pick up a similar energy to pile 1, although in an opposite way. Despite this possible correlation, some of you may still resonate with some messages in pile 1, so feel free to check it. Unlike my pile 1, who is more open to adventures and new experiences, you are more restrained and closed off, even though you'd like to get out of your comfort zone. The cards have spoken, dear. It's not a question of 'if you want' but a necessity – 'you've got to go.' This is how financial abundance naturally finds you. Some of you have refused job offers that would have brought significant gains because you felt you weren't good enough, or someone was better, and later regretted it when it was too late.

I completely understand, but I have to tell you that our mind is powerful, and if we want something, we shouldn't give up and persist through sweat and tears. In this way, we'll obtain it no matter how it may not align with us. We are souls in a human body, and we can reach whatever we set our minds to.

The abundance of pentacles suggests the career area as your most thriving and struggling aspect, but this struggle is a lesson for you to do even better.What I also see is that you're stubborn when it comes to want something - people and even the divine offer you something that would help you grow and expand, but you're always thinking, 'No, I want that one thing/person.' Unfortunately your tendency to be a traditionalist or afraid of change hinders your growth and expansion. You have to be more open to new possibilities. You're a traditionalist or afraid of change, and I hear you loud and clear because same here.

Side note: I feel like some of you are about to get money from your friends or family, perhaps a grandmother for your birthday? this is nice!

To sum up your reading, you have to stop refusing any kind of opportunities presenting in front of you, evaluating the pros and cons based on your goals, and not on your lack of confidence. Get out, and let everyone see you. You are meant to shine, darling!

Thank you for allowing me to read your energy, Pile 2.

Note: -If you enjoyed this and my other readings, and you'd like to support me further, you can do so on my ko-fi, I'd greatly appreciate it. It's not mandatory.

-For further guidance or a personalized reading, feel free to book a reading through my Tumblr DM or email [dvinecrystl@gmail.com]. I'm here to help you navigate life's challenges and find clarity. We can decide the price together. [I will be providing more details on my paid readings in the future. Keep an eye out for it]

💵 PILE 3

7 of Wands, 2 of Cups, Knight of Pentacles rv

Hello Pile 3, and welcome to your reading. Let's dive in!

You guys let other people step on your dreams and goals, and I'm picking up energy of defeat. Maybe you let others dictate your life, consciously or unconsciously. When we don't realize it, our subconscious starts to play. This is a heavy burden for you.

So, the sort of money flows that come into your life effortlessly is when you don't let anyone's opinion, including family or friends, phase you. You have all the tools to live on your own terms. One of the worst feelings is to regret not doing something because someone didn't want you to. You need to start believing in yourself more. You have all the right tools to go forward without anyone's help. But as I like to mention asking for help doesn't make you any less, and it's important when you really need it. A little trip alone can be beneficial to show yourself that you can do it on your own.

Another important thing I'm getting for financial abundance to naturally enter your life is to be loyal to your goals, dreams, beliefs, and complete things you start. Be productive as much as you can, and don't let laziness take control. We all have lazy days and there's nothing wrong with admitting it, but as I said try not to let them get the best of you because it would be a pity since you're one of those people that can change the world if you really want to.

Some of you may have or will have wealthy or even rich partners who will bring financial stability or significant gains, especially if you're still youngish. I'm picking up unions, partnerships whether in love or in work as an another money flows for you, connections that will help reach your goals and so financial stability (not immediately though)

To sum up your reading (which is kind of short as the cards and your guides came up more straightforward for you 😆), the cards highlight the importance of self-belief, loyalty to one's goals and beliefs, and the potential for financial abundance through partnerships or wealthy partners.

Spiritual warfare, meaningful pieces of jewelry may be significant for some of you, as is the color green.

Thank you for allowing to read your energy, Pile 3.

Note: -If you enjoyed this and my other readings, and you'd like to support me further, you can do so on my ko-fi, I'd greatly appreciate it. It's not mandatory.

-For further guidance or a personalized reading, feel free to book a reading through my Tumblr DM or email [dvinecrystl@gmail.com]. I'm here to help you navigate life's challenges and find clarity. We can decide the price together. [I will be providing more details on my paid readings in the future. Keep an eye out for it]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANY LIKE/REBLOG/COMMENT IS APPRECIATED, ALSO IF YOU LET ME KNOW IF IT RESONATED.

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST MY WORK.

ALWAYS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EACH ONE OF YOU'S SUPPORT, I'M GRATEFUL 🤗🤍

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please note that I used AI language bot to help improve grammar and spelling in my readings, as English is not my first language. However, the interpretations and insights provided in my readings are all my work, based on my intuition and the cards' symbolism.

Disclaimer: Tarot readings are for entertainment purposes only and are not meant to predict or dictate your future. The cards provide insights and guidance, but the ultimate power of choice lies with you.

[thatdogmagic]

re: this pointless shit again

Well, I'd done pretty good ignoring this as I promised I would, but a third party meddler made that impossible, so here we go.

So, as some of you may know, and some of you may not, pretty much every time I post an update to the website, a trio of stalkers jump on my every word and go on a posting blitz. These are people who very openly just want me ostracized from every community I'm in, at a time when community matters more than anything, and they've proven that they'll invest over a year's worth of time into making that happen.

There are a series of posts about it listed here. I suggest people read Ependa's post especially because she keeps getting ignored in all of this.

I honestly think I took too much of the responsibility for what all happened in the posts that are still up, but it is what it is. I was doing my best to be gracious and diplomatic about it. More's the pity.

Anyway I suppose I should be flattered by the level of effort involved in all of this, but it's still a pain in the ass. I've done my best to ignore it, and was overall managing pretty well, but that was before a third party decided to involve themselves to stir shit and/or score internet points.

In March, after the most recent update and rollout of commission prices, someone kindly reached out to let me know that there was some exclusive werewolf artist telegram group chat going on. Effectively a kind of clubhouse, with a pretty wide range of people in my peer group. The owner followed me, and had gone as far as to send me DMs in the past, but to my knowledge had never extended an invite.

They did, however, extend an invite to one of my stalkers, who, again, for the past full year and change, has been openly calling for me to be publicly ripped apart and ostracized.

This person has not been at all shy about that. The owner nonetheless platformed them for a couple weeks. During that time, they went on near daily rants about me specifically. So far as I've been told, I was pretty much all they could talk about, before they dropped out of the chat on their own accord.

I can't say that the owner was intentionally drama-mongering or not, but it doesn't really matter, at this point. I have a hard time imagining that they didn't know this was going on, however, and have blocked accordingly.

Now, as I said, there was only one person that reached out, and I'm grateful they did. But it is only one out of 70+ individuals, which doesn't feel great. I mean, this is the same community of peers for whom I'm trying to build an entire website. Which was already a lot of work with a lot of uncertainty. Now, suddenly, it was more of both.

I'm bringing this up because, even before all this, uncertainty was a daily issue I had to grapple with regarding this issue. This situation has made me feel like I have to keep track of every moot on a near-daily basis to make sure they haven't suddenly unfollowed. It's made me have to assume every unfollow in my peer group is due to someone buying into the drama.

Some of you have caught mutes or blocks that may have been undeserved as a result. I'm sorry about that; I'm just not interested in taking chances with this, and I don't want someone who may fully believe all the nonsense to have access to me on sites I want to post on comfortably, among friends.

In addition to having to keep all that in mind, I also just generally have to brace for the fact that, every single time I post a site update, I'm in for another round of bloviating. Which isn't fun, but it's decidedly less fun when I have to care about a) any of it, at all, in any capacity, b) how intense it is this time around, c) who fell for it.

It was a lot to keep in mind already. On top of all the actual work involved. It made writing and coding all of these updates even more of a chore, which is arguably the point of the harassment campaign , but, I digress.

So, needless to say, hearing about this, that this was not only allowed, but that people more or less sat passively by...

My motivation was already on shaky ground. And I'm not too proud to say that this effectively killed it.

It's not that I think all the folks in the group chat are awful; I think many of you just plain wanted to stay out of it, which, for the record, I appreciate. But, things being the way they are currently, you unfortunately now represent a level of uncertainty that is way too much for me to take on.

That is to say: I would rather not have to care about unfollows, at all. I would rather not have to care about whether or not someone believes the bullshit. I need to stop caring about it, period. I need as few reasons to care about it as possible, which means shedding a couple-few of them where I can.

So-- for my own sake, I'm stepping away from the idea of this being a larger community site. It's instead going to focus on folks that Angela and I already trust and have worked well with in the past, including alums from the original Werewolves Versus run.

Like I said: I already can't tell the difference between someone who just wants to stay out of it, and someone bought in to all the bullshit. I can't tell the difference between an unfollow for 'eh too much porn these days' reasons, and 'I fully believe she's a ~horrible transphobic rot~ on this earth and should be fully ostracized from the community' reasons.

It's all been a little too 'high school but super high stakes' for me. And in the year 2025, I have to admit to myself that I just don't have the energy for it. Not with fash breathing down our necks every day of the week. Quite literally on the day I've been drafting this, my state governor had to release a statement about how the Feds are threatening to arrest him.

That's the very real uncertainty we're up against right now. Adding 'now regularly give a shit about the fallout of some petty internet drama' on top of it is too much to ask.

We'll leave ourselves open to bringing in additional creators as time goes on, but yeah, the grand vision for the place needs to be set aside in favor of something more manageable. 'Cause, end of the day, I only ever wanted to work on my own shit, and facilitate others being able to work on theirs. The community thing was just a lofty idea tacked on, and it's one that'd be better off being left behind so I can focus on the actual work, and not the popularity contest.

The good news is we're still going to be a small collective of werewolf artists. We're still going to go through with our general mission statement. But our roster is primarily going to be more made up of people we already know, trust, interact with regularly, etc, versus the goal of building up a mod/volunteer team, and eventually taking applications for galleries from the community at large. Someone else with the time, energy and money can take up that task.

And speaking of: now that I've stepped away, as my stalkers were clearly hoping I would, I hope the people in their lives and in their friend circles tell them it's okay to move on to actual projects now. To put all this effort into their own community sites and studios (that are completely real and attached to completely real LLCs). They've got all this energy freed up now, so they should be able to do great things with it, I'm sure.

To anyone who might have gotten their hopes up about what this site could've been: I'm genuinely sorry.

To everyone else: our audience has been wonderful to us generally, through all of this. Thank you for sticking with us, and for believing in us.

And to the hate watchers: stay mad I guess. It's your life, do with it what you want.

[justchillandshipit]

Parents in the 911 Universe

The 'unfamiliar' situation Chris sees Eddie in is: Eddie trying to do home repairs without Buck. lol Kidding. I have no idea what is going to play out.

___

I love Ryan Guzman and I'm hoping to see his POV on bold display over these next few episodes, but I'm not looking forward to seeing Helena treating Eddie like crap only to be forgiven by the next episode without even apologizing. I'm low-key dreading the episode and thinking about skipping it until I see what fandom says about it.

I adore a lot of Tim Minear's work. I really do, but the way he handles these parenting relationships is so out of touch. Some people are so toxic toward their children that they should be in jail. The way every single parent gets a free pass and forgiveness within one or two episodes is unreal. (The only exception being Eddie apparently, and quite frankly, he shouldn't be lumped in with the bad parents in the first place. I'll get to that later.)

Let's look at Chim. Lord, Chim's father didn't even apologize. His second wife tried to explain his actions and excuse his behavior, while Chim's brother tried to guilt-trip Chim into thinking he is a bad parent for not letting his daughter get to know the man who ignored him for "how many years?" I haven't liked Albert since that episode. It totally ruined his character for me.

Both sets of my grandparents died before I was born. It didn't ruin me not to know them. It would have been a nice bonus if they were good to my parents growing up, but if they misused or abused my parents in any way, I wouldn't want them to babysit me, nor would I want to witness them degrade and humiliate my parents.

Don't even get me started on the mental abuse that Buck went through. I hate it for you Mr. Minear. Neglect is abuse, and grief over one child does not excuse what you do to the living children. I'll never get over them giving Maddie that baby box in front of Buck, knowing they never even attempted to make one for him. (The crazy part is that there was so much potential Buck backstory that could be tied to this neglect. Starting with Buck being unable to realize that his attraction to men was not something a heterosexual man would feel. He would also stand a better chance of realizing that the way he is feeling toward Eddie is not only friendship.)

For a moment, I thought Eddie's Dad might be okay, but he used the history he had with Eddie to manipulate Eddie into giving up Chris. (And no, I don't consider what happened with Kim in the same league. Eddie was honest with Kim and ended things with her. She was bat$#it crazy for dying her hair and showing up at his house uninvited.) Until the day I die, I will not forget the way Helena Diaz smiled as she walked out of Eddie's house with Chris, nor will I ever forget the way she was in such a hurry to leave that she told Eddie if they forgot something he could ship it or they would buy Chris something new.) Buck was the only one expressing concern for what Eddie was doing. [side note: I've never been onboard with Chris moving to TX. Spending the summer there and getting some distance after a huge upset would have been a compromise that worked. However, I truly believed that the whole point Minear had was to deconstruct Eddie and show us who he really is regarding his sexuality. For this reason, I've tried to put my faith in him. Yet here we are. All this time without Chris, and all of 8A could possibly be connected to a larger sexuality story arc, or it could not. (If anything, the Shannon story has two textual canon storylines. In one, she is the love of Eddie's life. The woman he hasn't been able to get over for the entire show. Every season just adds more and more to this part of the story. On the other hand, Eddie has had conversations with others about how he was young and only married Shannon because she was pregnant, they were pressured, & she made him feel normal. I want a definitive answer for what's happening here. For Gay Eddie, both of these things can't be true. For bi-Eddie it could be true. If Eddie is something else on the LGBTQ spectrum, it could be true.)

From 8A, I don't see anything definitive that says he has been deconstructed. The general audience sure wouldn't see it. A priest told him once to allow joy, and he danced in his underwear. (While entertaining, and in other ways, these were great moments and good episodes. It ultimately didn't help the general audience, and these could have happened with Chris still in town, but perhaps not at home for the dancing part.)

8B, on the other hand, has been really great for giving some of Eddie's POV. We have desperately needed that. I'm hoping it will continue. I think the general audience has finally been given something to see since they ignore the subtext. I think that is great. Kudos. Yet for all of this, I still think it could have been done without removing Chris. So my hope, at this point, is that in the next few episodes, Minear will deliver on why it was necessary to move Chris to TX. I already know he is not going to deliver on a satisfying parental ending with Eddie and his parents, so I want to see where removing Chris was worth it.

Anyway, I got a little sidetracked there. Back to parents. The only parent that I've seen earn forgiveness is Hen's Mom, who acknowledged that the blame fell at her feet, apologized for all the hurt and harm she caused, and then demonstrated and worked to prove that she loved her daughter and wanted to be a part of her life.

[clonerightsagenda]

For now I think I'm going to use #crude monsters as my catchall tag because I respect a clever title. I'll try to backtag stuff but given tumblr's search function I'm going to pile all my current thoughts in one place so this one at least will be tagged.

Thesis

I've observed a theme in SFF works from the last decade connecting the undead/death magic with fossil fuels/climate change in a way that makes even more literal our contemporary society being powered by dead things (fossil fuels) and positions climate change/pollution as a 'haunting' we've brought upon ourselves. The specter of communism may have been haunting Europe, but the specter of petrochemicals now stalks the globe, and it's getting hot (or cold) in here.

Examples I have collected so far:

The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir

This is the most blatant. House society runs on death even more visibly than our own. It was created by a man working to save the planet, but even his original project betrays a belief that humans can't possibly escape their extractive relationship with Earth - it relied on freezing the entire population until the Earth could recover, instead of changing anyone's behavior. John wipes out our society, but he ends up recreating a lot of its harmful structures, including a reliance on extraction and death. The Houses rely on labor performed by skeletal servitors (more akin to the original zombie-as-enslaved-labor than the modern ravenous swarm). They use material goods primarily made of plastic or human bone/tissue. The Empire expands by killing entire planetary ecosystems and harvesting the death energy, spawning vengeful hauntings that target necromancers (people born from and benefiting from this extractive process) and Lyctors (necromancers who have gone even further to make continual death and extraction core to their identity). John, the leader of the empire, is powered by the death of Earth, and that's what's literally keeping the lights on - when he's briefly killed, the sun starts to go out. Society's view of human life as fuel trickles down to the interpersonal level as well, with many characters blurring devotion and consumption, taking it as a personal rejection when someone refuses to eat them, or deciding that the kindest alternative to the societal status quo is mutual self-immolation (nuclear fusion?).

Beyond the resurrection beasts serving as the vengeance of slaughtered ecosystems, we also see the aftereffects of this regime in the River, which is filthy and polluted. The Cuyahoga River catching fire became a key symbol and tipping point in the environmental movement in the late 60s/70s, and here we have a river that's been befouled by however John broke the world.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud

In this series, Britain is plagued by something no one wants to name. It's not haunting, it's a Problem. They're not ghosts, they're Visitors. The dead don't have names, they get nicknames like natural disasters. But at the root is a group of wealthy industrialists who are exacerbating a crisis and profiting off of it at the same time. Business leaders are invading the afterlife to extract a product literally made out of dead people, which stirs up the dead and heightens the Problem. Then they turn around and make money off it by selling key supplies and services (silver, iron, agents, etc.) The reliance on children's Talents is reminiscent of climate change rhetoric around young people. Polls suggest young people are the most aware and concerned about climate change (after all, like with Visitors, they can see and feel it most clearly). Many adults in Turbohaunted Britain are willfully ignorant of the situation, brush off their own responsibility, and talk about how "the children will save us", cheerfully dropping the problem into the laps of a generation that did not cause it but will inherit its worst effects. Of course it's not just children who suffer - the process of invading the Other Side is actively killing the people doing it as well, and yet they still won't stop, driven by extractive greed.

This extraction is also displacing a large population. The dead entering living Britain are victims, but they're dehumanized by the real wrongdoers who need an easy scapegoat and the money they can make off one. The later books in this series were published around the height of the European refugee "crisis", when Europe saw high numbers of migrants from Middle Eastern and North African nations experiencing instability that Western oil interests contributed to. Rather than recognizing their responsibility and welcoming these people, Europe as a whole mostly rejected and vilified them, and nations across the globe continue to latch onto cases where migrants do hurt someone as evidence that they're all dangerous monsters, using them as a smokescreen to deflect attention from the rich corporate architects of our collective misery.

The Scholomance by Naomi Novik

This is my third example, and I might be stretching the undead thing a bit, but not too much imo. In the Scholomance series, privileged magic users, primarily in Western and wealthy nations, live in extravagant protected enclaves, leaving everyone else at the mercy of dangerous monsters. It's eventually revealed that enclaves are literally built on the backs of human sacrifices, which spawn a tar pit-like monster (mawmouth) that roams around devouring people - mostly those unlucky individuals who don't get through the enclave gates, meaning the people who benefit are also the least impacted, just as we've seen with warming and climate disasters. Their comfort comes at a direct cost to everyone else. Mawmouths are made out of that original sacrifice but accumulate their screaming, perpetually dying victims, and El is eventually able to defeat them by reminding them that they're "already dead", so I'd say they're at least undead-adjacent.

When a Chinese wizard learns the secret of enclave construction, he confronts the Western enclaves, who refuse to stop. So, his faction feels they have no choice but to build their own enclaves, even if that makes the problem worse. It's reminiscent of how the West scolds "developing" nations for increasing their population and emissions despite having enjoyed the fruits of living large, carbon consumption-wise, for decades. ("We had our fun, now we're going to wag our fingers at anyone who doesn't want to sign emissions treaties. We're not following them though.") The New York enclave makes a more ~ethical~ mawmouth (Orion = greenwashing??) but mostly so they can weaponize it against anyone who argues with them. Orion being created as part of this arms race and El being born to 'balance' him out again hearkens to the idea that the children will somehow save us, and also revisits that children are the most impacted by our warming future, stuck cleaning up earlier generations' messes.

Hi Nay by Motzie Dapul

This connection was made during a Discord conversation and not by me, so I really need to relisten to the podcast with this framing in mind. A group of mostly wealthy Elders gain magical power through sowing the Toronto landscapes with Foci that harvest energy from death. The ones that bother with justifications say it's for the greater good and the deaths at least are random chance, but in reality the Elders are safe and their Foci impact the unprotected, just as we pretend natural disasters and pandemics are great equalizers when really they and other climate-induced destruction hit frontline populations hardest. Just like the wealthy in our world, they're profiting off of people's deaths and looking the other way as man-made disasters caused by their actions destroy people.

Additionally, the use of death magic at scale destabilizes the barrier between the worlds of the living and the dead, and locations where a Focus has activated in the past are more likely to experience problems again. Essentially it's a feedback loop, the way we see exponential warming and increased disasters as different 'symptoms' of climate change feed off each other. Foci creating corrupt, repulsive "miasmas" that distort the world around them is also reminiscent of ecological damage and pollution.

The showrunner has indicated future episodes might tackle this theme more directly, so I'm excited about that!

Limitations

Of these four works, three were written by white authors living in what I would categorize as an extracting area of the world rather than an extraction zone. All four works are at least primarily in English for an English-speaking audience. This does not reflect the frontline communities most vulnerable to the current ravages of climate change, and I would not be surprised if this theme has arisen in works I have not found, either because they did not make it through mainstream publishing's gatekeeping or because I do not speak the language.

That being said, hauntings often have their logic. There's unfinished business, someone (something?) wants revenge, people crossed lines they shouldn't have. So perhaps this theme popping up in extractive countries is an acknowledgement of that culpability, admitting that we dug up these angry dead, and now we don't know how to put them back to rest. Shame the rest of the world is paying for our trespass.

I'll continue to keep an eye out for more examples of this theme; feel free to let me know if you spot one!

[glitter-stained]

I promise I’m not being messy but where are you seeing the stupid posts? I’m just curious

Like most of my mental health issues, people having incorrect takes i disagree with about fictional characters i love is multicausal. I'm firmly off twitter, tiktok and, more recently, off instagram as well, so my main source of frustration is tumblr.

Sometimes it's a genius reblogging a vague post about the treatment of victims in fandom and the way it ties to culture irl and thinking it's a reasonable and respectful take to suggest we retcon stories that involve themes of victimhood entirely and not see how this would be out-of-pocket and inappropriate.

Sometimes tumblr.com does the funny thing on my dash where it sees I liked several Steph posts so it shows me a wildly incorrect take from someone so determined to hate onto Jason they'd make Steph into an asshole- and sometimes I get into the notes because I'm a masochist and see someone calling Jason a terrorist for the events of Seeing Red while referring to Mia Dearden as a teenage girl (nevermind that she and jason are practically the same age), a csa victim (several times) and Green Arrow's daughter and sidekick, but never by her actual name. Of course, there's the time I made the mistake of going into the Mia tag because (god forbid) I wanted to find art of one of my favourite characters to reblog. Honestly the mia & jason discourse made me angrier on behalf of Mia than Jason tbh.

There's also the frequent tendency of people to maintag jason hate, which comes from I believe two sources. First there's the people who love to hate Jason and don't realize it's still not a positive post for the character (i.e. "bftc is actually good! People just need to accept that jason is an obsessive little psycho, he's actually in character in it he's just evil and I love him for that, he's one of my favourite crazy evil fucked up guys :3 love how fucked up in the head he is"/ or "jason's hypocrisy is a core element of his character and that's what makes him interesting, him going after children (never mind that jason mia and tim are all in the same age range and they're all in their late teens at that point) but having a no drugs for children policy is a super important factor that gets referenced in later comics (i.e. bftc/morrison's b&e) and I love how complex and flawed that makes him!!"). And course, there's also the people who think it's appropriate to put hate in the character tag, both towards his fans and towards the character, which is how we end up with "jt fans steal the trait of being a victim of sexual abuse from female characters because of misogyny" in the character tag ending up on my dash.

I don't tend to understand fanfic as "takes", because fanfic is transformational work yadda yadda just because I don't like the characterization doesn't mean I should make assumptions on what the author's actual knowledge and opinions on canon are. However, sometimes people will write things in their author note that are definitely opinions, maybe to explain or justify their fic I don't know, which is how sometimes you'll be browsing ao3 and find yourself face to face with a fic about Morrison era Jason, a csa survivor, sexually abusing Sasha, and an author note that states "Jason Todd is a hypocrite and I write him as one". (Come to think of it, all those posts about hypocrisy are starting to make me think i'll have to make a side-point about cognitive dissonance in my personality meta 😮‍💨). So sometimes, it's ao3.

And of course, sometimes my lovely mutuals vent to me on discord or dms about the discourse they have seen, like phenomenally vapid shallow comparisons of James Gordon Junior and Jason Todd that vividly ignore how fucked up Dick's behaviour was in the only era where that comparison would make sense and hide behind a nothingburger to avoid acknowledging the psychophobic nature of their take. And sometimes, in those situations, I get so annoyed about it that, after checking out the source (because I'm a principled hater) I will vague about it myself.

Honestly I'm trying to tone it down because this blog is supposed to be fun and interesting and I know I've been pretty negative recently (probably related to my extremely stressed current situation but who knows) but, yeah. That's where it comes from.

[stellocchia]

I noticed you reblogging dsmp stuff, so assuming you're a fan of it too. And I wanted to ask: do you think c!Tommy and Killer Sans could be friends if a crossover were to happen?

I love them both and it makes me happy to think they'd help each other heal, but I don't know how accurate it is

Hey, doesn't need to be accurate to make you happy, if a headcanon brings you joy, then that's good!

That said, I do think they would get along, how healthy that would be for either of them, however, would strongly depend on the circumstances of their encounter.

My main worry is that both of them have been repeatedly beaten down and pushed toward getting rid of their boundaries and toward relying on the abusive figures in their lives (with Wilbur and Dream being the main culprits for Tommy, and Chara and Nightmare for Killer). So I'm a bit unsure of how good either of them would be at asserting what they need and what they're comfortable or uncomfortable with.

Beyond that though, they would get along great.

Tommy is actually rather similar to Color IMO. He's got a lot of the same mentality in regards to helping people, always doing what he thinks needs to be done. And his whole speech to Foolish about how he's not a fan of the concept of giving people second chances, because that insinuates a limit to the amount of effort one should put into a relationship, really does feel like something Color would think too. He's also the same kind of hot-headed but genuinely kind guy. So I think his personality would put Killer at ease.

He's also generally really perceptive when it comes to reading other people. Hell, by the time the exile arc came around, Dream only got a chance of getting in his head because he kept him entirely isolated, half-starved, physically repeatedly beat him down, and kept destroying all the resources Tommy managed to procure. And even still, Tommy eventually managed to see through a lot of his bullshit and run away. And that's rather good since Killer has been shown to use manipulation to get out of uncomfortable situations before (see his fight with Blue). Having people around him who can tell when he's bullshitting would probably be safer.

I also always tend to see Killer as someone who does crave companionship and some semblance of normalcy. I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to have some kind of family structure. And, hey, lucky for him, Tommy is little brother coded. And he's not a Papyrus, so the risk of him constantly triggering Killer by just existing around him is nowhere near the same. There is the issue of Tommy being human, but I feel like he's different enough from Chara that it shouldn't be too big of an issue.

Funnily enough, the only thing I can think of that could create some genuine friction between them is that Tommy heavily dislikes cats (they're the only animal he despises). But, then again, he's not a complete dick, and he's had his pets slaughtered in the past (a lot), unless Killer locked him in a small cell with him and continuously triggered his exile trauma like someone else did (aka Dream) he wouldn't kill his pets. If Killer has his cats, that is. He probably would just kinda ignore them.

Them meeting wouldn't even be so weird, whether Killer still works under Nightmare or he's traveling the Multiverse with Color, because the dsmp sure as Hell is rich with negativity and would be a place of interest, whether it is to help or, like, cause even more.

I do think things will go over better if Color is there, though. And Tubbo too. Color would be great at helping with the whole boundary issue and at keeping tension from rising on Killer's part. And Tubbo and Tommy are tied together so closely by the end of the story that I think they'd both stress the fuck out if they were facing powerful strangers too far from one another.

Also, by the end of the story, Tommy has his emotional support pink sheep, and Killer would love her. Killer loves all animals, and I'm willing to fight people on that opinion, but he especially loves cats, insects, and particularly colorful creatures, the latter two because they remind him of Color.

Anyway, I think I rambled way too long there.

tl:dr, yeah, they'd probably get along, I can deffo see that

[boatswainscall]

I really do sympathize with Destiny 2 players and the Absolute State the game is currently in (and tbh has always been in, in some form or another), as someone who originally picked the game up during Forsaken and who has been let down in new and unique ways every time I've returned to it since. I know too that the typical Ragetubers within its niche are for sure not helping things (neither has the subreddit). I honestly though have an immense amount of grief for people on here especially who love Destiny's world, lore and characters so much who are having to watch as the leadership keep breaking new holes in a ship that has been sinking for years. And if it ultimately means people end up coming to Warframe either in general or because of 1999 I will welcome them all with open & unjudging arms.

I am also aware though that Warframe's super early game and vertical midgame climb are even now a horrifying slow crawl, and are the #1 killer of people's progress no matter how badly you want to get to 1999 or even stuff much earlier on like the Second Dream or the War Within. It's pretty much a universal experience to have a high MR friend carry you through that whole portion, either through deleting the map for you as you both attempt to farm for specific mods or straight up farming for them themselves and trading them to you to give you the boost you need to get to the good stuff. It's what my friend had to do for me back in 2017 when I first started, and it's what me and that same friend will do for a mutual friend if they ever start playing themselves. It's Warframe's biggest problem right now, alongside the issue of properly balanced difficulty at the peak of endgame but that's it's own developmental can of worms.

However.

Like I said, I've played Destiny myself. I've been on the subreddit, I've seen the rage bait youtube videos. I've seen the levels of virulent and shocking hatred some players have for the developers and Bungie as a company. Which is well earned in the case of the upper leadership as we saw, but is un fucking warranted when aimed at the developers and writers. The game has been floundering for years and getting worse with its microtransactions yes, but that is not and has never been the fault of the people who actually make the game. But it's way easier to just yell at Bungie or "the Devs" as a monolith, not helped either by the fact that the developers were kept in a chokehold on speaking up about why player feedback was supposedly being "ignored" until the news broke last year about the bottomless depths of the CEO's fuckheadery.

What I'm getting to is, DE is not that kind of developer, entirely I think because they've managed to remain independent even after being bought by Tencent (and because Steve is the CEO). They have always been open and honest about their developmental decisions and direction (beyond just vague "roadmaps") and are extremely receptive to player feedback. I don't doubt that they're aware of the midgame mountain and are likely trying to work out how to improve it, but it's such a sprawling and widespread issue that we likely won't hear anything about it for a good while. DE though has already had to handle some truly nightmarish levels of personal targeted harassment a couple years ago involving a specific youtuber who I don't think I've heard of since the situation was handled. The last thing we need is more of that specific genre of toxic freak calling for physical harm on the developers because of the poor balancing of the midgame mountain or the Endgame's difficulty curve (if they get to it). Frankly no fucking game developers deserve that, on any game of any type or size. Not Destiny 2's, not Warframe's, not anyone.

Which is a long way of saying I hope the toxic assholes coming from Destiny 2 are starved out by Warframe's midgame mountain and go play something else instead, which tbh from what I've seen most of them are Crucible types so they probably will anyway. As for everyone else jumping ship, we've got a ship of our own and we're pulling you on board. And we'll be there with climbing equipment once you reach that midgame mountain, including myself.