#and learn to differentiate between fiction and reality

[squorttle-pox]

I would just like to aggressively kindly remind fans that harassing other fans, cosplayers, or actors in ANY WAY is totally uncool.

[andersunmenschlich]

Well, will you look at that—OP was defining "surprise" as a pure limbic response. The jump scare emotion, if you care to call a reflex "emotion."

I don't, personally. I call a reflex a reflex. What happens in the pons is almost as mindless as an autoimmune response. Imagine asking "what would surprise you more, X or Y disease?" and then insisting that because your immune system would jump faster in response to X than Y, you must be more surprised by X. Boy oh boy.

OP, it would sure be cool if most people saying "a fairy on my doorstep would surprise me less than a walrus there" meant they'd have a stronger knee-jerk response to a walrus than to a fairy, and not that they'd find a fairy's existence easier to explain and accept than the presence of a walrus.

But that second one is what I've seen lots of those folks saying, and I've only heard the first from you.

dropped the walrus vs fairy question on a group of psychologists today and not only did the majority agree the walrus would be more surprising, the one with the strongest background in research responded to the ‘but fairies aren’t real’ argument with “are your beliefs so inflexible that you’ve never considered you might be wrong about what’s real and what’s not?” and honestly i haven’t recovered

[four-loose-screws]

Hi! I’ve seen people people say that Dimitri speaks in an informal rude manner in Japanese so him being super polite in English is weird changes his character a lot, but I’ve also seen people say the localization is just fine. Could you clear up please? Thank you!

This ask has been in my inbox forever, and I know other ENG/JP bilingual FE fans have weighed in on this topic before. But exploring the nuances of Japanese formal vs. casual speech is always super fun, so I want to share my own thoughts too. There's always a chance there will be more to learn with each new person's input on the same topic. Plus, I discovered some things even I didn't expect! So, I'll still offer everything I have to say!

First, I'll explain the full background this ask is referring to. Japanese has 2 major distinct speaking styles - casual and formal. I was taught to call the formal style "distal" - because it is more about respecting distance in social standing than being formal specifically. But formal is the more common term, so I tend to stick with saying formal most of the time.

The distinction between casual and formal is made with pronoun choice, word choice, and other factors as well, but the fastest way to differentiate the two is to look/ listen for the use of desu and masu at the end of someone's sentences. Formal uses them. Casual drops them. This concept is entirely foreign to English speakers!

Dimitri drops desu and masu most of the time. His "I pronoun" is also ore, and his "you pronoun" is omae - both casual, blunt, and masculine choices. But does speaking casually to most of the cast make him rude?

Short answer is... no, not at all! There's 2 major reasons for this.

Reason #1 - the rules for casual vs. formal speech are a bit different in reality vs. fiction:

Partially, Dimitri speaks casually because he is showing his personality. He's got all those traits most standard FE protagonists share - he's strong, straightforward, and wants to connect directly on a personal level with everyone he meets. He tries to convince several characters that they can speak casually with him, because he sees people as people, and doesn't want social status putting distance between them.

Fictional characters generally speak more in-line with their personality more often, rather than following the socially acceptable speaking rules of the real world. (Though don't get me wrong - casual real Japanese people will speak casually in more circumstances than the average Japanese person.) This is simply the style that Japanese writers largely choose. And I think it is one of the great benefits of Japanese - anyone can start to pick up on a character's personality archetype almost instantly, thanks to their speaking style!

Reason #2 - Dimitri is a prince, making him of high social rank:

Here's the second nuance to this - it is absolutely standard for a superior to talk to their subordinates in casual style.

In modern times, this is shown in the workplace. Bosses and those in other leadership positions will frequently speak casually with the staff in a lower-ranking position than them. The president of the office I now work at is Japanese, and he speaks very casually with me - I have to be formal in response though, because he's at the top!!

But in the past, this would have been a distinction made between lord/ royalty, and those beneath them. Which is the case that is relevant in Fire Emblem's setting.

Dimitri can also speak casually without coming off as rude, because he is one of the highest ranking people across all of Fodlan.

-

Okay, so that's the answer in broad strokes - but let's get a bit more nuanced, go down Dimitri's support partner list, and confirm whether or not he always speaks casually!

Group #1 - Dimitri and the other citizens of Faerghus (8 other Blue Lions + Gilbert)

Dimitri has a multi-layered relationship with all of the other 8 Blue Lions. They are citizens of the country he is a prince of, therefore he is ranked very highly in social standing above them. But they are also his friends, classmates, and later, war allies; placing them on the same social level in that regard. So the way they speak to him comes down to a little bit of column A - personality, and a little bit of column B - which aspect of their relationship with Dimitri they feel is the "main" one.

Gilbert is also here in this category, as another person from Faerghus.

Dedue: Dimitri speaks casually, Dedue speaks formally, as they have a lord/ servant relationship. Dimitri wants Dedue to be a very close friend to him though, and wants Dedue to speak casually with him - this is a major source of tension in their supports. In the end, being able to mutually speak casually with each other and be friends, is a place they may reach one day. With other characters, Dedue speaks casually.

Felix: As royalty above Felix's noble house, Dimitri speaks casually. Felix is Felix, so he speaks casually too. I imagine he sees Dimitri quite literally as more of a wild boar than a human being, much less royalty.

Ashe: Dimitri speaks casually, Ashe speaks formally. However, pretty much the whole point of their supports is Dimitri attempting to get Ashe to speak casually with him.. Ashe tries in earnest to switch, but in the end sticks with speaking formally, otherwise he feels too uncomfortable. His view of Dimitri as his prince is too strong for him to let go and speak casually.

Sylvain: Dimitri speaks casually, and Sylvain speaks casually more often, but actually switches to desu and masu more than once. When a relationship is "in-between" higher/lower social standing and friendship, it's not uncommon for at least one person to switch back and forth between casual and polite speech, depending on which side of the relationship they are appealing to more at the moment. This happens in real life too as people shift from strangers, coworkers, etc. to friends.

Mercedes: They both speak casually. In Mercedes' case, I think she's speaks more in-line with her personality rather than paying attention to social status.

Annette: Both speak casually, but Annette is well aware that there's something a little wrong with that - her father would never let her get away with it if he knew!

Ingrid: Dimitri speaks casually, Ingrid speaks formally. But I think Ingrid speaks formally with everyone.

Gilbert: As you can probably guess based on my comments in Dimitri and Annette's analysis, her father most certainly speaks formally with Dimitri! He is very formal and takes social heirarchy very seriously. Dimitri, as the prince above him in social status, speaks casually.

Group #2 - The other characters at the monastary:

Since the remaining characters are not from Faerghus, Dimitri is not their prince. They'll be more likely to view him through the lens of a different relationship than royalty/ subject.

Catherine is originally from Faerghus yes, but she has cut her ties from her homeland completely to serve Rhea, so she fits into this group now.

Raphael: Both speak casually. I think Raphael treats everyone like a life-long friend!! He at least attaches san or sensei (teacher) to the names of his instructors, but that's about it for formal language for him.

Marianne: Dimitri speaks casually. Marianne speaks formally, as she does with everyone. I think she even attaches san to everyone's name, conveying how much she keeps her distance from people, trying not to form close relationships.

Flayn: Dimitri speaks casually. Flayn speaks formally, as I think she does with everyone.

Hapi: Both speak casually. I think Hapi speaks casually with everyone.

Alois: Now *here's* where things get interesting! At this point, I really thought I would discover that Dimitri speaks casually with everyone. But alas, he does NOT! Dimitri speaks formally with Alois, while Alois speaks casually to him. Why? Well, while Dimitri is a prince, he's also a student at Garreg Mach (in Part 1 of course). In this way, he is below all Garreg Mach staff and professors in social standing. So it makes perfect sense that he'd speak formally and Alois would be casual in this case.

Catherine: Same situation as Dimitri and Alois - as someone who serves as an instructor at Garreg Mach, all students like Dimitri are below her in status at the monastary. So Dimitri speaks formally, and she speaks casually.

Byleth: I left Byleth for last, because while Byleth is a professor at the monastary... Dimitri speaks casually with them. I imagine this has more to do with Byleth being the self insert than anything. Everyone bonds to Byleth on a deep level faster than magnets stick together.

And that's all I can think of to say for now! This is a super fun example of how nuanced Japanese's casual vs. formal language can get, and showcases one of the many reasons why Japanese has such a high barrier of entry for anyone learning it - including young native speakers! You don't get all this desu and masu stuff, until finally you just do.

Let me know if I missed anything, or if anyone has any follow up comments to make!

I apologize it took me so long to respond to this one! Thank you anon, and all readers, for waiting! I hope it helped explain even more of the trickier nuances of Japanese.

[ladybugmania]

POST TRUMP OF INFECTIOUS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISEASES:

Trumpism Syndrome

Definition: A psychological condition emerging post-COVID-19, characterized by a loss of critical thinking and an intense devotion to misinformation. Symptoms include an inability to differentiate between fact and fiction, excessive political extremism, and a firm belief in unsubstantiated claims.

Treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy and media literacy programs are recommended to curb the influence of conspiratorial thinking.

Trumped

Definition: A dermatological condition caused by prolonged exposure to excessive tanning products or lotions. This results in an unnatural, orange-toned skin discoloration, often accompanied by skin irritation and premature aging.

Treatment: Gradual cessation of tanning products and hydration therapy to restore skin’s natural balance.

Trump's

Definition: A dietary condition where excessive consumption of carrots leads to a pronounced orange tint in the skin, also known as carotenemia. This condition results from the overabundance of beta-carotene in the bloodstream.

Treatment: Reducing carrot intake and increasing hydration to flush excess carotenoids from the body.

Trumpissed

Definition: A gastrointestinal disorder caused by the overconsumption of orange juice, leading to chronic acid reflux and digestive discomfort. Symptoms include burning sensations in the chest and throat, bloating, and frequent burping.

Treatment: Limiting acidic beverages, consuming antacids, and a diet designed to balance stomach pH levels.

Trumping

Definition: A social condition characterized by excessive self-aggrandizing speech and the propagation of unfounded claims. Sufferers often engage in loud, boastful conversations that lack coherence, leading to frustration in listeners.

Treatment: Mindfulness techniques and social communication workshops are recommended for improving clarity and empathy in conversations.

Trumpitus

Definition: A state of overwhelming self-importance and egocentrism, often triggered by external validation or praise. Those affected may experience a compulsion to dominate conversations and seek constant admiration.

Treatment: Regular humility training and grounding exercises to focus on collective over individual achievement.

Trumpdosis

Definition: An addiction-like condition where individuals become excessively reliant on media sources that reinforce their personal biases. Symptoms include a disconnection from reality and an inability to critically evaluate opposing viewpoints.

Treatment: A gradual detox from biased media, accompanied by exposure to diverse perspectives and critical thinking exercises.

Trumpencephalopathy

Definition: A cognitive disorder that results from prolonged exposure to inflammatory rhetoric, leading to a significant decline in reasoning and empathy. It may manifest as an inability to engage in productive dialogue or understand differing opinions.

Treatment: Neurological therapy and a commitment to open-mindedness and intellectual humility.

Trumpathy

Definition: A psychological ailment in which the individual experiences a complete lack of empathy, often as a result of being desensitized to the suffering of others due to excessive media consumption.

Treatment: Therapy focused on emotional intelligence and learning to reconnect with others’ experiences and needs.

If symptoms persist! Ahh there's no cure.

[sepublic]

When discussing the benefits but also the dangers of fantasy in TOH, it makes me consider how this ties into Belos’ bigotry, religious superiority, white supremacy, etc. Because I see how in the parallels to Luz and the depictions of his witch hunts as a ‘game’ he played as a kid, the show is getting into the thought process behind white supremacy and the like; Specifically, by suggesting that it comes from the same core principle of “I was born special, I’m a hero.”

Because think of it this way; I was born inherently better than others, it’s in my blood, I have to defeat evils? These aren’t unlike what white supremacists believe about themselves. After all, TOH is coming off of Harry Potter, which is criticized for the “It’s in his blood” trope with the protagonist.

This is foiled by Luz, who wants to believe at first that she’s special and things will automatically come to her because of it, but then Eda has to explain; Sorry kid, but if you want things you have to work for and earn them, just like anyone else. Some things can be attributed to luck on Luz’s part, but it’s not as if she’s blind to this and saying it’s ‘destiny’ (unlike someone else), plus in general we all have a bit of privilege in some ways.

And again, that ties back into Christian white supremacy, particularly the Puritans, who believed their colony would be a "City upon a Hill." That it’s their goal to enlighten people, or else root out the evildoers; You can see how this evolves into evangelicalism in the U.S. and the right’s obsession with anything new as satanic, even if it’s something like Elvis Presley or Pokemon (which Dana grew up with, coincidentally), or more recently, furries.

(No really, this actually happened I kid you not. It seems like an exaggeration but I swear it genuinely happened and it truly is absurd that it did.)

Anyhow I think that’s important, because it’s not just the message that Christian white supremacy is bad, it’s why people even believe and buy into these things to begin with. A lot of alt-right 4channers and the like fall into these rabbit holes because they feel cheated out of the implicit, unconscious promises of white supremacy and feel as if they’re owed something; So obviously women and PoC, the queers, the ‘diversity hires’ and affirmative action, this is what’s cheated them.

And you can see the connection between white christian ideas and how that can translate into a lot of fantasy stories, hence “It’s in your blood” and “It’s destiny,” as well as Isekai Colonialism; The idea that what if another world and its inhabitants just existed for you. These tropes are inspired by outdated ideas that Christian white supremacy, an outdated belief, has plenty examples of and sometimes even inspired.

And this is why it’s important to engage with these things critically and question them… But at the same time, Luz is still allowed to love Azura, it’s just about maintaining a critical eye and being self-aware of what you internalize and don’t. Hence her learning to differentiate reality from fiction and not become delusional; Hence King doing the same!

By making that connection, it does explain this type of bigotry by framing it in a way that viewers can actually relate to, even if they also condemn it just as much, if not moreso after understanding. It ties even the genocide with tropes like the dragon slayer, the endless horde of monsters you don’t ever have to feel bad about or question killing, or the DnD Evil Race; Which on their own, these stories aren’t necessarily in advocacy for genocide of course, some of them are just inspired by previous ones without making that connection. And most people know not to let it affect how they see reality.

Because it’s one thing to let yourself be petty and find catharsis against a genuine, extreme example who has gone out of their way to hurt you (those definitely exist, alas); But it’s another to actively search for people to feel angry towards, amidst groups unrelated to you, and provoke them until they give you that ‘justification’. Because you’re not responding to anything, you are the aggressor; In essence, you are performing a witch hunt, in a need to feel like a hero enacting righteous judgment.

Because you’re desperate for the power of putting someone else beneath you, which is what the mundane bully does, out of the belief this conversely translates into you being above others; Again, the ‘chosen one’ beliefs, the Christian white supremacy. And suddenly you better understand why Evangelicals raged over something as innocuous as the Pokemon games that Dana grew up with, back when they first came out.

So Luz understands; She does understand, better than some people, in fact. She understood the Collector. But just because she understands, doesn't necessarily mean Luz approves or excuses; She still has every right in condemning Belos because she never let herself go that far, and this behavior would be condemned even by those trying to make up for it; It’s why they try to make up for it. And the fiction Luz wants to happen for herself (which isn’t the same as the fictions one enjoys) isn't centered around there being hidden bad actors amongst the populace to constantly root out; Luz is only going to react, not act, and consistently, predominantly sees the best in others.

In the end, Belos latched onto Caleb marrying Evelyn, and then the Grimwalkers, and finally Luz, as a way of a proving a point to himself; That wiping out witches WAS in service of humanity, it would actually help them, by showing how he 'rescued' a human from temptation. I'm sure he genuinely loved Caleb, but in an extreme form of Luz's Wing it like Witches, at some point he subsumed Caleb's input and agency to instead make him into a docile trope to make decisions for.

And when Caleb didn't go along with that story, pointed out how it didn't fit the reality of the situation; Philip killed him! His priorities shifted from doing it for Caleb's sake, for the sake of HIS fantasy; He saw an opportunity to live out the Witch Hunter story and it mattered more to him than actually helping someone, or realizing in relief he didn't have to.

Hence the Titan saying Belos "fears what he can't control" due to "his need to be the hero in his own delusion." It’s a quote applicable to real life conservatives who look for things to outlaw, because hating makes them feel like righteous saviors; Remember Pokemon? Gotta save people from themselves and any potential temptations… Belos couldn't control Caleb, and the Grimwalkers? Belos' way of re-attempting his 'side quest' to again, prove that what he's doing is for the sake of humanity, in the absence of actual humans to work with.

Not that he cares about this for fear of hurting others, but because he fears it means he isn't the special hero. Note that Belos doesn't feel guilt over any witches and demons he killed in For the Future, it's telling; As is the assumption that even if he was treated with hostility when arriving in both Gravesfield and the isles, Belos still understood that murdering the colony was wrong… Yet ignores this lesson when it comes to demons because of hypocrisy, choosing to go after the world that was canonically accepting and would be much harder to attack.

And when Luz shows up, Belos abandons Hunter (showing how much he really cared) because Luz is a real human to save, even if she's technically a queer girl of color; But if you remember how Americans kidnapped Native children and assimilated them into Christian society and culture, it actually makes perfect sense because it's another form of genocide. And it's just as racist and insincere as the murder. And just like many homophobic Christians, Belos selectively chooses what to apply from the Bible because he knows it speaks contrary to what he does and he fears that, it’s something he can’t control despite his attempts to.

[superjail-opinions]

the amount of newgen superjail fans who are either 2020s fandom normie tikokers and/or watched the show with their eyes closed is gonna make me crash out i stg

as someone who used to be one of those types of newgens but is learning to snap out of it, it’s actually so frustrating.

it’s like the whole alice debacle; yeah, alice is a problematic character, i’m not going to deny it, but THAT WAS THE POINT. it was an [adult swim] programme made in the late 2000s written by (presumably) cishet men born in the 70s. they didn’t give a shit about trans rep bc there wasn’t a reason to give a shit (that and most of the characters still respected her and referred to her as a woman, even if she didn’t pass).

that and the jarden thing,,, like as long as you’re able to differentiate between fiction and reality and don’t make it weird/illegal, idgaf if you ship it. if you wanna talk about why you think jarden is weird, go ahead, but don’t harass and act like a complete cow to people who do.

fans like that are the reason why i hate sj! fandom discourse.

[cursed-sonic-opinions]

proship vs antiship stuff is so weird. i've seen people who curate their online spaces be interchangeably referred to as antishippers and proshippers. i refer to myself as anti-censorship. if i don't like something i'll ignore it but i'm not gonna say it doesn't have a right to exist. the only people fiction is affecting are people who don't know how to differentiate fiction and reality which isn't a problem with people making "problematic content."

i'm an adult with irl issues. i have more important things to worry about than "is shadria incest" or "is metamy stockholm syndrome" or "is vecpio predatory" because i have health issues i need to figure out. i have college stuff to figure out. i have cousins that want to hang out with me. i'm already tired all the time and mental stress makes it worse. it makes my life so much easier to just block things that make me uncomfortable instead of complaining about them. does this make me an antishipper or a proshipper? i genuinely have no clue because it's so poorly defined. one person might call me a proshipper and another might call me an antishipper.

it's dumb and i don't think starting drama over fiction that's only going to affect someone if they can't differentiate between fiction and reality (which isn't on fanfic authors and fanartists to account for and is also something most teens and adults can do except under very specific circumstances) is productive. like at all. people can write about characters going through horrible shit without condoning it and frankly even if they are romanticizing it or something, that's still not really any of my business no matter how uncomfortable it makes me. there are certain types of fanfiction i'm uncomfortable with but i don't go around advocating for it to be erased from the internet or telling people not to write it.

and just for added context on where i'm coming from on this, i used to literally complain about vecpio on a weekly basis when i was 17. i'm 21 now. i have the vecpio tag blocked because i do not care if people are shipping it as long as i'm not literally being forced to look at it. so much of proship vs antiship discourse just feels like people looking for things to complain about and it's annoying. i genuinely can't believe it needs to be said but learn to use the block button and curate your online experience instead of trying to force authors and artists to cater to you, for the love of god

🦔‧₊˚✩彡

[lizziespoem]

intimacy of being understood | nanamin ͏⸺ one shot

͏⸺ the intimacy of being understood, untouchable, unique and barely to understand, an hidden act of art reshaped to a favor of the gods, to crawl under the skin that is covering the depths of our hearts, we know so many things, yet we never understand ourselves, and to able to push the skin aside was so simple, yet so magnificent. Perhaps we craved more to be understood rather than being loved, to understand the vulnerability behind every confession, the growth of every movement, the association of connection and progress and the acknowledgment of existing.

and besides all your knowledge, philosophy and intelligence, you never figured out the act of being yourself, you didn't understand how you worked, why you acted like you did and why the thoughts were circling through your pretty head, but nanami did.

the way your fingertips carefully pulled on the simple bracelet around your wrist, the way you constantly yawed to get more oxygen into your lungs, the way you got quieter and your lips got tired of wearing your beautiful smile, the way your eyes followed every single movement to overanalyse every interaction and the way your cheeks blushed as you took small sips of your drink.

"mind if I steal my gorgeous woman for a moment?" Nanami interjected into the conversation of you and some other college’s with one of his charming smiles on his lips, as his he carefully placed his left hand onto your lower back, creasing the silky material of your elegant dress.

No one could ever refuse anything to nanami when he got that innocent charming smile on his lips, the kind of smile that holded his soul, the kind of smile that just needed three seconds to relieve the cruelty of the world and even if the light faded, his smile stayed.

"am I that transparent for you?" you whispered softly with an innocent smile on your lips while Nanami's hand stroked over your coccyx as he guided you outside, between the chatting people, out of the crowed room filled with stuffy air and the smell of alcohol. The other hand of Nanami rubbed over the little beard stubble, which his razor hadn’t caught and the charming grin didn’t faded as his eyes looked down to study you for a brief moment as he speaks up "you don’t need to tell me how you feel. I can see it for miles"

The loudness muffled after Nanami cautiously closed the glass patio door behind the two of you.

"I know it’s difficult for you when all these greedy looks are on you" the tall blonde man said as he watched you leaning your body slightly over the railing, admiring the landscapes and enjoying the calmness, away from all the people, letting yourself feel the comfort you needed.

Nanamin always rejected to be understood and being loved, yet he couldn’t help but fall the crucifixion of being loved by you, the torments of his mental awareness to differentiate the deed of the gods or the practical joke of the mischief devil, since you were everything he had ever prayed for, too good to be a gift of the gods and too innocent to be a sin of the devil. But if I’m between the spectacle of the world and the ever-changing state of things and the inherent fiction of everything, of the false importance exhibited by all realities, he always pleaded to wait to find you, in every myth and fiction, he dreamed among shadows and ruins, crawled through the coldest emptiness till the fullest ecstasy, just to find you.

You were terribly afraid of being known, yet desperate to be understood and Nanami was willing to learn every aspect about you.

"I know it's loud up here and way too bright for you" he mumbled against your scalp before he placed a gently kiss on top of your head, before he leans with his back against the railing studying the way the cold air blushes your cheeks and the dimmed light complimented your eyes.

Almost as if there was hiding a hint of absurdity, the tall man lost himself, forgetting who he was in this blurry reality while the intensity of sensation stunned his senses and all that was clear to him was you, the smudged dark eyeliner and rare blush on your cheeks, the fresh manicure and the elegant ring around your finger he had gifted to you as a promise, the messy hair and the little strands, which float around your face in the light wind. If you were a sin developed by the hands of the devil, Nanami would have fall on his knees and would make any agreement with the underworld, he didn't cared about how many love letters he must write for you, if he had to learn to play guitar to impress you, if he would have to read to you every night or if he had to work for the devil himself, he would do anything for you.

“sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself” a soft chuckle left your mouth, looking up through your dark lashes as your hands clenched around the cold railing and Nanami would've lied if he would denied the emotional chaos you caused inside of him as you looked at him with those eyes.

Obsessively, incessantly, perpetual and with maddering hunger he longed for your heart, manuscripts written down by his dreams about every movement you made to avoid his suffocation otherwise he would never stop talking about you, insane enough to believe it wasn´t enough to see you every moment with his clear consciousness, willing to never sleep again just so he wouldn't lose you from his sight. Nanami was never afraid of heights, yet this love seems so deep that he was afraid to fall, because you gave him something he can miss and now he knows forever what he'll miss when you leave.

A charming grin lifted the corners of his mouth as his thumb brushed over your little wrinkles around your lips “yet I don't know enough of you”

"You don't?" you mocked him jokingly, causing one of you dangerously gorgeous smiles lighting up your face, fading away these obstinate musical tones banging on the glass door as the tall blonde man nodded pensively and stroked with his thumb over your soft glossy lips, smudging a bit the lip gloss from your lips “You're full of passions and talent, yet to blind to see it in yourself, you hide so many beautiful words under your tongue, still you apologize for speaking at all and somewhere in your life someone broke your heart so deeply, that you're afraid of loving yourself, but even if I know a hundred versions of you, there are at least a thousand left to love”

The wrinkles around the corner of your lips illuminate as you placed a gentle kiss on the fingertip of his thumb before he raised his voice calmly again “You know which version I like the most till now is the one that still dances even when the song is long over and the one who, when the world is gray again, paints everything in color again with a brush, who never leaves, even when we argue”

“maybe, there is a version you won't love” you whispered while you looked through your lashes into his eyes and a raucous laugh escaped his mouth as he shook his head “it's so exaggeratedly easy to love you”

And there it was, a kiss so delicate yet vulnerable, godly with closed eyes, helplessly almost like a miserable misery, yet you both had become ravenously hungry for the taste of each other that you weren’t afraid to get burned, two mouths melted into each other, not afraid to swallow the poison of the devil.

© 2023 LIZZIESPOEM. please do not copy any of my writing and translate or repost onto any other sites.

[darklinaforever]

Shut the fuck up pedo apologizer.

You really have to learn to differentiate between fiction and reality. Then above all, learn the true definition of pedophilia.

[madfantasy]

To fan art and fiction enjoyers:

Please excuse my rage slipping if it happened over having to address this literal mediocrity of a subject in comparison to endless things that actually matters in real life. Because this would be at the scrapping bottom of it, but since the occasion presented itself, here we are:

Do you know there are some, let's say, manners, being in fandoms, and/or in using social media in general? NOOO? 8U

Well, Lets start somewhere!

Like it or not, YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY READ STUFF PEOPLE WRITE. Before you follow, before you comment, before you interact, because if you come across something you don't like, or you started to assume things— that's a you problem and not the fault of the poster.

If you DO NOT enjoy a character, a pair of ship, or a certain head cannon, filter the tag it's used for, Google has free tutorials on how. Most social media have these settings and most decent posters tag their posts correctly. If you keep seeing that pair, you can block the people who create it. You are free to do so ofc but WHY WOULD U come on main and air that out? Personally I find it so bizarre and it could show the type of person you are to other people — a toxic company over fictional substance — and I'd say that is not a flex, more like showing your dirty nappy in public. Those characters you love are not real and so not effected by your high ground stance, but actual humans that share you that love notice and get that impression, and it's a weird one. You SHOULD, of course, set your boundaries, and usually where that is be in your profile, on your bio or a pinned post.

Loving bizarre, villainous, creepy concepts DOES NOT EQUAL morality, nor loving good sunshine and flowers does. It's what a person does in real life what counts, not what they consume in entertainment. In fact, it is not a sign of a good person those who be shaming humans who like different fictional concepts. Or when someone keeps using ai generators knowing full well it's based on constant data theft of all sort of human creators across generations and can not exist without the continuance of this theft. Or those supporting creators that they know did irl crimes. Or those who are Policing what's can and cannot go into fiction as if the fickleness of preference have never let alot of things survive its judgement. And I can go on with the miniature examples. You are forgiven if you did not know before, some people learn through experience, but not anymore when you continue this behaviour. And maybe if you can't differentiate between reality and fiction, and what's more important than what, maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't be consuming fiction.

DO NOT POST WHAT YOU DID NOT CREATE. Do you like it when people keep posting your selfies that you only ment to share for funsies and what not? Isn't worse if you did not post that selfie in the first place or never wanted it to be used like that? It's the SAME FOR ART. This is the artists work just as much as your face is yours. Social media at the baseline is about who ever the poster is, their posts are theirs. So you posting an artist's drawing, with no permission, no credit to them, no nothing, is not allowed and people can report that. Don't be an ignorant thick fig and play the victim when schooled like this precious dear\s .Reposters disconnect so many content from their creators and this is how alot of beautiful things in life die, by simply not knowing they are loved, shoved into the over consumption machine..

And lastly, You don't have anything nice to say to OP? Don't say anything! It's not your misguided duty to educate people on how embarrassingly self centered you are, it's okay to be a basic #&★— I promise. It okay to feel out of place in a niche that doesn't concern you. It's okay to realise other people have different perspectives of the fiction work you enjoy. You can sit down.

And I'd like to add, Mani is a safe space for au and ships even if I don't like em, cuz they are only FICTION and will remain FICTION no matter how much I loved them or hated them.

Good day, dears🍀

[jackabbot]

okay not to be rude but i need people in this fandom to learn to enter discussions in good faith, learn to read and differentiate between fiction and reality and stop crying about heated reactions to their own heated comments... i don't think that'd be too much to ask for and yet here we are

[kauli01]

•— [ Looking for Moots ^ ^★ ] —•

Hello! I’m Kauli01 (01 represents Hatsune Miku’s number lolz) and I’m a minor BUT! I want to have more friends who is interested in Twisted Wonderland or Fragaria memories! 🥺 I’m transmasc / Genderqueer / bigender, I’m Aromantic and bisexual! And I’m a dumbass /J

Check my Strawpage for more information about myself and my taste in music and DNI!! But here’s what my favourite music is! ^ ^★

!! Important to note !! That I have diagnosed anxiety disorder so sorry if I get paranoid / anxious about almost everything and I’m not medicated for it—

I tend to mix up numbers / letters with other letters / numbers, I can’t process texts sometimes so please correct me (I suspect that it’s a learning disability)

!! And if I unfollow you or possibly block someone, it’s because it’s for my own mental health !! I don’t want Yumes to interact with me anymore bc of that !! DNI of people who can’t differentiate between fictional and reality !!

•— [ Favourite stuff ^ ^★ ] —•

MUSIC: I love Confession of a rotton girl by Sawtowne FT Hatsune Miku! Absolute Territory by Ken Ashcorp, Cop Car or When Memories Snow by Mitski! I love Vocaloid’s in general!

Characters: I like almost every Twst character (except Crewel 👀) but I have top favourite such as!

Epel ★ Silver ★ Lilia ★ Deuce ★ Vil ★ Sebek ★ Trey ★ Malleus ★

I post about X Reader writings but I mainly post OC X Canon, About my Twst OCs and I don’t really ship anyone other than Lilia X Dawn Knight! I love yapping so let’s be friends / moots :D! I do have commissions open which I’m planning to post here— lol!

[broomsick]

Hi! I’m an agnostic with an interest in learning more about Norse polytheism, and I have a question about the way that the sagas and myths are interpreted.

Are the sagas (and other Norse myths) viewed as having actually happened at some point, or are they viewed more as symbolic/metaphorical, like a fable or an allegory?

Hi there! Thank you for the ask! This a topic I very much enjoy discussing, and I'll be glad to give you my thoughts on the matter.

Before I can properly explain what the sagas are, I'll determine what they aren't. They aren't to be confused with myths, such as the ones that make up nordic mythology. They are not part of that mythology for a plethora of reasons. While mythology pertains to deities we know have been worshipped as such at some point in time, the sagas are stories of human beings. More often than not, they mean to tell historical events, which represents a major difference with the myths. A saga often recounts the history of a particular dynasty, or family, and a lot of the characters who appear in them are either: 1. folk heroes, such as Wayland the Smith, who appears in the Þiðreks saga, or Sigurðr Sigmundsson, who appears in the Völsunga saga; Or 2. famous, historically attested figures, such as Erik the Red, whose story is told in the Eiríks saga rauða, or Harald Fairhair, who appears in Snorri's Haralds saga hárfagra.

This is another parrticularity which differentiates a myth and saga: the latter often brings to life real life historical figures, or even attested events. Still, these stories are steeped in folklore. They mix magic and history, and the line quickly blurs between reality and fiction. And considering that many of the sagas' authors remain unknown to this day (that is the case for the Icelanders' sagas), there is a limit to how much we can trust their writings. In fact, there is very little historical fact to be found in the sagas. However, some of the events they describe seem to hold some amout of truth! For example, it's speculated that the viking remains found in Dorset could have been the bodies of captured men who appear in the Jómsvíkinga saga. And Eirik the Red did in fact sail from Norway to Greenland and North America, making him and his crew the first Europpeans to land in the Americas. And when it comes to the stories of famous Scandinavian dynasties, the sagas serve to explain, using both fact and fiction, how this or that famous king has earned a throne.

Now, what makes these stories interesting to us as pagans? Well, as is often the case, the answer varies from one practionner to the next. To read the sagas is not a necessary part of the nordic pagan path. But to me, it helps to get to know the faith a little better. It allows us to better understand the cultural and historical context behind certain beliefs ad practices. They often showcase the very last accounts of ancient festivals, rituals, or famous temples. They are a tool of choice for many scholars, who, of course, are still forced to try and tell truth from fiction. But they're a fun read overall, and I highly recommend looking into them!

As for the myths, by which we mean the stories which compose what's called norse mythology, they are generally viewed as metaphors. They're a way for us to see our Gods come to life, and to find out some of their most prominent characteristics. The amount of credit you choose to put into mythology is entirely up to you, but I can confidently say that most pagans don't take them at face value. They're a fun way to help us imagine what the Gods might be like! For example, most agree that Týr is brave, Freyja, headstrong, and Frigg, caring. These are examples of details we can try to figure out if we read between the lines of these myths. What's most important to keep in mind, however, is the fact that many of these myths were heavily influenced by their authors. For example, Snorri, famously a Christian priest and Icelandic politician, would manipulate certain stories to better serve his political goals. It's widely accepted for example, that elements of the myths such as Angrboða and some other such lovers of the Gods were most likely invented during the 12th century, era during which a lot of the myths we know today were being compiled by priests. These changes often served to fill in the gaps left by a tradition of exclusively transmitting folklore orally. We can only speculate as to how much of the myths were truly part of pre-Christian oral tradition, which makes it even more relevant to exercise skepticism around mythology.

[thistlearts]

Fiction is not obligated to teach anyone any lessons about anything. Life, relationships, morals etc. If we presume that it SHOULD take the role of a teacher, then we must accept the author has the moral right and authority to teach anyone anything, which is a paternalistic approach. The audience might learn something from the media by thinking about it, discussing it with their peers, by trying to analyse it, while keeping it in context. By learning how to understand the said context. But learning to differentiate between their own emotional responses which might feel uncomfortable and the logical process of analysing the source from different perspectives. The learning part is on the consumer. It's THEIR responsibility. Some people might just enjoy the media without going too deep into analysing it, which is fine as well. The point is- to allow the media to create an opportunity for mental experimentation and getting different emotional experiences in total safety. For some, consuming some media that have "problematic" stories, is somewhat close to the safest version of BDSM when you can have a taboo fantasy, with NO actually living people involved, which minimises any possible risks of any harm to anyone. Fiction is a space of freedom because it is essentially harmless. We can do whatever we want within the fantasy world, we can romanticize whatever we want, as long as we know how to tell the difference between fantasy and reality. And being a conscious consumer of media, learning media literacy is THE ONLY WAY to do so. The importance of media literacy is also the antidote from black and white mentality, for trying to simplify complex things, from trying to sanitize reality and having no actual skill or emotional maturity to actually THINK about it, before reacting and conflating the facts with emotions. The main goal of any fiction is to give the audience an emotional experience. That's it. What we do with that experience is up to us. I once told to a friend that I'm glad "50 shades of grey" exists not only because a lot of people actually enjoyed it, (I didn't), but because it caused SO MANY PEOPLE to stat publicly talking about actually real BDSM and how it's different from what is shown in that book and movie. I never saw so many discussions before this movie came out, at least in my language part of the internet. It didn't educate anyone on it. (of course, it didn't). But it gave a nudge for people who really know something about it, to talk about it to others. And that's a very essential thing about culture. It shouldn't give us the answers. Or lecture us. It should provoke us to ASK the questions and look for answers ourselves.

[sophieinwonderland]

Is this... a meta-commentary on how system-facts keeps making "characters" for their blogs that all talk the same exact way and have the same exact opinions?

I mean, system-facts made a whole drama out of fighting with their "host" and shutting down their blog because the host didn't want them to run it anymore. Then I was sent several asks from someone who was clearly system-facts and claimed to be their host.

Which, I mean, I guess is fine for a real system. It's common for systems to have similarities between headmates.

But this wasn't a real system.

It's a fictional system, and more effort could have gone into differentiating the voices of system-facts from the host.

Similarly, if you didn't want people to realize this blog was system-facts after you came clean, maybe don't have the same exact opinions and speech style as system-facts, and start beefs with the same users system-facts has beefs with.

Even this post where you describe the character and your headcanon for them is exactly what you did in the anon where you told me about your system-facts characters.

As a sort of self-deprecating meta humor about how all the characters you roleplay as are the same, this line might be really clever. But I think it's more likely unintentional.

This post I'm making appears to be syscourse, but it's actually writing advice.

It's cool you want to give your character a backstory. But what's more important is giving them their own beliefs and voices so they don't all sound the same.

I also think that the "translucent-system" backstory is unrealistic and shows a lack of understanding of the people it's based on.

The trope it's based on, of the fake created system, doesn't actually exist in reality. Characters following this trope lack motivation. What is the motivation for someone pretending to be a system for 3 years? What would they gain by it?

And if the character was going to pretend to be a system, why not just fake being traumagenic?

If their motivation was getting attention, surely pretending to be a traumagenic system would be the best fit since you would get all the attention for being plural and you could also garner sympathy for your trauma on top of that.

I learned to understand sysmeds by going to r/systemscringe and listening to them.

Maybe, if you want to roleplay as a tulpamancer, you should put a similar effort into studying the tulpamancy community.

[krakenguard]

Elaborating because I may as well. Your absolutely disgusting 'it's just fiction' take I've seen has got to be one of the most deplorable opinions I have ever seen. Do you not see how repulsive it makes you look?? You are one of those freaks who needs their harddrive checked.

Care to elaborate on why 'it's just fiction' is so deplorable? 'cause as it stands, it truly is just fiction. Just as the actor who plays Ramsay Snow didn't actually go and castrate the actor who played Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones... Remember, someone had to write that scene themselves. Just because they have the mind to write a scene that disgusts you, it does not reflect upon the writer, as a person.

Truly, if there is something that I've written that bothers you, then please, I advise using the block button. But furthermore, please learn to differentiate between fiction and reality. I'm not sure what part of the world you're in, but it's already a massive problem that's gotten way out of hand. Among the many many many many many many many MANY other problems that have gotten way out of hand.

People are dying by the masses... 2025 is already looking like it's going to be an incredibly bumpy road, and honestly, the future terrifies me. But my writing, whatever it may have been, is where you draw the line?

I doubt my writing will have any kind of impact on the world, positive or negative. I merely do what I do because I think it would be an interesting story to tell. Provided I weren't so dead exhausted all the time to actually write it.

But yeah, TLDR: Don't Like, Don't Read.