#probably the best interaction i've had with a stranger in a while

[thepenguinweeb]

SOMEONE RECOGNIZED MY POLNAREFF EARRINGS TODAY ???

AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE RECOGNIZED MY CINNAMOROLL EARMUFFS AHSJDJXNDN

[it-happened-one-fic]

Not Fair - Floyd

Author Notes: So, I've been sitting on this fic for a while, editing it here and there, and I have finally come to the conclusion that I'm never going to be satisfied so I'm just going to post it now so it will stop haunting me. Nonetheless, I do hope you all like this piece. I wrote this, and edited it, while listening to the song "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Josh Turner and Randy Travis. As per usual, As per usual, reader is gender-neutral. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender-Neutral Reader/ sfw/ romance implied/ fluff/ mild flirtation

Word Count: 1760

Floyd was a difficult young man to describe. Words such as ‘wild’ and ‘free’ were accurate, but they were also putting it kindly at best. However, words such as ‘moody’ or ‘capricious’ were also accurate, but they often gave others a rather poor view of the young man that you found yourself spending more and more time with.

And though it was true that it was largely due to Floyd hanging around you that you kept interacting with him, it was also true that you had found yourself slowly growing more and more fond of him, though you sometimes wondered if the same could be said for him. Especially since getting a read on Floyd could be as difficult as divining what, exactly, was going on in Crowley’s head.

You really couldn’t blame your friends for worrying a bit about the fact that Floyd had been spending more and more time with you when you considered his rather… odd personality.

 After all, while Floyd was indeed laidback, he could also be quite sinister at times in ways that reminded you that he and his brother likely handled a fair bit of dirty work.

You twisted to the side to glance behind you at the young man in question, who was currently sauntering along behind you. His arms crossed behind his head as he looked off to the side at the horizon with a vaguely bored expression.

And the more you thought about it, the stranger it seemed that Floyd had started spending time with you. 

It had started after Azul’s overblot, and you’d assumed he’d been intrigued but that he’d soon drift away after getting bored. In fact, you’d even reassured Jack, in particular, that hanging around you probably just served as a way for Floyd to kill time.

But that hadn’t turned out to be the case.

Instead, Floyd continued to hang around, and rather than just killing time, he even made numerous and often startling attempts to get to know you better.

By now, you could easily state that he was a friend. Especially since he’d also shown that he could be quite protective of you if he saw you getting bothered. A fact that was touching, considering I’d honestly figured that Floyd just hung around as a means of staving off boredom.

“Shrimpy, look,” Your thoughts were interrupted by Floyd tapping you on the shoulder and then directing your attention off the side. 

Following the direction in which he pointed, you looked towards the horizon where the sun was slowly setting over the sea. The clouds had turned a soft pink hue that made them look like cotton candy as the sun slowly dipped lower and into the steady ebb and flow of the ocean.

“Me and Jade used to swim all the way up to the surface just to look at the sunset sometimes.” You continued to look towards the horizon as Floyd spoke, smiling to yourself at the thought of the two young mermen swimming all that way just to watch the sun set.

“We’d chat about all sorts of stuff, sometimes about what it was like on land… I was always sort of curious about that.” You twisted to look at Floyd as he finished, curious as he continued to stare out at the horizon.

It was odd, in many ways, for Floyd to reminisce in such a fashion, and a small part of you wondered if he was feeling nostalgic for simpler times.

 After all, it was something you could understand in a great many ways. 

There were plenty of times that you thought of your home and wondered about things while missing both it and the people you’d left behind. 

You had largely moved on, recognizing that it might be impossible for me to return home and that you needed to get used to life in Twisted Wonderland, but was it the same for Floyd? He could still return, and that simple fact might make homesickness worse.

But you didn’t question him about any of that. Instead, you smiled at him and tilted your head, “And? Is land everything you expected it to be?”

Floyd glanced down at you, blinking for a moment before a lopsided smile crept across his face and he bobbed his head, “I’d always figured it was just dusty up here, so….”

He trailed off, leaving you to draw my own conclusions, and you snorted at his words before turning to continue on your way to Ramshackle dorm. 

You could hear him strolling along just behind you, but your steps began to become more hesitant as I continued to truly ponder whether or not Floyd missed his life in the sea. 

You didn’t see how he couldn’t, but the thought of him leaving brought an odd sadness that told you that you’d let Floyd get far closer to you than you’d initially  realized.

Logically, you knew his leaving would be a long way off. It wouldn’t be until he graduated, at the very least. But the thought still made you oddly sad. Which was something that was surprising and might have been the reason that you spoke without even entirely meaning to. 

Your words were little more than a murmur as your steps slowed, “Do you miss living under the sea?”

In no way had you meant to actually voice such thoughts, and you almost froze up when you realized that you had spoken aloud. But at least your words had been quiet, and when Floyd didn’t immediately respond, you relaxed. Assuming he hadn’t heard me.

But then he spoke in a nonchalant tone that was somehow surprising, even though it was very characteristic of Floyd, “It used to be worse when we first came here. But it’s gotten better recently.” 

Your eyes widened at his words, and you found myself turning to see Floyd looking off towards the horizon once more. 

He tilted his head, though. His mismatched eyes sliding back towards you in an amused fashion that told you he was waiting.

And in some ways, a petulant part of you didn’t want to say anything else since he’d made it quite clear that he knew you did have something you wanted to say. But you found yourself crossing your arms as you spoke once more, “What changed?”

Floyd grinned, his amusement coming through fully now as he leaned forward. His hands shoved their way into his pockets as he peered a little closer at you. Almost like he was looking forward to seeing your reaction to whatever he was about to say.

“Ya’ forget stuff as you get older Shrimpy, and I’ve been forgetting about missing home more and more,” Floyd paused, looking at you almost expectantly before he giggled and grabbed your hands. Swinging them between us in a playful way that had you looking up at him in utter confusion.

His words made sense, considering you were in a similar position. Growing more used to living here and missing my home less and less. But his playful, almost giddy actions were confusing.

“You aren’t fair, Shrimpy~ Replacing my homesickness with your presence.” His words caused your eyes to go wide as you froze. Unsure of what to say in response to such an assertion.

You realized, of course, that he was teasing you, but you also couldn’t let go of the large part of you that was incredibly flustered by his words.

You recovered slowly, though, as Floyd snickered at you and you tugged your hands out of his. “That’s not fair, Floyd. You shouldn’t say stuff like that,” You glanced away from him, finding yourself looking anywhere but his grinning face.

“Even if it’s true?” His tone had a distinct lilt to it, but it had you turning to look at him in surprise once more, only to see him smiling calmly at you.

And right now, in this instant, Floyd only looked gentle. Not teasing, moody, or even wild. But you were fairly sure that was one of the reasons you had been letting Floyd get gradually closer to you until you were feeling more and more affection for him. 

You’d realized quite some time ago that Floyd wasn’t just moody. It was true that he was incredibly moody, wild, and free, but he was also gentle and, surprisingly enough, honest. It was true that his honesty typically came in the form of almost painful bluntness, but Floyd wasn’t one to lie.

If Jade was highly likely to lie, then Floyd was highly likely to be truthful. Not to say that Jade couldn’t be honest or that Floyd couldn’t lie. It was just that both of them had their usual methods.

Perhaps it was his way of coping with growing up alongside Jade, who was a flawless liar, and perhaps Floyd just felt that lying served little purpose when the truth could hurt just as much. But either way, Floyd was probably the most truthful of the Octatrio. 

And that was what made his words so alarming. The realization that he wasn’t just teasing you right now. 

While he was definitely picking on you, he was also being honest. And that…. That was startling.

“Floyd….” You even sounded like you were at a loss. Not knowing how to feel.

 And in response to your confused emotions, Floyd smiled. A picture of amusement as he leaned towards you, “I like you, Shrimpy. You’re fun and unpredictable, and I expect to continue liking you forever. Even if you aren’t fair~” 

You fought to find words as he looked at you even as he sauntered on by you. A grin on his face that said he knew exactly what he was doing and found it incredibly amusing. 

But that was another thing about Floyd. As honest as he was and as gentle as he could be he also did take great delight in toying with people.

This was the careful road that you’d been walking with Floyd and you had already found yourself slipping gradually closer to him even though you knew perfectly well of the risks even without your friend’s concerns. 

But then who at this school was without risks?

So you trotted after him, bumping into him slightly as you did my best to match his pace and walk side by side with him, “Promise?”

You grinned at him, feeling oddly giddy and earning yourself a grin that matched mine as Floyd looked at me and leaned just a touch closer with glimmering eyes just before he winked playfully and made an idle slashing motion at his chest with one finger, “Cross my heart.”

[spidey-x-male-reader]

Could I ask for X-Men '97 Gambit with a reader who likes to steal stuff for him to wear? Like watches, gloves, etc?

Pairing: Remy LeBeau x male!reader

Warnings: light swearing??

Summary: A few small glimpses into your life with your boyfriend and your affinity to give him gifts

A/N: Look it's after midnight which basically means I'm too emotional for my own good but I forced myself to write this because I adore the person who requested this even if I barely interact with them. I have a very stong protective sense over them. So if you see this: love you, bro <3 (I also went a bit overkill with the prompt. oops)

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

MASTERLIST

Since the two of you met, people have told you that you and Gambit were practically made for each other

And that's definitely not only because your first meeting literally consisted of you pickpocketing each other. As two people do when they're in love.

After joining the X-Men Remy has slowed down with the thiefing a little

Which basically meant that you had to steal enough for both of you. Which was good for him because he got lots of presents out of it but like…bad for everyone else

Remy had been alone in his room when you threw open the door, and immediately slammed it shut behind yourself, holding up a pair of gloves.

"Got you something!"

The next second he could already hear Logan's angry shouting

"...and where have you got them from, cher?"

"...store?"

"Uh huh."

"Glove store"

"Of course"

He just grins, walking towards you and giving you a peck on the cheek before taking your hand. 

"Now come on. Let's go before Wolverine finds us."

It wasn't unusual that Storm or Scott took you to the side and tried to have the "Stealing is bad" talk with you

But obviously you aren't stupid. You know it's not exactly right. But looking at Remy's eyes lighting up whenever you gift him something? That's worth it.

They do get used to it at some point

But you never get used to the way that he smiles at you like you just laid down the world at his feet.

You two just walked back to the jet after a quick mission, sneaking your hand into the pocket of his coat, dropping a watch inside.

"Shh." you wink at him, making sure the others haven't seen.

He feels the object in his pocket and just grins, pulling you a bit closer and putting an arm around your waist with a smirk.

"You spoil me too much" he whispers

"There's never too much with you" 

Now you were priding yourself on always being rather relaxed

Your hands always were steady and you never were nervous when sneaking your hand into a stranger's pocket

So who knew that the absolute scariest thing you'd ever give Remy was the one thing that you hadn't stolen for him

"Okay what's going on?" Remy looks at you, after you had asked him for a walk around the compound but then spent the time unusually silent.

For a moment you just look at him and then put your hand into your own pocket to grab the object inside. "I wanted to give something to you."

"Oh?" he smirks. "You're usually not that nervous when gifting me anything."

You take a deep breath and then pull out the small velvet box while sinking onto your knee simultaneously.

His eyes widen in shock. God, in any other situation you would relish in the realization that you had managed to surprise him.

"Remy LeBeau. You are…probably the best thing that ever happened to me." you fiddle around with the box in your hand. "And…god i've never been happier than just whenever i'm with you. And I know that this isn't…" you sigh and open the box, showing off the ring inside. "I know we can't officially do this. Not yet at least. But I want to…look at you and call you my husband."

He just stares at you.

"...This is the part where you say either yes or no but my knee is kinda getting sore."

He seems to awake from his trance, just nodding slowly. "...yes. Yes of course you bastard!" with a sudden burst of energy he throws himself into you for a hug, landing both of you on the ground. 

You try to stay cool, probably failing miserably as you grab his hand, putting the ring on his finger.

"I love you" you whisper

He leans his forehead against yours. "Not as much as I love you, cher."

[yurikosinterlude]

'Beautiful Stranger'

{ guitarist oc x singer!male/gn reader }

{ summary: while picking out vinyl records during one of your monthly trips to your local record store, a strange interaction causes you to leave with more than just records~ }

{ cw: none }

{ tag(s): fluff, strangers to lovers }

{ 🌿: stands for y/n}

{🎸: guitarist oc

{ wc: 700 }

{ a/n: hey everyone! i'm writing this drabble so that you guys can get like a sneak peek/preview of how I write and stuff before i release my actual first fic/story! hope you guys enjoy! }

..............................................................................................................................

Midterms week absolutely crushed you. The weeks prior were almost equally as terrible. You had been so focused on studying and passing each exam that you hadn't found time for the fun little activities that kept you sane.

One of these little activities was buying and collecting vinyl records. It was a monthly tradition to stop by the town's quaint record store a couple blocks away from your studio apartment to browse through all of the records, new and old. Occasionally, you'd even buy a few if they caught your eye.

Luckily for your wallet, though, something else caught your eye on that dewy afternoon...a boy.

He wore an open brown, long-sleeved flannel over a fitted white tank top and some baggy jeans. His outfit wasn't what caught your attention though. What made you drop everything you were doing was the fact that he was the most beautiful boy you'd ever seen. And the sun, that stupid afternoon sun was hitting his perfect face in a way that made it almost glow.

'I need to stop staring.' you thought to yourself, but it took everything in you to actually avert your gaze from the beautiful man only a couple steps away from you and continue with what you originally came to do. Stupidly, you attempt to steal another peak at this beautiful stranger, only to quickly look back away as his glistening eyes meet yours.

Your heart began to beat slightly faster and you felt your face and ears heating up as you walked around the store to try to play it off. Finally, you stop in front of a collection of unfamiliar records and rummage for a bit until your face lights up.

🌿:"Carl! I didn't know you guys had Lisa Ono here!"

You shouted to your childhood best friend Carl Sanchez, while admiring the almost untouched state of the record. Carl's parents owned the record store, which is why you made such routine visits.

"We didn't until recently. My aunt donated a bunch of records! There are lots more if you keep looking." And you did just that. You rummaged some more through the new pile of records and put the Lisa Ono record in your tote bag to make it easier to search when you hear an unfamiliar voice behind you.

🎸:"You're a fan of Lisa Ono?"

You turn around to identify to speaker and answer their question, but- it's him! It's that boy whose sun-kissed face kept you distracted earlier!

You begin to fiddle with your fingers as you give an awkward response,

🌿:"I- uh- yeah- yes, I love her- and her music.."

You take the record back out of your tote and stare at it for a while before finally speaking.

🌿:"This one is my favorite of hers actually. My mom used to play it while cleaning."

Your lips curl into a slight smile as you remember.

🎸:"I play her a ton on my guitar actually, her songs are probably my favorite to play if I'm being honest."

The boy said, his slightly raspy voice sending butterflies flitting around in your stomach.

🌿:"You play guitar?"

🎸:"Yeah, I've played since I was in middle school. I love it."

'Could he be any more perfect?' you think to yourself.

🎸:"What about you?"

🌿:"H-huh?"

🎸:"Do you play any instruments?"

🌿:"I-"

🎸:"Wait-Lemme guess.."

He says slightly squinting and looking you up and down. (Which only worsens your flustered state).

🌿:"..."

🎸:"Flute. Final answer."

🌿:"I sing actually.."

you say letting out a small giggle, finally meeting his gaze.

🎸:"That was my second guess."

He grins revealing two perfectly dimples on either side of his face.

🎸:"Hey, we should totally get together someday and do a duet or something, assuming you're a good singer..."

You chuckle,

🌿:"Also assuming you don't suck at guitar."

🎸:"Fine then, you're on. See you soon- Hey I actually never got your name..?"

The boy says, as he tilts his head slightly and observes your face.

🌿:"🌿."

🎸:"Cool. See you around 🌿."

And just like that, your beautiful stranger was gone. You watched as he walked out of the little store and let out a disappointed sigh as you realize you didn't ask for his name. So a beautiful stranger he will remain.

.

.

.

yurikosinterlude ©️ 2024 ❁ pls don't plagiarize, copy, repost, or translate my works at all ❁ (or atleast without creds :3)

[grinnames]

HOW THE HECK DID THIS HAPPEN AND WHY ARE YOU ALL HERE

200+ followers.

We are over 200 followers strong already folks.

What do I even say?! Well I gotta say something, because it's been over a month since I hit this milestone, and I finally got all other ideas finished.

SO! Let's start with saying that I am incredibly and forever grateful and lucky that this has happened to me and that I get to do this online and that so many people enjoy my work. I've always been an outsider looking in, always the spectator, and never the performer. For so long, I have dreamed of finally being the person on the other side of the screen, making countless people smile and maybe even brighten up their day just a little bit. It feels like I've only just started making content on Tumblr SINCE LAST AUGUST, and I'm already having to write grandiose thank-you letters!

On a more serious note, I had been going through a rough time for the past few months, just a little after I started Tumblr. I had just transferred to a new school, and have had to leave all my friends behind for a second time. The transition period was hard, and I had never felt so lonely in a long while, but coming back online to see you interacting with my blog always brightened up my day. I've come to learn and accept that sometimes, online communities can be just as good as in-person communities, though it did take some getting used to!

Speaking of grandiose thank-you letters, let's get on to acknowledging some VIPs!

First, thank you everyone that has decided to hit the follow button, and for giving me a chance! It really feels validating, and motivated to continue working on and posting my story!

Also, I would like to thank God for gifting me with artistic talent and the drive to hone it at the tender age of five. He's given me so many opportunities to practice my craft, and He continues to give me more chances to use my gift for the happiness of others, and for myself. Without Him, I wouldn't be the person I am today.

@novajuniper! You know who you are to me. So I'm just here to remind everyone what you did. YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND IRL AND YOU ENCOURAGED ME TO START TUMBLR IN THE FIRST PLACE! You were also one of my first and only fans of my art for a very very long time. Everyone, let's give it up for the OG!!

@oppsiedoo! YOU. You were one of my first fans that gave me FANART! The first Godbox AU fanart came from you, and the first Grinnames fanart came from you! And then you kept giving me more! I'm honestly sometimes a little concerned with the amount of fanart you do for me and my work. Surely you have other creators you look up to?! But thanks for giving me that much support since the beginning when I was small! I felt so validated and seen!

@bow-and-aro-child and @smgx-pez! I always remember you because you were some of the first people to notice Godbox AU! Though we don't interact much, I very much appreciate that you stuck around! You two often appear as my top-fans on my Activities page!

Also @smgx-pez you were also one of my first reblogs. It was the one where you compared Rewrite Sonic to Godbox SMG4, and my stomach kinda dropped in a nervous but excited way! That thread where you found out I actually was inspired by Rewrite is something I will never forget because that's how I discovered that Tumblr was chill like that! Thanks for representing Tumblr!

@hexsie! You were also one of my first reblogs! I was so young and inexperienced on this platform and some stranger (you) sends me some OOC drawing of your OC hugging my boys... I have to admit I was very flattered but so stunned that I didn't know how to respond. Well, now here's the response! I now think that this interaction was hilarious! Thank you for being my introduction into the SMG4 community! Looking forward to that Hexsie lore!

(It's always been the Hug Saga, hasn't it...? From the very beginning...)

@smg6-the-memer! My first asker! You probably submitted the most asks to my ask box as well! That's how I remember you! I had actually not intended to start asks at the time, but the askbox was open by default, so I just went along with it because I HAD ALWAYS WANTED AN ASKBLOG. So thank you for being the push!

@supern0vashii! The infamous Starter of the Hug Saga! Also currently the Ender of the Hug Saga! (for now) We've come full circle! Honestly, Hug Saga was fun, and it's all thanks to you reaching out to me! You also started the Godboxified OC trend with SMG6... you really be out there trailblazing! I've always enjoyed redesigning my OCs to fit AUs... so to have people doing the same for MY AU?! IT FEELS SO AMAZING! Thank you!

@bear-boi-5! My first mutual that isn't @novajuniper! (she doesn't count because I met her IRL before tumblr) When you followed me back you have no idea how shocked and excited I was. I'm not really interested in the fandoms you draw for now, I mostly followed you for your amazing SMG4 au art (Monster Containment AU is my favorite! It's what got me to follow you!) but I'm sticking around because of the sentiment and I also like your vibes!

@michaelscorneroftheinternet! Holy hell. You are one of the creators that I really look up to! Your art-style is just so yummy! So I kind of, may have, freaked out when you joined the Godboxified OC trend AND followed me back! ON TOP OF THAT, YOU SAID I'M ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CREATORS TOO?! I nearly died from all the happiness rushing up to my head! Not to mention, I really love your energy whenever you reblog stuff! It's rather infectious! Keep up the good work!

@libbytwq! I also look up to you! We may not have interacted much, but I am honored that you follow me back! I really enjoy watching SMGL:e's silly little adventures and interactions with other OCs! So much so that I was inspired by you to later publish some lore about my own OC Grinnames herself! I'm looking forward to some more delicious lore-drops in the future!

@purpdrawsthings! You are probably one of the the NICEST most BUBBLY people I have met on this platform! I just like watching you be nice to people and the fanart you make of other creators' AUs! Not to mention your own AUs are mighty interesting... I want to be as nice as you when I interact with other blogs! Also MY SONA BECAME AN ANIMATION IN YOUR CHRISTMAS VIDEO, SHE'S GOING PLACES THANKS TO YOU!

@bstroobery! specifically @bluestrawberrybunny, Apprenticeship AU is actually one of the first SMG4 fanfics I decided to sit down, lock in, and read through. And over time, your OCs SMG5 and SMG6 really grew on me! I also liked that you were open to AU interactions in your askbox, and crossovers have always been my sort of thing, so I decided that your askbox would be the first I would interact with! Thank you for being so chill with me!

@clowntrickery08! My latest mutual! Dude I really like your artstyle, and its super easy to tell that its you! The way you draw characters is really charming! So I can say for certain that I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN YOU DREW MY BOYS IN YOUR STYLE. Also I really like your sona's design! Also, your concept for SMGPuzzles and SMGWren is SO COOL that I am gonna play around with it sometimes!

@itz-miss-kamilyvision! My god, your OC has a whole-ahh saga in Godbox AU. You having your OC have so many interactions with my boys was so much fun to watch! Thank you doing all that, I always love making characters interact and you gave me just that over and over again! I also like seeing your OCs lore, and the other interactions you have with other creators!

@alan-william! The one who turned ME into a gacha character AND animated me! But what I appreciated the most is how you made my sona interact with yours and also Micheal's. That is the closest thing to real human interaction to me on this platform, and something that I've enjoyed the most here is finding community, and I really feel connected with you!

@birdy-four! We haven't interacted that much, but to this day, that giant reblog of Godbox AU Chapter 0 with you word-vomiting everywhere about my fanfic is my favorite reblog of all time! I sometimes go back and read it again because while most people see my art, they don't really get to see my writing, and I've never gotten feedback like this before!

@smg33exe! And last but not least, the one that put my boy Godbox!SMG4 in a gacha video! BECAUSE OF YOU I MADE IT ONTO YOUTUBE! Thank you for throwing my creation out there on the web, and for creating a video that I sometimes come back to just to marvel at what I've become!

As for the rest of you... I have planned something that everyone can partake in! Stay tuned, I just need to finish preparing it...

[some-stars]

i was about to reblog this post with some thoughts, and then reblogs got turned off so i will just put them here instead:

it's not that i disagree with any of the sentiment in this post--while i personally have been very lucky to get plenty of nice comments, it's definitely eerily quiet and sometimes weirdly hostile out there for most people, much more than it used to be. but i just don't think posts like this are effective, and honestly i don't think that "number of comments from strangers" is what's really missing. what people are missing is the community that fandom/fanfic used to have, and the way you get that is by making it. you gotta make fandom friends who are excited for your thoughts and your stories, and you gotta get excited about their stuff, and you gotta spend hours on discord and/or in the group chat bouncing ideas off each other and just, get invested in each other as fans and as writers. (and hopefully also as people you'll still be friends with a decade from now!)

like i'm never ever going to turn down a nice comment on ao3, it's always wonderful! when someone quotes the parts they liked best it absolutely makes my day! but what i need, what actually fuels me, is the attention and interest from the 2-5 people i actually write all my fics for, because they loved the idea and i know they can't wait to read it and will scream at me at length once they do. relationships are always going to motivate and reward you better than fans, and fortunately relationships are the one of those two things that you have some control over!

so how do you build those relationships? start by commenting on fics you love on ao3, and especially leave longer, detailed comments. follow the author and reblog their fics on tumblr and add some thoughts about why you loved them. if the author engages with you when you do either of those things, keep doing it. maybe they'll follow you back, and once you've had a few mutuals-type interactions on the dashboard try sending them a DM asking if they want to chat about [fandom/character/pairing]; maybe briefly mention an idea/WIP you have that you're looking to bounce around with someone. i know if you have social anxiety this all sounds like horrible cruel lies but i SWEAR, this approach has never once failed me.

and i know that this advice probably sounds like disingenuous bullshit coming from someone who usually gets a lot of comments. all i can say is that i've been writing fanfic for 25 years and until 2020, i hardly ever pulled the kind of numbers i do now, and i genuinely did not care because i always had at least a couple friends to talk to about my ideas and listen to their ideas and get excited together. build relationships that feed you with other fans/writers, it's so much more rewarding and reliable than hoping strangers will be nice to you.

(and i'm not saying they shouldn't be nice to you! people SHOULD comment more! OP is completely correct! but you can't hand over control of your emotions about a hobby you love to random strangers on the internet and just hope they'll do the right thing. that is not a recipe for happiness.)

(also all of the above is in regard to people not leaving comments. the issue of people leaving asshole comments criticizing your work or demanding more without even bothering to say something nice first is related but separate, and the way to deal with those people is to either publicly shame them or bitch about them in the group chat and delete their comments, depending on your energy levels.)

[copperbadge]

hi, i had a medium to big question. in your post about the adhd self-help book you mentioned people with adhd being conditioned to be nonconfrontational, but i've never once in my entire life connected the two? can you break down the connection for me so that i can once again (this week, even) have my understanding of my own condition blown wide open?

So, you are not the only person to ask about this, but that's on me for being unclear -- I wasn't trying to assert that kids with ADHD are automatically conditioned to be nonconfrontational, I was more trying to be like "Hey not everyone needs lessons in medical self-advocacy but a lot of nonconfrontational people do." And I think there is a higher population of people with neurodivergence who are deeply confrontation-averse, but I don't have like, numbers for that, it's just an assumption based on other knowledge.

It gets complicated; ADHD is a disease based heavily in acting impulsively against your best interests. But yeah I do think people with ADHD are often conditioned to avoid confrontation because of two main factors: rejection-sensitive dysphoria and executive dysfunction.

RSD, which I hate perhaps more than any other symptom or behavior associated with ADHD, automatically kicks our nervous system into high gear in social situations and encodes embarrassing moments in our memory with high-def clarity. Because RSD naturally causes a level of anxiety around socialization, it tends to make us nonconfrontational simply because a) we don't want to be yelled at, b) we don't want to embarrass ourselves by getting emotional about something that may not warrant it, and c) by the time we realize what's happening our body is already on high alert which means we are likely to go into fight-flight-freeze mode.

Me, I freeze, usually, but none of those three options are great for fast thinking during an argument. I used to lose arguments a lot simply because I couldn't think or react as fast as the neurotypical person I was fighting with, so I simply stopped having fights. Notably, I did not have this problem when fighting with my brother, who is also neurodivergent and has many of the same freeze reactions I do.

If people disagree with me, even when I know I'm right I also know I probably won't be able to vocalize it properly, so I back down. Usually it's trivial so it doesn't matter, and I've gotten strategic about how and when I argue about things that do matter; it's also a lot easier to do with strangers or professionals (like doctors) where I don't have to worry about long-term social repercussions. But yeah, our own nervous system tells us "hey maybe don't pick this fight" about every single fight and if we do pick that fight, it treats our opponent as a dangerous predator.

Executive dysfunction's interaction with nonconfrontation is something I have less problem with because while I do have poor executive function, I've spent a lot of time and energy training myself to cover the Important Stuff. I have mild ADHD so I'm capable of this; I'm not trying to say everyone with ADHD is, because lord knows it's exhausting for me and I've been doing it for roughly thirty years. But essentially, I cover where it counts: if someone needs me to do something I do it, I meet deadlines, I pay bills.

So with that disclaimer in place, a very common issue especially for children with undiagnosed ADHD is that they'll be told or asked to do something and simply be unable to begin or complete it, then when they're asked why they didn't do it they can't explain. Even if they try to explain that they simply couldn't, like they were incapable of doing it for reasons they don't understand, that usually doesn't hold water with a lot of parents and teachers.

"I couldn't bring myself to write this essay," is actually something I told myself a few times in college, but it's not something I'd bother trying to tell someone else, because if you think you're neurotypical that sounds very insane. So I'd lie and say I forgot, or I'd take the fail, or I'd simply drop out of the class. Crucially I would not fight with the authority figure who was questioning me about it, because I knew I wouldn't be able to explain myself, and I'd just end up getting in more trouble for longer.

Our culture is structured for neurotypicals, and it's not even structured for all neurotypicals. Behavior that deviates from Approved Neurotypical even when you think you are Approved Neurotypical is highly punishable. So if your options are passivity, even when passivity leads to pain, or confrontation, most people who aren't Approved Neurotypical will opt for passivity once they've had a taste of where confrontation leads. I know I do.

And the thing is, there's nothing actually wrong with that. It's a strategy calculated to minimize pain. Even when I'm firing on all cylinders on a fresh dose of Adderall, I still generally let fights go unless there will be actual real consequences, because it's just not worth it. But knowing we have ADHD and knowing we fall into this pattern, I think it is good to be aware that sometimes letting a fight go is really going to fuck you, and at that point even being bad at it is better than not engaging.

I'm pretty good at calculating those, but it's a lifelong process, knowing which hills to die on when you assume you will automatically die if you ever get above sea level.

[pocksprincess]

Chapter 2 - Meet Cute

Series masterlist

Obito Uchiha x f!reader

Modern AU, obi still has scars, he (29) is a doctor and reader (25) is a vet nurse, pining, he is a simp, obito isn't nice to himself :(

Word count - 1887

Beta baddie - @dabilove27 love you <33

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It's you. His pretty new neighbour. Standing at his door in a skimpy yellow sundress that leaves little to the imagination–not that his imagination isn't in overdrive right now at the sight of you. It's part of (the main) reason why he hasn't popped over to introduce himself. Pretty girls have always made Obito nervous. And for good reason, the prettiest ones are often the cruellest. 

And it's as your face breaks into a friendly smile and you trill at him, “Hi, neighbour!” that he hopes that rule doesn't apply to you.  

"Hi…" He manages to croak out a greeting in response, his scarred hand clenching the open door he leans against for support. He really wishes you hadn't caught him in his lounge wear and before he had a chance to shower. 

"For you." You don't give him any time to breathe as you hold out a bottle of red towards him confidently.

"What's this?" He asks dumbly, frowning at the neck of the bottle gripped between your fingers. Your nails are short, the polish on them chipped, each finger painted a different shade of pastel–mirroring the remnant colours of summer as the season begins to turn.

"Um, it's wine. Ever heard of it?" You're teasing him, smile turned a little more wicked, but not malicious. It surprises Obito, you're bold.

Your demeanour is playful, just friendly banter…between strangers. It makes him fidgety, he isn't the best at social interactions, let alone with someone as friendly and familiar as you. It makes him instinctively pull into his protective shell–the one he uses to keep others at an acceptable and safe distance. 

You huff a small laugh at his reaction and he wonders what his face looks like caught in the crosshair of your dazzling smile and shining eyes.

"Yeah, I've...I meant, what's it for?" He stumbles over his question, mentally cursing himself for not being more cool and assertive. Deep down (or maybe not that deep) he's still the gawky teenage boy that doesn't know how to talk to girls. 

"It's a housewarming gift!" You announce proudly, hand still hovering in mid-air, caught in the purgatory of his front porch–neither on your side nor his. 

"I think I'm the one who's supposed to do that," he nods at your offering, "yaknow, since…you're the one who moved in." He finishes lamely, what little confidence he had waning under your glittery-eyed gaze, mirth dancing deep within. It makes him feel bad, like a shitty neighbour, but in all honesty, he was too chicken to knock on your door.

You're so beautiful and warm, always smiling and waving at him like you're old friends. Obito knows he'd fuck up any welcome wagon he tried to roll out in your honour, so he just...didn't bother–figuring you'd probably just settle in and he'd never actually have to speak to you. He feels pretty stupid now with you at his door in a cute little sundress, hair playing about your face in the gentle breeze, and holding out a bottle of merlot (his favourite, how did you guess?) with a mischievous smile playing about your lips.

You surprise him once more when you lean towards him, just a fraction, as if you're sharing a secret only meant for the two of you. "Well, maybe I got tired of waiting." Your voice is low, so familiar, and he can see you quietly relish in how it makes him react.

He feels the heat rise to his cheeks unwarranted, mouth hanging slightly open as he flounders for any sort of response. Your words weren't even innately suggestive, you didn't say anything scandalous, but Obito's thoughts race at their hidden meaning anyway. Could you be...flirting with him? He isn't practiced in the art, but he's almost certain that's what's happening here. Either that or some serious wishful thinking on his part.

You shift in place while you wait for his response, putting your weight on your opposite hip, almost as if you're tired of standing out on his doorstep. He has a fleeting thought to ask you in but bats it away when he realises the absurdity of it-it would definitely seem weird coming from a near total stranger. 

"Um, yeah...I-I'm sorry about that," Obito isn't quite sure what to say, or what to do with his arms. He realises they are limp at his sides and decides to cross them over his chest instead, grounding himself with the embrace and hopefully making him appear more confident (or something). He forces his gaze to meet yours, fighting the urge to flit them away. 

"Don't be silly," you chastise him, but coming from your lips, it sounds gentle-reassuring, "It's no problem, really." You shake the bottle in your grip, all but pushing it into his chest, as you finally give him your name. It's just as pretty as the rest of you.

He quickly unfolds an arm to catch the bottle in his hand, his rough and scarred fingers grazing over your soft ones in the process. He didn't even think, just used his naturally dominant arm to reach for the object, forgetting his carefully trained practice of using the left since the accident.

The touch sends a jolt of something into his navel, and he has to suppress the urge to show his obvious reaction to your nearness. You have no such reservations, hitching in a breath as your eyes zero in on the place where your skin just barely meets his, your hand frozen in place around the bottle–delicate fingers overlapped with his larger ones. And he swears your pupils dilate–becoming large and round like a feline tracking its prey. Are you even aware of your reaction or is this all part of the game?

Obito jerks his hand away from yours, narrowly missing the door with his elbow, and barely manages to hold on to the gift you brought him. God, he must look and sound like a total idiot. 

Your eyes dart back to his face, your features twisting into a slight frown as you slowly lower your hand back to your side, fiddling with the yellow tie that dangles from your waist. 

"Sorry," you apologise, as if you did something wrong. You look so sad. Of course you think that, *he* made you feel that way…it's just been so long since anyone has touched him skin to skin, not even a handshake, especially a beautiful woman. He's always so careful, so aware of keeping only his left side angled towards someone, only ever using his left hand in front of others. Your little surprise visit made him sloppy, he forgot himself. And now you think it's your fault.

"No, please!" The words jump from his throat and Obito winces at the desperate tone in his voice. He gathers his courage with a deep inhale and then lets out the anxiety gnawing at his gut with a breath-get it together, man. 

"This was really nice of you," he looks at the bottle, turning it until he can read the label, "it's one of my favourites." 

He offers you a rare smile (one he doesn't afford many), it probably looks awkward and disingenuous on him but it seems to clear the brewing storm clouds from your expression, a sunny smile lighting up your face. Any reservations you may have had about the moment that just passed between you disappears and you are back to the friendly neighbour routine. 

"Really?" You seem excited that you so accurately pegged something about him. He's not sure whether he's impressed by your insight or irritated that he can be so easily read. You remind him of someone else in that regard…

"You just look like a red wine kinda guy, I'm glad I picked the right one." And you do look glad, you look proud of yourself and something else…something soft and oh so dangerous when you look at him.

Obito swallows instinctually, trying his best not to read into any of your actions or glances. He really is pathetic, you're just being neighbourly, a decent person and he has to ruin it by thinking with his dick. He's always been easily led by a pretty face with an even prettier smile. Usually women only use him to get what they want, knowing it will work every time, the desperately overlooked disfigured guy with no self esteem.

But you seem different, he doesn't get the impression that you have malicious intent, you don't even seem to be phased by his scars. Most women grimace when they see him, whisper to their friends, no doubt about what horrible thing could have left him so permanently twisted. No, you can't be…romantically interested in someone like him. You're just nice, maybe you even want to be friends, or something. It's refreshing and terrifying all at once.

You study his face, perhaps slightly amused, as if you can see the battle going on inside his brain. He thinks you might also feel a little awkward since neither of you has spoken in a while. He can tell because you're twisting your fingers together–a nervous habit, perhaps? It looks uncomfortable, but you don't seem to notice. 

"Well, I better be going…" you float the statement out into the sea of stillness between you, breaking the tension-filled silence. "I just wanted to give that to you before I forgot or chickened out."

He can't believe you could possibly chicken out…that's his job. But it feels oddly reassuring knowing that a stranger feels the same anxieties as he does. Guess he's not the only one who struggles with people. And maybe, just maybe, that means you aren't quite as confident as you appear. Maybe you are being genuine and are just looking for friends, no one has come to help you with your belongings or visited you since you moved in. Maybe you're as lonely as he is.

"Oh yeah, of course. Well, thank you, really." He tries to put as much sincerity into his response as possible but the words sound stiff to his own ears. 

"Any time, neighbour." You smile a wicked little grin, unfazed by his awkwardness, back to your mischievous tone as you descend his front steps slowly. 

And it's only in that moment that he realises he never gave you his name in return. What a fucking moron. 

"Obito!” He blurts out as an afterthought. You look confused and slightly taken aback by the sudden outburst. He takes a breath and tries a small smile, “Name's Obito.” 

“Obito,” you repeat, sounding the name out on your tongue. It makes his heart thump harder in his chest.

"Well, seeya, Obito!” You call out, throwing up a hand in goodbye as you walk to your door.

He returns the gesture, nodding his head and jerking his hand up clumsily when you turn around to smile at him one last time–key in the lock as you hesitate for a second. And then you're inside and his door is shut and he's leaning against it heavily–breath leaving his body in an audible whoosh. He rests his head against the door with a thunk, eyes screwed shut.

But it's no use, he can still see your kind eyes and pretty smile in the darkness.

[visgrapplinghooks]

a very long fucking rant about neurodivergence, the internet, controversy, and conflict

I've done my best to try to make references to specific dramas and situations as vague as possible, since I really don't want to stir shit with the fucking losers who care way more about which total stranger to me abused another total stranger to me than I do. If you're the kind of person who cares strongly about creating villains and victim narratives, this post probably isn't for you.

The internet is kinda bad for neurodivergent people, particularly people with innate social communication dysfunctions (autistic people). I've been noticing this for a while, but every other internet controversy I observe seems to have neurodivergence in some way involved. Typically, some kind of longstanding mental illness, very frequently autism spectrum disorder as well. Three streamers I know of that have all had controversies where they get grossly misunderstood or misrepresented by others and dogpiled by internet communities, all three of them diagnosed autistic. A situation regarding one autistic YouTuber crossing the boundaries of another autistic content creator due to what appears from the outside to me as a failure of communication. Another who kinda defined the term "lolcow", well… I don't think I need to go too much into that. There was that thing with another autistic creator ages ago posting sexually explicit messages in their Discord server where minors were present. I would argue almost all of these controversies mentioned are in some way related to being neurodivergent and their engagement with the internet.

A lot of the people I'm referencing are Old Guard online or have been online for a long time. Being streamers also kinda necessitates you immerse yourself in online culture quite heavily. Humans, to develop adequate social response mechanisms for human and serious things and communicate them appropriately, typically need regular socialization. For neurodivergent people, this is often not an option. The real world sucks.

The problem with autism in particular, and this has been noted by autism groups irl, is that there really is no such thing as an "obvious" cue. Depending on how severe the social cognition impairment is, you may not learn any social responses at all for your entire early adult life and need them explicitly stated to you. In dangerous cases, your grip on reality can get so broken that you don't know what is and isn't acceptable. There's a genuine and real problem of autistic people (men in particular) failing to learn appropriate sexual boundaries. There's also a problem of autistic people not learning how to advocate when they're uncomfortable due to childhood experiences. This is very obviously going to lead to some pretty fucking bad situations, especially between two autistic people.

To neurodivergent people as a whole, this is also a thing of "your social environment dictates what behavior you think is normal". And if your "normal" is environments like YouTube comments, Reddit, internet forums, Tumblr, then what you think is acceptable is completely insane to the average person. And while this can function well-enough for most things, this often fails to be adequate socialization for things like human friendships and sexual situations. This, again, is likely to lead to problems. On top of that, there is a tendency for the internet to be… rather ableist. Online mobs tend to be very obsessively hypercritical of neurodivergent people in particular (often autistic people), because they give off "bad vibes" to them or otherwise come off as abrasive. The problem with this is that the average human is ableist as fuck. It's been demonstrated that most allistic people can clock autistic people as "weird" within moments of meeting or interacting with them. The same goes for neurotypicals and most neurodivergent people. This tends to then frame large swathes of the internet's perceptions of people's behavior and lead to generally higher rates of scrutiny for neurodivergent people online, again, leading to the generation of controversy.

Essentially, the first premise I'm outlining here is the internet is a bit of a controversy and boundary-crossing factory, and the prime subjects of this are overwhelmingly going to be neurodivergent people. Particularly those with some kind of social communication problem. In fact, you also see this with some creators with ADHD (especially streamers) impulsively saying shit on stream and that getting clipped and used against them. The second premise is the nature of "culpability" and "blame". One of the biggest issues with controversies online is that they're very focused on the act of blaming someone or the framing of a person as a bad actor. This becomes especially dicey when a lot of controversies are about interpersonal interactions and relationships that you would never have heard of or cared about if not for the internet. Very rarely are there interactions (between adults, at least) where one party is a unilaterally bad actor.

Putting the proneness of blame together with the issues of boundaries and social communication, you're more likely to end up with oversimplified framing of very nuanced and complex social interactions. My reading of the aforementioned situation with the two autistic content creators for example, for example, even when it was initially a hot topic, is that, "this reads like an autistic person who has no idea what boundaries are". Upon learning that the other party was also autistic, it also made a lot of sense as to why they didn't just tell them to stop or explicitly state their discomfort with it, either. Autistic people can often be bad at setting boundaries for themselves. That's not an excuse for one's behavior, but I think it's a meaningful analysis.

Escaping the specifics of that particular situation and discussing things as a whole… who exactly is to blame in situations like this? I think, in a lot of ways, the desire to jump to blaming people or villainizing them leads to more harm than good. This is especially in cases where they respond very poorly to online backlash and criticism. Most human beings would probably become mentally ill after being an online public figure. If you have something that already predisposes you to bad stress reactions, this kind of thing could be devastating for your personal life.

It's long been my stance that 90% of the things that online influencers get held under super high scrutiny for would not stick nearly as hard to actual celebrities. I think due to the "intimate" nature of internet parasociality, online figures are just easier targets than real celebrities, most of the time. That being said, this does not mean individuals involved in these controversies are wholly innocent or blameless. I'm sure in every controversy imaginable, someone could have communicated better, explained themselves better, worked harder to recognize boundaries, etc. My take here is that in most cases, the fixation on complete fucking strangers placing blame on people and being super emotionally and parasocially invested in these controversies just worsens them and in many cases may cause or exacerbate them.

I don't want to equivocate violating sexual boundaries and sexual harassment with saying cringe online discourse shit. They're not equally bad. However, I do think there are common interpersonal and particularly online structural mechanisms that operate and enact during such controversies.

This also applies to neurotypical people, in general, as normalized social environments create some bad behaviors and tendencies. However, I do think neurodivergent - and specifically autistic people - are disproportionately likely to be impacted by it.

To wrap up this rant, I'll close with something vague about myself. I've been in some online communities I probably shouldn't have been. I've been on Discord since I was a young adolescent. Before that, I was a forum lurker and even poster. I have done things and said things to others I shouldn't have. I also know that I am autistic and grew up on the internet. It took me until this year to realize how much that even impacted me as an individual online and in person. Humans, particularly neurodivergent humans, are kind of just bundles of neuroses that clash with other bundles of neuroses and will often seriously hurt each other during those clashes. I'm certain other ND adults, other neurodivergent adults in here included, would probably have the worst and weirdest shit about their histories brought up and scrutinized if they were to become a public figure online. It'd be absolute hell. And gods forbid it hasn't crossed boundaries into something that seriously harms others, but sometimes that happens, too. I don't think that failing to develop and then tripping over yourself so hard that you won't be able to get up should be the defining experience of every neurodivergent person online.

Addendum: it's just idk dude I have no idea what I don't know maybe I'm doing cringe unacceptable shit right now and nobody's told me yet but people will still blame me for not just magically Knowing that I shouldn't be doing it because it's "obvious" and then some piece of shit will make some fucking bluesky or X thread about it in 5 years and then other lowlifes will doxx me why do we just accept that the internet works this way?

[crocheting-cupio]

"Do I Have A Crush?" Quizzes as an Aromantic

In a previous post I had mentioned that I love taking "do I have a crush?" quizzes as an Aromantic. What I didn't share in that post was all of my findings from taking basically every quiz on that topic I could find. This is gonna be a bit of a long one, but I hope it will be an enlightening one!

Being an aro and taking these quizzes is pretty interesting. Because I do get plushes, which for me share some qualities with crushes, but are a completely different experience as a whole. For lack of a better equivalent, I have used my plushes while taking these quizzes. This will become relevant later on.

Anyway, here are my findings:

1. The target demographic for these quizzes is teenage girls. Well, the majority of online quizzes are intended for teenage girls. But these ones are especially designed for teenage girls. It's often painfully obvious by the way they are written, the answers available, and the scenarios provided. About crushes specifically though, this makes sense. Most people have their first crush during their teenage years. So the next logical step is to be curious about these new feelings and take an online quiz to figure out what's going on. Why only girls, though? Hard to say. It could be because they assume boys generally feel more confident in their romantic interest and thus would have no need for such a thing. Worth noting it was very hard to find a TRULY gender inclusive quiz. There's tons of wlm and wlw, but almost nothing for mlw or mlm. And if you're nonbinary or your crush is nonbinary, good fucking luck. The vast majority of them rely on some sort of gender stereotype. So many of these are clearly written from the perspective that you are a cishet woman interested in a cishet man. In multiple quizzes I have actually found typos where instead of using they/them, they accidentally use he/him in one question, almost like it had been up for a few years, then someone edited it later and missed one. A freudian slip if I ever saw one.

2. Practically all of them assume you are currently attending high school I understand that this is the time when most people get their first crush... but there are people who only crush on celebrities and fictional characters until they are an adult. This is not an extremely uncommon occurrence. So as you can imagine, there are a lot of questions that ask about how you interact with this person at school. Usually the addition of "or at work" feels like an afterthought. Some quizzes I've come across don't even consider that an adult might be taking the quiz. Like the question just openly states that you are at school.

3. They frequently assume that your crush is NOT someone in your friend group. This is probably the most interesting one to me personally. Because I myself cannot get a plush on someone until I've known them as a friend for at least three months. And I know plenty of non-aro people that need to get to know someone as a friend before developing romantic feelings. It's just... such an oddly specific assumption, y'know? They don't even consider that maybe this person is already in your friend group (unless you are talking specifically "do I have a crush on my best friend" quizzes). They just doesn't consider that the way you feel about someone can change over time. It's love at first sight or you will never feel that way about that person, I guess. (I think this is more teenager shenanigans. Because "am I about to enter a relationship with an abusive guy" doesn't appear to be the concern. Just that both or either friend group might not approve...?)

4. They generally assume your crush is a stranger or someone you do not know very well. Related to the previous one, this one is kind of weird to me. I understand the concept of love at first sight, but these are "do I have a crush" quizzes, not "is this love at first sight" quizzes. Almost every quiz I took had a least one question that assumed you had fallen in love with someone you have never spoken to. And often for answers on other questions instead of including an "I'm on the fence for how I feel about this person" option in the answers, which would be pretty logical to include, they have an option that says "N/A because I don't actually know them." However, the "do I have a crush on my best friend" quizzes are an exception to this. Instead they often assume you are spending every single free moment of time you have with this person.

5. If you have a crush on your best friend, you have either terribly misinterpreted you feelings and theirs, or they will never feel the same way about you. Um, yeah... I guess some people just can't tell the difference between romantic attraction and just being really good friends. But an important note: I think in some cases there's definitely outside pressure saying that two people "should" be in a romantic relationship simply because they are close platonically. Making those people question how they feel. Hence the existence of these quizzes. I can definitely feel that pressure while taking them.

6. They assume that your friends are all a certain type of person and your relationship with them is very specific. So here's the common assumptions I found across most quizzes:

Your friends are the type of people that are very invested in the love lives of everyone in that friend group. (And also outside of your friend group...)

Your friends are the type of people that will tease you about your romantic interests instead of being supportive.

You talk frequently about your love interests, love life, or lack there of with your friends. (Before you say "What? Everyone does that!" Not everyone does that.)

You are the only person questioning your feelings, everyone else is certain you have a crush.

Thankfully a teenage friend has informed me that this is 100% a teenager behaviour that happens all the time. Although I have seen cases where women under the age of 25 can also do this. I would go into detail about each of those but I think how these are not good assumptions to make is pretty self explanatory. You don't know me, you don't know what my friends are like, stop saying your experiences are universal. I will say blindly trusting the quiz taker's friends is not as reliable of a choice as it sounds. Sometimes people will just call any fond feelings for someone, platonic or not, a crush. And they sometimes will insist that person has a crush even if they say that they do not have a crush and simply want to be friends. And after awhile it can get to your head and feel like the only opinion that matters.

7. They assume this person is someone who you know/you regularly see in real life. In every quiz I took they asked at least one question that I could not answer because the plush I was using for all of these is someone I only know online. Specifically, it was some variant of "how often do you stare at them?" I understand this is a defining part of having a crush for most people, but I was rarely even given the option to say that this person and I are not regularly in the same room. Okay, let's say a teen girl gets a crush on a boy on from another school during like a sports game. She cannot answer this particular question truthfully either because imagining how often you'd stare at someone you met once if you were regularly in the same room with accuracy is not easy.

8. They assume you have the biggest crush, as anything less could lead to negative results from the quiz. Because I do not experience the same feelings, sometimes answering these questions truthfully is very difficult because my options are usually like this:

Q. If your crush asked you to hang out, how would you react?

OMG YES YES YES!!!

Well, we hang out all the time (as friends) so this is just a normal Tuesday for us.

I haven't even introduced myself to this person so they literally cannot ask me to hang out.

I'd make an excuse to not go.

And none of this is even close to how I feel about my plush. Or even about my friends. I cannot answer this question with 100% honesty. Legitimately, I've felt like I've gotten "you don't have a crush" results for the simple reason that I am not head over heals for my plush. Often it was either "every thought in my mind is of them" or "they're alright, I guess." But you can see how only the first option, with the most intense feelings, suggests that you have a crush. The other three options are either completely neutral feelings or suggest dislike. And since that's what people are taking this quiz to figure out, almost everyone is going to pick the first option. It might as well be just "would you hang out with your crush if they asked you, yes or no?"

So these quizzes are built on the assumption that you do, in fact, have a crush. You just want those feelings validated.

"Okay that's great Snowy, but what results did you get from these quizzes as an aromantic?"

Well, I didn't write down exact numbers since there were so many quizzes I took over about an eight month period. Some of them I took multiple times months apart and got different results. But I'd say about 60% said I had a crush, or was likely to have a crush. And 40% said I did not, or it wasn't likely to be a crush.

The funny part?

When I took some of those I didn't have a plush on anyone at the time. I was just using how I felt platonically about a close friend as the "crush." And while this did sway the results, it was not by much. Turning it more into a 50/50 chance.

No plush, no sexual attraction, they are JUST my friend. And yet, the results screen tells me I am deeply in love with them about half of the time.

When I said they assume you do have a crush, I really meant it.

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

Finally, I have actually made my own "do I have a crush" quiz that hopefully avoids doing everything I just talked about. No assumptions about the person you may have feelings for, no assumptions about your friends, no assumptions about you, who you are, or why you are taking it in the first place.

It's password locked since I'd like to get results strictly from people who find this post on Tumblr (for now). So type in this word when prompted:

conformity

Thank you for reading all the way to the end. I spent a long time with all the research and writing so it means a lot to me. 💖

[lawbin-archive]

Hi kokonut

First of all, I'd like to thank you for your analysis and recaps on Lawbin interactions and similarities.

I enjoyed them so much. I SHIP THEM HARD.

I started reading One Piece because of Ms All Sunday at the time. You know she looked so badass with the outfit, stoic/stern luck, and her DF abilities. I was Luffy and his nakama's age at the time and when she joined I was like: "Wow, Robin's so much older and mature, a woman in her late 20s. How does it feel to be that mature?"

Now, I am even older than her :))). (I'm old, I know)

I'll try organizing my thoughts chronogically. This might be long as NR and One Piece and I go way back to my adolescent years.

- So yeah, I have been a Robin fan since way back. One Piece wasn't as popular and access to manga was not easy. I saved One Piece chapters on floppy diskettes of 1.44 MB capacity (those were the dark ages). I had nobody around me to talk about One Piece and Nico Robin even searched for a mailing list and sent a cold email to a stranger just to search for someone to talk about Nico Robin/Miss All sunday lol.

- I was much younger so what I cared about mostly was just badassery and her being cool and strong. I got really worried and sad when Robin was frozen by Aokiji and she was a "burden" to her nakama. But then came Water 7 and Enies Lobby arc which were Robin's arc and full of Robin which made me really happy. Robin's outfit from back then is still the best Robin outfit for me.

- I was not very much and is still not into character ships. I've seen some Zoro x Robin and Franky x Robin ships since back then. I read the reason why people match them but I wasn't convinced. I just didn't see it. (We'll get to Law and Law x Robin later)

- When the supernovas were introduced in Sabaody archipelago pre-time skip, Law stood out for me immediately upon his introduction. Most probably cause he was the only one that was directly mentioned by Robin to Luffy :)) Oh, and cause he had a unique name that made me curious.

- And then came the time skip. I was kind of "disappointed" when Robin was sent to Tequila wolf. You see all the straw hats went to unique islands and we knew what they were doing there (e.g. Luffy with the amazon lilies, nami studying weather) while Robin went to I am sorry be a slave at a random bridge??? And what the hell was she doing with the Revolutionaries? We know what the other Strawhats were doing during the timeskip but what she did during the timeskip was always vague.

- I was also rather disappointed with her design post timeskip in Sabaody archipelago :/ Where was the cowboy hat? Why the much "softer" clothes? Where was the full body leather dress as in Enies lobby?

- The last time I followed the chapters real time was at the beginning of Punk Hazard, Law hasn't even reappeared at that time. And then life happened: uni and work and life in general. I had other hobbies and interests too, I had minimal time to follow chapters per week with less motivation fueled by my "disappointment" about post timeskip Robin .

- So, I had around 10-12 years of One Piece hiatus. Now OP is VERY mainstream and accessible, so different compared to when I first read them 20 years ago. I decided to pick up where I left: beginning of Punk Hazard.

- Now that I am much older and mature with more of the story revealed, everything about Robin's character development makes sense to me:

How she's much more relaxed, and how it felt to not want to be a burden for others, how it's okay to ask for help (and that it's a very courageous thing to ask for help), and how she felt so happy Sanji asked her for help :')

- My disappointment about how she was sent to Tequila Wolf (and The Revolutionaries) has evaporated: Oda has tied her even further to the One Piece lore after all

- I mentioned that I've seen Frobin and Zorobin since way back then. Now I have a perspective of both a teenager me and much older me reading Nico Robin interact with other characters. I still do not see the appeal to those pairings. But when I read her interactions with Law, I immediately got: AHA!!! WHAT'S THIS?

- Now that I've caught up to all chapters (up to 1133 as of now). I SHIP THEM HARD. I'm squeezing years worth of Law x Robin obsession/admiration/hope in these recent weeks LOL. So glad that I found your blog so that I know I am not crazy and not alone in seeing the appeal of Law and Robin. Damn shipping in the fandom is so toxic these days.

- I agree with your writing about why you ship Law x Robin. Back in my younger days, the idea of opposite attracts appealed to me. But now that I'm much older and much overwhelmed with life, the meshing of personalities such as Law and Robin's what appeals and what makes sense to me. Both are introverts with quirks (both are nerds in their own field) and both can engage in intelligent and analytical discussions.

Ah well I blab a lot. Sorry for the long post. I hope we can see Law (and Robin) interaction again soon. I might write to you again next time. Hope you're not bored. :)))

Hi, thank you so much for the long message you sent me. I feel so heartwarmed whenever someone shares their lawbin experience with me. I’m sorry it’s taken me a few days to get back to you, I’ve been busy lately :(

I’m glad you enjoyed the analysis, even though I wrote most of it late at night when I was supposed to be sleeping, so my writing was probably a mess. And OMG I’m a baby one piece fan—I only got into it last year. It’s so nice to know someone has been in the fandom for so long! I’m happy that one piece has grown so much that it’s now easier to find people to share your one piece thoughts with!

I also really wish we could learn more about what happened to Robin during the time skip. I think one piece has grown with its audience, when you read it at different stages of your life, your interpretation changes. I’d say I’m lucky because I got into it pretty late, so a lot of things have already been revealed, and I didn’t have to wait for them haha I’m also super happy that you’re back and shipping lawbin too. The more lawbin fans, the merrier!

I do also ship them so hard, and I’m thrilled to have met so many lawbin shippers who share my obsession. The shipping fandom can get pretty toxic nowadays, but as long as we focus on our ship and find happiness in it, I think we can ignore all the hate :)

I know a lot of people believe that opposites attract, but my personal experience tells me otherwise, and that’s one of the reasons I ship them. I’m so happy my blog has reached you, and I want you to know you’re definitely not alone!!

If you’re interested, you can always join the lawbin discord (shamelessly promoting) https://discord.com/invite/NRE3hheBPA

There are even more Lawbin shippers there, and we can delulu haha :D Thank you so much again for sharing your thoughts! <3

[constantfragmentation]

hiii i know your last post was probably spurred on by someone’s comments regarding your work, but im a woc and have throughly enjoyed all of the content you have written. not to dismiss other people’s issues, but within art it’s always important to consider who is making it and their cultural background, because it always permeates into their creations. while it is blunt to say; people are sometimes sensitive, you shouldn’t let that wear you down or feel overly guilty. the fact you were so open about seeing this as an issue and addressing it is already worth so much.

idk maybe this is insensitive, don’t feel the need to respond to this. i just really love your work and thought i would give my two cents.

Not insensitive at all.

In fact, as several people in this fandom know, unfortunately, I am very, well.... overly sensitive. And they're correct. Coming from a toxic and abusive upbringing and obviously not having the best coping mechanisms or self esteem... I tend to worry a lot, fear rejection and crave acceptance/safe place. I am very aware of this and trying hard not to be this but I still have my triggers and shit happens. It bothers a lot of people and I'm used to most people pulling a 'nope'.

Because of that, I don't ever want anyone to feel unaccepted, etc because that's what I was/am. I know I sound negative too much but it's only because I have difficulty with accepting compliments, kindnesses, etc. I've never been accepted anywhere, so when online strangers are being so kind, I almost don't want to believe them. And it's a bit like a drug too.

If anyone says they don't care about the hits, kudos, comments... I'm going to call them out. Yes we do or we wouldn't post our works publicly. Of course we crave validation and I probably crave it more than normal people because it's something foreign to me.

Saying that. I'm not fishing for people to give me compliments. If anyone wonders why I'm a bit 'off' or I talk too much, respond with huge comments (like now), its because I'm hoping people don't think I'm a total weirdo but I think I've shot that in the foot. I guess I feel like I put up a warning sign "hey, if you interact with me, I'll probably be socially awkward af".

I get so thrilled when someone is so happy with something I made. Maybe @villainsidechick is right that I'm wanting to please everyone and it's not possible. She's not wrong that I'll probably be paranoid that I'm not doing it right and writing will no longer be enjoyable because I'm worrying about how I'm writing. To go from 3rd person limited to 2nd person was hard. Never until Silco had I written that way and I'm still catching mistakes.

So maybe more tags is the answer for now. IDK. I've got different people telling me different things I should do in DMs and I'm just... blank.

I suppose it's all these years of ingrained behavior that I do worry about how I affect others and it truly does hurt me if I feel I've offended someone in any way. I'm mortified by it.

Writing in a strange way is therapy. I can't afford therapy, not in this country and my wages. It's probably unhealthy as hell but in some scenes, I can let out some demons if that makes sense or wishful things I would love to have. That's the beauty of fiction. I can tune out the real world for a bit.

I can't help but take things to heart when other, more normal folks, would brush it off and move on. I'm just not wired that way.

And I over share, like I'm doing right now. Sigh.

I think no matter what I do, someone is not going to be happy with me. I wish that didn't bother me, but it does. Sooner or later someone is going to see this side of me, so I might as well get it out now. Mental health is a bitch even with therapy and meds. It's probably why I write the characters I do and empathise with Jinx and Silco.

I'll go back to just posting nice things and won't mention this again. I'm sure there is a handful of people I know in this fandom who are shaking their heads right now, thinking I'm nuts for posting this and it will bite me in the ass, but so be it.

To those that I've made uncomfortable, I'm sorry. It's better you know where I'm coming from if I make a mistake again. Or perhaps just post stories and keep to myself from now on.

Back under my rock, I go.

[tyliocellier]

“plots please” ⤏ for Rem (because they seem to exist in different worlds 😂) & Marinette (for curiosity’s sake)

Omg okay, for Rem and Tylio...

I am curious because I feel like it would take a while for them to actually have a conversation. Rem (from what I've seen and what you told me) is very short with his answers and Tylio can be too, depending on who he's talking to. Lol I think if they formed a friendship, it would be super Dutch, by which I mean it'd be kind of blunt but honest. But I feel like it would be a challenge to even get these two to interact beyond polite/brief conversations. They would need a common goal or a common enemy.

One way where I see this could happen is if they were both in prison for some reason and both trying to come up with a way to escape. Maybe they find out about each other's plans, or they both had the same plan to get out of there and realize that it would be easier if they combined their shared connections, skills and resources. But maybe they run into a whole bunch of problems that they didn't foresee (someone who is supposed to help them dies, their escape route is blocked off, their getaway driver fails to show up, etc.) and they have to come up with a bunch of solutions on the fly. I think they could actually do it, too, I feel like they might be quite efficient. But that's not really the interesting thing, I think the more interesting part would be if they run into triggers somewhere, and then they would kind of be forced to learn more about each other. Another way this might work is if they were both in the army. Or stranded somewhere. Anything where they are forced by circumstances to interact, because I just don't trust them to consistently do it on their own.

Maybe the only exception would be if they are drunk. Especially Tylio, he might be more likely to speak frankly with a stranger if he was inebriated and had a bad day. I don't know if it's the same for Rem, though. And I also don't know if he would stick around for it. And the thing is, this would work for a night, but I could also see them both being like "ok bye" and never talk again xD Maybe in a scenario where Tylio wants someone dead, he could hire Rem to kill them. Or another idea I had was that Rem kills someone and ends up in trouble somehow and Tylio becomes his lawyer. Then they would also have to interact. I think it'd be very matter-of-fact, mostly them talking about the case lol. But who knows, Rem would at least have a reason to talk with him and answer his questions because it would literally be in his own best interest, legally speaking.

Obviously the easiest reason for them to interact would be Marinette. Tylio would try to get to know him better if he felt it was important to her and I assume Rem would also do the same thing. Which is super funny, because I think neither one of them really know how to make friends. I kinda just picture kids on the playground on their first day at school "do you wanna see my lunchbox" type energy XD I think Tylio probably still would know a bit more about how to make a friend because he was friends with his brother so he would like, suggest things for them to do but it would be funny.

As for Marinette & Tylio, that is super easy:

Idk if you've ever watched Black Swan? But since you said Marinette used to dance ballet I could totally see it. The ballerina in the movie gets the lead role in the Swan Lake ballet performance, works way too hard, pushes herself way too far just like Marinette did, wants to basically give the perfect performance. And we could easily cast Tylio as the teacher who is way too controlling/strict/demanding of the dancers, obsessed with putting together the perfect show and getting romantically involved with her when he isn't supposed to. But this would be super toxic I think, more so than their other threads.

Another thing that could be very fun to do with them is a plot set in the past, like maybe the victorian era or even medieval times. Maybe they fall in love but they're both from a different class and that complicates things severely. Or maybe they're both peasants and it's fine, but they have other shit to deal with, like a war or religious prosecution, or hell maybe Marinette is accused of being a witch and they need to gtfo of town before the townspeople try to burn her.

Cliché af but I could also totally see them in a priest x nun plot where they're both supposed to stay unmarried for life and devote their lives to God and stuff, and they both start out super determined and convinced but obviously it goes completely wrong when they meet each other.

I have like way more plots that could work for them, a lot of them based on movies actually, but the meme said to name three xD

[king-midas-fortnite]

Hello. I assume there is little need for introduction, but I am Midas. I've recently returned from a brief..."sabbatical", shall we call it, in the Underworld.

My daughter, Jules thought it would be a good idea to keep a blog. Not sure why. Something about venting feelings, connecting with other people not in my crew, etc. Not exactly things I find very high priority, but I suppose it can't kill me. I'd know better than anyone what can, after all. And perhaps it'll make keeping tabs on people of interest easier...

Feel free to reach out, if you wish. Message me, tag me, whatever the case may be. I'll do my best to be active here. Whatever it takes to make my daughter happy. However, I am a busy man. Apologies if I miss anything.

((Keep reading for rules and notes!))

--------------------------------------------------

Rules and guidelines for interacting!

1. This blog is run by an adult. I am 26, my main is @snippydippy. Please keep this in mind when interacting with me. I ask that minors please consider a different Midas.

I will use (()) to indicate when I'm speaking out of character in any posts!

2. I don't mind NSFW content myself, but may not answer questions or reblog content pertaining to sexually explicit topics to keep things relatively appropriate.

3. This blog may contain ship content, it may not. I have ships I like, they may not be the ones you do. While my version of Midas is cis, he's not straight (bi king). If this bothers you, I don't know what to tell you.

4. My DMs and asks will always be open! Please don't be shy, Midas won't bite. I'm down to RP in the reblogs with anyone! However, DM roleplays for other adults only, please.

5. This blog will always be skewed towards a more serious vibe. I take my characterization of Midas very seriously (more so than I probably should for a FN character lol). You won't find much in the way of him being a silly guy. Even if I find it funny, if I don't think a situation would be in character for my version of him, it won't happen.

That's it as far as my rules go aside from the obvious "don't be a dick" sentiments that I feel I shouldn't have to say. Thank you for reading them! Next are just a couple notes on my headcanons for Midas.

-Midas has some control over his Golden Touch. I think of the curse in a way that is similar to chronic pains. Some days, it is manageable, and he can touch whatever he'd like without issue. Some days, it is bad. He has to avoid people, can't eat, and struggles getting through mundane tasks without frustration.

I believe his curse may also be in part tied to his emotions. Any intense anger, sadness, or other strong feelings will make it harder to control the Touch, and it does cause him some amount of pain when it's out of control. (Doing mental gymnastics to explain why Fortnite itself isn't consistent with his power.)

-Jules means everything to Midas. He will do absolutely anything in his power to keep his daughter safe and to keep his relationship with her in good standing. He's wronged her in the past, and is doing all he can to make up for those actions and lost time.

-His time in the underworld changed him a bit. He's less cold to the people close to him. He allows more feeling than pure calculation into his thought processes, but a stranger may not be able to tell. Midas is a relatively closed off man. He does not wear his emotions on his sleeve, and doesn't often make friends without some kind of benefit to be had from the relationship. Be it power or connections. However, the friendships he does have mean a great deal to him. He is quick to provide aid in any way he can to those he cares about.

Another thing about his imprisonment in Hell: Time in the underworld was experienced differently. While we may have waited four years for Midas to return, for him it was much, much longer. Now that he is back, he is determined to never be put in chains ever again.

-This version of him obviously has not left the island after returning from the underworld, instead opting to stay as his curiosity for how things have changed has gotten the better of him. He wants to keep up with the power struggles, and find a way to insert himself back into them.

Tags I'll use!

This blog is semi-independent! Some lore is shared with @perseus-ihatemydad-fortnite in that he helped Midas escape from the Underworld, and there have been extensive lore discussions and shared ideas with the muns for @valeria-fortnite and @kado-fortnite.

TIMELINE IS A WIP

This blog is old enough now with a long and involved story that I think probably merits a simple timeline for anyone new here. I'm working on it, promise.

#Midas Answers -For asks answered in character

#Midas Posts -For interactions in character

#Gold Encounter -For interactions between other characters that are meant to be read as happening in-person/privately

#Journal Entries - For uh. For Journal Entries lol. These are, in a meta sense, private to him. They are for interactions that happen on the Discord server rather than Tumblr for reader convenience.

#Gold Reserves -In-character reblogs of art, aesthetic posts, etc.

#Shut your trap snippy -For posts like these that include me talking OOC (I know, long tag. It's just what I've been using on my main blog for years to tag my own garbage lol)

- 👑 for anon messages

Screenshot in this post and my header are from @corvidazed 💛

Thank you for getting all the way down here! I hope our interactions are fun!

[badwolfdreams]

Wheel of Time: Up to The Fires of Heaven Rambles

Hello strangers! A short preamble before I get started. I am a random nerd on the internet who is currently obsessed with the WoT (both the show and series). WoT is something that has been in my periphery for some time now, but could not engage with due to grad school literally sucking up my life. Then a little more than a year ago, my brother finally sat my ass down and had me binge watch both seasons. As you can imagine this has lit the fires of (heaven-ly HAH!) obsession in me, and I have been reading the series ever since. In celebration of WoT season 3 fast approaching, I thought I would start sharing my experience as I read the series.

This will probably not be written in a cohesive manner (nor consistently) but I hope you enjoy my ramblings, thoughts, theories etc. regardless. Oh and be warned, there will be spoilers all the way up to Chp 18 in the Fires of Heaven (tFoH).

I think for this first post, I'll go over my thoughts up to where I currently am in book 5. Subsequent posts will be more of my thoughts as I read through the series.

The Aiel Waste Group (Rand, Mat, Egwene, Moiraine, Lan, and Aviendha)

In terms of worldbuiling, this crew has had it the best. My jaw literally dropped while I was reading the Rhuidean chapters in the Shadows Rising (tSR). I recall texting my brother every few sentences over the massive revelations concerning the true origins of the Aiel and the Way of the Leaf. PLUS, getting to see a glimpse of the Age of Legends, getting to witness Lanfear (then Mierin) drill into the bore and release the Dark One had me jumping in my seat! I love that I am still continuing to learn more about Aiel culture in tFoH (something I've been excited to read about since book 3 the Dragon Reborn).

Starting off with Rand, he has the unfortunate position of being a character I sympathize with but who also frustrates me to such a large degree. I understand why he distrusts Moiraine (and the Aes Sedai as a whole) and his refusal to allow anyone to manipulate/control him now that he has been proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn. But holy shit get a fucking grip and listen to Moiraine's sound judgement for once!!! I genuinely did not realize how much his attitude was affecting my opinions until his POV was mostly removed in the Dragon Reborn (tDR). So far, tDR is my favorite book in the series, with tSR being a close second, and it's mostly because of Rand and the romances (we will get there TRUST). However, my brother did bring up the point that Rand's attitude is also being affected by him going mad which is completely fair and something I had been neglecting in my reflections. Also, I will give Rand credit cause he has had some genuinely badass moments. His fight against Ishy at the Stone of Tear and Asmodean in Rhuidean being some of my absolute favorite moments. Plus, let's not forget the fucking baller move to force Asmodean to teach him how to use the One Power! I also really enjoy his interactions with Lanfear. Super hot toxic ex-girlfriend wanting reincarnated Lews back? insert gif of smirking man with sunglasses flinging chair open before sitting down Hell in an alternate universe, I hope her nothing but world domination and happiness as a treat.

Out of everyone in this group Moiraine, Lan, Egwene, and Aviendha are my favorites. Admittedly, Lan hasn't done much in the story so far but I love how loyal and protective he is of Moiraine. Their platonic relationship is one I think is so beautifully depicted in the show. I absolutely LOVE Moiraine! She is such a badass with her tight control and skill in using balefire against Be'lal and the shadow hounds. She is cunning, manipulative, and sometimes downright ruthless but you can see hints of how much she cares. How much she wants to help Rand make sure that the world is saved at the detriment of herself. How much she cares about Lan and his happiness that SHE DID SOMETHING TO MAKE SURE HE'D BE ALRIGHT WHEN SHE MIGHT SOON DIE?!! POTENTIALLY! Oh man the current red flags of death are surrounding Moiraine currently AND I AM TERRIFIED! As an aside, I have an incredible (read: FUCKING AWFUL) ability to pick favorite characters that somehow end up dying or having the worst fate thrust upon them. It has happened so often that I literally was given a joke present from a friend about it. However, I do theorize that if Moiraine dies in tFoH, she'll came back similar to Gandalf the White. I mainly think this because Gandalf was clearly a major inspiration for Moiraine while reading the Eye of the World.

Moving on, Egwene is another badass. She has gone through such a growth from naive farm girl to confident and ambitious woman, thirsting for knowledge in order to make sure she can protect herself, her friends and her family. Her captivity with the Seanchan was rough to watch/read through. She definitely has trauma to unpack and deal with at some point. I am almost certain that Egwene will be Siuan's chosen successor as Amyrlin against Elaida. Based on her visions of what may be during her Accepted trial, Siuan mentioning she wants to choose someone powerful to succeed her, and the fact that she acted like a leader to Nynaeve while they were in Tel'aran'rhiod (TAR). Curious to see if this theory is true.

Last but not least is Aviendha. From the moment she showed up (in both the show and books), I loved her. I especially love her relationship with Egwene and Elayne. She's incredibly loyal as seen by her forcing herself to stay in Rand's presence to keep an eye on him for Elayne. Aviendha gives me tsundere vibes, which in the context of Rand I hate, but love otherwise. She's definitely struggling with not wanting to fall in love with Rand when Elayne clearly loves him (still don't understand how but whatever). Very excited to see what she can do after her training with the Wise Ones.

At the moment, I feel very neutral about Mat. His initial doom and gloom attitude in the Eye of the World and The Great Hunt were grating. However, I don't hold that against him as it was a byproduct of the dagger he stole from Shadar Lagoth. tDR and tSR have definitely peaked my interest in where his story is going. Particularly, now that he has the luck ability, anti-magic fox medallion, the black-hafted raven spear, and his past incarnations' memories. I do think he makes extremely questionable, in-the-moment decisions though. Not much to say beyond that for now.

Refugees from the White Tower (Siuan, Leane, Min, and Logain)

Now here is a group that I was not expecting but am excited for. When Min first arrived at the White Tower and had her multiple visions eluding to its fall, I fully expected that to be a result of the Whitecloaks (darkfriends specifically) and High Lady Suroth banding together. Imagine my pikachu face of surprise when it was in fact a civil war, with Elaida deposing and stilling Siuan and Leane. Look I freaking love Siuan and her angsty romance with Moiraine in the show. The fucking reverse uno card that is about to happen in season 3 has me so excited and upset at the same time. But the fact that she's not letting being stilled stop her from fighting back is awe inspiring! Not a fan of the hints at her romance with Garth Bryne however (will touch on later).

Leane was a side character that I felt neutral towards. Boy did that fucking change when she fell back on her Domani upbringing to try and seduce(?) Gareth Bryne to get out of any severe punishments for burning down a barn. This literally skyrocketed her to a character I love now. I hope we see more of her soon both in tFoH and upcoming books.

Logain is a very interesting character. He claimed to be the Dragon Reborn before being gentled which would make you think he's a power-hungry individual, but he appears to have a sense of justice and decency. In spite of that, Min keeps seeing visions of him achieving great glory, and my theory is that he'll somehow use Callandor to help Rand. It doesn't really make much sense but it's the best I've got.

I like Min but I want her to stop constantly thinking about going to Rand every time we're in her POV. I am curious to learn more about her background as she's very tight-lipped about it.

Oh and fuck Gawyn. He started off as a sweet summer child with a lot of love for his sister, Elayne, and now I wanna strangle him for killing the Warders who tried saving Siuan and Leane at the Tower. Hopefully, he redeems himself in the future.

The Hunters of the Black Ajah (Nynaeve and Elayne)

Oh man I love this duo. They play really well off each other with Nynaeve's grumpy and stubborn nature and Elayne's kindness and diplomacy. Nynaeve in particular really popped off in tSR against Moghedien. I was absolutely giddy when she matched Moghedien's power level only to outsmart her by punching her with the male a'dam. However, I am terrified for Nynaeve as Moghedien has just recruited the Black Ajah to kidnap her. I also recall in one of the previous books Moghedien mentioning that she wanted to retrain Nynaeve considering how powerful she is. Nynaeve better learn how to remove her block and fucking soon!

Elayne hasn't had her moment to shine yet but I hope it's coming soon. Really enjoyed how she refuses to be left behind in the Great Hunt when there's clearly an adventure happening, and when she fought off bandits in Tanchico with a quarterstaff. I am currently a little suspicious about her parentage. In the tSR, she not only recalled that Thom was her mother's ex-court bard/ex-lover and essentially her father figure but she also mentioned how Morgase wasn't actually her mother. Now mind you she was drunk off her ass so it could be nothing, but she was being truthful about Thom so I'm inclined to think there's something going on there.

Fuck Galad too. Like I knew he was being fed Whitecloak doctrine while he was at the White Tower but what the actual fuck. YOUR HALF-SISTER CAN CHANNEL YOU FUCKING MORON! I literally can't believe the choices he and Gawyn have made considering they both apparently love Elayne and Egwene.

The Defenders of Emond's Field (Perrin, Faile, and Aram)

This has been my favorite plot arc so far in the WoT series. It really focuses on Perrin becoming a leader and learning more about his Wolfbrother abilities. I definitely like him more in the books than I do in the show. This is in large part due to how introspective he is which is hard to do in a TV show. Otherwise, I think his powers are cool as fuck (like come on you've got wolves and TAR involved) and I enjoy his struggle with knowing he needs to fight but wanting to remaining a peaceful blacksmith. Easily has become my favorite of the men from Emond's Field. Ever since Min told Perrin about her visions pertaining to "an Aielmen in a cage, a Tuatha'an with a sword, a falcon and a hawk on his shoulders" being important to his journey, I have been eagerly awaiting their arrival. So I was excited when Faile was the falcon. Honestly, I really like her. A noblewoman (called it) who got bored of overseeing her House and left for a grand adventure? (i'm starting to sense a theme with the characters I like) Sign me up! And she can fight thanks to one of her dad's soldiers? Even better! Her romantic relationship with Perrin is really cute too (except for like half of tSR). I'm really excited to see how she develops and see more of her political savvy while around Perrin. I was even more excited and shocked when it turned out that Aram is the Tuatha'an with a sword. Initially, I thought that Aram would become Perrin's right-hand man once he took up the sword. However, now I'm wary of where he's going. Based on Egwene's vision in TAR, Aram may be bringing some doom upon Perrin/Faile. My guess is Perrin and Aram will have opposing beliefs surrounding violence and peace at some point (kind of like Rand's ancestor who was exiled for killing a man and breaking the Way of the Leaf).

Last thing I wanna talk about before I finally end this, the romances. This is where I do have some criticisms. I despise love triangles with a passion. It's a trope I've seen far too much of growing up that I just can't stand anymore. My dear brother knowing this, had to forewarn me about not a triangle but a square and that Egwene is not a part of it. Admittedly, this filled me with a lot of trepidation but I figured I'd power through it. Before I started reading the series (and after watching the season 2 finale), I took a wild guess as to who would be in Rand's love square. I said it would be Elayne (even though I really didn't want her involved but after seeing the literal heavenly sun rays surrounding her from Rand's POV in the episode well), Aviendha (cause she's an Aielwoman and clearly the Rand love square needs someone from the culture he never grew up in), and Lanfear (cause i mean she's obsessed with him). I am shocked at how much I got right lmao! And was completely blindsided by Min being the third woman in this relationship. Honestly though, I am not sure I would call this a love triangle/square at the moment. Feels more like a polyamorous relationship. Now just to be clear, my issue with Rand's romances (and every romance for that matter) is that I don't find them believable. You're telling me that after BARELY interacting with Rand or Perrin or whoever, they're already in love with them?! And in Perrin's case he got fucking MARRIED already! I cannot tell you the amount of times I yelled "HOW?!" out loud. Perrin's romance with Faile also had the annoying miscommunication trope through half of tSR which was infuriating to read. Not a fan of the hints of a potential romantic relationship between Siuan and Gareth either. Particularly, after Gareth mentioned how he could basically be Siuan's grandpa (age wise) and can't stop thinking about her. I know Siuan is much older than she appears now but I still don't like it. Omg and I have to mention the most gag-inducing flirting I ever witnessed between Elayne and Thom. Yep that's right! Elayne has been flirting with the man that has essentially been her father figure when she was hella young. That shit needed to end before I even read it. Also, I need to point out how hilarious it is that the author (Robert Jordan) while god awful at writing romances, was unintentionally amazing at making characters gay as fuck. The first time I noticed this was back in tDR when Bain and Chiad were introduced as first-sisters. I understand he was trying to state that they basically saw each other as sisters but the way he wrote them made it seem like they were into each other. In tSR, Aviendha literally popped off (to Rand's embarrassment) about how attractive and beautiful Elayne was naked in vivid detail. I remembered thinking to myself 'ok aviendha kiss elayne already then' and started shipping them lol! All that being said, I am curious to see how the show plans on depicting these romances.

Oh god, this got so fucking long. If you read to the very end, thank you for your time and I hope you enjoyed my thoughts! At some point in the future, I will put down more of my thoughts while reading through tFoH. Have a wonderful day/night!

[yjhgvf]

Alright, give us your opinion. What are your favorite and worst Team Umizoomi episodes (from each season), and for the worst episodes, how would you rewrite or fix them?

I don't really have any "worst" episodes of the show, as "worst" is just another word for "least favorite". So I'll be referring to these as my favorite and least favorites. That being said...

I don't even remember what I put as my least favorites all the way back then when I was previously asked about it. Given how my fledgling political opinions and opinion makings skills were back then though... there were probably stupid reasons that I wouldn't agree with nowadays. Anyway...

Season 1: I believe I stated this before, but my favorite episode is definitely Wild West Toy Train Show, mainly for the stunning western environments the episode has. My least favorite is probably Butterfly Dance Show only because I heavily dislike Sophie's butterfly costume. It just looks ugly and like it'd be so uncomfortable to wear, all big and bulky on the child actor. Give the poor girl a better costume.

Season 2: My favorite character is Squiddy, do you have to ask my favorite season 2 episode? We got Squiddy from Legend of the Blue Mermaid, and also a pretty nice song while we were at it. Speaking of characters, least favorite episode is Super Soap. I'm sorry, but Silly Bear's an annoying fuck, I cannot stand him in this episode. He's definitely better in Milli Saves the Day, and I think if they made him as tolerable as he was in that episode I'd like Super Soap better.

Season 3: My favorite episode is probably Boardwalk Games. I've always been a fan of episodes or moments where the team splits up, and I think this episode definitely does it best. It's just nice to see in general and I like the dynamics and interactions that come up from it. My least favorite is Animal School House, mainly because I strongly dislike the jokes used in this episode. I know, I know, this is a show for toddlers and thus not everything's going to appeal to my high-brow refined palette in humor (/hj), but in other episodes when a joke is made, I can at least picture a kid finding it humorous most of the time. I just can't at all for this episode.

Season 4: My favorite season 4 episode has always been Meatball Madness. I've always found it to be a fun and silly episode and definitely the best Troublemakers episode in the show. My least favorite is Umi Cops, and no, it's not because of the recent trend of Umi City Police Force slander in the community. I've always disliked this episode because I felt like we could've gotten an episode teaching general safety to kids (look both ways before crossing the street, don't talk to strangers, what to do if you lose your parent in a public space, etc), especially in a city setting like the one the show takes place in, but instead we got another episode where we chase down the bad guys to various locations. We had this happen in 7 episodes before this episode, keeping in mind that this is episode 13, and I think an episode about police officers and the generally helpful things they're supposed to do for a community aside from arresting bad guys would've been better. Dishonorable mention to Umi Rescue Copter, not because of anything in the episode but because it got dealt the worst hand in episode ordering because for fuck's sake just put it before Umi Space Heroes to make that the finale.