#I don’t mind other people’s opinions and I do respect theirs

[chillbean3210]

Having friends who hate lord of the flies as a fan of the book is so funny sometimes because they’ll talk about the book as if it’s the worst thing in the world and go on about how it’s the worst book they’ve ever read while I’m just there like

[genshin-scenarios]

Reunion: Preparations for a Trip [Part 6]

Read the first series (Adopt a Wanderer) here! An AU where Scaramouche/Wanderer gets isekaied to your world - a found-family series.

Summary: You have an audience with the Dendro Archon, and make plans to travel to Liyue!

Warnings: contains spoilers of Wanderer’s story in the archon quest!

Wordcount: 1473

Part 1

Part 5 <-

After deciding that you’d like to travel to Liyue since you were already in Teyvat, Kuni was quick to find an excuse to leave Sumeru and accompany you. One condition he hadn’t foreseen though, was Nahida asking to be introduced to his ‘new friend’.

The dendro archon is not what one would call severe or intimidating. Despite her powers over dreams and reading people’s minds, she is known as a benevolent and kind god. You said the same when Kuni asked for your opinion on Nahida, which is how he finds himself in his current predicament - watching you and her hit it off in conversation. Namely conversation about him.

Nahida has the gall to ask you about what foods he likes, what he does in his free time, and other meaningless details that you for some reason are perfectly happy to divulge. Kuni thinks this is an invasion of privacy, while you think Nahida is just asking this for fun, seeing as anyone that observed him for long enough would know the answers to these questions.

“Are you done?” Kuni speaks up from the side of the room, where he’s been lounging in perfect distance to overhear everything. “When you said you wanted to meet Y/N, one would expect you to ask about them rather than me.”

“But they’re the only person that knows you so well! How could I pass off this chance?” Nahida chimes back with a smile. “I’m just glad that your relationship seems to be good. You hadn’t thought of anything particularly negative even though we were gossiping about you.”

“And tell me why were you reading my thoughts instead of theirs?”

“Because I can’t.”

The surprise in the room echoes with resounding silence. Nahida muses to herself, placing her teacup back onto its saucer.

“Lesser Lord— Nahida.” You try to suppress your confusion. “You can’t read my thoughts?”

“Nope. This is the first time I’ve encountered this, too.” She taps her chin. “Perhaps it simply has to do with your origins from another world. I’m a little disappointed, seeing as your dreams would’ve been very interesting to explore. With that said, this means my ability to help you find a way back home might be more limited than I thought.”

Kuni tries not to appear too relieved at that statement. You do the same, though both reactions don’t go unnoticed by Nahida, who takes another sip of tea to mask her amusement.

“Well, would you look at that?” Kuni says. “You’re not as un-extraordinary as we both thought.”

“It’s good to know you’re always my number one supporter at times like these.” You deadpan.

True to her prior agreement, Nahida doesn’t push about your mysterious source of information or attempt to seal you away. She can tell you don’t pose a threat to Teyvat in general, and seemed to be quite conscious about guarding your knowledge about the future.

All in all, a responsible person. Nahida arrives at her verdict. “Your condition seems healthy, so there should be no issues with you traveling around nations. So long as you don’t do anything that spreads the awareness of your knowledge to other parties, Kuni should be able to keep you safe. Just let me know if you ever need help with anything! I’m willing to write off the next few weeks as community service on his part.”

Nahida really does feel like Kuni’s guardian figure at times like these; their interactions are pretty wholesome.

“Thank you so much!” You bow your head in respect, before turning to Kuni. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

“Speak for yourself.” He rolls his eyes before walking towards the exit. “If that’s all, I’ll just wait outside. I’m sure there’s stuff you want to ask the God of Wisdom.”

“We won’t be long!” You call out to Kuni, who waves his hand over his shoulder dismissively. Once he’s out of the room, you peer at Nahida - your previous confidence and bravado settling into something more nuanced. “I… I’m sorry if my presence here - in general, causes any complications.”

“I already said that you’re welcome to continue your stay, and I meant every word.” Nahida meets your gaze warmly. “Though I do not share the same burdens of knowledge as you do, my intuition tells me that you mean well. And if you could earn Kuni’s trust, that only furthers my judgment.” She trails off, refocusing the conversation. “...But that’s not what you wanted to ask me about.”

There are a hundred questions you’d like the answer to, such as the science of what allowed you and Kuni to meet all those years ago. But instead, you ask Nahida something that only you can decide for yourself. Such are the woes of human worries, to hope for an outside source to reassure or make grating decisions for you. 

“Do you think I should distance myself from all this?” You purse your lips. “I’m sure you can tell that the Traveler will be an important part of this world’s future. Maybe I should just live a quiet life until I’m returned home, and avoid interacting with those who are a part of their story.”

“Would that involve leaving Kuni behind?”

Feeling a lump in your throat, you look down at your lap. “Technically speaking, none of us would remember anything once I go home, if things worked the same as before… It’ll conclude like none of this ever happened.” That would also mean we’re spending stolen time.

Nahida reaches across the table and places her hand over yours. It’s small, but comforting. Like a leaf offering shade to a tiny animal. “Is that what you want, or are you simply feeling guilty about gaining positives from this situation?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Think about it this way.” Nahida says. “In a world where so many things are out of our control, would it be so selfish to claim what we can as ours, and spend our time doing what makes us happiest?” Her voice falls quieter. “Sometimes it’s not about what’s wrong or correct, but what’s right for us. You would not be the worst person for living by that reasoning.”

What decision would make you happier, and what feels right to you?

Dropping Kuni all of a sudden without asking for his opinion beforehand… after all he’s done for you, would most certainly feel ‘wrong’. Treacherous, even.

It seems you’ve come to a decision after all.

-

“How was the talk?” Kuni asks as you pick out supplies from a shop. You seemed a little happier after leaving the room with Nahida, who bid the both of you a safe trip in advance.

The Dendro Archon also asked for a souvenir as part of his ‘assignment’, but that’s the least of his worries for now (he’s quite sure you’ll end up buying things for Nahida anyways, with how fond you seem of her).

“She really is wise - and kind.” You smile, a bit of cheek entering your tone. “It does feel a little like nepotism to have the chance to meet her, though. You’re quite connected, ‘Hat Guy’.”

“I’m not even going to ask how you know that nickname.” He sighs, but is otherwise satisfied with your answer. Looks like whatever question you had for Nahida has been aptly answered. “There’s still an entire day ahead of us. If we leave now, we can arrive at Liyue before dinnertime.”

“Sounds good! Just let me pack some items from home and I’ll be good to go.” Your chipper mood comes to a pause as reality hits you. “W-Wait… we’ll be walking, right?”

“The entire way. Running included for you if we run into any monsters.”

“Suddenly, I’m starting to feel like being a homebody isn’t so bad after all…”

“If you hurry we can hitch-hike on someone’s carriage.”

Giving Kuni a salute, you duck into the treehouse as soon as you reach the door. “Aye aye, captain! Ow!”

Kuni gives you the grace of ignoring how you ran into the table. “By hurry, I meant under fifteen minutes. I’d like to not lug an unconscious person to Liyue.”

“You should’ve said that before I mortally wounded myself!”

“If you can still talk, you’re fine.”

Shenanigans aside, Kuni realizes this would be your second time going on a trip together. There’s no train to take or websites to book last-minute accommodations, but the look in your eyes says you have a pretty solid idea of where to go and what to do.

Hah, it seems that even now, you were still the leader in some ways. It doesn’t feel too bad, though. Things are a little less boring when he’s around you - whether it be in the way you treat him, react to his comments, or your outlander origins. It feels a little bit like having a ‘home’.

.

.

.

-> Part 7 (finale)

[sly-s-n0nfusion]

Sly’s ✨personal opinion✨ on Octopath Traveler’s english voice acting

Ok it’s been a while since I’ve wanted to do this! I tend to play almost all games with the jp voices when I play jrpgs but that doesn’t mean some English VAs didn’t do a great job! :)

All respect towards them and everyone else who has different opinions; I will simply rate them with ✅ passed and ⛔️ not passed basing on my personal tastes

Octopath 1

Ophilia: ⛔️ not passed - I really don’t like how artificially high-pitched her voice is?? It just sounds a bit fake :((( really not a fan

Cyrus: ⛔️ not passed - Listen I know a lot of people love his English voice and while I do agree that it’s not half bad I also must admit it just doesn’t fit him 😭 compared to the young, honey sweet voice he has in jp I think he sounds a bit too old? If that makes sense. Like he’s 10 years older or something 😂 I like how the VA exaggerated the tone of certain expressions tho, very dramatic!

Tressa: ✅ passed - I LOVE how snarky and bratty she sounds! The VA did a great job, she sounds just tomboyish and childlish enough

Olberic: ✅ passed - ok we’re talking about Patrick Seitz guys what do you want me to tell you!! He’s great and I don’t mind a more booming and intimidating Olberic compared to the quiet and brooding jp one. Fits him so well!

Primrose: ✅ passed - one of the exceptions where I prefer the en VA to the jp one. While the jp voice is sweet an and soft, the English voice has a coldness and edge to it that just fits Primrose’s personality so well. Great job!

Alfyn: ✅ passed - a biiit more soft spoken compared to the deeper, louder jp voice but I still think it fits him. Not much to add

Therion: ⛔️ not passed - I’M SORRY because this is another fan favorite but I really don’t like how the va completely changed his personality, going from the quiet, soft spoken, wary thief to a snarkier version of sonic the hedgehog 😭😭 also malus because they didn’t bother to make him fake the merchant voice during the disguise moment in his ch1 :((((

H’aanit: ✅ passed - MOMMY- I mean I LOVE her en voice SO MUCH. Like her jp voice was also great, but the VA somehow managed to keep the deep, cold sound of her voice and use it in a way that’s just so in character. The “NGAAAH” she makes when you boost her attacks is still implemented into my brain and I love it

Octopath 2

Ochette: ✅ passed - I love how faithful to the jp voice the actress was! She really did a good job also because it was a challenging role imo. Nailed the little growls and rawrs! Adorable!

Castti: ✅ passed - A nice interpretation, not much to say. The eng VA has a sweeter voice than the jp one, who added a bit of raspiness to her I really liked but overall a neat job.

Throné: ✅ passed - LOVE the VA’s voice. Deep, cold, but at the same time you can sense warmth in it. Excellent interpretation :)

Osvald: ✅ passed - The best adaptation in ot2, hands down! I know his Va is also a vtuber and a professional in his job and it shows. SO GOOD MAN! The tone, the personality, 100% nailed. Even though jp Osvald is also great this one HAS to take the crown

Partitio: ✴️ passed (?) - This one was hard to decide for me because while the eng acting does nail the southern accent and the overall vibe it’s also a bit too soft spoken for an energetic and loud personality such as Partitio’s. There’s like a huge difference between the jp acting and the eng one and I’m usually not a fan of that because it completely changes a character’s personality in a way

Agnea: ⛔️ not passed - again with the fake high-pitched voice 😭 idk it might be a pet peeve of mine at this point but. Idk I can tell when a va is clearly trying to fake a tone of voice that is really different from theirs and it bothers me so much

Temenos: ⛔️ not passed - I’m sorry but this one is a big no from me :( I know many others also found his eng voice a bit too emotionless and plain, it really misses that playful and snarky tone the jp VA gave him. Not to mention the part when [redacted] happens in Stormhail ch3, the emotions just… aren’t there. I’ve also heard the eng VA was a novice though so I’m sure he’ll have time to improve :)

Hikari: ✅ passed - I really like his eng voice and interpretation! It’s faithful to the jp one and suits his personality well. A great job!

Well these were my opinions that absolutely no one asked for! I’m sure all the VAs did their best and put a lot of effort in their job ❤️

[utilitycaster]

Genuine question that you can answer privately if you feel like: how on earth do you have the patience to deal with so much of the c3 fandom bullshit around gods and character dynamics? I admit, I came to CR late, have only watched c1 all the way through so far, and was thoroughly burned out after the MCU, but you seem to have the patience to tackle this week after week and I'm curious as to your self-care tactics? I've never managed it myself. I love your meta and respect your work immensely.

Hey! I hope you don’t mind, but I don’t really have self-care tips. Like, I sleep and drink water and exercise and eat vegetables and spend time outside and with friends and all that, but honestly I just don’t get burnt out by fandom bullshit much. I can however speak to why I don’t.

I don’t really care what internet strangers think about me. I’m curious to the point of nosiness so I’m interested in how I’m seen by others, but also if someone who only knows me from Tumblr posts dislikes me, that’s really not my problem (unless they get obnoxious towards me in which case, I block them, check on them once or twice to ensure they’re not getting volatile or obsessive, and if they’re not, ignore them until the end of time.)

Similarly, if people have opinions I don’t like, I’m interested in understanding how they got to that point, because sometimes I’m wrong! But also a lot of people really do just watch things with a specific narrative end in mind - whether it’s validating their personal beliefs/experience, or making two characters end up in a romantic relationship together - and will twist whatever they see into evidence, and I don’t have to give that any room in my mind. I may make a separate post if it’s a common opinion I’ve seen frequently and I have something to say, but I'm not going to get on their posts and tell them to shut up.

To that point, I’ve also realized that the vast majority of people who are unpleasant to others online - certainly the ones who have given me the most irritation - are people who cannot stand that opinions and experiences other than their own exist. This means that they care so much about what other people think, and are furious that you're speaking from your perspective and not theirs. If you block them and keep talking about your own unique opinions and experiences, there’s nothing they can do other than seethe for eternity.

Finally: you do not need to be in a fandom to enjoy a work! I very deliberately don’t write meta about most other things I read or watch unless I really have something to say. I like being in this fandom, but there are plenty of books, podcasts, and shows I watch that I just don't talk about online much, and I don't think that's lessened my experience.

[frogstalavista]

you really do live up to your bio don’t ya buddy.

Everyone please block this person, they actively go up and spread hate on peoples posts, theirs and (my) opinions are different, obviously they think heterosexual things are homophobic (spoiler alert, it’s not :/). This person is a certified hater (I respect that, I can’t tell you how to live your life), but this person says RUDE and HATEFUL things, has commented on one of my posts to spread hate, but I have since blocked them so it’s not there anymore which I am happy about.

Just- just look at what awful things this person says. Definitely worth blocking this person, DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS PERSON, DO NOT GO AFTER THEM!! Just block (or report if they made hate on YOUR post).

Obviously, this person has a very dangerous mindset of “Oh if it’s not a canon ship in NIMONA SPECIFICALLY it’s HOMOPHOBIA”

Again this ties to that other post I made (not about this person just in general) That it’s HYPOCRITICAL to be like “oh i like boy x boy/girl x girl even though it’s NOT canon oh yes gay stuff i can sexualize about” and that’s somehow fine for them to later be like “UGH NOT CANON GIRL X BOY? IT MUST BE HOMOPHOBIA UGH EVERYONE WHO LIKES THIS SHOULD D*E”

Nope. Not okay to harass people who are having a good time. That is literally the lowest of low shit you can do, get off the internet, stop cyber bullying people, get therapy and mind your own business. Or don’t, I can’t actually make you do anything ! Keep being a piece of shit if it gets your rocks hard. Not my kink.

[f001onthehill]

° Василий Артемович Бугаев (Vasily Artemovich Bugayev).

Pretty sure most of you have done this at some point. May as well tag a few people to post (or reblog) theirs. Rules are simple: Describe your OC in the words of an NPC (or NPCs). Feature as many NPCs as you want. Then tag at least as many people.

tagging: @pinkydude @elvenbeard @imaginarycyberpunk2023 @chevvy-yates @katsigian @miss--river @wanderingaldecaldo @kittenchrissy @noirapocalypto @jaymber @dreamskug (...and YOU. :-))

Fixers' Notes:

Padre: Creative. Charming. True to his principles even when it’s neither convenient nor practical. It disqualifies him from certain types of work, but I respect it. It does help he’s very transparent in negotiating his boundaries and very competent at what he does. Wakako Okada: V is very picky about his contracts and, I am keenly aware, a potential liability in case a job turns too unsavoury for his liking. He’s over-familiar and if he weren’t so charming I’d say he’s downright insolent. But he is also one of the best hackers this side of the city. And he understands the ecosystem and his place in it, even if his language and manners occasionally suggest otherwise.

Regina Jones: V is...a little sheltered if you ask me. He hates to get his hands bloody and I think it has little to do with moral considerations and everything to do with his personal distaste for violence. But I’m not complaining. V is good enough at navigating the streets – and his job – without having to sacrifice principles for efficiency or vice versa. After a couple of years in Night City, he has a solid track record and a bodycount of zero. All things considered – that’s pretty damn impressive.

Mr. Hands: I don’t particularly care for his work philosophy - or his attitude.

Dino Dinovic: He’s a good kid. Wicked smart. Loves to clown around but knows when not to. He’s choosier than most mercs I know. Given how many gigs he straight up refuses, it might be more economical to lose his number and hire cheaper mercs with fewer scruples. Profesionally, he clicks better with the likes of Regina or Dakota. But I enjoy his style. Muamar Reyes: I don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other, we don’t work together that often. But my experience so far mostly lines up with the rep he has. He’s a cheeky smartass, he won’t do wetwork, and worst of all, he mixes up work with politics - but his skills make up for it. Some gigs need a gentler touch and a stealthier approach and he’s good at that sort of thing.

Dakota Smith: Some mercs are worth building a good relationship with and V is one of them. He’s competent, reliable and honest – and he’s in it for the people. He is young and has much to learn, but he learns fast.

Rogue Amendiares: V is a talented kid with a good work ethic. Shame how things turned out for him but he seems to be doing fine, considering. Shows remarkable resilience. One of his best assets is the other Bugayev, though. They may not often work as a unit but they network as one and they do keep each other updated, make no mistake about that. It pays to keep it in mind. And it’s also why you don’t get to mess with V just because he is so improbably, stupidly nice. V gets to be nice in part because the other guy is anything but.

[nickfoo]

O fellow fire tank enthusiast, I have an extremely unique question for you that’s kinda important to me 😅

How do you think Bege would think of Sugar , from Dressrosa? 

I’ve got this whole series of events that live in my head rent free where Sugar used her powers to evade capture by the marines (after the whole fiasco with the straw hats) and she ends up meeting Bege when the Fire tanks go to Dressrosa. They kinda know who each other are and have a small temporary alliance to get rid of the kissy-germ people and get away from the marines, and she just ends up leaving with them because she doesn’t have anywhere else to go

What if the Doflamingo family never felt like a real family to her, and on top of that she recently learned that her actual sister (Monet) got killed?? Bege’s papa gut kicks in and he treats her like his own?🥺

Aand she joins the family ?? maybe?? Bege and Sugar are like my top fave one piece characters and this whole mess started from the most random oprp convo on Twitter.. A Bege acc said something about hating absent fathers and a Sugar acc asked, “I don’t have a dad, will you be mine,” and he says YES. It’s so ridiculous but it just stuck in my head and it’s forever canon for me now because they’re my blorbos 

IM SORRYY I kinda rambled a bunch but I’ve not really told anyone about this and I just wanna know what you think about it bcuz you’re like the coolest guy ever to me with all the fire tank stuff you do 🥺🥺

Hey there! This is a long reply from me, so its all under the read more.

I can’t speak for what another person rping as a character would do, as my take on the character might be different than theirs. But I can give you what I’d think the character would do! I've always felt that Sugar seemed quite happy with her life in the Donquixote family. She was doted upon by Doflamingo, not only as a member of his 'family', but with her power, she was a vital to him as a piece in his hold on Dressrosa. Despite its dysfunctions, the Donquixote family is a tight knit group - even if one of the only things holding them together in unison was their mutual devotion to their captain. A form of comradery was definitely there. They were a group of misfits who had found something to be united and accepted in. But now, I'll give my opinion on how I’d think Bege would go with your scenario of if Sugar evaded military capture in Dressrosa and was present when the Fire Tank Pirates were around looking for Lola. I actually think Bege would be wary of Sugar. She was a member of the Donquixote pirates - a ruthless group. And she was also hugely responsible for the subjugation of Dressrosa. Her devil fruit is very dangerous. Due to her fruit power, she looks like a 10 yr old child, but she's actually 22. It's a deceptive appearance that could be used ( and which she has used ) quite maliciously, and I think Bege would pick it up as such. ( and respect that lol. ) As for adopting her, I'm...again not sure. Bege's not like Doflamingo, who had a knack for finding abandoned kids with nowhere to go and taking them into his crew. I think not only do those kids remind Doflamingo of himself as a child, but kids have a sort of pure, honest admiration that he craves and that kind of unfiltered affection can't be found anywhere else. Its also very easy to win that admiration over to devotion. Doflamingo adopted both Sugar and Monet into his family when they were very young. Sugar was 9 and Monet was 17. They are both surely devoted to him. Anyway, I think Bege has instinctive dad tendencies to look out for the kids and young adults who he's allied with (now that he's a father and he’s learned some basic human empathy ), but I'm not sure he'd be adopting kids into his crew/mafia family out of the blue. He's not very into doing good deeds without it having any benefit for him. (Unless Chiffon helps him change his mind.) Also to keep in mind that Sugar is mentally a young adult. He wouldn't talk to her like a little kid. He might slip up now and then, but quickly remind himself she’s a full fledged dangerous pirate with a history. Bege’s a very practical thinker. I think he'd be more interested in her skills and power. But I think he'd not be so sure he could trust her. That power of hers is pretty scary, after all.

[orchidyoonkook]

I could read stories that have love triangles, poly relationships and even side relationships with other members. But it's so rare for me to enjoy ships with between members though. Like let's say there's the story where OC x Member are in a relationship with Member x Member as side ships. Maybe. I'm not so into side couples, but there are times when I'll make an exception if that couple is well written in stories.

And if the ship isn't harmful (in my opinion), then I'd have nothing against people who enjoy those ships.

I'm just personally not into those ships.

Yes! For example.. There's this boy. So our mothers were childhood friends, and we were actually raised more like cousins than friends. And we were close.

We aren't close anymore. That's besides the point.

People kept telling us to date, get married and even have children.. Everything that you could think of in this situation that would be worst than the last too.

That was awkward. We aren't attracted to the other in any romantic or sexual way, only a familial way. It was always so annoying to hear that from people all the time. That wasn't the only time either. There is a lot of people who just try coupling me with guys I'm close to because of how close we are or we were.

That's what I imagine with the members. The group is like a family, they act like brothers more than a lot of other ships. So I can't imagine them romantically or sexually together in that way. That's my opinion.

And I don't date for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with this. So I'm not getting into that.

Oop sorry this is so late!!! I had to work (🤮) and then I forget to check notifs cuz I suck at being online. REGARDLESS!! Onto:

I totally get you. But I am more lenient on side couples as it’s not the main pairing and therefore I don’t have to go through the motions with them. I’m way more comfortable with love triangles and poly stories tho. Especially if it isn’t harmful 😊. (I don’t mind dark fiction/ romance)

And I had the exact same thing happen with my next door neighbour. I moved in when we were two cuz were the same age. And our parents always had us in the same classes growing up and they always used to tease us that we would get married one day. A true childhood friends to lovers situation. But as we got older we grew apart and honestly now could not be more different. But again the difference between our situations is I still consider him one of my best friends. I just don’t see him all that often. But out relationship has grown into that kind of comfortable adult type where we hug goodbye and it’s not awkward. I’m really grateful for him still.

A situation closer to what your describing is more like me and a friend I met in 6th grade. I was always more of a “one of the boys” girlie so I had almost exactly what happened to you happen to me with him which made highschool awkward sometimes. But we remain close as well. He’s in a relationship now and so am I. And we never dated.

In regards to the boys, you get it. That’s exactly how I see them. They’re brothers. Best friends. Family. They’re so comfortable around one another that I don’t even think about it. But their business is theirs and mine is mine. Diction will be fiction and as long as no one goes too far, all is well that goes on. I’m happy for them regardless.

I respect your boundaries about dating! Thanks for being clear 😊

[gunsatthaphan]

Maybe asking this is a bad idea cuz I don't wanna bring negative asks and interactions on your blog but I wanted to ask what are the plot holes you noticed in NLMG? I genuinly want to know I don't wanna stirr the pot! I also feel like some of the conflicts are a bit forced like the one at the ballroom was literally so random(on a side note am I the only one triggered wen Maggy calls the people at the club elders when it's barely people on theire 30s and 40s?)

p.s. you have every right to be critical of something, don't feel pressured to not share your opinion only cuz some people make you feel bad! they are the ones that can't take a differen't opinion well and should work on their empathy and understanding! also thanks for always being nice and available to ask opinions and thoughs!

it's totally fine anon! I'm willing to discuss the show as long as it's in a respectful manner lol.

trigger warning I’m gonna criticize the show one more time so if you can’t handle that, don’t open the post. ✌🏻  

to start things off I find the plot around the death of nueng's dad very confusing. It's strange to me how he gets shot and essentially no one reacts to it. they're giving us indirect hints about Kit being a suspect in all of this but the entire plot just gets left alone. No one questions it and no one seems to want to find the killer. Additionally we still know nothing about the family business? I find it weird how neither Nueng nor his mother seem to be showing any interest in finding out what actually went down. Additionally Kit and Chopper play a very important part in this story and yet they barely have screen time. doesn’t add up. 

The other thing is the relationship between nueng and palm that's bothering me a bit. they're both showing hypocritical behavior towards each other which irritates me. we have palm who gives nueng mixed signals and flip flops between "i love you" (after knowing him for 5 days) and "this is my duty and I live for my job" while also saying things like “why are we even doing this and who even is this family” to his dad. We’re halfway through the show and we still know nothing about palm nor what he actually thinks and feels. And he’s the main character. And then we have nueng who keeps telling palm he wants him to be his friend while not treating him accordingly, kisses ben, almost gets into a relationship with him and then beats palm up for breathing near a girl and tells him he’s nothing but a servant. Which brings me to the ballroom fiasco aka the worst scene in gmmtv history lmao. Everything about that was unnecessary. That being said I definitely agree with you about some conflicts being forced. It’s a constant push and pull between nueng and palm which I wouldn’t mind if there was a good amount of tension between them, reinforced by the surrounding plot, but there’s nothing. They could’ve changed that if they had involved Ben more in the story as well as the dad’s assassination case but they did none of that. There is no buildup, the pacing is off and the romance plot feels bland to me. I also talked about that in this post. 

so yeah that’s my current opinion and if you have a different one that’s fine and maybe this will change completely in the remaining episodes. But for now I’m disappointed. Not only by the storytelling but also by pond and phuwin’s chemistry because something about it feels off to me. which wasn’t the case in fish upon the sky at all so it’s surprising. even more so since Jojo is the director. We all know he can do romance right. so what happened here. Also I love Phuwin but I feel like this role is a bit too big for him. I’m not a huge fan of his acting in this. 

I still like them as actors though and I also like the rest of the cast as well as the cinematography. Also the story around Ben, Chopper and Phoom is very intriguing to me, especially perth’s and chimon’s performances are remarkable. so I will definitely finish it while hoping my opinion will change ✌🏻

xxx

[wisteria-lodge]

lion primary + slightly burnt bird secondary

Hello ! I did the quiz twice with slightly different results and I wanted to have your opinion cause I'm having trouble figuring it out. I tried to keep it short, but it's 4 pages on my google sheet i'm sorry, if it's too long I'll cute some parts there's not problem ! 

Also, I hope it's the right "place" to send it, I wasn't sure. 

You're doing great, although all that apologizing his making me think we're going to run into some burning here.

PRIMARY 

Lion: “Lions are probably the most likely to forgive their enemies, if those enemies seem to repent and change.” → I always say that it’s how you end that matters, not who you were before. 

I mean, I would hope so. That's a human thing. The real question is what proof will you take that someone has really changed. That's where we start getting into primaries.

“For a Badger, it is not about sides or repentance; it is about the inherent worth of a human being. Badgers who value other people in that way can and often will help someone or forgive someone who they dislike, distrust, or disrespect.” → No way. Not everyone deserves respect or help. It’s better to be right than kind. And being kind to someone bad isn’t right. 

That's intense. And probably points to either a Lion (possibly a Badger defining people out of their community, it depends where the rest of this goes.) But I'm leaning Lion. This knee-jerk 'some people are just BAD' and 'it's WRONG to be kind to bad people,' is a Lion's felt morality. A Badger would be more likely to say something like 'lack of kindness CREATES bad people,' or that the kindness *itself* is moral, rather than the Lion classic 'it's better to be morally right than to keep the peace.'

Snake vs Lion: If Snakes will be loyal to their loved ones and they won’t leave them on any instance, but Lions will be willing to leave friends or family members behind if they disagree on some important values and principles, then I’m stuck between the two.

Family is very important to me. I’ve always been close to my parents, sister and brother. We share the same principles and we generally agree on the same things but there are still differences sometimes that bothers me (ordinary sexism for ex).  At one time, I was so pissed off that I didn’t want to see them during the holidays. But I feel like it’s my responsibility to make them understand my point of view and to educate them on certain subjects. I wouldn't do this much effort for people I barely know, but it’s my family and I don’t want to lose them. I think that if they were really intolerant and opposed to my principles, I would avoid them, but I would be really depressed about it. And I’ll never stop trying to change their minds. 

That's... a really really REALLY Lion primary answer.

I hate losing people. I’ve always wanted a friendship that would lasts forever. But I had this friend, she was “problematic”. But, bc she was my friend, I was avoiding some topics so that we could just chill. But she started to debate at parties, and me, hearing these things, I couldn't stay silent. And then she was like “you’re so annoying, we can’t say anything with you”. I tried to explain to her how I was feeling so she could understand me. But due to our disagreements and her refusal to listen to me, I ended our friendship.

Lion. Lions have a LOT of trouble nurturing friendships or close relationships with people whose stances don't line up with theirs. And it might be hard, but they ultimately feel good and kind of badass about giving those people reduced access to them.

It was a bit hard, but I won’t accept toxic relationships and intolerant people. 

Like, if you were a Snake, you would have just rolled your eyes when your friend started talking politics at parties, and changed the subject. It wouldn't have felt like it mattered all that much. I'm also considering Lion secondary to you, because going into hard-core debate at parties is a *choice,* and not one that everyone would make. Because like you say, it runs the risk of making you seem annoying, a buzzkill, holier-than-thou. But a Lion secondary is willing to take the hit, and they get a lot of their power that way.

“Ultimately, lions are about their principles, not people. No matter the means, if the end is what is needed, then it all works out.” → Principles are important because people are. When you fight for a cause, you fight for people. I think it’s more like Lions fight for people they don’t know personally, who can be different, because it’s right, whereas Snakes for instance can do that but it’s not their priority. As for the end justify the means, again, it depends on the situation. I wouldn’t agree with this every time. Also, I realized that if I knew everyone personally, I wouldn't fight for them, I would fight them.

Oh man, are either are really a Lion secondary, or just REALLY live in your primary.

(The rest of it is just people stuff)

I often wonder if people are worth it. (cf. wonder woman “they don’t deserve our help”). Like, I have the feeling that almost everyone is either sexist, racist, lgbtphobic, etc. when they’re not all of that at the same time. 

You know, I am going to pull up that scene from Wonder Woman. I want to talk about how it fits into this system.

DIANA: My mother was right. She said `the world of men don't deserve you.' That's why she left. They don't deserve our help.

STEVE: It's not about whether they deserve it or not. It's about what you believe. You think I don't get it? All I've seen out there? I wish I could tell you that there was one `bad guy' to blame. Maybe we're all to blame. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to do better. (beat) And if you believe this war should stop, Diana, if you want to stop it, then help me stop it.

Diana is a hurting Lion primary. It seems pointless, it seems hopeless, she's lost that burning moral certainty she had in the beginning. She doesn't even know if she wants to end the war anymore. But Steve is as Badger as Badger can get. He says it's a trap to talk about who 'deserves' saving, because everyone contributes to the whole, and all you can do push that whole back, or further into the light.

But that doesn't make sense to Diana. She's not really part of the whole, after all (she's both a really loud Lion, and an Amazon.) The argument that *does* make sense to her is the one she expresses later on.

DIANA: It's not about deserve... It's about what you believe... and I believe in love --

If you're a Lion, you *have* to believe in something, you just do. And Diana doesn't believe in people. She doesn't have to. She believes that love makes things better, and so she will love the world.

I believe that reformism is a tool when you have nothing else to ameliorate people’s conditions of life, but that only a revolution can change the system. But revolutions are violent, deadly, and even though I support it, would I be brave enough to give up my privileges, my life, my dreams, to fight for what’s right? I hope so. 

 I’ve always thought of Lion as the “activist." And I try to fight for what’s right. One day when I was a kid, my dad told me about the workers in the UK who went on strike for ONE YEAR in 1984-1985. He said some of them were so poor they had to eat rats and I was so shocked and admirative of their bravery that I still remember it years later. I’m always wondering if I could be as brave as them, and honestly, I don’t think so. But I try to be.

Strikes work. And I dunno. Everyone does suck, at least a little, and we should all do what we can to make ourselves healthier, wiser, better educated versions of ourselves. But that's kind of the point of Wonder Woman, and why it has to be set during World War I. People are capable of insane evil. But they're also capable of intense good, and if you burn it all down, you burn down the good too.

I try with small things, like saying what I think, not letting an injustice be unpunished. For example, my mother’s boyfriend said sexist and racist stuff so I stood up. I also try to do this at parties. It’s not easy bc i’m often portrayed as a buzz killer, a feminazi or else. But I feel really bad when I don’t do it, I feel guilty.  

You feel morally in the wrong (because you're a really loud Lion.) I'd watch that retribution streak though. That's something I tend to see with Exploded Lions.

Lion vs Bird:  Concerning my beliefs and principles, I like to have an opinion about everything bc I don’t believe in neutrality. Like, it’s okay not to know what to think about something, but it has to be temporary. I inform myself a lot. I want to know the truth, I believe there is one. Of course, reality is complex. But that doesn’t mean that there are not fair and unfair situations. Sometimes, it can be both. And for certain topics, I knew something was wrong even before getting some information and arguments, just cause I felt it was wrong. 

We've definitely got a little Bird secondary going on here. Could be a model you love. Could just be your secondary.

“They can often feel extremely strongly about something… but have trouble breaking down their argument or explaining why (at least in the moment). You’re more likely to hear something like, “it’s wrong because it’s just wrong” from a Lion. They have internal voices which are very important to them, and matter a lot when they make decisions.” → THIS !!!! For example with death penalty, I felt it was wrong without knowing anything around this debate. I only read and did research after. Sometimes, I do some research on a topic because I don’t have an opinion on it, other times I do this but I already have an opinion and I'm searching for arguments to justify it. 

Lion primary. And from one Lion primary to another, beware any black-and-white worldview. It's a thought-killer. But yeah, sometimes you have to go though the process of deciding *why* you think something.

“A Bird can explain the structure of ‘why’ they believe what they believe (and will probably be thrilled you asked. More importantly, they will be happy to field any questions and have a discussion about it. A Lion might do this… but it would be an all-around more stressful conversation, and not a fun thing to do over brunch.” → Reading this, I thought about all the debates I had about feminism, rape culture, the use of racist or homophobic slurs and yes this is stressful, because people say horrible things.

Of course, you're fighting from a place or morality (not practicality or utility, which is always easier.) And, chances are when you're debating these things, you're fighting for your survival and of course that's stressful.

(it's just not a fair fight, when only one party is risking getting hurt)

It’s not that I doubt my arguments and analysis, just that people are not easily convinced, even with facts. 

My take on this is that very few people are convinced by facts, and almost never in-the-moment. Debates are not meant to change the mind of the person you're debating. They're meant to change the mind of any observers that might be on the fence, or to get into someone's mind like a splinter and just sort of - wait their chance.

So yeah, don't let racist jokes slide (I wouldn't) but also don't... feed the trolls. There are a lot of people who want to make bad-faith arguments just designed to get you angry. And you can't teach people who don't want to learn. Just do your thing, be visible, and when those people are ready - they know where to find you.

“When Lions change their minds it’s a much messier situation, and takes a lot longer.” → Some of my opinions have changed, evolved. It’s unpleasant to see that we were wrong, but not everyone can be right every time. The important thing to me is to realize your faults and act better. But yeah, sometimes, it hurts. 

It does. But it sounds like you already know that the most important thing is to remember that you might be working with flawed/incomplete data just the same as everyone else, and *always* might be wrong.

“There are also [Birds] who believe that truth is discoverable, and there is a universal, objective truth, and that they have found it. Maybe it’s not perfect, but it’s solid, and they’re sure that if they explain it sufficiently to someone else, that person would also see the truth of it. [Bird] Primaries also value internal consistency. Hypocrisy means that something is off, and wrong, and it irritates them.” →  Hypocrisy is one of the things I hate the most specifically because it’s pure lies, denial and bad faith. I always make sure that I’m always in the truth and on the right path, and that I don’t let myself get carried away by my ego or else. Not always easy. 

I know that 'hypocrisy' is often held up as THE thing that most annoys Birds, but all your language here is really Lion. 'Denial' 'Bad faith' - that's feeling something is right and deliberately going against it (a lion would *hate* that.) And really intense, exploded Lions tend to get swallowed up by their ego... while intense exploded Bird almost have no ego at all.

 SECONDARY

I think the first time I did the quiz I had bird secondary, but the second time I did it, I had this result : Burned Snake Secondary.

Okay, that's really interesting. I totally see the Bird, but I never would have guessed *snake.*

It said that:  “It doesn’t feel deceitful to a Snake to change to fit the needs of their environment: to be kind with this person, forceful with this one, erudite to the next. This adaptability can be applied to manipulation, influence, and power, but a Snake secondary can just as easily focus their efforts on maintaining friendships, making people happy, encouraging positive social change, or streamlining communication.” → I’d feel bad if I was being nice to someone I hate except if the point behind this fake nice attitude was to trick them. Because then, it would be justified and not just because I’m scared to say what I think of them.

This seems to tie back to your primary. It's not uncommon for Idealists (Lion and Bird) to be REALLY against lying - even a little bit, in any circumstance. It's very Kant. BUT, if your primary was okay with lying for some reason... then of course lying would be all right.

But "being nice to someone I hate [because] the point behind this fake nice attitude was to trick them" isn't a Snake sentiment, because that wouldn't feel fake to a Snake. It wouldn't feel deceitful, it wouldn't feel like lying, it would feel like just a communication style.

If anything, what you're describing here sounds *more* like a situation specific Actor Bird - a you have a Nice!You, in order to get things from people you hate.

As a teen, I wanted to be myself,

Human stuff. (But that kind of existential how-do-I-define-myself angst is especially common with Lion primary.)

but I also wished for people to see my worth. I was searching for others’ validation and it often led me to elaborate a bunch of strategies to get noticed and “admired” where I needed to be a bit hypocritical sometimes. But this whole era is hard to explain. 

Glory Hound Lion primary. (It's common, it's a classic.)

“A burned Snake secondary might want to be flexible, adaptable, and clever, but they feel like they are (or like people think they are) clumsy, unobservant, or blunt.” → I sometimes feel like I’m dumb in the way like I’m not particularly cunning but I wish to be. 

Look... everyone thinks Snake secondaries are cool...

SNAKE : “They naturally create the mask, the persona, that the situation requires, and shift out of it just as easily.” → I try to put on masks to appear on my best day, especially with people I just met. But it’s so hard to keep it, I usually forget how I was supposed to act and talk, and end up being my normal self. But I like the cunning part, I don’t know if i’m good at that but I would love to be. I have this recent example where I wanted to know something about a friend of mine, but it felt weird and rude to ask her directly so I bypassed the topic and she told me what I wanted to know. 

I think all this is just being garden-variety polite. (Which you talk about as basically as an Actor Bird persona, that you don't especially love.)

I also try to adapt to people in order to convince them. I know how they can react and I adapt my speech to them, because if I don’t, they’re gonna reject it directly. But I don’t think I’m snake bc I can’t restrain myself from being myself. For example, when I was like 12, I was in this awkward situation where my friends and I were hanging out, and one of my “friends” mocked me, while the others said nothing. It was a habit : this girl bullied me but we still hung out bc we had the same friends. It happened to me again a couple of years ago. So I was shutting my mouth bc I was afraid of losing all my friends if I stood up. But eventually one day, I was so angry that I told them how I felt. Both times, one month is all I could endure of their bullying. And both times, when I spoke, it just slipped out. I really had zero control. And even though I was afraid of the consequences, it felt good to say the truth and not let them walk over me. 

Hmmm. I mean, no one likes being bullied. And just blurting out stuff unwisely because you're angry, that's just a person thing. It didn't make you feel strong after all, it make you feel out of control. Which is why it doesn't seem to point to your secondary.

In general, you seem pretty comfortable with the single-player version of your Bird secondary. But you're in process of getting comfortable with the multi-player version. You... don't totally trust your ability to use it yet, but I'm not sure I would call it burned.

I also had a LION MODEL which says that: “Lion values honesty and integrity. If you model Lion secondary, you also value these things and like to live by them. You like to be honest, straightforward, and consistent-- but you wouldn't feel guilty for abandoning those values in the service of other, higher priorities. It would be nice if you could always say what you mean and stick with it-- but sometimes you have to be circumspect, restrained, or practical, and you don't feel bad about that.” And elsewhere I red about Lions secondary that : “Every other secondary will act or wear different personas, but to a Lion that feels immoral.” → I don’t think it’s immoral, but sometimes i’m tired of pretending. In fact, I like to put on a mask and play a part if it’s to manipulate people I don’t like, or if it’s just to obtain information that I can’t have just by asking. But I hate situations where I have to be polite and pretend that I like people I can’t stand. For example, I’ll have to have dinner with my mother’s boyfriend who said racist stuff and I’ll have to be polite and it’s going to make me feel bad/guilty. I try to be more honest. 

When you HAVE to do things, it make them a lot less fun. That's just being human. Authenticity is - a presentation that you have given your consent to, free and clear, in the knowledge that you could have just as easily said no. It's fun to play a part and be nice when it's you deciding to do that all on your own, to get something you want. But playing a part and being nice because you HAVE to, because you have no other choice... no one likes that.

 LIONS : “They charge into situations and have faith in their intuition” → I can feel in my gut that a situation is unfair

That's your primary talking.

but for general topics in everyday life, when I have a choice to make, I can’t decide. Choices are hard for me. I’m not an improviser, I plan everything. But sometimes, I wish I could let go of things. 

I'm really doubling down on Bird secondary for you. And feeling sort of stuck, incapable of making a practical decision - that's something I see with Bunt secondaries, *especially* with Burnt Bird secondaries.

“Lions solve problems by being committed (or stubborn.)” → I made myself a promise when I was a child, to never give up. I don’t even feel like I have a choice, I don’t like to give up on things or people, so I will always try. I only give up when I have no other choice.

That's your primary talking again. (You have a very loud primary)

BIRDS: When I was a kid, I wanted to be the smartest in the world like Einstein and thought that knowing everything by heart was enough 😂

Ooooh... young Bird. Such classic young Bird secondary.

Sometimes I’m scared not to have time to learn enough in my lifetime. And one of the reasons why I want to realize documentaries as my job, is to learn, and teach people. I want to give people information and try to make them understand things, and maybe change their minds, make them see the truth. 

I think you'd be a fantastic documentarian.

(Also? You've collected quotes about the different primaries and secondaries from at least three different sources, collected them here, and arranged your response around them. A very Bird secondary problem solving method.)

Since I was a child, it’s really hard for me to take decisions because first, I want everything lmao, and secondly, I'm always making sure I have all the information and I'm always waiting for the "perfect moment" so I just freeze in place.

A lot of Bird secondaries have this problem. And hate the idea that they're never going to know everything, or KNOW that something is the perfect moment. A Lion primary comes in handy here - sometimes you just have to kick your butt into doing *something*... because doing nothing is just as much as choice as everything else.

I love to-do lists. I love traveling and I make super detailed lists about the countries I want to visit and the things I wanna do and see in order not to forget anything. Because I don’t wanna miss a thing. I’m always afraid of wasting my time and life. I’m not against improvisation sometimes, but not when it could waste the only chance I have to do/see something that really matters to me. I know I want control over everything, and I’m a bit of a perfectionist too, often leading me disappointed. 

Bird. And watch that perfectionist streak. You'll never do anything if you only accept immediate perfection.

Badger : “Rather than an integrity of performance (as with Lion Secondaries, who must be themselves or wither), there is an integrity of method with Badger. Things must be earned. Interactions and achievements must be fair.”→  I do want to earn my success. But when it comes to decisions that have an impact on people, I wouldn’t mind using manipulation and lies. If, for example, the only way to legalize abortion at some point in one’s country was to threatened anti-abortion voters to make them change their votes, I would do it, because first I don’t mind if they got scared and most of all, because the stakes are too high.

Kind of an interesting way to end, okay. And let's unpack this.

First off, it's definitely not a Badger answer. A Badger would say that a victory built on an unstable foundation, like a foundation of fear, of propaganda, of misinformation, is never going to be a *lasting* victory. But Badgers generally take longer to get where they're going, and sometimes you *do* need something to happen *now* or someone's going to die, which is pretty much the only place threats of violence have. I mean, fear is just a bad motivator. It's that whole consensual behavior thing. If you only do something because you're afraid of what will happen to you if you don't, then you just get resentful and better at hiding.

You also like these hypothetical power fantasies. "If the only way to legalize abortion was to blackmail/exhort/threaten the friends and family of the people behind an anti-abortion bill, would you do it?" It's a fun philosophical question in a trolley problem kind of way, but practically - that's never going to be the case because the world isn't that simple. I get that you're young, I get that you feel powerless, I get that the idea of scaring these people that say things that scare you feels good. But I get protective of young firebrand Lion primaries, because we *do* need you, and I *don't* want you to burn yourself out. OR hit that "Everyone not with me is an enemy" mindset, which just narrows down choices and possibilities.

Stay strong. Find some good friends. Don't let your mom's boyfriend give you a hard time. You're going to be okay.

[vintage-bentley]

I’m gendercrit but holy hell I’m still shocked at how bad those comments were. I love how so many of the negative ones are like “as a polyace as a trans gay guy as an asexual,” go on to insist that PIV can be gay, when they have absolutely zero stake or should have any opinion on homosexuality at all. I’m also sure the author is probably gay or lesbian and they jumped on them for this - chastising them for being a bad gay basically, a bigot a terrible person, because having an opinion that’s absolutely 100% correct and based in the reality of sex and calling out homophobia is a sure fire way to get yourself crucified by people who appropriate shit. These people are batshit insane and hate gay people. Author should do an updated essay where they’re even more upfront and angry tbh especially since this GO attitude of ‘they’re not human they can mix match sex and still be gay” has literally spread to other fandoms with human gay couples and so where’s this excuse now? They don’t respect gay characters and they def don’t understand or share any common goals with actual gay ppl

The worst thing about those people acting like they have any say on topics about homosexuality, is that you can’t tell them otherwise without being told you’re some sort of phobic!! When it comes to all their made up issues, they have no problem saying “only ace people get an opinion!” But when it comes to actual real issues regarding homosexuals, suddenly it’s open to everyone. I wonder if it has to do with the way they’ve hijacked the word gay to no longer mean homosexual, but to instead mean “anyone who wants to call themselves gay to feel special”. As in, they think they’re gay because they want multiple partners, so they get a say in anything regarding gay people.

It’s even worse with “trans gays”…because you know damn well they’re literally homophobic heterosexuals…but you can’t tell them that unless you want to be called transphobic. And you know they won’t listen to you when you say “Aiden, you’re a homophobic straight woman, you get no say on this topic” because they’re so self-absorbed and so caught up in their own ideology that they don’t even listen to anyone who begins to invalidate their fantasy.

Point of that little rant is to say, it is so damn frustrating to see a bunch of non-homosexuals acting like their opinion holds the same weight as homosexuals when it comes to discussing our sexuality…and knowing that their ideology enables them so much that you can’t say anything about it, they’ll just tune you out. It’s frustrating to know that I can give my opinion as a homosexual, only to be overruled by a straight woman calling herself an “aromantic trans nonbinary man” who thinks her fake identities give her more say than me.

And yes, the backlash to the essay absolutely has to do with the idea of a (presumed) homosexual stepping out of line. These people see gays as pawns and objects they own, and hate to see us having our own voice that opposes theirs. Because they think they’re entitled to our agreement and compliance.

They’re also accustomed to being in a community where everyone has the same opinions, everyone claims they’re gay, and everyone validates them. So I think it’s an absolute shock to them when somebody they assume would be in this same boat, has a mind of their own. It’s like, “what? You’re supposed to be Mindless Genderist #200, especially because you’re gay! How could you betray our community like this?”

If the author is still around here and reading this, please please please write another essay, I will eat it up. The first one did a really good job of being respectful and not heavy-handed on the gender critical aspect, which I think is the reason it resonated with me. If it was explicitly a “terf” essay, all my critical thinking would’ve been shut down because Terf Bad. But because it was just laying out points with no belief system attached, I was able to go into it just as a homosexual and find my agreement that way, not swayed by any pressures to believe a certain ideology. But it would be great to read another one that is more firm and angry, because lord knows it would be more than justified.

And I’ve noticed that too, that the “they’re not human, so they can’t be gay” excuse has spread to other fandoms. It’ll just take different forms depending on what’s available in the media’s universe. So for example, in a universe with magic, the fandom will use the magic system as an excuse for why the characters can’t possibly be gay (but they can be anything else). In a universe without magic, it’ll be something like “well, these characters are so deep and complex, so it’s not good to limit them to a label like gay (but they can be anything else)”.

It’s very clear to me that it’s not actually about trying to find interesting and complex ways of worldbuilding like these fandoms claim. Because if that was the case, why would homosexuality need to be ruled out? Wouldn’t it be interesting to discuss how this very real and important experience fits in with the universe in question? Instead, this is clearly about how fandom has always been homophobic, and they’ve finally found an acceptable excuse for it. Why else would the focus constantly be on explaining why characters can’t possibly be gay?

[sarah-skylark]

CW: SUICIDE BAIT IN FANDOM SPACE AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Fandom. World. We need to talk about how often go kys, go die, fuck off and die, how about you kill yourself are used way the fuck too much these days.

Too many people out there act like suicide baiting is a joke or a light jab or a normal-ass thing you can say to people in response to something that upsets you.

You DO NOT get to call yourself progressive and forward and suicide bait.

You DO NOT get to brush it off and go- whatever they should know I don’t mean suicide bait for real

You DO NOT get to post in your header a list of mental illnesses and personal information you want respect, patience, and understanding of and suicide bait others for theirs

You DO NOT get to pop up in a fictional fandom and suicide bait because you dislike their headcanons.

More controversial: You DO NOT get to tell a right-winger, TERF, politician, racist, homophobic misogynist pastor fill-in-the-blank-hateful-person to kill themselves because that is the exact person you want changing their mind because they become the strongest Allies.

-

I paid attention this week online because classes are starting and all our staff goes through a mental wellness course prior to the kids coming. In one week I saw casually slinging suicide bait or jokes over killing themselves with a tasteful asterisk sometimes to avert censors multiple times a day on every social media.

For not liking Hoziers album. For using she/her pronouns for the Muriel character in good omens and he/him for Crowley. For a suggestion of buying a crochet needle at Hobby Lobby. For someone not wanting people to smoke weed in their apartment cuz they don’t like the smell. To a lesbian because she preferred not to date amab women. To a writer because they didn’t like the plot twist in the book. For people who secured Taylor swift tickets when the poster didn’t.

This is not cool, y’all. This is triggering to people on the edge or with suicide related trauma. Scrolling past dozens of kys type messages a day is damaging. It’s not a funny slang thing to say. I’m not ‘too old’ ‘you don’t get our humor’ ‘it’s just a thing’ ‘you don’t get it’ OKAY NO suicide bait is bait and crowning yourself judge and jury on who’s opinions are worth life or death never comes out right and making light of it because you are pissed off and full of rage because someone used a particular pronoun for a character or drew them a way you disagree with is straight up bullshit

[my-strange-attraction]

I am a lesbian and I came across Lostryu’s post by way of a mutual of mine. I was curious and wanted to see your response. I have to say your rebuttal contains nothing of merit that could possibly fare as a proper argument. It’s chock full of contradictory statements and straight up lies. I am assuming you’re a USA resident, but the highest university with an LGBT+ population is Brown Univeristy; and only about 20-24% of people reported being LGBT+

As a fellow english major, it was painful to read. Constant contradiction with only half formed ideas; practically agreeing with Lostryu regarding the definition of lesbian only to backpedal…. And words do have meaning, that’s why we use them in our craft as wordsmiths. You can’t simply replace keywords with opposite definitions and expect your manuscript to make sense!

I also want to point out that you degendered Lostryu entirely, refusing to use correct pronouns. That in and of itself is very transphobic. I don’t really trust your judgment as it seems like you didn’t even care about reblogging from lesbian and transgender rape apologists.

I thought you might like to reflect on this, but I truly think you care more about your self-perceived moral superiority rather than actual people.

-🧁

Oh boy. Ok.

Well thanks for being so kind and civil and not attacking my character.

I know you don't trust me, but you gotta trust that a queerer school than Brown exists and I go to it. I can see where the confusion is, after doing a google search myself, because my school is pretty small and doesn't show up on a lot of searches for colleges in the US. I will give you that, after looking up the number myself, it's more like 50-70%, but I will tell you that less than a quarter of the people I know and talk to on a regular basis are straight and cisgender.

I'm not writing an english essay here, it's a tumblr post. If anything, this is a lot closer to how I would format a philosophy paper, which, if you've ever read one of those, are very rambly and have roundabout ways of getting to the point. Also, again, thanks for not attacking my character, here. Thanks for really respecting me and not discrediting my nearly completed degree. Really appreciate that.

I... have no words. I used they/them/theirs pronouns throughout the whole post, which, I cannot stress enough, are NEUTRAL pronouns. I use those pronouns for all people online, and I think most other people do too. Yes, I knew he used he/him and used they/them instead, but I also cut his username out of all my screenshots. I wasn't talking about him specifically, his post was just an excuse for me to explain a concept in depth, and explain why exclusionism such as what he was promoting is detrimental to the queer community as a whole.

I didn't include his username or @ him at all. It wasn't even meant for him to look at, really. He was an example, a nebulous person with an opinion I don't agree with. It wasn't personal, so I used neutral pronouns. I am really sorry it came across that way though, I never want to make anyone uncomfortable and I know pronouns are super important to pay attention to for some people. This is an actual sincere apology.

I don't think I'm morally superior, that's not the point. I don't argue with people on the internet in order to prove my opinions are right and that anyone else with different opinions has made a wrong and evil choice and is unredeemable as a person. Really this whole thing happened because the original post had some terfy red flags and even though op isn't a terf, I wanted to point it out so that people know how to spot it and avoid it.

And do I think it's bad for the community to exclude mspec lesbians? Yes, but I also understand where the frustration comes from. I don't think less of people who have that opinion, I just hope to change their minds, because I think a radically inclusive community is the best kind of community.

[the-one-and-only-aroace]

Theyna: a lesson in internal bias

Things this will cover: my opinion on the canon interpretation of the hunters and how that affects the probability of the ship, the ship’s turn from innocently wanting to fill the hole of sapphic ships to total aromantic erasure, how Theyna manipulates and destroys the character of Reyna

To first get this out of the way, I’ll be discussing the hunters situation and the Thalia part of this ship. Many people find Rick’s interpretation of the hunters to be demeaning and misogynistic. One of the reasons they provide is the forced celibacy, and stifling any romantic attraction. I don’t have much of an opinion on this and don’t believe it to be relevant to my argument, so I’ll be ignoring it. I completely embrace changing bits of canon to suit your needs.

Next is the matter of Thalia grace. I am mainly apathetic to this character, and find no logical problem with her side of the ship. She has shown a young crush on Luke castellan but that is all we know of her attraction. I find shipping Thalia with just about anyone completely innocent

The history of this ship is at first innocent. I’m not very familiar with the early days of the fandom, but as fandom goes I believe shipping started as soon as The Son of Neptune came out. This is the book where Reyna is formally introduced, and is given more than a name. Any shipping before this, when the only picture we had of her was the girl Jason rejected, is purely fandom taking two pretty and making them kiss.

After the release of The Son of Neptune, there was a dynamic to be explored. Two girls who were once so close to Jason, now alienated from him. The positions they held were also isolated, forcing them to push others away. They’re jobs were constant, sapping everything they had. There was also a mention of letters being exchanged, which is a common thing for lovers to do.

All in all, it was a perfect fandom ship. They had interesting dynamics with other characters and each other, they had the connection of Jason, plenty of time they spent without being written about, a bare amount of interest expressed. There is also the large, gaping, hole where sapphic ships go in terms of both general media and the Riordanverse in particular, at least before the writing of Trials of Apollo.

It was this way for many years, simply an innocent ship that hurt no one. People wanted two girls to kiss, and that’s what they made happen. There is no Arophobia in this golden age of the ship. Ignorance in the fans is no fault of theirs, Rick failed to include that aspect of Reyna before recently. It all goes downhill after the publishing of The Tyrant’s Tomb.

This is where it devolves into a strong movement against any progress Aromantics have made in our representation. It has turned from an innocent ship to something that subtley reveals how horrible this fandom is when it comes to the upholding of Amatonormativity.

Rick has tweeted that although her sexuality is up for interpretation, he wrote her with asexuality in mind. This is one of the most damaging things he’s tweeted, in my humble opinion. Though the opposite of his most likely intentions, this has been weaponized for the purposes of erasing any Aromantic representation that may be present.

Theyna shippers are very explicit in the opinion of Theyna remaining non-sexual. This has been the leading excuse they use to still make Theyna content. They take the separation of romantic and sexual attraction, and use it purely for their own purposes. They have no respect for alloaces, they want hide behind the identity.

Because nothing Reyna says does anything to even vaguely imply sexual desires.

If I had a denarius for every time I got that question… Aside from the fact that Thalia is in the hunters, and thus sworn to celibacy… Why does a strong friendship always have to progress to romance?

Chapter 23, The Tyrant’s Tomb

I went on that quest with Jason,what, two years ago? Venus took one look at me and decided… I don’t know. I was broken. I needed romantic healing. Whatever. I wasn’t back at camp a full day before the whispering started. Nobody would admit they knew, but they knew. The looks I got: oh poor Reyna. The innocent suggestions about who I should date.

Chapter 24, the Tyrant’s tomb

I was looking for a partner. Praetors often partner up. In power. But also romantically, I mean

Chapter 41, The Tomb

One final quote from Apollo the ultimate slut

Perhaps I should comfort her, hold her in my arms. Perhaps I should run for my life. Why was I so bad at romance?

Chapter 24, The Tyrant’s Tomb

Even Apollo thinks of it as purely romantic. There is no trace of sexual desire in anyway that affects Reyna specifically. There is no sexual pressure here, purely romantic. So when she talks of the weight that’s been holding her down for years, she means it in a purely romantic sense. And yes sexual pressure comes with it, but what Theyna shippers have done is weaponized a part of the identity of me and many others, to erase another part. They take an identity that’s been abused and erased, and use it to justify two women kissing. They use it to justify a ship that’s been vaguely hinted at through letters.

That takes me to the second part of how this plays into the overall erasure of Aromantics. Letters, writing them has been tradition for centuries. People write to mother, fathers, siblings, cousins, random pen pals, and yes lovers. But you’re forcing taking the time to write words on a paper, and then sending it into a purely romantic box. There are many reasons for them to write each other. They share so much in common, things that are very much mainly platonic. As aforementioned in why people started shipping them.

Then there’s Jason, someone they both viewed as a brother. They knew each him at different points of his life, yet they were equally close. They both lost him, and can’t reconnect the broken chain. A powerful sisterhood is forged from having memories of a stranger that can’t remember you. Yet allos force it to be romantic and erase the power that could be achieved.

Theyna being romantic strips Reyna of so much humanity that she is given. Who is Reyna? In the context of Heroes of Olympus, it’s pretty simple. She’s the scary, strict, slightly overwhelmed, praetor of New Rome that had a crush on Jason. Both scenes that discuss her relationship status in ttt add so much depth to her. She’s been piled with so many things she doesn’t want.

She didn’t sound angry. It was more like weighed down and weary. I remembered Frank Zhang’s concern about how long Reyna had shouldered the burdens of leadership, how he could do more to relieve her. Apparently, a lot of legionaries wanted to help Reyna. Not all of that help had been welcome or useful.

Chapter 24, The Tyrant’s Tomb

I thought Jason. Then for a hot minute, Percy jackson. Gods help me, I even considered Octavian. Everyone’s always trying to ship me with someone. Thalia. Jason. Gwen. Even frank. Oh, you’d be perfect together! But I was never really sure if I wanted that, or if I just felt like I was supposed to want it

But you showed me. When you proposed dating… she took a deep breath, her body shaking with silent giggles. Oh gods. I saw how’d ridiculous I’d been. How ridiculous the whole situation was. That’s what healed my heart-being able to laugh at myself again, at my stupid ideas about destiny.

I don’t need another person to heal my heart. I don’t need a partner… at least, not until and unless I’m ready on my own terms. I don’t need to be force-shipped with anyone or wear anyone else’s label. For the first time in a long time, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So thank you.

All from chapter 41, The Tyrant’s Tomb

A key part of her character is her lack of agency. She’s forced to grow up with her father, forced to kill him, forced to go to c.css spa, forced to serve her, forced to be a captive of pirates, forced to fight to live, forced to leave her sister, forced to join the legion, forced to be a praetor, forced to be doomed to a life without love. This is her taking her agency back. She’s deciding what’s best for her, that others can’t live her life for her.

Romance was something that she’d been told would help her escape, would let her relax. So instead of finding her purpose, she throws herself on anyone she can. It always ends in disaster, she strains a friendship without gaining a romantic one. She neither wants nor seeks romance. Instead of it doing what people say, it adds more stress.

Theyna instead also weaponizes this. Her first chance at freedom is used to immediately shove her back into what she was trying to escape. Even if it’s by her own free will, she’s letting others expectations apply to her. She wouldn’t make a grand speech about not needing romance, to then pursue romance. And even if you somehow work your way around her aro-coding, she still explicitly joins the hunters to avoid romantic expectations.

It also strips away her humanity and depth. Instead of a tragic figure who resorts to insanity, Theyna shippers turn it into a tale of happiness. You too can be normal if you keep throwing yourself at people, you just need to find the right person. Do you know how harmful that is. It takes Reyna sabotaging friendships for the promise of another half, and turns it into a cheap romance.

I’m tired of my identity being commodified and used to fill an allo’s agenda. I will certainly not stand for my favorite character being ruined right along with it. Allos need to realize some things are better left without romance, which is kinda the very thing Reyna learned.

@geraldtheanon @katniss-elizabeth-chase

[mopillow]

“Nothing personal but I’m getting tired of the hate some people throw at my baby brother in law”

And yet you’re casually interacting with the biggest tianshan hater of the entire fandom.

Hello Anon, no idea if you have any experience with me or if we have ever talked but I have a feeling that we haven’t interacted enough since you don’t know that I don’t push away anyone and I’m always open to respectful and friendly debate, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I’m completely fine listening to people that think different than me, the world would be absolutely boring if we all had the same ides, to make this clear I want to tell you that I have talked to people in the past who detest He Cheng and i haven’t try to murder them not even once, now I think we need to understand the difference between getting tired and I refuse to talk, hate or interact with them, I don’t even hate my past abusers so kind of a lost cause there but I am indeed getting tired of the blindness that comes when talking about toxicity when both couples are not exactly the epitome of romantic relationships, this is a comic no one should be here taking romantic advice from it, the comic is free, the translation is free thanks to the nicest people on earth, if anything they could say that they lost time reading it but a simple glance of the image and you know this is not your chapter. I tend to talk a lot in metaphor so let me explain this to you with one

Imagine a person who hates 🍌 on a smoothie, they detest that 🍌 , they would rather add 🍒 but they are the ones making the smoothie and still complain that there’s 🍌 on it when it was them who decided to add the 🍌 instead of the 🍒, the first times I thought oh well they didn’t notice the 🍒, the second time I just started laughing because it is funny if you think about it, but now is like they are suffering and complaining because they like to, that’s the reason why they add the 🍌 in the first place, it wasn’t an accident and here I was trying to understand them, they probably get diarrhea with that smoothie and that’s why they hate the 🍌 but they’re the ones creating the problem and bothering other people around them

Is not like I go look for this kind of people, they’re the ones tagging post about TianShan, they’re the ones commenting in obvious TianShan content, some of them even behave like moral👮‍♀️, they even send hateful messages, I don’t see a lot of TianShan fans complaining about ZhanYi content, we can celebrate or ignore if is not our thing or if they behave in an obviously problematic kind of way, because as I said before this is a comic, the comic is about 4 people but for some reason they believe is just about 2, this is not the regular bl comic and yet they want it to have that structure, if they want a polite conversation Im here for it but is not worth my time when they want me to change my mind but refuse to open theirs to my point of view, is not a conversation when is just them trying to get more people to join their cult that is full of hate, I don’t want to be a part of it, I have my own is called Q move the fuck away and let me have He Cheng, wanna join?

This is a welcoming space, I said so before She Li fans, ZhanYi fans, TianShan fans all are welcome but be respectful, you don’t need to love all of them, I don’t like them all as well, let’s be respectful with each other if anyone wants to make a post stating all the wrong a comic book character or couple does go ahead just don’t do it in other people’s personal space because in the real world if you come to my house to look for trouble I can defend myself, I won’t shoot at you because I don’t own a gun but if I did I would use it to get rid of Q, chances are he would kill me so hold your panties Q lovers he is safe, jokes aside this is more about manners, internet manners like don’t send nudes without asking first, have your opinions but don’t go insulting and attacking people only because they don’t think or have the same beliefs

Have a great day Anon hope we can talk about who’s the greatest TianShan hater of the entire fandom

[majaloveschris]

Do you know what a psychiatrist is? Go to one! What the hell is wrong with people like you?! Do you know those dumb and dumber conspiracy theorists? You’re just like them, even worse because they actually go after important shit.////

What kills me is you all think using logical reasoning and fallacy is a conspiracy theory. Do you actually know what a conspiracy theory is? Cause this ain’t it. What we discuss as PR ain’t it. We base things off of what we see and what they show. So no, it isn’t a conspiracy theory. It’s logical.

Please stop going to blogs and accusing them of things or sending hate. You have your opinion, they have theirs, and guess what. They aren’t the ones going around sending hate to people who don’t believe the same as them.

Exactly! Thank you! ❤

We are all trying to remain reasonable here and have a healthy view of this whole thing. It's understandable if people don't agree with us, and I always say that everybody can write down their opinion here, even if they disagree with me or even if they believe that all of this is real. Still, of course, I always ask people to do it in a respectful way. They won't change my mind, but I'm always open to learning other people's perspectives and opinions. I just don't understand why people are like this. That anon didn't even make a single point; they just wanted to insult me. 🤦‍♀️