#I hate this woooorld brother

[discoshhtick]

Only very close to crying thinking about how it seems like all the fucking websites are thinking of launching some type of system to feed all the images uploaded onto them to an AI learning system. It's so beyond fucked that this is what artists today have to fight against, just to be seen we risk getting our shit stolen by greedy capitalist machines

[carewyncromwell]

[HPHM Ficlet] For a Smile, They Can Share the Night

Inspired by this post by @hogwartscursebreaker​! This is set at the beginning of year 6 and features a piece of mediocre art by yours truly at the end, under the cut. I mean, come on, how could I not take the opportunity to draw my ghost boy? 

Hope you enjoy! <3

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

It had been a very, very long day at Hogwarts. With the advent of the Statue Curse, Carewyn knew it was more important than ever to find the last Cursed Vault as soon as possible. In the midst of that development, though, Fred and George had mentioned spotting her brother, Jacob Cromwell, near the Forbidden Forest -- once they’d gotten back to school, Carewyn resolved to follow up with Filch about it first thing the following morning.

‘If Jacob’s here, he might already have a lead about the Vault,’ she thought. ‘Then we can break the curse together...and end this whole thing, once and for all...’

She exhaled heavily. After running around the school all day and sharing the same space with two separate Dungbombs, she knew a nice bath was in order. So after dinner, Carewyn changed into her black and teal swimsuit in the girl’s dorm, put her uniform and skirt on top of it, and headed up to the Prefect’s Bathroom.

‘I was thinking of checking in on Duncan, anyway,’ thought Carewyn ‘though not under these circumstances...’

What circumstances she would’ve chosen instead, however, she honestly wasn’t sure. Carewyn had been able to use bringing food she’d made as an excuse to visit her friend Torvus, but with Duncan, she was at a loss. She couldn’t ask him to join her for a sandwich in the Great Hall or bring him any sort of gift, like a new book or food dish -- what would a ghost do with any of those things? Carewyn honestly wasn’t even sure if ghosts could really touch anything -- Peeves could, of course, but poltergeists were never alive to begin with, so they no doubt had different rules than ghosts.

With a quiet sigh through her nose, Carewyn pushed the door of the Prefects’ Bathroom open. To her relief, it was abandoned.

Her voice echoed slightly off of the tiled walls as she called,

“Duncan?”

There was no answer.

Carewyn closed the door behind her, heading over to the bathroom stalls. She peeked inside the one she’d last seen Duncan pop out of.

“Duncan?”

But he wasn’t there. 

Feeling a pang of disappointment, Carewyn exhaled heavily, before quickly stripping off her collared shirt, skirt, socks, and shoes. Once she was just in her swimsuit again, she folded her clothes and placed them and her shoes in a neat pile in front of one of the sinks. Then she snatched up a stack of fluffy white towels and headed to the giant, empty bathtub.

It took a few minutes to fill the pool-like tub with water, baby blue bubbles, and lavender bath salts. Fortunately when Carewyn turned off the faucets and finally lowered herself little by little into the warm bath, it was just the right temperature.

The Slytherin Prefect gave a loud, relaxed sigh. She bobbed up and down in the water for a moment, enjoying the heat rippling over her sour muscles, before completely submerging herself in the bubble bath. The moonlight from the surrounding windows created pretty, translucent spotlights on the marble-tiled floor.

Carewyn came up for air, brushing her wet ginger hair out of her eyes.

It’d been a while since she’d really pampered herself. Admittedly, she would’ve preferred to just not sweat like crazy or get any Dungbomb stink on her, but she supposed if she had to, at least she had a nice place to go afterwards.

“Da da da-da-da-da, da da da-da-da-da...”

Carewyn hummed absently under her breath as she swam over to the faucet and fetched some shampoo for her hair. She lathered it into her scalp, singing absently to herself.

“Just a small town girl...livin’ in a lonely woooorld~...she took the midnight train going anywhere...”

The Slytherin Prefect dipped her head under the water again to wash the shampoo out of her hair. As she came up again, she gave a start at what she heard.

“Just a city boy...born and raised in south Detroit...”

Another voice -- a male one -- was echoing out of the pipe Carewyn had just fetched her shampoo from.

Carewyn gave a start, splashing water and blue bubbles in surprise.

“Duncan!?”

Sure enough, a second later, streaking out from one of the pipes was a sliver of blueish white mist that turned out to be a laughing Duncan Ashe.

“Merlin’s beard -- you should’ve seen your face just now! You looked...well, like you’d seen a ghost!”

He laughed even harder.

Carewyn brushed her wet bangs out of her eyes, frowning reproachfully.

“Well, you startled me! What were you doing in there anyway? Aren’t you usually in the stalls?”

Duncan crossed his arms, his eyebrows raising dully. “I’m not Moaning Myrtle -- I didn’t just decide to haunt one bloody toilet the rest of my...well...not life, but you know.”

Carewyn eased herself up in the tub, leaning her back and arms against the side of the tub.

“...Well, I’m glad you showed up,” she said dryly, “however rude your entrance was. I was hoping I’d catch you.”

Duncan leaned backward so that he was hovering on his back in mid-air, his arms under his head, as he looked down at Carewyn.

“Oh, really? What is it this time? Got to convince Peeves to give you his bell hat next? Or do you just need help dealing with the Cursed Vaults again?”

Carewyn shook her head. “No. I just thought it’d be good to see you.”

This clearly took Duncan aback. He stared down at Carewyn, his expression losing all hint of humor or cynicism and his mouth hanging open slightly.

“...Oh. I -- I see. Um...”

His translucent cheeks started to darken with a flush as he looked away in embarrassment.

Carewyn’s eyes softened slightly.

She’d sort of expected Duncan might feel that way -- like she only came to see him because she wanted something. It was part of the reason why she’d gone out of her way to visit Pitts and Torvus, so that neither of them ever felt like they were just tools to her. Carewyn appreciated them and the help they’d given her too much for that, and she certainly wouldn’t want to feel like someone was just using her, if their positions were switched. She hated feeling like that, whenever Rakepick...

Shoving the memory of the treacherous Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher aside, the red-haired Slytherin swam over to the side of the tub, reaching for the towel on the side so she could wring some water out of her ear.

Duncan watched her out the side of his eye.

“...If you need to get out of the tub, don’t worry about it,” he said lowly. “I won’t perv on you or anything stupid.”

Carewyn blinked, startled.

‘Oh yeah -- I guess under most circumstances, it’s not really cool for a guy to watch a girl bathing, huh?’

“I...didn’t think you would,” she admitted sheepishly. “I mean, I am wearing a swimsuit.”

Duncan snorted. “I know dudes who have fantasized about less visible skin. I haunt the Prefects’ Bathroom, remember?”

“Yeah, but...you’re a ghost,” Carewyn said with a weak laugh. “And I’m your friend’s sister, there...is a slight age gap there...”

“Technically no, given that I died at 17,” said Duncan breezily. “But yes, even if I had been attracted to girls back in the day, it’s not like I can feel anything hormonal without a body.”

Carewyn frowned more deeply as she put down the towel on the side of the tub. “Well, I’m all the more glad it’s just us, then.”

‘How weird would someone have to be, to get all flustered just because they saw a girl in something you can see at any beach in the country?’ she thought disdainfully.

Duncan rolled over in mid-air so that he was now floating on his stomach and rested his head in his hands.

“You really are weird,” he said lowly.

Carewyn cocked an eyebrow at him, a bit miffed, but Duncan for once didn’t smile. His light-less eyes drifted up to the window behind her as he drifted into silence.

“...Do you always sing when no one else is around?” he said abruptly after a long minute.

Carewyn’s irritation ebbed away. She felt herself smiling slightly as she swam up to the window ledge and climbed up onto it, letting her feet dangle off the edge into the warm water.

“I sing all the time.”

Duncan’s eyes softened a bit, even as his lips curled up in a more familiar wry smirk.

“Of course you do,” he said in an oddly hushed voice.

He ignored Carewyn’s curious look, his voice becoming a bit more brusque.

“At least you’ve got better taste in music than your brother. I swear, every time I caught him humming ABBA while he was working without realizing it, I just wanted to turn into a Demiguise and disappear all together...”

Carewyn had to cover her mouth with both hands as she burst out laughing.

“He hummed ABBA? He was always so embarrassed whenever he listened to them at home -- he never, ever wanted me to see him dancing to their songs, he always shut the door of his room -- ”

Duncan grinned mischievously. “He was a right ‘Dancing Queen,’ wasn’t he?”

Carewyn stifled her giggles behind her hands. Once she’d effectively contained her amusement, she gave Duncan a broader smile.

“What music did you like best?”

Duncan’s legs drifted lackadaisically under him as he absently drifted backwards.

“Celestina Warbeck was my first set of records -- they were my mum’s. But your brother got me some Olivia Newton-John for Christmas in first year -- then Don McLean and the Osmonds, after that.”

Carewyn beamed. “Oh, Don McLean’s stuff is lovely. The poetry he uses is just beautiful. Like in Vincent -- morning fields of amber grain...weathered faces, lined in pain...”

“...are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand,” Duncan finished the line.

His mouth had spread into a broad smile the likes of which Carewyn had never seen before. It made his face look so much younger and more handsome than it ever had previously.

“You’re more of an Elton John lass, though, aren’t you?” he asked.

Carewyn raised her eyebrows.

“I do like Elton John, yeah,” she agreed, slightly confused.

Duncan’s eyes softened as he glanced up toward the ceiling, bringing his hands behind his head, and he crossed his legs so he was sitting on air.

“The first time...I heard anything about you...was when you’d sent your brother a Howler of yourself singing an Elton John song for him.”

Carewyn’s eyebrows knit together as she frowned.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” laughed Duncan. Even his laughter, however, seemed softer than before -- almost nostalgic. “Jacob had said you wanted him to hear this song you’d heard on the radio -- and since electricity doesn’t work here, you decided to sing it for him yourself!”

He laughed again at the memory, more loudly and brightly.

“You sounded like some wee little banshee!”

Carewyn crossed her arms, trying to scowl at Duncan. But despite herself, she found herself unable to. She’d so rarely heard Duncan talk civilly about her brother...and especially not with...such fondness in his eyes...

As Duncan’s laughter slowed, his light-less eyes crinkled up slightly.

“I guess it’s good you’ve improved in that regard, at least.”

Carewyn considered Duncan, incredibly interested despite herself. She rested her arms on top of her knees, leaning forward slightly.

“I didn’t know you knew me, before. I mean, I know you said you knew Jacob had a sister, but...I didn’t think you knew me at all.”

The smile on Duncan’s face seemed to flicker and die as his gaze returned to Carewyn. His blue-tinted eyes, which had been so fond, suddenly looked very haunted.

“...Of course I knew you,” he said softly.

His voice trailed off as he stared at Carewyn. He swallowed, and then turned his back and swept off, looking faintly huffy.

“As if your brother didn’t blab about you, every chance he got -- just like he never shut up about anything...”

Carewyn could tell Duncan was trying to act tough, however. She glanced away, her blue eyes trailing over a cluster of baby blue bubbles in the tub.

“I knew you too, you know,” she said gently.

Duncan’s frame stiffened.

“I remember Jacob got all these letters. He always said they were from someone called ‘Ashe.’ I’d thought at the time it was someone’s first name -- like he had a friend named Ash, or maybe even Ashley. But Jacob never let Mum or me read those letters -- he kind of hoarded them, like they were from a secret lover or something...”

Carewyn smiled slightly despite herself, even though she looked upon Duncan’s back with pity.

“I didn’t make the connection until I heard your name, but...yeah, those letters I remember -- the ones Jacob would send almost every day of summer break -- they all went to you.”

Duncan was very quiet. His head had fallen visibly and his shoulders had slackened -- but even as the minutes dragged by, he didn’t respond. Carewyn wondered if perhaps he didn’t know how.

At last, Carewyn decided that she didn’t want to talk about Jacob anymore. As much as it meant to her, to know that Jacob had told Duncan about her and that Duncan didn’t hate her brother as much as he claimed, she could tell the memories were painful. And she didn’t want Duncan to be in pain -- goodness knows his situation was terrible enough as it was.

And so Carewyn supported herself on the window ledge with both hands, kicking her feet lightly in the water and tilting her head back slightly.

“A singer in a smoky room...the smell of wine and cheap perfume...for a smile, they can share the night -- it goes on and on and on and on...”

Duncan turned around. Whatever more conflicted emotions had been on his face were gone -- his eyes were glinting with some of their usual mischief again.

“Strangers!” he shot back. “Waiting!”

Carewyn beamed. “Up and down the boulevard, their -- ”

“Shadows! Searching!”

“In the niiiight~...”

Duncan’s mouth spread into a huge, white smirk as he floated back over, his volume rising.

“Streetlight! People!”

“Livin’ just to find emotion!”

“Hiding! Somewhere -- ”

“In the NIIIIIIIIGHT~!”

Before long, the two were subconsciously competing with each other to see who could sing Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing the loudest. Duncan at one point even tried to force Carewyn out of the running by making her laugh (through showing off his stellar air-guitar skills, no less). By the time they were done with the song, Carewyn was convinced that everyone on the entire floor had heard them.

‘Oh well,’ she thought to herself as she headed back to the Slytherin common room, her cherry red lips still spread in a huge, bright smile. ‘I guess blowing out my voice every-so-often isn’t the worst thing ever, if it cheers Duncan up a little.’

[sparkly-angell]

I’ve been tagged by the two best people in the woooorld! <3 <3 <3 @probably-enjolras​ and @s-keaton​ 

Star sign: Capricorn Sun, Leo Rising, Capricorn Moon. fucked up right.

Name: Ângela, but u can just call me Angel

First 5 songs when I hit shuffle on Spotify:

1. Sampa - Caetano Veloso

2. Pynk - Janelle Monae

3. Blame it on the Girls - Mika 

4. Quase Sem Querer - Legião Urbana

5. Sofia - Alvaro Soler

Have you ever had a poem or song written about you: No but I have friend who calls me lil’ lion bc of a song. 

Last time I played guitar: Two years ago I guess? In music class.

Celebrity crush: Rinku Kikuchi, Tessa Thompson

Sound I hate: high pinched noises that gives you headache. My cat mewoing in my ear at 5am

Sound I love: soft melodies, humming, purring

Do you believe in ghosts: yup. been playing around with coins a lot to know that they are around SKJSKGN, they arent evil, they are just “living”, i guess

Aliens? of course. 

Do you drive: Nope and I dont want to. its not nature friendly and franckly, there are too many damn cars in the world already. 

Last book I read: Hamlet. Need to start “A Gota da Água” now for my exams.

Do you like the smell of gasoline: I do, shamefully.

Worst injury: Fractured my arm when falling from a horse. Had to stay with the arm fractured until the next day bc the doctor who Should be in the hospital when my accident happened was in a football game (a GreNal, who cares). Had to undergo surgery and theyve placed two pins in my arm (thankfully they are gone now) 

Current obsession: NOVELA DAS SEIS. sknsd Brazilian Soap Opera, Orgulho e Paixão.

Do I hold grudges: Only when I get hurt by the person. Like this one time when I was younger my brother accidentaly broke my Für Elise music box and till this day I cant listen to the song without getting mad at him. And mostly it’s all drama from my part.

In a relationship: Oh man lets not get into this DKJGNS Im too fucked up inside to be able to think about this kind of things rn.

I’m tagging: @cunning-and-cool @marvelisgaynow @marveloustony @thranduil-aran-edhil @kisameanslight @theegglesbian @gaypitalist @trickztr @thestormsmademeclean @yikespook @basilhallward @sanikre

[submissivejungkook]

About Me Again (Lowkey addicted to questionnaires)

Full name : Alyssa >.>

Zodiac sign : Gemini

3 Fears : Spiders, the dark, heights

3 things I love : BTS, writing, sleeping

4 turns ons : Being called baby girl/princess, someone who smells amazing, butt grabs/slaps, and neck kisses

4 turns offs : Bad odor, huge flirts, bad grammar, and try-hards

My best friend : I have a few best friends~

Sexual orientation : Pansexual

My best first date : My best first REAL date was.. dinner and a movie with @daddyoppa​

How tall am I : 5′4, I think

What do I miss : Being little

What time were I born : Idk

Favourite colour : Black, purple, red, white.. I have so many. 

Do I have a crush: Yep~

Favourite quote: “Love is louder than the pressure to be perfect” but there are others, too. So many amazing quotes~

Favourite place: Disney Woooorld

Favourite food : Sushi, Steak.. Can I have both?

Do I use sarcasm : Plenty

What am I listening to right now : KeemStar’s live

First thing I notice in new person: I usually notice a person’s smile or eyes first

Shoe size : 9 - 9 1/2

Eye colour: Bluuuue

Hair colour : Natural - Med. brown, Dyed - Black

Favourite style of clothing : I love casual, but I also really love dressy clothes~

Ever done a prank call? : Yeah

What colour of underwear I’m wearing now? : Pink

Meaning behind my URL : I’m obsessed with Sub!Jungkook. Need I say more?

Favourite movie: I love so many movies

Favourite song : YOU CAN’T ASK ME THIIIISSSS

Favourite band: BTS

How I feel right now : Sleepy af

Someone I love : I love a lot of people.. @gleamingjimin​ <3  @daddyoppa​ @ya-boy-bambam​ @bangtanprincesss​

My current relationship status : Single but.. hopefully that changes soon?

My relationship with my parents : Eh.. 

Favourite holiday : Either Halloween or Christmas

Tattoos and piercings? : Neither but they’re hot

Tattoos and piercing i want : I want a monroe piercing.. or maybe dimple piercings? (I only have one dimple tho) - Tattoos... I’d like a tattoo on my wrist.. Maybe of a semicolon or a line from a BTS song. 

The reason I joined Tumblr : Well, I wanted to test it out for a while, but I never have until just recently. I don’t really have a big reason tbh

Do I and my last ex hate each other? : No but we don’t speak to each other much anymore.

Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts? : Yes :3

Have I ever kissed the last person you texted? : Nope

When did I last hold hands? : I don’t remember

How long does it take me to get ready in the morning? : If I have to shower that morning then about 45 minutes. If not, then it takes about 15-20 minutes

Have you shaved your legs in the past three days? : Yep~ Shaved them last night!

Where am I right now? : My bedroom

If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me? : Hell.. Idk

Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level? : LOUD. THE LOUDER THE BETTER 

Do I live with my Mom and Dad? : Not technically. I live with my aunt and uncle, but my parents are right next door.

Am I excited for anything? : BTS’ comeback

Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to? : My brother

How often do I wear a fake smile? : Pretty much every single day C:

When was the last time I hugged someone? : 1 hour ago, maybe? I hugged my brother.

What if the last person you kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me? : Eh, I haven’t kissed anyone sooooo

Is there anyone you trust even though you should not? : I don’t think so. I have trust issues so if I trust you, there’s a good reason for that.

What is something I disliked about today? : Finding out I have to write 10-12 pages before next Tuesday

If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? : @gleamingjimin​ and BTS

What do I think about most? : BTS

What’s my strangest talent? : I don’t have any talents

Do I have any strange phobias? : Escalaphobia

Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? : Behind

What was the last lie I told? : “I’ll be fine”

Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? : On the phone

Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens? : Yes and yes

Do I believe in magic? : Yes

Do I believe in luck? : Mhmm

What’s the weather like right now? : Humid and stormy

What was the last book I’ve read? : Well.. Now the Spanish dictionary pfffft

Do I like the smell of gasoline?: Oddly enough I do

Do I have any nicknames? : Lys, Scarlet, baby, baby girl

What was the worst injury I’ve ever had? : Sprained ankle

Do I spend money or save it? : I save it for a while but then.. you know.. BTS. 

Can I touch my nose with a tongue? : No 

Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me? : Well.. my panties are pink

Favourite animal? : PANDA

What was I doing last night at 12 AM? : Watching public freak out videos

What do I think is Satan’s last name is? : Wut

What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it? : Yes I Am by Mamamoo

How can you win my heart? : Wut

What would I want to be written on my tombstone? : Ummm... I really have no idea. Just have BTS lyrics all over it.. or even their faces :D 

What is my favourite word : FUCK

My top 5 blogs on tumblr : Cries I’ve already done this. // i love everyone okokok

If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say? : STOP BEING SUCH FUCKNUGGETS AND USE THE DAMN BRAIN YOU WERE GIVEN. 

Do I have any relatives in jail? : Nope

I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power? : Psychokinesis 

What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on? : I really don’t know

What is my current desktop picture? : I have a slideshow going of BTS

Had sex? : Nope

Bought condoms? : No

Gotten pregnant? : Helllll no 

Failed a class? : Yeah 

Kissed a boy? : Nope

Kissed a girl? : The cheek counts, right? 

Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain? : No

Had job? : Babysitting count?

Left the house without my wallet? : Once and I flipped out

Bullied someone on the internet? : Hell no

Had sex in public? : Nope

Played on a sports team? : Yeah

Smoked weed? : No

Did drugs? : No

Smoked cigarettes? : I tried once when I was little and burnt myself... then threw up.

Drank alcohol? : Yeah

Am I a vegetarian/vegan? : No

Been overweight? : Always been overweight, but that’s due to a medical condition and it’s hereditary. Of course it doesn’t help that I eat away my stress and depression :’)))

Been underweight? : Pft. No. 

Been to a wedding? : Yesss

Been on the computer for 5 hours straight? : ...sadly

Watched TV for 5 hours straight? : Nah

Been outside my home country? : Nope but I plan on traveling

Gotten my heart broken? : Yeah.. 

Been to a professional sports game? : Mhm

Broken a bone? : Not that I recall. KI mean, I sprained my ankle but that’s about it

Cut myself? : Yes.. I advise anyone who is thinking about doing it or currently doing it to get some help. It does NOT solve your problems.. 

Been to prom? : Yeah and it sucked

Been in airplane? : Yep

Fly by helicopter? : Nope

What concerts have I been to? : When I was in like.. 6th grade I went to the Jonas Brothers’ concert and March 29th of this year I saw BTS

Had a crush on someone of the same sex? : Yep and I do currently

Learned another language? : Spanish~ I’m currently trying to teach myself Korean

Wore make up? : Yeah

Lost my virginity before I was 18? : No

Had oral sex? : No

Dyed my hair? : Yessss

Voted in a presidential election? : fuck that

Rode in an ambulance? : No

Had a surgery? : Yes

Met someone famous? : Namjoonie noticed me in a vlive once... Does that count??

Stalked someone on a social network? : Yes XD

Peed outside? : Yeah

Been fishing? : Mhm

Helped with charity? : Mhm

Been rejected by a crush? : Sadly

Broken a mirror? : Yeup.

What do I want for birthday? : BTS merrrcchhhh

How many kids do I want and what will be their names? : At least 2. As for names, I’m undecided.

Was I named after anyone? ; Yeah, you know.. Alyssa Milano?

Do I like my handwriting? : I like my cursive

What was my favourite toy as a child? : Barbies

Favourite Tv Show? : Impractical Jokers

Where do I want to live when older? :Northern United States.. or New Zealand

Play any musical instrument? : Nah

One of my scars, how did I get it? : Bike wreck

Favourite pizza topping? : Pineapples and pepperoni

Am I afraid of the dark? : Yes

Am I afraid of heights? : Yes

Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad? : I got caught watching porn when I was like 14 or so

Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? : MY LIFE

What I’m really bad at : Socializing 

What my greatest achievements are : Idk

The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me : There’s so many.

What I’d do if I won in a lottery : Pay off my brother’s college, buy my parents a new house and car, buy a little something for me, and save the rest (depending on how much we’re talking pffft)

What do I like about myself : I like my eyes and hair

My closest Tumblr friend : @gleamingjimin and @daddyoppa

Something I fantasise about my ex : I don’t

[restcre-blog]

⚖ - Opinions on the fandom your muse blong to?

getting to know the pun making memelord scrub.

buckles myself in for this one… ☕

Oh boy, uh. Here comes the controversy I guess.

I think our fandom has a lot of good points, but also a lot of really bad points—the same could be said for any fandom, to be honest. I’m in the Star Wars fandom and let me tell you right now. That is a fucking trip.

The Ov.er.wa.t.ch fandom is full of talent. We have so many amazing artists, writers, cosplayers and content creators! It oozes passion: passion for the game, for the designs, for the characters and for the potential we see growing in the game itself each and every update. This passion is one of our greatest strengths.

It’s also one of our biggest weaknesses.

Ship wars are crazy, bruh. Ov.er.wa.t.ch is really, really… really… toxic at times. You have people stealing art and making fake blogs with it to make shippers look bad, crosstagging fake hate. This happens on multiple spectrums that I’ve seen, but as someone who ships both g.en.c.y. and p.ha.r.m.er.c.y I’m unfortunately exposed to a lot of really bad hate. I go into one tag for cute content and I inevitably see a few bad seeds using that tag and not the appropriate anti tag to insult my other ship. Not to mention crosstagging. Yikes!

That’s just the ship wars. Let’s move on to my biggest… issue, I guess.

I understand we’re free to interpret characters as we want, but. Oh man, the way people reduce Genji and Hanzo to ‘feminine weak asian boys’ when they literally climb walls with their bare hands and bara muscles makes me want to catapult off a cliff. Hanzo especially is made to appear as if he’s sheltered and has no knowledge about the ‘strange and mysterious western woooorld.’

He’s a fucking assassin. He kills people, my dudes! He was the heir to a yakuza empire! He literally almost killed his brother. I’m like 9000% sure he knows how technology and other things work in a highly futuristic society.

Like listen. I don’t mind boys being feminine! I encourage it! It’s just this is already a really, really bad stereotype about asian men: that they’re incapable of being manly, other shit like that. Gah!

Then look at Hana, our beloved streamer and war hero. She’s been reduced to the dorito gremlin, and while—yeah, haha, it’s funny for a while… that’s not entirely who she is? She’s a young woman, barely into adulthood, who’s already participated in warfare to protect her country. She’s seen the home she loves torn apart. No one looks at a battleground like that and exists on a one dimensional strimmer girl personality. No one is that flat. I feel like she’s a lot more complex than a good portion of the fandom gives her credit for.

I COULD GO ON FOREVER SDKFFDFF. THERE’S SO MANY THINGS.

I feel like fandom has to step it’s game up in terms of character interpretation, I guess. Or at least how we’re portraying them. We have to be more thoughtful of the potential stereotypes we perpetuate. Hana wasn’t crunching on doritos in an emote until we blew that meme up so high Bliz.z.a.r.d saw it across the globe. Our voices matter. What we make matters. I think we forget that sometimes.