#and i'm sure a lot of people could use reading this

[txttletale]

could you elaborate on your thoughts on boom and 73 yards ( i agree with you i am just struggling to put into words why.)

boom was whatever. the initial conceit of the doctor being trapped and having to stay calm was really cool! i really like that. the ambulances that euthanize you if you're not deemed worthy of medical care and the tacky chatgpt hologram ghosts were both really cool ideas. it just doesn't stick the landing for me, the twists are contrived and fall apart given any thought whatsoever. like what the fuck were any of the soldiers Doing if there just straight up weren't any enemies. it's a twist that sounds cool to say more than it has any meaningful impact on the story or the stakes. i guess 'the arms manuifacturer created a fake conflict' is the intended emtional stakes there but that would hit like a hundred times harder if it was an actual conflict between two factions and people were dying, right? like if anything sending a christian militia to blow themselves up tae fuck on a nowhere planet instead of presumably killing actual living people is an improvement, surely?

also the resolution was dumb as fuck lol i am a huge hater of power of love saves the day shit not because i'm a cynical misanthrope but because it never fails to make me say 'oh so i guess nobody ever loved anybody before lol' and this is no exception like if one chatbot can shut down the whole operation beacuse he loves his daughter are we meant to believe that no other parents or hell nobody who loved anybody else for any reason died in this fake war before? it's cheap and schmaltzy and unearned. anyway the first twentyish minutes of this are all-time great doctor who and gatwa/gibson were incredible in it but it absolutely falls apart into a confused pileo f some of the worst Moffatisms at the end

73 yards on the other hand was incredible! obviously like it requires you to approach it with a different mindset to most of doctor who, right, doctor who usually furnishes you with the big explanation scnee where the doctor says 'well the ghosts were actually particle wave vectorforms created with the necros radiation from the god-king's techsceptre' or whatever--this is the usual narrative mode of sci-fi--but 73 yards is fantasy, right, this is the twilight zone, this is 'wouldn't that be fucked up?'. i interrogate the technical and logical specifics of boom so much when i think about it because that's the language boom is speaking, boom is framing itself within this logical, a-to-b worldview, the satisfying click-together puzzlebox. but 73 yards is a nightmare or a folk tale, right? kate stewart¹ says it herself, 'when faced with the inexplicable, we make up rules and apply them to it'.

so yknow reading it that way it all clicks together beautifully, right, (apart from russel t davies' embarassing swing and miss at Political Commentary in the middle. we get it davies you wrote years and years. we know. trust me we know). the doctor and ruby disrupt the binding circle, free mad jack, and are punished -- the doctor, as perpetrator, with being banished (perhaps in jack's place) and ruby with her worst fear coming true constantly, until ruby defeats mad jack, re-sealing him and fixing what she broke, at which point the circle rewards her by reversing the punishments. and the core horror i think is very effective and unsettling! the idea that there is something that someone could say to turn everyone against you, the closest people to you in your life, your own family, the institutions that are meant to deal with the exact problem you're having--that's fucking terrifying! and yknow i think especially as an autistic trans lesbian something that speaks to me a lot

so yeah. i think that boom establishes its logics and framework and then trips and falls onto its face while 73 yards does the same and then makes perfect use of them. that said i think in 20 years people who are autistic about doctor who will be like 'did you know in the 2020s there were two episodes in a row where the doctor caused the entire plot to happen by stepping on something' and thjatll be the main thing they're remembered for

[danieyells]

I don't know if you've done it yet but I would like to request Ren lines? I'm having tokyo debunker Ren brainrot bro 😭.

@otomelover23

You're all very welcome! I love you guys too, so far! Sorry you've been deprived of lazy boi lolol HOPEFULLY THESE SATISFY YOU A LITTLE BIT.

He's a little tsundere I think. He's one of those characters who just wants to be normal but he can't just pretend to be normal because he lives surrounded by chaos so he just complains a lot lolol. . .but i think he's a good guy. Aside from that he does not help his mother captain at all.

Default(no affinity):

"If you're just gonna stand there, could you go feed the animals in the aquatic zone? I'm too busy."

"Ugh, why is that clown calling me... ... Whatever, I'll just let it ring out."

you know damn well that if you don't answer the phone you're gonna have to deal with Haru in person. Better to just answer it.

Affinity 1:

"Ugh... Tell me how I'm supposed to sit through classes when I've been up since 4 AM? (yawn) I'm exhausted..."

well if you didn't stay up until 4am--oh who am i kidding i stayed up til like 3 watching a stream and reading datamine stuff and then I got up at like 6:30 to get ready for work I'm no better kekw.

Affinity 2:

"Ugh... I can't believe I'm hiding right now... Why the hell does that clown have to chase me around at lunch time too?"

Affinity 3:

"Preach about doing it for the sake of your friends or the animals or whatever all you want— I really don't give a shit. People who say that stuff are just deluding themselves."

i've known people with this kind of cynicism before. once he finds people care about him he'll come around a little more.

Affinity 5:

"I'm grinding this game on my phone, so could you not talk to me for a while? Crap, I think my RSI is flaring up..."

in Japanese he specifies tendonitis haha

Affinity 6:

"Don't people get embarrassed calling out those words when they use their stigmas? It makes them look like LARPers..."

in japanese he says they sound like they have chuunibyou which is much funnier imo lmao. also i guess that means he can say his in his head? since he'd feel embarrassed doing it aloud.

Affinity 7:

"You think I sigh a lot? Got a problem with that? You realize trying to take away people's freedom of speech is power harrassment, right?"

you're starting to sound like ritsu. gonna hurt yourself reaching like that.

Affinity 8:

"I'm so done... I'm out of HP... Shouldn't I be exempt from missions and classes since I'm looking after all those animals?"

well based on something Haku says in a chat that hasn't come out yet, you can just do missions if you don't go to class, and based on Kaito you can just go to class instead of doing missions. . .but I'm sure Haru forces him on missions anyway lol. . . .

Affinity 9:

"Pfft... The video of that clown getting attacked by that hawk thing is getting so many interacts. This editing thing's actually pretty fun."

does editing count as a creative effort? i wouldn't be surprised if he switched to Hotarubi next year if so, assuming he doesn't get used to Jabberwock and the animals.

Affinity 10:

"Gotta change the locks so that clown can't get in again. I've bought enough padlocks to start my own business by now..."

life haru finds a way. sometimes that way is "towa, break down the door" if he runs out of lockpicking equipment.

Affinity 11:

"My head's killing me... This is the worst... Rise and shine! my ass... It's basically still the middle of the night. Guess I should padlock my windows..."

fun fact, you can get this one between 5am and 11am. 5-6am I can understand being 'basically the middle of the night' but after that you're pushing it lmao

Affinity 12:

"The cafeteria's way over capacity... The assholes who save seats before its even noon are ruining it for everyone else..."

Affinity 13:

"Why's my pay so low... huh? What's this deduction for? "Consultation Fee: Ritsu Shinjo..." He's seriously charging me for complaining...?"

Ritsu charges for looking at him too long. i'd try venting on wickchat over complaining to Ritsu.

Affinity 14:

"That rabbit sure has it good. All it has to do is breathe and everyone fawns over it. Doesn't even have to feed itself. Just wait till it grows up and learns what the world's really like."

WELL BASED ON THAT THE ADULT PEEKABOO WAS STILL BEING FAWNED OVER AND HARU HAD TO STOP PEOPLE FROM PETTING IT BECAUSE IT BITES. . .IT'LL PROBABLY STILL HAVE IT GOOD. Haru takes good care of the animals.

Affinity 15:

"Sup... Huh? I'm alone today. I just got up on my own since if I don't that clown'll wake me up anyway."

yeah? it's because of haru? not because of your affinity with the pc being more than half so you wanna be up earlier to spend more time with them? sure.

Affinity 17:

"No, I'm not going to sleep yet. I'm gonna watch a horror B-movie. You don't have to think, so they're the perfect thing to watch before bed."

i used to watch/listen to mts3k to go to sleep so. i feel this.

Affinity 18:

"Well done me for surviving another day... Oh, same to you too, {PC}. I don't how you can do this stuff voluntarily."

SOME PEOPLE JUST LIKE ANIMALS DAWG.

Affinity 19:

"Huh? I'm going to the campus store to buy some stuff, where are you going? Well, I'm going that way, so...bye."

not sure if shy or asocial lmao. could be both!

Affinity 20:

"You're being forced to help out again? Wow, a doormat out in the wild. So? Where do you want me to carry all this food?"

Affinity 21:

"This? It's a video I uploaded. People seem really into it. It's of that clown getting chased by a dog and flailing around like one of those inflatable air dancers."

Affinity 22:

"What am I doing today? Working at the diner. Oh, if you want to keep me company, feel free to come by. As long as you serve yourself."

it's not a date or anything since he's at work but like. . .he is inviting you to hang out. . . .

Affinity 23:

"Huh? You were waiting for me to get off work? Oh... Thanks. Wait, that clown put you up to this?! I'm gonna kill him..."

NO NO WE CAME HERE WILLINGLY probably. although it does seem like Haru to be like "oh hey Ren really really likes you, you should go pick him up from work! he'd love that!!" like a real nosy mom who's trying to get his son together with his crush.

Affinity 24:

"When did it get this late? That was horrifyingly fast... I'll walk part of the way back with you. I was gonna go buy something to drink anyway..."

excuses, excuses. . . .

Affinity 25(max):

"Every day here is a fresh hell, sure, but... You're suffering through it with me, so I guess I'll stick it out a little longer..."

'this sucks but you make it suck a little(a lot) less so i can keep going'. yep, that's our tsundere alright!

Spring:

"That clown's even more slap-happy than usual lately—it's horrible. Has he got spring fever or something?"

"Towa keeps trying to make me drink some kind of rice porridge with weird flowers in it... It's actual porridge harassment."

considering the flower Towa associates with Ren is poisonous, i think it's safe to assume he is literally trying to poison him to death lmao. also wtf is porridge harassment--i even tried looking it up in japanese and the first thing that came up was someone screenshotting it and saying "what is porridge harassment" lolol

"All this farm labor's bad enough without all the caterpillars and weird plants that are out there now...This is harassment."

what's harassing you, nature? as someone who just had to kill a huge mosquito that came into my room, nature is harassing me too.

"I hate cherry blossoms. They're like the flower version of being a legacy kid— all they have to do is bloom once a year and everyone claps."

in japanese what he says is something like 'i hate them just like people born with silver spoons in their mouths'. basically he hates people born into privilege lol i bet he'd have the potential to get along well with haku until he learns he'll be inheriting a shrine. . . .

Summer:

"This is the worst... It's not even noon yet, how is it so hot? Summer is for extroverts and party animals, I wish it could just be over already..."

"A group trip to the beach? I'd rather die. No decent person would ever go there of their own free will."

butbutbut. think of the summer skins!!!

"Summer was our busy period back home, so I always had to kill myself helping out. Now I'm here though... nothing's changed."

"How can the A/C be banned in the dorm...? Who gives a shit what temperature some anomalous animal that sneaks in prefers, humans should come first..."

okay i agree with him here though what the fuck kind of rule is that. can we talk to hyde about that, that's insane haru.

Autumn:

"Now it's getting colder, I nearly found myself feeling grateful for this tragic jumpsuit... Am I being brainwashed...?"

"Fall, the season of the harvest—I'll stick with cup noodles, thanks. "Fall, the season to enjoy the outdoors"—screw that. I'm gonna make it the season of naps."

"Look—I got bitten by some weird bug anomaly. To hell with the stupid bug spray ban, I'm buying some."

"I feel like the mountains are rowdier when there's a full moon. Pretty sure my enemy encounter rate goes up when I'm on patrol too... Maybe I'm just imagining it."

Winter:

"Since the climate in Jabberwock's so messed up, sometimes it's actually warm in winter. The blizzards are way stronger though..."

have you tried pissing towa off less?

"Oh god, I just saw what's in the diner's new Mystery Hot Pot... It's gotta be a matter of time before this place goes bust..."

i mean if they had ordinary health inspectors maybe lolol

"That clown broke my window so my room's like a freezer... Oh, don't worry. I just took his room instead."

His birthday:

"You got this for me? That clown's been spreading my personal info around... No, it's fine, I'll still take it. Thanks."

i guess he doesn't really tell people his birthday, huh.

Your birthday:

"Happy birthday, {PC}. ...Isn't it kind of rude to look so surprised I'd celebrate your birthday? That came from the heart, you know."

I MEAN YOU NORMALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING. . .it's happy surprise!!!

New Years:

"Happy New Year. My resolution? Escaping the hell hole that is Jabberwock, for starters."

well you got here in like September or something so. you've got a while befor eyou can switch houses lmao but you can do it this year!

Valentine's Day:

"You got me chocolates? You're the type who does all this kind of stuff, huh? No, it's fine, you went to the trouble and everything so I'll take them."

i love when characters kinda mock you for doing getting them something but then they're like "nonono i want it gimme--" lolol from Ren especially it's very tsundere. poor guy wouldn't be straightforward about his feelings unless a damn life was on the line.

White Day:

"{PC}... Here, if you want them. I just bought the first thing I saw, so don't read into it..."

i bet it's actually really nice lolol

April Fool's Day:

"Guess what? I got special permission to switch houses. That nightmare is now behind me! I wish..."

Halloween:

"I hope everyone who gets excited about Halloween lives in misery for the rest of their lives. Why the hell do I have to help out with this stupid themed tour?"

Christmas:

"Can I ask you a question, {PC}? You don't still believe in Santa Claus, do you? Never mind, it doesn't matter. Have a good Christmas."

i mean. . .after coming here santa is a plausible entity to believe in. . .if there's gonna be a santa i don't wanna be caught not believing and missing out on gifts. . . .

Idle:

"Pfft... This edit's awesome. I'm a genius. I'll show {PC} when she gets back."

true bonding is sharing the funny memes you worked hard on. . . .

Absent:

"It's not like I was waiting for you or anything. It's just this hell hole is even more unbearable when you're not around..."

YEP THAT'S OUR UNFORTUNATE CUSTOMER SERVICE EMPLOYEE TSUNDERE ALRIGHT. His lines don't really get super affectionate but. They still have a charm to them when you realize how much he hides his feelings in the usual tsundere way. He likes you a lot but like. . .it's a bother and it's embarrassing. . .and what're the chances you're into him? He'll just invite you over to watch movies and play games with him and stuff. . .and tell himself it's fine to just be friends until it eats away at him. . .or until Haru spills the beans for him--

this took way too long because i got distracted like three times in the middle and my laptop started freaking out and i had to figure out why and close and reopen everything about 8 times hahaha. . . . OKAY TIME FOR ME TO GO TO BED! I hope this satisfies you a little bit!!

[middlingmay]

Photographer!Gale x Model!John AU Part 2

You can read Part 1 here.

Also, free drabble if anyone can spot the nods to some of our fave fics in the fandom ;)

It takes John a few days to call.

John used to lap up attention when he was younger, but that all disappeared after Curt. He'd gotten back a lot of his sociability and affability during his recovery, but most of the time he still feels like a ghost of his former self. He's still figuring out if that was a good thing or not.

So, although he’s not body conscious, the idea of standing in front of a camera and being the sole focus of a photographer; of his image being scrutinised - it all leaves him feeling a little more bare than he's comfortable with.

But he feels hypocritical, since he's preaching to the kids at the Centre that vulnerability is okay. And it's something his therapist is trying to get him to embrace more, himself.

So, he eventually calls the number on the card.

A smooth, very low, and very polite voice with a little drawl answers. It sends a shiver down his spine John knows isn't nerves as he inwardly scolds himself.

He tells the guy his name and Gale is gently enthusiastic. Helen told him John may be calling about the calendar and Gale is thrilled to help out with a project like that.

He explains to John that they’ll take some simple shots the first day, and it’ll all be very private so he doesn’t have to worry about a room full of prying eyes. And it’ll just be a handful of shots, too. A simple selection they can use for calendar mock-ups to help Helen recruit more volunteers.

Despite himself, John can’t help but feel put at ease with how professional and reassuring Gale sounds.

A few days later, John gets to the studio and finds the Bunk House at Thorpe Abbots Studios unlocked so he just heads right on in.

Inside he finds a man fiddling with the set. One look at him and John immediately pegs him as a model. Helen got another volunteer by the looks of it, and damn. He is stupid handsome. The kind that turns ya dumb.

And it helps John relax even more because as soon as the photographer gets a hold of this guy, he’ll forget all about John and make him carry their kit bag or something.

And John will do it, if it means he gets to look at the ungodly pretty man.

So, before the photographer turns up and takes all of this guy’s attention, John introduces himself - and finds he suddenly can’t shut the hell up.

“Did Helen rope you into this, too? You must do this all the time, looking like that. Not that it's all about looks! You’re obviously a real nice guy, doing this for charity, but you could do it professionally. If you wanted. Do you -? I’m not - I'm a bit nervous. You get nervous? But the photographer seems real nice; his voice is god, so fine, and I don’t mind listening to that order me around all day-"

Gale cuts him off - John still hasn't let him introduce himself - and says, “Thanks, but I hope I’m not that bossy. Gale Cleven, nice to meet you.”

Joh is equal amounts embarrassed and delighted. Having all of this guy’s attention feels thrilling.

He tries to flirt to work through the nerves; asks Gale if he’s got cute outfits for him to wear, that he’d clean up so good as a firefighter or a cowboy or a priest.

Gale smiles and refuses to comment and explains that he doesn’t do that kind of photography. He tells John about capturing people as they are, as they want to be, as they could be. And usually never how the person sees themself.

That’s what he sees as the purpose of the calendar, beyond raising money: showing real people, the stories on their faces and the map of their bodies; what they are and are not saying.

John is entranced listening to Gale talk about photography. And because he’s still a little egotistical, John asks what his body is telling Gale, and Gale says he’s not sure. He hasn’t learned to see him yet, but they’ll get there. Today is just practice.

Gale gets them started and tells John to just move around in the space however he wants, wearing whatever he wants - shoes on or off, jacket open or closed - though the way Gale eyes his jacket makes John thinks he'd rather see it off, and not for any fun reasons. He wonders what about it is so offensive to the other man. But despite his evident hang ups about sheepskin, Gale's focus is on whatever makes John feel comfortable. Whatever feels right.

At first John is awkward. He walks around swinging his arms and puffing up his cheeks and he hears a soft clicking as he does so.

Gale asks him questions to help him through. When he asks about the sheepskin John wears, John stands up straighter, confident and proud and tall and strength.

After he takes it off now he’s warmed up, Gale asks him about his work with the charity and the Centre and John lights and and gestures around wildly and runs his mouth. He’s full of energy and passion.

But when he almost, accidentally, veers into his own story, Gale reassures him that they’re not going to go anywhere he doesn’t want to go, and Gale clicks a photo there and then of John staring down the camera - at Gale - looking soft and open and trusting and wondrous. He has a faint blush. His mouth is slightly open. Curls have flopped over his forehead and his head is tilted back just a little. Gale keeps that photo in his portfolio for the rest of his career. It’s one of his favourite shots.

They finish up quicker than John expected (or liked, if he was being honest), and Gale promises to call and let him know when they’ve been developed. John has final say over which ones he shows Helen.

And John sees his shot and runs with it. “Better give you my number then, hm?”

They meet at a quiet café that serves tea that John did not even know existed. Gale looks eager, excited and he pulls a small bundle of A4 photos from an envelope.

John sees himself in a way he never did in the mirror. He sees self-assurance; vibrancy; life and fire. And gentle softness.

He’s speechless.

Gale isn't aware of the accomplishment that is. But he blushes at the look on John’s face is is very pleased at his reaction.

He also isn’t aware that John is feeling things he hasn't allowed himself to feel for years. And he doesn't feel scared of it. He’s excited to follow that feeling, see where it could lead.

[12minutestomidnight]

Some thoughts about the new Doctor Who episode 73 Yards... (Extremely huge spoilers if you haven't seen it yet.)

At the beginning of the episode, the Doctor steps on the fairy ring. When Ruby reads the messages, the Doctor disappears. The mysterious woman appears after both of this; it's not clear what the cause of her appearance was: the destruction of the ring, or the reading of the messages. If the disappearance of the Doctor is anything to go by, it's the reading of the messages that did it.

In one of the last scenes, Ruby says that everyone in her life has abandoned her, but she has never been alone for 65 years - alluding to the mysterious woman. She seems to see this as a kind of comfort. A few moments later, at the end of her life, Ruby holds out her arms to embrace the woman. Immediately after that, we view the opening landscape from the POV of the mysterious woman, with her arms outstretched; the old Ruby has been sent back in time, becoming the mysterious woman that follows young Ruby around.

Having been sent back in time, she can now prevent the fairy ring from being destroyed. The opening scene is shown again, but this time it's a little different. Before the destruction of the ring, the woman is already present, and young Ruby notes her presence. The woman messages 'Don't step', preventing the destruction of the fairy ring and, presumably, preventing her own existence.

It's weird how so few people on Tumblr have pointed out the fact that Ruby is herself the mysterious woman. If you want to look for any metaphorical meaning in this episode, surely that's where to start. And especially the woman's monologue at the end:

I'm sorry I took so long, and I tried so hard. What else could I do? It took all these years. All these long years. And look at me, I was so young!

What did she try so hard and only just achieve? Embracing herself. She was always 73 yards away.

Then, what does it mean that anyone who talks with old Ruby runs away? And why did it take dying to embrace old Ruby? She seems to represent something terrible and terrific simultaneously; something that makes people turn away, but that needs to be embraced nonetheless.

I can't help but be reminded of the Jungian concept of the Shadow. The Shadow is the part of oneself that we'd rather not see, that we deny, that we think is shameful; but repressing this part of oneself doesn't solve anything, because it is part of who you are and has a function in your psychic well-being. You must recognize it, and then embrace it without judgment.

Perhaps that is what old Ruby signifies. She starts out as this mysterious, scary entity that Ruby would rather get rid of. People who see it, who speak to it, are filled with terror and disgust for Ruby. And no matter where Ruby goes, it is there too. And, importantly, it is conceived as an Other; someone who is distinctly not Ruby. This mirrors how we treat our own Shadow: for instance, if I am arrogant, I do not see myself as arrogant; I'm more likely to recognize the trait in others, instead, and demonize them for that trait.

Even when Ruby has used the mysterious entity to scare off Roger ap Gwilliam, she asks the entity: "Can you leave me alone now?" She still has not accepted her Shadow. Only at the end of her life, when she says that everyone has abandoned her, but she has never been alone in 65 years, that's when she accepts her Shadow. That's when it can finally come close, that's when she can finally embrace herself and become a whole person.

This still leaves a lot of questions unanswered, of course. Heck, I might even be on the wrong track! But I hope this provokes some thoughts and, at the very least, I hope I am asking the right questions.

[incorrectnessduskwood]

Hey, everyone! I just finished playing Moonvale and I've come to give my first opinion on it, which is a bit long (spoilers under read more!!)

So, first of all, I really enjoyed the story so far. The tense moments kept me on my seat, I enjoyed talking to the characters, especially Eric, and our conversation about the Duskwood events with Ash was absolutely great and heartbreaking (at least for me). I miss Duskwood's visuals, how we could see the characters' profiles, see their pictures and such and I think it was important for the immersion in the game.

I did not like the AI pictures for our profile and I think if we could choose one from our galleries or maybe be able to create an avatar would've been a lot better. Another thing: I miss the premium package. Having to use the diamonds was terrible, especially to be able to see pictures and videos. I mean, it was so much easier paying once and then having it forever. I hope Everbyte brings it back.

About the story itself: I know the beginning is very similar to Duskwood's but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I liked that we had more of the characters actually talking in videos and showing us real people--though I wish the others also had that. I enjoyed talking to Eric, a lot, I thought he was well written and fleshed out.

The unknown person who talked to us: I don't think it's the culprit or whoever Adam is after. I think it's someone who knows about us and Duskwood events, and probably has a close or at least familiar relation to Adam. Not sure if they said it was us in the forest just to scare or because they truly thought it was us and not Eric. I guess we'll see.

I also liked that Duskwood wasn't the first thing the characters thought because it actually made me happy to see how Ash and Charlie reacted to it, though I am super curious about the rumors and help Charlie mentioned. Also, I wonder how we're able to see the private chats again. Maybe something we learned from Jake? Or our phone still has something from Nymos that allows that? Not sure.

Lastly: the bodycam video from Alan? Oh my gods, I was on the edge of my seat and I swear I stopped breathing for a few seconds. I'm glad we had a glimpse into Duskwood but I wished we had had more. There are still so many questions left unanswered and I truly hope Everbyte will answer them at some point. I'm just glad enough that Jakes truly alive, though I have no idea why he left his things and why Alan was looking for him alone.

[fatfuckingcatstuff]

Hello! I saw that your requests are open. I see you’ve written lots for Sniper, and I’m not sure how comfortable you are writing something for another merc but if so…

May I request anything SFW you’d like to write for reader x Scout, Medic, or Engie?

No pressure at all, I love what I’ve read from you, and would love to see your take on these fellas. Have a lovely day!

Apologies for the very late response! I'm very glad you love my work and I thank you so so much!!! ❤️

I've decided to write engineer with a reader who has a habit of biting people! (With consent and out of love) unlike a certain musician I used to love....

ENGINEER X READER WITH BITING HABIT

ENGINEER!

Sitting in his workshop, minding your own business as the sounds of drilling, sawing and static noises spilled from whatever he was working on.

Eventually, you'd get bored. You glance around to see if there was anything that could keep you entertained. Nothing until your eyes met Dell's (not robotic) arm.

Sneaking up behind him, though useless, he loves to play along.

"What'cha doing there sweet pea?" The texan questioned.

All of a sudden! The feeling of human teeth sinks into his skin. Though tolerable, yet surprising.

"Wha-! Woah there little lady!" He chuckles in shock. Turning his gaze to you.

You only smile at him as your teeth bury into his fleshy arms before releasing them and biting onto another part on his arm. Admiring the teeth marks left on the previous bite.

"Mmphmgpmgkgohhsj" You mumbled in attempt to respond.

"I agree darlin'. You sure got a way with words." Dell teased, chuckling to himself.

Lifting your mouth from his now slightly saliva covered arm. You grab a few pieces of tissue from your pockets and wipe it down.

"I said.. I'm bored." You respond, a slight annoyed voice but no mean intentions.

"Well how about we go test out my new sentry outside?" He happily holds up his new machinery he had been working on for the past day.

You smile softly at the texan.

"Okay."

[kitcatia]

There's something that really gets me about the enhanced tragedy of an AU where Arthur, Jack, Quincey, Lucy, Mina and Jonathan all are A functional and healthy polycule. The thought that they were perfectly happy and that everything would have worked out if Dracula hadn't interfered in their lives breaks my heart.

For clarification, this is my first time reading the book, but I got some spoilers (heard about certain movies and watched OSP's video months before I decided to join Dracula daily) and I keep imagining:

Given the fact that, at least so far, I perceive Lucy as the 'main poly' that connects her boyfriends and girlfriend; and despite the fact that Mina would also be poly and link Lucy to Jonathan, and even considering the possibility of some of the suitors dating amongst themselves…

The loss of Lucy would absolutely break the polycule. Sure, they'd be bloodshot and eager for revenge, but what comes next? I'd say that, even though they'd make all the effort to still be part of each others' lives, Lucy was the link that kept them all together. She was their reason to hang out and do things as a group and, without her, a lot of things they used to do together would simply not make sense anymore. I'm sure they'd manage to still be a great friend group, but everything would change so much, to the point that they barely can call themselves the same people that once composed such a happy and hopeful polycule.

(This is all a modern AU concept btw)

I love the idea of Mina struggling with her feelings because, see, she has known Jonathan since forever and she has loved him since they were kids. Jonathan is the best friend and best boyfriend any girl could have ever asked for.

But she's also known Lucy since forever and loves her very deeply. Their relationship is so intimate and so special. They love calling each other "my best friend". And yet… some lonely nights, when Mina rereads old messages where Lucy playfully joked that they are so overtly affectionate for one another that "someone that doesn't know them could easily suppose they are a couple", she can't help but wish that this hypothetical someone would be right in their supposition.

Both Lucy and Mina know themselves to be bi and have been out to each other for a while now, even though they are very secretive about the details of how they figured it out, since they were each others' awakenings and wouldn't want the other to know that.

Both of them would love to be together, but Mina also loves Jonathan and Lucy would never want to get in the way of such a lovely couple. Also, they're both terrified that a step too far could ruin the amazing friendship they already have.

Mina is also out as bi to Jonathan for sure. I like to think he'd get very emotional when Mina came out to him, because he knows, despite identifying as straight, how difficult this type of honesty can be.

Mina wishes there was a way to reconcile these feelings. She wishes that loving Lucy and loving Jonathan weren't mutually exclusive. And some night, after spending hours grading piles of tests, she just caved and decided to look up online resources on how she could possibly deal with a situation like hers.

After a lot of thorough research and a very long and sweet conversation with Lucy and Jonathan, the three of them come to the conclusion that there surely is a way for Mina to date both of them. Mina strikes me as the type of poly to have incredibly organized schedules and spreadsheets on how to reconcile her work life with spending time with her two partners. Lucy would start to figure out that she might be poly too and Jonathan, despite still being monoamorous, would be extremely supportive of his girlfriend and his metamour.

Eventually, Lucy starts getting along with Arthur and comes to the conclusion, after talking about it with Mina, that there is space for one more love in her life. Arthur takes some explaining as he struggles for a while to grasp the concept, but thankfully Mina still has the PowerPoint she made to explain it to Lucy and Jonathan. And it is a very comprehensive PowerPoint.

But then when Quincey and Jack come along, Lucy is a bit scared that this would be too much. Too much for her, for Arthur, for Mina, for Jonathan. Poor Jonathan! He will need to be briefed on so much when come back from his business trip!

When she sits down with her boyfriend and her two new friends, asking them very sweetly (I imagine Arthur holding her hand to give her courage) if they are familiar with the concept polyamory, Quincey's eyes widen and Jack blushes and looks down to fidget with his hands, as they are taken by surprise. Lucy's heart sinks all the way to her stomach. She knew she shouldn't have done this, that this was a dream too good to ever come true, that now she ruined her chances to have Jack and Quincey as good friends, that now they'll see her as a selfish weirdo. Arthur's grasp on her hand tightens, as if holding it more strongly would transfer some strength to Lucy.

But all of this tension quickly dissipates as Quincey's eyes go from surprised to delighted and Jack looks up smiling an awkward but ultimately happy smile. Arthur looks Lucy in the eyes and tells her he knew his friends wouldn't turn down the proposal of a girl as amazing as her.

Mina quickly receives a message and she is thrilled to hear she's getting not one, but three new metamours to befriend and with which to conspire about all the best ways to make Lucy happy.

She simply cannot wait to tell Jonathan about such exciting news! He really can't come back from his trip soon enough.

[lockandkeyhyena]

Hi, Sasha! Could I ask you for some help writing a character, please?

The protagonist is a trans man, but I'm cis and I haven't found many guides to write trans men specifically. Do you have any tips or stereotypes that should be avoided?

Some of his lore; his name's Arthur, he's a truck driver and his wildest dream of the moment is to save enough money to buy his own house. It would be a shame if he was dragged back by the family he left behind... Right?

Thank you for reading! I love your characters, your Andy inspired me to write about Arthur.

woo!! thanks for asking for my help! here’s some general tips i can give you- i honestly really like the sound of him already! :D

think about his life situation and what the general attitude towards trans people is in your story! this will help you guage where he’s at in his transition. did he have an accepting family and so got put on puberty blockers and never had to have surgery? or was his family not accepting and so he couldn’t transition until he left.

what’s his financial situation? and what is the trans healthcare situation where your story is set? this will affect his transition greatly!

for example, is surgery covered under free healthcare or is even just testosterone really hard to obtain? consider what outside factors may have influenced his transition.

that being said, don’t be scared about making his transness a large part of his identity. but consider the characters personality when doing so. are they the type of character to be super open about being trans or are they more closed off about it?

make sure he has a personality outside of being trans, but don’t forget that his transness is going to have informed some of the way he sees the world.

honestly there aren’t as many bad stereotypes around trans men to avoid as there are with trans women, the big this with us is that we’re usually ignored or forgotten about so the fact that you’re writing about a trans man in the first place is super cool!

that being said, in recent years trans men have become more visible and so media attention has shifted to ‘poor confused girls who mutilate their perfect bodies’ so avoid that obviously haha but i think you’ve got that down

don’t be afraid to show transphobia in your story, but be sure to balance it out with trans joy! there’s a lot of things to love about our community and focusing solely on the negatives can feel a bit trauma-porny

hope this was helpful!! if you want more specific advice don’t be afraid to ask, this was alotta fun to write up! i’d love to hear more about arthur, he seems interesting :D

[manako-no-yami]

a phone call is not far enough away

Harvey gets a phone call from his mom. He and Mike have a conversation about parents, and regret.

Disclaimer: I haven't watched past s1e5, everything else I know I picked up from fanfic.

-

"Are you still messing around with that boy of yours?" Harvey's mother asks. Her voice grates in his ear. He imagines her inspecting her nails as she does this, or fixing her hair in the bathroom mirror. Trying in vain to capture the beauty she commanded as a younger woman. He grits his teeth.

"I'm still with Mike. If that's what you're asking."

"You need to stop playing games," she chides. "Get serious. All my friends' children have given them grandchildren, you know. Even Marcus has managed that."

Harvey doesn't try telling her it's not a game to him. He doesn't try reminding her that they're married. The last time he did that, she just said, "You're a lawyer. I'm sure the prenup won't be an issue for you." He doesn't tell her about the adoption pamphlets stuffed in their kitchen drawer. They don't need her sticking her nose in it.

"Just think about it," she continues. "I know a few nice girls looking to settle down that I could introduce you to."

Harvey snorts. "Really? You expect me to take advice from you about 'settling down'?"

A sigh. "Really, Harvey? You're an adult, now. You've seen worse things in your life, especially in your profession. When are you going to let it go?"

Harvey fights the urge to scream. "This is why I don't want you in my life," he says, then hangs up.

He tries his best to calm down, but when Mike walks in a few minutes later, he takes one look at Harvey's face and raises an eyebrow. "Your mother called?"

Harvey rubs his face. "Do you really have to ask?"

Mike sits down next to him and begins to rub his back. Whenever he does that, Harvey feels old, but he never tells him to stop because it does actually feel kind of nice. "The old witch hanging around still trying to get a bite out of your firstborn?"

"You joke, but you don't know her," Harvey sighs.

Mike shrugs, eyes going far away. "Maybe not," he allows. "She certainly isn't pleasant. But she still loves you, doesn't she?"

Harvey doesn't know what to say to this. Mike doesn't know what it's like, to idolize your parents and then learn that they're only human. He lost his parents before they could disappoint him.

"There are a lot of words you could use to describe my relationship with my mother," he says, finally. "'Loving' isn't one of them."

Mike bites his lip. Mike has an encyclopedic compendium of Harvey's facial expressions catalogued in his brain. But even without Mike's memory, Harvey can read him just as well. That's the face that Mike makes when he feels he shouldn't say something—the face he makes when he'd say something nice and placating to someone else, but is choosing to be honest with his thoughts here, with Harvey. "But don't you think you'll regret it, if you never reconcile with her?"

This is a delicate topic. Of course Mike thinks that. He'd do anything to have his parents back, to not have fought with them the night they left. To apologize, to have them in his life.

Sometimes he thinks the reason why Mike still believes in the inherent goodness of people is because he never saw the ugliness of people in his own family. But perhaps that's simply Harvey's bitterness coloring his perspective—plenty of other people with worse parents than Harvey still believe that people can be good. Harvey, on the other hand, thinks Mike is good. And that's about it.

But he can't help but feel it's naïve. The notion that your parents will necessarily hold sway in your life even in adulthood simply by virtue of being your parents had always seemed to him to be less a matter of close relations and more a matter of willpower.

But then again, he did pick up the phone.

"Maybe I'll regret it, once she's gone," he allows. "But right now, I mainly just regret giving her more of my time. And between regretting something now or later, I choose later."

Mike frowns. Harvey wonders if he thinks that's ungrateful. "I know you don't want to take the first step. And that's fine," he hastily adds. "But is there really no way to get rid of both kinds of regret?"

It occurs to Harvey that perhaps Mike had hoped that marrying would give him a second chance at being someone's child. A son-in-law, perhaps, but still a son. He resents his mother for that possibility, for ruining that for Mike.

"I don't think so," Harvey says. "But, who knows. Maybe the next time she calls, she'll have something different to say. Stranger things have happened."

The words sound weak to Harvey even as he says them. Mike gives him a small, sad smile. He knows Harvey doesn't believe himself either.

But Harvey will try, for him, anyway—so he leaves his mother's number unblocked.

Maybe next time, he tells himself. If he repeats it enough, maybe one day he'll believe it. Maybe next time.

[cherrylng]

WOTP Dom Howard Interview [INROCK - Muse (October 2022)]

Unparalleled rock trio Muse release first new album in four years, Will of the People.

"We don't want to do a best-of album or a compilation because we're going to keep making new music."

Dominic Howard/Muse INTERVIEW: AI ANAZAWA

Muse have released their new album ‘Will of the People’, their first album in almost four years since ‘Simulation Theory’ (2018). The band has always been big on the soundscale, but this time they've pushed each of the songs to their full potential, making the rock songs harder and the ballads more dramatic, creating what might be described as the ‘strongest’ album yet. The album was self-produced without an external producer due to the Corona disaster, but as you would expect from a seasoned artist, he knows his identity and what he needs to do now. Dominic, who agreed to be interviewed by Zoom, was relaxing in the sunroom of his London home with his dog.

—I saw a picture of you at a recent festival where you were playing drums in a full face mask, is that a new image for the new album ‘Will of the People’? Dominic Howard (dr.): We start the show with ‘Will of the People’ and we also appear wearing the masks that the main characters and groups that appear on the album cover and video wear. It's the opening song.

—Oh, I thought it was hot in the summer (laughs). Dominic: (laughs). I can hardly see anything when I'm wearing that. I can barely see the drums in front of me, so I think Matt [Matthew Bellamy, vo. keys g.] and Chris [Wolstenholme, b.] have an even harder time. They'll be playing while trying to keep an eye on the fretboard. Plus, it's a full face, so it's hard to breathe. And there's a burning ‘Will of the People‘ logo right behind me, so my back is burning hot. But, you know, I'll do anything for rock‘n’roll (laughs).

“I was careful to avoid abstractions, and I was also very conscious of keeping it tight.”

—This album is especially Hard Rock, isn't it? A lot of albums made during the pandemic have been released one after another, but I have the impression that many of them are introspective because of the production environment, but this album is the complete opposite of that (laughs). Dominic: Yeah, it's a heavier, harder rock sound, less introspective… We were definitely working on some of it during the lockdown, though. I think everyone tended to be more introspective back then, and people were making music that sounded a bit more light-hearted, maybe not as bombastic as ours. Anyway, that kind of thing (introspective, light music) is not really our thing, it's more outward expression, more outlandish. Yeah, we haven't done an album as heavy as this one in a really long time.

—I read that you started this album as a response to a label proposal to release a best-of album, but why are you against the idea of ​​a greatest hits album in the first place? Dominic: Realistically speaking, best-of albums aren't what they used to be, are they? Nowadays, a person's top 10 favourite songs on Spotify are their best releases, right? Labels want to do best-of records because they want to promote the band, but we've always been against it because we feel like a best-of record is kind of the end of your career, you know (laughs). We don't want to do a best-of album or compilation because we're going to keep making new music. The labels might have come up with the idea in discussions to see if there was anything they could release during the pandemic, but we've always said no, let's make new material instead.

—I see. Matt describes the album as “best of new songs” and “a montage piece packed with the best of Muse.” Was that the band's goal or perception in the making of the album? Did you actually discuss such things? Dominic: Hahaha, we talk about it all the time. The whole time we were making it. But I don't think it was ever our concept. I'm sure Matt said that because we like the album that much and we think it's like our best album. I think he wanted to say that it's like a collection of the best parts of the band's old sound. It's got the heavy side, the pop side, the acoustic ballads like ‘Ghosts (How Can I Move On)’, it's got the best of what the band has always done. Well, whenever you're making an album, you always think: ‘This is the best album ever! Every song could be cut as a single!’ (laughs). I don't want to release it, or even finish it, unless I'm proud of it as an important representation of the band as it is now. In fact, we were very conscious of only including stuff that we felt was appropriate to be on the album. We didn't want to do anything too experimental… That's a bit of a misnomer. We were careful to avoid abstraction, to keep it to the point and concise, to know where to put the songs on the album, and to keep the production tight.

—There are only ten songs on the album. Do you have any regrets about not being able to keep it tighter on previous albums? Dominic: No, not really. When it's been a year or so since we put out an album, I do think ‘I should have done that’ or something like that, but I wouldn't really call it a regret. We've done some very experimental and abstract albums in the past, because that's what the album needed, especially the first three albums. The second album (2001's Origin of Symmetry) is longer and more experimental. I'm not saying that I want to get rid of that aspect of ourselves, I'm just saying that we've become more conscious of making tighter albums. And I've always wanted to make a 10-song album. We've had instrumental songs that made it 11 songs, so this time we decided to make an album of just 10 songs with songs on it (laughs).

—The content of the song this time is all very depressing, just a little bit… (laughs). Dominic: The lyrics (laughs)?

—Yeah. It's as realistic a fiction as you can get. Are these socio-political and environmental issues always something that comes up in the band? Or is this all about Matt's political views? Dominic: Mostly the latter (laughs). I think the surreal, political fictional world is where he's most comfortable writing. I guess it's easier to write about very personal things than to express them frankly. Of course there are parts of the album that touch on personal things, but I haven't done a lot of songs that are about personal things. Matt's style is to write about the emotions of what's going on in the world and apply them to an imaginary world. Naturally, we would talk about the topic and the direction we wanted the song to go in. But the music always comes first. Then the lyrics (by Matt) can take quite a while, but whatever idea it's based on, the three of us take it and put it into music, and eventually it's something we enjoy playing. The lyrics come after that, so it can be influenced by the vibe and feel of the song's source material.

—Oh, really? Dominic: So it's not the lyrics we talk about the most, it's the music (laughs).

—I see, the three of you live in different parts of the world. How did you make that music during the pandemic, especially during the lockdown? Dominic: It was tough. Especially in 2020, there were months when we couldn't do anything. But we still did things like exchange ideas virtually. Once we were able to get together, we started working in the studio in Los Angeles. Chris doesn't live over here, but we still had him come to LA, and when that wasn't possible, we continued working remotely. In the spring of 2021, we got together in London and we were able to work on it at Abbey Road [Studios]. It was a lot of work, but we found a way to work not only on music, but also on these things (Zoom interviews), and also on business, virtually, without having to move from place to place, didn't we? I think it's actually become more convenient for a lot of people.

—Did you produce this album yourselves because of the restrictions of the Corona Disaster? Or was it a reaction to the fact that your last album, ‘Simulation Theory’, involved a lot of producers? Dominic: It was probably both. It was a pandemic, so from the beginning Matt and I were in the studio alone, trying out different ideas, and we were comfortable with that. Then Aleks (von Korff), the engineer, joined us in the studio and the three of us were in what you might call a bubble (laughs). Of course we had to take coronavirus checks every now and then and be careful while working, but we got comfortable in that situation, and it felt different to invite other people in there. It would be a lot of work to bring someone else in. And we like production work too. We've always co-produced, even when we've had a producer, and we rather like the time-consuming, detailed work.

—Please tell me how did you decide to end the album on a hopeless note with ‘We Are Fucking Fucked’ (laughs)? Dominic: It's interesting to hear other people say the title of this song (laughs). It was the only song we had at the end of the album. If we'd put ‘Fucking Fucked’ anywhere else, it would have given the piece a weird vibe. It's a sarcastic, depressing type of song, after all (laughs). So I think it was right to put it at the end. At first I was thinking of putting ‘Verona’ at the end. That song has a fantastic, relaxed, outro-like feel to it. But I still think ‘Fucking Fucked’ is the right one.

—Which is your favourite song of the day? Dominic: It's hard to pick just one song, I feel bad for the others (laughs).

—Let's limit it to this morning's then (laughs). Dominic: Well, we've been playing ‘Kill or Be Killed’ live recently and it's a lot of fun to play live. Maybe there's a heaviness to it that we haven't ventured into before? It's pretty metal. And I really like ‘Won't Stand Down’. When we were working on the album, I was telling Matt that every song had to make the listener feel something, and we had to make the songs make us feel something, and he asked me what I meant, and I said that sometimes when we listen to our past albums… I actually listened to all our previous albums before we started making this album. Some of them were okay, some of them were a little bit terrible, but they still conveyed what we were feeling at the time. So I had a strong feeling that every song on this album had to make me feel something. ‘Kill or Be Killed‘, when you get into the chorus, it makes you feel it. I like everything else on the record apart from those two songs. And ‘Liberation’ is a lot of fun to play. We haven't done a piano song like that for a while. Is it reminiscent of ‘United States of Eurasia’ (2009's “The Resistance”)?

“What I really want to do is to go around to different sized venues here and there and stay in Japan for two or three weeks.”

—I also like ’You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween’. And it touches on the serious issue of domestic violence. Dominic: Yes, it does. It's a very fun song, but the lyrics actually touch on emotional abuse in the home. It's the same with ‘Won't Stand Down’. We know people who have been through that, and it's a very real issue that sometimes people don't realise they're going through it. It's such a serious thing with a very pop sound.

—Will you be touring the world after a few shows in the UK in October? Dominic: Yeah, we'll play some smaller theatres in the UK in October and then maybe next year we'll tour overseas, including Japan. We really want to go to Japan. What I'd really like to do is spend two or three weeks in Japan, doing a few more shows here and there at different venues of different sizes. The last few times I've been here, I've been limited to a few cities due to time, schedule and production. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the creative side and the fun side of it.

—You have the authority to do what you really want to do, so by all means make it happen. Dominic: Well, yeah (laughs). Anyway, we'll find a time when it's possible and we'll try to fit it into the schedule.

—By the way, there is a sign of a dog from earlier. Dominic: This is Olive, a Boston terrier (he says, showing me the dog stretched out and relaxed in front of him). He's very clever. Where's Floyd? Maybe he's upstairs. They're both very clever.

—Who's going to look after them while you're away from home? Dominic: Actually, I tend to take them with me. Olive is just over a year old and I only got her last year, so she's not ready yet, but Floyd has been all over the place, he's been on a tour of America with me, he's been in Europe. He loves it. He's always happy to play with all kinds of people backstage. Olive likes people too. When the show is over, she jumps in the car and goes to the hotel with me, and every night when she gets into her new hotel room, she jumps up on the bed with great joy (laughs). So I take her with me when I can, otherwise I ask family or friends.

Recorded on 20th July, 2022 in London.

Translator’s Notes: If you’ve noticed it, then you might’ve wondered why the Japanese journalist and the article itself doesn’t use the words “Covid-19” and “pandemic” (other than Dom himself). As I’m not a Japanese native, I don’t fully know the answer either, but I did pay attention to Japanese news over the years to pick up on information. In Japan, the government and the people do know and use the word COVID-19, but unfortunately the name that COVID-19 took in Japan was this: 新型コロナウイルス感染症 / Shingata Coronavirus Kansenshou / new coronavirus infection.

As you can see, that is a whole mouthful that no one has the time to say all of that out loud -even including the word Covid-19 itself- so they shortened it to just using ‘コロナウイルス / Coronavirus’ and ‘コロナ / Corona’ instead.

So I got used to seeing that whenever an artist or celebrity in Japan was confirmed infected by Covid and had to cancel events, they just announce on their blogs and on X [formerly known as Twitter] that they got Corona. And some of these words became familiar to me as well.

コロナ禍 / Korona-ka = Corona Disaster / Covid-19 Pandemic コロナ緊急事態 / Korona kinkyuu jitai = Corona Emergency / Lockdown

BTW, I wasn't sure what Dom's other dog's name was. I know of Floyd, but I can't remember the second dog's name. Was it Olive or Oliver?

[afusionoffandoms]

I often think about how easier my life would be if I were conventionally attractive.

Don't get me wrong. I don't look myself in the mirror and wish I looked good for the sake of looking good. I just wish I were treated that way.

When you're conventionally attractive, you get better job opportunities, and you get better paid. You get more social opportunities, from being first pick for games or projects, to having more friends, love interests and overall being more desirable to spend time with. Your opinions weigh more, and people are more inclined to listen to you, and care about you. Me? When I was a kid/teenager and the PE teacher had us form a circle or something, people literally refused to stand closer than 6 feet away from me, even though I've always been a very clean person. I've never been given pet/nicknames. I know for a fact that if I were to start a GoFundMe to help my medical expenses, I wouldn't get a single dollar.

If you're conventionally attractive, you get compliments just for existing. You post a selfie and people actually compliment you. Slay, girl. Smash. Daddy. Goals. Pretty thing. I've never experienced that. Not once have I been complimented on a random pic of myself, I'm only complimented if I've done something truly spectacular. All compliments have to be hard-earned and even then, they're very conservative. People have to be careful not to seem like they're attracted to me, for that would be embarrassing and make them seem weird. I could never use myself as a model to show something I've created, or in order to create something, since it would negatively affect what the subject is. Never have I been praised for simply existing. The world has never told me I have any reason to feel good - or even neutral - about the way I look.

I think about how my medical history would've looked so different and been so much easier for me to work through, how much more healthy I would've been today, if only medical professionals had treated me like they treat conventionally attractive individuals. If I would've been given the same treatments and trusted and taken seriously the same way. If people had an instinctual wish to treat me right.

I think about how movies, books, comics, series, music, video games, photography, art, podcasts, every single medium keeps telling me I'm undesirable both as a partner and a friend, that my existence is comical, that I'm unintelligent, selfish, lazy, greedy, filthy and evil unless proven otherwise. I can never find myself represented in media, or when you can build your own character. In perfect fictional worlds, I don't exist. Any instance where this stereotype is criticised or disproven, is treated as controversial and an exception to the rule.

I wonder what it would be like to be in a public space without being unfairly ignored or judged. It's either one or the other. You either don't exist at all - and don't deserve the time of day - or you exist too much and you're taking up too much space, judged mercilessly and picked apart. I can't go to the gym without getting looks of disapproval and disgust, which does nothing to encourage me to work harder. Imagine how much that damages you over time, even when you do your best to learn how to ignore the haters. It still doesn't change the fact that people do it. Doesn't change the fact that the average person still wants to treat you this way.

I'm not saying attractive people don't have challenges as well. I'm not saying there are minorities who don't have it worse.

But that doesn't change the fact that this is my life, and being unattractive means I have a considerable amount of additional hurdles to overcome - hurdles that I can't change with my mindset, hurdles that are unnecessary and wouldn't have to be there if people simply decided not to place them in my way.

[sugarsnappeases]

thank you for the tag @fxreflyes this is so cute, except the format is trying to hinder my propensity to ramble, so i’ve rectified this in the tags lmao

i’m over 5'5 / i wear glasses or contacts / i have blonde hair / i often wear sweatshirts / i prefer loose clothing over tight clothes / i have one or two piercings / i have at least one tattoo / i have blue eyes / i have dyed or highlighted my hair / i have or have had braces / i have freckles / i paint my nails / i typically wear makeup / i don’t often smile / resting bitch face / i play sports / i play an instrument / i know more than one language / i can cook or bake / i like writing / i like to read / i can multitask / i’ve never dated anyone / i have a best friend i’ve known for over five years / i am an only child

no pressure tags for @static-radio-ao3 @inevitablestars @itsjaywalkers @carniferous @orbitfalls @transsexualpriest @futurequibblerjournalist <333

[thesnacken]

Uhhhhhhh

[babygirlbdubs]

i hate!!! labels!!!!! i hate society's need to put every bit of the human experience into arbitrary, meaningless little boxes!!! i hate taking beautifully unique experiences and shoving them into categories that will never truly fit them!!! i hate taking people's identities and comforts and using them to invalidate their personhood and experiences!!! every single human being is impossibly unique and there will never be a single other person exactly like them and that's beautiful!!! why!!! do we have to break everything down and put it into boxes that are never perfectly the right shape!!!! we are all unique and that makes us all the same!!! let people express their personhood and define their experiences in ways that are unique to them!!!

[tanicus-caesareth]

guarana drama, damage control

[jameszmaguire]

y'know, sometimes you just gotta look at the average age of people in a certain fandom and go 'good for them, i'm too old to interact with media in the way that they're doing' and just nope out