#and idk who/what is supposed to be hot in fandoms now

[1nm2]

what's current in the rpc? do people still write in capital letters, are they still cancelling actresses, will i be cancelled if they knew i like jkr's writing

[afterthelambs]

.

[blackgirlsuperherorants]

IWTV rant incoming, spoilers for both seasons, be forewarned!

I've been seeing far too much Louis hate online recently, and while I'm of the opinion that none of these vamps are completely innocent by nature, I can't help but notice the disproportionate hate on my boy.

Honestly, it feels a little like fandom racism. And I think AMC IWTV fans have convinced themselves that they're beyond such things because of Jacob and Assad, but idk, everyone turning on the Black one at once seems... yucky?

First, I've seen a lot of "Louis is an abuser". Which... is a wild take on a show where most of the main characters hurt everyone around them?

I think some of it is coming from those who saw the episode in season 2 in which it is revealed that the big fight that Louis and Lestat had in S1 was more even than just Lestat beating up Louis, but y'all... we're not supposed to take S1 as a complete fabrication. A lot of y'all keep saying "oh, we haven't met the real Lestat." Sure, not in person and not from his POV until that ending, but we're not supposed to take it as Louis just lying outright. In the series, different from the books, OUR Louis calls Daniel back in 2022 to give him a more accurate version of the story. In the 1970s, he was just trash-talking Lestat. In 2022, he is remembering Lestat fondly while also remembering all the pain Lestat caused him. He only learns at the end of the season that Armand manipulated some of his memories. And only SOME. We're not supposed to think Armand made Louis misremember everything he and Lestat ever did together. So, we can take S1 as a version of the truth, even if it has some holes or misremembered parts... and in S1, Lestat is a scary guy. When Louis fought him, he was fighting a scary monster. You can't talk about it like he was a human man fighting his human partner because he got a little angry. He was a vampire fighting an even stronger vampire who, as far as Louis knew, was capable of awful things. And Lestat stalked Louis when he was still a human, fed on him without consent, killed the priests Louis turned to in fear... none of that was healthy courtship of a lover. To then turn around and call LOUIS the abuser? That's nuts.

And then there's Armand.

Armand is capable of great physical violence without even lifting a finger. You cannot look at me in the face and tell me that Louis slamming him into a wall was *abuse* after finding out that Armand mindfucked him for 70 years. After y'all saw what Armand did to Daniel. After Armand plotted Louis' death while manipulating Louis into thinking he was loved.

"Louis is an abuser" is a wild take after watching both of those seasons. Louis isn't an innocent princess, either, but compared to the two older vampires, he is the main victim of the story. Both Lestat and Armand emotionally abused him, manipulated him, and physically hurt him, and after all of it, he just ends up alone.

Now, believe me, I love Armand and Lestat. I think they're wonderfully awful people, and so much fun to watch, so fun to love, so fun to hate. But I think so many people left season 2 on their sides completely, just because Louis stood up for himself AND admitted that he was wrong about a lot of what he thought he remembered. And in all honesty, I think a lot of y'all like Sam and Assad because they're hot and... Jacob, while hot, is still Black. With Assad, you can give yourselves the benefit of the doubt because he's still a person of color, but he's a non-black person of color...

And Black people are not afforded softness or innocence, the way non-black people are. So, Louis doing something that's not good makes him not good, even if it's in the context of being a vampire. But Lestat and Armand get "brat prince" and "baby girl" even when they're cruel.

And also, it's not great to put the "abuser" label on someone standing up to their abuser. I dunno. Feels kinda yucky, in that sense, too.

Personally, I try to keep these people's vampire incarnations out of human morality, because being a vampire is inherently immoral because you need to kill to stay alive. So, like, when they physically fight, I can excuse it because they know they can't actually do much harm for the most part, because vampires heal fast and can't be easily hurt. But when... idk, you drop your fledgling from an extreme height, or cut someone's ankles and have them buried in rocks and locked away in a mausoleum... that's actually trying to hurt them (as Lestat admitted.)

And Louis' attempt to kill Lestat was because he and Claudia feared him. None of them disagree with that fact.

Anyway, have the same grace for the Black man that you do for your brat prince. Idk why y'all are trying to make Louis the bad guy. He never even asked to be a vampire. Lestat just wanted to keep him.

[accio-victuuri]

whew. this really now reminds of that incident with mendale before. what was supposed to be just some clowning among us ( here and here for more backstory ) turns into something bigger. while i do understand that these brands ( genki forest ) have an obligation to their ambassadors and to be fair, they really should have done a better silhouette. you have the photo, why can’t they just trace it? lol. ( some are saying this line draft was from xz’s team but idk sounds fake ) we do not know what happened behind the scenes that led to this oversight. anyway, they posted and apology and it’s on hot search:

Dear friends, Genki Forest is very grateful to everyone for your consistent support for the brand. The spokesperson, Mr. Xiao Zhan, is the most important and precious member of Genki Forest. We have been committed to working with our spokesperson to provide consumers with the most energetic product experience.

We are very sorry for the omissions in daily operations and management, which have caused misunderstandings and troubles to everyone and our spokesperson. We deeply apologize for this. In the future, we will conduct more stringent management and review of every copy and picture we produce to better maintain the image of our spokesperson, and will seriously deal with the relevant outsourcing teams and staff involved in this incident.

i’ve been in this fandom for quite some time and experienced similar incidents but it still surprises me. how a simple clowning from supposedly delusional cp fans can gain this much traction. and it doesn’t help that the two sides, deny it as much as they want, are monitoring what we post and if they see something that sends alarm bells they will pick it up. and then you also have yxh/melon accounts who are just lurking around and waiting.

our candies are always sweet but there is always that side of it that can turn sour. 🙃🙃🙃

[void-of-unparalled-chaos]

Fic Masterlist

Because Tumblr search features are shit. Fandoms, Fics, and Series are organized in alphabetical order. Each link will send you to the Tumblr version but there will be a link to the AO3 version within that post. If you would rather go straight to AO3, my account is linked in the post pinned on my blog.

Assassin's Creed:

Of Blades and Parchment Series

Tumblr tag: #Of Blades and Parchment

Altmal AU where Malik never became an assassin and instead works as a crippled bookseller. Series is in progress.

DPxDC

Two Crickets (My addition is only 646 words but idk about the ones before it)

no tag

An addition to a prompt by @/ailithnight and writing by @/omnicrafts and @/atiyasnake

The GIW has had Danny for an undeterminable amount of time. The strain is finally more than he can handle and he body hops into a brain dead clone, R13. Danny thinks he is having a nice dream. Kon is worried for the escaped clone he found in the middle of a field.

TW: mentions of tortue

Here's Where You'll Stay (3082 words, 1 chapter)

Tumblr Tag: #Here's Where You'll Stay

"As John stared at the door preparing to get his face mauled, he couldn’t help but incredulously complain that this was not how he wanted his weekend to go. He had plans! He supposes that he would be willing to put them on hold for Phantom’s sake, but he wasn’t agreeable to the incoming face mauling. "

When Phantom comes down with Core Sickness it's up to John Constantine to save the ghost from fading.

Nothing Says "True Love" Like Being Given The Soul of Your Murderer (1510 words, 1 chapter)

Tumblr Tag: #nstllbgtsoym

Dead on Main ship. Addition to a post by @/nelkcats

"Another snarl caused him to lose his staring contest with the Bat. Nightwing was now standing between the two of them and appeared to be trying to placate the crime boss while Red Robin made the bloody stupid decision of trying to sneak up behind him. Red quickly paid the price for his folly, finding himself flat on his back pinned underneath Hood's boot while he honest to God snapped at Nightwing like a rabid dog.

"It's my gift! He gave it to me. Now fuck off before I m̶a̷k̸e̸ ̵y̶o̸u̶."

Yeah. Someone should probably interfere before they pissed him off anymore.

"You should corral your kids before one of em' loses a hand."

"Hngh." Batman leaves to break up the fight with Nightwing's aid. Hood scampers off to one of the corners of the cave, cradling the violet ball in his gloved hands as if it was the most precious thing in the world. It sounded like he was purring. John was suddenly very tired."

Rending Flesh From the Bone (3093 words, 1 chapter)

Tumblr Tag: #RFFTB

Dick wasn't so sure about Jason's "gut feeling", but what are brothers for if not to support each other during paranoia episodes? Now, deep underground in an abandoned subway tunnel, Dick is starting to have regrets as he watches the scene before him.

TW: Gore, Cannibalism, Vomiting, Zalgo Text

Slap a Bow on It (4752 words, 1 chapter)

Tumblr Tag: #Slap a Bow on It

Dead on Main ship, written for Dead on MAYn 2024

 "Contrary to popular belief, Danny wasn’t stupid. He could be a bit oblivious, but he always got there in the end. So when Danny woke up the next morning and realized that last night wasn’t a dream, he had an epiphany. He was being courted by the super hot and apparently undead crime lord who ran the haunt on the other side of the street."

TW: Danny is thirsty as hell, mentions/allusions to nsfw but nothing explicit

sketch of Danny's courting gift

Star Shoes (2772 words, 1 chapter)

Tumblr Tag: #Star Shoes

Dead on Main ship, written for Dead on MAYn 2024

"Things had been going so well for him lately. He should have expected the other shoe to drop. Or the metal pipe in this case."

In which Danny and his totally normal boyfriend who is definitely not Red Hood are abducted by cultists. Danny is super concussed, but he's got the spirit.

The Dead Stay Dead (My addition is only 679 words but idk about the ones before it)

no tag

An addition to writing by @/some-kind-of-creature and @/nerdpoe.

In which the LOA has a rule that those who die are never mentioned again and are erased from their records. Damian doesn't think to mention his late sister. Once he does he creates a portrait to commemorate her, but it turns out his sister is actually his brother now.

The Double-edged Blade of Chance (5309 words, 1 chapter)

Tumblr Tag: #The Double-edged Blade of Chance

Dead on Main ship, written for Dead on MAYn 2024

Not everyone gets to meet their soulmate. It was just a fact of life. There was always a chance, but chance was a double-edged blade. 

Jason quite literally runs into his soulmate at the young age of eight.

“Sorry! I thought you were a ghost!”

"Why would I be a ghost?”

TW: Major Character Death, Child Neglect, Mentions of Abuse, Mentions of Drug Addiction, Depression

Unnamed fic (ghost chirps/unintentional ghost adoption au fic)

Tumblr Tag: #ghost chirps/unintentional ghost adoption au fic

Addition to a post by @/starwrighter

Fic is currently a work in progress with only a minimal amount released to the public under the Tumblr post. Once it's completely written chapters will be posted and linked independently.

[comikadraws]

Was the curse of hatred actually a real thing? or did danzo just demonize the uchiha;s anger? idk, being murderously angry or just angry in general is a reasonable and human response to oppression and genocide.

The "Curse of Hatred" Analysis

An interesting question. The Curse of Hatred looks dumb at first glance but there are also many misconceptions surrounding it.

Since it is such a hot mess to begin with, I will try to focus mostly on the in-universe canon and lore rather than making it even more complicated by bringing in too much real-world logic and criticizing Kishimoto.

There's a bunch of rambling in the tags though.

Kishimoto's Intentions

Whenever we talk about the "Curse of Hatred" the fandom will usually apply terms such as "racism", "bigotry" and "pseudoscience" - particularly in reference to Tobirama.

Again, I don't want to bring too much irl logic into this but I feel like we need to make a clear distinction between intention and interpretation over here. "[insert character] was a racist" and "the Uchiha were justified" is a valid interpretation of the story. But at the same time, I doubt that this was ever intended by Kishimoto.

I have talked about this at length in another post of mine, in which I analyzed Kishimoto's most likely intent and how exactly this information is relevant to us with a look at authorial intent in fiction. But the TL;DR version is that Japan is not exactly very sensitized to themes of racism and the "Curse of Hatred" is never framed as racist propaganda but exposition only. The lore also lines up with Kishimoto's personal views on how grudges are responsible for war (instead of corruption or racism) and the Uchiha's curse might be a metaphor for that.

In other words, the Curse of Hatred is real in canon. Even if it's a massive red flag and deserves to be criticized.

What Is The "Curse of Hatred" Even?

I have to admit, it's been a while since the last time I watched Naruto from start to finish, so I had to use the sources listed by the wiki rather than relying on my own findings and I might be biased. Because of that, I'd prefer everybody to regard my findings as headcanon or interpretation (especially further toward the end) rather than undisputed fact.

As far as I remember, the exact wording "Curse of Hatred" is only ever used by Obito. While not using the same wording, the curse is also referenced by Itachi, Hagoromo, and Tobirama who each have their own understanding of it. Unfortunately, we have no idea where exactly this wording or concept originated and we have no idea what exactly causes the Curse of Hatred that Obito refers to.

Hiruzen, Koharu, Homura, and even Danzo, while potentially influenced by Tobirama's teachings, do not reference the Curse of Hatred at all, at least not in relation to the Uchiha Clan itself.

Now here's the first one of my findings: The Curse of Hatred is supposed to be some sort of involuntary biological or cultural inclination causing Uchihas to become consumed by hatred but it is also something voluntary - a Nindo. While the former could be considered a "curse" in the traditional sense, the latter is definitely not.

For the Nindo, it is supposed to be some sort of antithesis to the Will of Fire. Because of that, it is not limited to the Uchiha but, according to Tobirama and Obito, closely associated. As explained later on in this post, most Uchihas do not follow this Nindo.

Core aspects of the Curse of Hatred as a Nindo:

Valuing a precious few above the many

Directing your hatred at those who took away your precious few

Growing stronger from those feelings of hatred (for the Uchiha, reflected in the form of the Sharingan)

A Biological Inclination?

Now back to Tobirama's theory, due to the narrative framing, we will assume his words to be truthful for the sake of this analysis. However, I will provide links to other people's posts delving into the fantasy racism discussion.

Tobirama is racist and his theories cannot be trusted.

Tobirama is not racist and there is validity to his theories.

I myself do not completely agree with either of these, but they might be interesting reads for you. If you do not agree with either of them, please keep it to yourself and do not bother the original creators.

Tobirama's theory goes as follows:

The Uchiha feel love and hate more strongly than other individuals

The strength of the Sharingan and the Uchihas' hatred are correlated

In a fit of hatred, odds are an Uchiha will commit evil

It is nowhere mentioned that the Uchiha are more likely to feel hate - only that their hatred is worse than the average person's and puts them at risk of being swayed by hateful ideologies.

A Cultural Inclination?

Aside from Tobirama's theory, multiple characters comment on the historical origin behind the Curse of Hatred.

We are talking, of course, about Indra. Obito explains that Indra's values and his hatred (particularly what later became the Nindo of the Curse of Hatred) were passed down to his descendants - the Uchiha clan. Tobirama's exposition implies the same thing.

Tobirama states that there "used to be a thought that [...] the basis of the Uchiha clan's strength was the power of their jutsu". It is very similar to Hagorormo's description of his son.

If this is correct, that would mean that the importance placed on powerful jutsu by the Uchiha Clan does inadvertently promote hatred due to the close correlation between hatred and the Sharingan.

But then again, in the story, it is shown that many Uchiha were not particularly fond of perpetuating hate and it is also implied that to avoid hatred, they sealed their emotions away. My interpretation is that they recognized the pain that hate could cause and then took steps to avoid it.

The Reincarnation Cycle

Sticking with Indra, another explanation that is frequently brought up is Indra's and Ashura's reincarnation cycle, which has also been described as curse-like or haunting and neverending. A fate seemingly set in stone.

There is not much more to say, other than that this theory suggests that Indra's reincarnates are just naturally inclined towards lusting for power.

The True Origin

Now, here's another thing that's constantly being overlooked. Aside from Obito's exposition in chapter 462 on the Curse of Hatred Nindo, Tobirama's exposition in chapter 619 on the Uchiha's tendency to follow said Nindo, and even Hagoromo's exposition on the reincarnation cycle in chapter 670, we get a vital piece of exposition in chapter 681.

Ladies, gentlemen, and anything in between. May I introduce to you...

...the real Curse of Hatred.

Or at the very least what I believe is the real reason why the "Curse of Hatred" exists in the world of Naruto.

From the very beginning, Zetsu approached Indra to take advantage of his hatred and turn it into a tool for his own purposes. He then did that again and again. He focused on the Uchiha in particular - Either because of the previously mentioned reasons (i.e. the Uchiha / incarnates have a tendency to become obsessed with hatred and power) or because the Uchiha were otherwise easy to take advantage of / manipulate (through Hagoromo's stone tablet that was left in the Uchihas' possession, an ill reputation thanks to Indra's / their ancestors' actions, etc).

In order to achieve his goal (awakening a Rinnegan), he had to somehow combine both Indra's and Ashura's power. It is implied that for this purpose, he instigated, perpetuated, and escalated wars and conflicts between Senju and Uchiha by pitting their reincarnates against each other. But unlike the wars he caused, Zetsu went unnoticed by the history books. Basically, he kept haunting the clans like a curse.

And without a doubt, had Zetsu never been there, 99% of the Uchihas' problems would not exist - regardless of what ideals, genes, or history the Uchiha hold. Indra's declaration of war, centuries of conflict, Madara's defection, Obito losing Rin, the Kyubi attack, the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke's defection, the 4th Great Shinobi War. All of these were directly caused by Zetsu or set off by a resulting chain reaction.

You could even think this further. Assuming the Uchiha clan really came across as "cursed", perhaps Tobirama's, Obito's, Hagoromo's and everybody else's explanations were just desperate attempts to make sense of anything. They didn't know that Zetsu was pulling the strings, so perhaps they tried to explain the Uchiha Clan's history in some other way. One that made sense without that missing variable.

What is actually going on here is, of course, uncertain. There are basically no definitive explanations on the matter and right now it looks like all of the above could be true and at the same time none.

[fallinginaforrest]

Can't find it now but there was that confessions post where anon was like "Why are curt and corey (Lubowich) even interacting with the fandom on tumblr, it makes me uncomfortable, especially on a confession account like aren't they supposed to be free of judgement- idk i just don't think this space is for them" and I think that is possibly the most chronically online, go-and-touch-grass take that I've seen in a hot second, and I need to rant about it.

Anon be so fucking for real are you telling me that the people who's media you consume have to limit their internet experience because you don't want them to see what you are saying about their work on the internet? Is that a Joke? If you post an opinion anonymously, that does not make your take free from judgement. People can see it and judge it all they want- it just means it cannot be traced back to you. In fact, confessions pages are DESIGNED to inspire discussion and judgement based on the confession! How entitled do you have to be to see Curt Mega giving his opinion on a character HE PLAYS in response to some anonymous comment and go "Waaa Why is he even here anyway??" He's here Because this is a space for EVERYONE. If you do not want a creative mind behind a project to see your opinion, don't fucking post it on the internet?? Artists can handle being criticised for their work, so why do you feel the need to try and police how they interact with a fandom space. They're users on this hellsite, just like you. They have the same right to the content on this site that you do, and they have a right to see opinions about their work, just like you do. Grow up.

[gffa]

The thing I really miss about Star Wars novels is exemplified by being two-thirds of the way through Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade and how I think I'm legitimately enjoying it, but in a very specific way, and I think there's actually a ton you could dig into the structure and bias of the narrator that I think is done on purpose and that I can find sympathy for a character actively falling to the dark side and what she's going through without validating the people she's demonizing in her head because I've been there, I have had my brain lying to me all my life, telling me things I know aren't true, making me believe them despite all evidence otherwise, and do you guys KNOW how much I love hot messes of a disaster lady? I fucking love a woman who is just an awful mess and doesn't have to actually be perfect or nice and maybe just once or twice says a kind of catty thing, NO, SHE IS A WHOLE ASS MESS and I LOVE HER!! But also I'm kind of in the position of how I'm tired of getting stories of characters falling to the dark side being the vast majority of what stories explore with the Jedi, I enjoy them, but not when that's all there is, and I have spent YEARS AND YEARS going back and forth with the discussions about the Jedi and I am so tired of it, I DON'T WANT TO ANYMORE. I just want to write my commentary and thoughts down in the vein that I have them and have that be it. I want to say, "This is a really glorious unreliable narrator here, because everything she says is contradicted by what the Jedi actually say/do, and she is explicitly a character designed with neurodivergent/mental health issues aspects in mind and you can't divorce that from her character." and like I don't even want to discuss with other Jedi fans about what the author may or may not have said (I read one interview from her at the beginning, enjoyed it fine, and AM NOT INTERESTED in knowing or hearing anything further) or how annoying it is to have a book like this, I JUST WANT TO DIG INTO A STORY and not have to worry about bracing myself for combat. (And also the thorny issue of how this isn't precisely a recommendation because I'm not sure others would enjoy it, like even if you agreed with me, I'm not sure it'd be something in your wheelhouse, but I don't want to even get into that, it feels exhausting, like, just I want to talk about how I'm enjoying it, but not have to articulate why I think others possibly wouldn't, just leave it at "nah, I don't think you'd enjoy it".) I know this is some IRL stuff spilling over onto my reading of this book and I'm aware of the state of a lot of creators in SW right now hold opinions that have made me stop reading their works because I am no longer interested in anything they have to contribute, but also like. Sometimes I just want to enjoy a book on my own terms and not have to feel like I'm arguing a case, but instead reveling in the glorious hot mess of a central female character that maybe I relate to and have sympathy for even while recognizing that she is painting a very unreliable portrait within the book, because I Have Been There. Idk, I'm not saying this very well, and a lot of it is outside factors, but I have this giant tangled ball of "I just want to enjoy something for once, not examine why it might actually be doing my Blorbos all wrong", like aren't we supposed to be in fandom for the enjoyment of things, not to constantly argue with people? /tired and hasn't been sleeping well and has been thinking about this instead of wrenching irl stuff

[twopoppies]

When reading origin stories (idk why this topic popped up again but I love to read those stories), I would like to add mine. To be honest, this is not my first time when fandom shipped two bandmates and there are even (smut) fanfics about them. Back in 2006 I was a massive fan of My Chemical Romance and it was the first time when I experienced a ship of two bandmates. Idk why but many MCR fans shipped singer Gerard Way with guitarist Frank Iero aka Frerard. Like back then I found it cute - that´s probably where my love for gays started because I found myself hot when I back in the day I saw photos and videos of two emo boys makingout lol - and I was into it eventho IIRC there wasn´t any real evidence of their supposed romance than when one kissed the second one. I also remember reading few Frerard fics but maybe they were just badly written but they were nowhere near larry fics I am reading now when talking about quality. So I just found this whole ship as a cute part of being a MCR fan and I forgot about it as soon as I stopped being a fan around 2008 and even both Gerard and Frank got married to women and having kids with them. I found it like a silly fan experience when you´re fangirling over two guys who you find hot at that moment but without any real evidence. So when my cousin came to me - former het solo harrie - with words "What do you think about Larry?" I immediatelly dismissed her to tell me anything about it. Because Frerard immediatelly popped in my mind, my whole teenage experience around it and so I went straight to tell her "Please, don´t even start with it, I´ve been there too when I was literally your age, shipping two guys I found hot. I saw on tumblr there are this group of fans who ship H with his bandmate but I don´t want to dive into this ship because I´ve been there once and I find this whole two bandmades shipping bs". BUT THEN... ...few months later Brits happend where drunk H went off stage in the middle of his speech to softly kiss Lewis Capaldi and later literally threw himself on Stanley Tucci looking like he´s obsessed with him and making it everyone´s problem. So I started to think he might not be just straight. And month later the very same cousin made me go to the cinema to see AOTV and eventho while watching it I totally ate the narrative that F is Louis´ son thinking he´s just his oopsie baby, so after we were travelling home I was like "Okay, show me those videos of H and Louis". And then I came here and.... I stayed.

Hahaha! I love reading these journeys—-especially the little things that tipped people over the edge.

[somethingthing]

A Night Swing

Billy Hargrove x reader

Warnings: mention of drinking and slight indication of abuse (Billy and his father) other than that it’s just fluff <3

Word count: ~900

A/n: Okey I wrote this MONTHS ago, but here it is :))

HI!!! Omg idk why I’ve been gone for so long, but I’m back tihi. I’m sorry for any mistakes but I wrote this in the car on my way to see Metallica ahhh so cool!

GIF by avenging-fandoms

You had no idea what time it was. 3 in the morning? No maybe closer to 4. Your jacket was long lost, if you were lucky it was still at Carols house and you’d be able to get it back at school later. If you were unlucky you’d lost it on you way to the small playground you were now at.

Originally you weren’t supposed to go to the party but decided last minute to swing by anyway. It had been great, loads of booze and dancing but at some point you felt bothered. Head hurting and the world wouldn’t stay still, you just need out, so you left and walked aimlessly.

Now you were sitting on a swing in the small playground, in the middle of the night, trying to sober up by drinking from the water bottle you’d snatched before you left.

“Rough night?” Your head snapped towards the voice. He was leaning against one of the poles that held up the swings “sorry if I’m interrupting” he followed up, eyeing you from head to toe.

Billy Hargrove, you knew who he was. He was hard to miss, every morning he arrived at school you could here his car form a distance and when he entered the school you could hear the girls giggle. He was hot, you’d give him that.

You took a sip of your water “I lost my jacket” a whiny sigh left your lips, definitely hadn’t sobered up yet “You can sit if you want” you gestured to the other swing beside you.

He pushed himself off the pole and took a few steps towards the swing and sat down. A small wince danced over his face as he did, one of his hands instinctively went to his shoulder.

“Are you okey?” You looked for the bottle that had slipped out of your grip and stretched your arm out to hand it to him “It’s just water if you want some”

He took it “I wouldn’t have minded if it was something else, preferably vodka” he joked.

You gave off a short laugh “Don’t even mention vodka in my presence right now” you turned your head towards him again “but seriously, are you okey?” you weren’t sure how serious you managed to sound but you tried to clean up your speech.

He nodded “My dads a dick” his tongue played over his teeth in a small bitter grin as he leaned his head back to look at the sky “sometimes I wanna kill him for making mom leave” it wasn’t really something he said to you, more of a thought said out loud for himself.

You looked at your feet for a moment, thinking, before you looked up again “Sorry” was all you could think about to say. You shivered as the wind picked up for a moment.

He looked at you and then stood up “Here” he shook off his leather jacket and placed it over your shoulders.

“What if you freeze?” You leaned you head back to look up at him, pulling the jacket closer to you with one hand.

“5 minute walk and I’m home” was all he said before he sat back down on his swing. He lit a cigarette the he had pulled from his pocket.

It amazed you. Never had you spoken to Billy before tonight and now you were sitting at a playground in the middle of the night with his jacket around you and charging a water bottle with him.

“Are you sure you should go home?” He looked confused for a second “because of your dad I mean” you continued “you can take my couch if you want, my parents are out of town for the weekend”

For a moment he just sat quiet, avoiding to look at you “If you don’t want to that’s okey, I fully get it, so no pre…” you started to ramble nervously.

“It sounds good, then I know you get home okey too” he interrupted, his voice sounded strained.

“Oh, okey, thank you” you stood up, still holding the swing chains for support “lets go then” you made an effort to let go of the chains to start walking but felt the world rock back and forth for a moment. making you fumble.

“Yeah no okey, you tell me where we’re going and I’ll help you lead the way” an arm wrapped around your waist. He was fast with saving you from falling head first to the ground.

“Thank you” you breathed out. You couldn’t help but feel the heath spread across you face “I should’ve skipped that last cup of punch” you tried to joke as you pointed in the right direction.

A small smile formed on his face “Lucky you I’m here to help you then” he grinned.

“Ah yes, lucky me, otherwise I’d still be sitting on a swing freezing my ass off” you giggled as you steadied your steps, you did feel a lot better.

After you’d been walking for a while he stopped, making you stop with him “Thank you” he mumbled. You turned you head towards him, surprised “really I meant it, I don’t know what he’d do if I went back now”

You studied his face, he looked terrified for a split second. At last cracked a soft smile “Don’t worry about it, stay as long as you like, I don’t think my parents would mind”

He gave you a short nod “Okey” he squeezed your waist lightly and continued “where to next?”

————————

Thanks you reading!! <33 My first ever stranger things fic!! Idk why I haven’t written about it before

[not-goldy]

The utter relief and appreciation on jimin’s face when hobi/yoongi showed up while he was doing those shows will always get to me🥲 poor baby was literally shaking. I’m so glad hobi was around during face era. Jimin needs a friend like him who would show up to these important moments in his life. Yes the members show their love and support differently but being physically present for a member is how jimin shows his support so obviously when someone does the same for him you could see how appreciative he is. Idk why I’m sending this lol. Anyways I’m sure he would’ve attended if he was free!

Hmmmmmmmm

Points have been made.

This conversation is much nuanced and complex than we are treating it. But let's just keep it simple for now:

We love the way we want to be loved. True- but wouldn't that suppose Jungkook is loving these people the way he wants to be loved too?💀

He is giving less and involving himself less perhaps because he wants less involvement in his life as well????

Recently my gf and I came to the realization that we both have different needs and different understanding of what it means to love and be be loved.

We've been trying to work things out but one thing I uncovered is, a person who's experienced so much control, overprotectiveness and emotional manipulation growing up tends to shy away and view love expressions as smothering attempts to manipulate and control them.

As such, they value independence in relationship, less emotional involvement and freedom to do as they please and to them that would be fulfilling.

While, persons like me who experienced parental neglect and abandonment growing up crave nothing but closeness and perhaps excessive emotional intimacy.

Thus I value communication more than anything, I value emotional closeness, consistency, transparency stability and assurance I won't be abandoned.

We are all aying out our traumas and trying to heal them in ways we've come to understand as love requirements.

To the person who's controlled and overproted all his life love feels like setting them free, allowing them to be their own persons, not telling them what to do with their lives, respecting their space and privacy. They understand this as love because it's all they craved and told themselves one who loves them would do for them.

Others think the opposite- if you love me you won't want to stay so far away, you will be close, you won't neglect me.

We all have different emotional needs. Each of which is valid.

Jimin and Jungkook have unique emotional needs. It doesn't make one an asshole and the other a victim.

Jimin may be construing his acts of showing up for people, being loyal, and expressive as love because sure that's what he might want or need too.

And I know Jungkook loooooves this about him- but I also think it gets too much for him. You can't keep pouring into a cup that's full.

Love is understanding what your partner needs and fulfilling that for them. You don't charge into their lives like a wrecking ball.

And we want good men- Hobi and Jimin do posture as good men.... ideal even.

It would be so easy to ship them if they had the hots for eachother no?

I think Hobi is equally hot 🥵

We sleep on him in this Fandom

Physical support breeds a sense of security and safety .

Unfortunately if that is not your love language it might mean absolutely nothing to you.

Perhaps let's pay more attention to the way Jimin feels loved by Jungkook rather than the ways we think he ought to be loved.

Cos Jimin must be a real masochist to keep Jungkook on a pedestal if that man is nothing but shitty towards him. I mean how damaged is that!

[brxkxnhxxrtsclxb]

Hii! Just wanted to ask if you saw Boruto leaks? (If you didn't, i'll just that it's over for Sarada😭).

hi anon :3 !!

sigh… a can of worms i didn’t want to open has been opened soooo…

long rant ahead:

[TLDR: this manga is a hot mess. sarada deserves not better, BUT THE BEST (i’m biased, she’s my fave so she only deserves the best)]

dear anon, i. am. tired. TIIIIRRRREEDDDD !!!!!

i’m sorry if this comes off as mean and rude and pls know i am not cussing you out (literally not directed at you, but at the manga) but WTF . respectfully, WHAT THE FUUUCCKKKK ??!! this manga is soooo i don’t even have the right words. well for one it’s ghetto. i can say that

so now we know chapter 10 WAS sarada’s fight this time skip. seems she’s for real gonna get the sakura treatment in being underutilized. sakura got her one fight against sasori and that was that UNTIL the war and fight against kaguya. seems sarada is unfortunately suffering the same fate. she got her dodging and chidori against hidari moment (which was literally the bare minimum tbh) and that’s it. WTF ._.

she’s being saved by we all know who YET AGAIN. it’s tiresome. why does she constantly need to be saved ?? we KNOW she’s capable to do her own thing. WE KNOW THIS !! she’s a shinobi dammit. her best moment was in the kawaki arc against boro and she’s never had another chance. that was all kodachi. i truly lament the day kodachi was let go (reasonable as to why but i didn’t realize how good we had it T_T). also, she has the other jonin with her so again, WTF. get them out of the way to give the MC yet another hero moment (same with himawari which doesn’t even makes sense. she got kurama now right ?? she got a huge power up somehow. tf she needs to be saved for?? hello ?? who’s writing this ??)

why IS sarada always being saved ?? they have her yapping about her goal to become hokage YET she’s done nothing to prove it (only did so by welcoming and befriending kawaki) and SHE IS THE ONE BEING SAVED !!!! the hokage’s job is to PROTECT THE VILLAGE !! she’s the one who is suppose to be doing the saving, not be saved!!!!! omg who IS writing this ??!!

i will say it’s possible the leaks are fake. i know this guy who said this is a reliable leaker but he also did say he wasn’t posting any since the chapter was dropping soon anyway. it’s possible he posted them so people could stop pestering him about them OR he just lied to, again, get these people off of him idk. of course there is the chance they’re true but that doesn’t matter anymore. this manga is fried. chapter after chapter, it’s the same washed stuff

kishimoto and ikemoto said it’d get dark and would be darker and better than naruto, that’s not true at all. fandom kept telling those outside of it (haters and those neutral to the manga) to give it time and how the time skip will get better. here we are now and nothing. it’s all… for what ??

they haven’t canceled this manga because reasons. and if that’s the case where they (jump) wanna keep it around, they’re better off canceling it while they still can and rebooting it tbh. they can use the same karma and otsutsuki plot line. it’s good. it works. all they need to do is hire an actual writer who knows what they’re doing and how to tell a story (like they did with kodachi), or idk a different mangaka who writes and draws and knows what they’re doing to work on it (like almost every manga). this isn’t any hate to ikemoto, but we know the man isn’t a writer. if that were the case we wouldn’t have needed kodachi from the start (shit, maybe ikemoto is the one doing everything which is why it’s all so contradicting and makes zero sense and so repetitive but this goes into conspiracy theory territory so i’ll leave it alone)

i’ll keep reading to see where they go with kawaki cuz i do like him too (and where is the lil vampire ?? where he ran off to?? hello ?? code, you there ??!!), but other than that this manga is a hot mess. notice how everyone in the ENTIRE CAST is dumbed down and weakened to make boruto look good ?? if you need to make your entire cast stupid in order for your main character to shine, you’re not a writer who knows what they’re doing and your main character sucks. your MC is boring and needs to be made to look cool and special by sacrificing the other characters. i’m sorry that’s SUPER RUDE, but that’s the truth and all there is to it. i can’t sugarcoat it :((

sorry for getting into a long rant anon. thank you for thinking of me and letting me know when seeing the leaks. i appreciate it🖤 it’s comforting to know someone sees things for the way they are. it IS over for sarada. as a fan of hers, i can say that cuz that’s what we’re getting. i’m not gonna sit here and be like “no she’s doing just fine”😭😭. only people i see defending this are shippers which is so stupid cuz that’s not the way to read shonen manga and not the main focus. you can have your ships, yes, but it’s literally not working in sarada’s favor AT ALL

idk. maybe it’s possible things will get better for sarada and i REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY WANT IT TO. YAY if that does happen but she’s in the middle of combat and this is what we get for her :(( she doesn’t get fights. ZERO TIME TO SHINE and it’s so stupid. she’s the main heroine, please treat her like it

imma go and cry in a corner now (not literally lmao) cuz my girl only deserves the best and that’s not boruto cuz all he does is hinder her character and potential😖

i am not okay with any of this T_T

[eff-plays]

Fic thots below the cut, nothing upsetting or anything but might not be interesting for everyone, and it's also Astarion's-relationship-with-sex headcanon territory and we all know this fandom just loves that so be warned for hot hot takes (not really)

I'm thinking of maybe like ... including a third sex scene in the fic? Like in the game there's 2 before his confession as far as I know/for my playthroughs, and one after the end to his quest (canonically, presumably there's more happening off-screen).

So the first time it's at the tief party, and they're both like ... dissociating and it's kinda meh in the moment. For Astarion it becomes more significant in hindsight, for Hira it's just another mediocre elf to add to the pile.

Then's the second time, and I think Hira's trying to actually be present, because they like Astarion just a little bit more and since he's inexplicably asking for seconds, they figure they owe it to him to at least try to make it less bad. And they succeed! It's less mechanical and perfunctory, and they put on their own "ough I'm a seductive yet sensitive tiefling who has feelings for you and you're so special" thing, which Astarion falls for because he has no concept of anything (and Hira's being extra nice because he's not really a mark of theirs), and he's like ... Wait this should suck more? Why does this feel kinda nice actually? And it's still not mindblowing trauma-ending sex, but the fact that they're so very gentle and attentive and weirdly loving is so new to him that he doesn't know what to do with it. (Nor the cuddling afterward rip in pieces)

And then I'm thinking that maybe there's a third time, in early Act 2, where Astarion gets suddenly horny and just sort of initiates without thinking, without it being something he planned beforehand, and feels terrible during and after because he's now using them for his own gain in more ways than one. Like when he sort of enjoyed himself last time, it was still in the mindset of "well I have to do this, I have to use them and if they insist on being nice, then that's their perogative." This time, it's fully just "hey, you turned me on and did a good job last time, let's have sex" and in his mind that's him using them again, but for sexual pleasure this time as well as his Simple Plan. And he doesn't know where his own desires begin and where his habits end, or why it's just them specifically, or what to do with the fact that he's kinda starting to feel things that he can't name, but this is still technically just a ruse. So right after he's like eugh ... Why did I do that? I should stop doing that, but why? My plan was supposed to work and it is working so why does it feel bad?

Idk. Does that vibe? I think it kinda vibes. I'm trying to fill in some blanks and add some angst where it feels appropriate.

AND HIRA OMG. Would have to write a separate post on their POV in this mess.

[fuckmeyer]

I saw a post about racist Jasper stans bitching bc they’re not able to enjoy shitty J*sper content bc of tags or whatever lol and someone said: “What is there even to enjoy?”. I had to laugh and I thought if you bc it’s so true. Most Jasper content isn’t even that enjoyable. It’s mostly the same boring white-supremacist garbage that I’ve seen before; even the jalice stuff is played out.

The only J*sper content I enjoy is content where he is worshipping Maria, thinking about Maria, talking about Maria, loving Maria, doing anything for Maria tbh. Is that bad? XD I owe it to you and your writing! idk something about a 19/20 year old dumbass confederate falling madly in love with a native brown woman and literally seeing her as a god-like figure as she’s basically handing him his karma for his racist crimes sends me. Ppl act like he was this awesome person before Maria and that it’s her fault he’s gutter trash now with the C*llens but he was gutter trash BEFORE he met Maria. She honestly made him so much better, stronger and MUCH more interesting. She literally created the man these stans thirst over so much. She is the blueprint.

the thing anti-María Jalice stans don't get is, without María, you do not have Jasper. for everything Jasper is, María is the catalyst ❤️

canonically, all we know about Jasper Hale pre-change is 1) he was born in Texas, 2) faked his age to join the Confederate Army* where he became the youngest major in Texas, & 3) was persuasive

beyond that, María made Jasper into the man the fandom adores. you like that he's an empath? guess whose venom made him one. you like that he's a warmonger? guess whose war he fought for. you like that he has a troubled past? guess who put the trouble in it. you like that he's "soft" "empath" "baby" (tbh i don't see it but ok)? guess who made him want to be that way. you like that he's submissive to Alice? guess who broke him in first.

you want Jasper with Alice but wish the María era didn't exist? lol just say you want the hot faceless Confederate to get with the psychic Mississippian & go

as for me, MARÍA ALL DAY BAYBEEEEE

here we have a woman who has suffered all her life at the hands of colonizers. born "1800s or earlier," we can suppose she has firsthand experience with colonization (at least Napoleon's invasion) & lived through Mexico's War of Independence. i.e., she has a deep familiarity with what it means to have your way of life ripped from you by invaders. PLUS she was a victim of Benito's army in the Southern Vampire Wars; her entire coven including her mate was killed.

& despite her losses, she rallied to take back her land & drive out her oppressors. baseline, she is a strong, cunning, powerful indigenous woman with a deep love for her community and her people. HOT

now let's look at Jasper, a bright leader in the Civil War who suffered defeat at the hands of the Union army. yes, María changed him. but did she force him to stay? to go to war? the newborn vamp with the strength & speed to overcome a "grown" vamp chose not to do so. the empath with the power to make anyone disregard him chose not to use it. some say María was "abusive" & "manipulative," but few acknowledge that Jasper had a choice.

why didn't Jasper leave? because he's submissive to anyone more powerful than him. because he was a loser. because the Southern Vampire Wars gave him a second chance at victory. because "empath" or no, he wanted to play war & win.

that's what's compelling about Jasper/María. as wrong as Jasper was for fighting for the Confederacy, he believed he was fighting for the same thing as she. he saw his way of life destroyed by "invaders" & fought back. it's a sick & twisted parallel between oppressor & oppressed that becomes subverted as their relationship goes on... & one that can heal them both.

María's experience with colonizers gives her a visceral picture of what it means to be oppressed... but her relationship with Jasper gives her the victory & emotional reflection she needs to move on. Jasper's military training gives him the hunger & knowledge for war... but his "curse" of empathy provides him with the tools he needs to recognize & address the horrors of his problematic past & move on.

tbh, i find Jasper & María are perfectly suited for a delicious character-driven narrative. Maria's story is that of a traumatized indigenous woman on a path from colonization to decolonization, & the sacrifices & destruction she endures realize that vision. Jasper's story is that of a troubled man on the path from self-hate to self-love, & what it means to undo the societal teachings/traumas & forge a life of empathy & forgiveness.

& that is something Alice alone can never give Jasper.

tl;dr all hail Queen María

[automaticdata]

HGCZ reactiony stuff part 2

King for a Day, Mumblr posts, and G-Team reactions under cut

Also, a warning for excessive use of XD emojis.

King for a Day:

The fact I can recognize BDubs because of a missing tooth is insane. What is this fandom XD

I somehow already forgot that Scar is an actor and so I was confused about the setting for a minute before I went "oooooh right!" Director (?) BDubs makes a weird amount of sense, considering Tall Claims Court in HCs10.

omg BDubs knows XD

I have a feeling that Ren finding out will be a problem, maybe? Though he also seems to be a fan considering the HOTGUY logo in his text bubble.

ooo organized vigilante/hero group???

of course HotGuy gives Cute Guy flowers as an apology. Of course they're poppies and lilacs. Apparently the zine is not supposed to be super shippy, but I see desert duo fans are still desert duo'ing XD.

(took a break here because a friend contacted me)

Grian has issues with the plan, but still takes the flowers, I notice. XD

Sad HotGuy D=

oh no. Cute Guy, no. Pearl, no. o__o PEARL.

Cranky BDubs

------

oh my god in-universe Tumblr. It's Mumblr. Is Mumbo behind this. How many mental breakdowns does he have trying to run a social media site. XD

Also idk if these are actual tumblrs (mumblrs) but the names are great.

holy crap it's political discourse but for a superhero AU what XD

The Perimeter? Doctor Monster? omg I love this lore. And of course even as a villain Doc is like "wtf are you doing get out of my swamp lair".

MAPLE PRINCE OMG XD XD XD

-----

(HotGuy and) Cute Guy in the G-Team:

oh ma Sherlock Grian XD

AND Ariana Grande? oh wow. How many Grian alter egos are we getting in this story? We're only like three pages in XD

and of course hippies are protesting Doc. XD "No bore" -- well I have good news for you, buddy ... XD

PERMIT OFFICER GRIAN? XD XD XD How many Grians will there be in one comic??? XD

HE PUT THEM ON HOLD????????? XD

okay now I'm getting confused are all the Grians actually different people. Is Grian arguing with himself. You okay bud?

(yeah this is probably why it's called the G-Team, I'm realizing XD)

Midnight ... alley???? holy ... HOW MANY GRIAN-RELATED REFERENCES ARE GOING TO BE IN THIS. I fully expect Poultry Man, Fisherman Grian, the Barge, Hobbit Grian, Mother Spore, and all the rest to appear now. How they'll all fit into one comic I have no idea, but somehow they will XD

Okay who is the guy with the fluff and the motorcycle helmet. Hmmm. Don't know atm. Jacket has a broken heart, and they said the red was hair ... Gem???? but why the broken heart??? why would Gem want the briefcase??

Cute Guy has a boob window what XD

ouch D=

HOT GUY IS JUST LEISURELY COMING ON THE SUBWAY WHAT

"get the documents" - but documents were left, so there was some other document that was more important than those? and --- a test tube of skulk??? oh boy. Soooo that's gonna come up later ...

---

Something I noticed from Mumblr post tags and the G-Team story is that apparently Cute Guy is kind of clumsy? Mumblr posts had his falling into a dumpster, this one had him faceplanting and missing a ton of shots. I don't think I've ever seen that before and it's interesting? I feel like usually Cute Guy is portrayed as pretty competent in the superhero/vigilante stuff, so having him fumbling with it is actually really interesting.

[hideyseek]

3, 29, and 30 for ao3 wrapped please!

craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaab hiiii hi hi hiiii hi hiiii hi hi hi hiii !! :3 hehe of course i love to fucking TALK about writing myself.

putting this under a cut bc it is the longest fucking thing in existence ahahaha. and also um, its moderately pretentious sorry! i sure am a guy who can talk about writing for like, seven bajillion years

ao3 wrapped

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

oooough hmm, kind of a tough one for me since i feel like there's a couple. but i'll go with this arthur/cobb drabble i wrote for wicked inception week 4. i hadn't known prior to this that i could write smut without writing it specifically to like ... be hot in some way. but in the end this was so much more like, emotions / character stuff happening and the sex was just a way to get to that information. that was cool. and secondarily, the process of writing this was one draft of like, technically a fic but genuinely incoherent, and a second draft of, oh, okay, this is different but its way more clear. which is also just like, a really nice reassurance that all the craft book reading and trudging through rough drafts of other projects really has strengthened my ability (for short fics at least) to get to the understanding of what i'm really trying to do in a fic. (it's here on the gdoc w/ everyone else's submissions if ur curious! warnings: semi-explicit sexual content, unequal power dynamics)

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

hmm aha, well. this year i wrote a LOT of not-quite-there rough draft material for a bunch of different projects which mm, if i comb through it all i will explode out of poorly timed insecurity. so, maybe a bit of a cop-out but here's a bit i wrote yesterday night that made me go: ohh okay, this is going to be fujioka's relationship with violence in this fic. so, favorite recent thing, i suppose:

Fujioka reaches over to take the last section of Haiji’s tangerine. Clean hands, trimmed nails. “We got one,” he says, chewing. “One— what?” There’s a bandage on Fujioka’s cheek, bloody at the edge. Haiji looks at it, and something chokes its way up his throat.  “One of their guys, of course.” Fujioka’s face shifts into a grin, boyishly pleased with himself. A stitch breaks under the bandage and the gauze bloodies. “He tried to make a run for it, and you know we couldn’t have that.”  Kakeru, Haiji thinks, and he can’t say a word.

favorite line in ^ is probably "A stitch breaks under the bandage and the gauze bloodies." i just. love VERBS!!!

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

ok truly SO MANY FUCKING SURPRISES while writing this year!!! but here i'll talk about all the smut writing, hehe. like!! the fact that i sat down and went "ok i guess i'll learn to write smut" is still SO surprising to me (crab this is like. 88% your influence i must tell you!!! like i guess the spark was in me all along or whatever but if u didn't run bcsdp this would never have happened to me, or would have taken much longer, etc). which then led to like ... some really wonderful conversations with irl and fandom friends, and then led to me doing wicked inception (smut drabble fest) and developing OPINIONS on how i like my smut written which i had NEVER HAD BEFORE IN MY LIFE (which. idk maybe i will go into later haha, probably i'll end up blogging about it as i write this arthurcobb fic). SPEAKING OF! wicked then got me to unlock a crucial emotional component to this arthurcobb fic that i've been trying to write since like, 2021!!! (this is long to me) and now -- that whole fic is ... WRITABLE. like i still know next to nothing about it except the premise and that there needs to be fucked up sex in there haha, but like. I HAVE ENOUGH SKILLS TO START IT NOW. like bwaaaaa truly it was just this INCREDIBLE domino effect from like, august (???) through to now that i would never have expected in my life whatsoever!!! ah so i guess really, thank you very much, i'm really glad you did that!!!! (<- bit of an understatement)