#but the arguments about why they're bad are often ugly

[separatist-apologist]

People who hate over fictional characters amaze me because I don't have the energy nor the time to carry any hate for anyone. It's too exhausting for me.

I don't care if people don't like characters. You're not gonna vibe with everyone, and that's fine. I've read books and I'm like, oh no thank you many, many times.

My issue is and always has been how people use the most dogshit arguments to justify their hatred and those arguments hurt actual, REAL people. Elain isn't fucking real, for example, and has no feelings to consider because she's words on a page. You can't hurt her- she isn't a person. But people write whole think pieces comparing eluciens to rapists/red pill incels for thinking there is something interesting between those two characters does hurt REAL people.

Not even mentioning how often people in this fandom go after real ass people, harassing them for not liking their personal faves. There is someone stalking the AO3 Feyre Archeron tag and harassing authors who write anything that could he perceived "anti", and uses actual slurs against real people in defense of a character who will NEVER thank you for it.

That's my issue. Victim blaming fictional characters- they don't care (not real), but the people who identify with the abuse, the assault, the story of triumph having to read your ill-informed, frankly dumb fucking opinion that they lied about their sexual assault because there were no witnesses (they apparently trust)? Real scenarios that happen so often it's the reason I have employment.

It's like, people can't just say "I don't vibe with this pair/ship/aesthetic". They have to make it their social justice cause as if there is any social justice that is built on bullying/harassing/being a piece of shit to real people. People who can't seperate fiction from reality and think if you like a fictional scenario/bad guy character, you OBVIOUSLY support that in real life. Enough nuance to understand why their faves committing crimes are fine, but everyone else should be openly bullied, and they'll follow them from social media site/discord chat to do it.

That's what I find exhausting, personally. Same people crying about how toxic the fandom is constantly baiting the other ships trying to start shit, stalking people who have them blocked, and acting like they have any moral high ground. It's pathetic, it's giving friendless energy, and I'm happy to see more and more people just blocking these types and engaging with creators/other fans who came here to have fun.

[ryuichirou]

Re: Gaslighter Rook. I wanna preface this by saying ofc people are free to hc whatever they want but I have some issues with what the other person said and how dismissive they acted about the whole thing. I apologize if this invites drama or discourse, that is absolutely not my intention, I moreso just want to share the other side's point of view for the sake of balance since you said you don't mind civil discussion even if we disagree. Firstly, yes a lot of the arguments for this come from the labcoat vignette. However, it is not all just because of one line. In the same vignette, Rook tells Vil he can't trust his own eyes because Rook knows him better than Vil knows himself which is a very common gaslighter tactic. He then further mentions that people will leave him unless he does what Rook tells him to and puts down the "me or everyone else" argument. Rook further tries to undermine Vil's ability to trust other people in Vil's dorm vignette by saying the other dorm members would never appreciate Vil's efforts for them even if they knew about them – a blatant lie that however still makes Vil withdraw from talking to them about it. During Vil's overblot, Rook refuses to give Vil personal space while he's having a mental breakdown and repeatedly asserts that Vil "doesn't deserve" it as well as claiming to be responsible for punishing him. After VDC, Rook not only claims that his vote was the deciding one despite having no way of knowing that but also claims it was the objectively correct thing to do as, again, Vil didn't deserve to win, simply because having a mental breakdown is ugly (since he was referring to the overblot, not the attempted cursing – which was never confirmed to be intended to be lethal by the way, that was also just Rook's assumption, one Vil, a character who already struggles to communicate with people especially if he feels they see him negatively, didn't fight but also didn't confirm). I also take issue with the claim that it cannot be abuse just because Vil respects Rook. Even ignoring how often irl abuse victims don't realize they're abused because of their warped perception of their abuser, we have examples of this even in twst. Mrs. Rosehearts wasn't a wonderful mother who suddenly became abusive when Riddle stopped making excuses for her behavior. Abuse doesn't stop being abuse because it isn't recognized and to a lot of us gaslighting victims, Rook's behavior is spot-on with things we went through, hence why we call him a gaslighter. Oh and a small note before anyone claims anything, according to multiple psychology sources, gaslighters aren't always aware of what they are doing. Me and others calling Rook a gaslighter don't automatically mean he WANTS to be evil toward Vil. Some of us see it that way while others don't but regardless, acting as though this headcanon comes from one single out of context line and not from a pattern of behavior Rook consistently displays feels very disingenuous and like it's trying to make us seem crazy when all we try to do is explain why we may not be comfortable with a character.

You don’t have to explain why you are uncomfortable. Neither me nor that Anon have made any judgment about it, and frankly, who cares why you don’t like a character. You don’t need reasoning for not liking him, a person might just think Rook’s hair is stupid or dislike characters with green eyes, and that’s enough. None of this makes you crazy, and this isn’t that deep.

If you look at the first ever reply I did on this topic, I said it then (and after that I said it time and time again):

Based on what you’re saying, your opinion is influenced by your past experiences. Which isn’t a bad thing, we all have our own biases, but it makes a proper discussion quite difficult, especially when there is trauma involved.

Because we love Rook as much as you hate him, and I fail to see why we should align our feelings and experiences with yours. This is not a public debate platform, this is not a discord server, this is my personal blog, and my opinion is always going to be prevalent here. I usually try to take the position “agree to disagree” also to avoid situations like this.

You’ve said that you just want to explain and share your side of the conversation, but in that case claiming that the other side’s opinion is dangerous or uninformed is a pretty shitty thing to do, just as it is shitty to completely ignore the points they were trying to make and put words into their mouths instead, alluding to them victimblaming and dismissing real victim’s struggles. What I’ve said multiple times at this point is that Rook Hunt isn’t a gaslighter. Not that it’s Vil’s fault for trusting him, not that if Vil respects him that it automatically makes Rook not an abuser (Anon didn’t say that either). Not that Rook is always right. Not that Rook has never hurt Vil. I’ve even said that we can’t say for certain that Rook’s brutal honesty is always helpful and doesn’t affect Vil in any bad way:

Maybe sometimes it would be better for Vil to just take it easy and relax instead of perfecting every single thing, but this isn’t what Vil wants for himself: he doesn’t want to be pampered, he wants to be appreciated for his hard work.

Just because this is what Vil wants doesn’t mean that this is what’s best for him. I still don’t think that it makes Rook an abuser, by the way (which is also a completely different topic from Rook being a gaslighter). You have ignored every single argument I’ve made in all of my previous replies, which is fine, but then I don’t really see the reason for you to explain yourself if you’re not even going to listen to me again.

No one tried to paint you as crazy, and even if I or Anon thought that this entire argument (argument, not you) was weird, it doesn’t concern you. If Rook Hunt hurts you, why would you even interact with any discourse about him? Why did that very first Anon confront me for not calling Rook a gaslighter, if all you (collective “you”) people wish for is to explain your point of view? I am not an emperor of Rook Hunt land; I am a rando writing hcs about dicks on the internet. And Rook Hunt is a character of a gacha game.

I’ll repost another thing from my very first reply.

Just ignore shit that you don’t like because while it might be traumatic for you, to us it might be one of the few things that bring us happiness.

Please read this part carefully. And respectfully, let’s stop this. I don’t agree with any of your points/interpretation, I find them drastically off from Rook’s actual characterisation to the point that it’s almost baffling at times (I have read all the scenes you’ve mentioned and I disagree with your every single point.) And guess what, it’s absolutely okay. Like I, wow, have said time and time again, we all have our biases. Yours happens to be to read everything that Rook does in the worst way possible and to compare him to Riddle’s mom. Mine happens to be very different, and insisting on me just missing the point or thinking or feeling the wrong way or not being educated enough about gaslighting or abuse (something that I also experienced, and you are aware of that) feels pretty disrespectful. This isn’t what I meant when I said that I don’t mind a civil conversation. This doesn’t feel like a conversation. Because, you know…

Even if it feels completely off to how I view it, I can appreciate or at least respect it if they respect the way I do things. And don’t imply that I don’t get it or I am stupid.

I won’t write an actual rebuttal to your points because one thing hasn’t changed from my very first post about the topic: this isn’t about Rook Hunt. And I don’t want to discuss the so-called danger of fictional tropes that don’t even apply to the character in my view. Also, stating that the way I headcanon a character’s behaviour and share my thoughts with others is dangerous to other people in real life (because someone is going to take my opinion as a course for their actions, I guess?) is also ironic. Why isn’t me drawing problematic ships or writing dark headcanons dangerous then? It’s the same logic, I have heard this argument multiple times, and I fail to see how it’s different right now. Rook Hunt is not a real person, we see his interactions with others from all points of view, he has actual writers with their own intentions (none of which is to portray Rook as a terrible, atrocious person, he’s not even 100% a villain, he’s a character that helped the princess in the original story, and I believe that his writers keep that in mind, ffs), and it is drastically different from the way I would treat this situation in real life: exactly because I would have to base my opinion on the lack of other perspectives and not witnessing the situations myself, and a bunch of other factors connected to the fact that this is real life, and in those cases I would prioritise the victim of someone’s suspicious actions. What a surprise.

I also believe that Katsu and I did our part so you could easily ignore our Rook-centric posts that make you uncomfortable. So please do your part and don’t interact with our Rook-centric posts (this applies to anyone who is deeply uncomfortable with this character or any other character, for that matter). Coming up with ways to mention Rook in posts so it's easily mutable for you and only you and still getting treated like an abuse apologist who spreads dangerous ideas makes one feel kind of silly for ever trying to be considerate and respectful. You’ll have to come up with ways to deal with that on your own now. This conversation is over.

This is also the last post I’m writing on this topic, every follow-up ask or comment about it (from anyone, anywhere) won’t be replied to.

[9w1ft]

i totally agree, fans are going off the rails again.

now they're acting like this is confirmation that joe cheated, pulling up old videos where they claim he "moaned his costars name", pretending like he was the biggest asshole ever without any actual proof besides them feeling vindicated in their stages of grief theory. then the others are acting like taylor is immature like they don't assume that red is about Jake Gyllenhaal, and speak now is about Joe Jonas and John Mayer, and love to hate on these men for that too. their infighting is getting tiring and feels very hypocritical, especially because they are the ones who will come for any gaylor for "speculating on Taylor's private life."

their main proof is their assumption that everything from rep to midnights is already about joe and her using songs from mainly these albums for her playlists.

i guess an argument could be made that taylor may have lined things up ahead of time for fans to come to some version of these conclusions, which i can see people having opinions about, but i think it’s important to remember just how many times things can look like they are aligned to mean something without panning out, etc. people, everyone, in every corner, can get so sure of themselves, despite having come up incorrect in the past. i marvel at how fast some types of people seem to bounce back from being flagrantly incorrect.

i guess this is the human condition. that’s one thing i find interesting about all this time in the community at large. i’ve learned so much about people, psychology, from fandom. the good the bad and the ugly. and it’s often really applicable to everyday life!

this is an aside but, i often wonder how puzzling all this is as someone who sees taylor as gay (and joe as a beard) but currently not seriously dating anyone quietly/secretly. i can imagine being like “why does she have to do all this? for what??” i haven’t had the time to go looking looking but i imagine stuff like lavendergate or bettygate being revisited with these new developments and how additionally confusing it all must be. the por qué of it all

[zeroducks-2]

I keep encountering antis in the wild so far my favorite one has been the one who was frothing over Jaytim shippers. "Just because they're not technically brothers"!

Friend they're not technically nor non-technically brothers. They weren't raised together. They don't have a brother dynamic.

"It's different from DickBabs and TimSteph!" Not really! You're just cherrypicking!

90% of antis use anti rhetoric to justify why their ship is better/more valid than another, not because they really care about things they deem immoral or whatever, and I think a lot of Fandom Discourse tends to miss that by a long shot.

Like more often than not it's just bitches digging for reasons why their OTP is the only ship that can be shipped, therefore if you ship something else You're Wrong and the ship you ship shouldn't even exist. They use arguments on morality and such because they're hard to argue with - lots of folks don't know what to say when they're faced with "don't ship X and Y cause it's harmful and abusive!", "you're hurting victims of SA and grooming by shipping X and Y!" - and what happens is that they get scared out of the ships/topics they like and stop engaging actively with fanworks. Sometimes they rationally or subconsciously realize that it works, so they end up even adopting the same rhetoric as it's really fucking convenient: being on the moral high horse is delicious because people feel like it automatically puts them in the category of the good guys, therefore everyone else is a bad guy and they can harass them and send them death threats, even if it's just about shipping fictional characters.

I've seen this happen in basically every single fandom I've been in since I was 12 (and I am Not Young™), and I've seen the most unexpected people use anti rhetoric while not being antis themselves, or even labeling themselves as proshippers, but they would still use anti arguments to "legitimize" their ship and claim how and why it was better than others in the same fandom. Instead of just... saying that one ship in particular is not for them. Tbh lately I'm only trusting multi-shippers not to pull anti bullshit out of their ass, and this niche of the DC fandom is really a safe haven. But I digress.

One of the things that really pisses me off the most is the rampant homophobia. Going by generic anti logic Jaydick is incest, but Dickbabs isn't. Jaytim is incest, Timsteph isn't. Brudick, Brujay, Brutim are all incestuous ships - except Bruce and Barbara isn't. The het ship is fine would you look at that. Childhood friends to lovers is alright with pop culture as long as it's a man and a woman, because if it's two men they'll immediately scream incest and abuse (lumping them together too, while they're also not the same thing ffs). Because hiding behind anti mentality and purity culture there's the big bad monster of queerphobia, which shows its ugly face the moment you take a peek below the surface.

And since I feel like this isn't being said enough. Dick and Jason ARE NOT BROTHERS. Neither are Dick and Tim, or Dick and Damian, Jason and Damian, Jason and Tim, I could go on. These people are not related, not by blood or legally, not in any way that matters and would make it incest. They're a legacy of characters who wear the same cowl for narrative reasons, and THAT'S IT.

Calling Jaydick "incest" irks me to no freaking end because I LOVE incest ships, I am DOWN BAD for them, and this one ain't it chief. They're not related. They didn't grow up together. They don't share any brotherly bond except a vague "brothers in arms" kinda thing. People decided this at some point in order to have an argument why their plastic prepackaged het ships were better than the Bad Abusive (gay) ones, because they're fucking homophobes, and that is about it.

And that's what I really want to say to all the young, queer antis that parrot the terfs and homophobes that pushed them in that direction. They are taking away a space that is YOURS TOO. They fucking HATE YOU. They hate you because you're queer, gay, bi, pan, ace, trans, nonbinary, a woman, even just a teen. Purity culture and anti mentality is how they keep you under control, tied to their morality leash and making life miserable to every other queer person that refuses to conform and refuses to shut up and to stop enjoying fiction for the harmless, but also valuable thing that it is.

[sostrangerous]

i love rereading fics from when i was a teen... often they're not as good as i remember. this fic in particular, lemme type out my thoughts (note: this fic contains graphic depictions of CSA and death, that trauma is the core of the fic)

There's some really compelling and interesting moments in this fic, which i think are valuable. But the overarching story itself is extremely limited in how it deals with these things. Like, the whole story is a power fantasy, and I think power fantasies are a very specific type of story that's really bad at nuance. in this story kirk is deeply traumatized and abused and his history of abuse leads to him suffering as he grows up, but nothing actually sticks. he went to juvie several times, he was homeless, hes an alcoholic, he's had multiple concussions.... and yet once in a structured, academic environment he's basically superfunctional. like, he takes a quantum mechanics class despite apparently never having any kind of formal math training past the age of 15. he does double the work of anyone else in the program. he is absurdly high functioning depressed, but he never burns out, either.

to be clear I'm not saying this fic is terrible. it's just interesting to reread a trope i liked when i was a teenager, where the main guy is in a lot of pain but ultimately he's totally competent and badass and everyone is forced to admit how undeniably special he is. it feels good to read, power fantasies are fun for a reason. (i used to read this type of power fantasy about Edward elric specifically lol)

this story is most compelling when he's younger. the question of how to 'resolve' his trauma is unanswered, and I think that ambiguity is a lot more interesting and emotionally difficult than the conclusion the story comes to. the beginning is when he's allowed to truly be self destructive and have ugly feelings that come out and hurt people. kirk does remain basically morally unimpeachable throughout this fic which isn't a problem exactly but I found it a lot more interesting when he was getting in arguments with his mother about his dead brother and father, and she was saying some unspeakably cruel things to him, and he was lashing out in return (the mom in this fic is an unforgivably bad parent which, again, is more interesting in the beginning than the end of the fic)

honestly endings are really really hard to write well 😕 unfortunately.

i do find it charming how this fic has the most fanfiction-y prose I've ever read. I'm not sure if fanfic sounds exactly like this anymore, so it's kind of a perfect 2015ish millennial-author time capsule. it literally uses the word *derp* (which is yet more evidence for my theory that you should never include memes in writing)

anyway! why am i talking about a star trek fic that came out 8 years ago? because i can. clearly the fic speaks to a lot of people bc it's very popular. it used to speak to me, and i think it's interesting to go back over how and why. if it's novel length why shouldn't I analyze it like a novel ykwim

[roleshirked]

Do u have a long post somewhere about why you think bishonens are lesbian coded? Cause i would like to read it. I see it as the other way, bishies are het coded its why bifauxnen (females that resemble bishies) tend to be into men sch as with Kashima in GSNK and the protag in Ikemen Danso Reiya but nonthlsss lesbians like bishonen imagery bc gnc women are deemed unpopular and ugly thir ssa deemed bad & dirty irl while bishies are hearthrob princes with fangirls whose f-attraction is celebrated

i don't, mostly because it's a meme take, but i am so glad someone else sees a nugget there, lol!

the non-meme answer is super subjective: growing up as a kid plugged into the internet age and reading any josei/shoujou manga i could get my hands on, i wound up projecting way more onto the bishounen in those stories than i did the women protagonists. these are stories written primarily by straight women for other straight women, and as a result the men often (though not always) come off as way more sincere and compassionate and enigmatic and charismatic than men irl. also they're super pretty. so as a little closeted lesbian girl it was super easy for me to equate that with "i could be that!", especially since bifauxnen were so few and far between. i don't think i even discovered the term until my twenties.

you mentioning bifauxnen is huge though and i do agree they tend to be not nearly as lauded in fandom circles, which is weird imo. i disagree that they're het-coded; i think they're lesbian-coded also, but often shoehorned into het relationships as endgame in order to upkeep the genre and/or not sideline other plots. but i also latched onto them for the same reasons i do bishounen despite that: they're gnc, they embody masculinity in a way that is wholly not masculine, etc. etc. rose of versailles is to date my favourite piece of media of all time and oscar francois de jarjayes is my favourite character of all time. i have and had and will get into internet arguments with people who try to force a trans narrative on her, it tells me they didn't read the story or pick up on its tenets at all. ikeda-san has gone on record stating how oscar stepping into her womanhood and identifying it in her own way despite how her father raised her is directly a reflection of japan's expectations of women and wanting to subvert them in the 70s.

i think the reason we see less of characters like oscar or kashima or haruka or even utena is equal parts a genre problem and a reader problem. if we consider the market, most women who enjoy bishounen content do so because it's fulfilling a fantasy, and a woman character taking the place of that decidedly male character, even if aesthetically they are identical, ruins the fantasy. and if we consider the genre, bifauxnens more routinely pop up in stories where either the plot's focus is not romance or the character's focus is not romance. and if they're made to be romantic, they are paired with a man as endgame (see: oscar's side-stories with both marie and rosalie but ending up with andre), because it is likely the story this is taking place in is a shoujou/josei story, and so they have to preserve the straight woman's fantasy, etc. etc. i'm not saying you're wrong, just that the "access" to these two types of characters are different. i would kill for standard josei/shoujou stories that had bifauxnens instead of bishounens! i want nothing more than unassuming lesbian content that caters directly to my aesthetics. unfortunately my tastes and the genre i primarily consume tend to be at odds (and i fix this by developing my own lesbian bifauxnen content, but i am not linking that here, sorry.)

this is super rambly and has no point, i'm sorry! i'll leave you with a rec for a comic that is recent and features a semi-bifauxnen as one of the two women (!) protags, "The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy At All!". it's a cute femslash comic about two classmates, one who is mistaken for a boy while she's working by the other, and shenanigans ensue.

[the-t-boy-king]

Here's another thing I've noticed. When transphobes talk about people detransitioning, it's always about a woman detransitioning from a man. I have never seen anyone talk about a man detransitioning from a woman.

Obviously, transphobes don't actually care about people who have detransition. If they did care they would listen and try to be understanding. Instead they use detransitioners as talking points to try to prove trans people are harmful and shouldn't talked about infront of kids. Using people in this manner is highly insulting for everyone involved.

People who've detransition deserve to have their voices heard without people trying to use them as an argument against transition. It's insulting to women because it's implied that they're not capable to make decisions about their own bodies. It's bad for trans people because they are trying to take away our rights to transition and scary people into not listening to their trans kids.

It's especially insulting to transmasc people. Once again they are using words like "mutilation" and "gross" when it comes to transmasc's transition. It's implying that their bodies are ugly and disgusting due to the changes done by testosterone and surgery.

Another thing, saying that all people who detransition did it because they regret their transition, is a straight up lie. Only 8% of people who transition later decided to detransition. 62% of that 8% only did it temporarily. The some of biggest reasons why they detransition are due to external factors ie financial reasons, discrimination, and external pressure from family and friends. 5% of de-transitioners gave the reason why as "it wasn't right for me".

Let's recap all that info. 8% of people who transition later detransition. Out of that 8%, 62% did it temporarily due to external factors. Only 5% said it wasn't for them. 92% of people who transition are happy with transition and continue their transition.

Long post short: Detransitioners are people and don't deserve to be used as argument against trans people. Transmasc people are often seen as a disgusting. Transphobes lie about detransitioners and the reasons why they detransition. Transphobes can eat shit.

[myonlypen]

One thing that really, really frustrates in discourse around incels is the way the word itself gets used.

There are two definitions that get used interchangeably, depending on how it helps people's argument. #1) the original and literal definition, which simply means someone who wishes they could have sex, but can't get any. #2) referring specifically to those in the toxic community who blame women and some even go so far as to become violent about it.

The problem is, I constantly see people act that because of definition #2 anyone who the word "incel" can apply to a is bad person, and it is therefore okay to bully them. But they often bully people who fit definition #1 but not #2, and if you call them out on it they will say "why are you defending misogynists?"

This is why the head of this post is linking to an explanation of the Motte and Bailey Fallacy. This is what they are doing.

It gets even more frustrating when there's an actual discussion going on about what to do about the rise in the number of incels (#2). Someone might suggest that they aren't born misogynist and they become radicalised, there should be an intervention before they go down the rabbit hole of sexism. Then I see replies exhibiting existentialist thinking, suggesting that because they would have become an incel (#2) had there not been intervention, then they are a bad person anyway. So they shouldn't be helped as they don't deserve it. I see other replies lambasting people suggesting that emotionally vulnerable young men (#1) be helped in this way because how dare you show sympathy towards incels (#2).

Then there's other people who don't seem to understand why incels (#2) are bad in the first place. They just know that they are because they have been told they are. So instead of saying that they're bad because of their attitudes towards women, they list reasons why someone might not have a successful love life and act like those are coequal reasons with misogyny for why they are bad. Bad social skills, being uninteresting, poor personal grooming, esoteric hobbies, etc. Congratulations: you've invented a new excuse to stigmatise neurodivergent people.

So much discourse around incels (#2) calls them "losers", but it's not the misogyny that gets them called losers, it's the fact that they're incels (#1) in the first place. Then people are surprised that incels (#2) think they're entire self-worth is based on the fact that they don't get sex, when even their critics suggest that that is true? And in doing so you're making incels (#1, but not #2) feel bad about themselves. You know that thing of "don't attack someone you don't like for the way they look because that lets anyone who looks similar know that you think they're ugly"? Yeah, similar logic here. If you don't like incels (#2) because of their misogyny and think that justifies calling them losers for being incels (#1) then you're implicitly signalling to incels (#1, but not #2) that they should feel bad about themselves, even though they haven't done anything wrong.

This isn't me making up things people have said and getting mad about it, by the way. Almost all of my posts in my "discourse on social media makes my blood boil tag" tag are a response to me seeing frustrating takes (usually on twitter or reddit) and wanting to vent about it.

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

A fascinating episode - some really strong and on point analysis of where they are at this point, and why this album is interesting and unexpected. But also quite revealing on the meta level.

They talk about Larry as a cultural phenomena early on and I liked what Nora said putting it in the context of wider fan stories and fantasies

But she also said that there was "a long and ugly history of conspiracy theories about gay relationships creating a connection between homosexual relationships and sneaking around and hiding bad things."

And I genuinely don't know what she's talking about - I don't know what history she's thinking of. But more importantly - every so often a certain sort of liberal argument will be put forward that basically amounts to: "People noticing the world is unjust is the problem actually". They're always brain meltingly terrible arguments. The problem is homophobia and the closet, not the people who have noticed that these things have existed. (I have many questions that I'd ask someone who tried to advance this argument to me in person - I think I'd start with Olly Alexander suggesting that because they wanted an out British gay actor with a high profile in his twenties for Richie, he knew there was no real competition for the part). There are good reasons for being really fucking careful about how you talk about celebrities and sexuality, particularly on podcasts with this sort of backing and reach.

But the idea that the reason that perceiving that homophobia exists and celebrities are closeted does harm is total bullshit. And I'm interested that it sounds credible to anyone.

And throughout this episode I thought again and again how in some way it's almost impossible to understand and talk about 1D, because 'Larry' becomes this weird black hole that it's impossible to properly navigate. I'll talk about this more in response to another ask, but they discuss both Rainbow Direction and #projectnocontrol, and miss really important aspects of their dynamics.

I think the problem with talking about 1D is that if you don't directly address that Larry Stylinson was a cultural phenomena then many things make absolutely no sense. But it's very difficult to discuss it as a cultural phenomena without immediately getting bogged down into questions of validity. And as soon as you're like 'are these people right?' you're not really coming from a place of curiosity.

I don't exempt from that - I think my understanding about 1D is hampered by my belief that Larries are both correct and include. But I do wonder why 'Larry' as a cultural phenomenon has this power. The popcast people were able to talk, not just about Taylor, but also about Kaylor, perfectly cogently.

And before I move on entirely from that train of thought. The absolute highlight of the episode for me was when they were discussing Peak Louis. They mention that Louis felt really sensitive to speculation about his sexuality, and suggests he might have written No Control in response to that speculation - to wear his heart on his sleeve. And in case it's not clear - they think that No Control was Louis exerting his heterosexuality. Which I absolutely love as a take. Imagine if it was true - hypothetically straight Louis putting all his feelings about heterosexual sex into a song, and this is what happens.

Anyway back to the actual podcast. They've touched on the controlling nature of fandom throughout the podcast, and I liked how explicit they got when it came to Zayn leaving. It hit hard for me, listening it on the back of the anon I got yesterday suggesting that some fans thought that Zayn was 'selfish' for smoking.

I loved that they talk about Lima's infamous fan service red carpet. I definitely disagree about peak Liam peak Liam at this period is watching some kind of political movie late at night and then tweeting about how some people don't have access to McDonalds. And I really disagree with them about the nature of Liam's responsibility at this stage. He's not really a caretaker, although he'll take care of people if that's supposed to be his job role. He's very focused on keeping people happy, and not breaking the rules.

Anyway I've got a few more asks where I'll discuss the podcast some more - so I'll stop here. I really love hearing people take 1D seriously and I can't wait to hear what they say about the solo albums. If anyone figured out how to listen to their live Coachella episode can you let me know.

Edited to Add: I forgot to mention that I love how much Nora hates Ed Sheeran. Obvious highlight her response to the question about Ed Sheeran's song 'Don't' was 'I would leave Ed Sheeran for Niall Horan any day the week'.

[juliedrawz]

Cecilia Navarro

-ˋˏ✄----· ꕥ ·----✄----ꕥ----ˋˏ✄

-ˋˏ✄----· ꕥ ·----✄----ꕥ----ˋˏ✄

Since so many of you loved Ceci, I decided to post something about her 🤗

Since the only movie canon fact we have is that she is a seamstress and costume designer, I had to come up with everything else for my book. So here it goes ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Spoiler free facts (I keep some infos because obvious reasons)

- Cecilia or Ceci is three years older than Imelda, which makes her the same age as Ernesto

- Ceci has some scottish/european genetics. That is why she has light skin with freckles and reddish brown hair.

- Ceci and Imelda have known each other since early childhood/school days and are best friends, as close as sisters. In their teens they loved to wear their hair in braids too match each other.

- Héctor and Ernesto became very close friends to her

- Cecis parents owned a fabric store in which Ceci worked. Later she inherited it.

- She often babysitted Coco and because of her close bond with Imelda, Coco considered her as her Tía. Later on, as Héctor didn't return, Ceci helped Imelda as much as she could.

- Ceci died at the young age of 43 because of a really bad pneumonia.

- In the land of the dead, Ceci started working in the art district. Making costumes for all the actors, artists and musicians. Including Frida Kahlo. She soon meet Ernesto and started making costumes for him as well.

- She made Ernestos white charro suit which was inspired by the one Héctor used to wear in the family photo.

- She can dance way better than she can sing but often times is way too shy to show it off.

- Without her glasses, she is as blind as a mole.

- Ceci is very intelligent and uses that to hit with witty arguments. This is also the reason she is often seeked out for advice. In contrast to Imelda, she is more words than action but if teased over her very high tolerance zone, she will use her limbs to beat you up.

- Has a rather sarcastic humor and can be, just like Imelda, very straight forward. The only difference is, that, while Imelda is very open and blunt, Ceci uses clever words to come across diplomatic. For example. If you'd wear something that doesn't suit you at all, and you'd ask Imelda, she would straight up tell you, that it's ugly and doesn't fit at all. Ceci would tell you that something else would flatter you more or that it could be better.

- When it comes to her emotions and feelings, she tends to beat around the bush. Often times she will use sentences with a double or hidden meaning.

- Her favourite colors are blue, red and yellow. Those colors are also present in her skull markings.

- She loves classical/traditional music, jazz and blues.

- Ceci has been helping Héctor out in his attempts to cross the 🌼 bridge for about 57 years. And though she was more than often done with her nerves, she never stopped to help him. Even though she has often said she would.

that's it for now. I could list way more facts but I guess they're not as inportant now. Thank you for reading 💛

[amive2567]

If you use these prompts and alphabets, please reblog it and note it. Of course you can also order something with these prompts.

A: Affection (how do they show affection?)

B: Bonding (what do they do to connect to you?)

C: comfort (what do they do to comfort you?)

D: domestic (do they want to settle down with you?)

E: ending (how would your relationship end? breaking up ?)

F: Friends (would you be friends before getting together?)

G: Gentle (are they gentle to you physically and emotionally?)

H: handling (how would they handle stressful situations, like arguments, etc.)

I: Intimate (How romantic are they?)

J: Jealousy (how fast would they get jealous, and what are they doing when they're jealous?)

K: Kisses (where are the favorite spots to kiss you? What are their kisses like?)

L: Love (how (often) do they say I love you and when?)

M: marriage (what is their opinion about marriage?)

N: nicknames (what would be their nicknames for you?)

O: open (do they talk about their problems?)

P: protective (are they protective?)

Q: Quirk (what is a quirk they find adorable or slightly annoying)

R: remember (what would they do to remember the dates and stuff? What would they do for your anniversary?)

S: self-care (what do they do with you to practice self-care)

T: Thanks (would they help to do the housework?)

U: united (what would they do when you left for a longer time, for a business trip or something like that?"

V: vision (what do they want in the future?)

W: Wacky (what is their reaction when you do something crazy?)

X: Xtra (a random headcanon)

Y: youngsters (what is their opinion on kids?)

Z: Zzzz (sleep habits? nightmares? how would they hold you while sleeping?)

A: anger (do they get angry fast?)

B: bad habits (what are bad habits of them?)

C: crying (what makes them cry?)

D: death (what would they do when you die?)

E: ending ( how would they end the relationship?)

F: force (would they force and/or threaten you to do something you don't like?)

G: guilt (what are they guilty about?)

H: hurt (how would they react when you got a huge injury?)

I: Illness (what do they do when you got an untreatable illness?)

J: joints (what would be their addiction? what would change the relationship between the two of you?)

K: kidnapped (what would they do if you got kidnapped?)

L: lying (when and why do they lie to you?)

M: murder (would they kill for you or get killed for you?)

N: need (how would they react if you needed emergency surgery?)

O: objectionable (would they disagree with you often or offend you?)

P: phobia (what are they scared of?)

Q: question (would they question your relationship?)

R: rejection (how would they reject your confession?)

S: snake (did they cheat on you?)

T: toxic (what is their toxic trait, and when comes it in use?)

U: ugly (what do they do that you would leave them?)

V: violence (would they hurt you?)

W: widower (what would they do when you died while giving birth/having kids?)

X: Xtra (random sad hc)

Y: yandere (would they have yandere behavior?)

Z: Zero (what do they do/say in your dying moments?)

~ "You're too cute for your own good."

~ "I love you to the moon and back."

~ "You have something there. Can I take it away?"

~ "Your lips look lonely. Would you like to meet mine?"

~ "Someday, we will get married."

~ "You seem tired. Let me carry you."

~ "You smell nice."

~ "You can come under my umbrella."

~ "Come closer. I don't bite."

~ "Can we cuddle?"

~ "You are awesome."

~ "Waking up next to you is the best event of the day."

~ "You are allowed to take time for yourself."

~ "I will never leave you."

~ "Never in my life had I thought I would meet someone like you. A person that could safe me from the darkness."

~ "Shh. Stop fussing. I'm just braiding your hair."

~ "Honey, your rambling again."

~ "I want ice cream."

~ "I don't care if I get sick."

~ "Let me sing you to sleep."

~ "I marked some lines that represent our love."

~ "You're my person."

~ "Even the cherry blossoms have no chance against your beauty."

~ "You look stunning, babe (or another nickname you would like)."

~ "Let's go shopping."

~ "I need to say, I never thought I would ever love someone more than (the favorite food of the character or Y/N)."

~ "It's too cold! Come back."

~ "Let me carry you to bed."

~ "I can't do this anymore."

~ "I know I should be here."

~ "I loved you, but you never loved me back."

~ "You always get hurt, and it hurts me to see you like this."

~ "You cheated, and there is nothing you can change about it."

~ "I loved you, but know it's too late to confess."

~ "Get out. I wished we never met."

~ "I don't need your stupid behavior right now."

~ "I wish I could hate you, but you don't even deserve this."

~ "I need to be with someone who actually wants me. And I know it's not you."

~ "I won't make it."

~ "I am sick."

~ "Please wake up. I can't do this without you."

~ "Hold on, I still need you."

~ "Don't you dare to leave me? Not now."

~ "I lost everyone and everything. I can't lose you too."

~ "I am sorry. I came too late."

~ "How much do you miss them?"

~ "You're so annoying."

~ "Stop laughing. I got scared."

~ "You saw it first. Why don't you kill it?"

~ "Bite me."

~ "They stole my garlic bread."

~ "You sneezed into my face."

~ "Your partner is way hotter than mine."

~ "Come out, come out where ever you are."

~ "Take my hand. We need to jump off this building right now."

~ "Shut up! We don't have time to be afraid."

-> more to be added

[13eyond13]

I'll try to keep it short because you're very kind but I'm becoming annoying... I actually like Soichiro. It's his morals I cannot stand. In fact, in line with his, I like Matsuda's and even Light's variations more, even with all the darkness they entail, because they're more critical. I adore L and find him relatable, but I'm not so sure if I'd like him as a person in real life, and yet I again like his morals more than Soichiro's. I still think Soichiro is generally a better person than any of the others. I still dislike his morals the most. When I say at the opposite end of Soichiro in the moral spectrum is where Near stands I'm not talking just about my personal liking, but as I interpret their views on morality. Maybe there's some detail of the manga I'm forgetting (I truly have to reread it), but Soichiro didn't seem very critical about... anything, while Near states something like "even if god came and told me this is good and this is bad and this is The Truth I'd still consider and come to my own conclusion". I like that. I care less about someone getting a moral with what I may consider a degree of grey if they do that. I myself have very strong morals that nonetheless have degrees of grey; strong doesn't mean pure. My grey and someone else's grey might be very different. But I've developed them, not accepted them blindly. Near of course, Mello, L, and even Light and Matsuda do this, but Soichiro generally doesn't. And I dislike that greatly. In fact, I think I'd find him kind in real life, and likeable, but I'd not really like him because I can't really bring myself to like someone like that even when they're kind and compassionate and good. I'm already talking more than I intended but I'll try to point out what bothers me of his attitude.

Soichiro is very very anti Kira, but he's working for a government with the death penalty and he doesn't seem to consider that even for a moment. For him, that the government does it is justifiable but monstrous if a person does it. He doesn't really have a justification, it's just like that because it's as it is. He's very against L's methods, buy L uses people who were going to die anyway at the very moment he uses them either way because of the death penalty, because of the government. From a government pov, if the government were to do what L does, it'd be something terrible. From an individual pov? Not so much. It's ugly, but it's beyond himself whether that people die or not, and his decisions are easily justifiable from an individual pov: they're going to die irrevocably, that very day at that very time, and he is using what he can to solve a very complicated case that is taking many lives, and he even might use the moral support of "I'm giving the prisoners the chance of choosing, with the potential reward of lifelong imprisonment instead of death". And again, while a government doing that is terrible, it's not as terrible for a person. L is a private detective, an individual. People can be fallible. Governments shouldn't. What L does might be justifiable, if ugly, for a person, but it would be unforgivable for the government to do. But the government lies on L and it's L who takes the slander of the rest of the Task Force. And that's what Soichiro doesn't see, and that's what bugs me. Soichiro sides with the government and the laws no matter what, no matter if they're terrible and are actually the cause if indirectly of the terrible things L is able to do (I'd have to reread to be completely comfortable affirming this, but Soichiro's attitude towards the government reminds me a bit of Mikami and Misa to some extent).

Soichiro hates Kira, and hates and criticises L's methods and his ruthlessness, but doesn't even consider for one moment the problem is not L. The problem is not the 24 yo boy/man, the problem is his government, that has the dead penalty and actually let's a private detective carry on with the investigation and do as he pleases (and I'm not even taking into consideration how L's upbringing and the lowkey if fun exploitation he was subrmited to have most probably influenced if not determined the way he acts in these cases, because while it's intriguing it'd feel like justifying L out of pity, and either way Soichiro doesn't know that; but I mention this because L's entire past at Wammy's, like the other children's, is another very terrible move from governments and adults in responsibility positions). The problem is Interpol, the governments in general, blatantly saying L is ruthless but not even setting rules when working with him. And I think it would actually have been very easy to stop L doing those things. Just change the rules of the game, tell him beforehand there are a few things he can't do. It's a game after all. Of course L would still exploit the moral and legal vacuums of the rules as he pleased, as one does when playing anything, but the government wouldn't have given him totally free way.

I'm not sure if I'm explaining myself very well. Years ago in a class I talked about the difference between personal vengeance and the death penalty. I feel this is similar. A person is fallible. A government should be able to stand over licit murder. L manipulating people to prove a point is ugly. A government doing that or letting someone free way to do whatever is terrible. L does whatever, and as an individual is not so horrible as it is that the governments internationally actually let him do whatever even knowing beforehand without setting rules. Soichiro sees this and it doesn't even cross his mind for a moment to criticise the government he's working with. Also, he considers his morals the best, which makes sense in a first person pov (why support x morals if you don't think they're the best? I'm not critisising this), but he's very... imposing about them, while as I say not being precisely the most critical thinker. That Soichiro is like this, morally (I'm not even talking about the policeman aspect though that's so often talked about in the fandom), makes a lot of sense to how Light ends up being Kira, and with how Matsuda thinks and acts. And I find that very intriguing, but I can't stand Soichiro's simplistic morals and his better-than-you attitude even though he's a generally good person. That's why I dislike his morals the most (of course you don't have to agree!). I don't stand by Near's morals either, but I like his "god could come and tell me and still I'd doubt" attitude. It's what makes gods mad in basically every mythology, but I love that kind of thought process. I'm very much like that too.

I'm so sorry this is so long. I tried to cut, but I got the impression it'd make it even less clear or more difficult to understand. Or maybe the lack of clarity lies precisely on how repetitive and long this is. I'd like to think English not being my first language has to do with this, but honestly the problem is most probably just me. I hope I made the point understandable enough, though. And thanks for your patience. I really liked that post of Near someone sent as an opinion and how you replied! Very interesting takes on both ends.

Hi again! You have some very thought-provoking points about it all, and don't worry, your English is excellent.

I loved Near's stance about these things as well, and that's something that really bothered me when growing up about some authority figures and institutions being really totalitarian and silencing of doubts or stances they deemed too negative or incorrect to voice aloud. I value having freedom of choice and the ability to think critically about everything immensely. Maybe it's because I went to a very strict and sheltering and weird little school as a child that tried very hard to indoctrinate me with a specific worldview, and always shamed and silenced anyone who disagreed or questioned them or felt like an outsider or wanted to have a different point of view. I remember relating the most to Matsuda on the task force when I first watched the show as a teen, because he was always speaking up with his devil's advocate questions or confusions. The way Soichiro and the others usually yell and scold and shame him for this bothered me a lot, because I wanted them to discuss things openly so I could see all the different sides of the arguments more clearly. Actually, I think this is a pretty culturally similar thing between Japan and Canada (where I am from). There's a strong emphasis on doing what's best for the entire group instead of just yourself, and being too controversial or outspoken or individualistic about certain things is often taboo and frowned upon as a big social faux pas. It's possibly quite a bit stronger pressure toward obedience and conformity and politeness in Japan in certain ways as well, but I don't know for sure as I haven't lived there myself.

I think Soichiro had a bit of nuance and flexibility with his morals and his stances in various instances throughout the plot, and to me he seemingly tries hard to see things from other angles during complicated moments in what must be one of the most difficult situations he could possibly face as both a police chief and a parent. But it's true he never seemed to doubt that upholding the laws already in place and the way his government punishes the convicted were the "correct" ways society should function. I think this series would be a really interesting one to discuss in a class that talks about stuff like justice and the death penalty and law and ethics and such for how many of these things it touches on in an entertaining and thought-provoking way!

[sorenskyhigh]

Pets They Would Have pt. 2

Karasuno

Hisashi Kinoshita

Hisashi is a Train Company Employee. This means he works a lot of hours and just does not have the time to take care of, love and train any other pets

Fish are a really easy to take care of

All you have to do is remember to feed them and have a water filter to constantly clean their aquarium

Some fish, if handled when young, can get big and will let and love for you to pet them

But, they also are just very nice to have

Just to watch them swim around all of the plants with the light on at night

As I said, they don't need alot either

Hisashi could just let them be

They wouldn't beg or need constant love and attention like a mammal (dog, cat, rat, bird)

They also don't need constant vigilance for health issues or specialized diets like amphibian and reptilian pets

Hisashi is going to be tired when he gets home from work, so he needs a pet that is more ornamental than a chore

I feel if Hisashi were to have fish, he'd get the weirdest ones in the pet store

Hisashi seems to have a very strong inner child

So he would want either the flashiest fish, or the ones that cause a double take everytime their passed by in the store

He may get only one or two or get a whole tank full

I honestly feel like it could go one of two ways:

A- He has an aquarium for a wall in his house filled with his wild choice in fish or

B- He has a small, round, spherical bowl with two fish in it

It'd be funny if he had just the two fish to start with then they had babies even though the worker said they were both female

Obviously they weren't

They laid eggs and he had to transfer the female and daughters to one large tank and the father and sons to another so they wouldn't keep having babies

After this he has like 14 fish in total

Then he keeps finding himself at the pet store looking at the "ugly" fish no one wants

He buys these fish and ends up having two tanks that cover a whole wall

One's for his male fish the others for the females

But he screws up and learns the hard way that clownfush can change genders to help make babies

I'm being terrible to this poor guy let me stop

He so would be that fish owner to get real plants and "not those toxic plastic ones, how do they not hurt the fish???"

I honestly love the thought of Kinoshita just spacing out in front of his fish as he just watches them swim and do their own thing

Or if he were to only have a couple fish and he lets them get really big and pets them

Kazuhito Narita

Now, I know what you're thinking

Aren't Ferrets incredibly high maintenance?

Not really

Kazu ends up working at a Realty Firm

Generally their work hours are supposed to be around 40 hrs a week

But they often have to stay longer considering most clients can only meet up on weekday afternoons

So this means Kazu has to work a lot

Ferrets may be mischievous and a little destructive, but that's easy to fix

If a ferret is to be left at home alone for hours at a time, just get it a really big cage and tons of toys to play with

Plenty of food and water too, of course

But ferrets are honestly pretty chill

All they need is for you to clean out their cage around once a week, some light grooming here and there, and some time to run around

Apartment or house doesn't matter with ferrets

They love to just mess around and only need a couple hours of free time a day

They sleep most of the day, 17 to 20 hours usually

They also aren't very vocal

They have a specific noise they make when excited thats barely heard by most human ears

Fun fact about ferrets is they actually have pretty poor eyesight, but their sense of smell and hearing more than make up for it

The only real problems Kazu would have to worry about are hairballs getting lodged and dental issues, no different than a cat

I didn't pick a cat though bc, Kazu seems like the kind of person to have something that doesn't get riled up on a whim like a cat

Cats often have unpredictable moods, ferrets on the other hand can be energetic but won't get into a bad mood at the drop of a pin

They're generally very fun loving

Though, it is always recommended to get a pair

Ferrets are highly social animals, so they would need a buddy for when your not able to be there for them

Kazu would probably get one almost all white ferret and one almost all dark brown ferret for the symbolism

I love the thought of Kazu wrestling with one ferret, it wrapped around his hand, and then the other one if climbing on his back and sliding down the back of his shirt in playful retaliation

Tobio Kageyama

I really really wanted to give Tobio a turtle, but with him being a volleyball player in his adult life, that just won't work

Turtles need very specific temperatures and surroundings so they can live happily and healthily

I honestly feel in terms of personality, nothing but a cute little Eastern Box Turtle would fit him perfectly

I honestly struggled to find something that, to me, fit Kageyama Tobio but also would be manageable for him as a pro athlete

He's a very complex character and something with fur or feather just did not seem to suit him to me

The only problem is.......reptiles and amphibians are generally really demanding pets

From the food they eat, the the temperature their home has to be set at, its a lot of constant care

Some of them may not like constant physical touch, but they still need to be cleaned and have a constant watchful eye to check for any skin abnormalities

I decided on the African Fire Skink after much much MUCH consideration

These lizards don't get large, onky around 14-15 inches

And, unlike many reptilian nd amphibian pets, they don't require any specific heating or lighting

As long as your house isn't like consistently hot or cold or constantly changing between the two, their fine

They do need a substantial amount of dirt to dig and hide in

They mostly eat insects and one very rare occasion would appreciate a pinky mouse

These lizards are also shy and like to be admired from a distance

They don't like to be touched too much

They also have few and far between health problems uike other lizards

The only real problem is you can't find them at local pet stores but, they generally sell for around 25-70 USD

They also live for around 15-20 years

I feel like Tobio would have gotten his lizard as a middle schooler bc he didn't have very many friends, but he also didn't want a really needy pet since he doesn't know how to socialize well

Since this lizard like to be left alone, he could admire it from afar and this lizard could help him learn how to social better

Sorta.....

Imagine Tobio at a table in his room, doing some homework and the little Skink is just lazing about in a sunspot next to him 😍

Shoyo Hinata

YES YOU ARE SEEING CORRECTLY

At first for Shoyo I thought, okay maybe a hamster or a Guinea Pig or something like that

Ya know, something small but mighty and also, incredibly cute!

But I took a look at a list of pets that travel well and one of pets that can be left at howm for days with a proper care taker

I nearly shot myself bc I totally forgot that Hermit Crabs can be pets!!!!!

And they suit Shoyo so well!!!

They are small and sturdy

They fight back and pinch when threatened but can be very nice little pets to have

Hermit Crabs also love, sadly, for only around 10 years and can grow up to 6 inches long

Also, three to five shells per crab should be available

I am living for the idea that Hinata bought a bunch of shells for his crabs and painted them with little volleyballs and crows and ornage and black 🥺

These are good bc as long as you have someone reliable to feed them when they need to be while you're gone

Usually, if they're small, they're tiny wittle claws can't grab onto pellet food, so heir is a specific kind of almost dust like food for Hermit Crabs

Also, dark leafy greens like kale and broccoli or fruits like apples, bananas, and grapes are good too

Just choo them up really really tiny

They also need 2-3 inches of soil, silica play sand, and (optional) coconut fibers for them to burrow in when they molt

They also need a place for water to keep their little shells moist

They also need specific temps and maybe even mist their terrarium with water now and again

Something that us important and why Shoyi would need someone to come in and check on them is bc they are every vulnerable when molting

When a Hermit Crab molts they need to be separated from others so they don't get hurt

Like with many smaller pets you also have to thoroughly wash your hands before and after you touch them

Shoyo would fight Tobio when Tobio said his Crabs are boring and go into a long detailed argument about how each Crab has his/her own personality and how interesting they are

Kei Tsukishima

Did you expect this Dino loving nerd to have anything else other than a reptile?

I tried to find one, as you can imagine, that would fit his adult life schedule but also his personality

I really wanted to give him an Iguana or Chameleon butbthey were really demanding with care

Now.....I know

Anole are native to the Southern US and Southern Hispanic countries such as Mexico, Clolombua, and Venezuela

They are around 20cm long and only live a very short 3-5 years

Also if you own many most should be female and only one should be male if you choose to have any males at all

The males get very territorial and will fight one another

Also the males flair our their dewlaps (skin flap under their chin) in defense and when they feel threatened

The dewlaps are usually pink, red, or on the rare occasion blue

Females have these as well but don't flair them out as much

Anoles are very high energy but don't care to be touched too much

These lizards also can't be picked up by their tales as they have evolved to lose their tales and grow them back

Kei would like these as they are so odd

They're not only descendants of Dinosaurs but they can lose their tales and grow them back at will???

I feel like Kei would constant have new ones

His massive tank (you need big ones for these guys, they are very active and will resort to cannibalism if their space is too small) is never empty, always at least three

He has analbum on his phone of all of the Anoles he's owned and maybe even has a picture book with their names on it

Yamaguchi to this day is the o ky one that has had the privilege to see said book

Yamaguchi is also the only person Kei trusts to take care of his precious Anoles

And when one dies he has really small but none the less grand ceremony for a descendant of the mighty race of Dinosaurs

Yamaguchi always helps him set these up

I fell like he would give them really weird names as well

Like twig, stick, sock, glove, kneecap or some weird shit idk

I'll have Yamaguchi, Yachi, Yui, Natsu, and Saeko in the next one

My requests are open and I hope you enjoyed

@popcorntime-doodles @multifandombrainrot @kneecapstealingalien @jiheonity @weareallhumans123 @smallmangi @canadian-crow @just-jellyfish @immiamarais @i-need-coffee-now-pls @shadowsbutdead @ghostexhibit @goshikisimp @anothershadeofpink @mestayanon @all-around-fandoms31 @thatfunnysprout @itsallgonnabokayihope @g00s3 @boreateo @backalley-astrologer @vaniatslover @lil-mellow-bunbun @strawberrymakki @beelziee @taiyahhh @sakusasgerm @cr4z3d-cl0wn @brendanfkelley @mainnews32 @beelshumanworldburger @mehreenackerman @detective-bakugou

[iveneverbeenanatural-13]

Update for today

Lockdown for Covid-19 March 27th

I guess I'm writing the story of my life...?

Things are better. Last night was rough because of depression and anxiety... I got to thinking why do I do this to myself? To be honest there is a lot I don't share with people and as a result I tend to break down at random times. I'm not looking for pity, more just friends... People who get it. I'm glad I started to post more on here as it feels sorta like a diary. And maybe right now that's what I need. Even if no one reads this that's ok.

Maybe I will just spell it all out. See what comes from it. So here it goes.

I haven't had a bad life. I'm only 23 but it just feels like a long life with many extra bumps in it... Things just manage not to go the way id like it to most of the time. So now I'm just used the noise. I had a good childhood but many many memories of a broken family. An angry dad (not necessarily towards us kids) a mom who coped with alcohol. I often took care of my siblings as the eldest of five. And there are many other things I won't mention... It was hard. It was dysfunctional. We'd have money then didn't. We'd have food then didn't. We'd have a week of no fighting with my parents and then they would be at each other's throats the next several weeks. We'd have moments of joy but usually short-lived moments. I'm not saying it was all bad. I have good memories too. Singing Taylor Swift songs to my mini laptop webcam is a memory I have. Making music with my brother was a good memory I have. And spending time with friends too.. it wasn't all bad...

Fast forward to about 3 years ago I thought I met the love of my life. Things seemed fine. But it was the calm before the storm. After my ex and I got together things sorta slowly started to get worse. My dad didn't support my relationship. He thought we were moving too fast. My mom wasnt happy and coped with more alcohol. And even tho they had briefly separated a couple years before I thought they wouldn't ever get divorced. Well I was wrong...

My ex and I tried so hard to make our relationship work. And I think I pushed things because I wanted some kind of happy ending. Most of my friends had gotten married or were in happy relationships. This was my first real relationship. So I thought this could be the last. There were constant fights and bitterness started to grow between us... We were co-dependent. We tried to live on our own but due to a mental illness he had, he had a hard time keeping a job. So we were just CONSTANTLY STRUGGLING. It just became not a safe place anymore. We did get engaged after about a year. My dad didn't agree and we didn't have any wedding help. My friends tried to help but it was almost like people didn't take us seriously. Which hurt because I was always there for them whether I agreed with their decisions or not. My mom straight up left my Dad and moved into her own place. I was in between a lot when it came to my mom and dad. Trying to help them to get along for my sister's sake. But there were many fights or my mom getting so drunk that the police were called... DISCLAIMER: I want to say. My parents aren't bad parents. They're just broken.

My ex and I were under so much never-ending stress. We broke up and got back together several times. It was awful. Words were said, feelings were hurt, then we'd forgive and start all over again. I like to think that was the burning Red Taylor was talking about. We loved each other so much. But it wasn't a healthy lifestyle. You lose yourself. You lose who you want to be just so you can help keep the other person from drowning. After two years my parents were officially getting divorced. My dad had gone through severe depression so I moved into his place because I honestly was afraid he would kill himself. That was rough. I had also briefly moved into my moms to help her. This was the breaking point for her. And I had to get my sisters who were living with her at the time and help them to pack up and leave. They no longer wanted to be there. Leaving her behind and closing her apartment door while glimpsing her looking so sad was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Time went on. We finally got through that. I got through that.

During this time I had lost friends. Or at least we didn't talk much anymore. I think they just didn't know how to approach me. And I know they didn't mean it. I was in a place where I couldn't be reached. Later my mom had left our state of NC and moved about 45 mins away to SC with her new Boyfriend. We like him. He's nice. And she's doing so much better! My dad had met a lady and got engaged rather quickly in my opinion lol. But as long as he's happy. When things finally started to calm down a bit with my family the damage had already been done in my relationship. It wouldn't stop. The fighting the arguing. Even after we had moved to our own little house. But it was still my home. I had my cats and my own space. I loved it. Well, back in November a huge fight had occurred and we believed we shouldn't be living together for the time being. I moved in with my grandmother.. I went back and forth a lot. Set up for Christmas and we even got to go on a little vacation. I hadn't been on a vacation in so long. Yet again, it was the calm before another storm. One night in December, the Friday before Christmas (my absolute favorite holiday) I got a call. It was my ex. He said he couldn't do it anymore. And that he was breaking up with me. He said he couldn't tell me face to face because it would be too hard and he probably would change his mind. And I cried. And begged him not too. This all happened after a particularly hard argument we had the day before. Where I had done something wrong and I did apologize for it. But it just wasn't enough... And that was it. The end of my 2-year whirlwind relationship. I was heartbroken. He got really angry and was just saying really mean things to me. Personal things that really affected me. I had to go get all my stuff. Leave one of my kitties behind and give the other one up because I couldn't bring her with me. She is rehomed to one of my best friends. She had been there through pretty much all of it. I'm so grateful I have her. I saw my ex went on a date after 3 weeks. And yeah. It was awful. I felt like the scum of the earth.

And I thought that was it... Hahaha It wasn't. I missed my period for the whole month of January. I didn't even think anything of it. Then I finally took a test. And LOW AND BEHOLD it was positive. My whole life took a fucking turn in one second and I was literally losing my mind. So yeah. Fast forward to now. I'm 16 weeks. Working through my severe depression and anxiety. I had had plans to really work on myself but now that I'm pregnant you can't really take many medications during this time. And that's very hard as I have trouble functioning normally day today... I was looking for a job for months and when I finally found one Covid-19 showed its ugly head and I lost that job. And now I'm here. Not sure of how I'm going to provide for this baby. But the father and I have much a better relationship then we've ever had. We are not back together tho. There's still struggles and obstacles but at this point it's just part of my life. So that's it more or less. That's where I'm at now. I'm very grateful that even tho my family isn't together we all still show up for each other. And even tho I sometimes still get stuck between my dad and moms problems they're still alive and well. And now I have a baby. Which was my ultimate dream. I guess I just want to know that I can provide a really good life for it. As these are not the circumstances I had wished for myself. And that it's childhood is better than my childhood or even my ex's. He struggled too... I'm scared right now because I can't work and I'm constantly battling these demons. But at the same time I know somehow it'll all work out... Eventually... You know what I hope for myself tho? That I find a love that's golden. Not red.

[dolsfeels]

Take Care - Colby Brock

AN: this isn’t Dolan twins related but enjoy if you want

Warnings: talk of abusive relationship, some cursing

Word count: 1,790

"So what's new?" My friend Colby ask with a large grin. I roll my eyes with a soft smile across my face. "Absolutely nothing. What about you mister LA boy." I tease. This earns a chuckle from him.

He's finally back home in Kansas. He tries to visit fairly often but his line of work keeps him busy I suppose.

"You still with josh?" He ask quickly. All I do is offer a nod as I grab my drink from the barista. My sleeve rides up slightly as I reach for the warm cup.

"What happened to your wrist?" Colby ask quickly. I glance down at my wrist to see the slight bruising. I quickly pull my sleeve down to cover it. 

"I don't know. I think it happened when I was sleeping. You know I toss and turn a lot." I say as convincingly as possible.

Never in a million years would I tell him the truth. He's been my best friend since second grade. He tends to be a little protective of me. So he'd flip his lid if he ever found out josh got a little too heated during one of our recent arguments.

I must've been convincing enough because he drops the subject as we find a seat.

"So what's this I hear about you and sam taking a break?" I ask tentatively. He nods as if he knew I'd ask that question.

"We've recently got into some legal trouble and on top of that we were put into a couple dangerous situations. We thought it'd be best to take a step back before we push our luck a little too much." He answers honestly. I nod. Him and Sam always seemed to do stupid shit.

He watches me closely as I take a sip of my hot coffee. It's a little chilly outside so the warm drink feels nice.

Our silence is interrupted by my phone ringing. "Don't worry about it." Colby says quickly but I ignore him as I take a glance at the text from josh.

Josh: where are you?

Me: I just grabbed some coffee with a friend

Josh: why don't you come over so we can talk

The last text makes my eyebrows furrow. What could there be to possibly talk about.

"Josh?" Colby ask as he looks down at his drink. He swallows hard as I sigh. "Let me guess. You gotta go." He says with pure disappointment.

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you I promise. You're still here for a couple of weeks." I ramble as I kiss him on the cheek in a friendly apologetic way.

"Text me later." He says sternly. "Yeah yeah." I say as I swing the door to the coffee shop open.

I shove my hands in my pockets as I make my way to my car. What could he want to talk about? He's so unpredictable these days. He never used to be that way.

I drive way faster than I should but I don't care. The anticipation is eating at me.

As soon as I get to our apartment I get this weird feeling. Something tells me this isn't going to be good and I should just leave but I shake it off.

As soon as I step into the apartment he's in front of me ready to talk.

"What friend were you out with?" He ask sternly.

"Colby." I say honestly. He knows about Colby. We've been best friends since second grade. There should be nothing to worry about.

"Why the fuck were you with him?" He ask raising his voice a little. This threw me off guard.

"He's been my friend for years!" I say, matching his volume.

"You shouldn't be out with other guys. Especially him. He totally has a thing for you." He says getting closer, waving his finger in my face.

"Oh fuck off." I roll my eyes at his stupidity.

My judgement is knocked loose when I feel a sharp sting on my cheek. It brings tears to my eyes instantly.

I grab my cheek as I look at him. There was not an ounce of remorse on his face and that saddened me even worse. This isn't the person I fell for. This past month has been a living hell.

I pick my keys back up from our small table and swing the door open without a second thought. He follows me out into the hallway.

"Where do you think you're going?" He ask as he grabs my wrist. Just like last time he's all too forceful. At this point the tears are falling freely down my face.

"Stop." I say as forcefully as I can but it all just sounds pathetic. His grip hurts so bad.

I do all I can think of and bring my knee straight into his groin. This without a doubt sets me free so I quickly put some distance between us as I make my way to the elevator.

I pull out my phone and call the one person I trust the most, Colby.

The elevators quiet but my breathing is so loud. My sobs catch on my breath every once in a while.

"Hello?" He says with curiosity. "Colby can I come over?" I ask with a wavering voice. He can tell I'm crying because he instantly gets ten times more serious.

"Yes of course. I'll come get you alright. I don't want you driving right now." He says as I hear him rustling around.

"Colby he's still here." I say with a soft voice as I reach the parking garage.

"Get in your car, move to another area in the parking garage,and lock your doors. Don't unlock them until you see me ok?"

"Yeah ok. I can do that." I sniffle.

"I'll be there as soon as possible alright." He says sympathetically. With that he ends the call.

I do exactly what he said to do and I just wait. I cry practically the whole time and I feel stupid for it. It makes me feel weak.

How can one person destroy my confidence like this?

It seems like forever before Colby comes to get me. It was about 45 minutes and he scares me when he taps on my window.

I unlock the door and he helps me out. "Come on. Let's get you to bed yeah?" He says softly as I grab his hand. I just nod.

As we get to his car he swings the passenger door open for me and I glance at his hands to see his knuckles are a little busted up. "Are you okay?" I ask with furrowed eyebrows.

"Don't worry about me right now." He says as he closes the car door behind me. I fasten myself in and he's quick to take off.

"Thank you Colby." I say sincerely as we make our way to his house. He just flashes me a soft smile. I'm sure he'll have me talk as soon as we get to his house.

Once we get to his house I'm almost as quick to get out of the car as he is. "Are you hungry. I can get you something." He gushes.

"No I'm fine. Thank you though." I answer as he leads me to his room I'm all too familiar with.

I sit on the edge of his bed as he squats in front of me so we're eye level. His thumb is soft against my cheek but it's tinder and he can see my discomfort.

"I'll get you some ice okay? Is there anywhere else?" He ask. I don't say anything I just lift my sleeve to show him my purple wrist and lower forearm. "Jesus. I'll be right back. Go ahead and grab something comfortable to change into. Anything's fine. The closet is yours sweetheart." He says with a soft smile. The small name makes me smile too.

As he leaves I jump up to search for one of his shirts. I pick a simple black one and begin to take all of my stuff off. I'm very mindful of my wrist when it comes to my jacket.

Colby comes back just as his shirt sits in middle of my thighs. He smiles at me.

"What?" I chuckle. "Nothing. I like it." He says simply. This makes my cheeks heat up slightly.

He sits in the center of his bed and pats the area in front of him. I reach up to pull my hair up into a bun before I sit next to him and his eyes drift to my thighs and then back up to my face but I don't mention it.

He's gentle when he places the ice to my cheek. "Is this ok?" He ask softly. I just nod.

We're silent for a while but my cheek feels so much better. I can't help but look down at my ugly wrist though.

"Colby?" I say breaking the silence. "Yes?" He answers.

"Did you go up to my apartment before you came and got me?" I ask as I look at him timidly. He swallows hard as he thinks before answering.

"No one hurts you like this and gets away with it. You know that." He says as he takes the ice off of my cheek and takes my wrist into his hands.

He's right. Any guy that's ever in anyway been a threat to me, he's always been there to take care of it and make sure it never happens again.

"Why do you do that for me?" I ask. He's careful about answering this one. In fact he takes a while.

"Because if you love someone they're always worth fighting for." He says as he keeps his eyes on my wrist and the ice. This makes me swallow hard. So josh was right.

How could everyone see it but me?

"I'd never hurt you." He says, breaking the silence. I don't know what to say.

"You're far too beautiful." He says as his free hand caresses my unharmed cheek. I swallow hard as his eyes glance down at my lips.

He leans in and I meet him half way. I'd be lying if I said I never thought of this.

His lips are soft. He makes sure the kiss is very gently given my current situation.

It's gentle but it still takes my breath away. As we pull away I breathe harshly.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that right now." He rambles with a nervous smile.

"No no. It's okay. It wasn't half bad." I smirk.

"Well in that case, you wouldn't mind another?" He asks, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Not at all." I send him an inviting smile.

[csolarstormhealthjournal]

My fever is gone, I have entirely slept through Community Day, and Diane skipped out on the plans we had to watch the new Marvel movie in order to hang out with her friends.

Sure as hell am not going to talk to Dorothy about what a hellish night I had with my hip because she'd just say "go to the gym" as if therapy wasn't a solution I literally made up as a last resort to fix my chronic pain.

Why is Diane even out in the height of the omicron surge?! I can't believe this. We don't even know why I had a fever and she's off going out to eat and going to the bar? I'm so disappointed.

Later additions to the post under the cut. This is a Category: Vent tonight. Between my fever and pain last night and things getting screwed up today, my mind is going a lot of places. It's really helping to talk about this, so thanks Tumblr.

Edit: Diane thought Community Day was tomorrow and sort of bunched movie night with that...like, I understand that, but last night she already knew all that stuff was today. She forgot about it afterward. This is just kind of ridiculous. She didn't even know if I was better, or if she was at risk of spreading covid to the bar. A guy who got covid in the last month has been there twice, and today he had a heart attack and a stroke and then went back to work. I consider him my friend too, so I'm going to have to talk to him...

She's supposed to be my paid caregiver. It feels like a lifetime since we got into an argument about my IHSS in November, but it's just kind of ridiculous that she blew up so hurtfully about me just challenging the idea that our money depends on her being my caretaker when she does stuff like this, calling me a screwup and threatening to "be done with" me when I just want to do IHSS my way as like...I'm the one in charge of it.

And I know it's not healthy to go there in my mind right now at least...it is healthy to do something, of course, but right now I have to conserve energy because I don't know what's wrong with me. But. They're just having so much fun right now. Dorothy doesn't give a shit about where I'm at because to her it's my business. Diane seems burnt out as hell about my issues and just wanted to have a good time, and she's...she's having a good time with her wife...and here I am often in terrible pain and scared because I don't know why I had a fever and I'm feeling terrible anhedonia and don't know what I can enjoy except forcing myself into more Minecraft, and I feel like a pariah and a drag on my parents. And all I can tell myself in my miserly mind is that they feel like a drag on me too which...is half unresolved issues and half ugly spite. I want them to be happy.

How do I be happy right now?

I think I just want to push it all down and go be happy with them.

Edit: I think I'm going to ask to try Lexapro next psych appointment. I also really want a real opioid for pain relief because fuck depending on exercise. The average person with no hip joint has terrible pain but in a wheelchair with scoliosis leaning on said hip? I'm gradually crushing it. Building the strength in my hip to support itself better against a spine that's fused in permanent scoliosis is an uphill battle, and a painful one that's just gonna get worse with *laughs* arthritis. It's just the truth! The best I can do is enjoy myself and just do as much exercise as I feel comfortable with, but it's not a chore that should make a difference between whether Dorothy expresses sympathy or not. Fuck that. Anyone telling me that my pain is my fault can just screw right off. That's probably why she just doesn't even deal with me.

As a matter of fact when people try to tell you pain from extenuating circumstances is your fault, in my experience it's usually their rationalization for just wanting to spend the energy on someone they don't want to help. And that's not strictly bad...it sucks from the point of view of the disadvantaged person, but if they can't help you then you really can't blame them for just not dealing with you.

But going out of their way to tell you that your disadvantages are your fault just speaks more to their guilt and frustration than anything else. In my eyes it's much more honest to be one of those people who just doesn't approach you at all when you're having problems. And if they have to, it's not hard to just briefly express sympathy and move on. How is this hard? If someone doesn't know what they're talking about, why not just be polite and move on like they were going to do anyway?