#childe age might be like we met he is 21

[aeroplaneblues]

4.6 Arlecchino SQ spoilers✨

First all the things with the siblings, including the npc ones, was GREAT i really love it because it showed so much of the dynamic of the characters with each other.

Specially how now its text that Lyney considers Freminet his brother as much as with Lynette even when they aren't blood related. Which is something that I wanted it since they were announced as a trio.

HOWEVER, i dont think I like that instead of having a "wolf in sheep's clothing" we got a "sheep in wolf's clothing" for arlecchino, ofc it doesn't really minimize the fact that she is raising a band of child soldiers but is not painted as bad but in a "greater good" way.

Like Ayato and the shuumatsuban, there is not questioning his methods and it feels more of a heroic thing to those who know the secret (also we never dived in on this ever, so this is another thing that pisses me off)

Again, idk what I was expecting. They are all making the characters acceptable enough to be the traveler's companion, that includes even the ones that are suppose to be evil/ruthless characters.

How they going to turn dottore is just gonna be hilarious. I think I'm done hoping they'd commit to a playable character that stays evil. So I guess I'll just enjoy whatever the give to us and mourn for the story it could be if they weren't so afraid to alienate people from characters.

Still the story was enjoyable, they are getting better with story telling and I wasn't as bored as I was in other story quests. Tho it had npcs, the focus was more on Arlecchino and how those npcs affected her, thing that literally took them a while to get right.

Unrelated but I love Childe so much, its funny Arlecchino does see him as a kid which kinda confirms that childe can't be more than idk late 20s? so I'll assume he's closer to mid 20s by now. Give us a 30 y/o character that isn't an ancient pls

Anyway its a good story quest nonetheless! Do rec it.

[ham1lton]

HE SAYS TO BE COOL (I DON’T KNOW HOW YET)

pairings: jenson button x maneater!reader.

warnings: large age gap - around twenty years. a lot of judgement and criticism as there is scrutiny of your relationship.

summary: after a party at a mutual friend’s, you and jenson are photographed leaving together. the large age gap causes concern especially after your admission that you had a crush on him as a young driver.

author’s note: so this is NOT a part of the main maneater storyline. this is just a what if scenario. just something indulgent for the maneaters out there who go for dilfs! last time i checked the friendship group poll, it was practically 50/50 so until that’s decided, there is a big group of all them. also as per usual, there is a poll at the end so please vote <3

— a part of the maneater series ꕤ

liked by messybitch1, landonorris and 1,728,838 others.

ham1ltonshaderoom: after the release of lewis hamilton’s newest almave drink, formula one driver y/n l/n, better known as maneater, was seen outside of the event looking quite cozy with former formula one driver and forty-four year old jenson button. how are we feeling about this new power couple, ham1ltons?

user1: poor lewis. his drink release has been completely overshadowed by this news 😭

user3: age gap couples never last long lol. good luck but he’ll move on to the next twenty something as soon as she shows one sign of aging.

user34: SHUT UP HES SO FINE 😭 i’d do the same as you y/n girl.

-> user51: LIKE 😭😭😭 bffr. most of the ppl here would fold for their older celeb crush.

user7: idk who’s benefiting more from this relationship? but it’s definitely not love.

user9: Y/N!!!! I’LL SAVE YOU!!!

user2: not jenson going through his mid-life crisis post-divorce. girl u can do better.

user8: maneater… pls say this is a publicity stunt.

-> user73: no cause this genuinely might be her ticking off her childhood crush list. which is real but idk if it’s good for her?

user6: is she fucking all the aging drivers? or is jenson the only one stupid enough to say yes?

user25: i support it. i met my husband when i was 21 and he was 37 and we have been together almost twenty years this may. not all age gap relationships are inherently bad.

-> user4: you’re a victim 😕

user12: y’all are gross. any of us would jump at a chance to date our celeb crush. jenson is hot and y/n is a consenting adult. she’s not a child anymore. she didn’t even know him as a child. bffr.

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liked by bestie2, georgerussell63 and 3,828,782 others.

yourusername: what do you do when you haven’t seen your besties for ages? do a photoshoot in the middle of the street. how did you spend your weekend?

bestie1: we look so good!!! it was soo good to catch up babe. we missed u!!!

-> bestie2: we’ve all been so busy it’s insane how we’ve not been able to see each other more. i was going insane without my girls!!!

user1: is she not even gonna address it?!

-> user6: big ass elephant in the room.

user4: we knew how you spent your weekend ms l/n.

landonorris: am i not your bestie? why wasn’t i included?

-> georgerussell63: or me?!

-> alex_albon: or me? 🤨

-> logansargeant: or me?? 😕

-> oscarpiastri: i get why i wasn’t included tbf.

user10: u think posting pretty girls will make us forget ur weekend escapades? … maybe. keep posting.

user2: can you guys not make everything about a man? who cares if she’s dating jenson? what does that have to do with her ability to do her job or advocate for causes?! i feel sorry for her because you guys clearly dislike her for stupid reasons and are twisting this into a way to jump her ‘ethically’ which doesn’t even make sense. the only problematic thing she’s done is date a man older than her. grow up, my god.

*liked by landonorris, bestie1, bestie2, georgerussell63, oscarpiastri, alex_albon, logansargeant and 45,728 others. *

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liked by charles_leclerc, bestie1 and 1,092,728 others.

yourusername: italy, i love you ♥︎

user3: get you a man that flies u out whenever ur sad.

-> user7: why are we not assuming she flew HIM out?

-> bestie2: he definitely flew her out. lmao.

user89: feels like a disaster waiting to happen lol.

-> logansargeant: not every relationship is like your parents. get therapy instead of projecting onto strangers.

user6: still a whore. i can’t stand this bitch.

-> oscarpiastri: stay mad! she’s young, successful and has many people who love and support her while you’re cursed to just scroll through her posts and seethe in your head. this one sided beef is crazy 🤣🤣!

user9: they’re cute!! idk how i’m the only one who thinks this.

user67: she’s still ugly.

-> alex_albon: looked at your pictures mate and cheers, my nan just vomited.

user12: when he leaves her >>>>

-> georgerussell63: 6.220.183.12

-> user3: NOT THE IP ADDRESS HELP?2&/&

user8: jenson. call me when you need a real woman.

-> bestie1: where is the real woman you speak of? she’s definitely NOT you.

user21: honestly? i just can’t get on board with this ship.

-> landonorris: you can’t even afford a ticket 🤣 delete this.

user10: i’m not saying shit cause why the y/n defense squad dragging people in the comments 😭

liked by oscar.priv, alex.priv and 21 others.

maneater.priv: NEED HIM CARNALLY <3

bestie1priv: thank god he doesn’t know about ur priv account. i think he’d combust.

-> maneater.priv: nah he giggles. he thinks its funny.

oscar.priv: everyone on a campaign to save you from jenson when they should be saving jenson from YOU!

bestie2priv: LOVE U BOTH <333 cutest couple!

lando.priv: dare you to post this on ur main 😏🤣😁😝

-> george.priv: 43.0.109.12

-> lando.priv: MAN COME ON 😭

don’t want to miss out on my next post? join my taglist! if you enjoyed this, check out my masterlist or buy me a coffee! no pressure ! <3

[darnell-la]

Knock you up.

word count: 2.2k

pairing: perv!delusional!Eddie Munson x innocent!bratty!reader

warning: CNC, hair pulling, choking, stalking, perving, angry/hard sex, whining, defenseless, mention of drugging reader, non-con-face cuming while sleeping, age gap, etc.

WE DO NOT CONSENT TO ANY COPIES OF OUR STORIES!

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3rd person pov

God knows Eddie is a sick bastard. Never a day in his life since 9th grade has he not jerked off to some random thought or woman. Usually, it would be y/n. The girl he’s been crushing on since she started high school.

Munson was a senior when y/n arrived at the school. She was the cutest little thing he’d ever seen. The way she dressed, the way she looked and all the way up to the way she acted was perfect to him.

She wasn’t a child, and she was pretty mature for her age. The only thing about her that makes Eddie a creep, is how innocent she looks.

Y/n seems like a girl who wouldn’t drink unnecessarily, have unnecessary sex, miss classes or school, or do anything Eddie might have done his first year in school.

The innocent girl is now a senior and in the same class as Eddie. He’s failed 3 times, but this year has to be his last. He has to go wherever y/n plans to. He can’t just let her go.

All the years of walking past y/n and occasionally hanging out with her, he could never get her to feel as comfortable around him as he wanted.

Maybe that was his fault though, because he’d always pressured the poor girl to smoke with him, knowing she’d knock out every time.

He hadn’t used her body like he’d dreamed of when she would be knocked out, but he definitely did jerk off until he came on her face. He’d slip her tiny skirts up to take a smell of that cunt.

He could never get passed that point. Not even to free her tits or maybe eat her till she cums because he’d cum just from the smell of her.

After all these years of uncomfortable situations, y/n decided to tell Eddie, their senior year, that she was moving in different directions of friends. She offered to hang out occasionally, but he didn’t like that.

Eddie threw a fit and her neck ended up wrapped in his hand. He said some very nasty things, rather that was calling her “My fucking slut,” or saying “If you keep makin’ me wait, I’ll take it from you,”.

This was a couple of months ago, and since then, y/n hasn’t spoken a word to him. She can’t look at him or talk about him. He’s done too much.

“Y/n, just talk to me! I-It’s been so long,” Eddie stalked behind y/n as she walked through this surprisingly big school. “I don’t want to, Eds,” she said as she began walking up the stairs.

“Please, princess, I’m sorry, okay? I really am, I just- I just needed you,” Eddie said, aching that his baby girl couldn’t even look into his eyes. “Why do you need me? You’re like 21 Eddie. I just turned 18,” y/n rolled her eyes as she hit the top of the stairs.

Of course, y/n had a crush on Eddie since she was a freshman, but over time, she’s met other people. She’s never gone far because she’s had this voice in her mind saying Eddie. She could only be for Eddie.

Now that her feelings died down, she’s been getting better with letting these college boys make out with her. Maybe even finger her, but she’s never given to them or had sex.

Eddie of course knows about this, which makes him furious. She’s never told him about her feelings, but it’s not hard to see a shy girl.

“C’mon baby, don’t be like that. We both know you love that. I’m mature and strong and can take so good care of you,” Eddie kept following the girl. She’s just trying to get to her class. She can’t have this conversation right now.

“I don’t need to take care of Eddie! I’m an adult,” y/n grew annoyed. “You’re not a fucking adult! You’re still going and need protecting,” Eddie’s delusional thoughts got out.

“Fuck off, Munson,” y/n finally got out. Eddie’s face and attitude about this situation, change right after her response to him pouring his heart out. This fucking brat.

Eddie quickly ran up behind y/n and grabbed her, causing her books to fall out of her hand. “Eddie, what the hell! Get off of me!” She yelled as she fought. They went at him for quite some time, but sadly, her bag ended up on the floor and she ended up pinned against the lockers by her neck.

“Calm down!” Eddie huffed in her face. As much as he loves the fight, he wants to set her straight. “Eddie, stop,” y/n whined as she kicked, but that didn’t bother him. “Stop it, y/n,” he moved his head inches away from her face, but she wouldn’t listen. She’s just acting up!

Eddie pulled her off of the locker and then slammed her back into it, knocking the wind out of her. “You do this do yourself. It’s all you! If you would just shut up, keep your head down, and listen, you’d be fine,” Eddie’s mind started racing.

“But no. You walk around her, actin’ single and open when you’re not. I fucking calmed you! I came on your pretty little face every chance I got. You’re marked,” Eddie spilled his secrets.

“N-No,” y/n didn’t believe him. “Oh, yes, and I think you I would. Just look at me, baby,” Eddie said as he began slowly grinding himself on her. She moved her face to the side after his lips touched hers, but that didn’t stop him from moving back into her face.

“You do something to me, and you know it. That’s why you let me hang out with you at such a young age. You’re a fucking tease, and you’ve been teasing me for far too long,” Eddie said

Seconds later, Eddie threw the poor girl to the ground. She’s been such a brat. She needs to be taught. He can’t go through this life of not stuffing her like one of her stuffed animals.

“Eddie, we’re at school!” Y/n yelled whispered as she tried backing up, but he soon got on top of her. “Good. Let them watch me take your innocence. Let them see that the freak is the only one to fill this bratty cunt,” Eddie whispered in her ear before tugging at her clothes.

Eddie turned the poor girl around, hurting her knees, but he couldn’t care less. He’ll take care of her when he takes her home.

Y/n begged, hoping no one would hear them and come out to see this mess, but him on the other hand. He wants that. He wants them to watch her so corrupted on his cock. They need to see.

“Please, Eddie,” y/n’s eyes began to water. She should have known this would happen. She’s even dreamt and prayed for something like this to happen years ago, but now, she doesn’t know. Does she still feel the same?

“Fucking Christ, y/n. You’re such a fucking hassle,” Eddie forced the weak girl's skirt to her mid-through. “These fucking panties don’t make this better,” Eddie chuckled, seeing how puffy her cunt was. Her pretty wet cunt.

“I’m gonna fuck into this pretty thing while you keep it down. All you gotta do, baby, is keep it down,” Eddie whispered in the girl's ear as he slowly pulled her panties to the side.

He’s always wanted to fuck her in her uniform. After she made the cheer team, he just had to fuck her in this outfit.

“D-Don’t touch there,” y/n stuttered as Eddie reached into his jeans. “Oh, baby — You know I’ll do more than just touch you,” Eddie stroked his already so painfully hard cock. So painful.

“I’m gonna rip you in two in these high school hallways,” Eddie said before spitting in his hand to get himself wet. She’s wet enough, but he can’t take his time fucking her. He’s already around the corner from cuming.

“You ready baby?” Eddie asked, which remained y/n, she didn't even fight anymore. “No!” She began moving and giving Eddie a he’d time, once again hoch pissed him off quickly.

“Fuck, y/n! You’re so damn hardheaded!” Eddie grabbed the fighting girl's head, making her arch her back. “Ow!” Y/n whined. Eddie brought a heavy hand to her ass, slapping it a few times to shut her up.

“If you keep fuckin’ with me, I’ll give you a harder time at my house. Trust me, you will not handle a cock in your ass,” Eddie threatened. The girl didn’t completely stop fighting back, but she did calm down. She still whined, knowing she couldn’t stop this. Apart from her doesn’t want to stop it.

“Good girl,” Eddie Said as he slowly began pushing into the whining girl. “Agh, fuck! Fuck, you’re s-so fucking tight,” Eddie slightly moaned as he got deeper and deeper into her.

Y/n’s legs began to shake as the taller dude began thrusting his hips. “Yeah, just like that,” Eddie slowly moved in and out of y/n as she shook uncontrollably with her sweetest whines.

“So fucking wet, baby. I could drink you for days,” Eddie said in her ear as her clot began to swell. “Eddie,” she whined, eyes rolled back and fucked out like he wanted her. He’s waited so long to see his princess like this.

“Mhm, you like it? Like went Eddie fucks his cock into your innocent pussy?” Eddie kept his mouth so close to her ear as she slowly began rocking her hips back. “Yeah — So fucking desperate for a cock. Always knew you were a slut. Fuckin’ told ya,” Eddie spoke as he sped up.

“Aah!” Y/n moaned, trying to keep herself down as her cunt got louder and Eddie’s thrust got more aggressive. He wants to risk it all. “C’mon, baby! Let it out. They then hear you,” Eddie encouraged as he pulled her head back more.

“Let it out!” He demands with a slap on her bare ass. “No!” Y/n still thought she had a say in anything. “You’re gonna regret it,” Eddie growled in her ear before pushing her face to the ground.

The huge man kept a hand on her face, causing her back to arch then grabbed her waist. With that, he began to fuck into her inexperienced cunt like a fuck doll. He has to do it. He gave her no choice.

“Fuck, Eddie!” She cried out as her ass clapped back into Eddie’s. “Yeah,” Eddie growled, losing control of the way he fucks into her. He almost forgot she hadn’t done this before.

“Want me to slow down? Is my cock too much for your fucked our cunt?” Eddie asked as he leaned closer to her face. “Want daddy to hurry up and breed this little pussy, and make you his little girl forever?” Eddie asked Y/n, knowing she couldn’t respond back. He’s so good at this.

“Yeah, I know you do. You wanna be trapped with me. Want me to knock you up on school grounds for everyone to see,” Eddie felt himself getting close as y/n whined at the twitch of his cock.

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie’s voice cracked as he slammed into her cunt to make her feel it all. She didn’t know how, but just at that, she came. She couldn’t hold it anymore. She tried her best, but she had to let it go.

“Ah huh! Ah huh!” Eddie’s thrusts stuttered until he finally buried himself so deep, he was sure she’d become pregnant. “Oh fuuck!” Eddie groans loudly, surprised that no one has come out yet.

“Oh my god,” y/n moaned as her juice leaned all over her skirt. “Oh fuck,” Eddie chuckled, feeling his cock twitching in her walls. He knows he’s not as empty as he wants to be. As soon as he takes her home, he’ll empty the rest.

“Fuck,” y/n whined low as Eddie slowly pulled out and y/n’s lower body slumped on the ground at how weak she was. Eddie admired the cum leaking out of her plumped cunt. He even thought about eating her out.

“P-Please,” y/n aimlessly said, so fucked out, she will not be able to walk. “I know, baby. It’s a lot. But remember how bad you were. You don’t get to rest today,” Eddie said in her ear.

Eddie fixed y/n and himself up before pulling y/n to her feet slowly. “You’re coming home with me, okay?” Eddie asked. “Okay,” y/n said low, wanting all this taking care of that he mentioned. “Good answer, princess,” Eddie kissed the girl's cheek.

After coming home from a long fuck session in the middle of their school hallway, Eddie couldn’t help himself. He let hit sweet girl rest next to him on his bed after he cleaned her up.

She begged him too much for him to say no. Y/n surpassingly gave him a peck, causing his eyes to water. He finally made it. All the days he’s stalked, perved, and even punished her not too long ago, he made it to the point he wanted to get to. Which is with her forever.

[mariacallous]

Is a five-year age gap in a relationship a little untoward? What about a three-year gap?

On social media, Gen Zers ― at least those who are chronically online ― are constantly debating the ethics of age gaps. Even if some relationships are perfectly legal, that doesn’t necessarily make them ethical, many say.

It’s little wonder then that age-disparate relationships are cause for so much conversation: Having grown up alongside the #MeToo movement, Generation Z is well versed in unbalanced power dynamics and the language of consent. And lately, there’s been plenty of celebrity pairings to interrogate.

There’s the obviously icky examples, like the recent, short-lived romance between Aoki Lee Simmons — Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons’ 21-year-old daughter — and restaurateur Vittorio Assaf, 65. Earlier this month, viral photos showed the pair flouncing around on vacation in St. Barts.

Yes, they’re both consenting adults, but it was still unseemly, critics said. If anything, the argument that they’re both of age is “something groomers cling to,” as one young woman on Threads put it.

“Adulthood was meant to signify voting/draft age,” she wrote. “But everyone knows your prefrontal cortex is not fully formed at this age.” (This difference between so-called brain age and chronological age ― you might be 21 but your brain is undeveloped! ― often gets brought up in these kinds of conversations.)

There are gender-swapped examples too, like actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson and filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson, a now-married couple who met while working on a 2009 John Lennon biopic called “Nowhere Boy.” At the time, he was in his late teens and she was a mother of two in her early 40s.

“I didn’t relate to anyone my age,” the actor told The Telegraph in 2019, reflecting on when they first met. “I just feel that we’re on the same wavelength.”

Some fans aren’t convinced. “We def aren’t talking about male grooming victims enough and this is literally proof,” one person wrote in a highly shared TikTok video about their coupling.

Then there’s the less expected critiques: Is four years too much of an age gap? “At 25, I wouldn’t even date a 21 year old,” reads one tweet with around 80,000 likes.

What about 10 years? Fans of Billie Eilish were up in arms in 2022 when the then-20-year-old singer revealed that she was dating fellow musician Jesse Rutherford, who was in his early 30s. One viral tweet about the 10-year age gap reads: “jesse rutherford was alive during george h w bush’s presidency . billie eilish cannot legally drink.”

Long-established relationships aren’t safe, either. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s 11-year gap has been scrutinized. And recently, Beyhive members have begun debating whether Beyoncé was “groomed” because she was 19 when she started dating Jay-Z, who was in his early 30s.

Noncelebrity couples are getting called out, too. “I was 19. My now husband was 27. My now 13yo child calls him my ‘predator,’” one woman wrote on Threads alongside laughing emoji, probably only half-joking.

Why Gen Z Seems To Have Such An Aversion To Age Gaps

Is Gen Z just more prudish on this subject than prior generations?

Not necessarily, said Justin Lehmiller, a research fellow at the Kinsey Institute and the host of the “Sex and Psychology Podcast.” He’s been studying age-gap relationships for roughly 20 years and said the stigma around age-disparate relationships is long-standing.

In 2008 ― when terms like “cradle robber” and “cougar” were bandied around a lot more than they are now ― Lehmiller co-authored a study that found age-discrepant couples reported experiencing significantly more social disapproval than people in gay or interracial couples.

So the discomfort around these types of relationships isn’t anything new. What is new, according to Lehmiller, is how comfortable Gen Z feels about publicly and vocally disapproving of these relationships ― even on people’s personal Instagram pages. (Aaron and Sam Taylor-Johnson recently spoke out against the “bizarre” online judgment they’ve received. Eilish and Rutherford brushed off the criticism from overly concerned fans by dressing up as a baby and an old man one Halloween.)

“To some in Gen Z, age-gap relationships read as being inherently exploitative because they perceive age discrepancies as necessarily creating a power imbalance that favors the older partner,” Lehmiller told HuffPost.

What’s also changed is which parties tend to receive the brunt of the judgment. In the past, people were often scornful of both the younger and older partners in these relationships. Historically, the younger partners, especially when they were women, endured labels like “gold digger” ― with the implication that they were the ones doing the exploiting. That terminology doesn’t always fly with Gen Z.

“That perception seems to have largely disappeared when you look at what Gen Z is saying,” Lehmiller noted. “They seem to cast the younger partners as victims who are being preyed upon or ‘groomed.’”

Gigi Engle, a certified sex and relationship psychotherapist and resident intimacy expert for dating app 3Fun, worries that the term “grooming” is being overapplied and losing its meaning.

“The narrative is really toxic here and in many other cases,” she told HuffPost. “Trans people are groomers, gay people are groomers, older people dating younger people are groomers ― and this just isn’t accurate. It’s a really fear-mongering time we live in.”

Gen Z may be hyperfocused on this because of their age: If you’re a 35-year-old woman, you’re probably less hung up on the idea of a 50-year-old guy expressing interest in you.

“I think younger people may be more susceptible to manipulation and are therefore more afraid of it,” Engle said. “The reality is, age-gap relationships have been happening since humans have existed, and it is absolutely not some one-size-fits-all. In the vast majority of relationships like this, nothing untoward is happening.”

Here’s What Gen Z Has To Say About Age Gaps

Talking to actual Gen Zers, you’ll find that their opinions on age gaps run the gamut. As with most things, their takes on the subject are much more nuanced than those found on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, would have you believe.

That said, many are genuinely bothered by age gaps. While the #MeToo movement gave them the language to talk about power imbalances, some 20-somethings say their opinions are more colored by their own personal experiences.

Layla — a 23-year-old who asked to use her first name only for privacy reasons, like others in this story — thinks it’s better to date within your own age group, ideally within a two- or three-year range.

“When I was around 21 and 22, I tried talking to guys who were 30 and over but soon realized it wasn’t right,” she told HuffPot. “They had so much more life experiences than me, and it was awkward being from different generations.”

Layla said she’d tried to joke and laugh about certain things ― a meme or a TikTok video ― and got a lot of blank stares. She wasn’t a fan of their humor, either: A date recounting the umpteenth “Seinfeld” episode or that one “Step Brothers” scene gets a little old after a while.

“Trying to relate to one another just didn’t work out, and it felt awkward and wrong,” she said.

“I believe a relationship between an 18- and 25-year-old is problematic,” Layla said, noting that this applies regardless of gender.

“I actually wish women got called out for their predatory behavior, too,” she said. “It almost seems like no one wants to hold women accountable.”

Mona, a 21-year-old college student in Georgia, even finds her own parents’ 11-year age gap a little “predatory”: Her dad was in his late 30s and a divorced father of one when he met her mom, who was in her late 20s and didn’t have children.

Mona would date someone three years older. She wouldn’t consider going younger, though. “I do think that an 18- and 25-year-old together is unacceptable,” she said.

She is particularly weirded out when she hears people talk about how their partner basically raised them or taught them “how to be a woman,” as Beyoncé said to Jay-Z in a 2006 birthday toast that went viral recently.

Mona is also wary of anyone who almost exclusively dates young people ― the Leonardo DiCaprios of the world. Every time the 49-year-old actor gets a new girlfriend, a graph highlighting the fact that each of his ex-girlfriends has been 25 or under starts circulating again.

“Any respectable adult would have the common sense that pursuing a teenager is extremely weird, and I also believe it says a lot about the headspace of the older person,” the 21-year-old said.

Mona also thinks the COVID-19 pandemic might’ve been a factor in Gen Zers’ apprehension over age gaps. They might technically be 21, but given that weird few-year pause, they don’t feel it.

“You hear about how we’re mentally the same age that we were when the pandemic first started,” she said. “That might play a role in why some people are not settling on older people pursuing them ― you feel you’re still too young.”

Not everyone agrees. Rei, a 22-year-old who is queer, said they don’t find age-disparate relationships inherently problematic. They said there’s a lot more than age that gives people power over each other, and if you consider five years an “age-gap relationship” then Rei is currently in one.

“Though my partner is older than me, I have a college degree and she doesn’t,” they said. “So arguably I have a better financial and career outlook that would make me the ‘abusive one,’ if you’re using that language.”

Age gaps may be more common in the queer community, Rei said. “I don’t know a gay guy who hasn’t been with someone much older than him,” they said. “It’s just normal to us.”

Problematic dynamics can exist no matter the age. “People now don’t know what grooming is and just use the term as synonymous with age gaps,” Rei said.

To some extent, Rei sees the hubbub over age gaps as an overcorrection of the mores ushered in by the #MeToo movement.

“People overadjust and assume that any relationship out of the norm is abusive,” they said. “In my experience, people who feel age gaps are problematic are also the same people who argue the internet is harmful and should be censored because they had a bad experience as a kid. Your experience isn’t universal.”

For Amelia, 24, actual age matters less than the stage of life you’re in. She figures if you’re a relatively accomplished 28-year-old dating an accomplished 40-year-old, what’s the big deal? The word “grooming” really only applies when an adult is introduced to a future partner when they’re underage, Amelia said.

She cited the relationship between Dane Cook and his wife as an “egregious” example of a questionable age gap. (The now-52-year-old comedian met Kelsi Taylor at a game night he hosted when she was in her late teens.)

“Do I think it’s possible for people like that to have a healthy and happy relationship? Sure,” Amelia said. “But the older I get, my desire to talk to high schoolers grows slimmer and slimmer. I really can’t put myself in the shoes of someone who would want to befriend a high schooler.”

That said, Amelia thinks that some Gen Zers take their judgment too far. To her, the concern over age gaps seems like a weirdly “paternalistic” brand of feminism, where women feel the need to protect women from men.

“It’s similar to how Swifties treat Taylor Swift,” she said, referring to the now-34-year-old pop star.

“You have young women ‘looking out for’ a billionaire woman in her 30s. I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, but I don’t think she needs protecting from Travis Kelce because Travis Kelce got in the face of his NFL coach during the Super Bowl.”

The anti-age-gap sentiment held by many plays into the “puriteen” narrative that’s been inescapable lately. Online, there’s a lot of hand-wringing over Gen Zers’ seeming aversion to sex: Studies show that they’re having less of it than earlier generations and that they don’t want sex scenes in their movies.

Though Amelia overall disagrees with age-gap critics ― she feels like their arguments rob women of their agency, she said ― she gets where those in her peer group are coming from.

“The majority of us had unsupervised internet access from a young age. We were in chatrooms, on Tumblr, and other various corners of the internet that we probably should not have been on at that age,” she said. “It was easy for grown men on the internet to reach us if they wanted to.”

If you’ve been oversexualized at a young age ― or seen others in your age bracket be oversexualized ― that experience is understandably going to shape how you perceive these kinds of things, Amelia said.

But the reality is, there are likely just as many happy May-December unions as there are disappointing ones. “Believe it or not, we often see more ― not less ― equity in these relationships,” Lehmiller noted.

All of the Gen Zers we spoke to said that ultimately, two consenting adults can do whatever they want in their private lives, even if others find it off-putting.

“Men can like women that are younger and not be a creep,” Amelia said. “He also can be a creep, but some random person with a Twitter cartoon avatar shouldn’t necessarily be the judge of that!”

[artheresy]

Yingxing Appreciation 🎉🎉

hi, hello, it's Yingxing appreciation time and I'm dragging you into it bc he is my baby and I need more ppl to talk about him

Y'know I see a lot of people like in awe and hyping up DF and just giving him tons of appreciation while analyzing him specifically as an individual which is all so so valid, DF is amazing and very intriguing as a character and I love him sm, but I sadly don't see the same for Yingxing despite him I think also being so interesting. I also see him more so dismissed in the "literally God and some guy" kind of fashion sometimes

So I'm here to rant just a little bit about Yingxing, why I love him, why he's epic and why he ruins my day every single time I think about him! This is for any of my fellow Yingxing lovers who are also starved of any content of him

Firstly, this man is a genuine genius, like lest we forget this is from Baiheng's travelogue in which she met a young Yingxing who was still a child by this point.

He was a young boy but had already become a craftsman, a sign of his ability to learn exceedingly quick under Huaiyans tutelage. And his ability to work and progress incredible fast continues into his time as a young man on the Luofu.

We know he arrived probably somewhere around 18-21 (in my personal estimate) and by the time he saw Jingliu again (which itself was likely early into his stay on the Luofu given HCQ ages and timing), he had already impressed the Master Craftsmen of the Luofu's Artisanship Commission and earned himself a title.

There are also multiple things in game that emphasize his achievements and creations he crafted, some offhandedly mentioned in a readable or item while others are emphasized with importance.

Casually mentioned in the Discarded Ingenium Parts is his feat in the Great Trial of the Furnace (perhaps that trial is for gaining the furnace master title? Once again signifying an earlier achievement in his legacy) where it took him only a day and night to create a whole mechanical lion that moved and looked just like a real live lion from a bunch of defective parts and waste.

More recently in 1.5, they released a readable, the Ten-Lords Criminal Directory, which mentions an imprisonment method designed by Yingxing that keeps “Mirage” in a perpetual state trapped within a hallucination of their own making. Utilizing it’s own powers in order to keep it imprisoned. Something that with proper maintenance seems to have lasted for around 700 years so far.

And of course, how can we forget his most famous creations

The beautifully crafted weapons of the High Cloud Quintet, from Jingliu’s incredibly heavy sword remarked as being as heavy as three thousand catties, to Dan Feng’s Cloud Piercer with the ability to even cut through dragon scales, and the Devastator Glaive as well as Baiheng’s recurve bow. Each impressive in their own ways and seemingly crafted pretty early as well into his time on the Luofu with the HCQ given the distinction of Jing Yuan who (even if he likely was more a teen than a boy) still wasn’t an exact adult yet. So once again, let me emphasize this man’s skill here. With how many things he managed to do so so early into his time on the Luofu. A genius craftsman who deserved all of the praise he had garnered with his works.

Additionally, I know they keep harping about “ugh arrogant craftsman, ugh he’s so full of himself” but every single time we’ve seen his personality, he just seems like a genuine joy to be around. Bright, charismatic, sure he’s cocky but he also gives the impression of being incredibly fun and a bit silly if you ask me.

His behavior as mirrored by the mirage echo in Scalegorge Waterscape is distinctly playful even in what might be a more tense situation, lightly bantering with Dan Feng and even chuckling in certain languages.

In Jingliu’s character stories, it even furthers this bright, playful attitude he gives off with his distinct cheekiness shining through especially with that “toothy grin” of his. And if you listen to Jingliu’s (at least her English) voice lines during Clouds Leave No Trace when she speaks about Yingxing before getting into his transformation, there is a distinct fondness or amusement in her voice as she speaks of him especially that cocky nature of his despite her distaste for it at first.

While Baiheng is hailed as this kind figure in the High Cloud Quintet, perhaps their sun even casting light upon them, it doesn’t seem too far off to say Yingxing was a shining star among them in his own right. His easy going nature with them bringing about a bubbly playfulness similar to Baiheng given their closeness from when he was young. I could go into way more especially in regards to the casualness at which Yingxing seems to speak and treat others allowing for a more equal formation of relationships especially with Dan Feng but I’m saving that for another rant.

And all of this about him especially how expressive he seems at certain points he’s been mentioned, really just makes me so incredibly sad when thinking about Blade now. How severely separated he is from this identity. A division that exists from not only his death but from the way his mental state has been severely warped from his time with Jingliu and being affected afterwards by the mara.

The sheer dehumanization and lack of a personal identity in place of seeing himself as a solely a weapon when put next to Yingxing, with such a clear bold individual identity, really makes the transformation of one into the other all the more jarring and tragic. Especially with the emphasis on how Yingxing hated the abominations of Abundance only to become one himself, something that is still implied to have not been by his own hand. Blade is an immensely tragic character, but that tragedy only holds weight because of the life and identity Yingxing had. It is only with Yingxing’s light which shined despite the circumstances of his life that his descent into darkness hits harder, and it makes me so sad that I haven’t found many others talking or expanding upon this despite my searches because he really is such a well written character with so many details in his story that are both interesting and utterly heartbreaking.

And additionally, I want to say that I think there is a lost potential in examining the Xianzhou through Yingxing. Specifically in the way he is treated as a short life species. We know how the relationship between the Vidyadhara and the Natives, especially as it’s changed after Dan Feng, but there is a very interesting relationship to be explored between the Xianzhou and the Short Life Species the end up there, especially through Yingxing’s relationship to the different Artisans guilds whether on the Luofu or the Zhuming.

In the end, it becomes another sad element to Yingxing’s story. Yingxing managed to change his attitude regarding how the Zhuming masters treated him and even grew more of a confidence, but even in the Luofu's Artisanship Commission, he can never truly get as far as he deserves. Just as Jingliu says

Even with his work impressing the master craftsmen of the Luofu, even after more than showing his skill and earning the title of Furnace Master for that skill, he still would be denied higher positions and could only prove his true worth by the High Cloud Quintet.

And just let me say it again, him being a short life species allows for such an interesting examination of the world and people around him based upon that. While we don't know exactly how they met, we do know that Yingxing was Huaiyan's personal disciple and the only one he mentions of the celestial masters to treat him with respect and believe in his capabilities despite knowing he's a short life species. Through his treatment of Yingxing, we learn quite a bit about him. Through Baiheng's treatment of him as well, we learn a lot about her, more than anywhere else.

He's just UGH I need more exploration from Yingxing's perspective, the lack of it feels as if I'm being starved. He's so interesting, he's so fun, he's incredibly tragic, and he makes me cry every single time he crosses my mind. Please do yourselves a favor and think more about his character so you'll end up as sad about him as me. Or don't maybe. I dunno. All I know for sure is that you absolutely need to read Views of the Universe From a Starskiff: The Zhuming if you haven't. Anyways bye, thanks for listening to this rant, I gotta go cry over him.

Peep the tags also for a rant about my own characterization of YX if you wish to witness my insanity

[errorscriber]

there's been a lot of talks about shidou's safety in regards to amane now that Purge March has dropped, I would like to give some people peace of mind about amane's threat to shidou. there have been lore drops here and there that implies he'll be fine

21/03/22 (Kazui’s First Trial)

Shidou: Mukuhara-san, you’ve not been looking great ever since you came back.

Kazui: Ahh…… yeah, I still haven’t got back to my usual self huh. Y’know, Shidou-kun…… kids can be really brutal huh. I don’t have any of my own so hadn’t realised until now.

Shidou: Haha, so they are. They won’t listen to the excuses adults make to explain themselves. ……though that’s also what makes them cute.

Kazui: Yeah… You’re really mature, Shidou-kun. By comparison, I’m really immature huh. Not growing up in any way other than my age. ……*sigh* Even I’m starting to hate that about myself.

22/06/27 (Amane’s Birthday)

Kazui: What’s up, Shidou-kun? You’re looking pretty down. I guess you must be tired, I’ve been relying on you a lot lately.

Shidou: Yeah, I just remembered…… today is Amane’s birthday. I’m just getting a bit sentimental.

Kazui: Hmm, it’s unfortunate, but at the moment we can’t worry about that. ……you understand, right? There’s something that you need to do right now. And if you tried talking to her your words definitely won’t reach her. Don’t look at me like that. We’ll just wait until the situation changes. Let’s do our best.

Shidou: Yeah. I’ll do what I can. I can’t have a child making a face like that. Even though we’re “murderers”…… we’re also the adults here.

22/10/24 (Shidou’s Birthday)

Amane: ……Kirisaki Shidou. How long do you plan on continuing this foolish behaviour?

Shidou: I wonder what you might be referring to there. I’m just doing what I need to do. If anything, I’d be happy if you would lend me a hand.

Amane: I warned you. I can no longer turn a blind eye to this wickedness taking place right in front of us. You’re bringing ruin unto yourself. Do you understand?

Shidou: No, I don’t understand. It’s my job as an adult to teach you that throwing a temper tantrum isn’t going to make everything go your way. If it’s a test of endurance you want, I’m happy to oblige, Amane.

i know prison isn't really comparable to a hospital, but shidou is a doctor. he's probably met folks who are averse towards medical treatments. we have to also remember he's canonically a father as well. the patience in this man knows no bounds! shidou is the person who knows best that children can get volatile if they go through their word and actually initiate in their tantrums.

in the second trial we've clearly seen him be more proactive and more motivated to interact and help other people in the prison. to me, these conversations shidou has had implies that he'll find a way or be able to defend himself is amane were to do something to him.

maybe let's say, i am grasping for straws here and maybe shidou is gonna be in ruins but for now i want to have faith in that guy. he's tried to be gentle and passive around amane at first from the very beginning, now he knows that type of approach doesn't work. i surely hope he's prepared and i think from these conversations, shidou himself is trying to prepare for what is about to come.

i do want to take amane seriously and respect her wishes not to downplay her as a child but im not gonna try and give her too much power, i don't think she's a Big and Major Threat we should all worry about. i know there are so many variables we have to consider in the second trial towards what to vote. regardless of what you want to vote her this trial, i think our first trial verdict has already locked her thoughts into place anyway.

22/04/19 (Futa’s Birthday)

Futa: ……! O-oh, it’s just you. It’s nothing. ……but well, on that note. Hey. Don’t you have anything happening too? Since being in here, just suddenly getting anxious. Feeling as though loads of people are all there condemning you, telling you you were wrong.

Amane: ……I’m fine. I don’t know what you’ve done or what it is you’re worried about, but I think if there’s something you believe in, you should stay true to it. It’s not something that should waver just because other people said something. I personally don’t plan on changing my own beliefs even if I’m told I’m wrong either…… ……today is your birthday, correct? I’ll pray for God to keep you under his care.

this is my first time doing a post like this so im sorry if there are any misunderstandings i have regarding these conversations. i do hope that maybe you can find some faith that shidou will turn out fine in some way. he's going to beef with a 12 year old. he should start thinking about what to do.

[kingedmundsroyalmurder]

Blue Castle chapter 24 and 25

Cissy is the daughter the Stirlings wish Valancy had been. Pretty, sweet, meek, innocent in the ways of the world, eager to please and quick to forgive. Someone who would do as she was told and look pretty in church without outshining Olive. And, of course, Cecilia Stirling would have had no need to go out to work, and thus never would have met her child's father.

I'm struck in particular by the juxtaposition of these two passages:

From chapter 24: " And I—didn’t know—some things. I didn’t—understand. Then his father came and took him away. And—after a little—I found out—"

Back in chapter 11: " Poor Mrs. Frederick was almost in a state of collapse. She had believed—or pretended to believe—that Valancy still supposed that children were found in parsley beds."

Cissy was raised by a single father who knows perfectly well how sex works, to the point where it likely doesn't even occur to him that people aren't just born knowing where babies come from. Her other main influence was her church community, made up of people who, one assumes, do not talk about these things publicly, and certainly not to Cissy Gay. It's implied that Cissy's mother, had she lived, would have (or at least should have) taught her these things. Clearly she never learned on her own, until it was too late.

Valancy, meanwhile, knows perfectly well where babies come from, to the point where she's embarrassed to even think about wanting them. Wanting to be a mother is perfectly respectable, even laudable for a woman in Valancy's position. Wanting the process of becoming a mother is most certainly not. It's not said where Valancy learned about sex and how it works, although my vote is from Olive, who has had boyfriends and been engaged.

So meek, innocent Cissy Gay might well have been better tolerated by the Stirlings than odd, never quite fitting in properly Valancy. (Cissy would, most likely, have been utterly crushed by the Stirlings in a way that Valancy never quite was. But then again, Olive wasn't. Maybe a Cecilia Stirling who was pretty and clearly had some marital prospects because of her looks would have been treated better by the extended family, if not Mrs. Fredrick and Cousin Stickles.) And, in contrast, Valancy might well have thrived as Abel Gay's daughter. Without discounting the impact of Abel's neglect, Valancy is clearly more outspoken than Cissy, and stronger willed. She grew up in a stifling and domineering society and the second she got out she not only knew her own mind but had no fear speaking it. If she'd been left to raise herself, I think it wouldn't have taken the promise of imminent death to set that part of her free.

I have AUs in my head now. Moving on...

Other thoughts about these chapters --

I did a little bit of research into the Canadian turn of the century education system back when we learned about Olive's engagements. She graduated from college at 18, and from what I could tell, it seems like College was for students roughly 15-18ish. So if that's correct and college is the word LMM uses to mean high school age students, with University being for 18+, then Cissy's young college student would have been a teenager. Probably 18 or 19 at oldest, possibly (likely?) younger.

And Cissy went to work at the hotel "4 years previously". At 25 or 26 at time of death (since she's three years younger than Valancy, who just turned 29), she would have been ~21 at time of boyfriend. So probably older than the boy.

Given that, it's likely that the boy was probably just as surprised and horrified by the pregnancy as Cissy was. I can't even be mad at him -- he screwed up and tried to make it right by offering to marry her and Cissy turned him down. Just a bad situation all around.

Even just reading about Cissy's funeral makes me furious. No wonder Valancy hated it ad Barney refused to go.

"her slanted eyes smudged with purple" -> Another purple mention. Is LMM subtly foreshadowing that Valancy has no intention of going back to her mother's house?

[justforbooks]

In 1943 the artist Françoise Gilot, who has died aged 101, accompanied her teacher, the surrealist painter Endre Rozsda, to the Gare de l’Est in Paris. Rozsda was Jewish and Hungarian; the occupying Germans had begun rounding up foreign Jewish people, and he was leaving for the apparent safety of Budapest. As his train steamed out of the station, the 21-year-old Gilot wailed: “But what am I to do?” Her teacher, laughing, shouted: “Don’t worry! Who knows? Three months from now, you may meet Picasso!”

Seven decades later Gilot was to recall those words as both prophecy and curse. Two months after Rozsda’s departure she was having dinner at Le Catalan, a Paris restaurant patronised by Left Bank artists. Halfway through the meal a short, bull-necked man approached her table proffering a bowl of cherries: it was Pablo Picasso. Captivated by the fine-boned Gilot, Picasso, 40 years her senior, invited her to his studio in the Rue des Grands Augustins. By the end of the summer they were lovers.

The mismatched pair were to stay together for a decade, during which time Gilot bore him two children, Paloma and Claude. Picasso remained married to his first wife, Olga Khokhlova, throughout the relationship.

As Gilot was to recall in her bestselling book Life With Picasso (1964), he set out to undermine her from the start. “One day,” she wrote, “we were looking at dust dancing in sunlight … [Picasso] said, ‘Nobody has any real importance to me. As far as I’m concerned, people are like those little grains. It takes only a push of the broom and out they go.’” Later, angry at her lack of attention to him, he burned her cheek with a cigarette.

From the early 1950s, Gilot had begun to exhibit with members of the French réalités nouvelles school and when, finally, she was given a show of her own at Galerie Louise Leiris in Paris in 1952, Picasso refused to go to the opening. He had, he said, seen all the paintings already. “Pablo wanted me continually pregnant, because then I was weaker,” Gilot recalled. “After the second child, I said enough was enough. Picasso made this sculpture of a pregnant woman and when I told him I didn’t like it, he hacked her feet off.” By her own telling, Gilot retorted: “I can walk with my own feet,” and in September 1953, she did.

All this and a great deal more was revealed in Life With Picasso, ensuring the book’s huge and immediate success: it sold a million copies in the first year. Enraged, Picasso tried to prevent publication. When he failed to do that, he set about destroying his ex-partner’s career, refusing to show his work at any gallery that showed hers, and cutting contact with their children. Already, in 1955, following Gilot’s marriage to the artist Luc Simon, the Leiris gallery had quietly dropped her.

That, at least, was her story. Whether the gallery would have taken her on in the first place without Picasso’s cachet is a moot point. Although she would later insist that she had been attracted to the older man only because all the men of her own age were off at war, Gilot enjoyed the trappings of being the partner of Picasso.

It was through him that she met Georges Braque, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, Gertrude Stein and Paul Éluard. Shortly before she decided to move in with Picasso, he had taken her to stay with Henri Matisse at the latter’s villa, Le Rêve. In 1990, with her ex-lover dead, Gilot published another book about him, Matisse and Picasso: A Friendship in Art. This, too, was a financially rewarding bestseller. “I was capable of understanding the whole problem of money,” Gilot said, blithely. “You might say that I am a little bit hard-boiled. I have to admit that I was never so much in love with anyone that I could not consider my own plan.”

After her separation from Picasso, Gilot kept their villa, La Galloise, using the profits from sales of her books to extend it. Summers in the early 60s were spent cruising the Greek islands with Paloma and Claude on a chartered yacht with a crew of three.

From these trips came what was to be perhaps Gilot’s most coherent body of artwork, the Labyrinth series. Untitled (Red and Yellow) (1963) is typical of this, being powerful if compositionally unresolved. Inevitably critics descried Picasso in its southern colours and anguished forms. This was unfair. Untitled (Red and Yellow) was, generically, a work of its time, neither more nor less Picasso-esque than many other French paintings of the day.

In return, some of Picasso’s best portraits had been of Gilot: his biographer, John Richardson, was of the view that: “Picasso took from her rather more than she took from him.” Nonetheless, Gilot remained dogged by his shadow, and not just as an artist.

She was divorced from Simon in 1962, and in 1969, in California, was introduced to the American virologist Jonas Salk, the developer of the polio vaccine. Salk was instantly taken by the elegant Frenchwoman. Pursuing her to Paris, he asked her to marry him. Gilot, by now wary of powerful men, replied that she would, provided they spend six months a year apart. Salk agreed.

For the 25 years of their marriage Gilot would divide half her time between Paris and Manhattan, spending the other half with her husband in La Jolla, California. This seemed to suit both well enough, although there were raised eyebrows among Salk’s friends and colleagues.

In its report of their wedding, the Philadelphia Inquirer described Gilot as “mistress of the late Pablo Picasso”, but she was, apparently, untouched by such barbs. Asked by an interviewer how she had managed to end up with two of the world’s most eminent men, Gilot replied baldly: “Lions mate with lions.”

She was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, an exclusive suburb of Paris. Her father, Emile, a rich manufacturer, was an authoritarian figure, forcing his left-handed only child to write with her right hand and insisting that she study law rather than art. Françoise’s lessons with Rozsda were a secret between herself and her mother, Madeleine (nee Renoult), a keen amateur artist. Scandalised at his daughter’s mésalliance with Picasso, Emile cut all ties with her for a decade.

Free of her father, Gilot signed up to study at the Académie Julian, but if Emile had been autocratic, his tyranny paled beside that of Picasso. She was, though, unique among his women in having survived him: his first wife was deeply affected by his treatment of her, as was another lover, Dora Maar. The model Marie-Thérèse Walter hanged herself; his second wife, Jacqueline Roque, shot herself. Gilot lived on, painting every day, increasingly in her vast, barrel-vaulted flat in Manhattan’s Upper West Side and working on projects for the Guggenheim Museum in New York. In 2021, her 1965 portrait of her daughter, Paloma à la Guitare, sold for $1.3m, and a retrospective of her work was held at the Musée Estrine, Saint Remy de Provence.

She was made a member of the Légion d’Honneur in France in 1990, promoted to an officer of the order in 2009.

Afflicted by growing blindness, she was as unsentimental about herself as she was the world at large. In her mid 90s she said: “I’m done with life. When I was 86, I thought, this is the end, because this is the age my mother died. Eighty-nine seemed impossible, and 90 was really the last straw. I thought, ‘You are going to have to take your own life if you ever want to die.’” As to her critics, she remained philosophical: “You have to admit that most women who do something with their lives have been disliked by almost everyone.”

Salk died in 1995. Gilot is survived by Paloma, Claude and a daughter, Aurelia, from her marriage to Simon.

🔔 Françoise Gilot, artist and writer, born 26 November 1921; died 6 June 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[pink-devolve]

Y’all I feel so fucking awful and gross and ugh why does every seemingly nice person that comes into my life have to hurt me

This is another rant post sorry elohel(small NSFW mention, 18+ post)

I was seeing this really awesome trans guy I met on a dating app for the past two weeks, and this morning he bought me coffee. On the way back he said “You’re also 21 right?” and I responded with “No I’m 18”. He kinda freaked out and said that he didn’t know that, and that he didn’t feel comfortable being with someone that is 18. Which is fair?? But also my profile on the dating app says I’m 18, and I mentioned to him that I was taking a gap year like 5 times.

So I dropped him back off at his dorm and got super fucking upset. I feel so gross. I keep thinking like, did he not care enough to check that?? It’s obviously a boundary of his, why did he let me get attached and then not fucking check that??

Last night we fvcked, and it was really intimate and nice. I think it might have been the first time I did that without using it as self harm or being taken advantage of. I felt safe and comfortable enough with him to fall asleep with him holding me, which I’ve only ever been able to let one person do before. I woke up to them playing with my hair, and I just felt so pretty and cared for. And he didn’t care enough to check my fucking age, and now we’re probably never going to see each other again.

I texted him later saying that I respect his boundaries and thanked him for giving me a good experience, and he responded with “Yeah. Just for future reference, a 21 year old wanting to date you is a red flag. It might not seem like a big deal to you, but it’s a pretty big fucking deal. You’ll understand when you’re older.” What the fuck does that mean??? Don’t fucking treat me like a child when I’m barely 3 years younger than you and we literally had s3x the night before. It didn’t feel creepy until he started patronizing me.

So now all day, I’ve been super fucking triggered. I already have so so much sexual trauma, and when I try to have a sexual experience that’s positive and healing, I fucking can’t. I feel so so gross too. I was vulnerable and trusted him, and he hurt me. He didn’t even care enough about me to look at my age. Maybe I just don’t deserve people that actually care about me.

I keep checking Instagram to see if he’s messaged me. I just want him to ask me if I’m doing okay, and then I could say “yeah, I’ve had kind of a sad day but I’m taking care of myself” and then I could at least know that he cares enough to check on me.

[youeverjustmarryabountyhunter]

Figured I might as well start actually posting about this Au I made- 

The au in question is a Star Wars modern au that I plan to one day turn into an actual fic, but as of now it's just one poorly put together chapter and a lot of brainstorming!

It's sort of a slice of life/everyone lives/happy ending story. It's centered around Boba Fett and started as a joke about his name and how in a modern setting when people first meet him they say 'Like the tea?' And he gets irrationally annoyed by it. Hence the name "No, Not The Tea" (but shortened to "Not The Tea" because removing 1 word suddenly makes it less of a mouthful)

But let's meet the characters, yeah?

The star of our show, Boba Fett, is 15 years old and the story starts with his first year of highschool.  He's grumpy (your typically moody teen) and the youngest of his brothers unless you count Din (14) and he does because he's tired of being the baby. (It does have its perks, though) Din isn't actually his brother, but he and the rest of their little rag tag group might aswell be family. (Peli 17, Fennec 16, and Cobb 15) 

Next up we have everyone's favorite dad, Jango Fett! (He's a very good father in this) Father of 3 boys(or so he thought) Kote "Cody" (23), Rex(19), and Boba, he has his hands full despite two of them being grown. He works as a bounty hunter (cause that's an actual profession) and his hobbies include annoying his family, and crushing on his kids history teacher. At the age of 18, he signed up to be a sperm donor unaware of just how much they would be using his DNA. Turns out? A lot. And the majority don't seem to have a good home life. He's sufficiently pissed, when he finds out. 

Coming in as the eldest child of the Fett household we have Cody! (That was until 17 and Fox showed up at least) Any legal document you find will say "Kote" but people are stupid and difficult and can't pronounce it (it's exceedingly simple, really) so Cody was born. Cody is a caffeine addict (though what Fett isn't?) and will jump at any opportunity to bother his younger brothers. (He once got Obi-Wan to buy Boba a boba-tea..Obi-Wan thought it was sweet! Boba almost committed a murder. They do not speak of that incident) 

The middle child that somehow became a father to twins before anybody else could even think of utter the words "grandchildren" would be Rex. It's not like it's his fault! He figured having his 8th period of his senior year would be fun. He didn't anticipate that helping his gym teacher out would involve talking a sophomore down from a panic attack. (Echo, 16 at the time. 17 when our story starts) It's absolutely not Rex's fault that he and his twin followed him around like little ducklings after that. (Fives called him dad as a joke, so Rex took it upon himself to tell Jango that he had grandkids and almost gave the man a heart attack.) It doesn't help the Echo and Fives look suspiciously like Boba- hey wait a minute! Yeah, you guessed it. Long lost kids^^ 

Alright speed round let's go,

Arla's kids are the Bad Batch boys(she adopted them, they have no relation to Jango. Hunter 21, Wrecker 20, Crosshair and Tech 19) Omega is 11 and her biological daughter. Her big brothers love her to death. 

Ahsoka is 19 and Rex's bff. 

Luke and Leia are also 11, and they're their parents (and Uncle Obi's, and auntie soka's) pride and joy. Anakin and Padme have basically adopted Han (15. Was in Boba's grade but got held back) as their own at this point. 

Wolffe is Cody's age, and the oldest of his brothers (Sinker, Boost, and Comet). They were put into the system (Yes, they came from Jango's DNA) and Plo Koon adopted them. When Jango and Plo first met they exchanged numbers and gushed about their children. (There is much more to that story but that's for a later post)

Ima-gun Di is an ex war general and currently married to Keeli. These two have absolutely NO role in the story whatsoever, I just love them. Jango has only met them once and it was because Ima-gun mistook Jango for Keeli at a grocery store once. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a tired, loving man who teaches history at a highschool and has a not so secret crush on one of his student's fathers. (He's actually taught all the Fett boy's, lord help him.)

Jaster Mereel just wants to know how his ad keeps ending up with kids. He was already confused where the first three came from but now there are 7??(Alpha-17. Oldest. Jango is more of a brother to him if anything. Fox, did not intend to be apart of this family in the slightest and that was fine up until he met Boba and they bonded. Now he's an Ori’vod?? Yeah that checks. Then of course Cody, Rex, Echo&Fives, and Boba.) Best grandfather ever.

Mando'a is a language, because I actually love it sm- 

There is so much more lore to this au than I realized, and this isn't even all of it. I fully plan on posting more, and I have a lot of art that I've done for it if I would ever get around to finishing it/posting it. Feel free to ask questions, and I hope to post more! 

(Fun fact, I accidentally deleted all of this the first time I type it. So this is the second time I've typed it- I'm not bitter.)

[milkstoner]

Since like, this summer, I’ve had this vague concept of a mallesil modern au, and it never really inspired me. I realized last night, while my mind was plagued by insomnia, that it didn’t give anything because i didn’t really flesh out silver as much as malleus. So here’s the concept.

Malleus —> like, 24 yrs old, just starting a masters in architecture. He’s the guitar in pop music club’s band. Also plays just about any instrument. Tattoo artist on the side. Rich boy, dead parents, grandma lives in a huge mansion, idk what his family does and why theyre so wealthy honestly like. Granny is strict and she disapproves of mal being in a band and living on his own, but he dgaf. He knows hes going to have to inherit whatever role granny occupies and tbh he’s comfortable knowing hes going to have like, some sort of authority. But for now he enjoys being sort of rebellious.

Silver —> like 18 (we need to do our best to parallel the human slash fae age gap, sorry). In the process of making a career out of being a ballet dancer!!! (Also does fencing and rides horses). Also a rich boy! Im paralleling the theory that silver is a stolen prince by giving him rich parents. Overprotected, strict parents. Idk what his parents do, but they work in the same domain as mals grandmother. (Perhaps theyre politicians…? That could add a layer of mystery around mals parents oh ooh… assassination? Im not fully decided yet but imagine.)

Pop music club (a band in this au);

Cater —> lead vocals. Not wealthy, really. Middle class. The band is his main income and he works as a ride operator in the summers. 22 years old. Dreams of fame and wealth. Art history student, met mal in a class they had in common.

Kalim —> drums. Rich boy. Mal’s childhood friend. Might be the son of politicians similarly to my idea for mal’s and silver’s families, and that’s how they know each other. The band is his hobby. He calls the shots. Spends his share of the money he earns spoiling his friends. Sweet angel. 21 years old.

Lilia —> bass (whore). Mal’s uni friend. He has spent so many years in university. He’s 28, like dude please graduate soon. Very mysterious. We dont know anything about his upbringing. Just a little freaky dude. Nomad. Malleus has no idea where that man lives. He crashes his apartment sometimes. Goes on road trips unprovoked. When he doesn’t show up to practice, the other three wonder if he really was just a collective hallucination. Then he shows up the next week like, oh hey guys i was (insert crazy adventure). The boys are used to it by now.

And of course, sebek —> 17. Silver’s childhood friend. Son of a dentist so hes relatively rich, not as much as silver/malleus/kalim, but still upper class. They’ve been rivals (according to sebek) since they were very small. They met during their first ballet class. He’s a fan of pmc+malleus’ band, and is especially a huge mal fanboy.

Mallesil have met a few times before. Think like, formal parties and such. They’re the 1%. It’s rare granny draconia and her grandson are invited, but when they do attend a party, everything gets real quiet. So mallesil have… noticed each other as children, think like, silver was 6 when he first acknowledged malleus’ (12) existence. Obviously the age gap is kind of significant at that stage so its not a problem that their guardians forbid them from interacting. (Though there was one time, when silver was 8 and malleus was 14, where silver got lost somehow, and malle was the only one he recognized in this huge mass of adults. He’s actually very straightforward, like « im lost », and mal guides him back to his parents without a word lol)

It gets a bit more problematic as silver grows up. Stolen glances, damn hes hot… silver is 17. He’d always been sort of fascinated by malle’s stature, his long, black hair, and his pale skin. Its like hes wrapped in mystery. Obviously, since silver is older now, he can finally recognize hes feeling attraction. Malleus… he cant help still seeing a child in silver since. Yk. Their very rare and brief interactions took place when silver was a literal child. But hey he can admit silver is cute… he sees him drinking like, non alcoholic cider in a corner and he comes up to him kinda nervous like… hey… u come here often. Its another brief interaction, but they find a secluded spot and malleus offers him a sip of his wine (im obsessed with the concept of mal making silver drink SORRY), silver is a bit shy and flustered… (hes a sensitive little gay boy). They have one thing in common, and its that they think these 1% parties are boring. There’s something scandalous about them interacting when their families strictly forbids them to like, even look at each other. (If were going the route that theyre politicians, granny has probably put into mal’s head that his parents were assassinated by silver’s family. He… believes her, but he cant blame silver for it, can he?)

They dont see each other again until like. A year later, when sebek drags silver to pmc+malleus’ show. Its late and silver shouldn’t even be there—he snuck out. He had no idea what he was going to see until he saw fucking MALLEUS on the stage. He’s in awe… the dexterity of his fingers, his large arms, the bright lights making him fucking shine, like wowww if he didn’t have a crush before, this is definitely what sells malleus. Now, imagine mal’s shock seeing silver in the fucking crowd—they make EYE CONTACT honey. His fingers fumble; his bandmates look back at him like ? For a single second before acting like absolutely nothing happened.

After the show, malleus calls to silver and they talk a bit in the alley leading to backstage of the venue (idk how any of this works)… like… what are you doing here i didn’t know u were into rock?… oh yeah I’ve seen sebek a few times hes kind of annoying. Need a ride home?

Next thing u know, romantic little motorcycle scene oooohhhhhh. Finally they exchange numbers… malleus has no social media presence lol the only way to contact him is to call or text him. As they are both children of important people, they cant exactly meet in public, but mal knows a bunch of secluded spots and he takes silver to quiet places on his motorcycle yasssss. They talk about anything, its secret, its scandalous, its exciting. Silver’s rebellious era.

One day silver takes mal to like, the dancing studio, & he practices in front of him, aww… mal plays the piano, idk some melody he had in his mind, & silver goes off track and lets his song guide his body, its all very sweet and cute… Harold theyre gay

Their relationship evolves real quick… it’s silvers first crush. It’s cute and exciting . His desires give him butterflies in his stomach. Malleus is filled with dread however lol, he’s super dramatic and he WILL write countless songs for silver AND SING THEM to him, while playing the guitar or the piano… he can’t breathe w/o silver ok

The sex… ofc mal is older and he’s the top so he takes care of silver. He’s gentle at first but after a while he can’t help roughing him up bc he just loves him that much. Cute aggression. Silver is a total slut for malleus… he’s a secret pervert, so he’s in touch w his desires. He knows what parts of mal’s body he wants, what parts of himself he wants pleasured… malleus got his perversions from old, female-written erotica 😭 (stolen from granny draconia). Silver had the talk but he unfortunately slept through his sex ed class in high school. He doesn’t dare watch porn in case his parents find out. So his desires are very… basic, i would say, no dirty kinks, but still, it’s this very strong, pure feeling of wanting flesh and skin to meet, intertwined w love, so it’s very sweet and intimate and erotic. Mal’s desires are similar but he plays around with like, mild dirty talk (it’s just praise and dramatic love confessions while he’s balls deep inside silver😭), mild teasing (going slow when silver is justtttt on the edge), etc… they worship each others bodies oh my goodness

Their dates are mostly @ mal’s apartment. Takeout, Netflix, they talk for hours, one thing leads to another and WHEWW they spend the night together even tho silver was supposed to be home at 10. Obviously this raises a lot of questions. On the draconia side, granny is very happy to meet silver. She thinks he’s such a respectable, cute, sweet boy. She welcomes him💜

Silvers parents on the other hand… he knows they’ve said terrible TERRIBLE things about the draconias so obviously he doesn’t want to put mal through that. There’s also the fear of being disowned… silvers parents ask him if, yk, he’s in love, bc he’s changed and he doesn’t come home on time… eventually they find out of his relationship and it doesn’t go well :( they threaten to disown him if he doesn’t block mal… obv he’s very afraid, so he does… mal is heartbroken :,( he actually drives all the way to silver’s family’s mansion and he… throws rocks at his window CTFUUUU silver starts crying on the spot when he sees mal from his window… he sneaks out in his pajamas and mal puts his jacket on silvers shoulders and they go to one of mals spots.

So silver explains he could be disowned… malleus had a feeling :( silver is young… he’s torn between his family and the security that comes with it, or his exciting lover… they have sex outside in that secret spot teehee💜 most intense session ever, the thrill of being outside, risking being seen… it’s hot

Silver still sees mal in secret at night. Yea ok they can’t contact each other, but mal still meets him every night. Until they’re found out one night lol and that’s the last straw, silver gets kicked out. Honestly, he’s lucky mal has money, so he moves into mals apartment, and yes it’s rly traumatic, it takes time to get used to, but their passion is stronger than anything (amor vincit omnia)… silver does get a bit depressed but he still attends ballet classes. He gets a little part time job as a barista and malleus visits him sometimes… he steals a kiss over the counter hehehe. Silver goes to mal’s shows & helps the band however he can… very sweet, sweet boy

I think it takes a whole year for silver and his parents to talk again. Like, ok you can’t just throw away your only son like that, be for real. They’ve been super overprotective for years, so of course they’ll worry about silver a year later, only to find out he’s doing okay, all things considered, and he’s been paying for his ballet/fencing classes on his own, and malleus helps out bc he cares about silver. It’s not enough for them to accept him, that takes a lot more time, because they truly feel like silver betrayed them.

Silver is very sad, but malleus comforts him and gives him so much love. His love language is… all of them. Words, physical touch, gifts, everything. He spoils silver lol. There’s this urge inside him that makes him want to protect silver since he’s younger. And silver doesn’t mind bc he is a Disney princess and disney princesses are spoiled + they’re the main characters even tho they don’t realize.

Am i insane.

[himichako]

kurogiri/shirakumo will try to save shigaraki and here is why

now hear me out: if i remember right, shirakumo is a year older than aizawa, right? at the moment, aizawa is 31 which means shirakumo must be around his 32. considering the fact that he died at the age of 17, that leaves us with approximately 15 years that he spent as shigaraki's caretaker. FIFTEEN WHOLE YEARS.

we can assume shirakumo has his memories as kurogiri, since he was able to tell aizawa about the hospital. not only that, but we know that more advanced nomus can retain aspects of their personality, and if there's one thing shirakumo is known for it's his kindness. he's shown it as kurogiri multiple times, expressing his concern for tomura's wellbeing.

shigaraki is around 21 right now, which means he must have met kurogiri when he was six or seven years old (depending on how long it took to turn shirakumo into a nomu). back then, tomura was nothing more than a child who'd killed his entire family and been abandoned by society the previous year.

kurogiri was there for it all. he never once left his side for more than a decade.

sure, we can argue that kurogiri's concern isn't real as he was programmed that way, but i believe that shirakumo's caring nature will make it impossible for him to abandon tomura if he does come to his senses in the chapters to come. just like he couldn't abandon that kitten on the streets, or those children who would've died had he not sacrificed himself for them.

kurogiri was shigaraki's first and for a long time only friend. their relationship is more important than it might seem at first and i fully believe it will be the key to saving shigaraki.

[mrenterhistory]

An Unhealthy Childhood Begets an Unhealthy Life (Mr. Enter: The Unauthorized Biography)

Content warnings for this part: pedophilia, drug abuse, child abuse, and bullying

Pictured: Keith Rauh and Jennifer Rozanski, c.1992

Sometime in 1991, then-18-year-old Keith Rauh was smoking marijuana with his friends in Chicopee Memorial State Park, enjoying the day's good weather, when they were approached by a group of girls from their high school. The group included a girl named Jennifer Rozanski, who was 15 at the time. Keith reciprocated her advances, and what followed was an unhealthy and illegal relationship.

Despite this, Keith would remember this relationship as a positive time in his life. Decades later, he would muse about it in Soul Bond, his autobiography and memoir:

We were young, and I remember her telling us, we had to be quiet, or her parents would hear, and they would get in trouble! (...) We had a whirl wind romance from the very start, and we both fell deeply in love. We were almost in separable at first. Little did I know then, this relationship, would effect me, my entire life. (...) I thought at the time, we were high school sweethearts, destined to be together forever. We had a lot of good times together! - Soul Bond (Life, Love, and the Paranormal), Keith Rauh

It was Keith who introduced Jennifer to addictions she would retain for the rest of her life, including alcohol, tobacco, and opiates. It was Keith who got Jennifer pregnant with her first child in late 1991. It was Keith who chose to leave the relationship soon after.

We were young, and she got pregnant. At this point, things had gotten rough, and we were arguing a lot, like a reaction, of two young star-crossed lovers, having to grow up, way too fast. (...) I don't know why, still to this day, but something inside me, said runaway, and run like hell. This was right before, my first son was born, and I was gone with the wind. - Soul Bond (Life, Love, and the Paranormal), Keith Rauh

Keith stayed in Chicopee until he graduated from high school in 1993, at age 20. He moved to another city soon after. Eventually, he was arrested for drug possession and spent several years in jail. It would be over a decade before Jennifer would hear from him again.

Pictured: Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA

Jonathan Joseph Rozanski was born at Baystate Medical Center on July 21, 1992. Because of Keith's abandonment, Jennifer decided to give the boy her own last name. Jennifer spent the next three years raising Jonathan with the aid of her parents. While Enter credits them as being a positive force in his childhood, they were insistent that Jennifer got married after she turned 18, because the family was Catholic.

That pressure might have been the catalyst for Jennifer's sudden engagement to Brian Plourde in 1995. The two met when Jennifer was 19 and Brian was 21, and Jennifer was soon pregnant with Brian's child. Because they were both Catholic, and because of pressure from Jennifer's parents, they married almost immediately.

Brian decided to keep his last name, while Jennifer decided to hyphenate, changing her name to Jennifer Rozanski-Plourde. Brandon Plourde, John's half-brother, was born in January 1996. Over the next 4 years, they had 2 more kids, girls named Ashley and Emily.

Pictured: Brian with either Jonathan or Brandon, c.1998-2002 (from a profile picture, highest quality available)

At 2 years old, John saw The Lion King at the movie theater - his first movie, and one of his earliest memories. He was spellbound by the experience, and it most likely played a significant role toward his developing interest in animation. Meanwhile at home, he would watch The Lion King and Aladdin on repeat for days at a time without getting tired of them.

This might have been an early sign of him being on the Autism spectrum, which he wouldn't discover until he was an adult. As a child, he also had several sensory and social issues, many of which persist into adulthood. Some of these included:

A sensitivity to the texture of scotch tape, receipts, and newspaper

A dislike for ketchup, describing it as spicy

A sensitivity to the taste of mint, to the extent that he refused to brush his teeth because of it

Difficulty engaging with other children, and inability to make eye contact.

Jennifer's parents soon bought a separate house for the family to live in. Enter would talk about Brian's role in the family years later.

I don't measure my success in money, most likely because my step-father always measured his success in money. And nothing about that man was successful. Literally pregnancy-trapped into a marriage with three kids he had no qualms with saying that he did not want in a house owned by his wife's parents. - Today I learned that Pluto is a Planet, John Enter

Pictured: Our Lady of Hope Catholic School

In 1997, John started school. He attended Our Lady of Hope, a K-8 Catholic school in Springfield, MA. Shy and focused on his own interests, he hated the time he spent there even as early as kindergarten.

Some subjects, like reading, he excelled at - later claiming that he learned to read before he even started school, and that he read dictionaries for fun. Others, like math, were such a struggle for his teachers that he was forced to teach himself. Enter later confessed he would cheat on, and rush through, assignments.

While attending kindergarten I learned that I got to go to the play area when I was finished with my work. I learned to cheat at the race, cutting corners hoping that I wouldn't be seen. - Today I learned that Pluto is a Planet, John Enter

John also faced what he believed was unfair treatment from his teachers. He also talked about this later in life.

Kindergarten teachers learn from Marx. The best way to teach sharing is not taking a toy away from someone who is content and give it to the other kid who just looked at longingly. - 30 Things I Learned in School, John Enter

That same year, John joined his school soccer team at the insistence of his parents, where he played goalie. He got a participation trophy at the end of the season, which he keeps to this day as a memento of the now-closed school.

Pictured: Jonathan's participation trophy, in 2018

The trophy also serves as a memento of Jonathan's birth name. Soon after, his name was changed to Johnathan with an 'h'. This might have been John's decision, since he took pride in his name going forward, believing that it was clearly the correct way to spell a name which shortened to John.

John spent his early years of school socially isolated, in part because of his shyness and social difficulties caused by ASD. This led to him developing some odd habits, including talking to himself in class and singing on the bus. This might have played a role in the bullying his faced as he went into second and third grade.

John was verbally abused for his odd behavior. That included a time when he blurted out the Kim Possible theme song on the bus, and another time when, though the exact details aren't clear, he was mocked for having a crush on an imaginary friend. The verbal bullying slowly escalated to physical abuse, like an incident when he was stuck with a "kick me" sign. When he complained to his parents, they told him to ignore the bullies, and that they would stop if he did.

One day during recess, a frequent bully approached John and started making fun of him. When he refused to respond, the bully assaulted John with pepper spray he brought from home. John cried and ran to tell a recess monitor, but because of either misunderstanding or disbelief, she ignored him.

He never told his parents what happened, and when his school found out about it days later, their solution was making John repeat third grade to separate him from his bullies. He was left with trauma he'd keep for years, pointing to that day as the start of his disillusionment.

I repeated the third grade to get away from the bullies that had plagued me from the start after an incident where my bully decided to pepper spray me in the face. My eyes were watering and I told the teacher watching the schoolyard, and I was ignored. And I saw how the world worked. - Today I learned that Pluto is a Planet, John Enter

Pictured: John, Brandon, and one of his sisters, c.2002-2004 (from a profile picture, highest quality available)

While John's school life didn't improve much after that, he found comfort in his siblings, and in entertainment like cartoons, books, and video games. John loved the Wayside series of books by Louis Sachar, and read them to his brother and sisters. They quickly became comfort books for the four. John was also a fan of the Goosebumps series.

John and Brandon played video games together, with some of their favorites being Spyro The Dragon, Sonic The Hedgehog, Goof Troop, Twisted Metal 4, and Halo: Combat Evolved. John also played the game My Little Pony: Friendship Gardens - his first experience with the franchise. The four also watched cartoons together, like Courage The Cowardly Dog, KaBlam!, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

It was around this time that John's interest in writing and video game design started. He wrote out narratives and ideas based on video games he played, including Spyro The Dragon and Baldur's Gate, and eventually decided he wanted to be a video game designer. When he told his school and parents about it, they told him it was unrealistic as a job, and encouraged him to go to college for something more sustainable.

John's relationship with his parents was strained to say the least. Jennifer struggled with addiction during this time, and sometimes fell asleep with a cigarette in her hand while under the effects of Oxycodone, relying on John to wake her up. In one specific incident, she left the gas stove on, and John only noticed because he got up to use the bathroom.

Jennifer allegedly made John work a paper route only to pocket his money for her habits, claiming she was saving it for college or his birthday. The amount stolen added up to hundreds of dollars. John developed a habit of spending money immediately because of that.

Brian, meanwhile, was abusive toward John and unappreciative of his other kids, talking openly about how he didn't want them. He sometimes gave John tasks he didn't know how to do, then mocked him when he did something wrong. Whether he did it intentionally or candidly is unclear.

Brian allegedly beat John with a leather belt when his grades were low or when he refused to do his homework, to the extent that John became traumatized by the sight of them. But it was a verbal incident that traumatized John the most.

The regret was pierced into my soul and my psyche one hapless day. I remember a lot about it, and I don't remember much at all. I remember it started at five in the evening with dinner. I was asked why my grades were terrible. I was asked again and again, and no answer would suffice. My step-father, a well-built man with an intimidating stature. He slammed on the table until this boy was lost in buckets of tears. This boy who was so socially insecure he couldn't tell his family that the house was on fire. This boy who was recently bullied by children and still bullied by adults. They took the food and drink sooner or later, and the boy gave many answers—from "I don't understand the material" (which was an unsatisfactory answer) to "I don't care." The only satisfactory answer was "because I'm lazy." That answer came about at 8 PM and the food was returned, cold and salvaged by flies. - Today I learned that Pluto is a Planet, John Enter

Pictured: Various photos of Patrick, 2000s

In early 2004, John had a pivotal experience when he and his family visited an animal shelter to adopt a dog he could call his own. The family already had a lot of pets crowded in a fairly small house, which included at least three Chihuahuas, two rabbits, a ferret, and a dog that belonged to Brandon. The care they could provide for them in those conditions was questionable. But the Newfoundland mix John chose quickly developed a bond with the boy, and he cared for the dog the best he could.

John's puppy was energetic from the start. His favorite treats were apples, and he loved roughhousing with John. Almost immediately, the family noticed his tendency for stupid habits, like how he'd run in circles until he accidentally bumped into a wall. That's why John and his family eventually decided to name him Patrick, in reference to Patrick Star from SpongeBob SquarePants. Patrick soon became John's best friend, and one of the most important pieces of his life.

Even from this early age, Johnathan was heavily influenced by the media he consumed, which gave him a strong creative drive that he would spend much of the future exploring. His retreat into fiction, though, might have been more of an escape from his difficulties at home and in school. What happened in the next few years would prove to be equally reflective of the man John would grow up to be.

next part coming soon...

[everythingsinred]

Hi hii!! I hope you're having a nice day 💜💜

Ok I'm gonna be really mean with the 50 questions ask-

Whichever ones you want, with Ruka, Natsume, or Mikan

(i find it mean bc i am tragically indecisive)

i am doing great!

(i think that u sent this again, adding mikan... so i'll answer this one instead of the other one, if that's okay)

ur ask is so tempting so i will do as many as i can for all three, thank u <3

Ruka-pyon <3

1. Canon I outright reject? he would NEVER leave natsume not EVER. i know tsubasa had to basically drag him out of there but i hate that he left i HATE it

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on? i don't think he would ever date mikan after natsume's hypothetical death. i don't think either of them would be able to.

3. Obscure headcanon? his favorite disney movie is fox and the hound.

4. Favorite line? "Meeting you, and coming with you here to the Academy... I never even once regretted it." (chapter 146)

5. Best personality trait? his loyalty. he's very sweet and i love that, but his loyalty is what moves mountains, what fights wars, what transcends the rules of time and space.

6. Worst personality trait? i must have mentioned this at some point but he's perfect. but really i think he shouldn't feel like such a burden when he brings so much to the table.

7. Age/height/weight headcanon? i don't need a headcanon when i have character profiles! 140 cm/4'6 and 35 kg/77 lbs at his debut, 173 cm/5'8 and 66 kg/145 lbs in the last chapter. also i believe he's the youngest of the main four? he turns 11 in march, after natsume, mikan, and hotaru have all had their 11th birthdays.

8. Unpopular opinion about them? i've already said i only like his relationship with mikan platonically, so i'll say something else.

9. Scene that first made me love (or hate) the character? "bird meets tori!" where we see him using his alice with piyo. though it's been so long since i first met him that i really can't remember ever NOT loving him.

10. Best moment on screen (or in the book)? my favorite ruka moment is when he's waiting for natsume in the backseat of the car to go to the academy with him. makes me cry every single time.

12. Crack headcanon? i like thinking of him growing little flowers on his windowsill in his dorm and that he very much likes baking... again "crack" i use loosely.

13. Dumbest thing they’ve ever done? this...?? maybe? i dont think he does many dumb things...

14. Most heroic moment? i just think there's so much strength in ruka's actions in the new year's arc, even if he feels like such a burden the whole time. though i also think this one is very brave.

15. Worst thing they’ve ever done? very tough to say because he's a well-meaning child! i don't like to be negative abt the kids. that being said, this might be natsume AND ruka's worst moment lol. ruka was complicit in that.

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them? zoe and i do have a ruka playlist, but it's private right now because it's unpolished. that being said, here are some songs from the playlist.

18. What they’d go to see a therapist about? his self-esteem issues, namely his feelings of being a burden and his apparent social anxiety that stems from a lonely, isolated childhood.

21. Drink of choice (not just alcoholic)? lemonade!

22. Best physical feature? his pretty blue eyes! he's so beautiful!

23. If they were a scented candle, what would they smell like? YOU ASKED THE RIGHT PERSON. i imagine he would be a lovely, simple floral scent, as well as something a little sweet and refined.

24. Most annoying habit? he's done nothing annoying??? tho for real i think people might get annoyed by his natsume-apologism (especially in story lol)

27. Their guilty pleasure? i think he'd probably like musicals but get very embarrassed abt it. tho i might just be projecting winston bishop on him based off his one musical performance as snow white that he obviously didnt even want to do.

31. If they had a tumblr what would it look like? VERY aesthetic, sweet, with lots of photography, poetry quotes, and pictures of animals.

32. Something guaranteed to make them smile/laugh? when he finally lets himself poke fun at natsume and mikan! they make him laugh a lot, when he puts his walls down <3

33. Something guaranteed to make them cry? when he thinks too hard about his family, because of how much he misses them.

35. Their idea of a perfect day? spending time with his friends and snuggling with an animal... i think he'd be content with simple pleasures.

36. Their favorite season? i associate him with spring! with flowers and baby animals and gentle weather. i think he'd like it too, for lots of the same reasons.

37. What they really think about themselves? he thinks of himself as a burden, obstacle, impediment, that he holds the one person he loves most back when all he wants is to help. as a result, he withdraws and hides himself away bc he doesn't think he's capable of contributing much anyway.

38. Favorite holiday? maybe easter? i'm not familiar with japanese holidays so i cant say for sure but the easter aesthetic suits him.

39. Favorite game? card games!!!

40. Favorite book? i have a predominantly western understanding of literature because i have a degree in english literature, so forgive me. i think he'd like romantic poets, like whitman, wordsworth, byron, and dickinson. he'd like romanticism for it's emphasis on the natural world and on emotion and justice. i think he'd like classic children's books too, like peter pan or alice in wonderland.

41. If they could have lunch with anyone in the world (living or dead, from any fictional universe or the real world), who would it be? he'd wanna eat lunch with his parents because he misses them <3

42. 3 comfort items? i had a long and nice answer for this but tumblr ate it (which pisses me off so much u have no idea) so i dont remember what i'd said. the earbud transmitters hotaru left him, but i cant remember the other two. ill reblog again if i remember.

43. 3 favorite foods and 3 they despise? i think ruka would like bread and pastries, lots of desserts. i dont have much of an inkling what he wouldn't like except that i believe he's a vegetarian so he wouldn't eat meat. i just dont understand how he could have such connection and empathy for animals, genuinely love them as friends, and have the animal pheromone alice on top of that, and eat them. i dont think he'd judge anybody for eating meat, but he wouldn't be able to himself.

44. Their happiest memory? meeting natsume <3

46. The person they most admire? natsume, mikan, and his mom. people whose strength he admires and maybe covets.

47. Their dream job? he wants to be a vet!!!!

48. Scariest moment of their life? poor ruka has gone through a lot of scary moments but i think he's managed to be brave each time anyway, which is very admirable. i keep saying natsume for all his answers, but i think natsume's death would be the scariest moment because he genuinely couldn't do anything to stop it. i think not only was it the moment he lost his best friend, but also a moment that made him feel like he really couldn't be of any help or support to natsume after all, that he really was a burden.

49. Favorite toy as a child? rich boy ruu-chan had a lot of toys and while i'm tempted to think he'd like stuffed animals, at the end of the day i think he'd be way more interested in playing with real animals. i think they made him feel accepted and understood and less alone.

50. A memory they’ve blocked out? i think the memories of the time between natsume dying and coming back would be a bit blurry. he wouldnt have been holding on tight to that period of time, to put it lightly.

Natsume <3

1. Canon I outright reject? I will never accept him dying young. sorry higuchi but i just cant listen to you.

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on? natsume LOVES chocolate and sweets. why do so many people insist on him hating sweets just because he's "cool" i dont get it???

3. Obscure headcanon? he listens to rap and rap rock. im sorry i just. cant imagine he wouldn't love rap. whatever.

4. Favorite line? i love when one of the kids asks him to tutor him when the whole class is in study mode, saying, "i thought if i went in with a 'do or die' attitude then maybe..." and natsume replies, "then die." (i know it's hard to see but it's at the bottom, where ruka's face is.) ALSO on a more serious note, "can you wait for me?" because it KILLS me.

5. Best personality trait? how sweet he can be!!!! no but seriously natsume acts cool but he's the most hopeless romantic of the bunch and i live by that.

6. Worst personality trait? martyr complex.

7. Age/height/weight headcanon? who needs headcanon when we have canon!! natsume is ten (a couple months away from eleven) when he's introduced and the second youngest (only older than ruka) in the main four (the boys being younger than the girls is so cute). he's sixteen at the epilogue and in kageki <3. he's 140 cm/4'6 and 34.5 kg/76 lbs when we meet him, and 175 cm/5'9 and 72 kg/159 lbs at the epilogue.

8. Unpopular opinion about them? i think the popular opinion is that natsume is a baby boy who deserves peace and love after a childhood of rage and agony but if you disagree, i'll throw u off a cliff myself.

9. Scene that first made me love (or hate) the character? im gonna be real with u. he was my fav from the start. i never ever had negative feelings towards him ever from the beginning. is that weird? idk. i dont really care. i saw him with his mask and was determined to watch the whole anime just bc he was in it.

10. Best moment on screen (or in the book)? it's really hard for me to answer this but i think my favorite natsume moment is when he finally rebels against the ESP and persona... something he'd always wanted to do but couldn't, finally given the chance through the knowledge that he'd rather be dead than allow mikan to live through the same suffering that he does.

13. Dumbest thing they’ve ever done? getting mikan to play the prince. he's so fucking stupid.

14. Most heroic moment? he wishes it was his death scene! i think his most heroic moment was when he decided to go to the academy for his sister. i pick this scene and not any others bc when natsume risks his life later on, part of it is motivated by suicidal ideation so it's kinda hard for me to think of those moments as anything but.

15. Worst thing they’ve ever done? same answer as ruka's. yes i say this even knowing that he might have killed people during DA missions. those other ppl arent real to me; mikan is.

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them? again, zoe and i made a killer playlist for the main 4 ga characters. natsume's is the best though, we both agree. since, again, the playlist is still under construction, here are some tracks from it that suit him. (lots of them are triggering, particularly regarding thoughts of suicide, just as a warning.)

18. What they’d go to see a therapist about? everything? trauma, self-image, martyr complex, suicidal ideation, dealing with terminal illness... there's a lot.

19. Vices/bad habits? he has a lot! the worst is his overuse of his alice.

20. Scars? i'm sure he has some. DA missions are not safe and although natsume is canonically immune to his own fire, he's not immune to flying shrapnel and rubble. i like the anime showing us some glimpses into what his missions might look like. we even got to see him get shot, an injury he (presumably) patched up himself instead of going to the hospital for, which is VERY in character. the anime NAILED that episode (chef's kiss, best episode ever, hands down).

21. Drink of choice (not just alcoholic)? cherry dr pepper (this is just a ridiculous joke zoe and i made that is now serious. what a sickening beverage)

22. Best physical feature? his eyes! so pretty. i also love his silky hair. he is SO pretty and has sUCH pretty eyelashes. most beautiful boy ever.

23. If they were a scented candle, what would they smell like? he'd be a lovely scent, very woody and foresty. not floral or sweet.

24. Most annoying habit? martyr complex.

31. If they had a tumblr what would it look like? it's hard to imagine natsume having a tumblr tbh but i think if he did it would be a little anticlimactic. he'd mainly just reblog stupid self-deprecating jokes and edgy music.

32. Something guaranteed to make them smile/laugh? jokes with ruka <3 teasing mikan <3 :)

33. Something guaranteed to make them cry? sadly, natsume rarely cries. but he cries when he loses someone, so leaving his father, and i think he must have cried when he woke up after dying just to find out mikan was gone.

35. Their idea of a perfect day? a good day would probably be if he doesn't have to go on a mission. a perfect day would be the two christmases where he got to kiss mikan. i think he went to sleep very happy those nights.

36. Their favorite season? spring <3 though i always associate him with autumn and winter.

37. What they really think about themselves? BAD. not worth the trouble. exists for others. similar nonsense.

38. Favorite holiday? CHRISTMAS

39. Favorite game? playing cards with ruka! also its easy to imagine him being into video games, particularly violent ones.

40. Favorite book? i think he'd prefer manga to books but if he were to read books i think he'd like fucked up shit. maybe horror like stephen king or something.

41. If they could have lunch with anyone in the world (living or dead, from any fictional universe or the real world), who would it be? his mom

43. 3 favorite foods and 3 they despise? i base this off of official art (thus, canon), but pasta, chocolate, and strawberries are his favorite foods. i think he wouldnt like coffee (thats why he always drinks it in my fics lmao....) and i like imagining him as being a childishly picky eater. i dont really have any evidence for his dislikes. just vibes.

44. Their happiest memory? meeting ruka and both christmases <3

46. The person they most admire? i think he would admire his mother and yuka a lot. obviously, he also admires ruka and mikan, for being unlike him.

47. Their dream job? he simply does not dream of labor. it's really hard for me to come up with a job he'd love bc of how he's been forced to work as an actual child. he likes manga... maybe something involved with that?

48. Scariest moment of their life? when aoi burned down the village, though i do think he's had lots of scary moments after that too. i just think that was probably the moment he realized how powerless he really was, how much he was at the mercy of others simply bc he was a child.

49. Favorite toy as a child? i think he'd probably be a big fan of matchbox cars? or maybe im saying that bc i liked matchbox cars. (and also cuz theyre called matchbox cars). he seems to like basketball too!

50. A memory they’ve blocked out? natsume is a big ball of trauma so i wouldnt be surprised if there was plenty. i think he's kind of forced to compartmentalize a lot, since his experiences in the DA class are so gruesome and different from his school life, so he'd be forced to pretend like he didn't just go on a terrifying mission last night, which leads to unprocessed trauma and maybe even blurred memories.

Mikan <3

1. Canon I outright reject? if higuchi tachibana doubting that "natsume won" is canon, then i reject it. mikan MADE A CHOICE. in your manga, higuchi!!!! she even says, "these feelings i have only for you", which means the only person she loves romantically is natsume. higuchi YOU WROTE THIS.

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on? ^^^ that one. also she's not a masochist.

3. Obscure headcanon? even though natsume can have a potentially atrocious taste in fashion, i think mikan would find his fits cute nonetheless, maybe just bc it's him!

4. Favorite line? I love when she tells natsume to join her team before the sports fest. she NEVER asks for anything from natsume or tells him how she feels but she takes a risk this once and it's wonderful until he rejects her and she takes a long while to recover from that moment where she finally put herself out there only to get turned down.

5. Best personality trait? perseverance, in regards to difficult times and difficult people.

6. Worst personality trait? toxic positivity

7. Age/height/weight headcanon? we have canon!! she is (unbeknownst to her) eleven years old when she first comes to the academy and is turning seventeen when we see her again in the last chapters. she's 138 cm/4'6 and 33 kg/73 lbs at her debut and 158 cm/5'2 and 47 kg/104 lbs at the last chapters.

8. Unpopular opinion about them? it's okay that she's stupid! i dislike when mikan is made so much smarter, or when they significantly alter her personality, in fics. i think she's pretty great the way she is!

9. Scene that first made me love (or hate) the character? HARD TO SAY. regrettably i wasn't always a huge fan of mikan, especially in the anime, bc i thought she was annoying. but i think when i matured just a little, it was hard to keep it up. i think i fully loved her on the second rewatch/reread. i couldnt tell u the specific scene bc it was too long ago.

10. Best moment on screen (or in the book)? i reread just this little moment so often. i'm not saying it's a healthy moment, hiding her feelings until she's alone, but it's so her and it's so heart-crushing and tragic. i love it.

13. Dumbest thing they’ve ever done? she's frequently stupid, but i really enjoy this moment, just bc of how naive she is, both to natsume's situation and to her own feelings. (mikan, girl, you're in love with him.)

14. Most heroic moment? is there anything more heroic than this?

15. Worst thing they’ve ever done? mikan rarely does things out of ill-will. i could say one of her well-intentioned blunders, but that feels cheap. i'll say this, then, when mikan tells natsume that him worrying about her is a bother. i'll talk about it during my essay, but mikan says that, against her urges to keep him with her, because she remembers the pain of him choosing luna over her and she, in that moment, reacts in a kneejerk way to make him hurt a little too. it's the only moment i can think of where she hurts somebody without at least meaning well. (and YES i know that this is right after luna told her to keep their encounter a secret, but mikan chooses to be cold to natsume in a way that she isnt towards hotaru or her other friends for asking similar questions.)

16. Deepest darkest secret they won’t even admit to themselves? mikan never admits anything to herself! that she loves natsume sticks out the most though.

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them? AGAIN, zoe and i made playlists for the main 4 but they're unsuitable for consumption right now, so here are some mikan flavored tracks!

18. What they’d go to see a therapist about? her little useless complex as well as her toxic positivity and all the trauma she had to endure in a very short time frame.

19. Vices/bad habits? "keep smiling, mikan, no matter what!"

21. Drink of choice (not just alcoholic)? orange juice and orange soda

22. Best physical feature? her smile, allegedly! i love the way her eyes are drawn (my answer for everyone is eyes bc i LOVE the way higuchi draws eyes...). i, like natsume, also LOVE when her hair is down.

23. If they were a scented candle, what would they smell like? she'd be like her name, and have a fruity, floral scent! very sweet!

31. If they had a tumblr what would it look like? i think it would be super cute with lots of bright, fun colors, desserts, and positivity quotes.

32. Something guaranteed to make them smile/laugh? she smiles a lot. i like her genuine smiles, when she hears something she likes or spends quality time with people she loves.

33. Something guaranteed to make them cry? mikan is sensitive! thus she cries a lot! she cries when people around her are hurt, she cries when she doesn't get what she wants, or when things get hard. i think it's sweet.

35. Their idea of a perfect day? spending time with her class b pals with some light antics and shenanigans, or hanging out with her senpais in the special ability class would make her happy. later, going on dates with natsume, too. <3

36. Their favorite season? summer, but the lovely thing is how happy and awestruck mikan seems to be by every passing season. she loves them all! it's very sweet, how much love she has for life.

37. What they really think about themselves? despite her tendency to see the beauty or value in everything, she doesn't see much in herself. she thinks of herself as ordinary, boring, useless. she knows that people love her smile but she thinks that's all she has to offer so she hides her negative feelings away. ;-;

38. Favorite holiday? new year's!!!

39. Favorite game? she loves all games, but especially sports and high-activity games

40. Favorite book? she'd like high-spirited books with wacky characters, like pippi longstocking, anne of green gables, or matilda.

41. If they could have lunch with anyone in the world (living or dead, from any fictional universe or the real world), who would it be? her parents and jii-chan

43. 3 favorite foods and 3 they despise? obviously she loves oranges and she eats lots of oranges in the manga. i like to think she shares hotaru's love for seafood, bc seafood reminds her of hotaru, but hotaru is so insane abt it that mikan seems to have a tame love in comparison. and HOWALON, obviously. i dont think mikan would dislike much food or be a picky eater bc she loves to eat <3

44. Their happiest memory? i think her school memories with her friends, particularly lighthearted moments, would stick out as happiest. the culture fest or the dodgeball game or swimming class.

46. The person they most admire? hotaru, natsume, ruka, etc. she admires lots of people. she has a tendency to see the good parts of people and to focus on them until that's the main thing she sees.

47. Their dream job? i like to see mikan in people-oriented, caring-based roles, like as a nurse or a teacher, where there's emphasis on helping people. i think she'd really thrive in a career like that. i especially like imagining her as a teacher. (her husband can share some pretty decent benefits from such a career afaik)

48. Scariest moment of their life? probably the whole night of the escape arc. no part of that was easy. the entire night was stressful and scary

49. Favorite toy as a child? she makes her own mikan dolls! mikan is awful at homemade things, like cooking or sewing, but she loves it anyway! i think she liked making her own toys and seeing the beauty in her ugly little creations.

50. A memory they’ve blocked out? i think mikan would try and remember the hard moments so that she can get stronger, just based on the way she talks about such moments, like after pengy dies.

[blizzardsuplex]

Beat the Champ-inspired fic prompts

Mostly wrestling-related cause duh, but can probably work outside of it maybe! Special thanks to @shes-a-voodoo-child because it only takes one person to motivate me apparently. 

Send me a number and name/s to get a ficlet about...

1.) A red-eye flight or a long journey (Flew home from Texas last night // Slept on the flight) 2.) That moment before they rush forward from behind the curtain or preparing for something (Wait for your name to get called // Burn like hillsides on fire // In the squall of the ringside choir) 3.) Living up to their family legacy or a scene from their childhood (Born down in El Paso where the tumbleweeds blow // To the middleweight champ of all of Mexico) 4.) An experience that transcends language barrier/s (With the telecast in Spanish, I can understand some // And I need justice in my life, here it comes) 5.) Fight scene misdirection or “playing possum” in general (Strike funny poses, keep my weapon hand low) 6.) First team-up or first meeting (That was when we were young and green // In the dawning hours of our team) 7.) Falling unconscious (I stretch and strain with all my might // Drift off into the velvety arms of the night) 8.) A time when they got betrayed (Get stomped like a snake // Lie down in the dirt // Cling to my convictions // Even when I get hurt) 9.) A heel turn or turning your back on previous convictions (Throw my better self overboard // Shoot at him when he comes up for air // Come unhinged // Get revenge) 10.) Their reaction to fan reaction or meeting someone who’s heard of them but has never met them (Stay good under pressure // For years and years and years and years // President of the fan club // Up there choking on his tears) 11.) A reprimand (Two blinded in Detroit! // Something must be done) 12.) Overhearing a rumor, whether about themselves or someone else (Sometimes you get some heat, sometimes it follows you around) 13.) An injury (All that racket out there in the arena // I’m on a stretcher, here come the cleaners) 14.) A situation that blurs kayfabe and reality or losing control (Get told to maybe dial it back backstage later on // Everyone still in this building right now: dead before the dawn) 15.) A great loss (All gone, all gone // Watching it go up out front on the lawn // Stay on my feet somehow // I’m strong now) 16.) Figuratively/literally unmasking someone or discovering something new about someone (Crowd's half-gone, just a few hangers-on // Come to see me finally tear through the stitching at last) 17.) Figuratively/literally being unmasked or revealing a secret (And you don't care, you look almost relieved down there // Like you're free, like you can breathe now) 18.) Introspection in front of a mirror (But we were the real two // And when I'm alone // Before a mirror late at night // I will reveal you) 19.) How they feel about aging or a retrospective/future fic (Sit on my porch in Houston // Let the good times dance across my mind) 20.) A sacrifice they made for their career or a humiliation (Cheap electric razor from the Thrifty down the street // Two guys down around your ankles so you'll stay put in your seat) 21.) A love confession (I loved you before I even ever knew what love was like) 22.) Post-show conversations or a show of support (Some people leave before it's over, but most of them stay) 23.) A dream, whether or not it will be or even can be realized (Out in the parking lot you look up at the stars // And all the cheap cars)

[sofipitch]

Im curious for the show in how theyll take inspiration from source material here. Like I think I will enjoy it knowing its not meant to be an exact adaption- though Im curious how they will handle Claudia with the actress being a grown person (or really all of them being aged up) Or Louis with his arcs of guilt and repression- when this time he starts owning a bunch of brothels and maybe has a past male lover? Im curious tho optimistic

I'm kind of confused bc this ask isn't a question? I can also only answer these to the best of my knowledge bc I'm not one of the show runners, I'm just some guy 😂

But if you are asking why I support the show and it's changes I'll say that I personally hated being a teenager and in this version Claudia will be 13. I think that is plenty young enough to feel stuck in one's body, which is Claudia's main issue. The show runners have said child labor laws were a reason they cast someone who was legally an adult but I think Durst was the only possible youngest Claudia. She was 12 and already an accomplished actress when she took the role, I read that Neil Jordan wanted a trained child actor since it's such a hard role for a kid to play an adult. The behind the scenes in my dvd copy Durnst even says at the time she didn't really understand what her character Claudia was going through, looking back as an adult made it make sense, so I'm guessing she probably had good stage direction for Jordan or other crew. So at the end of the day, I think to have someone reasonably play a character who is mentally an adult they needed to cast someone older. We haven't gotten a lot of images of Claudia but it looks like from the 2 we have she is still a "child".

I also kind of feel like comments that Bailey Bass is too old are rooted in racist stereotypes. Black girls get seen as "older" and "sexual" much sooner than white girls. Some of what I have seen ppl say about Bailey Bass has really disgusted me. I don't think you should be commenting on this girl's body parts, even if she is "legally an adult". She is still leagues younger than the ppl I see commenting on her body.

For the other characters I also prefer for them to be older. Lestat not having a fully formed prefrontal cortex might explain a lot of his bullshit but I also agree with others in saying that AR consistently saying the most attractive men alive are 21 (and later 20 and then 19) and her harping on how attractive Armand is (who looks 17) sounds more like a fetish than realistic. It's an old post by a friend, now @hedonisticgene but it was his old blog I think, said "Have you ever met the college kid who thinks he's a sex god? That's Lestat". So I do think making the characters older will make them seem attractive and charming and also have ppl not inquire too much about their lives be realistic.

As for the brothel it has the potential to be as morally repugnant as Louis having been a slave owner. I think fanon and late canon woobifies Louis so much that his general weak moral backbone is often ignored. Remember in the book IWTV Louis does not object to kill humans "bc it's wrong morally" but bc he thought it was an aesthetic experience he should work his way up to. He also describes his slaves in some awful ways, so I don't really think brothel owner is out of the question. And when it comes to Louis's repressed sexuality, well wouldn't it be the best cover, if you are gay and don't want others to know, to own a brothel. I am aware some ppl read Louis as bi while others (myself included) see him as gay. I also read IWTV as the interpretation that Louis's struggle to come to terms with vampirism is his struggle to come to terms with his sexuality. And Louis doesn't shy from telling us he went to whorehouses or that he maybe had feelings for Babette. What he shies away from is admitting his feelings for Lestat. So I think Louis being repressed has more to do with internalized homophobia than sex in general. So I feel like surrounding yourself with a whole bunch of hot women would be the best way to be "I'm totally straight! Look how straight I am!" 😂

I have my reservations about the show like any fan. These books (well the first three) mean so much to be I'll be devastated if this show sucks. But honestly for me it's not in these kind of small details, to me what matters is the character dynamic. That's what I love, and as long as this show scratches my brain the same way the books do I'll be happy.