#fanatical writes stuff

[fanatical4creation]

Everytime I think someone is asking about my characters and then I go so happy to check the question so I can answer but then I see its just a person asking for my money or asking for me to advertise their cause, like, I just want to talk about my silly fictional characters not abt irl war and misery, content creators aren’t therapists nor super heroes😭

[fallloverfic]

I love singNsong again reminding people in Side Story that Dokja wanted other people to read TWSA (he wrote reviews and comments! It was his first wish), and he only stopped bothering because people harassed him for it. He didn't gate-keep the story. When he's avoiding talking to Sangah about it at the beginning of ORV, it's because he knows what happens when he tells people about the story, not because he's gate-keeping it from her. He notes he's not proud of his hobby (likely because he's been bullied all through his life, including for reading the thing he loves): he finds it embarrassing to talk about, and better respects her studying Spanish in her free time (learning another language is a generally accepted thing in society). He assumes she won't care or will look at him funny (or worse) for when she learns about the novel he's into.

Basically anyone writing "let's gatekeep ORV" posts because of the anime announcement or because they dislike the manhwa or some other weirdness, y'all are the villains in the scenario.

The literal climax of the story is about sharing ORV with as many people as possible. What story were y'all reading?

[thanatologie]

good morning, a summary of emmrich's oblivion playthrough so far:

(the most hilarious bug i've ever gotten tbh if you could have seen how slow he drifted back down-)

listen, this was my bad, okay, this doesn't count, but it is funny. all i was trying to do was get him arrested for a quest and tried to punch a guard and forgot emmrich's staff was equipped.

anyway, like i was saying last night, i don't think i did too bad, considering the limitations of the oblivion cc, tbh.

[amplexadversary]

Completely self indulgent post but here's one of the post-canon scenarios I have in my head for G Gundam.

Maybe skip this post if you don't like dark themes. Not all of what I've outlined is dark (most of it isn't), but I do cross the line past what appears in the show in regards to DG cells and abduction.

The shuffles all get roped into restoration projects on Earth between the 13th and 14th gundam fights, partially to have something to do alongside their training, partially out of inspiration by the common points of the Kasshus' and Master Asia's goals, and partially because netting their countries some decent publicity is likely to earn them favors during the Gundam Fight's off-years.

Sai is contacted by Kyral about an effort to clear out the infamous buildup of trash and cadavers on Everest; he wants Sai to leverage Neo China's help as something of a reparation kind of deal and Sai goes sure why not.

Sai recruits Argo because Bolt Gundam is built to withstand the cold, and he thinks Argo and Nastasha could help reverse engineer that quality to enable the use of their Gundams as both heavy work equipment and protection from the harsh environmental conditions that normally prevent this kind of operation.

George gets involved because someone he knows has a distant relative who died on the mountain a century ago, and they wanted him to check in with the forensics team on the project. This detail is important because eventually it becomes clear that there is a mystery to solve (that I myself haven't figured out all the details of yet but broadly know the setup and conclusion); DG-infected people are disappearing and not being investigated due to stigma. Our heroes are naturally going to be pissed about this, and will need an "in" with the field if they want to do anything about it.

First massively self-indulgent element: The forensics/body identification team inexplicably includes the real-world author Kathy Reichs, who somehow exists in this universe, and there's a little side bit about her having written a Bones book right before the 12th fight that featured a cooked cadaver found inside a gundam after entry into the Earth's atmosphere. There are a lot of weird coincidences in the book that parallel the DG incident, which creeps everyone out, but the similarities are merely born of the writer threading the needle of being believable and interesting in a way that became very true to life.

What does become relevant is when the Shuffles eventually meet up, she's able to explain the implications of a bunch of weird shit the fighters discovered (also Marie Louise read her book, and one of the in-universe liberties Reichs took writing about the gundams' black boxes that she explains in the afterword leads to ML realizing something important; that Neo Germany does not have its gundam's remains.)

While the Everest project is happening, Domon, Chibodee, and Allenby all want to continue their training somewhere on Earth, and receive a proposal from (an OC of mine who is) a historic preservationist (and an acquaintance of Allenby's): she has acquired the grounds of an abandoned castle in Europe* after submitting a plan to restore it, and needs to hire people to help with the labor.

*the castle is probably somewhere in Germany because I also want this pitch to have drama over Schwarz (pre-13th fight), Schwarz (Kyoji), and Schwarz (the next guy who was supposed to inherit the mask when the older ninja retired). Also Germany is fucking pretty.

In exchange for the help of the three gundam fighters, they and Rain get paid, plus room and board anywhere on the grounds, plus full access to the grounds and miles of sparsely-inhabited countryside for training purposes, and the privacy and ability to practice with their gundams that comes with being in the middle of fucking nowhere. Rain sets herself up to work a clinic in the next town over as well as practicing pro re nata wilderness medicine (I'm convinced every medic supporting the gundam fight would need to be able to do this.)

The group involved in the Castle project sticks around for a time, makes some good progress, and engage in occasional Shenanigans that come up when you put a bunch of weirdos in a Situation.

They aren't in town a lot save for Rain, but when they are they eventually start to pick up on gossip and news about the Mysterious Disappearances correlated with DG cell infection (as well as details that turn out to be important later). Eventually Rain brings this to Domon and Chibodees' attention and they decide that, yeah, this is tied to the DG, this is their problem, they should convene with the rest of the Shuffle Alliance about it.

Also of course Schwarz is involved because I'm the one writing this; the culprits' DG-tissue harvesting operation relies on having him captured and helpless, using cells from his body to "update" other victims' DG infections to a less aggressive strain. One thing I haven't decided is whether I want a reinstantiated Wong to head this shit, or make up my own morally bankrupt opportunistic asshole looking to twist the DG to their own benefits. I also need to decide where on the planet the center of all this insanity is, and it needs to be a place that isn't going to have any unfortunate implications (because that's a genuine risk with dark story elements)

... That's about as much as I have that is thought-out enough for me to explain. I return to thinking about this scenario a lot because it puts most of the characters way out of their element (and has a bunch of details that appeal to me specifically), and it kind of evolved into an incomplete plot outline that I don't currently have any plans to flesh out.

I think it's an interesting enough direction to go, because it follows through with a lot of the themes present in G, but takes advantage of the genre shift to avoid DBZ-crazy power scaling and adjusts the conflict more to a matter of where the main characters' prowess is most effective (Both in and out of the gundams. I'm assuming there are a ton of guys similar to Michelo's gang that just need fighting interspersed with everything else I described. In fact, kicking Some Group of Douchebags out of their protection racket is probably how team Castle even gets ahold of evidence related to missing persons.)

[tang3rin3dr3am]

A mother's love.

Large stained glass windows, that's what first caught her attention. The glass was her mother's favorite, and her father wanted nothing but the best for the love of his life. Each color reflected against her skin. "Christ will protect you as long as you deserve to be protected. As long as you are what I want you to be you will be safe and loved. For that is my will and therefore Christ."

Her feet ached and the pressure of the weight on her scraped knees was too much of a burden on her frail frame.  Her nightgown was stained and ripped, it stunk of dust and reeked of her filth, her sweat making the yellow-ish gown stick to her skin. She vaguely remembered it being white, brand new, and important enough to delicately trace instead of grip in anxious fits.

Her wounds ailed with infection, the sight of pus dizzying her vision. She feared her consciousness would falter even if her wakefulness was slim at best. The old manor was loud with bloody prayer. Her breathing was becoming too much, her scent putrid to her nose. Her stomach tangled and her bones pushed against her skin, she could see each turn of bone, her skin far too thin. She was once round with fat, far too much for the average woman or so her mother would whisper in her ear with each tight hug.

She was all pale, but she remembered color, color to the skin of her flesh, an olive tone maybe, she just wasn't certain anymore. She could not remember anything that was the norm, of anything that once was. She was sick, sick in health, sick in mind, and sick with emotion. Awry once again, she doubted her mother, therefore, she doubted God, she'll burn, she'll burn for her blunder. One should never distrust God's will. The old manor was loud with desperate prayer. She was hanging on a thin thread of sanity, her old claims of truths and clear skies a twisted joke that struck her with irony. She was sick with emotion, sick with memory, and a sense of having lived and failed like she once did and continued to do. The old manor was used to her tears of woe. She cried, the wooden floor below wet with the content of her bladder. The skin of her throat was burned, raw, and white, the first layer of skin scraped away. The pressure was too great. She just wanted to die. Living was the gift that God blessed upon her, she would forever cherish it and embrace it. Eternal rest, damnation for her sins. She ached more than ever for punishment.  Retribution for her actions, for she was a sinner and the rosary clutched in her bleeding hand burned her cuts. The old manor smelled of her soiled clothes, it smelled of her old tears and her new cuts and her first meal and felt of her first steps. It looked like the grief in her eyes at having to give herself to a life of worship for something she deep beneath did not believe in. It tasted of doubt. The old manor was loud, loud with her wails, and loud with silence once her body failed to keep her awake. The old manor was loud with her prayer for the years she was alive and secluded. The large stained windows were her mother's favorite.

" Do you like them, Brutus?" Her mother smiled, but she noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes "If you love them, I will forever cherish them". The gleam that crossed her mother's eyes was something akin to penitence. "Here, you will become the very semblance of Christ" her voice was lustful with ambition "Here I will learn to love you, here you will be useful or you will be nothing". The pointed arch of the cupola was caving in.  The manor was quiet. It was old, clogged with dust, stained with fear and dreams that never had the right to be. The quiet old manor walls no longer echoed prayer. It was quiet, with broken stained windows and a broken and bloated mass on its brick and flooded floor.

[wondrluv]

୨୧ my shirt, your shirt, our shirt, whatever ; pb5

➪ summary: paige gets back to connecticut from the national championship, making her way to you without a second thought. and when she sees you (trying) to order a shirt, she scolds you saying you could have hers

➪ warnings: none... i don't think (i mean there is an allusion to paige crying but that's it) not proofread in the slightest

➪ word count: 0.6k

➪ emma's notes: me? writing two fics in two days? who am i? anyway, this wasn't the fic i was originally going to write, or the mid-sized!reader one i had in mind but i couldn't help it. ana sent me the ask and i just had to write it. HUSKIES ARE NATTY CHAMPS!!!! i'm so unbelievably proud and happy for them, words can't describe how i'm feeling. anyway... i hope you guys enjoy the fic :)

© wondrluv ; do not copy, repost, or translate my work and designs on any other website or here

It was late when Paige knocked on your door, exhausted to the brim but her lips were still pulled up into that wide smile of hers that made you giggle at just the thought of it. 

You had woken up from the sound, stumbling over to open it and immediately matching her grin, pulling her into a hug, “You did it.”

Paige couldn’t help but smile wider at your soft words, dropping her belongings and wrapping her arms around your torso, grip tight as ever. She buried her head in your shoulder and you could feel the fabric of your shirt dampen, your hand coming up to run through her hair to calm her. 

“I’m so proud of you, you did amazing, not just tonight. The whole year, the past five years. I couldn’t be any prouder, P.”

She stayed silent for moments after your small speech, relishing the fact that she was in your arms and you were in hers. This was her safe space, you were her safe space. Winning the championship felt great, but celebrating it with you felt even better. 

When she finally pulled away, her hands cupped your cheeks, bringing you into a kiss, grinning at the small gasp you let out. Your hands slipped to her hips, resting comfortably against them, gripping her sweatshirt. 

Her forehead rested against yours, staring at you with the happiest expression you had ever seen on her face, causing you to replicate it on yours. 

“I’m so happy.”

“I can tell. Congratulations, champion.” You flicked the brim of her hat, it flying off from the force, exposing her messy hair and glasses. “Don’t you look adorable.”

She blushed at your teasing, her head immediately going back into the crook of your neck, hiding the redness. All you could do was laugh, dragging her inside and kicking her stuff in with your foot, shutting the door behind you.

You collapsed on the bed, watching as Paige changed into clothes that didn’t smell like sweat and the airport. You pulled out your phone, scrolling through Fanatics to buy yourself a shirt, you hadn’t been able to do it beforehand, too busy texting your congratulations to the team and talking with Paige. 

She crawled into your bed behind you, her arms finding their place around your middle, pulling you flush against her and resting her forehead on your shoulder, “What’re you doing?”

“Just some shopping.” Your hand came up to scratch at her scalp, Paige sighing contently at your actions. 

She lifted her head just enough to get a peak at your phone, eyes narrowing at all the apparel that had ‘National Champions Huskies’ written across them. She rolled her eyes, arms tightening around you, “If you wanted a shirt you could’ve just asked to wear mine.”

You turned around so you were facing her, poking her cheek softly, “That’s your shirt, P. I wanted my own.”

“Yeah, but you know how much I like it when you wear my shirts.” It was your turn to blush, your cheeks heating up as you stared at her. “As soon as I wash it, you’re wearing it, yeah?”

“Fine. But I’m still gonna get my own.” 

She tutted softly, reaching for your phone and pulling it out of your grasp, “No. My shirt is your shirt, it’s our shirt.”

You let out a tiny scoff but were unable to keep the smile off your face, “Whatever.”

“C’mon, sleep time. I’m sleepy.” 

You softened, nodding your head and allowing her to pull you closer, your head resting against her chest and her head resting against hers. You fell asleep quickly, the lingering sleepiness from before taking over you. 

And just before she fell asleep, Paige ordered you a shirt of your own, one that matched hers because who was she not to get you what you wanted?

PB5 MASTERLIST ; WBB MASTERLIST

TAGLIST ; NAVIGATION

[delugyu]

by a string (teaser)

find the full fic here! 🤍

summary: Yeonjun’s got a lot on his plate. Not only does he have to worry about being a star student, but he also has to be the city’s web-slinging hero. And a lab intern. And a semi-decent roommate. And a little bit in love with you.

pairings: yeonjun x fem!reader

word count: ~20k (350 in the teaser)

tags: fluff, some angst, smut (mdni), spiderman!yeonjun, college au, jjun is a charming nerdy awkward little guy, blood, physical violence, potentially inaccurate science-y stuff, more to be added

notes: as a #real spider-man fanatic and yeonjun luvr, this fic is sooo fun to write. estimated release date for this is in early may but i’ll update u on that lol. let me know if u want to be on the taglist for this fic!! just make sure u have an age indicator on ur page <3

You look over your shoulder when Yeonjun reaches you, staring up at him and squinting your eyes to shield from the sun. “How’d I know you’d come find me?” you ask, half-amused.

Yeonjun gives you a short laugh, unsure of himself as he sits on the grass beside you. It feels a little like he’s invading your space. He’s seen you sitting alone on this field as if it was all yours so many times.

“I thought I should thank you again,” he says, a little shy. He feels like he owes you a lot for last night. The whole city probably owes you a lot for saving him, honestly.

You look at him with a small smile, leaning your head on your bent knees. “Mhm. Shouldn’t I be thanking you, Spider-man?” There’s a teasing quality to your voice, and it makes Yeonjun laugh nervously. He should probably address that.

“I really hope you won’t tell anybody.”

“I won’t. I’m still finding it hard to believe anyway,” you say. Your sentences are all laced with a tiredness and exhaustion that Yeonjun can’t help but to feel at fault for. “It’s just weird to know it now.”

Yeonjun hums. He can sympathize with you on that—it must be really bewildering to know your classmate is the one swinging around town shooting webs at criminals. He just hopes you can forgive him for dragging you into this.

“Spider-man’s a little less cool now, huh?” he jokes, keeping his voice quiet even though no one’s around.

Your smile is full and genuine, and Yeonjun’s heart skips a beat. “I always thought he was a little lame,” you answer. Yeonjun’s ego bruises at that. You continue, “But I think he’s kind of interesting now.”

He can only hope that you don’t see the blush that takes over his face. He looks away to hide it, but he feels your gaze on him. “I don’t know if I’m that interesting,” he says, acting all humble. It’s clearly bait, and he hopes you’ll catch it.

“I can be the judge of that. Let me get to know you more,” you offer. Yeonjun bites his cheek to stop himself from grinning at this massive win.

[wnbnny]

forbidden fruit - nishimura riki

slytherin!niki x ravenclaw!reader

warnings: hogwarts au, pureblood/muggleborn society, use of slur "mudblood", a lot of angst, betrayal, lots of swearing, fluff, use of third person pov, niki's friends basically being assholes, threats and mentions of death, can get a bit dark at times i guess, idk man idk how to write tws

genre: coming of age, enemies(ok not really but society issues and stuff) to friends to enemies to lovers, hogwarts au

status: coming soon... (taglist open!)

author's note: aaa i'm so excited for this omd >< taglist is open for this fic!

sneak peek...

"you really think i would make friends with a mudblood?" he sneered, upper lip curling up in disgust as you shrank backwards, his friends smirking at your heartbroken expression.

"i-"

"filthy mudblood."

two words snarled at you. two words that broke your fragile glass heart as you crumpled, leaving you heartbroken and hurt. two words that completely destroyed whatever friendship the two of you had managed to build up, leaving only ruin in it's wake.

@capri-cuntz @vixialuvs @enhagvrl @judeduartewannabe @livnmsy @heeseungspookie @ming-h0e @istphanie @soobs-things @kangseulgithegreat @hohohobo @asteria-wood @belowbun @gudkc @hearts4itoshi @saintriots @mora134340 @riksaes @ak-aaa-li @strawberrymilkyum @heart4hees @lovleybahiyyih @yjsunzi @yoonzns @firstclassjaylee @baekxo07 @rk1stars @luminouskalopsia @wonniesverse @starseungs @sleepdeprivedline @soobiary @kpop-fanatic-lover16 

@capri-cuntz @vixialuvs @enhagvrl @judeduartewannabe @livnmsy @heeseungspookie @ming-h0e @istphanie @soobs-things @kangseulgithegreat @hohohobo @asteria-wood @belowbun @gudkc @hearts4itoshi @saintriots @mora134340 @riksaes @ak-aaa-li @strawberrymilkyum @heart4hees @lovleybahiyyih @yjsunzi @yoonzns @firstclassjaylee @baekxo07 @rk1stars @luminouskalopsia @wonniesverse @starseungs @sleepdeprivedline @soobiary @kpop-fanatic-lover16 

(i'm so so sorry if the tags aren't woking, i'm fixing it TT taglist is still open tho!) (some people might get re-tagged multiple times in this but so sorry for the false alarm, i'm just trying to get the tags to work)

[teaboot]

How do Canadian schools teach about indigenous Canadian history and culture? -a curious USAmerican

In my experience we learned about colonization at the same time as we learned about the formation of Canada. At first it was "European settlers came and pushed out the indigenous population", then in the higher grades we learned more about the how and the why.

For example, how carts full of men with rifles would ride around shooting Buffalo, then leaving the meat on the ground to rot, because "a dead Buffalo is a dead indian", which was so fanatical it almost wiped out wild Buffalo entirely

Also how Canadian settlers were lured in with beautiful hand-painted advertisements for cheap, beautiful, fertile land that was unpopulated and perfect, if only you'd sail over with your entire family and a pocket full of seeds- only to be met with scared, confused, and angry lawful inhabitants already run out of ten other places, and frigid winters, and rocky, forested, undeveloped dirt.

also, smallpox blankets, where "gifts" of blankets infected with smallpox were intentionally given out

And treaty violations- Either ignoring written agreements entirely, or buying them out at insanely low prices and lying about the value, or trading for farming equipment that they couldn't use because they weren't farmers.

Then in the first world war, where they told indigenous peoples here that they'd be granted Canadian citizenship if they enlisted

To Residential schools, which was straight up stealing kids for slavery, indoctrination, and medical experiments

But we also covered the building of the Canadian Railway in which Chinese immigrants were lowered into ravines with dynamite to blow out paths through the mountain for pennies on the dollar

And the Alberta Sterilization Act, where it was lawful and routine procedure to sterilize women of colour and neurodivergent people without their awareness or consent after giving birth or undergoing unrelated surgeries

But I'm rambling.

We kind of learned Aboriginal history at the same time as everything else? Like. This is when Canada was made, and this is how it was done. Now we'll read a book about someone who lived through it, and we'll write a book report. And now a documentary, and now a paper about the documentary. Onto the next unit.

And starting I think in grade 10 our English track was split between English and Aboriginals English, where you could choose to do the standard curriculum or do the same basic knowledge stuff with a focus on Aboriginal perspectives and literature. (I did that one, we read Three Day's Road and Diary Of A Part-Time Indian, and a few other titles I don't remember.)

There was also a lunch room for the Aboriginal Culture Studies where Aboriginal kids could hang out at lunch time if they wanted, full of art and projects and stuff. They'd play music or videos sometimes, that was cool

And one elective I took (not mandatory cirriculum) was a Kwakiutl course for basic Kwakwakaʼwakw language. Greetings, counting to a hundred, learning the modified alphabet, animals, etc. Still comes in handy sometimes at large gatherings cause they usually start with a land recognition thanking whoever's land we're on, with a few thanks and welcomes in their language.

And like- when I was in the US it was so weird, cause here we have Totem poles and longhouses and murals all over and yall... don't? Like there is a very distinct lack of Aboriginal art in your public spaces, at least in the areas I've been

My ex-stepfather, who was American, brought his son out once, and he was so excited to "see real indians" and was legitimately shocked to learn that there weren't many teepees to be found on the northwest coast, and was even *more* shocked when we told him that you have Aboriginal people back home too, bud. Your Aboriginal people are also named "Mike" snd "Vicky" and work as assistant manager at best buy.

If you'd ask me, I'd say that the primary difference is that USAmerica (from what I've seen, and ALSO in entirely too much of Canada) treats our European and Aboriginal conflicts as history, something that's tragic but over, like the extinction of the mammoths, instead of like. An ongoing thing involving people who are alive and numerous and right fucking here

But at the end of the day, I'm white, and there are plenty of actual Aboriginal people who are speaking out and saying much more meaningful things than I can

So I'm just gonna pass on a quote from my Stepmum, who's Cree, that's stuck with me since she said it:

"You see how they treat Mexicans in America? That's how they treat us here. Indians are the Mexicans of Canada."

[fanatical4creation]

Look y’all I swear I’m cooking some things alr just be patient pls 😩

[tossawary]

Every now and again, I'll come across some fanfiction in which an emotionally conflicted character will consult (usually kind of trashy) romance novels or in-universe fanfiction for advice or information. And it almost always snaps my suspension of disbelief.

If it's some terminally online teenage geek character or a hopeless romantic bookworm character? Sure! And, of course, there's great humor to be had in a sporty jock struggling with his queer awakening hesitantly picking up the bodice-ripper that his mum left on the coffee table. There ARE scenarios where "romance novels and fanfic as research" tracks just fine. I also understand the existence of the "I want to give this character I like the hobbies I like" / "I want to poke fun at this type / genre of fiction" aspect on the author's side.

But in any scenario with some normie adult man? Some straight, cisgender guy with normie dude hobbies and no evidence that he even CAN read, much less that he enjoys reading? Then it's a "not only would he not fucking do this, I honestly don't even believe he'd know this course of action exists" characterization situation.

Like, there are an astonishing number of people, especially dudes, who could not even name a romance novel to save their fucking life. No, not even a Jane Austen novel or "Twilight" or something. Their eyes glaze over that section of a bookstore. They are mentally filing that shit out to leave more room for sports or first-person-shooter video games or something. They have no respect for this type of fiction, if they're into reading fiction at all! They unconsciously or even explicitly believe that making eye contact with a bodice-ripper will permanently damage their masculinity, and they would flinch away from touching one like most people are scared of scorpions. They don't know aaaaanything about it! They have no concept of "the good stuff" versus "the bad stuff"; it's all soap operas and pornography to them, not a source of information.

And lots of people still don't even know that fanfiction is a thing. They go through life blissfully unaware of fandom wank. Or if they do know of fanfiction, it holds no appeal for them. Playing with other people's characters, or writing fictional stories about real people, is weirdo fanatic behavior to them! Not a source of information.

(And, to be clear, I'm not saying this tracks for all female characters. No, obviously, plenty of women don't like romance novels or fanfic. Plenty of women who do like those would never look at them as sources of information either, for a variety of very good reasons. It's just really funny when a story has the most normie bro guy to ever bro engage with this type of fiction.)

So, like, no, there are some characters whom I cannot be persuaded would ever read any of this stuff. (Speaking as a terminally online fanatic!) And honestly, there are plenty of more realistic and far funnier options for some normie dude character looking for love advice.

A) Friends and family. Or else colleagues and coworkers. It is almost always hilarious when a character goes up to someone else and says, "Hey, hypothetical scenario: [the stupidest shit you've heard in your life]. Any advice for that?" Also, you can have sincerely emotional conversations between friends! Or else good angst if the friend or family member reacts in a hostile manner or gives bad advice!

B) A magazine or chick flick movie. I can easily be persuaded that a normie dude would at least know these exist, or have one left at his house by an ex-girlfriend who made him watch it one time. Normie dudes are also more likely to consider these big publications more legitimate for advice than random romance novels or fanfic.

C) Some random advice column blog or non-fiction self-help book. Could be legitimately good advice for specific situations by a thoughtful professional, could be a money-grab scam written by a quack! How is some lovesick, emotionally dense guy supposed to tell by a book cover?

D) On that note: a relationship advice TikTok influencer or YouTuber or some random advice forum, probably Reddit or the like. The pros and the quacks are unhelpfully everywhere now! And possibly even have a live chat acting as their studio audience to make airing dirty laundry more toxic than ever. Potentially, you will find the kindest person alive with a terrible username willing to gently walk you through therapy, the online equivalent of meeting a figurative angel in a dive bar, but probably not. Bad advice is much more likely.

E) Doing no research, remaining uninformed, and blustering through the situation based on random pre-conceptions if anything. Honestly, I think some of these guys would just ignore the problem, even a potentially deadly problem, rather than touch a Harlequin romance novel, much less AO3 fanfiction. Sexism and internalized homophobia are a hell of a drug. It's just not happening.

I don't have a clean conclusion for this, it's just a funny thing that I've noticed every now and again. There ARE guys who like these types of fiction, of course! There ARE male characters who own an e-reader full of rom novels, sure, and don't give a shit what anyone else thinks. "This [normie male character who is both pretty offline and worries about appearing sufficiently masculine in a pretty toxic way] is reading a lot of romance novels and/or fanfiction as a form of research!" Yeah, no, that's really hard to pull off. If this guy is touching the internet at all, he's far more likely to make the most ridiculous Reddit post you've ever seen and then start belligerent fights in the comments.

[yolothh]

Viktor really meant the "in all timelines, in all possibilities" line BECAUSE IT'S OUR TIMELINE TOO! THEY EXISTED!

Please take a moment and let me introduce you to: Giacomo Leopardi and Antonio Ranieri's partnership.

Leopardi was an italian poet, author, philosopher and philologist. He is an important figure in Romantic literature (albeit, he did criticize the Romantic worldviews).

All throughout his life he suffered from a debilitating chronic illness (juvanile ankylosing spondylitis) that had him suffer horrendously from a young age, until it eventually took his life in 1837, when he was 39 years old.

He dedicated most of his life to studies, translating old tomes, writing poems and treaties diverting on humanity's degeneration from our glorious past to our suffering present. He exhorted modern folks to take action against the unjust present, aiming to a revolution of our pitiful condition.

In 1827 Leopardi meets Antonio Ranieri a young man that is described (verbatim) as a "very young and handsome in person and spirit".

Ranieri had been exiled from his city during his youth, because of his excessively liberal views in regards to politics.

The two become very close friends, but it's in 1830 that their "partnership" (literally, not making this up, Ranieri himself wrote a book about it if you care to check it out "Seven years of partnership with Giacomo Leopardi") starts. They move together from Firenze to Naples and Ranieri attends to Leopardi's every wish (noted that this man was a fanatic for sweets) paying with money from his own pocket.

Now, friendship at the time was different than what it is now, and they might’ve been very close friends, yes. But I'll give you some words from their letters and what Ranieri wrote down in his book and leave it to your judgment.

-----------------------------------------------------

Ranieri, Naples, 1833:

"I- left my own bed- used to sleep in a room that was not mine (scandalous at the time) to sleep by his side"

Leopardi, Florence, 1832-33, from when they got separated because Ranieri needed to tend to some family issues:

"My Ranieri, you will never abandon my side, nor will your love for me grow colder. I don't wish for you to sacrifice yourself for me. In fact, before anything else, I strongly wish for you to take care of yourself first: whatever you choose to do, you will do it so because we live for one another, or I know that I do for you; my last and only hope. Farewell, my soul. I keep you close to my heart, which in both possible and impossible occurrences, will forever be yours"

Leopardi, Florence, 1832-33, on someone making a joke out of Ranieri for staying by Leopardi's side:

" [...] Oh, my Ranieri! When will I get you back? I won't stop trambling until I'll recover this immeasurable love, until I know it's true. Farewell, my soul, with all my spirit's strength. Don't get bored of loving me"

And more:

"Ranieri of mine, I need not say that in every way you wish, I will be there with you (...). My resolution has been so for a great time now: that I will never be parted from you. Farewell"

In 1833, Ranieri sends a letter where he says he intends to set off to get Leopardi and go live together in Naples, to which Leopardi answers:

"My Ranieri, will this [letter] reach you in Naples still? I must warn you, I cannot live without you no longer, I'm overtaken by a morbid impatience to see you again, and that I am sure that if you will be late, I will die from the malencholy of not having you still. Farewell, Farewell"

Ranieri, on the landlady that took them in in Naples:

"She revealed this: that I had introduced a consumptive in the house: that, loving him so much as to stay up at night by his side, there could be no reason I could not do that as well in mine own house"

--

So now, take it as you will- because maybe I am way too much of a nerd about this stuff- but I can't read ANYTHING Leopardi and Ranieri related without seeing Viktor and Jayce. I will gladely add more in the future.

--

Addition! If you want to watch/read on them (but mostly Leopardi, which is a catch) I STRONGLY advice you:

Leopardi. Il poeta dell'infinito - I don't personally love it but if you want more on them, thats the place

Il giovane favoloso - AMAZING movie

Canti - by Leopardi, it is a collection of poems he wrote and I think it is absolutely useful to understand his marvelous mind and character

Sette anni di Sodalizio con Giacomo Leopardi - the one I mentioned before, written by Ranieri on his time with Leopardi

[gabseyoo]

FORE! — GOJŌ SATORU

content: female reader, golf instructor!gojo, rich!gojo, rich!reader, public sex, sex in a golf cart, fingering, reverse cowgirl, vaginal / unprotected sex, slight degradation, creampie. word count: 2.3k.

note: hellooo. it´s here! i started writing this months ago and just finished it, hehe. i feel weird posting this days after jjk ended (i have a lot to say about the ending, sigh) still, i hope you like it <3

Three weeks. 

It has only been three weeks since Satoru Gojo offered to teach you how to play golf, which he did as an excuse to spend time alone with you. 

You had known each other for a few months, when your parents started doing business together.  The attraction you had for each other was obvious from the first moment you met, but for some reason or another you had never had the chance to be alone, since you used to see each other at gala events or dinner parties, where you would flirt, chat for a few minutes before going your separate ways and forgetting about each other's existence until the next time you met again. 

Four weeks ago, he saw you again at the birthday party of an acquaintance of your parents, where you looked incredibly beautiful and sexy in that blue dress that Satoru fantasized about taking off— but let’s leave that aside for now.

He remembers how he greeted you, kissing your hand in an act of chivalry before offering you a glass of champagne and inviting you to sit down together for a chat. 

Everything was going well, you were an entertaining person to talk to, both of you were sharing things about your lives and stuff like likes, dislikes and hobbies. It was at this point in the conversation where he mentioned how he had always been a golf fanatic, and with some arrogance he told you how good he was at the game and that he even won quite a few competitions in his teens before focusing on the family business. 

That’s when you said, “Wow, you should teach me how to play one of these days.”

And Satoru saw it as the perfect opportunity to say, “If you’re free on Saturday mornings, I can teach you.”

It’s been three weeks since then.

And Satoru was going to explode. 

From the first day you showed up at his family’s country club in that short skirt and looked at him with those doe eyes full of false innocence, Satoru realized that you would be the death of him. And this thought was confirmed as the hours went by that day, a day on which Satoru surprised himself by his self-control of not having an erection in the middle of a golf lesson. Because God, he knew you were a flirt, but he never imagined to what extent. But well… let's be honest— it would be a lie to say that he didn’t play along, just as it would be a lie to say that these flirtations wouldn’t continue Saturday after Saturday. 

The way you batted your eyelashes when you looked up at him, the way your body lightly brushed against his when you walked back and forth, how you moved closer to him when he showed you the video of your shot and explained where you could improve with the excuse of wanting to hear him better. 

It was all reciprocated by the way Satoru would look at your lips when you spoke, by the way he would shamelessly ogle you when you arrived in those cute little outfits, how he would praise you when you hit the ball and how occasionally he would caress your shoulders or your lower back when fixing your posture—which he was sure you were doing wrong on purpose just so he could correct you, but hey, it’s not like he had a problem with it—.

This whole little game had reached the point where the sexual tension that emerged when you were together could be cut with a butter knife, and it was only a matter of time before the two of you crossed a fine line. 

And right now, that Satoru and you were in a secluded area of the course practicing your shots, the tension was so high that it seemed like that day would be today. 

Satoru was a few steps behind you, with one hand resting on the golf bag and the other on his hip, watching intently as you prepared to hit the ball, unable to stop his eyes of admiring your bare legs thanks to the short skirt you were wearing. Fuck, he wanted to caress them, squeeze them and feel them against his chest while fuc…

“Am I doing this right?” Your question brought him out of his not very decent thoughts. 

Satoru sighed when he saw your posture, not in annoyance but in amusement because you were clearly doing it wrong and didn’t even bother to hide the mischief in your voice. 

“You already know you’re not.” He muttered, still walking towards you to position himself behind your figure while you could barely contain the smirk that wanted to creep onto your face. 

“I’m not?” You pretended surprise, “Well, it’s a good thing you’re here to help me then.”

Satoru smiled sideways as he moved a little closer to your body than necessary, placing his hands on your shoulders before speaking softly in your ear, “Lean a little forward.” 

You obediently listened to his direction, slowly leaning forward until your butt made contact with Satoru’s crotch, who almost let out a gasp at the sudden physical contact. Although you have been somewhat touchy with each other, this was the first time you made such a lustful, shameless move. And he loved it. 

“Like this?” You asked in an innocent voice. 

“Yeah, that’s perfect.” Instead of pulling away, he pressed his bulge a little harder as his hands descended from your shoulders, taking his time to feel the skin of your arms against his fingers until he wrapped his hands around yours that held the golf club, “Do you also need help to hit it?” He asked, almost in a whisper, and your voice sounded the same when you responded: “I think I do.” 

With his hands on yours, he helped swing the golf club back and then hit the little ball that got lost in the distance. Neither of you seemed to care about the good shot he had helped you achieve, the only thing going through your heads at that moment was the closeness of your bodies. His breath was heavy against your ear, his dick growing bigger against your ass. 

You straightened your posture until your back bumped against his chest. He was quick to move his hands to your hips, calling your name with lust in his tone. 

“Tell me.” You replied. 

“Are you sure about this?” The question was superfluous when it was obvious what you both wanted, but he wanted to tease you a little bit.

You turned your head until your lips were millimeters away from his cheek. “You think I’m not?” You murmured before you dropped the golf club to put your hands around his wrists and slowly brought one of his palms up to one of your tits and down the other to the hem of your skirt. 

Satoru didn’t think twice about squeezing your breast and caress your pussy over the fabric of your skirt, making you let out a moan when he pressed his fingers against your clit. 

“We’re outdoors, someone may come, you know?” It was true, you were in the middle of a golf course where anyone could walk by even though it was a lonely area, but right now, not even Satoru himself believed that being in a practically public place mattered to him, not when he finally had in his hands, literally, the woman he has desired with all his might for weeks. 

He felt you smile against the skin of his cheek as you caressed his forearm. “Then we have to make sure that whoever comes has a good show.”

That was the last push Satoru needed to kiss you. It was so fucking messy. It was so fucking lewd. But nothing was stopping both of you now, especially when, one way and another, you managed to get on the golf cart in which you arrived here amidst the desperate kissing and touching. 

Satoru sat in the back seat and you claimed your place on top of his lap, taking the opportunity to kiss your way down his chin to his neck as he slipped his hand once again between your legs to pull your panties aside and finally have direct contact with the place where you needed him the most. 

“Fuck. You’re so wet.” He said as he slipped two of his fingers into your pussy, “And so fucking tight.”  He added with a pleasing tone, closing his eyes when you sucked the skin of his neck between your uncontrollable whimpers at the pleasurable rhythm his digits set. 

His other hand went to your ass to spank hard and then squeeze to his liking, meanwhile you worked on unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants to slip your hand into his boxers, wrapping your hand around his dick. 

“And you’re so big.” You mimicked his earlier tone and raised your eyes to look at the man, finding a proud smile on his face. 

“Want to feel it?” Satoru asked as he curled his fingers inside you, delighted by how you opened your mouth in pleasure and nodded in response to his question. “Yeah? You want it? Turn around then.” 

You let out a moan when he pulled out his fingers from your insides, and without wasting any more time, you managed to turn around in the confined space of the golf cart. 

Now with your back to him, sitting back on his legs with your view towards the beautiful horizon of the course, Satoru hiked up your skirt to appreciate more of your ass and smiled when he noticed that you were wearing an expensive lace thong that fit you perfectly. 

“You were planning this, weren’t you?” He said, stretching the fabric on the side of your hip. “I don’t think this is very comfortable for golfing around.” He added before letting go of the garment, hitting your skin.

“In fact, I found out that they are.” You looked at him over your shoulder with a smirk. “I’ve been wearing lingerie for you since the beginning.”

The admission almost made Satoru groan as something bestial possessed him. The thought of you wearing lingerie for him sent his libido through the roof. He brought both of his hands to the edges of your underwear to start pulling them down, you lifted your hips a little to help him remove them until they ended up on the floor of the golf cart.

“So you’re admitting that you were ready for me to fuck you from the start?” Satoru said as he pulled his pants down a little more along with his boxers until his cock sprang completely free and ready for you. “You’re such a slut, did you know that?” He added before placing one hand on your waist and the other went to grab his member to line it up at your entrance, impatient to finally feel you. “C’mon, sit.”

It was like heaven when you began to sit on it. This had been his fantasy all along, this position, with you. The place wasn’t exactly what he imagined, but at this moment that was the last thing he cared about. 

Satoru did his best to keep his eyes open to appreciate how you sucked him in deeper and deeper until you were completely seated on top of him. Fuck. He was about to lose his mind, your pussy felt so hot, so wet, so tight. It was perfect and he swore he could cum right there if he didn’t apply what was left of his mental strength. Which he thought was going to be an impossible task the moment you started to move your hips. 

God, you moved so well. And the view was a paradise for him. 

The way his cock disappeared inside you every time you went up and down was driving him crazy. Add to that how your walls squeezed him so deliciously and the sound of your skins colliding. It was all unbelievably lewd. 

“Fuck, you ride dick so good.” He praised, admiring your bottom and squeezing your cheeks with both hands before letting one of his palms fall in a hard spank that made you groan. “Had I known, I’d have fucked you since day one.”

His last words caused a giggle to come out of you, and without stopping your delicious movements, you said, “I think I’m the one fucking you.”

He let out a chuckle before placing both of his hands firmly on your waist, stopping you, “Right, we need to change that.”

Satoru began to move his hips. It was hard, almost beastly, that it was a surprise that the golf cart was still in place. Your moans increased, as did the wet sounds that came from every time Satoru rammed into you. 

Suddenly, he pulled you by the neck until your back made contact with his chest, ran one of his hands under your knee to pull your leg up and get better access to your clit with his other hand. Once in this new position, he resumed his movements, now thrusting deeper and harder as he circled your sensitive spot. 

Satoru moaned, loud, the moment he reached his peak and let out all his cum deep inside you. That wasn’t really his intention, but he didn’t find it in himself to pull out, not when your pussy was squeezing him too good when you came at the same time. 

“Jesus fucking Christ.” He mumbled as he tried to regulate his breathing with his forehead resting on your shoulder. “That was good.” 

“I know.” You said between breaths as you brought a hand behind Satoru’s head to gently stroke his white hair. “I think it’s time to admit that I’m actually a pretty good golfer.”

Your words made both of you laugh. 

“Don’t worry.” He said when your laughter ceased and kissed your cheek before adding, “I knew.”

[fidenciocryptidcreechur]

Note: this is me just making a wonderland post about the canonical character in twisted wonderland based on translations, vignettes and manga. everyone has differing opinions and interpretations and I'm not gonna bicker about someone's version of Trey in their writing or their au.

I feel like some folks in twst fandom are realizing that canonical Trey isn't really like early/previous fandom Trey, who was characterized as a sweet completely normal bakerman who's also the heartslabyul mom, but instead of just going "oh yeah no, Trey can be petty and mischievous sometimes. usually in situations where there are others also being petty and mischievous while still keeping on top of his duties and engaging in his hobbies" some of the fandom seems to have swung to the other side of the spectrum and are like "oh? so trey has been living a lie this entire time! He actually HATES baking and he's got a ✨secret agenda✨ and he probably is a mastermind and is part of a heartslabyul shadow government!!!!"

And while i know that there's a good chance many are just being silly and making memes and jokes, i have seen the way fandom genuinely boils down characters and strips them of all nuance. Notable with the leech twins, sebek and rook who are all canonically dorks and goobers with their passions and interests in both the games and mangas. They're all intense but most are just awkward and passionate/invested in their interests. Like Sebek being boiled down to shouty malleus fanatic and ignore his various interests and hobbies. he can and will question Malleus notable in the recent chapters and also times when Malleus acts in a way that makes Sebek confused<- mainly in manga and vignettes. Like Floyd being boiled down to unhinged and unpredictable, when most of his actions and activities happen because he got bored of something being monotonous or tiring or repetitive and goes to look for something more interesting like drama or someone with strong reactions to mess with. Guy just gets bored and goes to look for something interesting. Or Rook who gets extremely invested in whatever is his current interest/passion to the point of ignoring everything else. Jade also does this. They're all goobers tbh. Just guys, just folks.

Trey Clover is also just a guy. He is just conflict avoidant tbh. Trey just wants to keep the peace, to make sure people aren't fighting, people are following the rules and aren't making messes. Like that's something he mentions often and that many of his actions reflect from how he checks in on all the students and makes sure they're following heartslabyul rules but doesn't tell Riddle about any rule breaks so as to keep peace, to holding back in activities so he doesn't draw attention and not mentioning stuff he might know specifically so that he doesn't get asked about it (notably when Jamil wants to read ancient texts and trey only reads it upon finding out it contained an ancient tooth paste recipe). He seeks convenience, peace and calm. He's not exactly a schemer, out to get something specific or complete some goal in life like those such as Jamil, Leona or Azul. He's also not necessarily someone solely attempting to coast by and only seek stimulus/fun like with Kalim and Cater.

He's not secretly cruel and not the secret mastermind behind heartslabyul. Yes, He's mischievous and sometimes petty. Notably he gets this way when other petty and mischievous people are around him and it's usually in response to those that were acting like that (messing with ace, messing with Jade, etc). He does care and he does look out for his dormmates and peers. Honestly if he truly didn't care about Riddle or Ace and Deuce then he really wouldn't have helped them, plus he doesn't necessarily go out of his way to help every person anyways. If he truly didn't care then he could've abandoned Riddle when he was at his lowest like the rest of the dorm, or even just let Ace and Deuce carry out their punishment instead of helping them bake tarts and pies to try to help out with Riddle's anger.

As for if he likes baking? Imma be real, that guy can't not like baking. If he hated baking then he's a masochist (joking) because fucker is baking everyday with a smile and trying get everyone to eat his baking and constantly sharing all the goodies he's made (genuine). He's baking constantly in both the game and in manga. There are so many instances where he bakes experimentally, he bakes recreationally or bakes for his dorm. There're so many instances where he just carries cupcakes and scones and cookies everywhere. He bakes some to share with his Science club members, shares some type of goody with every iteration of the Yuu's (mangas and game). He goes out of his way to buy new recipe books with his own money to bake more things. In one vignette he bought an entire recipe book specifically so he can learn to bake this one (1) type of dessert he saw once because he liked the way the dessert looked so much that he wanted to make it and went and BOUGHT AN ENTIRE NEW RECIPE BOOK just to make that one dessert. That guy likes to bake. Yeah sure, he says "i don't bake with love 😏" but that doesn't mean anything in the context of NRC which is "emotionally repressed anti-feelings" central where nearly everyone can't be genuine and blunt with their feelings and emotions (even the more blunt and jovial characters have some deep sadness or deep trauma stuff that gets hinted at several times like with Cater, Kalim, Silver and Sebek). Folks in NRC are emotionally repressed and hate admitting connection with each other. Seriously, check out Yuurei20's post on how often the term "friend" is used in the original Japanese, there's very few canonical mentions of them calling each other friend EXCEPT WHEN ENGLISH TRANSLATION ADDED IT otherwise they don't normally actually acknowledge their connections and some never actually say friend at all. They'll call each other classmates or something but in JP they don't really like to acknowledge closeness.

Trey clearly likes to bake and invests a significant amount of time into it beyond just occasional cooking duty and he also shares his goods with practically everyone. Yeah sure he's from a family of bakers and I've seen some people say that "oh but he's just baking because of his family job" but it's not like they urgently need their son, who's in class and currently at the magic boarding school, to bake everyday for their baking needs and i guarantee that he doesn't need to go out of his way to get experimental with his baking and wouldn't bake that often if it's just cause of family business or practice. Plus if it's just that then why would he go out of his way to buy recipe books just cause he saw a single dessert that inspired him. He's not just baking for family business reasons. Trey likes to bake.

Honestly, I'm not surprised he says that he doesn't bake with love especially in a place like NRC. As mentioned earlier, everyone gets so weird and pressed about connection and also makes fun of each other for expressing care. Some even get anxious about another's intentions if given unasked for help (notable when Kalim helped Azul get his hat in the manga and Azul stresses about trying to repay this favor). Also baking is just a hobby, similar to crafting, drawing or writing and sometimes people just take satisfaction and joy in simply doing those things. When someone makes something, they don't always have to put in heartfelt feelings in it per se. When someone draws, sometimes it's cathartic or you just felt inspired and just wanted to draw. Sometimes it is specifically to destress or to get out feelings. Sometimes drawing is just because you can do it so you did. Similarly, baking can just be because you wanted to and you like baking. Plus it makes sense Trey wasn't like "i put all my love and feelings in my baking<3" because in the context of that line he seemed to be referencing baking for his peers and strangers. He's baking for people in his school or for events. So Honestly yeah??? Of course Trey wouldn't say he puts love in his baking. He's baking for his friends, for his club and for dorm stuff and also bakes experimental recipes. He isn't stirring that bowl of batter and going "now to put in all of my love and dedication <3" during those times because it would be kinda odd for most of those scenarios tbh. For experimental recipes, you're low-key kinda just fucking around and taking notes to see what works and i imagine trey would be doing the same and wouldn't be emotional over his bowl of batter during this time. For his club and dorm stuff, Trey isn't super close with EVERYONE in there and he's just trying to make sure there's enough so again fitting that he's not going "made with love". If he's making treats for his friends then he certainly tends to put in more effort, usually in regards to taste and diet (notable with vil and Cater as he tends to make things that they will actually like) and seems to like compliments on his cooking especially from those he's closer to. While he does put in that extra care which implies closer bonds, i do think most of the nrc boys would still be put off if trey was like "for you, made with love <3" (i think Ace would make fun of him so hard and even cater would be thrown for a loop). I will also note that in several vignettes as well as in several scenes in the manga, he gets genuinely put out if someone doesn't want to eat his cooking (notably in the manga if people were too busy to eat though this also happens in game) and in a few vignettes he even tries to adjust what he makes and what he pairs it with specifically so they will eat more of what he makes (notably with Vil and trying to make light desserts and pastries as well as pairing it with certain preferred teas) which to me shows he does put care and thoughtfulness into his baking even if he doesn't say it outright.

Long story short: Trey is not uncaring (he looks out for his dormmates and friends even baking treats specifically for their taste when he can), he likes baking (he wouldn't be so invested in trying new recipes, looking for inspiration or going out of his way to experiment with his baking if he wasn't), he's not really scheming so much as he's trying to keep the peace and avoid conflict to the point of either keeping quiet, thwarting shenanigans (notably with ace and deuce), or hiding his abilities (he's not like Azul, jamil or Leona who are aiming for top spot and in fact trey dislikes added fuss and dislikes the spotlight), and he's mischievous and petty at times though notably with those that are also mischievous or petty (he will mess with his younger dorm members though will try to stop them from actually messing up like with the oyster sauce joke for the chestnut tarts, and sometimes messes with others)

[knightsickness]

Rhaenyra being a good person and ruler is not boring. Ned was boring?

was considering answering this with ‘lose the question mark’ but that felt mean i do like ned i think hes a good character. and the thing is ned is a boring guy on a personal level all characters agree but he isnt a boring character nice ≠ boring i dont need everyone to be evil. i dont dislike rhaenyra just bc shes soso nice and i only like villains

i dont know when ‘a character having strong motivations and flaws makes them more compelling than a character who is inoffensively nice’ became controversial i would consider it character writing 101. hotd fans leap down your throat about it bc of the teams discourse. ‘aegon was more interesting than rhaenyra in season 2’ isnt an aegon rules rhaenyra drools team green argument it is objectively true aegon is more motivated and he does more

it is not compelling character stuff and an insult to emma’s abilities that they wont let rhaenyra do anything or have any motivations apart from a) peace shes a pacifist and doesnt want to be in the war she is a de facto leader in except maybe she does want to be in the war? (dragonseeds) b) the stupid prophecy c) the throne but she refuses to have a war about it bc see point a). and she states these motivations every episode but theyre actively contradictory so as a result she just doesnt do anything shes almost entirely reactive. if she really cares so much about not having a war and harming her people there are many actions she could take to change that and make a peace but she wont do that bc she wants her father’s throne (far more sentimental and niceys than anything as selfish and crass as her ugh just wanting the throne) and believes she has to be queen and is the chosen one bc of the prophecy. but she doesnt want a war bc women are wise and war is bad so so so she got main character screentime and did almost nothing in eight episodes. end of season 2 even though the war has been literally happening around her people are still talking about when rhaenyra is going to recognise this and start acting like it. a goalpost that has been moved from lukes death to jaces death bc lukes death affected her and her policy veryy little considering how confident everyone was that this means WAR get ready for a NEW DARK RHAENYRA a mothers RAGE. and that just didnt happen at all

baela and to a lesser extent rhaenys also get hit w this really hard theyre a blandly inoffensive Strong Female Character slurry being smeared on my face like im a baby and id get scared if they had any selfish desires. and this does work at pleasing people who are already tb fanatics yayy girlboss imagine liking the creeps on tg over these characters who are women who are nice but it makes for dull characters and plotlines it insults the ability of the audience to like women unless theyre completely sandblasted of anything potentially controversial. i have no idea what motivates baela to fight for rhaenyras cause other than ‘shes jaces nice girlfriend’. and thats really bad !! ned cat brienne sansa dany etc wanted and did things characters can be nice and morally good and motivated and compelling

[yandere-sins]

Yan-Poll #25

You held back the sobs that threatened to spill from your lips, clasping your hands over your mouth in an attempt to muffle yourself.

Part of you wished you hadn't heard the plans the cultists had for you. Ignorance was bliss, after all, and had you known how this would end, you'd never come close to these people in the first place. All you wanted was to understand them, to write your article, and be done with it. You didn't know it would end in you getting sacrificed to the god they worshipped.

Human sacrifice, who'd even do that in this day and age?

You thought everything was going well. You spoke with the members, worked with them, and ate at their table. Even if you disagreed with their views, you saw them as the humans they were, perhaps a little desperate for recognition from a god that may or may not exist but human at their cores. They didn't scream "crazy fanatics" to you, but it seems you were delusional, thinking they were normal.

"Fuck," you whispered to yourself. You shouldn't have been out here in the dark per their rules, but some friendly folks invited you for drinks at their cabins, and you didn't want to overstay your welcome. Even when they asked you to stay, you just wanted to return to your camper for a good night's sleep. Now, a part of you wishes you had listened.

But then again, what good would have not knowing done for you? You'd probably have gone along when they prettied you up for an initiation, thinking you'd get some good stuff for your article. You'd never known until these mad people had killed you, following them blindly like a lamb to slaughter.

"Someone there?" one of the cultists suddenly called out, and you jumped, quickly turning the other way to run. You just needed to get back to your camper, and you'd be out of here, gone, never to return. And you'd tell everyone about what you witnessed so it may never happen again!

With a yelp, you were tugged back, the inviting darkness torn to shreds by a flashlight. "Ah, you," one of the cultists said. You watched his face contort as he took in the obvious horror etched into yours. He looked almost... sad. Almost.

"That's not how... you shouldn't have—"

"Stop dallying, let's get them to the priest."

A second cultist approached, looking stern and unimpressed. He took your wrist from the first one, and when you began to brace your feet into the ground, the struggle ensued between you two. You screamed into the night when the first cultist wrapped his arms around you, too, covering your mouth with his hand as the two of them dragged you away to meet up with the priest.

You screamed and bit, but it was no use other than you agitating the two cultists further. Even when you thrashed and threw your body against them to knock them off balance, you didn't win against the two men, who almost seemed trained to handle these situations. Tears dripped down your face as the helplessness overwhelmed you. Was this how you were going to die? Would they kill you now?

After being dragged through grass and mud, the sound of steps on wooden planks as you enter the priest's cabin were deafening loud. Like the announcement of your death sentence. The struggle ceased as you lost the strength in the face of your killer, the surprise twisting into despair as the priest of this cult watched you being brought in.

"What is the meaning of this?" the priest asked as if he were innocent in all of this. He immediately stepped to your side and knelt down, your legs having long forgotten how to stand as you sat on the floor, weeping. Brushing the tears off your face, he made the other two stop handling you like a wild animal, your arms and body falling forward as you were released.

"Sir, they heard us talk about the ritual. We didn't mean to. We were preparing the site and thought everyone was asleep."

You couldn't look up even as anger flooded your mind. How dare they make it sound like it was your fault! As if you ruined something! But gripped with fear, you couldn't utter a word before the priest who held your life in his hands.

The priest sighed heavily, shaking his head. "You fools... Leave us!"

There was a moment of stunned silence before the two tried to argue, "But Sir..."

"Leave! You've done enough!"

Unsure footsteps made the ground shake as the two men left, and you almost felt like you could breathe again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Dear. Come," the priest muttered, helping you up. With confusion clouding your mind, you let yourself be directed down into a chair next to the fireplace, the warmth prickling against your skin, fear having drained you of most of your body heat.

You had never been alone with the priest before, he seemed to have always avoided you, perhaps not trusting your intentions to write an article about the cult. He even told you to leave regularly in the beginning. And you had an inkling why, considering he was planning to sacrifice you.

"I don't want to die," you sobbed, scared but also hoping your tears could deter him. The man kneeled on the ground before you, his large hands falling to your knees, his thumb brushing back and forth reassuringly.

"I know, Darling. I know, but we have to. I sent you away so many times, but you wouldn't listen. I can't help you, I can't—"

His sentence broke off as he let his head fall, defeated. You didn't believe him, couldn't. Someone who thought that it was a necessary evil to kill someone was no one you should trust.

"Please just let me go! No one has to know!"

"Oh, Darling. They'd go after you. They already sliced the wheels of your car, and you'd not escape them in the woods alone."

You gulped at the revelation that you were already so deep in this misery, never even having checked if your camper was still useable while you spent your days frolicking with the cultists. Cellphone service was almost non-existent, but still! You couldn't die here! You were scared, but you had to try and convince the priest to let you go!

"Please let me try, I beg you! I won't tell them you let me go, I promise!"

"I—" the priest started, words caught in his throat as he stared. You guessed he was torn between two sides, but against your expectations, he didn't seem as bad of a person as you had feared. Then again, that's what you had thought about all the cultists.

"There... There's another way," he finally muttered, lowering his gaze to his hands on top of your knees. You thought you saw a hint of excitement and shame in his eyes, his lips quivering as he formed the words.

"I have yet to take a spouse. They wouldn't dare lay a hand on who I've chosen, and I... I'd like it if it were you."

The brushing of his thumb over your legs resumed a bit more forceful now. You felt sick hearing these deceiving words of safety, the undertone of greed and lust thicker than any sermon in church. You've learned from the others just how long this priest had served them faithfully, the most devoted and fanatic of them all.

And yet, when he looked at you, you saw the awe in his eyes, the sickening adoration of a devotee. It was almost as if he worshipped you more than his god, as if doing this wasn't a betrayal to the one he swore his loyalty to.

You'd never been so close, never thought twice about this priest, who had probably never been around anyone but the cultist all his life. You were likely something special, someone extraordinary in his eyes; at least, that's what his adoring gaze told you. But what if he started to make demands in exchange? Could you withstand them? Still, it might be your only chance! If you convinced him to keep you safe, you could play him and wander around the encampment to find something to help you—even escape in the daylight.

You'd make it through the dangerous night alive.

You could still run. Punch this guy in the face and never look back as you bolted, but if the preparations had been made, cultists out and about working on this sacrifice, could you really get away far enough before they noticed? Maybe it was worth playing it safe... You had no idea what would happen if you agreed to join hands with the priest. Still, perhaps it was worth it, considering you might die out in the forest, lost and in pain after hurting yourself if you simply ran.

No matter how easy the priest tried to make the decision seem, begging you with lovesick eyes to agree to his terms, you had trouble figuring it out. It had to be made, and quickly! Before anyone would come to find you and proceed with the original plan to sacrifice you!

(Reasoning and discussions welcome! ♥)