#feel free to rant about how dumb this comment is at me if you want

[thehollowwriter]

If I really think about it, watching all those Mary Sue oc videos as a kid really ruined my ocs at the time for me. Like listening to these grown adults with cool art and a big channel trashing ocs that were probably just made by kids my age and ranting about how stupid and awful and overpowered they were made me hate my own ocs so much. I felt embarrassed that I even made them, and I was like... 11? 12?

Looking back it's a pretty common part of the process if you make ocs from young to have overpowered ocs. That's just how little kids are. "Yeah, you might be superman, but I've got a magic kryptonite sword!" "Oh yeah? Well my oc can break the time barrier with their speed!" "(That second one was brought to you by smol Quinn copying the flash)

They're just having fun and want to come out on top. Losing isn't very fun. And they just want their characters to be like all the other cool characters they've seen!

Even today too many people act like ocs made for fun should be like a fucking masterpiece that is perfectly written and not "weird" in any way. Like people try to act like times have changed and callkng things cringe is dead, but even under oc positivity posts you get people that are like "Well yeah BUT (random complaint)"

There's something so hateful and mean about taking the time to make long posts or videos (which you have to set and edit!) to trash some ocs you don't like for the crime of... being made for fun and not being realistic enough for you. Like these people put the creators of the ocs' accounts and their art in their video and just bash them.

The comments were just filled with people like "thanks this helped me realise how terrible my ocs were" "people who make characters all love their ocs are narcisstic/some other ableist nonsense" "imagine being so immature you want your oc to be the best and most powerful of all time" etc etc

"Cringey ocs" are listed as a sign a of a toxic fandom. It's so fucking ridiculous. Imagine hating ocs so much you consider it be on the same level as shit like bullying and death threats.

It made me feel so stupid and uncreative. Like I was a bad, dumb person who couldn't even make OCs the correct way. I was utterly ashamed of some of my ocs and either completely changed them or scapped them wntirely.

Even now, I worry about making my ocs "too powerful" even though I know that I'm free to do what I want, and if someone has a problem, they can screw off. I've also come to realise through listening to bool reviews ans critiques that the difference between a "cringy oc" and a "character written by an established author" can sometimes literally just be that the author is published and you're not.

Make your ocs as powerful as you want. Make the entire cast of characters fall head over heels for your ocs. Make them the most important people ever. Make them a magic goth part demon part vampire part werewolf. Make them a rainbow magic princess or a gothic dark magic queen.

Just have fun.

[yourlocalfriendlyhobbit]

Requested by @pacoholin​​

<< Part 1 | Part 3 (not posted yet) >>

A/N:

y’all making me shy with your compliments oml... *monkey covering eyes emoji* no but seriously i didn’t expect so much love on part 1, thank you all so much!

I’m also sorry it’s taking so long for me to write anything, i had a writer block, and I am chronicallly ill, so sometimes that keeps me from doing anything, and life is just sh*t all together...

This is also so freaking long... so I will make a part 3~ my brain is just not braining anymore atm...

The tourney happened weeks ago, and life was back to normal in Camelot. Things don't usually stays calm for long in this city with the magic ban, but somehow no sorcerer decided to take advantage of the tourney and agitation to commit any crimes... 

That didn’t mean Merlin had had any time to relax whatsoever; there’s never a calm moment with Arthur. Especially now that he has what he wanted to ‘blackmail’ Merlin all he wanted... During the whole week of the tourney, up until now, the moment you were present, Arthur would send teasing glances his way; elbow him lightly; or just straight up make a teasing comment that would make poor Merlin blush and leave you confused...

But truth be told, Arthur just wanted Merlin to snap and finally tell you how he feels, and he didn’t know how to help his friend other than pushing a little and hope for the better....

Of course, the knights learned about it too. And weren’t really any help, as they all had a different... approche when it came to romance...

Guinevere tried to help too. From giving him advices on what to do for you, what gifts he could give you, to just listening to him rant for hours about you... She wasn’t very close to you, but she knew, just by the look in Merlin’s eyes when he talked about you, that you were a caring person, and she just hoped you returned his feelings...

Merlin aknowledged their attempts at helping him, but he was too shy and nervous... He had magic... what if you were scared of him once he told you? what if you ratted him out then? He knew deep down that even if you were scared you wouldn’t do that, but there was still this little voice at the back of his head reminded him of it...

...

Merlin was doing his usual tasks, as Arthur was getting ready for bed. He noticed the young prince was very quiet this evening; which, considering we are talking about Arthur is really something abnormal. Merlin was considering breaking the silence but the prince did first:

“You are free tomorrow.”

Merlin turned to Arthur, quite shocked. He let out a nervous laugh.

“And who is the poor soul who would have to look after you then if I am not here?”

Arthur scoffed, and grabbed a pillow from his bed and threw it at Merlin, who easily dodged it.

“Now, that is none of your concern. Tomorrow, you will go to the kitchen and meet with Guinevere, she will hand you a basket, and you will go have a nice little picnic with (Y/n). And for the love of God, tell them how you feel!”

The poor boy looked at the Prince as if he had grown a second head. He fidgeted with the cloth he was holding.

“I... I have no idea what you mean by th-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Arthur grabbed another pillow from his bed and threw it with way more force than before. This time, it hit Merlin in the face.

“I want to help you, but I am getting quite frustrated with you. There is no denying how you feel about them because that is very obvious; from the lovesick look in your eyes to that dumb smile you have when they so much talk to you, you are just trying to find excuses.”

Arthur walked up to Merlin, and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Now, man up, and put everyone out of their misery... well, mostly you...”

With a finale pat on the shoulder, he turned around and went to lay down on his bed, while Merlin stayed where he was. He looked to the ground, not really looking at anything in particular, mulling over all that just happened. He then sighed and got back to work, before leaving to go to bed himself.

When he arrived in Gaius’ appartment, he didn’t say a word and went straight to his room.

...

The morning arrived faster than he wanted. Of course, spending the day with you was all i wanted for a long time now, but if he was to confess to you, he knew he needed to be sincere about who he really was. And that scared him so much. He could stand you not returning his feelings, but imagining you being scared of him was the worst that could happen.

He was pacing around the room, thinking of hundreds of ways to tell you everything he wanted, all the things that could go wrong, etc... Gaius was watching him from his chair, the parchement he was reading long forgotten. Obviously he knew what was making the boy so jumpy. Suddenly, Merlin took off without saying a word, barely closing the door behind him.

He ran throught the corridors, straight to the kitchens where Guinevere had probably been waiting for him for the past hour. He stumbled when he reached the door, out of breathe. Guinevere was sitting on a chair, sewing a piece of clothing. She looked up when she heard him.

“I’m so sorry I made you wait!”

She simply smiled and got up.

“It’s alright; I figured you would take some time to come.”

She went to the counter at the back of the kitchens and picked up a basket. She then walked to Merlin and gave it to him.

“(Y/n) is most likely near the training yard; there is no one there at this hour. Now hurry up.”

She smiled and pushed him lightly. Merlin laughed, a light blush dusting his cheeks. He took a few steps backwards, then started to walk at a fast pace towards the yard, a huge smile on his face. When he finally arrived at the training yard, he looked around to find you. As he walked across the field, he spotted you sitting in the shadows of one of the walls. He stopped where he was, in the middle of the yard, and stared at you. Completely entranced; as he usually was when he saw you: every background sounds vanished. You were just so perfect.

A loud crash coming from somewhere behind him managed to get him out of his trance. But it also caugh your attention. And as usual, when you looked at him, he suddenly became all awkward and shy. But unaware of the effect you had on Merlin, you waved at him with a bright smile.

With a tight lip awkward smile, he walked to you, clutching the handle of the basket like his life depended on it.  When Merlin finally reached you, you had stood up.

“Hi Merlin, how are you today?”

You could see how nervous he was, shifting from one foot to the other, looking at the ground.

“Oh um, I’m- I’m doing good- I- umm...”

Merlin paused.

“You- You are free this afternoon?”

You looked at him, a bit surprised. Knowing he is Arthur’s servant, he didn’t really have any kind of free time.

“Well, yes. Why you ask?”

Merlin took a deep breathe, as if summoning all the courage he had in his body, and motionned to the basket he was holding tightly.

“I wanted to ask you if you would like to go picnic with me outside of Camelot’s walls?”

He was looking at you with the biggest puppy eyes you had ever seen, like he was begging you to say yes. If only he knew he didn’t need to do that for you to accept...

“Of course, I’d love that Merlin!”

You replied with a smile. Before he could say anything, you grabbed his free hand, and dragged him away from the castle. He nearly fell, but soon catched up with you.

Now, Merlin could only hope that you would return his feelings, but most importantly, that you would accept him, magic and all...

[astrok1dz]

Was sneaking through the John doe tag n found your account 👀 I really like your writing! Hope you don't mind me spam liking a bit!

I don't see anywhere if requests are open, unless I'm dumb lmao, so feel free to just toss this if they're closed

Could I request John Doe with an affectionate reader, who likes to rant to him about their interests, but always feels like they're annoying him after cause growing up they never had anyone listen to them ramble

Thank you, regardless if you do this or not, and have a great day! ❤

A/n: OMG YES I FORGOT TO SAY THAT REQUESTS ARE OPEN- also ur request is personally so relatable omfg. that being said.

Doe with an affectionate S/O!

cws: mentions of insecurities(?, pure fluff, not proofread, may be OOC(??

Doe will listen to you talk about anything.

I mean. ANYTHING.

You could talk about cockroaches for an hour for all he cares. The fact that it’s YOU talking and that you chose to talk to him? He’s melting.

But, you’re insecure, and John is too im love to not be oblivious.

He’s a little dense when it comes to this.

Sometimes he’ll listen to you talk too much and he’ll look like he’s not paying attention

But it’s the opposite!! He’s registering everything!! He’s just quiet cuz he doesn’t want to interrupt! He’ll burst into words and affection as soon as you finish ranting

You talk to him about this and how it makes you feel. You feel like you’re a chore or burden to listen to, and that you don’t want that to be the case. Especially not with him.

He will reassure you oh so desperately

“You just- stay so quiet… I don’t wanna bother you with all my ranting. I-I- I do all of the talking and maybe you’re fed up with it and-”

He stares at you in SHOCK. Pure, raw, SHOCK. Is this what he caused? A slight pain hits right through him, to have caused you this stress.

“Oh no no no my love! I love listening to you, your voice is so lovely and everything you say is so interesting, I swear swear swear swear swear!”

He will proceed to recite everything you said back to him. Even if you tell him you believe him. From then on he started commenting and getting more and more involved in the rants you had rather than just nodding quietly.

“I’m so sorry I caused you this stress, I’m so so sorry!”

You hug him, almost tearing up, because he’s just so worried about your well-being and he actually loves listening to you? He starts showing it much better and much more often too, and you just have to stop yourself from crying when he makes little additions to your rants.

“… and then she said the exact same thing I did! So why was it all wrong when I said it? I mean- the fuck is her deal?!”

“Right? She doesn’t own the truth. She sounds so annoying, love. You want me to do something about it…?!”

Your mouth hangs open for a little bit, before gaining back your composure, heart swelling in your chest.

“Just take me out to eat, will you, Doe?”

“Of course!”

I think a lot of people jump right to the gory and killing part when they learn that Doe will do anything for You, when it can also be something as simple as learning how to be a better partner for you.

TYSM FOR THE REQUEST!!! I LOVED WRITING (and projecting onto) THIS!! <3

Tags:

[moonystoes]

Hey guys I want to talk to you about something that may not be that serious but it still bothered me and I'm pretty sure it will annoy some of the mascs (this is a big rant about elisa I'm sorry lol)

This all started when i found this fanpage (ireignx) on Instagram. She posted a screenshot of Elisa from the new DAZN video. Elisa was smiling and looking straight at the camera and she made a caption saying, 'why does Elisa look so different in this video compared to her matches'. Now I do understand that Elisa does sometimes look different, that's because the camera is right at her face. It's not a video from a 'football angle', elisa isn't focused or aggressive in these videos, and this is how Elisa is when she's relaxed. So I didn't think much of what she said.

But then she posted a video of elisa dancing in her story (if you've seen the dazn video, it's when she got a point and celebrated) and then made a caption saying 'ew I just got an ick'. I get that people like different things and sometimes get icked out at certain things, but for this? Really? After I saw this I just knew why she got the 'ick'. And that's because elisa danced like a girl. I don't care if I sound reaching because NOTHING was weird about that video. It's not like that one video where she was dancing like a drunk dad to no music (iykyk 😭😭😭 it still haunts me).

She also made a comment saying 'now we know why elisa is single'... lmfaooo I'll talk about this in a different paragraph. My point here is that mascs are still girls, they act like girls, they love like girls, the laugh like girls, they ARE girls. Don't look at masc women and expect them to behave like something they aren't. They just like to dress 'manly'. I bet this bitch closed her eyes when she saw Elisa wearing a bikini lolll.

This was one of the main issues when it came to Elisa. When you look at edits of her on tiktok, so many comments were straight women feeling confused and questioning themselves. Like 'omg I like men but she's so hot' or 'wait why am i feeling this way I'm straight'. To all the straight women that are attracted to Elisa and are questioning themselves, please don't feel guilty for your attraction. It's okay. Like I don't even know what my sexuality is and all my life I thought I was straight except the Kristen Stewart phase I had when I was 14 😭 and a ruby rose one when I was 11. I just hope you know that she is a girl no matter how much you try to make her look 'masculine' in your head. She's not some 'alpha male aggressive' guy you're thinking she is, even when her playing style is quite aggressive.

I think what finalized everything is when she posted this:

... yeah, exactly what I expected.

Okay...now about the whole 'elisa is single situation'. THIS BITCH IS SOO RUDE. ugh the way I was texting her and the way she was responding was actually making me fight my fight or flight tendencies.

Basically when she posted the 'now we know why elisa is single', I was confused because like...she literally said she's not what are yall on about 💀💀. So I decided to respond to that message by saying. (This is the screenshots of the convo btw)

"You must be new here" 👆🤓🤓🤓 you annoying dumb ass bitch 😭

"Oh dear" ✋️😮‍💨 LMFAOO BRO WHATTT

"Elisa out here liking big ass big tatty half naked girls"... and then she sends a reel from Nourhene....one of the biggest French infleunecers and YouTubers that has been on the public for YEARS. If you can't remember nourhene, this is her:

(The one on the left)

She was literally invited by PSG to meet the women players, and elisa gifted her a free ticket to the champions league match, they're literally friends 😭. And also... that reel she sent had no tits or ass in it LMFAO, like what are we talking about, girl was acting like its some porn blog or something. And even if elisa liked a naked porn video, that doesn't make elisa single, it just makes her a shitty girlfriend loll.

Also btw... do you really think elisa would have to LIE just to not kiss a fan?? She literally could've just said 'no sorry' but you really think she felt so bad about offending her to the point where she decides to lie about dating someone?? Babe no offense but your feelings are not that important and I don't think she would care that much about rejecting you. Also, Elisa is getting fangirls obsessing over her left and right nowadays, do you think she'd lie like that knowing the fangirls are gonna go fucking crazy and lose it? (Shh... I did too😔)

I honestly don't even know what else to add other than just... please idk use your brain or something? Like I'm so sorry this has been bothering me for two days ngl and I really needed to rant it out.

[hannieehaee]

Idk if this is appropriate or not (feel free if this is something you don't want to answer) but as a casual kpop stan who really only stans seventeen and listens to other kpop artists on a somewhat frequent basis I just feel as though seventeen is reaching their peak in a way that's far from satisfying. Like idk if this makes sense but to me it seems as tho the members are struggling to keep out of "scandals" with mingyu's incident last year, minghao/seoksoon being labeled as fat phobic earlier this year over out of context clips and now with Joshua (he's not even close to being my favorite member but these rumors and pregnancy stories are honestly making me so upset rn) ...as a fan who feels a genuine attachment to these people it's hard for me to be happy because while Ik the boys deserve every good thing coming their way fame comes with a price and that price is what I'm worried about. Like I get that Pledis isn't SM and seventeen definitely see themselves as family unlike NCT who view themselves more as colleagues I'm so scared that Joshua will eventually leave like Lucas or heaven forbid anything more drastic happens. It's just that I always see these "we could never save them" posts but then the same people who post them also comment the worst things forgetting that idols are humans too. I'm super sorry for the long ask but I just read that jeonghan got hurt and that made me think of the rest of the members and everything else they've been going thru. I'm not even the type of person to get attached to people I barely know but with Seventeen it's like I'm really and honestly praying for their success because they seem that THAT genuine group of people who are just trying their best. Sorry for the rambling

i get what ur saying. dont worry abt sending a long ask! ur welcome to rant abt svt in my inbox whenever! honestly i havent stanned for too long so idk how things were before this past year but i do worry for them lately :/ theyre getting injured too often and they get no rest. i dont like how pledis/hybe are managing them at all. theyve been constantly touring japan very repeatedly for seemingly no good reason at all which has obviously tired them out (theyve been dropping like flies, LITERALLY). pledis had the opportunity to promote them in ways that didnt involve constant performances but have just chosen not to for some reason. i really hope they get to rest soon (unlikely tho since theyre likely gonna have a world tour next year).

about the joshua thing. i feel sosososo bad for him. idk and idc if hes really dating that girl honestly. i do feel like it was kinda dumb of her to consistently post herself in the same places/clothes as him if they really wanted to keep it a secret BUT neither of them deserved the hate/scrutiny they got for it. not even with the pregnancy thingy on her stories. i don't think joshua and lucas' situations are comparable whatsoever since joshua has not done anything wrong unlike lucas. im hoping pledis somehow protects him better but thats unlikely. i dont think any member of svt will ever leave bc as u said, theyre family. cant rlly compare to nct tho lol bc i only stan svt so idk any other groups' dynamics like that. i do get what ur saying tho i have friends who stan nct and svt and theyve said to me that they do see a drastic difference in dynamics between the two groups but thats neither here nor there.

lastly, i have the best hopes for svt. they keep saying theyll only go up from here and i believe that. idk how that will play out with military service in consideration or with what seems to be chronic incidents that keep happening to them (gyu, cheol, and han in the past few months) but i trust and hope they'll be okay. they have a very established fanbase and a rlly good support group with one another so i only see good things for them in the future. hope they get at least a month off soon though.

[doevademe]

Prompt: I have always loved the idea that both Percy and Nico come to the same person to rant about how much they pine for each other but they can’t be together be they are dumbasses, and it’s always Jason due to him typically being their third of their trio, but do want to know who I think would be funnier? Frank, who is Nico’s sister’s boyfriend and who is distantly related to Percy. I can see them both going to frank because 1) Frank is just an overall sweet guy who will you can kinda just talk to with having any snappy comments in return (you know characters like Annabeth, Leo and Jason would absolutely make fun of the both of them) and 2) frank is lowkey a pushover and would absolutely not be able to stand up to Percy and Nico using him as an emotional bucket to dump into. Frank is over here suffering just wondering how he got roped into this mess of a relationship.

Frank Zhang often wondered what had landed him in this position.

Maybe he was too nice, maybe he needed to practice saying 'no' once in a while, maybe he had been unlucky enough.

His bet was on him making a dumb comment once after walking in on something he shouldn't have.

It had been early in the morning and he had been going on his way to the senate, when he saw Percy's back as he leaned against someone suggestively.

Now, he knew it wasn't Annabeth, as they had broken up a while ago, but the way Percy covered the other person with his body was a little too intimate for the public street, at least in his opinion.

"Please don't do that in public," he had said before noticing, and Percy jumped to separate himself from... his future brother-in-law, Nico di Angelo.

"We weren't doing anything!" Percy had shouted, face red. "Just... talking about breakfast!"

Nico nodded quickly, as red as Percy.

Frank nodded carefully, fully prepared to move on and try to forget this ever happened, unaware that he had signed his death sentence.

"And he just... doesn't notice!" Percy said, frustrated. "I have tried everything, telling him he looks nice, invinting him to dinner, I even touched his ass!"

Frank looked around, hoping no one in the bistro had heard his friend/distant uncle, but was disappointed when he caught a few people looking at them discreetly.

"Just... he'll never see me as anything but a friend," he said, sulking.

"You know, you could be direct with him," he tried. "Just tell him how you feel."

Percy looked at him as if he had gone crazy.

"Are you insane? What if he doesn't feel the same?" Percy said. Frank was vaguely aware that his cofee with milk had gone cold a while ago. "It will ruin our friendship! I rather have Nico as a friend that not have him at all!"

Frank groaned. This was a test, maybe by his father to see if he would finally kill his nemesis. But Frank didn't have it in him to be that ruthless, and Percy was one of his closest friends...

"If only there was a way to know what he thought about me," he lamented, making the Praetor bite his tongue.

Yeah, if only someone could tell him that Nico felt the same... someone who hadn't been sworn to secrecy.

He had had to brush up his mythology trivia after he hadn't remembered what swearing by the Styx meant twice.

"Well, I need to get to class." Percy sighed and finished his cold cofee in one quick gulp. "Thanks for listening, Frank, you're the best."

The son of Mars gave a feeble smile and waved him off.

He paid for his part of the bill and went towards the fields of Mars, where he bumped into Nico.

"Frank," he greeted, face inescrutable like always. "Nice seeing you today."

"Uh, same," he said lamely. "I'm actually on my way to oversee some training drills so..."

"Are you free for lunch?" Nico asked, looking like he didn't care. Frank paled, but nodded after Nico stared at him intensely. "Great, the usual place, then?"

"O-okay..."

----

Hazel had been overjoyed over him spending more time with Nico. Having the most important men in her life be friends was everything to her.

If she knew why they hung out so much however... maybe she'd feel some pity for him.

"I just... can't understand him," Nico said, groaning into his pasta. Frank counted his blessings that at least Nico was much quieter. "Like, he touched me... inappropriately, yesterday, but after I asked he just said his hand slipped."

When Percy had chosen him as his confidante, he had said it was because they were friends, and since Percy had helped him get together with Hazel, so Frank felt as if he owed him.

Nico, though? He had been blunt and honest. He had just said, "you saw, please help me," and Frank was still very intimidated by the son of Hades to say no.

"And at this point, maybe he's telling the truth!" Nico exclaimed. "Maybe it's all in my head! I mean, Percy has always been a very touchy person, it... it could mean nothing..."

"Maybe you are the one that needs to be forward?" he tried for the second time that day. "Don't tell him what you feel, just say how it comes off as and confront him."

"What if he denies it?" Nico asked. "I... I couldn't take the rejection... At least like this, I can pretend that he likes me like I like him."

Frank busied himself with his steak to not comment. Nico sighed again and took a sip of his wine.

"I don't say this often but, thank you for listening," Nico said earnestly. "You're a good friend, Frank."

Frank gritted his teeth as he gave a forced smile.

"Anytime, Nico."

It wasn't like he could say no.

----

"Also," Frank said loudly to the Legion. Hazel raised an eyebrow, that was all they had discussed for their daily activities. "Any children or Legacies of Mercury or Hermes should speak with me before dinner. Dismissed."

The Legion saluted and marched.

"What was that about?" Hazel asked curiously.

"I need someone capable of forging handwriting," he said.

Now Hazel was really worried.

"You're not getting into anything dangerous, are you?"

"Huh? No! Don't worry!" he reassured her quickly. "It's the opposite, I'm getting out of a messy situation."

Hazel looked at her boyfriend's expression and relaxed a little.

"Is it one of those situations you could get out of if you just said 'no'?" She asked knowingly. Frank stayed silent. "Oh, Frank..."

"It will be better for everyone, not just me," he said. "Hopefully."

And hazel could only pray he was right.

[o4ktree]

Just want to state that I respect your opinions, no matter if I may or may not agree with them. What I don't respect is how you say that you want no interaction with a certain group of people, but you decided to include a specific tag in your hate rant that would attract people from that group you don't want to interact with. And then you proceed to complain about a person from that group and the contents of their blog just because they pointed out that you didn't need to include that specific tag, especially since you claimed that you didn't want to interact with that group.

What you did is like the equivalent of saying you hate burgers, then going to a burger joint to buy a burger, then eating the burger, then just loudly complaining about how much you hate burgers to everyone in the vicinity. And then being shocked when someone has a problem about your complaining. Why go out of your way to spread negativity if you don't want to interact with people who would have a problem with it?

Like I said, I respect your opinions, just be more mindful of how you express them.

looking back at that post, i was definitely in the wrong for tagging it as frans. you make a good point, like why would i tag something that would attract people that i don’t want to interact with my blog.

in my disgust and also anger, i made that dumb decision and then also got even angrier at someone that wouldn’t have even been able to interact with my post if i hadn’t done that choice in the first place.

like, i don’t even go out of my way to comment on any of their blogs or spaces, i simply just block these blogs anyway? there was no reason for me to do this, and i’m not gonna come up with anything to excuse it.

i’ll definitely go and delete the response and the tag on the actual post i did make.

now that i am feeling less upset, i am thinking more clearly about this and definitely taking in what ppl are sending me in my inbox.

ty for sending the ask, and being respectful about it :D

i’d also like to mention for anything that comes up in the future, that people are free to dm or send me asks about their opinions on how i deal with things!! it helps me grow as a person, and i promise that i’ll be completely civil and honest with you.

[kellan2255]

Apollo refugee here. Most of my Reddit usage was lurking r/196 since it was the only active shitpost sub that was fine with LGBT+ people and didn’t have a weird right-wing undercurrent (also gay people make the best memes). Half the posts were Tumblr and Twitter screenshots anyways. The Discord feels a little too hectic for me, Twitter doesn’t need an explanation, I’m not really sure what Mastodon even is, all the other alternatives have no users, and the sub’s userbase is specifically choosing to move to Tumblr, so I guess I’m here now. I have a few general questions/complaints stemming from years of Reddit brain damage use and being so accustomed to the Apollo interface.

Questions

I see people saying to reblog posts you like because it helps with the “algorithm” (or lack thereof). If so, what’s the point of likes/hearts? In what situation would you want to use one over the other?

Are the comments one long chain like on YouTube? One of the things I liked most about Reddit was the tree structure of comments that made it easy to see who was replying to who.

Does Tumblr have any popular third party apps? Many people considered them necessary for Reddit. I was wondering if there was any of the same sentiment here and how they compare to the official Tumblr app.

Rants/Complaints (feel free to ignore)

The app keeps randomly scrolling me up or down a few posts for no reason.

I can’t hide posts. I got into the habit of hiding most posts so I wouldn’t keep seeing the same thing when I checked it multiple times in a short timeframe.

The banner at the top of the screen and the purple frog one at the bottom when browsing a tag. It makes the already small screen feel very crowded and leaves less room for posts.

Ads. I know they’re a normal feature of any app, but Apollo spoiled me.

I never realized how much of a difference profile pictures made. I didn’t notice it when I switched to Apollo and stopped seeing them, but now that they’re back it feels weird and unsettling. Like every dumb little meme has someone’s face associated with it. Instead of focusing on the mindless content that was probably made in 2 minutes on a Benadryl trip then forgotten about, my brain makes me relate it to a real person, what they look like, how they act, how they see themselves, etc. For no good reason it really bothers me way more than it should.

No moderation for tags. It isn’t like Reddit where everything is an isolated community with managed content. Any unrelated post can have #196 on it and disrupt my meme browsing.

[salty-seaz]

Internet Tales and little rants - Mini Story #1 [May contain topics of politics]

[TRAGIC BLUE]

Damien: the one wearing the red cap

Hades: The one with the beads in his locks

_____________ _____________ __________

Damien: “okay so we got the Chris chan documentary, the sharpie pen incident, pretty interesting video essays that I haven’t watched yet… but if you know one yourself then feel free to show me!”

[Hades snickers a little, he hadn’t been this drunk before. Especially with Damien… but he felt weirdly comfortable with him? Typically Damien starts chanting weird shit and acting like Tarzan when he’s drunk but this time he’s chill. But that didn’t matter, what mattered now is that they are both having them together. Even if they probably won’t remember it the next day]

Hades: “Eheh, Ain’t it really funny how there is so much videos of people doing dumb shit?”

Damien: “Yeah, that’s the joy of it. Watching people witness the consequences of their own actions, like don’t act victim if you kept doing it”

Hades: “nah, but imagine their digital footprint?”

[Damien began laughing a little, he knew Hades had a point. But he had another comment to add]

Damien: “Yep, Chris chan for example. For the amount of stuff they done… But yet again, I don’t think it really matters as much people make it out to be.”

Hades: “how come?”

Damien: “because there is actors, celebrities and just people who would say the most racist thing in the book. But yet they’d still have their job. And not only that, they still get their arses wiped for them.”

[Hades nodded, he then suddenly snapped back into remembering that does happen unfortunately]

Hades: “You have a point, this may be off context but Johnny depp for example… During the court case a good majority of it was him being childish as fuck. Like eating candy and doodling in a case about domestic violence?? My guy, if I did that in a court case I would’ve been fucked. But yet people saw it comedic! And what really boiled my blood was when people kept making it about Jack sparrow as if it were a meet and greet.”

Damien: “You absolutely nailed that. When I saw clips of the trial I thought the exact same, though I never really cared. But I don’t think both Heard and Depp are good, like Heard deserves better but she’s a fucking Zionist. So I don’t care about either of them.”

Hades: “Yeah, that’s a fair point. Anyways enough about the whole trial that happened 2 years ago, If we should worry about digital footprint. Bigger names should too.”

Damien: “Exactly.”

[Damien was now just searching for a good tale to read or listen to with Hades…]

Hades: “Damien, I have a video essay I think we’d both like.”

Hey to whoever read this! Thank you for reading. And if you want you can comment what you think and what I should improve! It may not be pirate related in this one or in a lot of the comics but this is only because it’s mainly just comics of the 4 main characters interacting! And you may have noticed but I put a song from Spotify there so you can listen to it while reading so it sets the vibe more!

What is this series?: This is Tragic Blue! A Series I want to keep working on until I can turn it into a big Series one day! And hopefully it going on Adult Swim! But for now I am making little mini-stories and comic type things for now. :-)

The main characters for those who are wondering!:

Damien

Hades

Mei Xiao

Miranda

See you soon!!

[lorz-ix]

"Metal Gear Rising is so dumb"

So I wanted to reminisce about the popular reception to MGR:R with the excuse of its 10th anniversary.

I remember back when the game first came out, the main argument I remember from my group of friends was "this game is bad because it's not a real Metal Gear game", which quickly faded away when we realized it was actually fun as shit and very badass. Still, the compromise was "it's fun, but shallow compared to the real deal".

Funny enough, over these 10 years, my opinion on the game has flipped. I actually think the storyline is severely underrated, while the gameplay has fatal flaws that I only truly started to feel after many repeated playthroughs in an attempt to master the tougher challenges. Regardless, the combat system isn't the rant I wanted to go on today.

I wanted to talk about a pet peeve that I have with this perception that this game is "shallow and dumb", surely not helped by the massive amount of memes. I laugh at them like anyone else would, but they also worry me a bit sometimes. Like this.

Guys, come on. I know these memes aren't that deep, but they show this popular idea that the game is just crazy and it doesn't make much sense. But I think it's the opposite, these memes show miscellaneous lyrics from the game's soundtrack and they could hardly be more explicit about the point they're trying to make.

I'm not going to post every little example here, but many of the game's popular songs use very thin metaphors to comment on the brutality and cruelty of war, how soldiers are made to kill each other with no more motivation than to not get killed themselves, how war dehumanizes you. The individual boss themes are reflections of each character's feelings and motivations, which I will admit can get more esoteric and harder to understand at first glance, but these characters in the context of the story also come with a villainous monologue to help you understand their point and how it links to the broader narrative, for the most part.

In no sense is all of this more blatant than in the final two boss fights in the game. First, US Senator Armstrong greets you with a cartoonish speech laying out his political ideology.

And from the ashes, a new America will be born. Evolved, but untamed! The weak will be purged, and the strongest will thrive -- free to live as they see fit, they will make America GREAT AGAIN! (this game came out in 2013 by the way)

His ideal world is one where, seemingly, every person is free to do as they please, with no one to stop them, power completely unchecked. Meaning they would also be free to oppress. A world where tyranny is justified if you can earn your spot at the top. It's extremely unsubtle, with the point of culling the weak being explicitly mentioned several times, because we all know poor and marginalized people are only holding the rest of us back, right? And as if you needed the message hammered into your head any harder, the song that plays during your first round against the senator goes a little something like this:

The unenlightened masses They cannot make the judgment call Give up free will forever Their voices won't be heard at all

Display obedience While never stepping out of line And blindly swear allegiance Let your country control your mind

Live in ignorance And purchase your happiness When blood and sweat is the real cost Thinking ceases, the truth is lost Don't you worry You'll be told exactly what to do I give my people the lives they need The righteous will succeed

The fires of greed will burn the weak So we'll make freedom obsolete Making whole the fabric of society Collective consciousness controlled as you will see

MIND CONTROL

Let your country control your soul Let your country control your soul Let your country control your soul Let your country control your soul

But it doesn't end there! As you could imagine, if you haven't played or watched the game (sorry for spoiling the hell out of it I suppose), there is a round two against Armstrong, and the lyrics during that fight quite literally spells out the point of the game, again with the subtlety of a jackhammer. This is the one that became the subject of many, many memes.

Standing here I realize You are just like me Trying to make history But who's to judge The right from wrong When our guard is down I think we'll both agree

That violence breeds violence But in the end it has to be this way

I've carved my own path You followed your wrath But maybe we're both the same The world has turned And so many have burned But nobody is to blame

Yet staring across this barren wasted land I feel new life will be born Beneath the blood stained sand

Beneath the blood stained sand

Before ultimately being killed by Raiden, Armstrong reflects how, despite finding his ideology of "the strong get to decide" repulsive, ultimately the protagonist proved him right because the only way to stop him was by being stronger than him, doing so by force. This point isn't trying to say that Armstrong's ideology was correct in the end, and they very obviously weren't the same, since Raiden's motivation was to ensure that the weak would not have to resort to violence to survive like he had. I strongly believe this is supposed to be a mockery of Armstrong, who even while dying has to resort to cheap political rhetoric to save face. Stop me if you've never heard a politician try to appeal to everyone by saying "we actually want the same thing".

As it stands, the game is loud, and it couldn't be making its point in a less subtle way. Everyone deserves a life of peace and freedom from oppression, and sometimes the only way to ensure that peace is to commit otherwise unethical acts. Rebelling against the oppressor does not turn you into "the new oppressor" and it sure as hell doesn't put you on the same level of morality.

This entire rant had one point: to briefly show people that Metal Gear Rising Revengeance isn't the nonsensical spectacle it's broadly perceived as, it's an action game that wears its political, anti-war influence from the broader Metal Gear franchise on its sleeve, and it does so loudly and proudly. I'm ashamed to admit it took me a while to understand it at first too, but I thought having english as a third language played a bigger role in this. To reiterate, it is a little bit concerning that the broader english-speaking internet seemed to miss the point of the game so hard, and it probably goes to show how generally immature we still are.

If you're still interested in this flawed masterpiece after having the ending spoiled, I was going to stream it all in one sitting this weekend (nice plug, loser), and/or you can get it for 5 bucks on steam right now, since there's a sale ending on the 27th. With all that being said, thanks again for reading through my ramblings 🙏

[tomb-bloom-noctem]

Ignore me it's time for me to rant because I'm just so exhausted from hateful comments. Hiding it under a read more so no one has to be forced to look at my misery.

I got a piece of (already now deleted) hatemail on my fanfic of Brothers, A Tale of Three Hedgehogs. A hatemail that was critical of the fact that the Triple S bois aren't exactly like their game selves. Honestly, I'm mad as hell that I write fanfiction, damn good fanfiction at that, and frequently get met with criticism that my take on the characters (Donald Duck, Sonic, Mabel Pines, Della Duck, etc) are "not in character"

I mean first of all, I really do attempt to BALANCE what the character would do/say/react canonically with where my stories take them. But damnit I'm not writing stuff that's canon compliant! Almost everything I write is tagged with AU for fucks sake. I am not writing little adventures that could go along side the canon, I am creating entire versions that are meant to be their own thing. No Donald Duck does not canonically try to kill himself in Ducktales 2017 and have to embark on a long mental health journey to recover afterwards, there's no fucking way to say what Donald would or would not do in that situation because Disney wouldn't touch that story with a 10 foot pole! Or ew why is Shadow still so hung up on the past in Brothers A Tale of Three Hedgehogs, why does Sonic still have feelings for Sally or why does he even care in the first place since their relationship has been retconned by Sega. Because I fucking want to write a story that takes SatAM, Sonic X, and a good chunk of the games - which may I remind you are all VERY different types of source material with their own takes on the characters - and rolls it all into one story. Because in that story I need the characters to have growth and change and be affected by the things they've gone through! Stagnant characters won't work for this story! Or why is Mabel Pines depressed in your fic, she's 13. Because fucking hell my dude, I was once a depressed 13 year old too! I know what it's like! So I wanted to write a story about it!

BECAUSE IT'S A STORY. I AM NOT BOUND BY THE RULES SET BY THE IP OWNERS. It's fanfiction! I am free to write whatever I want!

Like oh my God. You do not have to like it when I or anyone else writes characters in a non canon compliant way. You are free to feel that way. But good GRIEF what is the freaking POINT of pouncing into mine or anyone's inbox and saying how you're a bad writer because your version doesn't align with canon, you're a bad writer because you wrote the characters in a way I DON'T LIKE, on and on and on! Wtf! Do you people who do this shit also climb into smut fics and pull this same stunt? "Uh well ACTUALLY, we never see XYZ character engage in sexual activity so THEREFORE this fic is out of character!"

Do you hear how dumb that sounds???

I don't read smut fics so hell, maybe they are, IDK. That's besides the point though.

Just. Fucking hell. Have fanfic readers of today forgotten the old wisdom of "Don't like it, don't read it?" Yes that's normally applied to shipping content but god, please apply it to literally everything when it comes to fanfiction. There is this WONDERFUL TOOL at your dispense when you wind up reading a fanfiction you don't like like. It is called the back button. You know what is an infinitely better thing to do than write a hateful comment or fucks sake a series of extremely hateful and threatening anons on the author's Tumblr account??? Backing out of that fic and moving on with your life.

I mean fuck I'm very sorry for ranting on and on about this but it's 1:30am and I've already had such a rough day, I got real excited to see someone commented on my fic only to receive a long angry criticism that I'm not writing in character and that failure on my part is ruining their enjoyment so badly thar they can't even bring themselves to leave me kudos! Like, buddy! Oh pal, my good sir, instead of wasting your time, just LEAVE! It's okay to just leave and not say a word!

"Tombs, why do you care? Just ignore the haters-"

No. You know what. No. I can't. Okay? I work HARD on what I write. I don't expect to be everyone's cup of tea, I don't expect people to sing my praises from the heavens, no! But for FUCKS SAKE. Life is so shitty! I don't want to even exist most days! I've been having to fight all this mental illness for years without any help thanks to living in the middle of nowhere and I'm still frequently suicidal - I seriously contemplate checking myself into a hospital again sometimes! I would just like to be able to write whatever story I'm focused on at the time in peace okay??? I try to not complain that it's disappointing to not get much positive attention on what I write. But the frequent hate mail on TA&TA and now this on Brothers, it's E X H A U S T I N G. I'm TRYING to live my life and make things work and not be a completely bitter and mean person like my mother was or turn to her vices. I'm freaking trying to do what I can. I just CAN'T with this damn hatemail on my stories though or especially the god awful anons people send me sometimes, PLEASE just leave me alone if you don't like what I make!

[subnaut1ca]

I think ppl are sosososoososo soooo silly for getting mad at doja saying she hates her fans lmao

Like.... lol yall have sm time ig 😭😭

Idk like... I have no idea what's up with the drama with her boyfriend or whatever, I don't care enough about celeb drama to look it up or waste my time reading about it but if he's as bad of a guy as everyone says he is, that's definitely rough and her endorsing someone who has done smth hurtful or bad is like a bad thing, but she's an adult woman lmao, she has the brain capacity to make her own decisions. Probably more mindfully and logically than the ppl who don't know them typing on the internet...

That aside,

Ppl that say they hate her cause she called her fans out saying they're cringe, or that she hates them/doesn't love them or whatever or says they're cringe, LOL as a doja fan, I think that's some queen powerful pussy shit, like that's so funny girl😭😭 like idk how ppl are so sensitive to take that so personally, like you're telling me, you walk about your day, ahitting your pants over a GENERAL TWEET doja SENT TO TO GENERAL INTERNET saying her fans are whatever?? You're telling me, you care so much about what this person who has never met you, talked to you, or seen you said about a group of ppl??? That's like me saying I hate Cheswick the 3rd... who is Cheswick the 3rd I don't fucking know he could be somebody out there never met him, what's the impact you might ask?? Absolutely nothing, I'm talking straight outta my asshole. What I'm saying doesn't matter especially in context to cheswick. Idk it's ao wild to me that ppl walk around feeling sad that doja cat doesn't love the people she has never seen and met her, and told her she's ugly, or objectified her or whatever. Like ofc that's a group of ppl only, but I get how it can get to a person. Idk this new edgy style she's going for I think is smth she's doing for herself and smth she wants to show she can break out from what her label which she obviously hated made her make lmao ppl are so simple minded and so binary with their thinking, like im not even gonna label what the reason behind her style change is cause ppl ate complex and maybe if I keep guessing I can get to the ballpark I could get it, but I'll never really get the exact reason lol cause that's smth for her lol. Ik it's like ironic to be like meeeh why are ppl blah blah blah they have sm free time to think about mee mee mee l and I'm literally writing an essay abt it. But Idk I peeped her comments and was just kinda thinking so thought I might as well rant abt it in my diary to myself. Idk I'm not pissed off or being dojas keyboard warrior cause I think she's prolly at fault for whatever bf drama is, but when it comes for being an ass online to fans, is it proffessional?? No. Do I care??? Not really it's kinda funny. Do I think she's doing this to lose fans purposefully cause she's over being a celebrity and is still under signature??? Probably. Is she doing it for press??? Yk what they say all press is good press I guess. Was that bars I just spit??? Absolutely yes. Anyways to my main point ppl are so parasocial sit ur ass down, she never lived ur ass uhhhhhh she's not going insane prolly yall sound like mothers being like what hapoened to my sweet beautiful smiling girl 😭😭 when your daughters turns emo uhm, just like idk stop being cringe its her life you dont know what's best for her lmao you don't even know her.

Anyways... deuces

Also ps (edit)

In the song I literally linked there's a FUCKING LINE IN THE SONG THAT SAYS

Quote-> "fans ain't dumb, but extremists are"

Lol stew on that a little yall then rethink yourself

[mallowstep]

k i'm deleting the actual comment but let's look at this (from itcos):

Okay- so if you find bramble/squirrel wrong than wouldn't that have made fern/dust wrong? And fire/sand? Because before Dustpelt and Fern got together as warriors Dustpelt clearly liked Ferncloud. Fireheart liked Sandstorm when she was an apprentice. Also I should mention cloud/bright because when Cloudtail became a warrior brightheart was still an apprentice. (Yes I do know that brightpaw should have been made a warrior moons ago in that book). Also leaf/moth? Because at this point it's cannon. Leafpool was an apprentice when mothwing probably took a liking in her. Crow/feather? Feathertail was a warrior and Crowpaw was an apprentice. Feathertail was born in Forest of secrets and Crowpaw was born in the middle of darkest hour and midnight. Also im pretty sure that Squirrelfight was 8-9 moons old when that book was taking place.

i am allowing myself this much to say about ferndust: fireheart makes one comment about it, jfc. (i'm not responding to ANY other discussions of ferndust.)

sandstorm is literally older than fireheart

squirrel&bramble arguably get together when squirrel is still an apprentice. not really, but it's way too close to comfort, and way closer than both previous examples.

ONCE AGAIN, BRIGHTHEART IS OLDER THAN HIM

like way to demonstrate ZERO critical thinking. the problem is pretty fucking obviously the way bramble is ACTIVELY trying to get with an APPRENTICE who's MUCH YOUNGER than him and doing it in a SUPER MANIPULATIVE way while also being a DICK to her.

leafmoth is regrettably not canon. also, wait, this is pissing me off. LEAFPAW expresses interesting in mothwing, and she literally feels like mothwing doesn't reciprocate. there's a huge amount of angst about how leafpaw is just an apprentice and mothwing doesn't care about her. jsfdlkjs;afkjl;.dasfj dl;kjfdsljk;.dsalfkj;dslk;sfdj. i can't believe this shit. between "there's no mothpool age gap" (there definitely is, it's fucking huge?) and now this i'm so done. i need to write some mothpool god fucking damn. my mothpool is excellent please ignore all mothpool i've written before now because none of it is very true to how i think abt them or how i want to write them. i mean the mothpool i'm working on now is a deliberate inversion (even if i'm getting REALLY into passerine...yes mothwing be so gay that leafpool brushing her tail against you keeps you up at night.) look i'm saying everyone fucking sucks about mothpool jfc.

actually yeah there IS a large age gap with feathercrow and i'm still pissed because someone called it fucking. nope. i'm not even going to repeat it because that's how angry i was about it. but. deep breath, matthew. keep it together. anyway, crowpaw's age is completely incoherent, there's no logical way for him to be BOTH deadfoot's son AND still an apprentice. pick or choose. what we do know is that he was very, very nearly a warrior, which means (since the journey took a VERY long time), he was definitely an adult when he got w feathertail. is there a large age gap? yes. do i have a problem with it? no, because feathertail wasn't fucking manipulating a young apprentice jfc. ig you get a point for having a comparison that's actually almost relevant.

NO. NO SHE WAS NOT. i proved this for mothpool age gap purposes but she's CONFIRMED to be a NEW APPRENTICE when she leaves. you. fuck. once again, you are FUCKING LYING to make a point that i jusdfljdaslf;jk

anyway i'm going to go delete the comment now

[rnebbie]

Graduation (request)

Ryan Reynolds x teen! Reader, Ryan Reynolds x costar! Reader

Requested by: anonymous

Request description: heyy if requests are open could i request one with ryan reynolds x teen!reader? where the reader is upset that her dad isnt coming to her high school graduation (shitty fathers, am i right) and she thinks ryan cant make it because of some event, but he shows up and it gets emotional? reader can be a co-star on one of his movies, maybe a recent one like free guy :) thanks babe!

Warnings: parental issues, swearing, outbursts of anger, anxiety & insecurity

(A/n:) !!! Didn’t proofread bc I’m rushing. Anyways: Haven’t graduated high school yet or even seen a graduation take place besides in the amazing Spider-Man 2 so that’s the experience I’m going off of lol. Sorry if ryan’s out of character this is my first time writing for him. Criticism is welcomed & encouraged and lmk if u want to be added to my taglist

Dads not coming. Sorry baby :(

Your eyes narrow as you read your mother’s text over and over again as if there’s anything hard to understand about it. But honestly, it’s a common occurrence for your father to just drop out of rather important events.

You thought he might make an effort to be there for you this one time. On your very special day; the day you graduate high school. But you feel dumb for even considering that in the first place. You know it was never on his radar.

Sighing, you shut your phone off and toss it on the couch next to you, before rubbing your temples. You try to ease the anger you’re feeling before it manifests into something it doesn’t need to be. You didn’t get much from your father. Not time, love, attention, energy. But you did get his anger issues. And that’s why you have to calm yourself down.

You take a deep breath before reaching for your phone, you and your mothers text conversation being the first thing you see. You write out a long rant, your thumbs slamming against your phone's keyboard and your breath hitching every few seconds when you think of a new way to complain about your father.

But before you send it, you remember, it’s just your mother. She’s not responsible for your fathers actions and it’s unfair to take out your hurt feelings on her.

You delete the rant and replace it with

its ok. i love u ill see u soon

You stare at your texts before shutting your phone off. It doesn’t matter, you think. It doesn’t ever matter. Your feelings or accomplishments don’t ever matter to your father, and how foolish of you to believe they did even for an hour. An hour out of his afternoon for one day would be all he had to do to make it up to you. To make up for all the abandonment. But he can’t even do that.

You just grab a jacket and walk out of your trailer.

You and the cast were all planning to go out to lunch together, because no one had any other plans. But while you were walking towards the exit of the set, you only saw Ryan standing there.

“Everyone else somehow became too busy for us, so it’s just gonna be you and me.” Ryan said as you approached him within earshot. You bite your lip, you thought if you had gone with a bigger group it would’ve been easier to stay quiet and just bask in everyone else’s lives. But now that it’s just you and Ryan, it’s gonna be harder for you to pretend that nothings bothering you.

“That’s fine.” You reply, putting your hands in your jacket pockets.

Ryan makes a slightly confused face at your lack of character at the moment, but doesn’t seem to dwell on it. “Where do you wanna go?” He asks you, you shrug.

“Anywhere is fine.”

That’s it? No options, no suggestions, not even any funny or attempts-to-be-funny comments. Ryan can already tell something is wrong.

“Are you okay?” He asks. You attempt to smile and not, telling him you're fine, and you’re just hungry.

He decides on some place that recently opened near the set. You plan on ordering quickly, getting in and out, with as minimal talking as possible. But Ryan had different plans.

Once you two are seated you immediately open the menu and stare at it blankly. Ryan hasn’t opened his menu yet, but instead stares at you. “What’s up with you today?” He presses. You didn’t even realize he was paying attention to you so you don’t understand.

You make a confused face at him and shrug, “nothings wrong. What are you talking about?” You say. You can tell you’re acting like a typical teenager in a tv show but you can’t help it. It’s your current defense mechanism. Maybe you could get him to think it’s just your period or something.

“Yeah, okay. Well you’ve spoken fifteen words in the past thirty minutes which is a slight downgrade from your usual fifteen words a second, on a good day. So I’m not buying it.” He replies to your defense. You roll your eyes and look away. You feel like being really mean, because you’re just really upset. But you know that’s only going to continue the cycle.

“Nothings wrong, dude. I’m just tired and hungry. I need food.” You lie. You’re not a good liar, which is ironic because you’re an actor. You’d think actors are good liars, but not you. You’re only good at lying if it’s while the camera is rolling.

Ryan hums in response before picking the menu up and finally looking at it. You eye him, searching for any hesitation, before you do the same.

Shortly after, the waitress takes your order. You order something light and Ryan does the opposite. You ignore the urge to roll your eyes and curse him out.

After the waitress leaves, Ryan stares at you.

“Are you judging me?” He smiles, visibly messing with you. But you’re not in a jokey mood right now. “What?” You angrily reply.

“Because I ordered two sides. You’re totally silently judging me. Sorry I’m not as healthy and fit as you.” He continues with the stupid smile on his face, probably thinking he’d the funniest person alive.

“I literally didn’t even hear what you ordered.” You reply after being silent for a long couple of seconds trying to figure out how to answer him.

“Why? Because something’s bothering you?” He presses, looking slightly more serious. You roll your eyes. “Can you stop?” You simply reply.

“Can you talk to me? What’s the big deal?” He asks.

“Ryan, if I wanted to tell you I would.”

“So you’re admitting there's a problem.” He replies.

“I can deal with my emotions on my own!”

“We talk about every little thing, so it must be something big and important.” He theorizes.

“It’s nothing. Alright? Can you just stop please?” You beg, rubbing your forehead.

“You’re in a bad mood anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.” He replies to your plea.

You whisper an annoyance under your breath and try to tune him out, grabbing your phone out of your pocket and starting to tap your passcode in before Ryan reaches over and grabs it out of your hand.

“Dude, what the fuck? You can’t just take my stuff, you’re not my father.” You start raising your voice at him, not really caring if you’re making a scene, because the anger you feel is going to come out at one point or another.

Ryan acts taken aback and offended, “I never said I was. I’m just worried about you.” He raises his eyebrows.

“Well it’s not your job, ryan. It’s fine. You don’t need to hear it.” Your eyes start feeling all watery and you look down to avoid crying, something you often do and Ryan notices.

He reaches over to put his hand over yours but you flinch away and cross your arms over your chest.

“It’s not a matter of it being my job or not, y/n. I just care about you, the way any friend would.” He says.

You sigh and use your sleeves to dry your eyes that only slightly got wet. “My dad isn’t coming to my graduation.” You sniffle.

You wouldn’t be able to see, because you’re looking down. But Ryan frowns. You often complain about your dad to him and he feels for you. He wished he could make it better for you.

He sighs. “I’m sorry, y/n. What day is it?” He asks.

“It’s this coming Sunday. It’s fine.” You shake your head.

“He should care enough to be there. This is important.” Ryan sympathizes.

“Yeah.”

“I’m proud of you, y/n.” He says.

You press your lips together. “Thanks.” A tear rolls down your cheek and you quickly wipe it with your sleeve.

…

Sunday morning your stomach feels all upside down. You can’t believe high school is already over. Honestly you could wake up this morning and believe that you were still a confused freshman getting ready for school on Monday, but it’s all over now.

You’d kept in touch with your mom, she coaxed you through all of your anxiety. But you haven't heard a single word from your dad. You fought the urge to text him and just say “hi”. You didn’t because you grew angrier with every day you didn’t hear from him.

Ryan and the rest of the cast & crew you worked with kept reminding you of how proud of you they were and how excited they were for you. You invited them all in bulk a day or two after your talk with ryan. Some of them said yes, some said no, and after everyone fizzled out you walked over to ryan.

“Do you think you can make it?” You ask anxiously, looking at your feet.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize but I have a really important meeting that day. I can't miss it. I’m sorry, y/n. But I’ve already asked your mom to send me pictures!” He says to your dismay.

You immediately frown but try to cover it with a fake smile. “No worries.” You assure him. And usually you’d stay to chat more with him, but you immediately turn on your heel and walk away from him. Because you cannot stop the tears from falling once you realize you’ve now not only been rejected by one of your father figures, but now both.

You feel uncomfortable in your cap and gown. Out of place. You’d seen your fellow high school students graduate each year previously, and it feels surreal that it’s your turn now.

You sit in the crowd with your graduating class and try to keep your head straight. Not looking around or drawing any attention to yourself, since you already feel insecure enough.

You tune out almost all of the ceremony. The speeches and the stuff you should be caring about, but you’re too busy thinking about what went wrong in your childhood to get you to this point, where not even your own father gives a shit about your life?

You try to tell yourself that’s something to think about another time, but it’s difficult to just shake the feeling.

All too quickly they call your name, and your eyes widen before you jump up to receive your diploma. Once you're on the stage you look out to the crowd to try to meet your mothers eyes, and instead you see ryan.

You smile at him and wave, and he does the same. You’re shocked and you feel relieved and cared about. You feel like a pressure has just been lifted off your chest.

You don’t realize how caught up in the moment you are until you hear other people’s names being called. You snap back into reality and run off stage.

The rest of the ceremony is nothing. And after it’s over you run over to your mother and give her a massive hug. You thank her over and over again because you know you couldn’t have made it through high school without her. As you’re excitedly rambling to her about how you can’t believe you made it through high school, someone taps on your shoulder.

You turn around and see Ryan smiling.

You immediately throw your arms around him and your face collides into his warm shirt. He hesitates slightly before hugging you back. “Woah, I thought you weren’t a hugger!” He said, which isn’t wrong.

“Today I am.” You say, slightly muffled into his shirt.

Once you pull away from the hug you look at him, “I thought you couldn’t come!” You said.

Ryan shrugs, “I skipped the meeting. You’re much more important.” He says as if it’s nothing.

You stare at him for barely a second, before you burst out bawling.

Thank God everyone around you is too caught up in their own family, because otherwise that would’ve been a lot more embarrassing.

Ryan’s mouth drops open before he reaches over to hug you again. “Hey hey, what’s wrong?” He says, rubbing circles in your back.

You sob into his shirt, feeling bad because it’s already getting wet. “N-nothings wrong.” You hiccup as you continue crying.

You can’t see his face but if you could you’d see the confusion.

He lets you continue to cry for a couple dozen seconds before you answer again, still hugging him. “Thank you for caring about me that much.” You say, and sniffle as you try to stop your tears.

He pulls away, and puts his hands on your shoulders, bending down slightly to look you in the eyes. “I love you, y/n. Okay? This is nothing compared to what you deserve. Just because other people get too caught up in their own lives, doesn’t mean you matter any less.”

You let out a sob again, this time out of sadness as you think about what your father could be doing.

Ryan initiates the hug for the second time, but he just kinda stands there hugging your head as you sob into his shirt with your arms down. “I’m so proud of you, y/n. You should be proud too.”

You’re not valedictorian or anything, but you are important to Ryan Reynolds. And that’s more than enough for you.

…

Taglist: @ohworm-writes @spidyyparker (lmk if u wanna be added)

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Lucien’s Embrace Date translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

(Bonus: Video+English Subtitle for better sounds effects-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyKswEW7C4g

Translation under the cut!

“...Loveland City once again cracked an MLM den, and more than 40 women were successfully rescued...

...it's all thanks to a 'student' who sent a letter to the outside world. We were able to find the MLM den in the first place...”

I looked at the news on the web page, and I went to the comments section below with a click.

-Is there any interview with this 'student'? I'm curious how she reported the news!

-You can't interview her now. What if she gets retaliated by a fish that slipped through the net?

-Miss is amazing. She must be a very witty woman!

-Oh, are you kidding me? How can a woman who can be tricked into an MLM scheme has any wit?

Hah!

I slammed down the monitor switch, and instantly the black screen reflected my face. I was biting my lower lip, my eyes full of fear.

The experience of the last few days replayed uncontrollably in my mind, the mentor's ranting, the monitoring person's eyes, the students who fell into a frenzy...

Although I only experienced it for two days, if I stayed there for a few more days, I'm afraid that I would also collapse under such high pressure.

MC : ...Forget it, it's already over, there's no need to think about it again.

I stretched my arms hard, forcing myself to clear my mind and get ready to do something again when the phone rang.

Lucien : Am I bothering you?

The low mellow voice brushed by my ears, and calmed down my pounding heart.

MC : No, I happen to be free.

MC : Anna and the others said that I was fortunate that I survived, and they insisted that I rest at home for two more days before going to the company.

MC : When do you get off work, or shall we go out for dinner later?

Lucien : I took two days off, and I'm already outside the institute.

Lucien rarely asks for leave, so I couldn't help but be taken aback.

MC : Is there something going on?

Lucien: It's nothing. I just suddenly want to rest with you.

Lucien : I remember that the hot spring villa you've been longing for months has already opened for business in the past few days.

MC : Do you mean the one on the outskirts of town? I've been waiting for it for a long time...

Instead of staying at home, maybe I can change my mood somewhere else and wash my worries away with hot springs.

MC : Then wait for me to pack my things. I'll see you downstairs~

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

MC : I didn't expect the buffet dinner of this villa to be more luxurious than what I saw in the promotion!

MC : There's sashimi, steak, and even a tiny hot pot!

After soaking warm in the hot spring in the afternoon, accompanied by a hearty buffet dinner, the haze that had haunted my heart immediately dissipated.

On the opposite side, Lucien looked at the whole table and showed a hint of a conniving smile.

Lucien: Can you finish all of it?

MC :  There is no set mealtime. We can eat slowly~

Passerby A : Huh? Right next to your neighborhood?

While we were talking, the loud voice of the conversation across the table caught my attention.

Passerby B : That's right! It was suddenly closed that day. Who knew it was a place of pyramid scheme? It hid more than 100 people in it.

Passerby A : I must say that those little girls are too dumb. How can they still be deceived without being wary at all?

The harsh comments made my hand holding the chopsticks tremble, and the meatballs slipped from the tips of the chopsticks.

Lucien : MC?

There was a sigh from across the table.

Passerby B : I must say, they deserve this lesson too... They have hands and feet. Can't they escape?

MC : No, it's not....

I stared down at the empty bowl, a sullen breath rushing through my chest, but I couldn't find the outlet.

Lucien : Open your mouth.

Suddenly, a tender yellow ball was brought to my mouth.

I opened my mouth subconsciously, and only after the tip of my tongue touched a soft spot did I realize what Lucien was feeding me.

MC : ea urshin?(sea urchin?)

Lucien : How does it taste?

Lucien stared at me as usual, but I could see a trace of inquiry and worry in his eyes.

I pursed my lips, swallowed the sea urchin, and looked back at Lucien.

MC : Lucien, I'm okay. I've heard these words a lot these days...

MC : Besides, if these few words can defeat me, what kind of media person would I be?

MC : The company has also contacted the case investigation authorities and will begin to work on this topic in a few days.

Lucien : Are you going to do another show on this topic?

MC : Well, I want the public to be more vigilant so that there will be no more victims.

MC : Having said that, we can be regarded as witness this time.

Lucien : I am not a witness, but I am witness's family member.

He tipped his voice. As I raised the corners of my mouth, I also handed a prawn to him and followed his words.

MC : Anyway, thanks to the witty “family” who could understand my call for help on the phone. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy to get out of trouble.

Lucien : The hint you gave is too obvious to understand.

He paused

Lucien : “My child's father, I'm on a business trip these days. Don't forget to pick up Gardy from school.”

Lucien tilted his head slightly and imitated my tone. I giggled, but the scene at that time emerged in my mind.

At that time, I was being monitored by three people on a public phone call. Once Lucien on the opposite side said anything unusual, I would have no chance of escaping.

Fortunately—

On the other end of the phone, Lucien didn't hesitate and naturally answered.

MC : “What time does Gardy finish school, and what clothes does she wear today? I am afraid that there are too many children, and it will be difficult to find her.”

I also imitated his tone and said the secret code between us. Lucien smiled.

Lucien : “At 5:40, she was wearing the purple bellflower coat. By the way, she was not allowed to eat hamburgers on the way home, don't pamper her too much.”

While talking, Lucien's finger was pointing at the table.

Lucien : 540, Purple Bellflower, Burger restaurant.

Lucien : At that time of emergency, you could deliver these messages to me without the people next to you hearing them, which was very smart.

Lucien : The 540 bus stops, and you can see the purple bellflower and fast-food restaurants. So it takes a bit of work to line up, but it is not difficult.

He raised his glass to me.

Lucien : MC, you are much stronger than before.

The glass in our hands gently clinked, but the smile on the corner of my mouth was a little reluctant.

Am I really strong?

If I am really strong, why am I still shaken by the words of others and need Lucien's affirmation to give me strength?

If you are really strong, you should always be calm like Lucien. Thinking in this way,  I swallowed my sigh and wine together.

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

After dinner, we strolled around the villa in the sunset before returning to Lucien's room.

An old movie was playing on the TV. Lucien was leaning on the bed, reading a book, and I leaned against his arms, playing with his fingers.

I sighed when I saw that the hero missed the clue left to him by the heroine and wandered around the city like headless flies.

MC : This movie is too miserable because the male protagonist missed such a crucial clue, the two will be separated from then on...

MC : Luckily, you were not like him at the time. Otherwise I...

Before I finished speaking, Lucien's fingers that had just relaxed and held me back suddenly tightened.

MC : Are you okay?

Seeing me looking up at him, Lucien lowered his eyes and asked with a smile.

Lucien: What's wrong?

I was a little confused, but Lucien's expression was calm as if his movements just now were just instinctive reactions of his fingers.

My eyes followed his face to the pages of the book he was holding, and I became more puzzled.

MC : I remember...you seem to have read this page half an hour ago, right?

Lucien : I can't help it. The movie is better than the book.

Lucien : Now that the movie is over, don't you still plan to go to the orchard outside the villa tomorrow? Go to sleep.

MC : Okay...

Although I felt that Lucien was a little absent-minded, I didn't say anything, so I rubbed my head against Lucien and got a good night kiss from him.

Lucien turned off the wall lamp, and the whole room was flooded with darkness.

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

“Miss MC, don't you want to make a lot of money? as long as you invest, we promise to make you an upstream customer!”

“Xiao Gong said that you are a rich second generation. How can you have no money? Why don't you stay here for two days and learn more about it? “

“I'm sorry, MC, for bringing you here for an interview, but they won't let me go if I don't bring people in.”

“What did you say to this Lucien? You don't give him our secret, right-”’

MC: ....!

I gasped and opened my eyes with a jolt.

In the room late at night, the incense was light, the quilt on my body was soft, and Lucien's breathing beside me was steady and long.

I'm still at Hot Springs Villa. It was just a nightmare.

I rolled over and calmed my breath.

No one found out the secret code between Lucien and me, but I was tricked by the expatriate staff and detained...

Being monitored, having controlled sleep time, forced to listen to those lessons ten times, fifty times, a hundred times...

Including the resentful eyes cast at me by those captured “mentors” at the last minute....

Scene after scene lingered in my mind.

I turned again, and the cold sweat behind me felt so sticky that it was hard to sleep.

MC : It's all over. There's no need to think about it...

I whispered to myself and was about to turn over again when a hand clasped my waist from behind.

The warm body suddenly approached, and Lucien's low voice fell on the side of my neck.

Lucien: It seems impossible for you to speak your mind on your initiative, is it?

MC : Hey, how did you wake up... ?!

Before I finished speaking, Lucien had turned me around with his hand.

In the blue-gray night, his sunken pupils refract the dim light outside.

Lucien : I wasn't sleeping.

Lucien lightly stroked my back. His palm was so warm that my tense nerves slowly relaxed.

Then a kiss fell lightly on my eyebrow, like a feather.

Lucien : [kiss] Are you still afraid?

((THEY VOICED THE KISS AAAA, and yes, all kisses after this will be voiced-))

MC : A little...

Lucien : Is it really a little?

MC : Well, maybe more than a little...

As soon as I opened my mouth, a stream of air brushed the tip of my nose, and Lucien seemed to smile. The second kiss fell again, this time in the corner of the eye.

Lucien : [kiss] I think.... not only afraid but also angry?

MC : Yes...

Lucien : Well, what do you mean? [kiss]

The third kiss stopped on my lips, urging me to open my mouth to explain.

MC : Well, it's just that I am furious.

Lucien : Who are you mad at?

MC : The people who tricked me into meeting the interviewees, the “mentors,” and those who casually blame the victims …

MC : What they said was as if the victims deserved it, and the victims wanted to be brainwashed and ripped off!

Lucien : Did the “victim-blaming” annoys you?”

MC : Yes, it's disgusting and made me angry.”

Lucien smiled again, and the fourth kiss seemed to reward my honesty.

Lucien : [kiss] I'm glad you didn't get mad at me.

MC : How could I be mad at you...

Lucien: But if you keep your thought to yourself, I will feel that you are mad with me.

MC : I think wishful thinking will make me look immature.

Lucien : Being candid with each other is the real maturity, isn't it? So, leave all emotions other than anger to me, okay?

Lucien kissed my face again, and tonight he kissed one after another without any fervent desire, which unexpectedly made me feel at ease.

I couldn't help pouting and pecking his chin lightly.

MC : In fact, I want to tell you. But I didn't find the right time...

Lucien : [kiss] Now is the right time.

This time the kiss fell on the forehead and moved slowly down.

Lucien : MC, being strong and fragile do not conflict with each other

Lucien : It is normal to have lingering fears. A person may be able to spend a long time processing it, but...

Lucien : If you have someone to accompany you and create a comfortable and safe environment, you don't need to find the right time, but at any time.

MC : A comfortable and safe environment... Like now?

Lucien : Well, there are others, too.

MC: What else?

Lucien : Like water.

Lucien :  The connection between warmth and a sense of security is innate, and when there is a lack of sense of security, it is much more comfortable to soak in hot water.

Lucien : Want to try it?

Lucien turned his head slightly and gestured to the door. I thought about it and sat up.

MC: Then let's try it.

Lucien pushed up the glass door on the other side of the room, revealing the hot spring outside the door.

The hot spring pool in the suite is much smaller than the afternoon hot spring pool, but it is more private.

MC: Ah-choo!

The sudden sulfur smell mingled with the midnight night breeze, and I couldn't help sneezing.

I was looking for tissues when Lucien had already untied his robe and walked into the bath first.

The hot water covered the back of the feet, followed by the legs and waist.

The sound of water rushing and mist hitting my ears, Lucien's tall and straight back seemed to glow under the moonlight.

He slowly brought the water to his body, the water submerged his shoulders, and then slid down his smooth muscle lines.

The small mole on the back of the shoulder became more and more conspicuous, making people unable to look away.

He turned his head to look at me, with a sly arc at the end of his eyes and an ambiguous smile on his lips.

Lucien : Aren't you coming?

I couldn't tell whether it was his words or the heat of the hot spring that made me want to get closer.

MC: I'm coming

I took his outstretched hand and walked into the hot spring.

The gentle current ran through the narrow gap between each other's bodies, and his slender fingers crept into my fingers and clasped my palms together.

I also took a dip in the hot spring in the afternoon, but I prefer this small hot spring to the noisy big bath.

It was also at this moment that I truly gave my body and troubles to water and him.

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

MC: Phew~it's a lot easier to pour your troubles into the hot spring and take a shower.

Listening to Lucien's patter of water in the bathroom, I sat in the bedroom, wiping my hair and humming.

Maybe some time later, I may still be affected by that little lingering deep in my memory, but...

I looked at the bathroom, but with Lucien as my pillar, I will not be afraid no matter what I encountered.

Before I knew it, the sound of water in the bathroom had stopped. I shook my half-dry hair, rolled on the bed, and waited for Lucien to come out.

But after I waited for a few minutes, there was no movement inside the door.

MC : Lucien……?

There's no reply

Efficiency-oriented Professor Xu has never been dawdling on daily trivial matters, which made me even more puzzled. I got up and walked toward the bathroom.

MC : Lucien, have you finished showering?

I reached out and was about to knock on the door when the door opened. A hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the bathroom.

Before I could react, I was slammed against the wall with a bang, but there was no pain in my back.

In the next second, Lucien's kiss had already landed on my lips.

The slender fingers climbed up along my waist, becoming an obstacle between my back and the cold ceramics.

Ths kiss was different from all the kisses tonight, almost engulfing my breath with apparent demand and take.

I suddenly opened my eyes wide and saw his closed eyes and slightly frowned brows.

MC : Lu...cien....!

When the teeth were pried open, the throat rolled and swallowed back the syllables that about to come out.

I could feel his heartbeat through the thin bathrobe.

I was shrouded in burning heat, and my head was so dizzy that I couldn't help slipping.

Lucien's body also pressed over, and finally, we both fell to the ground together.

The water soaked my back, and Lucien also let go of my lips at this time.

Lucien : [gasping for breath] ....

Lucien held on to me, and he still carefully held my head even in such an eager and impulsive moment.

The ceiling light warmth spilled unrestrainedly. I was stung to squint, and only then did I meet Lucien's eyes.

I was reflected in his pupils, but in the depths of his pupils, he seemed to be hiding something that he didn't show to anyone.

MC : You…

I was vaguely aware of something and spoke in a hesitant whisper.

MC : Lucien, you...are also afraid?

MC : Did you have a hard time out there those two days?

MC : What you just said to me, were you using it to reassure yourself as well?

Lucien : …Yes.

He admitted it.

Lucien hugged me in this position, our heartbeat close. His fingers passed through my hair and rubbed it.

Lucien: I don't know if this counts as lingering fear.

Lucien's voice was a little hoarse, and the words were clear.

Lucien : A hundred thousand terrible thoughts flashed through my mind on the way to find you.

Lucien : When I was alone these two days, my mind would uncontrollably replay that incident.

Lucien : Maybe there's a more efficient way to investigate. Maybe I should have gotten more information on the phone. Perhaps I should have made the call earlier.

His head was buried around my neck, breathing heavily.

Lucien : When I watched that movie tonight, for a moment, my mind even foolishly flashed to what would happen if the same things happened to me.

Lucien : I.. I really don't like that about me.

There was a rare frustration in his voice that made my fingers tighten, and I almost blurted out.

MC : But such Lucien, I like it very much.

MC: I like Professor Lucien, who can think about things.

Will soaking in the hot spring make people want to get closer?

I can't help but hug Lucien back and listen to his heartbeat.

He hid his emotions even deeper than I did, and I had to work hard to reach out and touch him.

MC : I know Professor Lucien can handle his state of mind very well.

MC : As you just said, a person can process it through time.

MC : But I want you to recover a little faster and build a comfortable and safe environment for you.

MC : For example... how about kissing you and asking you questions like you just did??

Lucien's chest trembled against mine, and his low laugh came into my ears.

Lucien : There's nothing to explain. I've just confessed to my family. So, just hold it like this for a while.

MC : Just a hug?

Lucien : Well, it takes only 20 seconds for humans to hug to produce a biological hormone called oxytocin, which reduces stress and produces happiness.

MC : Is it so amazing... So if we have any problems in the future, why don't we all hug for 20 seconds?

Lucien : Good idea.

We didn't speak any more, just stayed in this position, exchanging breaths.

Only each other's heartbeats are apparent in the quiet and humid environment.

The first 20-second hug is on the bathroom floor. The second 20-second hug is on the way back to the bedroom.

I hung on Lucien like a koala and let him take me back to the bed step by step.

MC : It's a little cold

Lucien helped me take off my half-wet pajamas and wrapped the quilt around me, while the other hand was always tightly clasping my waist.

Lucien : Any more requests, Miss MC?

MC : Of course there is...

I hooked Lucien's neck and pouted at him like a scoundrel.

MC : No more questions, just kisses, notes, lots of them.

Lucien smiled vaguely and then used physical action to meet my request.

The third hug ...... is much, much longer than 20 seconds.

When I fell into exhaustion and was about to fall asleep, Lucien gave me my second goodnight kiss.

Lucien : *kiss* Good night. I hope your next dream is a good one.

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

Loveland city has been fine for several days, and the program I have prepared is also in steady progress.

I can already face the collected material with a better state of mind, and Lucien, as a program consultant, has answered many phenomena from a scientific point of view.

The program was divided into several episodes, and after it was broadcast, a wide range of discussions broke out among the public.

一The mental pressure is so terrible that I feel that I should pay attention to it at ordinary times and don't be coerced and brainwashed.

一Thank you, victims, for being willing to share your experiences. You're all brave!

一Indeed, the company of family and friends is the best medicine after going through something terrible.

I looked at the comments, thought about it, and rubbed my arm with all my strength. I was about to pack up and get off work when the phone rang.

Staff member : Miss MC, are you still in the company? There is a letter that you need to sign downstairs.

MC: OK, I'll come down right now.

I turned off the computer, picked up my bag, went downstairs, and took the letter from the postman.

MC: There is no sender. I have never been to the village where the mail was sent either.

I took the thin envelope and looked at it again and again. I didn't find anything. I was about to open it when a figure came to me.

Lucien : It seems that I am very lucky this time, neither early nor late, just in time for the great producers not to work overtime.

MC : Lucien!

I smiled and took his arm. Lucien saw the envelope in my hand.

Lucien : I saw you delving into this letter when I first came in. Is there a problem with it?

MC : It's just a little confusing... Anyway, we'll know when we open it.

As I said that, the envelope was already opened in my hand, and there was a photo inside.

Photo of a teenage girl in plain clothes, hugged by her mother, standing together among fields on a spring day, waving and smiling at the camera.

I stared at the girl's face for a while, thinking to myself.

MC: Ah, I have seen this girl! Right in that MLM den!

The face I remember was full of numbness and despair in that dim room, but now, her smile is so bright.

I let out a sigh of relief and pulled Lucien even tighter.

MC : She's back with her mom. It's great.

MC : I really hope that the wounds in everyone's heart can be healed by those around them. …

Lucien : Yes, because her mother is hugging her.

Lucien : If they can send the letter to you, they must have watched your show.

Lucien: Is this the only photo she sent?

MC: It seems like yes. I'll see if there are any others..

I turned over the back of the photo and saw that the girl carefully wrote two words stroke by stroke.

'Thank you.'

[ooooo-mcyt]

Yknow, that one scene in Yandere where Grian screams at Okami and calls her a terrible parent definitely feels like projection.

Like, I heard his multiple passionate rants about how if HIS kid was missing then HE would be on the streets looking for them and why the hell isn't Okami doing that, why is she standing around crying instead of doing something, how could she leave her daughter with three kindergarteners and expect things to work out anyways, what is wrong with her, she's such a terrible mother, etc. And I immediately went "Oh yeah. This is a kid who just got abandoned by his parents".

Like. He certainly had a genuine point there. His rant towards Okami wasn't entirely unwarranted. She left her three year old daughter with only some five year olds for supervision and expected it to work out then she and Rowan spent the next day or so sending glares at these three children as if it's actually their fault when they're literally kindergarteners. But Grian went off. And while I wouldn't call Grian blowing up on her entirely unwarranted, I would call it slightly out of place in just how heated and personally upset he was, not just about being blamed, but also about the fact that she wasn't doing enough generally to ensure her daughter was safe and with her. And contrary to some people's belief, Grian isn't actually usually reactionary enough to go off like that at people in an out of place way? He's definitely always had a tendency of falling into the only-sane-man role which means a lot of exasperated and annoyed jabs at the insanity perpetuated by the people around him. And he's always been assertive enough that snapping back at someone who's being irrational or a prick to him isn't abnomal. However screaming at a mother who's child just went missing that she's a terrible parent and reiterating the comment on multiple other occasions to the point of getting sideeyed and reprimended by the other people being unfairly blamed along with him? That's a step outside of his normal wheelhouse. That definitely reads as projected rage considering his own parents had very recently sent him away.

In fact a Lot of Grian's behaviour in Yandere seems to be tied to his feelings over being abandoned. Grian in Yandere is unique because of how generally angry and standoffish he is. Throughout his highschool years, Grian can absolutely be cynical and bitter. However not generally as a core aspect of himself.

In fact, he can actually be quite friendly in his highschool years, with moments of annoyance popping up in direct response to his frequent slating in the Only Sane Man role. Which if you don't know what that means, to quote the Tv Tropes article on the only sane man, "picture this: Alice is a psycho for hire, Bob is a cloudcookolander, henry is an empty shell, charlotte is a chaotic stupid prankster, daniel is the annoying younger sibling, emily is a jerk with a heart of jerk, maria rhymes on a dime, Franklin is a mad scientist, and Gardenia is a holier than thou lawful stupid. Looks like your standard dysfunction junction. But then you have Isaac. Isaac is actually a very well-adjusted individual. He reacts with appropriate horror to things like Alice's finger collection or Franklin's experiments to revive the dead with science, and the crimes against nature that Gardenia calls pets. Isaac is the Only sane Man and The Only Voice Of Reason in the room". Grian would be Isaac in this scenario. He isn't completely free of quirks but he fails to fall under the group delusions of the other's, often calls out the fact that their school should probably be teaching them, is the only one who seems too perturbed by the cops doing nothing to help anyone ever, and pretty consistently objects to doing crime (especially severe or really dumb one's). This along with Grian's tendency to hold deep vitriolic disdain for his abuser (*cough* sam *cough*) down to telling him he's "Literally The Worst Person Who's Ever Existed" can make Grian come across as pretty constantly irritated and volatile.

He's really honestly not though. At least not as an aspect of his personality. Assertiveness and rationality can make him appear volatile when he's in the environment yhs often provides. But we know this isn't his natural state and that when not being actively handed a reason to be upset he's often very polite. This is not the same in Yandere. In Yandere Grian is just plain standoffish, rude, and even sometimes explosive. He doesn't need to be pushed. Anger that in later years would typically be reserved for people who Seriously hurt him is extended a lot more easily. General irritation is also less a notable (if unfortunately frequent) reaction to outside bullshit and more just Grian's state of being in Yandere.

Which I think is, very sadly, a direct result of the abandonment he faced from his parents before the series. Grian makes constant remarks about how he was left and his parents don't love him and how he wants to go home, ranging from petty angry remarks on how he hates this stupid country all the way to teary eyed rambling about his parents leaving him even to the point kf explosive anger. Hell, he spends the first few episodes violently pushing away the only people who try to befriend him and doing his absolute best to salt the earth under them. To me it all just screams of a little kid with abandonment issues trying to avoid further hurt by lashing out after his parents left him, loudly proclaiming his disdain for the country, his class, and every specific person who comes into contact with him frequently enough. Which I just think is Very sad.