#i never want to hear that racism is a thing of the past again. i never want to hear people claim indigenous people have equal rights now

[flowers-and-literature]

Man fuck this fucking country

[flippinpancakes64]

Hey can I request comfort headcanons for the cullens comforting a black reader who experiences a lot of racism. I just need some comfort in my life

Thanks✨️

The Cullens comforting a Black! Reader

Disclaimer I am 100% white so this is not something I can personally relate to

BUT I do know how to write comfort so hopefully this is still good

Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy!

Edward:

He won’t fight someone physically

But he will threaten them with violence

He can handle hearing all of the terrible shit that people think of

But the moment that it actually comes out of their mouths, he draws the line

Especially if it’s about something that people can’t control

He asks you multiple times if you want him to report them, transfer schools, or even “take care” of them

He reassures you no matter what they said that none of it is true

Alice:

I feel like she knows everything around the school

So when someone dares to insult you, she insults them right back

She throws every single thing that they are insecure about back into their faces

I also feel like she has a pretty good relationship with all of the teachers

So she’s easily able to get into their grade books and fail all of them

She doesn’t stand for that shit ❤️

Jasper:

He also does not stand for that shit

He’s so guilty about his past that he doesn’t let anything slide

So you better be prepared to hold him back

Or one of the other Cullens better be there to hold him back

Because otherwise he will kill someone

Going forward, he uses his ability to make them feel like they are going to die

Like all of the impending doom and dread he can muster

Rosalie:

She doesn’t hesitate to slap that asshole straight across the face

And then immediately flee the scene

She takes you home, it doesn’t matter what time it is

She hates people who are assholes to people about things they can’t control

She does anything you want for the whole day

Going out to eat, shopping, watching a movie, anything

But after you fall asleep…

She puts glitter in their beds, nair in their shampoo, sugar in their gas tanks

Basically anything that can’t be traced back to her

Emmett:

Like Rosalie, he doesn’t hesitate

Unlike Rosalie, he doesn’t stop

He kills anyone who said anything to you

The Cullens have to flee the town

And the city

And the state

And maybe the country

He feels so terrible afterwards

Because of him, you now had to leave all of your friends and family behind

If you can forgive him, he promises that it will never happen again

But tbh if someone says that shit again he won’t hesitate

Esme:

She won’t attack someone

She’s a pacifist fr

But that doesn’t mean she won’t defend you

She goes OFF

Asking them if their parents would be happy, if their future college/employer would be happy

Basically she just threatens to ruin their life ❤️

After that she takes you home but she is still fuming

Mumbling to herself about how can someone be so idiotic the entire night

Carlisle:

He’s the kind to be very stern and angry

Like a scolding

“It is the year 2024 and you are still being racist? That’s a shame”

He also will not take them as a patient

This is a private practice so he can do what he wants

“Your arm is broken? Hm… I remember you being extremely racist to my partner not too long ago… you’ll have to go elsewhere”

People learn to shape up pretty quick when the best doctor in the whole state won’t take them

Vampire! Bella:

She’s not afraid to yell at someone in the middle of the school

Being turned into a vampire has given her so much confidence

But she has enough self control to not kill someone at least

She asks if you want her to though

And she means it

If you wanted her to she would

After that she tells you to call her if anyone else tries anything

[dnalt-d2]

(TW for racism/xenophobia, as well as what's going on with Cellbit right now. For anyone who wants to know about that, I put the documents he put out in the replies for the post, as well as TWs for what it contains)

You know, I gotta say I'm really glad I'm hardly on twitter and BARELY know how to navigate it. Because I never actually SEE any of the drama going on over there, I just hear it from tumblr people coming here from over there, and that's definitely the case here as well as well

And I know I haven't really talked much about QSMP Drama before, but what's going on right now is hitting me a little harder than I would've thought, so I do wanna give my two cents on it

For starters, I read through the entire document that Cellbit put out and I feel absolutely horrible for what he's going through right now, and for what he went through in the past. Especially since I've been through something similar to one of the things he mentioned. Not to mention the fact that I'm also most likely asexual as well. (This is kinda why I wanted to talk about it at all, if I'm being honest) I really hope things get better for him, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart

And as for the apparently rampant xenophobia that's been targeted towards the Brazilian community, I honestly feel absolutely terrible that this has been happening. And I really hope that people can come here and find a better part of the community to interact with, if they choose to stay at all. Which I can certainly understand anyone choosing to leave, however unfortunate that is. Either way, I'm really sorry this has been happening to you guys, and it never should have happened in the first place (And anyone else who's experienced this, you have my sympathy as well, even if I know it isn't really gonna help much)

For anyone that stays, I'm really sorry things have been so shitty. Obviously there's not gonna be any place that's completely safe and tolerant, but I certainly hope things over here are better than on twitter

QSMP has been an amazing experience for me, and the fact that I've learned so much about so many different cultures has been absolutely incredible. I'm not the kind of person who can just learn this kind of stuff by reading up on it, so this has really been a great way to learn about things that I either never thought to look into, or just wasn't able to understand for whatever reason

Anyone that sees this sort of project, which has been connecting so many different communities and cultures, and decides to still be so intolerant and hateful, are just a special kind of awful. And frankly, they're the ones losing out on something incredible

(Btw I'm not sure what all to tag this as, since again, I don't really talk about drama stuff all that often, so if anyone wants me to tag a specific trigger or anything else, please let me know)

[cow-rants]

Fair warning: this post is in regards to the recent Assassin’s Creed: Shadows trailer. I will talk about my thoughts and feelings regarding race. Thank you.

I’ve been a massive fan of Assassin’s creed (AC) since I first saw my uncle playing it at 7 or 8 years old. I’m a massive history buff and the idea of being able to experience the past through the eyes of an ancestor is such a brilliant idea. Not mention the concept of a secret war being fought through out the centuries is always fun. But as of late, I haven’t been really excited for a new entry. Odyssey was the last game I really played and it was alright, but I’m personally not a huge fan of the new RPG mechanics (although I do understand why they were implemented).

Valhalla looked interesting, but didn’t really feel like an AC game to me. So I put it on my “to play later” list. Mirage looked far better and I definitely do want to play it, but I honestly just haven’t felt a super big pull to pick it up. But when I saw that AC was finally going to Japan, I was ecstatic. I adore Japanese history in general and the Sengoku period is full of interesting conflicts and characters that would fit perfectly with the assassin’s and the templars.

Although they went with some pretty standard people to showcase, such as Oda Nobunaga, I still think they have a chance to do something really interesting story wise (of course, reserve all real judgement for the gameplay reveal. But I’m mainly just talking about the story). Especially with the portrayal of Yasuke. From what I could tell, it seems like his story will be one of disillusionment, possibly betrayal, and redemption. Certainly a story we’ve seen before, but it’s still interesting to see Yasuke in something as big as AC.

Before I get into the more unfortunate discourse regarding Yasuke, I absolutely have to talk about Naoe. See, what caught my eye about her was how she and my OWN AC OC have very similar stories. Well, I don’t know for sure. But they certainly share a similar experience, which is watching their families be butchered by Oda Nobunaga’s armies. It’s not much, but by the gods does it make me pretty happy. My OC’s name is Minori Kishimoto and she’s one of my favorites, so seeing a canon character with some similar traits is kind of exciting for me (okay, very exciting).

Anyhow, back to Yasuke. As soon as I saw the trailer, I knew I was going to see people saying something stupid. So I checked both the comments on the video and twitter. And I was certainly not mistaken. So so so many bad takes and ridiculous arguments that, honestly, only go to show either mild racism or straight up hatred toward African people. Not to mention the fact that they completely ignore Naoe as a protagonist. I guess she must be the greatest assassin of all time.

From what I understand, a lot of people are upset that for a Japan centered AC game, there is a black protagonist. Which, again, ignores Naoe entirely. The biggest argument I have heared against Yasuke being one of the protagonists is that he wasn’t actually a samurai. To which I say: False. Incorrect. Mistaken. Wrong. Factually incorrect.

The primary issue here is the fact that many people refer to him as a retainer. A title that he never officially held, as far as I’m aware, but even so that still makes him Samurai! Looking just at the facts of his life, he was respected by arguably the most powerful Daimyo of that time, earned his trust, received a pension, received a sword, and received property. So then the question becomes: what exactly makes a person a samurai at this time? Because I can tell you one thing, it isn’t noble blood.

A peasant man was once hired by Nobunaga to do a multitude of tasks, one of which was to hold his sandals. This man would soon prove himself to be capable of all of his tasks as well as in the art of war. He would become a powerful man and rise through the ranks until he held the rank of Taiko at the end of his life . That man was Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

If Hideyoshi’s story proves one thing, it’s that at this time anyone could rise to become a daimyo. So then, why wouldn’t Yasuke also be considered a samurai? We’re not even trying to claim he was a daimyo, just that he was a samurai. Retainer, bodyguard, slave, whatever. The fact is that the man was 10000% a samurai and was a respected one at that. To claim otherwise is to prove yourself ignorant in the history you claim to be proficient in, and incompetent at backing up your argument.

Not to mention that from a writing point of view, it’s a brilliant move. Yasuke was not super well recorded and thus is relatively unknown to others. Which makes him perfect for being a:

1. Fish out of water character

2. Real person, that can be treated written like a fictional one

All of this to say, I think that this newest Assassin’s Creed has a chance to become one of my personal favorites. As well as putting the series back on the map for many. But, with no gameplay and an already worrying pre-order package, I’m worried to say the least. Only time will tell, but I look forward to it.

[lemotmo]

You know I’ve tried so hard to stay neutral on the whole Lou/Tommy of it all. But he did another cameo, which he apparently upped the prices the 145 a video?? But he did another one and he dismissed all of Tommy’s past behavior as being corny and teasing which…does not sit right with me. Like racism, misogyny, toxicity, silent compliance of it all….is not just being corny and teasing. And then he ends the video by talking about Tommy came in at the last minute to save the day and save Bobby and Athena so everyone should be good with him now….. like now we’re taking credit for Hens stuff too?

Idk none of that sat well with me at all and if he is sticking around for any of season 8 I think I need the show to just be like no more cameos from you or something.

Hi Nonny, hope the rest of your day was great. Don't allow things like this to get to you too much. If you feel you need a break from social media, make sure to take it. There is already enough stress in real life, don't let it seep into your fandom life as well. Take care of yourself first. You deserve only the best.

Now on to your ask:

I haven’t seen the cameo you are talking about. I have no desire to see that cameo either. I’ve watched one of Lou’s cameos, way back in the beginning when he started doing them. I found it funny, if a little weird that someone would pay for that, but to each their own.

I’ve been hearing about these cameos more and more lately. And yes, they have started to bother me. Mostly because it seems that Lou is charging these people up to 125 dollar (I’ve even read 145 dollars) to talk about the things ‘he’ thinks or believes to be true about Tommy or Buck/Tommy. Basically he’s talking about his own headcanons as an actor. Which again, is fine, because if it helps him to act better, why not?

The problem lies in the fact that some people have started taking Lou’s headcanons for reality. They hear what he says and see it as ‘canon’ because (right now) Buck/Tommy is a canon couple. While it is true that Buck/Tommy is canon, Lou’s headcanons are just that, little fanfictions he made up in his head. It’s a dangerous road to go down, because where does it end? When Buck/Tommy eventually break up, a lot of people will feel misled by him. It won’t be pretty.

So therefore, I’ve decided to never watch any of his cameos. I’m not really interested in his fantasies for the guest character he plays on my favourite show. I’d much rather be focusing on what 911 is actually showing us on our screens. I focus on the nuances and little details that they want us to pick up on.

Sometimes there are small things that seem inconsequential, but turn out to be very important episodes later. Everything matters on television. There are no coincidences. The writers craft the story, every single thing is planned out for the scene, the actors act it out and we watch on in complete fascination. There is no room for a guest actor’s headcanons or fantasies in a prime time show like this.

That being said though, if he truly dismissed Chimney and Hen’s plight under Captain Gerrard as mere ‘teasing’, that is factually wrong. If you go back to watch the scenes in question, there is bigotry, blatant racism and sexism. It makes me wonder if he even remembers the scenes in question. Did he rewatch them before he came back for season 7? We’ll never know.

But it does highlight, once again, that it isn’t smart to give this guy a platform to talk about his personal headcanons. He was always bound to say something dumb that would piss people off at some point. And here we are today, pissed off and annoyed.

I also want to remind everyone that it wasn’t Tommy who is the real ‘hero’ in the story of saving Bathena on the cruise ship. It was Hen Wilson, who had a bad feeling in her gut and decided to follow that feeling. She got the ball rolling, then Chimney jumped to her aide, because he always will. Buck and Eddie decided to join in, without hesitation, because again—they always will. Tommy was merely the helicopter pilot who flew them all in.

By that definition they are all the heroes in this narrative, which is why they all get medals next episode. But it is only Hen who was smart enough to follow her gut. If all the others are ‘heroes’? Hen Wilson is the only ‘big damn hero’.

I do believe Tommy might be sticking around for the beginning of season 8, because I’m not sure there will be enough time to deal with a proper break up in two episodes. Unless Tim surprises me and actually does manage to pull it off.

But yes, someone should just tell him to stop doing those cameos if his character is to carry over to season 8. It’s starting to get a little worrisome at this point. Charging people to talk about your own fantasies for your character, feels a little exploitative.

Whatever happens with him in season 8, ultimately I’m not really worried about Tommy to be honest. Lou’s stint on 911 is coming to an end pretty soon, one way or the other.

Consider this topic closed for me now. I’ve said all I wanted and needed to say. I don’t feel like wasting any more of my time thinking about or writing about this man and his cameos. I’d rather spend my precious fandom time on the things that matter: the amazing people I’ve met, watching the show and crying copious amounts of tears over these characters I’ve come to love so much, theorising and speculating about what might happen in the next episodes and next season, and above all talking about Buddie—my favourite pastime. 😊

[akajustmerry]

i know this is probably controversial, but can i just say, as a black woman, hearing jacob constantly talk about loustat as a starcrossed lovers thing while ignoring the abusiveness and lestat's treatment of claudia really irks me. he is clearly capabale of talking about abusive relationships (he despises loumand to a comically degree imo), but he mentiones none of that when it comes to loustat. i get it, we shouldn't take actors seriously and don't have to agree with whatever their takes on storylines are, but still. it's unfortunate he sounds like all those racist fans (who hate louis as a character when not tied to lestat) in that he never mentiones the hell louis and claudia went through. even sam reid managed to say at one point that claudia and louis had no other choice but to kill lestat at the end of s1, but whenever jacob speaks, it sounds like he's talking about a lifetime romance movie and not a deeply complex relationship between two men that lead to the death of their black daughter. doesn't sit right with me, never has, and considering rolin said the show as fans know it is over now and the future season(s) will lean into comedy and not gothic horror i have no hope in ever seeing loustat failing claudia being addressed by anyone ever again

But it makes sense Rollin said the show will be a comedy now since he already made it into a joke lol. I've honestly not read a lot of cast and crew interviews outside of the ones tacked on at the end of each episode. I was definitely disappointed when Jacob said that the finale loustat scene was heart-warming and both he and Sam were basically all giggly goo goo about it. But I've chalked it up mostly to them just playing the scene as it is and being so close from having worked so intimately together the past few years. Actors do what they're told at the end of the day and I find the producers and Rollin's creative choices and justifications far more worthy of criticism and a product of THEIR racism and misogynoir and THEIR lack of care. The finale was very much a mask off moment where the white producers and writers showed that what they really cared about this whole time was making their white blorbo as interesting and edgy as possible and they were totally willing use racialised violence and abuse as if they were tropes to make that happen. I'm so tired of characters of colour being narrative fodder for white leads. It's the bane of my existence and I really thought iwtv was going to be one of the few exceptions but that's on me for putting faith in white writers writing about something they clearly have no real respect for. They want the brownie points for including poc but they don't actually care.

[scarlet97531]

⭕️❗️CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW A BOOK SERIES FOR NINE YEAR OLDS LITERALLY STARTS WITH GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND DOES NOT GET BETTER??????

((General warning for graphic depictions of violence, lots of caps lock, and some swearing sprinkled in for fun for the rest of this post, also I don’t hate WoF, I love WoF, but I also think it’s batshit insane and needs to be addressed (in a pretty unserious way)))

The fucking prologue.

HELLO??? AM I CRAZY FOR THINKING THIS IS A BIT MUCH FOR THE PROLOGUE OF A CHILDREN’S BOOK???

This shot was the gateway drug for us istg. This fucking book series got is so hooked on fictional violence man 😭

We were drawing detailed dragon gore as fanart, looking at detailed gore that other people had drawn as fanart?

Seriously am I crazy????? This is the second main character killing her father to prove a point?????????

This is what we get for an explanation for where the first main character came from? His backstory is literally that his mom sold him for some cows??????????????????? WTF

Also just mudwing society in general is. It seems. Pretty weird. Like really weird.

“As the [human] shrieked again, she bent down and bit off its head.

“Blech,” she said, spitting it out again immediately. The head bounced across the grass as the body slowly toppled over, blood pouring out of it’s neck.”

UM?? OKAY!!

“She scored her talons along his wing, ripping open the scars”

“She shook Dune lightly, as if she were shaking the fluff off a dead pigeon. He clawed at her talons, his eyes bulging. “I mean, what use is a crippled dragon who cannot fly? I’m surprised you haven’t killed yourself already, SandWing. But I can take care of that for you.”

DAMN????

“No!” Sunny screamed, leaping at them.

But it was too late. With a chilling crack, Queen Scarlet snapped Dune’s neck and dropped his body on the stone floor.

“Dune!” Sunny howled. She squirmed past Scarlet and crouched beside him, shaking him with her front talons. His mangled wing flopped, his scales scraped against the rocks. His black eyes were empty. “Dune, wake up!””

HOLY SHIT???? WHY WAS THIS NECESSARY FOR A CHILDRENS BOOK

WHAT THE FUCK

AND THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE FIRST BOOK, DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON LEGENDS OF DARKSTALKER MAN THAT SHIT WAS CRAZY

THIS IS BEING SOLD FOR NINE YEAR OLDS

THIS COULD VERY WELL BE A CHILD’S FIRST INTRODUCTION TO DEATH

WHAT WAS TUI THINKING???????????

LIKE ACTUALLY WHAT????

Honestly it is so unsurprising we turned out the way we did when this is what we were reading as a kid 😭

Literally our primary caretaker is named after Scarlet. The same scarlet in those quotes earlier. Like this shit is so in our brain and has been since we were twelve.

This shit. Is. Crazy.

And then every time I try to point out flaws In the writing or the plot ppl tell me “oh it’s not that deep it’s just a children’s book it’s not a big deal” LIKE. FUCKING. HELL IT IS.

ABSOLUTELY NOT. NO FUCKING WAY.

I am completely convinced that if we had never read these books our gorey pseudo memories would not be HALF as detailed and disturbingly accurate as they are now. Like seriously we did so well in anatomy classes because of this. Maybe that’s mostly the autism but i we never would have been so interested in anatomy if we weren’t trying to figure out how to draw anatomically accurate dragon disembowelment because of these damn books 😭

Anyways all this said I still fucking love wings of fire and I’m thinking of bringing back that thing where I draw cute cartoony dragons dying horribly :3

If anyone has horror stories about growing up reading wings of fire I want to hear them

WAIT ONE LAST THING- I forgot to mention the icewing massacre, attempted genocide, and general dragon racism….. hmmmm a topic for another time perhaps

[duckielover151]

Just have to rant about this somewhere.

CONTENT WARNING: Murder, Suicide, Mass Death of Children, Hostage Situations, Cults... It goes on and on, honestly.

I just watched the 3-episode documentary National Geographic did on the Jonestown Massacre... And I don't ever want to hear anyone refer to it as a "mass suicide" ever again.

If 'Jonestown' doesn't immediately ring any bells... You probably know it better as the incident in the 1970s where almost 1,000 people in a religious cult committed suicide by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid.

And frankly, that's just not an accurate representation of how it really went down.

For one... They weren't what I'd consider overly religious. Hearing some of the survivors talk about what drew them to this cult... They were more akin to hippies, if anything. Drawn to this philosophy of equality and peace and love... Jonestown started as this commune where everyone would support each other, where they'd be free from things like racism and classism. It really targeted the most vulnerable people in society and led them to believe they could create their own paradise. The leader did become this unhinged, most likely mentally ill, egomaniac... But hearing the people talk about what drew them in... the 'religion' was never about worshiping him specifically.

These 'followers' were not this uniform group of fanatics that every media portrayal I'd ever heard about this incident made them out to be.

This commune they'd created that was supposed to be their paradise was controlled by armed guards. Who you better believe were present the day everyone was killed, enforcing the "suicides" after Jim Jones felt he'd started to lose control and people had started to escape.

Some of the interviews with survivors after the fact are genuinely infuriating.

One woman who got out the day previously... crossing something like 30 miles of jungle with her 3-year-old... terrified the whole time that, any second now, they were going to be discovered and shot down... was taunted by this one reporter, trying to get her to admit that if she'd been there, she most likely would have gone along with her friends and poisoned her child.

Eyewitness accounts of the soldiers who went in to try and account for the bodies after the fact, tell stories of people they found who were clearly trying to run away and ended up with bullets or syringes in the backs of their necks.

I'm sure there were true believers who did drink the Kool-Aid willingly, believing there was nothing left for them in this world.

But so many of the people who lost their lives were victims in the strongest sense of the word. I'm willing to bet that most of the parents who did poison their children that day, did it because they truly believed it would be a kinder, gentler death than what was inevitably waiting for them if they'd tried to fight back.

It's kind of disgusting, how this incident has gone down in history. Just the undertones in every portrayal that the people involved were crazies who deserved it.

(I mean, my view of the internet has hit rock bottom a lot of the time... But you search the Jonestown tag on this very site... And primarily what comes up are memes or posts making a joke out of it. And that's a little horrifying to me.)

As someone who has definitely referenced "drinking the Kool-Aid" in a derogatory, joking manner in the past... (And fairly recently, I'm ashamed to say.) Please educate yourselves. And don't automatically trust the media's portrayal of tragedies like this.

[danni-k]

Saving Grace

TW: domestic violence(physical and verbal), weapons mention and sexual acts mentioned

“So how she tastes?” Ran teased as his brother made it up the stairs to the office space. Rolling his eyes Rindou walked past his brother towards his office. He knew he was going to give him hell when he looked up after kissing her and saw him on the balcony. With his brother following behind him into his office he called back, “Suck my dick.” Laughing at his younger brother Ran quipped, “From the looks of it, she’ll be glad to do it.”

“Shut up. I don’t know why I even did it.” He said while laying on the couch. Yes he like her but he wasn’t the type to steal a girl away. Besides they were friends and now he went and complicated things. The fact that he could still smell her perfume on the couch from when she was studying earlier did not help. Neither was Ran as he was making himself at home by pouring a drink from his personal stash.

“Because you’re a cheat and wanted to get to her before me.” Rindou rolled over turning his back Tk his brother.

“She has a boyfriend.”

“Yeah and mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” Ran replied taking a sip of his drink.

“What?!” He said sitting up from the couch.

“I thought we were spouting useless knowledge.” Why would he bring that up? Her having a boyfriend isn’t useless. It’s probably the one thing keeping her safe. Flopping back down on the couch he covered his head with a pillow muffling, “You’re insufferable.”

Laughing Ran looked out the window which caused his face to fall stating,“And you need to go outside.”

“It’s fucking raining.”

“Haitani go outside.” Hearing the seriousness in his brother’s voice caused him to sit up again and look toward the window.

Spinning around in the chair you see your boyfriend walking towards you, grabbing your things you go to meet him hugging him in the process,“You weren’t at the cafe I got worried.” Your boyfriend said while kissing your forehead. You were supposed to be studying at the cafe a block away but when you saw they were closed you decided to come down to the bar after seeing Rindou’s car out back. Walking out the door you replied, “ Yeah it was closed and it’s raining so I came-“ your boyfriend rudely interrupted, “To be all in his face.” He never approved of your friendship with the Haitanis, but he always thinks that someone is trying to take advantage of you. Outside of classes he rarely allowed you to go anywhere without him stating that he was protecting you from all of the racism and being kidnapped and sold off. You got stares when you weren’t on campus but being a black woman in Japan it’s a given. You didn’t mind it you always had room on the train because no one wanted to sit beside you and you loved when the little kids wanted to touch your hair.

“Excuse me?”

“You know how I feel about you and you purposely chose to hang around these men , they are no good they are womanizers who don’t have a problem taking you away from me.” He said sounding insecure. It hurt your heart knowing that he had no faith that even if someone tried to get with you that you would even give them the time of day. Deflated you replied, “ No one is going to take me away. You were running late and I saw their car so I came over to get out the cold.”

“I thought you said it was raining.”

He was starting to get on your nerves, every time you spent time with them it was the same argument over and over again. “Yes sweetheart it was cold and raining; those two go hand in hand.” You could hear that he was tired of this conversation to with the way he clenched his jaw when he said, “That still doesn’t explain why you were alone with him.” Omg dies he not realize he can not have it both ways! “Because Ran was upstairs on a business call and you don’t want me in their offices where they can lock me away.” You didn’t mean for it to sound like you were annoyed but you were. Trying to get you to see his way he explained, “I still don’t want you around them, they are bad news, they don’t care about your reputation or feelings just what they can get from you.” Laughing you assured him, “Sweetie I’m broke and depend on you,I have nothing they want.”

“They want you, I’ve seen the way that older brother looks at you.” He said as you turned on the side street.

“Ran is a flirt, he looks at everyone like that. He doesn’t know how to be normal.” You replied nonchalantly.

“What about the other one?”

“Rin, he’s just weird.” You started to blush remembering the kiss glad that your hair was frizzy enough to cover your face. Stopping he softly said, “Is that why he kissed you right before I walked in?” Your heart skipped a beat, you didn’t know that he saw. At least you hoped he hadn’t saw.

…

“You’re not even going to try and deny it?” He asked grabbing your wrist. You kept your head down more out of embarrassment than shame. You didn’t know how to respond even though he did deserve an answer. Without looking you replied, “What do you want me to say he came onto me. I didn’t even have time to process what happened before you came in.” You could feel his pressure rising as he tightened his grip on your wrist to turn you towards him.

“You must’ve liked it you didn’t even try and force him off you fucking slut!” He spat in disgust, you’ve never seen such hatred in his eyes towards you before. Yes you were wrong to not have immediately told him but he didn’t have to call you out your name. Getting defensive you said, “Watch how you’re talking to me. I told you I didn’t do anything.” His words became venomous as he stared you down saying, “Exactly except be a fucking whore. What is it the money, their family name; they’ll never claim you in public you’ll be a nothing more than a cocksleeve. And I’ll speak to you how I want, you wouldn’t have a place to sleep without me.”

“You think you own me? I would as soon die before I’d let-,” you grabbed your face feeling the sharp pain radiating across your cheek, “ahh you son a bitch did you just hit me?” You stared at him with hate in your eyes. You go to lunge at him but he caught you by the neck slamming you against the wall knocking the air out of you. He growled in your ear, “I’ll do it again if you don’t behave. Now we are going to go home and you’ll never see those two thugs ever again.” Trying to breathe all you could feel was his grip tightening around your throat as you vision tunneled. Suddenly you dropped from the wall and you gasped breathing in the fresh air. While on your knees you through your blurry vision you see a familiar green suit accompanied by the sound of a gun cocking. The last thing you hear before blacking out was a garbled voice saying, “She’s not going anywhere with you.”

@bubble4u @cottacyber @summerxxplosion

[half-blood-community]

Hot Take Discussions

Hi demigod and half-blood homies! It's Praetor Rose here with Hot Take Discussions, where every Wednesday a new Riordanverse Hot Topic will be released. Give your thoughts in the comments or through reblogs!

Just because this is your PJO opinions doesn't mean there aren't any rules, even Chiron has his limits. You will be expected to abide said rules at all times.

Keep it kind. These topics don't have objectively correct answers, and the people who oppose your opinion likely can't be budged on theirs, but you can explain to them why you think yours is the best. Personal attacks and aggressive behavior towards your fellow demigods will not be tolerated. If you feel like you're being targeted by unkind behavior, please Iris Message the moderators by tagging @half-blood-community

No racism/misogyny/homophobia/ableism/etc. will be tolerated. This falls under the umbrella of "keep it kind," but is worth reiterating. None of the debate topics are related to human rights issues per se, but some may be perceived as adjacent to these issues, so it's important to keep things respectful. Therefore, responses such as "I don't like Character A because they are LGBT-identifying" or "I don't like Actor B playing Character C because that's not how they look in the books" are unacceptable, as they do not facilitate a safe space for debate. The Riordanverse is a place that was made to represent and empower those belonging to minority groups, not to put them down. Remember, someone's identity is never debatable!

Explain your opinions! You're not being graded on this, but it's helpful to everyone if you explain why your answer is what it is. That way, it leaves an open-ended space for someone to reply to you. For example, if the debate topic asks, "Is The Lightning Thief a good book?" don't just say "yes." Tell us why you think it's a good book!

Give spoiler alerts. By this point, everyone knows who the lightning thief is, but not everyone has gotten to read the newest Riordanverse books, so if you think your response includes a major spoiler, it might be best to start with "Chalice of the Gods spoilers ahead!"

Dead debates may be awoken with Happy Meals. Any and all past debates are still considered "active" so if you didn't have anything to say about a topic from a while ago, but you do now, or if you're new around here, feel free to start it up again! We'd love to hear from you!

Iris Message the moderators if you need any support. If you feel like the debate is getting out of hand or becoming too aggressive, send an Iris Message to the moderators by tagging @half-blood-community and one of us will be there to de-escalate and/or offer support.

Oh, Fleecy, do us a solid. Please follow our PJO community, or reblog this post. Trust us, you won't want to miss out on any of the topics. Maybe the first one won't spark your interest, but that doesn't mean future ones won't! We also appreciate any likes you might be willing to give; numbers boost our views.

Yes, and... Afraid of confrontation? Maybe you're not ready to directly disagree with someone just yet, but did you know that agreeing with someone is always a viable option in a debate? Let's say someone says, "Yes, The Lightning Thief is a great book because it has the original trio in it" and you agree with that statement. What you can do is expand upon that idea by replying to that person. Say something along the lines of "I agree with you because it has platonic Percabeth and I love the way their friendship develops. My favorite part is when..." Bam. You just participated.

Respond to someone! Get the conversation started by responding directly to someone else's comment instead of just shouting into a void. Remember, you can agree or disagree with that person!

Don't be afraid to ask follow-up questions! Maybe someone responded to the prompt with "I don't like The Lightning Thief because I don't like Grover." That's a hot take. Ask them why they don't like Grover, and explain why you do.

Break the ice! So, you're early. Nobody has responded to the prompt yet. Maybe everyone else is just as nervous as you are, but you have the power here to steer the conversation in whatever direction you want! To reference our ongoing example, now you can explain what you did or didn't like about The Lightning Thief. Want to talk about how much you like Grover? Want to talk about how Procrustes is actually a good character and how much you love waterbeds? The floor is yours!

Start a new thread. Okay, so maybe the first person who replied wants to talk about Crusty and how awesome his waterbeds are, and that's just not your cup of tea. Maybe you're really excited to talk about Nancy Bobofit and how she was robbed of the chance to develop as a character. Start a new comment thread and invite people to reply!

Tag your friends! Maybe the conversation is really dry and a tumbleweed just flew across the comment section, but you know someone who would really love to talk about Crusty and his waterbeds with you. Let them know you're thinking of them by tagging them!

Play devil's advocate. Maybe the debate isn't really a debate, and it's just a bunch of people shouting into a void about how great The Lightning Thief is. You're craving a little spice. Sure, you might agree with them, but if you really want to see some debate, think of what a naysayer might say. Try commenting something like, "While I agree with the majority's opinion, it might be interesting to consider that someone might not like the expository nature of the book" or "I saw someone on Tumblr say they didn't like The Lightning Thief because they hate waterbeds. What do you guys think about that?"

DON'T FORGET TO HAVE FUN AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

if you have any Hot Topics you'd like us to cover give us a message! We'd love to hear it!

Here's a link to the most recent Hot Topic Discussion: https://www.tumblr.com/half-blood-community/750579837794648064/hot-topic-discussions-may-15th-2024?source=share

MAIN POST: https://www.tumblr.com/half-blood-community/750311211309088768/hi-half-blood-homies-this-is-your-online-demigod?source=share

[radscorpionsandrifles]

I kinda don't have the energy to go 100% deep into a whole explanation on why I just don't care for the Sly Cooper franchise. So instead I want to give the smaller version after doing a bit of research over the past year as I've been playing games.

Also obvious, but this post does contain spoilers.

(Trigger warning, explained ableism and racism under the cut.)

- To start with I just was never big on the gameplay for Sly 2 and 3. I think 4 was more tolerable in gameplay and that Sly 1 more level based approach is something I preferred.

- The Sly Cooper franchise is really bad about adding in mini games for padding out time. And none of them are fun either.

- Racism, so much fucking racism. Every single game has it to some degree. But 2 and 4 are the worst ones. I won't dig too far here as legit all you have to do is look up, 'Sly Cooper racism,' to find way too many examples of things that the series did wrong.

- Ableism man. In Sly 2 Bently the turtle; the brains of the team, becomes paralyzed from the waist down. Bently is not good disabled rep, and while they do what is the bare fucking minimum, he has issues in characterization that disabled people have pointed out over the years. Plus a lot of Sly's villains are disabled and pushed into a super bad light. No thank you.

- I don't think I will ever be able to look at Sly 3 without thinking about the fact that they made the indigenous Australian character speak gibberish. Like no. Despite having a giving land back plot, there is still racism there that I will never be able to get over. That one moment stands out so much to me.

- The fact that Sly 4 broke fucking everything. Multiple characters do things that I think are out of line. Bently goes dark in chapter four after finding out Penelope is the Black Knight. That felt very out of character to me. Penelope's redesign felt tasteless where in Sly 3 it connected to her personality. Plus Penelope's whole arc just felt like it broke down all her good development in Sly 3. The plot overall sucked and wasn't executed well at all. Not to mention that the game turned 10 last year and ended on a cliff hanger that no one liked. The franchise is dead at this point and ended at Sly being stuck in time. The main antagonist was uninteresting and his motives weren't explained until right before the final boss. Oh and the final boss fight is awful. It's just, "press the button that shows up on screen."

- The sexualization of Carmelita fox. Sly 3 and 4 do some pretty yikes things. Again Sly 4 being the worst. In Sly 4 her whole character is just so hit and miss between having understandable moments and being used for sexual undertones and scenes. It doesn't actually feel like Carmelita. It's the fact that Sly 4 broke down her development from the past 3 games just so they could add a belly dancing scene. I wouldn't care as much if it was a new character they created for the game, not someone who had their character arcs striped from them.

- Thinking of Carmelita, I don't personally care for the arc she has with Sly. I think that for me this is very much an example of, "enemies to lovers that didn't have enough screen time to show why I should care." The trope can be done well, I just think that it wasn't done well here. The ending to Sly 3 always threw me off, and 4 made their dynamic even more confusing.

- Awful subtitle integration. The subtitles are not accessible, plain and simple. They only cover certain scenes and sections. Some cutscenes will have them, others will not. It's aggravating, because it's not accessible to people who are hard of hearing or deaf. Along with people who are neurodivergent. I like having both text and audio in these types of games. It did make it harder to play.

- A good chunk of the cutscenes can not be skipped.

- Sly 4's forced motion controls. (That also don't work the best.)

These are just the heavy hitters, and this is why I just don't like the games. While now understand why Sly Cooper fans want a new game, I still would prefer a new Spyro instead. (And Spyro has issues too, I am very aware.)

But like anything I cover, I like to go, "hey this thing bad." Even if I'm not the best at explaining it, because it is 100% worth pointing out.

There are many franchises that I like that have issues that I like to talk about. Because some people who maybe have never touched the series or just plain oblivious to it all.

I hope this helps people understand a bit of the issues the series has, and why I didn't enjoy it.

[lexithwrites]

There are very much problems of racism and misogyny in this fandom. People of color have to watch you people hc James or Remus or Dorcas and Mary as poc for aesthetic for your ships and never expand their personalities past that. We have to listen to y’all talk abt how bigotry and misogyny doesn’t exist in the marauders universe. Everyone has to like Regulus or it’s a crime. You don’t listen to any oppressed people’s voices

I've seen quite a lot of fics and headcanons from poc hc james as desi and mexican, so they do know what they're talking about with that, and they're amazing. in terms of mary and dorcas i haven't seen anyone expand so you could be pretty accurate on that front and trust i'd love to have more women focused hc's, i'd love to write some myself at some point once i learn more about them. overall the misogyny angle is,,,a bit difficult imo. as an afab person, there isn't a lot of female rep in the fandom obviously, but when there is its SO good. trust me i want more, and i'd love to write more, mlm is the most popular and maybe its due to fetishisation, maybe people just relate to those characters more, idk. and once again I DO NOT CARE IF PEOPLE DISLIKE REGULUS THAT IS FINE THAT IS YOUR OPINION YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO HAVE IT. if someone hates on you for disliking a character then that sucks and im sorry but people are giving me the same shit for liking him, it works both ways. and with the oppressed voices not being heard, i can't even imagine what that is like. i've made mistakes in the past of not doing proper research into heritage and backgrounds and i've tried my best to learn from that and do the research that's necessary to get things accurate. and i want to hear from people with these experiences, and maybe because im white i havent seen that in this fandom and thats a privilege in its own way, but i will always listen. i want to do better where i can.

this entire day has just been message after message of people telling me i support fascism because i write about regulus and its insane and draining. they dont equal the same fucking thing. im tired

[suenitos]

lol at anon "not to neg ask" *proceeds to neg ask*. anon im whacking you with a broom .

i know where youre coming from and i get it and wellunfortunately he will be demonized no matter what he does or doesnt do. he could have the most well put together video that addresses the birds that he saw outside his window at this exact particular time and people will STILL scrutinize every little detail to prove hes a bad person and lie on his name. however. we also dont know if it will turn some tide in his pr or ppl will empathize because it very well could! some people are too far gone to ever hear him out but like i said most of what he does is not for THEM. theres a lot of layers to what you said about the lying bit and that is true people will spread lies. people always have and always will but he said himself he wants to work on dispelling shit again like he used to and actually having convos with people, especially large ccs, who are only fed context from internet telephone. which is dumb of them but hey 🤷 im a stan so i obviously have a bias towards him that ccs and regular shmegular people dont. hes insanely misunderstood and a lot of that has to do with mis/disinformation campaigns, malicious and not. also, things have never been "normal" ever, we've just had months where things calm down for a while, EVEN IN 2020 people were ganging up on this man for the stupidest shit, anti or not. i do feel for him a lot the way you do, and you're valid to feel the way you do and completely disregard everything i just said. thats fine. i just think its not worth sitting in that state of doomerism and its better to think about what the video will positively achieve that is guaranteed: closure for survivors that have actually had to deal with stuff like that that are in his audience and speaking to people who are still unsure about supporting him. also the fact that dream has a very strong support system through this and he's a tough, transparent, and audacious guy even through EVERY allegation and insane callout he has been through, every cheating scandal, john swan, parasocial stanbase, racism in his past, racism in his present, getting doxxed, housing a an abuser, r slur discourse, getting swatted, not caring enough about gay people, etc etc is proof enough that he can get through this, and we can too. just. sit tight. we'll be ok, maybe later rather than sooner but we'll make it out

[bat-besties]

Your lili posts have me thinking a lot about Jade and her similarities with Rose. Both come from countries ravaged by war and colonialism and this shapes their childhood- and yet DC ignores it despite the potential for a poignant and meaningful story there.

Rose grew up in a determent camp. Jade’s father was a french colonialist and she was later sold into slavery(and when she escaped she was trained by a chinese freedom fighter). These are interesting stories not only in the way they uniquely affect cambodian and viet women but in the sense they just… are compelling?? Jade works well with Roy and her daughter DOES make her more interesting but her dynamic with her daughter and with MEN has an extra layer there that they just don’t care about.

Rose HAS this unqiue and formative trauma that’s never discussed. Despite who her mother was or the things she saw she is aggressive to other women constantly, she is centrally relevant for her daddy issues,which yea are important, are not the only thing to explore there! I hope this makes sense and I’m not just very tired

This does make sense!

That's a really interesting parallel - I didn't know about Jade's backstory! I assumed the man she was talking with was a fellow assassin and not someone who had such a formative impact on her life.

Yeah, I think it's very telling that DC does a relatively good job with Mia Dearden as a trafficked white girl (and even that has some misses) but when a women of colour has trafficking in her backstory it's not fully explored or explained. Especially when women of colour are more at risk of human trafficking than white women, but don't receive the same attention/horror at their situations.

In way too many DC comics, human trafficking victims are a blur of undifferentiated nonwhite and/or female characters freed from the back of a van by our hero and never seen again, used to show just how evil an organisation or villain is. So yeah, that makes it especially galling that Jade's escape from slavery isn't factored into her relationship to men and her daughter.

Like Jade, Lili escapes slavery and tries to give her daughter the best life possible, and like her, she's erased from her daughter's personality and life.

Intergenerational trauma specific to Cambodia (which was already being discussed in academia in the 90s!!) and Vietnam is completely ignored. The way both have to deal with their own trauma and break cycles of abuse to raise their daughters is never acknowledged, while any way they act on past traumas is heavily punished. [Lili not wanting Rose to know about Slade to protect her leaving Rose unprepared for him/Jade reacting violently to having her daughter taken away from her being portrayed as her being crazed]

And yeah, the Rose who initially protects a woman from an abusive husband as a fourteen year old and has tea parties with Dolphin and Lian is suddenly turned into a sexist.

(Rose not hearing out Jade about Lian because of her own trauma and need to protect a little girl from the assassin parent coming on the scene was so PAINFUL and I am curious if they've interacted since)

Rose's valid and actually nuanced debate with Cassie about morality, the nature of redemption, etc, is portrayed as a catfight. It devalues both characters' arguments, but the racism of making Rose an oversexed Asian girl who says sexist things is much more egregious.

I also hate any Rose line along the lines of "I was raised in a brothel" because it never leads to a nuanced discussion of sex work but always means "sex isn't a big deal", which (a) I don't think anyone on any side of arguments about sex work thinks and (b) frankly would not be said if her mother and her were white. And of course, I don't even need to mention how horrible the Tim scene was for her character and background.

Similarly, you're so right that Rose's problems with authority are often seen as "daddy issues" which is so offensive because firstly, responding to abuse by a parent by struggling with authority is a genuine trauma response many people have. Secondly, she grew up for five years in an environment where soldiers abused refugees, and then she spent the next nine at risk of police abusing her mother and the other women because they were sex workers, and majority women of colour. She has really valid reasons not to trust people in authority, and when Eddie's being manipulated by the Doom Patrol, she's the first member of the Teen Titans to call bullshit and protect him. It's especially interesting because the manipulated members of the Doom Patrol are strongly disability coded and Caulder mimics ableist rhetoric to control them. Eddie, coded as newly disabled and white, is not used to having someone use bigotry to manipulate and control him, and I find it so interesting that Rose as a woman of colour is the first to worry about him. In the right balance, her distrust of authority is useful and insightful.

I honestly don't know enough Jade yet to have similar insight into her but I want to read more!

Overall, the Asian women in DC are so frequently screwed over, and I really think, being white myself, that white people need to stop discussing treatment of women in comics as shorthand for treatment of white women. For example, it might be overdone to focus on a white woman being a mother, but Asian women like Lili, Jade, Talia and more have their motherhood devalued and relationship to their children discounted. There's way too much reading material out there about treatment of Asian women in media to not work towards intersectional discussions of characters like Rose and Jade. Trying to untangle these characters from DC's racism/sexism and discussing them in their historical and cultural contexts is really rewarding and interesting.

[realmadridfamily]

Your conclusions after El Clasico? How would you describe Vini's behavior? He was very frustrating today 👿

Our mentality, experience and playing until the very end ... that was the key to victory. These are very important points, but this match shows how much we still need to build a team. We don't have a top striker, and without it Vini and Rodrygo are children in the dark, especially the second one. That's why Vini wants Mbappe to come so badly. He is not obsessed with being the best, winning the Ballon d'Or etc. He wants to be like Karim for Cristiano because then he feels less pressure and can dance with the ball. People forget that we also have an injured list. We feel the absence of Militao, the left defense is what it is... we don't feel as confident as we did with Tibo, although I don't think Kepa won't cope either. But Tibo is Tibo. Of course, we have Jude, who understood what Real Madrid and Madridismo are. It's enough for now, but will it last for long? Every win in El Clasico is important and satisfying, but it's still October and most of the season lies ahead of us.

I also don't like Vini's match, which again focuses on the wrong thing. I won't even defend it because it makes no sense. He didn't help his friends today with his behavior and Carlo needs to have a serious talk with him. Because he changed at the beginning of the season. It was visible, but nightmares from the past appear again. I don't know what exactly is causing it, whether he hears something from the stands that irritates him, I don't know. There is no such problem in the Champions League.

I will add something from myself about racism, which people downplay because "Vini provokes it." Excuse me? I mean, why doesn't anyone call him something like "hijo de puta"? Or dick? Or something similar? Why is it always a "monkey" that people know full well is racist? Why does someone imitate the behavior of a monkey? Vinicius is right to fight racism in Spain because everything we see is racism. No one would notice if someone called him an asshole because it's normal during a match, it's emotions and so on, but he is deliberately called a monkey! These people know what they are doing because these people are racists and should disappear from the stadiums. If he acts like an idiot, let them call him that - idiot! Let him be booed, I don't mind if he deserves it. But to go so far as to be racist? NEVER.

[ask-butterscotch-and-friends]

The Rest of Our Lives, Part 9

TW: Verbal Abuse, TW: Child Abuse, TW: Racism

Butterscotch and Finn sat next to each other at the dining table quietly. Finn’s back was straightened as he placed a napkin on his lap politely, making sure to keep his elbows off the table, and keeping his utensils in the right place. Meanwhile, Butterscotch was slumped over in his chair, legs comfortably spread, with his elbows rested on the table and utensils not organized.

“Your table manners and posture are absolutely atrocious.” Margaret sneers at Butterscotch in disgust.

“Y’know? Finn said the same thing to me when I had dinner at his house for the first time! Isn’t that right, honey?” Butterscotch chuckles, trying to keep the mood light.

“I don’t think I said “atrocious” though…” Finn giggles softly.

“Same general idea.” Butterscotch shrugged with a smile.

As the couple giggled sweetly, Margaret wasn’t laughing at all. The disgusted scowl never left her face, and her eyes were locked on Butterscotch like he was public enemy number one. Once Butterscotch finally noticed, he stopped laughing and cleared his throat.

The butler gives everyone a plate of spaghetti. It is around then that Margaret’s husband, William, finally comes downstairs and joins everyone at the table. Upon seeing Finn, he glares.

“Ugh. What is he doing here?” William asks rudely.

“I invited him, darling. He won’t be here long.” Margaret responds in a posh, snooty manner.

“I see…and what is that thing…sitting next to him?” William addresses Butterscotch in disgust.

“It’s his…fiance…darling.” Margaret clears her throat. “It won’t be here long either.”

Butterscotch is tense hearing these people refer to him like he’s not a person, but he just takes Finn’s hand. He gives Finn a reassuring look. Finn’s ears are drooped down softly, but he nods at Butterscotch.

“Demon boy. Straighten up. You will not sit at my table with such disgusting posture.” William hisses.

“I’m more comfortable this way.” Butterscotch glares.

“Elliott, sweetie, straighten your back, you’ll hurt yourself.” Finn says softly.

“Oh yes, you’re right. Thank you, Finn.” Butterscotch straightens his back, un-spreads his legs, and puts a napkin in his lap politely.

It is with this one act of disobedience toward Finn’s mother and her husband that he makes it blatantly clear. He does not take orders from them, and the only one he respects here is Finn himself. Finn smirks at his mother proudly. Margaret gives a low growl.

Finn cleans his hands in the little water dish.

“Will my siblings be joining us today, mother?” He asks softly.

“Mary is in Paris, focussing on her acting career, and her family. Helen is probably at her own house right now with her 10th new husband. As for Reginald, he’s at work right now, so he will not be joining us for dinner tonight.” Margaret cleans her hands as well.

“Mary’s an actress, huh? Y’know, Elliott used to be an actor too. Isn’t that right, amour?” Finn smiles at Butterscotch.

“Yeah.” Butterscotch rubs the back of his head in shyness, before cleaning his hands. “It was a long time ago, though.”

“Community theater hardly counts, demon.” Margaret glares.

“Actually, mother! He started in community theater, but he went on to be the main character of one of the most famous cartoon shows of the 30’s! Butterscotch and Friends, it was called. He was one of the biggest Toon Celebrities in Hollywood.” Finn brags, because he knows Butterscotch will be humble.

“Aww, you sound like you want me to be impressed by that! But need I point out the fact that you said ”was”, Phineas? He was…one of the biggest Toon Celebrities. As in not anymore. Besides, I’ve never heard of this “Butterscotch and Friends” you speak of…and if I’ve never heard of it, it must not have been that famous. Also, one TV show? Again…hardly counts. My darling daughter, Mary, has been in dozens of movies, dozens of TV shows, and has won at least 20 awards in the past 5 years. Mary Belmont…you may have heard the name.” Margaret smirks.

“Never heard of her, and if I’ve never heard of her, she must not be that famous.” Butterscotch shrugs, throwing Margaret’s words back at her. Finn tries to hold back his laughter.

Margaret hisses, her pupils turning into slits.

“Probably because you can’t afford cable, or internet! I can tell just by looking at you that you’re poor!” She fires back.

“Margaret, dear. Don’t entertain this ruffian’s weak attempts at insults against our beloved daughter. You’re better than this.” William says to Margaret softly.

“Hmph. You’re right. Well, let’s not sit here and let the food get cold…let us say grace.” Margaret huffs, before putting her hands together in prayer. William follows.

Finn puts his hands together, and looks at Butterscotch with gentle eyes. Butterscotch blinks, then sighs softly before putting his own hands together. Given that he was a demon, he didn’t do these kinds of things typically.

“Dear lord, thank you for this meal we are about to eat. Thank you for my wonderful husband, and my three beautiful children who have grown to live very successful lives. May they keep being successful.” Margaret says grace with her eyes closed, then peeks up at Finn before closing her eyes again. “Also, may you bless my youngest child, Phineas. I understand his birth is the punishment you provided to me for my sins, sins of which I have repented for. However, the boy remains unwell despite my repenting…please show him the light, lest he burn in the fiery pits of hell. Amen.”

“Amen.” William huffs.

Finn’s ears shrink back, but he stays quiet. He separates his hands and quietly eats his spaghetti, neatly twirling the pasta on his fork and taking delicate bites. Butterscotch eats his spaghetti without twirling the noodles at all.

As everyone eats Margaret looks at Butterscotch. “So, Demon Boy-”

“He has a name, mother.” Finn corrects Margaret sternly.

“Oh yes, uh…what was it again? Elliott? What is it you do for a living? Aside from the whole “former actor” thing. All of nothing, I bet…” Margaret asks.

“Oh! Actually, I’m a freelance artist. I’m also an independent musician…” Butterscotch answers honestly.

“Music, huh? Y’know, that’s actually the path I set up for Phineas, here. I mean, I always knew he’d be a failure, but I figured that if he’s going to be around, he might as well make something of himself. So I had him take choir and piano classes…the only good thing I can say about Phineas is that he always was a really good singer and pianist.” Margaret explains. “Too bad that talent has gone to waste…tell me, Phineas. Do you still play piano at all? Or sing?”

“Well…I still know how, but my cottage is a bit too small to have space for a piano, and there’s not exactly any random pianos around anymore. So it’s been a while. As for singing, I actually still sing, quite a lot actually. Elliott and I duet all the time…” Finn explains, rubbing his arm.

“I never knew you played piano…when we move into our new house in Bryson City, we should get one, and you should play for me sometime.” Butterscotch smiles.

“I’d…like that, actually.” Finn smiles gently, taking Butterscotch’s hand.

Margaret glares.

“Your house isn’t even big enough for a piano? What kind of Hobbit Hole are you living in?”

“It’s a cottage, mother…and I love it. When I bought it all those years ago, I did all the renovations myself, and I’ve been happy living there for so long. I’m sad to be leaving it, but if Elliott and I want children, we need a bigger house.”

Once children are mentioned, Margaret’s eyes widen.

“CHILDREN!? You two!?”

“Well, yes. We’ve talked a lot, and we’d really love to have a family of our own.” Finn says softly. “Is there a problem…mother?”

“Ah…no problem at all. Of course I’m to assume that any grandchildren I get from you will be adopted?” Margaret asks confidently. “After all, you are both men…”

“Actually, Elliott here has the ability to change his body as he sees fit. So, if we are able, we will be having children biologically after we are married…” The cat-like toon answers honestly.

“I see.” Margaret doesn’t try to understand these abilities, she does not want to know. “I do think you should consider adoption…you don’t want to contaminate the family bloodline, do you? More than you already have, anyway…”

Butterscotch glares, but before he can say anything, Finn speaks up.

“This is the last time you’re ever seeing me, and it wasn’t even planned. I’ve been perfectly content not seeing or hearing from you for the past 97 years. What makes you think you’re ever going to even set eyes on my children? You have absolutely no say in what we decide to do…”

Margaret growls. “Watch your tongue, Phineas. Don’t forget who you’re talking to.”

Butterscotch looks at Finn in concern. Finn’s ears are folded back, and his pupils are slit-like as he growls at his mother softly. Butterscotch clears his throat.

“This spaghetti is pretty good!” He changes the subject, then starts shoveling spaghetti in his mouth like a starving dog, emptying the plate in seconds. “Would you look at that! I ate it all! And now I need the bathroom! Finn, show me to the bathroom please!”

Finn blinks, but then realizes what Butterscotch is doing. He nods.

“Please excuse us.”

He stands, leading Butterscotch to the bathroom. The demon pulls Finn into the bathroom with him, then closes and locks the door. Finn is panting softly.

“Elliott, I don’t know if I can do this!” Finn pants.

“It can’t be much longer now. Take deep breaths…” Butterscotch says softly. “You’re doing amazing so far…standing your ground, showing her that she doesn’t control you anymore. I’m so proud of you, honey…”

“But I can’t stand hearing her talk about you like you’re not even a person. I know you keep saying it doesn’t bother you, but it really bothers me! You’re the most important person in my life, and you’re being treated horribly just because you’re a different race and species, it’s so unfair!” Finn is almost brought to tears.

Butterscotch hugs Finn gently.

“I know, sweetheart…but just a little longer. Dinner’s almost done. We’ll get the answers we need, and get the hell out of here. You just gotta hold on a little longer.”

The demon helps Finn take deep breaths. Once Finn feels more calm, he looks at Butterscotch.

“Okay…” Finn smiles.

“We’ve got this. You’ve got this.” Butterscotch smiles.

After a little bit of waiting, the couple returns to the dinner table. However, Margaret and William have finished eating.

“Will you be finishing your plate, Phineas?” Margaret asks.

Finn looks at his plate…then shakes his head.

“I’m pretty full…”

“Very well. Come along, then…we’ll talk in my office.” Margaret heads up the stairs.

Butterscotch takes Finn’s hand, and the couple follow behind. It was time to do what they came here to do.

Next Page