#it's obviously full of flaws but i see the difference and that makes me go :3

[beesinspades]

april 2023 vs september 2023 :D

[bigcowboydyke]

about your disability pride month post: is there anything important/significant you think people should take notes on when writing a character with an upper arm prosthetic? (like starting from the elbow if i phrased correctly)?

Yeah! I think the biggest is that you ought to consider first, esp if its an OC, your reasoning for making the character disabled- you wanna make sure you're not fetishizing or exploiting their disability to prop up abled characters. I've got a list of questions for authors to ask themselves along those lines that I can post or dm

Secondly, you have to consider what level of realism you wanna go with. If you have a character where, in universe, the prosthesis functions in exactly the way an arm does, you could just go with that if you want - it's the path of least resistance, right? BUT you ought to consider that most prostheses in media exist in that way AT THE EXPENSE of good representation of disability. Erasing disability or "curing" it with magical prostheses IS a form of ableism that is so pervasive it just goes unnoticed by most. I believe personally that disabled bodies are worth portraying well even when the creators of the source material did not do that. SO if you want to go with real well thought our representation, here are some common things I think authors and artists often miss (specifically as it pertains to upper limb prostheses):

1) I already said this, but seriously, I cannot emphasize enough that upper limb prosthetics ain't cheap and are usually uncomfortable. Your character, if they are poor, or even like middle class, won't have access to multiple high tech popular mechanics cover story type robo arms. Even if they did ...

2) Not all limb different folks use prosthetics! I personally have used multiple and I disliked them. I tried very hard to learn, but there are multiple requirements to be able to use each model and sometimes, a lot of times actually, limb different people - especially people without a hand or an arm function Better without prosthetics. Be aware in your art that limb different people are Whole. How you ask can somebody without an arm, say, do all that stuff?

3) Consider the idea of adaptation in your writing and art instead of relying only on magicking disability away with prosthetics. Disabled People live in a world full of barriers and tend to be Very creative about navigating it, adapting to our environment through just being a little clever about how we do things is the biggest way i see other people with upper limb differences interact with the world. There are three main ways that we go about this without prosthetics: Using adaptive equipment, Finding an alternate method, or as a last resort, asking for help.

Example 1: I have like 1.5 arms ok so obviously only 1 hand, and I need to clip my fingernails every once in a while. The obvious solution to me, while it may seem gross, is just to bite them off. Bad habit, but efficient. I could use those horrible little nail clippers, with my remaining stump and a little finagling but it takes forever. I could also get some adaptive nail clippers - they make great big handled ones for ppl that can't grab the little ones. Or, I could ask my partner to trim them, but I'm usually too proud to do that. Let disabled people have their flaws too lol!

Example 2: I love to rock climb. This is where adaptive equipment comes in. I could slip off a rock climbing wall pretty easily right? So bouldering (rock climbing without harnesses) is totally inaccessible to me. But if I go to a gym that has harnesses, then that's fine - they catch me if I fall and that's adaptive for me.

Adaptive equipment comes in many shapes and sizes and can be regular items repurposed.

3. If after all that you Must create art or write about an OC or preexisting character that uses upper limb prosthetics, consider that in general, limb different people's prosthetics are not equivalent to having two arms. Prosthetics are only practical for limb different people if they enhance your life or are useful in some way, however, getting one high tech enough to do that is unlikely because they are expensive. There are different groups, clinics, and charities that make lower cost options but they tend to be much lower tech than is depicted (and often are clunky). My first prosthetic was a long flat piece of metal, similar to a doctors tongue depressor, attached to a plaster cuff velcroed around my stump. The idea was that since I had a little bit of stump poking out, I could pin objects against the metal and it would work like a crab's pincers. It was okay, but I did accidentally smack many. Many. Things with it, including my own face and since it was metal, that was unpleasant. Obviously hindered more than helped. Also it did not look even remotely like a hand.

4. Which prosthetics you can get generally depend on what you got on you. Literally. Bodily. With upper limb prostheses, If you don't have an elbow or wrist, your options are almost exclusively limited to the pricier electric options that are both super futuristic, unavailable to many, and also like new car priced. Many of the manual, non-electric models depend on the ability to flex a wrist or elbow, so if you have those things are a little more accessible overall. It also matters whether you are born limb different like me, or if you are an amputee. Amputees are more likely to be candidates for prostheses than people like me because they have all those preexisting muscles and nerves for prosthetics that are higher tech and require surgical attachment Also prosthetics might be an easier learning curve, and more useful for somebody who has been abled bodied than it would be for somebody who never had that limb in the first place.

5. This is a little thing and ... Not to get too medical with it ( and neither should yall) but limb different people often have physical changes associated with lack of or loss of limb. If you do not have a limb, you are not going to be developing the muscles that are surrounding it in the way an a nondisabled person would. Again for example I have 1.5ish arms which means I've got plenty of stump on my "affected" limb. Even when I did Varsity sports and everything, I was never able to get beefy on that side. It is a pet peeve of mine that many people do not seem to get this - Most art I see of vash the stampede has him with two super beefy shoulders and like yeah i get it that's hot, but if hes got roughly the same amount of stump as me, he probably shouldn'tlook like that. Another thing in this vein is chronic pain is associated with limb loss and limb difference- I have it and its reasonable that any prosthetic user or nonprosthetic using limb different person is more likely to have it. Again these are little things but if you're looking to do good representation you need to consider that limb difference is not just a cool little stylistic choice to make a character look tough or what have you - limb loss and limb difference mean that that character will not only think differently than abled bodied people, but move differently, pose differently, have different routines and preferences than are ever represented in most media. Disability is not a style, and it's not a diagnosis, it's an identity. It's important above all to be respectful of that by letting go of centering able-bodied expectations and aesthetic in your art and writing. Hard to do but i believe in y'all!

Hope that helps! I've also got a bunch of links to go along with these points, if you want them lmk! I'm always happy to take asks about this stuff!

Tl;dr please consider making characters that don't use prosthetics, or don't use them excessively because it's more realistic, better representation, and makes me, a disabled dyke on the internet, really happy.

Lastly if y'all liked my advice and appreciate my time you are always welcome to tip me for it - my c*sh*pp is $neptunedrive

[kzele]

Unpopular TSSM Opinion

Sha-Shan was a better example of a serious moral compass love interest to Flash than Gwen was to, well, anybody.

The gal clearly has no problem turning a guy down until they've proven he isn't a too much of a douche. And she doesn't care how popular they are. If they make make the right, but hard choices, then they've got her interest.

Gwen, on the other hand, can’t seem to judge any of her friend’s moods or situations correctly and make an appropriate decision. For instance, whether as friends or love interests she and Harry are a dumpster fire. When the guy passes out in the courtyard and then avoids her, what does she do? Does she (a) tell her COP dad about it at home, (b) tell Harry’s father, (c) tell a teacher/coach/school counselor AKA any other figure in a position of actual authority? Nope. She tells Peter that something’s wrong with Harry, but doesn’t elaborate enough for him to take her concerns seriously, so he puts it among the lesser problems he has to deal with. Because if Peter was actually told the specifics, this would be MUCH higher on his problems list. There’s no way he’d have to be bullied into talking with Harry, otherwise. (Also, how is it possible that she couldn’t sense anything off about Eddie after he returned to the lab? He’s obviously creepy and fake and you’ve known him since you were both in single digits. If it was just Eddie this happened with, I wouldn’t be having my doubts about her judgement.)

This brings me to my next point about boundaries. Peter respects hers more than she respects his. Thus, she can only enforce her boundaries and/or will if someone already respects her. Harry and Gwen’s full-on couple status is proof. Harry’s shoved her against a locker, jumped over her during a villain attack (did he ever apologize for that?), and the first thing he does is ignore his new girlfriend in favor of calling his dad about having a girlfriend. Oh, and she’s ignoring all these red flags in an implied attempt to make Peter jealous. Nuff said about that ball of toxicity they got going on.

Flash saw Sha-Shan as a hot nerd/rebound, then as a challenge, and finally as someone whom he wants to be respected by. She didn’t let him get anywhere by being a jerk or overstepping. Granted, she had the benefit of not caring about Flash’s opinion of her, like Gwen would with long-time friends. And yet, despite being very judgy about him at the start, once they’re together she understands that Flash will say/do dumb things but it doesn’t take away from his good heart. Sha-Shan accepts him and his flaws. Ironically, despite Gwen being in love with Peter over Harry, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a time where she cuts Peter any slack for anything even when it’s not his fault. Including and up to not dying.(Not actually joking about that. See Christmas Tree aftermath s2ep3.) Maybe it’s just me, but I swear Harry and Eddie could be be kicking puppies off the Brooklynn Bridge in front of her and she’d be giving Peter the silent treatment for missing her calls trying to stop it.

I'm aware that Gwen isn't evil whatsoever but I find her immensely frustrating when TSSM has better female characters to choose from. And this post is for other people who agree with me. I'm not denying the flaws of anyone else here, be it Peter or Harry or whoever else, but I can't cover my thoughts on all the dynamics at play here without overloading my laptop and this site. I feel like Gwen's actions in the show get glossed over a lot. I've seen Peter and Harry get criticized for their actions and sympathy for their differently bad lives within the show, but Gwen. . .doesn't get that same scrutiny. She makes objectively horrible/stupid choices about how to go about things in her relationships but somehow she seems to get less spotlight shed on those things. Instead, the responsibility is often shoved the two guys for screwing up, despite either having far more on their plate or a bad home life. Anyways, I've rambled incoherently enough. Hope it brought you some food for thought even if you don't agree with everything.

[thisliminalspacedaydreams]

hi mar! i hope it's okay to send an ask your way. i have two questions for you as a human person in the hp fanfic/fandom arena if you want to answer. you do not have to and i apologize now if i'm being annoying or bothering you!

(1) what drew you to the jegulus pairing? what is appealing about it to you that makes you want to write it? (this is a genuine question with zero judgement or snark. i am new-ish to fanfic writing and i am genuinely curious as i'm not too familiar with this pairing!)

(2) can you recommend a good started mauraders fic that is not all the young dudes cause that is so many words i don't feel ready for lol

thank you for taking the time to read this and i hope again i have not been a bother!

Hellooo bonjour of course, I love a good ask, and your questions are so cool and I really want to answer them <3, so you're absolutely welcome!

(1) what drew me to the jegulus pairing? what is appealing about it to me that makes me want to write it?

I really connected with Regulus, because how can a character with such good intentions fuck up so bad? He's a really interesting character with a lot of flaws, yet you can't help but feel kind of sorry for him? I think it's interesting that we know so little, but what we know is full of contradictions? Homeboy supposedly proudly took the Mark but then tried to destroy the horcruxes? What makes a person do such a 180? It kind of forces us to think about what makes a person turn to evil, and what are the levers of evil (family pressure, depression, not feeling like a worthy cause, etc...). And James spoke to me because he's kind of sensible and easily hurt and I visualize him as having a very deep and rich inner life, kind of like Regulus. When he gets hurt, he'll try to get over it, he'll be confrontational, he'll forgive... but he won't really forget? I don't really write James as a happy-go-lucky guy, I tend to give him a more serious vibe, but I like how many characterizations you can find of him!

The both of them are really similar, they just externalize it differently. They both want to be loved for who they are, both are misunderstood as being either always mean or always happy, and both are tired of being put into boxes. They can be themselves with each other, put all the ugly and unlovable parts on display...and still find ways to be loved by each other.

Obviously they're fake characters that don't exist, this is just my interpretation of them and why I like writing/reading them.

I like the idea that someone unlovable can be loved, despite. Maybe it gives me hope.

(2) can I recommend a good starter marauders fic?

I have never read all the young dudes, so you're not alone.

I think my first advice is, you don't have to read the popular fics. There are a few I have read, a few I haven't, but just because everyone raves about it doesn't mean it'll hit for you, so give yourself the freedom to pick and choose your own adventures.

I'm going to go on a little tangent here, but ao3 really is an archive, and every damn day I find gems that have less than 10K hits, sometimes less than 10 comments, that are the bees' knees.

I urge you to just go in ao3 and dig, my friend. Pull your ao3 tags and go on a rampage. Try all the tags you think would interest you.

Don't only trust the comments or the hits. Low or high hit/low comment means nothing. One of my fav fanfic ever sits at a cool 40K hits from 2017 and I believe God wrote it, I can't imagine a human out there in the world wrote this stuff.

My point is every single comment/hit is deserved, and you have "popular fics" that are fantastic and got a lot of love (and deserve them), and unknown fics that are fantastic and deserve a lot of love (and you're gonna need to dig to find them).

My advice is: search tags, start reading chapter 1, see if you feel it. Either click out, or enjoy your meal. Take chances. My god, the things you'll find.

That being said, here are a few recommendations that I really enjoyed, from different registers, so you can have a little pick and see if anything tickles your fancy:

ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking by inthesquare  and really any fics by @aboutnavi. The way she writes tickles a part of my brain that I really just--*sighs in love*. Ladies and Gentlemen is a fic she wrote for me, but I got to know her through : living in border lines (one of my absolutely favorite fics for no reason that I can pinpoint, just that it hits and I cried a lot). I recommend living in border lines to anyone with a pulse. It's sad and depressing, and it just takes 4k to get you there. But it's like, beautiful? ALSO in the ether, there is a website by her made me sob but in a positive, lovely way. She really said, I'm going to write something the way no one has ever written anything before, and did that.

Cat and Mouse by MissAmericanBi. I'm friends with @hihimissamericanbi but I can say without bias that this fic rewired my brain chemistry. I was blushing and I think Celine has 36 pics of me in shock as I read it. O.O. It's smut. There's a cat. Her Regulus won my heart. 10/10 reading experience.

It's a question of where, not when by Idontthinkthats_pumpkinjuice realllllyyyy took me there. I don't know there's something about the CONCEPT that I just thought was really cool and fun and original. It has become a sort of comfort fic for me. It's so weird, I love it.

Tarte Tatin by veryinnovative (@veryinnovative) I started reading this when I was in Japan and I was experimenting with strange and wonderful food, and the story sucked me in. I've never watched the media it was inspired by, but the fic is chef's kiss.

Choices by MesserMoon (@sophsicle) was the fic that dragged me kicking and screaming into the fandom. It's not really fun, nor happy (but it has light-hearted moment. Like, they really try to be happy you know?). I loved everything about it. All their fics are great--just know you'll suffer reading most, but you'll be happy about it.

quite like us by alarainai was the fic that dragged me out of the deep dark hole Choices put me in. It's fun, it's fluffy, it's cute, it healed me. All their fics are great if you want to be happy and have a good time and look at life and think "Thank god I'm alive".

The Mystery of the Pears by sonwar. I'm currently reading this one, and I've been having a lovely time.

If I had to recommend one fic to read from my collection, it would be Le Mange Dieu et le Dévoreur de Mondes. I think you can really tell from the writing how much fun green and I had writing this. I'm extremely proud of what we did there, enough that we both got the name tattooed on our bodies last summer (don't do that. We both have lots of tattoos so we weren't bothered, but don't do that. don't tattoo fic names on your body. It's madness)

Anyway, I urge you not to take these as the gospel truth. It can be a starting point, but there are thousands of amazing writers out there with fics updating, or completed, just waiting for you to find them. I'm mostly writing, so I haven't read any fics from the Marauders fandom in a while. I don't know what's been thrown out there in the past few months, I'm sure there are so many gems!

Enjoy your adventure!

[jacarandaaaas]

opening random encanto yt videos’ comments section is like staring at the waking storm you’re about to plunge into and knowing it’s not gonna be pretty and you’re probably not getting out of it unscathed (aka calm/happy fine—also sorry pepa oof—)

god the amount of misinterpretations people have with the movie, with so many scenes is insane, i’m about to go even more insane myself than usual

it’s so frustrating and i want to throw my phone every time AAAAAAA

but anyway yes, i wrote this ask in the first place to ask about your thoughts on different details and plot points and just general stuff of the movie that you noticed and really love, with any/all of this helping you appreciate the movie more? just anything, really, your choice on whatever you wanna ramble :3 (also to make up for how my last question had stopped you from rambling AHAHAH)

because i know you have so many good ideas and thoughts, so i’d love to hear it hehe :>

hope i made sense with the question, just a bit sleep deprived rn haha, but yes, ty!! <33

I totally relate to this feeling😭 except instead of YouTube comments it’s like almost every platform💀 and thank you for the ask!!

I could rant forever about all the details in this movie honestly!!!

The foreshadowing is SO good in this movie!! waiting on a miracle and the family madrigal being obvious ones but did you guys know the order mirabel sees the doors flicker when she sees the cracks is the order they lose their powers in? Isa + Luisa first because that’s who’s powers act up first dolores + camilo + antonio at the dinner scene and alma last because she was the last one willing to admit the problems!!

I love the character design!! I’ve rambled about it many times but it’s just !!!

I love how despite mirabel being our protagonist they show when she���s wrong and other characters call her out! She’s not a perfect protagonist she’s a flawed teenage girl and that just makes her more endearing

I love that they didn’t make Mariano a mean character just because isabela didn’t want to marry him. The problem isn’t Mariano it’s isabela feeling trapped!! Mariano is also shown to be considerate!

I love that most of the focus is on the female characters (if only the fandom would do that) I love seeing a multigenerational cast of women all flashed out with their own unique traits

about the misinterpretations i completely agree. I feel like this fandom has a “fanon” problem. especially with the most developed characters! surprisingly the ones with the most screen are the most common mischaracterised. I really dislike how encanto as a movie went to such an effort to give every character such a variety of traits and nuance only for the fandom to continuously reduce them down to one singular trait. It almost feels like reinforcing those stereotypes the movie was so set on breaking. As well as this continuously ignoring some of the best canon traits each character has. They feel so far from the original you might as well consider them ocs at that point.

I love the animation on Bruno’s vision shards (they look edible), I love the little details in mirabels room like her outfit sketches being hung up on the walls! THE BUTTERFLIES!! this movie has so many hidden butterflies it’s so fun to spot them!!

the soundtrack obviously but also the score!! only recently discovered that “the house knows” is a reprise of “the cracks emerge” it blew my mind!!!

One thing I really love about encanto is the expressions! they can convey so much with so little and the little subtleties it adds to each character is just incredible to me!!

SKIRT ANIMATION. it’s like hypnotizing to see how the skirts flow in this movie I am glued to the screen every time.

the dos oruguitas scene is gorgeous and so incredibly important to the core message of this story! As well as this scene the fall of casita is another incredible one!!

the songs feel like full blown fantasy musical numbers and I don’t know why people consider that a criticism of the movie is about MAGIC I want to feel that magic in the visuals of the song. So each musical number was like the most incredible experience!!

I love how waiting on a miracle starts off as a reprise of the family madrigal before changing to 3/4 time to show how mirabels out of place

the line “how far do these roots go down” hits so hard and I cant explain why

Felix and pepas love is so real and pure

julieta and agustín are incredible parents

dolores entire design

the fact luisa wasn’t reduced to a stereotype and was allowed to be flawed

mirabels voice!! it’s so unique and recognizable like I love it sm

the way felix sings “no clouds allowed in the skyyy”

I love that the characters actually look their age!

almas room being a replica of her old home showing how metaphorically and physically she’s stuck in the past

“I was thinking of my daughter!!”

I love that with isas transformation it’s not her hating femininity but changing what her femininity means to her

I love how mirabels worst enemy is her own mind. the madrigals aren’t aware of how she feels because she never opens up and it’s just slowly eating her up inside. in the end mirabel needed to acknowledge herself in order to grow (I say acknowledge because I refuse to believe it’s acceptance and I think she would still struggle with her self perception post movie)

I love how the Madrigals use their gifts to help their community and not for self gain. It’s such an interesting twist on the classic superpowers story

I love that the Madrigals are just normal people who randomly got a miracle, nothing of status just normal people in a normal town who got gifted.

the way pepa kisses antonio and hugs him after he gets his gift !!!

the way isabela is the one to initiate the hug but mirabel is the one who snuggles into it

julietas smile

the entire animation is so gorgeous!!

antonio. just antonio if u hate antonio I hate u

I love how realistically written alma is and how her story is treated with respect and nuance.

how all the madrigals problems aren’t solved instantly but it’s shown in a montage that happens over large period of time

[macbethsymphony]

My lovely, please please share?!

Fic authors self rec! When you receive this, reply with favorite five fics you've written (include links, and if you want- a few thoughts about each one), then pass on to at least five other writers if you're up for it. Spread the self-love ✨

Ohhhh was so much harder than I thought it would be!

#1 is obviously The Swordsman and the Blacksmith!

I have so many reasons as to why I should be proud of this one. It’s the first longfic I ever completed, my writing really improved over the span of writing it, it helped me find my writing style and overall I just really really love this story. It’s also what made me fall in love with Zoro and the nuances of his character, plus I really enjoyed writing a flawed main character.

Fun little fact, the whole fic came from this one scene I had in my head of Zoro fucking the main character and asking "Make me a sword"... I just had to uhhh write around 80k words to get there (it was originally planned to be around 30k but I'm really glad I pushed it to where it is now)

(Am I allowed to go into specific favorite chapters? Top 5? It’s my post I guess I can, I’ll yap about my fav chapters below the cut!!!!)

#2 has to be Cherry Girl

It’s the fic that brought me back to writing after almost a decade of nothing. I also find the story kind of sweet and fun and a different take on the Kid pirates. Also it was a really fun reader insert to write, such a breath of fresh air kind of character. It's a really different tone from my other fics but it's also why I love it so much.

#3 Negotiations

Maybe it's recency bias maybe not but I had so much fun with the dialogues at the beginning of this fic. It was a challenge and I am actually kind of proud of what I managed to achieve with it. (the smut's also pretty good imo)

#4 This Shanks ask I answered that plagues my mind and which I desperately need to make into a full fic >.>

#5 Port Wine & Sake

It's still in progress but it's my challenge fic and I love it for what it is! It's me trying to up my game with dialogues, me trying to improve my vocabulary, me trying to write characters I don't know much about, exploring trauma and writing a main character that is absolutely nothing like me. It is a challenge and it often leaves me stuck but I am also so proud of it.

OK SO NOW I YAP ABOUT MY FAVORITE CHAPTERS OF THE SWORDSMAN AND THE BLACKSMITH!!!!!!!! I'll go chronologically!!

Chapter 10: Chasing Distractions

When the reader gets hammered omg! Let me tell you, the way I was kicking my feet and giggling as I was writing, it was so much fun! But what I love most about this moment is that they’ve both only just started seeing each other past the 'he’s a skilled swordsman' and 'she’s a skilled blacksmith' and they can both respect that. It’s basically the start of their friendship and it’s very cute. (Also I believe that if she hadn’t been drunk, they might have fucked. There’s definitely already some sort of attraction budding between the two)

Chapter 18: You're Drunk

Look I had so much fun writing drunk reader that I had to write it again >.> but also it's deeper than that and I love how different it is because their relationship has evolved. What I love most about that chapter is the confirmation that the reader character made the right choice by choosing to leave with the straw hats. As in, until that point there was always some sort of ambiguity but now we’re really aware that they’re with the right people and that they’ve found a new family! There's that softness and kind of quiet understanding that I love. BUT ALSO THE AMOUNT OF SELF RESTRAINT I HAD TO EXERT NOT TO MAKE THEM FUCK RIGHT THERE!!!!!! You have no idea hahaha

Chapter 20: Scars

The bath scene!!!! I can never shut up about the bath scene!!!!! The intimacy in this one just makes me melt. They finally really really get to know one another. It’s an acknowledgment of their respective skills, they’re sharing stories and vulnerable moments. THE MAKING OUT!!!! Zoro’s intents become really really clear, it’s definitely a shift in their relationship. And Nami ratting out Zoro the next day just feels so accurate

Chapter 21: Shusui

I had to research so much for this chapter. Katanas are really complex!!!! But there's this soft rhythm to this chapter that I adore and am so proud of. The intimacy of the moment that is also translated into the technical details of swords is just incredible, at least I think so.

Chapter 24: I'm Still Angry & Chapter 25: Harmony (I think they're one just in two parts honestly)

I don't think I need to explain this one... It's hot, it's beautiful, they're in love but they're still the stubborn idiots they've always been. It makes me giggly like a teenage school girl and I think it wraps up the whole thing perfectly.

Honorable mention to the moment in Chapter 8: The Burden of a Creator where Franky talks about creating things and the impact it has on the world. I think it's one of the character moments outside of Zoro x Reader that I loved most in this fic. (I also really adore Franky and can relate to the whole creating thing a lot)

annnnnd I ended up yapping pehaps a little too much....my bad haha

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

HIIII!!!!!!!!

I LOVE your human au and would be delighted If you could expound on Wally's relationship with the cast and how he views/ is viewed by others <3

I hope you have a good day/ night whenever you are and I wish your pillow always be cold 🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️

ofc! i've been thinking about it a lot!

i would like to begin by saying that, as with canon, everyone likes Wally. as they should! i think that's an Important tidbit that should always carry across, at least in some way

Wally is... i think it's also important that he's a kind person. he loves deeply, is very forgiving and accepting, and he's just. he's a bizarre little man, and he's wonderful! there is not a malicious bone in his body! he finds delight & beauty in everything he can. he looks at his friends and is filled with deep contentment and joy and love. he's not blind to their flaws (and certainly not his own), but he never minds. those flaws are part of his friends, and he loves every bit of them!

and ok. Wally is not nearly as naive in this au as he is in canon. bc he's had a different life! he's had a rough go of it! unfortunately there's next to no way for normal people to grow up completely innocent & naive & pure, yk? life is harsh. Wally is not spared. he's incredibly kind despite it all. he's still in love with life and humanity. he smiles at strangers in the street & stops to watch bees pollinate flowers & sees parts of his friends in everything. he has many intense feelings even if he doesn't really show it or know how to convey them! he believes in the inherent goodness of people & beauty of being human!

there is a... very wide range of how people (outside of the Neighbors) view Wally. a lot of people find him slightly unsettling and really fucking weird, and well. he is! he's strange, and it's a wonderful part of him! but many don't see it that way. so he was ostracized by his peers in school (all the way through college), his coworkers (the few times he held a job before becoming a full-time artist), and most people in his local community. they just don't get him. they don't See him. Wally doesn't mind all that much! all of the important people in his life accept and love him for who he is, and he wouldn't even think of changing to fit the mold others want to shove him into.

then of course there are the people who treat him like a child, bc ableism is a thing and Wally's very noticeably autistic (even if people only notice subconsciously). this i think would be one of the very few things that outright annoys Wally, even if he doesn't really show it. but then there's the people who, while they might not get him (especially not to the extent his friends do), they accept him. like much of the art community he's involved in - even if a lot of them completely misinterpret his personality / mannerisms. they're all like "ohhhh he's so mysterious and ruminant" that's the 'tism, babes

BUT! YOU ASKED ABOUT SPECIFICALLY HIM AND THE NEIGHBORS! we'll save Barnaby for last since that's. uh. i have a lot to say about it. it's Very Complex in my mind

collectively, all of them love Wally a lot. which i've said! We Know! they also (mostly subconsciously) look for his approval - he's got a certain level of charisma that makes them all want him to like them. which, he does. obviously. unconditionally. and they're all protective of him & very patient with him. i think that's both a result of his natural rizz, how kind & patient he is with them, how well they understand him, and how he's a pacifist. he's their guy and woe befall anyone who dares cross him. (essentially, all of them collectively: the only constant is suffering - omg Wally!!! 💖💖💖)

we'll start with Frank! before he got to know Wally, he thought that Wally was an aloof asshole who thought he was better than everyone. then they started to directly interact and Frank realized "oh you're literally the nicest person i've ever met & also surprisingly relatable. you're just like me fr'. did he have a lil crush on Wally? yes. im saying it now literally everyone in the friend group (except local lesbians poppy & sally) has had at least a teensy crush on Wally at some point. but Frank deeply appreciates Wally's company & his complete lack of judgement. and how he gladly will let Frank talk for hours on end, chiming in with questions to prompt him to talk more! he also appreciates Wally's calm demeanor and vibes. he's one of those people that even when overwhelmed, Frank can handle having Wally around. he's like a human capybara! if Frank needs/wants a buddy with him for Situations, his go-to (after Julie ofc, though depending on the situation he'd pick Wally first) is Wally, since Wally Gets It. also Wally is unafraid to be like "wow, this kinda sucks! we're leaving", thus giving Frank an easy out. they just get along very well! ofc Frank can get frustrated with Wally, but then again he gets frustrated w/ everyone. but since Wally is patient with him, Frank tries to return the favor. also he's gotten into several fistfights over Wally's honor

Julie! she loves Wally so fucking much! he's her lil guy! even if he's kinda boring in a way! he's not very good at games or sports & would rather go on a relaxing walk than play Just Dance, but hey! he always makes Attempts, and she appreciates that! when they were younger and Julie & Sally & Poppy had girls nights (they continue to have girls' nights but everyone is involved. they still call it that tho), they'd often include Wally bc, yk! he's chill like that! Julie also massively respects his ability to say "no thank you" to anything without compromise. if he ever says it to her, she knows that he doesn't mean Any ill will by it! there's a sort of comfort in that! she knows she can be herself around him! also he's just... very good company. he's a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, a willing victim & confidante for elaborate schemes! he visits her at work Purely because he knows it delights her to see a friendly face in the middle of a grueling shift! he's always been a bit of a lighthouse to her!

and while Sally can be a little exasperated with how literal Wally is, she finds no small amount of solidarity with him As A Fellow Artist. when they first became friends, they caught on like a house on fire! she mentioned the artistic side of theater, and Wally was immediately on board. then and going forward Wally is always willing and more than happy to assist with painting sets, art advertisements for her performances, etc! they have little brainstorming sessions where she rambles about what she wants sets / costumes to look like, and Wally sketches them out! since Sally was a theater kid and goes on to work in that department (locally, usually), Wally often gets first read of her scripts. Sally highly values Wally's opinion and input. if he's free, sometimes he helps teach the actors' the show choreography. Sally runs through it with him, Wally soaks up the moves like a sponge & memorizes them, and hey! he loves to teach! Sally just. she loves him a lot. they're both artists of a sophisticated nature <3

Howdy thinks Wally is real neat! Wally is good company and is (often unintentionally) hilarious! he's also like... the one person Howdy refuses to scam in any way shape or form. tricking grandmas into buying more than they need? no sweat. tricking Wally into spending slightly more money than intended? Howdy feels like a fucking monster. but yeah, Howdy's just always delighted to see Wally! he likes Wally's unique view of the world and often takes it into consideration when making decisions. when he's stuck on something, he thinks WWWD (what would Wally do!). Howdy also is the one who most often accompanies Wally to his art shows & the like, bc he knows that Wally will accept the first price offer he hears - and Howdy is determined that his incredible works of art are paid for their worth! nobody is gotta cheat his pal outta a single cent! he just likes having Wally around, you know?

Wally & Poppy have an interesting relationship, i think! he tells the cashier "she asked for no pickles" for her! she makes sure he always has a soft place to land! he kinda confuses her, but she finds it endearing in a way? he displays a personality/behavioral quirk and she's like "oh. well alright!" and rolls with it very gracefully. they appreciate each other's mellow demeanor and proclivity for peace. Poppy knows she can always have a nice, quiet conversation with him over tea (even if he doesn't drink it!). and he's always willing to help with anything and everything she needs, no question. i think i've made this joke on this blog before but! in way! he's her emotional support animal lmao. a hand to squeeze to death on an airplane! also it's funny for me to picture a 6'8 woman hunched behind this 5'2 shrimp of a man as if he can hide her

it takes a little bit for Eddie to adjust to Wally's bizarre nature! like i've said, Eddie connects with the group when they're all in their late 20s. he hasn't had over a decade of being friends with Wally like the rest of them. he likes Wally plenty! definitely grows to love him! but it's an adjustment. Wally consistently startles him very easily (Wally is naturally quiet and has a habit of appearing out of nowhere), and Eddie has a hard time getting a read on him. most people do! and also Wally is very handsome/pretty, and that throws Eddie off a bit (it's hard to think when someone so attractive is staring directly into your eyes without blinking) but once he gets somewhat used to Wally & understands as much as he can, he very much appreciates Wally's company & friendship! they find (somewhat subconscious) solidarity in being the kindest and most helpful people in the clique! and Wally is a wonderful island of peace in a turbulent world. Eddie never minds sitting with him for a cup of coffee in the early morning during his route, even if it means his workday ends a few minutes later than usual.

other supporting cast like Wally as well. Ms. Beagle kinda views him as a second son! the Joyful siblings will always find him a little weird and unsettling, but they're nice enough to him. Howdy's family thinks he's neat. etc! but lets talk about Barnaby!

Wally is literally everything to Barnaby. that's his person. there is literally no one that comes before Wally in his eyes and heart. their relationship is and always has been very nontraditional To Me (in this au and somewhat how i view them overall! its complicated!). Wally never subscribed to or understood societal norms, and as a result, Barnaby wound up pretty much shunning them as well when it comes to his lil buddy. their relationship isn't romantic - Wally is very aro and Barnaby just does not feel that way about him, not really. but at the same time it's certainly not entirely platonic!

neither of them can imagine being separated. they met in 7th grade and have been glued together ever since. they've been through some tough shit together! they know each other better than anyone! you cannot have one without the other! they're more than a package deal - they're Inseparable! Barnaby has had many a nightmare of Wally leaving in one way or another, and it scares him more than anything. to him, he can weather any storm as long as Wally is by his side. they obviously don't spend every moment together, but at the end of the day they always come home to each other.

Barnaby just... he loves and respects and values Wally so much. he wants his approval, his attention, his company. sometimes he scares himself by considering the lengths he'd go to for Wally. there is no one he's more comfortable with or feels he understands / is understood by. if somebody has a problem with Wally, they have a problem with Barnaby. if Wally jumped off a cliff, Barnaby would not hesitate to leap after him! Wally says jump, Barnaby asks how high! he's not a violent person at all, but teen Barnaby once broke a bully's jaw for goin' a little too far w/ Wally

is their relationship a smidge unhealthy? a lil codependent? yes <3 yes it is <3 but we all know that Wally would never use this against Barnaby. on his side of the coin, Barnaby is his person as well! Wally has never imagined his life without Barnaby because it just does not occur to him that that's a possibility. there are many things that only Barnaby knows about Wally, sides only he's seen. there's complete & unconditional trust/love between them. they hotbox Home together <3

[inf1nyxw0rlds]

reposting my infinite is not weak essay because i got anxious and deleted the last one <3 i've been meaning to do this for months, but i'm not exactly the most functional person and i don't often put myself out there. in the process of rewriting it, i also altered the wording and added a few things, as you might notice if you've seen it before; and if you haven't, then welcome to whatever it is i'm doing here!

this is written with all my love, all my frustration, fueled by years worth of listening to a cycle of minsinformation that left permanent damage in the form of skewed perceptions – based in a false claim and the jokes that came with it – and a hesistance on sega's part to even address him save for a few tossed crumbs over the span of the last half a decade. originally i had an elaborate metaphor here, but there was no need for it and i'll cut right to the chase; there has always been good in infinite's character – but not everyone cares to look for it.

it's been six years since the release of sonic forces. which is insane! it's wild to me! as somebody who's been here since before the game even released, i've seen it all. to commemorate the occassion, when i wrote this originally, i thought that i would talk further about infinite's reception; in particular, the Weak thing. i've discussed it before in brief, and you can read that one here; this time though, i'm going to get more into dissecting the actual problem, and debunking arguments that supposedly prove infinite to be objectively weak and pathetic... when canonically, that isn't the case. i'd actually argue the opposite, but at the very least he isn't lacking strength – his skills are average at worst.

the first reason that i see, the one we're all plenty familiar with and the one i brought up previously, is that infinite is weak because he lost to shadow. once. that's it. do i really have to explain why this is stupid? yeah, he did lose, one time. even against a normal opponent, one defeat in comparison to what we can assume, based on his title, many victories, isn't much of an indicator toward being weak. shadow is also the ultimate lifeform, in case anyone has forgotten that detail, and bear in mind that infinite knows shadow to have just slaughtered his entire team – do you really think he would be at his best in that state?

there's also a fuckton of context clues implying that infinite had issues prior to this encounter, specifically inferiority issues. shadow literally told him, after having wiped his whole team out, to never show his pathetic face again. the face with the, you know. the big scar. the blind eye. (shoutout to the person who pointed this out in the tags in the "first part" of this, by the way! based for that)

this argument is so full of holes that it just drives me kind of bonkers how it can be used to claim infinite is weak and stupid. do i think that the scene is without flaw? of course not. if you want to say that the way they handled his breakdown wasn't the greatest, you can, you have every right to your opinion. but that's just it. we're talking about something else. i get it, the "i am not weak" was a memeable line, but it doesn't actually make him weak. people that reduce his reaction to "just" hating shadow because he got his ass beat, people who call it a "temper tantrum", i ... the context is right there. it was never "just" because shadow beat him up. would people say this about anyone else that shadow happens to beat up? that they're irrefutably weak? no. that's stupid. obviously. so why infinite? because it wasn't a strong enough spectacle. let me illustrate this more with another example;

another reason people say that infinite is weak is because sonic didn't need to go super in order to beat him. and... again, this one, too, falls apart pretty easily. sonic has beaten other characters without going super, and this includes shadow. the difference is the when, the how, the context. it's not that infinite is weak, but it was a weak final boss fight. do you get what i mean?

forces, in general, suffered a lot with this problem. it wasn't a problem that was exclusive to infinite. unfortunately, as the new character, he got the most heat. there was a huge amount of hype for him, so when the spectacle fell short, people were pissed. and i get it. but then that issue became, "infinite bad". that issue became "infinite's weak". it has never been that, though. this is why i personally hate weak jokes – because they're rooted in non-issue and misinfo.

a point i saw made once was that the characterisation of sonic and the rest of the cast are part of what made infinite's character hard to take seriously, and i'd agree! infinite actually fits the setting quite well; he has a mysterious, serious presence. he's harsh, he's edgy, but it's cheesy enough that it works in the typical style of the sonic franchise. the problem is, when the other characters aren't taking things seriously, it throws the whole thing off. we're being told this is a hard-hitting, high stakes plot, but how can we see it that way, when they're all just cracking jokes?

as a side-tangent of sorts, you know what's real funny? infinite's backstory, the one thing people use more than anything else to declare his obvious weakness, quite likely wasn't originally going to exist anyway, and he was instead going to be made by eggman. i say "quite likely" as, as i've stated, i don't like misinformation, and sega will probably never confirm this one-hundred percent, but this is something fans – myself included – have discussed a few times.

first, there's the odd dialogue and enviroment in stage 29. tails states outright, as you go through the fortress, where containment/test tubes line the walls in countless numbers, "so this is where eggman built infinite". the tubes do, in fact, appear to have low-res bodies inside them. this is also something they detailed in an early version of the script. infinite's remark on sonic's "data" also fits in with this idea of him being some form of android. prior to release, there was also a cryptic message that, when decoded, referred to infinite as "the fated son of daedalus"; in other words, icarus, who flew too close to the sun; his father being an inventor! that's really dope foreshadowing.

you can argue that tails and amy's commentary is speculation rather than solid fact and that they're mistaken, it's a possibility i definitely consider here, but given how rushed the dlc and prequel comics feel, the fact that there was a statement that big changes were made late into development... yeah. i'll buy it. i often find myself wondering what people would think of infinite had this been his story, whether they would view him differently. also, speaking of the dlc being rushed, there are actually unused lines for episode shadow implying that you would have fought the jackal squad; they were likely just unable to implement it in time. it's a shame, as it would have added to that spectacle factor i mentioned. but hey, gotta push for that holiday release!

what i find really interesting is that you can look at his character through either lense: the former mercenary turned war criminal, or the creation of our ol' doctor, and he still reads well! his behaviour makes sense in whichever context you choose to apply; what he thought he had to become, versus what he was made to be. it's cool and it makes me a bit insane. a lot of people criticise infinite for his one-dimensionality, but in my opinion, like... it's the point. he's meant to feel hollow. because he's masking; or because he wasn't made for feelings, but rather for destruction.

something that seems ironic is that many people attempt to "fix" him by... putting him into a box and inflating a single trait into his entire character and calling it "better writing". now, here's the disclaimer, okay: i'm all for people having fun and being proud of their work! i don't think that we should police what others can create. this is just about the phenomenon of watering a character down or changing them to fit ships and narratives rather than those characters being what shape the direction the story and their relationships take, things like that; which... i mean, i'm not a cop, you can still do these things even if i don't like them! i'm not saying it isn't allowed, but i think that you're kind of missing the point.

he never needed fixing. his story needed refinement. that's different. it's more about exploring what we've been given, looking below the surface; infinite is not just an evil, ruthless tyrant that deserves death nor a traumatised sadboy to be made good by the power of love and friendship – not to me. his trauma and anger are both part of him, and you cannot – or rather shouldn't – reduce him to one thing or another. it does him a major disservice, i think. there are good things there, things you can dissect, you just have to be willing to look.

in choosing to ignore what made him who he is, disregarding the loss of his squad and blatant insecurity unless it's funny, you're purposely looking at him through a faulty lense. bad writing doesn't mean that the intent isn't there. context is so important, and you can't analyse him or critique him with worth unless these things are acknowledged. it's like if you were eating a cake, avoiding the frosting and complaining it's not sweet enough. the frosting is there, not even being withheld from you. it has always been there. you decided not to eat it. sorry i'm making weird analogies again but hopefully this makes sense.

this has gotten long, wow. the point i want to highlight, overall, is that infinite is not nearly as awful as people make him out to be. it was never about his strength, it was about the limits and shortcomings of the narrative, a problem not exclusive to him yet one that has been pinned on him for so many years. i don't want it to sound like i'm saying he is immune to criticism, or that forces is, even though i've criticised forces during the creation of this post (and don't think that i think forces is terrible, either! it's my favourite game and i have lots of things i like about it as well! i've just been drawing attention to these parts to better explain what i want to convey lol); but i do hate how the wrong thing is being criticised.

this issue has been watered down into "infinite weak" when it's way more broad, way more complex than that, and i cannot stand it. it seems like such a trivial matter, like, oh, fandom is being mean about my favourite guy, but it did actual damage and forever altered people's perception of him. i am pissed about it! i'm mad! i don't care if you don't like infinite (because i can just block you as we will not get along!) but... it's about why people don't like him. they don't have to justify it, they can continue hating him, but it always bothered me that the reason is so often not a real problem. yeah.

okay, i think that's it. thank you for taking the time to read this, and if you made it this far, you're gay

[yowyowyaoi]

Sasori’s Daily Texts from the Akatsuki

From Tobi/Obito

Obviously.

You can gloat all you want but the fact of the matter is you’re wrong; NOTHING is eternal. 

But can you keep it up without chakra strings? 🤔

Asleep or awake it’s all the same thing.

Go ahead and tell them. They’ll just think you’re crazy 😜 

I’ve tried but Hidan is insufferable and the only way to truly hurt Kakuzu is in his wallet.

Ok please just look at this tooth I feel like it’s throbbing out of my head 😣

Me and you? Teaming up? What a novel idea … REJECTED.

It’s not ridiculous. When you were human did you never just eat a bag of sugar?? It’s so soothing.

He said no cats or dogs. Not a thing about birds. And besides if Itachi can have 900 crows I can have a parakeet. 😤

From Zetsu

I don’t know why YOU get to keep all the best bodies every single time 😒 Your art isn’t more important as my stomach.

I licked his arm once but my goodness he had such a bitter aftertaste.

Clay and gunpowder. Sometimes aftershave.

It wasn’t me this time. Must have been an animal. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Me either! No Bowel Movement Club 🥳

I imagine it’s only the first blow that truly hurts. After that the body goes into too much shock to register the pain. 

From Nagato

Well I figured that with your expertise in puppet chakra control, my bodies wouldn’t be that much different to you.

Redhead unity ✊🏻

Let’s be real, here; Konan is the one running this thing.

I can if it’s cut into very small pieces. And drink lots of water afterwards.

At least yours wasn’t a goddamned pervert.

Clearly I can’t stop these things. All I can do is strongly advise you three use protection with them. Our organization is not equipped to care for babies.

I’ve never really had time to properly train it. I’ve never even heard that much about it before. Maybe Itachi will know.

Yes but I firmly believe we choose our families. And I chose this one. Even Hidan.

From Konan

No, thank you. I’ve learned to appreciate my flaws and live with them.

Okay once again, PLEASE read that book I got you on how to talk to women. For the love of God. 🤦‍♀️

Actually most of them make me sneeze; that’s why I started making paper ones lol 

Of course I can teach you. Why do you want to learn? So you can dance with a certain someone 😏

Yeah, preferably one that’ll give me a pick-up in the mornings.

If you use your chakra strings to make him trip down the stairs I will love you for forever.

I know you don’t eat but you should come for the conversations.

I know he’s been using mine the bottle was full 3 days ago and now it’s almost empty 😡

From Kisame

Itachi and I are traveling past there on our next mission. If you write down what herbs you need I’d be happy to pick them up for you on our way back.

I’m sorry; if I’d known you wanted to use the body I wouldn’t have chewed off the hands 😣

Well I suppose both have caffeine but to me, tea is more calming.

I understand but if it happens again, tell him I won’t be looking the other way. 

I don’t know. If he’s not sleepwalking he’s up for days at a time. I’m worn out trying to keep up 🫠

Please join us; Monopoly seems like it’d be your game.

I stayed until they wanted to do karaoke. Then I snuck out the back door.

That’s more Zetsu’s thing. I only do it if I’m really hungry.

Ah but, if you’re truly going to live forever, why not have some fun with life?

Yes I’ve noticed. Everyone has. But I’m fairly certain Deidara sees nobody but YOU in that way.

From Itachi

My thanks.

Not so bad today actually 

I would just say “ignore it” but he’ll probably throw a bomb into your face so 🤷🏻‍♂️

Well I was going to paint it yellow so it’d be more cheerful but Kisame thinks it would drive me crazy after a few weeks.

Watch the video I just sent and tell me that’s not Hidan 😂

Kisame said to ask you two. Tell Dei they have bakudan.

They just like to sit on top of them. I promise they aren’t pecking or causing any damage to the wood.

One of the funniest things I ever read. Laughed so hard I had to go to bed early because my head was pounding so hard after. But don’t tell Hidan, he’d kill me.

I’m not sure. But after I die you’re free to take one of my eyes and put it into your puppet to see.

From Hidan

No really DO you have one? 🤔

Wtf are you gonna do tho like won’t you catch on fire in the sun?!

He’s my best friend and I love him in a not gay way. So it IS my business asshole.

Thanks puppet dick, I’ll make Kakuzu pay you later. He prob won’t but 🤷🏼‍♂️

No fuck that, that cake was MINE they’re just being little bitches about it 

Damn could you be any gayer for him?

Wait, CAN you fly??

Stop being stingy puppet fuck just give me an arm that shoots fire it’ll be an early birthday present pleeeeease 

Idc get this thing out of my room it’s creeping me tf out 😒

From Kakuzu

I’ve tried but the only way I could see it legitimately working is if I sewed his mouth shut.

Oh of course. I’m always happy to spend an evening surrounded by culture.

That would be ideal but you know how sensitive Leader is about his appearance.

Yes but it’s the most expensive there. You’d be better off disguising yourself and getting it from your old village.

Honestly, at 91? I’m surprised it hasn’t turned to dust yet.

Perhaps Kisame would join us. Give us an evening away from the wives.

I know but what else could we do? He refuses to accept treatment. The only way we could “help” is slipping it into his tea.

Page 34. I wrote notes along the side of the diagram.

I would rip out all of my hearts before I let anyone, including you, spend money on something like that.

From Deidara

No but I’m pretty sure you enjoy making me beg.

Wasn’t me. And you can’t prove otherwise 😈

Your lack of appreciation for my art is truly the most horrible thing about you 😒

Well tough shit it’s MY turn to choose and that’s what we’re doing

Well yeah it’s awkward but I don’t want you worrying. I’m *yours*. I’ve made that clear.

Idc I’ll wear it every single day 😭

If Itachi or Kisame asks, me and Hidan were with you from 12-5 yesterday. Okay?

Keep sending pics like that and you’re gonna end me 🥵

Oh come on pleeeease? I’ll feed it and walk it and everything!

My bed or yours? 

Did you make it yourself?? Awww thank you Sasori 🥰

It’s not the only thing that’s tight ~ 😏

A real boyfriend wouldn’t question it he’d just bring a shoe and come kill it !

Hey at least I found BOTH arms this time!

Geez that sounds so boring. Can’t he send Kakuzu and Hidan instead?!

You know I hate that word … but yes, forever. And ever and ever and ever. 💛

[dissvicious]

Ok ok I was wondering. What are the love languages of your ships? Redbomb or the band polycule. I feel like Osha love language is physical contact but I really can't see what it could be for those uglies messes called Trafalgar D Water Law and Buggy The Star Clown.

Love your work! ♥

Oooook now that's something I was starved to think about for a long time SO thank you so much (and thank you for loving my work!!! I'm glad that my completely delusional manic attacks aren't totally useless)

SO. FIRST. Easy one : Redbomb.

Let's evacuate the joke already their principal love language is throwing insults to each other and arguing and then fuck and repeating the cycle.

BUT more deeply : Buggy love language is mostly acts of service & gifts. It's kinda surprising at first because he obviously do it all over the top. AND he's pretty bad at it. Like, when Red get really sick, he spent hours in the kitchen making her what he thinks is the most comforting food ever. But you know, Blaze cooking skills were inherited from him, so she end with a plate full of Cheerios, smashed potatoes, cheddar and knackies (wait. Are knacki a thing outer UE?? those are really bad quality industrial sausages for the record), and her beloved husband looking at her all proud like "♥ 😁 I made that!!". And he spoils his kids with really outrageously expensive gifts. (Skye abuses it a little sometime)

Red' love language is mostly words of affirmation! Acts of service too but unlike buggy she's skilled with it. Her major flaw with that would be that she's offering acts of services even when people she loves don't act for them. Mommy style you know ? Wipping something on Rory's cheek with her thumb in front of his very first boyfriend.

For the record : Rory love language is he don't have any because he hates everyone act of services, Skye's is offering gifts & quality time, Blaze's is physical touch! (which can be dangerous with his devil fruit powers)

NOW. BRACE YOURSELF BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE HEAVY. The worst polycule of all time is entering the chat :

G.R.O.A.R LOVE LANGUAGE

I'll try to make it short because I could write a fucking THESIS about them SO. I think that they all have kinda different love languages according to which relationship we are talking about you see ? Like :

Osha x Law : Osha love language is physical touch (as in: big bear hugs that break his spine every time) and acts of service (as in: they make sure he eats, drink, and bring him to the vet like the injuried cat he is. Oh and they're also Law's biggest protector. Always saving his damsel in distress ass. On the other hand I FIRMLY believe that Law love language is quality times AND, for Osha, and only for Osha (and maybe a bit for Bepo - NOT A LAWBEPO ACCOUNT plz love language like for his best friend who is also a polar bear, which is pretty rad if you ask me, would a loser have a polar bear??) act of services. Quality time as in : he just loves spending lazy afternoon lying on their lap with a bong ranting about the stupidity of everyone around him. Act of services as in : one day Osha's bakery oven was broken and he replaced it as a surprise, without telling them anything. This kind of thing you see? They never really confessed and they totally deny they are dating but - come on. Guys. That's obvious.

Osha x Kidd : what's going on between them like - nobody knows. They are bad for each other. No. Kidd is bad for Osha. Are they dating. Are they like... friends? with benefits? but the benefit isn't sex??? Wtf. Anyways : their love language is physical touch and quality time, but not like for Osha x Law, more like: Shrek and fiona fighting in this clip

Law x Kidd : "AHAHAHA love language! as if we LOVED each other??? we fuck and that's all. Friend...ship? with this pathetic loser? URGH DON'T KIDDING ME" - anyway Law shows Kidd affection by quality time, and here quality time means "I'm not as unbearable as usual when I'm with you" while Kidd love language is... idk, bullying? physical touch but like slapping his back really hard and stuffing him in a locker? scruffing him and yelling "hey that's MY twink è_é I'm the only one allowed to hurt MY twink è_é"

KiddKiller *chief kiss* The only stable relationship in this polycule. Which means... a lot, look at them. ANYWAY - Kidd love language toward Killer is words of affirmations, like, it's canon, look at the anime. Look how he talks about him. "WHO DID THIS TO MY BUDDY?" aaaah *cry and sobb* (didn't get there in the anime yet but was totally spoiled this scene and I KNOW I'm gonna cry my ass out). But since Kidd has the vocabulary of a 14 y.o it's still complicated. "brooooo you're like peanut butter to my jam". AND of course Killer love languages are act of services (understand : following him everywhere and protecting his ass and being his only braincell).

LawKiller & OshaKiller aren't really a thing in this AU soooo we're gonna put them aside.

Also this post is already too long.

anyway THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ASK. ♥

[ryansjane]

Heyyy girl! Not sure if you’ve answered this before but what are your fave non gmmtv bls/Thai dramas?🪷💗

hi anon! I don't think I actually have, all in the same post! let's go <3

I TOLD SUNSET ABOUT YOU

I've talked about this show about a thousand times already, so I'll keep it short: this is the only show I consider truly perfect, from its writing, cinematography, acting, chemistry, storyline, soundtrack, etc. it's not for everyone bc it's VERY angsty but it's deffo my cup of tea & I'm gonna be honest teh's coming out storyline was extremely important to me as it came right before I also finally accepted my bisexuality. overall just my favorite show, so important & beautiful with deeply flawed characters <3

PROJECT S: SKATE OUR SOULS

this show is the only other one with itsay I've rated a 10/10 in my life, even though it's not perfect, because it literally changed my life. the last sentence of the show literally helped me get over the worst depressive episode of my life, which is a pretty goddamn beautiful result for a show about depression. even though it's not entirely perfect, it's still an extremely well written show, has a gorgeous cinematography full of neons, incredible performances & a story that was so important to tell. I couldn't recommend it more!

PROJECT S: SIDE BY SIDE

in also a near flawless show, we have this show. it's a very touching story that will make you cry, tries to understand all of its characters, with stunning acting performances from everyone, and it's just the kind of shows I don't see anyone disliking tbh. very well executed & definitely an all time favorite of mine :)

THE REVENGE

probably the most underrated show on this list, this is actually the show I'm the most upset about being underrated lol, bc it's literally SO GOOD. if it was a korean show it'd go viral type of good. this is a very fucked up story so not for the faint of heart but it's executed extremely well, and honestly I don't have much negative to say about this show. flawless performances, an extremely impactful show, and forever one of my favorite thai dramas ever made!

SLEEPLESS SOCIETY: INSOMNIA

another highly underrated thai drama that no one has watched. this is female-led, touches on politics & corruption, has a very different setting from usual & a great plot through and through. the ending is also super iconic & stays on my mind to this day. I really encourage anyone to watch it!

MY RIDE

if you like love sick or my school president, I think my ride will be your cup of tea. it's a pretty simple story but with such lovable characters & a beautiful healthy ship that it immediately became one of my favorite comfort shows. it's the ultimate proof that even a more simple story can be beautiful if given enough soul, quirkiness & love :)

IN FAMILY WE TRUST

in family we trust is a lakorn, but it doesn't feel like a lakorn. apart from the obviously beyond iconic cast at every level, the writing & cinematography are leagues above any other lakorns. for a murder story that should be pretty straightforward, they managed to weave in the interpersonal relationships of the characters perfectly, and this is the kind of show that you can put down once you start. if you've never watched lakorns before, I'd recommend this one to start with since it's quite similar to regular series.

TO SIR, WITH LOVE

another lakorn, another slay! this one is way more lakorn-y so I don't think it's for everyone, but it's literally the only lakorn that treats its queer characters fairly lol & it's such a beautiful love story. it's very dramatic bc 1) lakorn & 2) historical drama with repressed queer characters, but everything in this drama just HITS. you care for the characters so much, and the brother relationship is also so supportive & beautiful and I'm so glad the show never compromised it for some petty drama. overall this show put me through all the emotions & I loved it so much for it lol

GREAT MEN ACADEMY

this show is the proof of the kind of imagination thai film makers have when they get a good budget. the world building of that show is so vibrant & fun, but more than that the writing is really good with endearing characters, good interpersonal relationships, and a really beautiful love story & plot. this is just such a nice show to watch, even with its kind of childish aspect, and once again the cast is great since it's the same as in in family we trust lol. watch both shows back to back & be shook at how drastically different yet so good they both are :)

THE DEBUT

another super underrated show that no one has watched but fucking slaps. not only is it female-led with amazing performances (and a great cast!), but this show really is so well written, with a mystery & a plot twist that will pull you in and make you bingewatch it. the cinematography & colors also slap, and overall it's such a good show that I wish more people would watch.

xxx

[cloud-somersault]

This is in reference to your most recent post, but I honestly get so confused when people who watch LMK haven't read or at least done research on the source material(JTTW) because I feel like it dampens their experience of appreciating the characters. 

JTTW, which is what LMK is referenced from, is rich with tradition, meaning, and culture. Not understanding JTTW gives you a very one dimensional approach to all the characters but especially Wukong since he is currently one of the only original JTTW figures from the main cast. And in misunderstanding Wukong’s source material means that people really don’t understand shadowpeach like they should. 

Even if we were to only go from the context of the show, shadowpeach started out super toxic. LMAO! These guys were at each other’s throat constantly and were not amicable at all. The appeal is the fact that it is alluded to/shown that these two used to have a very close relationship but something happened to separate them. That’s where the intrigue begins, that’s what gets the gears turning in the viewer’s head. Something happened to make them this way and we want to know! In JTTW canon, Wukong did kill Macaque and it was actively against Buddha’s requests not to. Bro did not care, lol.  I think it is also important to realize that LMK and JTTW are still different BUT it’s honestly quite foolish, in my opinion, to completely disregard the book it is based on. And there’s nothing wrong with fans taking canon things from JTTW and applying it to LMK. Especially if it’s their own fanfiction or interpretation(like your fic). It has been a common theory that Wukong killed Macaque(pretty much since the show started), especially given a lot of the evidence we have been presented with. Disregarding one of the writer’s statements, it’s completely reasonable to make the connection between JTTW and LMK that Wukong did kill Macaque. Especially considering we are shown in the third season a flashback that they did have a violent brawl before his supposed death and subsequent resurrection. 

Shadowpeach IS inherently toxic, especially before there’s any character growth between them, and I personally feel like it’s okay to acknowledge that and embrace it. I understand people tend to gravitate away from any forms of toxicity because, yeah, it feels weird saying you like a ship of two people who hate each other. But that’s the fun thing about enemies to lovers! And shadowpeach has so much more depth to it because it can be interpreted in so many different ways. I wholeheartedly believe that their versatility and depth as a ship is largely the reason why they are one of the biggest ships in the fandom. And their depth comes from the fact that they are inherently flawed characters.  

This need to uphold Sun Wukong on a pedestal he does not deserve ultimately ruins the thing that makes them special. And that's how undeniably human he is. Someone wouldn’t know that just from watching LMK, especially since the show either glosses over the darker parts of JTTW or alters them entirely. Stripping Wukong specifically of the overflowing amount of wonderful source material he has completely dumbs down the beauty of his character. I think playing around with the idea that he did kill Macaque(in regards to LMK canon) doesn’t really change where they come from very much. Idk if anyone else has noticed, but the season 4 special is obviously still not the full picture. That little fight in the mountain is 100% not what makes them hate each other so much. That much animosity for an altercation like that?? It doesn’t make any sense. We still don’t have the full picture, and people are basing their attitude towards each in seasons 1-3 on insufficient evidence. 

Anyway, sorry lol. Seeing people not appreciate shadowpeach for the mess it is makes me so unbelievably disappointed and frustrated(especially if they know nothing about JTTW) and the internet is a great place to bounce off opinions. I promise this isn’t directed towards anyone in particular and it doesn’t come out of anger, I just think there is a common misunderstanding of shadowpeach’s complex foundation and I refuse to stand for it. /lh /nm

Okay, my weird rant is over, haha. I completely understand your irritation with comments like that, though, and I am so sorry you have to deal with them. 

Damn, I don't really have anything to add to this. I think you said it all. I can pack it up and go home LMFAO Can this be my new pinned post

Oh, I will say one thing. The fandom is def afraid or in denial that shadowpeach, in any iteration, is toxic. In order for it not to be, they'd have to be grossly out of character, and then guess what friends? That's not shadowpeach!

But a lot of people do that and are content with that. Which, okay, but stay off my porch LMFAO

[fadedsweater]

Ok ok ok I do not like wading into discourse but my Solas opinion is basically...I've read like, so many interpretations of him and I love them all. Soft fluffy Solas, straight up evil Solas, and everything in between. They're all interesting to me and they all have unique and interesting links to Canon Solas, which...is still an incomplete picture! We still don't know his exact plans, his exact motivations, or what his life before really looked like. There is *so* much opportunity for exploration and interpretation. That's part of why I love being in my little fan community so much!

I have very complicated opinions about Solas. I've been rotating him in my mind for years, many of them without any fandom interaction at all. I think he is kind and empathetic and I think he also has many, many flaws that he's honestly pretty upfront about for the most part. He is old and stubborn and set in his ways and devoted to his plans, but he also has great capacity for change!

(More thoughts under the cut because I have many of them)

Do I think he would go out of his way to kill a romanced Inquisitor or even just like, his friends? Not really. I think he'd do everything he could to avoid directly killing them. But it gets more complicated for me depending on the scenario. I think he would possibly do it if it was a "kill them or my plan cannot continue" situation. The one thing we know for sure about his plans is that he's extremely devoted to them, even if he wants someone to change his mind.

But at the end of the day I just don't have enough information about his plans or what they mean or what his precise motivations are. I think there's an interesting opportunity for a character arc moment where he, at the very last moment, realizes that he can't go through with killing his loved ones. (Or! Maybe he kills someone he loves and *then* realizes he's gone too far!). I personally like the theory that somehow his plans *will* manage to spare everyone, leaving the question of how far he'd go partially blurry. (I love the angst potential there! And the room for interpretation!)

Just like I've read a thousand interpretations of Solas’s character, I've read a thousand interpretations of how he can be happy or be stopped or change or be redeemed. I've also read interpretations of how his arc could end in tragedy. I love all of them! They're all interesting to me in different ways. (And like. I'm obviously not referring to mean-spirited or bad faith interpretations. The audience for this post is fellow fans of Solas)

Anyway. Personally I like my Solas soft but with a very murky streak of moral grayness (that being said, almost all of my Solas fic is fluff in the extreme). But someone else who loves Solas might see him differently and that's fine. At the end of the day he's a very complicated character with a huge number of unknown variables, and we don't have the full picture. That to me is what makes him so fun!

[elizalyn]

Please may I have Fairy tail platonic headcanons of Gray Fullbuster with a little brother age 11 who is exactly like Harry Potter with Harry Potter's personality as well as Harry Potter's personality flaws and everything from the Harry Potter films. He is undeniably a sweet kid and he is a ice mage like Gray as well and he is a member of Team Natsu and a member of Fairy tail. Admittedly he is S class material and he is better than Gray at ice magic and everything and he is a kind boy...and very polite. He doesn't find Danger..it seemed to find him. He was willing to stand up to extremely powerful enemy Wizards to protect his friends no matter what the cost may be..it was a risk and it means asking for death but he is a Fairy tail wizard and if it means he can protect his friends so be it.

Team Natsu's relationship with Gray's sweet little brother.

Gray's relationship with his baby brother

Juvia's relationship with Gray's little brother

Fluffy as well.

Oh man, it’s been a while since I’ve read the books and movie Harry is so different from book Harry. But yes! Of course! Fairy Tail is my favorite anime, it was the first long series I started and even if some people call it childish, I still love it. I honestly wish more people wrote for Fairy Tail. Maybe I'll write some more self-indulgent imagines/headcanons or something after.

A/N: That being said, I am terribly sorry for how long this has taken me. I've been struggling with uni lately which just creates horrid writer's block not to mention just makes me so unmotivated to write in general.

But it's done! And I really hope it's to your liking! I address Gray's younger brother as Little Fullbuster but I honestly could see him named something like Ash or Sterling, just something that fits the colour scheme of Gray and Silver.

Warnings: none! Well, slight spoilers if you haven't seen/read much of the series but nothing really major also, not proofread

Let’s see…

General headcanons

Adored by the entire guild, obviously, how could Gray’s younger brother not be

Looks like a miniature Gray, same black hair, same dark blue eyes

Only difference really is his personality

Unlike Gray’s cold exterior, his little brother is an absolute sweetheart

I can see him making ice sculptures for friends

He’s so much stronger than Gray but so humble about it too

For an 11-year-old he’s so mature (but trauma will do that to a person 😭)

Speaking of trauma though, Little Fullbuster was only a toddler when Deliora attacked

Despite his sweetness, he can be a sarcasm god

Constantly throws witty quips in the conversation

Little Fullbuster learnt magic from Gray rather than Ur

Gray wanted his brother to be able to protect himself and magic was the best way he knew how

Little Fullbuster is pretty stubborn

When he wants to go on a specific mission he usually ends up going

Like Galuna Island

Gray was adamant his brother would stay behind

Little Fullbuster ended up going anyways, following Gray secretly

Natsu welcomed him happily after knocking out Gray

Natsu knows when to put a foot down though when it comes to Gray’s younger brother

He made Little Fullbuster stay behind with the villagers when he and the others went to explore

Relationship headcanons – Gray

Little Fullbester’s sarcasm really shines when he’s with Gray

G: “I don’t care where I get hurt, as long as my in juries are visible” LF: “Clearly, cause you can’t prove your stories otherwise” or something witty like that (I personally am not good at sarcasm 😔)

Gray can be overprotective of Little Fullbuster

Won’t let him go on some missions with the rest of team Natsu because it’s too dangerous

Struggles to let him go on missions without him

Gray honestly doesn’t know what he’d do if he lost his younger brother, they’re all each other have left (aside from their found family in Fairy Tail)

Little Fullbuster sometimes feels smothered by Gray, they fight about it sometimes

Little Fullbuster full on believes he’s capable of taking care of himself, and he is, to an extent, he’s still just a child

Gray doesn’t know how to get that through his brother’s head

Their fights don’t usually involve yelling, more like a lot of passive-aggressive comments or choices/actions

For example, Little Fullbuster has a habit of holding Gray’s eye contact while asking Natsu to train with him and complimenting him because he knows it’ll irk Gray

Little Fullbuster always ends up feeling bad about his petty choices and Gray usually feels bad about how the conflict was handled

They always make up, sometimes without apologies (I feel like this is a really common sibling thing, my sister and I never apologized to each other after fights), but sometimes one or the other would cave and apologize

They are both really grateful to have each other as brothers (not that they would ever admit it out-loud) and where one brother is, the other usually isn’t far behind

Gray struggles with the fact that his younger brother is stronger than him

It’s not because he’s insecure or anything

It’s just because he’s scared he’ll lose his brother

He trusts his brother is capable

But he’s scared something underhanded could happen

Like if it comes to a fight, Little Fullbuster fights fairly, but his opponent might not have the same morals as fairy tail wizards

Relationship headcanons – Team Natsu

The whole team knows little Fullbuster is more than capable of taking care of himself

Doesn’t stop them from hovering or worrying all the time

Lucy mothers him the most

Totally sees him as the little brother she never had

Erza trains with him without holding back

Natsu gets along with him way better than Gray

Natsu is actually willing to ask little Fullbuster to train with him to improve both of their quirks

Happy likes to think he’s a wiser older brother to little Fullbuster

Invites him out fishing so he can share his “words of wisdom”

To which Lucy usually comments on with a roll of her eyes or a quip about any “words of wisdom” Happy told her in the past

Wendy and Little Fullbuster are close in age and get along really well

Carla and Gray aren't too happy about it, especially with Happy's constant, "he's in love"

Wendy and Little Fullbuster honestly ignore Happy and all their older guildmates who comment things like "won't they make the cutest couple?"

The two train together a lot since they get along so well

Relationship headcanons – Juvia

Juvia is in love with how sweet he is

In turn, little Fullbuster tries his hardest to get Juvia together with Gray

Already sees Juvia as an older sister of sorts

Usually goes to her when he’s upset about something Gray did

They bake together for Gray

Juvia teaches him how to make her Gray dolls and weather dolls

Little Fullbuster starts making Gray dolls and leaving them in the most ominous places to freak his brother out

It’s Little Fullbuster’s favorite thing

Little Fullbuster is always there for Juvia

He knows full well that his brother isn’t oblivious to her feelings

He feels bad about it and really tries to be there for her without getting involved

Because he also knows that Gray is interested in Juvia, he just doesn’t know to what extent

Juvia never asks him to do anything to help her pursue Gray

She doesn’t ask him if Gray’s ever told him anything about her, she respects boundaries

But she does complain about her failed attempts

Which just makes Little Fullbuster kick himself mentally because his brother is just so emotionally constipated it’s so aggravating

But he stays out of it, it’s not his job

Though he would love if Juvia were to officially become his older sister

Relationship headcanons – danger

Little Fullbuster really has no control over it

It’s just that everywhere he goes, something happens

Danger follows him like a bad cold

Little Fullbuster has grown accustomed to something going wrong on jobs that puts his life in danger

He’s used to powerful wizards finding him during combat

This doesn’t worry him, not usually

Little Fullbuster is more than happy, well not happy, he’s more than willing to risk his life for his guild, they practically raised him after all

Gray isn’t as willing

The amount of grey hairs that he’s grown due to constantly worrying lol

Nor is he pleased with his brother’s attitude on the matter

Actually, you know the scene in Harry Potter where Professor McGonagall is like,

“Why is it when something happens, it is always you three?” and Ron’s just like, “Believe me professor, I’ve been asking myself the same question for 6 years”

Yeah, but Makarov and Little Fullbuster

Given this unfortunate circumstance, Little Fullbuster has gotten really good at thinking on his feet

*possible spoilers* Like in the Tower of Heaven, when Simon was ‘aiming’ for Gray, rather than creating an ice copy of himself, Little Fullbuster was there in seconds, physically putting himself in between Simon and Gray and Juvia while simultaneously building ice copies of all three of them before Gray even thinks to do the same

Little Fullbuster is just so smart and quick, his incredibly skilled and it offers Gray some relief (not a lot tho because danger following your sibling everywhere is no walk in the park)

[greatwyrmgold]

One of my mutuals has been talking about their thoughts watching JJK season 2, and that made me want to share some of mine, and I don't want to wait until I can frame my thoughts as a yes-and to theirs. My point being, if you haven't finished the Shibuya arc in either the manga or anime, the following will spoil you.

I really like Suguru Geto in the flashback, and in Jujutsu Kaisen Zero. His powers are neat, his design is interesting, his personality is fun, and his worldview is nuanced.

He wants to kill all non-sorcerers, but his reasons for wanting to do that make sense. People who can't control their cursed energy are the ultimate source of cursed spirits, which cause untold suffering to both sorcerers and non-sorcerers alike. Geto assumes that teaching most humans to control their cursed energy is impossible or impractical, and by the time of JJK0, he's willing to write off the suffering of billions in the name of a future without cursed spirits.

This is, of course, abominable; Geto's plan is a crime against humanity in the most literal sense. But you can see why someone who recognizes the problems in jujutsu society without recognizing the humanity of non-sorcerers would think that crime was a good idea.

In my ideal Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuji would overcome the decrepit jujutsu institutions, defeat Geto, and destroy Sukuna after recognizing the fundamental flaw they have in common: They all think some people are intrinsically more valuable than others. Sukuna thinks the strong should dominate the weak, jujutsu society intentionally privileges old families over new recruits, Geto doesn't think "monkeys" should get to live. And of course, all three fundamentally agree that there should be a division between sorcerers and non-sorcerers, where the former are given an elevated position (as conquerors or guardians or the ones who get to live). To beat them, Yuji needs to recognize the lies they all share and repudiate it.

But I will never get that ideal JJK, in part because Geto isn't Geto.

After the events of Jujutsu Kaisen Zero, an ancient body-hopping sorcerer named Kenjaku took Geto's body and cursed technique. He's the villain—not Geto, not Mahito, co-hosting recent arcs with Sukuna. And Kenjaku is boring.

Well, that's not fair. For a while, he's a passable imitation of Geto. But at the end of the day, he lacks Geto's substance. His problems with jujutsu society are vague gripes about a passive modern society that maintains the status quo. His plans will kill all humans in Japan, but that includes the sorcerers, and his reasons for that are either unknown or vapid.

And all he brings to the table that Geto couldn't is a thousand years of vague plots hidden in the background. He was the Kyoto blood archer's distant evil ancestor! He knew Sukuna when he was alive! He was Yuji's mom! Why? Who knows. Maybe it's related to whatever Yuji's grandpa was going to tell him. Who cares.

If I can tinfoil-hat a little:

As you may know, Jujutsu Kaisen Zero was originally Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School, a self-contained series in Jump Giga. It turned out to be surprisingly popular, so Gege Akutami was asked to do a full series in the main Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

So Gege took the setting and general premise of what is now JJK0 and created a new plot around it—one that could keep readers at the edge for hundreds of chapters, if it wasn't cancelled before then. A series that could be stretched to hundreds of chapters obviously has different needs than a series that only needs to last four chapters.

I think Gege wanted to keep Geto as a villain, but realized that his plot worked better if his villain was old enough to be Sukuna's peer. (Someone Geto's age couldn't have meddled with Yuji's conception, after all.) And Gege's solution was to literally replace Geto with a villain that was similar to Geto in some ways, but was crucially much older.

I think that sucks! I don't know what Gege is trying to do with Kenjaku that he couldn't do with Geto, but I can't imagine it was worth throwing away the Geto we had for Ancient Evil McSorcerer. I didn't feel that way when I first read the Kenjaku reveal, but the longer I've read Kenjaku do stuff and the more I've thought about Real Geto, the less I like the former and the more I miss the latter.

[innerpalaces]

The Life of a Cannon Fodder Mother-in-Law - 6

Chapter 6: The Deceived Mother-in-Law 6

At this point, the fig leaf had been torn off. Liu Yuniang said bluntly: "Cai Miao, come back with me to recuperate. I can't let her come back until she recovers or until I figure out the reasons behind her illness."

After saying this, she helped her up and sent her to the carriage. Madam Xu chased for a few steps and stamped her feet. Liu Yuniang looked at the pale Qi Cai Miao in the carriage and scolded: "You are getting more and more unreasonable. You made yourself so miserable. Why don't you go on and tell me what's going on in your head?"

Qi Cai Miao smiled weakly: "It's a long story."

By the time Liu Yuniang came here, Qi Cai Miao had already had a miscarriage. In addition, "Liu Huixin" had a core change. People who are not familiar with her may not be able to tell the difference, but that was not necessarily true for a person as close as mother and daughter, so she didn't come immediately. Nowadays, she has been able to avoid showing any flaws. The mother and daughter have been interacting for a while, and Qi Cai Miao hasn't noticed anything wrong yet, which shows her success. "Then let's make a long story short." Liu Yuniang reached out and touched her forehead: "I have sent someone to call the doctor, and I will re-diagnose and prepare your medicine later." Qi Cai Miao smiled bitterly: "I'm not sick. I was pregnant before and had a lot of trouble. Later, I fell down and lost the baby. It's only been half a month, and I haven't recovered yet. Mother, I didn't mean to not tell you. After I got pregnant, I wanted to find a chance to tell you, but I fell before I could. Since the baby was gone, telling you will only make you worry. So..." Liu Yuniang looked angry: "Such a big thing, and you actually want to hide it? You have been careful since you were a child. There are so many servants in the Xu family, and they will definitely clean up the places their masters pass carefully. How did you fall?" She said firmly, "You were obviously framed. Instead of asking me to help you, you wanted to hide it. Cai Miao, you disappoint me so much. I have taught you so much since you were a child, but I never taught you to be a punching bag." Cai Miao smiled bitterly: "Mom, I wanted to find a chance to tell you later." At this moment, her chest was full of anger, probably due to Liu Huixin's influence. She asked in a deep voice: "Where was Xu Kui!? Is he dead!?" Hearing his mother being so irritable, Qi Cai Miao hurriedly explained: "Mom, he is very busy. He went to the neighboring city to purchase goods and just came back a few days ago. " After saying these words, Qi Cai Miao couldn't keep her eyes open anymore and fell asleep against the wall of the carriage car. Seeing this, Liu Yuniang stopped asking further questions. When they arrived at Qi Mansion, Qi Cai Miao was already deep asleep. They moved her to the bed and called in a doctor, who found out that she had indeed suffered a miscarriage and was struggling to recover. Liu Yuniang hurriedly asked: "Will she develop a chronic illness?" The doctor sighed: "It's hard to say. There are still a lot of cold things in this lady's body. It's not so easy to get rid of them." Just a fall may not be caused by others. Maybe it's her own carelessness. But this cold thing was never found when Qi Cai Miao gave birth to her previous children. In other words, someone deliberately poisoned her!

( t/n: Some explanation about the mention of 'cold things'. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) centers on the concepts of ying and yang and the desire to maintain balance within the body. In TCM, foods are grouped into "hot", "cold' and "neutral" based on their perceived effect on the body rather than their physical temperature. According to TCM, pregnant women should avoid cold foods because they're believed to cause poor blood circulation in the uterus, which may lead to miscarriage, bleeding, inhibit lactation, among other negative affects for the fetus and womb.

Essentially, someone deliberately gave Cai Miao something with these cold properties in order to ruin her body/pregnancy. )

Liu Huixin knew about this matter, and even knew the culprit. Liu Yuniang didn't make a fuss in Xu's house before. Firstly, there was no evidence, and secondly, she wanted to take Cai Miao back to see the doctor quickly. When she heard the doctor's words, she stood up suddenly: "Prepare the carriage, I'm going to the Xu Mansion." Everyone in the mansion heard about such a big commotion in Fuyuan, which had never been occupied by anyone. The father and son of the Qi family rushed over. Hearing these words as soon as he entered the door, Qi Zhengming quickly stepped forward: "You look like this, if someone didn't know better, they would think you are going to fight." "I want to seek justice for my daughter. If the Xu family is unreasonable, I can't guarantee that I won't really fight." Liu Yuniang walked out with her sleeves hanging, and when she passed by Qi Zhengming, her shoulder bumped into his. Qi Zhengming stretched out his hand to grab her: "We are all in-laws, and there are two children. What are you doing? If things get too awkward, how can we be relatives in the future?" Liu Yuniang was furious and slapped him hard. With the "pop" sound, all the servants looked over in shock. Even Qi Zhengming himself was stunned, covering his face with eyes filled with disbelief. Liu Yuniang was still angry: "Your daughter is like this, but you still only care about the relationship between relatives. It's better not to have such relatives." After saying this, she swung her sleeves and walked out.

Qi Zhengming reacted and chased her to the door: "You dare to hit me?"

Liu Yuniang didn't look back: "Anyone who stops me from seeking justice for my daughter is an enemy who wants to bully us mother and daughter! That includes you." Seeing that she was walking fast and was about to go out of the archway in a blink of an eye, Qi Zhengming wanted to chase her. The attendant at the door hurriedly stopped him: "Master, don't go yet." As he said that, he pointed at his face. Qi Zhengming noticed that his face was in great pain. Seeing his attendant's actions, he reached out to touch his cheek again, only to find that the area was hot and swollen. It should have become a five-fingered red mark. It was really embarrassing to go out with such a face. Qi Zhengming slapped the door and gritted his teeth: "Liu Huixin!" Liu Yuniang could have held back, but as long as she thought of what Qi Zhengming did and how he deceived Liu Huixin so miserably, she didn't want to endure it anymore. After the slap, her palm was red and still aching as she walked out. But she felt extremely happy. This dog man should have been beaten up a long time ago. Madam Xu knew something was wrong as soon as she saw the Liu family picking up their third daughter-in-law. The eldest daughter-in-law Young Madam Jiang was specially summoned over. Young Madam Jiang was brought back from a restaurant outside. After entering the house, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had not said a few words before they learned that Liu Huixin had returned. Everyone is related by marriage, and Liu Huixin is a good businessman. Madam Xu couldn't turn people away, so the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law went out to welcome her in person. "My son's mother-in-law, did you forget something?" Madam Xu looked extremely considerate: "You could have just sent a servant to pick it up, or you could send a message directly for me to deliver it. With our relationship, please don't be polite!" "I did come back to ask for something." After Liu Yuniang got off the carriage, she looked at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law with unkind eyes: "My daughter has consumed a lot of cold things, and I want to ask for justice." Madam Xu subconsciously turned her head to look at the eldest daughter-in-law beside her. After a breath, she suddenly realized that her expression was obviously revealing, and she quickly turned her head away. The movement was so loud that it made people's teeth ache. Young Madam Jiang hurriedly stepped forward: "Mother, are you badly injured?" She called out to the maid outside: "Hurry up and call the doctor!" Then, she looked at Liu Yuniang with an apologetic expression on her face: "Auntie, my mother is injured and is not in the condition for entertaining guests. If you have something to say, please come another day!" After saying this, she ordered the maid: "Send off the guests."

The next moment, the maid came in and stretched out her hand towards Liu Yuniang: "Madam, please." Liu Yuniang pushed away the maid's hand, walked to the chair and sat down on her own: "My daughter's mother-in-law, it's useless for you to pretend to be sick. I must get an explanation today. Otherwise, I won't leave. If you insist on protecting the culprit, , then I can only tell this matter to the public and let everyone judge. Let the people in this city see the behavior of your Xu family!" Madam Xu: "..." If that really happened, the Xu family would be completely disgraced. "My son's mother-in-law, that child Cai Miao was in good health before the miscarriage. I never knew she ate anything cold." Madam Xu said these words and looked at the old matron at the door: "Go and invite the cook from the small kitchen in their yard over and ask what the third lady likes to eat. Why has her health become so bad?" Liu Yuniang sneered: "My daughter's mother-in-law, I don't believe that Cai Miao would be stupid enough to take the initiative to eat these things. We are both mistresses of our house and have been housekeepers for many years. We have seen and heard all the secrets of the backyard. Please don't try these tricks on me." She touched the flowers on her sleeves and said leisurely: "Don't try to prevaricate with me, I want to know the truth."

Madam Xu looked embarrassed. Young Madam Jiang could not hold back and took two steps forward: "Auntie, I have known about my third sister-in-law's illness for a long time, but I have never heard about any cold things. If you hadn't said it, we wouldn't have known about it until now. Asking about a culprit is even more ridiculous!"

"I don't believe it." Liu Yuniang's eyes fell on Madam Xu: "Again, we are of the same status and are both smart people. I don't believe that someone has made a move in the mansion, but you don't know about it." She emphasized: "I'll say it again, if you don't tell me the truth, I will..."

Madam Xu's expression changed: "Don't!" She glanced at the eldest daughter-in-law beside her in a panic. For a moment she just felt caught in a dilemma.

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