#obviously I reblog a lot...haha

[stonerzelda]

anyway see you guys later if i dont die from being forced to be the girliest ive ever looked in my life tomorrow

[that-was-anticlimactic]

besties just out of curiosity, what's like... your favorite fic you've ever written? or favorite art you've ever created?

[sunrise-on-the-shore]

temporarily back with one post. i am not ready to fully come back.

all the stuff you need to know about the future of this blog are in the tags.

[junktastic]

I had a drawing months back that went kinda viral I guess, and it getting out of my normal sphere of followers meant that I got to observe how folks far outside of my twitter sphere interact with twitter and others. For reference, I am talking about this image:

The context, besides getting to draw my friend Jenny, was that I saw a picture that was of an anime girl that said "lets be in our early 30s together" and I was like "haha, I will make my own version of this." Part of it was also that I think aging is fine, and we need to stop stressing so much over staying young. "Lets be in our mid-thirties together" is not a joke, I sincerely wanted this image to be warm and inviting, to maybe give people hope that there will be friends and people who love you once you get to that age. I never thought I was going to make it to 30, and I just turned 35 this year, and I'm the happiest I've ever been.

Some responses were obviously teens/early 20s people saying they don't want to get that old, which is whatever. When you're that young the dirty thirty sounds so ugly. No one cool is in their 30s! Well, if you ignore the people who make all the things they like. These responses I waved these off.

I saw the typical twitter experience replies of "this doesn't apply to me?" Ok bitch! Go make your own like I did! And show me when you do, I'd love to see it!

There was a handful of people who were saying "retweet to scare a twink" which I felt was kind of rude. Not to me, but to the twinks out there. Aging doesn't make you less of a twink.

Lots of people were sending it to their significant others or saying they hope to find someone to be in their mid-thirties with, which I love. :3 It makes me happy!

The one kind of response which is what I made this post for and I'm so sorry that I've been rambling, that I found weird was the people who will reply to just you. The OP. As if they are replying to everyone in the thread. I'm not talking about in QRTs, just straight in the replies. "Don't forget how tired she looks in this." Brother I drew the picture. I know. And ever since then I feel like, as someone who loves to read the replies on other people's tweets, I notice this a lot more often. Who are they talking to? Is this what people are referring to when they say "Main Character Syndrome?" Or should I be lumping these together with the "why isn't this about my exact personal life situation" people?

My fiancé says I'm thinking about this too hard (I got engaged last month btw), and he's probably right. I can't help but be curious about how other people choose to interact with the internet and images and people on it. And, I guess, am I supposed to reply? How should I feel about these. I guess I have to decide that on my own.

For the record, you are all very normal/understandable when it comes to what you guys tag my stuff with. That you love the girls (same!), that they're very gender (love this), or wow is this [insert fetish](not my intention but that's the internet). I feel like the slime girls get the "gender" comment the most and you are all so right for that. Every time I see people reblog my ocs I think "Thank you for loving [name]."

That's all! This was a pointless post but I'm unemployed right now so I have too much time to overthink things for no reason. How do YOU feel about how people interact with your posts? Are they weird? Or are they normal about it.

[filmofhybe]

hii!! can i request how enha would accidentally reveal their relationship with idol!reader?

enhypen accidentally revealing their relationship

pairing : ot7! x reader genre : fan x Idol , fluff 793 words warning : none really

a/n : I have skl next week again so imma try clearing up all my request by Sunday and Monday 😭

> masterlist of my other works

© filmofhybe on tumblr — do not copy , translate or share.

정원 jungwon + 희 승 heeseung

The ones that will try to keep it professional. But they can’t contain their blushing and they just want to punch themselves in the face. Covering their red face or even their red ears as the interviewer is also shocked by the news. Since the interview was live, everyone than took it to social media immediately to spread love and support to both of you. But he made a big promise on the interview which made everyone melt.

“So jungwon / heeseung who do you love the most in your life.”

“Besides my family, I really love my girlfriend, y/n y/l/n- wait. Omg.Wait.Is this live?”

“STOP WHAT YOUR DATING Y/N..?”

“omg I didn’t mean to reveal it..”

“oh my goodness this just caught me so off guard.”

“everyone is saying stop covering your cute blushing face hahaha!!”

“Guys I didn’t mean to reveal it but please show us lots of support we are trying our best thank you so much.”

“I will take care of my dear y/n so her fans don’t have to worry!”

“Ahh young love these days are so cute wishing you both the best! Let’s move on to another question!”

박종성 Park Jeongseong + 심재윤 Sim Jaeyun +성훈 Sunghoon

The ones that didn’t even realize they said it out loud and also the ones that doesn’t care if they revealed it or not🙃 had to pause and process did they just revealed your relationship to the internet. But they didn’t care and continued to show you off, even pictures of you both on dates and your daily dog walks😭

“so how’s life been for you?”

“Is been so good I’m living with my girlfriend and our dog-”

“wait what your dating? Dating who?”

“y/n y/l/n, is it not- oh shit I’m sorry I didn’t realize. I got too ahead of myself anyways..”

“we have been doing so well. She’s really sweet and recently I got her a promise ring which is the one she’s currently wearing in this picture. And this is her walking our dog. And this is a recent picture we took at her brother’s wedding.” (Bro was so proud)

“bro just exposed his own relationship before his own company?” The interviewed was like 😦😅

“The company is taking the piss they make me go insane I’ll be so real with you.”

fans was laughing at his comment about the company but also super nice about your relationship and they are glad he found someone to take good care of him.

선우 Sunoo + にしむら りき Nishimura Riki

the clueless ones. The ones that tries to cover up. Saying you are just his celebrity crush but obviously fans knows is not true from the amounts of obvious interaction between you both on Music Award Shows as well as the vlogs. Fans would be shock cuz you both are literally opposite of each other (the sunshine x midnight duo😝). But they are all so happy you guys are together because you fit each other so well. It was just an unexpected duo.

“So who is your celebrity crush?”

“My girlfriend- I mean my crush is y/n y/l/n. Her style and personality is really cute- I’m sorry haha..”

“Oop I guess we know what’s going on right?”

“ah… didn’t mean to reveal that much…” he was now covering his face from embarrassment

“Is okay! Wishing you both the best!”

Comes home and whines how everyone knows now but at least he gets to show you off!!

series taglist : @surefornext @spilled-coffee-cup @skepvids @amymyli @in-somnias-world @okjaeminn @nonotwice1 @thinkmyg @blubbfsh

Reblog , comment or dm to be on my perm taglist !

[mazeinthemiroh]

me when i can’t sleep rn so i’m reading ur fics to pass the time 😭 could you do a skz reaction when their s/o has insomnia? i need that in my head :[ thank you!

stray kids reactions to their s/o having insomnia

genre: fluff, slight crack

word count: 0.9k

warnings: none

pls like and reblog if you enjoyed! feel free to request anything <3

bangchan

we all know that bangchan has his fair share of insomnia too. so you are both going to be suffering together <3 no but for real, he understands the struggle and he's most understanding with it. so he knows, as much as he wants you to sleep so you can be healthy, it's not always that easy. so some nights you will stay up working with him, maybe at the studio. he will be working on his music while you'll be catching up with something to do with your work or studies. alternatively, you'll both be in his bed, cuddling each other and binge-watching some anime, before you eventually pass out in each other's arms.

lee know

"if you can't sleep, hug leebit." you find that this is your boyfriend's solution for everything, these days. leebit apparently has magical healing powers and can grant to wish of sleep to those who crave it. obviously, this is not the case. whether you are hugging your little plushie buddy, or you're cuddling into your actual boyfriend, none of that is of any use to you. you still can't sleep. lee know's only solution is to take advantage of the times you are awake to just talk to you, in a soft, gentle, soothing voice. you think this doesn't work at first, but after talking to him for a while, with you in his arms, suddenly your eyelids get heavier....

changbin

being a healthy, strapping young lad himself, he knows sleep is very important. he also values your health very much, almost as much as his own. after 5 minutes of research he realises that exercise during the day can improve someone's sleep schedule. being the gym bro that he is, he jumps at the opportunity and, one day, he drags you to the gym with him. you had no idea how this would help until you got back home after you had been to the gym and done other things after. when it started to get dark outside, your body relaxed easily into your boyfriend's arms as you drifted slowly to sleep.

hyunjin

well, hyunjin starts obsessing over different types of herbal teas you can drink to make you feel sleepy. he stays up all night with you, researching the benefits of chamomile tea, and if lavender or magnolia tea cures insomnia?? he's also into aromatherapy, so probably buys you an air purifier you love him for that. he also suggests yoga and meditation, even offering to start doing it with you with a cute little smile on your face. he loves jumping at the chance to help you in some way, and he values his precious baby :( he just wants you to be healthy and feel better in yourself, and he knows once you've finally found a way to get some sleep, it will do the world of good.

han

haha, you think you're going to get any sleep when han is your boyfriend? no chance! you both are staying up late at night talking about a lot of nonsense. and i mean this is every night. han's brain is so interesting and fun because he can jump from one subject to another, and his energy seems to give you energy. so he isn't exactly helping your insomnia. or at least, at first. you realise that talking to him for hours makes you feel much more relaxed. you have forgotten about your worries, the stress of the upcoming week, the negative feelings that have been bothering you that day. he makes you feel more content, and this happy feeling soon drifts you off into sleep-land.

felix

felix strives to make your sleeping environment as cosy and comfortable as possible. he buys you plushies (of course he gets you a bbokari first <3), really comfy pillows, a little night-light, etc... he will also recommend his favourite asmr channels, but you tend to stick to the asmr that he has actually done, which does seem to help a lot. this is for all when he's away and not physically with you. when he is with you, he will talk to you in a whispered tone, caressing your back and arms and making you as relaxed as possible.

seungmin

okay, so there are two go-to methods of his if you suffer from insomnia. first one being, he will read to you. sometimes if he has sleepless nights, he will listen to a podcast to drift off to sleep. so he knows that his voice might be able to calm you down and relax you enough to sleep. or, he will sing to you :( imagine his soft, gentle voice singing your favourite comfort songs to lull you to sleep. part of him thinks this isn't going to work until he sees you, curled up to his side, finally sleeping. and it's all thanks to his beautiful talent.

jeongin

one time, when you are laying beside him, struggling to get to sleep, he noticed you tossing and turning. so you decided to tell him about your insomnia. jeongin's initial reaction is to book you into sleep therapy or buy you some melatonin to help you. but he knows both of those things take time. so, for now, what he does do is carefully curate a perfect sleep playlist for you. whether it will help or not, he doesn't know. but he wants to at least try for you. and he is so happy when he sees his plan work.

[k4katsujin]

ATSV CHARACTERS AT THE BEACH!!?!?!?!?!?!?!,

i just came (haha funny word) home from the beach and im hella exhausted but :3 it's been a while since i last posted smth "real" on here so there i go 🕺🏻

(apologies to @ukranianacearo im working on your request i promise my computer keeps dying and the heat make it hell to finish BUT we 🆙️ 🫡)

SO content :3 // headcanons only, miguel, hobie, both miles and peter b parker are included :D and indeed gender neutral reader,, enjoy 🕺🏻🫶🏼

also idk if that makes sense but reader is in a separate relationship with all the characters and slightly ooc everyone 🫡

☆ hobie is the one who proposed going to the beach and you'd be the only one who hyped him up. the hardest spidersociety's member to convince obviously being miguel, you ran to lyla to do so. (since he has a soft spot for her he said yes, not for fun but to watch on you and the others. (but he actually ends up having fun)

"come on, it'll be fun!plus, it would be a shame to not come since it's like 35 degrees outside, and it'd give you a well-deserved vacation"

+ he's the kind to throw you in the freezing water because he'd find it funny how you're mad at him afterwards (but you never stay mad at him for a long time because look at that man. he is a slut. (in a pretty way) + he's also the kind of boyfriend to carry you on his shoulders to like. idk what's that's called but like he'd have on his shoulders and fight another person on another's shoulders. (you would lose bc you didn't stop moving)

☆ miguel would be the grumpy kind for sure. he came there because he knew that'd make him happy and you know he can't help it when it comes to his sunshine <3 (guess lyla isn't his only soft spot X)) he would definitely hold you like a princess in the water and teach you how to swim if you don't know how to,, he'd even find it cute

(in a soft tone) "why do you want to go to the beach? to learn how to swim? OK i'll gladly teach you :D"

and then he'd just turn into the softest teacher ever bc it'd remind him of teaching his daughter. eventually you didn't succeed at learning how to swim, but at least you spent a very wholesome moment together :D

☆peter would be the crackhead dad XD i js feel like you'd be the one watching him and mayday and even help him teach mayday to swim :3 + he'd be like super hyper because going to the beach isn't something he does often bc of his spiderman job and stuff so :3

"what did you say?? you want to go to the beach with me and mayday?? YES PLEASE. ITS BEEN YEARS SINCE I HAD ANY FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT."

☆ 1610 miles would be so hype bc he never went to the beach before, so going with his partner for the first time? he sure is happy :D

"wait?!?!?! is this a kind of date? this is so cool!!!"

but then the heat would just make you too tired to actually swim so you'd just chill, like cuddles and stuff

☆earth 42 miles wouldn't be hyped at first because he's more of an indoors person, like to him going outside when it's already hot us unuseful

"don't you want to stay inside? not gonna lie, im a bit lazy to go out right now."

but he accepts, and he had more fun than he would ever admit

the two last ones seem hurried im sorry 😭😭😭

but :> hope you enjoyed!

please reblog it helps a lot with reach, please, and thank you!

[wasyago]

okay don't mind me just gonna ramble for a second haha-

(this was originally going to be under the drawing, but it got too long, and i can't add it in a reblog because both things are on queue, so separate post it is)

i just love how every time i start a drawing im like "well alright, just a quick sketch yea? no color, maybe some gray to white gradient and that's it, okay?". and then i start drawing (and obviously it takes longer than i thought because duh) and i go "okay but- i gotta at least do the flat colors, right? just the flats- maybe even some random colors to not spend too much time on it--". and then. of course. i do the flats, and im pretty happy with the result yeah? looks simple but not too simple, like it has some color some personality to it, but its not over the top so. so, i leave the drawing i go to get some water and start on an actual piece, and when i come back and take a look at what i drew its like, "well. listen. listen-- yeah im still pretty happy with how it looks but, but. it could be a little better, yea?" and then i sit down, put my water down, put my other drawing to the side, and i sit there making this quick sketch look better. "oh i don't like the colors anymore! but its all on one layer now so i can't exactly change them, plus i still like the idea, so maybe some filters? yeaj some filters on top will do!" (and of course its a yellow shade filter, because im original like that and 90% of my drawings don't also have it on). and then i add them filters and i think" well maybe some bounce light now? surely it already looks better with the filter but its kinda flat, and i want to bring *a little bit* of the original color in" so i add the bounce light, but now it looks out of place! shocker! so i decide that surely i can maybe add some grass at the bottom to hide the edge of the drawing a little. and well, alright, grass looks good, but its too dark, brings a lot of attention to it! and i can't exactly make it lighter, so, the logical choice would be to make the characters darker too, bring some contrast into the thing! and lets just do all the values while we're at it, why not! patterns to the horse, make the pants and skin darker, yes yes. and, oh- but now the eyes are lost because there's more dark hues! gotta make a new layer on top and make them eyes a little bit darker, maybe also color the bandana red and not brown so it looks special, hm? oh and! while we're on this top layer, lets also fix up the hair a little, maybe add some blush... oh and the straps of the saddle look weird, gotta fix those too! oh man and not that i look at it-- the head is too big! lets merge all the layers together and start that same thing over again! yes yes make the head a little smaller, yeah looks much better now! oh, better add some fading as well, to make it fit in the background a little, oh and some glow, suuure sure, and some lights in the eyes, and-

(and now that im looking at it, i realize that i somehow didn't save the final version????? like, i did a lot more to the thing, fixed up the saddle and that awkward shade oh his knee, and the grass-- i wont fix it now because NOW im too lazy to do it for some reason, but yeah, a bit unfortunate u_u)

anyways, point being, love art, art is pog, wish i cared a little less about it sometimes, but it also turnes this into this (imagine me pointing at the drawings as i say that, overly dramatic and sounding a little annoyed with myself)

[iknowyuu]

Hey! Anon from the last ask. Sieun dating head canons. Like what would be his live language? How open he is to PDA?

dating hcs w/ yeon sieun

kdrama! yeon sieun x gender neutral! reader

↝ wc: <1k

note: i just had the most sick experience on omegle 😭 but schools finally done woo!!!

REBLOGS + COMMENTS >>>> LIKES

content: hcs

- STUDY DATES, OBVIOUSLY. - whenever you come to his house you def bring coffees - bc best believe that he's gonna stay up till, what, 2am? - all studying for his new classes in his new school :( - but don't be sad because you're there to support him - throughout everything <3 - but back to the study dates, lots and lots of back hugs from you to him - when he's hunched over you place your arms around him and squish your cheek into his - "you should take a break," kiss on his cheek, "it's been like an hour since i came and you haven't," another kiss on his cheek, "even gotten up from your seatttt!!" you drag out the last syllable in an attempt to seal the deal.. - bros got a heart of STEEL - "later.." he says, not even looking up at you. - brah... - BUT SOMETIMES HE DOES COMPLY TO YOUR WISHES!! :] - whenever he's not studying he's usually at your house with you - and you bet you make sure he does not bring that damn textbook with him - not in your house!!!!!!!!!!!! - but usually it's him watching your latest obsession with you - and it's not like you force him to or anything……… - LMFAO NO BUT he usually agrees - he wants to not only bc he cares about what you like but also he doesnt have much to contribute in that department SJSJS - but also whenever you're watching movies he likes to sit really close to you and lay his head on your shoulder - sobbing and dying literally the most heartwarming thing EVER - and when your heart is feeling especially warm you'll turn and kiss the side of his head <3 - sometimes he'll turn towards you and just stare - with those big adorable eyes of his&^%$* - just looking at you with expectancy... - till you get the hint and lean in with your hand on his cheek, giving him what he wanted - a little kiss <3 - he’s not very comfortable with pda but on the occasion he’ll be fine with linking pinkies !! - or sometimes when he’s feeling bold, he’ll.. get this.. completely hold your hand!!!! - interlaced fingers and all :,) - his favourite thing that you do is playing with his hair - obviously he’s very stressed a good majority of the time - whether it’s about the dropping grades or his friends.. - yk, dying 😭 - you’re always there to comfort him in a way that makes him forget about his worries, - and that’s playing with his hair :> - your fingers in his hair, - or at the nape of his neck <3 - his eyes literally flutter closed HAHA - and even when you guys are making out, your fingers in his hair - UGH its like pure bliss for him - the literal definition of butterflies in your stomach!!!!! - also movie dates !! - but like in the comfort of his room, with his laptop - you show him every single one of your favourites!!! - he falls asleep sometimes bc of how sleep deprived he is :( - but that just means lots of cuddles!!!! - (and kisses) - you’re really distracting him from his studies 😭

<3

taglist (send an ask/comment to be added or removed!): @brxght-world @karyuliee @kkaesslovr @qtaisuu @midnightgyu @neteyams-wife @insomngyu @raybeomgyuu @woonierkiz @venus-fly-trap105

[dattosdan]

Kris doesn't NEED to remove their soul.

So, this is a short one, something i was thinking about earlier today was, hey, kris moves a lot, even when they have the soul inside them don't they?

Let me show you a few examples of this, before i get into my reasoning.

These are the two moments leading up to them ripping their soul out, obviously they wouldn't be able to rip it out, if they couldn't move at all before hand.

This is kris defending susie of their own free will, implying, that they could maybe even FIGHT without us.

This is kris backing away from spamton on their own, to be fair, frisk also does this when omega flowey appears, so this might be instinctual and not of their own volition.

And finally, this is kris turning around AWAY from the player, perhaps to not show their face or emotions to us, theres also a scene from the weird route, where they turn around from us, and refuse to show us susie and noelle, but i'm kinda lazy so i didnt feel like grabbing that one.

The point i wanted to make here, was that kris has a LOT of autonomy, even when the soul is inside them, so why do they feel the need to rip out their soul at all? To risk DYING? They don't feel the need to rip out their soul in less dire circumstances, so why do they always do it at the end of a chapter?

I get the reason from a meta perspective, it's to show kris is doing these actions of their own volition, separate from the player, aka the soul.

But what's the in-canon reason?

I came up with a couple of my own explanations for it, if any of you have your own your more than welcome to add on.

My first explanation is as follows: This is SUPER meta but, maybe kris needs to TRIGGER a CUTSCENE in order to move around, think about it, in literally every other screenshot i showed you besides the ones where they rip out their soul, someone else had triggered a cutscene, and kris could move in it, maybe kris can ONLY move in a cutscenes as a protagonist, maybe ripping out their soul is the only way they can trigger such a thing, but like i said, this is pretty meta, so i would get if you don't believe this.

The second explanation is as follows: Maybe kris doesnt want us to SEE what they are doing, but could do it regardless of us being in them, this is the one that is least believable in my opinion, mostly because like, at the end of chapter 2, they arnt even trying to hide what they are doing from us, but i mean, they HAVE hidden stuff from us before, so it wouldn't exactly be out of character for them to do, maybe they thought we couldn't see inside the couch cushions?

The third, and final explanation i have, is as follows: Yes they can move with us in them, and has SOME degree of autonomy even while we are controlling them, but it's not enough to do what they WANT to do, this is probably the most believable, maybe they don't have FULL control over themselves when we are in them, only able to make minor movements or actions, and they NEED to rip out their soul to travel further, and do some other stuff like open dark fountains, after all, determination is ones very will, you wouldn't be able to open a dark fountain with someone ELSES will inside you, someone who doesn't WANT TO do that, could you?

Anyway, this is just a thought I had, sorry, I really thought this was gonna be shorter, but once I start typing, I can't really stop haha.

Uh, feel free to leave your own thoughts or ideas about this in comments or reblogs, sorry for not posting in so long, life has gotten... Busy, and I don't have as much free time as I used to.

[rockitmans]

Can you recommend an obscure or less talked about Klaine one shot that you really like?

Hmm it's hard to know what's obscure because I tend to read what I see on tumblr so I assume I kind of read similarly to everyone else. But here's a few!

So Much Better by @forabeatofadrum. Obviously I just reblogged my ask about it and as I said this is very special and I think everyone should read it. I think about it at least once a week.

Zip Tease by @special-bc-ur-part-of-it. Iz has a lot of amazing one shots but just giving this one as an example because it's a lot of fun and it's only short but the characterization is so on point and it's like a little munch of comfort fic.

feel my heart's intention. by @kurtsascot if you're looking for something longer. This is just perfectly executed enemies to lovers, I adore it. Also when I went to find this I noticed you have a new fic Genevieve so I am gonna read that after this haha. (also a one shot btw for anons attention :P)

It Only Takes A Taste (When It's Something Special) by hippohead. Another author with a lot of great one shots of varying lengths. This one is epistolary and just really an amazingly told story. It has a lot of kudos but I've never heard anyone talk about it so maybe it counts?

(don't) answer the phone by dizzywhiz. This author has a lot of fun fics with really fresh plots and this is one of them

Golden by @jinglejavey (trying various urls until I found the right one haha). The fic is just so beautiful and wrenching and like makes you feel the full spectrum of human emotion??? Like just another day with Aly's fics basically.

My Heart, It Pounds, Yeah You Got Me by nineofhearts, raimykeller. Maybe this one isn't obscure to be fair but it's very funny and I just love the authors' voice, it's so comfy to read

[oscconfessions]

Sigh... I'm gonna add my two cents about the Balloon arospec drama(I'm AroAce BTW) and by my two cents I mean I'll mention it two times and just talk about something else related. I'll also be providing some knowledge about AroAceness and all that.

For those of you who don't know,

Aro: Aromantic - Little to no romantic attraction.

Ace: Asexual - Little to no sexual attraction.

Aro+Ace are spectrums and aren't just "every Aro person doesn't feel any kind of romantic attraction" or "every Ace person can't feel sexual attraction." I feel as tbough people forget that all the time so I wanted to remind you lot haha.

I'm noticed this kind of drama a few times, where people argue about a character on where they are on the AroAce spectrum. It's difficult for me to put what I think into words here, but if a character(either canon AroAce or not) doesn't have a canon placement on the spectrum then whatever, go wild.

To help with my previous statement, I'll use SakiK from... SaikiK. People generally agree he's AroAce, yet people argue about where he is on that spectrum(mainly the Aromantic part). Since it's not ever stated where he is on that spectrum(or even if he is AroAce but SHHHSHSHHSH 🤫🤫), everyone has their own interpretation of it.

I believe it should be the same for Balloon, unless Balloon comes on screen and says "I am *insert very specific thing here* " as he points to a picture of the Aro spectrum then its to to you. Obviously, don't make him a sex crazed fiend or constantly searching for love, you eejit, but it should be up to interpretation.

A little off-topic here, sorry, but I wanted to bring up umbrella terms in both the Aro and Ace spectrums(I'm included ace because eh why not! This is for my people who HC Balloon as Aro AND Ace 🙏🙏)

Here are some terms under both the aro and ace spectrums. I feel as though you guys and many, MANY others tend to forget that there are umberlla terms for AroAce. I'll define them below:

Ace umbrella:

Aceflux: someone whose sexual orientation fluctuates but generally stays on the asexual spectrum

Greysexual: only experience sexual attraction some of the time, and sometimes not at all.

Demisexual: An individual who does not experience sexual attraction until after a close emotional bond has been formed.

Aro umbrella:

Aroflux: someone whose romantic orientation fluctuates but generally stays on the aromantic spectrum

Greyromantic: Some may feel a strong emotional connection with others but do not desire romantic relationships, while others may feel a weak romantic attraction to some people but not all.

Demiromantic: An individual who does not experience romantic attraction until after a close emotional bond has been formed.

Now, there are MANY more, feel free to add in the replies or the reblogs (o: !

Also, my apologies that this post was very long! Also also, my personal opinion on Balloons arospec thing? Idfk, lmao. TBH, this was kinda an excuse to just talk about stuff I like and am interested in so... 👍I've seen the tweet where one of the people who worked on II said yes, Balloon is meant to be Aro, but I couldn't tell you if they went into specifics about it. Sorry for constantly saying AroAce instead of just aro for Balloon, I felt like it was still important to include all my asexuals out there and educate others about it.

(BTW! Any inaccurate info, PLEASE, PLEASE correct in the replies)

Anyway!

TL;DR:

If a character who is just stated to be AroAce(not demi, grey, flux ETC) and never has their place on the spectrum explained whatsoever, it's okay to have a little fun experimenting with it IYKWIM. As I've stated, we all have our own interpretation of the AroAce character and there's no point arguing about it and getting mad because that's fucking stupid, unless they start actively getting rid of the AroAce rep then burn them to the stakes! /j

I know how wild you mother fuckers can be, so don't shank me please. If you disagree, take a deep breath and remain calm because getting all pissy about this isn't gonna do shit. Try to go about it calmly and reasonably. <3

I'd love to see others' opinions on this, remember to be respectful! 🩵

.

[honeyhoneypot]

See you reblogging a post asking people to discuss fanfic process and thought

(๑･̑◡･̑๑) 👀

You know that plant angst TikTok trends? (Jupiter was a failed star, Venus was the plant of love,) what character in curled up would fit that trend?

Also, what is your thoughts process on certain scenes or events? Do you just write them as soon as you get the idea, or plan them? (Like that bathroom scene with Alejandro and Noah hanging out together, or the Gwen and Berger being drunk and Noah watching them? (Side note that moment lives rent free in my head))

Also what made you add the icurus mythology plot line? Was it because of the vibes or because no other Greek mythology would work specifically for these dramatic nerds?

Ok byeeeeee (´∀｀)

hello!! honestly omg I had to think about the planet trend because i wasn't entirely sure if any of them would fit them completely, but I think Gwen as 'venus planet of love was destroyed by global warming' fits pretty well! i think noah would think of himself like the moon that's light is just the refection of the suns, but i'm not sure about anyone else omg, feel free to lmk if you have any opinions on this!!

when it comes to the actual writing bits, I try to plan out most of the important scenes before I write them! for example, in the dinner party chapter, i knew that I wanted Gwen and Heather to have their little romantic moment, and for that to lead into Alejandro and Noah having their moments on the balcony and in the bathroom, (as well as like an izzy and gwen reunion moment & the noah and gwen bathroom scene but they aren't that important lmao) so i planned out a those scenes before I started the chapter and kind of filled the rest of it in like a puzzle!

its probably not the most efficient way to do it, but i'm not really aiming for perfect and its pretty fun! so i enjoy it haha

i think the reason I included the Icarus myth was because I had just finished a second read of the iliad when i started writing curled up like a pill bug, and I had just bought a copy of ovids metamorphoses the day i published the first chapter lmao. I really liked the idea of including one of my interests in a fic about one of my other interests, so it was really just a matter of choosing a myth omg!

I didn't want it to be something obviously extremely tragic (like achilles and patroclus, or honestly a lot of greek myths specifically about love) because I wanted to kind of portray how much Noah was overthinking everything, and I wanted one that I could kind of mould into the story as i moved along, and i thought it fit pretty well haha (I also just thought it would be a fun thing to write about lmao)

i hope these are good answers omg!!! sorry for the late response ive been wicked sick lmao

NEW CHAPTER OUT SOON BTW and it's CRAZY omg!! :))

[mypoisonedvine]

it's finally happening! another sleepover!

those of you who have followed for a while remember when I hosted sleepovers every saturday night, and they were always so fun. I'm too busy to do that now, but when I saw that I had (somehow, miraculously) reached thirty thousand followers (!?!?!?!), I knew this was the only way to celebrate.

so first of all, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me and my writing over the years!! you are genuinely what keeps me going and it's so amazing to share my works with you guys!

starting friday evening (exact time tbd but I will start accepting requests and other asks early!) and continuing through most of saturday, I will be taking requests, playing games, and interacting with you guys which I have missed so so much <3

SLEEPOVER GAMES

requests!

of course, requests. send a drabble/headcanon idea for any character/actor/fandom I've written for before (check my masterlist!) - obviously not every request will get written because I just get too many, but I'm gonna try to have a lot of diversity in terms of fandoms, characters, and kinks.

emoji games!

🎵 ~ send a character name + the music note emoji and I will tell you a song that makes me think of the character and why!

😍 ~ send a character name + the heart eyes emoji and I will talk about what I think they're like when they have a crush on someone!

💋 ~ send a character name + the kiss emoji and I will write about what I think they're like during a makeout session

🖋️ ~ send a title of one of my fics + the fountain pen emoji and I will tell you about the 'behind the scenes' of the fic, any alternate titles or endings I considered, etc.

other games!

would you rather ~ this one is a bit self-explanatory, but if you send me a would you rather question (ideally fandom/character related) I'll pick my preference and maybe write about it a bit (e.g. "would you rather hook up with eddie munson in a bar or be steve harrington's friend-with-benefits?")

fuck, marry, kill ~ three character names and I have to decide which ones to fuck, marry, and kill

spouse, one-night stand, best friend ~ same thing but slightly different categories, based on that one shitpost I made that has like a bajillion notes for no reason

reblog, sequel, delete ~ this is my version of 'fuck marry kill' but for fics! send me three of my fic titles and I have to decide which one I'd reblog to promote, which one I'd write a sequel to, and which one I'd delete hypothetically. not doing any random sequels and definitely not deleting an old fic haha it's just about which one has room for a sequel and which one doesn't!

other rules: 18+ only for the entire sleepover and my blog; this is a celebration for my followers so I ask that you follow me before you participate; please no necro/snuff, raceplay, underage, or scat kink requests; do not resend questions or requests, it takes me a while to get through everything; feel free to send multiple different requests/games just keep in mind I'm trying to mix it up so I won't do the same thing over and over!

tagging mutuals and friends who may want to participate, and who have been so helpful and important to me since I started this blog c: @quinnsmunson @starduststevie @mydearzero @earlgreydream @candyflossfairy @iraot @trelaney @wroteclassicaly @navybrat817 @breakoutt @mustyrosewater @syddsatyrn @littledemondani @writteninsaturn @pedgito @rosemaremembrance @ethereal27cereal @spiderrrling @hellfiremunsonn @foxgloveprincess @sagelunatic @always-andromeda @ebiemidnightlibrarian @sweetdreamsbuck @bubblebuckys @prcents @bruhlsbees @aarielsea @chrissquares @gogolucky13 @obsessedprincess @thesoftdumbass @whatevermonkey @inber @badwolfbadwolf @pedrospascalian @hornystan @cyberpunkyunho @serenalyon @emsgoodthinkin @ultraintrovertedgryffindor

[thehollowwriter]

Summary: Ace, trapped as an anenome, gets a new supervisor- Finn Clearcove. He's weird and awfully quiet, but Ace figures he can get him to lend a hand in this awful anenome situation. Surely nothing will go wrong, right?

(Pls reblog and leave a comment ❤)

The Quiet Octavinelle Student

Ace Trappola was not good at owning up to his errors. He was stubborn and headstrong, refusing to back down once he had made decision unless it was clear that it would affect him negatively.

Right now, though, was an exception.

Making a contract with Azul Ashengrotto was a mistake.

Ace let out a slow steady breath through his nostrils and closed his eyes. His heart would not steady in his chest, the dread and fear of being called to the VIP room for no specified reason overloading every other emotion.

Ace crossed and uncrossed his legs nervously, leaning against the cool black leather of the couch. It was so soft, so comfortable, and he would be sleepy if he weren't so stressed.

He glanced at the clock, swallowing. Azul should be here by now, dishing out a punishment for whatever stupid rule Ace had broken. Where was he? He had to feed the flamingos soon.

Regret pulled him deeper and deeper into an inky abyss of shame as he thought back on his previous life decisions.

Making a contract with Azul Ashengrotto for study notes was a mistake. His own dorm leader was the top student in the school and Trey-senpai had a miraculous way of helping others understand difficult topics

The help was right there. His salvation was right there.

Now he was stuck doing dishes, dealing with customers, cleaning the lounge or whatever other gruelling tasks had been set up for him and other anenomes.

Ace was just briefly beginning to consider getting up and running away when the door opened and Azul Ashengrotto entered the room with that swift but elegant stride of his. Ace gulped.

"Apologies for my tardiness, the dorm leader meeting took a lot longer than planned." Azul said matter-of-factly, taking a seat across from Ace.

"I suppose you are wondering why I called you here." He said, skipping the pleasantries. "And no you are not in trouble. This time."

Ace let out a sigh of relief and relaxed against his seat before straightening. "Then uh, what am I here for, boss?"

Azul shot him him a look and cleared his throat.

"You have a shift at Mostro Lounge on Sunday and unfortunately neither Jade nor Floyd will be there to supervise you. I am quite busy myself, so I have entrusted your care to another member of staff. My-" He paused, furrowing his brow. "Fourth in command if you will."

Ah. That.

One of the worst parts about being anenome, apart from his loss of free will and time, was the supervision.

Usually either Jade or Floyd, a pair of eyes would be on him at all times, watching him like a hawk and taking delight in punishing him if he messed up.

Ace shuddered at the memory of Floyd's wide toothy smile and tight suffocating grip.

Obviously whoever Azul had in mind to supervise him was going to be almost if not just as scary as those two and Ace was feeling queasy just thinking about it.

"H-Haha... okay. Sounds great..."

Azul's lips twisted into a smirk. "Don't sound so dejected. Finn Clearcove is far more pleasant than Jade and Floyd."

Okay. Ace had no idea who that was.

"Who?"

"Finn Clearcove." Azul pushed his glasses up his nose. "A second year. He's quite evasive so it's no surprise you haven't heard of him. I will introduce the two of you on Sunday and then we will go from there. Dismissed."

Ace scrambled to get up and bid his goodbyes, rushing to the door so he could get to Heartslabyul in time to feed the flamingos.

"Ace?"

Ace stopped and looked at Azul.

"Yeah?"

"Do tell the prefect to wash Grim more often, he's not a very useful sponge anymore."

Ace's heart jumped to his throat and he mumbled a shakey "y-yeah okay" and fled.

Ace arrived at Heartslabyul stressed, fed the flamingos stressed, told Deuce to shut up stressed, had supper stressed, and went to bed stressed.

He couldn't sleep that night. He couldn't sleep any night before a shift, but now it was worse because he... he had no idea who exactly would be watching over him tomorrow.

Azul said that Finn Clearcove was much more pleasant than the twins but... Azul was a strange guy with strange views on things. He couldn't be trusted.

Then again, he had also described Riddle and Trey as "pleasant".

Riddle... and... Trey.

Trey.

Ace's eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright.

Obviously Finn was an Octavinelle student, so he was probably fairly shady, but if Azul lumped him in the same category as Trey of all people than surely there was a chance at mercy? A chance at... freedom, perhaps?

A grin crawled its way onto Ace's face and stayed there, even as he lay back down again.

"Yeah." He said softly. "That'll work."

***

Ace arrived at Mostro Lounge bright and early, partly to avoid punishment and partly to impress his would be saviour.

Azul was waiting for him near the kitchen entrance, his eyes widening in slight surprise at Ace's early arrival.

"Ah you're on time for once, I see." The dorm leader drawled. "Excellent. Ace Trappola, this is Finn Clearcove. Finn, this is the first year you will be watching over."

Azul gestured to his right and Ace's eyes locked onto what was possibly the tiniest seventeen year old Ace had ever seen.

He was smaller than Riddle by a large margin, despite being very chubby, with large amethyst purple eyes and fluffy seaweed green hair.

Ace bit his lip to keep in a short joke, though short probably wasn't good enough to describe this guy.

"Pipsqueak would be more accurate." He thought.

Finn nodded his head in silent understanding, avoiding Ace's eyes and gesturing for him to follow him into the kitchen.

He then waved his pen and the kitchen uniform appeared in his hands and he began to put it on.

Aha so they would be cooking today!

Well, Ace wouldn't be. He wasn't trusted with any cooking equipment or food unless he took the masterchef course and had an additional training and safety course from either Azul or someone else from Mostro Lounge.

"You will be on dishes duty today." Finn said suddenly, pulling Ace from his thoughts.

His voice was soft and gentle like a cloud, but held a firmness that gripped his attention like a vice. The pointed edges of his teeth barely poked from his lips. Ah, so he was like Floyd and Jade.

He gestured to the sink. "Work fast. We have a busy day today, we can't afford filth piling up." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't. Break. Anything."

Ace was sure that, perhaps to like a twelve year old something, Finn was plenty intimidating. However it was incredibly hard to take him seriously when he was craning his neck to look him in the eyes properly.

"H- yeah okay." Ace barely suppressed a laugh and sent a mock salute Finn's way. "On it, sir!"

Finn quirked and eyebrow at him and carefully removed a pair of headphones from his pocket, almost suspicious of his enthusiasm.

Wait were those even allowed?

Finn put them on his head and secured his skullcap over it, careful to keep his bunned up hair fully covered.

"What's that for?" Ace blurted, his tone far more forced and accusatory than intended.

Finn stared at him for a few seconds before muttering "Noise."

He glanced past Ace.

"Sink" he said, and turned to begin prepping without another word.

"Weird." Ace thought, before noticing the overflowing the sink. "OH SHI-"

***

The first half of the shift was long and boring as always, dragging on forever as more and more plates, glasses, bowls and so on piled up next to the sink.

Ace's skin was soggy and wrinkly now, looking awfully prune-like. Honestly he wished he was rather doing homework and getting paper cuts than dealing with this.

Finn was... quiet. Really quiet. He barely uttered a word apart from a command or comment in that soft lulling voice of his.

The rest of the staff didn't seem bothered in the slightest. In fact, they worked like clockwork, unperturbed by Finn's avoidance of their eyes and quiet demeanour as they worked the kitchen for Sunday lunch.

When their breaktime came Ace felt joy like nothing before, slumping against the wall with a sigh of relief.

There was not much time to rest, though, as now was the prime time to get up close and personal with Finn, who was currently disappearing out the door and into the fray of students.

When Ace found Finn again he was leaning over the bar, sipping a brightly coloured mocktail and fiddling with his phone. His headphones were still on, though Ace couldn't hear anything playing.

The card soldier marched up to the bar and leaned across it, grinning at Finn.

"Hey, can I borrow some of your time?"

No answer.

Ace frowned. "Hello? Finn?"

No answer.

Finn looked up and gazed at the fish swimming around outside with distant longing eyes.

Ace rolled his eyes and waved a hand in front of his face.

"Oh for the love of- Hey! Earth to Finn! I'm trying to talk to you!"

There was a sudden blur of movement and Finn grabbed Ace by the wrist and wrenched his hand away with surprising strength, making the ginger let out a cry of surprise.

He turned his head and looked into Ace's eyes, really looked, and the intensity of his gaze was so potent it made a shiver run up Ace's spine.

"Usually when someone is wearing headphones it is a sign that they do not want to talk." Finn said slowly. His voice was still soft, but it danced on the edge of sharpness in a waythat made Ace gulp.

Finn's fingers tapped rhymically against the bar counter and he let out a breath through his nose and smiled a close-lipped smile.

"What can I do for you?"

Ace let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay, rocky start, but we can recover. It's fine."

"Look uh- Finn, you seem like a nice guy-"

"Really?"

"Yeah! I was wondering if you'd be willing to do me a favour."

In true Octavinelle fashion, Finn's eyes lit up in sudden interest.

"Is that so?" He asked, tilting his head head to the side. "What is it?"

"Would you be willing to put in a good word to Azul for me?" Ace spoke as carefully as he could manage, trying trying choose the best words possible. "You seem pretty chummy- ah, I mean close with him. Maybe he'll remove my anemone early? I'll do whatever you want if you'd be so kind to your junior. How's that sound, Finn?"

Finn sat back and stared at Ace before chuckling softly.

"Mister Trappola, I am one year your senior. I would advise showing a little respect before trying to garner favours from me."

Ace laughed nervously, sweat beading at his forehead. "Uh, sorry, senpai."

Finn let out a soft hum and nodded.

"Firstly." He said suddenly, peering at Ace. Those glistening amethyst eyes seemed... off somehow. Not quite right. "Before I do a favour for you- and decide what you will repay me with- you must earn mine."

Ace blinked. "Wha-"

"I'm not asking for much." Finn cut him off abruptly with that sweet gentle tone. "I would like you to do a few small jobs for me whenever you have the free time. Cover my waitering shifts, go on grocery runs, fetch me books, that sort of thing. How does that sound?"

That... wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Ace nodded slowly in agreement.

"Okay. You... also gonna take like my basketball skills or something?"

Finn blinked at him, surprised, before shaking his head. "No, I am not Azul. I cannot take skills or magic... at least not like he can. But I can do this. Here."

He took hold of Ace's right hand and linked it with his left in a firm unmoving handshake. Then he removed his pen from his pocket and tapped his wrist once, twice, three times.

A small dark purple pentagram flickered to life around their wrists, glowing faintly in the dim lighting.

Oh. So it was one of those things.

"So this is what you Octavinelle guys do if you don't have Azul's unique magic? Is this a second year spell?" Ace breathed, eyeing the magical symbol wearily.

"Oh no." Finn shook his head. "You will not learn that here. This was taught to me by my father. It is an ancient binding spell."

"Oh-"

"So here's the deal." Finn continued airily. "You do whatever favour I call in for me within the time frame I give you. If I'm satisfied I will consider granting you that favour, and you will pay me in return for questioning my own dorm leader for you. Is that clear?"

Ace paused and took a moment to think.

This was gonna be taxing.

This was gonna be a painful.

This was probably gonna be the second worst decision of his life.

But anything was better than being trapped here as a slave.

Ace nodded and wearily shook Finn's tiny hand, feeling very uneasy. He watched as the symbol glowed purple and dissipated.

"Senpai... what happens if I break my promise?" He asked, stomach churning. "I don't have a lot of free time in the day. I don't know if I'll be able to... to do it in time."

There was a beat of silence.

Finn smiled at him.

Then leaned forward.

And opened his mouth wide.

"I assure you it is worse than any punishment you can possibly imagine."

The words barely registered when the sight of Finn's mouth blurred out every other little thing.

Ace's eyes widened and he nearly threw up. Finn's teeth were... they weren't like Jade and Floyd's at all.

They were like needles qnd there hundreds of them, if needles were jagged,uneven, ong and horrendously sharp that is. If he were honest, it crossed the line of scary and went straight to ugly.

And horrifying.

"C-Cool cool cool." Ace's face had long since drained of colour. "I uh- gotta go to the bathroom. So you after the break-"

He got up and bolted for the bathroom, nearly tripping over himself and other people on the way. He ran into a cubicle and slammed the door shut, locking it behind him.

"Oh god." He whispered. His breakfast threatened to come up his throat. "Oh god oh god oh god what the hell was that? What hell is he? That's- that's not mermaid teeth. It can't be mermaid teeth, there's no way-?"

He was shaking, sweat dripping down his forehead and running down the back of his neck.

Why was he so afraid? Finn was a pipsqueak and had barely done anything apart from flash those creepy teeth.

Something, something about him seemed so... wrong. Unnatural. Was it his voice? Nobody talked like that. So softly. Like he had a sore throat.

"M-Maybe he was just... upset that I interrupted him and was trying not to yell at me.." Ace thought. "And I'm not used to non human students yet. Yeah, that's it. It's fine. It's all fine."

He forced a smile onto his face.

"I'm going to get rid if this anenome. It'll all be fine."

***

Back at the bar, Azul Ashengrotto got up from his seat on the other end of the table and made his way over to Finn with an amused smirk on his face.

"So you can finally perform form your father's spell, then?"

Finn turned to look at him with a grim expression, his face set dead serious. Then he barked a soft, high pitched laugh.

"Hah! No, of course not! It's a spell from the abyss. The midnight zone, as the humans call it. Ancient. Powerful. It's for too advanced for me, Papa is just exceptionally talented."

Azul shook his head, laughing as well.

"I see. Well, now that you've made your 'deal', how long will it take for the poor card soldier to satisfy you?"

"Oh..." Finn flashed another toothy smile at his boss. Azul didn't even flinch. "Most likely never. I am quite excited to see how long he can go before he slips up. Oh. And by the way-"

He raised the hand he used to grab Ace's wrist, smiling even wider

"-I have a new voice now~"

-End

......................................

A/N: I hope you guys and enjoyed learning and reading a bit more about Finn! Ace continues to suffer at my hands :)

Tagging: @krenenbaker @officialdaydreamer00 @jaylleoo14 @whspermy-name @the-banana-0verlord @minteasketches @azulashengrottospiano @distant-velleity @kitwasheree @cynthinesia @elysia-nsimp @theleechyskrunkly @twisted-wonderland-but-gayer @boopshoops @cyanide-latte @ramshacklerumble @jovieinramshackle @casp1an-sea more of the boyyyy

[utilitycaster]

You know, it's been hard to find a lot of meta I wish to reblog in the wbn tag. To be fair while it's doing incredibly well it is early on and I find that podcast meta is often harder to find anyway (people are more likely to listen while out and about and move on, I think, than dwell and write stuff) but I think what gets me is that what meta there is feels representative of many of my frustrations that have been endemic in the D&D actual play fandom at large as of late: a belief in ontological evil among mortals; an insistence that works validate one's pre-existing beliefs; and a focus on applying real-world morality (or, more frequently, the buzzword version thereof) rather than letting a story be told - often due to what appears to be a pretty profound ignorance of fantasy genre norms.

The most recent episode (#13, Of the Gentle Sea) illustrates this particularly well. In case you're reading this but are not familiar (and don't mind spoilers), Eursulon (one of the PCs, and a spirit, or Wild One) frees Naram, an ocean deity (a Great Wild One, also a spirit) trapped by wizards, making good on his pact to Naram's wife, Orima, a nature deity who had destroyed much of the nearby countryside in her rage and was only held off from doing the same to the city of Port Talon via massive witchfires. He does this with the knowledge that Steel, the guardian of his companion Suvi, both human wizards of the imperial citadel, was coming to free Naram herself. Freeing Naram immediately causes Eursulon to become trapped in the same prison (which, as a much less powerful spirit, nearly kills him), and alerts the wizards who had imprisoned him. Ame, the third party member, and a witch, was held off from joining Eursulon, and serves to mediate Naram's decision, whether to give up a significant amount of his own power, or whether to do damage in the real world. She encourages him towards the latter. A battle ensues in the harbor, with the wizards attacking Naram (who spares some of the younger ones less responsible for his imprisonment) and Naram causing a tidal wave that burns out the witch fires and kills the guards posted there and making way for the less merciful Orima to arrive. Suvi directs those who will listen to her to help the people of the city instead.

All of this is fairly standard fantasy (or more broadly speculative fiction - replace wizards with "scientists" and imprisoning Naram with "exploiting an alien planet" and you have the same fundamental story). It's told well, notably in character details I omitted from my summary, but it is not unfamiliar to anyone with a passing understanding of genre. And yet the discussion is heavily centered on "haha fuck them wizards".

The fact is, had Eursulon waited, Steel would have come. We have reason to believe she would have kept her word and freed Naram, using her position within the empire to prevent the wizard attacks and thus maintaining peace within the city Eursulon would not have risked his nor Naram's lives and would have still made good on his oath. The hundred soldiers posted at the witch fires would be alive. Perhaps there would be a more graceful way to reunite Naram with Orima and appease her as best they could to prevent further attacks on Port Talon, the general population of which had no say in any of this.

I don't think that's what should have happened. What we got is a far more interesting story. And obviously there are multiple moral systems; but the one that spares the most innocent lives (and I am counting the soldiers of the empire as, if not innocent, not people who deserved death for their actions) is not the one we had.

There has been an undercurrent throughout of "fuck them wizards", specifically due to their position within the empire's structure. I think the problem here is that while the empire is clearly quite deeply flawed, and if nothing else the cutthroat nature thereof is why Naram was imprisoned in the first place, we don't actually know that much about it. I don't think imperialism is, to be clear, defensible, but a lot of the discussion treats anyone of the empire (often Suvi herself) as a thing to be deprogrammed or disposed of, and not an individual making what they believe to be the right choices for themselves within a system they did not create nor ask to be born into. I think some of the strange responses to Steel, too, are because we have seen her be immensely human and kind and that unsettles the desire to see the empire as a faceless, evil institution.

The discussion of Suvi in particular feels oddly impatient - we are on episode 13 of a longform campaign - because while it feels quite clearly signaled that Suvi's story will delve into the flaws of the Imperium in detail, and she will change for having known her friends, she is in many ways digging in deeper to many of her beliefs and indeed feels betrayed by what she perceives as Eursulon mistrusting her people, and her change is not a guarantee. I feel many people are just waiting for Suvi to come around to the "right" beliefs so that they can feel okay about liking her, with little interest in how that happens, ie, her story. And because Eursulon is portrayed as an outsider who has had to run for much of his life, and Ame as the empathetic mediator between worlds, their flaws (all three characters, frankly, are young and impulsive and have run off into danger on their own thus putting the others at risk) are ignored because people feel good about nodding sagely and saying "empire...bad" and forgoing any further analysis.

Having an empire as part of the world was a creative choice. It is an opportunity to explore what empire means and the people within it in a safe space - and I use safe to mean "if you die in D&D you do not die in real life", not that you are free of all discomfort - and Suvi is a character, not a vehicle to tell your that you are correct and good in all your beliefs. This is also, again, a fairly standard modern fantasy trope. Epic fantasy has always been political (what other genre has so many maps, after all) but earlier fantasy went pretty hard into ontological evil, ie, these people (sometimes, unfortunately, this race) is the bad one because they are bad and the narrative requires a faceless monolith of an enemy. Modern fantasy has, in many cases, tried to address this, and explores, for example, the idea that "empire" is still a place where people live, and that the tidal wave that was a hit against "the empire" probably destroyed the homes of a bunch of civilians. Indeed, WBN episode 13 covers this, with Suvi directing the Azure Battalion to the walls of the city in the hopes of aiding civilians at the cost of the lives of the soldiers. This is not a narrative that can be adequately understood in the framework of "*sage nod* empire [and all who in any way perpetuate its power even if they are also subject to its power themselves] bad" even though, on the whole, the empire's actions are bad. And yet, that's how many people insist on writing about it.

I focused on WBN but this is not limited to that; I've talked pretty extensively about this in CR, and it's why the thematically rich and genre-spanning D20 seasons are almost all reduced, in much of the meta into "*sage nod* capitalism...bad" even in settings that are not remotely about that (and to be clear, Fantasy High season 1, The Unsleeping City, and Mentopolis very much are at least significantly about that). Fantasy (and speculative fiction) have always been about commenting on our world in a way that is slightly removed, so as to allow us to see other perspectives; they have also always been about "hey what if I could make lightning happen by thinking super hard", and the latter does need to be respected just as much as the former. Meanwhile, actual play is not strictly a genre, but a medium, but it too needs to be acknowledged for its unpredictable nature and its limited lens - we will always be with the main party, and the "deserved" arc may not materialize if the dice don't let it.

What this all means is that a lot of meta as of late feels like it's written by someone waiting for the story to validate them, rather than written by someone trying to talk about the story actually being told to them, and as a result it's difficult to engage with because I often don't find the things people wish to be validated in to be terribly interesting, and even if I did, it feels like a very paranoid reading approach when I am looking for the reparative one; ironically, paranoid reading is often terrified of criticism because that will damn the entire work whereas reparative readings by definition need to engage with the whole, and with the context. I don't have a solution, and my thoughts on why this is happening are very tentative, but I do think that at the very least, an attempt to understand the fantasy genre, flaws and all, would give those inclined to these readings more apt expectations that at least touch on the text meaningfully.