#presented without comment or bias or anything

[aparticularbandit]

So let's talk about Snow White!

Particularly about the controversies first because this thing started those as soon as it cast its lead.

Now, please understand - I was not up-to-date on all of these and had a refresher on some of them when I read the section on Wikipedia. But some of them I very strongly remember because Mom and I talked about them.

So!

Rachel Zegler is not white. You would think this is not important! You'd be right! But this controversy is focused completely on Snow White being described as having "skin as white as snow" - which. Zegler does not have. The movie went a different route with how Snow White got her name, which is fine! But people were still mad about this and looked at it as Disney being needlessly PC.

Dwarfs. (Yes, dwarfs because in SWatSD that is how it is spelled.) Peter Dinklage himself called them out as a bad idea. Other actors with dwarfism didn't like him calling Disney out over this because yo, this could cost them roles. Disney said they were going to do something else and tried to mix and match different mythical characters from German folklore so that they weren't all dwarfs. (Which actually fit well with the magical forest idea that they used in the movie. Not the point.) People proceeded to get mad about this because, yo, it's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. (Fun Fact: That is not what this movie is titled. Again, not the point.) Disney gave up and decided to make them all CGI. I'm not sure there was any winning here.

Story Changes. Particularly Zegler's comments that made it seem like she didn't like the original movie. (More hey, that was a story for its time, and this is a story for this time, and also Prince Charming basically stalked Snow White in the original movie, and that's weird, but you know.) People got upset that the story was going to be different! They hadn't seen the movie! (It is different, and it's better for it, imo.) But, you know, accusations of feminism and girl bossifying Snow White, and etc. There's some similarities between this one and the first one in terms of hey, you changed the thing to be more PC, and that's dumb, give us the original, which. I'm so tired, y'all.

POLITICS! Gal Gadot has been controversial to hire since Wonder Woman because of her time in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). There were people even then who did not want to see that movie solely because of that. Our political climate re: Israel-Palestine is notably worse now, imo. (And by worse, I mean more hostile to either sides of the divide.) Gadot is still pro-Israel. So you have people on one side who boycott because -gestures to all of the above-. However. Zegler is pro-Palestine and also spouted off anti-Trump and anti-Trump voter comments after the last election, which. pissed off the other side and made them want to boycott the movie.

So like.

This movie has been pissing people off since casting Zegler and Gadot, and it hasn't gotten better at not pissing people off since then, which.

I'm so tired, y'all.

[mutfruit-salad]

read your criticism and have a genuine question about your thoughts on the branding scene. i completely understand how max's branding is inherently tied to a racist history, and it always will be, but i dont feel like the scene itself was written with that bias/intent. thaddeus also gets branded in later episodes and it's implied to happen to every aspirant upon their promotion. at what point in writing are black characters morally barred from specific story points because of their similarities to a history that's not directly related? sort of similar with barb, at what point can black characters not do bad things at all, especially in a story where there are near a dozen non-black characters who do worse things? also considering it's implied (at least, i understood it as) she's sticking to vault-tec to protect her family?

I am not in the best position to comment on this, because I am not black. I will do my best to add what I can, but this is a space for others to chime in.

Barb is interesting because she's essentially become the person who did the most heinous crime in the entire setting- by far and away worse than anything anyone has ever done. There really aren't white characters who did worse things- because all the crimes of Caesar or the Enclave or whoever else pale in comparison to being the one who literally set into motion the total annihilation of all nations on Earth. (This is setting aside her willing participation in the inception of the vault experiments- which is an entirely separate also horrific crime.)

The issue is they've created a setting that is, as presented, colorblind. Race is invisible to the writers, who did not consider it meaningfully while producing the show- as is often the case with white creatives putting characters of color into their stories. Colorblindness does not always produce entirely racist results- and when done with tact and intentionality it can even be revolutionary. Look at the relative inclusivity of star trek as an example, and the radical depiction of Uhura in the original series.

The thing that makes Fallout different from Star Trek however is that it is not depicting its colorblind future with tact and intentionality. This is a show that is intensely concerned with depicting the specific brand of nationalistic American politics of the 1950s and the Cold War- and they've reproduced that system for the show but with a black woman at the head. That's where the issue comes up.

This was a system that had racism baked into it by design. It still does. American Nationalism and corporate violence are built on racism against black people and other minorities. And this show desperately wants to depict these things, but they've decided to put a black woman at the head of them. They're depicting systems that are, by their nature, violently racist- but they've decided to portray them as being run by a black housewife.

Fallout 3 does a similar thing with how it depicts every major slaver as a black person. Eulogy Jones, the slave buyer at Paradise Falls, the head slaver in the Abe Lincoln memorial, Ashur in The Pitt. Hell Mothership Zeta adds in a black woman from the wasteland and even SHE'S revealed to have been a slaver. This is something Bethesda consistently does- depicting ideologies and practices with a deep history of racialized violence- and then showing black people at the head of them, seemingly to try to avoid actually addressing any aspect of racism in their stories outside of hamfisted metaphors like synths and ghouls. (I use Fallout 3 as an example but Fallout 4 does many of these same things.)

Thaddeus does also get branded, and he does also get treated to the same demeaning servanthood as Maximus. The difference, quite frankly, is that Thaddeus is white. There are just some things that are straight up inappropriate to depict happening to black characters without appropriate thoughtfulness and context. Never before this series has the Brotherhood ever done brandings- and yet this show opens with it in the first episode and introduces this brand new jarring concept with the visceral image of a black man being branded by faceless fascist cultists.

It's also important to note that even if they didn't intend the scene as racist, it still is. Like I don't think the scriptwriter sat down and said "oh I'm gonna do a racism" cuz intent just doesn't matter here. The scene was intended as a way of showing the severity of the brotherhood- but it also thoughtlessly reproduces images of historic black violence.

@orange-coloredsky I know you've been talking about this stuff all day, and your initial posts about the antiblack racism in the series were what prompted me to write my thoughts today- which is what this ask is in response to. I was curious if you have any other input with all this.

I'd also be more than happy to have any additional input from people better suited to answer these questions.

[rbdecepticon17]

My Thoughts on Volume 2's Bonus Story

Spoilers and Suggestive Discussion Abound!

Yes yes, I know I'm extremely late to all this, Amazon can be blamed for that. But, I have finally gotten my copy and have now read through the bonus story: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde meet Dracula.

As the resident big spicy writer in the fandom, this was something I was looking forward to reading ever since Sage had hyped it up.

My verdict after reading it? It was amazing, on the same level as the prior bonus story, heck I'd even say it's better, but maybe that's the bias talking. Since you're looking past the -keep reading- line, I'll assume you've read it already so I won't waste time summarizing the story's events. Let's get to what I want to gush about most.

Dracula in this story is simple, yet eerily effective. Every time he talks, you get why anyone would be swayed into being controlled by him, molded into whatever he wanted out of them. He may look creepy, but as Jekyll proves, a voice can do a lot. Definitely makes me think that- paired with his liking to Lanyon's voice -our favourite repressed gentleman has a thing for attractive voices. Noted for future use.

And speaking of Lanyon, this has some great character stuff with him. The sniping him and Jekyll have at the start was so good, I was gasping at their comments. The way we got to see a glimpse at his home life as an adult, saw his view of how to act around others, especially the nastier folks you can meet in the upper class of London, it was all fantastic! Later, him using the gun was very sexy of him, and him putting Jekyll's own way of interacting with others to good use so as to save the man he loves was the sweetest thing ever.

Of course, he wasn't alone in trying to save Jekyll.

Ah, Rachel. Rachel Pidgley, the woman that you are. Seriously, this bonus story gave me a greater appreciation for her character, it was a delight to read her shit talking the rich and kicking vampire ass.

But, if you've been on this blog long enough, you'll know I'm a big fan of Hyde, and yeah, I really enjoyed his part in this story. Though he doesn't have a huge role in the narrative, what I got was rather interesting. This happens during the early days of his shared existence with Jekyll, and it doesn't appear that they have a lot of ire towards one another. Like, they just do their own things and don't bother each other, which is great compared to their present dynamic.

Child Hyde and Child Jekyll are adorable, no surprise there, but that moment as Hyde tries to help Jekyll without much complaining as would be expected nowadays hit me. Especially as the false love that Child Jekyll is getting turns into vitriol towards Hyde when he tries to get him away from them, cursing him out for not being anything like his "better" half. The tears welling up, the clawing at the window between the mind and the conscious world when Lanyon gave them an opening, him secretly admitting that he needs him?!

My Lanyde heart was aflutter and my angst loving mind buzzed with joy. And then, of course, we come to that ending.

Oh gods, that ending. Jekyon shippers were fed like it was their last fecking meal, and I was hooked throughout it all: Rachel's badassery, Lanyon's love beating out his rage, Hyde focusing Jekyll so that he can save Lanyon and him being the one to kill Dracula, then him and Lanyon recovering in The Society's med-bay (always knew they had one) while being lovey dovey and flirty with one another, it was all just wonderful from start to finish.

But then the final page came and sent me like nothing else, because I was not prepared for Lanyon being horny on main towards Jekyll WHILE RACHEL AND ITO WERE RIGHT THERE, like, my guy, you need to chill, this was so insane of him, I loved it! XD

But then again, apparently our favourite frontal lobe sharing duo weren't so bothered, because they apparently got a little too excited about the prospect of Lanyon as a vampire, AND THAT'S HOW THE STORY ENDS! Sage had the audacity to end it with these two arguing over who manifested a wet dream about Lanyon, while then stating that- no matter what either said -they were both guilty, and I respect that so damn much. It's both funny, spicy, and even a tad sweet when you look past the "horny for vampire Lanyon" layer.

They both love this man, and after this story, I get it.

To think, they don't even know what the actual comic's story has in store for them. Canon or not, Sage knocked it out of the park with this bonus story. It's just super validating to see this kind of story from the author of the comic. My hat goes off to them, 5 stars.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to put Hyde through this new and fresh Dracula style angst Sage has gifted to us all.

Have a good week, stay hydrated and stay safe. Love you all! -RB. X3

[subway-boss-jericho]

Queuing posts for most of my AUs! Check out this Masterpost! (Disclaimer! - Please don't comment about their iconic knife bangs! I left them off this reference to keep their faces fully visible.)

The Spirit Keeper

-Premise- I am going to try so. hard. to summarize. (TW: Side character death(s)) When the sky turns red, all of Hisui falls into anarchy and chaos. The hero that Sinnoh sent to protect them was banished from Jubilife and never seen again- Whisked back to the present, to spare them from the calamity to follow.

Amidst the destruction caused by the worsening space-time distortions, after the deaths of too many to count, Ingo finds himself praying to a god that wasn't his atop the Shrouded Ruins that overlook the now erased Diamond Clan encampment. He offers a plea to Sinnoh, of Pearl, Diamond, both or neither, if there is anything they can do to prevent this tragedy from wiping the region away.

Sinnoh is displeased with the fighting of the clans, of the hostility between factions, and the cold betrayal of the hero it had chosen. It will not simply wipe the slate clean, after the callous actions of the Hisuian people- After their rejection of its help. However, Ingo is a brave and compassionate soul. In this moment and throughout his time in Hisui, he has never displayed these spiteful behaviors.

In exchange for a duty, those lost will be revived, that broken can be rebuilt, and this region can turn a new leaf. The stones around him bear representation of his new duty. He must collect them from all across the region- Any soul he is able to secure, protect from the distortions that would eradicate them, will be given a second chance once the calamity passes. The final condition is that, once those souls meet their second death, he must seek them out to contain them again. A punishment, a time to reflect on their actions. Once Sinnoh deems it enough, then they will be released to the afterlife and Ingo will be released from this duty.

Ingo agrees to all of these terms. And so he seeks out the souls of the fallen- Unceasingly and desperately saving every single person, and with the combined power of their lives he withstands the shattering sky.

They are reincarnated. They rebuild. The nobles have fallen, and there is much damage to undo. They may live their lives once again.

But when they fall, Ingo will return. He will collect them, and he will keep them. He will fulfill the full breadth of his agreement- No matter how many centuries pass.

-Noteworthy Points- Yes. That was me summarizing. This story is so complicated and has so many layers please understand.

Ingo is functionally a Spiritomb, Ghost and Dark type, with the combined life force of 442 souls. This makes him functionally immortal, with a supernaturally fast healing capacity and a very difficult-to-contain level of power. He can hear the thoughts of all 442 people and often manifests them in the form of little green soul orbs. Not all of them are happy with this arrangement, but some people get used to it faster than others. They are fully aware, under no strain, and are not hurt. Essentially, forcibly travelling with Ingo is their sort of limbo- It's not all bad.

Ingo unfortunately cannot say the same, it is extremely rough to be the container for so many lives and still keep oneself sane. His willpower is overwhelming, and it's the only reason Sinnoh made this 'deal' to begin with- Because it knew Ingo would be the only one capable of this sort of thing without bias or prejudice. The calamity is solved, Hisui is preserved, the people get a reasonable amount of mercy (then comeuppance,) and Ingo can be- slowly -returned to his own time period. It is not easy burden, but it will be borne. Now, all that's left is to wait.

(Forgot to mention, the reference on the far right- Spirit Farer Emmet -is a sort of branch in the timeline. It's not the canon way the AU goes, but a friend made it up and I liked it enough to keep it :> The concept is that Emmet also makes a deal with Arceus and basically helps ferry Ingo's many souls over to the afterlife, thus releasing him from his duty. Won't elaborate more, this post is already like 4x the length of all the others.)

If it wasn't obvious, this is one of my favorite main AUs and also one of the oldest

-Links- Artwork - Commission by Fronomeeps Artwork - Fanart by Pixelga1axy Artwork - Fanart by Rudeboimonster Short Comic - Being haunted by yourself

[mikaila-orchard]

Hi, congrats on you moving with your wife CD-Call! It's great that you can also avoid some of the harm the bastard of a president of the United States will continue to inflict as well.

Also, I'm sorry for ever telling you this, ever.

This may breach something that gives you the right to tell me to fuck off, and I understand. I'm practically nobody, and maybe I'm breaching some "audacity" and some boundaries in asking this, but at least getting this off my chest, although framed melodramatically, can end any bullshit hangups I shouldn't even have. You can even block me if this irks you.

Anyways, dramatics aside, I got blocked by your wife on a few platforms. Pretty simple, but I have to explain, for my own selfish sake.

I don't carry any ill will at all, to be honest. Not in terms of bitterness and immediately feeding myself with drama to validate a stupid need for revenge. That's morally fucked, and I mostly agree with your wife ideologically, and believe her in being right against a bunch of drama hungry jackasses who prey on her for content, not actual justice. It helped me view the world more effectively and consider some of my life goals. Hopefully, I can accomplish what I want, in accordance with the morals I want to express and stand by.

But that probably doesn't matter in how I conducted myself in platforms such as this, Bluesky, and so on. Every time she replied to a flawed point I made in her points, previously, when she wasn't banned on this website, (before that, she was somehow unbanned, and then banned shortly after, I remember it, and she did talk about the first ban on stream) I conceded. I apologized. And I don't know what I did wrong to get simply blocked, which is something I can't know despite wanting it, and that's it.

But being blocked on multiple platforms, such as Youtube Livestreams and Bluesky gave me a clear enough message, not needing to be kicked out of every media platform; "Fuck off, whoever you are".

Maybe I'm being too dramatic with that, and I do respect your wife filtering comments to not be littered with spam, spite, and other reasons, but being on the receiving end of it, while recognizing, maybe with bias, that I wasn't spiteful, vile, or anything else, feels sad. Maybe if I was a daily harasser, I would be more angry and create another account to continue, but I promise I won't, it'll stop with 'TealTreesThriving'. I have to believe that I'm missing something, something that led to this conclusion, however small, even if it means that your wife considered me an annoying piece of shit.

And I can't pretend that I feel somewhat sad about that. I didn't try to be antagonistic, but maybe I was, I did something wrong or was ideologically unappealing, I think I know, but I don't know. But it's done. And in writing this crap, I'm engaging in flawed parasocial crap that I probably should never due with an online person, and that probably gives them more right to tell me to fuck off for caring in that twisted way. And hopefully I'll move on, but I have to admit that I still liked what your wife presented, either way.

Even if a lot of people like to simply block people for simple reasons, which I'm guessing I am- probably annoying, a piece of shit, or so on, and if I could never or am not entitled to knowing that from someone who wants to get on with their day and not deal with assholes, which I probably am, I'm still going to be sorry.

I'm sorry if I was a horrible person, if I did anything that was wrong or shitty. And it's stupidly melodramatic in terms of the context of being consistently blocked, but I can't help but care, at least, even in this small instance. I've been fed fluctuating bullshit to invalidate how I feel and being verbally abused without any closure to the screaming, the arguments, the filth, and the hurt. And I guess that's where my stupid clinging to this small instance comes from, judging from that last sentence.

Your wife, again, if a politically compelling person, and how she addresses community and its problems, as well as being more critical about people and their engagement with society, and how they prop up problematic regimes, fascists, and generally self-harmful politics onto themselves. I really wanted to know more, and it kinda motivated me to branch out in using some social media. And with that in mind and in terms of current status, having that as a reason to engage with social media, even if I had found another reason to other than finding more political opinions and news, was probably shit. She inspired me to write more creatively and more thoughtfully, and made me ever so hopeful, although small, in being able to be worth writing something I could look back on and value, and not destroy. Because I have destroyed hundreds of virtual pages of shitty work to improve on what I already have, and maybe with this kind of influence and inspiration, I can.

I am also sorry for expressing myself on this format of an "ask", and suggest that you are valid in not interacting with this as a violation of something I am ignorant of or not privy to.

This is just a dumb attempt at closure, and I just want to be genuine, and maybe that makes me look more pathetic and parasocial. I deserve to be insulted because of that, and because I've never tried this before. There's a lot I haven't experienced in social media that seems like a Tuesday for others. And maybe for being blocked, I was some other Tuesday who shouldn't try to understand beyond that, and respect their decision as if, although blank and sudden. But I should've. I am just flying closer to the sun the more I try to reason this, and the harder I'll fall.

Too Long, Didn't Read Summary:

Congratulations on your move to Canada, and away from the American pile of shit and problems.

Your wife blocked me, and I don't know why. I am considering that I should not, but I have interpretations as to why I have been blocked. Maybe it was some stupid comment about the unsustainability of golf courses. Or being perceived as an ass to your wife as a whole to not bother with ever.

I feel sort of sad, and I don't think I should invest this time into telling you this, but I am, and maybe that is wrong.

This is an attempt at trying to understand that I know will fail, and you will probably block me.

I like your wife's content and worldview, and being blocked significantly sends a appropriate message that I suck even if I liked the former.

I am sorry for whatever I've done, and writing this to you. I am aware that I may be reading into this too much, and that gives you the right to never answer this and toss it away, blocking me as well.

This was TealTreesThriving, and I have to admit, I never thought I would mess up this way, and somehow. Maybe that's too prideful of me, or too reassuring of myself that I checked my bases and biases. But clearly it was not enough. And I am sorry for being that way, articulating in some way, and being around your wife's social media in some way or form. I am not planning on counting on Tumblr or BluSky and will focus on my own life and writing skills. Again, this is just some pathetic attempt to find a reason before I leave, something I am sure I will never be entitled to, as are others who are blocked.

Do not forgive me for how stupidly long this is. You are not entitled to respect this whatsoever, and especially with someone you wife thinks is someone to avoid seeing on social media, like an asshole, or a conservative, or others. Please throw this in the trash and be happy with your life and your wife. I will find no disrespect, but confirmation of just quitting this part of life. Nothing life-threatening, just emotionally hurt in an ungrateful or moronic way,

Bye.

Don't message me when my wife blocks you. She doesn't run who she blocks on social media by me, so I have no idea why you're even here.

For fuck's sake, why the hell are you prostrating yourself like this over being blocked on Bluesky? It's not the end of the world, it's not something you need to feel 'hurt' over. CD is extremely liberal with the block button, and blocks people for as little as being off topic in her replies. It's her right to do that and curate her social media feed. You're not entitled to access to her just because she's a Youtuber.

[leggerefiore]

🌙Cyllene General Romance HCs🌌

🌕 The Survey Corps Captain barely has a moment to herself. She is nearly drowning in paperwork and whatever tasks that end up across her desk. It is hard for her to truly engage with the bonds she has forged within the Galaxy Team unless they are people she regularly interacts with in her duties. That mostly leaves the commander and other captains. Mostly being the key word there. It was all too easy to find a strange bond with you, a stranger that fell from the sky.

🌕 That curiosity was only natural, but she tried to keep a healthy distance from you. Anything could happen, after all, and she was your superior within the Galaxy Team. Eventually, it was clear to even outside observers that something was going on between you both. Around the time, you seemed to spend your off days helping her with paperwork or meeting up at her private quarters.

🌕 She does not find PDA appropriate at all. Cyllene will acknowledge her feelings for you, but she is still your captain and does not want to make others think she has developed a bias in any way. At most, you get to stand or sit closer to her than she would allow most people. If you are sitting, you may be able to sneak some kind of touch, which also may gain you a glare depending on her mood. The more stressed she is feeling, the more likely she will accept the touch as something to ground her. Silently, she appreciates this greatly.

🌕 In private, she allows herself to be more open. No one else is around to judge or comment. Cyllene is still not the most affectionate type, but there is much more touching and subtle ways that her love is expressed. Eating with you is one, of course. Her hand will somehow always find a way to reach out to touch you. That simple connection grounds her. Rarely, she will embrace you herself. Moments where she feels like she is drowning in stress, all she wants is to be loved and close to someone who sees her for more than the stern captain and swordswoman she is.

🌕 You are free to do whatever to her, too, as long as she is not busy. In fact, you initiating is a relief to her. Your arms embracing her or pressing a kiss to her lips or cheek brings her to reality. Her heart has felt strangely full as of late with you at her side. She does find some of your mannerisms strange. Perhaps it was the culture from wherever you originated (the future), but she decides that she ultimately does not mind. Your arms hold her to you, and letting her feel your warmth in these cold lands is enough for her mind to cast aside any societal worries. She loves you. This she knows wholeheartedly.

🌕 In truth, there are not exactly dates to be had in Hisui, but somehow, you can find something to do with the captain that should not raise eyebrows or draw unwanted attention. Buying your captain a confectionery while discussing work is not odd. It is simply polite. (Of course, she understands your intentions drift away from professionalism. She bites her tongue against scolding you.) Or having her tag along on a "very important" survey. Laventon can only give a chuckle at the sight of you both sharing a walk through a particularly scenic area of Hisui. Your secret is more than safe with him, at least. Or, even, daringly, inviting her out to the icelands to join you in the hot springs present. The last one was a bit riskier, but it was disguised with worrying about her health. These odd moments are deeply cherished by her.

🌕 There is a strange domesticity shared between you both. Slowly, you grow to understand each other without needing words. A simple movement by her tells you that she is looking for a particular paper, or her seeing you make a certain pose tells her that you are overworked. You try to learn meals that she enjoys and make them for her as a surprise break away from the potato mochi. Granted, the Hoennian woman has preferences that are not easily satisfied by the cold of Hisui. The attempt does make her break a rare smile, though. It is these small changes that she adores most. You truly do care and understand her, not just respect and obey.

🌕 You will have to save her from bug pokemon every once in a while when one gets in. The poor woman is nearly out of her mind in panic while you carefully pick up the Wurmple or Spinarak that got in. She seems to both envy and praise your ability to handle them. She almost offers to take you up a rank for doing that but stops herself. Cyllene does apologise for making you see her in such a state and having to handle something like that. When you say that you do not mind doing that for her, you swore that her cheeks grew pink.

🌕 Jealousy is simply not a common thing for her. If she feels another captain, like, Sanqua is getting strangely close to you, she may suddenly find a reason to interrupt your conversation. It is rare that she acts out in such a way, however. She usually does not bother with those sorts of things. Cyllene is confident in her relationship with you and that you would never do anything adulterous. Yet, sometimes, she does fear losing you to someone that you could be more open with. Her insecurity is rare, but when you carefully address it, she does feel embarrassed about her behaviour. She is supposed to set an example for you, and she is acting in such a way.

🌕 Your relationship with Cyllene may be a more elusive and quiet one, but it is clearly important to you both. Somehow, you both manage to find a way to make it happen without causing any upset within Jubilife. You both understand that you love and care for one another, yet greater society would hold issues with any grand displays or actions that outwardly confirm it. When she one day offers an idea for you both to move to the coastlands, you feel excited by the idea. Perhaps it would finally give you both the room to be more open about things without risking the banishment of you again.

[dontwinmarioparty]

not trying to be offensive or anything but in your opinion what could damien do to fix this situation? genuinely curious here, sorry, just wanted to know how to fix a mistake like this, because no question it was not handled correctly imo

Take this with a grain of salt, because I’m putting myself in his position and thinking about what I, Erik, would do in his place.

I’d expect that after taking the social media break, however long that may be, coming back and addressing how he handled the interaction on stream. Unblock the OP and apologize for the last comment (pointing out OP’s follower count), and acknowledge why an apology is necessary for that comment. It’s one thing to say “I’m sorry”, but acknowledging why you’re saying sorry shows a genuinely apologetic attitude.

I don’t think he owes anyone outside of OP an apology, considering the interaction wasn’t about them. He can control his twitter timeline the way he wants to.

Secondly, and honestly more importantly, openly showing support for Palestine as he has been doing. Uplifting Palestinian voices, sharing helpful information, and possibly even donating to Palestinian aid & relief causes is the best way to handle it and show that the apology initially delivered wasn’t just performative.

What I’m hoping for is that he expresses a newfound awareness of why the fan was initially upset, and why people are upset with how he handled it as of this post.

If my bias may come forward for just a moment, I do not think Damien is a manchild, a horrible person, a Zionist, or any other hurtful terms. I think he’s someone who went into a fan interaction impulsively, and his assumption on nature of the interaction affected how he responded. It’s socially unaware at best and privileged at the worst. But Damien has proved time and time again in the past, and in the present, to be considerate of marginalized people both in and outside of his community, which I am hoping he is going to continue to express going forward.

I think his break is going to give him time to think on his feelings, and why his reaction to this fan was so hostile in the first place. He expressed it was a point of sensitivity & frustration which he was going to learn from.

To the peeps demonizing OP in my inbox, stop it? Maybe? OP is a Palestinian who’s family is actively witnessing and living through a genocide on their day-to-day, and was sincerely taken aback by an old joke from 5 years ago. It’s valid as hell to want an apology for that. Assuming that the fan was fishing for a reason to “cancel” Damien is parasocial as hell, and I also recommend you take a step back and unpack why you’re so eager to defend him over the marginalized person here. If your trauma was being used as a joke in a TNTL without your express permission, wouldn’t you, too, want an apology? Exercise some empathy why don’t ya.

This is gonna be my final response on it until Damien addresses it himself in whatever form. Until then, I’m going to be reblogging useful information regarding Palestine & Gaza whenever I see it.

My definitive thoughts on this will be linked here and here.

[woodsfae]

Babylon 5 S04E08 The Illusion of Truth previous episode - table of contents

John Sheridan looks at a model fighter? a starship, while he's thinking dark thoughts. Ivanova brings even worse ones: their revenue is way down since Earth banned travel to B5.

Sheridan and his dad have apparently been secretly passing messages and he hasn't heard back in awhile. I remember the last time he talked with his dad, that his mom was out and I wondered if his mom had already been arrested or something. Sheridan doesn't seem to have thought of that. He's primarily worried about his dad, too. Ivanova points out his dad is a former diplomat and thus in her opinion, too visible to disappear.

There are other small problems, but Ivanova dismisses expositing about them in favor of praising the great job Zack Allen's doing as new head of security.

Cut to Zack Allen breaking up a fight and threatening someone to inspect their stuff, and breaking locks with his phaser gun. Lol, the true successor to Garibaldi, indeed. He uncovers that their cargo is camera footage and they claim to be news reporters.

Dr Franklin has a plot update on the telepaths wired into Shadows tech. They're storing more people in stasis they were ever meant to support and they're going to move some of them.

The reporter has been arrested, for the subterfuge. Sheridan says he would have been allowed on, just not the recording equipment, since ISN isn't a trustworth news source anymore. The reporter claims he came to try to find ways to slip in truth about B5 into the propaganda news.

But that's how propaganda already works: using bits of truth to support agendas. It's not an inherently trustworthy argument. But Sheridan does seem interested.

Oh, and some Garibaldi! He's talking to a potential client. And by talking, I mean deducing that his client is smuggling valuables and extorts a percentage of their value from the client. And next up to meet with him is Lennier! I guess Garibadi's still on B5, then?

Sheridan shows up with the journalist, Dan Randall, and asks Lennier to show him around, to help verify the truth of B5. So Sheridan believed his spiel! I hope his trust is not misplaced, or that he has a backup plan.

Sheridan doesn't talk to Garibaldi, just leaves. Garibaldi has a flashback to his brainwashing and imprisonment. I have been wondering if Garibaldi resigning was part of PsiCorps' plot. Did he resign because he felt compromised, but is hiding the fact and limiting the security access he has on B5 therefore the damage he can do?

Lennier takes Mr Randall straight to Down Below and describes its denizens and their plights unflinchingly. Way to go for the worst view of B5 first, Lennier!

Delenn and John give an interview and also flirt blatantly and hold hands on camera. Then act uncomfortable when it is commented on.

What they all say to Mr Randal the ISN guy seems ominously well suited to be cut up to imply a totally different narrative. He hits up Garibaldi, who deflects. Mr Randall presses him to talk about anything he chooses. Garibaldi looks conflicted. I am more convinced this guy isn't here for B5's best interests and to represent it honestly.

Euuuugh as does Sheridan's tempting fate. But we won't be left hanging! Sheridan, Ivanova and Delenn put on the report for us all to watch.

It's a super uplifting and encouraging viw of the rest of humanity under Earthforce. /s

Mars is being militarily re-conquered. A film maker confesses sedition and is remanded into a psych unit. Great signs that B5 will be presented honestly and without bias.

Mr Randall starts out by really hyping himself and his bravery up. He presents B5 as controlled by alien governments with humans living Down Below in squalor while only aliens and command staff live in decent quarters. He has guest on to imply that Sheridan lowkey worships alien species as gods.

Everything is indeed cut to show them in the worst light. Aaaand they did get Garibaldi to talk. Specifically to shit talk Sheridan and say he's both got a God complex and only listens to a few aliens. Perhaps the true brainwashing? How complicated was the PsiCorps programming, anyway. Is Garibaldi's true self dead? Like Talia Winters' presumably was wiped out and replaced??

Back to ISN's hit piece on B5. Mr Randall has found the cryo-units after Dr Franklin got a message from his staff about restarting cryo-units. The picture is fully drawn as oppressing the humans, and using human resources to outfit and supply alien forces.

They get Dr Franklin on record saying there are no people in cryo. And then he has the expert who talked about alien worship comment on the situation.

Conclusion: B5 is in danger, is a danger, and Sheridan is probably unstable and mentally ill and to be pitied and given psychological help. Aliens are dangerous, Delenn being transformed to partly human probably means they're going to force all humans to be partly transformed into aliens.

Well that makes me wonder how much of their Mars war report is even remotely accurate.

Welp, time to conquer Earth and make some of the propaganda come true? Fascism really does create its own threats.

next

[kumkaniudaku]

I don’t blame you for not wanting to discuss TT passed a certain point. People get very…strange when it comes to her, especially involving Aaron. Admittedly, I think some people go a little far in their hateration for her, but other than that, I don’t know why it’s so devastating that others don’t necessarily care for the link up. They see it as a slight to Aaron to not “support” every single thing he does, and then the convo warps into an entirely different animal when colorism/misogyny gets involved. I don’t think people dislike her because she’s a darker woman. She does get judged for looking “manly,” something Black women are subjected to without reason, but in TT’s case, she’s always dabbled in her masculinity, so I doubt those comments register as something that should be negative when she’s clearly doing it on purpose. The only bias I can confirm is factual might be classism. Teyana doesn’t deserve bad treatment because she’s “ghetto.” Ghetto girls deserve love, too. She’s also talented, and people don’t like hood women also being talented/successful lol. It’s the other shit with known abusers that turns me off. Especially that Combs family. That, to me, is what’s worrisome. But anyway, not gonna clog up your inbox lol (I’m a different anon btw). I just think people have legit and valid reasons for not liking a lot of celebs and it’s okay. Everybody ain’t gon like everybody and the world still turns

I agree! I’m not about to call her ugly. That’s not my condemning people who do, but I’d be a lame ass liar if EYE said that because that’s not what EYE think. Maybe I haven’t made that clear enough. Forgive me.

She has dabbled in a more masculine presentation and I think she’s carried it well in the past. Her and V. Monet’s moment during the Usher tribute was one of the few bright spots in that bullshit BET put together. I also agree that any perceived “ghetto” behavior is a silly thing to harp on in some critiques because Saweetie been cosplaying hood for years and people think it’s cute. I will say I think she’s can come off as corny sometimes, but that a personal opinion that I’m not trynna push on nobody.

As far as support goes, I don’t think I can say enough how much I do not care about any sort of relationship they may be in. It just doesn’t mean anything to me. I laughed about celeb drama like everybody else and said the constant attempts at generating attention were corny to me. I didn’t even stop at Teyana. I also said Aaron looked crazy for being attached because it paints him as an u caring boyfriend and that’s not cool. It was really just conversation. That turned into somebody saying I clutched my pearls over her blown out back comment. That wasn’t true. I said it was corny, not gross. I done got trad wife propaganda accusations which has made me a bit self-conscious, and have blocked the only person I have blocked in the fandom for being openly antagonistic. All of this over strangers!

I’m with you. It’s the connection to abusers that give me pause with her and a lot of other people. But I’m never gone lie and say and I didn’t wear KTSE and some tracks from The Album out or like I wasn’t trynna get tickets to her most recent tour. I don’t have no reason to lie. But you not about to make me feel a way because I think some of this shit look silly and I’m not going up for every antic.

Don’t ever worry about clogging my inbox lol. It’s cool. I appreciate the chat ❤️. I’m talking YOUR head off at this point lol.

[blues-story-archive]

(April 27, 2025)

Someone informed me that people are making wrong guesses based on the leaked video (that is now non canon). Just to clear things up. no, the mark isn’t from Pink’s husband hurting her. It’s actually a tattoo of Medusa. Thus the reaction of blue. Blue just thought the tattoo looked cool and didn’t really understand the deeper meaning behind it.

But yeah, this isn’t canon anymore, Pink in the current story doesn’t have that tattoo.

Comments:

Victaton: This isn’t the first time people have misunderstood something because of the way I hinted at certain things in my videos. Honestly, it makes me feel a little ashamed, because it means I didn’t show things as clearly as I wanted to, and that led to a lot of unintentional assumptions.

It’s a bit uncomfortable and hard for me to correct these specific misunderstandings, even though I have stepped in to clarify a few things before. What I'm trying to say is, I’m going to do my best to be clearer in the future, whether I’m showing things visually, hinting, or implying deeper meanings in a clearer way that doesn't let the audience try to guess.

At the same time, I kindly ask (and I’ve mentioned this before) that you try not to let your knowledge from the Gacha story influence or bias how you see things here.

There are a lot of assumptions floating around that don’t match what I intended at all, and I truly want you to experience this story for what it is, not what you expect it to be.

InwonknU: For those confused on the tattoo, the medusa tattoo means the person got sa'd

(Liked by Victaton)

SuitsandBoots: Hey Vic? Remember how you asked minors about details on their S/A experience in a Google documents? In a form of poll? What happened to that? I know there was a controversy with this but I thought this is going to be used somewhere so there is no need to accuse of anything. But… It's been months. Where did this all data go? It made a bit uncomfortable knowing how many minors did it (me too) and it's just somewhere in your computer. I thought this would be like doctors gaining data to do something with things like statistics, presentation…. Where is it?

Victaton: I’m really sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or worried by not being upfront about how the survey data would be used. That’s 100% on me, and I should’ve explained it better from the start. Just to clarify, I didn’t collect names, emails, or anything that could link responses to anyone. It was just ticking boxes based on experiences, nothing that could trace back to you or anyone else. The survey is currently part of a project I’m working on with my manager for the upcoming MEWF website. We're focusing on making articles about sexual abuse, and this one specifically (the reason the survey was made) looks at mother–daughter sexual abuse (MDSA). That’s the only reason I ran the survey. Once the site’s live (it’s still in the works), we’ll be sharing overall stats and trends, not personal details. Everything stays 100% anonymous. I don’t even know who said what, and I never will. Once the article’s finished, I’ll delete the raw data for good and just keep the general summaries for reference. I totally get why people might be concerned that I’m handling survey data about something as serious as abuse, after all, I’m just a high-schooler with no fancy degree in this field. That’s exactly why I’m taking my time. I have no right to claim I understand sexual abuse without valid research backing me up. Once again, I’ve been learning as I go, which is why I paused sharing my own take on S/A in my YouTube community post and instead invited anyone who feels comfortable to share their opinions or experiences. (Kind of like when I posted about huge age-gap couples, even though both are adults and asked for you guys thoughts.) I’m not the holder of truth, and I never want to come off like I know everything. I apologies again for not being upfront about what the survey was for 🙏🙇🏽‍♂

link

[lurksunderthebed]

Funnily enough i had a long ass convo with one of the dudebros that just decided to drop by and comment how Ghost and Soap are NOT GAY!!! on one of the comment's that initially didn't even mention anything about them like that other than saying "they could have been friends or something more like romantic", and this guy just lost it. Problem with them is they wanna latch onto their "role" models so desperately it threatens their masculinity when someone dares to read these characters as anything other than cis het man.

Bear with me it's gonna be one long ass essay; The need to gatekeep a certain character because their views don't aling with how the rest of us choose to interpret them because according to them, their view is a fact but ours that's not aligning with their bias is a headcanon, make it make sense. Saying and seething that "Ghost isn't GAY!!!" isn't a fact, that sounds like an agenda to me because seeing Ghost as a bi/pan anything else doesn't count in the "manly man" category for toxic dudebros because masculine men only are allowed to dominate and bang women, right? It just shows how simple minded and uneducated the lot of them really are. Cannot fathom man and a woman having a platonic bond without saying "yeah they're polygamous, that's a thing in military for men to have side bitches" whilst defending fiercely Ghost and Soap as being anything other than "bros" because they feel attacked.

Don't get me started on the whole double standard issue either; it's very hot and cute when Ghost threatens Milena but it's disgusting and no no for Ghost and Soap who literally have an established bond between them and clearly care for one another. Same goes for Valeria, they were ready to pair her with Soap just because it was a woman and a man. A man has to bang chicks lol/ This philosophy is so tiring and dumb that it just shows you how a cis het man actually sees women. And i'd go as far as to say it implies misogyny aswell. Take that as you will. But this issue is present in every sort of fandom whose target audience is mostly basement dwellers that rely on their mums for a brand new GPU.

I think the whole thing has to do with projection. When it comes to people who lash out and get ridiculously upset about these sorts of things, especially about a FICTIONAL character it's cause they view it as an attack on themselves.

Which is all sorts of sad, because we're not talking facts here or canonical events, it's about how those fans see themselves in their fav characters.

As I said earlier, you could read into people's sexualities all you want. Aside from Laswell hilariously enough, there isn't any definitive proof of het/gay/etc in any character in 141. If there was, you bet my overly analytical self would find it and make a note of it for Ghost or Soap.

There's arguably more proof on Ghost being queer than him being straight/het which is the funniest thing. The easiest read is him being just not interested in people as a whole, especially with how much he doesn't really interact with others personally (outside of Soap).

Personally, I think when it comes to those sorts of people it's best to just leave it be. No amount of actual factual basis or any sort of reason will change their minds. Because it's not the characters in question that is the issue, it's themselves as people that push their own agenda into it.

Again irony at its finest. For all the people out there upset at those pushing the "gay agenda" onto these characters, it's really themselves pushing their own values onto them. Realising this would require more self reflection than most of that vocal fanbase actually have.

[damn-daemon]

A Witch of No Importance Main Characters

Aquila Black The main protagonist of AWONI, Aquila is the twin of Sirius. Her story begins after the fallout of his disownment, and the consequences she faces for not joining him. Having an innate talent for spell-casting, Aquila is Orion's favorite child, which often brings her into conflict with her mother, Walburga, who would prefer to see Regulus in that coveted position. She considers herself "neutral" when it comes to the brewing conflict, but after Dumbledore recruits her in his investigation, she comes to realize she's always been on a side, and it hasn't been the right one.

Lauretta Buckling Friend of Aquila, Lauretta is the definitive Ravenclaw. Her nose in a book more often than not, Lauretta is top of her class in everything (save for that rubbish Divination). She has read through books far beyond the skillset of students in their year, and owns copies in several languages. While she appears apathetic with an air of superiority, she cares deeply for her friends, and won't hesitate to put someone in their place should they cross a line. After Hogwarts, she would become a world-renowned Curse-Breaker.

Marlow Barkley Three years younger than Aquila, Marlow is a third-year Hufflepuff with a penchant for starting chaos wherever she goes. She is also the official Hogwarts Quidditch commentator, known for her flair and occasional bias. After graduating, she would join the Order of the Phoenix before moving on to The Daily Prophet. She struggles with the aftermath of the war, and the blame she places on Dumbledore for everything falling apart in her life. She is the story's "interlude" character, helping transition between parts, before her subplot intersects with the main story.

Hattie Yates Another friend of Aquila's and a fellow Slytherin, Hattie only ever has one thing on her mind: Quidditch. An infamous Beater for the Slytherin team, there hasn't been a match that ended without at least one unconscious opponent since her third year. This has given her a bit of a god-complex on the pitch, but the student body has embraced it. Outside matches, Hattie is a ball of energy with no filter and not a care in the world. After Hogwarts, she would join the Falmouth Falcons, where her talents continued to garner attention.

Owen Ossett Head Boy during Aquila's sixth year, Owen is a serious and determined Ravenclaw. If it involves fun, expect Owen to not be present, or so his fellow students say. Coming from a long line of Aurors, Owen was expected to join their ranks. He, too, would join the Order, and suffer from violent episodes long after the war's end. When Aquila successfully frees Sirius from Azkaban, Owen leads the hunt to bring him back, bringing him to the point of obsession.

William Alabaster Ignatius Fiddlewood A Muggle-born several years older than the others, William is an Auror. At least, on paper he is. Due to what many consider to be a "lowborn" status, William has been denied promotion or any sort of activity in the field, despite the fact he excels in anything he gets his hands on. Quiet and unassuming, the Ministry suspects nothing of him even when he's helping Aquila behind their backs.

Sirius Black When they were ten, Sirius and Aquila made a pact to leave home together. When that day finally came during the summer before sixth year, Sirius thought Aquila would honor it. Instead, his sister chose their family, and he can't bring himself to forgive her for it, or even hear her out. What would follow were years of assuming the worst of his sister, which comes to a head during the war when he sees her working for the other side. He never would expect her to rescue him, or to see how wrong he had been the entire time...

Remus Lupin After Sirius left home, a letter from Remus made it to Aquila's possession. What followed was a summer's worth of correspondence, with Remus being the understanding listener that Aquila had needed from her brother. When Remus and Aquila return to Hogwarts, they come to realize those letters meant more to one another than they had imagined, and the ill-fated love affair that would follow would shake the foundations of the Wizarding World.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Lady C: Vanity Fair waited for 7-1/2 years to stick it to Meghan over her "Wild About Harry" claims of racism by u/wenfot

Lady C: Vanity Fair waited for 7-1/2 years to stick it to Meghan over her "Wild About Harry" claims of racism As always, take it with a grain of salt. That said, I 100% believe this.It is said that revenge is a dish best served cold. I am told that Vanity Fair has patiently waited seven and a half years to stick it to Meghan Markle, who, in 2017, accused them of racism in the form of their headline "Wild About Harry", after they put her on their front page and gave her a degree of credibility and kudos which she actually lacked and to which she was not entitled. This helped her to make it up the aisle with Prince Harry, and since then, Vanity Fair has appeared to be one of the most faithful keepers of her flame. But apparently all is not quite what it appears to have been. "They've (i.e.Vanity Fair) never forgiven her or forgotten what she did. They were furious about it then and they've remained furious about it since. While she and Harry have picked people like @DanWootton and @PiersMorgan off their perches, and tried to do so less successfuly with you, Vanity Fair have bided their time. I'm told they're jubilant at how they've plunged the knife in." There's more to this aspect than I have space for here, but in the fulness of time all will emerge. It also shows how inept an analyst of human nature Meghan is. She really seems to think she can use, misuse, exploit and knock people down, stepping on them without fear of the consequences, as she stomps ever higher upwards on the back of their contributions to fulfil her ambitions for fame and fortune. All the while, though, she fails to understand that people have longer memories than she does. And they'll bide their time until they're presented with the perfect opportunity to exact justice and unmask the creature for the mutant that she is. Congratulations, Vanity Fair. You have, on the face of it, engaged in a fair, balanced and comprehensive examination of the five years since Megxit. You have done what my American publishers insisted I do with the original 2020 version of my book Meghan and Harry: The Real Story, namely bend over backwards to come up with any and everything positive one could include about the subject, no matter how obtuse or preposetrous it was, thereby providing evidence of a balance that actually tilts the work in undeserved favour of the subject. Those of us in the know have found some of your more positive comments about the couple and the state of their relationship, as well as their personal attributes, both funny and laughable. Nevertheless, including those comments does preserve you against accusations of bias as you have paid the ingrate back for the unwarranted accusations she made against you in 2017. Thanks for the proof that patience is indeed a virtue, that revenge is a dish best served cold, and for providing us with the lesson that even standard-bearers such as yourselves will abandon propaganda and exact revenge for the wrongs done to you, once the situation becomes apparent that there is no further financial advantage to be gained from continuing to purvey the fiction that black is white, pink is green, and that Meghan Markle is anything but the piece of work you've known she was for the last seven and a half years. You are about to discover that the truth does set you free. post link: https://ift.tt/8ZFso6R author: wenfot submitted: January 19, 2025 at 03:32PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[bujeokandbutterbeer]

ARC 4, Chapter 5: The Truth that Holds

Jiah Moonjang knew three kinds of silence.

The first was disciplined: a spell-honed stillness sharpened by years of dueling tournaments, courtroom observations, and dinner tables where one misstep could turn affection into caution.

The second was sacred: quiet shared under the redwoods near the Wells, in the hours they spelled healing music into Tayen’s room, or the weightless hush before her mother kissed her forehead without words.

The third was the kind she walked into now: calculated, professional, and waiting to be filled like a courtroom echo.

Lucien Vanguard did not look up when she entered.

He sat at the far end of the conference room, sleeves rolled to the forearms, a single quill levitating at his right and an open legal file hovering at his left. The space smelled faintly of ink, polished wood, and old wards.

"You're early," he said.

"You're surprised," she replied, raising an eyebrow. Jiah carried a small briefcase with her, a secret weapon she’d release if needed.

That response made him glance up.

There was no smile. Just approval—sharp and brief, like the glint of steel before a duel.

"Sit."

She chose a chair at the head of the table. One where she could see all of the legal aides hovering in the next room and Lucien Vanguard at the same time. Jiah could see how Taesoo-oppa had been borderline obsessed with Vanguard & Volkov Law Group. If she were so inclined to study law, she would have aimed here. The room bled competence.

The chair adjusted itself to her posture—standard, but not subtle. She didn’t miss the implication: comfort was earned, not assumed.

"You read the summons?" he asked.

"Twice," Jiah said. "Once for content, once for tone."

"And your assessment?"

"They’re not questioning Tayen’s character. They’re questioning my family’s loyalty to him."

Lucien gave a single nod. The quill scratched once against the floating parchment, then stilled.

"Correct. And they won’t be asking you to defend facts. They’ll ask you to perform an emotion they can categorize."

"Let me guess," she said, dry while studying her nails. "Grief, but not rage. Reverence, but not certainty. Loyalty, but only if it comes with plausible deniability."

"Spoken like someone raised in three languages of diplomacy," Lucien said. "They want a saint or a scapegoat. You must give them neither."

Jiah inhaled and exhaled slowly. Just as she did for every duel, competition, presentation, and whenever she stepped in front of a camera.

"I’m ready."

Lucien tilted his head. Not quite disbelief—just that razor scrutiny reserved for people who had never once stumbled in public. Lucien privately tried to remember a time where Jiah Moonjang stumbled in the public light. Even her accidentally dueling as a ten year old before she entered SAIMA was almost deliberate. 

"We’ll find out."

He gestured, and the wards around the room thickened.

Practice began.

He started sharp—questions that probed at her loyalty, at Tayen’s temper, at incidents long buried beneath layers of institutional silence.

"Was Tayen Ten Bears ever aggressive with a student?"

"No."

"Ever reckless with his spellwork?"

"Never without consent or full control."

"Was he prone to favoritism?"

"Only if competence counts as bias."

Lucien narrowed his eyes. "That’s a clever answer."

"It’s also true. There's records to prove it. Circle of Stars, we're kind of well known at this point."

He leaned forward. "What if they ask whether your success was the result of his interference?"

"Then they’ll have to explain how I kept winning internationally—duels, academics—across four continents and seven governing boards. Then explain how eighteen different foreign ministries have offered me anything I want for my work in runes. And finally, why SAIMA’s top cohort has no OWL or NEWT score below Exceeds Expectations."

Lucien paused. "You know your nickname on the circuit."

"The White Tiger."

"No," Lucien said smoothly. "That’s what the commentators call you. I meant among competitors."

She arched one brow. "Ah. The Answer Key. And it's not just amongst competitors. Students at SAIMA call me that, too."

"Exactly. So they’ll be looking to see if your devotion clouds your answers. Or explains them."

Jiah quickly snorted. That would have been fun to destroy in a courtroom. She almost wishes the opposing counsel would be so foolish as to try.

The door hissed open. The legal team entered, robes crisp, tablets levitating. Taesoo was not among them. Not a surprise. Jiah would bet a new broom he’d broken something.

"Trial team’s proposing hypotheticals," Lucien said, eyes still on her. Studying her the way that a wild animal studies their prey. "We’ll run them until you flinch."

Jiah smirked inwardly. If she flinched, she’d report herself to her mother. And her godfather would find out. He always did. Then, she would NEVER hear the end of it. At least, this time he couldn't drop her in the Louisiana buoys with only a broken Swiss ARMY knife and expect her to track him down before sunset.

"Miss Moonjang," a junior advocate began. "Suppose Tayen modified a student’s records to protect them—"

"Context?"

"Magical burnout."

"That's not illegal in California. After submitting the original records and the proposed modifications, officials would have stated that Tayen Ten Bears bought them time to heal. Not a crime. That’s education policy lagging behind ethics. Standard in most PDMACUSA institutions since 1980. It was part of the Obscuras Education Movement."

Another spoke. "Suppose he used unauthorized warding patterns in the duel pits—"

"Two things first. First, did it save the duelist who was ultimately going to use some mistranslated spell they found somewhere in the archives? And, second were the unauthorized warding patterns safer than the standard warding patterns that were already in the dueling pits?"

"Yes."

"Then, why wasn’t the warding patterns made the standard already?"

Lucien folded his arms. "Suppose he knowingly hired a student with a sealed disciplinary record."

"Then he saw something worth protecting. I’d follow someone who takes risks on people over someone who lets policy think for them. Pretty sure that’s more PDMACUSA than East Coast ministry, no offense. Also, if the disciplinary record was sealed, that means that educational reparations have already been files as completed or in progress. As such, not hiring a qualified student with a sealed disciplinary record over an unqualified student without is discriminatory."

"What if it comes to light he hexed an ICW official in his youth?"

Her lips twitched. "If it’s the same official from four years ago, he was later arrested for distributing child pornography and soliciting minors. So, I’d say Tayen Ten Bears had excellent instincts."

Silence followed. Not because she failed—because there was nothing left to prod.

"She doesn’t miss," Lucien murmured.

"You’re sixteen," said a junior aide, tentative. "Everyone in that courtroom—"

"Will be older and less informed," Jiah cut in, cool and sharp. "If they underestimate me, that’s their problem. Ask the ICW 17-and-Up Dueling League how their summer went."

Lucien’s eyes glittered. "They’ll bring up that Tayen raised you. That he shaped your future."

Jiah laughed, low and real. "He didn’t put his hands on anything. If anything, Tayen Ten Bears shielded the world until I learned control. After all, repeatedly breaking and reforming the publics' perspective of what can and cannot be done with magic can be painful to recover from."

She reached for her briefcase and opened it with a soft click.

"I’ve been waiting to see if anyone would bring this up. It doesn't surprise me as it would have been difficult to get this information without another judge. Then, you'd have to track down staff from this time to confirm the unnamed intake patient."

Two pieces of aged parchment slid onto the table. Both bore The Healing Wells’ emblem.

"Spring. 1983. A minor, coding upon arrival. No name. No ID. No guardian listed."

Lucien frowned. "There’s no name."

"There wouldn’t be. Minors aren’t named in critical intake reports."

"Then how do you have this?"

She gave a small, sad smile and tapped the second parchment.

"Same night. Tayen Ten Bears. Admitted six hours later. Magical core nearly destroyed from prolonged leyline transit with an unanchored passenger. Four healers couldn’t stabilize him."

She tapped the second parchment again. Lucien’s mind raced. The only way a sealed, unnamed intake file from that night could be in her hands... it wouldn’t be Taesoo. He followed protocol like gospel. Taejoon wouldn’t risk crossing Jiwoon. That left one answer.

Lucien looked up sharply, tension rising. "You? You were the minor. He brought you in."

She nodded. "From the Sierras to the Wells. He didn’t let go. Not once."

"Six hours?" a younger aide whispered, skimming the file. "And he’s still alive?"

"Why hasn’t this been published?" asked one of the legal aides.

Lucien answered. "Because no one in magical media is reckless enough to print Jiah Moonjang’s name without parental permission. Not while she’s still sixteen."

And Taesoo? He’d rather shatter the press itself.

Lucien looked back to her. "And when do you turn seventeen?"

"September," she said simply.

She folded her hands. Then, with a smile equal parts thunder and grace:

"I’ll say it myself. On record. Under oath."

Lucien leaned back. "And just like that, you’ve made the question irrelevant."

Jiah tilted her chin. "My mother raised me to never start what I couldn’t finish. Deserts. Projects. Duels. Arguments. You name it. And this? This isn’t just something I’ll finish." Her voice curled, velvet and iron. "This is something I’ll finish better than anyone expected. So please—"

She smiled. The kind of smile that unraveled opponents and left audiences breathless.

"Let them try."

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[maintitle]

I think folks don't realize that Mass Effect has always been Bioware's A1 series. It's proven by how the series is treated, it has a very specific design philosophy and feel, very specific themes, and is an RPG that can be presented to non-RPG fans and still slide by without critique because those RPG elements are better hidden. Gaider's comments aren't anything we didn't know, Bioware has had an anti-RPG bias since at the very least EA acquired the company, and the higher-ups have repeatedly and often micromanaged to avoid diminish RPG elements in their games. That's proven by the huge changes between the first and second Mass Effect game, and how a lot of more casual fans say ME1 is 'inaccesible.' It's because the design philosophy of Mass Effect very much embraced the shooter elements of the series, and hid the RPG elements more carefully for other non-RPG markets.

Dragon Age is the exact opposite of Mass Effect. You can't really hide Dragon Age's RPG elements, it is the strictest of RPG's. But Bioware has tried. Dragon Age doesn't have a coherent design, it is a series built on constant change, largely because of oversight from these elements. Dragon Age's greatest strength and greatest weakness is that it isn't a unified series, it's a series of brand new ideas with every entry, and that's largely because it tends to chase trends, which is a sign that Bioware has never had a coherent identity in mind for the series. Mass Effect is extremely marketable, Dragon Age isn't because Dragon Age's greatest strengths are in spite of corporate oversight, rather than because of it. It doesn't matter that Inquisition is the best selling game Bioware has ever made, because in their minds it was a fluke, and that's proven by how long Veilguard was in production.

Mass Effect is the favorite child. Dragon Age is secondary. That's just the truth of Bioware's corporate structure. It probably has a lot to do with sexism toward how it's very attractive to women, it probably has to do with how queer-friendly the series has always been, but RPG bias shouldn't be discounted from the conversation.

[calebnichols]

i’m someone who used to be very anti-whatever but without being an actual anti, because true antis were insane (genuinely, by the definition of not being able to discern between either lawful OR moral right and wrong, they would fit the legal requirement) to the point that they sent people anon hate and death threats, doxxed people they didn’t like and went so far out of their way to act as though they were persecuted or oppressed for not wanting to see certain types of fanworks.

me, i just throw tags for things i don’t want to see on tumblr’s filtered content/tags list and only occasionally does my curiosity kill me and i self harm by opening a filtered post to see a perspective i personally find disagreeable and feel compelled to rant about it to my 5 followers.

more and more i have grown to accept “fiction isn’t reality and fictional characters aren’t real people so it doesn’t really matter if they have agency or not within a fan-made relationship.” but i also believe that there’s a certain degree where you can’t separate art from the artist and that applies to transformative artists too.

for example, if you're a white author and you have a racial bias that involves black people and you write a fanfiction plot in which all of the black characters are written to act as caretakers to white protagonists and white companions (and it’s ALWAYS the black characters who have to manage their emotions in the story), that’s probably not just a coincidence and it wouldn’t be very good to say “oh it’s just fiction it’s not hurting anything.”

the fanfic itself? no, it simply existing for people to interact with or ignore as they please is probably not hurting anything, i agree with that. but the author who wrote the fic and is a real person with a voice that gets reinforced in their own ideology bleeding through into their work every time they receive likes or kudos or bookmarks or comments or hits or reblogs or whatever? i just think maybe we should evaluate stuff like that a little more carefully, idk.

i know people have a thousand arguments for why writing content like noncon/dubcon, torture, incest, toxic romance, etc. doesn’t make someone a bad person and there's also a thousand arguments people make about why it does

i've always found it weird that proshippers get so defensive and act as though it is a divine right to be able to post a shit ton of toxic yaoi because someone told them it made them uncomfortable. but i do know that's kind of a natural reaction in people to some extent and identity protective cognition works in such a way that if they perceive something as an attack on their personal sense of self, their nervous system is wired to react the same way it would react to a physical threat because it doesn't know how else to process that. the real question i have is: why is the initial response perceived as an attack in the first place, and why are people still living in a mental state where their default reaction is to feel like they're being attacked when they're generally in their late 20s, 30s, and onward in fandom spaces?

one argument in the 90s and early 2000s was that violent video games don’t inherently make people violent and it was proven in peer-reviewed studies that it doesn't, but what we do know is repeated exposure to violent acts in video games can alter the way a person may perceive violence in reality and they might become desensitized to seeing or hearing about violence in the real world and violence might become normalized in a way that it wouldn't if they didn't play the violent video game. modern military recruitment propaganda is based on this idea. if the military can get ahold of people playing call of duty or overwatch or fortnite when they're still young and impressionable, they can mold those kids into becoming future soldiers by targeting that age demographic and presenting them jobs in the military as being like "see, you can actually do these things in real life!" until they see the appeal.

and we know that even hollywood fiction can seep into real life perspective. all you have to do is look up the statistics on how much shark killings increased after the movie JAWS released, or how much the dalmatian dog market increased after 101 and 102 Dalmatians released, or how much Labrador puppy breeding increased after Marley & Me released. what that says to me is that people don't just watch movies and go "oh, it's just fiction." actually, it seems more and more like people mainly watch movies to feel justified in who they are and what they do. if a character does something they like, they generally love that character. if a character does something they hate or don't like, they generally don't like that character. which makes sense really, because duh. that's why fandoms exist. everyone experiences fandom differently because we are all humans with different human experiences, but at the end of the day we join fandoms for a reason and that reason is very individual and personalized.

idk, tl;dr: i think there's a lot of nuance to be had in the discussion of fiction vs. reality. i'm tired of seeing people run off the internet for dead dove content but i don't think picking fights with teenagers or new adults is the answer either. i think fiction does affect reality but not in the way that the majority of people think it does and I don't think most people are as good at separating fiction from reality as they like to think they are.